Top 5 Books to Learn DevOps in 2024 - Best of Lot

DevOps is one of the in-demand skills for experienced developers. It also offers a career path for senior developers who don't want to go to project management and want to remain technical and close to the code, but what is DevOps? and how can you learn DevOps? In the past, I have shared some of the best DevOps courses and a complete DevOps Developer RoadMap, and in this article, I'll share the best books to learn DevOps for developers, but before that let's understand what is DevOps?  It is nothing but is an integration of the word development (Dev) and Operations (Ops). Development here refers to software development, I mean the process of writing code, unit testing, debugging and running source codes to create software. While Operations are Information Technology Operations like deployment, support, and creating new environments.

This holy union of Development and Operations,  I mean, DevOps aims to make software development time considerably shorter and still be able to develop and deliver high-quality software.

There was a conference for developers called DevOps day in Belgium in 2009. It was what was discussed at this conference that later gave birth to what we call DevOps today. From 2012 to 2014, there was already a DevOps report and was published annually.

The DevOps toolchain is software coding, building, testing, packaging, releasing, configuring, infrastructure automation, and monitoring. It means learning tools like Jenkins for CI/CD, Docker for containerization, Kubernetes for container deployment, Ansible for infrastructure automation, and much more.

If you are looking to pick up a few things about DevOps or looking to do an in-debt reading on DevOps, then these few books might just be the place to start.  Btw, if you are a complete beginner in the world of DevOps then DevOps: The Big Picture course on Pluralsight is also a great starting material. You will learn how Automation and Technology play a key role in DevOps and why DevOps is important for companies of all scales.

5 Best Books DevOps Engineer Should Read in 2024

Without wasting any more of your time, here are some of the best books to learn DevOps, not just the toolchain but also philosophy and mindset for automation, which is the core of DevOps. You will learn how to set CI/CD pipeline for seamless building, testing, and deployment.

1. Effective DevOps

The Effective DevOps: Building a Culture of Collaboration, Affinity, and Tooling at Scale
is another collection of the O'Reilly books. It is a firm that writes tech books, articles, and conferences owned by a man called Tom Reilley.

This book was however written by Jennifer Davis and Ryan Daniels. The 410-page turner explores the fundamentals of DevOps and teaches how to encourage collaboration among developers and IT.

The table of contents covers Chapter one, the Big Picture that gives a brief outline of a snapshot of DevOps culture and the evolution of the culture. It also gives an instance of two stories, Katherine’s Story and Jennifer’s Story.

It then talks about the values of the two stories and illustrates Devops with Stories. Chapter two, on the other hand, describes DevOps as a prescription for culture and explains the DevOps Equation. If you find this book a little bit tough to read then I also suggest you combine this book with a course like Learn DevOps: Continuously Deliver Better Software by  Edward Viaene on Udemy to get some active learning experience.

Coming back to the book, Chapter three covers the history of DevOps and developers as an operator, the advent of software engineering with proprietary software and standardization, the age of the network, the beginnings of a global community, the age of applications, and the Web, the growth of software development methodologies, open-source software, proprietary services, and agile infrastructure.

It expands to the beginning of DevOps day, and the current state of DevOps. Chapter four is on foundational terminologies and chapter five discusses DevOps' misconceptions and anti-patterns. Chapter six covers the four pillars of effective DevOps and chapter seven covers collaboration which means teaching individuals how to work together.

Chapter eight still covers collaboration but with misconceptions and troubleshooting and chapter ten covers affinity: misconceptions and troubleshooting. Chapter twelve and chapter thirteen is about the tools used as accelerators of culture and misconceptions and troubleshooting

Chapter fifteen is scaling misconceptions and troubleshooting and chapter seventeen is teaches how to build a bridge between DevOps cultures and learning from our Stories. The remaining chapters just conclude creating effective Devops with Further Resources

2. The DevOps Handbook

This handbook was written by Gene Kim, Jez Humble, Patrick Debois, and John Willis and has since then won the hearts of many developers and programmers. The reviews on the site are also amazing and the book correlates the relationship between the development team that is in charge of writing codes and the operation team that is tasked with launching and maintaining the software.

It stresses the importance of consistent communication between the two parties. The 480-page book published in 2016 will teach you "How to Create World-Class Agility, Reliability, and Security in Technology Organizations."

You can also combine this book with the course like Docker for the Beginners- Hands-On DevOps to also learn specific key tools like Docker, Jenkins, Ansible, Puppet, and Kubernetes which is essential for any DevOps engineer.

3. DevOps for Developers

This book outlines the approaches that can enable agile software developers to take software development to the delivery stage. It uses the DevOps toolchain like coding, building, testing, packaging, releasing, configuring, and monitoring to integrate software development and operations.

It teaches the Fundamentals of DevOps for Developers and introduces Building Blocks of DevOps.The book discusses how to use metrics and measurement views, quality and testing, shared incentives, and process views as procedures to gain fast feedback with a unified and holistic approach.

If you need a course then you can also combine this book with the DevOps Fundamentals - CI/CD with AWS +Docker+Ansible+Jenkins course by Rahul Shetty on Udemy. It's a great course to learn some hands-on DevOps knowledge for developers. 

4. Accelerate: The Science of Lean Software and DevOps

This book is an award-winning DevOps book on "Building and Scaling High Performing Technology Organizations," written by Nicole Forsgren, Jez Humble, and Gene Kim. This book is a research-based text on the best procedure of developing to delivering software.

It took four years of hard work and research to accomplish and the results were analyzed and then presented to developers worldwide. With this book, readers can be able to safely access their teams and reassign them for maximum results.

5. The Phoenix Project

Study books are fun, especially the ones with the long list of "dos" and "don’ts" and the "whys" and processes. Unfortunately, if you are not a fan of such long analogies, or just fall asleep at chapter one, then this read is perfect for you.

The Phoenix Project is a novel that portrays the use of DevOps techniques to solve IT and software crises. Here, you will become entirely encaptured by the world of Bill, an IT manager at Parts Unlimited.

The Phoenix Project: A Novel About IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win book has been called breathtaking and sneaky on several occasions by many developers, and it's recommended by so many people to me that I lost count.

6. Ansible for DevOps: Server and configuration management for humans

"Ansible for DevOps: Server and Configuration Management for Humans" by Jeff Geerling is a comprehensive guide for individuals familiar with the command line and basic shell scripting who want to leverage Ansible for server and configuration management.

Geerling's book, with a 4.6 out of 5-star rating from 587 reviews, introduces readers to the fundamentals of Ansible, starting from installation and the setup of a basic inventory file to grasp its basic concepts.

The book then progresses to cover a myriad of Ansible applications, including ad-hoc commands, basic and advanced playbooks, application deployments, and even Docker and Kubernetes orchestration. 

Real-world examples, often using Vagrant-managed virtual machines, are woven throughout the book, offering practical insights into the implementation of Ansible across different scenarios.

Whether provisioning and managing a single server or orchestrating thousands, this book provides readers with the tools and knowledge needed to harness Ansibles' simplicity and power in diverse server management tasks. 

If you want, you can also combine this book with the Dive Into Ansible - Beginner to Expert in Ansible - DevOps course from Udemy for better learning. This gives you an opportunity to learn Ansible DevOps + Automation with a Docker Captain

7. Docker Deep Dive by Nigel Poulton

"Docker Deep Dive" by Nigel Poulton, a Docker captain, with a solid 4.5-star rating from 1,131 reviews, is a must-read for professionals aspiring to excel in the realm of cloud-native microservices applications. 

The 2023 Edition of this book is a comprehensive guide that delves into the core concepts of Docker, offering step-by-step guidance on the creation and management of containerized applications, from source code to cloud execution.

As the demand for Docker skills continues to rise, this resource equips readers with the knowledge and skills essential for mastering Docker in real-world scenarios.

Whether you're a novice or an experienced developer, the book covers key topics, including building apps into container images, deploying and managing multi-container apps with scaling and self-healing capabilities, securing containers and their infrastructure, ensuring secure networking for containerized applications, and integrating with external storage providers.

With valuable insights and practical tips, "Docker Deep Dive" empowers readers to navigate the container and cloud-native ecosystems with confidence, making it an invaluable resource for advancing one's career in this dynamic field. Nigel also have a course with same title, "Docker Deep Dive course" on Pluralsight, if you want to combine active learning then I also recommend checking out that course along with reading this book. 

8. Securing DevOps: Security in the Cloud by Julien Vehent

"Securing DevOps: Security in the Cloud First Edition" by Julien Vehent, boasting a commendable 4.6-star rating from 81 reviews, is a pivotal resource that explores the convergence of DevOps and security practices to enhance the safety of cloud services.

This introductory guide delves into contemporary security practices for web applications and their infrastructure, offering techniques to seamlessly integrate security into product development. The book illuminates the fundamental concepts of DevOps, including continuous integration, continuous delivery, and infrastructure as a service.

Recognizing the unique security threats posed by applications in the cloud, the book employs compelling case studies to illustrate how to fortify systems against potential risks. "Securing DevOps" is an experience-rich manual that guides readers in building security into automated testing, continuous delivery, and other critical DevOps processes.

With a focus on protecting web applications from attacks, preventing fraud, and ensuring safety at scale, this book equips professionals with mission-critical strategies to secure cloud services effectively. Additionally, it addresses the identification, assessment, and mitigation of vulnerabilities specific to cloud deployments and prevalent automation tools in modern infrastructures.

Many people don't know but the purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in various formats, enhancing accessibility and convenience for readers. If you need an online course to go along with this book, you can also check DevSecOps - Kubernetes DevOps & Security with Hands-On Labs course on Udemy for deeper learning. 

That's all about some of the best books to learn DevOps for Beginners and experienced Programmers. DevOps is a great skill to have in this modern world of Software development, especially for senior programmers. If you want to grow in your career as a Technical Architect or want to remain close to code, DevOps offer another alternative.


Other DevOps, Cloud, and Programming Courses you may like

• The Complete DevOps Developer RoadMap
• 10 Free Docker Courses for Java and DevOps Professionals
• 7 Free Kubernetes Courses for Beginners
• Top 5 Courses to Learn Jenkins for Automation and DevOps
• 5 Free Selenium Courses to Learn Automation Testing
• 10 Docker and Kubernetes Courses for Programmers
• 6 Maven Courses for Java Developers
• 10 Things Java Developers Should Learn in 2024
• 10 DevOps Training Courses for Developers
• 10 Tools Java Developers Should Learn in 2024
• 5 Free Spring Framework and Spring Boot Courses
• Top 10 Courses to learn Docker and Kubernetes
• 10 Free Courses to learn AWS and Cloud for Programmers

Thanks for reading this article so far. If you find these best DevOps books useful then please share them with your friends and colleagues. If you have any questions, feedback, or a book that should be on this list, feel free to share it with us.

P. S. - If you need some free online courses to kick start your DevOps journey then you can also take a look at this free DevOps Essentials course on Udemy to learn DevOps from scratch with Jenkins, Docker, and Kubernetes for programmers and developers.