6 Best Ruby Programming Books Ranked by Reviews

Even experienced programmers might find themselves unfamiliar with Ruby. This language has found greater popularity in recent years, especially as more companies seek it out for the purposes of data processing and server building. Even so, its implementation is nowhere near as widespread as languages such as HTML or C++. This means that despite the many applications of Ruby, fewer programmers might be prepared to write code using it. From getting a head start to finding a deeper understanding of the language, there are plenty of reasons why people should check out the 6 best Ruby programming books based on Amazon reviews.

Ruby can be a difficult language to find resources on. As such, this article will only cover books with a primary focus on Ruby. These books also have fewer reviews overall compared to other languages, so keep in mind that your mileage may vary even on positively-reviewed material.

The 6 Best Ruby Programming Books Ranked by Amazon Reviews

6. Learn to Program (2nd Edition) by Chris Pine

Despite its ambiguous name, Learn to Program is all about programming with the Ruby language. It goes further with examples by showing how both beginners and experts would do them, allowing both groups to improve their skills as they delve into the material. Reviewers agree overall that the resource is an excellent one for beginners, even if the humor within might not be the best.

This book is relatively old, so newcomers using the latest version of Ruby might benefit more from checking out the third edition instead. Either way, if you’re willing to withstand the author’s less-than-professional tone, it’s hard not to recommend any edition of this book.

Reviews: Out of 169 total reviews, 66% gave this book 5 stars List Price: $24.95 Buy now on Amazon or AbeBooks

5. Eloquent Ruby by Russ Olsen

As part of a series of Ruby-oriented programming books, Eloquent Ruby seeks to teach professionals the best way of writing the language. The lighthearted tone is appealing to beginners, and the in-depth way it describes features allows professionals to look at what they’ve been doing wrong. While it’s not a book for newcomers to the entire realm of programming, it’s a fantastic way for novices to become experts with the Ruby language.

Reviews: Out of 178 total reviews, 77% gave this book 5 stars List Price: $52.99 Paperback, $39.99 Digital Buy now on Amazon (Digital) or AbeBooks (Paperback)

4. The Ruby Programming Language by David Flanagan and Yukihiro Matsumoto

The Ruby Programming Language is another resource for novice programmers. While perhaps a bit friendlier to those with no knowledge of Ruby, it makes many comparisons to other languages to assist in grasping the concepts found here. This can make it difficult for true beginners to understand, but it also makes getting a head start on Ruby relatively easier for those already familiar with the other languages.

It should also be kept in mind that this book is quite outdated, with its publication date set back in 2008. You can still use it confidently as a way to jump into Ruby headfirst, but don’t expect this resource to be the best for more modern purposes.

Reviews: Out of 200 total reviews, 68% gave this book 5 stars List Price: $49.99 Paperback, $42.99 Digital Buy now on Amazon (Digital) or AbeBooks (Paperback)

3. Ruby on Rails Tutorial (3rd Edition) by Michael Hartl

For those less familiar with programming as a whole, this Ruby on Rails Tutorial should prove to be a much more welcoming resource than previous items on this list. Instead of focusing solely on the language, this book covers a framework that simplifies the use of Ruby and allows easier application development. Reviewers praise this resource for how easy it is to understand while still maintaining professional quality. From beginners to advanced users, Michael Hartl’s offering is a great resource for anyone to follow along with.

It should be noted that despite this book’s relatively recent release, many new editions followed it in the past few years. The most recent Seventh Edition might be a much better choice for newcomers today even with its lack of reviews. If you’re unwilling to risk the unknown, then this third edition should still prove very useful in starting your journey with Ruby.

Reviews: Out of 214 total reviews, 71% gave this book 5 stars List Price: $49.99 Buy now on Amazon or AbeBooks

2. Ruby For Beginners by iCode Academy

iCode Academy’s offering on Ruby is a bit more rudimentary than others, but it still acts as a great place to start. Ruby For Beginners has been praised by reviewers for offering a fantastic introduction to the language despite errors in grammar and formatting. While the content inside might be seen as a bit cheap, this is reflected in the book’s price, making it one of the most affordable items on this list.

It should be noted that reviewers reported issues with the digital version. However, that version is currently free on Amazon. Even if you find another book on this list to be more worthwhile, it can’t hurt too much to check out the Kindle version of Ruby For Beginners — as long as the free offer lasts.

Reviews: Out of 229 total reviews, 55% gave this book 5 stars List Price: $19.97 Paperback, $9.99 Digital Buy now on Amazon (Digital) or AbeBooks (Paperback)

1. Practical Object-Oriented Design in Ruby by Sandi Metz and Obie Fernandez

Practical Object-Oriented Design in Ruby is part of a series of books that also contains Russ Olsen’s offering. As the title suggests, it provides readers with an understanding of Object-Oriented Programming with the language. Some reviewers were critical of this book leaving out pieces of key information, but what information is provided is still extremely useful. If you found a good understanding of Ruby already but you’d like to dive deeper into the language, this book might be your best choice.

The second edition of this book has less reviews but a higher average rating. Even then, this first edition is still one of the most positively-reviewed resources on Ruby out there. It’s up to you to decide which one to get, but you’re unlikely to go wrong with either of them.

Reviews: Out of 278 total reviews, 83% gave this book 5 stars List Price: $44.98 Buy now on Amazon or AbeBooks

What to Look For When Choosing the Best Ruby Programming Book Based on Reviews

Because of Ruby’s less widespread use, there simply aren’t many popular books that cover it. Reviews matter more here than for other languages, so be sure to find trusted authors that can cover every aspect of Ruby you can’t understand yourself. Also be sure to find more recent material, as Ruby is a language that has received constant updates. Keep an eye not just on the books, but also on the language itself!

If you want to get an even better idea of what Ruby is like, check out our lists of the best Python books and the  best C++ books!