# Need a new Ruby book? **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [November 12, 2006, 10:41pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/need-a-new-ruby-book/75731 "2006-11-12T22:41:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![stuinzuri](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@stuinzuri](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/stuinzuri)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2006, 10:41pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/need-a-new-ruby-book/75731/1 "2006-11-12T22:41:25Z")
Hi all, Back in 2001 or so I took a look at ruby…downloaded ruby for my windows machine, bought Thomas & Hunt’s “Programming Ruby” (2001, Addison Wesley), …and promptly got caught up in a massive career change. Now I am back with a bit of Java and mgmt experience under my belt and want to get back into ruby on my MacBook (with built in ruby 0.9 (02/07/03)) The question is, am i still good with this five year old book? At least for a while? Or should I consider it prime recycling material? My interest at this point is only personal and not professional…so I can’t stick the employer with the bill. 😛 tia, Stu ---
**Author:** ![stuinzuri](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@stuinzuri](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/stuinzuri)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2006, 2:09am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/need-a-new-ruby-book/75731/2 "2006-11-13T02:09:42Z")
stuinzuri wrote: > I’d say yes, assuming you can afford the $30 it takes to buy the new edition of _Programming\_Ruby_. If you seriously want to program in Ruby, as a hobby or professionally, you’ll want at least one other book, either Hal F.'s _The\_Ruby\_Way_ or Lucas Carlson and Leonard Richardson’s _Ruby\_Cookbook_. And if you’re interested in Ruby On Rails, David Black’s \_Ruby\_for\_Rails is very highly regarded, as is Dave T. and David Heinemeier H.'s _Agile\_Web\_Development\_with\_Rails_. ---
**Author:** ![stuinzuri](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@stuinzuri](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/stuinzuri)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2006, 12:07am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/need-a-new-ruby-book/75731/3 "2006-11-13T00:07:36Z")
stuinzuri wrote: > The question is, am i still good with this five year old book? At > least for a while? Or should I consider it prime recycling material? > My interest at this point is only personal and not professional…so I > can’t stick the employer with the bill. 😛 > > tia, > > Stu Well … 1. Ruby 1.8 is out – upgrade your Ruby 2. There’s a second edition of Programming Ruby, a brand new second edition of The Ruby Way, and perhaps another half dozen good books. I’d recommend getting at least those two, and if you’re interested in Rails, get Agile Web D. for Rails and Ruby for Rails. – M. Edward (Ed) Borasky, FBG, AB, PTA, PGS, MS, MNLP, NST, ACMC(P) [http://borasky-research.blogspot.com/](http://borasky-research.blogspot.com/) If God had meant for carrots to be eaten cooked, He would have given rabbits fire. ---
**Author:** ![stuinzuri](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@stuinzuri](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/stuinzuri)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2006, 3:29am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/need-a-new-ruby-book/75731/4 "2006-11-13T03:29:48Z")
Peter B. wrote: > I think it would be great to have a similar book to Chan’s “The Java > Developer’s Alamanac” that lists all APIs of all known Ruby libraries. > There are probably smart IRB or ri tricks that make this unnecessary. > Yeah … some combination of ri, rdoc, pdf writer, ferret, hpricot and a > huge hard drive ought to do it. 🙂 – M. Edward (Ed) Borasky, FBG, AB, PTA, PGS, MS, MNLP, NST, ACMC(P) [http://borasky-research.blogspot.com/](http://borasky-research.blogspot.com/) If God had meant for carrots to be eaten cooked, He would have given rabbits fire. ---
**Author:** ![stuinzuri](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@stuinzuri](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/stuinzuri)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2006, 2:21am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/need-a-new-ruby-book/75731/5 "2006-11-13T02:21:43Z")
I did the same thing. My first book was shelfware for four years. What I found most useful, in order, are 1. Ruby for Rails by David Black (It explains Ruby in away that I could grok) 2. Ruby Cookbook 3. Programming Ruby (2nd edition - I keep this one at work and v1. at home as references) I have the 2nd edition of The Ruby Way on order and am about to order 2nd edition (second copy) of _Agile\_Web\_Development\_with\_Rails_. I think it would be great to have a similar book to Chan’s “The Java Developer’s Alamanac” that lists all APIs of all known Ruby libraries. There are probably smart IRB or ri tricks that make this unnecessary. Of course, I do have more than 20 Java books … ---
**Author:** ![stuinzuri](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@stuinzuri](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/stuinzuri)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2006, 3:10pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/need-a-new-ruby-book/75731/6 "2006-11-13T15:10:51Z")
Peter B. wrote: > 1. Ruby for Rails by David Black (It explains Ruby in away that I could > grok) > 2. Ruby Cookbook > 3. Programming Ruby (2nd edition - I keep this one at work and v1. at > home as references) I second these. Davids book is the best IMHO for getting to grips with the works of Ruby. Ruby cookbook is great for giving you ideas on how to solve common problems. And the pickaxe (3) is the reference to fall back on. James ---
**Author:** ![stuinzuri](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@stuinzuri](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/stuinzuri)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2006, 3:40pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/need-a-new-ruby-book/75731/7 "2006-11-13T15:40:58Z")
ho, hum…I was looking to save a buck and now you all have me wanting to spend $100! Seriously, thanks for the input. As RoR looks to be my target area, I probably need to lay out some cash for some of the books you all have recommended. Maybe after the new year. thanks. Stu ---
**Author:** ![stuinzuri](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@stuinzuri](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/stuinzuri)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2006, 4:25pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/need-a-new-ruby-book/75731/8 "2006-11-13T16:25:10Z")
stuinzuri wrote: > ho, hum…I was looking to save a buck and now you all have me wanting > to spend $100! > > Seriously, thanks for the input. As RoR looks to be my target area, I > probably need to lay out some cash for some of the books you all have > recommended. Maybe after the new year. You can start now with David Black’s “Ruby For Rails”. It’s quite self-contained and it will get you started, assuming of course you have a computer and an Internet connection. Then pick up “Agile Web Development With Rails, 2nd Edition” after the new year, when the book and the software will have converged. – M. Edward (Ed) Borasky, FBG, AB, PTA, PGS, MS, MNLP, NST, ACMC(P) [http://borasky-research.blogspot.com/](http://borasky-research.blogspot.com/) If God had meant for carrots to be eaten cooked, He would have given rabbits fire.