10 .NET Books That Separate Experts from Amateurs

Andrew Stellman and Jennifer Greene crafted this book as a response to the challenges beginners face when diving into C# and .NET Core. You’ll quickly build a fully functional game in the opening chapter, which sets the tone for a hands-on learning style that continues through object-oriented programming, Unity 3D game creation, and LINQ queries. The book’s visually rich, puzzle-driven approach reflects cognitive science research, making complex coding concepts approachable without overwhelming you. If you’re starting out in C# development, this book offers a clear path to become a capable programmer by applying skills in real-world app and game projects.

Mark J. Price’s extensive background as a Microsoft Specialist and longtime educator shines through in this thorough guide to C# 11 and .NET 7. You’ll gain hands-on experience with the latest language features and .NET libraries, progressing from foundational object-oriented programming concepts to building rich web applications with ASP.NET Core, Blazor, and Entity Framework Core. Chapters carefully balance theory and practice, starting with console applications to focus on language constructs before moving into web projects—helping you build confidence without getting overwhelmed by UI complexities. If you’re starting out or looking to update your skills with the newest framework advancements, this book lays out the essentials in a clear, structured way.

This tailored book delves into both fundamental and advanced .NET topics, crafted to match your unique background, skill level, and goals. It explores core concepts such as C# programming, ASP.NET development, and cross-platform solutions, while also examining modern features like Blazor and Entity Framework. By focusing on your specific interests and challenges, this personalized guide reveals pathways through complex subject matter, enabling a deeper understanding of .NET's evolving ecosystem. The content balances foundational principles with nuanced insights, ensuring you gain practical knowledge suited precisely to your learning needs and development ambitions.

After decades immersed in Microsoft technologies, Mark J. Price crafted this edition as a thorough update to guide you through C# 12 and .NET 8's evolving landscape. You dive into practical coding examples, mastering everything from new language features like type aliasing and primary constructors to building performant web services using ASP.NET Core 8 and Blazor. The book unpacks complex topics such as native AOT compilation and enhanced caching, making them approachable for beginners and seasoned developers alike. Whether it's querying data with Entity Framework Core 8 or leveraging the integrated HTTP editor in Visual Studio 2022, you gain hands-on skills applicable to modern cross-platform development. This is especially useful if you want to bridge foundational programming concepts with the latest .NET capabilities.

Drawing from over two decades of Microsoft programming expertise, Mark J Price delivers a practical guide that goes beyond basic .NET concepts. You’ll explore a wide range of technologies including Blazor Full Stack, .NET MAUI, gRPC, GraphQL, and cloud-native data stores like Cosmos DB, gaining hands-on insights into building scalable, resilient services and cross-platform apps. For example, the new chapter on service architecture and background services offers useful perspectives on caching and queuing strategies. This book suits you if you already have solid C# and .NET knowledge and want to deepen your mastery of specialized libraries and enterprise-level application design.

Mark J. Price's two decades of Microsoft-focused programming experience culminate in this thorough guide to C# 10 and .NET 6. You’ll grasp everything from fundamental object-oriented programming concepts to advanced topics like async streams, LINQ queries, and Entity Framework Core integration. The book walks you through building cross-platform applications, covering ASP.NET Core 6, Blazor, and service-oriented architecture, with clear examples including console apps and MVC pattern implementations. If you want to deepen your practical skills in modern .NET development, whether starting fresh or updating your knowledge, this book offers a solid path without overwhelming you with extraneous code.

This personalized book explores a step-by-step, 30-day journey to jumpstart your .NET development skills, tailored to your background and goals. It covers essential concepts and practical tasks that build progressively each day, allowing you to develop strong coding habits and confidence in using .NET technologies. The book focuses on your specific interests, weaving together foundational topics like C# syntax and object-oriented principles with targeted daily exercises designed to accelerate learning. By synthesizing key expert knowledge into a customized path, it reveals a clear roadmap through complex .NET concepts, helping you gain hands-on experience and apply what you learn effectively across different project types.

While working as a Microsoft Specialist and educator for over two decades, Mark J. Price noticed the rising demand for developers skilled in modern C# and .NET Core technologies. This book equips you with a deep understanding of C# 8.0 features like nullable reference types and pattern matching, alongside practical mastery of .NET Core 3.0 APIs, Entity Framework Core, and ASP.NET Core for building cross-platform applications. Specific chapters guide you through creating web apps, mobile apps with Xamarin.Forms, and Windows desktop applications, making it ideal if you want hands-on experience with real-world tools and frameworks. Its blend of fundamental programming principles and current ecosystem insights serves those with some prior coding knowledge aiming to advance in .NET development.

Riccardo Terrell leverages his two decades of software engineering experience and Microsoft MVP status to explore concurrency through a functional programming lens. You learn to harness .NET's modern tools like parallel LINQ and the Task Parallel Library to write concurrent applications that efficiently utilize multi-core processors. Chapters cover foundational concepts such as functional data structures and immutability, then advance to real-time event-stream processing and asynchronous functional programming in both C# and F#. This book suits developers ready to deepen their understanding of scalable, high-performance .NET applications using declarative and maintainable patterns.

Mark J. Price's deep involvement with Microsoft since the early days of C# shapes this book into a thorough introduction to C# 9 and .NET 5. You’ll gain hands-on skills with the latest language features like immutable records and top-level programs, plus practical guidance on ASP.NET Core and Blazor for building websites and services. The book also walks you through Entity Framework Core for database work and cross-platform mobile app development with Xamarin.Forms. If you’re new to C# or returning after a gap, this book helps you bridge the changes and confidently build modern applications.

David Pine, a seasoned Senior Content Developer at Microsoft specializing in .NET and Azure, wrote this book to bridge the gap for developers eager to harness Blazor's potential in creating rich single-page applications. You’ll explore using Blazor WebAssembly to build client-side UI components entirely in C#, along with advanced topics like SignalR for real-time updates, JavaScript interop techniques, and state management strategies. The book dives into deploying applications via Azure Static Web Apps and covers localization using Azure Cognitive Services, making it particularly useful if you want to integrate cloud services seamlessly. If you’re a developer aiming to expand your .NET skills into modern web app development, this book offers focused guidance without unnecessary fluff.

Drawing from his deep involvement in the Blazor community since its early days, Chris Sainty delivers a focused exploration of building web frontends using Blazor, C#, and .NET. You’ll learn how to create reusable UI components, manage routing and forms with validation, and integrate JavaScript libraries seamlessly. The book walks you through developing a hiking route application, illustrating practical implementations of role-based security and state management. If you have experience with C# and .NET and want to harness Blazor's capabilities to build modern web apps, this book offers concrete examples and up-to-date techniques aligned with .NET 6.