8 Best-Selling Vim Books Millions Love

Ss, host of Unsupervised Learning podcast and security expert, along with other thought leaders recommend these best-selling Vim Books to enhance your skills and efficiency.

Ss
Updated on June 26, 2025
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When millions of readers and top experts agree, you know you've found something valuable. Vim, the powerful and efficient text editor, remains a staple tool for developers and system administrators alike. Despite the rise of new editors, Vim's enduring popularity owes much to its unparalleled speed and customization capabilities, making knowledge of it a vital skill in software development and beyond.

Ss, host of the Unsupervised Learning podcast and a noted security expert, highlights Practical Vim as a standout resource for mastering efficient editing. Their endorsement reflects the broader community's respect for books that distill Vim's complexity into accessible, actionable techniques. Ss's experience with Vim tutorials and presentations lends credibility to these best-selling choices, which continue to shape expert workflows.

While these popular books provide proven frameworks, readers seeking content tailored to their specific Vim needs might consider creating a personalized Vim book that combines these validated approaches with your unique background, skill level, and learning goals. This customization offers a practical path to mastering Vim on your terms.

Best for proven editing efficiency
Ss, a security expert and podcast host, highlights this as their favorite Vim book, praising Drew Neil's clear teaching style and supplementary Vimcasts. They mention how this resource aligns with the choices of many Vim users, reflecting its wide adoption and practical value. Their appreciation grew alongside exploring various Vim tutorials, but Neil's book remains a standout for building efficient editing skills.
S

Recommended by Ss

Host of Unsupervised Learning podcast, security expert

@Andrew___Morris @jkamdjou Oh yes, that’s my favorite Vim book. I also have the latest as well. I also like @jovica’s stuff on it. And lately I’ve been watching a lot of Vim presentations on YouTube. But yeah, Drew Neil is great. Plus his Vimcasts in his Scottish accent are excellent. (from X)

2015·356 pages·Vim, Software Development, Text Editing, Macros, Regular Expressions

Drew Neil's background as a programmer and educator shines through in this book, designed to transform how you work with text. You learn over 120 specific Vim tips, from mastering the Dot Formula for repeating commands to automating complex edits with macros and advanced search techniques. The book caters to developers, sysadmins, and anyone serious about editing efficiency, offering practical methods to speed up daily tasks without plugins. For example, chapters on project-wide search and replace or using Vim's "very magic" regex mode give you tools to tackle real coding challenges. If you're ready to deepen your Vim skills beyond basics, this book will sharpen how you edit text and write code.

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Best for advanced Vim integration
Drew Neil is a programmer, trainer, and author recognized for his expertise in Vim and Neovim. His deep understanding of these editors shines through in this book, where he shares ways to turn Vim 8 and Neovim into powerful development environments. Neil’s work reflects his commitment to helping developers improve efficiency through practical integration techniques and innovative features like Neovim's built-in terminal emulator.
2018·168 pages·Vim, Software Development, Programming, Vim Integration, Neovim

When Drew Neil first explored the potential of Vim 8 and Neovim, he realized how these tools could transform the way developers interact with their code. This book guides you through integrating Vim with modern build, test, and search tools, showing you how to leverage asynchronous tasks, plugin management, and session restoration to streamline your workflow. It’s especially useful if you work in Unix-based environments and want to harness the speed and efficiency Vim offers while embracing Neovim’s innovative terminal emulator. By focusing on practical tips, such as managing terminal buffers and scripting capabilities, Neil helps you craft a development environment tailored to your needs.

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Best for personalized efficiency plans
This AI-created book on Vim efficiency is crafted based on your current experience and specific editing goals. By sharing your background and the Vim topics you're most interested in, you receive a book focused exactly on the techniques that will speed up your editing. That means no wading through unrelated content—just the proven methods and insights that match your unique path to mastery.
2025·50-300 pages·Vim, Vim Fundamentals, Command Mastery, Editing Workflows, Macro Usage

This tailored book explores battle-tested methods to boost your Vim editing efficiency, focusing on your individual skill level and interests. It reveals how to harness widely validated techniques that millions of users have found valuable, ensuring your learning aligns perfectly with your background and personal goals. The content delves into optimizing editing speed through command mastery, custom workflows, and smart use of macros and plugins. By concentrating on what matters most to you, this personalized guide unlocks deeper understanding and practical application of Vim's powerful features, making your text editing both faster and more fluid.

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Best for mastering Vim workflows
Mastering Vim by Ruslan Osipov stands out by focusing on how to fully leverage Vim and Neovim as powerful development environments rather than just presenting commands. It guides you through installing the latest versions, mastering navigation and editing, and managing plugins to tailor your setup. Beyond basics, it explores refactoring, debugging, and testing within Vim, making it a solid choice for anyone looking to deepen their Vim skills and streamline development workflows with this versatile editor.
Mastering Vim book cover

by Ruslan Osipov·You?

2018·330 pages·Vim, Software Development, Productivity, Vim Plugins, Vimscript

Unlike most Vim books that simply list commands, Ruslan Osipov’s Mastering Vim takes you through the editor’s deep philosophy and practical usage, making it a hands-on guide for developers at any level. You’ll learn to navigate and edit text efficiently, configure plugins to optimize your workflow, and even write Vimscript to tailor Vim or Neovim to your specific needs. The book covers everything from basic editing to refactoring with regex and macros, and shows you how to integrate version control, debugging, and testing seamlessly. If you want to move beyond the basics and truly embed Vim into your coding life, this book serves that purpose well.

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Best for optimizing Vim usage
Kim Schulz, with a master’s in software engineering and decades of open source experience, wrote this book to help developers get the most out of Vim’s evolving capabilities. His deep involvement in Linux and software projects informs a practical guide aimed at refining your Vim skills for modern development challenges.
2007·210 pages·Vim, Software Development, Programming Tools, Text Editing, Scripting

The breakthrough moment came when Kim Schulz, drawing from his extensive background in software engineering and open source development, crafted this guide to unlock Vim's full potential. You learn to harness practical commands, customization tips, and efficiency hacks tailored for the latest Vim editor, with chapters dedicated to scripting and plugin integration. This book suits developers who want to move beyond basics and transform Vim into a personalized, powerful tool that streamlines coding workflows. While it assumes some familiarity with Vim, its focused approach helps intermediate users deepen their mastery and save time on routine editing tasks.

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Best for practical Vim hacks
Kim Schulz has an M.Sc. in Software Engineering from Aalborg University in Denmark and has been deeply involved in the Linux and Open Source communities since 1997. His extensive experience ranges from translation and bug fixing to developing full software systems. Currently a full-time software engineer at CSR Plc, Schulz brings a wealth of practical knowledge to this book, aiming to equip Vim users with straightforward hacks that address everyday challenges in text editing and software development.
2010·228 pages·Vim, Software Development, Text Editing, Efficiency, Customization

What started as a way to address common frustrations among Vim users turned into Kim Schulz's focused guide filled with practical hacks. Schulz, with decades in open source and software engineering, offers you targeted solutions to enhance your efficiency with Vim 7.2, clearly indicating version requirements for each hack. The book breaks down tasks into digestible recipes, making it easier to tackle everyday challenges in editing and navigation. If you’re someone beyond beginner level looking to deepen your command of Vim's powerful features, this book helps you sharpen your workflow with concrete, ready-to-use techniques.

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Best for daily skill building
This AI-created book on Vim mastery is tailored to your skill level and interests, ensuring you focus on the topics that matter most to you. By sharing your background and specific goals, you receive a personalized learning experience designed for rapid skill growth. Rather than generic tutorials, this book offers targeted tasks and insights that build upon proven Vim knowledge, making your path to proficiency both efficient and engaging.
2025·50-300 pages·Vim, Vim Basics, Navigation, Editing Commands, Customization

This tailored AI-created book focuses on rapidly boosting your Vim skills through a personalized, step-by-step approach that matches your background, skill level, and learning goals. It explores essential Vim commands, efficient navigation techniques, and customization options designed specifically to fit your individual interests. By concentrating on daily targeted tasks, it reveals how you can progressively build competence and confidence in Vim, making complex editing more intuitive and productive. This personalized guide combines widely validated knowledge with a custom learning path to ensure you get the most relevant and engaging instruction for fast, effective skill growth.

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Best for professional Vim users
London-based software engineer Mark McDonnell brings over 15 years of diverse development experience to this book. Currently a senior core engineer at the BBC, Mark has navigated numerous programming languages and environments, fueling his passion for the Unix philosophy and command line power. His deep expertise and hands-on approach shape this guide, designed to elevate your Vim skills by sharing techniques refined through years of professional practice.
Pro Vim book cover

by Mark McDonnell··You?

2014·451 pages·Vim, Software Development, Productivity, Terminal Configuration, Macros

Mark McDonnell challenges the conventional wisdom that mastering Vim requires a steep, daunting learning curve. Drawing from his extensive experience as a senior core engineer at the BBC, he distills Vim's complex capabilities into clear, manageable lessons that focus on real-world workflows and productivity. You’ll learn everything from configuring your terminal environment to advanced buffer and session management, plus how to automate tasks with macros and shell scripting. This book is tailored for developers who want to harness Vim's full potential, moving beyond the basics to become proficient in editing multiple files efficiently without relying on the mouse.

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Best for learning Vim scripting
Benjamin Klein is a software developer at Silver Chalice, LLC, with extensive experience using Vim for text-based tasks and contributing to GroovyMag. His background in software development and writing for Grails projects uniquely positions him to guide you through VimL scripting. This book reflects his passion for making Vim not just an editor but a highly customizable environment tailored to your needs.
2015·84 pages·Vim, Software Development, Scripting, Vim Plugins, Automation

Benjamin Klein, a software developer well-versed in Groovy and Grails frameworks, crafted this guide to empower users to extend Vim beyond basic editing. You learn how to build your own Vim plugins by mastering VimL scripting, covering essentials like buffer manipulation, autocommands, and custom syntax highlighting. The book walks you through creating functional scripts that enhance your editing workflow, making it a solid resource if you want to move past simple vimrc tweaks. It’s especially useful if you’re comfortable with Vim basics and ready to customize your environment with your own tools.

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Best for essential vi/Vim skills
Jacek Artymiak has authored over 100 articles and more than a dozen books on Linux, OpenBSD, and system administration, establishing himself as a seasoned expert in open-source environments. His deep engagement with OpenBSD and command-line tools inspired this focused guide on vi and Vim editors, aiming to equip users with practical editing skills essential for working efficiently in Unix-like systems.
2008·112 pages·Vim, Software Development, System Administration, Command Line, OpenBSD

When Jacek Artymiak decided to compile his extensive knowledge into Vi(1) Tips,: Essential Vi/Vim Editor Skills, he drew from decades of hands-on experience in Linux and OpenBSD environments. This concise guide delivers practical techniques for mastering the vi and Vim editors, focusing on commands and shortcuts that streamline text editing within the OpenBSD command-line. You’ll find specific tips that enhance your efficiency, such as command combinations and editing tricks tailored for system administrators and developers working in Unix-like systems. If you rely heavily on terminal editing or want to deepen your command-line toolkit, this book offers clear, focused insights without unnecessary filler.

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Conclusion

This collection of 8 best-selling Vim books reveals a clear theme: practical, validated methods resonate most with users seeking to unlock Vim’s potential. From Practical Vim's actionable tips to Modern Vim's integration strategies, these works give you reliable frameworks shaped by expert insight and widespread adoption.

If you prefer proven methods, start with Practical Vim for editing efficiency and Hacking Vim for optimization strategies. For validated approaches that deepen your mastery, combine Mastering Vim with The VimL Primer to explore advanced workflows and scripting.

Alternatively, you can create a personalized Vim book to combine proven methods with your unique needs. These widely-adopted approaches have helped many readers succeed and can help you navigate Vim's powerful features with confidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

I'm overwhelmed by choice – which book should I start with?

Start with Practical Vim for its clear, actionable tips that build solid editing skills. It’s widely praised for helping users move beyond basics efficiently.

Are these books too advanced for someone new to Vim?

Most assume some basic Vim familiarity, but Vi Tips, offers essential skills suitable for beginners wanting a focused introduction to vi and Vim editors.

What's the best order to read these books?

Begin with Practical Vim or Vi Tips, then explore Hacking Vim or Modern Vim for optimization and integration. Finish with Mastering Vim and The VimL Primer for advanced workflows and scripting.

Do I really need to read all of these, or can I just pick one?

You can pick one based on your needs—Practical Vim is great for editing basics, while Modern Vim suits those focusing on development environments. Combining a few provides broader mastery.

Which book gives the most actionable advice I can use right away?

Practical Vim offers over 120 practical tips you can apply immediately, making it ideal for users wanting quick workflow improvements.

Can personalized Vim books complement these expert recommendations?

Yes! While these expert books provide proven methods, personalized Vim books tailor strategies to your unique goals and background, enhancing your learning experience. Consider creating your own to combine the best of both worlds.

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