7 Best AWS Books for Beginners and Experienced in 2024

My favorite books to learn Amazon Web Services (AWS) in depth

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Javarevisited

10 min readApr 26, 2023

Hello guys, if you are a beginner who wants to learn AWS and Cloud Computing or experienced professional preparing for AWS certification and looking for best AWS Book to read then you have come to the right place.

Earlier, I have shared best AWS Courses and best Places to learn AWS as well as certification guide for AWS Cloud Practitioner, Developer Associate, Solution Architect, and DevOps and in this article, I am going to share best AWS Books you can read in 2024.

If you are not sleeping under the rock for few years then you know that Cloud services have become a trend in recent years. More and more organizations are moving to cloud services. Amazon Web Services, commonly knowns as AWS is by far the most popular cloud service.

AWS is an on-demand pay-as-you-go pricing service. It offers several products in various domains such as compute and networking services, storage and content delivery services, security and identity services, database services, analytics services, application services, and management tools.

Moreover, understanding AWS is easier as compared to other services. It is very user-friendly.

For programmers, developers, and DevOps it is worth learning AWS as there are many job opportunities in the market. AWS can be learned from various resources such as the online courses and books. While the online courses can give iniital exposure, books are a better option if you want to dive deep into the concepts. In this article, we will list the top seven books to learn Amazon Web Services.

From foundational concepts to advanced architectures, these books cover a wide spectrum of topics, ensuring there’s something for everyone in the realm of AWS. The cloud landscape can be overwhelming, with an abundance of technical jargon and intricate services to comprehend. This is where these handpicked resources come in, breaking down the AWS ecosystem into digestible insights, practical examples, and step-by-step tutorials.

Whether you’re aiming to clear AWS certification exams, implement cloud solutions for your projects, or simply gain a clearer understanding of cloud concepts, these books offer the knowledge and guidance needed to succeed. Let’s dive into our selection of the 7 Best AWS Books, empowering both beginners and experienced cloud enthusiasts on their journey to AWS proficiency.

7 Best Books to learn AWS And Cloud Computing in 2024

Without wasting anymore of your time, here is a list of best books to learn AWS in 2024

1 The Good Parts of AWS: Cutting Through the Clutter

This is another book that is not exactly a Java book but again worth reading for Java developers, particularly those who are working in AWS. Since Cloud is transforming the way Java application is developed it’s essential for Java developers to learn about Cloud Computing platforms like AWS, Azure, and GCP, and it makes sense to learn AWS because its a market leader.

And, this is one of the best books to learn practical AWS you will find online. This book is created by Daniel Vassallo and Josh Pschorr , former Amazon engineers with 15 years of experience working on AWS. Daniel also runs a paid community called “Small bets” where he share his experience with others.

This is not your typical AWS reference book. You won’t find most of the knowledge that’s shared here in the AWS docs. The goal here is to help you realize which AWS features you’d be foolish not to use — features that have passed the test of time by being at the backbone of most things on the Internet.

This is an available e-Book on Gumroad, if you like to read books then you can also check out The Good Parts of AWS eBook. There is a 20% discount available if you buy the book using the above link.

And, if you prefer learning from course, there is also an interactive course available on this book where you’ll learn a technique used to help make reliable technical choices without getting paralyzed in the face of so many options.

You’ll start by going through the most fundamental services AWS offers such as DynamoDB, S3, EC2. Each section breaks down how it’s used, the pros and cons, why you should (or shouldn’t) be using it, and more.

Here is the link to sign up for this course — The Good Parts of AWS: Cutting Through the Clutter

You can either buy this course or you can get and Educative membership to access this course. If you ask me, I suggest you get Educative Subscription which costs $17(50% discount now) monthly, completely worth it for a programmer and software engineers where continuous learning is required.

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2. Amazon Web Services in Action

This book is written by Andreas Wittig and Michael Wittig who migrated the first bank of Germany to AWS in 2013. It is one of the finest books for learning AWS. In this book, the authors covered all the essential AWS services focusing on security, automation, scalability, and high availability.

The third edition of the book includes all the latest AWS additions such as serverless infrastructure with AWS Lambda, in-memory storage with ElastiCache, and sharing data with EFS.

The book is for mid-level developers and DevOps and if you are preparing for AWS certification then you should definitely read this book to learn AWS services and concepts in depth.

For better learning, you can also combine this book with the Stephane Maarek’s, AWS Guru’s Ultimate AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate 2024 course from Udemy. Although this for AWS solution architect exam, you will learn a lot about AWS by enrolling in this course.

3. AWS Certified Solutions Architect Study Guide with 900 Practice Test Questions: Associate (SAA-C03) Exam

This AWS book is one of the most comprehensive and effective resource for the new SAA-C03 Exam. Authored by Ben Piper and David Clinton, this study guide will help cloud professionals with the knowledge and tools needed to tackle the challenges of the certification.

A standout feature of this guide is its robust assortment of study tools that go beyond just textual content. Offering access to the Sybex online learning environment and test bank, the book ensures a dynamic learning experience. With 100s of high-quality test questions, bonus practice exams, electronic flashcards, and a glossary of key terms, you will also have the resources at hand to thoroughly prepare.

The authors adeptly cover crucial topics, including the design of resilient AWS architectures, the creation of high-performing solutions, the crafting of secure applications and architectures, and the design of cost-optimized solutions. These essential skills are meticulously explained, enabling readers to grasp both the foundational principles and the practical applications.

If you check review you also find that one reviewer highlights the informative content that lays a strong foundation for the exam, presented in a well-structured and concise manner. The guidance proves instrumental for building the necessary base knowledge required to excel in the exam.

However, if you want to pass the exam in first attempt then I also suggest you to to augment the study guide with additional learning materials and practice resources like Stephen Marak’s AWS Solution architect course and Whizlabs AWS practice test .

Notably, the review questions at the end of the chapters in Part 2 are deemed more representative of the actual exam, while those in Part 1 might not fully align. To bolster preparation, the reviewer recommends incorporating other learning resources, such as the sample tests from Jon Bonso and the official AWS practice exam.

In summary, the “AWS Certified Solutions Architect Study Guide: Associate (SAA-C03) Exam, 4th Edition” offers a thorough and well-structured resource for those aspiring to excel in the SAA-C03 Exam.

Its nice blend of comprehensive content and supplementary study tools makes it a strong choice for building foundational AWS knowledge. To ensure a robust preparation, the guide is best paired with a mix of additional learning materials and practice resources for a well-rounded exam readiness strategy.

4. Amazon Web Services Bootcamp

Written by Sunil Gulabani, the Amazon Web Services Bootcamp: Develop a scalable, reliable, and highly available cloud environment with AWS book focuses on building and managing highly reliable and scalable applications and services on AWS.

It includes all the essential skills to design, deploy, and manage applications and services on the AWS. The book also contains easy-to-follow, hands-on steps, recommendations, and tips.

The book is for IT professionals with basic knowledge of the cloud and AWS (optional).

5. AWS: The Ultimate Guide From Beginners To Advanced

The latest edition of AWS: The Ultimate Guide From Beginners To Advanced For The Amazon Web Services (2020 Edition) book by Theo H. King will teach you all the essentials of AWS. This book starts from the very basics of AWS and then gradually moves to the advanced topics.

The major topics covered in this book are using development tools of AWS for your advantages, upgrading outsourcing, implementing AWS technologies, and many more.

This book is for IT professionals with basic knowledge of the cloud (optional).

6. Learning Amazon Web Services (AWS): A Hands-On Guide to the Fundamentals of AWS Cloud

This book is written by Mark Wilkins who is a top AWS trainer and evangelist. In this book, you will find every essential concept that is required to master AWS.

It has hands-on practices that will help you understand Amazon Web Services in real-time. The author tries to present AWS as a big picture covering AWS fundamentals.

This book is for those developers who want to understand AWS with hands-on practices.

7. Machine Learning in the AWS Cloud: Add Intelligence to Applications with Amazon SageMaker and Amazon Rekognition

Machine learning is another powerful technology. It can be used with AWS and this book is for those who want to use machine learning with AWS.

Authored by Abhishek Mishra, this book not only covers the essentials of Amazon Web Services, but also the essentials and fundamentals of machine learning.

The book is divided into two parts — part one covers machine learning while part two covers the machine learning services of AWS. This book is for those who want to learn the machine learning services of AWS.

That’s all about the best books to learn AWS for Beginners in 2024. So as mentioned earlier, the AWS can be learned from various sources but books are a better choice for diving in depth. In this article, we listed the top five books that will help you understand and learn Amazon Web Services. Almost every book mentioned in this article requires no prior knowledge of AWS. Go through the description and choose accordingly.

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Thanks for reading this article so far. If you find these best AWS books worth reading then please share them with your friends and colleagues. If you have any questions or feedback, then please drop a note.

P. S. — If you like AWS and want to learn AWS services but are looking for some free courses to start with, don’t worry. You can also check out this list of free AWS courses, to begin with. They are not as comprehensive as these courses, but they are pretty impressive for beginners.

10 Free AWS Courses on Udemy For Beginners

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