Nobody cracks open a programming book anymore

Programming book sales have declined sharply—down 16.9% year-over-year through 2023, with the professional books segment falling 22.3% by August 2025—as AI chatbots like ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot have replaced the traditional method of learning to code through printed instruction. The programming book's fundamental weakness as a medium (printed text describing software that readers had to manually retype) has been superseded by AI tools that provide instant, customized explanations, eliminating both the discipline of slow learning and the hands-on typing that once cemented programming knowledge into memory.