# Elixir in action **URL:** \ **Category:** Questions\ **Tags:** book-elixir-in-action\ **Created:** [May 9, 2016, 11:42am UTC](https://forum.elixirforum.com/t/elixir-in-action/547 "2016-05-09T11:42:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kostonstyle](https://forum.elixirforum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@kostonstyle](https://forum.elixirforum.com/u/kostonstyle)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 11:42am UTC](https://forum.elixirforum.com/t/elixir-in-action/547/1 "2016-05-09T11:42:48Z")
Hi all I just finish with the book from dave thomas, programming in elixir 1.2. I am looking forward to buy elixir in action book. My question, it is worth to buy it, if I want learn more about OTP. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![sashaafm](https://forum.elixirforum.com/user_avatar/forum.elixirforum.com/sashaafm/32/2636_2.png) [@sashaafm](https://forum.elixirforum.com/u/sashaafm)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 11:56am UTC](https://forum.elixirforum.com/t/elixir-in-action/547/2 "2016-05-09T11:56:15Z")
Hi @kostonstyle, if you’re looking to learn OTP I highly suggest this one: [Little Elixir and OTP Guidebook](https://www.manning.com/books/the-little-elixir-and-otp-guidebook). It’s really good for OTP although it hasn’t reached the final version. I’m not syaing Elixir in Action is bad (I haven’t read it). Just giving my opinion on something that I’ve read 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Onor.io](https://forum.elixirforum.com/user_avatar/forum.elixirforum.com/onor.io/32/960_2.png) [@Onor.io](https://forum.elixirforum.com/u/Onor.io)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 12:19pm UTC](https://forum.elixirforum.com/t/elixir-in-action/547/3 "2016-05-09T12:19:49Z")
@kostonstyle _Elixir In Action_ does a great job of covering OTP. I haven’t seen the _Little Elixir and OTP Guidebook_ yet but I’d imagine it also does a good job of covering OTP as well. ---
**Author:** ![AstonJ](https://forum.elixirforum.com/user_avatar/forum.elixirforum.com/astonj/32/15_2.png) [@AstonJ](https://forum.elixirforum.com/u/AstonJ)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 12:42pm UTC](https://forum.elixirforum.com/t/elixir-in-action/547/4 "2016-05-09T12:42:24Z")
Get both :023: There is a coupon code for Ben’s book [here](http://forum.elixirforum.com/t/the-little-elixir-otp-guidebook/436) and if you subscribe to Manning’s mailing list they also offer discounts from time to time. I buy around 80% of my books when voucher’s surface, even if I know it will be months before I can read them :lol: We are very lucky in Elixir that we have so many great books - other languages of a similar age don’t have any published books yet! A well-written, professionally edited and published book (especially from a tech publisher) is worth 50 mediocre books imo (something you often get when people decide to self-publish, not always but often). ---
**Author:** ![babysnakes](https://forum.elixirforum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@babysnakes](https://forum.elixirforum.com/u/babysnakes)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 12:51pm UTC](https://forum.elixirforum.com/t/elixir-in-action/547/5 "2016-05-09T12:51:15Z")
I’m currently reading _Elixir in action_ and it’s a great book. Bare in mind that it was written for older elixir (IIRC elixir 1.0). There are several changes and in the book’s source repository there’s a branch for working with elixir 1.2. Make sure you check the code example in the source because they are slightly different from the ones in the book (especially around data types). ---
**Author:** ![kostonstyle](https://forum.elixirforum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@kostonstyle](https://forum.elixirforum.com/u/kostonstyle)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 1:19pm UTC](https://forum.elixirforum.com/t/elixir-in-action/547/6 "2016-05-09T13:19:25Z")
Guys, one by one, which book should I buy Little Elixir and OTP Guidebook or Elixir in Action? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![dgamidov](https://forum.elixirforum.com/user_avatar/forum.elixirforum.com/dgamidov/32/672_2.png) [@dgamidov](https://forum.elixirforum.com/u/dgamidov)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 1:23pm UTC](https://forum.elixirforum.com/t/elixir-in-action/547/7 "2016-05-09T13:23:09Z")
@kostonstyle I bought both 😉 I am reading Elixir in Action and waiting for Little Elixir and OTP to be completed. ---
**Author:** ![AstonJ](https://forum.elixirforum.com/user_avatar/forum.elixirforum.com/astonj/32/15_2.png) [@AstonJ](https://forum.elixirforum.com/u/AstonJ)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 1:25pm UTC](https://forum.elixirforum.com/t/elixir-in-action/547/8 "2016-05-09T13:25:09Z")
[https://twitter.com/sasajuric/status/729561732184715264](https://twitter.com/sasajuric/status/729561732184715264) ---
**Author:** ![kostonstyle](https://forum.elixirforum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@kostonstyle](https://forum.elixirforum.com/u/kostonstyle)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 1:38pm UTC](https://forum.elixirforum.com/t/elixir-in-action/547/9 "2016-05-09T13:38:56Z")
So should I start with Elixir in Action first? ---
**Author:** ![AstonJ](https://forum.elixirforum.com/user_avatar/forum.elixirforum.com/astonj/32/15_2.png) [@AstonJ](https://forum.elixirforum.com/u/AstonJ)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 1:41pm UTC](https://forum.elixirforum.com/t/elixir-in-action/547/10 "2016-05-09T13:41:57Z")
I probably would, yes. ---
**Author:** ![dgamidov](https://forum.elixirforum.com/user_avatar/forum.elixirforum.com/dgamidov/32/672_2.png) [@dgamidov](https://forum.elixirforum.com/u/dgamidov)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 1:58pm UTC](https://forum.elixirforum.com/t/elixir-in-action/547/11 "2016-05-09T13:58:15Z")
I agree with Aston! ---
**Author:** ![msambarino](https://forum.elixirforum.com/user_avatar/forum.elixirforum.com/msambarino/32/1296_2.png) [@msambarino](https://forum.elixirforum.com/u/msambarino)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 3:17pm UTC](https://forum.elixirforum.com/t/elixir-in-action/547/12 "2016-05-09T15:17:24Z")
Haven’t read Little Elixir and OTP Guidebook yet, but i can highly recommend Elixir in Action, i found it amazing. Of course it won’t hurt to read both, which is my plan hehe. ---
**Author:** ![Onor.io](https://forum.elixirforum.com/user_avatar/forum.elixirforum.com/onor.io/32/960_2.png) [@Onor.io](https://forum.elixirforum.com/u/Onor.io)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 4:47pm UTC](https://forum.elixirforum.com/t/elixir-in-action/547/13 "2016-05-09T16:47:15Z")
So you’re asking for a specific answer to a general question? A lot of us in the Elixir community know both Ben and Sasa and they’ve both helped out a lot. Hence if you ask us to recommend one book over another, a.) We’re reluctant to hurt anyone’s feelings b.) Both books are pretty good. Flip a coin–it really doesn’t matter which book you get because they’re both good introductions to the subject. – Onorio ---
**Author:** ![kblake](https://forum.elixirforum.com/user_avatar/forum.elixirforum.com/kblake/32/219_2.png) [@kblake](https://forum.elixirforum.com/u/kblake)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 11:47pm UTC](https://forum.elixirforum.com/t/elixir-in-action/547/14 "2016-05-09T23:47:33Z")
I agree with others… get both. Keep in mind, it looks as though some bug fixes did not make it in “The Little Elixir & OTP Guidebook”. I’m sure once those make it in that book, it will be rock solid! Looking forward to it. 😃 [https://twitter.com/bentanweihao/status/728365264547385344](https://twitter.com/bentanweihao/status/728365264547385344) ---
**Author:** ![mkunikow](https://forum.elixirforum.com/user_avatar/forum.elixirforum.com/mkunikow/32/235_2.png) [@mkunikow](https://forum.elixirforum.com/u/mkunikow)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 1:22am UTC](https://forum.elixirforum.com/t/elixir-in-action/547/15 "2016-05-10T01:22:34Z")
There is also some more advance book [Designing for Scalability with Erlang/OTP](http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920024149.do) ---
**Author:** ![StevenXL](https://forum.elixirforum.com/user_avatar/forum.elixirforum.com/stevenxl/32/886_2.png) [@StevenXL](https://forum.elixirforum.com/u/StevenXL)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 3:39am UTC](https://forum.elixirforum.com/t/elixir-in-action/547/16 "2016-05-10T03:39:13Z")
I’ve worked through a large part of both books, and you simply can’t go wrong. _Elixir in Action_ is a bit longer, and is divided into three main sections - The Language, The Platform, and Production. I think that _The Little Elixir and OTP Guide_ is much more focused on the second part of those sections - i.e., _OTP_. Hopefully that helps you make a decision.