I recently closed the last page of Real-World Next.js by Michele Riva, and something unusual struck me—I had actually finished a technical book from beginning to end. That doesn’t happen often.

Like many developers, my usual approach to technical books is highly utilitarian. I read what I need, when I need it. The beginning of the book? Always carefully read. I can probably recite the structure of a Packt/Apress/Wiley/O’reilly book by heart: Preface, Who This Book Is For, What You Will Learn, About the Author. These sections, often formulaic, serve as my ritual entry into a new technology. But as I dive deeper into the chapters, my attention tends to wane. I cherry-pick topics, skim over examples, and eventually shelve the book—sometimes permanently.

There’s an old Chinese proverb: “靡不有初，鲜克有终.” Roughly translated, it means, “Everything has a beginning, but few things have an end.” That perfectly captures the story of most technical books on my shelf: a grand opening, followed by a quiet fade into neglect.

But Real-World Next.js was different. It didn’t just hold my attention—it earned it. The book didn’t stop at “Hello World.” It went further, diving into real-world applications, best practices, and production-ready design. For someone who’s been through the trenches of building and maintaining web apps, this wasn’t just a book—it was a mirror of my needs and aspirations as a developer.

Why Most Technical Books Fall Short

Over the years, my expectations of technical books have changed. When I was just starting out, I appreciated books that gently introduced concepts with beginner-friendly examples. Today, I find many of those same books too shallow. They aim to be accessible but often fail to bridge the gap between learning and real-world application.

Books that spend 300 pages introducing a framework and then end with a “To-Do List” app feel disconnected from the realities of production development. There’s a vast gulf between toy projects and scalable, maintainable systems. Sadly, that’s where most books stop.

What Made Real-World Next.js Stand Out

The final pages of Real-World Next.js didn’t just summarize the content—they inspired. The author acknowledged the evolving nature of Next.js, emphasized the importance of staying up to date, and, most importantly, showed how to build real applications. It wasn’t just theory, it was lived experience.

The book included complete examples: a blogging platform, a real-time chat app, and a streaming site. These weren’t just code snippets; they were full blueprints. The message was clear: you can build this, too.

My Dream Technical Book

Reading this book got me thinking—what if I could design my ideal technical book? One that’s truly tailored to the needs of experienced developers who are building for production.

Here’s what it would include:

• Backend (Go):
  • Gin framework for web services
  • Cobra for CLI tools
  • Log handling best practices
  • Helm + Kubernetes for deployment
  • gRPC for microservice communication
  • Auth strategies (JWT, OAuth)
  • GORM for ORM
  • MVC architecture
  • Dependency injection, singleton, and factory patterns
  • Modular, low-coupling reusable libraries
  • Complete unit testing strategies
• Frontend (Next.js + React + TypeScript):
  • Modular design using Zustand (for state management)
  • shadcn/ui components
  • Form handling
  • API service layers
  • Modular auth, model, and API layers
  • Real-world design patterns for building scalable, reusable components
• Project Structure:
  • One single project from start to finish
  • Real-world use case with complete source code
  • Practical modules ready for production use
  • Low-coupling, high-cohesion design principles
  • CLI tooling, CI/CD workflows, and deployment strategies

Such a book would not only teach but empower. It wouldn’t just end with a summary—it would end with a working application that could be forked, deployed, and extended.

The Role of AI and the Future of Learning

With the rise of AI, I’ve also found myself learning differently. Instead of passively reading, I now actively engage—with models like GPT guiding me through unfamiliar territory. But AI has its limits. When you’re completely new to a topic, you still need a structured overview—a map of the terrain—before you ask for directions.

That’s why books still matter. But maybe the next evolution of technical learning is a blend: a book tailored by AI, written for you, with your goals in mind. A hybrid between traditional structure and interactive exploration.

In Closing

Finishing Real-World Next.js reminded me how rare and satisfying it is to actually complete a technical book. When a book meets you where you are—and takes you to where you want to go—it’s not just a resource. It’s a journey.

Maybe next time, I won’t just read such a book.
Maybe next time, I’ll build it—with a little help from AI.