[logicprofit]

Looking for a good book to read to get me into hacking I am a beginner and want to learn but seems there so much to take in...

So has anyone personally read any books to push forward their skills, preferably from beginner stage?

[Ghost.13]

The term "hacking" is very broad and generic that's why it's overwhelming for beginners such as you (even for me tbh).

Books are good sources of knowledge, but it's not the only source (surprise?). Welcome to the 21st, when everything is within the reach of your literal fingertips.

I don't wanna sound rude or a pro ('coz I ain't) and tell you what to and what not to do, plus this would definitely depend on your learning style. I would, however, simply suggest that instead of doing a top-down approach, you might wanna pick something specific and relatively (SQL Injections, XSS, Malware, Bruteforcing, Cracking, etc.). It would let you feel the experience of a "hack" first time, and from there you should be able to understand roughly "how" it works. Then start going up the categories such as penetration testing, social engineering, cryptography, reverse engineering, etc. That way, you will start to understand "how it actually" works, why it works, and what it usually works for. Then from those categories, you can then branch out to any other specific "hacks" to study them.

Resources other than books? The Internet ofc.
1. Google - No shit right? This guy only gets dumb if you ask it dumb questions. If you can't find what you're looking for, then you try the next option.
2. Bulletin Boards/Forums/Communities in general - Hack Forums is home to hundreds (probably thousands) of threads and posts that could give you at least hints of what you're actually looking for. Oh, and you can check out the Free Services and Giveaways section. Some people do give out legit e-books and reading materials there (plus some tools, but be very careful when downloading some as you might get infected with malware yourself).
3. Social media - as dumb as it sounds, social media these days is a big network. It's not gonna be that hard to find a community there.
4. Conferences/events - DEFCON if you got the $$$. Otherwise, find any local hacker gatherings in your area.

If you still have questions, just reply here or you can send me a message. 🤝

[sophrosyne]

Well as a beginner I would start from the basics and learn how a computer, the network, software, and other operating systems.

I personally don't have any book recommendations except the ones used to study for certificates.

That would include:
Network+
A+
Linux+
Security+
Operating Systems
and some others I can not remember at the moment. I'm sure someone else could help you out with more options; but I would start with googling material over each subject if you are looking for a free legal route.

EDIT:
This is what i did in a similar way. But without the books. As above user kind of said, google is your best friend.