# Data-Oriented Programming in Java by Chris Engelbert

4 Hacker News commenters recommended Data-Oriented Programming in Java by Chris Engelbert and 0 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 4 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Recommended for teaching data-oriented thinking in Java through simple examples, and for taming software complexity. One reader notes it is still unpublished.

## Why people recommend it

- Teaches data-oriented thinking with simple examples (1 comments): "Chris introduces you to the data-oriented thinking through a series of super basic examples" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49070230))
- Strong on taming software complexity (1 comments): "So far it's one of the best books I've read about taming complexity in software" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49903513))
- Type-driven style viable on JDK 21 (1 comments): "Surprisingly, with JDK 21+, type-driven style is somewhat viable there" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46979298))
- Worth reading although unpublished (1 comments): "This is unpublished still but is worth checking out" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45965221))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Crafting Interpreters by Robert Nystrom](https://hackerapproved.com/p/crafting-interpreters.md): 60 recommend
- [Clean Code by Robert C. Martin](https://hackerapproved.com/p/clean-code.md): 31 recommend
- [The Pragmatic Programmer by Hunt and Thomas](https://hackerapproved.com/p/pragmatic-programmer.md): 28 recommend
- [How to Design Programs by Felleisen, Findler, Flatt and Krishnamurthi](https://hackerapproved.com/p/how-to-design-programs.md): 18 recommend
- [Mastering Emacs by Mickey Petersen](https://hackerapproved.com/p/mastering-emacs.md): 17 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1617298573?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9781617298578) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Data-Oriented Programming in Java by Chris Engelbert", https://hackerapproved.com/p/data-oriented-programming-in-java/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).