App development for the mobile platform has exploded in recent years. The advent of the smartphone made sure of that. There are billions of people using their smartphone on any given day, for almost any given reason – from finding a good restaurant to eat, to checking their email, to connecting with others through social media, to just relaxing and enjoying playing a game, with others or friends. All of these apps came from people – people just like you and me. App development has exploded because apps are easy to make! All you really need to make an app is a good book. The following books are some of the best books on the market for app development, and if read in tandem, will create the foundation for a successful career in app development.
Mobile Design and Development
Experts in the mobile community call this book a must have, and with good reason! This book is 
aimed at an overarching, big picture look at mobile app development, and no matter your skill level, device, or platform, this book offers insight into how best to design their app – a development strategy, establish context, and how to choose what type of application you should design – all in a common sense manner in which anybody at any technical level can understand.
iOS Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide
The Big Nerd Ranch boot camp programming courses are known to be some of the best courses to learn programming with, and are in fact what put the Big Nerd Ranch on the maps of many. While it may be less-than-convenient to get to one of these boot camps, you can still learn what is taught at them with the Big Nerd Ranch Guide series of programming books. iOS Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide is based on the iOS boot camp. In it is an in-depth and practical explanation of iOS. You not only learn how to program with iOS, but how the iOS platform works as a whole.
Android Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide
Mentioning the iOS Programming guide without mentioning it’s counterpart, Android Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide would be a shame, since both books are a credit to the Big Nerd Ranch. The Android book is just as useful and practical as the iOS book. Like its counterpart, this book is based on the Big Nerd Ranch boot camp, complete with hands-on examples and clear, simple explanations of Android development key concepts. Both the absolute beginner and the novice looking for more advanced Android concepts will feel at home reading this book.
All three of these books together make the perfect trio of books with which to become a well rounded app developer. Mobile Design and Development will teach you the fundamental, big picture of app design, while iOS and Android Programming will give you insight into their respective platforms, and will teach you the technical know-how to build the apps that you want to build.