Learn Docker in a Month of Lunches, Second Edition

by Elton Stoneman

Just the Docker you need to know in 22 bite-sized lessons! In Learn Docker in a Month of Lunches, Docker expert Elton Stoneman guides through everything you need to know about Docker in 22 short lessons you can complete on your lunch break. This freshly-revised bestseller has been updated for modern tools and the latest versions of Linux, Windows, or Mac, with new coverage of multi-platform builds, cloud container services, replatforming legacy Windows apps, and Kubernetes. In Learn Docker in a Month of Lunches, Second Edition you’ll learn how • Run applications in Docker containers on Linux and Windows • Package applications as Docker images and share them on registries • Model and run distributed applications with Docker Compose and Kubernetes • Add instrumentation to containerized applications • Build and deploy apps with Docker in a CI/CD process Docker revolutionized the way engineers build software. By bundling an application together with all its dependencies in a portable “container” that can be deployed almost anywhere, Docker makes it possible to manage applications without creating custom infrastructures. Free, open source, and battle-tested, Docker has quickly become must-know technology for developers and administrators. About the Technology Docker is a set of powerful tools to bundle software components in safe, portable “containers” you can drop wherever they’re needed. Whether you’re deploying a pre-built application, creating a secure test environment, or packaging microservices, you’re probably going to use Docker. This book gets you up to speed with the Docker skills you need—without the history, theory, and other “blah blah” you don’t. About the Book Learn Docker in a Month of Lunches, Second Edition teaches you the most important Docker techniques in just 22 short hands-on lessons. Each chapter guides you through an essential concept, complete with a self-contained lab to practice your new skill. You’ll explore building Docker apps, adding observability, running databases in containers, safely migrating legacy systems, and more. There’s even a primer on using Kubernetes to manage your containers! What’s Inside • 22 short lessons and labs you can complete in an hour or less • Cloud migration, microservices, and handling legacy systems • All examples work on Linux, Windows, and macOS About the Readers Developers, administrators, and DevOps all welcome! About the Author Elton Stoneman is a Docker Captain, a multiyear Microsoft MVP, and author of dozens of online training courses with Pluralsight and Udemy. Table of Contents PART 1 1 Before you begin 2 Understanding Docker and running Hello World 3 Building your own Docker images 4 Packaging applications from source code into Docker images 5 Sharing images with Docker Hub and other registries 6 Using Docker volumes for persistent storage PART 2 7 Running multi-container apps with Docker Compose 8 Supporting reliability with health checks and dependency checks 9 Adding observability with containerized monitoring 10 Running multiple environments with Docker Compose 11 Building and testing applications with Docker and Docker Compose PART 12 Running containers on different platforms 13 Replatforming the Packaging and running Windows apps in Docker 14 Containers in the cloud with Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud 15 A primer 16 CI/CD in the cloud with Docker and GitHub Actions PART 4 17 Optimizing your Docker images for size, speed, and security 18 Application configuration management in containers 19 Writing and managing application logs with Docker 20 Controlling HTTP traffic to containers with a reverse proxy 21 Asynchronous communication with a message queue 22 Never the end

488 pages, Paperback

Published October 14, 2025

Reviews

[மகிழ்நன் · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-structured and practical guide to mastering Docker. Each chapter is short, focused, and hands-on — perfect for anyone balancing learning with work. The second edition is well-aligned with today’s Docker ecosystem, covering multi-stage builds, Compose v2, registry usage, and container security.

I liked how the author explains not just how to use Docker, but why things work the way they do — from image layers to networking. The examples are production-relevant and help build real confidence in using Docker for development and deployment.

If you’re a developer, DevOps engineer, or architect looking to strengthen your containerization fundamentals, this book is a solid pick. It’s practical, technically sound, and easy to follow.

A great read for anyone serious about learning Docker the right way.

[Ron Hübler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book is the definitve introduction to docker and its eco system. It was a well structured and well thought out book. The book had lots of examples and information on how docker works under hood. Agter I gave it a read I was able to solve all my docker related tasks. I highly recommend to give this book a shot if you are interested in Docker.

[Simona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learn Docker in a Month of Lunches, Second Edition delivers exactly what it promises: a well-structured and accessible guide for anyone looking to learn Docker in a practical, step-by-step way.
Each chapter covers a key concept with clear explanations and real-world examples.