The popularity of Apache Kafka is not backing down. If anything, its rate of adoption has been something to behold. To put things visually, here are Google search trends for Kafka globally, over the last six years: If you haven’t gotten your head around Kafka yet, you probably should. To get you going, I have put together a list of well-respected, proven sources of knowledge on Kafka — both free and paid—that should get you started and well on your way to becoming a Kafka aficionado. Books If you want to get properly good at something, you need to invest in training and preparation. Everyone’s experience will vary, but I found I learned the most by reading books that were written by experts.