Reader reviews

An enjoyable and informative read, though it could have been shorter.

A colleague recommended this and I can see why. It does something that few technical books manage: it respects the reader's time. The writing is direct and does not waste space on filler, which I value in a technical book. The examples are small enough to type out and experiment with, which is exactly what I want from a book like this. There is a section near the end that ties several earlier ideas together in a way I had not seen before. Solid, and I would buy another book from this author without hesitation.

Good book. The writing is direct and the author is honest about limits.

I came to this book already familiar with the basics, and it still had plenty to offer. The index and cross-references are surprisingly good, which matters for a book I will come back to. The early chapters move quickly through material I already knew, but the later sections were genuinely new to me. A good addition to a technical library, as long as you know what you are buying.

Outstanding. I kept finding reasons to come back to it.

A colleague recommended this and I can see why. It does something that few technical books manage: it respects the reader's time. Some of the diagrams are dense and I had to reread a few sections, though that may just be me. The examples are small enough to type out and experiment with, which is exactly what I want from a book like this. It is denser than the page count suggests, and I found myself slowing down around the middle. I have already recommended it to two colleagues and will recommend it to more.

A superb guide. The examples are small but complete.

A colleague recommended this and I can see why. It does something that few technical books manage: it respects the reader's time. I appreciated the honesty about what the book does not cover — it saved me from expecting things that were not there. The examples are small enough to type out and experiment with, which is exactly what I want from a book like this. The writing is direct and does not waste space on filler, which I value in a technical book. If you have the prerequisites, this is an easy recommendation. I will be keeping it on my desk rather than the shelf.

Useful in parts. Fine as a reference, less so as a cover-to-cover read.

I read this over a couple of weekends alongside a small side project, which turned out to be the ideal way to approach it. Some of the diagrams are dense and I had to reread a few sections, though that may just be me. The book rewards careful reading. Skimming it would be a mistake. Three stars feels about right. It will stay on my shelf, but it will not be the first one I reach for.

Solid and well-organised. A couple of chapters dragged a little.

This is the third book I have read on javascript this year, and it is comfortably the best of them. Some terminology is introduced without much ceremony; I had to look a few things up along the way. The author clearly knows the subject deeply and has thought hard about how to teach it. The progression from chapter to chapter is well thought out; nothing feels out of order. A good addition to a technical library, as long as you know what you are buying.