

Ask HN: JavaScript book recommendations? - dawson

With node.js and all the other interesting JavaScript libraries being created, I'm keen to spend some time properly learning JavaScript. Can anyone recommend some good (up-to-date) books to get started with?
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siculars
JavaScript: The Good Parts, [http://www.amazon.com/JavaScript-Good-Parts-
Douglas-Crockfor...](http://www.amazon.com/JavaScript-Good-Parts-Douglas-
Crockford/dp/0596517742/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285230020&sr=8-1)

Watch Crockford on Javascript at ydn:
[http://developer.yahoo.net/blogs/theater/archives/douglas_cr...](http://developer.yahoo.net/blogs/theater/archives/douglas_crockford/)

Watch @ryah on nodejs at ydn: <http://www.yuiblog.com/blog/2010/05/20/video-
dahl/> (and the other javascript related videos linked on that page)

~~~
dawson
Tempted to buy the Kindle edition. Any reasons for or against, compared to the
printed?

~~~
siculars
Buy the printed book off amazon for 20 bucks. Personally, I'm not sold on the
ebook experience for a number of reasons.

~~~
tjpick
the ebook experience is great for stuff you just want to read and not have
hanging round. Like autobios, novels etc.

It's not yet great for tech books, stuff where you have to jump around
randomly rather than reading linearly, books with deep TOC.

------
monos
Start with:

<http://eloquentjavascript.net/> (has pdf download)

[https://developer.mozilla.org/en/A_re-
introduction_to_JavaSc...](https://developer.mozilla.org/en/A_re-
introduction_to_JavaScript)

Most JS books are geared towards browser scripting. I would still recommend
"JavaScript. The Definitive Guide" by David Flanagan.

Also watch all the Crockford Videos on JS:
<http://video.yahoo.com/watch/111593/1710507>

After that all you will ever need is:

    
    
      * JavaScript: The Good Parts by Douglas Crockford (must have)
      * https://developer.mozilla.org/en/JavaScript/Reference
         (extensive, lots of examples and hints)

~~~
dawson
I can't find a PDF version of eloquent? Only HTML or print friendly.

------
shadowmatter
JS: The Good Parts is will be a quick and informative read if you've already
done a bit of JS programming. Once you're done with that, the next book I'd
read is ppk on Javascript ([http://www.amazon.com/ppk-JavaScript-1-Peter-Paul-
Koch/dp/03...](http://www.amazon.com/ppk-JavaScript-1-Peter-Paul-
Koch/dp/0321423305)), as it's the only JS book I've found that talks at length
about the BOM (browser object model). Finally, once you're comfortable with
writing JS but really only need a library reference, you can pick up
JavaScript: The Definitive Guide by David Flanagan, although you can probably
do without it if your patience and Google-fu is strong enough.

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uptown
'JavaScript: The Definitive Guide' by David Flanagan is a great book.

[http://www.amazon.com/JavaScript-Definitive-Guide-David-
Flan...](http://www.amazon.com/JavaScript-Definitive-Guide-David-
Flanagan/dp/0596101996/)

------
ikbear
Learn JavaScript, straight from the Gurus - Free JavaScript Video Lectures:
[http://www.devcurry.com/2010/09/learn-javascript-straight-
fr...](http://www.devcurry.com/2010/09/learn-javascript-straight-from-
gurus.html)

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jdavid
if you understand all of the internals of how jQuery is written, you probably
understand javascript pretty well. Javascript: the Good Parts will get you
through most of the tricks that jQuery uses.

------
lx
Pro JavaScript Techniques (Apress, 2006)

