Start Here
I've now mastered most all forms and programs of Static web development and, having done so, was ready to expand into dynamic dev, and thought javascript would be the most logical place to start. There are so many JS books titled "for beginners" on the market and most all of them are slush. Believe me, I know because I've been through many of them. I've thrown many of those books (web wizards, dummies, teach yourself in 24hrs, simply JS, to name a few) across the room, screaming "WTF IS THIS #*&!#% VAR THING BEHIND THE FUNCTION NAME IN PARENTHESIS, WHERE DID IT COME FROM AND WTH DOES IT DO!!!???" And it was still never explained to me. I think the reason for this is that most of these books are written by programer's who have inherent programming knowledge within, but don't bother to rip that knowledge apart and explain it to a non-programmer coming in. Let me tell you, this book does exactly that- rips it apart for non-programmers coming in. When I finished this book, for the first time ever, I felt I could see the land that I could not see before, and that I had acquired new knowledge and powers.
If you read thoroughly, you'll discover that Pollock is teaching JS with a Bachelor's degree in.... English! I thought this was great, because I'm being taught a complex language by a non-hardcore programmer, who doesn't have a PhD in advanced programing theory and, as a result, won't confuse the hell out of you, assuming that you already know everything he does. But don't be fooled by this, Pollock really does know JS cold, and I only remember one code error in this book. And he does a great job of breaking it down to simple parts that are then assembled one atop the other in useful examples.
On the downside, one thing I really felt missing from this book was some depth on the THEORY of the examples you assemble in this book. Most all examples just go: "This is how we'd build a clock" and the example is shown to you, which is okay because Pollock does an immense job explaining how things work before the examples, but there's no stepping back and explaining WHY the example is built this way. In other words, if you didn't have the example to look at, you wouldn't even be certain where to start: "w/a var? w/a function? w/a new object?"
Also on the downside - quite arguably one of the worst book covers and print layouts I've ever seen in my life, but this really isn't too important. In fact I still give this book 5 stars because its the first one that got me through the door and into the room, and now I'm ready to take on the more intermediate to advanced JS books written by the dudes who already think I know what the hell they're talking about. Well, now I do... thanks to John Pollock!
The best beginners javascript book I have purchased
I have purchased 3 books on Javascript and this one, is the only one, I can understand. If you have no experience with javascript, this is the book to buy. Easy to understand, filled with examples that you can try out on your own computer, it is the only book I have seen that puts it in layman terms.
Have you tried to learn off the internet and not had a clue what they were talking about, or gone to a forum and got the impression that everyone thought you were ignorant. This is the book for you! Explains everything you need to know, in a simple easy understandable way. Don't hesitate, buy it!
Great for beginners
As the name states ... it's for beginners -- and if you're an absolute beginner, it's five starts (I bought this for my 7th grader.)
The first third is painfully basic -- assumes virtually no knowledge of web pages -- anyone with even a basic knowledge of Javascript will be put to sleep.
The second third picks up the pace a bit -- someone with preexisting basic Javascript knowledge can pick up some new information fairly quickly.
The final third gets a little meaty -- for example how to change images in response to mouseovers, etc.
Overall, the explanations are very clear -- this book was written thoughtfully -- so many books these days seem to be haphazardly written in the rush to market.
So, if you have little or no starting knowledge, this book is the right place to start. If you already know JS fairly well ... don't bother with this book -- it doesn't even have an appendix with a comprehensive reference list of all objects and properties -- though lists are scattered through the book as objects are covered.
Pretty Good.
This book is great for beginning javascript programmers who have a clue how to program. It is definitely not great for someone to learn the skill of computer programming. Additionally the excersices are not very challenging(I've only gotten up to the chapter on arrays, but the other chapter excersices leave little room for creativity).
The good thing about this book is that it is a great way to learn the syntax of javascript. It does not have a lot of information and it has about three excersices per chapter(of what I have read so far. Overall it is worth the price though.
Good for beginners
This book was required reading material for a course I'm taking. That being said, the book is good for anyone who's a novice. The chapters are easy to read and provide a decent review section at their conclusion so you can quiz yourself if you like. If you already know the basics of JavaScript -- look elsewhere.
(24 reviews)
