Jesus says "buy this book!"
When they say it's a Bible they don't lie! If you don't buy this book you will go to HELL!!
Big Book, Poorly Written
This is another example of a "doorstop book" (which is where mine was until I sold it to a used book dealer for $5). Like so many other computer books (e.g. Special Edition Using... or XXXX Unleashed), this author tries to impress the buyer with the size of the book. The content of the book was poorly organized as well as poorly written. It is difficult to navigate and learn the language. If this is the JavaScript Bible, shouldn't it educate the user in the development of JavaScripts for the web? A better structure of this book would have been to develop mock scripts for a functioning web site.
Furthermore, the CD that is included is worthless. The "hundreds" of free software titles are actually worthless trials from companies marketing their tools and products. So, I wonder why they (attempt) to teach JavaScript then include samples of actual software packages that they then market to the user.
Alternatively, I would recommend the O'Reilly book on JavaScript. O'Reilly has a track record of producing concise books that actually teach the topic. They are not 700+ page monsters that are filled with fluff. I would also caution against purchasing future editions as they tend to be nearly identical to the previous version with minor additions.
Ups and Downs
I had such a great time working through most of the material in the first 8 chapters of this book. The examples were clear and helped me to thoroughly implement what I was learning. During chapter 9, I started to get annoyed with the typos, poor answers to some of the Tutorial Exercises, and examples that were irrelevant to anything I wanted to accomplish. At the end of chapter 10, I decided to move on to an O'Reilly book.
This book strengthened my base in programming principles. I appreciated the explanations, when they were written thoroughly. When I get confused, I dig in stubbornly until I figure it out. Perhaps someone who breezes past the confusing parts will do better with this book.
Difficult to follow
I'm a frustrated beginner at Javascript. This book is part of what frustrated me. It's not very clear, with not enough examples and not enough details all at the same time. Much later, after I put down this book in frustration, I picked up WROX press' "Beginning Javascript," which I find much easier to follow. If only I had started with that book instead of this one!
THE BIBLE, NOT ONLY A RESOURCE MANUAL
I have been javascripting since 1996. As such, I've been through two editions of the javascript bible, including this third edition. It's only gotten better (as javascript has also improved in breadth). This is not a book for someone who simply wants an A-Z manual. If you want a book that truly spans the beginner through expert category, however, this IS it. Goodman provides in-depth explanations and examples at all stages of your development. If you are a beginner, start at the beginning. If you are an expert, use the index. Either way, this is a must- have for any web programmer's library.
(131 reviews)
