Everyone knows about Javascript. That’s the reason why you are even reading this!
However, only a few have mastered it. As one of the most important programming languages for a wide range of use cases, such as web and game development, it is a cornerstone of any developer’s tech stack. To take your JavaScript skills and knowledge to the next level, a great way to cover all your bases is to invest a small amount into a Javascript book. But with so many options out there, it can be difficult to find which is the best fit for you.
Hence, I am here to make the job easy for you. I want you to spend less time worrying about these issues and spend more time actually learning.
In this guide, I ranked and reviewed the Best JavaScript Books, along with my top choices, so you can choose the best one for your needs.
Our Top Picks For the Best JavaScript Books
JavaScript: The Definitive Guide, 7th Edition
by David Flanagan
This book is a legendary resource for the Javascript programming language, covering almost every detail you need to know in the language and applying it to web development. (At least for a long time)
Eloquent JavaScript, 3rd Edition
by Marijn Haverbeke
This book is an in-depth guide to the programming language, revolving around writing code that is elegant and easy to read.
You Don’t Know JS
by Kyle Simpson
“You Don’t Know JS” is a 6-part book series that covers crucial components of JavaScript programming in each book, including tricky parts that many experienced programmers avoid. The series builds a complete beginner to seasoned programmer from the ground up.
What Are The Best JavaScript Books?
Here is a summary of my picks for the Best JavaScript books. Note that every book has its unique and charming way of teaching the language, so do not be afraid to pick any of them up and take your skills to the next level.
My top 3 picks are:
- “JavaScript: The Definitive Guide, 7th Edition” by David Flanagan
- “Eloquent JavaScript, 3rd Edition” by Marijn Haverbeke
- “You Don’t Know JS” by Kyle Simpson
- Our Top Picks For the Best JavaScript Books
- 1. “JavaScript: The Definitive Guide, 7th Edition” by David Flanagan
- 2. “Eloquent JavaScript, 3rd Edition” by Marijn Haverbeke
- 3. “You Don’t Know JS” by Kyle Simpson
- 4. “The Comprehensive Guide to Learning Professional JavaScript Programming” by Philip Ackermann
- 5. “Head First JavaScript Programming: A Brain-Friendly Guide” By Eric Freeman
- 6. “JavaScript: The Good Parts” by Douglas Crockford
- 7. “Professional JavaScript for Web Developers, 3rd Edition” by Nicholas Zakas
1. “JavaScript: The Definitive Guide, 7th Edition” by David Flanagan
JavaScript: The Definitive Guide, 7th Edition
Overview
“JavaScript: The Definitive Guide” is a revered book in the programming community, and personally is my top pick of the Best JavaScript Books. Written by David Flanagan, a well-known programmer, and author, it covers a massive amount of ground in the JavaScript language, including topics like types, values, control structures all the way up to advanced topics such as asynchronous programming and classes.
The book also spends a significant amount of time on the web platform, covering the topics in great detail, including documents, graphics, networks and storage.
Overall, “JavaScript: The Definitive Guide” is a fantastic resource for anyone looking to learn or take their skills in JavaScript to the next level.
Key Chapters
- Introduction to JavaScript
- Lexical Structure
- Types, Values, and Variables
- Expressions and Operators
- Statements
- Objects
- Arrays
- Functions
- Classes, Modules, and Iterators
- Async Programming with Promises and async/await
- The Standard Library
- The Web Platform
- Node.js
- Tools and Language Extensions
2. “Eloquent JavaScript, 3rd Edition” by Marijn Haverbeke
Eloquent JavaScript, 3rd Edition
Overview
“Eloquent JavaScript” takes 2nd place in the Best Javascript Books list as it is a fantastic resource for anyone looking to pick up the JavaScript language from the ground up. It covers a wide range of topics, from the basics all the way to concepts such as Document Object Model (DOM) and functional programming.
The book is very well written and easy to follow. Beginner programmers will have no trouble understanding the concepts, and experienced programmers can ensure that their fundamentals are solidified. One of the plus points of this book, which I love, is the interactive exercises, which allow readers to test their understanding of what they have learned and apply it in a practical scenario.
Overall, this is a great pick for beginners and experienced programmers who are looking to cover a wide range of topics in a unique interactive book.
Key Chapters
- Basic JavaScript: values, variables, and control flow
- Functions
- Data Structures: Objects and Arrays
- Error Handling
- Functional Programming
- Searching
- Object-Oriented Programming
- Modularity
- Regular Expressions
- Web programming: A crash course
- Browser Events
- HTTP requests
3. “You Don’t Know JS” by Kyle Simpson
Overview
“You Don’t Know JS” is a 6-part book series that is highly regarded for its in-depth coverage of the JavaScript programming language. The series is written by Kyle Simpson, an experienced developer, writer, and teacher, and is designed to help readers learn all aspects of JavaScript, including the obscure parts that are often overlooked. Over the course of the 6 books, readers can pick and choose which areas they would like to find out more about and hone their skills with that specific book.
The second book in the series, “Up & Going,” covers the fundamental concepts of JavaScript and introduces readers to JavaScript’s key ideas. This book is a great starting point for those with limited programming experience, however, even experienced programmers can pick and choose their entry point into the series and find it equally as enriching.
Overall, “You Don’t Know JS” is a great series for readers of all skill levels and interests.
Key Chapters
- Preface
- Introduction
- Into Programming
- Into JavaScript
- Types & Grammar
- Coercion
- Scope & Closures
- this & Object Prototypes
- Async & Performance
4. “The Comprehensive Guide to Learning Professional JavaScript Programming” by Philip Ackermann
The Comprehensive Guide to Learning Professional JavaScript Programming
Overview
“The Comprehensive Guide to Learning Professional JavaScript Programming” is one of the best JavaScript books and a brilliant resource for learning JavaScript. It covers a massive array of topics, from the fundamentals of the language to advanced concepts such as server-side development and mobile development, which are topics that are often overlooked in JavaScript books. What I like is that the book provides step-by-step examples and tutorials to help readers start creating their own projects from the get-go.
Overall, “The Comprehensive Guide to Learning Professional JavaScript Programming” is a fantastic, jam-packed book for anyone interested in picking up or diving deeper into JavaScript.
Key Chapters
- Language Review
- Client-Side Programming
- Advanced Concepts
- Server-Side Programming with Node.js
- Mobile Development with React Native and Iconic
- Desktop Programming with Electron and NW.js
- Advanced Language Features and More
5. “Head First JavaScript Programming: A Brain-Friendly Guide” By Eric Freeman
Head First JavaScript Programming: A Brain-Friendly Guide
Overview
“Head First JavaScript Programming: A Brain-Friendly Guide”, as the name suggests, brings a refreshing approach to learning JavaScript. The book uses a visually appealing format and features tons of interactive exercises to teach the fundamentals of JavaScript that is fluent and easy to follow.
It covers a wide spectrum of topics, from the basics to advanced concepts such as Document Object Model (DOM). One of my favourite aspects of this book is that they value hands-on experience and exercises in teaching. Personally, I feel this is the best way for anyone to learn a programming language and creates a fun and engaging book.
Overall, “Head First JavaScript Programming” is a great resource for anyone looking to learn JavaScript in a enjoyable and effective way.
Key Chapters
- Introduction to JavaScript Programming
- The Inner Details of JavaScript
- How JavaScript Works with the Browser
- The Secrets of JavaScript Types
- Using ArraysThe Power of Functions
- How to Work with Objects
- Making Use of Prototypes
- Understanding Closures
- Writing and Testing Applications
6. “JavaScript: The Good Parts” by Douglas Crockford
Overview
“JavaScript: The Good Parts” is a coveted book that highlights the best practices in learning this programming language. It is written by Douglas Crockford, who is a well-renowned expert on the language. The book focuses on the good parts of JavaScript while ignoring practices that can make your code nightmarish and unreliable. The book spans a wide range of topics, including syntax, objects, functions, inheritance, arrays, regular expressions, and style, and covers enough of the language to keep you busy for the foreseeable future.
“JavaScript: The Good Parts” is one of the best JavaScript Books out there, especially for those looking to write clean, efficient, and maintainable code in JavaScript.
Key Chapters
- Introduction
- Syntax
- Objects
- Functions
- Inheritance
- Arrays
- Regular Expressions
- Methods
- Style
- Beautiful Features
7. “Professional JavaScript for Web Developers, 3rd Edition” by Nicholas Zakas
Professional JavaScript for Web Developers, 3rd Edition
Overview
“Professional JavaScript for Web Developers” is one of the Best JavaScript books that targets the experienced programmer, even those with zero knowledge of JavaScript. The book skips all of the programming fundamentals and gets straight to the meat of learning JavaScript, with concepts such as objects and expressions.
It covers different paradigms such as Object-Oriented Programming and the DOM, as mentioned earlier. You will also get to work with more data and web development techniques such as Ajax, which is a great thing for programmers with experience. The pace of this book is much faster than the other Best JavaScript books, but arguably, for the audience it is targeting, the pace seems to be just right.
Overall, if you are looking to take diversify your current programming skills into JavaScript, this book is the right option for you!
Key Chapters
- Introduction to JavaScript
- Language Basics
- Values and Variables
- Expressions and Operators
- Control Structures
- Functions
- Objects
- Arrays
- Browser Objects
- Working with the DOM
- Handling Events
- JavaScript and Forms
- Advanced Techniques
- Working with Ajax
- Working with Data
- Debugging and Error Handling
- Advanced Features
- JavaScript in the Enterprise
Wrap-Up – The Best JavaScript Books
In conclusion, learning JavaScript is one of the best decisions you can make in 2023. As one of the most useful (and high-paying) skills to have in your repertoire, it is a no-brainer decision to pick up this language if you want to gain the competitive edge in the coming years.
The 7 Best JavaScript Books given in this article are each unique in their own reading experience, topics and style. In reading the above, try to determine which is most suitable for your goals. Are you a beginner looking to dip their feed into the water of JavaScript? Then you might want to look at “JavaScript: The Definitive Guide, 7th Edition” by David Flanagan. Whereas if you are a seasoned programmer just looking to diversify their skills, then “Professional JavaScript for Web Developers, 3rd Edition” by Nicholas Zakas might be the one for you.
Whatever the case, any of the books in this guide are sure to provide a fantastic and valuable reading and learning experience. All that’s left for you to do is waste no time picking one, and spend that time creating amazing programs with JavaScript. Let’s get coding!
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