The best JavaScript books provide value while keeping you up to date. It’s critical to keep up with the newest trends and technology. The best books for JavaScript include comprehensive guides that cover the language’s fundamentals and its most recent technologies to help you out.
According to Statista, JavaScript is the most popular and most used programming language globally, used by more than 60 percent of developers worldwide. Furthermore, according to PayScale, software developers earn a typical yearly income of $73,565. In this article, you can check out some of the best books to learn JavaScript.
How Can I Choose the Best Books for a JavaScript Developer?
To choose the best books for JavaScript, take into consideration the book’s quality, the language features covered, the examples used, and the target audience. Programming literature should tackle essential concepts, technical aspects, and the basic structure of the powerful language. Other elements to consider include the author’s background, writing style, and the book’s reviews and ratings.
Additionally, it’s important to consider your needs and preferences. For example, a beginner may need a book that does an introduction to programming that covers basic programming concepts. While experienced programmers may be more interested in a book for a deep understanding of a specific topic and more advanced concepts.
Tips for Choosing the Best JavaScript Books
- Make sure it’s updated. Make sure that the book is updated regularly. Ensure that it has the latest developments in the language. This can be important as it can help guarantee that you learn the most up-to-date information.
- Written by an experienced programmer. JavaScript is a complex language, and it can be challenging to learn independently. It’ll be better if you can find a book written by someone who knows what they are talking about.
- Covers a variety of topics. By choosing a book that covers numerous topics, you’ll be able to learn about the different features of JavaScript and how to use them through your learning journey. A comprehensive book will include more interactive exercises and examples allowing you to practice how to write effective code.
- Easy to understand. A book that it’s easy to understand and follow is more readable. It’s also packed with useful information and lots of examples that’ll help you get up to speed with this popular programming language.
- Check the reviews. Check the reviews to get an idea of what the entire book covers and whether or not it’s appropriate for your level of understanding. Reviews can also give you an idea of what others thought of the book and whether or not they found it helpful.
The 10 Best JavaScript Books: An Overview
| Name | Publisher | Topics Covered |
|---|---|---|
| A Smarter Way to Learn JavaScript | CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform | Layman syntax, various exercises, basic concepts, and more complicated concepts like constructors and prototypes |
| Effective JavaScript: 68 Specific Ways to Harness the Power of JavaScript | Addison-Wesley Professional | Prototype-based object-oriented programming, arrays and dictionary objects, and patterns and idioms |
| Eloquent JavaScript, 3rd Edition: A Modern Introduction to Programming | No Starch Press | Bug fixing and errors, handling events, HTTP and form, values, types, and operators |
| Head First JavaScript Programming: A Brain-Friendly Guide | O’Reilly | Using arrays, writing and testing applications, how to work with objects |
| JavaScript and jQuery: Interactive Front-End Web Development | Wiley | Read and write JavaScript, using Ajax, APIs, and JSON filtering, searching, and sorting, code samples and practical exercises |
| JavaScript: The Good Parts | O’Reilly | Functions, inheritance, arrays, and regular expressions |
| Learn JavaScript Quickly: A Complete Beginner’s Guide to Learning JavaScript | Drip Digital | Step-by-step mentorship through JavaScript’s crucial concepts, rules, and functions, how to create complex topics in record time |
| Learn JavaScript VISUALLY with Interactive Exercises: The Beautiful New Way to Learn a Programming Language | Ivelin Demirov | Programming terminology, Basics of the object-oriented programming, and exercises |
| The Definitive Guide: Master the World’s Most-Used Programming Language, 7th Edition | O’Reilly | JavaScript’s standard library, tools and language extensions, unctions, classes, and modules |
| You Don’t Know JS Yet: Scope & Closures, 2nd edition | Independently published | Nesting lexical scopes with functions and blocks, variables and modules |
The 10 Best JavaScript Books: A Closer Look
Take a closer look at each of the 10 best books to learn JavaScript. It’ll include the topics covered by each book and what you can expect to learn from them. The selection is based on reader feedback and best-seller lists, and there are books for beginners, intermediates, and experts featured.
1. A Smarter Way to Learn JavaScript
- Author: Mark Myers
- Best for: Absolute beginners looking for a basic understanding of JavaScript.
Mark Myers is a software engineer who has been working with JavaScript for many years. His book, A Smarter Way to Learn JavaScript, is an ideal book to help beginners learn the core elements of the language and other basic programming concepts. The entire book is written in a way that’s easy to understand. It includes programming challenges that help reinforce the material that’s being taught.
2. Effective JavaScript: 68 Specific Ways to Harness the Power of JavaScript
- Author: David Herman
- Best for: Seasoned programmers looking for functional programming advice
The author of this book, David Herman, is a software engineer with knowledge of programming languages. This in-depth guide is packed with advice on writing efficient, reliable, and readable code.
Topics covered include variables, data types, functions, arrays, and modularity. The book also contains a comprehensive overview of the language from its core concepts to its more complex aspects.
3. Eloquent JavaScript, 3rd Edition: A Modern Introduction to Programming
- Author: Marijn Haverbeke
- Best for: Newbies looking for an excellent introduction to various key topics
Marijin Haverbeke’s book offers an introduction to programming with a concentration on fundamental concepts. It teaches the basics of programming, such as variables, data types, and conditionals. It also covers more advanced topics like object-oriented and event-driving programming.
The book contains extensive examples demonstrating how to create websites and application development. The author is a software engineer who has been working with JavaScript since the early days of the language.
4. Head First JavaScript Programming: A Brain-Friendly Guide
- Author: Eric Freeman and Elisabeth Robson
- Best for: Beginners who want ample understanding of JavaScript
Some of the main topics in the book are the basics of programming, basic syntax, data types, and variables. The book’s strengths are that it’s easy to read, full of relevant examples, and covers a wide range of topics, making it an ideal book to learn JavaScript programming.
5. JavaScript and jQuery: Interactive Front-End Web Development
- Author: Jon Duckett
- Best for: Programmers who want to focus on front end development
The book was written by Jon Duckett and it teaches you how to use JavaScript and jQuery to create interactive and powerful web applications. The book covers a wide range of topics, from the basics of JavaScript and jQuery to more advanced concepts such as animation and interactivity.
One of the book’s main strengths is the clear writing and easy-to-follow teaching style. The book also includes a range of exercises and projects, which help reinforce the core programming concepts being taught.
6. JavaScript: The Good Parts
- Author: Douglas Crockford
- Best for: Web developers looking for practical explanations and advice
This book covers variables, functions, arrays, and regular expressions. It also provides tips for optimizing code and ways to avoid common mistakes. The book can be helpful for developers who want to learn the basics of the JavaScript language.
7. Learn JavaScript Quickly: A Complete Beginner’s Guide to Learning JavaScript
- Author: Code Quickly
- Best for: Amateur programmers who want an excellent reference guide.
The book covers JavaScript language basics such as variables, data types, and conditional statements. It also introduces more advanced concepts such as functions and objects. In addition, the book includes exercises and challenges to help you practice what you have learned.
8. Learn JavaScript VISUALLY with Interactive Exercises: The Beautiful New Way to Learn a Programming Language
- Author: Ivelin Demirov
- Best for: Beginners who want to improve their programming style
Ivelin Demirov is a self-taught software engineer who authored this book for teaching JavaScript through visuals and interactive exercises. It’s a great way to learn a programming language because it’s very hands-on. The covered topics include variables, operators, functions, and objects.
9. The Definitive Guide: Master the World’s Most-Used Programming Language, 7th Edition
- Author: David Flanagan
- Best for: Beginners to intermediate developers
David Flanagan is a JavaScript expert and the author of several books. The book is a comprehensive guide to help developers learn the ins and outs of the programming language.
The book starts with the basics, such as variables, data types, and operators, and moves to more advanced topics such as functions, closures, and prototypes.
10. You Don’t Know JS Yet: Scope & Closures, 2nd edition
- Author: Kyle Simpson
- Best for: Intermediate developers
Kyle Simpson is a well-known JavaScript developer and author. He has a lot of programming experience with the language and has written several books. This book goes over the different ways to use closures. It also covers the different scopes available and how to use them to your advantage. Overall, the excellent book is a good resource for anyone looking to learn more about scope and closures.
Alternative Ways to Learn JavaScript
Some alternative ways of learning JavaScript include enrolling in JavaScript bootcamps or taking online JavaScript courses. Bootcamps offer an immersive learning experience where students discover everything they need to know to become developers. Online courses are a more affordable and flexible option and are completed at your own pace.
Another option for learning JavaScript is to attend a JavaScript event or conference. These gatherings offer a variety of sessions and different aspects of the language and allow you to network with other developers.
Is Learning JavaScript Worth It?
Yes, learning JavaScript is worth it. It’s used to create websites and web applications. There are a variety of jobs that you could land with this programming skill. You could become a web developer or a JavaScript programmer.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median salary for web developers is $77,200 per year. BLS projects that there will be a 13 percent increase in jobs for web developers from 2020 to 2030.
Best JavaScript Books FAQ
Yes, you can teach yourself JavaScript, but you may find it challenging to learn without a teacher or tutor. Luckily, there are many excellent books on learning JavaScript. Some of the best books include JavaScript: The Good Parts by Douglas Crockford and The Definitive Guide: Master the World’s Most-Used Programming Language, 7th Edition by David Flanagan.
It’s better to study JavaScript first and then proceed to learn Python. They’re both high-level programming languages and have similar features, such as variables, loops, and functions. Which language you choose to learn depends on your goals and preferences.
For example, if you want to learn a widely used language in web development, JavaScript is good. On the other hand, if you are interested in data science or machine learning, then Python is a better choice.
The best book to learn JavaScript depends on your level of programming experience and where you are starting from. However, some good options include Eloquent JavaScript by Marijn Haverbeke, JavaScript: The Good Parts by Douglas Crockford, and Learn JavaScript VISUALLY by Ivelin Demirov.
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The difference between JavaScript and jQuery is that JavaScript is a programming language, while jQuery is a library of functions that simplify working with JavaScript. jQuery makes working with JavaScript easier by providing functions designed to simplify common tasks. jQuery also provides functions for manipulating and animating DOM elements, making it a powerful tool for web developers.
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