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This is, in my opinion, the book to use to learn JavaScript at more than a surface level. The only other materials I recommend as much (but for a different leve

by samtho 3y ago

This is, in my opinion, the book to use to learn JavaScript at more than a surface level. The only other materials I recommend as much (but for a different level of learner) are the “You don’t know JavaScript” in-depth book series. In 2015, I was consulting for a distance learning program, administered by a major California University, that wanted to replace their current textbook (one of those “Head First” O’Reilly books) with something that had a bit more meat but was very approachable. I immediately recommended this and it was fawned over by both the advisors and instructors. It was also the cheapest option they had in the running (even excluding the fact it can be read for free) as it was competing against traditional text books. One year later, students were polled on it and it was met with a lot of positivity as well.

idk1 3y ago
If I put "You don’t know JavaScript" into Amazon I get approx 10 books at £20 each, is there a specific one / author I should look for, of even better and ISBN. Thanks!
- samtho 3y ago
  There are 6 books, the author recommends reading them in an order: https://github.com/getify/You-Dont-Know-JS?tab=readme-ov-file#titles https://github.com/getify/You-Dont-Know-JS?tab=readme-ov-fil... If the second edition is not available, you can read the first edition, just be aware some small things may be slightly out of date.
fourside 3y ago
[dead]
Sn0wCoder 3y ago
One hundred percent agree on both this book and the “You don’t know JavaScript”. Both are free (search Kyle Simpson GitHub). I ended up buying the YDKJ first edition paperbacks but see the second edition of all of them are done or a work in progress. EJs is the one I tell my students to start with as IMO is more of a programming book that just happens to us JS. I can tell the ones that read it (it’s optional) and the ones that do not. I do a few random chapters every year and learn something that I either missed or forgot I knew every time. I am mostly using TS these days but also enjoy vanilla JS for side projects and prototypes. Note the YDKJ books can come off as very ‘only my opinion is the right one’ kind of like JS the good parts but just look past that and absorb the content, what you do with it after that is up to you regardless of the author’s opinion.
- synergy20 3y ago
  YDKJ 2nd edition after first two parts the rest seems less actively worked on? hope the 2nd revision will be done soon.
  - brailsafe 3y ago
    I think Kyle Simpson is out of work and looking for something full-time and also started some other company, so probably not his main priority atm.
- shanusmagnus 3y ago
  > Note the YDKJ books can come off as very ‘only my opinion is the right one’ kind of like JS the good parts I got the same feeling and it's very off-putting. KS seems like a dick. It's ironic that so much of his dickishness seems to be reacting against what he takes as Doug Crockford's dickishness. Ah the irony.
  - cal85 3y ago
    He did a day workshop at my old company about 10 years ago. He did come off as a dick, and very opinionated, but I really liked his no-stone-unturned approach, and ended up buying a few of the books when they came out later, and I got so much good stuff from reading them. I personally disagree with many of his opinions and have no problem with this at all; he covers everything (including parts of the language he clearly hates) in such detail that I can form my own dissenting opinions whenever I want. If anything, it’s a good thing that he is so openly opinionated - it makes it easier for me to pay attention and prompts me to ‘argue back’ and form my own (better) opinions, compared to just reading dry material that always tries to remain neutral and void of feeling. The only problem with opinionated code writers is if they actually fail to cover the stuff they don’t like. KS covers it all, with relish, often bitterly. I love it. Same for Doug Crockford. Always found him hilariously opinionated, often to the point that he was clearly fighting against reality, and yet I learned a ton by reading the cantankerous old git.
    - 3y ago
memonkey 3y ago
If you want a video series that accomplishes a lot of the content in these books it's Will Sentance's Javascript: The Hard Parts.
- willsentance 3y ago
  Cheers Josh :)
  - andnand 3y ago
    The Hard Parts of UI Development was amazing. Your teaching style really has a way of making things stick. Truly one of my favorite instructors.
pwb25 3y ago
yes, also javascript the good parts is really good(hehe) because it's more theoretical and there is not html or web stuff in it just the language
- TehShrike 3y ago
  How recently have you read it? I thought it was a worthwhile read when I first read it 12 years ago, but I picked it up to skim a couple years ago and was struck with how much of it was irrelevant for modern JS due to changes in the language spec.
  - pwb25 3y ago
    Last time was 2017 I think, don't know if there is a big difference I use both new and old things
  - vanderZwan 3y ago
    In that sense an annotated "this is what JS used to be when this book first came out" version could be of historical interest.
mtalantikite 3y ago
I remember reading the first edition back in maybe 2011 when I decided I should sit down and actually learn JavaScript beyond the superficial grasp I had of it from working on web things (mainly via Rails at the time). What a great book, I learned so much from it at the time. For years after, whenever anyone told me they wanted to learn programming, I told them to pick up this book as a first introduction to it. Plus, it was available for free on his website. I've gotten rid of lots of old programming books over the years, but I've held on to my first edition copy of Eloquent Javascript. Lots of thanks to Marijn for writing this!
- iwsk 3y ago
  I don't think this is a good book for someone who wants to learn programming for the first time.
  - Daltzn 3y ago
    Why do you feel that way? What books would you recommend instead?
    - smackeyacky 3y ago
      Kernighan & Pikes Unix Programming Environment. It’s *nix specific but a great introduction to all kinds of programming concepts with great working examples in a variety of languages you’ll use every day
    - iwsk 3y ago
      Eloquent Javascript is better suited for someone who already has some experience with basic programming and wants to learn javascript while also exploring more advanced concepts in programming in general. Javascript was not my first language, but I have refered to javascript.info from time to time and it seems to have a gentle introduction.
kabes 3y ago
+1 for "You don't know js", it's a must read for any js programmer IMO. I haven't read eloquent JS though, you say it's a different level of learner. Can you expand a bit? Is Eloquent for after "you don't know js" or vice-versa? Edit: nevermind, reading the TOC of eloquent JS gave me a good enough idea
- deprecative 3y ago
  I get so jealous that people can absorb information via books as an adult. I can read the same chapter a hundred times and nothing sinks in. I know this is off topic but do you, or anyone passing, have a system or tips for how y'all do this? I've got so many programming books but they only collect dust after I read through them without benefit.
  - cultofmetatron 3y ago
    heres how I learn programming languages. read a page, keep a notebook next to you and rewrite each paragraph in your own words. it forces you to engage more deeply with the material
  - darepublic 3y ago
    When I was a kid my dad taught me to write everything out three times. Applied as a grown up I just write down a lot of notes for things I am learnind
  - nestes 3y ago
    Not the original poster, but I learn best reading textbooks cover-to-cover. A couple things that help me: 1) I buy physical textbooks and absolutely destroy them with notes in the margins, highlighting, etc. It helps me to interact with the material instead of letting it wash over me, which means I'm both thinking about it more in-depth and as side effect I'm less bored. Otherwise I'll fall asleep and won't learn anything. 2) I accept that I'm not going to remember the entire book. A lot of books are most useful as references anyway. But if you ever find yourself going, "Oh that's really handy to know," then you can make a special note of it or even put it into flashcards. I've been using Anki. The trick is to recognize what is actually worth doing this for. 3) If something is especially worth knowing, (see point 2), see if you can either do problems from the book or try out the concept in some way if there are no problems available. If you're reading something just because you feel like you should, you won't get anything out of it (or a least I don't).
redbell 3y ago
I second JavaScriptInfo as another great resource to learn JS: https://javascript.info/ https://javascript.info/
- neiesc 3y ago
  I agree
m4tthumphrey 3y ago
Thank you for mentioning YDKJS. I hadn’t heard of it before and am in the beginning of my first proper JS project for about 10 years; man has the JS world changed. I have already skimmed the first few chapters and am already understanding it all very concisely. I will be reading this properly via GitHub for sure.

by samtho 3y ago

idk1 3y ago

If I put "You don’t know JavaScript" into Amazon I get approx 10 books at £20 each, is there a specific one / author I should look for, of even better and ISBN. Thanks!

samtho 3y ago
There are 6 books, the author recommends reading them in an order: https://github.com/getify/You-Dont-Know-JS?tab=readme-ov-file#titles https://github.com/getify/You-Dont-Know-JS?tab=readme-ov-fil... If the second edition is not available, you can read the first edition, just be aware some small things may be slightly out of date.

fourside 3y ago

[dead]

Sn0wCoder 3y ago

One hundred percent agree on both this book and the “You don’t know JavaScript”. Both are free (search Kyle Simpson GitHub). I ended up buying the YDKJ first edition paperbacks but see the second edition of all of them are done or a work in progress. EJs is the one I tell my students to start with as IMO is more of a programming book that just happens to us JS. I can tell the ones that read it (it’s optional) and the ones that do not. I do a few random chapters every year and learn something that I either missed or forgot I knew every time. I am mostly using TS these days but also enjoy vanilla JS for side projects and prototypes. Note the YDKJ books can come off as very ‘only my opinion is the right one’ kind of like JS the good parts but just look past that and absorb the content, what you do with it after that is up to you regardless of the author’s opinion.

synergy20 3y ago
YDKJ 2nd edition after first two parts the rest seems less actively worked on? hope the 2nd revision will be done soon.
- brailsafe 3y ago
  I think Kyle Simpson is out of work and looking for something full-time and also started some other company, so probably not his main priority atm.
shanusmagnus 3y ago
> Note the YDKJ books can come off as very ‘only my opinion is the right one’ kind of like JS the good parts I got the same feeling and it's very off-putting. KS seems like a dick. It's ironic that so much of his dickishness seems to be reacting against what he takes as Doug Crockford's dickishness. Ah the irony.
- cal85 3y ago
  He did a day workshop at my old company about 10 years ago. He did come off as a dick, and very opinionated, but I really liked his no-stone-unturned approach, and ended up buying a few of the books when they came out later, and I got so much good stuff from reading them. I personally disagree with many of his opinions and have no problem with this at all; he covers everything (including parts of the language he clearly hates) in such detail that I can form my own dissenting opinions whenever I want. If anything, it’s a good thing that he is so openly opinionated - it makes it easier for me to pay attention and prompts me to ‘argue back’ and form my own (better) opinions, compared to just reading dry material that always tries to remain neutral and void of feeling. The only problem with opinionated code writers is if they actually fail to cover the stuff they don’t like. KS covers it all, with relish, often bitterly. I love it. Same for Doug Crockford. Always found him hilariously opinionated, often to the point that he was clearly fighting against reality, and yet I learned a ton by reading the cantankerous old git.
  - 3y ago

memonkey 3y ago

If you want a video series that accomplishes a lot of the content in these books it's Will Sentance's Javascript: The Hard Parts.

willsentance 3y ago
Cheers Josh :)
- andnand 3y ago
  The Hard Parts of UI Development was amazing. Your teaching style really has a way of making things stick. Truly one of my favorite instructors.

pwb25 3y ago

yes, also javascript the good parts is really good(hehe) because it's more theoretical and there is not html or web stuff in it just the language

TehShrike 3y ago
How recently have you read it? I thought it was a worthwhile read when I first read it 12 years ago, but I picked it up to skim a couple years ago and was struck with how much of it was irrelevant for modern JS due to changes in the language spec.
- pwb25 3y ago
  Last time was 2017 I think, don't know if there is a big difference I use both new and old things
- vanderZwan 3y ago
  In that sense an annotated "this is what JS used to be when this book first came out" version could be of historical interest.

mtalantikite 3y ago

I remember reading the first edition back in maybe 2011 when I decided I should sit down and actually learn JavaScript beyond the superficial grasp I had of it from working on web things (mainly via Rails at the time). What a great book, I learned so much from it at the time. For years after, whenever anyone told me they wanted to learn programming, I told them to pick up this book as a first introduction to it. Plus, it was available for free on his website. I've gotten rid of lots of old programming books over the years, but I've held on to my first edition copy of Eloquent Javascript. Lots of thanks to Marijn for writing this!

iwsk 3y ago
I don't think this is a good book for someone who wants to learn programming for the first time.
- Daltzn 3y ago
  Why do you feel that way? What books would you recommend instead?
  - smackeyacky 3y ago
    Kernighan & Pikes Unix Programming Environment. It’s *nix specific but a great introduction to all kinds of programming concepts with great working examples in a variety of languages you’ll use every day
  - iwsk 3y ago
    Eloquent Javascript is better suited for someone who already has some experience with basic programming and wants to learn javascript while also exploring more advanced concepts in programming in general. Javascript was not my first language, but I have refered to javascript.info from time to time and it seems to have a gentle introduction.

kabes 3y ago

+1 for "You don't know js", it's a must read for any js programmer IMO. I haven't read eloquent JS though, you say it's a different level of learner. Can you expand a bit? Is Eloquent for after "you don't know js" or vice-versa? Edit: nevermind, reading the TOC of eloquent JS gave me a good enough idea

deprecative 3y ago
I get so jealous that people can absorb information via books as an adult. I can read the same chapter a hundred times and nothing sinks in. I know this is off topic but do you, or anyone passing, have a system or tips for how y'all do this? I've got so many programming books but they only collect dust after I read through them without benefit.
- cultofmetatron 3y ago
  heres how I learn programming languages. read a page, keep a notebook next to you and rewrite each paragraph in your own words. it forces you to engage more deeply with the material
- darepublic 3y ago
  When I was a kid my dad taught me to write everything out three times. Applied as a grown up I just write down a lot of notes for things I am learnind
- nestes 3y ago
  Not the original poster, but I learn best reading textbooks cover-to-cover. A couple things that help me: 1) I buy physical textbooks and absolutely destroy them with notes in the margins, highlighting, etc. It helps me to interact with the material instead of letting it wash over me, which means I'm both thinking about it more in-depth and as side effect I'm less bored. Otherwise I'll fall asleep and won't learn anything. 2) I accept that I'm not going to remember the entire book. A lot of books are most useful as references anyway. But if you ever find yourself going, "Oh that's really handy to know," then you can make a special note of it or even put it into flashcards. I've been using Anki. The trick is to recognize what is actually worth doing this for. 3) If something is especially worth knowing, (see point 2), see if you can either do problems from the book or try out the concept in some way if there are no problems available. If you're reading something just because you feel like you should, you won't get anything out of it (or a least I don't).

redbell 3y ago

I second JavaScriptInfo as another great resource to learn JS: https://javascript.info/ https://javascript.info/

neiesc 3y ago
I agree

m4tthumphrey 3y ago

Thank you for mentioning YDKJS. I hadn’t heard of it before and am in the beginning of my first proper JS project for about 10 years; man has the JS world changed. I have already skimmed the first few chapters and am already understanding it all very concisely. I will be reading this properly via GitHub for sure.