UserScripts in 20 Minutes (Coffee Book Series)

The clearest explanation of javascript I have come across.

I picked this up after getting stuck on a project and it turned out to be exactly the right book at the right time. The author clearly knows the subject deeply and has thought hard about how to teach it. A few of the examples could be more realistic, but the underlying points come across clearly. The author clearly knows the subject deeply and has thought hard about how to teach it. One of those books that pays for itself within the first few chapters. Highly recommended.

Three stars feels about right. Useful, but not essential.

I came to this book already familiar with the basics, and it still had plenty to offer. I particularly liked the way the author builds up from simple cases before introducing the harder material. I appreciated the honesty about what the book does not cover — it saved me from expecting things that were not there. A couple of chapters felt like they could have been merged, but that is a minor complaint. Useful as a reference, less so as a straight read from cover to cover.

Not for me. The pacing did not work and I struggled to finish it.

This is the third book I have read on javascript this year, and it is comfortably the best of them. I found myself making notes in the margins, which is always a good sign. The explanations are careful without being condescending, which is a difficult balance to strike. The author avoids over-explaining, which keeps the pace up but means you need to pay attention. Two stars. The subject deserves a better treatment than this.