Reader reviews

Worth every page. I have already recommended it to two colleagues.

I came to this book already familiar with the basics, and it still had plenty to offer. The book rewards careful reading. Skimming it would be a mistake. The writing is direct and does not waste space on filler, which I value in a technical book. The progression from chapter to chapter is well thought out; nothing feels out of order. If you have the prerequisites, this is an easy recommendation. I will be keeping it on my desk rather than the shelf.

Strong content, uneven pacing. I would still recommend it.

I was looking for something that would bridge the gap between tutorials and proper reference material, and this does that well. The code samples assume a particular environment, which took a bit of fiddling to get running properly. I particularly liked the way the author builds up from simple cases before introducing the harder material. The chapters on artificial intelligence are the strongest — the examples are stripped down but complete, and I could follow along without constant guessing. A good addition to a technical library, as long as you know what you are buying.

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

I had been on the fence about this one for a while, and I should have bought it sooner. I found myself making notes in the margins, which is always a good sign. The balance between theory and practice is well judged; neither side dominates. Useful as a reference, less so as a straight read from cover to cover.

I have read a lot of books on this subject and this is the clearest.

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 exercises at the end of each chapter are worth doing — they caught a few misconceptions I did not know I had. Some of the diagrams are dense and I had to reread a few sections, though that may just be me. This is the book I wish had existed when I started working with javascript.

Useful in parts. Fine as a reference, less so as a cover-to-cover read.

There is a particular kind of technical book that is dense without being difficult, and this is one of them. Some of the diagrams are dense and I had to reread a few sections, though that may just be me. The early chapters move quickly through material I already knew, but the later sections were genuinely new to me. Three stars feels about right. It will stay on my shelf, but it will not be the first one I reach for.

Good value. Not perfect, but I would buy another book from this author.

A colleague recommended this and I can see why. It does something that few technical books manage: it respects the reader's time. The writing is direct and does not waste space on filler, which I value in a technical book. It is denser than the page count suggests, and I found myself slowing down around the middle. Worth picking up if you already have the basics. Set realistic expectations and you will get a lot out of it.