Reader reviews

The clearest explanation of javascript I have come across.

A colleague recommended this and I can see why. It does something that few technical books manage: it respects the reader's time. The balance between theory and practice is well judged; neither side dominates. The examples are small enough to type out and experiment with, which is exactly what I want from a book like this. A few of the examples could be more realistic, but the underlying points come across clearly. This is the book I wish had existed when I started working with javascript.

Excellent from start to finish. No filler, no padding.

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 writing is direct and does not waste space on filler, which I value in a technical book. A couple of chapters felt like they could have been merged, but that is a minor complaint. There is a section near the end that ties several earlier ideas together in a way I had not seen before. This is the book I wish had existed when I started working with game programming.

Well worth picking up if you already have the basics.

I read this over a couple of weekends alongside a small side project, which turned out to be the ideal way to approach it. It is denser than the page count suggests, and I found myself slowing down around the middle. The chapters on computer graphics are the strongest — the examples are stripped down but complete, and I could follow along without constant guessing. Worth picking up if you already have the basics. Set realistic expectations and you will get a lot out of it.

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

I came to this book already familiar with the basics, and it still had plenty to offer. The balance between theory and practice is well judged; neither side dominates. Some of the material is available elsewhere, but rarely presented this clearly. The exercises at the end of each chapter are worth doing — they caught a few misconceptions I did not know I had. If you have the prerequisites, this is an easy recommendation. I will be keeping it on my desk rather than the shelf.

Genuinely excellent — I finished it in a week and immediately started again.

I bought this on a whim after seeing it mentioned in a forum thread, and I am glad I did. The chapters on web graphics are the strongest — the examples are stripped down but complete, and I could follow along without constant guessing. The author is unusually honest about where the simplifications break down, which I appreciated. One of those books that pays for itself within the first few chapters. Highly recommended.

A genuinely enjoyable read that also taught me a great deal.

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 index and cross-references are surprisingly good, which matters for a book I will come back to. The chapters on graphics & design are the strongest — the examples are stripped down but complete, and I could follow along without constant guessing. An easy five stars from me. I look forward to whatever the author writes next.