JavaScript for the World Wide Web: Visual QuickStart Guide (4th Edition)

Rating:
Summary: O.P.U
Review: I would have tossed this poorly written shallow summary of some aspects of JavaScript on the bonfire, but at least I can return it. I'm going for the O'Reilly Book that can actually teach me how to program something useful.

Rating:
Summary: A decent javascript cookbook, an inadequate js teacher
Review: This book is a cookbook. It gives you javascript recipes, but if you really want to learn to write scripts on your own, you should look elsewhere. You may get recipes here, but very little about programming principles, and very little about why javascript does what it does. Don't pick up this book if you've never programmed before, unless you aren't really planning on programming again.

Rating:
Summary: Waste of Money
Review: I'm a junior level programmer. When it comes to programming there are no "quick solutions." This book is more confusing than useful -- it teaches a few basic JavaScript tricks, but will not enable anyone to truly get anything useful from JavaScript. For the same money you can get some much better beginner JavaScript books.

Rating:
Summary: A very good javascript manual for beginners!
Review: I bought this book when I felt satisfied and confortable with HTML and wanted to go further in to web publishing. It provides a quick start for you if you had no idea of javascript but have a fair understanding of web design using HTML. Simple scripts are given, then explained one line after another. Then you trans-script it to your page. There is also a companion homepage to the book. There, you copy the scripts and paste on your page. Basically, therefore, it is a user-manual kind of book. But it suited me as a beginner. I later learned how to combine some of the scripts together to produce effects that the book never mentioned. In summary, the book has helped me tremendously to have a good start with Javascript. Tom, Dori, that is a good book. Looking forward to the 3rd edition.

Rating:
Summary: This book teaches you javascript as easy as 1-2-3.
Review: I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn Javascript. The authors take a step by step guide in teaching you Javascript. They don't assume anything. It teaches you as if you never heard of Javascript. Every page gives you examples to follow and that you can use later as references once you learned how to build your own script. Like the book says it uses picture examples instead of long word explanations that can put you to sleep. If you wanna learn Javascript pick up this book. I guarantee results!!!!

Rating:
Summary: AAAHHHhh
Review: please take this away from me lest i burst into flames and singe my shorts, there is no short way to learn js. the definitive guide takes time to get to any good stuff but at the end of the day you will understand js. from there hack about yourself. d.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book for beginners!
Review: I am originally from Russia but now I live in USA. I know HTML and I want to learn programming languages for the Web. I just got to the chapter 3 in this book. But I love to read it like some very interesting story. Very clear, easy language and explanation. It is first book about Java Script what really helps me to understand very small but very important details in programming what any beginner needs. This details I didn't study in my school so I had very hard time understand how to program. I want to say THANK YOU very much for Tom Negrino and Dori Smith. Great book, great help for people who wants to learn Java Script!

Rating:
Summary: Wouldn't Recommend It
Review: This book is not really for beginners. Actually, its for people who want to learn a couple uses for javascript fast. The format is setup in the following way: There is a brief introduction; several examples of javascript are given; the parts of these examples are then described in a brief comprehensible manner. I have some other Visual Quickstart books, and they were quite satisfactory- especially HTML For the World Wide Web. The formats of these books are similar if not exact. The only difference is that HTML For the World Wide Web gives you sufficient information to create your own webpages easily and fairly effectively. The fact that it takes an extremely large book to cover the majority of javascript may account for my distaste towards this book. Once again, if you want to learn the majority of javascript- and have lots of time- I'd recommend a book like the Javascript Bible.

Rating:
Summary: Don't bother . . . it's useless
Review: When looking for javascript books, I thought this one would be decent because it was so visually based. It made an immediate impact on me because I felt like I'd learn more from being able to *see* what the script should look like on-screen. Well, after a couple weeks with it, I've found that most of the scripts don't work, and I had to go online to find examples of ones that DO work. The book explains nothing. It only tells you to type in what they have and you'll get what they did. I want to create javascript, not copy it. Totally useless book.

Rating:
Summary: Out of date
Review: Be aware that the second edt. is out of date!! I think the book is OK for someone like me who just needs a minimal amount of knowledge about Javascript, but it doesn't teach you to program. Easy to read, though. If you're gonna pay for it, at least buy the third edt.