Rating: 
Summary: Excellent JavaScript book
Review: I don't write reviews often, but I wrote this one because I really believe this is one of the best books out there on JavaScript. Don't just take my word for it, check out the 115 other reviews that say the same thing.This book is probably the best JavaScript reference out there. I am constantly turning to it for information. The text is well written - understandable to both beginner and expert. I think if you were looking for a good JavaScript book, this is the one you should get. It is easy to find information quickly. The chapters are arranged logically, and the index is great (which is a BIG asset for a reference book.) The text itself is easy to understand. The breadth of information presented is also pretty good. It covers everything from the essentials down to nitty gritty code - such as regular expressions, debugging scripts and server side JavaScript. Again, if you need to get a book on JavaScript, this is the one to get.
Rating: 
Summary: Big Book, Poorly Written
Review: This is another example of a "doorstop book" (which is where mine was until I sold it to a used book dealer for $5). Like so many other computer books (e.g. Special Edition Using... or XXXX Unleashed), this author tries to impress the buyer with the size of the book. The content of the book was poorly organized as well as poorly written. It is difficult to navigate and learn the language. If this is the JavaScript Bible, shouldn't it educate the user in the development of JavaScripts for the web? A better structure of this book would have been to develop mock scripts for a functioning web site.
Furthermore, the CD that is included is worthless. The "hundreds" of free software titles are actually worthless trials from companies marketing their tools and products. So, I wonder why they (attempt) to teach JavaScript then include samples of actual software packages that they then market to the user. Alternatively, I would recommend the O'Reilly book on JavaScript. O'Reilly has a track record of producing concise books that actually teach the topic. They are not 700+ page monsters that are filled with fluff. I would also caution against purchasing future editions as they tend to be nearly identical to the previous version with minor additions.
Rating: 
Summary: Ups and Downs
Review: I had such a great time working through most of the material in the first 8 chapters of this book. During chapter 9, I started to get annoyed with the typos and poor answers to some of the Tutorial Exercises. At the end of chapter 10, I decided to move on to an O'Reilly book. Many of the Tutorial Exercises were either very useful, or inspired me to think of a use for what I learned in the preceding chapter, but too many of the exercises were irrelevant to anything I wanted to accomplish. Many of the answers to the Tutorial Exercises were thorough, but then others were confusing without explanation. This book strengthened my base in programming principles. I appreciated the explanations, when they were written thoroughly. When I get confused, I dig in stubbornly until I figure it out. Perhaps someone who breezes past the confusing parts will do better with this book.
Rating:
Summary: JavaScript Bible 3rd Edition: The Good Book of JavaScript
Review: First off, I worry a bit that Amazon displays 3rd Edition reviews on the page for the unreleased (as of this writing) 4th Edition. The 3rd Edition was a major revision from the 2nd, and Danny Goodman (at his web site, dannyg dot com) reports that the 4th will be a "massive overhaul." Make sure you're reading reviews for the edition you're thinking of buying. It's been three years since JSB3, and like web technology, Danny Goodman does not sit still. With that out of the way: In short, I always recommend Danny Goodman's JavaScript Bible, Third Edition, to everyone with a serious interest in JavaScript. It is the only book I recommend. And, with rare exception, it is the only book I use. JSB3 is the single most valuable book on my programming shelf. I've been developing web applications for years with extremely complex JavaScript code, and I consistently turn to Danny for reference. Perhaps there are better introductory tutorials, but for straight-on encyclopedic data on the JavaScript language, I find JSB3 to be the fastest and clearest information resource. (It's labeled "100% Comprehensive" for a reason.) The book's reference section is unusually well formatted for quick skimming, and Danny's writing highlights many a vital detail. I have, let's see here, five other JavaScript books, mostly gathering dust. Other than (the dust-free) JSB3, the only one I take down from the shelf is O'Reilly's Dynamic HTML: The Definitive Reference -- written by, yes, Danny Goodman. Mainly I use that one for DHTML issues. It does have a full JavaScript reference, but it's not half as easily skimmed as JSB3 and it's printed in O'Reilly's standard eyestraining ITC Garamond Light font. JSB3 is easy on the eyes. I see many negative reviews here for this book, but to me it's indispensable. Perhaps it's a matter of taste? It's not completely free of errors (I've yet to find a JavaScript book that is), but Danny keeps a list of errata and updates at dannyg dot com, where you can also find the JSB4 Quick Reference and Compatibility Guide (formerly called the Object Roadmap) for PDF download. Speaking of compatibility, JSB3 has the best cross-browser compatibility notation I've seen, which was an immeasurable help to me and my colleagues in the past couple of years. I look forward to seeing current information again -- fleeting though it may be. Even with newer browser versions, JSB3 is one of the rare programming books that have stood the test of time.
Rating:
Summary: Written for progressive JavaScripting, great learning aid.
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed Danny Goodman's Javascript Bible, 3rd Edition. It is easy to follow and usually simple enough to search for subjects in the index, incase you need to find a specific Javascript command for your needs. Highly recommended. If you have a JavaScript programmer waiting to get out inside you, this will be a good book to add to your JavaScript learning experience. P.S. I especially appreciated Danny Goodman's fast response when I emailed him not long ago about a minor glitch on some coding example found in the book. Good customer support. Way to go Danny! Keep it up ;-)
Rating:
Summary: Difficult to follow
Review: I'm a frustrated beginner at Javascript. This book is part of what frustrated me. It's not very clear, with not enough examples and not enough details all at the same time. Much later, after I put down this book in frustration, I picked up WROX press' "Beginning Javascript," which I find much easier to follow. If only I had started with that book instead of this one!
Rating:
Summary: THE BIBLE, NOT ONLY A RESOURCE MANUAL
Review: I have been javascripting since 1996. As such, I've been through two editions of the javascript bible, including this third edition. It's only gotten better (as javascript has also improved in breadth). This is not a book for someone who simply wants an A-Z manual. If you want a book that truly spans the beginner through expert category, however, this IS it. Goodman provides in-depth explanations and examples at all stages of your development. If you are a beginner, start at the beginning. If you are an expert, use the index. Either way, this is a must- have for any web programmer's library.
Rating:
Summary: Great for a developer..not so great for a newbie
Review: If you are totally new to programming (like I was) this book will not in itself be the one for you. I have recently purchased an other book (JavaScript in 24 hours) which i luckily read first. It's a bit high level for a newbie delving into the core aspects of JS. If you have minimal knowledge you may to be able to get by. My suggestion to people who have purchased this book and find it overwhelming is to keep it on the shelf. When this book is aided by a lower level intro book (such as JavaScript in 24 hours) you will have little troubles understanding the basics of OOM. From a web designers perspective (which I am) This book will not offer the latest and greatest tricks to make the world wow at your latest creation. BUT it will lay a great foundation to which you will easily be able to add other scripting languages to your portfolio. It's kind of like that medicine your mom made you take as a kid....it tastes awful but works.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent for learning JavaScript
Review: JavaScript Bible is an excellent book for learning JavaScript and Dynamic HTML. The only mistake I made was letting someone borrow it...because they never returned it and they're not around to get it back... Now, I have to buy it again... Anyways, There is a 4th Edition of JavaScript Bible, dated April 2001. Brendan Eich, one of the co-authors of the book, is a developer of the Netscape/Mozilla web browser. There are a lot of computer books these days which are nothing but expensive pieces of paper, but JavaScript Bible is not one them. Overall, I have found the book to be very helpful in learning JavaScript.
Rating: 
Summary: Overall a Good beginners-intermediate level javascript book
Review: Overall a very good book for beginners. If you are a web designer then it's better to get a thin book like javascript visually or something that gives you the code without explaining much. If you are more involved in web application programming, and need to understand javascript for custom programming, then this book is a perfect fit. Easy to read, good clear examples, and an overall good reference.
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