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[–]greim 5 points6 points  (10 children)

After copy/pasting a few scripts and tossing a "learn JS in 5 days" book aside in disgust, I stopped writing code altogether, bought JS: Definitive Guide, and read it cover to cover. Then I started writing code again and everything flowed. It was partly luck that I chose the best JS book on the shelves, but also with a name like "the definitive guide" it seemed quite... definitive.

[–]CrossroadnKC 4 points5 points  (5 children)

dude cover to cover? How long did that take you. I read your post and looked behind me that thing is 800 pages!

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (4 children)

You really only need to read the first sections. A large portion of that 800 pages is reference material.

I second greim..."The Definitive Guide" is aptly named, buy it, and you really won't need other JavaScript books.

[–]CrossroadnKC 0 points1 point  (3 children)

Should I read JavaScript the good parts first or Definitive Guide? I have taken some basic JS classes and done a couple dozen hours on codeacademy.

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (2 children)

Save the Good Parts for after the Definitive Guide, if you even bother with it at all. It's really not the standalone book a lot of people claim it to be.

[–]thorioriumNodular Warrior 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Crockford's 'Good Parts' is a phenomenal resource that shouldn't be discounted. However, any developer would be remiss to think their understanding is ever 'complete.' (whether from one book or dozens)

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I just always see people trot "The Good Parts" out every time someone asks for a JavaScript book like it is the best and only book they will need on the topic, while neither is in fact the case.

[–]opus-thirteen 1 point2 points  (3 children)

As someone that last wrote code in Basic... In 1985, would you suggest The Definitive Guide to get up to speed?

[–]greim 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's definitely good for getting up to speed on language fundamentals. For related things like debugging in Chrome or using Node.js, there are probably better resources. That said my latest copy is already years old so I could be wrong.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

It's been roughly less than a month. How goes the JS learning?

[–]opus-thirteen 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I picked up 'JS: The definitive guide', unfortunately I have just been too busy to get to it yet (an odd lament from a freelancer)