Top 6 JavaScript Books for Beginners & Experts

Inspired by highly interactive websites and wanting to build one on your own? JavaScript is where the magic happens. If you are overwhelmed by JS, remember that we all are on the same boat! JavaScript may be a little daunting for beginners to learn but the key is to take it slow and master the fundamentals rather than going at a fast pace.

Ideally you should learn the underlying technologies first and then move on to the abstractions. Learn the DOM before learning jQuery; learn CSS before picking up SASS, and learn HTML before pursuing JSX.

If you are here, then you’re already looking to learn JavaScript. In this article we put the spotlight on the best books that will take you two steps ahead in mastering JavaScript.

1. A Smarter Way to Learn JavaScript by Mark Myers

Level: Beginner
This book is for beginners as well as experienced developers. You will learn the fundamentals of JavaScript as well as advanced topics such as constructors and prototypes. The book is extremely user friendly, assumes no programming experience and is filled with tons of coding examples to make your journey as smooth as possible.

2. Eloquent JavaScript: A Modern Introduction to Programming

Level: Beginner
The heavy usage of practice exercises makes this book one of the best out there for beginners in Javascript. Eloquent JavaScript lets the reader digest all its knowledge easily thanks to an easy to understand and relatable language. Unlike other books, this book gives the reader an introduction to programming through javascript making it a work of pure art.

3. JavaScript: The good parts by Douglas Crockford

Level: Intermediate
The book is also useful for programmers who are working with JavaScript and now want to become an advanced programmer. In this book, you will find topics related to JavaScript language and tasks common to a wide range of application domains. It also offers several code samples.

4. Effective JavaScript: 68 Specific Ways to Harness the Power of JavaScript by David Herman

Level: Intermediate
After you’ve had a taste of Javascript, this book will take you on a guided tour of the language with solved exercise problems and real world projects to help you master the language. You’ll be introduced to some of the quirks of JavaScript, from floating points to the oddities of type coercions. Regardless of your skill level, the book promises you will learn something new.

5. You Don’t Know JS by Kyle Simpson

Level: Advanced
The book is highly recommended for experienced programmers who want to discover the little nooks and crannies of the language. This book promises to introduce you to some JavaScript species that no human has ever encountered before.

6. Speaking JavaScript: An In-Depth Guide for Programmers

Level: Advanced
This book is for the ones who quickly want to learn JavaScript by looking up specific topics.
The book quickly moves from the basics to more advanced topics. Then it moves on to cover ECMAScript 5 and its syntax, variables and object oriented programming.

The path to become a JavaScript developer can be a daunting one. However, many JavaScript developers will tell you the language is fun and it gets more fun as you get closer to it and begin thinking within the language.

Happy learning!