Reader reviews

A worthwhile addition to my shelf, with realistic expectations.

I read this over a couple of weekends alongside a small side project, which turned out to be the ideal way to approach it. The writing is direct and does not waste space on filler, which I value in a technical book. The balance between theory and practice is well judged; neither side dominates. A good addition to a technical library, as long as you know what you are buying.

This is the one to get if you are serious about javascript.

I came to this book already familiar with the basics, and it still had plenty to offer. I appreciated the honesty about what the book does not cover — it saved me from expecting things that were not there. The code samples assume a particular environment, which took a bit of fiddling to get running properly. The writing is direct and does not waste space on filler, which I value in a technical book. One of those books that pays for itself within the first few chapters. Highly recommended.

Solid and well-organised. A couple of chapters dragged a little.

I came to this book already familiar with the basics, and it still had plenty to offer. The explanations are careful without being condescending, which is a difficult balance to strike. The explanations are careful without being condescending, which is a difficult balance to strike. A couple of chapters felt like they could have been merged, but that is a minor complaint. Four stars, and I suspect a second edition could easily push it to five.

Strong content, uneven pacing. I would still recommend it.

I bought this on a whim after seeing it mentioned in a forum thread, and I am glad I did. The chapters on databases & big data are the strongest — the examples are stripped down but complete, and I could follow along without constant guessing. Some of the diagrams are dense and I had to reread a few sections, though that may just be me. Solid, and I would buy another book from this author without hesitation.

Mixed feelings. The good parts are genuinely good; the rest is forgettable.

This is the third book I have read on graphics this year, and it is comfortably the best of them. Some of the material is available elsewhere, but rarely presented this clearly. The chapters on graphics are the strongest — the examples are stripped down but complete, and I could follow along without constant guessing. Borrow it first if you can, or at least check the table of contents carefully before buying.

Almost excellent. A second edition could easily push it to five stars.

I was looking for something that would bridge the gap between tutorials and proper reference material, and this does that well. Some of the diagrams are dense and I had to reread a few sections, though that may just be me. The early chapters move quickly through material I already knew, but the later sections were genuinely new to me. Recommended, with the caveat that it is not a gentle introduction.