View Review Details
| Book: |
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JavaScript: The Definitive Guide |
| Subject: |
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Too much chaos |
| Date: |
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2008-12-23 03:03:14 |
| From: |
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Anonymous Reader
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I bought this book in order to start learning JavaScript. I have only had XHTML/CSS, and I thought of JavaScript as a decent introduction to light programming.
I had heard a lot of good things about this book, but there's one problem: the way its chapters are arranged causes a big chaos into a begginer's mind. There are way too many examples in the first three chapters which involve arrays and objects, making it hard for you to understand the given examples.
There's also too much text which involves knowledge that you'll later achieve, so even the text will make it hard to understand.
These are its main problems. It's a definitive introduction, presenting too much information in an intimidating way, thus requiring the reader to adapt to the author's chaotic style.
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"...the book is quite an achievement. This volume will be well used in my library, at least until the next edition comes out. Highly recommended."
--Robert Boardman, Kickstart News
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Re: Too much chaos, February 18 2009
Submitted by
DCUNITED
[Respond | View]
I believe you got the wrong book. This book is really written as a reference guide, not a beginner programming guide. I would suggest that you look at Learning JavaScript (http://oreilly.com/catalog/9780596521875/) . O'Reilly has a system to their books where in a particular language series there is a Learning, Programming, Cookbook and the Definitive Guide. The Learning book is pretty much for the first-time programmer. The Programming, I have found, is for person who has used extensively one or two other languages and would like to add this language to their list. The Cookbook is how to solve some rather complex and common problems and the Definitive Guide is well, the reference guide. There are many other learning JavaScript books out there. I would suggest going to a good bookstore and browsing the first few chapters of each one until you find one that fits you best. I keep this book on my desk and find myself constantly looking at it.