You Don't Know JS

by Kyle Simpson
You Don't Know JS cover
Good Books rating 3.5
Education and Reference
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Amazon
Format/Price Check
Technical
  • ID: 6102
  • Added: 2025-11-01
  • Updated: 2025-11-01
  • ISBN: 9781491924440
  • Publisher: "O'Reilly Media, Inc."
  • Published: 2015-01-01
  • Reviews: 3

Dive into the world of JavaScript with 'You Don't Know JS,' a series designed to provide a more complete understanding of the language. The first book, 'Up & Going,' lays the foundation for those with limited programming experience, covering essential building blocks like operators, types, variables, conditionals, loops, and functions. It also introduces JavaScript's core mechanisms, including values, function closures, this, and prototypes, preparing you for the more in-depth books in the series. This book is your gateway to true mastery of JavaScript, offering an overview of the series and highlighting why it's crucial to understand all parts of the language. Beyond the basics, 'You Don't Know JS' explores the trickier aspects of JavaScript that many experienced programmers avoid. By tackling these complex topics head-on, you'll gain a deeper insight into the language and become a more proficient developer. Whether you're looking to build robust web applications or simply want to enhance your coding skills, this series is an invaluable resource that will take your JavaScript knowledge to the next level.

Reviews
Amazon · 2025-11-01
praiseworthy 4.50

The explanations of 'this' and prototypal inheritance in JavaScript are excellent but can be overly verbose. The book is highly regarded for its detailed insights.

The reviewer praises Kyle Simpson's explanations of 'this' and prototypal inheritance in JavaScript, calling them the best they've seen. However, they note that the explanations can be a bit belaboured and verbose. Despite this, the book is highly regarded for its detailed insights into JavaScript. The reviewer suggests that while the content is excellent, it might be too detailed for some readers, making it more suitable for those with a strong interest in the technical aspects of JavaScript.

Quick quotes

    Kyle Simpson's explanations of the behaviour of 'this' and of prototypal inheritance in JavaScript are the best I've seen

    albeit a bit belaboured and verbose

    The book is highly regarded for its detailed insights.

CyberCafe.dev · 2020-04-07
informative 3.50

This book is not suitable for beginners, as it assumes a certain level of prior knowledge in front-end development and JavaScript. The series is aimed at intermediate-level developers looking to deepen their understanding.

The reviewer emphasizes that this book is not for beginners, stating that it is aimed at intermediate-level JavaScript developers. They suggest that beginners might find the content too challenging and recommend starting with more foundational resources. The book is praised for its depth and clarity, but the reviewer advises that readers should have some basic knowledge before diving in. The series is seen as a valuable resource for those looking to understand the complexities of JavaScript, but it is not a starting point for those new to the language.

Quick quotes

    This book and possibly the rest of the books in the series are NOT for beginners.

    If you are starting with front-end, especially Javascript, I would recommend starting with something else.

    The series is aimed at intermediate-level JS devs rather than beginners.

Goodreads · 2015-03-20
disappointing 2.50

The book is too simple for experienced programmers and too difficult for beginners, making it a challenging read for both groups. It tries to bridge a gap but falls short.

The reviewer finds the book to be too simple for experienced programmers trying to get into JavaScript and too difficult for beginners. They feel that the book is trying to bridge a gap between these two levels but ultimately falls short. The content is seen as neither accessible enough for beginners nor deep enough for experienced developers. The reviewer suggests that the book might be more suitable for those with some intermediate knowledge, but it is not an ideal resource for either extreme.

Quick quotes

    This book seems to me too simple for other programmers trying to get into JS and too difficult for beginners.

    I feel like it's trying to be a bridge between the two but it's not.

    It's not an ideal resource for either extreme.

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