Top Books on JavaScript Every Software Developer Should Read

Among the many options available today, JavaScript (JS) is the most popular language among beginner and experienced developers. It is the most widely used programming language for the ninth year in a row. JS is well-known for its scripting language and its application in front-end web development. However, its newer version can manage both the client and server sides of web development. This blog discusses some of the best books on JavaScript that every software developer should read in 2023.

"JavaScript is the only language I'm aware of that people feel they don't need to learn before they start using it."

— Douglas Crockford

Learning how to use JavaScript successfully can lead to fantastic career opportunities in the vast world of web development. To help you start your web development journey, Turing has curated a list of the 7 best JavaScript books every web developer should read in 2023. These JS books should be in the library of any JavaScript developer, from beginner to expert.

Top JavaScript books every developer should read

So, whether you're new to JavaScript or have been doing it for a while, you should review this list of Javascript books to ensure you read them all. Let's look at some books that will help you become JS ninjas.

1. JavaScript: The Good Parts by Douglas Crockford

As the title suggests, this book discusses the good and bad aspects of the JavaScript programming language.

It will teach you the exemplary aspects of JavaScript while avoiding the wrong ones. You'll learn several important things from JavaScript: The Good Parts, including how to write valid code, a subset of JavaScript that is more readable, reliable, and maintainable.

The most important aspect of JavaScript: The Good Parts is that it has the potential to renew even experienced professionals' gratefulness for JS. Also, the book is only 175 pages long, so don't miss it.

What you will learn:

• Syntax
• Functions
• Inheritance
• Arrays
• Regular Expression
• Methods

2. Eloquent JavaScript by Margin Haverbeke

This book is a reservoir of knowledge for beginner and intermediate JavaScript developers, covering concepts such as control structure, function, and data structure. You will also learn about bug fixing & error handling, modularity, asynchronous programming, basic web applications, and how to effectively use the DOM, which is an essential skill for any web developer.

After learning the topics, you can put your knowledge to the test with the exercises provided. After thoroughly reading this book, you will be able to write clean, beautiful, and practical code.

What you will learn:

• Error handling & Bug fixing
• Concepts of asynchronous programming
• How to use DOM (Document Object Model)

3. JavaScript: The Definitive Guide by David Flanagan

JavaScript: The Definitive Guide is a book for beginners. Anyone interested in developing robust web applications should read the extensive JS book. It delves into several JS and web platform API features geared toward web application development.

It is the best choice for gaining an in-depth understanding of the workings of closure, graphics, and prototyping. The book is well over 1000 pages long, divided into detailed chapters full of examples.

The Definitive Guide to JavaScript provides a detailed overview of many language features, as well as warnings about using older versions of Internet Explorer. This book is an excellent reference guide for anyone seeking knowledge beyond the basics.

What you will learn:

• Processing Client-side graphics
• Writing complex programs Classes, closures, persistence, Flash, and JavaScript embedded in Java applications
• DOM scripting

4. You Don’t Know JS by Kyle Simpson

You don't know JS is a series of six well-written and well-organized books for learning JavaScript. This book series will help you improve your JavaScript knowledge and thoroughly understand concepts. It requires a basic understanding of JavaScript, so I recommend starting with these if you have no prior experience with programming languages such as C, C++, or Java.

These six books are as follows:

You Don’t Know JS: Up and Going

You Don’t Know JS: Types and Grammar

You Don’t Know JS: ES6 and Beyond

You Don’t Know JS: Async and Performance

You Don’t Know JS: this and Object Prototypes

You Don’t Know JS: Scope and Closures

What you will learn:

• Kyle Simpson has left no stone unturned to cover every topic to make you a pro web developer. This 6 book series is enough to transition you from a zero to a web developer hero.

5. JavaScript & JQuery by John Duckett

Are you Interested in learning JavaScript and jQuery simultaneously to get started with web development? This book is the bible for you.

Don't get me wrong: JavaScript & JQuery: Interactive Front-End Web Development isn't just another 1200-page tome. On the contrary, the content of this book is not only attractive but also organized in a manner that even a beginner can understand the concepts inside it.

Progression from one concept to another is not random and follows a chronological order in this book. The transition to jQuery from JavaScript is an excellent example of how to do it correctly. This book will help you kill two birds with one stone.

What you will learn:

• Basics of Javascript
• Basics of jQuery
• Basics of front-end development

6. Effective JavaScript by David Herman

This book is for you if you want to learn how to write better, more reliable, and maintainable programs.

This book will assist you in laying the groundwork for both small and large applications. After completing this, you will be a competent JavaScript developer with extensive knowledge of JavaScript.

What you will learn:

• How to practically use JavaScript functions and variable semantics.
• How to implement object-oriented prototyping and more

7. A Smarter Way to Learn JavaScript by Mark Myers

Assume you are new to programming and have no prior knowledge of JavaScript. This book teaches you everything in layman's terms. It targets intermediate JavaScript developers who want to improve their language understanding. After finishing each chapter, you can practice your skills with interactive exercises on the author's website. It is divided into short chapters that are easy to understand.

What you will learn:

• JavaScript fundamentals and advanced concepts such as constructors and prototypes
• A simple introduction to the subject.
• Diagrams and illustrations to help you understand the concepts

Conclusion

Books are one-of-a-kind and highly effective tools for self-development and education. Every developer that wants to dive into technology should start with the best professional books. Though the internet is full of many professional materials, whitepapers, and articles, some of which you can find on our blog, however books continue to play an essential role in our lives, whether you are a JavaScript ninja or a hardware engineer, or a system administrator.

FAQ’s

1. What is Javascript used for?

Programmers from around the world use Javascript to make dynamic and interactive online apps and browsers. 97.0 percent of all websites utilize JavaScript as their client-side programming language, making it the most widely used programming language in the world.

2. Which book is best for Javascript beginners?

You Don’t Know JS is a series of 6 books written by Kyle Simpson, especially for beginners. He has left no stone unturned to cover every topic to make you a pro web developer. This 6 book series is enough to transition you from a zero to a hero.

3. Is eloquent Javascript good for beginners?

Yes, eloquent JavaScript is no doubt one of the best books for beginners. It starts with basics but also discusses some serious stuff.