“What are the best books for learning Javascript?” We looked at 140 of the top Javascript books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!

The top 18 titles, all appearing on 3 or more “Best Javascript” book lists, are ranked below by how many lists they appear on. The remaining 100+ titles, as well as the lists we used are in alphabetical order at the bottom of the page.

Happy Scrolling!

Top 18 Javascript Books

18 .) JavaScript Enlightenment written by Cody Lindley

Lists It Appears On:

• Color Lib
• Goodreads
• What Pixel

If you’re an advanced beginner or intermediate JavaScript developer, “JavaScript Enlightenment” will solidify your understanding of the language–especially if you use a JavaScript library. In this concise book, JavaScript expert Cody Lindley (jQuery Cookbook) provides an accurate view of the language by examining its objects and supporting nuances. Libraries and frameworks help you build web applications quickly and efficiently, but when things go wrong or performance becomes an issue, knowing how and why they work is critical. If you’re ready to go under the hood and get your hands dirty with JavaScript internals, this is your book. Get a short and digestible summary of ECMA-262, Edition 3, backed by real code you can run instantly Examine the creation of JavaScript objects Learn complex values, primitive values, scope, and inheritance Understand the importance of the head object Work with string, number, and Boolean objects and values Discover how to use the null value and the built-in math object Get into the details–beyond Mozilla’s reference guide for JavaScript 1.5

17 .) Learning Web Design: A Beginner’s Guide to HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Web Graphics written by Jennifer Niederst Robbins

Lists It Appears On:

• Goodreads
• Online Books Review
• Trip Wire Magazine

Do you want to build web pages, but have no previous experience? This friendly guide is the perfect place to start. You’ll begin at square one, learning how the Web and web pages work, and then steadily build from there. By the end of the book, you’ll have the skills to create a simple site with multi-column pages that adapt for mobile devices. Learn how to use the latest techniques, best practices, and current web standards—including HTML5 and CSS3. Each chapter provides exercises to help you to learn various techniques, and short quizzes to make sure you understand key concepts. This thoroughly revised edition is ideal for students and professionals of all backgrounds and skill levels, whether you’re a beginner or brushing up on existing skills. Build HTML pages with text, links, images, tables, and forms Use style sheets (CSS) for colors, backgrounds, formatting text, page layout, and even simple animation effects Learn about the new HTML5 elements, APIs, and CSS3 properties that are changing what you can do with web pages Make your pages display well on mobile devices by creating a responsive web design Learn how JavaScript works—and why the language is so important in web design Create and optimize web graphics so they’ll download as quickly as possible

16 .) Node.js in Action written by Mike Cantelon et. al

Lists It Appears On:

• Alolo
• LA Soft
• Medium

Packed with practical examples, it teaches you how to create high-performance web servers using JavaScript and Node. You’ll master key design concepts such as asynchronous programming, state management, and event-driven programming. And you’ll learn to put together MVC servers using Express and Connect, design web APIs, and set up the perfect production environment to build, lint, and test.

15 .) Professional JavaScript for Web Developers written by Nicholas C. Zakas

Lists It Appears On:

• Goodreads
• Trip Wire Magazine
• What Pixel

Dispels the myth that JavaScript is a “baby” language and demonstrates why it is the scripting language of choice used in the design of millions of Web pages and server-side applications Quickly covers JavaScript basics and then moves on to more advanced topics such as object-oriented programming, XML, Web services, and remote scripting Addresses the many issues that Web application developers face, including internationalization, security, privacy, optimization, intellectual property issues, and obfuscation Builds on the reader’s basic understanding of HTML, CSS, and the Web in general

14 .) Beginning JavaScript written by Paul Wilton

Lists It Appears On:

• Geeks Read
• Goodreads
• Trip Wire Magazine
• What Pixel

JavaScript is a scripting language that enables you to enhance static web applications by providing dynamic, personalized, and interactive content. This improves the experience of visitors to your site and makes it more likely that they will visit again. You must have seen the flashy drop-down menus, moving text, and changing content that are now widespread on web sites—they are enabled through JavaScript. Supported by all the major browsers, JavaScript is the language of choice on the Web. It can even be used outside web applications—to automate administrative tasks, for example.This book aims to teach you all you need to know to start experimenting with JavaScript: what it is, how it works, and what you can do with it. Starting from the basic syntax, you’ll move on to learn how to create powerful web applications. Don’t worry if you’ve never programmed before—this book will teach you all you need to know, step by step. You’ll find that JavaScript can be a great introduction to the world of programming: with the knowledge and understanding that you’ll gain from this book, you’ll be able to move on to learn newer and more advanced technologies in the world of computing.In order to get the most out of this book, you’ll need to have an understanding of HTML and how to create a static web page. You don’t need to have any programming experience.This book will also suit you if you have some programming experience already, and would like to turn your hand to web programming. You will know a fair amount about computing concepts, but maybe not as much about web technologies.Alternatively, you may have a design background and know relatively little about the Web and computing concepts.

13 .) Head First JavaScript Programming written by

Lists It Appears On:

• Color Lib
• Echo UA
• Freelancing Gig
• Wiki.ezvid

If you know HTML & CSS then you know all about web page style and structure; now it’s time to give those pages some behavior, some interactivity. Want to understand that code you’ve been copying and pasting into your web pages? And do it in a way that won’t put you to sleep? Then Head First JavaScript Programming is for you. Learning a programming language is no easy task, but Head First JavaScript Programming uses puzzles, visuals, mysteries, interviews, and fun examples to make learning JavaScript fast, fun, and effective. But don’t be fooled; you might be having a good time while you’re learning JavaScript, but you’re still learning all the serious stuff. Like how functions and objects work, what a callback is, how to interact with the web page using the Document Object Model, how to use arrays, and even what a closure is. JavaScript is one of the most popular languages in the world, and it’s only getting more popular as the Web continues to grow. Learn JavaScript the Head First way, and get in on all the action.

12 .) High Performance JavaScript written by Nicholas C. Zakas

Lists It Appears On:

• Binariks
• Goodreads
• i-Programmer
• What Pixel

If you’re like most developers, you rely heavily on JavaScript to build interactive and quick-responding web applications. The problem is that all of those lines of JavaScript code can slow down your apps. This book reveals techniques and strategies to help you eliminate performance bottlenecks during development. You’ll learn how to improve execution time, downloading, interaction with the DOM, page life cycle, and more. Yahoo! frontend engineer Nicholas C. Zakas and five other JavaScript experts — Ross Harmes, Julien Lecomte, Steven Levithan, Stoyan Stefanov, and Matt Sweeney — demonstrate optimal ways to load code onto a page, and offer programming tips to help your JavaScript run as efficiently and quickly as possible. You’ll learn the best practices to build and deploy your files to a production environment, and tools that can help you find problems once your site goes live. Identify problem code and use faster alternatives to accomplish the same task Improve scripts by learning how JavaScript stores and accesses data Implement JavaScript code so that it doesn’t slow down interaction with the DOM Use optimization techniques to improve runtime performance Learn ways to ensure the UI is responsive at all times Achieve faster client-server communication Use a build system to minify files, and HTTP compression to deliver them to the browser

11 .) Programming JavaScript Applications: Robust Web Architecture with Node, HTML5, and Moderns JS Libraries written by Eric Elliot

Lists It Appears On:

• Color Lib
• Geeks Read
• Medium
• Net Guru
• Top Talked Books

JavaScript may be the most essential web programming language, but in the real world, JavaScript applications often break when you make changes. With this book, author Eric Elliott shows you how to add client- and server-side features to a large JavaScript application without negatively affecting the rest of your code.

10 .) Secrets of the JavaScript Ninja written by John Resig

Lists It Appears On:

• Freelancing Gig
• Geeks Read
• Goodreads
• Medium
• What Pixel

Secrets of the JavaScript Ninja uses practical examples to clearly illustrate each core concept and technique. This completely revised edition shows you how to master key JavaScript concepts such as functions, closures, objects, prototypes, and promises. It covers APIs such as the DOM, events, and timers. You’ll discover best practice techniques such as testing, and cross-browser development, all taught from the perspective of skilled JavaScript practitioners.

9 .) JavaScript and jQuery: Interactive Front-End Web Development written by Jon Duckett

Lists It Appears On:

• Digital Crafts
• Echo UA
• Goodreads
• Jennifer Bland
• Online Books Review
• What Pixel

Learn JavaScript and jQuery a nicer way This full-color book adopts a visual approach to teaching JavaScript & jQuery, showing you how to make web pages more interactive and interfaces more intuitive through the use of inspiring code examples, infographics, and photography. The content assumes no previous programming experience, other than knowing how to create a basic web page in HTML & CSS. You’ll learn how to achieve techniques seen on many popular websites (such as adding animation, tabbed panels, content sliders, form validation, interactive galleries, and sorting data)..Introduces core programming concepts in JavaScript and jQueryUses clear descriptions, inspiring examples, and easy-to-follow diagramsTeaches you how to create scripts from scratch, and understand the thousands of JavaScripts, JavaScript APIs, and jQuery plugins that are available on the webDemonstrates the latest practices in progressive enhancement, cross-browser compatibility, and when you may be better off using CSS3 If you’re looking to create more enriching web experiences and express your creativity through code, then this is the book for you.

8 .) The Principles of Object-Oriented JavaScript written by

Lists It Appears On:

• Echo UA
• Freelancing Gig
• Geeks Read
• Medium
• Railsware
• What Pixel

If you’ve used a more traditional object-oriented language, such as C++ or Java, JavaScript probably doesn’t seem object-oriented at all. It has no concept of classes, and you don’t even need to define any objects in order to write code. But don’t be fooled—JavaScript is an incredibly powerful and expressive object-oriented language that puts many design decisions right into your hands. In The Principles of Object-Oriented JavaScript, Nicholas C. Zakas thoroughly explores JavaScript’s object-oriented nature, revealing the language’s unique implementation of inheritance and other key characteristics. You’ll learn: The difference between primitive and reference values What makes JavaScript functions so unique The various ways to create objects How to define your own constructors How to work with and understand prototypes Inheritance patterns for types and objects The Principles of Object-Oriented JavaScript will leave even experienced developers with a deeper understanding of JavaScript. Unlock the secrets behind how objects work in JavaScript so you can write clearer, more flexible, and more efficient code.

7 .) A Smarter Way to Learn JavaScript: The new approach that uses technology to cut your effort in half written by Mark Myers

Lists It Appears On:

• Digital Crafts
• Echo UA
• Goodreads
• Jennifer Bland
• Online Books Review
• Railsware
• Wiki.ezvid

Learn JavaScript with half the effort, aided by technology. Master each chapter with free interactive exercises online. Live simulation lets you see your practice code run in your browser. 2,000 lines of color-keyed sample code break it all down into easy-to-learn chunks. Extra help through the rough spots so you’re less likely to get stuck. Tested on non-coders—including the author’s technophobe wife. Become fluent in all the JavaScript fundamentals, in half the time. Display alert messages to the user Gather information through prompts Manipulate variables Build statements Do math Use operators Concatenate text Run routines based on conditions Compare values Work with arrays Run automated routines Display custom elements on the webpage Generate random numbers Manipulate decimals Round numbers Create loops Use functions Find the current date and time Measure time intervals Create a timer Respond to the user’s actions Swap images Control colors on the webpage Change any element on the webpage Improvise new HTML markup on the fly Use the webpage DOM structure Insert comments Situate scripts effectively Create and change objects Automate object creation Control the browser’s actions Fill the browser window with custom content Check forms for invalid entries Deal with errors Make a more compelling website Increase user-friendliness Keep your user engaged

6 .) Effective JavaScript: 68 Specific Ways to Harness the Power of JavaScript written by David Herman

Lists It Appears On:

• Binariks
• Geeks Read
• Goodreads
• Medium
• Medium
• Railsware
• What Pixel

Effective JavaScript is organized around 68 proven approaches for writing better JavaScript, backed by concrete examples. You’ll learn how to choose the right programming style for each project, manage unanticipated problems, and work more successfully with every facet of JavaScript programming from data structures to concurrency.

5 .) JavaScript Patterns: Build Better Applications with Coding and Design Patterns written by Stoyan Stefanov

Lists It Appears On:

• Binariks
• Freelancing Gig
• Geeks Read
• Goodreads
• i-Programmer
• Medium
• Trip Wire Magazine

What’s the best approach for developing an application with JavaScript? This book helps you answer that question with numerous JavaScript coding patterns and best practices. If you’re an experienced developer looking to solve problems related to objects, functions, inheritance, and other language-specific categories, the abstractions and code templates in this guide are ideal — whether you’re writing a client-side, server-side, or desktop application with JavaScript. Written by JavaScript expert Stoyan Stefanov — Senior Yahoo! Technical and architect of YSlow 2.0, the web page performance optimization tool — JavaScript Patterns includes practical advice for implementing each pattern discussed, along with several hands-on examples. You’ll also learn about anti-patterns: common programming approaches that cause more problems than they solve. Explore useful habits for writing high-quality JavaScript code, such as avoiding globals, using single var declarations, and more Learn why literal notation patterns are simpler alternatives to constructor functions Discover different ways to define a function in JavaScript Create objects that go beyond the basic patterns of using object literals and constructor functions Learn the options available for code reuse and inheritance in JavaScript Study sample JavaScript approaches to common design patterns such as Singleton, Factory, Decorator, and more Examine patterns that apply specifically to the client-side browser environment

4 .) You Don’t Know JS: Up & Going written by Kyle Simpson

Lists It Appears On:

• Course Report
• Echo UA
• Geeks Read
• Goodreads
• Medium
• Medium
• Online Books Review
• Top Talked Books
• What Pixel

The series’ first book, Up & Going, provides the necessary background for those of you with limited programming experience. By learning the basic building blocks of programming, as well as JavaScript’s core mechanisms, you’ll be prepared to dive into the other, more in-depth books in the series—and be well on your way toward true JavaScript.

3 .) Eloquent JavaScript: A Modern Introduction to Programming written by Marijn Haverbeke

Lists It Appears On:

• Alolo
• Binariks
• Color Lib
• Course Report
• Digital Crafts
• Echo UA
• Geeks Read
• Goodreads
• Medium
• Medium
• Railsware

JavaScript is the language of the Web, and it’s at the heart of every modern website from the lowliest personal blog to the mighty Google Apps. Though it’s simple for beginners to pick up and play with, JavaScript is not a toy—it’s a flexible and complex language, capable of much more than the showy tricks most programmers use it for. Eloquent JavaScript goes beyond the cut-and-paste scripts of the recipe books and teaches you to write code that’s elegant and effective. You’ll start with the basics of programming, and learn to use variables, control structures, functions, and data structures. Then you’ll dive into the real JavaScript artistry: higher-order functions, closures, and object-oriented programming. Along the way you’ll learn to: Master basic programming techniques and best practices Harness the power of functional and object-oriented programming Use regular expressions to quickly parse and manipulate strings Gracefully deal with errors and browser incompatibilities Handle browser events and alter the DOM structure Most importantly, Eloquent JavaScript will teach you to express yourself in code with precision and beauty. After all, great programming is an art, not a science—so why settle for a killer app when you can create a masterpiece?

2 .) Javascript: The Good Parts written by Douglas Crockford

Lists It Appears On:

• Alolo
• Binariks
• Course Report
• Echo UA
• Geeks Read
• Goodreads
• Medium
• Medium
• Online Books Review
• Trip Wire Magazine
• What Pixel

Most programming languages contain good and bad parts, but JavaScript has more than its share of the bad, having been developed and released in a hurry before it could be refined. This authoritative book scrapes away these bad features to reveal a subset of JavaScript that’s more reliable, readable, and maintainable than the language as a whole–a subset you can use to create truly extensible and efficient code. Considered the JavaScript expert by many people in the development community, author Douglas Crockford identifies the abundance of good ideas that make JavaScript an outstanding object-oriented programming language-ideas such as functions, loose typing, dynamic objects, and an expressive object literal notation. Unfortunately, these good ideas are mixed in with bad and downright awful ideas, like a programming model based on global variables. When Java applets failed, JavaScript became the language of the Web by default, making its popularity almost completely independent of its qualities as a programming language. In JavaScript: The Good Parts, Crockford finally digs through the steaming pile of good intentions and blunders to give you a detailed look at all the genuinely elegant parts of JavaScript, including: Syntax Objects Functions Inheritance Arrays Regular expressions Methods Style Beautiful features The real beauty? As you move ahead with the subset of JavaScript that this book presents, you’ll also sidestep the need to unlearn all the bad parts. Of course, if you want to find out more about the bad parts and how to use them badly, simply consult any other JavaScript book. With JavaScript: The Good Parts, you’ll discover a beautiful, elegant, lightweight and highly expressive language that lets you create effective code, whether you’re managing object libraries or just trying to get Ajax to run fast. If you develop sites or applications for the Web, this book is an absolute must.

1 .) Javascript: The Definitive Guide written by David Flanagan

Lists It Appears On:

• Alolo
• Binariks
• Digital Crafts
• Echo UA
• Geeks Read
• Goodreads
• i-Programmer
• Jennifer Bland
• Medium
• Medium
• Online Books Review
• Railsware
• Trip Wire Magazine
• What Pixel

This book is both an example-driven programmer’s guide and a keep-on-your-desk reference, with new chapters that explain everything you need to know to get the most out of JavaScript, including: Scripted HTTP and Ajax XML processing Client-side graphics using the canvas tag Namespaces in JavaScript–essential when writing complex programs Classes, closures, persistence, Flash, and JavaScript embedded in Java applications Part I explains the core JavaScript language in detail. If you are new to JavaScript, it will teach you the language. If you are already a JavaScript programmer, Part I will sharpen your skills and deepen your understanding of the language. Part II explains the scripting environment provided by web browsers, with a focus on DOM scripting with unobtrusive JavaScript. The broad and deep coverage of client-side JavaScript is illustrated with many sophisticated examples that demonstrate how to: Generate a table of contents for an HTML document Display DHTML animations Automate form validation Draw dynamic pie charts Make HTML elements draggable Define keyboard shortcuts for web applications Create Ajax-enabled tool tips Use XPath and XSLT on XML documents loaded with Ajax And much more Part III is a complete reference for core JavaScript. It documents every class, object, constructor, method, function, property, and constant defined by JavaScript 1.5 and ECMAScript Version 3. Part IV is a reference for client-side JavaScript, covering legacy web browser APIs, the standard Level 2 DOM API, and emerging standards such as the XMLHttpRequest object and the canvas tag. More than 300,000 JavaScript programmers around the world have made this their indispensable reference book for building JavaScript applications.

The 100+ Additional Best Books About Javascript

20 Best Javascript Book Sources/Lists