Books

Though the authors would naturally like to think that the book you've got in your hands is all you'll ever need to become a JavaScript expert, they recognize that you might just want a bit more information after you've eagerly devoured this book. There are approximately a zillion JavaScript books on the market; here (in no particular order) are some of the books that we think are the best.

JavaScript, The Definitive Guide

Written by David Flanagan and published by O'Reilly Media, this is an exhaustive reference to the JavaScript language. Not for the faint of heart, this is where the experts turn to look up those weird operators and nail down that odd syntax. The 5th Edition of this book, the latest available as we write, covers JavaScript 1.5. We don't know why there is a Javan rhinoceros on the cover of this book; shouldn't that be on the Java book?

JavaScript & DHTML Cookbook

This O'Reilly book by Danny Goodman is an excellent compendium of real-world problems and solutions. We know this book is worth your time because Dori was one of the book's technical reviewers.

The JavaScript Anthology: 101 Essential Tips, Tricks & Hacks

Once you're past the basics of JavaScript and Ajax, you'll be ready for this book, written by Cameron Adams and James Edwards and published by SitePoint. You'll find many well-written examples and bits of code you can use in your own sites.

Ajax in Action

This Manning Publications book by Dave Crane, Eric Pascarello, and Darren James is a deep exploration of Ajax for experienced JavaScript developers who are getting into Ajax. This book helps take you past the cut-and-paste scripting stage to creating your own Ajax applications.

ppk on JavaScript

Peter-Paul Koch is one of the acknowledged masters of JavaScript. In this book from New Riders, he uses real-world script examples he created for paying clients to take you through a journey that is both theoretical and practical. Recommended.

Head Rush Ajax

This is a very readable and even fun introduction to Ajax by Brett McLaughlin. The Head First and Head Rush series style is to use lots of visuals, repetition, and humor to get past their possibly dry subjects, and applying this to Ajax works well. It's another O'Reilly Media book.