Author: Lenny Burdette
Publisher: Peachpit Press, 2010
Pages: 312
ISBN: 978-0321700957
Aimed at: Intermediate level
Rating: 4.5
Pros: Well written introduction to Javascript
Cons:Leaves you wanting more
Reviewed by: Ian Elliot

Why does anyone want a pocket guide to Javascript? Do you keep it on you, in a pocket, so that if some Javascript crisis occurs you can look something up?

Well if this is the case this particular pocket guide isn't going to do the job because it's not a reference book. It's a very good account of Javascript and some ancillary technologies. If it was printed in a larger format it could compete with similar introductory guides to the language on an equal footing - but of course it wouldn't have very many pages. 

This pocket guide has about 270 useful pages so this would be equivalent to about 150 pages in a full size book and presumably this would be thought too slight to be a book at all. Why, I'm not sure. I'd prefer short and pithy coverage at a reasonable price than a "nutshell" book that is so big I can't hold it for long.

To return to the book's contents, up to about Chapter 7 we have a course in basic Javascript. Topics covered include strings, arrays, functions, objects and using the global object. From about Chapter 8 the emphasis shifts to applied Javascript. Chapter 8 deals with getting Javascript into web pages. Chapter 9 is all about the browser and things like the history object, cookies and so on. Chapter 10 looks at using the DOM. Chapter 11 is on events and how to work with them. Chapter 12 is an overview of working with libraries - jQuery, YUI 3 and MooTools - in not really enough detail. Then we have a slideshow application as a demo of how everything fits together. Then drop down menus, Ajax and animation finish the book off on a practical note.

This is a well written and easy to read introduction to Javascript and its associated technologies. It's well worth having a copy and not just in your pocket. If you want a short introduction to all things Javascript then this is a great place to start.