Shop top categories that ship internationally
Buy New
EUR38.18
EUR 8.16 delivery Thursday, May 7
Ships from: Amazon
Sold by: moonaysun
EUR 38.18
No Import Charges & EUR 8.16 Shipping to Netherlands Details

Shipping & Fee Details

Price EUR 38.18
AmazonGlobal Shipping EUR 8.16
Estimated Import Charges EUR 0.00
Total EUR 46.33

EUR 8.16 delivery Thursday, May 7. Order within 8 hrs 7 mins
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
EUR EUR 38.18 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
EUR EUR 38.18
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon
Amazon
Ships from
Amazon
Returns
FREE 30-day refund/replacement
FREE 30-day refund/replacement
Quick refund
Usually issued within 24 hours. See exceptions
FREE return
At least one free return option available.
Convenient dropoff
At any of our 50,000 US locations.
See return policy
Gift options
Available at checkout
Available at checkout This item is a gift. Change
At checkout, you can add a custom message, a gift receipt for easy returns and have the item gift-wrapped
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
EUR 5.64
May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less See less
EUR 8.13 delivery May 22 - June 12. Details
In stock
EUR EUR 38.18 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
EUR EUR 38.18
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Ships from and sold by ThriftBooks-Phoenix.
Added to

Sorry, there was a problem.

There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Please try again.

Sorry, there was a problem.

List unavailable.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

  • Effective JavaScript: 68 Specific Ways to Harness the Power of JavaScript (Effective Software Development Series)

Follow the author

Get new release updates & improved recommendations
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Effective JavaScript: 68 Specific Ways to Harness the Power of JavaScript (Effective Software Development Series) 1st Edition

4.7 out of 5 stars (231)

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"EUR 38.18","priceAmount":38.18,"currencySymbol":"EUR","integerValue":"38","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"18","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":true,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"ewEQskJ6%2BluCkjdbvEI%2Bqswx6YqwNKq%2BUpTbtr65IdoDj%2FLUkPq6G1iEBszHr2hQbexaJIXoW2RGu6Fiu32PSmgA%2F2Se2193lgyquhgYC%2BcvfZ2JCyVU0gL0VUcY7AQBX%2Fc4D4HUH%2Fmjz48UIR%2B6HnND1CXsNPMO1GUszDnuIw6vQOq2gPceMkt1egMwaF%2FI","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"EUR 5.64","priceAmount":5.64,"currencySymbol":"EUR","integerValue":"5","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"64","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":true,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"ewEQskJ6%2BluCkjdbvEI%2Bqswx6YqwNKq%2B32yUDm8%2BMJzioBH34W8%2FkG0mCfKhLg%2F9TWXY4OuGRMZLfQRwuJgOJKoAhflk1N1ScLS51ijwurfQE6sYLG6fJeJivWTJRg1YmbLqQnzdevrDxTsGiUhwrhkFtJ%2FCQCeDSJ84QkXDC42jf9noo36SD%2Ba5LYSVpajI","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

“It’s uncommon to have a programming language wonk who can speak in such comfortable and friendly language as David does. His walk through the syntax and semantics of JavaScript is both charming and hugely insightful; reminders of gotchas complement realistic use cases, paced at a comfortable curve. You’ll find when you finish the book that you’ve gained a strong and comprehensive sense of mastery.”

―Paul Irish, developer advocate, Google Chrome

“This is not a book for those looking for shortcuts; rather it is hard-won experience distilled into a guided tour. It’s one of the few books on JS that I’ll recommend without hesitation.”

―Alex Russell, TC39 member, software engineer, Google

In order to truly master JavaScript, you need to learn how to work effectively with the language’s flexible, expressive features and how to avoid its pitfalls. No matter how long you’ve been writing JavaScript code, Effective JavaScript will help deepen your understanding of this powerful language, so you can build more predictable, reliable, and maintainable programs.

Author David Herman, with his years of experience on Ecma’s JavaScript standardization committee, illuminates the language’s inner workings as never before―helping you take full advantage of JavaScript’s expressiveness. Reflecting the latest versions of the JavaScript standard, the book offers well-proven techniques and best practices you’ll rely on for years to come.

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. Key features include

  • Better ways to use prototype-based object-oriented programming
  • Subtleties and solutions for working with arrays and dictionary objects
  • Precise and practical explanations of JavaScript’s functions and variable scoping semantics
  • Useful JavaScript programming patterns and idioms, such as options objects and method chaining
  • In-depth guidance on using JavaScript’s unique “run-to-completion” approach to concurrency

Customers also bought or read

Loading...

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Living up to the expectation of an Effective Software Development Series programming book, Effective JavaScript by Dave Herman is a must-read for anyone who wants to do serious JavaScript programming. The book provides detailed explanations of the inner workings of JavaScript, which helps readers take better advantage of the language.”

―Erik Arvidsson, senior software engineer

“Before reading Effective JavaScript, I thought it would be just another book on how to write better JavaScript. But this book delivers that and so much more―it gives you a deep understanding of the language. And this is crucial. Without that understanding you’ll know absolutely nothing whatever about the language itself. You’ll only know how other programmers write their code.

“Read this book if you want to become a really good JavaScript developer. I, for one, wish I had it when I first started writing JavaScript.”

―Anton Kovalyov, developer of JSHint

“If you’re looking for a book that gives you formal but highly readable insights into the JavaScript language, look no further. Intermediate JavaScript developers will find a treasure trove of knowledge inside, and even highly skilled JavaScripters are almost guaranteed to learn a thing or ten. For experienced practitioners of other languages looking to dive headfirst into JavaScript, this book is a mustread for quickly getting up to speed. No matter what your background, though, author Dave Herman does a fantastic job of exploring JavaScript―its beautiful parts, its warts, and everything in between.”

―Rebecca Murphey, senior JavaScript developer, Bocoup

“Effective JavaScript is essential reading for anyone who understands that JavaScript is no mere toy and wants to fully grasp the power it has to offer. Dave Herman brings users a deep, studied, and practical understanding of the language, guiding them through example after example to help them come to the same conclusions he has. This is not a book for those looking for shortcuts; rather, it is hard-won experience distilled into a guided tour. It’s one of the few books on JavaScript that I’ll recommend without hesitation.”

―Alex Russell, TC39 member, software engineer, Google

“Rarely does anyone have the opportunity to study alongside a master in their craft. This book is just that―the JavaScript equivalent of a time-traveling philosopher visiting fifth century BC to study with Plato.”

―Rick Waldron, JavaScript evangelist, Bocoup

About the Author

David Herman is a principal researcher at Mozilla Research. He holds a BA in computer science from Grinnell College, and an MS and PhD in computer science from Northeastern University. David serves on Ecma TC39, the committee responsible for the standardization of JavaScript.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Addison-Wesley Professional
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 26, 2012
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0321812182
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0321812186
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.9 x 0.4 x 9 inches
  • Part of series ‏ : ‎ Effective Software Development
  • Best Sellers Rank: #552,603 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars (231)

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
David Herman
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
231 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find this JavaScript book excellent for advanced developers, with clear explanations of complex topics and clever techniques. The book is pleasant to read, easy to understand, and provides plenty of example code that can be adapted for real-world use. Customers appreciate its concise format and writing style.
AI Generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

50 customers mention content, 46 positive, 4 negative
Customers find this JavaScript book excellent, particularly praising its content for experienced developers, with one customer noting how it clearly presents clever techniques and tricks.
Great book filled with lots of gotchas and things to remember (covered in under 200 pages)....Read more
...An excellent book wether you are new to Javascript or a pro.Read more
Best JavaScript book you can get - concise and a quick read, with no cruft....Read more
It's not bad, but it's not the book I thought it was....Read more
24 customers mention informative, 23 positive, 1 negative
Customers find the book informative and well-explained, particularly noting how it clarifies complex concepts and provides insight into JavaScript's gotchas.
Informative book that gets to the point quicklyRead more
...else, you're virtually guaranteed to get several, if not many, great insights that will make you that much more capable of grappling with the often...Read more
...The chapter has the best explanation and code sample about how prototypal inheritance should be done and why.Read more
...Of all the Javascript books I've read, this is by far the best. Very informative, each item is well explained with examples that are clear and...Read more
19 customers mention readability, 19 positive, 0 negative
Customers find the book easy to understand and pleasant to read, describing it as a must-read for serious developers.
...water soluble so that i could drink it .... pointed, concise and easily understood ... this is my first review ever for anything that i have bought...Read more
Very good read, you'll learn lot of different things you'll probably need to know about Javascript....Read more
...This one is definitely one of the better ones. It's a nice easy read that gave me a few new ideas (I get stuck in classical thinking a lot)....Read more
I really enjoyed reading this book. I found it very useful as someone who already knows the fundamentals of computer programming.Read more
11 customers mention code, 10 positive, 1 negative
Customers appreciate the code examples in the book, with one customer noting that the code is syntax highlighted and can be adapted for real-world use.
A very hands-on approach, that helps write better and more reliable code. I definitely recommend buying a hard-copy of this one to keep as referenceRead more
...It's a quick and easy read, all the code is syntax highlighted (IN COLOR), and for people just starting out it will open your eyes to a lot of the...Read more
...explains intricate details about JavaScript semicolon insertion, implicit coercions, and a lot of other goodness like implicit binding of &#...Read more
...and tricks, it tells you when you might use them and gives plenty of example code. This is a great resource for any JavaScript programmer.Read more
8 customers mention writing style, 8 positive, 0 negative
Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, finding it easy to read with a concise format, and one customer notes it provides guidelines for writing asynchronous functions properly.
...Overall it's very well written book and if you are eager for new knowledge, then it;s joy to read it.Read more
...The writing style is easy to read and the author does a great job of explaining things concisely....Read more
...principles of JavaScript programming in an intelligent, concise and clear manner....Read more
...It covers all most important aspects of JavaScript language in very concise form....Read more
6 customers mention concise, 6 positive, 0 negative
Customers appreciate that the book is concise.
...covers 68 principles of JavaScript programming in an intelligent, concise and clear manner....Read more
...It introduces intermediate to advanced concepts. It's a concise volume with small code examples you can easily follow....Read more
...i wish it was water soluble so that i could drink it .... pointed, concise and easily understood ... this is my first review ever for anything that...Read more
Best JavaScript book you can get - concise and a quick read, with no cruft....Read more
Soon to be a Classic, Just Like its Namesake
4 out of 5 stars
Soon to be a Classic, Just Like its Namesake
This is clearly an extraordinary book, worthy of its namesake, "Effective Java" by Joshua Bloch, which has attained the status of being "a classic", since its publication in 2001. This book, "Effective Javascript", is sure to attain the same status. It's easy to tell when a subject is being explained to you by someone who understands a subject at its core and is in touch with its essence. With so many books on Javascript (and I've read a lot of them), you come away with the impression that they were written for the sake of being able to say, "I wrote a book", not really giving you better insight into the subject matter. But, those authors apparently felt they could study up on the material and phrase things better than others. Consequently, you come out knowing pretty much what you knew going in, but with just a slightly different slant on the topics. This book, however, is a complete shift in that pattern. You'll come away possessing a greater intimacy with Javascript. Update 7/19/2015: I'm taking away one star, not because of the anything that reflects on the author, or the quality of the content presented, but because the publisher is an inattentive dullard when it comes to making sure the formatting of the Kindle edition is right. Things like (10 + 20) + 30 come out looking like (10 2+0) 3+0. See attached screenshot. It ruins an otherwise great book. My advice to David Herman is, next time you write a book, don't choose Addison-Wesley Professional because they do no honor to an otherwise excellent book.
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Although it's been around for almost 20 years, JS doesn't have a well established standard - the gap between different hosting environments and other important issues are not covered by ECMAScript specification.
    JS is a very powerful and dynamic language to begin with, which without correct guidance may lead you to
    fundamental mistakes, struggling with unanticipated, untraceable bugs and inefficient computing.

    I find this book to be the 'missing guide' on how to bridge over these gaps and level up your knowledge of JS.

    This book covers 68 principles of JavaScript programming in an intelligent, concise and clear manner.
    It focuses mainly on pitfalls and best practices to avoid them by writing better, robust code.

    68 items may sound a bit cumbersome, but the explanations are very clear and the reading direction is forward - rarely, if at all, do you need to hop back and forth between items to understand what you're currently reading.

    The items span several topics:

    * general JavaScript idioms - this is not a beginner's introduction, but more of a review over the language strengths and weaknesses

    * variable scopes - best practices regarding global objects and other scope concerns

    * functions - the identity of functions as traditional functions, methods and closures. how to use them properly in terms of context ('this' object)

    * objects/prototypes - the identity of objects as classes/interfaces - proper prototyping and inheritance

    * arrays - how to leverage standard Array API and common pitfalls

    * API design - tips on how to write a concise and unambiguous API (be it for public use or your own code base)

    * concurrency - guidelines for writing asynchronous functions properly and a brief description of Promises.
    5 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2013
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Looking for resources to help you maximize your learnings and minimize your
    time use is often fruitless. Publishing deadlines cut books short, real life
    gets in the author's way, and personal preference, well there isn't much you
    can do about that. In many ways, this book is an oddity.

    The voice is at ease, nothing is crammed down your throat and it doesn't feel
    like he was slamming caffeinated beverages just to get it done. It is refreshing
    being the recipient of an exposition that not only teaches you, but questions
    you, and sets expectations of you and what you should learn. The book is broken
    up into 68 different lessons, and it ends up being a perfect approach. It gives
    you time to pick it up when you are free and dig as deep as you want. It also
    is very humble, the sections make the point and pose the advice, and if you
    don't grok it then you had better revisit it. Again, it makes for peaceful and
    pleasant reading, without sacrificing the seriousness or even urgency of the
    valuable points contained within.

    Books like this are few and far between, at least when it comes to industrial
    concerns. This book is a gem for the JavaScript technology, because it poses
    the technology for thoughtful grownups instead of obsessing over the 24h
    tricks, recipes of the week, and "one way to do it right", it will be a timeless
    contribution that will always be valued.

    Just like the author said, it is not for new learners of the language, it is for
    experiences programmers who have gotten through the first 80% and now want to
    master the remaining 80%.

    On the Kindle it looked great, text, code, and pictures.

    In my eyes, this is the missing manual that should have gone out with
    ECMA-262. 5/5
    9 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2014
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    From the legendary Effective series, this book is lives up to it's standard. It goes deep into the language in a series of 68 topics. It's very good at breaking down and explaining topics and contains a wealth of knowledge. It actually explains intricate details about JavaScript semicolon insertion, implicit coercions, and a lot of other goodness like implicit binding of "this". A lot of subjects are already covered in other books, but this book actually explains them in more detail and why things the way they are. It's not overly complex but it is very dense with information and joy to read. This is a must read for any serious developer who wants a deeper understanding of the JavaScript language.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2014
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    This is clearly an extraordinary book, worthy of its namesake, "Effective Java" by Joshua Bloch, which has attained the status of being "a classic", since its publication in 2001. This book, "Effective Javascript", is sure to attain the same status.

    It's easy to tell when a subject is being explained to you by someone who understands a subject at its core and is in touch with its essence. With so many books on Javascript (and I've read a lot of them), you come away with the impression that they were written for the sake of being able to say, "I wrote a book", not really giving you better insight into the subject matter. But, those authors apparently felt they could study up on the material and phrase things better than others. Consequently, you come out knowing pretty much what you knew going in, but with just a slightly different slant on the topics.

    This book, however, is a complete shift in that pattern. You'll come away possessing a greater intimacy with Javascript.

    Update 7/19/2015: I'm taking away one star, not because of the anything that reflects on the author, or the quality of the content presented, but because the publisher is an inattentive dullard when it comes to making sure the formatting of the Kindle edition is right. Things like (10 + 20) + 30 come out looking like (10 2+0) 3+0. See attached screenshot. It ruins an otherwise great book. My advice to David Herman is, next time you write a book, don't choose Addison-Wesley Professional because they do no honor to an otherwise excellent book.
    Customer image
    4.0 out of 5 stars
    Soon to be a Classic, Just Like its Namesake

    Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2014
    This is clearly an extraordinary book, worthy of its namesake, "Effective Java" by Joshua Bloch, which has attained the status of being "a classic", since its publication in 2001. This book, "Effective Javascript", is sure to attain the same status.

    It's easy to tell when a subject is being explained to you by someone who understands a subject at its core and is in touch with its essence. With so many books on Javascript (and I've read a lot of them), you come away with the impression that they were written for the sake of being able to say, "I wrote a book", not really giving you better insight into the subject matter. But, those authors apparently felt they could study up on the material and phrase things better than others. Consequently, you come out knowing pretty much what you knew going in, but with just a slightly different slant on the topics.

    This book, however, is a complete shift in that pattern. You'll come away possessing a greater intimacy with Javascript.

    Update 7/19/2015: I'm taking away one star, not because of the anything that reflects on the author, or the quality of the content presented, but because the publisher is an inattentive dullard when it comes to making sure the formatting of the Kindle edition is right. Things like (10 + 20) + 30 come out looking like (10 2+0) 3+0. See attached screenshot. It ruins an otherwise great book. My advice to David Herman is, next time you write a book, don't choose Addison-Wesley Professional because they do no honor to an otherwise excellent book.
    Images in this review
    Customer image
    14 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Alex T
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great cookbook-style JavaScript reference
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 25, 2013
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Not necessarily for the JavaScript beginner, as some of the things covered in the book cover strategies for more advanced uses of the language.

    Great as a reference and as an aid to people wanting to do JavaScript seriously - prototypal inheritance, API do's and dont's, language gotchas, and more are inside.

    Worth picking up if you're on the path to properly understanding JavaScript, not just throwing a few things on a page with jQuery.
  • Fukei
    4.0 out of 5 stars Une saine lecture
    Reviewed in France on June 2, 2014
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Cet ouvrage s'adresse à un public qui connaît déjà javascript mais qui ne sait pas toujours "pourquoi là ça marche et pourquoi là ça marche pas" et qui souhaite approfondir sa connaissance du langage.

    Il lève le voile de manière très compréhensible sur les bizarreries, pardon, les particularités, de ce langage qui, quotidiennement, nous amènent à nous tirer une balle dans le pied. Les conversions implicites, les portées de variables, les méthodes fréquemment utilisées mais non-standard... ce genre de blagues. Les explications sont étayées d'exemples nombreux, d'idiomes salvateurs et elles vous permettront éventuellement de clouer le bec au grincheux qui trouve que jshint est un dictateur obscurantiste.

    Comparé à "Secrets of the javascript ninja" que j'ai feuilleté, ce livre me semble moins pointu mais plus accessible et finalement plus utile au quotidien. Il n'aborde ni jQuery, ni aucun autre framework "récent", par contre il traite d'ecmascript 5.

    La mise en page est agréable à lire, les exemples utilisent la coloration syntaxique avec les "choses à retenir" en fin de chapitre. Si je devais formuler un reproche, c'est que face à la profusion d'exemples, on se dit parfois "tl;dr, je lis juste la liste à retenir".
    Report
  • Srk
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book on javascript
    Reviewed in India on July 18, 2019
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Does not matter if you are newbie to JS or experienced programmer, this book is worth reading. It collectively has all the good parts and the pitfalls of the language. Must read for a JS programmer
  • Dietmar König
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good Value for Money
    Reviewed in Germany on February 3, 2014
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    If you have come from other programming languages to Javascript, then this book is for you. In a very concise manner, "Effective JavaScript" explains the special JavaScript paradigma, shows you how to do things "the JavaScript Way" and tells you about the pitfalls on the way.
    Although coders relatively fresh to JavaScript will gain most from the book, I would also recommend it for more seasoned developers who might still learn aspects of the language they didn't so far know, or re-learn about pitfalls once known but hence forgotten.
    All-in-all a typical book for the "Effective ..." range.
  • Igor T. Ghisi
    5.0 out of 5 stars Direto ao ponto
    Reviewed in Brazil on July 26, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    O livro aborda boas práticas de programação em JavaScript, cobrindo as nuances em relação a outras linguagens. O capítulo sobre Concurrency é obrigatório para qualquer um que queira implementar código de forma mais profissional. Também oferece uma abordagem bastante pragmática em relação a orientação a objetos, que mostra importantes particularidades nesta linguagem.