Java has been the most versatile environment for web-based programs since its inception in the late ’90s. JavaScript is a very useful scripting tool that every freshman or sophomore in computer science needs to know. Several books have been written to help students and programmers learn the art of JavaScript. This book, by two authors with extensive JavaScript expertise, is one of the most recent.

The book is divided into eight chapters. The first chapter, “JavaScript Basics,” describes the fundamental concepts associated with JavaScript. This chapter also provides good examples of some basic programming methods such as type conversion and prototypical inheritance. Chapter 2, “JavaScript Nuts and Bolts,” moves the discussion to some slightly advanced topics such as loops, branching, and the document object model (DOM). Chapter 3, “The DOM,” goes into detail on DOM, providing the elements that are necessary for programmers wanting to develop effective JavaScript. The next chapter, “JavaScript in Action,” describes different platforms for writing JavaScript and provides useful information on identifying events. Chapter 5, “JavaScript Global Objects Reference,” explains how to reference global objects, and chapter 6, “JavaScript Control Statements Reference,” covers control statements such as label and switch. The next chapter is a reference on JavaScript operators as they appear in JavaScript, such as bitwise operators and string operators. Interestingly, chapter 8, “The DOM Reference,” extends the discussion on DOM that was introduced in chapter 3.

The initial chapters are fairly well written, while some of the later chapters, such as chapter 7, seem to be missing some details. Also, it is not very clear why there are two chapters on DOM. It would have been better if the whole discussion of DOM was consolidated into one chapter.

Overall, this book may be useful for beginners who want to learn some basic elements of JavaScript. However, it may not be a good choice for readers looking for in-depth information about the scripting tool.

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