Customer Rating: 
Summary: Best of Breed
Comment: Yes, this is the "best of breed" for JavaScript. I looked at all the others and liked this best. Several JavaScript colleagues had their own preferences, but when they saw this book, they bought it. That says a lot.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: A useless book
Comment: If you're thinking of using Javascript for webpages, this book is useless. Even as a reference it's awkwardly arranged and obtuse. The author seems to consider Javascript more intresting as a computer language than as a tool for constructing webpages, and so the book is organized around the abstract structure of Javascript rather than (for example) the structure (document object model) of webpages. Want to create your own objects with Javascript? Use it as a general language? Maybe you would like this.Do you build websites? There are a hundred books you will find more useful. (O'Reilly usually has a pretty high standard of quality, but the occassional hack job does sneak through -- especially when it's their only book on the subject).
Customer Rating:
Summary: Excellent reference, not a "how to" book
Comment: I have yet to meet an O'Reilly book I didn't like, and this is no exception. As an instructor I am always looking for good reference texts and O'Reilly publishes some of the finest computer references available on the planet. They are NOT, however, "how to" books that most beginners will find useful. Once you have grasped the basics of JavaScript and can tell the difference between a function, a method, and an event handler, THEN buy this book! Until then, stick with references from PeachPit Press, or the Dummies Guides. They will help you get started with a much lower frustration factor. O'Reilly texts assume some working knowledge of how computers work, and Javascript: The Definitive Guide will be much easier for you once you have an understanding of basic programming concepts and theory. The Third Edition of Javascript: The Definitive Guide has several improvements over the Second Edition. For example, the reference pages include the availability of each command described (i.e. is it JavaScript 1.0, 1.1, 1.2 and which version of Netscape or MSIE will it work in). That aspect alone makes it worth every penny because it will save you HOURS of time when trying to write cross-browser friendly code. Chapter 1 also contains some excellent background information about the history of JavaScript, dispels a few myths, provides an overview of client-side features and addresses security issues. (Not many texts even bother to mention that there ARE security issues when using JavaScript!) Highly, HIGHLY recommended for intermediate to advanced JavaScript developers, or anyone who is already familiar with object oriented programming and wants to add JavaScript to their tool kit. BKA
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great reference
Comment: This is a great book for those who already know what Javascript is. If you're a beginner it might take some time to go through it, but I'm sure it will be worth it
Customer Rating:
Summary: My favorite Javascript text...
Comment: This is a great read for web developers that know the basics of JavaScript and need a desk reference. I think that this is a great example of how O'Reilly has created a book series that creates a loyal group of O'Reilly readers. Hands down, the Rhino is my favorite JavaScript reference.
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