Rating: 
Summary: The best JavaScript reference for intermediate programmers
Review: As the title of this book indicates, "Pure Javascript" covers everything about JavaScript in depth even better, from my point of view, than O'Reillys JavaScript: The Definite Guide.I like the book also because its index indicates all the JavaScript syntaxis. Hence, when someone is programming and forgets the exact word, it is easy to look for it quickly, instead of wasting time browsing through all the book. Another positive aspect, is that the introduction of the book is pretty well organized (Shows you when to use JavaScript, its origin, operators, variables, fuctions, server-side JavaScrit, etc.) and gives you a concise idea of JavaScrpt capabilites. However, the downside is that the book is not for amateur programmers since some terms are not explained in detail (the book states that it expects people who has experience with C, C++, Java or Pascal) Overall: It is a MUST HAVE book for a serious JavaScript programmer, it is worth every penny you invest on it. But I'd recommend easier books first if you are a firt time programmer.
Rating:
Summary: The best JavaScript reference for intermediate programmers
Review: As the title of this book indicates, "Pure Javascript" covers everything about JavaScript in depth even better, from my point of view, than O'Reillys JavaScript: The Definite Guide. I like the book also because its index indicates all the JavaScript syntaxis. Hence, when someone is programming and forgets the exact word, it is easy to look for it quickly, instead of wasting time browsing through all the book. Another positive aspect, is that the introduction of the book is pretty well organized (Shows you when to use JavaScript, its origin, operators, variables, fuctions, server-side JavaScrit, etc.) and gives you a concise idea of JavaScrpt capabilites. However, the downside is that the book is not for amateur programmers since some terms are not explained in detail (the book states that it expects people who has experience with C, C++, Java or Pascal) Overall: It is a MUST HAVE book for a serious JavaScript programmer, it is worth every penny you invest on it. But I'd recommend easier books first if you are a firt time programmer.
Rating:
Summary: Written documentation on anything and everything javascript
Review: Everything javascript related was covered in great detail. many hundreds of different parts of the language were presented in simple little examples with a nice descritions and histories. The index was well organized so that a person in need of quick information could find what they needed to in a short amount of time. Very few such references of pure, good information exist. Many other books teach, yet fill a lot of pages with filler that may not be useful to all peole. This book definately mandates a good bit of previous programming knowledge, but may help a prior programmer to get going quickly in javascript
Rating:
Summary: Written documentation on anything and everything javascript
Review: Everything javascript related was covered in great detail. many hundreds of different parts of the language were presented in simple little examples with a nice descritions and histories. The index was well organized so that a person in need of quick information could find what they needed to in a short amount of time. Very few such references of pure, good information exist. Many other books teach, yet fill a lot of pages with filler that may not be useful to all peole. This book definately mandates a good bit of previous programming knowledge, but may help a prior programmer to get going quickly in javascript
Rating:
Summary: The only book you need for JavaScript programming
Review: For both experienced and unexperienced users, this book will provide a great deal of help. It has it all. Examples, definitions, and lots and lots of code samples. Looking for a specific object, its properties, methods, and events, just look it up, and you will be presented with a great deal of information. As a professional Web developer, I can't imagine working without this book by my side.
Rating: 
Summary: Not too bad, if it were released in 94....but....
Review: Hi there, I had a lot of hardcore JS todo, that broke browsers, and hella stuff like, crossbrowser dhtml etc. and needed a quick reference. I'd say if you're a hardcore commercial js/dhtml programmer this book is not for you. as a reference if you're starting out and need a quick what does this do type of thing i'd use yeah. but as a hardcore concise reference stay well away. part of this has to do with the way it was organised, with very little cross-referencing (which when doing cross browser is very important). more-over, <div> and handlers were very poorly documented, with netscvape <div> documentation almost non-existance. let's hope the second version proves to be more of a concise reference then this is.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Resource
Review: I am an experienced Cobol programmer but new to JavaScript. This is an excellent reference for all the items and elements used in JavaScript. The examples of item/element usage are great. There is only one drawback....the reference number of some of the code listings do not match the reference number on the CD. I notified the Publisher about this and have received no response to date.
Rating:
Summary: A much needed reference
Review: I bought this book in Oct 2001 and have been using it because I needed a reference for JavaScript; by the way, this book comes a CD and you can search the CD for info if you don't like thumbing through the 1600 pages. Har, the older version died after two months of daily reference, so thus the rating for the 4 stars because I feel that that the binding for the new book should feel more robust. Hmmm... only time will tell. On the whole this is a needed reference which has some more info on server side scripting. It covers JavaScript 1.6, but if I'm not wrong the most people who are not into IT or web programming use Netscape 4.7 or IE 4.01 still. JS(1.2 or 1.3). Rest assured, it is a concise reference, if you need one.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretentious, sloppy, and agressively dumb
Review: I have been writing, editing, and using definitive language reference manuals for 30 years. This fifty-dollar book is one of the worst I've ever bought, and I'm sorry that I did. Following a 189-page tutorial, about which I will not comment here, the final 1300 pages were obviously generated from a database of text-segment records, one for each element of the JavaScript language. In theory, that method provides consistency and accuracy for sections headed Syntax, Description, and Example. The problem is that in practice, each record is still a copy-and-paste job, and all too many pages read as if they were written by a diligent clerk who has never learned what a programming language -- or a reference manual -- is for. First, someone defined a policy that every example would start and end with six lines which are pointless in this context: "script" and "end script" tags, plus "hide from old browser" comments and some blank lines. Considering that the real contents of many examples runs to only three or four lines, this is just silly. Second, many of the descriptions and examples are either wrong (because they're copied from other places without the needed adjustments in both code and comments), or they're useless (because they don't clarify why a feature exists, or analyze what it does in proper detail, but merely exercise it without stating, let alone explaining, what the result is), or they're dumb (because they take an entire printed page to display something as trivial as the fixed "type" property of an object, which has already been stated in the Description). Third, all this wasted space means that what should be the most up-to-date and hard-to-obtain information (on DOM, CSS, and WSH) is relegated to the CD-ROM, which raises the price and lowers the utility of an already poor book. Summary: Use Goodman's book until Flanagan's new edition comes out in (we are told) November 2001. Do not bother with this one.
Rating:
Summary: Huge, but poorly written and contains many errors
Review: I haven't read any other books on Javascript, but I hope there is some better coverage out there. I find Pure Javascript to be informative, but handicapped by poor writing, contrived examples and errors. There are technical errors in both of the first two examples of the book. Typical of the quality of a SAMS book.
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