A Smarter Way to Learn JavaScript. The new tech-assisted approach that requires half the effort

I have previously reviewed Mark's HTML/CSS book which I had to learn in tandem while learning JavaScript in this book. I am very enthusiastic about learning coding this way, as an older person who has an in-born love for computer programming but is intimidated by the thought of having to try to remember things I've learned (not nearly as easy to do as when I was young).Since I have now gotten used to the general concepts of coding that cross platforms (I have now learned some PHP at free sites online, also with a PHP/MySQL book purchased from Amazon, and am now also working my way through Mark's Python book), I realize even more how helpful teaching like this is for either beginners or someone like me who learned some programming languages long ago but needed a reboot having forgotten much of what I'd originally learned. Mark uses the same type of starting examples across his different books, they are simple to understand and he starts out very easy, plainly laid out so that you are able to grasp the underlying mechanisms at play.One thing to note is he doesn't get into any detail about regular expressions. In the chapter that touches on it, he openly expresses that. As I'm here to learn how to fluently code with confidence, at first I was a little concerned about this, but there are places I can find online to go into further depth on this subject, which sounds a little confusing. As this book is quite long and in depth aside from that, I'm not sure how much more getting deeper into RegEx would've extended this book. So, when you consider that getting this book in Kindle, e-reader format is so very inexpensive (you just download the Amazon reader app to your computer and start working on it through there, the links at the end of the chapters will open your browser to practice what you just learned), a person can easily afford other teaching materials to go into more depth on that subject if you so desired.Having looked at some other reviews of the chapter practice sessions, I feel the need to state that I've never had an issue with any of the peculiarities of learning code this way. The author has to structure the practices with precise number of spaces in certain areas, etc., as this is an automated system, not an AI system, of checking what you entered to see if it's a workable way of completing the required task, so the rigidness of the practice is necessary. It's the short chapters and immediate, multiple question practice that is the overwhelming strength of this book. I can't really imagine a different way now that I've tried this way.Originally I had tried taking lots of notes (to help my old memory) and then doing the practice at the end of each chapter. I realized at one point about halfway through this book that I had to go through the HTML/CSS book in order to be able to work with JavaScript for webpages. Once I finished that book, I went back through the first JavaScript chapters again rapid-fire, because I'd already lost some confidence in my memory of what I'd already learned with JavaScript (kids out there, getting old sucks that way!). That way of going through the book works really well, I found (that's how I am now going through Mark's Python book). I also discovered that I did in fact retain more than I believed I did, this way of learning truly works!

I was working through another book, Head First Javascript Programming (HFJP), when a colleague clued me in to this book. I think that HFJP is a good book too but I wanted to ramp up quickly. I am an experienced C# programmer and I found myself getting bogged down in HFJP because it is a book designed for beginner programmers.A Smarter Way to Learn Javascript (SWLJ) is also covering a lot of things I already know (it also targets a lot of things I already know.) But with SWLJ I will be able to move through the topics quickly and get pretty quickly to the dynamic and quirky features of Javascript that I am trying to wrap my brain around.The technique in the book is very innovative. He takes a complex topic and divides it up into bite-sized chunks. The reading and exercises are extremely well-thought out and only requires you to know what is being covered in the current chapter and past chapters. Each chapter logically builds on previous chapters. The tecnnique is simple. Read (<10 mins), do the exercises (<25 mins), take a walk. (I think that the last step is pretty important...who knows what the brain does when we reduce our cognitive load after cognitive work....it helps us memorize better though.)Many of the 4-star reviewers mention the frustration of having the get the exercises EXACTLY right. And I DO sympathize with this complaint to some extent. Even your white space (spaces and carriage returns) have to be exactly right. BUT you get a chance to do the ones you miss again at the end.And I think you have to realize that requiring you to do the exercises using a certain style of coding is a VERY GOOD thing. Many employers REQUIRE you to code a certain way (using a style guide) and even have built in code checkers to be sure programmers are doing it a certain way. (Sound familiar...that's what Mark is doing). I am pretty sure that all of the conventions Mark asks you to use are COMMON conventions. And if you are not required to follow a style guide as a programmer you should adopt your own anyway (why not Marks?) It will make reading your code easier for other programmers.Finally I wanted to talk about cost The Kindle version of the book is <$7.00 and the exercises are free. By comparison I paid over $30.00 for HFJP. What do you have to lose really? You can get this book for the price of your next Venti Latte. Give it a try.Seth

Each chapter is small and concise, very easy to follow. The online quiz also helps greatly. Must read if you are new to JavaScript

Great book for learning JS fundamentals, explained sweetly

Das Buch ist so aufgebaut das man von Anfang an alles von Grund auf ausarbeitet, jeder kann mit diesem Buch Javascript lernen.

Every concept is clear

El libro tiene un estilo muy condensado del lenguaje, sirve muy bien para aprender y despuès poder profundizar en el tema con otros libros y o tutoriales, ya que lo basico esta bien explicado