Best JavaScript Books of 2021

JS is still one of the most popular programming languages, if not the most popular. At least in the field of web development, you can't do without it. Not surprisingly, new books on JavaScript are constantly being published, as well as old ones being re-published.

In this article, we have collected several such books that will be published in 2021. Our selection includes books both for beginners and experienced programmers.

Modern JavaScript for the impatient

Author: Kay S. Horstman. Year of publication: 2021.

This book is not for beginners in programming, there is no explanation of the basic things. If you need the basics, then there are plenty of such JavaScript books on the market, just find the right one. It is also not intended for JS programmers who want to learn new, modern standards (there are also enough such books).

Kay S. Horstman is a Java advocate and Distinguished Professor of Computer Science at the university. He set himself the goal of writing a book on JavaScript for those who are generally developing in another language (for example, Java, C, C#, or C++), but would like to quickly master JS in its modern form, without historical excursions.

What might this be necessary for?

The fact is that user interfaces of programs are often hosted on the web, and JS is supported by all browsers. Therefore, even programmers who work in other languages, in principle, periodically need to write something in JavaScript.

It's also worth noting that the book is specifically about the JavaScript language, so you won't find information about specific tools and frameworks in it. But it has a separate chapter dedicated to TypeScript.

JavaScript: The Definitive Guide

By David Flanagan. Year of publication: 2021.

David Flanagan is a well-known author of books on JavaScript, and also a programmer at Vmware.

This book is a thick and detailed reference guide. The author examines the JavaScript language itself, as well as the JS APIs implemented in browsers and Node.

The Book with a Rhinoceros is intended for readers who have experience in programming and want to learn JavaScript as well. It will also be of interest to JS developers who want to dive deeper into this language.

In 2021, the 7th edition of Flanagan's work was published.

JavaScript Everywhere

Authors: Adam D. Scott. Year of publication: 2021. Language: Russian.

Adam D. Scott is a leading web developer at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in the United States, creating open web applications. In addition, for many years he was engaged in training and drawing up curricula in technical disciplines. In general, we can say that this is an ideal specialist in teaching web development.

While teaching, Scott noticed that many people learn better when they create something. That's why his book "JavaScript Development" is a practical guide. It is intended for people who are familiar with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, but are not yet able to use this knowledge to create real applications.

As you read this book, you will understand the compatibility principles of different parts of the program, so you can build great applications.

You will learn how to create APIs using Node, Express, MongoDB, and Apollo Server, and get acquainted with React. Then you'll start creating a web application using React, Apollo Client, and CSS-in-JS, as well as Electron-based applications. Mobile development is also in the plan: You'll learn how to use React Native and Expo to develop apps for iOS and Android.

Deep Learning with JavaScript

Authors: Francois Chollet, Eric Nielson, Stan Bayleschi, Shengquing Tsei. Year of publication: 2021.

TensorFlow.js the first full-featured library for creating neural networks in JavaScript. It provides many opportunities in the field of machine learning, and Scholle's book can serve as a guide to these opportunities.

As you read this book, you will learn more about the TensorFlow API.Learn how to use js to enter, process, and format data, create and load models, and perform inference, evaluation, and training.

The book covers the basic concepts of machine learning in detail. Everything is explained using examples of JS code, using pseudocode and schemas. All the examples are open source, so you can experiment with them.

But Scholle doesn't stop at just the basics of ML. The book also includes information on newer topics: text translation, generative models, and reinforcement learning.

This book is intended for experienced JavaScript programmers who would like to try their hand at machine learning.

The Joy of JavaScript

Author: Luis Atencio. Year of publication: 2021.

This book is intended for intermediate and advanced programmers, i.e. for those who have already mastered the basics of the language, but want to raise their understanding of its features to a new level. In theory, this should allow them to start getting real pleasure from programming in JavaScript.

As you read this book, you will learn what JS can offer a developer on its own, without third-party libraries or frameworks.

The author covers the basics of JavaScript only in passing, devoting more time to advanced topics, so this book is not suitable for beginners.

JavaScript Cookbook

Authors: Adam D. Scott, Matthew MacDonald, Shelley Powers. Year of publication: 2021.

The Recipe Book offers ready-made solutions for common programming tasks. It also explains how to create applications that work in any browser.

This book is intended for practicing developers who are looking for solutions to specific problems related to JavaScript. It can be read from cover to cover, absorbing knowledge and getting acquainted with tips on a variety of topics. However, since the problems discussed are divided into categories, the book can also be used as a reference book.

In the first part of the book, the authors give recipes for using the JavaScript language itself. The second part is devoted to JS in its natural habitat: in the browser. The third part deals with issues related to Node.js.

Conclusion

JavaScript books are a great investment for a web developer. In this article, we have shared with you reviews of some of the newest books. We hope that they will help you find your way around and purchase the most suitable book for you.