If you are a Javascript beginner and wish to learn web programming then this book has something to offer. Javascript is a way to build dynamic web pages, it is not the only way but it is certainly very common. The text mentions briefly some of the other options but is tightly focused on JavaScript. For those interested in comparisons with other options such as ASP, VBScript, VB Web Classes, Java and so on they will need to look elsewhere.

The book is split into twenty-four one hour chapters that start out by creating a simple script and understanding the basics such as statements, variables, functions, string, arrays and events. It then moves on to explain all sorts of JavaScript web programming areas such as the Document Object Model, built-in objects (Date, Math...), windows, frames, style sheets, graphicsand animation. The pace is good with plenty of example code, some common Q&As and then a questions and answers section followed by exercises. The exercises build on and reinforce the material in the chapter.

Within the appendices are pointers to further resources, tools and a quick reference. In short, for a JavaScript beginner and a programming novice this book covers all of the important features. It covers many key subjects, including JavaScript 1.5, and provides a useful foundation for further work. For those who know programming and need a concise guide to JavaScript then this book has less to offer. It is aimed at the programming and JavaScript beginner and for that audience it is a good book to start with.