Exploring JS: JavaScript books for programmers

Dr. Axel Rauschmayer
Blogger (2ality), book author, trainer
Most of the books are free to read online! You can also buy offline versions.

Versions of JavaScript

“ES” stands for “ECMAScript” (ES6 is ECMAScript 6, etc.).

Essential JavaScript and TypeScript books

Book cover JavaScript for impatient programmers (ES1–ES2022)
  • A modern guide to the language
  • No required knowledge (apart from programming)
  • Start reading here
Book cover Deep JavaScript: Theory and techniques
  • Covers advanced JavaScript topics
  • The book to read after “JavaScript for impatient programmers”
Book cover Tackling TypeScript: Upgrading from JavaScript

If you know JavaScript:

  • Learn TypeScript.
  • Deepen your existing knowledge of TypeScript.
Book cover Shell scripting with Node.js   New

If you know JavaScript:

  • Learn how Node.js works:
    • Its foundations: its architecture, its event loop, etc.
    • Its API: How to use its global variables and modules.
  • Learn how to use and create npm packages.
  • Learn how to use and create shell scripts and package scripts (in package.json).

More JavaScript books

Book cover Exploring ES6
  • Covers what’s new in ES6 (relative to ES5)
Book cover Speaking JavaScript (ES1–ES5)
  • JavaScript for programmers
  • No required knowledge (apart from programming)

Books related to JavaScript

About the author

Dr. Axel Rauschmayer specializes in JavaScript and web development. He blogs, writes books and teaches classes.

Axel has been writing about the future of JavaScript since early 2011.

Praise for Axel’s books

Tweets about Axel’s books – Curated tweets by exploringjs