Although I am fairly proficient with Javascript, I purchased this book because it used an online shopping cart as the basis of the lessons and I wanted the code to jumpstart a project. I did take the time to read the book on a coast-to-coast plane trip, so I got more out of it than just free code.
The author claims that no programming experience is needed to complete the weekend crash course. I disagree with this claim because there is much more to programming, even in a scripting language, than knowing syntax. However, anyone who has even rudimentary programming skills will be able to quickly learn basic Javascript development using this book because the course has been well thought out and leads you through practical exercises that will, indeed, give you the knowledge and skills to write Javascript in a weekend.
Key strengths of this book include:
- succinct and focused lessons that build upon one another to culminate in genuine proficiency if you follow the lessons and work the exercises.
- does not stray beyond the basics or introduce superfluous, nice-to-know material that will sidetrack you
- uses a non-trivial application as the basis of the lessons (writing an online shopping cart will exercise every major Javascript feature)
If you've never written a program you may still get through this book, but it will take diligence and personal commitment. It will also take more than a weekend in my opinion. However, if you have been exposed to programming in any language (but preferably the C programming language), you can become proficient in Javascript in a single weekend if you follow the lesson plan and work the exercises. In view of that this book is a worthwhile investment, especially if you are in a hurry or need to quickly get up to speed in Javascript.