When comparing JavaScript: The Good Parts vs JavaScript & jQuery - Jon Duckett, the Slant community recommends JavaScript: The Good Parts for most people. In the question“What are the best resources to learn JavaScript?” JavaScript: The Good Parts is ranked 6th while JavaScript & jQuery - Jon Duckett is ranked 13th. The most important reason people chose JavaScript: The Good Parts is:
JS can be a confusing language and often provides difficulty writing good code that uses objects and methods. Crockford explains why that is and how to think about the language to avoid confusion.
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Pros
Pro Explains what makes JS confusing and how to go about it
JS can be a confusing language and often provides difficulty writing good code that uses objects and methods. Crockford explains why that is and how to think about the language to avoid confusion.
Pro Good for intermediate programmers
The book requires basic understating of how programming works and even some understanding of JavaScript itself.
Pro Easy to follow with well explained concepts
This book won't confuse you with jargon - Everything is introduced with a clear explanation.
Pro Excellent examples
The examples throughout this book are well explained and easy to follow. In order to complete the examples on your own, you must have a clear understanding of the material covered in that chapter. This is a great way for you to understand what you should go back and review before moving on.
Pro Visually appealing book
The content is laid out in a visually appealing way, while utilizing plenty of images to help the reader grasp the concepts being taught.
Cons
Con Lack of consistency
Where some parts of the book cover very basic concepts, other parts expect at least an intermediate understanding on JavaScript. There is a lack of consistency, causing some confusion as to who the book is aimed at.
Con jQuery is a bit out of date as of 2018
Most of what jQuery did for the web can now be done with pure ES6.
Con Errors throughout the book
There are plenty of errors through the book including typos and errors in the code. Many of these errors are listed on their errata page.
Con Issues with binding/quality issues
Many people have noted that the physical quality of the book is quite poor, resulting in the binding falling apart.