computer with text that says you don't know javascript yet book series review

You Don’t Know JavaScript Book Review (Kyle Simpson)

2023 / By

You Don’t Know JavaScript is a 6-book series that covers one of web development’s most vexing topics.

Although JavaScript is the de facto language of the web, its ubiquitous presence doesn’t make it easier to understand.

Let’s face it. JavaScript, although everywhere, is tough.

6 books from the You Don't Know JavaScript series by Kyle Simpson

But thankfully one of its champions has done his best to explain this mysterious language.

Author Kyle Simpson rips open JavaScript to expose both complex and simple features.

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TLDR: You Don’t Know JavaScript Review

You Don’t Know JavaScript is a 6-book series that breaks down the essence of the language.

✏️ Author Kyle Simpson is a de facto JavaScript guru.

✈️ If you’re new to JavaScript, start with the intro book Up and Going (aka Get Started).

🔎 And if you finally want to understand closures, Scope and Closures is where it’s at.

What Books are Included in the You Don’t Know JavaScript Series?

The six-book series includes:

  • Up and Going
  • Scope & Closures
  • ES6 & Beyond
  • Async & Performance
  • Types & Grammar
  • this and Object Prototypes

Each book tackles a chunk of JavaScript, illustrating many of the methods behind the madness.

For example, Scope and Closures shows you…You guessed it, JavaScript scope and closures.

Further, you’ll dig into:

  • Nesting lexical scopes with functions and blocks
  • Functions remembering variables via closure
  • Modules (one of the most important code organization patterns in programming)
  • And more.

Simpson neither cuts corners nor wears kid gloves with these books. There are numerous code examples with thorough explanations.

Kyle Simpson explaining Closure: loops + block scope in Pluralsight Advanced JavaScript course
Author Kyle Simpson explaining another JavaScript mystery

Further, he emphasizes theory over implementation. This is a welcome relief to those of us who want to learn the “whys” of JavaScript in a world of “hows.”

For example, here is a page from Scope and Closures that dives into hoisting:

page from you don't know javascript scope and closures book with code snippet

CHECK OUT SCOPE & CLOSURES HERE

What Others Are Saying About You Don’t Know JavaScript

Developer reviews of this series are largely favorable. As OhhDenny Services, LLC says:

 I have been working with JavaScript for over a decade and even reading this intro it brought me to deeply think about ‘use strict’ that I had never thought about before. I credit these series to my increase of excitement in wanting to learn JavaScript at a deeper level.

Further, writing about Scope & Closures Niall claims:

This should be onboarding material for any JS developer because it is packed full of detailed, digestible content that will improve even the most senior engineer. I found myself learning how to communicate and articulate the hows of JS a lot better after reading the book.

You Don’t Know JavaScript YET: An Updated Version Featuring ES6

A few reviews mention that the original editions of You Don’t Know JavaScript are feeling a bit dusty.

best web developer books You Don't Know JS Yet: Get Started book cover with chess pieces

This is largely due to the lack of ES6. However, there are other small areas that could use updates as well.

Fortunately, Kyle Simpson is in the process of updating the entire You Don’t Know JavaScript series with some *slight* rebranding:

The revamped series is called You Don’t Know JavaScript Yet.

My Own Experience as a Web Developer with the YDKJS Series

I picked up the You Don’t Know JavaScript paperbacks a few years ago. This was when I was a code newbie and desperate for any insight into the language.

Unfortunately, most online tutorials steer far, far away from JavaScript theory. While it’s understandable, it’s also unfortunate.

Note: Get Started was formerly known as Up & Going.

cover of book You Don't Know JavaScript: Up & Going by Kyle Simpson sitting on a rock

For me personally, having more newbie-friendly materials that discussed the “innards” of JS would’ve been fantastic.

However, the Up & Going book in particular was UBER helpful. Again, in the new series it’s been rebranded Get Started.

Take heed though!

The books in the You Don’t Know JavaScript series are really short.

That said, because the information is so heavy, the brief length makes JavaScript seem manageable.

When I finished Up & Going it felt like I had just completed a mini-JavaScript course without time-consuming projects or coding exercises.

But I still learned a lot. At last, insight about JavaScript that wasn’t implementation!

That’s about as rare as the animals on the O’Reilly book covers.

You Don’t Know JavaScript: A New JS Mindset

There was one thing in particular that continues to stick out to me. It was Simpson’s philosophical musings in this introductory book.

Open book You Don't Know JS: Up & Going with hand and rock background
JavaScript at the beach

He mentioned that JavaScript gets a bad rap not because the language itself sucks, but because people don’t take the time to understand it.

Although I still don’t entirely agree with his assertion (you can’t escape the fact that JavaScript was literally developed in 10 days), I do get what he’s saying.

In fact, Simpson’s statement has been pivotal in me reflecting more on JavaScript’s…shall we say more intricate features.

JavaScript logo yellow square with black JS in bottom right corner

And honestly, his perspective has given me more patience with the language.

And that’s where this book series really delivers value for me. It’s the technical aspects combined with a new mindset when approaching JavaScript.

Do I recommend this book series as a web developer?

I recommend checking out the series if you’ve been frustrated with JavaScript.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a full-stack developer or front-end developer. Or have twenty years experience or twenty minutes.

You may just come away with a new perspective. . . While also understanding the tough stuff like closures and this.

Web developers searching for a deeper understanding of JavaScript are also reading:

  1. Is Kyle Simpson’s book series You Don’t Know JavaScript Yet worth it?

    Yes, we think You Don’t Know JavaScript Yet is worth it. It’s the updated version of Kyle Simpson’s series You Don’t Know JavaScript. The content is updated to feature ES6. Learn more about You Don’t Know JavaScript Yet in today’s post.

  2. What Books are Included in the You Don’t Know JavaScript Series?

    The six-book series You Don’t Know JavaScript includes Up & Going, Scope & Closures, ES6 & Beyond, Async & Performance, Types & Grammar, and This & Object Prototypes. Learn more about this series’ offerings in today’s article.

  3. How long are the books in the You Don’t Know JavaScript series?

    The books in the You Don’t Know JavaScript series are pretty short. That said, because the information is so heavy, the brief length makes JavaScript seem manageable. Learn more about this book series in today’s post.

  4. Is You Don’t Know JavaScript by Kyle Simpson worth it?

    Yes, we think You Don’t Know JavaScript by Kyle Simpson is worth it. It’s a is a 6-book series that covers one of web development’s most vexing topics. Author Kyle Simpson rips open JavaScript to expose both complex and simple features. Discover more about this series in today’s post.

  5. What is YDKJS?

    YDKJS is the acronym for the book series You Don’t Know JavaScript. Written by Kyle Simpson, this book series shows web developers the ins and outs of the JavaScript programming language. Learn more about You Don’t Know JavaScript in today’s article.