dannyhasablog

Here are four books that I've been reading recently. If you're looking to really step up your front-end development and programming skills I highly recommend them.

I've removed the referral from these Amazon links for your benefit.

1. Effective JavaScript by David Herman

This book is essential for those who already know a bit of JavaScript and would like to learn some of the deeper nuances of the language. A better title for this book would've been JavaScript Pitfalls. It's a great book to prepare for the JavaScript portion of a front-end interview. It's also a good companion to Crockford's JavaScript: The Good Parts.

2. Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-oriented Software 

This one has nothing to do with JavaScript and everything to do with designing modular Object-Oriented applications. It's a bit of a heavy read so if you're looking for something closer to home check out Learning JavaScript Design Patterns and Patterns For Large-Scale JavaScript Application Architecture, both free online books. Regardless, this book covers many of the fundamentals related to writing well thought-out software.

3. Algorithms (4th Edition) by Robert Sedgewick & Kevin Wayne

An very thorough overview of algorithms and data structures. This is another non-JavaScript book but it's well worth it. I recommend reading through a chapter before writing any code since it can be daunting because the examples are written in Java.

4. Cracking the Coding Interview by Gayle Laakmann McDowell

Doesn't matter if you're the interviewer or the interviewee – this book will help set the right expectations and challenge your skills.

Bonus: Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software 

I had to buy a used paperback version of this book because it's a bit expensive but I've never had more fun reading a computer book. If you're the least bit interested in how computers work and their impact on our lives then you absolutely must pick this one up.