Book Reviews

Head First Ajax

When you read Head First Ajax, it helps if you know that the Head First series doesn't read like books from any other series. I have sort of a love-hate relationship with Head First because learning from this series is somewhat like learning from a comic book: Everything is pictures, word balloons, and arrows. If the old Batman TV series from the 1960s taught technology courses, they would look a lot like the Head First books. The book is written for the beginner who has only basic web design and development skills: HTML, CSS, and a smattering of JavaScript.

The book starts the beginner with the definition of AJAX. Keep in mind, it's a definition that is presented in a cartoon strip. Plenty of pictures and arrows to break up what would be an otherwise dry "What is AJAX?" schpeel.

As I progressed through the book and worked (or played) my way through the various exercises, word games, and other teaching "methods," I could see how these methods would work because I discovered myself falling somewhat into step with what was being presented. Better yet, I found that Riordan's content presented a number of solid designs that showed me both the right and wrong way to solve web development challenges. I say "wrong" not in that the book teaches incorrect methods; rather, it teaches the reader what to avoid as well as what to use.

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