Book Reviews
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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