Edit: i made the classic mistake of judging the book before I finished it. I had given it 4 stars after reading 120 pages of it. Now that I have finished it, I realize my one criticism of using outdated syntax was misplaced.
Normand uses older syntax at the beginning of the book for a purpose. He later mentions more modern and functional array methods, but only after he explains why they exist and how to create them yourself. Having said that, I think this is one of the greatest didactic books on programming (and functional programming in particular) ever written. I'll leave my initial review untouched below:
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Eric Normand has a gift for teaching, and explaining topics in simple terms. I came to this book already having an understanding of the basic concepts of functional programming, but wanted to fill in some gaps in my understanding. This book did that for me.
The one thing that remains a mystery for me, was why a book on functional JavaScript published in 2021, written by someone with an otherwise superb understanding of JavaScript, seems to not be aware of some JavaScript syntax that at this point can't really even be called "new".
For example, when talking about the "copy-on-write" principle, and how to copy objects, Normand tells us that we should use `var object_copy = Object.assign({}, object)`. That's OK, and the old way of doing it, but for years now JavaScript has had the spread operator, which works very well with a functional style: `const objectCopy = { ...object }`.
Notice also how Normand uses the older `var` instead of a `let` or `const`. There are a handful of other examples of older syntax, and missing current (and often, preferred) syntax.
This is really a small issue, even though I spent a lot of words on it. So don't let this deter you from the book. It's just that I love this book so much, that it pains me to see the lack of current syntax in places. Other than that, it will go down as one of my favorite programming books I've ever read, and it taught me a lot.
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Customers find the book explains concepts succinctly and is great for those just starting their programming journey. They appreciate its clarity, with one customer noting that most of the content is understandable.
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8 customers mention knowledge level, 8 positive, 0 negative
...There's some eye opening stuff in here about side-effects, mutability, deep vs. shallow copies, and asynchronous behavior....Read more
I'm a beginner and this book is really good at breaking things down, with helpful examples and illustrations. I like it a lot.Read more
...He has done amazing work teaching and evangelizing functional programming, particularly with the Clojure ecosystem. But I feel let down by this work....Read more
Clear, systematic and delivery of principles and approach. Eric has added much needed clarity to expounding the differences between simple and easy!...Read more
3 customers mention clarity, 3 positive, 0 negative
Clear, systematic and delivery of principles and approach. Eric has added much needed clarity to expounding the differences between simple and easy!...Read more
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- AntonyReviewed in Germany on February 7, 2025
Excellent book on functional thinking, principles, patterns, and practices
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Produto Excelente! Envio descuidado.
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase - Jamie VasalesReviewed in Australia on March 25, 2022
Well written high quality book!
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase - FatmonkyReviewed in Singapore on August 28, 2021
A really clear primer to functional programming
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