Beginning JavaScript with DOM Scripting and Ajax: From Novice to Professional by Christian Heilmann

This is the most up-to-date book on JavaScript available, covering current standards, techniques, and practices. It provides all you need to know to hit the ground running, without making you trawl through hundreds of pages of syntax. The book contains multiple chapters on Ajax and DOM Scripting, which are two of the hottest web development and design tools available today. Using a pragmatic and thorough approach, the book ensures that even the most novice JavaScript programmers will become familiar and comfortable using the tools presented.