4 ES8 Books That Will Sharpen Your JavaScript Mastery

Explore ES8 Books written by Venkat Subramaniam, Federico Kereki, Anto Aravinth, and Chong Lip Phang — authoritative authors guiding your JavaScript journey.

Updated on June 28, 2025
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What if you could unlock the full potential of modern JavaScript with just a handful of carefully chosen books? ES8, or ECMAScript 2017, introduced key features like async functions, promises, and object rest/spread properties that have reshaped how developers write cleaner, more efficient code. Understanding these features is no longer optional but essential for anyone serious about JavaScript today.

The four books featured here are authored by seasoned professionals deeply embedded in the JavaScript community. Venkat Subramaniam, known for his engaging teaching style, walks you through ES6 to ES8 with practical examples, while Federico Kereki’s focus on functional programming offers a fresh perspective on writing robust, maintainable code. Anto Aravinth demystifies functional concepts with approachable explanations, and Chong Lip Phang delivers a structured guide emphasizing practical applications of ES8 features.

While these expert-curated selections provide proven frameworks and insights, your specific background and goals might call for tailored guidance. You might consider creating a personalized ES8 book that aligns directly with your current skill level, desired topics, and learning objectives, building on the foundations these books establish.

Best for mastering modern ES8 features
Dr. Venkat Subramaniam is an award-winning author, founder of Agile Developer, Inc., and an instructional professor at the University of Houston. He has trained thousands of developers across continents and is a frequent speaker at international conferences. Drawing on his extensive experience, he crafted this book to guide you through ES6, ES7, and ES8, emphasizing practical use and powerful language features to elevate your JavaScript skills.
2018·288 pages·JavaScript, ECMAScript, ES6, ES8, Async Programming

What if everything you knew about modern JavaScript was wrong? Venkat Subramaniam, an award-winning author and professor, challenges prevailing views by focusing on how ES6, ES7, and ES8 have transformed the language into a tool for expressive and reliable coding. You’ll explore features like rest and spread operators, destructuring, generators, promises, async functions, and metaprogramming through hundreds of practical examples and exercises. This book suits developers eager to deepen their understanding beyond syntax, whether working on front-end or server-side projects, by teaching you to write concise and powerful JavaScript without getting lost in arcane details.

Award-Winning Author
Published by Pragmatic Bookshelf
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Best for applying functional ES8 techniques
Federico Kereki is a seasoned author and expert in JavaScript programming, known for his contributions to functional programming. With extensive software development experience, he has focused on improving coding practices and software performance. This book reflects his commitment to helping developers write cleaner, more efficient JavaScript by applying functional programming techniques specifically relevant to ES8 and later versions, making it a valuable resource for those seeking to elevate their coding skills.
2017·386 pages·Functional Programming, JavaScript, ES8, Code Modularity, Immutability

Federico Kereki leverages his deep expertise in JavaScript to explore how functional programming can transform your code into something more reliable and maintainable. This book walks you through key techniques like writing pure functions, embracing immutability, and applying recursion to replace loops, all tailored for ES8 and beyond. You'll also discover how to structure modular code with currying and function composition to boost performance and testability. If you’re a developer aiming to move beyond basic JavaScript and want practical methods to write cleaner, safer apps, this book offers a focused path without unnecessary complexity.

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Best for personal learning paths
This AI-created book on ES8 mastery is tailored to your specific JavaScript experience and goals. By sharing your current skill level and the ES8 features you want to focus on, you receive a personalized guide that goes beyond generic tutorials. This approach helps you concentrate on what matters most to your coding journey, ensuring efficient learning and practical application of ES8's modern capabilities.
2025·50-300 pages·ES8, JavaScript, ECMAScript, Async Functions, Promises

This personalized book explores the extensive features of ECMAScript 2017 (ES8), tailored to match your specific background and learning goals. It reveals the nuances of async functions, promises, object rest/spread properties, and more, offering a focused journey through modern JavaScript enhancements. By concentrating on your interests and prior knowledge, the book guides you through complex concepts with clarity, making challenging ES8 features accessible and applicable. This tailored approach ensures you gain deep understanding efficiently, bridging expert content with your unique learning needs. Whether refining your asynchronous programming or mastering new syntax, the book supports steady skill advancement aligned with your ambitions.

Tailored Guide
Advanced ES8 Insights
1,000+ Happy Readers
Best for learning functional programming basics
Anto Aravinth brings over four years of software development experience and open-source contributions to this exploration of functional programming with ES8. His background with JavaScript fundamentals and involvement in projects like React version 15 shapes a book that demystifies functional concepts for developers new to this paradigm. This text reveals how functional programming integrates with modern JavaScript features, offering you a pathway to building cleaner, more modular code.
2018·324 pages·Functional Programming, ES8, Programming, JavaScript, ES8 Features

Drawing from his extensive experience developing JavaScript systems and contributing to major open-source projects like React, Anto Aravinth co-authors this book to clarify functional programming within ES8. You’ll explore the shift from imperative to functional styles, learning to write higher-order functions, closures, currying, and building your own functional libraries. The book delves into ES8 features like async functions and spread operators with practical examples, including creating libraries inspired by react-redux patterns. This work suits novice JavaScript developers eager to grasp functional concepts deeply embedded in modern JavaScript, though seasoned coders might find some foundational chapters less challenging.

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Best for practical ES8 programming skills
Chong Lip Phang is a seasoned web and mobile app developer from Malaysia with over a decade of experience writing computing books. His background includes creating the interactive mobile game Quiz Jungle and authoring award-winning titles like Mastering Front-End Web Development. This expertise drives the clear, organized guidance in this book, aimed at helping you navigate the complexities of modern JavaScript, especially ES8 features, with confidence and skill.
An Effective Guide to Modern JavaScript: (ECMAScript 2017 / ES8) book cover

by Mr. Chong Lip Phang··You?

2017·128 pages·ES8, ECMAScript, Programming, Software Development, JavaScript

Chong Lip Phang brings his extensive experience as a web and mobile app developer to this detailed guide on JavaScript, focusing on ES8 features finalized in 2017. You’ll explore everything from standard JavaScript APIs to complex concepts like closures, generators, and async functions, with clear explanations that make advanced topics approachable. The book’s structured approach includes an appendix that traces new features across JavaScript editions, helping you understand the evolution of the language. If you want to deepen your coding skills with practical OOP techniques and efficient use of iterators, this guide delivers precisely that without unnecessary fluff.

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Conclusion

Across these four books, a few clear themes emerge: a focus on ES8’s async and functional programming features, practical examples that illuminate complex concepts, and a commitment to helping you write cleaner, more maintainable JavaScript. If you’re transitioning from older JavaScript versions, starting with Venkat Subramaniam’s "Rediscovering JavaScript" provides a solid foundation. For those eager to embrace functional programming, Federico Kereki’s and Anto Aravinth’s books offer complementary approaches.

Developers seeking to integrate ES8 features directly into daily coding practices will find Chong Lip Phang’s guide especially useful for its clear, pragmatic style. Combining these readings can accelerate your understanding and empower you to write code with confidence and clarity.

Alternatively, you can create a personalized ES8 book to bridge the gap between general principles and your specific situation. These books can help you accelerate your learning journey and master ES8’s capabilities on your terms.

Frequently Asked Questions

I'm overwhelmed by choice – which ES8 book should I start with?

Start with "Rediscovering JavaScript" by Venkat Subramaniam. It offers a clear path through ES6 to ES8 features, balancing practical examples with solid theory, perfect for building your foundation.

Are these books too advanced for someone new to ES8?

Not at all. "Beginning Functional JavaScript" by Anto Aravinth is designed for newcomers, explaining functional programming basics alongside ES8 concepts in an accessible way.

What's the best order to read these books?

Begin with "Rediscovering JavaScript" for core ES8 features, then explore functional programming with Kereki and Aravinth. Finish with Phang’s book to apply practical programming techniques.

Do these books assume prior ES8 experience?

They vary. Some, like Aravinth’s, welcome beginners, while others, such as Kereki’s, expect familiarity with basic JavaScript and focus on deeper functional concepts.

Which book offers the most actionable ES8 advice I can use right away?

"An Effective Guide to Modern JavaScript" by Chong Lip Phang emphasizes practical coding techniques, helping you integrate ES8 features directly into your projects.

Can I get content tailored to my specific ES8 learning goals?

Yes! These expert books provide strong foundations, but you can also create a personalized ES8 book that adapts insights to your unique experience and objectives for focused learning.

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