React.js Book - Solid understanding of a hard to learn JavaScript programming library

Note: I updated the book again on January 3rd, 2017. It is now at 102 pages, the double of the original draft. I included better explanations and edited it.

My fourth web development book is simply called React.js Book. It will walk you step by step through the process of setting up a development environment and learning Reactive programming from start to finish. React is a library unlike any other I have worked with. Unlike jQuery where you had to learn a number of methods that do very specific things, it's largely inspired by a programming methodology for creating fast web applications.

In addition you will be expected to know or at least be briefly familiar with prerequisite knowledge of other web development tools such as Node.js, NPM, Babel, JSX and Webpack. These are not required elements of programming with React, but without them things would be tough.

As of 2017, Reactive programming is an alternative way of thinking about web applications. It provides software patterns that make your web app extremely responsive to user input and generally feel faster to the end-user (people who are using your application.) The Virtual DOM alone is enough of a reason to switch to React.

Programming with React library, is a lot more than just learning about and using React objects, components, states, props and methods. It requires previous experience with JavaScript and at times assumes knowledge of software principles not inherent to React library itself.

This book is not a list of object names, methods and functions with side explanations of what they do. Rather, it deals with the said principles involved in React programming thought up by the creators of React library. Principles that are usually understood by professional web developers and software engineers.

For all these reasons stated above, this book will gradually walk you through the process of becoming familiar with React library, starting from basic concepts. Gradually, we will move toward more advanced subjects. So, prepare to be educated!