Comments about oreilly Simply JavaScript:

Advertised as 'perfect for first-time JavaScript coders', this book is just that - an ideal starting point for those new to the language.

It's packed with examples, and written in a great, friendly style, taking you from the initial concepts, best style for coding, moving onto event handlers, document access and then covering topics such as animation and form handling, finishing off with a section on Ajax, and the future of JavaScript.

I've read a selection of other books on other programming languages, but found the style of this one to be the best I've come across. The examples are clear, and well explained, and the authors seem to really enjoy their topic.