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Understanding ES6 VS Think Python

Compare Understanding ES6 VS Think Python and see what are their differences

Understanding ES6 logo Understanding ES6

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Think Python logo Think Python

Learning Resources
  • Understanding ES6 Landing page
    Landing page //
    2026-06-30
  • Think Python Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-24

Understanding ES6 features and specs

  • Free to read online
    The entire book is available to read for free on Leanpub's website, making it highly accessible to anyone who wants to learn ES6 without any financial commitment.
  • Comprehensive ES6 coverage
    The book provides thorough coverage of all major ES6 features including destructuring, promises, proxies, symbols, iterators, generators, classes, and modules, making it a solid one-stop reference for the specification.
  • Written by a respected authority
    Authored by Nicholas C. Zakas, a well-known and highly respected JavaScript developer and author of several influential JavaScript books, lending credibility and quality to the content.
  • Clear explanations with practical examples
    The book excels at breaking down complex ES6 concepts into understandable explanations accompanied by practical code examples that illustrate how and why each feature should be used.
  • Well-organized structure
    Each chapter focuses on a specific category of ES6 features, making it easy to use both as a sequential learning resource and as a reference guide to look up specific topics as needed.

Possible disadvantages of Understanding ES6

  • Dated content
    Published around 2016, the book does not cover any features introduced after ES6 (ES2015), such as async/await (ES2017), optional chaining, nullish coalescing, and other modern JavaScript additions, making it increasingly incomplete as a modern JS resource.
  • Assumes prior JavaScript knowledge
    The book is targeted at developers who already have a solid understanding of ES5 JavaScript, which means beginners to JavaScript may struggle to follow along without first learning the fundamentals elsewhere.
  • Limited real-world application examples
    While the book explains individual features well, it sometimes lacks larger, real-world project examples that show how multiple ES6 features work together in practical application development scenarios.
  • No coverage of tooling and ecosystem
    The book focuses purely on the language specification and does not discuss the tooling ecosystem around ES6, such as Babel transpilation, webpack bundling, or how to set up a modern development environment to use these features.
  • Text-heavy learning format
    As a traditional book format, it lacks interactive exercises, quizzes, or hands-on coding challenges that many modern learning platforms offer, which can make it harder for some learners to retain and apply the concepts.

Think Python features and specs

  • Accessible for Beginners
    Think Python is written in a clear and approachable style, making it suitable for beginners with no prior programming experience. The author takes care to explain concepts thoroughly, making it easy to follow.
  • Practical Examples
    The book is filled with practical examples that demonstrate how to use Python for various applications. This approach helps readers understand real-world usage of the language.
  • Free Availability
    Think Python is openly accessible in digital format for free, making it easy for anyone to read without financial barriers, supporting open education.
  • Emphasis on Problem Solving
    The book places strong emphasis on teaching readers how to think like programmers, encouraging problem-solving and logical thinking skills.

Possible disadvantages of Think Python

  • Limited Depth
    While suitable for beginners, the book doesnโ€™t delve deeply into advanced features of Python, which might leave learners needing additional resources for more complex topics.
  • Pacing
    Some readers might find the pacing of the book too slow, particularly if they have some prior programming experience, as it aims to accommodate complete beginners.
  • Lack of Exercises
    There are fewer exercises compared to some other programming books, potentially providing less practice for readers to reinforce their learning.
  • Outdated Information
    Depending on the edition, some information may be outdated due to the fast-evolving nature of programming languages. Readers may need to verify with more recent sources.

Analysis of Understanding ES6

Overall verdict

  • Understanding ES6 by Nicholas C. Zakas is a highly regarded, thorough resource that clearly explains the features introduced in ECMAScript 2015 and beyond, making it a solid choice for developers wanting to modernize their JavaScript skills.

Why this product is good

  • Written by Nicholas C. Zakas, a respected authority in the JavaScript community
  • Provides clear, in-depth explanations of ES6 features rather than shallow overviews
  • Includes practical code examples that illustrate real-world usage
  • Covers important topics like let/const, arrow functions, classes, modules, promises, and destructuring
  • Well-organized structure that builds concepts progressively
  • Available free to read online, lowering the barrier to entry

Recommended for

  • Developers with a solid grasp of ES5 who want to learn modern JavaScript
  • Intermediate programmers looking to deepen their understanding of ES6 features
  • Front-end and Node.js developers transitioning to modern syntax and patterns
  • Self-learners who prefer a structured, book-based approach
  • Teams standardizing on ES6+ who need a reliable reference

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Think Python videos

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Think Python seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 9 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Understanding ES6 mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Understanding ES6 yet. Tracking of Understanding ES6 recommendations started around Jun 2026.

Think Python mentions (9)

  • C949 help and Jay Wengrow's Guide to Data Structures
    This course actually starts with an introduction to Python. Since you don't have access yet, you can give Think Python a whirl - https://greenteapress.com/wp/think-python/ and for a more interactive experience, I really enjoyed this one - https://scrimba.com/learn/python. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Best place to learn and practice python?
    Start with Think Python or learn x in y..both are free resources and good for basic understanding and practise. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Good places to start learning python?
    This free book taught me Python many years ago https://greenteapress.com/wp/think-python/. Source: about 4 years ago
  • Which books should I read to learn computer science with python language?
    In terms of learning the basics of Python programming, you can get the first edition of Think Python in PDF form for free. Source: over 4 years ago
  • Observations and thoughts from a long time crypto nerd
    Computer Science โ€” For understanding software development. As for a programming language to learn, I recommend Python or Javascript. Try Crash Course's Computer Science videos, the free Think Python book, and/or Part 1 of The Modern JavaScript Tutorial. Source: over 4 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Understanding ES6 and Think Python, you can also consider the following products

JavaScript.com - A free resource for learning and developing in JavaScript

Google's Python Class - Assorted educational materials provided by Google.

Eloquent JavaScript - Free ebook for the JS Beginners

The New Boston video series - Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

Exploring ES6 - Upgrade to the next version of JavaScript

A Byte of Python - A Byte of Python is a Python programming tutorial and learning book that teaches you how to program with the Python programming language.