As JavaScript usage has skyrocketed over the last few years, so has the sheer number of scripts that are being loaded in an average web page. With these script tags comes a lot of baggage, such as blocking and lack of dependency management.
The aim of this document is to get you started with developing applications for Node.js, teaching you everything you need to know about "advanced" JavaScript along the way. It goes way beyond your typical "Hello World" tutorial. You are reading the final version of this book, i.e., updates are only done to correct errors or to reflect changes in new versions of Node.js.
We should get this out into the open. There seems to be a commonly held belief that jQuery users are ignorant, and, more often than not, designers. Where did this come from, and is it true? The JavaScript community wasn't nearly as vibrant and passionate as it is today.