Dave Crane and Eric Pascarello with Darren James have authored Ajax in Action, published by Manning.

A statement by the publishers has this to say about the book - “With asynchronous JavaScript and XML, known as "Ajax," you can give them a better experience. Once users have experienced an Ajax interface, they hate to go back. Ajax is new way of thinking that can result in a flowing and intuitive interaction with the user. Ajax in Action helps you implement that thinking--it explains how to distribute the application between the client and the server (hint: use a "nested MVC" design) while retaining the integrity of the system. "

The book promises to help developers to learn how to ensure their app is flexible and maintainable, and how good, structured design can help avoid problems like browser incompatibilities. It also claims to help unlearn many old coding habits.

What the book covers:
• Ajax principles
• Why Ajax design patterns matter
• How to avoid Ajax pitfalls
• Examples of Ajax in action: type-ahead suggest, live searching using XSL, and many more.
• Examples using Ajax frameworks: Prototype, Scriptaculous, x and Rico
• Ajax usability, security, and performance

Dave Crane has pushed the boundaries of DHTML, and latterly Ajax, on digital TV set-top boxes, in home automation and banking and financial systems. He lives in Gloucestershire, UK. Eric Pascarello is an ASP.NET developer and a moderator of the HTML and JavaScript forum at JavaRanch. He lives in Laurel, MD. Darren James is the architect of the opensource Rico project. He lives in Sunnyvale, CA.

Other information:
680 pages; ISBN: 1932394613
$44.95 Softbound print book, $22.50 PDF ebook