"JavaScript: The Good Parts" by Crockford is excellent. It convinced me to minimize the use of JavaScript and thereby avoid the perils of the programming cutting edge (e.g., node.js). He also showed me how, in JavaScript, to add two numbers by calling a function that passes back another function that I can then call to add the numbers - just what I needed!8-))

But seriously, I used JavaScript with abandon years ago and found it laughable then. Crockford's book taught me that JavaScript hasn't changed much in the intervening years - still a hoot as a programming language. You can get just enough done with it if you stay minimal: try to do too much and you'll end up down the creek without a paddle.

FWIW here's a good article that discusses pros and cons of functional JavaScript. http://bolinfest.com/javascript/inheritance.php