Maximiliano Firtman is a mobile and web developer, international speaker, and author of 15 books and numerous articles. He has created over 35 courses for Frontend Masters, Pluralsight, Google Web.dev, and LinkedIn Learning and leads workshops on web performance, JavaScript, mobile apps, PWAs, and AI.

books by

Vanilla Web

  • MEAP began January 2026
  • Last updated April 2026
  • Publication in Fall 2026 (estimated)
  • ISBN 9781633434745
  • 400 pages (estimated)
  • printed in black & white
resources: Source code Book forum

When it comes to web development, vanilla may be the finest of the flavors. With plain JavaScript you can build fast, maintainable web apps that run everywhere, load instantly, and avoid framework lock-in. Today’s browsers are incredibly capable, and for many types of applications, “batteries included” libraries and frameworks just introduce avoidable slowdowns, security issues, and complex build chains. Why not embrace the vanilla web!

Vanilla Web is your guide to building serious web applications using the tools built right into the browser. You’ll learn to use “plain vanilla” JavaScript, HTML, and CSS to create reusable UI components, a routing system, an installable progressive web app, and a full-featured e-commerce frontend. Each chapter builds real capabilities you can apply anywhere, even when you work with libraries. You’ll soon be delivering dependency-free UX that’s easy to debug and maintain and survives neverending tool churn.