Chapter 2: Callbacks

    All our examples in Chapter 1 used the function as the individual, indivisible unit of operations, whereby inside the function, statements run in predictable order (above the compiler level!), but at the function-ordering level, events (aka async function invocations) can happen in a variety of orders.

    As you no doubt have observed, callbacks are by far the most common way that asynchrony in JS programs is expressed and managed. Indeed, the callback is the most fundamental async pattern in the language.

    Except… callbacks are not without their shortcomings. Many developers are excited by the promise (pun intended!) of better async patterns. But it’s impossible to effectively use any abstraction if you don’t understand what it’s abstracting, and why.