React Logo

By Addy Osmani and Hassan Djirdeh

Code Smart, Scale Fast, Conquer Challenges

Learn tools and techniques to build and maintain large-scale React web applications.

Or  for free.
Building Large Scale Web Apps: A React Field Guide. By Addy Osmani and Hassan Djirdeh

“Building Large Scale Web Apps” is a toolkit to managing large-scale React applications.

React as a library allows you to start building user interfaces quickly and easily. But how do things scale as an application grows? How do you ensure that your codebase remains manageable, your performance metrics stay on point, and your team continues to work cohesively as the project evolves?

In this book, you'll uncover strategies that industry professionals use to build scalable, performant, and maintainable React applications, all without becoming overwhelmed by complexity.

Together, we've spent well over two decades building within or consulting for

The Google logo.
The Doordash logo.
The Instacart logo.
The Netflix logo.
The X logo.
The YouTube logo.
The Shopify logo.
The Ebay logo.

Wan takes nearly an hour before the full possession kicks in. He lets the Crooked Man rhyme, lets the chair stack itself, lets Janet Hodgson (a terrifyingly good Madison Wolfe) speak in that guttural old-man voice for minutes before anyone believes her.

While the 2021 The Conjuring 3 (directed by Michael Chaves, not Wan) leaned into courtroom drama and a less memorable villain, the 2016 film gave us a villain with rules. Valak fears the name of God. It twists scripture. It makes Patrick Wilson’s Ed Warren sing Elvis to fight back.

Unlike the tranquil Rhode Island farmhouse, Enfield was . A single mother, four children, and a council house in North London. Wan understood that the working-class grit of the setting made the horror more immediate. By 2021, audiences who had spent months stuck in their own homes found new resonance in the Hodgson family’s inability to escape their haunted living room. Valak: The Nun Who Wasn’t a Joke (Yet) In 2016, we didn’t know we’d get two mediocre spin-offs about the demon nun. We only knew that painting . The reveal of Valak sliding down the hallway—slow, deliberate, grinning like a nightmare on a budget—is pure Wan craftsmanship.

Re-released and re-streamed countless times during the lockdowns of 2020-2021, the 2016 sequel proved something crucial: real scares don’t expire. Let’s rewind to 2016. After the runaway success of The Conjuring (2013), expectations were impossible. Instead of playing it safe, Wan doubled down on the most controversial case in paranormal history: the 1977 Enfield Poltergeist.

That scene—Ed strumming “Can’t Help Falling in Love” as the house crumbles—was mocked in 2016. By 2021, fans rightly called it the most emotional, unique exorcism scene ever filmed. Looking back from the perspective of a world deep into pandemic streaming, The Conjuring 2 offered something the 2021 sequel didn’t: patience .

Some other things!

Descriptive content, continous updates, and soundbites from industry professionals.

Descriptive, not prescriptive

When explaining content, we follow a descriptive approach, not prescriptive. In other words, we don’t tell you what specific tools or libraries you have to use to be successful. Rather, we focus on explaining a concept and employ certain libraries or tools to illustrate that concept.

React-focused with universal concepts

While the book is React-focused, it teaches universal concepts that transcend all web development frameworks. It's designed to enhance your understanding of building web applications that are scalable, maintainable, and adaptable, regardless of the specific technology stack.

Continous, frequent updates

Purchasing the e-book gives you access to all new content, edits, and improvements forever. In fact, we're currently working on adding three new chapters soon — Routing, User-centric API design, and React in 2024. Check out the Changelog to follow along on all the updates we'll make.

Soundbites from industry professionals

In the book, we share soundbites and thoughts from industry professionals. These soundbites are shared from start-up owners and software engineers who work at Doordash, Netflix, Spotify, and more.

Back cover of physical book
Front cover of physical book
Back cover of physical book
Contents of physical book

Industry nuggets

Nuggets of wisdom from industry professionals

Jem Young

Maxi Ferreira

Emma Bostian

Zeno Rocha

Francine Navarro

Jeffrey Peng

And others!

2021: The Conjuring 2 -2016

Wan takes nearly an hour before the full possession kicks in. He lets the Crooked Man rhyme, lets the chair stack itself, lets Janet Hodgson (a terrifyingly good Madison Wolfe) speak in that guttural old-man voice for minutes before anyone believes her.

While the 2021 The Conjuring 3 (directed by Michael Chaves, not Wan) leaned into courtroom drama and a less memorable villain, the 2016 film gave us a villain with rules. Valak fears the name of God. It twists scripture. It makes Patrick Wilson’s Ed Warren sing Elvis to fight back. The Conjuring 2 -2016 2021

Unlike the tranquil Rhode Island farmhouse, Enfield was . A single mother, four children, and a council house in North London. Wan understood that the working-class grit of the setting made the horror more immediate. By 2021, audiences who had spent months stuck in their own homes found new resonance in the Hodgson family’s inability to escape their haunted living room. Valak: The Nun Who Wasn’t a Joke (Yet) In 2016, we didn’t know we’d get two mediocre spin-offs about the demon nun. We only knew that painting . The reveal of Valak sliding down the hallway—slow, deliberate, grinning like a nightmare on a budget—is pure Wan craftsmanship. Wan takes nearly an hour before the full possession kicks in

Re-released and re-streamed countless times during the lockdowns of 2020-2021, the 2016 sequel proved something crucial: real scares don’t expire. Let’s rewind to 2016. After the runaway success of The Conjuring (2013), expectations were impossible. Instead of playing it safe, Wan doubled down on the most controversial case in paranormal history: the 1977 Enfield Poltergeist. Valak fears the name of God

That scene—Ed strumming “Can’t Help Falling in Love” as the house crumbles—was mocked in 2016. By 2021, fans rightly called it the most emotional, unique exorcism scene ever filmed. Looking back from the perspective of a world deep into pandemic streaming, The Conjuring 2 offered something the 2021 sequel didn’t: patience .

Who we are

Heyo! We're Addy & Hassan — Engineers & Educators.

Profile picture of Addy Osmani

AddyOsmani

I'm an engineering leader working on Google Chrome and I lead up Chrome's Developer Experience organization, helping reduce the friction for developers to build great user experiences.

HassanDjirdeh

I'm a senior software engineer and have built large production web applications at organizations like Doordash, Instacart, and Shopify.

Profile picture of Addy Osmani

Pick your package

“Building Large Scale Web Apps” is available in either an e-book or as a physical copy.

E-book

Great for digital learners.

$24.99USD

  • 300+ pages
  • PDF or EPub (or both)
  • All future updates
Buy with Leanpub Or buy with Apple Books or Google Play

Physical copy (softcover)

Perfect for hands-on referencers.

$49.99USD

  • 300+ pages
  • Softcover
  • Something to put on your bookshelf
  • Interested in both the e-book and physical copy? Purchase both separately!
Buy Physical Copy

Some words from readers

Here are some things we've been hearing from our readers.

FAQ

Got questions? We've got answers.