While there have been quite a few attempts to get javascript working as a server-side language, Node.js (frequently just called Node) has been the first environment that's gained any traction. It's now used by companies such as Netflix, Uber and Paypal to power their web apps. Node allows for blazingly fast performance; thanks to its event loop model, common tasks like network connection and database IO can be executed very quickly indeed. In this book, we offer a selection of nine different practical projects that you can follow along with.