Not digging the explanation as much as everyone else, though. I think the most important fact is omitted. In JS, the name of a function is just a name that points to a chunk of code. When you call a function named foo, like so:

foo();

…you are telling JS to execute the chunk of code that looks something like this:

function foo(){…}

There is virtually no difference (apparently) between calling the function by its name and inserting the entire chunk of code representing the function directly into the call statement. In other words, the following do the same thing:

foo();
(the_whole_function)();

Why? Because foo = the_whole_function.

Sorry, maybe for some people it seems like I am just reiterating. But this way of explaining it seems to me a lot more clear than saying parentheses cause the function execute…somehow.

You have explained so clearly that I can’t see how it could have been anything else.

I am only part-way through the “jQuery for Beginners” series but have learned a ton. Is there some reference, though, that would help an old fogey like me learn how to _read_ javascript?