Web Site Graphics: Typography—A discriminating collection, this array of masterful type-design treatments includes type fonts custom-made for the job, elegant and classic fonts stretching traditional boundaries, and mod and retry type. Learn how to stretch, alter, and successfully use type in place for any web design assignment.

It's not surprising that many of the typographically outstanding sites shown here are from design firms. For example, Cow.Interactive Communications (www.cow.com) is an interactive design firm whose Web site shows a creative yet spare use of a single typeface with small, interactive lines of text, simple images, and blocks of color. Studiomotiv (www.studiomotiv.com) shows off the beauty of classic letterforms even while it informs viewers of the history and anatomy of type design.

Typography also celebrates sites that run counter to accepted notions of "good typography." Typographic.com (www.typographic.com) pushes the envelope of readability with its postmodern deconstructed text and navigational scheme, almost daring the viewer to persevere through the site. Bianca (www.bianca.com), an online community, takes another "anti-typography" route by using naive handwriting for headings and a site map that looks like a child's drawing.

Typography is not a how-to book. As with the others in this series, it shows, using ample color illustrations, a few of the best in Web design, chosen by the knowledgeable and discriminating authors. It's the quickest way to find out what's on the cutting edge. --Angelynn Grant

Topics covered: screen captures of many Web sites showing innovative uses of typography in Web design, with captions explaining why each site was chosen and listing artistic credits; an index with the names and addresses of all design firms involved.