I read a lot of reviews. I have still 1 edition of this book from 2001 year.
And there was information how design stuff works for IE and Netscape.

But IE is sucks and Netscape is also and in all reviews of this book i saw only mention of IE.

Is there any information 'bout difference in how pages look in IE and Mozzila FireFox?

This is a great book that I use on a daily basis. Well most of it is reference material, from W3C and elsewhere, it's very well-organized. I owned the previous edition and will probably purchase the next edition as well.

For years I have been doing sporadic web work, but I recently started a job that required a lot more. I picked this book based on a few reviews, and it was the perfect resource. It works as a reference book, but a lot of it is so well written that I found myself reading whole chapters just because I got "sucked in".

Buying books online can be very tricky. I would very much like to see a
new entry in the online reviews where the author shows his or her level
of proficiency in the subject. A review on a web design book written by
a full profi has different weight than a beginner. They may both give 5 stars, the meaning though is quite different. Web Design in a nutshell is
one of those books which is a must whether you are a beginner or not. If you are a beginner you cannot avoid the nitty bitty details but if you are a versed webdesigner you may every now and then want to refer to particular topics. This book is a must. PS. 6 months ago i was a beginner .

This is a good book for anyone who creates web pages, especially when it comes to needing a quick reference for HTML or CSS. But it also covers web graphics and gives a little introduction on Javascript.

This book is written in a way that makes it easy to read and understand. I also am really glad I have it as a reference. I pull it out quite often. If your looking for a good overall book, this is my 1st suggestion.

Shari

This book focuses on frontend matters of web design and development: markup, style sheets, image production, multimedia, and so on. Ironically, despite its title, there is little in the way of "design" advice, per se. Rather, it strives to be a thorough reference for the technical details and requirements faced in day-to-day work designing and developing web content. Although it is a good introduction to all subjects covered, if you really want to dig into the details of any particular technology, you will probably need other reference books. As far as "big picture" instruction, though, I highly recommend it. I review the book further in the context of its table of contents. The book is divided into six parts plus appendixes, each covering a general subject area.

Part I: The Web Environment
Chapter 1, Web Standards, describes the current approach to web design and sets the stage for the entire book. It is essential reading. Chapters on designing for varying browsers and displays provide useful overviews of the unique challenges web developers face. Chapter 5, Accessibility, and Chapter 6, Internationalization, both serve as introductions to the ways web content may be created to reach all users, regardless of ability, browsing device, or language. Chapter 4, A Beginner's Guide to the Server, is a primer on basic server functions, system commands, uploading files, and file types.

Part II: The Structural Layer: XML and (X)HTML
This part of the book is about document markup, commonly referred to as the structural layer because it provides the foundation upon which presentation (styles) and behaviors (scripting) are applied. Chapter 7, Introduction to XML, covers critical concepts that guide the way (X)HTML is handled in contemporary web design. Chapters 8 through 15 focus on HTML and XHTML markup, including detailed descriptions of all the elements and the way they should be used in standards-based web design.

Part III: The Presentation Layer: Cascading Style Sheets
Part III provides a thorough guide to using CSS for controlling the presentation of web content with a focus on visual media. It begins with an overview of the fundamentals in Chapter 16 and continues on with an introduction to CSS selectors in Chapter 17. Chapters 18 through 23 provide detailed descriptions of all the visual properties in the CSS 2.1 specification. Finally, examples of how CSS is used in the real world are provided in CSS Techniques (Chapter 24) and Managing Browser Bugs: Workarounds, Hacks, and Filters (Chapter 25).

Part IV: The Behavioral Layer: JavaScript and the DOM
Part IV is all about adding interactivity to your pages with JavaScript. Chapter 26 is an introduction to JavaScript, and covers syntax, control structures, object-orientation, and the whys and hows of unobtrusive scripting. Chapter 27 introduces the Document Object Model and shows how to tap into it to manipulate both content and design. As a supplement to Chapter 27,a brief introduction to Ajax techniques is included that will help you on your way to building richer Internet applications.

Part V: Web Graphics
The chapters in Part V contain essential information on working with RGB color and choosing the appropriate graphic file formats. The chapters dedicated to GIF, JPEG, and PNG graphics offer practical tips for graphic production and optimization based on the compression schemes used by each format. The Animated GIFs chapter is a further examination of GIF's animation capabilities.

Part VI: Media
Because the Web is not limited to text and images, Part VI is included to provide a basic introduction to adding audio, video, and Flash movies to web pages. There is also a chapter on printing from web pages using print-specific CSS style sheets as well as an introduction to the PDF format for document distribution.

Appendixes
The Appendixes in this book are very useful. Appendix A is an alphabetical listing of all elements and attributes in the HTML 4.01 Recommendation, as well as a few nonstandard elements that are well supported and in common use. Appendix B is an alphabetical listing of all properties defined in the CSS 2.1 specification. Appendix C lists all the character entities defined in HTML 4.01 and XHTML 1.0 with their numerical references. Appendix D provides a detailed explanation of the color names and RGB color values used both in (X)HTML and CSS. Finally, Appendix E describes the future of XHTML and Microformats.

A great book for any beginning to advanced web developer/coder, a must have reference. Find the info you need quickly with this book, from a simple tag you forgot to the property you can't remember. Also perhaps one of the best features, semantics and standards! I would recommend this to anyone interested in web coding/development.

Are you a new or experienced web designer? If you are, then this book is for you. Authors Jennifer Niederst Robbins, Tantek Ýýelik, Derek Featherstone and Aaron Gustafson, have done an outstanding job of writing a 3rd edition of a reference book that shows you everything you need to know on how to create concise web pages.

Robbins, Ýýelik, Featherstone and Gustafson, begin by describing the current approach to web design and set the stage for the entire book. Then, the authors provide n introduction to the ways web content may be created to reach all users, regardless of ability, browsing device, or language. Next, they discuss basic server functions, system commands, uploading files, and file types. The authors continue by discussing document markup, commonly referred to as the structured layer, because it provides the foundation upon which presentation and behaviors are applied. They also provide a thorough guide to using CSS for controlling the presentation of web content with a focus on visual media. Next, the authors highlight adding interactivity to your pages with JavaScript. The authors also focus on essential information while working with RGB color and choosing the appropriate graphic file formats. Finally, they provide a basic introduction to adding audio, video, and Flash movies to web pages.

This most excellent Nutshell book focuses on the front-end matters of web design and development: markup, style sheets, image production, multimedia, and so on. More importantly, this book strives to be a thorough reference for all technical details and requirements that we face in our day-to-day work designing and developing web content.

This review refers to the third edition.

This isn't an update to the second edition, it is a rewrite. I read the second edition before I read this one, and the 3rd edition is light years ahead. Completely new chapters on CSS and updated references to browsers as new as IE7.

What I like most about this book is it will tell you how something is supposed to work, then tell you in which browsers it will and will not work. It's great to have some bleeding edge CSS 2.1 in your code, but if it doesn't work in IE6, do you really want it on your business site?

This is not a learning tool (although I picked up quite a lot of tricks and tips). There are other books for this. If you have a good foundation with XHTML and CSS, this is the book to have next to the computer.

"Wow" is about all I can say about this comprehensive guide on everything A-Z about web design. Carefully thought out, and organized, this is a reference book you'll want at your fingertips until the next updated edition comes out! Couple this with "The Complete Web Hosting Kit Pro" (also here on amazon), and you've got everything you need to create AND host your own website for free.

As another reviewer has pointed out, it's difficult to write a review for a book that is a reference book. But oh, what a reference book this is. If you do any web design work, you need this book. It covers virtually everything a web designer needs to know/or to be able to refer to. Among the topics Robbins covers are XHTML, CSS, web design standards, also mentions XHTML 1.1, DOM, JavaScript and so forth. While some topics are given a brief mention, that's only because a full description of some of them (like DOM) would take a book of their own.

Part 1 (the Web Environment) takes on topics like designing for different browsers (which can be a challenge with all the different web browsers and versions around), "A beginner's guide to the server," which explains basic web server topics, and internationalization.

Then it's on to The Structural Layer of XML & XHTML in Part 2. It starts off with an intro to XML and then into a HTML & XHTML overview. I liked how Robbins took the time to explain XHTML 1.1 and various new and upcoming standards, it's one of the reasons why I got this book. As a part time web designer, I want to keep up on the latest trends and make sure my web sites are up to date and will appear as they should on both newer and older browsers. There's also sections that explain text elements, images and objects, tables, frames (even if frames are "frowned upon" nowadays).

Part 3 is devoted to Cascading Style Sheets, some ten chapters worth. This I feel is a very good thing, since they've become a vital part of web design.

Subsequent sections of the book touch on JavaScript, DOM, Web Graphics, even Web audio and video.

If you don't have this book you need to get it, it's that's comprehensive a reference.

It is hard to write a review for a book that is in essence a reference guide. In it's third edition, Web Design in a Nutshell has become a go-to book for many web designers. However, its strength is that it's accessible for anyone who wants to learn about web design, and creating standards-compliant content - even beginners.

Robbins does an outstanding job at first defining what "standards-compliant" actually means, and why anyone should care. With the number of Internet browsers out there, web designers want to make sure that the pages they create are viewable by everyone, not just the people who have the latest browser, or the most popular, or the "hippest." The person who can't access your site easily is the person who will leave the site and not come back - not good news to businesses that depend on their web sites for customers.

To that end, Robbins also shows the importance of gathering visitor stats - not just to brag about how many unique hits or repeat visitors you get, but also to make sure that the people who are coming to your site can actually view it the way you designed it. The statistics you collect should not only show which browser the visitor used, but what display setting they used, so that you can design the site with the correct resolution in mind.

I think that the most valuable aspect of the book is its breadth. Robbins covers XML, HTML, and CSS (which are expected), JavaScript, DOM scripting, graphics, color schemes, and multimedia. She admits when things aren't covered in detail, and refers the reader to other reference works that will give a more in depth treatment of the subject.

Web Design in a Nutshell has been a standard reference for web designers since 1998. This third edition is revised enough that it keeps the book current, but retains the layout and style of the older editions. Experienced designers will feel instantly comfortable with this latest edition, and novice designers will welcome this handy, easy-to-use reference work.

I received the book very fast. The book is in excellent condition as described. I am happy with this purchase.

What would you like in a Desktop Quick Reference? It has to give you the information you need at the moment you need it. Designing Web pages can be a very tedious task as you try to harmonize separate elements into one cohesive whole. Not only that a web page needs to be able to make the user feel at ease and it should also not give any confusion on how the page is supposed to be used. The WEB Design in a Nutshell Desktop Quick Reference gives you quick access to tips and tricks of the different elements of a web page.

You get technical advice, best practice and expert tips in CSS, JavaScript, Images, and HTML. By using the book you gain more understanding of the things you can exploit in designing web pages.

The new edition is comprehensive and concise to a degree I have not found in any other web design reference book. Since the first edition this book has grown considerably. This edition, for its concision, could still be described as a reference in a nutshell, but for its comprehensive cover of the most important material to a useful depth, it is more than that. If you are, as I am, often pressed for time while multi-tasking towards the completion of projects on tight schedules, and need the right information quickly, this book will become a treasured tool. This is my, and I recommend that it become your, reference of first resort.

The acid test: No book is any good if it's so poorly written that reading it is painful or so crammed with techno-babble it's largely incomprehensible.
The verdict: Robbins's book passes with flying colors. It has energy, clarity, and personality while managing to be thoroughly in touch with the most recent developments in web design and use.
Robbins is committed to standards-compliant, accessible web design and is thoroughly familiar with Cascading Style Sheet techniques. She and her collaborators (several chapters are contributed by others) cover the fundamentals and then move on to more advanced issues, usually making the transitions smoothly enough that most people with some prior knowledge (e.g., of basic HTML code, the structure of a web page) will have little difficulty following along.
This is not a reference book, however. There's a definite point of view presented here. Someone with no prior experience in basic web design is likely to have occasional problems with some topics.
The book is incredibly comprehensive, at once a strength and weakness. By dividing web design into three layers -- the structural, presentational, and behavioral -- Robbins is able to organize her discussion into coherent, clearly connected chapters, each building toward the next. This is most successful in parts 2 and 3, on the structural and presentational layers, respectively. These parts are also the heart of Robbins's book. Her discussions of XML, (X)HTML, and CSS are outstanding, among the clearest and most helpful I've encountered. Most importantly, my web pages are already better based on Robbins's recommendations. There is something here for anyone, regardless of prior experience. The many suggestions for further reading are an additional plus.
The book is less successful in part 4, on the behavioral layer, where the discussion of JavaScript and Dominant Object Model are too condensed and perhaps begin at a more advanced level than the rest of the book. Part 5 deals with various graphic formats for the web and part 6 with various media. As surveys and quick refreshers on basic techniques, these parts are helpful but not as rich as the earlier discussions in parts 2 and 3.
I'm glad I bought and read Robbins's book: I refer to it regularly and have recommended it to colleagues.

Other reviews show how much is packed into these 800 pages. Consider that the last edition was released over 5 years ago -- now recall how much has changed since then. The book reflects these changes.

The most noticeable areas are the increased centrality of Cascading Style Sheets and the increased role of W3C standards in page structure and the Document Object Model, and greater sophistication in the use of JavaScript. There is a lot of new material bearing on this change in focus and coding habits.

The reference material is mixed with learning material so this book can be used for both purposes.

This short review is about Web Design in a Nutshell, 3rd Editon.

I agree pretty much with hartley J. Jackson's review on this book. I wish to add that the sections on combining "Javascript, XML, DOM, (AJAX)" is brief. It's not as comprehensive as the other sections. You will definitely need another book if you are designing a website that needs do interact heavily with XML. In addition, the Javascript sections are also not as strong, but it's a large topic anyway.

The sections on HTML and CSS are pretty comprehensive and are probably only overshadowed by information provided in "HTML & XHTML: The Definitive Guide, Fifth Edition" by Chuck Musciano and Bill Kennedy and "Cascading Style Sheets: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition" by Eric A. Meyer, which are dedicated texts on their subject matters. If you crave more information than what is here, you should probably move on to those books. If you already have those books, this book may be redundant.

The real value of this book lies in her design chapters. These are chapters about multiple browsers, image manipulations, embedding video and Flash, and layouts. The author's writing style makes these topics quite accessible.

If you buy one book about web design and web technologies, this is the book to start with but be aware that it is a (very good) jack of all trades/master of none type of book.

This is an essential book for any web designer or hobbyist. Don't expect a reference book filled with tables and syntax lists, however. It's more of a learning book than a reference book. But it's still vital for quick look-ups of everything a web designer needs to know, from general style and standards guidelines to rarely used tage.

I already had a previous edition of this book, but the 3rd Edition is an important update.

A complete reference for the latest HTML and XHTML standards.

Lots of useful information on CSS.

Designing for Accessibility

Dealing with various browsers and monitor resolutions.

Intro's to Javascript, DOM, and AJAX

Getting the most out of JPG, GIF, PNG, and animated GIFs

Adding sound, video, an flash animations.

Very will written by someone who knows her stuff! Don't waste your time with lesser books.

That's it. Between ASP and XML I've got 80 or 90 books on web development. This is the best one, and since it's arrived the one I refer to most frequently. IF YOU'RE STARTING OUT MAKE THIS YOUR FIRST BOOK.

Web Design in a Nutshell, 3rd Editon
Author: Jennifer Niederst Robins
Publisher: O'Reilly
796 pages .... $34.99
ISBN 0-596-00987-9

A Desktop Quick Reference
Completely revised for standards compliance, including CSS 2.1 and XHTML 1.0

"Now that standards-compliant browsers are used by the vast majority of web visitors (see Chapter 2 for statistics), it is definitely time for designers and developers to start creating standards-compliant content." Standards-Driven Design page 9.

Web Design in a Nutshell is a grand reference for designing and creating web pages. It includes HTML elements and attributes, CSS properties and values, character coding, and color. It is a "quick reference" because you can find just about everything you need to know very quickly.

It is more than a reference to HTML and XHTML to write the structure of you web pages, and to CSS to write the style of your web pages. It is a reference to why you should write to these standards, with examples of how they should be written.

It tells you which browsers are standards-compliant, what shares of web use each has, and what the remaining problems there are because of browser differences.

In Chapter 25 Managing Browser Bugs, I read for the first time that Internet Explorer 5.x for Windows (not the Macintosh version) uses width as the total width of the box from which you must subtract the padding, borders and margins to get the content area. The standard used by all other browsers uses width to specify the width of the content area, and the padding, borders and margins are added to that.

Fortunately, use of Internet Explorer 5.x for Windows is now not more than 3% of web users and shrinking. Web authors still include hacks described in this book to get around the problem because 3% of web use is still a very large number.

Web Design in a Nutshell covers writing, page layout, floating elements, columns, lists, tables, frames, linking, and just about everything you need in designing web pages. In addition to images it covers sound, motion, and an introduction to JavaScript. These are just examples of the broad scope of the contents.

Jennifer Niederst Robbins has included a great many references to other sources of information including web pages, other O'Reilly books, and books by other publishers.

This book is much easier reading than I would expect in a reference.

For beginners who want to learn web design, I would recommend a book like Head First HRML, XHTML and CSS from O'Reilly first. This would be a fine second book for beginners.

Owners of the previous edition will want this much needed and all new update. There are ten new chapters on CSS alone. There are a lot of previous owners because this book was a best seller with over 200,00 copies in print.

And, I hope that everyone else who is working on designing, developing, or maintaining web pages will take a look at this book. I am sure you will find it is a reference you must have.

If you're doing web design, it's probably the case where you have separate (and large) books on your shelf that cover (X)HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc. But if you could put all the essential stuff in a single volume that you'd use on a regular basis, you'd end up with Web Design in a Nutshell (3rd edition) by Jennifer Niederst Robbins. This is a nicely done reference of a large number of intertwined technologies...

Contents:
Part 1 - The Web Environment: Web Standards; Designing for a Variety of Browsers; Designing for a Variety of Displays; A Beginner's Guide to the Server; Accessibility; Internationalization
Part 2 - The Structural Layer - XML and (X)HTML: Introduction to XML; HTML and XHTML Overview; Document Structure; Text Elements; Creating Links; Images and Objects; Tables; Frames; Forms
Part 3 - The Presentation Layer - Cascading Style Sheets: Cascading Style Sheets Fundamentals; Selectors; Font and Text Properties; Basic Box Properties; Color and Backgrounds; Floating and Positioning; CSS for Tables; Lists and Generated Content; CSS Techniques; Managing Browser Bugs - Workarounds, Hacks, and Filters
Part 4 - The Behavioral Layer - JavaScript and the DOM: Introduction to JavaScript; DOM Scripting
Part 5 - Web Graphics: Web Graphics Overview; GIF Format; JPEG Format; PNG Format; Animated GIFs
Part 6 - Media: Audio on the Web; Video on the Web; The Flash Platform; Printing from the Web
Part 7 - Appendixes: HTML Elements and Attributes; CSS 2.1 Properties; Character Entities; Specifying Color; Microformats - Extending (X)HTML
Glossary; Index

I'm at the stage where I know the fundamentals, but I often have to look up a command format or refresh myself on some of the available parameters of a certain tag or CSS property. That's going to be where I benefit most from this book. I can do away with some of the more unwieldy volumes that take up large chunks of shelf real estate (and that don't get opened all that often) and replace it with this "all in one" book. Along with the basic "Intro to..." material, she covers the core options and parameters of each part of the technology, enough so that I would find my answers 95% of the time. That last 5% can either be looked up online, or no book's going to help me in the first place. I also liked the material on graphics and media, as that tends to be a weak point for me. And finally, the chapter on managing browser bugs presents an extremely straight-forward description of the problems with various browsers, and the basic hacks you have to be sure to code for. It's hard to find that type of information in a single location.

As I mentioned, this book will end up replacing at least three larger "single subject" books on my shelf at work. That should leave me room for other fun stuff to bring in from home. I recommend this book if you know the fundamentals and want your reference material in a single location...

This book is all I needed to get into coding web pages. It covers all the basics and some not so basic material. If you are familiar with computers and proficeint at getting around the internet, then this book is all you will need to begin creating your own little corner of the net.

One caution, this book is arranged in a cross between a reference guide and a "How To" book. By that I mean that chapters are grouped by subject (i.e. one chap will be formatting, one chap will be css, one chap will be tables, etc...). At the same time, the first chapter is the most basic subject and the chapters progress in a reasonable acension of difficulty.

Really, if you have the discipline to take it slow and learn one concept at a time and move on after you've mastered it, this book will give you a thorough understanding of the basics and a good grasp of the advanced HTML subjects.

I couldn't be more pleased that I purchased it.

After reading this book, I was able to start my own web design business (http://www.stormfrontproductions.net). Many of the web design basics we practice are covered in this book. I recommend it to all of our clients looking to update their web site.

This book takes novice to intermediate designers to the next level and is also useful as a desktop quick reference. Many buy such books and end up never opening them or maybe a few times before it's outdated. I admit I'm one of those people, but not when it comes to the weasel (picture on the cover) book. This is the book the professor assigned for one of my first Web design classes and it is responsible for my learning tables, CSS, and knowing when to make a graphics file .gif or .jpg.

It's the most well worn Web design book I have in my collection and the only HTML book I ever bought. Thankfully, there is little that's changed in the format of the book because it wasn't broken. Robbins takes the appropriate steps to update it and expand the sections that are more relevant today.

Expect an entire orchestra of instruments relevant to Web design, along with the specific details and tricks you should know. It may seem a bit much that Niederst covers HTML, CSS, SSI, graphics, multimedia, JavaScript, DHTML, XML, XHTML, WAP, and WML. However, she appropriately magnifies essential things while the advanced or "you may want to explore" topics are touched upon to give an idea of how it works with suggestions for further reading

The book starts off by addressing the biggest challenge of designing a site that looks good in every browser and version. "Designing for a Variety of Browsers" has a two-page chart of various browsers and versions for the Windows, Macintosh, and UNIX environments, showing what each supports and doesn't support.

The next chapter covers another source of frustration for designers, "Designing for a Variety of Displays." If you monitor your Web visitor stats, then you'll probably notice that no size leads the majority especially with WebTV, handheld, and cellular devices accessing the Internet. There are screen shots of browser and system measurements and tips for designing for various displays.

Chapter 26, "Flash and Shockwave" explains what it is, advantages and disadvantages, introduces you to the Flash interface, adding a Flash file to a Web page, and integrating it with other technologies. Flash is a whole different animal and the book gives you the big picture of how it fits with designing Web pages. The following chapter on SMIL covers the same basics.

Part V addresses the advanced technologies including JavaScript, DHTML, XML, XHTML, and WAP and WML. It's useful to have these all close together at the end of the book to help you figure out which you may want to use for a Web project.

As useful as special characters can be, I never remember what to type to make the symbol appear, though I know these now. Finding the special character chart is the only complaint I had from the original edition and not even the index helped me find it, so I had to tab the page. This has now been remedied with one of the best improvements of moving the special character reference chart to the appendix for speedy access. Other appendices in the book are listings of HTML tags, attributes, deprecated tags, proprietary tags, and CSS compatibility and support.

As your design skills and knowledge grow, there is always a question that prompts you to open the book and get your answer. It holds true today as I retire the worn out book with a loose page thanks to a certain child and happily replace it with its new younger sibling.

***3rd edition update***
The third edition took a bigger leap from the second than the second took from the first. Web Design in a Nutshell, 3rd ed., comes with a greater focus on Web standards and cascading style sheets (CSS). In fact, the book opens with a chapter on Web standards, whereas it was merely a footnote in the previous edition.

Rather than a sole chapter on HTML, the markup chapter blends HTML and XHTML. The chapter comes with notes explaining the major differences between HTML and XHTML. The greater emphasis on XHTML ensures newer designers dive right into XHTML and improve their chances of designing standards compliant Web pages. Furthermore, the appendix includes HTML 4.01, XHTML 1.0 and 1.1, and CSS 2.1 references.

Ajax and WCAG 2.0 have barely been around in terms of publishing time. While the Ajax process isn't new, but its terminology and popularity are recent. Both items are covered, albeit briefly. Had Robbins wrote the book now, Ajax would not likely get huge coverage as it's a little advanced for the book's purposes and target market.

Accessible forms, mobile devices, internationalization, JavaScript with document object model (DOM), and document structure also gain more attention in the third edition. On the same token, the book reduces coverage of concepts that have gotten less attention such as the Web palette (Web safe colors), SMIL (synchronized multimedia integration language), frames, and DHTML.

Part III is devoted to CSS, which contains 10 new chapters -- a must as CSS becomes a design standard not something to play with. The third edition superbly reflects today's Web development environment and still sticks to its main purpose -- helping new and intermediate designers get up to speed on Web design. The book continues its role as a valuable reference.

Whether First of Second edition, this book is definitely dated material, and in need of regular update. So, there a certainly parts that no longer apply to the current state of Web Design.

However, there are still portions that are pertinent and valuable for web designers, especially those just getting into the art. The author offers guidance from broad design principles to specifics of forms, frames and graphics. The basics have not really changed, just the tools. The layout of the book by topic makes it very useful for reference and the samples provide a basis for the budding web developer and designer (WDaD) to build on. Couple this book with any of a number of good HTML and Scripting books and the new WDaD will be well on their way toward designing usable and appealing web sites.

Bottom line - not worth list price at the time of this review; if you can get it at a steep discount it is still worth getting. P-)

Let me get this out of the way first: The information in this book is somewhat outdated by now. I wish there was a more current edition available.

With that being said; I found the information in this book to be most helpful. For the topic that it covers, it is the most efficiently comprehensive reference I have found. it provided me with a great understanding of things to consider when developing for the internet and also provided many examples/tips for tackling common webpage design problems. I felt the book was laid out very well and as a reference, I have had no trouble finding information when I have needed it. I found this book to be very easy to read and understand. My hat's off to Jennifer! Very nicely done!

I've used this book more than any other technical book I've ever owned. It's always by my side when I'm doing a large amount of HTML and CSS development. It's extraordinarily organized, and I refer to it constantly. The only reason I can't give this title five stars is that by my rating system it's not absolutely essential reading for technical leaders. There are other books that have the same reference material as this one; however, none of them do as good a job conveying it.

I own the first edition, and it's since been updated. (I need to by the new edition myself.) You should strongly consider getting The Web Design CD Bookshelf CD-ROM which includes a paper and electronic edition of the second edition plus electronic editions of five more great O'Reilly titles. Having this as an eBook on your laptop would be an incredibly useful resource.

I've used this book more than any other technical book I've ever owned. It's always by my side when I'm doing a large amount of HTML and CSS development. It's extraordinarily organized, and I refer to it constantly. The only reason I can't give this title five stars is that by my rating system it's not absolutely essential reading for technical leaders. There are other books that have the same reference material as this one; however, none of them do as good a job conveying it.

I own the first edition, and it's since been updated. (I need to by the new edition myself.) You should strongly consider getting The Web Design CD Bookshelf CD-ROM which includes a paper and electronic edition of the second edition plus electronic editions of five more great O'Reilly titles. Having this as an eBook on your laptop would be an incredibly useful resource.

I purchase a lot of books. Most don't survive long on my bookshelf, and end up being placed in a box or stacked. This book is one of the few that has survived on my bookshelf because it is a worthwhile reference to have around.

Even though I avoid taking web jobs, I sometimes need to generate some html on occasion. As a result, I often find myself wondering what the hex value of a particular color is, or need some obscure tag. That is when I reach for this reference book.

The information is well organized, well written, and still useful long after I purchased it.

Recommended.

I bought this book based on its great reviews, and read it cover to cover. The information is very well organized, well written, and useful. I would give this book to anyone who does web work.

If you are a beginner putting together your website or even an intermediate web designer, this book is a must-have desk reference. If you are an advanced user, you can probably still benefit from this excellent book on web design.

This second edition has been out for over two years and probably due for an overhaul. A few additions are needed to make this book today's definitive desk reference for Web Design (as it was at the time of original release).

What's missing in this edition? Coverage of the .NET framework and related language like ASP.NET and VB.NET, ActionScript from Flash MX, PHP and MySQL would be very nice. With the explosion of so many handhelds to the technology market, it may be time for a section on the web design principles as applicable to this unique sector. Recently, there has also been a lot of focus in the areas of search engine optimization and marketing principles applied to web design. It would be good to see a couple of chapters on this subject too.

Other than what is mentioned above, this book covers almost everything you can imagine in the web design world - 32 chapters ranging from accessibility to internationalization and cascading style sheets to JavaScript. I benefited tremendously when I first bought this book two years ago and still refer to it once in a while.

Overall, this is currently one of the best books on the market to quickly ramp up on web design (till the next edition comes out). Good luck!

I teach web design at a well-known art college in Chicago, and this is the book that I use for my class. This book is good for people of all levels, and explains things clearly and concisely. The cross-reference of "what works in what browsers" is invaluable, albeit a bit outdated (when will the 3rd Edition come out? Soon I hope).