Of course, Elizabeth Castro manages to write books that not only speak to those who are already fluent in HTML, but are good for newbies too. She makes it a breeze to create sites that are visually stylish and technically sophisticated without the expense of buying an editor.

Among the topics covered in her new book, HTML for the World Wide Web with XHTML and CSS: using the (relatively newer) structural tags (like doctype and div); correctly using older tags (like p and img) that have been modified in XHTML; writing XHTML so that formatting is done by the style sheets; writing those style sheets (cascading style sheets, a.k.a. "CSS"); creating a variety of layouts; and dealing with tables, frames, forms, multimedia, a bit of JavaScript (including mouseovers), WML (for mobile device displays), debugging, publishing, and publicizing your site.

As with all Visual QuickStart Guides, this one features clear and concise instructions side by side with well-captioned illustrations and screen shots that show both the source code and the resulting effect on the Web page. The index is extremely detailed, making this a great reference.

Also great for reference are the outstanding appendices. The first is an extensive list of tags and attributes, indicating which are deprecated and/or proprietary and on which page they are discussed. A similar appendix shows CSS properties and values; given the future of Web coding, this chart alone is worth the price of the book. Other handy charts cover intrinsic events, symbols and character Unicodes, and an expanded color chart that goes way beyond the virtually archaic Web-safe palette. All of which makes this a definite must-have for every Web designer's bookshelf. --Angelynn Grant

Product Description
Need to learn HTML fast? This best-selling reference's visual format and step-by-step, task-based instructions will have you up and running with HTML in no time. In this completely updated edition of our best-selling guide to HTML, Web expert and best-selling author Elizabeth Castro uses crystal-clear instructions and friendly prose to introduce you to all of today's HTML and XHTML essentials. You’ll learn how to design, structure, and format your Web site. You'll create and use images, links, styles, lists, tables, frames, and forms, and you'll add sound and movies to your site. Finally, you will test and debug your site, and publish it to the Web. Along the way, you'll find extensive coverage of CSS techniques, current browsers (Opera, Safari, Firefox), creating pages for the mobile Web, and more.

Visual QuickStart Guide--the quick and easy way to learn!

• Easy visual approach uses pictures to guide you through HTML and show you what to do.
• Concise steps and explanations get you up and running in no time.
• Page for page, the best content and value around.
• Companion Web site at www.cookwood.com/html offers examples, a lively question-and-answer area, updates, and more.

I must admit, though, that I was somewhat disappointed in this book. It was not as well constructed as many other books in the series.

As with all VQS guides it has a companion web site. This is a very good site, especially with the examples and the Q&A section. Ms. Castro provides plenty of good information and the examples can explain many things that are not described well in the book.

I suggest that more benefit would be had from these examples were the readers to have access to multiple browsers. The way the pages appear in each browser are very informative.

The problem I had was, well, approach. The first part of the book dealt primarily with the HTML aspects of web design. While this is useful to a point, it seems overbearing, especially if your primary focus of reading is to gain a greater knowledge of XHTML.

In addition to this, the format seems more geared toward a web base than a paper base. Many times, she wrote that a topic would be discussed more completely on page such and such. While I understand that this is a good way to avoid repetiveness, as well as to cut down on the size of the manuscript. But the constant reference to other pages became wearing. For the most part, I felt that these references would have been better as a hotlink on a web page, than as a page to turn to in a book.

This approach turned me off, as I would have much preferred a slow design-up style of writing, from the beginning steps to the actual coding. For others it may not seem as irritating.

A great deal of information was presented in the book. Many tags were discussed, though not all. Much of ths was not presented in an entertaining way, and after some time, I had to rest from the book because it seemed dry. This is not something I had encountered in other Visual Quick Start guides I had read.

I also feel too much time was spent discussing deprecated tags. These tags are an important part of HTML, though I was more interested in the XHTML and CSS portions of the book. I would also have poreferred a discussion of transitional strategies.

If you are experienced at coding HTML, you are likely to find less value in this book than one new to HTML. If you are interested in XHTML and have HTML experience this is not the best resource, though some of the information provided is valuable.

Based on the format, I would have given this book one star. Based on the overall HTML content, I would probably have given the book three and a half stars. Based on XHTML content I could only give this book two stars. However, bearing in mind the utility of the VQS guides to novice HTML coders, I have to give this 3 stars.

I cannot recommend this for experienced Web Developers as there is little information that is particularly advanced.


A bit confusing for beginners...   May 24, 2003
 21 out of 21 found this review helpful

I just finished teaching an introductory HTML course using this textbook. I wanted to choose a book that taught proper (X)HTML syntax, and the choice ended up being between this book and the O'Reilly HTML & XHTML: The Definitive Guide. I selected this one due to this book's more "visual" approach, its brevity, and its cost (about half the cost of the O'Reilly one).

However, many of the students were confused and frustrated by the layout of the text. The material is more or less presented in a "step by step" fashion, and in most cases the text the student is to change is highlighted in pink to make it easy to spot. However, there are many instances where one area of the code is highlighted, yet more than that area of the text needs to be changed in order for the page to look like the example. Additionally, the author will periodically go off on "side bars" about other things that can be done with a particular topic (table borders, frames, etc.) without notifying the reader that this doesn't have anything to do with the exercise they're trying to work through. Many students were thrown off by this because they didn't see the stuff they just typed in referenced on the next page. There were also several instances where parts of the source code were left off, trusting the reader to infer where it should be placed. This is something that is relatively easy for someone who already knows HTML already to do, but can be frustrating for beginners.

On the brighter side, the content of the book is very comprehensive for such a small text (it even includes a chapter about writing web pages for wireless devices), and it contains helpful (X)HTML tags, CSS properties, special characters, and hex color references in the appendices. The source code in the 5th Edition is also a HUGE improvement over the previous... everything is kept pretty consistent throughout, and it's nice to see a book geared towards beginners pushing readers toward writing valid (X)HTML.


Hmmm..Not That Great   February 1, 2006
 19 out of 21 found this review helpful

I decided that I wanted to learn Web Design and so logically, I am starting out with HTML. This book had rave reviews as most of the VQS books, so I was anxious to get started with it.

Just so you know, the approach that I took with this book is since it is set up in a step by step format, I decided to build a page along with the examples so that 1) I could practice, which would help me remember better and 2) to make sure that everything worked. Well, at first things were going great. Then I ran into a section of code that did not work. I spent at least a 1/2 hour of my study time trying to figure out what in the heck I did wrong, only to find out that if I had read a little further that IE does not support this code. Why in the heck wasn't that said at the outset before I starting inputting the code??!!

Then don't even get me started on Chapter 8 on CSS. I spent so much time on this getting really frustrated because the code did not work on selectors. I started even doing searches on the net to find out what I was doing wrong. Apparently, additional code is needed. Keep in mind there is nothing in the examples on the page to show that this code is needed. I feel this is pretty much NEED TO KNOW information especially since this book is targeting the beginner. If you are anything like me, time is a commodity and I don't have time to waste on trying to figure out information that should already be in the book. I am still in Ch 8 and sitting here debating if I want to continue to use this book to learn HTML/CSS. It's hard now to continue because I have lost interest feeling that I may possibly be wasting valuable time typing useless or depracated code.

From what I have read, I do not understand why there are 5 stars all over the place for this book. If you are an absolute beginner, you may be confused and frustrated. I understand that confusion and frustration may be a part of learning anything, but I think it is a little too much. I may skim through a few more chapters to see if it improves, since everyone is raving about it, but ultimately I think I am going to try another source for learning HTML/XHTML/CSS.

Something else I learned new though ~~ Just because people rave about a book here, no matter how many raves, the book can still really stink.


Excellent!   June 17, 2003
 18 out of 18 found this review helpful

I have found after hundreds and stacks of computer books that the quickstart are certainly the most inexpensive and knowledgeable for the size of these books. It is amazing how much helpful information can be found on these pages. Not perfect but pretty darn complete and a wonderful beginning.

The chapters represent categories, and there is a great appendix that lists all the tags with brief helpful descriptions! This book lays a great foundation of solid XHTML and CSS. With the most complete and readable introduction into the world of web design.

Because of the authors ability to get the information across without going over your head I would highly recommend this book to either the beginner or the intermediate user. It is a book well worth you money!


Great "How To" and "WHY"   March 2, 2006
 14 out of 18 found this review helpful

I am one of the most impatient programmers on the face of the earth. In fact, I have been in professional services for years because it takes to long to realize results with traditional programming. Web development has sucked me back into the fray, and I enjoy the immediacy of the langugages involved. Code it -- look at it! Works perfectly for me! However, I am now a senior analyst, and nothing in my job description calls for these skills.

As the new director of technology (website guru) for my professional association, I found myself at a loss. I know HTML, and a smattering of java, but knew nothing about PHP, CSS, real JAVA programming or MySQL, which are the basis for our group's website. I took over in January of 2006, with a major symposium scheduled for March 2006. Everything and it's grandmother needed to be released on that site, which had been neglected over the past year (the old DOT was sent to Iraq!). In short order, I needed to know it all and do it all. This same review will be used for the Java and PHP/MySQL books. THESE BOOKS ARE A LIFESAVER! From building forms in HTML (I had never had to do this before), to creating style sheets, to writing java code to manipulating the MySQL database with PHP files, I have found the instructions so clear and easy to use that when I am in a hurry, I can just do stuff. Later, I can go back to the book to understand what I did, how it was actually done, and why it was successfully. When I really take my time, the tutorials are invaluable.

Obviously, I recommend this book. Novices will be led gently by the hand; the more experienced will find better ways of doiing things, and the impatient can get it done quickly. Excellent deal.