Subscriber Reviews

Average Rating:  Based on 21 Ratings

"Love this book...." - by skhan32 on 30-APR-2013
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This is a great book for beginners.  I was hoping for help with layouts and color schemes.  That's not what this book is about.  It's more about the basic attributes and mark-up in HTML5 and CSS3.
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"You're simply the best" - by Nousmedis on 27-FEB-2013
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A wonderful design (yes, also in the Safari web version if you uncheck the HTML view option at the top bar) that invites you to read and LEARN the content. It's perfect for a quick refresh on new HTML5 topics if you are a seasoned programmer that made webs in HTML4, but its main purpose is to teach new programmers the language that drives the web.

Very few text but, I assure you, you will want to highlight every single line. It only shows you the most basic code, but in a clear an wonderful manner.

It's the first programming book that I read from start to finish (and I've read at least more than 200 technical books), full of little gems (like the HTML5 video chapter), clear, concise and beautiful. You can read it in 3-4 days.

After reading this book, you'll want to go for more deep titles on HTML5 and CSS3, but you'll have gained a clear understanding of the matter.

Thank you very very very much to the author of this awesome title.

Now, I only want a better ePub or HTML version...
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"Very good introduction book." - by yves b. on 14-JAN-2013
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HTML&CSS  book is a good introduction to HTML and CSS. If like me you're a c++ developer and you didn't touch any HTML lines of code since you graduated from college, then this book is for you. For a long time I've looked for the right material. And never find one to take me by the hand and walk me through the easiest way to create beautiful, cute, carefully hand-crafted websites. HTML&CSS made it. Of course I never had any tangible projects nor great motivations to dive into the topic, so it didn't help. But nevertheless, many attempts and as much failure. Most likely because the web is full of outdated, badly thought tutorials, and unpleasant to read. Especially when the final expected outcome is to make beautiful design, it does not encourage to pursue. As Jon nails it on the accompanying website of this book: A book about code that doesn't read like a 1980s VCR manual.... This book has been designed for people with no knowledge at all in the topic. If you're a developer you will likely find many stuff that you already know in some pages. But in the end, you will be able to manipulate simple CSS sheets with quite ease. This blog is a testimony of what I learned thanks to this book. I would highly advise you to try to implement examples in the end of each chapter on your own. That constitutes of course the best way to remember and assimilate what you read.

I didn't read the physical book but instead read it online with my Safari Books online account. The experience was hurting a little bit since the beauty of the original book, and its aerial design, is not well represented into the Safari online reader. Which is a shame. Safari online/O'Reilly must improve the user experience here, in a way that reading a great book does not suffer from its medium. Which proves, at least for me, that the online reading experience is far yet to egual the book experience (but then other advantages comes with it, but that's another topic). For instance, the original book seems to follow the same visual pattern to display its content (from what I've seen from the sceenshot on the website). Each piece of information deserves its own double page. As for each HTML tag or for each CSS properties. Detailed description appears in the two columns at extreme right or left of the double page, and the center is reserved for nice illustration of what is being explained. Which makes the book inviting you to read it when looking to its photos on its website, and unfortunately the safari readers fails in reproducing the reader experience. Backgrounds colors are always white and never reproduced the nice color used in the original book. Also, illustrations are copied from the book as bitmap pictures which are not always rendered the best way with the online reader, pixelated or too small. Since even HTML/CSS code may be displayed in illustrations, most of HTML/CSS code is not selectable. Which hurts since I favorited O'Reilly to Amazon Kindle since it was possible to copy/paste code snippets with O'Reilly's Safari books online. (Of course I am not talking here about infringing copyrighted material. My point is for code testing.). In conclusion for this part, I would say it is somewhat ironic that a book on HTML/CSS, that is a way to abstract information structure and displaying it, is not really applied for the online reading experience. While in the other hand I can understand that browser audience being too much motley it is much better to use pictures in order to get an homogeneous experience and expected behaviors for every users. But I guess a little bit could have been done in order to improve the whole experience. Buying a physical O'Reilly book has always been a promise of a great reading experience. Heavy books promising great knowledge. Nice illustrations, tables, recognisable fonts, great covers and great "Hackers" authors or topics. I've always dreamed or wished to complete my O'Reilly book collections. That something I never wished with other publishers. Here I am a little bit deceived since I estimate the O'Reilly stamp in the Safari banner is not a proof of the quality standard I was expecting. That explain I didn't give a full five stars in my review (sadly). Well, enough said with that rant! :-)

Remember the book "ships" with an accompanying website. Don't hesitate, each time you turn a page, to follow the result from your web browser. I didn't check for every pages in the book, but every time you see HTML code or CSS sheet you should be able to visualize its result directly on the website. Thus allowing you to compare your own result to what you must get. And in a way it helps in compensating the issue I evoked in the last paragraph.

The website is also full of extra tools that are invaluable if you are a beginner, like I was. The book itself contains many links to invaluable third-party materials, which would be hard to find, or missed, if you are not used to html-related websites. For example I discovered Subtle Patterns which provides free bitmap textures for beautiful backgrounds on your website. Or a list of essential web references that every HTML programmer must know and visit frequently like A List Apart constituted of a team of people amongst the most known in their field.

In conclusion, I would finish with a good note on this book. It is rare to see objects made with much attention. Even though you would not need it (cause you know everything said inside), you should just buy the physical one, because it is a beautiful book. Carefully designed! :-)
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"1 Picture = 1K Words" - by Brett on 15-NOV-2012
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One of the most powerful ways this book communicates is not with verbal content at all.

It is very obvious that the ones who designed the layout and visual content of this book were heavy on visual communication and commercial design. This is something that you cannot communicate simply by telling.

So they show you instead.

Open your eyes. Don't just read the words. Look at the composition; look at the layout of their pages; look at how their visual elements interact.

Emulate! Make compelling web pages!

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"Great Book on paper" - by Anonymous on 05-OCT-2012
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I tried to read this book on safari, but soon understood how lame it is.

Then, I bought the paper version. And after finish reading it, I can say that its one of the best beginners technical book I have ever read!

The book is intended to be used only with the printed version, so be warned!


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