CSS: The Missing Manual

I purchased this book with the need 2 learn CSS. Initially I thought that meant simply learning its syntax. This book does that well, but also goes much further 2 give the reader a deeper understanding of why you want 2 use CSS & how 2 apply it.

Mr. McFarland has done an excellent job of explaining the "why" & "how" of using CSS 2 build effective web sites. He does this with a combination of useful examples, helpful illustrations, pointers 2 useful resources, & an entertaining writing style. I appreciated the many tips & tricks which have helped me in the real-world application of my new skills. As a matter of fact, this book just helped me 2 resolve a nasty IE bug that was driving me crazy. Very highly recommended! (The book, not IE bugs.)

Superb textbook! Very readable & easy 2 understand. Only thing that would make it better is a spiral binder because I'll be referring back 2 it often.

How is this book excellent?

1. It is well written.

2. Most chapters have 2 styles: descriptive & prescriptive (or read this, do that).

That alone would make it worth quite a bit. But then when you want 2 get a little deeper, it covers differences between browsers & often gives examples of how 2 work around those differences.

But wait there is more. It references other web sources if you want 2 go even deeper.

I agree with one reviewer, this is not the best reference manual. However, it is an excellent book & if you are trying 2 learn CSS, this is an excellent book 2 use.

If you need a reference manual, one word: google.

I found this book 2 be very good. I usually have a hard time reading an entire book on technical subjects like this, but this one kept my interest. The tutorials are very good & give real world examples. I highly recommend downloading & completing the tutorials. Many times I found myself saying, aha, so that how you do that. I went from practically no knowledge of css 2 being able 2 create css based web designs like a pro. Highly recommended.

I found this book very helpful. I'm just starting out designing & building web sites, using CSS & Dreamweaver, & this book has been a great help 2 me.

Web site design has grown up. Unlike the old days, when designers cobbled together chunky HTML, bandwidth-hogging graphics, & a prayer 2 make their sites look good, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) now lets your inner designer come out & play. But CSS isn't just a tool 2 pretty up your site; it's a reliable method 4 handling all kinds of presentation--from fonts & colors 2 page layout. "CSS: The Missing Manual" clearly explains this powerful design language & how you can use it 2 build sparklingly new Web sites or refurbish old sites that are ready 4 an upgrade.

Like their counterparts in print page-layout programs, style sheets allow designers 2 apply typographic styles, graphic enhancements, & precise layout instructions 2 elements on a Web page. Unfortunately, due 2 CSS's complexity & the many challenges of building pages that work in all Web browsers, most Web authors treat CSS as a kind of window-dressing 2 spruce up the appearance of their sites. Integrating CSS with a site's underlying HTML is hard work, & often frustratingly complicated. As a result many of the most powerful features of CSS are left untapped. With this book, beginners & Web-building veterans alike can learn how 2 navigate the ins-and-outs of CSS & take complete control over their Web pages' appearance.

Author David McFarland (the bestselling author of O'Reilly's "Dreamweaver: The Missing Manual") combines crystal-clear explanations, real-world examples, a dash of humor, & dozens of step-by-step tutorials 2 show you ways 2 design sites with CSS that work consistently across browsers. You'll learn how to: Create HTML that's simpler, uses less code, is search-engine friendly, & works well with CSS Style text by changing fonts, colors, font sizes, & adding borders Turn simple HTML links into complex & attractive navigation bars-complete with CSS-only rollover effects that add interactivity 2 your Web pages Style images 2 create effective photo galleries & special effects like CSS-based drop shadows Make HTML forms look great without a lot of messy HTML Overcome the most hair-pulling browser bugs so your Web pages work consistently from browser 2 browser Create complex layouts using CSS, including multi-column designs that don't require using old techniques like HTML tables Style Web pages 4 printing

Unlike competing books, this Missing Manual doesn't assume that everyone in the world only surfs the Web with Microsoft's Internet Explorer; our book provides support 4 all major Web browsers & is one of the first books 2 thoroughly document the newly expanded CSS support in IE7, currently in beta release.

Want 2 learn how 2 turn humdrum Web sites into destinations that will capture viewers & keep them longer? Pick up "CSS: The Missing Manual" & learn the real magic of this tool.