The Bottom Line
If you want to learn HTML or how to build a Web page, this book is the perfect first choice. It is easy to read and doesn't talk down to you. And it covers everything from beginning to advanced topics in the same clear style.
Pros
- Very easy to pick up and read
- Strong technical focus continues from 1st ed
- Even an advanced designer will find things of use here
Cons
- Still no upload without FTP, but not as important now
- XHTML is only lightly touched upon
Description
- Chapters 1-2 cover the basics of the Web and how it works, plus how to start your own site.
- Chapters 3-5 gets your pages to the Web and starts explaining the basics of online design.
- Chapters 6-7 help you create your first HTML page and then explains HTML in more detail.
- Chapters 8-10 cover stylesheets, graphics, and links.
- Chapters 11-13 explain tables, frames, and how to use color on the Web.
- The third section (ch 14-18) covers graphics: GIF and JPG, animated GIFs, and rollovers.
- The final section (ch 19-22) bring it all together helping you design your site, not just write it.
- Chapters 19 and 21 explain techniques in Web design and some do's and don'ts.
- Chapter 20 covers usability on the Web.
- Chapter 22 explains advanced concepts like forms, audio, flash, DHTML, and XHTML.
Guide Review - Learning Web Design - 2nd Edition by Jennifer Niederst
I think what I like best about this new edition is the "test yourself" sections at the end of every chapter. They help you to remember what you learned in that chapter and pull it all together into one cohesive whole. Some of the concepts that she covers are very advanced, but she makes it easy to understand and implement within the context of what you're creating. If you're trying to learn HTML you should pick up this book. And if you've been building Web pages with a WYSIWYG editor, consider getting this book to help augment your knowledge.
