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Message from Dean - May 8th 2007
I am currently testing out a new version of the APF Bridge Component - If you notice any errors within this demo store please drop me a line.
Rating:  -
This book completely changed the way I build and design web sites for the better. I had been using HTML tables for layout for years and never realized how limiting that method was until I read this book. The narrative is very easy to follow and the different techniques are explained extremely well. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to expand their web design and front-end coding skills.
Rating:  -
The book covers some topics very clearly. I've used CSS in a limited manner for years, but never done any really serious development. This book helped me gain an actual understanding of what is going on behind the scenes. For example, I never realized that vertical margins are collapsed. It also helped explain some of those annoying float clearing issues. If you already know about those, you may be looking for a more advanced book, but it does cover these beginner areas very well. I knock off a star for lack of coverage. (It's a rather short book.)
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Concise: an introductory chapter, a chapter explaining the box model, 5 short chapters covering the most useful basics of a few ways to use CSS, two chapters on hacks & bugs, and two case studies. A few hours and you're done -- ready to hit the ground running. This book is by no means a thorough reference: instead, Andy Budd gets down to the point quickly with no extraneous explanations or examples.
Each topic is addressed with a short, lucid explanation, accompanied by some code, useful graphics explaining concepts, and an example. Andy's style of presenting the material carries the same succinct, high-quality feel as his work (see clearleft.com).
The number of techniques, bugs, hacks and filters can be quite overwhelming for a newcomer, especially due to browser inconsistencies. It is therefore imperative to start coding immediately in order to become familiar with the techniques and gain some confidence in using them. This is not due to the nature of the book, but instead due to the nature of CSS. As for me, I'll be referring to the book on countless occasions in the future.
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This book is exactly what I want in a Web or computer book ... short and too the point. It teaches by example rather than lengthy explanations. After a brief recap of CSS basics, you jump right into real-world examples of styling tables, lists, links, etc. The section on hacks and filters serves as a quick heads up to cross-browser compatibility problems. The case studies at the end really bring everything together.
Even though this book was published in 2006, it still feels cutting-edge today. This is not a CSS For Dummies book. This is for those who have already had some exposure to CSS and HTML, and want to start doing cutting-edge designs. Thanks, Andy!
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A useful, well written guide to using CSS in modern websites. I'm not the type to skim read technical manuals. I like to read them cover to cover, and this is the kind of book you will happily read in full.
My only reservation is that the book seems written too much around the examples provided, rather than aiming to give more general and transferable examples to work through.
I tend to try and learn most of this stuff through online tutorials, so I was reluctant to fork out any money for a book. But it was worth it.
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