Product Description

Tired of reading HTML books that only make sense after you're an expert? Then it's about time you picked up Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML and really learned HTML. You want to learn HTML so you can finally create those web pages you've always wanted, so you can communicate more effectively with friends, family, fans, and fanatic customers. You also want to do it right so you can actually maintain and expand your Web pages over time, and so your web pages work in all the browsers and mobile devices out there. Oh, and if you've never heard of CSS, that's okay - we won't tell anyone you're still partying like it's 1999 - but if you're going to create Web pages in the 21st century then you'll want to know and understand CSS.

Learn the real secrets of creating Web pages, and why everything your boss told you about HTML tables is probably wrong (and what to do instead). Most importantly, hold your own with your co-worker (and impress cocktail party guests) when he casually mentions how his HTML is now strict, and his CSS is in an external style sheet.

With Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML, you'll avoid the embarrassment of thinking web-safe colors still matter, and the foolishness of slipping a font tag into your pages. Best of all, you'll learn HTML and CSS in a way that won't put you to sleep. If you've read a Head First book, you know what to expect: a visually-rich format designed for the way your brain works. Using the latest research in neurobiology, cognitive science, and learning theory, this book will load HTML, CSS, and XHTML into your brain in a way that sticks.

So what are you waiting for? Leave those other dusty books behind and come join us in Webville. Your tour is about to begin.

"Elegant design is at the core of every chapter here, each concept conveyed with equal doses of pragmatism and wit." --Ken Goldstein, Executive Vice President, Disney Online

"This book is a thoroughly modern introduction to forward-looking practices in web page markup and presentation." --Danny Goodman, author of Dynamic HTML: The Definitive Guide

"What used to be a long trial and error learning process has now been reduced neatly into an engaging paperback." --Mike Davidson, CEO, Newsvine, Inc.

"I love Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML--it teaches you everything you need to learn in a 'fun coated' format!" --Sally Applin, UI Designer and Artist

"I haven't had as much fun reading a book (other than Harry Potter) in years. And your book finally helped me break out of my hapless so-last-century way of creating web pages." --Professor David M. Arnow, Department of Computer and Information Science, Brooklyn College

"If you've ever had a family member who wanted you to design a website for them, buy them Head First HTML with CSS and XHTML. If you've ever asked a family member to design you a web site, buy this book. If you've ever bought an HTML book and ended up using it to level your desk, or for kindling on a cold winter day, buy this book. This is the book you've been waiting for. This is the learning system you've been waiting for." --Warren Kelly, Blogcritics.org

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1199924 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 504 pages

From the Publisher
Tired of reading HTML books that only make sense after you're an expert? Then it's about time you picked up Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML and really learn HTML. You want to learn HTML so you can finally create those Web pages you've always wanted, so you can communicate more effectively with friends, family, fans and fanatic customers. You also want to do it right so you can actually maintain and expand your Web pages over time, and so your Web pages work in all the browsers and mobile devices out there. So what are you waiting for? Leave those other dusty books behind and come join us in Webville. Your tour is about to begin.

About the Author
Elisabeth Robson (formerly Freeman) is coauthor of O'Reilly's Head First Design Patterns and Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML. She is currently Special Projects Director at O'Reilly where she is developing new brain-friendly learning ideas and products.

Elisabeth and Eric Freeman direct the Head First Series for O'Reilly Media and are the co-authors of the best-selling Head First Design Patterns. They previously led Internet and digital media efforts at the Walt Disney Company, where they had their hands in the design and technology behind some of today's most popular web sites, including ABCNews.com, Disney.com and ESPN.com. Elisabeth and Eric both hold computer science degrees from Yale University: Elisabeth holds an M.S degree and Eric a Ph.D.

Customer Reviews

For beginners, THE best intro to web design
If you have no idea what a div tag is, or the id attribute, or you've been pretending for a while that you do, this is the book you should buy. For beginners it has no equal.

It's effective on three fronts. First, unlike so many other HTML/CSS books on the shelves, it takes nothing for granted - the authors have managed to step outside the often esoteric world of web design and speak clearly and unpatronisingly to the uninitiated. Second, it's rooted in a tried and tested theory of learning, which means that if you do the apparently silly little puzzles and games, chances are you'll actually remember what you've read. Finally, it's fun - you'll groan at times, but it's so much better than dry-as-dust textbook-ese.

I've bought nine books in the last four months in an obsessive attempt to understand how to create effective web sites. This book has provided the foundation for all the others, and is easily the most thoughtfully conceived.

HTML, XHTML, CSS - Superb Read!
This book was was by far one of the most enjoyable learning experiences I have had in recent times. It literally does throw you in "Head First" but it's unique style and sense of humour manages to pull it off. It starts of with the basic introduction to the web and HTML tags, browsers but the way it teaches you is so clever, emphasing the logic and need for industrial strength code which is unusual for informal books like "Dummy's" series (which I can't stand!!). I must point out that this book is based on real HTML 4.01 strict form, moving on to XHTML 1.0 and CSS. If have experience in previous legacy versions of HTML then the hardest thing will be to un-learn what you already know. Experienced or non experienced, this book is designed to be read from cover to cover and is not a reference and it by no means covers everything but it does cover the main topics/standards and does get quite advanced while retaining the terrible (but strangely amusing) sense of humour. On top of all this there are a couple of website design scenarios that develop througout the book as you learn more which covers practical aspect of things.
I highly recommend this title, Superb.

The Freemans have done it again - another superb Head First
Head First books have the power to induce unrestrained enthusiasm from their devotees. Expect much raving below.

I am an utter HTML newbie and I've never read any other books on HTML or CSS, so I can't comment on how complete the coverage of the book is. However, after having read this book, I had a poke around a few HTML and CSS files, and understood what they were doing, so it must be fairly complete. As a brief indicator of the scope, the book takes you from HTML no-hoper to designing a multi-columned web page considering different float, jello, and fixed CSS styles. The last two chapters cover tables and forms (that's things like radio buttons and text areas), but doesn't cover scripting or server side programming.

I also ran a few web pages through the W3C validator, and then felt extremely smug when I understood when they failed. I look forward to making myself very unpopular with my web-designing colleagues with this newfound knowledge.

What I can comment on with more confidence is the learning experience. I started reading this on Friday evening, and finished it on Sunday afternoon. It is a joy to read.

If you've read a previous Head First book, you know what to expect, although this book has the added bonus of full colour pages and higher quality paper. Curious about HTML, XHTML, CSS? Buy without hesitation. Nice to see the Five Minute Mysteries from Head First Java back, too.

If you've not read a Head First book, then expect a tutorial rather than a reference. Calling it a tutorial does it a disservice, however. There is little in the way of traditional exposition in Head First titles. You will never see a page of plain text.

What you will see are a succession of engaging scenarios with slyly waggish pop-cultural references; recurring characters setting tasks, asking the questions, and playing out the concepts you're introduced to; copiously annotated fragments of code and the resulting web pages; small puzzles and crosswords. Even when there are multiple ways of doing the same thing, instead of a simple table listing the pros and cons, you're more likely to see an anthropomorphised head to head discussion or an interview.

Sounds a bit gimmicky? Sound like it'd be really annoying? It's not - it's almost perfectly judged, and it's the secret of what makes this a compelling learning experience. Everything is conversational and humanised. The pacing is spot on, and there's an energy to this that has you wanting to read just one more chapter.

For a book about CSS, this is no small achievement. If you're interested in building your own website or simply just curious about what HTML can do, buy it without hesitation.