Editorial Review

"Perhaps the best-written HTML tutorial ever."Read more

Reviews (513)

Far and away the best book for everyone!
This is simply the best HTML and CSS book.It has basically everything you need to know, with easy-to-find, easy-to-understand, and concise descriptions.It it not "web for dummies," rather, it is a very sophisticated and realistic approach to HTML and CSS, without a lot of hype or self-promotion.If you want to hear people wax poetical about the "EM" unit, you can get the book by Lie & Bos, but I think Castro's book is far more useful.She gives links to many web sites to help with more advanced stuff (Javascript, etc.), which is nice, but the book itself is incredibly comprehensive.And the layout of the book is a model for all instructional texts.A winner!

For Reference or for learning
Elizabeth Castro has been writing Visual Quickstart Guides to HTML and web design in an easy to understand manner. Now she provides resources for those who would be interested in web design that will create sites that are usable for years to come. Since I first picked up the fourth edition of this book, I have been hooked on the series, because its explanations are written on a level for the average person. The organization allows the reader to move at their own pace and easily refer back to topics that they want to refresh.
Coding
This book was a real help to me when I first became addicted to coding. The pictures are quite helpful, or at least more helpful than long explanations, and Elizabeth Castro is a fabulous writer. I learned so much that I went on to learn many other programming and coding languages with ease. You don't need to have any experience to use this book, it explains everything. Visual QuickStart Guide's are the best type in the market, cheap and easy to understand. So if you are itching to learn another computer language, I suggest checking them out! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computer Networks    3. Computer Programming Languages    4. Computers    5. Computers - Languages / Programming    6. HTML (Document markup language)    7. Hypertext systems    8. Internet - Web Site Design    9. Networking - General    10. Programming Languages - HTML    11. World Wide Web (Information retrieval system)    12. Computers / Programming Languages / HTML, SGML, VRML, XML    13. Databases & data structures    14. HTML   

Editorial Review

Hard core programmers would say that HTML Read more

Reviews (63)

Perfect!!
Thats the book that everybody should read before starting building web pages!! Simple english and easy examples.... As the title... FOR DUMMIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I suggest this book to everybody!!!

A good place to start but ONLY for beginers!
I am very computer literate, but knew nothing about HTML. I bought this book to create a web site, and a week later I had a web site running.
A must have for the techno illiterate....
Want your own website but don't even know what HTML stands for? You need this book. This is definitely a "for dummies" book. It walks you through the painstaking process of building Thine Own Space in Cyber and makes it fun instead of frightening. Highly recommend! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Languages    2. Computers    3. Computers - Languages / Programming    4. Data Processing - General    5. HTML (Document markup language)    6. Programming Languages - HTML    7. Computers / Programming Languages / HTML, SGML, VRML, XML    8. HTML   

Editorial Review

In Read more

Reviews (31)

Good Reference
I bought this book a while ago, I think sometime in 2000.It's been very helpful as a reference.I wouldn't recommend this book to someone with no knowledge of HTML.It doesn't teach you HTML so much as it reiterates things the author assumes you already know.It's nice to have if you know HTML and CSS and need to brush up.I find myself pulling it out pretty frequently when I'm building a page and my brain farts out and I need to jog my memory.But for a beginner, this book will likely cause frustration.

I Keep Grabbing This One Off the Shelf
This book truly is my HTML bible. I've been doing HTML constantly for the past four years and have used a lot of resources, both printed and on the web, and when I got this book I didn't need to use any other resources because this book always had the answers to my multitude of questions. I admit that this book would be a little hard to follow if you're completely new to HTML but if you're familiar with HTML and are hungry to become very good at it this book will satisfy you. If you're totally new to HTML I reccomend the book on HTML published by Visual (it's white with a blueprint of a bridge on the cover). It was my first HTML book and it served me well until I learned everything in it and wanted a book that would teach me more. That's why I got this HTML bible.
Not So Good
Comparing to other books of the Bible family, this book is not satisfactory. It's short of enough figures that can give readers a vivid description of what these codes can make. And the real-world codes are also insufficient. The book is divided into too many chapters, which makes the whole book disordered. The 150-page Appendix is the only highlight of the book. Readers can easily query the usage of keywords. For sure, the book is not suitable to a beginner. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Operating Systems    2. Computer Networks    3. Computer Programming Languages    4. Computers    5. Computers - Languages / Programming    6. HTML (Document markup language    7. HTML (Document markup language)    8. Internet - Web Site Design    9. Programming Languages - HTML    10. Computers / Programming Languages / HTML, SGML, VRML, XML    11. HTML   

Reviews (4)

Works, but very Outdated!
At the time of this writing, this book is very outdated.What does it take to update a Book like this?Not very much.Animabets.com does not exist anymore, and they constantly cite examples using this website, not to mention any software they recommend is also way outdated, and their examples don't work with any current software.But I'm not saying you couldn't learn HTML using this book.It just wastes a lot of your valuable time.

the easiest and best
as i used this item i was amazed at the ease of use and the good pictoral examples given on each page with red lines showing where every thing is and how it works there is no better book to learn html

The "Webster's Dictionary" of HTML books
You know the old saw, "never judge a book by its cover"?Not only teaches the novice the intracacies of HTML, but is also a superb reference for the accomplished coder.I call it the "Webster's Dictionary" of HTML books because the end effect(s) (think "word(s)" using the dictionary analogy) is side-by-side with the HTML code (the "definition").I have many HTML books, but I find myself coming back to this one as my steady and reliable desk reference on HTML. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books And Software    2. Computer Networks    3. Computer Programming Languages    4. Computers    5. Computers - Languages / Programming    6. HTML (Document markup language    7. HTML (Document markup language)    8. Internet - General    9. Programming Languages - HTML    10. XHTML (Document markup languag    11. XHTML (Document markup language)    12. Computers / Programming Languages / HTML, SGML, VRML, XML    13. HTML    14. XML   

Editorial Review

Lee Anne Phillips proves that you don't have to be a programmer or even technically minded to put together an interesting and professional-looking Web site. All you need is a little taste, some common sense, and a bit of guidance. This book takes users by the hand--even those who haven't purchased their first computer yet.Read more

Reviews (21)

Excellent Book
Starts off at the very beginning, and leads the reader to learn html with lots of pictures and examples.This book is very organized.

Terrible as an HTML companion book
Although this book covers pretty much all the elements of HTML, I discovered a significant number of incomplete syntax specifications. I was especially disappointed in its coverage of forms. The chapter just breezedthrough all the different types of form elements and didn't explain howdata from these elements are handled when submitting a form. Because ofthe inadequacy of this book, I often find myself having to surf on the Netto find answers to my HTML questions.

Outstanding Reference Guide
QUE's "Unsing HTML 4" was and continues to be a great reference quide. It also has easy indexing for new HTML authors. This book is definitely the best choice for either experienced authors or beginners. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Web Publishing    2. Computer Networks    3. Computer Programming Languages    4. Computers    5. Computers - Languages / Programming    6. HTML (Document markup language    7. HTML (Document markup language)    8. Hypertext systems    9. Internet - Web Site Design    10. Networking - General    11. Programming Languages - HTML    12. Computers / Programming Languages / HTML, SGML, VRML, XML    13. Electronic books    14. HTML   

Editorial Review

This guide is appropriate for those who just need to know enough HTML to get around or who want a convenient, quick reference for the little things they forgot. While far short of a complete course on HTML, this reference is much more than a mere cheat sheet. The signature light-heartedness of the For Dummies series can help make you comfortable if the giant HTML tomes are too daunting.Read more

Reviews (22)

Great for beginners!
I love this book! 7 years ago, when I was in high school, I knew nothing about HTML, so I picked up this book. And it really helped me learn fast!
This a very good begging to learn HTML
I had new a little html before I got this book but after I got this book my web pages went from looking like something a high school freshman could do after a weekend to something that looks fairly professional I really enjoyed this book and will be getting java for dummies also if it half as good as this one

Great Little Friend!
This is the first HTML book I bought and it's become my favorite. Not only did I learn how to build a webpage from scratch, I continue to learn new tricks from it every time I dip inside. This is great if you want to learn how to code your pages and not rely on templates. There's also a quick and handy color code guide in the back. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computer Networks    3. Computer Programming Languages    4. Computers    5. Computers - Languages / Programming    6. Design    7. HTML (Document markup language)    8. Hypertext systems    9. Internet - Web Site Design    10. Networking - General    11. Programming Languages - HTML    12. Web sites    13. Computers / Programming Languages / HTML, SGML, VRML, XML    14. HTML   

Editorial Review

The most recent update to Dave Taylor's popular guide includes HTML 4 and still offers great advice for beginning-to-intermediate Web-page authors. Taylor's calm, competent tone reassures those who are creating their first page, but his expertise in designing Web pages is valuable for those who are ready to do more. Read more

Reviews (44)

Excellent HTML Resource
I've been doing HTML work on and off for the last 5-6 years. This book is full of great examples for beginners or more advanced users who just forgot how to do something. You won't regret owning this book.

Best HTML Book Around!
I graduated from the University of Redlands (California) with a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems degree a few years ago.Many of the textbooks I used were not very enlightening - I suffered through using them and immediately took them back to the bookstore for resale.This wasn't so with the CREATING COOL HTML 4 book.I use this as a reference book now.
Excelent book
Although the author gives some superfials explanations on JavaScript, CGI & DHTML, this book offers and comprehensive and fairly complete explanation on HTML.
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Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    2. Computer Books And Software    3. Computer Networks    4. Computers    5. Design    6. Desktop Publishing    7. Desktop Publishing - General    8. HTML (Document markup language    9. HTML (Document markup language)    10. Internet - Web Site Design    11. Programming Languages - HTML    12. Web sites    13. World Wide Web    14. HTML   

Reviews (4)

A wonderful reference
I use this book quite a bit.In fact, I'm on my second copy (my first having fallen apart).My brother, who is also an HTML programmer, is on his fifth copy.This book never fails to teach me something new just by browsing through it.I love the fact that it is just a straight reference, and not a how-to book.

i love this book
Honestly ... out of all the computer books I've purchased (and I've purchased a lot) this is by far the most useful ... I know my way around HTML pretty well and I still use it constantly. This book is great for those starting out and advanced users as well. Excellent!

A must have
Outstanding reference guide.Everything in one place, and easy to find. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Operating Systems    2. Computer Networks    3. Computer Programming Languages    4. Computers    5. Computers - Languages / Programming    6. HTML (Document markup language    7. HTML (Document markup language)    8. Internet - Web Site Design    9. Programming Languages - General    10. Programming Languages - HTML    11. HTML   

Reviews (1)

Great beginners learning tool
Most HTML instructional books I've seen are closer to reference manuals than learning tools.If you want to learn how to build web pages from scratch using native HTML this is the book you should be looking at.Years ago I used the 1998 "Revised Edition" of this book which came with a CD to learn most of what I know about HTML.What I liked the most about it was that it separated each major study area into standalone elements.When I finished a particular tutorial session I could actually start using what I learned in real life web pages.In addition, all the coding examples presented in the book were also on the CD I got with the book. On thing I especially liked was that I found nothing strange in any of Callihan's coding examples.Unlike a lot of authors of technical books he doesn't make any assumptions about his readers' prior technical knowledge.His coding example only used HTML commands that he had already thoroughly explained in his instructional text.
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Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computers    3. Computers - Languages / Programming    4. HTML (Document markup language)    5. Programming - General    6. Programming Languages - HTML    7. Computer Programming    8. Computers / Programming / General    9. HTML   

Reviews (2)

Great book if you need a quick entry in HTML4
I never had the time to actually learn any aspects of HTML. Although I still prefer WYSIWYG-editors, this book helped me quite a lot in thinking in HTML. The fact that it doesn't show much details is a pro. One drawbackthough: chapter 9 (on cascading style sheets) contains a significant numberof typo's/miswrites/errors. Still a very decent piece of literature!

Good intro to HTML 4
HTML 4 nice and easily explaind without getting to technical. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    2. Computer Books And Software    3. Computers - Languages / Programming    4. Electronic publishing    5. HTML (Document markup language    6. HTML (Document markup language)    7. Internet - Web Site Design    8. Networking - General    9. Programming Languages - HTML    10. World Wide Web    11. Computers / Internet / World Wide Web    12. HTML    13. Java & variants   

Reviews (6)

Learn By Doing
I learned how to write HTML with the original edition of this text. The best way to learn is by doing. If you go through this text page by page you will become an excellent HTML author. I'm surprised that programmed texts are not used more often to teach various aspects of computer science. Be persistent! You'll learn well.

This is the book that started my online hompage
With this book I learned all the beginning steps to online HTML.Now 2 years and over 100 websites later I'm still going strong.

Great Great and Great
I started out knowing nothing of HTML and when I was finished with this book I had an excellent start on web page making.I recommend anyone wanting to learn how to create web pages, go out and get this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer - Internet    2. Computer Books And Software    3. Computer Networks    4. Computer Programming Languages    5. Computers    6. Data Processing - General    7. HTML (Document markup language)    8. Hypertext systems    9. Internet - General    10. Networking - General    11. Programming Languages - HTML    12. World Wide Web    13. HTML   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (28)

Great book
When I first started learning html I did not understand what it was about.I bought this book and I've learned alot about html.This is a great book. It also talks a little bit about other things dealing with web page making such as CSS and other.
Best in Town
This book is the best in market for learning HTML.

Great HTML Book
I found this easy to use and it has everything you need to create beautiful web pages. Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Web Publishing    2. Computer Networks    3. Computer Programming Languages    4. Computers    5. Computers - Languages / Programming    6. HTML (Document markup language)    7. Internet - Web Site Design    8. Programming Languages - General    9. Programming Languages - HTML   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (60)

Extremely basic
This book is extremely basic, so it's perfect for first-timers who have never written in any program, including HTML.There's much more you can learn about web page design, especially when going into XML, but this is a great start to that.

Great text for those with no html knowledge at all...
Other reviewers have noted that the text is out of date, anything several years old in the field of computers is ancient.However, the building blocks that the author lays out here are still in use.The general idea behind HTML and what a browser does when it comes across the HTML code on a web server is still the same.For someone that knows absolutely nothing about designing a web page, this is a very good beginner book.It starts very simply and builds on each concept that came before it.The text is laid out in a very easy to understand manner and allows the reader to develop a firm foundation of the basic concepts of HTML.
did you note the publishing date??
Answer: 2002. That should be a "caution" for buying this book.
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Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    2. Computer Books: Web Publishing    3. Computer Networks    4. Computers    5. Desktop Publishing    6. Electronic publishing    7. HTML (Document markup language    8. HTML (Document markup language)    9. Internet - General    10. Internet - Web Site Design    11. Networking - General    12. Programming Languages - HTML    13. World Wide Web    14. Desktop publishing software    15. HTML   

Reviews (1)

Make sense of HTML
Are you new to Web page design? Do you wonder if you could make your own Web site? If so, this is the book for you. Of course you could just grab an HTML editor and drag and drop objects into an HTML page but without understanding what is going on behind the scenes, what do you do if you have a problem. You can stare at the HTML code but it may as well be Greek!Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Web Programming    2. Computers    3. Computers - Languages / Programming    4. Programming Languages - HTML    5. Computers / Programming Languages / HTML, SGML, VRML, XML   

Reviews (8)

Excellent
I didn't know what HTML was before this book.Now I can write my own simple webpages.Excellent.

Great Book
I have absolutely no knowledge of programming and was able to easily read the material and understand it.The graphics are also great.I would recommend this book to anyone.

Admirable job
I do recommend reading "HTML 4.01 Weekend Crash Course" if you already own it. The copy I bought and read is copyright 2000. The title might be changed to something like "HTML and related activities" as it covers considerably more than just HTML. That seems necessary to me. It would be a problem not presenting the other topics. This book does an admirable job of covering that amount of material in the 30 sessions meant to be read during a weekend. There are spots that are a little rough. It hints of being a first edition that would benefit from editing. I would wait for the next version, as there is some dated material that is only going to become more of a problem. Having said that I benefited from having read the book after having taken web design and web programming courses. I recommend reading this book (the new version) to prepare for such courses in order to take better advantage of them. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Web Publishing    2. Computer Networks    3. Computer Programming Languages    4. Computers    5. Computers - Languages / Programming    6. HTML (Document markup language    7. HTML (Document markup language)    8. Internet - Web Site Design    9. Programming Languages - HTML    10. Computers / Programming Languages / HTML, SGML, VRML, XML    11. HTML   

Reviews (6)

So many errors it's unworkable
I purchased this book to start learning HTML. While there appears to be a lot of information here, I found so many errors and omissions that I gave up after 115 pages. I just couldn't follow the examples, and found the page layout to be too confusing. The index didn't help much either - often pointing to a term used only once in the book without any further explanation. I bought a different book (by Laura Lemay) and have had much more success with the Lemay book.

Practical Learning
Yes, it seems disjointed at times and has several spelling errors. However, for beginners like myself I have learnt that the best learning books for computer Newbies comprise of plenty of page graphics (close to 50% of content in this one) and practice exercises(end of every chapter !). Cottrell's book achieves both well enough. Most computer books do not, atleast for HTML learning that I have examined.Cottrell's book urges you to complete end of chapter questions with answers at the back for critical comprehension checking. It secondly includes a working case study exercise at theend of each chapter e.g, Chapter 4 p.67 on Tables- Shows a case study homepage and asks :'What are the design issues with this page ? How did the author create it ? Identify each table, and any special formatting you see in the table.(Hint: there are nested tables on this page.) When you're done, go to [specified website address] and view thesource code.'Gives her answer at the back of the book too.I would have liked to have seen MORE practice exercises... but this book has been great to check my understanding as a newbie. Nice work. Fire the editor
This is one of the worst editing jobs I have ever seen in published material.There is sometimes no continuity, incomplete sentences, no follow on explanations; just a poorly written and poorly edited book.You can learn a little about HTML, but it's a lot of work ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    2. Computer Books: Web Programming    3. Computer Networks    4. Computer Programming Languages    5. Computers    6. Computers - Languages / Programming    7. HTML (Document markup language    8. HTML (Document markup language)    9. Internet - Web Site Design    10. Programming Languages - HTML    11. Computers / Programming Languages / HTML, SGML, VRML, XML    12. Databases & data structures    13. HTML   

Editorial Review

If you want to get up to speed with HTML 4 quickly, Read more

Reviews (73)

Best HTML book for everyone
I read this book a few years ago when I knew nothing of HTML and it was an amazing experience.I read this book in the car on a 14 hour trip and on that 14th hour, I was already an intermediate HTML programmer.The book is broken down into 24 chapters that are each very detailed and smooth.Reading this book was almost like watching a good movie.After every chapter, I found myself wanting more.It was very hard to put this book down because it was exactly what I needed.My goal was to understand the concepts of HTML and to make very good and detailed websites.This book does it all.After I read this book, I immediately pulled up a plain text file and started typing in some code.Within a few minutes, I already had a full-blown webpage with images, tables,a centered header, and even an e-mail form (that did not include any CGI).After every chapter there are questions and answers about everything that was discussed.That helped me understand everything more and kept me from getting lost.In conclusion, if you want to be on your way with making awesome websites, this book is worth the price and worth 24 hours of your time.

The one and only Basic HTML Book
I searched high and low, paid gazillions of dollars on books and courses, they are all tough, expensive and difficult. Sams Teach Yourself Html 4 in 24 Hours is the best book I found. Don't waste time and money!
Publisher and authors don't support this book. You can't find samples and web links don't work. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    2. Computer Books: Web Publishing    3. Computers    4. HTML (Document markup language)    5. Hypertext systems    6. Internet - Web Site Design    7. Programmed instruction    8. Programming Languages - HTML    9. HTML   

Subjects:  1. Business Software - General    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computers    4. Programming Languages - HTML   

Reviews (9)

Too many errors
Although I like the writing style of the author, this book has just too many errors (especially when you consider its audience--beginners).I'm a beginner too, and found the mistakes while working through the book.Granted, a lot of these mistakes are minor, but as there are so many, I found myself not trusting the rest of the book.So what are the mistakes?Here is a sampling (and again they're minor but to a beginner they may just be enough to make one quit altogether from frustration): Great For Filling Up Potholes From Other Books
If you look at some other HTML books, there are parts that are lacking.This book should not be the only HTML guide in your library if you'reserious about building a site, but it is definitely great for filling upthose potholes from other books.It was especially helpful with the"back end" of forms and the frames section was very concise.Istarted my web site with books like HTML 4 For Dummies by Ed Tittel, et.al., I finished it with SAMS Teach Yourself HTML 4 by Deidre Hayes.

an excellent resource
This was the first teach-yourself tech book I had ever read, and it really gave me a desire to learn other skills; this coming from a recent highschool grad thats just about burnt out on dry-as-whole-wheat-toast textbooks. This book gave me the foundation to attack javascript and other webdesign elements. Heck, in a couple a days reading time you can learn thecornerstone langauge of the web. Convienently laid out and organized,promotes learning while doing, and makes a quick reference while not divingtoo deep into the intricacies of HTML. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    2. Computer Books: Languages    3. Computer Networks    4. Computer Programming Languages    5. Computers    6. Computers - Languages / Programming    7. Design    8. HTML (Document markup language)    9. Internet - Web Site Design    10. Networking - General    11. Programming Languages - HTML    12. Web sites   

Reviews (12)

Booooooring!
Okay, I know programming/scripting/formatting books are inherently boring. That's the nature of the beast. But this one takes the cake. I don't question the soundness of the information provided, but the way it is presented reminds me of a boring teacher in high school on a 1:00 PM class after a hearty lunch...you just want to sleep. This is not an exaggeration...I have actually tried reading the book for the purpose of getting some sleep - it worked! Elizabeth Castro's HTML for the World Wide Web, reads like a riveting spy thriller compared to this...for much less money. The thing with Elizabeth Castro is she manages to present a boring subject interesting and engaging.

You get what you pay for
This book delivers on its promise of a thorough review of HTML 4.0.Every tag and attribute is explained well enough for you to get the hang of it on your own.This is not the "end-all" book on HTML, but simply aquick (but thorough) reference and a starting guide.It explains HTMLtopics in a natural language that can appeal to all classes of readers. Excellent!
I was looking for exactly what this book contains. I spent 20 minutes in a book-shop digging the shelves trying to find something that could explain HTML with short and clear examples, going directly to the grain, and I found it!. This book is well written, clear and give you a good practicalperspective of how to design a web site. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Languages    2. Computer Programming Languages    3. Computers    4. Computers - Languages / Programming    5. HTML (Document markup language    6. HTML (Document markup language)    7. Internet - Web Site Design    8. Programming Languages - HTML    9. HTML