HTML & XHTML: The Definitive Guide (6th Edition), by Chuck Musciano and Bill Kennedy

Over the years, there have been a lot of books written about HTML and XHTML. Few books, however, can brag of being 6th edition books - the first edition of this book came out in April 1996. Editions followed in May 1997, August 1998, August 2000, August 2002 and now October 2006. Somehow each edition escaped me until now, but the knowledge that the book was good enough to keep updating is a hard fact to ignore; the internet and associated technologies evolve rapidly. It astounds me that new generations of people are viewing the web as if it had always been there. In that regard, this book has 'always been there' in one edition or another. The intended audience of the book is, according to the authors within the Preface: We wrote this book for anyone interested in learning and using the language of the Web, from the most casual user to the full-time design professional. We don't expect you to have any experience in HTML or XHTML before picking up this book. In fact, we don't even expect that you've ever browsed the Web, although we'd be very, very surprised if you haven't. As you would expect with a book with this sort of longevity, it covers just about everything one would need to know about HTML and XHTML, and includes some Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) and XML basics as well. At 632 pages, it's not a lightweight - and 17 chapters lead the novice to the intermediate and, depending on the reader, the expert on HTML and XHTML.

17 Chapters with a steady rhythm go over the standard fare of HTML and XHTML in bite sized chunks for the novice to digest. Chapter 14, on Mobile Devices, is well worth mentioning: as mobile phones become more and more ubiquitous (more so than Microsoft Windows), knowing how to represent a site on a mobile phone is becoming increasingly valuable. When I see information on representing data on a mobile device in a beginner's book using web technology, I know that the authors understand the present and future needs - and that the readers, the people learning, will get more than they expected with that information.

The writing is friendly, and yet the material is covered quickly. The focus for each part of the book slowly builds into a larger picture - but the reader has to bring their own canvas. While using the internet is not necessary with this book, practicing the knowledge within it as one goes along increases the value of this book profoundly. As a former instructor of web design at the University of the West Indies School of Continuing Studies, I can see this book as a great book for an instructor lead curriculum. I can also see this book as worthwhile in the hands of a motivated beginner. The Appendices extend the shelf life of the book considerably, since within them lie handy quick references which even include the pesky color names and values which I always forget, and the Netscape Layout extensions.

Everyone learns in different ways. This book is for people who like to work through linearly, as well as people who may be studying while they work - the small sections allow for quick reads between tasks that can be reinforced later through practice. I'd have to say that using the book in conjunction with designing a personal web page would be ideal.

In all, I have to give HTML & XHTML: The Definitive Guide (6th Edition) an 8 out of 10 on the KnowProSE.com scale. The book is approachable, thorough, and can be useful well beyond learning the meat of HTML and XHTML. Of course, to expect less from the 6th Edition of such a book would be silly.

Technorati Tags: CSS HTML ICT Internet Programming Programming Software Engineering Technology Technology Web Design XHTML