Customer Reviews

Building Better Web Pages: Extending HTML

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This book is a superb resource for website desgners. It is NOT about how to write better HTML, or really about the coding at all. What the book is about is how to design a web site that people want to visit and revisit. It is full of techniques to accomplish just that.

If you don't know anything about HTML, this should not be your first book. It should be your second.

If you like to load your site up with crackling flames and Java applets because they are "kewl," this book is not for you.

If you want your website to look professional and accomplish its mission, whether its a personal family page or your company's ecommerce site, this book is a must-read.

In the month since I bought this book, I created really professional looking graphics without being a "graphics person," cut my page loading time down to a mere fraction, planted secret files within other files in plain site that no one will see but the people they're intended for, password-protected certain pages without knowing how to script, learned how to stream video from my site, and gotten a professional color scheme for my site -- and ALL those things were free because the author tells you where to get what you need from free or trial sources. This book already paid for itself over and over and over. 100% great.

I saw the review on Web Developer's site that said how much practical advice this book has. (The reviewer said he'd seen books three times thicker that didn't have as much usable content as this one). No joke. In the first five minutes of thumbing through it, I found two things I'd been trying to find out how to do for a long time and didn't see in my other books. The index was done right, which made it especially easy to go right to what I wanted to know.

Now I'm almost finished reading it from cover to cover. Even in the areas I already know, its seems like there's always something that makes it easier to do what I want. By Mondy morning the pages I am in charge of won't recognize their old master. (The people who come to those pages won't believe it either.)

I give this book five stars.

I think this book is good for beginners who need to make a website,but are not planning to learn HTML. This book shows you how to make awebsite using programs. I learned that it is better to know how to write HTML rather than having programs do the job for you, not only to write your own websites, but also so that later when you have problems, you know how to solve them. If you have a program that makes the website for you, you will never fully understand what you are making and how to make it. In this way, I recommend HTML For the World Wide Web. The author uses diagrams to easily explain how to write HTML. Unlike "Building Better Web Pages" is which was published in 1998, Castro's book, publish this year (2000), has the address to the author's website....where her readers can ask her questions or get more information about HTML, Javascript, and stylesheets. If you are in a hurry and you are not interested in computers, you may love this book. For those who are curious in learning HTML, and advancing to a professional web designer, Castro will satisfy your appetite. Castro's book is a level between beginner and intermediate, but once you have read her book, you will be close to advanced.

Really enjoyed reading this book, as the author adds a touch of humor into it. It's not a quick reference type book, and not written in textbook format, but is a nice tool for giving you some ideas and places to go for even more. My one quirk is the constant push for PhotoImpact. However, the author does, in fairness, explain work in other image programs. I think it's a nice book to have in your library.

Should be called "Everything You've Always Wanted to Know About Building a Great Website, and Didn't Know Who to Ask."

From making transparent grahics to making them "stick" anywhere on the page, converting images to the color tones of your site in one fell swoop, making "embossed" backgrounds, etc. -- this book is GREAT!

It also shows you how to make a site users can get around in quickly and that they'll want to come back to, because there's thought to what the user needs.

If you're selling something, this book is going to help you make people trust your online store.

I couldn't have done what I've done without the help of this book!

I loved the way the author was so specific and gave more than one way to do something. There were lots of options and ideas. She also gave things a personality that made it fun to read.

It's rare that you can point to some one thing and say "That increased my income by this dollar amount," but in this case, I can. And I am sure it's just the beginning. Get it for sure!

This book gives terrific advice on standard HTML, web site design, and web site promotion. You don't need to know anything beyond a beginner's knowledge of HTML to understand every piece of advice in this book. This book is required reading at many companies for a reason.

This book will really help bump your website out of the doldrums. While beginners might be a bit intimidated, if you've already started into web page creation, Rohan's book is crammed with tips that you'll be dying to use. I have loved her graphics suggestions and her frank discussion about getting publicity for your webpage. If you're at all serious about improving your site, BUY this book!