HTML Goodies (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

HTML Goodies deserves a place in the ranks of the best Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) books on the market. Not only does Author Joe Burns teach readers how to use HTML (and in such a wonderfully friendly way), he also explains how to create stylish, efficient Web documents that will keep surfers coming back.

Burns has structured the book into a series of brief tutorials, each of which tackles a particular technical challenge that might confront a Webmaster. One chapter explains image maps, another goes into depth on frames, while others explain Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and Java applets. The tutorials consist of a series of experiments--this code yields this result--interspersed with questions and answers. Where it's appropriate, Burns suggests techniques he's found effective in a variety of situations. You'll be astounded by what you can learn from his advice.

HTML Goodies sprang from Burns's Web site of the same name, a popular one with lots of tutorials and downloadable freebies. It features discussions about Web page development, and Burns is always a frequent contributor. The site does a superb job of standing in for the CD-ROM that this book lacks--the site's a better deal, since it's more current and allows interactivity. --David Wall

Product Description

Joe Burns' fast and friendly approach to building a Web site keeps over 300,000 people coming back to his HTML Goodies Web site every month. Now Joe has gone way beyond the Web site with HTML Goodies, the book! Let Joe show you how easy HTML can be. After you've mastered text formatting, creating links, and inserting graphics, HTML Goodies takes you far beyond HTML basics. It shows you how to build the Web site features that you want most, from password-protected pages to visitor counters, guest books, scrolling marquees, RealAudio sound, and searchable databases. Each "goody" in the book has a working example on the HTML Goodies Web site, so you can see how something works before you put it on your own site!

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Que Pub; 1st edition (October 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789718235
• ISBN-13: 978-0789718235
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (79 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #765,566 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars And I thought HTML was going to be complicated...., January 16, 2000

By	Joseph DeVico (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews

I am someone who researched a BUNCH of books on HTML, not knowing if any of them were going to be what I was looking for - I've NEVER written a webpage, (and still haven't) - but after reading this book, I know I can. It's great, because the author answers any questions that he may raise as you would think of them! This is a great book that introduces anyone to HTML, and leaves out NOTHING. It also goes into the higher levels of HTML too, for fast learners (like you and me). It's not written in a hard to understand technical manner, but a very real-world straightforward approach. (It's like having a friend over who knows how to write webpages). HIGHLY RECOMMENDED if you're wanting a point to start learning about HTML, and a great reference to come back to for anybody, experienced or not.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Better HTML Help Books Available Today!, September 12, 1999

By A Customer

Website programming has become a fun, exciting, and highly profitable experience for many people. Whether someone is a seasoned pro working for a large Web development firm or just doing it for fun and pleasure, it offers something for everyone. Joe Burns has written HTML Goodies to provide a storehouse of cool programming features that will help anyone's site get noticed big time!

This 527-page book is loaded with basic and advanced Website features that are accompanied by printed HTML coding as well as live viewable examples online at its accompanying Website. Readers have many cool features to choose from at their fingertips such as various design options (frames, tables, menus, style sheets, guest books), using audio and video clips, graphic images, creating links, altering text (size, color, font, and placement), and much much more. All of the Web pages, scripts, and graphics used in the book are available online - free for the taking!

Another neat feature of this book is that readers are able to pick and choose what they want to incorporate into their own Websites and then allow Joe to show them how it's done. Plenty of FAQ's (frequently asked questions), and the answers are provided throughout the book to aid in the learning process. Students and budding entrepreneurs should have no trouble incorporating these features into their Websites. They will look sharp online and no one will need to know who the teacher was!

This is one of the better HTML help books available today. It's packed, easy to follow, and the author has gone to great lengths to help his readers catch on. In short time they can pick up the programming skills they need to become successful. It will be a real boost to their confidence! Perhaps one day they will be able to pass along much needed helpful advice to others! Highly recommended!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good for learning, not for experts, January 28, 2003

By	"starpixie" (La Crescenta, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: HTML Goodies (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

I discovered Joe Burns, Ph.D. and his online references years ago. Generally I like his stuff a lot, mainly because Joe has a real advantage over most people who write computer books - He is NOT a computer professional! His Ph.D. is in Communications!

That means Joe excels at explaining the way things work, but he is not always as good at writing good code. I actually tried to use his JavaScript book for an introductory JavaScript class I teach. Unfortunately, there were so many errors in his syntax that I never used that text in class again.

In spite of the above comments, if you need a "how to" book to get you started in HTML, this is not a bad reference to begin with. The lessons will lead you step-by-step through core aspects of HTML and will introduce you to many *concepts* of web design in general. Just don't take Joe's word as gospel when it comes to the gritty details.

After you get a feel for HTML, I recommend that you get O'Reilly's "HTML & XHTML: The Definitive Guide". The O'Reilly text WILL give you the correct (and definitive!) nitty-gritty details, but it is NOT for beginners. Think it as you would a dictionary. Use Joe's book to learn the how and why, then polish your HTML knowledge and skill with the Definitive Guide.

Have fun!