Html Complete Books

The year was 2000. Y2K was a non-event. Many people I met at that time wasted their money on Y2K survival kits. Fortunately, I spent my money on a great value!

I was at some computer store. I think it was "Computerland" or "Nerd World" or "Geek Gizmos;" I really can't remember. I only went into the store to ask directions to the nearest liquor store (I had my priorities). Suddenly, it hit me right between the eyes!

The biggest HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) book I ever saw: HTML Complete! The orange and red cover shouted at me, "Hey, look at me! I have 1000 pages for only 19.99!" I grabbed the book off the shelf to read the finer print on the cover (after all, there might be a catch).

If there is one thing I enjoy more than drinking alcohol, it is designing web pages. This book's cover promised to teach me to design web pages like a pro. "Yeah, right," I thought, "how many times have I heard that pitch." The book was cheap; so what the heck, I bought it, and still had money left over for booze.

Now here is what you have been all holding your breath for: my opinion (belch!):

After a closer examination, I found this book really is as complete as it claims. It is a composite of selected chapters from several books including Mastering HTML 4.0; HTML 4.0: No Experience Required; Mastering JavaScript and JScript; Web By Design: The Complete Guide; Mastering Microsoft Internet Explorer 4; Mastering Microsoft Internet Information Server 4; Web Pages That Suck: Learn Good Design By Looking At Bad Design; Dynamic HTML: Master the Essentials; Perl CGI Programming: No Experience Required; XML In Record Time

Phew! That's a lot of material to cover. I think I need another drink.

Seriously, this book is the bomb! After I read the first chapter, I was designing basic web pages and having a blast. The chapters are concisely written, easy to read, and get right down to the nitty gritty-I really like that.

HTML Complete can be read by raw beginners, and advanced HTML designers. It has an excellent appendix and index that I still use to this day to look up specific HTML tags, Style Sheets, and JavaScript code for web pages I envision.

From this book I learned some incredible skills like DHTML (Dynamic Hypertext Markup Language), Style Sheets design, and JavaScript programming. I also learned how to create tables, graphic/photo images, how to optimize web pages for different kinds of browsers, and how to upload my web pages to the Internet.

If you visit my profile page, you can see some examples of what I have learned. I designed just about everything you see, including my personal web page Space Wrench. If you have time on your hands, check it out.

So does this book have any negatives?

Whether this book has negatives depends on what your goals are. I personally did not find the Perl, CGI and XML chapters very useful or very practical. I found I can do 90% of what you see on the web just using HTML, Style Sheets, and JavaScript.

Who are the authors?

The authors who contributed to this HTML masterpiece are Deborah Ray, Eric Ray, E. Stephen Platt, Janan Platt Saylor, James Jaworski, Molly Holzschlag, Gene Weisskopf, Pat Coleman, Peter Dyson, Vincent Flanders, Michael Willis, Joseph Schmuller, Erik Strom and Natanya Pitts.

When I read this book, I felt that all of the authors did an excellent job explaining and presenting the material-even the stuff I did not care for and never used. They made each topic addictive. When I read a chapter, in most cases, I could not wait to try out what I had just learned.

The Road To Recovery: The Information Superhighway

When I started out, I was looking for booze, but then became addicted to HTML, thanks to this book. Designing web pages is a lot of fun, and a much healthier habit. For me, the road to recovery began with HTML Complete.

Take the first step like I did. Read this book. Here's to a healthier lifestyle and cool web pages. Cheers!