CSS: The Missing Manual Get it now!

I discovered the Missing Manual series of books a number of years ago and have now made them a standard purchase whenever I purchase new software. They are all helpful, easy to read, and easy to understand.

I began designing web sites over 10 years ago when I planned my own ([...]). Since then I've worked on a couple others, and have always used Microsoft FrontPage. Several years ago I became aware of a new method of designing web sites that involved CSS. At the time, I didn't need it because FrontPage took care of all of my needs.

However, I have now switched to a macbook and have migrated everything off of Windows with the exception of FrontPage. In my search for a new web site design tool, I came across Dreamweaver. While searching for a Missing Manual for Dreamweaver CS5, I ran across CSS The Missing Manual.

I love reading, and frequently read magazines, fiction, biographies, and, yes, manuals. With most Missing Manuals, I search the Contents or Index for what I need, read, and go on about my business. However, since CSS is completely new to me, I decided to start reading CSS The Missing Manual from page xiii. I'm having troubles putting this book down!

The book is well organized into five parts, including the appendices. Part 1 gives you the basics of CSS, and quite frankly, you could easily begin working on basic styling without reading any farther, but you'd be missing a lot. Part 2 begins the detail of various components of CSS, while Part 3 talks about page layout, and part 4 covers some advanced CSS techniques. Part 5 is the appendices.

Every chapter includes CSS examples, multiple diagrams, references to outside resources, and ends with a multi-page tutorial with step-by-step instructions to accomplish the chapter's topics. Chapter 7 includes a wonderful diagram depicting the differences between margins, borders, padding, and content. There are even references to later portions of the book where you can read more detail about topics that are being introduced earlier in the book. A common thread is here's enough to get you started, and then later, if you're interested, here's a lot more detail on how to use this particular CSS component.

I use yellow stickies (aka post-it notes) to mark points in books that I feel will be important reference points for me. This book is plastered with yellow stickies!

I would highly recommend this book to both the beginner and the experienced. I truly believe everyone interested in CSS can find something valuable in CSS The Missing Manual.Get more detail about CSS: The Missing Manual.