Internet Books

I bought this book in 1996, and referenced it again and again. I still find it so useful on web server technology, especially on web security. A worth-while reading.

This book is excellent, if you want to understand the general properties of a Web server. The book explains the basic jobs a Web server can do in simple way so that many people can understand it. The description of the tasks, which will be performed on a Web server, is not too detailed. Excellent is the explanation of the different types, advantages and disadvantages of process concepts which can be used for Web servers. The securtity issues and the chapter about searching on the Internet are also highlights. I recommend this book for everyone who wants an detailed overview on Web servers and related topics.

I thought this was an excellent book. For a newbie interested in learning the details of web infrastructure components, including SSL, this book is a solid choice. I read it a year ago and I still find it a useful reference.

Tired of those IT books that look like help files or manuals dumps? Tired of books based on programs rather than concepts? If your answer is yes, than this book is for you. It is simply the best book about Internet/Web technology ever written, of great importance for anyone thinking of working with the Web. A must read: concepts, explanations, examples, everything as clear as it should be.

A great book for understanding what's happening on the web--essentially a must-read for anyone publishing there to any significant extent.

These guys know what they are talking about. Web services with real life examples and great points such as web services inside the firewall. I greatly recommend this book!

Real life examples, diagrams, easy to read, and is up-to-date - this book is recommended for architects, managers, developers, who would like to get a good understanding of SOAP and XML Web services. This book contains answers to your "what", "why", and "how" questions pertaining to XML Web services. The chapters flow nicely. It also talks about BizTalk and ebXML and how they fit in Web services paradigm. This first volume ends with discussion on more recent Web services standards (WS-****).

Collaboratively written in a light and engaging style, by Brian E. Travis and Mae Ozkan, Web Services Implementation Guide Volume 1: Getting Started is a straightforward and "user friendly" instruction manual that accessibly teaches the reader what web services are and how to take advantage of them. Written especially for systems architects and developers, it describes in direct, friendly language how to automate internal systems, determine integration points, and then reveal integration points as web services. Enhanced with a tutorial on the state of web services standards, real-life examples of web service use, code samples and more, Web Services Implementation Guide Volume 1: Getting Started is an excellent beginning guide for anyone ready to take the first step into capitalizing on the manifold advantages of what the World Wide Web has to offer.

I read the book very easily. It thought me so much about web services, how it evolves and where it is going to. It cleared many questions I had in my mind. I am technically enhanced now! It is fantastic to understand the cool technologies.

This book is one of many new titles on web services (the book's introduction makes the case for using a lowecase-w in "web" services). Most of the books that I have seen cover the world of web services in terms of this or that tool. Java J2EE, Microsoft .NET, IBM Web Services Toolkit, etc.

This book gets beyond a particular implementation of code and talks about the business reasons for implementing web services. This includes planning, automating processes behind the firewall, determining security issues and so forth. This is the only book I have seen that covers such architectural facets.

As a developer, I found the coverage of the technologies very helpful. As my company's chief architect, I found many things to think about in the book.

The book covers the standards (XML, XSD, SOAP, WSDL) in a very accessible way, with witty commentary so it does not get boring. This is quite a feat for such an acronym-rich technology.

I am an amateur when it comes to using any Web design software as well as software that can be as intimidating as PhotoShop. That's why I think Sherry Hutson's book is so good. She is a teacher, and that shows throughout the book. She is able to break everything down into steps that are clearly understandable. Too many of these guides skip just enough steps that you can't follow. Not this book. It has helped to take me from being an amateur to not being afraid to try different things with Photoshop. The index is very helpful, too. I have a question, go to the Index, and invariably find the topic I'm looking for. You can't go wrong with this book even if you have never used Photoshop at all.

Yaah! Finally a book about Photoshop that even a beginner like me can really make sense of. The Web Wizard's Guide to Photoshop has introduced me to the joy of improving the images that I download from my digital camera. My friends and family are delighted with the much improved, innovative, and high quality, images that I am now able to create using this fun, user friendly, program. The clear and simple explanations in this book have encouraged me to move on to the next step. I am now in the process of designing my own web page. What fun!!! If you're interested in improving the way you work with images and/or in trying your hand at designing a website, this is definitely the book for you. If you try it, you most definitely will like it.

mick rasley, Sculptor,silversmith, September 20, 2004,
Breath of fresh air
Well spent $s. It costs more to get film developed today.This book was what actually cured my of 'film',and put me in the world of digital photography(and comfortably too).Glad this book was recommended to me ,and I will for sure pass on the 411.

Sherry Hutson has produced one of the most informative and consise books on Photoshop that I have ever read. It covers all tehniques of a very complex graphics program in an easy to read (and learn) format.

As a former student in many classes taught by Sherry, I can attest to the value of this book (I now design web sites, myself). A definate value for beginners and a strong resource for the expert.

Sherry Hutson obviously knows exactly what we Photoshop beginners are facing and what language to speak... no arrogance in this `how to' masterpiece. I have books on other programs in my bookshelf, as well as on Photoshop, which are about 800 pages and my eyes just gloss over so I've never even tried. When I started this book, though, I just followed step 1 and kept going because it was easy to understand and stuff miraculously started happening.

Although I'm not a website designer, my work requires me to create and maintain the company website along with my other duties. In small companies, the few wear many hats and it's terrifying to create a website when you don't know what you're doing. My nephew recommended the Web Wizard's Guide to Photoshop and I decided to go for the `keep it simple' approach, using the book's "Do's" and "Don'ts." Now feel like I've published a site as appealing as some of the big corporate ones.

Under "Features" on the back jacket of the book, the list reads, "Assumes no Photoshop experience . . .; Progresses in a natural order . . .; Contains extensive reference material, including a Web-Safe Colors chart, keyboard shortcuts, and annotated tool bars . . .; Provides tutorials in each chapter . . .; Uses full-color screen shots, so what you see in the book is exactly what you'll see on the computer screen." I'm usually pretty skeptical at such claims, but it's all true for once.

Don't be afraid. Just get the book and start in. I bet you will be surprised at how quickly, for example, you catch on to working with and correcting pictures, and the different types of image formats and when to use them. I had tried to figure out layers once before, but now I understand exactly what's happening. I've done the exercise on how to make an animation and it's amazing. The eagle actually flies.

This book is straightforward and very much a "fast start for beginners." I'm giving it five stars.

Thanks for sending the book among others that I ordered along with it in good condition, and sooner than I had expected. Its a simple and straightforward book that orients itself around the MacOSX Web Objects application. Good value for money a worth while buy.

Let's cut to the chase. Josh Marker's new WebObjects 5 book rocks the house. Trudging through Apple's WebObjects API documentation can turn ones eyes red and bleary, so where do ya start? Well, I say start with Marker's new gem. pple's WebObjects is a best kept secret as it derives from the brilliance of the geniuses at NeXT, and who knows why Steve Jobs doesn't market WebObjects more aggressively? This book helps get a person (particularly the WebObjects newcomer) to get down and jiggy with WebObjects. The world is not always Microsoft and so don't let Apple's genius scare you. Start out with Marker's book and then go from there. You won't get lost and Marker keeps things easy to understand. The only thing missing from this book with slight disappointment is coverage of WebServices which was introduced by Apple in WebObjects version 5.2. Otherwise, rock and roll!

I ordered this book expecting it to be a more advanced WebObjects book than it actually is. Unfortunately, most of the material covered in the first 11 chapters CAN be gleaned from Apple's documentation accompanied by some experimentation (which I've done over the last year or so). For me, those chapters were a rehash of stuff I knew, although I did pick up some good advice and tips from those chapters.

However, for a Java developer (the book doesn't pretend to teach you Java) who is new to WebObjects, those first 11 chapters are a a godsend, filled with well-written text containing a huge amount of practical advice and illustrated with extensive screenshots. Reading this book and doing the exercises will save you literally dozens if not hundreds of hours of "doing it the hard way."

Chapters 12 and 13, on the other hand, are filled with bits and pieces that are NOT easy (or sometimes possible) to get from the official documentation and can only be learned by finding a more experienced developer to mentor you. For me, these two chapters were worth the price, and for a computer programming book, the price is quite reasonable.

A big thumbs up for this book as an introductory WebObjects tome, and here's to hoping that some publisher will contract Mr. Marker to write a follow-up "Advanced WebObjects for Mac OS X" because I'll be first in line to buy that one.

This is the best beginner WebObjects book ever! Examples are clear, concise and easy to follow. It has made me a believer in this technology.

I'd like to agree with the previous reviewers. This book finally made the progression through WebObjects clear and understandable. Its power is apparent and the gotchas are clearly highlighted as you go through the book. Mr. Marker also wrote the excellent Apple document on WebObjects web applications. (Un)fortunately, the Apple document is only about 100 pages, so this book nicely moves on from it. Technical overview by mmalcolm only lends further credibility to this book. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

A good read. The title is a little misleading, however, because the book also covers wireless without the Web. In other words, peer to peer networks inside buildings, outside buildings, and to the home seem like the most promising aspects of the wireless revolution, as described in this book. As the author states, it's simply a matter of time, not if, wireless will touch every aspect of our lives.

Wireless Web is a refreshing kind of book. I'm tired of books that introuduce a new technology, paint a rosy picture, and then leave the reader dangling three months later. This isn't one of those books. It tells it like it is. Wireless isn't easy. In fact, implementing a Wireless Web solution is nearly at the bleeding edge of what's possible, as the author states. There are traps at every corner, and you'd better know what to expect. In this respect, the Wireless Web provides a map of the "speed bumps" along the way. If you're going to give it a go on the Wireless Web, you'd better have this book or some other roadmap with you.

Having just put down Bergeron's last book, "The Eternal E-Customer", I was interested to see his visionary take on the wireless web. I wasn't disappointed. "The Wireless Web" compellingly captures the multitude of opportunities which the unethering of the Web affords. What I appreciated most about this book (and Bergeron's style as in his previous book) was the practical advice on how any executive can take advantage of these wireless opportunities. Bergeron succinctly explains how a company can embrace this new technology to their competitive advantage. Five stars!

In just a few years the Internet has revolutionized the way we do business. Email, online shopping and digital music downloaded from the Internet are now integral parts of our everyday lives. Technology aware companies have now turned to wireless web for the next big leap in commerce and communication. The race is on for deploying cutting-edge wireless technology.

As a business and technology consultant I am often asked by clients to provide some guidelines on how to proceed in this new and fast moving industry. Is trading stocks using a wireless PDA really a secure transaction and are electronic coupons delivered to customers via cell phones a technical feasible marketing solution? What communications provider should I use when connecting my sales force via WAP based browsers to a wireless CRM solution? And should we look to Europe and Japan for the future in wireless communication, or will it turn out to be another bursting bubble as we have experienced with too many dot.com business ventures?

"The Wireless Web", unlike so many other books covering technology topics, provides an easy to read and well-structured roadmap on how to develop a winning wireless strategy. Bergeron starts off explaining the history of this industry and it's economic drivers and then provides an overview of the current state of technologies, the various systems, protocols and technical standards used in the US and compares them to the more cohesive and further developed Japanese and European technologies. The latter part of the book focuses on the future, introducing the reader to opportunities and potential risks wireless technologies will offer as well as technical and political limitations it will face as this technology matures He closes with a well structured guideline on how to develop a wireless strategy of any scale.

In summary, this book will familiarize the reader with this new and dynamic industry and provide the knowledge required to develop, communicate, and execute a successful wireless strategy. Although written for the non-technical executive, I recommend this book to every one confronted with wireless technologies, the corporate executive implementing a wireless enterprise information portal as well as the cell phone user confronted with evaluating roaming charges, communication protocols and coverage areas when selecting a calling plan. This book definitely deserves a place on the bookshelf of any technologist.

Many people have been impressed by what they have seen of the new wireless services in Europe and Japan. Based on the promise of these offerings, wireless operators have spent billions of dollars for 3G licenses in Europe that will require tens of billions to implement. Based on the amount of money invested and planned for the next few years, it looks like the days of broadband wireless Internet are about to be with us. What should you be doing now? That's the question that this book addresses.

The Wireless Web is the best book I have seen for describing the background of how technology and customer needs are converging to provide new wireless offerings and the potential for new ways to solve problems. About two-thirds of the book is aimed at providing a layperson's description of technology, social, and governmental developments that will influence what will be offered by companies. The remaining third gives you a template for thinking about what these developments mean for your business. For most people now, that decision will relate to when to get involved.

In my consulting practice, it is clear that there are enormous opportunities now to develop intellectual property and new business models that can be implemented immediately. For those who mainly want to use the wireless web as an adjunct to their businesses, on the other hand, you have lots of time.

The best advice in the book is to be sure that you have the business processes in place that will allow you to connect wireless technology to your business when the rest of the infrastructure and equipment are in place.

Basically, wireless Internet connections will become more important as a disruptive technology than the land-wire connected Internet. By always having a device present (whether a cell phone, personal digital assistant, pager, or some new device), individuals will be able to simplify their lives while they are on the go or in any fixed location. As a result, transactions will be transformed. For example, food manufacturers may have to bid for a consumer's business while she or he is walking down the aisles of a supermarket.

For the first time, you will be able to shape the entire consumer or customer experience around what that person prefers. The potential for positive differentiation becomes enormous, as a result.

My main caution to you is that this field is rapidly changing. This information will become out-of-date rapidly. So read the book now if you are going to.

After you have considered some of the ways that the wireless Internet can improve your offerings, I suggest that you go back to the drawing boards to see how much of these changes you can offer now without broadband wireless connections. In this way, the wireless Internet can be a powerful metaphor now for improving your performance.

Be helpful . . . all the time and everywhere!

Book is straight forward. Easy to read/follow. I had created HTML pages in the past. It was easy to migrate to WML. The scripting discussion (WMLScript) was very valuable.

The book presents working programs you will actually use:

Interacting with remote scirpts (Perl, ASP)
Validating forms using WMLScript
Dealing with limited RAM
Error detection and handling

Recommend.

Got me started within my first application in minutes. Book covers WML and WMLScript in detail. Includes some Perl scripts that let you interact with a remote server with your phone. Pretty cool. Would like to see some PHP -- maybe next edition.

I just added this book to my collection of WAP/WML titles.

I was pleased with the amount of code this book provides--probably 200+ WORKING programs. I've been able to make all of them work in the phone simulator and on my phone! That's a nice change.

If you are starting out, the intro chapters will get you up and running. If you have been doing this a while, cutting and pasting the book's code will save you time with things like interacting with Perl.

Recommend.

It's a good start, but it does go very slowly. You need to supplement it with WAP Integration immediately afterward if you want to get into any really advanced aspects of WAP. Experienced developers may even want to jump straight to the WAP Integration book.

Ever wondered if anyone *really* understood you, or if you could *really* understand yourself? Wonder no more. "Three Sides of You" is beyond Myers-Briggs or IQ tests. Sandra Seich's book examines how you think, how you work, and how you feel--the three sides of you--and shows how each of these separate parts work to create the "whole" you. After taking the test the "Three Sides of You" book will reveal a deeper part of yourself in an amazing way. You'll never see yourself, or others, the same way again.

3 Sides of You by S. Seich is a unique book built around a personality test that is available only on the web. The test itself is called the Profiler™ which is a self-perception inventory. The Profiler™ contains three sections of 56 questions (168 questions total) which test how you Think, Work, and Love. When you've finished the test, the results are a 3-sided profile and Boss Style. The possible combinations are 2,744, which makes for a very individualized assessment.

In the ANSIR system (ANSIR stands for A New Standard In Relating), an individual is assigned a Profile Boss. Boss determines Life Purpose; that is, this purpose draws together innate strengths and talents of dominant support Styles (the other 2 Styles in the profile that aren't Boss) and pretty much dictates and shapes these Styles toward self fulfillment. Life Purpose is never Thinking--only Working and Emoting. This is the drive and juice for our individual purposes. Five of the Styles find fufillment through work (Idealist, Visionary, Healer, Philosopher, and sometimes Evokateur) and the rest of the Styles find fulfillment through the Emoting realm. Since it seems that the areas the individuals are most unhappy in are work and love, it makes sense that the Life Purpose Boss would be in either of those two realms.

According to the book, Thinking is a discernible, predictable pattern of balancing and applying knowledge. How individuals process order, solve problems, and rationalize outcomes. Working is the conscious application of knowledge according to acquried skills and innate abilities of individuals. Emoting is an unconscious response pattern guided by unique intangibles, such as emotions, feelings, and nature. Boss (Life Purpose) is your profiled "why"--your reason for being.

The 14 Boss Styles in the ANSIR system are as follows:

The Physicals Extremists; Realist Keenest intellect is through physical interaction.
The Instinctives Scintillator; Sentinel Keenest intellect is from muscular feedback/gut smarts.
The Logicals Diligent; Sage Keenest intellect is rationalization.
The Practicals Eccentrik; Idealist Keenest intellect is solution determination.
The Emotionals Kinsmen; Empath Keenest intellect is emotion sensitivity.
The Intuitives Visionary; Evokateur Keenest is emotion-based guidance.
The Spiritualists Healer; Philosopher Keenest intellect is self-reliance.

I've have taken many personality tests on the web and on paper, but I've never encountered a personality system that's based on self-perception and self-propulsion, and that concentrates on the individual as knowing what's best and why. Also, the Ansir system is heavy on what's right with you as opposed to why you're defective and need "fixed". Ansir maintains that there's nothing wrong with you--that it's a matter of removing reticence, and living your life as born and meant.

3 Sides of You: Unlocking The Way You Think, Work, and Love is a hefty 516 pages that gives you indepth and practical information on not only your own profile, but all of the ANSIR Styles. Sections in the book include indepth Profiles for each of the 14 Styles--in each of the 3 realms, as well as thorough information on Boss/Life Purpose, work attributes and occupation matches to plan a more fulfilling career, and Style compatibility.

If you take the ANSIR Profiler™, but find your results inaccurate, this could be for several reasons. A main reason is that you've been living someone else's life with someone else's ideas of what's best for you. You are encouraged to re-take the test until it fits, and the book is very helpful for understanding the profound and unique differences among the 14 Styles if you need more clarity on your profile.

I've owned this book since it first came out, as well as its precursor Rare Conversations that is no longer available. I've also been a student of personality for as long as I can remember, and I've yet to come across a personality system that is as affirming, eerily accurate, thorough, and insightful as the ANSIR system.

In conclusion, I highly recommend this book if you want to understand self and others, and if you've been short-changing yourself by living a mediocre life--and not living as born and meant.

The author, Sandra Seich, in her unique writing style literally unlocks your thinking style, working style and emoting style unlike any other way you might have experienced in the past. Not only can the reader discover the "who" of what they are, they now can discover the "why" - their reason for being or their mission in this life.

This work will no doubt result in changing the way we think, feel and work from now on. There are some practical applications for corporations who are serious about changing the way they hire, motivate, teamwork and retain their employees. The knowledge in this book is not for the weak minded. This book has the power to actually change the way we apply for work and how positions are filled by the "right" individual.

As a management coach, I highly recommend this book to coaches, executives and individuals.

I received my copy in the mail yesterday and I haven't been able to put it down. I have learned more about myself from this book than I thought anyone could know about me. S. Seich's writing will have you bouncing up and down the full range of emotions. One page I'll be laughing at how accurate the descriptions are. A while later I find myself bawling like a baby because somebody understands -- I'm a grown up for God's sake! The thing that stands out most to me is it's okay to be different. This is a feel good book that doesn't preach or want you to change. The author just talks to you like he's telling you a story about someone you both know. Later you realize that a powerful message was received - like a parable. It will change the way you think and feel about yourself. As for me, I feel a lot more confident and not so concerned about being different from other people. I think 3 SIDES OF YOU should be compulsory reading for parents & teachers -- for the sake of the kids.

Finally, someone has come up with a personality profile which recognises that we are three sided human beings. We think, we work and we love. We might be rational at work and weepy at the movies; punctual but scatterbrained; mundane during the week but living at breakneck speed on the weekends. The all of you is revealed in this personality typology which is simple, but has over 2,700 variations.

This excellent book (or its softcover version) is not a self help manual, nor a management text. It is a self perception text that cuts to the core of over 2,700 profiled personalities, and describes them with rare perception and detail. Each profile will receive about 15 pages of exquisitely crafted description. Each chapter focuses on the positives of the style. Nothing in this book will tell you what to do or how to do it. Indeed, the message is "understand yourself, be yourself".

Want to communicate better with your colleagues and loved ones? Well then, find them in here, too. Understand why they always set the table right handed even although you're left handed. Explore why a simple discussion work discussion escalates into defensiveness. Have a look at your own "Achilles' heel" (as they call it), and see where you might be stepping on someone else's.

This is a "feel good" book, not because it's full of little catch phrases, but because it's full of the truth, about you. Finally, someone understands.

300 Incredible Things to Learn on the Internet quenched my thirst for learning and left me wanting more! I want to know when 300 MORE Incredible Things to Learn on the Internet will be available. This book is a valuable resource for all ages. Parents, teachers, students and just about anyone will enjoy these interesting and incredible sites. Whether you need help on a tricky homework question or can't remember the capital of North Dakota, 300 Incredible Things to Learn on the Internet will help! There are sites on every topic imaginable! I never knew surfing the Net could be so fun! Hats off to these INCREDIBLE authors!

The authors falsely advertise this book when they say 300 INCREDIBLE THINGS TO LEARN ON THE INTERNET. Instead, they provide 300 classifications with several URLs included in each classification. An estimate based on an unscientific sampling of the 300 classifications, the book provides gateways to over 1000 incredible things.

I tested a few in areas of personal interest like Astronomy and Election, and asked my family members to do likewise (their choices). The sites that each one of us entered we agreed were informative and in some cases very entertaining. We felt some of the URLs were too slow. However, generally, we all agreed this book is a great gift for the newcomer (are there any left?) and the youngster to use for fun and reference...

Harriet Klausner

This book is full of wonderful web sites for all ages and interests. As the teacher for adults and teens new to the internet, I found this book to be an invaluable resource. A variety of subjects, listed alphabetically make the format very easy to follow. I want to spend my afternoons...cruising the 'net using these "incredible" suggestions!

To be honest I wasn't really expecting much when I was given this book as a gift. Still the book proved my wrong, proposing 300 really interesting things to do online! I was amazed at such sites as fun-with-words.com or vazelos.com which really bring the internet experience to a new level. Highly recommended. You 'll keep coming back to it when you are bored surfing!

Your book blew me away from page one! This book is more entertaining than any other educational guide to Internet sites and the best thing about it is that it's fun. Every person of every age needs this book. The topics covered are so numerous, this book proves itself incredible for all!

Book gave various ways to accomplish avoiding probate. Good explanations.
As far as I'm concerned, valuable information.

I just recently used this book as part of my study to gain continuing professional education credits for my CPA license. I found it to be an excellent source for anyone who is currently planning his or her family's financial future. It's easy to understand, direct, and written with common-sense language. I will be recommending this book to my clients.

I rate this book very highly. It was very informative and easy to follow. Each section covered the topics to the fullest. This book is very easy to understand and I would recommend it to anyone looking for answers on how to avoid probate and how to go about making a living trust. There are many books on the market about this subject, but I feel this book covers it all.

I have perused several books on this topic and found this one to be much more informative about how Texas laws are very unique in regards to avoiding probate. In fact, most other books don't even mention this. It seems that for every one of these avoidance techmiques, the TX laws are very different in very specific ways and if you don't have everything done according to the letter of the TX law, you could end up with big problems. For example, only in the state of TX do you have to sign a separate written agreement with just the right language and other specifics in order for right of survivorship to actually work in avoiding probate. Not many people are aware of this and even most of the bankiing institutions are unaware. Even the big banking institutions will tell you that their methods are valid and correct when, in fact, they are not. Several cases have gone to the TX Supreme Court because of this. Don't let it happen to you. It is a huge problem. This book educates you on every issue and how it has to be handled differently in different states.

Get the book, read it twice and avoid the time, expense and aggravation of a probate. Having gone through a probate, I can tell you that this is something you want to avoid.

Mary Randolph does an excellent jobs of giving you simple techniques that let you bypass most or all of the probate process.

Again, the book is worth the money.

The information is great, and she has a unique angle, but I would like to see a second edition that is about 1/3 the length. Much of the content is repeated many times over and it could be condensed and re-organized.

Buy this with Don't Make Me Think to round out your knowledge.

Title: Access by Design
Author: Sarah Horton
Publisher: New Riders
ISBN: 0-321-31140-X
Pages: 264 pages
Reviewer: Sam Wilson
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

"Access by Design" by Sarah Horton is valuable and worthwhile because it nicely exposes the genetic link of accessibility to its more popular cousins - functionality and usability. Accessibility is one of the most touted yet often underutilized tools in the web worker's repertoire. Misperceived as only a tool for reaching the hearing or visually impaired audience and doomed to the "nice to have" list on many projects, accessible design too often takes a back seat to design relying heavily on images and sophisticated layout.

The approach of Sarah Horton's book is appropriately to make the concepts of accessibility accessible to the web workers whose opportunity it is to make their work maximally digestible. Each essential element of a site's guts is discussed first in theory then in practice. Color, text, structure; HTML specific elements like lists, tables, and forms... are aptly discussed in their shades of underlying purpose and then explored and elucidated with germane examples both good and bad. These examples particularly make the book fun if only just to flip through. Refreshingly the author takes on the likes of Microsoft and Audible.com, using the razor of analysis and good taste to dissect her specimens and demonstrate attractive graphic design and good web design are not necessarily the same thing.

In conclusion, I highly recommend "Access by Design" on the merits of its conscientious but practical promotion of accessibility combined with its focus on functionality and usability. The timely arrival of well-written books like Horton's builds on the rising tide of Web 2.0 attention. The oh-so-two-oh design goals of taming the wily information wilderness - transforming clutter into neat packets of visually appealing and streamlined content - can sometimes seem a bit overdone to many. "Access by Design" does not come across preachy or pedantic. I would challenge any web developer or artist (as I have challenged myself) to investigate the practical advice found in solid works like this one. It's time we understood accessibility's benefits to not just the visually and hearing impaired, but its benefits for everyone who reads, views, interacts with or otherwise enjoys the web browsing.

Access by Design doesn't waste time or words getting right to the point: accessible Web design isn't about those who have an impairment, but rather about everyone using the Web. Access, by Sarah Horton's definition, is the goal of every visitor to a site, and a designer achieves this goal for visitors by ensuring that nothing in a site is tied to a restrictive approach.

The fad of rendering type and using Flash for menus has gone mostly away, thankfully. Horton's guide shows how to accomplish something that looks good, works correctly, and can be used by practically everyone from those with the fanciest equipment and highest-speed broadband connection to villagers in a remote town in Africa (or America) to visually impaired readers relying on software that reads them page elements.

Access by Design is organized into tight, well-constructed chapters each of which focuses on a key area of design, such as forms, color, and layout.

Those who work under the requirements of U.S. government law for accessibility Web sites and those who want to build sites that everyone can effectively use would find this book a useful addition to the library. It's a quick read, but also a reference guide you'll refer to over and over again.

Title: Access by Design
Author: Sarah Horton
Publisher: New Riders
ISBN: 0-321-31140-X
Reviewer: Sam Wilson
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

"Access by Design" by Sarah Horton is valuable and worthwhile because it nicely exposes the genetic link of accessibility to its more popular cousins -- functionality and usability. Accessibility is one of the most touted yet often underutilized tools in the web worker's repertoire. Misperceived as only a tool for reaching the hearing or visually impaired audience and doomed to the "nice to have" list on many projects, accessible design too often takes a back seat to design relying heavily on images and sophisticated layout.

The approach of Sarah Horton's book is appropriately to make the concepts of accessibility accessible to the web workers whose opportunity it is to make their work maximally digestible. Each essential element of a site's guts is discussed first in theory then in practice. Color, text, structure; HTML specific elements like lists, tables, and forms ... are aptly discussed in their shades of underlying purpose and then explored and elucidated with germane examples both good and bad. These examples particularly make the book fun if only just to flip through. Refreshingly the author takes on the likes of Microsoft and Audible.com, using the razor of analysis and good taste to dissect her specimens and demonstrate attractive graphic design and good web design are not necessarily the same thing.

In conclusion, I highly recommend "Access by Design" on the merits of its conscientious but practical promotion of accessibility combined with its focus on functionality and usability. The timely arrival of well-written books like Horton's builds on the rising tide of Web 2.0 attention. The oh-so-two-oh design goals of taming the wily information wilderness--transforming clutter into neat packets of visually appealing and streamlined content--can sometimes seem a bit overdone to many. "Access by Design" does not come across preachy or pedantic. I would challenge any web developer or artist (as I have challenged myself) to investigate the practical advice found in solid works like this one. It's time we understood accessibility's benefits to not just the visually and hearing impaired, but its benefits for everyone who reads, views, interacts with or otherwise enjoys the web browsing.

I've read every book I can find on web site accessibility, and this is my favorite. Sarah Horton does a superb job of explaining the "what" and "why" of good web design principles. If we adhere to these principles, our web sites will be usable and accessible for everyone, regardless of disability or the device they use to access the web. This book is clear, concise, and to the point, and, in my opinion, a must read for all professional web designers!