Rating: 
Summary: Aims it's sights high, and no one else comes close!
Review: I purchased Creating Killer Web Sites, as a fluke really. "I need a book on making web pages." "I need to get a book that's going to make my page really great." "Hey, this one has a 'neat' cover." That's how it came about. Of course, I didn't think to look between the covers until after it was paid for. On the way to the car, I was stunned. "Not a single bit of HTML code! Who does this Siegel guy think he is, anyway?!" I didn't have time to return it. I was running late for work. During lunch I decided to skim through the book, just to make sure there was nothing usefull in it before I returned it. I've read it twice since then and haven't even thought about bringing it back. Best Site design book I've read yet. Keep up the great work Dave!
Rating:
Summary: The glue we've been looking for
Review: After months of searching, I was thrilled to find a web design book that gives the whys rather than just the how-tos. This is the glue that holds a good web site together - rather that just throwing some HTML together, Siegel teaches you to think before you type. Very refreshing.
Rating: 
Summary: Very informative. A must have for any web designer.
Review: I have read various other reviews of this book that simply rip it on everything because THEY didn't write it. Everyone has their own style, and this book encourages that, but it gives advice that you should be able to understand and take at face value. Yes, David preaches from time to time, but he is only trying to make his point clearer. I didn't find him "talking down" to people or ripping certain web sites in his book. This book is very informative for any level of designer--even if you want to find out what NOT to do according to some other web professionals. Unfortunately, web-sites are being judged more and more on appearance instead of content. No one wants to read text line after text line anymore--we don't have the time. The web is becoming more and more like a television commercial so we better adjust our thinking that way or get left behind. This book aims the reader that way.
Overall, a good book. I would recommend it to anyone (in fact I have bought a copy or two for some of my friends).
Rating:
Summary: A Good Reference to Web Design
Review: This book is promoting a web design ideology which I feel is lacking right now - here are too many run-of-the-mill designers/programmers out there polluting the netspace with make-shift and badly rendered web pages. They should have given this book a read-through. Great layout, information flow, tips (I liked the 7 "deadly sins" section) on colour, layout, java applets, etc...
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book on web site design
Review: Before you design a single web page, read this book! Web site design is more than HTML scripting. It is important to consider the aesthetics of a site as well as its functionality. David Siegel's book is the best on the subject.
Rating: 
Summary: Tables - The great compromise!
Review: My my. People in previous reviews seem shocked that the author, an artist, would have such strong opinions on design. I checked this out at the book store and then visited the web site where I found a tutorial that clearly explained Tables, with great examples. Tables are the best tool to display the all important content and graphics for the majority of browsers. My opinion is, visit the web site for good artistic design tips but the book is overpriced. Sorry Amazo
Rating:
Summary: Slick Web site -- sad victory of form over content
Review: I admit it, I didn't even read the book: instead, I decided I would look at the Web site at http://www.killersites.com. Check it out. It's very slick, graphically exciting -- and fails to bring across the content. You have to actively think "where the heck are the links? Is this a link or just fancy type? Why is that fish there?" This would be a great book for someone who has a lot of useless Web site content and wants to make it look great
Rating: 
Summary: Self-proclaimed net.god exposes flaws
Review: To be honest, I wouldn't buy this book, and I didn't. One of my clients bought this book, took it to be a so-called "bible of the industry" (something Davo would love to hear) and proceeded to create web pages that were bloated, ugly, and barely passable in Netscape alone. And most of the code was lifted from Dave's various example sites, including Dave's own stuff.
Why is this person a client of mine? Simple. They hired me to fix all the mistakes. As part of the process, I read through parts of Siegel's book. I read though about as much as my stomach could. The guy's dictatorial and ego-infused style of writing is really hard to digest. Then of course there's the advice he offers.
In as few words as possible: very poor advice, bordering on the immature. Graphics, graphics graphics might work great in the print and telemedia world (and it does, I've been doing it for many years now) but not on the web. Cross platform compatibility, or so-called "graceful degredation" should be of utmost concern to web developers. I'm not talking about coding a page for Netscape 1.1 here. I'm talking about coding pages for the latest entrenched browsers (currently versions 3) that will still *work* in older browsers.
One plus about Mr. Siegel and his book - he generated income for me. You see, if he had bothered to give more sound advice, that client would never have hired me in the first place, to fix all the bad advice Mr. Siegel, through his book Creating Killer Web Sites, gave him previously.
So by all means, buy Dave Siegel's book. It will just mean more money for serious, experienced, and thinking web developers - the people you call after most, if not all of Mr. Siegel's advice blows up in your face.
Rating:
Summary: What a self-important snot, this book isn't worth the paper.
Review: Remember the know-it-all you couldn't stand in high school, the self-important artist who sneered at your pronunciations, and the sales clerk who looked at you as if you had two heads because you dared comment that something was overpriced? Welcome to David Siegel's world. He is all three of those torments of social interaction, rolled into one, plus he's getting rich by milking it. Pass this book over--there are dozens of better buys out there, with more objective thoughts and advice, and they won't be nearly as irritating
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting in places
Review: Once you can get past Siegel's Uberdesigner
mentality, there's a few useful tips to be picked
up here. However, anyone who has actually
designed sites that people have to use on a
regular basis will find themselves doubling (in
pain and/or laughter) at some of the shining
examples held up here.
Siegel's approach is at the opposite end of the
spectrum from the "no graphics, just HTML layout,
leave the appearance up to the browser settings"
of Ye Olden Days. His approach seems basically to
shoehorn conventional print media design
techniques into the web without any regard for
the practicalities of the net. Vast graphics and
page layouts that break if you don't use the exact
machine/browser combination he used abound.
The waste of space PDF chapter at the end reveals
more about the author than anything else - *this*
is how he'd like the web to be, with all sites
designed by Trained Professionals who are in
complete control of every aspect of what you see.
That's all very well for large corporate sites,
but it eliminates the enjoyable free-for-all that
is the current web for the old TV model, where
most of us are just passive consumers. I think
Siegel's web would be a rather dull place.
I can't really recommend one book for web site
design, although the one that has impressed me
most is the Morris/Hinrichs "Web Page Design"
title - minimal frills and a much higher density
of information. Failing that, you could do worse
than to buy a decent book on HTML, a decent book
on graphic design, read 'em both and figure out
where to draw the line between the capabilities of
the former and the demands of the latter for
yourself.
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