Rating: 
Summary: It is a killer
Review: It takes to other dimension of programing which is creativity to feel and and go inside the real art of designing. I just wish he would come up with more books.
Rating: 
Summary: Good For Me, the newbie
Review: I've just started doing this book. I had it lying around for years, from since it was first published in '97. Because I didn't own Photoshop at the time, I couldn't make head or tail of it. I had put it aside and did my amateur website through MS FrontPage. I finally got me Photoshop and now the book suddenly starts to make sense.
I have Photoshop 6.o, the latest, but use it to do exercises designed for lower releases-no problem!
I don't care one way or the other about all the good and the bad reviews, I'm threading my way slowly, and discerning order out of chaos. To me, this book is good. It's an enjoyable read and I've learned so much-so far, about color palettes. It has cleared up a lot of stuff that use to confuse me. And I'm sure there is a lot more great stuff to come as I go through it. My humbly advice to newbies is: use this material as a stepping-stone-(you must possess a copy of Photoshop of course). Then, look for more advance, or better stuff. It pays to learn all you can, from every corner. Pat.
Rating: 
Summary: outdated
Review: This book was a nice idea, but so outdated it couldn't possibly be useful anymore. Layout with pixel shims? Forcing paragraph indents with non-breaking spaces? You must be kidding me. If you take some of Siegel's advice and use a table to lay out an entire web page, packed with graphics besides, do you really think anyone is going to wait for it to load? Siegel also needs to get it through his head that a web page is *not* a printed page and traditional page layout and typography don't transfer well. If he treated web pages more as information sources and less as art projects this book might get you somewhere, but as it is the pages detailed here are only slightly better than useless.
Rating: 
Summary: disappointed
Review: Based on the high reviews for this book, I was excited to pick this one up. (Although I wasn't pleased about the hefty price tag.) I skimmed through it last night and was let down in a big way. I was hoping this book would tell me something I didn't know or at least be a useful reference book to sit next to my computer. Unfortunately, this one isn't a keeper. I'll have to continue my hunt for a decent design book.
Rating:
Summary: This is a historically important book for web design
Review: If in about 5-10 years, someone chose to write a book about the development of web design, this book would rank at or near the top. This is probably the book that truly unleashed the so-called second-generation concept of web design on the world, for better or worse. Do you want to know about how to use tables for layouts, use transparent 1-pixel GIFs as spacers or "shims" to keep everything from getting wobbly, and how to use GIF-text images in conjunction with actual text to make your page look just the way you, the designer, want it to? All those techniques are explained here in great detail, with lots of examples, plus you can look at the companion website for source code.
Of course this second edition came out in 1997 - and now it's 2000, and many of the techniques he explains are outdated. Current-day standards advocates, usability experts and the like deplore the kinds of methods described here. Yet, probably most of the "designed" websites out there that are not using just the latest techniques or the the other extreme - just using plain-looking text layouts - are using at least a few of the techniques detailed here. So if you are new to HTML and web design, and you want to know how to make your pages look like much of what's on the web right now, this book is a must. "HTML Magic", which covers the much of the same material, is also recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Be very careful when purchasing this book
Review: This book should be called "Creating Killer web sites WITH Photoshop 4". The techniques are made for Photoshop 4. If you do not use that program do not buy this book as it is expensive. Secondly the advice on web site creation from the book is outdated and out moded. Even the author has recanted and said that the way web design is out lined in this book IS NOT the way to go. He flip flops and totally does a 180 in his new book "Secrets of Succesful web sites". Therefore this book is 1) expensive 2) oudated 3) over rated 4) a waste of time and money 5) by the authors own admission- flawed Skip it....
Rating:
Summary: Thank God For Aesthetics
Review: There are some severely harsh criticisms of this book. Perhaps these ardent critics need to "chill" and not take themselves so seriously! We do not have to have an either/or war here. Seigel gives very helpful considerations for developing the aesthetics of a site, skills worth developing in creating appealing web sites. As well, there are considerations of content, economy of file size etc. that other guides may articulate more helpfully but this does not nullify Seigel's contributions. This is a stimulating book but no one needs to perceive his aesthetic tastes as gospel. I cannot imagine anyone not helped in some way by this book. It is getting a bit dated and could be somewhat more comprehensive but the perhaps the next edition is not far off.
Rating:
Summary: Still cutting edge after all these years
Review: David Siegel is truly a master of this craft. Despite flames by his obviously narrow-minded, envious detractors, Siegel's message is this: unify graphic and informational content in a way that will amaze your clientele and keep them coming back for more. This book sets the standard for thinking "outside the box." If you are a minimalist, or prefer the latest in Flash/Shockwave over-the-top design the book is equally relevant. It is not about "design your site exactly like this," but an inspiration to spark your own creative juices. Don't be scared off by Siegel's nay-sayers. Take the book for a test drive. You won't regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Good as a reference, not a primer
Review: I agree with most of the reviewers who stress Web content over style and who criticize the design practices in this book. This doesn't mean that "Creating Killer Web Sites" is a bad book, it just means you should extract the useful parts of it without being compelled to design fluffy, image oriented sites. I found this book useful because it provided some very helpful tips about Web graphics, color pallets, PhotoShop, etc., which any Web designer needs to master. I found a lot of Siegel's design concepts creative and interesting, but--guess what--I avoided them like the plague. In professional and personal site building I have always had to produce clear, reasonably elegant sites without superfluous imagery. Based on my professional and personal experience, not to mention exposure to other reviewers--I think that's what most people look for in a Web site. Use this book for its many helpful graphic tips, and enjoy its creative ideas. But don't take its site building concepts too seriously.
Rating:
Summary: Fifth star will be for the next edition.
Review: David Siegel is a master. Watch his web site. It is a perfect complement to the book. Because Siegel masters every aspect of web publishing you are sure to find whatever you are looking for. Technical explanations are scientifically correct, advise on layout is based on ergonomy fundamentals and illustrated with modern applications. Tricks on attractiveness might somehow look old-fashioned after some months but the web site is here to bring you the best (and latest)of the breed.How to take advantage of the two versions (book+web) of the same guide? Read explanations on principles of good design, appreciate applications in web-sites linked to Siegel book web-site, then copy the source code from these web-sites (with respect to copyright rules). Buy this book and watch the associated web-site, you will save time and money.
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