Rating: 
Summary: good CSS intro
Review: I am experienced with HTML but not with CSS. I picked up some CSS from web sites, but I wanted a reference. I looked through this book and Eric Meyer's in the bookstore, and surprisingly I chose this one. It seemed to be more accessible, with a lot of examples that are very clearly displayed. I have been quite successful at adapting the examples. The author has included some helpful little features, such as a list of font families and which operating systems/browsers support them. So far, I've found one example that displays differently on my configuration than it does in the book. My guess is that I may find other "mistakes" as I go along. Frankly, I was not interested in DHTML when I bought this book, so I cannot review that aspect. Overall, I think that this is the best introduction to CSS that is available right now. I definitely can say that I got my money's worth out of it.
Rating:
Summary: good info, clear layout
Review: I figure a book on web design needs to be pretty good to be worth bypassing the million and one online tutorials. This one works for me on several counts -such as extent of information, usability and clarity of content. I like the book - it was pitched at the level I needed; - competent coding HTML and basic JS - but shaky with CSS. It starts with detailed look at CSS - controlling and modifying html tags at tag, page and site level. I found this section a model of clarity - very well explained and laid out.
Addresses numerous areas where the CSS can add power and flexibility to the formatting of a web site. Clearly explains the "cascading" nature of style sheets, and the class, id, tag modification, and contextual selectors - all of which were somewhat mysterious to me beforehand, in spite of already using and creating some of them via editors. Would be especially good for someone just starting to look at these. Consistent lay out in the book helps you scan for the relevant attributes for the CSS keywords -I will use the book as a reference as well. It then proceeds to introduce the interplay between JavaScript and CSS in DHTML.
This is done carefully with detailed examination of cross browser issues. It explains the differences in document object model used by different browsers, including NS6. It provides and explains generic code to help alleviate cross browser incompatibility and to identify and use the relevant DOM, including "feature sensing" and "browser sensing". This is clear enough that it can be followed in detail, or just implemented by downloading the templates and examples on the companion web site. The examples proceed from rollovers, layer manipulation, to navigation systems - drop down links, expanding breadcrumbs and other nav systems. I was familiar with similar scripts for all these but had never seen them explained so thoroughly in the context of CSS and cross browser Javascript. There is more in here I haven't digested yet about dynamically adding CSS rules Also succinctly surveys some other aspects of the web (Flash, SVG, XML, XHTML) and summarises some s/w (eg Dreamweaver) and graphic manipulation issues. It has some self confessed "gimmicks" as well - swirling text, moving pictures, "fridge magnets" etc. Good index of further resources at the end. Companion web site contains lots of examples, all the code, and prebuilt (but customisable) nav systems etc -scripts are clear enough to easily modify. I like the fact that cross browser issues are consistently and thoroughly addressed. There is a lot of well presented technical info in here on CSS, good DHTML code and examples, sound cross browser stuff, some good design advice, bug info, lots of hints and cautions, and interesting reading - so yeah, I liked it.
Rating: 
Summary: Less than half good
Review: I have a background in HTML but I know nothing of Javascripting or DHTML. In CSS, I really enjoyed the author's insights into the W3C standards, Microsoft, Netscape, and it was well rounded. There were good tips in the extra blocks and the CSS examples were understandable, and easy to follow. The syntax was somewhat off, which should never be acceptable for a programming book, but it wasn't very difficult to get past in CSS because the syntax rules are stable for the most part. Also, the author boasts of how much money they've saved us by not including a CD and instead including a support website, and a contact address by which he can answer our questions. I submitted a question 2 weeks ago and I have yet to receive a response. Once I got past the CSS section of this book, the author's definitions and explanations became cryptic and the tips consist of heavy criticism of Netscape and Microsoft. The website is a good start to supporting a book with syntax errors that doesn't indicate when it is referring to literals or when there is a space in something, or not. Personally, I would have preferred the CD. This book is very good for CSS. However, it is not worth the price if more than half the book is not easily understandable to the person reading it with no previous experience in the language and its a waste of valuable time trying to understand it.
Rating: 
Summary: Lots of useful tricks
Review: I inherited lots of old "browser-sniffing" code with hard-coded style stuff, so this book was timely.
I agree with the other reviewer that some of the code could be more succint. Tables would make more useful examples than Alice in Wonderland.
Rating: 
Summary: Recommended
Review: I like this book. It is a bit repetive at times but if you happen to forget the previous sections it tells you where to find the info for refreshing your memory. Anybody with a basic understanding of HTML will appreciate & understand CSS & probably apply it to their website. CSS makes global changes to your site easy. You can also over-ride an external stylesheet with local styles when certain defined elements are not appropriate for a certain page. This book will teach you how to do it...
Steve
Rating:
Summary: Good Book with a flaw
Review: I returned this book when I got to Chapter 11. Past this chapter, the coding examples are overly complex for compatibility. The book does not say so, but I am pretty sure this is to cope with Netscape Navigator 4. That's the "flaw." Otherwise the book is clear and complete.
Rating:
Summary: 3rd edition is good
Review: I think the previous reviews all refer to the 2nd edition. The third edition out in 2004 has a great deal more focus on DHTML navigation and Mozilla-only code. The navigation scripts he provides shows his complete grasp of both CSS and javascript. Unlike the examples in sites like javascriptkit.com and dynamicdrive.com which are written by javascript gurus, JCT's scripts are hybrid models of both advanced CSS and javascript. The code and mark-up combination are so tightly written, it is absolutely necessary that every web developer gets this book. You won't find code like this anywhere else on the web! Also, JCT provides excellent examples of code that shows the new directions taken by the Mozilla development team. He reveals a way of making rounded corners using only a few lines of CSS, and no graphics. My one caveat is that the editors of JCT's 3rd edition did a piss-poor job of copy-checking. On the second chapter, one of the paragraphs in the tips section is duplicated word-for-word. And on page 105, the example is missing a period, thereby making it completely useless unless you spot the mistake. These are only the ones I spotted as I flipped through the book -- I am certain there are many more errors. Buyer beware!
Rating:
Summary: Buy a copy!
Review: I thought I knew everything about CSS but I learned quite a bit from this book and even clarified some things I was a little fuzzy on. This second edition seems to be almost a complete re-working of the first edition and does a great job of showing how much you can do with simple text-based HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Rating:
Summary: great little book!
Review: I was pleasantly surprised that this book could be so useful. I bought it because a former course mate recommended it. I didn't use this book for weeks after I got it. When I eventually did, I found it very helpful. The complete examples given by the author were just what I was looking for.
In my opinion, this book has saved me far more than what it cost.
For those who want in-depth coverage of DHTML, I suggest a bigger book. For those of us with little time however, we'll have to make do with this book. I wanted a whirlwind coverage of the essentials of DHTML, and this book delivered--at a ridiculously small price.
Rating:
Summary: Misses the mark.
Review: I'm a tyro in the subject matter of this book. I purchased it to grab snippets from it for immediate use in re-vamping my web site. It seemed ideal for this sort of thing. Unfortunately, the very first item that I tried to use; controlling white space, would do nothing at all in my browser. After beating my brains on the examples for a while, I sent an e-mail to the author. To his credit he answered promptly, asking which browser I was using...(IE 6.0). He then came up with what I considered a ridiculous answer...IE 6.0 must have a problem, as it worked in earlier browsers. I then researched his usage of "PRE" and discovered that it was "deprecated", especially in CSS, and that it "might not work in all browsers". I have not examined other sections of the book closely, as I have lost a little faith in the capability of the author. The book has helped me, but I'd rather have one in which I can trust. I don't want to run into any more problems which cause me a lot of research to help me decide whose problem I'm dealing with.
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