Books for/about - xml

Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML (Head First)

Publisher: O'Reilly Media
Authors: Elisabeth Freeman Eric Freeman

ISBN: 059610197X
List Price: $34.95
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Summary: Great place to start learning XHTML & CSS
I read this book cover to cover in a few weeks and can't believe how much I got out of it. The educational approaches the authors take really helped me absorb the content. I am very happy with this book and feel like I got more than my money's worth.

Summary: Wow. What an interesting, gripping read...
I am a big fan of Kathy Sierra's "Creating Passionate Users" Blog but never had an opportunity or context in which I could engage with Headrush.

But I am really into the Net and when I saw this book, I figured I'd give it a look through to understand more about web design.

This book KICKS BU**!! I have never had such a great time going through a book and no book has kept me so engaged with exercises , humor (yes, humor in a tech book) and crossword puzzles (you'll have to see it to believe it). So much so that I finished the entire book, all its exercises and quizzes and am actually looking forward to doing some web designs of my own.

Plus, I am looking forward to their PHP book. I already bought their Ajax book to keep me company for the next week. Jeez... I think they got me hooked.

Summary: Best Book on HTML and CSS
I first learned HTML several years ago but needed to update my skills to incorporate CSS. I have read several books on the subject - most of which gave me a headache within the first few pages! This book breaks it all down into easy-to-understand steps. They offer several different ways of learning the same material so that it actually sticks with you and provide exercises to help you master your skills. By the time you finish this book, you will feel confident in your abilities as a web designer. It is designed both for beginners to web design as well as for those, like myself, who need to update their skills. I think it could also be used very well in a classroom format.

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HTML for the World Wide Web with XHTML and CSS: Visual QuickStart Guide, Fifth Edition

Publisher: Peachpit Press
Authors: Elizabeth Castro

ISBN: 0321130073
List Price: $21.99
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Summary: Best of its type under US$40
I use this book for classes and workshops that I teach. It is quite simply the best book of its type for under US$40. There are a couple of excellent titles from Wrox that deliver similar information, but they miss this price point.

Castro's book comes in at just under 500 pages, which is as succinct as one could hope to get with the level of detail that she reaches.

It does an excellent job of not only covering the most basic material but of touching on questions that will arise for intermediate web development students exploring logical "next steps" of web technology learning.

Summary: Didn't quite get there.
This book was perscribed text for my university class "Introduction to Web Design" and I found it a frustrating experience. Whist Castro gives "how to" instructions they are not always clear, and examples are not given for everything. Unfortuantely a lot of my class mates shared my frustrations, and I am not looking forward to the next class on advanced web design simply because this is the perscribed text for that one too.

There are much better books on the market, specifically "The Complete Reference to HTML & XHTML" published by Osbourne.

Summary: Perfect Introduction To HTML & CSS
Perfect book for beginners that want to learn HTML and CSS!!!

Elizabeth Castro writes her books (this book has been re-released many a times so you know they are good) in a style that is quick to pick up, hard to put down, and easy easy easy for newbies to learn from! With bold fonts, a great layout, and a snazzy size that fits perfectly in your hands, you simply CANNOT go wrong picking up this book if you want to learn HTML like you are in a classroom and the instructor is right in front of you. HTML experts need not pick up this book, but most others will find this extremely useful.

***** HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECCOMENDATION

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	Cascading Style Sheets: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition Publisher: O'Reilly Media Authors: Eric A. Meyer
ISBN: 0596005253 List Price: $39.95 Amazon Price: $25.17 Usually ships in 24 hours Buy this book from amazon.com or from amazon.co.uk	Avg Cusomer Rating: 2 Reviews: Summary: Not impressed at all I read a lot of good things about Eric Meyers and people say he's practically like the king of CSS teachers or something. I read reviews from amazon about this book and decided it was time I read this book. At first, it seemed like a good book, explaining core concepts of CSS to me. I've been using it for years, but never really had a book teach me everything, I picked it up as I went along. However, as I reached further into the book, the topics became more complicated and his explanations became weaker and weaker. There are no practical examples. I was hoping to get some insight in the way certain code could be used but instead, this was more like a help/reference manual which made me wonder why I even needed this book in that case when there are great help/reference manuals all over the Internet. I thought reading this book would make me like Mr. Meyer's apprentice, to learn from the master. It was like going to an experienced carpenter and being told "This is a hammer, u hit nails with it." and then leaving. I was looking for more like "this is a hammer, notice how if I hit it hard it causes a dent in the wood, but a soft touch allows you to keep an even wood surface, use least amount of energy and still get the job done." I learnt more about CSS from other books that were nothing more than basic introductions. Summary: A book on CSS principles, not a CSS cookbook Meyer's book is addressed to web site designers who want a more thorough understanding of the principles underlying CSS. It presupposes some practical familiarity with (X)HTML and prior exposure to CSS. This should probably not be a first book on CSS. And look elsewhere if you're interested in a cookbook approach to design. Meyer understands the complexities of CSS and has considerable experience with it, which makes this among the more useful books on the subject. Read this book if you want element by element, tag by tag discussion of CSS. Among other things, you will come away with a better understanding of the cascade, the box model, margins and padding, lists, and the differences between block and inline elements. Your coding is also likely to be cleaner. But if what you want is specific design tips for something like a three column layout with masthead and footer, you need a different book. Things move so quickly in web design that by the time a book reaches the shelf, it almost invariably has a slightly dated feel to it. That's the case here, accentuated perhaps by the less than thorough content and organizational editing this book apparently received from O'Reilly Media. Its organization is too loose, and at times it is not readily apparent why some topics are placed where they are. Meyer also has a tendency to use certain phrases or style devices repetitively, which is at times only annoying but also sometimes frustrating. That said, however, Meyer's book can help make the difference between really understanding CSS and just being able to use it. I learned a number of things that I was able to apply immediately and expect I will find more in Meyer's book as I return to it as a reference, which may be the best way to use it. Summary: An absolute must for all web designers If you're interested in throwing away tables and progressing into using XHTML and CSS for web design, this is an essential reference. It can be read cover to cover and in typical Meyer style, is easy to read and very simple to understand. I'd recommend pairing this with 'Eric Meyer on CSS' and 'More Eric Meyer on CSS'. This will act as a reference for the actual code whilst Meyer's other books walk you through actually using CSS in a variety of different ways. I keep this book on hand constantly while I'm working. Summary:

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Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA): Concepts, Technology, and Design

Publisher: Prentice Hall PTR
Authors: Thomas Erl

ISBN: 0131858580
List Price: $44.99
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Summary: be cautious of some other reports on the book
I've had this book for several months now, and read various sections of it. Though not all. Kinda lengthy, you know. But you can use just the portions needed for your stuff. Erl's examples help give it flesh. I find the jargon is still sometimes too much. But he didn't make that up. Seems to be what we all're stuck with in SOA.

Be VERY cautious of some other recent reviews of the book. Two or three of them gave very negative reports. But mayhaps they didnt read very much of it? Hey check this out. Some of them only have done one review. Of this book. Bit suss, eh? Are those real reviews? Heck, are those real reviewers?

Summary: Excellent coverage of SOA...
It seems as if the "next big thing" in information technology and software development revolves around the theme of Service-Oriented Architecture, or SOA for short. If you've barely scratched the surface of the subject, it's tempting to think that SOA is just Web services. Even Notes/Domino 7 has hopped on that bandwagon with new design elements to support Web services. However, in reality, SOA is far, far more. If you want (or need) to understand the subject well, I'd recommend Service-Oriented Architecture - Concepts, Technology, and Design by Thomas Erl. The 792-page book may look intimidating, but don't let the size scare you off...

Erl's book is broken up into five parts that help you get your mind around what can be a large and complex subject. Part 1 concentrates on the higher-level fundamentals, such as what SOA is (and isn't), the history of SOA, and how we currently use SOA with the Web services framework. Then, Part 2 gets into the newer standards for Web services, commonly referred to as the WS-* extensions. These standards are still evolving and morphing, but you'll understand where the industry is headed. Parts 3 and 4 delve into the concept of services and describe how to design your system to best leverage that architecture. Without this knowledge, you might end up with various Web services that really don't constitute a true SOA system. In Part 5, you get into the actual XML file layouts of each SOA component, so that you can understand the internals and how all the components work together.

I most appreciated the book's focus on explaining things using case studies and analogies. The case studies run through the entire book, so you can see how a company might evolve their strategy over time. Especially helpful are the analogies ("In Plain English"), in that they point out how a service-oriented structure exists in many of the things we do in everyday life. We just don't think of them that way. You'll learn how the author's car washing enterprise parallels an SOA design, and this comparison does wonders for making it all come together.

One thing the book does not do is get into platform-specific implementation details. Towards the end of the book, there is coverage on .Net and J2EE implementations of SOA, but not at a level that would allow you to sit down and start coding. By staying away from the specifics, Erl is able to concentrate on the concepts that apply regardless of whether you're in the Windows or Java camp.

While it might be tempting to go grab a "Web Services for Dummies" book and start coding, you really do need to understand the background in order to build comprehensive solutions that add value to your organization. An investment in a book like this will put you on the track to being able to deliver those solutions.

And that's really our job -- delivering value...

Summary: One-stop book on SOA
I can truly say that Thomas Erl is probably one of very few that truly understands Web services and SOA. His books (both of them) are an architects companion when it comes to coming up with an enterprise-wide solution. Thomas depicts the pro's and con's of each approach and gives the reader an insight into what a Service-Oriented Architecture can bring to the picture.
"Of the many books that cover Web services and SOA, Service-Oriented-Architecture: A Field Guide to Integrating XML and Web Services will certainly go down in history as one of the best. It's the only book of its kind that covers the latest and the greatest Web services protocols."

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Service-Oriented Architecture : A Field Guide to Integrating XML and Web Services

Publisher: Prentice Hall PTR
Authors: Thomas Erl

ISBN: 0131428985
List Price: $44.99
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Summary: Excellent book for undestanding SOA based Web services
This book is very compelling for anyone who want get introduced to the SOA strategies. I found it well structured, and extremely helpful in understanding the XML based standards related to SOA and its implementation approaches. The author did a very good job on XML Web Services scenarios but failed to demonstrate real code examples....that is my only biggest gripe. Otherwise it is a must-have book for anyone who involved with building an SOA solution. Interestingly, this book is much better than the author's previous blue book.

Summary: Valuable Resource
I was impressed with how much "inside information" this book reveals about how all of the xml and ws* technologies really work. It openly reveals problems and then provides strategies for dealing with these problems.

The web services platform has become so complex not just because of the multitude of specs but also because different software companies are building for or supporting different versions of these specs.

I found this book to be a very reliable resource and reference that helped me make sense of some of the discrepenceies out there and provided guidance as to how to make the most of what is available now when implementing web services and xml schemas to solve problems in the real world.

Summary: Best Book on SOA so far for Architects!
This is the best book on SOA compared to IBM's book Service Oriented Compass. And more over converage of SOA concepts are documentated excellently. Finally this is best book for thumbs-up!

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	FileMaker Pro 8: The Missing Manual Publisher: O'Reilly Media Authors: Geoff Coffey Susan Prosser
ISBN: 0596005792 List Price: $34.95 Amazon Price: $22.02 Usually ships in 24 hours Buy this book from amazon.com or from amazon.co.uk	Avg Cusomer Rating: 5 Reviews: Summary: VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! Are you a programmer that has been working with FileMaker for a while? If you are, then this book is for you! Authors Geoff Coffey and Susan Prosser, have done an outstanding job of writing a book that explores each feature in depth, offers shortcuts and workarounds, and explains the ramifications of options that a FileMaker Pro manual doesn't even mention. Coffey and Prosser, begin by exploring FileMaker Pro's interface; and, show you how to perform basic tasks, like entering data and then sorting through it again. Then, the authors show you how to use layouts to make data entry easier and how to create layouts that list and summarize your data. They continue by showing you how to create, connect, and manage multiple tables and how to set up complex relationships that show you just the data you need to see. Next, the authors show you how to use FileMaker Pro's 200+ functions to do the math for you. Then, they show you how scripting works, and learn how to make scripts for people to use. Finally, the authors show you how to protect your database with a password and how to use privileges to determine what folks can do once they get into your database. FileMaker Pro comes in several flavors, and this excellent book addresses them all. Each chapter contains live examples--step-by-step tutorials that help you learn how to build a database by actually doing it! Summary: The only book you will need to learn FileMaker Pro! I have developed many database applications in other software programs. FileMaker is quite different from the rest, so I had to learn "by the book" to understand many of Filemaker's unique features, so I purchased Filemaker Pro 7 Bible and Using Filemaker Pro 7. The Bible book was totally useless, giving you details for beginners and lots of useless text for someone who already understands database development. The Using books gives details, both not a straight forward approach to developing a database. But once FileMaker Pro 8: The Missing Manual came out (the first to cover version 8), I purchased it. To my surprise, it was so well written and loaded with practical advise, that I have read to book from end to end. It has excellent examples that I have used in the application I am developing for my company. I continually go back to the book for refreshers to concepts I learned in the book. The other two books hardly get touched! If there is one book to buy to learn FileMaker Pro, this is it! Summary: FileMaker Pro8 Touted as the "missing manual" I was expecting good guidance on concrete applications. I bought the software with the primary intent of converting various large Excel files into a database. The manual is large on theory and small on concrete help. My efforts to convert Excel files failed so often that I finally gave up trying. The book was of no help. Summary:

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Cascading Style Sheets: Designing for the Web (3rd Edition)

Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional
Authors: Hakon Wium Lie Bert Bos

ISBN: 0321193121
List Price: $44.99
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Summary: Good Choice for the CSS beginner and up
This book is a well written introduction into the world of css and pinpoints key concepts of css. It's by far one of the most readable texts that I have picked up out of all the technical books I've read in my few years of being alive. The book lacks a little in having some references to an example on a previous page while the reference to it is one to pages after the example. This discrepency is understood though since it is hard to keep everything together and not spill out onto other pages when planning the layout of a book. Overall this is a good book on css, and I would recommend it to anyone wishing to start into css.

Summary: Good book but irritating typos
I would have given this book atleast 4 stars if it weren't for the misleading typos! here's a few - Chapter 6 Pg 127 refers to Figure 6.2 (which doesn't exist!) instead of Figure 6.3; Chatper 10 Pg 228 the example "H1 {color: #ff000 }" is plain wrong (needs a extra zero at the end) and will not work.

Otherwise, it is a very good book. I especially like Chapter 4 - describes CSS selectors in great detail.

Summary: Great resouce for new to css
ritten by the authors of CSS, at first I found it a bit heavy in dialogue and backgrounds. Not until you open the book to the index does one actually realize the wealth of information in the book. Do not expect this book to show examples of the next great page, but as a resource in trouble shooting it helped explain alot of questions I either was too lazy to look up in Dreamweaver Help or couldnt find the right type of answer elsewhere. My level is pretty much entry intermediate, but with this book, it took me a bit higher. I am getting rid of my introductory CSS books and using this one as my main go to guide.

CSS is covered in detail (20 pages on CSS colour alone) and the explainations are straight forward. The most valuable chapter is "Spaces around boxes". Running over 30 pages, this is a well thumbed section that explained to me where I was going wrong with a layout CSS I was doggedly trying to force to do what I wanted. Once I went through this section, it became clear my folly.

This book now has an honour of being well coffee stained and front and center on my resource shelf.

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Head Rush Ajax

Publisher: O'Reilly Media
Authors: Brett McLaughlin

ISBN: 0596102259
List Price: $39.99
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Summary: I really like HeadFirst and HeadRush series. and particularly this book .
It's very interesting,funny, concise and comprehensive. I really enjoyed reading it.

Summary: The best Ajax book
Easily the best Ajax book at the moment. The material is both entertaining and infomative. The asynchronous and client/server aspects of Ajax can make it tougher to understand, and the author does a good job of working through those issues in a way that makes it easy to understand.

The book also covers the DOM and DHTML issues that you need to get the most out of the browser environment.

Summary: Beginners Bible
HI this is good for Beginners. not for experts.
Lot of things repeated 3,4 times. Which is not there in other headfirst books?

Good for who wants to know Some Javascript/HTML basics + Good AJAX

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