HTML 4 books are now hot, hot, hot. This is good for authors and publishers - throw away all your old HTML doorstops and buy new ones focusing on HTML 4.0. You have to because 4.0 has a bunch of new, cool features and, quite soon, most Web users will have browsers capable of viewing your cool new tricks.
May 24, 1998
Creating Cool HTML 4 Web Pages is not so much about HTML 4.0 as it is a general, although quite up-to-date, book about HTML page creation and it ain't bad. Although listed as appropriate for beginner to advanced, there are only a few occasional nuggets for the advanced user. Having written my own book on HTML (HTML in Action, published by Microsoft Press) I like to think I'm an advanced HTML dude. But hey, I still learned a couple of good things from Dave Taylor's book and I plan on keeping it handy near my desk so I can refer to it.
With lots of code examples and corresponding screen shots you can just about figure out what to do without even reading the text. Java, images, sound, and all the usual stuff people want to put in their Web pages are quite adequately explained. The appendices, while not massive, are a good starting point for beginners - he's got everything in here from how to find an ISP to host your site to how to use FTP to upload your pages.
Most books like this include a shovel-ware CD in the back in a cute little plastic holder. My own book did and I was not particularly proud of it. The CD that comes with Creating Cool HTML 4 Web Pages however, is not bad at all. I grabbed a couple of good tools off it. I particularly liked the FTP client, FTP Explorer, which in my opinion is vastly superior to the ubiquitous and crashy WSFTP. NotePad Plus is also nice.
To quote from the Preface:
"In a nutshell, Creating Cool HTML 4 Web Pages is an introduction to HTML." That's exactly what it is, and a fine, up-to-date one.
