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Good Geek Books

Cascading Style Sheets: The Definitive Reference (2nd Ed).
(http://www.meyerweb.com/eric/books/css-tdg/)
Type: Trade Paperback Book
Author: Eric A. Meyer
ISBN: 0-596-00525-3
Date: 2004
Publisher: O'Reilly
Comments: Just like it says: The definitive reference.
Designing Web Usability
(http://www.useit.com/jakob/webusability/)
Type: Trade Paperback Book
Author: Jakob Nielsen
ISBN: 1-56205-810-X
Date: 2000
Publisher: New Riders
Comments: Jakob Nielsen is considered the "Father of Web Usability." Designers hate this guy with a burning passion, but he makes a lot of sense (which is probably why they hate him. He also advocates structure and rules). I highly recommend this book for people who want to design truly usable Web sites. You don't have to follow all of his suggestions (I think a truly "Nielsen-compliant" Web site is pretty ugly), but you really need to think about the issues he raises.
Designing with Web Standards
(http://www.zeldman.com/dwws/)
Type: Trade Paperback Book
Author: Jeffrey Zeldman
ISBN: 0-73571-201-8
Date: 2003
Publisher: New Riders
Comments: This is a really good book for designing modern Web sites that follow standards with a future, are accessible, attractive and robust.
The Design of Everyday Things
(http://www.jnd.org/books.html#DOET)
Type: Trade Paperback Book
Author: Don Norman
ISBN: 0-46506-710-7
Date: 2002 (Re-issue)
Publisher: Basic Books
Comments: This is the best design book I have ever read. Period. It has changed the way I view the world. It doesn't actually have that much to do with Web sites, but the basics of design transcend all mediums.
Don't Make Me Think!
(http://www.sensible.com/buythebook.html)
Type: Trade Paperback Book
Author: Steve Krug
ISBN: 0-78972-310-7
Date: 2000
Publisher: New Riders
Comments: This is a wonderful book for designing Web navigation! It is extremely easy to read, and makes tremendous sense.
Envisioning Information
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0961392118/)
Type: Trade Paperback Book
Author: Edward Tufte
ISBN: 0-96139-211-8
Date: 1990
Publisher: Graphics Press
Comments: Tufte is world-famous for his expertise on designing and demonstrating ways for us to display and interpret complex information. Most of his stuff is absolutely wonderful, and will give you a "brain hernia." I picked this book, because it would be a crime to talk about designing Web sites without mentioning him. This is his most design-centered book.
Eric Meyer on CSS
(http://www.ericmeyeroncss.com/)
Type: Trade Paperback Book
Author: Eric A. Meyer
ISBN: 0-73571-245-X
Date: 2003
Publisher: New Riders
Comments: An excellent way to learn CSS. Eric Meyer has created a project-based book that walks you through making your sites CSS-studly. He has written lots of other stuff as well, but this is an excellent place to begin.
Home Page Usability
(http://www.useit.com/homepageusability/)
Type: Trade Paperback Book
Author: Jakob Nielsen and Marie Tahir
ISBN: 0-73571-102-X
Date: 2001
Publisher: New Riders
Comments: This is an excellent book for reviewing your Home Page. This is the most important page on your site, and it needs a lot of attention.
HTML & XHTML –The Complete Reference
(http://www.htmlref.com/)
Type: Trade Paperback Book
Author: Thomas Powell
ISBN: 0-07222-942-X
Date: 2003
Publisher: Osborne
Comments: This is a very useful reference book on modern HTML and XHTML. I find it eminently readable and quite useful. It is a HUGE book. There is a wonderful Web site that goes with it, and is a full reference on its own.
HTML & XHTML: The Definitive Guide (5th Ed).
(http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/html5/)
Type: Trade Paperback Book
Author: Chuck Musciano and Bill Kennedy
ISBN: 0-59600-382-X
Date: 2002
Publisher: O'Reilly
Comments: This is not edge-of-the-seat reading. It is a reference book. However, it is an excellent reference book, and a book, that, in my opinion, every Web designer should have next to their computer.
JavaScript: The Definitive Guide (4th Ed).
(http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/jscript4/)
Type: Trade Paperback Book
Author: David Flanagan
ISBN: 0-59600-048-0
Date: 2001
Publisher: O'Reilly
Comments: JavaScript is a HUGE subject. This is a big fat reference book that you should really have on hand if you want to get the most from this powerful language.
Outside Lies Magic
(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802775632)
Type: Trade Paperback Book
Author: John R. Stilgoe
ISBN: 0-80277-563-2
Date: 1999
Publisher: Walker & Company
Comments: You should get out more. This is an ecclectic and wonderful book that encourages us to get out and PAY ATTENTION.
The Simplicity Shift
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/052152749X/)
Type: Trade Paperback Book
Author: Scott Jenson
ISBN: 0-52152-749-X
Date: 2002
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Comments: This is an excellent book that is aimed at corporations wishing to improve the usability and simplicity of their products. It talks about ways to prioritize features and product design to maximize usability and simplicity. It is a short read, and well worth it.
The Timeless Way of Building
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0195024028)
Type: Hardcover Book on Architecture (The kind that involves bricks).
Author: Christopher Alexander
ISBN: 0-19502-402-8
Date: 1979
Publisher: Oxford Press
Comments: In this book, Christopher Alexander introduces the concept of Design Patterns. This is probably one of the most important concepts ever introduced to computer science. Pretty amazing, when you consider that this is a building architecture book. I mention it here, not because of Design Patterns, per se, but rather, because of the extremely practical and commonsense discussions on the way we should approach human-centered design.
Understanding Accessibility (Downloads a PDF Document)
(http://www.hisoftware.com/uaen/ua.pdf)
Type: Downloadable PDF Book
Author: Robert B. Yonaitis
ISBN: 1-93061-603-1
Date: 2002
Publisher: Hi Software
Comments: The Web accessibility industry actually is quite a generous one, and they do try to help Web designers achieve true accessibility. This online book is an example.
User Interface Design for Programmers (Printed Edition)
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1893115941/)
Type: Trade Paperback Book
Author: Joel Spolsky
ISBN: 1-89311-594-1
Date: 2001
Publisher: Apress
Comments: A book on developing effective and accessible user interface. It is aimed at all types of programmers, and is not just a Web book. It is well written and practical.
Web Pages that Suck
(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/078212187X)
Type: Trade Paperback Book
Author: Vincent Flanders and Michael Willis
ISBN: 0-78212-187-X
Date: 1998
Publisher: Sybex
Comments: This is not a nice book. It makes fun of bad Web sites. However, this is an excellent book. I have learned a great deal from this book. One of the authors maintains a Web site by the same name.
Web Style Guide (2nd Ed).
(Open the Amazon Book Reference)
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0300088981/)
(Open the Book in Web Site Form)
(http://www.webstyleguide.com/)
Type: Trade Paperback Book and Web Site
Author: Patrick J. Lynch and Sarah Horton
ISBN: 0-30008-898-1
Date: 2002
Publisher: Yale University Press
Comments: This is a very good book about Web site design. It talks about creating tasteful, accessible and useful Web sites. Even though the entire text is available online, I would recommend buying the book anyway. It isn't big, it isn't too expensive and it isn't very long.
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