I just finished reading “CSS; The Missing Manual” by David McFarland. As a new web developer just starting out, I have read dozens of books on HTML and CSS and this book was one of the most informative books I have read to date.

The book is written in manual style and takes you step by step through the process of creating style sheets using CSS. What I like most about the book is how simple and easy the author wrote about this very complex subject. The book is very comprehensive and covers all aspects of CSS from text formatting to layout and even print media covered. I also like the format where the author would introduce a new concept and discuss it and then have tutorials right after to help you fully understand the idea. I also found the use of pictures and diagrams very helpful and I think I would have been lost without them.

The only criticism I have is that I think there could have been even more tutorials. I think that more opportunities to practice and apply what is being learned would have made this book the best in its category. I’d also suggest linking this to a website tutorial where you can apply what you’re learning right on the web.

In closing, I think this was a great book with a lot of useful information. I would definitely recommend it to any beginner looking for a beginner’s guide to CSS.