In Learning Web Design, the author of a top-rated web authoring guide (Web Design in a Nutshell) now turns her hand to a beginner's tutorial. The result is a foundation course in HTML, and an ideal starting point for learning how to build web pages.

The book does not attempt to cover every aspect of web authoring, and you should look elsewhere for coverage of technologies like Flash multimedia, Javascript or XML. Instead, Learning Web Design offers sound and thorough coverage of the fundamentals, presented in a friendly and informal style, and underpinned by the author's in-depth knowledge and professionalism.

Some Web authors use design tools, while others prefer to work directly with HTML code. This title takes a balanced view, with how-to explanations for Dreamweaver, GoLive and FrontPage, along with the equivalent HTML. For graphics, Photoshop, Fireworks and Paint Shop Pro are specifically covered.

The book is structured as four parts. The first is an overview, explaining the Web design process. Next comes an HTML tutorial, tackling page formatting, how to include graphics, tables, frames and colours. The third part is a detailed guide to Web graphics, showing how to optimise both appearance and performance. The final section is about usability and design, showing how to create pages to professional standards. There is also a peek at more advanced techniques, showing where to go for more information. The wide-margin layout gives plenty of space for illustrations, some in colour, and there are plentiful tips and references in side-panels. --Tim Anderson