For Immediate Release
October 10, 2001
For more information, a review copy, cover art or an interview with
the author, contact:
Kathryn Barrett (707) 827-7094 or kathrynb@oreilly.com 



NEW EDITION OF "WEB DESIGN IN A NUTSHELL" 
KEEPS WEB DESIGNERS UP-TO-DATE


Sebastopol, CA--Even experts agree that it's very difficult to be an
expert on the Web, if possible at all. There is simply too much to
know, and once you have it all down, it changes. For many thousands of
web designers, the first edition of "Web Design in a Nutshell" by
veteran web designer Jennifer Niederst, came to be an indispensable,
no-fluff guide to the information they needed to do their jobs. But
since the book's 1998 debut, much on the Web has changed. "The
difficult thing about writing about the Web is that it's a moving
target, constantly changing and evolving," says Niederst, author of
"Web Design in a Nutshell, Second Edition" (O'Reilly, US $29.95), "A
lot has happened with the Web since I wrote the first edition. We've
seen new technologies emerge and others fade away. The raging browser
wars have quieted and the industry is inching towards standards
compliance. Countless software versions have come and gone."

"Web Design in a Nutshell" has been thoroughly reviewed and revamped to
reflect today's new web design environment, focusing on the front-end
aspects of web design, such as HTML authoring, graphics production, and
media development. "In keeping with the trends, there is a new emphasis
on creating web pages according to standards--using HTML for structure
and Cascading Style Sheets for all style information," says Niederst.
"Although traditional nonstandard web tricks are still included for the
sake of thoroughness, they are presented in a more cautionary tone."

The second edition of Niederst's book is a comprehensive reference for
HTML 4.01 tags (including tables, frames, forms, color, and Cascading
Style Sheets), with special attention given to browser support,
platform idiosyncrasies, and standards. The book includes updated
information on using graphics, multimedia, audio and video, and
advanced technologies such as Dynamic HTML, JavaScript, and XML. There
are also chapters on XHTML, WML and SML. New web designers, in addition
to those who relied on the first edition, will discover that "Web
Design in a Nutshell, Second Edition" covers every aspect of the tools
and techniques they use every day.

"I wrote 'Web Design in a Nutshell' because it was the book I needed,"
Niederst says, "one place to go to find quick answers to my questions."
Niederst explains that even the most experienced designers get stuck
occasionally, and finding the answer to a specific question can be a
time consuming and frustrating process in itself. "Deadlines often
can't accommodate a two-hour scavenger hunt," she says. Niederst's goal
with the second edition of her book was to provide all the critical
information web designers need in a single volume, so they can spend
more time designing and less time hunting down obscure facts. She adds,
"I'm pleased to say that this edition is a significant improvement over
the last."

What the critics said about the first edition:

"As a reference book about design, 'Web Design in a Nutshell' is
unmatched by anything else that I have read."
--Matt Mickiewicz, Webmasterbase.com

"The sheer amount of thoughtful fully indexed and clearly listed
information make this book a must-have for anyone who works with web
pages--beginner or not." --CNET Builder, July 19, 2001

"Something of a classic, it is packed with excellent tips and handy
reference tables."--Tim Anderson, amazon.co.uk

"Niederst discusses everything a web designer needs, from basic
principles and HTML to designing for multiple browsers, cascading style
sheets, and XML. For a working web designer this book will be an
invaluable quick reference, and it is written well enough that someone
just starting out on the Web could also use it. Highly recommended for
all libraries."--James Cox, "Midwest Book Review"

"I recommend this book for anyone interested in learning more about web
design. It's definitely a great resource."--Wendy Willard, A Web-Design
Teacher's Recommended Reading List, May 2001

"Comprehensive, covers browser idiosyncrasies, and is presented in a
clean and well-indexed format"
--Randy M. Zeitman, www.CompBookReview.com, Feb 2001

"If you're going to design Web pages or just put up and maintain a home
page, this book deserves a place on your bookshelf."
--Jacquelyn Sykes, "PC Alamode," April 2001

"An excellent resource, this guide is full of helpful tables and lists,
making it a perfect desktop reference. The book breaks down the huge
topic of Web site development into understandable, readable
segments."--"Web Tech Books," July 2000

"If you are totally broke, and can only beg, borrow, or steal enough to
buy just one book, then this might just be the one!"
--Tari Akpodiete, "BuildingTheWeb," June 1999

"Once again, O'Reilly delivers a spectacular book. I never thought it
was possible to distill so many facts about HTML, including HTML 4.0,
into an eminently readable and useful book."
--Deborah Lynn Wiley, "Database," July 1999

"Encompasses every aspect of designing web pages; furnishes quick and
easy access to a vast array of technologies and techniquess for
effective web design."--Forecast, June 1999

Chapter 13, "Tables," is available free online at:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/wdnut2/chapter/ch13.html 

For more information about the book, including Table of Contents,
index, author bio, and samples, see:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/wdnut2/

For a cover graphic in jpeg format, go to:
ftp://ftp.ora.com/pub/graphics/book_covers/hi-res/0596001967.jpg 

Web Design in a Nutshell
By Jennifer Niederst
Second Edition, September 2001
ISBN 0-596-00196-7, 618 pages, $29.95 (US)
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938
http://www.oreilly.com

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