This Sitepoint release, written by Ian Lloyd, proves to be a worthwhile addition to the library of a budding web designer or even that of a complete novice who’d like to build his own site. Ian takes the reader through a complete tour of HTML and CSS, plus a few goodies, and leaves no stone unturned in making sure they can build a good, solid foundation of knowledge.

For those of you not in the know, Ian is a member of the Web Standards Project, and is a self-confessed addict for web standards, accessibility and usability. That means that any reader that picks up this book and follows it will end up with a lot of very useful knowledge on that subject, and that’s good nowadays, when web standards are the norm, not the exception.

As is the case with most computer books, book follows the development of a fictional website, this time for a UK diving group called Bubble Under – and when I say it starts at the bottom, I mean it: the first chapter deals with browsers! But that’s what’s great about it. It’s thorough, from cover to cover! And the emphasis on CSS is very welcome! I remember the HTML books of my day… and of course there was no such thing as CSS back then. Well, this book is modern and up to date, and thankfully so! CSS-based page designs are emphasized, and the reader is taken through a natural transition from pure HTML to CSS integration. Along the way, standards are plugged in, also naturally, and the more advanced elements like images and forms are also nicely presented.

Another indication of the book’s relevance is the chapter on blogs, which talks about the various solutions on the market, and then focuses on how to set up a Blogger account and integrate it into a website’s existing design. Other goodies are stats, search, blogrolls, and discussion forums. The book ends nicely with a good discussion of XHTML, and an XHTML glossary is included to boot.

What more can I say? If you’re in the market for a good book that will help you get started with designing your own site, get this book. It’ll be perfect for you!