Book Review:
Eric Meyer On CSS: Mastering The Language Of Web Design

by Larisa Thomason,
Senior Web Analyst,
NetMechanic, Inc.

If you've ever wondered whether CSS is really worth the trouble to learn and use on a Web site, this book is for you. Style sheets sound great in theory, yet often seem intimidating in practice. But here, Eric Meyer proves the value of style sheets with a series of examples that are clearly explained and easy to follow.

Learn Basic CSS First

This book is not for beginners. If you don't know a property from a value, you need to invest some time in a beginning book that explains basic CSS properties and discusses how HTML and CSS work together on Web pages. Or start with our beginning CSS article: "Presenting Your Page With Style."

But when you're ready to explore the full power of CSS, you'll find Eric Meyer waiting to guide you.

Fortunately, he's an experienced guide who understands how to break up a huge task into a series of manageable pieces. The book contains 13 separate projects and has a companion Web site where you can download the files used in each project. Use them to work through each project at your own pace.

Read Before You Type

I recommend reading the entire book before you ever touch your keyboard. Meyers is opening a whole new world of design possibilities, so pay attention. The book is beautifully illustrated with color screen shots of each project. The most complex and important steps are fully explained and usually illustrated by "before and after" screen shots.

Once you've read it, you'll be anxious to try the projects yourself. The book begins with simple techniques that grow in size and design complexity as you continue. The components of each project slowly build your skills and give you the confidence to try the next project.

It isn't necessary to take each project in order, but Meyer recommends that approach. The later projects incorporate many techniques that Meyer describes in detail in previous chapters. If you skip around too much - particularly if you haven't read the entire book - you may get frustrated.

Work through the examples in the book and you'll soon have practical experience to apply to your own page designs:

Soon, you'll look at your own site with a more critical eye and feel like a CSS master when you modify Meyer's projects to suit your own needs.

Real-world Applications

Note that the book isn't designed to be a comprehensive reference on CSS - Eric Meyer has already written one of those! Instead, Meyer applies CSS techniques to real-world design problems. He pulls CSS out of the textbook and shows you practical applications.

It's designed for the hands-on learner who has trouble translating the dry list of CSS properties into actual Web site solutions. Meyer notes in the introduction that the structure is "…intentionally designed to let the reader play along at home."

You'll find yourself muttering things like: "Why didn't I think to use the Float property like that before?" or "I never realized I could do THAT with CSS!"

This is what's great about the book. Meyer explains how to apply a technique and then tells you why it's important. It's a book that can change your whole view of Web design. We think it should have a place of honor on every Webmaster's bookshelf.