The best thing about this book is its clear (and friendly) style when approaching the difficulties of XML and related acronyms. With simple examples (using food menus and newsletters), it shows how XML is used to structure document content. Perhaps the best section here is the clear explication of DTDs used to define XML documents. Only after XML and DTDs are covered does the book turn to display issues with coverage of CSS and XSL (for defining visual styles for elements) and HTC (for scripting events). Of course, Web programmers might be most interested in HTC, but as the author notes, different players on a Web site's team must work together to use XML effectively.

Another standout section presents interviews with some of the major XML innovators, plus an excellent explanation of how the W3W reviews and approves standards like XML. Of course, XML is still much more difficult to master than HTML. But this book makes a good case that you can start hand-coding XML successfully right now. Project Cool Guide to XML for Web Designers is probably the simplest available choice for learning XML for any Web designer or developer. --Richard Dragan