Building Better Web Pages is both technically competent and well-written. You can read and enjoy this book away from your computer, or you can have it at your side as you work on your Web site. It offers both broadbrush design advice that you can think about at length and specific coding instructions that you can consult in a rush. Author Rebecca Frances Rohan has organized her book according to the needs of small businesses. She explains how to create Web pages that impress the largest number of people while consuming the smallest investment of time and money for development. With her advice, any entrepreneur willing to learn how to design and program (and enjoy the process) can save a lot of money on consultants.
Though Building Better Web Pages isn't much of an HTML tutorial, you will find discussions and samples of HTML code on its pages. Rohan has chosen instead to cover the various elements (such as images, sounds, streaming video, and applets) that designers might want to incorporate into their Web sites with explanations of the aesthetic and technical details that pertain to each.
Along the way, the book recommends numerous shareware programs and evaluates software that simplifies a variety of tasks. Building Better Web Pages does tend to leave the reader wishing for a comprehensive HTML reference--you may want to have one on hand as you explore Rohan's design ideas. But don't let those small problems keep you away from this fine book. --David Wall
