Siegel's latest printed effort came as a surprise to me, asdid his last book. I have to admit that I understand the source of thegallons of bile regularly strewn at Mr. Siegel; since first discovering his work in 1995, I have alternately respected and loathed him. But over time, I have come to separate the man from the author. SSWS is an excellent example of that.
The first half of the book, which was not written by Siegel, is great. It offers something no other book I have seen has offered: an insider's view of the Web design industry. Yes, I admit, it is heavily tilted toward San Francisco, particularly SoMa, where Verso is located (and also the home of one of Verso's competitors, for which I was a site designer until recently). And it's written and designed in an engaging style, as opposed to the pedantic and patronizing tone of most Web-related books. I'm a professional Web designer, I am already familiar with most of the companies in question and with the general processes they use, but it was refreshing to read about the way other companies do things. I think beginners and pros alike could benefit from reading this; I just found it entertaining.
The second half is likely to generate more mixed reviews. There is plenty to take issue with there, and I hope people continue to do so. But I have to complement Siegel for stepping into this particular arena. So far, no book I've seen has even touched upon any of the practical issues of dealing with clients and projects, like branding on the Web, creating a solid process for Web site projects, dealing with RFPs, etc. Disagree if you like, but at least he has started the discussion. I look forward to more books that espouse different views as a result of this one.
In all fairness, I would not ever want to work for David Siegel. He seems to expect Renaissance men and women for under $30K a year. As such, I think some of the tips in SSWS have to be put through the reality filter first. But this is a great starting point. I hope all those who so vehemently disagree AND have the knowledge and vision to back them up will write books to respond to SSWS. I don't think there's any question Siegel has started a new genre. I wish I didn't have to add to his already-monumental ego by saying that. =)
