A few weeks ago I developed a simple strategy for evaluating how-to books about technology. Books about computers should: 1) weigh less than a gallon of milk; 2) cost less than twenty dollars; 3) be updated yearly; 4) come with some kind of technical support via a website or an author email; and 5) Be clear, be clear, be clear. Books that comply with these requirements will achieve every author's dream of being good and popular at the same time. Elizabeth Castro writes books in this manner, and once again her HTML 4 For The World Wide Web (fourth edition) has found its way to the top of the bestseller lists for books about computers and the Internet. The book covers all the important aspects of HTML 4, including the latest updates about Cascading Style Sheets, Level 2. Each chapter gets right to the point and teaches you how to do things: format text, make links, add multimedia, make tables, frames, and forms. You get a handy color chart on the back inside cover of the book; and a whole chapter called "Extras" that teaches lesser-known tricks such as how to password-protect a directory, soup up your mailto links, create buttons with tables, and create and automatic slide show. There are also chapters about scripts, the essentials of JavaScript, and how to get people to visit your page after you've published it on the Web. The Visual Quickstart Guide format itself is an exemplary vehicle for Castro's instructional skills. Every page contains at least one diagram, so that the reader can SEE what's happening on their computer screen. All the lessons are divided into small bite-sized segments which are easy to digest. This strategy, known as "micro-uniting," has been proven to be the most effective way to teach. You can read the book straight through from start to finish, or you can use it as a reference book and jump in to any chapter. After each lesson, you may find yourself saying amazedly: "It's easy to do that!" In just a short time, working with this book, you'll be able to create useful, sophisticated and attractive effects on your web pages. Elizabeth Castro is one of those great how-to writers who anticipate your questions and thus make the learning process fast, efficient, and fun. HTML 4 For The World Wide Web is the ideal book to beginners who want to learn how to make web pages, and for intermediate-level users who want to give their web pages more features and a thoroughly professional look. Paperback, 384 pages

Michael Pastore, Reviewer