"This is a book by impatient writers for impatient readers."

True enough, only the essentials are here, presented concisely: HTML 4.0, Cascading Style Sheets, XML, JavaScript, CGI/Perl/PHP, and the HTTP protocol and Apache server configuration. It is, however, an excellent book to tickle your memory of how the basics work. It's beyond the scope of a Nutshell book to cover in-depth any of these topics, so learning elaborate "tricks" of Web site development and page coding still require titles devoted to those individual topics.

Nutshell books are also great for those who are learning by studying someone else's work. In the case of Webmaster in a Nutshell, grab a Web page and read what each code word does. This desktop quick reference answers many questions novice coders may have and reminds experienced coders what can and cannot be done with any given word.

But the book could be a little more complete. For example, the HTML tag <samp> is defined as, "The enclosed text is a sample" and the tag <address> is defined as, "The enclosed text is an address." What do they mean and, more importantly, how do Navigator and Internet Explorer display them? ("Sample" is displayed in your browser's default sans-serif font, and "address" equates to <br><i></i><br>.)

This reviewer has a bookcase with many important reference titles, and then has a cubbyhole within easy reach for quick-reference books such as Webmaster in a Nutshell. Even at 530 pages, the book is thin and packed with information. It's a welcome addition.

Webmaster in a Nutshell, 2nd Ed.
Spainhour and Eckstein
[$24.95, 530 pages]
O'Reilly & Associates
ISBN: 1-56592-325-1