Comments on: Essential Books

By: Jonathan Aquino

Jonathan Aquino — Mon, 23 May 2005 06:01:30 +0000

A couple more suggestions: Design Patterns The famous catalog of basic OO patterns. Nonviolent Communication Not a programming book per se, but of tremendous use to programmers, especially when tensions are running high.

By: cafedave

cafedave — Mon, 23 May 2005 02:14:57 +0000

This seems more like a list of books for a usability person than for a programmer: I think I've read 90% of these books as part of UTS' Interactive Multimedia Masters programme. With Dustin, I'd definitely include Designing with Web Standards in the list, to help learn a post-tables approach to page construction.

By: halans

halans — Sun, 22 May 2005 08:34:25 +0000

I'm currently hooked on Professional Javascript for Webdevelopers by Nicholas C. Zakas from Wrox. I also keep the O'Reilly pocket references close at hand, for Javascript and CSS. A book I'm missing here is Defensive Design for the web from 37signals. Also Hack Notes Websecurity Portable Reference should be a must-read, to get a grasp on web-app security.

By: Lea, What's my IP Address?

Lea, What's my IP Address? — Sat, 21 May 2005 04:37:59 +0000

I was surprised to find that I have most of the books on Joel Spolsky’s list – http://www.joelonsoftware.com/navLinks/fog0000000262.html
Its fairly complete.

By: Dustin Diaz

Dustin Diaz — Fri, 20 May 2005 15:43:17 +0000

I’ve read each of these from cover to cover. I’m not going to bother linking them ’cause I’m sure everyone here can search them.
- DOM: The complete reference.
- Javascript for the WWW
- Sitepoint:
– - HTML Utopia
– - CSS Tips Tricks Hacks
– - PHP Anthology I,II
– - BYODDW
- SAMS Publishing
– - PHP4 and MySQL
– - PHP5
– - XML in 10 minutes
– Oreilly
– - MySQL Pocket Book
- Designing Usable Websites
- Usability for the web
- Designing with Web Standards
- Don’t make me think
- The Zen of CSS Design
- Web Standards Solutions

By: Greg

Greg — Fri, 20 May 2005 05:35:17 +0000

The Art of Looking Sideways

By: Keith

Keith — Fri, 20 May 2005 03:47:33 +0000

The Inmates are Running the Asylum The Elements of User Experience: User-Centered Design for the Web For freelancers I would recommend Business and Legal Forms for Graphic Desigenrs One from your favorite author Building Accessible Websites I also enjoy subscriptions to both Communication Arts and HOW magazines.

By: taughnee

taughnee — Fri, 20 May 2005 02:48:53 +0000

Dan Cederholmâ€™s (www.simplebits.com) Web Standards Solutions.

GAG’s Pricing & Ethical Guidelines.

And of course STAR magazine.

By: Anthony

Anthony — Fri, 20 May 2005 01:17:23 +0000

G’day Paul. These two Australian books might help you on your quest for simplification. Even though I haven’t noticed management gobbledygook in your writing or anything like that, I just know that I found after I read these books I was much nmore clearer in my own thinking, writing and don’t over complicate things as much because the books illustrate how through langauge, writing and thoughts stuff can be overly convoluted.

The Decay of Public Language

Watson’s Dictionary of Weasel Words

Also it looks like both books have been merged and just published in the USA as:

Death Sentences : How Cliches, Weasel Words and Management-Speak Are Strangling Public Language

By: Peter Flaschner

Peter Flaschner — Thu, 19 May 2005 23:56:13 +0000

I’d add: a subscription to the New Yorker