Pages Navigation Menu

Software Mastery, the Fun Way

Head First HTML and CSS

Posted by on Aug 16, 2012 in Books | 30 comments


We are happy to announce that the Second Edition of our book, Head First HTML and CSS arrived August 27, 2012, and is available for order on Amazon.com now. Renamed from Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML, the Second Edition drops the XHTML and focuses on HTML5. While much of the material is the same, there are small changes throughout the book that reflect updates in technology since the first edition from 2005 (has it really been that long?!). The chapter on XHTML is gone, and replaced by a whole new chapter that covers some of the new elements in HTML5, including <section>, <article>, <nav> and <video>.

Let us know what you think!

Tired of reading HTML books that only make sense after you’re an expert? Then it’s about time you picked up Head First HTML and CSS and really learned HTML. You want to learn HTML so you can finally create those web pages you’ve always wanted, so you can communicate more effectively with friends, family, fans, and fanatic customers. You also want to do it right so you can actually maintain and expand your Web pages over time, and so your web pages work in all the browsers and mobile devices out there. Oh, and if you’ve never heard of CSS, that’s okay – we won’t tell anyone you’re still partying like it’s 1999 – but if you’re going to create web pages in the 21st century then you’ll want to know and understand CSS.

Learn the real secrets of creating Web pages, and why everything your boss told you about HTML tables is probably wrong (and what to do instead). Most importantly, hold your own with your co-worker (and impress cocktail party guests) when he casually mentions how his HTML is now strict, and his CSS is in an external style sheet.

With Head First HTML and CSS, you’ll avoid the embarrassment of thinking web-safe colors still matter, and the foolishness of slipping a font tag into your pages. Best of all, you’ll learn HTML and CSS in a way that won’t put you to sleep. If you’ve read a Head First book, you know what to expect: a visually-rich format designed for the way your brain works. Using the latest research in neurobiology, cognitive science, and learning theory, this book will load HTML and CSS into your brain in a way that sticks.

So what are you waiting for? Leave those other dusty books behind and come join us in Webville. Your tour is about to begin.

“Elegant design is at the core of every chapter here, each concept conveyed with equal doses of pragmatism and wit.” –Ken Goldstein, Executive Vice President, Disney Online

“This book is a thoroughly modern introduction to forward-looking practices in web page markup and presentation.” –Danny Goodman, author of Dynamic HTML: The Definitive Guide

“What used to be a long trial and error learning process has now been reduced neatly into an engaging paperback.” –Mike Davidson, CEO, Newsvine, Inc.

“I love Head First HTML and CSS–it teaches you everything you need to learn in a ‘fun coated’ format!” –Sally Applin, UI Designer and Artist

“I haven’t had as much fun reading a book (other than Harry Potter) in years. And your book finally helped me break out of my hapless so-last-century way of creating web pages.” –Professor David M. Arnow, Department of Computer and Information Science, Brooklyn College

“If you’ve ever had a family member who wanted you to design a website for them, buy them Head First HTML and CSS. If you’ve ever asked a family member to design you a web site, buy this book. If you’ve ever bought an HTML book and ended up using it to level your desk, or for kindling on a cold winter day, buy this book. This is the book you’ve been waiting for. This is the learning system you’ve been waiting for.” –Warren Kelly, Blogcritics.org

Buy this book now on Amazon.com.

Book code and downloads

Hosting Providers

In case you want to get your own website up and running, here are a list of hosting providers you might want to consider that we’ve personally used and had good experience with:
List of web hosting providers (Chapter 4).
There are many to choose from!

Second Edition (2012)

Download all code, examples, and support files (including video!) for
Head First HTML and CSS, Second Edition.

Download the fix for the Chapter 3 crossword puzzle (first printing):
Chapter 3 Crossword Puzzle (PDF).

First edition (2005)

Download all the code, examples, and supporting files for
Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML, First Edition.

  • Allen Moore

    How will the second edition [due out in August 2012) of the book differ from this (the first) edition?

    • elisabethrobson

      Hi Allen, great question! I’d say about 75% of the book is the same; the XHTML chapter is gone, and we have a new chapter covering a few of the new HTML5 elements (e.g. section, article, and we do cover the basics of video). Plus lots of little changes here and there.

  • warriorlobster

    hello,
    i want to learn and apply xml.Can anyone suggest me a practical book on xml?

  • http://twitter.com/miatribe Michael Wheatley

    I have the book pre ordered! now I just need to work out what to do while I wait…

    • elisabethrobson

      Cool! It should be to you the first week in September.

  • http://www.facebook.com/frederick.mcgovern Frederick McGovern

    Great book so far. Just finished chapter 3. Is there an errata page. I noticed that the crossword puzzle diagram on pg 116 doesn’t correspond to clues below or to the answer on page 121

    • elisabethrobson

      Yes that’s a bug! Working on it and will post the correct puzzle soon!

  • Barbara Hughes

    Is CSS3 covered in this book?

    • elisabethrobson

      We cover the core parts of CSS, how CSS works, and using CSS for layout. Are you looking for something specific in CSS3?

  • http://www.facebook.com/adoniscanlobo Adonis Canlobo

    got my copy of the book! i`ve been waiting for this update, thank you for your hardwork authors!

  • http://www.facebook.com/bwminick Byron Minick

    Just finished the book and loved it! The last few chapters (the ones that focused on enhancing the StarBuzz page) seemed a bit rushed, especially when it came to being able to trying the exercises out for yourself. However, overall, it’s an excellent book — thank you!

    • erictfree

      Byron, tell us more, how can we improve those last chapters? Thanks!

      • http://www.facebook.com/bwminick Byron Minick

        Hi Eric, first of you — you guys did a great job with this book! I throughly enjoyed it. Thank you…

        The chapters are well written, but there’s some polishing that needs to be done. For example, in chapter 12, the provided homework files are already completed, which means that the user cannot follow along with the provided directions starting with page 551. The exercise also does not state which file the reader should open, so they have to guess, etc. A little more guidance / polishing would be appreciated. :-)

      • http://wickedlysmart.com/ Elisabeth Robson

        Hi Byron, For Chapter 12, you just continue to use the files you’re working on from chapter 11. On page 548, we review the page as it is from chapter 11 (noting that we’ve removed the coupon and the award).

      • Katya Kean

        Elizabeth, Chapter 12 does not TELL you to continue using Chapter 11 files.
        Also, I, too, am frustrated that the chapter 12 blog.html file is already completed, when multiple pages keep telling me to open it and add things to it.

        Instead of telling people here how to hack the book, perhaps you could just say “You’re right, the start file we provided is NOT a start file, and we’ll change that right now and update the file downloads on our website AND Github.”
        Telling us that this is the authors’ problem to fix rather than the readers’ problem to deal with would feel much less discouraging and crazy-making for your readers, and would greatly increase my desire to recommend the books to others.
        That said, I still enjoy the book, and just bought two more Head Start books.

  • http://www.facebook.com/michael.wenthold.7 Michael Wenthold

    Maybe I am missing something. The crossword puzzle on pg 72, 6 across the clue is “flavor of blue drink”, but the answer is raspberry??

  • Alice Deken

    I have the book: Head First HTML and CSS 2nd Edition! but the hfhtmlcss file that I need to do the exercises is damaged and won’t even download, never mind open – please may I have a new file? and I am not going to sign in or logon with any more people including Disqus, and I do not want to share my problem with you with ALL my friends on Facebook – I HATE giving away me e-mail address – and I need the file in order to do the exercises in the book which I have already paid for.

  • http://twitter.com/libraryanthony Anthony woodward

    I wanted to say that I have really got a lot out of this book. I already had a base knowledge of HTML and expert at image editing but I needed to expand my knowledge of CSS. I made the decision to not skip any sections even if I felt I knew what it covered. This turned out to be very worthwhile as I always discovered something new that filled in gaps of my knowledge. Whilst I’m only half way through the book I would definitely recommend it to others and I plan on reading others in the head first series.
    One suggestion I would like to offer has to do with the start of chapter 2, the chapter starts with the text ‘remember the head first lounge?’ but I cannot find any previous reference to the head first lounge. Up until this point (and after this) everything is set out in a logical manner. However this text left me feeling like I had missed something, which almost shot my confidence extremely early on. Perhaps I missed something but I think this line has the potential to really confuse the readers. Thanks!

    • http://wickedlysmart.com/ Elisabeth Robson

      We refer to Head First Lounge on page 5 in Chapter 1.

  • Alexander Karagulamos

    Even a 10 year old can make sense of this highly instructive manual. Glad to have read your book, it’s a life-saver.

  • fareedquraishi

    A great book to learn HTML n CSS. initially when I started, thought it would be boring as any other book but it developed an interest. Believe it that I am reading and following every thing for the last two days continuously and now I am on page 177. The efforts of whole team is appreciable and commendable. Thank you for giving us great book to learn.

  • Plateau

    when could we have chinese version T-T

  • Robin SFCC

    Elizabeth – I teach from this book and my students are having difficulties with the source folders you supply for the chapters — Apparently chapters 1,2 and 4 source files are not start files but files that are complete?! Please advise – Robin

    • http://wickedlysmart.com/ Elisabeth Robson

      Hi Robin, the students can type in the source files for the “starting” point. (If we provided the start files for some of the chapters, they’d just be empty files!). For most of the chapters, you should be able to start by typing from the book. Hope that helps!!

      • Robin SFCC

        Elizabeth – I suggest that you look at the instruction you give in your chapters while working off the ‘start’ files that you supply. You will see what we are experiencing – that some of the ‘start’ files you supply are completed already. An example: page 143 at the top has a student open the file chapter4/starbuzz/mission.html. You then write ‘make the changes below’ instructing the student to type in a new paragraph with links as shown on the page. When the student opens the chapter folder supplied, and goes to edit the mission.html supplied, they find that the paragraph that they are supposed to type themselves, is already there! So far, Chapters 1,2, 4 and 5 ‘start’ files in your download are either partially or fully completed – not allowing the student to actually do the work – !? I sincerely request you check into this. In the meantime I am having to spend the time (7 hours to date) to go through each chapter and revise the files you supply so that they match your instruction.

      • http://wickedlysmart.com/ Elisabeth Robson

        Robin, I’ve updated chapters 4 and 5 with start files in the github (not the zip). Chapter 2 already has two folders: lounge and completelounge.

        It shouldn’t take very long to type in the start files, so hopefully for chapter 1 and 2 you can manage?

      • Robin SFCC

        Elizabeth – All I can say is the start files for the first edition of the book were impeccable. The 2nd edition suffers from extreme inconsistencies with the chapter instruction. Again I suggest you compare your instruction to your start files, edit where necessary, then re-post the corrected files for download from your website. Just so you know, my two classes that use this book have completed chapters 1-4 and are going over chapters 5 and 6 this week with the remaining 8 chapters over the next 9 weeks. I have already reviewed and revised the start files for chapters 1-6 and posted the corrected files on my course website. I have resolved to do the same for chapters 7-14. I have deleted the link to your download files out of necessity.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1773828926 Katya Kean

    Chapter 11 Issues:

    First of all, thanks, I love this book. But here are some things I’d love to see improved:

    Pg 503:
    The instructions to switch to using the “Absolute” folder need to be BIGGER and more noticeable. My student didn’t notice it, and I barely did.

    Pg 514:
    Should instruct readers as to the desination folder in which to enter that html. It gives no clues until 2 pages later that you should have opened up the new tabledisplay folder and used the fresh index file therein.

    Pg 515:
    1. It would be helpful to include a line saying DON’T type in the code from this page.
    2. Why is there a “div” before the #tableContainer and #tableRow? It’s not helpful, it’s confusing.

    Pg 516:
    The “Open “chapter11/tabledisplay” should have been 2 pages earlier, and also it would be much better BIGGER.

    Also, the early starter files from the downloaded files really, really need to be actual start files, not finished files. My students won’t do work that is already done for them. =)

    Thanks!

  • http://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.stone.796 Elizabeth Stone

    I’m in chapter 3 right now on p 83 and am having some issues when trying to save my work. It seems there is already a completed “journal.html” in the “chapter3/journal” folder and also my images are broken even though I know they are correct. Can someone help????