Updating My Amazon Wish List

What books would you recommend?

[Syren_Song]

I'm updating my Wish List at Amazon and looking for book recommendations. I tried doing a search for "book recommendations" here, but didn't get much out of it (only a couple of books on .asp and the threads were close to a year old or more).

I'm thinking in terms of design (web and general reference), typography, usability, accessibility, css, databases, javascript, php, content management systems, etc.

Basically, what are your favorite reference books and why?

TIA!

[carfac]

Syren_Song:

Not to rain on your parade- and I know there are exceptions- but I find when I get technical books, many times they are already out of date! When I first started up my colo server, I had a LOT to learn. And I did... but the FreeBSD and Apache books I got were- though NEW- a couple versions behind!

dave

[Syren_Song]

To a certain degree, carfac, you're right.

However, some reference books just don't go out of fashion that quickly. Instructional books for starters, general books on design for another. Books on usability and accessibility should fall into the same category.

I have a couple of books by Eric Meyers on CSS that are a wonderful reference and while one was published 2-3 years ago, it's a good reference for CSS1.

I'm looking for recommendations on good reference books. The kind that will still be "in fashion" in a year or two. That's the kind of reference book I have in mind. The sort of thing you don't often put away on the bookshelf. It stays on your desk, but doesn't collect any dust.

[le_gber]

On my shelves I've got amongst other:

o'reilly's javascript definitive guide (with the rhino on the cover),

DHTML and CSS visual quickstart guide by jason crawford teague
and

Wrox begining Active Server Pages 3.0.

I can recommend all of these books to you, and they are the ones I use when I'm stuck on their subjects.

I also have the complete reference to web design by Thomas A Powell (osborne collection) not completely read yet but I thinks it covers all the different aspect of web design (from the idea and sketches to the server choice and implementation)

Leo

[RBuzz]

Syren, The Non-Designer's Design Book by Robin Williams is excellent, as is the Non-Designer's Web Design Book (I think that's what it's called.) They're a bit expensive but well worth the moolah.

[Syren_Song]

Yeah! This is the sort of thing I had in mind.

Thanks for the suggestions. My wish list is growing. :)

[stever]

Syren - you might want to look at the Web Programming CD Bookshelf from O'Reilly (which is on offer at the moment) - it covers some of what you specified and most of the included books are pretty respected:
Dynamic HTML: The Definitive Reference, 2nd Edition
JavaScript: The Definitive Guide, 4th Edition
Programming PHP
Web Database Applications with PHP & MySQL
PHP Cookbook
Webmaster In a Nutshell, 3rd Edition

[Syren_Song]

Oooooo. Thanks, stever. That sounds very promising!

[Syren_Song]

Just wanted to bump this up one more time, in case anyone else would like to jump in with more suggestions.

TIA!
Syren

[Jenstar]

Web Graphics for Non-Designers has some really interesting ideas on using graphics within your website design. This is a pricy one too, but worth it.