Granted, you might not need every book on this list, but you should arm yourself with at least one from each category. With descriptions coming straight from reviewers and publishers themselves, you can bet these books deliver.
HTML, DHTML, XHTML
HTML & XHTML: The Definitive Guide (6th Edition) by Chuck Musciano and Bill Kennedy
In this book, you’ll learn how to work with XML (Extensible Markup Language), XHTML (Extensible Hypertext Markup Language) and HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) framework while remaining within the standard World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) controls.
Dynamic HTML: The Definitive Reference (Dynamic Html) by Danny Goodman
Find out the differences about Web browsers in this book and how to build pages so that they work well in all of them. In the second section, you’ll get an extensive, quick reference of all tags, objects and properties of HTML, cascading style sheets, Document Object Model, and core JavaScript
CSS
Stylin' with CSS: A Designer's Guide (2nd Edition) (Voices That Matter) by Charles Wyke-Smith
If you want to start using CSS, this book is a good place to start. You’ll learn everything you need to know to start your web development work, from the basics of marking up your content and styling text, right through to the creation of multi-column page layouts without the use of tables. Create interface components, such as drop-down menus, navigation links, and animated graphical buttons, using only CSS (no JavaScript required).
Styling Web Pages with CSS: Visual QuickProject Guide by Tom Negrino and Dori Smith (Dec, 2008)
Starting with the basics, this book introduces you to CSS -- rules, selectors, classes, IDs, the cascade, internal and external style sheets, Divs, boxes, floats, padding, margins, debugging and more. You’ll also learn about styling elements, working with images, menus and navigation, and moving styles from internal to external style sheets. If you’re looking to work with browsers more easily, check this one out.
Transcending CSS: The Fine Art of Web Design (Voices That Matter) by Andy Clarke, Molly E. Holzschlag, Aaron Gustafson, and Mark Boulton
Discover how to implement highly original designs through visual demonstrations of the creative possibilities using markup and CSS in this book. You’ll learn to use a new design workflow, build prototypes that work well for designers and all team members, use grids effectively, visualize markup, and discover every phase of the transcendent design process. From working with the latest browsers to incorporating CSS3 to collaborating with team members, you’ll learn how to do it all.
Javascript (JS)
JavaScript: The Definitive Guide by David Flanagan
In this book, you can sample awesome tutorial sections on how to program in JavaScript. It also contains handy reference sections summarizing syntax and options while providing copious code examples. This book covers the JavaScript language (version 1.0 through version 1.5) and its relatives, JScript and ECMAScript, as well as the W3C DOM standards they're often used to manipulate.
JavaScript and Ajax for the Web: Visual QuickStart Guide (7th Edition) (Visual QuickStart Guide) by Tom Negrino and Dori Smith
Fully revised, this task-based, visual reference guide gives you step-by-step instructions and plenty of screenshots of what you need to know to learn JavaScript. Start from the beginning to get a tour of the programming language, or look up specific tasks to learn what you need to know. You’ll find new information on Ajax design and modern coding techniques, whether you’re a beginning or intermediate Web designer.
AJAX
AJAX: A Beginner's Guide (Beginner's Guide (Osborne Mcgraw Hill)) by Steven Holzner
If you’re looking how to build next-generation Web applications, check this book out. It has dedicated modules that act as stand-alone lessons. It also has hands-on projects, self-assessments, and "Ask the Expert" sections, making it easy to learn essential skills. Create websites that mirror the richness of desktop software with AJAX.
Ajax Starter Kit (Sams Teach Yourself) by Phil Ballard
As an Ajax Programmer’s Toolkit, this book comes with all the technologies you need to set up an Ajax development and testing environment on your Windows, Mac, or Linux computer.
PHP
Programming PHP by Rasmus Lerdorf, Kevin Tatroe, and Peter MacIntyre
Learn PHP essentials with this book. It includes information on data types, functions, string manipulation, arrays and objects. You can also get the necessary how-to’s on basic Web techniques, generating graphics with the GD extension library and on creating Adobe PDF documents. Discover how to parse XML, get introduced to database access and even learn some handy tips for protecting PHP sites.
Essential PHP Security by Chris Shiflett
Security is an issue that demands attention. "Essential PHP Security" gives you an explanation of the most common types of attacks and how to write code that isn't susceptible to them. By examining specific attacks and the techniques used to protect against them, you’ll gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of PHP safeguards in this book.
PHPUnit Pocket Guide (Pocket Guides) by Sebastian Bergmann
PHPUnit is an open source framework that automates unit testing by running a battery of tests as you go. The only problem with this popular testing tool was its lack of documentation-until now. PHPUnit reduces the effort required to frequently test code, generates fewer overall defects and improves relations with your open source teammates. Get access to all the 411 you’ll ever need on the subject.
SQL & Database Design
SQL: Visual QuickStart Guide (3rd Edition) (Visual QuickStart Guide) by Chris Fehily
This task-based tutorial and reference guide takes the mystery out learning and applying SQL. In the first few chapters, you’ll go over the relational database model and SQL, then put your knowledge to the test with task tutorials that’ll get you comfortable with SQL.
SQL Pocket Guide (Pocket References) by Jonathan Gennick
As a reference guide to frequently used SQL statements and commonly used SQL functions, this book addresses the language's complexity head on. The SQL Pocket Guide is a must have collection of syntax diagrams for all programmers, database administrators, and everyone who uses SQL in their day-to-day work.
Design
Visual Design for the Modern Web by Penny McIntire
Are you a Novice Web designer? In Visual Design for the Web, Penny McIntire shows you how to use your web tools efficiently--including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript--in conjunction with the principles of aesthetics and usability. Begin with getting to know the terminology and then the techniques and rules of web structures. You’ll learn how you can apply design rules to create beautiful sites, and become a master of your craft.
Elements of Web Design (2nd Edition) by Darcy Dinucci, Maria Giudice, and Lynne Stiles
The hard part about web design is combining both design and technical skill. This book makes its easy. When you're done, you'll have a grasp of every element of Web design, from assembling your team through planning your pages and publishing your site online. Apply your design skills to the exciting world of Web design, and get introduced to the terms, tricks, and technologies you'll need to know. This book is written for people who know design, but not the Web.
Web Standards Design Guide (Internet Series) by Kevin Ruse
With this book, you can finally start understanding the conplicated online standards jargon with Web Standards Design Guide. Comprehensive and easy to read, the book was written to inform and guide you through the maze of online standards information as a Web designer. Understand the how’s and why’s of conforming to these standards. Covered in the book are the essential Web standards: XML, CSS, Accessibility, xForms, and xLink. Using practical Web page examples, the book teaches designers why and how they should work within standards, which ones concern them and how to convert existing code.
This list is designed to give you the best web design understanding you can get before you launch into far greater and more complex projects. If you’re not too sure how to go about your web design projects, check them out. It’s the beginning of a bookshelf that will put you on the path to web design success.
