From the author's preface: This book is a catalog of the mistakes that I've made while building more than 100 Web sites in the last five years. I wrote it in the hopes that others won't have to repeat those mistakes. For the manager in charge of a Web publication or service, this book gives you the big picture. It is designed to help you to affirmatively make the high-level decisions that determine whether a site will be manageable or unmanageable, profitable or unprofitable, popular or unpopular, reliable or unreliable. I don't expect you to be down in the trenches typing Oracle SQL queries. But you'll learn enough from this book to decide whether in fact you need a database, whom to hire as the high database priest, and whom to allow anywhere near the database. For the literate computer scientist, I hope to expose the beautiful possibilities in Web service design. I want to inspire you to believe that this is the most interesting and exciting area in which we can work. For the working Web designer or programmer, I want to arm you with a new vocabulary and mental framework for building sites. There can be more to life than making a client's bad ideas flesh with PhotoShop and Perl/CGI. For the users of the world, I document a comprehensive open-source approach to building online communities and show a collaborative Web-based way that we can dig ourselves out of our desktop application morass.
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Amazon Review
Computing and coffee tables go together like chalk and … artichokes, so this excellent volume comes as something of a surprise. There are no pages of closely packed type and dull screenshots here. Instead, expect amusing pictures (including ones of pig racing and Web-savvy dog Alex), well-chosen examples and engaging writing. Drawing on 20 years of Internet experience, MIT professor Philip Greenspun takes an in-depth look at the process of putting content on the Web. The book tackles a variety of conceptual and technical issues, including server set-up, building community, e-commerce architecture and how to learn HTML--in 21 minutes. Though the core of the book is quite technical, Greenspun's straightforward approach and amusing anecdotal style make the guide accessible to potential publishers of all skill levels.
Few introductions to Web publishing match this one in terms of insight, humour and adaptibility. Whether propped on a coffee table or used as office reference, it's sure to provoke interest and conversation. --Chris Russell
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"If you want to be a part of where the Web is going, you need to read this book... -Dave Clark, Chief Protocol Architect of the Internet, 1981-1989 This is required reading in my seminar on information design: a wise book on Web design and technical matters by an author with a good eye in addition to good programming skills. -Edward Tufte, WIRED Magazine, June 1998 Your book is the best one I've read about web publishing, bar none. -J. Paul Holbrook, Director, Internet Technologies, CNN
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Why did the world buy 20 million expensive computers and connect them together? Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is quite simply the best book that I've read on the topic. Although there is much technical material (not that I'm afraid of that) Greenspun's witty and didactic writing style manages to turn an SQL tutorial, for example, into light reading. He isn't afraid to tell it like it is: great web sites require programming, WYSIWYG editors and middleware platforms suck, web publishing is far from free. He makes a good case for the software he advocates (TCL on AOLServer talking to Oracle) but there's nothing to prevent you adapting the code to mod_perl on Apache talking to MySQL. Best of all, it is seriously amusing - and you don't often laugh out loud reading a techie book. A few people have complained about the photos and glossy pages pushing the price up; to be honest this book is no more expensive than books with titles like 'Teach Yourself Neurosurgery in 24 Hours' or 'Learn International Law in 21 Days' (you know the sort I mean) and is much better value. People who complained about the binding are quite right, however: it's useless. I could have done with a bit less of the Microsoft knocking as well; they're the biggest, they don't deserve it, live with it, I say. Also, SQL Server is a compelling reason to have a Microsoft box somewhere in your setup - 95% of the power of Oracle, 5% of the price. The faults are minor, however, and don't detract from this great book.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
This wasn't the book I expected. Instead of the usual tutorial style of computer book this is an iconclastic discussion of how good web applications work and why. From this discussion Greenspun draws some persuasive conclusion about the best approaches to take when building a real working site.
He is opinionated and this sometimes leads to odd digressions, but these work because of the quality of both his writing and thinking.
I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to better understand how to build web applications, or indeed software generally.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Philip (Alex is his dog - don't ask) Greenspun has written -the- book on web publishing as far as I'm concerned.
Greenspun focuses on what you should put on the web, and why you should put it up. Topics most folk don't consider. The advice is invaluable to anybody who is contemplating any kind of web site - be it small or large.
There is quite a lot of techy stuff in there, but don't let that put you off. The techy stuff can be skipped over - though Greenspun is not bad at explaining it anyway.
Greenspun has put together some interesting sites that get a LOT of traffic, yet don't come littered with time-wasting bells-and-whistles. He knows a lot about creating useful sites, rather than eye-candy.
If you are creating an information based site, where content counts, then read this book.
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4.7 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Scrap the rest, this is the first book you should read.
I'm a Computer Science student studying for my Masters Degree in Advanced Computer science. One of our courses (Electronic Commerce Technologies) Called for this book as requred... Read more
Published on 24 Mar 2001
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you're serious about database backed websites start here!
This is the only truly funny and readable book about any computing subject I have ever read. There is a great deal to be learned from the pages of Philip's book with the added... Read more
Published on 14 Sep 2000 by Adam Shimali
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best book on web-publishing
This is a fantastic book. If you are thinking of building a database- backed website (as I was), this has got to be the best book on the subject. Read more
Published on 14 July 2000 by Andy Bell
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brings humanity back to the web
I have only just started reading this book, but from the first time I received it I knew it was something special. Read more
Published on 5 Mar 2000 by Simon Johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply essential reading
This is not "HTML for Dummies". Thankfully.
If you were to compose a list of the most influential voices of the Web era, Philip Greenspun would undoubtedly feature. Read more
Published on 16 Feb 2000
5.0 out of 5 stars
Insightful overview of building a fully fledged web site.
*NOT* a book for learning fundamental skills like HTML, SCRIPTING, SQL, ... but it will inspire you to build a truely amazing web site. Read more
Published on 31 Jan 2000
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not bad for a techie
Having been inspired by David Seigal's Futurize Your Enterprise, I have been looking for complimentary books. Read more
Published on 16 Jan 2000
5.0 out of 5 stars
Intelligent and clear analysis of Web Publishing
Philip Greenspun's book is an intelligent and clear analysis of what decisions have to be made by web publishers. Read more
Published on 9 Dec 1999 by Jeff Davis
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not a book for the serious web page developer.
Sorry, Philip, I did not like your book at all. It certainly is not a book to buy for the person who is wanting to learn how to construct web pages. Read more
Published on 27 Nov 1999 by rmckaig@rmckaig.com
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic
It has given me such a good overview of the entire process without being caught in the technical jargon. Extremely accessible, witty and humourous at the same time.
Published on 22 Nov 1999
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