O'Reilly

CSS Pocket Reference (Pocket Reference (O'Reilly))
$9.95
This book is useful primarily because of its handy size. You can take it anywhere - an internet caf��� or a library, for example - where you might want to do some CSS and it provides a handy quick reference.

The early part of the book covers basic rules and there is an index at the back. In between, starting a third of the way down page 33 and ending on page 120, you'll find all the selectors with their pattern, a brief description and brief examples. The information is presented in a clear and easy-to-understand manner but you certainly couldn't use this as a training guide. You might spot one or two unfamiliar things that look as if they could be useful but you're not sure. In such cases, you might need to surf the net or look up a full-sized book to find out more.

As a quick reference guide, this pocket-sized guide is ideal, but don't expect any more of it than that. There are plenty of other CSS books, including some from the same publisher, that give much more extensive coverage. Those books can tell you a lot more but they won't fit in your pocket.

Note that since I bought this book, a revised third edition has been published.

A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity
$26.00
I was hooked when I picked up this book. It is an resolute must read. Don't bother listening to those lefties that make a living out of bashing anyone that doesn't think like them. I enjoyed reading through Bill's life stories, many of which have life lessons in them that have proved to help me in my own life. I don't agree on every front with Bill, but he can write a great book.

Regular Expression Pocket Reference (Pocket Reference (O'Reilly))
$14.99
It is a very good guide. But I have to borrow the notes in the Vi section to use it with sed when I need to use a Regex.

A more practical guide on regex's and shell scripting would be better!

Kids Are Americans Too
$14.95
Thank goodness I found this book at Goodwill and paid only a dollar; I will be re-donating it shortly. I'm very interested in our founding documents and how to teach children about them, which is why I picked up the book. I read it in about an hour, as the book's 160 pages with large print aren't exactly content heavy. No, this book falls under the "fluff" category.

O'Reilly is condescending, glosses over the cases he uses as examples (and doesn't relate the cases to particular rights or amendments), and has no references to getting more info about subjects or cases mentioned (except to direct readers to HIS website.) The end of the book is sorely missing what one would expect from this genre: there is no index, no recommending reading, and no works cited. The book doesn't even list the Bill of Rights specifically until the very end!

If you want a book that explains the Bill of Rights to children, buy "A Kids' Guide to America's Bill of Rights: Curfews, Censorship, and the 100-Pound Giant" by Kathleen Krull. It presents the Bill of Rights at the very beginning, very specifically talks about what each amendment means, and discusses related court cases as they pertain to each amendment. Krull's book additionally doesn't dumb down the message, nor does she talk down to children as if they were naughty morons, as O'Reilly does. Krull's book shines where O'Reilly's book fails miserably.