Unlike some titles, Mastering XHTML does not read like an HTML book rehashed. After a general introduction, there is a chapter on XHTML structure showing how it relates to the wider XML specification. Further chapters cover links, images, tables, forms and frames. There is a useful section on converting HTML to XHTML, either by hand or using tools, a strong chapter on style sheets, and a brief look at JavaScript and multimedia. The closing chapters take a step back to look at the process of developing a Web site, with tips on planning, on making a site easy to navigate, and on how to publish to the Internet. Finally, the reference section includes notes and examples, greatly increasing its value.

This is a well laid-out book with clear and careful explanations and a limited n umber of screenshots. On the downside, those who have existing Web skills may find the pace too slow. It is a book that covers core topics in depth, rather than attempting the whole range of web authoring topics. The authors focus entirely on XHTML code, rather than on tools such as FrontPage or Dreamweaver, making this an excellent companion to books that cover specific products. --Tim Anderson

Over the course of 1000+ pages the book is set out in a very clear fashion that allows non-programmers to find their way in what could be seen as a pretty daunting subject matter. That said, seasoned HTML programmers wishing to convert or simply add another string to their bow, may well find the pace of the book a little slow.

The author includes a very good chapter on CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) aswell as a brief introduction to JavaScript and multimedia. But in general, the book focuses on teaching XHTML code in a comprehensive yet easy to understand manner that makes for a very good professional study book for professionals and students alike.