Read This Book Now!
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010
I have a knack for certain things like being late to parties, telling awful jokes, knowing a good thing when I see it, and the ever deadly but popular finding out about something awesome that has been around for much longer than I should admit.
Jeffrey Zeldman’s Designing with Web Standards falls in the later. First off I was not paid by New Riders or Jeff, I’m just an independent guy that has been told repeatedly about the kool-aid but just recently had my first sip.
If you do ANYTHING web related from sales, to design, to development, to support or anything in between go and get this book NOW.
What’s in the Kool-Aid?
Okay what’s the big deal? It’s just another tech book right. Nope. It’s more of a philosophy book. A book about ideas and approaches to a better internet that you and I want and kind of knew about but didn’t really think about before. It was as if Jeff unlocked perspectives in my brain that made everything I do make sense and everything I want to do within reach. The best part is he offers practical solutions to every day type problems without making the book about code. As a result it’s a quick read and one of the few tech oriented books I’ve read from cover to cover.
Does It Solve All Of My Problems?
No, nor does is claim to. It offers ideas towards creating a more maintainable website/workload and my favorite thing about the book is it shines the light of craftsmanship into my job. Jeff has made me feel proud to be a Web Designer. It’s not just a skill I picked up so I could repay my student loans, it’s a hybrid career of architecture, communication, and art that takes skill. Anyone can use a pencil but not everyone can draw just as anyone can create an h1 tag but not everyone can design web sites. At least not the kind of web sites the internet needs. Accessible content to solve problems, entertain, and inform.
Knocked Me On My Arse
There are moments in my life when I become aware. These moments are when I think I’ve mastered something, or at least I think I’m pretty good at them and then my doors get blown off. Humbling moments that remind me I’ve got a lot to learn. I cherish these moments because on the other side of them I come out a better person with a greater understanding of the skill in question as well as my capabilities. This book exposed all of the errors I’ve made over the last decade like a dramatic zoom from my body to outer space when every web site I’ve ever developer reveals every one of my errors. It’s quite an awakening. Almost like the Matrix. I get it now. Thank you Jeff for making me a better Designer and Developer and to the hopes that the next web site I create will be one step closer to the promise land. I’ve got a lot of things to fix so I better get to it.
