HTML, XHTML, and CSS, Sixth Edition (Visual Quickstart Guide)

Amazon.com

It's important for anyone who creates Web sites--even those who rely on powerful editors like Dreamweaver or GoLive--to know HTML. The World Wide Web Consortium rewrote HTML as a subset of XML (dubbing it "XHTML 1.0") and the allowable code will eventually be stricter. Tags that are being phased out are labeled "deprecated"--current browsers can still handle them, but if you want your site to keep up with future browsers, not to mention conform to accessibility requirements, you will want to get on top of XHTML.

Of course, Elizabeth Castro manages to write books that not only speak to those who are already fluent in HTML, but are good for newbies too. She makes it a breeze to create sites that are visually stylish and technically sophisticated without the expense of buying an editor.

Among the topics covered in her new book, HTML for the World Wide Web with XHTML and CSS: using the (relatively newer) structural tags (like doctype and div); correctly using older tags (like p and img) that have been modified in XHTML; writing XHTML so that formatting is done by the style sheets; writing those style sheets (cascading style sheets, a.k.a. "CSS"); creating a variety of layouts; and dealing with tables, frames, forms, multimedia, a bit of JavaScript (including mouseovers), WML (for mobile device displays), debugging, publishing, and publicizing your site.

As with all Visual QuickStart Guides, this one features clear and concise instructions side by side with well-captioned illustrations and screen shots that show both the source code and the resulting effect on the Web page. The index is extremely detailed, making this a great reference.

Also great for reference are the outstanding appendices. The first is an extensive list of tags and attributes, indicating which are deprecated and/or proprietary and on which page they are discussed. A similar appendix shows CSS properties and values; given the future of Web coding, this chart alone is worth the price of the book. Other handy charts cover intrinsic events, symbols and character Unicodes, and an expanded color chart that goes way beyond the virtually archaic Web-safe palette. All of which makes this a definite must-have for every Web designer's bookshelf. --Angelynn Grant

Book Description

Need to learn HTML fast? This best-selling reference's visual format and step-by-step, task-based instructions will have you up and running with HTML in no time. In this completely updated edition of our best-selling guide to HTML, Web expert and best-selling author Elizabeth Castro uses crystal-clear instructions and friendly prose to introduce you to all of today's HTML and XHTML essentials. You’ll learn how to design, structure, and format your Web site. You'll create and use images, links, styles, lists, tables, frames, and forms, and you'll add sound and movies to your site. Finally, you will test and debug your site, and publish it to the Web. Along the way, you'll find extensive coverage of CSS techniques, current browsers (Opera, Safari, Firefox), creating pages for the mobile Web, and more.

Visual QuickStart Guide--the quick and easy way to learn!

Easy visual approach uses pictures to guide you through HTML and show you what to do.
Concise steps and explanations get you up and running in no time.
Page for page, the best content and value around.
Companion Web site at www.cookwood.com/html offers examples, a lively question-and-answer area, updates, and more.

Customer Reviews:

Good beginner's book!.......2007-09-23

Anyone who picks up this book will be extremely pleased! This introduction to xhtml/css by Castro delivers concise and clear step by step instructions on how to make webpages work. She also has a cool color chart on the back that you can check out for style sheets and the book is in color for easier reading!

Sixth edition best one yet.......2007-09-08

Liz Castro makes it as easy as it can be to learn how to code and control your own web site. You don't need expensive WYSIWYG design applications. In fact, you probably own text editors that will do the job nicely. Purchasing this book in tandem with "Creating a Web Page with HTML" by Liz Castro will have you up and running in, literally, a few hours.

HTML 4 for the world wide web.......2007-09-05

Very good book. A little heavy on the deprecated tags good intro material for JavaScript and CSS.

Let your fingers do the walking ---- and then some!!.......2007-08-30

The book is obviously for beginners and does have a lot of information that can be useful. The author uses a contradictory style of presentation in the book - easy to read with visual examples; however nearly every page I read had references to other pages in the book. This is a real nightmare having to flip all around the book and try to stay with the flow of learning.

Because the author's "style" is to write on half the page and show examples on the other half - each page has half the content. Yet, in that reduced page content there are many references to other parts of the book. As only one example, look at page 105.

On this page you'll find references to page 151, page 69, page 114, pages 106-107, page 108, page 112 and page 113. Again, this is only one page and example because nearly every page is filled with these types of references that make the "Yellow Pages" look tame.

I got through the first six chapters and couldn't deal with it any longer. In those 118 pages that I went through, there had to be several hundred (if not 1000+) references to other pages. Considering there are 436 pages in the book (not counting the index) I didn't feel it worth my time or effort to continue.

Working in the IT industry for more than 25 years, I can only thank my lucky stars that the author was never a part of our planning committees or programming departments. Flow charts, logic, etc would have been all over the place with connectors out of control.....and then try to get staff to follow/understand that flow. Yeah, right!!!

I gave the book to a co-worker with cautionary remarks about how difficult it might be to follow along. I'll give my co-worker credit - she got nearly 200 pages into the book before giving up on it for the same reasons I did.

Continuity!
Fluidity!

You won't find it in this book!
So if you're willing to put up with paging through the book that often, and you can keep track of the "train of thought", then more power to you. There are other books available and they have got to be presented better than this one.....I continue to search Amazon for such a book and will order immediately!

Great for those that need to know........2007-08-02

The author "breaks-down" what (x)html is and what it isn't--in a manner that an absolute beginner would appreciate and for those that was poorly introduced to it (you know some, but it's sloppy) this book is for you.

From what I have read so far, I have enjoyed learning xhtml and css. I have bought many books on html and css and this book is the first book you should read before taking on deeper web-related languages.

You will get your money's worth, especially when the author says that you need to add a space after... most would assume that the reader will really scrutinize but Castro doesn't; what a joy it is to have a complete and thoughtful facilitator.

What's Going on Down There?: Answers to Questions Boys Find Hard to Ask

Average customer rating:

Dangerous Words, Beware!
Very Insightful
For boys who want to know the facts, this book has the answers!
so very informative
Great Information!

What's Going on Down There?: Answers to Questions Boys Find Hard to Ask
Karen Gravelle , Nick Castro , Chava Castro , Robert Leighton , and Walker & Co
Manufacturer: Walker Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0802775403

Book Description

Why is my voice making such weird sounds? When will I be able to start shaving? Why do I keep getting pimples? What is a wet dream?

Your body has been behaving very strangely lately. You hardly know what to expect from one day to the next. Karen Gravelle, with some help from her two young advisors, Nick and Chava Castro, has written a down-to-earth and practical book that will help guide you through this confusing time in your life. What's Going On Down There? answers any questions you might have about puberty, from what it is and what it feels like, to what puberty is like for girls, to how to handle the sexual feelings you may be starting to experience. Robert Leighton's funny and informative cartoons ease the confusion and exasperation you might feel.

Part manual, part older brother, What's Going On Down There? will give you the facts you need to feel comfortable and confident about this new phase of your life.

Customer Reviews:

Dangerous Words, Beware!.......2007-05-25

Chapter 8, titled: Is This Normal? States, "it is not unusual for a boy to watch another boy masturbate or to masturbate with a group of boys. Nor is it unusual for two boys to masturbate each other." My 13 year old son was accused of sexual assault by an 11 year old boy (a friend) after the 11 year old suggested they masturbated together, they did so on three occasions. The charge came a year later, social services and the police visited our home. Our younger son was almost removed from our home. Our 14 year old was questioned by police, charged, fingerprinted and we had to hire a lawyer. This book states that boys masturbating together or each other is not unusual. Maybe so, but it is a crime, and your child could be charged with sexual assault. Especially when the other child, out of guilt, fear, or revenge perhaps, tells his parents that he wasn't a willing participate once he realizes his "young, boyish curiosity" was a crime. BEWARE!

Very Insightful.......2007-05-15

I bought this book for my 12 year old son and he finds it to be very interesting. It has opened up discussions on things he would normally not discuss with me which has helped us have great conversations. I recommned this book for anybody with young boys going through puberty whom are normally not used to talking about what's going on with them.

For boys who want to know the facts, this book has the answers!.......2007-04-10

What's going on down there? A general question, perhaps, but one that boys between the ages of ten and fourteen ask regularly about the changes their bodies undergo during puberty. In Karen Gravelle's book, What's Going on Down There: Answers to Questions Boys Find Hard to Ask, she describes the physical and emotional changes that occur in boys (and, to a lesser extent, in girls) during puberty. In addition, Gravelle discusses sexual activity, homosexuality, AIDS, and other related topics. Gravelle had help with the book; 11- and 13-year-old brothers, Nick and Chava Castro, served as advisors, asking questions and working with Gravelle to make the book's language easy to read and to understand.

I bought this book for my older son when he was ten years old. I liked the funny and informative cartoons, and my cursory reading before giving it to him left me believing it might help him navigate the storms of puberty.

I had not read the book cover-to-cover, but I did so recently in connection with an assignment for my master's degree in library science. I am glad I did. Reading the book carefully served to confirm that I made a wise purchase five years ago, something I suspected when I noticed that my older son had handed down the book to his younger brother a few years ago.

Although the book has a few weird and wonderful moments (like stating that many women don't find childbirth to be particularly painful!), I found it to be an excellent source of practical, no-nonsense information. Some parents might be uncomfortable with the book's approach. The author includes frank discussions of orgasms, masturbation, and abortion, and the illustrator has a drawing of an orchidometer so boys can measure their testicles to see how far along they are in the puberty process. For parents who want their sons to know the facts about their bodies, though, and for boys who need to know those facts, this book is the one book on the subject I would recommend first.

so very informative.......2007-03-06

This book is packed full of useful information, easy to read, and helpful drawings. A must-read for any boy going through puberty.

Great Information!.......2007-02-08

I mailed a copy of this book to my 10 year old step son, because he was asking his father questions about the process of becoming a man. I read the book thoroughly. I believe the book is excellent. There are a few points in the book that will make a parent uncomfortable, but it is information a young boy needs to know, and deals with situations he has likely seen on television or in movies. My step son's mother did not let him read the book because she felt he did not need to be exposed to the small section on homosexuality and masturbation. I ordered a copy for him to read at our house, and he told his father he was glad to have the opportunity to read the book. He stated that the book addressed questions he would never have asked his mother, and that the book also helped him determine where his friends had given him misleading or incorrect information about what to expect during puberty. Overall, this is an excellent book, and I hope that parents won't let their fears override an otherwise excellent method of providing a young man with the information he desparately needs to know.

Average customer rating:

Misleading, inaccurate waste of money
A Good Introductory Textbook
Marine Biology w/ OLC bind-in card (Hardcover)
Excellent for newcomers and veterans alike
just what we needed, fast shipping

Marine Biology
Peter Castro , and Michael E. Huber
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Science/Engineering/Math
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0073215775

Book Description

The new, sixth edition of Marine Biology covers the basics of marine biology and takes a global, non-regional perspective, emphasizing that the world’s oceans and seas are an integrated system that cannot be understood by looking in any one person's own backyard. For many students this is a new perspective. This introductory, one-semester text is designed for non-majors.

Customer Reviews:

Misleading, inaccurate waste of money.......2007-01-13

It's implied that this is a paperback version of Castro and Huber's "Marine Biology," when it most definitely is not. The definitions, presumably to help one understand the text's terms, are often laughably inaccurate in terms of marine bio, e.g.,"sinus" is defined as "a pouch or cavity in any organ or tissue..." when the word is used in the textbook to describe the Sinus Borealis, precursor to the Arctic Ocean. In a similar vein, "hot spots" are defined as "sites within a gene that mutate..." instead of hydrothermal vents. "Distribution" and "skin" are likewise erroneously (for marine bio) defined, and "Plate tectonics refers to the study of the global-scale movements of Earth's crust that have resulted in." Yes, that's the entire "definition." And these are just from Chapter Two! The glossary in the back of the real textbook is more than adequate, and much better than this so-called "ultimate student resource tool." The company was also impossible to reach, which we tried to do, in an honest attempt to inform them of their product's inaccuracies. Who needs the wrong definitions, especially when you then doubt all the definitions! Save your money.

A Good Introductory Textbook.......2006-07-25

I found Marine Biology by Castro to be a fairly good introductory textbook to marine biology. The reading is not too technically difficult that an average high schooler could comprehend most of what is said without becoming lost in science talk. There are plenty of pictures and diagrams to supplement the reading and make the pages appealing to the eye without boring you to death. However, as most academic textbooks go, reading alone is almost never enough to fully understand the material. I used this book as part of an introduction to marine biology course and found it to be very helpful to read before lectures. It can be a little dry at times and hardly goes into full detail of topics, but being an introductory book, it fully met the needs of my course. Overall, it's a good textbook that I'd recommend to someone taking an introductory course to marine biology.

Marine Biology w/ OLC bind-in card (Hardcover).......2005-12-16

This book when purchased NEW is shrinkwrapped and has the ISBN 0-07-293356-9. The shrinkwrapped package contains the Marine Biology textbook (ISBN 0-07-250934-1) which contains "The Premium McGraw-Hill Online Resources" access code (ISBN 0-0-250935-X). If you are buying a used book keep in mind that the online access code may only be used once and is not transferable, so if any of the previous owners have used the code it will not work for you. If your instructor uses Blackboard or WebCT, you may NEED a valid access code. A new access codes may be purchased from the McGraw-Hill "Premium" Site for $12 if you get stuck with a used book without a valid OLC code.

The book is great, I highly recommend it to anybody interested in the subject. For instructors though, I feel that this book based on the length and the number of chapters is probably better suited for classes on the Semester system (16 weeks) rather than those on the Term system (11 weeks.)

Excellent for newcomers and veterans alike.......2005-10-20

Anytime you look for a sourcebook on a specialized topic such as Marine Biology, you want to make sure it covers all the groundwork. By that, I mean the full foundation of the field needs to be established. What Castro and Huber might lack in specifics, they make up for by encompassing the true nature of Marine Biology and what it entails.

For anyone new to Marine Biology, this is the book to go with. It is well structured and covers everything in an instructive, yet simple to understand manner. There are a plethora of illustrations, diagrams, and tables to help aid the reader, and the text is well placed. The information touches most everything, including the very nature of Marine Biology, the habitats involved, the diversity presented, and even man's impact on the stature of the subject. I have no complaints on the presentation, and any inexperienced learner should find themselves involved in a very fascinating subject.

For those already experienced in Marine Biology, there is still much included that will catch your eye. Although the text is obviously leant for beginning, I found myself quite interested in much of the text and enjoyed analyzing and recalling sections of the field that I hadn't dealt with or devoted time to for months or even years.

There are some weaknesses, but most are minor or insignificant. Because Marine Biology is such a diverse field, it is near impossible to include EVERYTHING the subject entails. This text leaves some intriguing (albeit small) parts out, but overall I did not feel cheated about what I might have missed. There was also little focus on evolutionary associations, but then again, this is designed for a beginner and I expected little in this regard.

Overall, one way or the other, I feel that Castro and Huber have really developed a text that is very nearly a "can't miss" in Marine Biology. I recommend it to anyone, from the newest pupil to the most experienced professor. The bottom line is that you WILL learn.

just what we needed, fast shipping.......2005-09-23

The right textbook at a great price. It came quickly and was just as advertised. Thanks so much.

Average customer rating:

Must read for Randy Wayne White fans
Great adventure
Fun, early White novel
young author
Randy Wayne White never disappoints!

Cuban Death-Lift
Randy Wayne White
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0451220862

Book Description

When Fidel Castro allows thousands of Cubans to depart for America in the Mariel Boatlift, he exports the worst criminals and undesirables of his country along with them. To monitor the situation, the CIA sends infiltrators to Cuba-where they vanish without a trace.

In desperation, the Agency turns to ex-Navy SEAL Dusky MacMorgan to go in and find out what happened.Amid the chaos and deception in Mariel's savage underworld, MacMorgan must keep on his toes and off the radar if he's going to discover the truth without disappearing himself.

Customer Reviews:

Must read for Randy Wayne White fans.......2007-09-10

Even though the names were different (author and hero) the background foundation for Doc Ford is unmistakable and fun to read. Can't wait to read "The Deadlier Sex" as the follow-up to this great begining for Randy (Striker) Wayne White. I also enjoyed White's present day introduction to this book.

Great adventure.......2007-08-23

White proves he has always had a knack for spinning a great story even when he was a relative beginner. Whether writing about Doc Ford or some other Travis McGee type hero his stories always entertain me.

Fun, early White novel.......2007-07-29

There are many ways to categorize fiction. One category I'd like to propose is "disposable" fiction. Disposable fiction is made up of those (relatively) cheap paperbacks filled with stories that are almost pure action; it tends to be brief (rarely more than 250 pages), simply written and usually targeted to a very specific demographic: Harlequin-style romances for women and adventure fiction for men. Many of the writers who produce disposable fiction are borderline hacks, churning out potboilers quickly and with little creativity; they often need to adhere to strict formulas and have little control over the direction of the stories.

Randy Wayne White started out his career as a disposable fiction writer. The difference is that White is a good writer, and even in his early books, his gifts shine through. His Dusky MacMorgan books will never be mistaken for great literature (as even he admits in his introduction), but they are entertaining.

In the third MacMorgan book, Cuban Death-Lift, Dusky is recruited by a federal agent buddy nicknamed Stormin' Norman (this was written, by the way, long before a real Stormin' Norman would come to prominence in the Gulf War of the early 1990s). Norm wants charter captain Dusky to transport a CIA agent to Cuba in the middle of the Mariel Boatlift.

The agent turns out to be beautiful Androsa Santarun, a Cuban-American charged with smuggling a double agent off the island. Two things are certain: there will be lots of killing occurring before the mission is done and Dusky and Androsa will end up in bed together. White knows exactly what his target audience (men) expects: sex and action. He actually has his own nickname for this type of fiction that I will leave to the reader to discover.

I read this book in just a couple of hours, which seems about right. Cuban Death-Lift is not exactly one of those books that needs months to finish. As with the first two books, this is a fun story, and it gives a good glimpse of the better Randy Wayne White that would develop later.

young author .......2007-07-22

This was a fast & furious romp through a very interesting time in our history. Randy was very young so some of the plot moves slow and other elements are a bit hurried. Still his attention to the facts and the twists of plot are brilliant albeit the characters are a tad shallow. A good read in a "potato chip" kind of way. Light, not a full meal, but you can't eat just one!

Randy Wayne White never disappoints!.......2007-05-14

Doc Ford is in fine form in this latest Randy Wayne White. Fans will happily find all their favorite people and places. This book reintroduces an old character, now dying and using Doc to finish his unfinished business. I love these books, I love Randy Wayne White's knowledge of these islands off the coast of Florida, the flora, fauna, and local color. You will not be disappointed in this one, which is exciting, violent and touching.

Brazilian Portuguese: Lonely Planet Phrasebook

Average customer rating:

Very helpful
Extremely Helpful
Passable
Best Brazilian Portuguese phrase book I've found!
Lonely Planet Brazilian Portuguese

Brazilian Portuguese: Lonely Planet Phrasebook
Marcia Monje de Castro , and Lonely Planet Phrasebooks
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1864503807

Book Description

Smoother than capoeira, fresher than a caipirinha, tastier than an empada. Make the most of your travels with Brazilian Portuguese.

*super social section for getting to know people.
*communication tips and cultural information.
*culinary reader offers the wonders of Brazilian cuisine.

Customer Reviews:

Very helpful.......2007-05-24

I picked up Conversational Brazilian Portuguese: Learn to Speak and Understand Portuguese with Pimsleur Language Programs (Simon & Schuster's Pimsleur), in audio and learned a lot. It helps to have some spanish lessons when you were young. This book was a nice addition to my base, and it came in handy more than a few times once I was in Brazil.

Extremely Helpful.......2006-08-21

I just returned from a trip to Brazil, and though I know some Spanish, I had no previous exposure to Portuguese. This phrasebook proved invaluable in helping me bridge the gap, and contributed to me having an even better time, and blending in better with the locals.

Passable.......2006-03-14

Beware of serious pronunciation errors in this book. Although it was overall pretty useful, there were some glaring errors in areas where there likely shouldn't have been. Case in point, the phonetic pronunciation for tchau (goodbye) in the book is spelled out as "tee-show." At least in Bahia, it was pronounced by the locals just like the Italian "ciao." The word "vinte" (twenty) is spelled out "veeng-te" in the book, while again everyone we encountered in Bahia pronounced it "veen-chay." I don't know if these are regional differences in Brazilian Portuguese, but if so, they need to at least be addressed in the book. Take care when using the phrasebook to listen to the local speakers as well.

Best Brazilian Portuguese phrase book I've found!.......2006-03-03

I'm just a lonely writer wanna-be in the heart of the middle of nowhere, so what do I choose to write -- a period piece of Brazil. I can't even begin to praise this book enough. Not only do I get phrases and words, but there are all sorts of little historical and cultural details.

I will probably never travel to Brazil, but this little book is allowing my imagination to have a trip!

Lonely Planet Brazilian Portuguese.......2005-10-27

Great pocket guide to give you a basic working knowledge of the language.

The Complete Homeopathy Handbook: Safe and Effective Ways to Treat Fevers, Coughs, Colds and Sore Throats, Childhood Ailments, Food Poisoning, Flu, and a Wide Range of Everyday Complaints

Average customer rating:

WONDERFUL BOOK!!!
Great Book!
Buyer BEWARE!!!
Very Basic
if you only purchase one homeopathy manual... choose this.

The Complete Homeopathy Handbook: Safe and Effective Ways to Treat Fevers, Coughs, Colds and Sore Throats, Childhood Ailments, Food Poisoning, Flu, and a Wide Range of Everyday Complaints
Miranda Castro
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Accessories:

ASIN: 0312063202

Book Description

Homeopathy is an approach to medicine based on the principle that nay substance that can cause illness can also be a cure. Centuries old, its practice has always enjoyed wide popularity among individuals looking for safe and effective ways to treat illness as well as to improve their health.

The Complete Homeopathy Handbook is the definitive guide for using homeopathic remedies at home. It includes A-to-Z listings for external and internal remedies, with explanations for correctly diagnosing the symptoms of any particular injury or illness. The book also includes ten case studies and specific dos and don'ts to follow when treating more than seventy conditions.

Customer Reviews:

WONDERFUL BOOK!!!.......2007-06-18

This is a great book to get if you want more in depth information than in other books out there. It is written in a very organized manner. This is the one to have at hand!!! Very very helpful book, would reccommend that everybody interested in homeopathy should have this one on their shelf.

Great Book!.......2007-06-12

I've been using Homeopathy for my family for 15 years and this is the book I use the most.
It was recommended by two of my homeopathic physicians. The Repertory could be expanded a little more...

Buyer BEWARE!!!.......2007-05-11

This is a VERY poorly written book ... poor grammar ... extremely disorganized ... AND NOT EVEN AN INDEX!!!

The rating system here is no longer useful. Avoid this book and look for something worth the money!

Very Basic.......2007-02-20

This is a nice book for anyone trying to figure out how to use the most popular health-food-store homeopathic remedies. Its classical approach recommends only one remedy at a time (as opposed to the readily available "combo" remedies), and as such is a good, simple starting point.

if you only purchase one homeopathy manual... choose this........2006-08-23

as an avid student and patient of homeopathy [18 years and counting] this is still my favorite lay manual of homeopathy. ms. castro provides clear physical, mental and emotional descriptions corresponding with each remedy in a tone and language which is both in-depth and intellegent. you will benefit from her insight into the origin of each remedy as well as the remedy's symptoms/"picture." my well-loved copy is literally falling apart.

Corporate Aviation Management (Southern Illinois University Press Series in Aviation Management)

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Corporate Aviation Management (Southern Illinois University Press Series in Aviation Management)
Raoul Castro
Manufacturer: Southern Illinois University
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 080931911X

Book Description

In this comprehensive aviation manual, Raoul Castro provides a source of invaluable corporate aviation management information. He begins by giving an overview of corporate aviation from its inception, then focuses on the management principles and functions that specifically target corporate aviation. Through the utilization of these sound management principles, Castro facilitates the acceptance of corporate aircraft as indispensable tools of industry.

As Castro notes, few companies know how to use corporate aircraft to maximum advantage. Drawing on his expertise and experience, Castro designs a plan by which a company can achieve maximum utilization of an airplane or helicopter fleet. He gives specific instructions on how to facilitate the efficient use of the aviation department of a company, select appropriate aircraft, plan for disasters and establish security measures, fulfill legal requirements of the governmental agencies that regulate the use of aircraft, and manage the maintenance and repair of aircraft. Castro also discusses the scores of details involved in the management of a professional corporate aviation branch and how these details can be handled in a positive, productive manner.

After thoroughly examining the overall managerial functions involved in planning, organizing, controlling, and implementing an aviation arm, Castro concludes by discussing the future of corporate aviation.

This book is a practical and valuable guide for the executive in charge of an aviation department, an aviation department manager or chief pilot, aspirants to aviation management positions, and both students and teachers of aviation management.

Publishing a Blog with Blogger: Visual QuickProject Guide

Average customer rating:

Great book.
Short, Simple, Powerful
Delightfully Simple. Really.
Great Book for Beginning Bloggers
Great Book, Needs Updating

Publishing a Blog with Blogger: Visual QuickProject Guide
Elizabeth Castro
Manufacturer: Peachpit Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0321321235

Book Description

If you want to start blogging fast, but don’t want to get sidetracked by the details, then you need a Visual QuickProject Guide!

Writing in a journal is all well and good, but when you're ready to share your musings with the world (and you think the world is ready to receive them!), a blog is the way to go. For just $12.99, this compact guide shows you how! Using big, bold full-color pictures and streamlined instructions, it covers just the need-to-know essentials that will get you blogging with leading free blog software--Google’s Blogger--in a matter of minutes. Best-selling author Elizabeth Castro takes you through each step of the blogging process--from acquainting you with the interface to setting up your blog, creating your profile, posting email, adding pictures and audio, and more. Occasional sidebars and tips point out other useful blogging tips and tricks.

Customer Reviews:

Great book........2007-08-21

I love the Visual Quick Start series, and this book is no exception. It has jump starred my blog and I feel it is worth keeping around for hints and questions that come up. I wasn't sure if the book being published a few years ago would still be relevant but it is.

Short, Simple, Powerful.......2007-07-20

Wow, I am shocked at how much I learned about blogging in just 120 pages. The author has done a great job at getting this book down to the bare-bones, leaving nothing but the necessary information. The method of using graphics more than text really made this an easy read, yet conveyed much more information than text alone.

I knew a little about blogging and had already begun using blogger when I read this book. I did not expect to learn as much as I did; I did not know about the many extra features, such as blogging from a phone. This book is work every penny.

Delightfully Simple. Really........2007-05-07

If you like books that combine images with easy-to-understand instructions, Publishing a Blog with Blogger is for you.

This book is a no-nonsense guide to begin blogging fast and easy. I have three blogs, and this book taught me more about starting and making simple changes than I've read anywhere else.

I especially appreciate Chapter 3's information on blogging by phone or Email and numerous ideas on customizing your blog space. This book focuses on the Blogger platform; however, the tips are usable on any type of blog.

Get this book if your goal is to create a blog with minimum effort and maximum results.

Great Book for Beginning Bloggers.......2007-03-23

*****
This book is very visual, lots of fun, and easy to read and understand---in short, perfect for the beginning blogger. It is the exact opposite of a reference manual, and thus is very hands on. Note that this book is only for people who want to use Blogger, which is free, to publish their blog. If you don't know what you want to publish your blog with, you like the "free" part, and you're not a business, you probably will be very, very happy with Blogger. So this would definitely be the book for you.

It is only 127 pages, so it's not overwhelming to read. You can easily go through it over a weekend and get your blog up and running. If you have HTML or XHTML experience, you'll find lots of good things, too, so slightly more experienced bloggers may still pick up a few tips, like how to change their header on a template or how to syndicate their blog.

If you are a geek, you won't need this book. You'll just log onto Blogger and think it's "intuitive" and be able to do everything. However, if you're like me and get stuck a lot, even with so-called "intuitive" software, you'll love this book.

Even though this book was published in 2005, and yes, Blogger is in a new version, I haven't found any problems applying what is in the book. None at all. The new version of Blogger just does more things for you; everything in the book still needs to be done one way or another. So it's doesn't make the book dated as far as it's utility goes. If you're really a beginner (which is who this book is for) you might not even notice.

There are pictures throughout of what the screens look like, so instead of TELLING you what to do and letting you figure it out, the book SHOWS you what to do and you just follow along. It keeps things as simple as possible.

Highly recommended for beginning bloggers.
*****

Great Book, Needs Updating.......2006-12-15

As others have attested, this is an excellent beginning guide. It is clear and easy to understand, in large part due to the screen shots and non-technical language. It is definitely an entry-level book.

What was lacking for me was that Blogger has just moved to a new version so the interface for editing much of the code in templates and other helps has changed. This will be a challenge for a relative beginner such as myself.

For just getting the basics, this is a great book, but keep in mind that there are changes to Blogger since it was printed.

XML for the World Wide Web (Visual QuickStart Guide)

Average customer rating:

Awesome Beginner's Guide
Errors, Lots and Lots of Errors
Editor needed
Good overall XML review, but it has gaps
Visual QuickStart Guide XML

XML for the World Wide Web (Visual QuickStart Guide)
Elizabeth Castro
Manufacturer: Peachpit Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0201710986

Amazon.com

The Visual QuickStart Guide series from Peachpit Press is known for boiling topics down to the essentials, and presenting them in an engaging and efficient way, to get the reader up to speed quickly. In applying this model to XML, author Elizabeth Castro had her work cut out for her.

Fortunately for her readers, Castro has identified successfully the core components of XML, and presented them in a streamlined way. This book doesn't tackle any of the advanced elements of XML technology, such as SOAP, SAX, or integration with the Document Object Model (DOM). Instead, it focuses on teaching the basic nuts and bolts of creating XML documents, styling them, and defining their structure.

This book moves at a fast pace. Document Type Definitions (DTDs), for instance, get only 30 pages of coverage. This tight format comprises simple examples that illustrate commands and concepts, instead of pages of text. The pages are presented in a two-column format, so that code fragments can be placed (wisely) side by side with the step-by-step explanatory text. Each topic example is supplemented with one or more useful implementation tips.

For a true grasp of XML and all of its potential, you'll need to follow up this introductory tutorial with more reading on the applications of the technology and case studies. But this little book is a great way to learn the basics of XML in a weekend. --Stephen W. Plain

Topics covered:

XML documents
Document Type Definitions (DTDs)
Schemas
Namespaces
XSLT and XPath
Cascading style sheets (CSS)
XLink
XPointer

Book Description

Web-maven Elizabeth Castro, who has penned Peachpit books on HTML, Perl and CGI, and Netscape, now tackles XML--an indispensable tool for creating personalized, updated content for each visitor on your site. Whether you build Web pages for a living or you're taking on a new hobby, XML for the World Wide Web contains everything you need to create dynamic Web sites by writing XML code, developing custom XML applications with DTDs and schemas, transforming XML into personalized Web content through XSLT-based transformations, and professionally formatting XML documents with Cascading Style Sheets.

The real power of XML lies in combining information from various sources and generating personalized content for different visitors. Castro's easy-to-follow graphics show exactly what XML looks like, and her real-world examples explain how to transform and streamline your Web-site creation process by automatically updating content.

Customer Reviews:

Awesome Beginner's Guide.......2007-06-19

This book though perhaps has many errors, it is still one of the best concept books out there. This will really get you started with XML smoothly. Some of the XML standards are rather complex, and I find this to be the most palatable material for understanding stuff like XSD and XSLT.

The book covers the basics of XML, how to define your XML schema through DTD, and then several chapters on XSD ("XML Schema and Namespaces") that include simple and complex types. The book follows up with XSML, usage of XPath and text expressions. Later there's coverage of cascading style sheets, XLink and XPointer.

I think there should be a newer version that will make corrections and update the material. I would love a chapter on RELAX-NG, as this is becoming popular to define schema for XML in some circles.

Overall, this is great book to get you started, and I would highly recommend this book as a quick spring board in the world of XML.

Errors, Lots and Lots of Errors.......2007-01-22

37 errors are listed on the author's site. I think I found some new ones as well. The material moves from the specific to general, so that the reader must skip around quite a bit. The aforementioned errors make learning XML very tedious and frustrating. An edit should have done - it is apparent none was. I have used Castro's books in the past and have never experienced the problems I have with this one. I recommend against purchasing this book and I hope Peachpit will not repeat the problems encountered within.

Editor needed.......2006-10-04

Admittedly, I'm only up to the second chapter in this book, but it's clear that Castro needed a better editor. She relies on a frustrating "Type this, then we'll come back to it later" approach (example: naming your DTD, then finding out four pages later HOW to apply that information). Disappointing as her XHTML + CSS and Flash MX books were much tighter in execution.

Good overall XML review, but it has gaps.......2006-08-02

This book does cram a whole lot of information into a tiny space. I will say that, if you are interested in getting started with XML, the book tries to include all the "pieces" you need - like not just XML code, but DTDs and XSLT, etc.

However, the section on XSLT is seriously lacking. I worked on trying to make a VERY BASIC stylesheet yesterday and have yet to get one working. (I'm not new to programming either.) The book gives a lot of "do this, do that" examples, but without explaining the concepts of XSLT more completely and logically, it doesn't really equip you to go out and write stylesheets yourself. I'm disappointed.

Visual QuickStart Guide XML.......2006-07-15

I have many of this series of books. It is always my first choice when I need to learn about something new.

Havana: An Earl Swagger Novel (Earl Swagger Novels)

Average customer rating:

Earl Swagger Hunts Again!
Earl is back
Politics and bullets do mix
Good read... S. Hunter is better than this
Even Swagger cannot save the weak story

Havana: An Earl Swagger Novel (Earl Swagger Novels)
Stephen Hunter
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0743457978

Amazon.com

The field of male fantasy fiction receives a generous literary boost with the publication of Havana, Stephen Hunter's third novel (following Hot Springs and Pale Horse Coming) to feature straight-shooting ex-Marine and Arkansas state policeman Earl Swagger.

Reluctantly leaving his wife and hero-worshipping son at home, Swagger flies off to Cuba in 1953 to act as a bodyguard for "Boss" Harry Etheridge, a rainmaking Southern congressman who proposes investigating the influence of New York gangsters on the Guantanamo Naval Base. Almost as soon as his lungs fill with the humid Caribbean air, Swagger regrets accepting this assignment. Not only must he contend with posturing, backstabbing U.S. intelligence agents, but Boss Harry proves to be both incautiously lustful (forcing Earl to rescue him from a Havana brothel confrontation) and a big target for mobsters who don't want American politicians or anyone else upsetting the profitable criminal equilibrium of Batista-era Cuba. Swagger exacerbates the risk to his longevity by agreeing to help the U.S. government assassinate Cuba's revolutionary darling of the moment, Fidel Castro--a task that will pit this Arkansas lawman against a disenchanted Russian killer who's been charged with protecting and mentoring the 26-year-old agitator.

Given Swagger's well-established weaponry skills, it's hardly surprising that Havana is peppered with tightly choreographed shootouts, both on dusty country roads and in a Zanja Street porno theater full of moaning patrons. That's the male fantasy part; this novel's literary inclination shows in its portrayal of Havana as a richly decadent city full of shiny-fendered Cadillacs, jaded whores, and casinos flushing money onto Florida-bound boats. While Ernest Hemingway and mob boss Meyer Lansky make cameo appearances here, only Castro leaves much of an impression, whether he's bumbling through an attack on a military barracks or defending himself against a father who thinks him lazy, vain, and "womanly" ("I am between opportunities, but I swear to you, I am a man of destiny"). Although Swagger's climactic gunfight tests the limits of credibility, Havana remains an unusually substantive page-turner, expertly blending hostilities with humor and heart. --J. Kingston Pierce

Book Description

Outgunning all others in the arena of razor-edged action and sheer guts, New york Times bestselling author Stephen Hunter plunges Earl Swagger deep into a steamy underworld of power, politics, and blood...

Cuba 1953: The island is on fire.

The Mafia-run casinos are rolling, and it's just a 30-minute flight from Miami to a world of vice, gambling, sex, and drugs. The money is there for anyone who knows how to get it, including the Cuban government and the police, who want to keep their ally Uncle Sam happy. There's only one threat to this corrupt utopia: a silver-tongued, daring young revolutionary named Fidel Castro. With the Cold War underway, the Soviet Union has sent a sophisticated veteran agent to find and support the young upstart. To counter, the CIA has summoned Medal of Honor-winning ex-marine Sergeant Earl Swagger, whose heroic exploits have earned him the reputation of a man who doesn't know how to lose. But he's not just going to find Castro....

He's going to kill him.

Download Description

"Havana, the sultry spring of 1953: gambling is expensive, sex is cheap, and death is free. A half-hour by air from Miami, it's the world's hottest -- and most dangerous -- city. From the plush mobster casinos in Centro to the backstreet brothels on Zanja Street, you can get anything you want, for a price. The city is the linchpin of many empires: the Mafia's, the CIA's, numerous American corporations', El Presidente's, and even the vice lords' of Old Havana. It must be protected at all costs. But now there's a threat. A young lawyer, a kid named Castro, is giving speeches. He speaks of reform, of change, of self-determination. He speaks of...of revolution even. This danger must be dealt with. So, into the steamy, sunny climate of corruption come two men, both unafraid, both skilled, both tough as ball bearings. They would be friends in a sane world, for they are so similar in their capabilities and experiences. But now they have to be enemies, because the Cold War is at its apogee: one is American, the other Russian. The American is named Earl Swagger. A Medal of Honor winner on Iwo Jima, a toughened gunman from adventures in Hot Springs and the swamps of Mississippi, Earl has been conned by two young Old Boys of the CIA to become Our Gun in Havana. The Russian, Speshnev, also a veteran of tough battles (from Spain in '36 to Berlin in '45, with a few stays in the gulag just for seasoning), has a similar assignment: he too is sent by strategic gamesters to pay attention to that same young orator. But his job is protection, not elimination.

Customer Reviews:

Earl Swagger Hunts Again!.......2007-09-30

I fell in love with Stephen Hunter's Earl Swagger novels this year. Luckily I discovered the first one at the beginning and listened to them on audiobook in order. There are three of them so far. HOT SPRINGS, PALE HORSE COMING, and HAVANA.

The Swagger name may sound familiar to people. Mark Wahlberg just starred in the movie SHOOTER as Earl's son, Bob Lee Swagger. Stephen Hunter has been intermittently writing novels about father and son over the last few years. Earl's adventures are set in the 1940s and 1950s. Bob Lee's are more in present-day, and the latest novel in that series, THE 47th SAMURAI, has just been released.

If you haven't read any of the Swagger novels, I really recommend reading them in order. Both series tell a story that's more mosaic than anything else. Both are pieces of the other. Hunter began with Bob Lee's stories, then told the first of Earl's. Obviously the author has become enamored of both his creations. Unfortunately, Earl's adventures maybe at an end after HAVANA. I'm willing to bet that I'm not the only fan that hopes this isn't so. I do know that THE 47th SAMURAI has chapters in it from Earl's point of view, and that the plot revolves around choices both Swaggers face.

HAVANA ends up being more spy story than either of the two previous books about Earl Swagger. I think Hunter had a hard time fitting Earl into the plot in some ways. The previous two books hit harder and were more driven by Earl's choices. In this book, Earl seems to be reactive more than proactive.

Everything centers around the unrest in Havana in the 1950s. The United States government has a Central Intelligence Agency operation in place on the island and they're carefully monitoring the political backlash surging against Carlos Batista, who is friendly toward the Americans. As long as Batista is in control, American companies will flourish there. At one time, Havana was referred to as the Disneyland for adults, referring to the gambling, prostitution, drinking, and drugs available.

The New York Mafia has bested interest in the island government as well. Meyer Lansky was there overseeing mob-related business throughout those turbulent years. Hunter uses the mob-influenced history to his advantage throughout the novel. There's even a mob hitman working for Lansky who is called Frankie Horse after he gunned down a New York policemen and his mount. The mob bosses didn't like the idea that Frankie had killed the horse. As punishment, he was sent down to Havana.

The story takes a little while to get started. There's a lot of backstory to set up, but it's all important to provide a picture of the political and economic climate of Havana during those years. Hunter obviously did his research well and enjoyed the subject matter.

Earl gets called in by the government to write shotgun for a senator while he's down in Havana. Harry Etheridge is a southern congressman with a taste for prostitutes. Earl doesn't really care for the assignment, but he's tempted when those who hire him point out that he could provide a much different future for his young son and wife. Those two people mean everything to Earl, and that's one of the reasons that I enjoy him so much as a character.

Earl is plainspoken and humble, and his world is black and white. He doesn't drink because he knows he can't handle it. When he fights, he gives everything he's got because he knows nothing less will do. He's one of the most decorated soldiers to ever come out of the Pacific theater in World War II. And he knows what killing's all about.

This story is bigger than the previous two Earl Swagger novels. In the earlier books, the plot remained thin and Earl stayed in the spotlight nearly the whole time through. HAVANA offered up a richly textured series of events and characters that at times eclipsed Earl. I missed having him on the pages, but there was so much else going on that caught my attention.

Hunter also obviously fell in love with Speshnev, a Russian soldier that was freed from a Siberian prison camp. Spesnev became something of a political embarrassment to Moscow and was locked away in spite of his service during World War II. The old Russian is a wily and cunning man gifted with great, dark humor. I found myself wishing that Stephen Hunter would write a book about him at some point just so I can see everywhere Speshnev has been and what he has done.

So Stephen, if you're reading this, know that you already have one fan waiting for that book.

The chemistry between Swagger and Speshnev is electric. I spent much of the book fearing the time they would meet over gun barrels. In the beginning, Speshnev saves Earl's butt twice, but I knew that they were working at cross purposes and that conflict would at some point need to be resolved.

Hunter also seems to have great fun poking at the CIA's presence in Havana. The intelligence agency seems to be primarily a joke as he shows the emergence of the new "laidback" agents the kind of fit the preppy model. But Hunter also gives them one of Earl's oldest foes in the form of Frenchy Short, who betrayed Earl's team in Hot Springs.

After caring for Senator Etheridge, and getting shot up for his trouble, Earl gets pressured by the CIA to become an assassin and kill Fidel Castro. At the same time, the reader knows that Sheshnev has been sent there to educate young Castro and get him ready to take over Cuba as a communist partner.

Although the reader knows that Earl isn't going to kill Castro, a lot of the story still yet remains to play through. Even without the mystery and suspense of how Earl was going to kill Castro, I stayed glued to my radio as the audio book played. I hated getting out at my stops and often found excuses to run errands that could've waited or go buy a Coke so I could get through a particularly exciting sequence. The problem was that most of the sequences in the book are exciting and is difficult to leave Earl in any one place after the action gets going.

Readers of the previous two books will know that this one has been done differently. Some may not like it because Earl is off screen so much, but if they hang around till after everything is set up, they'll get to see Earl in his element: hunting men and struggling to stay alive under harsh circumstances.

I had a great time with this book. I hate to think that this is the end of it. I would love to see another novel of Earl any time in here. I would especially love to see a war novel recounting Earl's adventures in the Pacific. After Earl returns home to his family in Blue Eye, Arkansas, it's not long before he's murdered while carrying out his job as an Arkansas State Trooper, though not in this book. And that gives me hope that another novel may yet be in the offing.

If this is all there is, I appreciate all the great stories. Hunter gives his readers a character that is at once real and ideal. There aren't many like him, not in real life and not in fiction.

Earl is back.......2007-02-10

This guy can write. I like the way he brought in the character of Earl in previous books and how we are now finding out more and more about him and how these facts helped formed the man, which was later reflected in his son. Improbable fiction but who cares. Entertaining and well written, keep on writing them.

Politics and bullets do mix.......2006-11-15

In this,the latest of the Earl Swagger novels, Stephen Hunter uses the backdrop of 1953 Cuba with its' complex mix of American capitalism run amok and emerging Soviet Communism. The ever virtous Swagger is plopped in the middle of this miasma by the CIA in an attempt to assasintate the rebel leader Fidel Castro.

I know a couple of the reviews have complained that you already know the outcome as Fidel was never assasinated, but I felt that this actually added intrigue to the book as the reader wonders how the usually unstoppable Swagger is going to be turned from his course. Although this book was not the testosterone fest that Hunters previous two novels (Hot Springs and especially Pale Horse Coming) were there is still enough bullets and fisticuffs to satisfy.

The greatest strength of this book was Hunter's ability to capture the atmosphere and feel of Cuba of the 1950's. By interjecting several real characters from American history and critically examining the United States involvement and behavior Hunter gives incredible creedence and a sense of reality to this tale. With the mob, CIA, Cuban Freedom Fighters and Soviet spies all involved it becomes almost impossible for Swagger to tell whom he can trust (if anybody).

The supporting characters, as usual with Hunters' recent work,are Portrayed with depth and feeling as well. As one reviewer stated the Soviet agent almost steals the story and provides a wondeful foil for Earl Swagger.

If you are looking for a good action-adventure novel with lots of political intrigue and set in one of the most tumultous locales in history then pick up a copy of Havana from one of the best American authors writing today.

Good read... S. Hunter is better than this.......2006-07-29

It was good but I know S. Hunter can do better. One thing I have to say is that noone writes better about a man fiddling a gun than S. Hunter. His writing is such that reader can feel the trigger on your fingertips and smell the gun powder.

If you already are S. Hunter fan, pick it up. If you haven't read S. Hunter book before, start off with Dirty White Boys or Point of Impact.

Even Swagger cannot save the weak story.......2006-06-25

Cuba in 1953 - a Mafia-run world of vice, gambling, sex and drugs. Of course police and the government all get their share out of it. Only the young revolutionary Fidel Castro might be the next threat to the corrupt Cuban government. Therefore the Soviet Union sends a highly experienced veteran agent to support Castro. To counter the CIA sends in Earl Swagger with a single goal: to kill Castro.

The story development is pretty slow and did not really grip me. Unlike former books I did not want to stay up late to finish it. The reason is obvious: the story is not convincing and has two really big flaws right from the start:
1) We all know that Castro is very much alive today. So you know that the mission will fail (for whatever reason).
2) If you read other Earl Swagger books before then you know that Earl is no cold-blooded killer. Therefore the basic idea does not work at all. The concept of Swagger turning into an assassin is just not "Swagger-like".

There are some Western-style like shootings in the book that are typical for the author and Earl's skills are fun to follow as usual but they cannot make up for the otherwise pencil thin story.
A great quote from Earl Swagger to support my thoughts: "No, I am not planning nothing except to get the hell off this place. It was a mistake ever coming. I have been shot at in too many hard places to die in a gutter in a city I don't know, for reasons I don't understand." Absolutely correct! The author should have followed this thought and should have let Swagger stay home! And I still do not understand why he wrote this story...

Further aspects that kind of spoiled the fun for me:
This time Swagger meets Fidel Castro. And Meyer Lansky! (Who is next? Young J. F. Kennedy?)
In "Hot Springs" Swagger knocked down Ben "Bugsy" Siegel. This time it is Hemmingway who is on the receiving end of of Earl's fist. (Again the same question: who is next?)
It starts to get a bit ridiculous.

Therefore even if this is a Swagger book which (normally) puts it way above the average book almost automatically, it is not one of Hunter's best works. Actually it is by far the only boring book with either Earl or Bob Lee Swagger in it! (So far there are 7.)
With "the day before midnight" (1989) Hunter already proofed that he does not need any Swagger character to write a fantastic page turner. Maybe it is about time for the author to invent a new hero and let Swagger rest in peace?!

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