Rating: 
Summary: Great conversation among non-techies, too.
Review: I had read nearly the entire book online, but didn't realize how much I was missing in the photos until I got the hard copy. Plus, it's a great conversation piece in the bar review lectures that are supposed to be occupying me now. "_That's_ a book about web publishing?" If only someone would assign it for CLE (Continuing Legal Education) credit... In the meantime, I've gotten several good ideas for the collaborative educational websites/software I'm working on.
Rating:
Summary: Honest, frank, no nonsense guide to a successful website.
Review: This book gives an honest account of what makes a successful website. It gives real-world examples, describes them well, and gives you great advice/source code on how to do it for yourself! The section on RDBMS is particular of use to web designers/site admins who have/need to set up and maintain databases, especially for sites that are collaborative online communities. Interspersed between the usually humorous text are beautiful photos, which kinda gives your eyes a rest from reading.
Rating: 
Summary: Highly Recommended
Review: I have been frequent to Philip's web site and I have seen much of the material that he was going to publich in this book, including, photos, since the contents are available on the web. Still, it's nice to have the printed version. It's loaded with a full variety of thought-provoking, inspiring comments, suggestions, aha!'s, do's, do-not's on web site management and net-publishing. The only reason why I am giving 4-stars rather than 5-stars to this book is that I find the print qualities of photos somewhat lacking. The visibly grainy color prints in the book are not doing the full justice to the heavy quality paper that the publisher and the author chose to use. The web version photos tells how much more beautiful they can be. Unless Kaufmann learns how to do it better, Philip should consider switching to Amphoto or something for publishing his next web + photo book.
Rating:
Summary: A book on web publishing that's actually *fun* to read...
Review: Without a doubt, Philip's greatest asset is his writing style (which mirrors his teaching style, if you've ever had the privilege). His wit makes the pages go by quickly, all the while entertaining the reader and making the material easy to digest. It is my dream that all technical computer publications could be this easy and enjoyable to read. His beautiful photography, though not directly related to the material, is an added bonus, for which I declare his attempt to write the first "coffee-table computer book" (not to mention one of the heaviest computer books I've ever held) a definite success. The book should not be treated as a manifesto for finding the best technology to suit your needs. You will probably find more diverse coverage of web servers and databases, for example, from PC Week Labs, InfoWorld, or your favorite overpriced analyst firm (e.g.: IDC). Philip's contributions are from a much more long-term, hands-on series of case studies, sometimes *very* deep in the trenches. Where magazine and analysts' reviews leave off, Philip begins. He amply opens up to share the lessons he has learned - and technology he has used - while wrestling with the biggest problems in web design. Any lack of industry-wide coverage is quickly made up for by the details of these efforts. Such advice - if applicable to you - will be invaluable. Businesses looking to emerge onto the web will find many useful guidelines here, and some very good advice that is well worth following before their virtual pens hit the paper for the very first time. These readers should take caution, however, as the book is not as strong in addressing the commercial aspects with which a business must be concerned when entering the world of electronic commerce as it is with the technological issues. For example, Philip confuses the issue of "privacy" with "viewer anonymity". "Privacy", to a corporate site, means writing (and adhering to) an effective privacy policy to ensure that personal data submitted by your users does not get distributed without their knowledge. The crackdown on this type of behavior is becoming too large and too costly to ignore (first IBM, now Microsoft, are banning advertising on all sites without a well-published policy). I feel the book would have benefited from broader (and less biased) coverage of this topic. All in all, if you are planning on building a medium-sized web site, this is a very good book. If you want to experiment with web sites that are built "on-the-fly" using a database, this book is a necessary addition to your library. (It will help a lot if you make use of the open source software Philip's company is offering.) Wanna-be designers of simple home pages built for the sole purpose of posting that photo of your new puppy for Mom & Dad to see, will find their money better spent on "FrontPage For Dummies". But bookmark this page before you go, and run, don't walk, back to this book when you're ready to take it up a notch.
Rating:
Summary: This should have been a hard-cover book
Review: I echo the comments of all reviewers regarding first-rate content. However the book is quite heavy. The adhesive-backed binding on my copy does not look like remaining intact very long. If, for a slightly higher price the book had been saddle-stitched and made available in hard-cover I would have liked it even more.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing what talented programmers can do
Review: I listened to Phil Greenspun's talk at MIT and deeply appreciated it. It is very interesting what a few talented programmers can achieve. None of what Phil has built are namby-pamby toys. They are real sites (e.g. 40 hits per second, each hit requiring upto 5 database queries,Yet they are put together elegantly using Perl, Tcl and Oracle. Definitely buy this book to find out an easy way to build scalable web sites that people will want to return to, time and again. Also buy this book to enjoy the hundreds of beautiful color photos that Phil has placed all over the book. A treat for the brain as well as the eyes.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting, funny, and useful
Review: Not many books are simultaneously entertaining, useful, socially responsible, and ... well ... inspiring. This one is. You get a glimpse of what the web can deliver from someone who does it; get the straight scoop on how to do it yourself (and the tools too); and it is all delivered with flair. The author has strong opinions but a wonderful sense of humor. Even when I disagreed with his opinions, he is so clear about his reasons that you learn something. This is one of the few "must-buy" books about the web.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Most Intelligent Programming Books I've Read
Review: Phil explains clearly and with a great deal of experience and humor how to build decent websites. I think people should buy it as much for the sense of irony as the knowledge it attempts to impart.
But that may just be me. ;)
Rating:
Summary: The One Book to Read
Review: While a bit preachy at times, this is by far the best book on web-publishing around. Greenspun goes to great lengths to make people realize that the wrong way to publish on the web is to purchase lots of shrink-wrapped software and just hope everything works. The web still belongs to people as smart as him, and I'm jealous.
Rating:
Summary: I am redesigning one of my websites using his suggestions.
Review: Attended Phillip's Lecture based upon his book. The book is excellent and well written.
| 
