The Modern Web: Multi-Device Web Development with HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript by Peter Gasston is a good book to catch somebody up on the new rules of website development with HTML5 and CSS3. It’s able to build upon your existing knowledge to make the lessons easily understandable while being short, to the point, and incredibly informative.

The focused content was a great read for somebody like myself. I’ve known HTML since 8th grade but have come to use it as a hobby. Going through all the fun of frames to tables to CSS, I had not quite made the jump to HTML5 and CSS3. Reading through the book, I was inspired through different chapters to try a variety of things out. I can’t wait to develop my next site with the tricks I learned from the book and the new features of HTML5.

I appreciated the realistic, grounded approach of The Modern Web. It carried enthusiasm to share new features and combined it with cautious optimism that current JavaScript tricks may still be needed to ensure validation and desired operation across devices. The variety of devices is the true premise of the book, with a focus on traditional computer and now tablet, mobile, and other devices.

My favorite topics were the chapters on Device-Responsive CSS, CSS Layouts, Images and Graphics, and finally New Forms. The book also goes into Structure and Semantics, Modern JavaScript, Device APIs, Multimedia, Web Apps, and The Future. The chapter on CSS layouts were very informative and added a bit more authority to the information I have passively picked up from poking around the web. New forms, as lame as it sounds, were probably the most exciting section of the book for me because HTML5 has extended some new capability to input types with new attributes and native validation. Along with responsive design, image control, working across devices, trying out the new form inputs are on my priority list to take for a spin.

The Modern Web: Multi-Device Web Development with HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript is published by No Starch Press. If you buy the book from them, they will throw in the Ebook for free. From their site, you can also download a PDF of chapter 6 to preview if you like the writing style of Mr. Gasston on the topic of Device APIs.

If you would like more than just a preview chapter 6, you can enter our giveaway. No Starch Press has been kind enough to provide a copy of the book for 404 Tech Support to giveaway to one of our visitors. We have one copy of The Modern Web to give away to a continental U.S. resident. Use the form below to enter the giveaway with multiple ways to enter for more chances. The winner will be announced and contacted August 3rd with our Weekly Tech Headlines.

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