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These are some of the books I've found valuable. I've ranked them from 1 (worst) to 5 (best) according to (a) content and (b) readability
XSLT by Michael Kay
"It wouldn't be too extravagant to claim that XML is the biggest thing to hit the web since the whole thing started less than ten years ago." So writes Michael Kay, the author of this book. What an extraordinary claim! And yet, I think he might just be right. My knowledge of XSLT was greatly transformed by this book. Kay is the expert on XSLT and this thick book is full of information on working with this powerful, fascinating technology. Kay isn't a bad writer, but it's clear the value he brings is his deep knowledge of the subject rather than a particularly accessible approach.
Content: 5
Readability: 3
Recommended For: People wanting an in-depth knowledge of XSLT and willing to put in some time and effort to acquire it.
High Performance Web Sites by Steve Souders
Wow! I received this book at my home after work and couldn't put it down. Souders is a Yahoo! programmer who deeply explored the issues that provide users with slow page loads. The results were fourteen rules. Some of them I knew; others were a revelation. This is a slim book, but chockful of terrific information.
Content: 5
Readability: 4
Recommended For: People who are working on projects that have many users/visitors and need a high-performance website.
Learning Flex 3 by Alaric Cole
This book offers an introduction to Flex 3. It's a decent book, though I wished for one that took less of a recipe approach and more explained the system as a whole. Still, I found it helpful and I suspect that, if you're not a Flex expert, you will too.
Content: 3.5
Readability: 3.5
Recommended For: People wanting a gentle, hands-on introduction to Flex 3.
The Design of Sites by Douglas K. van Duyne et al.
How could I not like a book on patterns? This is a Big Book. Some of the patterns are so obvious that their inclusion is a bit dubious, but overall this is an excellent book. To get the most out of it, you'll need to spend some time studying the patterns and determining which ones make sense for you. Keep it close to you as you'll want to use it as a reference book.
Content: 4
Readability: 3.5
Recommended For: Website creators who want a systematic process for building maintainable sites.
Designing Interfaces by Jennifer Tidwell
Another pattern book for websites--and an excellent one. This is also a reference guide. Of the two books (this and the one above), I'd give the edge to this book. I bought both books, though, and am glad I did.
Content: 4.5
Readability: 3.5
Recommended For: Website creators who want a systematic process for building maintainable sites.
Transcending CSSby Andy Clarke et al.
An excellent book on CSS by real masters of this (sometimes black) art. This is a book for developers who are firmly committed to using CSS for presentation and who already understand the basics. This book, too, repays the diligent reader with expert advice.
Content: 4
Readability: 4
Recommended For: Experienced CSS'ers who want to master CSS in all its intricacy.
JavaScript: The Good Parts by Douglas Crockford
This slim volume is a wonder of best practices for the use of JavaScript. Crockford is Senior Yahoo! JavaScript Architect and the man behind JSON. The book is admittedly dense and will require (or did for me, at least) intensive study and re-reading, but the information in it is invaluable. My only complaint about the book is that Crockford is not a writer and I often wished he had had a co-author to help. That aside, this book is an absolute must-own for modern Web developers.
Content: 5
Readability: 2.5
Recommended For: Any Web developer (that would be all Web developers) who want to create more responsive and intuitive user interfaces.
Fundamentals of Object-Oriented Design by Meilir Page-Jones
We will now bow our heads and observe a moment of silence and awe at a Master of OO at his most profound...
Meilir Page-Jones is a friend and one of the best object theorists working. I've read and re-read this book 5 times and go back to it every year or so. Each year, I get something fresh and new from it. And while Meilir will astonish you with the depth of his thinking, his writing is wonderfully accessible. The book is really funny. My highest recommendation.
Content: 5
Readability: 5
Recommended For: Any developer who's working in Object Orientation.
Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds
If you're called on to give presentations, I beseech you on behalf of your audience to buy this book. This highly readable book will help you avoid practicing "Death By Powerpoint" and inspire you to make better presentations.
Content: 4.5
Readability: 4.5
Recommended For: Anyone who ever gives a presentation.
Pro JavaScript Techniques by John Resig
John Resig is to JavaScript what Meilir Page-Jones is to Object Orientation: an indisputable Master. John is the author of the mind-bogglingly good jQuery JavaScript library and if anyone knows more about JavaScript than Douglas Crockford, it must be John Resig. This is another dense book -- not because it's not well-written (it is) but because there's just so much Resig shares in the book. Extraordinarily good.
Content: 5
Readability: 4
Recommended For: Developers who want to master JavaScript.
Learning jQuery by Jonathan Chaffer et al.
Oh -- so this is how you write a "Learning..." book! The authors tackle jQuery (see the review of John Resig's book above) and present it so clearly and simply that, as an author myself, I'm highly impressed. I believe jQuery to be an essential part of a modern Web developers toolset and this book (along with those below) is essential to learning exactly how to get the most out of the library.
Content: 4.5
Readability: 5
Recommended For: Developers who want a foundational understanding of jQuery.
jQuery in Action by Bear Bibeault et al.
I admit that I hate the covers this book series chose. It was bad enough that O'Reilly employs the conceit of an animal on every cover -- now we have to have clothing designs? But even if you share my misery, you'll forget all about it when you dive into this book. The authors do a brilliant job explaining how to use jQuery and their accompanying website will make jQuery selectors crystal-clear. Really a great book.
Content: 4.5
Readability: 4.5
Recommended For:Developers who want to understand how to use jQuery in anger.,
MySQL Crash Course by Ben Forta
Written by some guy named "Ben Forta", this is a wonderful get-up-to-speed reference to MySQL. Ben brings his usual clear writing (and thinking) to the database world.
Content: 4
Readability: 4
Recommended For: Developers who need to quickly learn the basics of MySQL.
Head First JavaScript by Michael Morrison
Another good book in the "Head First" series from O'Reilly, this is a gentle introduction to JavaScript. I love the Head First series because they introduce information in a way that's both fun and accessible without over-simplifying.
Content: 4
Readability: 5
Recommended For: Developers new to JavaScript
Head First SQL by Lynn Beighley
All of the "Head First" series are intended for people new to their subjects. This one tackles SQL. A great read.
Content: 4
Readability: 4.5
Recommended For: Developers new to SQL
Head First Object-Oriented Analysis and Design by Brett D. McLaughlin
Yet another "Head First" book, this one discussing OO design. I think if you're brand new to OO, this would be a good book; otherwise, I'd recommend Meilir Page-Jones book (above).
Content: 3.5
Readability: 4
Recommended: Developers new to OO
ppk on JavaScript by Peter-Paul Koch
Kochis an expert on user interface technologies and this book reflects that knowledge. Here you'll pick up specific tips about JavaScript that aren't often included in large tell-all tomes.
Content: 4
Readability: 4
Recommended For: JavaScript programmers.
Domain Drive Design by Eric Evans
Evans has a great deal of good things to say. This is a book you'll want to read and re-read -- maybe a few times. The writing is so-so but the book is redeemed by the excellence of the content.
Content: 4.5
Readability: 3
Recommended For: OO architects
Head First HTML with CSS and XHTML by Eric and Elizabeth Freeman
The Freemans -- a husband and wife writing team -- do a great job of teaching XHTML and CSS. Wonderfully written and with a few tidbits that even experienced HTMLers might not know.
Content: 4
Readability: 4.5
Recommended For: Developers new to XHTML and CSS
Head First Java by Kathy Sierra et al.
The book that started the "Head First" series, this is, by far, the best introductory book on Java I've ever read. And there's so much good information in here about OO in general, I'd strongly recommend this book to anyone learning OO -- whether with Java or another language.
Content: 5
Readability: 5
Recommended For: Java beginners -- or anyone interested in OO
Emotional Design by Donald Norman
I think of this book as a companion to Norman's Psychology of Everyday Things. If you're at all interested in the emotional connections make to things they buy and own, Norman's book will fascinate you.
Content: 4.5
Readability: 4.5
Recommended For: People curious about the "stuff" we buy
The Freemans (from Head First HTML) are back along with the authors of Head First Java for a look at design patterns. If you've ever been frustrated by the density of the "GoF"'s Design Patterns book, you'll enjoy --and learn a lot from -- this book.
Content: 4
Readability: 5
Recommended For: Anyone who's not already a master of design patterns
Another of Ben's books, this time on regular expressions. Friedl's book on the subject is far more complete, but this is a wonderful intro (and Ben writes far more clearly).
Content: 4
Readability: 4
Recommended For: Developers new to regexes
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