� Favorite Web books of all time | Web 2.0 Explorer | ZDNet.com

� Favorite Web books of all time | Web 2.0 Explorer | ZDNet.com:

Richard's favorite Web books:

Taking your talent to the Web - Jeffrey Zeldman

This book was released in 2001 and influenced me a lot at that time. It's still my favorite Zeldman book, because in it he showed how to make a living on the Web by following your passion. It gives both a high-level and conceptual overview of the Web — and practical instructions and code. Although purportedly aimed at print designers wanting to transition into web design, in fact it's a must-read for any aspiring web professional - designer or not.

XML in a Nutshell - Elliotte Rusty Harold, W. Scott Means

This book has been an invaluable reference for me over the years. First published in January 2001, it explains the theory behind XML as well as being a comprehensive reference book. I have yellow stickies pasted all over my copy of the book, which illustrates how much value it holds for me. What a pity I've always been such a poor programmer ;-) I'm sure those developers who actually can program their way out of a paper bag, will find many more uses for it.

Small Pieces Loosely Joined: A Unified Theory of the Web - David Weinberger

Published in 2003, this is probably the seminal book for understanding the transformative impact of the Web on our lives and work. It's a delight to read and does a great job of explaining the concepts behind the Web — and what it means for ordinary people. It's also a personal book infused with Weinberger's wit. Some techies may think the book is a bit New Age for their taste, but if you're at all interested in exploring the high level philosophy of the Web - then I highly recommend this book.

Weaving the Web : The Original Design and Ultimate Destiny of the World Wide Web by its Inventor - Tim Berners-Lee

I've read this book several times. How can one resist a book about the Web by the very person who invented it. The best part of the book for me is when Berners-Lee explained how the Web was meant to be read/write. His original web browser, aptly named WorldWideWeb, was in fact a browser/editor. It was one of the turning points of the Web when browser makers such as Mosaic and Netscape turned the web browser into a read-only instrument. Perhaps that also illustrated the time when Berners-Lee began to lose whatever early control he had over the Web's development, when others forked his vision. In any case, this is a must-read book - for anyone even remotely involved in the Internet.

So what are your favorite Web development, design or conceptual
books?

Breathing Life into Clay

Breathing Life into Clay

Breathing Life into Clay
A love of form launched brand-name potter Jonathan Adler's career. Savvy marketing and chic sensibility continue to sustain it

Jonathan Adler is living proof that, with persistence and tenacity, a passion for a certain aesthetic sensibility of yesterday can be translated into a brand vision that resonates with today's consumers.

Obsessed with pottery since his teens, Adler's business was sparked when he sold an initial order of pots to Barneys just over ten years ago. Today, the US-based designer's humorous yet streamlined take on mid-century design is embodied by a wide variety of home items at all price points (from paper goods to high-end furniture to bath accessories), making the Adler aesthetic easily accessible to anyone and everyone who happens to dig it.

Who knew that a brand experience so seamlessly executed, a strategy so layered, could begin so organically? "Jonathan just started out making pots. Once we started distributing his pots and textiles to other wholesalers and retailers, we realized that we were actually building a brand," explains Louis Marra, vice president of Jonathan Adler. "It all just sort of evolved."

In fashionable circles, the Jonathan Adler brand has an ever-increasing omnipresence with each passing day. You might come across a Jonathan Adler boutique while strolling through a hip shopping district in a major US city, like Miami or Chicago. Or you might stay at an Adler-designed hotel in Palm Springs. You might even turn on your TV and notice an Adler pillow in a scene from the American sitcom "Will & Grace." And you might very well find yourself perusing Jonathan Adler Happy Home products while you shop for shower curtains in home retailer Bed Bath & Beyond.

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