While the book does keep it's focus on "usability" it really is about the best workflow and not about "patterns". Software patterns refer to meta-systems (such as say an eCommerce or Portal system) and how they are consctructed.

I did find the workflow techniques quite helpful though. I give him credit for putting them in print.

Wu is an acronym for web usability, a group of dialects spoken in Eastern China and a common Chinese family name. Despite millions of hours spent in development and millions of words written about how to do it right, many web pages still are poorly constructed. In this book, Ian Graham sets down a set of 79 patterns that are used to describe the principles of web usability. These patterns together form a set of best practices, therefore the pattern language is called Wu.
Like most patterns, this group is a set undergoing constant improvement and refinement. Nevertheless, they are mature enough to provide a solid basis for making web sites work correctly. In general, each pattern is introduced by giving the name and a figure illustrating the pattern. Most of the figures are screenshots of web sites and others are pictures of related topics such as a still life or a cartoon. The next step is to describe the problem that is to be solved, followed by a more thorough description of the problem and a sketch of the solution. This is followed by a therefore section, which is a one paragraph summary of the solution. If applicable, the pattern is closed by a list of the sources for the pattern.
These patterns are a valuable contribution to the literature describing how to do web page development right. Succinct and yet with sufficient detail, studying them will give you perspectives on web design that you most likely have not yet considered. Reading this book is well worth the effort, and you will be rewarded by having a web site that may take less time to construct, maintain and will be easier to use. Consider it spending a little to save a lot.

"Wu" is brilliant. This book is a template for wringing coherent exposition out of chaos.

While there are many web-topic books that promise to instill the secrets of designing for information access, this is the first web "how-to" I've read that actually delivers the goods. Graham has broken away from the pack by using pattern language analysis to derive guidelines for design decisions, instead of nailing rules to the door and justifying them after the fact with personal belief, or trying to bend established standards from older media to fit the demands of the web.

Graham shows more than just answers. He shows how to flay a problem down to its bones, then build a solution by piecing together related, interconnected subsolutions. By understanding the rationale and behavior of the pieces, we develop faith in the appropriateness and completeness of the solution.

The connections and relations of the 79 patterns in Wu lend themselve to graphic understanding. Dependency charts for Enhancing Usability (fig. 3.8) and Adding Detail (fig 3.13) lead you through the dance of the patterns in a way that compels to to flip to the pattern descriptions and read each one to follow the logic like an unfolding detective story.

There are no hard and fast rules here. What we have now, thanks to Ian Graham, is a set of building blocks from which we pick and choose according to our needs and to the requirements of the design problem at hand. Part 4 of the book gives examples of constructing web sites by sequentially evaluating the fit and contribution of the available patterns. This is a systems approach to usability design, with the added advantage that the system works.

This is a book you are going to wear out by constant personal reference and proxy reference. You will have to share these patterns and their lucid explanations with your partners and clients, simply because this stuff is too good to keep to yourself. You'd better buy two copies at least, because someone is sure to borrow yours and never bring it back.

Fundamentalist Islam has been a growing presence in the Muslim world for a quarter-century, but only in the past year or two has it become a major policy issue for Americans. Should the U.S. government engage in dialogue with fundamentalist groups seeking power? Is there such a thing as a moderate fundamentalist? What steps should be taken to prevent fundamentalist-inspired violence within the United States?

While many scholars and journalists have written books on fundamentalist Islam, "A Sense of Siege" may well be the first full-length study of relations between it and the West. The study offers the excitement and the flaws characteristic of such initial efforts. Fuller and Lesser take up a wide range of policy-related issues and handle them with knowledge and sophistication. For example, they note that while fundamentalists have no basic hostility to the free market, "[r]ealistically, the Islamists will face immense pressure to adopt a populist set of policies." Less impressive, the authors adopt a position of moral relativism on the matter of troubled ties between the West and the Muslim ("no one side is more right than the other") Worse yet, they urge Americans to see the fundamentalists not as power-hungry ideologues but as spokesmen for legitimate grievances; this leads them to advise in favor of a soft policy toward fundamentalism. Agree with them or not, however, Fuller and Lesser have done much to advance the debate with this insightful volume.

Middle East Quarterly, September 1995

This book provides a scholarly view of the relationship between Islam and the West devoid of the biases that would prevent a critical analysis of the situation. Fuller and Lesser bring years of phenemonal experience at the CIA and the State Department. I would account the previous reviewer's low rating of this book due to his own inability to reach the top level of these guys. If you want to learn about the Middle East then Esposito, Fuller, and Glenn E. Robinson are the way to go!

This is an excellent treatise on both past as well as present state of affairs/relations between Islam and the West. The author should be commended for his forthrightness and bluntness in stating these differences, very close to the level Huntington himself articulated in his Clash of Civilizations.

What is important to understand is the role Saudi-funded pet projects like the American Muslim Council play for the State Dept. and for U.S.-Islamic relations. A Must read for those [who] believe that there exists no fundamental difference between the U.S. and Islam, or that any differences that do exist can simply be overcome with "dawah".

I am truly moved by the depth of Ian Graham Leask's insights into the heart of human relatedness, in The Wounded. The intrinsic complexities sink in and unfold gradually, and are certainly worth keeping a mindful eye throughout. "Hesta's Tale," in particular, is outstandingly evocative and dynamic, but as the full picture is formed by the rest of the stories, the subtle meanings of each thread woven craftily into the scheme of things begin to emerge. The worldly and visceral aspects of the emotional and physical lives of the characters painfully reveal buried truths Leask unturns with a gentle hand. The humor and wit in many of the dialogues spice up and contrast with some of the harsher scenes presented throughout the book. Leask's introspective sensibilities introduced through a variety of standpoints and situations unveil the despair of human predicament, but, finally, illuminate the possibility of transformation. Definitely a book one should read twice to fully appreciate!

I had the opportunity to reacquaint myself with creative fiction recently. The Wounded, by Ian Graham Leask is a delightful collection of short stories, perfect for someone with my short attention span.

The witty English author managed to transport me to the regions, sights, smells (many) and people of his homeland, without ever having to leave the house. An exceptional and hilarious bonus is the glossary in the back of the book, which gave this poorly traveled American every definition needed to comprehend the lingo of the Brits. I had no idea they possessed so many tremendous insults, including my two favorites, 'git' and 'wanker'.

I found the author's use of language, imagery and metaphor much to my liking, and he avoids cliched father and son fare. Mr. Leask demonstrates a wonderful gift for description, making what could be mundane, interesting instead. When combined with the complexity and depth of characters, one is left with a book that has something new to offer each time it is picked up. I read every story twice through, and was shocked to find how many details and thought-provoking dynamics I had missed on my lazy first pass. The author's writing engages and challenges the reader simultaneously, all the while unveiling fascinating stores. Woven throughout is a propensity for the characters to resort to violence, verbal intimidation and anger for conflict resolution, hence the tile. We are reminded that people, no matter where they hail from , are subject to similar feelings, frustrations and divisive behavior, and that every man is a son, a second universally-binding quality. I felt connected with every character, certainly an objective of the author.

It was difficult for me to pick a favorite story out of the ten. Each has something special to offer, and Mr. Leask saved a most heartwarming tale for last. "Daddy's Eyes" tenderly escorts the reader into the world of a captivating three-year old child: a carefree, warm and secure place. What a pity the reader can't stay there! This story also serves up a sobering reminder that the foundatons of human behavior form very early in life.

I would encourage any fan of meaningful, cohesive, creative fiction to give The Wounded a chance. I thing you'll be as intrigued as I was. Best of all, I can't wait for my first chance to call someone a wanker.

Like a kids book about motorcycles but with more technical information. The art work and pictures of modern motorcycles alone make this book worth the modest price!

Graham give a good insight into the pitfalls and problems in requirements engineering with object-oriented technology. Espacially interesting are the remarks and advices the author gives regarding commonly used oo-techniques such as use cases. With Semantic Object Modelling Approach (SOMA) a method for modelling is introduced, which focusses on seaminglessness between the different models. SOMA blends also into the Object-oriented Process Environment and Notation (OPEN).

I have used this book since version 1, and have found it to present a good balance between the need for a quick reference and an in depth explaination of topics. The Explaination does not quite reach the ease of reading of "HTML for Dummies" but for someone with some understand of HTML concepts if not the launguage itself, if is more than adequate. The quick reference at the beginning of each chapter give a quick refresher for the Web designer who needs to review the format of a command. For first time users, I suggest you skip these pages, read the explaination, and then go back to the first pages.

I was looking for exactly what this book contains. I spent 20 minutes in a book-shop digging the shelves trying to find something that could explain HTML with short and clear examples, going directly to the grain, and I found it!. This book is well written, clear and give you a good practical perspective of how to design a web site.

Combining an engaging writing style with comprehensive and easy-to-understand content is no easy feat when it comes to computer books. Mr. Graham does an excellent job at both. The book is very well-organized and well-timed. The first few chapters give you enough information and motivation to try a web site and to be cognizant of functional design. The book then goes into more detail of each tag, attribute, etc. so you can further refine your work plus get more explanation of what you are doing. More advanced topics are covered toward the end. Throughout the book are a liberal sprinkling of url's to see real-life examples of what the author is talking about. He also does a good job of showing differences between browsers, discussing deprecated tags, tags not yet implemented, etc. This is a great book for reference and reading!

I am a professional Web Programer and I love this book. It is the best reference book I've seen for HTML. I hope Mr Graham will keep writing HTML books in this style and do the same for the JavaScript Language.

This book is straight to the point, it tells you what you can do with a tag and what you can not and many times the browser version and type that the tags will work in.

The people that did not like Mr Graham's HTML books (I have them both) possibly are looking to them to teach them everything they need to know about Web Programming. They are not introductory HTML books nor books on CGI, Java, or JavaScript programming although he does talk about them in a basic sense. They are wonderful HTML reference books.

As the title suggests, this is a guide to HTML and related areas. Graham presents the material lucidly and in an organized fashion. The book dosn't purport to provide you with the secret to having a killer home-page as some other commentators onh this book seem to suggest it would or should--if you are looking for a guide to HTML CGI and the ins and outs of how the HTTP environment operates then this is a definite book to get

*blink* I was rather surprised to see the comments made on this site. I have used Mr. Graham's books since I started developing - I found it was more like a well written programming book (even though I don't view HTML as a programming language) - tags/related theory were well laid out, descriptions and examples were relevant and excellent. I *have* read several other HTML books, but this is the one I turn to when I need a question answered. To the readers who had a problem with it - try reading it from the beginning. Mr. Graham is a prof, and his book tends to read like a lecture. Keep that in mind when you pick it up the next time, you might be in for a nice surprise.

Overall, this book was a straightforward decent book. Graham wrote it very well, although I was sometimes confused on the order of things, and I questioned some principles laid forth. This book would be a good book for novices, as it might not help the beginner grasp the whole HTML concept

This is a good book if you already know HTML. Its kind of confusing because right in the middle of the book is a big section with all the tags and their description, but if you overlook that it is a pretty good book.

This is an invaluable tool and I my classes I use it daily for looking up syntax and finding the answer to questions. Alas, as always with print in this fast moving world, the paper edition is usually outdated by the time it even leaves the printshop!

This is a book written by authors well known as former CIA personnel in Turkey. This rather old book has numerous mistakes as facts and one feels that the authors' best sources are Turkish university professors!