This book is THE complete guide to building an intranet. Killer examples and techniques.

Very impressive compendium of Intranet information and the latest HTML techniques

"The stories 'Marred Bliss' and 'Diary of a Fan' had me laughing so hard I almost choked. Wildly original and so smart. O'Donnell is a funny person's funny person." Sparkle Hayter

A great collection of stories and cartoons from one of our best humorists -- to wit, Mark O'Donnell, the co-adaptor of Moliere's Scapin (currently playing on Broadway). Of particular note are pieces like "The Solar Yearbook," which treats the planets like high-school students, and "Marred Bliss," a very short play with almost-right words. And the novella "Vertigo Park" is not only funny, but also sad and tender. Highly recommende

Some of the lists are very funny, but it's missing something in book form because you're missing Dave's delivery. Also, a one-joke book gets kind of thin quick. I recommend only reading three or four lists at a time so the novelty doesn't wear off. Great bathroom reading.

This collection is from the Late Show era, not the Late Night era. However, believe it or not, these top ten lists are funny enough to read and reread. For those of you like myself, who are Letterman fans, this collection, like all previous collections, borders on the essential. Do yourself a favor, though, and buy the Late Night editions as well.

This is another hilarious collection of Top Tens. Will they come out with any more?

Sorry, but I have to disagree with the reviews so far. I my opinion this is the worst book from QUE-Books I have ever read (most of the QUE-books are really good). The author never explains the essential details about HTML, he always strays into simple, unneccessary details or into complicated, unneccessary details, but never gets to the point what is really useful. And if there's the rare occasion something is really explained, it will be repeated at least five times... I don't want to say the author doesn't know what he is writting about, he simply just don't know how to write...

I just have to say this is the greatest book ever written. Why? Because it's MY web site that is featured in Chapter 3, Fig 3.12! It's under the heading of "The Wrong Stuff: What Not to Put on the Web"

I never got any royalty money out of the deal either, whats up with that? Can I sue for defamation of web site? Hmmm... probably not, but since it's the first site I ever made back when I was a freshman in Highschool, and now it's immortalized in print - I forgive him.

Greatest book ever written!

This book was great

I have loved this show since I first listenend to the recording, and after seeing the show I think I may be obsessed with it. The show is completely fun and entertaining and this book does a good job at capturing the spirit and energy of the show. I particularly like all the full color photos and candids of the cast offstage as well as the "diary" entries from Marisa Jaret Winokur (Tracy) and Harvey Firestein (Edna). This book is worth it!

If you're a fan of the Broadway musical Hairspray, then you need this book. It's really that simple. In addition to a detailed history of the show, tons of photos, insider information, detailed analyses of previous versions of the script and the script that was eventually used, and even more information in general than you could possibly digest in one (or even two) readings, it's full of exactly the same kind of wacky, irreverant style and humor that's found in the show and that's helped to make it such a big success on Broadway. Hairspray: The Roots is hip, hilarious, colorful, and, in its own way, very musical.

Only one thing prevents the book from being the perfect example of its kind and earning a five star rating: it does not preserve the entire complete libretto of the show, choosing instead to eliminate the dialogue in places and replace it with scene descriptions. While this is unthinkable and incomprehensible given the sheer amount of information that was included and the great care that has been put into every other element of it, in the end, this particular frustration remains minor. If you can live with that, you'll find no other flaw in this remarkable, must-own volume.

Very funny play from the comedia del artee series. Worth a read.

I was captivated by this book for the first 100 pages -- until it began to fizzle. O'Donnell certainly has a scintillating sense of humor and writes trenchantly about gay life in New York. The book's one set piece on Fire Island is hilarious, and I found myself reading bits of it to friends. Alas, the narrative seems to wane and lag after Homer exits, and what follows feels all too familiar and predictable. Don't get me wrong. There are original insights all the way through, particularly about being a twin. Indeed, that subject matter in and of itself might make for fascinating next-novel material. The other comment I want to make is that although much of the dialogue is delicious and bitchy and pointed, you have to suspend disbelief a bit because you know that people can't really be that witty en passant. Obviously in writing one has to tred the dangerous ground between banal and clever, but when characters are two clever they run the risk of sounding too much like the author.

Getting Over Homer is a sparsely written novel about Blue Monohan, yet ANOTHER character from Cleveland (I've been to Cleveland and it isn't nearly this interesting in real life, Mark). Blue has one foot in the Buckeye state and one in the big city life of New York. Unlike another Cleveland-born character, Mary Ann Singleton, of Tales of the City fame, Blue's life remains somewhat centered in his Catholic white bread family life in Cleveland and embraces his move to the city only half-heartedly. This is unfortunate. Ninety-percent of the interesting characters in the book are Blue's family members! Oh, Mark...how I wish you'd let us get to know some of them better. This book could have been twice as long and still have held my interest. Even the main characters are underdeveloped. I found over and over again that I wanted to know some of the characters more. Mark writes hauntingly, however, and on more than one occassion provides beautiful insight into the "normal" everyday life of a gay man. That is why I chose to read this book, as I am also a middle aged man grappling with the fact that love sometimes leaves inexplicably. Finishing the book has made me want to read more of O'Donnell's offerings. I would recommend this book as light hearted reading, perfect for the train or bus as the chapters are small. Maybe we should all date someone like Mark O'Donnell...

After I first read this book, I couldn't believe Mark O'Donnell wasn't a more famous writer. He is truly gifted. The characters are hilariously real and the writing is just amazing--the similes and metaphors are to die for. This book was a laugh riot from beginning to end. It's theme is universal--LOVE hurts but you survive it, even though you're dead sure you won't.

There is a character in this book who most readers will recognise. Simon is an acquaintance (rarely a friend) who must "win" conversations. He is smug and asserts 5 words where one would suffice.

While Mr. O'Donnell may identify with Tad, the sterotypically sweet main character, he really seems to me to be so much more a Simon. His writing is laboured and his sense of sentimentality, while earnest, is always overcome by a need to be clever. I like writers to be clever but more than that, I like them to write characters, not to prove to me that they know a whole lot of really big words. Mr. O'Donnell's writing lacks depth and humanity. I understand that Finding Homer is his better work but this piece of tripe will prevent me from experiencing that book.

Even though some reviewers did not like this book, I thought it was a lovely little novel. It is a week before Christmas in Manhattan and Tad, our protagonist, has just been fired from his job at an elementary school (as a story-teller) because an affectionate child has told his mother that Tad was his favorite hugger or some such nonsense (the mother is, of course, on the board or somehow related to those who worry about this). Tad has also realized that the apartment he has occupied for some time will no longer be available to him as the rightful owner is coming home. It is a Sunday and Tad has been invited to seven different events (functions) which he decides that morning he will attend in spite of the feelings of doom and gloom and utter loneliness he is feeling about his life. The reason I so liked this little book is because, while droll in its humor, it was at a very basic level, uplifting. We have brunch with Tad's family who are bizarre yet strangely accommodating, especially a brother he was never close to but who provides him with some food for thought. We meet old friends of Tad's who offer him a place to stay for a while if he needs, we meet the sister of an old boyfriend (who Tad treated poorly) who is actually rather forgiving, we meet some other friends who are artists and so self-consumed and weird that Tad seems perfectly fine by comparison, we attend a high end party where Tad drinks too much, says the wrong things to the wrong people, yet manages to stir compassion in the (potential new boyfriend) heart of someone who returns his wallet. And we visit the basement in the elementary school Tad has just been fired from, some of his better co-workers who have snuck away from the holiday party and commiserate with him. I liked this book because Tad has every reason to be depressed and wallow in self pity and yet he ventures out in his very vulnerable state and manages to let people take care of him in a very off-hand sweet sort of way. He allows himself to see that life is not over and that things are going to turn up. I liked the whole premise.

AND THE STORY LINE IS A RIOT.

It bothers me to no end to read the negative reviews of this book. Maybe it's because the book is labeled from "casual" to "expert" user. I knew absolutely nothing about web publishing and HTML coding and found this extremely easy to read and follow. Unfortunately there were probably a few people in the "advanced" bracket who needed to slam this book because it did not cover what they expected. It gave me a solid basis for HTML and Dynamic HTML coding and was a great introduction to Java and CGI. When an author has to cover so many subjects related to HTML he's bound to skim over the more advanced applications. Being almost 1000 pages, it does a sterling job. By the way, the CD has a great HTML editor on it!

As a beginner I found the book a tremendous resource into HTML and Web page authoring. I do not believe the book is intended to be an exhaustive reference on every topic but wants to focus on normal day to day concerns. After reading the book I now feel extremely comfortable on all Web issues and recommend the text highly.

Easy and fun to read and learn basics of HTML and well beyond. Logically organized so it works well both for self-instruction and as a reference.

Interesting that this would be published. A transcript of the average middle-school talent show would yield a more diverting result.

I disagree with the other review for this play. I directed a production of it, and it was very well-received, and by a crowd of jaded theatre-goers, no less. It's a great play for young directors, as it requires a simple, flexible set, and provides some excellent and insightful scene study.