Books Giveaway: Comment and Win!

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Over the last weeks we have again selected dozens of useful development and web design-related books, we’ve bought all of them and we wanted to give them all away to our readers — for free. Unfortunately, it turned out that some books were unavailable, some were sold out and some are still waiting for the next edition. Consequently, we’ve decided to give away at least the books which are available now and keep the rest for future give-aways.

Well, why would we do that? Basically, for four reasons:

  1. we truly appreciate our readers’ support, trust and interest and we want to give something back,
  2. we want to make the Web a better place and encourage designers to help us in achieving this aim,
  3. we like to smash things,
  4. and well, we can afford it.

In this post we are giving away 8 professional web design-related books — the books cover the topics CSS, usability, user interface design, innovation, web navigation, web form design and JavaScript programming. Hopefully, the winners of the books will be able to widen their horizon in web development and create more effective, more user-friendly and more beautiful web designs.

Please keep in mind: the Smashing Style Switchers Contest is running — design a style switcher, submit a comment to our post and and you can win an Apple Cinema 20 Flat Panel Display.

How can I participate?

To participate, you have to

  1. choose one book in the table below which you like most,
  2. write something nice in the comment to this post (one word is enough) and write the number of the book on the next line.

Please notice that

  • participants can post comments until the 14th of June 2008. The comments will be closed on the 15th of June at 00:01 CET.
  • the winners will be determined by a random generator; for each book only the group of visitors who’d like to have the same book will be considered,
  • only participants who’ve selected one book can participate
  • make sure that you fill your e-mail in the comment field correctly, so we can contact you afterwards.

Books You Can Win

# Cover Title

by Author

Description
1 Screenshot Transcending CSS
by Andy Clarke
The fine art of web design. Find out how creative designers learn to be artistic yet functional.
2 Screenshot Designing the Obvious: A Common Sense Approach to Web Application Design

by Robert Hoekman

The book offers practical advice about how to achieve the quality of successful web-based applications and consistently and successfully reproduce them.
3 Screenshot Designing for the Social Web
by Joshua Porter
Learn how to design effective, user-centric social web-applications.
4 Screenshot About Face 3: The Essentials of Interaction Design
by Alan Cooper
Presents the effective and practical tools you need to design great desktop applications, Web 2.0 sites, and mobile devices.
5 Screenshot The Myths of Innovation
by Scott Berkun
This book reveals how ideas truly become successful innovations — truths that people can apply to today’s challenges.
6 Screenshot Designing Web Navigation: Optimizing the User Experience
by James Kalbach
Learn how to design web site navigation properly: how to let people find information and guide them through it.
7 1,000 Graphic Elements

Web Form Design: Filling in the Blanks
by Luke Wroblewski
Learn how to design effective and engaging Web forms.
8 The Designers Complete Index

The JavaScript Anthology: 101 Essential Tips, Tricks & Hacks
by Cameron Adams
Shows how to apply JavaScript to solve over 101 common Web Development challenges.

1. Transcending CSS

Transcending CSS by Andy Clarke

Transcending CSS

The Web has changed, and so has the art of creating web sites. Few visual designers are natural programmers, and as a result, visualizing how to work with markup, CSS and a range of programmatic techniques to create beautiful design is difficult.

To make things more complicated, most web design teaching materials focus on the technical rather than the creative. Countless resources and guides focus on semantics, compliance, and validity. While these are all important, they mean little to the creative designer who wants to impress his or her clients and employers with exceptional design without worrying that the way they approach the design will be compromised by creativity-limiting technical issues. So how do creative designers learn to be artistic yet functional? With Transcending CSS: The Fine Art of Web Design.

2. Designing the Obvious

Designing the Obvious: A Common Sense Approach to Web Application Design by Robert Hoekman

Screenshot
Source

Designing the Obvious explores the character traits of successful Web applications and uses them as guiding principles of application design so the end result of every project instills customer satisfaction and loyalty. These principles include building only whats necessary, getting users up to speed quickly, preventing and handling errors, and designing for the activity. Designing the Obvious does not offer a one-size-fits-all development process — in fact, it lets you use whatever process you like. Instead, it offers practical advice about how to achieve the qualities of great Web-based applications and consistently and successfully reproduce them.

3. Designing for the Social Web

Designing for the Social Web by Joshua Porter

Screenshot

No matter what type of web site or application you are building, social interaction among the people who use it will be key to its success. They will talk about it, invite their friends, complain, sing its high praises, and dissect it in countless ways. With the right design strategy you can use this social interaction to get people signing up, coming back regularly, and bringing others into the fold. With examples from real-world interfaces and a touch of the underlying social psychology theory, Joshua Porter shows you how to design your next great social web application.

4. About Face 3: The Essentials of Interaction Design

About Face 3: The Essentials of Interaction Design by Alan Cooper

Screenshot

Alan Cooper is a professional designer, specialized on software design, and all his knowledge is represented in this book. He makes emphasis on Goal-Directed Design, meaning that goals, not features, are the key to the product success. This technique is based on the use of personas and scenarios to conduct user research. Goals are explained in three categories, experience goals, end goals and life goals.

This volume presents the effective and practical tools you need to design great desktop applications, Web 2.0 sites, and mobile devices. This book will teach you the principles of good product behavior and introduce you to Cooper’s Goal-Directed Design method, from conducting user research to defining your product using personas and scenarios. In short, About Face 3 will show you how to design effective digital products and services.

5. The Myths of Innovation

The Myths of Innovation by Scott Berkun

Screenshot

How do you know whether a hot technology will succeed or fail? Or where the next big idea will come from? The best answers come not from the popular myths we tell about innovation, but instead from time-tested truths that explain how we’ve made it this far. This book shows the way.

In The Myths of Innovation, Scott Berkun takes a careful look at innovation history, including the software and Internet Age, to reveal how ideas truly become successful innovations — truths that people can apply to today’s challenges. Using dozens of examples from the history of technology, business, and the arts, you’ll learn how to convert the knowledge you have into ideas that can change the world.

6. Designing Web Navigation

Designing Web Navigation: Optimizing the User Experience by James Kalbach

Screenshot

Thoroughly rewritten for today’s web environment, this book offers a fresh look at a fundamental topic of site navigation design. Amid all the changes to the Web in the past decade, the basic problems of creating a good web navigation system remain. Designing Web Navigation demonstrates that good navigation is not about technology — it’s about the ways people find information, and how you guide them.

7. Web Form Design: Filling in the Blanks

Web Form Design: Filling in the Blanks by Luke Wroblewski

Screenshot

Forms make or break the most crucial online interactions: checkout (commerce), registration (community), data input (participation and sharing), and any task requiring information entry. In Web Form Design, Luke Wroblewski draws on original research, his considerable experience at Yahoo! and eBay, and the perspectives of many of the field’s leading designers to show you what you need to know about designing effective and engaging Web forms.

8. The JavaScript Anthology

The JavaScript Anthology: 101 Essential Tips, Tricks & Hacks by Cameron Adams

Screenshot

Using a cookbook approach, The JavaScript Anthology will show you how to apply JavaScript to solve over 101 common Web Development challenges. You’ll discover how to optimize your code so that it runs faster, create Ajax applications with the XmlHttpRequest object, validate web forms to improve usability, take control of your web pages with the DOM, ensure that your JavaScript code is accessible and create slick drop-down menu systems.

Included in this book is extensive coverage of DHTML and Ajax, including how-to create and customize advanced effects such as draggable elements, dynamically sorting data in a Web Browser, advanced menu systems, retrieving data from a Web Server using XMLHttpRequest and more. The JavaScript Anthology also includes extensive coverage of object oriented coding, efficient script design, accessibility, and cross-browser issues.

We love high-quality content and we care about little details. We believe that good content and design are crafts worth sharpening. Located in the lovely city of Freiburg, Germany. Mostly Vitaly (vf), Iris (il), Stephan (sp) and Sven (sl).

  1. 1401

    Luiz Gustavo F. Zanotello

    June 10th, 2008 4:05 am

    4

    You guys… always smashin’up !!!!!!

    0
  2. 1402

    I love lamp..err smashing mag :)

    1

    0
  3. 1403

    This site never ceases to amaze me, the content, truly is smashing.

    #1,

    Thanks!

    0
  4. 1404

    Awesome!
    8

    0
  5. 1405

    Thanks for giving back!
    8

    0
  6. 1406

    Thanks!
    #2

    0
  7. 1407

    love the site!

    # 1 !!!!

    0
  8. 1408

    Le Minh Phien

    June 10th, 2008 4:11 am

    thanks so much for sharing their wonderful ebooks, i’m vietnamese and i would like to study from your blog many thing about designing. thank you thank you. Sorry if my english skill very poor.

    0
  9. 1409

    free = always nice!
    2

    0
  10. 1410

    Smashilicious!
    3

    0
  11. 1411

    Steven Fowler

    June 10th, 2008 4:13 am

    Splendifferous

    8

    0
  12. 1412

    This is smashing !
    4

    0
  13. 1413

    Davide Brognoli

    June 10th, 2008 4:13 am

    I love this site…..
    Il mio sito

    1

    0
  14. 1414

    you guys continually rock my sox.
    1

    0
  15. 1415

    Sweet post man, I need the form book.

    7

    0
  16. 1416

    Jean-François

    June 10th, 2008 4:15 am

    Wow, nice contest… It’s great !

    8

    0
  17. 1417

    Smashingmagazine is great. Keep it up!
    2

    0
  18. 1418

    Smashing Magazine the best.
    Good luck for all.
    #8

    0
  19. 1419

    Let’s try second time :)
    #8

    0
  20. 1420

    thanks for the article as always :) and thanks to this chance too :)

    5

    0
  21. 1421

    Thanks for sending me the book
    7

    0
  22. 1422

    Very high quality website, superb competition!
    2

    0
  23. 1423

    Thanks for all the fish!
    6

    0
  24. 1424

    Smashing source of inspiration

    6

    0
  25. 1425

    Seems like something is wrong with your comment system?
    Smashingmagazine.com is great, keep it up!
    2

    0
  26. 1426

    Wow! 10k comments till end.

    0
  27. 1427

    Inspired!

    #8

    0
  28. 1428

    Michael Martin

    June 10th, 2008 4:19 am

    Very nice way to use the prize money! :D
    2

    0
  29. 1429

    Keven Bouchard

    June 10th, 2008 4:19 am

    yeah! I got a chance out of 1408 at this specific moment :D
    #4

    0
  30. 1430

    2

    Two words.

    0
  31. 1431

    Would love a bigger library
    1

    0
  32. 1432

    Hi,
    This giveaway is really a great idea !

    I’ll go for #7 if picked !

    0
  33. 1433

    I think by this way you are doing a very smart way of generating traffic, promoting a Book and creating leads….Good ..I like your way of doing smart trafficing.

    Keep it up and all the best.

    0
  34. 1434

    Me too
    1

    0
  35. 1435

    what a great idea, and a great selection
    #1

    0
  36. 1436

    I like your stories and information.. ! Youre just great !

    Id like to have Nr. 5 !

    0
  37. 1437

    Eu quero sim!
    5

    0
  38. 1438

    …use whatever you like…
    2

    0
  39. 1439

    Smash Trashy!
    2

    0
  40. 1440

    Beautiful cover on my personal choice of book :)
    7

    0
  41. 1441

    Dustin Schwartz

    June 10th, 2008 4:24 am

    I love Smash, it’s my homepage and check it multiple times a day!

    8

    0
  42. 1442

    sweet!
    7

    0
  43. 1443

    Chase Crawford

    June 10th, 2008 4:25 am

    I think I could put number 3 to good use. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

    0
  44. 1444

    Awesome!

    4

    0
  45. 1445

    I Love SM!!!
    6

    0
  46. 1446

    2 be or not 2 be
    2

    0
  47. 1447

    Dustin Schwartz

    June 10th, 2008 4:27 am

    I love smash, it’s on my daily list of sites I check. Keep it up!

    8

    0
  48. 1448

    6. The divlets salute you o wisest of the most smashing magazines!

    0
  49. 1449

    I think by this way you are doing a very smart way of generating traffic, promoting a Book and creating leads….Good ..I like your way of doing smart trafficing.

    I would prefer # 7: Web Form Design Book.

    Keep it up and all the best.

    0
  50. 1450

    This is great!

    I pick book #2

    0
  51. 1451

    Oooh! I want one of those! Nice competition. :D

    #7

    0
  52. 1452

    Smashing!

    7

    0
  53. 1453

    It’s a very good idea for all your readers, thanks.

    2

    0
  54. 1454

    Mark Christianson

    June 10th, 2008 4:29 am

    Glad I found smashing magazine and the opportunity to read and learn more.
    3

    0
  55. 1455

    Generous
    4

    0
  56. 1456

    Wow! Great contest!

    2. Designing the Obvious

    0
  57. 1457

    Cool!
    7

    0
  58. 1458

    Will we have statistics about replies?
    2

    0
  59. 1459

    It’s been on my Amazon wishlist since it came out! I’d love to finally get a copy.
    1

    0
  60. 1460

    I love these posts. Thanks
    1

    0
  61. 1461

    Now thats the right step.

    4

    0
  62. 1462

    Transcending CSS looks like a great book, thanks for introducing it to me.
    1

    0
  63. 1463

    Evandro Leão

    June 10th, 2008 4:32 am

    CSS RULES!
    1

    0
  64. 1464

    Thanks!
    8

    0
  65. 1465

    mabuhay!
    3

    0
  66. 1466

    #6

    Keep doing SMASHING work!

    0
  67. 1467

    Great books! Nice contest! Best regards ;)

    #3

    0
  68. 1468

    Raphaël Saunier

    June 10th, 2008 4:33 am

    Hmm… the choice is difficult. Let’s go for number 2.

    0
  69. 1469

    Livingston Samuel

    June 10th, 2008 4:34 am

    You guys really rock, SM gives me my daily dose of inspiration and the best resources that help a lot in my Profession. Great work guys, keep it going :)

    My book of choice would be the #1 – Transcending CSS by Andy Clarke

    0
  70. 1470

    Nice way to attract audience ;) super PR :)

    #5

    0
  71. 1471

    Thorvald Neumann

    June 10th, 2008 4:34 am

    Brilliant!

    #3

    0
  72. 1472

    scrollleiste.de

    June 10th, 2008 4:35 am

    great!
    7

    0
  73. 1473

    Michele Gerarduzzi

    June 10th, 2008 4:36 am

    Good luck… to me! :)
    #3

    0
  74. 1474

    I liked the idea mentioned in comment n. 21, I love smashing magazine and I’m able to read in english, but a lot of my portuguese speaking friends are not… and this is my fav feed ever! Inspiration, inspiration, inspiration… congrats guys! ;o)

    6

    0
  75. 1475

    Thanks !
    #4

    0
  76. 1476

    Might as well try… :P

    0
  77. 1477

    Hope I will win a book.. Great contest!
    2

    0
  78. 1478

    Super Blog from even more Super Bloggers.
    1

    0
  79. 1479

    Excellent comme type de concours!

    2

    0
  80. 1480

    Nice
    1

    0
  81. 1481

    Might as well try… :P #1

    0
  82. 1482

    Fantastic

    #4

    0
  83. 1483

    Fritjof Krabbe Nørretranders

    June 10th, 2008 4:38 am

    Absolutely awesome.
    1

    0
  84. 1484

    Absolutely Brill

    2

    0
  85. 1485

    David Dickerson

    June 10th, 2008 4:39 am

    Hoo boy! Neat-o-rific!
    1

    0
  86. 1486

    Woot!

    7

    0
  87. 1487

    Adrian Fraiha

    June 10th, 2008 4:40 am

    3 . Love his blog Bokardo, makes me happy I visit this site.

    0
  88. 1488

    These all look like amazing books and I think it’s great that you’re giving them away to the design community!
    2

    0
  89. 1489

    I am student of web design so i guess the most promissing reading will be #1 for Transcending CSS :D

    0
  90. 1490

    congrats on the webinale!
    1

    0
  91. 1491

    Wow.. Contest. I never win. I bet Romania’s qualification place in the next Euro08 phase that I won’t win this time either.

    6

    0
  92. 1492

    You are just great!
    4

    0
  93. 1493

    I’m in –
    #3

    0
  94. 1494

    I must have that piece of literature in my book shelve. Thxs in advance S.MAG! :)
    5

    0
  95. 1495

    Where Will We Web?

    3

    0
  96. 1496

    I’m a regular reader of the Bokardo blog.

    3

    0
  97. 1497

    I subscribed! This is a great source of inspiration, resource, and knowledge :D

    3 please :)

    0
  98. 1498

    Great!!
    3

    0
  99. 1499

    Ta, muchly.
    #2

    0
  100. 1500

    I could use this

    1

    0

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