Table of Contents for

CSS Secrets

Praise for CSS Secrets

“This is a new generation of CSS books, for a new generation of CSS. No longer a simple language tied to complicated browser hacks and workarounds, CSS is now a richly powerful and deeply complex ecosystem of over 80 W3C specifications. Nobody is better at making sense of this new CSS, and of providing design principles that help you solve problems with it, than Lea Verou—among the handful of truly amazing coders I’ve known.”

— Jeffrey Zeldman

author, Designing with Web Standards

“Lea Verou’s encyclopaedic mind is one of a kind, but thanks to this generous book, you too can get an insight into what it’s like to wield CSS to do just about anything you can think of. Even if you think you know CSS inside-out, I guarantee that there are still secrets in this book waiting to be revealed.”

— Jeremy Keith

Shepherd of Unknown Futures, Clearleft

“If you want the inside scoop on fascinating CSS techniques, smart best practices, and some flat-out brilliance, don’t hesitate—read this book. I loved it!”

— Eric A. Meyer

“Lea is an exceedingly clever coder. This book is absolutely packed with clever and useful ideas, even for people who know CSS well. Even better, you’ll feel more clever in your work as this book encourages pushing beyond the obvious.”

— Chris Coyier

CodePen

“CSS Secrets is an instant classic—so many wonderful tips and tricks you can use right away to enhance your UX designs!”

— Christopher Schmitt

author of CSS Cookbook

“There aren’t many books that provide as many practical techniques as Lea Verou’s CSS Secrets. Filled with dozens of solutions to common design problems, the book is a truly valuable collection of smart tips and tricks for getting things done well, and fast. Worth reading, even if you think that you know the ins and outs of CSS!”

— Vitaly Friedman

cofounder and editor-in-chief of Smashing Magazine

“Without fail, whenever I read something written by Lea Verou, I manage to learn something new. CSS Secrets is no different. The book is broken down into easy-to-digest chunks filled with lots of juicy bits of knowledge. While some of the book is very forward looking, there is plenty that I’ve been able to take away and apply to my own projects right away.”

— Jonathan Snook

web designer and developer

“Lea’s book is fantastic. She bends and contorts CSS to do things I’m pretty sure even the spec authors never imagined! You will learn multiple ways of accomplishing each graphic effect by trying out the techniques she walks through in each chapter. Later, in your work, you’ll find yourself saying, “hmm, that thing Lea did will work perfectly here!” Before you know it, your site is almost image free because your graphics are all in easy to maintain CSS components. What’s more, her techniques are fun, walking the line between practical and improbable!”

— Nicole Sullivan

Principal Software Engineer, creator of OOCSS

“Lea Verou’s CSS Secrets is useful not so much as a collection of CSS tips, but as a textbook on how to solve problems with CSS. Her in-depth explanation of the thought process behind each secret will teach you how to create your own solutions to CSS problems. And don’t miss the Introduction, which contains some must-read CSS best practices.”

— Elika J. Etemad (aka fantasai)

W3C CSS Working Group Invited Expert

“Lea’s presentations have long been must-see events at web development conferences around the world. A distillation of her years of experience, CSS Secrets provides elegant solutions for thorny web design issues, while also—and more importantly—showing how to solve problems in CSS. It’s an absolute must-read for every frontend designer and developer.”

— Dudley Storey

designer, developer, writer, web education specialist

“I thought I had a pretty advanced understanding of CSS, then I read Lea Verou’s book. If you want to take your CSS knowledge to the next level, this is a must-own.”

— Ryan Seddon

Team Lead, Zendesk

“CSS Secrets is by far the most technical book that I have ever read on the topic. Lea has managed to push the boundaries of a language as simple as CSS so far that you will not be able to distinguish this from magic. Definitely not a beginner’s read; it’s heavily recommended to anyone thinking they know CSS all too well.”

— Hugo Giraudel

frontend developer, Edenspiekermann

“I often think that CSS can seem a bit like magic: a few rules can transform your web pages from blah to beautiful. In CSS Secrets, Lea takes the magic to a whole new level. She is a master magician of CSS, and we get to explore that magical world along with her. I can’t count how many times I said out loud while reading this book, “That’s so cool!” The only trouble with CSS Secrets is that after reading it, I want to stop everything else I’m doing and play with CSS all day.”

— Elisabeth Robson

cofounder of WickedlySmart.com and coauthor of Head First JavaScript Programming

“CSS Secrets is a book that all web developers should have in their library. Using the information it contains you’ll learn numerous hints and tips to make CSS perform tasks you never thought possible. I was astonished at how often the author came up with simple and elegant lateral thinking solutions to problems that had bugged me for years.”

— Robin Nixon

web developer, online instructor, and author of several books on CSS

“As a master designer and programmer, Lea Verou’s book is as beautiful and as well thought out as her code. Whether you’re fairly new to CSS, or well versed in the intricacies of CSS3, this book has something for everyone.”

— Estelle Weyl

Open Web Evangelist and coauthor of CSS: The Definitive Guide