How much time each day (and night) do you spend crouching over your computer? Six hours? Ten hours? Twelve or more?
If you're like most devotees of the information age, the hours you spend surfing the Web,answering e-mail, and related tasks are packed with pleasure - for which you too often pay with pain.
You know what we mean. Those lower back aches, stiff necks, tense shoulders, and headaches are as typical among computer addicts as their fondness for strong coffee. Repetitive strain injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, prevail as well.
The good news is there's a cure for these aches and pains. It's simple and inexpensive, too. Just stretch. As the author of these nicely illustrated guide says, "Stretching...is the perfect antidote for long periods of inactivity and holding still. Regular stretching throughout the day will reduce muscle tension, improve circulation, reduce anxiety, stress, and fatigue,..(and) make you feel better!"
Think you don't have time, or don't have the space? Think again. The book is divided into sections such as Office Meeting Stretches (to avoid the "physical by-products of meetings: drowsiness, stiffening, back and leg pain, etc."), Online Stretches ("no matter how fast your modem, you're always waiting for something to load while online"), Sitting Stretches, and more. There's also information about repetitive strain injuries, ergonomic principles, and good habits to develop such as proper posture and lifting procedures. The stretches are illustrated clearly, with details such as the length of time to hold each stretch, and number of repetitions suggested noted for you. Now stop reading, stand, and stretch for a minute. There. Feel better?
As always, if you're seeking an authoritative guide on a computer-related topic, O'Reilly can fulfill your needs. In this case, the second edition of their book on HTML is thorough, well-written, and nicely indexed. (And let's face it, when you're in need of an answer on a specific issue, most of us head for the index, not the table of contents.)
The organization of the guide is sensible and straight-forward. Web novices will want to read the introductory material on topics such as an Internet overview and definition of HTML. More experienced Web surfers can plunge into deeper waters with the "HTML Quick Start" section. You get concise, easily digestible chunks of info on topics ranging from hyperlinks and tables to style sheets and JavaScript. The authors then tackle each topic in more depth, advancing from "text basics" to multimedia, forms, frames, and more.
You'll want to consult the appendices throughout your actual work with HTML. These final reference sections cover such essentials as HTML tags, and color names and values.