It is likely that many of the millions of Internet users would still be surprised to learn that most of the Internet is made up of simple text--text that has been bracketed with special instructions. This book makes a case for going beyond the abilities of that simple bracketed text. The author suggests that the Web can become more interesting and more useful.

The book is designed to be used by anyone with some experience with the Internet. Some understanding of HTML would be useful, but is not required. Certainly, there is no need for readers to have experience with advanced Web tools such as Java. One thing that will be useful to readers is a sense of humor. The book explains XML within a context of an explanation of “B” movies. The approach is unusual but, for me at least, it worked.

The book begins with an explanation of what a markup language is and how it works. Experienced HTML developers can skip this section, but novices will find the information quite clear.

The book attempts to teach XML as an independent topic, rather than merely comparing it with HTML. This approach makes sense, because XML was developed with a philosophy that is fundamentally different from HTML. There is no single set of markup commands to use, as there is in HTML. Rather, XML is about “separate markup languages for separate purposes.” There are, of course, required elements that developers need to know, and the book does a fine job of explaining what they are and then includes them in a useful appendix.

Finally, the book ends with a discussion of how XML is used in the real world and how it is implemented in current and future versions of Web browsers. Overall, the book is a fine work. If, in fact, XML continues to expand its reach, the book may become widely used.