I am going to give you the specifications (PDF versions):

HTML: http://www.w3.org/TR/html401/html40.pdf.gz

CSS: http://www.w3.org/TR/CSS21/css2.pdf

JavaScript: http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/files/ECMA-ST/ECMA-262.pdf

If you want to be an advanced front-end developer, it is essencial that you become accustomed to these documents. They are all free and I recommend you to print them.

Note: There are more recent specs available (HTML5 and CSS3), but those are still working drafts. The ones that I listed above are still the most important publications in this area - they shall serve you as a base.

Also, note: These specs cannot be considered books, but they are nonetheless the best resources for HTML, CSS and JavaScript!

Answer from Šime Vidas on Stack Overflow
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WPShout
wpshout.com › home › best html/css books
10+ Best HTML/CSS Books for Beginners and Advanced in 2025
3 weeks ago - First on our list is one of the newest entries into the field. Released in 2023, this is a book of epic proportions. Filled with over 800 pages of expert knowledge about HTML and CSS, and also containing an intro to JavaScript, author and web developer, Jürgen Wolf, leaves no stone unturned.
Address   20 Povernei Street, 4th Floor, Flat no. 9, 010641, Bucharest
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InterviewBit
interviewbit.com › books › 10 best html/css books for beginners & advanced [2023]
10 Best HTML/CSS Books for Beginners & Advanced [2023] - InterviewBit
May 10, 2023 - Table Of Contents show Best Books on HTML and CSS Best HTML/CSS Books For Beginners 1. Head First HTML and CSS 2. HTML and CSS Quickstart Guide 3. Get Coding!: Learn HTML, CSS & JavaScript &
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What Should I Learn First, HTML or CSS?
We’d recommend starting with HTML since this forms the foundation of web development by defining the structure and content of a webpage. Once you have those skills, CSS is useful for styling and visually enhancing your HTML elements. If you need help getting started, this article covers 15 of the best books for CSS and HTML.
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hackr.io
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Top 15 Best HTML/CSS Books in 2025 | Beginner to Pro
Which Is Better, HTML or CSS?
HTML and CSS are used for different, albeit complementary, purposes in web development. HTML provides the structure and content of a webpage, while CSS is used for styling and visual presentation. So it's not a question of one being better as they serve complementary roles in creating well-designed websites.
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hackr.io
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Top 15 Best HTML/CSS Books in 2025 | Beginner to Pro
Can I Learn HTML From a Book?
Yes, you can learn from HTML coding books. We’ve included some of the best books to learn HTML in this article for all skill levels, so look at these. We’d also recommend building some of the best HTML projects to reinforce and apply what you learn from HTML and CSS books.
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hackr.io
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Top 15 Best HTML/CSS Books in 2025 | Beginner to Pro
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Hackr
hackr.io › home › articles › programming
Top 15 Best HTML/CSS Books in 2025 | Beginner to Pro
January 30, 2025 - This JavaScript intro complements your newly gained HTML and CSS knowledge, empowering you to create interactive and dynamic web experiences. ... This excellent option follows the trademark of the “Head First” series, presenting concepts in a visually rich and interactive manner. And while it was published a while back, the evergreen content is highly relevant for HTML and CSS beginners, making it a strong contender for the title of the best book ...
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnprogramming › [deleted by user]
What is the best, up to date book for the basics of HTML, ...
May 27, 2024 - Does it have to be a book? https://developer.mozilla.org/ is a very solid resource and has a lot of guides and tutorials. ... Been told a couple times this is great for web development. Seconded ... MDN is the only place I would recommend as a resource. Its accurate, current, and well written Continue this thread ... https://www.w3schools.com/ is also an excellent resource for css/html (I use mdn for JavaScript reference, but w3 might be just as good)
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Turing
turing.com › kb › html-books-for-software-developer
Best HTML, CSS, JavaScript Books Down the Years till 2025
A single HTML book alone may not fit all your needs. Hence using HTML for content building, CSS to improve its design, and Javascript to make webpages more interactive is a deadly combo. 1. Learn HTML for Beginners: The illustrated guide to Coding
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Quora
quora.com › Which-are-the-best-books-to-learn-HTML-CSS-and-JavaScript
Which are the best books to learn HTML, CSS and JavaScript? - Quora
Answer (1 of 17): A very good beginners book is Learning Web App Development by Semmy Purewal. Its only 270 pages long—not a fat or intimidating book. The first 100 pages of the book is about HTML and CSS.
Find elsewhere
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SitePoint
sitepoint.com › blog › html › 15 best html books for beginners and advanced coders
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November 13, 2024 - The first book, Get Coding!, is a full-color introduction to HTML, CSS and JavaScript. It includes a step-by-step guide to building a website, an app and a game. It currently ranks #10 best seller in CSS, and it has over 2,600 ratings, making ...
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Amazon
amazon.com › HTML-CSS-JavaScript-Complete-Beginners › dp › 1790591848
HTML, CSS & JavaScript for Complete Beginners: A Step by Step Guide to Learning HTML5, CSS3 and the JavaScript Programming Language: Hawramani, Ikram: 9781790591848: Amazon.com: Books
HTML, CSS & JavaScript for Complete Beginners: A Step by Step Guide to Learning HTML5, CSS3 and the JavaScript Programming Language: Hawramani, Ikram: 9781790591848: Amazon.com: Books
HTML, CSS & JavaScript for Complete Beginners: A Step by Step Guide to Learning HTML5, CSS3 and the JavaScript Programming Language [Hawramani, Ikram] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. HTML, CSS & JavaScript for Complete Beginners: A Step by Step Guide to Learning HTML5, CSS3 and the JavaScript Programming Language
Price   $26.49
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booksoncode.com › articles › html-css-books
10 Best Books on HTML & CSS for Beginners in 2025 — Books on Code
August 24, 2025 - HTML and CSS: The Comprehensive Guide by Jürgen Wolf teaches you to format, structure, and design your web pages with HTML and CSS. You will learn to build HTML documents, design with CSS, and get a hands-on introduction to JavaScript basics.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnprogramming › what's the best book to learn html, css & javascript for beginners in 2021?
r/learnprogramming on Reddit: What's the best book to learn HTML, CSS & JavaScript for beginners in 2021?
July 19, 2019 -

I'm quite new in coding and just starting out with HTML & CSS. Haven't dive in JavaScript yet. Was considering in purchasing "Web Design with HTML, CSS, JavaScript and jQuery Set" by Jon Duckett. I find it interesting because there's images in the book that would make it easier to understand html and css. Also it seems like there are lots of positive reviews about it. But some reviews stated that those books are outdated and is not recommended for today's standard.

So now i'm quite in a dilemma on what book should i purchase. What are your recommendations for HTML, CSS & JavaScript book especially in 2021 that is still relevant? Especially for beginners. Thanks.

Top answer
1 of 4
1

Just signed up for the Odin Project and it's extremely helpful

2 of 4
1

Contrary to previous advice, I would buy (or in any case procure) a book. If it's a good one, it gives you a single, reliable reference which utilizes a single set of conventions and language. It can get very confusing to have to refer to multiple sources for learning the basics of something.

Now, as for an actual title, I studied HTML and CSS on (in?) Learning Web Design by Jennifer Niederst Robbins and I found it quite clear and comprehensive. It also provides you with some exercises to do as you go along (it wouldn't make sense to just study this stuff at a theoretical level). It is definitely updated (fifth edition in 2018), but of course there might be (or there might soon be) some functionality that came out after its publication and wasn't included. I don't think that should be much of a factor though: there's always gonna be something new, especially in web design; what you need is a solid foundation that you can later build on or revolutionise if needed.

As for Javascript (and jQuery), you'll find something in Robbins's book, but not much. As it's a programming language (which HTML and CSS aren't), it makes sense to study it on a different textbook, imo. Unfortunately, I only had classes on Javascript and haven't really focused on it since, so I don't have a lot of experience. I did start reading Eloquent Javascript by Marijn Haverbeke and I remember thinking it wasn't bad, but maybe there's something better out there. Hope someone else can help on that score, or maybe check out some syllabi and see what textbook they recommend (Learning Web Design was recommended by a professor in my uni for their course)

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Amazon
amazon.com › Best-Sellers-HTML-Programming › zgbs › digital-text › 16977270011
Amazon Best Sellers: Best HTML Programming
Programming for Beginners: 3 Books in 1- HTML+CSS+JavaScript (Basic Fundamental Guide for Beginners)
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O'Reilly
oreilly.com › library › view › html-css › 9781394164684
HTML, CSS, & JavaScript All-in-One For Dummies [Book]
August 15, 2023 - You’ll learn to build attractive, useful, and easy-to-navigate websites by combining HTML, CSS, and JavaScript into fun and practical creations. Using the 6 books compiled within this comprehensive collection, you’ll discover how to make static and dynamic websites, complete with intuitive layouts and cool animations.
Author   Paul McFedries
Published   2023
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Candidinfo
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Best HTML and CSS Book for Beginners - Top 15 Books
December 6, 2023 - For HTML5 and CSS3 essentials the HTML5 and CSS3 All-in-One for Dummies by Andy Harris is the best book. You will find beginner-friendly notes on the latest HTML and CSS update, author explains the fundamentals of working with HTML5 and CSS ...
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ComputingForGeeks
computingforgeeks.com › home › how to › master web dev in 2025: top books for html, css, js, php...
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May 29, 2025 - Riaz Ahmed has written this amazing book for beginners interested in becoming full-stack developers and willing to learn. HTML5, CSS3, Bootstrap, JavaScript, MySQL, and PHP are the core technologies used to develop web applications. From the content in this book, you will gain a solid foundation in the world of web development as the author focuses on the functional areas of these exceptional technologies.
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Quora
quora.com › Can-you-recommend-any-books-for-learning-HTML-and-CSS-Are-there-any-other-resources-besides-Codecademy-for-learning-these-languages
Can you recommend any books for learning HTML and CSS? Are there any other resources besides Codecademy for learning these languages? - Quora
Answer: For the book I highly recommend HTML & CSS by Jon Duckett. Aside Codecademy. There are lots of other resources to use which includes : 1. Freecodecamp http://Freecodecamp.org 1. YouTube. https://youtube.com/@traversymedia https://yo...
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Amazon
amazon.com › HTML-JavaScript-Sams-Teach-Yourself › dp › 0672338084
HTML, CSS, and JavaScript All in One: Covering HTML5, CSS3, and ES6, Sams Teach Yourself: Meloni, Julie, Kyrnin, Jennifer: 9780672338083: Amazon.com: Books
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Variables
variables.sh › best-book-to-learn-html-css-javascript
The 12 Best Books for Learning HTML, CSS & JavaScript
September 21, 2023 - We recommend Learning PHP, MySQL & JavaScript: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Dynamic Websites (6th Edition) as one of the best books for learning HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, alongside some major back-end technologies.