In a nutshell, 37 Signals’ Getting Real provides advices on building web applications that get the job done and stay the hell out of the way. To accomplish these two goals, an application needs to be simple (with fewer features), should focus only on the main tasks and requires minimal or zero learning from the users.

From “The Starting Line,” “Feature Selection,” “Interface Design,” “Promotion” to “Support,” the book helps the team (manager, designer, programmer) to stay on point by breaking the job down into small chunks and to avoid wasting times like meetings. Meetings are toxic because “they break your work day into small, incoherent pieces that disrupt your natural workflow” and “they often contain at least one moron that inevitably gets his turn to waste everyone’s time with nonsense.” I also hope that companies take 37 Signals’ guidelines on customer support by “tear down the walls between support and development” and about “quick turnaround time on support queries should be a top priority.”

I haven’t used any of 37 Signals’ web applications; therefore, I don’t know how simple and easy they are to use. After reading Getting Real, the application that jumps at me is Apple’s Preview, which comes with Mac OS X. Preview is not only a simple program that gets the job done, but also reveals its strengths the more I use it. Just like its name, the software allows me to preview almost any type of image files from PSD to PNG to JPG and even PDF on the fly. (Try to open 20 PSDs at a time in Photoshop vs. Preview and see the differences). Why do I need Acrobat Reader, which takes forever to launch, when Preview does a smoother job? As I am reading Getting Real in Preview, I discovered a neat feature by accidentally closed down the application. Preview bookmarked the page I was on. I didn’t have to read the manual to find that out. Now that is keeping it real, and smart too.

The flexibility of CSS is both a gift and a curse for Web designers. The learning experience could be nerve-racking for the newcomers. While CSS is not hard to learn, applying the best practice to a specific need is challenging. We could use numerous combinations of CSS to come up with the same solution, yet none would work the way we wanted in every scenario. For instance, what is the best method for using image replacement? If we use “display:none,” screen readers won’t pick up the hidden texts. If we use negative “text-indent” to push text off to the side, image-disabled browsers display a blank box. If we use the empty span tags, the structure is not semantic. Scary isn’t it? Welcome to Web design world!

Although Andy Budd’s CSS Mastery doesn’t have an answer for the image replacement problem either, the book does a great job at breaking down each technique. So that the designers can understand the advantages and disadvantages of the choices they make. With clear language, well-organized contents, and easy-to-follow demonstrations, Budd puts together an invaluable resource that would help designers spend less time searching for reliable methods as well as testing them out on various browsers (Budd notes where the bugs occurred in his explanations). In addition to gathering all the best practices—including tips, techniques, hacks, filters and fixes—CSS Mastery also provides constructive case studies with the contributions from Simon Collison and Cameron Moll.

While everything presented in book could be found online—there isn’t anything new since CSS3 is still in development—having all the important materials in one central location right at our fingertip for easy access is worthwhile. For those who recently switched from table to CSS layout and needed clear concepts on CSS, the first chapter “Setting the Foundations,” is a must read.

Never mind the ill-designed cover (horrendous use of typography and colors), Flyboy in the Buttermilk: Essays on Contemporary America is packed with Greg Tate’s ingenious criticisms ranging from music (jazz, funk, punk-rock and hip-hop) to book to film. No matter what materials he chooses to write about, Tate’s bold approach, thoughtful thinking, and creative writing, take his pieces beyond the aesthetics of the artwork and delve into social, political and racial awareness. Yet, his passion and appreciate for music is what I admire his writing the most. On “Cecil Taylor’s Monster Movie,” Tate writes, “One reason I’m writing about a record 10 years old rather than reviewing Cecil’s new Garden—as I’d originally intended—is that while I’ve heard of Solo’s story so many times I could recite chapter and verse, I realized Garden’s four sides would require years of digging before I could hum a few bars.” And I must admit, I have to read some of his essays twice to full absorbed his points. Now I can’t wait to get my hands on Flyboy in the Buttermilk 2. Hopefully, the cover design will be improve on the new book. Although readers should never judge a book by its cover, a well-designed front enhances his impression, if not his credentials.

Reading other people’s deep secret could be addictive, especially when we come across something we can relate to. I find myself flipping through PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions From Ordinary Lives compiled by Frank Warren again and again. Not only because of the shocking, disturbing and amusing stories, but also the clever designs that bring out the messages. People get creative and passionate when they try to convey their secrets. If I ever become a design instructor, I would apply the concept of PostSecret to encourage students to explore their creativities. Even as simple as cutting and pasting texts from magazines. They have chosen the appropriate typography to express their emotions. In any rate, pick up PostSecret if you want something interesting to read. Send Warren a postcard if you have a secret to share. Want to see some examples? Drop by PostSecret.com.

So if you’re feeling inspired and would like to design a PostSecret to enlightening your life. D.I.Y. Design It Yourself is a book you might want to look into. I like the way Ellen Lupton, author of Thinking With Type, defines design as, “an instrument for packaging ideas and making them public. People who have access to design tools can make tangible their own knowledge and concepts.” From electronic media (blog, Web sites) to print materials (books, logos, stationary), the faculty and students of Maryland Institute’s Graphic Design MFA program put together a fine book helping you to do your own things. As a web designer, I can always turn to this book for quick solutions if I need to do anything that is not web-related. With gorgeous illustrations and clear instructions, you can’t go wrong with just twenty bucks. In fact, you can check out the accompanied web site to see some samples of the book.

Reading Miles Davis’s Autobiography I could imagine what he would sound like in real life. My man used obscenity in every other word. But that’s the Prince of Darkness, and he spoke his mind whether the subject is music, women, drugs or racism. He held nothing back. One of the skills that made Miles a jazz legend was his leadership. He not only was able to get the sounds he wanted from his musicians, but he also was capable of bringing out their chemistries working together as a unit despite their distinctive styles. He had issues with the police and white men when it came to politic, but was fair and square when it came to music. Davis wouldn’t pick out a black player over a white one just because of the skin color. He would go for the cats that could play jazz. While I respect him as an artist who constantly pushed his art to another level, and who listened and learned from the older (Bird, Diz, Monk and Bud) as well as the younger (Tony, Wayne and Herbie) musicians, I detested him as a misogynist who mistreated and even slapped women. Before reading this book, I picture Miles Davis as a cool brother. After reading it, I still find him to be a cool musician, but not quite a cool gentleman.

Translating Vietnamese into English is hard; translating Vietnamese folk poems into English is much harder, or nearly impossible. I applaud John Balaban for taking on the challenge, but some of his interpretations in Ca Dao Viet Nam don’t do it for me. The folkloric tradition, witty wordplays, and lyrical esthetics are lost in transformation.

He translates, “Gio dua trang” as “The wind plays with the moon.” Why plays, and not swings? When he switches the order of “Lon len co hoc, em oi” to “Study hard, little one, grow up,” he has changed the meaning of the sentence, and it sounds quite awkward. As if we’re telling the little one to hungry and grow up so that we don’t have to take care of him anymore, instead of telling him to study hard when he grows up.

“Perhaps I must leave you” is too disruptive and harsh compares to “Co hoi nay anh danh doan bo em.” And “Bad beer soon sends you home” is nowhere near the lyrical harmony of “Ruou lat uong lam cung say.” Why bad beer for ruou lat, and not plain wine? Yet, what baffles me the most is: “Uong an kham kho biet phan nan cung ai? / Phan nan cung truc, cung mai” (“The body is pain. I can’t complain. / My food is bamboo shoots and plums”). Where do the bamboo shoots and plums come from? Besides, those two aren’t classified as kham kho (poverty-stricken) food either.

I am in no way of trying to castigate Mr. Balaban for what he did. In fact, for a foreigner to come up to the people during the war and ask them to sing their favorite folk tunes takes tremendous courage, and he did it. I have respect for him; therefore, I am just simply pointing out the things that don’t work for me. So it is nothing personal.

Philip Freeman’s Running the Voodoo Down: The Electric Music of Miles Davis is a detailed analysis of the Prince of Darkness’s fusion albums including Bitches Brew, On the Corner and Doo-Bop. Freeman who is a jazz critic has done a marvelous job of breaking down Davis’s masterpieces to help readers understand not only what they listen to, but also Davis’s artistic vision, and how he chose his musicians to get the sounds he wanted. In addition, Freeman delves into the controversial issues of Davis’s music, his influence on other musicians, as well as his musical openness. Freeman’s beautiful descriptive language combined with his meticulious observation makes Running the Voodoo Down a fantastic read for anyone interested in Davis’s ingenious and organic sound.

I picked up Jazz: A Century of Change for my plane rides, and it turns out to be an invaluable reading on jazz criticism. From defining the word jazz to the analysis of early jazz, swing era, and bebop to the drug and race issues, jazz scholar Lewis Porter pulls together informative essays and incorporates them into specific topics to illustrate his presentation. One of my favorite pieces is “The Technique of the Jazz Singer” by Richard Rodney Bennett, in which the author uses Billie Holiday to demonstrate what it takes to be a true jazz vocalist. Bennett writes, “I feel simply that a singer who is at his best with jazz accompaniment and who naturally sings freely and ‘swing’ is singing jazz.” In addition to positive articles, Porter also includes negative excerpts to give readers both sides of the controversies, including a letter from Wynton Marsalis responses to the Voice’s jazz critic Kevin Whitehead. A Century of Change is highly recommended for those who are interested in the discussions of jazz beyond the music and the history.

Jazz, poetries, and illustrations, don’t they make a great combination? From Armstrong to DiZ, Jazz ABZ is a collection of jazz portrait paintings by Paul Rogers, and each piece is complemented by Wynton Marsalis’s words. Roger is a fine artist, and his artworks are rich, vibrant, and expressive. Furthermore, his typography skill—bold, playful, and captivating—provides his visuals with jazz characteristics. Although studying Rogers’s type treatment alone is worth the price of the book, the witty (sporadically silly) wordplays trumpeter Marsalis enhance the aesthetic of the graphics, or vice versa. And for those who aren’t familiar with jazz history, Phil Schaap’s brief biographies of the twenty-six featured musicians are both informative and helpful. Jazz ABZ is a children book; however, jazz enthusiasts and graphic designers of any age will also appreciate this little precious work of art.

The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White is a book that I read every now and then to refresh my mind on writing. With Maira Kalman’s gorgeous visuals complementing the texts, the illustrated edition is an invaluable gift for anyone who wishes to write clearly and concisely. It’s a classic material.

Gentlemen, if you still don’t know what to get your significant others anything this Christmas, you might want to think about The Cosmo Kama Sutra : 77 Mind-Blowing Sex Positions. It’s an ideal gift because you will guarantee to get something special in return. With clear illustrations and simple language, your girls will show you how to rock in bed with kinky positions including “Rock-a-Bye Baby,” “Head Over Heels,” “The Passion Pretzel,” “G-Spot Jiggy,” “Row His Boat,” “Lusty Lean,” “Sofa Spread-Eagle,” “Electric Slide,” and “Standing Tiger/Crouching Dragon.” My only complain is no tips on blowing.