In the computer world, things change in the blink of an eye. The Sams Publishing Teach Yourself . in 24 Hours series can get the reader up and running in a matter of days. Concepts are delivered in units that are designed to be completed within 1 hour per unit. Betsy Bruce's Teach Yourself Macromedia Dreamweaver 8 in 24 Hours is no exception. 

Teach Yourself Macromedia Dreamweaver 8 in 24 Hours is written for a reader new to building websites and to Dreamweaver or a reader who is somewhat familiar with those topics but not Dreamweaver. The structure of the book begins with a quick tour of Dreamweaver 8 then takes the reader through basic HTML and images and beyond to more advanced topics such as Dynamic HTML (DHTML) and form handling. 

Due to reader request and because many new Dreamweaver users also have Macromedia Fireworks (as part of Macromedia Studio 8), there is a "bonus" lesson on the use of Fireworks to optimize images for the web. 

Dreamweaver how-tos and HTML concepts are introduced in a logical progression; for example, readers are taught basic layout using tables and frames then are introduced to the use of layers and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). 

As with all books in the in 24 Hours series, each lesson concludes with a Q&A section to reinforce the key concepts presented and a Workshop section which contains a simple quiz to test understanding and a hands-on "lab" that asks the reader to perform certain tasks that were explained in the lesson. 

As a training aid targeted at getting new Dreamweaver users up and running quickly, the book covers static pages only, leaving database connections, server-side scripting options, and other advanced topics for other books such as Teach Yourself PHP in 24 Hours (ISBN 0-672-32619-1) or Macromedia Dreamweaver 8 Unleashed (ISBN 0-672-32760-0), part of Sams Publishing's Unleashed series. 

Betsy Bruce's writing is clear and easily digestible. She gives enough explanation with some background information where applicable without meandering through unnecessary or confusing information. Where beneficial to understanding the use of a Dreamweaver feature or capability, she gives examples of how she uses that feature or capability in her own work. 

Macromedia Dreamweaver 8 in 24 Hours is an excellent aid for the new Dreamweaver user who has a need to hit the ground running. Those who have used Dreamweaver MX or Dreamweaver MX 2004 or are a new Dreamweaver 8 user who can afford a more leisurely pace may be better off taking a look at the previously mentioned Macromedia Dreamweaver 8 Unleashed.