Here is my workspace these days:
And if I had just been delivered a site, or were setting out to roll my own with Drupal that little book there is just what I would have by my side:
Drupal User’s Guide – Building and Administering a Successful Drupal-powered web site. By Emma Jane Hogbin.
Why do I recommend it to clients all the time? Because it totally lives up to what it says in the dedication page:
“For my mother, Maryann, who asked for the manual to her Web site.”
That’s just what it is, the manual to your website. It tells you how to install Drupal, it is a permanent guided tour of Drupal’s administration interface, it teaches you that yes, you can build your own site based on (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely) site goals. It shows you where to find your stuff, how to choose and enable different Drupal themes, how to build functionality like community site features, discussion areas, even a whole business directory. It is there when you need to add a form, take advantage of the Views module to list your stuff in many different ways, extend the functionality of your site with modules. And it is there when you need to do SEO work on your site, and even learn advanced techniques to improve the usability experience for site visitors.
I always recommend this book if any of the following apply:
- If you’re just starting out building your website in Drupal
- You’re not just starting out but you need that extra push
- If you’ve just been delivered a site by a Drupal site builder and you want to take charge
- If you need one great reference book to have on your desk as you work on your site