Books
These are the books I recommend. (Who am I?)
HTML and CSS
Spring into HTML and CSS, by Molly Holzschlag (Addison-Wesley, 2005). No nonsense, and all up-to-date. No bad code. Makes CSS easy to understand and learn. Great for beginners.
Bulletproof Web Design, by Dan Cederholm (New Riders, 2005). The subtitle of this book is "Improving flexibility and protecting against worst-case scenarios with XHTML and CSS." Yeah! I suggest you compare the Eric Meyer book (below) and this one, then pick the one that suits your taste. They are quite different, and both are good, so follow your instincts.
Eric Meyer on CSS: Mastering the Language of Web Design, by Eric Meyer (New Riders, 2002). High-end stuff -- don't start with this one. Get your feet wet with CSS and then tackle this project-based book.
Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop CS/ImageReady CS for the Web Hands-On Training, by Tanya Staples with Lynda Weinman (Peachpit Press, 2003). The most fabulous book ever written about using Photoshop for Web work, and the only Photoshop book a Web designer needs. No, they don't pay me to say this. It's simply true. Used to be full color, now b/w (too bad!), but still a great learning tool. Other books about Photoshop focus on other things. This book really centers on producing optimized graphics for the Web.
Flash
Flash Journalism: How to Create Multimedia News Packages, by Mindy McAdams (Focal Press, 2005). I wrote this book. If you want to use Flash for animation or interface design, then don't buy it. But if you want to use Flash to tell journalistic stories, this is the only book for you. No kidding. It's the only book of its kind.
ActionScript for Flash MX: The Definitive Guide, 2nd edition, by Colin Moock (O'Reilly, 2002). Note that Moock has a newer book for ActionScript 2.0, but that one often refers to this one. This is the one you should start with. I use both books frequently, and most of the time, the older one has the answer.
JavaScript
JavaScript for the World Wide Web (Visual Quickstart Guide), 5th edition, by Tom Negrino and Dori Smith. Peachpit Press, 2003. I used the 2nd edition of this book to learn JavaScript back in the 1990s when I knew nothing. I outgrew this book, but it was a very good place to begin.
JavaScript: The Definitive Guide, 4th edition, by David Flanagan (O'Reilly, 2001). The book I use most often (mine is the 3rd edition, 1998), because it's such a great reference. It should not be your first JavaScript book, unless you're a programmer.
The Web Wizard's Guide to JavaScript, by Steven G. Estrella (Addison-Wesley, 2002). I looked for a book like this to recommend to students for a long time. What makes it different from others is that it assumes you have never studied programming languages before, and you aren't really keen on becoming a programmer, but you are smart enough to absorb some of the fundamental ideas of programming -- in the process of learning to use them with JavaScript. That makes it a perfect introduction for someone who intends to do Web work as a career. Very clear and practical.
Usability and Design
Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 2nd edition, by Steve Krug (New Riders, 2005). Easy enough for anyone to understand and learn from. Very practical! At first glance, it looks like it shouldn't be such an expensive book, but it's actually worth it. Warning: If you're already an advanced Web designer, you probably won't learn anything new from this book. But you could give it to people to help them understand what you already know.
Rockport Publishers have the most beautiful books about graphic design. Sometimes I find their books in the larger bookstores. For example, check out The Complete Color Harmony (2004). This book is a GREAT resource when you're designing a brand-new Web site!
Allworth Press and RotoVision are two more publishers of excellent books about graphic design.
Stop Stealing Sheep & Find Out How Type Works, 2nd edition, by Erik Spiekermann (Adobe Press, 2002). If you would like to learn how to use typography well, I suggest that you read this book from cover to cover. You will attain a new appreciation for the beauty and variety of letterforms.
Databases
Database Design for Mere Mortals: A Hands-On Guide to Relational Database Design, 2nd edition, by Michael J. Hernandez (Addison-Wesley, 2003). This book will not teach you how to use a particular software application. Instead, it will show you the key principles and requirements of designing a robust information architecture. One of the few books about software that remains great almost 10 years after it was first published. Awesome.
For Journalism Educators
Online Journalism: Principles and Practices of News for the Web, by James C. Foust (Scottsdale, AZ: Holcomb Hathaway, 2004), 271 pages, paper.
Reporting and Producing for Digital Media, by Claudette Guzan Artwick (Ames, Iowa: Blackwell, 2004), 227 pages, paper.
Online Journalism: Reporting, Writing, and Editing for New Media, by Richard Craig (Wadsworth, 2004), 240 pages, paper.