No Frills Magento Layout is the first in a series of ebooks that set of to explain the inner workings of Magento's many sub-systems. You'll get 160 pages of distilled Magento knowledge which will pay for itself in the first billable hour your save.
Learn more about each chapter by clicking on the links below. You can also read a few sample chapters before buying your own copy today.
Chapter 1: Building Layouts Programmatically
Chapter 2: XML Page Layout Files
Chapter 4: Bringing it All Together
Chapter 5: Advanced Layout Features
Appendix A: Magento Block Hierarchy
Appendix C: Creating Code Modules
Appendix D: Block Action Reference
Appendix E: Theme and Layout Resolution
Appendix F: The Hows and Whys of Clearing Magento's Cache
Appendix G: Magento Setters and Getters
Appendix H: Widget Field Rendering Options