The CSS mental model - QuirksBlog
PPK looks at the different mental models behind CSS and JavaScript. One is declarative and one is imperative.
There’s a lot here that ties in with what I was talking about at New Adventures around the rule of least power in technology choice.
I’m not sure if I agree with describing CSS as being state-based. The example that illustrates this—a :hover style—feels like an exception rather than a typical example of CSS.