Product Description

With the new edition of this proven bestseller, Photoshop users can master the power of Photoshop CS5 with internationally renowned photographer and Photoshop hall-of-famer Martin Evening by their side. 

In this acclaimed reference work, Martin covers everything from the core aspects of working in Photoshop to advanced techniques for professional results. Subjects covered include organizing a digital workflow, improving creativity, output, automating Photoshop, and using Camera RAW. The style of the book is extremely clear, with real examples, diagrams, illustrations, and step-by-step explanations supporting the text throughout. This is, quite simply, the essential reference for photographers of all levels using Photoshop.

Customer Reviews (43)

A whale of a useful guide
You might think that Martin Evening gets a little tired of rewriting this book for every version of Photoshop, but that seems not to be the case. He manages to convey his own excitement about new features and new power in this most versatile of programs.It's a good thing he does: it's easy to stay attached to old ways of doing things when Adobe engineers have invented faster and better ways of getting the job done.

In this edition, considerable time is given to the new capabilities of raw image processing.In my own exploration of CS5, I've been impressed with how much I could do in the raw converter.I'd only scratched the surface.Evening demonstrates--in the book and on accompanying DVD--exactly what can be done.I'm particularly impressed with his demonstration of noise reduction in high ISO images.I'm glad I kept several years worth of raw images--it's going to be fun going back with Evening's techniques.

He also spends a pleasant chapter demonstrating some of the more subtle aspects of HDR (high dynamic range) image processing.It's not hard to be bowled over by some of the more blatant HDR images.Evening shows how much value there is in preserving fine shadow detail.

There are also important chapters on retouching, workflow, automation and setup.And as mentioned earlier, there's a very nice DVD with sample images for practice as well as demonstration movies.There are other good books for exploring the vector and text capabilities of Photoshop.This is for photographers and it's hard not to see how anyone's work could be improved.

I have only a few minor quibbles with the inaccuracy of a few small details regarding the Mac.For example, Martin Evening states that you must be running a 64-bit operating systems in order to run Photoshop in 64-bit mode.The two decisions are separate.I run Photoshop (and many other programs as well) in 64-bit mode, even though I keep my my OS (Snow Leopard) at 32 bits.But this of minor importance, considering the overall high quality of this useful book.

The Standard by Which All Other CS5 Books are Judged
This is an outstanding book.It is justifiably considered the bible for Photoshop users.It is clear and well written, with no lame jokes or forced humor.The book is not limited to cookbook-style instructions, but strikes a good balance between how-to examples and narrative discussion of the program's functions and structure.Some of the illustrations and screen shots would benefit from using more obvious examples of what is going on, as well as bigger photo captions.

At over 750 pages, plus extra chapters contained in an included DVD, this book can seem intimidating.Bear with it; the length is necessary to cover such a vast program.The book's organization is well thought out and (of marginal additional benefit) color-coded.Even so, Photoshop is too big to describe in detail all of its features in one volume.Many tools -- filters, for example -- are only identified by table accompanied by a broad description of them as a class.You learn what they do by using them, trial and error.

Buying a shorter, dumbed down manual to Photoshop is, I think, ultimately a waste of time and money. Sooner or later, you'll want to refer to Evening's book.After several months of frequent use, I understand better what the author is saying and am even more impressed by this book.Given the length and information contained, the book is a bargain.Highly recommended.

the best yet.
Martin Evening shares with you all you will ever need to know about getting the most from your images without all the fuss and mindbending jargon most books throw at you.Long story short,a must have book if you are serious about getting the most from your pics.I must say the book made me a better photographer as far as looking at an image and by following Mr.Evening advice,I can now made a good photo even better.Very well written and full of great photos to help you master the beast of Phoshop.

In my eyes, the gold standard of Photoshop books
This is not a beginner's book. On the cover, this is described as "a PROFESSIONAL image editor's guide to the creative use of Photoshop". (Emphasis supplied.) While you don't have to be a master Photoshop user, you definitely have to have a prior understanding of what Photoshop is and a good comprehension of its incredible (and seemingly endlessly expanding) capabilities. Yes, Martin Evening makes some concessions to neophytes, but this is really a book for power users and those who want to become masters of Photoshop.

You can use this book as a reference, if you like, cherry picking the many chapters, each on a specific aspect of Photoshop. For a thorough education, read it from beginning to end, which ought to take several months.

Evening, thankfully, is not a comedian. The pages are not littered with silly attempted jokes.

This is a no-nonsense book. The chapter on configuring Photoshop is a must-read, even for pros because it brings you up to date on new requirements for CS5. Image Editing Essentials, with its 87 pages, is an exhausting tour of just the essentials of image editing - and this is in addition to a separate chapter on Camera Raw that runs 125 pages. The text is well-written and copiously illustrated.

Evening presents Photoshop from the perspective of a working photographer who wants to produce the best results possible and as someone who understands the technology powering Photoshop. He does well. In sidebars, Evening occasionally sheds light on his thinking. For example, Evening has been criticized for his obvious affections for Curves adjustment. He explains this by saying that of the 22 (!) image adjustments available, Curves can generally accomplish whatever you want. In fact, in a single paragraph, Evening explainsa very profound Photoshop issue.

The chapters on color management and output for web and print are better than some single volumes I've seen devoted to these subjects. The chapter on automating Photoshop, while introductory in scope, is useful.

Finally, the DVD has useful content and includes a help guided with many of the examples from the book. It also hs many other goodies in the form of a Help guide.

Overall, this is a book for those interested in developing a deep understanding of Photoshop. Beginners will find it tough sledding unless they are highly motivated. Those with some experience will find it a wonderfully thorough and educational experience.

Jerry

The best on Photoshop for photographers
A short review, this. Others go into more and better detail. But for me, Martin's evolving series of books on Photoshop for use by photographers are the clearest, most informed and most intelligent. There are far too many books out there on this subject, most just following the trend, embellished with cute titles, and not what I'd call a primary source. This, however, is a trusted manual, and the only one I would consider buying. ... Read more

Product Description

If you're interested in weaving multiple images into a seamless panorama, placing text on paths and shapes, or any of the countless other things you can do with Photoshop CS2's myriad new features, this is the place to get up to speed on them fast! In these pages best-selling authors and Photoshop masters Elaine Weinmann and Peter Lourekas use task-based instruction and strong visual aids to teach you all of the Photoshop essentials: from basic color manipulation and image correction to painting, masking, using filters, importing and editing digital photos, and more. Incisive text, crystal-clear screen shots, and step-by-step instructions bring the art of digital image manipulation to your desktop. Now you can take the ball and run with it, creating your own composite masterpieces that take full advantage of Photoshop's tight integration with the other products in Adobe's Creative Suite. Armed with the tips and techniques Elaine and Peter share here, you'll be ready for any Photoshop CS2 project.

Customer Reviews (16)

Average quality writing and examples
This is voluminous, but quantity does not make up for quality. Some chapters are sketchy, so I found much better tutorials on the net, and in other books.

Shouldn't have to be this way. I'm glad I'm used to working with Photoshop, to do ok with the book.

IF I was getting one or two books on Photoshop, this would not be one of them.

These authors do not write clearly enough for beginners, and intermediate level PS users may be better served by buying higher ranked PS books, keyed to whether you are more into photography, or graphics.

book review
A book for people already familiar with photoshop, too complex for beginers, written in a dull way.

Very Helpful
This is an excellent book, which actually explains a lot about Photoshop for the newer user.It was recommended to me be by a professional and I am happy that I got it.Its only drawback is that none of the graphic charts are in color.Not terrible but it would certainly be helpful.

Another winner in the Visual Quickstart series
I had photoshop 5 and the corresponding Visual Quickstart guide. When I upgraded to CS2, I bought this book based on my satisfaction with the previous version. I was not disappointed.

The concept of these books is to provide a 1-3 page illustrated lesson on real world tasks. With photoshop, that works particularly well. I am an occasional user, and this book helps me get great results fast.

Good books
The book is pretty easy to get around and find what I want to do with the program. ... Read more

Product Description
Adobe Acrobat 9 for Windows and Macintosh: Visual QuickStart Guide walks readers through tasks that are enhanced by numerous screenshots to teach beginning and intermediate users how to take advantage of the productive power of Adobe Acrobat. Author John Deubert takes readers through all of the basic Acrobat 9 features, from the basic tools used to create PDF documents and the newly enhanced review functionality, to the advanced tools that create digital signatures, interactive forms, and PDF Portfolios. Beginning users will find a thorough introduction to this indispensable application, and Acrobat power users will enjoy a convenient reference guide that relies on straightforward language, clear steps, and practical tips to explore Acrobat’s many capabilities.

Visual QuickStart Guide—the quick and easy way to learn!

•    Easy visual approach uses pictures to guide you through Acrobat and show you what to do.

•    Concise steps and explanations let you get up and running in no time.

•    Page for page, the best content and value around.

•    John Deubert is a longtime consultant and instructor in Acrobat and PDF, having worked with both since the mid-nineties. He has extensive experience in PostScript and JavaScript and is the author of Adobe Acrobat 8 for Windows and Macintosh: Visual QuickStart Guide, and two books from Adobe Press: Creating Adobe Acrobat Forms and Extending Acrobat Forms with JavaScript.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not useful at all
This book is so simplistic and contains so little useful information. I have honestly never seen a book that is this completely useless. If you can click on help in the program and you know how to navigate menus in a program you are ahead of where this book will lead you. Save you money and stay far away from this.

Acrobat for Kindergardeners
If you don't know how to open a file this book might work for you, but if you have worked on a computer for more than a few days you know more than this book teaches.Ten minutes exploring Acrobat will teach you more than this book will. ... Read more

Product Description
The definitive iLife reference, completely updated and revised. TheMacintosh iLife ’06 is the ultimate iLife learning experience, alavishly illustrated handbook packed with easy-to-follow instructions,essential technical background, and tips for iLife users of all levels.

• Shop ’til you drop at the iTunes Music Store
• Take your iPod beyond music—watch videos, view photos, store contacts and calendars, and more
• Improve your photography and video-shooting techniques
• Create spectacular slide shows, photo books, calendars, and greeting cards
• Refine your photos to perfection with iPhoto 6
• Share photos via email, Web albums, and cutting-edge photocasts
• Explore the latest video formats with iMovie HD
• Record and arrange your own music with GarageBand
• Create and publish your own Web sites, blogs, and podcasts
• Preserve the past: digitize old records, photos, and movies

Each two-page spread is a self-contained tutorial or set of tips.Everything you need is at your fingertips, and every page is updatedfor iLife ’06.

The Web site: Get updates, tips, and much more at this book’s companion Web site, www.macilife.com.

Jim Heid is one of the most admired writers and instructors in the Mac community.
A contributing editor of Macworld magazine since 1984, he has beenusing and teaching each of the programs in the iLife suite since itsdebut.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

This is a great book
If you want to learn about iLife this is a exception one to get. Lots of good solid
techniques, tips and tutorials about using iLife applications. Good visuals and
helpful information along the way. Very extensively written. The only knock against
the book and iMovie is that it seems all too easy. I've had problems with iMovie and iDVD and I still
have not figured out how to recify the errors. I wonder if he will come out with a version for ilife ?

Great Book!
one of the best computer books I've worked with. Very detailed about using ILife 06

Mac iLife 06 is AWESOME!
This book is very well organized, easy to follow and a great reference to quickly find answers to your questions. It is much more helpful than the online tutorials. I highly recommend this as a reference to keep close by when working with any part of iLife.

Indespensible accompaniment to your new Mac.
You have to have this book if you want to get the most out of your new Mac.If you don't have it, you can spend a lot more and pay for personal tutoring at the Mac store (assuming you have one available).

I miss the DVD
I loved Jim Heid's iLife '05 book because of the integration with the included DVD.You could easily follow along in the book while Jim demonstrated each feature in the DVD and there were good cross-references.The '05 book was the best money I have EVER spent on a computer book.But iLife '06 doesn't include the DVD..... still a very good book but no longer so outstanding.I guess it just got to be too hard to produce a timely DVD with features being added to iLife and new versions coming out so fast.Too bad. ... Read more

Product Description
The latest of Macromedia's award-winning software packages to join the MX family, Macromedia FreeHand MX brings the popular vector-based drawing and layout program into the present day. Whether you've built your career on FreeHand and can't wait to master the software's new features or you're just learning FreeHand for the first time, there's no faster way to get up and running with Macromedia FreeHand MX than Macromedia FreeHand MX for Windows and Macintosh: Visual QuickStart Guide. Updated by best-selling author Sandee Cohen to include plenty of new step-by-step how-tos and screenshots specific to Macromedia FreeHand MX, this task-based reference is the perfect tool for learning this visual program. The first few chapters provide an overview of the program before walking you through how to create sophisticated artwork using Macromedia FreeHand MX's many powerful features: layers and layering, points and paths, working in color, strokes and fills, creating text and text effects, and more. The final chapters explain printing, preferences and using artwork with other applications and the Web. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

FreeHand MX Visual QuickStart Guide
A good and complete book for beginners and intermediate users

Adaptation of help file not quite a QuickStart
I would have rated this book a one. I settled for two stars as I did actually learn a few things from it. This book is quite obviously an adaptation of a FreeHand 10 book (which I understand Sandee has written) as there are some remnants of v.10 functionality that has been changed and updated in MX. Ms. Cohen seems to have missed these. Inconsistencies, unnecessary repetition, gaping holes (Polygon options in the Object panel) and incorrect information - Page coordinates start at the top left of the page?
As an educator myself I find the sequence of information to be unintuitive; working with views before you even have anything on a page to view becomes a bit conceptual and difficult to grasp for the beginner.
Sandee, like almost everyone who writes a book on computer illustration, claims she has the answers to master the ever confusing Pen tool and Bézier curves, I understand them yet found myself reading Chapter 6's eight pages over and over again to figure out what her amazing insight was, especially with regard to connector curves. If you have never worked with a vector illustration package before, I would not recommend this book, you'd do better to print out the help file (which suffers from the same problems as this book), in fact, since they are so similar, I wonder if it's this book that is based on the help file or vice-versa. This book provides (almost) complete step-by-step instructions on using each tool and panel and Xtra and whatever (with some useful advanced functionality) but very little real life application or examples. It will probably serve me as a reference tool for particular functionality on certain tools but little else. ... Read more

Product Description
The creation of the Mac in 1984 catapulted America into the digital millennium, captured a fanatic cult audience, and transformed the computer industry into an unprecedented mix of technology, economics, and show business. Now veteran technology writer and Newsweek senior editor Steven Levy zooms in on the great machine and the fortunes of the unique company responsible for its evolution. Loaded with anecdote and insight, and peppered with sharp commentary, Insanely Great is the definitive book on the most important computer ever made.It is a must-have for anyone curious about how we got to the interactive age.

"Engaging . . . A delightful and timely book."--The New York Times Book Review

"A holy scripture for loyal clickers of the mouse that may someday result in placement by digital Gideons in all motel rooms (virtual and actual) serving travelers on the information highway." --San Francisco ExaminerAmazon.com Review
Back in the early 1980s, word spread about an inviting littlepersonal computer that used something called a mouse and smiled at youwhen you turned it on. Steven Levy relates his first encounter withthe pre-released Mac and goes on to chronicle the machine that Appledevelopers hoped would "make a dent in the universe." A wonderfulstory told by a terrific writer (Levy was the longtime writer of thepopular "Iconoclast" column in MacWorld; he's now a columnistwith Newsweek, the birth and first ten years of the Macintoshis a great read. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (39)

Levy is a tech fanboy, and an excitable writer
There's a genre of tech writing that might legitimately be known as "fanboy fetish nonfiction." Steven Levy -- in books like Crypto and Hackers -- always skirts around the edge of the genre. In Insanely Great, he wades into the genre up to his hips.

This is the story of the Mac's creation, and the story of Steve Jobs's sticking his nose into everyone's business. Levy seems a little unsure of Jobs: is he a jerk and an opportunist, who only attaches himself to a project when it might bring Jobs himself more power and glory? Does he force his limited design and technical powers on those beneath him? Is he trying to compensate for his non-Wozniak engineering skills?

Levy may believe all these things, but at the same time he can't deny that Jobs is a major force for good within Apple. Like the mythical Shaker furniture builders, Jobs won't let any piece of the Mac go out unless it's perfect and beautiful. The Shakers wouldn't build a dresser with a plywood face against a wall, even if no one else would ever see that side; God would see it. Likewise, says Levy, every square inch of the Mac was an aesthetic pleasure.

I may have been too young at the time to have really appreciated the Mac. I certainly appreciate the spur it provided to Windows. Only when Mac OS X came around did I see what all the fuss was about. OS X is the first bit of Mac software that I've enjoyed. OS 9 and before felt cartoonish to me. Bomb icons -- indicating that some rogue application had taken down the entire computer, which you had no choice at that moment but to reboot -- appeared with alarming frequency.

At an architectural level, cooperative multitasking may have been to blame for a lot of the Mac's instabilities. You will never read anything at that level in Levy's book. Levy is an English major imported into the world of computers, and I think he's more interested in the people than he is in the technology. There's a lot for journalists to sink their teeth into in the world of computers: the 16-hour days, the sleeping under desks, the seat-of-the-pants demos finished mere moments before the curtain comes up. Levy enjoys himself in this realm. He's less able or willing to explain the technical details of why, exactly, the Mac was repeatedly delayed. The fact of the delay, and the excitement of cigar-chomping executives breathing down frantic hackers' necks, is more his speed.

Insanely Great has some funny moments, again from the excited-visionary perspective rather than from the awesome-technology one. There's Steve Jobs, explaining to one of his hardware developers that shaving two seconds off the Mac's startup time, if millions of people reboot multiple times per day, will save *50 human lives every day*. There are moments, like these, when I understood part of the Mac cult's allure.

The rest of the book, though, was not convincing. The bomb icons were far too vivid in my memory. Plus I was a DOS 1-2-3 devotee as a child.

What I find funny is that I've only just joined the Cult of Apple, in the form of its iPhone. Unlike the Mac, the whole world realizes that the iPhone does its job better than any of its competitors. People are flocking to Apple in droves, giving the phone a market share and platform lead that other device manufacturers only dream about. The iPhone really is Insanely Great. Steve Jobs must be pleased.

Insanely Great or just Half-Hearted?
Let me preface this review with the fact that I love Steven Levy.Well, his books anyhow.That said, this review is necessarily tainted by my experience with some of his other work.The curse of the author who pens a masterpiece (i.e. "Hackers" by Levy) is that everything that came before, and after, will be compared against said masterpiece.The case of "Insanely Great" is no different.

While I found this book to be an enjoyable read (I've read and re-read it more than once), and containing some decent detail about the origins of the original Macintosh, I also found it to be somewhat half-hearted in its presentation.Relative to "Hackers", of course.

I really got the sense that Levy was just plowing through the history, rather than lovingly exploring the details.While it's clear from the book that Levy truly loves the Mac, it's less clear that he loved the story of how it came to be.The writing lacked the obvious fascination and passion that he presents in "Hackers", and the breadth of research and intricate technical detail that he shows in "Artificial Life" and "Crytpo".In "Insanely Great", he just seems to be going through the motions of telling the story.

The most passionate and moving bits of writing in the book are when he is describing his love and respect for the machine.He clearly recognizes and conveys the absolute technical epiphany that Macintosh represented to the computer industry (heck, to the world).These bits are closely followed by some great (and well thought out) rants about the weaknesses of the machine - and the metaphorical medium it has spread across the world.

Finally, the book almost accidentally documents Levy's interesting relationship with Steve Jobs.Clearly any book about Macintosh will prominently feature the Mac Daddy (sorry, I had to use that term) - but the writing clearly shows that Levy was quite affected by Jobs.This is also not surprising, as Jobs' personality is as powerful and complicated as any great human being.In my opinion, the insight into Jobs that Levy offers - as well as the shadows of their relationship that are cast upon the walls of the book - offer a fresh view that other Mac/Apple histories might not offer.

Great view into the development of the Mac
This book shines for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of how the Macintosh came to be. Everyone knows the basic story of how Apple based the Mac on the innovations of Xerox, but the real story is much deeper than that. Xerox PARC provided the innovation and spark, but there was a lot more blood and guts work that followed, especially considering the state of computer technology at the time. While there is of course a lot about Steve Jobs, equal attention is given to the various engineers who did nuts and bolts software and hardware development. Those looking for corporate intrigue and board room warfare could probably find better accounts elsewhere, although these are also covered here (as they inevitably had an effect on the Mac's development over the years.)

Given how commonplace the GUI and its various metaphors (folders and files, desktop, trash can, etc.) are today, it's easy to lose sight that the original Mac (and Lisa) team were really venturing way off into the unknown.

This book is a great read for anyone or any company trying to do the same.

I for "Internet"
Once upon a time, a guy named Steve had a vision: to take IBM's place in the computer industry. Not by copying IBM's ideas as Michael Dell did. No. By innovating...
Steve Jobs, a charismatic and driven individual, who wears the same outfit so he doesn't have to waste his time deciding what to wear, and who once was exiled from his own company, came back. Although many critics always thought of Jobs as an opportunistic individual, more than creative and visionary, and labeled him as a "One Hit Wonder" was able to make a "Come Back." This book tells the story of the first Mac, the one that only a few people knew about, and then, it takes you through a journey of one of the greatest companies ever founded: Apple, Inc. The story that almost wasn't told. After years of mismanagements and senior executives not understanding what Apple Computers was all about, Steve Jobs returned not just to save the company, but also to redirect where the company was headed. As many people said, "Apple was off track," and it was, it really was. However, Jobs' return not only brought blood back to Apple, but also put them on the black ink once again.
Before picking up this book, ensure that you have enough time to read it all at once. You won't be able o put it down. If you are a Mac fan, or if you are just interested in knowing a bit more of what Apple has gone through, this book is for you.
Enjoy it!

Fast, furious, and full of excitement
People who read this are in for an evening of excitement and fun. It's like apulp fiction story for the silicon age. ... Read more

Product Description
Adobe InDesign CS4, Adobe's page-design component of Creative Suite 4, offers exciting new enhancements to its already powerful tools. Among the exciting features users will find are new Live Preflighting capabilities and seamless integration with Adobe Flash, including direct translation of InDesign pages into SWF files. Adobe InDesignCS4 for Macintosh and Windows: Visual QuickStart Guide will highlight the important new features, as well as covering the ones readers have relied on in previous versions of InDesign.

Using the task-based, visual approach that readers count on in the Visual QuickStart Guides, this volume introduces readers to all aspects of InDesign CS4. Users will learn how to create and automate documents, import and style text and objects, manage long documents, export files for a wide variety of purposes, and much more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Helpful
This book is full of information! I am a first time user of this progam and needed something to point me in the right direction with design, text and publishing. I found the book helpful and very detailed. There are pictures showing examples in there as well. I have been able to complete an 18pg booklet for a conference including photos, text, shapes, colors and other graphics. Not to mention the program book itself was way less inexpensive on Amazon.com than Barnes and Noble. I would definitely recommend it, especally for new users of InDesign.

Indesign
I needed this book for a college course and it was $20 less than the bookstore charged, so I am very pleased! This book is a must have if you want to learn InDesign.

Easy
Good projects, easy walk through skills. I am a fan of this series. Nice that it comes with a CD full of files and examples.

Use InDesign's built in help features instead of this book.
This is a great book to get up to speed in Indesign for a beginner.

Absolute Best Introduction to InDesign CS4
I am a writer/photographer and fairly skilled with Photoshop CS4. Printing companies now want copy in the PDF format, and I was encouraged to get into a more up-to-date format than MS Word or Quark Express. My impression was that Adobe InDesign CS4 was a cutting edge publishing program. So, to make a long story short, I invested in the program and began to try to come to grip with its complexities. I believe the key to finding a useful "how to" book is to find one written the way you, personally, think. Most self-help books for computer programs are mediocre to poor...they just fail to communicate with your thought processes. To make a long story short, I invested in seven books from Amazon marketed to aid in learning InDesign CS4, from an InDesign for "Dummies" book to a supposed "Bible" for the program. I was disappointed in all but the Visual Quickstart Guide titled "InDesign CS4" written by Sandee Cohen and published by Peachpit Press. This book communicates with me. I'm no dummy, and have a Ph.D. degree in the sciences, but most manuals pretending to teach you a complex program don't present a logical and intuitive flow of information. I congratulate Sandee Cohen for helping me to learn InDesign CS4. ... Read more

Product Description
With the release of Adobe Creative Suite CS4, Dreamweaver solidifies its role as the de facto tool of choice for anyone using Photoshop and designing for the Web. Adobe Dreamweaver CS4 for Windows and Macintosh: Visual QuickStart Guide uses a combination of task-based instruction and strong visuals to teach beginning and intermediate users how to create, design, and publish powerful, innovative Web sites with Dreamweaver. Leading technology authors Tom Negrino and Dori Smith take readers step-by-step through the new features in Adobe Dreamweaver CS4, with completely revised chapters on critical tools like linking and including images and Flash animations. They also cover improvements to using styles and CSS in Dreamweaver, and the new Code Navigator in Dreamweaver CS4. Beginning users will learn to create their first Web site, add text, style and position page content, manage styles, work with links, incorporate images, media, tables, forms, and frames, design site navigation, and so much more. Experienced users will find this a convenient reference to the new features of Dreamweaver CS4.  ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Great book for Dreamwaever CS4 beginners
I like the format the authors used to present this book page by page step by step. It walks you through Dreamweaver to get familiar with the program. I like how you can use this book as a reference and how easy it is to read. I would have love to see more visually examples and not just basic steps but I guess the authors wanted to keep things at the beginner level....but good book nevertheless.


--CH--

Great resource for those new to web development
I'm far from a Geek.I fall more into the geek wana-be category. This book has a wonderful balance of in-depth knowledge / how to and this is the basics of what you need to know.

That being the case of course I want my own web site.This is an excellent reference book on how to build your own web site using Dreamweaver CS4.

Why I find this book so helpful:
1. the instructions are clear
2. contains lots of 'screen shots' to illustrate exactly what they are talking about
3. well organized
4. easy to read and understand (explains jargon but typically in side boxes so I only have to reference the info when I need it)
5. does not assume I know everything yet does not treat me like a dummy either

Great for beginners
I got his book for a class last year. It is great!!
Love the way it is written, and there are plenty of pictures to provide visual detail to what is being talked about.

This is a great book for someone who is just getting stared with DW CS4!

So far, so good....
I ordered this book for a class.I assumed that my instructor would reference it during class time, but he has not thus far (and we've passed mid-term).HOWEVER, because he seems more interested in design aspects and NOT application/technical aspects, THIS BOOK has been an invaluable resource.I have many books like this as it relates to the application itself -- I own the books but don't read them; this is the first time a publication has been easy enough for me digest.I am not a connoisseur of technical publications so I can't rate it in that regard, but I can say for someone who learns best when they SEE the steps, this book has helped me get over that hump in learning an application through using a written resource.

great book
Visual step-by-step guide on major tasks. Perfect manual for someone who already has a little bit of knowledge but just needs reminders or instructions on additional common tasks. ... Read more

Product Description
This book offers guidance to Windows and Macintosh users on the basics of SPSS and applying SPSS to solve statistical problems. This new edition has been revised to be used by both novices and experts. It helps readers learn how to select the appropriate statistical methods, conduct these methods using SPSS, and write results using APA Style guidelines.Topics covered in the comprehensive book include introducing the basics of SPSS; creating and working with data files; working with data; working with SPSS charts and output; creating variables; t test procedures; univariate and multi-variate analysis-of-variance techniques; correlation, regression, and discriminant analysis procedures; scaling procedures; and nonparametric procedures.For research directors, psychologists, psychiatrists, and statisticians. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Step-by-step guide that is a GREAT reference!
I am currently a Ph.D. student and have had a number of upper-level stat courses. I first received this book toward the end of the required stat courses (Multivariate Methods)...boy, do I wish I had it sooner. Everything is laid out in concise format, it is easy to read, and the material is relevant. Plus, there are also sample APA results sections in each portion. It is a great resource that any grad student should purchase! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

Your personalized statistics, SPSS, and APA tutor!
I first used this book in grad school where I actually took a class from Sam Green. I have been keeping it handy ever since. Every chapter explains the statistical test (purpose, background), gives a couple of applied examples, then takes you through SPSS step by step (what options to click on, etc.), shows you the results and how to interpret each based on the example given at the beginning, and then shows you how to write it all up in APA style (what to italicize, where to put spaces, etc., plus how to express it in words). It is the most useful and practical and easy to understand stats book (or stats teacher) I ever encountered. I highly recommend it to everyone, grad students, researchers, academics.

Analyzing and Understanding Data
A more appropriate name for the book would be "Analyzing and Understanding Data Using SPSS for Windows and Macintosh" to underscore the book's usefulness when one is analyzing data and wants explanations of the statistical procedures.This book is not only helpful to those who conduct quantitative research, but also helpful to students enrolled in applied statistics courses, in general research methods, and any course that involve the analysis of quantitative data.The book is very useful because the authors provide many chapters (i.e., lessons) with research examples of applicability, brief explanations of statistical procedures, discussions of underlying assumptions, step-by-step instructions using research examples (with data), descriptions of interpreting the illustrated SPSS output, and reporting the written or table results in APA style. ... Read more

Product Description
Flash Professional CS5 is such a powerful program that it can seem overwhelming to new or occasional users. With Flash Professional CS5 Visual QuickStart Guide, readers get a solid grounding in the fundamentals of the most recent version of the software. Highlights include working with new-style text in the text-layout framework (practically a mini-page-layout program inside Flash), working with the new Color panel and other updated interface features, a look at the deco tool's expanded pattern set, plus creating ActionScript using Flash's improved automatic-code-completion features and code snippets. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

redundant
I didn't enjoy learning from the book because there was the problem of redundancy. The book had the main copy, then gray boxes with "tips" which were basically pulled from the copy. The problem with this was, the book should was practically all tips and I felt that I was reading the same page twice. If it's really going to be a "tip", it shouldn't be from the main copy.

In addition, it could have had more screenshots for the actionscript chapter. It's a hard enough subject to learn, it would be better if they took more time to be more thorough.

I purchased this book for a Flash class because it was required. Otherwise, I probably would not have bought it.

Basic Skim Over
Not quite what I was looking for. Flash (initially from Macromedia and later from Adobe Systems) is used quite a bit to create animations for web, television, corporate, and film. Unfortunately most of the focus of Flash training seems to be about scripting and interactivity, not the actual process of animation. This book was the recommended text for a motion graphics course I'm taking, however, it really doesn't go into detail as to best practices for animating in flash. Instead it sort of skims across many, many subjects in a very shallow manner. Of course that's what the book claims 'to get you up and running quickly'. Probably should have chosen something else.

Excellent service
I got their book on time with excellent quality and nice price. Have to say thank again! ... Read more

Product Description
This book covers Flash CS4, including all the features brand new for Flash users. Flash CS4 introduces motion tweening, a new method for animating objects, such as symbols and text fields. Using a new panel, the Motion Editor, Flash developers will find it easier than ever to create sophisticated, lifelike animations. In addition, inverse kinematics allows animators to create armatures, skeleton-like structures that connect symbols and govern their movement. The animation chapters of the Flash CS4 Visual Quickstart Guide will be fully updated to integrate the new animation techniques with the old and to give beginners some insight into how and when to use which types. Flash CS4 Professional: Visual QuickStart Guide uses step-by-step instructions and plenty of screenshots to guide readers along so that they’ll be up and running quickly. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Quick and easy.
Item arrived on time and in described condition, would definitely do business with this seller again.

Very good for the Pen tool
This is a great starter or review book for basic visual effects. No, it doesn't cover advanced topics, but those books scant the basics, and if you don't learn the basics you are missing half the capability of Flash.

This is the First book I've found that covers every aspect of the Pen tool (which you really need) in a clear fashion and in detail, so it can be easily understood. A lot of authors skip over it since everyone hates learning it. Some authors just give up and refer you to Adobe Help ;')

Excellent resource
This is an excellent resource book. It is written for both the the beginner and the advanced user. I have read a wide variety of books on this subject, I have found this to be the easiest, best text.

Good book but only as a reference
It's a shame that this book carries the name "visual quickstart guide", because other than the fact that it's in no way a quickstart guide, it's a decent book.

We're using this book in an introductory Flash CS4 class that I'm taking, and in that capacity, I think this book fails miserably.The book is really a reference, not a learning tool.It doesn't take you through any projects, or demonstrations, or show you techniques on how different tools within Flash are used to create things.And it really doesn't hold your hand from the beginning and get you to the point where you feel comfortable using the tool.Instead it just exhaustively walks through tool by tool, showing you how to use that tool, then moving onto the next.

So if you want to know how to create a mask in Flash, you can turn right to the section on how to do that, and learn that quickly.But if you've never used Flash, and your goal is to create some graphics for your website, this book is nearly useless.

The book is pretty much split into four parts.The first part details all the drawing tools.The second part talks about the animation tools, the third part talks about "interactivity" (i.e., actionscript) and the final part talks about video and sound.

I'm glad I have the book, I'll keep it as a reference, but teachers, please don't make the mistake in thinking this is a "sit down and read how to use Flash" type of book, because it certainly is not.

would not recommend this book
This book is too difficult to understand how Flash works, I wish I could have a refund... I never did use the book for my class, it was useless!! ... Read more

Product Description
Microsoft's Office 2008 is packed with new tools that will help userswork smarter and more efficiently, such as the new Elements Gallery,Word's publication-layout tools, Excel's ledger sheets (templates forcommon financial tasks), Entourage's improved Exchange Server support,and My Day for tracking appointments and to-do items. In this latest,updated edition of the bestselling Visual QuickStart Guidefor Microsoft Office, veteran author Steve Schwartz guides the useralong with clear, concise instructions and loads of visual aidsthat make learning easy and painless. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Not good for beginners:very dense
Microsoft Office 2008 is overloaded with tons of useless features which make the program slow, complex, and bloated."Microsoft Office 2008 Quick Start Guide" matches Office's complexity.This 500-plus page tome is a comprehensive guide to many of Microsoft Office 2008's major features.

Unfortunately, this is not a typical "Visual Quickstart Guide."One would not get a Quickstart, because probably it's hard to quickly start the digital equivalent of an oil tanker.Beginners to Microsoft Office will find this guide completely overwhelming and would be overwhelmed by all that Microsoft Office 2008 can do.

The author breaks up Office into its core components:Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Entourage, and the integration of those applications.Unfortunately he covers almost all the major features which is completely unnecessary for a Quickstart guide.For example, how often do people use the Notebook view in Word or the Newsgroups function in Entourage?Similar to Office itself, adding in all these extras makes it harder for the user, or in this case reader, to find the basic functions of the program they need.This book could have easily been half the size and the reader would have understood most of what they need to know about Office.

The text was easy to understand for those functions the author was describing but there was a distinct lack of the common Visual Quickstart Guide screenshots and visual enhancements.The book was extremely text heavy and dense because of this. For a intermediate user trying to look up how to create a stock chart or brushing up on mail merging, this is a good manual.Beginning users will be overwhelmed with the comprehensiveness of it all.

Pros:Covers a vast majority of functions in the Microsoft Office 2008 Suite.
Cons:A vast majority of functions in the Microsoft Office 2008 Suite are unnecessary and overwhelming, just like this book

"From PC Word to MAC Word...a journey in practice"
I am fairly comfortable in the basic use of Word on my old PC.This book helps me to make the transition to Word on MAC. It could have more details in some of the more advanced uses of Word,but perhaps I need lessons for these rather than the written word.Of thosebooks and manuals I looked at in the bookstore, before ordering from Amazon, this book seems to be the best buy and easiest to use.

Microsoft Office 2008
Microsoft Office 2008 for Macintosh: Visual QuickStart Guide

I was looking for a book that was easy to find answers to my questions, and this was an excellent choice.I don't like plowing through paragraphs of information.I prefer visuals and step by step instructions.It's a fabulous resource.

Definitely need this!
Microsoft has outdone itself yet again. Both the 2007 Office for PC and the 2008 Office for Mac have unraveled much of what was good, clear, intuitive, and simple in the earlier versions and tangled it all up into arcane and hidden "toolboxes". For example, in Word, I had to look up ( ! ) how to change margins -- 'Page setup' just doesn't do it any more. Same for headers and footers -- the problem there was to look up how to get out of them. Unbelievable. And this is, thank God, for a Mac -- I can't even imagine dealing with Office 2007 AND Vista at the same time! God. I need an aspirin just thinking about it. So this manual is absolutely necessary if you want to write a document and actually have some control over formatting. I don't use Excel but I hear tell the new respective versions are also completely screwed up -- er, I mean, 'improved.' And, needless to say, don't even try to use the 'Help' menu -- completely useless. The manual is a must. Don't 'upgrade' without it. ... Read more

Product Description
Adobe Illustrator is the indispensable vector drawing tool used by digital artists around the world. Illustrator CS4 provides those artists with powerful drawing tools, unparalleled typographic controls, and much more. With a slew of new features and tighter-than-ever integration with the rest of Adobe Creative Suite 4's design, graphics, and publishing tools, Illustrator CS4 promises to make designers' lives a whole lot easier, especially if they have this task-based guide!

Now revised and updated, and in 4 COLOR this book uses simple step-by-step instructions, loads of screen shots, and an array of time-saving tips and tricks, serving both as the quickest route to Illustrator CS4 mastery for new users, and a handy reference for more experienced designers. This edition of the Visual QuickStart Guide covers Illustrator CS4's newest features, including the much anticipated multi art board feature and much more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Big con
First - pros: it's a very well designed book, with great concise descriptions, good illustrations and even free downloadable images (with the purchase of the book) to practice with. I used the book a lot, until....
BIG Con: ...I had to do a college assignment to show my skills working with Mesh tool. Quite honestly I was shocked to find absolute zero on the tool in this book. Mesh tool is used very frequently and one doing digital illustration needs to be very comfortable with it. With other tools described so clearly and diligently, I am puzzled why Mesh tool was so rudely ignored by the authors...
I will not return the book, but I warn others of buying it.
INCOMPLETE!

Don't waste your money!
I found this book to be considerably lacking.It doesn't even cover some of the basics, like how to use the envelope warp to make arcs and things like that.They seem to be making the Visual Quickstart Guide books smaller and smaller.This one is about one third the size of the last Visual Quickstart Guide book I had bought, which was for Illustrator 9.I won't buy another one and I suggest you don't either.The Real World books seem to cover everything - spend your money on one of those.

This is the one!
I've recently looked at all of the Illustrator CS4 guides/books. This is the best one in my opinion. It is straightforward, easy to use, easy to read. I am just now learning Illustrator but I have used Photoshop and Indesign so I am familiar with Adobe interfaces. There may be better books for experienced users but this is the one for beginners. My only criticism is the cover but don't let it scare you off.

This book is pretty... PRETTY TERRIBLE!!
This book is pretty and has lots of colorful images in it.There, you know the only thing I like about it.If you expect to learn how to use Illustrator on your own using this book, save your money and buy another one.It is confusing, poorly written, lacks proper directions, and provides neither a quick nor easy way to learn how to use Adobe Illustrator.

A quick note on the numerous glowing reviews.Note that many of these ratings are from students using the book to supplement a course.As purely a reference guide, this book is not bad.However, I bought this book "Learn Illustrator the quick and easy way" (as it says right on the cover) on my own.If you want a book to teach you how to get "started quick", avoid this "quick start" book.It's a waste of money.

After buying this book, I've come to find some other very well written books that are by far superior to this one that I can recommend.No, I'm not some marketer.If you don't believe me, head down to your nearest book store, pull these books side by side and you'll immediately see what I mean.I wish someone had asked me to do the same.It would have saved a lot of heartache.

Try Adobe Illustrator CS4 Bible by Ted Alspach.Read the section in Chapter 2 titled "Picasso Meets Illustrator" and you'll see what I mean.Also good is the Adobe Illustrator CS4 How-Tos by David Karlins.Just compare how he lays out the different document profiles on page 2 with the way Weinman and Lourekas do on page 3 of theirs.(It took two of them to get it that wrong).


My biggest complaint about this book is that it fails to teach at all.The book reads like a series of definitions of functions rather than tell you how to use the tool.To illustrate my points (pardon the pun... I couldn't resist) I've listed a few complaints below:

1.Images in the book are not accessible:Purchase of this book gives you access to the authors' "private" lesson files.One would imagine you'd have access to the image files used in the book to follow along with the various lessons.Good luck.No explanation of where these images can be found is provided.For example, on page 7, the book has an image of four playing cards, all aces.The lesson uses this image to show you how to add an artboard to your document.The instructions fail to tell you where this document is.In fact, you'll be hard pressed to find any access to these pretty pictures.

2.Poor directions:On page 3 'Creating a new document', the book states "From the New Document Profile menu, choose a preset for the medium in which you plan to output your file.".As a PC user, I'm looking in the menu at the top of the screen for some "New Document Profile" menu.There is not one.They mean 'drop-down list box'.And what the heck medium do I plan to output my file???I'm just trying to draw something!!This book should be "guiding me" by saying, "Select 'Print' in the 'New Document Profile' listbox and click 'OK'".

3.Q:When do I get to draw??A:Page 80!!!Yeah, you don't even learn how to draw freehand until chapter 7!!There's nothing quick about this quick start.In fact, you'll spend a lot of time reading painstakingly detailed tersely written prose about everything you don't need to know right away before you even draw anything at all.Without the context of a basic drawing, many of these concepts were not clear to me at all.

4.Spaghetti writing:Nearly anything you try to read about will reference a technical term you'll need to look up somewhere else.This term will usually also contain more jargon you'll need to look up and on and on until you've flipped through the entire book.

Example 1:page 7:Under "To add an artboard to your document", step 2 it says:
"Choose the artboard tool (Shift-O).
On the Control panel, click Document Setup, then click Edit Artboards."

I spent a long time a) trying to figure out what the "Control Panel" was and b) looking for the dag blasted Document setup button.The control panel is not described anywhere up to this point.Turns out, the control panel disappears once you hit Shift-O.The book is trying to show you two ways of doing the same thing.The layout of this is not clear.

Example 2:Page 72: "When you release the mouse, the rectangle or oval will be selected, and the current fill and stroke settings will be applied to it."Go to the index to see where you can learn about the Fill and Stroke settings.... Fills, Fill Patterns, and Fill Colors aren't covered until page 333, 131, and 111 respectively.That's right.The basic concepts of filling a shape with a color of your choice aren't covered in detail until much later.Even then, stroke or fill are only tangentially discussed as options in some other lesson.Trying to find what you need is extremely difficult.

5.Extra extra dry writing:This book reads like a dry college textbook on a subject that could be fascinating and engaging if it were written by someone who write as well as they were passionate about their subject.Example page 184:"If you target a layer or group, a "Contents" listing also appears on the Appearance panel.Double-click a Contents listing to display attributes that apply to the whole layer; or click a Group listing to display group attributes."

------------------

Maybe I'm being harsh on the book, but I am in the IT industry and I own a plethora of technology manuals.This one has probably been the most frustrating to try and learn from.

Book was brand new and was exactly what was needed.
I bought this book for a class at school and it arrived within 5 days of ordering. It seems like it is brand new and it is exactly what I needed for school. ... Read more

Product Description
When the last edition of The Macintosh Bible was published Mac OS X was still in its infancy, the full suite of free Mac iLife apps had yet to appear, and the idea of switching from a PC to a Mac was still considered heresy by most Windows aficionados. Obviously, a lot has changed: Here to address those changes is the 9th Edition of the most comprehensive Mac resource on the planet. Offering an expanded chapter on digital media, a new appendix on switching (not just from Windows to Mac OS X but from earlier Mac OS versions as well), an increased focus on the newest (and newly mature) OS X versions, and brand-new interviews with Mac luminaries (at the end of each chapter), this completely revised volume offers something for Mac users of all stripes and skill levels. Leaders of the Mac community address every aspect of Mac use here, packing in hundreds of tips, trivia, sidebars, and other goodies along the way.Amazon.com Review
To listen to some Macintosh fans, you'd think they take the title of The Macintosh Bible literally. Their fondness for their computers can verge on zealotry. It's easy to understand why, though: the latest Macs are the best ever, capable of handling home computing with style and business computing efficiently. Macs, as they always have, also excel at specialized work with publications and graphics. The Macintosh Bible introduces its readers to the full range of modern Macs' capabilities, leaving them well prepared to buy, configure, use, and troubleshoot their computers. Clifford Colby and Marty Cortinas aren't as good as some other Mac writers at conveying the liveliness of the Mac-user culture--authors David Pogue and Robin Williams excel in that area--but they and their collaborators have done a great job of compiling facts, procedures, and ideas about Macs and their software.

For a how-to book, this one is unusually dense with text, and that's a good thing. After all, most aspects of Macs are pretty easy to figure out unaided, so it stands to reason that when you turn to a book for help you'll want the kind of detailed explanations that the authors provide here. There's lots of information on the history of Mac products, as well as peripherals offered by third-party vendors. Procedural details about how to do work in Mac OS X and other programs are right on, though more information about the Unix underpinnings of Mac OS X would be nice (there's hardly any, a characteristic typical of most recent Mac books). Background information about, for instance, how database management programs work also helps novices and intermediate users gain familiarity with the Mac environment. --David Wall

Topics covered: How to use a modern Macintosh computer, at a level suitable for someone new to Macs or moderately experienced with them. Coverage of hardware options, third-party software, productivity tools, utilities, and local area networks (LANs) is nice, though there's little coverage of AppleScript, Cocoa, or other programming subjects. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

A useful reference
The strengths of this book are the tips to getting yourself out of trouble. The interesting part of this book are the interviews with the major players in the history of the MAC. Gives a chance to those people to voice their opinion of the state of the MAC.

Not Quite Everything You Need to Know, but Almost
There are four major parts to this book:
. Looking at the Mac, which talks about the Mac in general from an overview of the operating system to storage systems and printing.
. Getting Productive which walks about common business and personal applications like word processing, databases and spreadsheets.
. Getting Creative, all about graphics, web design and HTML, after all, the Mac is reknown for its capabilities in the graphical area.
. Extending your Reach, reaching out for the internet, for networks and even working with Windows machines. This part also has a chapter 'Switching to the Mac from Windows.'

In a bit over a thousand pages the authors have room to cover nearly every aspect of working with a Mac. This book covers the standard everyday tasks that you're likely to do on a Mac. From here, of course you can go on to more specialized programs if that's where your job lies. For instance in the graphics area, iPhoto, which is supplied with all new Macs is covered. But if you're a graphics professional you probably want some more professional. And the book talks about the professional level packages such as Adobe Illustrator & Photoshop, ACD Systems Canvas, Macromedia FreeHand, Corel Painter, and others. It doesn't cover these in detail, but at least talks enough about them to get you started on deciding which is best for your needs.

This book is, as the title says, the Bible of the Mac. It doesn't contain everything there is to know about the Mac (if it did you couldn't lift it) but it certainly contains enough to get you well started.

"Bible" is apt...
I have to admit, from the outset, that I am not a Mac person. I am a PC tech trying to service one of the only Mac's I will probably work on this year. I have a copy of the Mac Bible. It is huge! That's not bad if it is useful. The problem I am having is finding what I need while I have to wade through the barrels of verbage that are useless to me. I finally had to resort to scouring the Web to find my answers. I guess I'm used to the more direct, almost cookbook approach to troubleshooting and setup. To be fair, and thats why I gave the book two stars instead of one, I realize that the different chapters are written by different authors, so the content and style will vary. Unfortunately for methe sections I needed were written by authors I would rather not consult in the future.

I found it very useful
I recently had an excellent opportunity to try out this book as I made the switch from the PC to a new 15" PowerBook G4.This is the type of book that very few people probably read from cover to cover.Rather they would read it as a resource book when they are having troubles or questions.As I made the change from one OS to another I found myself going to the book eleven times.Two of those times the book didn't answer my questions.But for the most part I learned what I needed to know each time.

If you are about to make a switch or are having issues with your Mac I would recommend this book to you.

good
its a good book, if you are reading this review, skip the first chapter. I wish it had information of the newer OS like OS X. I learn many simple things about Macs I had no idea.
good book!!The is a newer Mac bible, take a look on that one. ... Read more

Product Description
REALbasic is one of the most popular programming platforms for Macintosh users. It's powerful, inexpensive, easy-to-use, and allows programmers to create applications for Macintosh, Mac OS X, and Windows. REALbasic has been described as "Visual Basic for the Macintosh" and indeed, REALbasic's visual, drag-and-drop interface is easy enough for beginners to learn, while still powerful enough for professionals to use. REALbasic for Macintosh: Visual QuickStart Guide shows how to develop applications for the Macintosh and Windows platform, with plenty of screenshots to guide readers along. This book covers REALbasic version 3.5, which adds supports for Mac OS X, powerful new 3D graphics, Microsoft Office automation, an internal scripting language, and much more. Ideal for beginning programmers as well as those with more programming experience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Good book for it's day
This was a good book. But it is way out of date. First off, it only covers the Macintosh version of REALbasic. Second, it only covers a very old version of REALbasic. So you will not learn anything about REALbasic 2006 from this book. Lastly, there is no coverage of Windows or Linux.

Unless the publisher comes out with a new edition, I'd stay away from this one and go with one of the newer REALbasic books.

REALbasic for Macintosh
Book is currently out-of-date. After updating, it may become a good reference.

REALbasic for Macintosh Review
Although the text is lightweight and friendly, I found the amount of information in "REALbasic for Macintosh" to be quite sparse considering the page count.Although the book is intended to have a limited (introductory) scope and is priced accordingly, there is a good deal of blank space at the end of most topic sections, and many common steps in the tutorials are repeated ad nauseum. I was left thinking that much more could be covered in the same amount of pages.

I don't know if the Visual Quickstart format assumes that the reader needs to be told each and every step EACH and EVERY time, but I found the ongoing repetition to be tedious and a bit insulting. The text should provide shorthands to these common procedures after the reader has done them a few times.

Worse than that are the numerous typos in both the examples and main text. I spent a good deal of my time being distracted by errors and emailing the author to request that he revise his erratum web page for this book.To his credit, Mr. Swaine did get back to me each time I emailed an new item. Needless to say, the book would benefit from more careful proof reading.

I second the motion that a second edition should be aimed toward fixing these typos and providing more substance. Only then can "REALbasic for Macintosh" become the fine introductory guide that novice REALbasic programmers are looking for,

Imperfect
I like this series of books, and its an admirable attempt in this case, but i was tearing my hair out because the several examples I tried failed to work. at various points there are key details left out, and a number of typos or incorrect diagrams. The author has a website with the errors, and seems to make a conscientioius effort to address the problems, but i think the truth of the matter, is that this book needs a re-write and re-release. I find it still useful to have to get another opinion after reading the real manuals. I have had some frustrating days with RB, but now that I am getting the hang of it, it can be quite fun. There does not seem to be a single good reference. The manuals are either too general (the users guide) or too sparse and lacking in detail (the reference manual). I suppose if you keep plugging along and look at the manuals AND the books, it will be come clearer and clearer.

It's REALLYREALLYbasic
If REALbasic is to be your very first venture into the world of computer programming, and you don't even know what an IDE, a compiler or a stream is, this book could very possibly provide you just the orientation you need to start writing a simple application. In this sense, the book is true to the Visual QuickStart concept. However, so is REALSoftware's own Quickstart.pdf, and the latter is free and you probably already have it (if you already bought RB). Go through Real's quickstart tutorials, and if you're still not getting anywhere, consider this book.

If you've programmed in any other environment at all, particularly any of the "visual" ones or even Flash, then you will find yourself quickly looking past the back cover of this book wondering where the in-depth content is. I'll tell you where it is, it's in Matt Neuburg's book, the REALbasic book that you should be purchasing if you already have ANY programming experience. Don't let the "Now covers version 3" on Matt's book fool you into thinking it's obsolete--far from it! Certainly parts of RB have been improved upon since V3 (it's at 5.2.1 as I write this), but the core language and concepts are all the same. Matt's book is also a good reference, which you'll consult regularly as you work. Example: wondering how to properly use a memoryBlock? You could read pages 186-191 in Matt's book and learn all you need to know, or you could consult Real's online Language Reference examples, or you could look in the index of this visual quickstart book and find that there isn't even an entry for memoryBlock. The proper choice should be clear.

I give this 2 stars for its potential usefulness in orienting someone who knows literally nothing about any manner of programming. ... Read more

Product Description
A book/disk set, containing weird and bizarre games and unusual utilities. It includes a disk and a membership card for the Midnight Mac Society. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A must have for every real macfan
This book contains real facts and stories about the Mac that every fan or addicted to this computer must know. If you go to sleep thinking what to do tomorrow with your Mac, if you spend a lot of time thinking of your Mac, in other words, If you have the Mac in your vains, this is a book for you ... Read more

Product Description
Within the past few years, permanent connections to the Internet (cable modems, DSL) and peer-to-peer networking (such as Napster) have become popular with home users, but these technological advances open up your computer to security risks. While there are many books available on Internet and network security, there are currently no books available on personal Macintosh security for home users written for both Mac OS 9 and OS X. Macintosh Internet Security: A Guide to Securing your Mac on the Internet fills this void with a home user guide to the essentials of Macintosh security. From viruses and personal firewalls, to analyzing and responding to security threats, Macintosh Internet Security leads beginner and advanced Macintosh users through the basics of personal Macintosh security. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Clear and helpful
This book is just what it promises, "a guide for the rest of us." It explains how things work, clearly and in logical order, and is laid out so you can easily pick out the parts you need to read.
I used the book to set up a firewall. I had previously purchased a perfectly good one with simple controls, but had no idea what all the buttons meant in terms of blocking unwanted intrusions while retaining normal Internet access. (I'm an experienced Macintosh user, but naive about the underlying mechanisms of the Internet.)
Oppenheimer defines the underlying concepts and provides simple instructions, and with his book I was able to set up my computer security system in less than an hour.

Another "Must Have" Mac Computer Book
Internet Security for the Macintosh - A Guide for the Rest of Us is I believe a "Must Have" Computer Manual, alongside David Pouges "Missing Manual" and Steve Schwartz "Internet Explorer for Macintosh" for every serious Mac Users reference library

The authors, Oppenheimer and Whittaker come impeccably credentialed and their expertise as filtered by joint authorship has clearly made use of their backgrounds with measured and pragmatic effective advice taking you carefully through security requirements from the bottom up. One undeniable advantage in this respect is that they also currently provide ISP services so they know what the real world is about and it shines through.

In addition the timing of the publication is excellent.

Whilst it is Mac specific it could well be considered an essential basic Internet Security Manual for PC Users as well.

The Manual of around 400 pages and 18 chapters is broken down into four sections 1. General Security Principles 2. Securing Internet Services 3. Enhancing Overall Security and 4. Advanced Topics.

The message comes through. If you don't get the basics right even if you apply the advanced advice there may be holes in your system (Microsoft where have we experienced this before!)

There are chapters on Viruses, Personal Firewalls, Home Networking, Securing Mac OS X and an intriguing - Just say no to FTP!

Here I believe in the one place is pragmatic and sensible advice which if followed will make your computer far less vulnerable to Villains, Hackers and Mischief Makers, particularly now that the migration to Cable, ADSL and other broadband DSL technologies leave us a lot more vulnerable than with dial up connections.

Peachpit Press has set up a website to facilitate feedback updates and more recent information for purchasers of the guide.

great work
At last..a timely and well written book that specifically details the essentials of Mac security...highly recommended

Nice
The book excellently and up-to-date describes the technical issues and is so well-written that we may read it and be glad we did, but it is also so nice and lacks an inspiring ending that we may not do much about Internet security for our Macintoshes once we have put the book down. ... Read more

Product Description
You already know why it makes sense for you to learn Adobe InDesign:because major magazines, newspapers, book publishers, ad agencies,graphic-design firms, and corporate creative groups worldwide use it toincrease productivity and refine creative results. And you need to getup to speed on the very newest version--Adobe InDesign CS2--today!Enter Adobe InDesign CS2 for Macintosh and Windows: Visual QuickStartGuide. Using the task-based, visual approach that has become thehallmark of Peachpit's popular Visual QuickStart Guides, this volumeprovides a fast, easy, comprehensive introduction to everythingInDesign. You'll learn about all aspects of the InDesign interface,including its tools and palettes, as well as how to create documentsand master pages, import and style text and objects, automate yourwork, manage long documents, use the Bezier pen tools,createinteractive PDF elements, and work with color.  You'll also learnhow to use the new Adobe Bridge file browser to locate, manage, anddrag and drop assets easily into your InDesign layouts. You’ll find anew chapter on working with InCopy, complete coverage of more advancedtopics (like preflighting and advanced text control) and a thorough introduction to all of InDesign's productivity-enhancing features and tools. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Love this book
I've used Visual Quickstart books for years. I've used them for Photoshop, and Quark 6.0. I learned Quark using version 3.0 back many moons ago. I have another "inDesign" book that is way too big and complicated then I remembered the Visual Quickstart. They are amazing books and are easy to use. I just wish InDesign was easier to used like Quark. The only reason I', using InDesign rather Then Quark is I just switched to a Mac and I didnt have Quark for the Mac. But the book is GREAT

Fine for the novice
Having newly come from Microsoft Publisher, In Design was a challenge. I used the Adobe manual in parallel with this one, got more out of the combination than the sum of each one by itself. Managed to produce a design in three weeks from start to finish. Friends who know the business find that a remarkably short time.

Indesign for Mac (Visual quick start)
Ok booIt is hard to find what you need.

REALLY HELPFUL!
I was used to an InDesign software from far ago, the dinosaur era. When got the newest version, was at a complete lost. This book explains in easy words EVERYTHING! Adobe's software is great, but their manuals can be used and understood by those with an IQ of 300 up. Am grateful for this book and fully recommend it.

quite boring
Technically, this will teach you how to use indesign. But it's so boring and repetitive. It's like memorizing a list. ... Read more

Product Description
A follow-up to the definitive Mac Toolbox guide offers readers even greater coverage of the tools and utilities available in this useful package. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Essential for Mac Programmers
Yes, it's true that Apple has all its "Inside Macintosh" books available online now. Or you could get the Inside Macintosh CD-ROM, which contains some 26 volumes of these amazing books.

But if you're like me,you aren't about to sit in front of your computer reading a book of thislength and depth. This is one to curl up in a chair with and really getinto.

Continuing where "Inside Macintosh: Macintosh ToolboxEssentials" left off, this book describes more Mac OS features, suchas the Resource Manager(worth purchasing just for this chapter), ScrapManager, and the Component Manager. Other chapters cover more obscuresubjects, Like Icon Utilities, Translation Manager, and List Manager.

There's also a chapter on Control Panels, but Joe Zobkiw's book "AFragment of Your Imagination" will help you a lot more in thatdirection. This book isn't so much about how you should implement, butabout how things really work at the deepest level.

As the title of thisreview says, this is a book for programmers, not novices. If you're notintimidated by long code examples or explanations of OS behavior at thebyte and bit level, you will not find a more thorough explanation of what'sgoing on in Macintosh applications. Note that code samples are in Pascal,so some translation is required if you want to use them in your C/C++programs.

(If you're just starting out, you're better off getting theprevious volume, "Macintosh Toolbox Essentials," which coversmore fundamental Toolbox features. That one is a five-star book!) ... Read more

Product Description

When simple 3D models aren¿t enough¿when you want to put hair on your character¿s chest, add soft-body dynamics, include particle effects, and more¿NewTek¿s 3D powerhouse LightWave 8 is the software you need. Instead of lengthy tutorials, you¿ll find task-based, step-by-step instruction and concise explanations that lets you get down to the serious business of creating 3D graphics and animation with a minimum amount of fuss and a maximum amount of enjoyment. If you¿re an advanced user, you¿ll be able to go straight to the new features that interest you most: workflow and user interface enhancements, improved character-animation tools, tighter integration with other production tools and third-party add-ons, and more. And if you¿re new to LightWave, you¿ll be able to get your feet wet without being intimidated. With plenty of visual aids and tips to ease the way, you¿ll soon find yourself creating animations, working with vertex maps, editing geometry, rendering projects, and more.

Customer Reviews (2)

Exactly what I was expecting from a peachpit book.
Let me start off by saying that there is no quick way to learn Lightwave. I have been using lightwave for more than two years and i finally feel like I have explored all of the program. The fastest way to learn 3D is by following online project tutorials. Having this book around is a nice little reference for beginners. I would not suggest it for the intermediate or advanced user since it just covers the basics.

There might be useful information hidden in here some place
I am fairly new to 3d, and brand new to Lightwave.I am not new to computer art nor technical books.
I bought this book hoping to learn how to better use my new toy, and I am very disappointed.Not in Lightwave, but in this book.

The back cover says "need to learn lightwave fast" it should have continued "get a different book". Simply put, I've gotten free tutorials on the web that were more informative, more helpful and infinately more readable.For example, the first 42 pages are a recitation of what buttons there are without any context on why I want to know this.Nor any thing to do with said buttons and menus.A droneing list of pointless details and useless items that is really beyond description for dullness. There is a menu called 'x'.There is a button called 'y'.This continues for 42 pages, and is the introduction to the book; this is just strange.This is the sort of pointless writing that children engage in when trying to pad their homework to the required number of words engage in; it is the most useless introduction I have read in 25 years of reading these sorts of technical books.

Layout (chapter organization, topic selection, chapter order): F- (Is there a grade worse then F?)
indexing: C- (bad, but just barely passable)
Writing: D(Very bad.Reading this is like listening to a monotone lecturer reading his or her notes rather then speaking)

Over all useabiltiy: F

I wasted my money on this one, and am back here looking for another.Before you buy this book, check it out from the library or something.There may be useful reference material for intermediate users of Lightwave hidden in here, but beginners should look else where.The very bad writing, and worse organization has me kicking myself for this purchase.
... Read more