Operating Systems Books

Anyone learning photoshop for the first time, or upgrading to CS3, should get this book and read it through. Even if you are proficient in previous versions, this book opens up new concepts and introduces the reader to new tools, not available in previous versions of Adobe Photoshop. This book will truly increase productivity and improve quality.

This book and CD works very well by having you actually do the lessons from the CD so you practice as you read. This is an excellent way to learn. It has been very helpful.

This product was not quiet as good as promised, but very close. The shipping was fast and the price was great.

The book touches on some of the general broad tools of Photoshop CS3. The problem is that Photoshop CS3 is a very involved and somewhat complex software application. It takes more practice than this book can cover.

I previously took a Photoshop class and really did not feel I had a very good understanding of the program. This book takes you step by step through th program. I think I learned more from the book than I did the class!

I remember getting my hands on Harvard Graphics way back when and being so excited about how it would revolutionize presentations. But basically, though the software has improved since then, we use it the same way. Reynolds shows it doesn't have to be that way; you don't have to shoot your audience full of bullet points. I think you could probably get the gist of his message by reading his excellent blog - the book could have gone further beyond that, I think. In any case, if you suffer from presentation fatigue in your workplace, show this to your boss and your team members. For sure buy the book if your boss won't be impressed that you found a cool business tip on a blog.

99 percent of PowerPoint presentation sucks. So begins Presentation Zen with an introduction from Guy Kawasaki. Or I should say, the book opens with a presentation from Kawasaki. Before getting to business, author Garr Reynolds explains that Presentation Zen is an approach not a method.

This book doesn't give you step one, two, three. If it did, the book would turn into a method. An approach provides guidelines and direction. Reynolds looks back at the history of PowerPoint along with experts' slamming the software. People forget that PowerPoint is a tool not a method. The templates, however, may be partially at fault for the bad PowerPoint-based presentations we see today.

So Reynolds says we can keep PowerPoint, but we need to dump the templates and their bulleted lists. Instead, presenters need to go for the right brain and left brain instead of leaning on one or the other.

The book contains three parts: preparation, design, and delivery. Preparation explores creativity, limitations, and starting work on the presentation AWAY from the computer ("planning analogy" as Reynolds calls it) using pen and paper, sticky notes or whiteboards. Reynolds shows how stories and examples can help make your ideas sticky with your audience.

He also encourages practicing restraint. It's too easy for us to fall into the trap of using clichés -- not just in words, but in visuals like two hands shaking in front of the globe. Don't do it. Just don't. It's been done and no longer sticks with people. Here the book discusses the use of storyboards.

In design, Reynolds takes the reader on a trip in achieving simplicity, which we know doesn't come easy. The Zen principles come in as Reynolds covers simplicity (kanso), naturalness (shizen) and elegance (shibumi). Rather than adding to the clutter, try removing things from a slide to simplify the message.

I love chapter six because it contains many example slides -- before and after so you can see the power of changing slides from noisy to simple. I learn well from examples and this chapter covers every aspect including balance, empty space, repetition, contrast and more. I value this chapter because it provides a variety of examples covering different topics while chapter seven examples come from other people's presentations -- some you might recognize such as Shift Happens.

The rest of the book offers suggestions on the giving of the presentation. After all, the slides act as an accessory to the presentation. If they're the presentation and contain the whole thing, then cancel it and send the slides to the attendees. Save them a trip and a boring presentation.

Presentation Zen as a whole combines many of the expertise we've seen or heard over the years from other experts. So it's nice to get it in one little book. I've heard some of the ideas and comments, but I also pick up new ones.

The little book contains a neat little package that will help readers throughout the presentation process from beginning with an idea to ending with applause. It'll serve well as a reference or a read from front to back and later referencing. It won't work as the only tool as it only focuses on approach. Some folks need more than that to create a successful presentation.

Garr Ryenolds has hit the target, right smack in the center, on identifying the misuse of software such as PowerPoint in presentations. Reynolds takes us on an enjoyable, enlightening journey of identifying and avoiding "really bad PowerPoint" presentations, replacing them with really good ones! The author knows how to motivate the reader to strive for excellence in presentations, and provides effective methods for doing just that. As a bonus, the book is a delight to read.
Anton J. Lachner, Ph.D., J.D.
Fu Jen Catholic University
Taipei, Repulbic of China in Taiwan

I LOVE this book! It is not only a wonderful and simply laid out way of challenging old assumptions about Power Point presentations and the way we construct them, but it also contains some great philosophy to inspire originality. The book is cleanly laid out, and has application to areas other than just presentations; it makes you think more about the way you present generally and sell your ideas.

Reynolds is generous in his acknowledgement of other writers and people who have inspired him - I have bought most of the other books he refers to and found them extremely useful.

The chapters are presented in way that makes your recollection of them easier, and putting them in the Zen context certainly aids with awareness.

I really do recommend this book to others, and it's worth also taking a look at the related blog for ongoing examples of effective presentations.

My manager and a few on the team have been fans for a long time, including participating on his blog. We bought the book and then had him come to campus to teach in person. Best 8 hours I've spent! Love him, love the book.

The Missing Manual is absolutely mandatory for anyone just getting a Mac and especially those switching from Windows to Apple's OS X Leopard system.
It is exhaustingly thorough and accurate. Without it, I would not have known where to begin with so many alternatives in the Mac system. It is like having a translation for those switching from Windows. I highly recommend the Missing Manual as the "Bible" for OS X Leopard.

Many years using a PC and bought this to help me get up to speed with the Mac and was dissappointed.

I own many books from "The Missing Manual" series. I couldn't work without them. Easy to understand instructions for all areas of using the newest incarnation of OS X.

I just purchased an IMac from my friend who decided to get the laptop and having used a Mac from way back when thought - what's there to learn? But the new operating system and applications/tools take a bit of getting used to..so easy. But there is always something you can't remember how to configure and this book makes it very easy to find 'how to' and move on. More time to enjoy your new IMac! Highly recommend for anyone just moving back to the 'white side', or an experienced user to quickly go to the answer.

A great book -- I can't imagine anything better -- and yes, it is missing from the OS X Leopard, but hey -- Apple only charged $129 for this product, while the book would add significantly (at least percentage wise) to this price, and many wouldn't need this book even if included. But it is necessary for a newbie like me.

And note that there are other "Missing Manuals" in this series supporting Mac products. For example I already have their iMovie '08 & iDVD manual, and also their iPhoto '08 - a separate manual all by itself. These are all by David Pogue, and are products of O'Reilly Media of Canada. Maybe there are more, and I'll look for them when I get a min. David Pogue BYW is the technology columnist for the New York Times, and an Emmy-winning CBS correspondent besides being the creator of the Missing Manual series.

For anyone attempting to learn the Adobe software, pick up this series. I have used it in Illustrator and Photoshop and they were highly informative and helpful. :)

Started using Illustrator about two months ago and got lost from time to time and had to spend hours trying to unravel my mistakes. This book is wonderful, it is easy to use and is a big help to the novice. I would recomend it to anyone that wants to get to know the product.
Very happy with this purchase!

The book made light work of the subject. As a novice i was able start producing work in a short time.

I have completed many of the Adobe Classroom in a Book series.
I have come to the conclusion that Adobe can do better.
Many times the structure and sentences are confusing.
Adobe could do a better job if they did an advanced version of the Learning Visually series. That is really what these books are all about, yet many times the reader must reread a simple sentence many times to decipher the true meaning of simple tasks.
I hope with with all their billions they could afford to overhaul the training material for their avid fans (no pun intended).

This is certainly the first book you need to get started with Adobe Illustrator.
Illustrator Classroom in a Book provides practice lessons using most of the features of Adobe Illustrator but does little to explain the hows and whys of the tools. Follow the instructions precisely, and you'll be ready to tackle your own artwork. But skip a step or misunderstand an instruction and you can get lost. This is not a book for the impatient student.

I received this product about 3 days after ordering it. I was kept up to date with a tracking number and the product shipped to me in perfect condition.

I bought this book because of the title but I have to be honest the examples are not very clear. I look for a book that has clearly explained examples that lead you to a final product. This book doesn't even tell you which examples to open for each chapter. Most books say open the file (and gives the file name) then it walks you through each step explaining what is being done as you go. This book doesn't do that as evidenced in the chapter about layers where is doesn't clearly explain which files to open or what to do with them to get to the final outcome.

I am learning photoshop for the first time and this book has help me tremendously in my class. It is worth the purchase.

This book was a big dissapointment...there is a ton of important stuff missing...Info on 'actions' ...its not even listed in the index...better off to stick with the CS2 edition.

Conceptually I really like the idea behind these books. You want to find a technique and boom there it is laid out on one or two pages step by step. The problem is it seems I never use them very much. I don't know if the indexing is better in other books or the way it's presented is a little more engaging but I've noticed that after a few years they are always my choice of last resort. Like I said they have a wealth of info packed into them but you should look at how you work and how they're laid out before you buy.

Great book that beginners and experts alike can gain valuable knowledge from. Though you really need to know a little bit about Java or C so that you have a little background on programming so you will have something to compare it to Cocoa programming.

It's the best book i know for programming on Mac OSX !

Thanks from Berlin Germany !

Honestly, I was quite apprehensive because I'm a newbie to programming, with just a passing knowledge of Objective-C (gained from online resources). However, after going through 80% of the book (and looking forward to the next few chapters), I can say that this is definitely a great resource for any beginner who wants to learn how to write Cocoa programs. At the same time, concepts which I first found difficult to comprehend in Apple's online documentation became much easier to understand after they were discussed in the book.

IMHO, anyone interested to become a Mac developer should read this amazing book + Apple's great online documentation. I guess the only way to improve it would be to include sections on iPhone development for the 4th edition. Thanks for a great book Mr. Hillegass, and for making Cocoa fun to learn! =)

The author is probably the only professional Cocoa instructor, and if not the only, at least the one that's been so the longest. As such, his book is absolutely amazing. The instruction takes you through everything you need to know to start writing your own Cocoa applications. The pace in which he introduces topics is just right. It's structured to make you question things, then he immediately answers any question you might have had. And by the end of the book, you're also taught how to teach yourself anything else you may find yourself needing to know about the Cocoa frameworks. The beginning of the book is also a great crash course in Objective-C, that is, if you already know another OO-language. This gets my highest review, a first for an instructional material.

This book is excellent. The explanations are short and very clear. The author makes cocoa really easy to learn, step by step. There are good and instructive exercices he calls challenges.
You can really get to work right after reading this book and completing the so called challenges. And it will certainly be a handy reference book.
A must have.

What I like most about this little book is that it gives me the facts I need to get productive FAST!!!! It's innovative layout and folksy tone make it that much easier to cut to the chase. I can't afford the time or money to shell out for a lot of these technical books, but this one WAS REALLY WORTH IT IN TIME AND MONEY!!! GREAT BOOK, GUYS!! (FYI There are some nice skins and covers for the iPhone, but the one I've liked the best is the iPhone Invisible Shield by Zagg. It's industrial strength plastic really protects the back and front from scratches.)

Chaulk full of information that has been pulled together for easy reference, most of the information I already new about, but a few things came in handy!!

Like the 2-star reviewer, I bought this book based on the other reviews. It really doesn't offer anything that I didn't learn from just playing with the phone. I read, and learned much more about my phone, from reading David Pogue's and Andy Ihnatko's books on the 2G Iphone than I did from this book. This book is more interesting than the manual, but for me, it's a waste of time.

I am a self-confessed Apple lover and part-time geek. Living in the UK, I was one of the first Brits to get by grubby paws on the original iPhone - a mere 3 days after it went on sale in the US. Of course, I had to upgrade it to a 16GB version when that was released, and again when the iPhone 3G came out. In short, I think the iPhone is a mighty fine phone indeed.

As an architecture, the iPhone is particularly clever - you can update it when Apple release updates, which means that your phone might have more functionality in the evening than it did in the morning - how many phones do that for you? The downside of this is that the iPhone changes constantly, and while some of the upgraded things are announced loudly, it takes a lot of dedication to become a full-on power user of the iPhone.

One way of doing that is to go to the Apple store and listen to their seminars, but frankly, I don't really fancy travelling across town to get to the apple store: I've got better things to do with my evenings - and for those living outside London, it's not really an option. Which is why McFedries and Pabian's iPhone 3G Portale Genius book is such an amazing find. Here, you get all the inside information from people who really know what they are talking about, because they've used the phone as power-users, researched all its functionality, and manage to impart the knowledge in a rather clever way, too.

Using simple step-by-step instructions, lots of insight, and an easy-to-read writing style, this book is a fabulous find.

True geeks won't need it, of course, but despite being one of those, I have to confess I learned quite a few new tricks from it - and if I manage to talk my mom into buying an iPhone, then this book will be her welcoming present into the iPhone universe... If only to stop her from asking me all the mundane questions :)

I thought I knew everythign about my iphone. I am the type to figure out and not read directions. There are a lot of tips and tricks in here that you cant possibly figure out on your own. I now love my iPhone evern more.

I am taking a series of courses on the Adobe CS3 design programs. These books are the required texts.

I am extremely pleased with the content and support they provide for me to learn the programs.

They are a mix between "techbook" and "textbook" - they are NOT as dry as other technical manuals, yet cover "just enough" material to help out in a tight spot.

There may be other books that other reviewers prefer, however I wish to point out that they are titled "QUICK START" guides, not "every single thing you need to know about this piece of software" guide.

If you are trying to learn the software on your own, might I suggest the Adobe Press "Classroom in a Book" series. Also the Adobe Press "Real World" book series gives insights into the software that these quick start guides do not. If you are learning with a teacher, these books fit the bill.

I am learning illustrator for the first time and found this book to extremely helpful. If you are struggling with illustrator, you need to buy this book!!

I buy books to use for the online and classroom classes that I teach. I have used a number of the Visual Quickstart Guide books because my students love them and they really cover the material well. I purchased this book for versions CS, CS2 and CS3 and as I started to develop the class I realized that there were no example files with the book. Usually the author tells you where you can download the examples from. Since many of their examples start from content that is already created, it makes it very hard for a student who like to use hands-on to follow along in the book to do so. I tried contacting the publisher to see if there was any way to get the files but I have yet to receive a reponse.

It's a good reference, but I don't recommend it as an aid to learning the application.

This manual provides someone just getting started using Illustrator with clear explanations for each menu option, tool, and function, along with step-by-step instructions on how to use them. All the other manuals inevitably assume that the reader is familiar with earlier versions of Illustrator and take too much for granted. The tool-by-tool organization and step-by-step instructions of this manual are refreshingly clear and specific, and tell the reader exactly how to use this powerful software.

If any book is being worshipped for it's content on Algorithms in Academia, then it is this book. I have used this book both in my undergraduate and my Masters and definitely the best in the field.

But, I personally think the topics covered are complex to begin with. So, it takes this book and couple of books for reference to understand the topics completely. If you want to develop new efficient algorithms, then this is the book to begin with. Over all a very good book. Would definitely recommend it.

This book is must have for any software programmer. It is one of the best book I had ever had. It has many mathematical concepts and ppl who are mathematical geeks with software skills will love this book even more like me. This was the first book i bought from Used book section and I am extremely satisfied with the condition. I was quite skeptical when I was buying the book, but the sellers are really good with the what they promised. I am totally impressed and i really appreciate it.
Thanks Guys.

I used this book for a graduate level Algorithms course, and I really liked it. It is packed full of content on a wide range of topics. While this book does provide some high-level implementations of algorithms in pseudo-code, you will not find any examples of how to program algorithms in this book. That's really not what this book is meant for anyways.

I found the reading to be easier than Knuth on similar topics, but you still need to have sufficient mathematical background in order to keep up (statistics, discrete math, some calculus). Also, unlike many technical books I've read recently, I did not find any mistakes, not even a typo.

Some people are not aware that the MIT Open Courseware website has some excellent free video course lectures that use this book. I highly recommend at least viewing the first three or four of those lectures if you are new to this topic because they compliment this book very well. Make sure you understand the first four chapters of this book before moving on to other topics.

Also, since it had been a while since I had the math as an undergraduate, I was relieved to learn that this book had several appendices that provided a review of the math topics required by the book.

The only negative about the book is that it does not provide answers to any of the exercises at the end of the chapters, so you really need to use this book in conjunction with a course in order to be able to check your progress and how well you are learning the information. If you're not using this book with a course, check the MIT Open Courseware website that I mentioned previously. It has some sample assignments you can use.

This book is (in my opinion) an essential resource of common computer science algorithms. It covers a broad range of different algorithm topics and I found the explanations by the authors extremely helpful and simple to understand (both with simple and advanced topics). It does attempt to cover as many algorithm topics as possible, so some topics may not be covered in fine detail (it does not spend as much time on runtime analysis as other books, or spend much time on NP problems). It is perfect for someone taking an algorithms class (grad or undergrad), or someone looking to broaden their algorithm knowledge. I only wish there was some form of solutions guide to help verify answers to review questions.

There are three versions of the second edition, only one of which has the CD:

The first one is published by the MIT Press, with the title "Introduction to Algorithms". This one has no CD. This is the one Amazon currently carries, so if you buy from Amazon, you get no CD.

The second one is published by McGraw-Hill, also with the title "Introduction to Algorithms". This one also has no CD.

The third one is published by McGraw-Hill too, but has the title "Introduction to Algorithms and Java CD-ROM". This is the one with the CD. It's much more expensive than the other two.

The CD in the third version contains implementations of the algorithms in Java.

To find someone that carries the CD version, search for this ISBN-13 number: 9780072970548 , or for "Introduction to Algorithms and Java CD-ROM" .

Note: Some listings that come up for the ISBN number will not be the correct version. Look carefully for "and Java CD-ROM" before buying.

I don't own the book but I've checked and read it at a nearby store. I sat down and read it for nearly an hour (because I'm serious about jumping in to learn InDesign) Well, what I can say is; If you are a beginner, then use the Adobe Classroom book. It have all the tutorial and hands on training using the file included. You NEED hands training, file example and step by step instruction and finally see it done. That's how you TRULY learn. Although there has been a negative review on Adobe InDesign CS3 Classroom book, but its a good start for total beginner. Don't be too ambitious when you're just starting out (like immediately attracted to a 5 star book telling you can produce professional layout plus easy enough to follow.)
So, for me; this book is not for beginners. If you have strong mind and can remember things just by reading, then you can get this book (or if you're a beginner who like that style of learning). This book is more like a reference book. (If you want to know I'm suit enough to make this comments, then go to http://adrs-tester.blogspot.com. Decide yourself whenever you want to accept my review or not after seeing the example website. Well, sorry Blogger, I crash you to test my working environment on a free platform... :-)

Having bought this book as a requirement for my Page Layout class, I was surprised to see that I actually used the book. Like the QuickStart book for Quark, it offers invaluable information clearly, and is laid out in a streamlined and clean fashion. I have used InDesign CS2 in the past, but CS3 had new tools and shortcuts. This book defines InDesign CS3 effortlessly which is wonderful for students. I have come back time and again to this book when I get stuck. Whether you're a beginner to Adobe InDesign, an intermediate user, or professional you will definitely find a use for this book.

I've used InDesign from the first iteration six or seven years ago ... I am reasonibly glib in all its nuances, until I got CS3.

This version adds a LOT of new methods and techniques which aren't too intuitive. But ... Sandee Cohen came to the rescue with this new, comprehensive manual, with a lot of test, methods and various explantions of techniques. As usual, you did good Sandee. Thanks for holding my hand while I scratched my head.

This book is very in depth and the author is clearly knowledgeable, so for that I give it high marks. However, as someone who was completely new to InDesign (and all Adobe programs), I was hoping for a guide that was easy to follow and that gave me some sort of path to take to become comfortable with the program. This guide claims to be "the quick, easy way" to learn but there is no step-by-step instruction and the pages are cluttered with information. I was hoping for a "classroom approach," and this guide reads more like a reference manual with no cohesion between instructions. It's got all the answers, but the presentation is clearly geared toward more experienced users. Anyone approaching Adobe products for the first time should look elsewhere. I am going to try CS3 for dummies and hope for better results.

With zero experience with layout programs, this book did a very credible job of walking me through and making me not only knowledgable, but competent. A couple of spots in the book I thought could have been better arranged...different order of teaching, but that is really a minor detail. A number of software books just take you through the keyboard strokes without detailed explanations of the tools, their properties, and especially, how those tools relate to actaul production. This book does a great job of giving the complete picture of not only how, but when and why.

If you've never used InDesign CS3 this book is for you.