Scott Kelby is a writing wildman. How does he produce so many clever, insightful books all at the same time? The following four are updated versions of texts originally created for previous editions of Mac OS (Jaguar) and Photoshop (v.7). Let’s get started!
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The Mac OS X Conversion Kit: 9 to 10 Side by Side
by Scott Kelby
ISBN 0-7357-1389-8, 267 pages
$29.99 US, $45.99 CN, £23.50 UK
Where the fudge is Disk FirstAid and how do I use it in Panther? Why are all my screen items such chubby icons? Where the heck is Extensions Manager in OS X?
You’ll find answers to these and other mysteries of Pantherlife in Scott’s Conversion Kit. Most mortals won’t justify spending $30 merely to learn a few “wherezits†and “whyzats,†but all computer tutors, educators, and serious learners should do so.
Two page spreads display the matter at hand, such as “Play a Music CD,†and then explain how it’s done in OS 9 (left page) and OS X (right page). Simple idea, but Kelby did it first and does it correctly.
His comments are chatty and personal, so before you realize it, you’ll be a power user in Panther, as far as the basics of conversion are concerned. Sections are organized into logical units of Mac activities. Want to select a printer? Look it up in contents or index, or turn to page 130. Special “new stuff†bottom bars indicate extra tips, which are valuable.
I carry my copy of The Mac OS X Conversion Kit: 9 to 10 Side by Side (plus the Jaguar edition) with me on my daily tutorial rounds, and both get plenty of attention. Our MyMac.com rating is 4 out of 5.
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Mac OS X Killer Tips: The Ultimate Collection of Mac OS Sidebar Tips (Without the Sidebars)
by Scott Kelby
ISBN 0-7357-1393-6, 309 pages
$29.99 US, $45.99 CN, £23.50 UK
“Not just tips. Killer tips!†That’s the claim. How’s his aim?
This book is an intermediate user’s dream come true. Did you know you can customize Apple’s Mail toolbar to your individual requirements? How about gaining total control of managing your Dock and everything inside it? Is tabbed browsing second nature to you?
The Panther edition of Mac OS X Killer Tips picks up where The Mac OS X Conversion Kit leaves off. My tutorial clients don’t see me studying Scott’s Killer Tips tome, because they think I was born with this knowledge. Far from it. Panther is still an acquired taste for Nemo, with my comfort zone increasing with every page I absorb from this book.
I wish my colleagues David Weeks or Owen Rubin got to this Kelby klassic before I did, since they are already power geekers. Perhaps they’d be more critical. With snappy writing and years of Mac wisdom, Scott created a reference work disguised as a heavy duty quickstart guide. iTunes’ Visualizer, a personal favorite, has its own series of tips, so put on your Grateful Dead LPs and take this groovy winner for a ride.
Highly recommended, with a MyMac.com rating of 5 out of 5.
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The Photoshop CS Book for Digital Photographers
by Scott Kelby
ISBN 0-7357-1411-8, 373 pages
$39.99 US, $60.99 CN, £30.99 UK
The only way our pending pile of Photoshop and digital photography titles will ever be reduced is for us to plow through them in chunks. If these capsule reviews don’t satisfy your curiosity, let us know and we’ll try to prepare more extensive critiques.
This one is a how-to volume, with exercises broken into detailed steps, each having screen shot and/or image sample for illustration. Scott Kelby is a world-class Photoshop guru, so his instructions are precise and well-tested.
I’m glad he includes “Removing the Signs of Aging,†beginning on page 187, because my wrinkles are heading toward the Southern Hemisphere. Ditto for “Stitching Panoramas Together,†to help me create 44-inch long banners featuring the glorious views from out here in the Arizona desert.
A ton of work went into creating The Photoshop CS Book for Digital Photographers, and I applaud everyone involved. You can’t blast through these projects like you can with the tips in the Panther books mentioned above.
Hey! Here’s one I was just trying to figure out for an art project my wife is working on: “Using the Crop Tool to Add more Canvas Area.†Thanks, Scott. I’m a hero now at home (for a little while).
It will take months or years for readers to become familiar with every tutorial in this splendid beginner/intermediate Photoshop and digicam recipe book, but each of you should begin by taking Scott’s lessons seriously, such as “Color Correcting Digital-Camera Images,†which is crucial.
With beautiful production values and high-class instructions, here we have another MyMac.com rating of 5 out of 5. Bravo, Scott.
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Photoshop CS Down & Dirty Tricks
by Scott Kelby
ISBN 0-7357-1353-7, 313 pages
$39.99 US, $60.99 CN, £30.99 UK
This text is more dense than in the book reviewed above, because special effects in Photoshop are more complicated to explain than are essential lessons. Photoshop CS Down & Dirty Tricks uses a three-column format per page, with specific Quick Tips in outside margin columns, numbered steps in middle columns, and pertinent illustrations within inside columns. This presentation layout works perfectly.
Intermediates and other serious Photoshop users will appreciate the creative intensity Scott brings to each project. Paper stock and image quality are first-rate, meaning the publisher believes strongly in this volume.
In an ideal world your intrepid reviewer would first master everything in basics books such as The Photoshop CS Book for Digital Photographers, reviewed upstairs, before plunging into Photoshop CS Down & Dirty Tricks, but life is short and new titles keep arriving. My strong hunch is this Tricks cookbook will turn out to be worth its strong MyMac.com rating of 4 out of 5.
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Thanks, Scott Kelby and associates. We’re your loyal admirers, here at MyMac.com. Keep those terrific books coming!
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