First Annual Book Bytes Awards

These first annual Book Bytes Awards are given to books reviewed in 1997 and through the October issue of 1998. We heartily congratulate all the winners and urge them to continue to produce outstanding books for the readers of My Mac Magazine and the international Macintosh community. Bravo!

 

AWARDS FOR SPECIFIC BOOKS

BEST BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE MACINTOSH BOOK:
The Little Mac Book, Fifth Edition
by Robin Williams
ISBN 0-201-69673-8
(Peachpit Press)
and Beyond the Little Mac Book
(which she co-authored with Steve Broback)
(Peachpit Press)
Robin hits a home run every time at bat.
http://www.ratz.com
<http://www.peachpit.com>

BEST INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED MACINTOSH BOOK:
Macworld Mac OS8 Bible
by Lon Poole
ISBN 0-7645-4036-X
(IDG Books Worldwide)
If you are serious about the Mac platform,
Lon Poole will consistently satisfy you.
<http://www.idgbooks.com>

BEST MACINTOSH APPLICATION BOOK:
Macworld Office 98 Bible
by Bob LeVitus, Deborah Shadovitz,
Edward Jones, and Derek Sutton
ISBN 0-7645-4041-6
(IDG Books Worldwide).
A workhorse of a book for the ultimate workhorse software.
http://www.boblevitus.com
http://www.shadovitz.net/deb
<http://www.idgbooks.com>

BEST GENERAL DESIGN TOPIC BOOK:
Step-By-Step Electronic Design Techniques
Edited by Talitha Harper and Sara Booth
ISBN 0-201-69672-X
(Peachpit Press).
This book blends beautiful design with real-world projects
for artists and designers.
http://www.dgusa.com
<http://www.peachpit.com>

BEST WEB DESIGN TOPIC BOOK:
Elements of Web Design 2nd Edition
by Darcy DiNucci
with Maria Giudice and Lynne Stiles
ISBN 0-201-69698-3
(Peachpit Press).
They make it look so easy.
darcy@tothepoint.com
maria@hotstudio.com
lynne@chezhank.com
<http://www.peachpit.com>

BEST BROWSER BOOK:
The Big Guide to Netscape Communicator 4
by Brad Harris and Bill Vernon
ISBN 1-57521-301-X
(Sams Publishing).
It is big, and altogether thorough.
<http://www.samspublishing.com>

BEST WEB DIRECTORY:
World Wide Web Internet Directory
Seventh Edition
ISBN 1-56205-881-9
(New Riders Publishing).
When you need to look something up, this is the place.
<http://www.newriders.com>

 

AWARDS FOR SERIES OF BOOKS

MOST VISUALLY ENGAGING BOOKS:
The maranGraphics
http://www.maran.com
series, by a long lead.
Example:
Teach Yourself the Internet and World Wide Web
VISUALLY
ISBN 0-7645-6020-4
(IDG Books Worldwide).
<http://www.idgbooks.com>

BEST SERIES FOR ARTISTS:
The Wow! series, edited by Linnea Dayton
These books are simply the greatest. “Wow!” is correct.
Example:
The Photoshop 4 Wow! Book
by Linnea Dayton and Jack Davis
ISBN 0-201-68856-5
(Peachpit Press)
plus other outstanding titles in the Wow! series.
http://www.peachpit.com/wow
<http://www.peachpit.com>

BEST SERIES UNDER $30:
The Visual Quickstart Guide series from Peachpit Press.
With every title under $20 U.S., these books are exceptional
value for money.
Example:
HTML 4 for the World Wide Web
by Elizabeth Castro
ISBN 0-201-69696-7
(Peachpit Press).
http://www.cookwood.com
<http://www.peachpit.com>

BEST SERIES OVER $30:
The Bible series from IDG Worldwide. Book after book,
these Bibles add knowledge and weight to any bookshelf.
Example:
Quicken 98 Bible
by Kathy Ivens, Thomas E. Barich,
and Stephen I. Bush
ISBN 0-7645-3211-1
(IDG Books Worldwide).
<http://www.idgbooks.com>

 

AWARDS FOR SPECIFIC AUTHORS

MOST VERSATILE AUTHOR:
Maria Langer
who cranks out books on an extensive range of subjects,
and who shows no signs of diminishing her pace of
production.
Example:
Database Publishing with FileMaker Pro on the Web
ISBN 0-201-69665-7
(Peachpit Press).
http://www.gilesrd.com/mlanger
<http://www.peachpit.com>

MOST FOCUSED AUTHOR:

Steven A. Schwartz
whose IDG Macworld Bibles on ClarisWorks and
FileMaker Pro provide daily support for millions
of Mac users.
Example:
Macworld ClarisWorks Office Bible
ISBN 0-7645-4016-5
(IDG Books Worldwide)
http://www.mediacity.com/~sschwartz
<http://www.idgbooks.com>

BEST AUTHOR FOR A RAINY EVENING:
Adam Engst
who is so darn busy with his weekly TidBITS newsletter
that he has little time for authoring more books.
His writing is consistently accurate and lively.
Example:
Internet Starter Kit for Macintosh, Fourth Edition
ISBN 1-56830-294-0
(Hayden/Macmillan).
http://www.tidbits.com/adam
<http://www.mcp.com/hayden>

BEST AUTHOR FOR WEB WIT AND WISDOM:
Harley Hahn
author of the best selling
Harley Hahn’s Internet & Web Yellow Pages,
1998 Edition
ISBN 0-07-882387-0
(Osborne/McGraw-Hill).
http://www.harley.com
<http://www.osborne.com>

BEST WEBMASTER/AUTHOR:
Ted Landau
the host of MacFixIt
and the author of
Sad Macs, Bombs, and Other Disasters,
and What to Do About Them,
Third Edition
ISBN 0-201-68810-7
(Peachpit Press).
How could we survive without MacFixIt and this book?
http://www.macfixit.com
<http://www.peachpit.com>

 

PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR:
Peachpit Press
http://www.peachpit.com
whose commitment to outstanding
Macintosh books has made 1997 and
1998 great years for computer book
buyers and readers worldwide.
Special recognition goes to Gary-Paul Prince, Peachpit’s Senior
Publicist.
Example:
The Macintosh Bible, Sixth Edition
Edited by Jeremy Judson
ISBN 0-201-88696-7
(Peachpit Press).
<http://www.peachpit.com>

AUTHOR OF THE YEAR:
David Pogue
http://www.davidpogue.com
who writes and co-authors some of the finest
Macintosh and computing books on the planet.
Example:
Palm Pilot, the Ultimate Guide
by David Pogue
ISBN 1-56592-420-7
(O’Reilly & Associates).
<http://www.oreilly.com>

 

 

| Maximum Security: A Hacker’s Guide | Publish It On the Web, Macintosh Version | ClarisWorks 5.0 Companion | ClarisWorks Office for Dummies | PGP: Pretty Good Privacy | The Internet for Busy People, Third Edition | The Non-Designer’s Type Book | Excel 98 for Macintosh, Visual QuickStart Guide | Quicken 98 for Macintosh, Visual QuickStart Guide |

The shelves are groaning here at our Book Bytes library, with all the new fall and winter titles arriving every day via UPS, FedEx, U.S. Mail, and carrier pigeon. Consequently, I decided to offer capsule comments on these nine books, which you can consider as “stocking stuffers” for the holiday gift season. If you require a complete review, let me know; I’ll conjure one up as soon as possible.

 

Maximum Security: A Hacker’s Guide
to Protecting Your Internet Site and Network,
Second Edition
by Anonymous
Sams Publishing
http://www.samspublishing.com
ISBN 0-672-31341-3, 829 pages plus CD
$49.99 U.S., $70.95 Canada, £46.95 U.K.

What an extraordinary book! Written by an experienced computer hacker who now specializes in testing the security of various networking platforms, every conceivable aspect of multi-platform security is covered extensively. Reading Maximum Security: A Hacker’s Guide makes me really glad I’m not a network administrator; every one of them should have this book chained to the wrist for ready-reference. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

 

Publish It On the Web, Macintosh Version,
2nd Edition
by Bryan Pfaffenberger
AP Professional
http://www.apnet.com
ISBN 0-12-553162-1, 568 pages plus CD
$37.95 U.S., $53.95 Canada

I approve of this title’s thorough approach to Web publishing for all skill levels. The author cares about concepts and explanations, which are crucial, especially for newcomers. Personally, I wish I had sufficient time to follow the book’s itemized procedures and create a terrific site in the process. For now, I can certainly RECOMMEND “Publish It On the Web.”

 

ClarisWorks 5.0 Companion
by Jan L. Harrington
AP Professional/Claris Press
http://www.apnet.com
ISBN 0-12-326410-3, 674 pages
$34.95 U.S., $48.95 Canada

The author has gone to great lengths to have each component of the ClarisWorks suite presented as clearly as possible, from the ground up. I have learned quite a bit about CW, even on topics for which I considered myself knowledgeable. If you can find this somewhat expensive book at your bookstore, see for yourself. RECOMMENDED for beginners and intermediates.

 

ClarisWorks Office for Dummies
by Bob LeVitus, Deborah Shadovitz, and Frank Higgins
Dummies Press
http://www.dummies.com
ISBN 0-7645-0113-5, 358 pages
$19.99 U.S., $26.99 Canada, £18.99 U.K.

Don’t let the Dummies moniker lead you astray. This book is a valuable resource for newcomers to ClarisWorks, or experienced users who want to improve their skills in a relaxed manner. The information is well-presented, and is both comprehensive and enjoyable to read. The itemized projects are particularly worthwhile. RECOMMENDED.

 

PGP: Pretty Good Privacy
by Simson Garfinkel
O’Reilly and Associates
http://www.oreilly.com
ISBN 1-56592-098-8, 393 pages
$29.95 U.S., $42.95 Canada

What I don’t know about PGP would fill several bookshelves, so please excuse me if my understanding of this formidable program is severely limited. The book is a few years old, which is probably not a concern, because the title has yet to be revised. May I get off the hook by observing that the material is truly impressive, and is well worth studying if you want to become familiar with PGP? RECOMMENDED.

 

The Internet for Busy People, Third Edition
by Christian Crumlish
Osborne/McGraw-Hill
http://www.osborne.com
ISBN 0-07-882526-1, 347 pages
$24.99 U.S., $34.99 Canada

Our first look at one of Osborne’s “For Busy People” series, and I like it! The information is comprehensive, and the well-designed, colorful pages make the reading experience enjoyable. Definitely RECOMMENDED for newcomers to the Net.

 

The Non-Designer’s Type Book:
Insights and Techniques for Creating
Professional-Level Type
by Robin Williams
Peachpit Press
http://www.peachpit.com
ISBN 0-201-35367-9, 240 pages
$24.95 U.S., $34.95 Canada

A reissue of Beyond The Mac Is Not a Typewriter, this attractive example-style book is exactly what it promises. Robin is brilliant at making complex typographic concepts easy to understand, and the pages are loaded with projects and examples of fonts and type. If you take your type seriously, make sure you are familiar with this RECOMMENDED title.

 

Excel 98 for Macintosh, Visual QuickStart Guide
by Maria Langer
Peachpit Press
http://www.peachpit.com
ISBN 0-201-35360-1, 262 pages
$17.95 U.S., $24.95 Canada

Microsoft Excel is the perfect app for the Visual QuickStart one-project per-page format. Whatever your skill level, you should consider the purchase of this RECOMMENDED new book on Excel if you want to get the very most out of that powerful program. I actually wish I had a few Excel projects myself, just so I could put this book to work. See for yourself: it’s a winner.

 

Quicken 98 for Macintosh,
Visual QuickStart Guide
by Tom Negrino
Peachpit Press
http://www.peachpit.com
ISBN 0-201-35401-2, 152 pages
$16.99 U.S., $25.50 Canada

Where was this book when I was recommending Quicken 98 almost a year ago? I don’t know, but I apologize for not being able to review it sooner. If you are already a satisfied user of Q98, you are familiar with most of what the application does. Consider the purchase of this slim RECOMMENDED volume if you want to improve your skills. Newbies will appreciate Quicken 98 for Macintosh even more.

---

John Nemerovski
nemo@mymac.com

Websites mentioned:
http://www.ratz.com
http://www.peachpit.com
http://www.idgbooks.com
http://www.boblevitus.com
http://www.shadovitz.net/deb
http://www.dgusa.com
http://www.samspublishing.com
http://www.newriders.com
http://www.maran.com
http://www.peachpit.com/wow
http://www.cookwood.com
http://www.gilesrd.com/mlanger
http://www.mediacity.com/~sschwartz
http://www.tidbits.com/adam
http://www.mcp.com/hayden
http://www.harley.com
http://www.osborne.com
http://www.macfixit.com
http://www.davidpogue.com
http://www.oreilly.com