Book Bytes 2008 Summer Reading List

Macs All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies, 7 Books in 1
by Wallace Wang
Wiley / Dummies Press
http://www.dummies.com
ISBN 978-0-470-16957-5, 790 pages
$29.99 US, $32.99 CN, £19.99 UK

At pages per dollar, euro, pound, ruble, or yen, this book is a serious contender. Production values and graphics are of surprisingly good quality for a mass market text printed on budget paper stock. No expense was spared on providing tons of useful info on everything Macintosh. Do you know how to delete Safari bookmarks? Perhaps you do, but plenty of people don’t, and they’ll be glad to learn how on page 271 (or Book Three, Chapter One, if you’re keeping score). Two hundred pages later, you can immerse yourself in learning how to arrange Garage Band tracks by region. Two hundred pages after that, you can finally get the drift of working with iCal events. Wowzer. Every !! beginner-to-intermediate Macintosh user should pick up Macs All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies, 7 Books in 1 and memorize each of its over seven hundred pages of exceptionally valuable material. Hold all calls: I’m going to plow through this book first, before attacking the others in our capsule coverage below.

The Apple TV Pocket Guide, 2nd Edition
by Jeff Carlson
Peachpit Press
http://www.peachpit.com
ISBN 978-0-321-56315-6, 188 pages
$9.99 US, $10.99 CN, £6.99 UK

I’m not an Apple TV person, but many of our MyMac staff, readers, and podcast listeners are. None of my computer tutorial clients or Tucson Mac User Group members have asked me to help with an Apple TV, but they will begin to do so soon enough. I’ll stick The Apple TV Pocket Guide, 2nd Edition into my gadget bag and read a few pages every so often to become familiar with Apple TV’s hardware, software, and interface. There is a lot of information between the covers, at a very affordable price. If anybody needs to “Rip television episodes from DVD,” page 158 in this book is a good place to start. And it’s important that this second edition covers the new features such as movie rentals and Flickr integration. Book Bytes is a long time fan of author Jeff Carlson. His writing, screen shots, and tips are tops year after year, book after book. At pennies per page, The Apple TV Pocket Guide, 2nd Edition looks like a winner.

Wikipedia The Missing Manual
by John Broughton
O’Reilly / Pogue Press
http://www.missingmanuals.com
ISBN 978-0-596-51516-4, 477 pages
$29.99 US, $29.99 CN

I use Wikipedia every day to acquire information, but I haven’t a clue what requires 477 pages to understand it in depth. Oh! Most of this book is dedicated to creating, posting, and editing Wikipedia entries, which I have not yet attempted. You may be an expert Wikipedia content creator, but I am not. I’m intimidated by all the potential pitfalls of getting my articles wrong, and suffering the consequences. Before I take the plunge, I’ll study Wikipedia The Missing Manual until I’m comfortable with Wikipedia’s procedures and protocols. I’m going to begin at the end of this exhaustive book, by immersing myself in its three appendices: “A Tour of the Wikipedia Page,” “Reader’s Guide to Wikipedia,” and “Learning More.” Wish me luck.

Final Cut Pro 6 For Digital Video Editors Only
by Lonzell Watson
Wiley Publishing
http://www.wiley.com/compbooks
ISBN 978-0-470-22450-2, 309 pages plus companion DVD
$39.99 US, $47.99 CN

If ever there was a topic that required my in-depth study, this is it. What I don’t know about Final Cut Pro will fill an entire Amazon.com warehouse. At the rear of Final Cut Pro 6 For Digital Video Editors Only is a DVD with video and sound clips, plus examples of completed projects. Use them! Study them! Get smarter and more productive with your video editing. The author is head honcho at GeniusDV.com, which looks like a very serious site. This title is beautifully produced, with page after page of large, colorful screen shots, tips, tutorials, and photos. I wish I knew enough to give the book a thorough evaluation and rating, because it appears to be a genuine gem. If you’re searching for a top tier video editing volume, I think your search is over.

Facebook The Missing Manual
by E. A. Vander Veer
O’Reilly / Pogue Press
http://www.missingmanuals.com
ISBN 978-0-596-51769-4, 268 pages
$19.99 US, $19.99 CN

Tim and Guy were joking about Facebook on a recent MyMac Podcast, which reminded me that I don’t know Facebook from the World Book. I am not normally an active member of Internet communities, but I hear about them over and over. With Facebook The Missing Manual facing me from the PENDING shelf for MyMac’s books to be reviewed, I’ll spend some time with this title to see what all the fuss is about. Is Facebook just for kids, or is there anything there for geezers? This book is nicely designed with an attractive layout, so I’m willing to give it a brisk read through. If you are an active Facebooker who has not yet seen this volume, check it out.

The Non-Designer’s Design and Type Books, Deluxe Edition
by Robin Williams
Peachpit Press
http://www.peachpit.com
ISBN 978-321-53405-7, 239 pages
$45 US, $52 CN, £32.99 UK

Robin Williams is one of MyMac’s favorite all-star writers. She brings common sense to confusing subjects, with design and typography at the top of her list, and ours. This single volume includes a combo update to two of her perennial top sellers: The Non-Designer’s Design Book and The Non-Designer’s Type Book. If what you don’t know about type and design is half as vast as what I don’t know, you’ll agree this duet between the covers is well worth the price. I’ve been studying and using Robin’s design-based books as long as I’ve been a Macintosher. She incorporates witty style and content that makes learning enjoyable from first page to last. Do you know the difference between monospaced and proportionally spaced figures? Or the best way to have a second page of stationary? These and hundreds of other wise tips are at your fingertips in The Non-Designer’s Design and Type Books, Deluxe Edition.