Excellent, Clearly Written How-To Guidebook
344459
This is an excellent, clearly written how-to guidebook that will have you on your way to creating 3-D containers for yourself and friends, in no time! I had no prior experience with the techniques outlined in this book, but was able to make a set of hexagon coasters and a custom-fit box for storing them by following the well planned, step-by-step, turorial with accompanying photographs. I will definitely keep this book handy, I have many gift giving occasions coming up and I am inspired to create more beautiful and unique gift containers as presented in the pages; my friends and family will love them. Well done, Laura and Linda!
4635272
This guide to CSS is EXCELLENT!  I appreciated the linear, step-by-step instructions, as well as the plain-English approach, which helped me grasp some of the positioning CSS concepts much more quickly.  As a concrete example, I struggled to understand relative / absolute positioning as well as the concept of floats for a few weeks, despite diligent efforts at research and reading about similar issues / answers posted on stack overflow.  But after working with this book and the exercise on the chapter concerning positioning, it came together for me rather quickly.  The exercises at the end of each chapter really help reinforce the content, and I found the book overall a tremendous value considering the kindle price!

Note for the author:  I'm looking forward to purchasing and reading your book on Python eventually, but should you decide to write a book on JavaScript, I would gladly purchase that, too!
3060316
This full-color book offers clear and concise instruction that takes you step-by-step through the process of using the Camera RAW plug-in in Photoshop as well as the related sections of Bridge and CS2. The author not only explains how to use the settings but devotes entire chapters to some of the problems that can, and often do occur - like dealing with digital noise. I appreciate the fact that he doesn't treat the Camera Raw plug-in as the be-all, do-all tool in Photoshop but rather presents equivalent tools in CS2 that many times are a better choice for particular lighting situations. The layout and organization of the book reminds me of one of Scott Kelby's books; the two major differences being the author doesn't include rambling witticisms throughout the text and unlike the aforementioned books, I think that he thoroughly covers the topic rather than just the highlights. The book's organization allows you to quickly find the desired topic (or in my case, problem area) and read a brief description and ways to either perform the action or resolve the problem.  To date I have read three books on the topic of working with Raw files using the Camera Raw plug-in filter and this book is far superior to any title I have reviewed. If you are a photographer shooting Raw images this is the only book you will need - period.
4295479
As a colored-pencil practitioner who's familiar with a range of how-to guides, I can say this one surpasses!  Very clear, very thorough--and written almost as if a one-on-one conversation rather than from on high.  Additionally, the working exercises built into the book yield marvelous insights: do them!

Final comment: the quality of the publishing--illustrations, page design, inclusion of examples by some leading artists in the medium--enhance the how-to experience but make it almost an art book as well: two for the price of one!
1315432
A very well-written and incredibly useful book!
2399620
As a first time, web-based, small business owner I have found JP's road map invaluable.  Clearly written and concise it provides checklists of tasks as a reminder of what else I can do better as I take my company to EXCELLENCE. His enthusiasm, commitment and persistence are infectious.

I've completed my first read-through and am now beginning the in-depth review and execution of a number of items.  Thank you JP for this terrific guide!
2315228
Very enjoyable read.

I like the "no hype" approach of this book.

The book is easy to understand for newcomers, while at the same time providing enough in-depth information for more experienced users.

The book has clear and easy to follow guides that can be put into action by every business and website owner.
1186585
Intelligently, knowledgeably, and clearly written, this guide offers detailed instructions for historically sensitive rehabilitation. The book begins with an overview of the major architectural styles characteristic of Milwaukee: Italianate, Victorian Gothic, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, American Foursquare, Arts and Crafts, Craftsman/Bungalow, Prairie, Dutch Colonial Revival, Georgian Revival, Tudor Revival, Mediterranean Revival, Milwaukee Duplex, and Polish Flat. The remaining chapters focus on the major features of the exterior: siding and trim, roofs, doors, windows, porches, garages and outbuildings, fences and walls.

Author Paul J. Jakubovich is aware of the economic and other constraints that homeowners face, and his recommendations address such considerations. In some cases, he finds that refurbishing old materials is actually cheaper than tearing a structure down and starting from scratch. In other cases, he recommends a range of approaches, including the use of inexpensive modern materials that nevertheless capture the aesthetic of the earlier era. His pragmatic advice is enriched by historical context as Jakubovich explains how the various structures of the home served the needs and enjoyments of its original inhabitants. Though the book is designed specifically for homeowners in the Milwaukee era, most of the advice pertains equally to homes throughout Wisconsin. Owners of homes in other parts of the Midwest will also benefit from it (though they will no doubt note some differences in the architectural features characteristic of their own regions).

Jakubovich also wrote two other excellent guides, "Living with History: A Guide to the Preservation Standards for Historically Designated Houses in Milwaukee" and "Good for Business: A Guide to Rehabilitating the Exteriors of Older Commercial Buildings" (co-authored by Les Vollmert). All three were commissioned by the City of Milwaukee.
3937738
Easy to  read, easy to understand and step by step instructions!
1863684
Very clear, precise directions with step-by-step video to watch. Very good and author is quite likable and very helpful.
4399657
Like many NOLO books, this is an excellent guide to everything it claims to be. Well-written, clearly organized, and an excellent read.
575793
Great instructional guide and many helpful tips from the pros
2636345
This is an outstanding book. Unlike most camera "help" books I've read (or tried to read), there is no convoluted mumbo-jumbo.  It is very straightforward, with clear instructions that you can actually follow augmented by terrific photographs showing you exactly what your screen should look like and providing examples that help you differentiate between what one function does and what a similar function does.  I am using many more of my camera's functions than before.  This inexpensive book is vital for leveraging the real value of the far more expensive camera, so it's well worth every single penny.
4607760
Many years ago I bought a second hand Ford Cortina in dubious condition. I kept it running with the assistance of a marvelous volume purchased at a specialist bookstore that was referred to as "the shop manual." It wasn't much help teaching you how to drive or how to park but if you needed to know how to perform an oil change, flush the radiator or bleed the brakes it told you all the details. Now James Duncan Davidson has given me a shop manual for Macintosh OS X Panther.

This volume assumes you know how to use your Mac, how to perform all the routine changes that are easily accomplished with the GUI. Davidson also assumes you don't want to know how to get a movie running as your desktop, or get an Expos blob floating on the screen or any of the usual sort of 'hacks' or 'hints.' What he gives is a good guide to lifting the hood and performing serious mechanical work or tweaking the performance of your Mac with enough background information so that you can feel confident taking your own steps.

It was good after a few near misses to read an O'Reilly book that was once again well written, well edited, tight and crammed full of information pitched at just the right level. Davidson has done an excellent job with this book.

Davidson starts with a little history, and from the viewpoint he presents, this is not a waste of space; he spends his time explaining exactly how we arrived at the current version of the Mac OS.

Then we have a chapter titled "Lay of the Land" that explores the file system, including both the Finder view and the view you get from the command line. It also explains the four file system domains and the 'Library' directory. The third chapter is a quick (20 pages) look at the Terminal and shell.

Then we get 'Part II: Essentials,' which is the 120-page core of the book. This starts off, logically, with system startup and the login (and log out and shutdown). This is followed by short chapters on users and groups, files and permissions, monitoring, scheduling and preferences and defaults before a marvelous long chapter on the file system. Davidson goes into great detail and closely covers each of the topics, making sure that you get all the details not just 'recipes.'

Part III ("Advanced Topics") starts with a chapter on Open Directory that I found particularly useful. It includes coverage on Kerberos and single sign-on that explains it well, as well as the command-line Open Directory tools. The chapter on printing could have had a bit more guts. It covers the obvious but leaves out such joys as CUPS apart from a half-page sidebar; since sharing printers has caused me more than a little grief I would have appreciated more detail here. The final chapter on networking is better, and provides more useful detail.

It must be said that this section concentrates more on user level detail and leaves out real information on server level software and options. Given the target group for this book, and that a book has to draw a line somewhere, this is quite fair.

Davidson has picked his topics well, almost everyone will find all of Part II useful and educational. Part III is perfect for people wanting to run Panther in a corporate environment. He has balanced the command line and GUI well, pointing out where you can do a job with both and explaining the details.

I would recommend this book to any Panther user with a moderate amount of experience. It is not for the newcomer to the Mac, perhaps, but everyone else will benefit from this book.
2484078
As a former public library employee of 10 years, I have found this book to be a useful resource, and have seen its instructions successfully applied by workers with no conservation experience at all.  It would be an excellent go-to guide for any library technical services department.  The text is clear and methodical, designed to be as informative and practical as possible.  The photos clearly illustrate the text and techniques. Based on my own experience with this sensible, helpful, and quite harmless tome, I find the harshness of the first review to be disturbingly misplaced.  I highly recommend Basic Book Repair Methods.
1349558
I've been following David Gaughran's blog for some time, and he is easily one of the most informed and reliable champions of ebook self-publishing. In this guide, he meticulously answers the chronic question of indie authors: "But...how can I effectively PROMOTE my self-published book?"

I use the word "meticulously" in both a positive and negative way. On the plus side, Gaughran's guide is comprehensive in explaining all the details about how ebooks are discovered by online customers, especially Amazon customers. Citing examples and drawing data from successful indie authors, he provides a lucid, exceptionally valuable presentation of how Amazon's mysterious "bestselling" and "popularity" book ranking algorithms function, and how they may best be exploited.

On the negative side, I felt at times that he was meticulous to a fault. I sense a fair amount of repetition or belaboring of certain points, and also an awful lot of unnecessary foreshadowing, of the "I'll discuss this point further in chapter X" and "as you'll see in the next section" sort of thing. Such distracting stylistic quirks were the only things that prevented me from giving his book a full five-star rave.

This is an excellent guide for authors seeking to enhance their books "visibility" and "discoverability." Many writers will find it indispensable. It is a fine follow-on to his earlier book, "Let's Get Digital," which is probably THE best introduction to all aspects of the new world of independent e-publishing. I highly recommend both books to all authors, whether aspiring, indie, or traditionally published.
2932211
As a recent immigrant to the PC world from Mac, this book was quite valuable. It covered all my needs to be up and running, yet there is more I can learn from this guide. The steps are clear and easy to follow. Highly  recommendable!