Yosemite, The Missing Manual
354952
This is a wonderful book, especially for Windows users like myself who are new to Apple computers.
I thought that since I was familiar with the iPad and iPhone that the Apple laptop would be familiar without
extra study.  Boy was I wrong!  The Apple products are indeed wonderful, but I am grateful to have
such a complete and comprehensive manual.  Note that this book is 857 pages long and covers every
aspect of the OSX Yosemite operating system including installation, system requirements, troubleshooting
and of course, guides on operating the various Apple programs.  I strongly recommend this for anyone that
wants a very complete and comprehensive manual.
1250454
If you develop for Mac OS X and you do any 2D graphics programming in Quartz 2D or the Cocoa graphics APIs, you need this book. The table of contents isn't available here at the moment but (trust me on this) this book covers it ALL as far as Quartz 2D is concerned. The authors cover everything: basic Quartz 2D drawing (from Carbon, Cocoa, and Python!), the Quartz drawing model (coordinate systems, transforms, paths, color spaces, etc.), drawing images and text, plus drawing and inspecting PDF content. I'll hit a few highlights in my comments below.

Throughout the book, they've made it a point to cover which APIs are available in which versions of Mac OS X, a godsend if you're delivering apps that must support multiple OS versions but you'd still like to take advantage of the latest features when possible. Where the OS allows, they even explain how to emulate some of the new convenience APIs on older OSes.

Each chapter ends with an extensive list of references (sample code, headers, specifications, and more from Apple, Adobe, and others) to help you find further information, in case you need more detail on a particular topic.

For text drawing, an area in which Quartz 2D provides only a low-level API, the authors explain how to properly use the facilities available in the higher-level frameworks (Carbon and Cocoa).

For those of you coming from QuickDraw, there's a short section specifically targetted at replacing CopyBits (in addition to the chapters on image drawing and offscreen caching).

Near the end of the book, there's an invaluable chapter on how to optimize and debug your drawing code.

Finally, for those developers preparing universal binaries of your applications (all of you, I hope), the authors identify several issues (bitmap data format endian issues, etc.) that you'll need to watch out for and explain what to do about them.

A quick additional note: the publisher has the full Table of Contents as well as a sample chapter available for download at books.elsevier.com/us/mk/us/subindex.asp?isbn=0123694736

Disclaimer: I spent 4 years in Apple's Developer Technical Support group supporting Quartz 2D and other topics. This book would have made my job *much* easier, perhaps even unnecessary.
2330787
This is the best guidebook to Yosemite I've seen. The guide is well written, easy to read and full of useful and interesting facts about visiting the park. Mr. Medley obviously knows his subject, and his  insightful and humorous observations make this an enjoyable read.  Not only  does it include how-to information for visiting the park, but also sections  on Yosemite history, geology and wildlife.  If you are planning to visit  Yosemite, make this your first purchase.
1847228
I just bought this book and it appears to be everything it is reputed to be. However, there is no answer key and the (separate) solutions manual is not offered by Amazon, probably out of print. Hence the four stars.
2570336
How anybody can say this book doesn't deal with the Yosemite OS IS beyond me. The OS IS the Yosemite in my MacBook Pro and this book describes the inner workings of the OS in a very consise detail in my opinion. I am switching over after 30 plus years of Windows use (DOS & 3.1)and until I got this book I was one very confused puppy. Granted maybe those nay Sayers had experience with a previous Mac OS that didn't change with the Yosemite OS making them think the book doesn't deal with the Yosemite OS throughout but to those new to the Yosemite OS and Mac the book is a thorough teaching experience from front to back.

Anybody considering buying this book it would be best if you paid little or no attention to those reviewers giving it bad reviews because I doubt very much if there is another book out there with a better entry level guide to the Yosemite OS than this one and will be money well spent in my opinion.
2915425
Since I switched from Windows to iMac I was looking for a book the gives me an overview over the system. This book does an excellent job in doing so. It covers everything you need to know goes into some detail, but not too deep (which also would not be possible in a book like this, otherwise it would be thousands of pages long).

I can really recommend this book for people who switch or beginners.

(this is basically the the same review I wrote for the Mac OS X - the missing manual ... I think both are very comparable and equally good ... I preferred the layout of the missing manual, but thats just personal preference)
4422412
I love the Missing Manual series. I have several copies and always buy the new edition when a new iPhone comes out and the OS is updated. It doesn't matter if you already have an iPhone, are new to the OS or are wondering what the fuss is about or considering a switch. David Pogue writes with wit, these books are very funny, something you don't see in many computer manuals. They are also, full color, easy to read and understand and packed with tips, tricks and insider info and explanations. Mr. Rogue was the New York Times Tech columnist for years until Yahoo stole him away. He's also a Nova host, former CBS news correspondent and a natural comedian. He started the Missing Manual series to provide excellent guides with a dose of fun and humor. The tagline is "The book that should have been in the box." That is so true. If you want to know how to master the device, this book is it. Skip the sample, just buy the book you won't be disappointed. Even long time iOS veterans like me will always find things you didn't know and news you can use. The high standards are maintained in this edition. A must have guide.
3816101
It's bizarrre: For as huge as backcountry skiing has grown, the definitive "how-to" manual hasn't been written. Until now.
I own everything from Lito Tejado-Flores' ancient book "Backcountry Skiing" to the slim "Allen & Mike's Really Cool Backcountry Ski Book" and about three avvie and ski-guidebooks. None of those has everything that today's newbie Alpine ski-tourer needs to know.
But this book by Schell, Wheeler and Volken has it all. And while experienced backcountry skiers might be able to skip parts of chapters, and skim others,  this longtime backcountry skier was surprised (and a little embarrassed) how much he learned -- the mountain-guide authors cover in detail things like seated belays, various shelters, placing protection on ice, and building several kinds of anchors. Pair this book with an even more detailed avalanche-awareness book (or better, a class) and you'll be ready for the mountains this winter.
1918621
This is the question that the author set out to answer - "Why Still Use the Apple?". The clearest explanation can be found on the first page of this book - "Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the Apple II is that after three decades, it's still not finished yet. Or in other words, not everything that can be accomplished, has been accomplished."

I just brought my old Apple ][+ out of the basement after a 20+ year hiatus, and I have found David Finnigan's book to be extremely useful. Just reading his book has changed my own attitude towards my computer, from a dusty relic (maybe fit for playing a few games) to a machine that is still viable and relevant.

The author takes an exciting, fresh perspective on the Apple II computer. Rather than rehash old history, or wax nostalgic about the good old 8-bit days, the book takes the approach that this is a "new" computer. It may be 30+ years old, but nevertheless, if you just acquired an Apple //e off of ebay, or dug your old ][+ out of the basement, it's still "new" to you. David Finnigan starts off with a chapter entitled "Meeting Your Apple", and then leads you through setting up your Apple, BASIC programming, mouse and game controllers, the file I/O system (DOS and ProDOS), graphics & sound, printing and networking, a brief intro to assembly language, and finally the Apple IIgs.

Finnigan does a great job at blending both the old technology with newer advances. For example in the chapter on networking, he talks about using a Super Serial Card (old tech), but also explains how to use the Uthernet card (new tech) to hook your Apple up to the internet and even use a twitter client. Some of the most useful sections are the Appendices, where you will find tables of commands, special locations in memory, how to transfer disk images to/from a Mac or PC, and a repair & troubleshooting guide.

Overall, I would highly recommend Finnigan's book for anyone who owns an Apple II or is thinking of buying one.
739906
Highly recommended to photograpers like myself who haven't been to Yosemite often and don't want to spend the first few days getting acquainted.  I suspect those more familiar with Yosemite may be disappointed.  Although it does a good job covering the iconic locations, it really doesn't describe many off-the-beaten path destinations.
319911
I have been very happy with it, but would have been happier if it had come loaded with a useful owners manual.
122168
This really is the missing manual, specially the kindle edition as you can always take your library with you and find just about how to do anything with Photoshop CC without having to filter through endless Youtube movies.
1883140
Its a good copy of the out of print owner's manual. Nothing more and nothing less. It is as helpful as an owner's manual can be.
620019
Yosemite National Park is one of the premier destinations in California.  Indeed, it is one of the premier destinations in the world.  While anyone can be awed by the scenery just from their car, this new book by Elizabeth Wenk encourages you and your family to explore a little on foot.  The 50 hikes in this book all range from 1/2 mile to 8 miles and explore almost every part of the park, from the crowded Yosemite Valley to Hetch Hetchy, Tioga Pass, and the area around Wawona.  It also features a chapter on Mono Lake, an area often neglected in guidebooks like this.

This book has a lot to recommend it.  I like the organization of the chapters; each focuses on a single region of the park and lists several trails in the immediate vicinity.  Moreover, the hikes reflect the diversity of each region, and in each chapter you will find a decent selection of routes ranging from the very easy to somewhat more challenging.  Every hike includes a good sketch map, GPS coordinates for the trail head, and detailed driving directions. Nice black and white photos accentuate the written descriptions of the trails.

With all this going for it, one might ask why I docked the rating one star.  The answer is that Amazon will not allow me to dock half a star, but this is really a 4.5 star book.  That said, I have some concerns about a few of the hikes listed. In general, hiking books that promote shorter walks (in the 2-5 mile range) are becoming more popular with publishers.  On the one hand, the aging population of the US has decreased demand for many longer trail routes, even in a place as popular as Yosemite.  And complementing this trend, families with young children want to hike together and just cannot do longer routes.  Wenk's book is especially focused on this latter demographic, and she provides a "Child Rating" for several hikes in the book.

But given this trend in publishing, I have to question the selection of some of the hikes.  Poopenaut Valley trail drops more than 1000 feet in less than a mile (the trail is actually more than a mile, but the bottom part is level).  This is strenuous and unpleasant walking, especially when there are better alternatives in the area of Hetch Hetchy.  But I really question the wisdom of including Mt. Dana in a guidebook like this.  Dana is "only" 6 miles round trip.  But the ascent is more than 3000 feet and the route includes two flat stretches.  There are places near the summit where class 2 moves may be required.  As Wenk notes, it is by far the most difficult hike in the book.  But I have to question why it is included at all in a title like this.  I also have a few little cavils (the mileage for Yosemite Falls, as described in this book, is 7.2, not 6.4) with the text, but no book is perfect, and having hiked 30 of the 50 routes described here, I think this book is on the whole pretty accurate.

All factors considered, I think this is a good book, and if you are planning a family trip to Yosemite with kids, I would buy it for the planning and preparation.  The hikes in it are a little more rigorous, and a lot more extensive than its rival&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Best-Easy-Day-Hikes-Yosemite/dp/0762755288/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Best Easy Day Hikes, Yosemite</a>&nbsp;distributed by Falcon Press.  This is the book to get if you have 3 or (ideally more) days to explore the park and want to experience the landscape up close and personal, and out of the automobile.
2611333
A basic and very clear coverage of OS X Yosemite for anyone not too comfortable with Yosemite. A wonderful introduction and satisfactory for my purposes.
4007041
'Access 2010: The Missing Manual' by Matthew MacDonald is another gem in the line of Missing Manual books. Filled with 800+ pages of material, if you are new to Access or even a seasoned pro, there is a little bit of something for everybody in this book. A fantastic layout, wonderful content, and one of the most user-friendly books out there, if you use Access for any length of time and want to become a better user or are a new user and want to discover how to use Access, this is the ONLY book for you.

An absolute marvel which richly deserves the title 'Missing Manual' as this keeps up with the past quality works expected from this line.

***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
4516487
Recently purchased a Fuji X100S camera which I am absolutely thrilled with.  The owners manual, which came with it, no way provides all the information on the use of the camera nor any opinion on the features and their use.  This is one of several books on the X100s. I am not a photo book reviewer and tis is the only 3rd party guide I have, so I can not compare it to other volumes.  I am, though, going back to it as I learn the camera, and it's providing what I need for now.