Usability design is one of the most important though often least attractive tasks for a Web developer. In Don't Make Me Think, author Steve Krug lightens up the subject with good humour and excellent to-the-point examples.

The title of the book is its chief personal design premise. All of the tips, techniques and examples presented within it revolve around users being able to surf merrily through a well-designed site with minimal cognitive strain. Readers will quickly come to agree with many of the book's assumptions. For example, "We don't read pages--we scan them" and, "We don't figure out how things work--we muddle through". Getting to grips with such hard facts sets the stage for Web design that then produces top-notch sites.

Using an attractive mix of full-colour screen shots, cute cartoons and diagrams, and informative sidebars, the book keeps your attention and drives home some crucial points. Much of the content is devoted to proper use of conventions and content layout, and the "before and after" examples are superb. Topics such as the wise use of rollovers and usability testing are covered using a consistently practical approach.

This is the type of book you can blow through in a couple evenings. But despite its conciseness, it will give you an expert's ability to judge Web design. You'll never form a first impression of a site in the same way again. --Stephen W Plain

A useful guide to Usability Testing, 18 Oct 2008
Steve Krug has written this book in plain English in order for everyone to understand web usability testing.
The book contains screenshots, which gives a better picture of the discussed themes.

It's not just for Web Design - apply to everything, 08 Oct 2008
One of the best book I have read this year. Gives you all the basics on usability, how to understand people and how they use websites. It's a must buy as it will be useful for almost everything in business. Don't make people think, due to internet we switch attention so quickly!

All of the basics - and more!, 14 Sep 2008
Just like the method of web design he advocates, Steve Krug explains his craft in a simple, logical manner.

A common sense approach to web design? Yes it certainly is, and as someone who is used to ploughing through text heavy web design and online marketing textbooks, this book is a welcome relief. It is well laid out, logically progressive, while still being easy to dip in and out of as necessary.

The chapters dealing with the guiding principles of web design give simple and, sometimes obvious, basic advice, but somehow the way in which they are delivered still manages to stimulate your creative processes. The later chapters dealing with the internal politics of designing a corporate website with multiple stakeholders shows excellent insight, and gives good practical advice about how to manage this process.

This book is for beginners and experts alike and, despite being relatively short, still delivers comprehensive coverage of the subject.


A little knowledge is a dangerous thing..., 28 Aug 2008
First things first.. this is not a book for web designers, graphic artists, developers or anyone who actually has to do these sorts of tasks for a living (or even for a hobby, for that matter). You will not learn anything from this book that you don't already know and, in fact, there is some stuff in here that I think it would be better off NOT knowing, particularly some of the garishly coloured and clustered monstrosities that are heralded as examples of good design.

The only people who would find this book useful are management-types and marketing people... the kind of people who really should stick to pushing pens and emailing rather than getting involved in the dirty work of designing and developing a succesful website. This book could do a lot of damage in terms of giving delusions of grandeur to these sorts of people!

Much of the advice given in the book is out of date, and many of the example websites are now either not there or have been altered to the extreme. On a posative note, this book does state the obvious to quite a phenominal level and I suppose there may be some people to whom this may be of benefit.

Personally, i'd reccomend any web proffesionals who are thinking of buying this book to stay the heck away!! If you're a manager/marketing person or someone who needs to create the illusion that you know what you're talking about when asked to comment on a website, then this book may be of benefit.

Common sense. Why dont more web developers read it?, 13 Aug 2008
Everything this book says is just common sense. When designing websites, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that people will actually be using your published work! How many times have you been to a site only to think "where's the search box" or when entering some details into your online bank account and then press the "enter key" it doesn't login, it goes off to a "apply for a new savings account". Very confusing. In these circumstances, your brain has to think about what has happened, leaving a negative impression in your mind. Not good if you're trying to sell something!

When it comes to the web, first impressions count. Take Amazons new redesign for 2008. Amazon gets quite a lot of coverage in the book as an example of good design, so it's interesting that they have gone away from their old design, that's been around for about a decade. I don't like the new look, because every time I use it I have to think whereas before it was intuitive. That's the whole point of "dont make me think". You should never have to think about how to use a web site. If you need to use your brain to do something simple, the designer has FAILED.

"Dont make me think" is a quick and easy read. It's quite small at 200 pages. It's often reduced on Amazon so keep an eye out for a bargain.

Highly recommended for all developers, even if you don't often do user interfaces. The advice can be applied to all interfaces and not just the web.

A useful guide to Usability Testing, 18 Oct 2008
Steve Krug has written this book in plain English in order for everyone to understand web usability testing.
The book contains screenshots, which gives a better picture of the discussed themes.

It's not just for Web Design - apply to everything, 08 Oct 2008
One of the best book I have read this year. Gives you all the basics on usability, how to understand people and how they use websites. It's a must buy as it will be useful for almost everything in business. Don't make people think, due to internet we switch attention so quickly!

All of the basics - and more!, 14 Sep 2008
Just like the method of web design he advocates, Steve Krug explains his craft in a simple, logical manner.

A common sense approach to web design? Yes it certainly is, and as someone who is used to ploughing through text heavy web design and online marketing textbooks, this book is a welcome relief. It is well laid out, logically progressive, while still being easy to dip in and out of as necessary.

The chapters dealing with the guiding principles of web design give simple and, sometimes obvious, basic advice, but somehow the way in which they are delivered still manages to stimulate your creative processes. The later chapters dealing with the internal politics of designing a corporate website with multiple stakeholders shows excellent insight, and gives good practical advice about how to manage this process.

This book is for beginners and experts alike and, despite being relatively short, still delivers comprehensive coverage of the subject.


A little knowledge is a dangerous thing..., 28 Aug 2008
First things first.. this is not a book for web designers, graphic artists, developers or anyone who actually has to do these sorts of tasks for a living (or even for a hobby, for that matter). You will not learn anything from this book that you don't already know and, in fact, there is some stuff in here that I think it would be better off NOT knowing, particularly some of the garishly coloured and clustered monstrosities that are heralded as examples of good design.

The only people who would find this book useful are management-types and marketing people... the kind of people who really should stick to pushing pens and emailing rather than getting involved in the dirty work of designing and developing a succesful website. This book could do a lot of damage in terms of giving delusions of grandeur to these sorts of people!

Much of the advice given in the book is out of date, and many of the example websites are now either not there or have been altered to the extreme. On a posative note, this book does state the obvious to quite a phenominal level and I suppose there may be some people to whom this may be of benefit.

Personally, i'd reccomend any web proffesionals who are thinking of buying this book to stay the heck away!! If you're a manager/marketing person or someone who needs to create the illusion that you know what you're talking about when asked to comment on a website, then this book may be of benefit.

Common sense. Why dont more web developers read it?, 13 Aug 2008
Everything this book says is just common sense. When designing websites, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that people will actually be using your published work! How many times have you been to a site only to think "where's the search box" or when entering some details into your online bank account and then press the "enter key" it doesn't login, it goes off to a "apply for a new savings account". Very confusing. In these circumstances, your brain has to think about what has happened, leaving a negative impression in your mind. Not good if you're trying to sell something!

When it comes to the web, first impressions count. Take Amazons new redesign for 2008. Amazon gets quite a lot of coverage in the book as an example of good design, so it's interesting that they have gone away from their old design, that's been around for about a decade. I don't like the new look, because every time I use it I have to think whereas before it was intuitive. That's the whole point of "dont make me think". You should never have to think about how to use a web site. If you need to use your brain to do something simple, the designer has FAILED.

"Dont make me think" is a quick and easy read. It's quite small at 200 pages. It's often reduced on Amazon so keep an eye out for a bargain.

Highly recommended for all developers, even if you don't often do user interfaces. The advice can be applied to all interfaces and not just the web.


Much better than expected, 08 Nov 2008
The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)
Excellent book that I have learned more from in a week than I did from Rob Sheppard's Lightroom 1 book in several months. I know that some people find Scott's casual style a bit irritating, but it is not at all intrusive in this book. In fact I think it helps me to remember things. Screen shots linked directly to the "stepped" approach, provide both a readable book and a reference work. The practical "real life" approach suits me and I would think many other photographers - Thoroughly recommended!

A lot more to Lightroom than the obvious, 08 Oct 2008
Mr. Kelby always does a good job with all his books, but this is his best yet.Written in a clear, and concise manner, and the screen captures this time are readable without the aid of a magnifying glass. The book follows a good workflow throughout, and proves what a comprehensive programme Lightroom is. This is not evident at first or even second glance, and yet Mr. Kelby makes it all appear so easy, which few writers manage to attain with so called technical books, this is his big secret.
The book is also a valuable reference.

I never knew there was so much in it!, 02 Oct 2008
With the beta release of Lightroom 2, I decided to see what all the fuss was about and try it. Once Adobe released it to manufacturing, I was happy to switch my workflow from CaptureOne + Adobe Bridge + Photoshop to Lightroom 2 + Photoshop. I was up-and-running very quickly, but I knew I was just scratching the surface. Obviously, there's a lot in Lightroom 2 and I wasn't exploiting very much of it.
I was rather pleased, then, to see that Scott Kelby was releasing this new volume and pre-ordering it was a no-brainer. I particularly like Scott's informal, conversational style of writing. I expect some may find it irritating, but for me, it makes his books more pleasant to read. Consequently, it makes it easier to retain the knowledge that he imparts.
I'm reading this one from cover-to-cover, as Scott recommends, and it's certainly working. Within the first few pages, I found useful ways to incorporate Lightroom facilities that I simply hadn't encountered. As I continue to work through, there's more and more that is helping improve my workflow considerably.
I sometimes wonder if Scott's books are a little lightweight. They certainly don't tax your brain too much. I guess that's because most of the books I read tend to be detailed technical references where there's a vast amount of information to impart in a limited space. The way Scott writes, it seems too easy. But then, that's the point, isn't it? When you're working with hundreds or even thousands of photographs at a time, it really does need to be easy. So, thumbs up to Mr Kelby for helping me find new ways to improve the efficiency of my workflow, yet again.

A useful guide to Usability Testing, 18 Oct 2008
Steve Krug has written this book in plain English in order for everyone to understand web usability testing.
The book contains screenshots, which gives a better picture of the discussed themes.

It's not just for Web Design - apply to everything, 08 Oct 2008
One of the best book I have read this year. Gives you all the basics on usability, how to understand people and how they use websites. It's a must buy as it will be useful for almost everything in business. Don't make people think, due to internet we switch attention so quickly!

All of the basics - and more!, 14 Sep 2008
Just like the method of web design he advocates, Steve Krug explains his craft in a simple, logical manner.

A common sense approach to web design? Yes it certainly is, and as someone who is used to ploughing through text heavy web design and online marketing textbooks, this book is a welcome relief. It is well laid out, logically progressive, while still being easy to dip in and out of as necessary.

The chapters dealing with the guiding principles of web design give simple and, sometimes obvious, basic advice, but somehow the way in which they are delivered still manages to stimulate your creative processes. The later chapters dealing with the internal politics of designing a corporate website with multiple stakeholders shows excellent insight, and gives good practical advice about how to manage this process.

This book is for beginners and experts alike and, despite being relatively short, still delivers comprehensive coverage of the subject.


A little knowledge is a dangerous thing..., 28 Aug 2008
First things first.. this is not a book for web designers, graphic artists, developers or anyone who actually has to do these sorts of tasks for a living (or even for a hobby, for that matter). You will not learn anything from this book that you don't already know and, in fact, there is some stuff in here that I think it would be better off NOT knowing, particularly some of the garishly coloured and clustered monstrosities that are heralded as examples of good design.

The only people who would find this book useful are management-types and marketing people... the kind of people who really should stick to pushing pens and emailing rather than getting involved in the dirty work of designing and developing a succesful website. This book could do a lot of damage in terms of giving delusions of grandeur to these sorts of people!

Much of the advice given in the book is out of date, and many of the example websites are now either not there or have been altered to the extreme. On a posative note, this book does state the obvious to quite a phenominal level and I suppose there may be some people to whom this may be of benefit.

Personally, i'd reccomend any web proffesionals who are thinking of buying this book to stay the heck away!! If you're a manager/marketing person or someone who needs to create the illusion that you know what you're talking about when asked to comment on a website, then this book may be of benefit.

Common sense. Why dont more web developers read it?, 13 Aug 2008
Everything this book says is just common sense. When designing websites, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that people will actually be using your published work! How many times have you been to a site only to think "where's the search box" or when entering some details into your online bank account and then press the "enter key" it doesn't login, it goes off to a "apply for a new savings account". Very confusing. In these circumstances, your brain has to think about what has happened, leaving a negative impression in your mind. Not good if you're trying to sell something!

When it comes to the web, first impressions count. Take Amazons new redesign for 2008. Amazon gets quite a lot of coverage in the book as an example of good design, so it's interesting that they have gone away from their old design, that's been around for about a decade. I don't like the new look, because every time I use it I have to think whereas before it was intuitive. That's the whole point of "dont make me think". You should never have to think about how to use a web site. If you need to use your brain to do something simple, the designer has FAILED.

"Dont make me think" is a quick and easy read. It's quite small at 200 pages. It's often reduced on Amazon so keep an eye out for a bargain.

Highly recommended for all developers, even if you don't often do user interfaces. The advice can be applied to all interfaces and not just the web.


Much better than expected, 08 Nov 2008
The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)
Excellent book that I have learned more from in a week than I did from Rob Sheppard's Lightroom 1 book in several months. I know that some people find Scott's casual style a bit irritating, but it is not at all intrusive in this book. In fact I think it helps me to remember things. Screen shots linked directly to the "stepped" approach, provide both a readable book and a reference work. The practical "real life" approach suits me and I would think many other photographers - Thoroughly recommended!

A lot more to Lightroom than the obvious, 08 Oct 2008
Mr. Kelby always does a good job with all his books, but this is his best yet.Written in a clear, and concise manner, and the screen captures this time are readable without the aid of a magnifying glass. The book follows a good workflow throughout, and proves what a comprehensive programme Lightroom is. This is not evident at first or even second glance, and yet Mr. Kelby makes it all appear so easy, which few writers manage to attain with so called technical books, this is his big secret.
The book is also a valuable reference.

I never knew there was so much in it!, 02 Oct 2008
With the beta release of Lightroom 2, I decided to see what all the fuss was about and try it. Once Adobe released it to manufacturing, I was happy to switch my workflow from CaptureOne + Adobe Bridge + Photoshop to Lightroom 2 + Photoshop. I was up-and-running very quickly, but I knew I was just scratching the surface. Obviously, there's a lot in Lightroom 2 and I wasn't exploiting very much of it.
I was rather pleased, then, to see that Scott Kelby was releasing this new volume and pre-ordering it was a no-brainer. I particularly like Scott's informal, conversational style of writing. I expect some may find it irritating, but for me, it makes his books more pleasant to read. Consequently, it makes it easier to retain the knowledge that he imparts.
I'm reading this one from cover-to-cover, as Scott recommends, and it's certainly working. Within the first few pages, I found useful ways to incorporate Lightroom facilities that I simply hadn't encountered. As I continue to work through, there's more and more that is helping improve my workflow considerably.
I sometimes wonder if Scott's books are a little lightweight. They certainly don't tax your brain too much. I guess that's because most of the books I read tend to be detailed technical references where there's a vast amount of information to impart in a limited space. The way Scott writes, it seems too easy. But then, that's the point, isn't it? When you're working with hundreds or even thousands of photographs at a time, it really does need to be easy. So, thumbs up to Mr Kelby for helping me find new ways to improve the efficiency of my workflow, yet again.

Very Comprehensive, 31 Oct 2008
Nice to find a book that strips away the jargon and really lets you get into the gut of the program. Highly recommended

The wrong approach for me, 30 Sep 2008
Having bought and enjoyed the Scott Kelby Lightroom 1 book I thought, variety being the spice of life, that for Lightroom 2 I would buy the Martin Evening book.

Having seen the Evening LR1 book in shops I was surprised to see that the pages in the LR2 book are smaller but to compensate the book is about 50% thicker. For me this has a handling disadvantage but more importantly the screen shots have to be smaller. This means that with many examples I struggle to see what the screen shot is trying to convey. Indeed the text on many of the screenshots is unreadable.

There is also a big difference in styles and approaches between the two authors. Evening tells you at length what every module, button and slider is for. Kelby tells you how to use Lightroom.

So If you want a reference book then this is the book for you. If you want a book that tells you when and how to use the controls to improve your photos then buy Kelby's books. My preference is for the latter.

Note: Although the Evening book purports to offer free online access to the electronic version you will find when you sign up to the offer that access is only free for the first 45 days. Not recommended.


The Best Book on Digital Capture Processing & Workflow, 18 Sep 2008
A fantastic book for Anyone, from serious enthusiasts to Semi-Pro's, or Old Pro's looking to finally go digital and leave the Titanic that Traditional Analogue photography has finally become.

Out of all the books I have checked out, this is the one. It's engaging, transparent, and fun, allowing the reader to dip in and out, or study in depth. It teaches seamlessly.

Buy It!

Just the job, 14 Sep 2008
After a short preamble describing the whys and wherefores of LR the book quickly down to business with importing photos into LR, then on to catloging, correcting and printing following the usual photographers workflow. There's a short (but useful) section on geotagging photos, which actually has little to do with LR2 (at the moment), but it's becoming an important part of a photographers workflow.

It's an approach that works well and Evenings style is both informative and relaxed, but he never strays too far from the business at hand and isn't 'chatty'. The book is printed on good quality paper so the sample photographs and screen prints are clear and clearly illustrate the processes being described. They are almost all there for a purpose, and not just as eye candy.

It's a book you can both use as a reference and sit and read in a spare moment. If you're new to LR and looking for something to get you up and running, then this will be just the job and will probably still be useful in 6 or 12 months time when you're experienced with the UI. If you're an experienced user of LR v1, then it's probably not as useful as it'll be covering V1 features you're familiar with, but there's a lot of new stuff in LR v2 and I doubt you'll find it better described elsewhere.

A useful guide to Usability Testing, 18 Oct 2008
Steve Krug has written this book in plain English in order for everyone to understand web usability testing.
The book contains screenshots, which gives a better picture of the discussed themes.

It's not just for Web Design - apply to everything, 08 Oct 2008
One of the best book I have read this year. Gives you all the basics on usability, how to understand people and how they use websites. It's a must buy as it will be useful for almost everything in business. Don't make people think, due to internet we switch attention so quickly!

All of the basics - and more!, 14 Sep 2008
Just like the method of web design he advocates, Steve Krug explains his craft in a simple, logical manner.

A common sense approach to web design? Yes it certainly is, and as someone who is used to ploughing through text heavy web design and online marketing textbooks, this book is a welcome relief. It is well laid out, logically progressive, while still being easy to dip in and out of as necessary.

The chapters dealing with the guiding principles of web design give simple and, sometimes obvious, basic advice, but somehow the way in which they are delivered still manages to stimulate your creative processes. The later chapters dealing with the internal politics of designing a corporate website with multiple stakeholders shows excellent insight, and gives good practical advice about how to manage this process.

This book is for beginners and experts alike and, despite being relatively short, still delivers comprehensive coverage of the subject.


A little knowledge is a dangerous thing..., 28 Aug 2008
First things first.. this is not a book for web designers, graphic artists, developers or anyone who actually has to do these sorts of tasks for a living (or even for a hobby, for that matter). You will not learn anything from this book that you don't already know and, in fact, there is some stuff in here that I think it would be better off NOT knowing, particularly some of the garishly coloured and clustered monstrosities that are heralded as examples of good design.

The only people who would find this book useful are management-types and marketing people... the kind of people who really should stick to pushing pens and emailing rather than getting involved in the dirty work of designing and developing a succesful website. This book could do a lot of damage in terms of giving delusions of grandeur to these sorts of people!

Much of the advice given in the book is out of date, and many of the example websites are now either not there or have been altered to the extreme. On a posative note, this book does state the obvious to quite a phenominal level and I suppose there may be some people to whom this may be of benefit.

Personally, i'd reccomend any web proffesionals who are thinking of buying this book to stay the heck away!! If you're a manager/marketing person or someone who needs to create the illusion that you know what you're talking about when asked to comment on a website, then this book may be of benefit.

Common sense. Why dont more web developers read it?, 13 Aug 2008
Everything this book says is just common sense. When designing websites, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that people will actually be using your published work! How many times have you been to a site only to think "where's the search box" or when entering some details into your online bank account and then press the "enter key" it doesn't login, it goes off to a "apply for a new savings account". Very confusing. In these circumstances, your brain has to think about what has happened, leaving a negative impression in your mind. Not good if you're trying to sell something!

When it comes to the web, first impressions count. Take Amazons new redesign for 2008. Amazon gets quite a lot of coverage in the book as an example of good design, so it's interesting that they have gone away from their old design, that's been around for about a decade. I don't like the new look, because every time I use it I have to think whereas before it was intuitive. That's the whole point of "dont make me think". You should never have to think about how to use a web site. If you need to use your brain to do something simple, the designer has FAILED.

"Dont make me think" is a quick and easy read. It's quite small at 200 pages. It's often reduced on Amazon so keep an eye out for a bargain.

Highly recommended for all developers, even if you don't often do user interfaces. The advice can be applied to all interfaces and not just the web.


Much better than expected, 08 Nov 2008
The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)
Excellent book that I have learned more from in a week than I did from Rob Sheppard's Lightroom 1 book in several months. I know that some people find Scott's casual style a bit irritating, but it is not at all intrusive in this book. In fact I think it helps me to remember things. Screen shots linked directly to the "stepped" approach, provide both a readable book and a reference work. The practical "real life" approach suits me and I would think many other photographers - Thoroughly recommended!

A lot more to Lightroom than the obvious, 08 Oct 2008
Mr. Kelby always does a good job with all his books, but this is his best yet.Written in a clear, and concise manner, and the screen captures this time are readable without the aid of a magnifying glass. The book follows a good workflow throughout, and proves what a comprehensive programme Lightroom is. This is not evident at first or even second glance, and yet Mr. Kelby makes it all appear so easy, which few writers manage to attain with so called technical books, this is his big secret.
The book is also a valuable reference.

I never knew there was so much in it!, 02 Oct 2008
With the beta release of Lightroom 2, I decided to see what all the fuss was about and try it. Once Adobe released it to manufacturing, I was happy to switch my workflow from CaptureOne + Adobe Bridge + Photoshop to Lightroom 2 + Photoshop. I was up-and-running very quickly, but I knew I was just scratching the surface. Obviously, there's a lot in Lightroom 2 and I wasn't exploiting very much of it.
I was rather pleased, then, to see that Scott Kelby was releasing this new volume and pre-ordering it was a no-brainer. I particularly like Scott's informal, conversational style of writing. I expect some may find it irritating, but for me, it makes his books more pleasant to read. Consequently, it makes it easier to retain the knowledge that he imparts.
I'm reading this one from cover-to-cover, as Scott recommends, and it's certainly working. Within the first few pages, I found useful ways to incorporate Lightroom facilities that I simply hadn't encountered. As I continue to work through, there's more and more that is helping improve my workflow considerably.
I sometimes wonder if Scott's books are a little lightweight. They certainly don't tax your brain too much. I guess that's because most of the books I read tend to be detailed technical references where there's a vast amount of information to impart in a limited space. The way Scott writes, it seems too easy. But then, that's the point, isn't it? When you're working with hundreds or even thousands of photographs at a time, it really does need to be easy. So, thumbs up to Mr Kelby for helping me find new ways to improve the efficiency of my workflow, yet again.

Very Comprehensive, 31 Oct 2008
Nice to find a book that strips away the jargon and really lets you get into the gut of the program. Highly recommended

The wrong approach for me, 30 Sep 2008
Having bought and enjoyed the Scott Kelby Lightroom 1 book I thought, variety being the spice of life, that for Lightroom 2 I would buy the Martin Evening book.

Having seen the Evening LR1 book in shops I was surprised to see that the pages in the LR2 book are smaller but to compensate the book is about 50% thicker. For me this has a handling disadvantage but more importantly the screen shots have to be smaller. This means that with many examples I struggle to see what the screen shot is trying to convey. Indeed the text on many of the screenshots is unreadable.

There is also a big difference in styles and approaches between the two authors. Evening tells you at length what every module, button and slider is for. Kelby tells you how to use Lightroom.

So If you want a reference book then this is the book for you. If you want a book that tells you when and how to use the controls to improve your photos then buy Kelby's books. My preference is for the latter.

Note: Although the Evening book purports to offer free online access to the electronic version you will find when you sign up to the offer that access is only free for the first 45 days. Not recommended.


The Best Book on Digital Capture Processing & Workflow, 18 Sep 2008
A fantastic book for Anyone, from serious enthusiasts to Semi-Pro's, or Old Pro's looking to finally go digital and leave the Titanic that Traditional Analogue photography has finally become.

Out of all the books I have checked out, this is the one. It's engaging, transparent, and fun, allowing the reader to dip in and out, or study in depth. It teaches seamlessly.

Buy It!

Just the job, 14 Sep 2008
After a short preamble describing the whys and wherefores of LR the book quickly down to business with importing photos into LR, then on to catloging, correcting and printing following the usual photographers workflow. There's a short (but useful) section on geotagging photos, which actually has little to do with LR2 (at the moment), but it's becoming an important part of a photographers workflow.

It's an approach that works well and Evenings style is both informative and relaxed, but he never strays too far from the business at hand and isn't 'chatty'. The book is printed on good quality paper so the sample photographs and screen prints are clear and clearly illustrate the processes being described. They are almost all there for a purpose, and not just as eye candy.

It's a book you can both use as a reference and sit and read in a spare moment. If you're new to LR and looking for something to get you up and running, then this will be just the job and will probably still be useful in 6 or 12 months time when you're experienced with the UI. If you're an experienced user of LR v1, then it's probably not as useful as it'll be covering V1 features you're familiar with, but there's a lot of new stuff in LR v2 and I doubt you'll find it better described elsewhere.

Great fun for the idiots amongst us!, 10 Nov 2008
I was quite late in joining the world of Podcasting as a fan. My first introduction was The Ricky Gervais Show and within minutes realised the funniest thing about it wasn't Gervais himself but so Manc producer by the name of Karl Pilkington.

This guy is such an idiot, i honestly can't believe anyone could be so stupid. I bought every series and enjoyed them all, constantly mesmerised by the ramblings of a mad man. I heard the guys mention Karl had written some books and decided to buy them.

Happyslapped and Karlology aren't great but i throughly enjoyed this one. Its more seperated from the Podcasts and feels alot fresher. He refers several times to stuff already heard but most of it is new stupidness backed up by funny little quotes and stats.

If you like reading in bed or even in the bath and don't want anything to intense then get this. It will cheer you up and put a smile on your face and therefore does what it intends to.

Disappointing., 06 Nov 2008
I am a big fan of karl pilkington but this book was slightly disappointing. There is very little original content and 90% of the book is just transcripts from the podcasts, therefore, if you have ever listened to the podcast you will find yourself just flicking through pages.

If you have not read karls other books i would advise buying them instead of this one, if you have not listened to the podcast i would advise listening to them first and then if you have not had enough buy this book. The content is top notch it is just mostly unoriginal, a full diary would have been a million times better imo!

Scripts Of The Podcasts, 21 Sep 2008
First thing's first: this book is basically scripts of the podcasts. It does have a few cooky drawings and a slither of new content but, for the most part, if you've heard the podcasts, then you've heard this book.

"Happyslapped by a Jellyfish" is much, much better (and cheaper!).

Infinite monkeys and the game of swingball, 15 Apr 2008
In this book, Karl goes some way to prove Ricky's theory that monkeys can indeed create true works of literary greatness, whilst being hampered by an orange shaped head.

Mr K. Dilkington, 13 Apr 2008
Karl Dilkington has the worlds roundest head, i mean it, you put karls head next to an orange, and you get confused which is which! The answer is easily found when you ask both a simple question. The orange shows more intelligence than the balding Manc, who is likely to attempt to answer your question, but simply can't!
Its an excellent book written by someone who must have an IQ of about 6.
Also the shape of it goes perfectly on any bookshelf, unlike karls head which would just roll off and onto the floor.

A useful guide to Usability Testing, 18 Oct 2008
Steve Krug has written this book in plain English in order for everyone to understand web usability testing.
The book contains screenshots, which gives a better picture of the discussed themes.

It's not just for Web Design - apply to everything, 08 Oct 2008
One of the best book I have read this year. Gives you all the basics on usability, how to understand people and how they use websites. It's a must buy as it will be useful for almost everything in business. Don't make people think, due to internet we switch attention so quickly!

All of the basics - and more!, 14 Sep 2008
Just like the method of web design he advocates, Steve Krug explains his craft in a simple, logical manner.

A common sense approach to web design? Yes it certainly is, and as someone who is used to ploughing through text heavy web design and online marketing textbooks, this book is a welcome relief. It is well laid out, logically progressive, while still being easy to dip in and out of as necessary.

The chapters dealing with the guiding principles of web design give simple and, sometimes obvious, basic advice, but somehow the way in which they are delivered still manages to stimulate your creative processes. The later chapters dealing with the internal politics of designing a corporate website with multiple stakeholders shows excellent insight, and gives good practical advice about how to manage this process.

This book is for beginners and experts alike and, despite being relatively short, still delivers comprehensive coverage of the subject.


A little knowledge is a dangerous thing..., 28 Aug 2008
First things first.. this is not a book for web designers, graphic artists, developers or anyone who actually has to do these sorts of tasks for a living (or even for a hobby, for that matter). You will not learn anything from this book that you don't already know and, in fact, there is some stuff in here that I think it would be better off NOT knowing, particularly some of the garishly coloured and clustered monstrosities that are heralded as examples of good design.

The only people who would find this book useful are management-types and marketing people... the kind of people who really should stick to pushing pens and emailing rather than getting involved in the dirty work of designing and developing a succesful website. This book could do a lot of damage in terms of giving delusions of grandeur to these sorts of people!

Much of the advice given in the book is out of date, and many of the example websites are now either not there or have been altered to the extreme. On a posative note, this book does state the obvious to quite a phenominal level and I suppose there may be some people to whom this may be of benefit.

Personally, i'd reccomend any web proffesionals who are thinking of buying this book to stay the heck away!! If you're a manager/marketing person or someone who needs to create the illusion that you know what you're talking about when asked to comment on a website, then this book may be of benefit.

Common sense. Why dont more web developers read it?, 13 Aug 2008
Everything this book says is just common sense. When designing websites, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that people will actually be using your published work! How many times have you been to a site only to think "where's the search box" or when entering some details into your online bank account and then press the "enter key" it doesn't login, it goes off to a "apply for a new savings account". Very confusing. In these circumstances, your brain has to think about what has happened, leaving a negative impression in your mind. Not good if you're trying to sell something!

When it comes to the web, first impressions count. Take Amazons new redesign for 2008. Amazon gets quite a lot of coverage in the book as an example of good design, so it's interesting that they have gone away from their old design, that's been around for about a decade. I don't like the new look, because every time I use it I have to think whereas before it was intuitive. That's the whole point of "dont make me think". You should never have to think about how to use a web site. If you need to use your brain to do something simple, the designer has FAILED.

"Dont make me think" is a quick and easy read. It's quite small at 200 pages. It's often reduced on Amazon so keep an eye out for a bargain.

Highly recommended for all developers, even if you don't often do user interfaces. The advice can be applied to all interfaces and not just the web.


Much better than expected, 08 Nov 2008
The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)
Excellent book that I have learned more from in a week than I did from Rob Sheppard's Lightroom 1 book in several months. I know that some people find Scott's casual style a bit irritating, but it is not at all intrusive in this book. In fact I think it helps me to remember things. Screen shots linked directly to the "stepped" approach, provide both a readable book and a reference work. The practical "real life" approach suits me and I would think many other photographers - Thoroughly recommended!

A lot more to Lightroom than the obvious, 08 Oct 2008
Mr. Kelby always does a good job with all his books, but this is his best yet.Written in a clear, and concise manner, and the screen captures this time are readable without the aid of a magnifying glass. The book follows a good workflow throughout, and proves what a comprehensive programme Lightroom is. This is not evident at first or even second glance, and yet Mr. Kelby makes it all appear so easy, which few writers manage to attain with so called technical books, this is his big secret.
The book is also a valuable reference.

I never knew there was so much in it!, 02 Oct 2008
With the beta release of Lightroom 2, I decided to see what all the fuss was about and try it. Once Adobe released it to manufacturing, I was happy to switch my workflow from CaptureOne + Adobe Bridge + Photoshop to Lightroom 2 + Photoshop. I was up-and-running very quickly, but I knew I was just scratching the surface. Obviously, there's a lot in Lightroom 2 and I wasn't exploiting very much of it.
I was rather pleased, then, to see that Scott Kelby was releasing this new volume and pre-ordering it was a no-brainer. I particularly like Scott's informal, conversational style of writing. I expect some may find it irritating, but for me, it makes his books more pleasant to read. Consequently, it makes it easier to retain the knowledge that he imparts.
I'm reading this one from cover-to-cover, as Scott recommends, and it's certainly working. Within the first few pages, I found useful ways to incorporate Lightroom facilities that I simply hadn't encountered. As I continue to work through, there's more and more that is helping improve my workflow considerably.
I sometimes wonder if Scott's books are a little lightweight. They certainly don't tax your brain too much. I guess that's because most of the books I read tend to be detailed technical references where there's a vast amount of information to impart in a limited space. The way Scott writes, it seems too easy. But then, that's the point, isn't it? When you're working with hundreds or even thousands of photographs at a time, it really does need to be easy. So, thumbs up to Mr Kelby for helping me find new ways to improve the efficiency of my workflow, yet again.

Very Comprehensive, 31 Oct 2008
Nice to find a book that strips away the jargon and really lets you get into the gut of the program. Highly recommended

The wrong approach for me, 30 Sep 2008
Having bought and enjoyed the Scott Kelby Lightroom 1 book I thought, variety being the spice of life, that for Lightroom 2 I would buy the Martin Evening book.

Having seen the Evening LR1 book in shops I was surprised to see that the pages in the LR2 book are smaller but to compensate the book is about 50% thicker. For me this has a handling disadvantage but more importantly the screen shots have to be smaller. This means that with many examples I struggle to see what the screen shot is trying to convey. Indeed the text on many of the screenshots is unreadable.

There is also a big difference in styles and approaches between the two authors. Evening tells you at length what every module, button and slider is for. Kelby tells you how to use Lightroom.

So If you want a reference book then this is the book for you. If you want a book that tells you when and how to use the controls to improve your photos then buy Kelby's books. My preference is for the latter.

Note: Although the Evening book purports to offer free online access to the electronic version you will find when you sign up to the offer that access is only free for the first 45 days. Not recommended.


The Best Book on Digital Capture Processing & Workflow, 18 Sep 2008
A fantastic book for Anyone, from serious enthusiasts to Semi-Pro's, or Old Pro's looking to finally go digital and leave the Titanic that Traditional Analogue photography has finally become.

Out of all the books I have checked out, this is the one. It's engaging, transparent, and fun, allowing the reader to dip in and out, or study in depth. It teaches seamlessly.

Buy It!

Just the job, 14 Sep 2008
After a short preamble describing the whys and wherefores of LR the book quickly down to business with importing photos into LR, then on to catloging, correcting and printing following the usual photographers workflow. There's a short (but useful) section on geotagging photos, which actually has little to do with LR2 (at the moment), but it's becoming an important part of a photographers workflow.

It's an approach that works well and Evenings style is both informative and relaxed, but he never strays too far from the business at hand and isn't 'chatty'. The book is printed on good quality paper so the sample photographs and screen prints are clear and clearly illustrate the processes being described. They are almost all there for a purpose, and not just as eye candy.

It's a book you can both use as a reference and sit and read in a spare moment. If you're new to LR and looking for something to get you up and running, then this will be just the job and will probably still be useful in 6 or 12 months time when you're experienced with the UI. If you're an experienced user of LR v1, then it's probably not as useful as it'll be covering V1 features you're familiar with, but there's a lot of new stuff in LR v2 and I doubt you'll find it better described elsewhere.

Great fun for the idiots amongst us!, 10 Nov 2008
I was quite late in joining the world of Podcasting as a fan. My first introduction was The Ricky Gervais Show and within minutes realised the funniest thing about it wasn't Gervais himself but so Manc producer by the name of Karl Pilkington.

This guy is such an idiot, i honestly can't believe anyone could be so stupid. I bought every series and enjoyed them all, constantly mesmerised by the ramblings of a mad man. I heard the guys mention Karl had written some books and decided to buy them.

Happyslapped and Karlology aren't great but i throughly enjoyed this one. Its more seperated from the Podcasts and feels alot fresher. He refers several times to stuff already heard but most of it is new stupidness backed up by funny little quotes and stats.

If you like reading in bed or even in the bath and don't want anything to intense then get this. It will cheer you up and put a smile on your face and therefore does what it intends to.

Disappointing., 06 Nov 2008
I am a big fan of karl pilkington but this book was slightly disappointing. There is very little original content and 90% of the book is just transcripts from the podcasts, therefore, if you have ever listened to the podcast you will find yourself just flicking through pages.

If you have not read karls other books i would advise buying them instead of this one, if you have not listened to the podcast i would advise listening to them first and then if you have not had enough buy this book. The content is top notch it is just mostly unoriginal, a full diary would have been a million times better imo!

Scripts Of The Podcasts, 21 Sep 2008
First thing's first: this book is basically scripts of the podcasts. It does have a few cooky drawings and a slither of new content but, for the most part, if you've heard the podcasts, then you've heard this book.

"Happyslapped by a Jellyfish" is much, much better (and cheaper!).

Infinite monkeys and the game of swingball, 15 Apr 2008
In this book, Karl goes some way to prove Ricky's theory that monkeys can indeed create true works of literary greatness, whilst being hampered by an orange shaped head.

Mr K. Dilkington, 13 Apr 2008
Karl Dilkington has the worlds roundest head, i mean it, you put karls head next to an orange, and you get confused which is which! The answer is easily found when you ask both a simple question. The orange shows more intelligence than the balding Manc, who is likely to attempt to answer your question, but simply can't!
Its an excellent book written by someone who must have an IQ of about 6.
Also the shape of it goes perfectly on any bookshelf, unlike karls head which would just roll off and onto the floor.

Photoshop CS3 for photographers, 24 Oct 2008
This is quite a big book, and comes with a very informative DVD. It goes into a lot of detail and this sometimes makes it hard reading, it probably best to not try and read it "cover to cover", but rather use it like I do as a "reference" book. Some excellent techniques are shown, and the book is very well laid out and it is normally easy to find the information you require.

The Next Level, 18 Sep 2008
A Professional photographer shares his knowledge with honesty and clarity. I recommend this book 100 % for digital photographers of all levels.

Simple to understand, so you can learn with dexterity.

Excellent resource, 10 Aug 2008
As a graphic designer and an amateur photographer, I find this book one of my most useful resources. If I'm looking learn a new technique or improve an old one this is the first place I turn to for help. The way the book is written allows me to either see quickly how to do something or, go in to some real depth. This is the third of Martin Evenings books I own and all of them have proved invaluable, and now doubt once CS4 is available, Martins book (which I'm sure will appear), will be where I go to learn new skills and techniques.

Deeeeeeelighted, 04 Aug 2008
In a moment of extravagance I bought both Scott Kelby's and Martin Evening's books on Photoshop CS3. I have since sold the Scott Kelby book after giving up halfway through ! If you want to make friends with a needy, middle aged man, then his is the book for you. I just got sick of the corny jokes and the lack of focus. In contrast Martin Evening's book is up to his usual high standard. It's beautifully organised and has a clear focus on each aspect of the program in turn.

Easily the best, and not only for professional Editors, 10 Jul 2008
I am finding this CS3 guide extremely helpful. I'm not a professional photographer, but working with graphics from camera to finished publications in the charity sector made a clear and concise guide to CS3 essential when I upgraded. I won't need all of the chapters but those which do relate my needs provide expert advice with a clarity and precision that is often lacking in user guides of this kind. The DVD which comes with the book is an absolute bonus and really accelerates the learning process. The photo samples provided support the explanations of new CS3 features admirably and many of the images are simply stunning. I also like the author's detached frankness when explaining occasional CS3 features which disappoint. I am similarly reassured by the same, detached comments when the writer draws attention to competing products.
An excellent guide. I just wish I'd purchased it from Amazon on line and saved myself ten quid!

A useful guide to Usability Testing, 18 Oct 2008
Steve Krug has written this book in plain English in order for everyone to understand web usability testing.
The book contains screenshots, which gives a better picture of the discussed themes.

It's not just for Web Design - apply to everything, 08 Oct 2008
One of the best book I have read this year. Gives you all the basics on usability, how to understand people and how they use websites. It's a must buy as it will be useful for almost everything in business. Don't make people think, due to internet we switch attention so quickly!

All of the basics - and more!, 14 Sep 2008
Just like the method of web design he advocates, Steve Krug explains his craft in a simple, logical manner.

A common sense approach to web design? Yes it certainly is, and as someone who is used to ploughing through text heavy web design and online marketing textbooks, this book is a welcome relief. It is well laid out, logically progressive, while still being easy to dip in and out of as necessary.

The chapters dealing with the guiding principles of web design give simple and, sometimes obvious, basic advice, but somehow the way in which they are delivered still manages to stimulate your creative processes. The later chapters dealing with the internal politics of designing a corporate website with multiple stakeholders shows excellent insight, and gives good practical advice about how to manage this process.

This book is for beginners and experts alike and, despite being relatively short, still delivers comprehensive coverage of the subject.


A little knowledge is a dangerous thing..., 28 Aug 2008
First things first.. this is not a book for web designers, graphic artists, developers or anyone who actually has to do these sorts of tasks for a living (or even for a hobby, for that matter). You will not learn anything from this book that you don't already know and, in fact, there is some stuff in here that I think it would be better off NOT knowing, particularly some of the garishly coloured and clustered monstrosities that are heralded as examples of good design.

The only people who would find this book useful are management-types and marketing people... the kind of people who really should stick to pushing pens and emailing rather than getting involved in the dirty work of designing and developing a succesful website. This book could do a lot of damage in terms of giving delusions of grandeur to these sorts of people!

Much of the advice given in the book is out of date, and many of the example websites are now either not there or have been altered to the extreme. On a posative note, this book does state the obvious to quite a phenominal level and I suppose there may be some people to whom this may be of benefit.

Personally, i'd reccomend any web proffesionals who are thinking of buying this book to stay the heck away!! If you're a manager/marketing person or someone who needs to create the illusion that you know what you're talking about when asked to comment on a website, then this book may be of benefit.

Common sense. Why dont more web developers read it?, 13 Aug 2008
Everything this book says is just common sense. When designing websites, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that people will actually be using your published work! How many times have you been to a site only to think "where's the search box" or when entering some details into your online bank account and then press the "enter key" it doesn't login, it goes off to a "apply for a new savings account". Very confusing. In these circumstances, your brain has to think about what has happened, leaving a negative impression in your mind. Not good if you're trying to sell something!

When it comes to the web, first impressions count. Take Amazons new redesign for 2008. Amazon gets quite a lot of coverage in the book as an example of good design, so it's interesting that they have gone away from their old design, that's been around for about a decade. I don't like the new look, because every time I use it I have to think whereas before it was intuitive. That's the whole point of "dont make me think". You should never have to think about how to use a web site. If you need to use your brain to do something simple, the designer has FAILED.

"Dont make me think" is a quick and easy read. It's quite small at 200 pages. It's often reduced on Amazon so keep an eye out for a bargain.

Highly recommended for all developers, even if you don't often do user interfaces. The advice can be applied to all interfaces and not just the web.


Much better than expected, 08 Nov 2008
The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)
Excellent book that I have learned more from in a week than I did from Rob Sheppard's Lightroom 1 book in several months. I know that some people find Scott's casual style a bit irritating, but it is not at all intrusive in this book. In fact I think it helps me to remember things. Screen shots linked directly to the "stepped" approach, provide both a readable book and a reference work. The practical "real life" approach suits me and I would think many other photographers - Thoroughly recommended!

A lot more to Lightroom than the obvious, 08 Oct 2008
Mr. Kelby always does a good job with all his books, but this is his best yet.Written in a clear, and concise manner, and the screen captures this time are readable without the aid of a magnifying glass. The book follows a good workflow throughout, and proves what a comprehensive programme Lightroom is. This is not evident at first or even second glance, and yet Mr. Kelby makes it all appear so easy, which few writers manage to attain with so called technical books, this is his big secret.
The book is also a valuable reference.

I never knew there was so much in it!, 02 Oct 2008
With the beta release of Lightroom 2, I decided to see what all the fuss was about and try it. Once Adobe released it to manufacturing, I was happy to switch my workflow from CaptureOne + Adobe Bridge + Photoshop to Lightroom 2 + Photoshop. I was up-and-running very quickly, but I knew I was just scratching the surface. Obviously, there's a lot in Lightroom 2 and I wasn't exploiting very much of it.
I was rather pleased, then, to see that Scott Kelby was releasing this new volume and pre-ordering it was a no-brainer. I particularly like Scott's informal, conversational style of writing. I expect some may find it irritating, but for me, it makes his books more pleasant to read. Consequently, it makes it easier to retain the knowledge that he imparts.
I'm reading this one from cover-to-cover, as Scott recommends, and it's certainly working. Within the first few pages, I found useful ways to incorporate Lightroom facilities that I simply hadn't encountered. As I continue to work through, there's more and more that is helping improve my workflow considerably.
I sometimes wonder if Scott's books are a little lightweight. They certainly don't tax your brain too much. I guess that's because most of the books I read tend to be detailed technical references where there's a vast amount of information to impart in a limited space. The way Scott writes, it seems too easy. But then, that's the point, isn't it? When you're working with hundreds or even thousands of photographs at a time, it really does need to be easy. So, thumbs up to Mr Kelby for helping me find new ways to improve the efficiency of my workflow, yet again.

Very Comprehensive, 31 Oct 2008
Nice to find a book that strips away the jargon and really lets you get into the gut of the program. Highly recommended

The wrong approach for me, 30 Sep 2008
Having bought and enjoyed the Scott Kelby Lightroom 1 book I thought, variety being the spice of life, that for Lightroom 2 I would buy the Martin Evening book.

Having seen the Evening LR1 book in shops I was surprised to see that the pages in the LR2 book are smaller but to compensate the book is about 50% thicker. For me this has a handling disadvantage but more importantly the screen shots have to be smaller. This means that with many examples I struggle to see what the screen shot is trying to convey. Indeed the text on many of the screenshots is unreadable.

There is also a big difference in styles and approaches between the two authors. Evening tells you at length what every module, button and slider is for. Kelby tells you how to use Lightroom.

So If you want a reference book then this is the book for you. If you want a book that tells you when and how to use the controls to improve your photos then buy Kelby's books. My preference is for the latter.

Note: Although the Evening book purports to offer free online access to the electronic version you will find when you sign up to the offer that access is only free for the first 45 days. Not recommended.


The Best Book on Digital Capture Processing & Workflow, 18 Sep 2008
A fantastic book for Anyone, from serious enthusiasts to Semi-Pro's, or Old Pro's looking to finally go digital and leave the Titanic that Traditional Analogue photography has finally become.

Out of all the books I have checked out, this is the one. It's engaging, transparent, and fun, allowing the reader to dip in and out, or study in depth. It teaches seamlessly.

Buy It!

Just the job, 14 Sep 2008
After a short preamble describing the whys and wherefores of LR the book quickly down to business with importing photos into LR, then on to catloging, correcting and printing following the usual photographers workflow. There's a short (but useful) section on geotagging photos, which actually has little to do with LR2 (at the moment), but it's becoming an important part of a photographers workflow.

It's an approach that works well and Evenings style is both informative and relaxed, but he never strays too far from the business at hand and isn't 'chatty'. The book is printed on good quality paper so the sample photographs and screen prints are clear and clearly illustrate the processes being described. They are almost all there for a purpose, and not just as eye candy.

It's a book you can both use as a reference and sit and read in a spare moment. If you're new to LR and looking for something to get you up and running, then this will be just the job and will probably still be useful in 6 or 12 months time when you're experienced with the UI. If you're an experienced user of LR v1, then it's probably not as useful as it'll be covering V1 features you're familiar with, but there's a lot of new stuff in LR v2 and I doubt you'll find it better described elsewhere.

Great fun for the idiots amongst us!, 10 Nov 2008
I was quite late in joining the world of Podcasting as a fan. My first introduction was The Ricky Gervais Show and within minutes realised the funniest thing about it wasn't Gervais himself but so Manc producer by the name of Karl Pilkington.

This guy is such an idiot, i honestly can't believe anyone could be so stupid. I bought every series and enjoyed them all, constantly mesmerised by the ramblings of a mad man. I heard the guys mention Karl had written some books and decided to buy them.

Happyslapped and Karlology aren't great but i throughly enjoyed this one. Its more seperated from the Podcasts and feels alot fresher. He refers several times to stuff already heard but most of it is new stupidness backed up by funny little quotes and stats.

If you like reading in bed or even in the bath and don't want anything to intense then get this. It will cheer you up and put a smile on your face and therefore does what it intends to.

Disappointing., 06 Nov 2008
I am a big fan of karl pilkington but this book was slightly disappointing. There is very little original content and 90% of the book is just transcripts from the podcasts, therefore, if you have ever listened to the podcast you will find yourself just flicking through pages.

If you have not read karls other books i would advise buying them instead of this one, if you have not listened to the podcast i would advise listening to them first and then if you have not had enough buy this book. The content is top notch it is just mostly unoriginal, a full diary would have been a million times better imo!

Scripts Of The Podcasts, 21 Sep 2008
First thing's first: this book is basically scripts of the podcasts. It does have a few cooky drawings and a slither of new content but, for the most part, if you've heard the podcasts, then you've heard this book.

"Happyslapped by a Jellyfish" is much, much better (and cheaper!).

Infinite monkeys and the game of swingball, 15 Apr 2008
In this book, Karl goes some way to prove Ricky's theory that monkeys can indeed create true works of literary greatness, whilst being hampered by an orange shaped head.

Mr K. Dilkington, 13 Apr 2008
Karl Dilkington has the worlds roundest head, i mean it, you put karls head next to an orange, and you get confused which is which! The answer is easily found when you ask both a simple question. The orange shows more intelligence than the balding Manc, who is likely to attempt to answer your question, but simply can't!
Its an excellent book written by someone who must have an IQ of about 6.
Also the shape of it goes perfectly on any bookshelf, unlike karls head which would just roll off and onto the floor.

Photoshop CS3 for photographers, 24 Oct 2008
This is quite a big book, and comes with a very informative DVD. It goes into a lot of detail and this sometimes makes it hard reading, it probably best to not try and read it "cover to cover", but rather use it like I do as a "reference" book. Some excellent techniques are shown, and the book is very well laid out and it is normally easy to find the information you require.

The Next Level, 18 Sep 2008
A Professional photographer shares his knowledge with honesty and clarity. I recommend this book 100 % for digital photographers of all levels.

Simple to understand, so you can learn with dexterity.

Excellent resource, 10 Aug 2008
As a graphic designer and an amateur photographer, I find this book one of my most useful resources. If I'm looking learn a new technique or improve an old one this is the first place I turn to for help. The way the book is written allows me to either see quickly how to do something or, go in to some real depth. This is the third of Martin Evenings books I own and all of them have proved invaluable, and now doubt once CS4 is available, Martins book (which I'm sure will appear), will be where I go to learn new skills and techniques.

Deeeeeeelighted, 04 Aug 2008
In a moment of extravagance I bought both Scott Kelby's and Martin Evening's books on Photoshop CS3. I have since sold the Scott Kelby book after giving up halfway through ! If you want to make friends with a needy, middle aged man, then his is the book for you. I just got sick of the corny jokes and the lack of focus. In contrast Martin Evening's book is up to his usual high standard. It's beautifully organised and has a clear focus on each aspect of the program in turn.

Easily the best, and not only for professional Editors, 10 Jul 2008
I am finding this CS3 guide extremely helpful. I'm not a professional photographer, but working with graphics from camera to finished publications in the charity sector made a clear and concise guide to CS3 essential when I upgraded. I won't need all of the chapters but those which do relate my needs provide expert advice with a clarity and precision that is often lacking in user guides of this kind. The DVD which comes with the book is an absolute bonus and really accelerates the learning process. The photo samples provided support the explanations of new CS3 features admirably and many of the images are simply stunning. I also like the author's detached frankness when explaining occasional CS3 features which disappoint. I am similarly reassured by the same, detached comments when the writer draws attention to competing products.
An excellent guide. I just wish I'd purchased it from Amazon on line and saved myself ten quid!

Yes the humour is bad... , 01 Dec 2008
After reading some of the previous reviews, I thought I would buy this book as surely some of the comments about the humour being awful must've been exaggerated!? Well, sadly not - the humour is truly awful. But don't let this put you off - the book in itself is amazing. I read it cover to cover in one sitting and had to get up to try all the techniques, despite it being way past my bedtime. I find the book easy to follow, the techniques are brilliant and will have anyone making the most of CS3 in no time! Highly recommended. (although I would agree that while the book tells you "how", it will not give you understanding of "why")

Good for Photographers, 07 Sep 2008
Firstly don't let the humour comments put you off - it' not that bad. What the book does for digital photographers is tell you how to post process for great results and how to do some neat effects; what it doesn't do is explain why or what some of the steps are for. If you are creative or want to understand the workings of CS3 then look elsewhere. I got the CS3 Bible as well (which does the opposite - give the how and why but not much about what you can achieve) and between the two I got what I needed.

The book is nicely illustrated and all the steps to get the effects are clear and easy to follow.

Buy it and start USING Photoshop, 06 Sep 2008
If you have Photoshop, this book will simply help you understand it and start making it work for you.
Forget all the comments about Scott Kelby's humour, its an easy to read book that explains things well.
I also bought the Dummies book for CS3, it really isn't a patch on this one and just doesn't explain anything clearly.
Buy this book and you will be a Kelby fan for life (even if he is an American!)

Fighting through Photoshop CS3, 13 Aug 2008
I have been amateur photographer for years and have long since left my darkroom behind.
In recent times my interest has been revived by the new high quality digital pocket camera. In my case a Panasonic TZ3
Having played about with Photoshop I soon found I was getting nowhere fast until that is I purchased Scott Kebly's The Adobe Photoshop CS3 book.
I truly love this book; its step by step guide is a dream to use. Full of colour photos to accompany the instruction is great.
I used my own photos whilst going following the instructions which truly change the quality of the finished image.
I agree with other reviewers that Scott's humour is very American but don't let this put you off buying a truly great book. I would say the book is for the beginner to intermediate Photoshop user but has something for everyone.
The only down side is that I have hundreds of digital photos waiting for some Photoshop treatment.
Good luck any enjoy your copy.


Dissapointed, 26 Jul 2008
In a moment of extravagance I bought both Scott Kelby's and Martin Evening's books on Photoshop CS3. I have since sold the Scott Kelby book after giving up halfway through ! If you want to make friends with a needy, middle aged man, then this is the book for you. I just got sick of the corny jokes and the lack of focus. On too many occasions I found myself skipping pages and paragraphs of irrelevant "chat". In contrast Martin Evening's book is up to his usual high standard. It,s beautifully organised and has a clear focus on each aspect of the program in turn. guess which "Lightroom" book I bought?

A useful guide to Usability Testing, 18 Oct 2008
Steve Krug has written this book in plain English in order for everyone to understand web usability testing.
The book contains screenshots, which gives a better picture of the discussed themes.

It's not just for Web Design - apply to everything, 08 Oct 2008
One of the best book I have read this year. Gives you all the basics on usability, how to understand people and how they use websites. It's a must buy as it will be useful for almost everything in business. Don't make people think, due to internet we switch attention so quickly!

All of the basics - and more!, 14 Sep 2008
Just like the method of web design he advocates, Steve Krug explains his craft in a simple, logical manner.

A common sense approach to web design? Yes it certainly is, and as someone who is used to ploughing through text heavy web design and online marketing textbooks, this book is a welcome relief. It is well laid out, logically progressive, while still being easy to dip in and out of as necessary.

The chapters dealing with the guiding principles of web design give simple and, sometimes obvious, basic advice, but somehow the way in which they are delivered still manages to stimulate your creative processes. The later chapters dealing with the internal politics of designing a corporate website with multiple stakeholders shows excellent insight, and gives good practical advice about how to manage this process.

This book is for beginners and experts alike and, despite being relatively short, still delivers comprehensive coverage of the subject.


A little knowledge is a dangerous thing..., 28 Aug 2008
First things first.. this is not a book for web designers, graphic artists, developers or anyone who actually has to do these sorts of tasks for a living (or even for a hobby, for that matter). You will not learn anything from this book that you don't already know and, in fact, there is some stuff in here that I think it would be better off NOT knowing, particularly some of the garishly coloured and clustered monstrosities that are heralded as examples of good design.

The only people who would find this book useful are management-types and marketing people... the kind of people who really should stick to pushing pens and emailing rather than getting involved in the dirty work of designing and developing a succesful website. This book could do a lot of damage in terms of giving delusions of grandeur to these sorts of people!

Much of the advice given in the book is out of date, and many of the example websites are now either not there or have been altered to the extreme. On a posative note, this book does state the obvious to quite a phenominal level and I suppose there may be some people to whom this may be of benefit.

Personally, i'd reccomend any web proffesionals who are thinking of buying this book to stay the heck away!! If you're a manager/marketing person or someone who needs to create the illusion that you know what you're talking about when asked to comment on a website, then this book may be of benefit.

Common sense. Why dont more web developers read it?, 13 Aug 2008
Everything this book says is just common sense. When designing websites, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that people will actually be using your published work! How many times have you been to a site only to think "where's the search box" or when entering some details into your online bank account and then press the "enter key" it doesn't login, it goes off to a "apply for a new savings account". Very confusing. In these circumstances, your brain has to think about what has happened, leaving a negative impression in your mind. Not good if you're trying to sell something!

When it comes to the web, first impressions count. Take Amazons new redesign for 2008. Amazon gets quite a lot of coverage in the book as an example of good design, so it's interesting that they have gone away from their old design, that's been around for about a decade. I don't like the new look, because every time I use it I have to think whereas before it was intuitive. That's the whole point of "dont make me think". You should never have to think about how to use a web site. If you need to use your brain to do something simple, the designer has FAILED.

"Dont make me think" is a quick and easy read. It's quite small at 200 pages. It's often reduced on Amazon so keep an eye out for a bargain.

Highly recommended for all developers, even if you don't often do user interfaces. The advice can be applied to all interfaces and not just the web.


Much better than expected, 08 Nov 2008
The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)
Excellent book that I have learned more from in a week than I did from Rob Sheppard's Lightroom 1 book in several months. I know that some people find Scott's casual style a bit irritating, but it is not at all intrusive in this book. In fact I think it helps me to remember things. Screen shots linked directly to the "stepped" approach, provide both a readable book and a reference work. The practical "real life" approach suits me and I would think many other photographers - Thoroughly recommended!

A lot more to Lightroom than the obvious, 08 Oct 2008
Mr. Kelby always does a good job with all his books, but this is his best yet.Written in a clear, and concise manner, and the screen captures this time are readable without the aid of a magnifying glass. The book follows a good workflow throughout, and proves what a comprehensive programme Lightroom is. This is not evident at first or even second glance, and yet Mr. Kelby makes it all appear so easy, which few writers manage to attain with so called technical books, this is his big secret.
The book is also a valuable reference.

I never knew there was so much in it!, 02 Oct 2008
With the beta release of Lightroom 2, I decided to see what all the fuss was about and try it. Once Adobe released it to manufacturing, I was happy to switch my workflow from CaptureOne + Adobe Bridge + Photoshop to Lightroom 2 + Photoshop. I was up-and-running very quickly, but I knew I was just scratching the surface. Obviously, there's a lot in Lightroom 2 and I wasn't exploiting very much of it.
I was rather pleased, then, to see that Scott Kelby was releasing this new volume and pre-ordering it was a no-brainer. I particularly like Scott's informal, conversational style of writing. I expect some may find it irritating, but for me, it makes his books more pleasant to read. Consequently, it makes it easier to retain the knowledge that he imparts.
I'm reading this one from cover-to-cover, as Scott recommends, and it's certainly working. Within the first few pages, I found useful ways to incorporate Lightroom facilities that I simply hadn't encountered. As I continue to work through, there's more and more that is helping improve my workflow considerably.
I sometimes wonder if Scott's books are a little lightweight. They certainly don't tax your brain too much. I guess that's because most of the books I read tend to be detailed technical references where there's a vast amount of information to impart in a limited space. The way Scott writes, it seems too easy. But then, that's the point, isn't it? When you're working with hundreds or even thousands of photographs at a time, it really does need to be easy. So, thumbs up to Mr Kelby for helping me find new ways to improve the efficiency of my workflow, yet again.

Very Comprehensive, 31 Oct 2008
Nice to find a book that strips away the jargon and really lets you get into the gut of the program. Highly recommended

The wrong approach for me, 30 Sep 2008
Having bought and enjoyed the Scott Kelby Lightroom 1 book I thought, variety being the spice of life, that for Lightroom 2 I would buy the Martin Evening book.

Having seen the Evening LR1 book in shops I was surprised to see that the pages in the LR2 book are smaller but to compensate the book is about 50% thicker. For me this has a handling disadvantage but more importantly the screen shots have to be smaller. This means that with many examples I struggle to see what the screen shot is trying to convey. Indeed the text on many of the screenshots is unreadable.

There is also a big difference in styles and approaches between the two authors. Evening tells you at length what every module, button and slider is for. Kelby tells you how to use Lightroom.

So If you want a reference book then this is the book for you. If you want a book that tells you when and how to use the controls to improve your photos then buy Kelby's books. My preference is for the latter.

Note: Although the Evening book purports to offer free online access to the electronic version you will find when you sign up to the offer that access is only free for the first 45 days. Not recommended.


The Best Book on Digital Capture Processing & Workflow, 18 Sep 2008
A fantastic book for Anyone, from serious enthusiasts to Semi-Pro's, or Old Pro's looking to finally go digital and leave the Titanic that Traditional Analogue photography has finally become.

Out of all the books I have checked out, this is the one. It's engaging, transparent, and fun, allowing the reader to dip in and out, or study in depth. It teaches seamlessly.

Buy It!

Just the job, 14 Sep 2008
After a short preamble describing the whys and wherefores of LR the book quickly down to business with importing photos into LR, then on to catloging, correcting and printing following the usual photographers workflow. There's a short (but useful) section on geotagging photos, which actually has little to do with LR2 (at the moment), but it's becoming an important part of a photographers workflow.

It's an approach that works well and Evenings style is both informative and relaxed, but he never strays too far from the business at hand and isn't 'chatty'. The book is printed on good quality paper so the sample photographs and screen prints are clear and clearly illustrate the processes being described. They are almost all there for a purpose, and not just as eye candy.

It's a book you can both use as a reference and sit and read in a spare moment. If you're new to LR and looking for something to get you up and running, then this will be just the job and will probably still be useful in 6 or 12 months time when you're experienced with the UI. If you're an experienced user of LR v1, then it's probably not as useful as it'll be covering V1 features you're familiar with, but there's a lot of new stuff in LR v2 and I doubt you'll find it better described elsewhere.

Great fun for the idiots amongst us!, 10 Nov 2008
I was quite late in joining the world of Podcasting as a fan. My first introduction was The Ricky Gervais Show and within minutes realised the funniest thing about it wasn't Gervais himself but so Manc producer by the name of Karl Pilkington.

This guy is such an idiot, i honestly can't believe anyone could be so stupid. I bought every series and enjoyed them all, constantly mesmerised by the ramblings of a mad man. I heard the guys mention Karl had written some books and decided to buy them.

Happyslapped and Karlology aren't great but i throughly enjoyed this one. Its more seperated from the Podcasts and feels alot fresher. He refers several times to stuff already heard but most of it is new stupidness backed up by funny little quotes and stats.

If you like reading in bed or even in the bath and don't want anything to intense then get this. It will cheer you up and put a smile on your face and therefore does what it intends to.

Disappointing., 06 Nov 2008
I am a big fan of karl pilkington but this book was slightly disappointing. There is very little original content and 90% of the book is just transcripts from the podcasts, therefore, if you have ever listened to the podcast you will find yourself just flicking through pages.

If you have not read karls other books i would advise buying them instead of this one, if you have not listened to the podcast i would advise listening to them first and then if you have not had enough buy this book. The content is top notch it is just mostly unoriginal, a full diary would have been a million times better imo!

Scripts Of The Podcasts, 21 Sep 2008
First thing's first: this book is basically scripts of the podcasts. It does have a few cooky drawings and a slither of new content but, for the most part, if you've heard the podcasts, then you've heard this book.

"Happyslapped by a Jellyfish" is much, much better (and cheaper!).

Infinite monkeys and the game of swingball, 15 Apr 2008
In this book, Karl goes some way to prove Ricky's theory that monkeys can indeed create true works of literary greatness, whilst being hampered by an orange shaped head.

Mr K. Dilkington, 13 Apr 2008
Karl Dilkington has the worlds roundest head, i mean it, you put karls head next to an orange, and you get confused which is which! The answer is easily found when you ask both a simple question. The orange shows more intelligence than the balding Manc, who is likely to attempt to answer your question, but simply can't!
Its an excellent book written by someone who must have an IQ of about 6.
Also the shape of it goes perfectly on any bookshelf, unlike karls head which would just roll off and onto the floor.

Photoshop CS3 for photographers, 24 Oct 2008
This is quite a big book, and comes with a very informative DVD. It goes into a lot of detail and this sometimes makes it hard reading, it probably best to not try and read it "cover to cover", but rather use it like I do as a "reference" book. Some excellent techniques are shown, and the book is very well laid out and it is normally easy to find the information you require.

The Next Level, 18 Sep 2008
A Professional photographer shares his knowledge with honesty and clarity. I recommend this book 100 % for digital photographers of all levels.

Simple to understand, so you can learn with dexterity.

Excellent resource, 10 Aug 2008
As a graphic designer and an amateur photographer, I find this book one of my most useful resources. If I'm looking learn a new technique or improve an old one this is the first place I turn to for help. The way the book is written allows me to either see quickly how to do something or, go in to some real depth. This is the third of Martin Evenings books I own and all of them have proved invaluable, and now doubt once CS4 is available, Martins book (which I'm sure will appear), will be where I go to learn new skills and techniques.

Deeeeeeelighted, 04 Aug 2008
In a moment of extravagance I bought both Scott Kelby's and Martin Evening's books on Photoshop CS3. I have since sold the Scott Kelby book after giving up halfway through ! If you want to make friends with a needy, middle aged man, then his is the book for you. I just got sick of the corny jokes and the lack of focus. In contrast Martin Evening's book is up to his usual high standard. It's beautifully organised and has a clear focus on each aspect of the program in turn.

Easily the best, and not only for professional Editors, 10 Jul 2008
I am finding this CS3 guide extremely helpful. I'm not a professional photographer, but working with graphics from camera to finished publications in the charity sector made a clear and concise guide to CS3 essential when I upgraded. I won't need all of the chapters but those which do relate my needs provide expert advice with a clarity and precision that is often lacking in user guides of this kind. The DVD which comes with the book is an absolute bonus and really accelerates the learning process. The photo samples provided support the explanations of new CS3 features admirably and many of the images are simply stunning. I also like the author's detached frankness when explaining occasional CS3