Customer Reviews

Beyond the Mac Is Not a Typewriter

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I am extremely distressed by one of the previous reviews that calls this "just another book by an amateur". I can think of noone more qualified to discuss typography and modern design principles. This is a great book to begin dispelling the errors we make by applying typing 101 principles to our computers. As far as Robin Williams not being a historian, I was looking for the correct method of getting my message across. Not a history lesson. Robin Williams is the most qualified expert on "today's" typography skills not yesterdays. Lets leave that to the historians.

I am distressed by the negative review above. This is a well written and beautifully designed introduction to typography for beginners. If you own a Mac, or do some DTP and are interested in learning more about typography in a fun and accessible manner, this is the perfect book for you. In fact, my appetite was whetted, and I did indeed purchase "The Elements of Typographic Style," but I never would have developed an interest without Robin Williams' thoughtful guidance and enthusiasm. The Bringhurst book is much too deep and involved for total beginners, but is probably the best book on the subject, once you understand the basics. Beyond the Mac is Not a Typewriter is an excellent source for familiarizing oneself with those basics.

For all of us who learned typing but not typography before we first acquired a desk top computer with a "word processing program," Williams' clear guidance steers us away from the more obvious mistakes too many of us have already made in great profusion. Ordinary tools in the hands of ordinary people can turn out surprisingly good typography. Williams leads you by the hand down the beginning of the right path.

This handy little book is not just for Mac users, either. For some techniques in some applications, folks not blessed with a Mac will not benefit from the detailed "how to" instructions, but the principles apply to any platform. So, do your typograpgically ignorant friends (even those on the dark side) a favor; give them a copy of Ms. Williams' book.

Ms. Williams' book is written at a very accessible level. It doesn't claim to address every issue in the history of type, but it provides an organized, thoughtful beginning that whets the appetite for more detailed type examples and history. Her list of tell-tale signs that something is "desktop-published" should be in the hands of every new designer

Especially if you're a writer, you need this book. It will give you the reasoning behind certain stylistic techniques that end all questioning from wanna-be editors and writers.

A decent followup to her earlier work, however Williams' newest volume does some disservice to her subject matter. Previous reviewers may be too hard and too laudatory as well: it doesn't take a historian to write a great book on typography, but then neither does Williams necessarily succeed. This book is not a tenth of what Bringhurst's Elements of Typographic Style represents to modern users of type; then again, perhaps she was not trying to be as comprehensive, accurate or excellent.

Many people have lauded this book as a wonderful place for sprouting designers to start. For some it well may be the milk they need before attempting to digest the meat brought to the table by Bringhurst or Gill. But, and I know I'm preaching to the choir, this glass of milk has been poured from an expired carton (just had to get in one more food metaphor). Try "Stop Stealing Sheep" by Spiekermann & Ginger--great overview, quite accurate, and above all a good read. Start there, leave this one alone.

Robin Williams is clearly not a professional typographer, noran historian. Her book is not only incomplete and inaccurate, butreveals a clear lack of historical knowledge. It is also full of mistakes and contradictions (though not as bad as her previous title). Anyway, I think nobody should write books about subjects they haven't read or researched about enough. By the way, the synopsis says "Think of this as the typography equivalent of Strunk and White's The Elements of Style". That's already out, and it came out before 'Beyond the Mac...'. It's a book called 'The Elements of Typographic Style', by Robert Bringhurst, who is a real historian and professional in the typographic field. A previous review of mine has been censored and cancelled from this site (although it didn't go against the guidelines). Congratulations to Amazon for their contribution to a Web that doesn't censor ideas!!!