Customer Reviews

Photoshop 7 Bible

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

After dabbling in Photoshop for a while the thing that has become most clear to me is that it isn't an easy program to learn, and no doubt it isn't an easy one to explain either. So I won't blame Deke McClelland for not turning me into a Photoshop genius overnight (which he didn't) - but even if that is too much to expect of any book, this one is a mixed bag in more ways than that. On the plus side, it certainly is comprehensive. Just about every option available in Photoshop is explained - and that is the major downside at the same time. This book is very much written from the viewpoint of the program, not that of the user. If you want to know how to achieve a particular effect, you will just have to browse the 1000+ pages hoping you will stumble on the right tools. Reversely, you may read many an explanation of a tool without ever getting into the clear why you would want to use it. For instance, the chapters on selections, paths and masks made it abundantly clear to me that there are some 5,000 or so ways of selecting part of an image in Photoshop, but I remained in the dark as to which ones are useful under which circumstances. Much of the text on paths and masks actually seemed highly esoteric to me. I can understand that it is impossible to illustrate each and every option visually, but unfortunately the illustrative examples that are given often don't seem to be very compelling (e.g., the possible use of stroking a path is demonstrated by the creation of a tapering line underneath an image of a planet, an effect that could just as easily have been achieved with a simple paint brush.) In fact (and ironically), the graphics are one of the major weaknesses of the book (just take a peek at the hideous cover!). I found them mostly unimaginative, and often too small and badly printed to show up the differences between several effects they were supposed to demonstrate.
The accessibility of the book is not helped by the fact that after introducing a function, the author stops naming it and reverts to a mere mention of the keyboard shortcut - so when you're new to this, soon enough you no longer know what he is doing (also, I would urge the publisher to please create separate Windows and Mac editions of this book: the ubiquitous additions of the Mac alternative to Windows shortcuts is highly irritating!).
The order of chapters/subjects doesn't seem to be guided by any pedagogical considerations. Layers are not discussed until page 633, even though (as everyone who has ever tried Photoshop or any similar program knows) you really can't do anything at all without an understanding of this function. The style of writing is informal and chatty, and by page 500 or thereabouts the author's facetiousness started to wear thin on me. Maybe after I have gained more experience with Photoshop I will come to appreciate more of McClelland's suggestions. However, as a novice, plowing through this book yielded to me no more than 8 or 9 new insights that I found directly useful.

I've been reading Deke's books for years. And frankly, they vary widely, from fair (especially when he leaves the chore to a coauthor) to extremely good. Sure, Deke's a pioneer. If it wasn't for him, computer books would all be about word processors and operating systems. But he doesn't always deliver like he could or should.

This time is different. This book is something special:

First, it's completely different than past Photoshop Bibles. ALL the information is new, which is an astounding achievement for an update to a book this size. (I haven't seen the softbound Photoshop 7 Bible, but according to the foreword, the two books share about 300 pages of content, so it doesn't sound like you should get both.)

Second, it does more with less. No 1,200-page tome this time. The Pro Edition is a lean 650 pages, and it uses its pages wisely.

Third, all 650 pages are printed in full color. The print job and paper quality are very fine, something of a first for the Bible. The figures are exquisitely rendered, so you can see everything Deke is talking about.

Fourth and best, the content is extraordinary. It includes information about blend modes, healing, displacement maps, the liquify tool, and much more that I haven't seen anywhere else. (I have nearly a dozen Photoshop 7 books). I don't think I've come across a single page so far that hasn't taught me something I didn't already know. Can't say that about other books.

The title doesn't lie, it really is for professionals. But Deke delivers his high-end info in a simple and charming way that is always crystal clear. He promises the world, and then remarkably, he delivers. If you're an intermediate or advanced user, then I'm guessing this is the Photoshop Bible you've been waiting for.

I was SO glad I bought this book to supplement our textbook for a PhotoShop 7 class last semester! The text frustrated me because it used the "Do step A, step B, step C" approach. For some of us, that approach does not make it easy to learn WHY we're doing the steps we're doing, so that we could apply the concepts in real life. In contrast, the PhotoShop 7 Bible explains the concepts, shows graphic examples of the differences between features, and shows samples of how a feature is affected by different user-selected values.

The author also does give step-by-step instructions in situations where needed, and explains what each step accomplishes.

Since I didn't have to have the computer in front of me while reading this, it was possible to redeem time spent away from the computer, for instance, in the cafeteria or a waiting room.

In short, for "concept learners" (vs. "rote learners," who like the step-by-step, low explanation approach), this was the book to buy!

There are a great number of Photoshop books in the market. Yet this is unique. Deke's style and comprehensive coverage can not be beaten. He is a master of Photoshop and of teaching it. You will learn that extra bit that makes all the difference. Also look for the Photoshop TotalTraining CD-ROMs where you can watch Deke in action (his sense of humor and clarity come through and shine there -- no written word could grasp that). Many people avoid these thick books, but this is the one that you can simply not ignore. Not for its size, but for its excellence.

This book describes the fine intricacies of all the tools, the filters and the features of Photoshop. Where other books lead you through lessons and tell you to set X tool preference to Y, and you may happily use the Y preference for years without even knowing there is also a Z preference, this book explains all the preferences for all the tools and gives illustrated examples of what the various settings produce.

I wanted to force myself to sit down and read this thing cover to cover to get an in-depth knowledge of everything Photoshop, but after 2 chapters of reading I just couldn't go on in this manner. For me, the best use of this book is as a reference when I have a question about a particular tool or technique. I'll read a few pages to get the particulars, then I put the book back up on the shelf until the next question arises.

This version has lots of nice color plates and paging through it can be inspirational when I'm stuck for a design idea. Especially if I'm burned out on surfing online for ideas.

The one irritating factor about this book is the author's sense of humor interspersed throughout. I understand that he's trying to make a technical subject friendly, approachable and enjoyable, but the humor just comes across as extremely corny. This is a plague I've noticed infecting many of today's authors of software books.

Dear Authors,unless you are absolutely certain that people other than family and close friends consider you funny, please leave the humor out or hire a professional to help. Thank you.

I still give this book highest marks because
1)it is so absolutely thorough
2)the author knows his stuff and can communicate it well (even if there is a bit of dorky humor in it) and
3)since I use it as a reference book, the humor only comes in small, managable chunks.

Deke McClelland has done it again! As an Adobe Certified Photoshop Instructor, I felt compelled to write this review in lieu of the others. This book does what it is supposed to and that is explain why and how things happen in Photoshop 7 (YES, it is a reference book - similar to an encyclopedia). There are two types of books you can buy for graphics programs: reference and tutorial. Those that try to combine both come up short. This one sticks to its purpose and is written in a humorous/ fun way, not with the typical `put me to sleep encyclopedia method'. It is a must have for the Photoshop library.

Those who criticized this book as being a poor choice for beginners were unfair. (Why did they buy the Professional Version anyway?) Teaching those first steps to people who are not too familiar with computers in general is a book in itself. This book is perfect for anyone who has mastered even the most basic steps and wants to move far, far beyond.

I was first exposed to Photoshop only a few weeks ago and after about 2 days of learning the basics using a popular beginner's manual found that the "how to" book had taken me as far as it could go. It was just enough to get me addicted but left me with too many questions.

I thought that I might have been a bit presumptuous in purchasing the "Professional Version" of the Bible, but as soon as I started reading it quickly discovered that it answered all my questions. I went from page to page saying to myself "oh, so that's how..." and "hey, I was having trouble with this". Amazing! And it is written in language that even a newbie like myself can understand and follow.

I am still a beginner but I love this book. I can see myself referring to it for years to come.

First of all it's very disappointing that the publisher has stopped adding a cd with 'the bible' (which used to be the case in previous editions). As 'the bible' aims for beginner and intermediate users it's always nice you've got the pictures in the book on cd, so you can compare your results with the result you should aim at.

Secondly there is not nearly a word about 'Image Ready' in this book. When you bought this book expecting to learn how to make animated gifs or weboriented design you will be very disappointed because knowing Image Ready is necessary to complete this task. The title 'the bible' is there for misleading, as Image Ready comes standard with Photoshop for weboriented tasks.

Thirdly, Deke has a chapter by chapter approach which although he throrougly explains all the functions of a certain item, this does not lead to exercises in combination of all the parts. Combining the parts is exactly where Photoshop is at it's best.

Motivating new users of Photoshop is best done by project approach, as you learn more and will be more motivated to experiment when you understand the interaction between different techniques, but this is where the book fails miserabely. Deke has certainly an enormous knowledge about Photoshop, but the approach he takes for leading new users into the graphic domain will only lead to boredom. Definitely not recommended for new users, as you will very easily get bored by the academic approach.

Go for a basis project oriented approach and you will gave fun learning Photoshop, go for this book and you will get overwhelmed and demotivated.

It's not a holy book, except if you only use it as a reference point (and in this case I would go for the professional edition).

I must say, as much as this book takes VERY LONG to get through, because I have to stop, try the stuff out myself and really try to understand it, I find myself motivated by Deke's humor. As much as he contradicts himself after saying that he'll be concise in the beginning but half the time he's talking nonsense (funny nonsense that is), you can't blame him. That's his style after all! I have found myself loving the book because I'm always curios to see what silly thing he's going to say next? I love it how he knows when to be serious about the tools and when to make a good joke about it. My favorite has to be the one about using the healing and cloning tools with a picture of a baby's bottom that heals the dents on his forehead.
Absolutely a good laugh after a painful 1 hour of reading...
Painful...yes because this is intense, and it's not for a beginner user, and relatively dangerous if you havent been using photoshop for at least half a year if you ask me.
Otherwise I say go for it, read this book and learn some really advanced stuff, but beware, it's intense to the point you could get tired of learning...

Photoshop is a gem of a program. To extract its maximum editing value for your photos, you will have to dig. For most of us, that entails a book that contains a trove of techniques that use the program's brushes, color correction, effects, masks, filters, layers and distortions.

As a novice Photoshop user, this is the first volume I consult when I have a question. More often than not, I find an answer. Plus, I also find an understandable explanation. The result is two fold. First, I accomplish the effect I want with my image. Second, I recover a jewel that can be applied to a future problem.

Many of my most daunting challenges are rendered simple after consulting this book. In my mind that is the only book worthy of the appellation "Bible."