Photoshop Elements 6: The Missing Manual
by Barbara Brundage
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Book Reviews of Photoshop Elements 6: The Missing Manual
Book Review: Photoshop Elements MUST BUY!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Another outstanding book in the "Missing Manual" line. Barbara Brundage makes Photoshop Elements 6 not only easy to use, but also a whole lot of fun!! Adobe has many applications that are downright intimidating to many users out there, and it's very refreshing that "Photoshop Elements 6: The Missing Manual" was created. From covering the basics of how to get around the Elements application, the author starts of with the basics of getting your images onto your computer, and the most simple of effects like rotation and cropping. From there, she discusses the all-important topic of layers and basic image retouching so you can take your digital images and make them go from good to GREAT!!! Continuing on with a look at filters and how to get your images printed so they look beautiful and/or posting them to the web or emailing them, this guide is perfect for all new Photoshop Elements users who want to get their feet web on the way to becoming an Elements super user.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. While it's a little bit more expensive than other books in the "Missing Manual" line, the price should NOT be a factor in your decision making. If you are looking for a book that will assist in your knowledge of learning how to use Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 you have come to the right place. If you want to learn more about what is included in the newest release of this outstanding application, look no further. If just want to read an entertaining book and expand your knowledge of how to work with digital imagery so you can make your images look better than ever, again you will NOT be disappointed.
This is the way all books should be written: clearly, simply, and enjoyable.
***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Book Review: Solid reference, needs a little polish.
Summary: 4 Stars
The Missing Manual is a solid reference - it certainly meets my needs as a Photoshop beginner. I also purchased The Photoshop Elements 6 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter) which led to a four stars rating for this book.
Previous reviews pointed to two peculiar issues with the publication. First, that the cover, particularly the spine, did not seem secure. Yes, the cover on my book was also floating away from the spine. It looks like the publisher deliberatly chose this construction. I worry about the durability since the book requires a good deal of flipping between sections.
A second complaint was that the graphics in the book are not clear. Yes, some of the screen shots are muddy (washed out). Considering the topic of the book, you would expect better visual presentation.
When visually compared to the VTM book referenced above, this book falls well short. The content of the two books is widely different. VTM is really for the advanced photographer working in a Production environment.
General content and step-by-step instructions in the Missing Manual are excellent. I have been able to recreate the sample exercises - they cover every click of every step. It is possible to open to any chapter to brush-up or practice. Some of the smaller dialogue surrounding file formats and alternatives to the crop tool deserve more emphasis. You will need to read deeply to find these gems.
Again, the content is excellent. If the publisher had taken the time to improve the binding and the graphics this book could have been a solid 5 Stars. ~CTC
Book Review: Somewhat disappointing
Summary: 3 Stars
I bought this book largely on the strength of the reviews on this site. The book isn't bad, but I am amazed at how many editing errors there are -- in the first week I had the book, I had found at least 5 erroneous page cross-references.
This editing problem is particularly annoying since the author uses frequent cross-references to amplify or explain the subject matter of the page on which the cross-reference is made. I found myself repeatedly having to search for the cross-referenced material and writing the correct reference in my copy so I wouldn't have to search the next time.
Interestingly enough, I found many helpful and clear explanations of what look like important, fundamental Elements techniques in another book I purchased, Top 100 Simplified Tips & Tricks - Digital Photography, a book I bought without expecting any tips that were specific to Elements. I suppose "The Missing Manual" is intended to be a comprehensive discussion of Elements, even arcane and what seem to be almost useless aspects of the program, but at times I got the feeling that relatively minor matters were covered in the same depth as important techniques.
I suspect that after I am more accustomed to using Elements I will conclude that this in depth guide is indispensable, but it isn't particularly new-Elements user friendly.
I do think this book is helpful and it is a very detailed resource, but it does annoy me that it is poorly edited.
Book Review: The Missing Manual for Photoshop elements 6
Summary: 5 Stars
Those of us that may or may not have an Attention Deficit Disorder of some kind or another may find PE6 a little too complicated for their tastes. It does require quite a bit of patience, which I am short of, and concentration, which does not exist for me in this world, yet I try to muddle through. The first book published after the release of PE6, as far as I know, was the "missing manual", which is quite well written and constructed so that reference is made to be pretty simple.
Here's the best part for me: when I bought the book, I noticed that the author gives you her email address, and oddly enough invites individual questions, something I found unfathomable, I mean, try emailing Grisham for instance. So, rather than read on, I email her, and within minutes, receive a reply from her, answering my question, and referring me to where I can read further. I didn't take advantage of her niceness once, I asked her more than a dozen questions, got similarly responsive replies each time.
I can't be the only person in America who bought this book, can I? or the only person asking the author questions? And maybe, if you read this review and buy the book, her responsiveness will go by the wayside. Or maybe, you'll buy the book and it by itself will answer all your questions for you, as it has done for me since spending time with it as I should have in the first place.
Book Review: Confusing for a Beginner
Summary: 3 Stars
I have used this series before and found it very easy to use with step by step instructions that take you through the software (Dreamweaver). So when purchasing Photoshop Elements 6 I went to a book store and blindly followed the previous reputation of the Missing Manuel Series. At first I was very excited, however, quickly found that I got lost and confused quite a bit. I found myself online seeking out other resources to clear up confusions. I was very disappointed that the Organizer is covered with so little clarity. I really wasn't aware of how poorly this section was written until revisiting the bookstore and finding several other books that allotted whole chapters to the Organizer versus a couple of pages. Also I was disappointed in the organization of the book and how it seems to skip around in referencing subjects without really taking you through how things work in a systematic way. Although I am using the book as a reference, and the more I learn the program the more I understand, I don't think it is the most systematic, easy to understand book for a complete beginner with no experience in Photoshop Elements or Photoshop.