The premise of Adobe Photoshop CS one-on-one is "READ, WATCH, DO" and as a learning process this approach is very sound. In a past life I used to teach adults about computers and I know that listening to me talk at the front of the room got perhaps 20% of their attention, visual aids and hands-on exercises reaped the most rewards for myself and the students. Based on my personal experiences Deke McClelland, the author of Adobe Photoshop CS one-on-one, has produced a book with a winning style.

Lets take a closer look at the content of this book. The book is broken down into twelve lessons with two or three tutorials in each and the added bonus of a recap at the end of the lesson as a whole. The lessons cover topics like "Text and Vector Shapes", "Paint, Edit and Heal", "Building Layered Compositions" and "Making Selections" to name just a few. But important lessons I noted for the novice user were "Open and Organize" and "Printing and Output" both of which are seldom covered in as much depth as in this book. Thus making the book suitable for the novice user.

But rest assured the book also has appeal for the professional graphic designer. Photoshop books stack bookshelves in book stores. There are hundreds of "how to" books on Photoshop out there. In fact I find myself drawn to them everytime I wander into a book store. Its very hard to stop reading about Photoshop ... why? ... because it is an enormous program to master ... quite often there are two or three ways to do one thing ... so to watch/read the way another professional does things is a terrific learning resource. And, this book is no exception.

There is, however, another professional who will appreciate this book. Educators will appreciate the way lessons are structured and the "What did you learn?" section at the end of each lesson which will point them in the right direction for their own curriculum building.

The book is packed with "Pearls of Wisdom" (highlighted sections that reinforce the "value add" from each tutorial) all done in a one-on-one style. It is as if you are sitting down with Deke McClelland ... there are even "extra credits" to be obtained (highlighted sections that get you to push yourself further into the given area).

I completed the tutorial below in five or so minutes and enjoyed the experience, learnt some new things about adjustment layers and generally felt it was five minutes well spent. What I also love about books on Photoshop are the short cut keys that you learn along the way. I think I encountered three new short cut keys from this section alone.

 

So yes, Adobe Photoshop CS one-on-one is yet another Photoshop "How To" book but it is extremely well written and choked full of learning materials ... not just for the novice user but the professional. I recommend this book heartily and I look forward to Deke's next installment.