August 4, 2002

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 Looking Good in Print (4th Ed.) by Roger Parker & Patrick Berry

A previous edition of Roger Parker's Looking Good in Print was the first publishing design book I ever purchased. It was also one of the best investments I ever made. Thinking about design elements and what makes for clean and compelling layout may seem tedious to some folks, but for me it was a window into a larger view of the world. When I began to care about the minutia of the printed page, I started to take increased notice of the details of everyday life. I'm not saying that thinking about the "why" of desktop publishing issues will yield similar results for you or that this book is solely responsible for my growth in this regard, but it certainly didn't hurt.

That's the intellectual rationale for my recommendation of this book. But don't be dissuaded from checking out Parker's work if you don't buy into a similar transformation for you. On a straight professional usability level, if you create newsletters, flyers, brochures, business cards, or any other type of print-based documents you will find this book extraordinarily helpful. You will need to be using Adobe PageMaker, Adobe InDesign, QuarkXPress, Microsoft Word, WordPerfect or something other suitably powerful document processing software to take full advantage—this is really a computer-based book—but that's really the only limitation to an otherwise excellent and very accessible book on the basics of design.

 The Mac is Not a Typewriter by Robin Williams

I should probably say upfront that no, it's not that Robin Williams. This Robin Williams is a woman runs a cyber café in Albuquerque. She also writes some of the most easy-to-read and enjoyable Macintosh books on the market. In the Mac is Not a Typewriter you get a set of basic design rules regarding how to use type on your Macintosh.

This slender, inexpensive volume is perfect for the Mac user who wants to know the basics. Williams covers various grammar and punctuation rules and specifically how some rules have changed with the technological transition from typewriters to computers. My favorite rule, however, is one that hasn't changed: Apostrophes. A brief quote from page 17:

"Its" used as a possessive never has an apostrophe!!! The it only has an apostrophe as a contraction—"it's" always means "it is" or "it has." Always.

Sure, it's English 101, but I've seen this rule violated so many times I've lost count. There's nothing wrong with a few reminders.

How much do I like this book? I've literally gone into a bookstore, bought up every available copy, and given them out to friends. It's a small, limited reference book to be sure, but what it has is essential, and if you're doing much writing on your Mac, this book is essential too.

 The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck

Subtitled "A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth," this book did more to alter my perception of life than almost anything else I'd read. It's that powerful.

I'm not positive if one has to be in a certain place in their life in order to be receptive to it, and I would not presume that Peck's psychological insights will have the same impact for others that they've had for me. But there is a great deal of wisdom imparted here, and even if the reader gains a few crumbs of understanding, that limited amount may be sufficient for life-changing metamorphosis.

I've read this book several times, and I highly recommend it.

 The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

 The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families

 When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold S. Kushner