Not for experienced Adobe users
This book spends more time showing how the programs are integrated and similar than on improving your skills. No scripting or advanced skills are shown. I was unable to look up any advanced skills in the index or TOC. I was specifically interested in learning Flash CS3 Professional and Dreamweaver CS3 in depth. The author's message was we do not go into this subject on several advanced techniques.
Not much help to me.
LOVE TO SEE ANYONE ELSE DO BETTER
If you think you can write a better book on the subject, go for it. We'll see how many you sell. For now, no one especially cares about your negative reviews... which help us how? which get us what?
It's like the bible... without the new testament.
I will take half the blame for buying this as an indie film guy. I specifically searched for "Soundbooth CS3" and this is the guide that was the top pick. I saw the 5 star and ordered, not realizing that any book that would call itself the "CS3 Bible" would not cover at least on some level all programs in CS3. What is there is fine, but those interested in workflow across the entire CS3 spectrum STAY AWAY. This book covers ONLY DESIGN PREMIUM, and DOES NOT HAVE ANY COVERAGE OF Soundbooth, Premiere Pro, Encore, or After Effects. If you are a web designer that's fine (unless you want to use Soundbooth to work with sound, premier to edit, or after effects to produce, or encore to create pro dvd,) but as a book calling itself "The _____ Bible", I was extremely disappointed to find no mention of the rest (and arguably most important) parts of CS3, and therefore a complete waste of money... should have called itself "The CS3 Print/Web Bible", but without Premiere and After Effects, that's even a tough sell in the age of youtube. Maybe the "CS3 Document Creation Bible" would be about right... but I guess it wouldn't sell as many copies.
There is a lot of discussion about Bridge, which really is a useful program for any CS3 app, but you can find out the same info in singular CS3 program guide. (A Good Photoshop, After Effects or Premiere Pro CS3 will have a good Bridge tutorial anyway).
If you are trying to do a 'zine or something, I'm sure this is more than adequate, but be aware that there are hundreds and hundreds of pages on things like "creating a text path" etc etc, that other guides will explain step by step in 2 pages.
This book is much more about Illustrator than anything else, which to me, is about the most useless program in the CS3 canon. I have leafed through the book twice now looking for some photoshop things I could learn. I only have a year of experience with Photoshop, though I have read and used a few photoshop books, I consider myself a "practicing novice", and this had nothing that any of my other photoshop books already had, and frankly some of the things being taught in here in Illustrator can be done just as easily in Photoshop.
If the book had called itself "The CS3 document Bible" I would have never bought it or commented, and if it were titled as such, I'm sure it would deserve 5 stars, but as currently titled, it deserves a 2. I'm giving it a three because I did order it without vetting it as much as I should have. I wasted my money, don't waste yours.
A top pick not just for computer libraries, but for general-interest holdings.
Any collection strong in Adobe CS3 needs Adobe Creative Suite 3 Bible: at over 1,200 pages of information it literally is a 'bible' of information, packing in details on all the toolbox offerings from the latest Adobe creation. From setting up workflows for teams or studios to exporting Web designs, working with older versions of files, adding animation and sound slips, and more, this offers up black and white screen shots paired with important information essential to Adobe users, making it a top pick not just for computer libraries, but for general-interest holdings.
(4 reviews)
