There are so many Photoshop books to choose from that finding the one that's right for you can be a difficult choice. Photoshop 5.5 for Windows & Macintosh is one for those who prefer short tutorial-style lessons with lots of screen shots and step-by-step explanation.

The simple two-column layout, with text in the outer column and pictures, annotations and extended captions on the inside works well--often you can learn all you need to know by looking at the pictures and reading the captions. If you need to know how "to merge multiple layers", "to create an adjustment layer", "to motion blur part of an image" or "to create a wrinkled edge", you'll find a concise yet thorough description telling you how to do exactly that.

A general overview is provided in the chapter introduction and hints and tips, shortcuts and other snippets of information supplement the main text. This approach makes the book an ideal hands-on reference for when you need to do something new, or simply can't remember how to save an actions set to file, or change the ruler units to pixels.

Aimed at the beginning and intermediate user, it's much easier to digest than the Photoshop manual and as such is ideal for first-time users or as a course companion. With chapters on colour, compositing, shortcuts, actions, and a large section on Image Ready, it would also serve as a useful reference for experienced Photoshop users who want to fill gaps in their knowledge. --Ken McMahon