Rating: 
Summary: A fishing pole, not a fish...
Review: There are two types of graphic design book. One is the coffee-table type that looks very nice but is of little use to designers looking for guidance or inspiration. In fact the contents are often so glamorous, that they are disheartening, especially for the beginner.
This book belongs to the other type, the one without the gorgeous layouts, but with the power to inspire. It gives you the tools to make you a better designer.
I've had no formal training as a graphic designer, and though I (luckily) found from this book that I was doing a lot right, my eyes were opened to some other things I'd never thought of, even some quite basic rules about typography. After I read the book (it's the sort of book that you read quickly, with excitement) I wanted to go back and re-design all those things I was disappointed with but didn't know how to fix.
It all seems so obvious now!
This is so good, I've also ordered Robin Williams' more advanced book.
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Summary: This book will teach you ...
Review: It will teach you about: - Contrast
- Repitition
- Alignment
- Proximity The book is very well writen and anyone can understand it. This book will give you a very solid foundation for designing. Anyone and everyone should read this book before designing. It is for all type of designing - brochures, ads, resumes, websites. The only thing missing from this book is a chapter on colours.
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Summary: Best Intro to Page Design
Review: This book covers the core principles of good page design in a clear, entertaining way. Robin Williams gives many before-and-after examples with excellent explanations. I give it to everyone in my company who needs to do any type of design work, whether a brochure, flyer, ad, web page, etc. I've seen many people who started with this book become excellent page designers over time.
Rating: 
Summary: yes
Review: some fundamentals of design. i would have liked to see a section on color, but since the book is in black and white i guess that wouldnt work. this book is good for the people who are totally clueless about layout. dont expect any groundbreaking techniques on design.
Rating:
Summary: a great place to start
Review: I don't know how many years ago I first read Robin William's "A Mac is not a Typewriter." It started me thinking from a designer's point of view. I've read several of her books since and recommend them to my students, this one especially. This book is an excellent introduction to typography, and using typography in design for a beginner and a good refresher for the more experienced. Williams explains technical terms with a lightness and ease I envy. She makes good design concepts seem obvious not obscure or difficult. This is an excellent primer and reading it would benefit countless self-trained desktop publishers.
Rating:
Summary: Good Book
Review: This book gives great tips for how to create effective layouts.
Rating:
Summary: The world would be a better place....
Review: ...if EVERYONE read this book. And if YOU are reading this review (which you are), just click 'add to cart.' You won't regret it. Robin Williams is a design goddess. I think the Pope is actually planning on cannonizing her. Read the negative reviews of this book (what are there? 5 of them?)-you'll see that they're written by idiots. They say it's too simple-well, they're right.... Robin Williams makes it SOOOOOO simple. After reading this book, you will be able to design an attractive page/website/brochure/resume/advertisement/poster/billboard that communicates clearly. What more could you want? I keep coming back to this book over and over again. I've read it over a dozen times, and have referenced it hundreds of times. I have lent it to friends, recommended it to friends, AND forced friends to buy it!!!! I don't think I could ever say enough good things about this book.
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Summary: This Book Is Under-Priced
Review: This book could have saved me the 400 dollars I spent on a Type Class for continuing education at a famous college here in N.Y. The book is thin... but she covers alot in very little space. She is very concise and she drills in her points. I understand type very well now. Not to mention she is a brilliant designer herself; she offers some of her own solutions to design problems, and her pieces are inspiring and refreshing. When you read what she writes and then see her solutions & alternatives, a light goes off in your head and you hear the tinkling sound of a fork hitting crystal! this book is right on point! She was very wrong when she decided to gear this book ONLY towards office people who need to write newsletters and stuff. (The title was embarrassing to buy since I am already a graphic designer) And she helped ME! (and now that i've finished it, i can keep it in my library and pretend I bought it before i became a designer) She even went so far as to say that her book couldnt replace 4 years of design school. She really needs to talk to her marketing agent, this book IS design school... well at least a semester's worth. It definately should be used in class. Its an excellent text. It follows along the line of having a design mentor looking over your shoulder saying, "hmmmn" and "ahhhhh." She doesnt push. She lets you figure out the entire process on your own. Then she offers her solutions, and you compare, contrast. And she is usually right. In my case she was always right, except in one instance i would have aligned a particular example to a lower x-height. That's it. get the book.
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Summary: But I AM a designer!
Review: I found myself a little embarrased picking up this book - I AM a designer! I have been working in design for about 6 years, and I still found this book helpful. People complain about the book's brevity - wrong! The point is to pound these crucial concepts into your brain.
I might just sponsor a free mass-distribution of this book to all who abuse PowerPoint, HTML, Illustrator, PageMaker, Word, or pencils by creating hideous design monstrosities - it can be cured. Please, please, please do not send me your doggon newsletter or put your ad in the Yellow Pages or write your company's annual report without understanding these concepts!
Rating:
Summary: Buy this one, read it and follow the directions.
Review: After several years as a reporter, I switched to teach journalism at a small liberal arts school in Ohio. One of my duties included advising the students newspaper. It was obvious the students needed to learn the fundamentals of newspaper design - but I didn't know them myself. I bought two books, and this was one of them. I read the first half of the book the night I received it. The prose is clear. The examples are wonderful. There are a few quizzes to help you. I can't wait to redesign my resume. Take it from someone who knows nothing about design. This book is worth the money!
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