Rating: 
Summary: Tutorial style book for creating illustrations, artwork, etc
Review: After first determining why I needed Illustrator when I already had Photoshop, I picked up this book because of my positive experience with another book from this Classroom in a Book series (Photoshop 7.0). And this book does not disappoint in the least bit either. It follows a tutorial style approach to teaching how to use Illustrator (both Mac and Windows versions). The book is mostly black and white with all the relevant color pictures tucked between lesson 12 and 13. It hasn't caused me any problems as I follow along on the computer as I read the book (I have a color monitor). In 15 lessons, this book does an excellent job of teaching you how to use Illustrator 10 without having to be in a classroom. All lesson files are on the CD-ROM that comes with the book. The book starts off with explaining how to use the Work Area and builds from the basic to the more complex topics. The basic topics of creating shapes, painting, drawing, working with brushes are followed by the more difficult topics of transforming objects, working with type, blending shapes and colors, etc. Even though the two programs Photoshop and Illustrator are coming closer with each new version, the main differences between them are to do with whether you want to start with an existing photo and modify it for print & web or you want to start from scratch and create illustrations and artwork for print & web. I am oversimplifying here but this explanation helps me keep the differences between these two programs straight in my head. The technological differences are that Photoshop uses bitmaps to represent images and Illustrator uses vectors (and complex mathematical equations) to represent the images. Of course, you don't need to bother with this part as it is irrelevant to using the tools effectively. I use both Photoshop and Illustrator for basic web design but mostly stay with Photoshop. The reason for this is that I am a photographer and have never been good at artwork so I use Illustrator mostly as a hobby to improve my creativity in this area. It has been a lot of fun for me and I hope the same for you! Have fun learning to use this amazing and cool tool! And don't forget to check out Adobe's website for their latest release of Adobe CS (Creative Suite) that includes the next version of Illustrator after Illustrator 10.
Rating: 
Summary: Best beginners supplement to product manual
Review: Although I had a lot of experience with CAD programs, I struggled with Illustrator 8. I finally upgraded to v. 10 and bought Classroom In a Book for that version. You CAN teach yourself Illustrator with the manual and this book in a few weeks. ICIAB is a good supplement to the manual, which for reasons that always baffled me, has too few illustrations for information aimed at visually oriented people. You will have to do some experimentation to get full benefit from the lessons, but I picked up things I was clueless on before. It does help to have some additional book such as Visual series (PeachPit Press) for details not covered. Downside: some errors of tools or keys, nothing serious. But I was disappointed by two topics; the web chapter separately covers making a Flash animation for the web, and slicing a graphic for the web, but while the "finished" version of the lesson shows both in a complete web page, the lesson doesn't tell you how to put them together without the Adobe Web program (too expensive for me). You have put both html files in a text editor and combine them using the complete example for reference as to where to put the Flash file and what to include or leave out. Also, the section in lesson 6 on data/variable objects is applied in a page of business cards, but doesn't explain how to get the data base and variable fields applied to all incidences of the biz cards on the sheet. I did figure it out for myself, but it took me about an hour of experiment, and is almost as tedious as just editing the file, though once the database is set up it would be quick to print out new cards with the variations. But overall, a really good way to learn Illustrator to an intermediate level, and a whole lot cheaper than any class I've looked into (plus classes tend to be taught on MACs in my area).
Rating:
Summary: Don't got no good english
Review: And if you're going to Fairleigh Dickinson University you might want to take an english course so you'll know the difference between your and you're. duh Cheers
Rating:
Summary: Easy to Follow Lesson Plans
Review: I've always liked the Adobe Classroom in a Book series. This book is no exception. The lesson plans are easy to follow and structured in a way that allows even the most inept user to create nice looking illustrations. A very good beginner's book that teaches the basics as well as time saving shortcuts.
Rating: 
Summary: More helpful if less errors
Review: I've used Class Room in a Book series before but with better success. Unfortunately, I would have rated this Illustrator 10 book higher if not for the critical errors and omissions in the book and included CD which caused many waisted hours. The first pages inacurately describe where the AICIB file is located and what special steps are needed to make a search of the file possible. Also several instances of incorrect instructions such as on page 196 step 3 indicating to in error choose File when they meant Edit or the complete omission of practice file in lesson 10 CD. But most disturbing is the omission of a clear easy way to find a "corrections" link that lets book purchasers find important corrected information and get the files that were not included. The book doesn't do that and the subsequent adobe site doesn't adequately address these concerns from AI 10 Classroom in a Book readers. A user friendly approach needs to be applied to help readers accomplish their learning goals. So instead of 5 stars I'll have to rate it a 2 star product until those concerns are better addressed.
Rating: 
Summary: Dont waste your money - buy the book
Review: If you are thinking about buying this or any other e-book from Adobe for that matter - STOP!, and dont waste your money.
When I paid for this book little did I know that the book can only be read on the computer I downloaded the file to.
Great, so I now learn AFTER I have paid for the book that I can only read it on my home computer when I actually intended to use it on my work system or on my laptop.
This has to be one of the most ridiculous security measures I ave ever heard of. You cannot even backup copies to a disk - because these copies will not work either.
This is to coin a phrase very sneaky on the behalf of the publishers - who dont tell prospective customers in advance. If I had known that I would be wasting my money on such rubbish, I would have bought the REAL book, (which by the way is the same price as the ebook), and which I could then use whenever and wherever I chose to use it.
I am sure there must be many others who have had exactly the same problem as I have - and I sympathize with you.
All I can say is I will never be purchasing another e-book from Adobe or anyone else for that matter, and I wouldnt be surprised to hear that comment from 90% of all e-book customers. Disgusted
Durban - South Africa
Rating:
Summary: GOOD PRICE
Review: If your going to Fairleigh Dickinson University you will need this book if your taking Digital Design and Graphics Price is GOOD
Rating:
Summary: Don't Do It!
Review: See the review below. Not only can you not transfer the e-book, but there's a bug with the e-book reader from Adobe on Windows XP and you have to CALL them during business hours to get a code to unlock the book. And you have to keep CALLING them, over and over again, because the code expires with each use. To even have to call once, for an e-book, is an outrage. Adobe needs to seriously get it together. And I want a refund!
Rating:
Summary: Don't Do It!
Review: See the review below. Not only can you not transfer the e-book, but there's a bug with the e-book reader from Adobe on Windows XP and you have to CALL them during business hours to get a code to unlock the book. And you have to keep CALLING them, over and over again, because the code expires with each use. To even have to call once, for an e-book, is an outrage. Adobe needs to seriously get it together. And I want a refund!
Rating:
Summary: If you're going to criticize someone...
Review: This book came highly recommended by an Illustrator 10 instuctor. It's an excellent resource for a very powerful software application. One doesn't need to be very technically oriented to get the most out of this book. (Note to "A reader" from Hollywood, CA USA: You may benefit from the English course into which you suggested Chris Youngs enroll himself. I am confident that, if you do, you will learn that languages are always capitalized. Until then, perhaps you will realize that you do not possess perfect grammar skills either and your tacky comments should kept to yourself.)
| 
