Rating: 
Summary: Rewriting History
Review: nexstep from St. Petersburg, FL is mistaken. It was not Photoshop but PageMaker that was owned by Aldus and later bought by Adobe. If you are gonna be a know-it-all make sure you have your facts straight.
Rating: 
Summary: Shifted into high gear
Review: I received this book as part of my upgrade to Photoshop 7. The book is written in a way that is informal and fun, not stuffy and boring. If you follow the directions carefully, you can't go wrong. If you are a beginner or want to learn photo retouching, this book is not for you. If you want to do absolutely spectacular things with images and make eye-catching content from literally nothing, buy now!I credit this book with taking me from an intermediate to advance user level. The techniques shown really clicked with me -- I started looking at all kinds of different ways to use the Photoshop features I had never thought to use before. I was a heavy Adobe Illustrator user and though Photoshop couldn't be used to create original artwork the same way -- I was wrong, as shown to me by this book. Some of the tips are VERY useful, and some are of lesser interest. But I'll admit that I use many of the tricks I've learned in much of the work I've done, and often use two or three of them in combination. Some of the tricks can be easy to recreate from memory, while others (like faking transparency and recreating the Oreo logo) will need to be looked up. A very special plus with this book is on just about every page there is a Quick Tip. The information ranges from "Neat to Know" to "So THAT'S why" information. Bottom Line: This book is a gem and worth keeping on your bookshelf as a reference source.
Rating:
Summary: Instant upgrade from novice to a MASTA!
Review: Before I picked up this book:
I was a total newb to photoshop...
I was intimidated by all the icons and seemingly complicated interfaces...
I was overwhelmed by all the functionality with which I didn't know what to do. After I read this book:
People think I am a professional graphic designer.
It doesn't bother me if I don't know some functinoality...
cauz I can do much with what I know already...But with some solid skills under my belt, learning new functions became only enjoyable.
I am writing this while I am searching for other books by Masta Kelby... And here's a quote from Kelby you might like to hear - "This book is about teaching you the coolest special effects that will blow your clients away, make you truckloads of money, and give you the most fun you've ever had using Photoshop-without all the boring technical stuff." And I agree 100% with what he said about this book...
Rating: 
Summary: Too Many Errors
Review: This would be a great book if there weren't soo many errors in the text. Obviously the other reviewers did not work through the examples. When you perform 40-100 steps to complete an effect, and several of those steps are wrong, You have to figure out where the author went wrong and correct the method. Rather than choose examples that everyone can use, the author has tricks that work only for his text and images, so if you have different text or images, many of the tricks do not work.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Have
Review: This is one of the most helpful PhotoShop books I've come across. It's not for beginners, though. Kelby starts with the assumption that you have more than a passing accquaintance with PhotoShop and jumps right into showing you how to do some incredibly cool stuff with text, photographs, graphics, etc. This is a book to definitely have within arms reach when your using or working with photoshop. After reading it, you might find yourself looking at magazine ads and other things differently, and trying to figure out what PhotoShop tricks were used in them.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome!
Review: This book shows you step by step how to create some very cool graphic effects and tricks which you see everyday but are not obvious on how it is accomplished. There are plenty of photos illustrating each step, which I really like (I can't stand those step-by-step books that don't include photos or simply do sketches). I hope this author comes out with more books, like one for Illustrator 10!
Rating:
Summary: Christine with a love of photos
Review: I love taking photos of my family and my vacations. I have limited experience with Photoshop but purchased the software to enhance my photography. This book helped me make some of my most cherished photos into real eye catching displays. I used the easy to follow step by step instructions and added a title of Alaska Cruise at the top of one photo and everyone who sees it remarks that it looks like a professional advertisement. This book is a real treat for amateur photographers who want to enliven their photos like the professionals.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Photoshop Reference Book
Review: If you have purchased the previous versions of Scott Kelby's Photoshop Down & Dirty Tricks book, I highly recommend getting this new version. In his introduction he does talk about if you need Photoshop 7 to purchase the book or can someone use Photoshop 5 and use the book and he lets the reader know that in previous books, to make certain shapes you needed to go through quite a few steps but with Photoshop 7, it's much easier and less time consuming to do certain tricks which he had in his previous books and also he has added a lot of new tricks using the latest Photoshop version.
He also points out the advantages of Photoshop 7 and how the newer features will benefit photographers but he mentions that P6 owners can take advantage of the book. I like to think that I know Photoshop very well but what I love about his book is learning how he does certain tricks so quickly, I seem to do some of those tricks in a more time consuming manner. So, to see his way of doing certain tricks definitely helps. You see, I'm not a manual reader and as
much as I would like to sit back and learn every new feature of Photoshop 7, I don't have the time and maybe I'm just too hard headed that would rather learn on my own. And if you are like me, then you will definitely love this book. Anyway, for those who are not familiar with his books. You don't have to read it like a usual book, just peruse the pages and if there is a trick you like, you can learn it. He explains step by step how he creates the trick and on each page at it's sides, there are tips for Photoshop 7 users and how to utilize the best image for print or web work. Kelby takes a look at the current Photoshop trends that he sees in magazines within the last year and incorporates it into his book. From metallic effects to 3D effects to advanced shadow techniques and many of the popular effects you see on print and the web from popular fad/tricks such as the tv scan lines, Matrix text, halftone pop dots effect, glassy reflections and so
much more. Kelby's "Down & Dirty Tricks" has never disappointed me and has only been a big positive to adding his techniques to my print and web work but also to learn to do certain techniques quicker. An excellent Photoshop reference book! Check it out!
Rating:
Summary: Great fun. Not a rehash of the previous book!
Review: When I first saw this book I thought it would be a rehash of the Photoshop 6 Down & Dirty Tricks, but it's not. What a pleasant surprise. There are dozens of new and unusual graphic effects you can do, making if more of a playbook than instructional. Total fun. And you learn as you play. Make sure you buy this one.
Rating:
Summary: It widens your eyes and drops your jaw!
Review: One of those all time great books that makes you say, "COOL!" at every page turn. Useful "quick tips" on every page, step by step instructions on how to do some of the most professional and impressive photoshop tricks I've ever seen. You'll perform like the master graphic artists of today, many of their secrets are revealed. Your only problem will be finding enough projects to incorporate your new skills!
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