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Rating: 
Summary: Book Review
Review: A plethora of new books are arriving on bookshelves thanks to Adobe releasing version 7 of Photoshop, and Photoshop 7 Magic by Sherry London and Rhoda Grossman from New Riders is one of the latest. I have been using Photoshop 7 for a few months now (and had used a beta version, Liquid Sky, for a few months before that) so I am pretty comfortable with the new version. I was hoping Photoshop 7 Magic would teach me something new, something I did not know I could do with the new version of the program. Alas, that is not what this book is about. Starting off with some very simple ways to use text, layers, and transparencies, the book moves into many different categories of Photoshop, from Marbled Backgrounds to Satin Beveled Type. The book is broken out into three main segments, Artistic Techniques, Web Techniques, and Image Manipulation Techniques. The book features some really nice artwork and the accompanying CD-ROM has all the files you need to re-create the projects done in the book. The book is well written, if somewhat Spartan. There is no sense of who the people are writing the book. It is "I did this, then I did that, etc..." With all the white space in this book, I would have liked to see a little more of the personalities of the writers come through. As it is, it is a boring read. Photoshop 7 Magic is a textbook, not an entertaining read. With the great pictures and examples in this book, it could have been so much more. Perhaps Sherry and Rhoda should take a page from another New Rider writer, Scott Kelby, and liven their work up a bit. This book is geared to new Photoshop users, or graphic designers just now making the switch from brush and canvas to mouse, stylus pen, and monitor. Experienced graphic artists who have been using Photoshop for a few years will get little from this book they do not already know, or have learned from the countless book already available on the subjects covered in this book. Add to that and the very hefty price tag of the book, a whopping forty-five bucks, and I cannot recommend this book unless you are really lacking in Photoshop skills, unlike the demographic this book seems to be catering to. Average book at best. Nice paperstock and heft to the book, but price is way too much for the quality of the 275 pages of actual content. The only Magic here is watching [money] disappear from your wallet or purse. MacMice Rating: 3 out of 5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rating: 
Summary: Photoshop 7 Magic
Review: As a budding Photoshop user, I found the projects in Photoshop 7 Magic easy to follow! As a Photographer I was able to apply some of the techniques used in Photoshop 7 Magic to my own work with very pleasing results! I would recommend this book for
Any photoshop user that wants to learn more in depth with the various technique's taught in Photoshop 7 Magic. I was amazed with the endless effects one could achieve!
Thanks again, Sherry!
Rating: 
Summary: Not what I expected
Review: I have a bunch of Photoshop books, and being a digital photographer, I did not find this book helpful at all for my interests. It is a great book for learning how to do artwork with Photoshop but has nothing about photographs. I wanted to write a review so that way the next person looking for a book on messing with your photographs, would not buy this book. I recommend The Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers by Scott Kelby if you are looking for Photoshop methods to play with your pictures.
Rating:
Summary: Not what I expected
Review: I have a bunch of Photoshop books, and being a digital photographer, I did not find this book helpful at all for my interests. It is a great book for learning how to do artwork with Photoshop but has nothing about photographs. I wanted to write a review so that way the next person looking for a book on messing with your photographs, would not buy this book. I recommend The Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers by Scott Kelby if you are looking for Photoshop methods to play with your pictures.
Rating:
Summary: what can I say, Sherry does it again
Review: I have been a fan of Sherry's work for years. She has always consistently written the solid books on PhotoShop. This one is to the same standard - but with a twist. Here we now get some really cool tricks you can do with PhotoShop.
A great book and one that looks just down right beautiful.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Book
Review: It seems that most photoshop books simply recycle the same tutorials over and over again. NOT this one! Photoshop 7 magic takes a wonderful approach to not only going over the basics for beginners, but diving into some of the newest features such as the painting engine. The tutorials in the book are easy to follow and duplicate, yet are not long winded with and over abundance of info. I think they did a wonderful job with spreading out the abilities of photoshop without lingering one one feature too much. Whether you are new or a long time user, this is a book worth checking out!
Rating: 
Summary: Good Book, Bad CD.. You got idea but you can't do it!!
Review: New Raiders have problem with Flash MX Magic and now there are some problem with Photoshop 7 Magic, too. Photoshop 7 Magic also have CD problem, I can't open picture in Project1 Folder. So, I can't Follow the book. Further more, Most of all folder contain only Start File.. no psd, no finish file there are only TIF file without layer! oh dear Sherry London, I'm not professional like you but I need some PSD file to see each Layer because sometime I can't follow your instruction. (as I see, 3 folders have finish file.. it's a big mistake) in page 47 of this book, Phill Williams say only use Retouching tool to move object in TIFF file to other place (this is like a photo retouching) but they give me only 2 picture in that page .. just only original image and finish image.. there are no clue to point me out where I have to rubber stamp nor start to clone! and it's very small .. I do not understand why they left space behind. Maybe this is a MAGIC! So, it's very hard to understand. I need more picture and bigger! I do not know why her left space away like this .. :( Worst ever, NO FONT!! but in book say include in cd, (lier) .. and many many error i.e. wrong folder name (I read only 3 projects but I found 4 or 5 errors!! it's too much!) and wrong picture in project 4!! you can download fix file from newriders website but it doesn't help anything! because errata still have error itself!! oh no. Only a few better left is good tech support! but it's useless because this book is .... ok, I can say only don't purchase this book until next edition of this title came out! or try by yourself :) or purchase Photoshop 7 Wow! book instead!
Rating: 
Summary: Photoshop users, from all backgrounds, will benefit
Review: Sherry London, and Rhoda Grossman, have put together another wonderfully useful book in "Photoshop 7 Magic." All the new tools and features of Photoshop 7 are covered in the step-by-step exercises, particularly the greatly enhanced brush tools. Photoshop users, whether their background is in print or web, photographer or artist, will benefit from the insightful tips and techniques each chapter provides. Best of all, the book encouraged me to work with some of the lesser-known tools, such as displacement maps, I've been avoiding.
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Summary: Five Big Ones!
Review: With hundreds of choices out there for the category, this one stands out. Photoshop 7 Magic really enhances the possibilities of the tool. As a user, I want a text that's simple to read and NOT overwritten. Just show me how to do it! I'm a painter who found the chapter on brush techniques and liquid painting to be very helpful. You'll want this book on your shelf.
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