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Rating: 
Summary: Weak rehash of the manual
Review: As an Illustrator newbie, I was looking for some examples of "real world" projects with ideas on how to approach them using this incredibly powerful but incredibly complex piece of software. But there's precious little "real world" here, unless you consider pathetic attempts at humor to be "real world." You'd think that a book about a high-end illustration program that purported to be "real world" would at least have examples that a "real world" graphic artists might produce for a "real world" client, perhaps simplified somewhat to make a point. But instead, what you get are simplistic, off-the-cuff drawings that do a poorer job of explaining things than the simple examples in the Illustrator manual.There's not much here that's not in the user's manual. Don't waste your money.
Rating: 
Summary: Real World fexplained for real people
Review: Deke McClelland has a style of writing that is informative, interesting and humorous. His examples are simplistic for several reasons. Having been an instructor for 14 years, I have discovered if the project is too magnificent or glamorous, the student becomes intimidated and gives up. If you can teach them something simplistic then you have given them knowledge to build upon, besides if you cannot do simplistic forget complicated. As for the comments about his humor, I have discovered that this is an attempt more to break up monotony and to actually help you retain the knowledge. Deke is not attempting to be a comedian; he is using his style to effectively educate. He is one of the few software experts that do not put me to sleep in 20 minutes or less. I actually stay awake and consume the knowledge.
I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Hard to digest
Review: Easy to read, but I'm still wondering what, if anything, I got out of this book. The guy can write, maybe he should do op-ed pieces instead of technical computer software guides.
Rating:
Summary: Very Helpful for people like me.
Review: I wanted to learn how to use this program so I can do digital art, and web design. I'm a traditional artist, and I found illustrator to be extremely confusing, especially since I'm not 100% computer literate like the IT snobs. This book helped me with the program and with understanding computers in general. Its as basic as you need it to be, and you can easily skip parts you already know about, since it is divided into very clear and logical sections. I highly recommend this book... adobe illustrator is a very powerful program and I can't imagine anyone knowing how to use everything in there without a guide.
Rating:
Summary: Very Helpful for people like me.
Review: I wanted to learn how to use this program so I can do digital art, and web design. I'm a traditional artist, and I found illustrator to be extremely confusing, especially since I'm not 100% computer literate like the IT snobs. This book helped me with the program and with understanding computers in general. Its as basic as you need it to be, and you can easily skip parts you already know about, since it is divided into very clear and logical sections. I highly recommend this book... adobe illustrator is a very powerful program and I can't imagine anyone knowing how to use everything in there without a guide.
Rating: 
Summary: irritating and often wrong
Review: Mr.McClelland's writing style is childish and irritating. If you cut out the lame attempts at humor, the book would be half its current length. Get to the point, Deke. People want clear answers to their software questions, not your unfunny jokes and inaccuracies. The author has been taken to task for these problems elsewhere in print (Professional Photoshop). I just don't understand how he gets to keep writing these books. Just a familiar name, I guess. The section on color management in this book is terrible. It is skimpy (shows the author doesn't really know what he's talking about). And worse, there are serious factual errors about Illustrator's use of profiles and policies. If you really want to learn Illustrator, skip this book and buy the Visual Quickstart Guide instead. It is far superior.
Rating: 
Summary: Intimidating - But get over it!
Review: This huge book totally intimidated me for several weeks, while I attempted to learn Illustrator on my own. I finally used it to figure out the color palette, and then started at the beginning and began reading it (and working along with McClelland's examples on the harder parts). I now feel very comfortable with Illustrator and refer to the book often. McClelland has an informal, engaging voice which I enjoyed and his examples were very clear.
Rating:
Summary: The Ultimate Guide for Adobe® Illustrator 10 users!
Review: Whether you are brand new to Illustrator, or an experienced user, you won't be disappointed! Deke has a way of writing and explaining in everyday common language, making it extremely easy to understand and follow along. I have purchased many titles written by Deke and have never been disappointed. Each book I have purchased has taught me many new and exciting ways of using Illustrator in my graphics design business. You don't have to be a graphic designer to appreciate the knowledge Deke has of the program. You will be impressed with the many tips and tricks he reveals. BUY IT! You won't regret it!
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