Paint Shop Pro 8 Power!

Rating:
Summary: A good extension of the Paint Shop Pro 8 manual
Review: Don't expect miracles from this book in how to create the WOW type graphic or edited photo because that author just doesn't seem to possess the graphic design knowledge or creative ability to be able to do it herself let alone tell others how to create WOW. Don't expect to learn about digital photography or photo editing either, for that get Dave Huss' book (see below). What Lori's book is good at is giving the reader a technical, non-professionals explanation of points already made in the Paint Shop Pro 8 manual, but she expands by offering examples.

As a beginner to Paint Shop Pro and graphic design I purchased the following books:

Paint Shop Pro 8: The Guide to Creating Professional Images by Robin Nichols

How To Do Everything with Paint Shop Pro 8 by Dave Huss

Paint Shop Pro 8 Zero to Hero by Sally Beachman and Ron Lacey

Paint Shop Pro 8 Power by Lori Davis.

Although none of the books are 100% in coverage of the features in Paint Shop Pro 8 (there are so many) my experience has been that Paint Shop Pro 8 Zero to Hero was a complete waste of my money, written by what seemed 100% complete self taught authors who had zero creative talent and knew very little above surface knowledge that can be found in countless places on the Internet for free.

Dave Huss' book lacked a lot in coverage of from scratch design so probably should have been titled differently but if you are interested in digital photography and editing your photos in Paint Shop Pro 8 this is the book to get because it is evident that he is a professional photographer and is far more knowledgeable than the trial by error macjob surface approach of Beacham and Lacey in the coverage of photography, and also does much better at coverage on digital photography than Robin's book and Lori's book. Dave easily relates his wealth of professional experience to beginners terms, but still delves into the how and whys of each technique he discusses. His book is not good if you want to learn brushes and filters, and that is where Robin's book takes the forefront.

Robin's book is best for those intested in editing existing photos and graphics from scratch using filters and brushes. Robin seems to have a much better grasp of the theory, concepts and principles of graphic design than the other authors especially better than Beacham and Lacey who lack any creative juices of their own as far as I could tell. From Robin's book you not only get the how and whys, but also get a lot of creative ideas and suggested techniques to try out.

Lori's book is a good extension of the Paint Shop Pro 8 manual, but like the Beacham and Lacey book don't expect to discover how to design WOW type graphics or get even to get suggestions on how to do it because these authors do not appear to have the ability necessary to do it themselves. Technically Lori's book is more indepth than Beacham's and Laceys', but she lacks on the digital photography end. Lori does seem to know more about Paint Shop Pro than Beacham and Lacey, so her book is the better pick and worth the purchase for any beginner.

If you have the cash get Dave Huss' book for digital photography interests, Robin's book for filter, brush and the more creative side of graphic design, and get Lori's book for a more technical approach to understanding Paint Shop Pro 8.

Rating:
Summary: Definitely intermediate! Where are downloads of examples?
Review: I bought this book because it was touted for intermediate users and it is that. It assumes you understand some basic terms and functions and takes you a step further. I've worked my way through the first 5 chapters and have learned some things along the way.

However, one annoying thing is that the samples used in the book are not available to follow along with. They are supposed to be at www.courseptr.com, but the book isn't even listed there. There are downloads from one of Lori Davis' earlier books, but only a few of these are applicable. I wrote the co. and asked where these downloads were and received no answer in two weeks.

I think it is a wonderful learning tool, but the author's efforts are blunted a bit by lack of support.

Rating:
Summary: A manuel for intermediate-advanced users
Review: The strength of this book is in the customization, such as creating your own Picture Tubes. It's extremely hard to find Paint Shop Pro books that don't focus exclusively on enhancing and cleaning up digital photos. This is one of the very few. However, this is not at all a book for anyone new to Paint Shop Pro. It assumes a strong knowledge of concepts and basic functions, for that you may want to her "Paint Shop Pro Solutions" book. Neither book has much - if any - color in it, which is unfortunate, but the instructions are clear and concise.

Rating:
Summary: Paint Shop Pro 8 Power ... Not
Review: This book really needs a Glossary. The author assumes too much -- including that the reader has PSP 8's Manual (one does not if the program is bought online and downloaded). One cannot start a project in this book if you do not know where to begin. I have been using PSP 7 for two years and recently got PSP 8, and this book has given me very little help. Look for something that at least has a solid overview or foundation (it does not have to be intro to).

Rating:
Summary: Please spell the title right, Amazon!!
Review: This book should be Paint Shop Pro 8 Power!
The only way I found it was discovery on a tech books site, and then copying in the ISBN number here!! Anybody searching for Paint Shop Pro here will never find this book!!