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Summary: If you use Vegas...
Review: ...you need this book. Buy it.
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Summary: Get on the inside track with Vegas4 Editing Workshop
Review: A very well written text that covers all the basics of Vegas4. The text covers the basics of hardware requirements and recommendations to get the new user off to a good start. It's an easy read, written by someone devoted to teaching Vegas4 as well as using Vegas4. If you are using Vegas4, you most likely already know what insight Douglas Spotted Eagle brings to the table. Now you can have that knowledge and insight right at your fingertips. Simply copy the files from the enclosed CD to your hard drive and begin the journey of developing a strong foundation of Vegas4 essentials. This text is a must have. Just as the title suggests. It's a workshop. Perfect for a beginner that might be on a slower pace and lots of instruction for the more advanced user. The extended coverage of audio and 5.1 sound is major benefit as it is often a stumbling block for many, be they beginner or seasoned pro. You can't go wrong with this one.
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Summary: a disappointment
Review: Almost useless for someone just starting out, a real disappointment, skip it and find help somewhere else. A waste of money. Believe me. Features detailed descriptions of what each tool does, too heavy on the audio. Sample projects would have been much more useful. Common mistakes, common glitches, common blunders, traps, that kind of thing. This is not the book to buy. Actually the slim booklet that came with the Vegas 4.0 is better, and there are many useful on-line reviews that have helped me much more.
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Summary: Vegas not an entry level
Review: First of, You read the Editors review, did he actually said that Vegas was an "entry level" NLE system? Yes he did, but he is wrong. The guy that wrote that doesnt seems to know what he is talking about ;) Many of the things you can do with with Adobe Premiere or even Avid you can do in Vegas also. So why does he still call it an entry level, well frankly, i think he was mistaken it by Video Factory by the same company. All this said, Vegas is professional, or at least NOT entry level as other software, like Video Factory. Back to Mr Douglas, he is indeed a forefronter, he have won his Emmy and Grammy awards and its not for any reason, so you can say that he have proven his good work in this book. In this book he tries to show you what he knows and i think he has done this in a simple yet professional way. If you want to get into semi-pro or even professional NLE, i think this is the book for you. Let me put it this way, when i first started with video editing, i tried out differente software, but no one of them was as good as Vegas. Vegas wont be any better then you fantasy or imagination. Can you release all you fantasy, only then you can get the full power in the software. Frankie
Singapore (Norway)
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Summary: It's the Bible on Video Editing with Vegas
Review: I bought this book because I knew of Douglas' knowledge from visiting the forums he hosts. Not only is he very knowledgeable about video editing in general, and Vegas 4 in particular, but he has a gift for sharing his knowledge in a way that is clear and concise. His writing is easy to follow and the book holds true to its "workshop" spirit. Even though I was experienced with Vegas and understood a lot of the topics in this book already, I was not let down because I gained a lot of insight into why things work the way they do, and learned new tricks and ways of doing things from someone who has been at this many more years than I have. It was refreshing to have a chapter dedicated to audio because other books on video often overlook this. Douglas understands that audio is a big part of the video experience and Vegas has audio tools that are second to none. One of the great things about this book is the accompanying CD with all the examples. I followed through each chapter by playing with the accompanying examples and spent several hours experimenting with what I had just learned before moving on to the next chapter. This is the ultimate way to get the most of this book. Read it at your PC and try things as Douglas explains them. Just like you would be doing hands-on exercises in a real workshop/classroom setting. This book is packed with information from setting up your system, through multi-track compositing. If you'd rather watch Douglas teach some of what's in the book, you can always buy his 4 DVD set. (I have it and it's outstanding too) As you might expect, a book rated beginner-intermediate has a lot of ground to cover. This book shows you some of the basics of how to capture and edit on a timeline, add titles and effects, through topics like chroma key (green screen), multi-track compositing, bump mapping, etc. It's a lot to cover but Douglas does a great job of it. If you're an absolute beginner and feel a bit lost, I would suggest also getting a book like "The Little Digital Video Book by Michael Rubin" to get you started understanding the basics of digital video in general. Then use Douglas' book to apply that to Vegas. He will take you step-by-step along the way. You should also understand that this book only scratches the surface of what Vegas can do so I hope Douglas gets the opportunity to make a follow-on book that covers more advanced topics. The best part is that Douglas is very approachable and you can always ask him questions on the DMN forums (he goes by the nickname SPOT). If you don't understand something in the book, just ask him on the forum. How many books offer that kind of support? I highly recommend this book to anyone who is using Vegas as their NLE and want to get the most out of it.
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Summary: The Defacto Book of Vegas
Review: I first came across Vegas because of the frustration I had with other (we won't mention names) NLE's. After getting to know Vegas 3 a little, I knew I needed more than the manual. In my search for enlightenment, I found Douglas Spotted Eagle. Everywhere I could find a tutorial, comment, review, whatever, Poof! There he was like a genie out of the lamp offering his help (and sometimes on a personal basis with strangers). On top of that, he takes the time to host (in my opinion) the best Vegas forum on the web. Even when he's out of the country. Of course when Vegas 4 +DVD came out I hopped on it. Anyway, it was inevitable that he should write this book. This book does what it promises and more. Once you use Vegas, you never want to use anything else. It's quick, deep, and good for short and long form projects. The book covers everything you need to get started and then some. I criticize the critic who doesn't see the value of great audio in editing video. Great audio can make a bad video good and a good video great. Bad audio can kill a awesome video with one fell swoop. Vegas itself started out as an audio program and is still capable of multi-tracking. It has DirectX plugin capabilities and some of the best built in plugins you can get. By the time you finish the book, you have a complete grasp of not only how the program works, but concepts and ideas of why things should be the way they should be. Like color correction using vector scopes, histograms and more. How to use shortcut keys to help move you along faster. The list is almost endless, but after you've finished reading it, you still go back and use it as a reference. If you're knew to NLEs or new to Vegas, this book is the must have, keep it within hands reach, absolutely necessary book to have. Period.
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Summary: Get on the inside track with Vegas4 Editing Workshop
Review: I just gave this book to my friend who is a newbie with all things NLE---He loved it---I just picked it up off my reference shelf to look up a complex audio issue--there it was. The point is that this book is one of the few technical manuals I have read that appeals to the entire spectrum of Vegas users. It gives excellent basic explanations and a great grounding in video technology, but it also discuss complex fx, sound mixing etc. I highly recommend this book--it's all you really need to do fantastic things with Vegas.
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Summary: Vegas and Spotted Eagle---Synergy Unmatched
Review: I just gave this book to my friend who is a newbie with all things NLE---He loved it---I just picked it up off my reference shelf to look up a complex audio issue--there it was. The point is that this book is one of the few technical manuals I have read that appeals to the entire spectrum of Vegas users. It gives excellent basic explanations and a great grounding in video technology, but it also discuss complex fx, sound mixing etc. I highly recommend this book--it's all you really need to do fantastic things with Vegas.
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Intro to Fundamentals
Review: I ordered one of DSE's books the minute I knew it was available thru Amazon. After receiving it, I quickly scanned thru the book, before spending more time with specific points in each chapter. Douglas explains almost all subjects with a simple approach, uncharacteristic for the Vegas4 guru that he is. He explains the fundamentals of video editting in a clear and uncomplicated way that fits well with the structure of Vegas4, which is quite easy to learn because of it's user friendliness. He spends particularly important time with the concepts of compositing and 5.1 surround sound, subjects that could be made much more complicated. I'd highly recommend this book for any noobie just getting started with Vegas4 or NLE's, in general. If I have any complaint, it's that more advanced users won't find as many "secrets" as they hoped for. Perhaps Douglas would consider writing an advanced book, someday.
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Summary: Solid resource for both new and experienced Vegas users
Review: I wouldn't have bought this book if I hadn't been to a few of the author's seminars and seen him as an exceptional teacher. He gave as much in those seminars as it was possible for anybody to do in a seminar format, and it was all based on working experience. Even after using Vegas for more than a year, I found a lot to learn in this book. The author is very thorough, and he gives a thorough knowledge and real understanding of each area. This saves a lot of time in the end for both the novice and the professional. As has been noted by many, people will rate a video or film with "bad picture quality but good sound" far higher than one with "great picture but bad audio". The people in a movie theatre are called an "audience" for a reason, and Douglas covers the sound aspects of video post production really well from a long background also in professional audio (in 64 pages out of 404). The author's superior teaching skills combined with his long term experience as both a video and audio producer make this book a must-have for anybody using Vegas regardless of skill level. I would even recommend this book to those who use other NLEs, as many of the explanations and tips in this book apply also to them and aren't available in easily understandable form anywhere else. Each area in the book is illustrated with many photographs and sample files, so you can really understand what is going on. Importantly, the author also offers a good editing workflow to get the best quality from your source materials with minimal effort. I consider this to be a must-have resource for anybody using Vegas. Even the seasoned user can learn a lot, and any reader new to video editing gets a solid base for working with this very powerful and very "addictive" software.
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