Macintosh Books

I have been using the American Drug Index since 1982 and I find it is the best source for a medical transcriptionist. The American Drug Index is jam packed with brand name/generic drugs. A must have for the medical transcriptionist.

This book is great for quick reference of brand and generic drugs and theraputics.

I'm a medical transcriptionist and this is the best drug book I've seen. It does cost more than most, but it's because it's the best.

As a medical transcriptionist, I need a complete and easy to use reference book....I have never found a better one. I like the way it lists the medications, their generics and what illness the medication is used for. My choice of drug books for 14 years. Do not hesitate on this one.

This book helps ease the monumental transition from Avid to FCP. It is definitely a must for anyone going through the change, but becomes less useful once you get the hang of FCP. Once you are through the transtion, then get the book Final Cut Pro 5 for Mac, which answers the rest.

This book I could only find used, it is not easy to come by...

If you are ever forced to quickly learn Final Cut pro for the odd job where Avid is not a viable option, or you want to start editing your on stuff on the cheap, buy this, read it and practise it for a week and you will be a Pro at Pro, knowing everything there is to know, at least, where to find it and whether it is doable or not. It is a book written by an Avid editor for Avid editors who have to go through the same learning curve. You can be very surprised going through it on how similar the two editing systems are and most of all, how quickly you can synthesise the information and make it second nature. I fervently recommend this book being so well written, going always to the point and covering everything properly.

As an Avid editor and now learning FCP, I can recommend this book for helping to understand where everthing is. This book is a must unless you want to tear your hair out. If you know how it feels going from Media Composer to DS, then you will understand why you need this book and I might add others.

We have been an Avid only edit house for years, but reciently purchased two Final Cut systems. Most of the transition was pretty easy, but trying to figure out how to do some of the things in FCP that we did in our sleep on the Avid slowed us down a bit. This book draws great parallels between the two systems.

Apple Training Series: iLife 04
By Michael Rubin
ISBN: 0321256069

Book Review by Al Simukonis, Tucson Macintosh Users Group

Peachpit Press has published a guide to Apple's iLife '04 Programs. The book's author is Michael Rubin.

Michael Rubin self-describes this book as "not so much a training manual as it is a way to show you how to enrich your world by weaving digital audio, photos and videos into many aspects of your life." He promises to skip entire areas of functionality of the programs in order to teach "media literacy" in your life using the iLife programs: iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie and Garage Band. He also promises to explain how to share your completed vision with friends, family and clients through iDVD and the web via .Mac.

The book is divided into 14 chapters which consist of projects that introduce the reader with audio capabilities of iTunes, progress to still and moving visual expression using iPhoto and iMovie. Final lessons detail how to combine digital sound and vision into a usable and interesting slide presentation or a movie. These later chapters also show how to easily distribute your created vision and message using hardware and software .

The beginning of each chapter lists the goals (i.e. familiarity with using iTunes) that it intends to achieve in that section, the tools necessary to complete the goal (i.e. a personal music CD or an optional camcorder), and the estimated time it will take to complete that section. Lessons range from a 15 minute iPod introduction to 90 minutes for many of the others. To complete every lesson should take about 15 hours.

The book is very well laid out, has very clear illustrations of screen shots you should expect to see on your own computer, and photos of hardware you will be using. There is a logical progression to the lessons that builds on previously gained knowledge and experience.

If you have the iLife programs, at least a G3 Mac with FireWire and at least system 10.2.8 (minimum 10.2.6) with 256 MB Ram, 1024 x 768 resolution, QuickTime 6.4 (the latest version at this moment is 6.5.1) you can begin. Other recommendations are a 600 Mhz G3 for Garage Band, a 733 Mhz G4 for iDVD, iSight, a digital camcorder, a digital camera, a tripod, a .Mac account. If you have all this equipment this excellent book will show you how to use all of it to express yourself well. If you do not have all this hardware do not let it scare you away from the book.

I found that there are three ways to approach this informative iLife familiarization guide.

The first, of course, is to have a computer with a DVD burner and player, all the camera equipment he covers, and the $100 or so per year dot Mac account that allows you to easily share your creations with the world via the web. After you finish the very clearly explained features of the software and hardware in your arsenal, you will have a core of media knowledge that will give you the potential of being the next George Lucas.

The second way is to go through the book using only the 4.2 GB of photos, video clips, and music on the included DVD. This should be downloaded onto to your hard drive, so a hard drive with sufficient free space is necessary. The full iLife program, Michael advises us, takes an additional 4.3 GB if it is not already on your computer. With limited hard drive space you can get by 250 MB if you only use iTunes, iPhoto, and iMovie. An Apple with a DVD player (and preferably burner) is essential for this option.

The examples in the book and the DVD are shown from the perspectives of a student with a school project, a father shooting his daughter's birthday party and a ceramics studio owner who wants to show customers a technique via a video presentation.

The third way, if you are not ready to invest in all the hardware and software that this book covers, is to go through it using only hardware you already have. For example, first I read the book cover to cover. That was a very clear introduction to the potential available to me with my little iBook and the iLife software. I had already played with iTunes, and have a substantial collection of digital photos on my hard drive, but do not have a DVD player on the iBook. Instead of using the photo examples on his DVD player I was able to substitute my own pictures in his lessons. It took a little imagination to substitute his ceramics demo for my cactus garden, but the principles of the program remain the same regardless of the actual images used. If you do not have your own photo collection you can often find legally downloadable images on the internet that you can use for this purpose.

The scope of this book is quite vast. Digital cameras, theories and practice of good composition and lighting, image manipulation, creating books, organizing digital photo albums, creating slide shows with music or narration, making videos from still pictures or camcorders, time lapse photography, theory and use (or not) of pans, tilts and zooms, burning DVD's and creating your own music with Garage Band are all covered. It is like a semester in college taken at your own pace.

One of the best quotes in the book is "editing is not about throwing out bad material. Editing is about building something interesting and watchable" .

With time and practice this book shows any media non-professional how to use the Macintosh and the iLife programs to achieve this goal relatively easily. It does this clearly, logically and interestingly. After the versions of these software programs change this book will not be obsolete because the principles of good audio-visual presentation will remain the same.

If good communication is a necessity or a hobby or if you simply want to know how to get more personal enjoyment from the music and visual capabilities of the Macintosh take a good look at this very well-written book.

Mr. Rubin covers each of the iLife products -- iPod (2 chapters), iPhoto (5 chapters), iMovie (5 chapters), GarageBand (1 chapter), and iDVD (1 chapter). Each chapter covers a specific set of tasks in a step by step manner. And, with nearly every step, he provides explanatory material -- things to look out for, hints, tips, etc. Furthermore, he not only tells you what to do but why you are doing it. By the time you complete the chapters about an application you are well-grounded in how to use it because he has explained all of the basic tasks as well as some of the more arcane features of the program. He even devotes an entire chapter to camcorder shooting techniques. I purchased this book primarily for some instruction in using iMovie. By the time I completed the iMovie chapters I felt comfortable in my ability to shoot digital video, import what I shot to the computer, edit the clips, add sound effects and music, and put it on a DVD. The publisher also includes a disc with the book that has every photo clip, video clip, and sound clip you need to complete the exercises. In many cases the disc also includes a file with the finished project so that you can compare what you did with a professionally completed sample. This is absolutely the best book of its kind that I have ever used. The publisher, Apple, Mr. Rubin, and everyone else involved in this book's production should be very pleased with the result.

Book: "Apple Training Series: iLife `04" (377 pages)
Author: Michael Rubin
publisher: Peachpit Press, 1249 Eighth St., Berkeley, CA 94710
published: 2004
price: $29.99
Phone number of company: 1-800-283-9444
Pros: easy to read, nicely organized, great color illustrations, excellent index, overall very helpful for the beginner or advances iLife user
Cons: no real cons; ideally, I would like to have seen a second CD included that would have allowed people with OS 9 to get a sample of the iLife lessons

This book was of particular interest to me to review since I will soon be using Apple's iLife '04. This an awesome program with 5 subparts: itunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, and GarageBand. I wanted a good overview of all five, and was very pleased with what I found. It was easy reading, and its organization, a series of 14 lessons, allows you to learn at your own pace. The book also comes with a CD that you play to work along with the lessons. For me, I had to skip that part for now but certainly will be using it next month after I get my G-5 and begin using OS X (required for iLife). But even without it, the book alone is great for introducing the power and relative simplicity of iLife '04. The great illustrations and index also help a beginner, and would be very useful too to advanced users of iLife. I particularly liked the nice organization and clear writing style of the book, with each section ending with a review of what you learned.
This book is set up as if you were three different people learning about the various parts of iLife '04, namely a parent with a 12-year-old daughter, a high school student, and a small-business owner. Through those people and their needs, you get a real hands-on understanding of what the program can do for you. In all, you learn to 1) create custom CDs and play them on an iPod or a regular stereo system; 2) organize and use still images from your digital camera to create great photos and books of photos, plus slide shows; and 3) create movie DVDs combining still photos with music, special effects, titles, narration, music, and more. Finally, you learn to upload your slide shows and videos to the Web and burn DVDs. Additionally, there are nice "extras" at various logical places in the book, like tips on using your digital camcorder.
Below are the names of the 14 lessons, which further show the progressive nature of the learning process this fine book offers. In all, I would highly recommend this book. It is a great learning tool and well worth the money.

Lesson 1: Making a Custom CD from your music collection
Lesson 2: DJ a Party with your iPod
Lesson 3: Shooting Digital Snapshots and putting them in your Mac
Lesson 4: Organizing and Refining your photos
Lesson 5: Printing and sharing your photos
Lesson 6: Adding motion and effects for a dynamic slide show
Lesson 7: Making a time-lapse video
Lesson 8: Shooting and assembling a very simple movie
Lesson 9: Adding narration to your dynamic slide show
Lesson 10: Shooting with Hollywood-style techniques for better videos
Lesson 11: Editing and finishing a professional-looking movie
Lesson 12: Creating unique music for your projects
Lesson 13: Putting your slide show on the Internet
Lesson 14: Burning DVDs of your videos and slide shows

This is the official Apple Training Guide to the iLife software packages.

Apple doesn't include much documention with their iLife products. This book is a quick and easy way to learn these packages. As an Apple certified product, this is the book used in the Apple Training and Certification program. You can use it by yourself at your own pace where it's broken down into fourteen lessons.

The lessons are aimed at the practical use of the packages, not some esoteric project just made up to show off the software. It starts off discussing audio. Then it moves to mnaging still images, printing still images, and finally moving images, i.e. video.

From his background in the motion picture business, the author has written some very interesting pages on how to use Hollywood techniques in your own movies.

This is the most complete iLife book.

This little book is a wonder! I would highly recommend it to anyone who has a Mac-I would actually say it is essential. Easy to read-it's a scream. Full of what-to-do-if's and how to keep everything running ship-shape. Explains mind-boggling concepts in easy to understand terms. Great step by step instruction. Everything from RAM and ROM to System Folder conflicts to fonts and software to how to keep a lean mean machine and handling "problems-Yikes!" I actually took a class entitled "Understanding Your Mac"at a local Jr. College that used it as the textbook. I keep my copy right beside the computer. Get this book for yourself or a friend now!

Everything I know about computing I learned from this book or from its predecessor, "The Little Mac Book" (or from Williams's "Tabs and Indents on the Macintosh," evidently no longer available). All books about Macs by Robin Williams are funny, imaginative, and easy to understand. If you have a Mac and you have this book, you don't need anything else (except, of course, whatever Mac book Williams comes up with next).

I've been a Mac user for over a decade and I still loved this book! It's packed with good tips and helpful suggestions to find your way out of a Mac jam. I highly recommend it (and I love the cover!)

Broback and Williams manage to proivde you with plenty of solid information without boring you with details. Excellent for the Mac user who needs to get the most out of his/her machine and know what to do when something goes wrong. I followed a lot of their advice and my Mac runs more stable than it has in a long time.

I loved Danny Goodman's Complete HyperCard Handbook and have relied on it for years. So when I wanted to learn what is really going on in AppleScript and how to do things with it, I figured I could count on Goodman. I was not disappointed. I had already read the entire reference manual on AppleScript put out by Apple but was still almost clueless as to how to use AppleScript successfully. My beef with most books that purport to teach you how to use a scripting language is that they simply lay out all the elements that you have to work with, along with a few trivial examples, and then leave it up to you to figure out how to put something useful together. Goodman has a real knack for knowing the questions a beginner will have and the types of things a person is likely to want to do using the scripting language. In the first 100 pages, Goodman concisely answered numerous nagging questions and pointed out significant features of AppleScript that had escaped my notice. Even though the book was published way back in 1994, it is still very relevant, as the essentials of AppleScript seem to have changed very little. An extremely helpful book.

Those familiar with Goodman¹s ³Complete HyperCard Handbook² will feel right at home with this comprehensive look at AppleScript. His style moves beginners through the rough first stages of the learning process with a quick look at the basics of the language and cogent metaphors that help convey the underlying structure of AppleScript. His early chapters are easy to follow, but present the nuts and bolts of the language in a way experienced programmers will appreciate. Perhaps the strongest point of the book is the reference section. Variables, operators, and commands are presented in a well organized way, with all the information on function and format close at hand. It is this section one will flip through again and again in the process of exploring the first few scripts, and the enclosed disk is packed with utilities and samples to get started on.

When I wanted to learn Applescript I bought serveral books, included this one. This book gave me clear insight in the AppleScript mechanisms but also why I should use it. It is been a reference since and I don't travel/develop without it.

Danny Goodman's absolute treatise on AppleScript. The definitive, must have bible for learning, using, living with AppleScript.

Danny's easy-to-read and insightful tomb. This takes you from absolutely clueless to programming in as little as a month. Danny starts with theory then delivers pratical, real world solutions as examples.

Many books eschew the object oriented underpinnnings of AppleScript, often assuming (wrongly) the customer already knows OOP (Object Oriented Programming). Danny goes through object-oriented programming with outstanding lucidity comprehensible to everyone.

After laying the foundation, Danny dives into addressing the issue by issue in AppleScript including referencing, coercion, looping, optimizations, object-store, and so so much more. The depth of AppleScript is only limited by your imagination.

Many programming books are considered authorities, the last stop, first stop, definitive source everyone turns to. Danny Goodman's _AppleScript Handbook_ is that. If you want to learn AppleScript the right way so your can use it, adapt it, relearn it, and reapply it from application to application, then you *must* own this book.

-Scott

I have been using this for the past one year , found it to be good in diagnosing common conditions.Definitely is a big help in my practice.

The concept of differential diagnosis in dermatology is a pretty tough one.This CD Rom atlas handles this with great finesse.The authors bring out the points of differentiation between various diseases in their own style .The Discussions cover almost all the major diseases that a physician sees in his practice and also some uncommon ones. The clinical pictures are good , but i was dissappointed with the brief discussions regarding therapy , but then again one must remember this is a book on differential diagnosis and not therapy.

The CD ROM of the ATLAS OF DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS in DERMATOLOGY is worth the buy , with more than a thousand pictures along with facilities to zoom and shrink the pictures and a user friendly software through which one can navigate quickly between topics , pictures and the chapter guide(a sort of index for each chapter).The pictures are great , besides common diseases , photos of rare disorders are seen at the end of each chapter. Worth owning,and adding it in your collection.

The CD ROM of the ATLAS OF DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS in DERMATOLOGY is definitely worth the buy , with more than a thousand photos,along with facilities to zoom and shrink the pictures any no of times.It also has a good software through which one can navigate quickly between topics , pictures and the chapter guide(a sort of index for each chapter).The pictures are great , besides common diseases , photos of some rare disorders are seen at the end of each chapter. The text is pretty compact and but has enough details ........ definitely worth having in your collection

This is an excellent book for beginning and intermediate modelers. I found it to be engaging, practical, and easy to understand. Dynamic modeling has become an essential tool to facilitate understanding developments in our increasingly complex and interdependent world, to communicate ideas across disciplinary boundaries, and to help solve problems. This book is a great place to begin. It offers a hands-on introduction to dynamic modeling.

The authors start with an easy to understand, step-by-step description of the modeling process, key principles of modeling, and general methods of modeling. This is followed-up with and numerous examples from chemistry, genetics, ecology, economics, and engineering. But this is not just a book to read. The book comes with run-time versions of the easy to learn STELLA and Madonna software as well as copies of the various models developed in each of the 37 chapters.

The authors encourage readers to build the models themselves as they work through the chapters, and then explore the dynamics by experimenting with the models. This is an active, fun way to learn. It definitely helped me to expand my systems thinking capability. Although my substantive interest is organizations, I learned a great deal by analogy from working through models of problems from other disciplines. Basic systems principles apply across disciplines, and useful insights can be gleaned from recognizing similar dynamic structures underlying different systems.

I particularly liked the instruction by example that is used throughout this book. I learned so much from this book because the reading and modeling, modeling and reading formed a positive feedback loop. The reading provided direction and engaged me in the modeling, and the modeling clarified and reinforced the concepts in the reading. Drawing from my experience with this book, I think it is ideal for those who are just getting started in dynamic modeling or have been learning for several years but want to sharpen and expand their systems thinking and modeling skills.

The book is extremely well written and is so far the best attempt by any author(s)to achieve the right mix of theory and practice in the field of system dynamics. The organization of contents of the book is unique and it highlights the potential use of system dynamics principles for modeling a variety of hydro, ecological, environmental and engineered systems. The principles of system dynamics modeling and the complexities of physical systems are clearly explained by the authors and real-world examples from a number of disciplines are provided. Modelers can benefit from the actual code/examples from the simulation modeling environment, STELLA. The book includes a CD-ROM with all the examples/models discussed in the text to enhance the learning experience of modelers.

I have been involved in static data modeling as part of database design throughout my career, and because of that know very well that to really learn how to model, you have to do more than listen to lectures or read a text. This book, along with the accompanying STELLA modeling tool, is an excellent blend of concept and practice.

The book begins with a short tutorial of the STELLA tool, a run-time version of which is included. (STELLA is very easy to use, and although the math underlying it relies heavily on differential equations, the user can be completely removed from that and still model effectively.) The early chapters gradually develop an understanding of dynamic modeling by building on basic concepts. The following chapters work through models in various areas, such as genetics, economics, and ecology, and provide exposure to modeling in these disciplines, as well as introducing some very interesting aspects of models, such as chaos, randomness, and non-predictable results.

By way of introduction to modeling concepts, case studies are presented clearly and concisely. These are followed by an explanation of a basic model of the system being examined. There are always additional questions that lead to expansion of the ideas being presented, so that the reader can increase their understanding and have opportunities to practice the skills presented.

I used this book for a course in Dynamic Modeling, and found it to be great in presenting the basic concepts of dynamic modeling and in developing a heightened awareness that any system being studied is really a dynamic process. It took this understanding to the next step and showed how to model that process and how to run the model and watch the dynamics in action, while honing the skills of analyzing, refining, and looking for trends and unanticipated results. The book opened up a whole new way of viewing systems for me.

The book teaches the use of a modelling program called STELLA, that can be used to simulate the behaviour of dynamical systems. You can treat the text as an extended user's manual about the capabilities of STELLA. It appears to be an easy program to learn. Its user interface hides the gory details of coupled integro-differential equations that actually model the systems.

More generally, the theory of modelling a dynamical system is developed. With a deprecating of the maths. Showing how positive and negative feedback and randomness can or should be introduced. The idea is to introduce STELLA to a broad audience, who can then perform modelling. Where otherwise they might have been put off by the amount of maths to be understood or the amount of code to be written.

Then, several chapters go into important special cases. There is a chapter on chemical models for mass action. This chapter is a little terse. No mention of molecular dynamics, which has been a very active area of simulation for decades and is highly developed.

And a chapter on genetics, where evolution is discussed. Then a chapter on different types of models of ecologies. Including, naturally, the predator-prey models. And a perhaps very topical section on how epidemics might spread. This is important in trying to understand how to contain AIDS, SARS or a new influenza.

Economic modelling is also gone into. Simulating scarcity of resources and how firms might compete.

Like so many others, I'm self-taught in Photoshop, InDesign ... and now I'm tackling Final Cut Pro.

Visual QuickPro Guides are quickly becoming my "go to" books for technical learning. I have found them to be:

1. Packed full of information;
2. Easy to read (the pages are set up perfectly for us visual learners);
3. Well indexed to find information.

Lisa Brenneis' FINAL CUT PRO 6 guide is quickly becoming well-worn as I learn the ins and outs of final cut.

If you're teaching yourself Final Cut like I am, this book is a must-have.

Enjoy!

Learning FCP by reading the manuals is like running in mud. Turning to Visual Quick pro is a great way to get a jump start on learning FCP. Using this book is perfect for finding answers to simple yet mounting tasks when editing with FCP. Great book to keep on hand weather you're new to FCP or an old pro. This book will save you time and cut down on the trial and error process.

I own most books written on Final Cut Pro. I love all the Apple Pro books. But.......this is the first book I always tell everyone to purchase. It is the essential FCP reference for most situations. Of course it doesn't go into everything like the manuals but I feel this book is a must read and is never far from my editing room.

The guys at the Genius Bar in the Apple Store in San Francisco recommended this to me, and I'm happy they did. It's simply excellent!

Your book, How To Use Your Mac, is excellent.I wish I had it even earlier in my learning curve. Beautifully organized and easy to find subjects. Illustrations are very reader friendly for the beginner. A nice piece of work that I hope receives the recognition it deserves. This is the real missing manual for beginners!

Your book, How To Use Your Mac, is excellent. I wish I had it even earlier in my learning curve. Beautifully organized and easy to find subjects.

Illustrations are very reader friendly for the beginner. A nice piece of work that I hope receives the recognition it deserves. This is the real missing manual for beginners.

Full of detailed, easy to read, step by step directions. Comprehensive and easly to follow for a novice like myself. I have been acquintaed with PC's, but purchased a MAC for graphics. This book gave full istructions from connecting a printer to adding a digital camera and scanner. Great book.

If you're a beginner for Mac. Go get this one! It's easy to understand with nice visually illustrations like others in series "HOW TO USE" ..but poor illustrations for capture Mac photographs (..so amateur) But if you really wanna dig deeper in details for everything about your mac....this is not your choice (you can find the other one of Gene Steinberg in Mac OS9 The Complete Reference..emphasis in OS)

Although I have iLife '06, this edition on '04, which I found second-hand at a bargain price, is good enough for the moment in guiding me around the various components of the software (I am new to Macs and iLife). The recommendation is naturally to find a copy on the version of iLife you've got, but I like David Pogue's book on OS X Tiger, and when I found this book I snatched it up without hesitation.

Under the general name of iLife, Apple includes five software packages that are oriented to your creative expression and entertainment. While the programs are nifty, the documentation that comes with them is somewhat less than outstanding. David Pogue, has created a series of books called "The Missing Manual." In this manual, he provides what is missing for the iLife software, the missing manuals.

The five software packages included in iLife include: iTunes, iMovie, iPhoto, iDVD, and GarageBand. Mr. Pogue highlights the newest features and improvements of iLife '04, covers the capabilities and limitations of each program within the suite, and delivers countless goodies not found anywhere else: undocumented tips, tricks, and secrets for getting the best performance out of every one of iLife's life-changing new applications.

I have trouble believing the basic premise of the book. That Apple bundled together 5 very useful programs (iMovie, iPhoto, iTunes, iDVD and GarageBand) into something it calls iLife, and then released it with no hardcopy instructions! Granted, Apple is generally considered to be a very innovative company. Its products like these here are typically the most intuitive in the computer industry. But surely it is arrogant to omit a manual. If nothing else, it voluntarily cedes revenue that passes to the author of this book. An Apple shareholder might reasonably be upset.

You can read the book as a very natural continuation of Pogue's other successful books on the Mac. He shows how Apple put together a very coherent group of programs. Pogue demonstrates a higher level synergism, aptly summarised by the first figure in the book. It shows the 5 programs as vertices on a circle. Directed arcs are drawn between these vertices if data can be transferred in that direction between them.

This figure is so compelling and succinct that it should have gone on the cover. Or at least reproduced on the inside cover, so that you can easily and often refer to it, whilst going through the text. [Think of a chemistry book, with the periodic table on the inside cover.] It neatly encapsulates the entire reason for the book. Think about it. Without discussing the ability to transfer data between the programs, we really have 5 separate programs. The book would then cleave into 5 nonintersecting portions, each of which would be outweighed by other more comprehensive books devoted to each program. The figure and its elucidation give meaning and value to the book.

The book has reasonably in-depth coverage of the five iLife applications in iLife '04: GarageBand, iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie and iDVD. The content is not step-by-step for beginners but rather for people that understand the basics of Macintosh applications and have some experience with the applications. The text is well written and illustrations are used effectively. All of the applications, save iDVD, are covered thoroughly. But that's ok since IDVD gets short shrift in every manual.

For true beginners I would recommend buying the O'Reilly manual for the application that you are likely to use the most. For example, I think photographers will get a lot out of iPhoto 4: The Missing Manual. What's the difference? There is more exposition, which eases the learning curve, and there are more tips and tricks. But if you are a Macintosh user with a reasonable amount of experience who is looking for a book that covers all of the applications at a reasonable level, then this book should appeal to you.

For genuine beginners I would also recommend looking at Peachpit Press' "The Macintosh iLife '04".