I got this from Amazon with 46 pages missing. The print looks like it was run off an old black and white 1960's era Zerox machine and stapled in a binder. I told Amazon about the missing pages and they sent a new one quickly. Apparently no one read my note and Amazon sent another copy that had exactly the same missing pages. I returned that one too and asked for a refund. Wasted time!
I liked Robin William's books, but quality control is lacking at both the publishers and Amazon.

Simply: This book is very useful for Mac Leopard and iLife users with two years of experience or less, but even advanced Mac Leopard and iLife users will pick up some useful information from this book.

Along with Robin William's book "Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard" book (which overlaps some of the contents of this Cool Mac Apps book), the two books are enough to get a newer Mac user going very nicely. The two books are written in a friendly and practical style (as opposed to a technical style with too many details) to focus on what you really need to know to do tasks well.

One of the strengths of the books is how the Mac Apps (in the iLife application package, and in Mac Leopard itself) can work together. Some of this info is rather surprising. Personally, I was able to use the iDvd application successfully for the first time, using this Cool Mac Apps book, to make a very nice DVD of my favorite family picture slideshows and short movies, and have shared this with distant family members with many positive comments.

I can honestly recommend this book to all of us who have started to use Apple Mac versions and applications in the last few years, and all those who would like to make those most of their Macs.

"Cool Mac Apps" Third Edition by Robin Williams is an excellent information provider for anyone using Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. Covered in this book are the mac applications iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iTunes, Mail and more, twelve in all.
There is an explanation of the application and instructions on how to do each of the functions within the application. The book is quite detailed. For example iPhoto itself is 97 pages.
This is an excellent book for reference after going through it at least once. I have prior editions and refer to them whenever I have a question on a covered application. Of course with each new Edition many features are repeated from the prior but the latest Edition incorporates all the new features of those applications.

This book is now part of my reference library and it is highly recommended. I would give it a 5 star rating.

Reviewed by Marty Grauer, Fresno Macintosh Users Group.

"Cool Mac Apps".
Author Robin Williams with John Tollett.
ISBN-0-321-50896-3
US $ 24.99
Peachpit Press, www.peachpit.com