Amazon.com (ISBN 0201353717, Paperback)

Walk into a design studio and you just might see the popular The Photoshop 5.0/5.5 Wow! Book on the shelf. If there's a technique or effect that would work perfectly for the job at hand, whether it's adding a chrome or chiseled-in-stone look, or simply better understanding the usage of the lasso tool, designers, photographers and illustrators know to reach for this book.

The recent edition incorporates the updated features of Photoshop versions 5 and 5.5, including layer effects, "magnetic" options for many of the selection tools, actions that "record" a sequence of commands, and the art history brush that applies textured strokes to an image.

Even with all this great new content, the original organization mirrors from previous editions. The first two chapters cover fundamentals. Subsequent chapters begin with basics pertinent to the techniques covered, but each entry can be read independently. The techniques are shown in step-by-step instructions accompanied by full-color illustrations and, for many, digital files on the CD-ROM accompanying the book.

It's possible to dive right into the middle and tackle whatever problem is currently facing you. Silhouetting out a person's portrait is always tricky, particularly getting a good selection around hair. With potential time-wasters like this, Photoshop 5.0/5.5 Wow! is a lifesaver. And readers who have put off learning how to make full use of layers will find a whole chapter and a fun set of "dress up" files on the CD-ROM (digital equivalents of paper dolls) that will have you shamelessly proficient in no time.

With hundreds of illustrations, tips for making work quicker and easier, a gallery of work and advice from experienced Photoshop users, illustrated demos for each filter, and so much more, it's quite a hefty book. The CD-ROM has stock images, plug-ins, actions, and tutorial files. From "Making a Mezzotint" to "Making Buttons from Photos," The Photoshop 5.0/5.5 Wow! book is The Joy of Cooking for digital image-making. It'll have you cooking with Photoshop in no time. --Angelynn Grant

Topics covered: Step-by-step instructions on tools, techniques, and effects in Adobe Photoshop 5.0/5.5, including using layers, masks, and channels; enhancing photographic images by solarizing, applying a mezzotint, and other effects; making well-executed collages; using filters; painting effects; going from Illustrator to Photoshop and vice versa; adding special effects such as multicolor glow and others; using the new Web tools in version 5.5. CD-ROM contains tutorial files with before-and-after images; try-out applications and plug-ins; actions, gradients, brushes, stock photos, and a teacher's guide that outlines course projects using The Photoshop Wow! Book.