Mac Annoyances by John Rizzo

Book: Mac Annoyances
Author: John Rizzo
ISBN: 0-596-00723-X
Publisher: O'Reilly
Pages: 156
Cover Price: US $24.95, CA $36.95

The first thing I noticed about this book was that I was really turned off by the title. We Mac users are often loth to admit that anything about our beloved Macs annoys us. Having been a member of the Macintosh faithful since 1988, I'm no exception. Windows Annoyances, I could believe, but Mac Annoyances?

Well, it turns out, that there are apparently reams of Mac annoyances, though the author spends the first chapter or so explaining how we SHOULDN'T be offended by the title. Once I got into reading the book— though readable, Mac Annoyances is more reference than straight reading—I enjoyed its breezy style and ceased to be offended. Rather than "annoyances," Rizzo addresses the knotty problems which often plague beginning and intermediate Mac users.

Being an expert myself, I don't always find a whole lot of personal use in books for beginners. Yep, know how to do that. Yes, solved that one years ago. I judge the quality of the tips by whether or not the book can actually teach me something. Yes, that's arrogant, but I didn't get to be writing for MacAddict by knowing nothing about the platform. If a book of tips can teach me something, then it's got a lot to say to the vast majority of Mac users who fall between idiot and digerati. I'm happy to say that Mac Annoyances was able to clear up a knotty email attachment problem that I've been having for about a zillion years.

As I put the book down to write the review, my most cogent comment was "damn, I wish I'd written this!"

Good show, Mr. Rizzo. Good show.