Two of the more prolific authors of how-to books have collaborated on this fun yet comprehensive look at Illustrator, a great application that is even better in version 9. For novice users, the book lays a good foundation before diving into the more advanced tasks. For more experienced users, chapter 1 lists what"s new in version 9 and points to the appropriate chapters they"ll want to read to get up to speed fast. The book is divided into four sections: "Starting," "Creating," "Changing," and "Coloring." This is particularly suited to the vector-based nature of Illustrator. As opposed to a pixel-based application like Photoshop, the great advantage of working with art in Illustrator is how easy it is to modify objects. Following along with instructions in the book is also easy, although you should pay careful attention to details in the screen shots, especially if you skip around rather than read cover to cover. To keep the price of the book down, most of the illustrations are small and black and white (though there is a color insert section). At times the sample artwork is a bit too busy to show the actions discussed. For example, the clouds and sun drawing that shows blending modes is too complex to clearly bring out the differences, even in the color section. And the images shown look more like clip art than professional projects. Despite all this, the book is reader-friendly. The text size is comfortable (you can have the book by your monitor and not have to squint or lean in to read), and the captions are clear and detailed, so you can look just at the pictures and still learn a lot. The text is casual and conversational, and the more serious information is set off typographically. This way, when there"s not enough time to enjoy the chatty insights into why a feature exists or why you might want to use it, you can just proceed to the step-by-step instructions that make it all happen. --Angelynn Grant Topics covered: Comprehensive background and training in Illustrator 9, including: Tools and the work environment Creating artwork with the pen tools Working with points, curves, and type Creating and customizing graphs and charts Modifying and transforming objects and applying effects Integrating raster art and vector art Integrating Photoshop Working with fills, blends, brushes, masks, and transparencies Creating art for the Web, including GIFs, JPEGs, PNGs, and Flash animations (SWF) Using Actions and Styles to increase productivity Outputting files to print, including color separations or PDF