BKSADMAC.RVW  980621

"Sad Macs, Bombs, and Other Disasters", Ted Landau, 1997,
0-201-68810-7, U$29.95/C$41.00
%A   Ted Landau landau@macfixit.com landau@oakland.edu
%C   P.O. Box 520, 26 Prince Andrew Place, Don Mills, Ontario M3C 2T8
%D   1997
%G   0-201-68810-7
%I   Addison-Wesley Publishing Company
%O   U$29.95/C$41.00 416-447-5101 fax: 416-443-0948
%P   964 p.
%T   "Sad Macs, Bombs, and Other Disasters", Third Edition

Every novice Mac user should have this book.  They probably wouldn't
think so at first.  At almost a thousand pages, it probably seems a
bit daunting to new users.  Landau has, however, taken great care to
make the information accessible in a number of ways.  The table of
contents is extensive and detailed.  In addition to the normal index,
there is also a symptom index.

Every Mac power user should have this book.  Landau presents clear
solutions to common problems, but he then often goes on to delve into
the technical details behind the operations.  This doesn't interfere
with the basic explanation:  it is obviously demarcated as additional
material.  While not as smirkingly cute as some other, similar, books,
Landau is much more complete.  (At a time like that, who needs cute,
anyway?  When the presentation right after lunch depends upon six
months' worth of work on a disk that you can't read anymore, you want
help, not jokes.)

Every Mac office should have this book.  Chapter two, on prevention,
and three, on diagnosis, will not only help your office recover from
the normal day-to-day disasters faster, but generations of technical
support people will rise up and call you blessed for calling only when
there is a *real* problem--and for having done your homework, first.

(I don't even find much fault with the chapter on viruses.  Although
Landau brings out the old BBS bugbear, you can forgive a lot to
someone who tells the reader to "Install and *Maintain* an Antivirus
Utility" [emphasis mine].)

A clear, complete and helpful book for times of trouble.  They *will*
come.

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1994, 1998   BKSADMAC.RVW  980621