Browne takes a look at the fundamentals of desktop publishing and guides the reader through some of the applications that may be useful for new users and small business operations. The reader is introduced to the basics of designing a page layout, working with fonts, and adding color and life with the help of graphics. The author also gives tips on how to make one’s workload lighter by using templates and style sheets. The final section presents some worthwhile projects that can be accomplished with a desktop publishing package, including the creation of newsletters, brochures, letterheads, flyers, business cards, and presentation visual aids.

The intended reader of this book is the beginner, and Browne is quite successful at addressing the needs of that audience. Reading the book requires some background in computing and familiarity with the capabilities of one’s own machine. Nonetheless, this book can be especially useful to a beginner in desktop publishing because of the level at which it addresses the needs of the audience.

One of the book’s major advantages is that the author assures readers that desktop publishing does not require fancy software. They can use the software that came with their computers. Because the author refers to several different packages, beginning users who require step-by-step instructions in a specific package may be overwhelmed by references to how things are done in software other than their own. Thus, a software-specific approach may be valuable in a how-to book like this.

In the beginning chapters, Browne supplements the usual glossary found at the back of most books with pointers to glossary sections within the chapters. This is helpful in introducing new terms as they are being used and becomes extremely valuable in understanding some of the technical terms associated with desktop publishing, such as OLE (object linking and embedding), pull quotes in newsletters (I did not know this technical term even though I had seen them used), and single-session and multisession compact discs (CDs).

Likewise, in certain portions of the text, such as “Publishing Data with Access” (pp. 75–77), the numbered step-by-step instructions are helpful. Illustrations of how the computer screen should look at every step also assure users that they are doing the right thing, and provide confidence to continue working in that environment.

Although the author points to the importance of spelling checkers and grammar checkers, I found several typographical errors. The book also contains a few glaring grammatical errors, such as “try to carrying the same two-color theme to the envelopes” (p. 284) and “style of your organization can have an opposite, positive, affect” (p. 308). Many portions of chapters are devoted to the use and explanation of filename extensions, some of which are quite repetitive. This information could have been placed in an appendix. The text contains a reference to a nonexistent Appendix B.

As an academic, I found the last chapter, “Tips for Long Documents,” helpful, especially in its discussion of indexing and the generation of a table of contents. These functions would be useful to a researcher or scholar who is writing a book for publication. One can only imagine how much easier publishing has become with the advent of desktop publishing capabilities and the dissemination of desktop publishing knowledge and techniques through books such as this.

The author uses colored photos to demonstrate how documents can be enhanced by scanned photos and clip art. As one who has used such devices even in course syllabi, I am convinced that documents can be made more interesting and palatable with the help of such visual aids. Some of the things I have learned from this book will prove useful to me in my work as a teacher and scholar. Documents, books, and advertising flyers will never be the same for me. I now find myself looking at the documents that cross my desk daily from an entirely different perspective. The book has provided me with a more critical eye toward these items.

The book was an easy read. It may be the large print and the desktop style that made it fast and easy reading. As an introduction to desktop publishing, it accomplishes its goal. It encourages the reader to dig more deeply into the capabilities of a desktop publishing package. Overall, I give it a good evaluation.