I am writing this review on the older of my two MacBook Pros (both of which I dearly love), and I am still wondering why such a book did not come with the laptops when I bought them new--the older one having been purchased back when OSX was only a Tiger! By means of Apple One-To-One lessons and a persistent, albeit somewhat stumbling, figure-it-out approach, I managed to survive the Leopard stage on the newer laptop, although many mysteries still remained--especially after installing the dreaded Snow Leopard; John Ray's "My MacBook" goes far in solving these.

With clear explanations, instructions, and illustrations, the author begins by explaining the intricacies of the Dock, the Finder, System Preferences, Contextual Menus, etc. Each color-coded chapter concentrates on a different area: chapter 1 (yellow tab), Desktop Space; chapter 2 (green tab), Connecting to a Network; chapter 3 (red tab), Communicating Online; chapter 4 (blue tab), Managing Contacts and Appointments; chapter 5 (yellow tab), Sharing Devices, etc. on a Network; chapter 6 (green tab), Accessing Entertainment; chapter 7 (red tab), Using Mobile Me to Access Data from the Road; chapter 8 (blue tab), Making the Most of MacBook Hardware; chapter 9 (yellow tab), Connecting Devices to Macbook; chapter 10 (green tab), Protecting Data; chapter 11 (red tab), Troubleshooting; chapter 12 (blue tab), Upgrading Hardware and Software; Appendix (yellow tab), Configuring AirPort Extreme.

Using a MacBookPro is rather like riding a horse. I mean, it is so much easier when one learns how to do it properly. Before reading this book, for instance, I had no idea that applications and folders added to the dock behaved differently (I always wondered what 'that little broken line' on the right side of the dock was!). Although I can write only from the point of view of the longtime novice, I believe that this book is especially useful to anyone who owns a Mac laptop. There is a lot to recommend in "My Macbook", and I, for one, am going to read and study it very carefully!

Reviewed for Vine; Amazon.com