By Lawrence I. Charters
Washington Apple Pi Journal, Vol. 13, no. 12, December 1991,, pp. 46, 51.
Let me begin by admitting that I am not a fan of PageMaker, preferring Quark XPress. But my preferences are, to some extent, irrelevant: PageMaker dominates the page layout market and is one of the most popular Macintosh programs of all time. In fact, many surveys find PageMaker second only to Microsoft Word in popularity, eclipsing Excel, FileMaker Pro, MacWrite II, and a host of other possible candidates as the most commonly used Macintosh program.
PageMaker also seems to be one of the most irritating, demanding, and unforgiving Macintosh programs, judging by the number of gripes, complaints, and pleas for help. At one point in the near past, it was common to hear Aldus’ flagship program referred to as “RageMaker.” For thousands of users, PageMaker gave them a taste of the joys of page layout and design, but regularly frustrated their attempts to turn this taste into a full meal.
Robin Williams may change all that with her latest book, PageMaker 4: An Easy Desk Reference. Best known for her classic Macintosh guides, The Little Mac Book and The Mac ls Not A Typewriter, Ms. Williams has demonstrated a genius for illuminating the mysteries of the Macintosh in brilliantly clear, succinct fashion. Those who have come to know and love these slender little volumes will find the same genius and illumination in her latest work, but be prepared for a shock: Her Easy Desk Reference is not a slim book.
At 762 pages (not including the information- crammed endpapers and preface), PageMaker 4: An Easy Desk Reference is a brick. If The Litte Mac Book were a suitable weapon for swatting gnats, PM4: AEDR would be a good choice for a Mafia hit. Yet, for all its bulk, this may well be one of the leanest books ever written on PageMaker. It really is an “Easy Desk Reference.” As a bonus, it is also a tour de force on what can be done with PageMaker, imagination, planning – and talent.
Several elements combine to make the book an essential reference. Not only is there an excellent, detailed table of contents, there is also an overview of the table, for those overeager types not interested in detail. For the exceptionally impatient, there is an extensively cross-referenced index, and the index does not refer to an entire page, but to discretely numbered paragraphs. For almost any question, no matter how you wish to look it up, the answer is, literally, moments away. In other words, in the classic Macintosh tradition of “damn the instructions, full speed ahead,” you don’t need to read the book. Just look up what you need when you get stuck.
Even more striking is the organization of topics into tasks. Rather than adopt a traditional narrative format, Williams has divided almost the entire book into three columns: “If you want to do this, then follow these steps,” and “Shortcuts, Notes, Hints.” No matter how complex the task at hand, Williams seems to distill everything into just a few sparsely written, lavishly illustrated paragraphs.
If the book is so “lean,” why is it so large? There are two answers to this. First, Williams has managed to find answers to a great many questions, thus requiring a great many answers. While Aldus’ manuals are by no means poor, they are not, for example, particularly clear on such alleged time savers as style sheets and the Table Editor. Most PageMaker users are aware of these features, but never seem to find the, ah, time to learn how to use these “time savers.” Yet, after reviewing William’s excellent coverage of both features, neglecting either seems almost criminal.
Another reason for the size is pure artistry. Sprinkled throughout the meat are a host of herbs and spices, from little tidbits on the history and culture of writing and printing to page length (or longer) essays on the same subject. Usually these serve two functions, one decorative (making the book more attractive and adding a light touch now and then) and one tutorial (using the essay to illustrate some graphic or typographic point).
If all these goodies weren’t enough, there are also some outstanding reference charts and tables. The appendices include detailed, illustrated examples of all the file menus and dialog boxes (with references to appropriate page numbers and paragraphs in the book); a list of entry codes, alternate characters and accents; a Zapf Dingbats chart; a symbols and cursors chart; and a PageMaker keyboard shortcuts chart. The PageMaker shortcuts chart is perforated for easy removal from the book, but is also double sided, so you’ll have to photocopy the reverse before tacking it to your bulletin board.
PageMaker 4: An Easy Desk Reference is not just a great book on PageMaker. It is a superlative example of a great computer book. It is also a stunning tribute to what can be done with a Macintosh by a Mac enthusiast.
If you use PageMaker, get this book. It will inspire you to be a PageMaker fan and explore areas you’d previously avoided. Even if, or maybe especially if, your loyalties might lie elsewhere.
Robin Williams, PageMaker 4: An Easy DeskReference. Peachpit, 1991. ISBN 0-938151-28-2. $29.95 xviii, 762pp.
Lawrence I. Charters is the immediate past President of the San Diego Macintosh User Group and has recently moved to Columbia, Maryland, where he was, tragically, unemployed at the time of this writing. His enthusiasm for PM4: AEDR was not influenced by the appearance of his name on the book’s flyleaf, quoting from a previous review of The Little Mac Book.
Consumer Alert Que Books, in a rather cynical marketing ploy, has recently published a book entitled, The Little Mac Book. This has nothing to do with William’s award-winning book, and is Not Recommended.