This is the Safari online edition of the printed book.

In the only Apple-certified book on iWork '09, you will learn to create and publish everything from first-rate business presentations to professional marketing packages. Working step by step through self-paced, real-world projects (everything you need is on the DVD), you will use Keynote, Pages, and Numbers to produce sophisticated results. Author Richard Harrington starts out with the basics of the software interface and quickly has you designing, editing, and publishing. He shows you how to use Numbers to create expense reports and project budgets and to plan special events. You will also learn to use the cinematic effects in Keynote and the new Apple-designed templates in Pages. The guide includes complete coverage of all the new features in iWork '09 including:

Pages '09, Apple's word processing and layout package, now allows users to merge their data from Numbers or their contacts from Address book to create personalized documents; a new full screen view; and an enhanced template chooser with 180 Apple-designed templates.

Keynote '09, Apple's presentation software, offers new Magic Move feature that lets users add sophisticated animation to their projects; new text and object based transitions; and new 3D charts and animations.

Numbers '09, allows which allows users to create gorgeous looking spreadsheets quickly, now offers Easy formulas with over 250 functions; new Table categories; and an Enhanced Template Chooser

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 9 Ratings

Good but rates best for Keynote not as good for most users - 2009-08-29
Reviewer Rating:
The first 40% of Apple Training Series iWork '09 contains a wonderful set of tutorials and advice about creating great presentations. Richard Harrington, the author, is the owner of an award winning visual communications company. The result is reflected in the quality and content of the tutorials. The Apple Training Series is the official curriculum for the Apple Training and Certification Program. The subject of the tutorials and the accuracy of their presentation is as high as you would expect from Apple in their official training.

Each of the 16 lessons in Apple Training Series iWork '09 ends with open ended questions and their answers which provide valuable feedback about how well we have learned what was in that lesson, and a summary of some key information.

iWork is a well integrated program. Once you have learned to use Keynote you have learned much of what you will be using in Pages and in Numbers.

For those most interested in learning Keynote, Apple Training Series iWork '09 deserves five stars.

I guess that the number of Macintosh users who will ever give or create a Keynote presentation is somewhere between one 20 and one in a 100. For the rest of us, trying to learn iWork through beginning with Keynote makes learning more difficult. It is easier to learn if you begin with something you already know, and learning is best if it is something you are really interested in. Practically everyone is interested in creating some kinds of documents on paper.

The readers who are not interested in Keynote are expected to recognize, pay special attention to, and remember the parts that we will need to know later when we begin to study how to create those wonderful documents.

The tutorials on Pages: Publishing Made Easy, and Numbers, Working With Spreadsheets are just as outstanding, but they sometimes take longer to complete when you need to use some detail that was covered earlier when you may not have been as interested in the subject.

"The rule of thumb is: Think first, design second, and then present." Lesson 1, Creating a Presentation, page 16. I believe the first thing you should think about is: Who is your audience?"

This is a very good book, but it could have been much better if it had been organized to fit a larger share of its potential audience.

Not Good - 2009-07-08
Reviewer Rating:
I had high hopes for this book, but am sorely disappointed. It seems sometimes like the author expected me to have some previous knowledge of the iWork suite. Some of the directions were unclear, and the results of a given direction were unexpected at times. Granted, it seemed like some of this could be because the software has some bugs. There are not nearly enough pictures to help convey direction or expected result. These are, after all, programs that have fairly extensive graphical interfaces. I learn better when shown, not told. There's too much of the latter and not enough of the former. To be fair, I find this problem to be consistent throughout most computer training books. I think I'll stick to video training from now on. If you learn better by reading and pictures aren't a big help, maybe this book is for you.

Great resource - 2009-09-12
Reviewer Rating:
I have been watching Richard on a Twit video podcast and like how clear he is in explaining things. His book is also very clear and easy to follow with plenty of examples. I highly recommend it.

Rich Lefko's MyMac.com Review - 2009-11-05
Reviewer Rating:
Are you using iWork? I use Keynote and Pages quite a bit and I am still getting familiar with Numbers. I find that I like them much better than the MS Office Apps. Remarkably, they don't crash like the MS apps do.

I use Keynote for training presentations where I work. I have had attendees tell me I have "raised the bar" with regard to presentations. I find Keynote much more flexible than PowerPoint, easier to use, with better transitions. I use Pages for all of my word processing, and it is a great tool for page layouts, with many predefined templates. I have just begun working with Numbers, and I feel confident I will move over from Excel down the road.

If you use the iWork suite of software, or would like to use it more, the iWork '09 Apple Training Series book is a great tool that will help you learn how to use the various programs, or if you are familiar with iWork, help you to use them better.

The book itself is set up as a series of "Lessons." Lessons 1 through 7 revolve around Keynote, 8 through 12, Pages and lessons 13 through 16 are dedicated to Numbers. This book includes a DVD-ROM which contains all of the files you'll need to complete the lessons. In addition, you can sign up with Peachpit Press and gain searchable access to the book online for 45 days. I think this is a wonderful benefit, but I feel you should have access forever.

You can either work through the lessons or use the book as a reference tool. The included Keynote lessons help you understand how to choose themes, and explain how to work with master slides, and adding pictures and movies, to name just a few. Did you know you can even do a little photo enhancement within Keynote? The book also includes some great information about Keynote output. Keynote can output to a variety of formats including PowerPoint and even a QuickTime movie. Detailed instructions are included.



In the "Pages: Publishing Made Easy" section you will learn how to use Pages as a Word processor, or a page layout program. iWork '09 walks you through the various formatting options, how to add graphics and links, as well as how to use the templates included in the program. The lessons walk you through a page layout project.



Finally, you get to spend some time with Numbers. I'm new to Numbers and I found the walkthroughs and lessons very helpful. In no time I was up and running with some charting projects I want to use on my weather website. Like the rest of the book, the lessons are very helpful and take away a problem I always have, which is where do I start? The lessons help you use pictures (take that, Excel!) within your spreadsheet, how to apply the various formulas, and using the great looking charts.



iWork '09 - Keynote, Pages, and Numbers, is a great book for beginners and old dogs like me who have been using the MS Office suite so long, we've almost forgotten how to be creative with a word processor or spreadsheet.

If you use iWork, or would like to, you must have this book.

MyMac Rating: 9 out of 10

this item was never delivered - 2009-09-13
Reviewer Rating:
This item was never received from the seller. It was ordered on 8/8 and promised by 8/31. This seller has my payment through paypal. I have lost $50.35 (total for 2 books) Please tell me how to get my money back from this person and get rid of her as a seller through Amazon. She is a crook - see her feedback.

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