Rating: 
Summary: The Cult is alive and well, thank you very much
Review: "Everyone in the [Macintosh] Cult uses Stuffit. If you want to know if someone is in the Cult, send them a Stuffit document. If they can read it, they're in the Cult."
- Guy Kawasaki, "The Macintosh Way"From documenting Apple's many and far-reaching innovations (whose benefits are shared by countless Wintel PC users as well, even if they don't realize it) to explaining why the continued success of Apple Computer -- unlike generic Wintel boxbuilders -- actually MATTERS, Kelby's delightful book picks up where Mac uber-evangelist Guy left off all those years ago. A must-have for the Macintosh faithful, and a cool read for everyone else, especially if you want to see what makes us Mac fanatics so....well, fanatical.
Rating:
Summary: Frustrated with your Mac? Read this book!
Review: ... Do you feel a little insecure about the future of your beloved Mac and Apple? Do you feel that life's unfair, because the PC owners seem to get all the latest cool toys and nobody seems to support Mac anymore? Do you feel frustrated, because you *know* that the Apple's management has made another stupid decision? Do you want to really tell that PC owner next door what you think about his pitiful beige box? If you answered "yes!" to any of these questions, you need to read Scott Kelby's book. If you don't do it, you are risking your mental health and a life sentence (if you don't have a good lawyer). OK, I know that I am exaggerating, but "Macintosh ... The Naked Truth" is the long-awaited "Chicken Soup for your Mac Soul" (with apologies to the publishers of "Chicken Soup ..."). Kelby describes the life of a Mac user like it is, hard, frustrating, and lonely. (Actually, compared to the rest of the world, the USA is the Mac heaven, try being a sane Mac user in Eastern Europe.) He loves the Macintosh, but doesn't necessarily love Apple. He admires Steve, but isn't thrilled with many of his decisions. He doesn't hate Microsoft, but is angry some of its practices giant of Redmond behaves. Just like many of us, of course. But it's Scott, who finally put on paper what many of us have been thinking for a long time: life on planet Mac is not easy, we know we live in the better world, we know we are right, but the rest of the world doesn't care. It is frustrating, very frustrating, but if we learn to accept that, it can be less so. The author's observations are correct, funny and made me nod and mutter "Amen, Brother!" page after page (that's like 220+ times). This book should be required reading for all Apple and CompUSA management and personnel. I doubt they will read it, though. Which is a pity. Scott Kelby wrote a book that I've been waiting for a long time. Thank you, Scott! Rating: 5 out of 5, for "telling it like it is."
Rating:
Summary: Sure to rankle
Review: A factual (and humorous) look at being a Mac user in a mostly 'Windows' world. It never ceases to amaze me, the almost instant animosity that comes from so many PC users when they discover that you are a Mac user.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, funny book with a lot of useful information
Review: A while ago I made a vow to have an open mind the next time I bought a computer. Many of my friends in the pc world were shocked I would even be open to an so-called expensive system like a Mac. But after having been attacked by internet worms constantly that necessitated reloading my system at least once a year (a home computer shouldnÕt have to do that, right?) I had an open mind. Finding something balanced was difficult. Most pc books mention something about market share (as if that ever was a consideration in anything I've ever bought) or some Mac-head trumpeting the Apple spin. I found Kelby's book at a store and couldn't put it down so I bought it. He's not balanced at all - which is why the book is so funny. But he attacks Apple management with the same fervor he does Microsoft so I at least knew the problems I would get if I switched. I took a Mac for a test drive and found it to be a lot of fun (has a pc EVER been fun outside of the games?) and decided to take the plunge and have no regrets. And yes, Kelby is right about the problems but IÕll gladly take my current Mac problems over the pc problems any day. Kelby's book is a keeper. His humor is sophomoric and he doesn't apologize for it. But scattered with the jokes is a lot of great information. His descriptions convinced me that for my home computer I could concentrate of the software (MS Office is mostly used) and not constantly worry about the computer itself. His book is a revelation to financial professionals like myself in that Macs are now viable and not just for artsy designer types. A buyer shouldnÕt listen to any pc userÕs opinion of Apple products who hasnÕt test driven a Mac. Yes, MS Office is better on a Mac and my home network with another pc works fine. Like the friendlyzone reviewer, I don't think I could have made the switch as easy without this book. And I have an easy guide to rebut those of my friends who refuse to believe I've made an intelligent purchase. The book is easy and fun to read and it helped keep my eyes open to what I was getting.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, funny book with a lot of useful information
Review: A while ago I made a vow to have an open mind the next time I bought a computer. Many of my friends in the pc world were shocked I would even be open to an so-called expensive system like a Mac. But after having been attacked by internet worms constantly that necessitated reloading my system at least once a year (a home computer shouldnÕt have to do that, right?) I had an open mind. Finding something balanced was difficult. Most pc books mention something about market share (as if that ever was a consideration in anything I've ever bought) or some Mac-head trumpeting the Apple spin. I found Kelby's book at a store and couldn't put it down so I bought it. He's not balanced at all - which is why the book is so funny. But he attacks Apple management with the same fervor he does Microsoft so I at least knew the problems I would get if I switched. I took a Mac for a test drive and found it to be a lot of fun (has a pc EVER been fun outside of the games?) and decided to take the plunge and have no regrets. And yes, Kelby is right about the problems but IÕll gladly take my current Mac problems over the pc problems any day. Kelby's book is a keeper. His humor is sophomoric and he doesn't apologize for it. But scattered with the jokes is a lot of great information. His descriptions convinced me that for my home computer I could concentrate of the software (MS Office is mostly used) and not constantly worry about the computer itself. His book is a revelation to financial professionals like myself in that Macs are now viable and not just for artsy designer types. A buyer shouldnÕt listen to any pc userÕs opinion of Apple products who hasnÕt test driven a Mac. Yes, MS Office is better on a Mac and my home network with another pc works fine. Like the friendlyzone reviewer, I don't think I could have made the switch as easy without this book. And I have an easy guide to rebut those of my friends who refuse to believe I've made an intelligent purchase. The book is easy and fun to read and it helped keep my eyes open to what I was getting.
Rating: 
Summary: Very good book! Kelby Rocks!
Review: Book Review - Macintosh... The Naked Truth
Chris Seibold (mymac.com) I have never written a book review before, and I enter the project with some trepidation. Will I make a mortal enemy of the author? Will this hurt my career as an engineer? And most importantly: Will I have to force myself to read the book? My last worry was unfounded; I liked Scott Kelby's Macintosh...The Naked Truth. Macintosh...The Naked Truth runs a bit high for 219 pages but it's a fairly enlightening and quick read. By easy reading I don't mean the tome is some monosyllabic Dr. Suess rip-off, Scott Kelby uses fine prose and a vocabulary that is not "dumbed down" Yet, as one reads the book, one has the feeling that it was written at a frenetic pace. This is overtly noted in the book and carries through to the final product. The reader is left with the impression that the author believes that any thought the flashes through his noggin as he writes is pretty much worth our time, as Mac aficionados, to read. Surprisingly, the majority of the thoughts that Scott Kelby has are pretty darn interesting. In short, the book isn't so much about computers, though there is plenty of computer info, it's about being a Mac owner, a Mac enthusiast and the daily travails and pleasantries of Mac life. I should also note that the book has a few jokes. By a few jokes I mean two or three jokes per paragraph. I have just read five randomly chosen paragraphs and four of them opened with jokes, that's a lot of jokes for a book ostensibly about computers. The jokes fly around like gags in a Naked Gun movie. Gags are everywhere hoping to overwhelm your sense of humor by sheer volume if necessary. Some hit and some miss, I'd say they ratio is roughly fifty-fifty. Normally I wouldn't enjoy comedy styling with so many misses but when Scott Kelby misses it is usually not by much and when he hits the results are laugh out loud funny. Only one other author makes me laugh out loud, the widely enjoyed Bill Bryson, so Mr. Kelby is in pretty good company. The highlights of the book are the pages about CompUSA's store within a store strategy. I won't spoil the surprise, it is hilarious, deftly done and it makes the entire book worthwhile. The low point was the letters from PC user section. I know that reading hate mail and the requisite clever responses can be entertaining (it is everyone's favorite part of my site) but it doesn't quite work in the book. It's hard to get excited about hate mail coming to a magazine when you're not looking at said magazine and hence that chapter feels a bit distant. Plus the pseudonymous Mr. Kelby assigns are fairly inane (Major Dumass, Archibald Stuffybut? Come on Scott you can do better). Overall I feel certain that any dyed in the wool Mac user will thoroughly enjoy the book. Besides possibly being the first book about being a Mac guy there is enough info for the book to also be a nice reference. The indifferent Mac user and the indifferent Windows will be entertained enough to feel that their money and time was well spent. The rabid Windows promoter (and I believe these people actually exist) will read the book and send Scott some hate mail. Mac Mice Rating
Mac Lovers:
4 of 5 Mice
General Public (people who use Windows so they can steal software from work):
3 of 5 Mice
Bill Gates, the President of Compaq, PC only Software companies:
1 of 5 Mice
Rating:
Summary: Validation at last!
Review: Finally, both the magic and frustrations of being a Mac user have been captured in print and immortalized forever. Scott Kelby humorously and eloquently verbalizes what we, as Mac fanatics, have been feeling for years. This book is a must read for EVERYONE who uses computers on a daily basis. (Too bad it doesn't accompany every pee-cee that's sold!) For Mac users, it will arm you to the teeth with invaluable factoids, enabling you to destroy PC "bogies" with efficiency and ease. It will remind you of how truly special the Apple experience is and how your Mac has, and will continue to, enrich your life. It will also validate that overwhelming, inevitable urge to inflict bodily harm to Apple management! Scott's military analogies are absolutely hysterical and really put the OS platform war into proper perspective. For pee-cee users, this book could bring about total computing enlightenment--read it at your own risk! In short, this book absolutely rocks and serves as total and complete validation for everything Macintosh. I'm glad somebody finally had the guts to write it. (Sidenote: I must admit, however, that I happened to like the late-night Apple infomercial where Grandpa gets the girl!)
Rating:
Summary: Big Guy / Little Guy
Review: Guy Kawasaki was the "original" Mac Evangalist and Scott Kelby has taken up the sceptor where Guy left off. This book is without a doubt a "MUST" have if you are a Mac enthuasist or a potential one. Scott's way with the English language leaves no stone unturned describing the differences between a "pc" and a Mac. I gave this book to my mother-in-law who uses a HP computer and I thought she was going to end up in "laughing heaven" after reading the description of a typical "pc" purchase. She had many, if not more, experiences Scott describes in his book. As for Paul Thurrott's description of this book I think he should consider that when a dentist seeks advice on dental work he does not go to a brain surgeron. They are both doctors and both serve well. It's just that the dentist knows where to go for his advice. Scott's book is advice for "Mac" people. If you want a book promoting "pc's" seek and ye shall find. Scott Kelby has a way with words and he gives the "good, bad and ugly" of owing a Mac. Seek the real truth in his book.
Rating:
Summary: Very funny book
Review: I absolutely love this book!!! Being a Mac user myself since I bought my own computer I was happy to find this book one day on the shelf. The title was what caught my interest first. After reading the back cover though and skimming through the book i knew i had to buy it. And so I did. I love this book it makes me laugh so much, since I am the only Mac user in a group of PC users (including my fiance) its great to have a book written to my tastes and making my Mac and other Macs better than PCs everywhere. Thanks Scott!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I did not enjoy this book. As a Macintosh aficionado and current owner of three Apple computers, I bought it with great enthusiasm and looked forward to an entertaining reading experience. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with what I found. The book consists of a series of chapters on various aspects of the Macintosh user experience. For example, the author discusses common reactions that Apple owners get from their PC-using friends, the frustration that Mac fans often feel at some of Apple's business and marketing decisions, and the difficulty in shopping for Mac products at big chain computer stores. There's more, of course, but there isn't much new or original in the book's content. Anyone who reads Mac magazines or browses Mac web sites will have already read similar material many times over. Another thing I disliked about this book was the author's blatant attempt to be humorous. Unfortunately, the main technique he uses to achieve this goal is hyperbole. For example, in speaking of the long trek from the front door of a big chain computer store to the small Apple area in the rear, he writes: "You'll see many fallen comrades along the way. Other Mac users just like you, some still in their Apple T-shirts, sprawled out in the aisles, too exhausted to continue - too humiliated to turn back." That exaggerated writing style can be mildly amusing in small doses, but by the time I'd read 219 pages of it I'd lost interest. Finally, the book contains numerous errors in grammar, punctuation, and typography that distract from the reading experience. In sum, although Mr. Kelby has impressive journalistic and technological credentials and although other reviewers have liked the book, I found "Macintosh...The Naked Truth" to be a big disappointment. My copy will soon be up for sale at my favorite online auction site.
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