Rating: 
Summary: Great place to start.
Review: As a web designer with a usability department at my disposal, I didn't find too much of this to be new information, but the clear, entertaining way it was presented was a great way to confirm and organize my own thoughts. This is a great book for Project Managers and Marketing/Business types who don't have a clue - buy one for your favorite PM or CEO today! This makes the case for usability that you've always wanted to impress on them!
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Summary: Made me think!
Review: I'm about to design my first corporate web site, and I'd heard aboutthis book so I purchased it recently. You can read it in one day Isuppose, but I spaced it out to about 5 days. Lots of screen shotsand sample graphics help make it clear exactly what the author istalking about. I usually highlight the good parts when I read (forlater reference), and some of the pages in this book were gettingsoggy with all the yellow ink I was slapping on! The best chapterswere the ones on navigation - it's made me rethink the navigation forthe site I'm about to start work on, and really helped give me somenew insights. Also good is the chapter on usability testing, whichnever even occurred to me. The only downside is the price... Thatsaid, it's a very well laid-out, nice-looking book. Even thepaperstock is of very high quality, but of course you're paying extrafor that slickness. All in all, I'm glad I read it and wouldrecommend it to anyone who's thinking of designing a web site -especially graphic designers who think web page navigation is merely anecessary evil!
Rating: 
Summary: Agreed; light on substance
Review: i agree with a previous review that said the book was light on substance. it seems more of a statement of the way things are rather than *why* things are. and the last part of the book is all about do-it-yourself useability testing. as a designer, this had little relevance for me. i honestly don't know who i would recommend this book to.
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Summary: Excellent Overview of Usability
Review: This book starts out explaining that it is not for usability professionals, but rather for beginners. Therefore, it appeared to me that a lot of the book was common sense (hence the title). However, from the difficulties we all experience on web sites it is very apparent that common sense often gets lost somewhere in the process. The book details the design process -- giving before and after examples -- and then continues through usability testing and gives examples of how to conduct a test. Above all else, the book forces you to focus on your end user. It was a very easy read and one that provided useful arguments for clients. In fact, I wish all of my clients would read this! It is presented in a very clear and concise manner and the book design itself practices its own usability principles. In summary, this book is great for anyone involved in the design process who has not already read ten other usability books. Although, even if you have, it is a great reference when you need to explain your design arguments and need for usability testing to clients in plain English. It is also helpful to smaller design firms who do not have the ability to employ usability testers. It gives a good overview and plan of how to conduct the tests on your own.
Rating:
Summary: Must have - for individuals involved in web development.
Review: This book covers the real-world issues of web development. Unlike other reference books which only pin-pointing the 'bad' side of certain websites, this one provides you some guides in bringing up a better-than-average webpages, if not the best. Even the book itself was structured nicely in presenting its prominent content - mostly in point form. Very effective for busy individuals. Get it!
Rating:
Summary: Web Designers Alert
Review: "Don't Make Me Think" is incredibly clear, concise, and helpful - as well as surprisingly enjoyable. Every web designer or developer should read it and take its message to heart. I'm a busy person working at an ebusiness solutions provider, and these are the kind of issues I tackle every day. I am reading three industry-related books and ten industry-related magazines on any given day, and I managed to make it through this one in lightning speed. Kudos to author and editors for creating such an easy-to-swallow dose of usability advice, and for adding excellent sprinkles on top in the form of good-natured humor throughout and a resource section at the end. I highly recommend it to any web designer out there. Since the industry is still relatively new, many people who become web designers have no formal training - or if they do, their training is in graphic design (print) or technology. But essential to any web design arsenal is more than just a good design sensibility or a good programming ability - you have to understand usability issues. You have to know your audience, and make it very easy for them to interact with your site - ESPECIALLY if you want them to purchase something on your site. This book clearly and thoughtfully outlines the topic of usability, and all of its contents should be taken into consideration by anyone creating a site to be used by the general public. To the reviewer who's been working in GUI design for 8 years, of course you're already familiar with these topics. Please, write another book! There aren't enough out there for those of us who don't have the benefit of experience like yours.
Rating:
Summary: A great read for all levels of web designers!
Review: As a web designer of just over 3 years, I was skeptical at what this book would offer me. Needless to say, I was quite impressed by what I read. The sections on usability testing didn't do much for me, although they were well written and practical. The real benefit of this book for me, and other designers as well, was the approach to usability. Too often designers get caught up in design and fail to think about the practicality and usability of that design. Krug sheds light on some basic principals (including home page design and the amount of text many of us tend to cram onto web pages) and shows how to make more usable web sites. Whether your a new designer or an old hand at this field, this book is an enjoyable, informative read. Written very informally, it feels like a conversation and not a lecture. My only complaint? It's too short. I breezed through this in one day. Still, the principals covered and the impact they're had on my work since then make this title worth the price.
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Summary: A definite MUST HAVE. This is the ONLY BOOK you ever need!
Review: I have my business online, and have researched and read a numerous amount of books dealing with online businesses, creating easy web pages, etc. I have not found one decent, informative book written for non-technical people like me, who need to read things in plain English, until I came across DON'T MAKE ME THINK. I can't tell you how much this book has helped me. It's taught me everything about how to make web page usability WORK! It taught me how to understand the web from a "users" point of view. I now know how people really use and see the web. It took my hand, and guided me through the most "common-sense" approach to create and write web pages for every person to understand and use. Most importantly, it taught me how to make the ultimately best web page and web site ever: Easy to use, Easy to navigate and Easy to understand. Krug's insight, knowledge, advice, suggestions and overall intelligence on this subject is that of a GENIUS! My favorite quote and chapter in Steve Krug's book, is: "OMIT NEEDLESS WORDS." Did you know that you can cut out half of the words on your website without losing any value? Neither did I. This is an excellent source of information, that is a MUST HAVE for everyone in this business, whether you're a web designer, own a web based business, etc. I have read Krug's book about 7 times so far, and it is the main object on my desk, besides the computer, scanner and printer. The title speaks for itself. "DON'T MAKE ME THINK." You should think, and make this book a "staple" in your home, office, pool, boat, car, garden, etc. Without this book, my business would have never been able to survive, because I was able to understand what the problems were, and how to fix them so that they aren't hard to use. The harder something is for me to use, I just don't use it. Same goes for everyone else.
Rating: 
Summary: What content there is is great - but very sparse.
Review: This is a great book, extremely well put together and has a lot of great insights, but it's ridiculously limited, especially for a book of it's price. At only 200 well padded pages you can probably pick up the majority of the lessons in the book just by reading the customer reviews here, it is that short. Krug spends most of the book covering only a few topics, navigation, home page design and user testing, but does so extremely clearly. If you're an experienced designer then nothing here is surprising, though the satisficing chapter is very interesting. (you can read that chapter online though as luck would have it) I would probably advise against buying it, save your money and borrow it for a day from someone instead. However, the section on user testing is well done and might be worth the price of admission if you're planning on doing some and need someplace to start. I hope Steve Krug puts out another book sharing more of his insights, I found them all very interesting and well presented, just terribly short.
Rating: 
Summary: Engaging book about web design with excellent advice
Review: "Don't Make Me Think" is an excellent book for those designing web sites. It's a great title, and a great motto for designing any type of technology, not just web sites. Krug calls it "thinking" when you have to stop focusing on your task to figure out the web site, even if only for a few milliseconds. The book is very well written in an engaging, informal style that feels more like a conversation than a lecture (not easy for a book that is essentially preaching). The layout is wonderful and follows its own advice. Each page is designed to make one good point, and the gazillions of images are simple, clear, and effective in supporting the points. Although a lot shorter (by design) than Jakob Nielsen's "Designing Web Usability," I found it provided a lot more specific, on-target advice -- both per pound and overall. Whereas Nielsen focuses mainly on page design and site design, Krug handles these as well as interaction design, which is missing from Nielsen's book. It has some good examples that you are encouraged to work through before looking at "the answers." It's a good technique. He also has a terrific section that lays out exactly how you conduct a usability test, from greeting the person to interpreting their behavior. Sure, there's a lot more to learn about good web design and about usability testing, and probably some people will object that he doesn't do justice to the complexity of these professions. But I think this book does a great job of pointing you in the right direction with a lot of good, solid advice and some encouragement. It's short enough that you're inclined to read the whole thing, and compelling enough that it might really affect your designs.
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