Rating: 
Summary: This One Will Keep You Up Late
Review: The first thing I thought when considering whether to purchase this book was, "Wow. Could it really be worth ... in soft-cover?" Did I buy it? Well, sure--otherwise I wouldn't be writing this review. And the thing that made me finally decide to purchase the book was the title, "Don't Make Me Think." In a world that values simplicity and ease of use, those are words to live by.Designers looking for some real nuts and bolts technical information probably won't get much from this book. Actually, tech talk is not what it's about. "Don't Make Me Think" is a friendly, accessible treatise on the principles of Web usability--how to keep users at your site longer by giving them the most uncomplicated experience possible. Will it tell you how to implement your latest Flash creation? Nah. But it will help you discover ways to make your site more "user friendly," and usability is an important issue in building a site that attracts--and most of all, KEEPS--visitors. I got two chapters into this book and my head was already churning with ways to make my site easier to use and understand, and therefore more "sticky." By chapter three, I'd begun a total redesign of my website, and continued working until 3 a.m. (My advice? Don't read this book unless you're willing to stay up late.) A month later, when all was said and done, I had built a better site and my stats showed that instead of the average 6 pages viewed per visit I had been experiencing previously, the site was now averaging double that with 12. All in all, not bad results for a ... investment. "Don't Make Me Think" does wander off on a few tangents that have more to do with design and less to do with usability or the psychology behind what makes visitors keep on clickin', and the fact that it wanders from its chosen topic makes it slightly less useful. Still, if finding ways to improve your website visitor's experience is one of your goals, you'll enjoy "Don't Make Me Think."
Rating: 
Summary: The Last Word on Web Usability. Period.
Review: Some products are hard to improve upon. For example, I believe cars will have 4 wheels for centuries to come despite the fact that it is possible to produce cars with 3 or 5 wheels. This book, in a similar fashion, is hard to improve upon. The title summarizes the most important web usability principle there is. However, from my own 5 year experience as a web designer and developer, I know that that is the hardest for a client to accept. Clients sometimes want to go for the most complicated and busy type of designs since otherwise they think they are not getting their "money's worth." They sometimes don't understand that we are actually designing these web sites not for them but for their customers/users. And once the users start to think, they are gone. They click and disappear. This short book that you can read within an hour or two makes such good sense that it should be required reading in every web design class. Especially important for me were the last chapters on testing, busting one myth after another, and explaining the merits of "going-out-of-business-sale usability testing." The blow-by-blow sample usability test session in Chapter 10 is invaluable for all small business owners who cannot afford big-budget testing performed by third parties. Designing a web site before reading this book should be declared illegal all across the English-speaking world. Buy it today, keep it next to your keyboard and flip through it once a month.
Rating:
Summary: Required Reading
Review: This book should be required reading for not only web designers, but anyone who owns a website. The book was a bit on the thin side and when I got it I thought it should have been thicker for the money. I was wrong. This book takes you through every facet of usability and is as applicable to a single person with one site as it is to a multi-level corporation who owns 30 sites. His writing style is fun and humorous and the book is an easy read.
Rating:
Summary: I have never laughed so hard...
Review: when reading a technical book. You will find yourself busting out with "that's so true it's hilarious" laughter fits. It is truly amazing to me how we can be such "designer's and engineers" when building our own websites, but such "end users" when using other's websites. I have always had the "Don't make me think" frustration underlying many website (and software for that matter) experiences and frequently my website feedback and reviews would reflect this sentiment.
This book will prove itself to you because Steve causes you to draw on your own experiences as a web user to understand what your users want from your site.
Rating:
Summary: Cookbook-style guide
Review: This is an excellent primer on usability (particularly websites). Steve makes it clear from the beginning where he stands on the issue of usability: "Don't make me think!"
Many users have already done an excellent job of listing the areas that he covers in the book. I just wanted to mention that it is well written, is itself well designed, and a pretty quick read.
I keep coming back to the book, and my copy is really dogeared.
Rating:
Summary: An Enlightening Read
Review: As a computer programmer, the time I invest into content and design has never expanded beyond web accessiblity standards and Google Pagerank/other SEO adjustments. This book has given me a new skill and requirement I feel I must implement for the good of the web. I think a computer programmer and a photoshop guru could read this book and both walk away with a deeper understanding of "usability". Techie's usually just think in terms of simplifing forms and link structures and designers in terms of presentation, visual appeal, colors, etc. However Steve Krug shows that usability is much more that both of these combined. Which apparently is why Steve has a career as a usability consultant; because the designers and the coders haven't been filling this role.
Rating:
Summary: Don't Make Me Think
Review: I think this book is tremendous. I have been designing and updating the look of our company's intranet and extranet since 1998. If I have a question about designing a page, creating a navigation scheme, or writing user instructions, I keep the title of this book in mind. Don't make the user think if you can make something obvious. Use the traditional wording, such as Search, instead of something different. The user will know what to do immediately instead of thinking about what is meant by a different term.
We do the same on highways - all the Stop signs are boringly the same, but we all know what to do without thinking about it.
The book is also very entertaining and a quick read.
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Summary: Timeless Sound Advice For Companies & Webmasters
Review: Steve Krug wrote this book a couple of years ago but the advice is timeless and easy to understand. You won't be overwhelmed reading this book because Steve writes in a breezy, humorous common sense way. He spends a great deal of time explaining the what, how and why of useability testing. I own several websites and never heard of this term until I read this book! Now I know excactly how to do the testing on a tiny budget. There is lots of good advice in this book for entrepreneurs and corporations alike!
Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: Everytime I find myself wondering how I should do something on a site, I reach for this book and find a good answer. I suggest buying it and then rereading it every six months just to make sure you aren't slipping back into bad habits.
The book is both concise and entertaining enough that you won't mind and your site(s) will be the better for it.
Rating:
Summary: Very easy read with clear and concise points
Review: I have read several books on web usability and this is by far one of the best. Steve Krug's style is very inviting and fun. This book is a breeze to read through with real examples that will help you improve your new or existing website. This book is a must read for anyone ranging from novice to expert that is responsible for managing a website, whether professional or personal.
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