Rating: 
Summary: This one is a real STINKER
Review: This is possibly the worst tech book I have ever read! And by far it is the worst of my Friends of Ed book collection (11 books including this stinker.) I had begun to trust that all their books would be great but I will never again buy a Friends of Ed book just on its title.The author must be a frustrated fiction writer who was allowed to ply her wares in this book. The "story" is about some design students with a wide range of experiences and the dialog between them is maddening! It goes on and on and on and on before they say anything useful. Check out these fine examples, ----------
"Lisa? Everyone? Are you ready to begin?" I asked. "I think I'll be ready if Deb removes her watch," Lisa replied with a small smile. "Maybe I'll be able to relax." "Hey! Great idea!" Wes unbuckled his watchstrap. "Let's all get into the spirit of the art, where there's no time, and no relevance to the world of business!" I wasn't going to refute that remark, not at this point. Everyone bared their wrists, and we were ready to begin. AND HOW ABOUT THIS EXAMPLE The sound of my footsteps seemed to emphasize the room's emptiness as I arranged my tools for the class, but remembering last week's session forced a smile to my lips. Fortunately, this group of design students created a real dynamic energy with their diversity of skills and experiences. As I studied the space around me, I thought, "This blank format needs their varied personalities to brighten it up!"
---------- And these are not isolated examples; this stuff dominates the entire book from start to end. By chapter 2 I was very annoyed; by the end of the book I HATED these fictional people! I found myself desperately skimming past this nonsense trying to find the meat. Due to the large amount of silly dialog, there is very little space left over for treatment of the topic of design. Out of 500 pages I'd bet there are barely 100 with useful information. Don't take my word for it. Pick up this silly book at a bookstore and check it out for yourself. If there was an option for less than one star I would definitely give it to this book!
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