Photoshop CS5: The Missing Manual

Yes, this is the heavyweight of Photoshop CS5 manuals/tutorials. No mere kitchen tour like so many hastily assembled manuals I have come accross before. This book will teach you E V E R Y T H I N G there possibly is to know about working with Photoshop - NOT just Photoshop CS5's new features. This book is definitely worth its weight in gold even for the the "weathered" Photoshopper. The writing is breezy and witty, the screenshots are funky, and every important technique is explained and then reinforced with a step by step exercise. Basic concepts are repeated over and over throughout the book. I have lived with Photoshop since V4 and yet was able to find a heap of little gems tucked away in special tips and sidebars, as well as clear explanations (finally!) on some techniques that had remained opaque to me until now (like the use of the blending sliders, or the calculations dialog box). Read this manual front to back - it's fun! - then make sure it's sitting snugly at your elbow whenever you feel the urge to click that little blue icon on your desktop. PS: make sure to check out all the appendixes and companion materials on the O'Reilly website too.