Books I have written

For more information on the books, reviews, and ordering information, see the Peachpit Press web site.

It's hopeless. When web sites first became part of our lives, the great thing was that you could update them every day. Now the awful thing is that you can update them every day. My list of books is now over sixty, including my two new favorites, Handmade Design Workshop: Create Handmade Elements for Digital Design, and The Non-Designer's Presentation Book.

Books on the shelves ("Oh dear, this is so out of date," she said YEARS ago. I have a whole new series of advanced design books called the Workshop books: Design Workshop, Web Design Workshop [see www.VirtualLastChapter.com], a DVD Design Workshop. My OS X book is already in the second edition, The Little iMac Book is going into the third edition, The Little iBook Book isn't listed here, etc.) And now it's even more out of date -- my Snow Leopard (Mac OS 10.6) books are on the shelves and the Leopard books are out of date, Macs on the Go by John, second and third editions of the Non-Designer books are in print, Cool Mac Apps is in at least the third edition. Every one of these books has won some award or other. And now for something completely different: Sweet Swan of Avon: Did a Woman Write Shakespeare?

The Little iMac Book
So you've gotten yourself a nifty new iMac, but now what do you do? Robin shows you how to get started with your new computer. This book is completely understandable, basic and fun--as fun as the iMac itself. There's no better way to get up and running and productive on your iMac and have a good time doing it.

The Non-Designer’s Web Book
written by Robin Williams and John Tollett
This book explains basic, universal Web design principles and techniques to novices. Using lots of full-color examples, Robin and John demonstrate how Web design is different from print design, how to create Web pages, how to make graphics and where to find them, and how to get your well-designed Web site up for everyone to admire.
Mac/Win

The Non-Designer's Scan and Print Book (with Sandee Cohen)
This book gives tips and techniques for getting high-quality scans and using them to create professional-looking printed documents. It covers a variety of desktop and commercial printers including laser, inkjet, dye-sub, and offset. It also explains how to prepare your electronic files for service bureaus.
Mac/Win

The Non-Designer's Type Book
This comprehensive book defines the principles governing type and explains the logic behind them so readers can understand what looks best -- and why. Written in Robin's lively, engaging style, this book uses lots of examples to show the subtle difference between novice and sophisticated use of type.
Mac/Win

The Little Mac Book*
(fifth edition)
One of the top-selling Macintosh books in the world; translated into fourteen languages.

The Mac is not a typewriter*
The PC is not a typewriter*
One of the top-selling Macintosh books in the world; translated into eleven languages.

PageMaker 4: An Easy Desk Reference*
(Mac and Windows versions)
claimed by the Boston Professional Computer Users Society to be “the best computer book on any subject”

Peachpit’s PageMaker 5 Companion
(updated by Barbara Sikora and Vicki Calkins)

No, I am not working on a PageMaker 6.5 version.

sold out

Tabs and Indents on the Macintosh
A how-to book; includes a disk with exercises

.

Jargon: an informal dictionary of computer terms*
An indexed computer dictionary with definitions you can understand; the first computer dictionary written by a woman; reviewed as “This is, without exception, the best computer dictionary.”

How to Boss Your Fonts Around
A primer on Macintosh font technology and font management.

The Non-Designer’s Design Book*
Design and typographic principles for the visual novice; Number One on the best-seller list for its genre.

A Blip in the continuum*
(10,000 copies sold out in first 3 weeks)
A celebration of grunge typography and design--hurrah for the blips in life! Beautiful digital illustrations by John Tollett.

BEYOND The Mac is not a typewriter
This book contains more advanced typographic principles, tips, and techniques. It’s one of my favorite books that I’ve written.

Home Sweet Home Page
(written with Dave Mark)
A guide to creating a family home page.

BEYOND The Little Mac Book
written by Steve Broback and Robin Williams
Actually, Steve wrote the whole thing; I just edited and did layout and added my two cents here and there. It’s a great book. It’s an intermediate level book, designed for those who have been working with their Macs for a while and want to know what to toss out of the System Folder, how to troubleshoot, how to prevent trouble, etc. He did a great job.

Many of my books have been translated into other languages.
You may not be able to read them, but the covers are fun to look at.

Some books have been written in multiple editions, to stay current with technology.

First Edition

Second Edition

Third Edition

The first, self-published
version of The Mac is not
a typewriter.

The first, self-published version of
The Little Mac Book

	The Little iMac Book So you've gotten yourself a nifty new iMac, but now what do you do? Robin shows you how to get started with your new computer. This book is completely understandable, basic and fun--as fun as the iMac itself. There's no better way to get up and running and productive on your iMac and have a good time doing it.
	The Non-Designer’s Web Book written by Robin Williams and John Tollett This book explains basic, universal Web design principles and techniques to novices. Using lots of full-color examples, Robin and John demonstrate how Web design is different from print design, how to create Web pages, how to make graphics and where to find them, and how to get your well-designed Web site up for everyone to admire. Mac/Win
	The Non-Designer's Scan and Print Book (with Sandee Cohen) This book gives tips and techniques for getting high-quality scans and using them to create professional-looking printed documents. It covers a variety of desktop and commercial printers including laser, inkjet, dye-sub, and offset. It also explains how to prepare your electronic files for service bureaus. Mac/Win
	The Non-Designer's Type Book This comprehensive book defines the principles governing type and explains the logic behind them so readers can understand what looks best -- and why. Written in Robin's lively, engaging style, this book uses lots of examples to show the subtle difference between novice and sophisticated use of type. Mac/Win
	The Little Mac Book* (fifth edition) One of the top-selling Macintosh books in the world; translated into fourteen languages.
	The Mac is not a typewriter* The PC is not a typewriter* One of the top-selling Macintosh books in the world; translated into eleven languages.
	PageMaker 4: An Easy Desk Reference* (Mac and Windows versions) claimed by the Boston Professional Computer Users Society to be “the best computer book on any subject”
	Peachpit’s PageMaker 5 Companion (updated by Barbara Sikora and Vicki Calkins) No, I am not working on a PageMaker 6.5 version.
sold out	Tabs and Indents on the Macintosh A how-to book; includes a disk with exercises .
	Jargon: an informal dictionary of computer terms* An indexed computer dictionary with definitions you can understand; the first computer dictionary written by a woman; reviewed as “This is, without exception, the best computer dictionary.”
	How to Boss Your Fonts Around A primer on Macintosh font technology and font management.
	The Non-Designer’s Design Book* Design and typographic principles for the visual novice; Number One on the best-seller list for its genre.
	A Blip in the continuum* (10,000 copies sold out in first 3 weeks) A celebration of grunge typography and design--hurrah for the blips in life! Beautiful digital illustrations by John Tollett.
	BEYOND The Mac is not a typewriter This book contains more advanced typographic principles, tips, and techniques. It’s one of my favorite books that I’ve written.
	Home Sweet Home Page (written with Dave Mark) A guide to creating a family home page.
	BEYOND The Little Mac Book written by Steve Broback and Robin Williams Actually, Steve wrote the whole thing; I just edited and did layout and added my two cents here and there. It’s a great book. It’s an intermediate level book, designed for those who have been working with their Macs for a while and want to know what to toss out of the System Folder, how to troubleshoot, how to prevent trouble, etc. He did a great job.