From my vantage point in the bookstore this book looked promising. Each page describes a new technique which means they have to be short and to the point. After 3 minutes of flipping through it I thought, “Man, I just learned a few really cool tips.” Sadly though, in addition to being a bit dated, that’s about as far as this book goes. The author understands the over saturated market of photography books, so he attempted to create a niche with this one: creative techniques (i.e. photo ideas). It’s a good source for quickly generating some ideas, but so is the internet. The main advantage this book has can also be a disadvantage: it explains how to achieve various techniques. When you ask yourself, “How’d he do that!?” you end up teaching yourself by thinking about it until you come to a conclusion that satisfies your conscience. That’s an education far greater than this book. (Note: there is an updated “digital” version of this book that I have not read, nor do I plan to.)