Finally, both the magic and frustrations of being a Mac user have been captured in print and immortalized forever. Scott Kelby humorously and eloquently verbalizes what we, as Mac fanatics, have been feeling for years. This book is a must read for EVERYONE who uses computers on a daily basis. (Too bad it doesn't accompany every pee-cee that's sold!)

For Mac users, it will arm you to the teeth with invaluable factoids, enabling you to destroy PC "bogies" with efficiency and ease. It will remind you of how truly special the Apple experience is and how your Mac has, and will continue to, enrich your life. It will also validate that overwhelming, inevitable urge to inflict bodily harm to Apple management!

Scott's military analogies are absolutely hysterical and really put the OS platform war into proper perspective. For pee-cee users, this book could bring about total computing enlightenment--read it at your own risk!

In short, this book absolutely rocks and serves as total and complete validation for everything Macintosh. I'm glad somebody finally had the guts to write it.

(Sidenote: I must admit, however, that I happened to like the late-night Apple infomercial where Grandpa gets the girl!)

With apologies to Scott Kelby for the title of this MacRelevant column, The Naked Truth, I decided to write a brief article on his book of the same name.

Recently MyMac.com writer Chris Seibold wrote a review on Scott Kelby's latest book, Macintosh... The Naked Truth. I even emailed Scott before we published it, telling him that Chris gave him pretty high marks for his book. (Writers HATE hearing from people who liked their book, in case you were wondering.) Then, a week later, Scott asked me to go read the review of his book at Amazon.com by Paul Thurrott, News Editor of Windows 2000 magazine. I did, and if anything, it simply proves the point Scott made in his book.

In response to Mr. Thurrott's review, I present this from Scott himself.

New Mac book enrages PC users

Scott Kelby's controversial new book, "Macintosh: the Naked Truth" has only been out a little more than a week, and PC users are already rushing to attack it, including Paul Thurrott, News Editor of Windows 2000 magazine who posted a scathing review of Scott's new book on Amazon.com. Thurrott called the book "An embarrassing pro-Mac manifesto for the truly clueless."

"It's because of guys like him that I wrote the book in the first place," said Kelby. "Actually, His comments made my case better than I ever could. Frankly, I wish I could've included his review in my book, because every Mac user can relate to an encounter with a PC user just like him," he added.

Paul's blasting of Kelby's book hasn't hurt its popularity as it ranks as the 14th bestselling Macintosh book on Amazon.com. Kelby adds "I'm sure it's also the #1 most hated book by PC users who can't stand anyone telling the other side of the story."

The book, and the review, can be found at Amazon.com (search for Macintosh: the naked truth)

I also posted our review of the book at Amazon.com's website. It is my hope that our more honest review helped sell more copies of the book that Mr. Thurrott's did to steer people away from it.

Our reviewer, Chirs, was not the only MyMac.com writer to receive a copy of the book from New Riders, the publisher of Macintosh... The Naked Truth. I also received a copy, but deferred writing a review in favor of Chris writing his. But now, with Mr. PC Weenie Thurrott's rant, I feel I should also put my own two cents in.

This is a great book for any Mac fan. The front cover of the book says it all: "An irreverent, off-the-wall, PC-slammin', totally-biased look at Apple, and what it's like to be a Mac user stuck in a Windows dominated world."

That is what the book is all about. It is great, the type of Macintosh book I myself would have loved to write. Had I thought any publisher would have ever taken to the idea, this book would have been written by me a few years ago. (Though not as well written as Scott did, I am honest to say. I am not the master of the written word that Scott is!)

So all you Mac militants (and you know who you are!) Here is your chance to shut up a lying, bigmouth PC editor. Head over to Amazon.com and order this book today. It is only $ after all. Cheap for such a good read! Do it today, and then thank me tomorrow after you read it. You will enjoy it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tim

I just finished "The Naked Truth" and Scott is as funny as ever. Cult founder Alfred Burkhalter would proud that the movement he started so many years ago is alive and well. As I have come to know and love Photoshop as became a member of NAPP, I began to worry. I'm I a "PC Weenie"? Do I revel in the torment that Windows has caused me over the years. After reading "The Naked Truth" is realized that I have latent Mac fan tendencies. Thank God! I was so inpired that I marched down to my local Apple Store and bought an iMac. When I got home the Fear struck. I have to set up another computer. Of course, I was remembering my nightmares of setting up my last couple of PC's. As I almost finsihed my Mac set up I thought, "is that it, I'm done!". Not one crash and the only restart was after a download of a couple of pre-installed upgrades.

This is a fun, tongue-in-cheek book about a Mac users life in a PC world. I would recommend it to anyone with a sense of humor. Of course, as Scott would say that might leave most PC users off the list. Great fun! Thanks Scott!