AutoCAD 2008 For Dummies (For Dummies (Computers))

I wanted to learn AutoCAD 2008 quickly for using at work. This book provides an excellent source of easy to understand instructions on how to effectively use AutoCAD 2008. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to learn how to use AutoCAD 2008.

This book is very good for those who begin in Autocad, it will explain the basic of Autocad 2008.

Got this for my husband who was starting to learn Autocad. He says it was very helpful.

Much better than help in Autocad.It doesn't give you 1000 options then, lead you nowhere like help. Easy reading. Straight to the point. This is the 3rd one I have read. I had Autocad 14 & 2000 also.

Since deciding to become a CAD goddess, I've found reviews for 2008 CAD books in short supply so here you go ... CAD For Dummies is in all truth a book for beginners, more experienced users may be able to profit by the tidbits that refer to new features in this year's release and tricks but since I'm a beginner and I've found it all easy enough to understand, I don't expect it will be much more that a pleasure read for CAD veterans. With this book you can expect to become familiar with AutoCAD 2008. You will get comfortable with it, you'll know what the buttons are for, what the tools do and what the program's overall capabilities are. In other words, you'll be proficient. Not a grasshopper anymore but not quite a master. It prepares you to tackle more specialized books in whatever field (architectural, electrical, mechanical, 3d, etc) you're interested in with a great set of honed skills and a reasonable amount of confidence. It's an excellent foundation on which to build. A couple of other things I'd like to mention are the awesome icons that can be found throughout the book, they serve to point out crucial information that you shouldn't forget, useful techie stuff, tips to make your AutoCAD life easier and how to avoid horrible-pull-your-hair-out-in-desperation-mistakes. Lastly, there are really no exercises, I'm a hands on kind of chick, I wanted to be drawing right away. So my solution to this was to buy another book to supplement this deficency and I'm happy to say that AutoCAD 2008: No Experience Required is as well in the awesome side. I'll be reviewing it soon. Now, CAD For Dummies is not a CAD Bible (thank goodness), it doesn't tell you everything and at times it refers you to AutoCAD's Help features (very convenient). In my experience "Bible" books are more in the nature of a very overwhelming, unreadable, unliftable reference tool. And they don't tell you what you need to know as a beginner, they are manuals to a program.