To the Mac faithful, that's the lovely sound of the system starting up -- soon to be followed by the initial smiling computer icon. Unfortunately, as with many things in life, sometimes bad things happen. Expecting to receive a greeting from your familiar, cheerful icon, you hear chimes of doom and a frowning computer appears.

Have no fear! Ms. Robin Williams, expert Mac author, is here! The last chapter of The Little Mac Book quickly runs through possible scenarios as to why your machine would be unhappy. But reading The Little Mac Book is like taking preventive medicine. Williams spends the first 300+ pages of The Little Mac Book introducing readers to the fascinating inner workings of the Macintosh system. With a greater understanding of the Mac's files and folders, you may never come to meet either the Sad Mac or -- more ominously -- the Dead Mac.

With a style both chatty and informative, Williams has crafted a guide blissfully free of heavy-handed techno-garble. Instead, she provides a tour simple enough for the newest Mac owner and complete enough to teach experienced users a thing or two.