books? advice please

[Sveltepig]

Hi all
I need some advice please
I have been given a voucher to spend and I want a photoshop book. But not a beginners' book - something fairly advanced - the kind of stuff it's hard to find on the net. Mostly I like to do compositing, but I do retouching and colour work too.
I have seen a lot of posts referring to Katrin Eismann's "Photoshop masking and compositing" book. I suppose it would be my ideal choice (unfortunately above my budget) only I already do a lot of compositing work and use Russell Brown's advanced masking technique all the time. Is there a lot more useful stuff in her book for this kind of work? Is it worth it?
Ok, so books in my price range:
Katrin Eismann"s "Photoshop restoration and retouching"
(although i'm not all that into restoration work)
Bert Monroy's "Photoshop by the Numbers"
(because I'm keen to learn more about working in a less subjective way)
Dan Margulis's "Professional Photoshop"
or his "Photoshop Lab Color"
(very keen to learn more about LAB colour)
Bruce Fraser's "Real world Adobe Photoshop"

These are all books I've seen referred to online from time to time. There are so many available, it is hard to choose. Help?
Karin

[pixelzombie]

there is so much to learn, so don't expect 1 book to cover it all....get the book that caters to what you want to learn first....i would recommend katrins book as masking is a necessary but tedious chore and i have seen quite a few photoshop people that couldn't mask to save their lives...

[diggnikon]

you cant beat Katrin Eisman !

money well spent id say and a great book to have with you always

[edgework]

Originally Posted by diggnikon

you cant beat Katrin Eisman !

money well spent id say and a great book to have with you always

Eismann for a solid grounding in retouching; Margulis (both books) for color.

[weenerdogg]

I saw alot of good reviews for skin by Lee Varis on Amazon. Has anyone seen this and liked/disliked it?

[Sveltepig]

okay, katrin eismann - seems a firm favourite.
the retouching book or the masking one?
(maybe I can stretch the budget a little, for the right one)
k

[diggnikon]

choices choices ..... hard to decide but im enclined to say maybe the restoration and retouch for some reason .

I think you might just build a wish list and buy a new book each month maybe