Departing from my normal chatty format, I will attempt to identify the features of each book which make it worth considering (or rejecting) in comparison to its competitors. Fair enough? Here goes.

Discover Netscape Communicator
by Grace Joely Beatty, David C. Gardner,
and David A. Sauer
IDG Books Worldwide http://www.idgbooks.com
ISBN 0-7645-3068-2, 392 pages
$19.99 U.S., $26.99 Canada, £18.99 U.K.

UNIQUE FEATURES: A sturdy tear-out Discovery Central card, with excellent visual shortcuts. The 42-page Discovery Center, following the final chapter, on pale blue paper. It provides systematic chapter-by-chapter tasks and techniques for every action and command within the suite of applications. Appropriate page numbers are indicated. In addition, a nine-page Visual Index displays every basic Navigator screen, with captions, lines, and arrows leading the the corresponding on-screen button or window.

GRAPHICS AND SCREENSHOTS: Plentiful and appropriate, at nearly one per page.

SPECIAL ICONS, FORMATTING, AND SIDEBARS: Used in moderation.

WRITING STYLE: Lively and informative.

OVERALL LOOK AND FEEL: I like it.

VALUE FOR MONEY: Very good.

Netscape Navigator 4 and Communicator Bible,
by Jennifer Fulton
IDG Books Worldwide http://www.idgbooks.com
ISBN 0-7645-3107-7, 654 pages includes
Windows 95 CD-ROM disk
$39.99 U.S., $54.99 Canada, £36.99 U.K.

UNIQUE FEATURE: A lengthy explanation of "The Extras in the Professional Edition" of Communicator.

GRAPHICS AND SCREENSHOTS: Plentiful and appropriate.

SPECIAL ICONS, FORMATTING, AND SIDEBARS: Outstanding.

WRITING STYLE: Extremely thorough, and easy to read.

OVERALL LOOK AND FEEL: A valuable learning and reference work.

VALUE FOR MONEY: Overpriced, unless you need the Win95 disk.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Netscape Communicator 4
by Joe Kraynak
Que http://www.quecorp.com
ISBN 0-7897-1029-3
$19.99 U.S., $28.95 Canada, £18.49 U.K.; 310 pages

UNIQUE FEATURES: The Knowledge Base dedicated Web site for technical support assistance. Judd Winick cartoons at the beginning of every section.

GRAPHICS AND SCREENSHOTS: Plentiful and appropriate.

SPECIAL ICONS, FORMATTING, AND SIDEBARS: Abundant, and very helpful.

WRITING STYLE: Breezy and conversational.

OVERALL LOOK AND FEEL: Cute, and smart.

VALUE FOR MONEY: Good.

Using Netscape Communicator 4
by Peter Kent
Que http://www.quecorp.com
ISBN 0-7897-0982-1, 376 pages
$19.99 U.S., $35.95 Canada, £22.99 U.K.

GRAPHICS AND SCREENSHOTS: Plentiful and appropriate.

SPECIAL ICONS, FORMATTING, AND SIDEBARS: Adequate.

WRITING STYLE: Lively and informative.

OVERALL LOOK AND FEEL: This is a useful book.

VALUE FOR MONEY: Good.

Netscape Communicator 4 (6-in-1)
by Ed Guilford and Joe Kraynak
Que http://www.quecorp.com
ISBN 0-7897-1065-X, 528 pages
$29.99 U.S., $41.95 Canada, £27.49 U.K.

UNIQUE FEATURE: A HTML Reference Section listing supported tags and attributes.

GRAPHICS AND SCREENSHOTS: Plentiful and appropriate.

SPECIAL ICONS, FORMATTING, AND SIDEBARS: Abundant, and comprehensive.

WRITING STYLE: Very straightforward, making excellent use of numbered, structured lessons covering every imaginable aspect of Communicator.

OVERALL LOOK AND FEEL: This is a practical and helpful book.

VALUE FOR MONEY: Good.

Special Edition Using Netscape Communicator 4
by Mark Brown
Que http://www.quecorp.com
ISBN 0-7897-0980-5, 778 pages
$29.99 U.S., $42.95 Canada, £27.49 U.K.

UNIQUE FEATURES: Very instructional and thorough series of chapters on creating Web pages. In general, an exhaustive and patient approach to the entire suite of applications.

GRAPHICS AND SCREENSHOTS: Plentiful and appropriate.

SPECIAL ICONS, FORMATTING, AND SIDEBARS: Abundant, and comprehensive.

WRITING STYLE: Lucid and direct.

OVERALL LOOK AND FEEL: This heavyweight tome aims to provide full-service, and it delivers the goods. As with many of the books, the examples here are primarily taken from Windows screen shots, but most of the information is viable cross-platform.

VALUE FOR MONEY: Good.

Teach Yourself Netscape Communicator 4 in 24 Hours
by Galen Grimes
Sams.net http://www.samspublishing.com
ISBN 1-57521-227-7, 394 pages
$19.99 U.S., $28.95 Canada, £17.95 U.K.

UNIQUE FEATURE: Step-by-step "hourly" 24-lesson format, complete with quizzes.

GRAPHICS AND SCREENSHOTS: Plentiful and appropriate, often with several on a page.

SPECIAL ICONS, FORMATTING, AND SIDEBARS: Abundant.

WRITING STYLE: This book is written from a friendly, helpful first person point-of-view.

OVERALL LOOK AND FEEL: Comfortable, informative, and approachable.

VALUE FOR MONEY: Very good.

The Big Guide to Netscape Communicator 4
by Brad Harris and Bill Vernon
Sams.net http://www.samspublishing.com
ISBN 1-57521-301-X, 848 pages
$29.99 U.S., $42.95 Canada, £26.95 U.K.

UNIQUE FEATURES: Over 170 yellow pages of "Web Hot Spots" from the Infoseek search engine. Extensive Web page creation chapters. Specific "Tips, Tricks, and Timesavers" on each component of Communicator.

GRAPHICS AND SCREENSHOTS: Plentiful and appropriate, often with several on a page.

SPECIAL ICONS, FORMATTING, AND SIDEBARS: Abundant.

WRITING STYLE: Personal, easygoing, and informative.

OVERALL LOOK AND FEEL: This is a learning and reference book which is both impressive and effective.

VALUE FOR MONEY: Excellent.