It's hard to believe it's been nearly four years and nearly 50 columns since my first book came out. You'll find this book is most useful for the AutoCAD 2000 to 2002 user, regardless of your level of expertise. It has been broken into three different sections: No Stress, Low Stress, and Bring on the Aspirin! As would be expected, I start out with simple applications and gradually make my way up the guru ladder. The No Stress section covers the basics, although even the pros might find some meaty productivity tips. The Low Stress section cranks up the dial a bit and wanders into slightly more advanced territory. The Bring on the Aspirin! section is not for the faint of heart or the new user. Be sure to get some hours in your back pocket before making the leap to the final chapters.

This book is not intended to help you learn AutoCAD from scratch. For that, I strongly recommend instructor-led training (my 13 years with the Autodesk Training Center program kicks into gear here), or find a good A-to-Z book and be patient because AutoCAD is a complex program with many different aspects.

Remember, this book is a compilation of my columns over the past eight years, not a book I sat down and wrote from start to finish. Consequently, by the very nature of its design it might feel a bit disjointed. Nonetheless, I've tried to put the columns in a logical...