Let me give Mr. Shelley a big round of applause for improving what was a great book to begin with. It is a textbook that has value for the beginning and the experienced practitioner of stage lighting. I have used this book in classes for 10 years and appreciate the checklists, notes, tips, rules and tales from the road. His process and opinions are well founded, providing a great foundation for all students of the art/craft of lighting.

I have used the first edition of this book in my classes in the past, but the 2nd edition is like a whole new world. This quarter my students have used it cover to cover and it is blowing their minds...and mine. I love the layout and the "real world" experience that it offers them. For my advanced students, I can easily direct them to a page number and tell them to use it as a springboard for their paperwork...saving me a ton of time. I can't recommend it enough and look forward to using it as the basis for all of my lighting classes.

Wow, I never thought he could top the last book, but this one is even more jam packed with information. The amount of visual material he has used to help the reader understand the text is great. The style in which he writes is more conversational which makes for reading that is not dry, but interesting. The descriptions of the different paperwork a lighting designer needs is great and he lets the reader see some of his own examples. Another great feature is his real life stories of things that happen to him to help the reader understand why all of the things he discusses should be done. A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting is the definitive book of what a lighting designer needs to be prepared to enter the theatre and successfully create art.