Since the first mass-market CD writers appeared, Ahead Software's Nero has been the best program available for copying and burning CDs. Nero has excelled in both ease of use and adaptability. It's been simple enough for even a novice user to burn a CD, yet filled with enough options and tweaks to please power users as well.

With Nero 6 Ultra Edition, the software gets a major upgrade. While Burning ROM, the CD-writing application is as robust as ever, enough new features have been added to necessitate the NERO StartSmart front-end, which allows users to select the appropriate program either directly or based on the task to be performed.

Unfortunately, Ahead has provided very little guidance for users to get the most out the Nero's extensive library of applications, which is where The Book of Nero 6 Ultra Edition comes in. Most Nero users have either found the software pre-installed on their machine or purchased it online; either way, there's no "official" manual. This book is a more than adequate substitute.

The major strength The Book of Nero 6 Ultra Edition is its clear organization. Rather than trying to tackle each of the applications on its own, author Wallace Wang instead has divided the book into twelve chapters based on the most common tasks one can perform with the software.

As a long time user of Nero, I was surprised to find that the Ultra Edition can do more than simply burn CDs and DVDs. Wang covers those topics in depth, of course, going through everything from buffer underrun protection to creating VCDs and Super VCDs. But he also walks users through using Nero's complex sound and video editing software, as well as the most useful tool that I was previously unaware of, capturing sound from records and cassettes.

Inexplicably, no space is devoted to burning custom video DVDs. Just a few pages cover copying DVDs and parts of DVDs, but the chapter on video editing stops short of covering the full capabilities of the DVD creation program. This is a huge oversight, considering that in NeroVision Express 2, Ahead has created one of the best tools for creating professional-quality DVDs, with everything from animated menus to custom chapter stops. DVD burners are common enough now that this particular function deserved its own chapter. Though I consider this omission major, as far as I can tell, it was the only one.

The text itself is concise and accurate. Every specific task is outlined in easy-to-follow, numbered steps, accompanied by frequent screen shots and in-depth explanations. The instructions are better than those found in most "official" manuals, and I was unable to uncover even a single misstep in the dozen or so tasks I attempted.

The Book of Nero 6 Ultra Edition is superbly organized and well-written. Though veteran Nero users will likely scoff at the need for a manual, I doubt there are many who are well-versed or even aware of all the functions covered in the book. For those just getting started with Nero, this should be an excellent primer.