The selection of hacks presented certainly does run the gamut, and even the most casual of iPod users is likely to find one or more hacks in this book of interest. However, I do have to question the inclusion of a few of the hacks that seem... well, tacky, like Hack #21, "Craft an iPod Case from Cardboard," which tells you how to do exactly that--cut an iPod case out of corrugated cardboard. Equally obvious are hacks like #14, "Use Your iPod as a Dictaphone," which essentially informs the reader that Belkin makes a microphone attachment for the iPod, and that plugging it in allows you to make voice memos. While there aren't a large number of seemingly extraneous hacks included, there are enough to make the book a little annoying.

My only other complaint about the text is its frequent inclusion of nebulous and non-specific directions. For example, take this particular direction from the aforementioned Hack #11, "Install Your iPod in Your Car, Permanently": "Look for the spot in your car that will best house your iPod, and then come up with a design." Granted, in this particular case it isn't as if Stern can walk you through the creation of a center console for your particular car, but "come up with a design" is a bit vague and not very helpful. This seems to be the case, however, primarily for the more hands-on hacks featured in the book; those that involve code, such as those included in the AppleScript chapter, are much more straightforward, and in many cases, step-by-step.

Happily, though, the bulk of this book is chock full of useful suggestions and innovative solutions, regardless of your level of expertise. Casual users will enjoy knowing how to diagnose and solve potential problems with their iPods without having to send it off to Apple (Hack #34), and advanced users will enjoy the challenge of turning the iTunes visualizer into a screen saver (Hack #67). In all, it's a handy reference for anyone who owns an iPod, and a thoughtful gift for the new user who, two months after Christmas, is probably just getting the hang of their new toy.