Ralph Turner's Atari ST Book isn't just a rehash of the ST owner's manual. It's an informative, understandable, often interesting collection of "tips, instructions, secrets and hints for the 520, 1040 and Mega STs." Best of all, it's mostly for the user, not the programmer-although the programmer might learn a thing or two as well.

The 159-page book appears to have been desktop-published, and in some places the proofreaders didn't do their job. But for the most part, The Atari ST Book is useful, although the $16.95 price might rub you the wrong way.

The 17 chapters cover subjects including RAMdisks, file management, the DESKTOP.INF file and the control panel, cold and warm boots, public domain software, word processors and chess. Someone new to the ST world could find this book invaluable, and it wouldn't hurt an expert user to keep a copy lying around.

$16.95. Index Legalis, P.O. Box 1822-7, Fairfield, IA 52556. (515) 472-2293.