Macs are great for beginners, because the basics are easy. The challenge comes when you want OS X to do things your way. For Mac users who want to travel beyond the basics, there's "Master Your Mac" (http://macte.ch/3OHWp) from No Starch Press.

The 424-page, US$29.95 book by Matt Cone takes users to the next level with tutorials on how to change hidden defaults, enable undocumented features, repair disk permissions to improve performance, monitor their systems, and even create a bootable USB drive for emergencies. Readers will also learn how to:

° Automate tasks with AppleScript, triggers, and Automator macros;

° Handle massive amounts of email and media with synced accounts and spam filters;

° Turn their Macs into a file or Web server;

° Create Safari extensions and use site-specific browsers;

° Secure their Macs with firmware passwords, firewalls, FileVault full-disk encryption;

° Install the best apps to boost productivity and fix everyday annoyances.

Cone, a freelance writer specializing in Apple hardware and software, has been a Mac user for over 20 years. A former ghostwriter for some of Apple's instructors, Cone founded Macinstruct.com in 1999, one of the most popular online destinations for OS X tutorials.