Mastering Blender Chapter 2 Smokestack Activity I recently purchased Mastering Blender, the eBook, and have began Chapter 2. I am currently experiencing difficulty with the Smokestack activity. When I follow steps 1 through 4, I do not get the same Unwrap result as shown in Figure 2-8. 

The screenshot provides the instructions for the Smokestack texture project:  

This is a link to the Blender file of my result: http://www.pasteall.org/blend/38699.  

As you will notice, there are seven parts (versus Figure 2-8's six) and also the smallest part is a closed circle (versus Figure 2-8's semi-circle). I had gotten the result shown in the book on one attempt, however, I had missed a step and had to reattempt the activity and could not achieve the same result. How to match Figure 2-8?
Go into the UV editor and manually move the separate UVs around. If you select any vertex in one of the pieces and then hit L on the keyboard every vertex in that island will be selected. You can then use R to rotate, S to scale and G to grab and transform each island. Being able to pack your separate UVs to maximize the available space is a good skill to develop. As to why your UVs aren't the same as the picture? They rarely are. I have had a look at the file and am wondering if you have your seams marked exactly as the example. Maybe you could check that first. Good luck.