Telecom Crash Course, Second Edition

Book Description

This unique book serves as a readable, holistic introduction to telecommunications. Far more than an acronym-studded quick fix, Telecom Crash Course is a true tutorial that offers context, connections--and humor-- to teach the importance of key technologies. Author Steven Shepard, an accomplished writer and teachers, uses lively stories that deliver important points about the markets that drive the technologies. He provides not only rigorous technical accuracy, with explanations of each technology's economic importance, but a market and customer-focused analysis of the use and business significance of each technology – and how they relate to each other.

Customer Reviews:

Wonder world of telecommunication around you.......2005-08-12

The book, in my opinion, will be useful to the people not having a technical education and working in sphere of telecommunications and allied industries; for the beginners, wishing to expand the knowledge; for the employees responsible for administration of telecommunication services of the organizations; for managers on sales, marketing, management of projects, and also telecommunication managers and managers of a high level.

good, but may be overkill for some.......2005-07-13

I really enjoyed this book, especially the anecdotes in the introduction, but I can't realy see alot of applications for a "crash-course" that is this long. There are many situations I can envision where someone would need to learn about telecom networks quickly, but they probably wouldn't need to know many of the intricacies that Shepard deals with and they almost certainly wouldn't be interested in his anecdotes and discussion of undersea cable laying.

However, I don't know of any other comprehensive book like this so it may be your only option. Either way I certainly enjoyed reading it and intend to buy his other books, but to read at my leisure.

Everything's here...you just have to find it!.......2004-10-12

Telecom's Crash Course is an excellent compilation of all major facets of the Telecommunications industry. As someone who monitors foreign investments into the US technology sector, I've found this both an excellent primer for newbies as well as a very helpful resource to those who have been doing this for a while.

The PROS: The book is comprehensive and walks through the very tactical level, detailed explanation of specific technologies and the many ways that a given portion of data can move across the planet. If you're new to the field, reading this book is the cheapest and fastest method to be armed with a semi-comprehensive knowledge spanning the industry.

The CONS: I can see how people could say that this book gets lost in the weeds because the explanations are sometimes extensive, detailed, and probably don't fit the bill if you're looking for a book covering the overall trends present in the telecoms market. If you're looking for a "big concepts" book only, this isn't for you. Reviewers commenting on the book's lack of focus were probably hoping primarily for a "here are the major trends in the industry" and not an industry technology primer, a "crash course" in the industry.

Buy the paperback. It's a bit of a painful read in places, but hey, this is Telecoms, and it doesn't get too many people hyper excited--if you're buying a book called "Telecoms Crash Course" and expecting a nail-biting thriller, you probably have some misplaced expectations! Enjoy.

Excellent Introduction, in the opinion of a Telecom newcomer.......2004-07-16

This is a fantastic book if you want an overview that focuses on technical and some business aspects of telecommunications, and are someone that enjoys reading more techie-oriented material. (For the record, I am an MechE by training who is now working for one of the companies mentioned in the book, so this really was my entire Intro course to Telecom, and I plan to continue my learning. This book was an excellent guide for future, more in-depth subjects to pursue.)

The book does an excellent job of being ubiquitous and covering all the aspects of the telecom field that you've ever heard about. At the same, I found it easy to skip around in reading chapters, based on my own priorities in buying the book. The chapters are divided very logically into sections on the Telephone network, Access technologies, Transport options, Protocols, etc. (if you have no idea what I'm talking about, you will after reading this book :).
One of my favorite aspects of the books is that the author is very good at using diagrams to supplement his text, which can be rare in more engineering/technical books. The whole picture-worth-a-thousand-words idea, especially if you take the time to go through the diagrams.
Yes, the text can require a few read-throughs - but telecommunications itself is a dense field that really requires one to be patience in reading and gain understanding of the technology. There *is* a lot of detail stuffed through out the chapters, and perhaps not everyone will care to know everything -- but that is alright, there is no harm in skipping the nitty-gritty of sections that do not interest you.

Please, please, please do not let the bad reviews of this book discourage you from checking it out. I just finished reading the entire book, and wanted to log on to share my high opinion of it.

Excellent Telecom Overview.......2004-01-25

As an industry outsider with limited technical experience, I found this book informative, easy-to-follow, and entertaining. My compliments to the author for a job well done.

The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography

Average customer rating:

The Code Book
Interesting, informative, geniously narrative, fascinating & enlightening.
Fun Read
A History of Ciphers, With Proper Credit for the Cracking of ENIGMA
great book

The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography
Simon Singh
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Fermat's Enigma: The Epic Quest to Solve the World's Greatest Mathematical Problem
The Code Book: How to Make It, Break It, Hack It, Crack It
Big Bang: The Origin Of The Universe
Codes, Ciphers and Secret Writing (Test Your Code Breaking Skills)
Cryptanalysis

ASIN: 0385495323
Release Date: 2000-08-29

Amazon.com

People love secrets. Ever since the first word was written, humans have sent coded messages to each other. In The Code Book, Simon Singh, author of the bestselling Fermat's Enigma, offers a peek into the world of cryptography and codes, from ancient texts through computer encryption. Singh's compelling history is woven through with stories of how codes and ciphers have played a vital role in warfare, politics, and royal intrigue. The major theme of The Code Book is what Singh calls "the ongoing evolutionary battle between codemakers and codebreakers," never more clear than in the chapters devoted to World War II. Cryptography came of age during that conflict, as secret communications became critical to both sides' success.

Confronted with the prospect of defeat, the Allied cryptanalysts had worked night and day to penetrate German ciphers. It would appear that fear was the main driving force, and that adversity is one of the foundations of successful codebreaking.

In the information age, the fear that drives cryptographic improvements is both capitalistic and libertarian--corporations need encryption to ensure that their secrets don't fall into the hands of competitors and regulators, and ordinary people need encryption to keep their everyday communications private in a free society. Similarly, the battles for greater decryption power come from said competitors and governments wary of insurrection.

The Code Book is an excellent primer for those wishing to understand how the human need for privacy has manifested itself through cryptography. Singh's accessible style and clear explanations of complex algorithms cut through the arcane mathematical details without oversimplifying. --Therese Littleton

Book Description

In his first book since the bestselling Fermat's Enigma, Simon Singh offers the first sweeping history of encryption, tracing its evolution and revealing the dramatic effects codes have had on wars, nations, and individual lives. From Mary, Queen of Scots, trapped by her own code, to the Navajo Code Talkers who helped the Allies win World War II, to the incredible (and incredibly simple) logisitical breakthrough that made Internet commerce secure, The Code Book tells the story of the most powerful intellectual weapon ever known: secrecy.

Throughout the text are clear technical and mathematical explanations, and portraits of the remarkable personalities who wrote and broke the world's most difficult codes. Accessible, compelling, and remarkably far-reaching, this book will forever alter your view of history and what drives it. It will also make yo wonder how private that e-mail you just sent really is.

Customer Reviews:

The Code Book.......2007-09-25

I found it interesting and well written. Relize Simon is a Brit, so slightly a different type of sentence structure. I found sometimes that I just could not put the book down. I found out about the book from MAA. It's a college Math Mag playing with Hamming Code. Got interested in the artical about the book and then purchased it. Out of the three cyrpto books I bought this was the best. Others focused on the mathmatics and were not translated well from German.

Interesting, informative, geniously narrative, fascinating & enlightening........2007-08-22

This great book might on one hand be seen as an introduction to
cryptography (producing codes) and cryptanalysis (breaking codes), and on
the other hand as an anthology of slightly dramatized biographies of
certain individuals, throughout the whole history of codes and ciphers,
related to corresponding major events.

The style of the book is a successful and well-structured mixture of
popular science at its best and somewhat rigorous descriptions of
concepts and algorithms of various complexity. It starts off with telling
the story of the so called 'cipher of Mary Queen of Scots', then
successively deals with, for instance, the initial invention of a
theoretically unbreakable code (through using random numbers) and its
practical drawbacks, the rise and fall of the Enigma code, the usage of
codes in the form of unusual (hopefully unknown to the enemy or opponent)
languages, the analysis of ancient forgotten languages, privacy issues
including safe transfering of code keys and, finally, ends with
discussions of modern, and possibly future, cryptography/cryptanalysis-
techniques based on quantum computers and theory.

Moreover, additional interesting, and in some instances somewhat more
technical, material is referred to several appendices.

Note: The swedish translated edition includes quite a lot of Sweden-specific
information. (Translator: Margareta Brogren.) In all respects this is a
most impressive piece of work!

Fun Read.......2007-08-10

Great Book! A fun read and very interesting. A history of code making and code breaking from the beginning until now.

A History of Ciphers, With Proper Credit for the Cracking of ENIGMA.......2007-08-07

Singh has provided the reader a delightful history of encryption, beginning with 16th-century codes, proceeding with the mechanized ones, and concluding with modern computer-based systems. He points out how modern encryption is being used to thwart the counterfeiting of dollars, and rejects the so-called Bible Code.

Singh also touches on the intricacies of language, and discusses the difficulty of deciphering the Egyptian hieroglyphics. This involved the decoding of a language that no one speaks today, and one which has no close relatives among modern languages. He also has a fascinating account of the Navajo Indians and their unique language, and how their conversations were used to keep the Japanese in the dark during WWII.

When in comes to the German ENIGMA code of WWII, and in contrast to some English-language books on this subject, Singh gives credit squarely where it is due. He traces the Polish successes with code-breaking, beginning with the cracking of Russian codes by the Biuro Szyfrow (the Bureau of Ciphers) during the 1920 Polish-Bolshevik War (p. 144). In the years before WWII, a Polish team of mathematicians headed by Marian Rejewski recognizably solved the ENIGMA (p. 155). The Poles were ten years ahead of anyone else in this field (p. 160). The later successes of the British at Bletchley relied on Rejewski's work (p. 170), and followed the lead of the Poles (p. 243). Alan Turing followed Rejewski's strategy (p. 171).

great book.......2007-07-28

this book is one of the best books i have read in a while. it explanes everything you want tok now about cryptography and how to break the codes. this author knows his stuff.

Guanxi (The Art of Relationships): Microsoft, China, and Bill Gates's Plan to Win the Road Ahead

Average customer rating:

Where's the Guanxi?!
guanxi (the art of relationships)
Essential reading on China, Microsoft, and the future of innovation

Guanxi (The Art of Relationships): Microsoft, China, and Bill Gates's Plan to Win the Road Ahead
Robert Buderi , and Gregory T. Huang
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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China CEO: Voices of Experience from 20 International Business Leaders
The Lenovo Affair: The Growth of China's Computer Giant and Its Takeover of IBM-PC
China The Balance Sheet: What the World Needs to Know Now About the Emerging Superpower (Institute International Econom)
Harvard Business Review on Doing Business in China (Harvard Business Review Paperback Series)
One Billion Customers: Lessons from the Front Lines of Doing Business in China

ASIN: 0743273222

Book Description

Half a world away from the calm beauty of Puget Sound, there's a lab where Bill Gates's software dreams come true. . . . So begins Guanxi, the compelling on-the-scenes tale of the allure of China today -- and of a unique partnership between the world's most famous capitalist and the world's largest communist nation that showcases what it takes to compete in the age of global innovation.

Guanxi (gwan-shee), the Chinese term for mutually beneficial relationships essential to success in the Middle Kingdom, tells the story of the juggernaut research lab that underpins Microsoft's relationship building in China. Unfurled through a gripping narrative that moves between Beijing and Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington, it follows the lab's emergence as a mecca for Chinese computer-science talent -- a place where 10,000 résumés arrive in a month, written exams are farmed out to eleven cities to screen applicants, and interns sleep on cots next to their cubicles. So far, the company has invested well over $100 million and hired more than 400 of China's best and brightest to turn the outpost into an important window on the future of computing and a training ground to uplift the state of Chinese computer science -- creating dramatic payoffs for both Microsoft and its host country that are helping the company overcome many of the challenges of China.

Guanxi traces the arc of the lab's stunning success from a memo by erstwhile Microsoft visionary Nathan Myhrvold to its early days under maverick speech recognition guru Kai-Fu Lee (since plucked away by Google for some $10 million), and to its more recent tutelage under former child prodigies Ya-Qin Zhang and Harry Shum. The two China-born stars, who both attended college in their native country by the age of thirteen, have orchestrated the Beijing lab's recent emergence as an epicenter of Microsoft's intensifying battles against Google in the search wars, Nokia in the wireless arena, and Sony in graphics and entertainment.

As pundits rail about the "China threat" to U.S. competitiveness and offer often-hackneyed arguments against outsourcing, Guanxi explores the true ramifications of China's high-tech buildup -- and the means by which it can be turned to competitive advantage, in part by "insourcing" the untapped talent in the country's top universities. Sprinkled with telling observations, compelling characters, and lively anecdotes about the brilliant successes and sometimes painful stumbles of the world's most powerful software company, Guanxi is essential reading for business leaders, entrepreneurs, and technologists around the globe.

Customer Reviews:

Where's the Guanxi?!.......2006-10-22

Microsoft's PR Department couldn't have written thicker, more syrupy, praise for Microsoft. Guanxi is the chinese word for mutually beneficial relationships, it's a complex concept that involves respect, reciprocality, and a certain deference to the person with more authority. It is not covered in this book. Rather, this is a book that paints a super happy face on a long process and smooths out or ignores the rough edges. I recommend doing an Amazon search on Guanxi and reading some of the other books on business in China, like the China Dream, if you want a clearer picture of Guanxi. If you want the Disneyfied version of Microsoft's research lab, this is the book for you.

guanxi (the art of relationships).......2006-05-18

I met Buderi and Huang on their book tour, and couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. What a tale they tell, as they show how Microsoft early on, embraced the world of talent coming up through Chinese universities and turned it to the company's advantage. I especially like the stories of how young Chinese researchers just out of university found themselves in Redmond, presenting for Bill Gates.
China is hungry and rich in talent, not just markets, and this book shows why.

Essential reading on China, Microsoft, and the future of innovation.......2006-05-18

As someone keenly interested in China and the future of innovation, I gobbled up this book almost as soon as it was out. I was not disappointed. In a usually fast-moving narrative, peppered with funny stories and telling anecdotes, Buderi and Huang dive down into rich detail about the creation and evolution of Microsoft's incredibly successful Beijing research lab, and how despite several stumbles it has improved relations with Chinese government and academe. A revealing lawsuit with Google accentuates the end of the story, as Google hires away the original star behind the lab. Readers will come away with a much deeper understanding of what it takes to compete in emerging nations like China.

Average customer rating:

not a toolkit but a ragtag collection of drawings & sketches

Rapid Vis Toolkit
Kurt Hanks
Manufacturer: Crisp Learning
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Rapid Viz, Third Edition: A New Method for the Rapid Visualitzation of Ideas
Crisp: Design Yourself
VizAbility (with CD-ROM)
Thinking Visually: A Strategy Manual for Problem Solving
I See What You Mean: Children at Work With Visual Information

ASIN: 1560526750

Customer Reviews:

not a toolkit but a ragtag collection of drawings & sketches.......2005-06-04

I have in my personal collection practically all the books written by this author. I have perused all of them & have, in fact, made use of most of his strategies in capturing ideas & visualising concepts on paper (or on my computer, using the SmartDraw software).

I am quite disappointed with this book because it is not a toolkit per se as claimed, but just a ragtag collection of the author's fancy drawings & zany sketches.

The only good thing I can say about this book is that the author has systemically organised all his drawings & sketches into some appropriate categories (for quick reference). I must add, in fairness, that author has indeed put in some good efforts to illustrate in step by step fashion how he has created some of those stuff in the book. This approach, in a sense, gives readers, especially beginners, a wide range of possibilities to play & explore with the Rapid Visualisation process.

If you have perused all his earlier books, like Draw, Design Yourself, Rapid Viz, then I would suggest you stay away from this book. In other words, you don't have to buy this book.

However, if you just want to add this new book to your private collection, as I have actually done so, then, it is your personal choice.

If you have not read any of the author's earlier books & you want to know about rapid visualisation, please get hold of his Rapid Viz book. It is an excellent start-up book for beginners.

On the whole, & in the light of what I have written, I give it a score of only 3.

Launching the Imagination 2D + CC CD-ROM v3.0

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Launching the Imagination 2D + CC CD-ROM v3.0
Mary Stewart
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Launching the Imagination 3D + CC CD-ROM v3.0
A Guide to Drawing
Color
Creative Drawing
Drawing: A Contemporary Approach

ASIN: 0072878746

Book Description

Designed for courses in Creativity, Two-, Three- or Four-Dimensional Design, Launching the Imagination offers a comprehensive framework on which students, teachers, and administrators can build. The approach in this second edition is refined, distilled, and updated, using over 600 examples drawn from traditional and contemporary sources. Profiles with interviews of artists and designers introduce students to working processes, career choices, and criteria for excellence from a remarkable group of masters.

Launching the Imagination is available in a comprehensive volume treating 2D design, Creativity and Problem-solving, 3D design, and time-based (4D) design; or in split volumes containing either 2D or 3D design, plus the material on Creativity and Problem-solving.

Launching the Imagination’s Core Concepts in Art CD-ROM, version 2.0, which engages students interactively with the elements and principles of art through numerous interactive exercises, has been re-organized and expanded. A copy of this CD-ROM is included free with every copy of the textbook purchased from McGraw-Hill, a student-value of over $30, and is also available individually through your local bookstore.

"I have found the text very clear and concise with fabulous, diversified examples and illustrations."
--Kelly M. Nelson, Longwood University

"It is clear, concise, and visually appealing. My students responded immediately to its visual impact. I also appreciated the artist views for each chapter. They gave the sections more meaning."
--Danielle Harmon, Valdosta State University

"This text is excellent for developing projects that stimulate creativity, challenge students set in convergent thinking to open up, realize the ability to be creative when they are not visual artists."
--Carolynne Whitefeather, Utica College

"Main reason [for adopting LTI]: chapters on narrative and time. Helped to bridge the gap between fine arts and graphic design. Helped/introduced students to these elements/topics and reinforced 2D/3D concepts learned in other classes. Students enjoyed the book. Problem solving chapter is great."
--William Britton Rowe, Ohio Northern University

"Launching the Imagination is both simple and in-depth in its scope. It is thorough without being overwhelming. It is clear and succinct without losing the essence of meaning or concepts. Also the color examples and the accompanying CD is great."
--Rob Tarbell, Piedmont Virginia Community College and James Madison University

"I have not had a really good text for 2-D Design since Roy Behrens' Design in the Visual Arts, which is now out of print. While there is much to like about Launching the Imagination, I was most happy with the sections which talked about critical thinking and strategies for problem solving which can be employed by visual artists."
--Reid Wood, Lorain County Community College

"The engaging writing and variety of visual examples make this design text the most user friendly guide for both students and instructor that I've found yet. The artist profiles give an applied art/life perspective that is unique in foundations texts. I've used the text at two colleges and my students LOVE this text. The thin 2D volume is also a plus. Students do Not want a heavy book to lug around."
--Tracy Doreen Dietzel, Edgewood College

Customer Reviews:

fashion rendering with color.......2007-01-16

Would have been useful if 98 % of the book was actually in color, not black & white. Was extremely expensive for such a short book printed in this way.

Great Reference Book.......2006-02-22

I just started learning how to render with markers, and this book comes in handy everyday! Great, but simple explanations on how to render different fabrics. Never confusing. A must for every beginning fashion illustrator!

Childish illustrations.......2005-01-19

I bought this book because it had such good reviews, but I was very disappointed with the contents. The title is fashion rendering with color, but most of the illustrations are black and white (very misleading). Plus the illustrations don't look very professional in my opinion. If you have no drawing skills but want to become a fashion designer, then this is the right book for you. Otherwise, don't buy it.

Great for starters.......2004-07-22

Bina Abling's Fashion Rendering with Color is a great source of information and consultation for starters on fashion design, and drawing in general. I've just started fashion design lessons, and I do not have many resources regarding this specific subject in my country, so I turned to Amazon.com to find the best, and I did. I've presented a collection of 30 dolls, using some of the styles on this wonderfull book, and I'm doing great, so I recommend this book to anyone who is starting, or just wants to know how to render with markers, and other materials.

I hope you find this review helpful, and have a nice day!

A Reference to help teach the Designer.......2000-09-08

Rendering with Fashion by Bina Albing is a very descriptive and helpful illustrated book for all students. This book has proved to be extremly helpful to the new student in drawing and finishing a fashion product. It gives prompt examples to the learning with colorful examples to help one learn. Idealy all students should get this book for future no matter the experience already learned.

Special Effects: An Oral History--Interviews with 37 Masters Spanning 100 Years

Average customer rating:

Game of telephone anyone?
Mind Bending Eye Candy
A great book about SFX for everyone
Good, but not the best
Wonderful work...

Special Effects: An Oral History--Interviews with 37 Masters Spanning 100 Years
Pascal Pinteau
Manufacturer: Harry N. Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Winston Effect: The Art & History of Stan Winston Studio
Special Effects: The History and Technique
Designing Movie Creatures and Characters: Behind the scenes with the movie masters
CGI: The Art of the 3d Computer-Generated Image
Industrial Light & Magic: Into the Digital Realm

ASIN: 0810955911

Book Description

Spanning a century of screen wizardry-from the early innovations of the pioneering French fantasist Georges Méliès to the first synthetic TRON images to the cutting-edge technology used in the most recent Star Wars and The Matrix-this fabulous volume pays homage to dazzling visual pyrotechnics and the artists of illusion who created them. This detailed look at the history of these great illusions is presented through interviews with 37 international masters of the art and science of special effects and more than 1,000 spectacular illustrations, nearly all in color.

The monster spewing flames in Godzilla, the flying bicycle in E.T. , the rampaging dinosaurs in Jurassic Park-these are just a few of the cinematic magic moments that have held audiences spellbound over the years. The inventors of such screen legerdemain reveal the huge variety of techniques they employ, from animation, animatronics, makeup, and model-making to the most astounding computer trickery possible today. The book encompasses not only film and television but also theme parks and attractions. As a bonus, the author includes his selection of DVDs with not-to-be-missed special effects. AUTHOR BIO: Pascal Pinteau is a journalist, screenwriter, and special effects designer who has created special effects for commercials, TV shows, and theme parks. Since 1985, he has visited with special effects masters throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia.

Customer Reviews:

Game of telephone anyone?.......2006-02-20

Most of the book is pretty good, I have a number of specialeffects books in my collection and have subscribed to CINEFEX magazine for many years. However there seem to be facts that are not checked and therefore some inaccuracies. The best example I can think of is the description of how Robby the Robot was constructed. The books describes fairly precisely the prosses know as Vacu-Form though never labels it. Which is odd because from all other accounts Robby was Fiberglass and there was only one made. If he was Vacu-Formed, a simple prosses once set up and molds made the studio doubless would have made at least three, if for no other reason that he would have be fragile. I may be nit picking. An I could be wrong

Mind Bending Eye Candy.......2005-09-23

As a charter subscriber to Cinefex magazine, the 25-year industry bible for visual effects, I'm no stranger to this topic. But flipping through Pinteau's book yielded some exciting revelations and mostly, It did not disappoint. The book promises interviews with masters "spanning 100 years" although it skews pretty heavily to the past decade (not a surprise). But I bought it for the pictures and they made it worth the time and money. The pics are well-chosen and even familiar old films are illustrated with scenes seen less often. I also like the durable hard/soft cover---because I'll be picking this one up frequently.

A great book about SFX for everyone.......2005-05-18

If you like special effects, you'll have a blast reading this book which was obviously written to please movie fans of all ages. A previous review onAmazon said "good, but not the best" and went on praising another book,which is in fact a very technical reference book for special effects pros or film students. I think it is a bit unfair to criticize a book because it is different from what you expected. "Special effects: an oral history" is not a dictionary. It is entertaining and fun to read precisely because it is not a boring catalog of techniques, props and apparatus. It manages to tell the history of special effects as a human adventure, involving many wonderful artists and also explain clearly how they've created miracles in movies, animated feature films or in TV series and theme parks rides (special chapters devoted to animation, makeup, television and theme parks effects, are each over 100 pages long, which is great, since all other FX books I've read so far are devoted to movies only) . Famous special effects geniuses like Ray Harryhausen, Stan Winston, John Dykstra, John Lasseter (and many others) tell great anecdotes about their work and about their creativity. You can buy this book, you won't be disappointed and your kids will love it from the first page to the end! And the 1500 photos and illustrations are simply stunning!

Good, but not the best.......2005-02-09

I liked this book a lot. The best thing about it is the pictures, they are well researched and some are quite rare. Unfortunately the text does not live up to the quality of the images and the book's sumptuous feel. The author attempts to explain how techniques work, often relying on interviews with experts who often say WHAT they did but not really HOW. Unfortunately this often leads to slightly baffling and incomplete explanations. I dont think it helps that it has been translated from French. If you want to read about how effects are achieved with REALLY CLEAR EXPLANATIONS and helpful diagrams you still can't beat Richard Rickitt's book 'Special Effects: The History and Technique' which is a real class act- I recommend it to all my FX students. But this book comes a close second (though I did find one or two factual errors). It has some unusual examples and it's interesting to see some of the stuff about TV and theme park effects.

Wonderful work..........2004-12-11

Anyone even slighty interested in this subject will like this book - end of story. From Stan Winstons 'Terminator' to Nimba Creations full size animatronic Tyrannosaurus Rex, this is a cracking book filled with great photos that is the best of it's type.

It covers everything from the beginning of filmmaking right up to present day and leaves nothing out, hence the vast 600 page count; this thing is thicker than a phone book!!

No complaints, it's a wonderful piece of work.

Beyond Competition: The Future of Telecommunications

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Beyond Competition: The Future of Telecommunications

Manufacturer: North Holland
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0444822526

Book Description

The convergence of telecommunications, mass media and computer technologies has brought spectacular developments of ubiquitous intelligent interconnected systems. In the course of these evolutionary changes, debate and policy has swung again towards privatization, deregulation and increased reliance upon competition. Nevertheless, the underlying and powerful role of new information continues to bring so much restructuring and organizational change, that a reassessment of ideas about competition in this dynamic context, is essential. The aim of this volume is to provide an update of research and policy debates in this important field. An international perspective is provided with contributions from academic, business and governmental communities. The volume will be invaluable to researchers in telecommunications and information activities; decision-makers in industry, government and regulatory fields; consultants; and information service providers.

Animation Writing and Development, : From Script Development to Pitch (Focal Press Visual Effects and Animation)

Average customer rating:

Animation writing and Development From script to development to pitch
Too much information
Typical "Mainstream" book.
Animation Writing and Development : From Script Development
Wow!

Animation Writing and Development, : From Script Development to Pitch (Focal Press Visual Effects and Animation)
Jean Ann Wright
Manufacturer: Focal Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

How to Write for Animation
The Animation Business Handbook
Producing Animation (Focal Press Visual Effects and Animation) (Focal Press Visual Effects and Animation)
Gardner's Guide to Animation Scriptwriting: The Writer's Road Map (Gardner's Guide series)
Storytelling through Animation (Graphics)

ASIN: 0240805496

Book Description

The art. The craft. The business. Animation Writing and Development takes students and animation professionals alike through the process of creating original characters, developing a television series, feature, or multimedia project, and writing professional premises, outlines and scripts. It covers the process of developing presentation bibles and pitching original projects as well as ideas for episodes of shows already on the air. Animation Writing and Development includes chapters on animation history, on child development (writing for kids), and on storyboarding. It gives advice on marketing and finding work in the industry. It provides exercises for students as well as checklists for professionals polishing their craft. This is a guide to becoming a good writer as well as a successful one.

* Filled with writing exercises that will challenge your writing limits
* Understand inspiration, idea gathering, and story development
* Tips on how to write for kids and why certain stories appeal to different ages
* The how and why of dialogue-what works, and what doesn't

Customer Reviews:

Animation writing and Development From script to development to pitch.......2007-08-23

An excellent book that covers all aspects of writing for animation, and I do mean ALL aspects. Nothing is left out. Jean Ann Wright really knows her stuff. And buying the book from Amazon was easy and painless. That's why I use them and why I will continue to use them.

Too much information.......2006-09-22

The book covers tons and tons of topics, which is good for a person with no background in animation writing. But the topics written about, from dialogue to outlining, come with no context, no examples to back up what the author is talking about. Wright writes "Keep your characters consistent. They must be true to their core traits and to what has made them who they are." An example from a current or classic cartoon is direly needed. This happens throughout the book. Under the subheading Conflict Can Reveal Information in the dialogue chapter, she writes "conflict in dialogue...is a good way to get information out and keep it interesting." How? Once again this book screams for examples.
The book trys to explain every thing and any thing about animation. A daunting task. But in the process, every thing seems trite. The chapter on writing features, aka movies, is skimmed, and after reading it, will not make your more apt at writing animation films. Scriptwriting for film is different, in many aspects, from tv animation, and in this book it's made to sound that it's the same.
Overall the book is informative, but for someone who grew up with Scooby Doo, He-Man, Thundercats and saw every Disney film and could write endless thesis on Scooby Doo's tremendous appetite, this book lacks substance.

Typical "Mainstream" book........2006-08-08

This book is abit of a bore and turnoff with all it tips and trixs to create scripts that will please the "buyer". It is colored with a tone of a moral panic that is typical for experts that clame to know what people want and don't want. I think it is safe to say that if the creators of "South Park" or "The Simpson" would have read this book and followed it, thoose series would have never been made - maybe not even Bambi with its horrid shooting of bambis mother?

It also deals with animation at its simplest blocks, it tries to show the steps to a finished product - poorly. It does contain a good hint here and there but as a hole it is a complete waist of time, and a poor candidate for a book to understand the teqnical aspects of animation. If you have some basic knowleadge of character, animation and storyboarding and want to learn how to write for animation, buy books about writing instead.
>RS

Animation Writing and Development : From Script Development .......2005-03-10

Jean Ann Wright's "Animation Writing and Development : From Script Development to Pitch", is a comprehensive and well written book, on the subject.

I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in writing for animation.

Wow!.......2005-03-07

Every industry has its own special requirements. This book "Animation Writing and Development" by Jean Ann Wright should be titled "A Manual for the Working World of Animation". There are not many books that give all the working aspects of a creative vocation. Wow! What to do, how to do it, and still nurture creative desires! Being a college art instructor, all my classes will know about the existence of this fine work. B. McInerney

Concept Design: Works from Seven Los Angeles Entertainment Designers

Average customer rating:

Concept Design at its highest level of execution.
Where's my stuff

Concept Design: Works from Seven Los Angeles Entertainment Designers

Manufacturer: Design Studio Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Concept Design 2: Works from Seven Los Angeles Entertainment Designers and Seventeen Guest Artists
The Skillful Huntsman: Visual Development of a Grimm Tale at Art Center College of Design
Start Your Engines: Surface Vehicle Sketches & Renderings from the Drawthrough Collection
Quantum Dreams: The Art of Stephan Martiniere
Worlds: A Mission of Discovery

ASIN: 097266761X

Customer Reviews:

Concept Design at its highest level of execution........2006-11-23

This is a beautiful book illustrating what great Concept Design is all about, and as a designer, it's good to have examples of such stellar work; It gives us something to emulate (if we work REALLY hard). Excellent book, though i'd have liked more process drawings, and not only the stunningly finished work.

Where's my stuff.......2006-11-11

I can't rate this item because I haven't recieved it yet!!! Plus one other book I'm waiting on.

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