Book Description
Artistry is the key word here: competent doesn't cut it. When you want to create museum-quality art prints, professional advertising effects, and dazzling digitally manipulated images, Photoshop CS2 Artistry is the place to start. Providing a focused approach to the advanced features of Photoshop CS2, this beautiful full-color guide tackles complex yet essential topics like color calibration and correction. Along the way, you'll learn how Photoshop's newest features-32-bit High Dynamic Range (HDR) color creation and editing (ideal for advanced compositing and professional photography), Vanishing Point, Image Warp, Spot Healing Brush, Smart Sharpen, and more-can aid in your quest for the perfect image. Throughout, the authors emphasize the relationship between Photoshop CS2 tools and traditional photographic techniques to provide essential context for complex tasks. Detailed, step-by-step exercises and a companion CD with before-and-after images, masks and tool settings extend the book's tutorials and enhance the learning process.
Customer Reviews:
If you were to only buy one book on Photoshop..........2007-09-24
If you were to only buy one book on Photoshop this should be it. This book is clearly written, comprehensive, and well organized.
Excellent manual for perfecting your knowledge of Photoshop.......2007-05-16
I am taking an advanced college course in Photoshop and we are using this as our textbook. The writing is clear and the lessons very helpful in perfecting your knowledge of Photoshop CS2. This book allows you to learn at your own rate without spending mega-bucks on a one day workshop. If your are hesitating about this book, don't - GO FOR IT!
The best book ever!.......2007-05-15
I remember the first book I purchased was Photoshop 4 Artistry. That was back in 1996. I was astonished by the book when I started reading at the time. I was the happiest guy on earth. The book simply tells you everything about the software and concepts of photography that is concerned for professional photographers which is my case. It is still the best book about Photoshop in my opinion, especially if you really want to know how to use the pen to create paths, masks, channels, and all the tools to manipulate your photos. I did not need to buy anymore books about Photoshop since I know what to do in my day by day work, but something in the air told me to check this one, The Photoshop Artistry (CS2). I thought, well ten years has passed by let's see what these guys from New Riders would have implemented beyond the prior mentioned book. The digital section alone is worthwhile buying the book, not to mention the rest. The new format of the book is also very interesting. Top notch! The best ever, you are not going to find a better book about Photoshop and photography all together!
Too basic.........2007-04-25
I just received this book and I'm quite disappointed. Firstly if you are familiar with Photoshop you may find this book way too basic. Even if you are a beginner there are better and more thorough books to help you master Photoshop. This book doesn't examine topics in depth enough to serve as a good teaching aid.
If you are an advanced user looking to learn something new, this book is not the place to find it. While I'm sure that it has some merit, I personally found it too shallow in its coverage; nether suitable for the beginner nor the experienced user.
good book .......2007-02-13
bought brand new -- but it looked used when it got here - front cover was torn and the pages were folded together -- the book itself is useful for photoshop
Book Description
Are you already up to speed on the fundamentals of Flash? Do you know how create simple animations and write elementary ActionScript? If so, you’re ready to move beyond the basics.
Macromedia Flash 8 Beyond the Basics is all about stepping to that next level. This book expands your skill set and shows you how to integrate those skills with advanced ActionScript. Through a series of carefully developed, step-by-step exercises and demo movies, you’ll learn how to build a professional, interactive Web siteâusing source files and designs supplied on the book’s CD-ROM. Along the way, you’ll learn about the new Flash 8 features: the improved text tool, new text rendering engine, new graphic filters, and more.
50+ Step-by-Step Tutorials:
• Format dynamically loaded text using HTML, CSS, and nested images
• Create an ActionScript-driven menu
• Build a preloader with MovieClipLoader class
• Add a progressively downloading, multi-track MP3 player
• Create a video player that allows users to control playback
• Build a slideshow that loads images and text dynamically
• Utilize components to create a feedback form
• Create a Flash plug-in detector
Customer Reviews:
Excellent.......2007-10-03
Excellent for beginners - easy to follow step by step format.Macromedia Flash Professional 8 Beyond the Basics Hands-On Training
Good tutorial and well structured.......2007-05-24
I believe this book taught me quite a lot. The tutorial guides you through one project from beginning to end, which also highlights the challenges in the planning phase. It may appear difficult at the beginning (and it is) but Shane explains the contents in an excellent way that makes you want to learn more. The book is definitely for an intermediate to advanced FLASH developer, who have a good grasp of actionscript. If you are new to actionscript this book is definitely NOT for you. Having said that, this book was worth it for me.
Easy to Understand.......2007-05-12
This book does a great job of explaining ActionScript techniques. It seemed like every time a question popped into my head, I found the answer right away in the next paragraph. The author explains things in a way that everyone can understand.
The only problem I had with the book was that the explanations got a little too repetitive sometimes. I think they over-explained things, but I suppose they just wanted to make sure everyone understood it.
Basically Intermediate, Slightly Beyond.......2007-04-19
Add this one to your library, folks!
This book totally lives up to it's title. It is a solid resource for getting things done with Flash. From concept to finshed product, this books walks you through the proper way to accomplish intermediate-level tasks in a straight forward manner. The step-by-step instructions are some of the best I've seen. And I've seen a lot.
It really is best to have some basic knowledge of Flash and to understand the terms and concepts used, but the beginner will also gain a lot from this book. (if they have a glossary nearby and are willing to do some work). The novice, once going through the material, will be a proud intermediate. There also a few advanced techniques touched upon.
For working designers using Flash this is a tremendously useful book. The entire book is a walk-through of building a website that has many features that will come up in design and development: The design process, fonts, integrating your tools, organization and architecture of your project, loading data from text files with LoadVars, formatting text with textFormat class, building slideshows, preloaders, forms, video and audio players, and navigation menus.
And the CD of files and videos are very well-done and extremely helpful.
HOT Books are Hot.......2007-01-04
The Flash 8 Hands-On-Training book is written in a way anyone should be able to comprehend, retain and use the lessons learned to do what they wish with Flash. I have purchased several of the HOT books, and have not been disappointed with any. A must buy!
Book Description
"I've been an admirer of Dan Gookin since he wrote DOS For Dummies and spawned the For Dummies phenomenon. He takes things to a new level with this amazing and much needed book on practical product photography. Use his advice and you'll simply make more money. Highly recommended."
—John C. Dvorak, columnist, PC Magazine
Anyone can sell their stuff online. The challenge is to do it better than the competition and get the best possible results, every time. If you're attempting to sell your guitar on eBay, a photo of Aunt Pearl June strumming it in the backyard isn't likely to cut it. Does that mean you need to hire a professional photographer or invest in expensive equipment? Not if you follow the ingenious advice in this book!
eBay Photos That Sell teaches home-spun entrepreneurs how to create professional-quality product photos using a standard digital camera and a few handy tricks and inexpensive techniques. With page after page of inspiring examples and expert insights, you'll figure out how to capture everything from hats to wineglasses to MP3 players. You'll understand what makes one photo better than another and discover how to create images that viewers connect with--ones that evoke the "I must have this" feeling. Ultimately, it will help you attract customers and make sales, without investing a lot of time or money.
Inside, you'll learn how to:
- Follow the basic rules for taking crisp, well-lit shots that outshine the competition
- Set up shots quickly in your home or office
- Create props and accessories from inexpensive items found at home or the local hardware store
- Know how and when to use your camera's features, bells, and whistles to your advantage
- Take the time to set up your photograph properly so you don't have to fix things later
- Use photo-editing software to make final adjustments
- Learn to size and format your photos effectively for the Web
- Know when a simple black background is the best way to make your image pop
- Build a safe and organized place to store your pictures so you can easily find them
Customer Reviews:
Doesn't say a whole lot........2007-09-28
I got the book so I could improve my photography skills for a online jewelry business. I learned a little about paying attention to shadows, but overall I didn't get a whole lot out of this book.
ebay photos that sell.......2007-09-27
I thought the book was a little pricey. I always justify my purchases, if the book contains at least one technicial piece of info, I did not know or it's info I was searching for.
So that being said, I justified my purchase.
It's a good informative book and has a lot of pictures as samples or this is the way to make the shot.
I would recommend this book to anyone going into EBAY as a seller.
Excellent for Much More Than Just eBay Photos.......2006-09-06
Using simple, lo-tech language and a wealth of color photos, this excellent book can teach anyone to arrange, light, photograph and even edit macro (closeup) pictures. I bought it sight unseen on a friend's recommendation, and it's even better than I thought it would be.
The instructions are always clear and simple, and every instruction is illustrated with full-color, detailed examples. The results make you look like a professional photographer (or could even make you become one!).
I've bought tons of books on Amazon; but this is the first one I've felt compelled to review, because it's so darn good.
My eBay photos will never be the same.......2006-05-19
Not being a true photographer(strictly for business) I looked through many books hoping I could find one that would help me take better photos for eBay. That's when I stumbled on this little gem. I'm sure this stuff is old hat to photo pros and hobbyists, but to those of us who don't know our f-stops from our brackets, this is a God send. My photos look so much better, that I've gotten compliments from friends and buyers (who'd a thought that!) People ask me what kind of camera I use, settings, etc. and my answer is read "eBay Photos That Sell". If nothing else the chapters of Objective and Subjective photos will help most folks (and don't forget the shower curtain). Simple stuff I know, but it makes all the difference in the world. BUY this book! You won't be disappointed.
Highly Recommended!.......2005-12-23
If one takes a look at the items up for sale on eBay, many of the items have pictures. Some of them are stock photos from the manufacturer's website, but the great majority of them are amateur photos taken with a digital camera. The photographic quality of eBay is usually on the lower end of the amateur scale, filled with distracting elements, flash reflections and a host of other problems. The goal of this book is to teach the reader how to take product photos that sell.
The authors of the book do an excellent job of guiding the reader through the process, from the initial setup to taking the photos, to editing them in software. This is a rather non-technical book, and the focus is definitely on the photography and not the image manipulation aspect of product photography. It is written to be understood by the beginner, but has useful tips for advanced photographers as well.
The book is filled with pictures to provide examples of how to transform an everyday object into a visually appealing photograph. The advice and tips given in the book helps beginners solve the common problems of home photography. It is an excellent introduction to product photography and a valuable reference book that no photographer (or eBay seller) should be without.
Book Description
State Street, that Great Street. The name itself stands the test of time, remembered by anyone who lived in or visited Chicago. It is the main artery of the heart of the city. It is where memories were made and kept. This book vividly recreates, for the first time, a Christmas holiday trip down State Street. You will visit many of the major shops and stores that existed during the 1940s and beyond, viewing old display windows and getting reacquainted with famous Christmas characters such as Weiboldtsís Cinnamon Bear, Montgomery Wardsís Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and the crown jewel of State Street, Marshall Fieldsís Uncle Mistletoe. Through these historic photographs, many never before published, you will relive the excitement of State Streetís Christmas parade, the charm of holiday dining in State Streetís fine restaurants, and the magical wonder of a childís first holiday trip to State Street, complete with a visit to Santa. ÝÝ
Customer Reviews:
What a great trip down memory lane!.......2007-02-20
Love this book...I bought 3 copies for me and my sisters, who all have fond memories of shopping "downtown" with our mother. One sister cried when she saw it as it brought back wonderful memores for her.
Sweet Memories.......2006-07-24
If you're an aging Baby Boomer, as I, and lived in the Chicago area sometime during your childhood, chances are this little book with touch your heart and bring back the fondest of memories. It's a sweet compilation of everything that's reminiscent of a journey to "downtown" Chicago during the Christmas season. Whether it be parades, shopping, choosing a new toy for under the tree, or perhaps lunching at the Walnut Room at Marshall Fields, this book hits all the high points. Touching photo's also round out the successful tale of Christmas on State Street. Sit back with a cup of cocoa and savor the memories!
Christmas in Chicago.......2006-03-26
Generally very good nostalgia. More variety in stores would be appreciated. However, I realize information is limited by historically available photography.
A Magical Chicago Christmas!.......2005-12-20
This is a beautifully arranged book detailing the opulence and grandeur of Christmas in Chicago. Amazing black and white photos capture the charm of the holidays in the Windy City.
For those of us who have visited Marshall Fields at Christmas, peered into the wonderful windows full of magical stories, this book will be a treasured keepsake of Chicago originals like Fields. Macy's will never have the appeal or class that Marshall Fields had, and we'll never forget the Walnut Room Tree or the Tiffany Dome. So long old Chicago, you were a class act.
Great Gift for the Garfield Goose Generation.......2003-11-27
Before ubiquitous, homogenous Malls, there was (and still is) Chicago's State Street, that great Street! This retrospective is an excellent gift for Baby Boomers of Chicagoland vintage who grew up with Garfield Goose and friends on WGN (before the SuperStation) and an annual magical Christmas mystical tour of State Street.
This delightful trade paperback is a return to Christmases past, a Holiday tour starting South at the old Sears Roebuck & Company and going North past the delicious themed window displays and delectable interiors of Hotel, stores, restaurants, and theatres. There is a capsulized history of each, along with a description of its Holiday finery. Great old black and white photos of people laughing, people passing, people parading and, oh yes, people shopping, are complimented by cool color photos in the middle.
There's a full page devoted to the Marshall Field's clock (7 3/4 tons of cast bronze) and a series of pictures on just how they got that huge REAL tree into the middle of the store anyway. The text is written in the stodgier AmerEnglish of the times, which adds to the charm.
What a great gift for the Garfield Goose Generation and their parents!
But,
Hey Dude!
I don't remember this "Uncle Mistletoe" dude!
Reviewed by TundraVision, Amazon Reviewer
Average customer rating:
- Even Saints Are Not "Perfect"
- Offensive
- Even saints have some clay in their feet!
- Condesending, "politically correct", biased and illogical.
- Gives a good, fair overview of Mother Teresa
|
Mother Teresa: Beyond The Image
Anne Sebba
Manufacturer: Image
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0385493568
Release Date: 1998-09-15 |
Amazon.com
Neither hatchet job nor hagiography, this biography of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate was completed before Mother Teresa's death in September 1997. It includes a chronological account of Albanian-born Agnes Bojaxhiu's early years before she founded the Missionaries of Charity in 1947. But it focuses primarily on "compelling issues which arise from her work," including a judicious evaluation of charges that Mother Teresa accepted money from dictators and that her order sometimes provided inadequate medical treatment. Anne Sebba also probes with perception the social forces underpinning Mother Teresa's lionization in the West. This is an exceptionally well-balanced assessment of Calcutta's "saint of the gutters."
Book Description
Mother Teresa of Calcutta--few figures in the twentieth century have received such adulation. This diminutive Albanian nun was frequently cited as the living embodiment of Christian kindness, received the Nobel Peace Prize, and was hailed as a living saint. Yet the respect she received was not unanimous, and toward the end of her life serious, measured criticisms were directed at this modern icon, who had once seemed beyond reproach. In her fascinating work, Anne Sebba looks carefully at all these views, giving the only objective account of Mother Teresa's life and work.
The first half of the book follows the life of young Agnes Bojaxhiu, from her childhood in Serbian-dominated Skopje, to her decision to join the religious life, to her arrival in India during the British Raj. In the second half, Anne Sebba examines the many difficult issues surrounding Mother Teresa's work: her attitudes toward abortion and rape, her association with dictators such as the Duvaliers in Haiti, her medical practices, and her fund-raising ethics. Alongside these aspects, Anne Sebba also highlights Mother Teresa's dedication to the sick, dying, and destitute, and looks at the motivation that drove this remarkable woman. Hers was an extraordinary life, full of paradox. She was a woman of enormous courage, love, and determination, and her legacy poses some of the most profound questions of our age.
Customer Reviews:
Even Saints Are Not "Perfect".......2006-01-22
I count myself as one soul especially devoted to Saints of the Catholic Church including this one. But as so eloquently explained in "Enduring Grace, Living Portraits of Seven Women Mystics" (by Carol Lee Flinders) - even the greatest of Saints will admit to shortcomings. In fact, that is what makes them so beloved by the world...and most importantly Our Lady. The humility to admit one is not what one appears to be is a virtue that is incredibly rare among a religious of this stature. The book herein, about Mother Teresa, takes a similar approach. The author most reverently admires this Saint for her enormous courage, love, perseverence and sacrifice. She simply does not elevate her to the level of "a god." I admired the author for her courage in not doing so. If you want a page-turner of a read that is full of unexpected surprises about one of the most fascinating individuals of our time, this is your book.
Offensive.......1999-12-22
I am asking myself why Ms. Sebba would devote an entire book to criticizing a woman who has given up any material possessions she may have had, located herself in an area stricken with poverty and disease (such as leprosy), and spent her life helping the destitute. It is offensive to read this knowing that the author sits in a comfortable residence in England as she searches to find fault with Mother Teresa. Has Ms. Sebba done more for the poor and destitute than Mother Teresa?
Even saints have some clay in their feet!.......1998-10-29
I already knew much about the life of Mother Teresa so I was particularly interested in reading about how her order works in various countries. I have had some experience here in Slovakia with the Missionaries of Charity. They are wonderful people who work with those that gov't organizations usually ignore. But I agree with the author that treating people in western countries as though they were living in Indian poverty (e.g., no a/c in the hospice in Washington, D.C., no washing machine here for young mothers to use for washing baby diapers and clothes)is to commit these people to a lifestyle which may do wonders for the nuns' souls but not much for those they help. I thought the book bent over backwards to present all sides of controversial issues and to show why Mother Teresa took the stands that she did. No human who ever lived on this earth was perfect (Jesus was both human and divine)and we should understand that even saints had their flaws. It's just that nowadays we can know more about them. I think this was an excellent book; I read it through in a weekend because I found it so interesting.
Condesending, "politically correct", biased and illogical........1998-07-07
By way of preface the author wrote the piece before Mother Teresa died and I read the book before publication. I have not seen it since the death of Mother Teresa. Secondly I am not a Catholic nor am I particularly fond of the dogma. However I enjoy biographies that are submissive to the subject and not patronizing to the reader or make me have to think why the author wrote what they did. The good bios are the ones where I am a witness to a person's life and do not even know the shade of the lens or the style of the frame of the glasses through which I am priviliged to observe. As I don't have the time to write with greater detail I wil summarize as follows:
A crack in the sidewalk may be insurmountable to an ant. It does not mean it is insurmonuntable. Mother T. Did what she had to do to save starving people in the most horrible of conditions. Do you judge her because she used every means possible to accomplish this? Do you fault her because her method is more the method of one born in 1910 and a stranger to the political exigencies of the author's agenda or the agenda of those others whom she intimidated by her plainess. To even give print to her very passable shortcommings in the face of her most ordinary training and the enormity of the task she was courageous to undertake is snobbery. Sebba is a snob. She wrote her piece to be counter to the then existing general satisfaction for the work of Mother T. She didn't write her piece to be a biographer.
Gives a good, fair overview of Mother Teresa.......1997-12-27
Knowing little about Mother Teresa to start with, I found the book seemed to objectively chronicle her life, even the controversial positions that she held that are usually ignored when she is spoken about. Although it becomes apparent that Mother Teresa was human and an imperfect being, this does not diminish the value she has to others as a role model.
Book Description
The Chicago White Sox are a charter member of the American League. Through a little over a century of baseball, they have accumulated a history of triumphs, scandals, and heartbreaking setbacks. The photographs in this book come from the collections of Leo Labau, Mark Fletcher, and Gerry Bilek, three lifelong White Sox fans. The images show dramatic, emotional, and light moments that could only happen in a baseball game played on the south side of Chicago. In these pages you will find showmen Bill Veeck and Harry Carey, the 1959 World Series, sluggers like Allen, Melton, Zisk, Gamble, and Kittle, and great pitchers like Peters, Horlen, and Wood. There are no world championships in this story, just the great moments of a team that hasgiven its fans great memories.
Customer Reviews:
The 2006 Champs deserve better than this !.......2006-03-02
Even if you love the White Sox like me, you won't like this book.
As another reviewer wrote "It's got typographical errors. It's got poor sentence structure. The author He's no John Steinbeck; his prose is pedestrian."
Stay away from 1959 and Beyond.
Great book for diehard fans.......2005-08-24
If you are a fan of the Sox and lived and died with them during the past 45 years you will enjoy this book. The pictures alone make this book worth the price. It has rekindled several memories of my visits to Comiskey park. The writing does look un-edited and has some rough spots. Overall this book is a great keepsake for Sox fans.
Does Go Beyond Dull Anyway.......2005-08-03
This Arcadia entry should fill a need for book-starved White Sox fans... Unfortunately, the writing lacks any verve and the picture selection seems pretty dull. These are THE best pictures the publisher could come up with ? An amateur effort, at best.
A Book Only a White Sox Junkie Could Love.......2005-07-19
It's got typographical errors. It's good poor sentence structure. It's got mediocre anecdotes about mediocre players. In short, it's a perfect book about the Chicago White Sox. (As a passionate White Sox fan, I get to say things like that!) Long before their current 2005 "season to remember," the Chicago White Sox were unforgettable losers -- the kind of team only a die-hard fan could care about, year after year after year. I am one such fan, and so is the author. He's no John Steinbeck; his prose is pedestrian. But he loves this team and his book is a lovable one for anyone else who feels the same.
A fascintating history from th efan's viewpoint.......2004-08-13
The author included some unique observations about the "obvious" significant games in White Sox history as well as some not so obvious. Book includes a fantastic number of original photos. An "easy read" great reading for any Chisox or baseball fan.
Average customer rating:
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Beyond Dieting: Psychoeducational Interventions For Chronically Obese Women (Eating Disorders Monograph Series, Vol 5)
Donna Ciliska
Manufacturer: Routledge
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ASIN: 0876305834 |
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As many earthlings already know--including more than 2 million computer users with firsthand experience--our best hope for finding extraterrestrial intelligence might just lie with an ingenious little screensaver. So it's not surprising that this introduction to searching for and communicating with intelligent life begins with some of the details behind UC Berkeley's groundbreaking, massively distributed SETI@home project, which processes intergalactic noise for pennies on the teraflop. But that's just the start of the story. Inventor and software developer Brian McConnell continues with an overview of whether and why we might find something out there, who's doing what to look for it (including the folks at Berkeley), and--once some ET picks up on the other end--what we might say and how we might say it.
This last problem, which occupies the final half of the book, proves to be the most thought-provoking, and McConnell has put together a methodical, nuts-and-bolts walkthrough of both the challenges involved and how binary code might be enlisted to solve them. If you've taken even a single computer-science class in your life, you'll probably skip ahead through explanations of data structures and Boolean arithmetic, but McConnell doesn't want to leave anyone behind in fleshing out his alien-friendly lingua numerica. The book's first half surveys various SETI projects, past and present, and includes generous sections on signal processing, what sort of radio and laser hardware has been mobilized for the search, and how exactly SETI@home works. (So, if nothing else, now you can know how your computer decides if it's talking to aliens while you're off having lunch.) --Paul Hughes
Book Description
"What do we need to know about to discover life in space?" --Frank Drake, 1961 In the early 1960s, Frank Drake, a young astronomer with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Green Bank, West Virginia, developed what is now known as the "Drake Equation" in an effort to determine how many intelligent, communicative civilizations our galaxy could harbor. For forty years, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) has combed the skies in search of signals from star systems within the galaxy. In Beyond Contact: A Guide to SETI and Communicating with Alien Civilizations, author Brian McConnell goes behind the scenes and examines what goes into the search for intelligent life. SETI is a four-step process. First we have to know where to look; then we must be able to send and receive signals to that star system. Once signals arrive, scientists then need to be able to interpret those signals into something that can be understood. And although we haven't yet received any signals (except for our own Earth-based transmissions), we'll eventually have to figure out a protocol for responding. Beyond Contact introduces you to:
- The history of SETI research, including the early searches of Project Ozma, traditional radio astronomy, the search for intelligence in optical wavelengths (known as Optical SETI, or OSETI), and the SETI@home project.
- An overview of the Drake Equation and the Rare Earth Hypothesis, which scientists use to estimate the number of planets in our galaxy that could harbor intelligent, communicative life forms.
- How signals are sent and received over interstellar distances. The author explains the principles of signal and image processing, and how SETI researchers identify and process analog signals using Fourier transforms to see how the power in a signal is distributed across different frequencies.
- How to build a general-purpose symbolic language for sending signals, and even computer programs, with present-day SETI equipment. The ability to transmit computer programs enables us to let another civilization know about our knowledge and technological capabilities.
The author also shows how SETI research--though often thought to be a mere flight of fancy--has spawned technological improvements in astronomy, computers, and wireless communications. Beyond Contact: A Guide to SETI and Communicating with Alien Civilizations sidesteps the "little green men" approach to take a hard, realistic look at the technologies behind the search for intelligent life in our universe.
Customer Reviews:
Awesome!.......2007-07-12
This is the kind of book you need to understand the details of SETI, how does it work, what its limitations would be, and what technology is behind. It is an excellent addition to your personal library if you are a tech-savy and enjoy learning about science and technology.
Get's down to the skinny when it comes to communicating with aliens.......2007-06-20
This is a very all-encompassing book about extraterrestrial communication, and goes to considerable length explaining how it would be done through binary language. It is a very intelligent book about life on other planets, The Drake Equation, etc. People need to know what they're getting into if they buy this book - it really is for those who have a more technical/scientific bent towards the whole SETI process. If you think Speilberg's ET or Sagan's Contact are the bees knees when it comes to intellectual sci-fi, then this book is definitely not for you. I should point out that there is a direct correlation between a person's IQ and how high a score they give this excellent tome.
can't take it seriously.......2002-04-15
Here's a book that superficially looks like a serious technical discussion of SETI, even to the point where many potential readers may be intimidated by the diagrams, equations, jargon, and so on. But in reality, it's very lacking in solid scientific information.
For example: On page 116, one of the factors mentioned as a limit to OSETI (finding laser beacons and such) is extinction--the attenuation of light due to dust in the intersteller medium. This, it is said, limits our ability to see laser beacons to "a few dozens light years" for visible wavelengths. Really?? Then how come you can go and see stars farther away than that with your naked eye? Oh, because they're brighter! Well, how bright does a laser beacon need to be? How much attentuation is there, in per cent, dB or whatever, at, say, 100 light years? How much does a beam spread out over, say, 100 light years? How much variation in the signal is there over time as a result of dust? Not a BIT of quantitative data on this stuff!
Like all other SETI enthusiasts I've seen, they also ignore another issue: As communication techniques get more advanced, they look more and more like random noise. Our millions of chattering cell phones and internet hosts will almost certainly be undetectable to anyone outside the earth environment, let alone the solar system: Those transmissions have no directionality, they are low power precisely because they are efficient and advanced, and their advanced modulation causes them to look like white noise. Consider a 300 bps modem, with its old-fashioned tone signaling; then listen to a 56k modem, which, except when it's hooking up, sounds almost like rushing steam. It's hard to escape the idea that we will only pick up radio from ET if he intentionally beams it at us, a doubtful proposition unless he's within 60 light years, as he has no way to know of OUR radio transmissions.
A final word about copy editing: I've yet to read a book with absolutely no errors, but at least they could get three-letter words like "its" right. There are other serious errors, such as missing words, the ubiquitous "different than," and other less glaring mistakes. If they can't do better than that, perhaps they should just record audio tapes.
All in all, about a third of the way through, I decided that other books must surely be able to better satisfy my curiosity on this subject.
A decent review of the basics, but more than a little dry.......2002-03-13
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I like the idea of this book, but the execution left a bit to be desired.
The first two sections ("Are We Alone?" and "Getting a Dial Tone") do a passably good job of introducing some of the basics of interstellar communication, ably introducing both the fundamentals of radio and optical technologies and the unique challenges of communicating a signal (any signal; the details of the signal to be sent are reserved for Part III) across interstellar distances.
Problems with the first two sections are:
(1) inconsistent readability: the author seems not to have found a consistent tone for the book, and wanders between wide-eyed pie-in-the-sky speculation and bone-dry technical detail;
(2) organizational flaws: the author routinely discusses a concept or entity throughout early chapters without a decent introduction or explanation, only to treat the subject in question at length (with the proper explanatory introduction) later in the text -- the discussion of the SETI@home distributed computing project is particularly guilty of this;
(3) lack of investigative reporting: almost every piece of information in these sections could have come out of a textbook or a web search, and it's clear that the author hasn't bothered to interview the movers and shakers in the SETI community and find out anything much about the "story behind the story," which might have made for some interesting reading;
(4) bad editing: there is a typo every few pages, which is a minor beef but in the age of spell-checkers hardly excusable.
Nonetheless, if you've never read a "Scientific American" article about SETI, the first two sections of the book would be educational. If you have any exposure to SETI prior to picking up the book, chances are that you won't learn very much (except possibly about optical SETI/CETI, which relies on the production and/or detection of laser light aimed at a specific star system, and which is grossly undertreated in the literature).
The third section ("Communicating with Other Worlds") treats the specifics of the author's ideas about what sort of message could be sent by us (or, by extension, might be received by us from others). The author makes an analogy between modular messages encoded in binary code and genes encoded by DNA, and sets up one potential system that might be used to send a complex message from star A to star B. This section is definitely the weakest in the book, for the following reasons.
(1) It treats at punishingly great length only one possible system of a presumably great many for communicating with alien intelligences, glossing over other approaches in favor of a detailed treatment of the author's pet approach. While I don't have a specific complaint with the approach described, I will say that as a working biologist, I found the author's biologically motivated analogies ("igenes," "binary DNA") strained and in some cases laughable. It probably makes the material "sexier" in the computer-science and SETI literature, but as a life scientist I mostly winced a lot.
(2) In part because of this, the author doesn't put his approach in any kind of context -- e.g., how else might we do it?
(3) It's way too long and inappropriately detailed: a great deal of theory of computation stuff that's not at all unique to SETI or the challenge of communicating with a non-human intelligence ends up in this section, and I don't think that benefits the reader more than just saying, "We'll send computer programs using the benefit of knowledge reaped from the maturing fields of cryptography and computer science and our impressive knowledge of the physical universe," and focusing more on reasons why any approach like this has shortcomings and might not work regardless of how clever you are.
All that having been said, this is an OK book. I wouldn't recommend that it be the only thing that you read about SETI, nor would I recommend that you read it cover-to-cover (unless you have troubles with insomnia), but if you're an avid reader of the SETI literature, it certainly can't hurt to pick this one up.
A highly technical book on interstellar communication.......2002-01-15
Readers who want a general introduction to questions related to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence should look elsewhere. This is a highly technical book on the techniques and problems of communication across interstellar distances. People with strong backgrounds in science or engineering may find this material fascinating, but general readers soon will get lost. Overall rating (for techies): four stars.
Book Description
Queer Images chronicles representations of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer sexualities over one hundred years of American film. The most up-to-date and comprehensive book of its kind, it explores the ever-changing images of queer characters onscreen as well as the work of queer filmmakers and the cultural histories of queer audiences--from the works of discreetly homosexual filmmakers during Hollywood's Golden Age and classical Hollywood's attempt to purge sex perversion from films, to queer exploitation and physique films, cinematic responses to AIDS, and how contemporary Hollywood deals with queer issues. An essential volume for film buffs and anyone interested in sexuality and culture. Visit our website for sample chapters!
Book Description
Microsoft Expression Suite promises new levels of power in creating rich dynamic user experiences on the web; Expression Web, one of the excellent programs within the suite, is a powerful web site creation tool that allows you to rapidly build up standards-compliant web pages, style them with CSS, add dynamic ASP.NET functionality to them, and publish them to the web--all from the comfort of one program.
Foundations of Microsoft Expression Web: The Basics and Beyond is one of the first books available on the program. The author--expert MS trainer and MVP Cheryl D. Wise--starts with the very basics, and then takes you to an advanced level through a series of practical real-world exercises. No prior knowledge of Microsoft Expression Suite is assumed, and the book is written with a highly professional tone. This makes it extremely useful whether you're a beginner or an advanced web developer or designer who wants to make use of the software.
Customer Reviews:
Learning.......2007-09-12
The format of the tutorials are not consistant throughout the book, but I have been able to follow them and complete them. I do like the definitions and tips in this book.
Exemplary content and presentation!.......2007-09-10
It's true that the tech editting was a bit below expectations (as mentioned in other reviews), but this is a bleeding edge book and I've come to exect that.
What you get here, however, is not watered-down or rushed content: this book has exhaustive coverage of Expression Web. Cheryl is extremely good at presenting complex material in an easy-to-understand manner.
Good Practical Guide To Microsoft Expression Web.......2007-08-03
Cheryl does not waste any time in getting right to the point in this easy to read book that is well done in thought and layout. (Minus the spelling errors that tend float around)
Cheryl lays out what you need for your web design clearly, how to find what your looking for, clear examples of how to put them together including extra goodies such as using PayPal and then finally putting the entire Web Design together and publishing your Web site.
Cheryl uses a good number of screen shots to show clear examples of exactly what she is showing in her book. I found these to be very useful in going over her well thought out book. She also address legal and usability issues which are often overlooked by many new web designers and shows somes of Cheryls years of experience as a Microsoft MVP coming to excellent use.
Last Cheryl does a excellent job of diving into the world of CSS and beyound and helped me out greatly as much of that was a bit of a mystery world and she makes it seem rather simple with her clear and concise explanation.
I would say this is a "must have" for anyone just getting into Microsoft's Expression Web, good for first time user or someone that has done some web design and is in need of a little brushing up. Cheryl has some great idea's that are easy to follow
Disappointing product.......2007-07-25
Frankly, this is a disappointing product. It does have numerous typos, as other reviewers have noted (confusing a backslash with a "normal" slash on page 126, telling us to double-click an entry on page 117 when a single-click is required, are two typical examples). However, the biggest shortfalls are its lack of explaining the foundations clearly, and its important omissions. The book tends to "explain" by just showing us the underlying code, which only minimally helps us to understand. We are not told how to import an existing Web site, or how to handle frames, just two important topics not dealt with here. Jim Cheshire's "Using Microsoft Expression Web" is far better, both in its clarity of explanations, and in its completeness.
Beyond Horrible.......2007-07-05
Absolutely do not waste your money on this book. Now, this lady is supposed to teach you how to design websites with this book. Then when you try to down load the excercises on her website the links don't work, or some of the excercises aren't in the right file. Most of the links are dead and then the contact link doesn't work. And she is supposed to be a professional site designer. Please! This book sucks. This book does nothing but have you reading code which is fine if you want to write code. The purpose of expression web is to cut down on writing html. If you are going to think about buying this book do yourself a favor and just flush your money down the toilet it'll save you a headache. After having to skip chapter 3 and 5 because of non working excercise links and not wanting to waste time "writing" the exercises using the tedious code I gave up and will keep searching for a decent book on expression
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