5 comments about Windows NT Shell Scripting (Circle).

1. I like this book because unlike many technical books, the first three chapters aren't a pedestrian introduction to the basic fundamentals. This book spends chapter 1 with insight, similar to the way Applied Cryptography immediately gives you knowledge. I'm an experienced NT command shell user, and this book was valuable for me as well.
   The DOS shell has become a requirement and skill relegated to the background by the direction of Microsoft curriculum, this book explains it and teaches it.

   The authors instructions are easy to follow, without doting like the Teach Yourself "whatever" in 24 hour books, Tim Hill doesn't waste your time, or your money.




2. If you have a bit of programming experience, this book together with access to the NT Resource Kit tools will provide you with the foundation for doing almost anything you could imagine within Windows NT Shell Scripting.

   The book can be used both as a tutorial and a reference for Windows NT scripting and gives good examples of the commands, tools and concepts covered. For Windows NT, this book does the job as your Shell Scripting Bible in less than 400 pages.

   Since Windows NT 4.0, a lot has happened in the Windows scripting field though. With the release of Windows 2000 and the subsequent Windows XP and .NET Server, shell scripting has become much more powerful. A second edition of this book covering the new commands and tools would be most welcome. Until one exists, you might also want to look at newer books covering shell scripting for operating systems based on the Windows NT kernel.

   You might also want to look at other, often more powerful ways to script your Windows NT-based environment. For that matter I recommend looking at other books covering WSH (Windows Script Host), ADSI and WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation).




3. Great book on NT shell commands that Microsoft doesn't even document. Not even "command /?" gives you any help.

   Great for reference and to learn.




4. Although this book was authored in 1998, it is still as relavent today with Windows Server 2003 as it was when Windows NT 4.0 was first released. The fact is that the Command Shell hasn't changed all that much over the years and Timothy Hill's book remains the best guide to using and writing command scripts that I could ever recommend. And with Windows Server 2003's push to be able to do everything from the command line that one can do from the GUI, it's even more important to fully understand how the Windows Command Shell works.
   
   Windows NT Shell Scripting is less about Windows NT than it is about how to write shell scripts. It covers the details of using the Command Shell in interactive mode, its configuration and how the 32-bit Command Shell differs from the 16-bit DOS box. Then it delves into the structure and syntax of the Command Shell language, providing a clear understanding of how the program control features such as IF and FOR work. Finally, it shows you how to create sophisticated shell scripts using the internal commands and external command-line utilities included with Windows and their Resource Kits.
   
   Not everything in this book has survived the test of time. The old task scheduler using the AT command, though still supported in current version of Windows, has been mostly replaced by more powerful Scheduled Tasks of Windows 2000 and later. And you will want to supplement this book with a modern reference of the utility programs available for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 (such as OReilly's "Windows Server 2003 In A Nutshell"). Yet this represents only a small part of the book and majority of material stands up very well. Certainly there is no better and more in-depth tutorial for building command scripts than Timothy Hill's book.



5. I have a friend that recommended me this book and I have to agree with him that this was a very well written book. Don't let the fact that the title says "Windows NT" discourage you from getting this book. There is a lot of useful information in this book that is still standard practice for scripting in Server 2003. Probably one of the few and only outdated commands in the book is the AT command that was replaced by SCHTASK. Even then, the author goes into detail on how these different commands work and how to use them in your work environment to you benefit. I recommend this book as a learning tool and as a reference for my fellow scripting brethren.

3 comments about Landscape Drawing Step by Step.

1. I really enjoy his style of drawing. The step by step approach is perfect for this left brain person who is trying to learn how to draw landscapes. I was very pleased with the outcome of my pictures after following the steps. Also encourage you to look at Janet Wittle's Draw & Sketch Landscapes - sketch & draw with confidence in 6 steps or less. Both of these are great step by step books.



2. I have found the book very good on the ways to do Landscapes ,bushes,rocks
   and water.How to get the right shadows and placement.It has been very helpful.



3. I have to say that this book is an extremely enjoyable introduction to the art of landscape drawing. I would recommend it for those starting out.
   The explanations and examples are clear and concise. The exercises given are good and the introduction on what materials are required have been very helpful.

5 comments about Never Eat Anything Bigger Than Your Head & Other Drawings.

1. This was my roommate's book and I read it back in the 70's. It was so hysterical we used to laugh until we thought we'd wet ourselves. I sometimes think about funny cartons/sayings and I'm still laughing about it 20+ years later. I'm amazed I remembered the name of the book, but I did, so here I am. I'm ordering it today. I'm going to keep it at work, and when things get me down, I'll look at the picture of the "Wonder Weiner Works" and I know it'll put a smile on my face.



2. Kliban was definitely one of the best. I discovered his work in used book stores and was hooked the moment I saw it. What started was a manic tour to find all of his books. Next was convincing everyone I knew at the time that Kliban was a genius. Some bought, some flinched.

   Kliban's work would have no home in today's "funny pages." It's entertainment for adults (he began his career with Playboy magazine) and his work is scattered with obscenity and nudity. None of it is gratuitous. One thing that heavily separates Kliban's work from other cartoonists' is its depth. Social commentary mixed with metaphysics mixed with surrealism. When he's funny he's gut-wrenchingly funny. When he's profound he's deeply profound (not many cartoonists' work can be called 'profound'). He also uses the pun in a way I've never seen before. He either goes over the top and makes you gag(e.g., "Why do you hang out with that sadist?" "Beats me!"), or is very subtle and hilarious (e.g., A buffalo saying "I never met an Indian I didn't like, with the possible exception of Kahlil Gibran"). His work is nonsensical, absurd and funny.

   This book includes classics such as "The Birth of Advertising", "Patron Saint of Crullers", "Contaminated Pork Bldg", "The Hairy Family Singers", "Continuous Eye Persons", "Philosophers Looting a Small Town", and many others that defy description.

   Kliban's closest equivalent in cartooning must be Argentina's Quino. If you're a fan of Kliban, most likely you'll appreciate Quino's work (though some knowledge of Spanish is helpful).

   Sadly, a lot of Kliban's work is difficult to find these days. His "safer" books like "Cat" are readily available, but his more edgy work seems to have nearly vanished. Perhaps someday if mainstream humor revisits off-the-wall absurdism Kliban's work will be appreciated for what it was.




3. B. Kliban is a pre-Larson cartoonist with some similar traits. Kliban is much more cerebral, however. My college roommate had this book and "Tiny Footprints" and I was hooked. "Soup to Nuts" is a classic.



4. This is very funny stuff. I remember getting this book in college. It's still just as funny or perhaps more funny today!!



5. The B. Kliban book, "Never Eat Anything Bigger Than Your Head," was the most original, funniest and thought-provoking cartoon series that I've ever seen. For humor value I also like New Yorker cartoons, but they are locked in a kind of workplace suburban conventionality that seems less original than Kliban, and anyway they use multiple authors for their body of work.
   
   A "predecessor" of Gary Larsen? Having had Kliban's book and then seeing Gary Larsen's series, Larsen's work is clearly derivative of Kliban, sort of like J.K. Rowling coming after J.R.R. Tolkein.
   
   The book is still funny and mind-stretching, and my original 70s paperback copy is falling apart, so I'm taking the trouble to track down another copy.
   
   Anyway, as far as I'm concerned this book is at the top of the heap of original cartoon humor and actually represents a new way of looking at everything in terms of parody from the early 70s on. Buy it if you dare.

5 comments about The Art of The Lion King.

1. This book is one of the most exquisite things to come out of The Lion King. The graphics are beautiful. Most of the pictures are ones that are used for the storyboard and layout scenes. I reccommend it to anyone who loves The Lion King, or just Disney in general. Order with confidence - the book is worth much more than its price tag. It is also much more convient than the larger, more expensive version which I believe is no longer being produced.



2. I received this book as a birthday present last month. To say the least, I was overwhelmed with all the artwork in this book. I love it! The artwork and production animation is breathtaking! It's a really awesome book, I'd get it if I were you! You can't go wrong with "The Art of The Lion King"!!!



3. Apart from the fact that my copy was close to pocket size, i thought that this book was fantastic. Not only does it come filled with amazing concepts, it also is accompanied with the Lion King Storyline. As an illustrator and student animator, it is a wonderful addition to my resources. The sketches through to the complete full colour images are for any Lion King fan, artists or just someone wanting a beautiful coffee table book. If your from overseas like myself and cannot get these kind of books in Australia, i reccommend Amazon and their associate stores. Buy this, its great.



4. 
   "The Lion King," Disney's 32nd animated film proved to be a smashing success, appealing to young, old, and those in between. As it filled movie houses, Disney mania swept the country again. The breathtaking visual effects that fascinated so many are brought to stunning life in "The Art of the Lion King" by Christopher Finch.
   
   This lavish folio-size volume traces the creative process utilized in making the film, from black and white sketches to glorious full-color reproductions and even splendid fold-outs, one exhibiting the surreal beauty of the African natural world.
   
   Actor James Earl Jones, the voice of Mufasa the Lion King in the film, contributes the foreword, while the text is by Christopher Finch, author of "The Art of Walt Disney."
   
   Those fascinated by the art of animation and those touched by the story of Mufasa, Simba and Scar will treasure this color and fact filled memento.
   
   - Gail Cooke



5. I tend to do things without paying as much attention as I should, like buying this book without researching it's details.
   
   I bought the book because my 5 year old daugher loves to draw, and because she's nuts over the Lion King at the moment. I figured it would be great for her to see not just finished work (like what winds up on television) but to also see sketches, concept drawing and paintings, and the like.
   
   So I bought it. When I received it and saw it's pocket size I was so happy! It's absolutely the perfect size for a little kiddo like her, but the content is professional, serious and mature as I had expected. It's hard cover, totally full of pictures, and has glossy pages printed on high-quality paper. Some folks might have been put off by the size but for my purposes it was more than perfect!
   
   We have great fun looking through it together and looking at all the different styles of artwork. If you or your kid likes to draw or paint, and likes this movie, You'll really be sorry if you don't buy a copy. No I don't work for Disney or Amazon. I just like to encourage and support my childs love for art any chance I get, and boy was this a great addition to her library.

5 comments about The Big Book of Urban Legends (The Big book Series).

1. This is the first book in Paradox Press's "Big Book of" series, and it's also the best (they are all worth reading, though).

   Written by the most knowledgable -- and funniest -- expert on urban folklore, Jan Harold Brunvand, "The Big Book of Urban Legends" is a treasure trove of too-good-to-be-true stores. The artwork, by a crowd of comic book artists, is great too.

   This is one of those books you'll keep re-reading, over and over. It's that good. Trust me.




2. I have read a few similar books to this one such as the Darwin Awards trilogy and can say without doubt this is a lot better and funnier. This urban legend collection is also in a different format to the other collections in that every tale is presented as a one or two page comic book strip which adds imagery to the tale. To be honest the artist's imagery is not always as good as your imagination would have been without it though. There are two hundred stories in here, some you will have undoubtedly heard before or maybe slightly different versions of the same basic tale but there will also be a lot you will be unlikely to have come across in the past. Even the big multinational company urban myths are in here too which I thought would have been left out due to legal reasons but no they are here for you to read and laugh at. There are some myths not covered in this collection but how big would this book be if everything was in here? This is a great collection which will entertain you and probably leave you searching for similar books after. Enjoy!



3. I've had this book for years and years, and it's dog-eared and stained from being read so many times. I can't count the number of times some gullible sucker has tried to pass off some urban legend as the truth; I just pull out this book and prove them wrong.
   
   Unlike the popular urban legend website Snopes, this book makes no attempt to prove or disprove the legends, but just presents them in black-and-white comic form, drawn by many different artists in many different styles - some realistic, some cartoonish; some with dialogue and some without; some graphic in their depictions and some subtle. The variety is excellent and makes each new page a discovery.
   
   This is a book I will enjoy for many years to come. I only wish there was a second volume, because there are more than enough urban legends out there to create one.



4. It's amazing to me how the "READERS" who were expecting to read a "BOOK" didn't bother to READ the description which clearly states that it is presented in a "comic strip format by a stunning variety of artists drawn from the comics mainstream." And that's the best case scenario. I would hate to think they were in a book store and bought it RIGHT OFF THE SHELF WITHOUT FLIPPING THROUGH IT FIRST.
   
   That being said, it's an excellent book for those who appreciate good storytelling through sequential art. Enjoy!



5. urban ledgends dictonary is the best i've wanted one ever since i was a kid, im a major supernatural and unexplained mysteries junkie it is great

5 comments about Beautiful Botanicals.

1. It is a beautiful book with easy to follow instructions arranged in a very organized way to help a student progress step by step. The spiral binding inside the traditional binding cover also makes it really easy to actually use this manual. It stays open flat on your table for easy reference while not looking cheap when standing in a bookcase. This book is actually worth buying and keeping. Unlike a lot of others, it doesn't disappoint and is truly informative rather than just being another pretty flower book.



2. As someone who is just beginning in botanical illustration, I could not find a better instructional book. The author teaches you what materials to buy, what typse of paper to use, and leads you step-by-step through a number of lessons covering several different types of media.
   
   I could not believe how well my first efforts turned out! I've looked through a lot of drawing books, and this is by far the best I've come across if you are interested in botanical drawing.



3. Whomever thought of the spiral binding inside the traditional binding should be knighted. That was a stroke of genius. If I am trying a new technique, I usually scan and copy a page but with this book, I just leave it open.
   
   Bente's book would be useless (as well constructed as it is,) if it weren't for her terrific explanations. She shows the same painting in different stages, tells the reader where she or he can take short cuts and is over-all a great book for the beginning or advanced student.



4. This gorgeous, well-written "how to" book for drawing and painting
   beautiful botanicals is a treasure! It is spiral bound so the book won't flip closed on you. It is written by Bente Starcke King, a Botanical Illustrator who teaches at Cornell University. She covers everything from form and perspective, materials that she uses in her demonstrations, and beautiful illustrations.
   
   She covers, with clear, easy-to-follow instructions, lessons in drawing with graphite pencil, using pen and ink, ink wash, transparent watercolor and mixed media. It's like having an instructor in a book, and you can go at your own pace.
   
   The most fascinating aspect to me is how she layers watercolors to create her luminous color illustrations. Fabulous.
   Sharyn from Portland, Oregon.



5. If you want to learn to draw and paint flowers and plants from a botanist point of view, this is probably a great book for you. I have the DVD that can be purchased to go with this book and it is also great. Bente Starke King is an incredible artist with an impressive background in botanical illustration. She begins with teaching about basic form and perspective and then teaches about the use of graphite pencil in botanical drawing and how to depict a 3-D surface using 2 step-by-step demonstrations. Next, the book progresses to Pen and Ink with two stepped demonstrations. Next, you learn ink wash and again, demonstrations are given. Chapter 5 is Transparent Watercolor and 7 step-by-step demonstrations are given. Chapter 6 is Mixed Media, where watercolor is combined with other media such as pen and ink and colored pencils, along with 6 step-by-step demonstrations. The end of the book ties the loose ends by including how to choose a mat, framing,exhibiting,
   copyright, etc..
   
   This a beautiful book that can teach you a lot about drawing and painting flowers and plants. It is well-designed and written. I like the way Bente King combines the medias and demonstrates how this method enhances the richness and textures. Her DVD is excellent. I would recommend buying both the book and DVD if you want to speed up your progress. She is a wonderful teacher.

5 comments about SCADA: Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition.

1. I had to prepared an introduction course on SCADA system. This book by himself is a complete course. I had no trouble to find information and build a 3 days course to engineer learner. They were very satisfy with the contents of this book. Thank you for your sugestion to purchase it.



2. I found this book to contain mostly dated, simplistic information and believe it to be unsuitable for an engineer. It will NOT advance the expertise of anyone with even minor expertise in this field. I'm stunned that it has ISA backing and is a second edition. Don't waste your time on this book unless you need only a casual, conceptual understanding of this subject.



3. For training technicians, this book provides an excellent introduction to how SCADA systems work. Most of the more detailed system information requires training and manuals from specific vendors who usually provide good information on their products but little in the way of a system-wide view.



4. This book is NOT suited for electrical engineers who want to learn SCADA. It is, however, adequate for business men or managers who would like to acquire a general (very general indeed)understanding of SCADA terminology. Themes within the book are treated superficially sometimes, with a greater depth in others (such as when addressing protocols) that is not consistent nor coherent. I do not recommend this book for a Power Systems Engineer, student of such systems, or any electric or electronic engineer that wishes to understand SCADA.



5. Info: I read the 3rd edition what was published in 2004.
   
   General: The book is easy to read and does not keep repeating itself. The chapters are ordered in a way that seems logical.
   
   Bookcontent:
   70% of the book has nothing to do with SCADA but is informing you on ways of communicating, which can be used for SCADA. This part was written in a time that a 1200 baud modem was state of the art equipment AND THAT WAS NOT 2004! The rest of the book gives you a global idea what the difference is between RTU's and MTU's and what they can do. Based on the fact that the communication part is completely outdated this will be as well. It did not give me any additional information on what I already new.

4 comments about The New American Swimming Pool: Innovations in Design and Construction: 40 Case Studies (New American).

1. Not just great photos and ideas. This book give details on all the pools, including geographical location, size, depth, color of plaster, type of coping and decking/terrace, etc. Although there are a lot of great books out with wonderful pictures, this one doesn't have all tropical pools, which is nice for those of us who don't have a jungle of palms! Very nice designs for those who live in temperate climates or with more traditional yards/homes. Best pool book yet.



2. ...there is absolutely nothing on construction. It's a coffee table book at best!



3. This is a great pool book if you're contemplating building a classy pool with beautiful landscaping.



4. I think the book's inside cover is close to correct...
   
   "Lavishly prodiced, The New American Swimming Pool is an invaluable and practical refernce book [Pool Owner - maybe not practical]. It is a fresh, important source of inspiration for architecture and landscape architecture enthusiasts, homeowners, architects, landscape architects, landscape designers, and pool contractors."
   
   [...]

2 comments about Draw Write Now, Book 8: Animals of the World, Dry Land Animals (Draw-Write-Now).

1. As a homeschooling mother of 3, I can honestly say I've never found a drawing instructional book that worked like this one does! The step-by-step instructions make it so easy to produce a quality drawing that after my son completed his first one, he signed his name and wrote "really!" under it because he didn't think anyone else in the family would believe that he drew it!
   
   The handwriting section is excellent as well, since the book emphasizes handwriting as art - thereby motivating kids to write as well as they draw. I've known about and used this series of books for many years and continue to be tickled pink! Try them out - I know you will be as pleased as we have been.



2. I love this series and have every one. I teach English language learners and these are useful resources for delivering the various content area curricula at a readable level. I set these up as learning centers for when I need the kids to be able to work independently so that I can work with others. When they finish the whole book we bind their pages and make a book they can read to me or to each other. Wonderful stuff!

1 comments about Waterfront Retreats.

1. My compliments to both Ana and Harper Design for this publication. This is a book about 21 uniquely Modern homes on the waterfront. Each is showcased with a floor plan, quick synopsis, and photos. It is mostly a picturebook. One of the wonderful things about this book is that it presents itself as a portfolio. You get the sense that such a presentation was handled with the sense of care and understanding that each architect himself would have put into representing his/her house had they done them individually. Unlike other books showcasing Modern architecture, this one provides a good range of solutions architects have employed to capture that "million-dollar view", whether it is siting, materials, or spatial organization. I would have rated it higher had it given the details to compliment the photography. This is a wonderful addition to any architectural library.