No comments about Secrets of Home Theater (Secrets of...).

5 comments about Home Theater for Everyone: A Practical Guide to Today's Home Entertainment Systems.

1. This author obviously knows what he's talking about, but the book is dated and too detailed on some topics and not enough detailed on other topics to really provide a good broad brush of the topic. There's lots on audio, but not enough on much of what is going on today, like Windows XP Media Center Edition and PVRs and DirecWAY and other things. This is a consumer electronics focus in an increasingly broader industry. I've put a lot more into my home theater than he's talked about. I'm buying Home Theater for Dummies to see what they say -- their outline is broader and their edition is just out.



2. Much of the information in this book is good, but a couple of issues need to be addressed. Tomlinson Holman, a good engineer, is the man behind both the THX professional cinema house certification and the Home THX certification program for home theater components. I have a substantial issue with, particularly, the latter because it consists of a secret set of parameters, which are divulged only to licensees under nondisclosure. Because the requirements are themselves secret, how can anyone judge their validity, or the comparative value of the certification?

   Mr. Harley, on the other hand, is no engineer at all, nor even a hands-on amateur, but a promoter. He combines occasionally astute observations with technical nonsense, so that even when his conclusions appear to make sense you have no idea how he got there. Simply put, he often either doesn't know what he's talking about, or he does and is simply writing what equipment vendors and the gullible want said.




3. Robert Harley is a "high-end audiophile" and you need to keep that in mind when reading thru any of his books. In "Home Theater For Everyone", he provides a lot of useful information. But he also supplies a lot of "hokum" as well. That is, there is much in this books that he states as fact when infact it is nothing more than his own (often erroneous) opinion.
   
   If you are already well-versed in audio/video equipment, you'll know when Mr. Harley goes "off-the-wall" with his crazy statements and conclusions. But if you're new to the world of audio/video, I say "buyer beware". If you follow all of Mr. Harley's advice, you will end up spending thousands of dollars on overpriced equipment and unnecessary frills.
   
   Buy the book for the great general information Mr. Harley provides. But be wary of some of his conclusions and advice. One area where I strongly agree with Mr. Harley is when he advocates to do your own shopping and make your own judgements.



4. I purchased this book as a requirement for a new job. I recently left the practice of law and went to work for a company that designs, sells and installs home theaters. Having graduated from law school, one would think I could understand just about everything. Wrong. This book touts itself as one that is for the masses - the everyday schmo who is looking to do this themselves. While extraordinarily well written, it is NOT for everyone. It is overly complex and technical for the everyday guy and is more apropos for electrical engineers or experts in the field. finally, the issue I received was supposed to be a recent edition and, if it was, it's already painfully out of date and needs revamped.



5. I have been keeping up with AV via periodicals and product pamphlets. This was to me not a lot of new information but for folks who are just starting out, this would be a GREAT place to begin. Not too tech-y, tech-y enough when it needs to be. A decent overall offering that does what it says.

5 comments about A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare: 1599.

1. In this insightful and innovative book, Shapiro adopts the reverse approach to the usual. Instead of analysing the plays to find the man, he explores the life to illuminate the plays. The result is a revelation of both.
   
   A Prologue describes the building of the Globe from timbers secretly transported across the Thames by Shakespeare and Co. from The Theatre (on which the lease had expired). Then Shapiro trains his lens on 1599, dividing it into its four "seasons". Maintaining dynamic readability throughout, each season deals with a set of preoccupations at national, professional, and personal levels:
   
   1. Winter - Shakespeare's artistic differences with his comic star, Will Kemp; the run-up to Essex's Ireland campaign, with mobilisation and departure - as well as pacifism.
   
   2. Spring - logistics of building the Globe; censorship, book-burning and history; the appropriation of religious holidays for politcal purposes.
   
   3. Summer - paranoia in London with rumours of a second Armada invasion); Shakespeare's anguish at an unauthorised, cobbled-together edition of his poems; sincerity, fakery, and learning the true nature of love.
   
   4. Autumn - the decline of chivalric values and rise of empire via merchant-adventurers and the East India Company; the impact of Montaigne's essays on soliloquies; and finally, an elucidation of how the various versions of "Hamlet" reveal Shakespeare's changing view of this most problematic play.
   
   Shapiro correlates these topics with the themes and language of Henry V, Julius Caesar, As You Like It, and Hamlet (the four dramas Shakespeare wrote in 1599). He also provides us with details so unexpected as to be poignant - for example, Shakespeare changing horses while riding home to Stratford. These touches reveal what critics formerly called "Shakespeare the Man" - but there's minimal speculation here, with skilful deployment of primary sources. Also the texture of Elizabethan court and civic life is stunningly evoked.
   
   So we have the feeling of moving through the year "in real time" with Shakespeare. Daringly illuminating, this will make you critically re-evaluate not only Shakespeare, but other biographies and criticism. Well done indeed.



2. A joy to read.
   
   This is a magnificent book; clear, detailed and lucid.
   
   Much has been said already about this book. It gives a very clear insight into Elizabethan London towards the end of Elizabeth's reign. As a student of the Bard, Shapiro performs well in widening the discussion to mention the theatre-going habits of plebs and aristocracy alike; how Shakespeare and his players would have attended palaces which informed his works. Shapiro notes the echoes of Catholicism, the threat of another Spanish invasion, the deeply unsettling rebellion in Ireland, even the confusion over the calendar and holy/national days. Given the difficulties and expense of publishing in the 1600's, I suppose it is possible to read every individual item published in 1599, and the comprehensiveness of the author's grasp of Elizabethan London, makes me believe he may have done so.
   
   All told extremely well, he plots Shakespeare's emergence as a serious playwright, who eschews the popular trivialities and takes on large questions of politics and personality.
   I was less impressed with the later discussions of Shakespere's rewrites of the great plays of 1599, however it is a work of great learning, synopsized very well and told in an engaging style.



3. While we have his magnificent plays and poetry, we know little about Shakespeare the man. We have the dry details of his birth, marriage, and death, the birth and death of his children, his education at Stratford Grammar School, his will, and some business and legal records. We can infer a little from what others wrote about him, especially in the 1623 First Folio; and we can extrapolate a bit more from what we know of the London theater scene and its denizens during the Elizabethan period. But the stuff of a real biography -- what Shakespeare was thinking, feeling, and experiencing during his life -- perforce are matters only for speculation.
   
   It is truly remarkable, therefore, that Professor Shapiro uses this small heap of facts to bring Shakespeare brilliantly to life. Shapiro focuses on Shakespeare's life during 1599, which Shapiro forcefully argues was the year Shakespeare began his transformation into one of the greatest dramatists of all time. It was a year in which Shakespeare and his partners built the Globe Theatre where the Chamberlains Men / Kings Men would perform for the rest of his career. It was also the year in which Shakespeare ground out masterpieces in all three of his genres of history, comedy, and tragedy: Henry V, Julius Caesar, As You Like It, and Hamlet. Linking his sensitive and erudite explications of these plays to contemporary political developments (such as the bogged-down English invasion of Ireland and the threat of Spanish invasion), occurrences in the rapidly changing Elizabethan theater world (e.g., the diminishing roles of clowns like Shakespeare's partners Will Kemp and Robert Armin), literary trends (such as the development of self-expository monologue in Montaigne's essays and Shakespeare's soliloquies) and events in Shakespeare's own life (e.g., his quest for middle-class status as evidenced by his application for a coat of arms), Professor Shapiro paints a colorfully vibrant portrait of Shakespeare and the competitive theater business in which Shakespeare became so prominent as both a creator and an entrepreneur.
   
   I don't know enough about Shakespeare to have an independent opinion about whether Shapiro overstates the case for the crucial nature of the year 1599. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Although a product of deep learning, it is beautifully written and compellingly readable, and makes Shakespearean scholarship accessible even to a general reader like me. It also made me want to read many of the plays again, which I haven't since school days. Whether you love the Bard, or haven't thought much about him since you were forced to read the plays in school, this book is a wonderful and essential companion to Shakespeare's works.



4. The year is 1599. "A year in the life..." takes a new look at the Bard ( if this is possible after the rivers of ink that have been written ) by concentrating on a thoroughly researched year in the history of Enland and Queen Elizabeth I, and melding it in with a prolific year in the works of Shakespeare (Henry V, Julius Ceaser, As you Like it , Hamlet). The result is fascinating, and sheds another ray of light, this time from a different angle , on the man of the millenium.



5. A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare by James Shapiro takes a novel approach in its presentation of Shakespeare. It resists both the urge to give a birth to death account of Shakespeare's life and the urge to form extensive conjectures based on what little is actually known about Shakespeare. Instead, it focuses on not only a pivotal year in Shakespeare's writing career but also a pivotal year in the history of England, 1599. This is the year the Globe was erected and Shakespeare wrote Henry the Fifth, Julius Caesar, As You Like It, and Hamlet. A Year in the Life discusses, in depth, the highly volatile and dangerous political context in which Shakespeare was writing and performing. Queen Elizabeth was aging without a clear successor in line for the throne; England was at war with Ireland and feared an invasion from the Spanish Armada. Free speech was not something that existed in 16th century England, and playwrights as well as common housewives were put in prison and punished for subversive speech. In this context, Shakespeare managed to escape prison, unlike several fellow playwrights, while he both wrote and performed in politically relevant plays that spoke to his contemporary audience. In his fascinating book, Shapiro sets the historical and political stage of 1599 and places Shakespeare and his plays firmly on it. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in biographical and historical information about Shakespeare.

5 comments about Sound Studio Construction on a Budget.

1. as another reviewer says, this appears to be the previous edition of what is currently titled "how to build a small budget recording studio....". also, as another reviewer has noted, you dont have to read it in order -- each example project its its own chapter with its own self-contained presentation. each example does stress diffferent design goals that translate to different acoustic treatments.

   its a little annoying that every page seems to be an advertsemen for an rpg product. this is mitigated by the author's inclusion of journal and patent references that tell you everything you need to know to build these treatments yourself if you like. or if your budget doesnt allow for the beautiful wood forms from rpg, just take the keywords and run -- diffusor, absorber, abfussor -- and its easy to find someone besides rpg that makes the things using less expensive materials.

   i enjoyed the book enough that i'm ordering the next edition. i also recommend his book on stereo theory if you want an overview of the psychoacoustics involved.




2. Too much time spent on the mathematics of sound transfer and acoustics. Not enough on how to build the studio. Could not find a "complete parts list" for any of the plans. This is not for someone looking to build a simple studio. Very technical and boring.



3. if you are on a financial budget, you are likely on a time budget, and this book can be a time sucker. it reminded my of my high school trigonometry book. I didn't spend much time with that, either. To the defense of the writer, my friends in the business who actually know what they are doing, swear by this guy and his books. I, however, am just trying to make a room in my house sound a little better, and could care less to know about the science behind it any more than I care about the science behind a combustion engine while I'm driving. I recommend 'basic home studio design' by paul white. simple, small, easy, the minimum that you need to know- but as much as i think 90% would need.



4. This book is an update of Everest's classic "Acoustic Design for Home and Studio". It is great for what it is. For more capable types, Everest's "Master" book is more complete. This one has the basics. For those who thought this is too technical, I wonder how they expect to deal with the other aspects of audio engineering. Just knowing how to twist a knob is not a path to excellence.
   
   In actuality this is a well written, very direct primer, starting with very basic physics, and leading to easy design engineering. It's not hard to calculate, design, finance or construct good acoustics, and the payoff is huge. It does require a modest amount of work, and calculations to get good data. Remember: "Garbage in, garbage out." Acoustics control your recording and playback. This book will give you a fighting chance.



5. This book is useless if you already own "The Master Handbook of Acoustics" by the same author. However as the title suggests it's all about being on a budget, which it explains fairly well. If you are building a projects studio in your house for example..this is a must read.

5 comments about Shakespeare's Scribe (Shakespeare Stealer).

1. This book, a sequel to Blackwood's Shakespeare's Scribe, is a worthy follow-up, but does not surpass the fun and excitement of the first volume. Slightly sluggish, somewhat bloated, "Scribe" is surprisingly slower than "Stealer", despite the opportunities for high drama given the subject matter. The main character, Widge, discovers the man who may -- or may not -- be his father. As he did in his first volume, Blackwood offers Widge a number of moral dilemmas which make for very interesting reading for the target audience, young teens. As a father who read this book out loud to his two sons, I appreciate the historical accuracy of Elizabethan England that Blackwood includes, incorporating issues of poverty, starvation, and the Plague, all of which were prevalent during this time. With a little tighter editing and about 30 fewer pages, this could have been a stronger overall effort.



2. This book is most definitely a great sequel to The Shakespeare Stealer. It reveals a little more about Widge's (the protagonist)life, and it really links up to the first one, so read the first one first. 2 thumbs up, blah blah blah blah.



3. Shakespeare's scribe is filled with non-stop humor, being an avid reader I am critical of books, but this and the preceding book in this series are both great. Shakespeare's Scribe is suited for just about anyone combining significant history, witty humor, but also touching emotion. I would recomend this book to anyone.



4. After enjoying "The Shakespeare Stealer" I wondered whether I would like the second book or be disappointed. I am happy to say that it did not let me down! I think the strength of these books is the expert weaving of an interesting story (which also gives a fascinating feel for Elizabethan England) with the personal struggles of the main character. Underneath the delimna of the first book is Widge's introduction to the concept of family; the new experiences of loyalty and belonging complicate Widge's choices--and their consequences. In the midst of the hard times of this book, Widge faces insecurities about his identity and abilities. His desparation to keep the family he's found prompts his fear of not being valuable to that family... and to others...
   These books are quality historical fiction, and I look forward to reading "Shakespeare's Spy" with confidence. The only further note I'll make is a vote for the hardcover editions--I love the cover artwork, and I can't figure out why they didn't keep it for the paperbacks.



5. Shakespeare's Scribe is the second book in what has become The Shakespeare Stealer series. It is, in my opinion, every bit as good as the first book and in some ways even better. We get to see Widge, the orphan turned thief turned actor, continue to face new challenges he must deal with when the dreaded plague comes to London. When all the theaters are closed as a health measure, the Chamberlain's Men decide to take their company north to play in the smaller more remote towns. In the course of this action, Widge is confronted by the challenge of becoming Master Shakespeare's scribe when the playwright's arm is broken. At the same time, he must deal with the unexpected appearance not only of a clue to his mother's identity but also of a man who may, or may not, be his father. And if that were not enough, Widge must deal with a new boy actor - Sal Pavy - who seems determined to take over all of Widge's acting roles. And he must do all of this without the companionship of his closest friend Sander, who stays behind in London to help Mr. Pope take care of the orphans.
   
   Blackwood is at his best when the action is within the realm of the theater, in particular when we see Shakespeare through Widge's eyes as the playwright struggles with creating a new play. Blackwood does an excellent job of showing how much work it is and how even the great masters must at times struggle with a single line, and how moments of inspiration can come from the most unlikely circumstances. The author also does a good job of showing what going on tour meant in Elizabethan times when a company had to haul their theatrical gear over dirt roads that could quickly turn to mud, to play in towns where fear of the plague could turn people against them, and to contend with both rival theatrical groups and con-men who cheat towns by promising performances but then taking the money and disappearing. In addition, Blackwood works in a lot of interesting historical details about the plague, what people thought caused it, how they tried (and largely failed) to protect themselves against it, and the sheer terror and despair it left in its wake. It's also interesting to see Widge, quite unwillingly, taking on the role of being the company's resident medical authority simply because he once worked for a "doctor". That the doctor was a theologian and not a physician is apparently secondary and Widge is forced time and again to do his best with what little he knows.
   
   One thing I particularly liked is how Blackwood gives his characters shading, so that even when they're arrogant and scheming, as Widge's rival Sal Pavy is, or untrustworthy, as Widge's alleged father seems to be, they still have qualities that make them real people and if not completely sympathetic, at least understandable that there are reasons they are the way they are. And the way in which Widge finally deals with his rival just by itself makes the book worth the read.
   
   All in all, this is a very worthy sequel and does a great job of allowing Widge to grow as a character even as the reader's understanding grows of the theatrical life in Elizabethan England. Highly recommended.

5 comments about Home Theater Hacks: 100 Industrial-Strength Tips & Tools (Hacks).

1. Home Theater Hacks is the perfect book for anyone in the planning, building, or improvement phase of their home theater. This book really covers everything that has to do with a home theater: from selecting the right components, to component configuration, to cabling, to making your theater look awesome. This book is a must read before you start your home theater.
   
   The book begins with a very thorough and impressive discussion of how and where to buy home theater components. The author discusses receivers (both audio and video), DVD players, TVs (both HD and standard), as well as the ins and outs of buying online versus at a local store. This discussion naturally leads to a very large section on "configuration", which includes such things as how to install and configure a terrestrial television antenna, how to match your subwoofer to your room, and everything you ever wanted to know about cables. I particularly enjoyed the author's discussion of the modern myth of expensive cabling. He provides a very good explanation of what "good enough" means (you wouldn't put gold water pipes in your home, why spend $100 on a gold cable?).
   
   As mentioned, this is a very interesting and useful book for anyone planning or currently working on a home theater. It dispelled a lot of myths I had heard in the past, and provides clear explanations as to why many of these myths are false. Additionally, I found that the book provided sound advice in the purchase and configuration of home theater components.



2. This book covers it all. Very well written and easy to understand. He covers everything from TV's to recievers, amps and speakers. A must for any home theater enthusiest.



3. This is a good choice to learn about home theater, and the author has a number of great ideas to get you started. I recommend the book, but I was disappointed with several aspects. 1) It seemed to be aimed more to the high-end user; no information about home-theater-in-a-box or virtual surround sound was given. I can imagine the author's opinions on these subjects, but he should have at least addressed them. 2) Some information is rapidly becoming outdated, especially in the video processing and connectivity sections. This book should probably be updated once a year. 3) Too much unnecessary detail in some areas. For example, a large section on antenna construction should be shortened, since most people probably use either cable or satellite anyway. And while the long section on user service codes is good, most of it will be out of date by the time the book is published. 4) Too much emphasis on projection displays, and not enough detail on flat panels (e.g., mounting issues, care/maintenance issues). 5) I would like to see more information about wiring strategies: different ways to hide wiring, the status of wireless speakers, etc.



4. Saw this at my local bookstore and checked with Amazon.com and was happy to purchase it online for a substantial discount here. This book is great for anyone beginning to setup their own home theater and for those that really like to get into the meat of this hobby. The pages are easy to read with good, clear black and white photos spread throughout.
   
   What this book offers are those uncommon tips and tricks that big name electronics stores don't want you to know about. This book alone will save me hundreds of dollars from all the information provided inside. It's doesn't have too much techno-babble but it won't feel like a crash course booklet leaving you wanting more. Intelligently laid out and highly recommended.



5. I was excited to get this book since while being fairly technical (mechanical engineering), I really did not know that much about home theatre. It's a very in depth collection of general, specific and ecclectic tips and tools from which the novice will glean about 20% useful information. Those more experienced A/V hobbyists will relish in this comprehensive industrial-strength expose of information that ranges from the practical to the sublime. Like many other technical subjects, this book let's you take your home theatre system as far as you pocketbook is deep, but does offer practical advice as to how to get the best bang for your buck. But be prepared to understand a lot of technical mumbo-gumbo that the mainstream installer would probably fair better using the services of a pro. If you found your self wanting from "Home Theatres for Dummies", this book is for you.
   The best advice the book had to offer for me was to visit your local big box A/V retailer and talk shop with them, something I was reticent to do without some intellectual backup. This book makes that visit less challenging, you can walk in the door and communicate and understand things better, and get a chance to see and hear what the book is talking about. As with many books in this field, info is a little dated (true with the Dummies edition too). Certain advances in technical quality that the book warns of (e.g., burn-in on plasmas) have been on the large part addressed by the manufacturers in the three years since this book was published. It's a good text for those prepared to do their homework. Considering the cost of the book versus what you could spend finding this stuff out the hard way, it's a very small investment (<0.1-1%). That is to say, you'll save this much buying your first cable.

5 comments about Home Theater Design: Planning and Decorating Media-Savvy Interiors.

1. This book is really helpful if you're planning a home theater system or integrating some type of audio and video stuff inside the house. I had a small house and was able to get lots of tips for designing my a/v system in it. Now that I bought my new house (much larger) I am able to reference the later chapters for dealing with the new challenges. Highly recommend!



2. This book has tons of helpful tips about features that you should have in an entertainment room. It helps you learn what accessories to get, but doesn't help much in the way of actually building the room. I was hoping to have some help on how to install a suspended ceiling with the sound-proofing material, or how they recommend to frame an elevated seating platform.
   
   All in all, I'd say this book is an advantage to have, and it definately is worth purchasing, but don't expect it to help you with the nuts and bolts of the operation.



3. I bought this book to help me plan the space for a home theater I am planning to build myself. Big mistake. It contained nothing useful for me.
   
   This is a book written by someone who only knows home theater from the perspective of rich or trendy clients who pay big bucks to have someone else do all the planning. It's also something of a advertising piece to show off very big and expensive (nothing under six figures) home theaters designed by two firms the author repeatedly gives credits to. At the very end she even has a brief interview with the head of one of those firms.
   
   If you're really rolling in the dough and want to see lots of glossy pictures to see how to spend your money, this book is for you. Example: "John and Jane have a wonderful theater space with arched alcoves along the walls. They display their collection of antique vases in each alcove, and use accent lighting to enhance it. They install a crystal chandelier for ambient lighting..."
   
   For everyone else it's a waste of time. It's so limited in text that it didn't take more than a couple hours to read through. Instead of giving you some real planning guides, the author limits herself to glosses of the obvious along with references to the type of professional you'll need to hire (so many - I've never heard of an acoustician before. He came somewhere after the cabinetmaker you'll need to design the housing for the projector).
   
   This is a book that bows to wealth and trendiness. For those of us who want to tap our own creative ability as well as our more typical budget, we'll have to look elsewhere for inspiration and information.



4. The first question you have to ask is 'What is a home theater.'
   
   And the author doesn't have any better definition than you do, so she has written the book in three sections, and with a definite point of view.
   
   One section is on small systems in small rooms. Here you are basically using more or less standard equipment in more or less standard rooms.
   
   The next section is on multi-purpose rooms, such as a den or living room with a major emphasis on media but still useful for other things.
   
   Finally there's the dedicated home theater. Here a room is built to make your own small, but technologically, audiologically, aesthetically and in every other way professional quality. This often includes stadium seating, with high quality chairs and tables for drinks and popcorn between the seats.
   
   All in all the book is more concerned with the interior decoration of the home theater than with the technical aspects. I suppose that's fair, because the rapid change in the technology. Anything you attempted to print in a book would become obsolete at the next Consumer Electronics Show.



5. This book gives an excellent overview of the different levels a home theater can be done at as well as many illustrations to refer to. It is very helpful in gaining knowledge of how theaters work and should be designed and integrated into their environment. That is where the hundreds of illustrations help out most.
   The only thing to remeber when reading this book is that technology changes so rapidly that some of the information relating to video displays and a few other items are outdated but not harmful in any way to your project or design. I recommend it.

5 comments about MAKE: Technology on Your Time Vol. 1 (Make: Technology on Your Time).

1. I stay on the lookout for the "Boys" guides, you know, those old books dealing with science and technology (a hundred years old, perhaps, but still quite educational). I've looked into a few more modern magazines, such as Popular Mechanics (good for what it is), Wired (mostly a culture thing, I guess), and 2600 (fine, if my goal was to electronically knock over a Target store or something).
   This is what I was after: a 'book' series dealing with hacking together hardware, making stuff work, and making stuff work better.
   Now my 'to do' list has grown substantially, with a bunch of things I really hadn't thought of doing!



2. Not sure what magazine Brandnew was reading when he complained "70% of contents are sponsored, and ads appear everywhere", but it wasn't this one. Make has VERY few ads. I just quickly thumbed through this issue (Vol. 1), and was only able to find eleven pages that have ads on them, including inside the covers and the backcover. It's possible that I missed one or two others, but there's no way you'd ever say they were "everywhere". The ads that do appear are all relavent to the target audience. Like most magazines, they do have product reviews, but they're contained in about 10 pages, and again are all relevant to the reader.
   
   Later issues do have more ads then the early ones, but even then, they are all clustered at the beginning and end of the magazine. In issue 4 (the latest) there are probably 15 pages of ads, and none appear in the main content area, between page 75 and 184.
   
   Ok, now that I'm done debunking the nasty rumors spread by others, what do I think of the magazine itself? I love it. The projects are interesting, fun and informative. It's also one of the rare publications that isn't scared to publish ideas that could hurt someone. They publish all of the appropriate warnings, but they trust that you're smart enough to take responsibility for your own actions. Most of the projects are completely safe, but if you're buying this for your kids, I'd recommend that you check out each issue with them & decide on which projects they can do by themselves & which are better to do together.
   
   Of course not every project will appeal to every reader, but they'll likely give you ideas that can be applied to other projects that do interest you. It might not appeal to everyone, but if it sounds interesting, you'll most likely love it.



3. Ok, I was expecting good things from this magazine, but what I got exceeded my expectations. The first thing that I noticed was the production quality of the publication. The pages are thick and satin like and the art is consistent and first rate. Most importantly, the content is exceptional. Typically with these sorts of books, there are many interesting tidbits, but no practical applications. Make: differs in that every time I turn the page there is something wonderful that begs to be created.
   
   I brought my first Make: to work and almost didn't get it back. I showed it to five people and every single one of them subsequently bought various editions from Amazon. I figured it would be a good idea to subscribe to the magazine, but when I went to retrieve the subscription cards there were none left. My buddies stole them all for themselves!
   
   Make: has fired my imagination and has me in projects for years to come. Good job O'Reilly!



4. I stumbled across Make: in a retail store and bought a copy. Nearly fifteen bucks for a "magazine" is pretty spendy for me, but minimal advertising and lots of interesting articles and reviews hooked me. I've since subscribed, but when I found out Amazon had back issues at discounted prices, I had to pick up the issues I had missed. In addition to gaining the confidence to try to repair some things I previously considered "disposable", I learned about a drain-cleaning tool that more than paid for all of the issues I've purchased in the money it saved me on a call to a drain-cleaning service.
   
   From super low-tech incredibly hi-tech, there is something to interest most tinkerers here.



5. I have a handful of Make: copies, and plan on fleshing out the rest of the back catalog. I'm considering a subscription. Even if you don't have a workshop, these "magazines" (more like little books, actually) are great for stimulating your mind and reminding you that making things isn't just something that other people do.

5 comments about Halo: Prima's Official Strategy Guide.

1. rocked me to my core. this game has kept me glued to the tv screen for a year and i don't plan on leaving. highly recommended!!!



2. Wow. Who'd be dumb enough to buy this when you could go to bungie.net and look at the walkthrough there? Even on Legendary Halo's not that hard.



3. I am a bad (as in unable to find my way out of a paper sack) gamer. I need books like this to help me get through even the simplest of levels. I need this book. I like this book. Need I say more.



4. This guide is helpful for some stages in the game,(one must bare in mind that the guide is written for Xbox; control references are for Xbox), but I found that the pictures are a bit dark. All in all it is still useful for the novice RPG player.



5. I was rather disappointed by this book. I expected good advice, and helpful walkthroughs. The walkthroughs were ok, if you are playing on Easy. The maps of the single-player and multiplayer levels were good. The "helpful" tips section would only really be useful for someone who has never played a FPS before, with gems like "if you move around, you are a tougher target". It does have nice sections about the vehicles, weapons, multiplayer maps, and gametypes. The walkthrough itself is only useful on Easy or maybe Normal. If you are trying to beat Legendary, this is not the book for you. Go buy Halo 2 instead.

1 comments about The Diamond of Drury Lane (A Cat Royal Adventure).

1. Adolescent orphan Catherine Royal lives backstage the Royal Theatre in old 18th century London. One night she hears of a diamond hidden inside the theatre, and from there the whole story unravels. She befriends an African boy and two kids of higher class than herself whilst she still hang around trying to become member of one of Londons many gangs.
   
   I can't give this book any fair review as English is not my first language and I'm not good reviewing. However, this book had me from start to finish, a truly engaging and fantastic book which should be read if you like similar books.
   
   Oh well, just read it and write a better review. :-)