No comments about Microsoft XNA Game Studio Creator's Guide, Second Edition.

1 comments about Computer Graphics Handbook.

1. This book is a treasure trove of key math concepts, formulas and so forth all having to do with graphics.

   It is only for graphics! No long winded drill downs into Linear Algebra Theory or Anayltic Geometry or Vector Spaces.

   Dare I say, it is like a collection of Zen koans for math literate programmers who need a refresher in 3D (oh yeah and 2D) Dharma.

   However, the publisher could be better about some typos in formulas that drove me nuts. Only a couple, but when you rely on reference materials, that is enough.

   Buy this book and keep it near you.

3 comments about Production for Graphic Designers (4th Edition).

1. I have used this as a text for a graphic art production class and have found it to be excellent in terms of its explanations. The diagrams are clear, the text concise, the content easily comprehended by my students. I really like the 'Design Trailblazers'...it maintains the heart of good design throughout the often clinical aspects of production. A nice representative selection as well...the students could relate. I await the next edition.



2. This is the SECOND year I will be ordering this title for my Graphic Art Production students. I hope Mr. Pipes plans to keep this publication up to date with another edition. What I like about this book is manifold: the author's clear, intelligent and succinct language tops my list. My students and I both found his prose not just informative, but interesting. The information covers all the basic concerns of a designer involved in production for print and the internet (it gives a well fleshed-out overview of all our areas of study at least). The section on Typography is also quite thorough and far less ponderous than other commonly used Type texts. All the chapters lay down a perfect bridge to a full lecture. Students come to class comprehending the basics, thus adding to their ability to build on that knowledge. The bios throughout the book are of great interest and focus on contemorary designers of note. The attractive layout supports the notion of Grahic Design, not too common these days. I have viewed many texts in the related areas of Graphic Design and find this book to be a perfect example of what a text should be. Bravo Mr Pipes, and thank-you! I will be watching to see what you publish next.



3. this came so quickly, i had it in time for my next class. the book is beautiful and there is so much helpful information. this was really a great experience!!

1 comments about Beginning Pre-Calculus for Game Developers.

1. DON'T LET THE BOOK'S TITLE MISLEAD YOU!
   
   I checked this book out at my school's library to read over the summer. I have just taken my school's Algebra and Trigonometry course, where we dug deep into trig. This book covers LESS than what we learned in class, it doesn't even go near calculus. All of that I could ignore if it wasn't aimed at game developers.
   
   From the back of the book: "You will conquer the basics of these essential math topics and will then learn how to specifically apply each skill to the field of game programming." The book doesn't do ANY of this. I read about 3 sentences that mentioned game developers. They never apply these math skills to developing a game, not even when they cover matrices. Not to mention it's not even written like a math book - which could be a good thing if you have trouble dissecting math books. There's really no reason at all to read this book. The included CD has a nifty graphing program (Visual Formula), but I'm almost positive you can download this for free online.
   
   Like I said, stay away from this book. It's incredibly misleading and almost totally useless.

No comments about Visualizing Software.

5 comments about Macromedia Flash MX Designer's ActionScript Reference.

1. 5 stars if you know Flash well.
   1 star if you haven't had any experience with it at all.

   I was a beginner once, who couldn't figure out Flash at all. I'd like to help you build a bridge between where you may be now, as a beginner, to where you may find yourself aspiring to go.

   If your only experience with Flash is to have seen the many wonderful and breathtaking Flash movies on the Internet and just had a look at the authoring tool, I strongly recommend that you leave this book until much later. It has its place in the learning curve but it isn't, in my opinion, the first book to see.

   There are understandings to possess that this book doesn't cover sufficiently well enough for those whose minds work in particular ways. This is a programming book, for using the phenomenon of programming to create great design and animations. Whilst the focus is on design, you aren't using the design tools on the interface. With this book, you are using the Actionscript language and you have to have a logical mind for this activity (as well as keeping your strong creative one).

   I began my steep learning curve with Flash by watching others and watching video tutorials, especially those by George Pierson. In this way, I can ask questions that are tailored for me and I get tailored responses. Books aren't always able to do so well here.

   What is great about this book is the MX Actionscript reference in it and the seemingly well designed theory tutorials. I can't find a fault with the reference. The theory is quite good. In the reference, all Flash MX commands are covered. There are examples of how to use them, but the coverage may not be enough for some. Brill. Just BRILL. I can be excited but because I can follow Actionscript.

   Approach this book when you are successfully making Flash movies on your own. Yes, on your own. For me, this book is an aid for when I am going to where I haven't gone to before. It helps me make judgements on ideas I get.




2. I am a former programming teacher and I have a style to teach my students the most UNDERSTANDABLE way to do something not just how to do it. This text/reference achieves that purpose. If you have an understanding of Flash (which you should have before getting into scripting see Weinman books) then this book will serve you well. There are other books on scripting - great books - such as Moock's books but they are more so for the programmer. This book is for the novelist programmer that desires to learn about action scripting.



3. One of the few comprehensive actionsctipt titles on the market. The first half of the book boasts a large variety of tutorials and examples that skillfully lead the reader through both the syntax and use of actionscript. Personally I found the text clear and practical. The chapters on OOP were of particular value as they went beyond actionscript basics into application, bordering on philosophical.
   
   The second half is an invaluable reference of the entire actionscript dictionary with a comprehensive CD full of .fla example files and bonus chapters on the XML Object. As a qualified teacher I found it hard to fault the methodology employed by the various authors.
   
   Well worth the purchase.



4. This book is a great resource for when you're looking for that specific line of code. Its terrible to read from front to back, but its an excellent way to find exactly what you're looking for. Its so much code, it'll make your eyes bleed.



5. I have actually used this reference for years as needed for ActionScript. I still had a good use for this text in ensuring compatibility with Flash MX until the lack of features became too overwhelming. This is in the face of newer versions of Flash such as CS3 (9.0) that use ActionScript 2.0/3.0. All in all, this book was wonderful until the release of Flash 8.
   
   Because of the new Filters that have come out with Flash 8.0 and the features of ActionScript 2.0 to support these and other enhancements, I would instead recommend Flash 8 ActionScript Bible if one is concerned with cross-compatibility in their ActionScript code and wishes to still be able to use AS with newer features such as Filters (but not as new as Transitions or other CS3 exclusive features - for that, I'd recommend ActionScript 3.0 Bible or something similar).
   
   As far as who I could possibly recommend this book for: It's good for somebody who is still working with Flash MX 2004 and below to Flash 5 (much of the text is compatible with Flash 5), however, I don't know that there are many of those sorts of individuals.

No comments about Dynamic Bitmap Graphics with PHP and gd, Second Edition.

No comments about Australia in Pictures (Visual Geography. Second Series).

No comments about Serbia And Montenegor in Pictures (Visual Geography. Second Series).

5 comments about Creating Database Web Applications with PHP and ASP (Internet Series).

1. I'm a seasoned (some would say salty) web developer, and I have been teaching web applications for two years both online and "on the ground." I've looked in vain for the right mixture of theory, practical application and humor (a needed ingredient for this type of instruction). I use this book for intermediate web developer students who have a solid grounding in HTML, CSS and Javascript, and some basic knowledge of either PHP or ASP (or other programming logic). I used to use Wrox's Beginning ASP, but at more than 1000 pages, and more errata than I could cover in a single class, I continued looking. With this book, I think I've found the right text for some of the classes I teach!

   Dr. Meyer's work starts with a review of HTML and Javascript, with an emphasis on how to use the DOM in an application setting. Regarding databases, there are chapters explaining application concepts and E-R diagrams, as well as how to use the CLI client for MySQL. The CD-ROM even has SQL instructions for importing the material from the text; and for Access users, db files that mirror the work in the text.

   But the real heart of the matter is the instruction in coding practices, from reading and writing to databases (using MySQL and DSN-less Access connections), to using cookies and session variables for data persistance. And this is where this book has no equal: it supports both the hugely popular open-source PHP/MySQL as equally as it shows ASP and Access. I've never seen such a universal attempt pulled off quite as well.

   I recommend the book, but no work is perfect. I don't think that a book can equal the combination of education and experience (but as an instructor, I may be biased). The PHP code supplied in the accompanying CD-ROM utilizes global variables (which may be turned off in some production environments for security purposes)--but that underscores the use of the text as a textbook, and not a coding "cookbook" with samples that are "ready-to-eat." Also, the ASP uses the less-common, but more palatable ASP JavaScript (or JScript) instead of the more commonly utilized ASP VBScript (but even third-party ASP interpreters like that used in the SunOne Server handled the code).

   I found that students should adapt and improve the code from the CD-ROM as part of their studies, so that they could fix some typos, and learn how code integration works. Also, they needed to create interfaces for the samples so we could stop staring at web forms and add some color to the examples! Students have created portfolio pieces using the concepts in this text like psychological profile tests, e-commerce sites, calendar applications and marketing surveys.




2. I am very new to computing, having just learned the basics of HTML. I found this book very helpful. First of all, it does start out with basic HTML which was reassuring for me. It then adds JavaScript. It builds up gradually, with many examples in the text. There is also a complete set of code on the CD. The PHP with MySql and the ASP with Access are always compared with general previews. The book has many screen shots.

   The book also has some examples of what the screen would look like if you did something wrong which beginners tend to do. I have not seen this pedagogical technique in other texts. I found it very helpful. The chapters on database design and SQL were also very good. I strongly recommend this book. It is an excellent book for anyone new to Web applications or someone with some experience, who wants to know more. In particular, if someone knows one of the technologies featured (PHP, ASP, MySql, Access, SQL) and wants to know how this one technology relates to others, this is a good source. The examples of the book are well-chosen, without any extraneous material, and are explained in a table, with code in one column and explanation in another. I liked the fact that that it is clear and concise since I like most people don't have a lot of time to expend on a lot of unnecessary verbiage.




3. Jeanine,

   Just wanted to let you know how helpful your book is. Before I thought, it was impractical to have two scripting languages and two databases. I said this because from my experience I started learning database from Access then learn Visual Basic Codes and Scripts. Originally, my field of profession is Financial Accounting. In the early 1990's I learn Lotus then migrated to Excel spreadsheet programs. I was not satisfied for what macros can do so I studied Access database. I was so amazed by it but there are things I know and hope will make things easier and faster. I wanted to learn SQL knowing how powerful it is, but how expensive commerialize DBMS softwares were it made me stick with Access. The internet period has arrived at that time, so I learned ASP with Visual Basic Scripting. I was still not comfortable & not happy with it because VBScript is always tied up with a giant corporation and at the time I was learning HTML, XML & JavaScript.
   
   This made me confuse what direction am I going but continue what I learned so far, apply it then and whatever will make it easier. So, I studied ASP with JavaScript langauge. Consequently, from learning and experience, I read about MySQL and PHP and studied it as well. So far your book is the best and most helpful, in showing how to connect to a server and for sure will SAVE me and my clients alot. Currently, I am a financial administrator and partly the intranet designer of a university in San Francisco. My goal is to be a free lance web designer and to own a Web design company using MySQL (OPEN SOURCE database), PHP (OPEN SOURCE scripting language), Access database, and Active Server Pages (ASP).

   Thank you again and more power to you.

   John




4. Jeanine,

   Just wanted to let you know how helpful your book is. Before I thought, it was impractical to have two scripting languages and two databases. I said this because from my experience I started learning database from Access then learn Visual Basic Codes and Scripts. Originally, my field of profession is Financial Accounting. In the early 90's I learn Lotus then migrated to Excel spreadsheet programs. I was not satisfied for what Macros can do so I studied Access database. I was so amazed by it but there are things I know and hope will be easier and faster. I wanted to learn SQL knowing how powerful it is, but because how expensive commerialize DBMS softwares were it made me stick with Access. The internet period has arrived at that time, so I learned ASP with Visual Basic Scripting. I was not totally satisfied with it because VBScript is always tied up to a giant corporation and at the time I was learning HTML, XML &
   JavaScript. This made me confuse, what direction am I going. I decided to continue what I learned so far, apply it then to whatever will make it easier. So, I studied ASP with JavaScript Langauge. Consequently, from learning and experience, I read about MySQL and PHP and studied it as well. So far your book is the best and most helpful, in showing how to connect to a server and for sure will SAVE me and my clients alot. Currently, I am a financial administrator and partly the intranet designer of a
   University in San Francisco. My goal is to have my own server
   company.

   Thank you again and more power to you.

   John




5. While this book covers both ASP and PHP coding and the use of MySQL and ACCESS, the author does little to explain the 'why' behind much of the coding. This means that using the coding is not as straightforward as she would like it to be.
   
   To start a book with the basics of HTML and then take a user through to complex database design would require more explanation and peripheral information.
   
   I find that Larry Ullman's books provide far better explanations of the coding and help the user to understand how the coding fits in with a) the rest of the coding on the page and b) the coding that relates to subsequent pages.
   
   
   I used this book as a textbook in a class, and most students encountered similar problems. If someone were to purchase this book, I strongly recommend another more hands-on book in tandem with it.