No comments about Character Animation: 2D Skills for Better 3D, Second Edition.

5 comments about AI for Game Developers.

1. Is good book to initiate within world of AI, brings very good examples on fuzzy logic and genetic algorithms, in my opinion would have to bring CD-ROM with more examples but even so I recommend them for people that is initiating within development of video games, have a simple way to explains concepts that in other books can that are abstract and until moments very confused, explain it of direct and very simple way, are a book not very extensive you will be able to read it in a pair of days, and thus to begin to apply it within any application or game, the code comes very simple manageable and easy to use, it comes in c++, I hope enjoy so much as I.



2. AI for Game Developers is a book aimed at beginner game programmers that want to apply AI techniques in their games. The range of topics covered is vast, chasing, flocking, pathfinding, state machines, bayesian networks, neutal networks, genetic algorithms, fuzzy logic and more.
   
   The authors spend time to explain these AI concepts from the ground up, with numerous code samples and accompanied by full programs including GUIs & simulations, downloadable form the book's website.
   
   So far all good, but not really so if you look a little closer. For a programmer with more experience than the complete novice, many problems become apparent quickly:
   
   The code listings ("examples", as the authors uncommonly call them) are lacking in many aspects. The code is of low quality. C++-- some call it, and it's an appropriate name for the code of this book (take a big program with a bunch of globals and void foo(void) operating on them, wrap it all (public) in a class, and call it Object Oriented). The principal author is a scientific programmer, which shows well since the code looks sometimes like a port from Fortran. The code is also poorly typeset, in a font almost identical to the text, which makes samples hard to spot and follow. The authors also paste huge amounts of code in the book that sometimes fill whole pages, without any apparent reason. Another little deficiency is the typesetting / overall formatting quality of the book - some diagrams are simply missing, fonts are uncomfortable (especially the mix of code & text)...
   
   It seems that most of this book's problems are about the code, though. On the conceptual level, the book is not bad. As far as I can judge, the explanations are clear and even novices should have no trouble understanding how the algorithms work. Just look away from the code, please !!



3. Terrible and useless even for a book on AI for budding game developers. The theory and explanations in this book are sometimes decent but more often than not quite lacking. (es: in one of the first chapter the author uses Bresenham algorithm without taking the time to explain it). The use of tile based examples introduce unnecessary overhead, and the continuos attempts to introduce physics related code and references to the author's other book on game physics are just plain annoying. The range of subjects covered is very broad (chasing and evading, pathfinding, emergent behaviours, rule based reasoning, bayesian networks, neural networks, fuzzy logic, finite state machines, genetic algorithms), definitely too broad to treat each of these subject in decent depth and with clarity. Example code is of low quality and just superficially object-oriented. If you are looking for a decent introduction to game AI I recommend Matt Buckland "Programming Game AI by Example" and "AI Techniques for Game Programming".



4. This book gives people that are new to AI in game programming a quick start in that area. If you are interested in looking at the broad fields of AI with direct application to game programming, this will show you a bit of everything. The text is clear and doesn't require any higher understanding of mathematics than some basic trigonometry. I think that the problem most people have with this book is that none of the chapters covers its subject in depth. Thus, people looking to learn AI from this book that ignor the "Game" part of the title will be disappointed. Full C++ sample programs are available on the books web site-the book is all in C++, and you should have no problems understanding the code with moderate C skills. Bresenham's line algorithm, line-of-sight-chasing and intercepting are all explained in a pretty simple way. My biggest complaint is that, even within the construct of game programming, the presentation of Bayesian systems and probability was too short for my taste. The following is a description of the book from the context of the table of contents:
   
   Chapter 1, Introduction to Game AI - Defines game AI and discusses the current state of the art as well as the future of this technology.
   
   Chapter 2, Chasing and Evading - Covers basic techniques for chasing and evading as well as more advanced techniques for intercepting. It also cover techniques applicable to both tile-based and continuous game environments.
   
   Chapter 3, Pattern Movement - Pattern movement techniques are common to many video games and developers have been using them since the early days of gaming. You can use these techniques to preprogram certain behaviors such as the patrolling of a guard or the swooping in of a spacecraft.
   
   Chapter 4, Flocking - The flocking method examined in this chapter is an example of an A-life algorithm. In addition to creating genuine looking flocking behavior, A-life algorithms form the basis of more advanced group movement.
   
   Chapter 5, Potential Function Based Movement - Potential-based movement is relatively new in game AI applications. It can handle chasing, evading, swarming, and collision avoidance simultaneously.
   
   Chapter 6, Basic Pathfinding and Waypoints - Game developers use many techniques to find paths in and around game environments. This chapter covers several of these methods, including waypoints.
   
   Chapter 7, A* Pathfinding - No treatment of pathfinding is complete without addressing the workhorse algorithm of pathfinding; therefore, this whole chapter is devoted to the A* algorithm.
   
   Chapter 8, Scripted AI and Scripting Engines - Programmers today often write scripting engines and hand off the tools to level designers who are responsible for creating the content and defining the AI. In this chapter, you'll explore some of the techniques developers use to apply a scripting system in their games.
   
   Chapter 9, Finite State Machines - Finite state machines are the nuts and bolts of game AI. This chapter discusses the fundamentals of finite state machines and how to implement them.
   
   Chapter 10, Fuzzy Logic - Developers use fuzzy logic in conjunction with or as a replacement for finite state machines. In this chapter, you'll learn the advantages fuzzy techniques offer over traditional logic techniques.
   
   Chapter 11, Rule-Based AI - Technically, fuzzy logic and finite state machines fall under the general heading of rules-based methods. This chapter covers these methods as well as other variants.
   
   Chapter 12, Basic Probability - Game developers commonly use basic probability to make their games less predictable. Such cheap unpredictability enables developers to maintain substantial control over their games. Here, basic probability is covered for this purpose as well as lay the groundwork for more advanced methods.
   
   Chapter 13, Decisions Under Uncertainty--Bayesian Techniques - Bayesian techniques are probabilistic techniques, and in this chapter you learn how you can use them for decision making and for adaptation in games.
   
   Chapter 14, Neural Networks - Game developers use neural networks for learning and adaptation in games for anything from making decisions to predicting the behavior of players.The most widely used neural network architecture is covered here.
   
   Chapter 15, Genetic Algorithms - Genetic algorithms offer opportunities for evolving game AI. Although developers don't often use genetic algorithms in games, their potential for specific applications is promising, particularly if they are combined with other methods.
   
   Appendix, Vector Operations - How to implement a C++ class that captures all of the vector operations that you'll need when writing 2D or 3D simulations.
   
   All the chapters in this book are fairly independent of each other. Therefore, you generally can read the chapters in any order you want, without worrying about missing material in earlier chapters. The only exception to this rule is Chapter 12, on basic probability. If you don't have a background in probability, you should read this chapter before reading Chapter 13, on Bayesian methods. I would recommend this book if you are looking to implement AI into a game without wanting a complete explanation of the theory. If a complete explanation of the concepts is what you require, you will be disappointed.



5. I bought this book because of the chapter O'Riley had on its site (Flocking) and the general experience I have had with O"Riley in the past. While there is plenty to learn from this text, its not for the faint of heart or new programer. There is a lot that needs to be done to get set up for this.
   
   My first issue is that some of the code seems just a little too complex for a beginner. While I respect the features hes trying to put in, it can clutter up the main point of what is happening, and makes learning the basic principles harder.
   
   It seem the writter assumes you read his other book 'Physics for game programer' since he refers to it several times.Download the sample code for the book and you will see what I mean.
   
   Then there is no discussion of the graphic package being used. I tried to do the stuff with GDI+ and ended up switching to DirectX because the flickering was so bad. Some discussion on setting up a test and development enviroment to run these projects on would have been helpful.
   
   Oh and it was written in C+. Okay, no big deal, but a warning would have been nice. I can handle C+, but I do my work now in C#. Since it was written in an OO language, a little back ground on system design would have been helpful too.
   
   Asking too much? While the info there is good, there are a lot of obstacles for a 'beginner' to handle. I'm motivated though, and bought his phyiscs book just to see if it helps out any.

No comments about OpenGL(R) ES 2.0 Programming Guide (OpenGL).

5 comments about AdvancED Flex Application Development: Building Rich Media X (Advanced).

1. CAST FROM A NEW MOLD
   
   Early in the history of the Adobe Flash Platform it was possible to read all of the great books on the subject because there were so few notable titles. However, now with the incredible popularity of Flash CS3 and Flex 3, the industry is flooded with training materials. While decent, most are rehashes of the introductory 'Welcome to Flash/Flex' perspective giving a broad overview without taking the bold position to teach pertinent topics and to teach them correctly.
   
   INTRODUCTION
   
   This book is a great well rounded resource, perfect for anyone serious about Flex application development. This book 1) features a blend of various learning styles, 2) it offers the right amount of depth to tease & inspire, as well as actually teach, but 3) it is not for all audiences (and I like that).
   
   LEARNING STYLES
   
   With technical literature the tone and style ranges from the dry dictionary-like reference to the micro-task-oriented recipe books. There is not often an editorial voice giving industry insight, technological context, and workflow experience. That is one of my favorite aspects of this AdvanceED book, it gives all that and more. There is a historical introduction to application development, deep coverage on the many steps of the software development lifecycle through the real-world application of techniques on the authors' RMX application project, as well as some relevant, isolated (albeit kinda' non sequitured) programming recipes that can be plucked from the greater project shown in the book and applied in your own projects with ease. The multiple-learning styles is refreshing for those who have been disappointed by reading many other books. Most of the audience for this book has surely done some reading of tech texts and should appreciate the change of pace.
   
   
   DEPTH AND SCOPE
   
   The book lacks the breadth of a thick reference book, but what subjects it covers it covers deeply. Don't expect to be able to crack open a chapter and a fresh Flex project in your Flex builder and get typing. The book doesn't work like that. Its more of a casual read in many parts, fit for any time you get away from your computer. Fit even for some of the less-technical personnel on your team who would like to see the big picture of application development. Project managers, executives, and any creative folks with an eye toward project leadership will get great value from the book, but of course the intended audience is developers.
   
   
   INTENDED AUDIENCE
   
   Perhaps rather than titling this section 'Intended' Audience, I should say suggested-by-me audience. Part of the appeal of this book and what sets it apart from what else is available on the subject is its unique perspective. The book focuses on building one application, RMX. This application has a specific purpose and a different one than any we'd likely make as the readers, but one that has components that are immediately relevant to our every day app-developer-lives; Styling, UI/UX + Navigation Design, Forms, Video (that continues to be a big topic these days),
   
   It goes on to feature some rare gems such as Advertising (specifically for Flex) and SEO (specifically for Flex). You just don't find those covered anywhere else.
   
   CONCLUSION
   
   This book is a refreshing read and the only must-read on my Flash bookshelf from this publisher.



2. This is a very basic introduction to Flex, and doesn't provide much into how it fits into web design as a whole!



3. This book is not all about FLEX it spends time covering the creation of RMX which is not what i wanted at all. The authors are idiots and don't focus mainly on flex. If you want to learn flex puchase something else. If you are interested in their (the authors) project and what they use in their project spend 42.00. WHAT A WAISTE!!



4. I have mixed feelings about this book which I got because it was one of the first to cover Flex 3.
   
   I think it is a bit weak on the pure Flex bit - I just can't see someone actually learning Flex out of it, though they will get a pretty good feel for what Flex does. It presents just enough information to explain their application, the RMX, no more. The coding examples are also somewhat hard to follow, with code being all over the place. Yes, it might be real-life production/business code but that doesn't mean that it is automatically great for teaching. Simpler, more illustrative, tighter code would have been better.
   
   On the other hand, the book does a much better job at presenting the big picture of a Flex website and how all the parts fit together, almost at a business/planning level. The wireframe chapters and how to integrate ads are great. Also, though I don't use PHP+Drupal, which they use as a backend, I definitely came away with a confirmation that Flex wasn't tied to particular backend server technologies. If you do use PHP and Drupal, you will get more value out of it for sure.
   
   All in all, a 3.5/5 book.



5. This is a great book to learn how to build Flex Rich Internet Application. It is easy to read and follow, and it also includes SEO omptimization techniques for higher ranking in SEO results. Highly recommended!

5 comments about Usability Engineering (Interactive Technologies).

1. The title I use is an old portuguese proverb. It is a good description of this book. In page 115 it says: "User interfaces should be simplified as much as possible,...". And then it takes almost 8 pages to explain it. Read it. His advices are pure gold. But don't build your user interface like this book was built: overcrowded with unnecessary details. There's another funny thing about this book. It's about design, mostly graphical. But doesn't talk to much about "creativity".



2. If his own principles had been applied to the book it could be reduced to a a few bullet points.

   *the web is slow, less is more.

   *tell people what a link leads too before they press it, and make sure it does.

   *use standard fonts in easy to read colours.

   *use standard web conventions where ever possible as they are familiar.

   *check for spelling mistakes and grammar errors.

   *write concisely and arrange depth of detail in hierarchies, like they do in errr reference books.

   *tell the user where they are, and how they got their, um like a path prehaps.

   *some people have small screens, some don't even use microsoft browsers, not everyone has the latest plug ins, allow for it.

   *don't employ frustrated artists to design your site, use an engineer.

   Jakob proudly states he has multiple patents in the field of usability, maybe following this book will infringe them, or maybe he just kept the good stuff for himself.




3. If you are an experienced user interface designer who thoroughly understands what usability is about you probably don't need to read the book (although I would find it strange that you are experienced and did not read this book which is attributed to have coined the term "Usability Engineering").

   So who should read the book. Everybody that is going to develop any form of software. No, it won't make you an expert, but it will get you thinking.

   On the negative side, some of the examples may some be slightly old (but its a 1993 book!). Sometimes you're also going to feel that you could stress this concept in half the space. However, the information and the thought process behind the information is extremely relevant and is well-worth the effort of reading the book.

   If you are new in software development this book is an absolute must. In a sense it helps you develop "a way of thinking" rather than giving any specifics.

   However, if you are looking for specifics, Chapter 5 deals with usability heuristics, presenting 10 of them. When looking at the list of 10 heuristics, they may seem obvious, trivial almost. It is quite amazing, however, how often those seemingly trivial things are overlooked or ignored. Just use some programs on your PC...

   I think it would be worthwhile any software developers time to read Chapter 5 and think long and hard about what is said - then go back to your software and be honest with yourself. It might be some of the best lessons you'll ever learn.

   In lots of ways this book has everything that classics are made of - except occasionally the ease of reading.




4. If your specialty is the user interface, you need to read this book. If you are interested in developing a user interface design process, you should read this. If you are a software developer who wants to know how to build good interfaces, skip it. It is too much about perfecting the design process.

   I was looking for 'use this button for x and this widget for y'. In other words, here are the rules for a good user interface. What I got was 'here is the process for studying users and their interfaces, and here is a mountain of statistics to back it up'. No fault of the author, I just mis-understood what I was getting.

   Having said that, if you want to make your living studying and perfecting interface design, read this book.




5. I'm not a usability expert, and this didn't quite match up with what I hoped to get out a of class on software evaluation for librarians (but that has more to do with the professor's slant on the subject and choice of book), but the book was easy to read and I felt that it covered some good points. It is, however, starting to show its age in some of the details, like the assumption that many software users will be unfamiliar with PCs and using a mouse to interact with a PC.

4 comments about More OpenGL Game Programming.

1. "More OpenGL Game Programming" takes the basic foundation of "OpenGL Game Programming" and takes it to a professional level. I currently am taking advanced graphics courses in college, and this book has managed to match pound-for-pound the amount of graphics techniques covered in advanced courses. This book is definitely designed with the serious programmer aimed at professional-level work in mind, and it delivers generously.
   
   The book is structured as a series of articles of varying lengths addressing a large number of advanced topics in graphics. It starts with giving better methods to store and pass data around than in the previous volume, which can be applied to all of the techniques thereafter. A few small articles about mildly interesting topics serve as appetizers to the main course: shaders. The author clearly recognizes the importance of shaders and spends a fitting amount of time discussing them. The examples start out simple and demonstrate practical uses of shaders, making sure the reader comes out of these large chapters with a working knowledge of what shaders are for and how to use them.
   
   With shaders mastered, the rest of the book dives into a feast of useful graphics techniques and tricks. It effectively covers the various solutions available to common graphical goals and effectively conveys when they can and can't be used, their costs and benefits, and other important information that not only helps implement but also helps the reader decide when to use each technique for the best effect.
   
   Don't underestimate this book; it is massive as well as meaty. If you are passionate about computer graphics you won't be able to skip a page. If you're a professional, this book is full of valuable reference material and details about implementing the latest innovations in graphics. This book doesn't have a place on my bookshelf; it has a place on my desk.
   
   That said, the only thing that is badly lacking is the source code. The book does not come with a CD, but rather allows the reader to download source code from the author's website. The included examples are fairly well-constructed, but the code base is incomplete. Most depressingly, the source code for the shader wrapper - which the author uses in most of the code examples for shaders - is not available currently. While having the interface design is nice, it does require that the reader implement it in order to directly copy the code examples from the book, which might feel tedious when one is anxious to actually start messing around with shaders. However don't think that the source code is totally useless; there's a good deal of useful source on the web site to sift through.
   
   The complaints out of the way I must reiterate that this is the best graphics book I have seen available and was worth not only every penny but more. I strongly recommend "More OpenGL Game Programming" to to student who's looking to take amateur graphics programming to the professional level or the professional looking for a good resource for the latest graphics techniques used in games today.



2. Some of the stuff in this book is redundant in a sense that language specs and extensions spec are already available online then why put in there.
   
   Second, I found the explanation more like notes+spec form. Not at all for an newbie person and for an expert it does not offer anything new. As it starts with FBO, RenderTarget, PBOs etc. many things have changed over the period, including GLSL specs.
   
   Book structure is also quite confusing to me, it starts with some concepts of advance OpenGL(!) and then it is more like ShaderXn series with appendix and last chapeters full of GLSL and ARB specs.
   
   Buy this book if you know what you are looking for, check appendix first.



3. This is one of the best books I've ever read about the OpenGL...



4. I'm rating this 2 stars primarily because of the incomplete nature of the project. It's not just that the code samples won't compile, or are so disorganized as to be nearly worthless. Much more irritating are the constant references to code samples that simply don't exist. Time and again the author(s) refer to sample programs that can be 'downloaded from the books web site'. These programs do not exist. The authors lame explanations for the lack of a CD (cost, etc) lose all credibility when one comes to the realization that the likely reason a CD doesn't exist is because the vast majority of the sample programs referred to in the text don't exist, either. Any hope that new code samples my someday appear on the book site seems futile as well - the site hasn't been updated in a year and a half. One is left with the feeling that this is clearly a project that was shipped when only partially completed. I feel ripped off; taken advantage of.
   
   On the plus side, portions of the book are well written and informative. It is, in spite of it's shortcomings, one of the better books I've found for explaining a variety of GL techniques commonly used in games. It's a shame it doesn't live up to it's promise; if the authors had been a little more diligent in completing the project before publishing it, it could have been a world-beater. Instead it's just another slightly below average disappointment.
   
   I also have a real problem with the fact that the author is writing reviews (typically 4 star ratings) for books that his own organisation is involved in publishing. If that isn't a conflict of interest I don't know what is. I feel Amazon compromises their credibility by allowing clearly non-objective 'reviews' to be listed with the books. If the author wants to write a little blurb, thats fine, but don't let them rate products they have a financial interest in.

5 comments about Programming Flex 2: The comprehensive guide to creating rich media applications with Adobe Flex (Programming).

1. This is a solid, well written into to Flex 2. I would highly recommend this as a starting to learning Flex 2 or 3. In about a week's reading time you will have a well grounded knowledge of what Flex is capable of. After reading this (along with the documentation provided by Adobe) I'd highly recommend: ActionScript 3.0 Cookbook; Essential ActionScript 3.0; and Flex Solutions: Essential Techniques for Flex 2 and 3 Developers.



2. Programming Flex 2: The comprehensive guide to creating rich media applications with Adobe Flex is a great book for more advanced Flex developers. This book covers many important topics like working with UI components, advanced component concepts, working with media and data, client and remote data communication just to name the few. The authors, Chafic Kazoun and Joey Lott, are very experienced long-time Flash developers. They are well known in the Flash community, and are among the elite of the Flash development world. Chafic and Joey has been using Flex for a long time and it can be noticed by reader during reading this book which is full of practical leads.
   
   This book is intended for anyone looking to learn more about Flex 2. The authors recognize that the audience for this book represents a very diverse group of people with many different backgrounds. In my opinion this book is a great resource but not for the beginners. Lots of original ActionScript and MXML code examples help reader to look deeper inside Flex 2 internals.
   
   I definitely recommend this book!



3. Reading the reviews for this book made me nervous about picking it up in the first place, but I'm glad I did. I'm primarily a J2EE developer wanting to get his feet wet in the world of Flex2 RIAs, and the authors seem to have written this just for someone like me. And in that respect, the topics are at the right level of depth - the authors clearly indicate that this is not meant to be used as an API reference.
   
   Flex 2 can be a bit much to bite off, even for experienced programmers, since it sits over a very mature and complex development platform (Flash Player) that has its own established authoring tool. Happily, the authors tend to chart their course firmly through the Flex Framework, avoiding diversions into Flash Player arcana (which some other books either assume you already know, or visit too briefly to be of much help.)
   
   The breadth of topics covered is also awesome - whether its Web services, states/transitions, event dispatching/handling, and the use of the free Flex SDK.
   
   That last one is of particular interest to me since I'm not a fan of the Deux Ex Machina aspects of IDEs, especially when I'm learning a new language/framework. Hence, being able to see how everything fits together using just the Flex SDK and mxmlc is a lot of fun.
   
   I also don't particularly like long, artificial examples that proceed from chapter to chapter, which means that you can't really jump into a topic that interests you without first having read all the previous history of the application being developed. Fortunately here, each chapter can be read by itself, and in any order. In fact, I skipped over many of the UI and media chapters just to get to the web services treatment which is closer to the end.
   
   To summarize - if your background/needs match mine, then this book will be well worth a visit. You may not leave knowing everything, but you'll have the 3000 foot overview which will position you better to ask the right questions, and to determine which topic has the most interest for you. (Of course, you might choose to wait for the Flex 3.0 edition of this book.)



4. It is a well organized book.
   However, some example codes are incorrect.
   I find this problem in many of O'Reilly books and am not sure if they test all the source codes before they publish their books.
   It is really annoying.



5. This is generally a well written overview book. Its chief problem is that it never gets beyond the basics, and that the "Flex Developer Guide" that Adobe provides for free on their web site is far superior.

4 comments about ShaderX3: Advanced Rendering with DirectX and OpenGL (Shaderx Series).

1. Shader X3: Advanced Rendering With DirectX And Open GL compiled, organized, and deftly edited by Wolfgang Engle (Senior Special FX Engineer at Wings Simulations) is packed from cover to cover with 630-pages of insightful new techniques, innovative approaches to common problems, as well as practical tools and tricks that will help in all areas of shader programming. All of the articles comprising Shader X3 evolved from the the working experiences of industry professionals, and all of the sections were expertly edited by shader programming experts. This comprehensive collection of ready-to-use techniques will enable even the most novice programmer to get up to speed quickly, and the more experienced programmers will find a wealth of insights and techniques to improve efficiency and avoid redundancies. Shader X3 is an essential, "user friendly", and highly recommended instructional reference for shader programmers.



2. This book is a collection of forty-seven articles around the common theme of shading images in real time. Many of these effects have been common in the movie world for many years, but in that application the shading can be done on very expensive machines and the time it takes to produce an image is not important because the resulting image is to be shown on screen rather than immediately on a display. Now, with the increasing power in the PC's in widespread use, these techniques are being brought down to the standard desktop.
   
   In this book a wide selection of authors discuss the start of the art in shading. They are, for the most part, active professionally in the graphics display business. A number of them work for ATI, the video card manufacturer, a number work for gaming companies, or for companies producing software used in gaming.
   
   This approach provides for a fast time to print, rather than one author taking a year to write the book. In this industry a year is a lifetime, well, at least a generation in the software.



3. I've bought many other rendering books like GPU Gems series, and I think this book is more practical for game developers compared with the other books. It explains many useful algorithms in good details and covers many aspects that a serious game developer should consider. As a game engine programmer, I think this book is a very good reference for me.



4. Its hard for me to treat the books of this series separately (ShaderX 3, ShaderX 4, ShaderX 5). They are all very good books of GPU-Gems level or higher. In comparison with GPU Gems, they are more academic, i. e. they are rather short and more applicable to wide range of applications then GPU Gems ones (while GPU Gems series is more scientific, state of the art, considering one particular research) and the accompanying CD is much more better (lots of working examples, most with source code).
   Sections (Image-Space, Shadows) are also very helpful to figure out what is useful for you.
   This series is not for beginners anyway, so please, go Cg Tutorial or DX SDK Tutorial and don't put 2 or 3 marks for these books because you can't cope with them.

No comments about Learning Processing: A Beginner's Guide to Programming Images, Animation, and Interaction (Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Graphics) (Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Graphics).

5 comments about Scanners for Dummies.

1. As a long term fan of the Dummies books, I can't begin to express my disappointment in this offering. Scanners for Dummies is so exceptionally elementary as to offer absolutely nothing beyond how to "push a button" or "move a slider." Nothing is presented that couldn't be discovered by simply turning on the scanner and playing with it for a half hour or so.

   The worst part, however, is that much of the information about scanners and Paint Shop Pro is misleading and in several cases, just plain wrong. This is the absolute worst Dummies book I have ever read and, while it is not my first one by Mark Chambers, it may well be my last.




2. This book is as good as the amazon editor claims, I got my new HP scanner up and running in an hour so you know the installation and setup chapters were good! The coverage of web graphics is very good and provides lots of tips and instruction. You won't find as much on PhotoShop but the step by step Paintshop pro material is worth its weight in gold. Well written and funny. I am going to add this author to my Dummies watch list!



3. This book told me all I needed, I'm using my scanner just about every day now that I know what to do. (Plus I have it set right to take the best scans) Great coverage of filters and plugins too.



4. Although I don't have a Microtek scanner like the author has, I was still able to follow along and learned everything I needed to know. This book also has almost as good a selection of novice material on Paint Shop Pro as PaintShop Pro for Dummies! Well worth the money.



5. 'Scanners For Dummies' was shockingly empty of helpful content. I was looking for useful advice and helpful tips for archiving photos, practical tips for best scanner settings and insights about how to deal with less than perfect images. This book had little information of relevance and nothing of depth.
   
   I must own a dozen 'Dummies' books, and this is by far the least instructive and practical.
   
   That said, who would benefit from reading the book?
   - An absolute beginner who needs encouragement to start exploring scanner settings.
   - A scavenger who wants a full chapter on how to connect a SCSI scanner that he/she obtained for free on Craigslist.
   - Someone who wants instruction on Paint Shop Pro and not Adobe photo applications.
   - Users who have no interest in retouching or restoring older photos.
   
   The author, it seemed to me, had little interest or experience in scanning, retouching and restoring older images. To be more specific, the Histogram setting is not even mentioned and the info on adjusting Highlights, Shadows and Gamma settings is so superficial as to be of little or no help. However, the author does excel when discussing hardware issues.
   
   I have since read and recommend as vastly superior 'How To Do Everything With Your Scanner.' Even 'Digital Photography For Dummies' has more detailed and practical help for scanning and restoring damaged photos.
   
   If you buy this book for under $1, you are doing OK. But, if you want detailed and practical advice for scanning and improving photos, look elsewhere.