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!!

No comments about Master VISUALLY Dreamweaver CS4 and Flash CS4 Professional (Master VISUALLY).

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).

5 comments about Getting Started with Microsoft Visual C++ 6 with an Introduction to MFC (2nd Edition).

1. I'm not a software type although I do have some background in programming. I wanted to learn C++ to build my own applications for my computer, but I wanted the learning curve to be reasonable so that I can do it on my spare time. I purchased this book and Liberty's book "SAMS Teach Yourself C++ in 24 hours" which gets into ANSI/ISO C++ programming. You can purchase both books from Amazon for under $45. The two books complemented each other perfectly, and in about 8 weeks spending about an hour each day, I can program applications using my compiler. These two books were perfect for a novice like myself. What was nice was that both books came with a working compiler and all the examples were available either as a download or was available on the CD-ROM. What I found somewhat lacking in this book was detailed explanations of all the commands that was used in the examples, and how to expand on the examples so more different types of programmings can be created, but the book is very short and that's what I was looking for - something that doesn't require 1000 pages of reading, so I guess I can't have it both ways. What these books doesn't do is that it won't teach you the more sophisticated operating system related things like how to access a disk or other I/Os. If you are trying to learn this level of programming, you need to move up to a higher level books such as the "Win32 System Programming: A Windows(R) 2000 Application Developer's Guide (2nd Edition)" by Johnson M. Hart. But to get started on C++ programming, after many false starts over the years, these two books did it for me.



2. I'd been struggling for a while with the tutorial examples in the MSDN library, and another book I had was more "do this and it will work", rather than "this is how function x works". This book has really hit the spot, and I've been able to write some simple MFC programs and fully understand how they work.
   
   Just about every line of code is explained clearly, so there are no problems with snippets of code being left as a mystery.
   
   The book doesn't use the wizards for quick MFC programming - I see that as a plus. This way you learn more about how the actual code works, rather than taking it for granted. Besides, it is very easy to have a play with the wizards and tinker with the code after gaining the knowledge from the book.
   
   This book isn't the definitive guide to MFC, but then it doesn't claim to be. It is an excellent starter book, one I heartily recommend.



3. Fair book, but if you have any knowledge of MFC, go for something else. It doesn't cover any of the more complex classes.



4. The book is great if you just need to know MFC in few days. The plus point is use of good examples. But what is lacking is "why you have to do that" explainations. Also, something which is very irritating is the almost constant reference to the companion book (how to program in c++). It is almost as if telling if you dont have that book then you cant expect to accomplish much.



5. I am a unix/C "old school" programmer switching to windows programming. This book is exactly what the title says. It is an INTRODUCTION to MFC. Very basic. If you just want to get a few dialogs running then this book will help you do that within minutes. But it does NOT use any wizards(why else would you want to know MFC?) and it only goes into the most basic C++. This would be a good book for maybe a middle-school to high school class. So basically, I give this book 3 stars because it is what it says and will help you in "getting started" but that is absolutely it. If you want real understanding, if you are trying to figure out what the wizards can do for you or if you need to do more advanced applications, then you will need another resource.

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