2 comments about Designing Effective Wizards: A Multidisciplinary Approach.

1. I have to say I spent months looking for a book on designing effective wizards. FINALLY I find one, and am plesantly surprised at its content. As is habit for me I was about to throw the CD in the trash or make it into a coaster but I decided to try it anyway. I have to say 99% of the time the CD's in books are garbage and not even work making a coaster out of. THis time was different though. THe Brilliant use of macro media director shows an understanding of the progam beyond what is usually seen. I was in awe as I worked my way through the CD. I think the person who made the CD is truly truly gifted. Macromedia should offer him a job! So I say to everyone the CD alone is worth the cost of this book!



2. (...) My only complaint is the index--it would be better to include a magnifying glass rather than a CD so that the index would be usable. The publisher should have spent the extra penny and made the font size at least 8 points.
   Aside from that, this book is packed with useful information, and loaded with examples. If you know nothing about designing wizards, read this book, and you should have the confidence to get started. If you have experience designing wizards, this book will give you the tools you need to make great wizards that help users complete tasks easily. As a reviewer of interfaces, I found this book to be most helpful in answering questions like "Should they be doing that?" and "Isn't there a better way to present those choices?" I highly recommend this book.

No comments about Mathematica Computer Manual to accompany Advanced Engineering Mathematics, 8th Edition (Advanced Engineering Mathematics).

No comments about Using Pcx Graphics Files: The Programmer's Definitive Guide to Pcx File Formats.

5 comments about Web Mapping Illustrated: Using Open Source GIS Toolkits.

1. With revolutionary technology, Google Earth now lets computer users zoom through space to specific sites all over the world. Mapping is also making great strides in the law enforcement world, where geographic information systems (GIS) have been replacing pin maps. Systems such as New York City's COMPSTAT have been highly successful in mapping and depicting virtually any combination of crime/arrest locations, crime hot spots, and other information in real time.
   
   While not specifically written for law enforcement, Web Mapping Illustrated is a valuable guide for those who are interested in using maps and other GIS tools. The Internet hosts many open-source mapping tools, making the creation and publishing of online maps much easier and more effective.
   
   Web Mapping Illustrated is written for those wishing to avoid expensive commercial software mapping systems and instead use open-source and other free tools. The book details the use of free mapping software and tools such as MapServer, GDAL, OpenEV, and PostGIS. It also explains how to find, collect, understand, use, and share various mapping data sources.
   
   All 14 chapters are well written and organized, progressing from the basics to the publication of sophisticated interactive Web maps. Fittingly, the book makes effective use of numerous full-color maps and software screenshots



2. This is an interesting, well written intro book for open source web mapping enthusiasts. I found some helpful tips and also appreciated the traps to avoid sections. The material gave me a greater knowledge and appreciation of MapServer in particular allowing me to move onto more in depth books quickly.



3. Author doesn't assume you know anything. Examples are UNIX, but he explains very well. He doesn't talk down to Windows users (apparently Mapserver installs easily on Windows). Very exciting. Explains map projections well. Good reading on the airplane. If you're an open source geek and/or a GIS person and a UNIX enthusiast, you'll be very happy.



4. To be short and to the point... the title basically covers the primary issue I had with the book... I felt most of the book could be summed up in about 20 pages but yet it was still a full book of how to go get a free piece of software, connect a GPS, and chart where you were going...
   
   Note: I was most likely disappointed because I was truly looking for a much more technical discussion on how GPS databases work and how to decode GIS information. In the past when I have prucased books form the publisher they were much more in depth on technical aspects of the systems, data, and so forth. In this case it was a discussion of how to sue free software and a GPS... no truly what I had in mind.
   
   Oh, well... other I'm sure will enjoy it... just didn't fill the bill for me...



5. This book is readable, nice to look at, and does a good job of pulling a lot of information into one place. Finding information about the different GIS packages in the web is a challenge. If you don't know GIS already, like me, you're lost. This book helped me find my bearings, and in no time I was able to take shapefiles, do processing on them, and display the results in a web page dynamically.
   The problem with this book is that it's fairly shallow. It will give you a couple of basic examples of how to use some pieces of software, but for anything more complicated, you have to look elsewhere. There is frustratingly little information on mapscript, but, overall, I'd say the book fulfills its role.

No comments about Cloth Modeling and Animation.

5 comments about Beauty of Fractals: Images of Complex Dynamical Systems.

1. A very good work, with wide subjects and deep analysis, not for beginner but you are not required to be a specialist to read it. Even if it shows the structure of lecture notes, it maintains a strong cohesion, embracing in a single context different fields, such as computer graphics and statistical physics.



2. Although one of the earliest titles to bring fractals into the mainstream, 'The Beauty of Fractals' isn't as visually exciting as the follow-up, 'Chaos and Fractals', and it's a very dry read - in 1986 complex dynamics were an esoteric field of mathematics that had yet to transfer to student posters and rave videos. At this price it's restricted to people who absolutely need it, although along with 'Godel, Escher, Bach' it's one of the seminal hackish coffee-table books.



3. Amazon dot com gives no credit for my earlier reviews.... I wrote the first review without thinking or spell checking, fast. There are still parts of this book I can't duplicate! And parts that are just written so bad no one can understand them, but most of it stands the test of time, like Mandelbrot's article. This will probably be a classic in the future! I think the free Fractint documentation is probably better for a beginner or Hans Lauwerier's " Fractals".



4. I spent all last evening reading snippets of The Beauty of Fractals (those few paragraphs that a layman could understand) and admiring the sheer beauty of the diagrams/maps. I had not realised there was an aesthetic component to mathematics, and I certainly did not know that aspects of what is generally thought of as a dry science can be so visually appealing, not to say stunning.

   I cannot understand why some people would argue the intrinsic artistic merit of something computer-generated and 'unnatural', when the results speak for themselves.

   Beauty, true, is perceived, and lies in the eye of the beholder. It can be very subjective. But there are certain aspects of visual appeal that go beyond that. One would think that a symmetry of form, the complementary use of colours, the balance of shape and form, light and shade, arcs and curves--all these combine to give an objective, irrefutable fact of beauty that transcends thought and emotions, if not the senses.

   In a couple of the chapters, it was said, and here I paraphrase:

   The two modes of analysis and intuition as human means of understanding the natual world--need they be considered at opposite poles? Do they not complement one another? Are the thinker and the dreamer not one?

   I find that very intriguing, just as I find the idea of chaos and order existing together in natural, dynamic processes being actually TYPICAL of Nature.

   The word 'Chaos' has such negative connotations, implying confusion and destruction, but if I were to replace it with the word 'Disorder', then things begin to fall into place.

   There can be no Order if there were no Disorder, for how then would we know the difference? In fact, one of the writers go so far as to say that it is the very existence of Disorder within Order that confers the essence of beauty found in Nature.
   That is so true. It is the very non-linear aspect of Nature, that which mathematics, up till Mandelbrot, have been unable to map, that is so appealing in the visual sense.

   In Nature, which, apart from abhorring vacuums, also has no place for a straight line (oh, how the poor, innocent straight line is maligned in the preface), beauty is inarguable, irrefutable, and only after that does it have history and context, different to and for each beholder.

   So both Chaos/Disorder and Order co-exist in Nature, hand in hand. Order alone, rigidly disciplined, artificially-imposed, seems to require Disorder to breathe life into it.

   Taking this a step further, our perception of beauty in all things is affected by Nature.

   In yet another chapter, someone quoted someone else and here I go
   paraphrasing again.

   Beauty in science is the same as beauty in other disciplines-art, music,literature, what have you. 'A fog of events, and suddenly you see a connection. It expresses a complex of human concerns that goes deeply to you, that connects things that were always in you that were never put together before.'

   The thinker and the dreamer co-exist within each person, just as the analytical and intuitive modes of thought co-exist, not at opposite poles,but complementing one another.

   Intuition and analysis complement, rather than confound (or they should, gods-willing).

   The artist and the scientist complement each other, i.e. Art and Science are not the opposing polarites of disciplines as some would have us think.

   The thinker and the dreamer ARE one.

   And this book has shown that the essence of beauty lies in the marriage of Art and Science.

   (Disclaimer: Mere thoughts from a layman.)




5. One of the first books on fractals that gave info on the mathematics to creating them and what parameters or sections of the set that yield some beautiful renderings. The math is for a math major but still interesting.

2 comments about 3D Games, Volume 2: Animation and Advanced Real-time Rendering.

1. Volume II picks up where Volume I left off by concentrating on more current real time rendering and game engine topics. Where Volume I painted a broad sweeping overview of real time graphics topics, Vol. II extends this and ties in more closely with how many of those ideas affect the actual creation of games in a real 3d games engine called 'fly3d2' included on CD with the text (a more current and improved version of 'fly3dsdk' from Vol. I). All source code is included for the engine and can be kept current via the website through downloads as it is steadily updated. ... the complete source code for all engine modules and utilities requires purchase of the book.
   Mr. Policarpo the coauthor maintains the site and regularly contributes to threads so support remains current (a real blessing in a rapidly advancing science such as this).

   Some of the topic covered include: Gamespace (BSP, PVS...) management, LightMap creation and challenges, Camera control, Collision Detection and Response, Path Planning and AI, Shader and TexureMapping with various effects, Character Animation, Skeletal Mesh Animation and related issues as well as the fly3d2.0 environment and support and tutorials to play with and to make these ideas real...
   
   The book covers most of the features include in the engine and anticipates extensions that may some day be added as well. The engine design is modular and lends itself to the creation of plugins that can leverage classes already included or that are completely new created by the user. Users can design levels, characters, objects, and control how they interact with the engine. Tutorials are included in the book as well as on the website with new ones being added by members of the community quite regularly. The modular design (in C++) and utilities that adapt Microsoft's Visual Studio and Discreet's 3dsmax (as well as Quake level conveter and a few others) allow seamless integration of these tools into the environment for a wealth of creative possibilities.

   The text is clearly and concisely written and Mr. Watt demonstrates a commanding expertise in these topics without a lot of gimmicky embellishments or self-aggrandizement common in other more fly-by-night texts. This is a real hardcover edtion made to last by a quality computer technology publisher. Watt obviously maintains a close relationship with coauthor Policarpo the designer of the fly3d engine so writing ties in well with the fly3d platform but is not limited by or to it.

   I cheerfully recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning the sometimes difficult and challenging topics of game creation, expansion and maintenance. It is a demanding subject not for the weak of heart that can be difficult and time consuming to master. I've found there are a lot of other books out there that promise to deliver by tempting the potential buyer with the ease and completeness their books will include; however, I have not come across any others as yet that come close to the coverage and approach this (and the previous) volume supplies.

   Before I bought this book I already had tried other approaches to learning this material but found the all the books I'd bought offered poor to none of the support and potential that 3d Games Vol. II together with the fly3d platform delivers. To learn this material one needs to be able to play with the ideas and be excited about the possibilities and have the ability to play with real tools in a real games environment. 3d Games Vol. II is concise, helpful, well-written, and enjoys a small but dedicated community available through the website.

   ....
   Mark Carleton Maguire
   Boston MA




2. This book is a huge help to game developers. I found it a great read while writing my first game engine. It covers so much stuff it makes you want to try and add it all to your game! I am really happy with this book.

1 comments about How to Use Macromedia Flash MX and ActionScript (2nd Edition) (How to Use).

1. Step by step instructions and illustrations help you understand the steps. A good introductory book for beginners. If you know the basics, then get a more advanced book.

2 comments about Mathematica for Microeconomics.

1. Stinespring does an excellent job of communicating typical microeconomic analysis techniques using Mathematica. He also provides a good reminder of the reasoning behind performing such calculations. A concern I had was that I had purchased Mathematica 5.2, and the book was written for version 4. So far however, I have had no problems applying the syntax straight from the book and adjusting it for my particular situation. Economics is heavily math-based, and Mathematica makes the computations much simpler. The challenge I had was to getting up to speed quickly in Mathematica in order to perform economic analysis. Stinespring's book lowers the Mathematica learning curve a great deal allowing you to get on with performing analysis without having to go through the nearly 1,500 page Mathematica user guide.
   
   The first chapter provides a good overview of Mathematica. If you are already familiar with Mathematica, you could skip this chapter. Stinespring then gets on with the economics, sufficiently covering consumer theory, producer theory and economic dynamics. The book is layed out in such a way that you could read it straight through or use it as a reference.
   
   I doubt this book will gather any dust on my bookshelf, but will instead look duly worn in a short period.



2. Because of the cd-rom inside, this book is awfully expensive, considered also that many of the function used are now outdated because of the new releases of Mathematica.
   On the positive side, the book is a very good quick-reference for intermediate/advanced undergraduates and undergrad instructors. The problems analyzed are covered in depth and the programming steps are easy to follow.
   Maybe even too easy: everyone with some background in Mathematica can improve upon the programming syntax used, in order to make the codes less goofy. With such improvements, the book can serve as a getting-started for graduate-level instructors and students.

1 comments about Best Practice: The Pros on Adobe Flash.

1. As befits a topic of computer graphics and illustration, the book is written in high quality glossy paper, with many high resolution colour figures. These are necessary to drive home the lessons on Flash usage. Each chapter is contributed by an experienced graphics designer. Who shares tips on how best to use Flash for various purposes; typically somewhat specialised. Some authors use examples of websites that they have built, which can help your learning. In some instances, these are personal websites. Some readers undoubtedly are pondering whether to have their own, and the decontructionist examples here could aid you.
   
   The text should not be used as an introduction to Flash. It assumes a good prior working knowledge. It doesn't waste your time going over this.