3 comments about The Web Collection Revealed Standard Edition: Adobe Dreamweaver CS3, Flash CS3 & Fireworks CS3 (Revealed).

1. I purchased this book primarily for information on Flash CS3 and Photoshop CS3. I don't have anything to compare it to in regard to these two features, but it is clear to me that the section on Dreamweaver CS3 is not nearly as thorough as the book "Dreamweaver MX 2004" which I purchased several years ago.
   
   I just tried to read up on a couple of Dreamweaver topics in "The Web Collection Revealed" but couldn't find them mentioned. I didn't have any trouble finding the topics covered in my "DREAMWEAVER MX 2004" and the instruction from MX 2004 still worked in the CS3 version of Dreamweaver.



2. This is one of several tutorial packages I bought at the same time to help me learn the Adobe CS3 suite of web-related programs. I wanted to determine which was the best to start with, so I sampled a couple of chapters from each of about six titles before deciding this was the clearly best of the group to get me started. My main interest is in learning Flash, but I've got a use for almost everything in the CS3 suite. This book provided an unanticipated motivation to stop avoiding Dreamweaver and take a fresh look at Fireworks as well. (I no longer find FW redundant in a world dominated by PS and IL.) I can't say enough about how exquisite this book is, and the inclusion of camouflage nature scenes was a smart move. It is well organized, nicely paced and I haven't found any glitches yet, which is seldom the case with tutorial books. If you are just starting out with CS3, my advice, and I write educational books for a living, is to start with WC Revealed and then you'll have better info on how to decide what will be your next move. Everyone associated with this book can be proud of the results. Kudos, and thanks. I'd give it more stars if I could.



3. The book is great if you simply want an introduction to Dreamweaver, Flash and Fireworks or (Photoshop in the premium edition). The Dreamweaver section is not very thorough and the Flash section is somewhat difficult to follow. Overall I was able to master Dreamweaver and Fireworks so two out of three aint bad. The book is definately worth it.

5 comments about GWT in Action: Easy Ajax with the Google Web Toolkit.

1. I liked this book. It walks you though the subject with enough detail to get you started. It will not give you a very deep insight into how GWT is implemented, but still leaves you with sufficient understanding and plenty of practical examples to borrow



2. This is the 2nd book I bought to do GWT. "GWT in Action" is by far the best book to learn GWT (at least when I bought it in summer 2007). Since I had already been using GWT, I used this book to successfully resolve a number of issues I was having, especially with event handling.
   
   An area that could use improvement in future editions is explaining how to integrate with existing javascript code libraries, something that really has to be assumed is a requirement with GWT. A good javascript reference, like O'Reilly's "Javascript: The Definitive Guide" should also be acquired.
   
   I use Instantiations GWTDesigner Eclipse plugin to do my code work.



3. I would recommend this book for web developers currently writing web applications in any language and who are looking to add Ajax to their application. Although Java back ends benefit the greatest from GWT with GWT-RPC, JSON, a lightweight data format, can be used and so ASP.NET, PHP, Perl CGI, etc. can be used. Also a great reference guide for those currently using GWT. Here is a more detailed review (and a shameless plug for my blog): http://www.jlhdevelopment.com/wordpress/?p=6
   
   Also check out this title coming out soon: GWT in Practice



4. I am starting with GWT with this book after using various internet tutorials. The book proved really helpful to get me started. As an added bonus, the authors really like to write and provide small yet inspiring examples which you can download and test yourself.
   
   Some reviewer criticized the order of the chapters. I did not have any problems with that - there is a very useful short introduction in the beginning. I could jump ahead to interesting chapters like RPC without any problem.



5. I was very impressed with the quality of the writing as well as the depth of coverage. The authors explain them well and it is easy to follow the examples. I especially liked the fact that authors present GWT code using design pattern, e.g. Facade - I was able to re-factor my own code.
   
   Using this book, I was able to teach myself GWT and also successfully build a GWT based Ajax application at work.

5 comments about No Stress Tech Guide to Crystal Reports XI: For Beginners.

1. Dr. Murphy has written an easy to use book that will enable anyone to start using Crystal Report XI. Her workbook exercises ensure that each topic is understood before moving forward to the next topic.



2. This is the second book I used as a CR developer, and it got me rolling nicely. It could definitely be laid out better for beginners, so it gets 3 of 5 stars.
   
   The information is accurate and extensive. The organization could be greatly improved. It is unclear where the author is explaining and where each exercise begins and ends.
   
   The exercises of each chapter are based closely on the exercises of the previous chapter. If you deviate from an exercise to learn more or just to spice things up, you will be lost in the following chapters, so keep a "plain vanilla" copy of each completed exercise.



3. While admitting that this book does have some utility, I would be quick to add that it seems to have been crafted with little thought for the end user. The primary problem concerns the examples. Im all for learning by doing, but the methods used here create more headaches and hassle than a solid understanding of the program features. Essentially the reader is asked to create two or three files at the beginning of the book. Easy enough. Unfortunately the rest of the book consists of the reader making subtle changes to the file(s) again and again only to rename the file something else for each exercise. Can you imagine the number of files in the folder by the end of the book.(and all with a file that looks essentially the same). This gets to be a big headache when your asked to go back and find the old file from a few lessons earlier for the next exercise your planning to work on. This can be especially annoying if your like me and want to skip around and find program features that you might need. Also... Either way you use the book (straight through or hopping around), the examples seem too focused on the same type of tasks and the almost endless formatting changes available in the program. I would have appreciated more substance and less formatting fluff. While working through the exercises, I think I actually spent more time finding the correct file for the exercise compared to actually going through the steps to complete the exercise.
   
   One tip. If you buy this book. Do yourself a favor and use their naming conventions to the letter. Otherwise you'll find yourself spending excess time searching for files you previously created for the next exercise.



4. This book is particularly good for people who've worked a lot in Microsoft Access and who are just making the move to Crystal Reports because the author is extremely familiar with both applications. I've since added a second Crystal reference to my library, but this book's a great place to start as you're learning Crystal syntax and how Crystal 'thinks'.



5. I wont bore you by saying 'good for a beginner', you wouldnt be looking at purchasing this book if you already used Crystal Reports. And it wouldnt make sense to buy it just to learn about any upgrades from 8.
   
   For me, Dr. Murphy's book was a real surprise. Really reasonably priced yet chock full of the kind of detail I need to learn an application like Crystal. I just completed Business Objects online training for CR XI to the tune of $1500. I have to say in all honesty that Dr. Murphy's book far surpasses BO's four course package. Hmm, let's see, I guess my employer could have saved about $1450.01 by buying this book first.
   
   Another reviewer complained about reusing reports, a really unfounded gripe, I thought. The nice thing about Crystal Rpts XI is that report titles can include up to 200 characters, so the report builder can name the report very specifically for easy retrieval. At the end of your training with this book, if you work through the examples patiently, you wont need to be saving any of these reports. And if you place them in the Workbench as instructed they are extremely easy to find and reuse if you need to.
   The screen shots are accurate, the discussion is detailed. She uses humor to kind of lessen the inherent tedium. Im through Chapter 6 now, the only criticism I have so far is that the layout is a little wide on the page for this type of binding. That and the word 'then' is used consistently in place of the word 'than' throughout. A small and excusable error! I have scanned the rest of the book and believe it very closely follows BO's own training, but with a far greater degree of accuracy and detail. I love this book!

No comments about Getting Started with Flex 3: An Adobe Developer Library Pocket Guide for Developers (Adobe Developer Library).

5 comments about Design of the UNIX Operating System (Prentice Hall Software Series).

1. Maurice Bach's The Design of the Unix Operating System still holds the place of honor on my technical reference bookshelf. After almost 20 years, it provides a clear overview of basic Unix organization and operations and is a model for how technical books should be written. Readers who complain that the text is dated evidently did not bother to notice the 1986 copyright date. Its age, however, has not diminished its clarity of content or usefulness in understanding the Unix operating system. Bach deserves an award for excellence in technical writing.



2. It is one of the greatest books that I have ever read on UNIX. It is a comprhensive yet simple depiction of Unix Operating System. This book is a MUST READ for UNIX / UNIX LIKE Operating System Engineers. It is worth possesing a copy as it can come handy quite regularly. I give it a full go go!



3. While there may be more detail to be found in "The Magic Garden," or more up-to-date coverage in the likes of Vahalia or Schimmel, Bach's opus is, in the view of this twenty-plus-year UNIX guru, unmatched. I say this because only while reading Bach's book do I experience the sense of philsophic structural perfection, of tool-orientation, of practicality-versus-theoretic-efficiency tradeoff, that characterizes the earliest UNIX monographs (Ritchie, Kernighan, Bourne, Lycklama, Ossana; that sort of thing) that busied me as a freshman. Bach imparts to the reader a glorious--and gloriously holistic--depiction of the structure of the UNIX kernel as a unit. Algorithmic details are provided where appropriate. Exceptionally well thought-out exercises stimulate the reader to extend the textual material where meet. The material is assuredly out of date, but I dare you to critize, say, Lions as being "out of date" (whether or not it describes a 25-year-old, 9K-LOC kernel, it is a scripture of paramount importance, a cornerstone of my computer engineering [n.b.: I didn't say "computer science"] library).
   
   For those who are wont to compare Leffler and Bach--if for no other reason than that they are coevals--I heartily endorse Bach over its competitor. It's nice. It's clean. It's precise. You just couldn't ask for more. And, BTW, stay away from "The Magic Garden." I'm not sure that five hundred pages worth of out-of-context code excerpts, inundating the reader with thousands of kernel variables, accomplishes much by way of imparting conceptual understanding.
   
   (I'm reminded: a customer of mine--an older gentleman with a Ph.D. in physics--once asked me for a concise description of the workings of UNIX, something that introduced the basic concepts at a scholarly but not overweight level. I told him I had a recommendation in mind. "You're going to give me 'The Magic Garden'," John complained; "Don't bother. It stinks!" Was John ever surprised when I pointed him to the third entry in Tanenbaum's Modern Operating Systems series. It has concise thirty or forty-page entries on UNIX, MS-DOS, and a handful of others. For those who want to know--from a scientist's viewpoint--what the fundamentals of the UNIX OS and superjacent environment are, what it can do, how one navigates within it, etc., at a _conceptual_ level that trucks not with the details of Bach or Leffler, seek ye Tanenbaum II.)



4. I'm something of an OS freak (not an expert though) and I collect OS books. I've read many of the classics of the field but I think this book is the crowning achievement of OS literature. Here are the arguments to support my claim:
   
   a) It does not go into explaining general OS theory, thus all space can be dedicated to explaining the details of one operating system (Unix System V Release 2). This of course makes it unsuitable for begginers as it assumes you have a good understanding of basic concepts like race conditions, mutual exclusion, data structures, etc. If you're a begginer don't buy this book yet; get "Operating Systems - Design and Implementation" by Tanenbaum & Woodhull or "Operating System Concepts" by Silberschatz, Galvin and Baer.
   
   b) It details EVERY algorithm with C-like pseudocode and adds verbal explanations exemplifying operations running through the algorithms. This is unlike other OS books which sometimes just give general descriptions of algorithms with no examples.
   
   c) Explanations are complemented by many diagrams of data structures in various states of manipulation by the algorithms. This is possibly the most valuable feature of the book as it does wonders to help you understand what the kernel is doing; you get to 'see' how the algorithms work. This sets it apart from practically all other OS books I've read that just mention in passing "... then function 'x' manipulates data structure 'y'" and leave you to find out the implications of these manipulations. Diagrams also make the book superior to mere code listings.
   
   d) Each chapter 'uses' the algorithms explained in the previous chapter to explain higher level functionality. This is much unlike other OS books which are just unstructured and make you loose the big picture of how the various pieces fit together. Chapters also start with an introductory overall view of the current topic.
   
   So, what is not to like about this book? The only thing I can think of is that it deals with a 'dead' OS. Unix System V only runs in a handful of computer installations these days (if any), while its derivatives have changed too much to serve as a reference while reading the book. Still, System V binaries and source are available on the internet, legally of course. Search for The Unix Heritage Society archives. If you want to get really hardcore you can even get a PDP-11 emulator and set up Sys V in it. There are, of course, other books that delve into present day operating systems; "Solaris Internals" , for instance.
   
   Also, Unix-haters might point out this is just another book on Unix. Well, unfortunately there are no books that explain, say MS Windows, at this level of detail; blaim MS. But still, while dealing with the specifics of one single OS, you do get a general understanding of how other OS's might work.
   
   In my humble opinion this book is the 'King of the Hill' of OS literature; it has helped me finally understand things like context switching and memory mapping. An absolute feast to read, particularly if you like Unix.



5. This book is for anyone who wants to know what happens "under the hood" in a UNIX based operating system. I especially like the pseudocode given for various system calls and other important kernel functions. The exercises given at the end of chapters are thought provoking. This book is not about how to learn/work in UNIX. Some of the topics such as streams may not be relevant in some of the current implementations of UNIX (or clones of UNIX), but most of the book is still relevant.

5 comments about Hot Topics Flashcards for Passing the PMP and CAPM Exams (Audio Version)(5th Edition).

1. This Audio CD is an excellent supporting material for preparing for the PMP Exam. Rita Mulcahy hits the nail right on the head with this preparation material.



2. I passed the PMP exam on my first try weeks ago. I didn't attend any prep class. The only materials I used to prepare for PMP were three books and 1 CD I got here from Amazon. Besides, English is not my first language. So I guess I read slower than most exam takers.
   
   
   Here is my comment for them:
   
   - The PMP Exam: How to Pass On Your First Try, by Andy Crowe
   I think this was the single most useful resource that helped me pass the exam. The content of it is well organized and self contained. It took me about 3 weeks to read it cover to cover. And after that, I felt much comfortable about the system of both PM process groups & knowledge areas. It was a pity that I did't really have time to re-read it before the exam or use the free 1 week online resource it provided. Or it should make my test experience easier.
   Bottom line: HIGHLY recommend.
   
   - PMP In Depth: Project Management Professional Study Guide for PMP and CAPM Exams, by Paul Sanghera
   I bought this one simply because it got pretty good rating on Amazon, but I have to say it's pretty disappointing. First, the process group oriented approach to organize this book is a good try. It should be easier for most rookies to have a good idea about the big picture of PM. However, I don't think the author did a very good job on mapping processes in different knowledge areas with related process groups. Besides, this may be the first book I've ever read that goes with so many typos and mistakes. I really wonder if it has been edited or proofread before publishing.
   Bottom line: NOT recommend.
   
   - PMP Exam Quicklet: Project Management Professional Practice Exams, by Paul Sanghera
   The same author as "PMP In Depth", thus it contains a lot of typos, too. In addition, I don't think those questions in this book will get you a good feel of the real exam questions, because at least 30~40% of them will be much more difficult. When I tried those questions in this book before exam at home, I could easily finish 200 questions in about 2 and half hours and got about 85% correctness. However, it took me more than 3 and half hours and a lot of guesses in the real test. Third, quite a few of the 540 questions in this book are repetitive.
   Bottom line: Somewhat recommend.
   
   - Hot Topics Flashcards for Passing the PMP and CAPM Exams (Audio CD),
   by Rita Mulcahy (Author)
   I spend more than one hour on public transportations everyday during weekdays. That's why I bought this CD. It is a nice review and memory enhancement if you don't mind listening to those boring stuff when you walk or drive.
   Bottom line: Recommend.
   
   - PMP Exam Prep: Rita's Course in a Book for Passing the PMP Exam, by Rita Mulcahy
   I did not buy this book, but based on my experience of using the "Hot Topics Flashcards" CD, I believe this should be a pretty good material for the PMP exam.
   Bottom line: HIGHLY Recommend.
   
   
   Overall, my suggestions would be :
   
   1. You should expect to study intensively for 1 to 3 months to pass the exam. (It took me 3) If you plan to spend more than 3 months, you may forget what you study in the first beginning. Better to focus and get it done quickly.
   
   2. Carefully study "The PMP Exam: How to Pass On Your First Try" & "PMP Exam Prep, Fifth Edition: Rita's Course in a Book for Passing the PMP Exam".
   
   3. Do enough simulation questions (enough = at least 600 questions = 3 full set exams). Be sure to figure out the correct answers of those questions you got wrong.
   
   4. Don't rely on PMBOK as your only resource for PMP preparation. There are some testing materials not even included in it, ex. organization & motivation theories.
   
   5. Be sure to get enough sleep the night before exam. The real questions will be hard and require a very clear mind.



3. This book is worth buying it provides a break down of inputs and outputs to each process or knowledge area. It has a lot of definitions and formulas



4. I found this to be extremely helpful if you are a commuter. I would just take it with on the train / bus and even to work and quiz myself. The book is the meat of it and the flashcards are the seasonings! I think its a great addition to any study material. Just put it in your purse and whenever you have a free moment wherever you're at you can pull it out and quiz yourself. Good buy!



5. I found these audio CDs very useful since you can hear it anywhere anytime while driving. I in fact uploaded it into my iPod, so that I can listen to it anytime. It makes your remember all the definitions and basic concept.
   
   I would highly recommend it to those who are preparing for PMP Certification.

No comments about The Definitive Guide to Grails, Second Edition (The Definitive Guide).

5 comments about Final Fantasy XI Official Strategy Guide for PS2 & PC (Spring 2004 Version).

1. Final Fantasy XI is an MMORPG's with a developer actively supporting it as well as a dedicated user base creatively finding new ways of putting play mechanisms in more and more clever uses. It's a living environment, which no book can ever come close to detailing, and no book can present you with anything better than an incomplete snapshot in time, forever left behind by all the regular game mechanism tweaks and new item additions.
   
   That said, this guide is especially bad, even for a book. Lacking newer items and information on the different updates aside, it has a very misleading section on the different jobs ("classes") and their uses in game. It also fails at helping readers understand the dynamics of grouping ("partying") for gaining experience points and levels, and does not provide any realistic strategy to level crafting for beginners.
   
   For a real guide on how to play the game, the best way is to just play it--and ask for advice from players in the game. Join a "Linkshell" (often called "guild" in other MMORPG's), and hang out with new friends. There is no better or more fun way to learn about the world of FFXI.
   
   For information on various items, quests, missions, crafting, etc., look toward the Web. You can find just about any information you need out there; here's a short list of good sites to start with:
   
   ffxi.somepage.com
   ffxi.allakhazam.com
   mysterytour.web.infoseek.co.jp/ffxi/us/
   wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/index.php/Main_Page
   
   So, skip this book--it'll just put wrong ideas into your head, which you'll have to unlearn. Play the game to understand it, and use the Web as your reference book instead.
   
   (BTW, ignore all the pretty "buy gils now" advertisement on the web pages--buying virtual currencies is rather frowned upon by many players.)



2. Even though it is two years old (and I've been playing for about that amount of time) it still has some helpful info. Of course it doesnt have any of the recent higher level things because when this guide came out there were'nt that many high level players. Also SE does not want to give away too much end game information. SE wants people to keep paying money to find out for themselves. Even though some of the quest are a bit dated it gives me a starting point. Without this guide to show me certain quests I wouldn't even know where to start to look online for it. Oh, and about the job info, the guide was written the way SE intented the jobs to be used, not the way the players use them now (Ninja was never supposed to be a tank you know.) But anyway...to the real points >>>
   
   1) The guide IS 2 years old going on 3.
   
   2) It does have a nice list of guild recepies. (I have level 49 Clothcraft and I love this list!) (However there are NPC's in game that can tell you everyhting you can make up to your current skill level.) On a side note: The way you actually have to fish has changed because of an update, so ask a fellow fisherman for help if you are just learning :-)
   
   3) It has a decent mob list. No mobs from the past 2 years. Most of the ones that people level off of are in there, and it does show weaknesses,how they aggro, their jobs and their levels. Has no Notorious Monster information though.
   
   4) Has a good gear list too. Yes you can see it in Jeuno if you just search through the Auction House. But it's still nice to have on hand at any given moment. It shows which jobs can use the gear and all the status info on the items. It also shows some Rare/EX gear which cannot be found at the Auction House.
   
   5) Only covers the orginal version with the Rise of the Zilart expansion pack (although Zilart Missions are not actually mentioned in the guide. Which would have given away secrets to the then new expansion pack at the time.) It does have a decent quest list for these cities (I still can't do some of them because my fame is too low XD)
   
   6) There is a skillchain chart. However it does not show all the skillchains (even some of the lower level SC's are missing.)
   
   7) Only has maps of the 4 moajor cities. These maps are easily obtainable in the game itself. It does have some key NPC locations based on the quests that the guide provides so you dont have to hunt for Tapoh Lihzeh (she is an NPC that provides a low level repeatable quest that can actually help build Windurstian fame)or any other strangely named NPCs.
   
   9) Some of the job info is no longer correct due to updates in gameplay. Most of these updates are on the advanced (unlockable) job classes, so by the time newer players are introduced to these jobs they should already have been made aware of these incorrections.
   
   In all this is a fairly decent guide that is still useable (for how much longer is unknown.) I would still recommend it to new players ONLY if they can buy it at the suggested retail price of 19.99 or lower.



3. please dont buy this , it keeps me company on the toilet sometimes , but thats about it



4. This item has helped me a lot during my time in FFXI. YES the game is updated beyond this version, YES the information is inaccurate, but this guide has saved me tons of trouble, time, and effort for BASIC beginner information such as LVLs of Magic, Armor, Weapons, and Weapon Skills. There is even a neat little guide on what weapons skills link together to preform Skillchains! All in all I've been using this guide since the beginning and believe it is worth every penny. If you buy this guide, I HIGHLY recommend also buying the FFXI Atlas Guide as well. Both of these items make entering the FFXI world that much easier and more enjoyable from beginning to end game.



5. For one of my favorite games, I really don't like to bash it like this. However, this guide was, and is even moreso now 3 years later, pathetic. Back in the day, it was decent, but the lack of maps, real strategy for quests and the exclusion of things including skill caps for crafting really killed this. Not to mention there are only strategies listed for missions until you reach Rank 5. There's still 5 more levels to be reached afterwards.
   
   To add insult to injury, there's nothing on any of the expansions, and at the time of this guide's release, Rise of the Zilart had already been released, yet there was no mention of the Zilart missions here. While it's understandable there wasn't anything for Chains, Treasures, or Wings, they still could've included something for this, let alone continuing the trend of releasing new volumes of the guide quarterly to keep players up to speed, but alas.
   
   There is no mention of Dynamis, Beseiged or Sky, as well as guides for Level Limit Breaks.
   
   I've come to love Brady Games and, while I do get some help out of this guide, I would much rather use a website like Killing Ifrit, Allakhazam, or FFXIclopedia.
   
   ***3 stars for occsional usefulness***

No comments about Wicket in Action.

5 comments about Perl by Example (4th Edition) (By Example).

1. If you are looking for a book that provides Perl script examples, then this is the book for you. Provides numerous examples of perl scripts in each section, plus then the author breaks down line by line what the script does. I use this book in conjunction with O'Reilly's Learning Perl.



2. Clealy written, and in terms I believe are easily understood by programmers.
   Also, wonderful price! (under $2.00)



3. Good straight forward examples... most show the input, the code and the output produced by the code. You need only understand the logic of programming... the book fills in the rest you need to know. I have six or seven books on Perl but always reach for this or The Little Black Book for syntax and examples. Invest in a good editor designed for Perl programming like OptiPerl [with syntax checking and debugger] and you will be well on your way!



4. I use the Perl language daily (and I love it). I own several of Ellie's books and have taken classes from her in Silicon Valley. The books are clear, the index is excellent, but the examples are too simple. Many examples use input typed in from the keyboard (instead of reading in input from a file). Business applications/corporate applications usually read in input from a file.



5. [A review of the 4th Edition, that came out in late 2007.]
   
   One way to learn is to learn by example. Quigley follows this precept in this massive book on Perl. Candidly, there are far slimmer books that describe the syntax of Perl. Typically, these have a few didactic examples. For some people, that suffices. But you might be a newbie to any type of programming. Or perhaps you want a grab bag of many example programs, to search thru in case you can find one to quickly adapt to your needs. In this case, Quigley's book might be well suited.
   
   The examples are easy to grasp. Accompanied by exhaustive supporting text. It doesn't get simpler than this. In some ways, this led to complaints in reviews of earlier editions. A few other reviewers saw the examples as perhaps too trivial. Well they are, to experienced programmers. Newcomers need more support.
   
   The book also goes into an important usage context. Where you combine Perl scripts with CGI to write dynamic web pages. But beware. The book doesn't really discuss on first principles whether you should use this Perl/CGI combination. CGI has been found to be rather cumbersome for dynamic pages. Programmers tend to favour other methods, like JSP [Java Server Pages] and ASP.