1 comments about Access 2007 VBA Programming For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)).

1. Some years ago Microsoft created a specialized programming language to allow extensions to be made to the normal modes of operation allowed in their Office suite. The language was fairly well thought out to be applicable to applications as different as word processing, spreadsheets or data bases. They called it Visual Basic for Applications shortened to VBA. It has worked remarkable well. Down theough the years there have been relatively few changes to VBA.
   
   This book is on VBA as specifically oriented to the Microsoft Access database program. But if you learn Access VBA, you are not far from knowing how to use VBA on any of the other Office components.
   
   While this is an Access book, it is specifically on VBA, it assumes that you already know about how to build a table, and about rows and columns. It also assumes that you have some familiarty with other Access features such as building queries.
   
   Access goes to a great deal of effort to avoid having to use the underlying SQL language. There are a couple of chapters on SQL for the total beginner. In the long run, you will probably want to know more.
   
   You can't design one book to do everything in about 400 pages. This "dummies" book concentrates on VBA. That's enough for one book. It does a good job on VBA. You may want to fill out your bookshelf with Access for Dummies and SQL for Dummies.

5 comments about MySQL Stored Procedure Programming.

1. Being fairly new to MySQL (but not to programming) I needed to develop an application using PHP/OOP with MySQL and stored procedures. This book is pretty concise and got me going quickly. At the time, I searched the Amazon book offerings and also books on the shelf at Barnes & Noble. This book is the only one providing clear and concise material on the subject.
   
   I do wish the coverage would have been more detailed using PHP data objects (PDO) in combination with stored procedures that use various combinations of INPUT, OUTPUT and INPUT-OUTPUT parameters in addition to exception processing, etc. That would have been great but then, this isn't a PHP book. Too bad most PHP books seem to focus more on the basics of the language and don't delve into the weighty matters of real-world commercial application development.



2. The good: I found to book to be generally useful. The approach the book takes is good. Lots of examples are provided along with a good amount of explanation.
   
   
   The not-so-good: There seem to be quality or editorial issues with some of the examples. When I run them through the query browser in MySQL version 5 I have problems with some of them. For example Example 2-7 calls another procedure new_salary, which doesn't seem to exist by that name in the book or on the website. This makes it much more time consuming for a newbie to actually run and digest the examples than it should.



3. I have been working with MySQL for several years as a database back-end for Java, Ruby and C# programming projects. After upgrading to version 5, I have been meaning to look into MySQL's support for stored procedures.
   
   The MySQL Stored Procedure Programming book was my first read on the subject and I found it quite useful. It covers not only stored procedures, but also functions and triggers, collectively called 'stored programs' in the book. While there are many books on MySQL, this book is dedicated to the stored programs domain and provides a lengthy treatment of the subject.
   
   During the introduction, the authors provide a veritable laundry list of MySQL resources including many books and websites. The basic tools for creating stored programs in MySQL are visited and help set the groundwork for a 'read, type in the example and run it' feedback loop. Throughout the book, the examples are clear and easy to follow.
   
   The introduction is followed by a brief tutorial, highlighting stored procedures, functions and triggers. What follows is two sections of chapters, over 200 pages in length, diving into the details of the stored procedure language fundamentals, blocks, conditional statements, iterative programming, error handling, the creation and maintenance of stored programs, transaction management, MySQL built-in functions, stored functions and triggers.
   
   The next section of the book is of particular value to software developers that use MySQL in their applications. Over 150 pages showing you how to use MySQL stored programs from PHP, Java, Perl, Python and .NET. The Java section even shows the basics of using stored procedures with Hibernate and Spring.
   
   After that, you'll be greeted with a 110 page medley of options to help you optimize your MySQL stored programs. The subject of tuning your SQL is addressed over the course of three chapters, from basic through advanced tuning topics. Additional optimization techniques such as reducing network traffic with stored programs, optimizing loops, recursion, cursors, trigger overhead and more are found in the final chapter of this section.
   
   The book closes out with a chapter on best practices in MySQL stored program development. MySQL Stored Procedure Programming has earned a space on the MySQL shelf of my technical library. It's a fine book that will help you take your MySQL programming experience to another level.



4. This is the first and only book about Mysql stored procedured and since it was written by the query tuning guru Guy Harrison, it also includes nice tips on query tuning. Highly recommended, just be forewarn that this is for advance Mysql developers or DBA only. Also, be aware that Mysql stored procedure as of release 5.0 and 5.1 won't buy you much performance since Mysql parse stored procedures scripts every time it run unlike other RDBMS like Oracle and MSSQL. If you want better performance, you should make use of prepared statements inside a stored procedure.



5. This book clearly covers stored procedure programming well. Of course, it goes over basic syntax and provides examples, but it also goes much farther than that. This book discusses optimization of MySQL queries regardless of the use - in or out of sprocs. It also did a very nice job of discussing the use of cursors - the ability to iterate through the results of a query without being pelted with the entire result set all at once.
   
   If you're developing on MySQL 5 or greater, and you're serious about letting the database handle things that make sense (i.e. denormalization, administration, and putting business logic into the database), this is an excellent resource.
   
   Hit(s):
   
   o Thorough coverage of
   - o stored procedures
   - o functions
   - o triggers
   - o cursors
   o Explains stored procedure optimization very well
   o Serves as stored procedure cookbook
   o Excellent coverage of stored procedure best practices
   o Demonstrates use of stored procedures with languages like PHP, Perl, Java, and others.
   
   Miss(es):
   
   o Title doesn't do it justice.

5 comments about Using Samba, 3rd Edition.

1. 'Using Samba' by Gerald Carter is the DEFINITIVE Samba reference for all Samaba users and administrators out there in the IT world. Now in its 3rd Edition, this gem of a book/tool takes you through all the necessary steps from setup, configuration, troubleshooting, you name it, it's in this book!! Written in a clear, concise manner, over 400 pages of information is contained within the following 12 chapters and 3 appendixes:
   
   01. An Introduction to Samba
   02. Installing Samba on a Unix System
   03. Configuring Windows Clients
   04. The Samba Configuration File
   05. Accounts, Authentication, and Authorization
   06. Advanced Disk Shares
   07. Printing
   08. Name Resolution and Network Browsing
   09. Domain Controllers
   10. Domain Member Servers
   11. Unix Clients
   12. Troubleshooting Samba
   A. Samba Daemons and Commands
   B. Downloading Samba with Subversion
   C. Configure Options
   
   There simply is no better book on the market for this niche topic. If you use a Windows/Linux environment you will need this book at some point. Save your time and pick this up TO-DAY!!
   
   ***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED



2. This is a very good guide. It brings together information scattered over the net and provides good a deep explanation for many topics that samba administrator need to know.



3. I was able to configure a samba server that met all my needs after reading only 4 chapters of this book.
   I am not an expert but at no time at all did I feel like this book is outdated. Mine, 3rd edition, was focused on samba 3.0.22 -- correct release being 3.0.25.



4. So, I got the 2nd edition of this book (which is out of date now) because I'm a cheap skate and I saw it on Amazon second hand for a rediculously low price (somewhere in the range of $1 - $2). For the most part, it was still pretty relevant. It was released just before Samba 3.0.x was rolled out (well, in that vicinity, anyway), and it does address some of the updates in the 'new' updated version. There were a couple of things that were no longer accurate, so I had to go online and find out how to do it with the latest version of Samba.
   
   Setting up your Samba server is much easier than working with some other services in UNIX/Linux. This book does a good job getting you up and running quickly then showing you some more detailed settings and tweaks. It also shows you how to configure things on the Windows side for various versions (9x/Me/NT/2000/XP).
   
   One of the coolest things is configuring roaming profiles for your various Windows accounts - these let you log into any computer with your username and password and it will load up your system settings (such as desktop background). If you only use Windows XP Home Edition, be warned that you really won't be able to enjoy that much functionality in the networked environment.



5. I browsed through this book at my local Borders store and it looked like it was going to offer all of the information I needed. Too bad the seller never shipped the book.

5 comments about Google Hacks: Tips & Tools for Finding and Using the World's Information (Hacks).

1. Almost anyone who uses a computer knows that Google is a superior search engine - but do you know it also offers ways to organize and manipulate that information? The updated third edition of GOOGLE HACKS: TIPS & TOOLS FOR FINDING AND USING THE WORLD'S INFORMATION tells how, with chapters covering not just search techniques or advanced search strategies, but what to do with the information once it's found. From building a customized Google map for your web site to handling RSS feeds, news listings, blogs, and even using Gmail as an external hard drive, GOOGLE HACKS comes packed with usage tips not to be found elsewhere.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



2. 1. Word order matters
   2. repetition of words ignores the repeating words with no search results
   
   3. inanchor, inurl, intitle, site
   inanchor:oreilly -inurl: oreilly -site: edu
   oreilly in anchor text
   oreilly not in the url
   site is not edu (limits to a certain domain)
   
   intitle:OSTEOPOROSIS inurl:links
   OSTEOPORSIS in the title
   links in the url
   OSTEOPOROSIS in the anchor text
   
   intitle:biology inurl:help
   Takes you to a manageable size of 602 for help in biology.
   
   4. Google does not support stemming (moon, moonlight, moonshot)
   Google does support wild card pattern *
   Google does have a ten word limit
   
   three * mice
   returns
   three Blind mice
   three white mice
   
   5. daterange:startdate-enddate
   [...]
   
   6. Phonebook searchs:
   phonebook: searches the entire google phonebook
   rphonebook: searches residental listings only
   bphonebook: search business listings only
   
   phonebook:nelson id
   
   7: Finding articles
   [...] "ADO" or "ODBC"
   
   Searches the site www.listensoftware for all articles about ADO
   "ODBC"
   
   8. Searchable directorys
   
   "what's new" "what's cool" directory SAUERKRAUT
   "what's new" categories sauerkraut (recipe)
   "what's new" listings sauerkraut (links to recipes)
   
   9. GAPIS
   [...]
   
   Standalone application that takes advantage of the Google API search component.



3. While Google is used by a large percentage of the population of internet users today, Google offers a host of additional services and features that may be accessed using the tips and tools found in "Google Hacks".
   
   This is primarily a book for intermediate- to advanced-users, but it offers some easy-to-use and useful tips and tools for all users. For those interested in extended the utility of the powerful Google service, this is a good resource.



4. We got a used copy of Google Hacks, and my wife studied the searcher's tips for a couple weeks before I got to study the webmaster's guide. Like the Jack Sprats of the nursery rhyme, we licked that platter clean. It's dated now, but that only means there is more on Google than got into the book, I have not found a script or search parameter that was discontinued.
   
   This is not for light reading, it is intended for people who want to get the most out of the web, and are not content with Wizards and auto-pilot.



5. Nutshell review - If you want to know the ins and outs of using Google and all the advanced switches, tips, and tricks then this is your book. Good resource to own.

5 comments about PostgreSQL (2nd Edition) (Developer's Library).

1. This book lives up to it's claims for "the comprehensive guide to building, programming and administering postgresql databases". I'm a MySQL guy, but may have to do a little pgsql to support a third party app, so I was looking for a book that would bring me up to speed.
   
   The quick review is this... I give this book 3 stars, because it's so huge and covers so much territory that, in my opinion, it does a middling job of it. I would have preferred a more focussed book. I think, given it's goal of being so comprehensive, it is about as good as it could be and if you really need to know everything - from sql, to developing extensions, to embedding this in your c/c++ programs and administering things AND want a single book that covers it this is probably the book for you. If you don't need quite that much, or are willing to go to more than one book to get it, I think you would be better served to look elsewhere.
   
   The longer review...
   
   Honestly, I don't know why books on databases almost invariably are terribly dry reads, but this book, following the odds, falls into that category. It's a hefty tome weighing in at about 1000 pages divided into 3 sections.
   
   The first category, about a quarter of the book, is an introduction to sql and postgresql in particular. It does quite a nice job of introducing your standard sql commands, datatypes and basic administrative commands (like creating tables and the like). This part goes from basic to fairly advanced, covering topics like outer joins and creating new datatypes. I suspect it'll be review for those familiar with sql but reasonably usable for those delving into sql, even if they don't immediately understand all of the more advanced concepts.
   
   The section ends with a chapter on performance, something I was particularly interested in given postgresql's reputation. Here the authors talk about standard performancy things like indexes, using various tools to figure out what a particular query is actually doing, all worthwhile. But they never go into any detail about the performance implications of using some of the more advanced postgresql features like composite types and table inheritance. I was quite disappointed to find not even a whisper of this type of information in the book.
   
   The second section, about half the book covers programming with postgresql. This is a very broad chapter - covering many aspects of what it means to program this database. From server side programming using PL/pgSQL to extending the database with custom functions and types. They discuss creating clients in c, c++, java, perl, php, tcl, python and .net. Each one of these languages gets a chapter about 30-50 pages long where they go over the basics of how that language typically connects to the database and then goes through a process of creating a basic client and refining over the course of 4 or 5 iterations to become more and more robust and full featured. This is the bulk of the book and because it's so wide spread, I think most people will only be interested in one or two of these chapters - the rest of which will probably be uninteresting.
   
   The last section is the final quarter of the book where they go over the administrative requirements of the database. They admirably try to direct people to download and compile their own binaries, but cover installation from binary on unix and windows. They have an excellent reference on the things you can tweak to configure the runtime environment. They also cover backing up the database, replication, internationalization and security. Although they mention performance optimization in the intro to the section, they don't actually discuss it anywhere in the section.
   
   So, to sum up. If you really need to know about all aspects of pgsql and are looking for a one stop shop, this book is - I think - as good as you're going to find. But if you're looking into only a particular aspect (developing, administereing, etc..) or don't mind going to more than one, I feel confident that there's other books out there that will cover those topics in better detail.



2. PostgreSQL 2nd Edition is a phenomenal book if you're a programmer, and a great book if you're a non-programming admin. As someone whose programming ability reaches only ever so slightly beyond bash scripting and WSH, the parts of this book that were really worthwhile to me were those devoted to the administration of PostgreSQL. Backing up, recovering, and performance tuning were excellent resources, especially to someone who had never set up or administered a database. Speaking of which, the very beginning of the book, covering what exactly a database is, terminology, and setting up and creating schema were invaluable. To have all the information in PostgreSQL 2nd Edition consolidated in this one book makes it a must-have for any admin's bookshelf. The only reason it didn't get 5 stars from me was because I'm not a programmer, and I couldn't take away every single ounce this great resource had to offer.



3. I'm upset that this book that I've been trusting for the past month or two has such an egregious error in its discussion of regular expressions on page 51. I wish the authors had left out any discussion of regexes if they weren't going to actually test their assumptions about a topic on which I assume they know little. :-(



4. I am a database application developer with MS SQL Server, Oracle, Sybase and many other RDBMSs experience.
   This book allowed me to start working on PostgreSQL immediately.
   Pro: comprehensive, good examples, good supplement to the documentation.
   Cons: is not deep enough for me (does not explain format of a transaction log file or WAL file, for example), but, I guess, I should read the PostgreSQL code for this.
   If you are new to databases you would need to read some other books first.



5. As a developer with many years IT experience in control systems and only a little in databases and none with Postgres, I found this book to be extremely helpful. It covered a huge amount of topics with examples and put them together in a way that made it more efficient than googling!
   
   It helped that I knew what topics I needed in looking for answers but the chapters were self explantory in the topics they covered which I believe would allow a beginner to make quick progress in learning Postgres.
   
   Cavaet: If you are after a book to learn SQL and database design (normal forms) you will be disappointed, this book is not for you.

5 comments about Adobe RoboHelp 7 HTML, Essentials of.

1. Because of a new job I started a month ago, I was confronted with RoboHelp 7 HTML. After browsing around a bit, I found this workbook by Kevin Siegel. Fortunately, I was given the time at work to work through the whole book, which I did, and, believe me, I'm glad I did. The book is very informative and also interesting. It took me about 2 1/2 days until I was through, and I was never bored. Every exercise is always described step by step, which I found particularly helpful. At one point, I got a strange error in RoboHelp and wrote a mail to Iconlogic, asking for help. About 15 minutes later, I already got an answer from Kevin himself (and I learnt, that the cause for the error was myself). So, if you are in the same position as I am, order this book and work it through. It's also a great reference book afterwards, since (in my opinion) the help in RH itself is not very helpful.



2. I've worked with RoboHelp for years with no training; just learn as you go. I recently changed from using RoboHelp for Word to using RoboHelp HTML and this book has been such a help. It's full of information on the little things I didn't learn on my own. And I too have found Kevin Siegel to be exceedingly helpful when I've had questions.



3. This book is written for 8th graders. Granted, there's not much RoboHelp material out there, but don't bother with this one, or v6 or v5. 200+ pages, I lasted maybe 90 seconds.
   
   It's not a users manual, it's a tutorial, and as a tutorial you're better off clicking around the product to see what a click gets you.
   
   This is an exercise in technical writing pre-101.
   
   Every 10th word is in bold, big case, and the smallest font size anywhere looks to be about 16 pt. And the belaboring. It will bore you. To get from Step 1 to Step 2, you've got to read through 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, and 1e replete with unnecessary screen shots with circles and ovals, like you can't find a button or a select menu by yourself. It's a children's book.
   
   If you are comfortable with, or need, or are patient with a condesceningly if not insultingly informal tone, or instructions like "maximize the window," or "save your work," or "close the browser," or "exit" then maybe the personality of this book will work for you.
   
   Else fire up the Robo interface, click around, and figure it out yourself. Use the built in tutorial, and there is always, of course, what you should expect, the RoboHelp Help.
   
   To be fair, there are good instructions, informative asides, and nuggets and Easter eggs here and there.
   
   The lasting impression, though, this book should have come with a box of crayons.
   
   



4. I would like to counter the negative criticism that this book is too simple and that it was written for children.
   I knew before I bought it that it was a tutorial, and I thought it was extremely effective at teaching the basics of a very complex product. Maybe my experience was so positive because I had never worked at any company that was generous enough to buy RoboHelp for its writers, so I had to buy the Technical Communication Suite myself.
   If someone needs a RoboHelp reference manual -- write to Adobe and tell them to get on the stick. Don't expect this book to be something it never aspired to be.



5. This book was very easy to follow with great examples and data. The layout and sequence of chapters were very good. I did not lose time during the learning process. I would highly recommend it.

5 comments about Eclipse Distilled (Eclipse Series).

1. With Eclipse becoming extremely popular as an integrated development environment, there have been a number of books published to help you learn the tool. I recently received a copy of Eclipse Distilled by David Carlson, and it's a pretty good addition to the collection...
   
   Contents:
   Part 1 - Getting Started: A Java IDE and So Much More!; Hello Eclipse; Managing Your Projects; Customizing Your Workbench; Rapid Development; Java Project Configuration; Debugging Your Code
   Part 2 - Getting Agile: Characteristics of Agile Development; Updating the Eclipse IDE; Continuous Testing with JUnit; Refactoring Your Code; Continuous Integration with Ant; Team Ownership with CVS; Coding Standards; Index
   
   If you're looking for a book that covers a large number of the features of the Eclipse IDE, this book will be a good choice. In addition to covering all the technical details for installation, options, and "how to" things like refactoring, the author also covers how Eclipse works with various other common programming tools like JUnit and CVS. It's not a definitive guide on these other software packages, but you'll get a good grounding on how they integrate.
   
   What this book *isn't* is a tutorial guide to learning Eclipse. There are a number of Eclipse books that will walk you through a number of examples of how the package works and how to write code with it. This book really doesn't do that. You'll find out a lot about all the different options, but it's not like a "step 1, step 2, step 3" presentation. I really don't consider this a detriment to the book. If I wanted a tutorial, I could find one. But if I want a book that shows me all the mechanics and let's me figure out how to apply them to my needs, the "Distilled" approach works great.
   
   I like the book, but I can see how some people might not be enamored with the lack of sample code. If you're going in with your eyes open, you should be fine...



2. In his forward, David Carlson writes: "This is the book I wanted to read when I started using Eclipse three years ago." Wow! And this is the book I wanted to read too!
   
   Like husbands and wives, wrenches and nuts, hands and gloves, some things were meant to fit together, while others repel like oil and water. When I learn a new programming language, IDE, API, software program, etc. I want the basics, the practical, the stuff I really need to get going. In any of these endeavors, there is simply too much to learn to sit reading detailed information on features that just never come up for me. Give me a good grounding in the basics, and I will pick up the details on the fly when I need them.
   
   Carlson's book will get you up to speed fast. Furthermore, it gives you the basics on several of the latest development methods with which Eclipse is compatible. He provides excellent basic discussions of Agile Development, JUnit testing, Ant, refactoring and the Concurrent Version System. He easily fits all this information into less than 300 pages.
   
   If this approach fits you like it fits me: Quick! Buy this book and get started.



3. I manage multiple developers spread around the globe building product relying on the Eclipse Web Standard Tools (WST) and other parts of Eclipse. Getting each team member's IDE configured and updated was sucking up time.
   
   Chapter 9, "Updating the Eclipse IDE," saved us time equivalent to purchasing boxes of the book. Now we have flexible, consistent, repeatable configurations that make upgrading to new versions of WST and other features easy.
   
   We have adjusted our team's practices based on info in other chapters too.
   
   Carlson has provided excellent information for developers who want to work more effectively in the Eclipse environment. I'm delighted with the purchase.



4. I read this book end to end but didnt find even a single startling fact about eclipse that i didnt know already.It was more like feature round up ( which you can discover going through the menu items in eclipse IDE)
   I would recommend this book for people who are absolutly new to eclipse .



5. This is an excellent book and I recommend it highly to start with Eclipse.
   It saved me an incredible amount of time by providing the right level of information on virtually all important features of Eclipse.
   This book is for people with a background in development, but new to Eclipse.

5 comments about Hands-On Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Integration Services.

1. Hi All,
   
   I bought this book because i need to implement my project in SSIS.This book is good for on Job reference , for Beginners and For who has exposure to DTS 2000.I learned and implemented my projected with no time.I recommend this book for those who want to Know about SSIS Quickly.
   
   Thanks,
   Madhu



2. This book is a good one. It brings a new SSIS user to speed quickly. The author has done a good job.



3. This book helped me get started with SSIS...figure out some basic stuff. But it left me hanging on the details, best practices, integration with applications, etc. It basically walks you through building a bunch of thin-functionality examples of the various components.
   
   If the book re-described itself as a getting-started book, I'd give it high praise and more stars...but the phrases "in depth", "learn to maximize", "extensive", etc, should have been omitted from the book description.



4. There is no question that the title should clearly indicate that this is a book for those new to SSIS. (And considering SSIS is such a quantum leap from DTS, there are MANY folks at that stage).
   
   However, the book deserves 4-5 stars for what it provides. Giving the book 1-star, because of the title, detracts from the true value of the book. There aren't many books that contain full hands-on exercises. If someone is fairly new to SSIS, THIS is the book to get.
   
   This is the closest I've seen to an exercise-driven training manual, in commercial trade paperback form. There are a series of 8-10 page walk-throughs on such topics as aggregation, processing dupes, loading SCDs, pivoting source data, ADO enumerators, etc.
   
   In my opinion, the entire Database Professional Series from Osborn McGraw Hill is very strong.
   
   If someone already knows the fundamentals of SSIS and wants to go to the next level, get the Wrox Expert SSIS book.
   
   Kevin



5. I have another SSIS book and had been using this book more (almost 80% of the time) each time I need to reference or even look for how-tos.
   
   Very informational and the hands-on training helped me move become an intermediate user right away. I just hope they've put more emphasis on more advanced real-world concepts on hands-on training.

5 comments about Eric Sink on the Business of Software (Expert's Voice).

1. Really I'd prefer to give this about 2.5 stars. The information and advice in this book *seems* good but my main complaint is that Eric Sink has never started a micro-ISV, and worse, for the sake of the book he did attempt to start a micro-ISV and it failed miserably. He did this near the beginning of the book. I always thought he was going to go back to this later on in the book and apply some of his own advice to his failed first attempt and turn it around but he never did.



2. The pace of the book is pretty fast and light. Unlike many business books, Eric generally gets down to the point in just one or two paragraphs. No long antidotes about how someone felt in there situation. Simply, the facts as he sees them.
   
   Eric Sink's message is a bit ironic. He states that geeks are not the end all and be all in the world. But at the same time, we know that geeks can code adavanced architectures using design patterns and refactoring, so how hard can writing a business plan be?
   
   One of the things the books does do is inspire techies to grow out of their shell and tackle the business world with the same gusto as their code. In the end, Eric demonstrates though his own example that this strategy can and does work.



3. This book is great in the sense that here's this guy who decided to do exactly what I want to do: start a software business from scratch. Except he blogged most of the major steps including mistakes and thought patterns for others to be able to use. That's the plus side.
   
   The book gets a bit redundant as it's still in blog format, which means on different days similar thoughts may be included in different articles. So don't expect a minimalist approach to writing. That's not such a big deal to me.
   
   The one star I didn't give to this book was because even though it started great, from the mid-point on it started becoming a "vision" book just like most books out there. My disappointment is that though it started out telling me how exactly to put something together step by step assuming I don't even have the idea, from the middle, suddenly it became a tactics book and left a big gap. It's as if the author suddenly discovered success, got distracted for a while and then lost touch with the average person who hasn't directly seen the "aha" moment.
   
   Overall, if you're contemplating on starting a business and you have a technical background, I would recommend this book as a part of your reading. It does get you thinking about the right stuff.



4. I enjoyed this book. It was an easy and quick read that offers practical advice like you'd get over a beer from someone you respected and trusted. Use it as a framework for DIY. Thanks for sharing, Eric.



5. This book is full of valuable advice for an Entrepreneur in the Software Business. Having read 75% of this book so far, I keep re-reading certain passages. Finally this book confirms that an Entrepreneur requires to absorb information which are out of his immediate knowledge area, while keeping his eye on the core Products and Business activities. To be continued...

5 comments about Cinema 4D 10 Handbook (Graphics Series).

1. I've been gone for a few months from working in C4D and this book has really helped me to jump back into modeling and animation. This book has coverage on new additions and changes from C4D R9 that I've found extremely helpful. The layout makes it easy to sift through the book and discover these new updates according to what you're working with currently. The tutorials are easy to follow and some graphics have additional bold text and arrows to help clarify what is being attempted in the tutorials, a really great idea for beginners who may not know all the terminology and layouts! I highly recommend the book to beginners and experts, especially, if you're attempting to learn on your own, rediscover old skills, or update your knowledge of C4D.



2. The material covered in this book is fair and plentiful, but the writing is poor and it seriously lacks any explanation. Why am I doing this step? Figure it out on your own if you buy this book.



3. Very well explained. Good examples and example files to illustrate concepts. Very highly recommended.



4. I bought this book because I am coming from Maya and want to learn C4D's Mograph features- the biggest reason I was interested in Cinema 4D. This book doesn't even MENTION the Mograph features let alone help, which is a huge disappointment. In addition, I've turned to this book 8 times so far for help with specific tools and 6 of those times I couldn't find the tool listed in the index.
   
   I gave this 2 stars because what portions of the software the book does cover seems helpful so far.



5. I recommend this book especially for a beginner. The way it was written is really kind to a beginner and the book tries to cover most but some serious animators may be disappointed for some important animation techniques are missing. I have purchased some books I had to spend hours and hours to figure out the directions to complete the tutorials, but the tutorials from this book are easy to follow and user-friendly. This is a good book!