No comments about Game Programming Gems 7 (Game Programming Gems Series).

5 comments about Manga Studio For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)).

1. Whether you have the intro version of Manga Studio or the Pro version (EX), you will enjoy having this book handy. The cheat sheet alone is worth it..! ~8) As with all the Dummies volumes I possess the editorial staff has done a good job of helping the author outline and bring to clear focus the elements most needed to provide you with the answers to 'those mind numbing puzzles' we who enjoy such things as beating our heads into our keyboard at times, come across in our search to produce the 'COMIC of all comics'... I learned of this book on the Content Paradise Forum, having purchased a couple of e-frontiers products and desiring more input from fellow users of the Manga Studio software. It is only from those that have been working with the software for a bit that you get the nuances that are not normally shown face up,.. and thankfully, Doug had help from others like 'pencilkiller' as well with the main info. Get this book if you have Manga Studio (the debut version or the pro) or even if you are thinking of getting MS! Get this book, it will give you a HUGE head start. Good Job Doug!
   One P.S. This software is NOT just for comix! It can be used for book illustration, architectural illustration, and commercial graphics (even logo design!) in combination with other graphics softwares such as PhotoShop or the GIMP, etc., so this book is invaluable in unlocking the 'keys to the kingdom' (so-to-speak)!



2. If you are new to the Manga comic craze or an experienced Manga artist, this book by Doug Hills will show you how easy it is to go digital with Manga Studio. Hills started creating comics by traditional methods and converted to digital over the span of several years. After experimenting with different graphics programs, he finally decided that Manga Studio met his needs the most. He now shares his knowledge of the software as well as some hard-earned experiences gained along the way. He not only has written Manga Studio for Dummies as a training guide for Manga Studio Debut and EX but he also teaches more general information such as comic terminology and storytelling techniques.
   
   For the beginners, Hills starts with the basics of Manga Studio such as the workspace, toolbars and palettes and points out how they differ from their counterparts in other graphics programs. Next, he covers scanning methods for getting your hand-drawn roughs into Manga Studio and how a pen and tablet can be your best friend. The third chapter is a quick-start guide that covers just enough information for you to create your first page in Manga Studio. You learn the basics of the Pencil tool for digitally drawing your roughs and then move on to the Pen, Marker and Fill tools for inking your art. Finally, you learn the Airbrush and Pattern Brush tools and techniques for adding screentones.
   
   Once you are familiar with the basic techniques, Hills dedicates the next chapters to covering each major feature of the software in more detail. If you have used any graphics software, you will probably be familiar with most of the tools and their names. But Hills discusses how each digital tool takes on different characteristics specific to Manga Studio. For example, you have the usual raster, vector and masking layers in Manga Studio but Hills shows how to use layers for comic-specific tasks such as managing your individual comic-style panels. Also familiar are the digital selection tools such as the Marquee, Lasso, Magic Wand, Quick Selection and Quick Mask. But, Hills discusses why these selection tools are so important for tasks such as adding screentones to selected areas of your comics.
   
   I have mentioned screentones a few times. For those unfamiliar with these little gems, Hills covers this topic well with a discussion of just what they are and how screentones are used to add texture, color and detail to comics. The Text tool is next and Hills discusses the basics for this tool such as choosing fonts and formating, but he also covers comic-specific tasks such as word balloons. For those who have Manga Studio EX, Hills covers custom word balloon templates. Finally, he discusses more advanced techniques such as coloring your comics, special effects filters, and creating your own custom brushes and tone patterns.
   
   Once your artwork is finished, it's time to publish your work. Hills discusses the many flexible publishing features in Manga Studio, the best output settings for home and commercial printers, and exporting your artwork in digital formats.
   
   If I had one suggestion, it would be to include more visual examples in the book, for those just starting out in the Manga world. The CD does contain example images from the book and bonus chapters that cover using vectors, importing 2D and 3D objects and some general Manga background.
   
   Doug Hills is the author and artist of two webcomics, Place Name Here and Chibi Cheerleaders From Outer Space. He is also a member of Ten Ton Studios.



3. What the Boss wants the Boss gets. "Animation project has to go into print first," He says. Already had Moho/Anime Studio so went to Manga Studio EX. Debut wasn't going to handle it. Need to learn the software fast? This is the book. Not a lot of hokey gags throughout the book. Instead lots of good useful information about the software. How to try different ways for tasks so that you find the way the best works for you. So you can keep on drawing your Manag or ANY style with Manga Studio.



4. Background:
   
   I have just recently acquired Manga Studio Debut, since I'm running Leopard on my Mac, I can't use Manga Studio EX. In attempting to learn the software more quickly, I picked up a copy of Manga Studio for Dummies. I've had really good luck with Dummies books in the past, so this book got my first try.
   
   First Impressions:
   
   My first impression of the book was that it felt rushed. It tries to cover a good number of topics about the software package, but doesn't really go into depth about any particular feature. In several cases, there is one paragraph that goes over several features, without a good demonstration of the features being covered. Given the fact that this book was a dummies book, I had expected a more grounds up approach. I didn't find that. The approach of the book is really more along the lines of: if you've worked with another graphics editing package, like Photoshop, Illustrator, etc. then use what you already know and here are some of the characteristics of this software that differs.
   
   It's not a bad book, it just did not fulfill the task that I had thought it would.
   
   Issues With The Book:
   
   The legends. Or more specifically, the differentiation between EX features and Debut features. The book is in black and white. The legend indicates that EX features are in grey. I went through the book and only with some effort, was I able to see where the feature sets and coverage for one package and another one began and end. For someone using Manga Studio EX, this isn't a problem. For someone who is using Debut... it downright sucks.
   
   Suggestions:
   
   If you are looking for a Manga Studio book for the copy of Manga Studio you just got, this is, at this time, the only English offering out there. If you can read Japanese, you can look for Comic Studio (debut / EX / Pro ) books, which are in Japanese, and of which there are many many such books out there.
   
   If you are the author, I would strongly suggest putting out a second revision with better division and/or visual isolation of what is a Debut feature and what is an EX feature. I would also suggest adding a start-to-finish on using Manga Studio (debut or Ex/pro) to sketch/draw and finish a whole page.
   
   The flow of the book really didn't feel smooth. I felt like I was switching from reading a list of features with quick summaries to a two page write up of how some of those features, but not all, could be used on a sketch... except the sketch was just a bunch of circles and lines. One single picture of circles and lines. This didn't really help with illustrating what a particular feature did and how it would impact the drawing/sketch.
   
   I'm a big fan of supporting authors and good books, but I'm sorry to say, I had to return this book. Instead, I picked up two other books on general manga sketch technique since this book, which I went to the stores to specifically find, just didn't provide the information I needed.



5. Not all features (I am EX user) are explained in depth, and some of them are only noticed. But this book is for beginners. Complete deep reference would be 1500 pages, not 400.
   So I just hope someday Doug will write "Manga Studio for Advanced Dummies" and would fill those gaps. I will buy it.

5 comments about MySQL Pocket Reference: SQL Functions and Utilities (Pocket Reference (O'Reilly)).

1. Very practical and after every command there is a very useful example.



2. It's handy, but a little old and too brief with important parts left out. It needs to be updated and improved. Ie: The admin commands are poorly covered. Do not use this book to help you use Grant or Revoke. The Grant All section is simply wrong.



3. MySQL has gained a lot of functionality after this book was done, but if you are a infrequent developer and like to have a quick reference into basic MySQL functions this book is great.



4. Reese hits a solid triple to start the inning off and scores easily on the wild pitch thrown by the reader who says that the GRANT section is wrong. This book works easily and appropriately at your deskside. I found the book to be a very simple, easy-to-navigate reference text that presents the most important aspects of MySQL in the quickest, most logical manner. It is very easy to thumb through with every possible random page landing at a topic of interest. In a way, it was like working with a familiar dictionary, you know the kind, where you just kind of naturally crack it open near the word you're accessing and flip a couple of pages either direction to arrive at the exact reference location. In that vein, I'd perhaps recommend that the margins contain "bread crumbs" telling us where we are in the book, but it isn't necessary since thicker sections often obviate themselves with just another page turn. Each page does have the chapter title in the margin, so my point is really one of nit-pickieness rather than a true critique. To its credit, the layout of the book presents the content in a manner that follows the O'Reilly "risen bar" standard. It is easy to scan through the entire reference flipping pages as quickly as possible so that you are able to arrive at your sought information within as much as a second or two. The bold text draws your eye to the page and the size of the page allows one to capture everything in a single glance. In my usage of the book, I found it very accurate and useful. I am a regular MySQL user and the formatting is very familiar to me. I highly recommend this book. If you are already familiar with SQL and the basics of database schema design, this is the perfect reference. I found it amazingly faster than loading the MySQL PDF manual and searching through potentially dozens of hits for the keywords sought. Even at the full cover price, this book is a value-added service at my side. The sections on operators, functions, stored procedures and triggers make this book an invaluable tool for the DBA or programmer who knows the material, but fails to remember every single aspect about the syntax AND who is tired of seeing that familiar: "You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near..." The text also finds welcomed complement from the numerous examples of using commands and SQL keywords. They are invaluable for immediately deciphering the sometimes too-numerous options of a command. I don't know that the book has taught me anything new at this point, but it certainly makes finding the details of what I already know much easier. Because of its brevity and its ease-of-use, it has made me want to play around with some of the various features of MySQL that I do not regularly use. That alone is going to teach me something new sooner or later! If your budget is constrained to a single reference item on MySQL, you can't go wrong with this very portable pocket reference. The back cover says: "When you reach a sticking point, but have to get to a solution quickly, MySQL Pocket Reference is the book you need." I agree completely.



5. George Reese's MY SQL POCKET REFERENCE 2ND EDITION covers Version 5.1 and provides SQL statements, functions, and insights into its variations and utilities. Explanations are accompanied by tables and examples for maximum efficiency.

5 comments about C# Cookbook, 2nd Edition (Cookbooks (O'Reilly)).

1. Being an advanced programmer I was looking for books to use as references or to further my skills. This book has proven a valuable asset.



2. If you are just coming into C# or have been doing it for a while - it doesn't matter - BUY THIS BOOK!!! Oreilly as we all know, makes very good tech/programming books and this one is one of the best I've had so far. This will be a book that will spend much less time on my shelf and much more time next to me on my desk.



3. I came across a project that had to do with XML, and I came to love this book. It has a lot of suggestions that helped me jump start my project.
   
   I wouldn't recommend this book to learn C#- (pick up John Sharp C# step by step for that.)



4. I'm an intermediate coder, familiar with programming and I have about 1.5 years programming C#. I've already used this book(C# Cookbook 2nd edition) to write C# code navigating in and around directories and files. The examples in the book regarding "Directory Info" and "File Info" were so clear and concise, I was able to complete my programming task with almost no lost time to the learning process. What I like most was that there was not one example, but many examples for the most used functionalities. This book has already paid for itself when I consider the time it saved me the first time I needed it!



5. This is a good intro book that eliminates the need for some of the first books I bought on C#. When compared to other "cookbooks", however, this book is incredibly weak (see: XSLT Cookbook, SQL Cookbook). If you have used C# for more than 6 months, you will know how to iterate over an array, to use String.IsNullOrEmpty, get the index of a value within a string, and use a generic arraylist. These are just some of the junior "recipes" you'll see in this book. The "recipes" just exercise the fundamentals (i.e. how to boil water) rather than how the fundamentals work together to solve complex problems in elegant ways. The easier the concept, the more information. There isn't really any analysis or best-practice justification present. I'd like to see some performance analysis of generics or at least some depth on partial methods. Nothing to see here for mid-level developers. Not written or organized poorly, just simple. If it were titled "Intro to C# by example", I'd give it a higher score.

5 comments about Extreme Programming Explained: Embrace Change (2nd Edition) (The XP Series).

1. This is an excellent book, short, concise, and well-written. To derive the full benefit of the book, I recommend reading it three times.
   
   The first time you should just try to grasp the concepts of XP and adapt your attitude to be willing to try XP on a real project. If you are a heavy-weight methodology old-timer, this might be a big step for you. Approach it with an open mind.
   
   Only having read the book completely, should you attempt an XP project. That will prepare you for the second reading. Now you can begin to fully grasp the power of its concepts and their implementation. Reading the book retrospectively will shed new light on most of the books contents. Much of what was previously fuzzy or abstract will become lucid.
   
   The third time through should be when you teach using XP. I found more benefit when teaching a formal course than when performing OJT, especially when training those who have more historically traditional development attitudes.
   The reason Beck has experienced so much success with XP is because XP works. This book truly explains how to embrace change.



2. This book is a good introduction to different aspects involved in extreme programming.
   
   The author is the initial proponent of XP. First part of the book explains the present day software development realities(like deadlines etc) and the pitfalls that take place due to these time sensitive expectations. Author moves onto explain the necessity for XP and what are the basic guidelines of XP.
   
   The author should be commened for covering where XP is impractical and should not be used. The book explains the life cycle of a XP project and different roles that are part of this radical process.
   
   XP is not suitable for many present day organizations(due to age old approaches that are already implanted in the system); but should be considered for time sensitive deliverables. This book will definitely give a headsup on how to approach XP.
   
   Small negative: The book takes too much time on what is wrong in other traditional approached to software development(for the size of the title:about 200 pages)



3. I came across this book in the Bibliography section of Scott Berkun's "The art of Project Management".
   
   First, the structure. Well, this book is under 200 pages. So when Beck talks about keeping what is essential, he is surely applying it while writing books.
   
   Second, the content. The book takes the reader from understanding business risks associated with software development, to understanding the changing economics of software development & why XP can fit the demands of an ever changing business scenario. The book then establishes what XP is, what are its features, what are the activities, who are the X players & then links the roles, activities, & features together across each phase in a typical XP project. While Beck is persuasive about the usefulness of XP, he has also included a chapter at the end of the book which talks about projects where using XP may not be advisable. And yes, such a project is an outsourced development project.
   
   XP presents many interesting features. Traveling light - or code & tests together being all you need - sounds like a dream; nano-releases - or doing a daily or hourly build so that at any time you have a full system working, no matter the completeness of desired functionality - , building a system story by story, & going back & revisiting scope ever so often are all features that can be immensely valuable to the business & to the project team.
   
   As a result of all this, & more such practices, XP resembles to an extent Darwinian evolution in some ways. Trying many things & keeping what works, designing for today's needs & changing that with tomorrow's requirements tomorrow but not today can be seen as interesting commonalities between Darwinian evolution & XP!
   
   Overall, I think the book is great introduction to XP. I'd have liked case studies as well to understand how well good theory fits general projects of any kind, but this book does not cite too many such projects. Nevertheless, pick it up if you want to understand what the XP evolution is all about.
   
   S!



4. I believe the basis in software development for business is in this book.
   You can have the technique, the skills, and the money, but you will need the human side for any agile way of working.
   This is not the silver bullet, but you NEED to read this book.



5. "Extreme Programming Explained" offers a thorough and good overview of the Extreme Programming (XP) approach to software development.
   
   This book covers the fundamentals of XP and describes some of the benefits of this approach to developing software. While this approach may not suit all developers, project managers or companies, this book offers an interesting overview of XP.

5 comments about Core Python Programming (2nd Edition) (Core Series).

1. Fellow Programmers,
   I am new to Python and found this book to be a comprehensive source of information. I started off with Java a few years ago in my spare time, however; Core Python is an excellent book for an understanding concepts in OOP for both languages. I thoroughly enjoy the book and the Python Language itself. My only criticism is that most of the programs are short, but from cover to cover; the reader will walk away with a rock solid foundation in python programming.
   
   L.R. Young



2. This book has small snippets of insight, unfortunately they are scattered across over 1000 pages. The book seems to take a general format of: 1) "Here is an idea or concept - not sure why I introduced it now;" 2) "The concept just seems to have a logical grouping with these other concepts;" 3) "But we will not go into the concept or the other concepts now;" 5) "We will save them for another section that will then refer you back to this section as a reference for those concepts;" 6) "By the way, did you know that C, C++, Java, Java Script have this vague similarity of implementation but use this code" 7) "Don't bother that this aside has no value for understanding python (if you are literate in other languages, you will get the similarities and differences - if you are not, then why bother introducing irrelevant material)."
   
   In essence, the book seems to say - I have 1000+ pages to write in, therefore organization and relevancy are secondary to filling them up. Also, there tends to be numerous mistakes in the prose as well as in the code. A trip to the book's website shows that, apparently, it took the author three tries (plus a .diff file) to get the MakeTextFile script correct. There are better books out there (along with the python online documentation).



3. I'm relatively new to Python, having programmed in 'C' and Pascal for many years, and have found this book to be a very good first book to read. As a programmer relatively new to Python I've found that it provides me with very good coverage of the language and its most popular modules. It is not a reference book like "Python In A Nutshell", which I would also recommend. It won't be sufficient if you plan on writing complex GUI applications using wxPython, but there's another good book available for that. Thanks to this book and a couple of others I've been able to produce several useful Python applications. If you're a programmer new to Python, I would recommend this book as one of the first you read.



4. I recently changed my job. My new company uses Python as the main technology. Before starting this job, I didn't know Python at all. The project I worked on was on a tight schedule. Fortunately I got this book and I can immediately starting writing code in Python on the first day. The book is written in a very easy to read and understandable way. It covers almost everything you need to know about Python. The "Core Tip", "Core Note" and "Core Style" sections are especially useful and helpful. They are not just for the Python beginner to develop good coding skills and habits. They are also very valuable advice for the people who already know Python. If you want to learn Python quickly or if you want to expand your Python knowledge, this is a book for you.



5. I got this book because of its many positive reviews, but I'm not happy with it.
   
   I'm a professional programmer. C++ is my main language, but I know C, Java, Perl, Smalltalk. I have used Python a fair amount in the past; I wanted to go through a Python book because I'm starting a new project in Python and the language has changed since I last used it.
   
   My main criticism of this book (2nd edition, 3rd printing) is its sloppy production. It is loaded with typos, broken code, and other errors. I'm surprised that most other reviewers didn't comment on this fact. The author knows about many of these errors and has corrections posted on the web, where he airily excuses the book's errors as being "due to lack of time or priority during the highly-compressed editing phase." If he or the publisher really cared, many of these errors would have been corrected by the third printing. (Many would not require resetting even a full line of type.)
   
   As other reviewers have said, Chun's writing is rather disorganized and conversational. That's not to my taste, but evidently it suits lots of people. For the length of the book, the depth is not great.
   
   Some reviewers say that this is the best book they have seen for beginning programmers. Maybe they are not familiar with Kernighan and Ritchie's classic, _The C Programming Language_. That book, in my opinion, is the standard of excellence.
   
   Overall I prefer Beazley's _Python Essential Reference_ 3rd edition to Chun's book. The Reference is terse and maybe not suitable for a novice, but it is thorough, accurate, well organized, and carefully produced. Chun does provide exercises after each chapter; that is the book's main positive feature, in my opinion.

No comments about Xcode 3 Unleashed.

5 comments about Learning PHP and MySQL (Learning).

1. The php part is ok. The mysql, cookie, security chapters are junk. I guess
   even the writer does not know what he is talking about. I do not know where
   he pulled those chapters from. As a consequence, I had to go to mysql online
   tutorial to learn mysql.
   
   My background is computer science so I donot think other readers can understand what the author is talking about.



2. PHP and MySQL are highly adaptive programs that can be used to create a variety of dynamic website potentials. Although fairly simple to use once you understand the basics, the learning curve on these programs is a little high at first. In order to use the capabilities, the user has to not only understand what the programs do and how they work together. However, probably the hardest part of the process is learning all the vocabulary associated with these systems.
   
   Learning PHP & MySQL is a very good reference, especially for this latter challenge. The guide not only defines and explains each of the different concepts but gives examples that better illustrate these aspects while giving the user a glimpse into how they could use them for their own purposes. Especially for the more difficult sections, I really liked that I could replicate the code on my computer and see the results for myself. This aspect gave me a far better idea of how I could use these programs in conjunction to create the effects I want.



3. I enjoyed this book. I felt like it did a good job introducing both PHP and MySQL without being overwhelming. However, I wasn't so impressed with how it covered Object Oriented PHP, or how it introduced PEAR and Smarty.
   
   For the most part, the OOP section seemed to be put in there as an after-thought. Also, the book switched gears pretty quickly between using the standard PHP libraries for getting things done, to using PEAR. And, there really wasn't much of an explanation accompanying the inner-workings of Smarty - more of a "here's the code, it does this" kind of an approach. What makes this so frustrating is that you learn a bunch of stuff earlier in the book that you don't see being used in the later examples (or the big final example in Chapter 17, which I'll address next).
   
   The biggest let down I found was that if you followed the final example (Chapter 17 - building your own web app), it doesn't even work. At first, I wrote it out myself from the code in the book, so I could follow along closely and try understand what was going on. It didn't work, so I assumed my code was filled with typos. I registered on-line with O'Reilly and was able to access the book on their website. From there, I copied and pasted the scripts for the web app directly into the various .php and .tpl files on my machine, and made sure to name them exactly as they are named in the book. It still didn't work!
   
   There are inconsistencies in how scripts are named and referenced in other scripts. And the best part is that it doesn't even include the script for logging out and ending your session, even though there is a link to it (logout.php) in the footer.tpl Smarty template file. I know it isn't that difficult to make your logout script based on some of the scripts from the earlier chapters, but it's still the fact that they leave out a whole part in the final example. Ultimately, I can't help but wonder how difficult it would have been for the authors to verify that the website did what it was meant to do, before putting it in their book.
   
   I know it sounds like I am giving this book a harsh review... However, I did truly enjoy it and that is why it is still getting 4/5 stars. The negative points I brought up were not enough to bring down the overall effectiveness of this book as a learner's guide to PHP and MySQL, but definitely merits mentioning as a warning to potential readers/buyers.



4. I came to this book as a newbie, with some knowledge of HTML and CSS, and that's about it. This book nearly killed my desire to learn PHP/MySQL.
   
   The problems start early, in Chapter 2. The installation information is seriously flawed. Many of the links they point you to are dead. And even when I went to the book's web site for an updated link, and followed the instructions to the letter, I still wasn't in business. I googled to try to get help and stumbled across some other lost soul using this book, with exactly the same problem as me. Guess what? He was begging for help on a message board somewhere. I should have realized right then that this book was worthless. But I soldiered on.
   
   I managed to get PHP and MySQL downloaded (though the connector was still not working), and started working on some of the PHP coding. I learned some PHP, sure, but it was a slow, slow process. Practical applications? Practice exercises? Clear explanations for inexperienced computer programmers - presumably the kind of people who would be buying a book like this? Rare or nonexistent.
   
   I skipped ahead to the MySQL section, made it in a few pages, and then they recommended that I install PhpMyAdmin. Well, I did, and then I ran into the problem with the lack of connection between PHP and MySQL again. So I went back to Chapter 2, and wasted another hour of my life trying to figure out how to get the past the basic installation issues.
   
   So, yeah, I paid $30 so I could figure it all out for myself. And I still haven't. So thanks a lot, folks. You took $30 of my hard-earned money, and in return gave me several hours of aggravation.
   
   I know the computer experts out there will laugh at this review - they always think they're superior to newbs. But I know I'm not stupid. A better book will teach me the basics of PHP and MySQL, I just need to find it. This one is not newb-friendly. And if a how-to book isn't newb-friendly, then as far as I'm concerned it ain't worth a thing.
   
   NEWBS BEWARE. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.



5. This book is terribly written. There are typos everywhere, both simple grammar typos and coding/logic typos. For a beginner to the material it is extremely nerve wracking to follow. Not only do the typos throw you for a loop, but it has no logical flow to the material. For example, they go over creating tables in Chapter 7, but you they don't tell you how to use mysql until chapter 8. Then in the middle of chapter 8 (p 137) they tell you to create an NEW database, followed immediately by a section on how to manipulate a table (in this example, `books`) in that new database (p 138). Problem is, ERROR: there are no tables! You just created a new database and it is empty! The table they are referring to was used as an example to explain database concepts in Ch 7 (p 124).
   
   I love(d) my O'Reilly books but I will NEVER buy another one blindly again. Even worse, I read review for the second edition and apparently not much if any of these major problems have been fixed.
   
   I find it extremely hard to believe that anyone who gave this book a decent rating actually used this book to learn PHP & mySQL or even read it through.

3 comments about Microsoft Windows Registry Guide, Second Edition (Pro One Offs).

1. I purchased this book to help me create a more secure limited user environment for Windows XP Home which would also work with legacy software. After purchase I found out that the author assumes the user is administering either Windows XP Professional or Windows 2003 Server software for large groups of users. The author details how to make mass registry changes using the Group Policy Editor which is not available in Windows XP Home. This book is probably the best resource available for its intended readers. While it was not intended for use with Windows XP Home, I've gained enough knowledge from the book to be able to successfully find on the internet the writings of other authors who have already worked out the registry hacks of XP Home needed to accomplish for its administrators one user at a time the same result as that obtained for those who administer large groups of users.



2. Windows Registry Guide is a comprehensive approach to the Windows registry. Great for the novice and expert alike.



3. The back cover of this book says the following; "Understand how the Registry works -- and customize Windows to run the way you want". Also; "Get the in-depth information you need to modify -- and seamlessly manage -- the Windows registry". I purchased this book in the hope of becoming thoroughly adept in UNDERSTANDING HOW TO EDIT my own registry key values. The systems registry should not be manually altered unless you understand the ramifications of what you are doing. One wrong hex value can cause a lot of computer problems, (although System Restore can take care of most of these issues if a restore point is first created). The book may be fine for I.T. professionals but for those who want to take an intimate look inside the registry in order to examine and learn to become proficient about its innermost workings, I do not recommend this book. Less than 30 pages, (pp 3-31), cover the "Learning the Basics" of the registry. I would have liked more information such as interpreting the registry Hex values using a common Hex Editing tool and how to make MY OWN intelligent alterations based on newfound knowledge gained from reading the book. There are several registry "Hacks" in the book but it's really just a matter of copying values from the book. You aren't really told what is actually taking place when hex values are changed, (EG. Are we changing a boolean value and/or how do we know which hex values are available to be changed, etc.)There is a lack of in depth explanations on topics that I think were very relevant. I paid $64.99 CDN for this book at the time of my purchase. I don't believe that I received fair value in return. I know the price has decreased somewhat since then and because of that, it may be a worthwhile investment for those who would like some useful information about Windows Registry. Again, just remember the book is targeted towards I.T. professionals. The three stars are mainly because of what I see to be a great lack of informative in-depth content, and very brief and somewhat vague explanations. I was left hanging and had to consult other media to find answers about some of the topics which I read in this book.

5 comments about Beginning OpenGL Game Programming (Game Development Series).

1. Overall this book was an excellent resource for getting on your feet with OpenGL.
   
   It covers pretty much every basic topic conceivable along with touching on the some advanced uses of basic concepts. One thing that I found particularly annoying, however, was that the book claims to go into "much greater detail" concerning models later in the book, but after that line I found nary a reference to them. The author just uses the MD2 file format in the concluding "End Game" sample on the CD without ever having mentioned it in the book. Writing any useful graphics application requires using a model format, and it irks me very much that the book didn't cover it.
   
   One other problem with the book is its age - it covers version 1.5 of OpenGL, while 2.0 has been out for a while now. But like I have already stated, it's a great book to jump into GL with.



2. On comparing this text to other OpenGL textbooks, I would like to point out that the explanations of graphical techniques in this text are very well done. The CD bundled with the book have excellent code examples of things like using height maps and input from DirectX. There are bonus chapters that cover advanced topics like curves and surfaces that obviously weren't in the actual book, and thus kept the final press cost down.
   
   If you are starting out with OpenGL, then this book is the best I have seen to get you up and running.



3. If you are interested in cross-platform OpenGL programming then DO NOT buy this book, it is M$ Windows Dependant. The title should have been "Beginning OpenGL Windows Game Programming".



4. If you need to get 3D graphics into your application OpenGL is a wonderful alternative. If you want to get up to speed with OpenGL this book is one of the best alternatives.
   It's good to know a little about 3D math, and have a familiarity with terms like unit vector, transformation, and dot product, but it's definitely not necessary.
   
   I'd recommend this to anyone.



5. This book is a good introductory book, but it should have probably been called "Beginning OpenGL". The Gaming part is mentioned only briefly, and for any detail you'll have to go to what's on the CD. The CD literally makes this a decent book to buy; without the CD the OpenGL Red Book is probably money better spent. The other fault of this book is that the images are sub-par; it looks like the authors themselves did the images instead of a professional graphics house.