No comments about Foundation Form Creation with Adobe LiveCycle Designer ES (Foundation).

5 comments about Web Design and Marketing Solutions for Business Websites.

1. "Web Design and Marketing Solutions for Business Websites," by Kevin Potts,was first brought to my attention by my wife, Adrienne, a website designer whose business, Cloud Islands, develops business identity plans for internet marketing.
   
   She recommended it to me as an extraordinarily useful text. I've found it particularly readable, including the chapters on platforms, content management, standards-based development, and other topics which normally are either over my head or simply difficult to read.
   
   Potts' chapters on content and SEO are cogent, provide excellent examples, and are as useful as any I've ever read. The book is only several months old, so he is even using illustrations from Google Analytics new web configurations.
   
   It's published by [...], which is a publishing house run by and for web designers.
   
   I don't often recommend books for other people's professional libraries, but this one is proving very useful to me.



2. "Web Design and Marketing Solutions for Business Websites" is the first book on web design to focus on integrating marketing, customer service, accessibility, and web standards into the design process. It's an accessible, clear, and up-to-date resource on best practices for modern business- and service-oriented websites.
   
   Kevin Potts begins the book by pointing out that the internet is now an essential medium for businesses of all shapes and sizes; at the same time, customers are more sophisticated than in the early days of the internet, and have little patience for poorly designed websites. In order for a company to present an effective presence on the web, it "must deliver beyond customer expectations; better content, sharper design, smarter architecture, and more proactive communication and interaction are all components of websites that produce exceptional results for corporations."
   
   In the first chapter, the author begins by outlining what a company's website should be doing:
   
   * Marketing, selling products, & promoting services
   * Providing customer support & company information
   * Creating branding & market awareness
   
   He then covers planning, researching, and selling the design (or redesign) within the company, then moves on to a brief overview of platforms and technologies.
   
   The rest of the book proceeds to show the designer how to create an effective and compelling site for his or her client. He covers content creation, accessibility, architecture & navigation; essential sections of a company website such as the Homepage, About page, Products, and Support pages; error pages, print-friendly pages, legal considerations, and SEO; email marketing, RSS, and advertising campaigns and metrics.
   
   This book is an amazing collection of diverse information presented in a clear and concise fashion. It's not intended as an in-depth treatment of any of the subjects he covers--rather it's an invaluable checklist of essential tools and considerations for designing a top-notch company website.
   
   "Web Design and Marketing Solutions for Business Websites" has become a valuable addition to my reference library, and it is one that I know I will reach for first when I am planning a new or redesigned business or service website.



3. This book is an excellent guide to Web design. It is very well written with practical information. The reading is easy and very interesting. I reccommend it very much.



4. Although this book sounds like a "tech" book, it is far from it. It only contains about two pages of actual code total. I highly recommend this book for anyone who runs a small to medium-sized business where you interact with your web design company directly, or any executive who has to interface with the web development team.
   
   It could also be good for web designers who have been AWOL for the last half-decade or more, or people new to the business who want to learn. Although you won't learn any HTML, CSS, or JavaScript, you will learn stuff that no one else has published in one handy volume. Great for a day at the park - leave your laptop at home. I've written a far-more extensive review on my blog, so search for my name if you feel the need to read really long reviews before buying, but if I can save you some time, just take my word for it and buy it if the above describes you.



5. When I purchased this book, I thought I was getting a step-by-step guide for beginners who build websites. Unfortunately, it turns out this book is for the experienced web designer whose looking for more ideas. I found a better book for beginners through the "Dummies" series. Oh yeah, if you can afford it, hire someone to build your website!

4 comments about The Book of Qt 4: The Art of Building Qt Applications.

1. I recently had to translate a C++ application from the now defunct Borland C++ class libraries to QT4, so I had some on-the-job training with QT and was very impressed by the elegance and depth of Trolltech's design. But I needed a general book to round out my knowledge, and this book filled the gaps well. It's well-written and clear.
   
   Also hats off to NoStarch press. It's a beautifully designed book, which makes reading a good book even more of a pleasure.



2. I've just started to look at this book. It appears to have the information I need about QT4.



3. 
   The Book of Qt4 is an excellent recommendation for any interested in using QT to build GUI applications, and for advanced computer libraries catering to programmers and designers. Chapters cover all the tools for creating dialogues, data visualization techniques, handling databases and events, and more, offering tips on developing user-friendly applications and providing black and white screen shot examples throughout. It's an excellent guide for any QT programmer, and for collections catering to them.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



4. This book is a fairly standard tutorial on building user interfaces. It covers the basics, and should be sufficient to get most C++ programmers up to speed. However, there are quite a few points in the book where the author hand-waves his way through a process. This can make following the tutorials somewhat confusing and gets in the way of the general understanding of the process. In addition, either because of platform differences or poor testing, some of the examples do not work properly. For example, in the cuteedit2 example in Chapter 4, the buttons for the discard changes dialog have their meaning reversed. On the surface it is hard to tell if this is a bug in the book or in the OS X implementation of QT 4. Finally, many key ideas a mentioned almost in passing (like the use of the tr() function to aid in translations), making it imperative to carefully read every word.
   
   This text pales in comparison to the Hillegass text on Cocoa programming, which could be considered the gold standard of UI programming tutorials. In general, you will be able to get yourself started on Qt programming with this text. However, the lack of quality control will make the experience a little less pleasing than it otherwise could have been.

5 comments about OOP Demystified.

1. For someone leaving the world of procedural programming, and getting into project management of an object oriented project, this was just what I needed. The syntax details are not prevelant -- look for that in another source. This book was mostly concept, including the basics, the differences from procedural programming, and common bugs and how to avoid them. It also advised common-sense, real world solutions in cases where OOP results in unneccessarily complex structure.



2. If you don't even know what OOP stands for then get this book! By the end of this book you will have a pretty good grasp on objects and inheritance and polymorphism and encapsulation! If you don't know C++ at all though I'd recommend reading the C++ Demystified book right before you read this one.



3. OOP demystified along with The object-oriented thought process are mandatory to start with oop. Not boring, with clear examples. The final part comparing java, c++, c# is really nice so you can get a basic idea on the main diffences between these famous languages.



4. This book was a great addition to my programming library. I bought the book to learn the concepts of Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) and this book makes it clear and concise. Many other books on OOP try to oversell you on why rather than how to code it. This book is good at `how' and shows many coding examples in C++ and Java. It even has some C# in it.
   
   You'll learn all about polymorphism, interfaces, abstraction and much more. If you're having trouble understanding OOP in your Java or C++ text book, get "OOP DeMYSTiFieD."



5. Very impressed with this book! It teaches a newbie programmer how to think in terms of objects, but beware, this is not for experts, beginner to intermediate will suit this book. The examples are fantastic, the only reason i'm giving this 4 instead of 5 stars is that the examples are written in java and other language, not vb.net. :)
   
   I agree with S.LAMBROU, you should read the object-oriented thought process book together with this book if you are keen on gaining more knowledge with OOP, I'm now reading it and loving it so far!

5 comments about Paradigms of Artificial Intelligence Programming: Case Studies in Common Lisp.

1. I have no background in computer science or AI, but found myself needing to use Lisp for various creative and artistic purposes. I've spent a lot of money on books relating to Common Lisp, but I wish I had just gotten this one and Touretzky's "Gentle Introduction to Symbolic Computation." The particular strengths of this book are its detailed discussion of advanced topics, especially optimization, and the practical overview of current and historical AI topics through programming examples. Very clearly written.



2. The strength of this book is its combination of breadth and completeness: there is working code (well beyond the toy stage) of a large number of different AI systems that cover a large subset of what is commonly considered AI.

   The programming itself is rather basic, and very straightforward. In many places an advanced programmer would have avoided a global variable, unified code through the use of higher-order functions, had functions communicate through a shared local environment, created a lazy list, you name it.

   The author avoids most of these more advanced approaches in order to present the ideas behind the approaches without being sidetracked into programming technique issues, and that is the correct choice for this book. Even as it is, there is already the duplicity of teaching Common Lisp and teaching AI programming.

   That being said, the code in general is not bad at all, even though I wouldn't want my students to learn CL programming from it. The author has simply bent down to the level of, a good C programmer, and worked from there. His main intention being to teach AI programming approaches, he has spent much less time to raise the programming level of his audience.

   Knowing the author's level of Lisp programming, I can't wait to see a book by his hand on how to use abstraction as an organising principle in programming.




3. This book is equally excellent regardless of whether you wish to regard it as:

   a) A historical study of Artificial Intelligence, with USABLE examples of code, or

   b) A book presenting techniques for programming in Common Lisp.

   As a reference about Common Lisp, it is certainly lacking, but this is no great problem when both the Common Lisp HyperSpec and Steele's book are readily available in electronic form. It provides something more important: SIGNIFICANT examples, and significant discussions on WHY you would use various Lisp idioms, and, fairly often, discussions on HOW pieces of Common Lisp are likely to be implemented. Its discussion of an implementation of the LOOP macro, for instance, provides a very different point of view than the "references" to LOOP. (Contrast too with Graham's books, which largely deprecate the use of LOOP.)

   From an AI perspective, it is also very good, providing WORKING SAMPLES for a whole lot of the historically significant AI problems, including Search, PLANNER, symbolic computation, and the likes.

   It would be interesting to see parallel works from the following sorts of perspectives:

   - The same sorts of AI problems solved using functional languages (e.g. - ML, Haskell), to allow contrasting the use of those more modern languages. Being more "purely functional" has merits; such languages commonly lack macros, which is something of a disadvantage.

   - The use of CL to grapple with some other sorts of applications, notably random access to data [e.g. - databases] and rendition of output in HTML/SGML/XML [e.g. - web server].




4. This book has been called "The best book on programming ever written". I'd have to agree--it is certainly the best that I've ever read.
   
   William Zinsser said, "The essence of writing is rewriting" and the same can be said for writing computer programs. Norvig's book presents this process--how the limitations of a program are overcome by revision and rewriting. What sets Norvig apart as a writer is that, amazingly enough, he can write about debugging (the most dreaded part of computer programming) and make it a fascinating read!
   
   Lisp has been getting a higher profile lately because of essayists like Paul Graham and Philip Greenspun; in particular, Greenspun's Tenth Rule of Programming which states: "Any sufficiently complicated C or Fortran program contains an ad hoc, informally-specified, bug-ridden, slow implementation of half of Common Lisp." So, should this book be read as an exhortation to return to Lisp as the preferred programming language?
   
   Paradoxically, I think not. One third of the way through the book, Norvig shows us how to implement Prolog in Lisp. From then on out, most of the AI techniques he presents either directly use Prolog instead of Lisp (such as his excellent discussion of natural language processing using Prolog) or use Prolog as a base to build on (such as his discussions on knowledge representation).
   
   From this we can abstract what I'd like to call Norvig's Corollary to Greenspun's Tenth Law of Programming: "Any sufficiently complicated LISP program is going to contain a slow implementation of half of Prolog". I'm leaving out the "ad hoc", "bug-ridden" part of Greenspuns's law, because Norvig's programs are neither. But it is quite remarkable the degree to which, once having absorbed Prolog, Norvig uses Prolog as the basis for further development, rather than Lisp.
   
   Is this a book about Prolog then? Again, no. What is the take-away message? It is this: as our world becomes more and more complex, and as the problems which programmers are facing become more and more complex, we have to program at a higher and higher level.
   
   Norvig does not stop at just embedding Prolog in Lisp. He also shows us how to embed scheme as well. Excellent discussion on the mysterious call/cc function and on continuations.
   
   In a capsule review, it is impossible to really give an overview of a 1,000 page book like this one. But the scope and heft of the volume really needs to be commented on: the programs presented in this book are like basis vectors, the totality of which nearly span the space of programming itself. In no way should this be considered "just an AI book" or "just a LISP book". This book transcends language, time, and subject matter. It is a programmer's book for the ages.



5. "Paradigms of Artificial Intelligence Programming" is one of the best books of computer science that I have ever read. I put it up there in the pantheon with "Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs". I have found more useful and mind expanding material in these case studies than I have in many other books on computer science. I highly recommend this book to anyone, even if they have never used Lisp.

5 comments about Digital Design: Principles and Practices Package (4th Edition).

1. First and foremost, this book is definitely not a good introductory course book. It is a reference book because of how it covers the conceptual material.
   
   This book provides an extreme amount of detail in the many aspects of the field. If you have basic knowledge of circuitry, you should be fine in understanding this book. If you do not have any experience at all, however, this book will be difficult to manage.
   
   On the positive side, as a reference, this book is superior. The book starts with introductory concepts such as working with number systems and how to perform arithmetic (simple and complex) in binary. I was confused by the placement of Chapter 3. Immediately following number systems, the author jumps to electrical behavior and layout of transistors to comprise CMOS logic. While a necessary topic, I felt that it could have been delayed to a future chapter.
   
   Afterward, standard topics are covered amidst advanced topics. I felt it would have been easier for the reader to master the simple, ideal designs before having to worry about timing characteristics and other non-ideal concepts.
   
   The book discusses simple logic gates all the way through sequential logic design, which is a nice touch. It is good to have all of the material in this book in one place and definitely recommend the book to anyone in logic design. While not the most advanced book, its wide array of topics and coverage will help to fill in the gaps that other books create.



2. The book came to me severly damaged before it was even packaged. The first 313 pages were severly gouged out of the bottom pages about 1/4" deep x 1/2" x 1/2" (inches), close to the spine. I did not have time to return it because my course started Jan. 10, 2006 and the Delivery estimate was: January 6, 2006 - January 10, 2006.
   
   I am very disappointed with this product and purchase.



3. I bought this book for my Intro to Digital Circuits course. So, far, I have found this book highly useful. Its contents are easy to understand and it has a lot of examples to explain any particular content in detail. This book is self-explanatory. Even if I miss my class one day, I don't have much trouble catching up as long as I have this book.



4. Very detailed and well written descriptions. The book is funny and an enjoyable read. The book is also easy to use as a reference as the major topics of each paragraph are listed in the margins.



5. the book came in a timely manner and in good condition. the seler did a gret job, thanks

1 comments about Visual Basic 2008 Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach (Recipes: a Problem-Solution Approach).

1. I was looking for a good summary of threading for a current project and this book provided the code I needed. It is one of the best books I have seen that explains the examples and concepts in well-tested fashion. Too many times I have bought books where the examples don't run on the latest software or they are written by C# programmers who don't know VB. Although some of the samples are trivial, the book is a great reference from anyone doing daily VB 2008 programming. My only complaint is that I wish the source code for the examples was available on a website or CD. You can cut-and-paste the code from the ebook, but it is a bit cumbersome.

5 comments about iPhone Open Application Development: Write Native Objective-C Applications for the iPhone.

1. Be warned this book is for unlocked iPhone application development only; not the official Apple iPhone SDK. If you are interested in hacking iPhones, this may be for you. But for most iPhone application developers, the material here will be of little use.



2. While this book was well written and informative, it is well past its prime now. Apple's Official SDK is no longer beta, and thrid-party apps are flowing on the AppStore. While there may still be a reason to jailbreak and write completely open and un-restricted apps, this book is still stuck way in the past. The v2.0 firmware has changed so radically that the examples and teaching in this book will only hurt the would-be developer.
   
   Wait for the new batch of books about the offical SDK coming out this fall, and in the mean-time check out a book on plain-old Objective-C instead.



3. As the other reviewers mentioned this book doesn't specifically talk about the Apple Official SDK, but ALOT of the information is the same. In fact there is no other source that you can find with such clean and simple instructions. Also, if you are planning on NOT using IB to make your UI this book is gold since that info is hard if not impossible to find.



4. This book was a life saver. A few months ago, when I first started coding for the iPhone, I had no clue what to do with anything. There was literally NO DOCUMENTATION whatsoever. However, this book make learning the iPhone's API a breeze. Since then, I've gone on to make several well known iPhone 1.x applications, including PocketTouch, FontSwap, and StatusStyle.
   
   I would highly recommend this book to anybody who wants to learn how to start coding great applications for the iPhone.



5. Coming from a PHP world, Object-Oriented Programming can be difficult to wrap your mind around. Thankfully the introduction chapters here aren't too far overhead. OOP concepts are a must-have for modern programmers, and this book makes no contentions to teach you Objective-C directly. However, the author has included some good references to where you can take beginner OOP courses.
   
   Through the first year of iPhone's being and well into the pre-2.0 and post-2.0 environment, this book proves invaluable for its chapters on the UIKit, a large part of the API that is used to build graphical apps on the device. Extensive coverage of UIKit classes, as well as undocumented 1.0 enumerations for certain components makes this a frequent reader when you are getting started.
   
   The examples within the chapters cover just about anything you can think of doing with the UI, within reason. You will be able to confidently build apps that rival the ones included by Apple itself. Chapters on audio and graphics subsystems are as complete as could be at the time, and offer some examples that would be useful for game developers.
   
   Quirks about the Ojective-C language are briefly discussed, then wonderfully mastered and repeated frequently to drive the point home. Object delegates, high-level messging, inherritence; you will get a full course of modern OOP goodness.
   
   By the time you are done working with the chapter's examples you will feel like a million bucks. The iPhone platform is now your own lump of clay for you to mold and shape to your will. Couple this with some in-depth cocoa publications and you have the all the keys needed to swing the doors wide open. Feel smart, be informed and discover the tremendously versatile API that is iPhone OS.
   
   The 2.0 version of Apple software makes some important changes, but for the most part, this book is still very useful. Great for beginners -- even if you don't know OOP, you can learn from examples on the 'Net and be way very soon.

2 comments about MCTS: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure Configuration: Exam 70-642.

1. This book is very well written. It really tells you what you need to know when using AD. Another great Sybex book that made the 70-640 exam easy!



2. You can just feel, behind this book stays huge experience. Well written, CD is very handy and I am happy to have this book

5 comments about Objects First With Java: A Practical Introduction Using BlueJ (3rd Edition).

1. Most other books on Java are practically carbon copies of each other. They'll take you through the same boring sequence of learning. When you get to objects, you're just overwhelmed with (what seems to be) information of little practical relevance - or at least, no fun. One hardly gets the feel for what the Object Oriented programming hype is all about.
   BlueJ gives you an IDE and code. Like most professional programmers, you won't be writing HelloWorld.java. Instead, you'll begin with code that was already writen by others. The book will take you on a tour in which you'll be exploring the behavior of objects. You'll be asked to reimplement classes, and observe the effects your changes have on the program's behavior. The IDE shows you class diagrams, so you can begin to analyze dependencies. Objects in BlueJ are "live", and you inspect their behaviors on the fly. This is unlike most other books, where you are required to use a text editor. This is miles ahead from the other 99% of tutorial books.
   BlueJ almost feels like the Java programmer is in a Smalltalk environment. BlueJ gives the beginer a real feel for code reuse, modularity, and objects, and the IDE is an integrated tool in the development process, just like it is for a professional Java programmer. An outstanding book. Having gone through piles of Java tutorial books, this is the one to learn from. This one's truly for learning OOP.



2. I purchased this for use in a Java class. The instructor swore by this book. In the end, it just wasn't worth the money. All the information I needed were already available online at through Sun and other Java resources.



3. most intro to programming books expect/assume you to know about programming before you can begin. This book actually teaches you the very basic and doesnt assume that you know anything. :-) Its probably the best one for beginners.



4. I bought this book because it was required for a course. Out of all of the exercise books I have used, this is by far the hardest to follow. There are not enough examples to actually teach you the information. There are no answers, so you never know if what you're doing is correct. Overall, the book is vague in its descriptions and has not given me any kind of useful Java skills. I'm sure it would be good for someone who already knows a little about Java or that has a teacher standing right by them to explain everything. Even the exercises were not very clear and hard to understand. I would recommend searching for a different book.



5. i received the book on time. the condition of the book was brand new as stated. thank you for providing such great service!