Movies Books

I wasn't sure what exactly to expect from this book. When I got it and started looking at the page after page of amazing documented discriptions of anything and everything you would see in these movies I was so pleased with my purchase. The only thing I noticed was the emphisis on Episodes 1-3 and remaining episodes were all lumped together in a quick glance almost. The book is amazing non the less and I am more then pleased with it, and can't wait to give it to my significant other for his birthday.

Bought this as a gift for my 9yr. old son.
This is a great book for the Star Wars fanatic.

I like this item very much. My husband is a Star Wars fan and I got this book for him. I ordered this book and within a week I received it.

Got it as birthday present for my 5 year old. We all love it. He pours through the photos by himself, we read it together. I am learning all sorts of details (and they are plenty) about all the star wars characters. Who knew! This book could be the movie prop person's notebook/bible it is so complete and thorough.

The only drawback is my son finds the picture of darth sith too scary and we have to rush past that page. Oh well. Get it, great price, worth every penny.

WOW!!! This is the perfect book for anyone interested in knowing their stuff in the Star Wars world. Every character is represented according to chapter so some characters are represented more than once. Anakin is shown as a child in Episode I but is shown older in the next episode, etc. The book is divided by Episodes. Information on star ships, Tie Fighters, Light Sabres and more are also included in this book along with photos for each and every reference. This book is not only for children but adults can learn a thing or two from its contents.

An absolutely beautiful and deep character study. You don't have to be a Trekie to enjoy it.

The book was well written and Robinson's knowledge of the lead seems so very authentic.

He created an entire backstory that blends in very well with the DS9 series. It makes watching the show in syndication even more fun, especially when Robinson is on, because it's like you, the viewer is in, on the secret.

I look forward to seeing more of his work, be it as an actor or as a writer.

Having enjoyed DS9 and having heard about this book through Memory Alpha, I noticed all the positive reviews and decided to give it a shot. It was well worth it, the book is completely engrossing and a joy to read. I wish Robinson would write a sequel.

Someone, just lock Andrew J. Robinson in a room and make him write more. Seriously.

Deep Space Nine was my favourite of all the Trek series, and Garak was my favourite character, so you can imagine how thrilled I was when this book arrived. It is amazing. It goes so deeply into what makes up the Cardassian mind and society, every unanswered question that one could have about Cardassians is answered in this novel. I didn't want it to end! The author is also the actor who played Garak, and the insight he provides about his character is wonderful, poetic, and so moving. Anyone who has ever enjoyed an episode of DS9 needs to buy this book. I've read it three times, and I still enjoy it more than any other sci-fi book that I've read.

I haven't even finished reading it and I don't know how I ever lived without it.

this book was a very welcome change to all the theory books i've been reading on directing & cinematography.

the author writes in a very direct, concise, and clear manner... he's even got a real sense of humor. he knows his target audience, and he communicates very effectively to us, because he's really not that different than us.

he has tons of examples, pics, practical explanations, tables, reference material, and even a DVD-ROM that came with the book loaded with more writing, project files, media files, and so on.

this is the most practical and accessible book on indie filmmaking i've ever read.

definitely recommend!

Enough good things have been said about the Guide and they're all true. Having said that, the technical chapters on the book may seem to you (at least they seemed to me) as a conversation between two experts on the matter. In all fairness, the book is tagged as an Intermediate, Advance one and the author does advise early on the first chapters that the book assumes the reader has some background knowledge. Well, I don't consider myself as a beginner and I have more than some background knowledge (including After Effects) and I had (and still have) a hard time understanding some topics. You see, when I buy a book (specially a book that's advertised as having all the info I need), I expect the book to open my eyes and my mind and provide me with enough information so that I can be on my way. I don't like it when I have to supplement my reading with lots of other resources to understand what the author is saying. Also, books that refer to a certain software sometimes recommend that you be able to run that software in order to gain a better understanding of the topic; this one does this. However, most books with this characteristic can be read and understood without the software. Not this one. The way I see it, this book costs around $1030.00 if you don't have the After Effects. You need it to be able to grasp about 50% of the book's information.

Also, if you're looking to understand workflow, image optimization and effective editing techniques but action is not really your cup of tea, meaning that you are driven mostly towards making visual stories without the action element, you'll feel that you're using about $15.00 of the $30.00 price tag of the book. Topics like special effects, color correction and onlining are covered with a subtle assumption that your film is about action (I guess that's the reason for the title).

In general, the book's benefits outweigh its flaws. I would say that if I go into a set of an independent movie or if I meet the director of a short film being made and I see this book among his resouces, I would think that the guy knows what he's doing. I suggest suplementing the book with the DV Rebel's Cafe (forun) and other entry level books on DV and HD workflow.

I have been studying film since I was a little nerdy kid, writing down the names and titles from the credits of every Happy Harmonies or Merry Melodies cartoon I watched, but in all that time (yes, a lot of time) I have never encountered a more fundamental and essential guide to just picking yourself and your idea up and making a movie, from start to finish. If you have tried in the past and gotten overwhelmed or bogged down in the mire of details involved in making a film on your own, then this book will help you out bigtime.

I have to admit, I am not into action movies, but the principles in the DV Rebel Guide are not really action-movie specific, and what's more, the truth is that if you are making a movie for audiences, it had better keep moving, which is essentially what an action movie is about. You will have literal explosions and bullet holes in your movie, or you will have artistic-symbolic explosions and bullet holes in your movie, but either way, you will have them.

The important reasons to own and read this book, if listed concisely, would be about as long as the book itself. Why? Because everything in the book is *essential information* for making your movie--especially if you're not rich (and maybe nerdy enough to not have a long list of people to call in favors from).

Do you hate wading through 500 page tomes that painstakingly sidetrack on a zillion different flavors of what you might or might not need to know about several aspects of whatever? The best book on C programming is only a half inch thick, and the best book on getting out there and actually making your idea into a film (digitally), with or without a budget, is The DV Rebel's Guide. And that's because you will be able to read it cover to cover without ever falling asleep, and you will know just what to do when you are done. From the amazingly insightful concept of the "resource list" to a nutshell run-through of the daunting field of color correction, as applied in the very accessible software, After Effects, this book will give you the answers you need long before you might have given up in frustration reading another book (or pile of books).

Do you have Adobe After Effects? If not, I wouldn't purchase this unless you are just an armchair filmmaker because this book's techniques are based on that program. I wish I had Adobe After Effects and this book would be useful, not just entertaining.

More of the same from Jude Watson. The series is actualy intended for younger readers but I find the stories on an adult level. This book starts off where the last book finished and concludes the Merrida/Daan story ,with a twist!
All in all a lovely short read.

I read this book a few years ago because I had just seen Episode III in theatres and I was interested in anything Star Wars. At the time I did not realize thet this book was the sixth book in the series and as soon as I finished this book, I went back and started with number 1. Anyway, I LOVED this book. It made Obi-Wan my favorite character and even the sub-charaters were great. The relationship between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan is truly special and this book will give you chills. I can't wait to see if/when/how Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's relationship is mended. Even though this is a short and simple read, this book is great for any age. The emotion in this book was so well described and portrayed. I recommend this whole SERIES to anyone who has the faintest interest in Star Wars or good books in general.
-Murl

I am liking this series. I read the first 5 books last year, and started again just this week. I am a nut when it comes to reading a series in order, so I wanted to start with these books to see how Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon interact together before venturing into the prequels and follow-up novels to the movies.

This series is set towards young readers, but I find the story on an adult level. A good and easy read for someone wanting a short story.

Jude Watson brings to life the choices we face everyday. It shows how Obi-Wan Kenobi had to mkae one deceision between his home and when his friends on Melida/Daan needed him most.
When his friend is murdered and all his other friends, except two who remain loyal to him, turn into his enemies. He has no where to go and his former Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn isn't availible to protecthim, Obi-Wan must learn to be on his own with no one to help him.

Overall, I've greatly enjoyed the Jedi Apprentice series. It's not Harry Potter, but it gets the job done. Defenders of the Dead was a highlight, with an ending that left this jaded, cynical adult gasping with shock.

Unfortunately, The Uncertain Path leads to too much boredom. Obi-Wan mopes and Qui-Gon sulks, while the Youth on Melida/Daan regress into the children that they are. A few things salvage the book. Yoda giving Qui-Gon a chewing out (sorry, "Yoda a chewing out giving Qui-Gon, hmmmm?"), a touching scene with Cerasi's father, and the lack of quick resolution to the Obi-Wan/Qui-Gon conflict. Hope remains high for book 7.

Saint's narrative of how an invisible man survives in an urban setting is very credible because of the amount of details provided. Nick is forced to become a true survivalist because government agents are after him with the intent of making him a laboratory curiosity.
One reviewer commented that Nick appeared rather wimpy in his response to Colonel Jenkins' persecution (that is the best word for it) and this is the only aspect of the book that put me off slightly. If I'd been in Nick's place, Jenkins' life would have been much, much harder.

It takes you on a journey in your mind. You feel like you are the character. Fighting for survival. It's an amazing book. Fascinating. Awsome, What else can i say?

Edgy, nail-biting, darkly humorous, sexy, paranoid, and brilliant speculation about what life might be like for a man who is accidentally turned invisible.

This is light-years better than any of the many other recent attempts to build stories on this theme, from books and TV to films, and sadly including the distinctly average Chevy Chase comedy which was actually inspired by this book.

The narrator and central character is Nick Halliwell, a 34-year old, single, securities analyst working for a New York firm, who is completely ordinary except perhaps for an overactive sex drive. As part of his campaign to seduce a beautiful New York Times journalist called Anne Epstein, Nick invites her to a demonstration by a company called MicroMagnetics of their new type of magnetic fields.

Unfortunately Anne has cartoonishly stereotypical left-wing/liberal views. She decides that the magnetic fields must be intended for nuclear fusion containment, and tips off a buch of lunatics called "Students for a Fair society" about the event. These idiots decide to stage the other sort of demonstration, which includes cutting off power to the building.

As Nick puts it later, he should have paid more attention to what the students were about to do and what effect this might have on the process which the head of the company describes.

"I knew that someone was about to shut off power to the building ... And this man was telling me that he had some loopy subatomic process roaring away, which sustained itself but whose control system used outside power. It is important to listen to exactly what people are saying ..."

Shortly afterwards Nick is in the toilet when the building is evacuated as someone realises what the students are about to do: perversely ignoring a security guard who asks if anyone is there, he remains in the building and consequently is still inside when the control system has its power cut off, and the equipment blows up, turning everything else inside the building invisible.

Nick is knocked out by the effect. He comes to his senses a few hours later, and realises that he has been turned invisible, by which time government investigators are looking at the building. He calls out to the nearest investigator, expecting them to offer help, and is astonished when the man speaks into his radio and even as he promises medical help, Nick can see that an ambulance and some paramedics are being told to leave. Then the investigators come towards the building with a net. Nick realises that they see him more as an invaluable asset than as another human being, and falling into their hands might be a very bad idea ...

The main plot of the story is about the determined efforts which the investigators, led by the horrible Colonel Jenkins, make to capture Nick, and Nick's equally determined attempts to stay out of their custody. The sub-plot is that invisibility does not affect Nick's considerable libido, and he misses female companionship more than anything else about his situation. And as if it were not difficult enough for an invisible man to find love, any attempt Nick makes to do so is almost certain to offer new opportunities for Colonel Jenkins to catch him.

The dramatic tension in the book is sometimes unbearably strong, and there are some very exciting action sequences: there are also some moments of extreme pathos and some hysterically funny or embarrassing scenes.

Contains a lot of speculation, much of it highly plausible, about how other human beings might react to an invisible person. He is still solid, still needs food, water, sleep & shelter, and has to open doors to pass through them, so he cannot avoid leaving evidence that a person is around. Some people confronted with evidence of Nick's presence assume he's a ghost, or that a burglar has been and gone, but other people who become aware of him react in much more dangerous ways.

"Memoirs of an invisible man" is one of the best novels I have ever read. As I prepare to post this I see that the number of Amazon.com reader reviews is now up to 64 and 62 including mine are five-stars, which must be almost unprecedented. But the book really is that good.

I first read this book almost 20 years ago, and remember at the time recommending it to everyone I knew who loved books. They recently had a re-run of the dreadful film ( movie) of this great book, which prompted me to get my 15 year old daughter to read it - she loved it!

ps anyone ever find out who actually was H.F Saint?

Note: I made some immature Mormon angry because of my negative reviews of books out to prove the Book of Mormon, and that person has been slamming my reviews almost as fast as they are posted.

So your "helpful" vote is greatly appreciated. Thanks, and note that a
short review can be a good review if it prompts a person to read a good novel.

This was one of the most enjoyable stories I ever read. Set in modern times, there is an accident at a research facility, and one man becomes invisible.

The adventure starts there. It's too bad this author never wrote any other books, but this novel is a classic and a fun read. The man even finds a woman to love him.

The many dangers of being invisible were fascinating--like being accidentally hit by people or cars. And, of course, the government wouldn't let him live his life. They wanted to use him (make him a prisoner). He was too valuable. A great fantasy about a man being tracked down by the government.

I don't want to say too much and ruin the story, so just go it. Fantastic.

Also, don't miss the original "Invisible Man," by H.G. Wells.

Now I'm convinced.

After reading this book, my main concern was "can I do this". After reading, I'm not only excited, but truly convinced that almost anyone with a brain can do what the book reveals.

Thank you Amazon and thank you Ray West.

JC

I just finished reading the book and I'm beyond stunned! It's undoubtedly the most actionable, simple, surefire program I have ever seen. You could not pay me 10 times to give it back!

I read so many books on breaking into the adult film business...I even spent $1,297 on this course from www.adultfilmmaking.com, the "only" online adult film school, which was a total rip off. This book by Ray West and one other one that I downloaded off the internet for $80 have been the ONLY two books I've read that actually give legitimate, usable information on how make money in this business. I don't understand the negative reviews on this book. Yes, the book has grammical and spelling errors but if readers aren't able to overlook that for the information it offers then they probably should stick to their 9 to 5 job anyway. If you're interested in getting into the adult business profitably and successfully, you need all the resources you can get. This book is one valuable resource to get you started. If you're a bible-thumper looking for ways to condemn this industry then you're probably the ones who are degrading the content of this book. Why waste your time? Get this book if you want to make money in this business.

The book was great to read and very informative. the speed of Delivery was also a plus. It was at my door with in a week. can't complain about that. GOOD JOB!

This book was a blast to read. I heard about Ray West from a forum as being a guru to adult film making. After reading, I know why! Eventhough his book is 2001, I am going after his new stuff. I just can't imagine as a film maker how much fun this book has brought to my life. Ray West, you are a true genius.

My daughter saw the movie and read the books. This is a great companion to both. The illustrations are detailed and lovely

This is the second time I've purchased this same book. My nephew saw my little girl's copy and "had to have" one of his own. He called me every day for 9 days waiting for it to arrive. He is not disappointed! Great quality product that gives my young ones a desire to read!

My 10 year old son loved this book. He and friends went out collecting bugs and plants pretending to be authur spiderwick.

it's a cool book nice pictures.and you must know how to read in cursive before you buy this book

I bought this for my almost 6 yr old daughter to have while away at my parents' house for a week. Not only did she enjoy it, she was encouraged to go out doors and find her own fantastical creatures. She had such a great time 'seeing' the same creatures that are in the book, but in her own environment. She keeps it with her constantly to ensure that the ogre cannot get it.. It has really opened her imagination up...plus, I enjoy looking at it with her. Worth the money to have it in her collection along with the other Spiderwick books we already have.

A very readable & enjoyable book. I especially enjoyed the chapter on autism & the origin of language. Fritjof Capra's book "Hidden Connections" referenced this informative & amusing text including the link between brain function involved with hand gesture, signing, & tongue movements that unexpectedly led to the promotion the uptake of speech in autistic.
There are many insights into the shared psychology of humans & other primates. Despite the physiological and genetic similarities of all primates that have made chimps attractive model organisms for research,it was interesting to read about the reluctance of biological scientists to accept the anthropomorphic traits of chimps. There can be little room for a claim to "value-free" objectivity by biomedical researchers who can apparently dismiss the psychological effects of enforced confinement & sensory deprivation, on the effectiveness of anti-viral medications, or a range of other pharmaceuticals. The author has shown considerable bravery & commitment to expanding this area of learning, despite the threats against his personal career by people with vested interests in ignoring or denying the contradictions to their implicit or explicit values.

A must-read for any animal lover. Roger Fouts and the recently deceased chimpanzee Washoe are my heroes.

At age 62, I still look for writers who will change and deepen my sense of our human nature and our place in the natural world. More than writers about religion per se, I think these writers are able to help us advance our moral and spiritual understanding and reconcile our human/animal natures. For some years I've been reading Goodall and others on primates, but Next of Kin was, for me, a pinnacle illumination. Even if you aren't interested in these types of questions, I think this book will move you deeply. If you ARE interested, may I also suggest the recent Mycelium Running by Paul Stamets.Take Me With You When You Go

Although this book was written some time ago, it is exceptionally timely because the relevance of chimp behavior to our own continues to unfold. The devotion the author invests in his charges and the passion he feels about the atrocities visited on chimps both in the laboratory and in the wild drive his story. This abuse is reinforced by the backward and ignorant thinking that stems from bible thumpers who fear the truth about evolution and man's close relationship to apes. Roger Fouts and his wife have provided an invaluable service to our understanding of chimps, and their research related to sign language is truly stunning. They have succeeded in accomplishing their observation and reporting against considerable odds. All these aspects, and the Fouts' fully rounded examination of their subjects make for a gripping and emotional tale well told.

"Next of Kin: My Conversations with Chimpanzees" is one of the most amazing, heartbreaking, and inspirational books I've ever read. The book is written by Roger Fouts, a primatologist who devoted his life to studying the language patterns of chimpanzees. While in graduate school, Roger was introduced to Washoe, a precocious young chimp who became fluent in American Sign Language. Eventually "Project Washoe" expanded to include many chimpanzees, all who learned to communicate with humans using ASL and demonstrated unique personalities, complex emotions, and astounding intelligence.

I've always been a big animal lover, but reading this book taught me so many things that I never knew before. Anyone who questions an animal's ability to think or feel will get a sharp reality check after reading this book. Chimpanzees are people, too, just as much as human beings are. Unfortunately, the majority if humans in this world don't agree with that logic, and thousands of animals, including chimpanzees, are routinely kidnapped from their natural habitats and bred in captivity for the sole purpose of participating in biomedical research. In many cases, medical laboratories house animals in appalling conditions and literally torture them to death. "Next of Kin" details the horrors that go on behind closed doors at biomedical laboratories, and chronicles the steps Fouts and other animal activists have taken to protect chimpanzees from being treated inhumanely.

I absolutely loved this book. Reading it made me feel close to Washoe and her chimpanzee friends, even though I never met any of them before. (Sadly, Washoe passed away last fall at the age of 42, but I hope to visit members of her family at the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute in Washington someday.) Parts of this book are incredibly depressing and difficult to read, but hopefully learning about the terrible ways animals are treated will inspire people to take action. I admire everything that Fouts, his family, and his colleagues have done to protect chimpanzees, who are our next of kin on the great evolutionary scale. I hope other readers get as much out of this book as I did.

If your a Java 2 developer then you need this on your bookshelf. It contains an enormous amount of useful information, examples, etc. for all the classes in java.applet, java.awt, and java.beans. You gotta have it!

The 1.st sentence of the preface says: "This book is intended as a reference rather than a tutorial". Well for an experienced Java programmer this is certainly true, but for a novice who has just grasped the fundamentals of the language and starts to write down his first lines of code this book is an excellent tutorial. Every class has a description and practically every method of every class has its example code where nearly every line is documented, with links to related methods. Looking into these examples one can quickly learn tips and tricks smoothing the learning curve a lot. The Chan's book is miles ahead, in my opinion, the unuseful example codes one can freely download from the Sun's internet pages, full of magic words comining from blue skyes not documented at all, where one has to figure out what any of them is useful for and where you are on your own. One more time: what I say is true for a novice; the senior Java programmer may feel at his ease with the API's documentation of the Sun's JDK.
My last warning: since in Java things change often this kind of books goes into obsolescence quicky. For instance: my copy is the 5th edition (October 2001) and it lacks completely the new Collections class framework.

This book really helps with a huge amount of information and examples for all of the classes in java.io, java.lang, java.math, java.text, and java.util. Wonderful reference book!

This is required on every Java developers bookshelf. It is a wonderful reference.

I strongly recommend this book to all Java users of all levels because no other book describes all classes of java.lang, java.io, java.net, java.util, java.text and java.math packages better. Every class, every method and every exception is explained by very understandable language with good and useful examples. There is no Java language problem you cannot solve with this book.

This book should be required reading for everyone on the planet! What a nice world it wound be! Everyone every where taking responsibility for their own actions and feelings!

The Buddha in Your Mirror is a beautifully written book outlying not only a philosophy, but a practical means to imporve your life. Buddhism is no longer for shaved headed monks who retreat into the mountains, but a practice which allows every single person to become happy while maintaining their normal daily life. Reading this book is a perfect start to changing one's life for the better.

This book is an excellent primer for those who are curious about Buddhism
It reminds us that we all have the ability to reach buddhahood. It also talks about the importance of the mantra "Nam Myoho Renge Kyo" which volumes have written about.I love this book and invite all beginners to buddhist thought to check it out. May I also encourage you to try -The Lotus Sutra- and -The Dhammapada- two major Buddhist works. Be happy.

If you know next to nothing at all about Buddhism but want to learn how and why it might be useful to you, this is the book you should start with. It is NOT rocket science but it hits all the key points you need to know and is readily understandable by almost anyone. Above all, it makes it fundamentally clear that you are in the driver's seat when it comes to your own life. Stand up for yourself, take control of your destiny and read this book.

This book gives the basics of Buddhism, sort of a beginner's how-to guide. I unfortunately didn't quite get to finish it before I had to return it to the practicioner I borrowed it from, but I'm sure they last fifty pages or so didn't somehow negate the rest of the book. IF you are curious or interested in Buddhism, it's a great place to start (as is Asma's Buddha for Beginners).