Digital Books

There was a time when artists bread and butter work was painting true to life pictures: portraits, battle scenes, ships, landscapes. With the advent of photography, art changed to other forms, some of which bore no recognizable appearance of anything known to anyone but the artist.

With the advent of digital photography and the necessary software to manipulate images, digital artists began to move in the way of the painters. Their digital images are formed by the manipulation of multiple images, of changes that can be made down to the bit level if desired.

This book explores digital art. While as of yet this is not well received by the conventional art community, it is a sign of coming times. Specifically in this book the same three specific images have been given to seventeen artists to use to illustrate what they might create. The procedures they followed to create new images coming from these three seed images are documented. The results are wildly different between the resulting pictures.

This is the forefront of digital art.

Joseph Nalven and JD Jarvis' Going Digital: The Practice And Vision Of Digital Artists is written by a cultural anthropologist who developed photography as a tool for working on ethnographic research, and an author who has long worked in TV production and graphic design: the two together offer a survey of the digital process as it applies to creating the art, from photos to finished products. 17 artists were asked to take three seed photos and use the images creatively in their own works of digital art: Going Digital takes these 17 efforts and blends them with discussions and examples of digital art from around the world, considering common challenges, presenting step-by-step processes from digital pioneer efforts, and creating a solid set of practical examples. A must for any aspiring digital artist.

Anything written about the practice of digital art today is doomed to be obsolete shortly. Very little is likely to survive even as being "quaint" in the way of Bill Gates's famous comment that 640 bytes were enough for anyone.
Since we have digital artists in the thousands, however, all eager to learn more technique, to make the most of all that's available, to see what each other is doing, we need resource material to serve them. "Going Digital" does this admirably in an original way. Seventeen artists each take the same three given photographic images and use up-to-the-minute tools to mold their own creations. The results are startlingly different. Most important, each artist has recorded his or her creative process in a sort of running diary, illustrated with dozens of images used or discarded en route to the final one.
The technology will more than likely change drastically as artists and computer scientists continue to interact. What will remain exciting and inspiring in Joe Nalven and JD Jarvis's book is the implicit discussions among editors and contributors about the meaning of art, the value of art, the place of artists, what changes and what abides. Both the many fine prints and the thoughtful questions raised fit into the history and practice of art, as always fascinating every one of us. Every question has more than one answer; rarely are these answers just yes and no. Although the discussion is implicit, the reader knows that he is in the hands of experienced teachers. The authors leave no doubt that their book goes past "now".
You'll want this book on your shelf or in your hand always. I wish that Amazon would let me give it a sixth star.

There is little that I can add to the previous excellent, detailed reviews. But I did want to add my two cents worth:

I received my "Going Digital" from Amazon a few days ago and read it cover to cover in two sittings - loved it! I especially enjoyed the participant's musings on the three seed photos. It was interesting that most all of them liked the image of the figure.

The resulting prints could not have been more different - a very interesting intellectual/artistic exercise indeed. It is a "must have" book for all digital artists - and will undoubtedly be a classic text book on the subject.

(...)

I find that having to create something with images not of your own choosing forces
you to stretch the limits - to step outside of your comfort zone. I have produced images that I NEVER would have done otherwise.

I have been working digitally less than two years, most of that time I have been in
an internet group with weekly challenges. I credit the "seed image" restriction with helping me grow and find my own voice in this digital world.

When I switched to digital everything was so new and unfamiliar. I have not been able to get into a comfortable rut with the ever-changing challenges. They have pushed me in directions I never would have chosen for myself- and that's a good thing!

When I finished the book I looked for a website that had the images available - I was dying to try my hand at it!

Buy the book, then try out the concept of "seed images" for yourself. It is a fantastic learning experience.

Oh wait... while I am here. Harald Johnson's other book "Mastering Digital Printing" (second edition) is another "must have" if you are serious about your digital art.

Carol
(...)

This book is a treasure trove of ideas for aspiring digital artists. Digital art has come of age, and Nalvin and Jarvis offer a comprehensive overview of the revolution that is transpiring before our very eyes. The book features an international group of digital artists working their magic on three simple images, while explaining their techniques and exposing their creative thought process at every step along the way. For the reader, each chapter provides a compelling intimate journey through the creative mind of a digital artist. My favorite was Greg Klamt, whose creativity is boundless. For me, this is digital art its at its very best. As Jarvis has stated in his digital manifesto, in the digital art world ".high cost will no longer signify superior work. Galleries and critics alike will soon have to realize that creativity, vision, diversity and craftsmanship have returned as the benchmarks of "value". Bravo!

Betty Dravis has an affinity for Hollywood and is culturally astute. Her short story gets past the cultural assumptions people sometimes make in the divide between Anglo and Hispanic, wealthy and poor, native-born and (allegedly) foreign born people. With gentle good humor, we encounter Homer Fairshield, a successful Hollywood producer who gets in an accident while in his fancy Jaguar. It is here that he meets Hector Ramirez, a Hispanic-American who has hit him with his gardening truck. From there they work out terms until they get together at his place, while Homer awaits his wife, Helena, whom he expects to be upset. She has little tolerance for misfortune and even less for foreigners.

Her writing is striking. In the first part, the narrator lets us know, "My neck's stiff, my nerves are raw, and my hands are shaking like a novice actor's before his first shot." From here she unpeels the prejudices in the cultural divide with great skill. In her own way she does so only sympathetically. She never hits her characters over the head with a sledge hammer. Using absurdity and a solid message, her execution is fun and filled with good will.

As usual Betty Dravis has swung for the fences and comes out with a heart-warming winner.

Do you have ANY idea how hard it is to write a meaningful plot synopsis of a story that from beginning to end runs a mere 15 pages? Suffice it to say that Ms Dravis's wonderful tale revolves around three people - Hector, a Mexican-American gardener who "introduces" himself to Homer by the simple expedient of backing his truck up into Homer's outrageously expensive Jag; Homer, a wealthy Beverly Hills movie producer who recognizes that his recent malaise stems from an urge to return to the simpler days of his past; and, Helena, Homer's spoiled wife, who doesn't long to return anywhere at all because it's quite clear that she's forgotten where she came from!

I wouldn't presume to steal a single peal of Ms Dravis' thunder by recounting the story. I'll just tell you what she's achieved. In an extraordinarily small number of words, "Homer, Hector and the Smashed-up Jag" will teach its readers a thing or two about happiness, contentment, friendship and racism in a package that is both humorous and entertaining. Moreover, Ms Dravis managed that without even the tiniest lean in the direction of preaching or being patronizing.

And, if like me, you read the entire story and come to its ending realizing that you were expecting something entirely different to happen that simply didn't, then just maybe you'll learn a little something valuable about yourself as well.

Highly recommended.

Paul Weiss

Homer is a wealthy movie producer, with a wife who's, well, biased against anyone who isn't white and doesn't have blue or green eyes. Hector is a Mexican American who works for the county and has a side business as a gardener. When Hector accidentally backs into Homer's jag, Homer feels sorry for the man. After all, he has ten kids and no insurance. So Homer asks Hector to his mansion so they can discuss how Hector can repay him. To his surprise, Homer enjoys hanging out with Hector and agrees to go to a ball game with him. Homer's wife isn't happy at all about this, nor that Homer intends to move Hector and his family into his gardener's cottage, which he intends to enlarge to accommodate them. But Homer and his wife are about to learn a valuable lesson from Hector, one that will change their lives forever.

This short story has an important message at its center, made all the more enjoyable due to Ms. Dravis's ability to deliver one heck of a good story wrapped around great characterization and dialogue. Like a talented comedian, this author knows when and where to display her glorious sense of humor and has a real knack for keeping her readers entertained throughout. Highly recommended!

We all need more sweet and happy in our lives, and Betty Dravis' short story, Homer, Hector, and the Smashed up Jag provides a big dose. Once again, Ms Dravis' talent and creativity shine through in this little gem. I was completely captivated by this tale. It is a true page turner.

In just a few short pages, Ms. Dravis' brings her characters to life, full of personality and self. We know exactly who they are, and are impressed and won over by them. That takes real skill in short story writing: to completely develop not just one, but several characters, and have them grow and change so convincingly in so few words. These characters are truly alive.

The story itself is highly entertaining, with a subtle life lesson (or two) snuck in. The writing style is quiet and gentle with an easy, comfortable pace. Ms. Dravis does an excellent job of "showing not telling" us her story with lovely descriptions and marvelous characterizations. In the end, I really liked these people, and felt that they had become my friends. I really hope Ms. Dravis puts these new friends into another story.

Oh, and I loved the references to one of Ms. Dravis' novels as the current film project for the main character. Sandra Bullock and Johnny Depp, huh? Very cute...

In this tale, the author gradually unlayers the characters until we view the common core that connects them. Despite the outer trappings of a successful life, Homer and Helena (Helen) have simple roots, as does the character Hector.

Surprised that Hector "reads", Homer begins to understand some of the feelings he noticed almost immediately ("there's something about the man"); as he also begins to fondly reminisce about his own simpler roots, the connection between them is enhanced.

Hector brings out a side of Homer that he has long overlooked, and which his wife has attempted to quash.

But with the deepening connection between the men, a gradual return to these roots also seemingly pulls Helena out of her facade until she, too, is joining the men in their activities.

A seamless unveiling of cultural differences that gradually disappear as the characters find commonality, this story reveals that when humans find something in common, they can let go of their prejudices.

As another reviewer has described, a clever mention of one of the author's books is discreetly subtle...But led to my going online and ordering that book!

This story will captivate your heart with every word as you read about a fathers love and his loss. A wonderful story that will remind us how precious life really is.

Jo Anna by Edd Voss ,I just finished reading ..I felt that I am lost somewhere.This man who is a lovely father is lovable.He has that courage to discuss that long emotional past.Edd voss has written this story not by his pen but only and only from his heart..He traces his deep feelings which were sitting inside .One can feel a father's loss.Edd Voss has seized pain from the very begining to it's end.

Edd Voss ..Thanks for many days my eyes wanted some real tears and you brought it out.May be I will forget any story but not your's.

Jo Anna by Edd Voss is a heart wrenching story of a man's love for his young daughter and how he dealt with her passing. You will need a box of tissues for this one. A truly loving story and one you will remember. I'm so glad I purchased Edd's Amazon Short story and you will be too.

Mary E. Preece

Obviously, this short was written from the heart, and it was hard for me to read. Author Edd Voss must have peeled off many layers to bear what has been bottled up in his heart for far too long. He, with his words, paints a beautiful picture of a little girl, his little girl, whose name was JoAnna.
This short was written with much love, and the sensitivity only a father who has lost a child can understand. It's not easy for anyone to put themselves out there for the world to see what lies deep within, but as they say, "Write what you know." I believe this is probably the most honest piece of work this author will ever write...

In this Amazon Short Edd Voss used prose in its purest form to express raw grief with the barest essence of statements: "The paper blurred as the words began to sink in."

Reading Ben Tucker's recount of feelings in his childhood, I was reminded of another disconnected 15-year-old, a character introduced in Robert B. Parker's Spenser novel, EARLY AUTUMN. Voss wrote about his character, "... he had always felt like he was alone since his parents had died when he was a kid. All through the years of orphanage and foster homes, he had felt alienated and on his own."

In Parker's EARLY AUTUMN, Paul's parents hadn't died; they lived as childless, unconnected individuals. I mention Paul Giacomin because he and Ben each traveled paths, as dramatized through the wisdom of a sensitive author, into healing human connections. The steps in the journeys were different, but the intimacy of the healing shared with readers struck similar chords.

Voss gave a touching description of grave-side sunshine contrasting his devastation. Cool composure was etched by cracks of sad warmth visible only in flowing tears:

>> The cemetery was bathed in sunshine as befit the southern California summertime. While a large crowd was gathered to mourn the loss of this little girl, he still felt isolated. In his mind all he could see was himself standing there all alone, tall and proud in his immaculate dress uniform shining in the midday sun. The brass on his collar and the wings on his chest reflected the sun so that it hurt the eyes to look directly at them. From the soles of his boots to the beret on his head he was the image of everything a soldier should be, till the onlooker glimpsed the tears in his eyes that despite his every effort had escaped and rolled down his cheeks. <<

Voss wrote a perfect "coming to" description, serving as an abrupt, yet gentle transition from a reverie of long past, broken memories, to an easing of the primal fear of damage and grief. The link to present caring was beautifully expressed:

>> His reverie was interrupted by a hand sliding into his. Holding it up so that he could look at it, he marveled as he always did at the beauty of her hand. Totally feminine with well manicured nails, the skin soft as silk yet filled with strength. He had seen that hand do all of the same work that he did and more around the ranch, yet it still was soft to the touch. <<

This story touchingly exposed a man's loss being completed in renewal, as he moved from disconnected childhood, to the intimacy of a soul-mate. The mood flowed in natural patterns through a gauntlet of pain as a man, who had lost parents through death, lost a child to the same gateway, healed the loneliness of his youth, then rested in a blossoming new life filled by children of children of children, and a wife.

With an exquisite economy of caring words, Edd Voss expressed the type of healing growth possible in life. This story gave a gentle touch of that to the reader, and could be read and reread for the feeling of grace.

Well done Voss,
Linda Shelnutt

This book arrived in top condition and in time. In a college book store this book cost a lot more, so I am very pleased to be able to buy it from this seller.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the descriptive way the author wrote. I have been through Colorado and have seen the beauty she described. Also enjoyed the story because there wasn't a lot of violence and if there was any sex, it was only in our imagination which is the greatest kind. I was amazed at how the lady rode for miles in rugged wilderness without seeming to get lost. The fact that she could subsist on meager food was also interesting.

For many years I saw this book in National Park bookstores and passed it by thinking it would be an example of the overwritten, rather tedious journals of other Victorian travelers. When I finally found it at a used bookstore and rather reluctantly bought it, I was surprised to find out how exciting and relevant her story was.

Because I live in Colorado, I recoginize and travel through many of the places she describes. Just this weekend as we traveled along Highway 67, my husband and I remarked on the likelihood, that this was the same route she'd taken out of Colorado Springs.

Her accounts lend life to the grey, weatherbeaten cabins, abandoned roads and rusting rails that we see. Even though many parts of Europe and the US were relatively modern at the time of her adventures, it is surprising to read just how primitive and precarious was the life of many Colorado settlers.

Even if you aren't from Colorado, read this book to become aquainted with a Victorian woman who found a way to live life fully. Read it to learn about life in the west. Read it just because it's a good read.

I bought this book while visiting Estes Park, CO...hungry for books about life in the West that may not be so readily available here in NJ. I found it to be one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read! Isabella's descriptions of the Rocky Mountains and the climate through which she travelled are vivid and gripping. But more than that, she gives a detailed and honest account of what life was like for settlers on the frontier. How she managed to ride thru the mountains where the only "trails" were tracks of wagons or animals, when often those were covered with the seemingly constant snow, boggles the mind. Her love for Colorado sings out in every word she writes. I too was deeply touched by its beauty, and hope to return again, this time with an enriched appreciation due to this wonderful recounting of Isabella Bird's journey.

Did you ever read any of the BEANY MALONE novels by Lenora Mattingly Weber? In them I first read about Isabella Bird and her remarkable life in the American West. Beany's older brother, Johnny Malone, is a teenager when the series begins, a young Denver boy with a remarkable passion for unearthing the memoirs and daguerrotypes of Colorado pioneers and taking notes on the old-timers who settled the state. Their colorful lives make his ordinary life seem rather pastel, so he often sinks into a nostalgia of the past, while his family members tease him about the dreamy look in his eyes. He helps a veteran journalist, Emerson Worth, complete his magnum opus, OUR CITY HAS DEEP ROOTS. And among the pioneers Johnny obsessed about was none other than Isabella Bird, so when I found this book on a recent trip to Boulder, I added it to my rucksack.

If you are reading on horseback, as Isabella Bird did, this is perhaps the ideal book to carry with you. She was a woman used to the English-style horse with its Ascot breeding and high carriage. What she found in Colorado were, naturally, the horses of the West, more perfectly adapted to the mile-high atmospheres, but slung somewhat lower than anything she's been used to and slightly swaybacked. Bird adapted quickly, and the fun of her autobiography is to see her taking in her stride a series of calamities and hardships that would have Job complaining bitterly! No matter if it's an insect infestation or tumbling right through a sheet of ice into zero degree river chills, for Isabella Bird it's all part of a day's fun. Travel writing in the 19th century was, of course, the leading genre of prose. From no other source were English-speaking readers able to find out more about other people's lives, and the curiosity was immense.

You'll like Isabella, and her crazy love affair with Colorado. She remains very much a lady, but will challenge your preconceived notions of what a lady is and isn't. Most of all you will thrill to follow the course of her journeys up and down the mountains through which, now, there are some better trails but still the same amazing sunrises which she describes with the thrill of one for whom every day's an adventure.

Robert Lamon's first novel rings with the truth of someone who's lived it. And sadly, it's a story all that more moving because of the number of young soldiers going through it today. A novel of yesterday, yet timely and relevant. A must read for everyone.

Rob Lamon has written a book from his heart and it shows in how he presents his main character, Brad, confronting his father about joining the Marines after speaking to a Marine Recruiter at school. I've only read the excerpt for now, but I'm already hooked on Brad and his innocent bravery as he prepares to join the Marines. He tells his father, who is disappointed and Brad can't understand why. He tells his friends at school who are both in awe and admiration of him as he becomes a hero in their eyes already. However, only his father understands the realities of war and what being a hero really means.

This is an obvious first book and has the usual first book problems, the most glaring in the excerpt are the "all caps" when the drill sergeant is shouting and the overuse of exclamation marks (Elmore Leonard says one exclamation mark in a book is one too many LOL). In spite of that, Rob's writing is easy to follow and the story is logically constructed, and the heart of the story remains. I think readers of all ages will enjoy this book.

Robert Lamon writes a story about Brad in The Last Dead Hero. A book showing the angst of teen land, wanting to get the girl and please the parents. His story comes across real. I felt like I was entering the Marine Corp with him. I can't wait to read the rest. If the rest of the book is like the beginning I will enjoy watching Brad grow into a Marine and a Man. Well written, I can hear the drill Sergeant in my ears, smell the sweat on the bus and can just see the guys eyeing the girls trying to line up the next month's entertainment. I can just imagine this book will put a small slice of what the boys leaving for Iraq and around the world are going through as they leave their family and loved ones behind to become men. Nice.

Rob hit the nail on the head. A real book about a war from the past. I liked it and expect to see more.

Robert writes in a clean, vivid style that makes this story a pleasure to read. It's not a subject I am personally familiar with so I found it fascinating and I would love to read more. Great job!

First let me say that this book is very well written and easy to understand. It gives the reader wonderful info on MP3's and other music file formats as well as the comparsion from the standard CD format vs. MP3 format. Before reading this book, I had well above average knowledge of the various types of music files, playlist, jukeboxes, and MP3 and WMA and other music file formats. However, it did fill in some gaps that I had overlooked and I learned even more after reading the book. This is a very good reference book for the beginner. However, since it was written several years ago, it only touches on WMA's. Not that this book was written with more info on MP3 formats. Today we have in many Internet online stores the WMA/DRM (protected music). These types of music files need a newer MP3/WMA/DRM player that will handle the WMA/DRM music file format downloads, which many online music stores have. This is a great book, however, a bit historic. The MP3 players as described in this book (available at that time) came with only 64 meg flash drives and 64 meg flash cards. Now the norm is at least a 1 GIG flash player, and many MP3 players today have huge hard drives. However, this book still has good overall BASIC information. I highly recommend this book to a beginner just learning about MP3 music.

MP3's have become one of the hottest new things on the 'Net, to the delight of music lovers everywhere and most likely to the chagrin of the music industry. This book covers a wide variety of topics regarding MP3's, starting off with a brief description of how mp3's came to be, where to find and download mp3's, Internet radio stations, etc. The chapter on digital music and copyright law also contains useful information on just what it and is not legal with regards to having and/or downloading mp3's.

It also tells you what software and hardware is the best for playing mp3's and "ripping" your own mp3's. The descriptions of the software and hardware you can use are quite good. Next are three chapters describing in detail digital audio, along with MPEG audio. Then comes the section any mp3 "ripper" will be most interested in, ie converting music into mp3 form, by first converting it into a .wav format, then into mp3 and finally recording your own CD's.

The book's final chapters are a 'tutorial" on various mp3 software ripper programs like Audio Catalyst and Cool Edit. There's also some info about using WinAmp, which is one of the more popular mp3 players (and the one I use). There's also further information about related web sites, other books, even a glossary.

The future still looks bright for mp3. Not only is it a way for music lovers to download their favorite songs, it also is a way for new artists to "break through" by offering their music on various web sites in the form of mp3s.

This book offers quite a bit of good information about the MP3 phenemenon.

This is an outstanding book on Internet and personal computer audio with emphasis on the MP3 audio-encoding format. It covers the whole range of online audio from the Internet or CDs as well as streaming audio.

Starting with an overview of digital music and the Internet, the book explains why there's so much excitement over MP3 and online audio, discusses how to find music on the web, and reviews Internet Radio. The authors include the best discussion of digital music and copyright law I've seen anywhere.

The chapters on how to prepare your computer for digital audio discuss everything from what software is needed to what to watch for in selecting the best computer hardware, from CD drives, speakers, sound cards, and the cables that connect these things together or with your home entertainment system.

The portion of the book on understanding digital audio contains one of the best overall discussions of how sound and digital audio technology works anywhere. Especially valuable is the discussion of the tradeoffs involved in different selections of parameters in digital audio, such as bit-rates and sampling rates.

The book wraps-up with several excellent tutorials for basic computer tasks used for digital audio. In addition, there are tutorials for common tasks using several popular computer audio software programs.

Bruce Fries is a technology consultant & writer and an Associate member of the Audio Engineering Society. He also is the founder of TeamCom, a new media publishing company. Marty Fries is an audio engineer, technology consultant, and blues pianist. His audio engineering work includes designing and building studio sound equipment systems.

This is the best-written and edited book I've read on Internet audio and streaming audio to date. It's easy to read and explains complicated terms and concepts in terms anyone who can use a computer can understand.

Throughout the book are excellent links to additional resources, as well as an extensive index of websites on the topic of Internet audio. While the focus is on MP3 and audio files (vice streaming audio), much of the information applies to Internet radio as well.

I strongly recommend this book for anyone interested in working with MP3 audio files, whether beginner or experienced "ripper." I also highly recommend it for anyone who is interested in how to improve the recording, playing, or streaming of audio files from their computer. Finally, I recommend this book for anyone concerned about what is and what isn't legal in working with digital audio files.

Review by Mike Powers, Internet Radio Guide, October 1999

I'm the author of the MP3 and Internet Audio Handbook and I've just finished a new book, Digital Audio Essentials, that has approximately twice as much information plus detailed chapters on editing audio, digitizing vintage records, and setting up an Internet radio station. It covers both Macs and PCs and has instructions for using iTunes, Musicmatch Jukebox, Media Jukebox, Sound Forge, and Peak.

... This book by Bruce and Marty Fries covers THE FOREST and THE TREES - concerning all things about MP3 music technology - equally well! In other words, you will no longer be lost in THE FOREST about all things MP3 because of THE TREES! The authors cover the OVERVIEW (The Forest) of all things MP3 just as well as they cover all the minor DETAILS (The Trees). ... The authors make EXCELLENT teachers: they KNOW their subject well, and they know how to PRESENT it to you so that you NEVER get lost or feel left behind! The book is VERY well ORGANIZED. It is layed-out logically and flows from one chapter to the next in a natural and easy-to-follow way. Reading this book is NOT HARD, and because it is so easy to understand, you will learn faster!

... I can't say that I knew NOTHING about MP3 music and technology BEFORE I read this book, but after having read it I feel like I REALLY understand everything I need to know to make the right choices about how to record, play, and listen to music in the MP3 format. Most importantly, the authors do not only tell you ABOUT MP3 technology, they tell you HOW to use it, DO things with it, and WHERE to go on the world wide web to get more INFO on whatever you might be interested in concerning all things MP3. The book is packed to the gills on almost every page - cover-to-cover - with web site URL addresses where the reader can further their search for information about MP3 technology!

... The book is VERY thorough and detailed, with an easy-to-follow lay-out, easy-to-read text and design, and very helpful photographs and illustrations that make it almost impossible to NOT "get it"! After reading this book, if you don't know just about EVERYTHING concerning MP3, you just were not paying attention - because the authors have left NO STONE UNTURNED! ... The only regret I had was that they wrote the book (as they themselves confessed up-front!) for the IBM-compatible, PC crowd - and I am driving an APPLE iMac computer!!! ... I recently wrote to the authors about this, and they said that they are working right now on a revised edition that will have more information in the HOW TO SECTIONS for people using APPLE computers. This will be a welcome relief!

... Even so, there is a lot of helpful mention of places and products that concern the MAC CROWD (of which I'm one! : ), and they DO agree that the SOUNDJAM MP software by Cassidy & Greene "is one of the best for the Mac." (page 69). So, even if you're a Mac-man like me, you really can't go wrong reading this book because it covers all the bases. It's MORE than just an introduction. It's a great REFERENCE book to keep by your computer at all times - whether you're a consumer interested in LISTENING to MP3s or a musician who is interested in CREATING MP3s in order to upload onto musical web sites, over the Internet, on the world wide web so that ANYONE in the world can listen to and/or purchase one's music! ... My hat is off to the authors for a job well done! ALSO: this book is FUN to read! ..

I have had this book for a couple of years now and it has helped out a lot. Pretty well written and covers most questions. Binding is not good as pages will come out. For those starting out with Elements it is a good buy.

this would have to be the most comprehensive organizer i have seen .i was most impressed by the quality and size of the book. with this book you need look no further,top marks. signed. errol

If you are one of the many people who are feeling overwhelmed by your files of digital photos this book is a must have! Michael Slater's new book, "Organize Your Photos with Adobe Photoshop Elements 3" will help you take control of your digital shoebox of photos. In my opinion, Photoshop Elements 3 is the easiest way to do so and this book makes using the program a no-brainer! The book even reveals a hidden trick on how to clean up the Photo Review feature in the Organizer section of the software.

This is a good book with lots of info and great ideas on how to organize your photos.

This book concentrates on the Organizer side of PSE 3 and does an excellent in depth job of showing the various ways to organize and find all your photos. It has different degrees of organization depending on the photographers needs. You make a very enlightened choice!
There are also very good chapters included on editing both with the Editor and Quick Fix. Sharing photos, printing and making creations all have their own chapters.
The book is extremely well illustrated with plenty of colour screenshots and photos.
If you only buy one book on PSE 3 this should be it!

As described on the cover page, this book is cookbook style so I went through the programs on the CD before reading the chapters. I like this book for two reasons.

First, the book is easy to read. A bunch of equations may not always be helpful to understand a problem. What confuses readers most is how an implementation/program corresponds to those equation(s). This book explains the image processing techniques in a plain language and gives you an hand-on experience with those techniques.

Second, to practice image processing, clicking a button on windows or just calling a built-in function, e.g. process(image), will not be enough. When you go to the directory of programs on the CD, you may find out every details. Each program is relatively independent to each other. You will not be stuck by a function call, which you never know or find. Each program is well commented and can be easily modified and incorporated into your program.

This book is good for those who are new to image processing, because it helps you understand what image processing does. It is also good for an experience practicer, because you can find well-organized stuff to build your own applications. It is a must-have book for your shelf of image processing.

Searching for an easy plug & play solution for simple imaging tasks?
No time for programming & debugging things yourself?
No interest in crawling through literature to figure what & how you should program "the methods that solves all your problems"?

Here's a book that deals with most of the elementary - and most used - approaches in image enhancement and analysis. The CD offers a collection of ready-to-play-with programs, both in C source as in executables.

I appreciated the book set-up: each section describes one single task, describes the problem, gives an example, discusses a solution given in literature, and presents the input / output / options for the C code.
- If you want to know more: get the recommended references.
- If you want to modify the program: why not? (well, perhaps because the code is good enough!)
- If you don't care about the scientific background and/or programming: just plug & play!

I have found this book to be extremely useful as a reference for my class on document image analysis. The book discusses (with software which is a bonus!) a whole bunch of image processing techniques that are very useful.

Students can now find in one place- a reference for techniques such as gabor wavelet analysis, convex hulls, moments, fourier descriptors, thinning, hough transform, and chain coding. This allows me as an instructor of an advanced document recognition course to let the students self-study these image processing techniques while I can focus on the recognition topics.

The authors have done a great job of picking examples from a wide range of applications such as outdoor scenes, fingerprints, and documents. The book is "easy to read" and requires just basics of linear algebra to follow.

I already knew image processing when I bought this book, so I am not sure how it would appear to the novice seeking a textbook on the subject of image processing and analysis, but I imagine it could be somewhat confusing. I always recommend Gonzales and Wood's "Digital Image Processing" for those seeking a clear read on image processing and analysis from the ground up. Where Seul's book comes in is with clear descriptions and working code for many basic - and some not so basic - image processing and image analysis algorithms. The book is also very good at explaining the applications of the various transforms. One of the little things that the author of this book does that authors of other books similar to it don't bother to do is to realize that when you are working in image processing you likely have an image as an input and you want an image as an output. Thus the author has built his code libraries so that they work that way. You are not left with arrays of pixels that you have to figure out how to store and manage. In the end you have a nice functional toolbox of working image processing and analysis subroutines that you can chain together and make just about any type of image transform tool you could think of. I'm mainly interested in image effects, and I know this book has been useful to me. The accompanying CD-ROM contains all of the C source code for the algorithms so that you can port them to another language or tinker with them if you so desire. Highly recommended.

The title of this book corresponds to its content, the tutorial gives an excellent overview of basic key points to those readers who are unfamiliar with the subject (as I was). The book can not be used for rigorous study of even simple things but rather kicks you with essentials that are easy to understand with high-school background. This book, written for non-specialists in "image field", gives them techniques for their practical needs and concentrates exactly on image analysis, not on image processing. If you have no time to go through more complex (and deeper) books, take this one to discover basic principles in short form with no attempt to explain the fundamentals. The authors just put you into the facts, so that is why I would characterize the "Practical Algorithms" book as being "handbook". The good point is that the areas of applicability of these facts are explained, the drawback: you have to go to other books to get more details on image processing roots, e. g., to R. Gonzalez and R. Woods' "Digital Image Processing". I bought both, and use them as good annex to each other. The "Practical Algorithms" has lack of some significant areas, like snake algorithm and image binarization (thresholding) techniques but e.g., the cellular processing is quite well highlighted.
Surprisingly, the CD that comes along with this book gave me almost 80% examples that I was able to recompile instantly, and only several examples have failed, mainly due to image file format issues. The source code is not both elegant and bugless, but it is very transparent and portable and can easily fit, e.g., a 16-bit microcontroller.
Overall, this is good book for fast start. You can get real output and pick up ideas on practical side of image analysis. Just remember, the most book examples came from the medicine world, so they are quite specific and may not be implemented directly in your particular application.

I read this book in one sitting back in 2000 when I was still a newspaper photographer wrestling with the choice of my chosen career path. This book details a couple who left steady jobs behind the follow their dream of opening a b&b. I furiously highlighted passages and scribbled notes in the margins as I read. The next day, I bought a binder and stayed up all night drafting sections a business proposal. It took a little while, but I was eventually able to leave a full-time job with benefits and job security and launch my own wedding photography business. The idea of creating your own career path and not just following one was definitely not on the best seller radar then like it is now. And that book is what I lead with when I talk to photographers now about following their heart. It changed my life. Seriously.

At last, a book that gives us permission to dream and a guide on how to bring those dreams to fruition. Only Paul and Sarah could have written such a book. So often others tell us to forget our dreams and merely live as the rest of the world. But in "The Practical Dreamers Handbook" we're told it's all right to have these dreams and to act on them. I've noticed a different writing style from Paul & Sarah..one of peace and tranquility. Thank you Paul and Sarah for this book.

The gurus of working from home have done it again-- managed to package a personal coaching experience into the pages of their latest work, The Practical Dreamer's Handbook. I wasn't looking for a book that would change my life, but I sure found it. With their usual practical hands-on approach to working through a problem, the authors have provided us with the means to evaluate our life, choose our dream, and find tangible ways to achieve our goals.

From visualization exercises to training us to set measurable goals that can be attained, Paul and Sarah Edwards provide us with the tools to finally live our dream. I started reading this book on a Friday afternoon, and by Sunday I had rewritten my business plan and set some personal goals with my spouse. I guess you could say it has changed my life, and I plan to practice these techniques for continued success and stress-free living. Many thanks to this talented pair who continue to share their secrets and talents with the rest of us.

This is not a get rich quick or what I would call a yuppie new age mode book. But rather a well thought out book that is laid out in Three Parts with sub sections that cover everything from DESIRE -Awakening the Dream which then discusses Imagining, believing and being committed to creating what one seeks. To ACTION-Building a New Reality, which discusses following a plan or thread, finding the money, making the time, and having the needed energy. Part three is SATISFACTION-Enjoying Yourself, and is about feeling fulfilled and appreciating the ongoing process that never ends, but is always evolving.

The Parts on finding the time and money to go after ones goals were excellent if for no other reason than for the common sense shared. Challenging people to be quiet and be honest and look at how much time we waste doing nonsensical things, and spending money we should be saving for the goal. And the authors were smart to tell the reader to even downsize, and move to a smaller less expensive home or area if this will provide the extra income one needs to create the extra income one needs to have ones goals. That even cutting back on lunch everyday and taking a bag lunch or going for a walk will save a good 25-50 dollars a week that can be stuck away in a goal savings account.

They also are great at making the reader think about what do we REALLY want and WHY? Are we honest enough to realize that it could take 3-5 years before we see a payoff? Are we willing to put in the needed elbow grease to get the goal?

But most important to me was reading and being constantly encouraged to NOT give up. So many people grew up in homes where lofty goals were either not encouraged or sadly laughed at. The authors tell the reader that the world is full of naysayers and people who will laugh at dreamers. Yet ever notice how the nerd in school that everyone laughed at, becomes famous and has more friends from high school that were in the whole school in ten years?

Good book. Read it!

A practical guide written in a manner that touches the senses. If you are at a crossroads in your life, this book will help you get in touch with your true self and make a life-changing decision with confidence. As Sarah so aptly said, it's about "....seizing on fortuitous serendipity." If you are yearning for a change in your life, you will find it hard to put this book down.