Digital Books

Have you ever found yourself on the brink of annihilation? Can you imagine what it would be like to know that any moment could be your last?

John Cassell places the reader directly inside a ticking time bomb. The Soviet's have shown up at St. Margaret's with bad intentions. Not that the tiny place is a picture of tranquility with all the guerilla activity, but no one saw this coming. Eventually the Russian visitors are discovered, to much disbelief. After several attempts to find an alternative answers, soldiers finally agree that the impossible has happened. Tonight they may be wiped from the map.

All the St. Margaret "dignitaries" are gathered for a New Year's Eve celebration, oblivious to what is happening around them. Soldiers muster together to face incalculable odds. The weather and their lack of manpower surely place them as sitting ducks. The British harbor thoughts, and rightly so, of turning tail and running, but Hill emboldens the troops to dare the impossible. The decision is made and the battle of wills begins. But will it be the beginning of World War III?

I invited you to read for yourself. The answers will leave you breathless. And I find myself wondering, was Mr. Cassell really there on St. Margaret's that night?

What is Armageddon? The war to end all wars? The final conflict? John Cassell has written in two parts a fascinating tale of a single incident that, handled wrong, could have catapulted nations into Armageddon. In part one Cassell expertly builds up the tension of an ongoing military confrontation which carries the omnious possibility for a catastrophic conclusion. We are taken inside the build up as one force prepares to supply comrades while the opposing force decides on the best course for intervening. This intrusion demands immediate, yet measured with reasoning, response. What will become of the world if this isolated standoff escalates into something more . . . My review continues in Part 2

Joshua Berry, author of Andrea's Dream and numerous Amazon Shorts

A well written enjoyable and believable account of what might have been. Line after line of suspense and chicanery holds your interest through out.
The only issues I found was that it ended much to quickly.

Apocalyptic stories based on potential nuclear annihilation are not new. There are basically two angles from which such stories are written: the timeline that leads up to the apocalypse and how an involuntarily-chosen few attempt to prevent it, or the aftermath of the apocalypse where people are forced to survive in a changed world. Some stories combine the two angles into one arching epic; it takes a very special writer to pull that off well.

Armageddon: 1973 - Part 1 takes the first angle. It shoots out of the chute with action and intrigue, and it continues to unfold layer after layer until the reader is left with a full-blown apocalyptic crisis beginning to rear its head. John Cassell has crafted a work that closely echoes Tom Clancy's mastery of the genre. His writing comes across as effortless, and very knowledgable, especially with regard to technical military matters (however, it's not at all dry or dull). He has shown the story as it takes place from all sides and develops a palpable tension that builds to the end, forcing the reader to not only ponder what has taken place but to instill a strong desire to find out what has yet to take place in Part 2.

As for turning this into an arching epic as I described previously, I believe John W. Cassell could do it. I really do.

This story's settings, foreign to me, were efficiently described and quickly brought to life: "...a dimly red-lit world of beeping machinery and taut, anxious faces" were serving in a submarine set on a high secrecy mission of potentially horrifying political backlash, traversing through waters with a "can opener" shoal-risk-factor and constant bleating of bad weather top side. The mission goals of the Russian/Cuban cabal were gradually worked into vivid submarine ambiance, with clashes of soap-scent warring with purposeful body odor (to get it, you have to be there, and Cassell flies you into the action on his turbo-charged syntax).

Fact flicking words were aptly applied to surge forth an island's reality in the submarine's stream of consciousness: >>Over ninety percent of this island's population lived in shanties built of cardboard and scrap metal. After each terrible storm, they would go out and pick up enough materials to rebuild them. From then until the next storm, they would frequently identify parts of what had once been their homes now on the homes of the other poverty-stricken neighbors.<<

The situation target and swirling storms were briefly blitzed: >>For the past two years, Marxist guerillas trained and supplied by Fidel Castro had been operating from the teeming shanty towns of Port Albert to the virtually uninhabited Central Highlands. Ambushing a taro convoy here... blowing up a telephone relay station there... spreading havoc and terror everywhere....The British Army Land Rover raced through the flooded, darkened streets of the capital. The howling of the wind, the fierce beating of the rain upon every inch of the vehicle's surface, the screaming of its siren and the loud slap of the wipers made the perfect backdrop to the briefing the astonished Hill and Willhoyt were getting that a...<<

This is a story of the truth of military machinations. I haven't read anything like this before; it came across more like a "Virtual Reality" than a movie or a book, with me bounding and buffeting inside helicopters-of-storm, whether I wanted to or not. Since this was a taste of the life of soldiers on land, sea, and air, I wanted to have this experience through a good use of words, to know what they go through from various levels of rank, multiple angles of mission.

Crisply informative reviews had given me a head start on this Amazon Short, which was written to the drum of the popular genre of touchy military situations, but which had not before been a natural attraction for my entertainment reading. What stayed in my mind from the reviews was the comment that anyone who read Part 1 would not be able to NOT read part 2 (that was precisely what I wanted to hear about a story I was getting ready to read). That review also noted Googling the Novy Mir to see if this story's situation was based on an actual event, reporting that it was not. The potency of realism was assured by that need to search.

The reviews were accurate.

To thank you is not enough, Cassell, for the sensitivity, service, and sacrifice which allowed you to write like this.

Linda Shelnutt

I guess there are two distinct ways to tell Vampire stories, on the one hand you have the blood and gore variety (horror stories) and then you have the vampire love (romance stories). This definitely is not a horror story.

This is a very charming story. Parents murdered, little girl hiding in closet, murderers are killed, girl gets rescued. Usually, this is the happy ending. Notwithstanding, the girl's rescuers just happen to be vampires. A husband and wife, Martine and Lewis, save the little girl (Fiona) and adopts her as their daughter, but keeping her human and not turning her. (I hope the author will divulge more on why they didn't turn her in future chapters.)

As creatures of the night, where would they live? A little tiny town in
Illinois. The author, Samantha Bina, has described Fiona's life in illustrious detail, from the description of Fiona's adopted family members and townfolk, to the color of certain buildings in the quaint town. Very picturesque, filling our imagination and drawing us into Fiona's life.

Now that we're entrenched in Fiona's routined life, Samantha will take us
even further, by disrupting Fiona's tranquility. And so, a new family moves in that despises them. I suspect we're going to feel Fiona's pains next. Nice job Samantha.

I really liked the matter-of-fact tone of voice in this excerpt. Fiona relates her history without overdramatic emotion, and leaves room for all different theories of what happened the night of her parents' death. This makes it clear that her situation is one she's thought a great deal about and has heard people talking about for her entire life.

Fiona gives a great whirlwind description of her town, which is dark and a little depressing--a gret place for vampires to settle. I liked the details of the vampires Fiona calls her parents. Their family has an interesting vibe.

I wasn't sure how the Danvers family managed to get custody of a small child who wasn't related to them and who they didn't know before they came to town, especially since they were new in town themselves. Why didn't someone else insist on taking in Fiona when her parents died?

Sebastian is an interesting character, and introducing him so early and Fiona describing how he makes her feel sets the stage for some interesting tension to develop in this story.

I thought this was an excellent excerpt. The narrator is likable and complex, with a fascinating history and hints of a fascinating future. The supporting cast of this story are well rounded and strong, and there is plenty of space for intrigue to develop. I would love to read more of this story.

A sudden murder of her birth parents leaves Fiona Goodman to be raised by a family of vampires. For 18 years, she lives a peciluar lifestyle with a family that sleeps when she is awake and vice versa. When suddenly, a new family of vampires that have no problem killing humans move in and turn her life around.

Samantha Bina creates extraordinary characters with multiple layers of personalities. Fiona is both thankful and somewhat disappointed in the fact that she never got to live with her real family. Her brothers are both protectful of her enormously, but they don't prevent her from having a life with others.

A somewhat overused plot of a classic love story is infused with the blood and gore of vampires. Well presented with a quick introduction subtlely included with the exposition. The action quickly starts due to flashbacks and the quick arrival of the Turner family.

The story is somewhat near reality in that the problems are those commonly encountered. Overly protective brothers, and a person that likes you but isn't liked. This creates a more easily related to story for the reader.

An excellent twist on a classic tale.

I am a reader, not a writer. So my review probably will not help other readers (sorry). However, I do want to rate this story to help the author. I have an eclectic taste in books and read many many books for long time. So after reading couple of chapters, I know whether I will enjoy the rest of book or not. So I will just say that I enjoyed reading the sample chapters of this book and if this book becomes available, I will definitely buy it.

The author's intimate style will pull you in, and the characters will do the rest. You won't be able to resist this fantastic turn on the typical vampire romance novel.

Fiona Goodman, raised by vampires, is torn between two of them, and her small-town life is about to be turned upside down because she is promised to one, yet the other has her sweating and swearing she "can't stand him." We've heard that before, haven't we?

The free preview has me drooling to read the rest, and it will you, too! Check this one out, now!

This book gives the reader wisdom and insight in things to think about before you start a business. Mr. Godin's willingness to share his experiences is greatly appreciated by this reader.

This book is an example of what a business book should be -- plain advice about how to go about starting and running a business. Seth Godin's book is the equivelant of having a very experienced business advisor to assist you. This is not a book about conceptual business ideals, this is a practical guide to managing the important aspects of business - cash flow, revenue, sales, etc.

This is a lightweight read in terms of pages, but has quality content and is worth the asking price.

Seth Godin gives the reader some key points to think over before starting their own business.

This is not strictly a step-by-step how-to and is not greatly laden with detail, but it covers the main concepts to bear in mind and is something you can go to again and again for inspiration.

Like a few other of Seth Godin's books, this one gives heart to the small business operator that they can be in a position of advantage when pitted against the corporate giants, providing smart thinking and actions are followed.

What also sets this apart from alot of "run your own business books" is that it is enjoyable and fun to read.

That makes it easy and quick to read, which means that if you buy it, you will read it, unlike many other business books three times the size of this one.

Seth provides us all with so many great ideas and noteworthy observations, it is simply amazing. He does it again, with Bootstrappers Bible. Even if you already know everything about starting and running a small business, Seth will inspire you to look deeper and think longer. Buy this book no matter what level you are at in business. You will absolutely find at least one gem, for sure.

Some book readings are affected greatly by your mood (well at least that's how I feel about advice book or self help book). That's how, sometimes, my opinions differ from the other Amazon.com's reviewers. The Bootstrapper's Bible is not one of them. This book certainly changed my entrepreneur outlook. I felt more confident knowing all the common senses and common mistakes that entrepreneurs should or should not make in the first place.

I encouraged two important people in my life to read this "short e-booklet"; my brother (the bravest entrepreneur in the world) and my best friend (a born to be entrepreneur, but hasn't gathered all his courages to be one), hoping that they can be more succesful and more confident.

Describing this e-booklet in this review would be an insult to Mr. Seth Godin, because the e-booklet is short (65 pages), very easy to read, and very cheap. Buy it (it's cost lest than 3 bucks) and let me know what you think.

This book is great for the self taught person with significant insignificant questions. In completing this book, all those questions answer themselves. None of that "cutsie" just great tutorial. Instruction is easily to understand and follow. I've gone through the book a couple of times and discovered something new each time. When I finished with this book, I knew what I was doing and why.

Money well spent on this book.

Straigh-forward writing with no pretension. Some knowledge of 3D graphics vocabulary is helpful but not necessary.

Book is one example from beginning to end; presumably the author. Starts with some pictures and, step-by-detailed-step, ends with an avatar.

The only fault I found is that he doesn't mention Poser in the list of 3D modeling programs for human figures.

If you want to learn how to model a detailed digital human,this is THE book for you! You start out with totally empty viewports,and if you follow the book you'll end up having created a model with an incredible amount of detail.

The author explains in great detail the process of modelling every body part (head,neck,arms,hands,legs,feet and torso) with anatomical references where they're most important.

I wanted a book which I could use as a definitive guide to model a detailed and anatomically correct human body or body part,and I'll look no further when I have to do so. It's also got a clever chapter about modifying the same model to create very different ones, and a good chapter about texturing and UVW unwrapping. Finally, it refers to cloth and hair (somewhat briefly) and,no,it DOESN'T cover rigging. But it does cover, extremely well, human modelling, which is what mr.Brilliant had set out to do,I assume. Very very good!

I used this as a class textbook and it worked fairly well. This is not a single program book so this will work well with whatever program you model with. Although, depending on what you model with, depends on if you need to go out and find plug-ins that will do what he does. The book is really good going through step by step. Although there are some occasions where he leaps forwards ahead with really telling you what to do. Also, sometimes when he gives instructions, there aren't any images to go along with them, so you have to end up guessing what to do.
This is modeling for realism/cinematics and if you want to use this book to model in-game characters, you are out of luck. The was he teaches you to model is extremely high poly (especially in the head). The CD doesn't do much for you, it mainly just has naked pictures of the guy he models on it so you can copy exactly what he does. The book does give good information on the differences between modeling men and women, although it is fairly brief. He does go into UV mapping pretty good as well as modeling hair. The book doesn't, however, go into modeling clothing fairly well, just a short chapter. The book also doesn't even mention rigging, which I think is a crucial part in character modeling.

Given that you are already familiar with some type of modeling software, this book is the best resource you could have! The non-software specific approach of the book keeps it focused on the concepts of creating a good model rather than the user interface. Every detail of the body is covered with step-by-step diagrams, and a lot of it focuses on creating a topology that is animatable and will subdivide correctly (ie the mesh is mostly in quads). It also covers texturing, rigging, facial animation, both modeled and simulated hair, and simple clothing. The book discusses anatomy to the extent that it is needed to create a realistic model, and uses those concepts to demonstrate how the male model you create can be changed into a female, or into a fantasy character that looks completely different.

One thing that did make it a little difficult to use was that in the screenshots, the mesh was transparent and therefore you couldn't tell whether vertices were at the front or the back of the model. More screenshots with an opaque mesh would have made it easier to see the topology.

Overall, the explanations are concise and makes the task seem efficient, easy, and fun.

I don't if I can find the words needed to describe this work. It is fantastic, superb, well crafted. It is indeed very sad that many seem to overlook it. Perhaps it is because of the topic, with illegal immigrants being something very much pressed and talked about lately. I don't know. But this story is indeed about human courage and the desire to have the "American Dream" that so many of us never seem to realize.
Uhna, a Korean woman illegally in the states, is very cleverly painted. Her personality is well-defined, her character strong. Sam is also well defined. Their struggles are real, illustrating the difficulties that many face in their situations. This could be a story of very real people trying to live.
I had only one problem with the text, and that was a lack of quotation marks for dialogue. It made it a bit hard to decipher which was thought and which was actual dialogue, but other then that, I greatly enjoyed the read. I sincerely hope that this story is given a chance to come into print. I think it has great potential and definitely want to see how it is resolved.

William Han's entry deserves more attention than it has received. It is very well-written in a clear, minimalist style. These tales of Korean immigrants promise to be moving and enlightening. Unha's crossing, wobbling on a bicycle so the border patrol cheer her on rather than stop her, made me smile. I was anxious for Sam, soon to do unpleasant work for Mr. Oh, and surprisingly touched by Sam's wife's wonder at finding herself a mother. I would love to follow these characters through to the end.

I concur that William Han's beautiful novel excerpt is not getting the attention it deserves. The concept -- "a mosaic of stories about the American dream" -- is a grand one, and one which the writing lives up to. I love Han's quiet, straightforward, unsympathetic style, and he crafts his characters and their plight so masterfully you ache for them. The opening scene (the opening line!) draws you right into the story -- the fate of Unha literally depends on her ability to ride a bicycle, and as the border guards are calling, "Go, go, go!" you find yourself cheering for her as she approaches the gate. I am similarly drawn to Sam, Yunjin, and David, and would love to see how their stories connect with Unha's. I'm hoping for all the best for Han and his beautifully written story.

This is a well written and interesting story about the struggles of Koreans immigrants who are in, or entering the United States, and what life here is like for them. The story is timely, as we in the middle of a debate on immigration policy and also an interesting look into the Korean society in the United States. This excerpt is a gem that has been missed and deserves much more attention than it has received.

This little-rated excerpt is a true treasure. We've read a great deal about Hispanics illegally crossing the US border from Tijuana, but what about Korean women? They don't speak Spanish, they speak little English. In the opening scene, Unha has to ride a bicycle across the border. She's never ridden a bike and not sure she can.

Her life, and that of Sam, another Korean who have crossed the border do not look to be pleasant ones--they will have to pay their debts to the Korean equivalent of 'coyotes' who have gotten them over.

The writing is authentic and has a strong voice. The excerpt probably should have some light editing of punctuation so that quotes are set out by quotation marks, so they're easier to read. Still, "Crossings" is a very worthwhile read and one I strongly recommend to hear a different side of the border saga.

I don't typically read this type of fiction. I gravitate towards legal fiction instead. The first chapters of this book may have changed my way of thinking. I would be very interested in reading the rest of this book. I find the topic especially interesting since I live and work less than ten miles from Reston, Virginia!

I thought this was a great idea for a novel. What do I have to do to get the full version? This topic seems especially interesting to me given the fact that it seems like there are always different viral outbreaks happening like MRSA and SARS. Additionally,I think this is interesting because it ties in the fear we all have of viruses with the real possibility that terrorists could try and use this type of virus as a weapon!

Death Scourge has everything -- strong settings, a strong main character, great pacing and style and a story line that won't let go. It's contemporary, and compelling. I want to meet Rishad Zharmakhan and find out what happens next!

this is a very interesting beginning. I would like to know how things turn out. It could possibly happen in our terrorist prone world. Very timely subject.

A remarkable intriguing idea for a historical and scientific seat-of-your-pants thriller. I wonder if the plot was actually based on any historical evidence. The author does the most with his intriguing idea. He clearly has a great knowledge of science and combines it with writing skills. The reader is kept wondering, 'What is going to happen now?" and keeps reading to find out.

I really enjoyed reading this book.

It begins with an anecdote on living alone or with a couple, follows with thoughts on motivation (why we do what we do) and the meaning of life, and ends with thoughts on what is a couple for (based on the initial anecdote).

In each of the dialogues or thoughts you can find a lot of messages hidden or not.

But above all you can find your own way to think about the issues.

And that's really the most valuable thing about the book.

You are not told on what to do, but you are lead to make your own thoughts about it.

The epilogue reinforces the idea of the book, by making a lot of questions for you to answer them, related to the topics written.

That the reason why the title of my review is "a round circle".

When you begin to read this e-book, it seems to be a love story. Very soon, you find out that it is only a excuse to jump into a dialog with deep concepts about life, who we are, etc.
Although I don't agree with everything the author had written, I do agree with him that it had made me think about my own ideas.
If you are a spanish reader, you better read the spanish version, because it is the language of the writer.
Al principio puede parecerte una historia de amor. Pero pronto descubres que es solo una excusa para adentrarse en un dialogo profundo acerca de temas de la vida y existenciales.
No coincido con todo lo que expresa el autor, pero si coincido en que me ha hecho pensar.

I'm a 20 years old psychology student.
When I read this book, I found it contradictory for my studies.
On one way, it has powerful tips of human mind.
On the other, the spiritual parts, I couldn't see how it can help people's mind.
The epilogue was great. A brain and emotion mover.

this e-book moved me a lot. But when I shared it with my wife, a lot of questions about ourselves as well as individually arised.
Although it helped us to understand each other ways of thinking, we didn't have a good time in the meantime.
It moved me.

But don't share it with your couple!!!

I usually buy self help books. But when i began to read this e-book, I noticed that it wasn't the usual self help book that told you what to do. It moves you to think about yourself, to think about your own answers to life'issues like what is a couple, what do you live for, what makes you act like you do (by the way, excellent the two simple definitions of why we act like we do).
Moving!!!!!

I got this book for Christmas and haven't put it down ever since. It really is an outstanding book, showcasing the talents of an international cross section of CG artists. The book is lavishly illustrated with screen grabs of some key steps in the creation of a piece, which greatly helps to understand the artists process/technique. This book, however, doesn't focus on specific techniques as much as on the thought process behind a piece. This book doesn't teach you how to create digital artwork, in fact most of the descriptions assume that you already have a good handle on 3D modeling/texturing/rendering concepts. This is not a tutorial. But the book includes enough information to provide insight into an artist's thinking process. If I may use a movie production analogy, this book is sort of the "behind the scenes" aspect of CG art creation.

The book is beautifully printed in color on good paper stock and the spine is stitched instead of just glued (which is the best way to bind a book).

CONS: There really are no serious downfalls with this book, however from an editorial stand point (I am not a expert at this but...) the book is full of typos and grammatical errors. It doesn't take an English teacher to see that the editors could have done a better job of proofreading and editing the book. I suspect the work was made more difficult given that for a lot of the artists, English was not their first language. However, I think this oversight keeps the book from being a perfect 10 and for a book written in English, this is almost inexcusable.

This is a great book, lots of artwork. Granted, about half of the artwork you could find with a quick google, but its nice to have something real that you can hold. Its also great for the upcoming digital arts apprentice like myself who wants to see how other people's art came to life.

I received this book as a Christmas present about 7 days ago, and havent put it down since. I find myself reading and re-reading the artists procedures and techniques, many of which I plan to try and incorporate into my own workflow. All of the images are masterpieces and have inspired me greatly. Anyone interesting in the realm of digital art, from seasoned artist to novice, should pick this book up for your personal library, you wont be sorry!

This book's 2d & 3d images are beautiful. If your looking for a book to use as inspiration or ref., then this is your book. If your looking for step by step processes on 3d & 2d digital art, then this isn't your book. Digital art masters is more on the theory side of explanations of why they created their art the way they did.

This book is a golden key. If u are an animator or a animation student, U have to read it. :) I bought it & LOVE it.

I purchased this book for my wife when I got her a digital camera for Christmas. It was well worth the money. The book explains photography as well as post processing which is a critical part of digital photography today.

I know Matt Bamberg's writing and love his blog (digitalartphotographyfordummies.com). If you're new to photography and confused by all the terms, Matt takes you through the basics (although he says the book assumes you know the principles of photography, he patiently explains the technical stuff). If you're a seasoned pro, skip the refresher course and just enjoy the fabulous photos--which, by the way, everyone will appreciate.

I'm the outgoing vice president of NLAPW Palm Springs--we were honored to be among Matt's first speaking engagements--and have seen our members create beautiful digital art photography. Thanks to Matt's book, I now know how it was done! Artists seeking to sell and exhibit their work will find great career guidance. For other shutterbugs, the book will eliminate some of those photos that you cringe at later (I know I have a few!)

The image manipulation tips in Photoshop are extremely valuable. This is a terrific book, even if you've only toyed with the idea of doing digital photography. Matt's vivid, lively prose makes this a pleasurable read.

This is a great book for anyone using digital photography -- whether
you are just starting out or have some experience. There is something
for everyone! I found it to be a great source of information when it comes
to Photoshop. Of all my Photoshop books, I find I reach for this one the
most. It is permanently planted by my computer for quick reference when
I need it. It has GREAT editing tips and is easy to read and comprehend.

Matt Bamberg's book Digital Art Photography for Dummies is an excellent resource for both the beginner and the advanced student of Digital Photography. I have read the book and of especial interest to me were the numerous overt and subtle suggestions about technique and execution. Suggestions which I have used to great effect to dramatically improve my own compositions and to better concentrate and focus my shots.

In addition I really benefited from the suggestions regarding how to process and enhance your work, post shooting. One of the more important foci of the book regards how to transform your work from more simple photographic imagery into more complex renditions which can be considered artistic. Matt explains these techniques for image modification easily and logically and it was not difficult with the right equipment and software for me to begin experimenting with altering my works to produce far more spectacular work. Work which others have expressed interest in. I have even become my church photographer and have recently had other people ask me to undertake photographic assignments on their behalf. In addition I have started the process of taking previous shots and altering them for inclusion into my written works, as graphic enhancements to my writings.

However the book also contains a myriad of techniques which are useful and helpful for the amateur and for the individual who uses photography as a part of their other work. I am often involved in investigations and through some experimentation and adaptation I have used techniques suggested and explained by Matt in order to clarify, focus, and render my investigative photographs far sharper, clearer, and more relevant for my clients. So the book has indirectly benefited me professionally as well.

I have enjoyed Matt's book, have visited his blog and site, and found him to be an accessible and helpful author. Additionally he obviously knows his subject matter and is therefore professionally well-qualified. He seems very experienced and yet eagerly experimental, two traits I like in any individual who is trying to teach me something new.

I have Matt's book and consider it a valuable addition to my personal library on the subjects of both art and photography.

I recommend the book.

Jack.

If you are a digital photographer that is starting out or trying to get into the "art" side, then this book is for you. This book is well written, easy to understand, and full of excellent images and great walk throughs. I can tell that Matt is very comfortable with this topic and is an expert in his field. It touches on many easy ways for new shutterbugs to expand their knowledge without taking the fun out of photography. His Adobe Photoshop knowledge is also very useful when post processing scans of film, slides, or negatives as well as existing digital images.
Matt, thanks for your time and energy in writing this book. I will recommend it to both family and friends.

An Unusual Book, July 28, 2007
By Ray "A Reader" - See all my reviews

This book is a somewhat dated, but nevertheless gorgeous, panorama of product design Sony's way, and with their distinguished record of outstanding design work for some half a century, they are certainly in the position to tell us something about design. Never mind Sony's missteps and forays into the world of media and movies - this book tells us all about the Sony WE know, the company that developed the Trinitron television, the Walkman player, the MiniDisc recorder, and brought both cassettes and CD-ROM's into mainstream use (with its co-partner, Philips of the Netherlands). Digital Dreams tells us not so much about products, but how products are envisioned, designed, and ultimately walked through a lifecycle. It's a fun-filled story, filled with stunning graphic designs, gorgeous pictures and artwork, and even a little on how Sony viewed its business at the year 1999.

Though this book is not intended to do so, the book actually serves as a great case study for the field of Knowledge Management. For example, we learn a little bit about corporation logos, how they are best used to leverage their tacit value, and even thoughts on protecting them. We peek into the world of tacit knowledge and skills at Sony, and see how they are implemented in product design and even in marketing efforts. We learn about the creation of a CONCEPT that is materialized in a product (i.e., the MiniDisk recorder, the Memory Stick, the VAIO computer) which is as much about the psychology of human beings as it is the design of the product. As such, the text could easily serve as a supplemental text for a KM course, as well as it's obvious use in a graphic arts, products design, or business-oriented course.


Much of this information is now no longer of great interest to today's consumer due to it's release date of 1999, but it is remarkable to see the "timelessness "of the many designs in the book, and there is really not a dull moment to be found between the covers. In some ways, this was a great date to release such a book, because the VAIO computers were just beginning to hit the market, CyberShot digital cameras where just becoming available, and the Memory Stick was also just showing up, as well. If you can still get a copy of this book and you are interested in product design, graphic arts, consumer technology, and yes, even Sony itself, this book should be just what you're looking for.

Fascinating book that gives a very good insight into the create 'engine' of Sony. A must read for designers and business people alike.

Beautiful photographs and explanatory text help make this book a must buy.

But in no way does it sit on my coffee table - it's in my studio, in my home office - inspiring. The tight detail shots of real products to concept products make you wish all man-made objects had this attention to quality. This book is a must for designers because there are words that go with the pictures. They tell a wonderful story - whether you agree with the philosophy or not - it helps explain the design decisions, the strength of the Sony identity and their success. The timeline diagrams and text explaining the business trends of product entry to saturation really is a reflection of someone thinking and analyzing the system - something not really expected in pretty-picture books.

I can't believe the excellent price point too - most decent design books gouge you on cost. For those who appreciate beautiful form+function, get it.

This is a rare coffee table type book that you'll want to take the the bedroom or study, or wherever you do your serious reading.

You can easily enjoy the book simply for the wonderful images of the ingeniously designed products that Sony has and continues to develop. But what sets this book apart from most in its genre is that it provides the reader with a surprisingly rich context within which to view the design work, not only with regards to industrial design, but also the history of Sony the company.

Reading the text, one gains a deeper appreciation for the level of thought put into the design of each and every product throughout its entire lifecycle.

Finally, the book also provides a unique look into the future of consumer electronics, at least from the perspective of the leaders at Sony. It's a rare opportunity to see the future as defined by a company which has much to do with the shape of our present.

This is definitely a great buy or gift!

I am writing this as a sony evangelist, although the cover of the book is diffrent to the one which is shown here. the content of the book is amazing, The dazzling pictures and photography in the book is an eye opener, The book takes about the cluture and the art of the japanese sony designers. How they get their inspiration from stories and from the world around them. An extreammly good showcase of the arts and industrial developnment and design. The book is also rather new tackling subjects on memmory sticks and the newest Sony MD. However the most impressive part of the book was the chapters on the sony playstation and the sony viao subnote book computers. They explain such indept on how the designers used their inspiration and creativity to craft out wonders of high tech art. They also explained how sony tackled the many problems face when designing the playstation. Overall it is the best sony book i have bought. A wonderful inspirtational book filled with creativity which makes you "wow" at sony's design process and designs. "wow"