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As a successful minor writer, I make my living at it, though I have become a writer producer, director,Learn Handgun & Rifle Reloading & Learn Muzzle-loading 2 Pack,How to Make a Low-Budget Digital Movie, Knaptid--4 Days After The First Abduction, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this. Now, I went to graduate school for creative writing, and they drummed into us that it was not a good idea to try and writer 'literature.' But I still found Bruce's ideas here inspiring. In fact, he keep impressing me by expanding the concept so that this was throughly entertaining. I liked it so much that I bought his Word Work: Surviving and Thriving As a Writer.

Now this is not so much a review as a discussion of who this article is for. I think a beginner has the most to gain from it. If you don't know how to keep your expectations in check this will be inspiring. For someone who has been writing awhile and is not famous (or just a little bit) this is a good, entertaining read that will not disappoint. But what if you are famous?

Years ago I got to spend a day with my literary idol at the time, Richard Brautigan. I even wrote about it Brautigan, Richard, A Pilgrimage, August 1982. While reading this Richard kept coming to mind. In graduate school Brautigan was considered a minor writer. Yet, by what Bruce implies here, Brautigan by being famous, and making a great deal of money, in his time, would not be a minor writer. And for Brautigan, and perhaps other famous, rich, writers, this essay falls short.

Brautigan committed suicide because he had fallen from fame. And that is the one thing I wish Bruce had talked about that he did not. Being a minor writer saves you from becoming addicted to fame. I wish Bruce had discussed dealing with a fall from fame.

In any event, even if you are famous, or plan on being, this is a great read.

...it somehow makes his instructive admonitions -- gently-delivered as they are, supported by a smorgasbord of excellent literary quotables (bravo for that, B.!) -- all the more impactful.

The Short, "Minor Writer," is an exquisite tour-de-force example of what makes the B.H. Rogers' canon so goshdarned compelling. As far as this here reviewers is concerned, I shall be picking up several more Rogers titles in the meanwhile, already shifting off to the Amazon Wish List to tack on some more titles to the long list -- I sometimes wish I had an extra set of eyes.

Within this tight 21pp. of work, not to mention with a signature five-pointed delectable flourish which has become BHR's calling card and signature, Rogers hammers away with an unharmful foam implement on the various salient thrusts for why we, we legions of "minor" scribes, must aspire to our hallowed state of "minor-dom."

Being "minor" must always remain our steadfast calling, in his view, because it's the very thing that GETS US WRITING. This in comparison to lusting after chimeric visions of grandeur, often with heaps of frustration -- what Rogers calls being "major." "Majority" stardom yanks us clear away from what we, as chronicler's of our era, really do best. We pen lines, baby!

Another point: we must pledge allegiance to not being mediocre -- rather, we must always strive to live up to those halcyoned ideals which set us along the writerly path in the first place. Being a successful writer is tricky, because it keeps you locked into the rat-race of always being fantastic, to spin "golden yarns" as Bruce explains. If writing's what we're supposed to do, then do it we must! Becoming successful from what we do, is merely icing on le gateau, not the full enchilada, as it were.

These are Rogers' structural high points -- the sinews of the matter, the marrows, the tendons, and the ample and yummy flesh, full of vitamins and minerals -- all these are contained within the body of this fine work.

How something this convincin can cost only half a US buck -- I'm left thinking about long after the read (the several self-administered boots to my keyster in reminding myself about its goodness were enough to hurt even Lyle Alzato at his apogee on the Raiders' front line as a linebackers). I digress...

I liken author Rogers to the sort of person who is a "do it" can-do dude. He doesn't pine away thinking what life would be life if...he gets down to the brass tacks of the business, and writes his Northwestern heart out. I admire him for that and aspire to emulate the fashion and form. Methinks what plagued the tale he weaves in his piece about the wealthy Crichton, well, Hoss, it exemplifies the problem writers have when they finally decide that they "wanna write." All bollocks if you ask me, as our friends from the Grand Isle can say.

Writing isn't about aspiration. It's about action, baby! It isn't about *wanting* to make something sing -- it's about singing, warming up your voice, and taking the risk of sounding bad, terrible even.

In that spirit, I'm reminded of a comment ascribed to Woody Allen's script partner -- "it might be a crappy first draft, 'Wood, but at least it's out there. It's a draft." Rogers cajoles us with a similar a propos line to "get down and get busy." We don't *have* to be perfect.

What seems to plague most non-creatives -- amateur writers must count themselves as part of the former group -- is that they think everything has to be perfect. The pros don't. They understand that to make a living from your writing is the ultimate goal. Praise is a passing fancy. "I can't write," will come the usual hue and cry, "it's useless."

No, it's not useless, says Rogers. It's that you're obsessing about the final product.

My opinion? Pretend like the world is coming to an end as soon as you're done -- and you're on a time limit, bubs (end of the day, and that's it!). People will "remember your legacy" only for what you've just written today. Do you want to waste time thinking about how to fashion your sentences or do you want to be remembered?

I dunno, different strokes for different folks...

Two final points:

1) Canadians cherishing its writers, asks Rogers. Seeing as I am one of the former, I can posit that it's perhaps because we don't have nearly as many as our US cousins. Recall, Canada possesses one tenth of the US' population, therefore, we don't have as many scribes -- arithmetic, arithmetic. What ones we do have are in generally in the good to great category. Proc/Warum/Pourquoi/Porque? I like to think it's the conflux of our cultural attitudes (notice, did ya?), and the fact that people take the "hyphenation thing" very seriously, which permits our writers to pen lines from a certain cultural authority of perspective that our US counterparts are not necessarily drawn to.

That French thing? I don't know...I doubt it plays much of a significant role for our British Columbian-based writers, who are geographically cut off from Quebec -- bigtime.

Canadian writers also know the domestic publishing industry is such that you're not going to become "major" in BHR parlance. Effectively that means you're going to be holding onto a second job, and that your writing (even if you bravely choose to call yourself a W-R-I-T-E-R, toots) is never going to be your main line. So you often write like there's no tomorrow. Publishing in Canada comes at a premium. Therefore, you want to do it to the best of your ability. Makes sense?

2) BHR scarcely mentions the word "talent." Can writers be forged/made/created? Can I -- some minor writer with more than a Baskin-Robbins Rocky Road-sized dollop of discipline and a desire to match, fuelled by smallish cans of amazing Czech canned corn -- convince someone to work hard at it, that soon they, aussi, will learn the tools?

I have a theory on that, Mr. Kotter...I say the difference between the writers who are "born," and those who are "made" are that the ones who born -- be they sage observers of their era or not -- continue to write well after their limelight has worn off.

People will ask: "Why do you write?" I respond: "Why do you eat?" I guess that means that we writers "need to." I don't want to take ownership of that just-mentioned statement, for it's got more than its fair share of melodrama in't. But, I think you all get my point...

What does BHR have to say about the writer's talent? A question to him.

P.S. Another great book about the bane of getting out that first draft doldrum is none other than your cited Nathalie Goldberg's "THUNDER AND LIGHTNING." Have you read it?

Peace out,
ADM in Prague

Bruce Holland's message in this essay echos my own words, written in 1997 and still part of my 'home' page: "I write mainly for my own enjoyment.... The main thing is to have one heck of a time whenever I sit down at my computer." I'm a minor writer, and proud of it now.

The main thrust of this brief but dense essay is that you are a minor writer, you know it, and you need to embrace that standing. Because only when you embrace yourself as a minor writer are you able to set aside high-flown notions of what you ought to be doing in favor of the work that only you can produce. Professor Rogers phrases it much more eloquently and in more detail, of course.

Consider: John Updike has to keep on being John Updike until the day he dies. One misstep and he will be roadkill on the superhighway of our media-dense culture. On the other hand, because you are small beer, you are free to try new things, expand your horizons, build new writerly muscles, and shoot spitwads at the heavens. Because each new work you write is considered and criticized individually, not as part of your c.v., nobody minds if you bet on the occasional bad pony, and you're free to try again next time without other people's previous bad judgement hovering over your sholder.

Professor Rogers, who is both an acclaimed writer himself and a teacher of other writers, lays bare how you have challenges and opportunities available to you that literary demigods do not. You can change, you can grow, you can become a better writer and a better human being. For a mere half a buck, the advice in this essay is a steal, considering that you will keep it on your desk next to your copy of Strunk & White and the Writer's Market to remind you what you're doing and why.

Set ego aside and make your best contribution. If you do that, you will participate in something greater than yourself, and maybe connect to someone other than yourself. That's what I got from this inspiring essay, and I'll read it again and again.

Adam gives us a look into the lives of the local natives of Prague through the eyes of a local coffee shop owner. While it may be a coffee shop it has the feel of the old TV show "Cheers" where everyone knows your name. Like any where in the world there are those who miss the old ways and others who can't wait for the new ideas to take hold. Both sides of the political coin can be found. It reminded me of many other coffee shops, and bars that I have had the pleasure of visiting in various parts of the world. Weather it is in Seoul, Munich, London, Los Angeles, or Boston little cozy out of the way coffee houses will be open for people to debate, or just engage in lazy conversation with friends over a cup of coffee.

In One Post Communist Café' Mezei, once again probes into the real issues people face when living in a country who's government is ever changing. He asks hard questions like, what you do when you are faced with the knowledge that the history you lived is now being altered or simply left out by the new historians. Those who were happy with the old regime are forced to face the fact they must adjust to the new. Even the lovers of the current government find themselves frustrated with the remnants of previous ways and so on. This is a thought provoking read. Mezei is a talented craftsman, be sure to give this story a try.

Contradictions of Perspective Swirl in the Drinks. Crying in beer is universal, but oh so artistically done by a Czech! As Thor might have said, "Daily I dread my death (coming sooner or later) ... as I toast my health."

It would be worth your time to read the blurb on the buying page for this Amazon Short, "Adam Daniel Mezei Speaks About One, Post-Communist Café Street." That summary is a perfect synopsis of this delightful piece.

Before I realized the writing style carried the ambience of Czech dialect as it translated into American-ese, I had felt that the syntax and grammatical structure in the first few paragraphs had seemed slightly awkward. Then the story's grumpy warmth took hold, smoothing any pseudo-bumps as it rambled into the literary labyrinth of global-type coffeehouse connections. Mezei was successfully translating here, from a refreshingly untethered level of the "political" non-politics of soul.

I admired the technique the author used of a symbolic and tactile focus of Thor's toying with his Communist Card, as he was working around his residual attachments to the ways-of-being in his café prior to what he termed "democracy" taking over his revered preference of the "wonderful socialist experiment." (I did wonder how he was able to privately own a shop in the previous Communist economic structure.)

Thor grumbled, "Now that Communism was dead and gone, the replacement was a poor substitute for the past."

Part of the ambience gestalt in this story was that the terms for the various political-stance-angles ("liberals"; "dissidents"; "libertarian crook mafiosi") were (purposely) neither clear nor enduring, but they became endearing as the mood meandered, exposing the embodied soul's need to connect to others like, or unlike it.

Here is a sample of the adept type of characterization here, accomplished with a few descriptive words: >> Thor proffered the list of firms which the city inspector left behind for him to read. Old Man Rychlý snatched it away from his hand and adjusted his reading spectacles -- holding it half a meter away from his face -- to get a better read .... Old Man Rychlý sipped his turek, looking about U Thoru as if he was taking it in for the very last time. Thor patted him on the hand reassuringly. <<

And, a sample of Mezei's ability to succinctly capture Thor's gravely attitude: >> In his day, young people weren't nearly as fickle. You were the person based on how you grew up, and that was that. He remembered when students sat there for hours in the shop, sometimes lingering over the same cup of coffee, reading whichever books he'd had on his shelves, engorging themselves on whatever literature was to be found within their pages... <<

A sample of some of the easy-flow conflict: >> "But hey, the Old Times weren't all that bad, you know." "`Weren't all that bad,' you say? They were terrible! Where do you think these bast.... at my company learned to pull all their tricks? Out of thin air?" <<

This delightful Amazon Short, with gorgeous graphics on its cover, has accomplished a perfect "Nostalgia in Spades." Loved that guy, Thor.

The Key to U Thoru's taste and flavor: >> Krystof launched headlong into another stream of invective. <<

Irony was uncovered and unleashed here. Eyes sparkled, lips quirked in smiles as grumbling invectives continued rambling the past into the future, and back. An excellent read which slipped the mood of foot-level Prague right into the heart of my Notebook PC. (For a cafe bakery story of similar warmth, from a near opposite, yet somehow same subculture, Coal & Coca-Cola )

Linda Shelnutt

Adam Daniel Mezei writes beautifully crafted short stories. He leads the reader through the absurdities of modern life by revealing the words and thoughts of his fully realized characters. Adam doesn't tell us what to think. Instead, he forces us to think for ourselves.

In this story, which is set in post-communist Prague, we learn about the city's past and present through the statements and thoughts of an aging man with a perfect memory. Thor is the owner of a small cafe, and his main fear is that his business may fail, despite its earlier years of success.

As Thor prepares to open the cafe for another workday, he reflects on the fate of communism, "that wonderful socialist experiment which had gone terribly awry."

Thor's first customer for the day is Old Man Rychly. Rychly has much to complain about.

Thor responds with his own story. The city tax inspector has declared that the cafe's accounting system is not up to capitalist standards. The inspector has, therefore, fined Thor one thousand crowns.

Later, Thor talks to a student and gains further insights into the young people of Prague. He realizes even more how much has changed since the fall of communism.

In the evening, day labourers arrive at the cafe. Thor talks to Krystof, his favorite customer. Krystof has much to say.

Throughout this story, the reader is left to wonder what will happen to Thor and his business, the cafe of unrequited dreams.

Adam Mezei's story grabbed me perhaps because I'm not otherwise reading many stories that take place outside of America. We Americans are too often blindered into our own culture that we forget there are others out there. In "One, Post-Communist Cafe Street," we jump into historical Prague in the landlocked nation of the Czech Republic, where we sense much change happening post-communism. Specifically, we're in a bar/cafe where the young and old rub against each other; the protagonist is Thor, the aging owner who has seen it all. Thor's problem with capitalism gives me a sense of what the Czech Republic has gone through. Mezei's sprinkling in of the Czech language gives a flavor of how it's used, too. The story reminds me of Milan Kundera's work, not just because of the country but also because of two political systems at work. Mezei is a talent to watch.

Great book which will respond to most expectations from junior to senior developers.

I used to work on the JDBC driver and I have now been around Java and Oracle for a few years. This book became one of my references. Most concepts are explained and illustrated by examples and sometimes enriched with additional information like performance tuning or best practices.

I strongly advise this book to anybody interested in getting the most of their Oracle database using Java (JDBC, SQLJ and Web Services).

I've been doing Oracle database-related application design and development since before Java even existed. As time progressed, Java became more and more prevalent in the Enterprise environment, web servers became application servers, and before you knew it, Java was being run right in the database.

It has always been difficult and confusing to figure out the various Java technologies and tools and implementations when it comes to a complete Enterprise system... until now.

Kuassi does a remarkable job of providing keen and detailed insight into all aspects of Java in the Oracle Database realm.

A nice, logical technical progression as well as very detailed code samples make this book useful for those wishing to introduce themselves to the basic concepts, or write a specific implementation.

The detailed case studies that show real code used in real world solutions are invaluable. (We've already implemented one of them for a new project we're starting on!)

All in all, it's an excellent book and should be on the shelf of any DBA/Developer that has anything to do with Java in their environment.

This book has a good deal of information that is accessible. However, several coding examples are incomplete and in some cases misleading. Given the strengths of the book, they are probably oversights or space limitations. The missing code segments are too frequently in the wrong places.

The code examples predominate the book. Hidden gems are nested where readers only find them searching out topics. On a bright note, the index is good at locating what is in the book.

If you use Java and/or Oracle (Or if only you've planned to), this is THE book you miss ! Complete and easy to read, every concept comes with samples and scripts. Full of informations that I didn't find anywhere else, I've learned a lot. When it talks about something I already knows, it does it so well : "There is probably no better ways to explain things".

I've been programming in C++, Corba and Java for years and was looking for a book to develop agaisnt the Oracle database. First of all this book is well written and at a glance, it covers all the API and utilities that a Java developer may use to exploit the Oracle database including Java in the database, JDBC, SQLJ, JPublisher and Database Web services ( Corba folks like myself will love the Web services part). You will be amazed reading through this book all the possibilities that Java in the database allows ; the Groovy and Jython stored procedures are just well presented. I am right now digging into Part-II dedicated to JDBC, the Rowset API, RAC support, etc. This book will provide great career advancement opportunities. I strongly recommend this book to my Java developers fellows.

"Paradise means different things to different folks, but I believe May Lattanzio has created a unique view from the heart, of what many free-winging souls might envision Paradise to be. She has captured a vision of Alice and Rogue Rouge in a beautiful story told from the depths of the mind and soul that will leave you scanning the skies wondering."

David de London, Amazon shorts author: "Chibi Chan Can and other Stories", "Iosev's Workshop", "The Silver Locket".

In 1965, Truman Capote changed the course of journalism when his book, "In Cold Blood" was published. He'd taken a true event, the murder of a Kansas family by Richard Hickock and Perry Smith, and reported the story using novelistic techniques. This is to say, Capote brought us into the point of view of each of these men as well as others so that the reader sensed their thinking. Capote called his book a "nonfiction novel," and the writer Tom Wolfe called it "New Journalism." While it can be said that earlier writers, such as Daniel Dafoe, Mark Twain, Hemingway, and Lillian Ross played with such technique, it was Capote who brought attention to it. It allowed the reader to be "in" the story.

Writer May Lattanzio uses this technique to fabulous effect to eulogize her friend Alice, who was known as "The Bird Lady of the Antelope Valley." In this story, "Paradise," we're with Alice in her last days living alone with her dog and some of the wild ravens and hawks of the valley. She's disturbed by a recurring dream of a lost Red-tail Hawk. In her waking hours, she truly wishes this hawk would come back, but he's most likely dead, shot by a game warden. As Alice's health declines, her dreams of the bird come more often until the line between dream and reality is blurry.

What Lattanzio does with this story becomes quiet poetry--paradise.

Flesh and bone are transitory. What endures are the memories we have of the ones we loved and admired. In "Paradise", May Lattanzio bears witness to her friend Alice's life by sharing it with us.

Paradise is not only the place where Alice lives in California. It is also her life's quest. Alice dedicated her life to educating the young in the wonders of nature and in caring for the animals she loved. In her entire life, she had only one true love, a magnificent male hawk, Rogue Rouge whom she thinks of as her soul mate.

In her seventy-sixth year, Alice can feel her body slowing down, and she yearns to be reunited with Rogue Rouge who comes to her now only in her dreams. She knows that soul mates can never really be parted; and when he returns to her, she will have the power to soar.

This is an enchanting mix of reality and fantasy which lets us believe that we all have wings to take off and explore the heavens.

It has been said that Amazon's Short program is an ideal way to foster emerging authors as well as a way to feature the work of established authors who find it perfect for letting their short works be seen by large numbers of people.

I suddenly see the exquisite value in the former. May Lattanzio is a new voice that deserves Amazon's spotlight.

"Paradise" is a story imagined, but it is still a story based on actual experience. The protagonist is delicately drawn, the themes and motivations well-chosen.

Lattanzio has a little work to do to perfect the short story form -- a little foreshadowing of some events and the setting of scenes, as an example. But she has a strong sense of story, a perfect instinct for words. Her experience as a writer of nonfiction shows. The way she handles nature and events. She shows great promise as a teller of fictional tales. Hooray for May Lattanzio. Hooray for Amazon.
-----
The reviewer is an instructor for UCLA's renowned Writers' Program, facilitates critique groups and edits fiction and poetry.

A dedication to lead off the Short, tells the Reader that May Lattanzio based her work of fiction on the life and service of a woman dedicated to helping animals despite limited resources. Knowing this made her well-written essay much more powerful. May, thank you for writing a beautiful tribute sotry about the Bird Lady of the Antelope Valley. I highly recommend this short.

Also, I love the cover!

I've been using Paint Shop Pro since version 9 and consider myself at the lower end of an advanced user.

I have seven Paint Shop Pro books proclaiming to teach you how to use the program. With the exception of Ken McMahon's book they all fall miserably short.

I was weary of ordering Robert's book thinking it would turn out to be just like the others that sit in the bookshelf collecting dust. Fear not his book isn't a dust collector.

I won't go over what's already been stated in the other reviews. This book is everything the publisher, author, and other reviewers claim it is.

One recommendation:

If you're a beginner to intermediate user of Paint Shop Pro I'd recommend getting Ken McMahon's book "Paint Shop Pro Photo For Photographers" along with this book. McMahon's book covers the program and it's use while Robert's book covers techniques for photo corrections. The combination of these two books will greatly reduce your frustrations and enhance your skills, knowledge & techniques of photo corrections and manipulation using Paint Shop Pro.


Thank You Robert for a great reference and teaching publication.

Others have written enthusiastically about this book. I concur!

I regularly must touch up photographs for web or print use including conversion to b/w for newspaper ads. I'd used PaintShop Pro since V5 for this task but with Corel Paint Shop Pro X2 and this book, everything I've done has moved forward by a quantum leap. People won't notice the fine differences in your work because of your better photographic presentation but it WILL show, and the advice/tips in this book will make you wish you'd found it years ago! I am SO pleased!!!!!

This book is great no matter what level of experience you have. This expands so much info on the corel program it is definitely worth purchasing...everyone that has this program should own this book. You won't be sorry. Seriously, buy it right now! 5 STARS! A+

A common lament among users of Corel's popular Paint Shop Pro series of photo editing programs is the lack of advanced tutorial material. Over time there have been a few professionally done video books and texts offered here and there, and author Robert Correll himself has put together two helpful video books based upon earlier versions of PSP, but in general those efforts concentrate on developing basic to low-level intermediate skills at best. Now Correll and Thomson Course Publishing (since become Cengage Learning) have come forth with an advanced PSP tutorial that goes well beyond the basics of photo repair titled Photo Restoration and Retouching Using Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo.

In his new tutorial Correll (the similarity in names Correll/Corel is pure coincidence) has assembled 73 photo projects, mostly casual photos of his wife and children along with those of assorted kinfolk who were smiling into the family cameras as far back as 1919. The color and black and white photographs presented here have suffered a host of indignities over the years; fading, overwriting and smudges of all kinds, scratches, tears and holes in addition to the usual technical defects caused by bad film, poor lighting or poor scanning techniques. There are, of course, the human flaws as well; a pimple here and there, nose hair, dandruff - it's all here in gory high resolution detail, and each Photo Study's source photo is made available for download upon request to the author. I should add that Correll makes himself readily accessible to his target audience via e-mail, keen on cheering them on in their photo restoration efforts.

Basically each Photo Study begins with a brief background about the subject(s) of the photo. Along the way you will meet the author and his wife Anne and their four small children who are introduced in a light-hearted fashion along with Uncle Jim and Grandpa Bud among others. Then the problems in the photo at hand are pointed out, and Correll begins his repair routine in a step-by-step fashion sometimes diverging to try alternative means of solving the issues being confronted. A pre-release version of PSPP X2 was used to do the repairs, but the included screenshots are taken from PSPP XI. I am still using PSP X, and for the most part had no problems following along though the capabilities of some of the tools in my older version differ slightly from those in the more recent PSPP X2. The Levels adjustment tool is one such example. The text and screenshots are of excellent quality and printed in color on high-gloss stock. My only niggle here is that my 73 year old eyes had difficulty discerning the small text shown in many dialogue boxes, and even my magnifying glass sometimes struggled to make out many of the dialogue settings which are not always specified in the explanatory text.

In Photo Study One the author throws the reader off the leaning tower and right into the heart of photo restoration and retouching with a very challenging photo repair study of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I would have preferred easing into things with a more merciful project, but so much for whining. Perhaps Correll was trying to instill from the get-go a necessary sense of patience and persistence which he emphasizes frequently while stressing the need to be discriminating about one's work. He also cautions a light touch that does not render restore operations obvious to the viewer.

One great advantage of the book for me was that I became acquainted with several tools that I had, frankly, not previously employed in my photo restore efforts since beginning to work with PSP about 6 or 7 months ago. The Saturation Up/Down and the Lighten/Darken tools are just two such. I was also introduced to the Displacement Map under the Effects menu. This looks like an interesting Effects routine that I intend to explore further. The final chapter of the book presents a few creative applications using some of the Effects menu options, but frankly the author only scratches the surface here, though his results are impressive. An imaginative author could easily employ the PSP Effects tools in a tutorial presented solely upon their own merits, and I am sure Mr. Correll would be the first to agree.

In addition to the photo exercises, Correll offers interesting background information about scanning photos, organizing and archiving them as well as helpful printing tips. He also interjects along the way a few useful editing tips and tricks that he has discovered through his personal experiences using PSP.

Does the author leave anything left unsaid? Well, in a word, yes. Not every tool and adjustment in the PSP arsenal is acknowledged its fifteen minutes of fame, though all the heavyweights certainly are, but there is an appendix to the book that does give a brief rundown of each and every tool. However, there is no mention of the hidden tools to be found in the Unused Commands section, some of which can be quite helpful in certain circumstances. Plug-ins are not touched upon nor is the use of scripts, even those pre-defined scripts included with PSP. The author has a tendency to use the High Pass Sharpen adjustment as opposed to the Unsharp Mask, but his reasons for this apparent preference are not stated. He also likes to work with photos in .tif format as opposed to the more common .jpg/.jpeg file format, but again reasons are not stated though I presume they have something to do with a lesser likelihood of introducing artifacts into a photo during the restoration/retouching process.

I personally would have liked to have seen Photo Studies that put to work a few PSP capabilities that I am largely unfamiliar with. In this category I would include the Hue Map tool, and a few exercises using the Create Mask from Image procedure would have been a very welcome addition. In fact, I would have liked to have seen a few more exercises using masks in general though there are 3 of them. Masking, I think, is a weak point for many, including even PSP buffs far more experienced than I am.

All in all, however, this is a powerful tutorial that ought to be a part of every PSP enthusiast's personal library - it is a text that is sure to be referred to again and again. It is my hope that Mr. Correll's tutorial does well in the marketplace thereby launching further PSP instructional texts from this very knowledgeable and photo-savvy author. In my book, Correll's tutorial, Photo Restoration and Retouching Using Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo, gets a well-deserved 5 stars.

As previously mentioned in other reviews this book assumes you know how to find your way around Paint Shop Pro. It's most compatible with versions X through photo X2. He doesn't go into any tools that aren't in all three of these versions so it covers the general usage of specific tools very well.

The author stresses the importance of not trying to "perfect" your photos. Giving good examples of doing things the right way, the wrong way, and stopping when the photo is "good enough." He explains himself very well and has a good method presenting the information.

His use of actual photos that he's fixed before, and has an actual personal connection with really brings this down to the average user who is just trying to fix those old photos and improve upon ones that didn't come out as well as they could have.

My only real criticism is more of a warning to those of you who learn as I do. I learn by example, or in other words I need to follow along with the book to properly get everything down just right. This book does not include a link for downloading these pictures that I have found so without your own photos to practice on as he goes over the different parts, if you learn like I do, will be difficult.

This book is far more about recognizing the different problems with photos and some tips and tricks and methods that the author himself has discovered that work very well. A lot of what he says comes from personal experience. And he goes through a trial and error process for most of the book demonstrating the different things you might try by using the number of effects options and hands-on tools. And he explains them all fairly well. He doesn't bore you with all of the technical aspects of the tools, he simply tells you what they do and gives you suggestions on their proper use.

All in all the book is excellent, he focuses on basic aspects and information rather than focusing on the photo in specific. If you're fixing cracks he won't go into depth about adjusting the contrast unless it's needed. If he's being artistic he won't lecture you on the proper use of the clone brush. He focuses on the task at hand and only the task at hand. Helping you to identify the various aspects of restoring and retouching a photo individually.

I would suggest this to anyone wanting to use Paint Shop Pro to correct photos.

Capturing our children, or as a photographer another person's child, is really one of the most important things one can do. In doing so we are providing a legacy and memory for ourselves and future generations. This book does an excellent job of guiding the novice and the professional in how to best capture children as they are. It provides technical information but more importantly provides you with ideas and assignments that will challenge you to use not only the camera but your heart and life experience to take great images of children. I couldn't find a book that was this easy to understand and this encouraging when I was starting out in the children's photography business and so I was very honored to provide images for this book when asked by the author. There are many years of experience and a great heart behind the words in this book so I would highly encourage anyone interested in photographing children to read it.

In addition to Ginny's inspirational photography I found this wonderful book to be informative beyond taking portraits of children. I am new to photography and found lots of ideas and tips for taking better photos of any subject. An additional bonus is the assignments at the end of each chapter to put the techniques into practice. This is a book that I will refer to often. I highly recommend this and look forward to more books by this photographer.

Put this wonderful book in your shopping cart and hit "buy now" as soon as you can. I wish that I had had this wonderful tool twenty years ago when I was starting my children's portrait business. Each chapter really guides you through the tools that you will need to succeed in taking impressive images of children. If you take it seriously, and do the assignments, you just might start seeing things in a different light, so to speak. Whether you just want to capture whimsical images of your own child as he passes through the phases of childhood, or if you truly intend to make photography more than a passion, but a business, then this book will take you to your desired level.Every page will delight you with amazing images of children. The various contributing photographers offer individual treatments to their subjects showing you a variety of what is plesaing. Read it, work it, absorb it and find your place in this fascinating field. I can't get enough of the timeless beach portraits found in Chapter 7.

I read this book as it was being written because I worked with Ginny while I was at Wiley. I was lucky enough to have her use me as her test market for the book because I was a beginning photographer with an 8 year old daughter. I wanted to take memorable photos of my girl, not just posed, ordinary pictures. Ginny's photos inspired me and the way she described in her chapters how to take those unique photos really helped me see portraits and candid shots in a different way. With Ginny's instructions on using light on a face, I took a shot last summer that my family framed. It's lovely - I owe it all to Ginny!

I have a digital camera set to auto and I am an impatient, amateur photographer whose subjects are primarily wiggly, athletic grandchildren.
This book presents techniques that are easy to learn and teaches through simple steps and abundant beautiful photographs. I have become a pro overnight and this book made it happen.

This text is written for photographers that want to make their images look there very best. Unlike introductory texts, Mr. Galer's book goes into the very soul of Photoshop Elements (PSE) to find hidden features that give pictures a WOW factor. Here are a few examples. In introductory text, the student is introduced to the unsharp mask filter and given some suggested settings. In Galer's text, the student is introduced to some unique masking techniques created with the high pass, and threshold filters to locate edges. He then combines that technique with paint masks and the magic erasure tool to isolate just those areas that will benefit from edge crispness. The results are stunning. Galer also has a technique for making high dynamic range (HDR) photos using some add-on layer styles that are available in the companion DVD.

A number of introductory texts concentrate on color correction and marginalize the importance of luminosity and tone. In Galer's text, there are a number of advanced techniques on levels, contrast and preserving shadow that are used to allow photos to look their best.

Speaking of the DVD, it not only contains all the images used in the lessons but many additional background photos of sky and sea and other landscapes that the user may access to enhance their own projects. Unlike many introductory books on PSE the photos are of high quality (lots of pixels) and all the lessons on the DVD are also included in the text. The lessons are quite good and Galer's English accent lends credibility and authority to his narrative.

What you won't find in the book is any serious mention of the Organizer, quick fix or photo creations (with the exception of a lesson on panoramas). In summary, this is an important book on the advanced features available in PSE that every serious student should own.

One of the best books out in the market about using Photoshop Elements 4.0 (PSE4) to edit pictures. Comes with a DVD containing pictures to practice on, and some movies to watch while the author explains a specific technique. There are some techniques included in this book that I've not seen included in any other book. Examples are clear and concise, and with accompanying pictures at each stage. Stress is on using techniques to work on pictures that will not harm the pictures or the pixels themselves. These techniques include learning all about gradients and making some for yourself that increase contrast, or using adjustment layers, and making masks to affect the contrast, learning how to get the most efficient use out of the levels settings, among other things. Take part of a gradient sample in PSE4 and use it to create beams of light coming out of a storm cloud! Great book. This book teaches you how to work on pictures with many different techniques--techniques that do the least harm to the original working photo--techniques that allow you to take care of small subtle details that are usually ignored, but that make your work more believable. Highly recommended.

Of all the tutorial manuals I have on Photoshop Elements I think this one is the best. While not exactly at a beginner level, it can still be of value to a novice. The great thing is that it pretty much avoids the 'first face the stove' approach that most all books of this nature feel required to do. The lessons on color correction and turning a color photo into black and white are particularly great!

This outstanding book provides many step by step instructions for editing photos with photoshop elements. Along with common instructions such as croping as straightening photos it includes blurring backgrounds and the use of masks for special effects.
Everything is made simple. Have a problem recreating the effects in the book? Simply view one of the included movies and watch the author perform the functions step by step. This included movie feature is GREAT!
Watch to movie and you should be able to find a step that you omitted when using the book. Useful content, well written, included DVD for chapter movies. The complete book for anyone wishing to enhance their photos.

I have completed several Photoshop course books and found all of them to be very good and useful. So I had a reasonable knowledge base when I discovered this book. I found that in this book, the author has covered the most useful Photoshop examples yet. The text and video projects complement each other perfectly and are seamless. Not only does the author explain every step of the project, but he also does the most important thing: he tells you why he is doing it. This book has propelled my knowledge of Photoshop Elements 4.0 to a very high competent professional level. I cannot express my absolute delight with my new skills.

I have been watching the development of processing and the processing community for a few years but until now haven't explored it much.
I create live visuals for musical performances - mostly within the chiptunes music scene (people using game console hardware to create new music). Originally I did all of my work with PureData, GEM and other libraries but then decided to move to performing with handhelds, writing code for the GP2X and Gameboy Advance (because unlike newer machines, the GBA has video out).

For an upcoming project, I decided that I wanted to create a web "playable" version of the software that I have created for the gp2x (where the visuals react to the joystick, button presses, etc) - enter Processing!
I decided that Processing would be the best tool for this job because it is easy to deliver on the web, has functions for interactivity (key presses, mouse actions, etc), and is open source which is important to me.

After looking at the Processing.org website, I decided that while there is a good reference there, a book might be nice. I was pleased to find the book "Processing: A Programming Handbook for Visual Designers and Artists" written by the creators of Processing, Casey Reas and Ben Fry and thought that no matter how useful it would be, it was good to support the developers of the project.

The pleasant surprise was that book is great!
I was expecting something like an extended reference book but it is much more than that. For one, this is a book that teaches programming concepts regardless of the language used to implement them. Although I have previous programming experience, I know that I could give this book to someone with no previous experience and they would be able to follow along and not only learn Processing, but learn programming. Sure, you can learn programming by reading C (or name your favorite language here) tutorials, writing text to the screen, reading and writing to files, etc. but ... I think that for some people it's much more exciting and motivating to see cool things happen, shapes moving, colors changing, etc. when they type in commands, learn about functions, conditionals, objects and so on. This book does that.

Another interesting thing about the book is that periodically there are interviews with visual artists who create with software - and not all with processing but with various types of software. I liked these and could imagine seeing more (or just new ones) in future editions of the book or online. I'll admit that I only use open source software so I am biased, but could imagine seeing more mention of Pd (Pure Data) as alternative to Max/Jitter.

[...]

Overall, the book is very well written and enjoyable to read even when you aren't in front of a computer (I read much while traveling) - the authors make reference to many pioneers of computing, visualization, motion graphics, film, etc. and I had fun looking up those whose works I wasn't familiar with. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in creating visuals with computers.

Este libro es un compendio básico de las herramientas de procesing, lo interesante de este texto es que las herramientas vienen contextualizadas con entrevistas o ejemplos de trabajos realizados por artistas.Recomiendo este libro a aquellos que se estén iniciando en la programación con fines artísticos.

Marcos Chilet.
Diseño, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

As a high school physics teacher with a lot of advanced students, I've been trying to work a bit of computer programming into the course over the last few years. I always wanted to do graphics programming with the students in order to help them visualize and simulate systems, because the pictures produced are a lot prettier and more rewarding than just the formulas on their own, but the languages I tried were just too difficult to teach from scratch in the time we had. Processing seems to be just what I'm looking for: it's free so the kids can download it themselves, and it really doesn't take much to produce stunning graphics. Now I would NOT recommend the book to someone with no programming experience at all - the emphasis of the book is clearly (and rightly) on how to get up to speed making images, not on what a variable is. That said, this book is a terrific resource for me; anyone with a basic programming course under their belt ought to have no trouble making sense of Processing's syntax, and the power of the language is phenomenal. The authors have done a fine job of both explaining the use of the Processing language, and showing off what it can do with all the examples. Processing is letting me do what I always wanted to do with a computer - make stunning graphics from mathematical information - at a level high school students can understand. If you are at all interested in Processing, download the free software and go here next.

Processing is a great language for anybody who wants to create graphical applications or visualizations without messing with complex graphics libraries. This is the definitive reference to the language, with much more detail than you get from the web documentation. It'll help you get up and running writing visual apps in no time.

This is a great book on that new Java-based language designed with the visual arts in mind - Processing. Tons of essays, examples, tutorials, and interviews are in the book to convey a proof of concept of the language as well as instruction on how to program with it. The writing style - for you Java programmers out there - reminds me of a cross between "Core Java" and "Head First Java". The book uses Core Java's "assume nothing" approach with instructions and code examples for all facets explained and combines that with interviews that are something like what you see in the "Head First" series of books from O'Reilly. Although the emphasis is on the visual arts, of course, there is coverage of the parts of Processing that makes it a complete language - networking, printing, object orientation, interfacing, and language extensions. Highly recommended for anyone interested in using this new language.

Note that this new language is not just getting the attention of computer artists. It is of use in electronics projects as seen in the book Making Things Talk: Practical Methods for Connecting Physical Objects and in the art of information presentation for business purposes in Visualizing Data. The following is the table of contents for this book:

Processing... 1
Using Processing 9
Structure 1: Code Elements 17
Shape 1: Coordinates, Primitives 23
Data 1: Variables 37
Math 1: Arithmetic, Functions 43
Control 1: Decisions 51
Control 2: Repetition 61
Shape 2: Vertices 69
Math 2: Curves 79
Color 1: Color by Numbers 85
Image 1: Display, Tint 12
Data 2: Text 101
Data 3: Conversion, Objects 105
Typography 1: Display 111
Math 3: Trigonometry 117
Math 4: Random 127
Transform 1: Translate, Matrices 133
Transform 2: Rotate, Scale 137
Development 1: Sketching, Techniques 145
Synthesis 1: Form and Code 149
Interviews 1: Print 155
Structure 2: Continuous 173
Structure 3: Functions 181
Shape 3: Parameters, Recursion 197
Input 1: Mouse I 205
Drawing 1: Static Forms 217
Input 2: Keyboard 223
Input 3: Events 229
Input 4: Mouse II 237
Input 5: Time, Date 245
Development 2: Iteration, Debugging 251
Synthesis 2: Input and Response 255
Interviews 2: Software, Web 261
Motion 1: Lines, Curves 279
Motion 2: Machine, Organism 291
Data 4: Arrays 301
Image 2: Animation 315
Image 3: Pixels 321
Typography 2: Motion 327
Typography 3: Response 333
Color 2: Components 337
Image 4: Filter, Blend, Copy, Mask 347
Image 5: Image Processing 355
Output 1: Images 367
Synthesis 3: Motion and Arrays 371
Interviews 3: Animation, Video 377
Structure 4: Objects 395
Drawing 2: Kinetic Forms 413
Output 2: File Export 421
Input 6: File Import 427
Input 7: Interface 435
Structure 5: Objects II 453
Simulate 1: Biology 461
Simulate 2: Physics 477
Synthesis 4: Structure, Interface 495
Interviews 4: Performance, Installation 501
Extension 1: Continuing... 519
Extension 2: 3D 525
Extension 3: Vision 547
Extension 4: Network 563
Extension 5: Sound 579
Extension 6: Print 603
Extension 7: Mobile 617
Extension 8: Electronics 633
Appendixes 661
Related Media 693
Glossary 699
Code Index 703
Index 705

Thanks a lot, we are very happy to have this book in our library!

I took this book because it was told to me by my professor to purchase it.
But after reading its content I feel its really worth buying this book.

There is a real lack of well written books in this category, and this one stands out because it is comprehensive, yet easy to digest and carefully laid out, including case studies to understand data capture and analysis techniques.

The progression of the chapters mirror an investigative process; there is discussion of how to properly handle digital evidence, how to make a duplicate of the source data, and how to make sense of what you have collected. There are many real-world type case studies in the beginning of the book that could easily read off the front of any newspaper, and the captured evidence is on the included DVD for you to search to find the "smoking gun". Very well done.

The book takes the unusual role of discussing not only the more popular commercial tools like EnCase or Forensic Tool Kit, but also all the open source tools available for free, which is a real plus if you don't have the deep pockets required for the retail products. The book also does an excellent job of explaining the advantages and shortcomings of all the products discussed, something not often seen in technical books. Along with the open source discussion are source web sites for downloading the tools. The accompanying DVD is packed with stuff to get you started. The book is filled with well illustrated screen shots to help you orient yourself when trying the programs yourself.

Be forewarned, this book assumes a pretty reasonable amount of technical knowledge and while it addresses the commercial products available on the Win32 platform, a lot of tools and utilities referenced are written for Linux. While a novice investigator can certainly find value in the book, there is a lot of "meat" that even a seasoned professional will find useful.

This is definitely the best book currently available on data forensic investigations.

As an author and instructor, I tend to be pretty picky about the books I choose to read and use in my classes. The authors present the material in a good logical progression. I especially like that it also provides sample evidence on the DVD. Most of the computer forensic books that currently exist contain mostly theory. This is the first good hands-on text that I have seen.

The authors have captured a good cross section of scenarios and then guide you through each case in-depth, offering practical solutions when faced with obstacles. The content provides methodologies, techniques, and tools that anyone can use. In addition it covers a variety of media such as USB memory and Palm devices.

This is a book that I will definitely keep. It is one of the best forensic investigations books currently on the market and would be a great asset to anyone wishing to enhance their skills.

This book is written in such a style that is easy to understand, yet technical and detailed enough to maintain your interest and attention all the way through.

The book presents several ways of accomplishing the same tasks in a non-biased, non-vendor-specific way. It explores the use of free, open-source tools as well as commercial offerings, and drills down into forensic analysis of both Windows and Unix/Linux Operating Systems.

The included CD contains actual forensic data and a few tools, which is both interesting and exciting to use while following along with the lessons in the book.

After receiving this book and opening it to the first page, I was almost unable to set it down until I finished it. I received it on a Friday afternoon and I had completed reading it by the end of the weekend. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Computer or Network Security.

I'm always looking for new ways to present my product or to serve my clients and I found this book had some great "angles" for me.

After reading Klett's book I realized he is one of the great redactor's in this office supply world. Love the way Terrill cuts the red tape and gets right to it.

IAM THE OFFICE MANAGER FOR A MEDICAL CLINIC THAT DOES PHYSICAL AND MASSAGE THERAPY, AND WE SELL TO CLIENTS, THIS HAS GOT TO BE THE BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ FOR A SMALL BUSINESS.

I found the book to be easy to read and grasp the componets of being successful in the business product world. It also had principles that I use in my own everyday selling in the employee benfits industry. It is a book that you can read a chapter a day in minutes and get motivated and enthused in that brief daily time.

Very informative - Highly motivating!! Apply these techniques for instant results! Superbly written! Hats off to Mr. Klett!