Digital Books

Sylvia Beach and the Lost Generation

This is an ambitious and serious work, accessible in style, and packed with information in over four hundred pages. It has three main themes, clearly defined in the introduction.
The first is the love between Adrienne Monnier and Sylvia. The details of this, so we are told, 'were and are still little known' in 1983 when this book was first published. The second is her admiration for, and championship of, James Joyce. The third is her bookshop, Shakespeare and Company, which was a key feature of the literary scene in Paris between the two World Wars.
By far the most detail is provided on her professional relationship with Joyce. Her efforts to get Ulysses published and smuggled into America, her financial and personal efforts to support the author, and the amount of time and energy she invested, are the key theme of the book.
Naturally Sylvia knew all the other familiar literary figures of the time. Hemingway and Pound are frequently mentioned, as is Gertrude Stein.
As intimated in the introduction there is less to be said about more personal relationships. In a way this seems rather a pity. The anecdotal style and recurring references to various incidents along the way give the writing a rather disjointed feel. Inevitably there is also a certain sense of déja vu particularly for anyone familiar with biographies of Hemingway for example.
The strength and the weakness of the book is the amount of text devoted to James Joyce. Joyce attracts great, but not universal, enthusiasm. The man himself seems to have had more arrogance than charm. Depending on the side of this divide which the reader favours this book will firmly hold the attention or will, in places, rather pall.

This is one of the best books that I've ever read about the 'lost generation' of Americans literary refugees in Paris. The writing is excellent, the research exhaustive and thorough with unparalleled access to Ms. Beach's 'surpressed' portions of her autobiography "Shakespeare and Company". It is readily apparent from this book that without Ms. Beach and her unflinching support, there would have been no "Ulysses" (and maybe no James Joyce). But there was so many other authors she supported and nurtured as well, as the quote from Ernest Hemingway cited above illustrates as well. This book is almost a 'must read' for those persons interested in American literature of the mid 20th century.

This one has been around for some time now and it is not the worse for wear. For those interested in our literature and literary Paris during the 1920s and 1930s, then this is one of those "must reads" (I truely hate that term, but know of no better to describe the improtance of this work at this time). The author's research is absolutely miticulous and fills in many gaps in the story of this remarkable woman. Do be warned though. Many of the names of people mentioned here are rather obscure (at this day and time) for those not immersed in the literary world. This can make the work a bit difficult to follow at times. That being said, this is a wonderful work to read to cause many of these names to become less obscure than they are now...one more of the many reasons to read this work! The book covers some of the intimate details of Beach's relationship with friends and lovers that she so well side steps in her own account of this time. Recommend this one highly. Actually, you probably should purchase this one as it is one that is a good book for reference and one you will probably want to reread.

This is quite a spectacular book, a privileged look into the most famous English language bookstore in Paris, Sylvia Beach's Shakespeare & Company. Not only is it delightful to read the history of how Sylvia's modest dream became such a huge success, but it is also fascinating to read about Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, and James Joyce when they were young. The language is rich and fulfilling, the photos insightful, and in the end, I really felt as if I had been part of it all, sitting in Sylvia's bookstore, hearing the rustle of pages as the day passed away.

This is one of those books where you care about the characters. Their past and future becomes important and that the characters are real people make this book all the more fasinating. A book one does want to end. But end it does with style.

A very nice essay by Mr. McCullough which actually gave me more of an insight into the author than the time. As a fan of history I always had the curious habit (I thought so) of looking first at the pictures in the book of what the people looked like before I started reading and referring often to those pictures during the reading; mostly to help me visualize.
I'm glad to find out I'm not the only one.

This writing focuses on the physical aspects and reality in which the people in history, especially the Revolution, lived. We have very little that guides our minds when trying to associate faces with a person we are reading about, and McCullough brings about some poignant ideas about their lives, demeanors and appearance that we often overlook. This is worth a quick read.

David McCullough brings to light a point I for one have never thought about. In many cases we don't know what the very people who won our freedom looked like. It wasn't until the Civil War that we could attach a face to a famous name.

The author in a very adept way seeks to attach a face to the soldiers of the Revolution with word pictures. My minds eye can now visualize John Daby as a "long hump-shouldered fellow," and Thomas Williams with "film" in his left eye, or George Washington with smallpox scars, something his portraits didn't reveal. If you ever wondered like I have why most subjects in the old paintings never smiled, it's most likely due to the fact they had bad teeth or no teeth at all.

"Faces" is an illuminating read for anyone. I recommend it highly.FUG 10

...I believe that so many things can be said about 1776 -- both in terms of David McCullough's superbly written tome, or in relation to the historical period itself -- it often staggers...

FACES is a sublime example of the virtually *endless* perspectives one can take on the Revolutionary period and -- almost like a camera swooping in on the scene of the battle -- author McCullough leaves us with a single inspirational idea, and permits it to linger in our minds: that of authentic period photography.

How did things *really* look back then?

Have you ever wondered?

McCullough asks these -- rhetorically, as it were -- because he wishes us to know that the events of yesteryear -- more than two hundred year ago -- are as relevant today as they were back then. The images and canvas pastiches which we view in the grand museums and galleries of our mighty naion aren't mere abstractions...sad, though, that they are often made to look as such...

Rather, McCullough managed to discover over the course of his voluminous research into his book, 1776, that the fighting reality was much more visceral than the pictographic evidence shows.

FACES is an attempt to shake us out of our soporific inattentiveness -- to remind us that our Nation once-stood for something majestic and highly meaningful. Over time, we've been made to believe that the Revolutionary War was a period of heroic beauty. Generals were officious and kempt, soliders were young and fit and fought until the last. Old men never showed their age nor their obvious blemishes.

Jaggers! We know only too well...that is false.

FACES is a cold-shower-in-the-morning reminder that what we're going through today -- in all its ugliness and harshness, entirely unairbrushed and unmitigated and mendacious in its atrocious scale -- is precisely the way things were then.

We just can't see it...because those who went through it wished to spare us the worst of its ravages.

But the truth prevails in the end (doesn't it?)...photography or not.

An official Library Weekly book review.

EXCERPT:
How can we know what they looked like? The answers are in what they themselves said in pocket diaries...

RATING:
5 of 5

REVIEW:
When looking back at the founding of our nation, we find ourselves at a lost to what men and women looked
like when they marched into the heat of battle. We have no audio broadcast of what happened, there's no
video that you can download off YouTube. But despite those challenges, historians and writers have been
able to find out who these men were, a true understanding of their inner thoughts through their diaries,
letters, and books. Faces by David McCullough is timeless, an effective reflection of the past, and how
we get to know them.

I'm a broadcast engineer that has worked with analog systems all his life. I recently started working in a Full SD television studio and in a year or so may want to go HD. This book helps to give you a basic grasp of terminology for the new HD world, as well as tips for every aspect from Pre-production to post- production and even distrubution.

I don't have to say much more than that this book is an absolute MUST if you are at all interested in filmmaking! When I was working on my first feature this was what we went back to, CONSTANTLY for advice and information. Primarily it focuses on the technical aspects of production and postproduction, giving you all the information necessary to help you overcome the plethora of overwhelming and seemingly insurmountable obstacles that will undoubtedly arise every single day of your first film shoot.

Great for the beginning Indy Filmmaker who must where many different hats on set, and even great for the experience filmmaker/director/producer as a troubleshooting guide when a situation arises and the solution is not so apparent.

Basically put: buy it!

For some examples of some of the mishaps that can happen during the production of a first feature, check out my blog at http://jokichronicles.blogspot.com tagged under "Antigua Movie."

Pleasant filmmaking!

I am using this book for a college course - Digital Video Production. I must admit that I have not read the entire book yet, but what I have read is very comprehensive and explained well. Any level of student will understand and learn from this book.

This book most likely has a straight forward answer to any technical film OR video production question you have. The book is very unbiased and doesn't preach to any filmmaker's agenda. Furthermore, it is up to date and includes discussions on HD technology, its benefits, and its drawbacks.

I've read a lot of books on cinematography, and this is by far the finest I've seen.
This is an extremely well written, comprehensive book on ALL aspects of film making.
The authors have obviously worked very hard on this book, and it shows. For example, there are EXTENSIVE cross references throughout the book like: "before you read this you should read pages 22-25". This kind of cross referencing takes a lot of time to do accurately.
The cost is a real STEAL for the amount of information in it. In my opinion it is the only book you need on cinematography. If you don't think so, at least read this first. I think all your questions will be answered.
I can't recommend it highly enough.
Daniel O. Benson

In Firemaker, Ms Bacon has proven yet again that she is a versitle, highly competent writer who can spin a tale with the best new authors currently available. Firemaker is a "Hybrid" story, and follows hot and heavy on the heels of the others. I believe these stories are nothing short of small classics, and I am looking forward to more.

Having enjoyed the first Hybrid story, I was interested to see what would come next from Eugen M. Bacon. The Firemaker did not disappoint, and neither did the strange world and characters that the writer has created. For $0.49, this is impressive writing.

The Firemaker makes good on the promise that Ms. Bacon started in The Hybrid. Firemaker finds the fully human Vida and the Hybrid Myra a year of so older, beginning to feel the urges of young adulthood, and we learn that the Hybrids are not above the feelings that mortals have. When Myra exhibits an interest in Al, a powerfulHybrid boy with the ability to produce fire with his bare hands, Vida shows that self doubt, young heartbreak, and the pangs of jealousy can run as hotly in the blood of a mortal as in that of a Hybrid. Al finds out the hard way that the slowly building bond between Vida and Myra is not one to be trifled with, and that even the strongest Hybrid power can have an Achilles Heel. This is a story you will want to read.

It is a rare and great thing to find an author such as Ms Bacon is surely going to be at the beginning of a career, because they do not come along everyday. Ms Bacon has, as much as any young author I have found in recent years, the ability to become one of the best of the genre. I think at some point in time she will be one of the breed that redefines Science Fiction and takes it to places that it has not been.

Eugen Bacon grasps emotion well to come up with a wholly absorbing masterpiece. The Firemaker explodes to something superbly powerful, something you might not find in a 'household' name. This is a surprising new writer with a very confident voice. If you are looking for something phenomenal, look no further.

In the Firemaker, Vida and Myra are notably older. One can almost feel Vida's hopelessness at a crucial stage in his relationship to Myra when faced with the challenge of a bold hybrid male who is not only a fine specimen but possesses powers far higher than human ability. Worse still, Myra seems happy to receive the hybrid's attentions. As in The Hybrid, atmosphere is beautiful. Eugen M. Bacon captures fog, mystery, fear, laughter with a fine touch. The Firemaker is another notable read from this author.

For anyone new to Eugen Bacon's writing, I would suggest an attempt on these Amazon Shorts. They will not disappoint.

I homed in on this story in hopes of finding the literary paradigm for the bold African-ruled nation striking out in favor of a unique African agenda. So far, it's a no-go, but there is just enough hope for Part Two as yet unwritten to have me check back.

Clearly the old governor-general is too reactionary to be the focal point for this new direction. The Marxist Opposition, whether black, brown or yellow, history has proved them nothing but red. Webster has charisma, Perkins has intellect, but they are red, pure and simple.

Gentry may have been on the right track seeking to purge the air militia of its neo-colonial influence, but he was too clumsy. His ordering the trial with tainted evidence likely could have gotten the government in fatal trouble, no matter how likely the evidence of the taint would have never seen the light of day.

My hopes are on Colgate, who comes across as enough of an engima to have anything up his sleeve, including the bold pro-African directions I hope for.

His policies up until now make me wince. The Dual-Citizenship Bill. The fostering of the neo-colonial influence on the Air Militia. The at least passive acceptance of the economic power in the hands of the white banker M. D. Hillary. All of this points the wrong way. Or does it?

He has also sown the seeds of a totalitatian guided democarcy. His SIB watches Hayes and is aware of his racist attitudes. It's just possible that he is gathering together as much foreign wealth as possible before he takes off his mask and in one mighty expropriation gathers their wealth into the hands of his people.

I give this story five stars because such possibilities are clearly suggested. A lot will depend on his attitude when he returns from the Commonwealth Air Ministers Conference to find Cassell knee-deep in collaboration with Richard Nixon's imperialist America. Granted there is the dire threat of that secret base to handle first. Once that is out of the way I feel we are going to see fairly quickly just whose destiny Desmond Colgate is really looking out for.

I hope the white author does not flinch from the challenge his tantalizingly ambiguous characters suggest. I hope we find in St. Margaret's that literary paradigm I am seeking. I will be watching for Part Two of Uncertain Paradise.

This is a captivating tale that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I loved it. It is well-written and intense. I look forward to reading more of John W. Cassell's work.

This story's plot gave an effect more like being engrossed in a movie than reading words in print. I felt like I was inside a Perry Mason episode, though this court-martial scene was up-scaled from that TV series, in being:

--- weighted satisfyingly in sophistication of content

--- brightened in literary panache

--- sparked with a type of heart-wash humor which served not only at the best levels of entertainment, but for edification in legal proceedings as well.

For an example of this "Mason Upscale," here's a passage from this part 2 of "The Flight Lieutenant's Court Martial" (which plays out as chapter 8 in John Cassell's novel, UNCERTAIN PARADISE (available in paperback, Uncertain Paradise: 1973, or in a Kindle edition, UNCERTAIN PARADISE: 1973 [PART ONE] (n/a)):

>>>>
"You really should make it a point to work closely with your solicitor, young man," Browne now cautioned me. "You obviously are unschooled in what is happening here."

"Yessir. The people who tried to kill me before never used all these fancy words."

Gene looked down, suppressing laughter. Browne looked shocked. Gentry looked insulted. The court reporter did laugh.

....

"Prisoner! When I sustain an objection you can't ask the question."

"Oh... sorry, sir. I thought I was sustained in my asking of it."

More laughter washed over the room.
<<<<

Now having read this chapter a second time, I'm more impressed than I was on a first read, by the skill of its execution, liveliness of plot motion, and moving exchanges among characters.

What stood out was the humor balanced against the touching sensitivity shared between Cassell and his men, which ultimately spread to everyone in the room, including the shocked Grimes.

The author exposed a lot in this chapter, and set yet another stage for the new nation's evolving attitude and developing situation. To give a feel for the situation of the court-martial and the youthful attitude of the protagonist here's a quote from the opening of the chapter:

>>>>
The summons said I should bring a lawyer; solicitor was what they were called here. I passed on the opportunity. I knew what I did and why. I didn't need to pay hundreds of pounds just to have someone say it for me.

"What's supposed to happen today, sir?" I asked him as the secretary returned to her typing after directing us to be seated...

"Dunno, Flight Lieutenant. You're causin' them a whole bunch a' problems, havin' to invent a court-martial system... and on the eve a' independence too."

"You mean they never had one before this?"

"Not for an offense punishable by firing squad."

I swallowed nervously at the reminder.
<<<<

The lifts of content from this chapter were included because this author's syntax has a magnetic feel; his words will spice a review better than I could with any type of paraphrase or synopsis. Most of the quoted material exposes the humorous exchanges. The sensitive scenes, bringing tears of warmth and release, work best when read within the context of the story.

One of the more intriguing literary techniques applied in this scene was of a recording taken from the grave of the wired Colour Sergeant whom Cassell was forced to kill. That recording, read in the courtroom and presented in boldfaced type here, repeated some of the text from part 1 of this Amazon Shorts pair (chapter 7 in UNCERTAIN PARADISE). The difference in perspective and feel was chillingly mesmerizing, of those words used in chapter 7, describing the live events, contrasted to chapter 8's spellbound courtroom listeners.

The writing in this scene was uncannily effective; in truth, it quickened to the extent of moving beyond the movie screen, into the reader's living room, as a vision acted out in his mind.

That is fine writing, indeed.

Pleased to have been entertained to the max,
Linda Shelnutt

Shelnutt is the author of several Amazon Shorts and books on Kindle, including THE BOOKS OF GEM sci-fi series, and Myrtle's Ultimate Mystery.

After reading Part 1, I was intrigued as to how the court martial of the young Lieutenant would unfold and thought that I had figured a few events out. It turns out that I was, not for the first time, wrong. John Cassell has written a deft tale of right, wrong and the things that sometimes get in the way of sorting out one from the other. A very enjoyable read that kept me engrossed from the start.
I definitely want to read the book and find out what became of some of the other characters, especially Connie.

I really enjoyed the courtroom scenes and was surprised by the revelations of the tape. my guess is that the government knew all along what was in the tape and am anxious to see what their next move would be. there is a sequel somewhere, I hope.

The kids sound "real" and I love the fun names for the lunch ladies. A family actually eating breakfast together is a little hard to believe (LOL!) but I would really like to read the rest of this one.

Frog Burger's is a must read for all ages written by Lee Mandel.
Review written by Donna Barnes


Zach Meyers and his groups of friends have charmed the hell out of me. I don't read many young adult books or short stories, but I love this story.

It charms me from right out of the gate and has me rooting for Zach. Chase Winters, the school bully, taunts Junior, Zach's friends the year before, and now he has moved onto Zach.

At first, Zach has no idea how to handle Chas, but as the story continues, he learns how to defeat the bully. Plus, Zack changes his view of Mean Madge, the lunch room lady, and dates a young girl named Marcy, in the process.

On many levels this story succeeds. It conquers the reoccurring theme of bullying that truly exists in middle schools across America, but it also addresses the concept of innocent, until proven guilty, like in Mean Madge's case.

Download Frog Burger now and read it, while enjoying your favorite beverage.

Lee Mandel has clearly demonstrated her gift in the telling of this middle school tale. She has captured the voice of a difficult age group. I've heard it said that there are no new stories only new ways to tell them, well this author has done it.

When reading a story, I like to "feel" like I am actually in the story. Description and language do that for me. If there are inconsistencies and I have to stop and question what I just read, I won't bother with the story anymore. As an adult reading this story, I could feel myself being pulled into the story, feeling the feelings and deciding I'm glad I'm not back at that time in life. There was always a Mean Madge and a bully and a frog thing, of course. I like that the frog issue in this story was only the trigger for the larger issues and not the main focus of the story.

Middle school reading is a hard place to be. This book is simply another version of all the old issues and, it rocks! I have a middle school girl and I like to know what she's reading. I don't allow books that I feel won't offer anything to my daughter. The characters presented in this story can be attractive to a boy or a girl, both can identify because it's what they're dealing with that stands out most. And if that's not enough for any parent this author delivers a powerful piece of wisdom, in a non-chalant way, when she has the bully reveal his reasons for his bully type behavior. Not everything is as it seems and this message is so subtle that it may even take root in our youngsters.

I can't wait to buy a copy of this book and a few extra too, for gifts.

If that first line doesn't grab you, well, you're probably not a science nerd. It may be time to move on, but for the rest of us...

"It's still school, just with taller kids and more homework."

That's what Zack thinks when he's getting ready to board the bus for the first day of middle school. On that bus is the obligatory bully, Chas Winters, a kid who's so bad his 'killer wedgies' raise a boy's voice an octave for the rest of their lives.

The excerpt takes readers through Zach's first day. We follow him through class, a gym encounter with Chas the Thug, and lunch. (Meatloaf, again?)

We also have a hilarious news story about protesters at a chicken restaurant in the morning paper. Zach's father from behind the paper at breakfast was a great way to start the morning.

Extra points to Lee Mandel for giving us a snappy ending. That's not easy to do.

This is another excerpt that I'd have finished by the end of the day and be recommending to my friends in school library programs. I laughed several times through the story. I also couldn't find anything that would hold this book back from submission to a publisher. If the rest of "Frog Burgers" is as good as the excerpt, I think even the most reluctant reader is going to love the book.

Congrats to Lee Mandel for a wonderful read. I'd recommend "Frog Burgers" for the next round.

Zach Meyers is starting the sixth grade today, his first day of middle school. He expects to have a lot more homework than last year, and he does. He shares some classes and lunch period with his best buds, Junior and Lauren, but his favorite class is science which not only has a great-looking lady teacher, but a pretty girl in pink glasses who keeps staring at him. The only bad thing is Chas Winters, the bully who rules the school.

I assume this book was written for boys and girls from 9-11. They love to read stories about kids their age who go through amusing trials and tribulations at school. The author's note indicates there will be a romantic triangle with Zach, the bully, and the cute girl in science class; girl readers will like that. Boys will get a kick out of the mean lunch lady - does she really put frog meat in the burgers?

Narrator Zach sounds like a real sixth grader. I think kids his age will enjoy reading this book. Catchy title!

Great book for understanding the fundamentals of DSL however I have to say it includes A LOT of equations and algorithms that went way over my head.
So to be frank, I'd prefer if it included some layman-type analogies to go along with the math.

A really well written book and a very valuable reference for all those working in DSL. The required theory is explained clearly and succintly. Furthermore, in a great improvement on traditional textbooks, this work tackles the working details head on; no holes are left in our comprehension. The range of topics covered gives a joined-up cohesive understanding of DSL technology and each chapter has an excellent list of references subcaterogised by topic to allow the reader to further investigate the basics and state-of-the-art in the areas which have piqued the reader's interest. If only more technical books endeavoured to give such a FULL understanding.

I wanted to learn about the technical and system-level aspects of DSL technology, and this book was really really helpful! It goes into much more detail than a basic guide to DSL, but is not overbearing in complexity - just the right amount of insight that I needed as an electrical engineering MS student looking to learn a new technology. I know that I will be using several of the best chapters in this book as reference later on in my career (Noise Modelling, Error Control Coding, Equalization, etc). Overall: highly impressed with the quality and presentation of information! I would definitely recommend this book to both fellow students and industry members.

Fundamentals of DSL Technology, edited by Philip Golden, is the best book of its kind--it's thorough, comprehensive, and well organized. It's probably the best foundational text on DSL out there. I would recommend it for college course syllabi or as a general resource for those working in the field.

I grabbed this book because I needed a quick primer on DSL technology. It turned out to be just that and much much more. I'm constantly returning to it to delve deeper into the subject. It's definitely one of the best technical texts I've read.

David Pogue's, "GarageBand 2: The Missing Manual" is much more than a Manual for GarageBand 2. It is a treasure-trove of tips and tricks, a detailed-yet-comprehensible resource, and it is the best non-periodical Computer publication I have had the joy to read.

Whether you are a weekend Musician with little more experience than "chopsticks" on your Aunt's piano, or you are a Conservatory-Educated Musician with a degree in Music Performance, "GarageBand 2: The Missing Manual" has something for you.

David Pogue writes with a level-headed voice, presenting the information slowly while always giving the reader a sense of excitement. I found myself putting down the book for several days, just after reading something new from Mr. Pogue.

My, "I just gotta try that!" excitement is balanced by the "Wow!" factor of learning a keystroke that I did not know existed, or finally learning in plain terms, or most importantly how to double the speed of GarageBand 2.

If you are using GarageBand 2 and looking for "The" Manual to purchase, this is it.

Thank you, David Pogue!

In the Introduction, Pogue explains why GarageBand can contribute to the democratization of the music world. You don't have to pay $1000 an hour to rent a recording studio, because of the Internet, you don't have to wait for a record label (and music stores) to agree to carry your music.

Early on, he differentiates between digital audio and MIDI data - the two kinds of music that GarageBand can process. Each has its strengths and weaknesses, so he spends time later in the book helping you understand the value and limitations of each and when is the best time to use them.

Do not fret if you never used GarageBand 1, as he explains everything you need to get up to speed and start recording like a pro. How to use the timeline, regions (music loops), and construct a masterpiece. If you want to get your music into iPhoto, iMovie or iDVD, he shows you how (page 164).

He also goes over what's new in GarageBand 2, and tells you how to master all of the features. He covers topics such as multiple-track recording (hurray!), ability to import MIDI files, and how to use the on-screen electronic tuner for tuning your guitar (or other tunable instrument - page 184).

Pogue explains a new Musical Typing feature using your Apple keyboard, if you don't have a music keyboard handy (page 72). And he shows you how you can turn any musical lick into an Apple Loop (page 171 - yes!). If you are working with MIDI instruments, you can now do that in sheet-music view (page 92)!

There is no accompanying CD-ROM, but inside the back cover is the URL where you will find a nice list of shareware that is described in the book for use with GarageBand. It is all there for downloading. By giving you the URL instead of a CD, you save $5.00 off the cover price.

GarageBand is not aimed at professional musicians. Instead it is intended to help amateurs produce music easily. The application comes with 1,000 pre-recorded sampled loops, plus 50 sampled or synthesized instruments which can be played using a MIDI keyboard connected to the computer, or using an on-screen keyboard. This is a complex piece of software, thus enters David Pogue and his "Missing Manual" series to explain it all.
The book has three parts. Part 1 deals with how to construct and edit a song or composition in GarageBand. Pogue explains how to use GarageBand loops (repeated musical patterns) and how to create original material. The most helpful feature in this section is the tutorial that takes the reader through the construction of a composition using loops. Pogue offers a couple of ideas about constructing music for those new to the process.
The pluses and minuses of using the onscreen digital piano, the Mac keyboard as a piano, and using a MIDI keyboard are discussed. Pogue supplies information needed about additional equipment and software to enhance GarageBand. Websites are listed where equipment and software additions can be purchased and downloaded. Pogue lists prices and states what can be expected from each purchase. He also lists many sites where information, tutorials and software are available free.
Part 2 tells you how to mix tracks and export music to post it on a website, how to export it to iTunes, how to burn it to a CD, or how to use it as background music in iMovie, iPhoto, or iDVD. The problem with GarageBand is overcoming the amount of memory and power it requires, so there is troubleshooting information as well as recommendations about shareware add-ons and Web sites to visit for additional help.
The Appendices round out the book with invaluable information about all of the menus, keyboard shortcuts, and a section on musical concepts for the non-musician.
Pogue is an entertaining writer who is very capable at explaining difficult concepts to novices without boring veterans. GarageBand was designed to enable the writing of music with little or no musical training, and Pogue writes so that the music theory involved in the program can be grasped by the inexperienced. I'm a person whose limited knowledge of music and music theory is self-taught, and I found this book very accessible and enjoyable. I guess the best judge of this book's quality is how much my stepson, who is a musician, has been enjoying it and GarageBand. He's never been one for the books, but he's practically joined at the hip with this one.
I notice Amazon does not show the table of contents, so I do that here for the purpose of completeness:
PART 1: BUILDING A HIT
1. Setting Up the Garage
Equipment Requirements; Installing GarageBand; Opening GarageBand; Playback; Cycling; Navigating the Music; Two Kinds of Music; Tracks; Muting and Soloing Tracks
2. Loops
Starting a New GarageBand Project; The Loop Browser; Placing a Loop; More Loops
3. Regions
Selecting Regions; Renaming Regions; Dragging Regions; The Grid; Looping Regions; Shortening Regions I; Shortening Regions II; Lengthening Regions; Splitting Regions; Joining Regions; Copy and Paste; Option Drag; Delete; Tutorial for Non-Musicians
4. Software Instruments (MIDI)
How To Feed a Hungry GarageBand; Your Free On-Screen Digital Piano; The Mac Keyboard as Piano; MIDI Synths and Controllers; Recording a MIDI Track; Retakes; Spot Recording; Cumulative Recording; Mod Wheels and Other MIDI Fun
5. Editing Software Instruments
The Track Editor; Notation Editing; The Encyclopedia of MIDI Editing; Transposing Notes or Regions; Quantizing; Velocity, Pedaling, and Other MIDI Data
6. Recording and Editing Live Audio
The Setup; Recording a Live Audio Track; Editing Real Instrument Regions; Enhance Timing, Enhance Tuning
7. Effects, Guitar Amps, and Instrument Modules
Instrument-Named Presets; Save Instrument, Deleted Instrument; Effect Modules
PART 2: BEYOND THE GARAGE
8. Mixing and Publishing
Mixing Tracks; The Master Track; Publishing the Song; Your Music in iPhoto, iMovie, and iDVD
9. Adding On, Moving Up
Making Your Own Apple Loops; Moving Your Loops to Another Drive;
Importing MIDI Files; Import iTunes Music Store Files (SoundFlower); More Free Software Instruments (SoundFonts); The iSight as Microphone; Save as Archive; The Instrument Tuner; Re-Wire; Build Your Own Instrument Loops (iDrum); Add an E-Z Chords Feature (ReMIDI); Beyond GarageBand; GarageBand Online
10. The Speed Chapter
Set the Stage; Mute Some Tracks; Lock Some Tracks; Temporarily Squelch the Effects; Combine Tracks; Enlarge Your Buffer; Lose Some Software Instrument Voices; Reduce the Track Overhead; Convert Software Instrument Loops; Turn Monitoring Off; Bounce Down Many Tracks into One; Install More Memory
11. Troubleshooting
Trouble with Loops; Recording and Editing Problems; Mixing and Publishing Glitches;
APPENDIXES
A. The GarageBand Music Course
B. GarageBand, Menu by Menu
C. GarageBand 2 Keyboard Shortcuts

This is a readable, technically insightful, USABLE guide. Its relaxed tone makes the work of learning easier.

JG

Would you like to be able to create professional sounding musical recordings? If you would, you're in luck! Author David Pogue, has done an outstanding job of writing a book that will guide you through a long list of enhancements, large and small, that make GarageBand a better musical tool than ever before.

Pogue, begins by introducing you to GarageBand. Then, he discusses Loops. The author continues by showing you how to manipulate regions in general--but these techniques are especially useful for manipulating loops. Next, he explores software instruments (MIDI). Then, the author shows you how to edit the software instrument parts. He continues by showing you how to record and edit live audio. Next, he deals with effects, guitar amps, and instrument modules. The author continues by describing how to wrap up your workflow in GarageBand and present it to a wider audience. Then, he introduces a few of the coolest ways to enhance GarageBand's repertoire, suggests where you might go when you decide it's time to graduate to more powerful (and expensive) music software, and points out some Web sites where you can learn more about GarageBand. Next, he presents the accumulated wisdom of thousands of online GarageBand fans sharing their workarounds, plus Apple's own suggestions. Finally, he shows you how to troubleshoot GarageBand.

Don't let the rumors fool you. This most excellent book may be simple, but it isn't simplistic.

As the title suggests..I don't know whether to review or testify... this story and the telling of it touched my heart so deeply. The Message Kathe Gogolewski shares with us from her own deeply moving experience brings goose bumps...brings tears...brings a deep satisying JOY. Kathe orchestrates these reactions superbly, introducing us to her father, herself, and a dream he has shortly after surviving very serious heart surgery. She begins with her initial reaction...a clever "dream interpretation" meeting a somewhat bored reaction from the dreamer, her dad.

From that first well crafted word portrait, she proceeds to the next: Crisis over...life resumes. Some changes perhaps, but small ones...nothing as earth-moving as the dream itself would suggest. With the return to normalcy, the dream begins to fade from her life.

The picture changes again and once more her dad faces a life-threatening situation. Again the family gathers...again the emotions are stirred...only this time her father dies, his wife, children and grandchildren gathered round.

Now we follow her into grief... a grief in which previously held values prove inadequate to hold and explain, much less comfort the bereaved daughter of this kindly yet otherwise...so we might THINK...unremarkable man. Thus far, Ms. Gogolewski has described stages almost all of us have experienced at one time or another...stages made recognizable, even empathetic, by her vivid word portraits.

So far a great story...and one I enjoyed because I followed along with the loved ones of my own life so easily...so comfortably. But as good as it is thus far...it is nothing...NOTHING... to what Kathe shares with us next.

It begins with the kind of reunion any of us might have with the memory of a recently departed loved one...the finding of the three coins, which the bereaved daughter readily identifies with her dad's dream of long ago. Definitely beyond coincidence, yet nothing remarkable... sufficently unremarkable so that the coins remain forgotten in a pocket as the jeans go into the wash, then the dryer.

Yet it is here that the hand of the loving father reaches out from beyond the grave to comfort his beloved daughter and fill her with a message of Love and Truth that will no doubt sustain Kathe and any of us privileged to share this story for the rest of our lives. For Kathe it has the added bonus of telling her, not by faith but by KNOWLEDGE, that her dad is still there...still a part of her...not visible but real...discernable and loving as much as ever...and maybe even more so.

For all of us is the joy of the dream's significance...realized at last down to its most subtle nuance,combining the familiar spiritual imperative that one cannot truly possess something until one has let it go...a verity the true realization of which can be a joyful experience in itself... with an additional plus that instructs that by not merely letting go, but in giving to others, what the person retains is so much more than he or she had to begin with. For now two are enriched instead of one, the same "gold coin" enriching the giver...the receiver...then the ones to whom the receiver then gives, and so on down the line, resulting in a potentially limitless number of persons enriched by that one gold coin. For in the giving of it the giver receives true riches, a certain knowledge his needs will be fulfilled.

To this Eternal Truth so much more eloquently expressed in the simple yet majestic prose of the author than my fumbling efforts here have done, I am compelled to add my own Testimony. Hungry...homeless...separated from those I loved most in the world with no hope of reunion some fifteen years ago, I was rescued out of the blue by two saintly people who wanted nothing in return. I had been a proud man, confident in my not inconsiderable talents, my confidence only bloated by the siren song of worldly esteem. Then, in a devastating 24 hours, it was all swept away, and with it all that I had amassed in my pride and ambition, leaving me starving, apathetic and lying in a gutter where those good people found me.

As they slowly got me talking, thinking and eventually even laughing again, a previously inconceivable transformation occurred. As I was reunited with my beloved wife and children, I was united with entirely new values, values occuring to me not through preaching, but through the example of my rescuers. Within a couple years, I took my reunited family to a remote part of the world, to teach my skills to others who wanted desperately to learn them, rather than use them, as I'd previously intended, as a means to self-enrichment. And in sharing and passing these skills on, I discovered a joy the like of which I had never known...as pride and pretension vanished, there grew in their place a closeness with me my wife and children had not previously experienced and the satisfaction experienced by all underpaid but devoted teachers. When disability ended my practice of my profession some ten years later, I returned to America possessed of friends and a familial closeness previously undreamed of by me, and I now greet each new day on a small disability pension happier and more confident than ever that I have all the riches I could ever aspire to.

So it was that Kathe's eloquent, emotional rendering of the Heaven-sent experience with her dad and his dream those many years ago and after his death caused the tears and the goosebumps I mentioned at the outset. Kathe Gogolewski's story is Truth itself...a divinely inspired Truth she shares with us so vividly...inviting us all to begin, or continue, with whatever time may remain to us, to pass on to others whatever spiritual and material wealth we may possess, and in so doing to be spiritually, emotionally and yes, even materially enriched...as enriched as you will ever need to be. Five Stars

John W. Cassell

Crafted from real-world experiences, Kathe Gogolewski engagingly weaves a story of ever-lasting love and compassion through the odd circumstances between herself and her father.

Life, death, conscious, unconsciousness and the materialistic take on all new meanings for anyone fortunate enough to read "The Golden Coin."

For those of us who have suffered the varying stages of grief, and experienced what seemed to be elements of the paranormal through our dreams- this book will touch your heart and ultimately bring you feelings of peace, joy and a deeper understanding of the meaning of life.

I love Amazon Shorts, as they offer a reader with scant time to spare an opportunity to fulfill desires for satisfying prose. Kathe Gogolewski spins a wonderful, compelling tale in only eight pages- brilliantly done!

We all have vivid dreams, and often we relate them to family and friends. They usually listen and say things like, "Wow! That was some dream alright." Seldom does this dream become a life changing experience for the listener. In "The Gold Coin" it does.

The author starts the narrative by describing a dream her father related to her when she visited him in the hospital. He dreamed that he was transported to a beautiful wild garden where he discovered that he was holding gold coins. He started giving them out to people who found that once they had a gold coin all their needs disappeared. These people passed them on to others who also gave them away.

As time passed, the author's memory of her father's dream faded, until fifteen years later when she suddenly remembered the dream in vivid detail. This began her journey toward self discovery. However, it was only after her father's death and through a series of events that she came to understand what the dream truly meant and to appreciate it as the gift it was, her father's gold coin to her.

This is a story of a daughter's love for her father, but most importantly, it is one woman's discovery of what really matters in life.

A very well told and touching story... with a lot of truth to it! A solid "moral" with a very peaceful and freeing message to the heart. This is not just a must-read, but a must-have and read again and again. Pass it on to others! You can feel the sincerity of the author through throughout the story. :)

A very touching and emotional story about a moment of connection between a father and a daughter. The definition of the connection as a gift to be passed on is what makes the story truly inspirational. A very nice lift in your day!

"Guilty of Dust and Sin" is an easy read with a style somewhat like Chandler or Hammett. It's set in New Orleans just after WW II. The story starts out when two boys come running into Detective Lucien Caye's office. Apparently, a dead body was discovered nearby when their errant football went over a fence. From there, Lucien follows the clues, as a good detective should do. He starts out by wondering why a woman would be wearing a flashy red and yellow dress, as if she was going out on the town, while doing gardening. The local police are a little clueless at times, but Lucien is there to help. The plot unfolds in a straightforward fashion, albeit a bit plain, I'd give that part 3 1/2 stars. However, the story telling itself and the attention to detail is excellent, I'd give that part 4 1/2 stars. On the whole, a really nice piece. Overall rating -- 4 stars.

De Noux hit the ball out of the park with this one. The characters are quickly brought to life with rich descriptions and attention to detail creating a moving visual image of tension, agony and a touch of humor. If you love mysteries, you'll love this story.

I loved this story. "Guilty of Dust and Sin" reminds me of some of the best of Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain. It's a tale of a world-weary PI with a sharp mind and a strict sense of justice, one who does things his own way. O'Neil De Noux's characters are marvelous and his dialogue is snappy and real, but I think the strongest element of this story--the one I'll remember the most--is the setting. His detailed description lets readers see and feel the New Orleans of the late 40's. It makes me look forward to more of Detective Lucien Caye's adventures. An excellent, beautifully written story throughout!

This story is a beautifully written paean to a city (New Orleans) and a time (just after WWII) in which the boundaries between right and wrong were more sharply drawn and the consequences to someone who crossed them more immediate. Guilty of Dust and Sin, by one of Louisiana's best authors, is a story to be savored.

I've been a fan of O'Neil De Noux for years. Here's another great story by a great writer.