Digital Books

There is no other book like this. Or I should say the complete book about compositing. All you need to know and more.
I think for compositing work you only need to read two books this one and one from Ron Brinkmann. No need for anything else.

I really struggled through the first chapter, but after that is stared to make more sense. This book is very technical, and many topics like 10-bit logarithmic color are definitely complex concepts, but generally the author does an excellent job of explaining them as simply as possible.

Explanations for what is happening 'under the hood' of a lot of compositing tools are explained, as well as how to achieve them manually. Stuff like keying, despill, unsharp mask, and defocus operations. I've read the 2 other main compositing textbooks available on Amazon.com, I would say this is definitely better than "Digital Compositing In Depth", and slightly better than "The Art & Science of Digital Compositing". It's definitely the most detailed and technical of the 3 books.

I wouldn't recommend this for a beginner, it'd be more suited to someone who has composited for a few years and wants to better understand the underlying concepts of their compositing software.

I ordered two compositing books at once: this one and the classic textbook. I found that the other book was thorough but also did not cover that much more than I'd already learned online and through the manuals that came with my compositing program.

This book, however, went into a lot more specifics and I actually took one greenscreen despill recipe from the despill chapter and implemented it in the compositing program I use (Shake) and the results were fantastic. WAY better than what I had been getting with the built-in tools.

The book has a conversational tone and gives a lot of practical tips and recipes for compositing. The CD is a little light in content (basically the photos for the color plates in the book), but the book is still well worth getting if you're doing compositing. He uses a generic node notation for processing diagrams, so users of After Effects or other non-node-based compositing programs will have a tougher time.

If you consider yourself an upper intermediate level user or less, I'd recommend this book. Among many other things that it does quite well, it explains what procedural keyers like Primatte are doing and shows you how to accomplish the same kinds of processes manually. You will know what each of the many keyers in After Effects (and other compositing apps) are doing and the logic behind each. You will also learn where best to use each based on the situation at hand. It also takes you through many other areas like matte extraction, despill procedures and color correction. After reading it, you will understand scientifically what is going on under the hood of your favorite imaging and video apps. To me, this is the "Photoshop Channel Chops" of 2001. What David Biedny's legendary PCC book did for Photoshop artists a decade or so ago, this book will do for compositors today. I have seen other books handle this subject, some do it well but none as good as this one. Well-written and very easy to understand -- though there are definitely places where you will have to reread passages to understand what's being said. But if you commit to reading it with more than a cursory perusal, you'll walk away a master. Highly recommended. Five Cows.

Ron Lindeboom
creativecow.net

The author has done a great job of taking most if not all the tricks and tips and combined them into one excellent book.
Film and Video is completely explained and the reader gets a great idea why they are so completely different.
This book is an A+ must have for anyone wanting to know more about the compositing process.

The author has provided the digital image and cinema industry with a serious text on image processing. Although the stated focus is digital cinema, this book can be utilized by anyone interested in the algorithms of digital image processing. The book is aimed primarily at professionals who are already involved in the field, but it could also be easily used as a textbook on the subject. Derivations are kept to a minimum and numerous examples in MATLAB are provided to illustrate the various digital processes as well as their effects. There are two chapters in particular that are often omitted in image processing texts. One is the chapter on human visual perception which emphasizes the importance of often mentioned phenemona such as contrast sensitivity as well as less often mentioned non-linear effects and their perception. The other is the chapter on image compression which is extensive and includes spatial, transform, and wavelet domain algorithms in detail. Most interesting is the section devoted to the use of the human vision model in the compression process. Although computer vision itself is largely omitted from the book, the author did include a discussion of basic edge detection methods.

Chapter 1 introduces the readers to digital processing techniques in a brief fashion. Chapter 2 is a review of two-dimensional discrete signals and systems. If you are rusty on this subject, you will probably need an outside source to help refresh your memory. Chapter 3 describes human visual perception from a system point of view. Human vision plays a key role in the design of image and video compression and display systems, thus the chapter describes vision models in detail, in particular the model that predicts masking effects in digital imaging. Chapters four through six, though interesting, are pretty standard fare for digital image processing texts.

The discrete wavelet transform (DWT) is introduced in chapter 7. Without derivations and mathematical proofs, the computation of the DWT using subband coding is described and illustrated with examples. The chapter also explains the connection between wavelets and quadrature mirror filters and shows how to compute a wavelet function from the analysis and synthesis filters with examples. Chapter 8 is devoted to the discussion of image and video compression techniques. This rather extensive chapter describes the basic ideas used in the JPEG2000 and MPEG-2 standards.

Through chapter eight, the processes and algorithms described could be useful to anyone in the field of image processing. In chapter nine the author turns to concerns specific to digital cinema. He does this by addressing some issues behind the special requirements of digital cinema when he discusses two approaches to image compression that meet its requirements - QUALCOMM's system and a system based on the JPEG2000 compression standard. These two systems are interesting because the QUALCOMM system uses the Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) as the compression vehicle while the latter uses the DWT for compression. The chapter is rounded out with a discussion of some of the characteristics of digital projectors.

One particular good characteristic of this book is Appendix D, which contains a variety of suggested MATLAB-based projects on the subject of digital image processing. Even if you already have several good texts on the subject of digital image processing, this one is excellent and has a unique contribution for those interested in applying image processing to the interesting field of digital cinema.

This is truly a great book, the math notations are clear and concise. A lot of good reference pointers in the book make it not only a fundamental textbook but also a good research resource. Many sample codes in Matlab are provided. For anyone working on image signal processing, it is a great resource library. The book is equally valuable to professioinals working on this subject and students (senior undergrad or first year graduate students) becoming familiar with the field.
There is only one minor limitation on what it covers on the digital video compression section. Some of the newest techniques used by the H.264 and VC1 were not mentioned here -- such as intra frame prediction, deblocking filter, as well as mathematic coding used in the entropy coding. There is a discussion on the adaptive block based DCT, which is very interesting. Although a comparison with the current adaptive variable size tracking block and Hadamard transformation would be valuable as well.
This might be a good incentive for Dr. Thyagarajan to write a 2nd edition :). In case he plans to write a new edition, maybe he can elaborate a bit more on the last chapter about what were Qualcomm's practical problems in this project and how they were resolved -- I would imagine he could have enough material to expand the last chapter easily to 40-50 pages from 15 pages.
In summary, I like this book a lot, especially the wavelet section. It is one of the best and clearst treatments of the subject I have ever seen.
I highly recommend owning this book and reading it seriously!

I am involved in embedded applications. I currently work with scientific imaging sensors and real-time processing. This book has been useful and straight forward in my line of work. The chapter on human visual perception helped me to relate with camera issues. The book explains in a systematic manner how to apply discrete wavelet transforms to imaging and how to manipulate them. Overall, the materials in the book are easy to understand and have good examples. I highly recommend this book !!!

The book "Digital Image Processing with Application to Digital Cinema" is an excellent treatment on digital image processing techniques. Mathematical derivations are kept to a minimum so as not to lose sight of the main principles of image processing. Yet the book can easily serve the needs of both professionals and students equally well. The chapter on human visual perception is treated very well giving all details of known visual models, which are used later in the chapter on image compression. Image enhancement is an essential ingredient in all aspects of image processing and the book aptly covers enhancement techniques in detail with numerous examples. Transform techniques in general and wavelet transform in particular are given adequate coverage that most can follow. The chapter on image compression takes up these transforms and explains clearly how to apply them in achieving quality image and video compression. The book ends with a chapter on case studies involving two state-of-the art systems for distribution of movies in digital format. I enjoyed this book very much and I highly recommend it to all professionals, both in universities and industries.

This book provides a very practical up-to-date introduction and explanation of the concepts and state of the art behind the fast changing world of digital image processing, specifically for higher-end applications such as television and digital cinema. The author does a good job of providing easy-to-understand explanations and examples of the basics of this complicated science that allow a non-technical professional to understand the basics of how digital processing is used in video and image applications. But, he also goes further to explain the complicated mathematical principles of various image processing technologies for the benefit of the serious student. The MATLAB examples in the appendix and the suggested "for further study" exercises help provide tools and direction for readers who want to experiment with the principles in the book. Overall, this book should be very useful to the professional or student trying to understand the current industry thinking regarding digital processing and compression of images for high-end presentation applications like digital cinema at whatever depth of understanding they are needing.

I bought this book with an Idea I might learn quickly some of the attributes and controls of My Fuji9500 and I have to say its a great help. It was worth the wait and I would recommend it to anybody with a Digital Camera, I even found the answer to a "Ghost" effect a friend experienced ,a question that has baffelled a lot of Amateur Experts. I would definitly say that this book should be supplied with every Digital Camera, it is a Great Purchase and wont ever be lent to friends, they can buy their own.

If your in the market for an all around excellent book on everything from picture composition, calibrating the color on your monitor, using photo software and anything else you may need, this is the one for you.

This book will be tremedously helpful to the beginning or intermediate digital photographer. It covers taking and editing images and explains complicated procedures clearly and concisely. It is an attractive book, copiously illustrated in color to make its points. I bought it based on two reviews (thank you, reviewers) and I wanted to add my positive comments. You can't go wrong with this book for adding useful information to your knowledge of digital photography and it is certainly priced right!

This book is a great way to start using your cameras full potential in the least amount of time! Plus it's in full color. I find black and white photography books to be nearly useless! It guides you through a cameras features and helps you select a camera or an upgrade but moves quickly into how to take the best shots.

This book is heavily illustrated so I could see the difference that a white point setting had or the difference of a low or high f-stop setting. Mr. Sahlin explains with pictures how to setup your shoots, how to get the best portrait or landscape, motion (waterfalls and sports) how to correct and a ton of other things. There are a lot of tips and cautions along the way. If you want to put your digital camera to full use then get this book...I don't know how they can sell it for so little and teach such complex settings in a way anyone can understand!

I picked up this book a couple of weeks ago along with 3 other books on digital photography and one on Photoshop. I am a professional desiger and I just bought a decent digital camera to be able to shoot my own photos instead of having to hire a photographer whose hourly rate is very expensive. Out of the 5 books I purchased I have to say that this Quickstep book was the easiest to read and got me up and running taking pictures immediately. I was very intimidate by this camera at first (Canon EOS ) but this book was the most helpful in explaining really complex techniques in a simple way. The other books, although helpful, were a little wordy for someone who wants to get down and start working right away. Rick Sammon's Complete Guide to Digital Photography is good too but dwells way too much on things in Photoshop and there are a million Photshop books all the same out there. To put my 2 cents in, I highly recommend this Digital Photography Quicksteps book..

Great reference guide for video production especially for beginners. Simple easy to read and apply!

If you're new to video editing, it is the one for you. It'S a good start

"3rd Edition" I would recommend this book to anyone interested in becoming a Video Editing Guru. Now there isn't much fame or glory in such a title, and I'm not implying that after reading the book you will be able to instantly break into the "Pro" video editing business either. But it does give you some useful information on how to digitize those video clips and turn them into a respectable home movie or corporate presentation.

The book is very much based on Apple's "iMovie" and Pinnacle's "Studio 8". You'll skip around a bit because of the 2 different programs it explains, but you're really just getting 2 books in one if you ever decide to dabble in the 'other' program. If you're using a video editing program other than these, you may want to pick a different book.

Well organized and "dumb-ed down" enough for the beginner. The projects and included clips on CD Rom keep it interesting. I learned about many tips that I plan to use all the time in my projects now. Good work Underdahl!

Based on what I've seen in this book, I would definitely check out the Adobe Premiere Dummies book by the same author if I decide to move up to that program. I'm confident that I would not be disappointed.

The "Dummies" folks seem to be able to get it right pretty consistently, and they also seem to be willing to update titles with some frequency -- publish a new edition, that means.

When I bought this book, I bought another on the same topic from another publisher and neglected to check the date of publication. Well, it was antique, relatively speaking, so when I picked this one up, suddenly things started to make a lot of sense.

Also, the author seems to be able to cover three editing products without a lot of repetition. This is a good, workmanlike job.

I wish I had bought this book initially.
I was pretty new to digital video. I had lots of questions about transferring, capturing analog, audio, and so far this book has answered them. It would have saved time to buy it first.
I'm using the digital video for a vidcast.

Rudick and Lee effortlessly analyze the varied causes of Ohio's employment malaise in a style that is both witty and lucid. The article refuses to shy away from the hard questions; instead, the authors tackle the crucial problem of employment growth head-on. I look forward to the future work of these two rising economic stars.

Being an ex-Ohioan, I was truly interested in what Yoonsoo Lee and Brian Rudick had to say about the recent economy. The article is concise and to the point and provides indepth analysis and insightful information about employment issues in Ohio. I feel that Lee and Rudick have produced a masterpiece and is a must read!

Excellent review of Ohio's job market! Yoonsoo Lee and Brian Rudick really struck gold with this article. I now feel the pulse of the Ohio job market. I highly recomend this work!

I've always been a big fan of Rudick's work, but this one takes the cake. Collaborating with Yoonsoo Lee was pure genius - this commentary is Nobel-worthy in my opinion. If you read any commentary on employment in Ohio this year, read this one. You won't regret it.

This accurate portrayal of the intricacies of the labor market in Ohio is one of the best to date. The authors of this piece set themselves apart from other commentators by using an acutely dismal trend to spark positive ideas for improvement. Their commitment to exposing the determinants that keep the state of Ohio out of the nation's top performers serves as an inspiration for us all.

"We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare and love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all.

It's the best deal man has ever made."

- M. Acklam

Curtis M Hendel gave his all to each and every dog he had the privilege of working with. He saw the potential in Ero and drew it out of him creating that special bond that can't be adequately explained by even the most eloquent of dog lovers. There is, I think, an ever stronger bond (if that can be imagined) between a working dog and his handler. There's a level of trust that is inherently necessary, especially in the life or death situation in Korea. Mr. Hendel does an excellent job of showing us how amazing that relationship is.

Mr. Hendel and Ero worked hard to build that bond, that trust and skill. As a reader I was educated and moved. As the owner of a "working" dog, I was crushed that the bond built between handler and dog do not fit within the military way of business. I can not imagine having to turn my Vixen over to another handler because it's "just business".

I loved this story, it is well written and it kept me reading until the very end. The story that Curtis tells about his experiences while in Korea training military dogs was more than interesting to say the least. I loved the fact that Curtis was able to portray his feelings about what he learned from the whole experience from the dogs and people he worked with. Not everyone is blessed with the patients to do what he did. The bond Curtis and his dog Ero had while together brings life and meaning to what the military considered a piece of property that comes in a bittersweet end. Ero was lucky to have Curtis and I'm sure Curtis felt that he was lucky to have him. This author did a very nice job in honoring his best friend.

Reviewed by Vickie

"Don't ever tamper with the relationship between a man and his dog." Whoever coined that phrase was wise indeed. The bond that forms is as strong as any in the human experience. The dynamics comprising the bond are hard to comprehend, least of all put into words. This author does just that.

You don't have to be a dog owner to appreciate this story of a Military Patrol dog and his handler, his "Dad." Chances are you will be troubled by the same question I have. `Can't the US Military find a way to keep two "soldiers" who have shared so much from enduring what must be a heartbreaking separation for both?' I hope they do.

Meet Curtis and Ero two of Americas Finest. The trouble is that according to the US Air Force Ero is just a piece of equipment like a jeep or a blanket. This puppy dumb German Shepard though catches Curtis' eye as having something extra. Come along as Ero goes from over active puppy to well honed team mate for Curtis. Unfortunately the Military thinks that a dog is just like a rifle that can be passed from one handler to the next. They have no concept of the bond between dog and man. This is a story of dedication and sorrow. It is the tale of a man and his canine team mate.

This is another story which needed to be told and deserves to be read. Curtis M. Hendel accomplished the telling with heart and clarity. What surprised me was that I laughed out loud in a few places, particularly where Hendel described the varied attitudes of the dogs he worked with, including his ultimate partner, ERO245J. I hadn't expected to laugh anywhere in this story because the blurb left no doubt that it would be a heartbreaker. That was one of the reasons I had put off reading it, though I wanted to. Since my husband and I had a very special German Shepherd in our family, we're unusually sensitive to stories about them, fiction as well as nonfiction.

Originally, this Amazon Short had an appealing cover, but it didn't have the mesmerizing addition of the current gorgeous photo including Ero. When I saw him in the photo I had to buy and read this story immediately: If you've had interest in German Shepherds you know that each dog has a unique look, stance, and markings, with different length muzzles, different shaped heads. I've never seen another dog who looked like our Arlo. The dog in the photo could have been his identical twin brother.

Reading this story gave me a welcome education about the training and use military dogs. I was glad to know that, overall (except for the problem explored here), it appeared that the dogs were treated well, and that many of the dogs and trainers/handlers seemed to enjoy the process, taking pride in their accomplishments and the daily necessities of "getting good."

Even though I've personally befriended many pets, cats as well as dogs, I hadn't realized how different the personalities and attitudes of military dogs could be. Handel's descriptions of the dogs he worked with were priceless as well as intriguing. He gave a perfect amount of detail (to hold a strong interest and avoid yawns) about the dogs, the training, and the overall situation. After Handel worked diligently (and sometimes humorously) through difficulties with Rex and Thor, the handler was allowed to have his pick of his next dog:

>> I continued working with Thor, trying to get something out of this dog. My days off spent in the kennels would not yield any great improvements and my time with him would end in ... and my getting to pick from a group of over twenty dogs fresh from Patrol Dog Training Section at Lackland ARB, K-9 basic training. The kennel master would give me first choice since I had been at the kennels for five months. <<

The details carrying that choice process were somewhat surprising, as well as interesting, along with the training and friendship which developed between Ero and Curtis. Handel handled the ending of this story with as much dignity and sensitivity as he did the whole piece, though that small concluding slice rightfully lacked the easy flow of warm humor which percolated through the rest.

This story was well told, and I believe Arlo wanted me to read and review it. This one's for you, Arlo, for your twin, Ero, your comrades, and for Curtis Hendel,

Linda Shelnutt

I am an avid amateur digital photographer. I have read many books on exposure and techniques. This is one of the best ever. The explanations are clear, logical, and the presentation is easy to follow. A concept is explained and then one or more photographs are used to demonstrate the concept. I highly recommend this book.

I couldn't be happier that I have this book. It explains everything that I needed to know about exposure, in such detail that a monkey could take better photos than Ansel Adams. I am so serious, If you have a DSLR, and you want to learn everything you can about it, you must have this book.

I've read many books on photography, but i must say this is the one book that explains exposure extremely well. The writing is very accessible and all the explanations are illustrated with actual photos. Photos in the book not only include the perfunctory exposure data, but the author uses the caption to reiterate what he explains in the book. Furthermore, I like how the author includes not only photos that came out well for him, but he also includes ones that didn't come out well and explains what he would have done deferent.

Even though I've been a professional photography for a little over three years, I'm constantly learning and deepening my understanding of the craft. This book will be one that I come back to again and again. I just might get another copy and re-read it again next year.

All I can say is that if you're really wanting to understand how to work with various lighting conditions in relationship to aperture, shutter speed, ISO, white balance controls, and flash, this book will help you. Assignments are included at the end of each chapter, and each page includes space to jot notes. Though technical language is used, the author does a good job of breaking down complicated terms.

I can't recommend this book enough for serious amateurs and emerging professional photographers.

After just having bought the Nikon D300 (after a life using point-and-shoot cameras), I wanted a good overview and introduction into exposure. Wow, did this book deliver! I finished the entire book in a few days and bookmarked the parts I want to return to. Everything about the book from the organization, the pictures and examples is a testament to the author's knowledge and to his ability to teach! I can only hope the other books in the series are as good as this one!!

What a great book! Accessible and useful for beginning photographers or those who want to go beyond the programmed modes and take control of their photographs. Profusely illustrated with all sorts of great photos that are (mostly) the sort that anyone can take, not the type that most people will only sigh at because they cannot travel to exotic places and spend a fortune on equipment. All manner of useful tips and diagrams are here. For example: for those confused about aperature and what it means the author provides not just the numbers but scale diagrams making it clear what they represent physically-- a very nice touch. Just about everything I could think of made it into the book. Easily a 5-star recommendation. This is my 3rd book on exposure and I think this one is the best. I'll update this with a detailed review when I'm finished.

I've got to hand it to the author, this book did exactly what it said it would do. I needed to learn Premiere fast and now, although I'm no expert, I'm pretty comfortable. I was surprised it was in color too, especially since it was less than $15.

The Focal Easy Guide to Premiere Pro by Tim Kolb is just that - easy. As a longtime Premiere (and now Premiere Pro) user, I found it very easy (there's that word again) to search through the book and find references to tools or procedures that needed "refreshing" in my mind. Even if you use Premiere Pro everyday, you don't use every tool or technique on every project, so the help file and good reference books like this are essential when deadlines are looming or you are just experimenting with new ways to jazz up your videos. The descriptions are easier to follow and are better organized than the online help included with the program. They often go well beyond the information that Adobe includes in the help files.

Aiding me in my searches (and for new users, making Premiere Pro easier to understand) are the book's graphics. The graphics used for the screenshots in this book are, in a word, spectacular. They are crisp, clear and large enough so that even a casual viewing conveys lots of information immediately. They are what sets this book apart from so many other "getting started" books.

I really wish that I had had this book available when I was first learning Premiere; it would have saved me lots of time and lots of bumps from banging my head against the wall.

Jeff Bellune
Owner
Bellune Digital Video Services

A great find! This little book helped me get up to speed with Premiere Pro quickly. It is not a watered down "for dummies" book, but is not an 800-page bible either (which I don't need!!). Instead it gets right down to business and shows you how to get through your first couple projects with ease. The full color, price and ease of use make this a great package.

This book is certainly a great way to get your chops, being taught by someone who uses the application for real world work - on a daily basis.

I've followed Tim around the web for years, on different forums and as a respected expert editor and Adobe guru. You can find him online and pick from his reviews, articles and posts that all clearly demonstrate his qualifications and insights before you buy the book... But no need, it's cheap! Very easy to get way more than 15.00 of value from this book. You really can't go wrong.

It's far better than trudging through a boring black and white book (typical software manual) that covers everything but what you really want to know! The book is laid out very well, lots of color. It offers a very visual method of learning the app and why the different parts of the app are there..what they do.

I've used Premiere for 4 or 5 years now. Premiere Pro is quite different. This book is a great primer and companion for learning the ins and outs of this newly revamped Non-Linear Editor.

I am really of two minds about this book. My impression is that it would be almost useless to teach someone how to use Premiere Pro. I still liked it.

I am no great video editor but I do have some, small familiarity and have learned some things from other books. Based on that experience, I doubt this book would have done much good at all in learning to operate the program. Where I found it useful is in its overview and presentation. It does a great job of explaining broad concepts and giving a feel for the capabilities of the program. It also give some of the very basics of the mechanics of how to edit. I suspect I will find this book useful as a continuing reference not to explain the particulars of how to do something but to explain conceptually what can be done. I will use it as a jumping off point to investigate specific topics in other books.

The illustrations in this volume are luxurious. They are full color screen shots and are big enough, barely, to see what is happening on the screen. How I wish other training aids had as nice visuals!

This is a story that keeps you smiling as you read it. Well written and so Southern that you can hear the voices as they speak.
A tribute to the author Phil Whitley for his beautiful writing skills.
Thank you Mr. Whitley for the pleasure.
Anne Lebrecht

You will love this story about the good ole' boys who have nothing better on their minds but a good ole' Southern fish fry. The preacher and his entourage have engineered ways to make this possible, but in ways you would never expect. With "GAW-ud-ah", anything is possible!
Superb dialect and imagery. This story is a keeper!
Good job!

Take five Good Ol Boys, one of whom is a good Southern Preacher add in the need for large amounts of catfish, and some shall we say nontraditional methods of catching fish, fry it all up with slaw and Hushpuppies then you'll have one funny story to share with everyone you know. Phil Whitley deftly weaves the threads of Southern Religion with Good Ol Boy inventiveness to leave us all with a smile on our face that will be there for a long time. It will return every time we think about catfishin.

Phil Whitley is uniquely qualified to write Southern Humor. Phil Grew up in Georgia and his characters are drawn from the real people of his youth. His description of the "Preacherman" in Good Ol' Boys Catfishin' is masterful. You can close your eyes and hear the sermon in pure southern dialect.

If you enjoy Good Ol' Boys Catfishin' you will also like Phil's new book "Keechie".

The Southern dialect read warm and true, and this was an endearing "vision":

>> He didn't have a church of his own, but he had a huge army surplus tent that he set up frequently, much to the dismay of his immediate family. They usually made up his entire congregation, unless he could come up with ideas to draw a crowd. <<

At that point I had an ah ha! Maybe, Amazon Shorts would draw a crowd for Whitley's voice! Having read into the first few paragraphs, I was cheering in his camp. Even though, as I've mentioned in other reviews, I'm not a churchgoer or a doctrine digester, I enjoy prime humor almost anytime, anywhere, from any clear, un-invested voice.

By un-invested I mean that the talent aims foremost to wide-market entertainment. In that case it's okay by me if the voice also happens to provide intrigue about free-spirited Godly stuff.

Anyone gets my willing grins when he makes good fun out his own understandably fizzled brain sparks:

>> His previous brainstorm hadn't worked out as well as he had planned. It wasn't that it was that bad of an idea. It was just that there wasn't enough people in the community willing to pay five dollars a plate for a "Soul Food" dinner of turnip greens and cornbread--and then having to listen to him preach for two hours. <<

This stepped up to zealous intrigue:

>> Brother Hollis was already planning his sermon for the fish fry, and wasn't about to pass up a chance to make it happen. "Just what do you mean by `Not `zackly legal, Brother Red?" <<

Phil most definitely had the Southern drawl in a tight package:

>> "I've heerd `bout that, Red," Small Tim said. "Pap called hit `callin' catfish, er sompin' lak that." <<

After a few times of these guys mentioning "pushin' catfish aside" to grab something from the cooler, I'z gettin' a mite suspisheeous:

>> Dubya reached behind the seat of his jeep and took out a six-pack of tall-boy Buds, pushed a few catfish aside and dropped it into the cooler. <<

Whitley was good with the descriptive quips which set the atmosphere (note the "squinted ... smoke":

>> "Long as y'all don't mind a'wadin'. How deep is it?" Dubya asked while he lit a Camel and squinted at Tim over the smoke. <<

The concluding scenes of the catfish free-for-all, as they connected to the baptismal banquet were so well wrought and so hilarious, I didn't just laugh uproariously; I wheezed and wheezed, and squeezed my lungs like I used to do regularly as a kid, when something struck me so funny I couldn't stop the giggling fits to breathe. That side-shaking, tear-spewing type of funny bone exercise is the best medicine on heaven or earth. Thank you, Whitley!!

Yep, I agree. A keeper. Just be sure to gut it right, and go for mo.

Giggles & Grace Abounding,

Linda Shelnutt

The first thing that strikes you about "Growing the Distance" is its unique format and layout. Unlike many books written strictly for business, this publication is alive with style, relevant quotations, humorous quips and interesting fonts. Whereas beauty is only skin deep, this book has helpful and attractive information from cover to cover. Author Jim Clemmer is the founder and president of The CLEMMER Group, a strategic consulting firm. Jim is a best selling author, workshop/retreat leader, and keynote speaker on organization improvement, leadership development, and personal effectiveness. Clemmer presents the values and philosophy he models to others in this fine book.

One of the main messages that clearly jumps out at the reader is this powerful theme...leadership and change is a living philosophy that must permeate every aspect of life including family, career, personal responsibility and self-fulfillment. Many business books on leadership put the various life roles of a leader in separate boxes. Business is one box, family life is another box, personal goals and self-actualization in yet another box. It is often assumed that these various roles have little to do with each other and for this reason family life and spirituality are typically ignored. "Growing the Distance" is not afraid to challenge this misconception by boldly discussing a leader's various interconnected roles!

"Growing the Distance" is a book about creating positive change within yourself rather than being the victim of change. Its powerful premise is that we can begin from where we are today, and choose where we want to be tomorrow. By making these choices we can grow the distance. Clemmer believes that each of us can develop the qualities of leadership that reside inside us no matter what our position in life. This publication discusses what leadership is, why change is essential, and the importance of vision, values and purpose. Clemmer encourages personal accountability for our choices and writes how we can learn and grow from disappointments. He encourages us to find commitment and passion in our workplace, as well as in spirit, and meaning within our lives. He proceeds to discuss growth and personal development while reminding us that great leaders are able to energize others to motivate themselves.

If you want to read a book and be enthusiastic about your leadership potential, "Growing the Distance" is a must. It will inspire you and help to mesh together the various roles and activities of your life. This book is truly different and will find a happy home on your bookshelf!

Jim starts the book with the point that too many development books are "like a pair of steer horns--a point here and a point there, with a whole lot of bull in between." When you are finished with this book, you won't be asking "Where's the beef?" I liked his philosophy of using quotes throughout the text, "If I couldn't have said it better myself, I won't make you wade through pages of text to prove it." And he didn't!

I picked up this book as I was thinking of my professional growth, but found the principles even more applicable at home in my role as father. I learned along side my children how to keep our rate of internal growth faster than external change so we won't be victims. Now my kids use Jim's comments of not getting "The Victimitis Virus" and staying out of "Pity City".

If this were a novel, reviewers would be saying things like "fast-paced," "exciting," and "inspirational."

This book connects leadership, personal growth and success in life in a format designed for easy reading and high impact. Although I actually read the books I'm asked to review, not just scan for content, I've found some books can't be read straight through because they aren't designed for it. "Growing The Distance" is one of those. It is in digest format, a collection of short, short articles that follow a common theme, each building on the prior articles to form a coherent book. Each article also is able to stand alone without reference to the others. Thus, you can explore the ideas in the book at random, sampling here and there according to your attraction to a title.

And, it is preferable to read this book by scanning and sampling. Each "article" has so much condensed meaning that you need to stop and think about the ideas, anecdotes and quotations within. Like eating peanuts, you keep going back and nibbling some more.

I've grown tired of business books that have good lessons but don't inspire me.

Jim's book IS NOT one of those.
It is fresh and inspiring. I really like the writing style.

I can truely say this is my favourite book!I have read it at least 3 times already and I'll probably read again and again!