Digital Books

As former Director of Broadcast Engineering for Alabama Public Television, (America's oldest PBS Network) I can say that my 38 years of Telecom, Technology, and Broadcast experience strongly suggests that everthing I've ever read by George Gilder is excellent. George's books and Forbes /ASAP articles are an excellent reference for anyone concerned in how technology has and will continue to affect the economy of the U.S. and the World. James Foley -- Alpha Communications & OMNI Telecom

Fiber and wireless, he is amazingly correct in predicting the technology trends, can't wait to see what he is going to talk about in his next book.

George Gilder has been hailed as one of the foremost science and technology writers for Forbes Magazine. His book, Wealth and Poverty, was one of the "Bibles" of '80s supply-side economics. Although I may not totally agree with his economic views, his extensive research of telecommunications and how this vast and intertwined conglom of industries affects humanity is unquestionably thorough, thought provoking, intellegent, and timely. Some craggy rocks which potentially ground Gilder's predictions of a tidal wave on the technoscape are FCC auctions; mis-directed consumer advertising; lack of consumer education on what cell phone towers "really" are (you know, fear of radiation, cancer scare, etc.), and the inability of competing telecoms, cable companies, computer megopolies, etal to install fiber-optic cable and satellites at a break-neck enough pace. All I know is, wherever TCI has tried Internet services, the "Alpha Test" consumers not only wouldn't give it up after the test was over, some people would not move to an area where they couldn't purcase the service! So readers: Ride premiere prognosticator Gilder's technowave, and be one of the first to hang ten in a prospective post-Mellenium promised land! And be sure to pick up his other books, such as Microcosm. I believe he is updating this for 1998, and he's "write-on" in his first edition. Surf's up!

Y digo simpleza por la sencillez y llaneza de su mensaje. Aunque ya con cierta edad soy estudiante de cine, y es increíble lo difícil que parece todo para comenzar un rodaje. Sin embargo la lectura de este libro me ha hecho plantearme el comienzo de mi cortometraje de forma muy distinta, sobre todo me ha ayudado a creer que perfectamente puedo ser capaz de llevarlo a cabo. Un director de fotografía amigo mío y que conoce personalmente al autor del libro me recomendó su lectura y le estoy muy agradecido. Este libro me hace ver las cosas mas sencillas, liberarme de prejuicios y sobre todo confiar en mi mismo para comenzar mi proyecto.

Un libro práctico, basado en experiencias reales, sin engaños, tapujos y complejos de superioridad que tanto acompañan a los cineastas curtidos. Con un análisis coherente de las ventajas e inconvenientes que el mundo digital aporta a la cinematografía actual y como aprovecharse de ello.

Imprescindible!

Los trabajos del Director es un libro que se lee de forma intensa, rápida. Quizás porque, además de ser eminentemente práctico, aporta ese cierto "morbo" que tienen las narraciones de experiencias personales. En este caso, se trata de experiencias de Carlos Atanes (pre-producción, de rodaje, de post-producción) así como diversas anécdotas acaecidas durante la realización de sus cortos y de sus largometrajes. Y, ciertamente, rompe algunos mitos y muchos esquemas. En mi opinión, aparte de su amena lectura, el libro aporta elementos útiles para todos aquellos que llevamos soñando con empezar nuestra película y nos quedamos atrapados en los problemas antes de dar cualquier paso. Leyendo Los trabajos del director me he dado cuenta de que, para hacer cine, no se necesita nada más que empezar, con voluntad. Una vez has tirado del hilo ya no puedes volver atrás. Para los más miedosos puede ser interesante tener en cuenta alguno de los trucos que se explican en "Los trabajos del director". Me ha recordado un poco a esos libros americanos de "how to..." (de hecho, hace poco leí uno sobre cine underground). En este caso se trataría de "cómo hacer una película independiente" con la ventaja de que, si bien la mayoría de las reflexiones que se contienen en el libro resultarían de aplicación universal, por llamarlo así, también lo es que la forma de hacer cine americano, incluso el independiente, presenta particularidades respecto a un contexto europeo o español. En resumen, un buen libro que hay que leer.

No sé si éste es el libro de Carlos Atanes con el que mejor me lo he pasado (¡creo que sí!), pero seguro que es el más útil en el sentido práctico. En él explica desde un punto de vista muy personal y sincero sus experiencias y su manera de organizar y llevar a cabo los rodajes de sus películas. Lo cuenta además de una forma muy divertida y sorprendente. Cuenta cosas que no he encontrado hasta ahora en ningún otro manual de cine que pueden parecer, a veces, estrafalarias o excéntricas, pero que son de una sensatez y de un sentido común incontestables. Ojalá alguien me las hubiera explicado antes en alguna clase de cine o en algún libro porque me hubiera ahorrado muchos quebraderos de cabeza.

En este libro Atanes destruye de verdad prejuicios y puntos de vista anquilosados sobre lo que se supone que debe ser el trabajo de un director de cine, ya sea en la preparación o durante el rodaje. Y aporta soluciones prácticas que, aunque sean aplicables sobre todo a las producciones de bajo presupuesto, son en definitiva aplicables a cualquier tipo de producción.

Cuando lo leí sentía que se abría una ventana por la que entraba aire fresco, y creo que "Los trabajos del director" debería ser un texto de referencia para cualquiera que pretenda rodar algo, ya sea un largo o incluso un corto. No pocas personas que conozco que se dedican profesionalmente a esto deberían leerlo también. Sería muy útil en las escuelas de cine. Yo, por lo menos, lo pondría de lectura obligada a los alumnos.

Carlos Atanes tiene una larga trayectoria a sus espaldas en el cine independiente (CODEX ATANICUS - Three wild stories / tres historias salvajes (PAL) y FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions están editadas en DVD) y, aunque no he visto todas sus películas, siempre me ha llamado la atención (además de por su valor artístico) la habilidad con la que ha podido hacer todo eso, incluso cine de ciencia-ficción, con tan pocos recursos, consiguiendo que en la pantalla no se note la precariedad. Buena parte del secreto de cómo conseguirlo está en este libro. Si el cine es magia, en buena medida éste es un libro de "magia" práctica.

This may be one of the best yaoi I have ever read. To begin with, the art is fantastic- the detailing is great and the men look, like, well, men (as opposed to preteen boys like in some other yaois). The story itself is adorable too. Two sets of couples, two small apartments, and a lot of character.

If you want warm fuzzies, then this is your yaoi.

I found this book entirely charming. The story alternates between the couples, and deals mainly with emotions rather than actions. This mangaka does an excellent job of portraying adult scenes beautifully without actually showing us that much; I was too engrossed in the story to notice either way and had to go back to check.

At the end, I found myself wanting a second volume, to see if the couples continue to interact and how some of the characters deal with their families and careers. But these little wishes don't make the story we're given any less satisfying.

The 2 couples here are endearing, their stories sweet, refreshing and engaging. Kouno stays by himself in a small studio apartment and is often visited by his close friend, Natsu. Their relationship from "f..." buddies to lovers is nicely done, with Kouno's unhappy past adding angst and tenderness to their story. Kouno is a vulnerable character and his final belief in Natsu's sincerity does provide some touching moments.

Kouno's next-door neighbours are a pair of childhood friends, Naomichi and Kei, who too occupied a tiny studio apartment. Naomichi is confused upon Kei's sudden confession of love. Who does he approach for advice? His next-door neighbour, Kouno, of course. Afterall he does "hear" them often. Naomichi's and Kei's story is delightful and equally heartwarming as they evolve from awkward to committed lovers.

Lastly, there is a charming and sweet epilogue with wraps up their stories beautifully.
This soft Yaoi is enjoyable, the boys appealing, the tiny studio apartment setting refreshing and the mangaka's artwork is pleasing.

Mac Digital Photography is written in a fun and friendly, yet professional manner. You will learn a variety of techniques in many short examples. I hesitate to call them tutorials, because most of these examples are essentially a short number of steps that are between 1 and a few sentences in length. There are also many bulleted lists that contain useful definitions and explainations.

Both of these formats are very easy to learn from. If you are uncomfortable with image editing, you will definitely find this book easy to follow because of this. You won't get bogged down in long and complex tutorials - the examples are short and concise, and very easy to follow. The best feature of this book is how useful it is to beginners; however, it will also benefit people who are more advanced computer users - but who might never have taken a close look at really how to go about making their digital pictures look better. Cropping, editing and color correction can make a crappy picture 100% better.

What I found as an unexpected bonus was a wealth of projects and crafts that you could create using your digital camera. This is something I have not done much work with at all (apart from printing my photos on fancy papers). Finding out how to create greeting cards and other projects was a nice surprise, and the projects were presented in a clear and fun way by the author(s). For the full review, visit http://www.flash-mx.com/books/macphotography.cfm

On first glance, you might wonder why there is a special book on digital photography for Macintosh owners. After all, the camera doesn't know what kind of computer you use, and the key software tools for post processing, such as Photoshop and Photoshop Elements are available for both Mac and Windows platforms.

But think about it some more, and you'll realize that, indeed, the Mac is more than a platform -- it's a way of looking at how you use a computer. This book follows that approach, with more than you'd find in a book aimed at the general digital photography audience. For example, there are crafts and projects in this book, showing you ways to use digital photography that you might not have thought of. There's even a disc full of try-out software and other goodies, which is something of an anachronism in these days when any of the products included can be downloaded over a broadband connection in a few minutes. But, Mac users are more interested in ease of use, so the disc makes sense.

No doubt Mac owners will flock to this book, in much the same way that they've made the Macintosh a favored platform for digital photographers, both amateur and professional.

The very first paragraphs in MAC Digital Photography give very good advice - get close to your subject! Ah yes, what many photographers fail to do. They want everything in the picture when what you really want is to focus on your subject. Remember to use the Rule of Thirds and your photos will capture exactly what you want to see in them. Remember, too, to make your backgrounds simple and uncluttered. Don't distract the viewer with images unrelated to what you want them to see.

Wow and that's only the first two pages in the book. If you learn nothing else from reading this book, remember those points and your pictures will be greatly improved. Other points discussed include camera angle, orientation, and lighting. Tips on setting up your home photo studio are included. Keep reading the first chapter is you want information on depth of field and exposure and posing your subjects

All of this great information was contained in Chapter one and there are eight more yet to read in this well written and easy to understand book. Without going into a rewriting of the book, other chapters contain explanations of what digital camera you should get, some of the software available to make corrections to your photos after you take them and how to use that software, how to get the photos in a hard copy format and don't forget about saving them to CD or DVD.

Another chapter explains how to share your pictures by email or watching it on your own TV. It also tells about using your camera as a "notepad" for such things as remembering a quote in a book or showing your spouse several outfits you might buy but couldn't decide which one.

Chapter 10 tells all about the items you can create from the photos you take with the digital camera. Things like, greeting cards or photo wheels - a picture wheel to show your mood for the day. A collage is a fun thing to display on your wall and this chapter helps you create one.

Finally, there is a CD loaded with software for your MAC - a trial version of PhotoShop Elements 2, DVD PictureShow, FlipAlbum3, PhotoToWeb, plus a demo version of LiveSlideShow 2,0 and the shareware version of GraphicConverter. Still not enough software? There are others such as Photo to Movei, Image Surfer, Stitcher, Genuine Fractals, PrintPro and iVCD for Video CDs!

If you are thinking of buying or already have a digital camera to go along with your MAC, this book would make a great hands-on help file to have right at your fingertips.

If you are thinking about going into this business, this is perfect!! I have been a notary for over 5 years and wish I had this when I started out!!!

I was fortunate enough to hear about Laura's book before I started in the notary business. The advice the author shares is honest, unbiased and valuable. This is no "get-rich-quick campaign". She provides step-by-step instructions on how to get listed in important directories, prepare press releases and more. What's best is that she responds to your email if you have a question about her book. I may have to buy another copy, I've marked up my first copy with underlining, arrows and other important notations. If you are serious about the notary business you will read this book over-and-over again because each time you do, you'll find some new information that you overlooked previously. Looking forward to her writing Part II of this excellent resource material.

I've been a notary for years and this book gave me lots of solid, useful, low-cost new ideas I could implement right away. It is direct and to the point: no fluff. The information can't be found anywhere else - I've looked. It's an excellent resource I know I will refer to many times in the future. Very helpful. Excellent resource.
- Kathy in TX

This book is very helpful in understanding and practicing of dental digital photography, especially to beginner~. Although I live in Seoul, Korea, Shipping is very fast! Thank you for kindness.

This book is a comprehensive review of dental clinical photography. It covers the basics and the details.

This is a comprehensive well written book with generous clear illustrations. The book covers equipment to processing to presentation. There is a very good section on commercially available equipment from point-and-shoot to DSLR's. Equipment changes quickly but with the information in this book you should be able to acquire the right equipment and and take great images for years to come. Whether you are taking digital images for documentation, publication or patient presentations, this book covers it all.

Great book, highly recommended. Detailed information explained thoroughly and understandably. Every Windows Admin should own this book. As mentioned previously, the Kerberos and Delegation chapters are fabulous as is the chapter on Unix/Linux Authentication Integration. Actually, every chapter provided quite a bit of value. If you are a Windows Admin - read this book, you will be glad you did.

Another instant classic from the folks at DP/HP. The writing style is truly excellent - flows nicely, never boring, and technically enlightening...its what i expect from De Clerq to be honest - author of the classic: Mission Critical Active Directory. My only complaint is that this book is really the 2nd Ed of Windows 2003 Security Infrastructures (again De Clerq and DP/HP, and obviously covering SP1 and R2), so if you already have that one, then you may need to determine whether the new info is worth the purchase. Regardless - this book is brilliant...the chapter on Delegation is worth the price alone.

Very good book, chock full of detail on things you have issues finding details on normally. Sections on Kerberos and Active Directory will likely be extremely enlightening for many people. Some pieces can be a little tough to follow at times but we aren't talking about how to color within the lines in a coloring book, this is some serious technical security information. I highly recommend that all Windows Admins spend time cuddled up with this book. Windows Server Admins absolutely better be reading this book.

Most books on Multimedia either deal with specific applications of multimedia or offer an analysis of just one Multimedia standard, but this book establishes the fundamentals of multimedia signal processing, introducing generic concepts and then offering a more detailed analysis of the underlying mathematical concepts.

The language is simple and the author does not try to confuse the reader with technical jargon. The material on audio and video compression and various standards is especially intensive. The example programs in the MATLAB CD are well written and give the user a clear understanding of the practical aspects of digital filtering, compression algorithms and the basics of multimedia signal processing. I would strongly recommend this book to someone who wants to know the `whys' as well as the `hows'.

Most books on Multimedia either deal with specific applications of multimedia or offer an analysis of just one Multimedia standard, but this book establishes the fundamentals of multimedia signal processing, introducing generic concepts and then offering a more detailed analysis of the underlying mathematical concepts.

The language is simple and the author does not try to confuse the reader with technical jargon- a very good read. The material on audio and video compression and various standards is especially intensive. The example programs in the MATLAB CD are well written and give a clear understanding of the practical aspects of digital filtering, compression algorithms and the basics of multimedia signal processing. I would strongly recommend this book to someone who wants to know the `whys' as well as the `hows'.

It is not easy to find a textbook on multimedia for upper level undergraduate and graduate computer engineering students. This book has filled the need, and has presented an excellent and interesting introduction to multimedia in fifteen chapters. Although, it has been assumed that the readers have knowledge about discrete-time signals and systems, a chapter has been included to review basic transforms and filter theory, as well as to present advanced theories such as discrete cosine transform and wavelets. The signal processing theories have been explained and demonstrated with simple examples. A strong point of the book is the accompanying CD that contains MATLAB codes for all relevant examples. The readers can easily run these codes and verify the results of the audio/image/video experiments presented in the book. For those who are not familiar with MATLAB, the processed audio/image/videos for several examples are provided in the CD. These readers can just play the audio file or display the image to verify the subjective quality. Instructors should also find the Power Point figures and tables provided by the author useful.

Anthony Zaknich wrote a book that provides the reader with a very broad knowledge about neural networks especially for signal processing. Fundamental facts are extracted and presented in a form that is very easy to read, such as listings, keywords, main formulas, diagrams and results from experiments. Zaknich avoided going into too much theoretical details which might only confuse beginners. But also for advanced and professionals his book is a good source of well-structured basic knowledge. This is the difference compared to other books about neural networks since the reader finds the essence that is crucial to understanding the basics. A huge selection of literature references enables the reader to quickly continue deeper studies about interesting topics. Furthermore, Zacknich' provides examples and results from experiments and simulations which he has done by himself for the most parts. He compares different neural network types and configurations for various real-world examples. These comparisons and results were a very valuable help for me in order to understand the differences and characteristics among the vast number of various network types.
Finally, Zaknich's book helps me very much in my job for that it is very important to have application results and "benchmark-like" comparisons. His explanations are often with reference to his own developed Modified Probabilistic Neural Network (MPNN) and Advanced MPNN that animated me to carry out some tests based on his MPNN. Another idea in his book is the Integrated Sensory Intelligent System (ISIS) that he introduces. I would highly appreciate if Zaknich releases new books especially on the field of signal processing and his idea of the ISIS.
Zaknich knows how to guide the reader through the different topics and not to bore him by long theoretical sequences and formulas. There is already a wide range of available literature that explains topics, such as classifications, control systems, robots etc. in more detail. Interesting quotations from different sources of literature attached to each chapter makes the book even more than merely a scientific book.

Claas Richter
Silicann Technologies (Japan/Germany)

Zaknich's book provided me with the necessary theory and detail to enable me to develop a neural network application as part of my phd. I thoroughly recommend this text for anyone wishing to develop and use neural networks, particularly for engineering applications. I found that while most books focussed on either the theory of neural networks or selected applications, Zaknich's text provided a comprehensive coverage of both theory and application providing a sound basis for understanding and applying neural networks. Topics ranged from the applicability of neural networks through to data collection, data conditioning and the final implementation.

***** Stanley McGibney, Consultant Mechanical Engineer

I found this book to be significantly different in its treatment of neural networks for signal processing and pattern recognition. It deals very ably not only with essential theory but also with basic practical issues, often missing from other books on the subject, that significantly enhance understanding and application. Zaknich has included a nice guide and design approach to successful application of neural networks, which is supplemented by frequent tips and a variety of worked application examples.

The book is much more than a good introduction to neural networks. It also includes a class of neural networks that Zaknich has developed and worked on over a decade that he refers to as common bandwidth spherical basis function neural networks. This is based on a generalization called the Modified Probabilistic Neural Network (MPNN) that encompasses Donald Specht's Probabilistic and General Regression Neural Networks. He has continued to develop the MPNN in a number of very practical directions that allows it to used for a wide range of engineering problems. He seems to favour applications related to underwater acoustic signal processing but the methods and approaches that he offers are suited to many other non-linear problems found in engineering and other disciplines.

The book includes a very interesting discussion on intelligent signal processing. Zaknich talks about what he calls hyperspace signal processing in the context of the MPNN and other classical filtering structures that gives an interesting view of some of the basic issues involved. He suggests at least one possible generic approach to non-linear signal processing based on Vapnik's Support Vector Machine that has a structural similarity to the MPNN.

This book is a gem that shines in its clarity beyond many other books on neural networks that I have struggled with in an attempt to understand the subject well enough to apply it.

New Cinematographers is a quick, thorough, and interesting read. The information is presented in a simple way that is neither too flowery nor too sparse. Divided into 6 sections, one for each cinematographer, then sub-divided for each film that is discussed. The language is not excessively technical, so a beginner should be able to understand. It is not bland for the seasoned professional though, since a lot of the techniques presented are very non-conventional. Some of the films covered are quite different than what you will find in your typical issue of American Cinematographer, whose films seem to have a limitless budget. Especially in the early part of their careers, these cinematographers, found innovation, imagination, and hard work would go a lot further toward the overrall success of the film than just a budget can allow. Highly recommended for beginner, professional, or enthusiast.

This book is an excellent resource for cinematographers, both professional and aspiring.

Lance Acord, Jean-Yves Escoffer, Darius Khondji, John Mathieson, Seamus McGarvey, and Harris Savides all go through a step by step process of what they did to execute certain scenes. Lighting charts, set design blueprints, call sheets, storyboards, on set photography, film stills... it's all in this book. Very detailed and descriptive. In depth writing about film stocks, developing processes, filters, lights, colors... everything you could possibly imagine!

Hands down a GREAT resource, as they dissect scenes in movies they actually shot. So you can follow along while watching films such as Buffalo '66, Being John Malcovich, Lost in Translation, Gummo, City of Lost Children, Seven, The Beach, Gladiator, The Hours, and plenty more.

Definite recommendation.

"New Cinematographers" is a beautifully produced and packaged book, full of insights into what goes on in the mind of some of the most creative and interesting cinematographers working today. There are sections devoted to each of several new cinematographers, and chapters on several of the films they worked on. Readers of the book basically get to look at refined notes by some of the contemporary masters of cinema (Lance Acord - Buffalo '66, Being John Malkovich, Lost in Translation; Jean-Yves Escoffer - Lovers on the Bridge, Gummo, Good Will Hunting; Darius Khondji - Delicatessen, Se7en; John Mathieson - Gladiator, Matchstick Men; Seamus McGarvey - High Fidelity, The Hours; and Harris Savides - The Game, Elephant), whose names are not as well known as the directors of the films they worked on, but who ought to be -- as this book makes abundantly clear, the body of work to which each of these cinematographers contributed bears the mark of their creative talents just as much as it bears the stamp of their directors or writers. The list of films covered reads like a catalog of all of the most visually compelling works by the most creative directors of the past decade (Being John Malkovich, Seven, Elephant, The City of Lost Children, etc.). There are pictures, diagrams, scripts, notes, all included to flesh out the process they went through in each film, and accompanied by an incredible wealth of detail about the filmmaking process, their experience with the director, their methods for planning for each shoot, their reflections on their craft, specific explanations on how they achieved some of the most interesting shots, and details about difficulties faced during each shot. Some of the most illuminating bits include some of the various reflections on how to capture the distinctiveness of particular faces, or how and why they decided to manipulate the look of a particular actor. Reading through this book is not only exciting and intriguing for me as a lover of film, but was also extremely rewarding in the wealth of insights it gave me into the decision-making process of a wide range of experts. This is an exceptional and extremely valuable book, well worth owning.