Digital Books

A handy reference to the entire digital printing process, from the generation of the digital image, to the variety of printing output options. The author provides many examples and illustrations, along with clear explanations. Sections include: Digital Documents, Printing Processes, Rendering Digital Documents, and Digital Printing Applications. An extensive glossary is included.

I work for Fuji Xerox in Tokyo and found this book invaluable for its explanations of the different printing industries as well as the detailed descriptions of how images are seen by the human eye. This book goes into the details of different terminologies of printing using diagrams and pictures. An invlauable companion to those starting out in the printing industry.

Great replacement for outdated Pocket Pal in the digital age!

You want the best book on Podcasting.. You got it.. This book is all you need. Just perfect.

First, a disclaimer: I have no personal connection to the authors, the publisher, the companies featured in this book, etc. I know sometimes reviews on Amazon are written by people who have a vested interest in the book's sales. Not me. I'm an amateur audio hobbyist and teacher who has begun to study the process of podcasting (and home voice recording more generally).

I LOVE this book. I've previewed probably all 10 of the top-selling books on this topic, and the best of them gets at most a "C plus" from me.

Whereas this book gets a B+ / A- .

You can preview the book for yourself on Amazon, so I won't summarize the table of contents, or give examples of specific coverage. Go look for yourself. For example, search on the word "Audacity" to preview the book's amazing coverage of that (free) PC home studio recording software. So instead of trying to describe its coverage, let me highlight some of its other strengths:

1. It's pretty up-to-date. The software, hardware, and websites discussed in it are mostly still good options (as of February 2008). Currently this is the ONLY podcasting book that is even _reasonably_ up-to-date, to my knowledge. I think it was written fall/winter of 2006. About one year ago.

2. The authors write really, really well. Clear, pithy, even elegant prose. What a relief! Not a single unnecessary word. My time is valuable, so books that take twice the words to express a simple concept are very unwelcome. If you feel the same, you'll love this book.

3. They're expert. There are a couple of subtopics related to podcasting that I'm fairly expert on. For example, I know a lot about the best microphones for home and field voice recordings. On such topics, these authors' recommendations are exactly correct -- truly expert advice. From this I infer that the rest of their recommendations are probably expert as well.

4. They provide an understandable "quick use guide" for the free, robust, widely-used cross-platform recording software called Audacity...something nobody else to my knowledge can offer you. (The online user's manual published by Audacity is written by geeky people who don't know how to approach a non-geek. And other podcasting books just refer you to that online manual. Whereas these authors recognize what a problem that is for newbies, and provide you with just what you need.) If I'd never used Audacity before, I would have paid more than this book's price for just the pages in the Audacity "how to" section alone.

Well, those are just a few of this book's many amazing accomplishments.

Its major limitation is that it's not truly encyclopedic -- some sections are quite truncated. For example, there is hardly any coverage of how to wisely choose a digital recorder.

The book is for true beginners; some topics will require further digging.
It doesn't tell you everything. But what it says seems golden.

There's quite a few thorough looking books out there for podcasting, and the main reason I bought this one was due to its recent release date more than anything else. Usually, how new something is does not matter to me, but with technology it's an entirely different matter as the websites I choose to send a podcast to may change their requirements and expectations every couple of years. I work with a great IT guy but I often get lost just a few minutes into his explanation of things so I knew that I had to get some resources or I'd never be able to do a podcast on my own. Audacity just isn't all that tech ignoramus friendly (although the price is right!) so I was pleasantly surprised by the Podcasting Bible. They begin with Audacity and introduce a site called PodOmatic which is something I never heard of before opening these pages. There you can get free server space for audio files and attract listeners. Considering the amount of "oomph" in this dense how-to guide, I'd say that the price is quite reasonable.

As a person holding an "implementor" role in a global outsourcing firm, I felt as if the opening chapters of this book were scripted from our business model. Don't let the delivery folks into the room - they might speak the truth. Just get it sold -delivery will figure it out. And then both customer and supplier hang on for dear life for 3 to 7 years and pray that it doesn't happen again - but it does. This book should be required reading for every "deal team" and should help customers and suppliers alike move from deals with high failure rates to sustainable relationships with profit and performance enough to make even the most skeptical deal maker change their tactics. A worthy successor to the other fine books from the minds of the Vantage Partners. Pointed, understandable, actionable, and right on the money. Recommended for anyone who has to interact externally or internally on anything more than a transactional basis. Something to be learned on every page no matter how long you have been doing deals or how good you think you are.

Why do business deals fall apart, and how do strategists and deal-makers fail? THE POINT OF THE DEAL: HOW TO NEGOTIATE WHEN YES IS NOT ENOUGH goes beyond the usual business focus on getting the deal to examine what makes it work or causes it to fail. From a different focus on using the deal as a means and not the end goal to considering behaviors after the deal has been signed, THE POINT OF THE DEAL follows through where other books end, using strategies from different businesses and even different countries to show how a different focus on implementation processes leads to success. Business libraries, especially those catering to managers, need this.

The first line of this book's preface asks what many potential readers may be thinking: "Yet another book about negotiation?" The answer is yes, and a much-needed one. Many books on making deals are out there. Some are good, others bad, but most focus on the negotiation process. Even those that emphasize extensive preparation and research tend to focus on the deal itself - making it, improving it, wording it. Danny Ertel and Mark Gordon focus elsewhere. They direct readers to a single core concept: implementation. In doing so, and in illustrating what focusing on implementation means in practice, they add genuinely new insight into negotiation. Shifting the focus to how the deal will work long-term, if it will work, and what sort of precedent the negotiation process establishes for ongoing interaction is extremely valuable. As a result, we recommend this book to anyone involved in negotiation.

If you want to understand how DSL works and how to shop for a DSL provider, this is THE book to get. The authors do an excellent job of explaining DSL quickly and clearly. This is NOT one of those books written by a computer geek who understands the subject but doesn't understand how to explain it to others. After reading this book I understand how DSL works, and I was able to purchase DSL service to host a server for my business. For those who want to understand DSL but do not need to know ALL the technical details, this is the book to get.

I work for a small law firm and I've been trying to convince the partners to install a DSL line (30 employees were sharing 4 analog lines for Internet service). After purchasing and reading this book I was able to cobble together a proposal (with judicious sections of the book attached) that convinced management to purchase DSL. Although I'm not a computer network professional (I'm a paralegal) I was able to install and set up sharing of the DSL service without calling in the expensive network consultant we normally use. The book made installation and sharing very easy.

Thanks to this book the personnel in my office can now get on and off the Internet any time they wish.

The author explained DSL, its advantages and disadvantages so clearly that even our most computer phobic partner had no trouble understanding what I was talking about.

I've been wrestling with DSL, Cable, Satellite, Wireless for many months. I wanted a high speed connection for my home but found digging through the confusing technology impossible. Then I found and read Ms. Reynolds book. She does a fantastic job of explaining DSL, what it is, how to get it, why you can't get it, etc. I am no longer confused. Thank you Ms. Reynolds!

I think I read Linda's works in exactly the right order. The first several were immensely edifying stories of the coal industry near Florence, Colorado and a fascinating introduction to the New American Pioneers, the miners and their families, who pull it out of the ground for us. These are my kind of people...people I'm proud to share the American West with. When the recent disaster in Utah occured, I felt as if it was my brothers down there...I felt a kinship that is entirely due to the simple grassroots appeal of Linda's work.

And then came this piece...largely based on an interview with another of these American pioneers...Joe Carpine. To say it is awe-inspiring is to undershoot the mark...but what to call it is something else again. It's not, strictly speaking, literature. It is much, much more. It is more a "statement", a "manifesto", a call to action...an effort to rally the consciousness of the American people before it is too late. Pieced together with a flair for advocacy that is first rate...it is the story of productive people being pushed to the breadlines, of a society that has lost its way, of a political system that listens to all the wrong people at the expense of all the rest of us.

I couldn't put it down. It ended much too quickly. This statement puts Linda Shelnutt in the forefront as an important commentator on the American scene, and in particular one of the most important issues facing it. She is now one of the most eloquent voices in this country speaking to the need for the provision of a vital source of energy at a price that makes practical its safe and abundant production.

No one concerned about this specific issue, or even the larger ones of what we are doing to ourselves in this country as we grapple with ALL our important issues, can afford to miss this fast-paced, riveting, reasoned position paper.

John W. Cassell

It was said at our house that we couldn't stay on the ground. My dad tunneled under it, I flew over it.

As I was reading this truly glib, eloquent, sensitive, knowledgeable "State of the Union's Energy Policy" I couldn't help but think he was looking down, very proud.

Life wasn't easy for dad. In fact even among coal miners his lot was harsh. There was none of the satisfaction I pick up from several of Linda Shelnutt's articles about the men who mine our coal...or at least in my youth I wasn't aware of it.

But dad performed a vital service to the people of this country, a service whose energy alternative, is not only viable, but preferable, to the other sources we seem so determined to embrace, and for the wrong reasons, at least to hear this energetic advocate [pardon the pun] put it.

Linda Shelnutt's arguments form a seamless web, and I will only misstate them with a rehash in this review. Suffice it to say that this article on the role of coal as a source of future reasonably priced energy is a must-read. It might very well spur some questions of the talking heads running for president, as well as those seeking office closer to home.

There never was a more important time to educate yourself on the energy issues raised by this woman who has been around coal mining in one way or another all her life.

I just finished, "The Price Of Black Diamonds," by, Linda G. Shelnutt. I must say I came away with a much better understanding, and appreciation, of the time, effort, money and self-sacrifice put into mining coal.
The story starts off with an owner/operator, Joe Carpine, and his remembrances; of how the mining industry has changed since he started. He tells of the hardships he and other owners went through to bring the essential fuel to the surface. You will learn of the specialized equipment needed, the many hazards endured, the rules imposed by a slow moving bureaucratic entity and the strong determination by Joe, and other owners', to do what they loved to do in life.
I've read other works by author, Linda G. Shelnutt, and she never lets the reader down in her ability to put together a thorough and refined story. In, "The Price Of Black Diamonds," Linda seamlessly, through the memory of a mining professional, took me on a tour of the coal mines and those who sacrificed their lives to provide vital energy to a nation.
As a young man I remember hearing tales from a veteran of the coal mines. The old vet died of `black lung.' With the superb writing skills, and research, of author Shelnutt I added volumes to what the old vet tried to relate to my father.
Do yourself a favor and spend a mere .49 cents for this excellent piece of literature.

Richard Neal Huffman Confessions of a Serial Killer's Son

Progress is a simple, yet powerful story about a family living beyond the reaches of advancement. Secluded on an island, Amparo and her family remain ignorant of the progress society has made in areas such as transportation and electricity. When their father visits the mainland on a mission for his dead wife, though he warned his children as they grew up that the world was changing, he is not prepared for the danger progress affords.

There are so many layers of meaning to this story that it's not one easily left behind. The concept of "progress" just scratches the surface. Yes, society has made great progress while Amparo's family remained content with primitive methods, but who is the erring party? Is it Amparo's family because their refusal to adapt to modern advancements leaves them vulnerable when faced with technology? Or is it the inevitable destruction that comes with any major technological advance? Is advancement inherently negative because as we move forward, someone will always be left behind or placed in danger as a side effect?

Beyond the theme of progress, Amparo is dealing with some very serious anger toward God and organized religion. She ultimately shuns religion as she does progress, but is religion actually part of the progress? Amparo views the technological progress as evil, so doesn't that mean she has to adopt some sort of religion to believe in the concept of "evil," even as she open rejects religion?

I am sure I have not even begun to consider many of the possible themes in Progress, but I don't want my short story review to end up longer than the short story. Progress definitely leaves the reader with much to ponder, and isn't that the characteristic of any good piece of literature?

What moved me most about this piece was the sensitive side Martin showed in his writing style. It was refreshing and insightful. I was taken back in time the moment I started reading it, however as I continued to read on..I realized that the message applied to the present time as well. As always, it was another piece that moved me.

This story, unlike Martin's other work, brings the reader to a place of simplicity untouched by the changes occurring in less isolated parts of the world. Yet there is a common thread throughout his writing, one that brings us deeply into the lives of the characters and their surroundings causing one to feel as if they are a part of the story and missing them once it has ended. I found myself wanting to make a stew and later realized it was Amparo with her simmering meat, carrots, potatoes and a hint of green pepper. We share the peace that comes from living a simple life as well as the fear of losing the few people vital to happiness. Given the perspective of seeing the modern world suddenly, after being isolated or possibly protected from progress, we learn how odd it is to find oneself dropped into another time.

I've said this before in my blog, but these Project X books are the kind of books I wished I'd studied in business school: As case studies in product design, as primers on the business culture differences between the US and Japan, as studies in how far people will go to succeed--the Project X books are simply fascinating.

While I'm not a Datsun fan myself, I am certainly more informed about the car now. But more importantly, what I found most appealing about this book, was how the creators manage to make the reader feel the importance of what's happening.

Put it this way: To the outside observer, watching some middle managers try to make a business venture work probably sounds as fun as reading a Powerpoint presentation--but Akira Yokoyama is able to make the reader feel like they're watching something epic and monumental, conveying exactly how the business people in this tale are feeling as they work hard to make their shared dream a reality.

I got this book not knowing what it was. A comic book read backwards, and right to left to boot. I thought I was getting a history book on Nissan and the Z car development.
It was a Great Book! It had a lot of early drawings of Datsun products and really told a great story and put all the Datsun characters and history into place. It was a light reading book and can be read in one evening. It will be in my Datsun book collection forever!

This manga tells the story of the development of the Datsun 240Z. It depicts the challenges faced by the designers and proponents of the vehicle, both from within the company and from market forces. It depicts the businessmen involved properly, as heroic individuals, who overcome obstacle after obstacle in their pursuit of success. The manga demonstrates the virtues necessary for businesspeople to succeed.

A nice, pocket-sized resource to help learn and distinguish between the essential diagnoses in psychiatry. Great for medical students and junior residents. DSM-IV criteria readily available for most common psychiatric diagnoses.

Excellent mini-reference. All pertinent medicine information. Pertinent condition information to include information on the DSM-IV criteria. I pull this little book out of my lab coat daily. If you are not going into psych and don't want to waste money on a full size book you may not ever use again, this is the one to get. If you are going into psych and want a great reference that fits in your pocket, this is the one to get

I am in my final phase of psychiatric nurse practitioner program. This book was recommended by my professor. It is a great handbook to use at the bedside, short, concise, recommendations for treatment...and best of all pocket size!!. Highly recommend.

I loved this story. Jody Ewing gives the reader a strong sense of family from the opening words; I like all the different voices she brings into this story from the very beginning. While the situation may seem banal, it's one that resonates with nearly everyone, for who among us has not at one time of another "misplaced" a family member and lived with the panic inherent in that loss, however temporary?

What I really like, though, is Ewing's well-developed sense of PLACE. Her characters seems to be both rooted in it and to grow out of it. It's really hard to imagine these people existing anywhere else. One has both a sense of the Midwest as well as a sense of the more intimate venues - the interior of the family Suburban, the inside of the shack. When it began to rain in the story, I shivered.

This is a great short story that is a real treat to read and I highly recommend it. I often think that short stories are about looking at some very small part of life and slowing down enough to really experience and dwell on that moment, that situation. Ewing certainly does that for us: don't miss this moment!

Another shameless plug by a family member. I can't wait for the book to be published. Having my grandfather die when I was young, didn't leave me with too many memories of him. It will be nice to read about the man my mother calls "Dad".

Knowing the author and her siblings, I did not have the honor of knowing the father, but listening to other stories that were told about him, this story PULL! brings out the personal, human feelings that truly existed in the Father.

Now in an updated and expanded second edition, Moustafa Gadalla's Pyramid Handbook is a unique, informative, and iconoclastic contribution to Egyptology with its focus on the pyramids of antiquity. Featured are the locations and dimensions of the interiors and exteriors of the pyramids; varied theories on the construction, purpose, and function of the pyramids; the sacred geometry that was incorporated into the design of the pyramids; and a great deal more. Pyramid Handbook is fresh, original, thorough, scholarly, completely accessible to the non-specialist general reader, and enhanced with useful illustrations of the sites and interiors of the Egyptian masonry pyramids. If you have an interest in Egyptology, the Pyramids, and iconoclastic archaeological studies, read Moustafa Gadalla's Pyramid Handbook.

From having traveled to Egypt myself, I can tell you that this is one of the best books on the pyramids I've ever read. If only I had this when I was there, I could have been so much more fullfilled. I was especially interested in the writtings on sacred geometry. I can't wait for for the next time I get a chance to go to Egypt and visit the pyramids armed with Gadalla's book. This is a must own for anyone traveling to Egypt or has ever wanted to know the truth about antient Egypt and the pyramids.

This book contains a complete synopsis about the pyramids. Finally, there is a book that gives all the information about the pyramids, their locations, dimensions, profiles, why they were built, and how. The sacred geometry of the pyramids and pyramid power are very interesting. Well researched, and well written.