Digital Books

Most computer books are significantly obsolete after two years and almost completely obsolete after five years. So much changes so quickly that the hot topic of today is one for the computer archeologist tomorrow. Digital logic is one area where the situation is very stagnant. Binary representation will not change and while the size and chemical composition of digital devices change, their basic function does not.
This is the book that I used when I began my study of digital logic. It was extremely easy to learn from, which is why I can still recommend it today. Mims does a superb job of describing the fundamentals of digital logic at a level that the rawest of beginners can understand. It is one of those rare computer books that are still useful nearly three decades after it was published.

If you have ever wanted to understand how a computer works this is one of the best books you will ever get I promise you that. Forrest Mims is an amazing author, who was one of the early founders of modern electronics in the United States, in my opinion. He was involved on the first personal computer that was ever made the Altair something, which was where most all other computers came from. Bill Gates and Paul Allen wrote the software for the Altair and then started Microsoft shortly after that. This guy is truly amazing. He presents all the information so clearly and simply, like the way it should be. You should check out all his other articles, books, and kits he has worked on.

In this book he not only tells you the basics of digital electronics, but he tells you almost step by step how to make a simple microprocessor from scratch. It is amazing. He tells you how each part of the microprocessor works, then creates his own assembly language for the computer, and then writes sample code. This is basically the entire explanation of the basics of the hardware and software of a computer. From reading this book, I believe with a little work you could build a microprocessor yourself. And it has been done, check out www.homebrewcpu.com for all the examples of build your own CPUs. You will see many of the builders credits this author and others.

The other grat thing this book does is give references to other books that show how calculators are made and even more indepth information on more advanced microprocessors. Some of the references are just 15 pages or so of high density stuff.

This book is amazing, one of the best books on electronics period. THe entire design of the microprocessor is done in less than 60 pages, and written in very simple english. Why this book is not a mandatory book in all engineering colleges is really beyond me. This simplifies everything and basically teaches you one of the most important inventions that has ever been made in human history in less than 200 pages in the most simple of english.

Dear fellow readers: This book was published many years ago, and for the computer enthusiast the information is a bit out of date. But don't fear, even though the content by today's standards is from Jurassic era, the basic design of computers remains unchanged. That is what this book tries to explain, and in my opinion it does a very good job. It begins by explaining the concept behind gates, and by the end of the text you have a full understanding how does a "very" simple computer works. It is my suggestion a person who is taking his/her few steps toward "understanding digital computes" should read this book. The concepts illustrated are too simple for those who are knowledgeable in this field, but can be helpful to a beginner. This does not mean that by reading this text you will know all that is to know, it merely opens a little gate in the mind that can help in understanding future texts. It is very sad that many books of this caliber are no longer produced, because every curious mind needs to overcome the first hurdle of a new subject.

This book is an essential antidote to all the fluff out there written by pundits and consultants. The books consists of 14 chapters written by experts in the field reporting original research on how the digital economy really works and how it is transforming business.

Anyone interested in seriously understanding the "new" economy needs to read this book.

I'm a voracious reader of books and articles about recent developments in information technology (IT). This book is the first I've found to present the latest research in economics, business, and public policy related to IT, and to do so in a way that is accurate, comprehensive, readable, and engaging. The editors deserve kudos for their choice of articles and for enforcing the analytical rigor so often lacking in consulting reports and popular articles in this field. I heartily recommend this book!

Some of the chapters in this book have priceless material, e.g. the Chapter on "Understanding Digital Markets" by Smith, Bailey and Brynjolfsson and the review of technology's role in growing income inequality by Katz.

We need more research like this.

In these samples from Undisciplined Characters, Jim Stallings is concerned with our inner lives, our imagined lives, our private selves, which are often in conflict with the ordinary landscapes of our lives. In "Riddle of the Universe," Fletcher Magnus reveals to his family, at breakfast, the secret of the universe, while Fletcher's wife goes pale and his children fear he will quit his job, again. In "The Elvis Trance," the protagonist is disillusioned about his inability to fulfill his girlfriend Tanya's dreams, but he understands how her own disillusionment, in pursuing them, is imminent. "The Red Burrito" is another examination of dreams where the only certainty is that they will remain unfulfilled. All the stories are insightful meditations, told in vivid and distinctive voices.

The thought that flash fiction deserves the best flash review, occurred to me while consuming Red Burrito, my favorite of the eight micro-stories I downloaded for mere 49 electronic cents. Exploiting an extreme case of getting in character, the story stars an out of work actor and succeeds in setting a new standard for allegory. My curiosity was fully rewarded by the rest. In Riddle of the Universe, second favorite, Stallings dispenses food for thought in an ordinary family breakfast setting. Download these little gems and savor life's moments take on new meaning. Tales for Commuters Also recommended Astral Bodies (Salt Modern Fiction)

In this accomplished collection of short short fiction Jim Stallings focuses on wide-ranging topics and emotional states, capturing a variety of moods and making incisive social comment along the way. The Red Burrito, a super-hype fantasy, brimming with irony, is up there with the `Hollywood Greats', Louis Mal's film, My Dinner with Andre and William Boyd's story, The Destiny of Nathalie X., in its telling of what really happens to the creative element in our society. You're Okay, also works on the irony produced by opposites, and has a good poetic continuous rhythm to carry it through in one breath. It's a great monologue and would also work well read out loud. Horace & Hiram is a well-written dialogue piece, admirably capturing character, and the ambiance of small town rivalry in just a few lines. There is a switch of mood completely in Invocation to the Dawn, a sensuous lyrical short with a pacy style, then a return to the use of irony in Riddle of the Universe in which a family breakfast, microcosmic setting for a wider social statement, emphasizes the empty verbiage and disregard for any kind of genuine philosophizing of much human interaction. In this story economics is truly base, with anxiety about money activating the under text. The Elvis Trance captures very amusingly Tanya's obsessive-compulsive traits, but also shows the vulnerability of such a person who is an easy target for exploitation. If I Was Still Alive is a clear morality tale warning against the dictum that life is wasted on the living. Stallings' work is versatile and perceptive, giving the reader plenty to think about. I would recommend it highly.

Jay Merill, author of short story collection Astral Bodies, available on Amazon

I normally choose books written by well-known authors. Timothy M. Todreas is not one of them.

What made me buy this book was the title, and its content: Just as mp3 and the Internet have revolutionized music and information, digital television will revolutionize the whole TV experience as well as the industry.

This book held me captive from page one to the end, because it holds the answers to so many questions in my line of work, which is a consultancy services for digital television!

I recommend it to anyone who is interested in where television is coming from, where it's going and what the h_ll you should do about it!

Having spent much of my career in the television industry I found this book fascinating. I would be surprised if it did not, over time, become a secret playbook for those in the industry interested in getting a leg up on their competition -- or at least in understanding what the future holds. My only minor complaint is that some of the forays into high-level MBA-type analysis were hard to follow for someone without a background in economics. Yet those occasions were rare (two actually) and did not detract much from this otherwise thought provoking and well written book.

Mr. Todreas brilliantly slices through the mountain of speculative bunk written about convergent media. The author concisely argues that value in the Digital Television Era will shift from distributors to certain branded content creators and established packagers. Supported by easy to read tables and a relaxed writing style, Mr. Todreas scores solid hits up and down his analysis.

I recommend that all television and media professionals, as well as consultants, read VALUE CREATION to better understand their opportunities as we begin to break free of the distribution bottlenecks of the Cable Era.

As an instructor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts I find "Voice and Vision" and excellent reference in all areas of physical production. I give my most talented students a copy as a reward for their outstanding accomplishments. "Voice and Vision" covers more subjects and areas than is normally found in other books. The information is accurate and timely.

Voice and Vision's text is accessible, concise, and crystal clear, whether explaining technical procedures or aesthetic concepts. It's the most comprehensive and useful film production textbook I've come across in over ten years of teaching filmmaking.

Well written and informative.

Very well written and researched and most useful to anyone wanting to know all about what various cults believe.

I have read all of Val Waldeck's book and have to say that I find them so Inspirational & Spiritual. She is an amazing teacher and has special insight into everything that she writes.
I look forward to more of her wonderful books being published.

Val Mitchell
Durban, South Africa

A concise yet comprehensive look at the major cults that doesn't require a degree in theology! Something every Christian should have on their bookshelf. Examines each cult briefly under nine doctrinal headings, and includes each one's "speciality" and history. Also briefly reviews basic Christian doctrine and shows you how to "test" teaching according to Biblical standards. A "must have". Great for Bible Studies and teaching sessions too.

How is it to be a sexagenarian and still working a menial job? Mezei takes us through what is an average day, nothing exciting, simply two old men performing the tiresome seemingly insignificant job of changing street signs. Oh but there is significance in those changing signs. Through the reflections, of Valdo and Tomas, we see life is not only what you put into it but circumstance plays a grand role, disappointment comes, dreams amend, and governments revolutionize. Mezei shows us that there is a lot to be said for simply surviving. At the end of the day if you have a friend who will lend a hand and share a laugh perhaps this is all that really matters. This is a worthwhile read.

If you search the American news media for information about post-communist Czechoslovakia, you will find superficial information or no information at all. The typical reporter knows nothing about the history of that country, the causes for the rise and fall of communism, the subsequent upheavals of capitalism, or the eventual division of the country into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Adam Mezei is not a typical reporter.

Using the medium of fiction, Mezei invites the reader into the daily lives of two aging street workers in Prague. He lets us hear both their words and thoughts. The writer then disappears and lets Vlado and Tomas tell their own stories, which are similar in some ways and very different in other ways.

Vlado has always held working-class jobs. He misses the simple pleasures that communism gave him.

Tomas has a different work history. At one point, he had been an evolutionary biologist at Charles University, but he lost that job through no fault of his own.

Now Tomas works on the streets with his new friend Vlado. They remove the signs that give the names of the streets. Streets named after old heros will now have the names of new heros.

But, I wonder, aren't Vlado and Tomas the real heros? Haven't they spent their lives serving their fellow countrymen?

The story of Vlado and Tomas asks them and us one difficult question: Which way are the signs pointing?

Adam's portrait of two elderly men in Prague who have seen it all and have little left but the menial work that has fallen their way after fifty years of turmoils and disappointment is both funny and affecting with Samuel Beckett overtones. Not much happens here, but then not much is supposed to. It is a classic "slice of life"
portrait, told with affection and an ironic tone. Very enjoyable.

As someone long interested in the Cook/Peary controversy, I can say that Mr. Henderson has fully portrayed the elements of the controversy. To read it is to grasp most of the nuances of the story. Ground breakingly, the article reasonably promotes as valid Dr. Frederick A. Cook's claim to North Pole priority.

His monograph presents the facts well in a chronology that allows the controversy to be understood. He very clearly describes the driving ambition of Admiral Peary and the somewhat ineffectual defense offered by Cook, and the maddenly unlucky events that undermined his defense.

This is a timely article and will be a useful tool for many as we enter the centenary of the Great Age of Polar Exploration, April 21, 2008 for Cook, and April 6, 2009 for Peary.

For further reference: www.cookpolar.org

This well researched piece makes a convincing case that Peary may not have been the first to reach the North Pole. It brings to light a now mostly forgotten chapter of American history. It shows that these "footnotes" in history books can often make the most compelling stories.

Bruce Henderson's engrossing essay "Who Discovered the North Pole?" dramatically shows the role passion, greed, and just plain bad luck played in the drive to discover the North Pole. Henderson carefully examines the claims of Frederick Cook and Robert Peary, each of whom claimed to have been the first at the North Pole nearly 100 years ago. Henderson shows that Cook's notes indicated accurately the conditions at the North Pole, whereas Peary refused to describe what he found until after Cook had publicly done so. Peary, Henderson indicates, had an outsized ego that wanted to get to the Pole at all cost -- including the truth. Cook, on the other hand, seems to have suffered from sheer bad luck, lack of political clout, and some skullduggery by Peary who made sure that Cook's notes and other evidence of his polar expedition would not be returned to civilization for study and review. Henderson's well-written and absorbing piece shows how difficult it is to get to the truth in this still controversial area of human exploration. And for those readers who want more -- as I do -- Henderson has written a book on the subject, TRUE NORTH. I have already ordered my copy!

Is this sweet or what?

Why would anyone want to allow the mind which created THE ROSE AND THE
PYRAMID to go to waste, and to attempt to offer (a "true" fake would not be possible) some of
these concepts presented here through another person or persons? That would be an ultimate
waste, and so much would be lost. This is a possibility which a physical universe in young
phases has the potential to create.
I'm banking on this being done right:
I'm banking that we will begin giving credit, and correct payment, to the true creators
of each product and concept. If so, we might win this game; we might begin playing in joy
instead of endless suffering.

There is s much more to this story than its words. This lady is old enough to be my mom [I'm just turned 20] and yet she sings to us in the hopeful voice of youth.

Her protagonist is the sweet and lovely Mya Gem who comes to earth on crystal wings determined to win the love of the earthing Ben. You want her to succeed, her heart aches for him. She pouts when her older brother figure Rotar says "no!"

She doesn't know the meaning of "can't"!

I don't pretend to understand the genius of this work, but its author reminds me of Mya Gem in her child-like desire to end suffering on Earth. To "think happy." I doubt she'll ever succeed but you'll sway gently to the meter of her poetry as she tries.

Don't be intmidated by the 77 pages. They go very fast. I read this sweet travelogue in two short sittings. You're a lovely lady Linda, and I hope lots of people read your story. I give it Five Stars!

Joseph Way

When you visit Linda Shelnutt's profile page, you will see, just below her 'light and shadow" picture, the following [abridged] saying: "Why are we here? .... maybe to learn compassion."

Having read most of her published...and some of her unpublished...output by now I see two very different authors [in some I would call it 'versatility', but in Linda's case the word doesn't seem strong enough]. The first is the down to earth daughter of a hard working single parent in a coal mining town. This author celebrates the inner nobility of the good people of her town, skillfuly advocating for a climate of reasonableness in mining regulation and PLEADING with us to understand the value of coal as a source of inexpensive energy before we hand all the mines back to the antelope and "freeze in the dark". These works are collectively known as her Visceral History Series and include Dark Diamond Twilight: A True Story.

The second author is the one we see in WHY IS THE ROSE AND THE PYRAMID A COLLECTOR'S ITEM?" You'd never know this author had coal dust in her shoes. This seems [to a cynic such as me anyway] to be some Philosopher-Queen resident all her life in an Ivory Tower with sparkling fountains filling the air with their rhythmic tranquility, gardens of roses permeating the atmosphere with their perfumed fragrance...the cares of real people living real lives far, far away.

But of course I know better.

If I could describe the direction of this amazon short [and don't be fooled, or daunted as I almost was, by the 77 pages in length...that's due to formatting...it truly is 'short'...it reads fast.] I would describe it as 'take two' of what was her first effort to publicize this good lady's philosophy of life...a very hopeful, happy philosophy...a blueprint for world and individual peace and peace of mind.

That was twenty years ago...in the tome now selling for collector's item prices.

The world has changed...Linda has changed...we all have changed. In this Amazon short she tells you some of the changes she would make when the opportunity arises to publish a revised version of R&P. Mind you, she hasn't become a cynic like me. There are just some slight changes in viewpoint...some slight adjustment in the sweeping nature of her goals.

This piece is for all who continue to cherish humankind and are determined to visualize a future of togetherness and harmony.

I don't see it that way.

But the true beauty of this story to me isn't all that...although I continue to hope that Linda and those like her will prove me wrong...

The true beauty of this story to me is the poetry that fills its pages. It fills your heart as you turn page after page. Your moods wax and wane with its meter and message. You are gladdened... you recall your own true love...you are uplifted...you recall through the sweet, petulant Mya Gem all the sparkle and hope of youth.

In short...this little story is captivating...truly captivating.

Why is THE ROSE AND THE PYRAMID a collector's item? Maybe because a world sick of terror and racial strife is beginning to turn...ever so slowly at first...to the message this Philosopher-Queen with the coal dust in her shoes has been trying to bring us for twenty years. Just maybe...

Incidentally... while we wait for the revised R&P, what Linda describes as a story parallel to it is now out as a ten part Amazon Short series:
Morning Comes: the Pre Dawn Blues - Part 1 I've already purchased Part One.

Five Stars.... John W. Cassell

John W. Cassell is the author of five novels on the American Counterculture of the 60's and 70's, including Odyssey: 1970 as well as in the adventure and politico-military ficiton genres, such as Hell's Quest: 1971. He has recently contributed two op-ed columns to Arutz Sheva [Israel National News]. Cassell retired in 2006 after a career in law enforcement and criminal prosecution that spanned since 1971.

At the end of Linda Shelnutt's update on certain chapters of The Rose and the Pyramid and a certain amount of explanation, I still didn't know why it WAS a collector's item, but I sure knew why it SHOULD BE. Heart-wrenching, sensitive poetry and what could well be one of the most endearing philosophies of the Twenty-First Century give The Rose and the Pyramid (The Books of Gem) both a heart-warming and very uniqiue intellectual appeal.

As a philosophy of living it is the most influential I've read since the works of Fr. DeMello, a Jesuit priest of Indian extraction who borrowed from the wisdom of all major religions, east and west, to promote serenity and inner peace in everyday life. Instead of vilifying the human spirit, this book [and I've provided you with links to both the printed and Kindle editions] glorifies what is likely God's greatest creation. Linda Shelnutt stresses 'wants' rather than 'shoulds', and says "I'm okay, you're okay" much more convincingly than the hippie apologists of the Seventies.

For truly beautiful poetry, and a philosophy that will both make you think and make you proud to be a member of the human race, this short is a must read!

A woman in the evening of her years remembers back to the woman she called Mother.
A woman she feels she hardly even knew, possibly did not try to know or really love.
Her love for her father was always evident between them, but it took finding old pictures and reliving
some past memories to realize that she too may have been at fault in the less than loving relationship
she had with her mother. Reality hits her and realizations that her Dad may have manipulated her feelings
somewhat may have led to the estrangement with her mother.
Dealing with the memories and pictures of happier times helps the now aging woman to look back with
a love she really felt but had not known how to reveal to her mother, but brings peace to her now.

Anne Lebrecht has been able to put on paper the stuggles that many people have in their lives. The regrets that a person may have and trying to come to peace with them when you can't do anything about them can be a hard lesson. Learning to live with and accepting what can't be changed is a lesson some people can't and won't do. I loved Anne's depiction of "The Woman Called Mother", Good job Anne,keep up the good work.

Tory Lynn, Author of "My Charming Protector"

This short depicts how life, in the fading years, has a way of making one calculate their self worth. It seems that Anne Lebrecht takes the reader on a journey of summation. A summation of love of a mother, the measure and its meaning.Sometimes it takes a while to " Get It". Better late than never, still a bittersweet portrait laying in boxes in the attic.Can the real intentions of people be realized through child's eyes, or does it take life, fading away and one asking themselves;Did I understand? Did I do it right? As Anne Lebrecht points out in the short,the sum of it all is being loved by both parents, however differently, the sorrow lives on.
This reader got it through this well written short.