Multimedia Books

I was promoted to run the call center in our company. We have two centers with 300 Telephone and Customer sales reps. I have no expernce in computers except for my PC. I bought this book to help me talk to the computer staff. They cannot fool me as much now. They were too busy for the call center. Now they understand we make most of the money. This book help me present this better.

For most customer communications, the call of the customer contact center is the point of entry. Author Andrew Waite does an excellent job in this book of explaining the strategies, techniques and technologies to ensure that you get the most out of your telephone call portion of your customer contact center investment. Waite first goes on to explain a few parts and principles that affect the customer call center manager. Next, the author touches on staffing and the importance of adequate labor pools in the location you have chosen to operate your customer contact center. Then, Waite focuses on the telephone call component and the management of telephony workflow. Next, the author deals with the hardware, architecture and relationship between the components and subsystems of a switching system, which includes the automatic call distributor (ACD) system (of which the author acknowledges that there is no easy way to catergorize ACD systems). Then, Waite looks at the instruments used in the traditional call center.

So, as customer contact center managers become more sophisticated and mature in their role, according to the author, they grow to trust the machine data and, thus, need fewer comprehensive reports. Nevertheless, Waite points out one inteesting fact out of all this that is coming out of call center operations: Unless it is a pure direct sales respnse, most calls happen for less than positive reasons.

Finally, with the preceding in mind, Waite has done an outstanding job in this book of identifying the major trends within the customer contact center industry center around explosive technology growth. This has led to a growing library of open architectures with industry standard interfaces, more sophisticated tools reisding in smaller centers and more component applications involved in each transaction.

A Practical Guide To Call Center Technology: Select The Right Systems For Total Customer Satisfaction by telecommunications expert Andrew J. Waite is a highly informational book for businesspeople who need to set up a telephone system to handle customer orders, complains, and other important matters. Fielding long-distance calls from any number of people for good business is no small feat, and chapters from this guide address such diverse issues as basic connection and setup, typical switching systems, the value of an ACD (Automatic Call Distributor) system, and much more. A glossary at the back helps readers unfamiliar with the terminology catch up quickly...A solid, fact-filled, and highly useful guide for anyone who needs to launch an effective and efficient call center -- and keep it running smoothly!

If you are interested in Video Podcasting as a Professional, then this is the resource for you. The book is a treasure trove of knowledge with a great support web site as well providing you additional information, forms and tips that any video podcaster will find useful. If you have never done a video podcast from beginning to end, you will be shocked at the details and the steps required to do this properly. Richard and Mark have put a lot of detail in their book and what has been great for me is that when I ran in to a problem on the book's website, Richard responded to me very quickly and helped me with my problem. I would completely recommend this book to anyone currently doing video podcasts or simply interested in the process. If you are looking to do video podcasts professionally, then this is a must have book.

This is the book that I've been waiting for Richard Harrington and Mark Weiser to write. These guys know video Podcasting cold - from brainstorming, to gearing-up, to production, to promotion. They've been in the trenches since the beginning and know all the pitfalls and how to overcome them to achieve success. Great, great stuff! I'm so glad to have all this knowledge in one place so beautifully laid out and easy to read. This is where the industry is going, and this book will become the bible for video Podcasting.

This is a great book. It goes through all the steps of making a video podcast with examples. The resources on a companion site also offer additional support.

I highly recommend this book. The book contains useful information that details exactly how to use SolidWorks correctly.

This was the easiest and best tutorial book I've ever read. I bought the 2003 tutorial and through it was good. The 2004 is great with it's CD. Every book should have a CD that aids the reader. I am fairly proficient with computers, but I had limited knowledge of drafting principles and design concepts. The 2003 and 2004 tutorial provided me with the needed basics and tools required to use SolidWork to develop simple extruded drawings. There are no foreign terms left unexplained, and diagrams are on every page to enforce the command sequence, which is a step by step procedure.

Do not expect to learn everything about drafting or to become an advance expert with this book, it is a basic tutorial. This is the perfect book for learning the ins and outs of SolidWorks 2004 for the beginner. I recommend this book to anyone with no or little knowledge of the industry that may suddenly require the skill to comfortably maneuver in SolidWorks 2004. PS: The layout of the books is very clear and readable.

After making a few parts and assemblies in SW, I found myself trying to understand more about using SW documents in parallel versus in series. This easy to use book walks you through SW in no time by combining parts you create with sub-assemblies from a library of models. The aluminum and stainless steel extrusions -links, plates, collars, start out simple. Look at the illustrations and follow the steps. At the end of each project, more parts and sub-assemblies built my confidence as I worked back and forth.

The book spends a great deal of time stressing sketch relationships. This is time well spent. Coming from AUTOCAD, I used arrays and osnaps, but in SW there are differences that can really save time in the part and later in the assembly.

The drawing chapter takes you through setting up a sheet format, detailing drawings, part numbers in a Bill and inserting design tables for the collar part and link assembly. I made one link with a design table with three holes, then created longer links with more holes and collars. The assemblies in the last project use mirror component and component pattern. There is an emphasis on reusing parts and part geometry.

You do have to keep track of your templates, parts and assemblies. They all come together in the final project. I found myself watching the movies on the book's CD towards the end as the mating techniques and number of components became more challenging at my beginner level. It's definitely worth a look.

This book is awesome. I bought this book, based on other reviewers on amazon who praised this book. I learned how to subnet and in a few short weeks, I have a great job, paying in six figures. Little does the other reviewer know that his beautiful wife subnets with me ever since I bought this book.

I learned to subnet using this book. Previously I was quite horrible in math and algebra, however this book teaches subnetting on a different approach. It was exactly what I needed. I must say that now that I have mastered subnetting, I have conquored my CCNA exam and on to bigger and better things. Thank you very much Keith Sutherland.

To say that this book helped me was an understatement. I was homeless and found this book in a box along I-95. After reading it I was able to take a test and becoem Cisco certified. Now I make a six figure income and have a beautiful wife who also loves to subnet.

Michael and Dennis Cohen have done a great job in this book to help beginning to intermediate users with the iLife suite. I am often called upon to help friends with their Macs. When they have questions on the iLife programs, I find it much easier to refer them to this book than to try and talk them through the problem on the phone or via iChat. Thanks to the Cohens for making my iLife as a consultant a bit easier.

Apple has long said it makes computers for the rest of us, and now with its iLife suite of tools Apple appears to be making software for the rest of us as well. The Teach Yourself Visually series of computer books seems to follow the same philosophy, but where TYV's offerings for more complex programs like Photoshop serve as "scratch-the-surface" introductions, iLife '04 really does look deep under the surface of Apples' popular suite of tools. My favorite section, perhaps because I know the least about it, is on GarageBand, which is the most exciting piece of software I've seen in years.

The Teach Yourself Visually books all benefit from strong integration of explanatory text with detailed graphics, but the text portion of this particular book benefits from clear, thorough, and often quite humorous writing. The author obviously knows the programs-more important, he knows how to communicate that knowledge to his readers (I believe he's the same Michael Cohen who writes the multimedia section of the famed Macintosh Bible). I highly recommend this title-for twenty bucks, it's a bargain.

Teach Yourself Visually iLife 04 is the perfect book for someone who wants simple, easy to follow instructions for using each of Apple's iLife programs (iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, Garage Band). What makes this book different from all the other iLife books are the clear step-by-step instructions, all accompanied by full color screen shots and illustrations, for using almost every iLife feature. The tips that accompany each task save time and effort in using the iLife programs and point out special features that aren't generally known. This is the book to get if you want to learn how to use iLife 04 without having to become a computer scientist, or read pages and pages of text. Get this and start using the software right away while you read.

This is a great book for relating theatre and the fine arts to technology. Not only does it cover teaching using technology, but it also delves into using the technology to create art.

This book is obviously ahead of its time, and a roapmap for things to come. So insightful that it practically read itself.

I admit I am a bit prejudiced in regard to this book (I am the editor) but I think Theatre in Cyberspace will be of interest to anyone who: 1) Wants to incorporate computer technology in their classroom; 2) Is Interested in expanding the bounds of theatre performance into cyberspace 3) Wants an historical record of what is happening with computers and the world of theatre, education and performance.

I bought this book to help me decide whether or not to Tivo. This book quickly sold me on the features of Tivo, so I bought one. The book was very useful during setup, as well as operation of the Tvo. I agree with everything in the "Big Help" review, so I won't repeat it here.

This book is the place to start if you don't know anything about Tivo. I certainly did not when I received a Tivo box as a gift. Figuring out how it would fit in with cable box, video tape recorder, and dvd player was daunting. The booklet that comes with the Tivo player is a good reference but Rathbone's book provides a much more readable explanation of how everything works. It not only provides clear explanations on how to set up the equipment in a variety of configurations but also explains how to get the most advantage from using Tivo. The setup and operating menus are covered as well as how to "educate" Tivo to go out and select programming most suited to individual taste.

This book would be most useful if read before first getting Tivo as it covers the different options available. Also it explains what upgrades are available along with the URL's for ordering upgrade parts.

The book is laid out with the clarity typical of the "For Dummies" line with clear diagrams, tables, and illustrations. I suspect some smart manufacturer might start including a copy right in the box along with the spare cables and fold-out assembly poster.

An up-front caveat - I served as the Technical Editor for this book, so I can share the blame for any outright errors... I have no financial stake in sales of the book. That said, on with the review.

When I was first approached regarding "TiVo For Dummies", I was skeptical. I was an experienced TiVo user and I thought that the TiVo manual was pretty good. I wondered what such a book could add to be worth paying for. The answer turned out to be "a lot".

As easy as TiVo is to use, it is sufficiently different from the familiar VCR as to confuse many who are new to the concept of a PVR. I have seen many newcomers to "The TiVolution" plea for help with such subjects as: wiring to an existing system, setting up a Season Pass for unusual situations, tweaking the TiVo's settings to match personal preferences, using the networking options and expanding storage capacity. Andy Rathbone covers all these topics and more in a breezy, comforting style that is never condescending (the "For Dummies" in the title is not to be taken literally.)

"TiVo For Dummies" opens with a helpful introduction to the world of PVRs, and TiVo in particular. TiVo is a hard thing to explain to someone who hasn't used one. "It's a VCR with a hard disk!" Yawn. "Pause Live TV!" In the past, this has been argued as a big selling point of TiVo, but to my mind, it is one of the less interesting features. "Record your favorite shows, no matter when they're on!" Now you're talking. "Record shows you like that you didn't even know were on!" Say what??? (This is one of my favorite reasons to love TiVo.) Rathbone explains TiVo in a way that most readers will "get" - a worthy result in itself.

After discussion of the various types of TiVo boxes, the book walks you through installation and setup, with detailed explanations of many different configurations that go far beyond the manual's "reference book" approach. Next comes the most useful part - how to best take advantage of TiVo's many features to enhance your life. Really, most people who have TiVo will tell you that it makes TV so much more enjoyable, especially as you are freed from the tyranny of the networks' schedules. Rathbone illustrates clever uses of TiVo's options, some I had never considered before.

The next several chapters cover the TiVo Home Media Option (HMO), which uses a network connection to share recorded shows with other TiVos in your house and to view pictures and listen to music stored on your PC. At the time the book was written, HMO was an extra-cost option, but now it is free with the standard service. Rathbone walks you through setting up the network and enabling the feature, and then discusses various TiVo and non-TiVo tools for sending pictures and music to the TiVo.

The last major section of the book talks about upgrading the disk space on a TiVo, (easy to do if you are comfortable with adding a disk to a PC), and troubleshooting common problems.

The book ends with a collection of short chapters filled with tips and tricks, and some reference material, such as the differences between TiVo and a generic PVR.

If you are looking for information about "hacking" your TiVo, modifying it to do strange new things, this book is not for you - there are a couple of other good books on that topic, such as "Hacking TiVo" by Jeff Keegan. But if you are relatively new to TiVo, "TiVo For Dummies" will significantly enhance your TiVo experience and will reduce, if not eliminate, the small frustrations that some run into. Giving TiVo as a gift? "TiVo for Dummies" makes a great accompaniement!

And if you don't have a TiVo yet - read this book and see what you're missing! Chances are, you will soon be joining the TiVolution on your own.

Matt Piper begins walking you through FM Synthesis while introducing you to the Subtractor Synth. This is an excellent way begin and give you a much deeper understanding of the instrument you're using. The knowledge you have from learning this synth applies to almost all of the other components of Reason.

He proceeds in a similar way through the other components of Reason, again using plain and easy to understand English. Examples on the CD are good.

Hang in there and go through this manual slowly, and you'll learn a lot.

I am a music hobbyist who has owned Reason for a couple of years but never understood how to create sounds "on purpose" rather than just twiddling knobs cluelessly. This book immediately helped me begin to understand the inner workings of synthesis in Reason. I recommend this book especially for novices, like me, but more experienced may gain something from it as well. Mr. Piper's writing style is very clear and he makes sure you know what things are important to grasp before moving forward. This is very helpful. He also writes with just enough of a humor to keep things positive and enjoyable. If your copy of Reason is collecting dust because you can't comprehend it, get this book.

I've owned Propellerheads Reason for years but never understood how to use it properly. I'm a songwriter by trade, and not an engineer, so I found all the various knobs and devices in Reason a bit overwhelming. The high cost of recording in the studio, however, convinced me I needed to learn how to produce my own tracks. With that in mind I purchased several books and videos in order to try and learn Reason. Of all the books and videos I've purchased, this is my favorite book.

Not only does the book explain many of the most important and confusing devices in Reason, but it also very clearly explains a number of audio engineering concepts. If you've ever been confused reading an article ore even a magazine review that waxes on about the virtues of Oscilators, LP, HP, and Notch filters, LFO's, etc, this book will explain those concepts very clearly. An interesting result of that is not only am I more confident using Reason, but I am more confident about Audio engineering concepts in general. Now when I hear songs on the radio I'm able to identify the type of sound used in the song (e.g. hmmm, that killer riff in is probably an analog synth using sawtooth waveform pattern with a low pass filter on it....), something I never imagined I'd be able to do.

The Subtractor and Malstrom synths are covered in detail, which is good because they set the foundation for the rest of the material in the book.

The NN-XT section demystified sampling for me. Sampling is something I've always found a bit confusing and quite honestly a bit scary. With this book it was easy to upload samples, map them across my keys, and use velocity switches and other nifty tricks to get them to sound more realistic.

Surprisingly enough one of my favorite sections was the Redrum. I never cared for this device much because all of my Redrum beats sounded like they were programmed by a robot. In this book however I learned a number of tricks and techniques for livening up those robotic rhythms and bringing them to life.

The combinator section was excellent as well, and reinforced a number of key concepts discussed throughout the book.

If I had one criticism it would be that the three appendices of the book- the NN-19 sampler, the Dr. Rex Loop player, and the section on making your own refills, are not in the book, but are in the corresponding disc that accompanies the book. You can read them on .pdf files on your computer, or you can print them out, which is what I did. I didn't like this is because these Appendices are rich treasure troves of useful information, and they should have been included in the printed version of the book.

All and al I thought this was an excellent book, and as a result of using this book and others in the Skill Pack series, I feel that I can approach Propellerhead Reason and my music project with confidence.

Richard Ladson
Singer/Songwriter
[...]

I love this kind of offbeat humor and music that you don't usually find in kids' products.

We ran through the story at home and my kids love it. Basically, it's a hugely entertaining story about what happens to the last cookie in the cookie jar. I don't want to give away the ending, but it's a good one.

There's also a cute character (yeah, the Wild Cookie) that is hidden on every page of the story. I enjoyed the humor behind the surprises, and my 4 and 6 year olds keep bugging me to play it again. They had heaps of fun looking for the Wild Cookie.

The story is cute AND it kept my 5 year old's attention for a whole hour at a time! Her reading skills are visibly improved, even though she had to arm wrestle me for who got to play. My 3 year old loves the characters and the music. It's a great start for him on the computer.

This book, is the best result of the masterminds of the state of art, and I Suggest as a read for everyone that work with this technology.

I do not read Japanese but the only available edition of this book when I needed it was the Japanese edition. I still found the book to give me all the information I needed to do what I needed to do, write an audio recording app without knowing anything about Multi-Media beforehand. I also liked that it used mostly lower level coding so that it would not be so at risk from Microsofts whims.

I can honestly say that I have never been disappointed by any Robert Simon book and this is no exception. Rather than read this book from cover to cover I use it as a reference. It is a fairly complete guide to multimedia and ODBC API calls and it is presented in a way that anyone can understand. Good job Mr. Simon!!