Interactive Books

I am currently working on a compiler that outputs SVG. 'Teach yourself SVG in 24 Hours' has enabled be to gain a good understanding of how to use some of the nice, handy features of SVG without having to spend ages geeking around on the internet looking for online tutorials!

It was a pleasent suprise to open a computing book that wasn't in too much jargon - quite a handy thing when its your first exposure to a new language. This book it written for everyone! (unless you have no interest in computers or the internet etc..)

I am a graphic artist using Adobe Illustrator and I wanted to learn more about SVG. I asked the Adobe people about this file format that is included with the newest versions of Illustrator but was unable to find out much. Finally I found this great book.

This book begins with an overview and describes the justification and process of development of SVG. In chapter 2 it jumps right in and teaches the nuts and bolts of creating images with SVG. As I am not a coder or programmer, I was amazed at the simplicity. Once a few basics had been explained I was off and running. Anyone with even the most basic computer and a simple text editor can create sophisticated graphics.

Towards the end of the book is a section on using Adobe Illustrator and in the back there is a reference section for oddball color conversion. The book also comes with the Adobe Web Collection CD that includes the viewer and tryout versions of Illustrator and Photoshop.

I'm really excited by the potential of this technology and can recommend this book to anyone who wants to develop some expertise in a hurry.

Good Luck...Tom Burns

Teach Yourself SVG in 24 Hours, I believe, is one of the best computer books I've read. I am a computer savvy with 5 years experiences in programming and network administration as well as database management. Recently I am working on a project involving SVG.

This book walked you through a series of detailed tutorials to build a dynamic weather forecast web page using SVG step by step. In each chapter, a new topic is covered in an easy-to-understand and informative manner, which makes the learning curve pretty flat. As the title suggests, this book is an introductory primer to a new technique so it is not intented to delve too deep into a specific topic. However, a good many hyperlinks to W3C's online SVG specification appear here and there for your reference if you would like to make your hands dirtier...In a nutshelll, if you would like to teach yourself SVG from the beginning, it is The book, though it may, by a large chance, take you more than 24 hours to go through it.

Web developers and designers alike should have a full acquaintance with this exciting new technology. There aren't many resources yet available, and this book will prove to be a trailblazer.

SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is an XML implementation utilizing a markup language similar to HTML but created specifically to render and control graphics. It is a robust mix of technologies including the DOM, CSS, Xlink, XSLT and JavaScript, and using the Adobe® SVG Viewer (a free plug-in), it supports static and dynamic graphics and WAV or MP3 audio.

Web developers should learn SVG because it is open-source and built in a simple text editor. It gives complete control of each graphic element. Web designers should use SVG because it is powerful -- graphics packages such as Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, Jasc Web Draw and others support SVG output. SVG also enables flash-like animation. In fact, SVG is THE open-source solution to web animation. No longer do you need expensive proprietary software to get the job done.

Anyway, this book is what you need. (That's how I learned all this.) Author Micah Laaker, while presenting the material in a comprehensive, straightforward and exciting manner, will leave an excellent reference guide on your book shelf. Buy it, read it and keep it handy.

This is one of the best training material I have used in a long time, use it along with the VPC images and you gain a wealth of information on MOSS 2007.

I can't say enough about this DVD and the service at PilotHouse. I had version1 and noticed some problems so they let me download version2 with updated videos and information.

This is the best learning tool for SharePoint I have seen. i also used the 2003 version, but this is even better.

This Computer-Based Training (CBT) is without a doubt the best course (live or e-Learning) I've ever taken. Complex processes are explained in a clear and easy to understand fashion. The extra materials are worth the price alone (i.e. the virtual PC image, the code samples, the PPT decks and user's manual). My company provided Microsoft training in-house but I got 10 times as much from this DVD in much less time. This course was so good I suffeered from seperation anexiety when Andre finished the training. DESPITE WHAT OTHER REVIEWERS SAY, DO NOT BUY THE "SharePoint 2007 Fundamentals: Interactive Training Course (DVD-ROM)" SINCE ALL OF THE MATERIAL (AND MORE) IS INCLUDED IN THIS PACKAGE.

This is the best CBT I've ever used.
Before stating it, I was completely new to SharePoint.
After completing a half of the course I became rather proficient in my current project (customizing Microsoft SLK --SharePoint Learning Kit).
.
I strongly suggest downloading a disk image with preinstalled SharePoint and MS Visual Studio2005 to be run inside of VirtualPC (there is a link to company's web site with that file).
Playing along with course material helped me a lot.
It's worth every penny.

The presentation covers from set up to detailed development of lists, eventhandlers, and work flow. There is a load of information in the presentation, the presentations are then followed up with demonstrations. The DVD has a lab manual that can be used as a walk through after the demos to do the same things yourself. The DVD also has sample code and various SDKs for information on Sharepoint. The price is woth the sample code in itsself. The presentation is split up in easily accessable segments to review and re watch the segments you need to use as a refresher.

I bought this for my niece when it first came out -- not even really realizing what it was, as I had been buying her all of the Olivia books after I found the first one at a school book fair (I'm a teacher). Teatro Olivia, in all of its 3-D glory is just so very neat, for who doesn't love a chance to play with a beloved character from a story? (I had already bought my niece the stuffed Olivia...as well as having bought one for myself! And no, I do not spoil her -- she gets $50 spent on her at both Christmas and her birthday). So I had to purchase this. I don't know if she liked it as much as I wanted her to (she lives 1000 miles away), but I'm thinking of buying one for myself and putting it in my classroom...for me, as I teach high school students!

My 11 year old daughter LOVES the "Olivia" books and we thought this would be a great gift as well. She enjoyed the process of setting up Olivia, the cast and doing some shows for us. She's played with it a few times since, but we have to encourage her to take it out of the bookshelf.

Might be a bit better for a younger Olivia fan, but a great push to imaginative play!

For those who love to use their imaginations, this is a perfect addition to the Olivia book family.

With elaborate fold-out sets, six Olivia paper dolls and a Playbill that offers up plot summaries, your child can create a world of his or her own for Olivia. In addition, there is extra stock so that kids can design their own backdrops, letting their imagination soar. This is a wonderful package, perfectly timed for the holiday season, and sure to be a winner under the Christmas tree.

I bought "Teatro Olivia" at the beginning of summer, and my kids have spent hours playing with it. The material is sturdy and has taken a lot of play from my children and their friends. Extra blank backdrops are included in the package, so my children have been busy making up new plays to present--Sponge Bob, Harry Potter, Anne of Green Gables and so on. Thanks for a great educational toy!

This workbook is a great way for all professionals and parents to understand and utilize the concepts of The Nurtured Heart Approach.

Glasser, Bowdidge and Bravo have a home run with this book!! As a school social worker, therapist and mother I would recommend this book to anyone who works with children/adolescents of all levels of intensity!! The book describes the Nurtured Heart Approach concisely and colorfully. Anyone can pick this book up, begin using the approach and have immediate success.

I have read a dozen parenting books. This one is by far one of the most helpful, but you have to be consistent. If you like this, try Becky Bailey's works too.

Thank you to these authors for helping me see my contribution to my son's difficult patterns of negativity. He responded almost immediately to his "successes", and we're working towards building consistency in our home, with consequences. My son is very sensitive, but prone to angry outbursts and meltdowns when stressed. This workbook is helping both of us to bring some peace back to our relationship.

BRAVO!

A no-nonsense approach that is all about positive parenting. Who wouldn't rather use a "carrot" than a "stick"? Gave me lots to think about. Will be especially helpful with my one daughter who is difficult and feels every criticism go right to her heart.

We have used this book for three long car trips--800 miles each way. It has provided us with a wonderful journal to look back on in later years. In addition, the games, activities, and songs in the book help make a long car ride fun. I just bought four more to give as gifts. This book is wonderful for anyone, not just kids.

Travel can be confusing (and sometimes boring) to children, but this journal can help parents deal with that! My daughter and I found this book in the Houston airport as we were browsing stores during a long layover. I bought it out of desperation (after all, it had markers and blank pages!), but it turned out to be a wonderful investment. It is a very kid-oriented travel journal, with questions, hints, and prompts to guide the young journalist through recording their trip(s). It gives you and your child something to do together while flying or at night in the hotel, and as an extra bonus, it's a great show-and-tell item when your child returns to school. I've saved the journal for my daughter's trunk, so that years from now she can read her own thoughts about Oregon and Arizona! We highly recommend this!! (One aside: smart six and seven year olds will do just fine with this journal if you work with them.)

I had hunted all over for a fun journal or scrapbook for my 2 boys to take on vacation with us to Walt Disney World. I wanted something easy enough for an 8 year old and a 10 year old to fill in on their own, yet have it be something nice enough to keep for a keepsake. I was very happy with this journal and gamebook! There were lots of games in the back of the book that I never heard "mom, I'm bored!" It was broke down into days and I loved that there was a place for them to fill in the weather and their mood for the day! I'd highly recommend this to anyone looking for a fun way to record a vacation and have a great keepsake when it's done. My boys loved writing in it and took it to school for a vacation presentation to their class! The teachers loved the journals and asked where I go them!!

I bought 2 of these journals for my 2 kids to take on a recent cross-country trip to visit relatives. The journals have a page to record what happens each day, plus a whole section of travel games. The kids had fun writing in their journals every day, and now we can look back and remember all the fun we had!

This travel journal is an excellent tool to capture vacation memories and relive them for a lifetime. The journal boasts brightly colored "topic" pages along with markers and stickers which allows the child's creativity to shine through in words and/or artwork. We've used this travel journal for three vacations and wouldn't leave home without it!

I bought this for my 7 year old when she was about 2 or 3. Now my twin 3 year olds love this book. The nice thing is that you do'nt have to be able to read. The book shows you a picture of the things you are to find. It does have a number by the picture so if you are to find 3 birds, it will have the number 3 next to the picture. I also have other titles with the same format. I am very happy with this book.

This book is truly inspired. I would say this book would be great from the age your child can be gentle with paper books. In our house this became a hit around 18 months and by her second birthday our daughter would choose this book to look at by herself, counting and naming the animals. The book has fun little extras, too, like animals on each page that aren't listed, a scavenger hunt, enlarged pictures of parts of animals (children have to match those to the pictures of the whole animals), and big bold numbers next to sample pictures of each animal so that children needn't know how to read more than numbers to follow the book. Each page shows a different habitat which is really interesting to children. I would agree with the reviewer below that this book could appeal to much older children as well, since the book covers a broad range of animal species and not just the ubiquitous elephant, tiger, etc. Our one complaint is the use of the term Killer Whale instead of the currently preferred Orca. (The orca is a member of the dolpin family and not the whale family.)

Its my daughter's favorite book...and we read alot of books. She's 3 1/2 yrs old and has learned how to count very effectively with this book, which wasn't my original intent but hey it's an added bonus. I enjoy finding the animals with her!

This is a wonderful book that my daughter really enjoys. Each page is filled with animals around the world: On the farm, On safari, In the desert, In the Artic, In the woods, In the ocean, In the rainforest, In the garden, In the outback, In the swamp, In the mountains, By the sea, Children's farm. Each section features a beautiful scene filled with a number of animals. Your child's vocabulary will grow quickly - the book differeniates between cows and calves, for example. It pictures a great variety of animals, not just the animals you normally see featured in books. I am very happy with the purchase and highly recommend this for children 2 and up.

I disagree with the "baby-preschool" description of this book. I think it's a little too busy for babies, and I also think children in the early grades would really enjoy finding the animals on each page. (I used to teach fourth grade, and I think this would even enthrall a lot of early-mid elementary aged kids as well.) Every page shows a different setting, and it gives a number of how many animals of each kind that you are supposed to spot. Kids spend time finding all of the animals on each page, and they are also counting and learning about habitats as well. My four-year-old son spent HOURS looking at this book by himself, even though he couldn't yet read the animals' names and needed me to help him with that part. (That's part of why I think the baby-preschool label is way too limiting; older kids who can actually read the animal names might enjoy it even more for quiet examination.) The drawings are very kid-friendly -- they are realistic even though they have a picture book vibe to them. We really loved this book.

Great introduction to Inventor. I am taking a course at college and using this tutorial as a supplement to that. If you are already familiar with CAD I would recommend just watching the tutorial first, and then going back and rewatching and doing the lessons at your own pace.

I almost decided to stop trying to use Inventor and go back to using AutoCAD. All the books I bought just define the commands, but don't show you how to use them. As a last ditch effort, I decided to buy Accelerated Productivity, and I'm very glad I did.

Accelerated Productivity not only shows you the details of every command, it shows you the most productive way to use them. The course is broken down into short movies that show you step-by-step.

I also bought TEDCF's advanced courses, and would gladly trade all my books for these courses. Thank you TEDCF. I think Autodesk should include your courses with Inventor.

I feel the CD is well-produced and very informative. I watched most of the videos during a cross-country flight and felt ready to go with Inventor 8 after I finished. However, for the cost of a very expensive book, the amount of material covered seems too small for me. To get up to speed quickly, it's great, but you'll need another book for help with the details. (I guess that's why they have more CDs in the series :-)).

I've been using Amazon.com for many years and purchased many books, but I have never written a review before. After trying this out I was compelled to do so.
I've been using Autocad for about 10 yrs., and when Inventor came out and I saw it demoed I was very impressed and got excited. I got a hold of the first book I could get my hands on and started reading. I tried a demo copy of inventor and used the tutorial. I never quite got my head around it. Autodesk says you can be productive with Inventor in one day. Well I must be the dumbest person walking around on this planet because here it is years later and it hasn't happened to me. I'm the only one doing production drawings at my location and I just don't have time to learn it at work. I don't use Inventor at work, but we got Inventor r5 with mechanical 6. Ended up using just the Autocad portion of it because of the learning curve involved for the mechanical side. Never had any formal training, but I did try to learn on my own at the house without success.
Well true to form I ordered Mechanical Design thinking maybe I might learn a little something. This is a video audio CD. When I finally started it up and started watching, I thought "now this is interesting". He breaks it down into 5 to 15 min. chunks and he does something that is very rare in teaching nowadays, he actually explains why and shows why it is better to do it one way over another way. He explains that
downstream by doing it this way makes the model easier to modify. I'm thinking, now this is really good. I discovered that he had produced another tutorial ahead of this one, called Accelerated Productivity. I ordered this one also. When I first started I didn't start up Inventor, I just watched and listened to both the videos. Now I've got Inventor open along with the CD and I'm almost through with Accelerated Productivity. For the first time I think I'm finally getting a handle on this Inventor. If there is anyone at Autodesk that reads this, then take a lesson from Mr. David Melvin at TEDCF, because this is the way that training videos should be made. Mr. Melvin and the people at TEDCF, I want to thank you because I truly appreciate what you have done. The only downside, and it is very minor one is the forward and backward navigation within a lesson. Once you get used to it's not too bad. As they say in the PC magazines "5 stars, highly recommended".

This is course is amazing! I was surprised to find that a video tutorial is actually better than a book because it is at my fingertips on the computer desktop at all times. I've used AutoCAD for the past eight years. I just got a job for a company that uses Autodesk Inventor, so I took it upon myself to purchase this course. Several of the engineers have used Inventor for years, but now they're coming to me with questions. This course has been very helpful for me.

Thank you!

Get your best buds together , dress up in funky attire, and GO CRAZY ! ! ! ! ! !

Now, I'll admit, I was skeptical about a the new role playing game, Agent X, when I first heard of it. A table top game with a system that flawlessly translates into live action game play, that sounds too good to be true, right? Too good or not, its the truth. Agent X's simple and realistic mechanics made all the games I've played in run smoothly and only aided in establishing a mood of mystery and suspicion that kept players coming back for more. If you're looking for a new kind of game with all the right stuff look no further than Agent X.

Finally a game that allows players to step into the world of Agents like Scully and Mulder. A must buy for all X-Files fans. Why only watch the show when you can experience the world of the X-Files through this game "Agent X"? I am surprised that Fox hasn't approached these folks about licensing it as the Official X-Files Role Playing Game. I had a great time playing it at ConQuest and will be looking for Agent X games at all the cons I go to.

Agent X has a great new system that differs from all current roleplaying games on the market. It a must buy for any serious gamemaster looking for a new genre for their group, and an even more important buy for the first time and long time roleplayer looking for a new style devoid of fantasy world play. The content addresses the more realistic side of roleplaying giving you the rules you need to play a real government agent. A must try.

I played the game at Comic Con International in mid-August, and I must say, I was impressed. Now, I'm not saying this just because it was two of my friends who were running the game (Hi Lee!), but it was actually a well thought out game. The system is simple, easy to learn and easy to play. Go out and by this game... NOW!

Whose side are you on?

This puzzle book is a very fun activity for you and your child to do together. My daughter received it as a gift when she was 4. It was a little difficult for her at first, but with a little help, we put it together and had a great time. She is now 6, and still loves it. It's really great because it takes some time to figure out the puzzles. It's not too easy, but not too difficult.

Satisfied Mom

I started out playing the puzzle with my daughter by showing her pieces of puzzle and location to place them, gradually she was trained to do so herself, and now she can complete the entire puzzle on her own with minimal help. On top of the educational value it's great for pattern recognition and observation at early childhood age. I wish the author has produced more puzzles of similar nature. Highly recommended for age 4 and up.

This was a Christmas gift that I bought at a book fair for my grandson who is almost six. He loved this book! He spent hours putting the puzzles together and asking the names of each animal that was shown in the puzzle. The puzzle is beautifully illustrated and the animals are identified by numbers. Two other titles were listed at the end of this book, Artic and Antarctic, he has asked for both of these books for his birthday. This book is a good choice for any child in this age group.

I bought this book of puzzles for my 5 and 3 year-olds. It is a bit above my 3 year-old, but perfect for the 5 year-old. I cannot resist helping out. The colors are beautiful, the pictures are fantastic. The six puzzles include animals from: Africa, Asia, Australia, North America, South America, and Europe. There is a key that gives the names of every animal on each page. There are also a few paragraphs about the flora and fauna of each area. This is definitely worth the money, particularly if you like animals and puzzles.

I bought this for my 6 yr old as a present. She LOVES it and spends considerable time doing the puzzles. The more interested she is in the puzzles, the more interested she is in learning about the animals. The book feaures 6 - 48 piece puzzles depicting animals from 6 continents. Antartica is included, but not in puzzle form. The book is colorful, and sturdy. The pieces do not fall out once assembled. The illustrations are beautiful and wonderfully life-like. I found it to also be a great activity book to travel with ... not for use in the car, but useful once you get there soft of thing. It can occupy kids for a long time. I would recommend it for ages 4-5 WITH help and ages 6-8 on thier own. It is a fun learning / doing "sort of thing".

Based on the true story of a former special education teacher who started a school for child trash-pickers in the Tijuana city dump in Mexico, this moving and informative book teaches a number of valuable economics lessons related to poverty, child labor, opportunity cost, and education. The authors do an excellent job communicating the difficult living conditions of the most vulnerable of the poor-children who work rather than go to school and live in shacks alongside the dump. They support their families by picking through trash looking for bottles, cans, clothes, and toys to sell and to use. Not only are the immediate conditions miserable, with the foul smell, heat, noise, and flies, but the longer term prospects of growing up without an education are bleak as well.

Armando, the main character is this book, is one of these children. Yet hope for a different kind of future marches into his life when his parents give him permission to attend a school at the dump that was recently started by Señor David. Armando understands that the decision is not an easy one for his parents, who depend on his income from picking trash. The school consists of little more than a blue tarp spread on the ground and a chalkboard, but it has a teacher and a group of students eager to learn how to read, write, draw, and do math. Armando's talents with drawing later help to turn new adversity into good fortune for his school.

This book makes a tremendous addition to any collection of children's literature that focuses on high quality content. With its developing country setting and the story of the real Señor David Lynch at the back, the book is as realistic as it is inspiring.

In the space of just a few pages, Edith Fine and Judith Josephson bring an unfamiliar world to life: that of the families who make a living by picking through the trash at the Tijuana dump. Education is not taken for granted in this world. When a caring teacher creates a school on a blue plastic tarp, new doors are opened for Armando and the other children. Armando and the Blue Tarp School, inspired by a true story, offers a moving message of hope. I love this book and its unusual illustrations. The story is a must for classrooms and school libraries.

In the book, Armando and the Blue Tarp School the authors Fine and Josephson write with caring and compassion about a forgotten segment of society. The poorest of the poor. With insight and sensitivity they tell the story of a young boy who longs to learn and go to school, but cannot because he must help his father sift though trash for items to sell to support the family. When Armando is finally allowed to go to school, the reader can almost feel his joy. And it is from this moment on the story gains momentum and heart.

Everyone who loves learning will love this book. This book is a must for all library shelves, personal collections and should be required reading in all the schools. Armando and the Blue Tarp School celebrates learning and living and is a story to be read and reread for generations to come. I highly recomend this book.

I gave Armando & the Blue Tarp School to 3 of my grandnieces/nephews. They all loved it. It started great discussions of schools, life in other communities, the importance of education, & the value of "sticking with it." I definitely recommend this book.

Armando and the Blue Tarp School is a children's picturebook based on true events. In the 1980's, David Lynch traveled to Mexico and worked with young people who lived in neighborhoods amid mounds of trash. Out of a desire to help them earn a better future, he spread a blue tarp on the ground and began teaching them kindergarten, Mexican culture, and English as a second language, and even brought paint for them to work with. An anonymous reader learned of Lynch's efforts through a newspaper article and donated funds for the area to build a school of its own. Armando and the Blue Tarp School follows young Armando, who must work every day with his father to pick through trash and uncover valuable recyclables, and his desire to learn at the blue tarp school. When a terrible fire destroys Armando's neighborhood, the picture he draws becomes published in the paper and a mysterious benefactor donates the needed funds to create a new school where the blue tarp once stood! David Lynch is portrayed as Senor David in this upbeat children's book about hope for the future. Especially recommended as a way to remind young boys and girls how lucky they are to have the opportunity to learn.