Computers Books

As a life-long, well since 1984 Macintosh person, I DETEST that every now and then I'm forced to used Windows for certain applications, and once that horrible machine is opened, sometimes it's useful to use the version of Word there. Plus, when I went back to Rutgers to finish my BA in journalism, they only used Windows Word. The pain of resorting to such nonsense was GREATLY relieved by this book, which made it a lot easier to get through unlearning everything I already knew and all the shortcuts I used on Mac and having to deal with such an unintuitive operating system. I would hate to have had to struggle through Windows without this book, and the spiral-bound version made it so much more convenient to keep around. When I close up my Windows machine and get back to a real computer, my Mac G5 dual processor, the book folds up nicely underneath. Kudos to Flisser, Richardson, & the Nerdy Books team!

As a graphic designer, I thought this book is an excellent tool to have next to your computer to be able to review any shortcuts of the program you are working on. I love the characters and their clever quotes on the tips. It's an easy and fun way to work. This is the first book of its kind!

I found the booklet awkward to use, and written in an irritating and patronizing 1960's "hip" style. I was hoping for something straightforward but the authors seemed more intent on showing off their cleverness than in helping someone struggling with a complex machine. It was also overpriced. The cartoons were kind of cute but if I want a cartoon book I'll buy a copy of "Peanuts".

As a graphic designer, I thought this book is an excellent tool to have next to your computer to be able to review any shortcuts of the program you are working on. I love the characters and their clever quotes on the tips. It's an easy and fun way to work. This is the first book of its kind!

This book deserves more than five stars for all the time and frustration it will save you.

If you are like me, Microsoft Word has two major drawbacks:

(1) Automatic formats that change things from what you want to what you don't want, and are hard to disable

(2) A manual that would cause a hernia to lift (and is daunting to contemplate opening).

This book overcomes both of those problems.

Let me explain a little about why this book is valuable before describing it.

First, the authors clearly have a lot of experience with Word because they had tips for every problem I have ever had using the program. Soon, I found myself racing through to find the sections that would help me.

Second, this book will be especially valuable to authors and others who need to create long text files. I knew there had to be ways to automatically do a universal change of one word for another. Now I know how to do it! Wow! Can you imagine how much time that will save?

Third, I suspect this book will be even more valuable to those who would like to add a lot of snazzy graphics to their Word documents. I don't plan to, but I was impressed to see how to do that.

The book is spiral bound and comes with a cardboard stand, so I can leave it on the top of my word processing station and flip through it easily without having to clear a lot of space.

The structure is logical in that it begins with simple subjects and moves on to more specialized ones. Here are the topics:

Documents, documents, documents

Navigating a document

Selecting and navigating text

Character and paragraph formatting

Changing fonts and point sizes

Special characters

Paragraph stuff

Lists?

Creating, editing and applying styles

Undo, cut, copy and paste

Lost something?

Page breaks, section breaks and columns

AutoCorrect, AutoText and the Spike

Creating and using forms and mail merge

Spell check and the Thesaurus

Out in the field

Those nasty tabs

Tables, rows and columns

Making templates

Headers, footers and cool page stuff

Squares, circles, stars, lines, autoshapes and more!

Selecting, moving and duplicating objects

Fills, lines, colors and shadows

Inserting objects and clip art

Hyperlinks

Toolbars

Menus

Help

Each tip page has more than one tip on it. The main one is presented in straightforward fashion. "#88 To paste the contents of the clipboard Press Ctrl + V." Then there is a comical cartoon figure (a surfer in this case) with another tip. These secondary tips vary in difficulty, with the type of character used indicating the complexity level. "The very happening thing is that I noted the last 4 shortcuts (Ctrl + Z, X, C and V) are in a row on the keyboard."

This page format works very well for breaking up the text, and making it more interesting. The shift in style allows the mind a break from one complicated item to another. It also creates a dialogue on the page that makes it easier to remember the idea.

It turns out that these ideas work on almost all versions of Word, so even if you do not have Word 2000, you will get benefit from this book. I use Word 6.0, and almost everything applies. A number of the directions apply to Excel and Powerpoint, as well.

What I had not realized is that Word is not well enabled for those who only use the mouse. The more sophisticated adjustments almost always require using the keyboard, instead. So that insight was worth the price of the book alone. I had found myself using the keyboard more and more with Word, and did not know why. Now I understand. It's because I can get my results faster and easier that way.

Let me give you one word of caution. Because the book starts with the simplest and works towards the most complex applications, you may already know most of the first 50 tips. Keep going. At some point, almost everything will be something that you did not know before.

I wish I could give you an idea of how to go right to the place where you will find exactly the right material to solve your own issues. I don't know how to do that. I suggest that you flip pages so that you can scanned everything once. Then you can come back when you want to use an item. You might add colored Post-It notes to mark the places with a note jotted on them about how you want to use the advice.

The only drawback I found in the book is that sometimes I did not understand the terms used, so the advice did not mean anything to me. A glossary of terms would have helped. Perhaps the "Help" feature in Word can get me through those.

I think there is also a potential benefit in seeing other ways to use Word. I did not realize that the 2000 version has list and mail merging features. That may be something we can use in our office.

After you have finished finding great nuggets of knowledge here, I suggest that you take something that you do for others. Ask them what difficulties they have in using what you provide. See if you can boil down what they need into easier-to-use formats, as well.

Go straight to the solution!

Great clear and practical advice for the aspiring or even the professional java programmer.

I have already owned this book for more than four years and could not be happier with it. I have used it extensively mainly as a reference for the uncovered/undocumented topics in Swing, Concurrency and JDBC programming; and I must say it has always surprised me by providing sound information to complex concepts covered only in a very shallow way by other Java books. I keep up to date by buying the latest books in Java JSE and J2EE programming but still, it is only with Brett's book that I end up finding the best answers. It is very compelling its excellent coverage of good OO design in Java and programming style guidelines.

Please do not fool yourself as I almost did when I was quickly browsing through its pages before deciding to buy. My first impression was that this book wasn't going to be very deep, while covering so many different topics e.g. Java Architecture, Swing, Javadoc, JDBC, Remote, Concurrency, etc. but Brett's nail hitting approach is to leave out the trivialities and get to the core complex issues that make all the difference developing real-life complex Java applications.

e.g. today sunday 29.10.2006 I just could not take anymore not fully understanding how GridBagLayout works. I needed the added flexibility over the other simpler but very limited Layout managers. After my frustrated attempt of reviewing other three Java Swing-only up-to-date books, voila! there was Brett's in my bookshelf as always waiting to provide me with the best explanation and examples.

I very much look forward his updated new edition of this excellent almost never outdated resource.

The title of the book is very well honoured. It is IMHO a must have for any serious professional Java developer.

I've had this book since it was first printed, and I find myself coming back to it time and again. I've gotten great value from the printing, drag and drop, internationalization....you get the idea. There is a lot of info here that you just don't find in most Java books (and I've read quite a few).

Highly recomended.

As an intermediate-level Java programmer, this book has helped me tremendously. Reading it from front to back like a novel, I was able to immediately apply almost every lesson learned. Brett Spell has a wonderfully readable writing style and does a fantastic job of explaining a wide array of sticky topics that apply to almost every Java programmer. The book's diagrams and example code are also excellent. I highly recommend this book.

This book certainly covers many important topics in a clear and well written manner. You will find excellent and very clear advice to follow. My only gripe with this book is its rather lengthy treatment of Swing. Swing is covered in enough detail to give you a flavor, but that's all. In total the coverage of swing takes up a lot of pages, and makes the book a bit too thick to read comfortably in bed. Without the Swing part I think it would have been possible to have this book as a bedside companion.

This book provides meticulous details about QA for integrated software and component-based software .This particular book teaches how to approach testing and QA in a systematic manner .The book gives an organized and detailed description for the Software Quality assurance for the software components. It teaches all the way from very basic step. Beginning with Black Box testing and following White box, Regression testing, Performance, System level testing .The approach includes various different validation methods that needs to be rigorously applied and a detailed QA approach which teaches all the possible Test Cases. Overall this book provides a complete teaching of the Component Based Software. Being Professor Jerry Gao's student, have completed software quality and testing courses under him. This book has increased my knowledge for component-based software testing as it describes different testing methods, phases, issues, challenges etc. I highly recommend this book for college graduates and professionals who want to brighten their career in QA and testing areas.

This is a very unique book on QA and software testing topics because it discusses some of the testing techniques & concepts extended from research world and also covers the modern software component concepts and the applicability of these techniques on them. The book is divided into IV parts. The first part introduces the reader with software components and it's testability. The model based solution to some of the issues and challanges can be applicable to the SOA based softwares as well.
Part II of the book discusses the fundamental black box and white box techniques. A section is devoted on white box techniques for object oriented testing.
Part III of the book focuses on most important challanges of todays software. The UML based approcah to software integration testing discussed in this book uses an unique approach of content and context based relationship of objects. Regression testing for maintaining software is discussed in detail.
Part IV is entirely devoted to QA topics. They fully cover QA measuremnet and validation topics, standards and certification.
This is a must have book for software developer, Test engineer and QA professionals. The references at the end of each chapter reminds you to go deeper and dig into IEEE and ACM papers on the subject. I have already recommended this book to my fellow software developers and managers.

The book has detailed coverage of all software testing terminologies and methodologies such as black-box, white-box, test automation, integration, and performance testing.Over all, this is a very good book for learning Testing techniques for component based software.This book is extremely well organized and should be useful for both novice and experienced software testers.

I learned many new concepts about Software Testing from this book. I learned how to do the manual testing, automation testing of the component software using this book. White Box Testing, which involves Control Flow Graph is documented well in this book anyone who wants to learn about the White Box Testing can easily learn through it. This book is very user friendly in terms of doing Software Manual Testing.
Automation Testing is described well too. I recommend anyone from Software Engineering planning to go into Software Testing should read this book atleast once.

This book helped me gain good knowledge about Software testing, its objectives and various approaches for real time experience. It helped me understand the basic concepts and fundamentals of Software component testability. Through this book, I got a basic idea about the rules and methodologies that are being implemented and followed in current software testing field, as per industry standards.

Black box and White box testing techniques and their relevant issues, challenges and solutions, the various test models, everything is explained very visibly. It serves as a good guide for the beginners as well as the Software professionals of all levels. Information on testing methods like Regression, Integration, Performance and System testing are detailed in a systematic manner.
The information in this text book, taught us to follow the best ways to achieve a well defined test coverage criteria by deriving a definite plan for the project- a plan for managing the schedules, designing and testing the software based components to meet the requirements in the project within a deadline. We, in a team, worked on a Simulated ATM machine, for a practical experience, and the book helped us as a good start. Each chapter has a good introductory part, which gives a clear synopsis about the complete chapter.
The book explains the role of different testing tools, designing and handling the test cases, how to perform component testing quickly and efficiently through automation testing, without manual involvement. Manual testing is time consuming and hence to solve this issue, Automation testing has been introduced lately and this information has been illustrated by the authors very clearly in the book, with suitable examples for the readers understanding.

I personally found this book very helpful and knowledgeable. A Software component's life cycle through the testing phase has been explained well, alongside giving us information about the methodologies to improve the quality of a product, and how to derive a test case to support the functionality; everything is mentioned in this book. My only suggestion is, this book is a complete pack of information on testing of a Software component and its Quality assurance, and hence, from college students to Software professionals, everybody has to experience this book, if they are seriously looking to pick up their career in Testing.

It is an insightful book that penetrates to the core of the issue in regards to human suffering and God's sovereignty. Biblically sound, thorough, well-written -- it is a must read for every Christian who is serious about deepening one's faith, especially in the midst of adversity and pain.

This book teaches believers how to traverse of the of the greatest hurdles in any Christian's life--trusting God in the midst of suffering and adversity.

Bridges shows how a loving God works for our good. God controls circumstances, people, nature, and all of the other things that affect our lives. That does not mean that we are not responsible to pray and work for what we believe to be the correct course of events in our lives; it simply means that if our initial plan is in some way thwarted, we should submit to God in full knowledge that what He has brought about is ultimately for our good, as difficult as it may seem for us to believe that when we are in the midst of adversity.

This is a great study on the sovereignty of God--you don't necessarily have to be in the midst of any great trial to get a lot out of this book. The book is written in a warm, assuring style, and reads as though it was written by a wise uncle doing his best to give you guidance and comfort.

Best book I've read on "why bad things happen". I really appreciated the fact that Mr. Bridges used scripture to back up what he had to say, and not his "feelings" or "experiences". Also, unlike most writers on this subject, he didn't try to explain God. Guess what? If we could EXPLAIN Him, He'd be one of US! The author doesn't minimize God, but challenges us to really rest in WHO HE IS.

This book is gold. I read it about 10 years ago as I went through a hard time personally. At the time, I was struggling to come to grips with God's sovereignty. Bridges helped me to see that God's sovereignty is not some raw, unguided power. It is directed by God's boundless wisdom and endless love.

As a Christian pastor, I've read lots of books. But this one is right up the top of the stack. The truths here are truths to be cherished and loved. And so is the God of whom they speak. Here is solid ground indeed.

This is no piece of dead orthodoxy written in a cloister. Rather, it is a profound expression of a Godward and biblical faith that can be lived and loved in spite of life's harsh knocks.

So what are you waiting for? Buy this book! Read it! Pray through it! Grow! And then when you're done here, read another good book! I dunno ... maybe a solid book on prayer like Don Carson's "Call to Spiritual Reformation" or Richard Pratt's "Pray with Your Eyes Open."

This book is wonderful and is essential reading for anyone, not only those going through hard times, but also those with questions as to how to let go of our anxieties and worries. Everything Bridges says he back up with the Bible, and he does not skip around the difficult questions, but addresses them. This book was exactly what I hoped for and will be re-read many times I am sure.

The Best series of books to learn Network programming from. The BEST in the world. Nothing comes close.

If you are reading this review you probably are looking for a comprehensive text on socket programming. Look no further. This is the One. You can stop reading reviews trying to find the perfect one and go hit the Add To Shopping Cart button with confidence. Detailed, comprehensive and clear. A favorite.

This book consists of "in the trenches" information Mr. Stevens learned over the years by reading source, testing thoroughly, documenting extensively, and assembling carefully all this data into one heck of a book on Unix programming. I feel certain in declaring that many who've developed code on Unix know instantly of Stevens' works. This update to his book appears just as thorough.

I do agree with a previous reviewer who was unhappy with the code samples' dependency on a header file in the back of the book. It's a clumsy technique, but it's difficult to imagine another way to accomplish the goals of including the header.

This book is excellent. I had previously bought "Advanced Programming in the UNIX Environment" by the same author and I loved it so now that I have to do network programming in Linux I got a copy of UNP. The book is well organized and has a lot more information than I expected (Raw sockets, Packet capture, IPv6 etc). Everything is explained clearly and with a lot of examples. It's a shame that the author passed away because I would buy any other book he wrote. Buy this book, it's expensive but It's so professional that is a "must have" for anyone that's going to be programming network applications in UNIX systems.

Thank you, Richard Stevens. Rest in Peace.

The book contains everything that I want to know about the Unix Sockets API. The book is well structured, and the explanations are generally good. I would give it 4½ stars if it was possible.

I do have a few minor gripes though. The text can be a bit dull compared to other books. I bought "Programming with POSIX(R) Threads" by David R. Butenhof at the same time, and this book is much more entertaining while still factual and correct.

I dislike that all the examples in the book uses a special header defined in the Appendix. That makes it impossible to use snippets of code from the examples to make your own applications.

This is definitely in my top three all time picks. Picking up this book, I already had good knowledge of Group Policy and AD implementation but surely needed more conceptual explanations and best practices. However, this book could surely be read and understood by someone just starting to create their own Group Policy implementation. The text kept me interested and was even comical at times. It was very smooth in it's transitions from one topic to another, with many great references. Jeremy Moskowitz is a fine educator and writer. I plan on attending one of his training seminars soon!

An excellent book that teaches group plocy from the ground up, and well into the advanced levels. I especially like end of chapter summeries of tips and practices to avoid the pitfalls of Group Policy hell.

I like the author style in writing the book, it's a kinda active voice approach and this really benefit a lot for reader.

If we talking about Group Policy books for Windows 2000, I recommend this one, it's 110% pure Group Policy. One more thing the discussion of login Profile is superb.

Highly recommend this book to any IT professional involved with Group Policy or Active Directory. I knew that Group Policy was a great way to lower TCO in most organizations, but was always struggling to decode the Microsoft documentation. This book covers all aspects of Group Policy, in great detail, with great examples, and with extra muggets that I believe you will not find anywhere else.

I am a Microsoft Certified Trainer and has been working more or less day and night for three years - in labs, in theory, in real-world and in class - with Windows 2000, Active Directory and Group Policy. Earlier this year I invested in a few books concerning these subjects, and was once more thoroughly disappointed. Every one seems to be meant for beginners, and/or for the publishing business: thick, promising books with nothing in them. Said to my collegue: "Perhaps one knows so much nowadays, that you really can't find anything new in books (as opposed to Internet, real-world, lab)," and I actually decided, somewhat bitterly, not to waste any more money on "computer related" literature.

But then I read Moskowitz' "Windows 2000 Group Policy, Profiles, and IntelliMirror" (2001), and is what I hope for every time; here's a writer who's obviously passionate about the subject, who with great theoretical and practical knowledge been working hard to share his knowledge in a clear, no-nonsense fashion.
As you know, these kind of books usually have a common problem: they all tell you the same basics, throw in some pseudo-advanced details, and - most importantly - avoid the tough nuts. What's so liberating with Moskowitz' work, is that he indeed tells you the basics, just to make sure you follow him, then he goes one step further, along the way he throws in some real nuggets for technicians, and cracks them nuts one after another, like it's never been a problem at all. No-nonsense, easy read, nearly fascinating from the first page to the last. I'm very impressed. This book is extremely useful, a real treasure. If you're at Amazon searching for a book about these matters, you've certainly found what you're looking for.

I myself, will keep my eyes open for further works by Jeremy Moskowitz. Aside of being very experienced and knowledgable, he's also a skilled writer, free from that nudge-nudge-humor which some writers grasp at to make their thick nonsense "easy read"; but still he is easy read, has a laid back dry sense of humor, and writes fluidently. I don't think he's written any other books, though he's been writing for magazines, but I will keep my eyes open. This is truly great work! Perhaps the best in a long time.

This is a great book. It covers all of the design and tuning needed for a Citrix environment. It includes desktop replacement strategies...the works. It is easy to understand and organized well.
I was forced to learn Metaframe 1.8 in a hurry and this book gave me the tools to be able to implement a robust thin-client solution.

Having just gone through the process of loading Citrix XP this book made life a million times easier.(The book appears to me more orientated towards earlier versions than the one I loaded but this caused no problems at all)
I had had very little experience with Citrix beforehand but this book prepared me for the install and fine tuning of Citrix once installed...Take a bow Mr Mathers - very well written and well layed out

If you are new to TS/Metaframe, but you have a solid handle on Windows NT/2000, this will be an easy and informative read for you. While you will already have a solid grounding in file system an regsitry security, system and group policy, user groups, performance tuning, and system configuration, Thin Client Solutions is full of detailed information on how to apply your NT/Win2K savvy in these areas to the TS environment.

Mathers covers both the TS and Citrix products in detail. You'll get coverage on everything ranging from the differences between the two products, to installation, licensing, optimization, security, and application integration. And don't forget, the appendixes are also chock full of useful stuff such as a TS/Metaframe command reference, file system security configuration scripts, registry security configuration scripts, and more.

A word of caution, however. If you don't know Windows NT/2000, you'll probably be lost -- Mathers assumes that you are on a pretty solid footing with the Windows environment. If not, you'll need to bring your Windows NT/2k skills up to speed before this book will be of benefit you.

If you are thinking about configuring a Terminal Services server and/or using Citrix Metaframe, this is the best book you can buy. I have bought them all, and even if you have experience with TS, and or Citrix, this book is full of great tips and extremely useful information. Buy it! Don't wait.

WINDOWS NT/2000
Thin Client Solutions
Implementing Terminal Services and Citrix MetaFrame
AUTHOR: Todd W. Mathers
PUBLISHER: New Riders
REVIEWED BY: Barbara Rhoades

BOOK REVIEW: Windows NT/2000 reminds a reader of "War and Peace" in that it contains over 800 pages of in-depth information. The font is a fairly readable size.

Author's note, tips, warnings and many graphical examples can be found throughout the book. The Content section has 13 pages while the Index contains 44 information packed pages. With this much reference material, the reader should not lack the ability to locate the information he/she is seeking. Just in case this isn't enough, the book is divided into Parts and each Part lists what the Chapters of that Part contain.

If the reader is building a "Windows NT or 200 thin client system", Windows NT/200, Thin Client Solutions, Implementing Terminal Services and Citrix MetaFrame should provide the answers.

Michael has done it again. Reading both $30 Film School and $30 Music School back to back has definitely given my confidence and knowledge a jump-start.
With the $30 series and the documentary DIY OR DIE, Michael W Dean has created a foundation to start your own artistic journey and equip you with enough knowledge to survive in what can be a very cutthroat environment.

It is time to wake up, take control of what is left of your life and make an impression to last the ages. The $30 series is here to help prevent you from making the mistake of living old with regret.
For $30 you get way more than what you pay for.

The book's OK, but it's not about music: it's about running a garage band -- which is very different: in music school you study your instrument, solfege, harmony, and counterpoint; in a band you need to know how to find gigs, how to fight with your bandmates and come on top -- every time, all the time, how to deal with the gear, etc. With this in mind, the book is a good read for a newbie (but if you have a couple of years' experience in that area it is unlikely that you'll find anything you don't already know).

What's next for the author? I'm hoping for a $30 Brain Surgery School book, why not. After having starved in the company of beautiful women, one realizes that a man's gotta eat. ;-) God bless.

The title of this book caught my eye and I bought it after reading 1 page. It is well written and informative without being dry. Along with the practical advice given on purchasing gear, dealing with bandmembers, club owners, recording and other facets of getting your music heard, integrity and win/win situations are stressed throughout it. I have already applied some of the info presented and have undergone some major attitude adjustments (positive ones) toward my music and my musical goals. Although there is a lot of humor and an easygoing style about this book, it is very serious in its focus on how to get your music out there. Anybody who wants to pursue music further than garage band status should read this book. People who want to be big rock stars would benefit from $30 Music School, too, as it may prove to be a reality check for them.

Michael W. Dean's $30 Music School is the best book on this subject I've encountered. Mr. Dean (Dr. Dean?) covers every aspect of music-making: the politics of bands, writing songs, getting gear, practice spaces, booking shows, recording, making cds, the music business and the internet, and touring are all addressed at length in a personal, avuncular style that is always inspiring to read. Mr. Dean's enthusiasm is infectious. His DIY aesthetic is uncompromising but his attitude couldn't be more positive. This is a book for people who want to get out there and start living their art life instead of merely thinking about it. I've been a musician for over 20 years and every chapter in this book fired my imagination. If you read this book and don't feel inspired to begin or reinvigorate a DIY music career, you probably have a different calling altogether. I'm hoping he writes a sequel (graduate school?) that addresses many of these subjects at greater length. In the meantime, I'm on my own! Ha! If you liked this book, check out the others in the $30 music school series as well as Mr. Dean's fiction works and his film D.I.Y. or Die. Hooray for Michael Dean for doing so much of the hard work for the rest of us!

Michael's writing style realy makes this an enjoyable read. This how-to for garage banding covers everything from managers and road managers and bookers to the handful of guitar and keyboard chords you need for rock 'n roll to tutorials for various software packages. Hmm. Like a boyscout manual for punk rockers. Lots of anecdotes and real-world advise.

I've been having back pain in the morning for the last few months after some furniture moving. I stopped at Borders for a coffee and picked this up to read (ok, I'm shameless). After about an hour with the book, I developed a game plan for dealing with the backache which I learned is of a very common garden type. It might be too early to declare victory but I woke this morning with almost no pain after sleeping in the prescribed position with a heating pad and taking a few NSAIDS before bed.

I have family members that opted for surgery years ago and it ruined their lives - possibly even led to a death of a cousin from OD of narcotics. I wish that they had had this book to read. A lot has changed in medicine and it seems like the author has much more modern thinking than most of the medical profession that still seems bent on drugs and surgery first.

This book is laying on the floor next to my bed. Why? I do the exercises every morning, and refer to the chapter to make sure I don't miss any. I do most of the exercises on the floor, so that's where the book lives. It is a part of my life now.

I've suffered from low-grade back pain for years, and learned a lot from this book. I especially like the integrated mind-body approach, the solid, realistic information about the mechanics of the spine, and the practical advice for care and recovery.

I've spoken with a chiropractor and an MD about my back problems, and the advice they gave me is identical to the advice in this book -- and the book was far less expensive.

Unless you were injured, your back took years to get into its current condition, and it will take a while to improve. This book is a first-rate map of the road to recovery.

This books covers a lot of territory but I did not find it particularly helpful. It feels like it has a lot of filler material to get it to "book length", without focusing in on the most useful information. Also, it completely ignores the neck, apparently assuming that all problems are lower-back problems.

Save your money on Back Pain Remedies for Dummies or just check it out of the library and skim it; in my opinion it is not worth the space it takes up on my book shelf.

Overall, a very informative book, as everyone else says. My only reservation - be careful doing the exercises in the book. The author also has a warning about this - he says "at no point during your back exercise program, should you feel that you are straining...to the point of significantly increasing your pain."

I tried doing a lot of the exercises in the book, and it did add to my pain, so I then got a referral to a physical therapist, who then worked with me, showing me the 9 exercises that were best for me - using the big exercise ball. Those exercises (and perhaps the glucosamine that I take) have gotten me back to where I can again play badminton once a week, and no longer have the serious back pain I had before. (The book does mention, of course, the possibility of getting help from a physical therapist.) I'd recommend the book - just don't increase your pain by overdoing the exercises - as the author warns, in that chapter.

i love this book! its so easy to understand, and it really put my mind at ease on alot of pain issues.it covers so many topics that you dont usually read about, such as: the pros and cons of back surgery, who to seek help from, exercises, getting back to work and the feelings associated with it,etc. a definite must read!

Having bought TrueSpace2 with no prior knowledge of CGI, and being the world's worst artist, I was skeptical reading previous reviews. However I needn't have been.

The author gently takes the reader through from first principles to advanced modelling in a clear and concise manner, and in such a way that it gives you confidence to try something new.

I can't recommend this book highly enough.

Great book, it also taught TrueSpace in a matter of weeks instread of learning by exprimentation.

I started using TrueSpace back when version 2 was the newest release. I figured I could play around and build some small videos for myself. This book walked me through many of the functions and allowed me to apply what I have learned. Practically from the first page, the author walks your step by step in creating your own object. Now with version 6 available, I wish this author would write an update to keep us all in the know. Even now I still refer back to this book for missing tips and function that I don't use offen enough to remember. If you like to use TrueSpace and really want to develop something not only recognizable, but high-end I suggest you start with this book.

What are Amazon playing at! nowhere is the price displayed of this ite

Even though Caligari has recently released trueSpace 4, this book covering version 2 is a must have. The easy to follow and understand print will have you creating breathtaking graphics in no time at all. Caligari's trueSpace is truly outstanding only if you learn to use it properly. This book will do that for you.