Computers Books


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Computers Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

Computers
SQL/400 Developer's Guide
Published in Paperback by 29th Street Press (2000-09)
Authors: Paul Conte and Mike Cravitz
List price: $79.00
New price: $52.14
Used price: $45.00

Average review score:

Review of SQL/400 Guide
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-28
Got the equavalent of what it cost me after about 5 minutes. Great reference and have just recently started at chapter 3 for in-depth how to instructions.

Well written.

Most everything you need for SQL on the iSeries
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-19
This book is fairly comprehensive. There were just a few topics I would have liked to have seen more on. All in all, it really helped me get the job done.

Good practical book to learn SQL on iSeries
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2004-10-12
This book was just what I needed. I'm an RPG programmer who has to learn SQL for a new application we're developing. Found most of what I needed here.

Used it the day I got it
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2001-09-25
I had a vendor in the day this came to work. He asked me if I had a good SQL book and I replied, "Let's find out" and opened the box. It was perfect for what we needed. I have used it several times and it is easy to read. Being new at SQL on the 400, I am a little frustrated with the index. I was trying to figure out how to substring and couldn't find a reference anywhere. Twice I have had to forego the book and ask another person.
It is a great learning tool and I'm very glad I bought it.

SQL for the 400/iSeries Cool!
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2001-05-09
SQL the standard for data access is now presented in a AS400/iSeries user format. The differences that exist for the DB2/400 user are minor but significant enough to warrant 500 pages plus.

Conte and Cravitz flood the text with real working examples that hit homeruns with the IBM midrange user. Yet, minus the sprinkling of RPG/ILE & Cobol code any DB2 user would find the text extremely helpful.

Keep this book at the ready since it's a "quick grab" when questions come up regarding triggers, UDF's or Database Modeling and design.

The Book is a great starting point for the AS400/iSeries guru looking to open their database to the outside world. With a solid SQL footing the JDBC mountain is a much easier climb.

Conte & Cravitz keep up the great work!

Computers
The Tomes of Delphi: Algorithms and Data Structures
Published in Paperback by Wordware Publishing (2001-05)
Author: Julian Bucknall
List price: $59.95
New price: $199.94
Used price: $29.99

Average review score:

The bar has been raised on advanced Delphi books
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-04-22
Wow. Bucknall has raised the bar on advanced Delphi books. This books coverage of Algorithms and Data Structures is suburb. This book should be required reading for all Delphi developers. No one can call themselves an expert level Delphi developer with out understanding the concepts taught in this book. Bucknall's knowledge of Algorithms and related concepts places him in a category with Knuth & Sedgewick.

Worth the wait!
Helpful Votes: 11 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2002-06-06
This is a book that I've been waiting for for a long time (according to the acknowledgements, Julian has worked on it from April 1999 until February 2001, probably even longer). But it has been worth it, because it's an excellent book about algorithms and data structures implemented in Delphi (and Kylix) - usually version independent.

The book consists of 12 chapters. But even before the first chapter Julian takes on the question of "why a book on Delphi algorithms?" in the introduction. He explains that a number of Computer Science algorithms books are hardly practical, and the practical books are mainly for C, C++, or Java. This is a book about algorithms and data structures using Delphi (for Windows, but also Kylix for Linux), with a lot of focus on practical and useful techniques that make sense.

A great plus is that the code in the book works for every version of Delphi and Kylix (and probably also in C++Builder), and I'm fairly confident it will remain working in the next version(s) of Delphi and Kylix to come. A bonus point is the syntax high-lighting in the source code listings. A small effort for the author/publisher, but a great help for the reader who sees the source code for the first time.

It's now been reprinted!!!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-06
This wonderful book is now again available for purchase from lulu dot com. The known errors have been fixed and its got a new smarter look and feel.

Surprisingly very readable, and useable day to day
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2003-03-30
I still think of myself as being a beginning programmer, although that's not totally true, having messed around for about ten years with CAD macro's and dbase add-ons and turned them into full-blown applications that finally became fairly complex. However, I never had a decent IT training beyond some basics in Fortran and Algol, and know next to nothing about OOP.

I first thought Bucknall's book would not be for me, as I was afraid of landing into high level topics and getting lost in jargon.

On the contrary, I hardly can stop reading the book, which finally provides a very practical approach to Delphi/Kylix programming, giving light to many abstract topics you will not find in most books : the trade-off between speed and memory efficiency, how data structures and the mix you make of them in your application affect your program's speed and reliability, easy steps that make debugging and testing more efficient,...

Once you've got the hang of using the VCL within Delphi and know how to place controls on a form, you can immensely benefit from this book, that can be used as a reference into many algorithms and their Delphi implementation, or can be read chapter by chapter as an introduction to analyse the merits of several ways to sort/search/hash or use various data structures to solve a problem you face as a programmer.

Julian Bucknall's text is very understandable, even to non english native speakers, stays close to the topic while providing you with a wide scope of insights into related subjects. He's also keen on giving you all the tips he can coming from his personal practice as a programmer that make you understand why some theoretical topics matter to your program's quality. It's nearly like having him looking over your shoulder and helping you making the best choices. The book provides you with a real simple alternative to searching the web multiple times or trying to translate C coded algorithms into a Delphi equivalent, hence it will be a time saver to many Delphi user's, even a casual one like me.

This book is a must have, as a complement to a good Delphi / Pascal reference.

Julian Bucknall it's really a GREAT GENIUS
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2002-03-06
This book it's of essential importance for all mid-level delphi programmers. If you like to know the low-level working of common data structures of the IT software engineering (or if you like to build one), then buy hands down this book: it's the best around. Moreover the ezdsl (the author free library) is the fastest implementation that i have seen. Personally i look that ezdsl/delphi is faster than the STL equivalent under c++.

Computers
Windows Server Cookbook for Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Published in Paperback by O'Reilly Media (2005-03-23)
Author: Robbie Allen
List price: $44.95
New price: $4.00
Used price: $2.74

Average review score:

Must have for AD support folks.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-27
I use this book and also the author's AD cookbook daily to help with supporting our global Active Directory server infrastructure. This is an absolutely indispensable reference.

Great Book.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-12-14
This book is a great resource covering a wide variety of interactions with Windows Servers. Whether you are new or experienced, this book is an invaluable tool.

Very helpful to admins / IT support
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-13
We're a software engineering company, and I maintain our internal servers (6-7 servers) as well as provide customer support on our products. A lot of that involves asking for information from the customer - and this book helps in putting together scripts that I can send out that will send back information to us that avoids us asking to exchange 5 emails to get the same result. Anything that saves my time - and our customers time - is worthy of purchasing. Well done, well organised book - and the author returns emails!

Great Resource for Admins
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2005-12-11
This book is not one for beginners who don't know what they are doing and are looking for detailed explanations of topics. This is made purely for the admin who needs to get a job done, and quickly, and knows already what they are trying to accomplish. I really appreacieate all the scripting examples and also how Rob puts in some great building blocks for scripting (like how to redirect your output to an excel file rather than just the usual Wscript.Echo output that you can redirect to a text file or to stdout). Great Job Robbie!!

Start here, it is all here!
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-03
This book has a sound foundation for managing a windows 2003 server. The chapters are logically organized. I used some of the examples in the book to migrate some file shares in my network from unix to windows, the book was there for the rescue (the fact that the author has a solid windows/unix experience makes this book even more attractive). The solutions in this book include windows scripting, an area that is seldom talked about in windows literature. If you are serious about managing a windows 2003 server competently then you want to have this book in your arsenal.

Computers
Windows Vista(TM) Administrator's Pocket Consultant (Pro - Administrator's Pocket Consultant)
Published in Paperback by Microsoft Press (2006-12-27)
Author: William R. Stanek
List price: $29.99
New price: $15.48
Used price: $14.67

Average review score:

compra online
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 37 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-17
Es verdaderamnte confiable comprar por amazon, pense que iba hace mas complejo pero fue lo contrario, el producto llegó excelente.
recomiendo ampliamente las comprar online por este site.

Very handy indeed!!!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 41 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-05
Very condensed and abreviated, "little" Windows Vista Bible.Only required some technical knowledge.But, hey if you want to find something quickly
this is it. Period.
Thanks

windows vista administrator's pocket book
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 40 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-16
If you are already into Windows XP Pro, this book will take you to the next level. Good book, well written, with lots of new techniques.
If Microsoft does not dump Vista in the near future, buy the book.

Solid, practical, useful
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 46 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-15
Several days a week I travel to our branch offices. This book is always in my backpack. It is the only Windows Vista book that I refer to constantly. I don't see how you can go wrong with this one. A good value and a good resource to have at hand on the road and in the office.

Great book
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 45 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-24
This book is well written and organized. As a network admin, I found it very useful getting me familar w/ Vista. It has enough info to help me do my job, but not too much to be bored or too detailed on some common taks/commands/procedure. Indeed, a good admin guide, not for study in more detailed level for tests/exams --J.L., MCSE, MCT, CCNA

Computers
Working Effectively with Legacy Code
Published in Kindle Edition by Prentice Hall (2008-03-29)
Author: Michael Feathers
List price: $35.99
New price: $28.79

Average review score:

Bad Title; Great Book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-13
[...]

This is a must-read for software developers, I think. It's up there with Code Complete as a must-have, and I think does a better job than Refactoring by Fowler of explaining Refactoring. I started using some of the techniques in this book immediately and found that coding was higher quality and more enjoyable. It also helps to understand that the author's definition of "legacy code" is "code without tests".

Excellent Resource for Dealing with Untested Applications
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-01
If you're working on a project that lacks unit tests, but want to add them, you have to read this book. It has advice and strategies for refactoring untested code so it CAN be tested. Whatever language you're working this, this book has the help you need.

It is nothing about legacy, but daily programming
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-12
I am still reading the book, but till now have enjoyed it a lot. There are lots of practical example and approach with required code and explanation. Definitely a must read for anyone who programs in a formal environment - group or office. As you have to read others code, maintain and extend.

The best book EVER on making legacy code easier to test
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-15
Have you struggled to get your legacy code under control? Maybe even that code you wrote in a hurry last year? Or that hairy monster that no-one in the team wants to touch because it's so short-tempered?

If so, then this is the book for you. And I really can't recommend it too highly.

Michael Feathers' book is an extremely well-written book on how to take existing code and work with it so that you can get it under test. In the process you'll learn tricks that you can use in the future. And you'll also enjoy reading it.

You CAN escape from the tyranny of any code that refuses to yield to attempts at improvement. Feathers probably has several tricks to show you along the way. For just one example, look at his Pass Null trick on page 111.

All of the book is a great read. In fact, any single chapter will give you techniques that will help you IMMEDIATELY. For me, the most useful part of the book is the section on Dependency Breaking Techniques.

If you only learn a handful of these, you'll be a better code warrior and you'll feel more comfortable tackling any kind of messy code.

I've recommended this book to many colleagues. I also put together a course on unit testing and used this book in many parts of the course. And I've bought several copies and handed them out to co-workers.

Dreary Title, Very Important Book
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-21
Michael Feathers has written a book that is at once very focused on the legacy code problem, but also far more important than what the scary title would indicate.

Feathers went where few software developers would dare to tread. Often hired by organizations to "make us agile" or "make us eXtreme" [sic], he found that the teams had already inherited (or built) a lot of code that needed to be wrangled into a test harness before the team could even consider driving forward with Test-Driven Development. And more often than not, the code was written in C++. Poor Michael. (Oh, wait, he got a book deal out of it! ;-)

So, the examples he uses in the book are rather real-world (with the client's proprietary stuff stripped, disguised, or entirely rewritten, of course). The interesting thing I noted while reading the examples was: "Hey, this code doesn't look bad! It's a lot like what I would have written prior to my indoctrination into test-first programming." Feathers emphasizes that even well-written code can suffer from the most dangerous of ailments: This code is difficult to test.

I appreciate his clear, no-nonsense, line-in-the-sand (or stake-in-the-ground, depending on your choice of metaphors) definitions of "legacy code" and "unit test." If you've met Michael Feathers, you already know that he's not trying to start an argument or cause controversy. Quite the opposite, in fact: He's giving concise definitions of the phrases he uses everywhere in the book, so that you can easily tell whether something fits within, or is outside, the definition. There is no wiggle room.

Aside: Do my projects end up with unit tests that Michael would not define as "unit tests"? Yes. Invariably, my teams have a very small percentage of unit tests (less than 1%) that indeed fail the Feathers definition. I'm okay with that. Better to have a few slow-and-ugly unit tests than to have untested behavior.

Feathers starts later chapters with statements of common problems. In fact, the problem is the chapter title (e.g., "Dependencies on Libraries are Killing Me"). The author then describes the problem, provides examples, gives a general solution or two, and points you to detailed solutions in the catalog toward the back of the book.

This catalog is a catalog of refactorings for many legacy-specific code smells (put another way, "cures" for various "ailments"), all with the goal of getting the code under test, so that it can be further enhanced without fear. I tried to read the book cover-to-cover, but the catalog started to intrigue me early on, and I think I finally read the whole book, but certainly not in any particular order.

No book is perfect, of course. The only thing I could quibble with Feathers about is that his catalog--which, like others of this type, gives memorable names to the refactorings--occasionally renames common refactorings, or implies the use of a particular design pattern where it isn't always appropriate or necessary.

E.g., "Adapt Parameter" is a safe, powerful refactoring, but the name might lead you to believe that you need to wrap the offending parameter in a "Gang of Four" (GoF) Adapter Pattern, when in fact you may want a GoF Proxy (fewer changes to the code you're trying to get under test). Even that may be misleading, though, because someone may mistakenly interpret Proxy to mean that the parameter has to retain its original type (or an Interface, at the very least). Not true (think Smalltalk or Ruby). An object can easily have an identical interface (i.e., set of public method signatures) without being of the same type. If it swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck...

I think "Wrap Parameter" would have been a better name for that refactoring. Proxies, Adapters, Facades...they're all different in important ways, but they're all wrappers (aka "Yet Another Layer of Abstraction"). And our industry needs to be able to embrace such vague terms in order to allow for creative solutions.

I don't think Feathers intended to imply Adapter (and my argument is really picking nits, after all, and perhaps my attempt to look smart), but I would ask the reader to absorb the *intent* rather than the *letter* of this (or any) catalog of solutions.

And the intent of this book is an important one. In fact, Feathers brings together quite a few pragmatic areas of today's world of software development: Test-Driven Development and refactoring, mock objects, design patterns, agile programming practices. This book gives developers the techniques required to lock quality in while allowing the product to mature.

Because of that, I'd say this is one of the most important software development books written at least since the GoF Design Patterns book. Unlike the Gang of Four book, though, this one is easy to read and comprehend! ;)

Computers
WriterSpeaker.com: Internet Research and Marketing for Writers and Speakers
Published in Paperback by Shaw Books (2000-10-17)
Author: Carmen Leal
List price: $14.99
New price: $7.94
Used price: $0.33

Average review score:

Best help I've gotten in this area
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2002-04-18
I bought the book on impulse, based on a very strong recommendation, and found it contains the best help I have ever discovered for a writer and/or speaker using the Internet. I highly recommend it. She has an unbelievable amount of detailed research at her fingertips.

Six Years After Publication -- Still A Valuable Resource and Standing the Test of Time
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-01
The world of the Internet is constantly changing. Without a bunch of ever-changing computer jargon, Carmen Leal has provided a set of tools and techniques for writers and speakers to learn how to research and market online. While there are many websites listed throughout this book, Carmen provides the updated links with something called Living Links.

No one can know everything about this topic of research and marketing but Carmen gives each writer and speaker a running start at the topic with this well-crafted book. It's a resource to get, read, then schedule time to periodically re-read and keep learning about this important area.

Excellent, but less so than some of the gushier reviews say
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2004-10-03
Carmen Leal is not just a very smart lady; she's very nice, too. Both traits come across loud and clear in this book. Reading her easy, straightforward, advice-rich prose is like having a conversation with the wise, affectionate aunt you never had. And, without a doubt, her collection of helpful sites for writers and speakers is unparalleled. She had pretty much every link in my own Internet bookmark folder, plus about 25-30% more than I had -- and mine were considerable, being the result of more than six years as a writer. Without a doubt, this book will stay next to my computer and become dogeared from all the love and attention it gets from me.

That said, I do have a slight issue with the marketing of this book as pure Internet reference, because that's not exactly what it is. Ms. Leal's target audience is actually NOT the seasoned writer or speaker who just needs to rev up his or her personal research engine. She's writing for, and to, beginning writers and aspiring professional speakers. Much of her book (some entire chapters and several partial chapters) is devoted to introducing neophytes to the craft and the business of writing or speaking. Thus, considering my six years of experience as a writer, I found myself skimming great swaths of text, with my eyes pausing only when I glimpsed the italic print with which all those juicy internet links are helpfully set apart.

Bottom line: This book is most definitely worth the $10 Amazon will charge you for it, and more. However, its scope is, in my opinion, a bit broad. It would be more useful to professional writers and speakers if it came in a separate, streamlined edition -- one without all the newbie advice we've already heard and benefited from long ago.

Packed with Information
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2001-04-18
Carmen Leal has done a massive amount of research to write this book. She's done the work, and we reap the benefits. Two things endear me to Carmen:

1. She can remember when she didn't know about the internet, and can remember how she learned.

2. She writes in a easy-to-follow style that leads me on the path to understanding.

If only every book on computer topics were written this well!

This Is Now My Reference Companion
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-06
WriterSpeaker.com--no, that's not a website-- well, actually there is a website by that name. But in this case, it is the title of a uniquely informative book.

If someone other than the book's author had asked me to read this book, I doubt I would have bothered to do so. And, oh what I would have missed had I not read it! "Technical reading" is not usually my choice. In fact, the last time I read a technical book it was assigned reading in college. I swore then that I would never use my precious reading time for technical reading again. Carmen Leal managed to change my mind on the matter, and I am very glad that she did.

My chance meeting with the energetic and engaging author of several books must have been one of those fortuitous moments we all hope for. I found myself face to face with a published author who was real, down to earth, and interested in my personal desire to write. Her energy is contagious. Her passion for writing--and helping others to do so--is overwhelming. She makes the whole writing process from beginning to end seem so easy. With an attitude that says, "If I can do it, so can you," she encourages writers and would-be writers to strive to reach their goals.

Over the past year, I have had the pleasure of interacting with Carmen Leal on numerous occasions. She always takes the time to inquire about my writing life. She never misses an opportunity to inform or encourage. No wonder WriterSpeaker.com is so reader-friendly. Its author is reader, speaker, and writer friendly as well!

In addition to this, her first technical book, Leal is the author of Faces of Huntington's and the co-author of Pinches of Salt, Prisms of Light. She teaches writing classes for the Collier County Public School System's Adult Education Program, lectures on various writing topics for the Friends of the Library at the Collier County Public Library, and travels extensively to speak at various writing conferences.

Whether the Internet is a constant companion or a new acquaintance, this book offers an amazing wealth of information. Its pages are filled with information specifically designed to meet the needs of writers and speakers. This is a reference book unlike any I have ever read before. In just 269 pages, Leal has addressed internet features, research, tips for finding writing resources including copyright laws, self-publishing hints, business savvy, online writing opportunities and classes, website development, and much much more.

In a highly unusual move, Leal has taken her readers into the "web" via a web address which links to the untold numbers of resources found in her book. She is quick to point out, "All links are checked periodically, and dead websites are eliminated. New websites come with brief descriptions."

Written from her heart, Leal guides the beginning writer through the keys to becoming a successful writer: "Read and listen. Join. Work at your craft. Attend a writer's/speaker's conference or convention. Know the publishing industry." Internet sources to work at each of these keys are addressed in WriterSpeaker.com.

Leal writes that the internet can take us "beyond research and on to success" in our craft by (1)"allowing us to target our work to specific editors," (2) "providing a place to showcase one's work," and (3) "streamlining the communication process between writers and editors."

WriterSpeaker.com has been placed on my desk next to the computer. It is already looking a bit old and worn, but it will likely be my new best friend as I work at perfecting my own writing life with the help of Internet features and great friends like author Carmen Leal.

by Lee Ambrose
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

Computers
Complete Photoshop CS2 For Digital Photographers (Graphics Series)
Published in Paperback by Charles River Media (2005-11-01)
Author: Colin Smith
List price: $39.95
New price: $23.99
Used price: $22.87

Average review score:

Good Addition for Photoshop Middle Skill Users
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-21
Mr. Smith's book is well illustrated and supported by the accompanying CD (images to work with that are in the book). His explanations are clear to the Photoshop user and he does explain some terms, as in methods of cropping and re-sizing an image and which method is suited for which type of image), file formats of images, and other areas like the applications under adjustments that I had not used until I began working with the book.
I have found some techniques that are similar to other authors (Scott Kelby, in particular, whose books I have enjoyed quite a lot), and that was part of my interest in purchasing the book-to broaden my reference library with people aside from Kelby, Deke McClelland, and some folks on-line like Earth-Bound Light and Photography, etc). I recommend purchase. Readable, well cross-referenced, and helps deliver results.

Excellent
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-08
Excellent training material. I would also recomment The Photoshop CS2 Book For Digital Photographers by Scott Kelby. The combination is outstanding.

Photoshop CS2
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-29
I was really surprised this was such an excellent book. Usually I just read the chapters I am interested in , but I read this whole book--it was just so instructional and one that I will keep close to the computer for reference book.

Good Book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-20
I am an amaetuer photographer. This book has helped me fine tune my photos and bring out its full potential. I will gladly recommend this book to anyone who wants to gain more knowledge on photography and perhaps learn a very powerful photo editing tool.

An Okay book for Photoshop novices
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-13
This book has a lot of good information in it, but is not well written. You may be halfway through a paragraph before you get to the topic sentence and figure out what the author is talking about. It often takes a second or third trip through a paragraph to figure out what it's about. The author also is not consistent with his word usage. I've found as many as three or four different words used for the same thing. For instance luminosity and brightness are used interchangeably, sometimes on the same page or even the same paragraph. So, using the book can be frustrating, though the author clearly knows Photoshop and I have learned a lot from the book.
The book does not mention or discuss some of the neatest features of Photoshop CS2 including some of the Automate features such as Merge to HDR (high dynamic range). This feature combines an underexposed and an overexposed picture into one high dynamic range image (bright areas are not washed out and dark areas are not black). This is an amazing capability that is not mentioned.
I would buy this book again, but only after searching diligently for one that covers the same scope or more and is better written. Actually, I'd probably get a book that covers CS3 as well, and hopefully indicates where features are unique to CS3. Or maybe just a CS3 book if you are going to upgrade. I understand the upgrade to CS3 is well worth the price even though it is now $200. Ease of use alone makes CS3 valuable to novices from what I've read.

Computers
Director's Third Dimension: Fundamentals of 3D Programming in Director 8.5 (With CD-ROM)
Published in Paperback by Sams (2001-10-17)
Author: Paul Catanese
List price: $49.99
Used price: $8.03

Average review score:

The Bible of Director 3D. Period. BTW: It is current.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-20
This book teaches with extreme clarity everything you need to know to program for Director/Shockwave 3D. A rarity amongst programming books due to the didactics, organization, and clarity/accuracy of code. It is current with Director MX 2004 and I suspect it is current with Director 11 given the information Adobe just released. You cannot go wrong with this one. The only problem is that it is hard to find, I had to buy my copy from a reseller.

Best Book Hands down for Interactive 3d Development
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-19
I have every book publish about developing interactive 3D using director. This is the best one of the bunch. After reading this book I wish I hadn't purchased any of the others. Although the book is for director 8.5 it still the best book for Director 3D +

As anyone knows reading this review knows Director is the only program that will allow you to create 3D games and programs for the web. Hopefully Adobe will update it rather than let a very powerful program fade away.

Great Book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-16
This is an excellent book for Director and Director 3D. It is very in depth and involved, although a bit hard to understand at times. This book is not for beginners and requires a lot of hard work to obtain its end results, but they are very much worth it.

This is THE book for 3D in Director MX
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2003-05-08
Other reviews have captured the gist of this wonderful, accessible, and thorough treatment of Director's 3D functionality. What I would like to add is that Catanese's book is just as current with Director MX as it is with Director 8.5.

If you plan to do 3D in Director MX, either games or presentations, you owe it to yourself to read this book.

I got A for my project !
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2003-02-23
I'm an IT student and possessing VB & C/C++. I have never learn about 3D and Director before. So when I want to make a Director project (game), I need a book!
And this book is the great answer. Everything you need about Director 3D is in this book! (although this book doesn't cover about Havok Physics Engine).

This book tells you WHAT and HOW, I mean, this book not only tells you HOW to make something (ex: primitive object) but also explains about that thing. (ex: what is a primitive object). So, you're not only able to programm but also understand about WHAT are you doing.

This book explains from basic and the last page explains advance technique. So, if you start from first page and finish the book, you'll become an advance 3D Director programmer (even before you read this, you're nill in 3D Director).

OK, I'll tell you what I get from this book, here is my project: a Multiplayer First Person Shooting (FPS) game! (like Counter Strike, Quake, etc). Notice that this is my FIRST 3D Director project! And I got A!

NB: if you're NOT a programmer and don't WANT to possessing 3D Director programming SERIOUSLY, I don't recommend this book, for this book is code heavy, full of code programming, just try "Macromedia Director 8.5 Shockwave Studio for 3D: Training from the Source" (by Phil Gross).
Just a note: I learn about Multiuser form Director 8.5 Studio (you won't find about Multiuser in Director's Third Dimension).

Computers
The Entrepreneurial Connection
Published in Hardcover by Gurmeet Naroola (2001-05-30)
Author: Gurmeet Naroola
List price: $24.99
New price: $7.99
Used price: $0.97
Collectible price: $25.00

Average review score:

Enlightend
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2002-06-26
I managed to get a copy of the Entrepreneurial Connection, and found it Enlightening. It fills in some of the holes and answers the questions entreprenuers are seeking everyday.

The author promised me what I was looking for was in this book. For the most part, He was right.

This Book offers Insights from a collection of infamous Entreprenuers. They are truly Words Of Wisdom.

-Deep

Fantastic Compilation of High Tech Entrepreneurs
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2002-06-15
I bought this book from Gurmeet (Gurmeet graciously autographed my copy - Thanks GS) at TiECon 2001, and when I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. I've read it twice, and I received different insights each time. It's immaterial that this book is exclusively about entrepreneurs of South Asian origin. This book is ideally suited for ANYONE who wants to try to understand the deeper spirit of entrepreneurship, the sacrifices, the pain, and most of all the gratification of success. This book will inspire and it will prod the reader to reflect. TEC illustrates true grit and determination, and it will leave the reader with a deeper appreciation of American capitalism.

One insight gained from my readings: Immigrant values coupled with American capitalism/rugged-individualism/opportunity is an unbeatable combination.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Excellent Book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2002-05-29
This book gives a very crispy insight into the mindset of a successful enterpreneur

A Book well done!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2002-03-26
After having read this well captured compilation of successful entrepreneurs, it has helped charge my entrepreneurship ambitions to a whole new degree! It is a 'must read' for all those considering an entrepreneurial life or live one!

Cheers Gurmeet

Ben Nagrani

Great Book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2002-02-22
the book throws light on the hardships successful people faced to reach the pinnacle of success which a comman man may not understand. it really gives inspiration to new starters like me to face the tough times with enthusiasm and not loose hope. Discussions are very well handled. very good questions which goes on to cover a lot of aspects. Overall a very good book for learning with amazing messages.

Computers
Expert Oracle9i Database Administration
Published in Paperback by Apress (2003-04-10)
Author: Sam R. Alapati
List price: $59.99
New price: $12.94
Used price: $12.55

Average review score:

It seems like a good book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-22
It covers majority of the database topics and is a very useful reference.

Not for the beginners
Helpful Votes: 16 out of 16 total.
Review Date: 2004-07-15
I am a MS SQL DBA learning Oracle and this was the first book I read after going through the Oracle's official curriculum. Here are my thoughts.

1)This book is definitely not for the beginners. I highly recommend you start with a more basic book that gives you an overview of Oracle. Oracle tools are highly unintuitive and using them can be a frustrating experience especially for MS SQL DBAs *smirk*. Learning to just to connect to an Oracle database is a learning experience that will take knowledge on how Oracle's network and security function.

2)If you already have a working knowledge on how to operate an Oracle database, this book will no doubt provide a more solid foundation for your knowledge (except RAC). I particularly found its chapters on RMAN and IMPORT/EXPORT utilties particularly helpful.

3)Perhaps the best part of this book is that it encompasses what the author believes is the most essential knowledge to becoming a highly competent Oracle DBA. The book does not try to be a reference for every Oracle topic. Instead, the author has smartly picked the most important information needed and presented them in a readable format.

4)My only issue with this book is that it is wordy. The book is 1200 pages long and it could easily have been 1000 pages or fewer.

Excellent source for Oracle 9i Administration
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-10
An excellent book covering all essential DBA topics for Oracle 9i Administration. Explained very well covering In-depth details, Illustrations and examples makes this book invaluable. I use it as a true source of reference and I will strongly recommend this book.

A must for the best
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-08
This is a great book. All Oracle people must have this.

A Solid Book on Oracle 9i
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2004-06-25
I just got this book from the library and I decided to read through it before I buy. I think I will buy a copy of it. The book touched pretty much all the areas of Oracle 9i. It is a book to have on your desk as key reference. I will recommend this book to new DBA. The author did a pretty good job. The book seems too big but very useful. I give 4 stars.


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