3D Books

This is full of great inormation however why these book publishers only use back and white imagaes confuses me. This is an artist book ususally meaning we are VISUAL people. So why every image is on flat black and white is horrible for a Graphic computer book. HUGE TURN OFF!

Other than that the text is informative but thats it!

I hink most people read Maya books because they are on nice Glossy Full Colored pages. When you pay 35.00-75.00 for a book you expect some colored imgaes if not all.

Wait for the next revision that might cover LW9's nodal texture system.
Apparently someone with talent and an understanding beyond the newbie basics will be taking over that version so just wait until then.

Despite "Dan Blocker's" conspiracy theory, I found this book to be just what I needed for Lightwave texturing. The LW manual is of limited help and several other books, while great in their own ways (sorry, Dan and Tim), left me wanting a bit more info dressing up my models (especially with regards to UV mapping).
For the record, I have been to the boards Leigh moderates but I have never spoken or otherwise corresponded with her. I don't always agree with her views but I can say that this book delivered for me.
I also encourage you to visit her web site. Leigh is one of those people who give and give to the 3D community and for her efforts sometimes gets bashed in the process.

I got this book because I was very impressed by Leighs texturing tutorial she has on her website. On the positive side she does cover the basic concepts of shader settings and does so in a way that you can apply it to any 3D app youre using (Lightwave is old and obsolete 3D app, infact Leigh doesnt use Lightwave anymore). But I was a tad bit disappointed that it didnt go more into photoshop painting technics for creating textures (that might be an unfair critisism since this book is part of a Lightwave series). But the thing that really annoyed me about the book is that it was that the pics were all in B&W, and so color copys of the pics are included on the CD to be viewed on a computer. I mean why not just make this book an ebook and eliminate passing between a book and computer altogether? That is pretty cheap of the publisher to not print this book in color.

I really have mixed emotions about this book. I ordered this online but wish I had the opportunity to see it before making the decision to buy it. It does a good job covering basics but a good web search will yield as good or superior tutorials. The included files are quite mediocre and and just reinforces the impression that the author possesses an adequate level of skills in the 2DCG realm.
After reading through the other reviews here it is quite apparent the author has enlisted her industry and web friends to blast anyone who presents an honest review. This book will work for beginners just fine so I give it an honest 2 stars with one of those stars for effort, not execution. For the intermediate and above crowd, look elsewhere for help.

John Jordan's review is an good example of the market segment that this book might help, the 3D newbie. Leigh's weak abilities in the artistic department are far eclipsed by the magnitude of her shameless self promotional plugs and pathetic attempts to appear selfless. CGTalk has turned into a shell of its former self thanks to the efforts of book promoters such as Leigh Van duh Bile and her ilk.

I bought this book because it has good reviews. I hope I can learn somethings from this book, but I had spend hours read this book until fall sleep and still don't get it. This book has no step by step instruction. This is the worst book I ever bought.

Tony Mullen takes the guess work out of long prosaic tutorials that sometimes can confuse a beginner. Anyone who has ever used other expensive animation programs will be amazed at the functional integration that Blender offers the beginner and more advanced user.

This book takes you from step by step toolbox explanations to jumpstarting a project - in an afternoon. All you need is a decent video card, enough hard drive space and this book!!!! For those advanced enough to go beyond the confines of this book, additional podcasts exist on iTunes and websites devoted to this niche.

Unleashing your imagination with Blender is an inexpensive way to explore the world of animation - This book is written for beginner and technical neophyte as long as you have some basic knowledge of Photoshop.

This is an awsome book for the beginning or intermediate Blenderhead. It might even be useful for the advanced user. I think it is the best book for someone who has worked with blender, learned some of the tools but needs to tie the concepts together. Yes you can probably learn the same concepts from online tutorials and the wiki but those tend to be somewhat disjointed. The book is clearly written and easy to follow. How complete it is probably depends on how advanced you are and what you are trying to do. If you are new to modeling it will keep you busy for a while.
What's wrong with this book? This book is defective. As stated by many others the included DVD is destroyed. The DVD has been incorporated into the binding of the book so not only is the DVD useless but removing the DVD may actually destroy the book binding. This book probably should be recalled by the publisher and rebound. The publisher is very good about sending a new DVD, a simple email and they send you a new one,free no questions. Is the DVD important? Maybe. The software is freely available on the net, however the files for the book are useful. Another problem with this book is the screen captures. Most blender books share this problem. The gray blender background does not reproduce well. There are times when the author indictates that vert placement is important but it is hard to tell from the picture where exactly the verts are. The DVD files may help with that.
So, this is a must have book for those trying to get their head around blender, one star off for poor production values.

I never did any character modeling before reading this book,and it got me going on. It was a great introduction to the whole world of modeling and animation and to the world of Blender. The text is easy to follow and understand. It is heavily supported by step-by-step screen shots and very well guided through. At the end of the modeling part, the author gives tips and solutions to common modeling "mistakes", like faces facing in the wrong direction etc. That was great, as there was no need to use Google. So what I'm saying here is that the author was expecting a newbie like me to read the book :).

My only regret is that the author decided to model a cartoon character and not a real human; perhaps he could've got a little more realistic and put a bit more emphasis into human muscles and structure. On the other hand, as the title says, this is an "Introduction to character animation", so that's the reason why he picked a cartoon character and focused more on the animation part.

Conclusion: great book !

I just received Introducing Character Animation with Blender. The book seems very well written and well illustrated. I have only made it through part of the first chapter, but if I don't learn character animation, it will be my fault, not the book's. Two amazing things: 1. The book had no CD. Nothing. 2. I fired off an email to Tony Mullen complaining about this fact. Within hours, I got a response, and an attachment containing the files I needed. You should definitely buy a book from an author who cares that much for his customers.

As one reads Peter Pan, one doesn't have to do much thinking to figure out why its story has achieved such worldwide acclaim. I had ridiculously high expectations of Mr. Barrie's imagination before purchasing this title, and he has fulfilled them completely.

Many parts of the story are nothing but nonsense, which I enjoy above all else. Mr. Darling, the head of the Darling family, commands his children to take their medicine after he hides the medicine he's supposed to take. He brags about how noble he is for drinking a medicine that tastes so much worse that theirs. Unfortunately for him, during his bragging his medicine is found, and the whole family agrees to take their respective medicines on the count of three. Sure enough, when three is reached, everyone except Mr. Darling takes their medicine, and Mr. Darling once again tries to hide his.

This kind of scenario is what I'd call Mark Twain nonsense. You can imagine it being true, even though it's quite high up on the ridiculous scale. Then there's what I would classify as over-the-top nonsense - AKA bull - which there is plenty of in Barrie's original story of Peter Pan. Going back to Mr. Darling, if we take a look at how he's doing near the end of the book, we find him going to and from work in a dog kennel. Ah, yes...grown men in pet taxis. What could be more fun than the "he-didn't-even-try-to-make-this-belivable" silliness of such a scene? To be honest, I don't know if I'd even read books if they all left out fun stuff like this.

Other silly parts of the book involve Wendy growing up a day quicker than most girls; the narrator claiming he hates Mrs. Darling only to call her his favorite character a few sentences later; the lost boys asking Wendy to change the characters her story just two sentences into it; the narrator using the phrase "woke into life" because Peter likes the word "woke" more than "wakened;" and my favorite, Captain Hook using a stale cake as a missle and then falling over it in the dark.

I believe the novel version of Peter Pan was written after the author had already established Peter Pan as a successful play. That may explain a lot about the colorful narration, which takes many, many literary liberties. We see everything from blatant narrator interference with the characters in the story to the shameless attempt at informing the audience that the narrator only chooses to make the events in the story happen a certain way so certain characters in the book won't be disappointed. Perhaps without these wacky (and maybe even insane) traits in the narration, there'd be no reason to read the book, since it would be no different from the play. After reading the Peter Pan novel though, I'd have to say it almost seems criminal to watch an adaptation of Peter Pan without any wacky narration.

Contrary to most adaptations of Peter Pan, the individual lost boys (of where there are six I believe) are actually more developed as characters than John or Michael Darling. Heck, at the end of the book they actually end up moving out of the Neverland to live with the Darlings and grow up to busy themselves in interesting professions.

I may not like the actual land of Neverland as much as I like the land of Oz, but Barrie's narration is unbeatable in my opinion. He could probably make a Jeopardy contestant's Friday night schedule sound exciting.

I believe Barrie has written another Peter Pan book as well, a prequel of sorts entitled "Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens." It should be interesting, particuarly if it addresses what is contained in the dark dreams that haunt Peter throughout this book. Freud would have a field day with such dreams and the whole mother issue.

The only thing I expected to see in this book that I didn't see was "happy thoughts." That must have been a creation of Disney.

Well, I fully expected this to be sexist. But I really wasn't expecting it to be as creepy as it was. There are all sorts of pseudo-sexual, vaguely Freudian undertones, and REALLY weird mother-wife-boychild relationships:

"Dear Peter," she said, "with such a large family, of course, I have now passed my best, but you don't want to change me, do you?"
"No, Wendy."
Certainly he did not want a change, but he looked at her uncomfortably, blinking, you know, like one not sure whether he was awake or asleep.
"Peter, what is it?"
"I was just thinking," he said, a little scared. "It is only make-believe, isn't it, that I am their father?"
"Oh yes," Wendy said formally and properly.
"You see," he continued apologetically, "it would make me seem so old to be their real father."
"But they are ours, Peter, yours and mine."
"But not really, Wendy?" he asked anxiously.
"Not if you don't wish it," she replied; and she distinctly heard his sigh of relief. "Peter," she asked, trying to speak firmly, "what are your exact feelings about me?"
"Those of a devoted son, Wendy."
[The children here of course include the Lost Boys... and Wendy's own brothers.]

Not to mention that the sexism in this novel ascends to a whole new level, as Wendy exists merely to clean up and act as mother/wife to whatever susceptible boys cross her path. This is the entirety of her role in Neverland and the real world, she has no other thoughts whatsoever. Eg: "'Oh, all right,' Peter said, as if he had asked her from politeness merely; but Mrs. Darling saw his mouth twitch, and she made this handsome offer: to let Wendy go to him for a week every year to do his spring cleaning." [Oh joy, Wendy gets to clean for Peter... but only once a year...] "Wendy would have preferred a more permanent arrangement; and it seemed to her that spring would be long in coming; but this promise sent Peter away quite gay again."

I mean, it's an interesting book... but I wouldn't suggest any actual children read it. The value system is even more questionable (in a modern context) than that of the average Edwardian novel. Not to mention the overall atmosphere is just plain eerie. No wonder Michael Jackson took such a liking to it. It's probably no coincidence that the world's creepiest pedophile popstar became obsessed with the 20th Century's creepiest children's classic...

Peter pan is a great book.It's about a boy that doesn't want to grow up.There is a little girl named Wendy and she has two littler brothers named John and Michle.The setting takes place in Neverland which is a beautiful world filled with fluffy clouds .Also there is a mean pirate named Hook and one of his hands is cut off and is a hook now.His hand is a hook because once when Peter pan and Hook were fighting Peter pan and it chopped off hooks and and he replaced it with a hook.Thats everything you need to know about Peter pan.

Even though I knew that Disney movie and the various other adaptions out there were more sugar-coated than the original, this turned out to be a rather darker and more sinister book than I expected. Funny and charming and all that, too...but a little creepy in the way seemingly innocuous dreams sometimes are, when everything goes a little sideways and suddenly you aren't so sure everything is fine any more. Peter himself seems far less benevolent a soul than he is usually made out to be. In even the less flattering renditions of the story, he is usually only portrayed as childish, proud and a little selfish, but a stand-up sort of fellow nonetheless. The way I'm reading the book, he's practically a hedonist. The only thing that saves him is the fact that he has brief moments of chivalry and a memory like a goldfish. He and Dorian Gray should get together. Or maybe, on second thought, they shouldn't. Since that could lead to disturbing slashfic.

Seriously, this book made me sadder than I could ever have anticipated. Peter really is mercilessly heartless in his laughing, self-centered innocence. It really hurt my heart to think of Wendy and all her female descendants all giving their hearts' first love to Peter, one after another; the older, wiser women unable to save the girls from breaking their hearts over him in their turn.

Fantastic book, though, and a real treat for those who like to pick a book apart from a psychologist's point of view.

This review refers to the Great Illustrated Classics of "Peter Pan" by J.M. Barrie, adapted for young readers by Marian Leighton...

Great Illustrated Classics is a great way to go when introducing young readers to the great literature out there. The stories are timeless, the print is large and there is an illustration on every page next to a printed page. It makes it a real treat, instead of a chore, and kids may be more inclined to pick up the books with this easier read.

Peter Pan is a classic kid's adventure(although reading it again recently, I found I still get caught up in the story and the marvelous characters myself), that has all the elements needed for a fun and exciting read. You know the story, Peter, the boy who never wants to grow up(I know how he feels), takes Wendy, John, and Michael to Neverland, home of the lost boys, where no one every grows up and adventures with scary Pirates, Indians, Mermaids, and a brooding fairy named Tinkerbell, fill the pages. I love the part where the readers are asked to clap their hands if they believe in fairies, to help Tink recover from the poison she drinks to save Peter.

It's a book that is a great to read together and out loud. There is some violence, so may not be suited for very young children, but a classic that should be read by all who want to be taken away to Neverland...even if just for a little while.

It's a wonderfully adapted edition for kids and the illustrations are marvelous.For another must have illustrated classic for kids, try Frankenstein( ASIN:0866119817), see my review of that edition dated 11/28/06.

Adventure, Fantasy and a few life lessons to be learned with the read.

If you believe..clap your hands..don't let "Tink" die!....Laurie

the final textures are excellent. the only problem is sometimes the insructions are a little vague and the software in the book is outdated

There's a lot to like about a book like this for the beginning texture artist, such as myself. It gives you the fundamentals of how to recreate a texture from the ground up without actually having to paint hardly anything! Just use what Photoshop has to offer and you can follow this book all the way through.
That would be the downside though, must have Photoshop! If you don't then I wouldn't see you getting much out of this book except the techniques, which may or may not be done in another paint program.
This is just a beginner's book because it doesn't cover anything about skin or human painting and texturing, which is what I'm now looking for in another book. This just covers inanimate objects, but it just blows my mind how easy it now is using his techniques. I'm no longer intimidated by a blank white screen with no textures, and am now cranking stuff out a lot better looking (not professional yet, but getting there).
Deffinantly worth getting for beginners or people apprehensive towards texturing.

This book is useful as a jumping-off point for using Photoshop to create textures, and covers most of the basic topics that someone new to both Photoshop and texturing would need to know. However, you'll need to search for additional resources to complete the journey that this book starts you on, since it's a pretty basic overview with a few confidence-building exercises that give you a taste of the possibilities.

I already know texturing and wanted to take my texturing to the next level. I compared textures before and after, and I noticed a difference. Its easier to make hand painted textures for me now.
There are step by step examples of how to make bricks, windows, doors, etc.
It even discusses how to take pictures of textures yourself, and how to make your 3d scenes seem more real by placing objects, breaking up plain parts, etc.
The only thing missing is how to create history on textures and as far as I can tell, there are no books.
I recommend going to cgsociety and check out the forums. Stephen Morrell has a good pdf on texturing somewhere.

Unlike the rewiever who gave this book 1 star, I am giving 5. Because unlike him, I find this full-color book very well written and very useful. It goes beyond basic texture creation tutorials. The first half of the book explains theory behind good textures and texture creation as well as ways to take pictures for your own textures. It gives lot of examples to demonstrate various points. The second half of the book is the tutorial part. The tutorials are detailed and easy to follow. The only negative thing I find about this book is, that the tutorials give you exact values for everything without explaining why these values were actually chosen. However, it is up to the user to make his/her own tweeking and see, how changing these values effect the final result. Also, I would like to see how these textures are applied to a specific UV layout, which the book does not discuss. But then again, the book is about creating textures, not applying them to your model, so I do not hold it against it. After all, the textures that are created in the tutorials are nicely done and you certainly can find a good use for any of them. So, five stars it is.

This is absolutely the first book on Maya anyone should have. It is aimed toward the beginner with many practical exercises. The DVD contains all the material you will need to complete the projects as well as sketch pad software. The book assumes you know how to navigate the Maya user interface. I would recommend working though the tutorials that come with the software first.

Sometime ago I had 3D Maya 8 classes, but then after finishing it, my mistake, I didn't go on with practice and happened to forget lots of things (95% of all, I bet). Then I bought this book and now I can say I'm truly learning it properly, the book is complete, step by step you can feel you're making some very good progress (and it's really fast). It comes with a DVD which you can also have video classes about all lessons and interviews with 2 Sony Pictures' professionals who worked in the feature film "Open Season". Really great.

I have purchased this book about three weeks ago, and so far I have read and done almost the whole first chapter. I must say I am pleased with it thus far. The book is well written, with the examples being simple and clear. One more thing I liked about it is that they guide you through a step (say creating a box) and then whenever there is a step which you are supposed to know how to do, they expect you to figure it out, thus making you learn better (the step you are supposed to do on your own are not complicated).
I once started to learn MAYA 4 FUNDAMENTALS by Jim Lammers and Lee Gooding, and I have to say this one is much better for a beginner.
Enjoy,
Shai

This is a very easy to read book. The step by step instructions are very good. Great way to start Maya.

After reading numerous reviews for beginners books for Maya, I chose to try this Foundation book, and I am glad I did. This book covers all the basics to get started in Maya, with numerous examples for you to build. The DVD includes all the completed examples so that you can see how well you are doing.
By the time you finish this book, you should have a complete working knowledge on how to create an animation scene from start to finish.
When I say 'advance topics', they were advanced to me since I did not have any prior experience with Maya. One example is the chapter on the Maya Embedded Language (MEL) and scripting.

If you have a good working knowledge of the basics of Maya, this book will probably bore you. Instead, I would recommend "Mastering Maya 8.5", which I also purchased. That book covers the more advance topics without boring you with basic Maya functionality.

Good source for the beginner or advanced student involved in 3D Animation -- b-spline, rendering, etc. Comes with clear illustrations of every anatomical configuration used in modeling.

A word of warning. . .computer graphics books age like milk, not wine. The graphics here are considerably _worse_ than what you'd get out of a consumer grade product like Metacreations Poser-- not to mention 3D Studio or Softimage.

At the time this was written, it may have been useful, but you can spend your time and money more productively now.

3-D Human Modeling and Animation is a great guide for beginners and a solid reference manual for those with art and 3-D modeling backgrounds. It presents the basic knowledge that is essential in creating the human form. For those looking just for a reference manual, the book provides examples and presents ideas on how to utilize and improve on the techniques given.

I was looking for a book on Human nurbs modeling & This was supposed to be exactly what I needed - Although it is very easy to read & great for beginners, I expected more refinement. my greatest disappontment was from the really lame looking model examples displayed in the book.

3-D Human Modeling and Animation is a great book for beginners starting in the 3-D field. It gives step by step instructions to model every body part, even down to the finger nail. This book involves spline modeling which is a great tool for modeling organic objects, especially humans. Best is the generality of the book; the book is not software dependant and is very usefull with any software that uses spline modeling.

this is the most cutest HTML book i've read.Its easy with full details.you won't need another book anymore!! Just Creating Web Pages with HTML will only do!!!

I was taking a CIS college course at HVCC in Troy, New York and I had an instructor who was a holdover from the 1950's as far as teaching style was concerned, where they would stand up for several housrs and then assign some off the wall homework assignment that would take forever to do or impossible to do in a reasonable time.

Well, I was unfortunate to get such an instructor. I complained to my chairperson, James Looby, right away to get some help in getting his teachers to do a better job communicating with the class.

Looby promised in an email to me that he would see what he could do to get Frank Zaverl to do a better job showing us how to build simple Web pages. But after many weeks of waiting and waiting, I called and then got a email back from Looby stating that nothing would be done ! at which, I blew up at Looby for his poor handling of a serious classroom problem for which he was being paid by the local taxpayers and student's tuitions to solve. But, this once again, proved to me that there is a code of silence among educators and that is why it is in such a bad shape as polls indicate nationally and internationally !

Then I realized that I had waited too long for the Cavalry to arrive, and I had to drop the course -- which i thought it was an easy course if only taught correctly! that is, for each HTML command an example could be available to show how this HTML command was being used, so a student could begin building confidence with this Web language.

Oh by the way, the book suggested by Zaverl and adopted in his class and which Zaverl was totally gaga over was entitled, "Web Design In a Nutshell" ! which if one looked for a few minutes, has no exmaples and so was really suitable as a reference book, once the student was familiar with the HTML language and syntax.

So, believing that a better text existed in the amrketplace I soon found this book, entitled, "Creating Web Pages with HTML, Simplifed" and sure enough withing days I was up and running and confident in building simple web pages --proving my intial idea that a better book had been already created somewhere where the teaching and thus learning was easy, quick and fun !


In general. I think educators make things purposefully difficult so we continue needing their old systems of learning; but this is simply not good enough in the 21st century -- where other nations are way ahead of America which has lost its way in providing excellent educaiton to its citizens but continues to over tax the local citizenry, each and evey year, which is now even forcing the elderly out of their homes since education is subsidized by local property taxes which is a big curse today with the taxes rising without any proof that this education is par-excellence.

Other nations do not subsidize their eduaction with property taxes and the citizens are very happy about that; and thus the local citizenry do not end up hating their educators and politicians for forcing them to lose their homes just to pay the big education tax every year !

But the Teachers Union knowing how the local taxpayers feel still air ads on TV showing how wonderful things are so citizens will keep on passing local school budgets which are out of control. The Republican solution to the local educaiton mess is to bring in competetion which only raises more local taxes on the homes of thse citizenry. so educaiton has become a vicious circle. Since politicians can't solve the tax problem a 2008 Recession is now hoped to bring sky rocketing educaiton costs under control since homes values are coming down all across the country finally forcing relief in lower taxes on burdened taxpayers.

Gerard J Sagliocca, P.E.
gerard_sagliocca@yahoo.com

Book was really simple, had my web page started but the end of the second chapter. Great if you have no knowledge, too simle if you have a basic understanding of html.

I wanted to have my company web page re-designed. My host told me he would do it for three thousand. I ordered this book and used it to do my own web site, seven pages and several pictures, for the price of the book that I got for twelve bucks, and twelve hours of time.

The book is very good. Simple to follow instructions will have you up and running in an hour or less.

I purchased this book along with the recommended Teach Yourself Visually HTML.

Each of these books are good books, BUT... you certainly don't need both. You'll see the same things repeated and no new helpful information. The Creating Web Pages with HTML seems a bit more advanced but you can do the same thing with either one of these books. Save yourself some cash and choose one but not both!

I'm sending one back.

Don't buy it... go to "deliberatedumbingdown (dot) com" and you can download a .pdf version for free. It's complete. That's how I read it (couldn't find it on my library search system... hmmmmmmmm?!?!)

This book is so informative and will expand on many avenues of how our education is where it is today. Even how the Board of Education goes against the Constitution and that you can not change, but what you will gain from this is a wealth of knowledge that first will make you extremely mad and sick to your stomach. You will begin to see the whole picture as to the why's of the government's agenda. I see other reviews that want to say this is a right wing conspiracy you will see this is not just right wing it is just what the elite who control this country want to see happen. Even Rockefeller is quoted as saying that education for the masses should only enable you to buy products and read a newspaper but the end result keeps you from understanding their agenda and also from learning in the manner that only the elite feel they are entitled to know. This book defines the Goals 2000 Clinton set out to accomplish and he is liberal. History books are rewritten and important things omitted, math is taught 5 different ways so thats it is purposely confusing. Students are profiled for future employers even in the second grade. When I pulled my kids out of public school a Teacher literally fell to her knees and thanked God for me doing the right thing by my kids. When teachers finally figure out what is going on if they choose not teach this way they are threatened with their job. Schools that don't implement this teaching do not get federal funding. Look at your kids are their ideals different from yours. Ask them if they have ever been told it doesn't matter what your parents teach you you don't have to listen to them you can be your own person. Buy the book be enlightened.

America's public schools really don't belong to the American public. They belong to the federal government, not the several state governments as some might imagine and certainly not to the parents of the 50 million children who attend public schools. Federal dollars decide what is taught and not taught in public schools, so if you're wondering why Johnny can't read, write, add and subtract but knows all about rain forests, 3rd world countries and condoms, you can thank your representative and senator who support the teachers unions that beg for those all-important federal dollars that are used to dumb down Johnny, ensuring he learns no more than what Big Brother wants him to learn. It's a frightning scenario, but unfortunately, it's true. Someone doesn't want your kid to learn the verbal skills that enable him to think independently or the math skills that allow him to work independently. Independent thinking goes against the social order. We must work together as a group, not as individuals accountable only to God. We're accountable to each other but most of all to Big Brother. Remember that the next time you question whether your local school has the "right" to teach your 2nd grader about sexual orientation or why your high school senior's SAT score isn't good enough to get into that preferred college. You know, the one most of the rich kids go to. Iserbyt's research proves the government believes you give up your parental rights when you send your children to its schools. If you doubt it, consider some of our more recent federal court decisions. If you disagree with these decisions, it seems you have to decide whether you want to leave your children in Big Brother's care or put your children in a private school or Christian school or home school them yourself.

It may be sincere, but its effect on many is probably to discredit better and more carefully thought-out criticisms of modern schooling. Read someone like John Taylor Gatto instead, who has much less of a questionable ax to grind.

The author posits that, since at least 1880, US education has been developed with the goal of producing an army of worker-bots, and that to do this, education has been engineered to destroy the cultural matrix that produced the author's ideal --- the rugged individualist, the "God-fearing, educated man of the early twentieth century."

The author overlooks the fact that in the early 20th century, education was mostly confined to white males of the middle and upper economic strata. She also assumes that fear of God was more prevalent then than now, which seems ridiculous in these times of crusading politicians and burgeoning mega-churches.

The book is a chronology, comprising excerpts from the published works and speeches of noted educators, social theorists, psychologists, sociologists, and other "experts," which she claims prove the existence of a movement to subvert traditional American values. This plot, she believes, was rooted in the desire of American industrialists Rockefeller, Ford, Carnegie, et al., to create a pliable workforce out of unbending Americans in response to the global convergence of business, politics and culture which they envisioned.

A basic fallacy of the book, I believe, lies in ascribing to classroom teachers vast powers to mold personality, alter values, and channel behavior.

The underlying problem is this: The author sees the trees and descries an orchard producing poisonous fruit. But the orderly planting she perceives to be the work of diabolical Designers is most likely only a tangled forest grown out of the chaotic strivings of humans struggling in utter darkness to improve their world.

That said, if you overlook the conspiracy theorizing, "Dumbing Down" offers an interesting overview of the development of modern educational theory.

No book does everything, I've learned that over the last few years, which is why this book can't be a 5 star book, but let me start by saying that this is a great book for beginners. Not absolute virgin beginners, but relatively new beginners. Yes, there are many typos, which is really frustrating, but if you read through the Visual Quickstart Guide (separate book), and have half a brain you can make it work. In a way it makes you have to figure a few things on your own which is important. When I finished the final animated scene, in comparison to the animation shot Duane provides on the cd, my models were a little different in size than his, my lights were placed differently, etc, but basically I had the same thing. I learned a lot from this book. To me the single best thing about this book is that it shows you how to complete something from beginning to end. When you are just beginning, it's important to complete something, even if it is simple. Duane's introduction to Video Post is great, his examples of animation and the use of controllers are a great intro to those new to computer animation, and he proves that you can make a lot out simple modeling techniques. He also provides a lot of art theory, which makes the book a good read. My only real complaints are the typos, which you can deal with, and that I would like to see the discussion of art principles and the step by step instructions more separated. As one reviewer noted, the text is a bit hard on the eyes, and you can get lost when reading directions in paragraph form. Also, when I finish a project, I like to go back and quickly rebuild everything again by just following the step by step, without reading the theory. Overall though, a great beginner book, when read with something like the Quick Start Guide.

As a beginner, I found this to be a great book. Its a legnthy tutorial that takes you through all the crucial steps of building and animating a scene. A very cute scene too! The author even gives some valuable advice on creating a reel. However, the missing files were a distraction, especially a missing camera that was required at the beginning.

Spectacular! This is perect for the new MAX user. A comprehensive step-by-step tutorial demonstrating modeling, texuring, lighting, effects and animation. After reading this book you will have a strong understanding of all the capabillities of 3DS MAX. If you want to learn Max but are intimidated by MAX this is the book for you. The best software book I have ever bought.

The content of the book is actually not too bad. It covers the interface farely well and the project is a good idea that allows you to cover a great deal of the application. The problem I have with this book is all the typos. The book can confuse someone that is not familiar with the interface. (Not to mention the missing files.)

I've had some experience with 3D programs, and decided, based on reviews that this was a book that would not only show me the basics, but also give an inkling of how MAXs' more advanced features worked. The basics? Yep - lots of it. The advanced stuff? Nope. Not even close. My advice is only buy this book if you have no idea what you're doing with [any] 3D program. All topics requiring skills from intermediate and upwards are covered very sparsely (if at all - there's no mention of NURBS!#?!). The featured artists in the book also have questionable 3D skills. ... is a lot of money for a book you're only going to need for 2 or 3 weeks. I recommend Rob Polevoi's '3D Studio Max R3 In Depth' for the beginner-to-intermediate user.

I've read several of the M/V books and this one isn't all new info, but it did help me to understand some basic differences in men and women. I wouldn't put it at the top of the list of must-reads, but I think overall, it's worth your time.

I would recommend this book to anyone who needs help communicating with, or is filled with resentment toward, their spouse. I would also get a highlighter out and start using it at the begining! I laughed over and over again while reading this book because it was truly as if the author was speaking directly to my husband and I! I never thought it would be THAT good, but it was! Things are so much better now, but it takes practice so this book remains on our shelf for later reference!

First time reading any of Dr. Grey's Venus and Mars books. This was excellent. Both my husband and I gained a tremendous amount of insight as to mind of the opposite sex and how we relate to different situations. I highly recommend it, especially if you are having trouble understanding how your partner does what she/he does.

Anyone even thinking about love and marriage must read this book! It will prepare them for what is ahead in their lives; not just blue sky, lovey dovey stuff!

Rarely does a book do such a good job informing the reader in a way that can change lives. John Gray helps the reader understand there are inevitable differences between men and women and the key to success in relationships is to understand and navigate those differences rather than to try and change or ignore them. I also highly recommend Men in Marriage: Straight Talk For Men About Marriage: What Men Need to Know About Marriage (And What Women Need to Know About Men)by Marty Friedman.