Applications Books
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Applications Books sorted by
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OpenGL(R) Shading Language (2nd Edition) (OpenGL)
Published in Paperback by Addison-Wesley Professional (2006-02-04)
List price: $64.99
New price: $50.87
Used price: $45.97
Used price: $45.97
Average review score: 
Orange Book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-09
Review Date: 2007-03-09
I definitely recommend this book for anyone working with OpenGL's new Shading Language. I would, however, say that probably the most difficult part of working with GLSL is getting it working in the first place. Especially on Linux, this is somewhat confusing - some cards support GL 2.0, some don't, but still support the GLSL if using the ARB function calls. I would also make sure to point out to new users that GLEW is close to essential when working with the GLSL - you can download it from sourceforge. It might be worth mentioning in future versions of the book, along with ARB functions which are the same as the GLSL standard functions shown in the book.
do your own shading?!
Helpful Votes: 12 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2006-02-08
Review Date: 2006-02-08
Twenty years ago, I used to program graphics on an Evans and Sutherland PS340. It was then one of the top of the line graphics computers (costing $100k). It could labouriously do shading, but only Phong and Gouraud. Nowadays, many PCs have this ability, and much faster. But a problem still persists, where often the shading methods are restricted to what is implemented on the graphics chips.
In contrast, you have the approach in this definitive book on OpenGL Shading Language. This lets you implement in your code, shading routines of your own devising. To be sure, given the same shading method, one done in this language, and one in the hardware, then the latter will have better performance. But it turns out that today's computers are fast enough, and have enough RAM, that the difference in response might not be appreciable.
The book describes an extensive set of built-in convenience functions that come with the language. And the language's API is explained in detail. The author rightly recommends that you come at it with some experience in the standard OpenGL.
Since the language is still quite new, you are more or less on your own, when looking at development tools. This dearth is expected to be remedied in a few years. But right now, you'll have to rely on your wits. Along with a chapter that gives general principles of how you should develop your own shader. What may be even more use, however, is the second half of the book. Devoted to case studies of many shaders. Understanding these may be more beneficial than any IDE.
Oh, as you might expect from a graphics book, there is a lovely set of colour plates in the middle of the book, showing what custom shaders can do. Treat it as inspiration if you wish.
In contrast, you have the approach in this definitive book on OpenGL Shading Language. This lets you implement in your code, shading routines of your own devising. To be sure, given the same shading method, one done in this language, and one in the hardware, then the latter will have better performance. But it turns out that today's computers are fast enough, and have enough RAM, that the difference in response might not be appreciable.
The book describes an extensive set of built-in convenience functions that come with the language. And the language's API is explained in detail. The author rightly recommends that you come at it with some experience in the standard OpenGL.
Since the language is still quite new, you are more or less on your own, when looking at development tools. This dearth is expected to be remedied in a few years. But right now, you'll have to rely on your wits. Along with a chapter that gives general principles of how you should develop your own shader. What may be even more use, however, is the second half of the book. Devoted to case studies of many shaders. Understanding these may be more beneficial than any IDE.
Oh, as you might expect from a graphics book, there is a lovely set of colour plates in the middle of the book, showing what custom shaders can do. Treat it as inspiration if you wish.
Excellent guide to OpenGL Shading Language
Helpful Votes: 15 out of 23 total.
Review Date: 2006-02-17
Review Date: 2006-02-17
The recent trend in graphics hardware has been to replace fixed functionality with programmability in areas that have grown exceedingly complex (e.g., vertex processing and fragment processing). The OpenGL Shading Language has been designed to allow application programmers to express the processing that occurs at those programmable points of the OpenGL pipeline. Independently compilable units that are written in this language are called shaders. A program is a set of shaders that are compiled and linked together. The OpenGL Shading Language is based on ANSI C and many of the features have been retained except when they conflict with performance or ease of implementation. This shading language is without a doubt the most important addition to OpenGL since its inception, and this book provides an excellent guide to programming with it. The author was one of the primary contributors to the development of the language, and he provides a well-written and insightful explanation of the language and its use.
The book begins with a review of OpenGL basics, followed by an introduction to shaders and how they fit into the pipeline. It then covers the language itself, including data types, operators, interaction with the OpenGL state machine and fixed function pipeline, built-in functions, and more. It also introduces and explains the OpenGL APIs needed to use shaders.
The last half of the book focuses on shader development, including general process and workflow, and coverage of many specific techniques, such as procedural textures and GPU-based animation. It even includes a section on implementing the fixed function pipeline using shaders. The book ends with a handy comparison of OpenGL Shading Language with other shading languages, such as Cg, HLSL, and Renderman and a couple of appendices providing a language grammar and API reference.
I particularly liked chapters 6 through 8, which take you from a simple shading example -"brick"- through the specific steps of shader development that you would need to master regardless of the API you are using. Also the chapters on procedural textures and noise and the accompanying code examples helped clear up some matters that were murky when I read "Texturing & Modeling: A Procedural Approach" by Ebert et al. In summary, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in implementing software shading, both from the standpoint of OpenGL and from the standpoint of the design process itself. I notice that Amazon does not show the table of contents for the second edition, so I do that here:
Chapter 1. REVIEW OF OPENGL BASICS
OpenGL History; OpenGL Evolution; Execution Mode; The Frame Buffer; State; Processing Pipeline; Drawing Geometry; Drawing Images; Coordinate Transforms; Texturing;
Chapter 2. BASICS
Introduction to the OpenGL Shading Language; Why Write Shaders?; OpenGL Programmable Processors; Language Overview; System Overview; Key Benefits;
Chapter 3. LANGUAGE DEFINITION
Example Shader Pair; Data Types; Initializers and Constructors; Type Conversions; Qualifiers and Interface to a Shader; Flow Control; Operations; Preprocessor; Preprocessor Expressions; Error Handling;
Chapter 4. THE OPENGL PROGRAMMABLE PIPELINE
The Vertex Processor; The Fragment Processor; Built-in Uniform Variables; Built-in Constants; Interaction with OpenGL Fixed Functionality;
Chapter 5. BUILT-IN FUNCTIONS
Angle and Trigonometry Functions; Exponential Functions; Common Functions; Geometric Functions; Matrix Functions; Vector Relational Functions; Texture Access Functions; Fragment Processing Functions; Noise Functions;
Chapter 6. SIMPLE SHADING EXAMPLE
Brick Shader Overview; Vertex Shader; Fragment Shader; Observations;
Chapter 7 OPENGL SHADING LANGUAGE API
Obtaining Version Information; Creating Shader Objects; Compiling Shader Objects; Linking and Using Shaders; Cleaning Up; Query Functions; Specifying Vertex Attributes; Specifying Uniform Variables; Samplers; Multiple Render Targets; Development Aids; Implementation-Dependent API Values; Application Code for Brick Shaders;
Chapter 8. SHADER DEVELOPMENT
General Principles; Performance Considerations; Shader Debugging; Shader Development Tools; Scene Graphs;
Chapter 9. EMULATING OPENGL FIXED FUNCTIONALITY
Transformation; Light Sources; Material Properties and Lighting; Two-Sided Lighting; No Lighting; Fog; Texture Coordinate Generation; User Clipping; Texture Application;
Chapter 10. STORED TEXTURE SHADERS
Access to Texture Maps from a Shader; Simple Texturing Example; Multitexturing Example; Cube Mapping Example; Another Environment Mapping Example; Glyph Bombing;
Chapter 11. PROCEDURAL TEXTURE SHADERS
Regular Patterns; Toy Ball; Lattice; Bump Mapping;
Chapter 12. LIGHTING
Hemisphere Lighting; Image-Based Lighting; Lighting with Spherical Harmonics; The *erLight Shader;
Chapter 13. SHADOWS
Ambient Occlusion; Shadow Maps; Deferred Shading for Volume Shadows;
Chapter 14. SURFACE CHARACTERISTICS
Refraction; Diffraction; BRDF Models; Polynomial Texture Mapping with BRDF Data;
Chapter 15. NOISE
Noise Defined; Noise Textures; Trade-offs; A Simple Noise Shader; Turbulence; Granite; Wood;
Chapter 16. ANIMATION
On/Off; Threshold; Translation; Morphing; Other Blending Effects; Vertex Noise; Particle Systems; Wobble;
Chapter 17. ANTIALIASING PROCEDURAL TEXTURES
Sources of Aliasing; Avoiding Aliasing; Increasing Resolution; Antialiased Stripe Example; Frequency Clamping;
Chapter 18. NON-PHOTOREALISTIC SHADERS
Hatching Example; Technical Illustration Example; Mandelbrot Example;
Chapter 19. SHADERS FOR IMAGING
Geometric Image Transforms; Mathematical Mappings; Lookup Table Operations; Color Space Conversions; Image Interpolation and Extrapolation; Blend Modes;
Chapter 20. REALWORLDZ
Features; RealWorldz Internals; Implementation; Atmospheric Effects; Ocean; Clouds;
Chapter 21. LANGUAGE COMPARISON
Chronology of Shading Languages; RenderMan; OpenGL Shader (ISL); HLSL; Cg;
Appendix A. Language Grammar
Appendix B. API Function Reference
The book begins with a review of OpenGL basics, followed by an introduction to shaders and how they fit into the pipeline. It then covers the language itself, including data types, operators, interaction with the OpenGL state machine and fixed function pipeline, built-in functions, and more. It also introduces and explains the OpenGL APIs needed to use shaders.
The last half of the book focuses on shader development, including general process and workflow, and coverage of many specific techniques, such as procedural textures and GPU-based animation. It even includes a section on implementing the fixed function pipeline using shaders. The book ends with a handy comparison of OpenGL Shading Language with other shading languages, such as Cg, HLSL, and Renderman and a couple of appendices providing a language grammar and API reference.
I particularly liked chapters 6 through 8, which take you from a simple shading example -"brick"- through the specific steps of shader development that you would need to master regardless of the API you are using. Also the chapters on procedural textures and noise and the accompanying code examples helped clear up some matters that were murky when I read "Texturing & Modeling: A Procedural Approach" by Ebert et al. In summary, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in implementing software shading, both from the standpoint of OpenGL and from the standpoint of the design process itself. I notice that Amazon does not show the table of contents for the second edition, so I do that here:
Chapter 1. REVIEW OF OPENGL BASICS
OpenGL History; OpenGL Evolution; Execution Mode; The Frame Buffer; State; Processing Pipeline; Drawing Geometry; Drawing Images; Coordinate Transforms; Texturing;
Chapter 2. BASICS
Introduction to the OpenGL Shading Language; Why Write Shaders?; OpenGL Programmable Processors; Language Overview; System Overview; Key Benefits;
Chapter 3. LANGUAGE DEFINITION
Example Shader Pair; Data Types; Initializers and Constructors; Type Conversions; Qualifiers and Interface to a Shader; Flow Control; Operations; Preprocessor; Preprocessor Expressions; Error Handling;
Chapter 4. THE OPENGL PROGRAMMABLE PIPELINE
The Vertex Processor; The Fragment Processor; Built-in Uniform Variables; Built-in Constants; Interaction with OpenGL Fixed Functionality;
Chapter 5. BUILT-IN FUNCTIONS
Angle and Trigonometry Functions; Exponential Functions; Common Functions; Geometric Functions; Matrix Functions; Vector Relational Functions; Texture Access Functions; Fragment Processing Functions; Noise Functions;
Chapter 6. SIMPLE SHADING EXAMPLE
Brick Shader Overview; Vertex Shader; Fragment Shader; Observations;
Chapter 7 OPENGL SHADING LANGUAGE API
Obtaining Version Information; Creating Shader Objects; Compiling Shader Objects; Linking and Using Shaders; Cleaning Up; Query Functions; Specifying Vertex Attributes; Specifying Uniform Variables; Samplers; Multiple Render Targets; Development Aids; Implementation-Dependent API Values; Application Code for Brick Shaders;
Chapter 8. SHADER DEVELOPMENT
General Principles; Performance Considerations; Shader Debugging; Shader Development Tools; Scene Graphs;
Chapter 9. EMULATING OPENGL FIXED FUNCTIONALITY
Transformation; Light Sources; Material Properties and Lighting; Two-Sided Lighting; No Lighting; Fog; Texture Coordinate Generation; User Clipping; Texture Application;
Chapter 10. STORED TEXTURE SHADERS
Access to Texture Maps from a Shader; Simple Texturing Example; Multitexturing Example; Cube Mapping Example; Another Environment Mapping Example; Glyph Bombing;
Chapter 11. PROCEDURAL TEXTURE SHADERS
Regular Patterns; Toy Ball; Lattice; Bump Mapping;
Chapter 12. LIGHTING
Hemisphere Lighting; Image-Based Lighting; Lighting with Spherical Harmonics; The *erLight Shader;
Chapter 13. SHADOWS
Ambient Occlusion; Shadow Maps; Deferred Shading for Volume Shadows;
Chapter 14. SURFACE CHARACTERISTICS
Refraction; Diffraction; BRDF Models; Polynomial Texture Mapping with BRDF Data;
Chapter 15. NOISE
Noise Defined; Noise Textures; Trade-offs; A Simple Noise Shader; Turbulence; Granite; Wood;
Chapter 16. ANIMATION
On/Off; Threshold; Translation; Morphing; Other Blending Effects; Vertex Noise; Particle Systems; Wobble;
Chapter 17. ANTIALIASING PROCEDURAL TEXTURES
Sources of Aliasing; Avoiding Aliasing; Increasing Resolution; Antialiased Stripe Example; Frequency Clamping;
Chapter 18. NON-PHOTOREALISTIC SHADERS
Hatching Example; Technical Illustration Example; Mandelbrot Example;
Chapter 19. SHADERS FOR IMAGING
Geometric Image Transforms; Mathematical Mappings; Lookup Table Operations; Color Space Conversions; Image Interpolation and Extrapolation; Blend Modes;
Chapter 20. REALWORLDZ
Features; RealWorldz Internals; Implementation; Atmospheric Effects; Ocean; Clouds;
Chapter 21. LANGUAGE COMPARISON
Chronology of Shading Languages; RenderMan; OpenGL Shader (ISL); HLSL; Cg;
Appendix A. Language Grammar
Appendix B. API Function Reference
A little chunky, but a good necessary work
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-09
Review Date: 2006-03-09
I'm not a fan of the 'group of papers' style of book. But this book pulls it off nicely. The text is consistenly good throughout. And the illustrations and formulas are high quality and presented nicely.
I would have liked full color throughout, but I accept that it would have been cost prohibitive on a book of this heft. Speaking of heft, yeah, this is a doorstop of a book. I think some of the text could have been edited down and the formatting tightened up to reduce bulk.
I would have liked full color throughout, but I accept that it would have been cost prohibitive on a book of this heft. Speaking of heft, yeah, this is a doorstop of a book. I think some of the text could have been edited down and the formatting tightened up to reduce bulk.
Joins the OpenGL canon
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2005-04-12
Review Date: 2005-04-12
The OpenGL Shading Language is without doubt the most important addition to OpenGL since its inception, and this book provides an excellent guide to programming with it. As one of the primary contributors to the development of the language, Rost provides a clear and well-written explanation of the language and how to use it.
The book begins with a review of OpenGL basics, followed by an introduction to shaders and how they fit into the pipeline. It then covers the language itself, including data types, operators, interaction with the OpenGL state machine and fixed function pipeline, built-in functions, and more. It also introduces and explains the OpenGL APIs needed to use shaders.
The last half of the book focuses on shader development, including general process and workflow, and coverage of many specific techniques, such as procedural textures and GPU-based animation. It even includes a section on implementing the fixed function pipeline using shaders.
The book ends with a handy comparison of GLSL with other shading languages, such as Cg and HLSL, and a couple of appendices providing a language grammar and API reference.
If you're doing shader development with OpenGL, you'll definitely want this book on your desk. My only complaint about it is that it was written before GLSL was officially promoted to the core. When that happened, a number of important things were changed that aren't reflected in the book. However, determining the differences isn't difficult, so don't let that deter you from picking this up.
The book begins with a review of OpenGL basics, followed by an introduction to shaders and how they fit into the pipeline. It then covers the language itself, including data types, operators, interaction with the OpenGL state machine and fixed function pipeline, built-in functions, and more. It also introduces and explains the OpenGL APIs needed to use shaders.
The last half of the book focuses on shader development, including general process and workflow, and coverage of many specific techniques, such as procedural textures and GPU-based animation. It even includes a section on implementing the fixed function pipeline using shaders.
The book ends with a handy comparison of GLSL with other shading languages, such as Cg and HLSL, and a couple of appendices providing a language grammar and API reference.
If you're doing shader development with OpenGL, you'll definitely want this book on your desk. My only complaint about it is that it was written before GLSL was officially promoted to the core. When that happened, a number of important things were changed that aren't reflected in the book. However, determining the differences isn't difficult, so don't let that deter you from picking this up.
PeopleSoft HRMS Reporting (Prentice Hall PTR Enterprise Resource Planning Series)
Published in Paperback by Prentice Hall PTR (1999-09-19)
List price: $55.00
New price: $45.03
Used price: $42.27
Used price: $42.27
Average review score:
Good peoplesoft book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-29
Review Date: 2007-03-29
This is a good book for beginners on Peoplesoft. Some of the core concepts are well explained. I am told there are not many books around on peoplesoft that are good and this one ranks high..
Great Book for quick start
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2003-04-10
Review Date: 2003-04-10
I am a DBA and wanted to work on building a warehouse for PeopleSoft HRMS along with generating reports for the client. This book really helped me and my team to understand the hr/payroll concepts quickly. If you are a DBA/developer working in Peoplesoft environment, good to have this book in your library.
Excellent documentation for PeopleSoft HRMS
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-23
Review Date: 2005-09-23
It is truly a thorough documentation of every important part of PeopleSoft HRMS. It is a handy-dandy book for anybody working in HRMS. Thanks to the author for taking time and putting thoughts to write such a gem.
Great Reference Book
Helpful Votes: 17 out of 17 total.
Review Date: 2002-02-18
Review Date: 2002-02-18
I have been working with Peoplesoft product since last five years,I have seen may books in the market but this is the only book I have seen which has very usefull information which helps the begenners a lot to understand main tables and also gives overview of HRMS functionality.
I strongly recommend this book for Begenners and is useful as a reference book for any one.
A treasure for technical and functional users
Helpful Votes: 29 out of 29 total.
Review Date: 2002-07-27
Review Date: 2002-07-27
This book is a treasure for anyone who needs to get quickly up-to-speed on the PeopleSoft HRMS data architecture and the most common tables against which queries and reports are executed. This alone would make the book invaluable because of the confusing PeopleSoft documentation and the thousands of tables. However, the author goes well beyond by breaking down the most important tables, grouped by function, into attributes and explaining how to create highly useful business reports from them.
In addition to the thorough coverage of the data architecture, the book also provides an excellent compendium of information and tips for using SQR to its fullest potential. Although my main interest is in the tables, I considered material on SQR to be a bonus and learned a great deal from this section.
If you are working with PeopleSoft on either the technical or functional side this book will probably be your most used reference. The author deserves the highest accolades for clear writing, technical knowledge and the ability to distill the essentials into one of the best references and tutorials I've read in a long time.
Photoshop CS3 for Forensics Professionals: A Complete Digital Imaging Course for Investigators
Published in Paperback by Sybex (2007-07-30)
List price: $59.99
New price: $23.84
Used price: $29.50
Used price: $29.50
Average review score:
Photoshop CS3 for Forensics Professionals
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-29
Review Date: 2008-02-29
As a former Forensic Video Analyst for a law enforcement agency, I can attest that not only is this the most thorough and easy to understand FVA "Course" book that I have ever read and gained the most from, the author is one of the top Forensic Video Analysts in the country, and even the world.
Any one who is interested in this profession, law enforcement and private, must have this book. Even if you already are an FVA professional, this book is an excellant reference source.
Any one who is interested in this profession, law enforcement and private, must have this book. Even if you already are an FVA professional, this book is an excellant reference source.
Best Photoshop Book Ever!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-18
Review Date: 2008-04-18
Photoshop CS3 for Forensic Professionals is by far the most informative course book for photoshop users. As a college student working towards a criminal justice degree with a concentration in criminal investigations, I highly recommend this book for any professional or student that needs to improve their digital imaging skills. The instructions are easy to understand and the step by step instructions on the companion CD are detailed. After reading Photoshop CS3 for Forensic Professionals and taking the CD course I can honestly say that my imaging skills have been greatly enhanced. This book is an excellent student resource and an invaluable tool for the forensic professional.
Should be on the shelf of every forensic imaging professional!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-06
Review Date: 2008-03-06
Part 1, "The Essentials", is comprised of six chapters. The first two chapters are not specific to Photoshop, and are a must read for anyone interested or involved in the use of digital images within a legal setting. The remaining four chapters provide an important foundation for analysts and investigators using Photoshop.
Part 2, "The Digital Darkroom", and Part 3, "Image Analysis and Enhancement", are detailed instructions regarding Photoshop's settings, filters, and the multitude of related processes to achieve optimum imaging results. Included with the book is a CD-ROM contianing sample images to work with when going through the tutorials, as well as some free scripts and trial plugin's.
I've been using Photoshop for several years now in my Forensic Video workflow, as well as personally for Graphic and Web design projects. This book has already proven to be the single most valuable reference for me pertaining to the use of Photoshop in either setting. It's also probably the smartest investment I've made in quite some time.
Part 2, "The Digital Darkroom", and Part 3, "Image Analysis and Enhancement", are detailed instructions regarding Photoshop's settings, filters, and the multitude of related processes to achieve optimum imaging results. Included with the book is a CD-ROM contianing sample images to work with when going through the tutorials, as well as some free scripts and trial plugin's.
I've been using Photoshop for several years now in my Forensic Video workflow, as well as personally for Graphic and Web design projects. This book has already proven to be the single most valuable reference for me pertaining to the use of Photoshop in either setting. It's also probably the smartest investment I've made in quite some time.
Well done
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-29
Review Date: 2007-09-29
Great resource! Is there another in the offing?
This book both improved my workflow and my abilities to enhance images. The pratical exercises hit home the finer points.
I would compare this book to a "Forensic Photoshop" course costing much more, well done!
This book both improved my workflow and my abilities to enhance images. The pratical exercises hit home the finer points.
I would compare this book to a "Forensic Photoshop" course costing much more, well done!
Great job George
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-17
Review Date: 2007-10-17
A lot of work went into this book and it shows. So many of us in this profession are so overwhelmed with casework that we don't have time to publish. I am glad that George found the time to get this out to everyone. Hopefully, this will inspire others to get their ideas in print and help to convince the publishing community that there IS a market for this material.
Great job George!
Cheers,
Jim Hoerricks
[...]
Great job George!
Cheers,
Jim Hoerricks
[...]
Pinnacle Studio 9 for Windows (Visual QuickStart Guide)
Published in Paperback by Peachpit Press (2004-02-20)
List price: $21.99
New price: $9.96
Used price: $4.39
Used price: $4.39
Average review score:
Excellent book
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2005-06-29
Review Date: 2005-06-29
Simply put, read this book and you will definitely be able to produce excellent movies.
The book can be read from start to finish or just dip in to where the specific information is. The book is written so both ways work.The clear instructions enable even a novice to be proud - even amazed at what they can do.
Two days after reading this book I put a mini movie on the internet! If I can, you can!
The book can be read from start to finish or just dip in to where the specific information is. The book is written so both ways work.The clear instructions enable even a novice to be proud - even amazed at what they can do.
Two days after reading this book I put a mini movie on the internet! If I can, you can!
Now, Studio 9 Plus is covered
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2005-04-04
Review Date: 2005-04-04
As an owner of the author's Pinnacle Studio 8 book, I waited to buy what I anticipated to be his Pinnacle Studio 9 Plus book. But wait no more. A supplemental chapter covering the 9 Plus features - PIP, Pan and Zoom, and Chroma Key, is avaiable at http://www.doceo.com/studio9.html under "Click here to download free chapter on new features of Studio Plus", and now I have the equivalent of the Studio Plus 9 book.
I agree with the other reviewer's comments and no point in repeating them here, except to say that for me the best parts about the author's presentations are the illustrative examples.
I agree with the other reviewer's comments and no point in repeating them here, except to say that for me the best parts about the author's presentations are the illustrative examples.
Great Book for After you Get The Software Loaded.
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2005-03-26
Review Date: 2005-03-26
Pinnacle's Studio 9 is a love it or hate it package. At $99 (retail price) it is very inexpensive for what you get. The problem, people report, has been getting it to work on their system -- I also hear that the newest release of the package is much, much better. It also seems to work better with Intel Pentium CPU's than with AMD and it also likes memory, say a gigabyte.
But as for the book, this is one of the Visual Quickstart Guides. They're great. They use a format of having two columns on each page with the outside column being text and the inside being pictures. Each page is devoted to some small task and handles that task completely. You can start at the front of the book and go all the way through and you'll get a pretty good tutorial on the software. Or you can use the index to skip around and quickly get to the particular detail you are looking for.
Jan Ozer is an excellent writer. He starts out with the statement "you have the manual for the software" and then goes on from there. This is not a manual of how to, this is a what and why kind of book that explains what it is that you are trying to do and then goes on to tell you how to do it. The manual tells you how to do a J-Cut and an L-Cut. This book tells you what they are.
But as for the book, this is one of the Visual Quickstart Guides. They're great. They use a format of having two columns on each page with the outside column being text and the inside being pictures. Each page is devoted to some small task and handles that task completely. You can start at the front of the book and go all the way through and you'll get a pretty good tutorial on the software. Or you can use the index to skip around and quickly get to the particular detail you are looking for.
Jan Ozer is an excellent writer. He starts out with the statement "you have the manual for the software" and then goes on from there. This is not a manual of how to, this is a what and why kind of book that explains what it is that you are trying to do and then goes on to tell you how to do it. The manual tells you how to do a J-Cut and an L-Cut. This book tells you what they are.
The author sails to new horizons with Pinnacle Studio 9 Visual Quickstart Guide!
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2005-06-30
Review Date: 2005-06-30
I've read numerous technical books on many subjects and have never sailed through the software as smoothly as with this book.
If you're looking for a tutorial that can whiz you through the subject matter with ease and accuracy this is it! No matter where you wish to refer back to, you can do it without reading the whole chapter (as with other tutorials). Quickstart is the name however I feel it should be named Quick referrence.
Best investment I've made in a while. I'm making movies that are in awe at my office. I've been told they have been made professionally.
If you're looking for a tutorial that can whiz you through the subject matter with ease and accuracy this is it! No matter where you wish to refer back to, you can do it without reading the whole chapter (as with other tutorials). Quickstart is the name however I feel it should be named Quick referrence.
Best investment I've made in a while. I'm making movies that are in awe at my office. I've been told they have been made professionally.
A "Must" for Studio 9
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2004-10-29
Review Date: 2004-10-29
This is probably one of the most informative books on video editing that you can buy. The author is an expert in the field and has the ability to not just tell you how to do something, but make you understand what is going on and thereby enabling an intuitive feel for using the program. His "Studio 8 for Windows" carried me from the depths of ignorance to a level of competence that allows me to knock out complicated projects in record time; this new Studio 9 version will do the same for you plus. This book will enable the beginner to successfully edit productions with minimum heartache....but READ before you start clicking madly away.
Professional SQL Server Development with Access 2000
Published in Paperback by Peer Information Inc. (2000-09)
List price: $49.99
New price: $94.70
Used price: $19.21
Used price: $19.21
Average review score:
Very thorough
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-07
Review Date: 2007-07-07
As a professional db developer, I found this book from Rick Dobson to be an excellent guide to getting you on your way with Access using SQL Server as the back end. This a rite of passage for many Access developers, like me, who find SQL Server kind of intimidating. Rick takes you through every step of the way very logically, preparing you for your next benchmark. He thoughtfully anticipates your next question with a paragraph or two that explains the reasons why you're doing what you're doing and how to do it. No smarmy digressions, bad jokes or confusing examples. Highly recommended reading for IT developers who want to get to the next level of database development. Great job, Rick!
Outstanding resource for making the transition to SQL Server
Helpful Votes: 14 out of 15 total.
Review Date: 2002-07-08
Review Date: 2002-07-08
By far the best book I have seen regarding the difficulties encountered when moving an Access application to SQL Server. Until reading this book, I couldn't figure out why my Access queries that were 'converted' into Stored Procedures could not reference each other, why my forms would not work, why the tables weren't updateable (primary keys weren't copied during conversion), etc.
All these and many more perplexing issues are clearly explained here. For quickest results, read Appendices B and C, then the first 7 chapters before trying to convert your first Access database to SQL Server.
All these and many more perplexing issues are clearly explained here. For quickest results, read Appendices B and C, then the first 7 chapters before trying to convert your first Access database to SQL Server.
An invaluable guide to Access Projects
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2002-05-10
Review Date: 2002-05-10
Having spent a number of years using Access to develop commercial solutions I recently moved on to Access projects and found this book a real find in getting up and running in a short space of time. Covering each topic in logical chunks I found it to be more than a good grounding in the subject. It is also well written in plain English and avoids the unnecessary complications that are often found in such books and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who is considering developing Access projects.
A professional "getting started" book
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2001-11-01
Review Date: 2001-11-01
I have years of experience in programming but knew nothing about Access, SQL or VBA when I got my latest assignment. I can't stand those 1000 page books that want to hold me by the hand while I build some simple-minded application through eight chapters. I just need to know the basics quick and then see a few examples of some typical tasks. This book is just what I needed to quickly get me up to speed and working on my own application. There are a few minor differences with Access XP (like changed menus) so you'll need a good XP reference also. I recommend this book to any developer that needs to come up to speed quickly on either SQL or Access.
Full of typos
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 19 total.
Review Date: 2001-04-25
Review Date: 2001-04-25
I just received this book so I cannot comment on its technical merits. However, I have noticed the book is littered with spelling errors and errors in general. Examples are (1) On page 11 "As but this architecture won't be specifically considered furhter".. and yes, I included all the spelling typos. (2) On page 19 "if you had an Access poject" instead of "project." Isn't this what spell checkers are made for? There is at least one more error that I glanced over but did not record. And I have only read to page 19! My experience has been when a book contains many typos then then code should be suspect. I hope not, because a good Access 2000 to SQL book is needed. Caveat emptor!! Paul
Return on Software: Maximizing the Return on Your Software Investment
Published in Hardcover by Addison-Wesley Professional (2004-08-26)
List price: $49.99
New price: $36.78
Used price: $31.88
Used price: $31.88
Average review score:
Must reading for everyone involved in the software development process
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-12
Review Date: 2007-11-12
Even though there is not a single line of code in this book, it is one that all people who are involved in the process of managing software development should read. In most cases, investment professionals will have an easier time understanding it than software developers will. The decision to invest organization resources in a software development project is treated as an investment and the point of the analysis is to determine if it is a sound one.
Part one starts with the fundamental concepts of how business decisions are made. Cash flow diagrams are used to illustrate how the flow of money relative to your organization can be visually modeled. Entire chapters are devoted to the various ways interest can be computed, the formulas used to compare the net worth of two different proposals and how to develop mutually exclusive alternatives. A large number of formulas are used, so if you are unfamiliar with the mathematics of finance, you will probably have a difficult time understanding them.
Parts two and three deal with how to make decisions in for-profit companies. Decision analysis, economic life, replacement decisions, salvage value, factoring in inflation/deflation, depreciation, cost accounting, and the impact of income taxes on business decisions are all examined using formulas, charts and diagrams. At times it gets very technical. To give you some idea, here are the titles of some sections:
*) Calculating after-tax cash-flow streams.
*) Inflation and after-tax cash-flow streams.
*) Gain or loss when selling or scrapping depreciable assets.
*) Comparing financing methods in after-tax cash-flow terms.
Part four deals with making decisions in government and nonprofit organizations. This is a very short section, less than twenty pages in length. Since these organizations generally cannot lose money either, the main focus is on the different ways government and nonprofit organizations finance their expenditures. Part five covers present economy, how to do break-even and optimization analysis. The primary focus is on how to perform various types of break-even analysis.
Part six examines estimation, risk and uncertainty. How to recognize and model the level of uncertainty and how to make decisions in situations with a great deal of uncertainty. This requires some knowledge of the fundamentals of probability and expectation. The last section covers the situation where there is more decision criteria than just the basic cost. This of course can be rather difficult, as it can enter the area of personal opinions. It is often due to the ordinal form of the data, where the range of assignments can be something like, {very poor, poor, average, good, very good}. While all can agree that poor comes before average, what one person will consider average, another would categorize as good. Fortunately, it is fairly easy to assign numeric values to the categories for standard numerical analysis of the data.
This is probably the hardest "computer" book I have ever read. I know a reasonable amount of financial mathematics, but it was still difficult to wade through all the equations, charts and diagrams. Despite this difficulty that you will most likely also face, I strongly encourage all managers to thoroughly study the contents. There is a set of self-study questions at the end of each section and solutions to most of them are included in an appendix. The software development industry has a (largely deserved) reputation for lax financial planning and the person who reads and comprehends the material in this book will have an enormous competitive advantage in the battle for jobs, revenue and profits.
Published in Journal of Object Technology reprinted with permission
Part one starts with the fundamental concepts of how business decisions are made. Cash flow diagrams are used to illustrate how the flow of money relative to your organization can be visually modeled. Entire chapters are devoted to the various ways interest can be computed, the formulas used to compare the net worth of two different proposals and how to develop mutually exclusive alternatives. A large number of formulas are used, so if you are unfamiliar with the mathematics of finance, you will probably have a difficult time understanding them.
Parts two and three deal with how to make decisions in for-profit companies. Decision analysis, economic life, replacement decisions, salvage value, factoring in inflation/deflation, depreciation, cost accounting, and the impact of income taxes on business decisions are all examined using formulas, charts and diagrams. At times it gets very technical. To give you some idea, here are the titles of some sections:
*) Calculating after-tax cash-flow streams.
*) Inflation and after-tax cash-flow streams.
*) Gain or loss when selling or scrapping depreciable assets.
*) Comparing financing methods in after-tax cash-flow terms.
Part four deals with making decisions in government and nonprofit organizations. This is a very short section, less than twenty pages in length. Since these organizations generally cannot lose money either, the main focus is on the different ways government and nonprofit organizations finance their expenditures. Part five covers present economy, how to do break-even and optimization analysis. The primary focus is on how to perform various types of break-even analysis.
Part six examines estimation, risk and uncertainty. How to recognize and model the level of uncertainty and how to make decisions in situations with a great deal of uncertainty. This requires some knowledge of the fundamentals of probability and expectation. The last section covers the situation where there is more decision criteria than just the basic cost. This of course can be rather difficult, as it can enter the area of personal opinions. It is often due to the ordinal form of the data, where the range of assignments can be something like, {very poor, poor, average, good, very good}. While all can agree that poor comes before average, what one person will consider average, another would categorize as good. Fortunately, it is fairly easy to assign numeric values to the categories for standard numerical analysis of the data.
This is probably the hardest "computer" book I have ever read. I know a reasonable amount of financial mathematics, but it was still difficult to wade through all the equations, charts and diagrams. Despite this difficulty that you will most likely also face, I strongly encourage all managers to thoroughly study the contents. There is a set of self-study questions at the end of each section and solutions to most of them are included in an appendix. The software development industry has a (largely deserved) reputation for lax financial planning and the person who reads and comprehends the material in this book will have an enormous competitive advantage in the battle for jobs, revenue and profits.
Published in Journal of Object Technology reprinted with permission
Excellent Coverage of One of The Most Important (Yet Often Forgotten) Topic in Software Engineering
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-15
Review Date: 2007-09-15
Engineering is the practical and economical application of science in building products and services. So it puzzles me how financial aspects are so often neglected in teaching Software Engineering or Computer Science. What a big mistake! This is a skill that no Software Engineer should left unmastered. By the way - this is very useful even if you're not dealing with software and for your private life as it allows you to make informed decisions based on a sound rational. Steve Tockey writes in a very concisive and interesting way and provides several examples for each topic. I highly recommend it!
Economics with a Software Spin
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-03-01
Review Date: 2005-03-01
First, a confession, I know Steve Tockey. I work with Steve. That may bias my review a bit depending on how much I like Steve. One thing about Steve is that he home brews many nice beers and brings them into work where we get to share. I like Steve.
I also like his book. Now, I will admit that this is no thriller where you are excited to turn the next page (though I did get a little worked up on Analytical Hierarchical Process). It is designed to be an entry level economics text for the world of software engineering. The world of computer science and software engineering needed a book like this and didn't have one. So, Steve brewed this one up.
Part one (chapters 1-9) contain the basic economic theory you would find in most basic economic books. The topics are based around making decisions to make the most money (for profit companies) or to deliver the most benefit (non-profit). The text in these sections tends to get acronym heavy and Steve had to use the equation editor to type all the fancy mathematical formulas needed for things like interest for equal-payment-series capitol recovery. If you have had a basic economics course in college you can probably skip the first part without any pain. If you haven't or had forgotten (like me), then reading them is warranted. I found Steve's prose on this very dry subject to be reasonable.
Parts two through five carry on in the same way (chapters 10 - 20). Part two in decision making in for-profit companies and part three is advanced decision making in for-profit companies. Again, if you have concepts like Minimum Attractive Rate of Return, Cash-Flow Streams, Planning Horizons, Sunk Cost & Salvage, Inflation & Purchasing Power, Depreciation, Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System, etc. then you can skip these sections. Same sort of story for part four, decisions in non-profit companies and part five, present economy.
BUT WAIT, there is part six! Estimation, risk, and uncertainty. Now here is a section that everybody should read, at least a couple of times. In my work and consulting, I find I am recommending to my clients that they read this section carefully. People building software seems to really miss these economic concepts. Steve does a very good job here in explaining how estimation, risk, and uncertainty work together (often against) on a work effort. He then provides several decision making strategies that work within the reality of uncertainty.
Part seven completes the teaching part with working with multiple-attribute decisions with a good discussion on number theory and how to rationally make comparisons. This is another section that I find most people don't understand too well and highly recommend that everybody reads this part.
There is a part eight but it is a summary and conclusion.
So, my bottom line is that some parts of the book are a must read. So parts are a could read. If you don't mind skimming the parts that you know or are not applicable for the current situation, this book should work out fine. It is also one of those books that you will actually pull off the shelf next time you are asked to lead the selection of a new Commercial Off The Self (COTS) system, choose between two competing project ideas, or just want to make a better personal finance decision.
I also like his book. Now, I will admit that this is no thriller where you are excited to turn the next page (though I did get a little worked up on Analytical Hierarchical Process). It is designed to be an entry level economics text for the world of software engineering. The world of computer science and software engineering needed a book like this and didn't have one. So, Steve brewed this one up.
Part one (chapters 1-9) contain the basic economic theory you would find in most basic economic books. The topics are based around making decisions to make the most money (for profit companies) or to deliver the most benefit (non-profit). The text in these sections tends to get acronym heavy and Steve had to use the equation editor to type all the fancy mathematical formulas needed for things like interest for equal-payment-series capitol recovery. If you have had a basic economics course in college you can probably skip the first part without any pain. If you haven't or had forgotten (like me), then reading them is warranted. I found Steve's prose on this very dry subject to be reasonable.
Parts two through five carry on in the same way (chapters 10 - 20). Part two in decision making in for-profit companies and part three is advanced decision making in for-profit companies. Again, if you have concepts like Minimum Attractive Rate of Return, Cash-Flow Streams, Planning Horizons, Sunk Cost & Salvage, Inflation & Purchasing Power, Depreciation, Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System, etc. then you can skip these sections. Same sort of story for part four, decisions in non-profit companies and part five, present economy.
BUT WAIT, there is part six! Estimation, risk, and uncertainty. Now here is a section that everybody should read, at least a couple of times. In my work and consulting, I find I am recommending to my clients that they read this section carefully. People building software seems to really miss these economic concepts. Steve does a very good job here in explaining how estimation, risk, and uncertainty work together (often against) on a work effort. He then provides several decision making strategies that work within the reality of uncertainty.
Part seven completes the teaching part with working with multiple-attribute decisions with a good discussion on number theory and how to rationally make comparisons. This is another section that I find most people don't understand too well and highly recommend that everybody reads this part.
There is a part eight but it is a summary and conclusion.
So, my bottom line is that some parts of the book are a must read. So parts are a could read. If you don't mind skimming the parts that you know or are not applicable for the current situation, this book should work out fine. It is also one of those books that you will actually pull off the shelf next time you are asked to lead the selection of a new Commercial Off The Self (COTS) system, choose between two competing project ideas, or just want to make a better personal finance decision.
An Excellent Resource
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2004-11-29
Review Date: 2004-11-29
How I was introduced to this book:
About nine months before this book was published I was researching the return on investment of software projects. While doing my research, I was introduced to Steve Tockey who asked if I might be interested in reviewing his book.
My background:
For almost 10 years I've worked in the software and consulting industry. Currently, I work at one of the leading CRM software companies worldwide where I spent three years advising customers on how they can get the most out of their investment in our software. At the time of my research, it was imperative that our division understood how software investments are impacted by certain business decisions and related financial considerations. Today, I am responsible for planning, implementing, and measuring the outcomes of investments and projects within our marketing organization.
Comments on the book:
This book does an excellent job covering the financial aspects of investing in software systems (or really any investment) as well as covering decision-making and risk management techniques. If your career path includes the development of any business case for software systems, this book explains many of the concepts you will have to use. While the introductory portions of the book explain how financial principles generally apply to software, the book goes far beyond an introduction - honestly, it's depth in content will give it a home on my bookshelf as a trusted reference for years to come. Besides clear explanations and good fundamental examples, the accompanying self-study questions, website, and tools will help readers truly understand and use what is being taught.
If you are familiar with Steve McConnell's books on software, you will not be disappointed with this one (as Steve Tockey works at Construx Software).
About nine months before this book was published I was researching the return on investment of software projects. While doing my research, I was introduced to Steve Tockey who asked if I might be interested in reviewing his book.
My background:
For almost 10 years I've worked in the software and consulting industry. Currently, I work at one of the leading CRM software companies worldwide where I spent three years advising customers on how they can get the most out of their investment in our software. At the time of my research, it was imperative that our division understood how software investments are impacted by certain business decisions and related financial considerations. Today, I am responsible for planning, implementing, and measuring the outcomes of investments and projects within our marketing organization.
Comments on the book:
This book does an excellent job covering the financial aspects of investing in software systems (or really any investment) as well as covering decision-making and risk management techniques. If your career path includes the development of any business case for software systems, this book explains many of the concepts you will have to use. While the introductory portions of the book explain how financial principles generally apply to software, the book goes far beyond an introduction - honestly, it's depth in content will give it a home on my bookshelf as a trusted reference for years to come. Besides clear explanations and good fundamental examples, the accompanying self-study questions, website, and tools will help readers truly understand and use what is being taught.
If you are familiar with Steve McConnell's books on software, you will not be disappointed with this one (as Steve Tockey works at Construx Software).
The Latest on Software Economics
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2004-12-03
Review Date: 2004-12-03
There are hundreds of books on topics relevant to various aspects of software engineering. However, when we analyze what went wrong with so many of our large practical software projects, one of the leading culprits is a misunderstanding of the business, economic and financial aspects of the projects. Where are the books and courses to help us with this major problem?
University engineering programs often have a course such as Fundamentals of Engineering Economy. What Steve Tockey has done with his book is to apply these general engineering economics topics specifically to the field of Software Engineering and set a standard for the subfield of Software Engineering Economics. His is not the first such book (see, e. g., Barry Boehm, Software Engineering Economics, Prentice Hall, 1981 or Leon Levy, Taming the Tiger - Software Engineering and Software Economics, Springer-Verlag, 1987) but it is the most thorough and up-to-date one that I know. It is an excellent book on a very important subject. Every professional software engineer, whether CTO, group manager or programmer in the trenches, will benefit considerably from reading this book.
Return on Software is divided into several major parts: general concepts of business decision-making, interest and the value of money, and cash flow streams; business decision-making at for-profit companies; decision-making at government and not-for-profit organizations; estimation, risk and uncertainty; and decision-making based on criteria other than money such as reliability, quality, speed, and other important features (strict economists might argue that all of these other criteria could be equivalenced to money considerations but I think considering these other criteria on their own seems more natural to me).
Judging from the topics listed above, Steve believes business decision-making to be the key ingredient of successful software engineering. I could not agree more. The crucial chapter in the book is #4: The Business Decision-Making Process. The key topics in this chapter include understanding the real problem, defining the selection criteria, identifying all reasonable technically feasible solutions, evaluating those proposals, selecting the preferred proposal, and monitoring its performance. The remainder of the book is an elucidation of those topics.
Each chapter closes with a summary and a set of self-study questions supporting the book to being used as a textbook. My university will offer a course around "Return on Software" in the spring quarter for our Master of Software Engineering students and I expect the course to be offered regularly. The last time I checked, Steve's company was not offering a short course on his book's topic but it would not surprise me to see one soon.
To prove that I am not from the publisher's marketing department, I would like to suggest that the next edition include at least two more topics: buy-or-build decision-making and outsourcing (whether offshore or not).
University engineering programs often have a course such as Fundamentals of Engineering Economy. What Steve Tockey has done with his book is to apply these general engineering economics topics specifically to the field of Software Engineering and set a standard for the subfield of Software Engineering Economics. His is not the first such book (see, e. g., Barry Boehm, Software Engineering Economics, Prentice Hall, 1981 or Leon Levy, Taming the Tiger - Software Engineering and Software Economics, Springer-Verlag, 1987) but it is the most thorough and up-to-date one that I know. It is an excellent book on a very important subject. Every professional software engineer, whether CTO, group manager or programmer in the trenches, will benefit considerably from reading this book.
Return on Software is divided into several major parts: general concepts of business decision-making, interest and the value of money, and cash flow streams; business decision-making at for-profit companies; decision-making at government and not-for-profit organizations; estimation, risk and uncertainty; and decision-making based on criteria other than money such as reliability, quality, speed, and other important features (strict economists might argue that all of these other criteria could be equivalenced to money considerations but I think considering these other criteria on their own seems more natural to me).
Judging from the topics listed above, Steve believes business decision-making to be the key ingredient of successful software engineering. I could not agree more. The crucial chapter in the book is #4: The Business Decision-Making Process. The key topics in this chapter include understanding the real problem, defining the selection criteria, identifying all reasonable technically feasible solutions, evaluating those proposals, selecting the preferred proposal, and monitoring its performance. The remainder of the book is an elucidation of those topics.
Each chapter closes with a summary and a set of self-study questions supporting the book to being used as a textbook. My university will offer a course around "Return on Software" in the spring quarter for our Master of Software Engineering students and I expect the course to be offered regularly. The last time I checked, Steve's company was not offering a short course on his book's topic but it would not surprise me to see one soon.
To prove that I am not from the publisher's marketing department, I would like to suggest that the next edition include at least two more topics: buy-or-build decision-making and outsourcing (whether offshore or not).
SONAR 2 Power!
Published in Paperback by Course Technology PTR (2002-07-24)
List price: $29.95
New price: $1.25
Used price: $1.26
Used price: $1.26
Average review score:
Great book!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2004-09-22
Review Date: 2004-09-22
Sonar 2.0 is such a complicated program. I haven't even messed with many of the features, including MIDI, but have gotten quite good at audio editing. This book made a huge difference. I found it much clearer and easier to follow than the online help or manual that came with Sonar. Highly recommended!
Comprehensive guide to features, but little else
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2004-10-15
Review Date: 2004-10-15
I'm using Home Studio 2002 XL, which as one of the reviewers pointed out is basically just a cut down version of Sonar 2. I had hoped that this book would help me to really learn how to use the advanced features of Home Studio/Sonar, but I was disappointed to find little advice on technique in the book.
It's a very comprehensive overview of the features of the program, but apart from a few small features I'd overlooked there was very little that I hadn't managed to already learn from the included help files (which are pretty good) or previous experience with Sequencers and using MIDI.
In particular I was interested in more information on how best to arrange and mix songs, in particular using aux-buses, but I found that less time was spent on this topic than on explaining the different effects (in more detail than I thought necessary).
Perhaps I'm being a little harsh, and perhaps I'm looking for a different kind of book. I work with computers for a living, so I'm used to finding my way around new software - I guess if you aren't then this is probably a good tour of what the software can do.
It's a very comprehensive overview of the features of the program, but apart from a few small features I'd overlooked there was very little that I hadn't managed to already learn from the included help files (which are pretty good) or previous experience with Sequencers and using MIDI.
In particular I was interested in more information on how best to arrange and mix songs, in particular using aux-buses, but I found that less time was spent on this topic than on explaining the different effects (in more detail than I thought necessary).
Perhaps I'm being a little harsh, and perhaps I'm looking for a different kind of book. I work with computers for a living, so I'm used to finding my way around new software - I guess if you aren't then this is probably a good tour of what the software can do.
Everything you ever wanted to know about Cakewalk's Sonar!
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2003-05-25
Review Date: 2003-05-25
I review this book as one who does not own this particular piece of software, but as a prospective Sonar user. I wanted to do a little research to see if Sonar was the way I wanted to go, and I found this book extremely informative. It makes what might be a scary program for the novice very approachable and user-friendly. If I do wind up purchasing Sonar, it's unlikely I'll even need to read the manual with this excellent resource available to me. Outstanding!!
A must for any Sonar user!
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2003-06-03
Review Date: 2003-06-03
Sonar 2 Power! is an excellent book. It is, by far, the best book available on Sonar, and a must have for anyone who uses Sonar. I have found it was great for intitially getting up to speed on the software. And now that I know the software much better, it is still full of tons of helpful information. Sonar 2 Power! lets you quickly dive right into those features you are interested in. Best of all, the author, Scott Garrigus, is able to make learning quick and enjoyable. It is clear that Scott has a great deal of enthusiasm for making music using his computer and Sonar; he does a very good job of getting this enthusiasm across, which makes the book all the more enjoyable to read. The author has a Website...for his readers.
Good for Cakewalk Home Studio 2004 Users as well!
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2003-10-29
Review Date: 2003-10-29
This is a good book for Cakewalk Home Studio 2004 (and XL) users as well, because Home Studio 2004 is basically the same as Sonar 2 with a few missing features that Home Studio 2004.
I did a comparison of it to my recently acquired 2004 XL upgrade and other than the synchronization function, a couple of UI changes (Snap to Grid button changed locations), and a few effects that Home Studio XL doesn't give you, everything works identical to the Sonar 2 version in the book.
I haven't read the Cakewalk Power Book, but I did notice it looked thinner on the shelves than Sonar 2, and chose to buy Sonar 2 because I thought it was more comprehensive. I've been very happy about the purchase and what I've learned about Home Recording.
Technical Analysis of the Futures Markets: A Comprehensive Guide to Trading Methods and Applications
Published in Hardcover by Prentice Hall Press (1986-03-03)
List price: $65.00
New price: $45.00
Used price: $7.99
Collectible price: $65.00
Used price: $7.99
Collectible price: $65.00
Average review score:
Speaks with authority
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2001-06-13
Review Date: 2001-06-13
Murphy has written a very good reference book, useful for brushing up on the finer points of charting, indicators and so forth. He also does a good job of going over the various technical theories with a straight face, neither endorsing favorites nor casting ridicule on the ones that are more logically suspect (ahem, cough, gann-elliott-fibonacci, cough cough).
The only thing I really took issue with was Murphy's habit of trying to predict the size and extent of price moves, rather than sticking with more general observations regarding momentum and overall movement.
Looking for something to happen before there is evidence of its arrival is a dangerous game for technical players, methinks. To devotees of the approach, a friendly warning -- be careful not to become a fundamentechnicalyst. Meaning, always keep in mind that effective technical analysis highlights probability rather than makes predictions.
Since I just made up the word for this review, I'll now throw in the definition: A "fundamentechnicalyst" is one who makes predictions, just like the run of the mill fundamental analyst does... except the fundamentechnicalyst is making predictions based on technicals -- chart patterns and various indicators, rather than supply and demand, weather, politics, etcetera.
In giving advance notice of how the movie is going to end, the approaches have similarity in their folly. The answer (in my opinion) is to not say, "aha! because of pattern ABC, result XYZ must now occur...."
Instead, `tis better to say, "aha! because of pattern ABC, there is a favorable probability that XYZ could occur. But I recognize this is an odds game which means 1) it is normal, reasonable and expected for me to be wrong a portion of the time (the odds say so), and B) I must have a risk point, just in case this is "one of those occurrences" where the outcome falls against me.
The difference in the thought process is subtle but critical. A hard prediction locks you in, creates a psychological commitment, brings your ego into the game, and threatens to screw up your mindset in general. Whereas if you recognize trading is essentially nothing but an odds game, then flexibility and peace of mind have a better shot of remaining intact.
One of the hidden gems of this book was an excellent outline of why the contrarian method works. I don't want to give away Murphy's goods here, so I will just say that he points out a few very interesting reasons why it is natural for the majority to be wrong at turning points, and it is not simply because the masses lack trading ability or intelligence (though that is a factor, of course; the lumbering beast called Crowd is known for strong back and weak mind.)
To sum up, buy this book if you are new to technicals, if you want to brush up on your knowledge, or if you just want a handy reference. But be wary of the prediction trap. Keep your understanding of probability and odds intact.
The only thing I really took issue with was Murphy's habit of trying to predict the size and extent of price moves, rather than sticking with more general observations regarding momentum and overall movement.
Looking for something to happen before there is evidence of its arrival is a dangerous game for technical players, methinks. To devotees of the approach, a friendly warning -- be careful not to become a fundamentechnicalyst. Meaning, always keep in mind that effective technical analysis highlights probability rather than makes predictions.
Since I just made up the word for this review, I'll now throw in the definition: A "fundamentechnicalyst" is one who makes predictions, just like the run of the mill fundamental analyst does... except the fundamentechnicalyst is making predictions based on technicals -- chart patterns and various indicators, rather than supply and demand, weather, politics, etcetera.
In giving advance notice of how the movie is going to end, the approaches have similarity in their folly. The answer (in my opinion) is to not say, "aha! because of pattern ABC, result XYZ must now occur...."
Instead, `tis better to say, "aha! because of pattern ABC, there is a favorable probability that XYZ could occur. But I recognize this is an odds game which means 1) it is normal, reasonable and expected for me to be wrong a portion of the time (the odds say so), and B) I must have a risk point, just in case this is "one of those occurrences" where the outcome falls against me.
The difference in the thought process is subtle but critical. A hard prediction locks you in, creates a psychological commitment, brings your ego into the game, and threatens to screw up your mindset in general. Whereas if you recognize trading is essentially nothing but an odds game, then flexibility and peace of mind have a better shot of remaining intact.
One of the hidden gems of this book was an excellent outline of why the contrarian method works. I don't want to give away Murphy's goods here, so I will just say that he points out a few very interesting reasons why it is natural for the majority to be wrong at turning points, and it is not simply because the masses lack trading ability or intelligence (though that is a factor, of course; the lumbering beast called Crowd is known for strong back and weak mind.)
To sum up, buy this book if you are new to technicals, if you want to brush up on your knowledge, or if you just want a handy reference. But be wary of the prediction trap. Keep your understanding of probability and odds intact.
ask a question
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-05
Review Date: 2005-08-05
I'm very happy finding so much reveiw about this book. now ,
future marketing
ng is growing fastly in my country .But here, so little book introduct about it.
can i buy this book,through Amazon?
Now ,i am in china!
future marketing
ng is growing fastly in my country .But here, so little book introduct about it.
can i buy this book,through Amazon?
Now ,i am in china!
A Clear and Essential Guide
Helpful Votes: 11 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2000-08-15
Review Date: 2000-08-15
Murphy has collected, collated, condensed and presented just about every method of technically analysing the futures markets. His text, whether dissecting simple or abstruse concepts, is remarkably lucid. Comprehensive and comprehensible, this is a reference futures traders must own. All I would have asked for in addition would be more suggestions for implementing trading strategies, but that, in fact, might require another book. If Murphy were to write it, he might outsell all those fake futures promoters and their $195 "courses" combined.
Text Book style - very effective analysis
Helpful Votes: 12 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2000-10-18
Review Date: 2000-10-18
Murphy has taken a very technical analysis of a "dry" subject and turned it into a readable, useful guide that should by read (and referred to often) by everyone who dares trade in the futures markets. It's a great first book on the subject, and a great book for experts alike.
Classic!
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2005-12-15
Review Date: 2005-12-15
John Murphy's book is a modern day classic on the topic of technical analysis. His writing is precise and easy to understand- novice traders will especially appreciate this. Regardless of the title, the principles and techniques described in this book are applicable to not only the futures market, but to all markets, including stocks and forex. Highly recommended to all traders!
Understanding Gps: Principles and Applications (Artech House Telecommunications Library)
Published in Hardcover by Artech House Publishers (1996-02)
List price: $164.00
New price: $114.99
Used price: $29.57
Used price: $29.57
Average review score:
GPS uses General Relativity
Helpful Votes: 15 out of 15 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-18
Review Date: 2006-05-18
[A review of the SECOND EDITION, 2005.]
In the last 15 years, GPS has moved from an expensive and specialised application to a mass consumer market. There are numerous books on GPS; mostly directly at that mass readership. These typically concern how to use a device with a GPS receiver.
By contrast, this book is meant for the engineer who has to design such a device. It is a compendium of technical papers covering many aspects you are likely to need. And undoubtedly some you won't, which should be reassuring. Because it means that you do not have to read all of this book for it to be useful.
The sensitivity of the GPS satellites and the resultant GPS ground resolution is amazing, as can be appreciated from some of the papers in the book. Due mostly to the stability of the satellites' orbits and their onboard atomic clocks. Chapter 7 describes how GPS requires corrections due to Einstein's Theory of General Relativity! Not just Special Relativity. As a physicist, I found this fascinating. GPS is perhaps the first field where General Relativity is used, not to be tested, but as providing a necessary quantitative model for getting correct results. Akin to how Newton's Equations have been used for 300 years in ballistics. Granted, most readers will be engineers, who might find GR a trifle exotic.
The book also has good coverage of the Russian GLONASS system. Perhaps for those who also want to use this for redundancy. Or to combine the signals from this with GPS for enhanced resolution.
In the last 15 years, GPS has moved from an expensive and specialised application to a mass consumer market. There are numerous books on GPS; mostly directly at that mass readership. These typically concern how to use a device with a GPS receiver.
By contrast, this book is meant for the engineer who has to design such a device. It is a compendium of technical papers covering many aspects you are likely to need. And undoubtedly some you won't, which should be reassuring. Because it means that you do not have to read all of this book for it to be useful.
The sensitivity of the GPS satellites and the resultant GPS ground resolution is amazing, as can be appreciated from some of the papers in the book. Due mostly to the stability of the satellites' orbits and their onboard atomic clocks. Chapter 7 describes how GPS requires corrections due to Einstein's Theory of General Relativity! Not just Special Relativity. As a physicist, I found this fascinating. GPS is perhaps the first field where General Relativity is used, not to be tested, but as providing a necessary quantitative model for getting correct results. Akin to how Newton's Equations have been used for 300 years in ballistics. Granted, most readers will be engineers, who might find GR a trifle exotic.
The book also has good coverage of the Russian GLONASS system. Perhaps for those who also want to use this for redundancy. Or to combine the signals from this with GPS for enhanced resolution.
Clearly the Best General Reference on GPS
Helpful Votes: 18 out of 19 total.
Review Date: 2002-01-31
Review Date: 2002-01-31
I've been an engineer and PM working with GPS and GPS systems since the inception of GPS in the mid-80s. While employed by a major DOD research lab I was fortunate enough not only to have access to practically every GPS book and article available, but I also had the opportunity to meet many of the key people responsible for the design and development of the system (many of whom contributed to this text). From system design to receiver architecture, this is by far the best general reference I have found on GPS.
Second edition in December 2005
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-18
Review Date: 2005-10-18
If you are looking at the first edition, please note that the publisher plans to issue a second edition in December 2005.
Great Book for Developing GPS Tracking Systems
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2003-12-29
Review Date: 2003-12-29
This is a great book to read if you plan on developing any type of GPS tracking system. While the book covers the the basics, you'll need some further resources on interfacing GPS receivers and such hardware to real-world devices.
An interesting article entitled "Tracking a Vehicle With GPS" can be read at www.closerworlds.com
A lot of mobile solutions are soon to hit the market such as mobile phones using GSM or GPRS to track a person. This book will help to understand how it all fits together. It would have been nice if the book could have touched on how older communication systems like VHF radios can transmit GPS data. For that you'll have to visit www.closerworlds.com or some other website with such resources.
Great Technical Reference
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-11
Review Date: 2005-08-11
I'm an aerospace professional that is very close to the GPS system. This book is one of the best in depth references that I could recomend. I am not a novice and this text may intimidate some.
Visual Basic(r) Graphics Programming: Hands-On Applications and Advanced Color Development, 2nd Edition
Published in Paperback by Wiley (1999-10-27)
List price: $55.00
New price: $25.94
Used price: $12.08
Used price: $12.08
Average review score:
Great book, regardless of your programming language
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-13
Review Date: 2007-04-13
I'm not a VB programmer, but I was able to understand the theory in this book, and I could easily work through the code examples to translate them into Delphi and C#. It's very hard to find a book (for any programming language) that explains 3D graphics in simple terms, and with useful code examples. Even though this book is getting a little dated, this book will still be among my highest recommendations for years to come. The basic theory does not change, even though programming languages evolve.
The Best VB 6 Graphics Programming Book
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-01-09
Review Date: 2005-01-09
This is an excellent book. It covers many aspects of Computer Graphics including Vector Graphics, Raster Graphics, Animation, Curves and Surfaces, 2D and 3D Transformations, and Rendering. Each chapter comes with lots of sample code on the CD. The underlying mathematics are also nicely explained.
I only wish their was a 3rd edition for VB.NET.
I only wish their was a 3rd edition for VB.NET.
Extremely good book
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2001-07-12
Review Date: 2001-07-12
If you just HAVE to develop graphics apps in VB, this is your best bet.
Outstanding book!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2001-06-30
Review Date: 2001-06-30
I am happy with my decision to buy this book, it has what I was looking for and even more than expected.
Highly recomendable.
Excelent Reference on Graphics Work
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2002-04-08
Review Date: 2002-04-08
This book is very close to perfection in covering topics of the graphics manipulation, which up to the current times was an option of C/C++ developers ( as far as availability of information and samples). It's good for novice and seasoned developers alike.
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