Web Books

A very broad book on design, the content is insightful and thorough. The best part of this book is the timeline. I was especially inspired by the last entry. Why is the letter "i" upside down on the cover?

quite possibly the finest book i have ever been in the preface of

TYPE IN USE by Alex White transcends the trendy DTP "how-to" bookshelf with the real story on how to craft truly fine pages of typography! The first edition was the top selection for publication designers in The Designers' Bookshelf of The Design Center, but has been out of print for more than two years. Now this important work is back, and the editors at graphic-design.com agree -- Type In Use is the essential book for anyone who wants to really understand how to make typography do what it's supposed to do! . . . Alex writes: "Our job [as designers] is to compose elements to make them maximally interesting and comprehensible. 'Maximally interesting' does NOT mean 'Hey, Wow! Pop! Zoom!' It means revealing the content of the story instantly and efficiently." . . . Type In Use will train you how to accomplish that goal. You'll know where to put type on the page, and how to put it there. But unlike any other book in the past 25 years... Type In Use will tell you WHY! If your goal is persuasive, successful publishing, don't wait for this one to go out of print too... just click up there and buy it NOW. You will be very glad you did.

As a newbie to typography, I found "Type in Use" to be an excellent introduction to the field. It's written in a clear and concise manner; though it's straightforward and easy to understand, I didn't feel as though the information was watered down, either.

At least half of the book consists of pictorial examples, which serve to illustrate the principles laid forth in the text. There's also a good deal of "white space," which demonstrates White's ability to practice what he preaches. As a result, the book isn't too heavy on actual text. Nonetheless, White has an envious ability to express himself succinctly, efficiently, and in as few words as possible - so the lack of actual reading doesn't pose a problem.

The book's divided into twelve chapters, with one each focusing on the following topics: text; headlines; subheads; breakouts; captions; department headings; covers; contents; bylines and bios; folios and font lines; web typography; and the history of type. White begins each chapter with a discussion of the fundamentals, and then turns to real-life examples to help illustrate his points. A short paragraph accompanies each picture, and all are arranged in an organized, pleasing manner.

I only have two issues with "Type in Use." The text which sits alongside the examples is printed in red as opposed to black (black is the color of the introductory text). I'm not sure if my copy of the book was flawed, or if this is a universal problem, but the red type on some pages appeared to be smudged and smeared, making it difficult to read. Even on those pages without blemishes, I found that the red type strained my eyes; there's just so much red that it becomes distracting.

Also, I was happy to see that White included a chapter on Web typography, but I would have been happier had the discussion been more in-depth. The final chapter, "The History of Type in Use," was wholly unnecessary and didn't contribute much to the overall discourse; White's readers would have been better served had be omitted chapter 12 and extended his discussion of the Internet. I realize that the book was written in 1992 and revised in 1999 - and six years may as well be six eons in "tech time" - but the Web chapter struck me as very out-of-date. For example, I had to smirk when he announced that Photoshop 5.0 had recently introduced "significant improvements" in the area of type; I don't think I even know anyone who's using a version earlier than 7.0! He also appeared to be agreeable to Flash animation, which today is so overused and abused that it has become the bane of web design.

Nonetheless, I would most definitely recommend "Type in Use" to both novices and experienced typographers alike.

- Kelly Garbato

Author, ePublisher, Web Mistress
Peedee Publishing / Hot Dog!, LLC

As a web designer, I always found adding typographical elements to my layout to be the hardest part. I would create a great looking page only to ruin it with a weak looking headline or inappropriately selected font settings.

I've looked for a good book to teach me typographical basics and decided to try Type In Use, even though it is geared toward print.

I have to say I've been extremely satisfied with my choice and have noticed a great improvement in my designs. The greatest proof of the change in me is how I began to look at the design of the book itself differently, analyzing it and seeing how Alex White practices what he preaches.

In each chapter, Alex begins by explaining a different part of the printed page and then showing and analyzing real world examples. There are chapters about text, headlines, subheads, breakouts, captions, department headings and more. This may sound a bit boring (devoting an entire chapter to captions?) but Alex manages to keep it all very readable with plenty of inspiring examples.

I've found this book to also be a great source of inspiration to my work after I finished reading it and I come back to it whenever working with any kind of type, online or offline.

The only weak point I found in this book is the chapter about Web Typography. I don't know if Alex aimed this chapter at people with no web experience at all or at web designers who want to learn typography on the web but he failed either way. The entire chapter in nothing more then a series of facts (some of them plain wrong) about writing HTML, designing sites, file formats, etc. Feel free to skip this chapter, the rest is gold.

It delivers how to know user's thoughts and express it in effective way to others. And also remind me a lot of thing I know already but I forgot while working.Good for someone who interested in user experience design.

It is clearly one of the best books on webdesign, a compulsory one on any IA's or IxD's bookshelf.


What I liked:
- the insights this book gives you are instantly actionable, it is really a step-by-step guide
- the authors discuss the topics that are relevant to persona creation (and take it literally, there is great information on survey design, how to segment results, what sources to use to find a photo for your persona, etc.)
- you will find good real world examples
- the book shows multiple approaches based on different needs and constraints
- the copywriting is also outstanding, no nonsense and easy to digest

What I didn't like:
I am trying hard but really can't think of anything :)

This book has got to be one of the most comprehensive on the topic of personas available. Between the detailed types of personas and processes on when and how to use them, it's almost overwhelming in scope for such a relatively small book.

The power of this book is the amount of experience the authors have in the subject. Where other books may make a cursory review of personas and how to apply them, this one makes clear delineations of the two types it describes (qualitative and quantitative) and how/when they should be used and their limitations. Examples and discussions of successful projects as well as when "personas are taken too far" distill a lot of practical experience.

This book is for the serious UI/usability designer/developer. Though it is not so technical as to be over the heads of executives, managers and stakeholders, once past the first chapter the details are likely to be more than most will need.

When companies want to skimp in a development process, whether that be for a web application, a desktop application, a content management implementation, a usability project, or a documentation set, the first thing they'll cut (if they even thought of it at all) is doing persona development. They'll say it's not important, or that it will get captured in the scenarios (if they do those), or in the use cases - and that's if they do the types of use cases that capture user experience, not the type that simply talk about database interactions. In their book, The User Is Always Right: A Practical Guide to Creating and Using Personas for the Web, Steve Mulder and Ziv Yaar dispel all those naive notions and show how personas set a sound foundation on which to build. Skipping this step means building on what is likely an unstable foundation - and from the world of bricks and mortar, we know the steep costs associated with shoring up buildings with badly-constructed underpinnings. A great book with concrete suggestions for practitioners.

This comprehensive guide approaches user experience research like never before, and is well-written, easy-to-read, and quite user friendly. It provides real-world examples of how user research is done in just enough detail that it can both inform an executive of the role of usability research as well as introduce methodology for persona creation to someone starting out in user experience design.

"You are not the user."

As an interaction designer and information architect for the past 12 years, I have been most drawn towards books that go far beyond principles and theory to ones I can actually extract from and use their contents for the praxis of the craft, rather than just reading descriptions of a process. This is a great book that is a blueprint to follow to get it right. It defines the entire user research and persona creation process and offers insightful case studies from successful companies that Mulder and Yaar worked with like Vista Print.

The use of personas has become an increasingly popular technique being used by the interaction design community to address user needs. Introduced into the mainstream in 1999 in The Inmates Are Running The Asylum, personas have gained momentum in both the software and website design communities, but still faces hurdles.

What are the benefits of personas?

A key aspect to any practitioner responsible for bringing real user centered design to an organization's product design process, being able to evangelize the importance of user research and persona creation is absolutely key. Many interaction designers understand the importance of persona creation, but lack the arguments to persuade management to both fund user research and persona creation, and to incorporate real users into the design process. This is where the book is particular important - selling proper user research and persona creation to upper management constrained by resources and deadlines.

According to Mulder and Yaar, personas bring many benefits, including these:
* Users' goals, behaviors and attitudes become a common point of focus for the team. (They keep repeating this mantra until I found myself chanting it in the shower)
* The team can concentrate on designing for a manageable set of personas knowing that they represent the needs of many users.
* By always asking, "Would Will use this?" the team can avoid the trap of building what users ask for rather than what they will actually use, or the problem which is far more pernicious - building features that a product champion thinks are important.
* Design efforts can be prioritized based on the personas.
* Disagreements over design decisions can be sorted out by referring back to the personas.
* Designs can be constantly evaluated against the personas, getting better designs into usability testing.

What is a persona anyway??

A persona is a fictional person that the team creates to reflect what is know about one of the key audience groups (sometimes that knowledge is gained from interviews, focus groups, or surveys). Typically, a team creates two or more personas to represent different user segments, while identifying a few key archetypes as the primary personas.

Helpful persona profiles include demographic information, levels of computer expertise, descriptions of the personas' needs for the particular site in development, and the goals and tasks they would have in mind when using the site.

The User Is Always Right takes you through each step of persona creation, including tips for conducting qualitative user research, new ways to apply quantitative research (such as surveys) to persona creation, various methods for generating persona segmentation, and proven techniques for making personas realistic. You'll also learn how to use personas effectively, from directing overall business strategy and prioritizing features and content to making detailed decisions about information architecture, content, and design.

What characteristics are included in a persona?

Some of the information Mulder and Yaar say a persona usually includes:
* a name and picture
* demographics (age, education, ethnicity, family status)
* job title and major responsibilities
* goals and tasks in relation to your product/web site/application
* environment (physical, social, technological)
* a quote that sums up what matters most to the persona with relevance for your site
* A narrative that brings the persona to life

The User Is Always Right is an entertaining and clearly written book that is also filled with great insight into the process, both qualitative, and quantitative, of creating user personas based on real research and how that can help interaction designers, product designers, and other user experience professionals make more usable and useful software. There are also extensive samples and examples throughout the book of real personas, actual user research data, and analysis spreadsheets. These give a very clear idea of how the recommended approaches work in practice.

For the first time (as far as I'm aware), this brings together two very different approaches: qualitative research based on interviews and observation; and quantitative research based on surveys and usage data. The authors' overall methodology provides real answers on when to use field research, when to conduct surveys, and how to combine the two sets of results. The end product are personas that have much greater rigueur and impact.

In summary, this is a must-have book for people tackling the design of complex sites, applications or devices, or for user-centered designers seeking more rigorous methodologies when creating personas. I cannot recommend this book too highly.

After starting the book over 6 months ago and getting distracted by school stuff (who needs a college education anyways? :), I am pleased to say that not a moment ago I finished Warrior Brothers. I was surprised that it only took me a minute to re-enter Bainbridge's world and I just couldn't put the book down!
Before my college days where I could actually read for fun, I loved fantasy and sci-fi novels, and this book really brought me back.
Bainbridge tells an entrancing story, with characters that are easily identified with and instantly loved. Although he is a budding novelist with room to grow, Bainbridge's writing has caught my eye and I can't wait to read more from him. I encourage anyone even remotely interested to pick up a copy and read it today!

Warrior Brothers is a very intelligent, finely crafted and incredibly interesting book. Bainbridge is an outstanding writer with a genuine gift for storytelling. The characters are well developed and their personalities and sitations come to life. I highly recommend this book without hesitation.

For the opening book in a series (as I understand it), "Warrior Brothers", is essentially the story of the Brothers finding each other and first adventures.

What happens when galactic cultures introduce? Is the great Spirit that guides our Native world the same that directs other native worlds? Can personal courage and a man with primitive weapons play on the same stage with interstellar fleets and ancient science...and make a difference? Moral complexity intrudes, trust and faith are tested, much happens and "Warrior Brothers" is an epic well begun.


I enjoyed this very much, and am looking forward to the sequel. Thank you, Mr Bainbridge. Thank you very much, indeed.

The 'Warrior Brothers", a two thumbs up sci FI tale of time and space,that embodies all the elements of future space travel,and still reflects all of mans present day interpersonal conflicts and dreams. It is a fast paced interesting story that takes the reader to the end with no dull moments.I highly recommend this book to all!!!

What a beautiful tale the author has woven. I loved the characters--they were so very easy to get to know--to identify with, for they became so very real. I also loved the way he fused the values and traditions from Native American culture with those of his own creation-- of other planets and of other times. He has successfully brought the reader into this world he created, one with timeless conflicts, issues, and ethical challenges.

Only one question remains-- when will someone make this story into a film?

I Thought I know how to work with Photoshop, but after I read this book I discovered that I didn't. This book was extermely helpful to me in building web site graphics, and has introudced me to many different techniques that I used in to build the effects that I need in short time; Everyone was amazed, and so was I. Most of the Books has very boring and useless Intrduction, this book doesn't. It was very useful to me ( I confess I was about to skip the first two chapters , but the writer urged the readers not to).

Although this book is useful, I was able to get all the techniques it offered in less that three days !

If you know your way well in Photoshop, don't buy this book. If you are a confused designer; you see these amazing designs and wonder How did they do it ?, then buy this book, and the best of luck.

I've been using Photoshop for years, but only recently for web graphics. This book totally opened my eyes to things I never knew it could do! I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to get more out of Photoshop. It's written clearly, even though it has too many typos, and gets right to the point.

This book is simply great for an amateur photoshop 5 user. I know what I'm doing, but I wouldn't consider my a pro. However, with the aid of this book, I can create graphics for my web site just like a professional. This book is invaluable as a learning tool and as a reference.

I have only scratched the surface of Photoshop. The directions in this book are very clear, and easy to follow. Even for me who jumped right into the middle of the book. It's set up in a logical learning sequence and covers EVERYTHING for someone wanting to use Photoshop for their webpages. I admit, it was an impulse buy for me, but it has been worth every cent.

I Thought I know how to work with Photoshop, but after I read this book I discovered that I didn't. This book was extermely helpful to me in building web site graphics, and has introudced me to many different techniques that I used in to build the effects that I need in short time; Everyone was amazed, and so was I.

Most of the Books has very boring and useless Intrduction, this book doesn't. It was very useful to me ( I confess I was about to skip the first two chapters , but the writer urged the readers not to).

Although this book is useful, I was able to get all the techniques it offered in less that three days !

If you know your way well in Photoshop, don't buy this book. If you are a confused designer; you see these amazing designs and wonder How did they do it ?, then buy this book, and the best of luck.

Protocol and practice.... unlike 21 days in HTML, the authors teach me something big...

This is a fabulous book, technically competent, well-written, easy to read and well-organized. It comprehensively covers all the tech-weenie needs to know about clients, proxies, servers, HTTP, and a bunch more without drowning you in math or killing you softly with a gazillion irrelevant details. I found the last chapter, the "Research Perspectives," to be particularly up-to-date and useful. There is a ton of information about HTTP floating around out there. Figuratively speaking, Rexford and Krishnamurthy have taken as their input the coal and produced as their output this diamond.

You've built a B2C or B2B web service. You get great response time from your office, but there are times when your customers across the country report poor performance.

This book with help you understand the entire path between browser and web server and how Internet latency and intermediaries like Proxy servers add to transaction delay. This is the only source that I've seen that a) Defines HTTP 1.1 and b) describes the relationship between HTTP and the TCP/IP protocol stack, making recommendations on how to tune the stack to reduce the effect of latency.

You'll learn that many of TCP's flow control mechanisms were designed for FTP, Telnet and Rlogin and some default settings are not optimized, or even appropriate for HTTP.

This is so totally readable and comprehensive in its scope, that it was an absolute delight. This one is a keeper and a re-read if you need to understand what the word "web" or "data" means.

...but it is very thorough.

I'll admit I was tempted think "why do you need a manual for Wikipedia?". I mean, you go in, you edit an article, you save it, and you're done, right? Not so fast... Wikipedia: The Missing Manual by John Broughton goes into great depth about how Wikipedia works, how to get the most out of it, and (in my opinion) how best to become part of the trusted Wikipedia contributors group. There's a lot more to Wikipedia than you might expect...

Contents:
Part 1 - Editing, Creating, and Maintaining Articles: Editing for the First Time; Documenting Your Sources; Setting Up Your Account and Personal Workspace; Creating a New Article; Who Did What - Page Histories and Reverting; Monitoring Changes; Dealing with Vandalism and Spam
Part 2 - Collaborating with Other Editors: Communicating with your Fellow Editors; WikiProjects and Other Group Efforts; Resolving Content Disputes; Handling Incivility and Personal Attacks; Lending Other Editors a Hand
Part 3 - Formatting and Illustrating Articles: Article Sections and Tables of Contents; Creating Lists and Tables; Adding Images
Part 4 - Building A Stronger Encyclopedia: Getting Readers to the Right Article - Naming, Redirects, and Disambiguation; Categorizing Articles; Better Articles - A Systematic Approach; Deleting Existing Articles
Part 5 - Customizing Wikipedia: Customizing with Preferences; Easier Editing with JavaScript
Part 6 - Appendixes: A Tour of the Wikipedia Page; Reader's Guide to Wikipedia; Learning More; Index

Broughton doesn't spend much time with a fluffy introduction to Wikipedia and all the benefits and drawbacks of the site. He just dives right in to how to use it. You learn the markup language, as well as the formal way a Wikipedia article is laid out in terms of headers, footnotes, etc. Meanwhile, he's also introducing you to the "rules" of Wikipedia that you'll need to know in order to be an effective contributor. Concepts such as "neutral point of view", "conflict of interest", "notability", and many others are essential to understand so that you don't end up getting locked out of the site before you even get started. One thing I didn't know about were all the shortcut paths to get to certain topics. For instance, typing WP:COI takes you automatically to the Conflict of Interest page so that you can find out how to handle that situation. Couple all his technical "how to" information with his knowledge of the Wikipedia culture, and you have a book that is an essential read for someone planning on adding content.

Another element you get out of this book is the understanding of how wikis work (or how they *should* work). If you're starting a wiki of your own, it's best to learn from someone who has been there and done that. Since Wikipedia is the best known example of a large-scale wiki implementation, you can use this book to understand what features you'll need as well as what controls you'll have to have in place to make it all work properly. After I finish this review, I'm mailing my copy off to someone who is in charge of a community wiki effort for a software firm. I have no doubt that this will help them gain a better understanding of what and where things are going...

If you are at all involved in the world of wikis, this book should be on your short list of titles to get.

This is a very clear and mostly-complete guide to creating and editing articles on Wikipedia, "the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit." It is not intended for people who look up things on Wikipedia, although there is a brief description of this process in an appendix.

It's surprisingly difficult to find things on Wikipedia. Even though all the how-to information is available free on their site, it's often difficult to find the thing you need, and everything is reference material--there's no tutorial for beginners. There are an amazing number of rules and practices to follow when editing Wikipedia (you don't just start typing), and this book does a good job of explaining and organizing them. This book is valuable because it is easy to find things in it and because it gives you a path to learning to edit Wikipedia. (Wikipedia uses the term "editor" for anyone who writes or modifies material.)

The most important thing I learned from this book is the importance of footnotes. An encyclopedia like the Encyclopedia Brittanica recruits experts to produce signed articles in their specialty. The selection process and the author's credentials give you some confidence in the material presented. Wikipedia lets anyone write or modify articles, and all articles are unsigned, so it must be approached more cautiously. Credibility depends on having all the statements referenced to reliable sources. I had not paid much attention to the footnoting in Wikipedia before, but after reading this book I notice how many articles are inadequately footnoted or have no footnotes at all. The Wikipedia leaders are very aware of this problem and continually urge editors to supply references. The high standard of sourcing every statement is met in many articles, especially those on very controversial subjects.

Any idiot can change an article on Wikipedia, and many idiots do. The most surprising thing I learned was how prevalent vandalism is. Estimates are that 10% of all edits are vandalism (p. 123). Most vandalism is obvious, for example, on March 20, 2008 the entire text of the article "Passive smoking" was changed to "ice cream icecream". Sometimes it is obvious when looked at, for example, a caption "San Diego Zoo" was changed to "San Hannah Montana". There are more subtle cases, such as adding bogus information or changing statistics. Each page has a complete history of changes, and there are human editors and robots who patrol the recent changes looking for vandalism. Most vandalism is detected and reverted within a few minutes or hours, so the average user will probably never see any.

The book has a few gaps in coverage. For example, there's half a page on p. 244 about the evils of having a single subsection, but there's no discussion of subsections in general and it doesn't even tell you the markup to create a subsection! After some rummaging around I discovered that the markup is described in Figure 1-4 on p. 8. This required "rummaging" because this page is not in the index under subsection.

For another example, capitalization of article titles is significant in Wikipedia, and there are several rules about how pages get looked up if there's not an exact match for the sought-for capitalization. Even worse, the rules are different when you type something in the search box and when you make a cross-reference from one article to another. The book does not explain any of this.

The index was disappointingly incomplete, especially since the Missing Manual indexes are normally excellent. One example: The technique of piped wikilinks (making the displayed text different from the linked article name) has many uses, and these are covered at several spots in the book where they naturally come up. But the index entry for "piped links" lists only p. 15. There's also an index entry for "vertical lines, wikilinks and", which is the same subject, but it does not cross-reference piped links and lists only p. 149. Another example: There are several entries under "wikilinks" and many entries under "links", although nearly all of the latter are wikilinks. The latter even has a subentry for "wikilinks", which has a different list of pages than the main "wikilinks" entry does.

Despite these weaknesses, the book is still extremely valuable to anyone who edits Wikipedia. It collects much useful information in an easy-to-use format.

If you have ever thought about contributing to Wikipedia, or have done so in the past, this is the definitive book on how to contribute and become a successful Wikipedia editor.

The book is broken down into 5 major sections which cover:

Editing, Creating, and Maintaining Articles
Collaborating with Other Editors
Formatting and Illustrating Articles
Building a Stronger Encyclopedia
Customizing Wikipedia

Each section is very well written and presents the material in a well organized and easy to understand manner. There is information for everyone from the novice to the experienced editor.

This book is not intended for the casual Wikipedia user, although reading it will certainly provide a lot more insight in to the scale of the entire Wikipedia project. It assumes a certain base level of understanding about what Wikipedia is and why it has become one of the world's largest group writing project. Instead it provides a very complete and concise set of guidance on how to contribute and get it right from the start.

My earliest contributions to Wikipedia date back to 2005 but that means little when you consider I have created or edited an article on Wikipedia less than 50 times. So, by their standards that definitely makes me a rookie editor. That is why his Missing Manual came in so handy!

I confess to have made most of the mistakes this book warns you about: if I only had read it before, I would have saved myself (and some editors) a headache or two. "Wikipedia: The Missing Manual" is an absolute must for anyone considering taking the plunge in the waters of this fascinating online encyclopaedia as well as for those who have been doing it (a little bit like myself or those who claim to know it all, even) for a while.

This book crowns the list of Missing Manuals I have read in the past year or so and convinces me of the niche this series fills so perfectly: above the "For Dummies" series and below the "Bibles".

Are you an editor that has an inquiring mind that needs to know? If you are, then this book is for you. Author John Broughton, has done an outstanding job of writing a book that is about the English edition of Wikipedia.

Broughton, begins by showing you the right way to edit, why you want to be a registered editor, how to become one, and everything you need to know about figuring out, tracking, and reversing changes to articles when appropriate. Then, the author discusses the rules of engagement, how normal conversations occur, the standard Wikipedia processes for disagreements over content, and dealing with incivility and personal attacks. Next, he introduces you to some parts of articles that aren't text or links: The table of contents, lists and tables, and images and other media. The author also shows you that an article isn't locked in stone--you can rename it, split it up, merge it with other articles, or even ask for it to be deleted. Finally, the author discusses every option that you have to customize Wikipedia to suit yourself, using choices you find when you click My Preferences.

This most excellent book provides structured guidance for people who want to learn the core curriculum, the information you absolutely need to avoid running afoul of the rules.. But, more importantly, the book will show you the structured process for learning all about editing, including all of the tips and tools that can make editing easier.

Whether you're an avid traveler or a dreamer, this book has something for everyone. Plan your trip online or simply look at places across the world-no matter what, this book makes navigating the web easy. I especially loved the sites on currency conversion, ATM location, subway navigation, the translators, and the speed trap detector. It was all so useful and had so many sites I had never dreamed of. Thanks for making my travels so much fun to plan!

This incredible travel guide is like no other I've ever seen! With sites offering limitless possibilities on how to pick the perfect vacation spot and the best way (and price) to reach your destination, this book is a must have. I've been in the process of planning a trip of my own, and I honestly don't know how I would have ever survived without it! I've been able to find sites offering everything from theatre listings on Broadway to music festivals all over the world--not to mention a site offering all the best secrets from seasoned travelers who are available to help you with any travel question. Even if you have no travel plans in your near future, this book is a guarantee to have you packing you bags! Thanks and happy traveling!

I haven't done a great deal of traveling for the last two years but after perusing the book "300 Incredible Things for Travelers on the Internet" I am definitely more excited about traveling! I disagree with a reviewer who stated that some of the links in this book are inactive. Yes, some may be have been in accessible when he tried to click on them but what website isn't from time to time? I found that each one I clicked on worked beautifully.
Thank you so much for giving me that extra boost to get out there and travel! I can hardly wait now!

This incredible travel guide is like no other I've ever seen! With sites offering limitless possibilities on how to pick the perfect vacation spot and the best way (and price) to reach your destination, this book is a must have. I've been in the process of planning a trip of my own, and I honestly don't know how I would have ever survived without it! I've been able to find sites offering everything from theatre listings on Broadway to music festivals all over the world--not to mention a site offering all the best secrets from seasoned travelers who are available to help you with any travel question. Even if you have no travel plans in your near future, this book is a guarantee to have you packing you bags! Thanks and happy traveling!

Whether you're an avid traveler or a dreamer, this book has something for everyone. Plan your trip online or simply look at places across the world-no matter what, this book makes navigating the web easy. I especially loved the sites on currency conversion, ATM location, subway navigation, the translators, and the speed trap detector. It was all so useful and had so many sites I had never dreamed of. Thanks for making my travels so much fun to plan!

Very comprehensive... a lot of bang for your buck in a little book. I keep it in my laptop bag 24/7 now.

I, incredulously, bought this book not expecting to refer to it because I know everything ( ;-P ). I have found that it a most invaluable resource. If you know (and love) Apache, this is the synopsis you need sitting on the left hand side of your keyboard.

For material that's mostly already online, this book is a good investment. I get really tired of window-switching references, and sometimes I like to sit away from the computer while I'm looking up stuff on directive syntax or whatever. For that, this book is worth the price.

I'd still like a more suitable binding for a small book with a font chosen for density. Lord, won't you make me said book so it will lay flat? That would make this dealie a five-star pick for me.

This little book covers the latest version of Apache, and was packed with info for its size. If you're already familiar with other releases of Apache, then this is the perfect book for you - and all you'll ever need!

A large system of configuration commands and syntax is a useful and powerful tool for allowing people to easily control complex pieces of computer software.

Large configuration files have one major problem; you tend not to look at them often enough to get the language and syntax down pat. You find yourself making too many tiny errors in command name or syntax and struggle with one window editing the file and one or more windows open displaying the documentation.

With Apache I have this problem in spades. The configuration system may be well designed and the syntax as easy as possible, but most people will still struggle to keep every detail in their head. I know what I need to do, have a fair idea how to do it, but the details elude me.

That's where this little volume comes in immensely handy. I have several of O'Reilly's pocket references and find the PHP, Apache and Perl ones never stray far from my computer. This one provides a wealth of reference information packed into a small, inexpensive little volume. It has enough information about the exact name and sytax of the Apache configuration directives that I donýt need to go to a larger book or delve into the manual.

Oh, and for those that want this volume to lay flat. I ran my copy through a paper cutter and trimmed the spine off. After punching holes in the pages I then had a loose leaf version that allowed me to add my own pages of notes in various spots and lays perfectly flat. It only took a few minutes. Sorry, O'Reilly - but it is more useful if it can lay flat and being able to add notes is great.

GIMP, or the GNU Image Manipulation Program to give it its proper name, is a graphics-editing program broadly similar to Adobe Photoshop in terms of functionality. The GIMP is an open source program that can be freely downloaded and installed on most computers, including maps. But on the downside it doesn't come with a manual, so figuring out how to use GIMP can be tricky.

But 'The Artist's Guide to GIMP Effects' isn't simply a book explaining what all the different tools and features do. Michael Hammel pitches this book quite a bit higher than that, focusing instead on how to use GIMP to perform a variety of useful and common tasks. From trick photography to building graphics for web sites, Hammel leads the reader expertly through nicely illustrated tutorials. The end result is more than simply a better understanding of the program, but a richer appreciation of what the program can be used to do.

There are six chapters, the first of which introduces many of the basic concepts. Although there is some attention given to where the relevant tools are found and how to use them, the focus here is on what they do and why you need them. Fundamental to success with any graphics program is understanding how different tools work when applied together, and Hammel finishes off this chapter with a set of multi-function tutorials that underline this point.

The second chapter concentrates on manipulating photographs. These include softening images, adding motion effects, and creating reflections. In each case the process is taken step-by-step, with clear text and relevant screenshots. At this point it's also worth mentioning something about the layout of the book. No Starch has really done a good job here. The book is wider than it is tall, and each page holds two columns of text. The flexible binding lets the book stay open at any page. As a result, it's an easy book to use alongside the computer.

The next chapter is about creating artwork for web sites. These include things like tiles for web page backgrounds, buttons, tabs, and menu bars. The first tutorial in this batch is all about creating glossy, gel-like buttons of the type Macintosh users will be familiar with. One of the later tutorials looks at the ubiquitous rollover buttons, though from the perspective of creating the actual artwork required rather than the necessary JavaScript or CSS coding. That said, if you use a WYSIWYG web page layout program like Freeway, you probably won't need to manually any of that sort of code to your page anyway; all you need are the graphics.

Like all the other chapters, the web design chapter finishes with a collection of useful tips. Some of these should be required reading for any web designer, and it's great to see the author lay them out fair and square.

The fourth chapter is very unusual but actually makes a lot of sense. It's a chapter devoted to creating advertising. While no substitute for a degree in marketing, there's some great stuff here for anyone who needs to produce things like packaging and posters. Small businesses attracted to GIMP by its low cost will likely find this chapter worth the price of the book alone. On the other hand, some of the tutorials in this section are only incidentally useful for advertising purposes though, and could be just as relevant to anyone creating computer artwork. Again, there's a wrap-up section with a slew of useful tips and tricks.

Chapter five brings text into the mix. This chapter kicks off with some tutorials covering things like neon, metallic, and gel-like text, among other typographic effects.

The last chapter is specifically for software developers, and illustrates the ways in which GIMP can be used to design and prototype application interfaces. While a clever and potentially useful chapter, what was obviously missing from this section of the book was something on designing icons for programs. The book then rounds off with a detailed index.

For $45 this isn't a cheap book, especially when you consider that GIMP itself is free and comes with its own online guides and tutorials. The question is whether having things laid out clearly and logically in a nicely illustrated book justifies the cost. In the opinion of this reviewer at least, the answer is yes. For the GIMP user looking to go beyond simply cropping and resizing digital images, this book is highly recommended.

In my opinion, there can never be too many books like this one by Michael J. Hammel. This project-based book has great examples of how the graphic designer can use the GIMP software to get the job done. Each tutorial in this book is an individual project, allowing the reader to pick which tutorials best meets his or her needs. But read them all. Each technique is not presented in a vacuum. Hammel discusses these techniques in a way that prepares the readers to reproduce the results in their own projects.

Besides being a project-based book, I also liked that Hammel did not waste the reader's time, and his own, discussing every detail about each panel, menu command and keyboard shortcut. Instead, he commits those pages to more information that you can really use. Don't get me wrong, he does give a short overview of the GIMP workspace in order to orient the novice to the software. But he does a good job of giving the readers only the information that they will need for the rest to the book.

So what does Hammel cover in this book? He writes each project-based tutorial from the point-of-view of the graphic designer. He begins with a short description of the design criteria for the project and ends each tutorial with suggestions for other projects where the reader might apply these techniques. He divides the book into six chapters and each chapter covers a different area of graphic design. Once he covers the basics, he moves on to techniques for the photographer, web designer, advertising designer and UI designer. Throughout each chapter, he discusses how type applies to the project and he also devotes a chapter to type effects.

For the photographer, he begins with some simple techniques for adding steam to a photo and creating a vignette. Then he covers more advanced techniques such as simulating depth of field. Have you ever wondered how graphic artists get type to look so good on top of any background? Hammel shows you how this is done, along with some other nice text effects. Also, he has one of the best techniques for converting a photo into a sketch that I have seen so far. His technique goes beyond the usual examples that you find in books and on the web.

Moving from photography to web design, Hammel states that "color is king" on the web today. Only just a few years ago, books were preaching just the opposite. But now with the better monitors, Hammel can share some of his techniques for creating mood, simulating 3D and reflections, and "popping" an image. He also has some great techniques for creating folds from texture and gradients and for creating the popular Toon style.

With the advent of widgets and other ways to create your own desktop applications, graphic designers are being asked to design user interfaces (GUI) for these applications. Hammel devotes the last section of his book to take you through the design process for creating a UI for a video player. He starts with the face plate and designs each part of the UI individually. However, these same techniques could be used to create environments for digital games and other design applications.

Hammel has been working with GIMP from its beginnings in 1996. He has authored and co-authored many GIMP related books and articles.

If you don't know what GIMP is, it's an alternative to Photoshop that allows you to do the same things (essentially) but is free.

I was impressed and surprised (in a good way) on the depth of tutorials in this book. I was really looking for something that would give me a good overview of using GIMP from the top, and was surprised at how many things you can do creatively that I hadn't even thought of. My only criticism is the paper used is flat and it would be nice to have something a little glossier for the images. The images are in color, which is nice though. I've used photoshop and now GIMP from probably a pretty basic level (I'm not a graphic artist) for album coverwork for compilation CD's for myself and friends, posters, and just playing around with abstract art to frame and hang on my own wall. I've been impressed with GIMP as an alternative to Photoshop and I think this book is a great companion to help me get the most out of it. If you've tried GIMP, which is free to download, and want to get more out of it, I would recommend this book.

Should have purchased this book months ago. Not for the absolute beginner, but a must have for the advanced beg or int user who wants to learn more about using gimp.

The GIMP is an image editor whose power and easy use rivals the industry standard Photoshop - and is a popular free software item. While The Artist's Guide to GIMP Effects could've been explored in our Computer Shelf area, it's reviewed here to alert every artist working with computer images. It shows how to use the GIMP's powerful features to apply to ads, photos, and business pursuits, and comes from an author who has used GIMP since its first public release. From specialty photographic techniques available within the GIMP model to advanced web design features for special effects, no photo artist using the computer should be without THE ARTIST'S GUIDE TO GIMP EFFECTS - and any collection strong in Photoshop-type books needs it.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Hi, when I heard about this book, I said I worked so hard with parenting links on my online Baby to Toddler store, when this book would be also a great resource too. Every new parent should have it by their computer-side! The thing is, new parenting sites happen all the time, so don't be complacent, buy the Next Addition(s) too, if you can*! or visit regularly the Publisher's website to see the New sites to be Listed in the next addition!
* My experience it sells pretty quickly! ...

If you have a baby, or need to purchase baby items, or need information about babies, then this is the RESOURCE to get it from. Gretchen Nalley has carefully placed all the websites that pretains to babies, from baby gifts, to parenting to care of baby and everything in between. A quick reference guide to take you to where you need to be without having to search and search. Thank you Gretchen for a job well-done!

I am one of the unfortunate ones who had their kids too early for this book, if only it had been around when they were younger. But that hasn't stopped me from buying this book - I have given it as gifts! The time saved in not having to search the web for the websites & information that is in this book is invaluable for parents that already find their time at a minimun with the demands of a new baby.

This is a must have!

Never has a book been more useful! This directory is a parent's dream. Have you ever looked up "baby" in the yellow pages? There sure isn't much there. My only regret after buying The Baby Web is that it wasn't available with my first two kids! I love it, and the pictures are adorable! No new parent should be without The Baby Web (I keep mine in my purse!).

Everyone knows that the Internet is a great resource for information and a great alternative to traditional catalog shopping. Unfortunately, weeding through literally millions of sites can be both time-consuming and frustrating. Since time is a precious commodity when you have young children, getting someone else to do the weeding is a welcome shortcut, and that is what this book delivers. Think of this book as the yellow pages for baby websites.  The 1,200 sites are listed by category and also in an alphabetical index. Categories include: Announcements, Baby Care Products, Baby Gear, Baby Names, Bedding & Furniture, Clothing, Food & Feeding Supplies, Gifts and Gift Baskets, Health & Safety, Parenting Advice, Pregnancy & Breastfeeding, and Toys. Many of my favorite sites were listed, and some new ones that I have since bookmarked.  This book is a great starting point for a new parent or someone new to the web, but it is also a good resource for anyone interested in finding new websites for parenting tips and products on the Internet.  There are a couple of sites that I probably would not have included if I were making a list since they offered only one or two items or were intended for dealers rather than consumers, but out of 1,200 sites that's a pretty good track record.  You will need access to the World Wide Web and a basic understanding of navigating the web to get the full benefit of the book, although many of the sites listed also include a customer service phone number.  --Reviewed by Teresa Burgess