Languages Books

I ordered this book to serve as a reference for my symfony work. It has been an excellent reference guide to symfony, though it is not meant to be a "Introduction to.." or "Getting Started" book. I highly recommend if you work or have a solid background in symfony and need a handy desktop reference manual.

This book is really the definitive guide. It covers everything you need to know to build a web 2.0 application with symfony. It is written by the people behind symfony, so the book is extremely detailed and has a great format that makes it easy to understand. Well done.

The books contains all the information you can find in the online manual on the website of the symfony project.
If you know this before (and I did), the book has the same quality like the online manual, in my opinion a very good one.

I'm a freelancer that was in search of a framework that would allow me to expeditiously develop applications for my clients, without sacrificing reliability. After researching several PHP-based MVC frameworks, I landed on symnfony due to its comprehensive set of features, strong OOP support, PHP5 utilization, and (very importantly) the great documentation. Yes, this book is available in web format online - but I'm very glad I made the purchase so I could learn the framework as I traveled, and it's much easier to use as a reference (I have it sprawled across my desk as I type this review). If you're looking for a great framework, I'm convinced symfony is it. And if you're looking to learn symfony, and have a resource as you build your skills, this book is what you'll need. The only caviat is, if you have no Object-Oriented programming experience, I would recommend you pick up "Objects, Patterns, & Practice" by Apress before learning symfony.

Well written and understandable for such a large chunk of software. You can be the judge yourself, of course, by reading it online before you buy the hard copy. I'd definitely recommend having the real thing if you're just starting with symfony though.. you can't dogear or bookmark the online version.

I'm not an expert in either Interface Design or Programming Methodology, and I've only read a little bit in these areas. As I read this book, I found myself thinking: "You mean this approach isn't standard practice already?"

After reading Ellen and Alan's description of how a UI Designer and a Developer should interact with each other, it just seems so obvious that everyone should work this way. User needs should affect architecture, and technology constrains design--how hard can it be to understand that? But the implications--design and development are iterative, and ongoing user testing is critical to the iterative process--could change the way some people think about programming projects. (The old Specify, Design, Program, Test, Release process seems somewhat naive in retrospect.)

The book has a kind of fun and lively feel to it. It's clear that the authors were having fun telling their various stories, and were excited about illustrating their points. The writing is casual, which made it amazingly easy to read.

On the other hand, once the informal style sold me on the overall approach, I almost immediately wanted a more rigorous treatment. I'd have loved an Appendix that summarized the formats of the various documents, for instance, and perhaps one that reviews the process flow diagram used at the beginning of the later chapters. (As a former academic, I found myself wondering as well about the independence and completeness of the Design Guidelines, too, but that's my quirk. It's probably not an issue most readers would care about.)

I think this book could become one of those that inspires a sort of religious commitment to its vision, and that that would probably be a very good thing.

First let me tell you this is an interaction design (or user interface design) book, since the title of the book doesn't do this job well.

This is one of the books that have great impact on me. I agree with the review written by Kevin Mullet (printed on the book's back cover) that the ideas presented in this book are a bit "dangerous". It is dangerous because they are not the common practice yet. If people want to follow these ideas, they need to have changes. Changes are always dangerous to many people.

Those "dangerous" ideas include:

- Build fewer features but build them well. (The current practice is to build as many features as possible so that marketers can list those features for promotion. Is a product easy to use? Everyone can claim that since there are no criteria for such a claim.)

- User interface design should drive the system architecture, not the other way around. (Modifying system architecture is always hard. If we want to support a certain interaction afterwards, the architecture will probably can't support cleanly, if at all.)

- Technology should be used for user needs, but not for technology's own sake. (Visual design should also be treated the same.)

Last but not least, this book shows that user interface design is actually science but not art. We don't need a graphic design degree to be an interaction designer.

As an IT project manager supporting web applications, sites and portals, this book summarizes the story of my life. Not just a must-read, but a godsend for application developers and UI designers -- two groups who traditionally don't always see eye-to-eye or face daunting communication challenges. Can't we all just get along? Yes! This book tells you how, using simple, easy-to-understand language and real-life examples. End users and customers will thank you for reading it.

I highly recommend this book as an invaluable resource for anyone currently in, or looking to enter, the instructional design field. The authors have successfully been able to present information, which can often be dry and complex, in a clear and easy to read format.

I have a read many books in this area and they have been a fantastic cure for insomnia. This on the other hand is a compelling read from start to finish. Many of the concepts presented will not be foreign to people that work in this field or in the area of product development. However the logical order and detailed examples work brilliantly to drive home the principles.

Publishers in this area should use this book as a bench mark for design and layout for its susinct and logical passage. Thank you very much Ellen and Allan for such a useful tool!

This book has many examples of good and bad web pages and also consumer products. What it covers is seemingly obvious, but apparently not realized by many. It shows how users and designers can work together for optimal result. It should be a required reading for anyone doing user-interface designs. It is good that they actually have a good free product, HUBBUB ... .that was created using this design philosophy.
I didn't give it a 5-star only because, to me, the section of their HUBBUB experience and the conclusion was too long and could have been made more concise. Also, it was disappointing to see their product not following their own design goals well enough, which seemed to make the book less effective.

This book is wonderful if you are going to get a tattoo of a certain Kanji it has tons to choose from. I use this book almost everyday.. this is by far one of my best purchases.

What a great book! The presentation of multiple styles definitely caught my eye as I fanned through the book the first time; I was hooked! The introduction is very well written, and each page thereafter imparts a wealth of information that is simply a joy to read.

I love "power" words - single words that encompass my thoughts and feelings - and kanji characters are a beautiful way to express them. I found 'Designing with Kanji' in my effort to design my next tattoo. When I did not find exactly what I was looking for in the book, I contacted Leza and she promptly responded with the characters I needed. Great book - great woman!

I have been an admirer for Oriental Culture, and willing to understand Chinesse and Japanese writing. This book is an excellent source which explains a lot of Kanji symbols, and has several notes about interesting facts about it. I recommend it to all people looking to introduce themselves into this enigmatic and wonderful language.
Antonio Sobalvarro

Easy to read, follow, and use right away. Shows formal, modern, flowing, and stylish character sets. Describes the root, meaning, and nature of common Japanese words and phrases. The calligraphy is excellent. I only wish it was longer and more encompassing. Among other things I use this book as a supplement to Write Your Name in Kanji text by Nobuo Sato to write the characters more elegantly.

Lawrence Kane
Author of Surviving Armed Assaults, The Way of Kata, and Martial Arts Instruction

We had recently seen "The Last Samuri" so I was in the frame of mind to learn more about Japanese history and culture. I found this book on the Breakfast table one recent morning. The introduction and explanation of Kanji was clear and concise. This book provided a great beginning to the subject of how a culture influenced a language and how a language influenced a culture. I couldn't put it down for an hour or so. I'll refer to it often.

This book is a great resource for when you're looking for that specific line of code. Its terrible to read from front to back, but its an excellent way to find exactly what you're looking for. Its so much code, it'll make your eyes bleed.

Director 8.5 is a monster application with huge range of functionality. Nyquist's "Bible" uses CD-ROM-based tutorials to carry you through the concepts with relative ease. The tutorials are part of one continuous complex project, taking the reader from the basics through media management, interactivity, project management and some pretty sophisticated Lingo programming. It is also organized to allow easy reference for specific issues. Having recently completed an 'Emedia & Design' programme I would have to say that Nyquist's book is probably the most valuable text in my library.

There is no better book with which to get involved in Director. I've read nearly all of them; nothing else comes CLOSE! Get IT! ENJOY IT! LOVE IT!

Este libro es realmente extraordinario para aprender a usar director, pues se ve desde el uso basico de cada herramienta aplicando los ejemplos que incluye el cd-rom.

Recomiendo este libro a quien nunca haya usado director antes, y para aquellos que habiendo usado, solo han aprendido por su cuenta sin referencias técnicas.

A well written book of the "Bible" series! Great examples and delivered in an understandable "lingo." This book is a must have for all Director developers regardless of your level or experience. There is a ton of useful information for everyone.

I have been wanting to teach myself to sing for several years, since I can't afford voice lessons, and have tried several books on the subject. This one is by far the best. I first tried books by William Vennard and Richard Miller and found that they were meant for advanced students, not beginners. There are other books for beginners, but they aren't usually meant for classical singing, more for pop (and I find that the authors don't really seem to have much of an understanding of the human voice). I don't know how he does it, but Brown manages to make normally difficult concepts easy to understand. Part of that is because of the CD that comes with it. It helps give a better understanding of what he's trying to explain. I would highly recommend this book for anyone trying to learn how to sing classically.

While the title makes it seem as if the book is some kind of vocal therapy book for medical patients, singers rejoice, this is a thorough manual on the art and mechanics of singing.

While I would never encourage a serious singing student to learn from just a book, if you just can't afford a singing teacher, this is the book to buy! Of course, it may not catch your eye immediately. It doesn't promise you vocal prowess in just 10 easy steps. It doesn't claim to be a revolutionary new method and it does not bask in its own ill-conceived glory like so many other books out there. It is simply a book of time tested foundational knowledge on the instrument of voice.

Each chapter is concise and is backed up by many references, examples and excercises. It is beautifully written and covers all aspects of voice from breathing and posture, to what it takes to be a proffesional singer. There was not one moment in reading the book that I felt like this might have been teaching me incompletley or incorrectly.

It is expensive, but you do not expect to spend 20 dollars for a master class with Pavarotti. Likewise, do not waist 20 bucks for the self proclaiming and inferior vocal instruction books out there. Oren L. Brown knows what he is doing and knows how to articulate it. This book is a culmination of so much knowledge on voice production that I am quite certain that it will improve any broken voice seeking to be fixed.

It's no secret singing is a personal universe of mystery that somehow remains unveiled no matter teachers, discipline, technique, etc. With all other instruments you can actually SEE what's going on in the process of learning. With the voice, everything is how "you feel" about it. You can not see your vocal chords to realize you have a good or bad habit...
The secret is then how to LEARN to recognize if what you feel is right about the way you sing or not. It shouldn't be so hard; you either -for example- feel exhausted after singing an aria or whatever, or feel you can keep on singing for the rest of the day without fatigue. That should indicate something! But the problem is to be able to reproduce great singing sensations in an everyday basis. That can certainly be a lifetime challenge. This book helps pointing out towards sensations associated with freedom and flow of a natural voice; Brown is all about this, in search of a more "primal" sound, connected to the way we speak. Not everything is as simple as that, and singing, depending on the repertoire, etc, etc, needs to a certain extent, some kind of artifice beyond the speaking natural sound of our voices. But this book will put you on the right track if you have been wondering about tensions with the way your vocal production occurs. Highly recommended for connecting singing with a more mundane experience in which emotions need to be part of your singing. Great simple exercises can reveal so much, and in that respect it is a fantastic book. Highly recommended.

This book is very good. It makes the (singing) voice clear to understand. Just by simply reading this book, you will start to have wonderful insights about your own voice, which this book is all about.

Mr. Brown has written a powerfully informative book about all aspects of the voice. His book provides many interesting case studies, is very enjoyable to read, and includes factoids like "the Western and European singing style uses a low larynx." My one gripe is that the CD is not usable as a practice aid. Every exercise is demonstrated so briefly that you won't get a warm-up at all after singing along. If you don't have a piano, and you want to practice vocalizing at home with a piano recorded on a CD and exercises that methodically start on consecutive pitches, try the Jeffrey Allen book/CD set. That set includes techniques such as messa di voce, also demonstrated (more briefly) in Mr. Brown's CD.

I just can't wait until I finish reading the entire book before I post this review because this is the best PowerBuilder book I have ever read. This book leads you through the steps on how to develop a distributed PowerBuilder applications. This is a must have and the only book you need to learn how to write DPB applications. Well done, Michael !!

This book cover all aspects of Powerbuilder Distributed components. It is clear, informative, well written and contain many examples. Although covering what is generally considered an advanced topic, this book should be understandable by Powerbuilder beginners. Most technical books covering a product are bad. This is a welcome exception. Overall an excellent book.

This book is very helpful in covering all of the details of building an Distributed PB Application. I recommend it for others to read for it is very helpful and informative.

If you are a Powerbuilder Guru, you must read this book, otherwise you'd take the risk to know less than your apprentices. If you are a novice, you must read it to become a Guru. Don't loose time with me, go to buy one!

Distributed Application Development with PowerBuilder 6 is dedicated to distributed application development in the PowerBuilder environment. It focuses on Distributed PowerBuilder. This text is packed with code samples to guide you every step of the way. Also included is a robust server framework I have used on real-world projects. A "must buy" for anyone preparing to go to the next level of PB development!

Este libro nos ensena que las decisiones que hacemos en nuestras vidas afectan no solamente la vida de uno sino a las vidas de sus hijos y las futuras generacions.

Es un libro sencillo, claro, emotivo y muy profundo, para leer, releer y meditar, pero sobre todo para no olvidar. Se lee con facilidad, pero se nos introduce en nuestra propia alma y al revés lo vamos completando con nuestras propias vivencias. Deja una huella muy profunda. Abstenerse curiosos, puede tener efectos secundarios, aunque pienso que todos positivos.

Me encanto este libro. Todas las madres y abuelas lo deben de leer. Es un libro bien escrito, facil de leer y con montones de frases y parrafos que debemos subrayar y tener presentes todos los dias. Imposible leer el libro sin relacionarlo con nuestra propia vida. Trata de la relacion de una mujer con su hija y su nieta, pasando ademas por sus relaciones con los hombres. De una forma realista, no sentimental, nos llena de ternura y de gratitud hacia nuestro nucleo familiar, aunque este no siempre haya sido perfecto.

Al comienzo cuando abri' el libro, pense' que se trataba de otra rareza ma's de la literatura. Pero, poco a poco, me fue' atrapando con su lenguaje reflexivo y tierno que, sin lugar a dudas me hace pensar que es uno de los mejores libros que he lei'do. Con razo'n es un libro internacional. Ah! Un buen regalo para las madres y abuelas.

This book is a must for every woman. It touches every part of our lives. It brushes over our hopes, dreams, regrets, mistakes and the love that makes us daughters, wives, mothers and grandmothers. Susanna Tamaro uses language rich in her culture to paint one of the most touching of literature's portraits!

Being a student of Barry Gilmore's english course, i can honestly tell you that "G" is an astoundigly talented teacher and writer. In the class room Gilmore instills his lessons in an attractive and interesting manner, and his book is no different. This mass of pages will undoubtedly assist writers of any age to become more talented. Gilmore is where it's at, and if you can't dig it, then doom on you!

This book opened my eyes to the world of writing. I loved it and I want to marry Barry Gilmore, the hottest author in the universe. Marry me, Barry. Love, your secret admirer

Never before have I been able to learn so much by simply reading a book. Barry Gilmore's book with its stunning insights into the world of creative writing has taken my own writing to new heights. I would strongly advise all aspiring young writers to read this book. Even veteran writers would do well to read this book and learn a few new tricks.

Barry Gilmore is so Flush!!!! This is a super book, written by someone who had I Love Barry written on a trash can for him. If that doesn't show devotion, I don't know what does.

Barry's oxymoronic view of the aesthetic atmosphere drives liberally in a radical world of writing. His poignant and precise touch on the nebulous line that divides and encompasses the writing and visual arts and poetry, is a phenomenal explication on the spirit and presence that can strike us all dumbfounded when gawking and drooling at colorful oprah. He takes a painting and expounds on it thoroughly enough to encapsulate even the ignorant, and even his tone and rhythm musically provide a contextual creation. His work, in itself, is a piece of art.

Having never been able to plow my way through all of Science and Sanity, I've mostly been searching for summaries of general semantics, and anything I can get my hands on. This book was an excellent overview of general semantics. GS along with the help of this book has completely overhauled my thinking. I can think -far- more clearly than I ever have in my entire life. I owe great debt to Korzybski et al! Definitely worth the read for those interested in evaluation & general semantics.

I first read S&S in my late teens while in college probably in 1960. I truly believe that it kept me sane during that decade.
Thank you S&S for helping to save me from abandoning myself to profound confusion. Thank you S&S for helping me to question the events of that period by applying reason and the principles revealed to me by Korzibsky. When I was drafted into the military in 1968 I realized that I had 'under-defined' patriotism by excluding the terms Marine Corps(yes they were drafting people also), rifle and killing. Over 35 years have pasted and now I continue to apply S&S ideas to get me through each day as I hear the double-speak coming out of my government. Thank you S&S for helping me to understand that people who don't question will allow others to cast the definition of words for them. Democracy IS invasion, freedom IS our way, justice IS killing. Thank you S&S for reminding me that democracy, freedom and justice are just words and that their truer meaning can be more fully learned only by the way we define and live our individual lives. After all , democracy is just a word unless you live it!

Drive Yourself Sane takes the core principles from Alfred Korzybski's book Science and Sanity: An Introduction to Non-Aristotelian Systems and General Semantics (International Non-Aristotelian Library), and presents them in simple format that anyone can use. I regularly recommend this book to my coaching clients. You learn tools to make your own thinking processes more effective so that you can better understand situations and people. You learn communication tools that will help in personal and work situations. This really is a primer for experiencing your internal and external worlds with more ease and enjoyment. Would it be helpful to leave behind misleading thoughts that lead to anxiety and turmoil? This book could be a start. Each chapter has practical exercises that you can do on your own, with a friend or a group. The authors use humor and a clear writing style to guide you through the information and tools. This is a great tool for team building whether at work or with those you love!

General semantics provides a very clear, lucid way of understanding reality, and of building linguistic structures to express our understanding more clearly. I highly recommend this book for its clarity and ease of explanation, not to mention totally righteous, mind-blowingness.

Bruce I. Kodish has a doctorate in Applied Epistemology: General Semantics; further has studied physical therapy with posture-movement education. Currently serves on the teaching staff of the Institute of General Semantics. Susan Presby Kodish has a Psychology doctorate. Joining the Institute of General Semantics teaching staff in 1983, serving as Educational Director. Further both served as senior editors of the "General Semantics Bulletin".
Our daily functioning depends upon notions comprising of personal, collective, etc., experiences, perhaps involving some level of scientific understanding, but organized by Aristotle's (c. 350 B.C.) 'logic', which has an equivalence to a cultural 'common sense' forming a world view (paradigm). However when we evaluate using such mis-information, this leads to mis-perceivings, resulting in inappropriate, inflexible, functionings, etc., hence appearing maladjusted. Further that we do not question our false assumptions remains apart of the 'common sense' notions, that we are not aware as to how language affects our evaluating (event(s)-insight-logic), 'filtering' our perceivings. For example, Benjamin Whorf (1956) while an insurance investigator, had (re-)discovered (Korzybski, 1933) that, such 'unconscious' language 'habibts' can lead to accidents: people often smoked carelessly around 'empty' (filled with vapour) gaseoline drums.
Such that an uncommon sense, must involve an extensional (factual evaluating) orientation, thus scientific, as 'opposed' to 'conditioned' 'aristotelian metaphysical-logical' 'deductions'. That our premises (theories, guesses, etc) lead to consequences, as poorly developed forms of Mathematical-logic, first became noticed by Cassius J. Keyser (1922) as "Logical Fate". So that it appeared clear that if we can apply a mathematical framework, making our premises extensionally conscious, then we might function more adjusted, adaptively, (sanely), etc.; since different premises leads to different consequences, we must revise them inductively.
Where Alfred Korzybski's (1933) General Semantics (Science of values, hence evaluating), addresses these along with many other problems.
Whereas this book represents an excellent primer for General Semantics.

Este libro es excelente para nuestra faceta financiera y para la vida en general . Escrito en forma de leyenda desarrollada en la antigua Babilonia, Cuidad de los ricos, nos narra como le es relevado el secreto del dinero a un joven, como este cambia su forma de ver la vida. Lo que le pasa al lector cuando termina su lectura. Una vez comenzado no queras dejar de leer . Demasiado bueno...Recomendado !! Recomiendo un libro similar llamado El Millonario Instantaneo

exelent item...
realmente recomiendo este libro ya que esta escrito en una forma muy sensilla de entender.

Es un libro muy interesante, lo he recomendado a muchas personas que necesitan organizar su vida financiera, y balancera sus gastos, es una historia de facil lectura cuyo mensaje llega al lector con efectividad.

Considero este libro sin dudar un instante, el mejor libro en enseñar prosperidad. Lo hace de una manera simple y profunda. Este libro me enseño a ahorrar y a pensar en prosperidad de una manera diferente. "El hombre mas rico de Babilonia", me proporcionó las ideas y conceptos con los cuales pude adquirir todo lo necesario para vivir con tranquilidad y comodidad.
Este libro debe ser leído por toda persona que quiera construir un futuro sólido para sus seres queridos.

Tony Alcázar
Autor del libro del libro de Superación Personal:
"La Nueva Raza Latina en America - La historia de un Ilegal"

Este libro nos una percepcion sobre la riqueza. Pone nuestra mente a pensar y reflexionar sobre el dinero y la verdadera riqueza.