Software Reviews

The Common Language Infrastructure Annotated Standard (Microsoft .NET Development Series)

Published in Paperback by Addison-Wesley Professional (2003-11-02)

Authors: James S. Miller and Susann Ragsdale

List price: $64.99

New price: $30.75
Used price: $25.96

Average review score:

belongs in the library of every language, library, and tool designer

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-26

Excerpt from C# Online.NET Review (wiki.CSharp-Online.NET):
"...this book goes beyond the online documentation to clarify and amplify the original standard and describe its implementation.... the single source programmers, language and tool designers, and library and VES developers need to render the CLI and the CLR fully comprehensible."

Excellent Reference Guide

Helpful Votes: 11 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2004-02-23

Well, you know it's a winner b/c it's in Addison Wesley's Microsoft .Net Development series. Like their Hejlsberg title, this is pure reference. However, there's a lot to it (almost 900 pages in total) and EVERYTHING in the CLS is covered here. It's very technical, and definitely not a cover to cover read, but there are many good examples and if you need a quick reference for any topic in the Framework, this book is a must have.

Interesting Commingling of Languages

Helpful Votes: 12 out of 16 total.
Review Date: 2003-12-25

When Microsoft released its .NET platform, it attempted, and is attempting, something quite audacious. It is putting forth a programming environment whereby you could combine modules written in different languages, without recompiling, let alone rewriting.

Arguably, Microsoft set itself a harder task than did Sun with java. Along this road, as the book describes, a standard arose - the Common Language Infrastructure. It describes a Virtual Execution System and what type of executable code can use it. So a version of Pascal, say, that wanted to run on a VES would need to pass the compilation rules of a Pascal compiler that adhered to CLI.

An analogy might help. In some rough way, you might consider CLI + VES to be like a java virtual machine, and the choice of a language to use atop CLI to be like running java under its jvm. Granted, this is crude, but many readers are probably unfamiliar with CLI, whilst having more acquaintance with java.

Warning. The book may be heavy sledding for most. The main audience is compiler writers and language developers. Daresay that even experienced developers may not usually deal with a language at this level.

A slight irony is that CLI is meant to decouple programmers from any specific platform, which is why Microsoft pushed it over to a standards body. But the most developed instantiation currently appears to be .NET, which is inextricably interwoved with Microsoft's operating systems.

Wow! The authorative coverage of the CLI (.NET) standard

Helpful Votes: 15 out of 17 total.
Review Date: 2003-11-11

.NET, unlike Java, is an implementation of an ECMA and a ISO standard.
This book, from the Microsoft employees that created .NET and with input from members of the standards bodies, annotates the standard with comments that provide insights into the reasoning behind the standard. If you are in one of these categories, you should seriously consider buying this book:
1. advanced .NET developers
2. language designers
3. tool designers
4. those interested in understanding virtual machines
5. developers of libraries
6. Java developer (wondering what a standard looks like, just kidding. As an intermediate-advanced Java developer, the book is very interesting though.)
7. developer who wants insight into current software architecture
Otherwise, the book is still a useful guide to help you grow as a developer if you even browse it sporadically, and unlike many programming books, it will not be obsolete in a year.

A unique 'insiders' look at many details that would otherwise not be exposed

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2005-11-08

This is not just a reference guide (although it is a very good one). It is also (due to the annotations, often funny) that give you insight into the 'why' behind thing like naming, design decisions, things that were internally debated that we would not normally know about, and in general you come away feeling like you were there creating .NET. I find it required reading and often use it as a reference. 5 stars. An amazing read.

Kind Regards,
Damon Carr
(...)

Computer Ease

Published in Paperback by Virtualbookworm.com Publishing (2005-10-31)

Author: Helen Gallagher

List price: $14.95

New price: $14.79
Used price: $9.75

Average review score:

Wow !

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-05

I brought this book to school to and my teacher loved it! This book was full of tips and ideas to use the computer for my homework.

No-nonsense help

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-02-13

This little gem is filled with no-nonsense advice. For example, I've run and updated my MSCONFIG and saved memory by not loading programs I never use. But what makes it really special is the nurturing tone for all this technical help. It's the kind of book that starts the section on how to deal with tech support by telling readers never to call them an empty stomach. So, have a cup of tea while you read it, but be sure to have a pen handy to jot down the changes you'll want to be making. Or better yet, sit near your computer, so you can try out the tips as you read.

Computer Ease to set your mind at ease

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-02-12

I'm thrilled that Helen Gallagher is finally sharing her comfort/expertise model of working with computer users in her new book. This book is especially helpful for those who may be intimidated by fast-talking techies who don't understand how "non-techies" think. I especially like the way the author raised the awareness of adapting computer use to accommodate learning, vision, and other disabilities for greater independence. Not only has the author packed this book with practical, easy-to-follow solutions for almost every computer problem, but she also leaves readers with confidence to tackle new computer problems they may encounter.

Finally...

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-11-28

This is a terrific addition to my tech-library. In fact I may just recycle the rest of the how-to books. This text put me completely at ease and is not filled with tech-talk. It's easy to understand and you almost feel like the author is sitting beside you on the sofa gently telling you just what you need to know.

So easy to understand with immediate results

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-01-12

Hearing so much about spyware in the news, I was concerned about the security of my computer. So I first went to the section in Computer Ease about that issue, and was surprise to learn there was a simple way to find out if I had spyware... In less than a minute I was able to check this. This book is a delight to use - it is easy to understand and tells me clearly what I need to know without confusing techno terms...

The Computer Virus Handbook

Published in Paperback by Osborne Publishing (1990-12)

Author: Richard B. Levin

List price: $24.95

Used price: $1.87

Average review score:

Some things never change

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1999-12-24

This book was written before virus prevention was fashionable, yet everything in the book regarding delivery systems, methods and policies are still 100% true. I recently re-read it and find that by taking some simple precautions, your risk is minimized. (Note: This reviewer was a contributor to the book)

Great book!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 1999-09-02

I've read a lot of books on the subject of computer viruses, but this one is simply the best. It's easy to read, understandable, and teaches you how to protect yourself from viruses without using expensive software.

Great book!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1999-09-02

I've read a lot of books on the subject of computer viruses, but this one is simply the best. It's easy to read, understandable, and teaches you how to protect yourself from viruses without using expensive software.

This handbook was easy to read and insightful.N.Jacquelin

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1997-10-08

Although I am no longer in the computer biz, this handbook was easy to read and insightful. This is suggested reading for those discovering the wonderful world of viruses. Check it out.

all

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2000-06-23

oh, Dear. virus is just jocking

Computer-Based Instruction: Methods and Development

Published in Paperback by Prentice Hall College Div (1991-01-09)

Authors: Stephen M. Alessi and Stanley R. Trollip

List price: $66.00

New price: $55.96
Used price: $0.10

Average review score:

Great!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-07-05

The book came amazingly fast and was in great condition!

Thanks!

Excelent book

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2001-12-22

It's a great book. The authors explain step by step from tutorials to simulations.

This is a MUST for CBT and WBT developers

Helpful Votes: 17 out of 17 total.
Review Date: 1999-05-29

This book should be on the shelf of very instructional designer and course developer responsible for creating computer-based training or web-based training. The book stands out for three important reasons: (1) if offers concrete directions regarding how to develop instruction at the lesson level; (2) the recommendations are based on research findings and when research findings are contradictory the authors acknowledge the divergence; and (3) the book is well written, it is accessible to the average reader. The first chapter **alone** makes the book worth the price - it will help you answer the question "What is the difference between information and instruction?"

A wide-ranging overview of methods and development for CBI

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 1998-09-11

Seen from the point fo view of a non-expert readers, and comparing with <10 other books on similar subjects, the book looks quite good. It covers most of the basic types of learning activities (tutorials, drills, simulations, educational games and tests), plus a detailled overview on more organisational issues (analysis, design, ...), some chapters on technology for implementation of CBI as well as more advanced topics as instructional modelling, computer managed instruction and AI-techniques. Good reading, no hyper-specialised vocabulary. Happy that my holiday in canada brought me back this good reading to Flanders (Belgiium/Europe). Coming from an IT background (engineering & computing), it gives some goods clues on project management for development of CBI products. Les solid on educational/didactic theories.

Hesitating between 3 and 4 stars (don't feedl myself sufficiently qualified to give higher scores).

A Valuable Resource

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2000-05-02

This book is excellent. There are many sections, in fact, which I will refer back to later as job aids. This book reinforces and elaborates on many concepts and methods that I, as an instructional designer, have been using intuitively when developing courses. It provides a structure to the process of organizing content and developing computer-based training. The only drawback to this book is that it is slightly out of date from a technology standpoint. However, it is so strong in every other area, including instructional design, interface design, interactivity design, and project management, that its strengths far outweigh its weaknesses. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who designs or develops CBT and WBT, I think it will prove to be a valuable resource.

Concurrency in Ada

Published in Paperback by Cambridge University Press (1998-03-13)

Authors: Alan Burns and Andy Wellings

List price: $60.00

New price: $155.12
Used price: $44.98

Average review score:

Good for any programmer

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-20

Obviously specifically for Ada but a good resource for any programmer interested in the general concept of concurrent programming. The organization of the chapters and the introduction to concurrency are alone worth the price.

ESSENTIAL & EXCELLENT for every PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMMER

Helpful Votes: 11 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 1998-07-12

Ada has been one of few languages which provides facilities for concurrent programming, but readings for the feature had been limited. This book is not only the first but also an excellent guide to the capability of the new Ada standard.

It covers,

1.@The Ada Language

2. The Nature and Uses of Concurrent Programming

3. Inter-Process Communication

4. Ada Task Types and Objects

5. The Rendezvous

6. The Select Statement and the Rendezvous

7. Protected Objects and Data-Oriented Communication

8. Avoidance Synchronisation and the Requeue Facility

9. Using Protected Objects as Building Blocks

10. Exceptions, Abort and Asyncronous Transfer of Control

11. Tasking and System Programming

12. Real-Time Programming

13. Object-Oriented Programming and Tasking

14. Distributed Systems

15. Conclusion

Not only Ada programmers, but also all professonal software engineers who design real-time, embedded systems, advanced students of computer science, and even beginners should find it quite useful.

I've read the original print published in 1995, which has been out-of-print.

I am so happy to know it is now to be RE-PRINTed, and every programmers would be.

The "gold standard" for Ada 2005 in concurrent and real-time apps

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-28

Fully harnessing multi-core processors requires concurrent programming, yet most mainstream languages have little support or do so with poor portability. Well-written concurrent Ada programs can be extremely portable and support multi-core and multiple processors automatically. This book explores, in-depth, the concurrent programming ("tasking") part of the Ada language. The authors then show how the concurrent programming facilities of Ada are augmented by the language to support real-time programming. These standard real-time facilities are state-of-the-art, extending, for example, beyond the POSIX real-time facilities in their expressive power.

The book first establishes the necessary foundation for understanding concurrent programming by explaining the possible problems (e.g., deadlocks and race conditions) and highlighting some of the mechanisms traditionally used in concurrent programming, such as semaphores and message-passing.

The tasking part of Ada is then covered in full detail, necessarily including interactions with some other parts of the language, such as exceptions, but also including interactions with the Ada object-oriented language facilities. The implementations of a number of reusable concurrency abstractions serve to illustrate the use of the tasking features.

The authors next lay another foundation, this time for scheduling in real-time systems, and show how Ada directly supports the common approaches. Both fixed-priority and dynamic-priority dispatching are supported by Ada and these are covered in detail. Ada 2005 also defines a number of time-related abstractions, such as a monotonic clock and timing events, and these are also covered completely. As in the concurrent programming part of the book, a number of reusable abstractions are implemented; in this section they illustrate the real-time language facilities. A discussion of the popular Ravenscar Profile, adopted by some other languages, is included.

No language is perfect and Ada is no exception. The tasking part of Ada 83 was particularly controversial in the domain of real-time systems. Ada 95 addressed many of these issues and added some new ones. Ada 2005 does the same. These issues are not ignored in the book.

I own 46 books on Ada (not counting older editions of some of them), gathered over 27 years of applying the language. Some are excellent and some not, but this one is highly prized. I highly recommend it to professionals and students alike.

very informative contents about ada task acts

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-06-07

the authors of this book is famous. and the contents of the book do not disappoint me.

i have several references about ada. of course, some of the references are written by the author of this book. But, regard to the acting mechanism of ada task, this book is awesome.

but, if you are the beginner of real-time & embedded system, you should have another reference(s) to fully understand the meaning of the every article of this book.

The definitive work on concurrency in Ada

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 1999-02-09

By far the best on the subject. Offers complete coverage of any aspect of concurrency with Ada, including real-time and distributed programming issues. Burns and Wellings are the acknowledged experts on this topic.

The best aspect of the book is the analysis of features and their interactions, providing a depth not available in other texts covering the entire language.

Assumes you know some Ada, but includes an introduction to the sequential part of the language.

I own quite a few books on Ada; this is the one to get if you want the details of Ada concurrency.

Contemporary Math for Business and Consumers with Mathcue Software

Published in Paperback by Henry Holt & Company (1999-06-18)

Author: Robert A. Brechner

List price: $86.95

Average review score:

Excellent Business Math Book

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-06

This is an excellent business math book. It's easy to work with and has lots of examples for practicing. It breaks the subject matter down in a manner where it's easy to understand. Chapters 10 through 14 are really great for individuals to learn about their finances. Chapters 15 through 17 are excellent for businesses. There are other chapters that are really great in establishing the basic foundation in business math. Overall this is an excellent book to use for brushing up on math or just learning about business math for business or individual use. Another excellent book to read is "Trilogy Moments for the Mind, Body and Soul."

EXCELLENT BOOK EASY TO UNDERSTAND

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-12

Im a college student and when I first started using this book I said to myself this is like H.S math. Little did I know it does get more complicated but its on a college level as you go on. It takes you back to the basic mathematics and then to a college level mathematics. I liked the book very much so. There is also a answer key in the book (but only for the the odd #'s)which is very useful as well.

great book, alot of examples

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2002-01-26

I think this book is great, becareful not to get the instructors edition, I got that edition by mistake then ordered a student editon used, it did not come with the cd like it said it would.

Excellent textbook!

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2000-04-28

This book was incredibly helpful for a college class in Business Math. Many of the adults in my class had not studied any sort of math in years. This book made the subject easy with great examples succinct and thorough summaries. Recommend it for other teachers in the same area.

Good review of basic business math!

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1999-04-29

There are several typos in this book, but don't let that get you down. This is an excellant review of business math. It begins with the basics of operations, and then progresses to more complex formulas. It will help everyone from business majors to consumers to better manage their money.

CorelDRAW 9 for Windows (Visual QuickStart Guide)

Published in Paperback by Peachpit Press (1999-07-06)

Author: Phyllis Davis

List price: $18.99

New price: $5.00
Used price: $0.78

Average review score:

Start with this book!!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2001-04-27

Finally, a well designed, illustrated, straight-to-the-point book for using CorelDraw9. The author does a fine job of explaining step-by-step procedures for accomplishing everything from utilizing clipart, working with nodes and layers (yes, Ms Davis includes definitions), and extruding text to printing and designing a web page. Also included are plenty of tips, shortcuts, and projects to get you started/keep you interested. Not only a friendly text for beginners but also a "must have" as a reference. I was gritting my way thru the "...Dummies" book (which is just a little bit too dumb!) when I found this one. What a relief! If you want to get in and get to work, this is the book for you.

Packed with useful info

Helpful Votes: 14 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 1999-10-25

There is a whole lot of useful CorelDRAW info packed into the compact, no-nonsense format of this book. Phyllis Davis doesn't just illustrate basic procedures in DRAW, she anticipates the kinds of problems professional illustrators will encounter - and solves them. Designers will be inspired by the creative example s used to illustrate each feature of DRAW.

This book is awesome!

Helpful Votes: 15 out of 15 total.
Review Date: 1999-10-27

Miss Phyllis Davis does an excellent job of explaining CorelDraw. She really knows what she is talking about. You can use this book as a reference, or follow the steps in it to perform specific tasks. Do not be fooled because it is a smaller book with many pictures. This "little" book says more than any other CorelDraw book I have looked at. It is indespensable on my shelf.

Execellent Book

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2003-06-07

This book was one of the best written books that I have bought and believe me I have bought a bunch to learn various programs, such as Adobe Illistrator, Corel Photo Paint, Corel Draw etc. Phyllis not only explains things well, she also gives photos showing what she is talking about!" She doesn't write these books as if you should know everything, like most authors do, she writes it with the idea that you bought the book because you don't know what to do... and explains things so a normal person that doesn't have any expertiese in how to use the program, can actually learn something. She gives practice special projects to do so that you can practice what she has taught you. I am the kind of person that having the pictures with the knowledge to go with it makes the learning experience so much greater and interesting, where most authors tells you to click on the _____
button and if you are new to the program you want to see what they are talking about without having to search for what the author is talking about... The only thing negative that I have to say is I wish she hadn't stopped with Corel Draw for Windows book I hope she goes on and writes other books for Adobe programs and also extends the knowledge to more advanced levels in the books she writes.... I would love to see her write a book on every detail that is in the Corel Program so that you can not only learn the basics, but go beyond the basics in the same book!!
Love Ya Phyllis and will be looking for more of your books thats for sure...

This is the right one

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2001-06-18

I have looked at several other author's books, but this one is the first I would call an easy read. She does not assume that you know computer lingo, she explains and shows with screenshots every term.Well done!

CorelDRAW(R) 11: The Official Guide

Published in Paperback by McGraw-Hill Osborne Media (2002-08-16)

Author: Steve Bain

List price: $49.99

Used price: $35.95

Average review score:

Used CorelDraw (R) 11: The Official Guide

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-15

This book was in NEW condition. I cannot believe that I got it at such a great price. Good work Opusbooks!!

Hallelujah !

Helpful Votes: 13 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2003-08-26

I couldn't help the religious reference since this book has quickly become my new Bible. I have been a loyal follower of "The Official Guides" and "CorelDRAW 11" has lived up to my expectations, if not exceeded them in many respects.

This book was a pleasant surprise, despite being a totally comprehensive resource tool, close to 800 pages, it's written in a no nonsense, straight to the point style. How rare is that these days ? I found it concise, well written, with great illustrations and literally hundreds of useful tips and workarounds. It's also got plenty of "how-tos", and covers every aspect of the program in detail (including VBA scripts) in very easy-to-grasp terms. Also included are a complete shortcuts guide, downloadable web resource files, and invaluable hidden program functionality.

A huge bonus for me was that it covers both the Mac & PC releases - yeah ! I also found the sections on Text, 3D, and Animations particularly helpful.

Coreldraw is a great program and this is a great book - total quality from start to finish !

Excellent manual for the novice or expert!

Helpful Votes: 18 out of 18 total.
Review Date: 2003-08-31

This book is an excellent manual for understanding the logistical operations of CorelDraw 11. It is written with a tone geared towards one who has never used this program before yet does not lack in expanded intricacies of operations.

An experienced user can flip through the section needed to learn shortcuts and streamline processes, while the novice can start from page 1 and treat it as a tutorial.

This book makes a great addition to the library of anyone who uses CorelDraw 11.

WOW! You won't be sorry you got this book

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2005-04-08

If you are a new or old user of Corel Draw, and you have just up-graded to Corel Draw 11, this is the book to learn from. With it's 800 pages to go through you will find every thing you need to know to get you up and designing in no time. Steve Bain has done a great job of writing this book, so even the new user can under stand how the tools work and what there for. It is a little pricey, but it is worth every cent. If your going to learn this programe, I would recomand this book to be the first one you get and it may be the last one you need to teach you about Corel Draw 11. I have not needed any other book but this one to learn the programe. I keep it by my computer and use it almost every time I'm using Corel Draw 11.

Excellent reference book!

Helpful Votes: 8 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2003-08-26

After upgrading from an earlier version of CorelDRAW, I needed to get up to speed quickly. This book is an excellent way to learn and excel at using version 11. The step sequences expose you to beginner and advanced level drawing, the tutorials are easy-to-follow, and there's an abundance of helpful and useful tips. Even if you're an experienced illustrator, you'll find great techniques in this book. Trust me you won't regret the purchase.

Create Powerpoint Presentations in a Weekend (In a Weekend)

Published in Paperback by Premier (1997-10)

Author: Brian Reilly

List price: $19.99

New price: $1.99
Used price: $0.01

Average review score:

Still the best...

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 1999-08-14

An update from my February 98 review (appearing below) is appropriate now that PowerPoint 2000 is being marketed. Indeed, the book is timeless as regards presentation development. Buy it and hold on to it!

Excellent Book Takes Reader From Beginner to Expert

Helpful Votes: 11 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 1998-12-25

Using Create PowerPoint Presentations In A Weekend to learn PowerPoint was very enjoyable and effective.

I knew nothing about PowerPoint when I picked up this book. After going through the easy to follow lessons over several days, I became VERY proficient using the software. I'm not only proficient, but able to get results and use techniques FAR beyond my actual experience.

The only criticism I have is that the book is in need of editing for spelling, grammar and punctuation!! Also, a couple of examples/lessons need to be clarified. Despite that, I still give the book a 5 star rating. It accomplishes it's mission and then some!

This Book Delivers!

Helpful Votes: 25 out of 25 total.
Review Date: 2000-02-03

This is a terrific book for the beginner. It is written in a very friendly manner and leads the reader through the creation of PowerPoint presentations at a very comfortable pace. And the book really lives up to its name. I read the book, and worked through the exercises, in 1.5 days. As a result, I was able to troubleshoot a client's PowerPoint presentation and create a host of new slides (even though I never used PowerPoint before reading the book). This book really steps up to the plate and delivers!

Clear, precise, to the point--best read, most insightful !

Helpful Votes: 26 out of 32 total.
Review Date: 1998-02-17

If there were ever a better use for "must have," I would really like to meet the person arguing the case as it is applied to an introduction to PowerPoint presentation creation.

And like the definition of "truth" itself, (truth is simple, ubiquitous and eternal) the "must have" is not limited to a new comer but to old timers as well.

I should know. I have been a graphics' specialist since the earliest days of my accounting curriculum major when I wanted to express the numbers as a pie and as a bar chart and had to labor for hours with marking pencils. rulers, and press-on type (not to mention calculators, allocation formulas and such). That was while as a high school student, I had a winning Science Fair project on the effect of heat and light on the eating characteristics of guppies--something that today, probably only a cat would appreciate.

Yes, there are many reasons to present. And not all of us have the luxury of 30 years of desire and hard work to call upon when placed in the spot of having to do it quickly. So, that is the "what" of the author's book.

The what this book is about is the hands-on experience of the author being made real in type. From the opening intro on the three key elements of all presentations being "How the presentation is shown," "How the presentation looks," and "How the presentation reveals the content," the substance of the book is distilled.

But the remarkableness of the book is the author's keen ability to delve into the matters that really matter.

First up is the "down-and-dirty doing of a presentation" that is kept fast paced, clear and to the point (almost angelic and certainly worthy of a cat's meow}.

The author cites his own "Reilly's Laws" on key issues. These issues (seldom referred to by most PowerPoint authors) are insightfully useful.

A case in point is the instance of having to present on a screen (where people in the back of the room can only read the type that is 20 points and larger) and yet provide the material in printed form as well. One of Reilly's Laws state: "Expect the worst, and you'll never be disappointed." Reilly explains, "You have to execute this presentation anticipating the worst-case scenario." Continuing, "Use nothing less than 20-point type." Reilly concludes, "The reader of the screen version will be happy, and the reader of the paper version will be able to read it without glasses."

The worst would be a screen version where the type is too small to be read by those in the back of the room.

Communication is the operative issue. As Reilly notes, "If the communication is not effective, it is a poor presentation no matter how fancy or cool the techniques are."

And the doing of techniques are not overlooked (as is often the case in more than half of all presentations). Reilly covers the bases of scanning pictures, incorporating sounds and movie files as well as using tables, graphs and org charts. But not just by stating how to insert them as another kind of object. Reilly delves deeper into these objects to once again help the creator stop or foresee the glitches in what he/she is doing or would like to do.

After all is stated, Brian Reilly has a vested interest beyond your purchase of his book. As a highly valued contributor to the Microsoft newsgroup of Microsoft PowerPoint and in the CompuServe forum on PowerPoint , Brian Reilly makes time to answer users in their momentary PowerPoint usage dilemmas.

Read his book today, and you will be better able to keep the graphics' doctor away. Here's to your health and to your keeping the good times rolling!

Lewis Gudmundsen
Microsoft PowerPoint End-user MVP

Owner
Gudmundsen & Company, LLC
lewis@mymail.com

Still the best...

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 1999-08-14

An update from my February 98 review (appearing below) is appropriate now that PowerPoint 2000 is being marketed. Indeed, the book is timeless as regards presentation development. Buy it and hold on to it!

Creating Cool MINDSTORMS NXT Robots

Published in Kindle Edition by Apress (2008-04-25)

Author: Daniele Benedettelli

List price: $42.99

New price: $25.53

Average review score:

The Best Mindstorms NXT Book so far

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-08

I've been waiting for more than 2 months to get this book. Finally I got it from amazon a few days after the book released.

I have 8 NXT book, nothing is as details as Daniele's Book. The best NXT book so far.

There are 6 robots describes in this book. From the concept and then step-by-step assembly it and even the guide line to program it. So you not only able to build the robot, but also teach you how it works.

The cream-of-the-soup of this book of course is the JohnNXT ...... About 1/3 of the book focus on this great Robot. If you plan to build JohnNXT, this is the only book you need.

I'm really impressed with Daniele, I cant wait to the next book "Lego Rubik Utopy (LRU)".

Creating cool Mindstorms NXT Robots

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-07

Hi,

One of the better books at this moment for the Lego Mindstorms NXT robotic set. This book is clearly written and despite the black and white images, the building instructions are also very clearly written.

This book is obviously written by people who know what they are doing and motivated to reach the highest standards.

After a short program in the Nxt-G programming language, they started to use the NXC programming language for the rest of the book. What makes this book so outstanding, everything is very well documented and everything is explained in great detail.

This is also an easy and pleasant to read book. And many times you find here what is missing in other books. For me, esspecially the introduction of NXC was very usefull. I wanted to use C for a long time, but I did not found the answers I was searching. This book takes its time to show you the mechanics behind th programming language. It teaches you clearly how to construct event tables and how you can visualise the design process, structuring your thaughts.

Also the walking models are very interesting. It gives you a clearly understanding about the problems of let a robot succesfully walk.

What I do missing is coverage of the acceleration, gyroscopic and compass sensors. It should be nice if those sensors also where covered in this book. But it is almost impossible to cover everything and an author has to draw a line.

The projects are well choosen and all very interesting. Personally Quasimodo I find the less interesting robot. While NXT AT-ST is in my opinion a very nice project to understand a walking robot. But I have to be honest, at this moment I am building the AT-ST robot. I did not have the time to build the other robots. Nevertheless, I took a quick look and i found the other projects also very impressive.

This book is a must have for every serious Lego Mindstorms NXT builder. You definatelly will refer back when building your own creations. I gave it five stars because it is well deserved.

Congratulations for the author and everybody worked behind the scenes of this book. A job very well done!

I wish you all very much reading and building pleasure. This book will surely touch your creativity and imagination.

Friendly greetings,

Bad_Wolf

Thrilled

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-23

I bought this book for my grandson's 11th birthday. He is thrilled with the book and is trying to learn the code. We thought the program for each robot was available to just download from the internet, but we couldn't find such an easy method. He will have to type in the code from the book himself which will help in the learning process. At this point in time, though, this programming may be a bit too complex for him.

JohnNXT5

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-29

I have been waiting for this book even before it was wrtitten because I have wanted to build JohnNXT5 ever since I saw it posted on the Internet. This book is probably the best book so far for the Mindstorms NXT robotic system. I have purchased most of the books available for the NXT. I like Jim Kelly's books too, but this one has moved from wheels to robots that use tracks to get around and walk. It is well written and well illustrated even though the building instructions aren't in color. The author has a sense of humor as well as being well versed in the NXT system. I like the fact that he continues to refine and redevelop his creations and try to make them the best they can be. I hope to see more books from him, especially one covering the Rubic Cube solver. I congratulate the author for a job well done and highly recommend the book to all robotic nthusiasts.

A Very Cool, Highly Recommended NXT Book

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-12

If you're searching for some exciting NXT projects and ideas--or would simply like to build JohnNXT, a replica of the famous Johnny 5 robot--you will enjoy Daniele Benedettelli's book Creating Cool MINDSTORMS NXT Robots. The book presents helpful ideas that you can use in your own inventions and carefully integrates them in a variety of robots with detailed building instructions. In fact, these very features are why I've given the book five stars: challenging robot projects, excellent discussions of useful concepts and ideas, and exceptional building instructions.

Most of the robots seem intended for more advanced users looking for a challenge; in other words, these are generally more complex robots. For example, there are several walking robots--including three bipeds (two-legged robots), one of the most difficult types of robots to create. And with the exception of the massive, multi-NXT robot "JohnNXT" (chapter 8) and a remote control (chapter 9), you can build all the robots from the parts in a single retail LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT set. All the programming in the book is done in NXC (Not eXactly C), an unofficial text-based language with a C-like syntax.

Along the way you'll find in-depth explanations of robotics concepts and helpful descriptions of the robots. Besides an entire "theory chapter" on building biped robots (chapter 1) and another such chapter on finite state machines (chapter 3), the robot chapters themselves include explanations of concepts such as hysteresis, writing a multitask program, and quadruped (four-legged) walking as well as information on the robots' functionality and history. The author also does a good job of presenting and explaining the programming. Although prior NXC experience is helpful, such experience is not required.

The BIs (building instructions) are outstanding, which is important since they are a major part of the book. The author used advanced BI techniques, including complete electrical cables and callouts, and Ldglite to render the images, creating BIs that are remarkably "LEGO-like." I found that the BIs were generally very easy to follow even though many of the steps were complex. Such clarity is invaluable for a book that is filled with building instructions.

I admit that I didn't build the famed JohnNXT robot. Why? For starters, I don't have all the necessary pieces! All the same, I'm glad to see that the author included the robot because a number of readers will want tackle this enormous project.

In conclusion, this book is ideal for you if you're a more experienced NXT user looking to broaden your robotic horizons--while having lots of fun. Nevertheless, even if you're new to the NXT set, you would still enjoy the book. Either way, after working through the projects and grasping the concepts, you should be well-equipped to create your very own cool NXT robots.

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