Software Books


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Software Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

Software
Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0 Language Reference (Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0 Reference Library)
Published in Paperback by Microsoft Press (1997-03)
Author:
List price: $39.99
New price: $45.80
Used price: $1.99

Average review score:

It is what you would expect from a language reference
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2004-03-12
This book is a compilation of various functions and commands available to the VisualBasic 5 environment. It provides examples and supplimental information to help users with different levels of expertise.

Recommended if you want to really program in VB 5.0.

This book is a great source for commands and code layout.
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1998-07-24
I found this book to be helpful with my everyday programming. This book contains example code for every command in it. This bok also gives you the correct arguments for each command. I find this book to be one of my best developement tools in my arsenal. I recommend this book strongly to anyone looking to do serious VB programming.

A must-have for VB programmers
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 1999-08-20
This reference book is a mirror image of the online help, but a lot more convenient. It contains pretty much all you need to know...and unlike the majority of tutorial books out there, the example code actually works.

This book is invaluable
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 1998-10-01
How can you not love the VB5 Language Reference.

I teach VB for a living, and I tell my students to re-read this Reference guide every 3 months---there's always something new that you'll see in it.

Others will tell you that this information is provided with Books Online (and it is), but I prefer the printed version.

A Staple In My Reference Library
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 1998-08-24
Though you can get the exact same information online, I find that sometimes it's just better to have the hard copy in front of me. The book does a good job of not only showing the syntax, but what arguments to use and situations where the item applies. It's proven to be very, very useful and people would do well to pick this up if they prefer to use hard copy as I do.

Software
Modeling Derivatives Applications in Matlab, C++, and Excel
Published in Hardcover by FT Press (2006-12-28)
Author: Justin London
List price: $179.99
New price: $109.99
Used price: $109.50

Average review score:

Describes the Modelling Procedure and Gives the Code
Helpful Votes: 10 out of 21 total.
Review Date: 2007-02-08
Derivatives are not simple things. It almost seems that complexity was a design goal when they were being set up. In order to determine their real value either today or in the future you almost have to model them on a computer.

This book covers dozens of different types of derivatives, including the common ones and some of the new even more esoteric ones. It talks about the structure of the derivative, and then presents models of them. The models are presented in the most common modelling 'languages' in use today. There is a lot of code involved, but there is not a CD included with the book. Instead, an access code providing a one time download for the code. Note, a one time download. Be sure and save the code quickly and on several media. This procedure allows the models to be updated as needed without regard to the time it takes for the book to move from being written to being published, but if you have a disk crash....

The biggest things this book provides are: first, you get to see what an expert in the field has done, and second, you get the code to run his models on your system, and of course you can modify them if you find some other aspect suits your needs better.

This is a new book, first printed in December 2006, so it is current with the derivatives being marketing at that time.

Justin London did it again
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-19
I highlight two points:

1. The inclusion of Matlab and Excel code in almost all topics of the book.
2. All the content is new and more advanced, there is no recovered topics of his previous book.

State of the art derivative modeling book
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-10
Great book. But the code downloading process is a bit weird. Don't know why they just attach a CD.

Offers prebuilt code for immediate use
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-28
This book offers prebuilt, modifiable code that you can use for energy, power, weather and many other derivatives applications. The download process is fast and easy. For those who use Matlab, C++, or Excel, there is no competition. A great book with unique content and code.

Excellent resource for coding derivatives
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-16
This book was my ultimate go-to resource on several financial engineering projects (on the buy side). It covers many different derivatives and provides example MatLab and C++ code that is easy to modify and extend.

The instructions for setup and downloading the code could be more clear, perhaps on a CD.

Software
Modeling Dynamic Biological Systems
Published in Hardcover by Springer (1999-07-20)
Authors: Bruce Hannon and Matthias Ruth
List price: $79.95
New price: $61.46
Used price: $47.90

Average review score:

A superb text for learning dynamic modeling
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2002-01-13
Having never taken a course in computer-based dynamic modeling, this text proved to be an excellent introduction to the topic - and then some. The opening chapter clearly explains the reasons modeling is so important in our complex world, and subsequent chapters in the opening section walk the student through the basic processes of using STELLA and MADONNA to explore dynamic biological systems. (The text is supplied with a run-time version of STELLA.) Later sections build students' modeling skills by adding layers of complexity as a wide variety of biological questions are examined.

The presentation style permits exploration of so many topics by first presenting the basic elements of a model and then guiding the eager student to adjust the model to answer additional questions. Thus, the text truly has something to offer anyone interested in biological systems. Furthermore, it is not necessary to study the chapters in order. Yet the text is carefully woven with analogies so that the skills and knowledge gained from one chapter's model can easily be directed to building and solving those in other chapters.

I also found the text easy to follow during lectures. As the models were presented in class, the equations and the figures in the text - both models and graphs - allowed me to focus my attention on the discussion rather than on getting the "pictures" down in my notes. The text contains plenty of white space around equations and figures so that the student can simply take notes directly onto the pages. One of the most useful features in each chapter is the box showing the equations "in the basement" of STELLA that drive the model. The text is definitely a learning tool, not simply a book to be read but not used.

"Modeling Dynamic Biological Systems" is a text that will be kept close to my computer and pulled from the shelf often. The systems thinking and independent learning encouraged by this book will be very useful as I complete my education and move into my new career.

An excellent, hands-on book for learning dynamic modeling
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2002-01-08
I have used this book to learn dynamic modeling both as part of a class and in research work. This is an excellent book for beginners and professional modelers alike. The book uses STELLA, an iconographic modeling software, as the platform for learning. However, the knowledge gained through the book and the software is based on more general modeling philosophies that can be applied using other modeling software or programming languages as well. The approach used here is to learn by hands-on training through examples. One does not need to study a lot of theories to start developing models; rather the theories and principles evolve through the modeling exercises. It is not required, though advisable, to purchase the software to go through the examples as the book comes with a run-time version of STELLA.

Another aspect of the book that I found to be interesting is that after going through the initial few chapters, the rest of the book can be studied in any order. It includes a host of examples from various areas of biological sciences and it is possible to focus on one's area of interest - be it population dynamics, genetics, environmental pollution or epidemics. It gives a fair introduction to spatially dynamic modeling as well. I must also mention that one does not need to be a biologist to use this book. I have had friends with economics and engineering backgrounds who used this book to learn dynamic modeling.

One of the most important strengths of this book is that it is easy enough to be accessible to people from a wide range of disciplines and at the same time advanced enough to expose the user to moderate to highly complex modeling challenges. I strongly recommend this book to academics who are teaching dynamic modeling and anyone else who is involved in research that include dynamic processes and interactions. This book teaches dynamic modeling as a versatile tool - so much so that I even used it (for fun) to model my personal finances!

I suggest that the reader take a systematic approach to study this book while sitting in front of the computer and doing the examples as you go along. This will maximize the learning from this book. This is certainly one of the most practical books on modeling that I have come across.

The means to an improved understanding of biological systems
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2002-01-18
The increasing interconnectedness and complexity of ecological and biological systems is undoubtedly increasing the potential environmental consequences of our decisions. Thus the growing importance of improving our understanding of the characteristics and internal relationships that govern the system's behavior. Hannon and Ruth clearly illustrate how we can think about problems from a `dynamic systems' perspective, and how we can use technical programs to apply this new way of thinking as a tool to model biological systems. They present the means to build a greater understanding of the phenomena we see, the context of the problems that confront us, and the potential and expected effects of any interventions we may make.

Like the book's theoretical foundations, the modeling software used is both user-friendly for easy up-take by beginners, and sufficiently powerful for those at a more advanced level needing a robust software package. The reader is actively guided through the model development, simulation and interpretation process. This learning by participation and experience increases the readers understanding of the wide variety of contexts in which modeling techniques can be applied, and how to apply them.

Those interested in biological issues will find this valuable from the practical biological examples that are used, and the novel approach in which these issues are addressed. These range from spatial and population dynamics, to models of organisms, genetic movements and physical systems.

Further, the clarity of writing, and the familiarity of the examples and problems addressed, makes this an enjoyable educational experience for all people interested in developing a new perspective of the environment in which they live and work.

Perhaps most importantly, the analogical strength of the techniques used and models developed is such that researchers in all fields of academia, from economics to sociology, will benefit from it. It challenges us to re-examine how we define the problems we seek to solve, and to discipline our existing conceptualization of systems. It presents us with tools that challenge, yet compliment and strengthen traditional scientific approaches.

A great dynamic modeling book
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2002-01-16
Modeling Dynamic Biological Systems is a wonderful book for students and researchers interested in learning about dynamic modeling. I used this book in the first class I took dealing with dynamic modeling and found it very easy to understand and follow. The basic design of the book is to introduce the basic concepts of dynamic modeling and how to get started designing models in STELLA. Descriptions for designing models and the example models are based on STELLA modeling software, an intuitive iconographic program that allows even non-technical readers to begin modeling quickly. After the introduction to dynamic modeling the book is divided up into parts based on different areas of biology: Physical and Biochemical Models, Genetics Models, Models of Organisms, Single Population Models, Multiple Population Models, and Catastrophe and Self-Organization. In each of these parts there are a number of models dealing with different issues. The models are clearly explained and both the iconographic diagram and the equations are given so users can create the example models from the book or check their own work.

This book is a great resource for both novice and experienced modelers. Biologists from all areas will find this useful if they are interested in learning about dynamic modeling. Even if one's area of interest is not exactly one of the areas focused on in the book, the skills and basic method of dynamic modeling will be learned and the reader can then apply these to their area of interest. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in dynamic modeling, even non-biologists. With its great examples and clear explanations this makes a great resource for learning about dynamic modeling.

Demystification of modeling
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2002-01-29
This book is a concise, effective introduction to dynamic systems modeling
and how it can be used to provide insight to biological problems. The use
of dynamic modeling is demonstrated through example models, a new model
each chapter. The authors walk the reader/student through each model and
then make suggestions as to how it can be further exploited for greater
understanding of the problem. The greatest aspect of this book lies in
its demystification of computer modeling in general and shows that any
person, no matter their quantitative skills, can effectively model a
system by adhering to certain fundamentals. The models that are provided
range from ecosystems to individual cells, espousing a 'systems' approach
to every level of biology. Overall, this book is easy to understand; providing a mental tool by which one can bring greater clarity to complex, dynamic problems.

Software
More Math Into LaTeX, 4th Edition
Published in Kindle Edition by Springer (2007-08-23)
Author: George Grätzer
List price: $49.95
New price: $35.96

Average review score:

a good tool for using LATEX
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-07
The book 'more math into Latex' is a good tool which helps somebody without experience in Latex to start using it as soon as possible and reach an adequate level for simple enough articles very fast. I would not be able to judge this book for difficult Latex applications.

Very Helpful Starter for Graduate Students Wanting to Publish in LaTeX
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-16
The book is very helpful for graduate students who are first learning LaTeX for publishing their dissertations or for submitting articles for publication. It is especially helpful for users of LaTeX that are using pre-made style guides. This book is not for the advanced LaTeX user who is trying to create their own style guides or document class files, all though the book does have a little on the topic. The book also includes a chapter on using LaTeX for making power-point type presentations, which is helpful in math and statistics where presentations have to include equations. Power-point does not handle equations well. The statistics department at my university recommends the book to all our graduate students for writing their dissertation. I have also contacted the author of the book for additional assistance and found him to be very willing to help with LaTeX problems outside the realm of the book. He helped our department create a document class file for publishing dissertations, a more complicated procedure in LaTeX than the typical LaTeX user will have to encounter. This book is a good introduction into the world of LaTeX.

The one LaTeX book to have
Helpful Votes: 11 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-14
What new can I write about a book that is in its fourth edition, and has served the LaTeX community for almost two decades?

There is a new chapter on presentations and an appendix on installing LaTeX on a PC and on a Mac, so you get help from the get go. Also, for the first time, this book merges TeX, LaTeX, and the AMS packages into one, smoothing the learning curve for beginner and advanced user alike.

If you are new to this book, I should start by pointing out that you get two for the price of one. A sixty page Short Course gets you ready to type your first article in an afternoon or two. The plentiful sample files help you get started fast.

The rest of the book presents a detailed survey of LaTeX: how to type text and math, document structure, presentations, customization, and long documents.

Gratzer teaches by example: each new concept is introduced with examples and sample documents, so you learn by doing.

Multiline math formulas is the most difficult topic of LaTeX. This is the only LaTeX book that dedicates 40 pages to this topic, trying to make it accessible with a Visual Guide and a verbal guide of how these multiline structures can be classified and understood.

Gratzer teaches by distilling the most important information you need. For instance, Beamer, the presentation class he presents, has hundreds of commands and its documentation runs to hundreds of pages. The Beamer chapter selects twenty commands, so you should be on your way writing your first presentation in hours not weeks.

This book has served me well when I started, and it is my constant companion, placed next to my computer when I type LaTeX.

Az expert's take
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-19
I am a LaTeX programmer and instructor. This weekend, I finally had time to read Part I of this book, Short Course, and paged through the other parts.

What a pleasure! Grätzer has an amazing talent to say exactly what is important, without putting in extras that will distract a reader.

You'd think that by this time I'd know enough LaTeX to, at least, get through the Short Course without learning anything new; but instead I ran into trick after trick that I didn't know. I use Beamer but I didn't know FoilTeX, the presentation package used in the Short Course. It's a great idea to let tell users very early on how to make a presentation from their papers, and then leave Beamer for full treatment later.

I very much like Appendix A, holding the reader's hand as LaTeX is installed. Then the three "productivity tools" are introduced, explaining how to use these tools on both platforms, and leaving the rest of the user interface for later, leisurely exploration, making it really quick for users to start using LaTeX.

Very early in the introduction, Grätzer talks about "the three layers" (TeX, LaTeX, and the AMS packages) and, from the beginning, use all three seamlessly. This is a radical new idea. It will substantially reduce the learning curve -- my students will appreciate it. The wonderful foreword by Rainer Schöpf (one of the two lead programmers of AMS-LaTeX) makes the role of the AMS packages clear in the historical development of modern LaTeX.

I really like the way you got to "Lines too wide" so early in the Short Course, explaining to the user the cause of the problem and solutions. Why do most books postpone this?

I better not go on and on. Just wanted to write these few lines about my enjoyment as I read this wonderful material.

A beginner's perspective
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-17
I was a graduate student in math and faced the daunting task of typing my thesis. It was bad enough that I was inexperienced in writing math, but I was also a novice in LaTeX.

I tried two well-known books. In one, there is a Part I, Basics. This is for me, I thought. Unfortunately, it is 200 pages long and does not cover such elementary topics as the "cases" structure. For that, I had to go to page 288. The other book had "cases" hidden on page 238, under the title "Matrix like environments". Not very helpful.

What a relief it was when I came across this book. It helped me set up LaTeX on my Dell notebook (why do other books assume that you already have a LaTeX installation?). Then I downloaded the sample files as instructed and read the really easy 60 page Part I (Short Course). I worked through the text and examples in less than a day. Then I started writing my thesis.

In my spare time, I gave the rest of the book a cursory reading. Occasionally, I need to go beyond what is covered in the Short Course. For instance, as an analyst, I need complicated integrals not covered in Part I. (They are easy to find: in Part II, in the chapter on typing math.) And when the time came to give a presentation on my thesis, I went beyond the Short Course's section on presentations to Chapter 14, and I used Beamer!

Everybody was impressed.

Now I am Jim Whitby Ph.D. Thank you George for the help.

If you are a beginner, this is the your book.

Software
MOUS Essentials: Excel 2000 with CD (MOUS Essentials)
Published in Paperback by Prentice Hall (2000-04-23)
Authors: Marianne Fox and Lawrence C. Metzelaar
List price: $86.67
New price: $30.00
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Average review score:

If you want to build and broaden your Excel skillsets this is a great resource
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-05
There are many good reasons to want to enhance your skill in using Microsoft Excel. One might be for getting certified my Microsoft as an expert in Excel in order to enhance your employment opportunities. Another might be for a person who hasn't used Excel to learn about the package from the ground up. Yet another might want to add some specific topics such as pivot tables or to begin learning about the statistics features in Excel. For any of these reason (and others0, this is a great book to get well grounded in Microsoft Excel 2000.

This book is organized by "projects". Each project covers a broader collection of specific skills such as modifying a worksheet, improving the appearance of a worksheet, working with functions, creating pivot tables and pivot table reports, and many more. There are 18 of these projects and each has eight lessons. Each lesson is short and focused to one task. For example, in the Working with Functions project, the eight lessons are: Analyzing Data with AVERAGE, MAX and MIN, Calculating a Loan Payment with PMT, Creating a Loan Payment Table, Evaluating Investment Plans with the FV Function, Using IF to Display Messages, Using IF to Calculate, Using MOW to Display the Current Date, and Using VLOOKUP to Convert Data.

Although this is a book, it is very visually based and uses images of the screens discussed in each lesson with many labels pointing to the specific portion of the screen it identifies. Each project begins with a short introductory statement under the heading "Why Would I Do This?" and ends with a brief summary. Each project also has a few true or false questions and some multiple choice questions to help the reader check their understanding of concepts and terms. If you are unclear about the correct answer, a reference to the appropriate lesson in the project is provided so you can go look it up.

Each project also has a Skill Drill a Challenge, and a Discovery Zone. Some of these use files that are on the accompanying CD. Since this book is also focused on helping its readers prepare for certification testing, the CD also contains PinPoint Assessments that help the reader understand where he or she stands in mastering the skills necessary for successfully passing the certification exam.

The introduction to the book provides good orienting material including a chart of which projects and lessons focus on specific skills. The end of the book also has information on how to use the PinPoint software, how to register for certification testing, a glossary, and an index.

This is a very helpful book.

Excellent exam prep material.
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2003-08-28
Excel 2000 was my last exam on my way to master certification. Before I purchased this book I was very lacking in my excel knowledge. This book helped me gain a better understanding of excel functions. I passed my excel 200 exam and missed perfect by only 40 points.

Give you what you need for the exam
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2001-08-28
If you want to know the essentials of Excel, not just to pass the MOUS Exam, but also for your daily use, this book should be on your library. The clear illustrations help you to quickly navigate through the lessons. Furthermore, CD-ROM is especially useful if you want to take the Exam.

Great Book
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2001-07-12
I am a computer instructor at a local college. This book is a wonderful book to prepare for the MOUS and the CD is a must also!!!

Fantastic Preparation for the Expert Exam
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2001-09-28
I highly recommend this as a study guide for the Expert Exam.

Software
Multiagent Systems: A Modern Approach to Distributed Artificial Intelligence
Published in Paperback by The MIT Press (2000-07-31)
Author:
List price: $55.00
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Average review score:

Excellent Theoretical and Practical Book
Helpful Votes: 13 out of 15 total.
Review Date: 2001-10-31
Not a beginner's book: The technologies presented are relevant to (gasp) some real life problems. The treatment of Distributed Constraint Satisfaction problems was well written and usable. The initial treatment of all subjects was broad, delving into details after laying a sound foundation. Assumes a bit of mathematical sophistication on the part of the reader, but on the whole, well written, well organized and well worth it.

Great book
Helpful Votes: 14 out of 19 total.
Review Date: 2000-07-03
I have been using this book probably for an year now, and this has become indispensable to my work. The collection of authors in this book reads as an 'who's who' in multiagent systems and distributed AI research. Although, its' difficult to maintain continuity in edited books, the editor has done an commendable job. The authors provide a readable introduction to their area of expertise, and supplement them with an excellent bibliography...enough to get u started fast.

It is a useful book that covers all aspects on the subject.
Helpful Votes: 19 out of 21 total.
Review Date: 2000-03-28
Thogh edited the book looks like a single authored text. The definitions are clearly presented with illustrations. The presentation is highly comprehensive. The book is thus highly readable with minimum effort. I liked the chapters on distributed problem solving and planning (Chapter 3),Learning in multiagent systems (chapter 6), Formal methods in DAI: Logic based representation and reasoning (chapter 8)and Groupware and computer supported cooperative work (chapter 10) very much.Readers of diverse interest in distributed artificial intelligence will find the other chapters equally interesting and useful.The book should be on the desk of anyone interested to learn the concepts of multiagent systems and technology.

Great Textbook
Helpful Votes: 23 out of 23 total.
Review Date: 2001-08-27
While perhaps this should not be your first book in AI, it should definitely be your first book on agents. It took me years to accumulate the knowledge present in this book, and it's a great survey of the field for the beginning investigator. However, while this is a great way to get started in agents, understand how agents can be used in intelligent applications (from distributed AI type problem solving, to resource optimization problems), and "get the agent paradigm," coverage of agent software engineering techniques is light. This is not a fault of this book - you will simply need other resources to understand the difficulties and current research in engineering multi agent systems (or indeed any concurrent distributed system). So if you are trying to figure out what to do with agents, or how agent systems work, this is the book for you. If you already know that and want help with formal specification of an agent, verifying your agents meet the specifications, etc. this is not the book for you. Understand that to build systems you will need both!

A comprehensive monography
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-07
This is one out of very few books that exist on multiagent systems and distributed artificial intelligence which won't take for granted the reader. It has really taken me from elementary concepts up to industrial applications, passing over the actual "nitty gritty" of programming an agent. Many papers on artificial intelligence are just too mathematical for many readers, and those which have any application would describe what the program does, but only sometimes you get into knowing *how* the program does the trick. I personally would say the book is a "must-have-it", not only for those seeking to understand in concrete distributed artificial intelligence or multiagent systems, but also for any mathematician, physicists, computer scientists and engineer whose background touches somehow the concepts of artificial intelligence as a whole. Come to think of it, even any cunning philosopher of science could take real advantage of this book. Now then, concerning those industries which would like to have this book on their shelves, they would have to take in mind that this book is a departure point. A good one, but nevertheless only the start for deepening towards a concrete application the industry would have in mind.

Software
Multimedia: From Wagner to Virtual Reality
Published in Hardcover by W. W. Norton & Company (2001-01-15)
Author:
List price: $27.95
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Average review score:

It is a digital world we live in...
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-10
With the progression of human culture in the digital age developing as it is, it's intriguing to look back at even the recent past and see where we've been and where we were thought to be going. The collection of writings in this volume are invaluable and often shockingly ahead of their time. Anyone who expects to be successful in the future - in this ever-evolving digital world - would benefit by reading this book, and sooner rather than later.

Great Intro to this Topic
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-10
I had to get this book for a class, but am very happy I was introduced to these theories. I'd recommend it for anyone interested in the topic of where online media is going.

An Excellent Resource for Digital Media Enthusiasts
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-04
From Futurist Cinema, to artificial intelligence, to cyberspace, this collection highlights the origins of multimedia, its influences, its directions, and its future possibilities. It includes an insightful and comprehensive introduction by Packer and Jordan themselves, and the authors they have chosen to include in this work reflect the vast landscape of multimedia in its many iterations: Vannevar Bush, William Gibson, Norbert Wiener, John Cage, and Janet Murray, just to mention a few. This book is a must-have for anyone interested in peeking below the surface of multimedia evolution.

An Excellent Collection of Fascinating Contributors
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2002-05-28
Reading this collection of articles gave me a better understanding of the people and ideas that helped shape computer-based communication. The contributors are for the most part well chosen; a few that I might well have done without, I must admit -- but far more excellent choices than "questionable" ones. The organization of the book is interesting as well. I was reminded of the magazine "Mondo 2000" that I subscribed to in the early '90's (multimedia/geek chic).

The book is a must read; the web site is a must see!
Helpful Votes: 15 out of 16 total.
Review Date: 2001-06-13
This book is a must read for anyone interested in modern art and culture, and where its going. The companion web site on www.artmuseum.net is a brilliant compliment to the book, with 50 video clips, rare photos and other treats. Finally, a publishing project that "gets it" how to use the web + printed book in a way where the sum is greater than the parts. Its amazing to see how long artists and scientists have been working (alone, and in some cases together) towards this goal. Prehaps the following decade will witness a true "waking up" by the mass culture to this new syntax, new reading-practice, of multi-media hyper-texted information. This book may mark a point in time where we started acknowledging the depth and extent of our post-Guttenburg world. Bravo to Randall Packer and Ken Jordon for pulling this project off.

Software
mySAP Tool Bag for Performance Tuning and Stress Testing (HP Professional Series)
Published in Paperback by Prentice Hall PTR (2004-07-05)
Author: George W. Anderson
List price: $54.99
New price: $28.38
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Average review score:

good on discussion, short on how to
Helpful Votes: 12 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2006-02-16
serious system testing has never been part of the culture here. One day the manager decided that it would be a good thing if we did proper, coordinated, effective stress and load testing. I got stuck with coming up with strategy. I started reading this book expecting a how to guide. I expected to be spoon fed all the nittt gritty details on how to do it. This is not what I got.

This book points you in the right direction, show you the tools you could use, explains what you need to think about and the questions you need to ask. The how-to and the answers to the questions are more for you to figure out yourslef.

At the end of it you come away with a better understanding of what you need to do, why you need to do, high level how you are going to do it and the value you and your company are going to gain by doing all of this.

I would strongly recommend it to anyone having to get involved in system analysis and performance. It gives you a great broader picture of the whole issue. You think you know what you have got yourself involved in. this book shows you that you appreciate only the tip of the iceberg.

Excellent material
Helpful Votes: 14 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-21
This is an excellent book which can be used for perfomance tuning and stress testing phase of big projects

A MUST HAVE!!!! Excellent resource for any SAP Administrator
Helpful Votes: 14 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 2005-01-09
Written by an authority on the subject. This book is a treasure trove of information that is detailed and essential for covering all aspects of a properly executed stress test. Written from experience, this book is a definite "MUST" read for anyone assigned the challenging task.

The pefect book for many
Helpful Votes: 16 out of 16 total.
Review Date: 2004-09-26
This book features good discussion on performance tuning the mySAP suite that no other books have so far. This is the perfect book for SAP Stress Test Project Managers, SAP Stress Test Project Teams, SAP Basis Administrators, Oracle DBAs, Unix Administrators managing SAP systems, and project implementation teams. Those who stress test their systems well with the help of this book will have significant returns.

Nothing like it, excellent resource
Helpful Votes: 28 out of 28 total.
Review Date: 2004-07-16
The ultimate reference for performance testing (certainly testing, more so than actual tuning, though the latter is covered well in the last few chapters). The author's approach is complete in that it addresses how to test along with what, when, to what degree, and with what kind of staffing resources. I'm already thinking of ways we can improve our own change control processes, and based on tools and methods covered by the author I'm convinced I can do so cheaper and with less impact to my users than I previously thought possible. Case in point, look into the two chapters on tools for testing and monitoring: in this alone, the book will pay for itself in short order.

Software
.NET Programming: A Practical Guide Using C# (HP Professional Series)
Published in Paperback by Prentice Hall PTR (2002-07-21)
Author: Pradeep Tapadiya
List price: $44.99
New price: $17.77
Used price: $8.00

Average review score:

Simply the best (c) book about .NET
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2002-11-05
If you are looking for good introduction.
This book is your best choice.
Very consistent, without any "poetry" (like in last Richter's book).
Mr.Tapadiya's two book about COM+ and .NET must have any Windows developer.

Refined and well thought out
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2002-12-17
This book isn't as code oriented as Ferguson or Troelsen's text on c#, but seems to deal more with concepts and common trouble points with the language and environment. Much like Tapadiya's last book, it is well thought out and demonstrates a good insight in the subject matter. A good read.

Most underrated .Net book out there
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2002-10-03
This book is a treasure trove of .Net information. It is underrated and not seen often in bookstores. This book complements Richter's book on .Net Framework programming and is a boon for any C#/.NETer.

The Best C# for Experienced Java and C++ Progrmmers
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2004-06-23
A concise, no-nonsense book. All topics are cut to the chase. This book is for C++ and Java pros who want to master C# in the shortest time possible. I also have 3 other C# books. Only this one calms me down and gives me the joy of reading while learning. However, for people who is new to programming, I recommend "Learn to Program with C#" by John Smiley. My 3rd book, "C# in a Nutshell" is a good choice for reference. My 4th one, "Introduction to C# Using .Net" is good too, but the topics covered are not as broad as this one.

For donwloading this book's sample code, it points to www.phptr.com/tapadiya/dotnet/, which no longer works. Instead, go http://www.tapadiya.net/pradeep/ComPlusBook.htm#CodeSamples, a link I finally found after 10 minutes of Google search.

Liked it a lot
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2003-06-15
I liked this book. It starts with very basic things about .NET (what .NET is and what it's for, tools, basics of C#, etc.) and takes you to advanced topics. My employer wanted to move our development to .NET platform, and with this book alone, I was able to master .NET enough to get to a pretty advanced level quite fast.

When a new topic is covered, the author provides an introduction to the problem. It often helps to get the right perspective on what you study. It's very far from being a dry reference book. I found it to be written in an easy to understand the language, detailed enough and not too wordy, and to explain things in a practical way. I like Tapadiya's style, in general. I liked his other book (about COM programming) too. I enjoyed reading it.

The book is not for those who are looking for a general programming tutorial. I think it requires some experience in software creation, although maybe not a whole lot.

Software
New Orleans' French Quarter ArmchairTour
Published in CD-ROM by Eden Street Productions (2001-02-14)
Author: Eden Street Software
List price: $14.95

Average review score:

More than worth the price
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2002-11-08
I've been to the French Quarter twice in the last year. I think I left my heart there! It's such a beautiful city with so much history, and so many great and colorful people! This CD does the city justice and then some! The pictures are glorious, and I don't think there's a block in the Quarter they missed. You can take a variety of "guided" tours, or you have the option of clicking on a map of the Quarter. The map let's you click and see just about every square inch of the Quarter. There aren't a lot of interior pictures on this CD if that's what you are looking for. There are also panoramic views which are great, and an area to "meet" a couple of people from the French Quarter and get some info and perspective from them. This is just a really great buy for anyone who wants to travel to New Orleans' French Quarter, or for people like me who absolutely love the city!

Delightful Virtual Tour of the French Quarter
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2001-06-05
I tried this CD after viewing the Armchair Tour of Charleston, SC, and I think this one is even better. Tons of information and great photos. I'd love to be able to visit the French Quarter every few months, but failing that opportunity, this has got to be the next best thing.

ArmchairTour- French Quarter
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2001-05-22
Wow! The quality of the pictures and the effect of the panoramic feature was impressive. New Orleans French quarter is one of my wife and I's favorite places to visit. The use of the DVD shows us some of the houses that we have not visited plus things about the ones that we have that we missed- decorative vents in the buildings. I particularly enjoyed the lady with the Cajun accent doing the audio. Love the dialect. This helps us plan our next trip. Good job.

Unique, essential product for tourists
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2001-05-16
The armchair tour series is a must for folks who travel or appreciate the unique beauty and architecture of our country. Each armchair cd uses multiple media sources to create the look, feel, and sound of a particular city. I used the the cd to prepare for travel and then passed the cd on to my son for a shcool project. The armchair cd is the next best thing to "bein there".

Absolutely Incredible!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2001-04-27
This is the coolest product! I have to admit I didn't know what to expect when I got it but I was floored as to the amount of information and the extent to which they go into detail. The photography is beautiful. It is so much fun to just walk down the street and see a picture of every single house. I had a ball following the clues looking for this guys lost keys and the graphic at the end was hysterical. It's like buying every single book about the French Quarter, having all the really interesting things be highlighted for you and then have pictures of it all added. It just brings the whole city, with all it's incredible buildings and fascinating stories, to life. I don't usually get this excited about things but this is really great!


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