Systems Books

All around, yet another hit from the Missing Manual series!

I'm well versed in most things computer, so computer books often either are way under my interest level or are very technical in nature. This is a great mix of advanced techniques taught in a quick and understandable way.

I'm actually using iLife '06, but haven't hit any major roadbumps between the content in the book and the '06 apps.

Great stuff - now I'm drooling over the iPhoto specific book - I want to dig even deeper into that app now that I understand the basics!

iLife '05 is the fifth Missing Manual I've purchased. I find them helpful, informative, and fun to read. The chapter layout is logical and fluid, the index is thorough, and the entire manual is chock full of color (!) illustrations.

The first few chapters will walk the beginner through iTunes and the iTunes Music store. There is even a chapter on managing your iPod.

Next is iPhoto, Apple's image browser-librarian-editor. Like Apple's software, there is more than first meets the eye in these pages.

Section three covers iMovie, from working with your camcorder through producing something worth burning to DVD...leading seamlessly to

Section four, exploring iDVD. Both general concepts and insider-like tips abound.

Section five covers GarageBand. All the above sections are much more accessable and thorough than Apple's Help system. This Missing Manual closes with more than 50 pages of troubleshooting tips for the 5 software titles, and an excellent index.

The whole book is a pleasure to read, browse, or just to hold in the hand (though it's heavy--nothing skimpy about it). I find myself reading some sections completely and diving in for a just a few pages in others. A must have if you own iLife '05--whhich can be had for a song now that iLife '06 is out.

David Pogue's iLife 05: The Missing Manual covers all the major features and functions of iLife: iTunes, iPhoto 5, Garage Band 2 and more. These are all key cornerstones of the Mac's popularity and here are revealed by a weekly computer columnist for the New York Times who is himself a Macintosh author. From producing polished music recordings with no prior experience to using information panels, effects panes, film rolls and other features of iLife 05, you simply can't be without this book if you own the program. The full color screen examples packed throughout make it hard to mess up.

Do you need to harness cutting-edge technology for your own creative expression and entertainment? If you do, you're in luck! Author David Pogue, has done an outstanding job of writing a book that doesn't require you to be a professional working for a media conglomerate to read it.

Pogue, begins by discussing how to use iTunes 4 for managing, playing, buying and sharing digital music. Then, he discusses how to use the iPhoto 5 program for downloading photos from your digital camera, and organizing, sharing, and printing them. The author continues by describing how to use the iMoves HD program for editing footage from a digital camcorder, adding effects, sound, and credits, and then presenting the result. Next, he details how to use GarageBand 2 for composing and recording terrific-sounding songs of your own. Then, the author provides an overview of how to use the iDVD 5 program for burning DVDs containing the movies, music, and photos from iTunes, iPhotos, iMoves, and GarageBand. Finally, he explains how to troubleshoot the preceding programs.

This most excellent book packages iDVD 5, iTunes, iPhotos, iMoves, and GarageBand come in a single package called iLife '05. In other words, if you've mastered all of the preceding information, you have all of the technical background you need to enjoy iLife '05: The Missing Manual.

This is a good book for understanding all of the applications included in iLife 05. Note, however, that iLife 06 has been released with a host of new features, and thus depending on whether or not you intend to upgrade, this book may have a limited lifespan of usefulness at this point in time. As of iLife '06, iLife consists of six components: iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, GarageBand, and iWeb. However, if you intend to stick with iLife 05 for awhile, you couldn't ask for a better guide. Basically, what the author has done is condense his Mac missing manual series of books- iMovie&DVD, iPhoto, iTunes&iPod, and GarageBand - into one volume. I have some of the missing manuals for the individual applications, and I compared the individual books with the applicable sections in this book, and they seem to be equitable in quality. The only thing you are really missing is some of Pogue's insight into using the applications - for example, some pointers on film-making in the case of the iMovie&iDVD book versus this book. There also seem to be more advanced user and customization information in the individual "Missing Manual" books versus this book, so perhaps power-users would be better off buying the individual missing manuals on the applications. I notice that Amazon does not show the table of contents, so I do that here for the purpose of completeness:
PART 1: iTunes
1. Getting Music into iTunes
2. Getting Music out of iTunes
3. Managing Your Music
4. The iTunes Music Store
5. The iPod Connection
PART 2: iPhoto
6. Camera Meets Mac
7. The Digital Shoebox
8. Editing Your Shots
9. The iPhoto Slideshow
10. Prints and Books
11. Photos Online - and Your Network
12. iPhoto File Management
PART 3: iMovie
13. Camcorder Meets Mac
14. Building the Movie
15. Transitions and Effects
16. Titles, Captions, and Credits
17. Narration, Music, and Sound
18. Still Pictures and Quicktime Movies
19. Finding Your Audience
PART 4: iDVD
20. From iMovie to iDVD
21. iDVD Projects By Hand
22. Advanced iDVD
PART 5: GarageBand
23. Setting Up the Garage
24. Loops
25. Regions
26. Software Instruments (MIDI)
27. Recording and Editing Live Audio
28. Effects, Guitar Amps, and Instrument Models
29. Mixing and Publishing
PART 6: Troubleshooting
30. Troubleshooting iTunes
31. Troubleshooting iPhoto
32. Troubleshooting iMovie
33. Troubleshooting iDVD
34. Troubleshooting GarageBand

Whether you are just interested in crystals and healing, or would like a good visual reference guide, this book is for you. It is one of the best I've found for information, and the entire book is packed with actual photos-not just descriptions or drawings. I've been healing with crystals for a number of years, and reccommend this book to one and all! It is a pleasure just to look through, as every page has great photos and loads of GOOD information. In my experience, the information given in this book has been very helpful, and right on the money in most cases!

This book is and excellent book for explaining the meanings of gemstones and also has good pictures so one can learn to identify each stone.

This book is a must have for crystal collector's. It opens new window's on how to use crystals in simple precise step's. This book is very easy to use, and crystal image's are clear as rain.

Wonderful book with alot of info. Great photos that help to identify stones. Very well written. Will make a great book for my book collection.

The book is in excellent shape! I was very impressed with the quality of the product I bought. I was also very impressed with the shipping time. It was here in no time. I will shop with this person and company again.

This is the best max/Viz book I have used. I've been learning Max/viz on my own for about 4 months now and after getting this book the program has been completely demystified. Max has a really complex interface that scares people away and does not lend to trial and error and that is exactly where this book excels at. The step by step tutorials are helpful even though I'm using Viz4.
This is the best book for anyone serious about Max/Viz because it simplifies the modeling aspects a lot and even helps 3d novices to understand the gist of 3d modelling. Unlike a lot of Max books it dedicates a sizeable amount of time to modelling through tutorials. Most Max books I've come across treat modelling as a step child and dive into animation and materials. How do you animate without modelling?
Anyways I recomend this book to anyone learning Max/Viz it will prepare you for more advanced levels.

Over the course of the last year I have been teaching myself 3d studio viz. When this book finally shipped I immediately ordered one, and am I glad I did. I find every chapter gives me some tips for modelling in this powerful program that I never would have thought of on my own. Every chapter is well written but be advised that you should have an understanding of viz before working through this book. If your just starting with the software, do the tutorials that ship with the software before moving on to this book. The tutorials are quite good at reinforcing the concepts but assume that you have some viz experience under your belt. A great book - period!

Forget any of the other books on Max or Viz. This one is the BEST for Architects & Designers. I learned more from this book than I did in an entire semester at school. I used it on Viz 4 -and other than a few differences, mainly the sub-object button, the instructions are the same.

Great, Great, Great book. Just the right material for the intermediate to the advanced, with great tips and tricks. I found the format of the book easy to follow and the lessons very intuitive.
I cannot wait for the VIZ 4 book!!

I learned more in the first chapter of this book than I did by following ALL of the tutorials included with Viz. A great self-teaching guide.

This book gives an excellent overview on how to make an animated project. While it is geared to making shorts, it can be applied to feature films and TV episodes. I wholly recommend this book to anyone interested in animated film-making.

This book is everything I hoped it would be and more. In a very clear an readable design it covers all the aspects of a 3d short animation process. This process can be used on any length of 3d animation. It's not a technical book but a must have for everyone who wants to make a solid animation but does not quite know where to begin. The whole inspired series is very useful, but this one is where it all begins. Also comes with a nice dvd with lots of inspiring shorts. Great!

This book has everything you need to know about making a short 3D film. (I'm making one about a box turtle (I love turtles!) and a butterfly using Hexagon and Carrara.) The CD containing 39 short films is icing on the cake. This book makes the best kind of teacher - you don't just learn from it, but are inspired by it!

It's a great book that I would recommend to anyone serious about creating their own Short Animated Film.

More informative than I could have ever imagined. It's everything you will learn at a 20,000 dollar a year university.

The included DVD is also filled with some great examples.

ENJOY and happy film making!

I bought this hoping that it would teach me how to create a short film. The story I already have, it's just the skills and schedule that I need. This book gave me a GENERAL IDEA but it wasn't specific enough. It would say, "then use your compositing softare to put the renders together." Ummm... How?
I know it wasn't meant to be a complete-all-included-only-this-needed kind of book, but even so...
I would say that unless you are a true beginner to this field, look for something else, but if you are a true beginner, it is excellent. It taught me alot and I am very VERY glad I bought this book.

An excellent and provocative review of the internal family systems paradigm, I thoroughly enjoyed this extremely well written review. This is a must read for any professional in both the traditional and mental health fields who works with families.

Dr. Richard Schwartz contributes groundbreaking insights and a fresh model that is surprisingly effective for healing our inner battles...not just coping with them.

Dr. Charles Schultz offers an articulate and lucid rational for his modality then proceeds with a detailed guide to practicing. This book was very helpful to me as a lay person.

I first heard of Internal Family Systems theory from another book and found that I connected with this type of therapy immediately. I then ordered this book and found that it was easy to understand and yet had a profound theoretical basis that I could apply not only to my clients but to my own life as well. This book gave a clear and convincing view of IFS. I strongly recommend it for students, therapists, and social workers who are interested in both systems theory and the intrapsychic realm of therapy.

This is an overlooked work that should be on the popular self help as well as the professional's shelf. Dr. Schwartz has created an excellent synthesis of family therapy with traditional analysis techniques. The result is a simple, easily understandable but powerful framework for examining the individual psyche. While the writing style is dry and pedantic, the approach is brilliantly simple and easily applied. Without knocking the quick fixes of popular psychology, a lot of people should put down the best seller with the catchy title and read this book.

This book makes for some very compelling reading. It is not often that I read a book that delivers the goods... but these authors have nailed it. It uses both traditional and dot com companies to illustrate ways any company can leverage the Internet to gain customers at substantially reduced costs. This book has everything you need to implement a successful e-mail campaign. From how to identify good email lists to how to create the right message. Including dos and don'ts, front-end tips and back end response analysis. Has just the right balance of technical and practical information. I am a marketing manager working for a 'Fortune 500' company. The information in this book cost me hundreds of thousands of dollars to find out. Some things are so important, I wish I thought of them myself or discovered them sooner. I can't wait to try some of these techniques out and see the effect on my next campaign. I am recommending this book to everyone I know. Buy it!

These authors know their stuff. They've been very instrumental in helping Ancestry.com grow to over 320,000 paid subscribers over the past 18 months. Email Marketing is now one of our largest sources of subscriptions. I recommend this book for both beginner and expert alike.

I bought this book because I know the authors by reputation. My company was a traditional mail order company. We used to sell all of our products through our printed catalog. The Internet has changed all of that. Half our budget is now dedicated to e-mail marketing.

I applied the Author's recommendations and saw my e-mail response rates take off. On the most recent campaign, I saw a 247% lift in response resulting from the use of just one of their techniques.

The book is written in very clear and concise language. It's methodical and step-by-step method worked wonders for my company's program. I've read all the other books currently on the market, they just don't compare. If you're new to e-mail marketing or a serious pro, this book has information that you can put to use right away.

The tips and tricks in creating an e-mail program were dead on. I especially liked the chapters on the type of products that can be sold via the Internet and the characteristics of a successful Internet Buyer. The "Multi-Mailing" idea alone was worth the price of the book.

***** FIVE STARS***** Excellent..... If you are an executive looking for information on how email marketing will impact your business, you'll want to read this book.

If you want to know how the pros are using email marketing buy this book.

It details the differences between opt in permission based lists, and SPAM, and how to avoid the pitfalls that can literally kill your business. It comes complete with information on where you can find the best email lists and email marketing services in the business.

It identifies the different types of copy, formatting, text Vs HTML, rich media, etc, and provides insight into which may be best for your business. I've been asking everyone about timing of our messages. No one was able to give me a clear answer that made any sense. This book gave me great insight into the time and day that is best for me to do my email transmissions... and the auothor's information produced immediate positive results for us.

Aside from the practical knowledge, I also liked this book because the author's share the latest thinking about where this medium is going, and what steps to take today to make sure that your business reaps the rewards of the future.

This book is not just for dot comers. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone involved in the sales and marketing of their company's products and services.

This book is now the definitive resource on email marketing.

Any book that Bob Bly is associated with is bound to be good--no, great! And this one is no exception.

The author explores this new, exciting medium we call email and uncovers its powerful potential for direct response selling. It leads you through the basic techniques of marketing through email. What works and what doesn't. Most importantly, it steers you clear of potential pitfalls inherent in this new medium--like how to avoid spamming, etc..

A great book on email marketing that is thorough, timely, and bound to become a classic in its field.

This book is excellent. I first read this book in graduate school in 1976, and I continue to find Weinberg's ideas useful. It was outstanding then, and it has held up with time.

Weinberg distills the essence from von Bertalanffy's classic and manages to present it in a very accessible fashion. The book has been out of print for quite a while so it is great to see a new edition. The message and information contained in here, although originally published in 1975, is now more relevant than ever.

Weinberg covers many aspects of systems theory beginning with the main stumbling block with the present scientific paradigm: the idea that the universe is mechanistic. His treatment is much more general than Robert Rosen's in "Life Itself" but still conveys why the mechanistic notion is flawed.

He then outlines the general systems theory approach before leading into the idea that a system is simply a way of looking at the world. He then outlines the principle of indifference. This leads straight into two sections outlining various aspects of making observations. Finally he discusses behaviour and then some general systems questions.

Throughout the book he uses many examples from disparate fields in conjunction with questions for further research. It is great to see someone who doesn't preach systems but actually uses the ideas.

Definitely a must-read as we decided how to solve the myriad of issues before us.

Weinberg's book will not teach you how to be a systems thinker. It will, however, provide a stimulating discussion and thoughtful examination of an alternative approach to problem analysis and solution. The book is not so much about how the systems approach works or how it can be applied to complex problems as it is an invitation to his readers to explore their perceptions of what they think they know versus what they really do know. Throughout the book, Weinberg follows the strategy of leading the reader through a series of logical discussions designed to bring them face to face with their biases and misconceptions about systems vs. reductionist thinking. In doing so, Weinberg exposes the shortcomings of the reductionist approach to problem solving by demonstrating to his readers that the real solutions to some familiar and apparently simple problems are very complex.

Through his examples, Weinberg shows that by viewing a system holistically within its environment, we may be able to discern patterns of behavior/actions and recognize interactions, interrelationships, and interdependencies among the components that will be missed in a reductionist approach. From that view, we can better understand the system and, perhaps, better predict how it will evolve over time. The success of his approach is demonstrated by the fact that people are still reading and quoting his book 25+ years after it was written.

One facet of this book which I found beneficial may be a drawback for some readers. Weinberg wrote from the viewpoint of a computer programmer and a scientist. A person not versed in either field might have difficulty understanding his examples.

I was searching for an alternative to the out-of-print book 'Quality Software Management, vol.1: Systems Thinking', written by the same Author.
Having read few Sofware Management series books from the same Author, which I rate at the very top of my list, I was biased on very high expectations. Surprisingly, I have found it being quite verbose and in the end, I couldn't get too much inspiration out of it.

In computing, a timeless classic is anything that is worth reading for any reason other than to obtain a historical context after five years. If that still holds true after twenty five years, then it is truly an extraordinary piece of work. That label applies to this book. It is not about computing per se, but about how humans think about things and how "facts" are relative to time, our personal experience and environmental context.
Human thinking is a complex operation and that is the point of this book. The problems and examples presented are not those in computing, but problems in how we think about the world and how that world can be different from person to person. In many ways, Weinberg anticipates the development of the science of chaos, where small changes lead to disproportionate large changes. His example of the "small" change of a single character is a classic. A man was considering the purchase of a piece of real estate, but when told the cost was fourteen million dollars, sent the response by telegram, "No, price too high." However, somehow a character was dropped, so the agent received the message, "No price too high", purchased the property and so a classic error was invented.
Weinberg uses science and mathematics as the genesis point for most of his examples. The laws of thermodynamics, chance and simulations in state spaces are used to demonstrate the points. As someone with a wide background in science, I found his examples of how scientific thought gives us an anchor but yet alters over time excellent learning material. Thought problems are included at the end of each chapter and they cover many different areas. Some involve mathematics, others science and many could be the point of a vigorous philosophical debate. Together they form the best collection of thought experiments and points of contention that I have ever seen gathered together in one location.
This is a book that is a true classic, not in computing but in the broad area of scholarship. It is partly about the philosophy and mechanisms of science; partly about designing things so they work but mostly it is about how humans view the world and create things that match that view. This book will still be worth reading for a long time to come and it is on my list of top ten computing books of the year.

This book has definitely provided me a solid background in H323.
In addition, it is a very useful reference, for example, I was
able to follow the call setup and media setup packet flow of an IP phone captured via a protocol analyzer(ethereal), thanks to the very clear illustrations. This is definitely a must for network administrators/managers considering a multimedia network implementation.

This book provides a highly-technical in-depth look at H.323. Aside from reading a few whitepapers on the Internet, this book was my first real introduction to H.323. The subject itself is rather complicated to a new-comer, but this book provided a high level of detail without losing the reader. While it is no "for dummies" book, it is clearly written so the person with the right background (i.e. with a firm grasp on networking and TCP/IP) can pick it up and follow along. So why 4 stars and not 5? It realy has to do with the architectural graphics. In some of the information on the Internet ... , there are some really good architectural graphics that depict H.323. I think the book could be even better if the authors included such an approach.

This is a treasure of H.323, VOIP information! Excellent protocol information. This is no paper weight, gathering dust! I use the book and I'm glad to have it on my shelf.

This is by far the most comprehensive book on the market. I agree with the previous review, IP Telephony with H.323 is for advanced uses and a great reference guide as well. I highly recommend it if you want a thorough understand H.323 and IP Telephony, however, if you wish to learn about a particular subject, for example QoS or MPLS, this book will not provide enough detailed information (check out Cisco Press).

Must buy!

We are in the middle of a project that uses H.323. Everyone in the group likes the book. We bought a couple of hardcopies.

I decided to try the electronic version, mainly because I could immediately have access to it. It was a mistake.

First, it required me to update my Acrobat Reader to 6.0 (AR6). Then, to read the book I had to register/activate AR6. Two problems right here: as far as I could tell, you can only register AR6 if you have a .Net Passport. If you don't, tough luck. Go to MSN and get one. I happen to have one (from my Hotmail account), so I thought "no big deal." It turned out to be a big deal. After you enter your Passport login/account, it asks for more personal information (name, email, etc.). I don't like to give out this information unless I have to. Reading a book is not a good reason IMHO.

After all that I decided to cancel the AR6 registration and to return the book. You cannot return the e-book (or I could not find a way to return it). I'm sure Amazon states that clearly, but I probably missed it in my rush to get the copy.

I would gladly recommend the hardcopy, but go for the e-book only if you don't mind all the hoops.

This is a great book for anyone who needs help understanding the ins and outs of computers. I'm not a computer expert and was worried that this would be just another book full of mumbo-jumbo. But, to the contrary, this is a well-written, easy-to-read, resource guide that will help you navigate your computer and the new Vista software. You won't be disappointed!

"Just the Computer Essentials" is an excellent choice for the computer "savy" or the "not so savy" PC user like me. I found it easy to follow, even through complicated topics. Just recently purchased a Notebook with
Vista and have saved a lot of time and frustration referencing this book. Thank you, Jim White...When can we expect the next one?

I bought this book because I had just upgraded my computer to one with Windows Vista and wanted to learn the ins and outs quickly. It's been such a great tool in learning all of the new things I can now do!

Also, I teach introductory class online for first time college freshman, most of whom are older, non-traditional students, that covers study skills and basic computer skills (such as surfing the internet and attaching files to emails). Because they're just starting their college careers, many of them are looking at buying new computers and I've recommended that they all purchase this book to help them pick out and use their new computers.

I found out about this book after a friend referred me to it. I'm not the most technical, but was able to understand everything he discussed. He took the time to explain everything in a way that made complete sense. My computer is getting pretty old, and I'm just about ready to get a new one. I'm sure I'll have this book right at my side when I get it and to help me move everything to the new computer!

I would definitely say that this book is worth it if you're looking for a little help on your computer

I've been using Windows XP for years now and just got a new computer with Windows Vista Home Premium on it. There's definitely a big difference between those two versions of Windows! I've become very good at using XP, but wanted to make sure that I got Windows setup right and wasn't missing anything. I looked at a couple Vista books and I'm happy that this was the book I chose. It's very straight-forward and to the point and leaves out a lot of the over-technical garbage that most home users wouldn't even care about. The author does, however, hit on everything I needed to get my computer running right. He discusses the specifics of the security software to run (like comparing different vendors) and he talks about some of the options for configuring backups (including some of the newer online backup services... this was excellent!).

I will also say that I already needed one of the chapters when my computer wouldn't boot up. I had a similar problem a couple years ago on my XP computer and HP had me reload the whole computer. I'm glad I thought to check this book first because I came to find out that there are some MUCH easier options in Windows Vista and was able to get back up and running in about ten minutes! So, that in itself made this a great purchase in my opinion - I probably saved a couple days worth of time in that alone!

Great book and definitely worth it!

El autor colombiano cubre un tema de inmediata y urgente aplicabilidad en las empresas y señala las características socio-técnicas de los procesos de desarrollo e implantación de tecnología de información. Este libro contiene material de lectura obligada para el nivel superior de toda organización, empresarial o gubernamental, y constituye un aporte importante a la paz en Colombia, donde infortunadamente el atraso en el manejo de la información salta a la vista. La falta de datos ordenados y confiables sobre la demanda y oferta de servicios para 41 millones de colombianos, en su inmenso territorio, impide atender oportunamente sus necesidades y expectativas. El uso generalizado y acertado de la tecnología de información produce riqueza que genera rentabilidad económica en las empresas y rentabilidad social en el conglomerado nacional. El fortalecimiento de la gerencia de la información permite un mejor conocimiento de la realidad y de los retos y oportunidades que ésta ofrece. Todo se mueve gracias a la información y ahora que la tecnología ofrece nuevos y mejorados instrumentos para crear mas riqueza se necesita la intervención decidida de la alta gerencia. Gerenciar es producir resultados y luego superar los resultados obtenidos. Estrada relata cómo hacerlo mediante la tecnología de la información.

Recomiendo esta lectura a los lectores interesados en el temade creación de capital intelectual a partir de la información...

'La riqueza de la Información' plantea,con un enfoque pragmático,como la sabiduría organizacional puede llegar temprano ó tarde,dependiendo del grado de consideración que este tópico merezca de la gerencia. La muy completa temática,la claridad con la cual se plantea y su amenidad invitan a consultar a menudo este escrito.

The author has the knowledge and experience necessary to deal with the subject, along with the writing skills to make it an enjoyable read.

The book deals with the importance of information and information technology in today's organizations, not just in the traditional sense, but also in others, such as the growing importance of a holding on to a highly trained and mobile workforce in order for a company to maintain a competitive edge. The author blends theory with practical cases taken from his own experiences in the marketplace. The book has been a constant and very useful reference during the past year in my professional activities.

Este libro es muy claro y didactico al tratar el concepto de "capital intelectual" y como la tecnologia de informatica es clave para mantener y aumentar ese capital.