Virtual Reality Books

JACKET BLURBS

A delight to read. A fascinating journey where both the scientist and the mystic in us can feel at home. The reader is treated to a rich and colorful portrait of the leading edges of science, alternative realities and virtual internet worlds--territory we have yet to fully traverse.
-- Howard Zimmerman, Past President of the American Society for Psychical Research, former Executive Secretary of the Parapsychological Association and Senior Staffer to the U.S. Surgeon-General (1967-88).

The Virtual Librarian is a page-turner as well as an absorbing introduction to the mysteries of the virtual world that has come into existence thanks to the digital revolution. We follow the adventures of an engineer with a research problem to solve and a memorably crusty boss who demands scientific rigor and original thinking. As our intrepid investigator searches for answers, he winds up detouring into the frontier of mind experiments. The narrative, upheld by references to actual research, reveals that what we assume to be "reality" is not as solid as we might imagine, while what we designate as "virtual" may in fact be far more real--and certainly more influential--than we might expect.
--Gwyneth Cravens, popular novelist and author of Power to Save the World: The Truth About Nuclear Energy.

The Virtual Librarian startles us to see a near future where a digital being named Lib asks a human being, "Did you know that a recent [real-life] survey by the Center for the Digital Future found that 43 percent of net-users valued their virtual friends as much as they did their `solid-world friends?'" Expand your concept of a "real friend" and read Rockwell's astonishing book.
-- Bill Sweet, former President of Spindrift Research, and author of A Journey Into Prayer: Pioneers of Prayer in the Laboratory

In this creative volume, Ted Rockwell has combined the requisite pragmatics of human mastery of advanced information technologies with their relentlessly cascading diversity. This craftily enlivened tale explores the convoluted world of interactive mechanisms, where human ingenuity and imagination must confront the proverbial challenge that "where there is no vision, the people perish."
Robert Lee Chartrand, Senior Specialist in Information Policy & Technology for Congress and the White House, and Editor of Critical Issues in the Information Age

The "Virtual Librarian" presents unusual and startling ideas based on the author's own experience, that will interest all readers and invoke much thought. It reflects a clear understanding of the constantly evolving complex human mind and its ultimate destiny.
--John F. Brinster, Scientist, inventor, entrepreneur. Author of The Abduction and other books on science and religion.

JACKET BLURBS

A delight to read. A fascinating journey where both the scientist and the mystic in us can feel at home. The reader is treated to a rich and colorful portrait of the leading edges of science, alternative realities and virtual internet worlds--territory we have yet to fully traverse.
-- Howard Zimmerman, Past President of the American Society for Psychical Research, former Executive Secretary of the Parapsychological Association and Senior Staffer to the U.S. Surgeon-General (1967-88).

The Virtual Librarian is a page-turner as well as an absorbing introduction to the mysteries of the virtual world that has come into existence thanks to the digital revolution. We follow the adventures of an engineer with a research problem to solve and a memorably crusty boss who demands scientific rigor and original thinking. As our intrepid investigator searches for answers, he winds up detouring into the frontier of mind experiments. The narrative, upheld by references to actual research, reveals that what we assume to be "reality" is not as solid as we might imagine, while what we designate as "virtual" may in fact be far more real--and certainly more influential--than we might expect.
--Gwyneth Cravens, popular novelist and author of Power to Save the World: The Truth About Nuclear Energy.

The Virtual Librarian startles us to see a near future where a digital being named Lib asks a human being, "Did you know that a recent [real-life] survey by the Center for the Digital Future found that 43 percent of net-users valued their virtual friends as much as they did their `solid-world friends?'" Expand your concept of a "real friend" and read Rockwell's astonishing book.
-- Bill Sweet, former President of Spindrift Research, and author of A Journey Into Prayer: Pioneers of Prayer in the Laboratory

In this creative volume, Ted Rockwell has combined the requisite pragmatics of human mastery of advanced information technologies with their relentlessly cascading diversity. This craftily enlivened tale explores the convoluted world of interactive mechanisms, where human ingenuity and imagination must confront the proverbial challenge that "where there is no vision, the people perish."
Robert Lee Chartrand, Senior Specialist in Information Policy & Technology for Congress and the White House, and Editor of Critical Issues in the Information Age

The "Virtual Librarian" presents unusual and startling ideas based on the author's own experience, that will interest all readers and invoke much thought. It reflects a clear understanding of the constantly evolving complex human mind and its ultimate destiny.
--John F. Brinster, Scientist, inventor, entrepreneur. Author of The Abduction and other books on science and religion.

I bought the "virtual Tokyo" CD first, then I ordered this one. It's pretty cool. Just like being there! I like being able to see all the sights from the comfort and safety of my own home. It's cool to pan up and down and zoom in. Much better than the very amatuer pictures I took when I was there!

Anyway, I would recommend this CD if you're planning to visit the big apple, or just wish you were.

Dave

This CD is so cool! It's so much better than a boring travel book with static pictures. You can see 360 degree views of all the top NY destinations - you just have to see it for yourself. I live in NY and still find this CD fascinating. I also bought it for friends in California who have never been to NY and they love it too!

This clever and witty book is ideal for teen aged between 13-16. The main character, Justine is during a computer convention transformed into a male. This leads to various problems, including Justine coming face to face with her real self. This is a clever book and keeps you guessing throughout. Well worth a read!

Justine is dragged away by her friend Chuck to this boring technology musem. So she goes off by herself and accidently turns herself into a boy! But theres another problem her real body walks off by its self and later gets a huge crush on her boy form. Confusing huh?

For technology lovers and technophobes, and even for those who don't think about the man/machine relationship at all, Stone's book offers intimate accounts of how humanity is dealing with the computer age. Some are anecdotes, some are discussions of theory, and there is a corporate history of Atari that had me on the edge of my seat (really). War of Desire and Technology is a quick and fun read that gives you much to think about

Allucquere Rosanne Stone is one of the most fascinating writers in this moment. Her book, "The War of Desire and Technology" explores a changing world, in transicion between science and mythology. As Orwell and Huxley warned about, our world is fastening its pace around the axe time and place. Machines and tools are executing the utopias, making dreams and nightmares come true. Stone's book is a challenging book, with questions and a few answers, a book for seekers and poets. The encounter between feelings and facts is described by Stone as a meeting between two worlds in permanent fight, two pictures painted by blind painters, who has never seen any colours. The War of Desire and Technology is a book about nomads and cyborgs, lonely hackers and autists, leftovers from the time before the beginning, when the earth was new and the ages were newborn.

To read this book (for me) was like wading through mud. But the result was definitely worth it. This book explored the things that Taylor didn't (or was unable) to write in "Erring: a Postmodern A/Theology." Among other things, he traces the link between Christianity and Captitalism, the lack of distinction between "real" and "virtual," and concludes with how we can begin to live with the "nothing" that is always looming but never really present.

This book is written by an author who has written a number of useful tools employing auditory user interfaces. Thus the author is able to articulate the issues associated with audio interfaces. I particularly enjoyed reading about his solution techniques.

Are you a software hobbyist? If you are, then this book is for you. Authors Stephen Cawood and Mark Fiala, have done an outstanding job of writing a book that provides all of the information that you will need to quickly start developing your own Augmented Reality (AR) applications.

Cawood and Fiala, begin by showing you how to get started by running AR on your system. Then, the authors explain how OpenGL is used to create computer graphics for AR. Next, they show you how to create OpenGL applications. The authors also show you how to develop AR applications. They continue by showing you how to integrate ARTag into your OpenGL programming to create your own AR applications. Then, the authors show you how to use typical video game design flow to create 3D models in a specialized 3D program and then import them into the AR program you're writing. Next, they show you how to create a 3D AR video game. Finally, the authors also help you build upon the game you started to build earlier in the book.

This most excellent book provides detailed explanations of AR technology--even the math is explained. But, more importantly, the book will show you how to create your own AR applications, using nothing more than a PC and a USB 2.0 webcam.

The Group travels to Pixel's homeworld of Calomir, where people live in virtual reality. Pixel wants to intoduce Jenna to his parents, but when he returns to the house where he grew up they're not there, and the evidence shows they never were. John Peel writes a story that is the first part of a two part tale. The second part being Book Of Doom (Diadem Worlds of Magic). John Peel uses science fiction heavily in a book where the heroes seem to have more enemies than they can count.

Finally, a book on coding e-commerce applications that makes sense. I bought this book because I expect the combination of TV with the Internet to be the next really big thing and I did not want to miss it. The pleasant surprise was that this book helps in all sorts of Internet commerce development, not just interactive television. After slogging through other bit buckets it sure is nice to find a book that clearly explains not just e-commerce on TV but good web interface design in general. After reading this book I'm even able to make forms read and write to a database backend. If you are an intermediate or better HTML developer do your career a favor and buy this book.

Great CVE book with the latest ideas of how to improve CVEs. I used this for my MA thesis.