Image Books

Great reading. The one that really can change your life and how you affect others.

After reading Forge, I read this one. Easy to read, easy to remember, so clear in it's ideas that it pulls your soul and your intelligence to new levels. A must.

Father Jose Maria has put together one of the most practical ways to live out the gospel message. His spiritual direction can be used by all; men,women and children. I highly recommend this collection

After The DaVinci code, Opus Dei has gotten a terrible reputation, undeserved. This book is enlightening to anyone of any christian and even non christian denomination. It addresses with simple ideas all the struggle of improving ones self to grow spiritually.

The way is The Way. This means that St. JoseMaria Escriva saw each and every Catholic as Christ manifest in the world. It is an obligation for each and every Catholic to live the fulness of what it is to be Christ. This book of sayings and aspirations is a neat little reminder to us of the importance of humility and vigilance on the way to spiritual perfection.

visually stunning and excellent coffee table book. if you are looking for a picture book of the universe for casual purusal this book will more than do. provides very brief, non-technical descriptions of what each photograph is of. not for heavy duty research. recreational reading only. once again, the photos are...wow!

++++++

"Astronomy is one of the sublimest fields of human investigation. The mind that grasps its facts and principles receives something of the enlargement and grandeur belonging to the science itself. It is a quickener of devotion."

The above is a quotation uttered by American educator Horace Mann in the 1800s. It eloquently sums up my feelings when I viewed the images (the majority of which are taken from our Galaxy) and read their accompanying text in this fascinating book by M. K. Baumann, W. Hopkins, L. Nolletti, and M. Soluri (with astronomy consultant R. Villard).

Stephen Hawking, who wrote the book's forward, tells us that "the [spectacular] images in this book represent some of the most up-to-date and high-definition data available." Yes, the more than 180 images are truly spectacular and were selected because they were judged to be the "most important" examples to highlight a particular topic. (The earliest image was taken May 1967 and the most recent was taken Jan. 2005.) Each photographic image has a standard data area that gives key information about the image. For example the data area of the image that's on the front cover of this book (shown above by Amazon) might be as follows:

(1) Identification icon of the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft. (I will explain more about these icons below.)
(2) Saturn with its moon Enceladus appearing near its south pole
(3) Visible-light image (metallic color added)
(4) Cassini orbiter (Note that this spacecraft consists of this orbiter and the Huygens probe)
(5) 16 May 2004
(6) 12.5 million miles (20 million km) from Earth

Each topic is presented alphabetically with a brief, easy-to-understand, descriptive, and interesting text to explain a topic. The letters covered are from "A" to "W" (excluding "K," "O," and "Q"). Topics under each letter range from one to several. For example, under "A" are two topics covering four pages but under "C" are six topics covering ten pages.

Thus each topic generally has three pieces of information. For example, the first topic under "A" is "Asteroid." Then there is:

(1) a descriptive text of an asteroid
(2) an actual image of an asteroid--in this case asteroid Eros
(3) a data area for asteroid Eros (which, as shown above, has (i) an identification icon (ii) image description (iii) image type (iv) image source (v) date image taken and (vi) distance celestial object is from Earth).

At the end of the book are three sections. One section lists with a brief description the mechanical and human image-makers that made the images in this book possible. Another well-written section explains the science behind the images used in this book. The last section is a glossary of important terms.

The section regarding the image-makers is one I found especially interesting. Over forty image-makers are listed and well described. These image-makers are divided into four groups:

(1) Earth-based (like observatories)
(2) Near-Earth (like space-based telescopes)
(3) Spacecraft, probes, & cameras
(4) Individuals (who work with accessible and mobile equipment).

The identification icons I mentioned in the sample data area above are in this image-makers section. Any icon that appears in the book can be matched with the same icon in this section. For example, the icon of the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft mentioned in the sample data area above can be matched with the identical icon in the above-mentioned third group. Then below the icon is a brief description of this spacecraft that I found quite interesting.

Finally, I did find some problems with this book. I should emphasize that these in no way affect the book's readability but I found them to be irritations:

(1) There is no introduction. There is a four-paragraph blurb on the inside front jacket flap that promotes the book and at the same time tries to give some indication of what to find in it. It does not do the latter very well. For example, how to use the icons is not explained at all. There should have been a good introduction included within the book itself.
(2) Three astronomical images located on the first two pages are not explained at all. Why?
(3) There are no references for the text. True, we are given the names of almost sixty scientists and space professionals who shared their knowledge. But throughout the book's pages are certain figures that must have been looked up somewhere. These sources are not given credit.
(4) The glossary is somewhat redundant. For example, the first word in the glossary is "asteroid." But as I mentioned above, it's a topic in the main section of this book! Why include it in the glossary? I found this for several other words as well.
(5) Right after the index of this book (that is, on the very last page) is a description of a newly discovered phenomenon that is "a telltale trace of other Earth-like planets out beyond our solar system." I found this VERY interesting. Why was it on the very last page of the book? It should have been included in the main narrative.

In conclusion, if you're an armchair astronaut like me, you'll appreciate this visually stunning and informative book that reveals the awesome beauty and mystery of the cosmos!!!

(first published 2005; forward by S. Hawking; the Milky Way; celestial phenomena from "A" to "W;" science behind the images; the image makers; main narrative 175 pages; glossary; index; picture credits; acknowledgements; Earthshine)

+++++

Splendid images, combined with descriptions of what you're viewing, abound in this book, available for less than $20.

It's arranged alphabetically, so you can either browse from page 1 onward, or go to your favorite subject, such as "galaxy" or "black hole." And, it runs from our backyard to the edges of the universe, so whether your interests are planetary, interstellar, or deep space, there's plenty here for you.

The text material greatly adds to the value of the book (if that is possible).

For instance, under the pictures of different types of galaxies, readers will get an explanation of how barred spirals or ellipticals are believed to develop. But, that's not all.

In the caption for each photo, the authors carefully note what satellite, explorer craft, or telescope took the picture, what wavelength it was used, how it was filtered, etc. and otherwise brought to "normal" visible light, etc.

And, that's not all. There's more for backyard astronomers with telescopes.

In all pictures of nebulae, M or NGC numbers are provided for nebulae so identified.

Not many things in the world can literally take your breath away. Maybe it was your first kiss, or maybe when your son or daughter finally became part of the living. But this book cannot be excepted from that category, because these pictures seem to live and breathe just as we do. Light years and light years away.

Mars is viewed up so close, you feel like you're actually breathing in the dusty storms of the planet and you're surrounded by barren red wasteland, where life might once have existed. Jupiter's moon, Europa, has so many stunning pictures, as each one depicts its greenish-blue hue cracked with red lines and ice that fit in with the satellite so icily, but coolly. And don't get me even STARTED on the nebulae! They are so unbelievably beautiful - swirls of reds tingling with blue and a shiver of yellow belting down an orange, with sparkles and beauty outlining every inch of it. I think the nebulae deserve fifty chapters just for themselves.

All the pictures are arranged alphabetically from their title, from A for Asteroid to W for WMAP (check the book if you don't know what that is ;D), this book has it all. All the pictures are high-definition and just a frightful wonder to look at, staring at the deep, stellar field of space.

But as another reviewer said, don't miss out on the captions! There's an universe of information to be read, and they just can't be ignored because the pictures are so gorgeous. They're extremely factual and faultless, and only glorify the images with much information, unlike other space books where one-liners just dismiss the true meaning behind the pictures.

This book is highly recommended. I can't imagine a better source to start a lifelong interest in space, or to simply indulge in the beauty of space.

Stephen Hawking provides the foreword to WHAT'S OUT THERE: IMAGES FROM HERE TO THE EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE. Here are nearly two hundred of the most important images ranging from close-ups of Mars to views of the most distant nebula. An alphabetical arrangement allows for quick and easy reference and topics which lend to commentary by experts as they accompany striking color photos. Photos have been culled from archives and astronomical sources from around the world and beyond the planet and provide an amazing A-Z picture record of striking images. Very highly recommended; especially for college-level astronomy holdings.

This is the second volume in Eric Shanower's majestic seven-part graphic novel series devoted to the epic of the Trojan War, a powerful and immensely cogent retelling of one of the greatest epic stories in human history. Shanower draws on multiple sources to come up with a cohesive, readily coherent narrative of what is often seen as a daunting story, making it live again for a modern audience. He both expands on and simplifies the classic narrative by Homer, giving a more immediate, modern feel to the characters and events, but does not sacrifice the authenticity of time or place: Shanower makes these ancient events accessible to modern readers in a way that the best of Western Civ classes may not; indeed, academics for many years to come with probably turn to these comics as a way to give entry into the world of Greek history and mythology.

In this second volume, the vast Achaean army is still stalled out, unable to reach Troy and launch its war. Their leader, Agamemnon, is forced to send his troops home so that they can resupply and prepare to start again the following year. Whether he can regain the loyalty of the discouraged soldiers is now in doubt, and he forces the crafty, manipulative Odysseus to help him reassemble far-flung coalition. Meanwhile, the fabled Achilles matures and finds his place among the adult warriors, as well as his life-partner, a fellow warrior named Patroclus.

The dramatic core story to this volume, though, is the tragedy of Iphigenia, the eldest daughter of Agamemnon, whom the gods apparently demanded be sacrificed to please the gods, and to lift a curse off the great Achaean army. The king's agony and eventual horrific decision (driven as much by the internal politics of his army as by a belief in the power of the gods) is the very heart of Greek tragedy -- a gripping, nauseating story that occupies the final third of the book, and leaves a sour taste in the reader's mouth as the Achaeans finally set sail for Troy. Unlike in the first volume, Shanower begins to give the Olympian gods their due - in the story of Iphigenia it does seem that a curse was lifted through Agamemnon's horrific sacrifice, and perhaps supernatural forces are at work guiding the war. At any rate, this is a fabulous adaptation of this classic myth, and readers will eagerly look forward to further volumes by this talented graphic novelist. Highly recommended. (Joe Sixpack, ReadThatAgain book reviews)

I absolutely adored Eric Shanower's "A Thousands Ships." So much so, that I started in eagerly on the sequel, "Sacrifice" before even beginning my review of the first volume. But while the artwork in Sacrifice is as bold and lively as in the first volume, the storytelling was often repetitive and drawn out.

"Sacrifice begins" (as did "A Thousands Ships") with impulsive, hot-blooded Paris. But this time, the boy is coming home to Troy in glory with his purloined knockout bride-to-be, Helen. Meanwhile, back in the Aegean, hundreds of Achaean ships under the command of High-king Agamemnon are bearing down on Troy. In the first of what promises to be a string of ccostly misadventures, the Achaeans land on the wrong beach, make war on some locals (thinking they are Trojaans) and lose men desperately needed for the assault on Troy. The mistake also forces them into the first of many long delays that not only trip up the Achaeans, but the reader as well. For many long pages, we must endure the slow process of relationship-building with the wrongly-attacked king. The rest of the volume has more than its fair share of bickering and grumbling. The entire last one-fifth of the book involves the sacrifice of Agamemnon's daughter, Iphigenia, which goes on for page after interminable page. Off with her head already.

In "Sacrifice," we observe the speartip-to-speartip love affair between Achilles and Patroklus. This is treated frankly, and with restraint. Many pages are devoted to healing (and rehealing) Telephus (the king whose shores were atacked in error) as well as the not-too-dramatic entry of Helen to Troy. Given that she is known to history as "Helen of Troy," it should not be a surprise that King Priam (after long pages of deliberation and vacillation) relents and lets her into town. Shanower goofs occassionally in his plot choices. At one point, hundreds of warriors are stuck on some sandy shore, hungry and bored. Rather than sending them into the hills to hunt game, King Agamemnon *personally* goes off to hunt, bringing back a buck -- as though kings must literally put foor on their subjects' tables. -- and as though one deer would satisfy more than a few of hs men. Indeed, Shanower cranks up the erotic element in this volume (look -- aureoles!) perhaps in compensation for the otherwise dull narrative

If it were not for the fact that "Sacrifice" is the sequel to the epicly-awesome "A Thousand Ships" and (it is hoped) sets up for the next volume in the series, I would suggest giving it a miss. But endure (as the Achaeans endured) this time of confusion and gloom, anticipating the glorious day of battle and carnage in Volume III.

Sacrifice is the second in a series of comics which retell the story of the Trojan wat in comic book form. It begins with Paris returning to Troy with Helen after having abducted her and then spent a couple of years raiding coastal cities and generally living it up. They have also started a family of their own, which gets Helen into Troy as far as the king is concerned. Meanwhile, Agamemnon's thousand ships are sailing toward Troy, or so everyone thinks, but first the oracle has a few more errands to run.

The plot is extremely intricate. It all comes from mythology, and there's a lot there to pull from. Doing the Illiad in seven comics makes sense. One book would only have allowed for the outline of the story. By breaking it into more books, the story is more complete and here the Illiad has been adapted well to the medium.

Graphically the book is well drawn. I'm guessing that the big challenge here was to keep faces consistent so that all the characters can be told apart. There are many, many characters and they are recognizable from frame to frame, if that helps to tell you the level of detail. The storytelling and how layouts play into that is good too. Layouts help to blend in and reveal characters's backstories (and everyone has a back story in mythology) and to communicate oracles and messages from the various gods.

This is a good read as a comic book. Being a modern take on the Illiad, which concievably someone might someday make you read, is an added bonus. Libraries should definitely stock this series. For individuals and families this is a good buy for a comic book, and a pretty good read. You should already know this, but if you don't then here goes, many of the classics have a lot of sex and violence. So, don't buy this for your four year old if you don't want them to see naked people and drawings of smeared entrails.

I was surprized how eager my daughter (15) was to read this "comic" version of Homer's Iliad. Considering that she is not a big fan of reading, this book was a real discovery for her. Thanks to the author, Eric Shanower. He did a fair job to the original. We are impatiently awaiting for the sequel.

This is the second volume of the collected editions of the Age of Bronze comic book. It reprints issues 10 through 19 of the comic. As good as Volume 1 was, Volume 2 is even better. Eric Shanower's art is beautiful, and he tells the story very well. He does an excellent job of giving each member of this huge cast of characters a distinct personality. I can't wait to read future volumes.

All of Grace was a wonderful book. It was rich with doctrinal truths that believers at any stage of their growth in Christ will appreciate. Spurgeon always humbly directs the focus on God and His word and brings the reader greater understanding into the riches of God's grace. He makes it very clear that God's great mercy and grace is not earned, but given freely - Eph 2:8,9 The chapters dealing with Salvation and Faith are extremely helpful. The book is written in devotion form, so it is excellent for bible studies or for your personal devotional time with the Lord.

Good book about the grace of God and salvation to everyone that believes in Christ Jesus.

We need to believe in the forgiveness of our sins. God gives us a new heart and a right Spirit through salvation.

Recommend to those that want to understand what salvation is all about.

As with all works done by Spurgeon, this is a timeless classic. First printing in 1894, it is still in print. Simple yet profoundly true, Spurgeon explains the true Grace of God with a heart desire that many will come to know Christ through this work. I actually bought a whole case of 120 of these in paperback to give away from Moody Press. The audio version is awesome. I loaded it onto my iPod to listen while on the go.

There are three great strengths of this book; 1)the ability to make the gospel so clear that even a child can understand, 2)it is written in modern english, and 3)the chapters are very short and to the point. Asking someone to read this is one of the easiest ways to introduce the subject of Christ. The book provides a basis of discussion and followup that many can not deny.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon is considered by many to be the greatest preacher of the 19th century. This book, subtitled, "An Earnest Word with Those Who Are Seeking Salvation by the Lord Jesus Christ," is Spurgeon's great explanation of salvation and God's grace. He explains what God has done and why, and what we must do to be saved and to persevere in the faith.

This is a great book, showing the power and intelligence that form the bedrock of Spurgeon's reputation. But, even more, herein you really see his earnest concern for those who are unsaved and dying in their sins. I found this book to be enlightening and uplifting.

It's a truly wonderful book, a true classic of Christian literature - as much alive and relevant to today as it ever was. I highly recommend this book!

I am a student ministries Pastor in Green Bay, WI. We recently did a study through this book with our youth leaders, and we were greatly blessed and encouraged. Berg clearly writes out of his passion for Christ and his desire to see others grow. One of the things that make the book so practical is that it is written first for the benefit of Jim's own children and then for others.

The best part about the book is that is thoroughly biblical. Berg begins by showing us the depravity of our hearts apart from God and how we need to see the sinfulness of our flesh and prepare to do battle against it. He then instructs a person how to be transformed by the renewing of their minds. Finally, he gives practical help for the one who is battling to put off the flesh and be transformed who also wants to help others to do the same.

If you are looking for a great manual for your leadership team that will help them examine their own hearts and prepare to disciple others, look no further. I know of no other work on sanctification and growth that is so practical and thorough.

One of the best Bible studies out there. I'd highly recommend it to anyone.

I have been a Christian for 30 years and feel this is one of the most practical books I have read about Christian Living. John Piper is another favorite author who is quoted in several places by Mr. Berg. Highly recommended for a good overveiw of the life of faith.

Wonderful book that really points to Christ and change life! My wife read this book along with the workbook and I did see her permanently change in a better way, to a Christ like image! Thank you, Jim Berg!

Jim Berg, the author, will give you the 'big picture' of sanctification (the believer's growth in holiness). He uses Ephesians 4.22ff as his outline for the book. In that passage, the apostle Paul gives us God's plan for growth in Christlikeness. Three parts of sanctification are given: putting off the old man, having your mind renewed, and putting on the new man. These 3 parts of sanctification could also be called 3 responsibilities for the Christian. This is the blueprint that God gives us for growth in holiness; if a man should expect to see any growth in the Christian life, it is only reasonable that he 'follow God's plan.'

Berg's first chapter is an introduction to the book. There he highlights the goal of sanctification - Christlike humility, and tells us in a nutshell how we reach that goal. We are to work hard (putting off, renewing our minds, and putting on) while we trust the "Person of Change" (the Holy Spirit) to produce the fruit in our lives. The rest of the book explains what it means to put off, renew our minds, and put on. Berg gives 4 chapters per responsibility.

Berg does an excellent job explaining Scripture. He is clear and interesting. His illustrations are very helpful. Not only is he clear, he is applicational. Truth from God's Word is never meant to be only 'understood.' The job of a teacher of the Word is to teach others 'to observe.' Berg does that. He shows the reader how to apply the truths. He intends, as much as he is able, to make it easy to obey by giving simple steps to follow.

This book will be one that you will go back to over and over again. You will use it for your own life. You will use it as you disciple your children, encourage your husband/wife, give counsel to your co-workers, and on and on. It will give clarity to your thinking about the Christian life. It will give you much hope as you see how God intends for you to change to be like Him. It will give you wisdom as you know how to better counsel others from the Word.

Jim Berg is from Bob Jones University. Expect to see some 'separatist fundamentalism' coming out of him. It is unfortunate that Berg uses the King James Version throughout the book. He is not KJV only, but he does prefer the translation for some reason. He does though, explain the out-of-date words for the reader.

Berg assumes that rock music is wrong. He does not make a big deal about it by trying to prove that it is so. He gives an illustration describing a boy that listens to rock music. Most readers will stumble at that point not getting Berg's point. Remember that he assumes rock music is wrong. He does not think that some rock music is wrong, but that all of it is - the very beat itself.

Berg also says that every Christian should be a part of a 'fundamentalist' church. Just assume that the word, 'fundamentalist,' means 'biblical,' and you will be fine.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, inspite of these things, and I am sure you will too.

This is a pretty good purchase if you want to get mostly up to speed on 'The Darkness' comic. There are gaps here and there, such as events that occur in Witchblade and the Darkness/Batman crossover, but you get the meat of the story overall.

A great buy for Darkness fans. Though it took two weeks just to ship and the sender didnt bother wraping it in any kind of plastic to protect it during shipping so my copy has a few minor rips in the spin. Other then that great condition and a great read.

The Compendium allows you to catch-up on the history of The Darkness with the first 40 issues. Please note, it is missing a few of the cross-over issues like Witchblade #18 & #19, but it tells you which ones so you can get them later if you like. For the price and free shipping, you can't beat it! Warning: this book is fatter and heavier than some dictionaries with its 1280 pages, but so well worth the hand cramps it may cause in holding it. Not for children! After reading this, I recommend getting the Witchblade Compendium #1, as it will tie up a few of the lose ends you get when reading this. Enjoy!!!

I thought that the book was very captivating and over whelming in gory details. I also was taken on a magic roller coaster ride........of emotion. Super awesome until towards end when the new artist and writer took over and f*&%ed it in the @$$.

This is a great collection and my criticism must not be allowed to distract from this. I had not read The Darkness before, having returned to comics after a ten year absence and ordered the compendium on reputation and reveiws alone. The service was great, I was delivered in South Africa on time in pristine condition.

It's hard to comment on this publication without referring to its size. It is huge. While this is a good thing, it is not without its drawbacks. The compendium cannot be read as I would a standard graphic novel in that a degree of discipline is needed. I found myself racing through it missing the artwork and the natural pace a comic has by nature of its original monthly format. While the standard comic can be frustratingly short, nine or ten bound together is a great afternoon's read, taking time to savour each panel. Over 1200 pages is a bit indigestable and I would have perhaps preffered to buy a series of smaller collections to make up the whole. Text close to the spine is difficult to get to without risking the spine and it's not something that would be easily shared with a friend, being a bit unweildy to lend out or have someone help themselves to over a coffee (unless they are a comic enthusiast).

Having said all of this there is still something nice about it being ridiculously huge.

While I am particularly "non-religious", I do find myself questioning the content at times (as enjoyable as it might be). There is a point or two where I was struck than a line was being pushed, such as the offhand killing of an inocent person because its all our hero could come up with on short notice to save himself or the ham-fisted religious references in the Magdelina editions. This is obviously a discomfort I have with the genre itself. Violent dark action/humour would perhaps be less enjoyable if it didn't push the boundry of moral offensiveness. Potential purchasers should know that this one does so more than most and is certainly not for kids.

I am however splitting hairs on what is an excellent collection; the artwork is fantastic, and the humour dark. In my opinion it is the best of the genre.

I keep this book in my car, next to the drivers seat. I read a few segments while waiting at red lights. The light is always green befor I know it, and the wisdom I have acquired from reading this book over the last 4 years, makes me feel like the little old wise man,on the top of some mountain. I originally found this book, in my fathers library of books, and have been hooked on Demello ever since. I tend to drive my friends crazy quoting fables from this book, but they tend to say what could be said to somebody.

The beginning of this book says that "The Master in these tales is not a single person. He is a Hindu Guru, a Zen Roshi, Taoist Sage, a Jewish Rabbi, a Christian monk, a Sufi Mystic. He is Lao-tzu and Socrates. Buddha and Jesus, Zarathustra and Mohammed." The conversations with the Master make me think about being present in the current moment, awake and aware and encourages me to change my vision of the world. Each conversation is a very few words on one page, but totally thought provoking. Read slowly and think a lot.

This is a wonderful book, full of thoughtful pieces. It's not something you would want to read quickly, because mulling the thoughts over is quite interesting. DeMello starts you thinking. Things that are ultimately so obvious are the very ones we've overlooked as we travel through life.

For those among us in the hunt for a deliverance of some sort, the late Fr. Anthony de Mello delivers the goods right here. My first exposure to Anthony de Mello was via his book titled Awareness. I don't want to spend time reviewing another book here, but it likewise is a must have. One Minute Wisdom is a book filled to the brim with sharp, charming, and sometimes outright hilarious axioms from all-around the world. De Mello dips into the treasure fields of the Gospels, Eastern and Western mysticism, et cetera. He unabashedly borrows from any spiritually sound tradition, be that a Christian or even Buddhist source. As he once put it rather succinctly in another work of his titled Taking Flight, "Truth only calls for an open mind." And an open mind he most indubitably did have! These parables/allegories cut straight to the heart of spirituality. No commentary by de Mello, no personal interpretations of his own here (though his insights in other works are always very insightful). No, he leaves commentary up to us readers in this one. He literally covers just about anything you can visualize people setting out for a voyage into the spiritual plateau could need. Buy the book. Your going to absolutely love it.

The "one minute" wisdom that Fr De Mello shared in this book is actually timeless. There is no end or beginning, it "is". A most inspirational book to be felt not read. It serves as a great self spiritual cleasing book. I am very blessed to have found this book and also the One Minute Nonsense as well...

As described on the cover page, this book is cookbook style so I went through the programs on the CD before reading the chapters. I like this book for two reasons.

First, the book is easy to read. A bunch of equations may not always be helpful to understand a problem. What confuses readers most is how an implementation/program corresponds to those equation(s). This book explains the image processing techniques in a plain language and gives you an hand-on experience with those techniques.

Second, to practice image processing, clicking a button on windows or just calling a built-in function, e.g. process(image), will not be enough. When you go to the directory of programs on the CD, you may find out every details. Each program is relatively independent to each other. You will not be stuck by a function call, which you never know or find. Each program is well commented and can be easily modified and incorporated into your program.

This book is good for those who are new to image processing, because it helps you understand what image processing does. It is also good for an experience practicer, because you can find well-organized stuff to build your own applications. It is a must-have book for your shelf of image processing.

Searching for an easy plug & play solution for simple imaging tasks?
No time for programming & debugging things yourself?
No interest in crawling through literature to figure what & how you should program "the methods that solves all your problems"?

Here's a book that deals with most of the elementary - and most used - approaches in image enhancement and analysis. The CD offers a collection of ready-to-play-with programs, both in C source as in executables.

I appreciated the book set-up: each section describes one single task, describes the problem, gives an example, discusses a solution given in literature, and presents the input / output / options for the C code.
- If you want to know more: get the recommended references.
- If you want to modify the program: why not? (well, perhaps because the code is good enough!)
- If you don't care about the scientific background and/or programming: just plug & play!

I have found this book to be extremely useful as a reference for my class on document image analysis. The book discusses (with software which is a bonus!) a whole bunch of image processing techniques that are very useful.

Students can now find in one place- a reference for techniques such as gabor wavelet analysis, convex hulls, moments, fourier descriptors, thinning, hough transform, and chain coding. This allows me as an instructor of an advanced document recognition course to let the students self-study these image processing techniques while I can focus on the recognition topics.

The authors have done a great job of picking examples from a wide range of applications such as outdoor scenes, fingerprints, and documents. The book is "easy to read" and requires just basics of linear algebra to follow.

I already knew image processing when I bought this book, so I am not sure how it would appear to the novice seeking a textbook on the subject of image processing and analysis, but I imagine it could be somewhat confusing. I always recommend Gonzales and Wood's "Digital Image Processing" for those seeking a clear read on image processing and analysis from the ground up. Where Seul's book comes in is with clear descriptions and working code for many basic - and some not so basic - image processing and image analysis algorithms. The book is also very good at explaining the applications of the various transforms. One of the little things that the author of this book does that authors of other books similar to it don't bother to do is to realize that when you are working in image processing you likely have an image as an input and you want an image as an output. Thus the author has built his code libraries so that they work that way. You are not left with arrays of pixels that you have to figure out how to store and manage. In the end you have a nice functional toolbox of working image processing and analysis subroutines that you can chain together and make just about any type of image transform tool you could think of. I'm mainly interested in image effects, and I know this book has been useful to me. The accompanying CD-ROM contains all of the C source code for the algorithms so that you can port them to another language or tinker with them if you so desire. Highly recommended.

The title of this book corresponds to its content, the tutorial gives an excellent overview of basic key points to those readers who are unfamiliar with the subject (as I was). The book can not be used for rigorous study of even simple things but rather kicks you with essentials that are easy to understand with high-school background. This book, written for non-specialists in "image field", gives them techniques for their practical needs and concentrates exactly on image analysis, not on image processing. If you have no time to go through more complex (and deeper) books, take this one to discover basic principles in short form with no attempt to explain the fundamentals. The authors just put you into the facts, so that is why I would characterize the "Practical Algorithms" book as being "handbook". The good point is that the areas of applicability of these facts are explained, the drawback: you have to go to other books to get more details on image processing roots, e. g., to R. Gonzalez and R. Woods' "Digital Image Processing". I bought both, and use them as good annex to each other. The "Practical Algorithms" has lack of some significant areas, like snake algorithm and image binarization (thresholding) techniques but e.g., the cellular processing is quite well highlighted.
Surprisingly, the CD that comes along with this book gave me almost 80% examples that I was able to recompile instantly, and only several examples have failed, mainly due to image file format issues. The source code is not both elegant and bugless, but it is very transparent and portable and can easily fit, e.g., a 16-bit microcontroller.
Overall, this is good book for fast start. You can get real output and pick up ideas on practical side of image analysis. Just remember, the most book examples came from the medicine world, so they are quite specific and may not be implemented directly in your particular application.

I bought this book for my 3 year old daughter. I want her to love herself no matter what size or shape she is. I have struggled with loving myself all of my life. I want her to be happy and positive, not constantly worrying about how people look at her.

I recently read this book to my 5th Grade students in an anti-bias class. The students really enjoyed it, and we had an excellent post discussion plus a written reflection. I highly recommend this book for teachers looking for picture books on body image for anti-bias curriculum.

I bought this book on recommendation from a friend. My 4 year old daughter loves it and so do I. The message promotes a healthy self image and teaches that each person is uniquely created and it's OK to be different from others. It's a fun read- aloud book, yet it teaches a profound message. I appreciate the discussion questions at the end. What a great idea!

Erica Neitz illustrates an engaging story by Andy Mills and Becky Osborn of a small town where five very different friends of different shapes, sizes, colors and talents. The rhyming verse of Shapesville lends to the celebration of characteristics which make them unique in a fun story line which celebrates unusual friendships and individual attributes.

Erica Neitz illustrates an engaging story by Andy Mills and Becky Osborn of a small town where five very different friends of different shapes, sizes, colors and talents. The rhyming verse of Shapesville lends to the celebration of characteristics which make them unique in a fun story line which celebrates unusual friendships and individual attributes.

What started as the personal journey of one man to answer some of the mysteries of life turns out to be a discovery of universal truths that are common to all. The spiritual growth of mankind is at critical point as current events (9/11/01) unfold and the more we all understand how similar our journeys are if we are able to make the connection of rocks to clouds. A truly enriching book for people of all backgrounds and interests.

This is an excellent book, not only for people who are looking for answers, but for people who believe they have them. It offers insight into the minds of some of the great thinkers of our time, but more importantly, it offers a glimpse of the importance of seeking : to find things for which we didn't even know we were seeking.

The author, William Elliot is someone you might know, the boy living next door, who went away to the University, whose parents died when he was young, someone who was raised by loving parents, that is, until they died when he was a teen. He keeps alive the values and love his parents showed him but he is searching for something. He is looking for meaning - meaning to their death and his loss. He was a psychology major at the University of Wisconsin when he conceived of interviewing the "wise and spiritual" people who are alive today. His method was deceptively simple ... he sought answers to 25 - 30 questions that might unlock the secrets to his dilemma. Questions such as, "What is the meaning or purpose of life?" "Do you believe in G-d or Ulitmate Reality?" "Why is there suffering, evil in the world? and What is its cause?" "What is important to you?" "What are the three most important problems in life?" He was dissuaded from pursuing this endeavor, to write a book about his conversation with the "wise and spiritual" people whom he interviewed. He overcame challenges and obstacles to interview the people on his list, all the while holding firmly to his goal. He met and interviewed: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Ram Dass, Norman Vincent Peale, Robert Schuller, Jean Houston, Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, Rabbi Harold Kushner, psychologist Albert Ellis, psychologist B.F. Skinner, Pir Vilayat Khan, Frances Vaughn, Stephen Levine and even Mother Theresa. He interviewed a total of 21 high-profile persons deemed 'wise and spiritual' by modern standards. The author does not interpret the answers for us, instead he writes out the answers given to him by each person interviewed. In some cases, he writes an introduction prior to the interview, letting the reader know how he managed to get an appointment or interview with the "important" person or else he describes some interesting event or circumstance concerning the interview. He seldom makes a judgement about the person or what they said ... his writing style is matter-of-fact and straight forward. This style of writing makes the book a valuable and worthwile reading experience. It is as if, you, yourself, decided what questions to ask and took the time to write out the answers, sometimes, in utter amazement, that you snagged the interview with his or her eminence ... The author also made a trek to Nepal to meditate and visit one of the most spiritual climates and areas of the world. We learn of his experiences and interactions with people he met there. This book is recommended for anyone who has any interest in spirituality or has read any book by the persons whom the author interviewed. It can be said the author found the truth which he was seeking ... Erika Borsos (erikab93)

This book took the author a long time to finish and just the project itself is an inspiration. The resulting product is a wonderful heart warming book. I got this book from the library and in the end had to buy it. You should too.

I used this book for a study session with 10 other people (common everyday Christians). Most felt that the language was a little bit above their understanding, and many had to really "work" at trying to understand what was being said. Over all I thought that the book gave a very good overview of perspectives that most Christians don't want to engage. Elliott was interesting, and I think that the average person would get lost in most of the interviews because of the language barriers if they weren't familiar with many terms and different religions and or spiritual sources used in this book. It was a little long and I am not sure if anything was resolved, but, we never though we would find the answer in this book. I just hope Mr. Elliott grew from and through it.