Don Books

After reading the first few pages of TLC, I had to put it down for a moment. The authors had described the last three years of my life almost perfectly. I didn't put it down again for two hours. I'm a highly compensated information worker who "has it all" by most people's standards, but still feels unfulfilled. TLC showed me how to examine my talents and skills and use them more effectively to achieve what I really want from my life. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

I read this book in preparation for a life & career strategic planning course and ability testing when I was 43 years old. I had been laid off from a good job, had been temping & part-timing it for a couple years, and was just undecided about what I should do next. I had plenty of ideas, and many of them sounded good -- at the moment -- but I was just so unsure about which was the right path, which would be fulfulling for me, and on what factors I should base my decisions. Well, this book was a key to my recovery! I soaked it up like a sponge, as it addressed many of the issues I was grappling with and helped me get back on the road to a fulfilling life. It's great at helping you determine what's important and identifying the values which guide key life decisions. I heartily recommend this book for anyone at a crossroads, in transition, or just unsure about how to make their next career move and provide the right balance in their life. This book is one of the best career and overall life-planning books on the market! Enjoy!

Unlike other career guidance books that force the reader into existing job titles, this book offers wonderful insights and process to guide you to developing and designing your own customized career/job. TLC looks at the whole person, and factors in the need for personal and professional balance to get more out of life. Kudos to the authors for writing a book that instilled the courage to break-away and do what I love, leading a life I look forward to each day.

I found this book well thought out as it first identifies and then helps the reader integrate all the pieces to the puzzle in creating a career and life vision. I have used this in a adult college course and all the students found the book both very helpful in understanding themselves and practical in working on the life/career pieces for themselves

I bought The Lemming Conspiracy because I liked the title. And I'm glad I did. No book has hit a greater nerve with me. I don't know how many times I have gone to work thinking that my real calling lay elsewhere. And after reading this book I was amazed at how all pervasive this feeling is: it got me thinking about how much happier we would all be if society had a different system for career placement. This book is a tremendously effective motivational tool. I am not a big fan of so called self help literature, they all come on so gung ho and hokey, as if they had all been written by Richard Simmons on Mescaline. The Lemming Conspiracy is an engaging and intelligent read, it does not talk down to you, and it is written with a passion that jumps from the page. I cannot reccommend this book highly enough.

I was pleased to find this book. I've only seen one other that showed the catahoula. This book is a must read if you are thinking about getting a catahoula. It tell's you just like it is. The catahoula is a wonderful breed and a joy to own if you give them the time and exercise they require.

As a first time Catahoula owner, I found this book invaluable. There isn't a lot of information available on the breed (compared to others) and after reading the book I felt I had a better understanding of my dog. Mr. Abney covers a wide variety of topics including healh, breeding, and history. The section I found most helpful was the section on breed traits. The pictures are wonderful, even though they're black and white. Your Catahoula will thank you for reading this book!

Finally, a book that discusses this wonderful dog. I adopted a stray dog 12 years ago. I did not know what kind of dog he was, but he was different from all the other dogs I have owned. My vet informed me that he is a Catahoula. He has been my companion ever since. I have been looking for someing more about this great breed and this book answered many questions about my dog, from why he has glass eyes to his need to please. My Catahoula was diagnosed with liver cancer recently, and has about six months left. If someone looked up the word "dog" in the dictionary, there should be a photo of a Catahoula. They are truly great dogs. Thanks for the great read!!

I recently adopted an 'unknown breed' dog from a no-kill shelter. While at the Grand Canyon last month, a tourist from Louisiana introduced himself, identified my dog as a Catahoula and gave an overview of the history...naturally I went home, checked the web, and confirmed his background. It has now become a hobby finding more and more information about this fantastic breed. Don Abney's book was a great foundation of knowledge for understanding our new family member and also having fascinating background history to tell my friends/family. All I could ask for is more pictures (color) and a list of reputable breeders/clubs...other than that I highly recommend this book! Thanks Don....

The book was very informative. This is a very complex and little-known breed. People need to be aware of what they are getting into when bringing a Catahoula into a suburban environment. This book was very helpful and straightforward. My Cindy is only 4 months old and is already exhibiting some of the traits pointed out by Mr. Abney. Consistency and persistence are very important when training this breed.

This book is awesome!!(although im biased, my uncle wrote it..

This book totally kicks butt dudes !!!!! Specially if you are a true Ghostbusters fan or should I say Ghosthead !!!!!!!!! It has like a hundred pictures in it !!!!! I recommend this book to all Ghostbusters fans around the WORLD !!!!!!!!!

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Imagine yourself back in New York in 1983. It's about 5:30 in the morning. You're a regular pedestrian walking down the street near the New York Public Library. A large crowd of people are gathered there. Equipment such as cameras, lights, and microphones are everywhere. Soon you find yourself standing next to Bill Murray.

You ask, "What's this production?"

Bill says, "Production? This is a madhouse! These cameras are just getting in the way!"

You step back and see odd statues and robots crafted into obscene and terrifying figures. Suddenly, a voice shouts, "Action!" and you're pushed aside while Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd walk into the magnificent library with a huge camera dolly following them.

Finally, you spot a small card table packed with coffee, donuts, and Styrofoam cups. Tired and thirsty, you pour yourself some hot coffee from an electric pot hooked up to a small generator. As soon as you touch the pot, a kid jumps from behind the shadows and screams, "Don't move!"

"I just want a sip of coffee!"

"This is Dan Aykroyd's coffee table. Only he gets anything on it, ya' hear? I'm his assistant!"

"You've got to be kidding!"

The kid whips his arm from the shadow of a tall streetlight and points with a shaking hand, "And that table is Bill Murray's!"

Not willing to argue with this crazed assistant, you begin to walk away from the mass of moviemaking paraphernalia and out of the area. Before leaving, you spot a short, nerdy man sitting at a small card table by some sound equipment. The table is filled with art supplies, and the man works on carefully molding a green goblin the shape of a spud. "I've got to get out of here," you think to yourself as you skip over a roadblock and scuffle back into the reality of non-fiction.

In 1984, the next summer, not knowing what to do with your friends, you go to a movie called GHOSTBUSTERS, for it's been getting a lot of hype in the media and you want to see what the fuss is about. As the first scene comes into focus, you let out an involuntary shout of amazement. That was the New York Public Library! Soon enough, the pieces fall into place. You had witnessed the partial filming of one of the greatest comedy films in history!

After the movie, as you walk into a bookstore to kill time before a party, there in front of you is a large book entitled, "Making Ghostbusters: The Screenplay." Ecstatic, you pass up cab fare to attend your party and buy this magnificent book, pouring over it until dawn. You realize that you're a Ghostbuster fan for life. The book is a possession you cherish, for it's like a souvenir of time you spent unknowingly with some of the greatest moviemakers in film history, not including that overprotective assistant.

The movie GHOSTBUSTERS means a lot to many people. One way to sum up their incredible fondness of the movie is "pure cinema magic." Most first impressions of the movie quantify its resounding quality: the wizardry of the special effects, the amazing cast, and the taught, well-written script. And it's largely a comedy! How many comedies have accumulated such a fan base? It's almost unheard of! How many comedies are enjoyed as thoroughly and extensively fifteen years after their original release? Almost none, I'd bet.

Here, in Making Ghostbusters: The Screenplay, the behind-the-scenes secrets and the complete shooting script are here, but the book is more than that. It's a complete sentimental scrapbook that materializes the movie's greatness and encapsulates its craftsmanship and artistry like a time capsule of moviemaking blood, sweat, tears, and creativity.

What this classic volume needs badly is a reprint, but for now, Amazon.com is probably your only hope. With the magnificent re-release of the movie on DVD, this book in its entirety would be a wonderful companion. So let's get this message out; let this be the manifesto! Hear that? Get those printing presses cranking, and bring back the magic!

Making Ghostbusters contains hundreds of exclusive concept sketches (many by legendary horror artist Bernie Wrightson), details of which scenes were deleted and why, color photos (though not nearly enough), and more. The book is built around an annotated script, with enlightening comments from Harold Ramis, Ivan Reitman, and others from the creative team. Few hit movies have had their creative process so wonderfully documented from genesis to box office--for Ghostheads, it's a must-have.

Loved the book, loved the illistrations also loved the scrapbook pages at the end to write my own pieces of advice to pass along to my children.It is a great book for all cultures as well.All can relate to something Mama Says!!!

A well written touching tale of Motherly advice and love. A must read. This book is for mother's, Daughters, sisters, mothers to be. grandmothers and anyone else who enjoys a good read. The author has written from her heart and shares stories from around the world. wisdom from the ages. I really enjoyed this book and plan on giving it to my godmother for mothers day as well as my niece for her baby shower.

I loved this book.
It's a collage of stories from many worlds and cultures.Beatifully written it's affectionate , funny and philosophical.I cried and laughed reading it.Highly recommend this book as it will touch your heart .

Mama Says is absolutely wonderful! I can relate to all the people in the book. It was wonderful to sahre their experiences. I could not put the book down. It is a beautiful tribute to all mothers, everywhere.-Mary C., Suffern, NY

Mama Says is absolutely wonderful! I can relate to all the people in the book. It was wonderful to sahre their experiences. I could not put the book down. It is a beautiful tribute to all mothers, everywhere.-Mary C., Suffern, NY

This book is a really good one to use for teaching sculpture. The mouse in the story creates a tiny sculpture and is rewarded for it. I usually read this book to my students and discuss sculptures and its characteristics. Then we create a sculpture out of wires and various items. (can also use pipe cleaners) Cute story!

This book is a visual and literary play on the ever-inspiring animal name of dormouse. These are a kind of rodent that in some ways resemble a squirrel. Every humor writer who has ever seen that name has wanted to have fun with it. The wonderful Don Freeman (of Corduroy fame) takes that artistic license one step further by building a Horatio Alger story around his door mouse and doing his own renditions of paintings and sculptures in this beautiful volume. Puns and fun abound, so keep an eye out for them!

Norman is clearly a door mouse, he even has a door mouse's uniform (just like those you see on Park Avenue in New York). His door is around the back of the Majestic Museum of Art. It is well hidden, and he brings in small creatures that way for tours of the art works in the museum's basement. In addition to his docent duties, he has established a studio in the helmet of some old armor, using the visor as a skylight. From there, he paints and sculpts. Life does present challenges though, because the sharp-eyed upstairs guard is always setting traps with cheese. Norman is able to disable them, and brings the spare parts to his home.

The story develops when one day Norman notices that there is a sculpture competition going on. Using mouse trap parts, he makes his own sculpture and names it punnily trapeese (trap and cheese being the sources) because it appears to be a mouse doing acrobatics holding onto a high wire.

Norman drags his sculpture into the room where the competition is being held, without being seen. Then the fun begins!

The story ends with one final pun. "Good Knight."

The plot is a very rewarding one, creating the sort of inspiration that books about "little engines that could" do. I have always been impressed with friends who could make a lot out of a little. It's a gift I do not have. This book is a worthy example of that principle. You can extend the lesson by discussing with your child how she or he might create something wonderful out of something else, including "junk."

Art lovers will find the illustrations to be a great treat. Mr. Freeman has created wonderful reproductions of works by many major artists, which he sneaks into scenes of Norman in the museum. I was particularly impressed by one Miro, where even the signature is faithfully reproduced in pastels.

You can also use this story to suggest going to an art museum. You can even go around the base of the building to see if you can find any door mice, or holes where they might be hiding. This can help you find arts wherever you go!

However you decide to use this book, I encourage you to renew your artistic license so you can explore the world of created beauty with your children and grandchildren in museums!

Norman the door-mouse welcomes discriminating rodents to view the paintings and sculptures stored in the basement of the Majestic museum. In his spare time, Norman has his own studio in a knight's helmet, which is also a good hiding place from the security guard! He cleverly uses an old mousetrap to create his own wire sculpture of a mouse swinging on a mousetrap, and enters it into a museum competition. There's a lot of visual humor, and Freeman makes the whole tuxedo-ed affair look fun and interesting, and there's a suspenseful subplot involving the guard trying to find Norman. (No animals were injured in the writing of the book.) There's a nice warm simplicity to Freeman's soft but colorful pastel illustrations; they're drawn with such ease that both they and the story may stimulate your own creative energy. Another excellent book from Freeman!

As a children's librarian, I highly recommend this classic tale of kindness by Don Freeman. I purchased this book to send to a very kind and polite student at Brown University! Our world needs to be reminded that random acts of kindness and politeness, like holding a door make life more enjoyable for all. Hooray for all of the door holders throughout the world!

A story of art appreciation and how it's possible for even a little mouse to be an artist. Norman has an important job as the doorman to the Majestic Art Museum where he lets mice in and tours them around the basement of the Art museum where there are many treasures. He acts as security guard, curator and tour guide for his portion of the museum and he takes great care and pride in each artifact. The only thing that causes a stir in the basement is when the sharp-eyed guard from the main museum comes down to set traps for the mice. Norman is clever and he has figured a way to take the cheese from the traps and set them off without hurting a whisker. His home is in the knight's helmet where he has a very comfortable setup and he spends his free time creating artwork. One day he decides to make a sculpture from the old traps and picture hanging wire. When he has finished his creation he is delighted and proud. Early the next morning he see a sign announcing a sculpture contest. Norman is very excited. He runs back in and titles his sculpture "Trapeese". Then he painstakingly carries it up the steps, through the main floor of the museum and puts his sculpture with the others. Norman was proud of his efforts. Once he got back home he sewed some buttons on his jacket and went about the business of being a doorman. Upstairs in the main hall everyone is talking about his sculpture and who had entered it. The judges questioned the guards about who had brought in the sculpture but none of them knew. When the sharp-eyed guard looked closer he figured that one of his mousetraps had been used for the sculpture. Downstairs he went into the basement, where he found Norman's home. Norman was waiting at the door cold and hungry for a party of country mice who were due to arrive at any time. The guard spots Norman who dashes off but is enticed out by a piece of cheese. The guard catches and questions Norman about using his mousetraps for artistic purposes, Norman's response is that "It's just a hobby, just my hobby!". Norman was sure he was being taken to jail. He was very surprised to hear the crowds shouting "Hooray for Trapeese!" The guard too was amazed and rushed to the judges' platform so that Norman could receive his award. When asked what he wanted, Norman indicated seeing the upstairs part of the museum without getting caught would be a good reward. So he was taken on a grand tour of the entire art museum. When Norman returned to the basement, he found the country mice waiting for him and he shared the large piece of cheddar cheese that the kind-hearted guard had given to him. The story ends with Norman warm and snug in his helmet. I just loved this book!

Nana Noonan said it best, "Family is the most important thing." And what a family this is--wry, tender, and hilarious at the same time. I love the zingers that go over the head of the thirteen-year old narrator and I can't wait to make my own batch of Telkwa Hall Rum Punch. I'm looking forward to more work from this talented author.

P.S. Don't tell Your Mother is a great book. I read it while I was on the plane and couldn't help but laugh out loud at times. It is not only funny, it is a heartwarming read about the relationship between a granddaughter and her grandmother.

This is a wonderful story of a multi-generational family brought to life through the loving, humourous storytelling of Margo Bates. The descriptions of the small town life in northern BC and its characters rings true. My daughter, city born and bred, delighted in reading the book as much as I did. This is a story of love, acceptance, tolerance and most of all: family.

I thoroughly enjoyed this light-hearted book, that takes us back to small-town, northern Canada in the 1960's. Through a series of hilarious letters between Maggie and her eccentric Grandmother, we hear about the adventures of some of the town's oddest characters and are reminded that the simple things in life are often the most memorable. Reminds us to laugh at ourselves a bit more often!

Margo Bates has written a most humourous account about her life in the North. I envy her relationship with her Grandmother, and I wish that I'd had one like her. I'm looking forward to the next installment. There has to be more!

Patton's Third Army was made up of many great units, but few are as well known or as famous as the 4th Armored Division. This book provides a great account of the 4th's major actions (and there were many) during WWII. It also provides a great portrait of the men and officers who did the fighting.

I bought this book solely for the purpose of researching the battle at Singling and was very pleasantly surprised at the overall wealth of detail throughout the book. If you have an interest in tactical details this would probably be a good choice for you. Good pictures and maps as well.

I am 32 and most books I have read about WWII have been overviews or concern a specific theatre or action. This is the 1st book I have read so specific within the subject. I found it to be somewhat easy to read and follow overall. Certain chapter descriptions I could easily make a mental picture of the battle. Some of it was overwhelming in detail, which is probably what some of the soldiers thought of the war. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in military history and especially the ETO. Would definitely read the next book by the same author. Thank you Mr. Fox

The problem with most World War II books is that you are given overviews and opinions. This book is highly detailed and gives the blow by blow descriptions of specific battles. It is excellently researched and backed up by personal accounts of General Al Irzyk, Colonel James Leach and others.
I felt like I was there in my own Sherman tank and it is a must read for someone who craves small unit and company action.

Every few years a book comes along that is truly impressive and this book is one of them. The author has written an excellent account of an armored division at war. It is very easy to read and understand and he is very descriptive of the battles and movement of the 4th Armored Division. The author talks about the big picture to help the reader understand why the division attacked in certain directions. He also peppers each chapter with small unit actions that conveys the terror and triumphs the men of the division experienced. The chapter on the relief of General Wood was well written and thought out. The author avoids trying to lay blame at one person's feet, but tries to show how certain factors (from COL Withers incompent handling of CCA to Wood's arguments with his corps commander, Eddy) may have lead to Wood's dismissal from command of his beloved division. The only "flaw" if you can call it that is at the beginning of each section he includes a map of the area of operations the chapter is describing. What would have been helpful would have been if the author showed the routes of CCA, CCB and CCR along with what units were on the flanks. It would have helped follow the action a little better. Nonetheless this book is worth every penny and If the author decides to write another book on "Patton's Best" I will be first in line to buy it.

This book was the hit of the baby shower this book was given at. ALL of the young mothers had forgotten about this book that they had loved themselves as children - so when the gift box with this book was opened...there was so many ooooo's and ahhhhhhhh's that went up from the room for this modern classic. The book was passed around and everyone had to look at it for just it's nostalgia alone. So many gals left the baby shower saying they were stopping on their way home to pick the book up to share with their own babies. Did I mention the honored mommy-to-be LOVED her gift? Can't go wrong with this book for young ones, no matter their age :)

Teddy bears and kids go together like peanut butter and jelly. This classic children's story sticks well together,and the kids are sure to be stuck too.
This little bear is a bit shy. He is almost childlike going through the various motions of his adventure. Being of a child's view point is a huge plus with young children. He is faced with obstacles a toddler may have to deal with.

I can't begin to count the number of times we have read this book since finally purchasing it for Christmas. My son loved Corduroy and loves this one just as much. It's a book that I enjoy as well, so I don't mind reading it over and over.

Lisa's bear Corduroy gets lost in the laundromat. Lisa looks for him but the manager must close up for the night. Then Corduroy goes on his adventures. It's a very good picture book for children 3-6.

In this installment of Corduroy's adventures with Lisa, we see that some time has passed since she first brought him home from the department store. She's taller, wearing her hair a little straighter, and her mom looks like she had a makeover, too. Corduroy, however, is wearing the same green overalls he did in the first book and has managed to keep both buttons on this time. Early on in the book, however, Corduroy decides he needs a pocket, and in the search for one gets separated from Lisa and her mom while they are in the laundromat. They leave without him, setting him up for a meeting with a friendly stranger who washes his overalls for him, as well as encounters with such laundromat staples as powder detergent and pushcarts.

As in the first book, Lisa comes back for him the next day, and once again her needle and thread come to the rescue.

This book and "Corduroy" are the only two Corduroy books my daughter and I have read. I wonder if there are others, and what kind of sartorial splendor Corduroy will be arrayed in next if the trend continued!

I LOVED this book and I went on line to order it for some friends. My book is in full color and the ones that I ordered on Amazon are black and white only and it take away some of the comic book effect that the book held special. I LOVE this book but I am very dissapointed that they do not specify when the books are in color or black and white when this book comes in either.

A succinct review of basic parenting skills. A little too optimistic when describing time out procedures, but otherwise a great "primer" for parents.

I was haveing big problems with my 4 year old adhd son and his consler showed me this book and you know alot of this book was me! I really did not realize it till I was showed that I was just giving my son control of ME and I was not really being the parent. I was letting me son run My life and this book made me see that. THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT WITH A BOOK TO SHOW US PARENTS THAT THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A PURRFECT PARENT BUT WE ALL ARE STILL LEARNING! I am still learning to this day. My son seems happier that I am not putting so many adult decisions on him but that I am letting him be a child! once again thank you so much and I hope other parents find this book as helpful as I did. I do not own one yet but I'm trying to get one.Times are rough for me right now but as soon as I get back on me feet, And hopefully soon I will buy the used one. Hope everyone else gets what I did out of this book. Thank you so much Charity Castleberry

Everything you need to raise polite, nice, well-mannered kids (works for pets, too!) is in this book. It's not rocket science, but you DO need to be consistent, firm, and rational. It might be easy to dismiss the content based on the humorous presentation, but this book will solve (and prevent!) your child(ren)'s behavioral and discipline issues.

PLEASE REPUBLISH THIS TITLE! We loaned ours out and it is gone. We want to give this book to all our friends with kids, but can't and now we can't lend it.

This is a light hearted book about the very serious job of parenting. Sound simple advice that works! I am anxious for this book to be re-printed. I used it with my now 14 year son an would love an updated version to use with my 18 month old twins. I would definately give this book as a gift at baby showers or to those parents that are having difficult times with their children. So please, please, please give us more of PURRFECT PARENTING!!!

I have all RenderMan books on the market.
This one is impressed me!
The authors explain step by step and that make readers understand RenderMan more.

Same as other reviews, lacking of CD is the shame.
However, overall still be very good to me.
And if you consider the price is very worth for money.
That's why I think this book should be given 5 stars.
Hopefully, There will be more good RenderMan books available soon.

Tee

The RenderMan Shading Language Guide is an excellent resource. It contains numerous examples of shader code, to help get you started with writing your own shaders. I was happy to see the robust section on illumination models, with some sl code provided for most of them. I found the section that had common functions (like gamma() and remap()) very helpful, and appreciated the disscussion on more sophisticated components of the shading language (like subsurface scattering and global illumination). In addition, for the user who is new to the process of writing and compiling shaders, a number of pages are devoted to explaining how to achieve these goals. All in all, I would highly recommend this book to any user who wants to learn how to write his/her own RenderMan shaders.

I caught wind that this book was coming out well before it actually came out and could hardly contain my excitement. I had it ordered before it was even off the press.

Let's face it, trying to learn Renderman online is like trying to ride a bike with a flat tire. You can go, but not very fast or very far. I own several other renderman books but found them to be a bit out of date and lacking in areas. Since leaving school and entering into the industry I had actually been considering writing a Renderman book myself. I am glad to say that now I don't have to!

I have been enjoying my copy of the book since december of last year. I admit that I was thrown off by all the refrences to the accompanying cd, as well as a few typos throughout. I was overjoyed however to find the website today! This is the book that I have needed for a long time. It is well worth what you pay for it.

I have read many technical manuals relating to the 3D Animation and Visual Effects industries, and I can honestly say that this is easily one of the best available.

Given the limited library of Renderman books, I'd call this an absolute must have for any Lighting/Rendering/Shader TD, or any artist or technical director involved in the look development and shot finaling pipelines.

Even if you haven't yet worked within a Renderman pipeline, this is the perfect publication to introduce you to, and bring you up to speed in, the Renderman Shading Language (RSL).

I've found that the majority of technical manuals suffer from a number of common flaws:

1. The information is presented chaotically, and with minimal use of examples or descriptions, resulting in a publication that would readable only by those that already know everything it has to teach.

2. The information is presented so laboriously that what should take a paragraph instead takes up three chapters.

The Renderman Shading Language Guide is perfectly paced for beginners and intermediate users alike, and indeed when I showed the book to a couple of highly experienced Renderman TDs, they were surprised by the sheer volume of information and ordered copies for themselves.

Everything is presented in short blocks with an easily readable description, examples, shortcuts and conclusions. There is no unecessarily complicated geek speek, and neither is the reader treated like a 4 year old.

Even though I barely remember my high school math, and in the most flattering estimation I'd be considered a competent beginner when it comes to the math involved in RSL, I found the examples relatively easy to follow for the most part. And in those parts where the math went well over my head, I found the simple descriptions and concise, well explained instructions to be all I needed to quickly understand the topic.

From cover to cover this book is crammed full of useful information. There is no wastage of space in these pages. It seems that every conceivable question is answered - every possible topic covered from introduction to an advanced level of understanding and a practical and immmediately useful conclusion.

And at the price? This book is a steal.

One very minor complaint I would make is in regards to the occasional typographical error. An equation or two is printed with "?" in place of "*" or another symbol, and there are a few spelling and grammatical errors. But as I said, it is a minor complaint.

Also, I would have liked to have seen more complete shader examples demonstrated in a step-by-step process, as while this book is overflowing with informative mini-tutorials, it all seems a little incongruous. It would have been good to see a few more examples where the information was brought together in real-world ways to create some amazing completed shaders. Perhaps in a sequel? ;)

All in all, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, from an industry Lead Lighting TD.

9.5/10

I'm quite pleased with the depth of this book. So many of the CGI titles I've bought that claim to be intermediate or advanced aren't. While the RenderMan Shading Language Guide assumes that you have no starting knowledge of RSL, it immediately dives into technical details without overwhelming the novice. For someone wishing to learn RSL (or even just shader theory), this book is wonderfully paced, containing a great depth of information, very well explained.

At the same time, this isn't a book for dabblers. To get much out of the RenderMan Shading Language Guide, you need to be willing to put some effort and practice into it. This is a textbook and needs to be treated as a subject of study, rather than a casual enhancement for playing with CGI. If RenderMan intrigues you, but you don't want to get too deep into the technical (and programing/scripting) aspects, you'd be better off getting Pixar's RenderMan for Maya and a Digital Tutors or similar training DVD. You'll learn more of the simple, day-to-day things and get started making renderings faster.

As another poster mentioned, the text mentions an included disk which isn't. The website doesn't have downloads either. That omission would knock the book down to 4.5 stars, but since I can't rate with half-stars, 5 stars more accurately reflects the value of the book than 4.