Designers Books

I have taken this book apart and used it in the classroom. I bought it used and didn't receive a CD-ROM with it. My students are able to glean many ideas from it for our school newspaper.

Tim Harrower provides a very practical guide to newspaper design. The art of newspaper design tends to be very subjective, so this book lays down some facts and guidelines to put to rest some of the indecisive elements of design.

For a beginner, this is a book that will give you the confidence and understanding to conquer page layout.

The CD gives the novice an even more practical guide than the book can deliver.

One criticism is that the book is printed on light gloss stock and is spiral bound. I am not sure how it was survive rough treatment.

Brian Hurst

This textbook is awesome. I've never seen a better textbook. It lays everything out, and makes it simple to understand. It tells you what to do and what not to do in simple language and clear pictures. It's one of few textbooks worth keeping for future use in your career (provided you're going into the newspaper industry)!

When I accepted my first "real" job in journalism as a page designer for a local weekly I was struck by a horrifying thought, I really knew nothing about newspaper design. I had done it before for my college paper, sure, but this was the big time. I needed a refresher course and I needed it fast... Tim Harrower and this spiral-bound book came to my rescue.

Although it was first published in 1989, this book will be relevant as long as newspapers exist, even in this age of computer design. Harrower explains and shows why certain designs are good and bad and he approaches it in a situational, problem-solving format. For example, he explains what should be done when you have to design a page with no art, when you have butting headlines, or two horizontal photos etc. Harrower says that most page designers stumble into the job and from this point of view he explains what exactly, a good design is. This book will always be on my desk.

(I wish my publications professor used this instead of the worthless $105 monstrosity he made us buy (and that we never used by the way).)

So, after some mild freaking out followed by a lot of reading, I can start my new job with confidence thanks to this book.

I am an editor these days.
I came on this book quite a few years ago when I was a sub. It was recommended to me by an old hand in the newspaper game.
Without doubt, it is the single best aquisition I have made in terms of newspaper design.
In the places I have worked, I have been regarded extremely highly for my layout skills.
This book, with a little creativity, is the basis of almost everything I do in terms of layout.
If you are serious about the newspaper game, get it, study it and then apply what you learn. It will help our career enormously.

It's now over 6 years since this book came out and it still has a tremendous amount of relevance. I am rereading it again and stop by every now and then in hopes that a new edition will come out. I have all the other Zeldman books and they are all useful, but nothing approaches how much I learned from this book. It amazes me how much of the content is still applicable. Anyone who's been doing this since the book came out can make mental notes about what has changed. A proponent of CSS before it was practical (really), Jeffrey seems to have planned a long shelf life for this book.

If you're a graphic designer who is entering web development (which is a large segment), it's still a must read, but beware the 4.x browser version suggestions, and don't bother to try and support tables any more. It's not necessary, and it's bad form for oh, so many reasons. Everything else in the book is absolutely essential for the transition. Your best bet would be to read it and ask questions from someone who's been developing websites for a long time (and is open to web standards).

And if you've been building these things for a long time, it's still a great book to revisit at least yearly.

You can't really go wrong with a Zeldman book, imho, at least so far. If he writes something on knitting, I can't guarantee it...

This book gives a good overview of Web Design till 2001.
People who are interested in where the web is coming from will like this book. If your are looking for how web design is done today anno 2005 I would like to recommend Jeffrey Zeldman book "Designing with web standards".

Even though some of the content in this book is outdated (such is the nature of a book based on the internet, which evolves daily), it is still a mainstay in my collection. I would recommend this book to anyone even remotely interested in web design.

Jefferey Zeldman teaches basic, foundation building principles that you will use almost daily during your tenure as a web designer. If your looking for a book to hold you by the hand and teach you how to perform specific actions with step by step coding, this isn't your book. Instead, it touches upon ideas and methods. Zeldman covers topics from designing good navigation to fundamental steps in working with a potential client.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. It would have received a perfect score if it wasn't for some outdated material. Purchase this book, it should be a part of any collection.

A thorough, comprehensive and usable book for people trying to migrate from traditional media into the (sometimes) scary world of new media.

Jeffrey Zeldman's unique voice permeates the entire book, holds your hand, and gently guides you through the ups & downs of working with the web. His examples are concise and to the point, his writing style (as always) humorous and friendly, and, most importantly, you get the feeling that he truly loves this medium, and would like nothing more than being able to help another person discover just what the fuss is all about.

Should be on the shelf of every designer - no matter what your level of experience is.

This book opened my eyes to issues such as accesibilty, css and xhtml, I now have a site that is fast to load and easy to update. I found this book to be an easy read,[ I am neither a graphic designer nor a trained web designer] I really like Zeldman's writng style and will use some of his points in my classes web design for photographers. The mix of code and ideas was great and for once I just read the book rather than being tempted into turning on my computer and starting work.

i purchased two of these...one for my brother and one for myself. it is incredible to study the patterns inside to see what a real designer is made of. no need for embellishments and fluff...it's all in the cut and shows a true genius at work. probably claire mc cardell is one of the other masters of manipulating fabric this way and sadly she is also all but forgotten. wish there were other books that had patterns and sewing instructions like the vionnet...there would be no way to figure out the construction. i am an ex bra designer and realize the difficulty of these designs and will construct one of these in the future.

Es lo mejor que he tenido , el libro de un diseñador donde estan patrones, diseños y fotos...que mas se puede pedir!
Ojala se hicieran mas libros como este .
España,profesion: patronista

This is an outstanding book on a revolutionary designer. Wonderful photos, and "patterns" from the clothing. the only problem is Kirke never bothers to tell you what the scale is, so making these patterns is almost impossible. Her directions for making the patterns are laughable. The patterns are white lines on black. Why include patterns if you aren't going to put them in a usable form? There are people out there who can and have made clothing from this book. You will have to be very smart and well trained to do so. that said it is still one of the best books on a fashion designer I have seen.

Maybe Kirke will redesign the book with the pattern section properly done. Then the book would be worth more then $100.

This book is even better than I hoped. The photographs are stellar and for some designs - a bird's eye view of the pattern peices are included. Try to wrap your head around those non-conventional cutting techniques! I bought this for myself but this would be an excellent gift for someone interested in Fashion History, Fashion Design, Fine / Decorative Arts, etc. Super-Gorgeous book!

A great book on Vionnet's work and life. It has a lot of sewing patterns with instuctions from the WWI era to late 1930's; the patterns include day and evening dresses and frocks, capes and coats, slips and pajamas. Plus there a lot more pictures of Vionnet's clothing. The perfect gift for a fashion student. It is a pity that you do not hear so much about her.

I just received this book along two others that I ordered (great time of delivery) and I am on my way to buy yarn for TWO projects already! the TANG and the TUXEDO VEST are just too fab for words!!! Can't wait to start. This is my first time with a Top-down project and I am very excited and eager to start! thank you, Wendy, for this fab book!

The patterns in this book are simple and classic in style but not boring at all. I want to make at least 9 of the patterns in this book, which for me is saying a lot. An important item to note, however, is that the majority of the patterns are for sweaters: button-up and ribbon-tie cardigans, pullovers, long sleeved, short sleeved, turtlenecks, cowl necks, scoop necks, etc. Toward the end of the book there are patterns for a scarf, a hat, a wrap, a skirt, and a tank top.

One unique and interesting feature of this book is that each pattern comes with ideas on how to make the sweater your own by altering the pattern in different ways, and some basic instructions on how to accomplish this. Another awesome feature of the patterns themselves is that they offer a range of sizes from XSmall to 3XLarge! How refreshing.

While I think this is a great introduction to creating your own sweater, I don't think this book should be recommended for beginning knitters. There are several techniques you need to be able to accomplish such as provisional cast ons, picking up stitches, the kitchener stitch, short row shaping, etc. that I think may be quite overwhelming for a newish or inexperienced knitter.

The last chapter is probably the main reason to buy this book. Called "Unleash Your Inner Designer: Elements to Alter and Starting From Scratch," the author gives easy to understand instructions on how to work your way through the 2 kinds of sweaters in the book: Top-down raglans and Top-down set-in sleeved sweaters. Visuals and diagrams are included. It goes step by step through each possible element you may want to alter and how to go about it: Neckbands and collars, armhole depth, length and shaping, "afterthought" sleeves, changing a pullover into a cardigan and vice versa, and changing edgings.

There is also a guide on how to begin designing a sweater from scratch. It tells you what, where, and how to measure, and goes on from there until you're finished!

This book offers SO much guidance in every step of knitting a sweater, no matter which way you decide to go about it. I have a feeling this is going to be of infinite use to me.

*One thing I found annoying about the book, however, are the scantily clad models. Why are 75% of the women in the photos wearing their sweaters with bikini bottoms, underwear, or way-too-short cut offs? The first photo you see when you open the book is the "Playmate Jacket" (mm hmm, very Hugh Hefner) and she's wearing the sweater over some hot pink boyshorts. What's the point of this? Like I said, it's kind of annoying.

The designs in this book are nothing short of gorgeous. I HATE seaming and this book solves that problem. I can not say how well the patterns are written because I have not had time to start any (a 2 year old and 9 week old have put the knitting on hold for a while). The chapter on how to design/modify patterns is worth the price. A must for any fashionable knitter.

During last few years I bought almost every available book on knitting and just few of them where worth the money. This book is definitely the best book over past few years!

I admit it, I am a reformed knitting book addict.
After reading all of Elizabeth Zimmerman's books, and B Walkers " Knitting From the Top Down" it changed my entire perspective on knitting.

I didn't think that there would be one person (in this generation of knitters) that could even come close to the wit and wisdom those two woman had. I teach basic knitting to home schooler's and other young people so I am very careful what I teach, and what methods I use.
I do not want my student's to become knitters SO glued to a pattern that they wont take chances and personalize their knitting.
I found that the very reason they want to learn to knit in the first place is that they love fiber and color,,, and want to add touches that only a handknit item can offer.
They surprise me all the time with their eagerness to learn,,, and most importantly, their desire to break the " rules" of knitting.

I began to use the top down process vs. the bottom up process of knitting sweaters more often than not (with the exception of color work ski sweaters ) knitting top down is the ONLY way to guarantee 100% that your garment will fit you in all areas, not just sleeve or hem length. I taught myself to do this (by reading and experimenting) and am now teaching young students to do so also.

The knitting book market is literally flooded with and overabundance of books,, but always PATTERN books~ and no one near the caliber of the" great ladies" of knitting. Books are published by the dozens each month, none have much substance to them. I scour through them at local shops in an effort to see what will help me teach more effectively and have not seen much that is worth spending money on.

I did not think there was a single talented knitter that even came close to the late great EZ and B Walker.

I couldn't have been more wrong in my thinking !

This book is as close as it gets to truly understanding the top down method of B Walker's book,,,,, and,,, teaches EZ's EPS system ( an amazing method of knitting ) PLUS,,it offers loads of design advice you wish you would have many sweaters ago.

If you honestly have the desire to have finished projects that fit and flatter you or anyone you knit for, this book will teach you how to do so.

If that isn't enough, there are so many things offered such as how to make your own dress form for only a few dollars ( so you can see how the knitted garment will hang on you from all angles) and how to do set in sleeves on a top down garment. I think making the dress form will be a great class to teach(!!) using this book as my guide.

Set in sleeves,,, it can be done and look very professional WITHOUT sewing!
I have not attempted to do this myself because even though
B Walker does mention this in her book , it just wasn't clear in my mind, no matter how much I tried to wrap my brain around those concepts.

I am thrilled to now have the clarity I was searching for, and wish I had this book many disappointments( and wasted $$ ago.)

Just like EZ,the author encourages you to be the "boss of your knitting" and I am thankful that this author was able to pick up where 2 incredibly talented knitters left off.

EZ's books and B Walker's books are the backbone of my library,, they are the books that I refer to over and over again.
This book has earned a spot on my bookshelf right next to those books and I will use this book in much the same way.

It adds a freshness and a whole new perspective to my designs and I feel that I can spread my wings further and further , as well as my students.

I can't praise this book any more than others already have, but I would give this book a 15 star rating if it were allowed.

EZ and B Walker were THE groundbreakers, THE rule busters,, and maverick knitters of their time,,,,, but this author did far more than write one book.
I think that she actually picked up their needles, and started to knit where they left off~ and that is one huge compliment to Wendy Bernard. I cant help but believe that they must be smiling down at her and cheering her on.

I suspect that this book is the just the beginning of this author's knitting career,I think we will be reading about her a whole lot more in the future.

I teach at the local art league. I reference this book to all my students and recommend that they buy it. There isn't a better book on the market today. Pen and ink goes back a long way in history and the older techniques still hold true for those individuals wanting to learn to draw in pen and ink today. I highly recommend the book.

Scott L. Hendrie
scottlhendrie.com

Ink and pen was pretty much perfected around the turn of the century and the benefit of that expertise is captured quite well in this book. You still get the best and most expressive lines from a steel pen. This seems like a perfect book for a beginner or an experienced artist interested in all the nuances of the pen.
My only real issue with the book is it seems to be focused heavily on architectural themes and technical issues and less on art. So I give it 4 stars.

This is the Bible.
That's the long and short of it. To my knowledge, there is no other tutorial that is as complete and exhaustive as this 60 year old text on the then prominent art of pen and ink drawing. Arthur Guptill begins with a detailed exploration of the nature of pen and ink rendering as well as its limitations. Pen and ink is never intended to create photographic representations of the subject and so any comparison between the photograph and the ink rendering is fallacious. He then goes on to explain how the results of pen and ink are achieved. Some of the material will be superfluous to the artist who uses the Rapidograph pen because it illustrates the different techniques that are specific to the various flexibilities of the dip-pen nibs and how varying the pressure can produce different line effects. These techniques are the reasons I prefer the flex-tip nibs over the modern technical pen. (Or it could be that I'm just and old fashioned cuss.) Guptill stresses the importance of practicing pen-strokes much as a pianist must practice scales. Neither the instruments nor the lack of skill in the basic techniques should stand in the way of the artist in the midst of creating the picture. Practicing strokes is the surest way to freedom of expression when it counts most.
Many methods of producing grey scale with the pen and one value of black ink are also presented exhaustively. When this book was written, newspapers relied less on photographs and more on the pen primarily because printing techniques had not been developed that could inexpensively reproduce on newsprint the subtle shading of a photograph. Only the most important stories warranted a print photo. Artists had to rely on pen techniques to suggest them. That, more than any other thing, makes this text invaluable, for even though we have mastered the art of photographic printing, yet there is a charm to the pen and ink rendering that will never be replaced. It is good to have a ready reference to how these effects are achieved.
Also valuable are the principles of composition, light, shade and texture that are common to most art texts, but here these are presented with the specific ways they are achieved in monochrome ink and various pens. And, there are ample illustrations of works by the greatest illustrators of the time, showing how each one achieved results. Copying these artists is probably the most valuable experience an artists can get from a book.
Much of the work, in fact, the majority, is in the area of architectural rendering, and it seems that architects may be the ones who will get the most use of this textbook, but illustrators are well represented too, and the techniques are the same for both.
I have found this book essential in my own illustration work and recommend it highly to anyone in the graphic arts.

I bought this book to learn pen drawings but as this tome was written several years ago, it talks about a different set of instruments, principally a quill/or quill type pen. The uniqueness of this pen is that the width of the line varies with the pressure you put. These pens are now available only in specialty art stores. If you are planning to use the technical pen (available in a number of gages) a better and more apt alternative is The Technical Pen.

This book however, still rates 3 stars from me because of the depth of material. Some of the illustrations are very, well illustrative :) and the overall coverage of material is comprehensive.

This book is essential. I am a pro illustrator and I still find myself cracking it open. Through out your career in art you will have a hand full of books that amaze you and keep teaching you. This is it.

TJ Walkup

This book is a wake up call to the Creative! It completely opened my eyes to the many things to think about and plan for when leaving your secure job, and going out on your own. Extremely well written, with a plethora of knowledge on the subject. A complete eye opener. A MUST HAVE for the Creative who is planning on going freelance, or starting their own business. Very informative and necessary to read in order to succeed on your own. Very exciting, I could barely put it down!

According to the author's website at http://www.creativebusiness.com/books.lasso The Business Side of Creativity addresses freelancing and the basics of pricing, selling, and running a SMALL design or marketing communications business. The Creative Business Guide to Running a Graphic Design Business focuses on the management of a MULTIPERSON organization. The website gives a summary on the various chapters of each book.

I started out excited about this book, then quickly realized much of what the author had to say was outdated at best, not the best advice on numerous occasions, but yet the book contained some valuable information. A bit stoneage as far as business marketing practices. One hundred pages on setting up your own studio/small business with personnel (No, thank you). If working as a freelancer in the graphics or copy arenas is your thing, its worth paying $20.00 to get something out of it.

This is such a comprehensive book. If you have any question about how to run a business, let alone a creative one, this book is the only one you'll need.

I'm starting a sole-proprietor (one-person) freelance design business and I have found this book to be extremely helpful. It manages to be realistic about what to expect while also providing encouragement that if you prepare well and work smart, you have the opportunity to reach your financial goals. The book has made me consider contracts carefully and has given me valuable suggestions (for example, setting up standards such as "I can't accept jobs for which I can bill less than 8 hours' work"), thinking about what kinds of clients I want to attract in my business, and so on. It has important points to consider if you are locating your business outside a large metropolitan area. I recommend it for anyone who is starting out - or considering starting out - on a solo creative business.

I have a copy of the first edition of this book and am still mesmerized by it. When it first came out, everyone I knew at design school who bought it felt like the information and techniques had given them an out-of-body-experience and it quickly became THE book to own, learn from, and emulate. Anyone who buys this book and applies the material and techniques will become better at drawing, rendering, and creative presentation methods...it is a sure-fire way to achieve "star power" in your office and in front of your clients!

great book! Out of the dozens of hand rendering guides I looked at, this was by far the best and the easiest to learn from. It tells you what pencils, markers, and tools to buy to achieve certain effects, and gives you step-by-step rendering instructions for tons of different types of materials and lighting situations. I highly recommend this- in fact, it should be mandatory for interior design students!

This is an excellent resouce for the study of rendering. After detailing the elements of color and design, it describes, step-by-step, how to achieve many finishes both interior and exterior. It is both instructive and informative.

It's really hard to say too many things about this book. Even older editions of Color Drawing are great, but this newest one goes above and beyond the call of duty. In an age when a lot of books get re-released as new editions with few substantive changes, Color Drawing breaks the mold by updating the techniques with current technology (i.e. Photoshop). It's great to see that the author and publisher realize that pure hand-drawing and rendering is quickly becoming a thing of the past and that the practitioners of today and tomorrow need to have excellent computer skills too. This book is full of very useful tips for combining Photoshop with hand drawings to create great effects. So even if you have an earlier edition, do yourself a favor and buy the new one anyway because you will learn a lot.

This is the standard for rendering in architecture and interior design as far as I am concerned. It will most definitely become a required textbook for my classes in visual presentation in the years to come. Doyle takes you step-by-step into the process of rendering with marker, color pencil, and pastels. But he doesn't just spoon feed you the recipe for each material rendering, he presents the basis for a process that allows you to render virtually any material not found in the book.

...a writer write about a legacy. In 1984 Tom Filsinger approached Vince McMahon and the WWF with wrestling card game idea. 24 years later, after being turned away, his creation continues to live a strong, healthy, never ending life in the form of Champions of the Galaxy. Some of the greatest televison shows in the history of the world can't make the claim to have lasted over two decades. But Tom's idea has. Less of a background on the game and it's 24 years of editions than the also remarkable 'COTG Files' the book explores more of the creativity, personal life, and mind of it's creator, Tom Filsinger.

With chapters on his early life, including being adopted, raised by a man he considers more of a father than his actual father, to the uneasy meeting one day with his biological father, the author is not shy about discussing the things that got him to where he is today.

My favorite parts of the book are the pages dedicated to the hundreds and hundreds of the Champions of the Galaxy fans and followers. Entire pages are dedicated to game fans who have created their own characters over the years, and to those who have won lottery's to create "official game cards", like Pete Fusco, Sam Luptak, Christian MacLeod, and many others, including one year where Tom allowed a collection of over 50 promoters attending the yearly Galacticon convention to work together and create a characte named Payback. To this day Payback remains a major player Champions of the Galaxy.

From meetings with the WWF, to a meeting with his biological father, to coming up with the idea for Champions of the Galaxy, to his undying love for the college profession and his students, to his family, Tom is open, humble and most of all humorous when writing and thanking all the people who have been there with him over the past forty some years.

The book is a must read for anyone who values family, friends, art, writing, gaming, wrestling and passion for creativity. Over my life, I can honestly say I've never had the pleasure to have met anyone as down to Earth and real as Tom. Reading The Dark Menace of the Universe is like sitting down in a room, talking to the man himself. Any reader will walk away truly insipred, hungry for more, and with a smile on their face.

Since the release of this book in late 2005 (only 2 years ago), Tom has since gone on to collaborate a number of projects with the famous Stan Lee of Marvel Comics. The Dark Menace of the Universe forshadowed the greatness ahead for Tom and it has since proven true. To learn from a guy so humble, so creative, so driven, and so destined for more greatness as the years go by,is nothing short of an opportunity of a lifetime.

I am from England I have been playing Tom's cards game since Nov 1989 . They are just great . Even better than today's WWE wrestling . Tom runs a wrestling cards game mainly held in the future . Wrestlers from all over the galaxy fighting out feuds and for belts . Ever wanted to be your own promoter , what fan hasn't ? . With Tom's card you can . He has now written a book about his life and how the cards started . Its interesting , funny in parts and hard to put down .

...by the flurry of five-star reviews. This is less of an examination of creativity and more of a catalog for Mr. Filsinger's game products. One should always be leary when the most compelling opinions of a book (e.g., "This book breaks all the rules.") come from the author, himself. One should be equally leary of a collection of reviews by those who have no history on Amazon and are mostly--by their own admissions--fans of Mr. Filsinger's game products.

I had this book on my "casual reading" list for several years, and finally got around to it. All I can say is that I'm thankful I didn't pay for the book, and borrowed it from a local library. The main thrust of the book seems to be a constant stream of self-celebration, punctuated by occasional finger-pointing. "My game is cutting edge. When it isn't, it's the artist's fault. My game is cutting edge. When it isn't, it's been misunderstood. My game is creative."

True, Mr. Filsinger offers a few anecdotes of his academic life (on both sides of the desk), but they ring utterly hollow--less of an attempt to bring real sentiment to the work, and more self-congratulatory nonsense, either showing the obstacles Mr. Filsinger had to overcome in order to become the creative genius he believes himself to be, or showing how his creativity permeates every aspect of his life--even those which would be boring and pedantic in the hands of a lesser mortal.

One of the other reviewers said it best: this is a good book to read if you want more information on Mr. Filsinger's futuristic wrestling game. However, if you are looking for a serious essay on creativity, look elsewhere. It's a light read, written by someone who obviously feels great passion about the subjects within the book--especially the author, himself.

I purchased the Dark Menace back when it released in July 2005. I really enjoyed this book. I usually don't read to many books that I just could not put down. Tom Filisinger's past kinda takes you back to when you were a kid playing with your friends and dreaming of creating comics or role playing from your favorite TV shows, wrestling programs or Movies. This book will inspire you not to give up on your creative passions and encourages you to never give up and persue your dreams. I would recommend it to any one.

If you have never heard of Tom Filsinger, Filsinger Games, Legends of Wrestling, or Champions of the Galaxy, this is the book for you! Mr. Filsinger, a college professor, successful entrepreneur, devoted husband, and loving father discusses and dissects the creative and artistic processes that lurk deep down inside all of us. Being a "Dark Menace" is all about expressing yourself creatively, having an independent point of view, not succumbing to groupthink or the opinion of the masses if you disagree with something, striving to be the best you can be at everything you do, and feeling good about it all at the end of the day!

Mr. Filsinger created an entire universe in the science fiction/science fantasy realm and was able to combine several of his passions including pro wrestling, comic books, films like Star Wars and Star Trek, and great literary works from the past to help him make his unique mark on the role playing and gaming industries. His original game, Champions of the Galaxy, focuses on the sport of professional wrestling as it appears centuries from now. Men from Earth compete on a universal stage against strange aliens from other planets, evil creatures from other dimensions, and historical figures from the past. His second game, Legends of Wrestling, focuses on the rich real-world history of professional wrestling and includes such wrestling Legends as the Road Warriors, "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka, and Hacksaw Jim Duggan!!! Filsinger's games have become wildly popular and accumulated an almost cult-status among wrestling, gaming, and sci-fi fans alike. Never before has someone so gracefully crossed genres and boundaries, defying all previous precedents like Mr. Filsinger has! This book describes how he came up with his ideas, the process he used to brainstorm and create such outrageous characters, some skills that came in handy from his life as a teacher and a father, and lists some of his inspirations from certain comic books to authors and films!
The book also contains insight from such greats in the field of writing and creativity, like the father of Marvel comics Stan Lee! If you are interested in learning about the great products produced by Filsinger Games, are a fan of wrestling or science fiction/fantasy, aspire to be an author or entrepreneur, or just want a good, interesting read then this is the book for you!

I have had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Filsinger and believe the author is very passionate about his work, loyal to his fans and the followers of his games, and an overall nice and genuine person. His anecdotes are guaranteed to inspire or at the least, bring a smile. Soon after you finish this book, you will be referring to YOURSELF as a "Dark Menace"!

I have actually used this reference for years as needed for ActionScript. I still had a good use for this text in ensuring compatibility with Flash MX until the lack of features became too overwhelming. This is in the face of newer versions of Flash such as CS3 (9.0) that use ActionScript 2.0/3.0. All in all, this book was wonderful until the release of Flash 8.

Because of the new Filters that have come out with Flash 8.0 and the features of ActionScript 2.0 to support these and other enhancements, I would instead recommend Flash 8 ActionScript Bible if one is concerned with cross-compatibility in their ActionScript code and wishes to still be able to use AS with newer features such as Filters (but not as new as Transitions or other CS3 exclusive features - for that, I'd recommend ActionScript 3.0 Bible or something similar).

As far as who I could possibly recommend this book for: It's good for somebody who is still working with Flash MX 2004 and below to Flash 5 (much of the text is compatible with Flash 5), however, I don't know that there are many of those sorts of individuals.

This book is a great resource for when you're looking for that specific line of code. Its terrible to read from front to back, but its an excellent way to find exactly what you're looking for. Its so much code, it'll make your eyes bleed.

One of the few comprehensive actionsctipt titles on the market. The first half of the book boasts a large variety of tutorials and examples that skillfully lead the reader through both the syntax and use of actionscript. Personally I found the text clear and practical. The chapters on OOP were of particular value as they went beyond actionscript basics into application, bordering on philosophical.

The second half is an invaluable reference of the entire actionscript dictionary with a comprehensive CD full of .fla example files and bonus chapters on the XML Object. As a qualified teacher I found it hard to fault the methodology employed by the various authors.

Well worth the purchase.

I am a former programming teacher and I have a style to teach my students the most UNDERSTANDABLE way to do something not just how to do it. This text/reference achieves that purpose. If you have an understanding of Flash (which you should have before getting into scripting see Weinman books) then this book will serve you well. There are other books on scripting - great books - such as Moock's books but they are more so for the programmer. This book is for the novelist programmer that desires to learn about action scripting.

5 stars if you know Flash well.
1 star if you haven't had any experience with it at all.

I was a beginner once, who couldn't figure out Flash at all. I'd like to help you build a bridge between where you may be now, as a beginner, to where you may find yourself aspiring to go.

If your only experience with Flash is to have seen the many wonderful and breathtaking Flash movies on the Internet and just had a look at the authoring tool, I strongly recommend that you leave this book until much later. It has its place in the learning curve but it isn't, in my opinion, the first book to see.

There are understandings to possess that this book doesn't cover sufficiently well enough for those whose minds work in particular ways. This is a programming book, for using the phenomenon of programming to create great design and animations. Whilst the focus is on design, you aren't using the design tools on the interface. With this book, you are using the Actionscript language and you have to have a logical mind for this activity (as well as keeping your strong creative one).

I began my steep learning curve with Flash by watching others and watching video tutorials, especially those by George Pierson. In this way, I can ask questions that are tailored for me and I get tailored responses. Books aren't always able to do so well here.

What is great about this book is the MX Actionscript reference in it and the seemingly well designed theory tutorials. I can't find a fault with the reference. The theory is quite good. In the reference, all Flash MX commands are covered. There are examples of how to use them, but the coverage may not be enough for some. Brill. Just BRILL. I can be excited but because I can follow Actionscript.

Approach this book when you are successfully making Flash movies on your own. Yes, on your own. For me, this book is an aid for when I am going to where I haven't gone to before. It helps me make judgements on ideas I get.

Mollison must be credited with promotion of the concept of Permaculture and this book is a world-wide view with enough examples to stimulate the thinking of a designer in any climate. It would be the bible for anyone working as an ecological designer on a worldwide scale. This tome includes not only a wealth of information but Mollison's personal views are given at every opportunity as well. With the breadth of his knowledge it can sometimes be helpful. That said, it is not an easy read. Mollison assumes familiarity with terminology from many disciplines, but with a scientific background it makes it all the more credible.

However, since its publication, there are other books for specific climate types that provide more detail. For those living in temperate climates, particularly the NE US, Dave Jacke/Eric Toensmeier's Edible Forest Gardens is more focused. If you live and plan to practice permaculture in only such climates, it should be sufficient. For the tropics, see [...] for a manual.

The information presented in this book is worth a semester of agriculture, chemistry, and geography classes.

I was initially set back when I went looking for a copy of this classic and discovered that there wasn't a recent printing available and all of the ones on the market were over $100 at the time. Still, I wanted to learn about Permaculture and everyone said that this was the place to start.

I am extremely happy with my decision to buck up and fork over my money. This text is the source from which all others on the topic are written and they pale in comparison.

If you are someone who is looking to homestead, or currently doing so, this book will help you plan your own gardens, manage your land as a whole, and be able to assist others in the community.

Lastly, the book is a nice hardcover, the pages are thick for a tome of this size, and the print is nice and dark. The copy in front of me has been well thumbed, tossed around, and shelved on many occassions and is still holding up nicely. Only the corners are dinged up a little.

Bill Mollison represents the most successful attempt to mainstream practical home-scale sustainable design principles. I found myself needing to do an enormous amount of supplementary research to actually understand what bill was talking about, but to explain them in depth here would have taken away from the thrust of the book - which is mainly to show you example after example (many on every page) at sustainable principles of design put into practice.

The book remains the best book on sustainability written to date. There are some aspects of his system that are lacking that I will briefly draw attention to. Understand that I deeply appreciate his genius, but I want to just mention that these other things need to be integrated into his system to be fully fully sustainable.

1) He doesn't pay enough attention to seed saving and plant breeding. A loss of seed diversity and a re-invigoration of seed savers is essential to truly sustainable self-sufficient design.

See:
Seed to Seed - by Suzanne Ashworth and Kent Whealy
Breed your own Vegetable Varieties - by Carol Deppe

2) He very rarely mentions the role mushrooms and fungi can play in sustainability.

See:
Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World by Paul Stamets

3) He doesn't stress the science behind it enough, which is fine, but leaves you asking sometimes... how do we know this is really ecologically sound? How can I NOT imitate mr. mollison but still create an ecologically sound system? Basically, Mollison's proscriptions are incredibly scientifically informed but not always scientifically explicit.

See:
Plant Ecophysiological Ecology
New Dimensions in Agro-Ecology
Smallholders, Householders: farm families and the ecology of intensive sustainable agriculture - by Rober Netting

4) In relation to the first point, he also doesn't stress the role that evolution plays in sustainability. This is a very complicated problem, see book.

See:
Evolutionary Conservation Biology.

These are not really criticism so much as signs of slight conceptual anal retentiveness on my part... Also please don't forget mollison's OTHER books which are incredible as well, especially the permaculture book of ferment and human nutrition.

I bought this book many years ago and still find myself going back and re-reading it over and over. If you're new to the Permaculture thought process you will be knocked off your horse with the common-sense, integrated approach to gardening and farming systems. I attribute this book and the thoughts provoked by it as the catalyst in seeking integrations and aggregation on many different fronts. This will always be one of the books I will treasure. I wore off the cover and have punched holes in all the pages and keep it in a three-ring binder.

...and probably one of the most fun to read. I read the first 8 chapters while working on a permaculture site on Isla Ometepe in Nicaragua, and ordered it immediately upon returning home.

Bill Mollison carefully and beautifully lays out the theory and practice of Permaculture (permanent agriculture). Permaculture is a holistic design system that sustainably envisions, creates, and organizes the spaces that we as humans inhabit on this planet. It takes everything that I feel is good for the world-Green architecture, local food, water conservation, renewable energy, organic agriculture, etc.-and wraps them into one cohesive scheme for planning the spaces and manner in which we live.

For more information, check out the Permaculture Research Institute's page at www.permaculture.org.au, especially the quick video "Greening the Desert", which is an excellent introduction.