News and Media Books

This is a great little mystery book. I just read this to my 7 year old son who is a mary kate and Ashley fan.

This mystery kept us both guessing til the end. Just when we thought we have it figured out the twins found more clues!!

This book was so awesome.I finished the first day I got it!...I really enjoyed this book and I think that you will too!

I was amazed by the depth of character development and the allegory presented in this learned thesis. Its brilliance in appearing as a novel for adolescence is soon usurped by the clever machinations of the protagonist which belie the stories darker, yet socially important, nature. This work has opened up a whole new world of understanding regarding the subconscious stratification of social oligarchies in secondary institutions of education. Any would-be existentialist would be remiss if they did not read this (or the original work in Latin).
While somewhat hard to digest if perused flippantly, meticulous and seriatim analysis of this tome will ameliorate its initial opaqueness and even aid the most recalcitrant misanthrope to gain an incisive, if abstruse, vignette into the potential of the human psyche.

I thought this book was great. In this book Ashley wanted to to be captain of the cheerleading team but 3 other girls wanted to also. So they had a vote. That's when Ashley started having problems. Someone stole her lucky pom-poms. Someone had written nasty cheers for her. She found itching powder in her sneakers. And that was just the beginning! Someone was trying to make sure Ashley lost the vote-no matter what! My favorite part of the book was when Mary-Kate and Ashley kept think some one did all of the things to Ashley, they find clues that lead to someone else! To find out what happens next and who wrote the nasty cheers, who stole her lucky pom-poms and who put itching powder in her sneakers, read The Case of the Cheerleading Camp Mystery.

This is the review of my eight year old daughter, who loves Mary Kate and Ashley enough that she checks out all their books at the library and begs me to buy them in the store.

Who ever knew that Cheerleading Camp could be so vicious? Someone is trying to sabotage Ashley in her quest to become the square leader for the Cheerleading Camp. Who was doing it? You were given so many suspects that it was impossible to know. You were given 1 clue as to the true villain and that was clue was misleading. It's no surprise that the ending was a surprise!

It was a Mary Kate and Ashley book and that almost got it 4 stars alone, but she just didn't think it was good enough for that.

DEFINING VISION by Joel Brinkley is as comprehensive as any history behind the development of HDTV/DTV can ever possibly get. The text of this book will surely be required possessions for technological historians for at least the next 1000 years.

I'm reading this book a second time (a year later) because it's such a great introduction to players in the HDTV world. Brinkley chose a suspense style, and it really works well. I am excited about HDTV and turned each page holding my breath - hoping for a successful conclusion. Now I'm looking for more works that go beyond 1998, and can't find any more fulfilling...and the story isn't over yet!

Having had the opportunity to check the authenticity with several of the principles in the book, my hat's off to Joel Brinkley. He ties all the factions together that brought us DTV. It is a story with more twists and turns than you expect that comes mixing an industry that hates to change with new technology. Add in the governments of the U.S. and Japan, and it really becomes fun. Mr. Brinkley did a masterful job telling the story. This is a must read for anyone interested in television.

In the early 1980s US broadcasters faced two major headaches spawned by greed and jingoism. Their comfortable, tidy, oligopolistic-and profitable-broadcast world was about to be shaken by the digital revolution, where foes and friends were often indistinguishable. New York Times reporter and Pulitzer Prize winner Joel Brinkley takes the reader on a roller coaster through boardrooms, bureaucracy, technocracy, and hubris (individual and national) in "Defining Vision." It is a ride worth taking for broadcast students, educators, historians, and international political economists.

Represented by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), radio and television companies considered the broadcast band spectrum their personal property. This largesse suddenly came under assault from the land mobile industry that wanted more spectrum space for a variety of public interest broadcast services such as police, firefighters, ambulance, quick response units, and other emergency services. Broadcasters, too, saw a new threat from across the sea. The Japanese spent $300 million and hundreds of thousands of engineering man-hours developing high definition television (HDTV). NHK unveiled its Muse system in 1986 to US policymakers and consumers. The picture quality was superior to the current analog systems in the United Sates, and Japanese-made monitors were designed to fit the wider formatted movies without the annoying letterbox effect.

Brinkley chronicles the scrimmages involving development of HDTV in the US like a general writing his wartime memoirs-if that general had access to the thinking of his opposition, that is. First the grand alliance-RCA, Zenith, AT&T, Phillips, General Instruments and MIT-had to admit that a victory by any one of them in the costly race to develop HDTV would be a defeat for the others. They were able to convince a willing FCC Advisory Committee that cooperation was possible in building a single system. Committee chairman Richard Wiley's role in HDTV cannot be understated (and Brinkley doesn't). His single-minded pursuit of high definition television as the national (and, it turned out, international) standard most probably resulted in its acceptance.

US broadcasters had worried privately and publicly as well, that the future of television would be dictated by a consortium of Japanese electronics magnates and NHK, the world's second-largest broadcasting company. Across the Atlantic, the European Union was equally concerned, and promised up to a billion dollars to Europeans to come up for a system on its own or else adopt the Japanese HDTV, since the Americans seemed not to be players in the game as the century's ninth decade unfolded. But the European effort never got off paper. US broadcasters at first fretted about a new "yellow peril" that posed as great a threat to them as it did to the automobile industry a decade earlier. Ever opportunistic, however, broadcasters found the Japanese an unlikely ally in their fight to snatch the unused frequencies from land mobile companies. HDTV, as the Muse system showed, required additional bandwidth space. Obviously, they reasoned, Congress and the FCC could not allocate precious broadcast spectrum space to land mobile users when they, the "rightful frequency heirs," needed the frequencies for HDTV.

At the same time, MIT's Nicholas Negroponte, who Brinkley treats somewhat derisively, was telling anyone who would listen that "HDTV had to be digital," not analog, which would allow for signal compression that would fit into existing frequencies. One naysayer echoed a common broadcast engineering complaint at the time: "we will have digital HDTV when we have anti-gravitation machines." Broadcast engineers at the major manufacturers nodded in agreement: digital high definition television technologically could not be done. The NAB, in its attempt to protect its space band largesse, inadvertently kicked off a race to develop HDTV in the United States that took on the trappings of a crusade to "rescue" the future of television in the United States from the hands of foreign interests. Along the way, General Instruments research engineer Woo Paik invented digital television (because, as a non-broadcast engineer, he didn't know that "it was impossible").

HDTV uses a compressed digital broadcast signal that not only remained within a single frequency but allowed broadcasters additional capacity to sell secondary services such as pager services, email, Internet connections, digital music, and pay-per-view movies. With such an entrée to new revenue flows, the reader would be surprised to learn the depth of NAB's animus to HDTV. Simply put, broadcasters used the HDTV concept to wrest away additional public airwaves spectra and then, among themselves, grumbled that they were unwilling to invest in new high definition cameras, monitors, and other equipment that would allow them to broadcast signals in both progressive scan (favored by the computer programming and manufacturing sector) and interlaced (favored by broadcasters) modes. Another opponent of a high definition television standard was the fledgling computer manufacturing industry in the mid-1990s, which didn't want the additional expense of adding interlacing decoding to what essentially was a dedicated proscan system.

After seven years of ups and downs in a process that often threatened to sputter, splinter, and spin totally out of control, HDTV in a digital form arrived in the US shortly after Thanksgiving in 1997. Despite all predictions to the contrary, the HDTV "turkey" arrived fully stuffed with enough goodies to ease its transition into the marketplace. The result was acceptance of the Americanized international standard by the European Union and the final, if not sad, acknowledgment by NHK that its analog Muse system was outmoded before it even got much beyond a toehold in its native land.

In "Defining Vision," Brinkley has crafted a highly readable, almost techno-mystery story with well-defined characters: heroes, villains, and rascals alike. At times he seems to get into the heads of the key players, which he explains as a literary device borne from extensive interviews with the principals who told him what they were thinking at the time. The effect rounds the edges of what could have been a highly technical, heuristic, and sloggish recitation of engineering reports, public hearings, and dreary diary entries from the participants. To his credit, the author explains his process to readers in an epilogue, thus enhancing the book's credibility. Furthermore, in this paperback edition, the author has updated and expanded several sections over the hardcover version, including an appendix and FAQ that are instructional.

I work in the television broadcast industry and this is a must read if you want to learn about the origins of HDTV, the players who made HDTV a reality, and how the standards for HDTV were defined. The author is an authority on the subject and provides an excellent description of the systems, history, etc. that both technical and business professionals can understand. At my company this has become required reading. I highly recommend this book.

My parents gave me this book when I was 3 or 4. I remember reading it over and over and over again for a very long time. The characters are very cute and very vivid. To this day, 20 years later, I still have my original copy that sits amongst the other classics in my bookshelf. It is even complete with my 4 year old handwriting on the inside cover: "This book belongs to..." written on the inside. I have loved this book for 20 years, hopefully you will too.

My [...] year old son loves Franklin. And reading this particular book to him was no exception. Book is about overcoming fear. Franklin is afraid of the dark, but everyone is afraid of something - so how do you overcome. Good book, fun reading.

I found this book to be helpful in getting my daughter to realize that everyone is afraid of something and that fear is a natural emotion. This books helps to show how the characters deal with their fears. If your child is very fearful of the dark, I would recommend you read the book before sharing with your child. I had no problems with an increase in fears after reading this book but neither of my children are very fearful of the dark.

This was our first Franklin book and my son really, really likes Franklin now. I had never heard of him before this book, which was a "gift" from the pediatrician for my son's pre-preschool check-up.

The Franklin books are great.

This one, however, I wish we had skipped.

The thing is, my son was never afraid of the dark. I don't think it ever occurred to him that you *should* be afraid of the dark. But after reading this book, he started to have nightmares. We can't get him to tell us what they are about exactly but they have something to do with Franklin and his small, dark shell.

This might be a good book to help a child who is afraid of the dark get over it. But unless our child is some sort of anomoly, it could also have the potential of giving bad ideas to a child who is not afraid of the dark.

Consider your child when you purchase this book.

This is the best of all of the Franklin stories, and the first one published. It's a wonderful read aloud story, a great story for children to act out, and an easy way to begin a discussion of "things that scare us". Children are amazed to learn that grownups can be frightened of things too. This book should be in every child's home collection and in every elementary teacher's too!

A very enjoyable book. Just the high quality reproduction of the covers would make this a great book.
A richly savory festival of imagination, creativity, insight (cultural, sociological, philosophical, etc.) and, of course, delightful humor and splendiferous transcendental artwork. Lots of charming tidbits including photos, extra art reproductions, etc.
Thanks Frank and The Usual Gang for this inundation of funshine and good cheer!

(After you've seen the covers you'd probably like to peek inside). Check out: Absolutely MAD Magazine - 50+ Years

If there are better sight gags than those on the cover of Mad magazine, then I have yet to see them. This book is a collection of the first 400 covers and some of them had me hysterical with laughter. My favorite was the one where Alfred is holding a hard taco shell behind a Mexican dog that is straining mightily. Others were just as funny, although some did require explanation. The producers of the magazine were not above applying a little duplicity when creating the covers.
The only drawback for younger readers will be that knowledge of the current events of the time is a precondition if you are to get the joke. For example, some covers feature political figures, and if you don't know anything about them, the joke is lost. Other covers are spoofs of hit movies of the time, so the explanatory captions are a welcome addition. Having lived through those times, I understood most of them, but there were a few times when I didn't understand the joke until I read the caption.
This book is very funny and you cannot help but be impressed by the quality of the artwork and the zany intelligence that went into the covers of Mad. The producers of Mad constantly lampooned themselves as idiots, but they were without question geniuses.

this book is well designd and gives all the information about the covers over the years, including notes about the spacial covers.
i highly recomand this book to any mad reader.

I loved this book , mostly because Im a mad magazine FAN!!! BUY THIS BOOK!!!!!!!! GREAT BOOK

The first copy of Mad I saw was issue 29 in September 1956 (still got it too) and I was hooked. How could a magazine be so funny and be so spot-on with its satire? Easy, just employ the `usual gang of idiots' that's how. I kind of grew out of it when I discovered the National Lampoon, how could a magazine be so funny etc, etc. But I have always had a soft spot for Mad and this book of covers is a super addition to my back issues and other Mad books.

All 399 (up to November 2000) covers are in this well designed and printed book Mostly one or two covers to a page sometimes with Frank Jacobs' commentary and with a lot of the latter covers you get to see the preliminary cover roughs. As the years go by you can see how the covers changed from simple visual gags into ones that are much more graphic and busy because they have to work harder on the newsstand. The ideas are still very funny after all these years though. My favorite is issue 35 (October 1957) a wraparound that celebrated the fifth anniversary with a great painting from Norman Mingo showing a few dozen very famous American merchandising characters seated round a dining table, Alfred's at one end grinning. I would love this as a poster.

I think it is worth mentioning for Mad fans the seven CD-ROM `Totally Mad' set, every page from the issue one thru to December 1998, the interface is very user friendly and the discs have a lot of additional aural and visual surprises.

BTW, Robert Silver's photmosaic book cover, made up from the magazines covers, is stunning.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

This is the most informative/coolest book, if your looking to get involved in the music business, the book is aweosme, but the guys are even cooler

This book is a great education in what a music supervisor does and needs to know. The spotlight interviews are informative and give the reader a practical application of the text. The technical aspects of the job were eye opening and extensive. A must read for anyone who thinks music supervision entails picking songs from an iPod and placing them to picture. I have a greater appreciation for good music supervisors after reading Music Supervision.

This book came to me out of nowhere and consequently turned into one of the most inspiring, captivating, and education texts that I have ever read. In this, the summer of 2006, I have currently been working as an intern for MTV On-Air Promos. There, I met David Hnatiuk and overlooked his profession as a music supervisor. Having interest and aspirations for his work (being a music industry and sound recording major), I decided to purchase "Music Supervision".
So, I got it- I read it- and loved it!

Reading "Music Supervision" flat out bridged the gap between everything I learned at the University of New Havem concerning the music industry and sound recording and everything that was coming as new to me from MTV about broadcast television and its promotion. The books facets including, but not limited to: Legal Issues, Sound Design, Licensing, DAW discussion, working with producers/directors, etc. are all topics that I learned and dealt with at school and at MTV.

This coincidence of reflection between these that I encovered was simply amazing and will prove to be beneficial to my success and education at MTV and as a music student.

Aside from teaching me about my loves and interests, the book also took my vision of my career and future life, twisted and distorted it, and showed me it as I have imagined before. Now, since the book educated me on the subject and how to succeed in it, being a music supervisor is now a career path that I am interested in pursuing. It entails the music industry. It entails sound recording. And hopefully, it'll someday entail me.

Congratulations to Ramsay Adams, David Hnatiuk, and David Weiss. They have succeeded in writing a book that is highly informative, useful, and very insightful. Whether you are interested in pursuing a career as a music supervisor, or would simply like to do research on the profession, this book will far exceed your expectations. It's an easy read that features random interviews from experienced music supervisors that candidly articulate what the primary considerations are in selecting music, and shines light on the process of "spotting" and "auditioning" songs for placement, in addition to offering helpful advice on how to deal with challenges that music supervisors face in their position such as difficulties in obtaining master, sync and mechanical licenses; working harmoniously with egotistical producers and directors; managing creative conflicts; preventing legal problems; dealing with financial constraints; and marketing their services. A great educational and reference resource.

I bought this book because I wanted to learn how I can get my songs into movies and tv. I heard that was the best way to make money and get exposure. This book gave me the answers and even the names of people who select music for films and tv. I already got one of my songs into a film that competed in Tribeca Film festival. Some of the writing is a little long handed but the information is really right on. If you are a songwriter who wants to get your tunes into the movies, this is the book for you.

The information in this book is practical,concise and easy to understand. The book is a can't miss guide, including structured exercises,for anybody that believes personal improvement is the key to mastering change and leading a meaningful life. A welcome addition to any self help library.

I greatly enjoyed the easy-read factor. The writing is clear, straight forward and enjoyable, especially the "gemful" stories along the way. The Near-Life Experience concept is fresh, focused and gives emphasis to the sacred -- the extraordinary in the ordinary.

I appreciated the challenges of gaining insight from self assessment and from feedback from others. The simple, basic and loving approach of acceptance, affirmation and care for every person and circumstance is refreshing and energizing. Near-Life Experiences is insightful and inspirational. Thanks Tom!

"Near-Life Experiences" is a profound statement that caused me to re-think my priorities on a daily basis. Goals and achievements are important, but if you lack balance, there is no victory. Tom McQueen puts this message in an easy read filled with wisdom gained in his own "near-life" experiences. Anyone seeking balance and fulfillment in their spiritual, family or career life will benefit from reading this book and applying the simple recommendations for truly valuing the "near-life" experiences we have each day.

This is a small book in size but a giant in scope. Tom McQueen offers the simplest suggestions on how to get the most out of your personal, professional and spiritual life. He provides examples of how to find new meaning in everyday experiences. He makes you think about everybody you care about and then suggests how to get the most out of these relationships.

There are books that claim to be real helpful and then there are books that really help! Tom McQueen's book is one of those books that really help!

I can't remember in sixty years when I have read something that has had such a meaningful impact on my life.

"Near-Life Experiences: Discovering New Powers for Personal Growth" should be a featured book on Oprah and every other book list in America.

With what our country has been through lately in Washington, capitalizing on our "near-life experiences" would be a blessing for us all.

I love this book!

It's not just one story, but it's many different stories of all the people who decide to ride (or not ride) the roller coaster. The text is simple and fun to read out loud and aptly captures the liveliness of riding a roller coaster. The illustrations are masterful, rich with details and wonderfully expressive characters, but never overly crowded. Each viewing of this book will reward the reader with new surprises and new storylines.

Like the young protagonist in the story, I can't wait to ride this one again!

My 4 year old grandson loves roller coasters so I bought this book for him. Each night I read this book over and over - he never gets tired of it, it's his favorite book. We pretend he is on the roller coaster and I trace his finger over the loops, we start where the people get on and go up the hill very slow and then swoosh down and around, the upside down part is his favorite. This is a fun book with great illustrations.

My first graders loved this book! The details in the illustrations kept them captivated. We felt like we were really on a roller coaster ride! My kids wanted to read it over and over again.

I use this book to teach 3rd graders about force and motion. The students love the book--after I read it, they build their own roller coasters using foam pipe insulation and marbles.

I read this story to a kindergarten class who really enjoyed it. One little boy listened with his two arms up "roller coaster" style imitating the twists and turns and "Wheeeees" throughout the book. A lively discussion occurred about whether the little girl should go on the coaster for a second ride. The writer/illustrator captures the intensity of feelings that we've all experienced on a roller coaster.

A great insight into the world of the 'forgotten superheros', the people who deliver the news of the tragedies that occur. This is very interesting, giving lots of different points of view from across the affected area. It could have done with more pictures and photos, but the stories of the pressure-filled newsrooms paint a good enough picture to keep you interested throughout this book.

The authors do an amazing job of letting the stories stand on their own in providing readers with a rare and engaging look at how the press responded to a national tragedy. Even just one year later, Running towards Danger, is already an important piece of American history.

The photographs and the reporters' accounts of their September 11th experiences are a piercing and necessary reminder to all Americans of why the war on terrorism must be won.

From Library Journal Reviews ; October 1, 2002 Tuesday By Audrey Snowden
The Newseum, an interactive museum of news located in Arlington, VA, was operating as usual on September 11, 2001. After seeing smoke billowing from the ravaged Pentagon, its staff members immediately closed the museum and worked through the night assembling an exhibit of wire service photos from around the world. This book is the outgrowth of that initial exhibit. What sets it apart from the plethora of books on 9/11 is its focus. Told chronologically through 100 first-person vignettes and 75 powerful color and black-and-white photographs, the book covers the varied experiences of members of the press. Big-name anchors weigh in, but the stage belongs to the reporters and photographers who usually work behind the scenes. Authors Trost, a former Wall Street Journal reporter, and Shepard, award-winning media critic, provide a firsthand - and very human - look at the process behind the coverage, revealing how the immediacy of ongoing television and Internet coverage helped journalists, photojournalists, and anchors shape a nation's perception of a tragically unique day. A valuable addition, especially to school libraries. - Audrey Snowden, formerly with Clark Univ., Worcester, MA
Newseum with Cathy Trost & Alicia C. Shepard. Rowman & Littlefield. 2002. c.256p. photog. ISBN 0-7425-2316-0.

This is a round of fraternal applause for American journalists, who earned everyone's sincere respect on September 11th. Journalists from all levels of the profession who were on the story are interviewed. Their tales are then spliced up and laid out in chronological order, from onset to post-traumatic jitters. The professionalism on display here is absolutely superb. Most people have some idea of how hectic the job of getting the news produced each day is. Here we have the spectacle of these brave professionals getting the job done minus most of their familiar tools and surroundings, and plus a soul-sucking fear that they or their colleagues are about to die. No smirks, no condescension, no "women and minorities hardest hit" credentializing.

So is this book an adequate tribute to them? Yes. Can't go wrong. The text is punchy and hot-off-the-presses, and the photos really crackle. There is a problem, though.

The book seems to discriminate against Foxnews. Apart from a screenshot of Shepard Smith and a photo of a correspondent at the Pentagon, Foxnews is excluded from this collection. This is very strange, since Foxnews is based in New York and is the number four American news network, behind the networks and ahead of CNN. Could it be that the Newseum staff who edited this book don't consider those eeeevillll conservatives to be *real* journalists? That's a nasty thought, but what other explanation could there be? Even a reporter from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, in town for a fashion show and caught up in events, is quoted multiple times. To be sure, staff from the Wall Street Journal are quoted extensively, as their offices were hardest hit.

Apart from that, the book is gripping. The journos' professional instincts snapped into action. Taking to bicycling when traffic congeals, giving the cordon police the slip, phoning Mom to relay a report second hand, the ingenuity and dedication is impressive. There's also a seldom-reported sensitivity. Some reporters pitch in with relief efforts. Some cry along with the sobbing victims they are interviewing. There's only one case of a reporter getting the bum's rush, from some firemen who were trying to catch their breath.

We get all meat in this book. The actual TV broadcasts that day were teeming with hastily miked-up guests experts, helping the gabbling anchors fill air time until actual news got into their earpieces. But ever the pro, Peter Jennings signaled for silence on the set when the towers came down. No comment was necessary.

It might have been nice to include a story or two from a West Coast news outlet. When the attacks happened, I couldn't get into any of the national news websites. I finally connected to the Sacramento Bee's site. The webmaster was frantically posting up wire photos and rolling copy through, with what must have been a small, sleepy crew.

And then in a few weeks things were back to normal. NPR's Loren Jenkins blurted in an interview that he would "smoke out" and disclose the location of any U. S. troops on a secret mission, if it meant getting the story. The TV news people harrumphed at Fox for wearing lapel flags, fearing that the sight of the national flag on the set would signify support for the Bush administration and not the country as a whole. Reuters insisted on calling Arab terrorists "militants", and putting "terrorism" in skepticism-implying quotation marks. The liberal pundits covered the Afghan war like children in the back seat whining "Are we there yet?" New York Times editorial page editor Howell Raines concluded that the war on terror was Vietnam II, and used his page of that august newspaper to try to block further retaliation. But even with all its faults, the American press is mano-a-mano the greatest in the world. It's inspiring to see this record of how great it was on a day when it laid its faults aside.

One gets the feeling that Mr. Barer was enjoyed writing this book. There is intence action and suspence that keeps one glued to the book no matter what your 'suppose' to be doing. This was a fun read. I laughed, I cried and occationally cursed the book thinking the characters would actually hear me. The identities of the 'Saint' were inspired and brought out diversity and complexities of Siimon's character. I give this 2 thumbs up. A good read and worth a second look

I absolutely loved Barer's novel! It is GREAT FUN, very clever, and very well written. Anyone who wants to read a roaring adventure spiced with wit and verve should order this book immediately. I hope Burl Barer writes more books like this -- I enjoyed every minute I spent reading it.

The book is a roller-coaster of intelligence, charm and wit. But then, what else would you expect from Burl Barer. Simon Templar is one of those icons of pop-culture that you just want to invite to dinner and sit and listen to. I can't wait for the next Saint book

When I saw the movie, a whole new world of advendture was opened up. I read the book and was pleased that he wrote material that was not seen in the movie. I recommend this book to everybody! Especially since it made a #1 fan out of me.

The author has captured the flavour and style of the original Leslie Charteris' novels. This novelization is far superior to the film. I recommend this to all Saint fans.

Smart Videoconferencing is a must read for anyone who is going before a camera. The authors give simple tips which can maximize your presence on camera. It is a quick, simple read. Well worth the money.

This is a concise, direct, very practical handbook for organizing a videoconference and communicating effectively on camera. The tips on organization, preparation and choosing the right medium for your meeting are especially helpful and new. Many tips, especially about grooming, makeup and clothing, are so simple they border on simplistic, but for those who have no experience in media or performing (such as corporate executives), these clues could make the difference between success and failure. Authors Janelle Barlow, Peta Peter and Lewis Barlow back up their pointers with real-life anecdotes which reinforce their ideas quite convincingly and provide the book its only real entertainment value; otherwise it's relentlessly practical. We from getAbstract found this book useful for anyone who is organizing or participating in a videoconference. When you're on the air, you want to be in the know.

I enjoyed reading the book. Even easy to read for me who is no‚Ž-native speaker of English or intermidiate learner of the language. I did not have to look up dictionary so often.
Anyway,I think that this book will be good especially for those novice end users who have just started using the video technology and who want to use it in more effective and productive ways.
I think that this is a kind of a book that end users desire.@Basically they are not intersted in how technology works behind but more and more they are interested in benefits and effects that they anticipate to get from using the technology. Not intersted in features and capabilities etc.. Some may, though.
However, I would like to point out one thing.
There is a paragraph in page 10 regarding Japanese video market graph. What is written is not correctly translated into English.
The numbers in the year 1998 and 2000 are based on a prediction by unidentified source according to the web page.But numbers in the year 1988,1993 and 1995 are actual numbers.
The graph was a part of a presentation made for doctors in Saitama to understand the status quo of videocommunications in relation to medical activities. But it does not show the source.
The numbers includes all kinds of video equipment from room or board type to set-top to PC based to surveilance. It does not mean one product category.
But it is true that the first video service was launch in 1984 by NTT, but it was actually not as popular as expected. Just a handful of big companies in Japan used the service to slash costs associated with travels, and the service cost per month as running cost was unjustifiably quite high to smaller businesses, so it did not go hit. And after that, audio service introduced also by NTT that offers relatively inexpensive service which could be accepted by smaller businesses.

This is a wonderful book, but I think it's titled wrong. It should be Media Savvy Videoconferencing. I bought the book thinking it would be about videoconferencing exclusively, but actually it's filled with information about how to look good whenever you are in front of the media. This book should be read by all PR people and anyone who has to do television appearances. There really are tricks to the trade. Why do media savvy people generally look good on television? Because they are using the techniques described in this book.

Last month, after our company installed a new videoconferencing system, my boss asked me to assume responsibility for our first trial meeting with a midwestern customer organization. I was very excited about the promise that this new technology could afford our business. But, I must confess, that the actual videoconference event was a big disappointment. Even though the equipment worked as promised, the meeting felt like Ted Mack's "Original Amateur Hour." That's when I began browsing around for a book that might address the weaknesses I perceived in our interaction. And, I discovered that only one book - of the dozens available on videoconferencing - actually dealt with the human communication issues involved.

After my first experience, I can attest that these are, indeed, the most important.

Our next videoconference event is scheduled in a few days - and I think our company is now much better prepared, thanks to the helpful, practical tips in this book, Smart Videoconferencing This book emphasizes the significant differences that exist between a face to face meeting and a videoconference. There is a paradox involved, because the videoconference demands both greater care and professionalism, while, at the same time, there is the necessity for a sense of relaxation and authenticity. I can tell you that our first event lacked both of these qualities - and our company lost some business as a result. Now, I think I we can avoid the mistakes we made last time.

I highly recommend this book for anyone engaged in videoconferencing when the stakes are high.