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Customer Reviews (2)

Attempt by good writers to explain how to write well
Because someone can write well doesn't mean they understand why they write well, or, if they do, doesn't mean they can articulate it, and if they can, that someone else can "get" it. Edgar Allan Poe thinks it was his careful working out of the sounds and rhythms of his phrases and words that led to his successful works, and doesn't realize it had absolutely nothing at all to do with any of his analyses, or pre-analyses. A good writing style doesn't come from figuring things out. It's the problem of knowing how to do something well not necessarily implying that you know why or how you do it well, or that you can convey it to someone else. So although this book's heart may be in the right place, I feel it doesn't succeed in bring its reader any closer to knowing how to write well.

Writers on Writing
This is a small book that you can read in a weekend and study for the rest of your life. I especially like the organization, which is chronological from Edger Allan Poe (1809-49) to Margaret Atwood (b. 1939). As you move through time with these great writers, you discover that style might change, but the fundamentals of good writing remain constant. This book is filled with great insights and if you love writing, writers, or just reading, this is a great book.
The Shut Mouth Society
The Shopkeeper ... Read more

Product Description
The key to ensuring accurate data is having clean data.This book develops and describes data cleaning programs and macros.You can use many of the programs and macros that are provided, as is,or you can modify them for your own special data cleaning tasks.Ronhas carefully explained and documented each of the programs andmacros, thus providing you with SAS programming instruction on anintermediate-to-advanced level. Topics presented include validationchecks on character data, numeric data, missing values, and datevalues; searching for duplicate records; working with multiple files;double entry and verification using the COMPARE procedure; and SQLsolutions and using validation data sets.Written in Ron's signatureinformal, tutorial style, this book gives anyone who manages datathoroughly documented, step-by-step instructions for the developmentof data cleaning programs and macros.

Supports releases 6.12 and higher of SAS software. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

New edition available
Please be aware that there is a second edition of this book (at the same price).Therefore, be sure you buy the second edition and not the original.Here is a link to the second edition: Cody's Data Cleaning Techniques Using SAS, Second Edition.

I have rewritten every program and every macro in the new edition.There are also many more useful macros available (you can download them from the SAS Web site). Also new is a chapter on SAS integrity constraints and audit trails.

Excellent As Usual!
Ron Cody is the master of SAS educational books: His clear informal style is undaunting, he supplies plenty of examples, and he explains both what you need to know and why you need to know it.

Many books teach SAS programming, but few of them explain how to identify "hidden" errors, such as duplicate observations, out-of-range or missing values, and whether an ID value is in each of two or more files.These are important checks, because programs will often run and look fine, even though they may contain these database errors (or, if not errors, assumptions that are not true).

The majority of the book is for intermediate to advanced users who set up databases for statistical manipulation.Although Cody tries to simplify things, it appeared that some techniques such as PROC SQL and macros assume some prior basic knowledge.However, as evident from the chapters listed below, there are valuable lessons that will help intermediate (and even some "advanced beginners" ) level users.

Chapters:
1. Checking Values of Character Variables
2. Checking Values of Numeric Variables
3. Checking for Missing Values
4. Working with Dates
5. Looking for Duplicates and "n" Observations per Subject
6. Working with Multiple Files
7. Double Entry and Verification (PROC COMPARE)
8. Some SQL Solutions to Data Cleaning
9. Using Validation Data Sets
Appendix: Listing of Raw Data Files and SAS Programs

There are lots of program examples and output that really make this a useful book. 226 pages, including index. Another great job by this author! ... Read more

Product Description
This NLP book is full of practical and effective tips foreducators at all levels to help students think, speak, learn andcreate in a foreign language.Tying in the principles ofNeurolinguistics, Target Fluency is specially written for practicalclassroom use: it shows how to tailor projects, arrange the classroom,prepare lessons, and use advanced verbal and nonverbal communicationskills to guide students toward competency in their target language.

Learn specific foreign language teaching techniques to:
- Understand your students' learning styles and strategies
- Discover and create optimal states for learning
- Use the "As if" approach to intergrate new concepts
- Use guided imagery, visualization, relaxation and group role play exercises
- Use "Timelines" to teach past, present, and future tenses
- Turn student errors into successful, fun practice.
- Use artwork for "whole brain" learning

The charts, illustrations, exercises, glossary, and recommendedreading list make Target Fluency accessible for teachers -- andboth fun and effective for students. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

I was a Science Student !!
I grew up within a system that distinguished between one's capability to learn 'sciences' (the more logical left brain thinking system) and 'arts' (the more creative right brain thinking system) - of course, the 'smarter' ones among us - destined for greatness - were naturally 'logical' and therefore terribly 'scientific'..or so we thought.......until of course the 'real world' hit us...and then I discovered a big 'hole' in terms of my understanding/learning of the world, its people and how we all operate for success !!

Enter NLP ! The 'art and science' of communication and peak performance....in anything !!.....You and I can be....can do anything we choose to....by combining NLP + Languages, you have in this book 'dynamite' material and recipe for success in travelling & communicating. What NLP has since done for me in so many fields of expertise, I cannot begin to capture in this review. What this book has added to my 'reportoir' of knowledge is immeasurable !!

If there are any out there, who like me, thought there was a very small chance of us being any good at speaking a 'foreign language of choice' ......to all of us I say, "think again".

Michael Hager brings easy to understand learning.. and teaching techniques of languages to your finger tips ...very practical, very, very effective !!....I started off with 2 major language skills - English & Bahasa Malaysia. I've since 'captured' the essences of Japanese, French, Hindi, and am on Greek at the moment !!...Need I say more ?...Go buy this book guys & gals ! I've had wonderful encounters with people I would never have 'connected' with before !! ... Read more

Product Description
The bestselling author of How to Draw Comic Book Heroes and Villains does it again with this new collection of revealing secrets about how to draw razor-sharp, eye-catching action heroes. The kit includes an instruction book, illustrator's pencil, and blank comic books with panels waiting to be filled in. Step-by-step lessons cover drawing characters and costumes in dramatic action. 150 illustrations, 100 in color. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great drawing book.
This is a great drawing book.It has many great action heroes.My friend had this book and I looked at it and it looked great so I am going to buy it.I suggest you buy this book because it is a great book! ... Read more

Product Description
3ds max 6: Animation and Visual Effects Techniques has been thoroughly updated to cover the enhancements and new features of version 6. The book provides an organized and thorough process for integrating the features of 3ds max 6 into your own projects. Everything taught throughout the book is based on the creation of a film project that was done completely with max, including all of the visual effects and animation techniques. Beginning with a review of the essentials, you’ll learn the key features used in animation and visual effects. You’ll learn about the fundamentals of animated filmmaking, and you’ll work through detailed tutorials covering modeling of buildings, environments, humans, and aliens. Once you’ve created the models, the animation techniques are explored, including character setup with bones, lip sync, facial expression, and walk cycles. From there the process moves to scene animation, visual effects, materials and textures, and lighting and rendering. The book ends with detailed chapters on character studio® 4 and combustion® 3, and the Shag Hair plug-in.

Highlights!
* Uses the latest features of 3ds max 6 to teach particle effects, including rain and Hollywood explosions and details the changes from version 5 to 6
* Teaches how to use character studio 4 to animate crowds of people, and how to do physics- based animation using reactor 2
* Explains facial animation and how to record dialog and sound effects
* Details lighting and rendering features, including
* Radiosity and Global Illumination, Skylight and Light Tracer, visual effects lighting, and network rendering

On the CD
* Original, full size figures from the book
* All the files needed to complete the tutorials from the book
* Extras folders that contain color images, animations, 3ds max materials libraries, and texture maps
* An animated scene from Homing Instinct, the movie used to illustrate the techniques in the book

First Edition User Comments

"Up-to-date sprung to mind when I skipped through this book…Finally someone has added a FULL tutorial on how to model a human from scratch! The effects chapters are amazing too, thick, Hollywood explosion techniques! …this book is aimed at someone who has used Maxfor quite sometime and knows a little about modeling. But I recommend this book to anyone that has Max!"
"I love this book! It makes sense of things in 3ds max that I couldn’t quite grasp before. I’m finally getting over the learning curve for lots of stuff in Max!…"

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Minimum Requirements: 3ds max 6, IBM-compatible PC, 800 MHz processor, 256MB RAM, Video Display with 32MB RAM, free HD space 600MB; Recommended System Requirements: 3ds max 6, IBM-Compatible PC, 2.0 GHz processor, 1GB or more RAM memory, Video Display with 64 or 128MB RAM, free HD space 4 GB. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Find Something - ANYTHING - else to study from!
This book leads me to believe that: a)I will NEVER be able to animate ANYTHING with a bone structure; b)I will NEVER understand the skin modifier; c)I must be a complete dolt.

I know for a fact that I am not a dolt, having worked in the animation industry for some time now, and being an intermediate 3ds Max user.A lot can be said for Max, pro's and con's, but possibly the hardest thing (for me) is animating the human body.We spent about 10 minutes in college learning this, and all the notes I have and Max Bibles and everything else do NOT teach (in layman's terms) HOW TO ANIMATE A HUMAN BODY.

This book was intended as a resource to learn how to animate a completed human model; I am not interested in learning the dreaded techniques of modeling a human just now, as this expansive learning curve is too detailed and time-consuming for me at the moment.Rather I was hoping to modify an existing model (free domain, of course!) and learn to animate it.

The models on the cd which accompanies the book are okay; they're not top of the line, and quite frankly, the nipples on the female body are a bit over the top (its really cold in virtual reality!!), but they are workable.The bone structure is fine.The textures are horrible, and the animation itself is cheeeeeeeesy, but for a learning tool its not that bad.Beware any positive sentiment you may have derived from that last comment, as the book and tutorial in general is horrible.

I have tried and tried and tried to skin this model over and over and over again, only to find the exasperating and frustrating errors of 'envelopes' associated with the model which, I assume, the author purposely created for 'teaching' the correct way to utilize the skin modifier.However, the instructions for troubleshooting this UNFATHOMABLY FRUSTRATING problem leave far too much to be desired; in essence, the instructions do not explain enough.My model is naked, and the skin on his hands is like a rubberband being stretched to its fullest capability.And no matter how many times I try to figure out how to fix this, I am left without a working answer.The book does not cover the troubleshooting of this error more than a line or two aimed for the expressly expert 3d Max user.

For instance, "....this indicates that the skin envelope needs to be adjusted....Select one of the envelope adjustment handles..."ENVELOPE ADJUSTMENT HANDLES?!WTF ARE THOSE?IS ANYTHING LABLED 'ENVELOPE ADJUSTMENT HANDLE?'NO!! The book continues, "...move it to enlarge it..." MOVE IT?WHERE?HOW?THE ENVELOPE IS UNEFFECTED BY MY ATTEMPTS TO 'MOVE IT.'"...Part of the skin that is sticking up should move down to the hand.Repeat this process for both ends of the skin envelope...."!!!!!!!There are TWO parts of the skin envelope?WHAT?!WHERE?!!

This is what I mean - no explanation.Nothing is labled properly.When I attempted to assign all the bones in the skin modifier, I noticed over HALF of the bones ARE NOT LABLED AS BONES!WTF?!

Believe the criticisms already posted: this book is horrible, it will leave you feeling uninspired to animate humans and frustrated, and is a real waste of time and money.

Very good overview
Contrary to some of the other reviews I think this is a great book; it's one of the only books I've found that gives a "complete" overview of the film-making process with 3ds Max.While the content may not be in it's final stage; I think the major problem most would have with it is the fact that it claims to be professional work instead of merely educational examples like most books.I've always found its better to learn with "real" examples, so while I don't know how good the film would do they are excellent learning tools.

Poor Animation Quality
Kennedy's book teaches some basics but the quality of his results leaves alot to be desired. It makes you wonder why he would slam the incredible 3D done in Final Fantasy when he isn't even in the same league and probably never will be.The illustrations and textual layout are not as clear as they should be. If you want to learn the basics, you can get something from this book.However, a good book shows you how to get good results.The results he achieves in this book are subpar.

Many other books do far better.

Not recommended.

Worst looking renders I've seen in a published tome
I'm stunned that the author claims to have success in this industry given the absolutely horrible work he passes off as being professional in quality. I'm very serious that I have not seen such poor quality in ANY other book. I teach 3D and have seen much better work from novice students. My only conclusion is that the author completely lacks the capacity to be self-critical of his own work given that he obviously believes his film-in-progress merits serious consideration. Do not be misled into thinking that any of the work shown in this book would be acceptable commercially.

Terrible Book
This book misses a lot of what it teaches by not including much of what you see in the book (models, etc....), I agree with most of the other reviews here, I have this book that is why I do not recommend it, better get the book by Barrett Fox on 3DSMax6 on how to complete an animation project. That is a great book. ... Read more

Product Description
In Rational Irrationality, H. James Jensen presents an effective way of teaching composition that is an alternative to current teaching methods used and taught by composition teachers at many colleges, high schools, and universities.Based on existing workshop models and artistic principles that professional writers have used for centuries, Jensen lays out in simple form, the ways in which a course in composition can be taught. ... Read more

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This title helps kids explore the exciting world of colors, then helps them understand shapes, shadows, and other features of the graphic arts. Kids in the book visit an art museum, and kids who use this book are guided in working with crayons and paints.

Vividly illustrated books for early-grades boys and girls, books in the What is Art? series introduce the arts and present the kind of instructive information that will make kids want to participate in the arts. The books suggest activities that will help kids understand the arts by doing and performing. The text asks children simple questions, but there are no wrong answers. The questions simply help children recognize and understand their own artistic preferences and aptitudes. Teachers will love these books as sources for classroom activities, and parents will also welcome them as a way to get kids started on art activities at home. Both English and Spanish editions of these titles are available. ... Read more

Product Description
Describes the theory and presents some useful software tools for physical optics analysis. DLC: Antennas (Electronics) - Design - Data processing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

errata
Errors in the MATLAB code, Antenna Engineering Using Physical Optics

There are errors in the MATLAB code files po09b, po13c, po15d, and po17b, most resulting from calls to previous versions of 3 m-file functions:

incorrect name-----------------correct name
unitr-------------------------norm01
crossr------------------------cross01
vlenr-------------------------length01

These errors can be corrected by making the following changes:

1. on m-file po09b, listed in pages 147-148 of the text, 4 lines must be changed:

line 22 is:
ut2=ones(Na,1)*unitr(crossr(un0,[1 0 0]));
but should be:
ut2=ones(Na,1)*norm01(cross01(un0,[1 0 0]));

line 24 is:
ut1=crossr(ut2,un0);
but should be:
ut1=cross01(ut2,un0);

line 49 is:
urs=unitr([rs zeros(Na,1)]);
but should be:
urs=norm01([rs-ones(size(DSa))*r0]);

line 50 is:
ups=crossr(uns,urs);
but should be:
ups=cross01(uns,urs);

2. on m-file po13c, listed in pages 202-203 of the text, 3 lines must be changed:

line 59 is:
alr=atan(2*Fl./vlenr(rr));
but should be:
alr=atan(2*Fl./length01(rr-rr(:,3)*[0 0 1]));

line 62 is:
u2r=unitr(crossr(unr,ones(Nr,1)*[1 0 0]));
but should be:
u2r=norm01(cross01(unr,ones(Nr,1)*[1 0 0]));

line 63 is:
u1r=crossr(u2r,unr);
but should be:
u1r=cross01(u2r,unr);

3. on m-file po15d, listed on pages 222-224 of the text, 1 line must be changed:

line 26 is:
u2bf=unitr(cross01(unbf,[1 0 0]));

but should be:
u2bf=norm01(cross01(unbf,[1 0 0]));

4. on m-file po15e, listed on pages 222-224 of the text, 1 line must be changed:

line 18 is:
EscJ=-Z0*cross01(ut(nb,:),HscJ); % source E field
HscM=1/Z0*cross01(ut(nb,:),EscM); % source E field
but should be:
EscJ=-Z0*cross01(unb(nb,:),HscJ); % source E field
HscM=1/Z0*cross01(unb(nb,:),EscM); % source E field

5. on m-file po17b, listed on pages 254-257 of the text, 2 lines must be changed:

line 24 is:
u2c1=unitr(cross01(unc1,[1 0 0]));
but should be:
u2c1=norm01(cross01(unc1,[1 0 0]));

line 64 is:
u2c2=unitr(cross01(unc2,[1 0 0]));
but should be:
u2c2=norm01(cross01(unc2,[1 0 0]));

Antenna Engineer
Good book.It really goes into detail.The MATLAB code does not work due to missing functions "unitr" and "crossr". ... Read more

Product Description
An illustrated retelling of the Bravade, an annual festival held on St.-Tropez's saint's day, is an uncorrected reproduction of the Christmas gift that the author prepared for his daughter in 1956. ... Read more

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Go behind the pen and into the psyche of "dyke to watch out for" Alison Bechdel, cartoon chronicler extraordinaire, as the inner workings of lesbiana's most quick-witted, longest-running social commentator are revealed. Illustrations throughout . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A little bit of everything
This is a wonderful book for fans of DTWOF with little cartoons from calanders and what not. However, it is not a part of the series, so people looking for additions to the narrative of the books will be disappointed or a bit frustrated. But aside from that, this is a book full of goodies, perfect to savor a little bit at a time.

Unusually insightful and fresh for such a long-running show
Even as a white middle class hetero, I enjoy following on an ocassional basis the progress of Ms. Bechdel's cast of characters. It's rare to find a cartoonist who has so sucessfully kept a shtick going so long without becoming hopelessly stale (although perhaps it's a bit easier for a self-consciously running commentary on society and politics wherre the material is a little more dynamic than, say, the antics of Dennis the Menace or Little Jeffrey)....

You Must Have It
Bechdel's prose here is as smart and funny as readers of the regular stripwould expect.It starts as a memoir as she describes her beginnings andprogression as a cartoonist, and includes lots of early drawings andstrips.The bulk of the book is made up of stuff never seen in the DTWOFvolumes: strips from her calendars, strips made for other magazines orspecial occasions, and autobiographical work.It's great stuff, alwaysfunny, and everyone with a sense of humor should buy it right away.

Ever wished you could meet the author of DTWOF?

This book is the next best thing.

It includes her earliest drawings (as in, from age 3), comments on what was happening in her life at the time that certain strips were drawn, what her mother thinks of certain storylines and who shewas actually writing about in some of the more intimate one-shots.

Since Bechdel has stopped publishing calendars, there's a section that includes each one from 1990 to 1997.Also, there are stills from the "factory tour" screen saver, the results of an artist jam, a story timeline, and strips that were published elsewhere (for certain causes, specials for various magazines, and so on).

If you've got all of the other previous DTWOF books, this won't make your collection complete (there's a strip for teenagers about how to dealwith a friend coming out that I just couldn't find in this book), but it will certainly help you get there.Warning:there is some overlap if you have all the books.

This was a neat surprise to find at Amazon.com -- I had no idea that Bechdel was working on this compliation.Definately add it to your collection! ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published by Abt Books in 1980, this collection is a set of drawings by the author, depicting the humanity that persists through old age until death. Through Images of Age, we have the opportunity, as observers in the artistic process, to confront the difficult feeling associated with old age, thereby expanding our humanity and capacity to care. A beautiful and sensitive volume for all concerned with the elderly and the problems of aging. ... Read more

Product Description
This elegant box is filled with everything you need to create beautiful lettering in a wide range of calligraphy styles. It includes a colorfully illustrated 64 page guide book with over 30 original project ideas, a fold-out poster of inspirational alphabets, practice sheets, pens, nibs, inks, brushes, paints and specialist calligraphy paper. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Nice Set
This is a very nice set to add to my existing collection of supplies. I was very happy with the paper and practice sheets included and found the ink to be good quality. The best part is all the pen nibs included though and the oppurtunity to work with a bamboo pen, which I'm new to. I would buy this with a more detailed instructional guide though, cause while the book included had great examples of styles(not to mention the great poster of alphabets) and a wonderful array of project ideas, it lacked somewhat in in-depth instruction.

All around this was a very good buy.

Lettering
This product was everything I expected and more.It gave me different options when it came to style and I enjoyed the fact that it looked like two "real" books. ... Read more

Product Description
The fourteen paintings reviewed in this study chronicle industrial artist Howard L. Worner's interpretation of the steel industry. By employing ethnographic techniques to his art, Worner contributed much to the understanding of the _culture of work._ This book will provide students of art education a better understanding of the genre through artistic ethnography and interpretation, as well as an excellent overview of industrial art. ... Read more

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Accessible to readers-useful to specialists
Much as been written on Michelangelo. By 1970, the number of scholarly books and articles exceeded 4,000, approximately a tenth in English. In the past 25 years, the literature has grown exponentially, with a notable increase in English-language publications. The five-volume series reproduces some 100 articles in English, selected from a broad range of books and journals. The collection is both accessible to the general reader and useful to the specialist, offering a representative sample of old and new commentary on the artist and his work.

The career of a geniusArticles are arranged chronologically with separate volumes covering the artist's early life and works, the Sistine Chapel ceiling, commission associated with San Lorenzo, the tomb of Julius II and other Roman projects, and a final volume devoted to drawings, poetry, and miscellaneous studies. Spanning his entire 89-year life, the articles explore Michelangelo's prodigious creativity as an artist, thinker, and poet. The sheer quantity of what has been written on Michelangelo can be intimidating; most student have little sense of how to approach or effectively utilize the vast literature. By presenting a varied introduction to a great artist, this collection is a handy reference tool for a wide array of topics, problems, and literature.
The articles in this volume examine Michelangelo's activities as draftsman and poet, as well as other aspects of his art and thought.This volume includes inter-disciplinary studies and essays from outside art history , as well as a number of important articles that do not neatly fit into a chronological survey of the artists's life. ... Read more

Product Description
A new series of high-quality blank sketchbooks for graffiti fans and artists. Each sketchbook has a screen printed board cover depicting an exclusive artwork by internationally acclaimed artists: Dalek (USA)Darbotz (Indonesia)Jimi Crayon (UK) and ESOW (Japan). ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
This interactive art-instruction book is one of a series designed for the young artist. It comes complete with built-in easel, eight watercolour paints, a palette for mixing colours, a paintbrush and a drawing pencil. Water is the only additional ingredient required. The spiral-bound book is split into text pages and watercolour paper and contains three starter exercises, offering many topics from dinosaurs to spaceships. The shapes are pre-drawn to encourage young users to learn how to draw them themselves. All subjects include pages that demonstrate finishing touches, and there is a colour-mixing guide to the 42 colours obtainable from the original eight. ... Read more