Sunday, October 31, 2010

Discount Jack and Jill


I've long been a fan of the lesser Louisa May Alcott books and now my daughter has discovered them too. I was pleased to find Jack and Jill available in this handy paperback by an on-demand publisher. My seventh-grade daughter pounced on the book first, in great excitement. It was a bit deflating that there was no book-specific cover art or back cover material--it is a standard, rather ugly cover and the back text advertises the publisher itself. But I guess there's no arguing with that part. Far worse, my daughter found a minefield of typos in the first few pages, which proved very distracting. Then she found that about 1 1/2 pages from 3-4 were repeated verbatim on pages 5-6. She showed me both problems and she was absolutely right: the printing process had gone completely haywire. There was no reason to expect these issues were confined to the first few pages, and we had lost faith in the whole edition. Regretfully, we have sent the book back.

Get more detail about Jack and Jill.

Cheapest Introduction to Algorithms, Third Edition


I used this book as a text when I taught algorithms to computer science majors and the only regret I ever had was that there was not enough time to cover all of it. With over 1,100 pages of material, trying to squeeze it all into one semester was unreasonable. Furthermore, I never had a student complain about the content, although being students, they did complain about the (physical) weight. My students found it readable; the expressions of the algorithms are in mathematical notation and a standard pseudocode. Generally speaking, a background in discrete mathematics, specifically summation notation, is needed throughout. Other necessary material to help in understanding specific sections is graph theory, linear algebra, set theory, combinatorics, probability and number theory.
Choosing an algorithm in theory versus choosing one in practice is often contradictory and that is an occasional point of emphasis in this book. Some algorithms are extremely fast nearly all the time yet incredibly slow in some pathological conditions. Many of my students programmed for an avionics company and their background led to some very informative conversations. In their work, predictability of the speed of execution is often more critical than being fast and some generally fast algorithms are banned.
The breadth of coverage of algorithms is extensive, the chapter headings are:

*) The role of algorithms in computing
*) Getting started
*) Growth of functions
*) Divide-and-conquer
*) Probabilistic analysis and randomized algorithms
*) Heapsort
*) Quicksort
*) Sorting in linear time
*) Medians and order statistics
*) Elementary data structures
*) Hash tables
*) Binary search trees
*) Red-black trees
*) Augmenting data structures
*) Dynamic programming
*) Greedy algorithms
*) Amortized analysis
*) B-trees
*) Fibonacci heaps
*) van Emde Boas trees
*) Data structures for disjoint sets
*) Elementary graph algorithms
*) Minimum spanning trees
*) Single-source shortest paths
*) All-pairs shortest paths
*) Maximum flow
*) Multithreaded algorithms
*) Matrix operations
*) Linear programming
*) Polynomials and the FFT
*) Number-theoretic algorithms
*) String matching
*) Computational geometry
*) NP-completeness
*) Approximation algorithms

The depth of the explanations is great enough that this book can be used as a reference and resource for programmers that need to learn the performance details of an algorithm. Coded implementations of most algorithms are available online but when you need to thoroughly understand an algorithm, if it is found in this book then with effort, it can be understood.
Get more detail about Introduction to Algorithms, Third Edition.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Cheap Discovering Statistics Using SPSS (Introducing Statistical Methods S.) (2nd Edition)


Most stats and SPSS books are incomplete and/or difficult to understand, as if the authors are the keepers of this mysterious knowledge, and it can only be shared in the classroom. This book, however, has everything. The FULL explanation of every type of analysis, what all of the terms mean, step-by-step instructions in SPSS RE: how to run the analysis, with pictures of the windows in SPSS, plus pictures of every output box and a clear explanation of what's in the output. FINALLY! Plus, it's actually a pretty engaging read, with some humor and personal stories to keep your interest. For all that you get, it's an excellent value; high recommended!Get more detail about Discovering Statistics Using SPSS (Introducing Statistical Methods S.) (2nd Edition).

Buying Dreamweaver CS5: The Missing Manual


At over 1000 pages and 27 chapters, 'Dreamweaver CS5: The Missing Manual' by David McFarland is one of the rare books that I can EASILY give a Highest Possible Recommendation for. It has been known for quite some time that Dreamweaver is THE #1 resource for creating a professional web site in the most efficient way possible and with the fewest steps so that you can get your site created with netters surfing to it in the shortest amount of time. Now learn how to use Dreamweaver as efficiently as possible and get a peek at all the newest features in CS5!!

The material contained within is simply staggering: Basics, CSS, Forms, Flash, Automation, Database connectivity, and server-side XML and XSLT, it's all here!!

The Missing Manual is my favorite line of books because of the logical separation of content, the writing, and the design. My only gripe with this book would be the lack of color which could have easily been put in for only a small amount more added to the retail price, but this is not enough to knock my recommendation down. If you use Dreamweaver or want to learn more about what CS5 has to offer, pick this book up TO-DAY!!

***** HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONGet more detail about Dreamweaver CS5: The Missing Manual.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Order Rocket Surgery Made Easy: The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Finding and Fixing Usability Problems


I'll keep it brief (as Steve does) and simply say: If you are reading these reviews then you are in the target audience of this book, and should read it. Even if you've been conducting usability tests for decades, read it. Even if you don't expect to run usability tests, read it. You will learn something.Get more detail about Rocket Surgery Made Easy: The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Finding and Fixing Usability Problems.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Project Management: The Management Process w/ Student CD-ROM(with Microsoft Project 2000) Review


I received the textbook quickly (before the estimated delivery time). It was well-packaged and in superb condition.Get more detail about Project Management: The Management Process w/ Student CD-ROM(with Microsoft Project 2000).

Excel VBA Programming For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)) Top Quality


I`ve been trying to learn VBA for some time and have several books on the
subject. Excel VBA for Dummies is a good reference tool and
an easy read. I think however, the best book I own on Excel
is the old QUE book, Using Excel Visual Basic for Applications
by Elizabeth Boonin. I had started using it first and since
I am only a part-time Excel user I thought another perspective
would help me understand Excel better which the for Dummies book
does. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone just learning
Excel. Mr. Walkenbach makes learning Excel fun and interesting.Get more detail about Excel VBA Programming For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)).

Monday, October 25, 2010

Discovering Statistics Using SPSS (Introducing Statistical Methods S.) (2nd Edition) This instant


Most stats and SPSS books are incomplete and/or difficult to understand, as if the authors are the keepers of this mysterious knowledge, and it can only be shared in the classroom. This book, however, has everything. The FULL explanation of every type of analysis, what all of the terms mean, step-by-step instructions in SPSS RE: how to run the analysis, with pictures of the windows in SPSS, plus pictures of every output box and a clear explanation of what's in the output. FINALLY! Plus, it's actually a pretty engaging read, with some humor and personal stories to keep your interest. For all that you get, it's an excellent value; high recommended!Get more detail about Discovering Statistics Using SPSS (Introducing Statistical Methods S.) (2nd Edition).

QuickBooks 2010 For Dummies Immediately


I ordered this book along with my software for backup support. I love the -for Dummies books and this one is no exception. I rely on them when I have a question or get stuck. It came very quickly and in good shape. I would recommend getting this book when you have the QuickBooks 2010 software.Get more detail about QuickBooks 2010 For Dummies.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Sanctuary Get it now!


"Sanctuary" is a novella by Edith Wharton, published in 1903. From what I have read, the plot did not cause any surprises at the time, but today the story seems rather unusual. It is a story which deals with ethics, morality, and family honor. While there is nothing particularly unusual in that, some of the choices made by the main character, Kate, seem rather drastic today, and one has a difficult time imagining that any woman today would make similar choices. The story is divided into two parts.

In the first part, we get to know Kate Orme, a woman who is engaged to Denis Payton. She is a woman who has been sheltered from the realities of the world, and comes to learn of an unpleasant situation involving Arthur, Denis' half-brother after he has passed on. Through learning about the situation and how Arthur's family handles it, Kate is upset with Denis and pushes him to do the moral thing. Arthur mother comes to talk with her, and Kate learns that it isn't just Denis who is willing to protect the family name regardless of the act. Lastly, she learns from her own father that scandal's have been covered up in her own family. After a bit of soul-searching, Kate comes to the conclusion that the most moral thing for her to do is to marry Denis so that she can try to remove the character taint which his yet to be conceived son have. This decision appears to be very unusual and it is doubtful that anyone today would reason in such a way. Kate also seems to ignore that she herself must be tainted since her own father and family also has displayed moral weakness.

Part two picks up several years later. We learn that Denis passed on when their son, Dick was young, and that he squandered most of their money. We also learn that Kate has put her own interests aside to get Dick the best education she can. Dick is starting his career and an ethical dilemma arises which has Kate worried. She is suspicious of the motives of those around Dick, and becomes worried that he is making the wrong choice. Everything seems to be pushing him towards the wrong path, and the similarities between his reaction and that of his father Denis when he was trying to hide the truth from her are readily apparent.

It will likely be difficult for many modern-day readers to understand the motivation of Kate in this story, but that is due to changes in our society, and not a flaw in the book itself. Nevertheless, I don't think this book is quite as good as Edith Wharton's previously published works and so I round this one down to three stars. It is still worth reading, especially for those who enjoy her other works, but it isn't quite as accessible.
Get more detail about Sanctuary.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Professional ASP.NET MVC 2 Buy Now


I just purchased this book via the kindle store. It is pretty good. However, as someone who has been doing RoR development, the definition of models is pretty clear. But when it comes to ASP.NET MVC the definition of models get little bit blurry. I would expected to see a dedicated chapter for Model where it shows the best practices and how to use them in various scenarios (the book has dedicated chapters for Controller and View)Get more detail about Professional ASP.NET MVC 2.

Professional Application Lifecycle Management with Visual Studio 2010 (Wrox Programmer to Programmer) Order Now


Customers and clients have asked me for years, "Is there a book that covers all this?". To date, my response was, "Not really. Check out these blogs..." Well not anymore. This book offers a tremendous baseline of TFS/VS 2010 information. I buy it for all my clients-at the onset of any 2010 implementation. Sure, you'll need to consult other resources to drill deep on specific areas but this book delivers a well-thought and congruent overview.Get more detail about Professional Application Lifecycle Management with Visual Studio 2010 (Wrox Programmer to Programmer).

Friday, October 22, 2010

Introduction to Algorithms, Third Edition Decide Now


I used this book as a text when I taught algorithms to computer science majors and the only regret I ever had was that there was not enough time to cover all of it. With over 1,100 pages of material, trying to squeeze it all into one semester was unreasonable. Furthermore, I never had a student complain about the content, although being students, they did complain about the (physical) weight. My students found it readable; the expressions of the algorithms are in mathematical notation and a standard pseudocode. Generally speaking, a background in discrete mathematics, specifically summation notation, is needed throughout. Other necessary material to help in understanding specific sections is graph theory, linear algebra, set theory, combinatorics, probability and number theory.
Choosing an algorithm in theory versus choosing one in practice is often contradictory and that is an occasional point of emphasis in this book. Some algorithms are extremely fast nearly all the time yet incredibly slow in some pathological conditions. Many of my students programmed for an avionics company and their background led to some very informative conversations. In their work, predictability of the speed of execution is often more critical than being fast and some generally fast algorithms are banned.
The breadth of coverage of algorithms is extensive, the chapter headings are:

*) The role of algorithms in computing
*) Getting started
*) Growth of functions
*) Divide-and-conquer
*) Probabilistic analysis and randomized algorithms
*) Heapsort
*) Quicksort
*) Sorting in linear time
*) Medians and order statistics
*) Elementary data structures
*) Hash tables
*) Binary search trees
*) Red-black trees
*) Augmenting data structures
*) Dynamic programming
*) Greedy algorithms
*) Amortized analysis
*) B-trees
*) Fibonacci heaps
*) van Emde Boas trees
*) Data structures for disjoint sets
*) Elementary graph algorithms
*) Minimum spanning trees
*) Single-source shortest paths
*) All-pairs shortest paths
*) Maximum flow
*) Multithreaded algorithms
*) Matrix operations
*) Linear programming
*) Polynomials and the FFT
*) Number-theoretic algorithms
*) String matching
*) Computational geometry
*) NP-completeness
*) Approximation algorithms

The depth of the explanations is great enough that this book can be used as a reference and resource for programmers that need to learn the performance details of an algorithm. Coded implementations of most algorithms are available online but when you need to thoroughly understand an algorithm, if it is found in this book then with effort, it can be understood.
Get more detail about Introduction to Algorithms, Third Edition.

Sanctuary Right now


"Sanctuary" is a novella by Edith Wharton, published in 1903. From what I have read, the plot did not cause any surprises at the time, but today the story seems rather unusual. It is a story which deals with ethics, morality, and family honor. While there is nothing particularly unusual in that, some of the choices made by the main character, Kate, seem rather drastic today, and one has a difficult time imagining that any woman today would make similar choices. The story is divided into two parts.

In the first part, we get to know Kate Orme, a woman who is engaged to Denis Payton. She is a woman who has been sheltered from the realities of the world, and comes to learn of an unpleasant situation involving Arthur, Denis' half-brother after he has passed on. Through learning about the situation and how Arthur's family handles it, Kate is upset with Denis and pushes him to do the moral thing. Arthur mother comes to talk with her, and Kate learns that it isn't just Denis who is willing to protect the family name regardless of the act. Lastly, she learns from her own father that scandal's have been covered up in her own family. After a bit of soul-searching, Kate comes to the conclusion that the most moral thing for her to do is to marry Denis so that she can try to remove the character taint which his yet to be conceived son have. This decision appears to be very unusual and it is doubtful that anyone today would reason in such a way. Kate also seems to ignore that she herself must be tainted since her own father and family also has displayed moral weakness.

Part two picks up several years later. We learn that Denis passed on when their son, Dick was young, and that he squandered most of their money. We also learn that Kate has put her own interests aside to get Dick the best education she can. Dick is starting his career and an ethical dilemma arises which has Kate worried. She is suspicious of the motives of those around Dick, and becomes worried that he is making the wrong choice. Everything seems to be pushing him towards the wrong path, and the similarities between his reaction and that of his father Denis when he was trying to hide the truth from her are readily apparent.

It will likely be difficult for many modern-day readers to understand the motivation of Kate in this story, but that is due to changes in our society, and not a flaw in the book itself. Nevertheless, I don't think this book is quite as good as Edith Wharton's previously published works and so I round this one down to three stars. It is still worth reading, especially for those who enjoy her other works, but it isn't quite as accessible.
Get more detail about Sanctuary.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Lowest Price The Little Mac Book, Snow Leopard Edition


If you're a Mac user this Snow Leopard version is a waste, you'll learn nothing. I feel ripped off.Get more detail about The Little Mac Book, Snow Leopard Edition.

Low Price Professional ASP.NET MVC 2


I just purchased this book via the kindle store. It is pretty good. However, as someone who has been doing RoR development, the definition of models is pretty clear. But when it comes to ASP.NET MVC the definition of models get little bit blurry. I would expected to see a dedicated chapter for Model where it shows the best practices and how to use them in various scenarios (the book has dedicated chapters for Controller and View)Get more detail about Professional ASP.NET MVC 2.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Save Learning PHP, MySQL, and JavaScript: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Dynamic Websites (Animal Guide)


decent book. covers the basics of php, sql and javascript. goes into a great deal on security and logins, which is good. the author doesn't get too wordy, and sticks with covering the main points instead of ranting about nonsense like some other books i've read from oreilly. this alone gives it 5 stars as you can actually learn something from it besides being bored to death reading paragraph after paragraph about the author's grandmother and then trying to tie that into what the actual book is about... >_<

i got this book hoping it would be php focused, and cover the interactions of php and mysql/javascript. unfortunately, what it covers is the basics of php, sql and javascript, trying to teach you each on its own. having already known sql and javascript, i skipped a lot of this book. also there's some stuff on yui and html forms, which i find unnecessary. the templates section could have been longer... also, as a heads up, it just covers the sql language, instead of focusing on mysql specifics, which was a disappointment.

good if you want to learn all three, not good if you just want it for php...Get more detail about Learning PHP, MySQL, and JavaScript: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Dynamic Websites (Animal Guide).

Discount Blueprints in Pediatrics


Great product, a little more highlighting than was described, but in great condition nonetheless. thanks!Get more detail about Blueprints in Pediatrics.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Cheapest Pro Android 2


Attempting to get the first meaningfull example program, listing-15.1 to compile, was unsucessfull in over 4 weeks trying.
Book was; Pro Android 2 from Apress publisher

Email contact for any of the authors is unavailable, which I find unacceptable. Most authors post their email contact address in their books. This seems to be a problem when multiple authores are involved.

My email to the publisher went unanswered.Get more detail about Pro Android 2.

Cheap The Dhammapada


This book is full of timeless truths and wisdom. It's beauty lies in it's simplicity. You just can't put a price on that. Highly recommended!Get more detail about The Dhammapada.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Buying Agile Estimating and Planning


After having read many books on agile software development, this is the book that finally made the entire system hang together for me. Cohn walks through all of the various aspects of agile planning, providing reasoning about why various approaches are taken as well as how to go about executing them. While the flow of the book can be a bit jarring at times, jumping from one topic to a seemingly unrelated one between chapters, I still came away from the book with a much better understanding of the end-to-end agile planning process.

The book only briefly covers multi-team planning so further reading regarding this may be warranted if you have that need. There are also sections of the book that gloss over some rather large topics (Kano studies, as an example) but the light coverage and accompanied references can lead to jumping off points for those who want more information. A few sections do contain essentially throw-away recommendations (such as the section on task breakdown of stories) but such sections are often in areas that real-world teams will have experience anyhow so it wasn't a big detractor for me. Lastly, if you're looking for advice on running an agile process with a distributed (off-shore) team, this book doesn't touch on any of those challenges.

As with most books on agile, this book carries on the tradition of focusing solely on the people processes without any recognition that certain *engineering* processes or practices (test-driven, continuous integration, etc) are necessary for long-term sustainability of an agile process. This is my number one complaint with all agile process books, and I've yet to find one that states, let alone defines, a certain level of software engineering organizational maturity is necessary before embarking on an agile process.

Despite these few drawbacks, this book did succeed in finally making the entire agile planning process click for me personally. After reading several of Ken Schwaber's books on the same topic I understood agile in the abstract but this book really brought it all together into a cohesive, pragmatic approach for me.Get more detail about Agile Estimating and Planning.

Buy Losing It, and Gaining My Life Back One Pound at a Time [With Earbuds] (Playaway Adult Nonfiction)


This was an interesting look at Valerie Bertinelli's rise to stardom, and very interesting mix of her life story and the correlation between her life and her eating habits and weight. I thought it made sense she intertwine her weight struggle with her life story, since in reality life is what makes us eat, and for some, like myself, we eat due to what life dishes out (no pun intended). I enjoyed this look into her life, and her inspiring story about losing weight.Get more detail about Losing It, and Gaining My Life Back One Pound at a Time [With Earbuds] (Playaway Adult Nonfiction).

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Purchase Losing It, and Gaining My Life Back One Pound at a Time [With Earbuds] (Playaway Adult Nonfiction)


This was an interesting look at Valerie Bertinelli's rise to stardom, and very interesting mix of her life story and the correlation between her life and her eating habits and weight. I thought it made sense she intertwine her weight struggle with her life story, since in reality life is what makes us eat, and for some, like myself, we eat due to what life dishes out (no pun intended). I enjoyed this look into her life, and her inspiring story about losing weight.Get more detail about Losing It, and Gaining My Life Back One Pound at a Time [With Earbuds] (Playaway Adult Nonfiction).

Order Apple Training Series: Mac OS X Support Essentials v10.6: A Guide to Supporting and Troubleshooting Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard


Fast, efficient service and a good price to boot. Need the book for Apple Certification so price and speed were the main purchasing factors. There is no other comparable book.Get more detail about Apple Training Series: Mac OS X Support Essentials v10.6: A Guide to Supporting and Troubleshooting Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture


This is required reading if you are doing enterprise development. Even for it's age, POEAA is still THE foundation of the patterns that will be used daily. Some of the material, particularly the object-relational mapping patterns, will be a little to low-level to actually be practically useful (considering the existing frameworks available today) - but still it provides a good background on how this stuff actually works. That is - you probably won't need to implement your own Unit Of Work, but it's still essential that you understand the motivations of the pattern and the problems it solves.Get more detail about Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture.

Adobe InDesign CS5 Classroom in a Book Review


As usual Adobe's Classroom in a book series is the best. If you are new to Adobe, this series of books will take you from being a beginner to havein experience using most of the software's functions. If you then follow this book's training and use the skills presented within the book you will most likely develope the skills of an intermediate user. There are 14 lessons included in the book and one bonus lesson on the disk for a total of 15 lessons. The book is virtually the same as the CS4 version except it was updated to include the new tools that come with CS5. Therefore, if you are familiar with Indesign CS4 you could simply go to the Adobe website and pick up the skills for CS5. We have both versions and did not mind getting the new book because we like the lessons having the CS5 features already built in for our new people that need to learn the software. The bottom line: the Adobe Classroom in a book series is the best training series of manuals we have ever seen and we have been in the business of computer aided development for over 30 years.Get more detail about Adobe InDesign CS5 Classroom in a Book.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Magic Lantern Guides: Canon EOS 7D Top Quality


This book is essentially a more reading-friendly companion to the camera manual. The camera manual can be a very dry read, while this converts it into a narrative style with some very useful points thrown in for those who are not veterans of DSLR photography. That said, it basically chugs through each functionality of the camera, just like a manual would, without necessarily grouping different related features within the context of a photographic theme. I doubt one would carry this instead of the camera manual which is smaller and more specific once they are familiar with the camera.

In comparison, I assume the Canon EOS 7D Digital Field Guide approaches it from the photography standpoint, i.e., you'd pick up a topic like macro photography, discuss the fundamentals and all the settings pertaining to that style of photography (I don't have this guide for the 7D, but I do have ones for older Rebel XT & 40D based on which I make this assumption). But it won't necessarily go into the level of detail this book does.

So which one is better? It depends on what you are looking for. If you are absolutely new to DSLR photography, I would go with the Canon EOS 7D Digital Field Guide. If you are a DSLR pro and just looking for a quick start on the 7D, read specific topics in the manual! If you are somewhere in between, go ahead and give this a try - it is likely to be pretty useful for the price.Get more detail about Magic Lantern Guides: Canon EOS 7D.

The Kindle 2 Cookbook: How To Do Everything the Manual Doesn't Tell You (Alternate ASIN) This instant


You will learn everything the manual tells you by visiting message boards on the amazon kindle site. There is nothing in this book you need to know that you won't find in the manual or on the website.Get more detail about The Kindle 2 Cookbook: How To Do Everything the Manual Doesn't Tell You (Alternate ASIN).

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Queen Lucia Best Quality


The plotting & manuvering to achieve one's goals would do do justice to a mystery! Yet it is just everyday life in this village. Had not read this for many years and found I enjoyed it just as much this time around. Well worth reading.Get more detail about Queen Lucia.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Canon EOS 7D Digital Field Guide Get it now!


This was a VERY excellent companion to go with my new camera, and I am very happy I purchased this guide. I read it all the way through while trying out all the tips and tricks during reading, and really learned quite a bit. This was not my first DSLR, but I still learned a things that are very helpful. And what's also great is that the author wrote in many of her own opinions on certain topics, and while I didn't always agree, it was nice to read about and be aware of. I recommend this guide to ALL Canon 7D camera owners.Get more detail about Canon EOS 7D Digital Field Guide.

Quicken 2010 The Official Guide (Quicken Press) Buy Now


As a long time user of Quicken I thought I did not need to the buy the 2010 Quicken Official Guide book. My previous Quicken was the 2003 version and I really liked and used it daily but decided I needed to upgrade to the 2010 version. While I know my way around Quicken 2010 as it is user friendly I still found so much valuable information in the guide and would recommend it to anyone.Get more detail about Quicken 2010 The Official Guide (Quicken Press).

Monday, October 11, 2010

Internet Riches: The Simple Money-Making Secrets of Online Millionaires Order Now


This is a wonderful book, full of great information for anyone wanting to get involved in internet marketing, and for those already involved. I would recommend Internet Riches: The Simple Money-Making Secrets of Online Millionaires to anyone interested in making money online and being able to quit their real "job"!Get more detail about Internet Riches: The Simple Money-Making Secrets of Online Millionaires.

Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code Decide Now


I bought this book in 2004 and have read most of it multiple times. This is not a how to write code book, it's a how to write and rewrite code well book.

Frankly, the reason I bought this book was because Kent Beck was a co-author. His book "Smalltalk Best Practice Patterns" is a classic, even though it is tough to read. Beck knows software development from practical experience, not only theoretical concepts.

I've been programming for 35 years, and this book reaffirmed what I had learned from working on many projects, writing many tens of thousands lines of code, and maintaining millions of lines of code. Write tiny methods. Each method should do one thing and do it well. Avoid duplicate code for many reasons.

I practice the principles in this book everyday. If you understand and practice them too, you will be a better software developer.

Get more detail about Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

CCNA Portable Command Guide (2nd Edition) Right now


I took some cisco network academy classes. This book is a great tool in remembering on the "how to do commands." You can also just go though the chapters and learn how to create vlans, configure routers, and other protocals. I used this book to practice on Packet Tracer(program from the cisco network academy class). This book gives brief explinations so you won't be an expert with just this thin book, but it will help you understand what you are doing in each step. It was easier going though with this book on how to configure routers and switches, than the texbook my cisco academy class.

Get more detail about CCNA Portable Command Guide (2nd Edition).

Lowest Price Excel 2003 for Dummies


This is a great book for quick answers. The book was in perfect condition.Get more detail about Excel 2003 for Dummies.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Low Price The Hot Shoe Diaries: Big Light from Small Flashes


The book is awesome. Buy it!

But, there is one *very important* difference between how exposure modes on Canon & Nikon work, that McNally doesn't mention. On p. 12, he write "The camera EV is an exposure-wide adjustment. If you program underexposure into the scene, then you're programming underexposure into the flash as well." This is *not* the case on Canon.

On Nikon: the camera EV and flash EV are indeed linked: lowering the camera EV lowers the flash output. So, to highlight the foreground, you go -2 EV on the camera, +2 EV on the flash (e.g., p. 34, p. 61, and many many photos in the book).

But on Canon, this is *not true*: the camera EV and flash EV are independent. Dropping the camera EV drops the ambient exposure, but keeps the flash output the same! So to do the same as above on Canon, you want to do -2 EV on the camera, and leave the flash at 0 EV. If you do what McNally says, you'll end up over-flashing your subject on Canon.

This difference is *not* well documented, but you can find some more info on it at Canon's web page -- Google for "Canon EOS speedlite system tips" and click on the tips by photographer Stephen Wilkes, and there are a lot of sample photos for how this works. Neither system is better or worse -- but you do need to be aware of the differences!Get more detail about The Hot Shoe Diaries: Big Light from Small Flashes.

Save slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations


If you've ever watched a power point presentation and thought: Geez, why does this suck so much? or if you've ever created your own powerpoint presentation just to watch the audience doze off in front of you, you have GOT TO buy this book!

This isn't a how-to book of powerpoint creation, so don't expect to learn how to master Microsoft Powerpoint. It does teach you how to build a presentation that is compelling, appealing, emotional and powerful. It shows you how to make the powerpoint accompany YOUR message rather than make you a replaceable reader of the powerpoint being displayed.

If you do powerpoint presentations on regular basis, make the small investment of money and a larger investment of time to read, absorb and implement the tools that this book gives you. I've already recommended the book to all of my colleagues and am buying a copy for each member of my team!Get more detail about slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Discount The Prince and Betty


This American version of _The Prince and Betty_ is a combination and mutilation of the original English version (which now seems unobtainable) and _Psmith, Journalist_. The English original might be worth reading, as is _Psmith, Journalist_; but I don't see any reason for anyone but a Wodehouse completist to read this mishmash. Wodehouse didn't even take the opportunity to remove the glaring dei ex machinæ from the plot, and some aspects (e.g., [P]smith's inconsistent characterization) make sense only if you know their origin in an attempt to reconcile the unreconcilable. Some amusement is to be had, however, from the sheer incongruity, e.g., [P]smith as an alumnus of Harvard and (mild spoiler) a jailbird.Get more detail about The Prince and Betty.

Cheapest The Prince and Betty


This American version of _The Prince and Betty_ is a combination and mutilation of the original English version (which now seems unobtainable) and _Psmith, Journalist_. The English original might be worth reading, as is _Psmith, Journalist_; but I don't see any reason for anyone but a Wodehouse completist to read this mishmash. Wodehouse didn't even take the opportunity to remove the glaring dei ex machinæ from the plot, and some aspects (e.g., [P]smith's inconsistent characterization) make sense only if you know their origin in an attempt to reconcile the unreconcilable. Some amusement is to be had, however, from the sheer incongruity, e.g., [P]smith as an alumnus of Harvard and (mild spoiler) a jailbird.Get more detail about The Prince and Betty.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Cheap The Design of Design: Essays from a Computer Scientist


In 1989 I started a new kind of software company, and considering that I had no financial, business, nor management experience, things went fairly well. Indeed, we doubled revenue every year for the first five years and grew from 3 people to more than 60. Somewhere along the line we hit our first real management crisis, and I was given the assignment to read The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering, Anniversary Edition (2nd Edition) as a first step in understanding why our scheduling and deliverables process had become so protracted and precarious.

It was an eye opener, and it gave me my first real understanding of the fundamental limits of the industrial model. (Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals was the second, and perhaps even more profound.) Thus, when I discovered that Brooks had written a new book to treat one of my favorite new topics--Design--I decided to order it right away. Then, while it was sitting in my shopping cart, I read through some of the comments, and though several of them spread doubt about the quality or validity of this latest effort, I decided that I would risk the purchase. And I am glad I did.

I recently gave a four star review to another book on the topic of design: Roger Martin's latest book The Design of Business: Why Design Thinking is the Next Competitive Advantage. I felt bad about doing so because there is so much to like about that book and so much I appreciate about Martin's teachings. But the book did not strike me as one the best possible treatment of the subject, so I gave it only four stars. By that measure, I'm giving The Design of Design: Essays from a Computer Scientist a full five-star rating because I believe he has met that criteria. His writing is economical, elegant, accessible, and authoritative. His stance is earnest and authentic. His examples are relevant and essential. And his topic is absolutely vital to the proper construction of our 21st century economy.

This is a book I will have to buy in bulk, and to give to the many people I meet in my daily work who need the conceptual reboot that it provides. I recommend it to anyone who needs or produces creative work in these early days of the 21st century, whether in the public, private, or academic sectors.Get more detail about The Design of Design: Essays from a Computer Scientist.

Buying Photographing Children Photo Workshop: Develop Your Digital Photography Talent


This is a GREAT book about photographing children. I have read many photography books in the past few months and this one is by far the best. It has made such a difference already in how I photograph my daughter.Get more detail about Photographing Children Photo Workshop: Develop Your Digital Photography Talent.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Buy Phantasmagoria and Other Poems


I love Lewis Carroll's work, but sometimes I just have no freaking clue what he's talking about. I experienced this sensation of vagueness a few times during my reading of the Sylvie and Bruno books, but I felt it most while reading some of the poems in Phantasmagoria.

But what I could understand I really enjoyed. I really loved Hiawatha's Photographing, Melancholetta, Size and Tears, and The Lang Coortin', although some of these poems have strangely inconclusive endings. It's interesting to see Carroll's last poem in this book, Fame's Penny Trumpet, where he's really, really mad at academic big-wigs.

Make sure you read Alice before even attempting to read this.Get more detail about Phantasmagoria and Other Poems.

Purchase Confessions of a Public Speaker


Insightful, engaging, funny and practical, this book gets the balance exactly right. Confessions of a Public Speaker is easy to read, in fact I struggled to put it down, full of funny but helpful stories and heaps of tips that anyone can start applying straight away. Scott clearly knows what he is talking about and has a humility about his writing that makes him easy to take advice from. I recommend this book to anyone that wants to open their mouth in a public space.Get more detail about Confessions of a Public Speaker.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Order The GRE Test For Dummies (Gre Cat for Dummies)


Very helpful review for the GRE and it does a good job introducing you to the exam which is nice if you don't really know what it's about to begin with. It really breaks down the questions and gives a thorough explanation for each answer choice. This book works best with other study tools though like flash cards and the princeton review website along with looking up common lists of vocabulary words you are likely to find on the exam that you will have to research on your own. If you are just beginning to read about the GRE then this is a great way to get acquainted with the exam and what you will be up against. Does a great job preparing you and isn't too difficult to get through. Only thing I would change is the math section. Unlike most people I am more concerned with the writing and reading sections because usually I am great at math and understand it. However this book's approach is that you are familiar with or at least have seen most of the problems and formulas used to tackle each question. You will encounter an entire chapter of just formulas and equations that you will need to remember or at least go back and review before reaching a practice question. I think it would have been better to put a practice section or test questions right after a couple of these formulas instead of just putting them all together back-to-back. Otherwise it will give you the tools you need to study.Get more detail about The GRE Test For Dummies (Gre Cat for Dummies).