4 comments about Writing for Animation, Comics, and Games.

1. This book is about writing, but it's also an insider's view to the industry. I give it five stars because it's clear and to the point, it covers a lot of ground, because the author's years of experience in the business shows.
   
   People think that being creative is about inspiration, some magical wand beaming an endless stream of imagination to your brain. Maybe it is, but the author shows it's mostly hard work. She is clear in telling that professional writing and storytelling should be a careful, considered process and it's best to follow the footsteps of experienced professionals.
   
   Having worked with Flash animation for a long time, as an employee and a freelancer, I have to agree it's a tough job. You have to work along with a team, accept criticism lightly and then deliver some amazing jaw dropping stuff!
   
   The book is not about developing ideas for scripts or coming up with some formula for characters, plots etc. It is about the day-by-day practice: how to format your script, deadlines, teamwork, resources etc etc.
   
   She shows what professionals - bosses and co-workers- expect from a writer, what are the standards and common practices in each of the three areas. That's a lot of information! And priceless.
   
   I love it because it helped me build up a method for work that is more productive and to the point and to bring more focus to the decision making involved in the creative work, specially animation and comics.



2. Transmedia storytelling is one of the big new buzzworthy concepts right now, as evidenced by the multiple-media narrative campaigns of HEROES, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, FIREFLY/SERENITY, TRANSFORMERS, THE MATRIX, and so on. Although she doesn't explicitly use the term 'transmedia', Christy Marx has written a sort of proto-primer for writers looking to tell stories across multiple media. Being able to understand the basics of writing for each media type goes a long way towards understanding how to tell a story using each of those multiple forms. That the book is both very well-written and an entertaining read are added bonuses. Highly recommended!



3. This is the best compilation of *practical* information for the business of writing that I've seen yet. It is very well organized and just about every piece of knowledge in there is indispensable. It helped connect a lot of dots for me that I had gleaned elsewhere but sometimes without the proper context. Most books touch on one or two things really well, but Ms. Marx's book is the best overall "primer" out there.
   
   Although I already have a number of writing credits, I'm still really just starting out and I found the book very helpful. The information helped validate some of the things I'm doing and also give a little more direction for the future.
   
   If you're interested in writing for any of the three fields, the book is worth buying. If you are interested in more than one, then you can't pass it up under any circumstances. Highly recommended.



4. More than a few years ago, I had the extremely good fortune to be mentored in the art of animation writing by Christy Marx, who told it like it was about the biz and taught me all about the basics in great detail. Now a professional myself with credits as an animation production coordinator and writer, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book. Not only does it cover all the ground she taught me about animation writing with the same depth and care, it takes on comics and videogames, two mediums which have become more and more intertwined with animation over the last two decades -- something which is taken into account throughout the book. Whether you're trying to figure out if any or all of this areas are for you, or just looking for a better understanding of the business, this is an excellent primer.

No comments about Hotel and Restaurant Design No. 2.

2 comments about Structure Systems.

1. This is ASTRONOMICALLY THE BEST architectural structures book of all time!! This is the second book for a serious architecture student or architect to buy after Deplazes' foundation book. My structures education was so frustrating because it was not VISUAL. I longed for a book like this 20 years ago!! But better than I could have ever imagined, this book is intensely visual, almost no numbers, instead an encyclopedic catalogue of structural spanning options in a maniacally ordered logic, drawn with a sweet German version of Ching's style. Just skimming this book several times will aquaint you with the logic, the systems, the options, and the breathtaking possibilities this great book throws at your feet. "Take that", it says, "and go do something great!"



2. This is almost the only graphically illustrated book on structural principles for architect.
   
   Most of the structure book concentrate on calculation which are more important to structural engineer than to architect. However, this book put emphasis on structural principals and structural typology. The author uses very clear drawn illustration + table + text to illustrate different structural types.
   
   This is a helpful resources if readers are architects interesting in structural design. The book could be more complete if real building examples are illustrated together with the diagrams.

5 comments about Harnessing Microstation V8 (MicroStation).

1. I'm not new to MicroStation; however I've never been formally trained either. Learning on the job with the aide of those around me helped me get up to speed fairly quickly since I was guided into using the commands that I immediately needed. But there has always been a thought in the back of my mind as to what I'm missing, so I purchased this book (along with several others), and I'm very happy that I did. It's a good reference guide and I've learned some things that I wasn't aware of and gained some better insight into the software. The only drawback is that being a book about a graphical software package there could be more screen shots to go along with the nice `meaty' descriptions.



2. as for my education dealling with microstation, i was self taught. the book, "harnessing microstation v8", what i have read so far was a great help to me, seeing that i only worked with microstation j. there newer things in v8 that the book shows. had the book for about 2 months now and i only got to read it for a week. the cadd manage has had it for the rest of the time and he been finding it very useful.



3. This book explains every commands in Microstation, has pictures of every dialog boxes there are and the exercises inside the CD will take you step by step through everything cover in the chapter. A very good book to learn at home by yourself. Recommend for AutoCAD or beginning user.



4. I am fairly familiar with AutoCAD but was pretty lost when it came to Microstation. I found this book very helpful to get me up to speed in Mictrostation. With the background I had in AutoCAD I quickly got through most of this book. I spent about 3 days in the book and feel pretty comfortable with the nuts and bolts of Microstation.



5. Looking to train our user base as part of our V8 migration, we conducted a quick study of the available published books on V8. Bentley's own supplied course material are fine as workbooks, but not much use otherwise and no doubt are gathering dust on many shelves the world over.

   Having compared _Harnessing MicroStation_ to _Inside MicroStation_ (by Frank Conforti) we eventually decided to purchase this book in bulk for our students.

   In spite of annoyances (like the awful typography and relative lack of reader-friendly illustrations) this is a book which is much more thorough in its treatment of Bentley's flagship new version, and will be of better long-term value to CAD professionals.

No comments about Residential Design Using AutoCAD 2009.

No comments about Warehouse Management: Automation and Organisation of Warehouse and Order Picking Systems (Intralogistik).

5 comments about Exercise Workbook for Beginning Autocad 2006: With 30-day Trial Version on Cd-rom (Exercise Workbook for Beginning AutoCAD).

1. I went back to College at the age of 62. I am working on my Building Cons-
   truction Degree. I was taking two CAD courses. But the book that was being
   used was 2 1/2" thick, and weighed 4 lbs. It was extremely hard to follow
   and hard to learn even basic commands from. Then I found Auto Cad Pocket
   Referance, by Cheryl R. Shrock. I purchased that first, it helped me finish my two CAD courses. I then purchased Auto Cad Begining. I am using
   this to hone and keep my Auto Cad skills up to date. I highly recommend
   this and all other works by Cheryl R. Shrock. For being easy to use, and
   learn from. If you want to learn a complicated process these are the books
   to use. Because they make it simple. I give it 100 STARS.



2. I GOT AN EXCELLENT SERVICE. THE BOOK ARRIVED ON TIME. PRETTY GOOD SERVICE.



3. so i got this book for a class but it is so self-explanitory who needs a teacher!!!!!!!
   
   this book is great and honestly...if u want to learn auto-cad this is the book to get!!!



4. It is a book that is well made. The CD helps understand.



5. This is one of the best books on AutoCad I have ever used.
   I thought Acad was difficult but this book made it so easy.
   And it doesn't have a lot of stuff to read. Short and to the point. And it has examples and exercises.
   I bought the advanced book also. It is great too.
   I suggest this book for anyone new to AutoCAD.
   Trust me ....it's not hard after all.

No comments about Mastering AutoCAD Civil 3D 2009 (Mastering).

5 comments about The New Cottage Home: A Tour of Unique American Dwellings.

1. I thought it was a little dated for being called "New cottage homes". I know some of the houses built and they were built over 13 years ago. So not so "new" if you know what I mean. If you buy it I am sure you will understand.



2. Some books you love and race right through them. This one I loved so much I dawdled over every page, scrutinized the photos, and extracted every bit of info I could from the written descriptions.
   I pictured myself curled up on the windowseat reading a book. I imagined walking through the woods to my camp cottage, or lounging in the adirondack chair on the porch with an ocean view. This book will fuel any dreams you have of owning a second home, a special retreat from the real world.
   The cottages are grouped into these categories:
   *Cottages by the water
   *Cottages of the forest and mountains
   *Cottages in the field
   *Cottages in town
   The final section covers designing the cottage home (26 pages).
   Each cottage gets 4 to 6 pages. The book describes the owners' vision and tells how the architect created their dream cottage. It might be 500 sq. ft. or 2,000 sq. ft. but each vacation home is a pleasure to view. Besides numerous color photos, there's a floor plan for each cottage. These combine with the descriptive text to give a pretty good picture of each home.
   Savor this book. Even if you never have a cottage, you can dream.



3. the used bookstore wouldn't even want this rubbish- about 5 pages of decent information. it's all coffee table fluff and I don't drink coffee- Boo



4. This book is great if you want gables and a structure with more character but more expensive. I am looking for simple structures. I do like the book a lot.



5. As an avid cottage fan, and living in one while designing a new one to build for myself which is even more zen and simple, I found this book to be one of the best books on cottages around. Although I also admit what was considered a cottage when my place was built someone hundred years ago and what is considered a cottage in 2006 is around five square feet more in size.
   
   Of course I am a purest and go by what my dictionary says a cottage is which is 1 : the dwelling of a farm laborer or small farmer 2 : a usually small frame one-family house. Small being reduced in size. So I was surprised that on page 112 they show a French Hunting Lodge from the Pacific Northwest. Not a cottage at all.
   
   What does make this good sized book useful for anyone looking for ideas on cottage styles is the vast array of examples given. From the coastline of Maine to the San Juan Island of Washington State, to rural Kansas to Massachusetts to favorite areas here in California.
   
   And wonderful examples of simple to elaborate. One of my favorites because of its really simple zen style is the Pumphouse on pages 52-59 on San Juan Island in Washington State that was made into a smooth lined, all in one cottage which I and other minimalists would love to own. Or the wonderful Salvage Yard cottage in Franklin County, Kansas on page 156-161 that would fit in just about anywhere where clean lines and environmental desires are important.
   
   There is even an off the grid cottage and some communities of nothing but cottages like those on Lopez Island in Washington State beginning on page 196, where the cottages are part of a land trust that was set up to allow people on moderate incomes to build small abodes with common greenbelt areas in and area where expensive homes were/are the norm. Heck, this made the book worth the price in itself.
   
   Each cottage is shown inside and out complete with basic blueprints of each cottage so one can see how the space sits and works. The photography and text meld well and makes this a book that is hard to put down.

2 comments about Just Enough AutoCAD 2007.

1. Just Enough AutoCAD 2007 is an excellent purchase. It does just what it's title entails, it give the user just enough information on the use of autocad to give them a fairly decent jumping off point. It is extremely easy to use and read and offers a more inexpensive way of finding out what you need to know/



2. I have not used my high school drafting lessons since 1968, when I last attended Maricosta College in California. The computer was not very popular in that field, at the time, and now that it is, working with it is interesting and rewarding.
   Auto Cad makes it simple, easy, and quick, to produce drawings from specifications. The T-Square and Drawing Board, are truely things of the past; and the protractor,compass and various other devices used for measureing angles, are very neatly displayed in the configuration of the program itself.
   sylvspst@aol.com
   01/06/2007