Customer Reviews (6)

Total TV for the baby boomer generation
As a baby-boomer I've always had an interest in television. I mean, in my case it's pretty much all I remember. Two reviews I read intrigued me and so I bought a copy of THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF 20TH CENTURY AMERICAN TELEVISION.
David M. Lisa in his Library Journal review of Feb. 15, 2003 said: "Nearly three years ago, Facts on File published Lackmann's excellent THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN RADIO: An A-Z Guide to Radio from Jack Benny to Howard Stern.Its companion volume is just as valuable, in addition to being fun to read and use.Similar in scope and format to its predecessor, AMERICAN TELEVISION presents more than 1000 capsule descriptions of all major network and syndicated television series from 1947 through 2000, with entries for primary television personalities also included.The attention to detail that characterized AMERICAN RADIO is evident here as well, with listings of broadcast schedules, network information, and show trivia included in each description.In addition, Lackmann offers two excellent appendixes: a listing of the top-rated programs from 1952 to 1999 (divided by television season and including yearly ratings for each program) and Emmy Award winners from 1948 to 1999.Black and white photographs accompany the major entries, and the book's index makes it easy to find your favorite program or personality.Alex McNeil's TOTAL TELEVISION has a similar setup but only goes up to 1995, and while Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh's THE COMPLETE DIRECTORY OF PRIME TIME NETWORK AND CABLE TV SHOWS, 7th ed. covers cable, unlike Lackmann's book, it cuts off at 1998.Overall then AMERICAN TELEVISION is the most current, concise, and affordable work available on the subject.This important reference will be used by public and academic libraries for many years and is highly recommended."
Mark van Lummel, described the contents of this book in his review which was included in his list of newly released reference books. He said: "This survey encyclopedia, covers popular broadcast television shows and specials from 1945 to 2000.Standard appendixes of yearly top-rated programs and annual Emmy awards are included, along with a thorough index.The majority of entries are for programs and actors.Each program entry includes a description of the show, times the show aired, complete cast listings and notable guest stars, and the occasional interesting fact.Biographical entries include dates of birth and death, along with actor's television credits.Any significant acting work done outside of television is also mentioned.All entries are enhanced with excellent cross-references to related shows and actors.Coverage of special television events and programs is also included, but not extensive.While the author includes his criteria for selection, there are a few surprises in the actors and programs selected for inclusion."van Lummel also said, "Within its own limits, THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN TELEVISION is well written and easy to access".....and..."this encyclopedia may be considered an adequate addition for libraries that do not own other reference works on television programming history."

Massive task well executed
What a massive task, to review and include all the television shows from the beginning through 2000.Our first TV entered our home in '50 and has been a fixture ever since.So, to read the sketches for so many of the shows that have been available for this vast period has been a real treat.This book will serve as a useful reference for anyone researching the "vast wasteland" and/or is just looking back on their own history.You will like this book.

A concise and useful reference book
This is a wonderful, concise and helpful general reference souce for anyone researching the major television shows and stars of the past century.Unlike other books on the subject, The Encyclopedia of American Television, is easy to read, gives only the important highlights of each show and major personality and is a very attractive looking book.The photographs in the book are nostalgic and provocative.The back of the book has lists of the top twenty shows of the 20th Century, as well as Emmy winners. I think this book would be most useful to school aged children and adults who are interested in an overview of television and its major stars of the past century.

Error-Ridden and Incomplete
I can only find three things to fault with this book:it is riddled with errors; its entries are arbitrary and incomplete; and the indexing, where accurate, is inconsistent.Other than that, I must admit it has some redeeming features:the cover is attractively designed, the text is legible and it is printed on good quality paper.That about sums up the positives.

A complete list of the book's errors would constitute a fair-sized work in itself.Some of them are factual, e.g. that Don Adams was the cartoon voice of "Underdog." (While Adams did do another voice on that series for one season, the title character's was that ofWally Cox.)Many are inconsistencies:for example, in the entry for actor Gene Barry, it states that his "Burke's Law" character was a secret agent, while the entry for the series has it correctly, that he was an LAPD captain; for another, in the "Barney Miller" cast, Linda Lavin is listed as portraying a doctor, but the entry for Lavin has it correctly, that her character was a detective.While an author or compiler of a reference work is entitled to set the parameters for what his work will cover, it is unacceptable to then proceed to violate one's own rules.Lackmann does that here, several times.While series are supposedly limited to those which lasted at least one full season, there are entries for those which did not meet this condition, but others are excluded which did, such successful series as "Laredo" and "Movin' On" (The latter is mentioned in the entry for Frank Converse, but even here there is an error:Converse is listed as the star of the series, when he actually took second billing to Claude Akins.)I also question the author's criteria for what personalities should be included.For example, why does actor Gardner McKay, who had one successful series before retiring early, rate three paragraphs, while such prolific, familiar and well-respected performers as Akins, Neville Brand and Frank Gorshin, to name only a few, are mentioned only in passing, if at all?

The greatest error of omission, however, is in limiting the inclusions to productions from ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and WB(!).This ignores the numerous quality and innovative (to use one of the author's favorite words) programs from the Dumont network, which was a major player in the early days of the medium.Since the book is not entitled "Encyclopedia of *Late* 20th Century American Television," Dumont's output should have been included, at least more than just "Captain Video."

The writing is banal.(In addition to overusing certain terms, such as the aforementioned "innovative," the author apparently does not know the difference between "reportedly" and "purportedly" or between "descent" and "nationality.").Some statements are almost hilarious, for example that an actress's death was ignored by her fans of 50 years before; how many of them were still around to notice?The illustrations, nearly all publicity stills and studio portraits, add nothing to the book.All but one are from the author's own collection, which admittedly makes it easier to gain permissions.

Not recommended, in case you were still wondering.

Error-Ridden and Incomplete
I can only find three things to fault with this book:it is riddled with errors; its entries are arbitrary and incomplete; and the indexing, where accurate, is inconsistent.Other than that, I must admit it has some redeeming features:the cover is attractively designed, the text is legible and it is printed on good quality paper.That about sums up the positives.

A complete list of the book's errors would constitute a fair-sized work in itself.Some of them are factual, e.g. that Don Adams was the cartoon voice of "Underdog." (While Adams did do another voice on that series for one season, the title character's was that ofWally Cox.)Many are inconsistencies:for example, in the entry for actor Gene Barry, it states that his "Burke's Law" character was a secret agent, while the entry for the series has it correctly, that he was an LAPD captain; for another, in the "Barney Miller" cast, Linda Lavin is listed as portraying a doctor, but the entry for Lavin has it right, that her character was a detective.And, while an author or compiler of a reference work is entitled to set the parameters for what that work will cover, it is unacceptable to then proceed to violate one's own rules.Lackmann does that here, repeatedly.While series are supposedly limited to those which lasted at least one full season, there are entries for those which did not meet this condition, but others are omitted which did, such successful series as "Laredo" and "Movin' On" (The latter is mentioned in the entry for Frank Converse, but even here there is an error:Converse is listed as the star of the series, when he actually took second billing to Claude Akins.)I also question the author's criteria for what personalities should be included.For example, why does actor Gardner McKay, who had one successful series before retiring early, rate three paragraphs, while such prolific, familiar and well-respected performers as Akins, Neville Brand and Frank Gorshin are mentioned only in passing, if at all?

The greatest error of omission, however, is in limiting the inclusions to productions from ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and WB(!).This ignores the numerous quality and innovative (to use one of the author's favorite words) programs from the Dumont network, which was a major player in the early days of the medium.Since the book is not entitled "Encyclopedia of *Late* 20th Century American Television," Dumont's output should have been included, at least more than just "Captain Video."

The writing is banal.(In addition to overusing certain terms, such as the aforementioned "innovative," the author apparently does not know the difference between "reportedly" and "purportedly" or between "descent" and "nationality.").Some statements are almost hilarious, for example that an actress's death was ignored by her fans of 50 years before; how many of them were still around to notice?The illustrations, nearly all publicity stills and studio portraits, add nothing to the book.All but one are from the author's own collection, which admittedly makes it easier to gain permissions.

Not recommended, in case you were still wondering. ... Read more

Product Description
High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Touched by an Angel is an American fantasy drama series that chronicles the missions of a group of angels sent by God. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, it ran on CBS for nine seasons, from September 21, 1994 to April 27, 2003, and aired in many countries all around the world. Regular production was based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The show starred Roma Downey and Della Reese as an angel and a boss, who helped God direct life. The show's premise was based heavily on non-denominational Christian concepts. During its run, it was one of the highest-rated shows on CBS, and acquired a substantial fan base.While John Masius is credited with creating "Touched by an Angel," the series as produced was substantially different from the pilot Masius wrote, which never aired. ... Read more

Product Description
High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! "Confirmed Dead" is the second episode of the fourth season and seventy-fourth episode overall of the ABC's serial drama television series Lost. It was aired on ABC in the United States and on CTV in Canada on February 7, 2008. The episode was written by co-executive producer Drew Goddard and co-producer Brian K. Vaughan and directed by co-executive producer Stephen Williams. "Confirmed Dead" was watched by seventeen million Americans and received positive critical reception with reviewers praising the introductions of the new characters. The episode marks the first appearance of main characters Miles Straume (played by Ken Leung) and Charlotte Lewis (Rebecca Mader) and supporting character Frank Lapidus (Jeff Fahey). The actors were given fake scenes when auditioning to limit the leak of spoilers and each actor influenced their character's development ... Read more

Product Description
This book should be of interest to students taking courses in radio and television programming in departments of media and communication studies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very Informative!
This textbook provides a thorough overview of the field of broadcast/cable programming. Industry terms are clearly defined and incorporated into the description of the various topics covered. The book is divided into easily identifiable cataegories, which assists in digesting the material.

It's appropriate that a book of this nature start with a discussion of the central theme, in this case programming. That is done quite well in the first chapter. The constraints unique to the broadcasting industry are at the core of the industry and are addressed in that manner.

Audience research is essential to professional program executives doing their work well. That's the topic of the second chapter. Again, industry terminology is explained.

Numerous broadcast experts had their insight to the various issues throughout the book. There is a diversity of perspectives presented. Various organizational structures are included. Radio, television, cable, national, local, and non-profit are all part of the mix. This book is an excellent overview for readers seeking to be introduced to the subject matter. ... Read more

Product Description
High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Radio comedy, or comedic radio programming, is a radio broadcast that may involve sitcom elements, sketches, and many other forms of comedy found on other media. It may also include more surreal or fantastic elements, as these can be conveyed on a small budget with just a few sound effects or some simple dialogue. Because of this, it is often less restrictive and can allow for more imaginative and inventive comedy.Although traditional comedy was once a significant part of American broadcast radio programming, it is now mainly found in the archives of Old Time Radio enthusiasts and in Internet streaming of comedy recordings. The majority of mainstream radio comedy now consists of personality-driven shows hosted by talk-radio hosts such as Howard Stern or comedic duos such as Armstrong & Getty and Bob & Tom. Exceptions to this are WSRN's "Audience of Two", Garrison Keillor's work on Minnesota Public Radio: "A Prairie Home Companion" and "Comedy College", and NPR's Car Talk, a comedy show thinly disguised as car advice, and Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!. ... Read more

Product Description
The Soap Opera Paradigm is an engaging look at the pervasive use of daytime soap opera storytelling techniques in most television program genres, from prime time soap operas and reality shows to the nightly news, coverage of political campaigns, and sports programming. Drawing from a wealth of research, James Wittebols shows how programming techniques have changed over time and what roles media concentration and commercial influences have played in these changes. ... Read more

Product Description
In this revision of the market-leading text, Susan Eastman and Douglas Ferguson, two noted scholars and experts in the area of broadcast programming, provide students with the most accurate and current information on the techniques and strategies used in the programming industry. The text has helped professors teach this course with clear current illustrations and examples, and just right approach of student friendly writing. Comprehensive, accurate and up- to- date, the text covers all aspects of programming for broadcast, cable, radio, and the Web. ... Read more

Product Description

IMAP (the Internet Message Access Protocol) allows clients to access their email on a remote server, whether from the office, a remote location, or a cell phone or other device. IMAP is powerful and flexible, but it's also complicated to set up; it's more difficult to implement than POP3 and more error-prone for both client and server.

The Book of IMAP offers a detailed introduction to IMAP and POP3, the two protocols that govern all modern mail servers and clients. You'll learn how the protocols work as well as how to install, configure, and maintain the two most popular open source mail systems, Courier and Cyrus.

Authors Peer Heinlein and Peer Hartleben have set up hundreds of mail servers and offer practical hints about troubleshooting errors, migration, filesystem tuning, cluster setups, and password security that will help you extricate yourself from all sorts of tricky situations. You'll also learn how to:

• Create and use shared folders, virtual domains, and user quotas
• Authenticate user data with PAM, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and LDAP
• Handle heavy traffic with load balancers and proxies
• Use built-in tools for server analysis, maintenance, and repairs
• Implement complementary webmail clients like Squirrelmail and Horde/IMP
• Set up and use the Sieve email filter

Thoroughly commented references to the POP and IMAP protocols round out the book, making The Book of IMAP an essential resource for even the most experienced system administrators. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Very objective
The lack of a consolidated documentation makes this book a perl to carry as an Mail Admin.

Very nice, and a valuable resource.

You get the architeture of Courier and Cyrus, the relationship with postfix, qmail, etc..

configuration files and some tests to help. worth reading.

A reference that offers detailed instructions to IMAP and POP3
The IMAP protocol allows clients to access email on remote servers and while it's powerful, it's also complicated. That's why IT pros and libraries catering to them need The Book of IMAP: a reference that offers detailed instructions to IMAP and POP3, the basics governing all modern mail servers and clients. The authors have set up hundreds of mail servers: their advice is invaluable and clear.

Technical excellence in a partly flawed book
When I heard about a "Book of IMAP" I was very excited.
After all I still had this excellent impression of the "Book of Postfix" I read 3 years ago (see my review).
Note that the book DOES NOT COVER THE SMTP PROTOCOL based mta server side -
which actually send and receives the e-mail between mta's like Postfix, Qmail, Exim etc.

The book describes "ONLY" IMAP protocol based authentication servers for the client side interface of a mail server systems. Period !!
I mention this to avoid dissapointment for buyers.

Like it or not its best used as a companion book to any mta (mail) server book you might already have.
The books details is nothing short of technical excellence.
Its sales point is the carefully researched technical details.
This includes the system design considerations mentioned in the first 80 pages, cluster scenarios etc., but of course doesn't stop there.

The fact that the book is very readable makes it attractive even for less technically minded people.
Potential readers have to catch up on the 25+ years experience both authors put into the book.


I believe, the book has two shortcomings:

Firstly, also it is very readable, I am afraid that it might still not adequately transfer that compressed knowledge to the reader. Missing diagrams, misleading section titles etc. actually downgrade it.

Examles:

Section 1 in the book "How to Setup and maintain IMAP servers" does actually focus on system design considerations, so "Background, Theory and System design considerations" would have been a better choice here.

Chapter 9 "User data" is actually all about the authentication process itself why not name it so ?

The book is mentioning to store user credentials externally f.e. in MySQL, LDAP etc. but its short of showing how to do it.


Secondly, I think the book is not yet complete. The book explains the key modules within the systems its functions and the methods used, but I would have just loved to see more of it.

I would have loved having seen discussions, case studies etc. for many advanced scenarios and I do believe then the cover price would be easier justified.

Finally, when the book is about to get really interesting we get one advanced scenario (cluster) compressed on a 10 page chapter. No offense, but this just left me dry and thirsty wanting more....


Main parts of the book focus on

- design considerations
- authentication side configuration
- all types of general Security
file permissions
access control lists (shared folders etc.)
authentication methods and algorithms (MD5 SHA etc.)
- Quotas
- File system structure
- description of parameters


I would have appreciated a section for the integration with the mta's itself or compatibility issues that might exist.

Can I assume that character encoding issues exist only on the mta side ?
What if I want to have Japanese, Chinese, Koran characters in my folder names or keywords in my client side filters ? Can I assume them working ?


Summary:

Let my harsh critics above not fool you. The book contains very valueable technical details for IMAP servers.
My expectations on the book were naturally very high due to the fact that the authors have published many books on mta's before.
(check amazon.de)

Keep in mind that f.e. one author has f.e. 16+ years of experience, is teaching classes and is running its own ISP. Both authors are very well know figures in the european open source marcet place.
I think a 2nd edition should go the extra mile and make that knowledge slightly more acessable - especially for beginners.

Also, I would have appreciated more diagrams, scenarios, workshop like instructions and details including for the Courier mta.
Overall the authors do explain all important modules but I felt they fail to deliver the big picture and or a certain variety of system designs.
Its up to the reader to put it all together. So your actual mileage might vary.


I would evaluate the book with

5 stars for the quality of technical contents
4 stars for readability (story board)
4 stars for formulations (German-English like sentences, naming of sections, titles)
3 stars for presentation of the material ("missing" charts, tables, system overviews, hands on case scenarios)

You can see from above that its hard to judge the book.
Hopefully you got a better idea what to expect from it.

Good enough for experts
Before starting on The Book of IMAP by Peer Heinlein and Peer Hartleben, you'd better have a very good understanding of e-mail, and I recommend you at least have some experience with IMAP, or you'll probably close the book after a few pages only.

I got the impression that the publisher dropped the original manuscript on the floor and upon gathering it up, they mixed up the order of the material. The book starts off with protocols and terms, moves into load distribution via load balancers, round robin DNS, IMAP proxies, selection of file systems for IMAP servers, Webmail clients and IMAP migration before starting on the IMAP servers proper! A beginner will find that very hard to follow and digest.

The book is full of valuable information on the Courier and Cyrus IMAP servers, and the authors have collected plenty of tips on those programs. However, there is little information about interaction with client programs and with e-mail servers, so if you've never set up an e-mail server with an IMAP (or POP3) server, I think it will be difficult to follow ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (18)

In a nut shell I'm happy with this purchase.
I found this book to be highly informative yet very easy understand, the Author, "Ian David Aronson",explains everything in detail but without losing the reader with big techie words. He even provides a DVD with video clips to experiment with, that makes it a little easier not to mention fun too. A lot of books out there are about the equipment, or they go on about techniques and ways of exploring creative filmmaking but he effectively combined the two. Another thing that bothers me is some books or training DVD's on the market have a really interesting topic but in a format I do not use, for an example Mac or PC another is when the software is not what I'm used to working with, then I'm out of luck.
He even explains key elements and techniques used in a variety of feature films not to mention editing tips & tricks. In a nut shell I am happy with this purchase, it is a great book for beginners or professionals, very hands-on and entertainingly useful.

Great Help Book
This book provides great information on everything needed to shoot a film.And it provides some great tips of what to do during shooting to make post production easier and remove all the road bumps.If you want some good tips and information on shooting, this book is for you.It's really for anyone that owns a DV Video Camera.I loved it...And I highly recommend it.

Great Book, only if you're a Final Cut Pro user.
The first half of the book is very thorough in going over the basics of film and digital video.There's also some description on some basic equipment you'll need to get off the ground.

The second half talks about basic editing in Final Cut, which I mostly skipped since I don't plan on using Final Cut.Honestly, for filmmakers who plan on using Final Cut, this would've probably made 5 stars.

Have fun and good luck on your film!

Amazing Read for Both Visual and Content
I am so thankful for the insightfulness of Mr. Aronson. I have done more conceptual video work in the past when I was a graduate student in photography. I am looking a doing another educational project and wanted to brush up on my skills. The book provides me with the knowledge I can use to feel much more confident in the upcoming project as well as exploring my own fine art projects. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in digital video.

A piece of art
"DV Filmaking from Start to Finish" is a !!MASTERPIECE!!. It is a book I
recommend to anyone interested in Digital Video. Reading the book was like having Mr. Ian David Aronson in your room sharing with you all of his knowledge.

This book it's not a 18 chapter tutorial on learning Final Cut Pro or After Effects. It's more like traveling back in time and learning from the history of Digital Video to the present day. Aronson show's everything, from film to video, the way you should treat your camera, what you should be
prepared with; lighting, greenscreen, Hardware, white balance, DVD
authoring,
aspect ratios, you name it, including some basic tutorials on doing
edits.
He even gives you an internet address to look and confirm what he is showing
you.

If you are an advanced editor, this book is for you. This book is for to
read,
learn and keep it forever just in case you forget a detail, so you can
review it again and again. I was amazed with the things I have learned from
Mr.
Aronson. Thank you and I'll hope to read another book from him.

Jorge Raphael Valenzuela Hernández
Graphic Artist / Videographer ... Read more

Product Description
This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the First Joint International Workshop on Statistical Atlases and Computational Models of the Heart and Cardiac Electrophysiological Simulation Challenge, STACOM-CESC 2010, held in conjunction with MICCAI 2010, in Beijing, China, in September 2010. The 27 revised full papers presented together with 3 keynote presentations were carefully reviewed and selected from numerous submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on methods and infrastructure for atlas construction, structure and flow, mechanics and motion, electrophysiology and electrical activation, and computational electrophysiological simulation challenge. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A personal choice of the best Bollywood movies 1940-2003
Subhash K. Jha is one of the most informed and read film critics of Hindi movies, and his work is easily accessible also on line. He shares, I believe, a long time friendship with Amitabh Bachchan who has written the foreword to this nice and useful booklet. Basically this lavishly illustrated guide to Bollywood movies from the 1940's to 2003 is divided into film categories such as drama, comedy, war drama, thrillers, romance, historical, action and parallel cinema. Each movie is a small card with a synopsis, detailed even if brief movie information, but expecially pleasing tidbits of gossip and crossreferences to other movies or contemporary Hindi culture. The real value of this book among the many Bollywood movie guides is the exceptional insight of the Author in the choice of the reviewed movies. Leafing through the text we have the impression that he is actually describing the movies he liked and that he deams important as having influenced modern Indian culture. Bollywood industry has the curious characteristic of making classifications in hits and flops, blockbusters, superhits and hits, etc, but even if these are mentioned at the end of the book, the choice of the 200 Hindi movies is not conditioned by this philosophy.
Very useful if you want to learn something about this colorful and particular film world.
I will definitely try to see all the mentioned movies!

Brief Topical Guide to Hindi Cinema, Hardly Essential
If looking for an abbreviated introduction to Hindi cinema, this thin (172-page) movie guide may be a place to begin.Movies from about 1950-2005 are represented, not alphabetically or by number of awards, but by subject genre.
Many Hindi movies are considered to have plots of masala (spice), where drama, romance, & comedy are intermingled in a three-hour long plot, so the book's categorization of Hindi films by genre seems arbitrary.The book index works as a more focused finding aid to locate entries on movies and individuals.
The author's language in the brief movie descriptions tends toward hyperbole, but the listed information for each movie on major actors, director, music composers, lyricist, and plot line are a helpful introduction to Hindi movies.There are color photographs of movie posters & stars on nearly every page of this guide, so it can be fun to flip through for topical browsing.However, as there are more comprehensive, academic guides to Hindi cinema in print this guide is hardly essential reading.
Bollywood: A Guidebook to Popular Hindi Cinema (Routledge Film Guidebooks) by Tejaswini Ganti, published in 2004, contains a more in-depth treatment.

The Bollywood Phenomenon!
`The Essential Guide To Bollywood' by Subhash K. Jha is a beautifully done compendium of what the author considers to be the 200 best Hindi films from the `40's to the present. It is a nicely produced book printed on thick, high quality paper and filled with wonderful photos of all your favorite Hindi stars. The films discussed in this 176 page paperback volume are divided into ten chapters along with a two page forward by Amitabh Bachchan and index.

Contents;
- Drama
- Comedy
- War Drama
- Family Drama
- Thrillers & Mysteries
- Romance
- Historical
- Action
- Parallel Cinema
- Hits & Misses

This book is not meant to serve as an in-depth study, no film included in the book gets more than one page of description and discussion. Actually most of the pages are divided in half in a two column format, one film per column. It is a fast read, but you'll come back to it again and again to enjoy the pictures and reread the short excerpts in nostalgic bliss. Whether you're an expert in Bollywood cinema or new to the Hindi experience you'll love it!

Here is what this book is about...
I was sad not to find a description of this book on Amazon, and the one review posted wasn't much help.So I went hunting for a description and thought I'd share what I found. The following description helped me decide - I hope it will help you too!

..................

The Essential Guide to Bollywood
Foreword: Amitabh Bachchan

ABOUT THE BOOK:
The Essential Guide to Bollywood is an invaluable guide to lovers of Hindi films. Choosing the best 200 Hindi films ever made from the 1940's onwards, Subhash K. Jha gives concise and enjoyable reviews of the films, along with trivia and anecdotes about actors and actresses of that time and about the making of the films. The book also has a timeline of films and landmark events in Indian cinema. Entries are arranged genre-wise -- take your pick of drama, comedy, action, romance and many more!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Film critic Subhash K. Jha's opinions on Hindi movies are extensively read in more than thirty newspapers across India. Currently residing in Patna, Bihar, he is an incorrigible sucker for the `Friday-first-day-first-show'.

The Essential Guide to Bollywood
This book is definitely a must for all those who want the scoop on Bollywood! Well-written and informative. I wish I had bought it sooner. As a Bollywood writer, this is a reference book, which will be close by my writing desk.

I give it 5 stars! ... Read more

Product Description

Wisdom from the best and the brightest in the industry, this visual effects bible belongs on the shelf of anyone working in or aspiring to work in VFX. The book covers techniques and solutions all VFX artists, producers, and supervisors need to know, from preproduction, to digital character creation and compositing of both live-action and CG elements.

In-depth lessons on stereoscopic moviemaking, color management and digital intermediates are included, as well as chapters on interactive games and full animation authored by artists from EA and Dreamworks respectively. Written by 88 top leading visual effects practitioners and covering everything about visual effects  from pre-production, production, and post-production.

Simply a must-have book for anyone working in or wanting to work in the VFX industry.

Customer Reviews (5)

The Best VFX Process Book Ever
This book provides a very thorough, in depth look at the creation of visual effects for the entertainment industry.I have a comprehensive collection of books on the subject of visual effects and I can tell you that this book provides the most detailed descriptions of the various tools of the trade I've ever seen.It's an extraordinary undertaking and the Visual Effects Society has done an excellent job.This is not a book geared toward fans as much as film industry professionals.It's structured as a collection of articles by top industry pros about various areas of visual effects production.This is a must for anyone working in the VFX industry or aspiring to do so.

Invaluable tool for the contemporary film/designer/VFX artist
As an active member of the visual fx community this book is an extremely valuable tool in breaking down the barriers between the various departs of film pre-production, production and post-production and the disparate disciplines therein. Well researched from the top experts in the field. Highly recommend.

The VES Handbook of Visual Effects
Well it's about time! The VES Handbook is the definitive resource for anyone interested in the art, technology and business of visual effects. I will refer to it often. As one reviewer said, it will not help you finish a shot but that is not the point. This book gives the "how" and "why" of the ever-evolving visual effects industry. Every producer, director, supervisor or industry hopeful should get a copy. Most vfx artists will already know the techniques of their craft, but this handbook provides detailed explanations of every facet of the vfx pipeline and de-mystifies the processes for those who want a more comprehensive understanding of an industry that touches almost every film, commercial and television show produced today.

More for producers/directors than VFX artists
The book is fairly long and heavy, with lots of color photos.Each chapter/section is written by different authors, but the work as a whole holds together very well.Every section is very well written, but the focus is more on a workflow/producer level rather than something actual VFX artists could use.If you are actually involved in making visual effects I doubt you will find this all that useful on your library bookshelf.It's not the kind of book you'll be referring to over and over again.If you want a detailed guide to current visual effects practice I don't think you could find much better than this, but this book is unlikely to help you get a shot finished.

Industry Standard Indeed
Phenomenal collection of modern day procedures and "tricks" used in visual effects. There is no other single source available that covers our art and techniques more completely. The only way to acquire all this knowledge on your own would be decades experience. I highly recommend this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Through the magic of stop-motion animation, inanimate objects seem to spring to life. With true artistic passion and finesse, a stop-motion film evokes the nostalgia of childhood when imagination could bring toys to life. Stop-motion retains the art and performance that are the heart and soul of captivating animation. Beginning with a history of stop-motion animation, The Art of Stop-Motion Animation takes you on a unique journey - uncovering the origins of this art form and examining what continues to draw viewers to these films. Through several hands-on exercises, you'll learn how to create puppets and how to bring them to life as you create your own stop-motion film. Interviews with industry professionals offer a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look into the undying art form of stop-motion animation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Great book for beginners!
I'm the author of Secrets of Clay Animation Revealed and have read just about every book out there on how to create stop motion films. I'm always trying to learn because after working in the industry - sometimes I get bored reading these sorts of books. That's not the case with Ken Priebes Art of Stop Motion Animation. Even if you are an experienced animator, it's worth buying this book just for the interviews and behind the scenes pictures. At least for me, I can never get enough pictures of the various productions going on out there.

The images are in full color and the book comes with a disk of animation examples to help the reader see final animations of characters within the book. Pretty much everything you need to understand how to animate, create puppets, find a camera, time animation, use exposure sheets, light and finish your film is in the book. It definitely belongs on the bookshelf of every stop motion animator.

Stop motion animation
This is a very interesting book. The vendor posted this as aked and it was received within eight days form the USA.Excellent service!

The Newbie's guide
First, I must say that the book's cover was designed good enough, and previous reviews in this page, were so appealing that made me expect a little more of stop-motion movie related examples than what I found.

However,basic and rough exercises through the book (and the CD-ROM)are useful enough for any stop- motion beginner to keep him/her motivated without expecting outrageous results.

The book offers also some interesting data through the appendix section. I believe it's a good starting reference, but not outstanding alone.

If you are interested for more in depth stop-motion references, check this other titles available from amazon. I believe you wont be decieved:

Books

*Stop Motion: Craft Skills for Model Animation (Focal Press Visual Effects and Animation) (Focal Press Visual Effects and Animation)by Susannah Shaw.
(Full of average difficulty stop-motion tips and exercises)

* Stop Motion: Passion, Process and Performance by Barry J C Purves
(A really passionate book about stop-motion, its origins and particular procedures through case studies and interviews. Fully recommended-)

DVD

There are a great number of commercial stop-motion DVDs through amazon U.S., but I really would like to recommend this less commercial titlefrom amazon UK. I really hope it's still available by the time you read this (you could still find it in other european websites with international shipping services, but I believe this kind of information is banned in amazon):

*Peter & The Wolf - Sergei Prokofiev
DVD ~ Suzie Templeton
(A must have!)

I was shocked,
to see some of my friends mentioned in this book, as well as a couple of sites I frequent regularly. Everything, right down to the stopmotion software I use is presented in this book, and the author is a nice guy, very quick to write back, and supportive of raw talents in stopmotion. Great teacher, great book!

Terrific Surprise!Well informed author who gets the points across on all aspects of stop-motion animation
I ordered this book and am very impressed.While on the way to the book store Christmas Eve, with a nasty ear ache, on the phone, and very content, I called the bookstore in advance to pull anything off of the shelf for my purpose.When asked to check for books about stop-motion animation, I was told that there is a book on 'the art of stop-motion animation'.I said order it.There I was driving to the book store to do the usual checking the shelf, to look in the arts section (for my intended mission) on clay animation, or puppets.... anything about stop-motion animation?, I asked.Yes. Order it I said.I have the book now.And I have not put the book down since.My goal is to learn how to make puppets like the one in Rudolph, and all the Rankin & Bass specials.I got a lot more from this book.It is right in line with everyting you will want to know about stop-motion animation.The author has the passion for the art.Extensive background on the history of rare antiquated movies in the art and also contact with very recent directors and producers from movies like 'Corpse Bride' and 'The Night Before Christmas.'Also within this book is golden information from those who have private studios and offer courses with valuable knowledge in the field of puppetry for stop-motion animation.The book is easy to read, very informative from what is needed to film, how to animate, and even interviews with teachers, and Professionals within this field.It is an art that will survive and will continue to, even along side CG (Computer Graphics).It is almost like a class college book,(regarding the lay-out and the interviews with associates-a special bonus added!), yet is so simple to ready.The author speaks like he is talking.It is and continues to be a very special treasure!The author even includes classes one can take a professional colleges.I find it fascinating and one that I will keep.

Hats off to this author!!!Now -- in persuit those who are serious in entrepreneurial venture, or hobby.

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Product Description
High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! smallX - formerly tinyX - was a stripped-down X Window System server implementation based on Xfree86. It was created as part of the Small Linux project and is currently used also by MontaVistas Linux graphics package for embedded systems. It has since been superseded with the KDrive xserver, or the Freedesktop xserver, which is used to test future X development, like composite extension and X on top of OpenGL. The X Window System (commonly X or X11) is a computer software system and network protocol that provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for networked computers. It creates a hardware abstraction layer where software is written to use a generalized set of commands, allowing for device independence and reuse of programs on any computer that implements X. ... Read more

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! SMALL, Small Machine Algol Like Language, is a programming language developed by Dr. Nevil Brownlee of Auckland University.The aim of the language was to enable people to write ALGOL-like code that ran on a small machine. It also included the string type for easier text manipulation.SMALL was used extensively from about 1980 to 1985 at Auckland University as a programming teaching aid, and for some internal projects. Originally written to run on a Borroughs 6700 Main frame in Fortran IV, subsequently rewritten in SMALL and ported to a DEC PDP-10 Architecture (on the Operating System TOPS-10) and IBM S360 Architecture (on the Operating System VM/CMS). ... Read more