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Reviews (35)

great reference book
This is the definitive OpenGL guide and reference book.It is hands-down the best reference book covering all basic OpenGL operations.I'm very satisfied with my purchase, and I use it every day.

Still the definitive guide to OpenGL
For those graphic programmers who think that Java3D requires that you program at too high a level and want more elementary control over their graphics operations, OpenGL is probably a good choice for a graphics programming API. So, assuming you already have a good grasp of computer graphics programming concepts and can already program in the C language, this guide is probably your best bet. If you don't already know these things, you will be completely lost trying to read this book. The book starts out in chapter one showing the reader exactly what OpenGL can and cannot do. Supporting code and instructive figures are supplied. The next few chapters deal with performing basic graphics tasks by using the OpenGL API. Topics included are viewing, display lists, color, lighting, blending, antialiasing, and fog. Again, if you are not already familiar with how to write pseudocode for these type of graphics tasks, you need to find a good basic computer graphics text and learn the techniques first. The next part of the book moves on to slightly more advanced topics such as texture mapping, tessellators, quadrics, and NURBs all from the standpoint of "How do I do this in OpenGL?". The chapter entitled "Now That You Know" is especially valuable to the experienced graphics programmer. Unlike previous chapters, this chapter presents a collection of examples of higher-level graphics capabilities and some incomplete OpenGL code for those examples. The reader is expected to flesh out the code to get a running graphics program, and the book does point this fact out. Chapter 15, "OpenGL 20 and the OpenGL Shading Language", is the only truly new material in this 5th edition of the OpenGL programming guide. Thus, if you are not interested in using the OpenGL shader, you can probably forge ahead with the 4th edition of the guide if you already have a copy.
An OpenGL Companion
The fourth edition of "OpenGL Reference Manual" edited by Dave Shreiner provides an official command reference for the OpenGL graphics library version 1.4.Published by Addison Wesley (ISBN 0-321-17383-X) the text is approximately 760 pages and has a suggested retail price of $59.99.Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Architecture    2. Computer Architecture - General    3. Computer Books: General    4. Computer Graphics    5. Computer Graphics - General    6. Computers    7. Computers - Other Applications    8. OpenGL    9. Computers / Computer Animation    10. Image processing    11. Programming languages   

Reviews (23)

Useful and practical, with many new insights for agile software development
In the last couple of years, I have heard many times about lean manufacturing (and in particular the Toyota way of manufacturing). I have also read a couple of articles by Mary Popendieck on the web, so I thought I would get this book and find out more.
Agile software development meets lean manufacturing
While the topic of agile software development has been popular at least since the late 90s, and many have written about how various methodologies (XP, Scrum, Crystal, etc) work and how much software developers love them as opposed to CMM and other process-heavy ways of doing things that only managers care to push, until this book came out few had been able to explain WHY these agile methodologies work and what principles are behind them.The main revelation comes at the beginning of the book: while the software engineering gurus (think SEI, DoD, etc) have been busy all these years trying to make software development more like mass production, the manufacturing world has actually moved on to lean production, and there is much we software managers have to learn from it.Drawing from her unique experience as software project manager for companies that follow lean manufacturing, Poppendieck distilled all she has learned from lean manufacturing into seven principles and twenty two practical tools for software development that while not a methodology per se at the very least serve as paradigm busters for managers who believe that believe there is a necessary trade-off between speed and quality, and at best it can provide the necessary building blocks for development organizations to develop custom methodologies that would allow them to work orders of mangitude faster.But more than that, by establishing a relation to lean production, principles which after the spectacular success of companies like Toyota are now unquestioned, Poppendieck provides a more solid foundation and gives greater credibility to agile methodologies that have until now remained controversial.This will hardly be the last word on this topic, and in fact Poppendieck is about to release a second book that goes into more detail on how to put lean development in practice, but nevertheless this work is sure to remain relevant for a long time to come.

A good, practical book
Our reading group at work recently read "Lean Software Development."There are several things I really like about this book:
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Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computers    3. Computers - Languages / Programming    4. Entrepreneurship    5. Programming - Software Development    6. Software Development    7. Computers / Programming / Software Development    8. Software engineering    9. Systems management   

Reviews (7)

Practical and Simple
This information in this book is simply presented and very easy to apply.
Information packed
Most texts on software testing have a chapter or two which describe test design techniques. This is the first text that is devoted exclusively to this subject. There is little in the way of theory. The text is practical and provides the software test professional with clear explanations and examples of test techniques that have been proven to be effective.
A Critically Important Read for Software Test Engineers
Lee Copeland's book, "A Practitioner's Guide to Software Test Design" provides an easily read introduction into a critical but often ignored subject. As those familiar with the IEEE Standard for Software Test Documentation (IEEE-Std-829) know, Test Design is the first step in turning the "What" of the Test Plan into the "How" of test execution. The IEEE Test Documentation lifecycle is Test Plan - Test Design - Test Case Development - Test Procedure Development - (Test Execution) - Test Summary Report creation. Many test engineers proceed directly from Test Planning into Test Procedure creation, and do Test Design implicitly as opposed to explicitly. This can have a negative impact on an effective test program. This book clearly shows how to implement the test design process described in Drabick's book "Best Practices for the Formal Software Testing Process".
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Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computer software    3. Computers    4. Computers - Languages / Programming    5. General    6. Programming - Software Development    7. Reference - General    8. Testing    9. Software engineering   

Reviews (13)

This Dummies is a mess!
Dummies books have been a staple of my computing/software resource library for a long time.This book was very disappointing.If you're looking for an organized presentation of the functions and capabilities of Adobe 7, leave this on the shelf.There are few visual examples in the book and very few tutorials that lead you through a topic in any organized way at all.To get something out of this book, I found myself jumping all over the place, following topic and function chapter references tossed in all too frequently, sifting through meaningless and annoying chatty writing, trying to piece together a tool's functionality on my own.And did I mention the writing style?Distracting, distracting, distracting.I felt like I was sitting in a computer class for octogenarians with ADD. Get to the point!!Leave it on the shelf.

Works Great
This book is easy to use and understand. I was comfortable using the program in a week.

Photoshop 7 for Dummies
Reads like stereo instructions. Too many technical graphics terms for a novice photo editor. I usually like the "for dummies" books but this one falls way short of the mark. I would recomend this book only to a seasoned graphic artist that was already familiar with the terminology. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adobe Photoshop    2. Computer Graphics - General    3. Computer Graphics - Photoshop    4. Computer graphics    5. Computers - Desktop Publishing    6. Desktop Publishing - General    7. Microcomputer Graphics    8. Photo Techniques    9. Photographic Techniques Using Specific Equipment    10. Photography    11. Techniques - Equipment    12. Computers / Computer Graphics / Design    13. Photoshop   

Reviews (11)

Oracle is Oracle
The book speaks on most of the database issues that can come up when using Oracle. It is more of a Reference manual instead of going to each topic in detail. This can be useful when one wanted to quickly get the relevent information.
Not so complete...
With a 1200+ page book, entitled "The Complete Reference", I would have expected much more information about proper configuration. Properly configuring Oracle (I'm running it on Unix) is no trivial matter and I found this book to be severely lacking. While it seems like a good reference to have (hence 3 / 5 stars), it looks like I'm going to have to look for other resources.

Disappointed--tries to cover too much
This sounded like a good book, judging by the reviews here, but being relatively new to the Oracle world, I haven't found this book terribly useful so far.Oracle's docs have been much more helpful and detailed. I was hoping for a book that shared the author's experience and tips and helped the reader make decisions, but this seems to be largely a command reference, covering many topics superficially. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Database    2. Computers    3. Computers - Data Base Management    4. Database Management - General    5. Database Management - Oracle    6. Database management    7. Oracle (Computer file)    8. Relational Databases    9. Computers / Database Management / General    10. Oracle   

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Reviews (5)

RIGHT TO THE CORE OF THE EXAM!!
Are you looking to complete your Microsoft Certification? If you are, then this book is for you! Author William R Stanek, has done an outstanding job of writing a 3rd edition of a book that helps IT professionals complete their Microsoft Certification.
Excellent Training Resource!
William Stanek's MCSE Core Required Exams is the best training resource I've found for helping me to study for my exams. I swear this book packs in more than the 4 book set I bought previous to this (and stopped using in favor of this). In his pocket consultants, Stanek has proven he has a gift for getting to the point and being concise while at the same time being comprehensive. This book is not different. This is the single most useful training guide I've ever purchased. Excellent as a reference as well as a study guide. I can't recommend this highly enough. Every network administrator should own at least one copy of this book.

Excellent coverage and completely reliable
This is definitely a better book compared to others available. Although I haven't made it all the way through this book yet, I'd like to say that it's taught me a lot. I've been using computers and managing Windows Servers since the days of Windows for Workgroups. Just goes to show even though you use an operating system daily there are still many things you can learn about it. With the excellent content and practice tests, this book is a GREAT buy! I would definitely recommend it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Certification Guides - General    2. Certification Guides - MCSE    3. Computer Books: General    4. Computer Operating Systems    5. Computers    6. Computers - Certification    7. Operating Systems - Windows    8. Tests    9. Certification    10. Computers / Certification    11. Computers / Certification Guides / MSCE    12. Computers / Technical Skills    13. Computing and Information Technology    14. Electronic data processing personnel    15. Examinations    16. MCSE, MCSE in a Nutshell, certification, Microsoft certification, 70-290, 70-291, 70-293, 70-294, certification exams, certified engineer, administration, MCP, MCSA    17. Microsoft software   

Reviews (3)

If you're having Windows trouble, or Planning to ....
I got in this imposing 700+ page book, looked at it a little and put it on my desk to get to later. Well, you know how that works. Then I was trying to delete some files. And I got a message that the directory was messed up and to run CHKDSK. What's that, and how do you run it, and can I run it while I'm doing other things. So I picked up the book. The index sent me to page 513. There's CHKDSK. Here's how you run it. But it doesn't run under Windows, you have to schedule it to run and then re-boot windows, and then you get a message saying that this might take a long time. It worked and I could go delete the files.
Recommended for the New Jersey Computer Club
Upgrading and Repairing Microsoft Windows
Not bad for a first edition, but not quite there
I should first state that I am a BIG fan of Scott Mueller and his book series "Upgrading and Repairing PCs".Mueller is THE authority when it comes to PC hardware and I've been his fan since 1995.Thus, I decided to order his first book on the Windows operating system.
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Subjects:  1. Computer Architecture - Repair & Maintenance    2. Computer Books: Operating Systems    3. Computers    4. Computers - Operating Systems    5. Hardware - Personal Computers - General    6. Language    7. Microcomputer Maintenance And Repair (General)    8. Microcomputer Operating Environments    9. Microsoft Windows (Computer file)    10. Microsoft Windows (Computer software)    11. Operating Systems - Windows    12. Operating systems (Computers)    13. Computer Communications & Networking    14. Computers / Operating Systems / Windows   

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Reviews (22)

Definitive resource for web masters who consider themselves professionals
Each time I sit down to redevelop a website I revist this book.It can really help you understand the shortcomings of a site's present information architecture and explain those shortcomings to non-techy clients.

Interesting, but a bit on the fluffy side
I'm the kind of reader that enjoys straight to the point books. As interesting as this book was, I found it rambled and went too deep into how to sell IA to administration, or learn about IA in schools, or what steps should one take to become an information architect, etc. I found it presented ideas, often left the reader at the end of each section with "it depends" or "you'll see what works best for you". Which is fine, but isn't really helpful.
A Great Resource
This book is a great resource for IA. Struggling with what type of navigation to use and why? This book is an easy read that helps you get good IA done. It also explains the in's and out's of IA. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Computer - Internet    3. Computer Books: Internet General    4. Computers    5. Data Processing - General    6. Design    7. Information storage and retrie    8. Information storage and retrieval systems    9. Information systems    10. Internet - Web Site Design    11. Programming - General    12. Web sites    13. Computer / Internet    14. Computer architecture & logic design    15. Computers / Internet / Web Site Design    16. Computers/Data Processing - General    17. Computers/Programming - General    18. World Wide Web (WWW)   

Reviews (13)

Excel VBA Programming
Great Book.
Easy in the jungle of VBA!!
I think that this book is very useful to anybody who really knows the BASIC of VBA in Excel.
A nice introduction
A good book to start with.It does a nice job of exposing the reader to the most vital features of VBA for Excel.Someone with no programming experience can read this and finish capable of writing a wide range of useful macros for their needs. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business    2. Computer Books: Spreadsheets    3. Computer programs    4. Computers    5. Computers - Spreadsheets    6. Electronic spreadsheets    7. Microsoft Excel (Computer file    8. Microsoft Excel (Computer software)    9. Microsoft Visual Basic for app    10. Programming - Visual Basic - VBA (Visual Basic for Applicati    11. Spreadsheets - Excel    12. Spreadsheets - General    13. Basic, Visual Basic & QBasic    14. Computers / Spreadsheets / General    15. Excel   

Reviews (6)

This should have been the manual
This is certainly as dry as a computer manual, so Microsoft could have included this as at least a PDF with PowerPoint. So did not do that and now they want you to buy this separately. That itself is reason to not buy this book and look at other alternatives.
Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003 Step by Step
Very easy to follow and teach from.It's also very easy for those that I'm training to follow from as well.
Office PP 2003
This Powerpoint book was very well written.The information was precise and easy to follow.I recommend it to anyone planning to get Microsoft certification. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business Software - Powerpoint    2. Business presentations    3. Computer Books: General    4. Computer Graphics - General    5. Computer graphics    6. Computer programs    7. Computers    8. Computers - Integrated Software    9. Graphic methods    10. Microcomputer Graphics    11. Microcomputer Integrated Application Software    12. Microsoft PowerPoint (Computer    13. Microsoft PowerPoint (Computer file)    14. Presentation graphics software    15. Programming - Software Development    16. Computers / General    17. Home Computing   

Reviews (6)

learning SPSS and statistics
Pallant manages to explain fairly advanced statistical concepts like multiple regression, analysis of covariance, factor analysis and others, using SPSS. You don't have to be a stats major to be able to gainfully master SPSS. It does the computational heavy lifting. The point of this book is to learn the broad meaning of these concepts and how to interpret the results SPSS returns.
Excellent book!!!! But the 1 year SPSS license ......
This book is a "must have" introduction to SPSS. Brilliant & Highly Recommended.(The 1-year only SPSS Student version license is a bummer ... many students do statistical research that takes longer than 1 year to complete.) Perhaps the next edition will carry a 3-year SPSS license?

This is a very helpful SPSS book
I bought this book based on a recommendation from my advisor.It is a great way for SPSS users to find out how to go about conducting the analysis that they need to do.The help function in SPSS is not terribly helpful, and the manual that can be purchased for a lot of extra money is so large and combersome that it is also not much help.This book makes SPSS much easier to use.
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Subjects:  1. Assessment, Testing & Measurement    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer programs    4. Computers    5. Educational Software    6. Psychology    7. Research & Methodology    8. SPSS for Windows    9. SPSS for Windows (Computer software)    10. Social sciences    11. Statistical methods    12. Education / Research    13. Mathematical & statistical software   

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computer Science    3. Computers    4. Computers - General Information    5. General    6. Computers / General    7. Computing and Information Technology   

Reviews (1)

The next edition of the definitive series; another must-have
Computer architecture has seen vast changes in the last 20 years, and fortunately, H&P somehow manage to do a new edition about every 5 years, often enough to stay current.When the First Edition appeared, it quickly became *the* standard textbook on the topic, to be replaced in that role by each successive edition.
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Subjects:  1. Computer Architecture - General    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer architecture    4. Computers    5. Computers - General Information    6. Computer architecture & logic design    7. Computers / Computer Architecture   

Reviews (3)

It is an excellent DBA Handbook
The book is excellent in the sense that it went straight to the essential and important topics. I am surprised that they did cover a lot of topic in a few pages. The book does help if you have some experience with oracle and especially with 10g. If you are new to oracle I am pretty sure you pick up the wrong book and you will be shaken by the concepts in the book. Overall I recommend this book if you are already familiar with 10g.

Great Book. Not for Beginners
This book is definitely not for beginners. If you already have a working knowledge of how to operate an Oracle database, this book will provide a more solid foundation for your knowledge. I particularly found its chapters on RAC and High Availability helpful. The best part of this book is that it covers the most essential knowledge to becoming a highly competent Oracle DBA without trying to be a reference for every Oracle topic. I highly recommend this book.

Bumpy Ride
I'm learning database administration for the first time, so I've been sequentially working through this book.I've made it past 200 pages running all of the commands and scripts; however, I've had to do a lot of outside research in the product documentation and internet forums to get the stuff to work.I've marked up the margins of this book like crazy.Key pieces of the examples are omitted, and some information is just plain wrong (e.g. names of AWR SQL scripts).Being forced to do outside research can help you learn the material better I guess, but the time could probably be better spent if all you want is your certification.One of their commands to move EM from SYSAUX to another tablespace totally corrupted my database console service and forced me to install a new database instance.Buy this book if you're into pain and self-torment. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Database    2. Computers    3. Computers - Data Base Management    4. Database Management - General    5. Database Management - Oracle    6. Database management    7. Relational Databases    8. Computers / Database Management / General    9. Oracle   

Reviews (23)

Great Book
It's a great book, easy to understand, a lot of examples, could be used by people initiating on JSF, or like a reference book. It is not necessary any knowledge of servlets or JSP. Just install tomcat, jsdk a jsf lib and start to write yours first webapp!!

Excellent thick book on web application development with JSF
Reading the Amazon reviews I suspected this to be a good book.But how excellent it actually was, caught me by surprise.
It's OK, but there are better books on JSF available
Despite the fact that I really like David Geary's other books, I was pretty disappointed with this one.
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Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computers    3. Computers - Languages / Programming    4. Design    5. Internet - Web Site Design    6. JavaServer pages    7. Programming - General    8. Programming Languages - Java    9. Web site development    10. Web sites    11. Computers / Programming Languages / Java    12. Java & variants   

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Reviews (10)

A+ Seller
The book was clean and brand new as mentioned. Thanks.
Excellent, but not for beginners
Understanding the Linux Kernel is an excellent guide for those who have some experience using Linux, and would like to know what's going on under the hood. It's a comprehensive guide that not only describes how Linux boots and initializes itself, and how programs call functions inside the kernel, but actually goes down to the murky depths of interrupts, process switching, inter-process communication, and even memory management down to the level of the 80x86 processor instructions, registers and features (actually if you add it all up, memory management takes up most of the book -- a good thing!). Furthermore there are chapters about essentials such as file systems and device drivers.
VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
Are you curious about how Linux works and why it is so efficient? If you are, then this book is for you! Authors Daniel Plerre Bovet and Marco Cesati, have done an outstanding job of writing a practical book that will help you find your way through the many thousands of lines of code.
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Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computers    3. Computers - Operating Systems    4. General    5. Information Technology    6. Linux    7. Linux (Computer software)    8. Operating Systems - Linux    9. Operating systems (Computers)    10. Computer Programming    11. Computers / Operating Systems    12. Computers / Operating Systems / Linux    13. Understanding the Linux Kernel, Linux, kernel, Unix, device drivers, memory management, synchronization, system calls, SMP, VFS, I/O devices, disk caches, swapping, ReiserFS Journaling Filesystem, system startup    14. Unix, Unix Linux & Unix TCL/TK   

Reviews (8)

Not casual reading but good
This could never be called a casual read, but it is a good read. I've spent much time in the Group Policy book, pair that book with Stanek's Windows Server 2003 Inside Out and you have everything you need to master Active Directory and Windows. Recommended.

A must Have in our Bookshelf
I've been studying to MCSA 2003. The tools and the explanations provided are easy to understand and are helping me in my certification for MCSA and maintaining my network at work, too. I'm very glad to have this books in my bookshelf.

A Critical Resource
This set provides the "missing" instruction book for Server 2003.It is full of helps, hints, and workarounds, written by experts.I cannot imagine trying to maintain a Server 2003 network of any size without these books on your shelf. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Client-Server Computing - General    2. Computer Books And Software    3. Computer Books: Operating Systems    4. Computers    5. Computers - Communications / Networking    6. Microcomputer Operating Environments    7. Microsoft Windows server    8. Microsoft Windows server (Computer software)    9. Networking - General    10. Operating Systems - Windows    11. Operating systems (Computers)    12. Computer Communications & Networking    13. Computers / General    14. Microsoft Windows