Review of Pinnacle Studio 9 Ignite! (Paperback)

No matter what the book says. Pinnacle 9 and it's upgrade Pinnacle 10 are the worst non linear video programs in the history of all non linear based pc programs. Do not waste your time with a book on a program that is just garbage. Use Sony Vegas, it's the way to go. IF ICOULD GIVE THIS negative STARS I WOULD!

Product Description
Covering the popular video editing and DVD authoring software that is used by 3.5 million users, "Pinnacle Studio 9 Ignite!" is a visual guide that will have you up and running in no time. With the many enhancements of Pinnacle Studio 9, this book is not only suitable for beginners, but also for users of Pinnacle looking to brush up on new features. Examining the core features of this software comprehensively, you'll learn how to create compelling interactive multimedia experiences on DVD.With the affordability and feature-rich design of Pinnacle Studio 9, it has never been easier to film video, assemble it into an interactive multimedia experience, view the masterpiece at home and share the DVD with friends and family. There has never been a better time or greater need for a get-started- quick guide and keep-on-hand reference tool on video editing than now. "Pinnacle Studio 9 Ignite!" effectively fills that need.

About the Author
Aneesha Bakharia is a Web developer and accomplished author. She is fluent in C#, Java, JavaScript, ASP.NET, JSP, HTML, XML, and VB.NET. Aneesha specializes in creating dynamic database-driven Web sites. She has a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Microelectronic Engineering and various postgraduate qualifications in multimedia, online course development, and Web design. In addition to "Macromedia Contribute Fast & Easy Web Development", she has written several other books for Premier Press, including: "Dreamweaver UltraDev Fast & Easy Web Development" (ISBN: 0761531645), "JavaServer Pages Fast & Easy Web Development" (ISBN: 0761534288) and "Microsoft C# Fast & Easy Web Development" (ISBN: 1931841055).Aneesha lives in Queensland, Australia.

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Review of ASP.NET for Dummies (Paperback)

In its 420 printed pages, ASP.NET for Dummies covers the key topics to get you up and running with ASP.NET. You learn the basics of obtaining and displaying information on your sites. You learn how to use built-in functions such as date routines, math routines, and browser routines. You even learn how to work with data and databases on the server. This includes coverage of Active Data Objects (ADO) - a key way of doing database access. Building ASP.NET Web forms is covered in detail along with using server side controls ranging from radio buttons to drop down lists. Programming topics such as arrays, array lists, and hash tables are also explained as well as shown in examples.

While ASP.NET for Dummies is "for Dummies," you should already be familiar with programming concepts. As with most Active Server Page-related books, ASP.NET for Dummies uses Visual Basic .NET as its choice of programming languages. If you don't know Visual Basic .NET, don't fret. The book spends several chapters teaching the basics of what you need to know in order to program for ASP.NET. If you have never programmed before, you will most likely find that this moves too fast. However, if you know a scripting language such as JavaScript or VBScript you should have no trouble keeping up with the coverage of Visual Basic .NET in this book.

It is worth pointing out that this book doesn't stop at just covering the creation of ASP.NET pages, but it also covers creating full-fledge ASP.NET applications. The book presents a couple of ASP.NET applications that are larger and more practical than standard book examples. Within the text of the book a chat room and a classified application are both included. On the CD there is also a guest book application. Code for all three applications is on the CD.

The CD with this book is worth noting. Most ASP.NET books don't include a CD, let alone a CD with lots of useful stuff. This CD has five bonus chapters containing over a hundred additional pages. It also contains the author's source code so you don't have to hunt it down on the Web. A number of third party software products are also included. Some of these you may not find useful. Others such as the editors you may find extremely valuable.

Will ASP.NET for Dummies make you an expert ASP.NET developer? The answer is no, it won't make you an expert, however, no beginning level ASP.NET book will. What ASP.NET for Dummies will do is get you up and running with the foundational topics necessary for creating real-world ASP.NET pages. Once you are done with this book, you'll be able to create a wide variety of ASP.NET pages. If you are going to create professional-level pages, you will want to follow this book up with an intermediate advanced book.

In summary, if you have a little programming background, then you should be ready for ASP.NET. If you want a book that teaches you the basics of implementing ASP.NET in a relatively straightforward manner, then ASP.NET for Dummies accomplishes the task. With a price of only (...) including a CD containing valuable content, I have to give this book five stars. It is definitely worth the cost. In fact, I would say this book is under-priced (...) --which seems unusual for a computer book these days! If you can get a copy of this book at a discount, then this book is a steal!

One final note, a number of excellent ASP sites are not mentioned in the book. This includesASP101.com. 15seconds.com, 4GuysFromRolla.com, ASPWire.com and more.

Product Description
Ah, the wide world of the Web. You just can't do business without a Web site, and the more compelling and interactive it is, the better. In a competitive environment, keeping your Web site fresh and exciting can have a real effect on your bottom line.

If you're a corporate Web site developer or a small business owner responsible for maintaining your own site, ASP.NET is the technology that can give you that competitive edge. It's easy to use and works with other familiar languages, like Visual Basic and HTML, to help you set up cool interactive Web pages. With ASP.NET, you can

• Add a survey or calculator to your Web site
• Enable data retrieval
• Create a monthly calendar
• Send e-mail from your site
• Set up a real-time chat room, and more

If you're familiar with earlier incarnations, ASP.NET For Dummies is a great way to get up to speed on the changes and enhancements in the .NET version.

ASP.NET For Dummies gets you going in a hurry. Instead of having to wade through pages of theory before you can actually play with the technology, you get to jump in and create your first ASP.NET page in the very first chapter! Find out how to

• Understand ASP.NET and Visual Basic .NET terms and languages
• Create cool elements with ASP.NET's built-in objects
• Discover ways to let Web site users enter information and get responses
• Validate user input
• Use the .NET Framework Class Library to teach your applications new tricks
• Enable users to access information from a database and keep the information up to date
• Combine ASP.NET with other technologies to create more exciting Web applications

There's even a bonus CD-ROM packed with information for Classic ASP veterans, two great bonus applications, and a sample database. If you're a newcomer, you'll find plenty of background to get you up to speed. If you're an experienced programmer, go right to the new stuff and sample applications. Either way, ASP.NET For Dummies will help you make your Web site a sight to behold.

From the Back Cover
Free daily eTips at dummies.com

ASP.NET examples, tools, and more on CD-ROM

Create complete ASP.NET applications: Cafe Chat Room and Classy Classifieds

Harness next-generation ASP.NET features to create dynamic Web applications Whether you're a Web development newcomer or a Classic ASP veteran, this friendly guide is just what you need to tap the power of the totally revamped ASP.NET. From Visual Basic.NET fundamentals and object-oriented techniques to using Web Forms to create interactive pages and harnessing ADO.NET to retrieve information and update databases, it's just what you need to take your pages to the next level.

all this on the bonus CD-ROM Complete source code for Cafe Chat Room, Classy Classifieds, Guestbook, and many more examples Eiffellanguage plug-in for ASP.NET Controls and Components: Sax Basic Engine ASP.NET Editors: ASPEdit 2001, Helios TextPad, and Antechinus C# Editor System requirements: PC running an ASP.NET hosting service or Internet Information Server on Windows.NET/XP/2000/NT 4.0. See the About the CD appendix for details and complete system requirements.

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Review of Mac OS X Tiger For Dummies (Paperback)

Review by Ronald Schoedel

Once again, the "for Dummies" series has come to the rescue of newbies and others who just want to learn more about their Macs.I am not a newbie.I've owned Macs for well over a decade. Even so, "Tiger for Dummies" had some great tidbits of knowledge that I was reading and learning for the first time.I always enjoy reading articles and books by "Dr. Mac" Bob Levitus, too.His style is easy-going and helpful, and he doesn't assume you know more than you likely do.

The true test of a "Dummies" book, however, is how much it helps someone unfamiliar with the Mac become a more efficient and better-informed user.The book is broken down into a number of tasks, and then walks the reader through a task step by step.Playful icons guide the reader through the task, warn of potential pitfalls, clarify matters, and direct the reader to additional software or resources that may be helpful.

"Mac OS X Tiger for Dummies" will help you configure a printer, get on the internet, use cool new internet services, get the most out of the included software on your Mac, and navigate the system preferences, explaining in detail (but not too much detail to bore you) many of the customization options your Mac has available.You will learn about Spotlight and how to find anything on your Mac exceptionally quickly.You will learn about downloading and installing Widgets to complement the ones Apple provides in the default Dashboard. Dr. Mac will also explain to you the Finder and the metaphors common to the Macintosh experience (concepts such as documents, the desktop, folders, windows, icons and menus).You will get a good education on removable media, disk images, downloading things from the internet, backing up your files, and even a couple chapters on networking.

In reviewing this book, I loaned it to a couple brand new Mac users; they now own their own copies, which they purchased after enjoying my copy for a brief time.They said that "Tiger for Dummies" is a great book and helps them acclimate to the Mac, especially helping them overcome some common hang-ups or sources of confusion encountered by switchers from Windows.

My only gripe: too many bad jokes.Not enough to dock it any moose in the 5 out of 5 moose rating that I am giving it, but suffice it to say that after 400 pages, the jokes wear thin.Less jokes, more content, would be my desire for the next version.I enjoy Dr. Mac's humor, generally, but like anything else, it's best taken in moderation.

I recommend "Tiger for Dummies" to any Mac user, but especially to new users or as a gift for new Mac users in your life.Pick up a couple copies for the Mac users on your gift list!

Pros: Easy to read, well-illustrated, another fine Dummies book
Cons: Too many bad jokes.

Product Description
Mac OS X just keeps getting better! The newest cat in the pack, 10.4 Tiger, has new bells and whistles and terrific updates that make it even easier and more fun to use, which is why you won't want to miss out on the helpful guidance this book has to offer.

Written by "Dr. Mac" himself, veteran Macintosh expert Bob LeVitus, Mac OS X Tiger For Dummies is perfect whether you're brand-new to the Mac or you're a longtime Mac-thusiast. You'll find sections on

• Basic Mac usage, including keyboard and mouse, menus, windows, the Dock, saving and backing up files, and getting around OS X
• Internet ins and outs, how to print from your Mac, and the how and why of System Preferences
• How to set up a network, share files, and troubleshoot problems
• Step-by-step installation instructions for OS X, and a lot more

Bob LeVitus reaches over a million readers weekly with his "Dr. Mac" column in the Houston Chronicle, and his books have sold more than a million copies worldwide. In this one, he helps you

• Find your way around the new Finder, go Web surfing with the cool new Safari browser, and search smarter with Spotlight
• Use Preferences to personalize your system for the way you work
• Handle removable media, including CDs, DVDs, and even classic devices like zip drives
• Manage files, use file sharing, and protect your precious data -painlessly
• Take advantage of Dashboard widgets, navigate nested folders, and make the most of Tiger

With the friendly and expert advice in this book, you'll tame the Tiger in no time. Then, when you're ready to delve deeper into some of the specific applications like digital media, check out other For Dummies guides, including iLife '04 All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies (ISBN 0-7645-7347-0).

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Review of Canon EOS 30D Guide to Digital SLR Photography (Paperback)

David Busch set out to write a book wich will help 30D users understand both the features of the camera and digital photograhy in general. It's the only book on the 30D that I know of that doesn't read like a manual, especially beginning with the fourth chapter.

Busch does a really good job of trying to break down what making photo instead of what taking a photo is all about. He gets beyond the manual approach which is not an easy task when talking about a particular camera. He makes a good attempt to explains important points about exposure, lens types, and lighting. Some parts of the book could use more illustration and step by step examples, but overall it's very readable for novice and intermediate 30D digital photographers.

It's very nicely laid out with lots of white space for writing notes and underlining. The photos included in the book are not spactacular, but some are very useful illustrating the points he tries to make.

I would imagine that this book would be very useful to read along side Busch's other book on pro level digital photography secrets.

Product Description
If you own a digital SLR camera, then you're serious about photography. As an avid photographer, you owe it to yourself to make the most out of your cutting-edge equipment. Somewhere between the tedious user manual full of technical garble and the generic how to digital photography books is the ideal guide to your EOS 30D. Welcome to that guide! Canon EOS 30D Guide to Digital SLR Photography provides you with a concise introduction to the most important features specific to your EOS 30D, explaining not only how to use them but also why and when. Filled with full-color images to illustrate results in various settings, this book also helps you enhance your digital photography skills with techniques specific to the EOS 30D.

About the Author
With more than a million books in print, David D. Busch is a best-selling author of books on digital photography and imaging technology, and the originator of popular series like "David Busch's Pro Secrets" and "David Busch's Quick Snap Guides." He has written six hugely successful guidebooks for Nikon digital SLR models, and the most comprehensive manuals for dSLRs from Canon, Sony, and other vendors.His many other books devoted to digital photography include "David Busch's Digital Infrared Pro Secrets" and "Mastering Digital SLR Photography."As a roving photojournalist for more than 20 years, he has illustrated his books, magazine articles, and newspaper reports with award-winning images. Busch has operated his own commercial studio, suffocated in formal dress while shooting weddings-for-hire, and shot sports for a daily newspaper and upstate New York college.His photographs and articles have been published in magazines as diverse as "PhotoGraphic," "Popular Photograph & Imaging," "The Rangefinder," and hundreds of other publications.He's also reviewed digital cameras for CNet Networks and Computer Shopper.

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Review of Effective awk Programming (3rd Edition) (Paperback)

Awk is one of those handy Unix tools with which you can easily impress people. Using a simple

/pattern/ { action }

syntax, you can construct powerful one-liners. Do you want to how much time in total you spent surfing the Internet? Here it is:

awk '/Connect time/ { s += $8 } END { print s }' /var/log/messages

It doesn't get much shorter in any other programming language, does it? Need to strip text of HTML tags? Need a frequency count of words in a text? Awk is the perfect tool for tasks like this. With its pattern-action structure, powerful regular expression mechanism, associative arrays and basic program flow control, it provides a powerful tool for manipulating flat text files. Even though other scripting languages may be richer in features, there exists a niche where Awk is just the right tool to do the job.

Arnold Robbins, the author of this book as well as of several other books on Awk, serves also as the maintainer of GNU Awk (gawk for short), the most influential version of Awk available today. With the version 3.10, released in 2001, GNU Awk became richer for a handful of new extensions over traditional Awk, most important among them are the TCP/IP networking and the support for internationalization. All new extensions are described in the book. How successful these new extensions will be is doubtful, however. Networking scripting niche is already well covered with Perl and Python, and internationalization doesn't really matter much in short throw-away scripts Awk is usually used for.

With all due respect to the creators of Awk and their book (Alfred V. Aho, Peter J. Weinberger, Brian W. Kernighan, The Awk Programming Language, Addison-Wesley, 1988), I have to say that "Effective Awk Programming" is probably the best Awk tutorial on the market today. If you are serious about learning Awk, you shouldn't be without it. If you are still hesitating whether it wouldn't be wiser investing those 28 USD elsewhere, here is chance to read it before you buy it: install GNU Awk 3.10, and the Texinfo source of the book comes with it. But sooner or later you will find O'Reilly RepKover binding too tempting...



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Review of 50 Fast Flash MX Techniques [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

This book looks like you will learn a lot as there are 50 tutorials.

Unfortunately, many are redundant, many are not really significant (not really useful, just funny), and the last one is a filler as it teaches you how to make a projector.

If you are buying this book from a library, take your time to review the center page that display each "Technique" in color.

It is worth half the price it costs. Not a great deal anyway. At least, you get the source files.

This book is for beginner who wants to have a bit of fun.



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Review of Mastering Autodesk Inventor 2010 (Paperback)

I purchased this book because I had a gotten the hang of the basic tools for creating small assemblies and basic parts. I didnt really know how to get to the next step and really harness the power of Inventor.I was looking for a good explanation of some of its more advanced features as well as decent instruction.I was able to understand the different environment types, tools and software options that I would have otherwise overlooked or not understood fully without the help of this text.

This book is recommended to anyone who is already familiar with Inventor but needs a good resource to learn the advanced features this program has to offer. Great Reference!

Product Description

A complete tutorial for the real-world application of Autodesk Inventor, plus video instruction on DVD

Used to design everything from airplanes to appliances, Autodesk Inventor is the industry-leading 3D mechanical design software. This detailed tutorial and reference covers practical applications to help you solve design problems in your own work environment, allowing you to do more with less.

It also addresses topics that are often omitted from other guides, such as Inventor Professional modules, design tactics for large assemblies, using 2D and 3D data from other CAD systems, and a detailed overview of the Inventor utility tools such as Design Assistant and Task Scheduler that you didn't even know you had.

• Teaches the most popular 3D mechanical design software in the context of real-world workflows and work environments
• Provides an overview of the Inventor 2010 ribbon Interface, Inventor design concepts, and advanced information on productivity-boosting and visualization tools
• Offers crucial information on data exchange, including SolidWorks, Catia, Pro-E, and others.
• Shares details on documentation, including exploded presentation files, simple animations, rendered animations and stills with Inventor Studio, and sheet metal flat patterns
• Covers Inventor, Inventor Professional, and Inventor LT
• Includes a DVD with before-and-after tutorial files, a searchable PDF of the book, innovative video tutorials for each chapter, and more

Mastering Autodesk Inventor teaches you to get the most from the software and provides a reference to help you on the job, allowing you to utilize the tools you didn't even know you had to quickly achieve professional results.

From the Back Cover

Create Full-Featured Digital Prototypes the Inventor Way

Whether you're designing airplanes, appliances, or industrial machinery, this complete guide to Autodesk Inventor 2010 shows you how to produce and manage build-worthy 3D virtual prototypes from the ground up. Inventor experts Curtis Waguespack and Loren Jahraus not only pack this reference with veteran insights and valuable engineering principles, they also cover topics that are rarely documented elsewhere.

You'll receive a thorough grounding in basic concepts before moving on to a wealth of advanced topics for professional environments, including standard and sheet metal part design, the dos and don'ts of working with large assemblies, setting up professional workflows, effectively sharing data, and more. The book fully covers Inventor 2010 and Inventor Professional 2010, including newly enhanced simulation tools for motion and finite element analysis.

Coverage includes:

1. Understanding the "Inventor way" of 3D mechanical design

2. Using the new interface effectively and productively

3. Transitioning from AutoCAD or third-party 3D design packages

4. Learning all aspects of part and assembly design, including sketching and modeling

5. Mastering advanced sheet metal design techniques

6. Exploring little-known strategies for large assemblies

7. Leveraging cable and harness capabilities, tube and pipe design, and dynamic simulation and stress analysis features

8. Creating multibody parts and plastic part features

Featured on the Dvd

Enhance your learning with the innovative video tutorials for each chapter that highlight advanced techniques and best practices. You'll also find before-and-after tutorial files, interesting and useful Inventor utilities, and a fully searchable PDF of the book.

• Master the Powerful New Inventor 2010 Interface

• Discover Techniques and Tricks Not Widely Documented Elsewhere

• Learn in the Context of Real-World Workflows and Work Environments

• Delve into Advanced Design for Parts, Assemblies, Weldments, and Plastics

• Use Inventor Studio to Create High-Impact Presentations

• Enhance Data Exchange and Design Effectively Across Different Industries

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Review of AutoCAD 2008 For Dummies (For Dummies (Computers)) (Paperback)

Since deciding to become a CAD goddess, I've found reviews for 2008 CAD books in short supply so here you go ...

CAD For Dummies is in all truth a book for beginners, more experienced users may be able to profit by the tidbits that refer to new features in this year's release and tricks but since I'm a beginner and I've found it all easy enough to understand, I don't expect it will be much more that a pleasure read for CAD veterans.

With this book you can expect to become familiar with AutoCAD 2008. You will get comfortable with it, you'll know what the buttons are for, what the tools do and what the program's overall capabilities are. In other words, you'll be proficient. Not a grasshopper anymore but not quite a master. It prepares you to tackle more specialized books in whatever field (architectural, electrical, mechanical, 3d, etc) you're interested in with a great set of honed skills and a reasonable amount of confidence. It's an excellent foundation on which to build.

A couple of other things I'd like to mention are the awesome icons that can be found throughout the book, they serve to point out crucial information that you shouldn't forget, useful techie stuff, tips to make your AutoCAD life easier and how to avoid horrible-pull-your-hair-out-in-desperation-mistakes. Lastly, there are really no exercises, I'm a hands on kind of chick, I wanted to be drawing right away. So my solution to this was to buy another book to supplement this deficency and I'm happy to say that AutoCAD 2008: No Experience Required is as well in the awesome side. I'll be reviewing it soon.

Now, CAD For Dummies is not a CAD Bible (thank goodness), it doesn't tell you everything and at times it refers you to AutoCAD's Help features (very convenient). In my experience "Bible" books are more in the nature of a very overwhelming, unreadable, unliftable reference tool. And they don't tell you what you need to know as a beginner, they are manuals to a program.



Product Description

• A gentle, humorous introduction to this fearsomely complex software that helps new users start creating 2D and 3D technical drawings right away
• Covers the new features and enhancements in the latest AutoCAD version and provides coverage of AutoCAD LT, AutoCAD's lower-cost sibling
• Topics covered include creating a basic layout, using AutoCAD DesignCenter, drawing and editing, working with dimensions, plotting, using blocks, adding text to drawings, and drawing on the Internet
• AutoCAD is the leading CAD software for architects, engineers, and draftspeople who need to create detailed 2D and 3D technical drawings; there are more than 5 million registered AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT users

From the Back Cover
Discover precision techniques that increase accuracy and save time!

Explore the essentials, improve your geometry, and share your stuff

AutoCAD sets the standard for creating architectural and mechanical drawings, and it's a complex package. Well, that's where this book comes in! It takes you one step at a time through properly setting up AutoCAD® and AutoCAD LT®, drawing and editing, zooming and panning, plotting and printing, working online, and other essentials.

• Harness the text and annotation upgrades

• Set up basic drawings

• Use the drawing commands

• Zoom and pan

• Explore 3D models

• Edit hatch objects

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Review of Digitial Painting Fundamentals with Corel Painter 11 (Paperback)

I sometimes get a bit overwhelmed with Painter workbooks. This one is entertaining and easy-to follow. Highly recommended for the first-time user or those needed refreshers.

Product Description
Unlock your digital artistic talent with Corel Painter 11, the industry standard for pixel-based drawing and painting. Digital Painting Fundamentals with Corel Painter 11 provides step-by-step instructions for using the basic features of Painter 11 along with a Wacom graphics tablet. Created for artists by artists, Painter 11 realistically emulates the look of traditional painting and drawing in any style you choose. You'll start with simple sketching exercises immediately, to acquire and sharpen essential skills such as eye-hand coordination and drawing what you see. As you develop familiarity with Painter's wide array of brushes and art materials, you'll be introduced to traditional art concepts such as composition, line quality, contrast, and focal points. Projects ranging from still life and landscape studies to portraits and abstract painting will help you practice and master each new skill, and the book is full of images that illustrate every technique as you progress through it. Whether you are a new artist or an experienced artist who wants to apply your skills to the digital medium, this book will help you get the hang of Painter 11's tools and features, as well as hone and perfect your painting and drawing fundamentals, skills that can be applied to any artistic medium.

About the Author
Traditional fine artist, caricaturist and cartoonist since 1970. Began working digitally in 1991. Using Photoshop and Painter, creates illustrations for books, magazines, corporate publications and the web. Classroom teacher of traditional drawing and digital painting since 1997. Author or co-author of several books on Painter and Photoshop. Author of three multimedia tutorial courses on Painter for Virtual Training Corporation (VTC). Award-winning pioneer in creating caricatures digitally at events, dba "Rhoda Draws A Crowd."

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Review of Macromedia Dreamweaver e-Learning Toolkit: Building Web-Based Training with Coursebuilder (Paperback)

Doyle's book is supposed to be an introduction for Dreamweaver extensions, CourseBuilder and Learning Site. CourseBuilder writes javascript for learning interactions (multiple choice questions, etc.) and Learning Site helps manage information from a course website within a database. The book strikes me as poorly edited or proofread (a whole paragraph is repeated on p. 81, for example). Readers are directed to the author's web-based training website for resources in ways that feel like you are reading an infomercial, but then, when I took the bait, I found that links to the resources were dead anyway. Text and tables repeat the same information, making it seem like the book has been "padded" to reach the editor's page count, or like the author believes he is writing for particularly dim-witted readers.

To those looking for help with Dreamweaver and other Macromedia tools in e-learning applications, I would recommend two other books: Using Dreamweaver to Create e-Learning (Garin Hess and Steven Hancock) is a first-rate introduction to CourseBuilder, with clear and engaging tutorials.  Even better, perhaps, is MX eLearning (Jeffrey Bardzell), which does almost nothing with CourseBuilder, but demonstrates how to build interactions using the javascript that Dreamweaver will write through its behaviors panel, as well as Flash and ColdFusion.  This is an "advanced training from the source" book and non-threatening to people who don't think of themselves as coders but want to begin to make sense of html, javascript, actionscript, etc.

Product Description
* Includes everything developers need to start building online courses quickly and easily
* Enables Dreamweaver users to enter the rapidly-growing Web-based training market
* Begins with a crash course in Macromedia Dreamweaver MX, then guides readers through developing an online learning course, incorporating interactions, quizzes, tests, and animations
* Dreamweaver commands approximately eighty percent of the market for professional Web development tools; its supplementary CourseBuilder and Learning Site extensions have been downloaded more than 90,000 times
* CD-ROM includes sixteen e-learning templates worth $99, quick start forms, additional software, and a complete, customizable, three-hour online course

From the Back Cover
"With a book like this, even mere mortals can use Macromedia tools and extensions to create effective e-learning."
-Bill Horton, author of Designing Web-Based Training and e-Learning Tools and Technologies

The Web-based training field is hot, and this comprehensive toolkit will prepare you to take advantage of the opportunities it offers developers. Everything you need to create your own e-learning curriculum is here-software, plans for building your courses, site templates, a database, a dozen samples, and complete step-by-step instructions for using them all. There's a section devoted to Dreamweaver basics, an overview of e-learning concepts, a quick course in creating effective tests, plus plenty of expert tutorials and hands-on examples. You'll feel confident designing, developing, and implementing WBT courses with the most popular Web publishing tool in the world.

You'll learn how to:

• Design interactive pages, manage reusable content, and apply cascading style sheets
• Install and use Learning Site and CourseBuilder extensions
• Develop valid test questions and reduce the odds of accurate guessing
• Select, control, and process CourseBuilder interactions
• Choose layout styles for effective site navigation
• Create drag-and-drop and image hot area interactions
• Track test results with the Learning Site database

"Mike Doyle has done a fantastic job teaching novice and experienced Dreamweaver MX users how to develop effective courseware. This is destined to become a reference book you will want to keep close at hand."
-Margaret Driscoll, IBM Mindspan Solutions, Author of Web-Based Training: Designing e-Learning Experiences

The CD-ROM features:

• Trial version of Macromedia Dreamweaver MX, plus Learning Site and CourseBuilder extensions
• 12 valuable e-learning templates
• A complete 3-hour online course you can use as a course model for your custom Web-based training
• Author files and tutorials

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Review of Marketing on the Internet: Your Seven-Step Plan for Suceeding in e-Business Now That the Hype Is Over (Paperback)

Helps students or novices approach web-site strategy in a useful manner.


Product Description
This updated edition reflects the rapid changes in online marketing topics such as effective Web site design, secure payment methods, Web promotion techniques, and building relationships with online customers. Dozens of worksheets help readers sharpen the focus of the online needs and goals of their businesses, and hundreds of screen shots illustrate successful tactics. Case studies of online business successes explain the concepts in the book and illustrate how they work in real-life situations.

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Review of Leading Culture Change in Your Software Organization: Delivering Results Early [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

If you're involved in any aspect of software implementations, and you desire to improve your product delivery for your user community, then this book is a must have.It offers practical approaches along with useful examples.

What I particularly like is the incremental approach using the five best practices in Chapter 2.The big-bang hammer approaches, which I have lived through and can, relate to in Chapter 4, just don't work!

I have used the author's best practices for my last three projects and the results were very successful: Project 1 - no major bugs found during end user acceptance testing, implemented three days early; Project 2 - implemented on-time with a satisfied user community; Project 3 - again, no showstopper issues during user acceptance resulting in a product that was delivered as expected by the user community.The suggested best practices do in fact work.

This book is my guide and reference for managing software implementations.I highly recommend it!

Product Description
The Effective Way to Produce Improvements for Project Management and Software Engineering!Leading Culture Change in Your Software Organization: Delivering Results Early is the first industry-specific guide to managing change. You ll find today s best strategies for quick wins and long-term gains when managing Software Process Improvement (SPI) and culture change. You ll:Learn how to deliver successful outcomes, using a targeted set of recommended actions, effective leadership, and social and psychological drivers Get first-hand knowledge from organizations that have successfully transformed the work habits and practices of their software professionals Discover techniques that you can apply immediately to maximize project success regardless of your organization s infrastructure or level of technical sophistication.

About the Author
Rita Chao Hadden specializes in software best practices, process improvement, and corporate culture change. She has been a software practitioner, project manager, software engineering process group (SEPG) leader, change agent, Software Engineering Institute authorized lead assessor, software director, and executive. She has provided leadership, coordination, and coaching for more than 75 complex software projects in the private and public sectors. She is currently Director of Software Development at Datatel, Inc., a market leader in Enterprise Resource Planning for higher education.

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