More/less a compendium of "best practice" layouts. If you're an inexperienced or novice graphic designer or have had graphic design thrust upon you ("More/less a compendium of "best practice" layouts. If you're an inexperienced or novice graphic designer or have had graphic design thrust upon you ("But I'm a developer!") then this is a great book to keep handy; if you're a little more experienced, it's still a good one to keep around for quick ideas ("...and the mock-up is due tomorrow morning 10am sharp!") or to loan out to your apprentices.
Typical use case for this book: your creative energy is low and you have a looming deadline on a series of mock-ups. Skim through this book, grab a couple of layouts that looks like they'll work with your material and adapt them to fit.
There is nothing particularly novel or ground-breaking in here but it's still useful for times when the pressure is on and ideas aren't quite there.
4 stars for graphic design novices and/or non-designers; 3 stars for more experienced designers....more
More/less a compendium of "best practice" style color palettes. If you're an inexperienced or novice graphic designer or have had graphic design thrusMore/less a compendium of "best practice" style color palettes. If you're an inexperienced or novice graphic designer or have had graphic design thrust upon you ("But I'm a developer!") then this is a great book to keep handy; if you're a little more experienced, it's still a good one to keep around for quick ideas ("...and the mock-up is due tomorrow morning 10am sharp!") or to loan out to your apprentices.
What makes it particularly useful is that it's well-organized and clusters the sample color palettes based on themes. Plus, there is quick access to the RGB and CMYK values all the way through.
4 stars if you're new to graphic design; 3 if you've been at it for a while....more
An average quality compendium of "ideas" for graphic design projects. It runs through some assorted concepts to help you during your more fallow perioAn average quality compendium of "ideas" for graphic design projects. It runs through some assorted concepts to help you during your more fallow periods... It will show off an example of juxtaposed elements or how to create an impact with differently sized elements or how to create tension with "misplaced" design elements, etc.
Unlike its siblings (i.e., Color Index and Layout Index) I wouldn't really describe this one as a "best practice" guide. That doesn't make it bad... It just didn't seem as useful in the long-run. I could see how it might be very useful to some folks -- there were certainly times when I got some good ideas from it -- but for the most part you're probably better off just looking for inspiration in the things around you in your everyday experience.
3 stars if you're new to graphic design; 2 if you've been at it for a while...more
Though I may have an older edition than the one I see here, I would say that this book was dated even when I picked it up. It's approach to MIDI seemeThough I may have an older edition than the one I see here, I would say that this book was dated even when I picked it up. It's approach to MIDI seemed almost too elementary -- it may be "for the technophobe" but seriously: if you're really afraid of technology, computers, and MIDI, what are you doing picking up this up in the first place?
Perhaps I had the wrong expectations for this book. When I picked it up, I was looking for something to help guide me through some basic sequence programming techniques and the like. Instead I got some disjointed essays that barely covered the fundamentals of ASDR, Q filtering, and equipment chaining.
Again: I'm probably the wrong audience for this book; but I also didn't think that it was organized very well or that it had a novel presentation of the subject matter....more
A clever presentation (the novel as a found document from the distant future) sets an interesting tone for this bit of near-future speculative fictionA clever presentation (the novel as a found document from the distant future) sets an interesting tone for this bit of near-future speculative fiction. Overall, a pretty decent read with an excellent cautionary tale at its heart. Worth the read, especially if you're an aspiring author looking for an example of some "different" way of presenting your text....more
Not really fully qualified to talk about this one, I don't think... It still sits on my shelf (at work) as a reminder that there was a time that I kneNot really fully qualified to talk about this one, I don't think... It still sits on my shelf (at work) as a reminder that there was a time that I knew a thing or two about ActionScript and Flash more generally. But that was pre-AS3 (hell: pre-AS2).
That said, Moock presents the material quite well in this book and made ActionScript quite accessible -- even for a novice. I didn't finish with it and think of myself as an expert on the subject though -- but that's probably got more to do with me not putting the lessons into practice early/often enough....more
Alternative title: "How to Teach Yourself Enough WebApp Fundamentals to Convince Yourself You Can Do the Job."
The approach is a good enough one. They Alternative title: "How to Teach Yourself Enough WebApp Fundamentals to Convince Yourself You Can Do the Job."
The approach is a good enough one. They give you a project (a wine store) and you slowly build its various components using PHP for the front-end and MySQL for the back. It's written in such a way that even though the particulars and mechanics center on these two specific technologies you should (if you're reasonably intelligent) be able to transfer those lessons easily to another environment (e.g., Perl, Ruby, etc.) That is not to suggest that reading this will prepare you for coding in such an alternative environment, just that you'll have already been exposed to the fundamental concepts.
That said, if you're teaching this stuff to yourself, I would hope that you already have a good idea of what webdev is before even entering into this learning contract with yourself. (And at that point, why not imagine your own project and get your mechanics from books or other tutorial items that are more specific and/or focused?)...more
If you didn't like (or "outgrew") these novels, this will decidedly not be your cup of tea. However, if you enjoyed them (*ahem* "for what they are") If you didn't like (or "outgrew") these novels, this will decidedly not be your cup of tea. However, if you enjoyed them (*ahem* "for what they are") or otherwise pine nostalgic for Weis & Hickman's masterwerk... Well, the annotations add a bit of twists to the text.
For example: why they abandoned the "hey let's just write what happens in the games we play" approach early on in their writing cycle. (HINT: PCs die too quickly when confronting dragons.) ...more
I found a nice hard back version in a bargain bin somewhere for $6. Picked it up, took it home. Every tiOH MY GOD HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY BE SO BORING?
I found a nice hard back version in a bargain bin somewhere for $6. Picked it up, took it home. Every time I put it down, I had to check my pulse. Now I know why it was only $6....more
Not an Earth-shattering original plot or literary technique or anything like that. But highly amusing and at a few points thought-provoking. Does pretNot an Earth-shattering original plot or literary technique or anything like that. But highly amusing and at a few points thought-provoking. Does pretty well at taking a look at ownership ideas and identity-hacking. A quick read that everyone should do at least once.
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• 1st read: January 2004 • 2nd read: January 2013...more
Though I wouldn't necessarily say that this was my favorite Tom Robbins read, I keep returning to it. There is something very charming about the prosThough I wouldn't necessarily say that this was my favorite Tom Robbins read, I keep returning to it. There is something very charming about the prose, something very sucker-punch about our naive protagonist, something very engaging about the very short time-frame over which the tale plays out. It's a fun read and typical of Robbins in as much as he's trying to turn some taken-for-granted beliefs and turn them upside down; but this one is more environmental than it is religious or spiritual in its ... well, in its nature....more
"You are an artist. You know that big picture at the museum midtown, that picture by that fellow Rousseau, it is called The Sleeping Gypsy?"A passage:
"You are an artist. You know that big picture at the museum midtown, that picture by that fellow Rousseau, it is called The Sleeping Gypsy?"
"Yeah. Sure. That's a very famous painting."
"It ought to be called The Sleeping Arab, that picture. An Arab lies in the desert, sleeping under the crazy-faced moon. A lion sniffs at the Arab, the Arab is unafraid..."
I find this to be one of Robbins' better works. By "better" here I mean "more mature" and "fully realized". Which is a bit ironic, I suppose in as much as this (along with Palahniuk's Diary) is in the upper-tier of my pantheon of books about artists struggling with their voice and their craft. (As Cory Doctorow would say succinctly: "Follow your weird.")
There is a lot to take away from this novel in terms of art and politics, in terms of brotherhood and forgiveness, in terms of inanimate objects on pilgrimages. You can skim through this one, sucking out just the gooey humorous center (pun-intended) and find little redeeming in it. But slow down a bit, dive a little deeper, and it's on the cusp of overwhelming.
But if you're not up for the challenge of its depth, you can still extract that hilarity without too much worry. Ease your conscience, I won't mind....more
Amazing isn't the right word but it's the first word that comes to mind.Amazing isn't the right word but it's the first word that comes to mind....more
I keep this book on my nightstand at all times. Every essay in here is a true gem, a work of art. This collection is testament enough that David SedarI keep this book on my nightstand at all times. Every essay in here is a true gem, a work of art. This collection is testament enough that David Sedaris is a true genius of American literature. Even if he's living in France. Not that he's an "ex-pat" or anything....more
I don't remember this book terribly well. I remember some feeble surrealism, Coupland dipping in and out of reality, toying with possible futures. *shI don't remember this book terribly well. I remember some feeble surrealism, Coupland dipping in and out of reality, toying with possible futures. *shrug* In a nutshell? Totally forgettable. (As opposed to All Families Are Psychotic which was awful and made a lasting, bitter impression.)...more
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