Book Description
In Windows and Mirrors: Interaction Design, Digital Art, and the Myth of Transparency, Jay David Bolter and Diane Gromala argue that, contrary to Donald Norman's famous dictum, we do not always want our computers to be invisible "information appliances." They say that a computer does not feel like a toaster or a vacuum cleaner; it feels like a medium that is now taking its place beside other media like printing, film, radio, and television. The computer as medium creates new forms and genres for artists and designers; Bolter and Gromala want to show what digital art has to offer to Web designers, education technologists, graphic artists, interface designers, HCI experts, and, for that matter, anyone interested in the cultural implications of the digital revolution.
In the early 1990s, the World Wide Web began to shift from purely verbal representation to an experience for the user in which form and content were thoroughly integrated. Designers brought their skills and sensibilities to the Web, as well as a belief that a message was communicated through interplay of words and images. Bolter and Gromala argue that invisibility or transparency is only half the story; the goal of digital design is to establish a rhythm between transparency--made possible by mastery of techniques--and reflection--as the medium itself helps us understand our experience of it.
The book examines recent works of digital art from the Art Gallery at SIGGRAPH 2000. These works, and their inclusion in an important computer conference, show that digital art is relevant to technologists. In fact, digital art can be considered the purest form of experimental design; the examples in this book show that design need not deliver information and then erase itself from our consciousness but can engage us in an interactive experience of form and content.
Customer Reviews:
It's a window of sorts and will tell you so many times.......2004-03-29
First, this book in not a novel.
Second, some reviewers miss the subtle points raised in this text. Perhaps if unfamiliar with the theoretical bases to the discussion--and it should be mentioned that the theory inforning this discussion are acknowledged at the outset, but pointedly left aside in favour of pracatice--one might, in fact, not grasp the extent of the points raised here.
For example, it is rather beside the point that the discussion surrounds various installments at SIGGRAPH 2000--this should not be taken as an indication of an out-dated approach, as, again, some readers might be apt to do. In fact, what the authors discuss are the more generic (as in genre) questions and that digital art and design prompt, not to mention those raised by the historical and social imperatives "embedded" in a media-saturated culture like ours.
The use of metaphors like windows and mirrors might be a bit too cute and/ or convenient, and the writing itself tends toward the over-simple and somewhat plodding (to the extent that some readers might wonder why, just because a writer states his or her preference for a non-theoretical text, that it must then use a prose style targeted toward a highschool level). This is, of course, in spite of the writers' apparent desire to appeal to as wide an audience as possible.
So, yes, the book is easy to read, and while this shouldn't take away from its overall impact, I think it can. IN other words, by writing for a wider, less theoretically-inclined audience, the authors may irk those who fail to grasp the bigger issues this book reflects. This, they do even while excluding (potentially) those looking for something more outwardly sophisticated and capable of sustaining a place in the discourse from which Bolter and Gromala both come.
All in all, however, Bolter and Gromala have brought us an interesting and thought provoking discussion that contextualizes digital design within the larger realm of the computer and its future as both a visible and an invisible medium of human (ironic, get it?) expression.
Customer Reviews:
You can learn from the photos.......2007-08-16
Sort of a quandary here...if you're advanced enough in photography to be working with studio lighting, do you really need detailed, step-by-step instructions in lighting setups? It almost seems as if readers are expecting a beginners book that at the same time provides professional techniques.
That said, I will admit that the specifics are a bit lacking here, so if you do need a lot of hand-holding, you're better off with a different book. However, the illustrations are excellent, and you can learn a great deal just from Neubart's photos. If you're open to exposure to interesting lighting techniques, this book will surely add some valuable ideas to your repertoire.
Full of pretty pictures, but.......2007-05-12
There's not much to learn from this book. Maybe my expectations were different from what the book was trying to accomplish, but I was hoping for some different lighting setups for product photography, and those types of shots.
A much better book would be:
Light: Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting
Not very educational!.......2006-11-02
This book has great images but lacks the helpful information on how to light these difficult parts and pieces. It wasn't working for me.
Absolutely Beautiful.......2006-04-01
This book is, without question, one of the best how-to photography books I've ever read.
You get real world walk-throughs from some of the best product and advertising photographers in the business. Each page is a meal in itself. Projects are broken down and explained in short bite size one- or two-page chunks. This is perfect for digesting each project's results and techniques and trying them out on your own. Tips include all the technical details you want, such as lighting instruments used, camera settings, lenses, distances from lights to subject to camera and more.
As a director of photography for film and video projects over the last 15 years, I was inspired by the variety of styles and methods of working presented by the various photographers in this book. I'll take many of the lessons with me onto my next project.
This book will impress you with it's elegant layout, design, instruction and last, but not least, striking images.
Every photography instructional book should be as inspiring and usable as this masterpiece. A must have for every serious photographer and student of light.
Book Description
The entire first year of the great Milton Caniff's landmark action and adventure strip featuring All-American flyboy Steve Canyon and a menagerie of faithful comrades and diabolical rogues. Recurring sidekicks and villains like Copper Calhoon and Happy Easter appear are introduced in four great stories: "Copperhead", "Delta," "Easter's Oil," and "Jewels of Africa."
Customer Reviews:
A hard copy of the late forties.......2006-12-08
As a paperboy in the sixties, I was always fascinated by the adventure strips in the newspapers I delivered, but unfortunately I only managed to read them sporadically and missed their continuity. It was also the time of their decline and today, the adventure strip is not what it was in its heyday during the previous decades and has largely disappeared. I often wished I could revisit those times. A number of high-quality reproductions have recently come out, restoring these great strips, and it is now time for me to delve. Since there is much agreement that the giant among the adventure strip artists was Milton Caniff, I gave the 1947 Steve Canyon a try.
The post-war years had their special appeal, reflected in the visual arts - and especially Hollywood, with its Lauren Bacalls, Bette Davises, Katharine Hepburns, Agnes Mooreheads, Joan Crawfords, and scores of other individuals and femmes fatales, and the leading men of the time, and secondary characters and sidekicks - there is something about the visual style of the people, cars, planes, design and architecture of the time that is very pleasing. The look of those times is stunningly captured in Caniff's panels, little chiaroscuro masterpieces (Caniff was called the Rembrandt of cartooning), with the artist's own stable of femmes fatales, villains and supporting characters issuing from his imagination, complemented by gripping plots.
This Checker restoration is well-bound and well-printed on glossy paper, and the art comes through in delicious detail, though it is admittedly a little small, due to the need to fit enough of it on each page. The panels are all beautiful and some are masterpieces so detailed that it is worth looking at them with a magnifying glass. The balloons are very wordy, however, and crowd the art. The pacing and imaginativeness of the adventures is superb. There is more depth to the stories than one would find in any of the superhero comics past or present (possibly a very few exceptions nowadays). You will find strategy and planning, tactical execution to get out of situations, technical knowledge, plot twists, and very little deus ex machina. The femme fatales have distinct personalities; Caniff did not get them all from the same mould.
Obviously, one does not discuss matters of taste, but if the chiaroscuro renderings of a very special era by a recognized master appeals to you, then by all means get this hard copy of the late forties.
Caniff was such a master!.......2006-05-14
For years, I have been more familiar with Caniff's "Terry & the Pirates" than with "Steve Canyon". Having bought this volume, though, I can't wait to get more. Milt knew how to tell a story and was an incredible artist. As a cartoonist myself (I draw the strip "Tuttle's") I am envious of the freedom Caniff had. Not just in space, but that he was apparently given more than a month at the beginning just to establish the characters. Now, if a strip hasn't grabbed the readers by day 2 (it seems) it's gone.
I want to give praise to the publishers of this book, too: Checkers. Some reprints of cartoons lately have gone to such lengths to present the strips in a large format that the cost of the volumes became prohibitive. Especially for people who aren't comicphiles. Checker has done a great job of presenting the cartoons in a crisp print that's readable and affordable. I can't want to get more editions!
Steve Canyon was a classic strip.......2005-08-23
Milton Caniff left Terry and the Pirates to create his own comic strip, Steve Canyon, and these early adventures are some of his greatest work.
All but a few years of Steve Canyon have already been reprinted, by Kitchen Sink, in the Menomonee Falls Gazette, in Comics Revue monthly, and in Carl Horak's Caniffites, but it is good to have the beginning of the strip back in print from Checker Books. Until his support of American troops in Vietnam lost him many of his readers, Milton Caniff was one of the most popular cartoonists in the world. His snappy dialog and interesting characters, especially his female characters, make his strips well worth seeking out.
A true treasure!.......2003-11-11
This compiliation of the first year of the immortal Milton Caniff's Steve Canyon strip is a treasure.
Not only is it printed on excellent stock, the reproduction is crisp and clean and easy to read.
More than anything it provides inarguable examples of why Milton Caniff was and is so revered as a storyteller. These stories feature the man's work when he was at his prime as both a writer and artist.
If you're a comics historian and have ever wondered why legends like John Romita, Jim Mooney, Don Heck and others viewed Mr. Caniff as a role model, this volume conclusively proves why.
More than anything, this volume and the follow-up from 1948 makes for great entertainment, presented in an excellent package.
A true treasure.
Kudos to Checker Publishing and everyone involved in this project.
Book Description
Did you know:
That Woodstock was initially proposed as “Three Days of Peace, Love, and Monster Trucks”?
That Dr. Seuss experimented with numerous titles before settling on The Cat in the Hat, including The Manatee
Who Uses Profanity and The Horse Going Through a Painful Divorce?
That before settling for a zip-up cardigan, Mr. Rogers insisted on starting each show in his Dallas Cowboys half-shirt?
That James Bond’s famous self-introduction was originally, “Bond. James Bond. James Susan Bond.”?
Or that John Gray’s bestseller was originally titled Men Are from Mars, Women Won’t Shut Up?
Illustrated with album covers, book jackets, scripts, photographs, everyday objects, and other artifacts, Rough Draft is a visually stunning, hilariously funny parody of pop culture from the writers whom Time magazine calls “wildly inventive.”
Customer Reviews:
One of the Un-funniest books ever published.......2002-07-26
Perhaps the concept is a bit thin to begin with--essentially, a book of unconnected jokes on pop culture from the fifties to the nineties. The humor here is barely college newspaper level, from cbeap wordplay ("Cabbage Patch Adults!") to just plain obvious ... Sending up pop-culture is a national pastime. You have to do a little better than this to warrant putting out a book.
One of the Un-funniest books ever published.......2002-07-26
Perhaps the concept is a bit thin to begin with--essentially, a book of unconnected jokes on pop culture from the fifties to the nineties. The humor here is barely college newspaper level, from cbeap wordplay ("Cabbage Patch Adults!") to just plain obvious (Brittany Spears wearing a tube top that says "ejaculate here"). Sending up pop-culture is a national pastime. You have to do a little better than this to warrant putting out a book.
Talk about a one-joke idea . . ........2002-06-19
"Rough Draft" is amusing for the first page or two, but it quickly becomes stale and repetitive. It's basically one joke repeated over and over and over. It reads as if the writers made a list of pop culture icons, shouted them out at each other, and then shouted out the first incongruous ideas that popped into their heads ("Mister Rogers!" -- "Tank top!") Very few of the ideas are clever, witty, or chuckle-inducing.
Modern Humorist has done it again!.......2002-02-15
After the brilliant "My First Presidentiary", I thought that the boys at MH couldn't top themselves. I was wrong. If mass market paperbacks in the just over 100 page range get funnier than this, I'm not sure I can take it.
I hear MH has a book in the work about America. This should be good, folks.
COMIC GENIUS!!.......2002-01-26
This book is unbelievably funny--especially the crude sex jokes! I made of giant color xerox of the Britney Spears poster even though my girlfriend doesn't think it's funny.
This is the best humor book I've read since ITEMS FROM OUR CATALOG. I'm also a biog fan of MY FIRST PRESIDENTIARY. I can't wait to buy the next Modern Humorist book!
Average customer rating:
- Tantalizing Taste...
- The definitive book of Star Trek art.
- NextGen Sketchbook best non-fic Trek in thirty years
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STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION SKETCHBOOK THE MOVIES (Star Trek)
John Eaves
Manufacturer: Star Trek
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Similar Items:
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The Star Trek Sketchbook (Star Trek: The Original Series)
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The Secrets of Star Trek: Insurrection (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
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Ships of the Line (Star Trek)
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The Art of Star Trek (Star Trek: All)
ASIN: 0671008927 |
Book Description
Pass the torch. Bring together the best of what has come before and the grandeur of the present to create an undreamed-of future, a radically different look. Create a new ship. Give life to mankind's greatest nightmare, made flesh and metal.
When the decision was made to take the hugely successful television series Star Trek: The Next Generation into the realm of motion pictures, the crew, special-effects artists, and costume and makeup designers knew that they had a wondrous opportunity and several unique challenges ahead. Could they translate this new crew to the big screen, while retaining the magic that made the series one of the most successful syndicated shows ever? Could they create even more "strange new worlds" and vistas for them to explore, on a scale that would inspire awe in its legion of fans? And, most crucially, in its maiden voyage could they meld the two "generations" of Star Trek? Could they find a way, visually, to pass the baton from The Original Series to the crew of The Next Generation?
Star Trek: The Next Generation Sketchbook -- The Movies explores the hectic, frantic and creative works of the movie artists ... first, as they valiantly endeavor to meet and overcome the challenges presented by Star Trek Generations, and then as they embark on the massive undertaking of The Next Generation crew's first solo flight, Star Trek, First Contact. The inception of the nexus, the destruction of a starship, the horrific face of the Borg, and the design of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-E all began with a single creative spark.
John Eaves, just one of the hundreds of craftspeople who worked their movie magic on Generations and First Contact, joins writer J.M. Dillard to take us on an odyssey into the mind's eye of some of the most visionary artists in the world of motion pictures. Through hundreds of never-before-seen sketches, model photographs and fashion designs, you'll see where it all began, and learn firsthand what it takes to transform the unenvisioned word into glorious reality.
Customer Reviews:
Tantalizing Taste..........2001-05-17
... of the behind-the-scenes design, artwork, and storyboarding for the first two Next Generation movies, "Generations" and "First Contact." Indispensible to a real starship hardware fan, this book gives plenty of details and is interspersed with interviews, recollections, and notes from some of the principal talents involved in creating the location sets, some of the special effects, and the new ships seen in both films, as well as much unseen material from the design of the Borg presence. I found the evolution of the Enterprise-E, Phoenix warp ship, and Vulcan ship from First Contact especially interesting. My only criticism is that, even at 340+ pages, there is not enough! First Contact alone should occupy a 400-page "Making of" book. Nevertheless, this volume is a gem which belongs in the library of any hard-core Trek devotee.
The definitive book of Star Trek art........1999-08-05
Not only is this volume a must for anyone interested in production design, it is also a well designed book all round. Each page is a stunning work of art in its own right. Full compliments to John Eaves for so carefully selecting his, and other artist's work, for the book. His commentary throughout is informative and interesting. JM Dillard holds it all together with his, as always, brilliant text. I hope Eaves releses a new book about Insurrection, or at least, has the existing book expanded to include this film. Well done, S&S, John Eaves and JM Dillard.
NextGen Sketchbook best non-fic Trek in thirty years.......1998-04-13
I interviewed John Eaves two years ago and first heard about this book at that time; I am more than slightly relieved to say that it was worth the wait! Profusely illustrated -- with artwork that has NOT already appeared everywhere else -- the book is both reader- and Trekkie-friendly, with brief anecdotes which humanize the filmmaking process while also supplementing the nice pics. Eaves' attention to detail -- especially in regard to properly crediting those responsible for a given design -- is both noteworthy and surprisingly welcome ... This book almost makes up for previous "authorized" illustrated Trek volumes, nearly making me forgive Pocket/S&S for THE ART OF STAR TREK, and gives cause for one to hope Eaves will contribute in a similar fashion to STAR TREK 9. (and generate another book like this as well.)
Customer Reviews:
The most original book of original series.......2000-04-04
This book is one of the better for a Star Trek's fan. In their chapters are many sketches and original pieces of the series. The designs of Matt Jefferies for the sets, (Part1), the design of the original Enterprise, (- born almost like a Warbird?-, Parts 2,3 & 4), the shuttlecraft and the weapons (Parts 5 & 6). Brillant the Part 7 with The Lost Set and the original scale model of it, (great ! ). The following chapters show the wardrobe by William Ware Theiss in sketches and tests, the make-ups of Fred Phillips (the ears of Spock, the green skin and deformity of Vina, klingons, romulans, etc.), and the accessories created by Wah Ming Chang, (did you know that he received a payment of U$S 520.00 for the design of the original phaser ?). This book shows the courage and innocence of those first pioneers that created the most famous adventure of the Universe, Star Trek.
Book Description
For music fans who crave PHISH...Here's the ultimate underground compendium to the group that Entertainment Weekly calls "the most popular band in America." Widely recognized as the heirs to The Grateful Dead, Phish began playing bars in Vermont in the early '80s and has since progressed to packing concerts with more than 70,000 fans. An entire subculture of fans that tirelessly follow the band and keep up constant demand for up-to-date and detailed information on concerts, tours, and band members. Like the followers of The Grateful Dead, Phish fans are also avid bootleg collectors, which makes The Pharmers Almanac a must-have compendium. Brimming with must-know concert information, the Almanac includes: * backgrounds of the songs* profiles of bandmembers * tour highlights * Phish-filled anecdotes * articles by fans and editors * surveys and survey results * and the entire play list for every concert, so fans can properly catalog their extensive tape collections. All followers of Phish will find this book indispensible.
Customer Reviews:
The Definitive Resource.......2002-02-10
The Pharmers Almanac has been around for many years and continues to get better with age. This book is worth the cover price for the stories alone. The statistics serve as a useful tool for people who want a quick paper reference. Keep in mind that if you're buying this book for the stats, almost all the information is readily available on the web and Usenet.
Get a later volume!.......2001-12-19
Volume 6 is newer and more complete. Still not as strong as several of the other Phish books, and doesn't have the charity angle of The Phish Companion (which funds music education; the authors here pocket their take), but it is (as they advertise is) fine toilet reading.
Great book!.......2001-01-15
This book is so useful to me. I love it!
This isn't the one you want.......2000-12-12
Not as interesting as Go Phish, not as good photos as the Phish Book, not as intelligent as the Phish Manual, not as complete as the Phish Companion, and not as fun as Mike's Corner. It's the big name brand Phish book, so get it if you're a McDonald's kind of guy. But if you care what you're getting, pick one of the others.
The subtitle is toilet reading.......2000-12-07
Not as interesting as Go Phish, not as good photos as the Phish Book, not as intelligent as the Phish Manual, not as complete as the Phish Companion, and not as fun as Mike's Corner. It's the big name brand Phish book, so get it if you're a McDonald's kind of guy. But if you care what you're getting, pick one of the others.
Book Description
This tutorial offers help to improve every telephone interaction a company has with its valued customers. Drawn from Davis' experiences, the book includes exercises, stories and examples of how attitude, telephone etiquette, communication styles and listening skills impact the bottom line.
Customer Reviews:
Timely.......2005-06-13
As comprehensive as it is, 'Beyond Hello' needs an immediate update. According to Russell Crowe, there is only one word needed for complete mastery of the tool: 'DUCK!'
Amazing information on Customer Service.......2005-04-17
I have been in customer service for a few years and got away from it until I started my newest position. Some of the things I learned before and now are in the book. But it contains a lot more great information. It is so well organized and I enjoyed the examples she uses and the way she tell it. It was easy to read and I learned so much from it. If everyone can't have a personal copy it should be in every workplace to use as a text book for training.
Older Workers Benefit From Beyond "Hello".......2002-06-03
With your permission, we're using Beyond "Hello" as our basic text for our course curriculum , which teaches older workers Customer Service Skills. Your book has been an excellent platform for this training. It's clear, concise, understandable, and easy to relate to. I constantly reinforce to our students that they should use your book as a resource and reference on the job.
Great Tutorial.......2000-01-30
This tutorial offers help to improve every telephone interaction a company has with its valued customers. Beyond "Hello" includes exercises, stories and examples of how attitude, telephone etiquette, communication styles and listening skills impact the bottom line.
Each chapter contains tips to help make a great first impression, enhance customer interaction and retain and strengthen client relationships through excellent customer service over the telephone.
A "must read."
Fantastic Guide.......2000-01-21
I've had the opportunity to work with Jeannie while printing a recent copy of my newsletter on professional conduct. Beyond "Hello" is an easy to read, comprehensive guide that can help anyone improve and sharpen his or her phone skills. I highly recommend this book and include it as required reading for my entire staff. Congratulations Jeannie on a book well done!
-- Clint Greenleaf
Books:
- Wireless Imagination: Sound, Radio, and the Avant-Garde
- Wisdom and Compassion: The Sacred Art of Tibet
- A Chinese Bestiary : Strange Creatures from the Guideways Through Mountains and Seas
- A Grammar of South Efate: An Oceanic Language of Vanuatu (Oceanic Linguistics Special Publications)
- Abstract Expressionist Women Painters
- Alex Harris: Islas en el Tiempo
- An Aesthetics of the Popular Arts: An Approach to the Popular Arts from the Aesthetic Point of View (Aestheica Upsaliensia, No 5)
- Artists Communities: A Directory of Residencies in the United States Offering Time and Space for Creativity
- Arts of India 1550-1900
- Behind the Times: The Decline and Fall of the Twentieth-Century Avant Gardes
Books Index
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Remediation: Understanding New Media
Persuasive Technology: Using Computers to Change What We Think and Do (Interactive Technologies)
The Language of New Media (Leonardo Books)
Experience Design 1
Writing Space: Computers, Hypertext, and the Remediation of Print
