If your idea of "photographic wisdom" is listening in on a couple of old farts pontificating and patting each other on the back while talking of days gone by and photos taken ages ago, then this book is for you...

In summary, the book says:
1. Take lots of pictures - you must practice your art just like any other.
2. Compositional rules are for people who need them
3. Street photographers have to engage their subjects to get really good shots.

That's about it...

Upfront, I want to say that this is an OUTSTANDING book!

Any self-help book makes assumptions about what hang-ups the reader is dealing with. It sometimes happens that a book is useless to a given reader, because he is so perfect he has already transcended the problems the authors deal with.

But for me, the authors of "On Being a Photographer" precisely target the questions I have struggled with.

Just to name a few (addressed in this book):

1) Yeah, subject IS more important than technique!

2) Am I the only one to shoot reams of film and never quite get the perfect shot?

3) Does luck has a lot to do with it? But can I make my own luck?

4) Exactly HOW does a top photographer approach taking the single picture?

(And much more!)

Since this book has no photographs, it is very reasonably priced. It is not very long, but neither is the Constitution of the United States.

Both authors spent some time in academia, and there is a certain amount of high-toned discussion, but they cut rapidly to the core principles. Stylistically, there is a bit of the mutual admiration society, but this serves the question and answer format that reinforces the classic points they make. I have found that the concise chapters aid easy rereading of specific topics in coffee shops or chores like jury duty. I will reread this book many times.

Since this book has no photographs, it is very reasonably priced. It is not very long, but neither is the Constitution of the United States.

David Hurd's core experience base was back in the classic days of Magnum, which may be a problem for some who may feel that nothing important happened before they were born some sixteen years ago. But a camera is still just a box, whether you are using a Leica M3 or a plasma camera in the thirty-watt range. And single images are as powerful as ever.

This is a great book. Buy it. Read it. Read it again.

If I could only recommend one book about photography, this would be it. The book explains what it means to be a photographer. This is the book to read before you buy equipment (or more equipment). The book is a road map for developing into a photographer. The book will help you decide what to photograph. The equipment, technique and images will follow.

I've always believed in the maxim that the best books on animation are written by animation fans--and this book proves my point. Longtime Rocky and Bullwinkle fan Keith Scott takes us on a long-overdue historical tour of the studio run by one J. Troplong Ward.

Ward, a former real estate salesman, started with a vague desire to "get into television" during the medium's infancy in the late forties. Through his lifelong friendship with animator Alex Anderson, he drifted into the pioneering field of made-for-TV animation. Anderson, nephew of Terrytoons founder Paul Terry, had been knocking around a "comic strip for television" for some time with no takers. Once teamed with Ward and armed with a wicked sense of humor, he introduced the world to Crusader Rabbit, TV's first animated star.

Scott (no relation to Bill Scott, legendary voice of our favorite moose) has penned a winning addition to the ever-growing number of behind-the-scenes books on animation. It is far more detailed than another recent history of the Jay Ward studio (the name of which escapes me). Too detailed, perhaps--the long, convoluted legal battles Ward fought with the "Crusader Rabbit" distributors (and those of "Bullwinkle" and other Ward creations) are spelled out in excruciating detail, and can get more than a little boring.

The book, however, does give us a glimpse inside the wackiest animation studio since Termite Terrace. The only studio (in the words of head ringmaster Ward) approved by the Food and Drug Administration. This, by the way, turns out to be no joke: Ward had popcorn, peanut, and cotton candy vendors stationed in the lobby. Ward himself occasionally could be seen decked out in a ridiculous uniform that made him bear more than a passing resemblance to Cap'n Crunch. That may well have been the inspiration for the character, as Ward's studio produced those commercials until 1984.

Scott recounts for us the sometimes silly, often hilarious promotions (Ward parading with girls in mock Salvation Army uniforms, exhorting "sinners" to "watch the Bullwinkle Show," for one). And, of course, the infamous "Statehood for Moosylvania" campaign which, in a classic example of lousy timing, Ward brought to the doorstep of the White House at the height of the Cuban missle crisis. See Ward go apoplectic in the face of too-tight budgets and incompetant Mexican animators. See Ward battle idiot censors and executives (when one such network "suit" objected to a scene with Rocky and Bullwinkle in a cannibal's pot, screaming "You can't show cannibalism!" the response was typical Ward. "Is it really cannibalism," he asked, "to eat a moose and a squirrel?")

The book also tells us of lesser-known projects, such as "Fractured Flickers" and "Hoppity Hooper", as well as those that didn't quite make it (one abortive project, a puppet show called "Watts Gnu" seemed quite promising). We also get a rare glimpse of Jay Ward behind the public facade--the nervous, insecure, giggling, shy individual racked with chronic pain from a near fatal injury. It makes the brilliant legacy he left all the more remarkable.

I am probably one of the top 25 Jay Ward officiannados in the world -- And it's a fact I'm really proud of-- The man was an absoloute genius storyteller and cartoonist, who created the first made for TV cartoon series--(now they all are!) Crusader Rabbit was emersed in red tape though right from the beginning--- But Jay prevailed--his next endeavors became even bigger and even more embedded in the nation's psyche---Rocky and Bullwinkle, George of the Jungle, Cap'n Crunch, Quisp, Quake--- the list goes on--- Keith Scott's book is truly a BIBLE for Ward-ites like myself-- He knew Bill Scott and Jay Ward , as a teen he flew himself to America--from his native Australia - because of his love for their incredible cartooning style and productions! This book has it all! Keith is also the official voice of Bullwinkle now-- portraying him in cartoon form in the new movie---even!Who better to write this gem?--- probably no one. The pages are filled with pictures and material that will appeal to EVERYONE.Remember the Kerwood Derby? and "you knew the job was dangerous when you took it Fred" and "A cereal so good they named it after me"-- it all came from the moose --er house (of ideas)that Jay built.---I cannot tell you enough---BUY THIS BOOK!--It is the best book on the subject--EVER!--Thanks Keith Scott!But most of all--- THANKS JAY WARD AND BILL SCOTT!--GO AHEAD< PULL A RABBIT OUT OF THE HAT!--- review by Bill Field

This is the best reference to "Rocky and Bullwinkle" out there. In it is information about the show itself, Jay Ward (the show's creator), Bill Scott (coproducer and voice of Bullwinkle), and info on the other voice actors (Paul "Boris Badenov" Frees, June "Rocky" Foray, Daws Butler ("Fractured Fairy Tales"), Hans "Snidely Whiplash" Conried, and others). Throughout the book, you see information about Jay Ward's pre "Bullwinkle" show, "Crusader Rabbit", along with "Fractured Fairytales," "Dudley Do-Right," "Peabody and Sherman," "George of the Jungle," "Super Chicken," "Tom Slick," and a variety of other Ward productions such as "Hoppity Hooper" and "Fractured Flickers."

This is the best reference guide to Jay Ward and "Rocky and Bullwinkle," and it includes a full list of episodes of all of Jay Ward's cartoons, which includes voice credits (as you know, Bill Scott, June Foray, Paul Frees, and Daws Butler did many a character on the Ward cartoons).

I received my long-awaited copy of this book, and I must say I enjoy it very much. This is a coffee table book with numerous beautiful color photographs of the races from the Breeders' Cup inaugural (1984) to the present. The triumphs, the tragedies (for example, Go For Wand's breakdown and death in the 1990 Breeders' Cup Distaff), and the upsets (such as Arcangues' longshot win in the 1993 Classic) are beautifully chronicled in this book.

The only thing preventing me from giving it five stars was that it was a little bit on the skimpy side with regard to the commentary. I always enjoy good commentary as well as beautiful pictures in any oversized book. It is still a worthwhile purchase, however.

A great deal of children write letters to Santa Claus. Well, now the cats are getting involved. They ask Santa what they want for Christmas. Some complain that they need a new computer because theirs is ruined because they thought the mouse was a toy. Others ask for the dog to be removed from the house. Cute!

I've read this and Wambaugh's Echoes and Costopoulos' Principal Suspect, the two other books written about the Philadelphia Main Line Murders Case. They're all good reads and Ms. Noble's seems to be the most objective. This case haunts me. Who did it? Where are those little children's bodies? Was Jay Smith set up or is he evil incarnate?

Avon Books has produced another gem in its "Growing Up" series this time focusing on a minority religious group that has had an overwhelming impact on American and European cultures. Growing Up Jewish tells the story from the perspective of twenty-five Jewish writers who share with us their early memories of coming of age in America. Each author celebrates their heritage through fictional stories, essays and autobiographies. Why, one might ask, do we need another book about Jewish life in America? After all, isn't there an abundance of material on the subject? Haven't they assimilated themselves into the American landscape to the point of being no different from their gentile counter-parts? Although the above question are pertinent they miss the point. A people ceases to exist when the stories and memories are forgotten from one generation to another. Growing Up gives the reader a snapshot of these rich memories of young people as immigrants, conflicts with their religious practices from the old country, prejudices from their gentile communities and other challenges which calls into question what it means to be Jewish in America. The sharing of these stories brings with it clarity for some and even more questions for others. This is a must read book for those wanting to re-aquaint themselves with their Jewish heritage as well as a great literary resource of the finest Jewish writers in America. Keeping memories alive is even more important as we enter an age where memory is denied ( the Holocaust never happened), assimilation has dulled cultural and religious recall and antisemitism once again rears its ugly head.

Continuing with the exploration of culture, this is another jewel in the Feral House crown. There are only a few interviews, and they are rather outdated. Nonetheless, if you're a collector, this should be an invaluable reference. Lots and lots of reproductions of covers and some interior illustrations. Also, there is a small guide/checklist at the end to get you started.

This book is an interesting overview of the UFO phenomenon. I recommend this book for people curious about UFOs, who haven't done extensive reading on the subject. It primarily focuses on UFO phenomena in the United States, with a very good section on the U.S. government's official response to UFOs.

Particularly useful is the glossary of terms and institutions in the back of the book. It helped me keep all the various government agencies and projects straight. Bill Yenne does a very good job of presenting the evidence and letting the reader decide for themself. If you are looking for a good book to introduce you to UFO evidence, I recommend you start here.

In Monopolies In America, Charles R. Geisst gives a fair overview of US antitrust issues from a historical point of view. Readers who are not familiar at all with the development, interpretation, and application of antitrust are introduced to the ambivalence about bigness in American thought over time. However, Monopolies In America is not an easy read because of a lack of coherence in the narration. Only a well-informed audience cognizant of the legal, economic, and social ramifications of antitrust can easily surf through the book and fully grasp the conflicting forces coming into play. Furthermore, Monopolies In America is a misnomer. Antitrust (law) issues cover a lot more than abuse of monopoly position. The Antitrust Paradox. A Policy At War With Itself by Judge Robert H. Bork is the definitive authority on the subject. His account is both comprehensive and scathing about the shared sub-optimal performance of the legislative, executive and judiciary branches of power as well as the practicing bar in making, interpreting, and applying antitrust rules. Judge Bork rightly attributes that shared sub-optimal performance to the too-often absence of a rudimentary understanding of market economics among the above-mentioned players.

This book taught me more about the topic than anything else I ever read. It is well written and very informative and doesn't use any jargon. This is a very ideological topic but the book avoids that trap and informs. It doesn't preach to the reader. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about the topic.

Geisst has written a valuable study that puts the topic into great perspective. The topic is diverse and dominated by lawyers but this treatment is well written and entertaining as well as being highly informative. Highly recommended.

It is the most shallow coverage of Notes that I've ever seen. I still don't understand how they managed to pack so little information into so many pages.

For example, a new feature of 4.5 is Multidatabase indexing through a site search database. Here is the unabridged exerpt from this "reference" on site search:

"The Multi Databse Indexing feature enables you to create many indices at once. After these indices exist, it is possible to search more than one database at a time for data (such as a client's name or company name). This feature can be extremely helpfull when designing a Web page. As shown in figure 8.21, you must be a manager of the file to enable this option."

That's it. That pathetic, inane, useless, and technically incaccurate blurb is all the info this book provides on site search. They don't even know what a site search database is (its the tool used to actually build a multidatabase index). And the worst part is that the whole book is like this. Uhh... I don't know exactly what this is but uhh.... here's the property box for it and uhh... you can click boxes and stuff on it. And uhh.. oh, yeah, you have to have sufficient access to do that.

Avoid this one like the plague. New Riders Publishing should really be ashamed of themselves.

This book is less than useless, I had more questions than answars after reading it. The book is terribly shallow and never goes into any depth.

Read some reviews here.

Some folks feel it is not a good book, so I went to a local bookstore and spent an hour leafing ... for the 2nd time. For my project [ where there were some challenges, this book came closest to giving me script pointers, though not solutions]

I beleive this book is by far the best I have seen for Notes/Domino 4.x and would be happy if they released one for R 5.0 - same manner....

Great book in my personal opinion..and stands out in the Notes/Domino arena.