I just finished chapter one of Tricks of the 3D game programming gurus and I knew NOTHING about 3D graphics, but now I feel confident I finally am going to be able to understand all of the concepts. The author starts off by starting from nothing, but the perspective equations and a little about 3D space and in no time has you writing a complete game that fits on a few pages of code -- Raiders 3D. This little game is amazing. I can't think of any other book that delivers like this, and I am only on chapter 2 now! I have bought numerous 3D books like Principles of interactive computer graphics, and they are defintiely thorough, but they are just too hard to follow, if I wanted to read a math book they would be great, but maybe the authors think readers are just too smart -- I am a little slower and need to be shown how to do it. This is a GREAT book, but I had some trouble running some of the demos on my slow machine (only 700 mhz). I know the book recommends a 1-2 ghz machine, so I am not upset, but it would have been nice if they ran faster on my slow machine!

I am an instructor at a junior college and I teach game programming, multimedia, and computer graphics. I have used Lamothe's books in the past, especially his dummies and TYGP in 21 days work years ago myself. The students love his writing and examples. This year I am attempting a course on 3D graphics a theoretical basis, but my students are not advanced enough to absorb the standard math bases academic texts. TRicks of the 3D game programming Gurus, is "exactly" what I have been looking, and its been released at the perfect time for winter semester. As a teacher, I can tell you that after reading the first 3 chapters, I am very impressed with the book and where it's going. And Lamothe has obviously spent a huge effort explaning things and then creating demos of everything. This book is not going to teach you bleeding edge shader programming, but if you are looking for a text to learn advanced rendering and software techniques, I highly recommend this.

This book is pretty much one of a kind; there no other books out there that can demonstrate the creation of a basic software 3D engine while covering 3D theory in depth! Really, I would advise anyone and everyone against buying any general 3D programming book that only demonstrates the use of an API: You can learn that stuff from the SDK docs, folks!

Although the things you learn in this book will not be directly applicable to PC programming (there is absolutely no more reason to write a software 3D engine for the PC anymore regardless of what anyone thinks), this book will tremendously help your understanding of 3D graphics and make it a piece of cake to master any 3D API.

Of course, I can't end this review without complaining about something, even if it's not a huge issue: I really can't stand LaMothe's coding style. It's so ugly it just pisses me off, especially the naming conventions he uses for his functions. He himself says he uses C++ in his own projects, so would it really kill him to use at least a little overloading here and there to make his code a bit more readable? Also, many of the code optimizations he proposes are rather ridiculous. Bit shifts are NOT going to speed up your code, and the very idea of using all those globals gives me nightmares. =)

Regardless, since you are expected to already be a competent programmer in order to understand this book, you probably won't be infected by the style he adopts here, so the above is not much of an issue. If you want an in-depth introduction to computer graphics and are willing to take the time and effort to thoroughly learn this complex subject, I highly recommend this book.

This is an excellent book for anyone interested in the Culinary Arts. Beginning with a brief story of the origins of contemporary cooking with Escoffier, going through Hygiene and Sanitation, Kitchen Equipment and utensils, covering all the necessary techniques for the future Culinary Professional, clear, step-by-step illustrations and excellent pictures, this is the most complete cookbook I have found. It combines both the French techniques with the collaboration of Le Cordon Bleu Chefs and the American influence with the expertise of the author. As a Chef Instructor, I will use this Professional Cooking as reference for all my future classes.

I am a student at Scottsdale Culinary Institute, an LeCordon Bleu school in Scottsdale, AZ. This book is the first that we are issued and is used as a standard reference throughout our twelve month curriculum. It may be somewhat confusing for the home cook as there are many industry terms used, and all of the recipes are scaled for large production quantities. Nonetheless, it will give you a great idea of how things work in the food service industry and start you off to better home cooking techniques as well.

I am currently enrolled in the Chicago Cook and Hospitality Institute in Chicago and this is the book that is required for all the classes I have taken thus far. It is an excellent text. It teaches both cooking and baking techniques. It is very clear and concise. The explanations in this book are great. The recipes taste delicious! I would reccommend this book for everyone with an interest in cooking and baking!

Difficult to describe and impossible to forget, this book takes us out of whatever 'normal' world we inhabit and casts us into the horror of the Nazi's 'final solution'. The story of a young Jewish boy - the 'last of the Just' - is so powerful, so full of pain and confusion, so beautifully written, so honestly realized, that the reader will never be able to forget it. The last section alone, where the names of all the death camps are listed, in the midst of a kind of elegy, is among the most moving pieces of prose I have ever read.

Read this book. It will change you and stay with you when everything else you have read about the holocaust is forgotten.

My Dad told me to read this book, and when I finally did, it was well worth it. It tells the story of a legend of a dynasty, so to speak, of just men. They are people who cannot abide by injustice, and often sacrifice their lives for the sake of justice. Young Ernie Levy is recognized as the just man of his generation at a very young age. He grapples with the mixed blessing and curse of being a just man, and feeling others pain, for the Nazi's have just come to power and have begun persecuting the Jews. The story tells how Ernie tries to come to terms with his lagacy at the same time as the Nazis release their unimaginable horror over Europe. The end, where the words of kaddish, the prayer for the dead, are interpsersed with the names of the death camps, the author shows us how great, and how terrible it is to be one of the 36 rightious people of the world.

As a young boy I read this book and it made an enormous impression on me. Since then I have shared it with friends and family all over the world. It's a wonderful novel style history of diaspora and human endurance. It takes you across many ages in a entertaining way even though the subject is heart-wrenching at times. After Schwarz-Bart wrote the book, he never suceeded in topping it. Then again, if someone can tell a story like this the way he did, you don't have to write anything ever again.

I received Mental Conceptions, A Poet's Dream for Christmas based on my Christmas wish list. I like to think of it as my book of continuous "hope". For the hopes that chivalry, genuineness and depth still exists as Andre Thornton is expressing in this book. Since Christmas, I have read, re-read and read again these 80 pages of relaxing and spiritual revelations. I draw a warm bubble bath and light many aroma-therapeutic candles to get the full effect of a modest book with so much intensity. It would be nice if more men could be as sensitive, romantic and profound as this author certainly seems to be conveying in this wonderful book of poems.

I highly recommend and would like to suggest that you purchase this book with a nice basket of scented candles and a rose to that someone special (It makes a great Valentine's Day gift). It's all that...Kudos Andre!!

The title sets the stage for a very unique poetic approach that Mr. Thornton has so graciously put together, one that will rejuvenate the mind and soul. By any means necessary, MENTAL CONCEPTIONS opens with much to consider as each poem makes deep introspective statements. I enjoyed all the selections and was very impressed with his unique flow of words and the fact that each offering challenges readers to understand what the writer is sharing.

'Silver Bracelets' opens with such spiritual depth that the feeling will stay with me. Rejuvenation, mental awakening, spiritual growth and originality are words that barely describe Andre R. Thornton's book. He has created, as one of his poems is titled, 'A Poet's Dream'. The title MENTAL CONCEPTIONS says it all.

Reviewed by Kalaani
The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

In just 80 pages or so, this author manages to take the reader through several emotional phases. This is some of the hottest poetry I have read in some time. I frequent Slam sessions and many of the the poets don't possess any real fire. Well here is the heat. A fresh new voice and creative mind is displayed in this well versed work. This author illustrates in vivid color what was missing from a black and white world. This book is blazin...

I read this book in Junior High 25 years ago. Like many teenagers, I identified with the main character Fors. Alienated and rejected by his peers and community, he overcame adversity and succeeded. He was an outcast, but that isolation sharpened his strength, courage, intelligence and will to survive. Yes, Fors adventures piqued my interest. He was a fictional hero that I could identify with. Perhaps, in a small way this book helped me and I suppose many other "uncool" kids find the confidence to believe in ourselves and develop our own inner strength. Indeed, cleanly and simply written,this book reads as well today as it did all those years ago. I highly recommend it. In my opinion, Ms. Norton's best work.

Son of a gun, I just happened to think of this book one day and typed it in just for fun - and there are other reviews - and the reviews are good! I read a chapter from this many many years ago a middle school English class (required reading) and thought this story rocks! A story of after the apocalypse , primitive tribe living around Noo York City! This was a super book, I wish they would reprint it, it would make a good "Twilight Zone" or "Star Trek" type TV movie. I never did read the whold book, though, don't know how it ends - on an uplifting and hopeful note, I'm sure!

Wow, so many read this story so long ago and loved it, too. I'm 42 and read this book when I was a 7th grader. I still have my original copy! I've read it perhaps eight or nine times since then, although it became more and more dated and the pages more and more brittle with each read. Regardless, Ms. Norton brilliantly captured Fors' quest and his sense of alienation. It was the sheer adventure and the characterization that's most important in this story, not the socio-political backdrop that somewhat shadows the storyline.

When I found out that Andre Norton was female (when I was a teen) I was amazed that she was able to get inside of Fors' head (who's male) so well. The mark of writing genius, if you ask me.

This book is truly is one of the classics of all of S/F. And this is the story that totally hooked me in the genre.

Until now, the best-known element of film star Ramon Novarro's life was his gruesome death at the hands of two Hollywood hustlers. However, Andres Soares'meticulously researched new biography resurrects Mr. Novarro from casualty to icon. A matinee idol of the ephermeral silent screen, Mr. Novarro's career is given a persuasive critical appraisal by Mr. Soares who also cracks the socio-political climate of the early days of motion pictures and how the industry came into being. Definitely not a beach-read for those preferring a surface biography of their favorite stars (i.e., "The Brad Pitt Story") this is a must for serious cinema buffs.

Beyond Paradise is an interesting and thoroughly researched biography that will help to re-establish Ramon Novarro's reputation as Hollywood's greatest Mexican-born actor. This is a wonderful portrait of a man whose ambitions - personal, professional and artistic - more often than not went unfulfilled. But what Novarro did achieve was remarkable, and Soares' book is, in its own way, just as remarkable. Through interviews, studio archives, Novarro's personal correspondence and other sources, Soares creates a work that gives the reader as clear a picture as we'll probably ever get of Novarro.

Novarro was a multi-talented performer whose career survived the transition from silent films to talking pictures, although Soares does describe the various factors that contributed to the decline in Novarro's film career as the 1930's progressed.

Soares also describes the relationships between Ramon and his relatives (his earnings and investments financed his parents and siblings for decades) as well as his personal relationships. I don't want to give away too many details, but I was surprised that Soares was able to provide such a clear picture of Novarro's life, considering the actor was gay at a time when such information would have destroyed his career and labeled him as a deviant in the eyes of society.

Novarro's life and brutal murder (Soares interviews both of Novarro's killers) make for compelling reading, so this biography will be of great interest to film buffs in general as well as anyone looking for an interesting biography to read.

This book is that rarity among movie-star bios--a staggeringly comprehensive chronicle that is also highly readable and insightful. The subtitle "The Life of Ramon Novarro" is especially apt, for this is no mere behind-the-scenes glimpse, nor simply a recounting of a one-time cinema celebrity's film career, nor an attention-grabbing exercise in playing up the more lurid details of a complex and troubled individual's volatile life and tragic death. Instead, readers of BEYOND PARADISE are offered a thorough, accurate, and remarkably objective account of a truly fascinating life story.

Ramon Novarro is certainly a worthy subject for such a careful and detailed analysis. As a young man from Durango, Mexico, Novarro came to America seeking fame and fortune in the burgeoning movie business of the late 1910s. The handsome and talented hopeful eventually became a Hollywood superstar playing the title role in the silent epic "Ben-Hur," and by the early sound era was MGM's most important male star. However, poor career choices and Novarro's neverending struggles with his personal demons (among them alcoholism and especially an inability to reconcile his homosexuality with his deeply ingrained Catholic faith) prevented him from realizing his potential either professionally or personally. The final tragedy was that the private life he so carefully hid from the world became public domain when the events surrounding his murder at the hands of two young male "hustlers" made headlines in the late 1960s.

Andre Soares proves himself an exceptionally intelligent and inspired biographer. Novarro's story is replete with opportunities for a lesser writer to sensationalize, criticize, and sermonize, but Soares presents the fruits of his obviously painstaking research with detachment, clarity, and a minimum of editorializing, thereby respecting the reader's intelligence to draw his or her own conclusions. It is everywhere apparent that Soares' intent was to provide as truthful and verifiable account of Novarro's life as possible with the resources still available, as well as to scrupulously avoid the half-truths and apocryphal lore that are so often passed on as facts in works of this kind. Refreshingly, BEYOND PARADISE is not the product of a gushing fan or of a social activist with an agenda, but rather it's an honest assessment of an actor's life told from a respectful but objective point of view.

BEYOND PARADISE is essential reading for anyone interested in Ramon Novarro, movie stars, or movies in general--indeed, BEYOND PARADISE itself would be ideal movie material. The book will also please any reader in search of a good biography or one who simply enjoys nonfiction accurately and compellingly told.

VERY INFORMATIVE CATECHISM ! Good for people to study
all the time....I am new to the faith and have to contstantly
pull something up and this book helps out. some things are little
old like the Mass but that is stuff that anyone can use some reason to delete through study......all the information covered is necessary for a well rounded faithful soul.
but its a 5 star book.
I recommend this catechism to everyone.
thanks for making the book availabe AMAZON.COM at a very
good price.

If there is one Catholic catechism I can recommend to the whole family, it's this one. The Catholic faith is explained clearly and beautifully in 193 sections that cover everything a Catholic needs to know in order to live his Faith to the fullest. Beautiful pictures and illustrations grace each section of this catechism, and easily understandable explanations clearly show what Catholics believe and why. In each section there is an abundance of quotes from the Holy Scriptures. This is a truly beautiful hardcover edition that's definitely worth the price. Should be in every Catholic household. Completely authoritative. Well indexed. Republished from the 1954 edition.

Unlike post vatican 2 catechisms and the novus ordo mess which have corrupted the Catholic Faith this book provides a true prospective on unerrant and uncorrupted Catholic teachings.
I would recommend this book for those interested in learning about or preserving their Catholic faith, outside of which there is no salvation.

this official book is the perfect example of how fun the guys can be. the backstreet boys are great performers but after looking through this book i find that they are a great group of close friends as well. This book includes exclusive photos taken by their official photographer: andre csillag and captions that were written by the bsb themselves! :-) You have to get this if you don't have it already. it is a must to own if u are a fan!

If you are a Backstreet Boys fan, this is the book for you! I can't get over how good the pics are! The book gets up close to the boys and contains photo's of behind the scene's and even some photo's taken by Brian himself! You won't be dissappointed with the book because every picture is a good picture! Or should I say gorgeous picture! Especially the AJ pics! There are pics from when they started out right up to the Into The Millennium tour! The captions are written by the boys themselves which are very humourous! The behind the scenes antics are the best suprises in the book! Every BSB fanatic will love this book to bits! Hope you enjoy it coz i did and so did my friends! KTBSPA 4 ever n always! xxx

I'm a 15-year-old BSB fan and for quite some time, I'd been waiting for an official Backstreet Boys book; something that I knew was real and accurate. This book certainly went beyond my expectations. Not only did I enjoy seeing hundreds of wonderful pictures that I'd never seen before, but I found myself smiling and laughing as I read the Boys' comments. I would definitely recommend this book to any Backstreet Boys fan. Thank you to Andre Csillag and the Boys for this wonderful book that the fans will surely treasure. :)

While I completely agree with all of the other reviewers (in that this is an excellent book), I do want to take the time to point out that this is not just a cookbook. Within each chapter (each dedicated to a certain country), there is history, education and just so much to learn. For example, the book tells you about the cheeses, wines, beers and other specialties of each country and special holiday meals and snacks. The traditions of the peoples are spelled out and almost makes you feel like you are there experiencing them. And, of course, great recipes of each country as well. This may be the BEST book I've ever owned. I highly recommend it. Unlike most cookbooks, you can just read this one and have a ball.

I dithered for months whether to spend such a lot of money on 'just another cookery book', but I'm glad I did - it is definitely NOT 'just another cookery book' ... I've just spent most of my day off totally absorbed in these 2 books.
There is plenty of interesting information, with superb photography and illustrations; well-researched commentaries on the various industries; snippets of little-known historical info (did you know that Britain's King Edward VII gave the name Crepe Suzette to a spoiled dessert?) and well-chosen recipes which highlight the particular country's culinary strong points.

These are 2 weighty tomes (6lb/3kg each!), but only in the physical sense - they are very readable. With a chapter devoted to each of the European countries, the authors give an introduction, an overview of the country's specialities and an in-depth look at each speciality:- how it is grown/made; different varieties; anecdotes from the area; useful snippets of information, as well as some wonderful recipes (not all of them well-known).

Obviously some countries get more coverage than others; France Spain & Italy each get far more attention than, say, Russia - but deservedly so, given their gastronomic heritage (although the wines of France are over-played, to my mind).

While I would not recommend this as a working cookery book, it is certainly a valuable addition to anyone's culinary library - an ideal present for that friend of yours who has a love of food and cooking; anyone would be over the moon to receive such a present!

I thought that this was a really wonderful book. All books of this type have to show the really traditional dishes but often that is all they do. This book showed a lot of dishes that are still popular in the different countries and it showed part of the modern influences. It is an informative book and really interesting to read even if you never intend to actually cook something from it.

Brinks sketches the life of a idealistic man - Ben du Toit that lives his life in Apartheid South Africa on the brink of normalcy until the mysterious death of a black American friend and his son points to government involvement. As du Toit becomes obsessed with discovering the truth he becomes the symbol of Afrikaner conscience struggling to cope with the conflict and alienation that this crusade against Apartheid causes. With Apartheid being woven into the Afrikaner concept of nationhood and religion Ben finds himself not only in conflict with his family or the government but with his own history and ultimately with his own identity and even his soul. du Toit becomes a classical Afrikaner in his stubborn steadfast refusal to sway from his course , irrespective of the consequences, that he believes to be the only just and morally acceptable one.

He painfully exposes the moral vacuum of Apartheid and how it alienates not just du Toit from himself and his family but ultimately the Afrikaner from their fellow South Africans, as well as their own ideas of justice and morality.

The original Afrikaans language edition packs a powerful punch and is beautiful to read. English translation loses a bit of impact and fails to capture the finesse of the master writer in his mother tongue but is never the less worth burning the midnight oil for. It should however be noted that the story is dated and not a balanced portrayal of South Africa, Afrikaners or Apartheid.

Good fiction but not a historical treatise of Apartheid as some reviewers seem to think.

Andre Brink,a white South African novelist, indicts the murderous intent of the apartheid system and how one man with his whole life invested in it finally comes to realize the true nature of the system after his black worker is killed. He shows us how once the truth is exposed this man's whole life is dramatically changed and profiles his struggles in tyring to confront the state apparatus. This story is a must read for anyone seeking to understand the political and racial climate of pre-Independence South Africa and the social dynamics that conspired to maintain the status quo of the day

"Une saison blanche et sèche" is a book written in 1979 by André Brink who had been prohibited from publishing it, in South Africa. On the face of it,it's a very full novel, built on a fascinating intrigue which leads to fundamental problems in the country of apartheid:individual liberty; the difficulty in communicating between the black and white races, and between the social classes;... It's a tragic but touching book which describes the realism in life for the apartheid in South Africa.