photography | mac | lego | open source | sap | gadgets
Books
Book publishing. Me. Online.
Who’d have thought that anyone would ever show any interest in publishing something I’ve written. Not me, for certain. I was intrigued by a mail I received from VDM Publishing, asking whether or not I’d be interested in having a real book made out of my PhD dissertation. Whilst I’m under no illusion that this request benefits the publisher and enables them to bolster their stock of available literature, I’m also quite interested in their model: free submission of the text, including some hold on the content with regard to rights and a slice of royalties received from any (in my mind unlikely) purchases.
Best of all, the entire book is created and submitted online, including cover generation. For a geek and aspiring author, that’s just too cool to miss out on!
The process is rather uncomplicated – once accepted by the publisher, the manuscript may be submitted electronically. To start, relevant personal details are entered into the online system and an ISBN number is assigned. I have an ISBN number. Fancy that…
I spent some time digging up the original Word document and pasted it together again. I’ll need to format some of the headers and footers, but for now I’ve uploaded the resulting 2MB PDF file. Enter text for the cover, blurb, author background, then on to the fun thing: choose a colour for the jacket. Orange, of course. VDM directs authors to PurestockX to select an image for the cover – the cost of that selection is carried by the publisher. A click later, and the draft version of the book’s jacket is presented:
Not bad.
How the books are marketed, I’m not sure. This is obviously a print-on-demand business, costing the publisher little more than the storage of electronic manuscripts, a few stock images and shipping of a complimentary printed copy to the author.
I expect you won’t find this at the local Exclusive Books 
As the author, I could (at my discretion, of course) provide loyal readers with an abstract. Or a discount. Or, how about a limited, signed edition? Hehehe….
droidMaker
For those who enjoy books this is turning out to be a bumper week. Just a few days ago, I posted the link for the free audiobook version of Chris Anderson‘s new book Free. Here’s another gem for fans of George Lucas and Star Wars: droidMaker by Michael Rubin.
droidMaker is available as a free download, in the form of three PDF files. What you’re getting in the download is an exact copy of the hardcover, illustrated paper version. I haven’t read all of it yet, but here’s a brief overview: droidMaker documents George Lucas‘ career from his days in college during 1960 all the way to the release of Star Wars Episode III in 2005. Along the way, Rubin provides details of some very prominent companies in the Hollywood film industry. ILM, THX and Pixar are covered, as is the overall film making process that gives fanboys something to dream about. The birth of digital film making is described in the context of Lucas‘ struggle to bring Star Wars to the silver screen. It’s a wonderful journey and certainly worth a read.
Download this before the link disappears, then do the author a favour and buy the real thing for your bookshelf. For providing this to fans, Michael Rubin deserves your support.
Get Free for free
I quite enjoyed reading Wired editor Chris Anderson‘s book The Long Tail. In The Long Tail, a rather interesting discussion of Internet marketing and sales is presented, completed with numerous examples. The long tail is the phenomenon that permits niche products to be offered to such a huge audience that making a certain number of sales is inevitable.
In Free, Anderson examines market forces that result in pricing models in which customers are able to access goods and services at no charge. It’s an interesting idea and is worthwhile reading for anyone partaking of the Internet.
If nothing else, the book has received a fair share of publicity due to allegations that Anderson plagiarized certain sections of his text. Ironically, the source of those copied passages is said to be Wikipedia, a huge, free source of information.
The audio version of Free is available as a 280MB MP3 download from the Wired website. At no charge. Give it a listen…
25 years of Neuromancer
Yesterday saw the 25th anniversary of the publication of William Gibson‘s novel Neuromancer. It’s without doubt one of my favourites and I’ve read and re-read it many, many times.
Gibson made some astonishing predictions, primarily that millions of computers would be networked together and data universally accessible.
In 1984, when the novel had just been completed, the concept of the Internet already existed, albeit in a very limited form. Gibson managed to describe a world in which access to information is easy, fast and available to almost everyone. The novel went on to win three prestigious awards: the Nebula Award, Philip K. Dick Award and Hugo Award and was rated by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential novels.
It’s still a good read, even after all this time. And, of course, it’s part of the greater Sprawl trilogy.
Check out this Wikipedia article with a summary of the plot to get started.
Ross Hoddinott – Digital Macro Photography
I bought Hoddinott‘s book on macro photography immediately after glancing through his Digital Exposure Handbook. The emphasis here is obviously on macro photography, covering gear, techniques and inspiration.
The form factor of my copy of Digital Macro Photography
Hoddinott seems to be a Nikon shooter, so most of the images provided as examples originate from his D70. His choice of gear does not detract from the quality of the content, however. Each chapter covers its topic in a fair amount of detail. That includes everything from teleconverters to beanbags in the chapter on Lenses and Close-up Accessories and DOF to artificial light in Basic Techniques. There’s a bit in here for the beginner, too. An introduction provides an overview of the basics of photography.
Once again, great care is taken in providing excellent examples that show how the described techniques can be put into practice. Plenty of ideas are provided for those wanting to start off their macro photography in the comfort of their own home. A basic lightbox setup is something that is very useful, but other than that even the humble paperclip can be transformed into an eye-catching work of art.
If macro photography is something you have an interest in, you may want to consider reading this excellent reference.
Batman and Robin – a reboot
My recent read of the excellent graphic novel Joker was augmented by a quick look at the latest Batman title from DC: Batman and Robin.
This is probably nothing more than another way of enticing existing and new comic book readers to spend some money. That’s been my experience with the comic book industry and though I haven’t followed any title from any publisher in over five years or so I can’t imagine that their modus operandi has changed. Where a #1 of any title was an event that enabled serious collecting the last ten years have seen a slew of #1 titles being produced to revive flagging interest, introduce new creative teams or reboot a character due to sinking sales figures. The major occurence of Superman‘s apparent death in some or other continuity of the DC Universe has now been repeated with the recent apparent demise of the Bruce Wayne Batman. Have no fear: he’s still around somewhere, whether in the current dimension or another one. DC is providing a brief interlude with the introduction of a new Dynamic Duo consisting of erstwhile Nightwing Dick Grayson as Batman and the son of Bruce Wayne and Talia, Damian, as Robin.
Writer Grant Morrison is well-respected and I enjoy his style. The artwork by Frank Quitely is eye-catching and falls in a category I prefer: realism and detail, though there could be more detail. The story is fast-paced and I was able to pick the issue up and read it without any knowledge of what has been going on during the past few issues. That’s good. The Circus of Strange has invaded Gotham and the Dynamic Duo get to try out their flying Batmobile early on to apprehend Toad.
Depending on how long DC decides to carry on with this title is a question only they can answer. For now, I’m keen to see how issue #2 of Batman and Robin pans out…
Joker
It’s been a long time since I read anything comic-related. I sat through at least ten or so viewings of The Dark Knight, which featured a very twisted and cruel Joker.
It’s a great movie and a superb silver screen representation of the Batman universe.
Heath Ledger‘s portrayal certainly brought a classic villain to life better than anyone could ever have expected. In the DC graphic novel simply titled Joker, writer Brian Azzarello borrows heavily from Ledger‘s on-screen presence, as does illustrator Lee Bermejo.
The striking cover caught my eye and I decided to have a read. I like the artwork: it’s clean and precise, but conveys the mood of chaos and anarchy the Joker causes in Gotham City upon his release from Arkham Asylum very well.
Somehow, he’s managed to convince his psychiatrist that he’s no longer crazy.
Jonny Frost is a common thug who volunteers to pick the Joker up from the asylum and becomes his right-hand man. The story is told from the point of view of Frost who uses his contact with the Joker to try to rise from a lowly thug to someone with a bit more clout in Gotham‘s underworld.
But for the fact that Frost is a criminal, his character evokes some sympathy. His multiple incarcerations have ensured a divorce and separation from the rest of his family. By the time his demise is imminent, Frost has experienced first-hand the destructive power of the Joker. There is no question that this is a dark and disturbing read. The excellent artwork complements the writing style.
The Joker is super-violent and consumes a fair quantity of booze and drugs. He seems to have little motivation other than to cause chaos and destruction.
Harley Quinn plays the silent and subservient part of the Joker‘s girlfriend.
A whole host of other well-known Gothamites make an appearance, including a menacing Killer Croc, Penguin and Riddler. Joker is intent on taking back his position as criminal kingpin. To achieve his aim, he causes murder and mayhem without regard for life or material.
Once again, only the Batman can stop the Joker, and his involvement is brought about, rather surprisingly, by Two-Face. The fact that Batman appears only once and for a very short time does not detract from the quality or enjoyment of the graphic novel. It’s a great read all round.
Joker is another excellent addition to the ever-expanding Batman mythos. Suggested for mature readers, this is not standard comic book fair.
Ross Hoddinott – Digital Exposure Handbook
It’s not often that one comes across a book on a practical topic like photography that provides an incredible amount of information in a very compact format.
First off, Ross Hoddinott is seemingly not only a decent photographer, but also someone who is able to clearly describe technical terms and concepts in everyday speak. Second, my copy of the Digital Exposure Handbook has a size that makes it an ideal companion for my camera backpack – the book measures 15cm x 24cm. Third, this is really one of the first books on digital photography that I was eager to read from cover to cover, and one I refer back to rather often.
The Digital Exposure Handbook contains just under 200 pages and is divided into six major sections, each dealing with a specific aspect of digital photography. The Basics of Exposure provides information on such topics as highlights, exposure values and sensor technologies. In Exposure in practice, concrete examples are provided of composition, the rule of two-thirds and lighting.
What I really appreciate is that each topic is generally covered in two pages or less. Each page is chock-full of images that visually depict how various settings influence a shot and what methods have been employed to get to the better image. The example-based writing style and visual depiction is something I appreciate, and is probably why this is one of my favourite books on photography.
The section titled Ambient light discusses various factors to consider when dealing with photography under various ambient lighting conditions. Following on to that, a brief discussion of flash light use is provided in section 4, Flash light. Some very pertinent information on filters and a brief description of generic manipulation using popular software products to enhance and fix digital images rounds out this useful book.
By now, you can probably tell that I really enjoyed reading and learning from the Digital Exposure Handbook. I’m pleased that there is very little time spent on specific camera models and equipment, though where these are mentioned no preference is shown to any manufacturer. That makes the book applicable to a wider audience, in my opinion. Highly recommended!
Roald Dahl – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
We finished the first adventure of Charlie Bucket last night having worked our way through about one chapter a night. Alexander seems to have enjoyed the book; first request after we were finished: can we read that again?
Roald Dahl is well-known for his quirky stories and vivid imagination. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is the story of little Charlie Bucket, growing up in abject poverty and having to share a two-bedroom house with two sets of grandparents and mom and dad. The only joy Charlie has is to receive a single bar of chocolate once a year on his birthday. The entire family saves up for that momentous event and Charlie is able to nibble at that bar of chcololate so carefully, that it lasts him more than one month. Every morning on his way to school, Charlie passes by the world’s most famous chocolate factory, Mr. Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. Obviously, Charlie wishes more than anything to be able to see what happens behind the high walls and closed gate.
As the lot of the Bucket family reaches an all-time low, Wonka announces a competition in which five luck people will be afforded entry into his secret chocolate factory. Five golden tickets have been hidden in five chocolate bars and the race is on to find them.
Augustus Gloop eats a lot and is obese and unhealthy. Veruca Salt is spoilt rotten, whilst Mike Teavee is interested in little else than watching, you guessed it, TV. Violet Beauregarde chews gum day in, day out. With four tickets found, Charlie Bucket has a tremendous turn of fortune. He finds some cash and does what any kid his age would do: buy a few chocolate bars. By finding a golden ticket, he and the other four enter Wonka‘s chocolate factory.
As is to be expected, the vices of all the children, except for Charlie, bring about their untimely exit from the chocolate factory tour. Wonka proclaims Charlie to be the winner – he is to move into the chocolate factory with his family and take over from Wonka once he reaches adulthood.
Having heard the story of Charlie in primary school, it’s a delight to revisit it. Books spanning multiple chapters, various situations and characters are a good start to help build comprehension in little ones. Alexander is used to trying to recite the goings-on from the previous chapter before we get started on the next. I trust we won’t be reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as often as he has watched Cars: paper simply cannot endure that many passes…
Recent Comments