The CityNews consumer blog Jee.licio.us is giving away the entire Harry Potter book collection (including the Deathly Hallows). This is a $280 prize and worth it for anyone who wants to see what all the fuss is about.
Visit Jee.licio.us to find out how to enter (you have until Sunday, July 29th @ 6PM EST).
Good luck!
This post is written by Ralph Bond and was originally posted on his blog.
You’re hearing about it every day. ID theft is a real threat to
you and your family. In the last five years and the total cost of
identity theft approaches $48 billion per year (total costs to
businesses are $43 billion and the direct cost to consumers is $5
billion).
The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide ($24.95US book/$15.95 PDF)
***** (out of five stars)
When No Starch Press first sent me The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide to review, I was initially taken aback. I wondered if it would be overwhelmingly technical and, after all, what did I know about LEGO? I played with it when I was a kid, I've talked about making a LEGO movie for many years, and I guess I do have a rather large bin of it in my basement. But that's about the extent of my LEGO expertise.
My fears were relieved once I started reading through the book. Allan Bedford has written a guide on LEGO that takes the time to explain all aspects of it - from the different pieces (which are actually called elements), to building techniques, to methods on properly sorting and storing. The book is also laid-out very well and written in a plain, clear language that both children and adults will understand.
One the most unique features of the book is the Brickopedia that includes descriptions of about 300 LEGO elements accompanied by 3D image, catalogue number, notes, and year released. It is one of those gems that can pull childhood builders back into building as an adult as you go over the familiar pieces and remember what you used to create with them.
Some critics have complained that the images in the book are not in colour. I personally like the grayscale images (example on the right) and think it makes it appear more defined and crisp. And besides, colour images would have raised the cost of printing, and the book price itself, without adding anything of real value. Allan has spent a lot of time explaining and working on these images and you can really see his passion in them.
I would recommend this book to almost anyone, especially if you are an old-school LEGO fan, have children who play with LEGO, or are a mature adult who wants to build something with LEGO but is too embarrassed to ask! I must warn you though - this book will inspire you to build something after picking it up.
To purchase the book directly from No Starch Press, visit nostarch.com.
With that said, when The Cult of Mac and The Cult of iPod arrived in my mailbox I jumped up and down like a kid on Christmas and immediately scanned through the pages, drooling. Weeks later, with countless nights of enjoyment, I feel I am able to finally review them (plus Amber told me I had to for episode 29 of commandN).
The Cult of Mac ($39.95/$55.95CAN)
**** (out of five stars)
The Cult of Mac is so perfect that it is almost an Apple product itself. It is classy, the cover is very simple, yet well-designed, and its hard cover and glossy pages make it the perfect centerpiece on any coffee table (this is a book you want to show off). I can pick it up and read it at any time of day and always find something fun, interesting or cool that I had never read before.
Some of the most memorable sections include fan renditions of Apple product designs they'd most like to see, the mass fanatics in Japan, and Paper Macs - which is the art of constructing Macs out of -you guessed it- paper.
The Cult of iPod ($24.95/$33.95CAN)
**1/2 (out of five stars)
Compared to The Cult of Mac, The Cult of iPod is not as well thought-out or defined. Most of the content focuses around advertising and accessories for the iPod and not the cultural icon it’s become. There are some cool modifications and hacks shown (the stereoscope is quite neat), but for the most part it feels like it was put together quickly to cash in on the iPod craze and that’s really unfortunate. If they had waited a couple of years to really pick up on some more iPod trends, I feel it could have been a far superior product.
Both books are written by Leander Kahney (who also writes the Cult of Mac blog for Wired Magazine) and are published by No Starch Press. Even though I am not crazy about The Cult of iPod I am recommending both books for anyone interested in Apple. Side-by-side, they complement one another nicely, and the relatively low price tag on The Cult of iPod makes up for its lack of content and style.
To purchase directly from No Starch Press, and check out of some of the other great titles available, visit nostarch.com.
Before I begin I should point out that I have read ALL of these books (some of them twice) and all the links go to Amazon.ca
If you want to recommend something else post it in the comments. I will be writing a list of books I recommend for using Final Cut Pro, Afer Effects and other filmmaking software in the near future as well.
1. Rebel Without A Crew by Robert Rodriguez
Robert Rodriguez (Desperado, Sin City) explains how he made his first film El Mariachi for $7000 and got a Hollywood deal. He goes into detail about how he shot the film so cheap, the film festival experience and the aftermath. If you plan to make a movie on a small budget this is the book to read.
2. Make Your Own Damn Movie! by Lloyd Kaufman
Both books by Lloyd Kaufman, the president of Troma Entertainment are encouraging, funny and educational. Lots of details about filmmaking, how he has run an indie film company for so long without going "Hollywood", the making of the Toxic Avenger and other early Troma films and info on casting Billy Bob Thorton and Samuel L. Jackson in their first roles.
3. The Complete Film Dictionary by Ira Konigsberg
A complete list of film terms and definitions. Great for people who don't know what a grip is or what a dolly does. Used in film school but great for everyone.
4. Painting with Light by John Alton
Excellent book for all cinematographers and anyone interested in learning how to light or shoot properly for film. Written in 1949 this is very detailed and very educational (nothing funny about it). One of the few books I refer to often.
5. Feature Filmmaking at Used-Car Prices by Rick Schmidt
Lots of info about planning, shooting, editing and releasing a film for under $15,000. Some great examples and references a well.
