I wouldn't use this as my primary book, 27 May 2008
I felt the first few chapters were really geared towards newcomers to 2D/3D Maths and so every topic in the earlier chapters were covered very slowly and in detail. However, as I progressed through the chapters I noticed the authors had started accelerating through the topics at a quicker pace and I was left somewhat confused and so I had to research many of the topics from other resources.

One thing I really didn't like about the book was that the exercises were left to be done at the end of each chapter. The problem with this approach was that some chapters expanded across many pages packed with information you needed to know and thus, like a traditional maths book I would have liked to practice a few questions after each topic and not after a whole chapter.

Not sure who would find this useful, 21 Apr 2008
Sure the book starts off with really really simple maths, using 1d and 2d maths for a springboard. It slowly eases into vector and matrix maths, all described fairly run of the mill. So far so good.

Reading further on into geometric principles and intersections it becomes apparent that the author seems to have forgotten all about the first half of the book and is quickly rambling on using terms and symbols not previously referred to and thus will more than likely lose anyone without a mathematics degree.

Most of the articles here are locatable on the internet if you know how to use a search engine, and described in a much more user friendly way.

3D Maths for mathematicians, 21 Aug 2007
I bought this book thinking it would explain 3D maths to me, a programmer, but instead found it better suited to mathematicians who want to understand vectors and matrices.
There is virtually no pseudocode in the book, and only around 50 pages out of 400 cover 3D graphics in practice, and then in little depth.
The only people who will get anything from this book are people with a degree in Computer Science (and they will probably know 3D maths already).



Highly recommended, 28 Apr 2005
I love this book, and it has payed off very well for me.
The author has a remarkable skill to explain even the most difficult subjects in a way that everyone understands. For example, The Cartesian coordinate system is abstracted to a system of roads.
However, this simplification is not an issue for intermediate/advanced programmers or math students. All topics are provided with formulas and concise material; making this book good for everyone.
Topics covered (but not limited to) vectors, coordination systems, dot-product, cross-product, quaternions, matrices, Auler-angles, bsp-trees, screen projection, culling, bounding-boxes (and a load of other intersection tests).

Still I missed something. The author(s) also covers gourad shading, texture mapping and several other techniques, but they don't go into depth. Different lighting models were given a formula at best, which fortunately is good enough for me. Just don't expect the book to be API-specific or contain information about rendering methods.
The source code which came with the book compiled, but looks awful and very messy. The source code works very well as a reference, but it you are buying the book mainly for the code; don't. I hope they'll update their source code from the webpage soon.

Conclusion: This is a very good book to start with. It contains all the linear algebra math you'll need to start with 3D-programming, and is explained remarkably well. Yet the simplification is nevertheless no con for non-beginners, which will probably use this book as a reference laying on their desktop at all times :-)

Exceptionally good book, 25 Feb 2004
The authors of this book is a game programmer and a professor of Computer Science. This team is excellent!

The game programmer has alot of focus on making the material understandable, and the professor has focus on the mathematically correct semantics. Unlike other books, that teaches game programming (of which many have an author with his strength on either field), this book has the right blend of understandable text parred with the right mathematical semantics.

Furthermore the text is supported by code, so if you are shaky on some of the math, you can see the implementation in C++ code.

As a total math newbie, this book helped me alot, and today I understand totally and in detail what is going on in my 3D programming.

An ABSOLUTE MUST, if you want to learn 3D on top level.

I wouldn't use this as my primary book, 27 May 2008
I felt the first few chapters were really geared towards newcomers to 2D/3D Maths and so every topic in the earlier chapters were covered very slowly and in detail. However, as I progressed through the chapters I noticed the authors had started accelerating through the topics at a quicker pace and I was left somewhat confused and so I had to research many of the topics from other resources.

One thing I really didn't like about the book was that the exercises were left to be done at the end of each chapter. The problem with this approach was that some chapters expanded across many pages packed with information you needed to know and thus, like a traditional maths book I would have liked to practice a few questions after each topic and not after a whole chapter.

Not sure who would find this useful, 21 Apr 2008
Sure the book starts off with really really simple maths, using 1d and 2d maths for a springboard. It slowly eases into vector and matrix maths, all described fairly run of the mill. So far so good.

Reading further on into geometric principles and intersections it becomes apparent that the author seems to have forgotten all about the first half of the book and is quickly rambling on using terms and symbols not previously referred to and thus will more than likely lose anyone without a mathematics degree.

Most of the articles here are locatable on the internet if you know how to use a search engine, and described in a much more user friendly way.

3D Maths for mathematicians, 21 Aug 2007
I bought this book thinking it would explain 3D maths to me, a programmer, but instead found it better suited to mathematicians who want to understand vectors and matrices.
There is virtually no pseudocode in the book, and only around 50 pages out of 400 cover 3D graphics in practice, and then in little depth.
The only people who will get anything from this book are people with a degree in Computer Science (and they will probably know 3D maths already).



Highly recommended, 28 Apr 2005
I love this book, and it has payed off very well for me.
The author has a remarkable skill to explain even the most difficult subjects in a way that everyone understands. For example, The Cartesian coordinate system is abstracted to a system of roads.
However, this simplification is not an issue for intermediate/advanced programmers or math students. All topics are provided with formulas and concise material; making this book good for everyone.
Topics covered (but not limited to) vectors, coordination systems, dot-product, cross-product, quaternions, matrices, Auler-angles, bsp-trees, screen projection, culling, bounding-boxes (and a load of other intersection tests).

Still I missed something. The author(s) also covers gourad shading, texture mapping and several other techniques, but they don't go into depth. Different lighting models were given a formula at best, which fortunately is good enough for me. Just don't expect the book to be API-specific or contain information about rendering methods.
The source code which came with the book compiled, but looks awful and very messy. The source code works very well as a reference, but it you are buying the book mainly for the code; don't. I hope they'll update their source code from the webpage soon.

Conclusion: This is a very good book to start with. It contains all the linear algebra math you'll need to start with 3D-programming, and is explained remarkably well. Yet the simplification is nevertheless no con for non-beginners, which will probably use this book as a reference laying on their desktop at all times :-)

Exceptionally good book, 25 Feb 2004
The authors of this book is a game programmer and a professor of Computer Science. This team is excellent!

The game programmer has alot of focus on making the material understandable, and the professor has focus on the mathematically correct semantics. Unlike other books, that teaches game programming (of which many have an author with his strength on either field), this book has the right blend of understandable text parred with the right mathematical semantics.

Furthermore the text is supported by code, so if you are shaky on some of the math, you can see the implementation in C++ code.

As a total math newbie, this book helped me alot, and today I understand totally and in detail what is going on in my 3D programming.

An ABSOLUTE MUST, if you want to learn 3D on top level.

Practically, permaculture heaven, 17 Dec 2004
This is a really inspiring book and a great starting point for those who want to care about the earth, more. This huge resource can be digested chapter by chapter or can be utilised when you want some specific recommendations (e.g. on soil type, shade loving perennials or shape of a pond). Patrick goes into practical details yet still maintains the integrity of caring for the whole (Earth)

Straight forward diagrams and clear mindmaps illustrate significant themes and ideas. Plus there are lots of uplifting case examples of permaculture designs put into practice. There is also a good list of resources and sources of what you may require in implementing your ideas.

If you want to move beyond grumbling about the worlds problems and want to become part of the solution, then this book can guide you step by step through the process. I can envisage this book being useful at many levels, national and local and on both broad and home scale projects. I strongly recommend this book.

Inspiring and Practical, 05 Oct 2004
This is a wonderful book, both inspiring and practical. It inspires those new to Permaculture into action, demonstrating that we can all make a real and important difference by reducing our personal "footprint" - our energy consumption, and by thinking environmentally about each decision we make. This book leads the reader back outside, into nature.
It is a must for anyone interested in growing their own food, natural building, nature, alternative energy, waste treatment,... On a practical level there are excellent case studies, excellent illustrations, details of crop varieties most suitable to our temperate climate, seasonal guidelines - for readers who have small gardens, large farms, window boxes, or communal gardens. For example, there is a wonderful diagram which leads a total novice to determine what type of soil they have by using a few simple tests.
For the more advanced Permaculturist, this Manual is a wonderful guide and reference book and a binding together of many ideas and priciples.
I could not recommend it highly enough. You will continually dip into it and find more and more excellent advice and techniques

Inspiring and Practical, 04 Oct 2004
This is a wonderful book, both inspiring and practical. It inspires those new to Permaculture into action, demonstrating that we can all make a real and important difference by reducing our personal "footprint" - our energy consumption, and by thinking environmentally about each decision we make. This book leads the reader back outside, into nature.
It is a must for anyone interested in growing their own food, natural building, nature, alternative energy, waste treatment,... On a practical level there are excellent case studies, details of crop varieties most suitable to our temperate climate, seasonal guidelines - for readers who have small gardens, large farms, window boxes, or communal gardens. For example, there is a wonderful diagram which leads a total novice to determine what type of soil they have by using a few simple tests.
For the more advanced Permaculturist, this Manual is a wonderful guide and reference book and a binding together of many ideas and priciples.
I could not recommend it highly enough. You will continually dip into it and find more and more excellent advice and techniques

Help Save Our Planet, 19 Sep 2004
Patrick Whitefield's new book The Earth Care Manual is a long-awaited, carefully researched guide to making a significant contribution to saving our planet. His style is wise and nuanced, almost conversational, but not fundamentalist. His approach is well balanced, and he frequently points out that the choices one makes must be unique to each situation. He offers a working method, tools, and an overview, to permit each indiviudual, with whatever land or space is at their disposal, to make a difference to local ecology. The book is clearly written, well presented and full of excellent case studies, references and resources. The scientific reasoning is clear and necessary, for the author urges the use of a scientific approach as opposed to a purely intuitive one. Ultimately this will attract more people to the ideas of permaculture and help it to enter mainstream planning practice. At the same time, Patrick Whitefield acknowledges the possibility of deep ecology and spirituality based upon an individual's deepening connection with nature and awareness of one's place in the complex web of life on earth.
This is a very important book of synthesis and vision which should be owned and read by everyone who truly wishes to make a contribution to improving the survival chances for life on this planet.

I wouldn't use this as my primary book, 27 May 2008
I felt the first few chapters were really geared towards newcomers to 2D/3D Maths and so every topic in the earlier chapters were covered very slowly and in detail. However, as I progressed through the chapters I noticed the authors had started accelerating through the topics at a quicker pace and I was left somewhat confused and so I had to research many of the topics from other resources.

One thing I really didn't like about the book was that the exercises were left to be done at the end of each chapter. The problem with this approach was that some chapters expanded across many pages packed with information you needed to know and thus, like a traditional maths book I would have liked to practice a few questions after each topic and not after a whole chapter.

Not sure who would find this useful, 21 Apr 2008
Sure the book starts off with really really simple maths, using 1d and 2d maths for a springboard. It slowly eases into vector and matrix maths, all described fairly run of the mill. So far so good.

Reading further on into geometric principles and intersections it becomes apparent that the author seems to have forgotten all about the first half of the book and is quickly rambling on using terms and symbols not previously referred to and thus will more than likely lose anyone without a mathematics degree.

Most of the articles here are locatable on the internet if you know how to use a search engine, and described in a much more user friendly way.

3D Maths for mathematicians, 21 Aug 2007
I bought this book thinking it would explain 3D maths to me, a programmer, but instead found it better suited to mathematicians who want to understand vectors and matrices.
There is virtually no pseudocode in the book, and only around 50 pages out of 400 cover 3D graphics in practice, and then in little depth.
The only people who will get anything from this book are people with a degree in Computer Science (and they will probably know 3D maths already).



Highly recommended, 28 Apr 2005
I love this book, and it has payed off very well for me.
The author has a remarkable skill to explain even the most difficult subjects in a way that everyone understands. For example, The Cartesian coordinate system is abstracted to a system of roads.
However, this simplification is not an issue for intermediate/advanced programmers or math students. All topics are provided with formulas and concise material; making this book good for everyone.
Topics covered (but not limited to) vectors, coordination systems, dot-product, cross-product, quaternions, matrices, Auler-angles, bsp-trees, screen projection, culling, bounding-boxes (and a load of other intersection tests).

Still I missed something. The author(s) also covers gourad shading, texture mapping and several other techniques, but they don't go into depth. Different lighting models were given a formula at best, which fortunately is good enough for me. Just don't expect the book to be API-specific or contain information about rendering methods.
The source code which came with the book compiled, but looks awful and very messy. The source code works very well as a reference, but it you are buying the book mainly for the code; don't. I hope they'll update their source code from the webpage soon.

Conclusion: This is a very good book to start with. It contains all the linear algebra math you'll need to start with 3D-programming, and is explained remarkably well. Yet the simplification is nevertheless no con for non-beginners, which will probably use this book as a reference laying on their desktop at all times :-)

Exceptionally good book, 25 Feb 2004
The authors of this book is a game programmer and a professor of Computer Science. This team is excellent!

The game programmer has alot of focus on making the material understandable, and the professor has focus on the mathematically correct semantics. Unlike other books, that teaches game programming (of which many have an author with his strength on either field), this book has the right blend of understandable text parred with the right mathematical semantics.

Furthermore the text is supported by code, so if you are shaky on some of the math, you can see the implementation in C++ code.

As a total math newbie, this book helped me alot, and today I understand totally and in detail what is going on in my 3D programming.

An ABSOLUTE MUST, if you want to learn 3D on top level.

Practically, permaculture heaven, 17 Dec 2004
This is a really inspiring book and a great starting point for those who want to care about the earth, more. This huge resource can be digested chapter by chapter or can be utilised when you want some specific recommendations (e.g. on soil type, shade loving perennials or shape of a pond). Patrick goes into practical details yet still maintains the integrity of caring for the whole (Earth)

Straight forward diagrams and clear mindmaps illustrate significant themes and ideas. Plus there are lots of uplifting case examples of permaculture designs put into practice. There is also a good list of resources and sources of what you may require in implementing your ideas.

If you want to move beyond grumbling about the worlds problems and want to become part of the solution, then this book can guide you step by step through the process. I can envisage this book being useful at many levels, national and local and on both broad and home scale projects. I strongly recommend this book.

Inspiring and Practical, 05 Oct 2004
This is a wonderful book, both inspiring and practical. It inspires those new to Permaculture into action, demonstrating that we can all make a real and important difference by reducing our personal "footprint" - our energy consumption, and by thinking environmentally about each decision we make. This book leads the reader back outside, into nature.
It is a must for anyone interested in growing their own food, natural building, nature, alternative energy, waste treatment,... On a practical level there are excellent case studies, excellent illustrations, details of crop varieties most suitable to our temperate climate, seasonal guidelines - for readers who have small gardens, large farms, window boxes, or communal gardens. For example, there is a wonderful diagram which leads a total novice to determine what type of soil they have by using a few simple tests.
For the more advanced Permaculturist, this Manual is a wonderful guide and reference book and a binding together of many ideas and priciples.
I could not recommend it highly enough. You will continually dip into it and find more and more excellent advice and techniques

Inspiring and Practical, 04 Oct 2004
This is a wonderful book, both inspiring and practical. It inspires those new to Permaculture into action, demonstrating that we can all make a real and important difference by reducing our personal "footprint" - our energy consumption, and by thinking environmentally about each decision we make. This book leads the reader back outside, into nature.
It is a must for anyone interested in growing their own food, natural building, nature, alternative energy, waste treatment,... On a practical level there are excellent case studies, details of crop varieties most suitable to our temperate climate, seasonal guidelines - for readers who have small gardens, large farms, window boxes, or communal gardens. For example, there is a wonderful diagram which leads a total novice to determine what type of soil they have by using a few simple tests.
For the more advanced Permaculturist, this Manual is a wonderful guide and reference book and a binding together of many ideas and priciples.
I could not recommend it highly enough. You will continually dip into it and find more and more excellent advice and techniques

Help Save Our Planet, 19 Sep 2004
Patrick Whitefield's new book The Earth Care Manual is a long-awaited, carefully researched guide to making a significant contribution to saving our planet. His style is wise and nuanced, almost conversational, but not fundamentalist. His approach is well balanced, and he frequently points out that the choices one makes must be unique to each situation. He offers a working method, tools, and an overview, to permit each indiviudual, with whatever land or space is at their disposal, to make a difference to local ecology. The book is clearly written, well presented and full of excellent case studies, references and resources. The scientific reasoning is clear and necessary, for the author urges the use of a scientific approach as opposed to a purely intuitive one. Ultimately this will attract more people to the ideas of permaculture and help it to enter mainstream planning practice. At the same time, Patrick Whitefield acknowledges the possibility of deep ecology and spirituality based upon an individual's deepening connection with nature and awareness of one's place in the complex web of life on earth.
This is a very important book of synthesis and vision which should be owned and read by everyone who truly wishes to make a contribution to improving the survival chances for life on this planet.

Dated, homophobic and filled with gender stereotypes., 24 Sep 2008
I was initially shocked at the levels of homophobia and gender stereotyping inherent in this book, but ended up laughing out loud at some very judgemental and moralistic passages on sex and relationships. I showed passages of this book to friends, who were also astounded that such a volume should be required reading for counselling students on courses in 2008, which is where I came across it.



Interesting but dated!, 15 Feb 2001
This was a textbook for the counselling course I just completed, so compulsory reading. Not the kind of book you'd pick up for a light read, but it *is* one I wish I'd read while my kids were still babies. Rayner takes the reader through all aspects of human development from birth to death. There were parts of this book which were fascinating, particularly the sections on early psychology and what can go wrong with the development and growth of self during the baby stages. I also read about behaviours I'd seen in my own (and everyone else's children!) and never really understood before. Where Rayner falls short (the book was written in the 60's) is in his assumptions about gender roles. I and many of my colleagues, found him very sexist and limited in his views on such things as working women, single parent families, and marriage. My views are still relatively consevative, so if yours are radical, this book could get you very angry! This is a good basic textbook, and would even make a good read for an interested parent, but be prepared for dated views alongside generally agreed truths about how we as people grow and mature.

I wouldn't use this as my primary book, 27 May 2008
I felt the first few chapters were really geared towards newcomers to 2D/3D Maths and so every topic in the earlier chapters were covered very slowly and in detail. However, as I progressed through the chapters I noticed the authors had started accelerating through the topics at a quicker pace and I was left somewhat confused and so I had to research many of the topics from other resources.

One thing I really didn't like about the book was that the exercises were left to be done at the end of each chapter. The problem with this approach was that some chapters expanded across many pages packed with information you needed to know and thus, like a traditional maths book I would have liked to practice a few questions after each topic and not after a whole chapter.

Not sure who would find this useful, 21 Apr 2008
Sure the book starts off with really really simple maths, using 1d and 2d maths for a springboard. It slowly eases into vector and matrix maths, all described fairly run of the mill. So far so good.

Reading further on into geometric principles and intersections it becomes apparent that the author seems to have forgotten all about the first half of the book and is quickly rambling on using terms and symbols not previously referred to and thus will more than likely lose anyone without a mathematics degree.

Most of the articles here are locatable on the internet if you know how to use a search engine, and described in a much more user friendly way.

3D Maths for mathematicians, 21 Aug 2007
I bought this book thinking it would explain 3D maths to me, a programmer, but instead found it better suited to mathematicians who want to understand vectors and matrices.
There is virtually no pseudocode in the book, and only around 50 pages out of 400 cover 3D graphics in practice, and then in little depth.
The only people who will get anything from this book are people with a degree in Computer Science (and they will probably know 3D maths already).



Highly recommended, 28 Apr 2005
I love this book, and it has payed off very well for me.
The author has a remarkable skill to explain even the most difficult subjects in a way that everyone understands. For example, The Cartesian coordinate system is abstracted to a system of roads.
However, this simplification is not an issue for intermediate/advanced programmers or math students. All topics are provided with formulas and concise material; making this book good for everyone.
Topics covered (but not limited to) vectors, coordination systems, dot-product, cross-product, quaternions, matrices, Auler-angles, bsp-trees, screen projection, culling, bounding-boxes (and a load of other intersection tests).

Still I missed something. The author(s) also covers gourad shading, texture mapping and several other techniques, but they don't go into depth. Different lighting models were given a formula at best, which fortunately is good enough for me. Just don't expect the book to be API-specific or contain information about rendering methods.
The source code which came with the book compiled, but looks awful and very messy. The source code works very well as a reference, but it you are buying the book mainly for the code; don't. I hope they'll update their source code from the webpage soon.

Conclusion: This is a very good book to start with. It contains all the linear algebra math you'll need to start with 3D-programming, and is explained remarkably well. Yet the simplification is nevertheless no con for non-beginners, which will probably use this book as a reference laying on their desktop at all times :-)

Exceptionally good book, 25 Feb 2004
The authors of this book is a game programmer and a professor of Computer Science. This team is excellent!

The game programmer has alot of focus on making the material understandable, and the professor has focus on the mathematically correct semantics. Unlike other books, that teaches game programming (of which many have an author with his strength on either field), this book has the right blend of understandable text parred with the right mathematical semantics.

Furthermore the text is supported by code, so if you are shaky on some of the math, you can see the implementation in C++ code.

As a total math newbie, this book helped me alot, and today I understand totally and in detail what is going on in my 3D programming.

An ABSOLUTE MUST, if you want to learn 3D on top level.

Practically, permaculture heaven, 17 Dec 2004
This is a really inspiring book and a great starting point for those who want to care about the earth, more. This huge resource can be digested chapter by chapter or can be utilised when you want some specific recommendations (e.g. on soil type, shade loving perennials or shape of a pond). Patrick goes into practical details yet still maintains the integrity of caring for the whole (Earth)

Straight forward diagrams and clear mindmaps illustrate significant themes and ideas. Plus there are lots of uplifting case examples of permaculture designs put into practice. There is also a good list of resources and sources of what you may require in implementing your ideas.

If you want to move beyond grumbling about the worlds problems and want to become part of the solution, then this book can guide you step by step through the process. I can envisage this book being useful at many levels, national and local and on both broad and home scale projects. I strongly recommend this book.

Inspiring and Practical, 05 Oct 2004
This is a wonderful book, both inspiring and practical. It inspires those new to Permaculture into action, demonstrating that we can all make a real and important difference by reducing our personal "footprint" - our energy consumption, and by thinking environmentally about each decision we make. This book leads the reader back outside, into nature.
It is a must for anyone interested in growing their own food, natural building, nature, alternative energy, waste treatment,... On a practical level there are excellent case studies, excellent illustrations, details of crop varieties most suitable to our temperate climate, seasonal guidelines - for readers who have small gardens, large farms, window boxes, or communal gardens. For example, there is a wonderful diagram which leads a total novice to determine what type of soil they have by using a few simple tests.
For the more advanced Permaculturist, this Manual is a wonderful guide and reference book and a binding together of many ideas and priciples.
I could not recommend it highly enough. You will continually dip into it and find more and more excellent advice and techniques

Inspiring and Practical, 04 Oct 2004
This is a wonderful book, both inspiring and practical. It inspires those new to Permaculture into action, demonstrating that we can all make a real and important difference by reducing our personal "footprint" - our energy consumption, and by thinking environmentally about each decision we make. This book leads the reader back outside, into nature.
It is a must for anyone interested in growing their own food, natural building, nature, alternative energy, waste treatment,... On a practical level there are excellent case studies, details of crop varieties most suitable to our temperate climate, seasonal guidelines - for readers who have small gardens, large farms, window boxes, or communal gardens. For example, there is a wonderful diagram which leads a total novice to determine what type of soil they have by using a few simple tests.
For the more advanced Permaculturist, this Manual is a wonderful guide and reference book and a binding together of many ideas and priciples.
I could not recommend it highly enough. You will continually dip into it and find more and more excellent advice and techniques

Help Save Our Planet, 19 Sep 2004
Patrick Whitefield's new book The Earth Care Manual is a long-awaited, carefully researched guide to making a significant contribution to saving our planet. His style is wise and nuanced, almost conversational, but not fundamentalist. His approach is well balanced, and he frequently points out that the choices one makes must be unique to each situation. He offers a working method, tools, and an overview, to permit each indiviudual, with whatever land or space is at their disposal, to make a difference to local ecology. The book is clearly written, well presented and full of excellent case studies, references and resources. The scientific reasoning is clear and necessary, for the author urges the use of a scientific approach as opposed to a purely intuitive one. Ultimately this will attract more people to the ideas of permaculture and help it to enter mainstream planning practice. At the same time, Patrick Whitefield acknowledges the possibility of deep ecology and spirituality based upon an individual's deepening connection with nature and awareness of one's place in the complex web of life on earth.
This is a very important book of synthesis and vision which should be owned and read by everyone who truly wishes to make a contribution to improving the survival chances for life on this planet.

Dated, homophobic and filled with gender stereotypes., 24 Sep 2008
I was initially shocked at the levels of homophobia and gender stereotyping inherent in this book, but ended up laughing out loud at some very judgemental and moralistic passages on sex and relationships. I showed passages of this book to friends, who were also astounded that such a volume should be required reading for counselling students on courses in 2008, which is where I came across it.



Interesting but dated!, 15 Feb 2001
This was a textbook for the counselling course I just completed, so compulsory reading. Not the kind of book you'd pick up for a light read, but it *is* one I wish I'd read while my kids were still babies. Rayner takes the reader through all aspects of human development from birth to death. There were parts of this book which were fascinating, particularly the sections on early psychology and what can go wrong with the development and growth of self during the baby stages. I also read about behaviours I'd seen in my own (and everyone else's children!) and never really understood before. Where Rayner falls short (the book was written in the 60's) is in his assumptions about gender roles. I and many of my colleagues, found him very sexist and limited in his views on such things as working women, single parent families, and marriage. My views are still relatively consevative, so if yours are radical, this book could get you very angry! This is a good basic textbook, and would even make a good read for an interested parent, but be prepared for dated views alongside generally agreed truths about how we as people grow and mature.

Good for someone serious about dog behaviour, 05 Jul 2007
The Lindsay series are essential for anyone serious about understanding dog behaviour and training. However he does have a rather academic style of writing, and this is not an accessible or light read - more a reference book for courses.

I wouldn't use this as my primary book, 27 May 2008
I felt the first few chapters were really geared towards newcomers to 2D/3D Maths and so every topic in the earlier chapters were covered very slowly and in detail. However, as I progressed through the chapters I noticed the authors had started accelerating through the topics at a quicker pace and I was left somewhat confused and so I had to research many of the topics from other resources.

One thing I really didn't like about the book was that the exercises were left to be done at the end of each chapter. The problem with this approach was that some chapters expanded across many pages packed with information you needed to know and thus, like a traditional maths book I would have liked to practice a few questions after each topic and not after a whole chapter.

Not sure who would find this useful, 21 Apr 2008
Sure the book starts off with really really simple maths, using 1d and 2d maths for a springboard. It slowly eases into vector and matrix maths, all described fairly run of the mill. So far so good.

Reading further on into geometric principles and intersections it becomes apparent that the author seems to have forgotten all about the first half of the book and is quickly rambling on using terms and symbols not previously referred to and thus will more than likely lose anyone without a mathematics degree.

Most of the articles here are locatable on the internet if you know how to use a search engine, and described in a much more user friendly way.

3D Maths for mathematicians, 21 Aug 2007
I bought this book thinking it would explain 3D maths to me, a programmer, but instead found it better suited to mathematicians who want to understand vectors and matrices.
There is virtually no pseudocode in the book, and only around 50 pages out of 400 cover 3D graphics in practice, and then in little depth.
The only people who will get anything from this book are people with a degree in Computer Science (and they will probably know 3D maths already).



Highly recommended, 28 Apr 2005
I love this book, and it has payed off very well for me.
The author has a remarkable skill to explain even the most difficult subjects in a way that everyone understands. For example, The Cartesian coordinate system is abstracted to a system of roads.
However, this simplification is not an issue for intermediate/advanced programmers or math students. All topics are provided with formulas and concise material; making this book good for everyone.
Topics covered (but not limited to) vectors, coordination systems, dot-product, cross-product, quaternions, matrices, Auler-angles, bsp-trees, screen projection, culling, bounding-boxes (and a load of other intersection tests).

Still I missed something. The author(s) also covers gourad shading, texture mapping and several other techniques, but they don't go into depth. Different lighting models were given a formula at best, which fortunately is good enough for me. Just don't expect the book to be API-specific or contain information about rendering methods.
The source code which came with the book compiled, but looks awful and very messy. The source code works very well as a reference, but it you are buying the book mainly for the code; don't. I hope they'll update their source code from the webpage soon.

Conclusion: This is a very good book to start with. It contains all the linear algebra math you'll need to start with 3D-programming, and is explained remarkably well. Yet the simplification is nevertheless no con for non-beginners, which will probably use this book as a reference laying on their desktop at all times :-)

Exceptionally good book, 25 Feb 2004
The authors of this book is a game programmer and a professor of Computer Science. This team is excellent!

The game programmer has alot of focus on making the material understandable, and the professor has focus on the mathematically correct semantics. Unlike other books, that teaches game programming (of which many have an author with his strength on either field), this book has the right blend of understandable text parred with the right mathematical semantics.

Furthermore the text is supported by code, so if you are shaky on some of the math, you can see the implementation in C++ code.

As a total math newbie, this book helped me alot, and today I understand totally and in detail what is going on in my 3D programming.

An ABSOLUTE MUST, if you want to learn 3D on top level.

Practically, permaculture heaven, 17 Dec 2004
This is a really inspiring book and a great starting point for those who want to care about the earth, more. This huge resource can be digested chapter by chapter or can be utilised when you want some specific recommendations (e.g. on soil type, shade loving perennials or shape of a pond). Patrick goes into practical details yet still maintains the integrity of caring for the whole (Earth)

Straight forward diagrams and clear mindmaps illustrate significant themes and ideas. Plus there are lots of uplifting case examples of permaculture designs put into practice. There is also a good list of resources and sources of what you may require in implementing your ideas.

If you want to move beyond grumbling about the worlds problems and want to become part of the solution, then this book can guide you step by step through the process. I can envisage this book being useful at many levels, national and local and on both broad and home scale projects. I strongly recommend this book.

Inspiring and Practical, 05 Oct 2004
This is a wonderful book, both inspiring and practical. It inspires those new to Permaculture into action, demonstrating that we can all make a real and important difference by reducing our personal "footprint" - our energy consumption, and by thinking environmentally about each decision we make. This book leads the reader back outside, into nature.
It is a must for anyone interested in growing their own food, natural building, nature, alternative energy, waste treatment,... On a practical level there are excellent case studies, excellent illustrations, details of crop varieties most suitable to our temperate climate, seasonal guidelines - for readers who have small gardens, large farms, window boxes, or communal gardens. For example, there is a wonderful diagram which leads a total novice to determine what type of soil they have by using a few simple tests.
For the more advanced Permaculturist, this Manual is a wonderful guide and reference book and a binding together of many ideas and priciples.
I could not recommend it highly enough. You will continually dip into it and find more and more excellent advice and techniques

Inspiring and Practical, 04 Oct 2004
This is a wonderful book, both inspiring and practical. It inspires those new to Permaculture into action, demonstrating that we can all make a real and important difference by reducing our personal "footprint" - our energy consumption, and by thinking environmentally about each decision we make. This book leads the reader back outside, into nature.
It is a must for anyone interested in growing their own food, natural building, nature, alternative energy, waste treatment,... On a practical level there are excellent case studies, details of crop varieties most suitable to our temperate climate, seasonal guidelines - for readers who have small gardens, large farms, window boxes, or communal gardens. For example, there is a wonderful diagram which leads a total novice to determine what type of soil they have by using a few simple tests.
For the more advanced Permaculturist, this Manual is a wonderful guide and reference book and a binding together of many ideas and priciples.
I could not recommend it highly enough. You will continually dip into it and find more and more excellent advice and techniques

Help Save Our Planet, 19 Sep 2004
Patrick Whitefield's new book The Earth Care Manual is a long-awaited, carefully researched guide to making a significant contribution to saving our planet. His style is wise and nuanced, almost conversational, but not fundamentalist. His approach is well balanced, and he frequently points out that the choices one makes must be unique to each situation. He offers a working method, tools, and an overview, to permit each indiviudual, with whatever land or space is at their disposal, to make a difference to local ecology. The book is clearly written, well presented and full of excellent case studies, references and resources. The scientific reasoning is clear and necessary, for the author urges the use of a scientific approach as opposed to a purely intuitive one. Ultimately this will attract more people to the ideas of permaculture and help it to enter mainstream planning practice. At the same time, Patrick Whitefield acknowledges the possibility of deep ecology and spirituality based upon an individual's deepening connection with nature and awareness of one's place in the complex web of life on earth.
This is a very important book of synthesis and vision which should be owned and read by everyone who truly wishes to make a contribution to improving the survival chances for life on this planet.

Dated, homophobic and filled with gender stereotypes., 24 Sep 2008
I was initially shocked at the levels of homophobia and gender stereotyping inherent in this book, but ended up laughing out loud at some very judgemental and moralistic passages on sex and relationships. I showed passages of this book to friends, who were also astounded that such a volume should be required reading for counselling students on courses in 2008, which is where I came across it.



Interesting but dated!, 15 Feb 2001
This was a textbook for the counselling course I just completed, so compulsory reading. Not the kind of book you'd pick up for a light read, but it *is* one I wish I'd read while my kids were still babies. Rayner takes the reader through all aspects of human development from birth to death. There were parts of this book which were fascinating, particularly the sections on early psychology and what can go wrong with the development and growth of self during the baby stages. I also read about behaviours I'd seen in my own (and everyone else's children!) and never really understood before. Where Rayner falls short (the book was written in the 60's) is in his assumptions about gender roles. I and many of my colleagues, found him very sexist and limited in his views on such things as working women, single parent families, and marriage. My views are still relatively consevative, so if yours are radical, this book could get you very angry! This is a good basic textbook, and would even make a good read for an interested parent, but be prepared for dated views alongside generally agreed truths about how we as people grow and mature.

Good for someone serious about dog behaviour, 05 Jul 2007
The Lindsay series are essential for anyone serious about understanding dog behaviour and training. However he does have a rather academic style of writing, and this is not an accessible or light read - more a reference book for courses.

Good, 06 Oct 2008
I'm pretty new to statistics and bought this book to help write up a 2 year research project.
It is actually easier to read than some of the other reviewers suggested. It is a little old-fashioned in its language (but what's wrong with that? I didn't want a book written by a teenager!!). The examples for the tests are enormously helpful and generally make the point succinctly.
It is reasonably detailed and comprehensive, but I do think one needs this kind of detail for understanding stats. I don't think there is much I would cut out of this book.
Overall I found it a good reference but it's actually pretty easy to read sequentially to try to understand the subject before undertaking analysis of ones own.
I also bought Primer of Biostatistics (Glantz) as recommended by one of the other reviewers but personally I haven't found that book so useful as Altman.

Another point of view, 21 Mar 2007
This book is often recommended to biologists and clinicians undertaking clinical research. Although it does contain pretty much everything you need to know in order to design and analyse a study, it is not the sort of book that is easy to read cover to cover. The language is heavy going and old fashioned.

For complete beginners, I would have to recommend Primer Of Biostatistics by Stanton A Glantz. By using rather zany examples from the planet Mars, the reader does not get bogged down in all the medical terminology, unlike the examples in Altman. And it is a book you can sit down anywhere (on the bus or tube) and continue where you left off.

To summarise: If you are a medical student who needs to pass a test in medical statistics, go for Glantz. If you are starting some research and have no knowledge of medical statistics, go for Glantz. If your budget allows, get Altman for reference (otherwise borrow it from your library, or someone who gave up trying to read it).

the title says it all, 15 Dec 1999
it is without doubt the best beginners guide to statistics in medical research. introduction and explanations are easy to read and follow. as someone new to research this book is never far from me.

Wonderful - practical, easy language, good advice, 24 Apr 1999
Altman addressess the questions and difficulties met in every-day practice of medical statistics in a clear, very practical style. Useful by those (eg clinicians) new to statistical analyses, and also to statisticians venturing into an area in which they've not been much before. As a single 'best' book for everyday analyses, this is it!

Excellent, 20 Apr 1999
An excellent textbook for non-statisticians undertaking medical research. Only criticims is it is a little thin on multivariate analysis and meta-analysis.

I wouldn't use this as my primary book, 27 May 2008
I felt the first few chapters were really geared towards newcomers to 2D/3D Maths and so every topic in the earlier chapters were covered very slowly and in detail. However, as I progressed through the chapters I noticed the authors had started accelerating through the topics at a quicker pace and I was left somewhat confused and so I had to research many of the topics from other resources.

One thing I really didn't like about the book was that the exercises were left to be done at the end of each chapter. The problem with this approach was that some chapters expanded across many pages packed with information you needed to know and thus, like a traditional maths book I would have liked to practice a few questions after each topic and not after a whole chapter.

Not sure who would find this useful, 21 Apr 2008
Sure the book starts off with really really simple maths, using 1d and 2d maths for a springboard. It slowly eases into vector and matrix maths, all described fairly run of the mill. So far so good.

Reading further on into geometric principles and intersections it becomes apparent that the author seems to have forgotten all about the first half of the book and is quickly rambling on using terms and symbols not previously referred to and thus will more than likely lose anyone without a mathematics degree.

Most of the articles here are locatable on the internet if you know how to use a search engine, and described in a much more user friendly way.

3D Maths for mathematicians, 21 Aug 2007
I bought this book thinking it would explain 3D maths to me, a programmer, but instead found it better suited to mathematicians who want to understand vectors and matrices.
There is virtually no pseudocode in the book, and only around 50 pages out of 400 cover 3D graphics in practice, and then in little depth.
The only people who will get anything from this book are people with a degree in Computer Science (and they will probably know 3D maths already).



Highly recommended, 28 Apr 2005
I love this book, and it has payed off very well for me.
The author has a remarkable skill to explain even the most difficult subjects in a way that everyone understands. For example, The Cartesian coordinate system is abstracted to a system of roads.
However, this simplification is not an issue for intermediate/advanced programmers or math students. All topics are provided with formulas and concise material; making this book good for everyone.
Topics covered (but not limited to) vectors, coordination systems, dot-product, cross-product, quaternions, matrices, Auler-angles, bsp-trees, screen projection, culling, bounding-boxes (and a load of other intersection tests).

Still I missed something. The author(s) also covers gourad shading, texture mapping and several other techniques, but they don't go into depth. Different lighting models were given a formula at best, which fortunately is good enough for me. Just don't expect the book to be API-specific or contain information about rendering methods.
The source code which came with the book compiled, but looks awful and very messy. The source code works very well as a reference, but it you are buying the book mainly for the code; don't. I hope they'll update their source code from the webpage soon.

Conclusion: This is a very good book to start with. It contains all the linear algebra math you'll need to start with 3D-programming, and is explained remarkably well. Yet the simplification is nevertheless no con for non-beginners, which will probably use this book as a reference laying on their desktop at all times :-)

Exceptionally good book, 25 Feb 2004
The authors of this book is a game programmer and a professor of Computer Science. This team is excellent!

The game programmer has alot of focus on making the material understandable, and the professor has focus on the mathematically correct semantics. Unlike other books, that teaches game programming (of which many have an author with his strength on either field), this book has the right blend of understandable text parred with the right mathematical semantics.

Furthermore the text is supported by code, so if you are shaky on some of the math, you can see the implementation in C++ code.

As a total math newbie, this book helped me alot, and today I understand totally and in detail what is going on in my 3D programming.

An ABSOLUTE MUST, if you want to learn 3D on top level.

Practically, permaculture heaven, 17 Dec 2004
This is a really inspiring book and a great starting point for those who want to care about the earth, more. This huge resource can be digested chapter by chapter or can be utilised when you want some specific recommendations (e.g. on soil type, shade loving perennials or shape of a pond). Patrick goes into practical details yet still maintains the integrity of caring for the whole (Earth)

Straight forward diagrams and clear mindmaps illustrate significant themes and ideas. Plus there are lots of uplifting case examples of permaculture designs put into practice. There is also a good list of resources and sources of what you may require in implementing your ideas.

If you want to move beyond grumbling about the worlds problems and want to become part of the solution, then this book can guide you step by step through the process. I can envisage this book being useful at many levels, national and local and on both broad and home scale projects. I strongly recommend this book.

Inspiring and Practical, 05 Oct 2004
This is a wonderful book, both inspiring and practical. It inspires those new to Permaculture into action, demonstrating that we can all make a real and important difference by reducing our personal "footprint" - our energy consumption, and by thinking environmentally about each decision we make. This book leads the reader back outside, into nature.
It is a must for anyone interested in growing their own food, natural building, nature, alternative energy, waste treatment,... On a practical level there are excellent case studies, excellent illustrations, details of crop varieties most suitable to our temperate climate, seasonal guidelines - for readers who have small gardens, large farms, window boxes, or communal gardens. For example, there is a wonderful diagram which leads a total novice to determine what type of soil they have by using a few simple tests.
For the more advanced Permaculturist, this Manual is a wonderful guide and reference book and a binding together of many ideas and priciples.
I could not recommend it highly enough. You will continually dip into it and find more and more excellent advice and techniques

Inspiring and Practical, 04 Oct 2004
This is a wonderful book, both inspiring and practical. It inspires those new to Permaculture into action, demonstrating that we can all make a real and important difference by reducing our personal "footprint" - our energy consumption, and by thinking environmentally about each decision we make. This book leads the reader back outside, into nature.
It is a must for anyone interested in growing their own food, natural building, nature, alternative energy, waste treatment,... On a practical level there are excellent case studies, details of crop varieties most suitable to our temperate climate, seasonal guidelines - for readers who have small gardens, large farms, window boxes, or communal gardens. For example, there is a wonderful diagram which leads a total novice to determine what type of soil they have by using a few simple tests.
For the more advanced Permaculturist, this Manual is a wonderful guide and reference book and a binding together of many ideas and priciples.
I could not recommend it highly enough. You will continually dip into it and find more and more excellent advice and techniques

Help Save Our Planet, 19 Sep 2004
Patrick Whitefield's new book The Earth Care Manual is a long-awaited, carefully researched guide to making a significant contribution to saving our planet. His style is wise and nuanced, almost conversational, but not fundamentalist. His approach is well balanced, and he frequently points out that the choices one makes must be unique to each situation. He offers a working method, tools, and an overview, to permit each indiviudual, with whatever land or space is at their disposal, to make a difference to local ecology. The book is clearly written, well presented and full of excellent case studies, references and resources. The scientific reasoning is clear and necessary, for the author urges the use of a scientific approach as opposed to a purely intuitive one. Ultimately this will attract more people to the ideas of permaculture and help it to enter mainstream planning practice. At the same time, Patrick Whitefield acknowledges the possibility of deep ecology and spirituality based upon an individual's deepening connection with nature and awareness of one's place in the complex web of life on earth.
This is a very important book of synthesis and vision which should be owned and read by everyone who truly wishes to make a contribution to improving the survival chances for life on this planet.

Dated, homophobic and filled with gender stereotypes., 24 Sep 2008
I was initially shocked at the levels of homophobia and gender stereotyping inherent in this book, but ended up laughing out loud at some very judgemental and moralistic passages on sex and relationships. I showed passages of this book to friends, who were also astounded that such a volume should be required reading for counselling students on courses in 2008, which is where I came across it.



Interesting but dated!, 15 Feb 2001
This was a textbook for the counselling course I just completed, so compulsory reading. Not the kind of book you'd pick up for a light read, but it *is* one I wish I'd read while my kids were still babies. Rayner takes the reader through all aspects of human development from birth to death. There were parts of this book which were fascinating, particularly the sections on early psychology and what can go wrong with the development and growth of self during the baby stages. I also read about behaviours I'd seen in my own (and everyone else's children!) and never really understood before. Where Rayner falls short (the book was written in the 60's) is in his assumptions about gender roles. I and many of my colleagues, found him very sexist and limited in his views on such things as working women, single parent families, and marriage. My views are still relatively consevative, so if yours are radical, this book could get you very angry! This is a good basic textbook, and would even make a good read for an interested parent, but be prepared for dated views alongside generally agreed truths about how we as people grow and mature.

Good for someone serious about dog behaviour, 05 Jul 2007
The Lindsay series are essential for anyone serious about understanding dog behaviour and training. However he does have a rather academic style of writing, and this is not an accessible or light read - more a reference book for courses.

Good, 06 Oct 2008
I'm pretty new to statistics and bought this book to help write up a 2 year research project.
It is actually easier to read than some of the other reviewers suggested. It is a little old-fashioned in its language (but what's wrong with that? I didn't want a book written by a teenager!!). The examples for the tests are enormously helpful and generally make the point succinctly.
It is reasonably detailed and comprehensive, but I do think one needs this kind of detail for understanding stats. I don't think there is much I would cut out of this book.
Overall I found it a good reference but it's actually pretty easy to read sequentially to try to understand the subject before undertaking analysis of ones own.
I also bought Primer of Biostatistics (Glantz) as recommended by one of the other reviewers but personally I haven't found that book so useful as Altman.

Another point of view, 21 Mar 2007
This book is often recommended to biologists and clinicians undertaking clinical research. Although it does contain pretty much everything you need to know in order to design and analyse a study, it is not the sort of book that is easy to read cover to cover. The language is heavy going and old fashioned.

For complete beginners, I would have to recommend Primer Of Biostatistics by Stanton A Glantz. By using rather zany examples from the planet Mars, the reader does not get bogged down in all the medical terminology, unlike the examples in Altman. And it is a book you can sit down anywhere (on the bus or tube) and continue where you left off.

To summarise: If you are a medical student who needs to pass a test in medical statistics, go for Glantz. If you are starting some research and have no knowledge of medical statistics, go for Glantz. If your budget allows, get Altman for reference (otherwise borrow it from your library, or someone who gave up trying to read it).

the title says it all, 15 Dec 1999
it is without doubt the best beginners guide to statistics in medical research. introduction and explanations are easy to read and follow. as someone new to research this book is never far from me.

Wonderful - practical, easy language, good advice, 24 Apr 1999
Altman addressess the questions and difficulties met in every-day practice of medical statistics in a clear, very practical style. Useful by those (eg clinicians) new to statistical analyses, and also to statisticians venturing into an area in which they've not been much before. As a single 'best' book for everyday analyses, this is it!

Excellent, 20 Apr 1999
An excellent textbook for non-statisticians undertaking medical research. Only criticims is it is a little thin on multivariate analysis and meta-analysis.

Why no colour photographs?, 20 Jun 2008
Suffers from the fact that all the pictorial representations of the slime moulds are drawings, and mostly in black and white. Makes it virtually impossible for the amateur to make positive identifications. Surely it can't be beyond the wit of man to get colour photographs of each species at different stages of development?

Ing's "The Myxomycetes of Britain and Ireland: An Identification Handbook", ridiculously expensive and said to be the definitive work on the myxomycetes, apparently as far as I can tell also contains drawings rather than photographs. We need a work with photographs!



Excellent - with 3 caveats, 19 Jan 1999
Overall I cannot find enough praise for the book. Clearly written, lavishly illustrated with exquisite line-drawings, and even the luxury of coloured plates! My three criticisms below can only be seen in the context of lavish praise which this volume richly deserves.

However...........

1. Chaper 6. Classification. Pages 70-71.

The classification diagram is fine. But it would have been very helpful to mention the class, division and kingdom in which myxomcetes belong. Thus enabling the reader to appreciate the place of Myxomycetes in the tree of all earthly life.

2. Chapter 6. Identification. Pages 72ff.

The novice's efforts to itentify a slime mould would be greatly assisted by taking one step back, before presenting the excellent dichotomous trees. We need an acid test to decide whether what is before our eyes is indeed a slime mould, and not e.g. a lichen, fungus, moss..... It is pointless to apply the dichotomous (how I love that word!) tests to something which is not in fact a slime mould at all!

2. Chapter 6. Descriptions (names). Pages 87ff.

As a matter of passionately held principle I object to the odious practice of adding discoveres' names to the scientific names of species. As the authors will be aware, there are strongs movement to put an end to this appalling habit which -

a. Detracts from the scientific objectivity of the naming scheme, by obtrusive name-dropping. Imagine the ridicule resulting from the spread of this practice to other sciences, where we might well stumble upon the ...

electron (Thompson) Milligan, neutron Chadwick neutrino (Yukawa) Dirac

b. Leads to such ugly and unfelicitous expressions as....

Trichia varia (Persoon) Persoon

.....surely a case of the tail wagging the dog!

c. Adds nothing to the intrinsic nature of the species. Presumably Physarella oblongata would still have existed, exactly as it now is, even if it had never been identified by (Berkley & Curtis) Morgan! Or indeed before any human beings evolved!

To avoid continual irritation I have typ-exed out all mention of discoverers' names in my copy of this otherwise splendid book!

I wouldn't use this as my primary book, 27 May 2008
I felt the first few chapters were really geared towards newcomers to 2D/3D Maths and so every topic in the earlier chapters were covered very slowly and in detail. However, as I progressed through the chapters I noticed the authors had started accelerating through the topics at a quicker pace and I was left somewhat confused and so I had to research many of the topics from other resources.

One thing I really didn't like about the book was that the exercises were left to be done at the end of each chapter. The problem with this approach was that some chapters expanded across many pages packed with information you needed to know and thus, like a traditional maths book I would have liked to practice a few questions after each topic and not after a whole chapter.

Not sure who would find this useful, 21 Apr 2008
Sure the book starts off with really really simple maths, using 1d and 2d maths for a springboard. It slowly eases into vector and matrix maths, all described fairly run of the mill. So far so good.

Reading further on into geometric principles and intersections it becomes apparent that the author seems to have forgotten all about the first half of the book and is quickly rambling on using terms and symbols not previously referred to and thus will more than likely lose anyone without a mathematics degree.

Most of the articles here are locatable on the internet if you know how to use a search engine, and described in a much more user friendly way.

3D Maths for mathematicians, 21 Aug 2007
I bought this book thinking it would explain 3D maths to me, a programmer, but instead found it better suited to mathematicians who want to understand vectors and matrices.
There is virtually no pseudocode in the book, and only around 50 pages out of 400 cover 3D graphics in practice, and then in little depth.
The only people who will get anything from this book are people with a degree in Computer Science (and they will probably know 3D maths already).



Highly recommended, 28 Apr 2005
I love this book, and it has payed off very well for me.
The author has a remarkable skill to explain even the most difficult subjects in a way that everyone understands. For example, The Cartesian coordinate system is abstracted to a system of roads.
However, this simplification is not an issue for intermediate/advanced programmers or math students. All topics are provided with formulas and concise material; making this book good for everyone.
Topics covered (but not limited to) vectors, coordination systems, dot-product, cross-product, quaternions, matrices, Auler-angles, bsp-trees, screen projection, culling, bounding-boxes (and a load of other intersection tests).

Still I missed something. The author(s) also covers gourad shading, texture mapping and several other techniques, but they don't go into depth. Different lighting models were given a formula at best, which fortunately is good enough for me. Just don't expect the book to be API-specific or contain information about rendering methods.
The source code which came with the book compiled, but looks awful and very messy. The source code works very well as a reference, but it you are buying the book mainly for the code; don't. I hope they'll update their source code from the webpage soon.

Conclusion: This is a very good book to start with. It contains all the linear algebra math you'll need to start with 3D-programming, and is explained remarkably well. Yet the simplification is nevertheless no con for non-beginners, which will probably use this book as a reference laying on their desktop at all times :-)

Exceptionally good book, 25 Feb 2004
The authors of this book is a game programmer and a professor of Computer Science. This team is excellent!

The game programmer has alot of focus on making the material understandable, and the professor has focus on the mathematically correct semantics. Unlike other books, that teaches game programming (of which many have an author with his strength on either field), this book has the right blend of understandable text parred with the right mathematical semantics.

Furthermore the text is supported by code, so if you are shaky on some of the math, you can see the implementation in C++ code.

As a total math newbie, this book helped me alot, and today I understand totally and in detail what is going on in my 3D programming.

An ABSOLUTE MUST, if you want to learn 3D on top level.

Practically, permaculture heaven, 17 Dec 2004
This is a really inspiring book and a great starting point for those who want to care about the earth, more. This huge resource can be digested chapter by chapter or can be utilised when you want some specific recommendations (e.g. on soil type, shade loving perennials or shape of a pond). Patrick goes into practical details yet still maintains the integrity of caring for the whole (Earth)

Straight forward diagrams and clear mindmaps illustrate significant themes and ideas. Plus there are lots of uplifting case examples of permaculture designs put into practice. There is also a good list of resources and sources of what you may require in implementing your ideas.

If you want to move beyond grumbling about the worlds problems and want to become part of the solution, then this book can guide you step by step through the process. I can envisage this book being useful at many levels, national and local and on both broad and home scale projects. I strongly recommend this book.

Inspiring and Practical, 05 Oct 2004
This is a wonderful book, both inspiring and practical. It inspires those new to Permaculture into action, demonstrating that we can all make a real and important difference by reducing our personal "footprint" - our energy consumption, and by thinking environmentally about each decision we make. This book leads the reader back outside, into nature.
It is a must for anyone interested in growing their own food, natural building, nature, alternative energy, waste treatment,... On a practical level there are excellent case studies, excellent illustrations, details of crop varieties most suitable to our temperate climate, seasonal guidelines - for readers who have small gardens, large farms, window boxes, or communal gardens. For example, there is a wonderful diagram which leads a total novice to determine what type of soil they have by using a few simple tests.
For the more advanced Permaculturist, this Manual is a wonderful guide and reference book and a binding together of many ideas and priciples.
I could not recommend it highly enough. You will continually dip into it and find more and more excellent advice and techniques

Inspiring and Practical, 04 Oct 2004
This is a wonderful book, both inspiring and practical. It inspires those new to Permaculture into action, demonstrating that we can all make a real and important difference by reducing our personal "footprint" - our energy consumption, and by thinking environmentally about each decision we make. This book leads the reader back outside, into nature.
It is a must for anyone interested in growing their own food, natural building, nature, alternative energy, waste treatment,... On a practical level there are excellent case studies, details of crop varieties most suitable to our temperate climate, seasonal guidelines - for readers who have small gardens, large farms, window boxes, or communal gardens. For example, there is a wonderful diagram which leads a total novice to determine what type of soil they have by using a few simple tests.
For the more advanced Permaculturist, this Manual is a wonderful guide and reference book and a binding together of many ideas and priciples.
I could not recommend it highly enough. You will continually dip into it and find more and more excellent advice and techniques

Help Save Our Planet, 19 Sep 2004
Patrick Whitefield's new book The Earth Care Manual is a long-awaited, carefully researched guide to making a significant contribution to saving our planet. His style is wise and nuanced, almost conversational, but not fundamentalist. His approach is well balanced, and he frequently points out that the choices one makes must be unique to each situation. He offers a working method, tools, and an overview, to permit each indiviudual, with whatever land or space is at their disposal, to make a difference to local ecology. The book is clearly written, well presented and full of excellent case studies, references and resources. The scientific reasoning is clear and necessary, for the author urges the use of a scientific approach as opposed to a purely intuitive one. Ultimately this will attract more people to the ideas of permaculture and help it to enter mainstream planning practice. At the same time, Patrick Whitefield acknowledges the possibility of deep ecology and spirituality based upon an individual's deepening connection with nature and awareness of one's place in the complex web of life on earth.
This is a very important book of synthesis and vision which should be owned and read by everyone who truly wishes to make a contribution to improving the survival chances for life on this planet.

Dated, homophobic and filled with gender stereotypes., 24 Sep 2008
I was initially shocked at the levels of homophobia and gender stereotyping inherent in this book, but ended up laughing out loud at some very judgemental and moralistic passages on sex and relationships. I showed passages of this book to friends, who were also astounded that such a volume should be required reading for counselling students on courses in 2008, which is where I came across it.



Interesting but dated!, 15 Feb 2001
This was a textbook for the counselling course I just completed, so compulsory reading. Not the kind of book you'd pick up for a light read, but it *is* one I wish I'd read while my kids were still babies. Rayner takes the reader through all aspects of human development from birth to death. There were parts of this book which were fascinating, particularly the sections on early psychology and what can go wrong with the development and growth of self during the baby stages. I also read about behaviours I'd seen in my own (and everyone else's children!) and never really understood before. Where Rayner falls short (the book was written in the 60's) is in his assumptions about gender roles. I and many of my colleagues, found him very sexist and limited in his views on such things as working women, single parent families, and marriage. My views are still relatively consevative, so if yours are radical, this book could get you very angry! This is a good basic textbook, and would even make a good read for an interested parent, but be prepared for dated views alongside generally agreed truths about how we as people grow and mature.

Good for someone serious about dog behaviour, 05 Jul 2007
The Lindsay series are essential for anyone serious about understanding dog behaviour and training. However he does have a rather academic style of writing, and this is not an accessible or light read - more a reference book for courses.

Good, 06 Oct 2008
I'm pretty new to statistics and bought this book to help write up a 2 year research project.
It is actually easier to read than some of the other reviewers suggested. It is a little old-fashioned in its language (but what's wrong with that? I didn't want a book written by a teenager!!). The examples for the tests are enormously helpful and generally make the point succinctly.
It is reasonably detailed and comprehensive, but I do think one needs this kind of detail for understanding stats. I don't think there is much I would cut out of this book.
Overall I found it a good reference but it's actually pretty easy to read sequentially to try to understand the subject before undertaking analysis of ones own.
I also bought Primer of Biostatistics (Glantz) as recommended by one of the other reviewers but personally I haven't found that book so useful as Altman.

Another point of view, 21 Mar 2007
This book is often recommended to biologists and clinicians undertaking clinical research. Although it does contain pretty much everything you need to know in order to design and analyse a study, it is not the sort of book that is easy to read cover to cover. The language is heavy going and old fashioned.

For complete beginners, I would have to recommend Primer Of Biostatistics by Stanton A Glantz. By using rather zany examples from the planet Mars, the reader does not get bogged down in all the medical terminology, unlike the examples in Altman. And it is a book you can sit down anywhere (on the bus or tube) and continue where you left off.

To summarise: If you are a medical student who needs to pass a test in medical statistics, go for Glantz. If you are starting some research and have no knowledge of medical statistics, go for Glantz. If your budget allows, get Altman for reference (otherwise borrow it from your library, or someone who gave up trying to read it).

the title says it all, 15 Dec 1999
it is without doubt the best beginners guide to statistics in medical research. introduction and explanations are easy to read and follow. as someone new to research this book is never far from me.

Wonderful - practical, easy language, good advice, 24 Apr 1999
Altman addressess the questions and difficulties met in every-day practice of medical statistics in a clear, very practical style. Useful by those (eg clinicians) new to statistical analyses, and also to statisticians venturing into an area in which they've not been much before. As a single 'best' book for everyday analyses, this is it!

Excellent, 20 Apr 1999
An excellent textbook for non-statisticians undertaking medical research. Only criticims is it is a little thin on multivariate analysis and meta-analysis.

Why no colour photographs?, 20 Jun 2008
Suffers from the fact that all the pictorial representations of the slime moulds are drawings, and mostly in black and white. Makes it virtually impossible for the amateur to make positive identifications. Surely it can't be beyond the wit of man to get colour photographs of each species at different stages of development?

Ing's "The Myxomycetes of Britain and Ireland: An Identification Handbook", ridiculously expensive and said to be th