Title: Digitisation Perspectives
Author: Ruth Rikowski
Year: 2010
Publisher: Sense Publishers

Review Summary: The book is a collection of different expert voices and perspectives on a wide variety of topics relating to the broad subject-matter of digitisation. However, it is more than a book on practical issues as it considers issues such as the digital divide and considers how western approaches to digitisation can and do impact on developing countries in Africa. However, this is a carefully and evenly edited work, highly thought-provoking, but one which never loses sight of the practicalities of digitisation.
Reviewer: Eric Jukes (Formerly of College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London)
Book Rating: 5/5

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Title: The Photoshop Elements 9 Book for Digital Photographers
Author: Scott Kelby and Matt Kloskowski
Year: 2010
Publisher: New Riders

Review Summary: A clearly illustrated book with good explanations of most of the commonly needed functions of the software.
Reviewer: Ian Smart (Shrewsbury College of Arts and Technology)
Book Rating: 4/5

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Title: Beginning PHP and MySQL: From Novice to Professional
Author: W. Jason Gilmore
Year: 2010
Publisher: APRESS

Review Summary: An excellent book that I intend to keep close from now on.
Reviewer: Leon Glass (Somerset College)
Book Rating: 5/5

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Title: Real World Adobe Photoshop CS5 for Photographers
Author: Conrad Chavez
Year: 2010
Publisher: Peachpit Press

Review Summary: This is, as the title suggests, a book on PhotoShop CS5 for photographers. In other words if you are wanting to produce embossed type, fractalised tree branches or 3D logos then you need to look elsewhere because this book is for photographers. It can answer questions such as how to efficiently process 500 images coming from a digital camera; setting up the computer for PhotoShop; colour settings; bringing out shadow details without blowing the highlights and how to neutralise colour casts. Plenty of coverage on Camera Raw and lots of technical stuff. Some knowledge of PhotoShop and photography at a professional level is desirable for readers of this book.
Reviewer: Eric Jukes (Retired conel)
Book Rating: 5/5

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Title: Spring Dynamic Modules in Action
Author: Arnaud Cogoluegnes, Thierry Templier & Andy Piper
Year: 2010
Publisher: Manning Publications

Review Summary: If you need to use OSGi, then this book will be invaluable.
Reviewer: Chris Morris (STFC)
Book Rating: 5/5

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Title: Flash + After Effects
Author: Chris Jackson
Year: 2010
Publisher: Focal Press

Review Summary: A very interesting and stimulating book which enables Adobe Flash CS5 designers to take their projects to the next level by using Flash in culmination with Adobe After Effects. Not for the complete beginner as the book assumes readers have prior Flash experience, knowledge of the Flash Workspace and an understanding of animation concepts and basic ActionScript.
Reviewer: Eric Jukes (Retired)
Book Rating: 5/5

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Title: Stunning CSS3: A Project-Based Guide to the Latest in CSS
Author: Zoe Mickley Gillenwater
Year: 2010
Publisher: New Riders

Review Summary: This is a book that shows how to produce some really stunning (as it says in the title) web pages using CSS3 which is the newest version of the style sheet language of the web. The book isn’t intended as an encyclopaedia or reference guide to CSS3 but it does teach the most popular, useful, and well-supported pieces of CSS3 through practical projects. Not a book for the complete beginner.
Reviewer: Eric Jukes
Book Rating: 4/5

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Title: JavaFX Developer's Guide
Author: Kim Topley
Year: 2010
Publisher: Addison Wesley

Review Summary: An excellent book that deals with the topic in great detail throughout. If you want to learn JavaFX it is all in this book.
Reviewer: Leon Glass (Somerset College )
Book Rating: 5/5

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Title: Pro ASP.NET MVC 2 Framework
Author: Steven Sanderson
Year: 2010
Publisher: APRESS

Review Summary: This book provides all of the information you need to develop ASP.NET MVC 2 applications, and would be a good choice as a textbook on such a course.
Reviewer: Bruce Scharlau (University of Aberdeen)
Book Rating: 5/5

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Title: Beyond Photoshop
Author: Derek Lea
Year: 2010
Publisher: Focal Press

Review Summary: This book is about using Photoshop in conjunction with other graphics packages, namely Adobe Illustrator, Poser, Painter, Cinema 4D and ZBrush to create sophisticated and high quality digital art. This book does not require the reader to have the latest version of all packages because it concentrates on the core features of each software package rather than the latest bells and whistles. Plenty of colour images and examples. Another fascinating and stimulating book from Focal Press.
Reviewer: Eric Jukes (Conel - Retired)
Book Rating: 5/5

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Title: Building a WordPress Blog People Want to Read
Author: Scott McNulty
Year: 2010
Publisher: Peachpit Press

Review Summary: It seems that almost everyone and their grandmother has a blog these days. One reason for this is that it is no longer necessary to be a nerd in order to create a blog as suitable free online software such as WordPress is available. The book is about building a WordPress blog that people want to read and that’s something a bit more than just building a blog. A well illustrated, stimulating, and interesting book.
Reviewer: Eric Jukes (Conel - (Retired))
Book Rating: 5/5

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Title: OpenGL SuperBible: Comprehensive Tutorial and Reference
Author: Richard S. Wright, Jr., Nicholas Haemel, Graham Sellers & Benjamin Lipchak
Year: 2010
Publisher: Addison Wesley

Review Summary: The first (mostly) successful book to demonstrate how to create 3D applications using the current OpenGL standard, avoiding deprecated functions.
Reviewer: Daniel Livingstone (University of the West of Scotland)
Book Rating: 4/5

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Title: Foundation Flash CS5 for Designers
Author: Tom Green & Tiago Dias
Year: 2010
Publisher: Friends of ED

Review Summary: This is a substantial book of 847 pages on Flash CS5. It is written and structured differently from many such books. Instead of having a common project running through the book the authors have asked a simple question of the reader “what do you need to know and why?” and each chapter contains a number of exercises to help you develop some “Flash chops” and there is a “your turn” section in each chapter. The book is suitable for beginners and the more experienced alike.
Reviewer: Eric Jukes (Independant Consultant)
Book Rating: 5/5

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Title: Building your portfolio: the CILIP guide
Author: Margaret Watson
Year: 2010
Review Summary: Update of the useful ‘how-to’ book aimed at those undertaking qualifications from the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals; its only downside is having to cover four different qualifications simultaneously.
Reviewer: Dr Katie Fraser (University of Leicester)
Book Rating: 4/5

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Title: Learn Java for Android Development
Author: Jeff Friesen
Year: 2010
Publisher: APRESS

Review Summary: A very good book indeed but don’t be fooled by the word Android in the title. If you want to learn Java this is a good book to use irrespective of progressing onto Android development.
Reviewer: Leon Glass (Somerset College )
Book Rating: 4/5

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Title: Programming Logic and Design
Author: Farrell, Joyce
Year: 2006
Publisher: Thomson Learning

Review Summary: Overall a good introductory computing book for pre-university/first-year level students - marked down for lack of bibliography/further reading.
Reviewer: Sam Pritchard (University of Southampton Alumni)
Book Rating: 4/5

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Title: Create Interactive Documents Using Adobe InDesign CS5
Author: Chris Converse
Year: 2010
Publisher: Peachpit Press

Review Summary: This is not a book but is over three hours of video training on taking designs on Adobe InDesign CS5 and producing advanced interactive experiences. By the end of the tutorial the user will have built a document which includes a global navigation bar, video with navigation points, and sequenced animations of pages which are Flash Player compatible.
Reviewer: Eric Jukes (Retired Asset & Information Systems Manager)
Book Rating: 4/5

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Title: Android in Action
Author: W. Frank Ableson, Robi Sen, and Chris King
Year: 2011
Publisher: Manning Publications

Review Summary: This book provides instruction on developing all aspects of applications on Android based mobile handsets, and is a good improvement on the first edition of the book.
Reviewer: Bruce Scharlau (University of Aberdeen)
Book Rating: 4/5

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Title: Adobe After Effects CS5 Visual Effects and Compositing Studio Techniques
Author: Mark Christiansen
Year: 2010
Publisher: Adobe

Review Summary: A book filled with real–world examples and insider techniques which will enable the reader to get the most out of Adobe After Effects CS5. The book covers colour correction, keying, selection methods, and motion tracking and teaches the reader the art behind creating effects which can be adapted and combined for numerous projects.
Reviewer: Eric Jukes (conel Retired)
Book Rating: 5/5

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Title: Visual C# 2010 Recipes
Author: Allen; Freeman, Adam; MacDonald, Matthew; Rajan, Rakesh Jones
Year: 2010
Publisher: Apress

Review Summary: An excellent reference book for the C# programming language.
Reviewer: Leon Glass (Somerset College)
Book Rating: 4/5

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