Product Description
A fabulous gemstone, The Heart of Volent, focuses the cosmic forces which shape the universe. But as chaos grows and a new Ice Age closes its grip on the world, the reader competes with a handful of desperate adventurers in the search for the gem. ... Read more

Product Description
With the emergence of multiplatform production systems and network-centric computing, the software industry has witnessed the resurgence of the virtual machine. Rather than committing to any single operating system, software engineers have embraced platform-neutral development tools and run-time environments. Virtual Machine Design and Implementation in C/C++ provides an in-depth look at the construction and underlying theory of a fully functional virtual machine and an entire suite of related development tools.

The book begins with a discussion of the theoretical underpinnings of the author's HEC virtual machine and its fundamental design goals, and continues with a section on the implementation of the virtual machine and its debugger. The final section focuses on the HEC assembler, including its interface to the native operating system, interrupts, the assembly language, and how to implement object-oriented constructs. There is also an extended discussion of porting the HEC virtual machine to other platforms. To assist in accomplishing this goal, the author offers a critical path analysis of the development process so that readers can build both their own virtual machine and an entire operating system.

The companion CD contains the source code for both the Win32 and Linux ports of the HEC distribution, including the HEC virtual machine, assembler, debugger, and associated development utilities. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

A good starting point
To the author's credit he has atleast shown the way to a VM design, even if the design has some problems. If a good enough programmer gets his or her hands on this book, they can build on it and take it to the next level with some effort. The book is not meant to teach C or C++ and that is not the intent of the book either. Consider the code accompanying the book as the first iteration of a VM that needs to be refined further.

Come on. Virtual Machine and C/C++?
This book is more about "actual" machine emulation. The so call virtual machine in the book is awfully close to a real machine. The idea of building a virtual machine is to have an higher lever of abstraction. Virtual machines are usually designed with a specific kind of programming language in mind. Virtual machines are designed so language designers can build their language on top of a higher level of abstraction. What's the point of building a VM that looks like x86?

I skim through the book, and didn't find any information that could be useful for the VM I was building. It talks a lot about how a real machine works and how to simulate it in software. The C/C++ code in the book is not that bad, but I guess we should expect a bit more from someone who wrote a book with C/C++ in the title. There are plenty of bad examples in the book that may mislead novice C++ developers.

worst technical book I ever bought
A vanity book that no decent publisher should print.
Material about the stated subject is so outdated to be laughable.
Otherwise filled with totally irrelevant, ill-informed, pretentious material. Mostly useless code listings.

Not good for learing the Java VM
I was very dissappointed that this book does not really cover anything more than basic topics that one could get (better and more thoroughly) from a standard computer textbook.

Examples:1) no discussion of how garbage collection works and tradeoffs [just a list], 2) no discussion about alternatives for coding the main instruction execution loop, 3) no discussion of how to implement a VM that is object aware [the subjects in chapter 8 talk about how to simulate objects in HEC - not at all the same thing], 4) no practical discussion on how to implement threading, locking, simultaneous access, etc. 5) no discussion about how to implement a VM with exception handling [again, there is talk about simulating it with HEC - again, not the same thing].

The discussion of multitasking exemplifies my problems with this book. Here are some quotes: "The bottom line is that I really didn't feel like I had a good way to implement multitasking at the virtual machine level. ... The only decision that seemed to make sense was to abandon simulated multitasking and design the HEC virtual machine to execute as a single-threaded task."

And with that, multithreading is dispatched without any help to the serious VM implementor. Similar dissmissive comments can be found regarding GUI, garbage collection, and stack machines.

I'm sorry, but I do not consider "it was too hard, so I decided not to," to be a valid excuse for an author.

Basically, the book is a discussion of a toy project invented by the author:the HEC. Unfortunately, the HEC is strictly 1980's technology.

Under no circumstance should you purchase this book to learn Java or the Java VM more thoroughly.

This is an odd book
It reads like the personal diaries of Bill Blunden as he endeavors to build the HEC virtual machine. The best aspect of this book is that Mr. Blunden has done a decent amount of investigations into the process of building a VM. He describes all of the components of his VM with abundant detail and clear writing. The HEC VM is more of a toy than a commercial VM, but its design is informative. Mr. Blunden also gets credit for included error handling in his code. Too many other books skip error handling "to save space". This book also happens to be one of the only VM books I've found that is not about the Java VM (which is a stack machine as opposed to a register machine like HEC).

Unfortunately there are several problems with the book. The biggest problem is confusion about its target audience. In many places the book appears to be written for totally inexperienced developers while at other times it assumes a decent amount of existing knowledge. For example, the book describes that disk access is slower than RAM access, what a debugger does, provides lots of details and code examples of simple data structures like dynamic arrays, etc. At the same time the book assumes good working knowledge of the C, C++, and Java languages, an understanding of file I/O, and other concepts. How many developers know C/C++ and Java but don't know what a debugger is for?

The next problem with the book is the actual code. It has many security problems such as unsafe strcpy and scanf usage, too many unnecessary preprocessor macros (created for unconditional code blocks that are only used once), and strange C style C++ code (classes that are passed their own data members).

The final issue is the book's personal diary style. Some people may enjoy this, but I did not. The book is filled with little sections labeled "Rant" where Mr. Blunden goes off on something. In a strange section about the future of computers he comes up with this: "Imagine how a government could use this kind of tool to repress its citizens by instituting behavior modification on a national scale." And what does this have to do with building a VM? If I wanted a novel I'd buy one (or write one in an Amazon review :)

If you are a C/C++ developer and want details about building a VM, this book gets very slow and you will end up skipping 30 to 60 percent. If you are an inexperienced developer, however, the example code may be over your head. In the end, I'd say this book is best suited for new developers (or even non-developers) who want background information about computers and virtual machines, but don't care about using the example code. The book would be a 3 to 3.5 star for someone like that. ... Read more

Product Description
"This well-written, erudite romp through several intellectual traditionsis reminiscent of Douglas Hofstader's Gödel, Escher, Bach." -- JimGasperini, Wired

"A delight to read, Digital Mantras is itself written in a musical style. . . so that the total effect is that of a highly structured,self-referential experience of learning and intelligence, like a Bachfugue." -- The Bloomsbury Review

Computer technology is making possible new worlds of expression that arealready being explored by a growing subculture of artists, musicians,virtual reality enthusiasts, and cyberpunks. In Digital Mantras, StevenHoltzman synthesizes ideas from a number of different disciplines toarrive at a new philosophy of creativity for the digital age. Blendingideas from music, computing, art, and philosophy, with biographical andhistorical anecdotes and a thread of mysticism, Holtzman gives us newways to think about the integration of computers into the creativeprocess. He shows how computers will change the way we create, andreveals the exciting potential for entirely new forms of expression.Running throughout the book are episodes from Holtzman's own sometimesmystical journey in search of the personal aesthetic he presents.Holtzman explores the presence and use of structure in fields as diverseas the development of ancient human languages, the philosophy of theBuddhist monk Nagarjuna and the linguist Ferdinand de Saussure, themusic of Arnold Schoenberg and Anton Webern, the paintings of WassilyKandinsky, and the pioneering grammars of Panini and Noam Chomsky. Hethen turns to the use of computers for building abstract and virtualworlds in language, music, and art as well as virtual reality, andsurveys the work of AI pioneer Terry Winograd, composers GottfriedMichael Koenig and Iannis Xenakis, and artist Harold Cohen. Holtzmanconcludes by discussing the aesthetic implications of these new worlds.He introduces the concept of digital expression, along with examplesthat hint at its far-reaching possibilities.Amazon.com Review
A fascinating commentary on the integration of computersinto the creative process.Drawing examples from the history of theuse of structure in fields as diverse as the development of ancientlanguages, the philosophy of a Buddhist monk, thelinguist Ferdinand de Saussure, the music of Arnold Schoenberg, andthe grammar of Noam Chomsky, in conjunction with examples of the implementation ofcomputers in recent creative work in language, music, art, and virtualreality, Holtzman presents a new philosophy of creativity in thedigital age. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

stimulating overview
This beautifully written book offers interesting sections into the history of algorithmic thinking in the arts, and builds a concept of the computer use in art thereon, embedded in a context of indian mythology. It is the best book combining music and visual arts in this respect that I have read so far and its concepts willcertainly and hopefully be quite influential on the producers of new media work. Musicians might find the chapter on serial music a little superficial, as visual artists might perceive the one on Kandinsky's work, and I am not so sure whether I agree with the author's personal "unified theory" presented in the last chapters of the book, but the strength lies in the combination, and if you are looking for a general introduction, it is a stimulating overview that serves as a great starting point for further studies. In comparison to Hofstaedters "Goedel, Escher, Bach" this one feels more relaxed and undogmatic and stays with topics of abstract language and generative grammars, instead of trying to hammer a cynical anti-spiritual pseudo-religion into your brain.

It will broaden the horizon on all artists & technologists
What do musicians, artists, linguists, Buddhist monks, and computers have in common?This book takles this broad scope with some very interesting revelations.The author has a Ph.D. in computer science and anundergraduate degree in eastern & western philosophy.Thus, the titleand the Buddhist angle.

This books reads easily and is very entertaining. Coming from an engineering background, I appreciated the author'sstructured writing style.That is, he does not meander or get flowery withhis words.He states his facts, makes his points, and moves on.Thereader does not get overwelmed with too much detail or historical data, butan extensive bibliography is available for the curious.The plenitude ofcharts and illustrations is helpful and at times a necessity.

In thebeginning of the book the author keeps each subject separate: one chapterdedicated to linguistics, another chapter to abstract art, etc.Slowly hebegins to reveal how all these areas mesh, which left me anticipating aclimatic revelation that would tie it all together.However, I found theconclusion to be somewhat anti-climatic involving the future of virtualreality and the author's own eastern religious beliefs.

If you are amusician, artist, linquists, or work with computers and you have everwondered why you think the way you think, definitely read this book.Itwill open your eyes and broaden your horizons immensly.Caution:if youare looking for "how to" information, technical details, orreferences to the latest/greatest equipment, it's not what this book isabout. ... Read more

Product Description
3D Virtual Applications: Applications with Virtual Inhabited 3D Worlds deals with the use of virtual inhabited 3D spaces in different domains of society. (Other volumes deal with interaction, production methodology and space.) From focusing on virtual reality (a reality into which users and objects from the real world should be moved) we are increasingly focusing on augmented reality (i.e. on moving computers out into the reality of real users, objects and activities). This book deals with the use of virtual inhabited 3D spaces in both contexts. Based on the structuring of the application domains, this book looks at the use of VR and augmented reality in the following major application domains:- * Production oriented applications - user of VR and augmented reality for control of complex production plants, for navigation support (ships, cars, aeroplanes) and for support of collaborative work processes * Communication support applications - virtual spaces are used for supporting communication in learning environments and for support of organisational communication. Also virtual spaces are used for supporting the navigation of people in public spaces, i.e. as maps, planning tools * Scientific applications - use of 3D models for medical research; use of dynamic models for representation of abstract concepts and ideas (data-mining applications); use of dynamic 3D models for simulating biological or social processes * Artistic and cultural applications - the construction of stages representing concepts and/or emotions ... Read more

Product Description
Apocalyptic AI, the hope that we might one day upload our minds into machines or cyberspace and live forever, is a surprisingly wide-spread and influential idea, affecting everything from the world view of online gamers to government research funding and philosophical thought. In Apocalyptic AI, Robert Geraci offers the first serious account of this "cyber-theology" and the people who promote it.

Drawing on interviews with roboticists and AI researchers and with devotees of the online game Second Life, among others, Geraci illuminates the ideas of such advocates of Apocalyptic AI as Hans Moravec and Ray Kurzweil. He reveals that the rhetoric of Apocalyptic AI is strikingly similar to that of the apocalyptic traditions of Judaism and Christianity. In both systems, the believer is trapped in a dualistic universe and expects a resolution in which he or she will be translated to a transcendent new world and live forever in a glorified new body. Equally important, Geraci shows how this worldview shapes our culture. For instance, Apocalyptic AI has influenced funding agencies such as the National Science Foundation, helping to prioritize robotics and AI research. It has become the ideology of choice for online gamers, such as those involved in Second Life; it has had a profound impact on the study of the mind; and it has inspired scientists and theologians alike to wonder about the super robots of the future. Should we think of robots as persons? What kind of morality would intelligent robots espouse?

Apocalyptic AI has become a powerful force in modern culture. In this superb volume, Robert Geraci shines a light on this belief system, revealing what it is and how it is changing society. ... Read more

Product Description
Virtual Culture marks a significant intervention in the current debate about access and control in cybersociety exposing the ways in which the Internet and other computer-mediated communication technologies are being used by disadvantaged and marginal groups - such as gay men, women, fan communities and the homeless - for social and political change.

The contributors to this book apply a range of theoretical perspecitves derived from communication studies, sociology and anthropology to demonstrate the theoretical and practical possibilities for cybersociety as an identity-structured space.

Virtual Culture will be required reading for all students of communcation, media and technology.

Customer Reviews (1)

Is the Persona a defense or a culprit?
This book is essential to understand the concept of persona in cybersociety. It is based on many articles that take examples of exchanges among people on one chat or in one forum, and how these exchanges can be effective as for changing the points of view of the cybernauts, to elaborate a common interest among the participants of the site who may have come together haphazardly or out of mere chance. It also shows how arguments can be effective on others and even push some negative topics into some straits, such as racist points of view that are confronted to arguments the standard racist paticipants have little chance to get across in real society, due to the ghettoisation of ideological groups. This book also shows how one gets onto the Internet, into these forums and chats by deciding on what personae they want to have, persona that may have little to do with the real selves of the persons behind : a male becomes a female, etc. This leads to a serious discussion of crime in such an environment. A crime is the result of the non-respect of a rule set by the webmasters of the site. But it cannot be dealt with as if it were the same « crime » in society. Hence a sexual crime in such an environment has little to do with the same sexual crime in society because it is a virtual crime, a crime that has no reality, no real direct consequences. Anyone can anyway protect themselves against such « agressions » by the personae they choose (some kind of shield that keeps the anonymity of the individuals), and by always being able to log-off, get out of the site. So what is a proper punishment for such « virtual crimes » ? The question is at least extremely complex and such crimes cannot be dealt with by normal courts. So what procedures and what « courts » can exist on the Internet. Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, Paris Universities II and IX. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume explores the theoretical, design, learning, and methodological questions relevant to designing for and researching web-based communities to support the learning process. Coming from diverse academic backgrounds, the authors examine what we do and do not know about the processes and practices of designing communities to support educational processes. Taken as a collection, the chapters point to the challenges and complex tensions that emerge when designing for a web-supported community, especially when the focal practice of the community is learning. ... Read more

Product Description
A life-threatening virus which only affects adults has broken out, and teens Kelly and Tim are the only ones smart enough to find a cure. The catch--it's hidden in virtual reality and can only be retrieved by responding correctly to the program's biblically-based questions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Race Against Time
This is a great book which I would reccomend to anyone!The Plot is firm, the Characters have depth, and the scenes are amazing.When Tim Craft and his sister Kelly are invited to go with their uncle on a secret assignment, they are exited, but excitement soon turns to terror as the siblings find themselves the last people standing after a virus takes out everyone else.Will the kids find the cure before it's too late, or will they die searching for it in virtual reality?Find out for yourself in RACE AGAINST TIME164 pg. ... Read more

Product Description
Virtual Assistants work from home, providing everything from administrative support to high-end consulting via email, phone and fax. Predicted to be a $130 billion industry by 2008, they don't commute, they set their own hours, and they get to spend time with their kids.

Based on the highly-successful Virtual Assistant training programs Chris Durst and Michael Haaren developed for the US Armed Forces and the US Department of State, The 2-Second Commute: Join the Exploding Ranks of Freelance Virtual Assistants brings you the knowledge without the classroom!

Training program participants have billed over $30 MILLION since our training programs started in 2002. Now YOU can learn from Chris & Mike, too, and start your own successful VA business! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (72)

An excellent resource
I was very pleased with the information I received in this book. It was very resourceful and had everything I needed to help me get started in my home based business as a VA. I recommend this for anyone who wishes to start out on their own in this profession or any other! A great read!

OK
This book was ok.I expected more sample letters, business cards templates and an actual plan or timeline as a guide.Also focuses more on military housseholds.It does provide good reasoning for businesses to use VA's and lists all the possible businesses that might utilize a virtual assistant.

Trade your time, knowledge, and advice for $ by working as a virtual assistant; or online teacher, coach, or consultant.

I loved this book. I spotted it while purusing the shelves in the business section at Barnes and Noble the other day. When I opened it up and skimmed the Table of Contents I found starting an online virtual assistance company requires the same skills and talents as starting an online coaching, teaching, or consulting practice. Even though at the time of my writing this review there are already 69 reviews posted for this book, I am writing this review because none of the reviews point out that this is wonderful book for anybody who wants to offer a service via the Internet. Sure, you can offer your services as a virtual assistant. But the advice offered in this book applies equally to people who offer their services through a Web site and email and provide coaching, teaching, and/or consulting pointers and advice. And providing these other services online will probably take just as much time as providing virtual assistance services, but pay a whole lot more.

I found this book to be well outlined and well written. It will definitely be a worthwhile tome to add to your library as you investigate and research the business plan you need to write in order to start your freelance operation regarding services you plan to sell online. So read this book with an open mind and do NOT limit you thoughts to just becoming a virtual assistant. There are all kinds of opportunities today to work from home in your PJs providing so many different kinds of services via the Internet. Forget about commuting. Forget about getting dressed up or maintaining a healthy wardrobe. Just worry about being expert at something and selling your time, knowledge and advice. 5 stars!

Other books I highly recommend you consider reading along with this book include:

>>Riches in Niches (EasyRead Large Bold Edition): How to Make It BIG in a Small Market
>>Start Your Own Information Marketing Business (Start Your Own...)
>>Entrepreneur Magazine's Start Your Own e-Learning Business (The Startup Series)
>>Start Your Own Coaching Business (Start Your Own...)
>>Four Steps To Building A Profitable Coaching Practice: A Complete Marketing Resource Guide for Coaches
>>Web Business Success: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Web Sites That Work
>>The Web-Savvy Writer: Book Promotion with a High-Tech Twist, Second Edition
>>Coaching Millions: Help More People, Make More Money, Live Your Ultimate Lifestyle

Must-Have Resource!
This book had tons of useful information, written in a way that kept me wanting to turn the page.I will certainly keep this book for future reference -- I've dog-eared, highlighted, used post-its -- on so many useful topics.

The Perfect "Start-up Manual" for Virtual Assistants!
After having worked in the administrative support field for over 20 years, the entrepreneur in me was longing to get out. I figured with my skill set and having managed other administrative personnel, becoming Virtual Assistant (VA) would be a great way to start my own business on a part-time basis and, a perfect way to supplement my current income. I began browsing a number of VA and work-at-home websites to try to find out more about how to start my own practice. While the websites were helpful, I had yet to find a site that really got into the nuts and bolts of how to start your own business without having to pay for an expensive training course.

Then I stumbled upon a website called the Rat Race Rebellion. This is a great website packed with TONS of information and resources. That's where I first saw a link to The 2-Second Commute, written by Christine Durst and Michael Harren. I ordered the book from Amazon and was immediately impressed with the structure of the book which is straight forward and very well organized. This book is a "must have" for every aspiring Virtual Assistant!!

Durst and Harren do a magnificent job of explaining what a VA is (and isn't), how to build a successful VA practice brick-by-brick and how to navigate the work-life-balance of working from home. The assessment tools and resources alone are worth the books weight in gold. If you are an administrative professional who is thinking about starting your own VA practice, The 2-Second Commute is the perfect start-up manual. ... Read more

Product Description
"[Celia Pearce's] background as a games designer is evident in the way she respectfully engages readers in clear, vivid prose structured in an original and—can we say it?—entertaining way. From its thoughtful analyses of play and community to its authoritative contextualization of games and virtual worlds, this book repays study on many levels. Enjoy!"
—from the foreword by Bonnie Nardi

Play communities existed long before massively multiplayer online games; they have ranged from bridge clubs to sports leagues, from tabletop role-playing games to Civil War reenactments. With the emergence of digital networks, however, new varieties of adult play communities have appeared, most notably within online games and virtual worlds. Players in these networked worlds sometimes develop a sense of community that transcends the game itself. In Communities of Play, game researcher and designer Celia Pearce explores emergent fan cultures in networked digital worlds—actions by players that do not coincide with the intentions of the game’s designers.

Pearce looks in particular at the Uru Diaspora—a group of players whose game, Uru: Ages Beyond Myst, closed. These players (primarily baby boomers) immigrated into other worlds, self-identifying as "refugees"; relocated in There.com, they created a hybrid culture integrating aspects of their old world. Ostracized at first, they became community leaders. Pearce analyzes the properties of virtual worlds and looks at the ways design affects emergent behavior. She discusses the methodologies for studying online games, including a personal account of the sometimes messy process of ethnography.

Pearce considers the "play turn" in culture and the advent of a participatory global playground enabled by networked digital games every bit as communal as the global village Marshall McLuhan saw united by television. Countering the ludological definition of play as unproductive and pointing to the long history of pre-digital play practices, Pearce argues that play can be a prelude to creativity. ... Read more

Product Description
"Why is he sneaking around in Virtual Reality at, what? Midnight? The kid's hooked." Helbert laughed. Kelly and her parents aren't the only ones who notice that Tim is putting VR before eveything else. There's someone else who's noticed--and he has a plan that will use Tim's obsession with VR to see that his own plan succeeds.

In a series of high-tech adventures in a computer-generated world, Tim and Kelly Craft find themselves caught in a battle between good and evil. The outcome depends on who they trust and the choices they make in Virtual Reality ... Read more

Product Description
At a holographic "old timer's" baseball game, Matt Hunter and several other Net Force Explorers are thrilled to see Babe Ruth swing for the fences. But when Ruth does his famous routine of pointing to the stands, four people dressed in 30's-style outfits stand up and open fire with Tommy guns! Even virtual bullets can kill you. Matt and his friends know that these "virtual vandals" must be stopped. But the stadium stunt is just the beginning. And even the teens of the Net Force might not be able to stop them next time!. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

Virtual Reality
Tom Clancy's Virtual Vandals is a great book in an exciting series with lots of action in this future based military story. This book is about Matt Hunter, the main character, with his friends David Grey and Leif Anderson which are teenaged kids who can figure out computers better than their adult counterparts. Matt Hunter and his friends go to a baseball game when the vandals come and light the stadium up with their virtual proxy's Tommy guns. It takes Matt many clues to figure out all their identities when he uncovers the mastermind behind it all.
This book's got it all action, drama, suspense and pieces of comedy here and there. The Theme is Don't give up to me because the characters keep going even after they think it's hopeless. This book should be read from ages 10 and up.
Read it for yourself it's a great book that you are going to love.

Top Notch Book
Tom Clancy's book, Virtual Vandals, is one of the best. Matt Hunter is a young Net Force Explorer. When he and his friends, some in holo form, attend a virtual baseball game in Carmen Yards in the year 2025, they find themselves under fire! A group of 1930's gangster style holo's has appeared and are shooting at the holo's with virtual Tommy guns! This book is amazing. I found myself staying up late into the early hours of the mourning just to read Tom Clancy's Virtual Vandals. I really couldn't put it down! This book is a must read.

A good read for young science-fiction fans
Matt Hunter, an enthusiastic Net Force Explorer, and his friends are sitting in the stadium of Camden Yards watching a holographic baseball game. There are only a few people who are physically present at Camden Yards, because most spectators have bought a virtual seat and are watching the game from their home, while at the same time being represented as holographic images at the stadium. Suddenly four virtual viewers stand up from their seats and start firing at the audience with machine guns. One of Matt's friends is hit by a holographic bullet and struggles for his life. Matt starts to wonder how it is possible that people can get hurt by virtual bullets. With the help of the Net Force Explorer team he starts his investigations and soon reveals something that is much bigger than what that vandal's prank might seem at first sight.

Virtual Vandals is a decent and well-written science-fiction story that will definitely serve as an enjoyable read for many youngsters. The main theme is virtual reality, but as opposed to another Net Force book titled The Deadliest Game, this time the storyline is not entirely submerged into a virtual world. Typically of a virtual world is that everything can happen and nothing needs to be explainable. The authors have not stepped into this trap and have kept the suspense into the 'real' world, which is in my opinion the better choice. The story contains a few twists that might not all be as convincing, but they keep up the pace so that Virtual Vandals can be called a real page-turner.

Interesting YA Novel for Computer Geniuses
The year is 2025, and computers rule the world. Which is why the Net Force was formed. To protect the United States of America from all online criminal activity. But there is also a group of teenage computer geniuses who sometimes know more than adults, who are known as the Net Force Explorers.

While watching a holographic "old-timers" baseball game, Net Force Explorer Matt Hunter, and several of his Net Force Explorer friends are filled with excitement at seeing the legendary Babe Ruth come up to bat, but while doing his well-known routine of pointing to the stands, a group of four people dressed in outfits from the 30's, stand up and open fire on the entire stadium with Tommy guns. Everyone knows that virtual bullets can kill you, and Matt and his Net Force Explorer friends know that this group of vandals must be stopped. But the stadium shoot-out is just the beginning. Now Matt and his friends are worried that perhaps even the legenday Net Force Explorers will be unable to stop them next time.

I found that the first installment of TOM CLANCY'S NET FORCE was both intriguing and interesting. The fact that VITUAL VANDALS takes place in the year 2025 will gain fans from the futuristic and science fiction fans, and all of the talk about the Internet and computers will intrigue the so-called computer geniuses of the world. The characters are intelligent, and computer-savvy, who embark on numerous adventures throughout the novel, and will have the reader rooting for them from the very first page until the very last page. A must-have.

Erika Sorocco

Virtual Vandals is a great book!!!
Virtual Vandals is a great book! This book is a great thrill ride that will keep you an the edge of your seat. Virtural Vandals has plenty of mystery that will keep you guessing with its twists and turns. Your main character through this ride is Matt Hunter. He lives in a world where our present day computers are obsolete. Your computercan send you zipping through cyber space with a single voice command. The book starts off with our main character Matt and his friends watching a virtual baseball game when some people in the croud start ripping rounds and spraying everything with bullets. After this incident Matt sets of in search forthe virtual vandals that had hurt his friend Leif.If you enjoyed my review I would strongly recomend this book. ... Read more

Product Description

Team Building and Leadership Coaching with Virtual Worlds
New collaborative technologies to keep your company competitive, productive, and efficient

With the business landscape changing every day, companies need training solutions that are not only cost-efficient, but engaging, quantifiable and global. Learn how virtual worlds can help you create training and recruitment programs that attract quality talent, build great teams, and connect a global workforce - all for less than your current training budget. Training and Collaboration with Virtual Worlds walks you through the available technologies, helps you match virtual tools to your organizational needs,and shows why these programs have already taken off at leading companies.

Learn why leading companies like IBM, TMP Worldwide, Michelin, Intel, Microsoft and others are going virtual:

• Revitalize recruitment and new hire orientation to improve employee quality, productivity and retention
• Conduct worldwide training in real time, minimizing costs and time
• Reduce travel while efficiently managing geographically dispersed teams
• Break down dangerous or complex training procedures into manageable simulations

Experts agree that within five years, the 3D Internet will become as important to companies as the Web is today.Training and Collaboration with Virtual Worlds will put your company ahead of that curve - with great results.

Access the latest information and resources on www.TheVirtualWorldsBook.com ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

3-D virtual worlds are a key to the future - and this tells how they operate
Training and Collaboration with Virtual Worlds tells how to use the internet and virtual worlds within it to keep a company competitive and productive. Virtual worlds can help create training and recruitment programs that build superior teams - and this discusses all available technologies and how to use these technologies in a business setting. 3-D virtual worlds are a key to the future - and this tells how they operate.

Solid Information from Team of Heiphetz and Woodill on Virtual World Use
I work virtually, full-time, with multiple clients who frequently exceed anything resembling the normal 40-hour work week. Most of that time is spent in a virtual environment called Second Life where I am the Community Manager for a program called Metanomics ([...]) and the Director of The Epoch Institute. Epoch is engaged in supporting the community's use of the Virtual World platform through education and facilitation of events and presentations. Metanomics is broadcast weekly and hosted by Robert Bloomfield, the Nicholas H. Noyes Professor of Management and Professor of Accounting at the Cornell University Johnson Graduate School of Management. The Metanomics Community is composed of many business and education professionals, most of whom are creating innovative applications and programs. We are all very excited about the opportunities which exist here, and the publication of "Training and Collaboration with Virtual Worlds" is a most welcome event. This is an excellent, balanced discussion of virtual environment use for training programs and discusses the results which are possible for both standard training and complex, challenging programs which may well have proven very difficult if not impossible to implement otherwise.

The authors make excellent use of current research on learning but also present case studies from heavy-hitters, Microsoft, Intel, IBM and the World Bank, all of whom have been extremely pleased with the results of their virtual forays. Medical training with the University of Kansas is discussed as well as forecasts regarding how participation in Virtual Worlds will change business and education. The chapter co-authored by the lead on the Michelin project is particularly riveting, dealing with a global IS employee group, and a difficult, unpopular training on the firm's Enterprise Architecture. Participants gave the Second Life training a 98% approval rating, proposed that it be extended to other topics, and "User acceptance did not vary according to background or culture"(p.112.)

There are now many books on this topic, but this is very readable, well researched and makes a compelling case for this remarkable place called Virtual Reality, yet it also clearly reflects the author's extensive experience with the platform and the needs of new and veteran users. Those of us working there currently realize that it can be hard to imagine how an immersive environment can work for such projects, and that often conviction comes only from personal participation. But this book is now my top choice to recommend for those interested in this window on the future called the Immersive Internet. Read it, allow the authors to help you temper your skepticism and come see what is both possible and engaging learners now. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Learned something new
As an advocate for virtual schooling options in Maryland I found this guide inspiring,Authors Kanna and Gillis offer the reader an open-minded perspective on increasing school options available with current technology. This guide presents solid factual information on a relatively unrecognized education option in an easy to read format. Parents who are looking for alternate education forms for their children which optimize individual strengths, weaknesses and interests will be delighted to discover the unleashed potential offered by virtual education. There is no other book on the market that offers such a comprehensive view of virtual schooling.

Amy Sparks
VP Emerging Minds of Maryland



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Product Description
Targeted for revenge, Tim and Kelly are the President's only hope for rescue, if they can make it through.Before, they seemed to have a powerful friend. Now it looked like they had a powerful enemy too. The last thing they needed was an enemy in here. Tim and Kelly find that Virtual Reality isn't behaving quite as it should. Unusual things keep happening, unusual even for VR. Will those strange events continue to work in their favor?

In a series fo high-tech adventures in a computer-generated world, Tim and Kelly Craft find themselves caught in a battle between good and evil. The outcome depends on who they trust and the choices they make in Virtual Reality. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

I liked the whole series.
I liked this book because it had action and adventure but it could realy happen. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is the first comprehensive review of Virtual Reality treatment for anxiety disorders that is written specifically for clinicians. It contains protocols for treatment with the audience of clinicians in mind. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Virtual Therapy
A comprehensive review a promising and rapidly expanding treatment for emotional disorders. It serves as a start for a more up to date review. The theory seems somewhat dated and needs a new edition.

Virtual Reality Advances Science
As a masters student studying international law, I never thought that virtual reality, cognitive therapy, or anxiety disorders would ever be of interest to me.Once I decided to write my dissertation on Legal & Social Aspects of International Peacekeeping Forces, I focused on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and issues relating to psychiatric disorders and effects that were problematic for peacekeeping forces post-deployment.I stumbled upon this book, searching for PTSD resources, and the idea sparked my interest.The book, written by a husband and wife team (a physician and a psychologist), shows the impact of anxiety disorders, what the current treatments are, and how virtual reality can massively improve such symptoms.I was shocked at the idea, but after reading this book (which is interesting, informative, and written in a way to which a non-medical individual can relate) I was sold.Virtual reality (I focused mostly on the PTSD studies) has the ability to take an individual who suffers from PTSD and slowly recreate the incident that causes them PTSD symptoms, providing an efficient, individually paced, and easily duplicated method of cognitive-behavioral therapy in order to "relive" the incident to better manage symptoms of PTSD.This book shows a multitude of various areas to which virtual reality has improved science (e.g. anxiety disorders, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobias), which intrigues me, a person who has never studied psychology or any sort of medical science.I would recommend this book to anyone, medical minded or not, who has, in any way, a fear or phobia as well as an interest in the future of science.

Brilliant book on a virtually unknown topic
As a psychologist specialising in treating anxiety, I found this book fascinating. It walks you through how to treat each type of anxiety disorder eg PTSD, driving phobia, phobias like heights and spiders etc. It is very thorough in describing how long a person should be exposed to the virtual reality environment, how to test if a person is truly appropriate for this type of treatment, and what to expect from the treatment. It also gives advice on what to do if things don't go to plan. I found this honesty very refreshing as most people will try and sell their new found item as the holy grail and tend to overlook drawbacks with their new form of therapy.
The only criticism I would have is that the book makes out that virtual reality is relatively cheap to get a basic system going. It also has a list of dealers from which you can buy from. Of this list of 12 or more dealers, only 2 are still in business. As for it being cheap, think again. I personally believe that unless you have some serious money to spend, then you are not even going to get a look in. Give it a few years and I think that VR technology will have caught up and be able to provide therapists with a much cheaper therapy tool.
So why buy this book then? I found that the book allows you to look at therapy in a completely different way, open your eyes to new possibilities. I have used VR and it is brilliant and does indeed work. It is brilliant for height phobics and people scared of flying. VR is a new and revolutionary form of treatment for anxiety offering amazing potential that would be rapid and cost effective (once the equipment is purchased). If you are an entrepreanaur, VR could be an area to look into.
The authors have done a brilliant job researching and writing this book.
Anthony Gunn
psychologist and author of Fear Is Power: Turn Your Fears Into Success
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Product Description
This exciting "virtual" tour gives readers a startlingly real sense of how significant archaeological sites around the world once looked. Contributions by a team of archaeologists describe sites ranging from Giza, Troy, Abu Simbel to ancient Japan and pre-Inca Peru. 660 color illustrations.Amazon.com Review
Cyberculture meets ancient culture in Forte and Siliotti's"atlas of archaeological models." Using computerreconstructions of many of the world's most fascinating archaeologicalsites, the editors show us just how much cybertechnology adds to ourunderstanding of lost worlds. They document how, as sites areunearthed, measured, and documented, the discoveries find their wayinto cybernetic models that both sharpen scholars' understanding ofthe discoveries and allow scholars to further explore theseworlds. The process of constructing digital models forcesarchaeologists to systematically ask questions about what the lightingwould have been like in a particular room or what a building'soriginal texture and color would have been. The resulting models maygo so far as to allow scholars to walk the virtual roadways andhallways of ancient cities, seeing them very similarly to how theywould have appeared to their inhabitants. As new data arises,archaeologists can alter the models accordingly.

Forte andSiliotti's gorgeous oversize volume displays these cybermodelsalongside the stories of the discoveries themselves. The book showsmany lifelike and stunning representations of long-lostplaces. However, not only do the cybermodels offer insight into thedistant past, they also provide invaluable models of the immediatepast--the excavations themselves. The editors discuss how archaeologyparadoxically involves a degree of destruction to enablereconstruction. Forte and Siliotti explain that each excavationrequires a level of history to be moved out of the way to reveal thelevel beneath. And while archaeologists replace what they move,virtual archaeology allows for three-dimensional models to maintaindetails of the entire site in easily accessible cyberspace. Beautifulto look at and awe-inspiring to read, Virtual Archaeology is anideal book for all those who love both the past and the future. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Unfortunately outdated
Though I read a lot of popular archaeology, I somehow missed seeing this one when it first came out. Thirteen years ago, I imagine it would have been fascinating. Now, computer graphics has advanced so far and so fast, many of the images in this book remind me of nothing so much as the background graphics in DOOM. It was originally published in Italian, but there's plenty of coverage of Egypt, Anatolia, East Asia, and the New World. The text is quite good but the photos of actual models and museum reconstructions are more useful than the "computer reconstruction" (which, of course, are the work of programmers, not the computers themselves). And there aren't nearly as many of those as the title would suggest. I'd like to see a thorough reworking of this project using current technology -- and without the word "virtual" in the title.

As a gift, this book was a HIT!
I bought this book for my partner who absolutely loved it and said it was the best thing I ever bought for them!I would highly recommend this to users of any 3D modeling program such as Bryce.I build reconstructions on my website and also for an online community site. It is important to have a good resource to use, and this book defintely fit the bill.

Title promises more than the book delivers
There are only a handful 'virtual renderings' of the ancient world in thisbook. And, although written just a few years ago, most of these renderingslook plain when compared with any contemporary simple computerized designdrawing or even computer games, though the latter don't have to take intoaccount real world physical constraints. Technical information on thevirtual images is lacking for the most part.

I see the author foresawinteresting possibilities for computer reconstruction of past cultures,including virtual traveling 'inside' buildings and surveying vast areasfrom multiple points of view. This could be very interesting not only tothe archaeologist but also to many people in other fields, from sociologyto architecture, history, decoration and just travelling. But the stillimages don't convey a convincing picture of the final result.

I hadunmet expectations about this book. It's more of a general account of somerecent explorations grouped partly on a time basis and partly by region. Ifelt also an unbalanced mix in the final product, concerning virtual(little of this) and non virtual imagery, and also on the sitesselected.

Summarizing: the book appears as a progress report on currentarchaeology investigations, with some reference to new techniques. The booktitle is misleading.

Wonderful
This volume is the best and innovative book of the world about these topics (also because is was written in 1996 !), as prof. Colin Renfrew said in the presentation. Moreover it includes new and original contributions from many important international archaeologists; in fact I know that ithas a great success in all the european countries.

Wonderful
This volume is the best and innovative book of the world about these topics (also because is was written in 1996 !), as prof. Colin Renfrew said in the presentation. Moreover it includes new and original contributions from many important international archaeologists; in fact I know that ithas a great success in all the european countries. ... Read more

Product Description
Virtual worlds are increasingly incorporated into modern universities and teaching pedagogy. Over 190 higher education institutions world-wide have done teaching in the virtual world of Second Life (SL). This book is based on the first Scandinavian project to experiment with the design and testing of teaching platforms for life long learning in SL. In 2007 it created a virtual island or 'sim' in SL called 'Kamimo Education Island'. The project generated a number of courses taught in Second Life, and instructed educators in the use of SL. This book disseminates the experiences and lessons learned in that project and from other educational projects in SL. The book identifies the gaps in traditional forms of education. It provides a roadmap on issues of: instructional design, learner modelling, building simulations, exploring alternatives to design and integrating tools in education with other learning systems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

more plausible than business uses
There has been somewhat of a backlash against Second Life, in the context of business applications. The tangible financial benefits of that have proved illusory to many businesses who set up storefronts on Second Life. In contrast, this book offers educational uses that seem far more plausible.

Here, the emphasis is on teaching students via a virtual experience that can draw the attention and keep it. It is still possible to be cynical and consider this to be little more than a glorified video game. But the book shows that Second Life can indeed be interesting and even addictive in a good way to many students. ... Read more

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Jossey-Bass Guides to Online Teaching and Learning

Learning Online with Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds

Strategies for Online Instruction

Clark Aldrich

Learning Online with Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds

The infusion of games, simulations, and virtual worlds into online learning can be a transforming experience for both the instructor and the student. This practical guide, written by education game expert Clark Aldrich, shows faculty members and instructional designers how to identify opportunities for building games, simulations, and virtual environments into the curriculum; how to successfully incorporate these interactive environments to enhance student learning; and how to measure the learning outcomes. It also discusses how to build institutional support for using and financing more complex simulations. The book includes frameworks, tips, case studies and other real examples, and resources.

Praise for Learning Online with Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds

"Clark Aldrich provides powerful insights into the dynamic arena of games, simulations, and virtual worlds in a simultaneously entertaining and serious manner as only he can. If you are involved with educating anyone, from your own children to classrooms full of students, you need to devour this book."
— Karl Kapp, assistant director, Institute for Interactive Technologies, Bloomsburg University

"At a time when the technologies for e-learning are evolving faster than most people can follow, Aldrich successfully bridges the perceptual gap between virtual worlds, digital games, and educational simulations, and provides educators with all they really need to use this technology to enhance and enrich their e-learning experiences."
— Katrin Becker, instructor, Department of Computer Science and Information Systems, Mount Royal College, and adjunct professor of education, University of Calgary

"I consider this a must-read for anyone engaged in or contemplating using these tools in their classrooms or designing their own tools."
— Rick Van Sant, professor of learning and technology, Ferris State University ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Contents could be taken just as that: a game and a simulation for the reader.
At the beginning of every Wiley's book you can see in fine print: "Limit of liability/ Disclaimer of warranty" and then a specific phrase: "The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation". In a nutshell, this limit applied to me with the contents of this book: No solid strategies, online issue just taken by the side, and meager approaches to instruction.

Final message feels like: HIVEs are an emerging issue in education, in most cases expensive, or, at least, you are strongly adviced to pay money to get something decent. HIVEs are complicated to manage, so it is better to pay for someone to coach you.

The preface reads: "My goal in writing this book is to be more practical than theoretical [...]"; "I want to be as specific as possible [...]";"[...]this text is also aimed at helping instructors meet specific challenges[...]".

Author fails to structure ideas and contents clear enough to follow them (at least in what I consider "accessible" should be). Titles in most of the chapters are quite ambitious and remain incomplete when "developed". It seems that being "specific" just cannot fit with his "practical" good will.

Contents in this book really feel as a "simulation" (a trick that deludes) of what the title and "authorities" recommendations at the back cover declare.

A pretentious "coffe-table" book appropriate to borrow form a friend or local library, but not worth to buy.

I have two copies
I have two copies of Clark's book, one a dead-tree version and the other a Kindle version. This is because Clark's books keep disappearing from my bookshelves. I cannot find one of his previous books, "Learning by Doing".

Clark's book is the best introduction to learning from highly interactive virtual environonments. I strongly recommend it to beginners -- and to experienced practitioners. Clark blends practice with the right amount of theory. His conceptualization is sound. His levels and his concept of sims as a new model of content are pragmatic and provocative. Clark's style is highly readable. He is a storyteller and a journalist. But he does not compromise the accuracy of the information and clearly separates fantasy from reality.

Many of Clark's ideas are applicable to teaching and learning in general. They are not limited to geeks.

Buy this book -- and Clark's previous books. No, you may not borrow them from me.

Excellent introduction
As a new entrant to Technology Enhanced Learning, I found this an excellent introduction to using simulations, games and virtual worlds for learning.The book overall was very easy to read with inciteful common sense descriptions of the different types of games and sims as well as design strategies.Strategies for getting support from management before implementing simulations and games for learning is also discussed as well as effective strategies for using these technologies.

This is my first review (of many books bought from Amazon) I would recommend this book to anyone interested in simulations and serious games.

Classroom Instructors-Please Read!
Many educators from K -16 believe that computer based simulations/games are the future. Many of us endorse moving away from the "learning to know" and promoting a "learning to be" and "learning to do" goal of education.The Internet has enabled this potential exponentially.Now the question teachers ask is:How do I incorporate meaningful simulations/games into my syllabus?Clark's book provides the answer with "a one night read" that will inspire.Here is what I appreciate about this book:
*Includes definitions and justification for the game-based learning phenomena
*Explains the various degrees of interactivity and what that means for learner engagement
*Includes explanation of the important role of the instructor/coach
*Provides ideas of how to use simulations in the classroom
*How to sell the importance of "learning to do and be"
Professors,Teachers,Educators! This book is worth purchasing!What more of my thoughts about Clark Aldrich and his work see my blog: [...] ... Read more