Applied Microsoft .NET Framework Programmingis a tutorial. It's meant for programmers who already know an object-oriented language and want to apply their knowledge in the standardized environment provided by the Microsoft .NET Framework. The book, written by Jeffrey Richter, a programmer and the .NET columnist at Microsoft's magazine for its developer community, takes a more or less language-agnostic approach to the run-time environment (though many illustrative examples are in C#). It aims to untangle the Common Language Runtime (CLR) and some of the Framework Class Library (FCL), and generally succeeds, particularly at the former. Richter shares his knowledge of the key classes you can instantiate in the CLR, and the kinds of operations you can perform on and with them.

You can read this book, or individual chapters, from beginning to end. You'll probably find it more helpful, though, if you read individual sections as you encounter problems or develop an interest in specific aspects of the CLR (ideal for those middle-of-the-night "I wonder how it does..." questions). Richter typically lets his code do most of the talking, and he'll often introduce a section with a prose summary of the CLR way of doing something (sometimes with a supplementary diagram) before unleashing a string of quick examples that illustrate variations on the theme. In an unusual and helpful tutorial move, he makes heavy use of the ILDASM utility to show what goes on at compile time. —David Wall

Topics covered:How the Microsoft .NET Framework—in other words, the Common Language Runtime (CLR) and parts of the Framework Class Library (FCL)—runs Microsoft .NET applications, and how to write software for the framework. Shared assemblies, characteristics of CLR types (including their properties, methods, fields, and events), and object orientation all get ample coverage. There's particularly detailed information on text manipulation (including internationalization and localization), arrays, custom interfaces, and the managed environment (garbage collection) in the CLR environment.

"How the Other Half Lives" is a chronicle of the conditions of abject poverty that the residents of the slums of New York at the end of the 19th century had to endure. Riis, who as an immigrant had lived among these conditions himself, exposed the horrible conditions while working as a reporter for the "New York Tribune." This book when first published in 1901 shed a much-needed light on the conditions of the poor. Presented here is the original 1901 edition with the original illustrations presented in that volume.

More than thirty years ago, filmmaker George Lucas realized a longtime dream, creating a swashbuckling sf saga inspired by vintage Flash Gordon serials, classic American westerns, the epic cinema of Japanese auteur Akira Kurosawa, and mythological heroes. Its original title: The Star Wars. The rest is history–and how it was made is a story as entertaining and exciting as the movie that has enthralled millions for the past three decades.

Using his unprecedented access to the Lucasfilm Archives and its trove of never-before-published “lost” interviews, photos, production notes, factoids, and anecdotes, Star Wars scholar J. W. Rinzler hurtles readers back in time for an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at the nearly decade-long quest of George Lucas and his key collaborators to make the “little” movie that became a phenomenon. For the first time, it’s all here:

• the evolution of the now-classic story and characters–including “Annikin Starkiller” and “a huge green-skinned monster with no nose and large gills” named Han Solo

• excerpts from George Lucas’s numerous, ever-morphing script drafts

• the birth of Industrial Light & Magic, the special-effects company that revolutionized Hollywood filmmaking

• the grueling, nearly catastrophic location shoot in Tunisia and the following breakneck dash at Elstree Studios in London

• the intensive auditions that won the cast members their roles–and made them legends

• the who’s who of young 1970s film rebels who pitched in to help–including Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, and Brian DePalma

But perhaps most exciting, and rarest of all, are the first interviews conducted before and during production and immediately after the release of Star Wars–in which George Lucas, the film’s stars, composer John Williams, effects masters Dennis Muren, Richard Edlund, and John Dykstra, Phil Tippett, Rick Baker, legendary production designer John Barry, and a host of others share their fascinating tales from the trenches and candid opinions of the movie that would ultimately change their lives.

No matter where you stand in the spectrum of this thirty-year phenomenon, The Making of Star Wars stands as a crucial document–rich in fascination and revelation–of a genuine cinematic and cultural touchstone.

Packed with breathtaking visuals created by a team of world-class artists, The Art of Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sithreveals an essential element of the climactic finale of the Star Warsfilm saga. For years, George Lucas’s handpicked group has labored feverishly to bring Episode III’s unforgettable creatures, exotic worlds, and mind-bending action to life. Together, they created character drawings, costume designs, droids and starships, planetary vistas, animation sketches, matte paintings, and animatics–every type of illustration imaginable.

This extraordinary volume unveils the best of their efforts: never-before-seen images–storyboards, models, production sketches, and ILM-generated art–that chronicle the fascinating journey from first draft to theater screen. Among the hundreds of brilliant pieces are images and anecdotes covering

• Darth Vader then and now–the new look of the ultimate Star Warsicon

• stunning conceptual looks at the climactic lightsaber duel between Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi

• the evolution of General Grievous–the new face of evil–from initial sketches to ILM animation art

• fantastic full-color images of costumes, weapons, landscapes, and spacecraft

• intriguing insights from exclusive interviews with the artists, whose groundbreaking work brought Lucas’s ideas to life

• excerpts from Episode III’s inspirational Visual Script, created to help guide production through the film’s cutting-edge digital creations

For Star Wars fans everywhere, this treasure chest of images from the final, fateful Star Wars movie is a visual feast that promises hours of endless browsing pleasure.

“Rich in dexterous innuendo, laugh-out-loud humor and illuminating fact. It’s compulsively readable.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review The best-selling author of Stiff turns her outrageous curiosity and insight on the most alluring scientific subject of all: sex.

16 illustrations