Book Description
Illustrated with over 375 stills and drawings, including the complete screenplay, the only book on the making of the spectacular X-Men 2 and the X-Men film franchise.
Exclusive to this hardcover collector's edition is the complete 80-page screenplay, a 16-page section of special effects art from the first X-Men movie, and an 8-page double gatefold of Nightcrawler poster art.
Outcasts from society, the X-Men are genetic mutants, born with superhuman powers, who harness their special abilities for the greater good. But the human race they fight to protect rejects and fears—even hates—them.
Initially realized in the Marvel Comic Book adventures, the first X-Men major feature film was released by Fox in 2000, directed by Bryan Singer, who had previously directed Apt Pupil and The Usual Suspects. Its stunning success—theatrically grossing nearly $300 million worldwide, and becoming a video and DVD phenomenon—signaled the current wave of comics to film adaptations and guaranteed the sequel, which reunites the principal cast members and the original's key creative team, including director Bryan Singer, cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel, and production designer Guy Dyas.
The new X2 will feature several surprises, including favorite mutant characters from the vast X-Men comics universe, who are new to the film franchise. 375 color illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
This book is awesome.......2004-01-04
If you are looking for concept art, production stills and behind the scenes photography, this is the book.
The book goes in chronological order, for the most part, and shows the concept drawings and paintings, the storyboard sketches (and text), and places them next to finished photography of the sets and characters, which gives you a great idea of how the concepts are turned into reality.
It takes you into character development for all of the major characters, with concept art to final film stills. The characters covered are: Nightcrawler (with a great full page poster of "the amazing nightcrawler"), Charles Xavier, Wolverine, Jean Grey, Cyclops, Rogue, Storm, Pyro, Magneto, Mystique, Mutant 143, and Lady Deathstrike. Most characters have only 2 pages each, but Nightcrawler, Mystique, Wolverine, Mutant 143, and Lady Deathstrike have multiple pages which show sketches and final photography.
The locations/sets covered in the book are: the White House, X-Mansion, Cerebro, Plastic Prison, X-Jet, Alkali Lake, and Stryker's Base.
This book is 100% filled with great content: drawings, photos, and storyboards, along with a section on the special effects. I wish it were twice as big, but everything in the book is awesome.
NICELY PUT TOGETHER!.......2003-11-26
THE BOOK DESIGN AND CLASSY JACKET ALONE ARE WORTH THE MONEY. LOVED THE MOVIE. THE ONLY PROBLEM THAT I HAVE IS THAT THEY DON'T PUT ENOUGH COHERENT STORYBOARDS INTO THE CONTENT. ALSO, THE NIGHTCRAWLER'S MOCK-UP CIRCUS POSTER DON'T REALLY GIVE ANY ADDITIONAL VALUE OVER THE BOOK'S GENERAL CONTENT.
The Ar of X2: X-Men United.......2003-06-30
My first impression was WOW! This book captures the essence of the movie. It's great to see the story boards it just makes you remember every scene of this excellent movie. It's obvious all the crew involved in X2 cared a lot about details and art and this book crowns it. The addition of the movie script is great, i think we fans love to read the original script to see what scenes didnt make it to the final and wonder what they looked like (if they add them in the DVD it would be fantastic). The quality of this book is absolutely great. Beautiful pictures in every page you turn. A must to every X2 fan.
X-cellent collector's edition!!!.......2003-06-11
Being new to the world of the X-men, this book has everything to offer for the die hard fan. The Beautiful black hardcover (not to mention its wonderful slipcover with the entire cast on front) is amazing! The book is filled with illistrations, costume drawings, stroyboards, idea drawings of the proposed danger room, characther bios, and the best part...the complete movie script of X2! Well worth buying. I would suggest any fan to buy to add to his/her collection.
While we anxiously await the DVD..........2003-05-30
An astounding companion to the film, this book should be on every X-fan's wish list, and probably on that of anyone interested in how a real two-hour block of entertainment is made. There is real heart in this film--it stands out from most summer blockbusters as a simple, non-preachy statement on tolerance, gorgeously wrapped up in the craftsmanship of thousands of film artists, performers, computer graphic artists, and editors. It's a work of art, a rollicking ride, and this book is a terrific tide-me-over for anyone yearning to own the film on DVD in the future.
Book Description
Don't get tongue-tied! Get sharp-tongued with this book of put-downs, insults, and excuses for every occasion.
· Need a dastardly dig? How about: You remind me of a seat in church--PEW!
· Is the teacher scolding you for calling out? Answer: Would you prefer that I telephone?
· Are your parents upset that you forgot to take out the garbage? Try: It never takes me out!
· Getting bullied by that creep? Snap back with: "You're the only person I know who got a D in recess."
And there are hundreds more, with fun line drawings that add to the hilarity!
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In Search of Cinema: Writings on International Film Art
Bert Cardullo
Manufacturer: McGill-Queen's University Press
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The Beast Within: Animals in the Middle Ages
Joyce Salisbury
Manufacturer: Routledge
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Perceiving Animals: Humans and Beasts in Early Modern English Culture
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Renaissance Beasts: Of Animals, Humans, and Other Wonderful Creatures
ASIN: 0415907691 |
Book Description
The Beast Within offers a unique exploration of the use of and attitude towards animals in medieval society. In the process, the volume sheds light on modern environmental concerns by tracing the roots of our current views about animals.
Joyce E. Salisbury surveys the ways in which inhabitants of Western Europe thought of and dealt with their animals from the 4th to the 14th centuries. She explores the impact of Christianity on our views of animals, and demonstrates the rediscovery, in the twelfth century, of the idea of an animal side to humans that made people start thinking of themselves as animals.
The Beast Within illustrates how, as property, food and sexual objects, animals in the middles ages had a distinct, and at times, odd relationship with the people and world around them. For example, animals viewed as property during the period shared in labor and increased their owners' status. However, these animals were regularly punished for the acts of their owners and owners were held responsible for the animals' behavior as well. When animals served as sexual objects for humans, much reflection, debate and even legislation was the result. Mythological and metaphoric animals also played important roles in the fables and religion of the day changing the views of humans about the beasts and themselves.
The Beast Within provides an interdisciplinary approach to the subject, weaving a historical narrative that includes economic, legal, theological, literary and artistic sources. A provocative and thorough work, this volume will inform and enlighten current debates on animal rights and offer an original contribution to the historical study of animals.
Customer Reviews:
Something to think about.......1998-09-04
Well-researched treatment of Western society's relationships with the domestic animal kingdom. Citing literature, art and historical accounts, this book traces the history of animals as fictional characters, anthropomorphic characters, beasts of burden, food, companions, and even lovers to humans. Interesting and enlightening stories accompany statistics to unjudgmentally describe these relationships and society's reaction.
I would love to see a sequel dealing with other cultures.
Customer Reviews:
a lotto bible.......2007-05-25
Incredible complete book.It's a must for a professional lotto player.A lot of wheels.Perhaps the most biggest collection de wheels that I've seen in one book.Methods of choose numbers,etc.
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Only Way to Win at Lotto
Manufacturer: Publishers' Group West
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ASIN: 9997653955 |
Customer Reviews:
still seems up-to-date although 3 years old........2006-07-23
Great book explaining all the different types of malware out there. Skoudis helps to understand the technical details of each malware type without going into too much detail. The links provided, altough a few years old, are all still relevant.
Good book and worth a read.......2005-04-15
This is a good book. Ed has become a master in this filed and he put tons of good stuff in the book.
Many "big names" in infosec give this a 5 and they're right!.......2005-03-10
I am fortunate to have an autographed copy from when Mr. Skoudis taught a SANS class I attended; and have had to take a lot of time getting it read in the meantime. This is the book that I would recommend to anyone that would learn the workings of worm, virus, trojan horse and other malware - not how to write them, but how to understand and deal with them. The information on setting up a lab to examine these critters is a good start for those wanting to understand attacks - but like other reviewers have said, this book is not for one without a grounding in computer security.
Best available.......2005-01-28
This book provides the best review of malicious software that is presently available. If you need a comprehensive reference then this is the book for you. The author is a well-known and respected security analyst and this book provides solid information at a level suitable for the system administrator. Unlike so many books of this type, it is not a camouflaged endorsement of some vendor's products or a simplistic and alarmist text.
Topics covered include:
- viruses, with a brief history and description of the various types and their mechanisms;
- worms, again with a brief history and description of the various types and their mechanisms;
- mobile code, including browser scripts, ActiveX controls, Java applets and mobile code as it occurs in email clients and distributed applications. Given the increasing amount of mobile code, this is particularly valuable;
- backdoors, particularly Netcat and VNC but covering some others as well;
- trojans inlcuding wrappers, source poisoning and browser co-option;
- rootkits for Unix andWindows;
- kernel-mode rotkits for linux and Windows;
- possible modes, including BIOS and microcode attacks.
"Encyclopediac" is the only description I can give, but be warned that it's not for the general reader, or for newbies.
Excellent treatment of the subject matter..........2004-10-10
One of the most comprehensive books I've seen lately on malware is the title Malware: Fighting Malicious Code by Ed Skoudis with Lenny Zeltser (Prentice Hall).
Chapter list: Introduction; Viruses; Worms; Malicious Mobile Code; Backdoors; Trojan Horses; User-Mode Rootkits; Kernal-Mode Rootkits; Going Deeper; Scenarios; Malware Analysis; Conclusion; Index
In each of these chapters, the authors give a brief history of that malware type, an in-depth explanation as to how they work, and complete coverage on how you can help prevent getting damaged by it. Each chapter wraps up with a conclusion, a summary, and the list of references for the chapter. For readers looking to find detailed information, they won't be disappointed. For readers looking at receiving their first exposure to the material, the writing style is easy to follow and doesn't overwhelm.
I personally enjoyed the chapters on Malware Analysis and Scenarios. The Analysis chapter gives you an excellent outline for setting up a malware analysis lab. You'll learn how to set up the hardware, protect yourself against leakage to other networks, and what software is needed to do your analysis. Following this outline, you'll be well-prepared to track down bugs like a pro. The Scenario chapter is also excellent. The authors set up three malware scenarios with actual people and configurations, and show how certain choices and mistakes can lead to disaster. There's lots of good learning material here.
Great book, excellent material, and a definite must for your security bookshelf.
Book Description
This best-selling, classic exploration of world history takes an interdisciplinary global (rather than a regional or national) approach—tracing those major forces, movements, and events that have had a world-wide impact. It stresses connections between the past, present and future, emphasizing the question "What does it mean for us today?" The Seventh Edition reevaluates the course of human history with an eye toward the millennium, reflecting in its coverage the end of the cold war and the dawning possibilities for a new type of global history.
Customer Reviews:
history for everyone and for specialist.......2006-03-13
it's really global history. it's easy for everyone but it's usefull for specialist of history. wonerful maps.
sorry for my english.
thank you.
Perhaps The Best Overview of History.......2002-06-16
I've looked at a number of overviews of world history and this is my favorite. It's written with great knowledge and a balanced viewpoint. I really like that the causes and mechanisms of history are presented and not just a stream of facts. It's told with emphasis on the general not the detail - there's no page long sidebars on Michaelangelo for instance. There's lots of statistics and maps to show how the world was changing. The other book of it's type that I really liked is "Rise of the West" by William McNeil which has a similar outlook.
Perhaps The Best Overview of History howardross@hotmail.com.......2000-01-18
I've looked at a number of overviews of world history and this is my favorite. It's written with great knowledge and a balanced viewpoint. I really like that the causes and mechanisms of history are presented and not just a stream of facts. It's told with emphasis on the general not the detail - there's no page long sidebars on Michaelangelo for instance. There's lots of statistics and maps to show how the world was changing. The other book of it's type that I really liked is "Rise of the West" by William McNeil which has a similar outlook.
The Sophomore IHS Global History Experience.......1998-05-07
For anyone who knows an IHS student, this is the true experience - provided that it's followed by a 150 problem multiple choice test the next day. It's a long detailed read, with a strong tendency towards Marxist tones and theories. If you've got the time and attention span to sit still and concentrate long enough to get into this book, it really is a fascinating experience - well organized, factual, and with separate text from primary sources relevant to the chapter or section which provides continuing evidence or alternate opinions. Otherwise, I'll refer you to the friend with the cancer sticker. =)
I had to read it sophmore year........1998-05-02
For those who love a very long, small print read about all that has ever happened, this is it. I guess I have to say that this is written from a biased point of view. You see, I had to read it as my text book for my sophmore year in high school. But unlike most people in my class, I love history. But the reason that I am not giving this a higher rating is because I had to read it late into the night and then be tested on it the next day. That can discourage some people. My favorite thing that I have seen about it is that somebody this year took the sticker off a packet of cigaretts and placed it on their copy of Stavrianos so that the cover now says, "This causes cancer!". The reason that I am not giving it a lower rating is because Stavrianos really spent a lot of time making this tome, and really knows his stuff. I could not imagine the brainpower needed to orchestrate such a book. So, if you are into the scholary view of history from prehistory to the end of the cold war, then by all means you can hunker down for weeks and months with Stavrianos. But if you have to read this for school then, hey man, I've been there too, I know how it feels.
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- If you've already...
- Chronicle of a Distributed Computing Project
- Extraordinary book, manages to explain complex concepts in simple language
- More interesting and readable than I would have imagined.
- Why exposing the vulnerabilty of DES was deemed to be so critical by those in the know in 1997.
|
Brute Force: Cracking the Data Encryption Standard
M. Curtin
Manufacturer: Springer
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ASIN: 0387201092 |
Book Description
In the 1960s, it became increasingly clear that more and more information was going to be stored on computers, not on pieces of paper. With these changes in technology and the ways it was used came a need to protect both the systems and the information. For the next ten years, encryption systems of varying strengths were developed, but none proved to be rigorous enough. In 1973, the NBS put out an open call for a new, stronger encryption system that would become the new federal standard. Several years later, IBM responded with a system called Lucifer that came to simply be known as DES (data encryption standard).
The strength of an encryption system is best measured by the attacks it is able to withstand, and because DES was the federal standard, many tried to test its limits. (It should also be noted that a number of cryptographers and computer scientists told the NSA that DES was not nearly strong enough and would be easily hacked.) Rogue hackers, usually out to steal as much information as possible, tried to break DES. A number of "white hat" hackers also tested the system and reported on their successes. Still others attacked DES because they believed it had outlived its effectiveness and was becoming increasingly vulnerable. The sum total of these efforts to use all of the possible keys to break DES over time made for a brute force attack.
In 1996, the supposedly uncrackable DES was broken. In this captivating and intriguing book, Matt Curtin charts DES’s rise and fall and chronicles the efforts of those who were determined to master it.
Customer Reviews:
If you've already..........2007-04-12
If you've already looked up cryptography and/or DES in several encyclopedias (i.e. Britannica, Wiki, Google... ), read Kahn's Codebreakers, Mitnick's and Poulsen's books, then there's no real point in reading this one. Oh, and Schneier's Applied Crypto.
I don't know, this is just me
Chronicle of a Distributed Computing Project.......2006-06-09
This book chronicles the history of how the DESCHALL team won the RSA Data Security, Inc.'s contest to crack a message encrypted with 56-bit cryptography. Although the contest was only one in a series sponsored by RSA, this particular contest was highly significant because 56-bit encryption represented the Data Encryption Standard (DES), meeting the specifications for data encryption required by the United States government. Federal law required the use of DES for government cryptography, and many financial and other private institutions also had adopted DES, but cryptographers and computer scientists were uncomfortable with DES because they felt it was too weak. They felt that 56-bit encryption left confidential data vulnerable to brute-force attacks, in which each of the possible decryption keys is tried until the one that will decrypt the message is found. In cracking the message and winning the RSA contest, the DESCHALL team demonstrated that it was indeed possible to defeat 56-bit encryption within a not unreasonable length of time.
But it wasn't easy. The team needed to try trillions upon trillions of possible keys to see which one would unlock the message. If they were to test each key on a single computer in turn, even using a very powerful supercomputer could take years and years. Instead, the team took a very different approach. They created software that could run on ordinary desktop computers, and got thousands of people across the continent (as well as a few in other regions of the world) to run the software on their own computers. The team leaders set up a server on the Internet to send out assignments of blocks of decryption keys for the participating computers to try, and received the results back over the Internet. Such a system in which many computers in many locations work on a single problem is called "distributed computing." The DESCHALL project wasn't the first time distributed computing was used to solve a problem, but it was one of the first to achieve both significant results and widespread publicity. In this book, Curtain details how the DESCHALL team came about, who wrote and distributed the software, and how the distributed computing project was managed, from publicity to enrollment to winning the contest.
In addition to chronicling the progress of the DESCHALL project, Curtain also provides essential background information about cryptography and the associated political issues. One reason why the DES contest was of such interest was that although stronger 128-bit encryption methods existed at the time, US laws restricted the export of such strong encryption software. Proposed legislation would allow the use of strong encryption only if it provided a backdoor for access by law enforcement. Once the DESCHALL team demonstrated that DES encryption could be cracked relatively easily, more lawmakers were convinced of the need to allow the use of better encryption technology. In addition, the restrictions against exporting 128-bit encryption have been relaxed, allowing US companies to compete in the world market for strong encryption software.
The copy-editing of the book was far from perfect, and there are a number of errors that leave readers scratching their heads, such as "After the list bean receiving and distributing about thirty messages daily,..." nevertheless, the overall text is generally clear and fairly easy to comprehend, even for those who are not cryptography experts. The book makes an enjoyable read for those interested in distributed contributing or cryptography and its associated political controversies during the late 1990s.
Extraordinary book, manages to explain complex concepts in simple language.......2006-06-07
In 1997 Matt Curtin along with a small team of like minded white-hat hackers set out to prove that the security encryption standard DES, (Data Encryption Standard) was no longer secure. For various reasons the US government had chosen not to allow an upgrade which would provide far superior protection. Curtin and the team known as DES-chell harnessed a vast array of computer buffs, and computers across America to prove this vulnerablity and show that this was a serious matter which needed urgent attention. This is Curtin's account of the process. What sets it apart from many other books on code, and computers is that it is highly accessible. This is a book about the process of discovering the code, but it is also a book about the ramifications, the politics, the arguments offered. It also offers, in highly accessible language background to the complex matters he talks about, which made it easy for me, a non-computer buff, to understand.
His use of analogys were wonderful, so talking about the standard 56bit encryption likened it to having a tumbler safe, with only one tumbler with 10 numbers on it there are only 10 settings which could be the possible combination. The average chance of finding the correct setting will therefore take 5 turns. To increase the security you could either add an extra number to the combination, that is make the tumbler have 11 numbers, or by adding an extra tumbler you increase the number of combinations to 100 and automatically made the likelihood of finding the combination 10 times slower. He likens 56 bit security as having 56 tumblers. However the likelihood of finding the combination was still a possibility with that level of encryption. And this is what he set out to do, he and his team believing that the only standard should be 128 bits.
He harnessed thousands of computers across america, and the way he did this is fully documented. What I really liked was another analogy he used here. He discussed the fact that the Brute Force search for the key involved a whole series of simple calculations, and Brute Force searches of the combination (that is searching every combination until you find one) is simply a matter of time. So the higher the bits used int he secutiry the exponentially longer time it takes. However using hugely intelligent computers isn't the best way to find it - it is like getting a trained mathmetician to do a series of 5th grade math sums. He might do them faster, but not that much faster. What you need is thousands of 5th graders working on the sums. So that's what they literally did. Using computers in homes and labs all over the US - although the key people refined the software in some interesting ways to increase the speed.
This is the story of their search, the competition with other groups also searching for the key, and the eventual outcome of the search. The interesting part of the conclusion in the outcome of the search is that the Press really did not seem to understand the complex issues involved. And they are complex, and yet so straight forward. In light of the Twin Towers the ethics vs the basic rights are probably still being strongly debated.
Matt Curtin manages to guide us through the process in good fashion. It is a good read, complex and thought provoking.
More interesting and readable than I would have imagined........2006-06-05
When approached by the author as to whether I was interested in reading Brute Force, I was-- with some reservations. It has been a while since I hung up my tech strategy hat to go work in the non-IT world. Also, even though I'm reasonably technical, I'm a long way from a Cypherpunk. I was a little concern that it would get too technical for me to really appreciate.
To be honest, I was also curious whether there was enough material about DESCHALL to really warrant a full book. I had been aware of the crack when it happened, and had honestly not looked much further than the "brute force. took several months. ho hum." attitude that the press seemed to be applying to the story.
I am pleased to say that I was wrong to be worried on both counts.
First of all, Curtin is a blessedly clear writer. As he covers topics which are cryptography specific, he explains them. Furthermore, he explains them using simple language so that I had no problem understanding. You do not need to be a cryptographer to read this book.
Second, there apparently is enough material for a full book. Curtin manages to set up a really interesting story that is fully placed in a political and social context. Bonus because he does that without rehashing ground that has been covered about PGP and Zimmerman in other books. I found myself really interested in the DESCHALL efforts. It was particularly interesting to start drawing the analogy with later distributed computing efforts that were essentially tested with this effort.
The foreward by Gilmore was fun enough-- but then, I like his writing and I really like the EFF.
I would recommend this book for someone interested in the history of computing, or for someone with a special interest in security issues. Some computer background helps, but you do not need to be a specialist to read and enjoy the book. Truthfully, the book is closer to 4 and a half stars than five-- but Curtin gets some extra credit for all the ways that he could have made it unreadable, but did not.
Why exposing the vulnerabilty of DES was deemed to be so critical by those in the know in 1997........2006-05-27
In many ways reviewing Matt Curtin's "Brute Force" is a real challenge for me. That is because I am not particularly well versed in computer technology. As such I did not recognize nor did I understand the meaning of a great many of the technical terms that were necessarily used throughout this book. I must admit that I really struggled with this reality at times. But having said that I still found "Brute Force" to be a very worthwhile read.
In order to fully appreciate the magnitude of the issues involved here it is extremely important to understand the prevailing political climate in this country back in 1997. As new and more elaborate uses for computers and the internet were emerging it seems that the U.S. government was content to continue with inferior encryption standards. DES (Data Encryption Standard) was a 56-bit key cryptographic system that had been the standard in this country since 1977. Even during those early years many computer experts were warning that this rather weak system would soon have to be replaced. The risk of data being compromised was simply too great. In 1997, as the battle lines were being drawn over replacing DES with a much stronger standard our government wanted access to virtually all information--even if encrypted. On the other hand private industry and individual citizens were clamoring for a much tougher encryption standard to replace DES. This battle could have gone either way. "Brute Force" tells the amazing story about how a group of like-minded people banded together to prove once and for all that DES was extremely vulnerable to attack. Matt Curtin tells the story of the unique competition that would emerge and ultimately lead to tougher and more secure encrytion that would benefit just about everyone in this country. What occured in the Spring of 1997 is a truly remarkable story and Matt Curtin tells it very well.
As I indicated earlier "Brute Force" contains a lot of technical jargon that many folks would not be familiar with. It is probably safe to say that the more you know about computers the more you will glean from this book. But I was able to follow the story line pretty well and learned an awful lot about a topic I knew virtually nothing about. In the end it was well worth the effort. Recommended.
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Owl Light: The Unique Story of a Boy and His Owl
Jon Hadwick
Manufacturer: Trafalgar Square
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ASIN: 1856260275 |
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- Warped Passages: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Universe's Hidden Dimensions
- Walden
- Taxation, reimbursement : agreement between the United States of America and the Universal Postal Un
- Why Do They Call It Business If It's Mostly Politics
- Hess: The Fuhrer's Disciple
The Dimensions of Parking
Shopping Center Development Handbook (Uli Development Handbook Series)
Parking Structures: Planning, Design, Construction, Maintenance and Repair
Mixed-Use Development Handbook
Developing Retail Entertainment Destinations
