Call No. : PE1112 Gre
Get back to basics with “An introduction to English grammar”. This book will touch on the theory and application of grammar in writing and speech. (OPAC)

 Call No. : HF5415.5 Coo
From tips on how to remember customer’s names to the fine difference between ‘upselling’ and ‘bait and switch’, this book will show you how to keep your customer happy. (OPAC)

  Call No. : TH880 Rid
This book will walk you through the green building guidelines and rating systems from the different organizations in the field including Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), The Natural Step, Green Globes, and National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). (OPAC)

Call No. : TR594 Gul 
This book showcases a range of super-resolution and multishot techniques including focus stacking, stitching, HDRI, and enhancing microcontrast. (OPAC)

Call No. : HD53 Hbr  
This book features ideas that (it promises) will transform the future of business in 2009 and beyond. It touches on the economic crisis, strategic decision making, tapping new markets, finding and keeping top talent, harnessing network effects, and dealing with disruptive technologies and business models. (OPAC)

Call No. : CT3235 Wer  
From “classics” like Audrey Hepburn to “bombshells” like Marilyn Monroe and Gwen Stefani; “divas” like Scarlett Johansson to “rebels” like Amy Winehouse, this book pays tribute to 50 style icons from the last century. (OPAC)

 Call No. : DS775.2 Cro
Humorously written, this book follows Carl Crow, a Shanghai advertising mogul throughout the 1920s and 1930s, as he shares his experiences working in China, with the Chinese. (OPAC)

While the term ‘gamer’ is often refers to those who play popular PC games such as Warcraft, or even Maplesea, the realm of reel games has offered us alot more than that. We attempt to celebrate the spirit of games by taking on a multi-dimensional view of gaming and games.

We start off with Game Informer which will take us on a tour of video games, before moving onto Game Developer. From there, we break into the more specific areas of gaming, with 3D World, and ImagineFX.

Game Informer (GV1469.15 GIM)

The monthly issued Game Informer features reviews and previews for games on the Wii, Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Playstation 2, PC, Nintendo DS, and PSP consoles.

In the October 2009 issue of Game Informer,  ”The top 10 gaming screw-overs” asks - ever find yourself tempted to knock your head against the computer screen when faced with a seemingly insurmountable obstacle in the game? This article highlights the top 10 obstacles that require “saintly patience” to overcome! 

Game Developer (QA76.76 COG.GD) 

While Game Informer looks at gaming from the gamer’s point of view, Game Developer approaches the industry from the developer’s viewpoint.

While we often think of video games as having fervid players who will “fight to death!”, this is apparently not the case, as highlighted in the article, “Staying power”.

The articles goes on to posit that the game industry needs to rethink its feedback system to help keep players in the game. The feedback system is broken into three subsections: feedback, goal creation, and progress charts.

While these terms may sound like they belong in a school setting rather than in the game world, they have been implemented with great success in games like “Call of Duty”, “Team Fortress 2″, “Halo 3″, and “Gears of War 2″. Pick up this issue of Game Developer to find out more!

3D World (TR897.7 TDW) 

3D World on the other hand is catered to 3D graphics and covers content for 3ds Max, Maya, LightWeave 3D, Cinema 4D and Softimage. They also cover Photoshop work for 3D graphics and compositing packages such as After Effects, Shake and Nuke and camera-tracking applications.

The article “Playing in stereo” suggests that the future of 3d gaming in homes might be alot closer than we think. Stereoscopic 3D, or S-3D, brings the immersive experience into our living rooms with “Invincible Tiger: The Legend of Han Tao” and “Avatar” .

The good news? Around 400 of the games already available on the market today can be played in S-3d. All you need is a driver such as Dynamic Digital Depth, iZ3D, and Nvidia GeForce 3D vision, a GeForce graphics card, a 3D vision-Ready display, and a PC running Windows Vista or Windows 7.

But while all this is possible, most of the industry is waiting with bated breath for the release and reception of “Invicible Tiger”. Stay tuned to find out more!

*3D World is also applicable to those in the animation, television, and architectural industries!

ImagineFX (N7433.8 IMA)

The November 2009 issue of ImagineFX is chock full of artist workshops. From “How to paint an action scene”, “Strike a pose”, to “Animal anatomy: heads and necks”, this issue will bring your art to a whole new level.

The Q&A portion of this periodical was particularly enlightening, with questions like – “Do you have any good tips for painting the wet end of a severed limb?” to questions that may plague most artists such as the rendering of realistic looking wrinkles and hair, getting skin tones right, and painting of realistic-looking cheekbones. Particularly impressive was its rendition of old and weathered looking stonework.   

Even if science fiction or fantasy is not your thing, do consider picking up ImagineFX and pick up tips from their board of artists, as well as tricks on storyboarding for films .

These, and more, can be found at the Periodicals section of the library at Level 4.

Call No. : SF601 JAV  
This journal features the latest news from the veterinary field, along with case studies and scientific reports on small animals, horses, and other zoo animals. (OPAC)

 Call No. : LB1141 CE  
In this issue of Childhood Education, the study “Drawing opens pathways to problem solving for young children” looks at the story of the Gingerbread boy and asks children to draw out possible ways the Gingerbread boy could have escaped. Based on their responses, the journal shows you how you can draw conclusions on their levels of literary, visual, and verbal awareness. (OPAC)