---- MANTEX NEWSLETTER ---- Number 72 - August 2002 Reference + Words + Design --- ISSN 1470-1863 ---- Holiday QUIZ Edition 0----- Encyclopedia Britannica on CD Did you know that you can now get the *whole* Encyclopedia Britannica on CD for the price of a shirt? It contains *all* the text of the thirty-two printed volumes, *plus* a big dictionary *and* an atlas. It's got 90,000 articles written by experts, plus hours of video and audio clips. Its searchable in three different ways; it has thousands of well-selected Web links; and its updatable free. There's also a shortened edition, but why bother when the full version carries a 50% discount at Amazon. Full details at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/britann.htm 0----- Holiday QUIZ - Question #1 What does 'piliferous' mean? 0----- 'Digital Graphic Design' [new book] This is a follow-up to Bob Gordon's excellent 'Making Digital Type Look Good' which we reviewed in an earlier newsletter. Here he offers a tutorial on basic design values - then shows them put to use in print, exhibitions, public signs, Web pages, and multimedia. The book is a masterpiece of good design in its own right. Every page is beautifully laid out and printed. This makes both an excellent introduction and a survey of all the latest digital techniques in graphic design. Full details at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/gordon-2.htm If you missed the earlier companion volume, it covers all aspects of digital typography. Details at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/gordon.htm 0----- Holiday QUIZ - Question #2 What is a 'billabong'? 0----- Jargon Buster - IT Glossary Information Technology develops so fast, it's hard to keep up with the new jargon that's being created. We have a FREE downloadable glossary of terms which has just been updated. Do you know what SOAP, JSP, and MySQL mean? Find out at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/samples/glo.htm 0----- Holiday QUIZ - Question #3 To which note does an orchestra tune up? 0----- Neologisms [new words] This website is being developed as a record of new and evolving words and phrases in the English language, with special reference to UK English usage. One of its prime aims is to act as a repository for new words and phrases which are not otherwise listed on the Net - or at least not found by Search Engines. http://pages.zoom.co.uk/leveridge/dictionary.html 0----- Holiday QUIZ - Question #4 Where is Lake Balaton? 0----- 'Cyber_Reader' [new book] Phaidon have just published an interesting collection of key documents in the development of computers and IT. They range from Charles Babbage (who built a mechanical computer) via Vannevar Bush (who dreamed up a hypertext machine) to Ted Nelson (who coined the term hypertext). But it also includes materials from novelists and sociological futurists who have been predicting new interactions between humans and machines. The editor John Spiller provides introductions to each piece, which helps to set them in a historical context, and draws out their main themes and ideas. Full review and details at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/spiller.htm 0----- Holiday QUIZ - Question #5 Which country first legalised abortion? 0----- Design Magazine 'Design Tutor' is a stylish quarterly aimed at people who want to improve their design skills - especially in page layout and typography. The latest issue has articles on the use of space on both the page and the screen; a feature on magazine page makeovers; how to arrange pictures, and what makes a good headline. Full details at - http://www.designtutor.com 0----- Holiday QUIZ - Question #6 Which glands produce white blood cells? 0----- Open Office Suite 1.0 There *is* an alternative to Microsoft Word and its pals - and it costs nothing. Sun systems offer their Open Office Suite free of charge as part of their campaign on Open Sources. It's a cut-down version of their Star Office suite - with the important feature that you can open and save documents originally created in Microsoft programs. Available for Windows, Linux, and Solaris - and in a huge number of languages. Watch out - it's a 50 MB download. http://www.openoffice.org 0----- Holiday QUIZ - Question #7 What nationality was spy Mata Hari? 0----- 'Designing Computer-Based Learning Materials' [new book] Alan Clarke has a new book out which covers all aspects of designing web-based learning courses. He starts from a survey of the different types of teaching materials that can be put on line, and how they can best be made interactive. There's some useful guidance on writing various forms of assessment exercises - particularly using multiple choice questions. He covers text, graphics, colour, multimedia, and ends with some useful tips on screen layout and page design. His approach is to discuss general principles, so this is a manual which can be used in any discipline. Full details at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/clarke-2.htm 0----- Holiday QUIZ - Question #8 What does Peter Pan keep in a drawer? 0----- Writing Skills - a Bibliography We have made a major update to our FREE bibliography of Writing Skills. It's annotated, and has links to reviews of the books listed. Go to - http://www.mantex.co.uk/samples/bib1.htm 0----- Midsummer QUIZ - Question #9 What game is played on fingers with looped string? 0----- 'Restart' - Graphics [new book] If you're interested in avant guard ideas in graphic design, this book from Thames + Hudson offers samples from many of today's bright young things. It features designs from all kinds of media - building plans and sketches, maps, street signs, posters, fashion photography, book design and public signage. It's three part assault on the visual sense - also focussing on Web graphics, personal projects and portfolios, and examples from the world of commercial advertising and photography. The pictures are often incoherent, a lot of the typography is unreadable, and yet there are also some very beautiful pages. You'll have to make up your own mind. Full details at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/kusters.htm 0----- Midsummer QUIZ - Question #10 What are the three Baltic states? 0----- 'Complete Guide to Samuel Beckett' It is said of Samuel Beckett's two act play 'Waiting for Godot' - "Nothing happens - twice" There's no doubt that his work both puzzles and challenges readers - though once you accept the notion that we're all just waiting to die, he can be extremely funny. David Pattie's 'Complete Guide' offers a full account of Beckett's life and works - all placed in a historical context. It includes his relationships with women and James Joyce, plus a survey of all his stories, plays, and novels. He also traces the development of criticism of Beckett's work - which is still a thriving business. It's arranged in an easy-to-use format, and also includes smack up to date lists of further reading. Full details at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/pattie.htm 0----- THE LAST WORD "Always go to other people's funerals, otherwise they won't come to yours." Yogi Berra, baseball player (1925- ) 0----- Holiday QUIZ - ANSWERS What does 'piliferous' mean? ANSWER: hairy What is a 'billabong'? ANSWER: a waterhole To which note does an orchestra tune up? ANSWER: A Where is Lake Balaton? ANSWER: Hungary Which country first legalised abortion? ANSWER: Iceland Which glands produce white blood cells? ANSWER: Lymph glands What nationality was the spy Mata Hari? ANSWER: Dutch What does Peter Pan keep in a drawer? ANSWER: His shadow What game is played on fingers with looped string? ANSWER: Cat's cradle What are the three Baltic states? ANSWER: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania 0----- COMING SOON 'Writing for the Internet' 'Essays and Dissertations' 'Writing for Journalists' 'Emotional Digital' - typography 'Subediting for Journalists' 'StyleWriter' - grammar-check software 'InteractiveDesign2' 'Print + Electronic text Convergence' 'Innovating in Higher Education' (c) Copyright 2002, MANTEX All Rights Reserved PO Box 100 Tel +44 0161 432 5811 Manchester Fax +44 0161 443 2766 M20 6GZ UK www.mantex.co.uk If you like this newsletter, PLEASE FORWARD IT to friends and colleagues. New subscribers should register at the following address -- http://www.mantex.co.uk/newslet.htm FREE BACK ISSUES featuring news items, reviews, and product details at - http://www.mantex.co.uk/news/archive.htm Please retain the copyright and list-joining information. It may be posted, in its entirety or partially, to newsgroups or mailing lists, so long as the copyright and list-joining information remains. If you have any requests, observations, or items you would like to be included in our next issues, just mail us at -- news@mantex.co.uk You receive the MANTEX newsletter because you subscribed to it. If you wish to leave the list, go to -- http://www.mantex.co.uk/newslet.htm News-72-August-2002 ISSN 1470-1863 The British Library