Free Download | The C Programming Language, Second Edition | Brian W. Kernighan, Dennis M. Ritchie

Let me start off by saying that I'm not a novice programmer, so this review will be biased given that fact alone. That said this book was an eye opener on so many levels. One thing that is NEVER touched upon by other C programming books is project management and modularization. Chapter 4 of this book had a great discussion on techniques to organize code. This is not a big deal for the hobbyist, but for us programmers in industry dealing with large embedded projects it is. E.g., try to avoid extern variables, publish only what is needed to header files, etc.

Outside of that K&R avoids the pitfall of discussing every single  point; they only discuss what is necessary to write modular, system independent, and well organized code. This book also discusses the history of parts of the language and what the intent was when writing the language. This is far more important than many people think because now you're tapping into years of rich programming experience at Bell labs where K&R worked.

Lastly, this book CAN be conquered by novice programmers, but they will have to read this book slowly and hang on every word. This isn't too daunting because, excluding the reference, we're looking at 189 pages of text. Not all of the problems need be worked to gain full understanding of this book. Some problems are trivial, while others are so broad that the answers border on becoming subjective. Either way, they should all be attempted and thought about. A solution manual is worth investing in, but is not necessary. If you decide to embark on the journey through this book devote AT LEAST a month to it. Reading slowly and actively thinking about what's going on will reward you with a lifetime of C programming knowledge.

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Free Download | The Clean Coder: A Code of Conduct for Professional Programmers (Robert C. Martin Series) | Robert C. Martin

Programmers who endure and succeed amidst swirling uncertainty and nonstop pressure share a common attribute: They care deeply about the practice of creating software. They treat it as a craft. They are professionals. In The Clean Coder: A Code of Conduct for Professional Programmers, legendary software expert Robert C. Martin introduces the disciplines, techniques, tools, and practices of true software craftsmanship. 

This book is packed with practical advice—about everything from estimating and coding to refactoring and testing. It covers much more than technique: It is about attitude. Martin shows how to approach software development with honor, self-respect, and pride; work well and work clean; communicate and estimate faithfully; face difficult decisions with clarity and honesty; and understand that deep knowledge comes with a responsibility to act. 

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Free Download | Principles of Compilers: A New Approach to Compilers Including the Algebraic Method | Yunlin Su, Song Y. Yan

"Principles of Compilers: A New Approach to Compilers Including the Algebraic Method" introduces the ideas of the compilation from the natural intelligence of human beings by comparing similarities and differences between the compilations of natural languages and programming languages. The notation is created to list the source language, target languages, and compiler language, vividly illustrating the multilevel procedure of the compilation in the process. 

The book thoroughly explains the LL(1) and LR(1) parsing methods to help readers to understand the how and why. It not only covers established methods used in the development of compilers, but also introduces an increasingly important alternative - the algebraic formal method. This book is intended for undergraduates, graduates and researchers in computer science. 

Professor Yunlin Su is Head of the Research Center of Information Technology, Universitas Ma Chung, Indonesia and Department of Computer Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China. Dr. Song Y. Yan is a Professor of Computer Science and Mathematics at the Institute for Research in Applicable Computing, University of Bedfordshire, UK and Visiting Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, USA. 

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Free Download | Microsoft Project 2010 Inside Out | Teresa S. Stover, Bonnie Biafore, Andreea Marinescu

Conquer Microsoft Project 2010—from the inside out! You're beyond the basics, so dive right in and really put your project management skills to work! This supremely organized reference packs hundreds of timesaving solutions, troubleshooting tips, and workarounds. It's all muscle and no fluff. Discover how the experts tackle Project 2010—and challenge yourself to new levels of mastery.

Take charge of the project triangle—time, money, and scope—to balance your plan Enable collaboration among team members, sponsors, and other project stakeholders Manually schedule tasks or use the automatic scheduling engine Track and control your project using earned value analysis Create pivot views of project data with Microsoft Excel® 2010 and Visio® 2010 Manage project activities in an enterprise project-management environment Apply your experience to future projects by creating your own custom templates 

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Free Download | C Compilers for ASIPs: Automatic Compiler Generation with LISA | Manuel Hohenauer, Rainer Leupers

The ever increasing complexity and performance requirements of modern electronic devices are changing the way embedded systems are designed and implemented today. The current trend is towards programmable System-on-Chip platforms which employ an increasing number of Application Specific Instruction-set Processors (ASIPs) as building blocks. ASIP design platforms comprise retargetable software development tools that can be adapted quickly to varying target processor configurations. Such tools are usually driven by a processor model given in an Architecture Description Language (ADL), such as LISA. One of the major challenges in this context is retargetable compilation for high-level programming languages like C. First of all, an ADL must capture the architectural information needed for the tool generation in an unambiguous and consistent way. This is particularly difficult for compiler and instruction-set simulator. 

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Free Download | Flash + After Effects | Chris Jackson

Flash Designers: push Flash to the next level with After Effects robust toolset.
* Add motion graphics and visual effects to your Flash projects
* Fuse 3D depth into 2D animations
* Prepare Flash animations for broadcast
* Save development time in executing animations

Combine these two powerhouse applications to expand your multimedia horizons. Flash + After Effects gives the experienced Flash designer a working understanding of the After Effects toolset with professional techniques that raise the design bar for Web, broadcast, or CD/DVD delivery. The companion DVD contains project media that permit you to practice essential After Effects skills that include:
* Working with video and the AE timeline
* Using alpha channels for keying and enhancing interactivity
* Putting vector animation to work with Text and Shape Layers, and animation presets
* Creating 3D backgrounds with cameras and lights
* Animating with Behaviors, Parenting, Expressions and the Puppet Tool
You also get a video primer, render and file optimization techniques, and publishing and streaming guidelines.

Combine two powerhouse applications to:
* Add motion graphics and visual effects
* Fuse 3D depth into 2D animations
* Prepare Flash animations for broadcast
* Save development time

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