"Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Administration for Oracle DBAs shows you how to use your experience as an Oracle DBA to get up to speed quickly on the Microsoft SQL Server platform. Authors with real-world expertise in both Oracle and SQL Server introduce you to fundamental concepts, such as SQL Server architecture and core administration, before guiding you through advanced techniques, including performance optimization, high availability and disaster recovery. Platform comparisons, on-the-job examples, and answers to questions raised by Oracle DBAs learning the SQL Server environment help build your skills" --

"The bar keeps getting higher for Maya artists to create human characters that look more, well, human. Autodesk Maya 2012 has the sophisticated tools to make realistic characters, but human artists still need to know how to harness them to get results that audiences believe.Maya Studio Projects: Photorealistic Characters is an all-projects book that shows you how to use Maya 2012's tools to make realistic characters that are ready for professional-level films, videos, and games. Start with a skeleton to create a character; build a facial rig; create different hair styles; use Maya's Fur to create swarthy facial hair such as a beard; experiment with textures and nParticles; fashion your character's shirt and bomber jacket using Maya's nCloth; and understand the process of Performance Capture.Projects serve as a guide for readers to complete their own version. Each project comes with starter, intermediate, and final Maya scene files to validate results, as well as real-world videos for reference.The projects are ideal for professionals already in the field who want to enhance their skill set and also for advanced students who are getting ready to break into the field"--

Explores the life and career of the dwarf Tom Thumb, who toured the world as a curiosity at the behest of showman P.T. Barnum.

Even with all the ups and downs, the stock market is still one of the best places to invest your money. This guide takes you step by step through the exciting but often overwhelming process of stock investing.