Diary of a Wimpy Kid

In The Ugly Truth, our intrepid middle-school hero faces one of life's most awkward challenges: puberty! Ack! Full of humor and heart, this latest installment in the Wimpy Kid series is sure to please Jeff Kinney's legion of fans.


Synopses & Reviews
The highly anticipated third book in the critically acclaimed and bestselling series takes the art of being wimpy to a whole new level.
Lets face it: Greg Heffley will never change his wimpy ways. Somebody just needs to explain that to Gregs father. You see, Frank Heffley actually thinks he can get his son to toughen up, and he enlists Greg in organized sports and other “manly” endeavors. Of course, Greg is able to easily sidestep his fathers efforts to change him. But when Gregs dad threatens to send him to military academy, Greg realizes he has to shape up . . . or get shipped out.
Greg and his family and friends, who make the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books a must-read for middle school readers, are back and at their best in this hilarious new installment of the series, which is sure to please current fans while attracting new ones.

Publishers Weekly-1/19/2009:
The third book in this genre-busting series is certain to enlarge Kinneys presence on the bestseller lists, where the previous titles have taken up residence for the past two years. Kinneys spot-on humor and winning formula of deadpan text set against cartoons are back in full force. This time, Greg starts off on New Years Day (he resolves to “help other people improve,” telling his mother, “I think you should work on chewing your potato chips more quietly”) and ends with summer vacation. As he fends off his fathers attempts to make him more of a man (the threat of military school looms), Gregs hapless adventures include handing out anonymous valentines expressing his true feelings (“Dear James, You smell”), attempting to impress his classmate Holly and single-handedly wrecking his soccer teams perfect season. Kinney allows himself some insider humor as well, with Greg noting the “racket” childrens book authors have going. “All you have to do is make up a character with a snappy name, and then make sure the character learns a lesson at the end of the book.” Greg, self-centered as ever, may be the exception proving that rule. Ages 8–12. (Jan.)

Autobiography of Mark Twain: The Complete and Authoritative Edition, Volume 1

"I've struck it!" Mark Twain wrote in a 1904 letter to a friend. "And I will give it away — to you. You will never know how much enjoyment you have lost until you get to dictating your autobiography." Thus, after dozens of false starts and hundreds of pages, Twain embarked on his "Final (and Right) Plan" for telling the story of his life. His innovative notion — to "talk only about the thing which interests you for the moment" — meant that his thoughts could range freely. The strict instruction that these texts remain unpublished for 100 years meant that when they came out, he would be "dead, and unaware, and indifferent," and that he was therefore free to speak his "whole frank mind."

The year 2010 marks the 100th anniversary of Twain's death. In celebration of this important milestone and in honor of the cherished tradition of publishing Mark Twain's works, UC Press is proud to offer for the first time Mark Twain's uncensored autobiography in its entirety and exactly as he left it. This major literary event brings to readers, admirers, and scholars the first of three essential volumes and presents Mark Twain's authentic and unsuppressed voice, brimming with humor, ideas, and opinions, and speaking clearly from the grave as he intended.

Decision Points

President George W. Bush describes the critical decisions of his presidency and personal life.

Decision Points is the extraordinary memoir of America’s 43rd president. Shattering the conventions of political autobiography, George W. Bush offers a strikingly candid journey through the defining decisions of his life.

In gripping, never-before-heard detail, President Bush brings readers inside the Texas Governor’s Mansion on the night of the hotly contested 2000 election; aboard Air Force One on 9/11, in the hours after America’s most devastating attack since Pearl Harbor; at the head of the table in the Situation Room in the moments before launching the war in Iraq; and behind the Oval Office desk for his historic and controversial decisions on the financial crisis, Hurricane Katrina, Afghanistan, Iran, and other issues that have shaped the first decade of the 21st century.
President Bush writes honestly and directly about his flaws and mistakes, as well as his accomplishments reforming education, treating HIV/AIDS in Africa, and safeguarding the country amid chilling warnings of additional terrorist attacks. He also offers intimate new details on his decision to quit drinking, discovery of faith, and relationship with his family.
A groundbreaking new brand of memoir, Decision Points will captivate supporters, surprise critics, and change perspectives on one of the most consequential eras in American history – and the man at the center of events.

Amazing Android Apps For Dummies

Find the Android apps that are right for you so you can have fun and get more done!

The popularity of Android apps is exploding and this handy guide helps you sort through the thousands of available applications so you can find the ones that are ideal for you. You'll explore a variety of apps in the areas of entertainment, finance, health, food, music, news, weather, photography, reference, dining out, social networking, sports, travel, and more. Author Daniel Begun helps you navigate through this enormous—and potentially overwhelming—array of Android apps.

• Holds your hand through the oftentimes overwhelming app selection and shares helpful advice for sorting through the tens of thousands of apps to find the ones that are right for you
• Helps you uncover which apps are worth the price and what's fabulous for free
• Provides advice on what apps work best for all your favorite hobbies – from movies to music, sports to social networking, fitness to fun games, and everything in between

Amazing Android Apps For Dummies walks you through the process of finding, purchasing, and installing the most appealing apps for your needs.

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Introducing Character Animation with Blender , 2nd Edition

Introducing Character Animation with Blender, 2^nd Edition is written in a friendly but professional tone, with clear descriptions and numerous illustrative screenshots. Throughout the book, tutorials focus on how to accomplish actual animation goals, while illustrating the necessary technical methods along the way. These are reinforced by clear descriptions of how each specific aspect of Blender works and fits together with the rest of the package. By following all the tutorials, the reader will gain all the skills necessary to build and animate a well-modeled, fully-rigged character of their own. The character built over the course of the tutorials is included as a .blend file on the DVD, for the reader to experiment with and learn from. Introducing Character Animation with Blender, 2^nd Edition is inspiring as well as educational. A color insert includes sample characters and frames from animations by many of the Blender community's most talented artists, which help to illustrate the impressive potential of the software.
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Blender For Dummies, 2nd Edition

The exciting new book on the exciting new Blender 2.5!

If you want to design 3D animation, here's your chance to jump in with both feet, free software, and a friendly guide at your side! Blender For Dummies, 2^nd Edition is the perfect introduction to the popular, open-source, Blender 3D animation software, specifically the revolutionary new Blender 2.5. Find out what all the buzz is about with this easy-access guide. Even if you’re just beginning, you'll learn all the Blender 2.5 ropes, get the latest tips, and soon start creating 3D animation that dazzles.

• Walks you through what you need to know to start creating eye-catching 3D animations with Blender 2.5, the latest update to the top open-source 3D animation program
• Shows you how to get the very most out of Blender 2.5's new multi-window unblocking interface, new event system, and other exciting new features
• Covers how to create 3D objects with meshes, curves, surfaces, and 3D text; add color, texture, shades, reflections and transparency; set your objects in motion with animations and rigging; render your objects and animations; and create scenes with lighting and cameras

If you want to start creating your own 3D animations with Blender, Blender For Dummies, 2^nd Edition is where you need to start!

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ZBrush Studio Projects: Realistic Game Characters

Tips and techniques for bringing reality and creativity to your game characters and art

As video games evolve, the bar moves ever higher for realism, one of the most challenging artistic frontiers is creating realistic human characters. In ZBrush Studio Projects: Realistic Game Characters, ZBrush expert Ryan Kingslien zeroes in on specific areas of concern for game creation: human body style, faces, skin texturing, clothing, shoes, weaponry, and putting your character into a game environment. Throughout the book Ryan offers tips and insights that provide readers with the depth and breadth they need to bring reality and creativity to their game characters and art. Projects start from the beginning, just as they do in the studio, with the author to guide you step by step through attributes and tools. Projects encompass multiple disciplines to obtain finished, professional results.Although some step by step explanations are given, projects serve more as a guide for readers to complete their own version of the project. Each project comes with support files to validate results

• Covers one of the most unique challenges for game artists -- sculpting realistic and moveable human characters for a game environment
• Brings you up to speed on ZBrush, the top digital sculpting tool used to create characters and props in such games as Rock Band and World of Warcraft
• Covers body style, faces, skin texturing, clothing, shoes, weaponry, and how to put your character into a game environment
• Provides in-depth techniques and tips for everyone from aspiring digital sculptors to high-level professional ZBrush artists
• Includes a DVD with supporting files from the projects in the book, as well as videos that illustrate concepts

Build the next game-winning action character with ZBrush and this professional guide!