The ManMult Booklist

DNS and Bind, 4th edn
Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly & Associates

Most of this book is very technical; designed for people setting up Internet-connected networks. However, it also includes a good description of how the Domain Name system works.

The Apple Macintosh Human Interface Guidelines
Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley
Also available free online here.

Getting on in years now but the background reasoning about the way we use a computer interface are still valid and well explained.

Eon

Science fiction usually gives us glimpses of the future without showing us how it is supposed to work. Greg Bear's novel about a future civilisation includes some interesting ideas about man-machine interaction including use of partial personalities to carry out tasks for us.

Team Roles at Work
Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann

A later work by Belbin refining his research on team roles.

Writing for New Media: The Essential Guide for Writing for Interactive Media, CD-ROMS and the Web.
New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Scripting new media is one of the hidden talents that is often neglected but warrants better understanding and covereage. Hence this reference for those new to interactive scripting.

Design for Multimedia Learning
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall

Developing applications for learning needs extra skills and considerations. This helps set parameters for instructional design.

The Mythical Man-Month. Essays on Software Engineering, 2nd edn.
Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley

Salient insights still highly relevant despite the date of publication.

Managing Risks and Decisions in Major Projects
London: Chapman & Hall

Based on general projects not multimedia, some principles can be appreciated and transferred.

Tele-learning in a Digital World: The Future of Distance Learning.
London: International Thomson Computer

For those who specialise in educational and training applications who appreciate wider knowledge in the subject.

Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams 2nd edn
New York: Dorset House Publishing Co.

Very popular, straight talking, insightful book - so relevant for new media too.

Constructivism and the Technology of Instruction: A Conversation.
Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc

This helps educational and training specialists position theories of learning with technology. Difficult to get but principles explored and developed in later Jonassen books.

A Practical Guide to Usability Testing
Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing Corporation

We can only touch on the subject but for those that want more comprehensive coverage, this is the book.

Blackstone's Guide to the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988.
London: Blackstone Press

Contains a copy of the Act itself and handy aides memoire on things like duration of copyright. UK/European law.

Visible Fictions. Cinema: Television: Video.
London: Routledge & Kegan Paul

A venerable work exploring the relationship between cinema and television. The author expresses surprise at its longevity in his Amazon posting but his analysis of interdependencies between media is worth extrapolating into new forms as well as the 'traditional' ones.

Computer Graphics, Principles and Practice, 2nd edn in C
Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley

The book on computer graphics principles. It looks at CG from the maths outwards so is more for the specialist than the Bryce user.

Web Site Project Management
San Fransisco: Morgan Kaufmann

Written from a business perspective and a good adjunct to our own book.

Principles of Instructional Design, 4th edn.
Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich

A noted book in the development of understanding about learners and how they might learn. See later Gagné books for more up-to-date synopsis.

Writing for Multimedia: Entertainment, Education, Training, Advertising and the World Wide Web.
Boston: Focal Press

Scripting is a specialism and needs further reading like this since we can only place it in a plethora of skills.

Neuromancer

If future interfaces are with our mind and not our body then William Gibson's science fiction (aka cyberpunk) scenarios give us a glimpse. I wonder what Jacob Neilsen would make of it.

Publishing and Multimedia Law
London: Butterworths

Relatively dry but including an invaluable resource of letters and boilerplate contracts. UK Law only of course.

Improve Your People Skills 3rd Edn
London: Institute of Personnel Management

Good for background general team management. Easy to read.

Dust or Magic: Secrets of Successful Multimedia Design
Harlow: Addison-Wesley

A fascinating anecdotal journey through Bob Hughes' work in new media.

Managing the Software Process
Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley

A well respected book which still has relevence. This is the 'conventional' software process background onto which new media tends to bolt itself.

The Technology of Text Vol 1, 2nd edn
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications

Books that really make you re-think many aspects taken for granted. Good despite the publication dates.

The Technology of Text Vol 2, 2nd edn
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications

These volumes have new leases of life because of web text. For some reason Amazon UK has another book on this ISBN.

The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High-Performance Organization
Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press

Helps give a sound understanding of the value of teams to a business. Convincing examples.

Writing for Multimedia: A Guide and Sourcebook for the Digital Writer.
Belmont, CA: Integrated Media Group

An introduction and support tool for budding new media script writers.

Successful Instructional Diagrams
London: Kogan Page

Back to basics to make us re-consider present practices on diagrams as opposed to other visual aids.

How to Read a Film. The Art, Technology, Language, History, andTheory of Film and Media 3rd edn
New York: Oxford University Press

(Mostly) lucid explanations - reads the Amazon review. But apart from a sometimes easy acceptwance of new technologies this book is well received.

Being Digital

Negroponte (of the MIT Media Lab) is a renowned guru of the new media age.

Nguyen HO
(2000)

International User Interfaces
New York: John Wiley & Sons

Very little has been written about this area so this is welcomed and more is needed. Jacob is the man for interface design with more to his name since, including a very perceptive review of web page design.

Designing Web Usability
Indianapolis: New Riders Publishing

I'm somewhat relieved that one of my web sites isn't subjected to Mr Nielsen's insightful analysis. Currently a dog-eared bible for us.

Managing International Teams
London: Pitman Publishing

Virtual teams and dispersed teams are more common in the digital age so insights on international aspects can be valuable despite the publication date.

Human-Computer Interaction
Wokingham: Addison-Wesley

Comprehensive souce/text book - depth as well as breadth - good for background.

Project Management Demystified
London: E & FN Spon

Straightforward, readable introducation to Project Management principles.

Creating Killer Web Sites, 2nd edn
Indianapolis, IN: Hayden Books

Siegel is no shrinking violet, and his theories are not without detractors but, as with Nielsen, it's the background logic that makes this book useful. If you like his designs then that's a bonus.

Internet Law and Regulation, 3rd edn
London: Sweet & Maxwell

Law books always seem to be expensive but if you publish on the Internet you need to have a global view of a legal area that is still finding itself. Smith's book (as editor) clearly outlines potential pitfalls and relates new technology to existing statutes.

Webmaster in a Nutshell, 2nd edn
Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly & Associates

Good background and practical guide to what is involved in a web site.

The Cuckoo's Egg
New York, NY: Pocket Books.

An Amazon reviewer refers to Cliff Stoll as 'one of the quirkiest, most entertaining techno-goobers you'll come across'. Read this book even if you hate computer technology! It's a detective story tracking down a hacker in the early days of the Internet and, along the way, tells you how it all fits together.

The Copyright Book: A Practical Guide to US law, 5th edn
Cambridge, MA: MIT Press

William Strong has vetted our 'legal' chapter for US validity and this is his book explaining the backgound to IPR as she is spoke in America. A potentially useful reference for non-Americans too.

XML for Dummies
Foster City: IDG Books

XML has great potential for information engineering as it provides a standardised way of tagging information based on its meaning rather than how it is supposed to be laid out. Start here.

Team Organization: An Enduring Competitive Advantage
Chichester: Wiley.

Another approach to defining teams. May suit some more than others.

Multimedia: Making It Work, 6th edn
Berkeley, CA: Osborne McGraw-Hill

Glad this has lined up more with our approach and balanced management aspects with production techniques in the later editions. Long may the revisions continue. Always have the latest copy.

The Psychology of the Internet
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Patricia Wallace takes a readable journey through the way people react to the Internet. The insights into use of nicknames and behaviour will be indispensable for anyone running a bulletin board or weblog service.

Art of Digital Video 3rd edn
London: Focal Press

John Watkinson is an excellent explainer of technology and acknowledged as an industry expert.

Film and Television in Education
London: Falmer Press

Background reading for producers of educational and training materials.

On Camera. 2nd edn
London: Focal Press

This started life as a BBC Training video and book and Harris Watts writes having trained many BBC people.

Managing Innovative Projects
London: Chapman & Hall

The appropriately named Mr Webb shifts general Project Management closer to a new media perspective because of the link to innovation.

Planning Projects
London: Industrial Society

Quick and easy reading. General insights can be applied to new media with considerations.