[.ca] Focal Easy Guide to Maya 5: For new users and professionals (ISBN 0240519523)

Not so great -:
I'm a beginner, in the first tutorial "modeling binoculars" so many of the steps are not explained - Turn on Snap to Points mode - no instructions on howto. The author lost me after step 15.. And then the rest of the chapter is a loss. I wouldn't get the book if I was just starting out learning Maya..

Excellent Guide!:
I found this book extremely helpful in learning how to model, texture, animate, and even add effects. The step-by-step instructions make the exercises easy to follow, and the list of common hotkeys proved indispensable -- making it easy to navigate around Maya quickly. Jason Patnode also explains texturing and creating bones very clearly, two things I've found difficult in the past. My skills have vastly improved, and I am confident now I can create all kinds of scenes and objects in Maya.

A Must-Have For All Maya Users and CG Afficianados!:
This Focal Easy Guide to Maya 5 is amazing! I have used Maya extensively for nearly 4 years in the motion picture business and this book even showed me things that I didn't know. Jason Patnode's style is easy to read but not patronizing and I think that if I had this book when I first stumbled into the world of professional CG, I'd be light years ahead of where I am now!