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62 Book Reviews transparency within the steam-created opaquish field ... the excitement and the joy of painting on glass has its source in the contrast it creates between the clear, unpainted areas and the painted, obscured ones. This contrast is the most important and essential quality of painting on glass." The author conveys, by the end of the book, the excitement and the joy and also the extreme complexity of this ancient art. My only complaint is that this quotation appears not on page I but page 57. The first third of the book consists of lists of paints, techniques of mixing, brushes, tools, etc. It takes a long while to get to the point of it all. The reader who approaches the book without the background or the interest to persist will miss an enlightening view ofa technique that is regaining a place in present-day art. After a briefthree pages of overview the author plunges into a detailed explanation of how to apply vitreous paint, a mixture of ground glass and a pigment of metallic oxides. He first illustrates (with many photographs) the techniques and materials for "tracing: the linear dimension" and then for "matting: the tonal dimension". Matting consists of applying a translucent coat of color to the surface of a large area of glass and is "a controlling factor in the window's transluoency, dimensionality, contrast, vibrations, balance and finishing touch." These chapters are clearly descriptive of how to master the methods and would certainly be invaluable both to the experienced artist and to a novice. Included here is a two-page history of stained glass and the development of painting on it. I wish the author had written more about stained glass. His intention, however, was to write a "source book for artists turning to the medium of glass" (the bookjacket description) and he has succeeded. The later chapters on staining, enameling, etching and kiln firing the finished product illustrate forcefully the demanding nature of the medium. In addition to the problems and opportunities that are shared with painting on an opaque surface, there are those unique to glass. For example, will the window receive a lot of light and require a subdued color scheme or receive little light and benefit from a brighter one? Do you wish to see through the window so that the exterior view interacts with the window? How does one integrate the supporting bars with the design? The writing is excellent. An indication of the success of the book is that it makes me want to experiment with painting on glass. Byte Book of Computer Music. Christopher Morgan, ed. Byte/McGraw Hill, New York, 1979. 144 pp., illus. $10.00. ISBN: 0-931718-11-2. Reviewed by S. Wilson* The book is a collection of articles about music that appeared in BYTE Magazine during the pioneering years of microcomputers (1977-78) plus some added essays. It includes articles about construction of simple computer-based hardware to generate music, software to control music generating computers, and unusual music-related projects that involve computers such as an interface to run a pneumatic piano. There are ample illustrations including photographs of the finished projects, electronic schematic diagrams, and program listings. One weakness of the book is the lack of a good orientation for beginners. Many of the articles assume significant background in electronics and programming. Most of the software articles deal with assembly language programming. Also many of the articles are dated. It fails to cover many of the new technologies available for the independent experimenter. The book also has its strengths. For the experimenter with experience there are several hands-on, detailed decriptions of real devices that can be built. Because the authors had to work with limited technologies, their articles explain how to accomplish much with little support. The book captures the wonderful spirit of exploration that characterized those halcyon early days of microcomputers. The book is a historical gem illustrating work that has the intensity of both science and art. Some of the projects discussed, such as adapting electronic organ chips for home projects, using a computerto run a pipe organ, and converting geological terrain data into music will appeal...

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