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Rating: 
Summary: Fundamentals is the best book for a first-time user.
Review: Fundamentals has to be the best book for a first-time user of Studio MAX 2. I myself had never used the interface before and only after a few minutes I was creating objects and pieces of a scene. I feel that this book accomplished what it intended, and that was to provide a begining, fundamental book. The book has a vast 17 chapters dedicated to vital aspects of MAX 2. From simple geometry creation to applying textures and materials and finally to rendering and animation. The cover alone of the book is awesome. From reading how Steve Burkes created it made me excited to learn the ability myself. If you are new to MAX, Fundamentals is the first book you need to read. I could not imagine trying to figure MAX out without it. I probably would have given up and scrapped the dream of becoming a computer animator. Don't get me wrong. When you are done with the book, you are not going to be a master of MAX, but you will be a lot more advanced. I just ordered Inside 3D Studio MAX 2, Vol 1, and can't wait to get it.
Rating:
Summary: A Thoughtful Book, but not enough calculators
Review: I found that this book did not focus in on it's subject (ie. calculators). I think that they should have talked more about the different kinds of solar panels on calculators rather than on the buttons. Maybe it's just because I am an infintesmally small micron compared to the vast, endless reaches of space. I am nothing. You are nothing. While we sit here and uselessly while away our pitiful, lonely lives deluding our selves that anything we do makes even the smallest amount of difference to anything. So, next time you go for a 3 am swim with the pink elephants (wink, wink) remember to bring your spoon.
Rating: 
Summary: Very good book to start with, you want more, more, more
Review: I really enjoyed reading this book. It makes you aware of the unlimited possibilities of Max, but nothing more. You keep wanting to know exactly how things can be done. It is a very good starter though. A little more attention could have been given to the material and mapping section. I really recommend this book to anyone who wants to get started seriously with 3D design.
Rating: 
Summary: A nice desk-side companion, but so is a cat
Review: Of course, if you want to learn a program, you have to use it. This book is a nice compendium to draw from for somewhat savy beginners, but it can be, like all books of its ilk, stale and utterly uninteresting to read. I find I use it the most when I stumble across a problem I have while using 3d Studio, and I need a quick explanation of a function or such, but otherwise I didn't find it too helpful when I was first struggling with the program itself. I guess I just lost interest when I sat down at my computer to to read/use it, but perhaps it's because I'm a hateful man.
Rating: 
Summary: Fundamentals? Hardly.
Review: This book is very frustrating...if I have to read the word "powerful' one more time in reference to the program, I'm going to puke! I've used much more difficult 3D programs before...Lightwave, SoftImage and Imagine. What is it about this text that makes this... shudder...supposedly "powerful" program so difficult? The very first tutorial launches into no less than twenty-two (!) functions, some of which are extremely advanced and specialized tools that I know I'll never use again. (Q scale Noise Float?) All the tutorials should start from scratch. How am I going to learn how to perform tasks by scratch if the material on the CD starts them for me? There are files missing on the CD also. I'm a professional animator, experienced in both 2D and 3D mediums, and even when I skipped over to the animation section I thought I'd be covering familiar ground. Wrong! This book is written in such a convoluted way that even basic facts like frame rates (video vs. film) could hardly be more confusing. I could go on, but all I'll say is...don't try to learn 3D studio Max 2 with this book alone. You'll only be in for a world of hurt and frustration.
Rating:
Summary: If you want to learn 3D Studio, you have to want it.
Review: This is a great book, but it isn't going to hold your hand. There are relatively few tutorials compared to the amount of info. presented. The tutorials all give basic models for you to start with, but if you really want to learn this software you should try to recreate the examples on the CD. The only way to learn this complex program is by doing.WARNING: If you want somebody to hold your hand and tell you exactly what to do (ie. not learn the program), then this book is NOT for you. If you want to really learn 3D Studio, then get this book and treat it as a beginner's course outline.
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