I got my hands on Susan Kitchens Real World book and the Bryce F/X book and I have to say that they go together well. Real World is by far more technical but an excellent book. I tried to "read" it but bashed by face in it when I fell asleep when I first got it. Now, I use it more for reference when I want to know something. I have followed some of the tutorials in it and when I did, it made a lot of things clear to me that had a heavy gaussian blur on it before. I treat the F/X book the same way. If something isn't clear int he RW book, I will look in the F/X book and vice versa. Bottom line, like Sharen said in the very first response, go with the Real World book. And, when you can't inderstand it there, post your question in this forum, hehe

Because I like to blow $%&# up.

Don't fear the night.  Fear what hunts at night.