Bad books should be vigorously criticized if only to warn people NOT to waste their money. That's what forums like these are for. It takes very little effort to write the required number of words to fill a book if most of it is silly crap - as is the case with Shamms Mortier. I also make a living as a writer and I have no respect for people who don't do their homework. And if you know ANYTHING at all about Shamms Mortier's books and the software they purport to cover, then you know he hasn't done any homework. As for why he gets published, the publisher probably gets him cheaply -- so cheaply that they can make a decent return on their investment with very little fuss. Somebody who actually KNOWS something might be a bit more expensive. He writes so many books for them that they must have him under some sort of overall deal. They're undoubtedly paying for bulk and not quality. Do his books sell? Well, in the case of the Poser book, since it was the only one out there for a good long time, that would account for many sales. Also, when you're a complete newbie and you're afraid to do much of anything, Shamm's books are probably very comforting because they require very little intelligence and they do produce SOME (albeit weird) results. And maybe what he does in his books is what the new Poser (or Max or Lightwave) user thinks is the full range of the program. We more experienced users see that as the crime that it is, but to the new inexperienced user, maybe his books, dumb as they are, make you feel competent. All the more reason why we must take on the tedious responsibility of trashing him all to hell and back. It's a tough job, Nosfiratu, but somebody's got to do it.