\centerline{\bf Stuff to read} \medskip \noindent $\star$Arabic Word Processing, Joseph D. Becker, {\it Communications of the ACM}, July 1987, 30(7), pp. 600--610. Using the Xerox {\it Viewpoint Documentor}, which is capable of handling text in any intermixture of the world's scripts, this article describes and discusses many of the problems associated with the various forms of Arabic. \smallskip \noindent $\star$Word Division in Spanish, Jos\'e A. Ma\~nas, {\it Communications of the ACM}, July 1987, 30(7), pp. 612--616. Strangely, this only references the 1979 \TeX\ \& \MF\ book, and does not mention Liang's algorithm. But the good news is that Spanish has a rigid lexical structure which allows a rule-based hyphenation to be wholly successful. \smallskip \noindent $\star$Typesetting with {\sc \TeX tures}: a Review, Sak Wath\-an\-asin, {\it Apple 2000}, October 1987, 2(5), 68--72. A provoking and interesting review which seeks to put {\sc \TeX tures} in its place in the Macintosh world. Many of his comments are applicable to \TeX. \smallskip \noindent $\star${\sc daphne} (Document Application Processing in a Heterogeneous Network Environment) --- an Implementation Based on the Standard Generalized Markup Language \SGML, Craig Smith, {\it \SGML\ Users' Group Bulletin}, 1986, 1(2), 75--82. Besides competing for the longest article title, it describes the implementation of {\sc daphne}, which just happens to use \TeX\ as its formatter. \smallskip \noindent $\star$Formatting \SGML\ Documents: Essence and Solution, Craig Smith, {\it \SGML\ Users' Group Bulletin}, 1987, 2(1), 4--8. Although \TeX\ (and {\sc daphne}) take something of a back seat, they are still there in spirit. \smallskip \noindent $\star$Typesetting in Context, Max Whitby, {\it DTP Desktop Publishing}, October 1987, 18--22. Decribes and compares {\sc \TeX tures}, Mac\TeX\ and Just\kern-1ptText. ``The \TeX book (which) has good cartoons but is about as readable as a car repair manual''. Max ends up sitting on the fence between Just\kern-1ptText and \TeX, and also between {\sc \TeX tures} and Mac\TeX. But some of his examples are nice. \smallskip \noindent $\star$The Power Behind The Page, Karl Dallas, {\it DTP Desktop Publishing}, October 1987, 37--43. Quite a useful review of some page description languages. Karl includes \ps, Interpress, ImPress, Prescribe, \TeX\ and Cora as pdls. Obviously {\it sensu lato}. \smallskip \noindent $\star${\it win} and {\it sin\/}: Predicate Transformers for Concurrency, Leslie Lamport, {\it Report \#17, DEC System Research Center}. Just for all those who wondered what it is that Leslie does when he isn't doing \LaTeX. \smallskip \noindent $\star$Exploiting the LN03: \TeX, Phil Taylor, {\it Dec User}, May 1987, 47. An attempt to brighten the dull lives of LN03 laser printer users, and to emphasise DEC's reluctant support of proper laser printing. \smallskip \noindent $\star${\sl Page One\/} A New Breed of Page-Making Software, Gord Graham, {\it Small Press}, June 1987, 53--55. As you might guess, really a description of McCutcheon Graphics' \TeX\ front end. One fascinating quote (out of context, of course) is ``\TeX\ exhibits the telltale horns and feet of a goat''. {\it Page One\/} seems even more restrictive than \LaTeX, but equally well, appears to have a very real potential in the more traditional publishing marketplace. \smallskip \noindent $\star$Book Publishers can turn over a new leaf with desktop system, Renate Lerch, {\it The Financial Post}, March 16, 1987, C3. Does not mention \TeX\ (or {\it Page One\/}), but it is about McCutcheon Graphics and their ``desktop publishing system''. \smallskip \noindent $\star$Type-X: Drawing a Bead on Book Publishers, Jerome P. Frank, {\it Publishers Weekly}, May 1, 1987, 30--35. Includes a description of {\it Page One\/}, and even mentions Mac\TeX\ (``batch pagination software'' --- how the mighty are fallen!). \smallskip \noindent $\star$Book publishers turn to Page One to save money and time, Anon, {\it Printaction}, July 1987, 19. Yet more about {\it Page One\/}. Covers much the same ground as the other articles, but lays more stress on its ability to import Microsoft Word. Credits the success of {\it Page One\/} to Mac\TeX. \smallskip \noindent $\star$Rectangular Convolution for Fast Filtering of Characters, Avi Naiman \& Alain Fournier, {\it Computer Graphics}, July 1987, 21(4), 233--241. Centres around the exploitation of greyscale fonts. This should help to increase the effective resolution of characters by using grey pixels, on devices which support that facility. \smallskip \noindent $\star$Character Generation Under Grid Constraints, Roger D. Hersch, {\it Computer Graphics}, July 1987, 21(4), 243--251. Addresses the problem of producing attractive and regular characters on middle resolution devices, describing an algorithm which allows {\it subpixel phasing} to be applied to critical parts of the character. \rightline{\sl Malcolm Clark}