I''d suggest "Tricks of the Windows Game Programming Gurus" by Andre LaMothe. That''s how I got started. He''s probably the best programming book writer out there. It covers the basics of DirectX 6.0 (ddraw,dsound,dinput,dmusic) and it''s actually fun to read because he throws all kinds of little jokes in here and there. Don''t worry about DirectX 8. Once you understand DX6 you''ll be able to teach yourself DX8 without too much trouble. (There''s nothing wrong with sticking w/ dx6 anyways, although I''d move on to 8.0 before trying Direct3D) Hope that helps.

d

e e p s k y . s 5 . c o m

"If builders
made buildings the way programmers write programs, 

then
the first woodpecker to come along would destroy civilization." 

-Weinberg''s Law