John, If you're looking for a great book on computer graphics, try
"The Reconfigured Eye", by William Mitchell, and published by the MIT
Press this year. Mitchell's book covers the field of computer
graphics, its methods and the many issues raised by the medium in a
way that will not become "obsolete" any time soon. He covers
processes such as "phong shading" or "image filters" or "gamma" with
clear, thought provoking language and excellent graphics.