How can I tell / find out what each race does when making a new character? The descriptions are completely useless and oversimplified, they do not show me anything about what the racial bonuses actually do.

Also, how do I view my character from the front in third person view after creating it?

The in game menus and information is severely lacking and frustrating on the PC. I know that Todd Howard didnt want it to to be 'spreadsheety', but there is like absolutely no way of telling what anything does!

http://skyrimguild.com/picking-your-race-in-skyrim/

From what I have seen over the last week or so, online information tends to be completely wrong / different on different sites as they copy / paste information that they seem to have pulled out of their *bleeps*.

Why cant it just tell you inside the actual game what each race does???

I was worrying about my Breton Mage not being as competent as a high elf, but now I see that the faster magicka regeneration on the high elf is only a 60s power like the Dragonskin, and I think that 25% magic resistance is much more useful than +50 magicka so I'll keep on playing my Breton mage