Computing Internet Books

This book tends to become scattered, and the author seems to ramble at times. I was expecting more simple explanation by example, but what examples there were seemed to contain large amounts of code that belonged in an entirely different topic. I tended to notice alot of "I'm showing you this, but I'm not going to say anything about it in this book."...

This is not to say that there is no useful information in this book, but it is difficult and tiring to get to. The content seems to drift towards generalized advice in many areas, rather than actual instruction.

I would say that this book would be worth owning only if you have a good core of ASP.net knowledge, and want a book that will increase the dsetail of your knowledge in a wandering manner.

After many tries, I've officially given up reading this book at Chapter 17 of this 23 chapter book. This book definetely doesn't belong in the "mastering" series of sybex. I've followed along many books of this series, from SQL, to VB to Server 2003, etc, but this one just doesn't measure up to the quality of the others. Here are the problems with this book:

1. Too many samples, but not enough explanations. I'll be happy if the author presents complicated topics, as long as he explains them thouroughly. But not here, all you get, is one long-winded code after another, but only a sentense or two to explain what the heck is going on in the code. So usually as I read a chapter, I would counsult another book, so I can have some clue what was just covered. Not an ideal learning experience.
2. Too boring. The author doesn't inject one iota of humor, or any kind of real world examples, or applications for his codes. The explanations are terse and dry, and felt as if, the author doesn't really care, or care to know, that at the other end, there's another person reading this.

This is the best asp.net with c# book for beginner and experienced web developer among the 4 similar books I bought 4 momths ago, this is the only one I read trough and do it from first to last chapter. Thanks, Russell.

I have 3 other Mastering books and they are all great. This one is not in that category. Mastering C#, Mastering VB.NET and Mastering Cool Fusion 5.0 are all very good books. This author seems like a real C#/ASP.NET Guru but has no ability to convey that knowledge in a clear concise way. It seems to me like everything is just dumped on the pages instead of being built up step by step. This book might be good if you are already very good at ASP.NET and want to gleam some more insight into some of the deeper workings of ASP.NET, but definitely NOT as a beginner/intermediate book. I consider ASP.NET Unleashed a masterpiece compared to this book. After chapter 6, I just gave up and am going to purchase another ASP.NET C# book to meet my needs.

I've been trying to use this book as my primary reference for ASP.NET for a couple of months now, and I'm to the point where I'm going to go out and buy another book.

This book could be dramatically improved if it had been under the kind eye of rigorous editor, one that would have pulled all the spurious soapboxing and helped refocus the book on addressing topics the author is not favorable towards.

A couple of examples:

1) Paragraphs of prose dedicated to a lengthy explanation as to why usernames and passwords are obsolete, bordering on arrogance. Finally, begrudgingly, getting to the meat of what I need to know: how to do authenticated login. I wouldn't mind so much if the author was providing relevant insight into the directions that the industry is taking, but his proposition that smart cards and biometrics will overtake passwords is the same old rhetoric expounded over the last decade... which has not come to pass.

2) An attitude of MS Access = Bad. Yes, SQL is one of the stonger solutions for the back end, and sure, you should use MSDE if you can't do SQL, but I have a client that needs it to be MS Access. To completely short-change Access is to write yourself out of a very real segement of the market.

In essence, I think this book suffers by actively distancing itself from real-world issues. A more pragmatic, non-preaching approach would have been better, one that focussed on what *I* need, not what the author feels compelled to tell me about.

Ignoring the soapboxes, the rest of the book is pretty good. The author obviously knows his ASP.NET. I'll keep this book around as a secondary reference, but I'm out hunting for a new primary reference.

I generally dislike writing reviews like this, but I dropped ... this book (a local Borders) and I would really have liked to have seen a review like this before I made that decision.

Silicon cheaps are cheap to produce. They will appear everywhere in time. Obvious but true concept, but useful if one uses it to consider future designs, investments, strategies, etc.

Ubiquitous computing can mean different things to different people, especially without a concise yet comprehensive description. The book contains a series of statements which I feel helps to define or characterize what ubiquitous computing is about and some of its unique features. I found the book helpful in explaining ideas at a non-technical level without being too abstract. Lastly, "everyware" is a really good word that I think does capture the idea of ubiquitous computing well. Instead of people going to the computer to get things done, the computer has come out to where things are done.

"Everyware" is a magnificent, quixotic foray into the future. At once boldly assertive in attempting to define the evolving trend of ubiquitous computing, it's also disarmingly self-effacing as the author describes his own slowness to adopt, and doubts about, the same technology. As an attempt to thoroughly survey the elusive, ever-evolving world of ubiquitous computing, it is a tour de force.

The text is an impressive series of 81 precise "theses" that describe "the dawning age of ubiquitous computing". Each thesis explores, through historical antecedent and incisive contemporaneous analysis, one aspect of the arriving "ubicomp" paradigm which he terms "everyware."

Author Adam Greenfield seems to have presaged nearly all useful comment on the nature and near future direction of ubiquitous computing. Compared to this work, even such transformative declarations as the Cluetrain Manifesto come across as merely sophomoric, though sincere drumbeats.

Greenfield is a facile conceptualist, comfortable with traditional academic discipline yet easily capable of creating significant buzz with an avant garde writing style molded through constant travel and communication with moblogging ubicomp fanatics from Tokyo to Stockholm. A thought leader, and certainly not a follower, he's always eager to cross swords with iconic figures of the new media establishment, or to ally with them.

Greenfield's style is to trace geodesic descriptive arcs around the ever-evolving space of this subject. In his view, "Everyware" is driven in parts by historical dialectic, cultural evolution, technological invention and entrepreneurial testosterone. In each thesis we are tantalized and left wanting more. Many of Greenfield's theses could easily - and should be - developed into full volumes on their own.

The text frequently and informally refers to events, people, objects and technologies both present and past that support or amplify the author's points, bespeaking extensive research and correspondence. Despite this thoroughness, the book lacks citations and bibliography, perhaps in an effort to make the content seem less weighty and more of a visionary discussion.

Predictive today, this book may become increasingly relevant as its grand vision becomes reality. It may be that an historical perspective will be needed to fully appreciate this contribution. Its meaning and value will be different in "middle age" (say 4 years from now) when Greenfield's many predictions can be evaluated against coetaneous events. The final test will be well down the line when the influence of "Everyware" as manifesto can be seen in historical context.

One of the most endearing aspects of Greenfield's style is his own self-effacing, fundamentally human take on subjects large and small. He writes as the daring internationalist conceptual thinker he is, but never loses sight of his own humanity. He often makes an arching, bitingly tight commentary, which is immediately leavened gently by a genuine and warm personal perspective.

Greefield's personal style infuses the work and subtly develops what may be the most important message of the entire work: the urgent need to preserve humanity and user-centricity in the component development of this overwhelmingly complex and centerless computing system, one that may someday control the electronic infrastructure of the 21st century world.

Despite my enthusiasm for it, there IS a serious problem with "Everyware." The great flaw of this book is lack of a central theme. Despite skillful seques from one thesis ending into the next, the book remains a series of essays whose essential points interconnect, leaving the reader with the task of finding the larger common denominator. It's as if the author were describing each brilliant facet of a diamond, without ever describing the gem itself. It may be possible to describe a whole through the intimate dissection of its parts, but it's hard on a reader. I'd prefer reading the same material structured as a series of proofs supporting a central theme. With such backbone, it would be far easier to learn, test and evaluate the theses.

A less important though still serious shortcoming is the author's exclusive reliance on (sometimes overwhelmingly complex) text. Reading "Everyware" is not for the faint of heart, as its concepts do not enter one's consciousness easily. Despite a clear attempt to write simply, Greenfield's style is inherently complex and he often writes with a fairly high "Fog Index." As a result the reader must pay close attention, but the result in stimulation and knowledge is well worth the effort.

Visual learners will find the book difficult going. Despite numerous footnotes, there is not a single illustration or diagram in the work, nor are there more than a few URL references. For an author and design critic who celebrates beauty in his core (see Greenfield's v-2.org), this is a curious, and galling omission. The theses are replete with references to objects and sites we never see, thus forcing the reader to conjure understanding through the exercise of imagination. I found this highly distracting and made it more difficult to read the work.

Such heavy reliance on text works to exclude visually oriented people, many of whom may be involved in the design of ubicomp hardware and software, and who need to get the message. It also seems odd that Greenfield, until recently a practicing information architect, did not at publication prepare a companion "Everyware" website through which readers could see and experience the scores of supportive examples he provides in support of his theses.

To be fair, it may be that Greenfield (and/or his publisher) did not want to commit resources to the visual description of a subject likely to change within months, preferring to aim at more universal points that might survive the roiling rate of evolution in the field. Time and expense may have been an issue for this first time effort (obtaining reproduction rights and creating original artwork can take much time and money).

Having said that, it seems curiously unforgivable that a book that rides the edge of thought about a potentially significant evolution in human thought and technology should be so lacking in employment of that same technology. It seems incomprehensible that the content was not produced and marketed with equally avant-garde methods such as viral marketing, print on demand production that allows frequent updates, e-book or PDF format (with live links) and website support.

Perhaps time was a factor. The book does seem rushed and breathless, as if it were composed in tense moments of brilliance at a Starbucks, or while infused with ideas after a conference. This tone, taken with the exclusion of graphical elements, makes it seem like the author wanted to be the first on the block to announce "everyware'" and to be credited with coinage of the term. Whether this perception is true or not, it does lead to the conclusion that "Everyware" is a well-crafted effort, but one in dire need of a more thoughtfully considered, better-budgeted, and website-supported second edition.

On the other hand, conceptual density and complex sentence structure seem necessary for Greenfield. His mind works so fast and at such a complex level that he literally needs an explosive, quick way to get the ideas out. I hope that in a subsequent edition, the assistance of more patient and less driven editors would enhance and expand the audience for this importantly predictive and analytical work. A richly graphic approach to the next version would further expand the audience for these important ideas.

In deference to both the reader and the essence of ubicomp, perhaps a future edition can be packaged with (or be)a flash device with a web server embedded in it, containing the text and a full library of reference visuals, diagrams and videos that expand and amplify the concept in the book. By using such a device the reader can be plugged into the meaning of "Everyware" not only informationally but experientially.

"Everyware" rates a B PLUS. B for brilliant because Greenfield truly is, and PLUS for being a superb beginning but not (yet) a home run.

As a final note, I feel sure that "Everyware" is not the last word coming from Adam Greenfield on the subject of ubiquitous computing. An emerging movement couldn't have a more passionate, persuasive and skillful evangelist, nor one whose own humanity and affinity for others helps soften the fear of the unknown, and can help convert resistance to change into open-eyed anticipation.

It's just a series of repetitive dissertations that reinforce the point that ubiquitous computing will exist in the future. If you know that already, this is nothing new or interesting.

The term everyware is defined as the ability to access significant computing power from any location, and does not necessarily mean that computer chips are embedded in everything. Hence the contraction from "everywhere software." While chips may not be embedded in everything, that scenario is certainly possible in the near future, as only two preconditions are necessary.

*) Each tag must be uniquely identifiable. This is currently being enacted, Internet Protocol Version 6 has an address space that would allow every grain of sand on Earth to have multiple, unique addresses.
*) The cost of the embedded chips must drop, the figure most commonly cited is less than five cents.

While the first condition is already being implemented, everyone following the history of computing knows that the second is only a matter of time. Most industry watchers believe that this basic threshold will be reached no later than 2008.
Therefore, there are no significant technological barriers to the implementation of everyware. The question then becomes, "Do we as a society want it?" Certainly, we want the convenience that everyware provides. By monitoring the state of health of our bodies, houses and vehicles, our comfort and safety levels will rise. However, there is an enormous downside to this as well. With the advent of everyware, personal privacy will be even more a thing of the past. It will be possible to know the location of a person at all times, both physically and in cyberspace, the people they are with, what they are doing and what they have purchased. It is also clear that divorce lawyers will try to obtain records of the locations of people in order to try to prove that the opposing spouse is guilty of some form of malfeasance. It will no longer be necessary for spies to hide in vehicles and behind bushes.
This book examines both the positive and negative sides of these issues and summarizes the consequences of what will clearly be a revolution. The laws regarding the use of personal data will have to be substantially rewritten to handle these issues, as the gains of everyware will be too strong to prevent the implementation. I cite as evidence the widespread use of cell phones and other mobile devices. Marketing people would find it easy to identify a customer at a purchase point such as a gas station by the number of their credit card. Once you are identified, the screen on the pump would then display items you are known to favor. The same thing can be done in stores, if you are identified when you walk by or in the store, a sales pitch targeted specifically to you would appear.
The recent disclosure that the American Government is monitoring phone calls points out the potential for good and bad uses for data. Guilt by association is not guilt by fact, yet it easy to see how zealous law enforcement could arrive at the former. Everyware would make that conclusion very easy.
I will be teaching a course in the fundamentals of computing in the fall of 2006. After reading this book, I added it to my required list and will be using it as a secondary text this fall.

Although the title is new, this book is based on the authors' 1998 book titled "Web PErformance Metrics, Models and Methods (ISBN 0136938221). This book is more than a minor rewrite - the chapters are in a different sequence, and each has been updated. None of the information that made the older book such a valuable resource was lost in the process. For example, the material on queuing theory and analysis remains, and it among the best written tutorials in print. What has changed includes:

(1) Shifting of focus from client/server and web server environments to web services, with an emphasis on performance characteristics of SOAP and UDDI. Client server issues are still covered because these issues are still germane.

(2) An emphasis on architecture and how performance and capacity fit into a larger picture. Network and server performance characteristics are examined in detail.

What hasn't changed includes the excellent material on performance and benchmarking basics, detailed analysis techniques, and the support for this book that the authors provide on the book's web site. I especially like the Excel spreadsheets that you can download to use in conjunction with material in nearly every chapter.

Overall, this is one more of a series of books on various aspects of performance and capacity management. I also recommend reading their companion book, "Scaling for E-Business: Technologies, Models, Performance, and Capacity Planning" (ISBN 0130863289), which covers the applications level of e-commerce systems and seamlessly complements the material in this book.

As Web Services get implemented, this book can be a vital tool in planning for the deployment. The authors have a rigorous methodology to estimate the many performance issues encountered when you try to build out an actual Web Service. They discuss important ideas like content delivery networks, which cache or mirror content at different physical locations, so that the response time to a user's query is minimised. And it also adds redundancy. Think Akamai, for instance.

A crucial aspect they explain is how to develop a cost model for a data centre facing a certain expected rate of queries coming in from the net. Practical advice on what things to cost out and how to do so, as shown in various examples.

Most books on Web Services published after this book often discuss the networking together of various services. Using WSDL or BPEL to describe these configurations. BPEL may not have even existed in 2001 when the book was published. But the book is certainly not outdated. Nothing in it is tied to a specific version of a Web Services grammar. Those other books are more about explaining the syntax. Few delve into actual deployment scaling issues that cannot be avoided if you have to go live.

This Book is clearly dedicated to the beginner to search engine optimization!! I read this book over the weekend and it was like a flash back of reading the original "search engine visibility" first edition. I'm not knocking this edition, simply stating this is not for the advance search engine optimizer.

I was shocked that the book didn't dedicate anytime on how to best optimize multi country sites and the 2.0 buzz of the many social media tactics to capture additional organic traffic.
I would say if you're new to SEO great buy the book, if you have any experience pass in the fast lane.

Benjamin Burns

This is an excellent book, well written and very detailed, a must have for anyone starting a website and SEO

Shari Thurow should consider updating this title. It's only three, going on four, years old, but much has changed in the world of search engines.

Even so, the book is very worthwhile for anyone new to the subject of search engine optimization. If your budget is limited, however, Peter Kent's book on search engine optimization might be the better advised purchase.

Jerry

The specifics are outdated in this book, but well worth the purchase price for the general principles that will probably remain timeless.

Decent layout/structure

Great for a total SEO novice

In this recent 2nd edition, Thurow includes both overview material and the details of how to accomplish this critical goal for commercial sites. It's conceptual and it's useable -- a refreshing combination in this field. I found it immediately applicable, and also well-written.

This was my first purchase from amazon and I was totally impressed by the quality of the product and the service!

Herbert Schildt's "C++: The Complete Reference" is a gargantuan tome indeed. It fully covers the C++ syntax, and gives useful, working examples that demonstrate each of the language's features. If you're a professional (or hobbyist) working on a project and need to quickly look up how to use some part of C++ syntax, then this book is absolutely perfect. If you're a developer who has spent his/her life working in C and want to (or need to!) learn C++, then you'll find this book's content well organized and you'll be able to find what you need instantly.

Also, this book seems as though it could function as a tutorial for the complete beginner. Now, I didn't learn C++ from this book initially, so I can't really speak from experience, but the book DOES cover the entire syntax and it does so in an unpretentious and very clear manner. The only thing that it's missing for newbies is exercises -- but if you're really serious, you'll make up your own little tasks, or try to extend/modify the examples.

I program video games as a hobby and have used this as a reference countless times in various projects. I've obviously bought other reference books ("C++ in a Nutshell", and Stroustrup's tome), but I find that this book is my most used and most beloved reference.

So, if you're looking for a clear, easy to understand reference on C++, I reccomend this tome. If you're a true C++ neophyte, then perhaps you should purchase this book along with Schildt's "C++: A beginner's Guide" or "C++ from the Ground Up" (also by Schildt).

Nice book if you want to learn c++. I bought also thinking in c++ by bruce eckel but it is difficult reading and understanding. If you really want to learn c++ search no further, buy this book.

Most of my work is done at a low level using C with occassional C++ work usually with certain parts of C++ heavily restructed due to performance and maintenance problems. So recently when I needed to brush up on all of C++ for some application level work where I knew I would be code reviewing and or writing using some of the more beastly aspects of the language I went through my 8 or 10 C++ books to pick one to spend some time with and remind myself of the particulars of things I don't normally use. I chose this book and was happily surprised. It is organized properly, clearly written, and accomplished what I needed it to do in a minimum of time.

My older references are in storage and I thought it would be neat to have a c++ ref on my kindle. It says reference and the reviews are good, so I bought it.

I wanted to be reminded of how to use variable numbers of parameters for macro defines. Forget whether this is a good idea. It's a language feature and I want to know how it works.

#define with parameters is handled in one paragraph which doesn't even include the possibility of multiple parameters, let alone any details. Given this, I was curious to see if there was any discussion of the continuation-line functionality in the preprocessor. Nope. Not there.

I'm sure this is a wonderful c++ primer as the other reviews indicate. My spot check demonstrates that this is in no way a complete reference.

Even if you don't like a coding style, completeness allows you to read the code of others.

So I'm out $28 bucks and my question isn't answered. oh well.

Excellent service, excellent price, and excellent product quality. I certainly look forward to doing business with this place again.

[...]
What review stars mean to be at a glance:

5 stars = A Must have for your Book Shelf - perfect for cooking or a guide for traveling! Worth Full Price

4 stars = A great read - may fit special interests - I recommend you to buy it if the subject appeals to you. Worth Full Price

3 stars = Interesting material - read it if you have time; buy it if the subject appeals to you. Look for it used at a discount. Also, it is worth looking for it at your local library (if not available, try interlibrary loan).

2 stars = It is worth a look at your library if the subject interests you

1 star = Look at it if you come across it, or try another title on the same subject
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Add the disclaimer - Patrick Bosley has not been compensated for this review; some books may contain reference to the Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn because Moonlite is an authority on Southern Food and Barbecue. In such a case, Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn did not receive any compensation or extra consideration for the above review.

I have read a large number of ebay books, and this one is by far the best. It is the most complete and will be helpful for all levels of sellers from the novice to the advanced. If I was only going to buy 1 book on the subject, this would be it!

I have more use for this bible than any other out there...lol.

The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because of the price, which I thought was a bit steep. Other than that, I hope the info in here pays for the book in profits gained...we shall see.

[...]

Greg Holden covers a very wide range of eBay topics. The best way to read this book is with a pen and note pad close by. Pick a chapter and jot down the key points - or better yet, jot down your new ideas! We have been selling for two years, and still saw 2-3 things per chapter to add to our program.

~Tc

Are you a novice or a hardcore Skyper who wants to play with Skype's innards? If you are, then this book is for you! Author Andrew Sheppard, has done an outstanding job of writing a book that shows you how to save money by using Skype; and, how to remove boundaries imposed by having lived within the confines of your regular phone system for so long, a system that has been in stasis for decades--dumb, lifeless, and unmoving.

Sheppard, begins by explaining what Skype is and how it works, and introduces Skype's main features. Then, the author focuses on the economics of Skype and the ways of figuring potential savings. Next, he focuses on Skype configuration, by showing you how to improve performance, and customize Skype to meet your individual needs. The author then shows you how to improve and enhance your communication while on the move. He continues by showing you the fun and playful side of Skype. Then, the author shows you how to hack around with Skype's other major features; namely, instant messaging or chat, and voicemail. Next, he shows you how to have the visibility you require within the Skype community, and how you can be secure against some of the more common risks encountered by Skype users. The author continues by showing you how to deal with Skype limitations. Then, the author gives you a glimpse of Skype add-on products and tools that are currently available, and a sense of what is yet to come. Finally, he introduces you to the Skype API and how you can extend Skype's functionality and automate repetitive tasks using scripting methods: VBScript on Windows, Python on Linux, and AppleScript on Mac OS X.

This most excellent book aims to liberate your imagination and show, in a practical hands-on way, how Skype can do amazing new things--sometimes things that even its creators never envisioned. More importantly, this book shows you how to make Skype work for you.

Andrew Sheppard's Skype Hacks: Tips & Tools For Cheap, Fun, Innovative Phone Service tells how to make the Internet telephony Skype application work well. Haven't heard of Skype? It brings a range of new possibilities for those tired of the confusion of internet telephony options, and Skype Hacks covers all the basics; from how to set up a Skype server and put shortcuts on the computer to avoiding Skype problems and spammers. The program may be newer but the idea of money-saving internet telephony just went up a notch with the ease Skype Hacks Offers.

Skype is one of the most popular VOIP applications for the individual user and small office on the market today. If you have already installed it or are considering installing it then you will want this book so you can configure it to work the way you want it to work and head off any problems before they occur. The first thing I have to say about Skype is that it is so user friendly that many of the hacks in this book are unnecessary. It is easy enough to figure out how to make conference calls, transfer calls, forward calls and do various other common tasks. On the other hand, there are a lot of useful tips including how to claim your money back if something goes wrong, avoiding additional mobile phone charges, building a Skype server, working with routers, using Skype at work, working with privacy issues, and add-on products. Because Skype is a peer-to-peer network service it is very important to understand the privacy and security issues and the author does a great job of both explaining them as well as how to work with them. Skype Hacks is highly recommended for advanced computer users or anyone responsible for administering Skype in a business environment.

A generally well-written book, but offers few nifty insights to save more money or get more service. Look, download Skype and start using it; if you want to go beyond what's obvious from simple use, google will have what few insights are out there; no book will offer a wealth of tips because Skype isn't that kind of produce/service. Secret commands or "hacks" just don't exist for Skype.

And why does the author put that bizzare tip on how to physically cut your phone lines??

The one thing I really wanted to have more info on--how to integrate Skype long distance into your existing home phones with Skype's products under Shop->Accessories--the book barely mentioned as Option 1 of several. Very little help.

Given that I have a number of international colleagues, you'd think that Skype would be a must-have piece of software for me. But I downloaded it during the initial beta and it never really gained traction on my radar screen. All that may now change after reading Skype Hacks - Tips & Tools for Cheap, Fun, Innovative Phone Service by Andrew Sheppard.

Contents: Start Using Skype; Save Money with Skype; Configure Skype; Tweak and Tune Skype; Skype at Work; Mobile Skype; Skype Fun and Play; Skype Chat and Voicemail; Security and Privacy; Quirks, Gotchas, and Workarounds; Skype Add-Ons and Tools; Automate Skype; Index

Skype has become the path of least resistance for people starting to explore Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, because its easy and free. When I first downloaded Skype during the beta period, it seemed like an interesting concept. But I found that most of the people I'd want to talk with weren't on Skype. Now it's changed, and I think I'll be running Skype on a regular basis. Skype Hacks takes a pretty comprehensive tour through the software and covers 100 "hacks" (tips and tricks) you can do to get the most out of the software. For some, the first couple of chapters will be more than enough... how to get started on Skype, how to set the software up, and how you can use Skype to replace your regular phone (or at least reduce your monthly bills). But if you're already past that point, the rest of the chapters will allow you to venture into areas you may not have known about. For instance, the Automate Skype chapter shows a number of scripts you can use to interact with Skype programmatically. Great if you want to have an agent send you a chat message when something is completed. Or take the Skype Add-Ons chapter... There's a website called skyperunner.com that allows you to send a chat message to a Skype user without having to be logged on to the service. Great if you want to send a message to someone in an asynchronous fashion. And using Skype to practice your foreign language skills with willing Skype users around the world was something that never occurred to me...

So, if you've downloaded Skype and used the basic functionality, great. A copy of this book will take you to the next step and open up some interesting possibilities...

I've thought a lot about the other review which is well written, but perhaps expresses a more personal disappointment than an accurate reflection of the value of the book for others.

I would agree that if one were to attempt to use the book to "upgrade and repair" servers, one would be disappointed.

But, then again, no single book could competently and exhaustively provide that information. That's what personal experience is for, from hands-on, to conferences, to the literature and the Internet. Thank goodness we won't be replaced by a book!

Instead, this book does provide a sound background to current products for implementing data centers. The history provided I think gives an essential background for making proper choices in maintaining an existing center, or creating a new one. Maintenance and history is crucial -- rarely do we have the opportunity to develop a center from scratch. And, if building from scratch, the information is quite up-to-date and provides reliable guidance for designing and managing such.

Indeed, this is the only resource I've found which provides this kind of information in one place. From this information, one can knowledgeably approach other sources of information and proceed with an inquisitive mind.

It's been an excellent resource for me and is valuable in its niche.

This book is great if you're interested in page after page of the history of the CPU. Or if you want a schematic of every motherboard and all it's traces. I mean really, if I've got a server that's giving me problems is one of the things that's high on my To Do list "be sure to check traces on M-bd"? Give me a break.

If you're looking for a book that provides practical information for upgrading and maintaining servers this book misses the mark, almost completely. It's crammed full of all the wrong information and reminds me of so many of the tech's I've dealt with from time-to-time over the years that have (for one reason or another) become so completely out of touch with the real world "hands on" activities the typical system and/or network admins deal with on a day-to-day basis.

VERY DISAPPOINTING!!!

I used the Exam Cram series to pass my SQL tests some years back. I'm finally starting to update my MCSE and purchased the exam crams for 290 and 291 (I haven't opened the 291 book yet). There are a handful of typos and mistakes (AGUDLP is referenced once in the wrong order) but nothing you'd miss if you have used the product before. The key is what others have said -- its a cram guide for the test, not a book on Windows 2003. If you have experience with the product, this will help you pass. If you are new to Windows 2003, you'll need more than this book.

For example, command-line utilities like csvde, ldifde, dsget, dsquery and the like are covered along with descriptions of when to use them and what they do. Instead of printing out every switch and usage for each utility, it simply shows you how to get help (dsget /?). If you don't take a moment to check the syntax or don't understand concepts like piping ("dsquery user -name Tim* | dsget user -title") you might miss a question or two.

Features I never use like Volume Shadow Copy and NTBackup (thankfully backup isn't part of my duties) were covered well enough and where the book fell short on a subject I just supplemented the material with a quick google query. Thankfully there wasn't much of that.

The book does have gaps -- the two tests at the end of the book asked questions that weren't even covered in the book (again, quick google query to the rescue). The book includes a link to online tests which were only valid for 14 days or something like that but it did cover items the book didn't. I do recommend at least taking one of the online tests to prepare you for the actual test as it will teach you to look for key words to limit choices for right answers (volume instead of disk, etc...). Neither of these resources prepared me for the simulations when I took the test, but that's to be expected. Its a cram guide, not a class.

This book is not a good resource for studying for 70-290. It covers a lot of material but leaves out all of the little details that are on the actual test. Unless you already know server VERY well and are just brushing up on a few general topics this book will not help you pass the test.

The sample questions and practice tests are nothing like the Microsoft test. The book's questions are short and simple. The actual test is made up of scenarios and trick 'gotcha' type questions.

The book assumes you have too much background to be useful to a beginner. It is too general and simplistic for someone with experience. Not really sure who (if anyone) would benefit from this book.

this book is direct and too the point. Will prepare you to pass the exam and has a many tips and info.

If you've never worked on a Windows 2003 Sever computer, then I would not recommend starting with this book. You'll pass the test but not know what to do in real life situation. Get this book only if you've had hands on experience, or have studied other material that's tutorial oriented before.

The last minute cram sheet in the front is an awesome summary. You are not likely to find a summary like this anywhere else.

I'd combine it with other resources available. Personally I used this in conjunction with MS Press book on 70-290 and the Sybex book. Using all 3 you can;t go wrong. Exam Cram is good up to a point, do all the quizzes at the end of each chapter, it'll help reinforce what you should've learned from the first two. I used this one last to round off my learning. Can't say enough about study study study. It'll pay off in the end.

Great starter book into Pen Testing. Big book with lots of information. Great book to read to prepare to start your CEH or CISSP studies.

If you live and breathe IT security, this books is for you. I would like to somewhat disagree with some of the earlier reviewers. I don't think this book was intended to be "the one and only" penetration toolkit manual. However, what it does do - it introduces one to the world of penetration testing providing enough information and examples on a wide variety of tools. A lot of great subjects are covered, such as reconnaissance, enumeration, scanning, web application testing, wireless penetration and more. It's a very insightful read, even for those who are just researching in the area of security. It will open your eyes on many aspects of information security. The CD itself is a good resource, but you may need to update some applications by now. Nessus signatures do get updated regularly.

At around 700 pages in size, the 'Penetration Tester's Open Source Toolkit' by Johnny Long is a solid reference material which is a nice pickup for anyone that is concerned with this subject matter. As with all Syngress books, you aren't buying these for the highest quality paper or design, but rather the material within. This is a solid book that most users should find helpful in their jobs.

**** RECOMMENDED

If you are going to do any work in the Information Assurance world you will want to add this book to your shelf and keep it handy. The authors of this book know the topics and present information clearly.
Each chapter is a stand-alone lesson, and all chapters build on each other to create a big-picture of exploiting any network and reporting results. The CD that comes with the book gives you excellent tools to start or fill out your library. Some are getting dated as of this writing, but all are still solid tools that you can update once you've learned them.
I highly recommend this book!

Title: Penetration Tester's Open Source Toolkit
Author: Johnny Long, Aaron Bayles, James Foster, Chris Hurley, Mike Petruzzi Noam Rathaus, Mark Wolfgang
Publisher: Syngress Publishing, Inc.
800 Hingham Street
Rockland, MA 02370
Copyright: 2006
ISBN: 1597490210
Pages: 678 plus appendix and index

This book not only covers what tools are available for penetration testing but also details how to use them to effectively test the system. Some of the tools, such as whois and ping, will be very familiar to the Linux user and most power users of other operating systems. Other tools are less familiar but very powerful and a real insight into what can be done to gather information on a system before attempting to penetrate it. Part of what makes this book really interesting is the way the authors approach this subject. They don't walk the reader through all the details of a handful of tools but instead they take a task-oriented approach. For example they go first through enumerating and scanning a system, then testing databases, web server testing, web application testing, wireless penetration and network devices. They then end this section with information about writing open source security tools. Chapter 8 starts a section on the Open Source vulnerability scanner Nessus. It automatically finds many problems in the system by trying to penetrate it using various scripts. The results are captured and the generated reports detail the information it was able to obtain. This is a very powerful testing product and one of the most common ones you will find in the marketplace.
The authors detail how to set up a Nessus client and server, scan the system and understand the results. Although almost three hundred pages are dedicated to Nessus it is a very powerful and highly configurable program that can consume a full book by itself to use its full potential. Penetration Tester's Open Source Toolkit is highly recommended, insightful, and very interesting to read and experiment with.