Computing Internet Books

Lammle does an excellent job of explaining complex networking concepts (particularly subnetting) in terms simple enough for someone with no previous exposure to networking to understand.

Unfortunately, some subjects were oversimplified, to the point that I felt underprepared for the CCNA test. If you are an excellent student, or you retain 100% of what you read, this book will get you a passing score on the exam. For the rest of us, I recommend Wendell Odom's CCNA Self Study Certification Library (Cisco Press - ISBN 1-58720-095-3). There's more to read, but you'll enter the exam more confident and better prepared.

-sean henning

The most challenging thing a certification test-prep book faces is the way it invariably will be misused. There is an old saw about using the right tool for the job, which in essence tells us to use the correct planning, strategy, and action to get the result we want. The majority of people purchasing a book like this are planning to take the CCNA exam and want some help preparing. This makes sense, and this is why I myself purchased Lamle's book. While it worked, and I passed with a 901, I couldn't help but wonder how much more difficult it would have been without hands-on experience with the devices, protocols and processes themselves at work. I have not yet met anyone who studied for, and passed, the CCNA test without any prior hands-on network experience.

It makes me very nervous to read someone's review suggesting, "This is the only preparation you need". To pass the test, you will likely need some experience as well, and to avoid the Catch-22 of requiring experience to get the job, yet also the job to gain the experience, I would recommend seeking first a junior position in the field, where you can not only get the experience, but also the mentoring of senior networking staff.

However, once you pass the test and have the cert, we face another challenge: "Does the cert verify your ability to apply what you know?" Not really, but that's why you cannot stop learning and developing your skills set there. You will likely need the CCNA to get the interview for the Networking job you seek, but you will need interview skills to get the job, and you will need to be able to APPLY your technical knowledge to keep it. Lamle's book is one of the best prep books out there for the CCNA. But if you plan to have a long-term career in Networking, do not think for a moment that you can stop there. And I'm not just talking about the next level of Cisco Certification.

Buy this book and study it, but make sure you maintain a long-term professional skills development plan, and if you don't already have it, start building your experience in the field. You'll need it.

Good luck!

I studied and passed my CCNA with this book in first try, it covers thoroughly on all you need to know about the exam. The bonus questions are useful too, few of them are pretty similiar to my exam questions.

This book definitely helped me pass my CCNA. The material in this book will definitely provide you with the tools you need in order to configure Cisco equipment and pass the CCNA the first time.

I passed the exam with a 901 the first try.

Wow, what a great author Todd is. His explainations and descriptions make the book well worth the cost. I used it as a text book for 2 classes and the last 3 out of 4 semesters for the Cisco Networking Academy. I also used his study guide (sold seperately but worth the money).
I not only learned what I needed feel confident about taking the CCNA, I feel very confident about my abilities with Cisco Networking Appliances. Todd should write for Cisco in my opinion.
I do feel that there are some easier ways to subnet than in his examples, but I learned it his way and then my instructors way. I chose what worked for me, your experiences will be different. Ultimately I used the Cisco Networking Academy, this book, and the study guide. I really studied hard, taking good notes and I passed the CCNA the first time with flying colors. I think Todd's explainations were key to this. He really makes Frame and ISDN configuation and the technolgies clear, he makes RIP and IGRP understandable even though they were the first IGPs that I was introduced to (they are very obscure IMO and I have never seen them used in the real world). I will look forward to his next version for the upgraded CCNA exams, I am sure they will be great.

I purchased this book because I have Flash CS3 and Photoshop On Demand and love them. This whole series delivers the perfect instructional system for me. Unlike other books that wear you down with over-explanation and wordy text, their books are setup in a two-page format. Everything important you need to learn is setup quickly, easy and in a very user-friendly way. The page layout is a perfect learning tool and reference manual system. Their instructions are easy to understand, actually fun to read and written with both the novice and experienced in mind. And, by the way, if you think you know everything about PS, Flash or Dreamweaver, these books will humble you. I have found and learned things I never knew. Things that are valuable and time-saving steps. LOVE these books!!

First off, this is was a difficult review to write. After going through the book, I am not sure if I should be writing a review of Dreamweaver CS3 or a review of this book. Anyways, here is what I thought about Adobe Dreamweaver CS3 On Demand.

My first impressions of the book, and one of the primary reasons that I selected it, was that it is really nice looking book. It is printed in full color and uses a simple method to deliver its content to the reader. Each chapter focuses on related tasks and each chapter starts out with a pretty good job of explaining the concept that is about to be covered. These primer sections go into more detail than just what you need to use the program and offer helpful background information and advice that should be helpful for any new or less experienced web developer.

The actual task descriptions that make up the bulk of this book center around issues that will likely arise when building a web site and cover just about every feature Dreamweaver has. The writers of the book chose to present most all of the material as a sort of a case study for developing a fictional web site, which is where one of my major hang ups on this book comes from. It is like they couldn't decide if it should be a desktop reference, a training resource or a marketing tool(more on this later). That said, I do like the format of having a quick, step by step walk through for each task as well as having the details readily available to me if needed. There are also plenty of screen shots provided with the explanations, so you don't necessarily even have to be at your computer to use the book(which is a major bonus if you are using this as a training resource).

The chapters build on each other in a logical fashion that progresses towards more advanced topics. This should lend itself very nicely to new users of Dreamweaver and help them to learn how to use the program efficiently. Each task is takes up only one or two pages. This means, for the most anyways, you don't even have to be turning pages as you follow along. The left column on each page that has a task contains a step by step break down of what exactly you need to do to make use of the functionality being explained. For me, this was one of the main selling point of this book. This kind of layout allows you to quickly browse the book for topics of interest and see exactly what you need to know to start making use of the feature being described. Each walk-through includes helpful hints and also gives you the keyboard shortcuts when applicable(for both MAC and Windows).

The main problem I have with this book is it obviously missed the final editorial review before it was published. There are grammatical errors throughout the whole text, which is a pretty significant mistake for a book to be making. Strings of text like "with minimal or not knowledge of Javascript" make you wonder just who did the final proof reading on this.

A secondary issue I had was that it really seemed like they were trying to target way too many audiences. The whole book is presented as a case study for building a website and makes up reasons to need to know how to do something. Which is fine if you are making a course or a intro to web design training resource, but then you read the cover and descriptions of the book and it seems like they are selling it as a comprehensive resource for getting the Adobe Certified Examination for Dreamweaver(which in my mind would suggest a more technically inclined audience than what the method of presenting it seems to suggest it was made for). To add to the mix, they really seem to be pushing way too much marketing terminology into the text. Phrases like "do what no one has done before" tied to why you should use Adobe don't really serve any purpose in a book(unless of course you are trying to sell a product to someone either who knows nothing about what they are getting or what they need, or you are trying to make them feel better about their purchase). These marketing lines were more of a distraction than anything and really should have been left out especially considering the fact that most people actually looking at this book will have already have made the decision to use Adobe Dreamweaver. But I guess by doubling as a marketing tool we get the nice layout out and get it printed in full color.

Overall, this is a good reference to using pretty much any and all of the features available in Dreamweaver CS3. This version of Dreamweaver introduced some pretty cool new things that I likely would have continued to overlook had I not read this book, but if you are already familiar with Dreamweaver, there are more accessible(free) resources available for that purpose online. In my opinion, desktop references are becoming more and more obsolete seeing how fast the products change and the amount of useful information you can locate online through a simple search.

This book is perfect for a new content manager that needs a good thorough introduction to Dreamweaver or someone who is looking to take the ACE for Dreamweaver(Adobe's own certification system for their products). It could work pretty well as a supplemental book for a web development course that focused on using Dreamweaver, but other than for those individuals, I'm not sure I would recommend this book.

I'd give it 3.5 stars out of 5 - mostly for the unprofessional editing job and the mixed up agendas of what purpose this book should serve. Other than those 2 shortcomings, it really is a well written and nicely presented book. I really do think they should have made up their mind on what this book's intended intended purpose should have been before printing it. These really are just minor distractions, but I consider them relevant.

This book is brief in form but comprehensive in scope. It has excellent screen shots from Dreamweaver and clearly labeled step by step instructions. I own several Dreamweaver books but this one is by far my favorite.
I don't enjoy reading long winded technical books that take ten or twenty pages to say what this book can say in two. If you like more visuals and less words then this book may be a good choice for you. It was for me.

I purchased this book for my class and its good enough where I didn't sell it back. Its not to highly detail but give a good primer on the subject. Well worth the read but I would recomend buying it used if you just need it for a class. Actually I would buy it used for all needs.

This book is great at understanding the major components of a Public Key Infrastructure and the surrounding issues. You certainly would not walk away being able to set up a PKI, but you would be able to discuss it intelligently. If you are trying to come up to speed on PKI, this is the book for you. The subject is too big to cover everything in one book; so, I would also recommend picking up some more books that look at security issues specifically. One recommendation is E-Commerce Security by Ghosh.

A very well organized and useful reference text regarding encryption na dcertificates. I was pleased at the singling out of PG and its differences versus other X509 standards.

Ford and Baum do a great job explaining the ins and outs of public key infrastructures, covering both the technical and non-technical (legal, administrative, financial, etc.) issues with clarity and insight. Chapters 6 and 7 are especially worthwhile for those looking at the latest IETF PKIX standards.

Highly recommended - This is still the best intro book I've seen on PKI. Precisely and clearly written. Can't wait for the second edition, though, as this edition is getting a bit dated.

If you understand Agile and your team adopts all the practices with success overnight, then this book is not for you. If like the rest of us you have an understanding of Agile, but need some help to go beyond a few superficial practices, then buy the book and use it!

Amr starts with the fundamentals of Agile, from its deep roots in team dynamics and individual attitudes, and then guide you towards building a strategy for Agile adoption - not a generic strategy, but one that is adequate for your team and your objectives. Once the strategy is defined, we can put the Agile patterns to good use, one at a time, in good order, while minding the impacts, consequences and pitfalls.

This was exactly the book I was looking for. For my longer review, please refer to: http://freedomforideas.wordpress.com/2008/09/16/agile-adoption-patterns-1-2-3/.

Proven patterns for succeeding with Agile in an organization are presented in a series of case studies and hands-on exercises in Agile Adoption Patterns: a Roadmap to Organizational Success. Here are the most common stumbling points teams face in implementing strategy, along with tips on how to teach, train, and bring customers on board to an agile environment. Any Agile project manager will find this an excellent series of tips, making this perfect for software engineering collections.

There are many books about the theories and practices that are encompassed in the word "agile". Quite a number of them are quite good in terms of addressing the specific practices and how to implement them. It you want to learn Scrum or XP, there is no shortage of books and how-to materials, along with plenty of advice.

This book, however, addresses the goal of agile adoption from a new perspective - patterns of behavior and thought, and how to specifically leverage and/or address them. It addresses this from the organizational/team perspective, rather than the individual perspective, which makes it particularly valuable for those of us who are working in an organizational transformation/agile adoption environment.

While it might seem that "patterns" would appeal to the techies in its audience, my experience is that Amr has managed to frame his work in terms and concepts that are readily understood by all. This book is readily digestible by non-technical managers and staff, as well as by those of us who have spent/currently spend our time in a technology environment. It is not necessary to understand what design patterns are, for instance, to understand the patterns in this book.

For those who are either anticipating agile adoption or actively engaged in it, or even those who are struggling with what seems to be a failed adoption, this book is required reading. The way in which the patterns are presented, the clear and pragmatic exercises described to help work through them, and the suggestions for ways to approach it all are just what's needed.

Real world, pragmatic, easy to read, and easy to digest - that's what this book is all about.

It will be on my desk and heavily thumbed in short order.

There are plenty of excellent books available that explain agile practices. What has been missing until now is the guidance to apply them. Amr's approach to achieving agile practices is filling a need that has been felt by many for several years now. Amr takes an excellent approach to identifying the best means of applying agile techniques based on a combination of business needs and project pains. This approach stays focused on delivering business value to the enterprise as they move towards agile practices.

Amr has an excellent writing style that is both concise and entertaining delivering information in a manner that can be absorbed in bite-sized chunks and applied as needed based on the initial needs assessment. After identifying the business needs or pains the best agile practices to deliver the value or reduce the pain are described in a manner that determines which practices will deliver the best value to meet your identified needs.

I highly recommend that you pick up this book if you are either planning to adopt agile practices, struggling to adopt agile practices or are looking to enhance the agile practices that you currently employ. Well done Amr.

There are many things I like about this book, not the least of which is that it is true to the "spirit" of patterns and agile -- it does not promise easy answers or quick fixes but offers down-to-earth advice based on experience. The patterns do a good job of capturing that experience but the way the patterns are written, with "threads" of stories throughout is not only convincing but enjoyable reading. I like being able to follow the real-life adventures of the same developers who struggle to solve real problems across several patterns. I also like the case study in Chapter 46 where a real company with real problems does a pretty good job of moving forward, but it's not a "and they all lived happily ever after" scenario. We're overwhelmed with books and advice these days, so it's nice to see someone who offers help and hope but not hype!

To give a brief background about myself. I have been one of the primary contributor and committer of the Web Tools Platform (WTP) eclipse tools project since its inception through WTP 1.5 release. I contributed the Validation Framework component for this project. I read a large portion of this book and can say that this most comprehensive book that explains the complete WTP in a step by step fashion that can be help you easily understand the whole WTP project, its sub projects, its components and features through several real world examples. I strongly recommend this book to all users and contributors of WTP.

Vijay Bhadriraju, IBM

Eclipse Web Tools Platform: Developing Java(TM) Web Applications

This is an excellent book; I specially liked the iterative approach (for example, for presentation tier, iteration 1: HTML, iteration 2: add CSS, iteration 3: add Javascripts, iteration 4: XML and XSLT, iteration 5: DTD)authors have taken. I have used examples from this book, with Eclipse and NetBeans, of course for Eclipse user this book has added value, since it goes through configuration of Eclipse and recommended practices. Please ignore the gripe about errors in the code; there are two minor errors which are detailed in the errata on book's companion site, it doesn't take more than a minute to fix those two issues.

Authors discuss All three tiers in great detail. How about this, by page 85 you would be deploying a simple web service (and you would be amazed how simple it is).

Though I have had some experience in Java, Eclipse, and WTP, a recent project required me to get more into depth. This book got me through the whole development process. It explained to me clean coding techniques when writing web apps in Java, how to get my web server up and running for use with WTP, to get my apps to talk to the server, debugging using different tools, and unit testing in a web environment.

This book was an invaluable addition to my collection, and is also a great reference now that I have mastered these concepts.