Web Books

Subtitled, "Understanding the nature and Meaning of the Internet", Jeanne M. Follman, a technical writer makes it all make sense. Like many people, I click away at my mouse and enter the world of the World Wide Web without a second thought. This does not mean that I really understand how it works or what it is or even some of the larger implications of what it all means. Now, however, after reading this small gem of a book, which is only 159 pages long, I see it all differently.

First of all, she makes the technology understandable by her simple and explicit explanations. She repeats a lot of the basic concepts so that they really do stick. Finally, such words as "bit" and "bitstream" make sense. I now know that HTTP means "Hyper Text Transfer Protocol" and URL means "Uniform Resource Locator". Finally, I understand what bandwidth is and the differences between cable and DSL and each of their strengths and weaknesses. And, best of all, I can see how it all fits in with developments in the world concerning the spread of language and ideas.

Ms. Follman brings a sense of wonder and optimism to what we have now and what she sees for the future. And even though she makes it simple, she doesn't talk down to her audience. A friend of mine who is a computer professional thumbed through the book and remarked how much good basic information it contained. I used to think that this was information I didn't need to know. The truth is I don't. After all, I know how to log on to a computer. But what Ms. Follman does in this book is enrich my experience, give it dimension. And, in my mind, the World Wide Web will never look the same to me again. Recommended.

When I wanted to learn how to write in HTML, I picked up this book. It's incredible how easy Ms. Follman makes writing HTML. Plus, I have the honor of personally knowing the author. I think if any book can teach you how to write HTML, this book can!

To "get" the Web is to understand what its capabilities are. I am reminded of the fact that a liquid almost always assumes the shape of its container. With any new resource, we must first grasp what it makes possible before we can take appropriate advantage of those possibilities. With regard to the Web, that process of recognizing its potential functionality continues for all of us. Here is an excellent introduction to "understanding the nature and meaning of the Internet" and especially, the Web. Follman duly acknowledges -- indeed frequently cites -- various sources, such as Berners-Lee's Weaving the Web, as she carefully guides her reader through three Parts: What the Internet Is ("the telephone company for computers"); Why the Internet is the Way It Is ("how computers and telephone companies shape the future of the Internet"); and finally, "the ways in which the Internet shapes communication and exchange and ultimately, us." I highly recommend this book to non-technicians at all organizational levels who are directly or indirectly involved in e-business. I also recommend it to school and college students who are now preparing for a business career. Finally, I recommend it to owners/CEOs of small companies who are thinking about or already embarked upon e-business initiatives. To all a word of caution: Don't expect more of this book than Follman intended. This is an introduction, a primer really, for non-technicians. As she explains, her focus is on "What" and (I presume to suggest) "Why", not on "How." After reading this book, you may wish to consult other sources. Follman includes a brief "Bibliography." Here are three other books you should also consider: K. Eric Wexler's Engines of Creation, Nicholas Negroponte's Being Digital, and Jakob Nielsen's Designing Web Usability.

There is a great deal of noise surrounding the Internet. With all the hype of the dot-com phenomena it is often easy to believe that the Internet is not as revolutionary as once thought. However, that is not the case, and I offer the following point in support. I recently taught some free, introduction to the Internet classes at a local community college. While there were no age restrictions, nearly everyone in the class was fifty or older. Their interests were varied, but most were interested in e-mail and the ability to search for information. In that area, the greatest interest was in finding someone or something that they had encountered earlier in life. Viewing their childlike fascination with what we could find was one of the strongest arguments in favor of how the Internet is changing society that I have seen.
Their level of interest was rather high and a common comment was that there was little material available that would explain the Internet where "an old dog" could understand it. Several students asked me if I could recommend any books that explained the Internet in general, simple terms. This book is one resource that will satisfy that need and most of the major points I was asked in those classes are covered. From now on, when such questions arise, I will recommend this book.

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Jeanne M. Follman scores a hit with this book. As a former college instructor who taught the Internet, I can state positively, that I wish I had this book for use as a textbook. She uses a down to earth writing style that will score with teenagers and young people.

For those who find the complexities of the Internet hard to fathom, Follman does great job explaining how it works, in fast, easy to understand terms. I learned some interesting historical facts (the development of CGI), that I didn't know about the Internet and thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Follman also gives some insights into where the Internet is going and explain why it is important to understand its effects on mankind and our culture.

I think this book should be on the required reading list for every High School through Junior College Student in the US. I think it would make a fine basis for further research.

Strongly recommended for anyone interested in how the Internet works. The concepts are simple but so important that they should not be ignored. Read this book and pass it on to as many of your family members as possible.

Congrats to Follman for a fine book....

"Michael Kleper's The Handbook of Digital Publishing is by far the best, and most complete, publication on this subject anywhere. This is the knowledge library of digital publishing. It will always be on my desk and is my reference source. Brilliantly written by one of the, if not the most, knowledgeable experts in this area. A must for everyone in our industry. Well done, Michael."

The Two Volume Graduate Course "We don't even want to imagine how many reviews, rewrites, update cycles were required for this project. For a time we thought the DTP industry would settle down and become almost static and routine. But the jump start of the Web, interactive multimedia and video have again driven people back to the books. We're not certain exactly how it was accomplished, but Professor Michael Kleper has very effectively squeezed a four-year degree course into two volumes.

The Handbook of Digital Publishing is much more than a coffee table book. The two volumes will quickly become dog-eared as professionals continue to refer to them to enhance and expand their capabilities and expertise. Thank goodness there is a companion Web site to accompany The Handbook. The author's biggest challenge is that The Handbook wasn't just a research/writing job...it has now become a career.

The books are heavy to say the least...fortunately there is a lot of substance, so it lightens the load...

Digital publishing is now the foundation of the communication arts. Kleper has done a great job to help users at all levels understand the tools, processes, and techniques for preparing graphics media in the digital era. His two-book set is jam-packed with solid info on crossing the chasm from analog to digital.

Michael Kleper's books are an incredibly complete and competent source of information covering an amazingly broad area. His insights into an industry he has watched from the beginning should be useful for everybody in this business, and his two hefty tomes are certainly the most complete collection ever compiled on the subject.

Highly recommended.

Andreas Pfeiffer, Pfeiffer Consulting

Professor Michael Kleper's two volume The Handbook of Digital Publishing is an outstanding source on the foundations of the digital age of publishing. For those of us involved in some part of Graphic Arts/Publishing/Communications, and today that is just about anyone with access to a computer, digital technology has made accessible much of what was art and technique. Congratulations to Professor Kleper who has contributed a timely, thorough, and readable work. This is not just a collection of terminology and technology but a much needed companion to understand the digital publishing "tsunami" which has exploded as fast as the computer technology which underpins it. Happily, Professor Kleper has a lot of energy for he has opened the door to volumes three and more for those technologies still being created .....

Buy this book!

College leaders would do well to ensure that a copy of young Professor Trinkle's "The History Highway" is on the desktop of each faculty member, and then interview him or her a month later on what they discovered when navigating around the "new literacy". In pointed contrast, I remember too well a much older and "very retiring" professor at a highly ranked college recently insisting that "this Pen is My computer".
A journey through knowledge begins with but a single, small step --as ancient seers would remind us. "The History Highway" offers anyone (older or young) a "roadmap" to their own choice of any of 2000 or so stepping off points. For example, "images taken from the Bayeaux Tapestry [embroidery 230 feet long; the original story document presented to an illiterate population] make this a visually appealing and useful site (Norman Invasion of England, 1066)". But wait, there's more: "Periodic updates to the text are available online."
Our new digital lifestyle can (will?) transform Academia "before you can say Great Scott!" Or at least, for certain, a lot more quickly than the Gutenberg effect transformed schooling and culture.

As a history student I am constantly looking for sources and articles for research purposes. This book puts the most important internet history sites at my finger tip. When I teach my history classes in a few years I will require all of my students to purchase this book.

If you are at all interested in history, this book is indispensable. It offers an exhaustive guide to the reliable and worthwhile historical materials available on the Internet. The entries have been sifted by an international team of subject experts, and there is a resource mentioned for every lover or student of history.

Everyone who has ever stared in awe at a search engine result listing 1 million hits on some subject owes Drs. Trinkle and Merriman a debt of gratitude. This book will take you to the materials you really want to use or explore. It is not only worth the time and money you will invest--it will save you time and pay handsome dividends.

What else can one say--it is this history student's new best friend.

Now in an updated and expanded second edition, The History Highway 2000: A Guide To Internet Resources continues to provide the most extensive and reliable coverage available. Reflecting the swift growth of the Internet, featured are more than twice as many entries (2,500) and many new sections (Australian, New Zealand, Greek, Western History, Agricultural History, Rural Studies, Psychohistory, Historiography, Historical Population Databases, and Historical Book Dealers. The History Highway 2000 is further enhanced with a detailed cross-index offering instant access to every subject and every entry; an expanded glossary of multimedia and web-format terms; as well as periodic updates to the text which are available online. The History Highway 2000 is an invaluable, highly recommended resource for history students, teachers, researchers, librarians, authors, and the general public.

At 600 pages this behemoth is more than twice the length of the first edition. And every page of this guide to history related internet resources is worthwhile. The detailed Table of Contents lists a diverse range of site categories, such as General History, Early American History - 1783-1860, Jewish Holocaust Studies, Geneaology, and Archives and Manuscript collections.

The introductory chapter gives internet startup information, so the book is useful to newbies and experienced web users alike. Later chapters list specific websites along with a paragraph or so of information about the site written by a historian or specialist.

Of particular interest to family history researchers will be the genealogy section, which lists a variety of sites. Instructors and researchers of American History will find useful the 101 pages (expanded and updated from the 33 pages in the first edition) devoted to a chronological list of sites on specific segments of United States History. Also expanded in the new edition is the Women's History segment, which is now 17 pages long and contains a more diverse range of websites than the first edition.

Finally, entries are cross referenced in the index, with internet sites listed in italics. This work is both a useful and enjoyable reference title, and well worth its price.

This book was all I needed to get set up for my first podcast. I am one of those types who can't just settle for the basics, which can be an expensive problem. But this book will get anyone who is budget-conscious up and running with less than $100 out of pocket, assuming you at least have a computer.

If you are looking for some expertise about equipment or how to set up your rig in the studio, this is not the book for you. You might want to look for a book about home recording or even professional broadcasting. I have to give these authors big kudos though, this really is everything you need to know about *the basics* of podcasting. If that's what you need to know, you won't go wrong with this book. Oh yeah, it is very well-written and easy to read also.

Shel and Neville's book should be required reading for anyone who does a podcast, everyone who's thinking about doing a podcast, even for anyone who listens to podcasts.

They cover all the "nuts and bolts" in an easy-to-read, conversational style. They cover all the tech stuff, like hardware and software, making it understandable for even the non-techies among us. They explain the actual recording and editing process as well as how to get your efforts heard.

More important, at least for me, they go into great detail about the reasons WHY to podcast. They discuss podcasting as a business tool and how it fits into the overall communication plan.

If you wonder about Shel and Neville's credentials, check out their "For Immediate Release" podcast. It's produced twice each week (Monday and Thursday) with Shel normally being in California and Neville in England. But, both men travel for their respective businesses, so they're likely to both be in hotel rooms, halfway around the globe from each other. Yet their podcasts come off without a hitch (usually).

I can't imagine anyone getting into podcasting without reading this book.

This is an excellent, valuable, thorough, well-written resource. No relection on the authors or the book, but I made the mistake of paying for an "Amazon Upgrade" for this title (supposedly enabling online reading and use of the book in addition to the physical book). The text looks like somebody hosed it down (blurry, and the more you zoom, the blurrier it gets). Ditto for the images (text within the images is totally illegible.

Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson have published a book providing full coverage of what you need to start your podcast and use it as a stragegic tool for dialogue and communication with your audience, your customers, members, voters, employees, etc.
The title "How to Do Everything with Podcasting (How to Do Everything)" is a little bit of an exaggeration - podcasting does not take care of all your tasks in life, (cleaning, cooking and paperwork) ;-) but it is definitely fun and interesting to do.

These two PR- and communication professionals are the fearless leaders of a lot of their collegues - including me.

Karin Hoegh.[..]

Disclaimer: As a contributor to the authors' podcast, For Immediate Release, I might be expected to have a biased opinion. I do, but I also held the book to the standards of their podcast and their blogs. If it hadn't been good, I would have been seriously disappointed.

But not to worry, it's good.

Naming a book "How to Do Everything with Podcasting" is ambitious, but that was the publisher's choice. They have a whole series of "How to Do Everything" books. And while there might be things you can do with podcasting that aren't covered in the book, it's impressively comprehensive.

I particularly appreciated the details about sound editing in Chapter 9 when I had to assemble the interviews from the iMeme conference. (It helped, but with background noise as bad as that, there's not a lot you can do if you don't use a directional mic in the first place.) The only omission I'm aware of in that section is a reference to the Levelator, an amazing tool every podcaster should have. (It's free, too. Gigavox invented it in self-defense.)

I imagine many people will head straight to Part IV, "Make Money with Your Podcast," but I really appreciated Part V, "Use a Podcast as a Business Communication Tool." These 65 pages are pure gold for any podcast evangelist operating in either the corporate or small-business world. Shel and Neville start by pointing out that creating a podcast is not a business goal. Rather, podcasting is a tool that can serve a purpose in the business' overall strategy. If your company starts podcasting "because everyone else is doing it," the podcast is not likely to be a success.

There's also an appendix about legal considerations for podcasters, one listing podcasting resources, and a podcasting glossary to help you sort out the jargon. And to keep up to date (because things on the Web change so quickly), there's a website for the book at EverythingwithPodcasting.com. You can find Shel's mix-minus instructional video (for recording Skype calls without echoes) and a whole lot of other good stuff--including a long list of links to podcasts.

Three cheers and five stars, guys.

SRG

Mr. Essinger's writing exceeded all expectation--he is a gifted teller of history and even more gifted at drawing out the threads of technological developments. It takes some time for the real changes of society to become apparent--indeed, my cell phone shares a name and essential function with a device invented over a hundred years ago but who would have thought that such a simple idea could so drastically change the world. The most engaging histories draw on unexpected sources to shed an unexpected light upon the events in question. James Burke was a master of this with his Connections series--think of Jacquard's Web as a more focused version of Burke's incredibly discursive journeys. No better example of the maxim, "a picture is worth a thousand words" comes to mind than the fascinating story of the picture that is found on the very first page of the story.

Essinger demonstrates how Mr. Jacquard's idea of using punched cards created a revolution. He compares and contrasts Jacquard's success with the failure of Charles Babbage by showing how an incremental technological advancement was necessary, i.e. Herman Hollerith's tabulator. But the story is basically familiar to most anyone who would be interested in this volume. Essinger excels at demonstrating the incredible importance of the personal traits of historical figures. Babbage's temper and inability to stick to his original idea killed his chance at demonstrating the power of his ideas. Hollerith's persistence, on the other hand, took a simple idea and polished it until its value was indisputable. It is a very sympathetic portrayal of a man, Babbage, who saw the promised land that he could never enter.

Frankly, it is impossible for this reviewer to adequately portray the power of Mr. Essinger's seemingly effortless ability to teach. This is that rare book that demands a quick trip to the bookstore or a check of that tempting box--"overnight delivery."

Highest Recommendation

I agree with the other reviewer who could not put this book down. An amazing work that shows how long the information age has really been around. Introduced me to Jacquard for the first time and what a great figure to remember. Shows how a great invention took years to come into existence and over hundreds of years how important various contributions were.

James Essinger's book takes us on an amazing journey from Napoleonic France, through Victorian London and on to the otherwise bewildering offices of IBM and the other giants of the computer era.

On a basic level, this is a very readable history of computers, from the complexities of the modern era back through the stages that led to their invention - and then, most importantly, to the very roots of the idea - the first spark that lit a conflagration - in the mind of an otherwise obscure French silk weaver, Joseph-Marie Jacquard.

The book is far more than that, though. On another level, it is a series of brilliant recreations of the key stages in the computer's growth. We are zoomed into the frenetic world of Napoleonic Lyons; led by the writer's genteel hand into the polite salons of Victorian London and introduced to the likes of the Duke of Wellington and Ada Lovelace, daughter of none other than the great Byron, and then ushered on through the now rather wierd, geeky world of early-mid 20th century computerdom.

On yet another level, it does something that I feel needed doing for a long time. As an historian, and despite using them all the time, I had always felt computers were something rather alien, rather nasty. They're not things that you normally think about being rooted firmly in 18th and 19th century history. Yet here they are, in the true historical context, and suddenly a lot less scary.

What a wonderful read, for historian, computer-buff and any reader who delights in a cracking story grippingly told.

No one could read the first chapter of this book and not finish it. In fact, I've just spent the past two days devouring it from start to finish. It's an entertaining fact-filled romp through the entire history of something that dominates our lives, and that we always think of as entirely modern... and yet the history this book traces goes back nearly 5,000 years.

What I liked best about it was the teasingly thought-provoking idea the author raises: that our computer age could have started over 150 years ago in Victorian England...

According to Jacquard's Web, the Victorian scientist Charles Babbage spent a lifetime building and refining metal calculating cogwheel machines or `engines' as Babbage called them. The working portions of the Engines he built worked perfectly. As Babbage's friend and colleague Ada Lovelace once said, it was the first time in history that `wheelwork' had been taught `to think'. But funding ran out and Babbage died never seeing his calculating engines come to fruition.

What I found so incredibly thought-provoking in this book was that in London in 1991 a perfectly working Difference Engine was built from Charles Babbage's plans and drawings. I have seen the Difference Engine in action myself (as the white-gloved engineer cranks the handle, the stacked columns of cogwheels spiral and coalesce beautifully as they perform their mathematical calculations) but I hadn't realised the significance at the time.
According to the author, James Essinger, if Babbage had found the funding to complete his Engines, computers could have come into widespread use in the nineteenth century. Now if that isn't a thought-provoking idea I don't know what is!

Such an excellent book. So thrilling. And it kept being thrilling! From first paragraph to last, my attention never lagged. But this was more than that: a real, involving and compelling story about a Frenchman in the early 1800's whose innovation for weaving cloth on looms set into motion a chain of events which ends with the laptop on which I write this review. What an exciting author this man is; I found myself wondering, as I read, if he could make a treatise on a TELEPHONE BOOK interesting.

He's so expert at keeping your attention, keeping explanations simple, being fair-minded in lauding the accomplishments and pointing out the shortcomings of various individuals in his story, keeping a positivity overall, and infusing the reader with his own sense of wonder. One of the most exciting and moving portions of the book comes, actually, after it ends, in the first appendix. This is one of very few authors whose name I want to remember, to see what else he does with his gift of writing. Again, I cannot shake the feeling that he could make anything fascinating, as he's done such a monumental, stunning and moving job with this book. Recommended!!!

Most accurate. Most comprehensive. Unfortunately it is now out of print and I really do not know why they have not produced an updated edition for the Java 2 and 3/ Enterprise platforms?!

Wigglesworth and Lumby do an outstanding job of introducing Java in the context of C++. Liberally scattered through the book are highlighted sections titled "Moving from C++" which compare the Java material just presented to the equivalent (or similar) constructs in C++. A tutorial on IBM's Visual Age for Java is also included, as is a CD which includes all the exercises and solutions. For any C++ programmer who has been wondering how or when to make the jump to Java, now is the time to do it with the help of this excellent book.

This book has a good mix of both in-depth information and handy references that call out specific points of interest. This allows one to skim easily and then focus in on areas of interest.

My primary motivation for buying this book was because I wanted to learn Java quickly -- taking advantage of what I already knew from C++.

Well, I got my money's worth! The book presents the Java language very thoroughly, while at the same time, providing me the ability to just focus on C++/Java differences or similarities.

I found the "Moving from C++" tips very useful, as well as the tables that quickly summarize the language differences. The exercises section is also useful to make sure that I got the main points of the chapter.

Overall, this book is well-written and organized.

By reading this book and doing most of its exercises, I became a knowledgeable Java programmer.

I think that this book is very good if you want to be are a real professional Java programmer. The explanations are very deep, and with all the text in the book there is hardly any detail that is written more then once.

While learning from the book, I felt that the writers have invested a huge amount of energy making the explanations exact and clear.

I would like to thank the authors for writing this book.

-Maor

Thank you to Michael Busby for writing this book! I've had many reference books in the past and found them more frustrating than helpful. Not with this book! It is the only book right by my computer so I may refer to it as much as I need. I recommend it highly to anyone who needs help with searches.

This very well written book is a must for anybody wanting to learn more about Google. It goes beyond Google's Help section to provide all the pertinent information you need in a very organized way. Eliminate your search frustration and save time. The search challenge and search examples are great.

Michael Busby's new Book Learn Google helped me to catch on quickly to the fundamentals of Google that go beyond the simple "type in key words" searching. I found the writing very clear and concise, not filled with technical clutter, and the examples in latter parts of the book are easy to follow and enlightening in terms of the more advanced Google search features such as using the phone book, something not found easily in other references.

I found Learn Google to be very helpful in search techniques.
The use of examples makes this a terrific tool for the beginner as well as those who feel that they are beyond intoductory help books. Using the techniques described eliminates the frustration that results in many of us "giving up" on a search. The author makes it an enjoyable learning experience with search games.

I'm a research junkie -- have been almost all my life. My entrance essay for law school was about my various research projects. It worked -- I graduated from Harvard Law School in 1986.

Mr. Busby's book provided a critical guide to Google, showing much more independence of thought than "Google for Dummies" and "How to Do Everything with Google." His approach to the subject included technical information that I found much more user friendly than "Google Hacks" and "A Pocket Guide to Google."

I appreciated the tips on ancillary search issues including such topics as firewalls, Zone Alarm and Mcafee Visual Trace. I also appreciated the way he experimented with different search techniques to see what Google would let you do. It encouraged me to be brave when googling.

I definitely enjoyed the humor, including the last page of the Internet. The Search Challenge was great fun and I learned numerous search techniques from taking the challenge.

Learn Google is undoubtedly the best Google book on the market.

I really enjoyed Joyce's book. The more I read the story the faster I read. It seemed very well researched with accurate historical settings and lifestyles into the Medieval times. Great story and great writing.

I enjoyed Loyalty's Web a great deal. The characters became real to me from the first, and I was torn between the conflicting desires and loyalties of the heroine and the hero. Could they find a way for both of them to be true to their loyalties, to themselves, and to each other? It was great fun to unravel the web and find the real spiders in the cast of characters. Intrigue and hidden motives rounded out the plot to provide more than enough suspense to keep the pages turning. Ms. DiPastena knows how to fashion an emotional roller coaster for her readers. I want more.

I very much enjoyed reading Loyalty's Web and recommend it to anyone who is ready for a great adventure. Ms DiPastina masterfully transports her readers into that mystic era of lords and castles, dungeons and knights. This historical fiction weaves its tale amidst the time of King Henry and his dominions in France. It lacks nothing, and is filled with suspense, romance, battles, dreaded arranged marriages, herbal concoctions, murder, and mystery.

From the beginning, DiPastena paints a vivid picture of life in medieval times. She quickly draws you into the lives and passions of her characters in a way that leaves you anxious to find out what happens next. Her research is clear, and adds to the authenticity of the story, without ever taking away from the flow of the story itself. (It made me actually want to go and find out more about what really did happen during that time period.) If you have any interest in the time period, or just in a great read, this book will not disappoint you.

You will really enjoy this book.

Loyalty's Web kept me up late several nights as these realistic characters marched across the chapters. My husband asked me if I was coming to bed one night at 2:00 a.m. Yikes, I had lost track of the time and needed to get up for work the next day!

Her characters are all believable. You are cheering for the heroine as she faces her family and external wrongs. I felt the pain of the hero as he struggled to maintain his duty, honor and his love.

This is a real page turner! I recommend this book to you!

This book covers all main areas associated with a SharePoint implementation project, focusing on:
- Planning the deployment
- Deploying and integration with other platforms
- Monitoring and performance measurement
It addresses all topics comprehensively and discusses web part development, customisation and extensibility options. I concur with the prevailing sentiment amongst the other reviewers and would add that this is one of the best technical books of any kind that I have seen lying around!

I bought this book and anthoer very npopular sharepint book. I think this book is the best. It covers almost everything you need both in depth and broad level. Great book...highly recommmand it.

SharePoint products have come together to produce a more tightly integrated and richer platform, upon which successful collaboration and information sharing can occur. Authors Kevin Laahs, Emer McKenna and Veli-Matti Vanamo have done an outstanding job in this book of covering almost every single aspect of SharePoint.

Laahs, McKenna and Vanamo begin this book by looking at the architecture of Windows SharePoint Services (WSS). In addition, the authors look at how a WSS site is used for the purpose of supporting multi author document collaboration. They also take a look at the architecture of SharePont Portable Server (SPS) and the key features that it brings to the collaboration landscape. Then, they focus on site personalization, delivered by WSS; profiles, delivered; personal sites, delivered by SPS; audience targeting, delivered by SPS; and, IM integration, delivered by Office 2003 and Messenger. The authors then look at the major components of search and how they can affect the features available to end users. Next, they introduce you to software and hardware architecture concepts that you should familiarize yourself with. Then, they take a brief look at the core server products you may want to integrate with your deployment and then focus on planning the features you can enable for SharePoint Products and Technologies. The authors continue by delving further into capacity and hardware planning for SharePoint Products and Technologies. Next, they cover the major aspects of deploying SharePoint Products and Technologies and walk you through a few example installation scenarios for both products. In addition, they cover some of the typical migration scenarios and tools available for you to perform them. The authors then look briefly at the architectures of both SPS 2001 and STS and how they evolved into the current SharePoint platform. Next, they examine the concept of Web Parts and Web Part Pages and where they fit into the overall SharePoint architecture. They then continue to expand upon the topic of deployment and explain the security framework surrounding Web Parts. In addition, the authors focus on the aspects of FrontPage and SharePoint integration that have the most impact. Finally, they take a look at some of the more advanced methods of customizing and extending your SharePoint implementation.

With the preceding in mind, the authors have done an excellent job of providing you with the basic knowledge and tools to begin applying the common customizations applicable to many organizations. Obviously, your requirements may be more specialized and require additional knowledge beyond what they were able to provide.

I found this book a very helpful reference and companion while implementing Sharepoint technologies
The authors have planned it carefully based on actual experience
Some other titles are just a copy of the help files or they tell you what you can easily find out yourself
Only drawbacks which (i forgive):
1. the index is not comprehensive, so it is sometimes difficult to find certain topics quickly
2. some issues are not addressed, viz. bugs, problems etc
3. a section on tips and tricks would have been very helpful (like adding friendly URLs in announcements)
All in all a great value for money and thumbs up to the authors.

I had to search and collate a lot of information off the MSDN library, couple of other SharePoint books and newsgroups -- which I could have easily obtained from this book at first glance.

The book approaches Microsoft's portal (and underlying) technology from an architecture perspective and dives into the various phases of any real SharePoint engagement; as promised by the book's title. I would recommend it for people new to SharePoint who are going to be involved seriously, and also to "experienced" people as a good source for reference.

If there was an advanced version of this book, I'd buy it!

This revised, expanded second edition of Net Crimes & Misdemeanors: Outmaneuvering Web Spammers, Stalkers, And Con Artists comes from a cybercrime expert who provides easy, efficient methods for handling a wide range of online attacks. Himself a one-time victim of cyberstalking, Hitchcock became a victim's advocate and so doesn't come from a programmer's background. Her coverage therefore is most accessible to the lay consumer - the most likely victim of such crimes - and offers insights and tips on preventing everything from identity theft to internet dating, newsgroup problems and more.

This is the second edition of the previously read/critiqued Netcrimes and Misdemeanors book.

Once again, the author fills the pages with important and vital information about how to stay safe online. From scammers to hoaxes, stalkers and ebay, even online dating and keeping children safe from online predators, this book is packed with real life examples of how people made mistakes that made them a target for some online psycho. But not only does it have the mistakes that lead to the problem, it has the solutions and tricks to avoid the situation in the first place as well!

Both versions of this book are useful to anyone that surfs online, but I would urge people to get the second edition as it contains updated links and information. Learn to be safe online! Buy this book for yourself and anyone you know who's a newbie to the online world. You never know... it might just save their life.

In general, the new information and new stories were woven amid the 1st edition information so well that there was no way to make any assumptions and skip along through. Just for the heck of it I tried! Then went back and thoroughly read the particular section and found that there was new stuff I'd missed. I did this intentionally a couple times to check. Gave up on the game and just kept reading! New stuff I *really* liked - the chapter on blogs, journals, etc. and the Nigerian Chapter. Even the Afterword was perfect. Just rightly written. Can't explain it other than it seemed to encompass the entirety of the book for you.

One (of many) of my favorite line(s). Intro, page 2, para.4, sentences 1 and 2. Buy the book and find out!

This book is excellent.

I had heard about the first edition of this book, but never bothered. I honestly thought I knew everything about being online. Then I had a bad experience and heard the 2nd edition was coming out. I bought it at the first chance I could and believe me, I have been kicking myself for not buying the first edition. All the advice given in this book is wonderful. I even found a situation similar to what happened to me and the advice was so simple, I couldn't believe it. Now this book sits next to my computer and I've found myself pulling it out to read about whatever I am doing online. Don't think you know everything - you don't! Trust me on this.

Identity theft, forgery, harassment . . . its happens to thousands of people every day, children included.

It is estimated that more than sixty percent of children between the ages of 13 and 17 have a Myspace profile, my own children are included in that percentage.

I thought that frequent supervision, placing our computer in the kitchen, and an expensive computer software program would be sufficient to protect my children. I was wrong. With tips from this book, I quickly changed simple computer settings that could ultimately prevent my children, or myself, from becoming a cybercrime victim.

The details that Jayne Hitchcock includes in this book about victim prevention and the procedures to follow if you are victimized, are clear and to the point. A review of cybercrime laws, victim experiences, and the psyche of perpetrator motivation make this type of book, which could be otherwise boring, very interesting!

This book is a MUST HAVE for computer rookies, experts, high school students, and every Mom in America, including mine!