Web Books

When Becky Simpson began clearing out her father's office after his sudden death from a heart attack, she found more questions than answers about her mother's disappearance almost fifteen years earlier.

Becky hired private investigator, Tom Casey, also known as Hawkman, to try to find out what happened to her mother. Infidelity, hidden compartments, anonymous threats, lies, deceit, and bones buried in a rose garden lead the reader through an array of gripping suspense elements right to the end.

Grave Web is an excellent mystery suspense novel. I couldn't put it down.

Imagine being a young girl when your mother disappears. No one will answer your questions not even your father. And on top of that your father wont even speak about her. The Grave Web is a story about a woman named Becky, whose mother had disappeared when her brother and she were young. They can remember things about her but being young, they didn't know why she left. After their father's death the young girl, now an adult, seeks to find her mother. She hires a private investigator and discovers the secrets her father hid.

Some of those secrets were; one, their father's affair with another woman and the possibility of the other woman being pregnant. Another was the rental properties that her mother had inherited from her parents that were signed over to her father, with Becky and her brother co-owners, a month after their mothers disappearance. There was also a bank account for herself and one for her brother with large amounts of money in them.

As the private investigator and Becky search through this mystery they get threatening phone calls and letters. The private investigator also has someone try to shoot him. Someone doesn't want them to find out about her mother and discover all of the secrets that seems to span through so many people.

This was an exciting book with many twists and turns. I couldn't put it down and it kept me wanting more. Anyone that likes a mystery will like this one. I recommend it highly.

If you like a lot of action, with guns going off, car chases, stalking, and sinister threats, Betty Sullivan LaPierre's latest in her Hawkman series is the book for you.

The story opens as Becky Simpson mourns the death of her father. He leaves Becky and her brother Cory some real estate, a couple bank accounts, and the mystery of what happened to Carole Ann, their mother, fifteen years before. Becky can't let it go unsolved. With a very pregnant wife, Cory's attention is focused elsewhere, but Becky hungers for some answers. Their mom simply disappeared one day. The children had observed nothing amiss in their family life, but a mother who loves her kids doesn't leave without a word unless something is very wrong.

Becky Simpson makes up her mind to hire the best investigator around, a man who has a mysterious past of his own with something cryptically called The Agency, Tom Casey. Still, she worries about digging into ancient history.

"She gnawed her lower lip, and wondered how much information Mr. Casey would need before he could take the case. Surely, he'd need names to start a search. She let out an audible sigh. Looks like any private investigator will have quite a job on his hands with this cold case."

Tom Casey, known as Hawkman to the locals, hasn't handled many cold cases since he hung out his private investigator's shingle, but he's willing --- maybe even eager --- to tackle this one. After listening carefully to Becky's story and perusing old ledgers and papers she gives him, he tells his new client not to worry; he'll unearth the answers she's looking for. But when she gets a menacing phone call soon after hiring Hawkman, she starts to get edgy. Casey, his interest piqued at the sudden interest in his activities on this case, tells her to be watchful and keep him informed of anything out of the ordinary. It seems that the more he pokes around, the more he stirs up a hornet's nest. Someone out there doesn't want Carole Ann found.

Becky has held out hopes that her mother is still alive, but her optimism starts to fade as the evidence mounts up, pointing to foul play. And if she is dead, there are plenty of suspects in town and folks who just want to let the whole thing stay buried.

GRAVE WEB shows off Ms. LaPierre's well-honed skills for creating a good mystery. And the bonus is that Tom Casey is such a beloved character --- along with his lovely wife Jennifer, family cat Miss Marple, and falcon Pretty Girl --- it is easy to get drawn into the story, and their lives, very quickly.

Becky Simpson has just lost her father and in acting as executrix of his estate she uncovers secrets and mysteries that he had hidden from her and her brother all their lives. At the same time she is trying to recover from her loss, she decides this is the time to find her missing mother. She hires Hawkman to discover her whereabouts.

With no idea as to the hornet's nest they are about to stir up, Hawkman begins almost immediately to ask questions. One clue leads to another and then threats begin to both Hawkman and his client. And he is worried.

What dangerous person has he antagonized with his investigation? Who among those he's talked to feels threatened? Is it the yardman, the neighbor, her father's friends or tenants, or another?

Talented author Betty Sullilvan La Pierre has, as always, crafted a tale of intrigue, dark secrets and plenty of action. The people will seem like old friends and you'll want to read all of her books.

This is a book I'm pleased to recommend to any reader. A fun read all the way through, a great way to pass some pleasant hours. Enjoy. I sure did.

After Becky Simpson's father dies, she has a strong urge to find out what happened to her mother. Carole Ann Simpson has been missing for over fifteen years with no real explanation for her disappearance, and no one seemed to even care. Her brother warns her that she might not like what she finds after digging into old and forgotten family problems.

Becky hires Private Investigator Tom Casey, better known as Hawkman. It's a cold case, and more difficult to solve, but the case intrigues him so he takes her on as a client. As Hawkman questions the neighbors, he finds out Carole Ann wasn't much liked, and everyone prefers to keep their noses in their own business. Most people think she simply ran off because of her husband's affair with another woman. But why wouldn't she contact her children in all that time?

When both Hawkman & Becky start getting threatening messages, warning them to back off, Hawkman becomes certain something much more sinister happened to Carole Ann Simpson all those years ago.

Ms. La Pierre has outdone herself with #10 in the Hawkman Series. Grave Web is a complex web of secrets and lies, keeping you guessing right up to the shocking unveiling. I didn't have a clue how the mystery would be solved, so I was both surprised and delighted with the very plausible ending. Baffle me, and you go on my shelf of great mystery writers. Ms. La Pierre has won her place there with Grave Web.

Adobe Illustrator is a highly regarded professional software for creating digital artwork. Over the years Illustrator's capabilities have been closely identified with print publishing, where the application's high quality precise vector line-art can be scaled up or down in size and not change its resolution. It turns out there's far more uses for Illustrator than just print work. Adobe has been steadily adding features in its last three versions that make Illustrator a very valuable tool for creating Web graphics.

"The Hidden Power of Illustrator CS: Web Graphics Techniques", by author Steve Kurth, focuses on many features that Adobe has bestowed to its latest version of Illustrator. What the book does very well is elaborate on important Web graphics features that Adobe sparingly describes in its Illustrator CS users manual, or omits all together.

Prior to reading "The Hidden Power of Illustrator CS: Web Graphics Techniques" I've been creating navigation buttons, banners, and most other Web page visual components in PhotoShop. If I've needed to slice a graphic or create a button roll-over effect, I have relied on PhotoShop's integrated companion ImageReady. Thanks to this book I'm now much better informed about what Illustrator CS can offer, and it's going to change the way I create Web graphics.

I wouldn't recommend this book for the person who hasn't spent some time using Adobe Illustrator. The author attempts to address many of the application's basic features in the first two chapters. However, it's not going to be adequate for beginners, although users already experienced with Macromedia FreeHand or CorelDraw may find these two chapters quite useful for understanding and adapting their acquired knowledge into effectively using Illustrator CS.

Chapter Three begins explaining what makes Illustrator CS such a great tool for creating Web graphics. The author, Steve Kurth, has more than 10 years experience as a graphics professional. His "how-to's" with Illustrator CS are peppered with explanations of time-saving techniques for increasing workflow productivity when creating Web graphics with Adobe Illustrator. This is particularly the case in chapters five and six "Preparing The Work Environment" and "Preparing Single Graphics".

In Chapter Eight, "Creating Complete Pages", Steve Kurth explains and shows (with sample screen shots) how an entire Web page can be an Illustrator graphic sliced into sections that lessen the apparent wait of screen loading for dial-up users. He also explains how links can be created with specific bits of HTML code embedded into Illustrator Web graphics. Additionally, there are good explanations and examples throughout the chapter explaining how important Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) embedded code can be for precise placement and alignment of graphics in a Web page (better than HTML code instructions), and for creating fancy functional items such as drop-down menus.

With Adobe having given Illustrator CS 3-D graphics creation abilities, the possibilities for making sophisticated Web animations are exciting. Chapter Nine provides some easy-to-follow examples that certainly fueled a number of animation ideas I will be trying. Sequential frames created in Illustrator layers can be exported as a series of GIF graphics, or they can be exported to Macromedia Flash, Adobe AfterEffects or LiveMotion to create quick-loading vector graphics animations.

Chapter Ten is devoted to explaining the features, advantages, and the hopes for the Scaled Vector Graphics (SVG) format. Similar to SWF Flash files, SVG is also a quick-loading vector format that displays well in Web browsers-as long as you have the free plug-in that must be downloaded from Adobe and installed. Unlike the proprietary Flash format, SVG is an open standard. The descriptions given of SVG makes it seem considerably more versatile for website designers than SWF. The Flash plug-in, however, was introduced well before SVG and now enjoys a much larger market share. SVG's ultimate success (and survival) may hinge on developers writing future versions of Web browsers that will natively display the SVG format the way they currently support JPEG, GIF, and PNG.

"The Hidden Power of Illustrator CS: Web Graphics Techniques" is a treasure of information. If you use Illustrator and have not moved up to CS (v. 11), the book will likely motivate an upgrade.

Tom Shackle is a freelance media professional and a member of the Alaskan Apple Users Group

I hardly ever buy books on software because they are all hard to read and follow. This book intrigued me because I am coming from an extensive print background trying to venture into web design. Who knew the program that I use on a daily basis had such web design power? This book is awesome, it's set up in a clear, easy to follow way and the author is extremely knowledgable in the ways of Illustrator. Pick up this book now!

This book was a real eye opener for me. I love Illustrator, and I've been using it for many years, but never realized it has such practical application for web design. Steve Kurth gives practical examples of ways to make your workflow more productive, and his technical expertise in Illustrator is unsurpassed.

Kurth presents a comprehensive training course in the efficient use of Illustrator and aspects that especially apply to web creation. The "Save for Web Reference" gave an excellent overview of file formats and optimizing for web.

Some features were new to me, such as exporting to CSS layers for creating motion animation and more complex design effects. Pixel dimensions when transferring art to GoLive and Dreamweaver was a very useful reference. I found the detailed color discussion most informative.

In the section on creating browser templates. Steve Kurth walks us through constructing an Illustrator template for creating a full web page, something I had never thought of doing before.

All in all, I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in fully and efficiently using Illustrator to design for web. It will definitely increase your production knowledge.

The Hidden Power Of Illustrator CS Web Graphics Techniques by Illustrator CS software expert Steve Kurth is a "do-it-yourself" guidebook for tapping into the depths of Adobe Illustrator's graphics capabilities with respect to an effective and attractive website presentation. Express instructions, screenshots, tutorials for advanced web tools, instructions for building one's own page, and so much more utilizing Illustrator CS software fill the pages of this resourceful and easy-to-follow instructional from cover to cover.

I got this book even though I already know Illustrator. I am a print designer and I wanted to learn web stuff, too. There was plenty of that, and current stuff too. A lot of books on web graphics were written 4 years ago and a lot has changed. This book was up-todate and pertintent. It was complete and easy-to -read.

The part that came as a surprise is that I learned a lot I didn't know about Illustrator in general while reading it. I was surprised at that. I especially liked the animation section. A good book for any Illustrator user.

A few sentences were underlined, but the Bible was in excellent condition. Besides it is an excellent translation. I think it is one of the very best.

The World English Bible is a public domain (not copyrighted) modern English translation of the Holy Bible. It is a revision of the American Standard Version of 1901, with corrections based on the best available Greek and Hebrew manuscripts. The World English Bible is written for English-speaking people all over the world, so it avoids local idioms and language fads. It balances understandability, accuracy, and preservation of the style of the original writers. Because the Holy Bible is inspired by God, it continues to help people of all backgrounds.

The entire text of the World English Bible is available at the URL shown on the front cover, but it is nice to have a nice printed and bound book to read.

This edition is only the New Testament plus Psalms and Proverbs. The rest of the Old Testament is still being edited.

The translation philosophy of the "World English Bible" is described on the WEB: FAQ page on its Web site, "Some people like to use the terms 'formal equivalent' and 'dynamic equivalent.' Neither of these exactly describe what we are doing, since we have borrowed ideas from both, but I suppose that we are closer to formal equivalence than dynamic equivalence."

Dynamic equivalence refers to the thought for thought translation principle used in such versions as the NIV and NLT. This method is less literal than the formal equivalence (word for word) method seen in such versions as the KJV and NKJV. And in my opinion, formal equivalence is a much better principle for translating the Bible.

In any case, the above is a rather accurate description of the translation method of the WEB. It is mostly a formal equivalence version, but it tends towards dynamic equivalence at places. Also added words are not italicized or bracketed as they are in versions like the KJV and NKJV. So its accuracy is somewhat less than these two versions but much better than true dynamic equivalence versions. And with only minor deviations into dynamic equivalency, the WEB is reliable Bible version. Moreover, the WEB is much more readable than the KJV and somewhat more readable than NKJV.

In addition, the WEB differs from the KJV and NKJV in that it is based on the Majority Text (MT) rather than the "Textus Receptus" (TR). These two texts are very similar, much closer to each other than either is to the more popular Critical Text (CT). Of these three texts, I believe the MT is the most accurate, so being based on this text a big plus in favor of the WEB.

In fact, the WEB is one of only two versions currently available based on the MT. The other is my own "Analytical-Literal Translation" (ALT). But, as the name implies, my ALT differs from the WEB in that the ALT is a very literal translation, thus it is more accurate than the WEB. But the WEB would be more readable.

The WEB also has footnotes indicating textual variants, along with alternative translations and explanatory notes. My ALT includes such information. It has alternative translations and other aids within brackets within the text and a list significant textual variants in an appendix. And whether in footnotes, within brackets, or in an appendix, such info can be very helpful in Bible study.

So the WEB provides an accurate and readable translation of the best available Greek text, while providing helpful aids for Bible study. So I would highly recommend it. And for an even more accurate translation of the MT, see my ALT.

For further details on these two versions, an extensive discussion on the three different Greek texts mentioned above, along with reviews of about 30 other versions of the Bible, see my book "Differences Between Bible Versions."

I bought the paperback version of the WEB after reading it on the internet.At this time the Old Testament isn't available in printed form yet.
This Bible is a revision of the American Standard Version of 1901.One difference is the use of the scared name.The WEB uses Yahweh as compared to Jehovah.There was no "j" sound or letter in Hebrew.
The WEB is my translation of choice for internet Bible research.
It is accurate and easy to read.The footnotes are very helpful for clarifying words and telling of differences in greek text used.
The Psalms are seperated and clearly marked.
The other books are not seperated as individual chapters.Verses are identified with chapters in the text itself.So I use the the passage start and stop markers at the top of the pages for locating a particular passage.That's only a minor thing to me.
The entire WEB is available free online at a number of sites.
I will probably buy the complete WEB when it is printed.
I like this translation!It's one of the better modern translations for accuracy and readability.

After years of reading various bible versions and a strong commitment to literal translations I finally found the best. I used to be forced to shift from version to version depending on my purpose. Not anymore. No other bible version captures the Greek and Hebrew manuscripts as well as the World English Bible does. It is more literally accurate than other more popular versions (YLT, NASB, NKJV or KJV) and best of all uses modern english. By remaining more literal to the meaning of the context the translators have managed to select words that address various dividing issues in this church age. It is good for study as well as devotional reading. If you are sick and tired of all the various translations and want to settle with one translation give this one a try. You will never go back.

Greg Smith has done a very good job of providing a comprehensive and comprehensible resource. While Greg's approach to parenting might sound autocratic to some parents, but the fact is that it is ultimately a parent's responsibility to protect his kid (not that school and society at large are not responsible to protect our kids). While it educates technically non-savvy parents with the innards of the technology, it also provides a clear strategy to adopt the technical tools, corresponding to each age group. It is not a high level book, rather a hands-on approach book. He mentions many tools for monitoring, filtering and blocking purposes and one such tool is familyarmor.com.

Excellent Job!

The Internet and Web have so much to offer for both adults and children. I use it everyday and my children are also online daily. I check the news, email, and do research. I even met my spouse online. Also, my kids play games, chat with friends and explore. It's a great learning tool and allows them some freedoms to explore their interests. However, as the Web and Internet continue to impact our lives, there are very real dangers that I want to know about so that I can be sure my kids are safe when they are online.

What Greg Smith has been able to provide in his book are the specifics of how you can take the necessary steps to make sure that the Internet and Web is a safe place for your kids. Many books and guides speak in terms of general rules and ideas, but what Mr. Smith provides is real details and tools that you can put into action. He identifies the risks and issues being exploited and provides the leading tools, his experiences, and recommendations to protect you and your children. Even experienced technology professionals will find the comprehensive list of tools and technologies in his book a huge help. I have been using the Internet and Web for a long time and there are several things in his book that I did not know about, and that I want to keep my kids from knowing about.

Excellent book.

Greg Smith has written an important book for parents. Using his experience as a senior IT leader and a parent, he lets parents know the risks of children being connected and how to protect them.

The author makes the reader aware of the many dangers of connected electronic devices, not only computers but also cell phones. At a very young age, children are using computers and the age when children have their own cell phones seems to creep down every year. Many parents are not as technically sophisticated as their children, especially parents of teenagers. He urges parents to take control by learning about technology, using the tools available to safeguard and monitor children's activities on-line, and talking with your kids. His easy to understand recommendations let parents know what they need to do, going as far as recommending specific products and providing "How-to" instructions, customized for the age of your child.

As Mr. Smith states in his book, "You're just two clicks away from just about anything." Make sure your children are safe.

This book provides useful and easily understandable information for parents regarding protecting their children on the Internet. Even if you think your kids aren't using the Internet, they are. Statistics show that 96% of 13 yr olds use the Internet on a regular basis. So as parents, and as a teacher, it's important to know and understand how to keep your child safe.

I highly recommend this book for all parents. Even if you think your child is safe or that you know all there is to know, you can never be to safe when it comes to your children.

This book goes into great detail of what you, as a parent, need to do to keep your kids safe on the Internet.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that has children on the Internet.

I read this book several years ago when I first got in to web design. This book was so easy to follow and clear to understand that it only took me a few days of reading before I was able to build my first web site. While this book is a little old by technology standards, the information it has about HTML is still valid and current.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning HTML.

A good primer on HTML and web publishing in general, if you don't want to get too deep. The tags are laid out clearly, and the methods to achieve certain looks or feels are plainly illustrated, but the book doesn't teach that much theory, so you are generally stuck with the methods they teach. Some of the methods are somewhat non-standard, which worries me, but as a whole the book is sound and easy to read. I would recommend _HTML 4 for the Worldwide Web_, by Elizabeth Castro, instead. It is very clear and basic, but it covers more of the theory so you can be a more powerful designer.

This book is so wonderful! I thought the "For Dummies" series would be easy enough, but I've found those types of books often have excess information I really don't care about. I will be taking a class in a few weeks that requires knowledge of HTML, so I needed to learn it easily, and quickly. I'm the type of individual who learns best in bulleted or outlined lists and HTML In An Instant is laid out just this way.

The book is setup perfectly and takes you from the basic concepts HTML structure, all the way up to Java applications. It's not too big and is consistently formatted throughout.

I had previously purchased the Visual Quickstart series and quickly found out these are not so "quick." Frustrated, I finally just sat down in a Borders and pulled out several HTML books and selected this one. I can't rave about it more....

This book is good well designed for someone who has not time to cut through a text book just to find a simple way of coding one thing in HTML. The pictures are clear and precise. You can have a website or any other HTML document up and working before you have to learn the theory behind it. Even for experts a quick reference can help. This book is also the basics behind all the extended languages. Some people use the skills learned in this book just to make their Discussion Boards more colorful and add the dimension of pictures and sound.
Table of Contents:
1. The internet
2. Introduction to Creating Web Pages
3. Getting Started (display Web page in Web Browser)
4. Change Appearance of Text
5. Add Images
6. Work with Images
7. Create Links
8. Create Tables
9. Add Sounds and Videos
10. Create Forms
11. Create Frames
12. Advanced Web Pages (JavaScript and Java Applets)
13. Set up Style Sheets
14. Using Style Sheets
15. Publish Web Pages
16. Summary of HTML Tags

There are thicker books out there but none so graphic.

It is exactly what I was looking for. I have VB experience but am new to HTML. The whole book is examples of code with screen shots of how a web page would appear. It even goes into creating classes, style sheets, and adding Javescript. It is a good reference for someone with experience (I have had developers borrow mine) and simplistic enough for a beginner. I definatly recommend it.

This book provides keen insight into the core problems that plague Information Technology and strangle the productivity of knowledge workers. The vision presented in the book is quite bold and yet clearly within reach given the current state of technology and the knowledge workers' insatiable drive to be empowered.

Sapir introduces a paradigm for business solution development in which the knowledge worker is empowered to meet their core, day-to-day IT needs with a dramatic decrease in reliance upon the IT Department. Sapir demonstrates that the technology required to permit a non-technical knowledge worker to design complex business solutions without dependence upon IT currently exists. The missing key is the actual paradigm itself - the visualization and user-interface that actually provides the end-user with the ability to develop such solutions. In this book, Sapir offers a revolutionary, and yet easy-to-understand, solution to this problem, with what he refers to as Personal Service Builders or PSB's.

The impact of the application of PSB's to software development is tremendous, bringing solutions to end-users faster, at lower cost, with less intrusive business practice integration, higher business logic adaptability, lower cost of ongoing system maintenance and longer system lifespan.

The argument for the PSB metaphor is suscinct and convincing. The impact PSB's will have on the corporations that are advanced-thinking enough to adopt them is made clear. In the end, the reader is left anxious to see this new technology at work and try his own hand at building complex solutions to complex problems at a fraction of the cost and time to market.

When Jon Sapir talks about a bold new vision for IT he's not kidding. In this book he looks at the separation between business and IT knowledge, and questions the wisdom of this current world order. In Sapir's vision, business users in the near future will have the tools they need to create their own small applications (called services), and link them with those developed by other users into an organization-wide system -- all without writing a single line of code. IT will be involved with developing the tools, and with creating the more complex services (as well as the framework on which they reside).

He makes a very compelling case for both the wisdom of taking this course and the possibility of it happening. Rather than viewing IT as a separate department, he sees IT as "everybody's business." He points to case after case of business inching this way since the dawn of the Information Age, all leading to the day in the not too distant future when all the pieces are in place and it's a done deal.

The book is an easy yet compelling read, loaded with references from business gurus and examples of the conditions that are leading us to this inevitible conclusion. Sapir has a gift for taking all the little pieces and pulling them together to show the big picture.

I have spent the last 13 years in the IT industry and looking back it is amazing just how much the industry has changed. The tools available to me now have made me several orders of magnitude more productive over those years. Every so often it is important to take stock of the direction of the industry and this book helped clarify the issues relevant today. It is clear that we are on the verge of yet another milestone in the industry. Web services, PSBs and Service Oriented Architecture are going to be key forces in the upcoming revolution. The battle will empower business users by making systems development so simple that any motivated employee will be able to effortlessly build complex systems from simple building blocks.

Great book!

This is a great overview of the trends and concepts driving business software today. Aimed at the non-technical reader, it makes things like Web services, Service Oriented Architectures and social software easily understandable. In addition, it shows how software will be built in the future and how it will significantly impact everyone involved - from CIO's and programmers to CEO's and business users.

As an author, former IT executive, and veteran of many IT wars, I am certainly well trained to defend against those that would dare suggest change is needed. But maybe, mellowing with age, allows me to finally look in the mirror, and hear voices such as Harvard's Nicholas Carr in "Does IT Matter" and InfoPower's Jonathan Sapir - "Igniting the Phoenix - A New Vision for IT." Much has been written about Carr, but Sapir's book is the jewel that offers a visionary, yet practical road map "to not throwing the baby out with the bath water", while preparing for 21st century information solutions. The phoenix, one that has served its life purpose and is ready to burst in flames, parallels what CIO's should see before them. It is time for this era of information systems to change, and a new phoenix to emerge, an era of knowledge sharing. After, years of building, and supporting business solutions that have never quite lived up to expectation and business need, the problems of IT are not solved by outsourcing the same old thing to less expensive developers in India or otherwise. Sapir points to a new approach in which "Information technology is now capable of providing the infrastructure that allows users the freedom to become self-reliant ... in a way compatible with the goals of the organization." Sapir's book shares a vision that is a must read for IT professionals and knowledge workers who care about their future. It offers those who need practical answers to SOA, Web Services, Software as a Service, Personal Service Builders - new approaches to solving business challenges.

As an IT professional, I understand the need for quick and complete information, and this book gives it. The learners guide for beginners and the definitive guide for advanced users all in one package. Inovative, and thought inspiring, the theories in design and implimentaion are on the cutting edge of design concepts...

As an IT professional, I understand the need for quick and complete information, and this book gives it. The learners guide for beginners and the definitive guide for advanced users all in one package. Inovative, and thought inspiring, the theories in design and implimentaion are on the cutting edge of design concepts, even 6 moth after its release.

Although this book is rich with details, it is too terse to be considered comprehensive. The ideal audience, in my opinion, consists of (1) project managers who will be tasked with planning these systems, (2) development managers who need to organize their resources to produce systems that are rapidly evolving even before the first line of code is written, and (3) production support, which will be taking highly dynamic systems into production.

One thing stands out about this book - it begins with business requirements and makes them a central theme of the Internet Commerce Development Methodology (ICDM), which is the author's approach to e-commerce systems development. The ICDM is the heart of this book. It's a methodology that successfully marries business analysis and development, and also defines how the project should be organized. It's a top-down approach with feasibility analysis and strategy at the top. The next layer in ICDM is the process level, which is imperative for e-commerce initiatives, which will certainly change business processes. This layer also requires a feasibility analysis, as well as process change, reengineering and transformation steps. Next is the meta-development strategy that encompasses your component strategy, functional requirements, architecture, design and implementation. Each element requires a feasibility analysis. Stepping back and viewing the ICDM as a whole it looks a lot like a spiral life cycle approach. I am not sure that is the author's intent, but it can be construed as such, especially if you view the feasibility analyses checkpoints as risk assessments as well.

The entire process is evolutionary, and therefore the approach supports incremental delivery and implementation. In many respects it resembles the Rational Unified Process and could be easily aligned to a project that used that approach in e-commerce development. Even of you are locked into a different methodology I strongly recommend this book because it has some excellent practices and will give you ideas that can be seamlessly incorporated into your approach.

Practitioners and students have been waiting for a book such as this to come along. In reality there is very little in the way of methodological help guiding the development of information systems for conducting web commerce. This book doesn't disregard the lessons learned from the evolution of systems development but it introduces the key issues throughout the lifecycle that differentiate the complexities of web systems from their traditional counterparts.

This book provides the information needed to develop Web Systems in an organisational setting. It takes you through all the components of development with an innovative approach called ICDM. The methods have helped me greatly at work in my role as a Web developer.

I only recently became a [website user]. Just a month ago, someone said to me, "Aww heck, they won't let me FTP from behind this firewall at work."

And I felt really stupid.

Fortunately for me, this very technical book was not at all confusing, as I ran off and bought it immediately after my humiliation. It is written in an informative and relatively jargon-free language. I have been tranformed from a virus-laden security ignoramus to a web geek security know-it-all!!!

Building a secure Internet infrastructure is akin to building a house. There are a lot of different entities involved, that all must work together to ensure that the edifice is properly constructed. If the building is not properly constructed, even a small wind can topple it.

While a house needs an architect, contractors, plumbers, electricians and much more; networks require similar sets of skills if it is to be deployed in a secure manner. The problem with designing secure Internet sites is that the dynamics of information systems means that the foundation is constantly changing. Just as companies are finishing their migrations, there are new updates to deal with. The threats and vulnerabilities are for the most part increasing quicker than most organizations are able to deal with

For those looking to design their Internet information security infrastructure, Internet Site Security is an excellent title to use as their guide. It is like an architects guide to building secure networks.

The book is quite comprehensive in its coverage of all critical areas of security. It details how to build a secure infrastructure and how to deploy policies to protect it. It covers various technologies such as intrusion detections systems and firewalls, and shows how they are to be effectively deployed.

Then advantage of the book is that it has just the right combination of breath and depth. Topics are covered effectively, and the authors do not waste the reader's time by going into obscure security minutiae or academic threats.

Readers looking for an effective guide to fundamental issues involved with information security and Internet security are well advised to read Internet Site Security. Don't design you Internet site without it.

This really is a superb book. The evidence that the authors are hands on types who have implemented what they describe is very apparent, and take it from someone who has been doing security for years, the problems they describe are what you experience in real life. It's a refreshing change from other books which describe the products/technologies as if they were reading a feature list - it's hard to find a book packed with real life experience.

I'd describe it as a 'mid level' book, i.e. if you need detailed knowledge of x509 etc you need a seperate tome - but if you want a fairly detailed overview of the majority of risks affecting your web site, this is the book to choose.

Collaboratively written by Erik Schetina (CTO for TrustWave Corporation), and TrustWave Corporation senior security engineers Ken Green and Jacob Carlson, Internet Site Security is a much-needed and completely "user friendly" instructional guide to implementing solid and reliable security measures for a personal or professional internet site. Individual chapters provide an informationally useful overview of basic types of security, and address specific issues such as network and application protocols (TCP/IP), operating system and server software issues from Windows NT and 2000 to Linux and Unix, Intrusion-Detection Systems, common security mistakes in internet applications, and much, much more. Internet Site Security is a very highly recommended (if not downright indispensable) resource for surviving in today's era of cyber-crime.

This book covers the subject of Internet Security in a comprehensive manner. It contains excellent coverage on modern penetration/exploitation techniques as well as proper forensic procedures. The book shows you how to build a secure infrastructure and how to proactively deploy security policies, something that should be emphasized in every organization. It offers valuable insight on integration of a security infrastructure into an existing enterprise environment, covering both technical and political ramifications. The book discusses in-depth the strengths and weaknesses of various Intrusion Detection Systems and FireWall architectures. It also provides excellent coverage on IPSec and PAM; better than any documents that I have read on the Internet. The book provides both breadth and depth. It is neither a book all about theories and policies nor just another compilation of internet articles and mailing list discussions. Many insight gleaned from the authors' industry experience have shined through this book. It is a worth read even for a senior security engineer.

Learn how to save time and money through a guide which shows how to use the Internet to locate the best travel bargains and save money. Internet Travel Planner goes beyond pinpointing the latest sites: it tells how to join online discussion forums, how to gain access to newspapers and reviews, and how to use online resources to create your very own custom made traveler's guidebook.

For all of you web travel fans, the Second Edition of Internet
Travel Planner has been updated with the best and newest web travel sites. As a former travel industry employee, I find this is the most complete and easy-to-read internet book now that all the large travel suppliers and surviving internet travel businesses have improved their online booking sites.

Using Michael Shapiro's book as a guide, a newcomer to researching travel can click through a website with ease. An interesting new appendix was added on digital photography. Do any of us world travelers leave home without a camera! Of course we love finding a good discount and each chapter lists sites known for the best deals. Travel sales are still down and businesses are reducing prices or adding incentives to get customers. I would highly recommend buying the book for yourself or giving it as a gift for the holidays.

Michael Shapiro's Internet Travel Planner isn't just another listing of Internet sites to be obsolete in a few months time: it provides some important tips linking travel to the Internet, from creating a custom guidebook to using the internet to see pictures of hotel rooms and connect with other travelers through travel chats and forums. And for those worrying about the book's longevity: free updates are offered online!

I found this book to be both informative and useful even though I had already used the internet for travel purposes. My husband found out about free email accounts and signed up for one within a few minutes (Chapter 14). After reading Shapiro's Internet Travel Planner, I realized that by booking airline tickets on line, I had only begun to scratch the surface of the possibilities for travel planning on line. What I found most useful for both `arm chair travel' and trip planning was Shapiro's chapter on discussion forums and bulletin boards. Search engines are great but I find the results to be catch as catch can. In Chapter 13 I got a clear sense of which sites were worth my time. Shapiro covers everything from frequent flyer miles to vacation package sites, from weather to medicine abroad. The book is easy to use-it offers an index and appendices that allow you to find websites quickly. Read this book even if you wouldn't book a flight or make a reservation on line. The web is too great and too vast a resource to skip and you'll be glad you have this guide as you surf.

My favorite thing about this book is this. You've got a specific question on your mind about doing something travel-related on the Net. And then you just look in the table of contents, and I swear, Shapiro has covered it to some extent. Like, a dependable site for car rentals, or where to find opinions and reviews from other travelers, or getting train passes, dealing with frequent flier miles...and lots of other stuff.

This book isn't a list, or directory, of travel Web sites. Shapiro picked Web sites he considers to be the strongest ones for each topic. And he goes into the details of what to expect for each one. This helps you decide which site is best for your particular needs, for instance, whether you're seeking a last minute hotel bargain, a night in a B&B or a homestay.

This also means that he's willing to be critical. For example, right now Priceline is quite the rage. In the budget travel section he describes how to get the most out of it while also going over the unsexy fine print... that you can't pick an exact flight time, tickets are non-refundable and you don't earn frequent flier mileage. I don't know about you, but that's the info that nobody ever tells me.

A bonus is the First Person section of various chapters. Basically, Shapiro includes interviews, emails and other stories from folks who've used specific sites. You get to see what worked, what didn't and why -- all with opinions.

Hey all you AOL users: Shapiro's got you covered. In many sections he includes a blip, customized to you, that goes over how you use certain sites specifically on AOL.

I'd say that Internet Travel Planner is especially friendly for someone new to the Net. However, it's also helpful for folks who already know Web travel. I know a decent amount about various travel Web sites, yet I find that Shapiro highlights certain features I didn't realize existed in sites I thought I knew well. And on top of it all, you get some non-Net travel advice, like seven tips for finding cheap airline flights. The stuff you'd otherwise have to find out the hard way.

On top of it all, if you have questions or comments, he leaves his email in the introduction for you to contact him. Now that's service.

This is an excellent book that covers all aspects of web development. To often are programmers unconcerned with the aesthetics representing the code they create. However it does not matter how functional your site is if the user cannot enjoy it, understand it and navigate it. That is where this book fits in. It is the perfect medium between the programming world and the design world. If read cover to cover this book can give even the most inexperienced reader the skills needed for professional web development. It is well organized and laid out in a manor perfect for the classroom environment. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in web development.

The book is well written and concise with many wonderful examples to support the text. The combination of both web design and web programming into a single resource is inspired.

I have been teaching Web related courses for several years now. When I received a note from the publisher's representative annoucing the textbook, my first reaction was "Another Beauty From Paul Wang" and I was right! I have copies of all books written by Paul Wang including the best-seller, five-stars book (ANSI C on UNIX). Finally, there is a book that I really can use in teaching courses on both Web Design and Web Programming. Most existing books either discuss Web Design or Web Programming but not both. I have adopted the book and I will be using it to teach my Computer Science students as well as my MBA students. The book is well-written, comprehensive, and probably is the first book that is written by people on both sides of the aisle: Arts and Computer Science. I have always believed that most computer science folks lack the artistic side of Web publishing and many people in the arts field lack the technical side of it. I believe the two authors (a well-known and famous computer scientist and author Paul Wang and a leading expert on Visual Communication Design Sanda Katila) have done an excellent job and provided us with a wonderful textbook that addresses the subject of Web development in an integrated manner. This textbook can be used by almost anyone who is interested in Web development. It is easy to read and follow and it is very interesting. Yet it is challenging and very informative. I highly recommend this book and give it a Five-Stars rating without hesitation.

This is an excellent book that covers all aspects of web development. To often are programmers unconcerned with the aesthetics representing the code they create. However it does not matter how functional your site is if the user cannot enjoy it, understand it and navigate it. That is where this book fits in. It is the perfect medium between the programming world and the design world. If read cover to cover this book can give even the most inexperienced reader the skills needed for professional web development. It is well organized and laid out in a manor perfect for the classroom environment. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in web development.

To see the book cover, detailed table of contents, and
a rich set of supplemental materials please visit the
book site: sofpower.com/wdp