Web Books

Super Searchers On Mergers & Acquisitions reveals the online search services and tools used by leading researchers, who regularly use the Internet to uncover critical details on companies and industries. The focus on mergers and acquisitions and how to acquire the details about growth-oriented companies will please any business owner, broker, appraiser or business buyer.

Jan Tudor is simply the best guide avaliable for climbing the summit of M&A research on-line or off. A professional researcher's professional her stellar reputation in the industry has insured a host of illustrative interviews, techniques, and fine honed observations from across the M&A landscape.

This book is head and shoulders above the Eissenberg book (O'Reilly). Kurt Cagle is a serious developer, and the book shows it, with advanced examples that explore all aspects of programming. It would have been nice to have a .zip file that had all the examples in it, but that's a minor nit.

Finally an SVG Bible for the Web. I have worked with SVG for just under 2 years and had to learn SVG from the W3C documents and lots of "experiments". I have only reviewed half of this book so far and found a wealth of knowledge on using SVG on the Web. It's examples are solid and well organized.

This book can be used by the novice and the experienced to add the coolest vector graphics to their Website. This book is well balanced for all levels. It has earned a well respected slot next to my computer...

I appreciated how well thought out this book was in its presentation. It's a very useful book with real world examples. However, it is more than that because it also outlines useful principles to think about, consider and make choice about when considering how to use Tagging.

This was a really good book. It wasn't what I expected it to be. But it was a worthwhile read. I picked it up because I do a fair amount of work writing book reviews and making guides and booklists on Amazon. And Amazon now lets guys like me create tags for the books I review and include in guides and lists. I kind of expected this book would have talked a little bit about the Amazon system of tagging. Nope. But that's OK. It's still a good book. It includes seven chapters and three appendices:

1. What is tagging?
2. The value of tagging
3. Tagging system architecture
4. Tags, metadata, and classical systems
5. Navigation and visualization
6. Interfaces
7. Technical design
A. Case study: social bookmarking
B. Case study: media sharing
C. Case study: personal information management

Tagging is a form of information that is really starting to take root in our computer systems and online systems. I first experienced it back in 1998 when I purchased a copy of Lotus Organizer to use as my Personal Information Manager (PIM) when practicing law. The program allowed me to cross-reference the many lists I had created in its database. I thought it was really cool back then.

I was just getting into creating Web sites in 1998, too. And I found the tagging features in Lotus Organizer enabled me to do with the data in my database what I was doing with my Web pages in my Web sites. Basically tagging is another name for hyperlinking. Nothing more and nothing less. A tag will take you to a new idea, concept, data item, data page, or database. It's a springboard that will take you to information.

This book points out that tagging is a new form of information management as it relates to personal organization, information architecture, and online communities. I suppose my Lotus Organizer program is an example of the first, and Amazon's system is an example of the last. So is it really all that new?

All in all, this book explains the value of tagging. It's a guide to what, how and why to tag. Each chapter ended in a list of bullet points called a Summary. I liked this feature very much since it helped me skim through the book quickly. 5 stars!

I picked up A Tangled Web by Ingrid McLaughin Taylor and I was not able to put it down until I got to the end. Even then I couldn't get it out of my mind. Ingrid has a way of making you want more.

The idea of meeting someone on the internet and leaving all to meet them was something too close to home. I remember considering doing that myself at one time. Loneliness grabs you and you don't stop to consider that behind the well speaking christian may be something less than perfect. I could relate very well with April Stover.

Kenny Colt, her so called christian man, was a character that made your skin crawl and you were never sure of the outcome even when April did get a second chance at love.

Ingrid McLaughin Taylor is a fine writer and I highly recommend her books to anyone. She writes the kind of books I have been hoping to read. Full of suspense but not gore. Full of promising excitement and intrigue. Captivating tension in every chapter.

A Tangled Web
By Ingrid McLaughlin Taylor
ISBN 1-60145-030-3
978-160145-030-2

I just closed the cover on a wild ride. A Tangled Web by Ingrid McLaughlin Taylor started out as a pleasant Sunday afternoon read. I worried about a woman dumping her life to chase after an overtly religious man whom she met in an internet chat room. Maybe I watched too many Judge Judy shows to have this sit comfortably with me. But, it seemed okay, not my kind of story, but okay.

Once the starry-eyed April Stover arrived at the Oakwood community soon to be her home and she discovered Kenny Colt was not exactly all he said he was, April was determined to make the best of her situation until she realized what a psychopathic monster she had fallen prey to. That is just the beginning of this roller coaster ride of terror for April.
Just when you think she's on the road to happiness and a secure future Kenny Colt hits your panic button again.

Taylor grabs you, twists you, and spins you around in this fast paced, gut wrenching read. If she didn't pause for a few romantic interludes and conversations with her close friends Max and Patti, you would be exhausted before you extricated yourself from A Tangled Web.

Taylor's masterful twist of the screws, suspense dappled with a young woman's search for true love as she matures from shy violet to independent woman makes this book a must read. By the time you have decided it's a soft Christian love story, you will not be able to put the book down until you finish it. Even while things on the surface seem to be running smoothly and April seems to have found what she has longed for, you feel the undertow, you feel a certain current pulling you under for the third time--you know it isn't over. You just are not prepared for what will happen next.

Move over Stephen King, Ingrid McLaughlin Taylor has just made a bid for your crown, and she has given you her first run for the money.
A non-stop thriller/chiller of a read I highly recommend. Superb job from a new author you'll want to watch for in the future. I predict she'll make a name for herself in the suspense/thriller genre very soon.

The book was fun, exciting, and fast paced. Once I started, I couldn't put the book down! The characters all became real to me, especially Justin, the main character, Cheryl, someone he meets online, and Emily, the "cop".

Though the book focuses on Internet chat, even computer neophytes will have no trouble enjoying the plot, and trying to guess "who's who". Some may be surprised at what the online world can be like, and, after reading this book, may be inclined to check more closely at what their children or spouses may be doing with the family computer!

I found this book to be well-written and fast-paced. It
caught my interest immediately, and I found it hard to put
it down. With so many people on the internet today, the story
seems quite relevant. However, it is not just a love story or
a tale of cyber sex. There is mystery, murder, danger,
and suspense. I look forward to future novels by Mr.
Perticone.

The most important thing to note about this book is that it is not about how to go search the internet. It is a book aimed at people who teach classes on how to go search the internet. As such, it talks about things like which search engines to teach, analyzing your audience because what you teach a novice is different than experienced users, organizing the class, terminology, etc.

The book is written by an experienced teacher who has further collected information from a number of other instructors who also teach how to search. This has produced a good selection of examples, anecdotes, and stories, many of which you can use in your own classes. One chapter in the book is just on such stories and some of them are quite amusing.

If you're getting ready to teach a class in searching, this book has done just about all the preparation work you need.

If you're teaching web searching techniques, you shouldn't be without this book - and if you're a web searcher seeking the best approaches, run don't walk to the shelves which hold TEACHING WEB SEARCH SKILLS: TECHNIQUES AND STRATEGIES OF TOP TRAINERS. Here are tips from the best Internet searchers, going beyond the usual basics on how to conduct a basic search and probing the methods that narrow results and get the best results. From image searches and usenet to understanding search engine pros and cons and overcoming these limitations, teachers in particular and searchers in general receive many specifics.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This book contains information that will be equally useful to call centers supporting customers and internal IT help desks that are exploring the benefits of web-based issue management via a corporate intranet. The previous reviewed has provided a comprehensive assessment of this book, so I'll address the highlights that I found to be useful:

(1) The business-case first approach that the author takes is straightforward and provides step-by-step procedures for determining the true business value of web-enabled technical support vs. traditional call centers. I especially liked the discussion of first, second and third generation site models because it gives you a target model and shows both the business and technical value of each. I also liked the way ROI factors and ratings were used to determine ROI potential. The factors are management, functions and tools, and the ratings are a simple Good or Poor. This is placed into context with a table that shows the combinations of factors and ratings and their associated potential and gives you a structured decision tool at a glance.

(2) Scope approach given in the book is complete in that it takes into account all stakeholder views (business, technical support and users/customers). This forces you to take a realistic look at goals and objectives and, using ROI information, begin making intelligent and informed trade-offs.

(3) Site creation map is consistent with good project management practices in that it uses a task and associated details approach. The details provided include deliverables and what the deliverables should contain. Project planners and managers will find this section particularly valuable.

(4) Support processes and procedures are well thought out and can be used as a benchmarking tool as well as planning and implementation guidelines.

(5) I like the way the section on site management is goal-driven and traceable back to ROI. If this approach is followed you will have processes that are designed for continuous improvement.

(6) The use of tables and lists throughout the book provides a wealth of information on nearly every topic.

There are a few areas that were weak: no mention of portal technology, which can be employed to create user-customizable features and incorporate advanced knowledge management functionality into a web-enabled support system. Also, there was no discussion of configuration control over content or legal issues that need to be considered when providing technical support to customers (as opposed to internal end users).

Overall this is an exceptionally valuable book that is among the best on the subject. Highly recommended to IT help desks and product technical support center managers.

Ms. Czegel has produced another 5-star winner with a badly needed book on providing technical support using web technology. This book is more focused on internal IT web-based support vs. product support for call centers. It does address product-based support for external customers, but not in the depth or detail that internal help desks are discussed. While help desks and call centers employ many of the same processes and tools, there is a world of difference between the challenges, goals and objectives of the two. One of the key advantages of using web-based support internally is initial troubleshooting tools, knowledge bases and other self-help aids can be made available to preempt support calls. Both IT and the business win if the user can resolve his or her problem without opening an issue. Another big advantage is when a ticket is open users can track the progress of getting their problem resolved. This goes a long way towards aligning IT services to business requirements and improving customer satisfaction.

As in her other books Ms. Czegel begins with an examination of business factors and a discussion of how web-based technical support has evolved quickly to what she calls a third-generation model. I like how she sums up the business factors with a compelling discussion of the business benefits, including an example cost-benefit analysis.

The second chapter gives a roadmap for site creation and management. It provide a comprehensive list of necessary tasks that can be used to develop a work breakdown structure and project plan. It segues into the next chapter on establishing the scope, and leads you through the foundation of defining your goals and business expectations. Scope includes possible services to provide through web-based support, and which services are the most cost-effective to provide. I liked the examples, provided in tables, that rank requirements and the resources required to satisfy them. Ms. Czegel next addresses staff selection, providing roles and responsibilities and the necessary skills to move to web-based support. This information is valuable to help desk professionals because there are major differences between traditional help desk requirements and those of web-based support organizations.

Functions, tools and implementations are covered in great detail and is must reading because web-based support brings with it specialized tools and requirements that will leverage a traditional help desk's tools to provide self-help to users. Because this book does touch on product support to external customers I felt that the lack of content management and change control tools was a notable gap. These are important to internal and external support, but are far more critical when you are dealing with external customers because out-of-date technical information or the wrong software for download can seriously detract from your company's image (or worse). If your focus is product support to external customers I recommend augmenting this book with Customer Service on the Internet by Jim Sterne.

Designing your site is briefly covered with good advice; however, the heart of this book is process and implementation, and site management. Ms. Czegel thoroughly covers all issues and gives valuable information using tables, checklists and examples. These two parts of the book are essential to implementing and managing an effective web-based support function. I especially liked the metrics and examples given.

Summary: web-based technical support is one of the most effective strategies to improve the level of support to customers using self-help and other preventative measures to reduce issues. It also gives users an ability to track their open issues, which improves their level of satisfaction as well as reducing follow-up calls to the help desk. This book provides a clear roadmap to defining a web-based support strategy, and its implementation and management. As far as I know there is no other book that addresses this subject for internal IT help desks, making it all the more valuable. If you are a help desk manager who is either exploring web-based technical support, or are in the process of implementing it this book with save you much grief because it lays out what needs to be done from business case development to daily operations. If you are currently supporting users with web technology the site management chapter will provide you with excellent advice on how to efficiently manage web-based support.

Excellent story, pulls at your heart strings. Reading this book will have you realize that the suffering brought on by a parent, family, or friend is etched in stone in the victims minds. Its a strong victim who survives the sickness of this abuse. To be able to keep his mind, and live a life with success, and above all to have a open warm heart. God bless the author for his bravery in telling the story.

This book is extremely well put together, the story grabs you and keeps you guessing? This work of fiction brings you to tears in some areas and has you rolling on your side laughing in others. You learn about Kevin and his hard life. You will feel for this character!!! It makes you realize how important responsibilty is! A must read for anyone who had a difficult childhood or who knows someone who has!

I'm not even done with this book yet; I am ingesting it slowly even as I sit in front of my edit station. Some of the questions that I have had for a long time were answered in the first chapter. It is definately not a how to book; it isn't a tutorial based or program specific book. Think of The Art and Science of Digital Compositing by Ron Brinkmann (which I also own btw). Imagine being able to pick the brains of some of the most successful editors of our time. That is what this book is like. Sitting at a coffe house or at the dinner table and just listening to what they all have to say about the craft. I would recommend this book to anyone involved in the creative process at any level: animators, producers, writers, etc. All can benefit from the information in this book. I'm sure I'll come back and write an full review when I'm actually done with the book. I'm surprised that there are so little reviews about it. I've been telling everyone I know to buy it. Especially since you can get it for such a low price. Anyway, I have to agree with "garyj_temple" on this one. The content is sure to be timeless. This stuff will be relevant for years to come. However, they shot themselves in the foot by putting the text over those images. I'm still giving it 5 *'s though; the good things definately out weigh the bad...

Loved the content. A great book. Not how to do it, but more of a look into the minds of some great editors.

One major flaw is a result of a great idea - gone wrong. Text is presented over image backgrounds. This makes for tired eyes at the end of a long read. In a few cases, there is black text on very dark background. You have to want to know what it says to put the effort into reading it. I'm sure there will be many negative comments on this aspect of the book.

However, I'm sticking with my 5 STARS. I believe the content was that good. There was only one chapter that I found ordinary. Great insights on almost every page.

There is something for everyone inside the chock-full book of websites. Find "clean" search engines, things for your kids to do, shopping sites, education-related sites, like math and science, religious sites (of course), sites for family and marriage, and so much more. It took me a while just to read through this. Now to go back and actually GO to all these sites, well, there's just so many. I am very pleased with this book and I have recommended it to all of my friends.

This is a great book to keep beside your computer! There is a Christian Communities section which profiles 4 web sites, including crosswalk.com & gospelcom.net. The book is family oriented, and there is a wealth of subjects covered! You can find web sites about many different topics, including art, Bible, career, health (with sections for children's, men's, & women's health), entertainment, games, genealogy, God & theology, homeschooling, "Internet 101," music, science, shopping (yeah! LOL), travel, & women's studies, just to name a few! One neat feature is space to write in your own favorite web sites. There is also an email address included to "submit a site" for future editions of the book. There are safe surfing tips in the front of the book...important for families with children. There are some really good sites that are specifically for kids. Overall, this is a neat book for the entire family and a wonderful value too! A fun and fascinating book for seasoned surfers as well as "newbies"! I highly recommend it!