Digital Books

As an editor of a writing ezine, I tend to surf the net checking out other writing ezines out of curiosity, more than anything else. I am in awe of all the writing ezines out there in cyberland, but one particular website, Word Thunder, impressed me over the other the others. I had come to know the editor, Sarah Mankowski, through an online writing group and had emailed her a few times asking her questions and generally admiring what she has done for writers. It wasn't until I read her book, LIBERATION, when I found out this woman who had managed to run one of the best writing ezines around, plus find time to answer the questions from this particular writing group and helping so many people, is legally blind.

LIBERATIONS, her latest book, is one of Sarah's finest achievements. Baring her heart and soul of what it was like in the early years of the internet, she lets us travel back to the time when she was a struggling writer and all the obstacles which could have been in her way if not for the internet.

She explores her life as a writer, the ups and downs, with such candidness, not only can you relate as a writer but as someone who has overcome the odds and become "liberated" through the wonderful access of computers.

A truly entertaining read and one in which will stay with me. I fully recommend this book!

Sarah writes a candid biography which describes her life and obsticles she overcomes despite being legally blind. She uses computer and internet technology to expand her writing career. While this book focuses on writing it is an inspiration for anyone dealing with disability whether personally or in one's profession.

Sarah was born legally blind. She was packed off to the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind at age six. Alone and lonely she retreated into a world of imagination. A writer was born.

The "Liberation" in Liberation One Writer's Adventures and Misadventures on the Digital Playground refers to the freedom that Sarah has found through computers and the Internet. Sarah has never been timid about trying new technologies and after being introduced to the Internet she dove in with gusto, learning all she could about web design and digital publishing. The book can be summed up in the following passage.

"And so, I began to understand the true greatness of the Internet. Sure, this amazing network has allowed men and women to make millions. Perhaps, even more importantly, it has allowed obscure, creative minds to speak to the world. "

Liberation will be a "must read" for all writers that use the Internet. But everybody who would like a new perspective on computer technologists and networking should read this book.

As Sarah states in her introduction, this book is not a how-to book. This book is not a lot of
things. One thing that it is. It is a life. Sarah also says it's not an autobiography. And it's not. It's
a story. It's a story of a life. Sarah Mankowski's life and how she has developed various aspects
of her life to have what she now has.

What does she now have? A marriage, a son, a writing livelihood and a genuine interest and
commentary on things she observes as she lives her life. And something that they all have in
common, is that she loves them all. She loves it all.

This is a story about a woman who beat the odds. So what? There are many stories about people
who beat the odds. This is more than an inspirational story. It contains depth and conviction of
one person who is making a difference in many lives. But she chose to make a difference in her
own life first.

Sarah's writing style in this particular book is conversational, at least that's how I felt as I was

reading it. I felt like we were having a conversation, and she was answering questions before I
could ask them. In other words, she did very well at leading me down the garden path of her
story. I wanted to read more each day just to find out what Sarah was up to and how she did what
she did. And then what would I do? I'd tell others about Sarah and her life, and what she had
done and continues to do.

I will miss reading about Sarah each day. I felt like she was here with me for awhile, but now
she's gone. I'll miss her.

If I were to be asked would I recommend this book, the answer is most certainly yes, and I
already have, even before I finished it. It will help anyone along their way who may be at a
crossroads. It will help those who have made it past the crossroads, and want to join Sarah and
feel like you have a comrade in life who understands. You know the ones, the ones you don't
have to explain anything to, because you know, that they know. Sarah knows.

She is walking in your shoes as you read this story of her life. That's how good she is at this that
she has done.

Thank You, Sarah Mankowski!

Susan James

I think this is a must-read book. Douglass is a wonderful example of a man who "made lemonade out of lemons." Really, he is a terrific role model...a man of integrity, incredible intelligence, and an overflowing heart.

FEBRUARY IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH

At the start of the 21st century the international labor movement faces, as it has for a long time, a crisis of revolutionary leadership. That leadership is necessary to resolve the contradiction between the outmoded profit-driven international capitalist productive system and a future production system based on social solidarity, cooperation and production for social use. In America, at least, there is also a crisis of leadership of the black liberation struggle, which is tied into the labor question as well through the key role of blacks in the labor force. More happily in the 19th century in the struggle against slavery by the slaves and former slaves for black liberation there was such a leadership and none more important than the subject of this autobiography, Frederick Douglass. Even a cursory look at his life puts today `clean' black leadership in the shades.

That Frederick Douglass was exceptional as a fighter for black freedom, women's rights and as a man there is no question. His early life story of struggle for individual escape from slavery, attempts to educate himself and take an active political role on the slavery question rightly thrilled audiences here and in Europe. I, however, believe that he definitely came into his own as a revolutionary politician when he broke from Garrisonian non-resistant abolitionism and linked up with more radical elements like John Brown and the Boston `high' abolitionists like Wendell Phillips and Thomas Wentworth Higginson. This abolitionist element pointed the way to the necessary fight to the finish strategy, arms in hand, to end slavery that eventually came to fruition in the Civil War.

At one time I personally believed that Douglass should have gone with John Brown to Harpers Ferry. He would have provided a better grasp of the political and military situation there than Brown had and would have been forceful in calling out the slaves and others in the area to aid the uprising. In no way was my position on his refusal based on his personal courage of which there was no question. I now believe that Douglass more than made up for any help he would have given Brown by his work for an emancipation proclamation and for his calls for arming blacks in the Civil War to take part in their own emancipation. As such, it is well known that Douglass was instrumental in calling for the creation of the famous Massachusetts 54th Regiment, including the recruitment of two of his sons. Yes, 200,000 black soldiers and sailors under arms fighting to the death, and under penalty of death by the rebels, for their freedom is a fitting monument to the man.


Douglass, as well as every other militant abolitionist worth his or her salt, lined up politically with the new Republican Party headed by Lincoln and Seward before, during and shortly after the Civil War. However, the Republican Party ran out of steam as a progressive force fairly shortly after the war, culminating in the sell-out Compromise of 1877 which abandoned blacks to their fate in the South. Douglass, committed to emancipation, education and `forty acres and a mule' for his fellows stayed with that party far too long. When key elements of that party lost heart in the fight for black emancipation due to their racism and other factors, moved on to other more financially rewarding interests, or accepted the traditional white leadership of the South he also should have moved on to another progressive formation. Embryonic workers parties and other such progressive formations were raising their heads in the 1870's. I do not believe that office in the Consular Service in Haiti was worth continuing to support a party going in the wrong direction. Notwithstanding that point, if you want to read about the exploits of a `big man' in the history of the struggles of the oppressed, our history, when it counted this is your stop. Honor the memory of Frederick Douglass.

- As an author myself, I recommend that you purchase this book for personal study. "The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass" is a fascinating book and video that helped me understand one of my relatives.
Author. "Knowledge For Tomorrow" Quinton Douglass Crawford

This book, written in Douglass' later years, not only lifted my spirits but did a great deal to reestablish my faith in humanity. This was a man who had every opportunity, and reason, to be bitter and/or vengeful. He, instead, chose to fight, with his intellect and his golden tongue, for what he, and others chained in slavery and social subservience, rightfully disserved as a member of our human race. He was a man of conviction and inner strength who taught himself to write with an elegance that I have never seen equaled. I strongly recommend this book.

This is an excellent book for any photographer, but especially for digital photographers. You will loose you photographic inhibition the deeper you get into the books chapters. It is exciting to know there are new discoveries in style and technique to be made in digital photography. All you have to do is pick up your camera and start making images.

I got this book for class, I already knew most the stuff in it. But it listed a lot of good information, as well as technical info. I recommend it, for anyone interested in digital photography.

We paid for speedier shipping- it took 8 days to receive

The bottom of the box was open. I'm surprised the book stayed in.

As a photographer and college photography educator, I'm extremely excited about Robert Hirsch's new book Light & Lens: Photography in the Digital Age. We have adopted it in our photography department at Santa Fe Community College in New Mexico. I consider this an unusual textbook; even a pioneer book because of how it blurs the line between textbook and art book.

It is an ambitious work in that it presents an immense amount of complex technical information very clearly and succinctly without leaving anything out, weaves historical information throughout, challenges students (everyone!) to "think critically" about the photograph and their own work at every turn, coaches, encourages, and it is ALSO beautifully designed - giving each artwork featured a real presence that inspires students. It is obvious Hirsch is a generous educator, active photographer, and thinker.

The layout is elegant - really elegant (it even has a dust jacket!) so students and photography enthusiasts are buying an "art book" that has value beyond its wealth as a textbook.

The scale of the book is about 7X17" opened with about 400 pages but looks small and is lightweight which I think was smart for a `heavyweight' subject. It can be held comfortably in the hand for good contemplative reading or placed easily on a small digital work station where it can be used as a technical reference or reference for the many innovative assignments included.

It was obviously designed for those who love photography and want to see (or have their student's see) a bigger "picture" about image making in the digital age. It is for the instructor who sees students intimidated by the larger digital texts that are completely techie-oriented and don't usually address the important issues of personal process, critical theory, and the content and context of imagery. Here is a wonderful marriage of the craft and content of making photographs in the digital age and the book's physicality exemplifes that too.

If you're considering purchasing this book - let me make this easy. At sixteen years old (1986) I was using DOS with my younger brother on an IBM PC. All I got were beeps and control characters. I had no mentors that understood DOS better than me. Unix had been cooking for 16 years! Why couldn't Unix have been ported to the PC? Fast forward ten years and I had a Bachelor's in Computer Information Systems and I earned a living using MVS/JCL/COBOL II/DB2/CICS/ROSCOE/FILEAID. It took me days to slice and dice text files with JCL/FILEAID - it was like using a screw driver to remove nails. I still remember these JCL and Fileaid syntax. Unix would have made these tasks child's play. Today, my JCL and Fileaid syntax knowledge is worthless. If I'd learned grep awk instead - my skillset would be highly prized for the foreseeable future! In short, learning Unix/Linux syntax is an awesome investment. Why? In case you didn't know Unix/Linux will be going strong when your children's children are dead! This book actually made me sad. Sad that I was 37 years old before I encountered a Mike Gancarz's book that tells the Unix/Linux narrative. If only I'd gotten the message sooner when my mind was a sponge - I'd be so much farther along today! So here goes. If you're an old fart - maybe you should forget Linux - keep paying Microsoft a small fortune to re-badge their OS every 5-7 years. This book will make you see things from a brotherhood perspective. Your brothers want you to use their OS free. Yeah I want more Linux games too. Give them time. But in the mean time invest some time in learning the command line. I swear to you that Linux is logical, and even approachable, regardless how cryptic the command-line flags look at first. Every minute you invest in learning Linux can be passed-on to your kids, grandkids, & so on. Linux is eternal. This book tells you nothing of the syntax but you'll learn the Unix/Linux mindset. I skimmed at parts, but this is a necessary first step. This is where you should start your journey to learn Linux. I share your pain. Chin up - we're in this together.

Often you can consider unix and linux to be interchangeable. The common linux commands have the same names as their earlier unix counterparts. And, gosh, a linux system overall is really not so different from a unix box. Gancorz explains this in detail. He discusses similarities and differences. The biggest of the latter being that each unix is a proprietary operating system. But even before linux began, many unix shell scripts and commands had migrated to most other unixes. The lesson here is that there really isn't a big culture shock in going from one to the other.

There is a section in the book advocating storing data in flat text files, as opposed to some binary format. Hear, hear! Though the book could have added several remarks to further strengthen the case. XML has been widely adopted, in no small wise because it is expressed as text. Ditto for HTML. The easy reading and editing of HTML also helped push its success.

Another section talks about how often portability is more important than efficiency. As in a shell script that is more portable than a slightly faster C executable, which produces the equivalent output. Just like the use of Java byte codes, versus native binaries.

Few books can really do a proper job of talking about philosophy vis-a-vis software development. Mike Gancarz finally delivers--and wonderfully--on such an attempt. It can not only broaden your mind, but also improve the quality of the software you develop (if you're a programmer).

You needn't necessarily be a programmer to appreciate this book, there is no code or assumption that you have any development skills whatsoever. You should at least really appreciate software systems as works of architecture. I'll leave it at that.

My *only* criticism is that at times I wasn't quite in tune with the author's sense of humor, but that's my only criticism.

I highly recommend this book.

* * * * *

Five stars for "Linux and the Unix Philosophy" because foremost it is an excellent discussion of the importance of the Open Source revolution.

Also, what this text does is not to repeat the basic Unix design's principles e.g. 'everything in Unix is a file' e.t.c., but instead it focuses in some inspiring and innovative approaches to software engineering, mostly applied in the GNU/Linux world.

It finaly proves in many ways the superiority of GNU/Linux - and Unix in general - in contrast to the other "desktop" systems.

One thing I enjoyed the most is the parallelism between some Unix tenets and corresponding real life examples. Having read a lot of texts about Unix and Open Source Software I deeply recommend this book.

The Lion and the Sun combines an intelligent plot, and moments of riveting suspense with a sympathetic main character, Dan. The book works well on two levels. First, the plot,is quite probable, written by someone who understands the world of espionage and terrorism.
The novel also unfolds as a compelling human drama. Dan questions the choices has made and the ones he is making now. We see a man torn by his need for itimacy and his desire to serve his country. The choices are never easy. Dan is a flawed hero marked by regret, self doubt and ultimately hope that his choices will make a difference in the world.

Often, it is hard for me to get into a novel, but I had no problem getting into The Lion and the Sun. By the time I had finished, I felt like I knew Dan, having been treated to snippets of him as spy, seperated husband, frustrated father, and a hungry-for-love vagabond. I sensed that Badalamente is writing about what he knows, that he has been there, and he does well bringing the reader to the stage. Badalamente - one wonders if this is a cover name - writes clearly and is successful in engaging the reader. I wanted to read more. Even as I write this, I find myself thinking about Dan and wondering how his various predicaments will work out. I think this is a winner.

The Lion and the Sun is a timely novel about nuclear proliferation that could be going on right under our noses. Our own counter espionage agency reps would do well to become familiar with this novel. Badalamente has apparently been there, done that-not as a covert agent necessarily, but as a professional in related technologies. Intelligently written, revealingly insightful. I would like to read this book.

Became instantly intrigued. Compelling plot. Badalamente seems to have detailed insiders knowledge reminiscent of Vince Flynns Consent to Kill ASINBOOOTVGWN4(paperback)jj. Hope to read more of The Lion in the Sun.

Amelia Bascome thinks she is the better half of a nefarious team, her adopted husband, Gerry, the other half. Amelia is right but the one minor detail she doesn't know about the plan could kill her. The pair board a steamer headed to Lisbon to ply their deadly trade. All goes well, business, after all, is business.

I am a fan of this style of first person writing and the author pulls it off beautifully. I hope to read more of Larry Evans.

Larry Evans transports his spellbound readers backwards in time to the long-gone world of chrome-sided diners and stale cigarette smoke... the pay phone...the number to call...the hard-boiled protagonist's roving eye for skirts. He doesn't mention it once...he doesn't have to...but you can see the eighty-nine cent blue plate special scrawled on the chalkboard. Rich imagery in the classic film noir tradition abounds in this story.

This is true crime thriller nostalgia, seen through the eyes of a solitary hitman, moving from place to place...one as good as the next...always in the service of the 'company'.

The reader is beguiled by this kind of crime drama nostalgia...and finds himself straining to see beyond the next name on the list...you know something is out there...on those rainy streets with their iron grate fire escapes...even on a steamship enroute to Lisbon. Larry Evans' hit man is as comfortable the one place as the next...it's a business...

And then the jolt! If you were chewing on popcorn you likely dumped half of it on the floor! Nicely done, Mister Evans! My kind of nostalgia! Five Stars!

Larry Evens comes up with a chilling tale a cold blooded contract killer that is told in the first person. This story was well written and his characters were well thought out. The word usage and descriptions were awesome. When a woman partner is brought into the loop to help with the next assignment, the killer isn't happy, but he learn very quickly she is just as cold hearted as he is. This author introduces a twist to the end that is fitting. This story makes me wonder at who is out in this world walking around among us. You never know what is in the mind of someone beside you who may have no heart.

Reviewed by Vickie, (Tory Lynn, author of My Charming Protector)

I was blown away by this short piece of literature. Mr. Evans is very effective with his first person narrative style. I also appreciate the author's command of imagery and description. The use of words like "dame", "skirt", as well as the reference to the nickel phone booth takes the reader to a specific time without actually saying 1929, or whatever. I thought Mr. Evans short, The List, is well written and I recommend it with unbridled enthusiasm.

Reviewed by Joshua Berry, author of Andrea's Dream and Too Much Love, an Amazon Short.

"Lock the Doors the Kids are Coming!" is a delighful saga of what can happen when three generations decide to live under one roof.

It is a charming story which I will want to read again and again.

This was an absolutely adorable short! This is about love,sweet memories,and what it sometimes takes for a person to pray to God. Three little children, their mother and gradparents suddenly living together,and a dog and cat! This would be enough to start the Third world War! But laughter,kindness and a few Bee stings sets the stage for an enjoyable read. Well done,Shirley Prisilla Johnson!

I can't tell you how this touched my heart. What a great story. If it were a complete book, I'd still be reading it.

I could actually feel the emotions these people went through. How much love they had for each other to be put in a position of taking care of their daughter and her three small children. It brought both laughter and tears and I hope Shirley Johnson continues other short stories about this family. It was really good!

This was a very enjoyable read. You will fall in love with the characters in this story, Yeah But, Me Too and Give Me Three Great Reasons. These three precocious children will leave a huge grin on your face as you read their latest antics. It sure would be nice to see to see a longer version of this story.

This book provides an excellent review of the state of the art in the Information Security space, particularly in reference to financial institutions. The approach of the book is to split this space into three sections- risk management & strategy, technologies/countermeasures, and current trends and issues faced by financial institutions. You may have come across these individual papers as part of regular work / study / research, however having them compiled within a single tome with a clear arc helps put them into perspective, enhancing the value of each individual paper. A must read for information security technologists and banking / financial services technology professionals / enterpreneurs.

This book is an excellent introduction to the important topics within Information Security in the financial services sector. Overall, the organization, selection of topics, and level of coverage are well suited for anyone working or interested in Information Security. Each chapter provides great insights into each topic and has enough introduction to the subject that no prior experience or knowledge is required. Specifically, I liked the chapters regarding "Return on Security Investments", "Phishing" and "Information Assurance Strategies".

I recently started a project in information security for one of the top financial services company as Technical Manager. Since this is my first assignment in financial industry I decided to go through few books that can help me to understand information security in financial industry. Luckily I got this book which contains high-quality research, industry and practice articles in the area of information assurance in the financial services industry. This is not light reading....but it is worth every minute of effort. Now I don't feel like I am new to financial industry as the book helped me to give good understanding of all the key aspects of information security practices in financial services.

This text is an excellent introduction to the popular, critical aspects of information security in financial services. This book covers a well balanced ground between comprehensive coverage and detailed analysis. The book contains chapters on risk management strategies, security optimization, security economics, authentication and smart cards, fraud intelligence, information disclosure and regulatory compliance, security technologies in e-banking, social engineering and identity and access management.

Ths chapters are written by respected practioners covering thelatest trends, issues and countermeasures in that particular field. While the book is highly relevant to the IT and information security professionals working in financial services, the concepts and discussions through out the book are applicable to other industries as well.

Having worked in IT area for about a decade, I see the relevance and importance of the topics in the book. Overall, the book comprehensively covers important aspects of information assurance.

An excellent reference resource for any information security professional.

Of all the stories I've read by O'neil De Noux, this is my favorite so far. If you've seen his fiction before in Alfred Hitchcock or Ellery Queen Mystery Magazines, then you know what an engaging tale he writes. In this story, the thing that impresses me most is how knowledgeable the author is about historic New Orleans and indeed history in general. These details are woven in seamlessly, so that the only way that you'll notice they're in there is that they don't jive with what our world is like today.

The story is set in the summer of 1891. Detectives didn't have all the modern day conveniences of today, so the hero of our story, Jacques Dugas, relies on his intellect and lots of footwork. Several of the people Dugas meets have different ethnic backgrounds. At times, this affects the way people behave and leads to some interesting situations.

The story starts out when Patrolman Donahoe presents Dugas with a portmanteau (large leather traveling trunk) which holds a woman's left hand with a wedding band on it along with some clothes. The portmanteau has been found by Homer Jones, a former slave who'd fought in the Civil War at the famous crater battle in Petersburg, VA. Nowadays, Homer is a "bum" who's been camping at the bayou across from City Park where the trunk was found. Dugas visits a bakery, a coffee house, saloons, and other places adding more and more clues until he is able to use his ingenuity and wits to catch the killer.

If you want to read a good story that'll force you to let the answering machine catch the phone for you while you finish reading it, then look no further. Buy "Maria's Hand" now.

Maria's Hand is another great story by O'Neil De Noux. It starts with a seemingly impossible mystery to solve, but ends logically and to the reader's satisfaction. Another masterful tale by Mr. De Noux.

How do you identify a murder victim when all you have is a severed hand. Simple, fingerprints and DNA. Right, if the murder took place today. What happens if the murder is in 1891? How is it solved? Dogged police work by New Orleans Detective Jacques Dugas.

Beside being well written, historically accurate and detailed and populated with interesting characters, I found the comparison between our modern high tech mentality and the reality of a hundred years ago to be very intriguing.

The premise is very intriguing - a woman's severed hand is discovered in a discarded trunk. Following slim leads, a gold wedding band with no inscription and a laundry mark, Det. Jacques Dugas must find out who the victim is before he can begin to track down who did this horrible crime.

The plot is straightforward with good descriptions of the 1890s and New Orleans in particular. (I imagine real detectives are rarely distracted by red herrings and remain focused on the leads until the case is solved). What I like most is the story does not take place in the French Quarter but rather around City Park. It's the setting a native writer would use. However, what is most cool about this story are the characters. French-American Dugas, isolated on an all-Irish police force, is a real treat with his quiet, methodical approach. Officer Donahoe, Homer Jones (a former slave and Civil War veteran), the Alcamo family and especially the women at Jean Marie Saux's Coffeehouse provide a rich cast of supporting characters as Dugas takes the steps necessary to solve the case.

"Maria's Hand" is a memorable visit to New Orleans in 1891, with great details of life over a hundred years ago. Now I have to find the other stories about Det. Dugas. Wish they were on Amazon.

Mr. Caffrey has spun an intriguing tale about a woman that was executed for being a witch, and how her tortured soul reaches out beyond the grave to be remembered. If you enjoy ghost stories, this one is for you.

I loved this story because it was well told. I could see the green British country side, sliding out my window as I drove down a narrow country road. I have never been to the Village of Pangbourne, but if I ever have the pleasure of visiting it, I know that I would have a sense that I had been there before. I would look to see the "deep green ivy struggling for dominance with the rich red climbing roses". When I began to read the story, I had to finish it. When I finished reading it, I was left with a hunger to know more about Gerald and about Mary Perkins. What ever happened to Gerald? Where is he now? Who was Mary Perkins, the real person not the ghost? what caused the townpeople to brand her a witch...I highly recommended.

This story is one of the best short stories, quite honestly at first I was skeptical and intended to read only the beginning and maybe scan the rest. However the story was so capturing that I continued reading untill the end without a single pause. The writer describes his surrounding so colorfully that I felt as I was standing next to him and was able to see what he saw, smell what he smelled, I was awake in the middle of the night, was able to hear the burning wood, and smell the roast...

The story is definitely worth reading.

The story is compelling in that it transports me some place I've never been and makes me want to stay until the mystery is solved. It's sad in that I feel poor Mary is a prisoner of the hotel because I sense in the end she is looking longingly from that third floor window out on a world she cannot be a part of. The narrator may even long for her, but he seems too detached when he tells the maid he didn't want to share his room. For someone who doesn't believe in ghosts, the author does a fine job of depicting one that seems believable. Work on that punctuation!