Data Communications Books

A good read. The title is a little misleading, however, because the book also covers wireless without the Web. In other words, peer to peer networks inside buildings, outside buildings, and to the home seem like the most promising aspects of the wireless revolution, as described in this book. As the author states, it's simply a matter of time, not if, wireless will touch every aspect of our lives.

Wireless Web is a refreshing kind of book. I'm tired of books that introuduce a new technology, paint a rosy picture, and then leave the reader dangling three months later. This isn't one of those books. It tells it like it is. Wireless isn't easy. In fact, implementing a Wireless Web solution is nearly at the bleeding edge of what's possible, as the author states. There are traps at every corner, and you'd better know what to expect. In this respect, the Wireless Web provides a map of the "speed bumps" along the way. If you're going to give it a go on the Wireless Web, you'd better have this book or some other roadmap with you.

Having just put down Bergeron's last book, "The Eternal E-Customer", I was interested to see his visionary take on the wireless web. I wasn't disappointed. "The Wireless Web" compellingly captures the multitude of opportunities which the unethering of the Web affords. What I appreciated most about this book (and Bergeron's style as in his previous book) was the practical advice on how any executive can take advantage of these wireless opportunities. Bergeron succinctly explains how a company can embrace this new technology to their competitive advantage. Five stars!

In just a few years the Internet has revolutionized the way we do business. Email, online shopping and digital music downloaded from the Internet are now integral parts of our everyday lives. Technology aware companies have now turned to wireless web for the next big leap in commerce and communication. The race is on for deploying cutting-edge wireless technology.

As a business and technology consultant I am often asked by clients to provide some guidelines on how to proceed in this new and fast moving industry. Is trading stocks using a wireless PDA really a secure transaction and are electronic coupons delivered to customers via cell phones a technical feasible marketing solution? What communications provider should I use when connecting my sales force via WAP based browsers to a wireless CRM solution? And should we look to Europe and Japan for the future in wireless communication, or will it turn out to be another bursting bubble as we have experienced with too many dot.com business ventures?

"The Wireless Web", unlike so many other books covering technology topics, provides an easy to read and well-structured roadmap on how to develop a winning wireless strategy. Bergeron starts off explaining the history of this industry and it's economic drivers and then provides an overview of the current state of technologies, the various systems, protocols and technical standards used in the US and compares them to the more cohesive and further developed Japanese and European technologies. The latter part of the book focuses on the future, introducing the reader to opportunities and potential risks wireless technologies will offer as well as technical and political limitations it will face as this technology matures He closes with a well structured guideline on how to develop a wireless strategy of any scale.

In summary, this book will familiarize the reader with this new and dynamic industry and provide the knowledge required to develop, communicate, and execute a successful wireless strategy. Although written for the non-technical executive, I recommend this book to every one confronted with wireless technologies, the corporate executive implementing a wireless enterprise information portal as well as the cell phone user confronted with evaluating roaming charges, communication protocols and coverage areas when selecting a calling plan. This book definitely deserves a place on the bookshelf of any technologist.

Many people have been impressed by what they have seen of the new wireless services in Europe and Japan. Based on the promise of these offerings, wireless operators have spent billions of dollars for 3G licenses in Europe that will require tens of billions to implement. Based on the amount of money invested and planned for the next few years, it looks like the days of broadband wireless Internet are about to be with us. What should you be doing now? That's the question that this book addresses.

The Wireless Web is the best book I have seen for describing the background of how technology and customer needs are converging to provide new wireless offerings and the potential for new ways to solve problems. About two-thirds of the book is aimed at providing a layperson's description of technology, social, and governmental developments that will influence what will be offered by companies. The remaining third gives you a template for thinking about what these developments mean for your business. For most people now, that decision will relate to when to get involved.

In my consulting practice, it is clear that there are enormous opportunities now to develop intellectual property and new business models that can be implemented immediately. For those who mainly want to use the wireless web as an adjunct to their businesses, on the other hand, you have lots of time.

The best advice in the book is to be sure that you have the business processes in place that will allow you to connect wireless technology to your business when the rest of the infrastructure and equipment are in place.

Basically, wireless Internet connections will become more important as a disruptive technology than the land-wire connected Internet. By always having a device present (whether a cell phone, personal digital assistant, pager, or some new device), individuals will be able to simplify their lives while they are on the go or in any fixed location. As a result, transactions will be transformed. For example, food manufacturers may have to bid for a consumer's business while she or he is walking down the aisles of a supermarket.

For the first time, you will be able to shape the entire consumer or customer experience around what that person prefers. The potential for positive differentiation becomes enormous, as a result.

My main caution to you is that this field is rapidly changing. This information will become out-of-date rapidly. So read the book now if you are going to.

After you have considered some of the ways that the wireless Internet can improve your offerings, I suggest that you go back to the drawing boards to see how much of these changes you can offer now without broadband wireless connections. In this way, the wireless Internet can be a powerful metaphor now for improving your performance.

Be helpful . . . all the time and everywhere!

A lot of examples shows how absolutely everything could be attacked and corrupted in the chain of components used for building ajax applications, from css (yes even css) to html, from javascript to http, from browser to server ... Sometimes there's too much lines about evident things and sometimes things seems more proof of concept than real possible attacks. But these guys know what they are talking about. This is an excellent book that every serious ajax developer must have read, specially if they plan to make mashups or let their users bring and share things using their applications.

Ajax Security was the last book I read and reviewed in 2007. However, it was the best book I read all year. The book is absolutely compelling and every security professional and Web developer should read it. It's really as simple as that.

I am not a Web developer. I was not very familiar with Ajax (beyond its buzzword status and a vague notion of functionality) when I started reading Ajax Security. I attended the authors' Black Hat 2007 talk and was thoroughly impressed and disturbed by the security implications they presented. I expected Ajax Security to be a good book, but one can never be sure if talented hackers and presenters can transfer their skills to the written word. Ajax Security gets the job done.

Despite being a traditional network security guy who prefers inspecting traffic to analyzing JavaScript, I had no problem understanding Ajax Security. The authors do a superb job leading the reader through the issues surrounding modern Web applications. They start by introducing a technology, which is critical for someone like me who doesn't deal with Web development issues. Next they describe how it is broken. They continue with defensive recommendations and summarize their findings in the conclusion. This is a perfect technical writing style that is too often lost on other authors.

Ajax Security makes very good use of case studies (both large stories like ch 2 and small ones throughout the text). The book also integrates code, diagrams, and screen shots. The text itself is very clear and the authors keep the reader's attention throughout. Histories for various technologies provide a welcome background, showing readers how we've ended up in our current Web 2.0 predicament.

If you'd like a positive critique of the technical components of the book by someone who is a Web expert, I recommend reading Dre's review of Ajax Security in the TSSCI-Security blog. Otherwise, I give my highest recommendation to Ajax Security, as my Best Book Bejtlich Read in 2007 award.

This is very good book. I've created so many websites using AJAX techonlogy. This book provided me to check how secure the websites are. I am glad that I fullfilled all the details without having the through knowledge of AJAX security. But this book has collected all the security check point at one place.

Are you a web developer? Do you believe you can ensure that your client-side code will function as expected? Well, you are wrong. In Ajax Security you will find out why.

Ajax changes the game in that it moves business logic to the client. In doing so it increases the attack surface of the application. The authors get curious with some real world Ajax frameworks such as Prototype, Dojo, and Microsoft Ajax. They demonstrate with these frameworks how developers might be unknowingly building vulnerabilities into their applications. If you're home brewing Ajax, the authors cover important security considerations you'll need to know so that you don't make the same mistakes the industry leaders have made.

I learned a lot about JavaScript from reading this book. I learned even more about how JavaScript can be used maliciously. The authors describe techniques for function clobbering, JSON hijacking, storage attacks, and presentation layer attacks. One of my favorite parts of the book, not to mention one of the scariest, is an explanation of how to hide malicious JavaScript from signature based anti-virus software.

The authors explain why the Same-Origin Policy is broken and how it can be subverted. Also covered are security considerations for offline applications. An in-depth analysis of Ajax worms is covered. If you are curious about how Ajax is changing web security you should read this book. If your are a web developer or a security professional you should read this book, even if you aren't using Ajax. If you don't believe cross-site scripting is a "big deal", I dare you to read this book and maintain the same opinion.

Anyone involved in developing/testing AJAX should read "AJAX Security." It covers preventing a hacker from attaching your application. The audience includes developers, QA and penetration testers. While there are code snippets, they are explained well. While managers aren't in the target audience, I think they could benefit from understanding the concepts presented in the book.

The book begins with a brief review of AJAX architecture with an emphasis on security. The writing style is quite engaging including a chapter walking you through an attack from a hacker's point of view. All the major known categories of attacks are included including resource enumeration, parameter manipulation (with SQL and XPATH injection), session hijacking, JSON hijacking, XSS, CSRF, phishing, denial of service, etc.

I particularly liked the analogies to things that happen in the physical world such as resource injection into a roommate's "to do" list and hijacking another customer's paid order in the deli. These made it easy to visualize the problem even for people who don't code often.

The authors were realistic and included the limitations and drawbacks of each tool/framework mentioned. I liked the chapter analyzing two major JavaScript worms including the source code. This really hit home on the importance of certain practices!

All information was up to date as of printing including comments on all four major browsers (IE, Firefox, Opera and Safari.) They even mentioned the HTML 5 specification. The book is not server side language specific, which was nice.

In this important book, the authors tackle an old issue in a modern context. We might recall that Victor Hugo, in the Hunchback of Notre Dame, discussed the moral and cultural implications of the printing press. Burniske and Monke bring this discussion to the 1990s by studying the implications of Internet technology on education. The fundamental question centers on what it means to be educated in the first place. Burniske, for example, makes a distinction between being trained, the language of technology, and being educated, the language of the humanities. This book walks us through specific efforts by the authors to integrate Internet technology into their classroom teaching, but what clearly galls both of them is that deeper questions about how to properly educate students are getting lost in the hype over equipment, technical wizardry and on-line chatter. There are plenty of kids out there who can create web sites, hack into complex systems, and master the language of technology, but do these same kids know right from wrong? Can they critically read a text, or relate to the deep emotions revealed in a play or novel, or even treat fellow classmates or online correspondents with respect? These issues are the real test of education, and if they get lost in the hype, we are building a Brave New World every bit as pernicious as the one described by Huxley. Burniske is an innovator who is trying to find ways to correctly use technology in the classroom, that is, without surrendering human issues or context. Monke is more skeptical, perhaps, but a willing participant in the dialogue -- how can teachers be empowered and liberated to properly educate their students.

Students, by the way, are the real concern of these two teachers. They do not see them as products or consumers, but as a community of people who need to be nurtured, cared about and finally led to a deeper and wiser understanding of their place in the world. Burniske and Monke are teachers in the best tradition of that word. They are about shedding light on the human experience, not simply walking the beaten (and often failed) paths of traditional educational discourse. Whether you agree or disagree with their arguments, you will find the discussion worth the effort. The final chapter is riveting, but the rest of the book provides a rich context for an important, humane and caring dialogue about some very important issues confronting humanity.

I heard one of the authors, Dr. Burniske, speak at the Odyssey Bookstore in Massachusetts in July. He gave such an impressive and thoughtful talk that I decided to buy a copy of this book. I'm not an educator, but I am a parent and I found this an extremely thoughtful and thought-provoking book. I don't think you have to be a teacher to understand the stories that Burniske and Monke tell or the ideas that they develop. It helps, however, to understand some of the problems that teachers face with respect to their own professional development. If you've not been in a school recently this book will certainly help you understand why so many teachers struggle with new technology -- and why we all should be asking more questions about its place in the curriculum. As some of the other reviewers have suggested, I think this should be required reading for every parent and teacher who wishes to take part in the discussion of technology in education.

I believe this book will greatly help educators to find practical and very effective uses of this emerging technology. With the guidance of this book, educators should lose their confusion and the trepidations that I believe many of us have in the use of this potentially excellent tool. With a bit of help from their teachers, students can learn to focus their efforts and perhaps for the first time, realize they can take part in making positive and profound changes in their lives and in the lives of others that they will touch. The deep insights revealed by this book, and the practical ideas presented by Burniske and Monke will reduce or eliminate much stess by educators that do not wish to repeat the mistakes of those who have gone before us.

I am a high school (Gymnasium) teacher from Germany and I picked up a copy of this book at an education conference. We have been using computers in our school for two years now but have received little training in how to use them to aid our teaching (we have received only technical training). By looking at the case studies in this book I finally have a good, practical guide for me that I can use to help teach my students using e-mail and the Internet. This really opens up a whole new world of learning for me and my students. It is nice to finally read *by teachers* about how teachers are actually using the technology, and not just a bunch of theories on how you *could* use it. Highly recommended.

As a secondary school English and social studies teacher, I found "Breaking Down the Digital Walls" to be inspiring, thoughtful and helpful. I would like to embark upon a telecollaborative project with my students, and use the Internet for something more than research, but until now, I hadn't felt prepared to do so. This book provided me with ideas and support, and it was interesting to read - thank you!

The continuously expanding need to economically move large volumes of data at faster speeds presents formidable challenges to both engineering and business professionals. Understanding Broadband technology and deciphering its complex technical principles is an arduous task in a dynamic and evolving environment. Mr. Louis has once again put together a technical guide that provides an excellent roadmap to better understanding of the Broadband arena. Since the superhighway of projected Broadband ventures is lettered with failure, this most recent "Crash Course" is an important tool for the arsenal of any remaining entrepreneur attempting to succeed in Broadband deployment. ....and once again, all in easy to read/understand presentation.

This book provides valuable insight into the Broadband arena. P.J. Louis has clearly articulated his vision of the future of fiber and wireless. Whether or not one agrees, he earns respect for taking a strong position and defending it with plentiful detail. Louis is clearly a teacher whose aim is to inform and educate with this book. Business leaders would do well to read this before leaping into investments in this area. The book provides a significant level of knowledge to assist in making informed business decisions.

This book is an excellent and unbiased technology assessment for the broadband market, without all of the technical hype and marketing rhetoric. Moreover, the timely interjection of business considerations throughout, reminds the reader that technology and business are not mutually exclusive - only a technically sound and financially prudent solution will be successful. Mr. Louis breaks down the attributes and capabilities for each of the available and emerging broadband technologies in such a way, as to provide the non-technical reader with sufficient understanding to make sound business and investment decisions about the plethora of broadband technology options.

This book will prove invaluable in bridging the communications gap between the "technologists" and the "financier" - a communications gap that, in today's telecom world, has left many bankrupt entities wonder why?

Once again Mr. Louis is right on target both with the emerging Broadband technology subject & the manner in which he describes it. As a telecom industry principal consultant with CommFlow Resources Inc.,this book is a welcome addition to my library. The book is an extremely easy read & speaks with the language & insight of the people working within the industry. This book will be referenced often as a foundation on Broadband knowledge as well as a marketplace development guide. I eagerly await a next publication from Mr. Louis who has his finger on the pulse of technology.

The book provides the business professional with an understanding of the entire spectrum of Broadband technology. This is not an engineering textbook, but a book designed to provide the business reader with a foundation for understanding a very complex technology. Mr. Louis de-mystifies the subject and is able to describe both the technological and business aspects of a very complex topic.

I found the book refreshing in its easy to read and conversational tones. It makes great reading on a cross-country flight. I recommend it to anyone needing an overview of the Broadband arena.

Having just passed the CCDP ARCH exam 642-871, I can highly recommend this book. Coverage is fairly complete and concise. As an adjunct, I also recommend the Sequeira, Wallace book for focus and final test preparation.

If you are preparing for the CCDP exam 642-871, Designing Cisco Network Architectures is a must have. This self-study guide covers all the objectives and should be read early and often throughout the preparation for the exam. While reading a manual like this will not replace experience or an instructor led course, it will help you master the concepts. One of the overwhelming problems of preparing for a Cisco exam is the breadth of the subject matter to be covered. A book that is well outlined like Designing Cisco Network Architectures is necessary to grasp all of the topics.
This book is geared toward the intermediate level student and assumes some basic knowledge of networking and Cisco devices, but not much more. There is a helpful glossary in the back to assist with terminology. Anyone who designs networks will find the book useful, but I give it a five star rating primarily with exam preparation in mind: which is its claim.
There are thirteen chapters but no units. So one can pick and choose which chapter to read in any order. Except for the first chapter, which is an introduction to the Cisco network model, the chapters can stand on their own as a single treatise. The layout includes a balance of text, diagrams, and charts. So that learning is enhanced and the reader's attention is maintained. Besides a summary, there is a product summary at the end of each chapter. This is a resource for understanding which Cisco equipment fits the designs discussed. Woven through each chapter ending is a case study of a fictional company that gives problems, goals and solutions. Finally, a plus for any exam preparation volume, there are review questions with the answers in the appendix.
Designing Cisco Network Architectures has some business value as well. I have recently consulted it in the planning and evaluation of VLANs and an internet edge network. The book is geared toward the "Cisco solution". Although, recently published, it does not cover the new multi-functional routers such as the 2801. But all of the design concepts of the latest networks are covered and the best equipment for each job is determined.

CCDP Self-Study: Designing Cisco Network Architectures by Keith Hutton and Amir Ranjbar (Cisco Press, 2005) covers all the topics for the CCDP ARCH (642-871) in the right level of detail. Having taken the exam within the last year, I can tell that it meets the exam objectives and does an excellent job of providing a framework to help you learn the services and solutions covered in the exam.

The CCDP went through an appropriate overhaul in 2003. It is now tied much more to modern technologies and to design principles based on the AVVID architecture and the Enterprise Composite Network Model (ECNM). This book introduces all the functional areas of the ECNM in the first chapter and continues to refer to these areas and their constituent modules as it delves more deeply (in later chapters) into the services and solutions of AVVID.

Of all the Cisco certifications, I think the CCDP gives you the best overall picture of what's happening in enterprise networking today. You won't get near enough depth for the CCIE, but you get a decent exposure to all the major solutions (such as content, wireless, telephony, storage, and VPNs) and the underlying services (such as network management, security, multicast, high availability, QoS) that make up the architecture of Cisco's offerings.

This book covers all of these topics in the right level of detail for CCDP ARCH. In addition, it relates the corresponding products to these services and solutions, so that you have a good sense of how to fit all this together when you're in the field. The network diagrams and other illustrations are clear and detailed, and there are numerous tables summarizing the often-copious amounts of information. The questions and answers at the end of each chapter seemed to be at the appropriate level of detail and were in line with the level of difficulty of the exam question in ARCH.

I also liked the fact that at the end of each chapter the book provides a nice summary of the Cisco products relating to each service or solution. While typically beyond the scope of this exam, this will give you a deeper understanding of how to help your customers choose the right products to meet their needs. A running case study of a hypothetical company going through a network upgrade is also updated at the end of each chapter; a careful look at the ongoing saga of the OCSIC Bottling Company will not only improve your applied knowledge in general, but will also help you with the (I thought) tough case study testlet in the ARCH exam.

The difficulty that authors face in putting together a book like this lies in the dynamic nature of the technology and the potential of it to change for the exam. I noticed a few minor flaws along these lines in terms of discussing products or solutions (such as CD One and the nGenius RTM), which are end of life. For this reason, it's a good idea to complement your test preparation with a review on CCO of any solutions you think might fall into this category. I also recall there were some telephony concepts, such as dial patterns, covered on the exam but not discussed in the book. If you peruse the SRND guides on Cisco's website for topics such as storage, wireless, VPN, content, and telephony, while keeping the exam objectives (listed on Cisco's website) in the back of your mind, you should be able to make up for these minor omissions.

I would also recommend some final preparation with the CCDA/CCDP Flash Cards and Exam Preparation Pack. This book contains some excellent summary sheets that follow the same structure as this self-study guide.

Overall, I would give this book 5 stars, and I believe you can use it as both your main preparation tool for the CCDP ARCH exam and as a field reference for your consulting services.

I used this book in preparation for the Cisco CCDP ARCH exam. It was a very helpful resource. The book focuses on concepts and methods, which is perfectly in-line with the exam content.

Overall the book is well written and I give kudos to the author for his ability to explain complex topics. The section on PIM sparse-mode was exceptional. Each chapter concludes with a real world example that helps illustrate the finer points.

Compared to the poor editing of the other Cisco books, this is definitely 5 stars. There are refreshingly few errors in this book.

Since you are likely buying this book to take the CCDP ARCH exam, I will also suggest complementing it with the BOSON CCDP practice questions. These two resources were the sum total of materials I used to pass the exam. There were only one or two questions that I don't recall the book covering.

Good luck!

In my opinion this book is most helpful preparation tool for Cisco CCDP ARCH exam. It covers all you need to pass that exam. Mr Ranjbar did good job and for me he recovered his good name after Self-study CCNP: CIT book.
Must have !

This is an excellent book! It's very hard to put down. Brian uses references, charts, and graphs that a person like me can understand. I'm not the most knowlegdeable in this part of the computer field, but this book is giving all the tools needed to understand and build on the knowledge presented in this book. It has been most helpful to me because I've taken a huge step in my career from a desktop technician to Enterprise support. The knowledge I need to be successful is contained in this book. It has been approved overwhelmingly by my boss and others who have looked at it.. I greatly suggest buying this book..you will not be dissapointed

I found this book to be an outstanding reference guide through the quagmire that is the CCIE written exam. An important fact to remember- most books do not explain in depth all the IOS features even Cisco own Cisco IOS manuals, but this book doesn't leave any stone unturned, loads of IOS examples for routers and switches but a complete reference to almost every feature used in todays' enterprise IP networks, a must for a cisco person,
The structure of this book is to give you a solid foundation if you don't have much experience, and to act as the glue to tie it altogether if you do have experience or no experience.
Not only did this book help me to pass my written exam, but I could not have done it without it. I found the text easy to read and quick to sink in, which is critical when study-time is at a premium. I finished the book in a two weeks, and then passed my written exam. I highly recommend this book.

You may fall in love with all the concise yet clear description of most ALL cisco products in the first quarter of this huge book
(or not, IF you're adverse to Cisco product catalogs!). It also does a good job of covering [teaching] all the many topics listed in the TOC. There are some unique flowcharts of route processing. But there's no coverage of BGP and some other important advanced topics. I don't seem to find a "command reference", like the superb O'Rielly IOS Nutshell book. I give it only 4 stars, because of it's limitations, but there's sooooo much to love in this book. The details on EIGRP/OSPF do go VERY deep.

There are two kinds of people, those that take exams and have lots of expensive pieces of paper on the wall and then there are those people that actually do the work. If you are a do the work sort of person then this book is quite helpful.
I have to admit that I just bought this book for some light reading; however having access to Cisco equipment the little dabbling I have done has paid off. I doubt I will be doing anything serious other than initial setting up.
This book is a lot more than just Cisco. It covers the history, theory, and practicality of WANs, LANs, WAP, and more. We can not cover everything in this review.
The book is broken down to four parts, [Networking Basics, CISCO Technology Overview, CISCO LAN Switching, CISCO Routing]. Each part has a darkened tab down the side of the book to allow fast access. These sections are broken down in to 27 sub categories that are further broken down in to subjects. There are plenty of diagrams and tables, even a few practical commands.
While it is all there this book is more helpful if you have some background in the subjects or the learning curve is quite steep.

Working with Cisco Routers is part of what I do everyday and there are time when I need an information about the router or a configuration entry, or I might want to change certain parameters to enhance the performance of the network. Using this book I can have a great manual to go to for almost every purpose.

Broken down into 4 parts, with Part 1 covering Networking basics, such as an excellent explanation of the OSI model from top to bottom. Also 90 pages of TCP/IP breakdown as well as IPX/SPX and WAN technologies finish out this section.

Part 2 is the CISCO technology overview, from the router layout, which included several models, to the switch layout for both LAN and WAN switches and what I found to be most helpful was the 125 pages covering the IOS and commands.

Part 3 is the LAN switching and configuration section, covering Layer 1, 2, 3 and 4 switching. This is followed by Part 4 or the Routing section, and here you have coverage of all the protocols from RIP I and II, IGRP, EIRGP, OSPF in single and multiple environments and Access lists. What is missing is coverage of BGP, which could be included in the next edition.

Overall this book is very complete and while no specific exam is covered this book can and should help with all Cisco Exams.

This book is a delight. Written by an expert in the field, it is useful to to various people, from beginner to advanced.

"Constraint Processing" features a perfect balance between theory and practice, proving itself a valuable aid both in teaching and in production.

This is the most comprehensive book in the area of Constraint Processing (aka Constraint Solving and CSP) I have seen. It starts with the basics and takes the reader all the way to advanced topics. It is an excellent place to start if you want to learn the field. It is also an excellent reference for researchers and practitioners. I use this book frequently in my research and my work in the field of Formal Verification. The book is also of great value to those in Artificial Intelligence, Optimization, and Operation Research.

This is the only book I found that contains almost all important results in the field. I have to refer to it from time to time.

This book includes the basics of constraint satisfaction that should appear in a textbook while in the same time presenting in a unifying manner important research results that constitute the state-of-the-art in the field. Diverse lines of research like tractable languages, constraint optimization, temporal CSPs etc are gathered in a single reference. The material is presented along with comprehensive examples. In my opinion this is an essential reference.

This book covers both introductory and advanced material. It is a
solid resource for introducing students to the basic mechanisms of
Constraint Processing and for training the future generation of
researchers in the field. It is also an invaluable tool for
perfecting the knowledge of the seasoned researcher in topics beyond
his/her particular expertise.

Its coverage of the relationship between relational algebra and
Constraint Satisfaction is unique and bound to inspire new synergies
between Databases and Constraint Processing. The depth and rigor
at which advanced topics are addressed (e.g., advanced consistency
methods, tree decomposition techniques, and temporal reasoning
networks) are a remarkable achievement, possible only given the wealth
and significance of the author's own contributions to the field.

This is one of those rare books you will enjoy reading over and over
again, every time acquiring new knowledge.

This is a good book. It's the only book about wireless technology I've seen that actually takes the health effects of cellphones seriously. In addition to how mobile technology works and what it can do, the author devotes an entire chapter to the health problems, and comes down firmly "on the fence". He definitely thinks there's something to the fears (even though he's enthusiastic about the technology, as is clear from the rest of the book) and I agree with him.

If you are a marketing, business development, sales, or finance professional transitioning to the wireless field, this is the book for you. Mr. Dornan covers the topics in sufficient depth to make you knowledgeable without burying you in technical detail and equations. I've bought many books about technology and most are too technical so I lose interest. I am nearly finished with this book and it has be very valuable in the work I do. I would recommend it very highly.

I started reading it on Saturday and couldn't put it down, I was done by Tuesday. Sure the book has some spelling and gramatical errors (My Theory is that the editiors were put to sleep by it) but it talks about everything from the phones themselves, to wireless infrasturcuture, the building of a cell site, and commerence on Mobile Phones. It is really great for any techie that wants to know about phones, and even some who don't consider themselves techies. I enjoyed it quite a bit A+!

I really got tired of not understanding wireless tech talk: G3 networks etc. I also wanted to understand why my cell phone kept fading in and out and dropping calls as I drove certain routes. So I bought this book and read it. The book does a good job of explaining in easy to understand terms the technology. The big revelation or understanding point to me was that EVERYTHING wireless is analogous to the radio, with broadcast points (cell towers) and receivers (cell phones). The difference is one of frequency. I finally got the analog vs. digital concept that eluded me for so long for some reason. While attempting to do justice to all major wireless regions of the world, US, Asia (Japan) and Europe I found the British author biased to his home turf. Which is expected and fine but I wanted something slightly more balanced. Towards the end I became a very selective skimmer and did not really finish the book, but I got out of it what I wanted.

Unlike alot of other books out there, the title of this book is right on the money when it comes to the content of the book. This book IS an essential guide to wireless communications. Like many other people out there, I often read the online articles and technical editorials of Mr. Dornan (do a web search, they are great reading too!). So I thought I could not go wrong with his book. I was right. Starting with a bit of a history lesson, the author takes you through current 2/2.5G cellular and then hits the ground running. He doesn't stop until he has covered 3G, wireless LANs, messaging, WAP, wireless e-commerce, security, fixed wireless (WLL) and satellite technology. Mr. Dornan has a great writing style and throughly knows his material. So, no matter what your knowledge level, the read always has a light and easy feel to it and is still able to communicate a ton of relivant information to you. If you need a good starting place on wireless communications or a refresher course, you won't find too many books better than this one.

I've got to hand it to the author, this book did exactly what it said it would do. I needed to learn Premiere fast and now, although I'm no expert, I'm pretty comfortable. I was surprised it was in color too, especially since it was less than $15.

The Focal Easy Guide to Premiere Pro by Tim Kolb is just that - easy. As a longtime Premiere (and now Premiere Pro) user, I found it very easy (there's that word again) to search through the book and find references to tools or procedures that needed "refreshing" in my mind. Even if you use Premiere Pro everyday, you don't use every tool or technique on every project, so the help file and good reference books like this are essential when deadlines are looming or you are just experimenting with new ways to jazz up your videos. The descriptions are easier to follow and are better organized than the online help included with the program. They often go well beyond the information that Adobe includes in the help files.

Aiding me in my searches (and for new users, making Premiere Pro easier to understand) are the book's graphics. The graphics used for the screenshots in this book are, in a word, spectacular. They are crisp, clear and large enough so that even a casual viewing conveys lots of information immediately. They are what sets this book apart from so many other "getting started" books.

I really wish that I had had this book available when I was first learning Premiere; it would have saved me lots of time and lots of bumps from banging my head against the wall.

Jeff Bellune
Owner
Bellune Digital Video Services

A great find! This little book helped me get up to speed with Premiere Pro quickly. It is not a watered down "for dummies" book, but is not an 800-page bible either (which I don't need!!). Instead it gets right down to business and shows you how to get through your first couple projects with ease. The full color, price and ease of use make this a great package.

This book is certainly a great way to get your chops, being taught by someone who uses the application for real world work - on a daily basis.

I've followed Tim around the web for years, on different forums and as a respected expert editor and Adobe guru. You can find him online and pick from his reviews, articles and posts that all clearly demonstrate his qualifications and insights before you buy the book... But no need, it's cheap! Very easy to get way more than 15.00 of value from this book. You really can't go wrong.

It's far better than trudging through a boring black and white book (typical software manual) that covers everything but what you really want to know! The book is laid out very well, lots of color. It offers a very visual method of learning the app and why the different parts of the app are there..what they do.

I've used Premiere for 4 or 5 years now. Premiere Pro is quite different. This book is a great primer and companion for learning the ins and outs of this newly revamped Non-Linear Editor.

I am really of two minds about this book. My impression is that it would be almost useless to teach someone how to use Premiere Pro. I still liked it.

I am no great video editor but I do have some, small familiarity and have learned some things from other books. Based on that experience, I doubt this book would have done much good at all in learning to operate the program. Where I found it useful is in its overview and presentation. It does a great job of explaining broad concepts and giving a feel for the capabilities of the program. It also give some of the very basics of the mechanics of how to edit. I suspect I will find this book useful as a continuing reference not to explain the particulars of how to do something but to explain conceptually what can be done. I will use it as a jumping off point to investigate specific topics in other books.

The illustrations in this volume are luxurious. They are full color screen shots and are big enough, barely, to see what is happening on the screen. How I wish other training aids had as nice visuals!

One valuable feature is the historical emphasis, which is usually lacking from such books, but is crucial for those who inherit existing networks. With state-of-the-art changing so rapidly, it's hard for even a veteran IT profesional to recall what were considered optimal solutions ten, five, or even a couple of years ago. Many network engineers working today are too young to remember what networks were like as recently as 1993. Also, the case studies show how theory can be applied successfully in real-world situations. Often, it's hard to visualize how a technical solution will work in a particular environment; by including a variety of case studies, solutions can be made apparent to readers from diverse backgrounds.

"Integrating TCP/IP i-nets with IBM Data Centers" is an absolute must-read for network administrators, data communications managers, and chief information officers in organizations with IBM mainframe or midrange SNA hosts. Guruge is an expert on IBM's System Network Architecture, which, although a quarter century old, holds most of the data of the world's largest organizations. Guruge explains both in technical detail and with real-life case studies how organizations can take advantage of TCP/IP, the lingua franca of the Internet, to facilitate communications with and among SNA devices. If you speak the language of SNA networking, like 3270/5250,DLSw, APPN/HPR and are trying to do so in the same sentence with terms like HTML, Telnet, and screen rejuvenation, this is the book you must read. Mr. Guruge will not only explain how these technologies relate to one another, but he will provide examples of how organizations have married these technologies to meet specific organizational and business requirements. And by the time you finish the book you'll have a firm understanding of how your own organization can integrate its IBM data center with TCP/IP i-nets.

The book is very comprehensive, giving full coverage of all the information necessary to understand the implications and considerations that must followed in order to integrate IBM data centers with Internet technology. It provides an excellent explanation of the various Network, Gateway and management options that are available and their pros and cons. It is also very informative and thorough analysis of old vs. the latest groundbreaking technology available as well as a prognosis for future market winners and losers based upon valid market analysis.

It deals in depth with many concerns IS mangers typically have, including bandwidth and other performance issues related to various network types/configurations when it comes to "integrating the data center with i*nets".

I was especially glad to see his view on various vendors' e-business products or tie-ins and how these apply to applet, SNA-to-HTML conversion and programmatic access. Of course, in mentioning e-business, security is the number one concern that is raised by any reader, and was addressed in full with logical commentary/opinion as to what security methods are available and when/where to use them.

Extensive use of case studies to offer real-life examples of the technologies and how and why they were implemented for a given company's needs, adds further value by underlining the fact that the product/technology chosen is dependant upon each company's specific network and user requirements.

This book is a "must read" for any company IS manager considering a move to Web-to-Host technologies. The book focuses on the emerging Web-based host access trend and choosing the right solution for a given project.

This book proves that there are no excuses for NOT integrating IBM data centers to the Internet or Intranets. Security concerns, time to develop, cost, bandwidth - all these issues are addressed in the book and proven to be non-issues. From my experience the most difficult part in such an integration project is to integrate two teams or camps - the PC programmers, that don't want to hear about JCL and LUs with mainframe programmers and VTAM gurus that don't care about using the mouse (the arrow keys work just fine, thank you). Typically, there is an alphabet soup of acronyms that each camp is referring to mostly to keep outsiders out - SSCP, LU, PU, CICS, IMS and such on one side with TCP/IP, SSL,HTTP, etc. on the other side.

The book does a great job in explaining all the concepts involved in the mainframe/midrange network architecture, as well as explaining the TCP/IP based internet technologies

A multitude of charts are used to illustrate the underlying architecture and the protocols involved in gluing all the pieces together.

The author gives an overview of the evolution in networking software and hardware that has taken place in the last 30 years.

Real-life test cases are provided to prove that integrating IBM data centers to TCP/IP networks is not only possible, but does not require huge investments in either time or money. The reader should conclude after reading this book, that "Hey, it has been done before and nobody got fired".

Acknowledging the impact of Y2K on the scarcity of the enterprise IT resources, Guruge is describing solutions that do not require ANY changes to the legacy applications. All the integration work is done around them, with results ranging from immediate out-of-the-box, to ones that may take a few weeks to accomplish.

It goes without saying that the book is well indexed, with a proper glossary and can serve as a reference resource.

All in all a great book worth its weight in gold.

"Integrating TCP/IP i-nets with IBM Data Centers" is an absolute must-read for network administrators, data communications managers, and chief information officers in organizations with IBM mainframe or midrange SNA hosts. Guruge is an expert on IBM's System Network Architecture, which, although a quarter century old, holds most of the data of the world's largest organizations. Guruge explains both in technical detail and with real-life case studies how organizations can take advantage of TCP/IP, the lingua franca of the Internet, to facilitate communications with and among SNA devices. If you speak the language of SNA networking, like 3270/5250,DLSw, APPN/HPR and are trying to do so in the same sentence with terms like HTML, Telnet, and screen rejuvenation, this is the book you must read. Mr. Guruge will not only explain how these technologies relate to one another, but he will provide examples of how organizations have married these technologies to meet specific organizational and business requirements. And by the time you finish the book you'll have a firm understanding of how your own organization can integrate its IBM data center with TCP/IP i-nets.