Internet Books

Nutshell review - This is a really good book, well written, easy to digest and follow. Good coverage and enough depth to provide a decent grounding from which further research into specific areas of interest can be launched.

This is a good book. Ed has become a master in this filed and he put tons of good stuff in the book.

Great book explaining all the different types of malware out there. Skoudis helps to understand the technical details of each malware type without going into too much detail. The links provided, altough a few years old, are all still relevant.

I am fortunate to have an autographed copy from when Mr. Skoudis taught a SANS class I attended; and have had to take a lot of time getting it read in the meantime. This is the book that I would recommend to anyone that would learn the workings of worm, virus, trojan horse and other malware - not how to write them, but how to understand and deal with them. The information on setting up a lab to examine these critters is a good start for those wanting to understand attacks - but like other reviewers have said, this book is not for one without a grounding in computer security.

This book provides the best review of malicious software that is presently available. If you need a comprehensive reference then this is the book for you. The author is a well-known and respected security analyst and this book provides solid information at a level suitable for the system administrator. Unlike so many books of this type, it is not a camouflaged endorsement of some vendor's products or a simplistic and alarmist text.

Topics covered include:
- viruses, with a brief history and description of the various types and their mechanisms;
- worms, again with a brief history and description of the various types and their mechanisms;
- mobile code, including browser scripts, ActiveX controls, Java applets and mobile code as it occurs in email clients and distributed applications. Given the increasing amount of mobile code, this is particularly valuable;
- backdoors, particularly Netcat and VNC but covering some others as well;
- trojans inlcuding wrappers, source poisoning and browser co-option;
- rootkits for Unix andWindows;
- kernel-mode rotkits for linux and Windows;
- possible modes, including BIOS and microcode attacks.

"Encyclopediac" is the only description I can give, but be warned that it's not for the general reader, or for newbies.

I recommend this book to anyone who works with Windows Web Servers. Now that IIS 7.0 is out this book is still a great reference because IIS 6.0 and IIS 7.0 are so very different. Even if you have never worked with IIS before this is a great book. I have never been disappointed with the Administrator's Pocket Consultant series of books.

I got this book because i need it when i am working in my intern. This book is good for beginners and little above. It is easy to understand and the quality is great. It worth more than it cost.

This is an excellent book! Stanek's Pocket Consultant books go far beyond the typical. He always uses his comprehensive knowledge to weave a fabric that balances the aim of a program with the fiddling details that drive admins crazy. As soon as I had skimmed the IIS book I set it aside and read one section a day. Nothing escapes his eye, every section clears up something that I had always wondered about. Great stuff!

This book is really worth every penny it costs. It is packed with useful information, well written, intelligent, and enjoyable to read. Just the chapters on IIS applications, side by side .NET configurations, and pooling are worth the whole book: it goes through every detail.

The in-depth coverage of every other subject is as accurate as it gets. I particularly appreciated the chapter about customization. But the book goes as far as covering in perfectly understandable terms the metabase, and more. Not to mention the incredibly accurate chapter about optimization.

This is an easy to read book with the detail you would expect from a pocket consultant. The author doesn't waste time with the basic chit-chat and does a good job of laying out the useful material.

Content includes initial setup, backup, performance monitoring/tuning and more advanced features such as registry and metabase settings. Advanced readers will eventually want to search for further information on some of these topics (scripting for example), but this is to be expected. The books leaves you feeling comfortable with what you've learned and with a good feel for where you might want to expand your learning in the future.

Most of my computer books end up getting re-sold or trashed, but I'll be keeping this one on the shelf for myself and others to use in the future.

Yes, it's true. I'm contemplating adding a podcast to my blog. So, I bought "Podcast Solutions" on Amazon and read it, front to back. This is a very useful book, and it comes with a CD of demo software you can use for podcasting.

Anyone who is thinking about podcasting should read this book BEFORE they start purchasing any equipment. One of the most valuable things I found in this book was information about the equipment you will need to get start. A large portion of this book is devoted to getting good quality recordings from your recording sessions so that it doesn't turn potential listeners off with popping, clicking, hissing, etc.

One of the other great things I found in this book is podsafe music. Never heard of it? Podsafe music is music from independent artists that is licensed for you to use it free of charge in your podcasts. Check out these sites: GarageBand and PodShow. The music is really good. I'm digging it.

Until someone writes something really comprehensive, this is the best there is in podcasting.

What is podcasting?

If you don't know by now - what's wrong, have you been living under a rock? ;)

A little over a year ago, I had no clue. I actually thought it was using an iPod to broadcast mp3s over FM waves to a radio (which is actually done quite often, but has nothing to do with podcasting). In fact, podcasting has little to do with iPods at all. If I had had a copy of this book a year ago, I would have know that - and a whole lot more!

"Podcast Solutions: The Complete Guide to Podcasting" is just that - a complete guide. Have no idea what podcasting is? This will tell you. Know what it is, but not how to listen to them? This book will tell you. Would you like to know how podcasting started? Look no further. Ever wondered what the relationship between podcasting and blogging is? You can find out. Want to start your own podcast? Then this is the book for you! It even comes with a CD with all the software you'll need to start podcasting right away, and it doesn't matter if you use Windows, Mac OS X, or even Linux - the CD has software for all three platforms. The book even tells you how to start making money with podcasts!

From recording the audio to publishing the XML to getting your podcast heard - it's all in the book. You should really pick this book up if you have any interest at all in podcasting. Highly recommended!

Michael Geoghegan and Dan Klass have done a great job in this 240 page book on podcasting. A great book for any podcaster. They do a good job of taking you through all of the steps necessary to learning podcasting. The book runs the gamut of the steps you'll need to preparing your podcast, to recording and subsequently publishing your podcast on the web.The book is easy to follow and has lots of links to websites for additional reference. Overall the best book on the market for podcasting.

I started out knowing diddly squat about podcasting. I read "Podcast Solutions" by Michael Geoghegan (what's up with that name?) and Dan Klass and now I know everything. But much more important than my over-generous opinion of myself I got my podcast up swiftly, easily and on time thanks to this incredible book.

They answer questions with the insight of someone who really knows all the angles, who really knows what they are talking about, who has actually done it. The book will take you through the entire process and get you up and running. And isn't that what it's really all about?

I especially enjoyed Chapter 10 "Getting Heard" which offers rich detail and many astonishing ideas about how to get people to actually listen to your podcast. And isn't that what it's really all about?

Finally, the price on this book is right. Just right. Enough to make you realize you're getting something valuable (which you are) and low enough that it's well within reach of anyone who's ever splurged on a cup of Starbuck's coffee. And isn't that what it's really all about?

Buy the book. Do it now! Buy a brand new book all for yourself. Don't chintz out and get a used one from Amazon. There's a CD inside that you need and it will probably be missing from any used copy.

Real 802.11 Security is a very well written book and gives the reader a very good background about Wifi security. It perfectly explains why WEP is not a good protocol and shows how WPA and RSN works.

Edney tackles quite a broad topic, but does well with remaining focused and developing the topic from a novice understanding of wireless security to in-depth discussions down to the packet level. With the range of the topic, the book could have easily been written *only* for the novice or specifially for the computer professional, but Edney manages to hit both audiences; not a small feat when writing a computer-related book.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding why wi-fi networks are vulnerable (more so than traditional wired networks) and in learning more about wi-fi security solutions.

Hello,

I am reading this book and it is helping me a lot with my certification towards the CWNA, the material is very good, explanations are clear and the author has a very easy way to control the reader and explain the things that are sometimes hard to see. This book is a very good reading, i would suggest for whoever is starting on Security to read it, it even makes some humoristics comments during the book. Awesome, 5 stars material !
thanks a lot,

The author really knows what he is talking about. The layout of content shows his strong logical reasoning. He answers almost all questions a curious engineer would have.

Outstanding book, not just for wireless security but for encryption in general. Very clear explanations, chapter on why WEP failed is the best explanation I have read. Also very clear on how EAP, TLS, TKIP, WAP and the rest of the protocol soup relate to each other. I even appreciated the attempts at humor - my style, a bit dry.

Real World Microsoft Access Database Protection and Security
I found it to be a good rescouce of the various stages of MSAccess DB developing protection for a data base. The end user would also benefit by having a reliable data base.
Braxton Foist

This was a great find. I just wish I had read it sooner. There are things in here that every Access developer should read. Lots of good advice, techniques, and code samples. Very well-written and easy to follow. Right to the point. I especially appreciate the humility that Garry shows in his writing. He obviously knows more than most about Access, yet he gives credit where it is due and provides lots of links for the reader to go out and get the background themselves.

I have read some of the other (excellent in their own right) big books on MS Access, and there were a couple of "non-security" things in here that I did not find elsewhere (not to mention the security issues that were new to me). I highly recommend this book for anyone who may be creating a multi-user database.

Gary Robinson is a master at Access security and this book proves it! This is one of the books that stays on the shelf close to me when I am developing. It has great resources for setting up different types of security and he provides forms and code to help you develop security based on your needs. I highly recommend this for developers, especially those who are just designing more complex databases and need a good background on security. He is such a great resource that I subscribe to his newsletter now! I can only hope that he writes another book soon! A+

All of the other reviews pretty much say it all, but I wanted to place a more recent review in the list. Although I have just started using some of the basics Gary clearly discusses, I am anxious to get to the rest. Being able to secure Access has always been in the back of my mind. Now I know I can tackle the issue and get it done in a consistent manner that I can carry into all my Access projects. Thanks for the good work Garry.

A good book will find the reader. I would like to thank Mr. Robinson for a well written read. Besides all the other things I have in my life to do I was able to finish his work in about two weeks. I have read all the other reviews; there is nothing I can add. I can however tell you that if you are into Access database (and you know if you are) then this book is an imperative. I have had many books on Access database pass my way, nothing compares with Mr. Robinsons' book on security and protection.

Mr. Robinsons' is the first technical book on Access I have ever read from cover to cover with a never ending want to turn the page to see what Mr. Robinson was going to teach me next. I'm going to begin a reread of his work and this time I'm going to use the examples with both Northwind and my own database to incorporate his methods; especially enjoying combining the OS and workgroup security to provide my data a secure base from my clients, friends and enemies.

His book provided me ample margin to take copious notes along with my read, it will prove helpful in preparing for deployment. Mr. Robinson is a professional database administrator and this book is written as from such, you will think like he does at the end of this read and be the better for it. Mr. Robinson is a wonderful dbase admin, author, and now teacher. Again many thanks for his efforts and a heartfelt appreciation for my newly gained knowledge. Should Mr. Robinson ever have a worldwide tour on the subject, sign me up.

All of the reviews are positive, I suggest a review of Mr. Robinsons' Table of Contents and more important, the wonderful Index. A review of these documents will give you better insight into the level of Access database security Mr. Robinson clearly and distinctly explains. Mr. Robinson has the world's attention on this security subject and rightfully deserves it.

The Table of Contents and Index may be found at:

View the table of contents (http://www.vb123.com/get/AccessSecurityBook_TOC.pdf)in PDF format.
View the index file (http://www.vb123.com/get/mapindex.pdf) in PDF format.

Tom Pickett
May 9, 2006
Berea, South Carolina USA

One of the best walkthroug books i have ever bought , i'm a fan of bradygames , they always make the walktroug without unnecessary spoilers , and this one is like all the others straight to the point , have all the informations you need and has a neat poster to ^^

The book helped me find all items and find ways to kill all the boss's and tells you how to unlock all characters. I loved it

Luke Ross

I got this for my daughters friends birthday. She loved it ! It helped her get through the game.She said it was one of the best strategy guides she has ever gotten,very detailed.

A friend introduced me to Resident Evil 4, and after several gruesome deaths during the course of the game I thought that maybe I should by the walk-through book. I first purchased one from a differant company, but found it to be unsatisfactory, and looked for and located a copy of this Bradygames version, which I have been extremely pleased with. The information and maps provided for game play are excellent, to the point where you can be totally prepared for what's around the next corner if you decide to read ahead, or you can just forge ahead, and then go back and read in the book where you messed up after you die, and do it better the next time. Some people might think it spoils the game to be prepared before hand, but it can easily make the game more enjoyable, and this walk-through definately makes it more so, if you decide to play that way. It's an excellent resource, and a definate must for any serious player.

The Guide for RE4 is a beautifully rendered one, covering all the places things hide, all the ways to combine items, and how to get every detail out with regard to outfits and the oddity of "other" weapons. The first time you play it you could probably use this, too, but only if you want to make one run at the game and only if you need it to fast-forward all of the puzzles. The problem with this is that a guide is simply a guide and, in the end, RE4 is player-friendly enough that you won't need it. You might need to find out about what to beat to get something bizarre, but there are things in game that allow for everything else.

First, the merchants in the game are really useful and they sell maps that highlight out all the treasure. While this doesn't tell you how to combine everything, you can simply keep all your odd little items and try combining them until you manage a priceless artifact. Second, you can look at the guns and see how they "stat up" to figure out what you want. The guide give advice that works if you want to edge up from one weapon to the other, but some of the weapons are pretty playthings and their use is what makes the experience unique. Third, this is the friendliest game as far as enemies are concerned, and you should be able to beat anything with a little practice and a few lucky shots. The same can be said for the puzzles - none of them are really difficult and finding out stuff on your own makes you feel strong. Finally, just play through the minigames in the game, kick it up and beat the game more than once, and power up your weapons all the way and see what you end up with.

So, you really don't need a guide and maybe you know it. Still, if you have to have one because you just need it or if you are buying this for someone who you might think needs help, it thrives here. This book is sexy, too, and I was impressed by the quality of the maps and the excellent care taken by the designers of the walk-through. I am of the opinion that a walk-through is either (1) a compulsive need to get everything or (2) a way to even the playing field. If you need either one of those, this is a golden ticket out of Las Plaga land. If not, you know how to run and gun.
Regardless, try to run the game first! The play-through is exciting when you have no idea what to expect AND you are better than you think. I wish i could wink when saying this, too, and add "trust me" for good measure. Resident Evil 4

Arthur Hughes is a database guru. This books teaches you how to start and develop a customer database and how to use is it as your most powerful marketing tool. The author is world-renowned and has created concepts such as "lifetime value" which is essential to any business owner. This book is the database marketing bible.

I love this book. Working as a data analyst in the CRM department, this book teaches me all the practical caculation/ideas for my work.

So far, this is the only book on the market that view database marketing from a quantitative point of view. On the other hand, it also instills the relationship marketing mind-set to the readers. For the rest of books avaliable in the markertplace on CRM/Database marketing, either it's too theoretical or IT. This is the best I read so far.

My approach to marketing was totally changed by reading this book; I was able to refine a jumble of thoughts into a clear, cohesive strategy. If you are at all exposed to marketing at work, Hughes will give you the ability to prioritize what is most important in your job.

Hughes has just released a new edition of this classic. It is thoroughly updated to include developments of the last half decade (the failure of CRM in many applications, advancements in Web and e-mail marketing, etc). Every marketer and entrepreneur should read this book to learn how and why lifetime value is so important and how to build your company's strategy around it.

The best thing about this book is that it covers the technical details adequately, but is still readable enough that you do not need an MBA to understand it.

For anyone who's looking for a well-written reflection on state-of-the-art direct marketing, this is not the right book. Yet, Arthur Hughes' 'Strategic Database Marketing' still has its merits.

It's a straight-forward introductory text that covers many aspects of direct marketing - mostly from an old-economy point of view. The good thing about this approach is that Hughes explains many procedures in detail that have proved to be useful over many years of practice (as he lets the reader know on many occasions, he has worked in direct marketing for a long time). And while the dull writing-style occasionally makes the content of the book seem dated, most of the ideas discussed in the book still apply. For example, Hughes does a good job explaining lifetime-value calculations, the Recency-Frequency-Monetary approach, regression analysis and other useful tools for anyone involved in direct marketing.

Unfortunately, it's not an enjoyable book. The biggest drawback is that Hughes doesn't come across as an agile intellect. He's good at explaining procedure, but rather clumsy in discussing ideas. Adding to that is his over-reliance on examples taken from his own private life (you'll learn many things about his wife that you never wanted to know) and his strange need to praise the superiority of the American economy whenever possible. If you can look past that, 'Strategic Database Marketing' may well be worth reading for any professional marketeer.

Hughes makes it exceedingly clear why customer loyalty and lifetime value are such critical marketing concepts. Hughes helps marketers understand why our hyper-focus on customer acquisition needs to be adjusted to consider retention and upsell as well.

In particular, Hughes explains:

* What Lifetime Value (LTV) is, why it matters, and how to calculate it
* The importance of testing programs and how best to go about it
* Segmenting your customer base by loyalty and LTV
* How tactics should differ for each segment
* Practical tips for creating a successful database marketing campaign.

Case studies and ROI numbers are used throughout the book. A must read for marketing proessionals.

I was looking for a book that would help me navigate the shoals of selling on eBay, but only for a few dozen personal items per year at most.
This book is for someone who plans to open an eBay business and make all or most of their living off it (buying wholesale in large quantities, drop-shipping, etc).
I'm sure it would be very good for such a person, but for me, I need to look for another, simpler book. However, this book seems very comprehensive for someone opening a large eBay business, so I think 4 stars is fair.

I'm not even halfway through this book and already I'm blown away with how much information there is. Skip doesn't hold back at all; this book is for serious people who want to be successful sellers.

Well written comprehensive guide to getting started on E-bay. You do have to actually put the effort and creativity into any business to make it work. But, if you follow the outline of this book you will have a better chance of making it work. This book also contained unique information by the author. It dovetailed with the other books I bought by the same author.

Was getting started on ebay and looking for some guidance. This book combined with ebay's on-line tutorial is loaded with enough information to get a new ebay seller headed in the right direction. Would recommend to anyone contemplating selling on ebay.

Skip Mc Grath takes you step by step from a beginner, to a seller in a very short time if you read and put into practise his instructions.
He also tells you what to sell on eBay giving you a lot of ideas where to find what is easy to sell and how to promote it.
I would recommend this and other books published by this author to anyone who wants to make money on eBay, because he really know what he is talking about. And for my understanding he is a born teacher because he has the pacience to explain in detail what to do and how to do it.

Build a personal library of information using free web resources with the help of Tomaiuolo's The Web Library: Building A World Class Personal Library With Free Web Resources, edited by Barbara Quint. The Web Library is simply packed with web links and updates, as well as assessments of the pros and cons of given reference sites. Anyone can use no/low cost Web resources to build a comprehensive personal library of data, documents and images: The Web Library outlines keys to locating such gold mines and includes interviews with librarians and leading content providers alike.

I usually steer clear of web site directory books because they become obsolete very quickly. This book presents more than lists of sites. It contains some unusual and even provocative information concerning whether it is preferable to read in hardcopy or online; it also has interviews with people who create content at the freebie sites and this gave me a fresh perspective on the availability of free resources. The best thing is that isn't chock full of screenshots, it's full of information.

I spend a lot of hours searching the web for work. I bought a copy of this book and it kept disappearing off my desk--borrowed by co-workers. Now I keep it locked in my desk drawer--they'll have to buy their own copies! Well done, Nicholas and Barbara! Hope to see more of your books in print.

This book was a wonderful book which I was pleased to share with my co-workers, most of whom are all resourceful men and women who search the internet for work. As a businessman, I must say that this book was incredibly useful in my many projects and has brought my company's profit up by 3%.

I was lucky enough to be given this book as a gift, because my parents know that I often use the web to locate information for school projects. It has tons of useful websites and is well-organized. I definitely recommend it.

Mr. Baxley has an insightful perspective illustrated in his "Universal Model of a User Interface." He simplifies the process of moving from conceptual to concrete interface design by deconstructing applications into two separate layers. The top layer contains the structure, behavior & presentation & the bottom layer contains more granular aspects of the top three. By explaining the key factors in designing each of these layers he makes it easier to understand & integrate all the aspects critical to interface design. If you don't have time to read Rosenfeld & Morville's Information Architecture, be sure to read this book as he covers a lot of key IA issues too, though he prefers to call it the "organizational model" behind an application.

This book is tattered from referencing it and has many passages underlined. Unlike some usability books it is organized in a manner that moves you through the design problem space. It begins with setting definitions and examining the possible forces behind these projects. Then Baxley dives into the meat of the design process through a 3 layered approach. He covers all the bases - from the user point of view to navigation, Help systems, forms, layout and shows how it alI fits into the models within the layers. It is well written, making points clear without repetitive passages. I would recommend this book for beginners and old hands. It is a great book, written following the usability rules he is propounding.

A well-written and coherent overview of the web design process and the specific requirements of web application design.

Some of the useful features of this book are
- well-selected examples
- a description of the product development process
- an excellent description (with examples) of how to develop and use "personas"
- guidelines for when and how to use specific models of interaction in a product
- simple, bullet-pointed summary guidelines for solving interaction and display design problems
- case studies at the end which are evaluated using criteria the author has developed throughout the book

I am a designer working in this field and this is the guide I would recommend for exploring and understanding the practice of web-application design.

The back cover of the book states: "Most people involved in the design and specifications of Web applications, whether they're visual designers, engineers, or product marketers do not have a method for understanding or prioritizing design issues." I agree - however, I would add that those of us who are involved in usability testing / user research should also be added to the list. As a consultant working in the field of user research, I give my clients this book - the main reason being that it gives us a common vocabulary and way to think about how to conduct usability testing or user research at any stage of the Web development process. While not written to do so, the book actually provides a "template" for what needs to be tested / researched at each stage. This type of organized thinking can only help those of us in the trenches provide meaningful feedback. One request of the author - a sequel entitled "Applying the Principals of Making the Web Work to User Research" - (while not necessarily the best title - you get the idea!)

An impeccably-organized encyclopedia of web design.

If I had to base an entire web design class on a single book this would be the one. Bob Baxley's "Making the Web Work" is easily the most comprehensive manual for applying good design to create a great user experience on the web. This book has both breadth and depth-just look at the table of contents. Regardless of your level of web design proficiency you will find more than your money's worth of useful insight here (even if you have already read just about every other web design book!).

One thing I especially like about this book is that Bob doesn't provide a single solution for a design challenge, but takes time to present and evaluate (pro/con and why) several alternatives. He doesn't just feed you the "right" answers the way Jakob Nielsen does in his "Designing Web Usability." Bob's approach will help you gain a thorough understanding of the options and make informed design decisions.

The two case studies of Amazon and Ofoto included at the end of the book are the most comprehensive I have seen: they're about 30 pages each!

About the only gripe I have is that Bob takes the liberty of using lesser known versions of some terms without providing their more known synonyms. For example, while Lou Rosenfeld and Peter Morville have all but established the terms "ambiguous" and "exact" for the two types of classification schemes, Bob prefers to call them "subjective" and "objective," respectively, without providing the alternative terms. Similarly, "organization scheme" is replaced by "classification scheme", and "organization structure" with "model of association." My IA students have enough difficulty keeping one set of terms straight!

Overall, however, this one serious web design book. Highly recommended. Other books I liked: "Interface Design for Ecommerce Applications" by Paul Gokin (search for this one on the web), "Designing Web Site Interface Elements" by Eric Eaton, and "Submit Now: Designing Persuasive Websites" by Andrew Chak.