Internet Books

I purchased this entertaining and well-written book a couple of years ago. It has served as a step-by-step guide as I have made the transition from the traditional classroom to online learning.

From basic learning principals and definitions to specific "how to" examples and checklists, this book has it all and delivers it with a sense of humor that will have you chuckling aloud and keep you engaged, interested, and wanting to learn more. I continue to use this book as a resource, returning to it again and again, whether in need of a reminder or looking for inspiration to help me move forward.

If you are considering making the journey to online learning, this book will provide the light to help you along your way.

In 150 pages, the authors lay out the key information both HR/training practitioners and web-geeks need to work together successfully.

Written for the non-technical HR practitioner who needs to understand both the training concepts and the technology choices she will be faced with, this book also provides a technical reader (me) with the language and central concepts used by training professionals to develop their courses.

I could see this text being used as the starting point for an project team comprised of HR professionals, trainers, and web designers to build on -- each member of the team required to read it to establish a common framework and language. A few hours spent reading this up front would save countless hours of 'churn' later on in the project.

Very few of us have the time or the patience to read a non-fiction book front to back. We want current information, solutions to the problems we are experiencing today, and answers to questions we can not answer ourselves. We want to find these golden nuggets of information quickly and easily and, we do not want a lot of theoretical or academic fluff.

"Making Sense of Online Learning" meets those requirements. The Shank and Sitze book and companion website are perfect "just-in-time" resources for anyone involved in online learning. Whatever your level of experience and expertise with online learning, I am sure you will find lots of useful and insightful information in the book and the website. While I have designed, developed, and taught various online courses, I still found the book and the website valuable. I know it will help me, my clients, and my students. Thanks, Patti and Amy!

Jackie Dobrovolny, Ph.D.
Instructional technology consultant & IT faculty at University of Colorado at Denver.

The audience for this book is the person who wants to take their first step into traditional online learning. And by traditional, I mean self-contained courses and the management systems that support them (as opposed to deeper simulations or integration with knowledge management or ERP or CRM systems, etc., etc.,) For these people, the tone, the content, and the sympathy are dead on. Before going to a conference, or reading any deeper books, or subscribing to any of the current magazines, or meeting with your boss or advisor, this should be required reading.

Like many instructional design professionals, I struggle to stay abreast of the lighting-fast developments in online learning. Replacing the comfortable and relatively stable vocabularies and design considerations of yesteryear are rapidly evolving media, terms, technologies, and standards.

Both veterans and novices alike may now know a great deal about some things and very little about others. We need resources that can help us fill the gaps in our understanding and enable us to speak intelligently to our clients, colleagues, and employers. We also need simplified ways of explaining these topics to our audiences.

Patti and Amy have provided just such a resource. By peeling away the jargon and complexity in an even-handed and measured way, they have clarified many mind-numbing subjects. Along the way, they have taken care to point out universal considerations, such as the importance of designing for usability and building training around real-world challenges. They have also provided excellent checklists to use when considering the acquisition of expensive technologies, such as learning management and content management systems. These tools alone can help organizations avoid costly and frustrating blunders.

Patti and Amy have successfully blended sensible guidance; classic learning theories; online learning terms, definitions, and applications; and many excellent resources into a "must read" book and companion Web site. Readers will hardly realize the plane has left the ground by the time they touch down gently but firmly at the end of a smooth and delightful journey.

This book really makes putting together a cohesive workout for a complete novice MUCH easier. I like how this book includes so much variety in equipment used for all target muscle groups. If you are just limited to resistance bands and an exercise ball, there is something in this book for you. If you are in a fully equipped gym with weights and cables you will find something in this book. Definitely a keeper!

This is an amazing book. I wanted to buy a book on weight training and I am not disappointed. Like the previous reviews said, the book contains lots of photos with dos and don't dos. It clearly shows which target muscles you are working when working with dumbells.

I only wish that there was more classification for each muscle group (like chest, upper arm, abs) instead of Upper Body and Lower body.

I would strongly recommend this book for those that don't have the time to go the gym and want to train at home.

The pictures are wonderful. I found the pictures that illustrate the "wrong" postures while training to be especially helpful, as well as all the step by step instructions and tips. Being new to weight traning, I really found this book to be useful.

I had a shoulder injury and toward the end of physical therapy, we moved to strengthening exercises/weight lifting. I am a person that likes pictures (as opposed to words) and this book provides good pictures of how each exercise should be done. It also shows you how NOT to do them. It shows what muscles are affected by each exercise, plus a section on stretching. My PT was very impressed by it and started thumbing through it and said he was going to buy it to show patients in the future.

I picked this book randomly and it turned out to be a great book to start out with. I tried going to the gym before I got this book and the weights scared me. The next day I bought the book and took 2-3 days to read through the entire thing and everything made sense. I also saw the correct way to do each routine. One of the best things it did was lay out all the different types of routines you can do, whether it be full body, or focusing on one or two muscles per workout. I highly recommend this book!

Because of this book, we have altered the way we sell our PPC product. Not knowing this information can be fatal to your long term goals. I only wish it could have been a little thicker.

Found out about Richard Stokes from Perry Marshall. Amazing break down of what to do to be in control of my Adwords campaign. Neat little tricks and ways to save money. Technical but understandable. I'm seeing competitors' ads falling away because they apparently haven't read this book.

While some might complain that this book is a marketing piece for their website/service, it really has some unique insights based on real experience. How well you AdWords campaign is running can make or break your business. Spend the extra effort to get it right.

...and only the owner of a company like AdGooRoo could write this, explaining why and how. It's one thing to look at search results and study your Google account; it's another to gather data from thousands of companies and show exactly what works and does not. That's what Richard has done with this book.

As author of The Ultimate Guide to Google AdWords & having taught hundreds of thousands of people how to advertise on Google, I was elated to see Richard put hard numbers on many things I've believed but was unable to prove.

Richard shows:

--Specific types of keywords and searches and how they relate to buying behavior

--Hard factors that influence Quality Score and Click Thru Rate

--Information that is very hard to get from Google, like % ad exposure and relationships between bid price, ad position, Click Thru Rate and Conversion Rate

Richard explains the inner workings of Google's formula, revealing why ultra-relevant advertisers get a wonderful advantage of being served *all* the available clicks and not just a portion. If you're up against competition who is in that enviable position, you need all the intel you can get.

This book is not for beginners. I really don't see that as a problem, though, there are plenty of books that do that (such as my own). There's a whole class of Google advertisers who know all the basic stuff but are still perplexed by Adwords. They're in hyper-competitive markets duking it out with hundreds of bidders and they need advanced info. This book is perfect for them.

Mastering Search Advertising is a highly concise, unique and useful book covering search engine marketing / Google Adwords. Many a book on this topic has said much more, but explained much less.

I draw this conclusion based on the following:
- The Foreword of the book gives a brief synopsis of Richard's journey of curiosity and passion for understanding and refining process, not an endless list of thank you's. You immediately feel a purpose, direction and his passion for the subject.

- Richard is clearly self-taught and has deviated from the beaten path and anyone reading this book would benefit from his years of effort. It reminds me of how Tommy Emmanuel learned how to play acoustic guitar without ever reading sheet music!

- The book explains clearly and transparently some of the basic rules of search engine marketing in a way that is rarely seen publicly.

- Richard does all of this with simple and concise explanations that are written in actual business language. It sets a foundation for the eventual moving of this space from mystery to science.

- The first four words of chapter 10 explain search perfectly: "Search engines prize relevancy."

- Some people might mildly object to his usage of his company Adgooroo as an example throughout the book. What those people don't understand is that: A) it would have been almost impossible to achieve the conclusions that are the foundations of this book without the Adgooroo solution having been developed, B) he explains the steps you'd need to do to achieve the results without Adgooroo (but it would likely be too time consuming) and C) he openly talks about alternative vendor solutions in a mutually respectful way lessens the sales element.

Enjoy your future reading. Your visit to Facebook, Twitter and/or my blog to continue this dialogue if you so desire is welcomed.

This is a very neat book that gets you started with broad knowledge
about what you can do with the overwhelming World Wide Web.
If you are curious about what are behind those search engines and
how can these "things" get you stuck in front of
your computer around the clock, this is the book for you.
It not only tells you how these "things" work,
but also calms you a little bit by telling you that
those guys who developed these "things" REALLY tried hard to
get you what you want and in the meantime save you some time :)
The best part is that you don't need to know many theories and
you still get some sense about the devils who drive these engines.
If you are a professional who wants to know where to read about the
"know how", this book could be a good starting point.
It not only gives you a good survey of what is going on,
but also provides you with 286 references that guide you
to what you need to know next.
If you are a graduate student who wants to start a project
on the subject, this book could save you some time.
It takes you only couples of hours to scan through it.
By the end, you would probably know where to dig deeper or
you might get burnt and choose a different subject.
One thing I was wondering was that the authors didn't go further
in many aspects. Some subsections have only four to five sentences.
These could be spaces to extend.

The fields of Data Mining and Information Retrieval are incredibly complex and deep subject areas even when they are divorced from the structure of the world wide web. If the world wide web is viewed as a giant data base, it is without a doubt the most complex data base which has ever existed.

A major problem is getting a grasp on the synthesis of these three fields, DM, IR, and WWW technology. Even current research in DM is distributed among gropus of people with such diverse backgrounds effective communication of research results across groups is extremely difficult.

This book has taken the major concepts from these three fields and organized them in outline form. The outline cuts just deep enough to be meaningful and never too deeply to "lose" the reader. For the serious student, this book provides a Christmas tree on which other books can hang like ornaments.

Obviously, I think very highly of this book. It is not the "be all and the end all", but it fills an important niche. ... Almost limits it to library and other institutional purchases. Which is a shmae because I'm sure every worker in WWWIR&DM would like to have a copy on their shelves.

BTW, the bibliography isn't bad either, and, includes many www URLs, a must for any truly useful bibliography in todays environment. The search engines just aren't good enough yet to give you all the URLs you need. But, then, improving them is part of why there is so much active research in WWWDM&IR.

Feel free to write the author of this review (Dr. John Aiken, PhD)...

This is a very neat book that gets you started with broad knowledge
about what you can do with the overwhelming World Wide Web.
If you are curious about what are behind those search engines and
how can these "things" get you stuck in front of
your computer around the clock, this is the book for you.
It not only tells you how these "things" work,
but also calms you a little bit by telling you that
those guys who developed these "things" REALLY tried hard to
get you what you want and in the meantime save you some time :)
The best part is that you don't need to know many theories and
you still get some sense about the devils who drive these engines.
If you are a professional who wants to know where to read about the
"know how", this book could be a good starting point.
It not only gives you a good survey of what is going on,
but also provides you with 286 references that guide you
to what you need to know next.
If you are a graduate student who wants to start a project
on the subject, this book could save you some time.
It takes you only couples of hours to scan through it.
By the end, you would probably know where to dig deeper or
you might get burnt and choose a different subject.
One thing I was wondering was that the authors didn't go further
in many aspects. Some subsections have only four to five sentences.
These could be spaces to extend.

This is a very neat book that gets you started with broad knowledge
about what you can do with the overwhelming World Wide Web.
If you are curious about what are behind those search engines and
how can these "things" get you stuck in front of
your computer around the clock, this is the book for you.
It not only tells you how these "things" work,
but also calms you a little bit by telling you that
those guys who developed these "things" REALLY tried hard to
get you what you want and in the meantime save you some time :)
The best part is that you don't need to know many theories and
you still get some sense about the devils who drive these engines.
If you are a professional who wants to know where to read about the
"know how", this book could be a good starting point.
It not only gives you a good survey of what is going on,
but also provides you with 286 references that guide you
to what you need to know next.
If you are a graduate student who wants to start a project
on the subject, this book could save you some time.
It takes you only couples of hours to scan through it.
By the end, you would probably know where to dig deeper or
you might get burnt and choose a different subject.
One thing I was wondering was that the authors didn't go further
in many aspects. Some subsections have only four to five sentences.
These could be spaces to extend.

This is a nice introductory book, short and well written. Don't expect any details, it is only an outline. It does a good job of covering terminology, and suggesting additional reading, but it isn't a primary resource itself.

The book is divided into 3 sections. The first is on 'information retrieval' (IR), the second on data mining, and the third describes a 'case study.'

According to the authors, IR is engaged in storage, retrieval, organization and display of unstructured or ambiguous file structures. Research is currently engaged in classifying, filtering, modeling, query design and user interface issues. The key question for IR is 'relevance' assessment. Each topic gets at least a few paragraphs, some a few pages.

The authors differentiate data mining from IR in terms of focus. A data mining project is designed specifically for finding hidden structure (whatever that means), while IR might be characterized as the 'quick and dirty query.' This is a bit confusing, but the emphasis on terminology makes it unimportant. Most of the data mining section is a review of various measures used to determine the existence of associations. This includes some simple formulas. Also, there is a section on webcrawlers and text mining.

Though the book is titled 'mining the www', the largest section is IR, what most would call 'search engines.' Mining itself gets only about 1/4 of the book.

The case study is fairly brief, but outlines a way to structure a simple project.

The book contains a nice bibliography.

I've always liked O'Reilly books, and this is no different. It's a small no-fluff reference that makes for a good read as well. The book is physically small enough to fit unobtrusively in your laptop bag without causing too much of a bulge.

Since it is written as a pocket reference, it of course doesn't have all the commands or even all the variants/options for commands. What is does have are the commands and syntax that you are likely to use the most with some good examples.

Just know what you are and are NOT getting. It's not a bible, a step-by-step, or a cookbook. It is (as it is labeled) a pocket reference, at which it excels. Highly recommended.

George Reese's MY SQL POCKET REFERENCE 2ND EDITION covers Version 5.1 and provides SQL statements, functions, and insights into its variations and utilities. Explanations are accompanied by tables and examples for maximum efficiency.

MySQL has gained a lot of functionality after this book was done, but if you are a infrequent developer and like to have a quick reference into basic MySQL functions this book is great.

Reese hits a solid triple to start the inning off and scores easily on the wild pitch thrown by the reader who says that the GRANT section is wrong. This book works easily and appropriately at your deskside. I found the book to be a very simple, easy-to-navigate reference text that presents the most important aspects of MySQL in the quickest, most logical manner. It is very easy to thumb through with every possible random page landing at a topic of interest. In a way, it was like working with a familiar dictionary, you know the kind, where you just kind of naturally crack it open near the word you're accessing and flip a couple of pages either direction to arrive at the exact reference location. In that vein, I'd perhaps recommend that the margins contain "bread crumbs" telling us where we are in the book, but it isn't necessary since thicker sections often obviate themselves with just another page turn. Each page does have the chapter title in the margin, so my point is really one of nit-pickieness rather than a true critique. To its credit, the layout of the book presents the content in a manner that follows the O'Reilly "risen bar" standard. It is easy to scan through the entire reference flipping pages as quickly as possible so that you are able to arrive at your sought information within as much as a second or two. The bold text draws your eye to the page and the size of the page allows one to capture everything in a single glance. In my usage of the book, I found it very accurate and useful. I am a regular MySQL user and the formatting is very familiar to me. I highly recommend this book. If you are already familiar with SQL and the basics of database schema design, this is the perfect reference. I found it amazingly faster than loading the MySQL PDF manual and searching through potentially dozens of hits for the keywords sought. Even at the full cover price, this book is a value-added service at my side. The sections on operators, functions, stored procedures and triggers make this book an invaluable tool for the DBA or programmer who knows the material, but fails to remember every single aspect about the syntax AND who is tired of seeing that familiar: "You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near..." The text also finds welcomed complement from the numerous examples of using commands and SQL keywords. They are invaluable for immediately deciphering the sometimes too-numerous options of a command. I don't know that the book has taught me anything new at this point, but it certainly makes finding the details of what I already know much easier. Because of its brevity and its ease-of-use, it has made me want to play around with some of the various features of MySQL that I do not regularly use. That alone is going to teach me something new sooner or later! If your budget is constrained to a single reference item on MySQL, you can't go wrong with this very portable pocket reference. The back cover says: "When you reach a sticking point, but have to get to a solution quickly, MySQL Pocket Reference is the book you need." I agree completely.

It's handy, but a little old and too brief with important parts left out. It needs to be updated and improved. Ie: The admin commands are poorly covered. Do not use this book to help you use Grant or Revoke. The Grant All section is simply wrong.

I have just finished reading Lowell Feld's and Nate Wilcox's new book "Netroots Rising" describing the growth in importance of the netroots and the blogosphere in the our democracy. It is a fascinating read. I was especially fascinated at the description of the contribution of the blogging community in causing the downfall of Tom Delay and the description of the Jim Webb phenomenon.

Lowell Feld was one of the leaders of the draft Jim Webb movement. Using his blog Raising Kaine Lowell and his band of merry bloggers built a groundswell of support that convinced Jim Webb to enter the race. This groundswell of support translated into a "ragtag army" of committed volunteers that enabled Webb to win both the primary and the general election despite being outspent over 2 to 1. Lowell was in the middle of all this from the beginning and the account in the book is a fascinating read.

Having worked in the Jim Webb campaign as a volunteer during the primary I can attest to the accuracy of the account. I can also attest to the difficulty that the volunteers had with the paid staff that the book so accurately describes. That difficulty was brought into sharp relief during the Obama campaign which handled volunteers in a uniformly outstanding fashion. I heartly recommend the book to you.

In 2006 I joined those fed up with the bush administration and stumbled into the netroots movement. Other than vote, I had never done anything in politics. However, I discovered Raising Kaine while doing a google search and soon joined Webb's "ragtag army" of volunteers to unseat George Allen. Raising Kaine became the center of my election activities. RK not only had discussions of events and issues, but flyers that you could download and print to distribute. A great endorsement from Webb's company commander in Vietnam was posted. I literally printed out hundreds of copies and distributed them throughout my neighborhood. Netroots Rising is a fascinating behind-the-scenes history of the whole netroots movement.

NETROOTS RISING: HOW A CITIZEN ARMY OF BLOGGERS AND ONLINE ACTIVISTS IS CHANGING AMERICAN POLITICS comes from two veteran online campaigners who analyze political campaigns in which netroots activism was decisive or instructive. Their survey offers insider and first-hand accounts of the power of the netroots to determine political outcomes and also offers chapters covering how activists build movements and insiders kill them, and how the passage of time affects political and internet movements. A 'must' for not only computer libraries, but any collection strong in social issues.

This book analyzes, through narrative, anecdote and commentary, the convergence of grassroots organizing/activism with the decentralized power of mass communication available through the internet. The stories are great and provide a unique perspective on recent political events. More significant perhaps is the identification of this emerging reality for political campaigns at all levels -- the reality of a newly democratic process, of citizen activism making a difference. The issues involved are reminiscent of the growth in community organizing in recent years through organizations such as the IAF.

By the end of the book, I had a renewed sense of possibility, if not hope, for local political activism. Perhaps citizens can influence candidates, campaigns, and, ultimately, policy. Now that sounds interesting; sign me up.

Political Science has a concept known as "empowerment theory." The idea is that, among other things, giving people an opportunity to participate meaningfully in campaigns is one way of showing respect for their skill, energy, judgment, and intelligence. As formerly frustrated political outsiders begin to perceive such an opportunity for empowerment, many of them will seize that opportunity. As a result of their action, they will feel more efficacious, their lives will seem more meaningful to them, and their belief in democracy will deepen.

This book is a confirmation of empowerment theory. It is a true story of how outsiders to an established campaign process found a new way to become effective participants in the system. As the authors suggest, this may be the beginning of a real revolution.

Who are the netroots? They include men and women, paid website designers and managers, bloggers (paid and unpaid), and especially the readers of these information sources. It is these readers who participate early in campaigns by using the net to seek and to spread information, and to contribute funds to favored candidates, whether in or out of their own voting jurisdictions. By no means monolithic in their opinions, the netroots lean both liberal and libertarian.

For well over 100 years the US has had a political system with a relatively closed campaign and election process run by the rich. Until, that is, 2002 when Howard Dean began his presidential bid.

As the authors show, the Dean campaign listened to its supporters in several ways. It took suggestions made in comments on its blog and in emails to its website. It conducted online voting. It joined with Meetup.com, and encouraged its supports to meet together, unsupervised by the campaign, and brainstorm over ways to support the candidate on their own initiative. This was authentic democratic empowerment.

People who felt frustrated by a perceived lack of empowerment saw an opportunity to exercise some significant power by using the Internet. Some started their own pro-Dean blogs. Daily Kos took up the Dean cause early in 2003. Dozens of Yahoo Groups came together, many self-organized by states.

As the narrative suggests, two of the major moving factors in this period were anger and frustration. The anger was over what they saw as the Bush theft of the presidency in 2000, and even more so at the unprecedented preemptive invasion of Iraq in response to 9/11, which they thought was justified by lies and deception.

The frustration came from believing in the ideal of democracy, while in reality being locked out of the political system, which was dominated by the military/industrial complex, as well as other rich corporations and individuals.

No one proclaimed "let's use the Internet to storm the barricades!" It just happened spontaneously. As the book shows, it happened at the same time in the Dean campaign, and in the Clark campaign. Never mind that both campaigns ultimately failed. Lessons were learned, people gained new and valuable experience, and precedents were set for a truly new politics.

One of the recurring themes in the book is the conflict between, what I call, "the pros and the joes." At one point, for one of the authors, it nearly came to blows! We see numerous examples of old style control freaks trying to shape the message put out by independent-minded bloggers. It just can't be done.

That conflict haunted the "Webb for Senate" campaign in Virginia. Here is the story of a hard fought campaign against a seemingly invulnerable incumbent. Remember the word "macaca"? All the details are in the book.

Other effective uses of the net in politics will be found in a variety of well-told vignettes. These include the story of Tim Kaine's victorious campaign for governor of Virginia. The netroots also played a big part in bringing down "the hammer," former House majority leader Republican Tom Delay. These authors speak from experience, because they were in on the action.

Another theme of the book is that the Internet is not neutral; it has a progressive bias. At first you might think that the Internet is just a tool, to be used as well by conservatives as progressives. But that's not the way it works out in practice. Because of, in part, its uncontrollable blogosphere, this technology is an instrument for changing, not preserving, the present campaign and election process, it is biased in favor of both progressives and libertarians. Libertarian because it liberates individual participants. Progressive because it connects people equally; hence, it elevates the value of all users. All users are equally empowered, and limited only by their own personal skills, drive, and wit. That is why progressives, like the anti-war pro-reform Deaniacs, were the first to put the Internet into effective political use. Progressive minded people are more energized by the net's possibilities than are conservative minded folks.

The writers of Netroots Rising are well aware that Internet technology also tilts progressive because it confronts one of the premises of consumer culture. That is, passivity. Most Americans get their political information from watching TV. Listening to the radio, and reading newspapers and magazines, are a distant second. But Internet technology requires its users to ask questions, and to actively seek answers. As the book suggests, the netroots are the advance guard of the new political activist.

While the authors sense the revolutionary potential of the netroots, they could have sketched in a little more vision in their last chapter. How, for example, can the netroots lead America towards a fuller realization of its potential for a more direct democracy?

Can the new net technology make the direct election of the president possible (that is, without the Electoral College, which contributed to Gore's loss in 2000)? Can the Internet be used to create a virtual republic in each Congressional district, or each state?

What is the full potential of the Internet and its related electronic technology? Is the political potential of this technology maxed out by the speed of communication it allows, or by the efficiency of its computerized record keeping? Is it maxed out by the profitability of its fund-raising efforts? Is it maxed out by its ability to publicize and to popularize a progressive candidate, or to let everyone know about the faults of an incumbent or an opponent of a progressive? Is it maxed out in its role as gadfly to the mainstream media?

One might also ask the authors, "what is the netroots long-term strategy?" Do the netroots want to become merely accepted as equals in the money-dependent presently dominant system, or do they want to find a way to compel that system to break out of its current wealth-serving mold altogether, and use Internet technologies to create a new system, which greatly magnifies the degree of democracy we progressives now find so frustrating? Are the current uses of the net the final realization of its full potential for democratizing our politics?

I would only add that as people become more sophisticated with e-commerce, and other forms of Internet usage, they will become more prepared for increased participation in e-politics. Mistrust and reluctance are currently high about the prospects of online voting; yet, as we have seen, this too was done by Dean. But once the electorate is as comfortable with the prospects of e-politics as they now are with the use of e-commerce and e-banking they will be more receptive for a great leap forward.

Attention teachers. This book is not only excellent as current history, it is a fantastic stimulant for critical thinking. Almost every page makes a claim for a causal relationship between netroots action and some political success, such as fund-raising, drafting a candidate, or winning an election. Your students will have a ball refuting or defending these claims. The book is easy to read, and the authors provide material for both sides of the arguments.

Read this important book and you will see just how a new chapter in American politics has begun to unfold. I highly recommend this book.

William J. Kelleher, Ph.D.

This book is written by a young man named Aaron Rosenzweig who has a keen understanding of how to explain the essentials of computers in ways that people born before the era of computers can understand.

When categorizing books, it would be easy to say that the technical genera is something that one "has" to read, rather than "gets" to read. There is good reason for that. Technical books are too long, too boring and don't give any perspective. Thankfully for Mac users, there is one glowing exception: Aaron Rosenzweig's Old Fart's Guide to the Macintosh.

Now in its second edition, this ultra up-to-date book stands out for its ability to gather and feed a sea of Mac information in a different way-with personality and luster. Although the title may be a put-off to those who don't consider themselves an "old fart," let me assure you, this book is for anyone who wants to learn more about the Mac.

Aaron's keen sense of direction plots a well-defined path through the jungle of computer literacy. Starting right from the beginning, he uses these great analogies to relate confusing digital ideas to everyday life. Whether talking about New York chefs and operating systems or small towns and passwords, the most confusing ideas are brought down to level that can be understood and related to by all.

Although it might sound like this book is geared just to Mac tyros, it provides a wealth of information and background that even seasoned users will appreciate. From typing letters to creating your own internet radio station, the number of plausible solutions to accomplish almost anything on the Mac is impressive. What's taken me over a decade of trial and error to figure out, Aaron has put on the table for anyone to utilize in only minutes. Many other Mac resources, computer classes, and even personal tutors give you the "how," but not the "why." Aaron makes sure the reader understands how to do something by backing up a few steps and explaining the underlying reason for why it needs to be done. This applies an incredible mental adhesive to the information in the book.

The first chapter, "What is a Computer?," starts with the basic idea of a computer, and why people need one. Those of us new to computers, or the Mac, will appreciate this the most. The basic parts of a computer and what they do are explained in this chapter. Fundamental terms such as hardware and software are also defined along with examples. Adjusted users might wish to skip ahead, but this chapter provides an easy first step for those with no prior computer knowledge.

Gradually getting deeper into the Mac, the second chapter is dedicated to operating systems. It's only fitting that this is a unique chapter for a unique OS. It starts by explaining why an OS is a vital part of a computer, and how it directly affects the user. After the basic concept of an OS is established, the chapter segues into the differences of Mac OS 9 and X. An informative synopsis of the NeXT evolution tells how it played a major role in fabricating today's Mac OS. Additionally, the concepts of Mac "system software" and "OS" are differentiated in addition to some tips on when to use Mac OS 9 and "Classic mode."

Chapter three pulls concepts from the first two chapters and uses them to explain why Mac is the superior computing platform. If you're not a Mac fan, this chapter should pull you over from the Dark Side. For the rest, it points out why PCs are substandard computers. After establishing that concept, the different models of both Mac desktops and portables are compared and contrasted. This provides a nice guide for people who want a new Mac, but aren't sure which model serves their needs best. If a new Mac isn't your thing, don't worry. There are also tips for getting a used system, and what to watch out for.

The next chapter gets into working with the Mac through the desktop. Basic concepts such as clicking, drag and drop, windows and the Finder are explained with very helpful screen shots for reference.

Chapter eight is a whopper of a chapter that covers almost everything about using the internet, and then some. Keeping with style, it explains what the internet is, how it works and why it affects you. The chapter covers how to get online, what email is and how to use it, different ways to browse the web, using Sherlock, video conferencing and instant messaging... just to name a few. Each topic is nicely broken down by concept followed up with suggestions of good software to use.

Word processing nowadays may seem much more complicated than punching keys on a typewriter. But with a little help, anyone can reap the benefits of modern word processing. "Typing Letters with AppleWorks" is a whole chapter dedicated to getting the most out of Apple's free productivity software. From setting margins to checking spelling, you'll be whipping out letters in no time.

The final and most in-depth chapter truly adds the icing to the cake. Whereas most of the book up until now has been geared for people new to the Mac, this chapter rips loose and lets comfortable users really get their hands dirty. The chapter goes into many aspects of UNIX, including the terminal, X Window systems and GNU. There's even a section on how to get started with computer programming. If you're the artistic type, don't pass up the "Computer artwork and graphics" section, which goes into 3D and video effects software. If words or melody are your thing, don't feel left out. There's section on desktop publishing and a great music section that includes how to create your own recorded music as well as an internet radio station.

This book is well worth reading and is something to keep around by the Mac for those times when it seems like you can do no right. In addition to Aaron's great voice, I also enjoyed this book for its completeness, accuracy and clarity.

The second and updated edition of the Old Fart's Guide To The Macintosh caters to the new senior citizen computer user and the retiree who wants to get a quick handle on the Mac. The basics become as plain as where to buy one, whether to consider a new or used one, and how to turn on/off the machine. Don't expect this to be a slim handbook of quick reference: it's best used on a step-by-step basis for new learners and is packed with the building blocks of computer knowledge.

Macintosh users, of which I am one, have been quite well provided for by helpful manuals (the iMac for Dummies and How to do Everything with your iMac spring to mind). But there's always room for more, if they add something new to our knowledge of these user-friendly and constantly evolving computers.

Well, Aaron Rosenzweig has done just that, in a very thorough, clear and logical way, especially when explaining AppleWorks, which he describes as the greatest single piece of software ever created because it is easy to use and can do so many things.

Aaron's manual assumes no knowledge of computers, and starts from scratch with a comprehensive run-down of what computers are (not just Macs), their software, hardware, viruses and gadgets, such as mice. He then leaps straight into a discussion about Operating Systems, and a thorough exposition of the Macintosh itself. A description of the Internet follows, then AppleWorks, printing, information and storage, software categories, digital hubs, user groups, computer problems, advanced topics and, right up to date, what's new in OS 10.3 (Panther). The book concludes with a description of some useful web sites and a comprehensive glossary.

I would recommend this book-part manual and part commentary-to any Mac user, though I must warn that it's primarily aimed at the US market and to those who are using OS X. As one who is in neither category, I would yet argue that this is a small price to pay for a well-written, comprehensive, easy to read and understand guide. And if it's any consolation, Aaron is prepared to write a specifically Australian version, if he can find a co-author. Any takers?

It's Christmas time. A very special time of the year, when family and friends just seem more important. It's a time when you sit back and think about how good life is, and how much you really love the people around you. Your family, your friends, that weird guy who always walks around town wearing the top half of a superman costume, screaming things about the Bible. And most importantly, Christmas time is a time of giving. I'm talking gifts, baby. Some of you may be giving the gift of a Macintosh to a loved one, and that may be the first computer for some of those loved ones. Handing them, perhaps, the greatest gift you could give. A doorway into the information super-highway. The means to express their ideas and creativity in ways other gifts could never provide. The ability to be entertained with music, movies, reading, and more!

Well, if you are giving the gift of a Mac to someone who isn't familiar with Macintosh, or if you know someone who has a Mac, and doesn't really understand how to use the computer effectively, then I have the perfect book for them: "Old Fart's Guide to the Macintosh" by Aaron Rosenzweig.

As the book states on the front cover, "A book for those who recognize the word 'computer' but do not know exactly what they can do". It does a good job of that. Aaron Rosenzweig took great care to explain not only how to use the software on the Mac, but also how to use things that seem so trivial to an "advanced user". There is a whole section on how to use a mouse, another just on how to turn the computer on. Also, the author doesn't just tell you how to use these things, he explains them, along with alternatives, and even the history of them. For instance, he explains the differences between a mouse, a trackball, a trackpad, and a tablet. He not only explains the differences, but the advantages and disadvantages to each, along with suggestions on which would be best for what type of person.

Another really nice feature of this book is that it has the definitions of "technical words" throughout the book on the side of the pages that the word is used. And it continues to put those definitions there, so that you don't have to flip back if you forget a word. These side areas also have pictures, for instance, a picture of the "command" key on the keyboard for when he mentions a keyboard command using the "command" key.

The book doesn't stop at the basics. It teaches how to use the Finder, how to change the way your computer behaves with System Preferences, how to save things to disks, (hard drive, CD, DVD-R, etc.) and all the things a person would need to know to use a Mac on a regular basis. There is even a 60-page section on the Internet, including some helpful links (2 Guys was mysteriously missing for some reason). The book even goes on to teach how to use AppleWorks, and all the iLife applications. (iTunes, iPhoto, iChat, iMovie, iDVD)

At the end is an advanced topics "for the curious", that delves in to things like .Mac, UNIX, Computer Artwork, Different Processors, etc.. And there is even an entire section on Panther at the end that discusses the differences between it, and previous versions of OS X.

Throughout the entire book, you can tell that the author really has a love for the Macintosh, and really knows not only how to use a Mac, but also the history of the Mac. He explains why things are the way they are and how it got that way, but does it in a way that doesn't seem like it would be too much information or become boring for a beginner. He also does a very good job of explaining alternatives. He talks about Windows and Linux, and explains why he thinks the Macintosh is the best choice. He talks about the different models Apple offers, and which model would be the right model for what type of person. He talks about software alternatives, and more.

While the book is designed for an older person who is new to computers, I would suggest it for a beginner of any age. It is enjoyable to read and very informative. Even though I know the Mac pretty well, I enjoyed reading it and never felt bored. Aaron Rosenzweig has put together a great book, and is a valuable asset to anyone who wants to "Learn how one computer will unleash your unlimited creative potential".

"Old Fart's Guide to the Macintosh" is available for $29.99US from Cocoa Nuts website and I give it 4 out of 5 pants.

-iKen
http://www.2guysamacandawebsite.com

i didnot think that i would like this book because for me apress is famous with their books having lacking style of examples. Normally you find yourself lost in the examples eventough the topic is covered very well.
This book is different than others absolutely; it starts with what is ajax; and why ajax and with simple examples.
if you dont know javascript; it is still ok because one of the chapters covers javascript; so you can learn enough javascript to handle the simple ajax pages.
Before diving into ajax; it tells you about different ajax libraries; so i like this part too; you will have an idea about other ajax libraries too.
I could not run the first example which is the easiest one and i struggle a lot to solve it;but most of the codes in the book is easy to implement.
And guess what; as you can see from the title; the book is for .NET developers; so if you are a .NET developer; this is right book to buy.
It is not like other apress books that have coding examples problem. the sequence for the chapter makes the book easy to follow.
After reading this book; i start reading some tutorials about Atlas ( which is basically Microsoft's Ajax ) and it really helps you to understand atlas too;
If you like google maps; or virtual maps; this books has a suprise for you :)
i read 4-5 different books from apress and this one is the best; i will highly recommend this book to all .net developers who want to learn ajax with .net

Pro Ajax and the .NET 2.0 Platform gets high marks from me because it is concise, informative and easy to follow. After reading the first three chapters I had a clear understanding of what Ajax really is. Author Dan Woolston has extensive experience with AJAX and he seemed to share it all here without overwhelming this reader.

Woolston did not waste my time in getting me up to speed. In the first three chapters I learned how to write my own reusable (cross browser) JavaScript functions that will work together to execute an Ajax call.

Of course I might rely on one of the various existing frameworks to do this for me. However, now I know what's going on under the covers and I can make an informed decision about what Ajax to use and when. I know exactly what is happening when Ajax is implemented and why.The book also does a nice job of covering CSS and the DOM (document object model). As you know (or will know after reading), these combine with JavaScript to create the foundation of Ajax! Once you understand how they work together you'll know more about Ajax than 90% of your developer friends.

Excellent Feature #1: The overview of JavaScript, CSS and the DOM is fantastic. I really appreciated the fact that it was concise and dead-on accurate in addressing the specific elements that a .NET developer needs to understand in order to code Ajax.

Continuing on, after the book had me up to speed with Ajax, it went into n-tier design. This is important because, in theory, a programmer can go hog wild on Ajax and break tons of rules regarding sound application architecture. So I was impressed that Woolston transitioned directly into best-practices for how and when to use Ajax.

The first third of the book covers Ajax theory and best-practices. With Ajax, one size does not fit all. Therefore, chapter seven includes overviews of many popular Ajax frameworks including non .NET frameworks such as Ruby on Rails, WebORB, xajax (PHP) and Direct Web Remoting (Java). It also covers .NET frameworks including Ajax.NET, Anthem and Atlas.

The other two thirds of the book are devoted to Ajax programming concepts. The author uses the Anthem framework for most of this coding. Anthem is an open-source, .NET framework in C# that is compatible with ASP.NET 1.1 and 2.0. It is extremely lightweight, requiring only one class file for core functionality.

Excellent Feature #2: The book's code walkthroughs are based on a fully functional n-tier sample application that you can download free. The sample application uses the AdventureWorks database which is also a free download from Microsoft if you don't already have access to it.

You might think that some .NET features and topics lend themselves to Ajax technology and therefore should be covered in more detail. You'd be right. Woolston sets aside complete chapters on Web services, Custom Controls, ASP.NET Security and Web Parts.

Excellent Feature #3: When you're done learning how to build your own Ajax, there are two chapters devoted to debugging and testing Ajax.

One of the last chapters was my favorite. Chapter 19 is all about usability. As you may know, Ajax solves many usability problems. But can also create new ones. Woolston addresses the good, the bad and the ugly.

The book provides ideas and examples of good Ajax. The author has test-driven many Ajax controls and shares his trials and tribulations. This feedback no doubt will save developers valuable time.

The book also discusses potential pitfalls of using Ajax. Woolston tackles cross-browser compatibility issues and how to best overcome them. He also talks about how to deal with the browser's back button. How to handle browsers with disabled JavaScript and how to work past the problem of pageshifting.

Some of the other usability topics covered in Chapter 19 include Ajax menus, bookmarking, type-aheads, connected controls, code visibility and page paradigms.

Suffices to say this book packs a big Ajax punch. I highly recommend it to any of my peers who are interested in building Ajax functionality into their web applications. This book is applicable to .NET developers who are working with ASP.NET 1.1 or 2.0. In my opinion, web developers of any skill level will find it helpful.

About 3/4 done with this book. Today I just built my 1st Ajax feature in a few hours at work with the suff I learned. This books is a quick read with great examples works in both 1.1 and 2.0. Buy it!

I hardly ever review books and probably wouldn't have bothered this time if it were not for an email from Amazon seeking one. I decided to go ahead with a review because this book really filled a need I had for working with AJAX for the first time. It had me up and running in very short order. Did it go over a couple things along the way that I already knew? Yes. But I didn't mind it in that it treated all topics in an intelligent manner and helped explain where AJAX fit into the broader world of web development. Definitely geared for .NET. That's what I wanted. If that's what you're looking for, you won't be disappointed.

I had done some little test applications utilizing Ajax and/or Atlas prior to reading this book, and I wanted this book to really give a solid base from which to move forward with.

Mr. Woolston's writing style is personable but not too over the top. One thing I did not like about the writing style is the manner in which code is laid out at times. For instance, with many of the sample applications, Mr. Woolston will dump about 5-6 pages of code into the book and then work towards restating it in part afterwards with some explanation. I can see where it would be useful if not in front of the sample code/a PC, but in reality this book will not be useful if not in front of a computer working on the examples.

There are other times where some of the content is not really useful in furthering education about Ajax and certain examples it feels are stretched to make the chapters longer. I think there was likely a challenge in filling out a reasonable sized book because simply put - the fundamental elements of Ajax aren't that complex. I found myself done with the book in a period of less than a week.

Those things said, after reading the book I can certainly say the overall content has an excellent "perspective of the landscape". From a history of Ajax to a little primer on Javascript, CSS/DOM, and the XmlHttpRequest, he moves forward to examples of Ajax demonstrating the technology with an Ajax framework named Anthem. The main meat of the book are really these examples, where practice implements the ideas from the prior chapters.

Lastly, the book closes with a few chapters covering security, testing, usability, performance, and a token chapter on Atlas.

One other element that I appreciated in this book was the identification of a few free tools out there to aid in Ajax development. Those tools in their own right would have definitely contributed to some time savings a week or two ago when I was struggling with a couple DOM/CSS issues prior to reading this book!

In summary, perhaps a book stretched to fit it's cover but nevertheless a very useful read to me and I would certainly recommend it.

This particular book provides the reader with a comprehensive view of PHP development. I was pleased with the vast amount of topics covered. This book is a very useful tool for developers.

This is a great book in that the author provides comprehensive coverage of a complicated subject, and does it in clear, concise and understandable language. The book should be a promary resource for programmers. I look forward to more contributions from this author.

'Pro PHP XML and Web Services' by Robert Richards is a great book to help you learn your way around these technologies. Packing in over 900+ pages, this book gives a broad overview of the subject matter which is outlined here:

01. Introduction to XML and Web Services
02. XML Structure
03. Validation
04. XPath, XPointer, XInclude
05. PHP and XML
06. Document Object Model
07. SimpleXML
08. Simple API for XML
09. XMLReader
10. Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations
11. Effective and Efficient Processing
12. XML Security
13. PEAR and XML
14. Content Syndication: RSS and Atom
15. Web Distributed Data Exchange
16. XML-RPC
17. Representational State Transfer
18. SOAP
19. Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration (UDDI)
20. PEAR and Web Services
21. Other XML Technologies and Extensions

If you need a book that dives into the XML technology and doesn't look back, this is a nice pickup that gets the job done. Lots of other Apress books I feel are a bit too long, but this book at over 900 pages I have less complaints about. It's solidly written and a nice companion book to have on your bookshelf for anyone that programs with XML.

**** RECOMMENDED

This book is amazingly well written. The content is organized in an intuitive and logical fashion. The author explains base concepts and progresses into advanced topics, providing consistent depth of coverage along the way. The author's writing and concise examples get the message across on the first reading - unlike some texts that require multiple passes. It's also noteworthy that the Technical Reviewers, Christian Stocker and Adam Trachtenberg, are renowned PHP experts and authors. If you plan to study or work with PHP and XML, this book is a MUST HAVE.

This is first and foremost an XML reference. The author takes the reader through over 100 pages XML background in the first three chapters, then an overview of a few utilities like XPath and XPointer before he touches on PHP. Having provided some grounding in the basics, he then proceeds to develop the use of XML in PHP from the basic topics of DOM (Document Object Model) and XSLT (Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations) to the more advanced topics of SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) and web services.

Along the way Richards introduces the reader to utility classes like SimpleXML, SAX (Simple API for XML), XMLReader. He also touches on PEAR (PHP Extension and Application Repository) utility classes and topics like security, RSS (Really Simple Syndication) and UDDI (Universal Description, Discovery and Integration). The author's examples are reasonably concise and readable; making the necessary points without getting carried away.

The bottom line is that this is a highly effective reference (that means fairly comprehensive, but dry reading; I read cover to cover, but it was relatively tedious) on XML and its varied uses in association with PHP. This is not a book for the newcomer to programming, nor is it a cookbook for examples for the casual programmer/web developer, although the author does provide PEAR examples for connecting with major web services like Amazon, Google and Yahoo (among others). My suggestion for readers is to review what you need of the first 11-12 chapters to ensure a firm grounding in XML, and then hop to the chapters specific to the problem being faced.
P-)

Having just started working for a company that needed a lot of improvements, buying this book was the best move I made. This book details the types of analyses that should be performed to help improve a company's overall performance as well as flush out bad processes. The screen shots help guide you through every analysis along with right to the point explanations. Thanks John Jordan!

This book is a valuable resource for anyone trying to get the most out of Product Cost Controlling in SAP. John Jordan has a rare combination of deep SAP knowledge and lucid writing style. In terms of scope, the book shows the integration of variance analysis from start to finish, from sales planning to management reporting. To reflect this integration, John consistently makes excellent transitions from one section to the next... the logical thread is never dropped. Clear, unambiguous language is used, with explicit instructions on how to proceed. John goes beneath the surface to explain the "why" and not just the "what" and "when". Of particular interest is the discussion of scrap planning and reporting, a highly under-documented topic in the standard SAP documentation. John speaks with the voice of someone who has extensively used these analytical tools, not just someone who has simply configured them for others to use. I highly recommend this book to consultants and end-users in Product Cost Controlling.

John Jordan has written an excellent book on SAP Product Costing. I have read this book cover to cover more than once and use it as a reference often. To me it is more than a book on variance analysis as it also provides great perspective on the product costing process. There is also a good bit of detail regarding scrap analysis as well. I look forward to reading another book authored by Mr. Jordan on product costing in the future.

This is a great book, and a long-awaited resource, for anyone involved in product cost controlling in SAP. It's got great information, from high level to detailed, for people at all levels of expertise. It covers so much more than just analyzing your production variances. It covers the whole process of how variances are determined, including planning, master data, actual postings, and variance calculations. I highly recommend it.