Internet Books

I am please with my purchase. The book arrived on time, in vrey good condition.

The Microsoft Certified Application Specialist Study Guide
This book is excellent in preparing those already familiar with Office to take the MCAS certification Exams. I have taken and passed the certification exams for Word 2007, Excel 2007, PowerPoint 2007, Outlook 2007 and Access 2007.

This book is for those who already know how to use MS Office Applications, but need to either review or learn more advanced aspects of them in order to acquire business certification. It is well designed and easy to follow. A CD with practice exercises is included and very helpful. Be sure to review the system requirements before purchasing to ensure you will be able to run the CD on your computer.

I haven't taken the exams yet, so am only giving four stars!

I am a certified expert on Word 2002, and lately took a class at community college about what is new in Word 2007. I got hooked on the new Ribbon interface. I asked the teacher about any good books for the new certifications for Office 2007, and she recommended this one. This book is concise and direct. It is an excellent resource for anyone already familiar with Office who wants certification, and also great for everyone else who wants to see the features available in Office 2007.

If you think you are ready for the exam and are not sure what is going to be on the test, this is a great book. This is NOT to learn from if you do not know Microsoft Office, it is for someone who believes they know the material but don't know what they don't know.

This book, published in 1997, is a real beauty. In May 2000 as I installed Exchange 2000 I needed to trouble-shoot SMTP at a low level. Chapter 2 with its instructions on how to roll your own SMTP session using nothing but telnet helped me find an access problem that had eluded me for days.

Understanding DNS was also a snap with this book. Banging around with ping still is an essential check on installation integrity when setting up servers and workstations. The common, low-level utilities, including system sniffers and logs, are nicely explained throughout the book.

The book is only 234 pages and many of the details on Exchange 4.0/5.0 will not be of interest for much longer. However, the essentials of Internet SMTP mail are covered so clearly that this book is one that I will retain in my library for a long time.

The book is lots of fun for those who like to hack away from the DOS prompt (and a bit beyond). However, if you think "ping" is something that goes with "pong," you can skip this one.

This book is concise, engaging, and informative. The author is clearly above par in his ability to define what is going on in the back ground of Exchange without boring you to death. And if your not familiar with the internals of POP3 and SMTP messenging, theres some interesting hands on with Telnet. A MUST HAVE BOOK for anyone starting to learn Exchange.

This book is a refreshing change from the 700 page "cover-it-all" titles. It's right to the point with plenty of background info about SMTP, POP3 and DNS issues as they relate to IMS. Current coverage of Exchange 5 and good diagrams. Reccomended as a great supplement to a generic Exchange book

Outstanding book covering SMTP mail and the Exchange Internet Mail Service/Connector. If I could only have two books on Exchange this would be one of them. Great explanation of SMTP and how to configure IMS.

Even though this book covers mainly exchange 4.0 the information here is wholly appropriate for exchange 5.5.

The book covers smtp, and pop3 and using internet mail with exchange using indepth material.

This book is excellent and also makes a good ongoing reference as well.

You can email me at expat.muller@t-online.de

cheers

I own this book for almost 2 years I also own many more and by far this is the best IPv6 book. It covers all the topics of IPv6 and does it in a clear but not to simplistic way.
It serves both as a tutorial and a reference manual. One of the great things about it is that it covers IPv6 configuration on all major platforms like Windows LINUX and many others.

I considered many different books about IPv6. It looks like I made the right choice. This book teaches both about IPv6 itself and how to implement it with different operating systems (Windows XP, Vista, Linux, FreeBSD, etc) using Cisco routers or Juniper routers. I am currently running a dual-stack on my home network (both IPv4 and IPv6) and hope to be fully prepared should I need to migrate a large business network to IPv6 in the near future.

Face it folks, IPv6 is coming. Windows Vista comes with it enabled, as well as a few tunneling technologies (such as ISATAP) to help the transition from IPv4.

This is a very comprehensive reference for IPv6. The author covers IPv6 from the basics to advanced topics like multicasting, anycasting, and mobility. The book even covers the application aspects of IPv6 and porting issues, as Marc has that background as well. I would recommend this book to anyone seeking a up-to-the-minutes overview of IPv6, and as a reference for anyone that will be working with the protocol over the years ahead.

Really useful IPv6 technical books are few and far between because the technology is so new and evolving rapidly so its hard for a book to keep up. Marc's new book is the most up to date and informative book available now. I've got a copy on my bookshelf and am already handing it to clients for reference about our IPv6 integration projects.

Amazon's date is wrong on this book. It was just published in Jan 2006, not in 2002.

Sylvia Hagen's book IPv6 Essentials is also excellent - I'm waiting for the 2nd edition to bring it up to date.

I have half a dozen books on IPv6 on my shelf and by far Migrating to IPv6 provides the most comprehensive view of IPv6 and related protocols in both breath and depth. The book is written in clear and concise manner so it is a perfect learning tool. Moreover, it also makes for a good reference book because each chapter in the book is self-contained.

Our team works on IPv6 transition and we liked Migrating to IPv6 so much that we order a book for each team member. This is a must have book if you are working in Networking.

I ordered this book in July, 2007. This's an amazing book! Today, I got an email from the author asking if I got the book. I think they not only did a great work on this book, but also concern everyone who are interested in this book! That's so nice! So, don't hesitate to order this book! You will get more then what you thought!Mobile Persuasion: 20 Perspectives of the Future of Behavior Change

I am a soon to be a graduate psychology student by the University of Tromsø. I am doing some research this summer and then I bought the "Mobile Persuasion: 20 Perspectives on the Future of Behavior Change" from the folks by the Persuasive Technology Lab by Stanford University.

The book gave me a very good introduction and an overview of this research field in a clearly and understandable manner. As a a reader you get to know what happens in the field of mobile persuasion right now, what is under development and the psychological principles behind mobile persuasion.

I will recommend this great book to all professionals and students working with technology and behavior change.

We love the do-everything gadget that is always with us. The mobile phone will be the most effective instrument of persuasion in the coming decade, says co-author and Stanford professor B.J. Fogg. My handset can play the roles of concierge, coach and court jester. Linkage to the Web 2.0 world is a precursor to its ability to augment my social reality.

The book consists of 20 perspectives offered by speakers at 2007 Mobile Persuasion, a conference hosted by Fogg's Persuasive Technology Lab. The chapters may not all describe applications and techniques that strike the reader as "persuasive" or even that useful, but consider that it is just the early crop. I was convinced that, equipped with ever-improving services, the ubiquitous gadget will most definitely be an instrument of change.

Early Movers

* Using Technology to Promote Sexual Health - Delivering critical sexuality information to teens on-demand by text message.
* MyFoodPhone: The Start of a Mobile Health Revolution - A photographic diet logger and coach.
* Persuasive Games on Mobile Devices - Multiplayer games that change thinking.
* Simply Persuasive: Using Mobile Technology to Boost Physical Activity - Cheaper than a personal trainer.
* Managing Chronic Disease through Mobile Persuasion - Virtual assistant for diabetes patients

Under Development

* Augmented Reality: Using Mobile Visualization to Persuade - Plant identification provides an example.
* Transforming the Mobile Phone into a Personal Performance Coach - Tracking conversations to improve effectiveness at the office.
* Personal Health Assistant in the Palm of Your Hand - How to combine virtual and live assistance for a compelling service.
* Mobile Persuasion for Everyday Behavior Change - Sensor technology allows tracking personal activity and environmental conditions.

Design Insights

* Designing Engaging Mobile Experiences - Strategies for overcoming the UI limitations of the mobile device.
* The Four Pillars of a Successful Mobile Marketing Vision - Consumer preference, marketing as service, personalization and relationships.
* Pervasive Persuasive Play: Rhetorical Game Design for the Ubicomp World - Serious games aim at inspiring educating and training their players.
* Mobile Persuasion and the Power of Meaning - MySpace, for example, is successful because of the meaning it has in user's lives.
* Mobile Persuasion Design Principles - How mobile is different from the desktop.

The Bigger Picture

* The Need for Simplicity - Simply put, KISS.
* The Jetson Kids Reboot HealthCare - More opportunities in health.
* Ethical Dangers of Mobile Persuasion - Things to think about in a society with billions of surveillance cameras.
* Redefining Persuasion for a Mobile World - Co-author Dean Eckles offers a different view of persuasion based on the augmentation the mobile provides its owner.

In the last chapter, "Increasing Persuasion Through Mobility", Fogg notes that effective persuaders always control the time and place for their message. With the mobile always at my side and aware of my location, I'm optimally receptive to right message, reminder or suggestion, delivered at the right time and right place. With enough software, it can predict what I might need and how to help me. It's almost like we're married.

Adhering to the principles of mobile persuasion will make a service successful.

* Kairos. Offering suggestion at just the right time and place.
* Mobile Loyalty. A successful service will fill the needs of the device owner first before providing value to the provider.
* Mobile Marriage. Positive, frequent interactions for a long time.
* Information Quality. Current and accurate.
* Social Facilitation. Allowing observation of owner's performance by others increases effectiveness of persuasion.
* Social Comparison. Everyone likes being on the leader board.
* Competition. Cooperation and Recognition. All strong motivators.

This book gives insight into the swiftly growing world of persuasive technology in the form of the mobile phone. Throughout the book, you are taken through the perspectives of 19 different experts on the topic, whose specialties range from persuasive games to managing a chronic disease to the ethical dangers of mobile persuasion. The book is incredibly easy to read and has a surprising 20th chapter that inspires the reader to look at his/her own experiences.

With the ubiquity of mobile phones, the huge influence mobile persuasion can have on the world is unquestionable. Have you ever gotten a text message or a call on your cell phone asking you to add extra preferences to your plan, try a new product, or pay your bill? Then a form of mobile persuasion has already touched your life. Pick up this book and stay on the cutting edge of what will prove to be a huge part of everyone's lives in the near future. This book and Stanford University's Persuasive technology Lab will make it easy, and you won't regret it.

Stanford's Captology group has done something amazing with this book. (First - a little disclosure - I'm Eric Holmen from SmartReply, the author of the Mobile Marketing chapter of this book.) This book takes academic and industrial thought leaders, and compresses their real-world experiences, marketplace results, and tested views into about 2,000 words for each of 19 chapters, with a surprise 20th chapter. Rarely will you find a book with such breadth of content that is focused on such a misleading simple device as the mobile phone. This is a snapshot into the future.

Covering topics as diverse as augmented reality, mobile marketing, health, and social living improvements and the persuasive methods and effects therein - the reader will find a view into the future in his or her area of interest, and undoubtedly be exposed to a world of new concepts.

From a contributors perspective, the Stanford Captology folks were able to take this very fresh research and turn it into a book in about two months time - unheard of from a publishing standpoint. This means that the reader will find content that is happening today, not aged or suffering from the typical 18 month long publishing delays.

This book is a pleasure for the eyes. It also has a touch of humour that almost got me embarrassed when I found myself laughing while I was alone reading it in a cafeteria :-). Besides the security issues it covers, it can serve as a quick review on MPLS VPN concepts without being lost in the details. The size of this useful book is in the order of 300 pages, so its easy to carry it anywhere and have fun with it.

That's just yet another great title from Cisco Press! There are just too many books available on MPLS both as a technology and service enabler, but it's hard to see a book that focuses on only one aspect of MPLS applications, i.e., MPLS VPN Security. I just love the fact as to how the book is structured to serve both novice and the advanced user to MPLS VPNs and its Security aspects. I like the idea that authors keep both enterprise and SP implementation aspects of MPLS VPN. Information throughout the book is precise, up to date and easy to follow. Book is structured into four Parts;

Part I focuses on MPLS VPNs and network security fundamentals, upon completion of this part you are not only up to speed with the key security concepts for analyzing MPLS network scenarios and where security needs to be implemented (i.e., zones of trust) but also the complete threat model for it which even discusses on securing NOC.

Part II introduces you to advanced concepts of MPLS VPN security, i.e., Inter-AS, Carrier's Carrier (CsC) architectural security. Authors do a good job of keeping in check the security issues which are independent of MPLS and need to be solved separately. They also make it very clear that security is an important network design aspect and how some design decisions can make an entire network insecure. Chapter 5 is mostly a re-hash of basic network security fundamentals in Cisco IOS feature set.

Part III walks you through the practical guidelines of how IPSec complements MPLS and security of Layer 2 VPNs and concludes with how you can effectively operate a secure MPLS VPN core. Authors make it clear that both technologies work together very well, but before considering IPSec into MPLS, one should clearly outline what are the goals (basically when to use PE-to-PE versus CE-to-CE encryption etc.).

In Part IV, the chapter I like most is the "case studies" - it provides use cases, application examples, and best practices guidelines for the key concepts discussed in the whole book.

This book discusses security in the context of MPLS VPNs Security and other related aspects (like Internet access within a VRF, Extranet or common services etc.). Both authors are very well known at IETF and Distinguished engineers at Cisco Systems. Their experience in the areas of network security and attack mitigation shines throughout the book.

Overall, I strongly recommend this book to all network security engineers as MPLS (due to its inherent advantages and applications) is gaining momentum not only in the service provider space but also in the enterprise market segment.

This is one of the few books I've seen that starts off with a discussion of just what is secure. Secure from the casual hacker that might try to get into your network is one thing. If the resources of the NSA are applied to getting by your security it's an entirely different matter.

The second chapter continues this analysis through the design of a threat model. Just what is it that you want protection against?

The chapters that follow go into the design of a secure system, followed by some case studies that are used to illustrate the theoretical discussion points from the previous chapters.

It would be nice if the world out there were a friendlier place, but it isn't. If it's your job to set up a secure system using MPLS, this book will provide the basic background information you need before you start entering parameters into the various security devices.

MPLS VPN Security (Paperback)
by Michael H. Behringer, Monique J. Morrow ISBN 1587051834
As Multiprocotol Label Switching (MPLS) is becoming widely deployed for providing virtual private network (VPN) services. Security becomes a major concern for companies planning to migrate from the legacy VPN's to MPLS VPN's. This book provides an indepth look at what are the real security issues that both service providers providing MPLS VPN's and companies utlizing such services face. The authors provide a clear understanding of how the MPLS VPN's work differently from other VPN technologies.
The book is divided into four parts MPLS VPN and Security Fundamentals form Part One. The first part of the book provides an excellent overview on the three basic components of security: the architecture, design and operations and defines the "zones of trust" for an MPLS VPN environment. It provides an excellent Security Reference Model for MPLS VPNs. The various threats to a VPN are broken down into parts for better understanding, like threat, intrusion, Denial of Service against a VPN. Threat against an Extranet site. Threats against the core, and from within a Zone of trust.
Part Two of the book provides an analysis of Advanced MPLS VPN Security Issues like VPN Seperation (Address Space and traffic), Robustness against attacks (where and how), protection against spoofing, Specific Inter-AS considerations and comparisons. And other issues not addressed by the MPLS Architecture. It examines in detail Secure MPLS VPN designs and shows how to design a DOS resistant network and the tradeoffs between DOS resistance and network cost. The security recommendations provide tips on general router security, basic templates and ACL Examples. CE-Specific router security and topology design considerations. LAN Security Issues. CE-PE routing Security Best Practices. IPSec both CE to CE and PE to PE. And a comprehensive checklist for securing Core and Routing.
Part Three provides practical guidelines to MPLS VNP Security and shows how IPSec complements MPLS. It explains the deployment of IPSec on MPLS and use of other encryption techniques. It underlines the importance of security of MPLS Layer 2 VPNs and the various generic Layer 2 security considerations. The section ends with providing a plan for the operation management and maintenance of a MPLS core. It deals with the secure management of CE devices, management of VRF and VRF details.
Part Four provides deployment examples and lessons learned, highlighting theoretical discussion points from the previous chapters. It also provides various scenarios for internet access and points out security considerations for each example.
The coauthor Michael H. Behringer is an active member of the IETF and has published work on MPLS VPN security since 2001.
The coauthor Monique J. Morrow (CCIE # 1711) is active in both IETF and ITU-T SG 13 with a focus on OAM. She is currently engaged in MPLS OAM standards development.
I feel this book would be extremely useful for security and operations staff of enterprises that deploy MPLS or subscribe to a service based on MPLS.
I give this book 5 stars on a scale of 5, 5 being the highest. I strongly recommend this book.
Niloufer Tamboly, CISSP

A very good examination of MPLS security that goes way beyond "its just like Frame Relay". The authors do an extremely deep dive on those aspects of MPLS technology that may effect the security of carriers who run MPLS or enterprises who utilize MPLS services. This is a rare book of interest to both carrier and enterprise network engineers. There is also some excellent coverage of link layer MPLS technologies and their security issues. It should be noted that this is not a primer on MPLS nor is it an MPLS book for security engineers. Instead it is (so far) the best available work on MPLS Security for network engineers who are already familiar with MPLS and WAN technology. Strongly Recommended.

With the progression of human culture in the digital age developing as it is, it's intriguing to look back at even the recent past and see where we've been and where we were thought to be going. The collection of writings in this volume are invaluable and often shockingly ahead of their time. Anyone who expects to be successful in the future - in this ever-evolving digital world - would benefit by reading this book, and sooner rather than later.

I had to get this book for a class, but am very happy I was introduced to these theories. I'd recommend it for anyone interested in the topic of where online media is going.

From Futurist Cinema, to artificial intelligence, to cyberspace, this collection highlights the origins of multimedia, its influences, its directions, and its future possibilities. It includes an insightful and comprehensive introduction by Packer and Jordan themselves, and the authors they have chosen to include in this work reflect the vast landscape of multimedia in its many iterations: Vannevar Bush, William Gibson, Norbert Wiener, John Cage, and Janet Murray, just to mention a few. This book is a must-have for anyone interested in peeking below the surface of multimedia evolution.

Reading this collection of articles gave me a better understanding of the people and ideas that helped shape computer-based communication. The contributors are for the most part well chosen; a few that I might well have done without, I must admit -- but far more excellent choices than "questionable" ones. The organization of the book is interesting as well. I was reminded of the magazine "Mondo 2000" that I subscribed to in the early '90's (multimedia/geek chic).

This book is a must read for anyone interested in modern art and culture, and where its going. The companion web site on www.artmuseum.net is a brilliant compliment to the book, with 50 video clips, rare photos and other treats. Finally, a publishing project that "gets it" how to use the web + printed book in a way where the sum is greater than the parts. Its amazing to see how long artists and scientists have been working (alone, and in some cases together) towards this goal. Prehaps the following decade will witness a true "waking up" by the mass culture to this new syntax, new reading-practice, of multi-media hyper-texted information. This book may mark a point in time where we started acknowledging the depth and extent of our post-Guttenburg world. Bravo to Randall Packer and Ken Jordon for pulling this project off.

If you are looking for good introduction.
This book is your best choice.
Very consistent, without any "poetry" (like in last Richter's book).
Mr.Tapadiya's two book about COM+ and .NET must have any Windows developer.

This book isn't as code oriented as Ferguson or Troelsen's text on c#, but seems to deal more with concepts and common trouble points with the language and environment. Much like Tapadiya's last book, it is well thought out and demonstrates a good insight in the subject matter. A good read.

This book is a treasure trove of .Net information. It is underrated and not seen often in bookstores. This book complements Richter's book on .Net Framework programming and is a boon for any C#/.NETer.

A concise, no-nonsense book. All topics are cut to the chase. This book is for C++ and Java pros who want to master C# in the shortest time possible. I also have 3 other C# books. Only this one calms me down and gives me the joy of reading while learning. However, for people who is new to programming, I recommend "Learn to Program with C#" by John Smiley. My 3rd book, "C# in a Nutshell" is a good choice for reference. My 4th one, "Introduction to C# Using .Net" is good too, but the topics covered are not as broad as this one.

For donwloading this book's sample code, it points to www.phptr.com/tapadiya/dotnet/, which no longer works. Instead, go http://www.tapadiya.net/pradeep/ComPlusBook.htm#CodeSamples, a link I finally found after 10 minutes of Google search.

I liked this book. It starts with very basic things about .NET (what .NET is and what it's for, tools, basics of C#, etc.) and takes you to advanced topics. My employer wanted to move our development to .NET platform, and with this book alone, I was able to master .NET enough to get to a pretty advanced level quite fast.

When a new topic is covered, the author provides an introduction to the problem. It often helps to get the right perspective on what you study. It's very far from being a dry reference book. I found it to be written in an easy to understand the language, detailed enough and not too wordy, and to explain things in a practical way. I like Tapadiya's style, in general. I liked his other book (about COM programming) too. I enjoyed reading it.

The book is not for those who are looking for a general programming tutorial. I think it requires some experience in software creation, although maybe not a whole lot.

Very nicely written book. Many system design tips. The author motivates each tip very well, and shows how it's applied in different context. Prof. Varghese's experiences really shine through here.

This is an excellent, excellent text. Techniques and principles for building high performance distributed systems are hard to come by except through experience and talking to experts. There's a lot of knowledge in the community but this book is the first time to my knowledge that someone has collected it and presented it in a coherent framework. Even if you don't work with low level stuff, this book will help you learn to think in a "systemsy" way about high-performance designs.

"George Varghese has had a remarkable impact on the real world of networking with his algorithmic innovations over many years. The networking research and development community is fortunate that
he has now distilled his knowledge in this very readable, insightful, and much-needed book." -- Yukuen Lai

Varghese explains a very specialised but critical field. He presupposes on your part an already extensive knowledge of TCP/IP and its routing protocols. The book usefully offers on its inside cover 15 principles for overcoming network bottlenecks. It seems fair to say that the bulk of the book is devoted to explaining and using these ideas. Undoubtedly, other books have elucidated most of these. But maybe not as explicitly and cogently as Varghese.

One key motivator mentioned in the text is to defend against network attacks. For this, it helps to be able to quickly analyse as many IP packets as possible. Perhaps an unfortunate commentary on today's Internet, inasmuch as this will be the most important reason for some of you to get this book.

The book describes in an unique way some of the algorithmic and system implementation details of network appliances. Some of the chapters (packet classification, forwarding and traffic measurements) might be know to readers familiar with the SIGCOMM and Infocom conferences: these chapters are excellent tutorials to some very advanced networking topics and can help readers to better understand papers from the main author published at Infocom/SIGCOMM.
Its probably the best networking book I've ever read....and I read a lot.

I bought this book for my Oceanography class and compared to other Oceanography texts I've come across, this book is definitely more concise and better organized.

This textbook is very well written. It is ubnderstandible to students and others of all ages and interests. It contains intersting color pictures and graphics about the subject material for each chapter. Each chapter also contains web links to a homepage that accompanies the book. The book is full of intersting personal stories, history, theory, and facts. Dr. Garrison and all who have contributed to this book have set the standard for textbooks and integrated learning for the next decade.

This book is very well laid out. I am a teacher and would absolutely recommend this as an intro textbook to marine science. It contains all that you would need to know. great as a first year colledge text or even an advanced high school textbook.

Purchase and delivery were right on key. Very pleased with whole process. Item arrived in excellent condition. My daughter received a B+ on her first Oceanography College Exam (just points away from an A). That makes all the difference in the world....................Thanks.

I took Tom Garrison's class at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA. Wonderful class! He taught along with the book and every session was both insightful and interesting. Dr. Garrison is without a match in instructional etiquette and eloquence. Indeed, this book showcases his best work on the subject. Read the book... Be educated by the diagrams and charts... Be taken back at the amazing realms of life under the ocean... And most of all, be in awe of a marvelous earth (or "Oceanus") that is in great need of our consideration right now. Otherwise we end up dead like the aliens... Oops.. I hope I did't give a way the ending! If you have few bucks, come and take the class at OCC. You will be so glad you did. Just don't come in late through one of the side doors, or leave your cell phone on. He can't STAND those things! It drives him CRAZY!

Old Fart's Guide To Internet Searches uses the popular search engine Google as its root, showing older computer users how to understand the World Wide Web and its potentials. From an introduction on its initial invention and how it's evolved to a new case study set of examples which walk users through the basics of making an effective Internet search, this is a highly recommended pick.

This is another of Aaron Rosenzweig's 5-star books. Aaron is an expert researcher and teacher. He has filled his book with loads of good information and advice on searching the Internet.

For more of my comments, see my more comprehensive review in the Washington Apple Pi (Mac users' group) Journal for May/June 2004.

Once again, author and computer wiz Aaron Rosenzweig has come up with THE comprehensive field guide to navigating the wide world of Internet searches. This book leaves absolutely no stone unturned when it comes to detailing the different search engines, tips and techniques for getting the most out of your searches, using the ever-popular Google, discovering NEW search engines and the right key words and phrases to use to get you to your destination with less frustration and wasted time.

For ANYONE who has a computer, this book is a must, and will no doubt become one of your most-used books on your shelf. Keep it right alongside your computer. You will not only need this book, you will be grateful for it! An awesome step-by-step guide for Old Farts, Young Farts and those of us Farts that fall somewhere in between!
MARIE JONES, Reviewer for BookIdeas.com

So you ended up getting your loved ones their fist computer for christmas, and you included a copy of "Old Farts Guide to the Macintosh" in their stocking. Of course they love the computer (it's a Mac, who wouldn't) but they just can't seem to get around on the internet quite as efficiently as they should.

In other words; it's been 2 months, and you're damn sick of getting calls asking where they can find cast and crew credits from the movie "The Big Lebowski", or where to find a picture of a rabbit with a pancake on its head.

That is where the newest book in the "Old Farts Guide" series comes in; "Old Farts Guide to Internet Searches" by Aaron Rosenzwig. Like the books predecessor ("Old Farts Guide to the Macintosh") this book fills a void other books seem to miss. It breaks things down in plain english. No term is mentioned with out a definition on the very same page, and no prior knowledge is assumed.

The book is aimed at the older crowd who are still intimidated by computers, and does an excellent job at explaining things that a lot of us take for granted. I know how hard it is to accomplish this task. I've worked about 5 years in phone tech support, and I have talk more first time computer users through how to use a mouse then I care to count. The way the author conveys these "basic" concepts is extraordinary. I would suggest "Old Farts Guide to Internet Searches" to anyone new to the internet.

"Old Farts Guide to Internet Searches" is available from Cocoa Nuts and is priced at $19.95. For the books ability to explain things in a easy to read manor, and for the giant void this book fills, I give it 5 out of 5 Stars

-iKen
www.2guysamacandawebsite.com

Product Review
From the foreword by Brian Pinkerton to the index at the end, this is a superb book. I have to thank Aaron for writing this Internet guide. If you enjoyed the Old Fart's Guide to the Macintosh and also use the Internet, then this is the book that you MUST HAVE! It is very easy reading, and Aaron's sharp sense of direction paves an easy path through the Internet jungle. He provides easy to understand overviews of the Internet, browsers, and search engines. Aaron suggests scanning through the book and then reading it in it's entirety from cover to cover. Although all of the chapters are independent of each other, it would be well worth your while to absorb the information presented in all of the chapters.

First things first, the guide is equally applicable to the Macintosh operating system, Microsoft Windows, and Linux operating systems, and covers not only the most popular browsers (Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape), but also over a half dozen additional browsers. Aaron includes many screenshots of his examples, in order to familiarize the reader with the particular topic that he is covering throughout the book.

The book starts out by describing the Internet, various Internet Service Providers, and different types of Internet connections. A number of search engines are covered, starting with Google and continuing through a "No-Search Search Engine", called "BrainBoost", which by-passes the "key word" concept and allows the user to directly type in a simple question in plain english. Aaron covers simple searches with how to find specific types of information, such as finding friends, financial information, books, recipes, movie listings, acronyms and driving directions, to name a few. Next Aaron covers advanced searching techniques, and how to save your search preferences in Google so that you can easily customize and repeat your individualized options the next time that you search. Last, but not least, Aaron covers various types of Internet hoaxes that crop up from time to time, and includes tips on how to identify and avoid them.

After the main topics section Aaron has compiled a handy list of useful web sites, arranged into helpful popular categories, each with a brief descriptive paragraph, a comprehensive Glossary of computer terms, and an alphabetical Index at the end.

Summary
While the book is designed for an older person who is new to the Internet, I would suggest it for a someone in any age category. The book is enjoyable to read, and it is very informative. All of the technical terms are in plain english, and Aaron has left handy margins on each page for the reader to record notes. Even though I have used the Internet for many years myself, I enjoyed reading this book and I never felt bored with it. Aaron has put together a great book, and it is a valuable asset to anyone who wants to learn more secrets on how to use the Internet.

One of my biggest pleasures with this book is both the presence of an index and plenty of cross-referencing. Another really nice feature of this book is that it explains the definitions of many technical words throughout the book along the side of the pages where the word is used. These side areas also have pictures, for instance a picture of the browser window with arrows pointing to the appropriate place corresponding to the text description.

I enjoyed the book's clear sense of order, thoroughness, and accuracy. I highly recommend this book not only to us Old Fart's, but to any user, new or old, who is using the Internet. This very powerful book is invaluable to read and you are sure to keep it nearby your computer whenever you use the Internet. I look forward to more books in Aaron's "Old Fart's Guide" series. The "Old Fart's Guide to Internet Searches" is available for $19.95 from the Cocoa Nuts web site and I would rate it 5 out of 5 farts(the good kind).