Security Books

This is a very comprehensive, and well-organized security assessment book for Software engineers. Yes, it has everything - all done well. If you are into security assessment and testing and live by it every day, you are still bound to learn a lot, to re-evaluate the things you know, and to genuinely improve your results. If you are a software engineer, it *will* help you build superior applications. If you are just an security enthusiast, you will genuinely enjoy the time spent with this book, and you will find this brick handy more often than previously imagined.

This book is absolutely amazing. The amount of detail they go into for so many subjects -- it's incredible. I particularly enjoyed the section on network protocols. I recommend this to any software engineer -- not just those in security specific positions.

Great job, and I hope to enjoy more material from these wonderful authors!

A must have. Being a security researcher for almost ten years now, and already a CISSP holder, there are times you believe you have seen most of the things, and you know the best of them. This book opens a new way of thinking, it's detailed and accurate and goes in depth on every subject.

A real must have.

Nicolas Krassas, CISSP

This book is The Bible for anyone in the security vulnerability research or security software engineering field. I haven't bought a book and studied it so much before ever. This is one book that will never be off my desk.

The authors of this book are some of the most respected in vulnerability research and theory, and have found many bugs that were years ahead of their time. As expected, they deliver on their prior reputation in this great and incredibly expansive book of knowledge and insight.

If you're tired of reading high-level theoretical books about "building security in" written by people who have no clue what a bug is or how to prevent them, this book is the ideal alternative.

For a hobbyist, it will guide you through practical methodologies about how bug hunting is done and teach you to think like a great vulnerability researcher.

For a developer, it will open your eyes to security oversights in most of the pieces of code you have ever written. Read hard, these bug classes affect the products you are shipping today.

For the security professional, this likely goes not only broader but deeper on lots of issues than you have ever looked, and far beyond any book I've seen. It can be used as page to page read, or a great reference. I personally use it all the time, and have definitely learnt from it. Great job guys!

P.S. Try and spot the 0day.

Visited The Rock this July, bought this book at the bookstore, This book was a great book made me feel like i was actully there. The auther Tells a great story. Suggest to everyone

This book was a terriffic read, concise and very well written. I was waiting for my plane in the O'Hare airport and had bought it for my dad in San Fransisco. I was 9 years old at the time and I read the whole book on the way home. I could not put it down. The bond that the author creates with the reader is magical. You find yourself in the cell where the hostages were kept. You hear yourself screaming at others to find the key. How the plan could break down at the last was incredible. If you enjoy history, then this book is for you. If you cannot see the historical importance and literary genius in this piece, then maybe you should blow your mind on cable television.

this book is in my view one of the most engaging books you could ever read.I say this for two reasons- first the mood of the book is such that it keeps you reading it over, secondly the account is actually written by someone who had first hand knowledge of Alcatraz.But i also liked it because of the depth........ all in all a good read for anyone[save children on account of the swearing]

Ernie Lageson, is the son of one of the prison guards injured in the failed escape attempt about which this book is written. There are many versions of stories told about Alcatraz the details of which vary by accounting. Being a stickler for correct facts I appreciate the attention to accurate detail paid by the author when writing this book. He not only tells the story with precise accuracy he does so as a skilled story teller weaving a web and drawing you in. If you only read one book about this particular uprising, make sure you chose this one. You won't find an accounting more thoroughly researched nor more intelligently written.

Author Ernest Lageson provides us with an account of the 1946 attempted breakout at Alcatraz prison during which time his father was a guard at the institution. He provides the reader with the details of a well-planned attempt by inmates to vacate "The Rock". The best laid plans go sour for the strangest reasons, and this plan went awry because a guard decided to keep a key to the recreation yard in his pocket because he was to reuse it shortly instead of returning it where it belonged. The inmates were unable to locate the key and their plot was foiled. The author provides us with details of the personalities of the inmates involved and their frustration when things began to go wrong. Author Lageson was a schoolboy at the time, and he expresses his agony in not knowing whether his father was alive or not. Conflict between Warden James Johnston and his associate, Edward Miller, in resolving the takeover is gone into detail with Warden Johnston appearing as confused as to what to do to rescue the guards in the cell block and quash the uprising. According to the author, Johnston had his facts wrong, also, when providing details to the press. Having just visited Alcatraz last week I wanted to read this book and was able to visualize the inside of the prison. I found this book very interesting to read. I can't imagine a reviewer who found it to be boring. I would highly recommend the book to you.

I have not even finished reading this book yet, but I am blown away by the extraordinary story this man has to tell, and told with such heart. This is a major contribution to the history of 9/11.

Excellent read. Heartbreaking at times, but well written of the trials and
tribulations of the Ground Zero Recovery mission
This book honors the months day after day the recovery workers devoted to trying to find bodies. Some of the rescue workers suffered emotionally and physically, yet others kept going to the end.
I recommend highly

It was an incredible and accurate account of the heroics and emotions involved in the months of recovery at ground zero. A must read.

This is the story that needed to be told of the many courageous, heroic men and women involved in this search and recovery effort. It is also the story of the courageous, heroic families who lived through this effort with their loved ones. It is a must read.

So often we wonder what happens after all of the media coverage ends and life goes on for everyone else - this book opened by eyes to all that went on "after". It really is a tribute to all those that worked on the clean up of the World Trade towers. It was more than just a job - it was an opportunity to bring home more of those lost on that terrible day.

This is an EXCELLENT book about the inner workings and decision makeing process of the Bush Administration during Panama and Desert Shield/Storm.

It is easy to become jaded today about what our government is doing and why, but The Commanders, is one of the most engaging looks at your government coming together. For better or for worse, it is even more engaging since so many of the "players" in this book are in the forefront of our news today. One of Woodwards' best.

I bought this book on a Friday night and compulsively read the book until Sunday morning. The read is quick, and the parts about Panama are very fascinating. It's nice to read about something that doesn't involve the Middle East....oh wait a minute, the middle east is covered as is the military history of this period. Colin Powell is a hero and a great pragmatic man, which mkes me long for the pre-Clinton days. History would be much different if Goerge the 1st stayed in power just 4 more years. The bravery and pragmatism of the 1st Bush administration makes you wonder about this Bush administration.

Bob Woodword seems to have become the reporter of authority when it comes to writing what I have heard called "instant histories", that is, histories that will surely be expanded as perspective is gained on a given event, but ones that accurately record how people saw things at the time. In "The Commanders" Woodword gives blow by blow accounts of two major foreign policy crisis' which ultimately led to military action: the removal of Manuel Noriega from Panama and Operation Desert Storm. The book is a quick and absorbing read, focusing almost entirely on the relationhip between the military (Pentagon) and civilian (White House) leaderships, and how that relationship operates during a crisis.

I assume that many who read this book now look to widen their view of some of the key players in the current administration, namely Cheney, Powell, and Wolfowitz (though in much lesser role here) and now is as good a time as any to do so. My impression of Powell, while widened, remains consistent. He comes off as more hesitant to use force than others, very conscious of organization, very thorough, and very aware that words have power. Cheney, however, doesn't at all resemble his sinister caricature. He, too, is careful and analytical, often concerned with Bush "ratcheting up the rhetoric way too much," and, at one point, even recomending that Bush slow down and "wait for the UN." Whereas these two figures are painted as rivals within the "W" administration, they pictured as allies in the first Bush Administration.

Our problems with diplomacy are also present, though they are not the focus of the book. The presumed reaction from Latin America contrained our ability to craft a war plan in Panama, even though it was "anticipated that privately most of these governments would send back-channel word that they were nuetral or even pleased" that Noriega was removed, and it was certain that the Panamanian people hated their leadership (92% were ultimately in favor of Noriega's removal, according to Woodword). Also, many instances show Arab regimes begging for protection, though not wanting their populations to know about the American presence. At one point, the exiled Emir of Kuwait even refuses to meet with members of the US Senate. And of course, "The French were a problem and required a major effort". We will continue to have problems if governments, particualrly democratic ones, refuse to reveal to their publics what they see as in their own national interest. Ahh, the trials of a superpower!

If you are looking for an account of the diplomatic manuevering, the assembling of the coalition, or the national political debate preceeding either conflict; or you want an account of Gulf I itself, this is not your book. Taken for what it is, however, "The Commanders" is an excellent. There are a number of times where statements from this book could fit perfectly into the latest foray in Iraq, but I'll let you hunt for those.

Lastly, funniest line in the book: "the secure internal electronic-mail system, called E-mail, provided a means of quick nearly instantaneous communications by computer with the boss." Who knew only a decade ago that you needed someone to explain what an E-mail is?

This book starts at the beginning of the GHW Bush Administration and goes through to the very beginning of the Gulf War.
It's always a little difficult to know how accurate Woodward's recountings are of conversations and inner-thoughts of the most important people, but there are rarely serious complaints about the accuracy of his books - at least as far as I am aware. For the most part, the book comes from the perspective of Powell and Cheney, with important additions from other key folks at the Pentagon and White House.
The beauty of reading about the GHW Bush Administration is that one also learns about the GW Bush Administration, for many of the key players came back for an encore.

Woodward did a top notch job of discussing important issues in a way that appeals to the general reader. I hope he continues to do so with the GW Bush Administration; both "Bush at War" and "Plan of Attack" are fine books, but "The Commanders" is much better.

I have witnessed the proliferation of data networks over last fifteen years during which time
network security has grown to multi-million dollar business. I have taught and consulted on
design and implementation of network security.In today's corporate and SOHO network, secuirty
is extremely critical to protect and safeguard data. Firewall technology provides a defense
mechanism against unautorized access to data networks. This textbook provides a comprehensive
treatment of firewall from introduction to management and advanced configuration. The appendix
has a list of current firewall vendors that should be of extreme helpful to any reader. I would
highly recommend this text to anyone before they decide to purchase firewall to secure their network.

This book covers firewall implementation, configuration and maintenance with excellent references and examples. John Vacca starts with installation and setup and then moves into implementing and maintance. Along the way many real life experiences are used as examples. Before you start or before you do any updateing on your firewall be sure to read this book.

Having worked in the computer network/security field for the last 16 years, I found this book to contain most everything you need to have a working knowledge of firewalls. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that needs to come up to speed quickly and/or needs a refresher course. I find myself now to be in the later category but I wished this book had been written when I was first starting out as it would have saved me a ton of time.

I highly recommend "Firewalls" by John Vacca. I found the book to be extremely helpfully in understanding the configuration and maintenance of firewalls as well as a great reference for the different types of security infrastructures that can be implemented using the technologies available today. "Firewalls" is an excellent knowledge base that I would recommend as a must read for anyone in the computer security and system administration fields.

I fell into the category of "I know what a router is but I hope I never have to set one up." Our routers were handled by another talented memeber of our team. When she left, I gave it shot using some manuals we had from cisco and some other informatin passed down from project to project. Completely lost, I decided to start from the beginning. This text was just the ticket to get me started!

The most complete book for understanding the whats and hows of retirement planning and investing for retirement. Complete with data to support the ideas the author presents.

I found Merriman's writing style easy to read. He does an excellent job of covering the basics of investing including asset allocation.

Merriman's suggestion of holding 50% foreign stocks and 50% U.S. stocks was a little surprising to me. I was not expecting such a high allocation to foreign stocks. Vanguard, for example, suggests no more than 20% foreign stocks. Merriman makes a compelling case for holding 50% foreign stocks, but past performance of foreign stocks relative to U.S. stocks does not necessarily mean future performance will be the same.

Another surprise was no mention of REITs. For a book published in 2005, I expected to see at least a 10% allocation to U.S. REITs.

The last surprise was his recommendation of DFA funds compared to Vanguard funds. He tries to make the case the 1% of assets fee per year to a DFA advisor is more than offset by the superior performance of a DFA fund portofolio compared to a Vanguard portfolio. Most of the extra return is not due to lower DFA expense ratios, but the fact that DFA offers more asset class choices than Vanguard. I'm a big Vanguard fan, plus manage my own portfolio.....so I'm not sold on the DFA approach.

Over-all an excellent book.

I would suggest companion books to supplement this book including:
The Richest Man in Babylon
Bogle on Mutual Funds: New Perspectives for the Intelligent Investor
The Millionaire Next Door
The Four Pillars of Investing: Lessons for Building a Winning Portfolio
A Random Walk Down Wall Street: The Time-Tested Strategy for Successful Investing, Ninth Edition
Index Mutual Funds: How to Simplify Your Financial Life and Beat the Pro's
The Coffeehouse Investor: How to Build Wealth, Ignore Wall Street, and Get On With Your Life
The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing
Wealth: Grow It, Protect It, Spend It, and Share It
All About Asset Allocation.

When I read the title to this book, the first thing I thought was "sounds to good to be true". But to my surprise, the book has a tremendous amount of actionable information. I've read 10+ books on asset allocations and investing during retirement and this is by far the most complete. My only complaint is the hardsell on mutual funds by one particular company. But this was only done in a couple of chapters and does not diminish the vast majority of the books contents.

One of the best references on the subject of retirement & Investing I have read so far. Step by step method for securing income during retirement. Intruduces a number of strategies Investors don't want you to know about. I have recommended this book to several of my friends who are also close to retirement. For those close to retirement, it should be front and center in their libraries. A lot of facts backing up recommendations. Short read.

Merriman's book offers readers a review of different portfolio options with a focus on the risk of each portfolio. Most books and discussion of investment options fail to consider risk and thereby mislead readers into thinking that one can simply repeat the strategy that produced spectacular investment returns in a prior year.

This book provides example portfolios that were constructed using the most convincing economic theory to-date developed by leading financial and economic scientists at the highest regarded economic schools in the world (Chicago, Stanford, Yale). The probability of having greater portfolio returns than most people by receiving the average return of many asset classes (financial markets) is higher when investors follow the relatively low risk options Merriman provides.

I highly recommend this book to readers of all knowledge levels. I also highly recommend the firm Merriman Capital Management for its low fees, excellant customer service, and access to the mutual funds of Dimensional Fund Advisors. The portfolio returns of DFA funds have far exceeded the portfolio returns of most actively managed funds and even passively managed funds from Vanguard and Fidelity in all of the last 5 years including 2006.

Would you go hiking without a map? Would you work on your car without a manual? Then why would you even think about going to the Middle East without this book? Poole once again sets the standard in the industry for explaining the tactics, history, and mindset of the Islamic Extremist. From military commander to field grunt to civilian contractor, if you're headed to a desert combat zone do yourself a favor and BUY this book! I also suggest you read this book with a highlighter in hand...but you may just end up highlighting everything. This book undoubtedly has saved lives and will save more in the future!

The book gives a good acccount of the various Islamic militant factions and their interactions. The opinions seemed a bit "armchair general" and opinionated at times, but they made several good points. I'd recommend the book although it had the following drawbacks for me:
-The insertion of outside material to back up the author's words made for a sometimes disjointed read
-The sprinkling of "God (Christian) & country", stereotyping, etc. seemed unnecessary
-20% of the material was a repetition/reiteration of a particular point (not sure if this was to beef up the number of pages or to compensate for a shakey arguement)

Once again H. John Poole has pulled aside the Middle East veil of mystery to show us how the Muslim militants go about their business. Known as the "War on Terror" aka "4th Generation warfare", radical Muslim militants have worked out the ways to challenge the West collectively, on - and off the battlefield. Thus far, their efforts have cost the U.S.of A., not only lives, but billions of dollars, sowing anxiety and terror. How have they accomplished this with slender resources? Against the most technologically advanced armed forces in the world? Poole tells us how.
The book is divided into three parts:
The initial part updates the reader on the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan to the summer of 2005. How the Muslim militants have survived and continue to succeed against coalition armed forces without tactical victory, hi-tech resources or heavy arms; all the while they suffer heavy casualties and continue to burn through the resources - and resolve of the West - are addressed.
The next part examines, through the lense of ancient oriental texts on the principles of warfare, the stratagems employed by the militants. These are the most illuminating chapters: now the daily events in Iraq and Afghanistan make sense if one understands the militants' operational philosophy. Poole's explanations of tactical actions clarifies how these militants are playing "the Game" against coalition forces. What makes no sense militarily in Western understanding of warfare are perfectly acceptable to furthering these militants' ends.
The final section's chapters provide approaches to dealing with "4th Generation Warfare" situations, which Western military forces are more and more wont to encounter. Many of Poole's recommendations reflect the U.S. Marines' experience with the Combined Action Program (CAP)used in Vietnam during the 1960s. Essentially, special Marine units operated with Vietnamese local forces at the village level to root out and undermine the Viet Cong insurgency. He contrasts this approach to the reliance on hi-tech and heavy fire power, the preferred operational mode of U.S. forces. Further, Poole (pp 278-294) describes the changes in tactical philosophy that must come about if U.S. ground forces are to prevail against their current enemy. This, to my mind, is the best part of the book.
Poole's views on training and tactics in the last chapter, come closer to dealing with military cultural reform than in his previous wotks. While he addresses these subjects in other books, these last pages in MILITANT TRICKS come the furthest to combining these previous discussions into a coherent whole which reflects the grunt's eye-level ground view.
Hopefully, the powers-that-be are reading his works - effecting the necessary changes.

This book was kindly donated to my unit by the publishers when I was a Company Commander before I deployed. Everyone over here should read it. Regardless of how much money our government spends on high-tech equipment and contracts, until we gain a better understanding of our opponents sociological and theological motivations we will continue to waste a lot of our military resources. LTC Poole's emphasis on taking a humanistic approach and integrating our forces with the locals is sound, provided that the local forces are properly vetted and aren't infiltrated by insurgents.

This is the best book I have read so far on where and who the real enemy is and who is behind and against the U.S. supporting democracy and the liberation of the people of Iraq.
Breaks down in detail who is Sunni and who is Shiite.
How they work and how they are fighting U.S. Forces together.
How the real enemy is Iran with many proxies to gain control of Iraq.
How the U.S. must change to deal with fighting in Irregular Warfare now and for decades to come.
How the enemy is capitalizing on U.S. democratically controlled Congress to gain victory.

Heading over to OIF II in a few months, active duty CDR O5 who will be working in support of the bravest of the brave (EOD Forces defeating IED's). This book was instrumental in developing a understanding of what is really going on.

I would recommend this book for all Officers and enlisted personnel heading to fight this fight from E1 up.

CDR Bill Noel (Navy EOD Officer)

Mr. Brookstein has written the the gold standard on small tech investing. Whether you are a novice investor or a 30-year pro, everyone will find great information with which to make smart decisions on nanotech investments. Excellent.

This is a great book for an introduction to nanotech companies and overall investing in small companies. It's very easy to read,not like a text book that you often find with technical books. Does not go into the details of the technology of nano but provides enough for you to get a surface level understanding to carry a sensible conversation about the subject.
I will highly recommend this book. It also has a nice touch by adding numerous contacts and websites in the appendix if you 'll want learn more about nanotech.

Book Review Nanotech Fortunes


This book:
1. Is strictly an investment book. There is no science presented.
2. Contains many insights into investing that make sense. This is 90% of the book.
3. Warns potential investors of the pitfalls in investing in nanotech companies. No hype here.
4. The Appendix is a great resource:
4.1 Famous people in the nanotech world: 36 are given brief introductions.
4.2 Interesting nanotech books for non-scientist investors: 8 are profiled.
4.3 Informative nanotech newsletters: 3 are profiled.
4.4 Nanotech websites: 10 are profiled.
4.5 Academic/Government labs: 12 are profiled.
4.6 Nano-conferences: 10 are profiled.
4.7 25 important "small tech" public companies are profiled.
4.8 5 smaller public companies are profiled.
4.9 33 private start-up companies are mentioned.
4.10 Several leading nanotech research universities are listed.
4.11 4 centers for nanotech are profiled.
4.12 4 books for non-scientists are profiled.
4.13 7 books are recommended for investors.
4.14 6 page glossary of nanotech terminology is provided.
4.15 6 page index is provided.

Darrell Brookstein's "Nanotech Fortunes" should be considered a "must read" for anyone interested in nanotechnology. General readers seeking to ascertain the staggering potential of nanotechnology will find this work useful, as will those who want to know how, when, and in what ways nanotechnology will affect large and small businesses. For those considering investing in nanotechnology, now or in the future, "Nanotechnology Fortunes" is simply invaluable.

Brookstein has a highly successful track record as a manager of brokerage hedge funds, venture capital ventures, and investment advisory firms. Since 1973, Brookstein has made a succession of shrewd, prudent, and insightful financial decisions that have immensely benefited those intelligent enough to follow his guidance. In particular, Brookstein oversaw a number of lucrative mining and natural gas investments for his clients, and correctly navigated the dot.com boom in the 1990's. His assertion that he tends to "read the tealeaves in advance of the crowd" is borne out by ample evidence. In "Nanotech Fortunes" Brookstein offers compelling evidence that the field of nanotechnology is poised for a boom in the near future. Unlike the dotcom bubble of the 1990's, the nanotech boom is based on a solid foundation of science, and a series of cascading nanotech booms will result in a staggeringly large net creation of wealth. When Brookstein claims that "the nanotechnology revolution will last decades and literally destroy untold businesses - disrupting and leapfrogging technologies that only a few years earlier, were considered cutting edge" he is not exaggerating. Indeed, Brookstein fastidiously avoids engaging in hyperbole or making unwarranted assumptions, and rigorously maintains a sober and lucid tone throughout the book.

Brookstein lays out a comprehensive course for navigating the perilous waters of nanotech investing. By combining experience, knowledge, and acumen honed over four decades of investing with the technical wisdom of a diverse group of highly regarded scientific experts, Brookstein has crafted a focused strategy that will avoid the pitfalls of more novice investors. Discerning which startup corporations are worthy of investment is a difficult task, and it is here that "Nanotech Fortunes" truly shines. Brookstein thoroughly yet concisely describes the myriad mistakes - ranging from miscalculating customer acquisition costs to funding researchers pet science projects - that beset nanotech startups. The author has compiled a series of metrics to judge which startups should thrive and outmaneuver their competition. Although no investing approach will result in a sustained 100% success rate, Brookstein's methods have consistently yielded substantial profits, and returns on his initial nanotech investments are already beginning to trickle in. Those wishing to understand, participate in, and benefit from the coming boom will want to carefully read "Nanotech Fortunes" sooner rather than later.

Darrell Brookstein is a managing director of The Nanotech Company, and runs [...] a website to which I have contributed articles and interviews.

Nanotech Fortunes: Make Yours In The Boom offers winning strategies by Darrell Brookstein in capitalizing on the business and investment opportunities in the new nanotech sciences. Individual chapters address all the diverse issues involved with this new and rapidly developing technology, including "Science Fiction vs. Science Fact", "How to Analyze Nanotech Companies like a Pro", "The Most Lucrative Nanotech Investments", "Trading Nanotech Stocks for Short- Term Profits", and "Six Steps to a Nanotech Fortune" and more. Of special note is the Appendix article "Tools Resources for Your Nanotech Fortune". If you are thinking about how to take advantage and participate in this newly emerging industry, then give a careful reading to the information, insights and advice that comprise Darrell Brookstein's Nanotech Fortunes!

I work with refugees and orphans from around the globe and find this book to be the most realistic and informative of it's kind. Selling people, mostly women and children is a harsh reality around the world. This book is informative and a must read to help wake up our world and start taking action. Very informative, emotional and well written.

Many people think of slavery as a high-school history lesson related to the Civil War, but that's hardly the case. Slavery has been a tragic part of world culture for thousands of years and exists to this day.

Fortunately in recent years, several well-organized groups have been fanning out around the world - providing educational materials to volunteers and taking direct action in many cases to change laws and free slaves.

If you're on the verge of purchasing this book by David Batstone, a leading authority on modern slavery, then you're already interested in this issue and what you really want is a hands-on, heavy-duty book that investigates modern systems of human trafficking.

This is the book you want. It carries an advisory to readers: "This book deals with mature subject matter." That's because this is grim stuff about slave laborers, child soldiers and enslaved sex workers.

Batstone is professor of ethics at the University of San Francisco and, for six years, also was executive editor of Sojourners Magazine. He understands the issue - and the actions needed. In the final section of the book is an extensive overview of groups and Web sites around the world that can help to connect you with this modern-day abolitionist campaign.

Words can't describe this book. It's disturbing and heart breaking but it's reality and it's accurate. The author is credible and it makes the book all the more real. The stories and facts are intriguing. I had some knowledge of the topic before reading but was blown away by the details when I read this book. The book has prompted me to talk with friends and family about small ways in which we can help. If everyone thinks they can't help in such a huge problem, it'll never be corrected. If everyone helped in a small way, it can make a huge difference. This book is HIGHLY recommended!

I've only read three books on the subject of modern day slavery and human trafficking, but this is by far the best. It covers varying types of bondage, with just enough detail to grasp the horror of it, but combined with hopeful stories of everyday men and women making a difference - small and large.

I highly recommend this as the right mix of statistics and stories. This is one I can suggest to those who are just learning about modern day slavery - it's not overwhelming or cynical.

When I first found this book, it looked interesting. Little did I know how much it would change my life. Within weeks of reading it, we had submitted it as a "Common Reader" book at our University and this past fall, 2,500 students consumed the book. We brought the author to campus and not long after, he asked my wife and I to serve as state directors for the national campaign.

The books reveals modern-day slavery in a clear, concise and moving way. Batstone travels between the stories of the slaves and those who work to rescue them. It angers and inspires and is a primer for anyone who wants to get the basic info on slavery. There are a lot of good books on this issue - such as those written by scholar Kevin Bales - but this book has a universal appeal that those books do not, making it a good book for those in middle school all the way through university-level education.

Out of all the books I have now read on the subject, Batstone's is the best "general understanding" book out there. A perfect platform from which to launch deeper investigation into human trafficking and slavery. Also, check out the web site - www.notforsalecampaign.org.

Author Brian Bentley finally gives us insight into the world of a working Police Officer, without sugar coating or picturing us a glitzy world of glasmour of law enforcement. It really took me back as a law enforcement officer for a large public hospital with a Level One Trauma Center, which has to deal with the day to day hardship of what the "streets" brings into the hospital and tries to treat. I too found alot of comaparisons in my job and just changed the names of work colleagues and supervisors with his! His city government was not only like my city government, but add one more variable...an unappreciative hospital administration who should simply be managing medical care and research, and stay out of the business of police work. Many times they, along with the rest of the hospital support staff be it doctor, nurse, psychiatric staff, substance abuse counselors, all want a piece of the police department. And thinking after watching one episode of "Cops" think they know everything about police work! Should a new candidate dare read this book, it may in fact discourage him or her from pursuing law enforcement as a career. Sad that it maybe, at least Officer Bentley forwarned you before you signed on the dotted line! Law enforcement has it's rewards. But as Officer Bentley astutely puts it, it is "dog eat dog" and one has to do what he/she has to do to survive!

This is a very well written story of a cops everyday life in LA. Very sad that things have to be the way they are but he tells it like it really is. He is misjudged, mistreated and underrated which causes him to doubt himself and everyone else. He fights to stay true to all he believes and has been taught, but at times he is finding himself thinking and acting as the criminals do. Maybe that is how he survives.

Having grown up in S/C LA and also a retired Police Officer, this book give you the real world experience. This book will take you from one extreme to the other. You will laugh, cry and be very afraid. Because it is all so very true. Somebody needs to make this into a movie, Quick. Oprah needs to read this book

One Time is a hardcore and realistic look at the police. The author's writing style kept me interested and I am not a big reader. Since reading the book, I now look at police officers differently.

I very much enjoyed reading this book. It was very easy reading and went very quickly. While the author had some very interesting stories to tell, however, I think the publisher did him wrong for publishing it as is. There are a lot of editing mistakes and typos within the context that at times can make it somewhat difficult to follow. However, despite these mistakes, I highly recommend the book to anyone who is interested in law enforcement, especially in L.A. I'm sure it would be an eye opener. I never realized how violent a city L.A. could be.