Internet Books

As with any operating system, it is imperative to have a complete understanding of the intricacies of the workings in order to be the best technician possible. Understanding Routers and the IOS is very important to making sure that they work and work all the time.

This book breaks down the IOS to the basic level and is very complete and the author has made sure that you have every tool at your disposal. From routing and bridging overview to the basic router configuration and components.

There are three chapters devoted specifically to the IOS and the remaining chapters cover topics such as, IP, IPX, APPLETALK, DECNET, VINES routing. Also there is coverage for bridging, frame relay, SRB and DLSW making up another eight chapters.

Completing this book is a 65 page appendix with the commend reference. While this book is tailored to any exam, this book will be very useful for most of the CCNA/CCNP exams.

This book was big help with learning syntax. I've worked on Bay Routers for years, this helped me find my way around. It is good source of info not just answers to exam questions.

Of all the books about Cisco routers this is one that you will want to add to your shelf. It does not focus too much on theory, but it focuses much on the nitty-gritty, the hands on knowledge that you need in the industry. I suggest this book for anyone pursuing a certification or who need any extensive knowledge concerning the configuration of Cisco Routers.

This is the only Cisco router book I've seen that does a good job of actually explaining what something is and how to do it. It answered a lot of my questions. Unless your already an expert, this book is a must.

After the dot.com bubble burst, a lot of us had serious concerns about Cisco as a company. There was so much used equipment (much of which hadn't even been taken out of the box) that new sales had to fall. But time marches on and Cisco has clearly survived and even thrived. But there have been some changes. New products and even new product directions have come about. Still, however more than half the revenue of the company comes out of ethernet switches.

This book focuses on the concepts, architecture, configuration, and troubleshooting of Cisco Ethernet switches. It is designed to fit the needs of the networking professional from the almost beginner through intermediate level. The book begins, just as it should, with a discussion of the Open System Interconnection (OSI) reference model. From here it goes on for a truly excellent first thirty pages, the thirty pages that most computer books seem to leave out. It goes on to giving some description of the older technologies (that many of use still have to maintain) and finally to the newest, latest and greatest.

This is an in depth coverage that is truly excellent.

I was very impressed with this book. I didn't know what to expect, as the book has only been available for a short time now. However, I was able to read the entire book over the weekend, and found the book to cover all the major LAN Switching topic areas (and with more in-depth coverage than I was expecting).
This is an outstanding intermediate level book which provides thorough topic coverage while also being written in an easy to read format.
As a fellow CCIE and author, it is refreshing to find good, quality reference material being developed in the industry. This book is defintely a keeper :) :) :)

Cisco LAN Switching Fundamentals is a well-written, easy-to-understand book, even for people whose first language is not English. The book explains the bases of 4 of the most common families of Cisco Switches: 5000/5500, 4000/4500, 6000/6500 and 3750. It goes quite in depth into showing the differences between these families, and showing where they fit best.

Written by two CCIE, David Barnes and Basir Sakandar, this book shows all their expertise in the area managing to clearly explain layer-2 and layer-3 usage. Through several chapters, the authors try to convince the readers to use a different, more modern, approach to networks, like using layer-3 switches at the distribution layer instead of simple routers.

Some drawbacks I found reading include some confusion in the QoS chapter and the need to give more depth to the Multicast chapter. After reading them I got the feeling that I did not manage to get a good understanding of these two areas. Another small issue is about chapter one where the ISO/OSI stack is explained, since this is a so often repeated item in all networking books I would have given less explanations about the basics of it and focused more on layer 2 and 3 related arguments.

On the contrary I found the remaining of the book to be satisfactory. A detailed explanation of the switches families functions, their features and commands has been given in chapter 3. Chapter 5 focuses on the differences between Hybrid versus Native software versions, giving also a useful chart to compare commands between the two modes. I would rate with a 5/5 score the chapter about Multilayer switching, which is very clear and gives more than a basic knowledge about this argument. Appendix A is a useful hands-on description on how to migrate a 6500 switch from native to hybrid and vice-versa modes.

The last two chapters about design and troubleshooting are a good start for those technicians that need to work on switches and do not need too much theory to get their job done. In particular the troubleshooting one shows several modes on how to track the problems both locally and remotely.

Overall this CiscoPress book shows the usual quality of this Editor's products even if I would not put it as outstanding. It is a good reading to get a grasp on the switching architecture, but needs to be completed in some areas with other more specific volumes.

This book is only 375 pages and one can read it during a weekend. But do not underestimate it because of its size as it is filled with information and tips which you wont find anywhere else. Do you know what scp is? Do you know what IGMP fallback is? Do you know how to find out for an IP pair, which link in the etherchannel bundle getting used? The book is filled with these kinds of tips throughout. Its your source of quick lookups at work when you are stressed looking for something. It can help you to recall what certain knob is used for? The book covers all major areas of Lan Switching. It has a detailed chapter on Cisco switches architecture and it is indeed very informative. Chapter 11 goes into Campus design details and some common pitfalls are discussed.

Overall the book has a great flow. It covers LAN switching concepts, architecture, design and troubleshooting. Youll learn about a varietyof topics, including QoS, IGMP, Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP), Multiple Spanning Tree (MST), private virtual LANs (VLANs), and configuration using the native and hybrid software. The book will help new and intermediate professionals and also aspiring CCIEs. This book along with CCNP Practical Studies from Justin Menga can provide everything one needs to know about Lan Switching has to offer these days.

Great effort by Basir and David!

I found this to be a very useful book if you are interested in developing a cohesive and viable NAC policy and creating sound and effective NAC enforcement. NAC is a hot buzz-word right now and very few companies have a real handle on how to make use it. This book goes a long way toward separating fact from fiction and making NAC an effectie piece of network security.

Over the last couple years NAC has moved from being a niche solution and is becoming a mainstream requirement for enterprise organizations. This creates a new set of skills for the network engineer to master. Unfortunately there have been few resources for self study, until now. This book provides everything you need to get started with NAC, weather you are just evaluating the technology or rolling out a full deployment. Get this book and you will have the skills that are sure to be a requirement of any network engineer in the very near future.

Why this book?

1. Credible - The authors field experience with NAC is evident as you read the book. This wasn't written in some ivory tower, these are folks who work on the technology with real world customers every day.

2. Comprehensive - ROI, design options, best practices, configuration examples, troubleshooting. Weather you are evaluating, implementing, or deploying there is something for everyone.

3. Concise - Weighing in at 576 pages it's hardly a short book, however give the amount of ground covered I would call it concise. The book is light on filler material, and since it isn't a certification guide there is anything in there just because it's on the test. Everything in this book is about how to get the job done.

To summarize... I highly recommend this book. Pick up a copy and get up to speed on this fast growing technology.

The Cisco Self Securing Network platform is currently structured around several cornerstone technologies of which the Cisco Clean Access technology is a leading component. The Cisco Clean Access technology is one of several industry wide Network Admission Control (NAC) technologies which rely on a combination of client-server components. The Cisco Clean Access suite includes a client component which could be host-installed applet or a browser based applet that can read basic configuration data from a host machine and communicate compliance to enterprise defined rules/policies which are pre-defined on a clean access server appliance and other coorperating systems. The book, Cisco NAC Appliance is a good guide for administrators deploying this complex set of solutions brought from Perfigo Inc. after Perfigo's acquisition by Cisco 2006.

The book's organization and tone is aimed at security architects, security managers and security administrators. While a security architect will better understand the various deployment options and thus the place of the Cisco NAC framework in an enterprise, security managers will get a comprehensive enough view of the Cisco NAC framework to make the judgment call on actual deployment of the infrastructure and of course make decisions on cost/facility and better grapple with the potential cost benefit requests from enterprise's executive and the security administrator will have a quick guide handbook to help wade through the myriads of documentations from Cisco on its evolving SAFE architecture in general and the NAC framework in particular.

The organization of this book is excellent for the intended audience; six parts covering the basics of host security landscape, design of Cisco NAC appliance, developing a host security policy, the Cisco NAC configuration, some deployment best practices, and of course NAC appliance maintenance and troubleshooting. The six parts are laid out in fifteen accessible chapters spanning more than 500 pages with generous amount of configuration examples and screenshots.

With Cisco now having more than 45% market share in the endpoint access control market, books like these can only increase in importance as a guide to organizations grappling with the decision on what and where to deploy these technologies.

And for this volume, the taste of the pudding remains in the eating. So if you don't have a copy yet, go grab one (so long as you are interested in some endpoint security solutions now or at some point in the future). As for rating, I'll give it my best rating so far, four star out of five.

I want to start out by saying that this book completely exceeded my expectations for the first NAC Appliance book. I wish this was published 3 years ago. The author clearly articulates the business benefits of NAC, including how NAC provides return on investment (ROI), which gives any reader the know-how to wisely purchase Cisco NAC Appliance. He also shows his technical expertise by diving extremely deep into the inner workings of Cisco NAC Appliance, which gives engineers, consultants, and operations the information they need to successfully deploy or maintain the product.

This book shows great details into the process flows of In-Band & Out-of-Band users, Clean Access Agent (CAA) users and network scanning users. The information on the different deployment options and how to use them in diverse environments is great to start your NAC Design. This book makes the confusing topics seem easy and manageable.

Some of the highlights that caught my eye and I thought everyone would like were:

- Chapter on Host Security Policy - An amazing deal of information on how to design/create a Host Security Policy as it relates to NAC Appliance is invaluable to deployments

- Exploration of High Availability and Load Balancing - Information on how to load balance Clean Access Servers using the CSM, CSS, ACE and PBR cannot be found anywhere else. This includes saving money on Failover Bundles by using N+1 Failover

- Layer 3 OOB Deployment options - Walk through of the benefits of the different methods of deploying L3 OOB, e.g. PBR, ACLS, VPNs, etc.

- Deployment Best Practices - An entire chapter on how to plan, schedule, and keep all parties happy for your NAC Appliance deployment

- Monitoring & Troubleshooting information - detailed list of all logs located on the CAM and CAS, as well as the information on how to troubleshoot and monitor online users

All in all this is a great book and I would recommend it for all people interested in Buying, Deploying, Operating, or Troubleshooting Cisco NAC Appliance. This is definitely a great reference manual to have at your desk!

This book gives plenty of resourceful information including how to find great discounts and knowing when a site is secure enough to send your credit card information over the internet. Once you've read this book you'll want to keep it close by as a quick reference whenever you shop online.

Great information and hints on how to use the Web for shopping. Specific internet addresses are included for best sites for cooking, electronics, etc. Easy to follow and locate your topic of choice.

I highly recommend that anyone who would like to become an on-line shopper use this book as their first on-line purchase,then read it from cover to cover. The information provided will answer many questions about security, privacy, warranties, etc.

Preston Gralla, no stranger to the Internet scene, has written The Complete Idiot's Guide to Online Shopping to educate current and prospective online shoppers about the pros and cons of online shopping. Gralla offers plenty of sound advice people should read up on before spending their time and money shopping online.

The book features an incredible wealth of information including some of the better Websites to buy certain items from, where to find important decision-making information before making online purchases, how to avoid being taken in by online scam artists, sales tax information, using credit cards to make online purchases, user warrantees, return policies, and other important purchasing considerations!

Readers will receive a solid lesson on nearly every aspect of online buying. They can compare cars, homes, computers, cameras, and other items before parting with their money. They have access to a number of consumer organizations that can alert them about problem companies, dealers, and products. They also have access to one another!

One topic that has caught the attention of many online shoppers in recent times is the online auctioning of merchandise. Just about anyone can join in and submit online bids for just about anything imaginable under the sun. Beware though! As of this writing there has already been cases of online fraud and child involvement. This fascinating aspect of online shopping requires close scrutiny. Gralla devotes a lot of attention to this matter and so should we!

For those considering going into business for themselves, there is still plenty of time for them to join in the fun and thrill of going into business online. Web developers will gain important online marketing strategies from this book that can be used to create effective business Websites for themselves and for others!

Risks, fears, and concerns aside, online shopping has taken off and will no doubt achieve further popularity in the years to come. This book will help shape the lives of those involved with the various aspects of this fast growing industry, whether as consumers or as marketers. Prepare yourself to shop more intelligently. Make informed purchases. This outstanding book will guide you all the way. It will make a difference!

I had originally wanted to get Steve Wright's other book, Digital Compositing for Film and Video, Second Edition, but read another review of this book make mention that it is geared more towards a beginner. At first, I thought this to be what I needed and when I got the book and scanned through it, it just seemed like an overview of the variety regarding compositing. I was a bit disappointed, until I started to peruse through more thoroughly.

What I liked (and am liking) is that it is geared towards more of a primer in the sense of the fundamental operations involved in digital compositing. And ironically, it was also what I did not like. I expected to have a more thorough or at least a methodical approach (not necessarily step-by-step) towards teaching basic compositing principles. That is what the aforementioned book describes. (And I say this based on the Table of Contents.)

So, I give a 5-star review to let people know that if they want to get a handle on "essential" concepts, that is easy to understand and comprehend, then get this book. Even if you have no interest in making movies or working in a VFX field, this will be a fun read to see the tricks the pros build upon to create some truly imaginative results. However, if you know what bluescreen compositing is, multi-plane compositing, premultiplication, etc., then this book might be redundant for you.

Once I'm done with this book, though, I'll be moving onto his other text and will be better prepared to absorb more detailed techniques.

I have not actually bought this book. But I recommend it anyway based on the superb quality of Steve Wright's other book, "Digital Compositing for Film and Video". That book is intermediate to advanced, whereas "Compositing Visual Effects" is for beginners. Mr. Wright's writing is clear and succinct, with years of experience behind every paragraph. I recommend you get the book appropriate for your level--either way, you'll be learning from a master.

I first bought the other book from Steve Wright and I found it quite difficult. This book, 'Essentials' is just as it says. very clearly written with lot's of pictures. It covers every compositing aspect so it's very valuable.

So far I have read work through the 6 chapter of this very easy read book.I recommend this book to anyone who want to start in the art of vfx.Mr.Wright has a great teaching style that takes technical jargon and simplifies the visual effects for the total beginner with a lot of examples.Great job on this book looking forward to see other books written by this author

The book fills an important void by asking whether the Internet and might affect land use in the United States-particularly whether it could have dramatic and largely negative consequences on large habitats in previously rural areas.

At first glance, this connection is not obvious. But, as Levitt notes, virtually every significant innovation in transportation and communications technologies (such as highways, telephones, and electricity) have spurred decentralization.

Starting from this premise, the various contributors offer readable, in-depth analyses of whether the Internet is having such impacts and, in an interesting twist, how organizations concerned about habitat preservation can tap the power of the Internet to further their goals.

The result is a volume that should be read by anyone interested in the intertwined fate of rural communities and the natural habitats that surround them.

The book fills an important void by asking whether the Internet and might affect land use in the United States-particularly whether it could have dramatic and largely negative consequences on large habitats in previously rural areas.

At first glance, this connection is not obvious. But, as Levitt and his collaborators notes, virtually every significant innovation in transportation and communications technologies (such as highways, telephones, and electricity) have spurred decentralization.

Starting from this premise, the various contributors offer readable, in-depth analyses of whether the Internet is having such impacts and, in an interesting twist, how organizations concerned about habitat preservation can tap the power of the Internet to further their goals. The result is a volume that should be read by anyone interested in the intertwined fate of rural communities and the natural habitats that surround them.

I am interested in both new networks, American history and conservation, so I was not surprised that the content of this book was so strong. I WAS surprised that it was so well-written and that the connections between the past and the future were so thoughtfully drawn. I really enjoyed this book.

A very valuable and thought-provoking read, both personally and professionally. The book's historical sweep is impressive. Its range of contributors is also very broad and impressive - while I follow a good bit in the environment and conservation, this book offers many perspectives that I had not considered previously. A good book for those who love the dynamics of history, are fascinated by technology and its leaps, who protect and manage natural resources.

The book takes on the vexing questions of "When does change realize progress? And when does it not?" By juxtaposing nature and man's interaction with it, with the rapidly changing world of high technology, the book requires consideration of these questions. CONSERVATION IN THE INTERNET AGE makes one inclined to believe that people serious about the directions of land use and conservation need to be thinking about what Leviit calls "new networks." (I certainly didn't know what this meant before reading the book!) Overall, the book provides hope that new analysis and communications technologies will advance prudent long-term protection of land, water, and other natural resources.

This book covers all the protocols and schemes for delivering voice and data over IP, frame relay, and ATM. The author has an easy-to-follow writing style that makes the book a joy to read.

This book really brings together every aspect of converged network architecture in one place. From voice communication networks to data networks to voice packet processing to a softswitch model for IP, this book has it all.

If you read Ibe's ATM book and like it get ready because you are going to LOVE this book even more. Dr.IBE knows his staff.

If you are a technical person this book will became your bible. If you are not a technical person this book will make you feel as if you were technical but most important will help you understand the subject in not time. (SALES, Managers, QA... Guys take note).

I do not know how he does it but a difficult subjects become clear after he explains them. I been following his writing and I must say that there is no one in my opinion who can explain complicated subjects the way he does. Check his ATM book and you will understand what I mean.

WELL DONE IBE...

This is a great book that goes beyond VoIP. It covers all major network architectures, and the latest enabling protocols like SIP, H.323, MPLS, and H.248. I found the discussions of Voice packet processing and Access schemes particularly helpful.

This book is a continuation of the first book. The book covers deployment of web application in great detail. It takes you through the development of a JSP, custom tags and does not leave you hanging like other books. It takes you through the steps of compiling, building and installing your web app. It covers security filtering and much more.

Another interesting technique this book uses, is it take the web developer through the different types of web development. It starts with development of custom tags and takes the reader through JSTL libraries and then discusses the Struts framework.

Finally, I used this book to help me through deployment of my web application. It was an invaluable tool.

I highly recommend this book. I have not had it for very long but I already find it very useful. It has helped my team introduce new technology and features into our applications. The Application Events Framework in chapter 6 helped me debug my application and discover that Struts creates a new session, if one doesn't exist, on every request In fact, JSP Tag files technology discussed in chapter 7 was the basis for a new reusable common component that we have created.

I like the style of the book very much. One thing in particular that I like is when a new technology or feature is introduced the steps needed to use it are numbered and laid out clearly without going into too much detail. Then as the feature is developed and each step is examined in detail the steps as a whole are repeated. This helps keep things in perspective - you can see more clearly where each thing fits into the big picture.

The authors also do a good job of trying to give small but useful and instructional examples of the different technologies - not always an easy task.

Whenever I look into this book I find new and interesting ideas. Even the concepts that I am familiar with I still learn new things about them. I wish I had more time to read through the entire book.

"Core Servlets and JavaServer Pages, Volume 2: Advanced Technologies" targets developers who already know Java and basic servlets/JSPs. Note this book's second edition does not cover the latest technologies. It uses J2EE 1.3/1.4 and Struts 1.3.

The main topics are advanced deployment descriptor settings, security, custom tags, filters, event handling and JSTL. Then there are three chapters on Struts 1.3. These additional chapters were very good although I'm not sure what they have to do with "core servlets." The browser screenshots were good for showing output and the examples were excellent.

As with "Core Java", the 700 page book contains some long classes. I could have done without the complete 5 page deployment descriptor at the end since it was gradually built up with new additions highlighted. The highlighting does help with spatial orientation.

I did notice a couple typos in the book. None of these affected the meaning, but it gives you the impression it wasn't proofread as carefully as other books. And (at least my copy) had a printing error where one page was missing a few lines.

For most part the book pointed out best practices. There were a few exceptions such as one chapter mentioning which jsp page should establish a database connection. Different chapters had different opinions on whether there should be scriptlets in a JSP as well.

Overall the book was fine although I would prefer to invest in a different title - either fully on Struts or fully on servlets/JSPs.

2nd edition has all the details for environment setup so it makes it easy and clear how to start your first web application. I always refer to this book when I need some reference or to review basic web application development.

I am computer savvy, but not a programmer. I had never written any HTML when I read this book, but after I finished it, I was able to put together a Web site. I think I learned more from this book than from a lot of the $50 Web books I've purchased since.

I found this book extremely helpful in re-working my websites. The book is easily read and understood - even for those who aren't "computer geeks". It builds up from the basic to the advanced in HTML writing in easily digestable chapters. I give it a hearty thumbs-up! Gabriele Endress

As a professional web developer, I am always looking for ways to brush up on my skills and stay competitive. So of course, when I saw this book, I was eager to see if it could provide me with any new techniques for the creation of web pages, particularly "cool" ones, using the popular new Hypertext Markup Language.

Sadly, I found it very disappointing. The author advocates many methods of web page creation that are inaccessible, woefully out of date, or just plain wrong. When I suggested implementing some of the coding techniques in the book, I was literally laughed at by my colleagues.

The book does not cover even the most rudimentary basics of semantic markup, and even suggests using the FONT and TABLE tags to apply styles without even the briefest mention of CSS.

I will certainly not be recommending this book to my fellow web developers any time soon.

(In all seriousness, I read this book when it was new, and it got me started tinkering with web pages. Now I work for Yahoo. The 5 star rating is honorary.)

There are a lot of "The Web's so cool and if you just buy our book you can make a million dollars" kinds of books out there. I've gotten tired of them very quickly. For one, the Web is just new, it's not the salvation of mankind. For another, they always have some underlying motive (beyond making money), and usually its ramming their own web pages down your throat. Taylor doesn't do this. In fact, he makes you feel very welcome as he explains, in a pleasant narrative style, this big blob of networks called the Web. He's not condescending about it, he's not pushy about it, but he is excited about it, and it appears genuine. The book itself details the standard beginner stuff, with some advanced carrots that leave you drooling for more (I know how to do tables but how do I set up a counter?). Many of these books will disappear rapidly over time because of the advent of HTML editors like Netscape Gold, but this book will stick around - there's plenty in there for the advanced user too. One complaint: Dave, stop using Microsoft Internet Explorer!

This was really a great book. I like science fiction books a lot and this book was better than most. I would love to see a sequel or even a movie made of this book. I liked when Max went on the run from the internet people. If Mr. Riordon has written other books, I really would like to read them. I would recommend this book to other teens.

The Dark Net weaves its story through a virtual underworld, following the saga of Max, a programmer. His project was the experimental education of two virtual penguins, Linus and Minus, by reward and punishment respectively. When a student dies mysteriously, the hero, Max, is called upon to clean out his virtual office. Amid whispers of the legendary Doomsday virus, Max's discoveries lead him into the Dark Net, a virtual underworld of villainous people dealing in black market programs. A little-known group of Luddites who shun technology offer him shelter as he is drawn into the plans of the wicked and powerful.

I thoroughly enjoyed the imagination of the novel from the epileptic protagonist and the eroticized office assistants (created by grad students, of course) to the the virtual reality vision of the Web and the religious fervor of the Luddites. And the lively presence of the penguin Linus.

James stop reading ;-)

(this is the negative portion) Any of you Galaxy Quest fans? Remember that scene where Tim Allen and Sigourney Weaver have to go through ridiculously dangerous contraptions to get to the Omega-13, and they point out that there's not a good reason for the booby-traps? Occasionally, I had that feeling about areas of the Dark Net. On the other hand, I have no idea what virus-makers get out of infecting my computer, so maybe it's completely reasonable that such dangers exist.

Other than that, I would have liked to hear more about the background of the Luddite group during the story rather than getting it all on the end. I think that the already interesting history could have been further developed and woven into earlier chapters.

James, you can read again.

But to end with something good -- the conclusion was excellent and completely blind-sided me (but then it made so much sense...).

Not many real science fiction books are written anymore. The Dark Net isn't just your romance-clothed-in-shiny-steel-with-laser-guns book, or your Klingon-speaking-gotta-read-the-series science fiction novel. This is a _good book_. Remember Ender's Game? 1984? Fahrenheit 541? The Dark Net is that kind of book, one that you can read over and over again and find something new, something meaningful.

That's not to say The Dark Net is a serious treatise on the state of the world. But it's worth reading if you like to read.

Riordon has written an adventure in the internet, a science-based story, a pulp thriller that gives the reader something to think about.

The story winds through ordinary life, the virtual world-to-come, the isolated portions of the internet, and a weird farm in the Pennsylvania hills. (Actually, I could totally dig the Freedom Club if they weren't sofa king Ayn Rand about it.)

This book may never be on the syllabus of any Lit Crit classes (though I could write "The Significance of the Color Green in Riordon's The Dark Net" or "Penguins and Boats: Lost and Found in the Void of Riordon's The Dark Net"). But heck, that's probably what they said about Dickens too. Riordon's novel, originally published on a blog, is like Dickens' serialized newspaper novels, and the format of the life-as-it-happens writing method makes the story's plot a lot like real life. Max's end isn't obvious from the beginning. Sometimes he winds up in places he never could have anticipated. But I enjoyed being there with him (well, sometimes it was really sad.)

And that's what I like to see in a book. Shogun, Clan of the Cave Bear, Harry Potter: they're not literature or anything but they sure are great to read.

I brought this book with me on a trip to visit family over the holidays and could NOT put it down (to the detriment of quality family-time). But man, that was the best trip I had in a while. I read the whole thing like I was dying of thirst and couldn't suck down fluids fast enough.

The story centers around Max, a realistic character caught in a futuristic scenario of what the internet might be like one day (virtual worlds where instead of checking your email, you step into a room, sit down and have your exquisitely-programmed virtual assistant recite email contents).

It unfolds into an enchantingly complex and imaginitive plot. Character development is fantastic and you can see the scenes in your head as they develop. Several times I found myself simultaneously breathing heavy with anxiety during the fast-paced adventure scenes and also laughing at character descriptions. For example:

"As Max watched with wide-eyed terror, the laundry pile began to seethe. The sound hadn't come from the bathroom after all. The pile rose up in a pillar of dirty socks, shirts, and towels, and took on a vaguely humanoid form."

This pile of dirty clothes abducts Max, along with some couch creature, and throws him into the dark recesses of the internet. The two monsters then pause for a hilarious and unlikely debate about Captain Kirk & Spock. It is impossible to tell what will happen next; this unpredictability makes for an incredibly engaging read.

The last time I liked a book this much, I went out and bought everything else the author wrote (Augusten Burroughs). I am only sorry that there are no other books to buy just yet and only hope the author is putting his brilliant mind hard to work on another novel for his insatiable fans.

The cover design is simplistic but don't judge the contents by that -- the story itself is rich and complex. Anyone who is into the internet (especially computer geeks) will especially find this a compelling read.