Online Books

I would like to write just a few words not only as a review but rather to make a slight clarification. This is an excellent book. However, I regret buying it because I had not realised that I already had a copy. The title of this particular edition (mentioning ROSETTA etc.) is very misleading ! I had expected to find a collection of American C19th slang analogous with Capt. Grose's monumental work on British slang (originally printed 1811). Yet the book is exactly the same! I had thought mistakenly (since no information whatsoever was available) that, having a different number of pages and being published in America, the collection would have been distinct. The title is an important issue and the publishers should bot have changed it. In all bibliographies of works on historical slang (particularly by Partridge etc.) the work is always attributed to the actual author Capt. Grose. In most references the name Grose would be provided (in brackets) to acknowledge any entry cited from this work.
This is a pioneering masterpiece of British (not American) slang and constitutes a rich collection of popular expressions derived from Cant, criminal slang as well as historical slang terms. For a start, the word 'Vulgar' is NOT used in the sense of obscene and disgusting (which would indeed be appropriate for certain collections of modern slang). Here 'vulgar' is used in its etymological sense (from the Latin 'vulgus' and 'vulgaris' meaning popular i.e. of the people and is thus a cognate of the word 'Vulgate' the popular Lain translation of the Bible). There are, of course, certain entries that do pertain to subjects which are regarded as taboo (e.g. 'Covent garden ague' meaning venereal disease and a 'Covent garden nun' meaning a prostitute - so named since the area of Covent Garden was once London's principal red light district). Nevertheless these entries are not too profuse and are invariably explained with the author's inimitable English subtlety.
There are dozens of toponymous entries such as 'Essex lion' (a calf) and 'Tyburn blossom' (young thief or pickpocket - Tyburn once being the place of execution in London- for which this young criminal was no doubt destined). There are also eponymous phrases like 'Kemp's shoes' which also provides information about an old custom of throwing shoes. There are euphemisms and idiomatic phrases many of which are no longer in use. Most of the entries are succinct and do not generally provide the derivation of a given term. There are, however, intermittent 'folk etymologies' (as opposed to precise linguistic etymologies) included to explain some phrases. Another weakness of this particular publication (apart from the title) is that the page numbers do not correspond with other editions (i.e. it is not a facsimile reprint). There are, however, two main advantages of this edition: firstly, the price is very accessible. Secondly, a useful thematic index is provided as a supplement. This is an excellent collection of British colloquial expressions and terms for anyone (either side of the Atlantic) who loves the English language and enjoys learning new (or rather antiquated) phrases. I can strongly recommend any of the availalbe editions. However, please do not (like I did) purchase the two titles by mistake imagining that in doing so your are supplementing / complementing your research by acquiring a similar work. This title is indeed a great work by it is the SAME work. Whatever edition you choose you will be most satisfied.

I bought this when it first came out and I didn't know what to expect. But when I started reading it, I just couldn't put it down...and I didn't even know how good it was going to get! I have to admit that when i finished it, i was positively, absolutely stunned! All I can say is READ THIS!!! You won't regret it! YOu'll also never be the same ha ha!

My realization of the progression in journalism came after I read the book Digital Journalism: Emerging Media and the Changing Horizons of Journalism, edited by Kevin Kawamoto. This book is an informational collection of essays that defines digital journalism. Each essay, written by various professionals in the field of digital journalism, provides detailed information as well as real life experiences to discuss the future of journalism. Editor Kevin Kawamoto provides a detailed discussion of where digital journalism is going, what it is, and why it is important in present day society. Each chapter presents a different topic from the history of digital journalism to an actual look at the experiences of a photojournalist. The information is presented in an outline format that makes it easy to follow the content in the chapter. The descriptive diction and details used made me feel like I was actually on an internship and I did not even have to leave my desk. As a journalism student at Oklahoma State University, Kevin Kawamoto's book Digital Journalism: Emerging Media and the Changing Horizons of Journalism helped me identify what digital journalism was and how it is applied in specific careers. After reading many other books and articles on this subject this one is by far the best one for students.

A comprehensive yet easy-to-use guide book. A woman of talent and tenacity shows her readers how to succeed in eTrading!

This is the only guide you need to learn the new AOL4.0. It is superlative in ease of use and the huge font of knowledge contained within its' pages. You'll be amazed how many features are in the new AOL. A virtual map to the superhighway known as America Online, you'll discover all the backroads with this excellent roadmap.

I just finished an on-line degree and I really wish I'd had this wonderful book; it would have made the entire process so much easier. The author covers everything -- from chosing an on-line class to registering to actually completing the course. And the author makes it all so easy to follow. If you're even thinking about taking an on-line class, you gotta get this book.

A Distant Drum
Marguerite Bell
Authors Online, Ltd
40 Castle Street, Hertford SG14 1HR, England
Genre: Fiction/Historical Romance
ISBN: 0755201604, $14.95, 172 pp, 2005

This is a traditional romance which takes place around the Napoleonic era. Fanny Templeton is a twenty-six-year-old English widow, still a virgin and step-mother to Justine. At the beginning of the story she is a paid companion to Lady Elizabeth Mablethorpe and concerned about the welfare of Justine and her new husband, Freddie, who is the younger brother of the Marquis of Ordley, Edward, a Colonel in the British army.

There is an initial tension between Fanny and Edward which evolves into romance in Brussels. They are married in a barn shortly after Edward is seriously injured in the Battle of Waterloo. Because Fanny was not certain that he truly loved her, she would not share his bed so that the marriage could be annulled if he so chose after he was well again. Edward, of course, interpreted this as rejection until . . . .

If you like historical romances of this period, you will enjoy this book. Marguerite Bell is a consummate writer, and you definitely will not be disappointed. She's clearly knowledgeable about the period-the manners, customs, the clothes-and certainly brings it all to life as she keeps the intrigue sharp and poignant.

Other books by this author include: A Rose for Danger, The Devil's Daughter, Bride by Auction and Sea Change. The Pride of Eagles will be published sometime this year. She also writes under the name of Ida Pollock and books under this name include: The Gentle Masquerade, Lady in Danger, The Uneasy Alliance, Country Air and Summer Conspiracy.

I enjoyed the story and her engaging style of writing. Thank you!

Reviewed by Kaye Trout - May 8, 2006 - Copyright

Cuts through the red internet tape right to the medical site. This is a comprehensive, well organized book that can save time, which is crucial ,when you're sick or a loved on is ,and you are looking for help on the internet. It has every conceivable category in a handy paperback edition. It's contents tell all from How the Internet works to a detailed list of chapters(alphabetical of course)ranging from allergy, asthma to urology. Within each category the authors almost seem to read your mind. The sub -headings under Urology,for example, are from bedwetting to prostate problems and vasectomy. There's even a chapter on Sports Medicine. Given the state of our Medical profession in the USA today this is really an essential tool up there with the dictionary and Dr. Spock.

Also recommended: The Abandonment of the Patient The Lost Art of Healing

Leaders in higher education should stand up and applaud the efforts of these authors. This is an accurate appraisal of the IT landscape in higher education. Few have ever touched upon this 800 pound gorilla of a subject. These authors have challenged the misperceptions held by many about the real costs of technology. It's about time.

There are 100s of books aimed at people who design web sites. Books that tell you how to write HTML. Books that show you how to design 3D buttons. Books on programming in Perl, Java, etc.

This book takes a completely different approach: it assumes that the people who use web sites just want an easy life. This requires simplicity - not complexity. So, this book on web site development hardly mentions technology. Instead, it focuses on the customers of the technology: it explains how to design e-commerce sites that ordinary people can use (not just yourself, your boss or client!).

The book has now been on the market for three years, but never received the same attention as for instance the usability books from Jakob Nielsen or Steve Krug.

But if you would like a more structured approach then this book is a good pick. His approach is to design a clear roadmap for the web site design or re-design process with lots and lots of forms and checklists that we can put into use Monday morning.

CUSTOMER-CENTRED DESIGN PROCESS
David Travis is a British usability expert with a background from designing Industry Standards. He has designed a customer-centred design process that has four steps. I will outline these steps below:

Step 1: ANALYZE THE OPPORTUNITY
- Identify the stakeholders (who are they? what are their motivations? prioritise the list!)
- Write the site mandate (why it exists? which objectives?)
- Segment the market (e.g. by using Moore's technology adoption lifecyle)

Step 2: BUILD THE CONTEXT OF USE
- Build customer profiles (demographics, web site behavior, needs, and then you design personas)
- Build environment profiles (physical, socio-cultural, and technical)
- Build task profiles (prioritise task portfolio: value to customers vs. ease of implementation)

Step 3: CREATE THE USER EXPERIENCE (an iterative process)
- Develop key performance indicators for the site
- Develop information architecture (the high-level, conceptual model)
- Lay out the screens (the detailed design)
- Evaluate usability (using experts and representative customers)

Step 4: TRACK REAL-WORLD USAGE AND CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVE THE SITE.
The job is done - isn't it? To paraphrase Chuchill: this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. This is the end of the beginning. You will need to change and update the web site as your customers change, if you want a successful web site. These key measures will keep your finger on the pulse of your site: Conversion rate, usage rate by registered customers, fulfilment performance and customer retention. Note that the two last ones are "beyond-the-interface" metrics.
So regularly you need to go back to step 2 or even step 1 again and improve wherever you can. As Einstein said: "The questions remain the same, but the answers differ" as we evolve.

Each of these bullets is devoted a chapter with tools and techniques, so the process is well documented. The author has refined his customer-centred design process through a lot of work with customers, such as HP, Motorola, Financial Times, and Thomas Cook).

Based on his experience, the author suggests three components of a web site's usability.

SCREEN DESIGN:
Although, most web site professionals nowadays accept usability as key to success, then many have a very narrow view of it. According to the author, many think it's only about screen design: choosing the correct fonts, colours, and icons. But in reality, usability is a process. It is not something that can be stapled on at the end of development. It's like putting lipstick on a bulldog ... Optimising screen design is perhaps only 15% of a web site's usability performance.

CONSISTENCY:
Screen design is just one of 3 important components. Consistency is the second key feature and it may account for about 25% of a web site's usability, says David Travis. We can all point to annoying inconsistencies in (or between) much of the software we use. The same goes for web sites.

TASK FOCUS:
The third component of usability, the remaining 60 %, is accounted for by task focus. You know a web site has task focus when you get a feeling that the person who designed the site knew exactly what you wanted to do. The site works the way you expect. There is no need to go searching through menus or dialogue boxes. The main things you want to do are there in front of you - easy to find and simple to carry out. It's intuitive, just like the best computer games, where very quickly the "interface" disappears and you are instead absorbed by the universe of the game - the task.

Of the three components of usability, task focus is the most complicated. Rules for good visual screen design are plentiful. Consistency is a matter of discipline and testing against relevant guides. But achieving task focus is much more complicated - it requires a process, and it is what this book attempts to do (cf. the four step process above).

If you are a structured person, you will love this book. Most usability books consist of many valuable guidelines and hints but are often rather unstructured in their process. This book offers a roadmap to success with the step-by-step approach.

If you are interested in e-commerce usability, then I also recommend you take a look at these books (less structured, but with a lot of useful guidelines):
- Jakob Nielsen: Prioritizing Web Usability (2006)
- Eisenberg: Call to Action: Secret Formulas to Improve Online Results (2005)
- Steve Krug: Don't make me think - A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability (2005)

PS. The book contains about 200 pages.

Peter Leerskov,
MSc in International Business (Marketing & Management) and Graduate Diploma in E-business