Computers and Internet Books

This book is not for beginners, and contrary to the reputation of O'Reilly press, this is not for experts.

The book uses a simple way to discribe many cases of things going bad. But it stays on the superficial layer of the problems.

The paradigm it uses is describe the problem, ways to prevent it, and how to get off the hook. This may seem very tempting to read because of the easy way to analyse the content of the cases. I like the 3 step aproach, but I didn't see and substance of the way she explained and the conjectures of details each process entails.

The book in general is a simpleton... and its boring.

I was unable to find something I really needed from my usual sources, and turned to eBay for help. Sure enough, there it was! I was an eBay virgin, unsure and feeling very vulnerable. Should I try it?
This is exactly the point where "Don't Get Burned on eBay" comes in handy. Reading this book was like finding a good friend and a compass while wandering lost in the wilderness. I started out marking the impor-
tant points I came across but soon gave that up since there wasn't a lot that I didn't feel like underlining. It's crammed full of useful information.
One aspect that doesn't get enough play for the prospective reader in
my opinion is that the book not only tells you how to avoid the scams
and frauds, it also tells a newcomer how to buy and sell with the legiti-
mate people and do it right the first time. To me as a newbie, that was
just as important. And even if you read this and never do an eBay trans-
action, you will have likely learned something about mail-ordering from
anyone. This is a good reference that I will keep in my library.

I've been using eBay since 1999 as both a buyer and a seller. I was amazed at the amount of things I learned from this book. The policies at both eBay and PayPal have been updated significantly over time, and I'm sure like many other people, I was not aware of many of the changes. From tips on insurance and shipping to information on how to block and cancel bids, this book is valuable to any eBay seller. It also provides tons of information for buyers and sellers on how to avoid common scams associated with eBay. For example, I didn't realize that some people would actually switch a new item for an old and try to claim a return. I also didn't realize that eBay flat-out warns against using Western Union - and that even money orders are not secure in an age of easy counterfeiting.

The book is also filled with real stories of eBay snafus which clearly illustrate the author's points. In addition, the author's sense of humor makes the book a pleasure to read. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that is active in eBay - even if you don't read it cover-to-cover, it would act as a great reference guide.

This book should be mandatory reading for every person who buys OR sells on eBay. Both sides need to understand their rights and responsibilities clearly, and understand what exactly to do when things go wrong. In addition, both sides need to know common scams, common problems, the ins and outs of insurance and shipping, and common payment issues. This book covers every important issue clearly and concisely. EBay should give a copy to every new user, and give them a quiz before letting them bid or sell.

In addition to being clear, the author has a sense of humor, which makes this not only informative, but entertaining as well. The chapter layout makes it useful as a reference tool, to which the reader can turn when she has a question. The reader should read the whole book once, but afterwards, it is easily used to refer back to for specific questions or occurrences.

I'm a librarian in a university library, and I evaluate books all the time. For its purpose, this is one of the clearest and best I've seen.

Whether you've been using eBay for years or have been afraid to try it, lest you be ripped off, this book is an invaluable tool. Unlike other books that deal with online subjects, it's actually fun to read. The wit makes these tips and tales very easy to absorb and remember while bolstering your eBay confidence and savvy.

I've been using eBay since 1998 and I still picked up dozens of new things and now understand some of the more esoteric features of the site. When I lent the book to my mom, who has shyed from the site because she felt it was too risky, she proudly made two purchases using only the book as a guide. I wish all DIY and instruction style books were this much fun to read, I'd know how to do a lot more things if they were.

Working with Exchange everyday this is a book I recommend to any IT person wanting to know more about Exchange. This is the best Exchange book I have purchased so far. Don't pass this book up.

I purchased this book as a sys admin working with Exchange Server for the first time, and this book took an already complex product and made it more frustrating. I was looking for a book that would explain the capabilities of Exchange Server and how to configure it to exploit these capabilities. This book seems much more concerned with migration of existing enterprise messaging systems to Exchange and upgrading existing Exchange installations than actually setting up Exchange from scratch.

While I am sure that there is good info in this book that I will eventually use, I would definitely not recommend this book to someone who didn't know quite a bit about Exchange Server to begin with.

This book is giving you hundreds of useful and practical advises about Exchange administration & configuration. Jim Mc Bee knows what he is talking about. Remember there is NO reference book about Exchange but don't miss what is in this one.

I don't usually write reviews, but I had to for this book. The author not only knows his stuff, but is capable of putting his indepth knowledge in a very step 1,2,3 approach, something I have found to be an exception in alot of what I read. One think I have to note, I am the main systems person for a trading firm, and we are required to do message journaling (keeping all communications for three years). I have tried to find information on this topic and how to implement it on many message boards and other forums, as well as in documentation. Being that I did not know the actual term was "journaling" I found this impossible, and therefore, have been backing up every single mailbox, and that does not even "legally" do the trick. This one 2 page section on how to implement this makes this book worth more than money, because we are now legal. To the author, thank you for your help, and I look forward to anymore lit. that you produce!

I picked up this book by accident thinking it would be a good "starter" book. AKA - Having never used exchange server before, I wanted a basic book for setting up accounts, addresses, basic administration, etc. This is not that book at all. If you want a really low level book, look elsewhere. However, I quickly found out Exchange Server is intuative enough that it's easy to figure out the basics all on your own just from playing with it. Aside from that, I am greatly impressed with this book. It's solved every problem I've ran across, and more. The best thirty bucks you'll spend this year.

This book may be overkill for the CCIE R&S track, but if you want to UNDERSTAND VoX and related technologies, this book is awesome. Now I feel like jumping over to the C&S track.

I haven't read the whole book, I'm 50% done, but the first impression is that there's too much theorical information, but I think we really need that. That's absolutely a wonderful resource. After reading some parts of this book I was able to setup a successful VoIP connection. This book also helps to understand the codecs, problems you can find, etc..

Good choice!

Daniel Lafraia
CCNP,CCDP

I bought the 1st edition back in 2000 and since then it is still the most frequently visited reference when I helped my clients to build VoIP networks. It was written completely from a hands-on engineer perspective, aiming at getting the job done. So you would expect very detailed description on signaling ..., design scenario, IOS programming and trouble-shooting in debug mode. My favourite parts are the coverage on Echo, dial-peer programming and SIP. After finishing a SIP network project, I'm just amazed how a book in year 2000 can provide such a farsighted material.

Keagy brings up a lot of important issues a level deeper than most books on the subject. It is a great reference book but most sections are readable all the way through. If you are moderately technical or very technical you'll get something out of this book. The more books you buy the subject the more you'll appreciate this one for its attention to detail and clarity.

I'm a qualified Cisco CCSI/Microsoft course trainer, and needed a book to get me started in the area of Voice networks in a reasonably technical, practical and non-trivial manner. I definitely found it in this book. Keagy provided an excellent overview of the operational details of voice networks & SS7, and married this well to Voice-IP networks and WAN technologies. It was refreshing in that, although Cisco oriented, you are thankfully spared the worst of Cisco's product placement sales pitch (for which you'd need the CVoice book). In fact I can concur with other reviewers in that Keagy's obvious practical experience, mature expressive style with plenty of useful figures/illustrations (which I personally as a trainer really appreciate) and ability to impart knowledge in an enjoyable worldly manner shine throughout in the text in a style that is remniscent of Doyle Routing - I look forward to more books by Keagy (hopefully his wife will let him :o)
Although you can buy books that cover the individual chapters in more detail (Keagy provides numerous references), this single tome is a must for anyone breaking into the trendy area of Voice from a predominantly data networking background.

Joseph Lowery has a love affaire with Dreamweaver dating back to 1998 and version 1.0; that's why this book is more than just an expert writing about a piece of software, Joseph is passionate about Dreamweaver and the result is a real work of love. The book contains 10 chapters, covering different topics; each chapter stands on its own, allowing the reader to pick only one topic at time, there is no need to read from cover to cover here. The vast majority of the material available here is simply not available elsewhere; Mr Lowery covered things that may surprise even a seasoned Dreamweaver veteran like me. If you enjoy pushing Dreamweaver to its limits you can't miss this one

Beyond Dreamweaver covers one of my favorite things about Dreamweaver, which is its open-endedness. Web design is all about pushing limits -- of our own knowledge, of HTML, of browsers -- and Dreamweaver gives its users lots of room to push. So you want to adapt Dreamweaver to work with your company's Content Management System? This book shows you how. You want to work with the latest, greatest XML-based language out there, even though Dreamweaver doesn't *officially* support it? Dreamweaver can support just about anything you throw at it, and this book shows you how. And each chapter is written from a problem-solving, why-would-I-want-to-do-this perspective that makes it quickly useful.

This book will show you what you didn't even know you need to know. I am a medium to advanced Dreamweaver user and I learned so much from this book, starting in the first chapter. I think this book is perfect for people who have used the software for a while, but don't really push it to its limits. Mr. Lowery shows you important things in two general categories: how to accomplish things you couldn't before and how to streamline your workflow to be more efficient.

With an abundance of books on the market focusing on the techniques built into Macromedia's Dreamweaver MX product, reading this book was a breath of fresh air as it takes the product, and completely blows it apart.

The techniques in this book, such as integrating DMX into your content management solution, extending the product using C++ as well as dealing with cutting issues such as accessibility will make you more productive and your workflow more refined.

Lowery leaves no stone unturned, showing clearly how to integrate through the extensibility layer with Fireworks; and explains how to link data into Flash in a concise, easy to understand way.

The techniques discussed are also fully extendable to your own ideas so the book will lay down a very important framework.

A fantastic tome which should hold pride of place on your desktop.

If you have been working with Dreamweaver for some time now, and are ready to take your skills to the next level, Beyond Dreamweaver is the perfect resource. Through a concise and straightforward writing style, the author takes you on a broad exploration of development possibilities beyond Dreamweaver's "everyday" usage.

The book begins with an excellent chapter on the ease of integrating Dreamweaver MX with Content Management Systems. While this chapter may not seem as relevant to developers since Macromedia's introduction of their content management system - Contribute, it clearly demonstrates the extensibility of Dreamweaver. In doing so, it opens the reader's mind to virtually unlimited possibilities for creating custom integrations. Additionally, it continues to be a valuable example for developers using other Content Management Systems such as Interwoven or BlueMartini.

The next chapter provides an excellent overview of Section 508 website accessibility requirements. It also discusses new features available in Dreamweaver MX that will assist developers in ensuring that their websites are accessible.

Beyond Dreamweaver goes on to provide a great introduction to XML. Examples clearly demonstrate how to use Dreamweaver MX, both to export template content to XML and import XML into Dreamweaver templates.

The next few chapters present a variety of techniques that will enhance productivity. You will learn how to build Sequential Navigational Systems for both small and large scale websites; about Dreamweaver's ability to cross-integrate with other Macromedia products such as Fireworks and Flash; and how to go beyond Dreamweaver's built in capabilities and actually build your own custom cross-product extensions.

If you are interested in creating your own extensions, Beyond Dreamweaver explains how to use the standard classes and libraries that ship with Dreamweaver as a starting point. And if you really want to dig in and explore under the hood, it gives you an excellent example of how to take this even further by using C++ to create your own extensions to JavaScript.

The chapter "Making Flash Connections" was of particular interest to me as a designer/developer who specializes in Flash site development and dynamically generated database driven websites. A valuable example that was provided demonstrates the ability to pass data - either static or dynamically generated - from a Dreamweaver coded page to a Flash .swf file. Additionally, a second example demonstrates the new Flash Remoting features which allows Flash to send and receive more complete data structures. I particularly enjoyed exploring the possibilities of combining the Macromedia tri-product MX powerhouse - Flash, Dreamweaver and ColdFusion. Quite a combo!

Beyond Dreamweaver does not extensively delve into any one topic. Instead it provides the reader with a broad range of examples that can be used as a springboard for further exploration.

I picked up this book because I have always found e-mail to be an effective way to begin and develop relationships with interesting people I would never have otherwise met. That's one of the many reasons I like to write reviews on Amazon.com. Since most books about the Internet are extremely simple and out-of-date, I had low expectations. Imagine how pleased I was when I discovered that this book not only answered many of my questions (such as how to get started with e-mailing to opt-in lists of people who have given permission to be contacted with information in certain subject areas) but also provided information that I did not imagine existed (such as sites for posting e-mail press releases and statements of competency to reach the media). Best of all, the ideas here take little capital and expertise so most people who are active on the Internet can use them.

Here is the table of contents to give you a sense of how the book is organized:

Chapter 1: E-Mail Newsletters

Chapter 2: Discussion Lists

Chapter 3: Online Networking

Chapter 4: Signature Files

Chapter 5: Autoresponders

Chapter 6: Customer Relationship Management

Chapter 7: Promotions and Direct E-Mail

Chapter 8: Online Public Relations

Chapter 9: Advertising in E-Publications

Chapter 10: E-Mail Marketing Rulebook

Chapter 11: Technical Know-How

Chapter 12: Measuring Results

Chapter 13: Opt-In List Brokering

Chapter 14: Worksheets

Chapter 15: 20 Recommended E-Mail Publications

As a result of reading this book, I began to wonder if I should also offer a free e-mail newsletter of more analytical and detailed book reviews covering those books I like best, with the reviews organized to be easier to access. Your opinions on that subject are most welcome!

The technical support in the book can save you some money on implementing by allowing you to do more of the work yourself. You are also directed to examples and organizations that can help you. I wrote down more than 30 web sites I want to investigate as a result of reading this book. That's about 27 more than I got out of the last 400 books I have read.

Another positive feature of the book is that it is anti-Spam. If you are like me, you get about 40 Spam messages a day that have no connection to any interest you have and seem to be created by people with little talent. One reason I have been slow to use more e-mail marketing is because I am very anti-Spam and didn't want to become a Spammer even by accident.

The best advice from the book is to build your own lists from people who reply to you and give you permission to contact them again, and use those to establish and maintain mutually supportive relationships. That makes sense to me. My web designer has been urging me on with this idea for years, but I never quite got the point before. Now I see what I should be doing. Even though I have read and liked Permission Marketing, the idea just hadn't clicked before.

Even if you don't plan to do e-mail mass marketing, the ideas in here for online public relations will make the book valuable all by themselves.

The authors also offer you access to their web site for more information and help.

A revised edition is planned for a few weeks from now, and I suspect that it would be a good idea to see what is in that edition as well. I wouldn't wait for that one, however, to get started. You can make significant progress in the meantime with this edition.

After you have finished reading this book, ask yourself what is the one thing you could do today that would help get valuable knowledge out to those who need it most. Then take that action. I also urge you to make that question and action step a daily process thereafter. This book should make you very capable of doing this!

For anyone looking for an experienced and relaible method of managing opt-in email marketing this is for you.

Marketing With E-Mail is a quick reading that broadens your horizon by giving you a concise, to the point overview of the different tools available to market a company and its products/ services through e-mail. Permission marketing is the mantra of Marketing With E-Mail and her author, Shannon Kinnard. E-mail marketing, though important, is not a stand-alone communication channel. By offering your prospects and customers multiple response paths, you increase the probability that they will respond to your product offering. In addition, Marketing With E-Mail and the companion web site refer to many resources that you can explore to get additional insights into that new field of marketing. Shannon Kinnard, however, does not cover the economics of e-mail marketing thoroughly. Case studies are not usually backed up by any in-depth financial analysis that should definitely convince you that investing in e-mail marketing provides a sensible return on investment and positively influences customer lifetime value. Hopefully, Shannon Kinnard will further share her (financial) expertise with you in the second edition of Marketing With E-Mail that will be released soon.

I am a technoid (See my about me area) so when I first started reading this book and Kinnard described the tools I thought the book was going to be fairly boring. Later when I entered in the chapters on marketing I was thrilled with an entry level book.

I needed (and still need) good ideas to help me market my business. I used my highlighter a great deal in this book. In almost every one of the later chapters I found really good ideas. Also the structure of the book was wonderful. The beginning of every chapter is a series of descriptive or narrative paragraphs, case study, resources and a cheat sheet. The structure that Kinnard uses makes this a tool for reference as well as a good read.

Finally, I think Kinnard has an excellent style. I think one of the great tasks of writing a book like this one is that most of the audience really is not interested in reading the material. We just want to know it so that we can use it. So, time spent reading and learning about email is tiresome. Kinnard does a good job of making the paint dry quickly.

As a web designer for small businesses, the task of bringing visitors to a site often falls into my lap. It's a daunting task and with internet marketing still in it's infancy it's difficult to look to anyone as an expert. Ms. Kinnard is worth her weight in gold; demonstrating how to handle the new field of e-marketing and expertly giving how-to advice.

Many of my clients are regional shops and businesses that do not have the big business (big $$) marketing budgets. Not only do I often find myself referring to this book often, but I recommend it to all of my clients as well.

Business owners are often one of the biggest draws for a business; their personality, eye for detail, or craftsmanship is what attracts customers. By reading this book, my clients are able to market themselves, which my all accounts is a win-win scenario.

If you own a business or if you represent a business that is trying to increase their market share on the Internet, make this mandatory reading.

This book is well written and contains a lot of great content about Internet marketing. It was written by three CEO's whom have made their own success. I would say that its focus is more from the serious business perspective than for the armature home business newbie looking for some "how to?". But still this book was definitely worth my time. It was easily worth my 12 dollars! This book has many references which will really help out and all the theory is backed by statistics making all the data very convincing. I am sure that if any of those dot com's had this data, there would be more of them still around :)

One of the hardest things about being successful on the Internet is keeping up with the pace at which the playing field keeps changing. I found this book to be extremely well-written, and more importantly, presents information in a way that's not dated by the time you've read it. It's good, simple, common-sense advice for what works. Loved the case studies. It's an invaluable resource for entrepreneurs who can benefit from others' experiences.

There are many titles that deal with the topic of web marketing. Net Results.2 stands head and shoulders above the rest. It addresses the complexities faced by both novice and experienced marketers and provides solid, understandable advice for achieving success at either level. Great case studies help pull the advice into context and give the reader insight into tried and true methodologies that really work. The real beauty of this book, however, is that it provides AFFORDABLE advice for how to garner online success and build traffic. I believe that many of the now failed dot.com startups would still be around today had they heeded the advice available in Net Results.2.

Bought this to read over the weekend. Was a very good read, but what I found amazing is at least 1/3 off the web resources they list are either dead links or offer a totally different services than what was discussed in the book. Great for basics, great ideas - but they really need to update the book (which I would buy)

NetResults.2 is an overview of what is necessary to market a web site. Nine chapters explain things from Investment Goals to Public Relations. Each chapter has pictorial examples of the explanation and a Resource section at the end of each chapter. The book is printed in an easy-to-read font, large enough to make reading a breeze.

The Content section contains seven pages, an appendix of Internet Resources is nine-pages and the index section is seventeen pages long making it user-friendly. On each cover is an extra "turn over" so you can "bookmark" where you stopped reading and as an added incentive, the book cover is plastisized so you can read and drink your coffee without fear of spillage!

Jack Herrington's "Podcasting Hacks" (O'Reilly) is an excellent collection of tips, tricks, and explanations about making, publishing, and enjoying podcasts.

Although the book is primarily aimed at people who are creating podcasts, it also contains some info on the tools and techniques for finding and listening to them.

The O'Reilly "Hacks" books are structured as a series of specific projects, "hacks", that you can implement, but most every hack also includes a valuable explanation of the technology or expertise it uses.

The hacks in this book fall into both technical and non-tech categories. There's plenty on microphones, mixers and mp3 files. But also a lot on interviewing, blogging and getting publicity for your 'cast.

The book's first Chapter is the only one specifically for podcast listeners. It talks about sites and directories for finding the podcasts that are of interest to you. It also describes systems for downloading them, and the software for listening. Although the chapter contains much good info, it seems a bit out of place to me, in a book which is mostly of interest to people already looking to produce podcasts.

Chapters 2, 3 and 4 are "Starting Out", "Quality Sound", and "Formats". They dive into the gear and technology of recording and producing your podcasts.

Chapter 5 "Interviewing", and 7 "Publicity", tell about how to collect valuable and useful content, and how to get the word out to your potential audience.

Chapter 6 "Blogging" covers how to use a blog to publicize and distribute your podcast. It covers the most popular blogging systems like Movable Type, WordPress, Drupal and others. It covers using an existing blog, or setting up a new one. Also creating and managing the all-important RSS feed for your podcast. It also talks about internet hosting services which specialize in providing online storage and bandwidth for podcasts, which, because they are larger-sized files, can be a burden on traditional hosting arrangements.

Chapters 8 & 9, "Basic Editing" and "Advanced Audio", expand upon the post-production and audio tech material already covered. And Chapter 10 "On the Go" talks about recording podcasts out in the field.

"Podcasting Hacks" was first published in 2005, before the boom in video on the net, so it is short on info for video-podcasters. Though much of the discussion on interviewing, distribution, publicity, and hosting are directly applicable to video 'casts. Chapter 10 "Videoblogging" touches briefly on what was then an infant medium.

All in all, "Podcasting Hacks" a very useful and informative book, for both new and experienced podcasters.

Introduction
From the title, my impression was that this book would provide several specific technically-advanced strategies to maximize efficiency and enjoyment of podcasts. The strategies covered wouldn't necessarily be comprehensive, but rather serve as additional specialized tools one could add to the toolkit. Contrary to my impression, I was pleasantly surprised at the range of topics covered. I assumed from the term "hacks" in the title that the book's focus was going to be on adapting software and hardware for easier podcasting creation and consumption. However, there was plenty of focus on soft-skills as well, like methods of hacking your voice to sound better in a recorded format, or how to hack an experience you've had into a well-told and interesting story for a podcast.

Things I Liked

The book's foreward, believe it or not, contains the most succinct and accurate description of what podcasting is -- and isn't -- that I've read anywhere. I am mistrustful when a technology is advertised as "the hot new thing that everyone is doing!" because it usually seems to be a solution in search of a problem. That the foreward took a realistic tone made me favorably anticipate what would come in the rest of the book. The other thing that set this book apart was its range of contributors. There are hacks supplied by professional newscasters, popular podcasters, technologists of all stripes, and developers of podcasting tools and applications. These wide-ranging perspectives allowed the author to cover everything from writing Perl scripts to understanding basic copyright law to setting up a home studio to marketing your podcast - all in all, having this book is like getting to pick the brains of the top people doing podcasting, and having concise written documentation upon which to refer.

Things I Liked Not So Much

A minor point, but as someone who does not use Macs, PCs AND Linux boxes on a daily basis, I really only care about stuff available for the platform I work on. But the format of the book didn't allow me to easily locate the information relevant to me. When the book discussed software and hardware options, it wasn't clear which platform a hack was for until late into the description. A small addition to the hack title, like "Mac Only", would have remedied this.

In addition, the organization of the hacks was surprising and a little frustrating at times. For example,
Hack #2 is writing a perl script to re-assemble feeds of your choosing from other sites as a customized rebroadcast. As I was reading the hack, I thought about several questions one might be expected to have, such as "What is perl?", "What do I need to utilize this script?", and "How can I tell if this script will work with my web server"? These issues weren't covered until Hack #7. In another example, chapter 3 explores how to get quality sound; , the author uses terms like "condenser microphones" and "phantom power" early on, which he doesn't really explain until later on in the chapter when he discusses the various types of microphones.

Do you know how to listen to a podcast and produce one of your own? If you don't, this outstanding book is for you! Author Jack Herrington, has written a great book about how to find great podcasts and subscribe to them without filling your hard disk.

Herrington begins by showing you how to listen to podcasts through your browser and on a variety of different devices. Next, the author takes you through the basic hardware and software setup required to make high-quality podcasts. Then, he covers in depth how to pick the right audio hardware for your podcast; as well as, how to reduce noise to get that elusive clean sound. The author continues by covering the formats of various shows, and provides examples of formats; as well as, case studies of many popular podcasts. In addition, you'll also learn how to interview people, and how to edit the interviews. The author also concentrates on the mechanics of posting your podcasts to the Internet. Next, the author shows you how to market your podcast, make some money off it, and work with the podcasting community. Then, you will learn the basics of audio editing, what applications are available, and how to understand and use audio effects and filters. The author continues by taking things a step further and shows you how to build your own home studio, integrate audio feedback, add sound effects, and more. In addition, the author shows you how to take your show on the road with the hacks. Finally, he covers the basics of videoblogging and shows you how to create a teleprompter to give your videoblogs a professional feel.

So, if you want to get the best sound with the lowest noise, read this most excellent book. Herrington, has gone in great detail in this book, to help you produce a podcast that people will want to listen to, because of what you say and do.

As usual, Oreilly's combination of technical tips and tricks with straightforward implementation is excellent. I hadn't tried any of the Hacks series yet, and found that I'm thoroughly enjoying it. They are an excellent way to quickly get important pieces of information, while still comprehensively covering the topic.

The only downside is that it may not be a great book for those without some computer skills. But, if you know computers and don't know Podcasting, this is an excellent find.

Disclosure: my podcast is mentioned in his book. I find myself reaching for this book nearly every episode I create. I thought I was doing fine with my little show before Jack came out with this book. When it was published, I was shocked at how much he had gathered, and how much I had to learn! Jack has covered a very broad area, and yet kept a balance so that you feel like every page can be applied to your podcast. I find the guidance he gives on everything from equipment to environmental noise, to show format, to legal music use to be relevant to each episode I create. I continue to go back and find new tips to improve my show. I highly recommend it.

The thing I like about this book is that it ranges from basics to advanced development strategizing. It seems to have been developed for use by individuals as well as in a (relaxed, hip?) classroom situation. I read it on my own, but can imagine it's structure making the teacher's job easy. As an "international reader," I think this book offers good insights into the workings of the U.S. corporate web economy... valuable when thinking about new directions for developing websites in one's own country.

I'm working on a re=design of a non-profit site and had expected this book (based on the title) to give me some real-world design advice. Instead, the book focuses on the design PROCESS itself. Things like knowing who your users / customers are and what they need from your site, getting buy-in from the site owners, prototyping, testing, etc. And even then the amount of real "take-away" information is scant (in my opinion). I had used another book (The Design of Sites - highly recommend) and must have bookmarked (the old fashioned way) 100 or more pages. On Ms. Phyo's book I found only 6 pages to be valuable (to me). If you're in the market to set up a web design team or business, this is a good book. If you're looking for decent web design help, look elsewhere. My 2-cents.

I'm no expert on Web design. However, I do spend a great deal of time fiddling with badly desined web sites. Certainly everyone has encountered a web site that made them want to scream.

I do understand what is involved in building a web site, we build them regularly. Ani Phyo is very intuitive and approaches her subject matter with great finessse. I have interacted with sites that she and her partner have designed and clearly, they get it. Not only are the sites intuitive and smart but they take it to the next level. They have an organic nature that transcends what you'd expect on the web. Their sites are breathing, living organisms. To encounter them is to be a part of a community. Yes, a community! Isn't that what the Internet is all about?

I highly recommend this book mostly for the client. The client needs to define their needs and comprehend what is possible. The designer can take it to the next level.

Finally, someone has written the book that describes the best way to think about designing interactive media. As a professional web designer/architect, I've found Ani really nails it in terms of process, and will help me cover my bases better. I recommend this book for beginners, who can now start out right the first time. And for veteran web people, this is a comprehensive, clear document of the methodology you might have been using for years, but may have cut corners on. My copy is going to have lots of dog-ears...

If you ever wanted a 7-step recipe for designing applications for Web delivery, this is the book for you. I appreciate the time and money I am saving on my current Web project by following a tested process that really works.
Regardless if you are responsible for site management, defining system requirements, Web content development, visual design, back-end programming, or usability testing of Web-delivered applications, following this process is both cost effective and fun. Return on Design is a gourmet meal consisting of step-by-step procedures, supportive examples, visuals, resources, and a consistent information design approach, which all serve to differentiate this Web design book from the others.
The bottom line is: do you want your site to be revenue generating? Your chances for success are better if you follow a user-centered design "recipe" for success.

I am new as an ebay seller and I plan to open a store soon I hope. I bought this book in order to get good, helpful tips and advices. I got them! This book goes in depth in every aspect. Very detailed oriented and this is what I wanted. Definitely a great buy and a must have.

A Gotta Have book if you are planning on Marketing an eBay business. Great reference for the experienced eBayer.

I have been selling on Ebay for over 2 years. But after reading this book I realize how little I knew about marketing my product. This little gem contains very valuable information about making the most out of Ebay's competitive marketplace. This book is interesting to read and gives clear step by step instructions for changes you can make to Market your Ebay items. Like I said, I thought I knew a lot about Ebay but I was surprised by how much I learned from this book!

I've been selling on ebay since July 2005. Part time. I've read 8 books on ebay. This is one of the Best. I have not had time to use the info in it. But have tried to impliment some of the tips. It is full of great ideas and sources of the kind of information one needs to be successful on ebay. I highly recommed it.

This book is hardcore. Give a lot of info and can save painfull hours of try-and-faild. You need to read it.

Good book for beginner, if you are just learning get this book.There are things in this book that took me years to learn by trial and error unfortunaely for me I only learned a couple of new things, but it did give me some certainty in what I did know. However Im now looking for a intermediate book which is what I really needed.

The book lives up to its reputation as being a beginners guide. Good resource for those now getting into computers. And, it also has some good steps for Vista too.

Like most people,i avoided the 21st century technology by continuly saying to myself it was not something i needed.I finally took the plunge,a friend set up my Toshiba A2125 and found the"Absolute beginners guide on your web page.It,s format coinsides with my 73 year old mindset.Congradulations Michael Miller

This a great book for aquainting yourself with your computer. If you are new to the computer world as I was you will find this book very helpful in taking control of your computer instead of it controlling you. It covers both versions of Windows: XP & Vista. I would recommend it to anyone just starting out. I think it would be safe to say it could save you a lot of time in the longrun and maybe keep you from pulling your hair out!

I have been using a computer for many years and still did not understand all the task/programs I could have been using. This book has been extremely helpful working as a primer explaining everything very clearly and is still up to date with the Windows Vista. I would highly recommend this book.