Computers and Internet Books

This book is a complete guide and very easy to read. Simple said it's GOOD.

Mauri

This is the most important IT security title written in the past year or more. Why? Custom web applications offer more opportunities for exploitation than all of the publicized vulnerabilities your hear about combined. This book gives expert treatment to the subject. I found the writing to be very clear and concise in this 727 page volume. There is minimal fluff. While everything is clearly explained, this is not a beginners book. The authors assume that you can read html, JavaScript, etc... Usually with a book like this there are a few really good chapters and some so-so chapters, but that's not the case here. Chapters 3-18 in this book rock all the way through. Another huge plus is the tools in this book are free.

The first few chapters provide context and background information. Chapter 3 on Web Application Technologies provides particularly useful background info. The next 666 pages of the book are all about attacking the applications.

There next five chapters cover mapping application functionality, client side controls, authentication, sessions, and access controls. The coverage is comprehensive. I'm not new to these topics, but I learned so much in every chapter. The depth of coverage is amazing.

The next six chapters are the heart of this book. They cover injection, path traversal, application logic, XSS and related attacks, automating attacks, and information disclosure. You'll find full treatment of attacks we're all familiar with like SQL injection and cross site scripting as well as many that most of us haven't heard of before. The danger is real and these chapters need to be read.

The final next four chapters cover attacks against compiled applications, application architecture, web servers, and source code. The final two chapters are more useful as a quick reference. They provide an overview of the tools covered throughout the book and describe attack methodology discussed throughout the book for exploiting each technology.

This book scores five easily based on the relevance and value of the information.

This is an excellent book. Many books of this nature leave you wanting. They talk in complicated jargon, excite you about learning new concepts, and then leave you hanging with no real application of what you are learning. This is not the case with This book.

This book is excellent for both the beginner and the advanced! Plenty of real examples! Walks the beginner through the concepts of foot printing. It explains the technologies and then for the advanced it talks about creating custom code for each vulnerability.

This is a must have for any security professional's library! it was worth every penny!

This is a great read for anyone interested in the security of modern web applications. It covers the hacking process from mapping the attack surface to exploiting input validation, access control, session management, and authentication vulnerabilities using real-world examples and diagrams. There is an in-depth 100pg chapter on injecting code(e.g. SQL, OS, script, etc injection) and a 95pg chapter on attacking other users(e.g. XSS, request forgery, etc attacks). There is information about bypassing common sanitization techniques in cases where user input is sanitized. The book also covers how to write your own scripts to automate complex attacks. At the end of each section are the steps necessary to defend your application against the attacks that were described with an emphasis on "defense-in-depth"; an approach where one tries to prevent the compromise of the whole application even if one component of it is already compromised.

This book is extremely up to date with its coverage of new AJAX and XSS-type attacks while still covering the relatively old vulnerabilities like buffer overflows and sql injections.

The authors are both professional penetration testers which gives them credibility over the information they provide in this book, and one of them is the author of the excellent free web application hacking tool called Burp Suite.

I would recommend this book to anyone that has a basic knowledge of how the Web works (http, javascript, cookies, html, and basics of a programming language like php or java) although you could learn these technologies as you are reading the book which would take some more time.

If you do any type of professional Web Application Assessments then this is your bible. I have read many books on web app assessments and perform many Web Application Assessments for many large companies and government agencies and this is an excellent resource. I use Dafydd's Burp Suite and I can not say enough about it. If you are serious about Web Application security then this is a must read. Thanks to Dafydd and Marcus for a great book.

Kevin

not so clear to follow. Author get into many details at some points. 3 stars

I have never wrote a review before but had to with this book. Of the 3 wi fi books I bought here, this one stood apart from the others. Especaily if you are looking to scale up from 1 or 2 user networks.

I checked it out at the library to get a better understanding of the WiFi technologies and how they can be deployed. As a new marketing executive for a WISP (Wireless Internet Service Provider), I found the information easy to comprehend with enough depth to allow a non-technical person like myself to actively participate in highly-technical meetings. I immediately added it to my Christmas wish list.

I purchased this book for a good in-depth overview on the 802.11x protocol. It went above and beyond my expectations. Clearly explained topics and well written chapters come together for one of the best technical books I have read to date. Excellent coverage of the RF properties of 802.11x.Covers all the areas one must consider if building a WLAN, WWAN, or WMAN. This book really opened my eyes to the potential of wi-fi and its applications, I especially appreciated the authors inclusion of various economic aspects in the book. i.e potential for profit in WISP industry, and cost/efficiency analysis of wired VS. wireless networks.

I recently bought this book after I borrowed it from my local library. I tried to find it a second time, and it's always checked-out in all four branches of our library system. The call number is 004.678 OHR. Out of all the 802.11 books, this is one that is the most packed with the real information you need to install an 802.11 network - antenna theory, how to do site surveys, how networks connect together, how to do an as-built. The book also describes how to debunk and overcome the perceived barriers that keep people from using wireless - security, interference, regulatory issues... If I was to recommend one single book on 802.11 to anyone, this would be the one. It definitely earns its five stars.

Attention Michael Pachis and others who purchased this book in 2006: I am the book's author and when I saw your comments, I contacted my publisher. If you purchased a copy recently and received it in 3-hole punch format, send me an email and I'll put you in touch with the publisher. They have a small number of perfect bound copies they can send you instead. Use the email address on the right side on my personal web site (kensall.com) home page. I hope this helps.
(I gave this 5 stars simply to not impact the book's current rating.)

This is an excellent book to understand, develop and code XML. However, in the parsing discussions (chp 7-10) an understanding of OOP and Java programming are almost required. Other than that, it is an excellent text.

I want to warn customers that the publisher has gone to a "print on demand" publishing model and this book is not delivered as a paperback, but as eleven hundred three hole punched loose leaf pages! This leaves you with the task of finding a binder after paying 40$ for the book! Since it is book size (8 x 10) it awkawardly fits into a standard 8.5 x 11 binder, not very convenient for reading or transporting, and you need the binder to be 3.5" thick to fit the book in the binder.

I gave it five stars for content, but this new method of publishing gets zero stars.

This book is not an "how to" guide, nor does it claim to be one. I mean by this that if you are, say a Java programmer looking for a book that concretely shows you how to integrate xml with Java then you would be better off with one of the so many Java/XML books on the market.

However, if in your work or your studies you feel that you need to gain a more thorough understanding of the W3C specifications related to XML, then this is the book to buy.

All the W3C specs are available for free on the web. The trouble is, W3C documents are designed to provide a precise definition of a standards, they are not designed to be especially intelligible by mere mortals (however technologically enclined). Some are quite readable, others far less.

Firstly, I really like that this book present all the relevant specifications and working drafts in perspective. Secondly, I found that it does a remarkably good job at translating these specifications (without simplifying them) in understandable terms.

In my work, I am interested in gaining as thorough as possible a view of XMl technologies and this book helps me greatly. I also like the fact that it present a well-organized bibliography at the end of each chapter (sadly many computer books from Wrox, O'reilly, Que an like don't have a bibiography as if to say "everything inside this book comes straight from the author's mind. DO not look any further).

I have reviewed for myself around twenty XML books. I found this book to be one of my top favorite. I recommend it especially for:
- CS students or programmer with a theoretical bent.
- anybody who wants to get a thorough overview of W3C standards.

Where to start? With the concise history of where XML came from and why each design decision was made and how the evolution of specifications took place over the years, or the thorough explanation of all the XML specifications, or the programming and parsing aspects of XML and metadata, or the cool XML timeline poster towards the end of the book? This book has much to offer any person interested in finding out what XML is and why and how it has changed our world.

Kenneth B. Sall, the author of this book, organized this book in a fashion where each section could be studied on its own, and if there are references to the previous sections, they are appropriately mentioned. This way, one does not need to sit down and cover this 1000+ page book cover to cover to realize that the topic of conversation is. The stage is set at the beginning by the author commenting on the fact that XML can describe everything under the sun, even the kitchen sink:

"XML: ... maybe it's everything but the kitchen sink? Say, have you heard the one about the XML Kitchen Sink Language? ..."

I have been working with XML for sometime now, and I am still amazed at how it has grown and expanded in to our everyday lives in the past few years. One can spend months coming up to speed with the specifications and the XML "realm", and that's not enough. This book does not even cover, in a great detail at least, the Web services realm. That alone is a couple of thousand page book. The background topics are essential to any reader: basic XML syntax, DTD, Canonical XML, Namespaces and XML Schema. Once you have these topics covered and well understood, you can jump around to any other part of the book, displaying XML data for example or XML programming API's.

One can spend a couple of hours trying to figure out how these specifications fit in, but the author hs already done the job with a very useful picture inside the cover page. What's your forte? Cascading Style Sheets to convert XML data into a PDF document for example, or an XHTML document to display on a web site? XHTML is also covered in length, if you do not know that is and what it offers over the plain old HTML.
My favorite topics were probably the authors explanation of the XML parsing and the available API's and resources. SAX, DOM, JAXP and JDOM are covered in great detail.
* SAX - the API that started it all. Minimal and light-weight. Fast and event driven.
* DOM - Memory intensive, complex, but very powerful. It's a tree based model, and the tree represents the whole document.
* JDOM - java specific. Can be used with either DOM or SAX.
* JAXP - java specific again, but easier to use than JDOM.
There are also a number of C++ XML parsers that the author touches on such as the Apache Xerces, C++ SAX and many others, but the main topics revolve around the four most popular parsers mentioned. These sections are mostly tutorials and how-to's. Each parser is used in an example and example is analyzed piece by piece. DOM is covered in more detail due to the number of levels (DOM level 1-3) that it has. Since DOM is more powerful and more complicated, the topic is a bit more advanced and would require more attention from a novice. If you read thru the SAX chapter and understand it well, DOM would not be that much of hurtle, but make sure that you read understand SAX first. Java centric API's including XML-RPC, JAXB, JDOM, JAXM are covered by the author to depict how XML can be used and how it would benefit the application - and developers in-turn. The icing on the cake is when K. B. Sall outlines the differences between SAX, DOM, JDOM and JSAX. He talks about each of the technologies in detail, tell you what the advantage and disadvantage of each one is, and then it compares them against each other. By the time you are done reading these sections, you would become an expert in XML parsing and programming.

XLink and XPointer. How can one leave without these two core technologies and tools? They are truly remarkable; easy to use, light weight and easy to learn. Well, they are well covered - as you would expect from this book. One thing about these topics is that they could be very abstract and need examples, and we got lots of those. The example depict the efficacy of how one can use XLink to create complex connections between sets of resources, even though you do not have a write access to those resources. This is very handy and resourceful technique is you need to build an e-commerce site. With XPointer, one can locate individual XML elements, set of elements or even a range of XML data between two points. The ability to specify "range" of elements is where the true power of XPointer is revealed.

The references, the related resources for each topic, simple to complicated examples and a CD filled with goodies, source code used throughout the book and the W3C specifications at your fingertips outline the some of the other benefits of Kenneth B. Sall's "XML Family of Specifications" book.

I can only take one little challenge at a time. So far Sandy Berger's book has helped me with e-mail and finding and organizing things. Those two chapters are my favorite chapters. The reward for working hard to understand attachments with Sandy's help is being able to receive pictures of all four grandkids that are scattered around the country. This book opened that door for me. I look forward to tackling other chapters and learning other skills.

I did not have any computer experience. I was not fortunate to be exposed to computers during my schooling. I felt like I could learn to use the computer and found this book to be the perfect tool to help me.

I read the paragraph by Horrace Deets, AARP's top guy, and agree that Sandy Berger can help you get the most out of your computer experience. I feel like I am making up for no computer experience and will have plenty of computer fun in the future.

I found out you don't have to be described as a "Grown-up" to enjoy this book. My parents are enjoying it but they are o.k. with the description "grown-up"; I don't think it fits me. Still I found the information in Sandy Berger's Your Official Grown-up's Guide to AOL and the Internet right on the mark for what I needed to know about computers. And I am only 27. So I guess it doesn't matter where useful information comes from as long as it is helpful.

I love this book. I am 66 and just bought my first computer three months ago. This book, along with America Online Simplified, is my bible. It is so easy to understand and so complete. I will continue learning from it.

Reviewer: Paul Gerstenbluth (ariefound@aol.com)

Review: Grown-up's Guide to AOL and the Internet, IDG Books Worldwide

Give me a Ticket to Ride on. The Grown-up's Guide to AOL and the Internet is your destination ticket to a rewarding online experience. America Online makes it easy to arrive online, but what do you do once you get there?

Open Grown-up's Guide to AOL and the Internet and find the road signs to:

* Travel and navigate AOL and the Web using links, browsers, and search engines

* Stay in touch with family and friends with AOL email and learn about Instant Messaging and Buddy Lists; and

* Explore popular topics online including travel, money, health, hobbies, retirement, research, and genealogy.

Grown-up's Guide to AOL and the Internet's Contents at a Glance:

Pro Reaction

Book font is 14 points for easy reading. Grown-up's Guide to AOL and the Internet pages are loaded with tips, definitions, cross-references and notes. Also, there are dictionary type thumb indexes through-out the 15 chapters for finding information quickly.

CD-ROM contains America Online version 3.0 and 4.0 for the Macintosh. Also, it contains for PC users' 5.0 for Windows.

Con Reaction

Missing from CD-ROM is Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator for Macintosh users. Utility shareware such as Always Online should have been included on the CD. Also, missing is summary of index of Websites mentioned in the book.

End Notes

The Grown-up's Guide to AOL and the Internet is an easy-to-use traveler's guide, written specifically for adults 50 and older. It shows you step-by-step how to use the Internet to enhance your daily life.

The book also shows you how to find invaluable resources and services such as e-mail, travel planning, hobbies, health and money management, and retirement tips.

Grown-up's Guide to AOL and the Internet simplifies and defines the lingo, walks you through the basics, and points you to online destinations and activities.

=== Paul Gerstenbluth is President of the ARIE Foundation. The ARIE Foundation's mission is to provide VA hospitalized patients with hobby materials and computers that helps in their stay and recovery.

I have been using GoLive since the Cyberstudio days, and this book STILL florred me on how much useful information it contained. Everything from the "Well duh! I can't believe I didn't know that" to the "WOW" tips are in here.

Simple. Consolidated. Useful.

This book is a great catalyst for experienced as well as new GoLive users. It's great way to learn all those little hidden, new or forgotten goodies in GoLive, whether you want to know how to be a more efficient GoLive user or want to know what you've been missing and don't have the time to learn. This book is a quick, enjoyable, easy read. I'm already looking forward to a "More Tips & Tricks!" book, but it's hard to imagine they've missed any with this one.

Adobe offers GoLive as a powerful tool to build pages in a website. It is complicated enough that the authors of this book present 200 tips, to perform common and useful tasks.

The contents pages show a titular summary of the tips. Given that GoLive is from Adobe, it's no surprise to see an emphasis on the visual presentation of the pages. Typical is a tip about writing links in PDF documents, or another tip about converting an HTML file, and any associated referenced images, into a single PDF document. Of course, there are also several tips involving Adobe's flagship Photoshop.

Overall, the tips seem straightforward to understand and do. This appears to have been a deliberate choice by the authors. The book is most useful if you already have the basics of GoLive. A good companion to a standard text on GoLive.

I recently met the Author Adam Pratt at Mac Designers Conference this year in Chicago and Adam introduced me to GoLive CS, I was hooked within 20 minutes. Reading this book is like speaking to Adam but instead of 20 minutes, it feels like a 6-8 hour training. The book is simple and effective for the beginner and full of tips and tricks for the intermediate user already using GoLive. It covers the basics from setting up the site to advanced features like creating cool Quicktime slideshows with GoLive's impressive QuickTime editor. The book is filled with great resources such as hidden shortcuts (for Mac & PC), detailed descriptions of each object and there's even a resource listing sites that are full of GoLive Tutorials.

Being a Senior Web Developer and College Instructor, I highly recommend this book and give it 5 stars.

One of the best books on software that i ever bought. I've been working with GoLive for quite a while now and just can't believe how many useful things i didn't know about it yet. So many shortcuts that enhance productivity, so many features that i paid too little attention to.
Because of the way it's written - 200 tips, most of them on 1 or 2 pages - it's easy to pick it up at any time, read a minute, learn something valuable and put it down again. And you're almost sure to learn something new with every tip.

Thank you for an excellent guide for online shopping! If you are looking for great Internet guides for Kids & Family, High School, and College students, please check out the You Are Here Internet series!

Online stores come and go, especially the big ones, but this book lists hundreds of terrific small online stores that carry really unique stuff. I especially liked all of the stores that sell natural cosmetics and natural fiber clothing for me and my kids. I've had this book 2 weeks and already its saved me lots of time.

I was tired of seeing the same old online stores over and over again. This book pointed me to some real winners. It's a big time saver. Very easy to find what I wanted quickly.

I learned a lot about online shopping that I never knew before. But the best thing about this book is all the online stores, listed by categories. I found some neat stores. Loved the party section.

Before picking up this excellent book, I was wary of online shopping -- and I still am, but now I'm intelligently wary. The authors do a marvelous job of helping understand what you can trust and what you can't, how online shopping works in all its various manifestations, and what strategies to use when you do shop online. The book showed me that online shopping is not (as I had thought) just for shopping addicts who need a fix 24 hours a day, but a great space for intelligent and discerning consumers. I'm still not a big spender online (or anywhere), but I've used the book to help me find some things I couldn't find anywhere else and at surprising prices. I think this book is going to go down in the so-far brief history of online commerce as a milestone achievement. It has certainly changed my views about WWW commerce and made me a better consumer. I can't say enough about this expansive, easy-to-use, fun, and informative work. I hope they plan to update this work regularly.

At the moment the only real game worth playing is Google. No, I'm not a spokesperson for them but it is clear that if you're going to play you ought to play with the guys that own the ball. There is power in "Building Your Business with Google for Dummies". The best thing is that when you meet the Google criteria and succeed with them you can use the exact same business building blocks with any other resource. Brad Hill understands this and does a great job relaying his knowledge via the "Dummies" format. I'm beginning my second read-through. Thanks Brad.

Larry J. Frieders, RPh
[...]
340 Marshall, Unit 100 ~ Aurora, IL 60506
Tel 630-859-0333

This book took my business, AUDIN Web Design, to new heights. Now anyone can just type in AUDIN Web Design in Google (or Yahoo and MSN, for that matter) and find me. This book allowed me to master Google, the juggernaut of search engines. If you cannot tame that tiger, you will not survive in the market place. My company, AUDIN Web Design, has helped many small business get ranked on Google. This is my bible. I carry it around wherever I go. I advise everyone to read this book before consulting a professional about your online search needs. You could get ripped off if you are not wise about your choice of Company. This book has given me such confidence with the Google juggernaut, that my company now offers a 100% money back guarantee policy. A lot of companies can't offer that because they don't know what they are doing. Read this book and get informed. It could save you lots of money, yes money, the stuff you work so hard for. The stuff makes the world go round.

Since Google is currently master of the universe you need to understand what Google is looking for when it ranks web pages. This book not only does that but goes into detail of other Google services like froogle, adsense and adwords. I highly recommend this book to anybody trying to build a presence on the web.

"Building Your Business with Google For Dummies" by Brad Hill is one of many options for learning Google's tools. This one is focused on using it to promote business websites.

You might not need this book. To find out, go to Google's website, and create an account. Look at the FAQs, testimonials and the help areas. Much of what's in Hill's book is logical, but is organized in as sensibly as any I have seen. I need this book for that reason. It saved me time from having to learn this information in a too slow trial-and-error way.

You'll learn a few important things about Google, and how to help them help you attract traffic, sell products, or create interest in your website.

AdWords
I have an online e-commerce site, and need to know Google. As a smaller business, I can't compete with the major companies in being listed in categories I feel are important. That's where Google AdWords comes in. It allows me, for a fee per click, to compete.

Hill's explanation of strategies and process is solid. There are ways to lose money, and he helps show how to test keywords, use ad groups, edit ads, and how to bid intelligently. He also looks at the premium service that allows big businesses to use oogle with less worry about click-through rates.

AdSense
AdSense, the tool that places Google ads on websites based on the page's content. While I only make a few cents when a vistor clicks through an ad, it helps me provide a service to my customers who do not feel my site met their needs.

Hill explains how AdSense makes money, and warns against cheating.

Increasing Your Page Rank
No one knows Google's formula for ranking pages. The most important factor is having useful information, being linked on other like-minded sites, not abusing the process.

Hill tells you what page rank means, and how to avoid mistakes many webmasters make. This includes tips on design, domain choice, keyword use.

Using Froogle and Google Catalogs
These are two features I have never used. Hill gives a good overview of this Google tool, which provides exposure to those websites selling products in a catalog-style, or through AOL and Yahoo shops.

I fully recommend "Building Your Business with Google For Dummies" by Brad Hill.

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

This book was very helpful in teaching novices how Google works with online businesses in order to make the businesses more profitable and also make Google move valuable. The techniques were easy to apply.

Ed
http://www.imonitsoftware.com

The CareerXRoads series by Gerry Crispin and Mark Mehler should be a reference book that every recruiter buys. I am a recruiter with almost 22 years of experience and since 1998, I have purchased CareerXRoads. It is that good.

Candidates who want to use the Internet to find their next position will also find these books very helpful.

Gerry and Mark include informative articles for recruiters and job seekers alike at the beginning of the book.

Then they dive into the Internet and review websites that are job, resume, and career management sites. Their reviews are very helpful.

Recruiters, this book helps you determine where to spend your time and/or money to find niche sites to conduct searches. They also will suggest when a site may just be a waste of time.

Candidates, Gerry and Mark help you organize your job search. Their list of niche sites may help you zero in on companies who do what you want to do. Then, you may apply online or try to network your way into an interview.

Bottom line, if you are a recruiter or a candidate, purchase CareerXRoads.

Bill Humbert www.recruiterguy.com

Recruiters, job search sites, corporate career sites, HR testing online -- these are standard elements of the 21st century world of work.
If you are experienced at clicking in and out of employment-related sites, you will appreciate the very professional presentations of 500 sites the authors consider the best. There are also references to 2000 other sites.
If you're overwhelmed by the topic, or fear you'll never catch up, this volume is a place to begin. After perusing the book, you will know more about professional uses of the internet in the areas of job search and employee recruitment.

I am a career management consultant. The first two suggestions I give all new job seekers at any levels is to get a copy of CareerXRoads and get some business cards printed.

I have found that CareerXRoads is the bible for a good job search, using the internet; Obviously it is a great help in finding Internet sites where the right jobs are posted. But better than that, it tells you where to post your resume and how to post it, using the right format, key words, etc.

As a Career Coach, I recommend this book to all of my clients.
And, even more critical, as a Recruiter, this book is where I go to find the hard to find candidates.

CareerXRaods is both on my desk and another copy is in my attache.

I am even thinking of giving my kids each a copy on their birthdays.

Richard Stone
Human Resources Consultant

Every job seeker and recruiter should own this book!
This book is a tremendous resource to a job seeker. It offers advice on everything from networking to resume development. On the recruiter side, it offers advice on how to maximize your recruiting efforts in a variety of ways. The index and rating of internet sites is an invaluable tool to both [I should know - I used this book during a recent job search and now use it on a regular basis as I have found a new position as a Partnership Recruitment Manager!]
I have met one of the authors [Mark Mehler], and he has a true committment to helping individuals and companies use the internet to its full potential in job and candidate searches.
I highly recommend this book!

Top Marks for this highly readable and clear intro to Voice over IP. The subject matter is dealt with in reasonable detail and the author achieves great clarity in explaining difficult technical concepts. He also delves a bit into the history and background which also helps to put the subject matter in context. He even adds a small example of how to go about dimensioning a VOIP network at the end of the book.

Aimed specifically at designers of public telecommunications networks, this easy to read book provides practical and useful hands-on information. Where necessary, topics are covered in great detail. For example, 120 pages are dedicated to H.323. Softswitch architecture and programming are covered, and 55 pages are devoted to discussing Quality of Service issues.

We believe this book to be an essential read, and recommend it highly.

Great book on VoIP, still emerging technology. It did a great job in explaining concepts related to QoS such as RSVP, DiffServ and MPLS. Right from basics such as IP, UDP, TCP and various coding techniques you will find great explanation to each and every item. If you are interested in knowing about VoIP or you if u wanna work on VoIP this is the ONLY book you need. There is very detailed and neat explanation related to MGCP, MEGACO, SS7 and SIP too. The only thing that i felt lacking is testing of voice quality both subjective and objective and how they could be done. No doubt in giving 5 *s to it, great job!

This book does a very good job of giving an introduction to the VoIP world. As a professional in the telecom domain, I found this book very useful. Application of VoIP to telco domain as in the case of softswitch architecture for backhaul and the QoS issues that carriers have to deal with is also well covered at a good amount of detail. The book also provides detailed discussion on the protocols. However, I skipped passed these sections and unable to comment if such material was covered well.

Overall - a very good book. Highly recommend it.

I serious think that I should not write this review since I do not understand half of this book, but then again, I have read this and also Cisco Intergrated Voice Data and can in some way be a poor/insufficient abeit enthusastic tour guide. I have noticed other reviewers describing this book as great - but I do not think this book is comparable to monumental classic like Jeff Doyle or Kennedy Clarks books on Routing and Switching - where they display in-depth knowledge on the topic plus an ability to explain thing in the clearest possible way. I rate this book 5 stars for the sole reason that the author do appear to have an overwhelming knowledge of computer telephony - although I cannot quite judge whether they are technically accurate or error free - and has taken his valueable time off to write them down and share with us. While the author definitely has the kindest intention of making it "understanable" to even the not-so-technically-advance group of reader - as is evidenced in the way he start off this book by explaining why bother with IP telephony, and why TCP/IP is inherently unsuitable for IP telephony - I suspect that when it come to harder topics like H.323, SIP etc - there is simply no way or no time to find a more reader friendly way to present it. In the end it is a tough read - so tough that I will have to put it aside for a while as you need to be in the highest state or mental agility and strength to make hard yakka through the book. Nevertheless, this book is a useful reference - and for topics that this author decide not to include - check out Cisco's Integrated Voice and Data.

I have heaps of these books and I wish I'd bought this one first. Others are always pinching it off my desk as well--I keep telling the boss to buy copies for everyone. I'll need a new copy soon :)

I really think this is a great book for beginners in the php/coding area, It's very clear and with a clean and good practice in mind. As for me is not that useful because of my previous php knowledge, but it's a good point of reference for those familiar with php also. Overall... great book, great explanations.

If you liked Stylin' w/ CSS and want to make dynamic sites, this is the book for you. It starts very basic, and builds slowly. I enjoyed it.

Codin' was a good introductory if you already have a solid background in computers (OS, File Systems, file types etc...) and at least an intermediate understanding of html (although to the author's credit he offers some bonus material on html if you don't). It really works well if you are an advanced html person with at least some web design experience but want to dive into scripting and creating interactive websites. He does a good job of introducing php as a language and showing some simple techniques to get you up and running quickly, especially with forms. Not a book for advanced php developers and there is really no javascript which I think would be an important component to show how the two languages can be used in conjunction. Also maybe some explanation as to when php is appropriate vs. say a full OOL (object oriented language) like java or where it might make sense to use javascript instead of php to handle front end stuff. Overall it is a good book. I thought the author could have done a better job of explaining in the form chapter how the form fields can be input into a database but he stopped after explaining the input into a flat file which most people I have found wouldn't find all that useful since a db is the way to go in most instances. He goes into the db in the next chapter and sort of leaves you hangin with the previous form explanations. He circles back around and explains in later chapters but it was a little confusing because you had to infer some stuff to make the connection. Overall I recommend the book though and I have a Master's degree in IT and am very familiar with html, css, and SQL, and now a decent foundation in php.

BTW, I found the code examples offered on his site very useful and helped me get past some of the stuff that I had to infer.

I've spent a lot of time looking for a resource I could use to teach myself php. The biggest problem I've ran into is the book/website either being 1) over my head, or 2) unbearable to read.

Luckily this item was neither of the above. Though I haven't made it though the entire book yet I have found this to be -extremely- helpful and well written. I don't come from a coding background at all so I had to find something that really started from the ground up. I found this to be easily understandable to someone who doesn't get coding. Additionally his website has two extra beginning chapters if you really need to go over the basics (which I did for the coding part).

The language is clear and concise and not confusing or dull. So I would highly, highly recommend this title to anyone from a design background looking to expand their talents. So far it's one of the best I've found.I will definitely look at this other books, the next time I'm in the market for another computer book.