Computers and Internet Books

This is a very fascinating book to read indeed. It takes the reader through thrilling rollercoaster rides into the past and future across so many disciplines in science and philosophy that is it hard not to feel enlightened. Prof. Syed Ahamed¼s visionary perspective into the future of internet, knowledge, and artificial intelligence from a platform firmly founded on science and robust rational is very compelling to read. I found the chapters III and IV of the book particularly impressive and truly enjoyable to read while being educated. I highly recommend it.

In this book Professor Syed Ahamed has been able to combine the different aspects such as intelligence and knowledge essential for modern day communication networks. The book provides an insight into the evolving class of intelligent machines which will be very different from the present day systems. The book covers a wide range of topics such as networks, intelligence, knowledge, wisdom and its applications in different environments. It takes you through a journey from basic concepts , design, implementation to higher levels of philosophy and wisdom and the ethics in the usage of such complex systems. It is a very special book which anyone interested in the art would find it very useful.

Do you need ideas in how to expand and/or absorb the Internet world of knowledge about anything?
Do you seek knowledge on topics that are hard to find explanations about them?
Are you overwhelmed by the amount of unfiltered information you get every time you search the Net?
Don't you feel mentally exhausted after spending hours looking to find good articles on subjects of your interest only to realize that the ones presented to you are of no value?
Couldn't the system be 'a little' smarter and pick up notions of your interest from your previous query and reach for those information that you are really in need of?
An excellent way to start to find answers to these questions lies in reading professor Ahamed's Intelligent Internet Knowledge Networks.

This is not an easy book to review. It is a text filled to brim with interesting information.

Because of that fact it would very hard to write a brief and yet complete review. I will simply provide a small thesis of what I had extracted from the work.

First of all it will be a book that I will read more then once.

This is an ambitious work that will provoke contemplation as well as spawn interesting research ideas for the coming future.

"Intelligent Internet Knowledge Networks" is the kind of book that is hard to categorize.

On the one hand I could easily see Computer Scientists digesting the material. On the other flank I could see this book having a place in a Masters Level or PHD Philosophy program.

It begins by building it's foundation on the cutting edge technologies of our day.

Early in the work Professor Ahamed discusses the implications that telecommunications and fiber optic technology have had on the present internet community - the technological and physical characteristics that have facilitated the current internet environment.

He then builds on this discussion naturally by getting into the concept of Intelligent Networks.

There is also a discussion of electronic government as well as medical networks both of which I found to be very interesting.

The bridge is then laid down which connects the technology to the human element. The AI concepts...embedded intelligence, sensing and monitoring networks, intelligent knowledge sharing....the technological framework which reflects how machines and programs may resemble or imitate human characteristics.

After this point we enter into the area which I found most fascinating - the wisdom machine.

While I write this review I think of an essay that I read last night written by Cardinal Ratzinger in which he discusses the foundations of Democracy - he conferred how a ruler may not in fact know what is just but may in reality merely be the manifestation of process and procedures. Where a ruler did not necessarily care about what was true or even virtuous but was simply a cog in the Democratic machine.

But what if wisdom or even truth could be pursued through the machine?

These are the implications which I find to be the most powerful. Can you imagine instead of getting into a senseless debate one could take facts and data and merely compute the outcome of an argument? I believe that this is the direction the wisdom machine would move us ultimately towards and the aspect which fascinates me the most.

This is the part of the work which I believe is the most fascinating and which carries tremendous implications for the very society in which we exist.

This text has brought me full circle from where I started my original major in philosophy almost 14 years ago - when I studied advanced quantification where similar ideas where discussed.

In conclusion if you are a thoughtful person, scientist or even philosopher I highly recommend this work. You will not be disappointed.

Adrian Farrel is one of the world's foremost experts on IP networks and protocols. Drawing on his knowledge and experience as a protocol designer, developer, network engineer, and leader of 3 key IETF working groups, he provides an extremely comprehensive and thorough work on Internet protocol design and practice. It is especially strong on major topics of current interest including MPLS, GMPLS, and traffic engineering, and thoroughly covers the basics of routing, switching, transport, and applications protocols. It is an excellent book for protocol developers, network operators, and network managers. This well written and highly readable work is a must for anyone working in the area and useful as either overview or reference volume.

Adrian Farrel's book follows a new approach presenting Internet protocols. At first sight, you may think 'oh, more on the same...'. Don't be tricked, this is a different book.

You'll find a very comprehensive reference about Internet protocols including multicasting, QoS, routing protocols (covering almost all existing flavours) and real-time stuff. Chapter 9 is one of the most readable introductions to MPLS I've found so far. Chapter 10 about GMPLS does also a very good job.

The book has plenty of very up-to-date concepts and technologies, and anyone involved in computer networking should consider to have a copy on his/her bookshelf.

This is a modern and attractive title for the classical topic of TCP/IP computer networks. Students and professionals that wish to gain, expand and update their knowledge in the Internet protocols will find this book a useful reference. It is well written, achieves clarity at the expense of avoiding detail, provides plenty of good figures, does a superb job explaining why protocols were designed the way they are and dedicates a significant part of the book to introduce some of the latest protocols developed by the IETF that will or are already shaping the new Internet.

The book follows the classical bottom up layering approach. Yet it distinguishes itself from the rest by creating whole chapters on the latest internet protocol developments that are briefly treated in others. For example, an early chapter is devoted to IP multicast, which describes how multicast groups are formed and how traffic is delivered to them. The being reasons of IPv6 and its main features are described in a standalone chapter. Routing fundamentals and protocols are described extensively and valuable explanations on how routing protocols can be used for traffic engineering are given. Differentiated and Integrated Services are briefly presented as a manner to deliver specific quality of service levels. The chapter on internet transport protocols is concise and clear and describes briefly the new developments on SCTP and UDP Lite but unexpectedly the exposition on TCP, the most important of all of them, lacks of depth and descriptions of its latest important developments. One of the best and most extensive parts of this book are the four chapters dedicated to IP traffic engineering, in which MPLS and GMPLS form the core of it. They are competently and fully described from their fundamentals to how they are applied for traffic engineering purposes. The last part of the book contains brief but novel introductions of fast growing applications such as VPNs, mobile IP and VoIP among others. It is worth of note the abundant application notes of how MPLS can be used in conjunction with applications such as header compression, VoMPLS and MPLS VPNs. In summary, this is well written book that not only treats the traditional topics of TCP/IP network but it also introduces some of the most recent advances developed by the Internet community.

Adrian Farrel's 'The Internet and Its Protocols' (TIAIP) blew me away. I read this book because it explains the Internet I know, but also how new protocols work with that Internet and make it different from the network I first encountered over a decade ago. Farrel's amusing yet clear writing style delivers a great deal of knowledge in a hefty hardcover. If you want to learn about the protocols that make the Internet work, you need to read TIAIP.

One of the strongest aspects of TIAIP is the inclusion of protocol header figures for every protocol mentioned. I considered this an absolute must for any new protocol book I purchase, and Farrel delivers. Unlike some other books that rely on generic box line drawings, TIAIP's figures are bit-specific. In other words, the header at the top of the figure shows where each bit lies. The diagrams are also all in the same format, facilitating comparison between headers.

Comparison is another strength of TIAIP. Farrel doesn't just present protocols and leave the reader to work out their strengths and weaknesses. In most sections he spends time helping readers choose which protocol will best suit their needs. This is both practical and educational.

There is a ton of information in this book, so much that it may be better used as a reference than a read-through title. I admit to not reading every page, especially those that featured large diagrams of header options and their meanings. This level of details is perfect when I need to understand exactly how a protocol functions, however.

I'll mention a few topics that were fairly new to me and appeared in TIAIP. Topics like multicast (ch 3); DiffServ and IntServ (ch 6); SCTP and RTP (ch 7); MPLS (ch 9); GMPLS (ch 10); GSMP (ch 11); and header compression (ch 15) were all well documented. Farrel is heavily involved in MPLS issues, which is of benefit to the reader. MPLS seems to be appearing in many places outside the ISP realm.

I found a few issues with TIAIP, some of which author Farrel was kind enough to acknowledge via email. P. 50 switches the ARP and InARP meanings in table 2.10. In ch 5 on p. 118, the 172.19.168.16/28 and 172.19.168.32/28 networks can be summarized as 172.19.168.16/27, not 172.19.168.32/27. I would have liked to have read more on EIGRP, even though it's a Cisco proprietary routing protocol. Also, ISO does not mean 'International Standards Organization'; ISO is the 'International Organization for Standardization.' They use ISO, derived from the Greek word for equal, to avoid international language issues. For example, the English acronym would be IOS, and the French would be OIN. Clearly I put these minor issues aside when I rated TIAIP five stars; the amount of value this book delivers is incredible.

If you are looking for a book that shows you real details on Internet protocols in a thorough and engaging manner, I highly suggest considering TIAIP. I am adding it to my recommending reading lists today.

If you look for a empirical and graphic illustration of cyberspace, this is not your choice. This book is intended to contribute to theoretical founding of cyberspace. So most pages are devoted to reviewing and elaborating various existing theories, researches. That is, this is a meta-theorizing. His founding theoretical orientation is not fashionable postmodernist but Giddens¡¯s theory of structuration, particularly the knowledgability of actor, and modernity. The author manages to bring about a persuasive extension of Giddens¡¯s approach to cyberspace. He argues there is no reason to see that online community is not that different from offline day-to-day life from totally discrepant angle as postmodernists claim. Online community also assumes the development of the integrity, trust and shared stock of knowledge. What is needed to assess the experience of this brave new world is the proper theory of media and modernity.
The overall outline of the book is like this:
Ch.1: dealing with the nature of ¡®risk society¡¯ depending on Giddens and Habermas.
Ch.2: illustrating the technological and institutional features of internet.
Ch.3: theoretical founding of internet as media based on Thompson¡¯s conception.
Ch.4: arguing that the virtual community is not that far cry from actual (offline) community. So we can cope with it based on existing framework.
Ch.5 arguing that mobilizing IT into organizations like the enterprise, i.e., restructuring, should be reconsidered in the light that IT changes the settings of interaction for IT is a form of media. This chapter tackles the cases of government and NGO¡¯s IT adoption too.
Ch.6: focusing on how the internet enriches and transforms the nature of the self and experience in everyday life. His position is like this: ¡®the self is not being transformed by forces that operate exclusively behind the backs of individuals¡¯.
Below are comments I posted on the bulletin board of a graduate class. Most are complaints. Yep. It¡¯s not fair to the author. But the reader I presumed are those who already read the text. So there was not much reason to recapping the text and writing down praises. And some are not that relevant to the book directly. But I think it would be helpful to get what is like the real line of the book.

1. (On Ch.1) This introductory chapter on founding concepts borrowed from Giddens and Beck, in the tint of Frankfurt¡¯s conception of life world, is much more graphic than Castells¡¯s. But the sketch of time-space distanciation or modernization, in the light of uncertainty and risk is not figurative. And that, there is no definition of ¡®risk¡¯. Yep. Risk is well known concept and widely used. But the writer mixes it with life world in the sense of Frankfurt¡¯s. he should have suggest the definition of those concepts to place in the context. And worse, he omits various ancillary concepts like danger vs. security, disembedding vs. reembedding, ontological security and so forth. Yep. Recapping whole line of ¡®The Consequences of Modernity¡¯ is not reasonable. But such a skipping causes confusion.
2. (On Ch.3) I can¡¯t understand why the author uses the ambiguous concept of culture, while he devoted a few pages to theoretical problems of that concept. He doesn¡¯t substantiates the intangible word at all. I¡¯m not sure what would be his object in this chapter. Frankly, I couldn't distinguish Geertz¡¯s conception from functionalist¡¯s. For that reason, Giddens expelled that word from his theorizing. I couldn't see any benefit to use that word. Culture is no more than a conceptual umbrella, at least in sociology, which unjustifiably conflate seemingly compatible phenomena, though actually discrepant in practical research. Its notoriety doesn¡¯t fall short of one of ¡®society¡¯. For this reason, Giddens restrains himself from the temptation to sue that word, rather confined it only to ¡®the locale of interaction¡¯. Thompson¡¯s analytic framework of ¡®cultural transmission¡¯ is awesome. In my opinion, his framework is wholly compatible to Giddens¡¯s. For Giddens himself doesn¡¯t offer sufficient theorizing on media or technology, his framework could complement the shortfall. But I don¡¯t think Giddens¡¯s stratification model, especially power, could go hand in hand with culture. Instead, why not replace ¡®modality of cultural transmission¡¯ with ¡®media¡¯ ? I suspect author¡¯s use of ¡®culture¡¯ is no more than the inflation of concept.
Besides the conceptual glitch, the intention of ch.3 seems successful: to link the internet to publicness or public sphere. It has been discussed for long. But the author¡¯s attempt to theoretically found it has a point in sketching out the field.
3. (On Ch.4) On the first section of ch.4, I wonder why the author simply ignore the very condition of those various citations he bombarded. Didn¡¯t he fail to be reminded that it could cause confusion? I won¡¯t say he should have reproduced the emptiness of postmodernists, but he should have sensitized, at least, and articulated what is his opponent. It¡¯s the way of discussion. Yep. He illustrates their position in ch.6. but ch.6 is not ch.4.
4. (OnCh.4) the author follows the line of Giddens to attack the babbles of postmodernists. As well known, postmodernists take the stance of poststructuralists in the conception of the self. It has some points in the sphere of philosophy. But it¡¯s hard to be so in sociology. As Giddens puts it, the agency should be conceived as knowledgable actor. This is the point of late Wittgenstein too. In this vein, the babble of postmodernist should be rejected. In this regard, author¡¯s sketching out of IRC, in the fashion of Goffman, is much more persuasive than empty discussion of postmodernists.

To the first-time users of both the Arpanet and Milnet in the birthing days of the Internet, it was clear pretty early on that this new technological development could very well become a potent force in society's processes. Sadly, academic exploration lagged in its tracking over the years, apparently favoring instead a focus on technological advances in the new medium.

Slevin's work goes far in correcting the shortfall between books that teach us how to approach the Internet and those that speak of how the Internet approaches-and changes-us. He feels the Internet is a new media that informs certain social forces transforming modern society, and that our human relationships re-sculpt themselves in an emerging arena of "manufactured uncertainty" and "manufactured risk."

From this thesis, Slevin goes on to do something quite valuable. He creates a new vocabulary, perhaps even a language, which names these often contradictory forces that push and pull our communities with new social tensions and technological innovations. We respond to these tidal flows, of course, both consciously and unconsciously. The point Slevin makes in this is, "we ignore them at our peril."

While Slevin's book certainly cannot be described as a fireplace-and--shawl reader, it is, nevertheless, eminently readable for both the specialist and interested layperson. The textual flow is relentlessly outlined, tracking the changes in society from the early days of hand shaking computers through the emergence of today's world wide web. With the careful introduction and naming of each social development, a mental game board emerges, on which one can see how each transforming force dynamically plays out in our human uncertainties.

Slevin carefully negotiates the quagmire of describing the Internet in moral terms. He turns away from the battle between doomsday prophets and ecstatic acolytes of the electronic altar. True to the post-modern dilemma, he views the Internet through a multiplicity of lenses. His diopter may not always be accurate, but his focus is unusually clear, particularly on a swirling subject that refuses to be interpreted in linear fashion.

In reading through Slevin's careful foundation necessary for a useful vocabulary, one can sometimes lose the sense of raw power for transformation the Internet carries within itself. Slevin seems to counter this by describing how our core institutions, never big fans of any kind of change, creak and groan at their very roots. In fact, he makes a good case that certain organizations are responding to the Internet in a fitful reflex of denial or embrace, perhaps even an odd combination of both, unconsciously sowing the seeds for their own destruction or transformation.

On the other hand, his views on emerging virtual communities are quite tantalizing. While he agrees it is not productive to trade a real life for a virtual world, the Internet does offer the potential for relating to one another through continually changing social practices. If so, one consequence of the Internet might be a whole new sense of community as both real and imagined. This thought is crucial as Slevin considers what groups of people might find themselves qualified or marginalized in the new cultural arena.

On the whole, Slevin articulates an understanding of our emerging future as carefully as a medical student lays out a skeleton in anatomy class. Generally, he succeeds by offering the reader a number of "windows" (the allusion is intentional and well explained in the book) through which one can view the Internet and the new social experience it mediates.

One doubts this is a book for the ages, but it certainly is one for the present and immediate future. As one who is fast wearing out a perfectly good pair of eyes on fuzzy fonts, I approached the book through a weary ennui. I found myself quickly captivated by a rigorous and perceptive thinker offering a new language for interpreting what is for many of us an anxious experience. While Slevin sometimes falls into jargon, he quickly gets back to a thought that is fresh and original. The writing of this book was a wonderful effort, and well worth the read.

Terrell Seaton is a student in the Ph.D. program for Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA.

As a doctoral student in Mass Communcation at the University of Texas in Austin studying the social impact of the Internet, I was glad to find a text that discussed the Internet from a social and cultural perspective. It was so refreshing to find that someone recognizes that the impacts of technology are broader than just the "online culture."

I was also inspired by Dr. Slevin's active approach recommendation to technology, rather than the passive approach or wait-and-see approach, or the technozealot/technophobe approaches that are prevalent in current literature. I, too, feel that the impact will be the sum total of various pros, cons and indifferences of the medium and that only through a coherent study of technology and an analysis of communication and sociological theory will we be able to grasp its opportunities and consequences. I plan to refer to this book and the resources on the associated Web site as a key resource in my dissertation process.

The focus on the arguments of Giddens, Thompson and Baumann strengthened the position of the author and grounded the work in sociological theory. Slevin realizes that we must not assume that traditional theory will apply in this new medium, but that we must analyze existing theory and understand that the unique dynamics of the Internet might modify or even rewrite theory. This work is powerful and insightful in its ability to integrate and apply multiple perspectives. I only wish that I could have written this book myself!

Good books about the Internet are rare, but Slevin's book is certainly one of them. It approaches the Internet from a social point of view, and describes the Net as a completely new medium, which covers aspects of all other existing media, and which, being so varied, has some major advantages over single, separate media (like newspapers or television). As Slevin argues, the Internet differs from a single, separate medium in that it does not merely have a push role, but can give people so much information as to make a real difference and a huge impact on society. Slevin might, as such, have named his book 'Internet is Society' rather than 'Internet and Society'.

The book is a good introduction to the origins and definitions of the Internet. It describes how young people basically grow up with the medium and how other people are spending more and more time and money to explore the Net. The book also deals with the Internet's possibilities and, not unimportantly, with the risks that are involved. These risks being a hot issue in society at the moment (risk management in organizations), Slevin's book provides some new insights into handling the Internet, both online as well as offline. So the book is a kind of a SWOT analysis of the Net and I am very impressed by this book!

René Kalsbeek M.A.Communication Studies, University of Amsterdam

An outstanding investment. Very current information and links (5th printing dated 10/99).

NOTE: The author takes great pains to include PC and Apple information throughout. It is small enough to stuff in a coat pocket, yet 500 pages in length. Excellent cross referencing as well.

At any price, let alone Amazon's, how can you possibly get more for the money?

In the course of reviewing many general Internet texts for client distribution at our firm, I had the pleasure to come across this work. It is truely a level above everything else out there. Clear, concise and complete. This is a must have reference work for every Internet surfer.

While taking a course on "Basic Internet" I was forced to buy another book that was really confusing. I found "The Internet - the Rough Guide 2000" at our bookstore and it has saved my life. The explanations and suggestions are much clearer than our text book and actually gave more information in a smaller size - really handy to keep by the computer or carry with you. I would definitely recommend this to anyone learning to surf the net, build a web page, research, etc.

This book is teriffic. Unlike most Internet books out there, author Angus Kennedy doesn't try to overwhelm you or sound like a techie know-it-all. He explains everything in a easy, complete, and detailed manner, making the internet as easy to use as possible. He also has a good sense of humor, keeping the book fun and interesting throughout. Hats off to Mr. Kennedy! I dare you to find a better Internet book.

Many books and magazines just go through the motions trying helping customers shop online, or so it seems to me. I wanted a epinion I felt I could trust that didn't seem too cynical. The selling point for me was the suprisingly colorful design. That really interests me.

My friend gave me this book because I wanted to buy a blender online, and I've used it to find so many other things since then. The reviews are really funny, and it's nice to know that somebody has already checked the sites for credit card safety.

Amazing ! Never knew how much shopping there was on the net. Like all the times I was reading previous editions of Internet Cool Guide I was really sorry when I wasn't near a PC to try out all the excellently reviewed "cool" sites. Well done, Rula. ooking forward to more !

Wow. Totally cool! I knew of all the biggies online but Internet Cool Guide: Shopping has tons of ones I didn't know about. inshop, bluefly bargains galore all available from my lap top. It's gonna make Christmas shopping a snap.

Nice book for teachers to become more proficient in using the internet in their teaching activites. Features lots of internet activities for teachers and their students in a wide range of grades. This is the fun, easy, and practical way for teachers to find out more about the internet.

I used this as a text in my professional development courses. Everyone loved it.

I've reordered for all my courses next year. A must read!

We just reviewed 35 books for our inservice program and chose this one. We're buying one for every teacher in the town. It's perfect for beginners and advanced teachers learning the Net.

This book allowed me to work with the interent in many areas. I have been able to locate information I did not believe existed on-line. Williams explains things in easy to understand language and then walks you through the exercise. The glossary is also very helpful for the computer neophyte. The attached CD installs Adobe Acrobat Reader and explains its many uses. I found this particularly helpful in downloading material on-line. This book is a must for any person wanting to use the Internet effectively.

This is the 4th edition and I buy it every year. It's very resourceful and saves much time from trips to the library. Very thorough and credible in the quality of links. The tiny cd travels lightly in my planner, as well.

I found the book as helpful as the telephone yellowpages in a strange town. The easy to use format leads you to the right place quickly and efficiently. I found things I didn't even know I was looking for. Excellent easy to handle guidebook.

Once again Ms. Lindell and Dr. Hersh have done excellent job...whenever I need to find something fast I just look it up, and go! This small handy pocket book is packed full of websites, for all your medical & health internet searching needs, there isn't a subject or topic that you can't find! You name it this book has it! Well laid out and easy to use and small enough to take with you! I highly recommend this excellent resource book to any health, medical, or legal professional. Great resource for students, too!

The Internet Medical & Health Searching & Sources Guidebook is an excellent reference both in cd and pocketbook form; for medical/legal professionals, students at any level, or the curious medical consumer. Directs you to reliable resources. Priced significantly below it's true value and therefore an invaluable tool in reference. User friendly and written by well accredited professionals. Excellent gift idea, as well. Two thumbs up!

Despite the downturn in the corporate business world, the Internet still exists as a means for enterprising people to market their business ideas to make a living. Opportunities are boundless and growing numbers of people continue to give the Internet a try. There are plenty of resources available to help them succeed.

Internet Prophets offers readers an excellent collection of business concepts, strategies, and instruction to help them start online businesses. The book features information about creating sound business plans, managing businesses - including money matters, creating effective Websites, marketing business Websites, online resources, and general business information that will make an impact on the way people do business - while being mindful of operating budgets!

Throughout the book readers are reminded about setting clear goals and objectives. Planning every stage of one's business is of paramount importance - the business plan, the Website, marketing, search engine strategies, and knowing what the competition is doing are all aspects of a business that demand close attention to detail and determination to carry out.

Most fascinating about the book - in my opinion - are the business strategies provided. Readers are exposed to some exciting and very practical ways to draw attention to themselves and to maintain professional and profitable business-client relationships. Strategies include establishing online communities, setting up auction services, creating portals, providing visitors access to information, joining e-marketplaces, adding interactive tools to Websites, hosting live online events at Websites, adding dynamically updated content to Websites, and thinking globally when planning the action.

The tone of the book is serious and the rewards for gleaning from it are enormous. The strategies are sound and the resources provided will put people in touch with the companies, products, and services they need to develop a meaningful online business presence that will produce positive results for them. The book is ideally suited for start-up business operations and those existing businesses that want to and probably should make the move to the Internet to promote themselves. Essential reading!

Innovative business ideas for the internet range from products to services and provide advice which will enable executives to conduct more business successfully on the web. Internet Prophets is the first to assess proven e-commerce strategies, matching techniques with budgets of large and small companies alike and presenting 'Internet Prophets' for four different budget ranges. Covers both strategies and marketing costs; rich in specifics.

This book was invaluable in figuring where to begin in the sea of e-commerce choices. The four internet prophet business strategies helped me figure out where my business was... and where I wanted to to go in designing an e-commmerce plan for selling online. I wish this book had come along years ago. But I'm glad it's here now.

This is a book for any small business that's thinking about how to use the Net to build their business. Thank goodness, this book is past the Internet hype and on to what really works in the real world. Chapters cover topics such as online shopping, digital delivery, "think globally, click locally", and (hello!) customer service.

Although it purports to apply to small, medium and large businesses, it's most appropriate to smaller businesses who need a practical guide to moving their business on the net. I especially liked the chapters on "Marketing Your Web Site" -- practical, spam-free advice on raising your profile online...

My daughter approached me recently needing help with her computer homework. She was stumped by the teacher's question, what is the difference between the internet and the world wide web? Neither of us knew the answer, but fortunately I had a copy of The Internet Revolution. We both looked up this question in the book, and found out that there was so much to learn about the internet, communication, and how this system we use every single day actually works. I highly recommend it for parents, teachers, and students (college and high school). Written in a straightforward and well organized fashion, The Internet Revolution is a valuable tool to have on your bookshelf. If there's one technology to learn about, it should be the internet - we use it constantly! If there's one book to buy to understand the internet, it is definitely the Internet Revolution Not For Dummies Guide.

The tongue in cheek subtitle of the book, "the not for dummies guide ..." is actually quite accurate- this is a book for smart people who want to understand the ins and outs of the internet in a sophisticated and thorough manner. That being said, it is extremely accessible to any reader, no matter what their previous level of computer knowledge. This book provides the history of the internet along with descriptions of how it actually functions. Likewise, this history probes questions about communication - its design, its future, and how the internet has revolutionized human communication on a global level. I find these questions fascinating, and this book provided me the history and technological explanations to explore them more deeply. People in the computer technology industry will find this book invaluable - it's a must read for technology students and professionals. Lay people, merely interested in knowing more about a technology they use every day, will find the book equally illuminating.
-Jessica Teel

The Internet Revolution: The Not-For-Dummies Guide to the History, Technology, and Use of the Internet is both a modern history lesson and a practical how-to guide combined into one exciting exploration of the technological marvel of the Internet. Chapters address how the network was created, etiquette on the net and common jargon, the basics of email, internet mechanics such as packet switching and protocols, and much more. A fascinating tour ideal for closely familiarizing oneself with the digital institution continues to transform the modern world.

The long subtitle is of course a jibe at the Dummies [and Idiots] books. Okin offers a more indepth explanation of what the Internet is, and how it grew. At a level very accessible to the general reader.

He traces its development from the ARPANET and the early days. When email was the first "killer app". Though the term is an ananchronism, and would not be invented till over 20 years after email. Email catalysed the first growth of the Internet, helping it spread to many universities and a few computer companies.

Okin then explains how, and still very recently, in 1991-2, the development of HTML and HTTP and the writing of the first browsers became the second killer app. This gave rise to the World Wide Web and the exposure of the Internet to a mass audience.

He offers a technically accurate and readable narrative of a still growing Internet.

Internet Security for the Macintosh - A Guide for the Rest of Us is I believe a "Must Have" Computer Manual, alongside David Pouges "Missing Manual" and Steve Schwartz "Internet Explorer for Macintosh" for every serious Mac Users reference library

The authors, Oppenheimer and Whittaker come impeccably credentialed and their expertise as filtered by joint authorship has clearly made use of their backgrounds with measured and pragmatic effective advice taking you carefully through security requirements from the bottom up. One undeniable advantage in this respect is that they also currently provide ISP services so they know what the real world is about and it shines through.

In addition the timing of the publication is excellent.

Whilst it is Mac specific it could well be considered an essential basic Internet Security Manual for PC Users as well.

The Manual of around 400 pages and 18 chapters is broken down into four sections 1. General Security Principles 2. Securing Internet Services 3. Enhancing Overall Security and 4. Advanced Topics.

The message comes through. If you don't get the basics right even if you apply the advanced advice there may be holes in your system (Microsoft where have we experienced this before!)

There are chapters on Viruses, Personal Firewalls, Home Networking, Securing Mac OS X and an intriguing - Just say no to FTP!

Here I believe in the one place is pragmatic and sensible advice which if followed will make your computer far less vulnerable to Villains, Hackers and Mischief Makers, particularly now that the migration to Cable, ADSL and other broadband DSL technologies leave us a lot more vulnerable than with dial up connections.

Peachpit Press has set up a website to facilitate feedback updates and more recent information for purchasers of the guide.

The book excellently and up-to-date describes the technical issues and is so well-written that we may read it and be glad we did, but it is also so nice and lacks an inspiring ending that we may not do much about Internet security for our Macintoshes once we have put the book down.

At last..a timely and well written book that specifically details the essentials of Mac security...highly recommended

This book is just what it promises, "a guide for the rest of us." It explains how things work, clearly and in logical order, and is laid out so you can easily pick out the parts you need to read.
I used the book to set up a firewall. I had previously purchased a perfectly good one with simple controls, but had no idea what all the buttons meant in terms of blocking unwanted intrusions while retaining normal Internet access. (I'm an experienced Macintosh user, but naive about the underlying mechanisms of the Internet.)
Oppenheimer defines the underlying concepts and provides simple instructions, and with his book I was able to set up my computer security system in less than an hour.