Internet Books

Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is an old technology by Internet standards, but still a very viable means of interpersonal communication; i.e., chat. Sure there are lots of nutcases out there, but you can also find people who can provide help on a wide variety of subjects (i.e., programming in specific languages), discussions on almost any subject (which is not to say they'll be intelligent or reasoned).

There's not much flash or glamour to be found in IRC or the tools to use with it. This book, however, is a great guide to IRC for those who need to know the nuts and bolts of whatever technology they deal with.

Though old, little in the technology or tools has changed since it was published in 2000.

It's an inexpensive and worthwhile addition to any techie's library or for anyone who is interested in enlarging their online social millieu.

Jerry

Very well written and illustrated guide that starts with the very basics and takes you all of the way through to advanced use. The IRC protocol and client side commands are explored in depth. Numerous clients for Window, OS X, and Unix are covered. This basic coverage, which is about two-thirds of the book ends with an excellent chapter on managing channels.

The advanced chapters cover installing an IRC server, using DCC, and some advanced security issues.

This book sets a comprehensive foundation of knowledge for IRC which is then supplemented by O'Reilly's IRC Hacks book. Beginners looking to get seriously into IRC will want to buy this book. More advanced users will want to look at the coverage of their areas of interest to make sure it's worth the investment.

An truly outstanding book. I have used IRC for many years now, and although I do not consider myself to be an expert-user I definitely know my way around. This book is really the only comprehensize "A - Z" source on IRC, and it is wonderfully-written as both an introductory text for IRC newbies as well as an in-depth compendium for power users. Even after using IRC for so long I could not believe how much I learned, particularly the last chapter which deals with server-side configurations.

Alex Charalabidis uses his expert knowledge of IRC to explain the network's subcultural quirks and expectations in all its many instances, and provides information about IRC on the whole in an amusing, almost rhythmical deliverance. In my opinion, a must read for all IRC users. Even Nick Burns, the company computer guy, suggests it! YOUR WELCOME!!!

I am an IRC junkie, so when I saw this book I just had to pick it up.

This book was written in 1999, and it shows. There are outdated server lists and statistics. The attacks described are mostly outdated (who "nukes" "jupes" and "floods" these days? This is only interesting from a historical perspective). The IRC clients described are now of outdated versions, and some of the now popular clients (xchat, irssi) aren't mentioned. The book claims to have a companion website with updates, which I was excited to see, but the site's domain (bookofirc.com) seems to have expired and been snatched up by an unrelated website.

All that aside, IRC is a pretty basic protocol, and most things about it haven't changed a whole lot, so this book is quite useful. It can walk someone new to IRC through the basics, describing what everything in the IRC world is, as well as providing experts with some interesting tidbits. The whole chapters on DCC and CTCP were especially informative to me. Appendix B "Terminology" was great for providing some of the "language" one might encounter in channels with tech/irc-saavy occupants.

The book even touches upon "IRC Netiquette" when it comes to what is acceptable or not behavior-wise in IRC (I think a whole chapter should have been devoted to this, this seems to be a major stumbling block to new IRCers). The fun way in which the author presents this book makes it very amusing to read, not at all like normal techical books (this is something I enjoy about all No Starch Press books).

In summary, this is a very informative book, even for someone like me who has been using IRC for over 6 years, and now run my own server. But it needs a second edition and/or the companion website revived.

This book is written by an experienced IRC user and operator and I can't think of anyone better qualified to write this book. Additionally, his sense of humor makes this book enjoyable to read as you find out about all the features of IRC. This book is useful for anyone who spends time on IRC, from the "newbies" to veteran IRC "addicts" like me. I wish there had been a book like this around six years ago, when I logged on to my first IRC channel.

Among the subjects the authors covers include a brief summary of IRC and its history, IRC clients for UNIX, Windows, and Macintosh machines, how to connect to an IRC server, finding various channels and people on IRC, and also a good description about the dreaded "net splits" and lag you will eventually run into on IRC. I just wish the author had gone into more detail about ways to deal with server splits and lag. Maybe the next edition will cover that.

More and more users are logging on to IRC all the time (which probably explains why it seems there's always those "splits" I mentioned) and this book is an excellent guide to what you can do on IRC and what to watch out for.

I read and review dozens of technology books for my TrainingCity.com classes every year, and I only recommend a small percentage of them. Broadband Telecommunications Handbook is among the best. It's the perfect resource for individuals who need a clear and concise explanation of the technologies encountered in the field every day.

The book gets to the heart of modern WAN technologies and explains concepts such as T1 AMI vs. HDSL in an extraordinarily clear and easy to understand manner. Very few authors have this ability to explain technologies in a way that can be understood by both engineers and non-engineers alike.

In conclusion, Broadband Technologies Handbook deserves a place in your resource library today.

This book covers all the basics in Broadband circuits. As a field operations engineer, I deal with all types of circuits. DS0, DS1(T1/EC1), DS3(T3), STS,ISDN, all DSL type circuits, OC3-OC48, and DWDM. My job travels me around the U.S. alone testing and turning up circuits and this book insures me of knowing what is what when dealing with these types of circuits. Clear understanding of terms and procedures for the greenest(new person)technician in the business. I've purchased over $600.00 in books on telephony and telecom over the past 4 years and this is one of few that thats worth holding on to. A must have for broadband junkies like me.

oNe

Well maybe not everything. The technology is broad and ever changing. However this book is packed with juicy tidbits about all kinds of broad band communications. I already know a lot of the information. However there are two distinct advantages in this book. One is to tell you what you know from a different point of view; this help round out the concepts in ones head. The second advantage is the book starts from ground zero allowing non technical people the ability to communicate and make educated decisions about communications.

After this overview book you can go into more depth with the manuals from the product. However you will find yourself coming back to this book to affirm the concepts. You can use the book like a dictionary of terms or an encyclopedia.

Some of the high lights:
Introduction to Telecommunications
Telecommunications Systems
Virtual Privet Networks
Data Virtual Private Networks
Advanced Intelligent Networks
Local number Portability
Computer Telephony Integration
Signaling System 7
CTI Technologies and Applications
Integrated Service and Digital Network
Frame Relay
Asynchronous Transfer Mode
ATM and Frame Relay Internetworking
Cable TV Systems
Cable Modem Systems and Technology
xDSL
MMDS and LMDS
Specialized Mobile Radio
Cellular Communications
Global Service Mobile Communications
Personal Communications Services
Wireless Data Communications
General Packet Radio Service
Third-Generation (3G) Wireless System
Satellite Communications Networking
Low-Earth-Orbit Satellites
The T Carrier Systems (T-1, T-2, and T3)
Synchronous Optical Network
Synchronous Digital Hierarchy
Wave Division Multiplexing
The Internet
Network Management SNMP

An added plus is instead of a monster Bibliography You can contact the Author (Geris J. Gates Jr.) personally by phone or the internet.

This is a great book. As the title reflects, it is a "Handbook" not and in-deep technical manual to the telecommunications technologies. The examples and illustrations are very easy to understand and the topics are treated in a clear and concise manner. From switching to routing, firewalls & proxies, dsl to cable, it is all here. Many things are explained deep and others enough to understand the role they play. If you need to go deeper, them you should get your manufacturer techmanual and white papers out.

Most of my customers are in the telecom/datacom field. I was very happy that I chanced upon this book. It goes through the end user's perspective, the IS/IT staff's perspective and what's the typical decision process to make sure the design is appropriate and excellent description of each technology. It helps in sounding more intelligent in front of my customers as well as better service.

The strength of this book, as some of the other reviews state, is that it clearly illustrates that the promise of technology will be fulfilled only if governments and other organizations understand how the human side of organizations either supports or undermines the implementation of technologies. This has become very clear particularly this past year as we read press reports that focus on how political divisions between government departments inhibit our ability to effectively pursue critical initiatives (e.g., terrorism is the most striking example, but decisions related to health care is another example). By describing and analyzing several real cases, Fountain identifies problems that hinder the best use of technology as well as solutions that promote best practices in an engaging way. The theoretical rigor, as well as practical application, makes this a useful book for both academics and practitioners. Personally, I hope that all people who are responsible for implementing policies related to the use of technology in government read this important book.

I whole-heartedly agree with the other reviews and add one additional comment. I used this book in my Information Technology course to Masters of Public Administration Students. The response to the book was terrific. It helped me make the point that a significant part of information technology in organizations is the people element, and led to terrific discussions on the role of social capital in organizations, among other things. In short, it is a very useful text for an MPA Information Technology course. Fountain's book is a major contribution to the literature on information technology in the public sector and is raising important points about the challenges ahead for e-government.

This book is the first work analyzing Digital Government, with special emphasis on the the risks and caveats of egov projects and dynamics between structure and technology. Fountain's "Technology Enactment" framework is specially useful for analyzing egov projects, and understanding their complexity generated by strength of institutional barriers and required operational change.

A number of books on the information technology and public management have been published. The better ones provided a solid rendition of conventional stories of either agency empowerment or implementation hurdles. Jane Fountain's exquisit "Virtual State" is excitingly different. Using clear language and razor-sharp analysis, she provides a comprehensive framework to understand the interaction of information technology and public management. Eminently readable, well researched case studies complement crisp analysis. Fountain has done nothing more than providing the new yardstick all future works of this genre have to measure against - and nothing less! A must read!

Jane Fountain wants to understand the implications of information technology - particularly the Internet - for institutional change in government. The research reported in this book deals with three experiments in applying information technology in the U.S. government in the 1990s: the establishment of an International Trade Data Base (ITDB) for administering the North American Free Trade Agreement, the development of a one-stop shopping informational web site for small businesses called the U.S. Business Advisor, and efforts to modernize the use of information technology within the Ninth Infantry Division of the U.S. Army. On the basis of these three cases, Fountain concludes that the introduction of information technology "disrupts complex ecologies of institutionalized power relationships" (p. 205) inside governments and institutional actors, as a result, attempt to reconstruct those disrupted relationships in unanticipated and sometimes regrettable ways. Sometimes the disruption is so great that the resistance to the introduction of new technology prevails and "many potential connections remain unforged, and numerous opportunities to gain stunning efficiencies, cost savings, integrated services and joint problem solving in complex policy areas lie fallow." (p. 201)

In Chapter 1, the author distinguishes between "objective" and "enacted" technology. Enacted technology is the result of the introduction of objective technology in a set of social relationships where resistance to introduction is possible. This distinction reflects the author's concern for possible gap between the potential of objective technology and the actuality of enacted technology.

Chapter 2 focuses on the National Policy Review (NPR), an initiative of the first term of the Clinton administration that was led by Vice President Al Gore. The NPR was supposed to come up with recommendations on how to "reengineer" government in a manner analogous to the contemporaneous reengineering of business - that is, via the introduction of information technologies to reduce the costs of sharing information within organizations. It was hoped that this would reduce hierarchy, make possible huge cost savings, and empower citizens. The NPR provoked a lot of discussion and debate within the government about how to accomplish these aims and the three experiments studied by Fountain were all influenced by it. Nevertheless, each of these experiments had its own impetus and logic that went considerably beyond the NPR.

The first experiment, the establishment of ITDB, followed mainly from the signing and ratification of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). NAFTA required important changes in the handling of trade-related traffic across the U.S.-Canadian and U.S.-Mexican borders. The previous growth in international trade had already forced the U.S. Customs Bureau (a sub-agency of the Treasury Department) to automate its processing of trade clearances. The ITDB proposed to go much further by integrating a variety of trade and non-trade functions at the borders to deal with trade in both legal and illegal goods, legal and illegal immigration, while simultaneously upgrading the ability of the government to collect and analyze trade data. Unfortunately, worries about the potential delayed deliveries of goods due to overly ambitious government monitoring of trade on the part of businesses gave them a good reason to support efforts of the Customs Bureau to maintain primary authority over the processing of trade documents. The Customs Bureau felt threatened by ITDB and resisted efforts by other agencies to invade its turf. A series of bureaucratic battles ensued with the results well described by Fountain in Chapter 7.

In Chapter 8, Fountain considers the efforts of an interagency task force to establish a web site to provide a single portal for information about government regulations for small business owners. The U.S. Business Advisor was developed and deployed successfully and it won awards for utility and user-friendliness. However, the incentive structure within the U.S. government was not very good at encouraging the sort of continuous interagency coordination and cooperation needed to maintain the site, so it soon developed broken links that were not repaired and needed upgrades did not occur.

In Chapter 9, Fountain describes the efforts of the Ninth Infantry Division to modernize its information systems by creating a Divisional intranet. The first problem, that of overcoming the resistance of field commanders, to substituting paper-and-pencil-based systems with electronic ones, was dealt with by giving too much power to mid-level officers to design the system. The superior officers had difficulty specifying what particular information they needed because of the complexity of the tasks they performed, so they ended up being swamped with a lot of unnecessary information. The soldiers who previously were trained to submit written forms to the mid-level officers moved to electronic submission without sufficient training and without complete knowledge of how this information would be used at higher levels. They became "de-skilled." The mid-level officers suggested intranet designs that enabled them to do their jobs more efficiently but did not enhance the quality of information that went to their superior officers.

The best feature of this book, therefore, is the honest description of what actually happens -- as opposed to what is supposed to happen - when new information technology is introduced into government agencies. In order to get to this part of the book, however, the reader is made to plow through six chapters on theory, all quite well done, that do not necessarily have to be there given the empirical focus of the research. Students of bureaucracy and technology will certainly benefit from the reading of these chapters. But other readers may be excused for getting impatient when the first empirical material is introduced on page 107. Nevertheless, Jane Fountain's book is a serious and well-written effort to understand the challenges associated with modernizing the U.S. government by introducing new information technologies.

Here are the contents of the book:

Part I: An Introduction to eBay for Buyers and Sellers
Chapter 1 - Getting Started
Chapter 2 - Research: Don't Buy or Sell Without It
Part II: Buying Antiques and Collectibles on eBay
Chapter 3 - Finding Antiques and Collectibles on eBay
Chapter 4 - Buyer Be Aware: What to Know Before You Bid
Chapter 5 - Bidding Strategies
Chapter 6 - I Won an Auction! Now What?
Chapter 7 - Working Through the Bad Buy
Part III: Selling Antiques and Collectibles on eBay
Chapter 8 - Setting Up Shop on eBay: Getting Started Selling
Chpater 9 - Titles, Descriptions, Photos and More
Chapter 10 - Setting Your Starting Price, Understanding eBay's Fees, and Creating a Basic Listing
Chapter 11 - Managing and Completing the Sale
Chapter 12 - Standing Out in a Comptetitive Market
Appendix - More Helpful Resources

More and more, I meet people who are selling things on eBay. Here's a book that spells out how-to and reduces it to a manageable level.
Here are the contents of the book:
Part I: An Introduction to eBay for Buyers and Sellers
Chapter 1 - Getting Started
Chapter 2 - Research: Don't Buy or Sell Without It
Part II: Buying Antiques and Collectibles on eBay
Chapter 3 - Finding Antiques and Collectibles on eBay
Chapter 4 - Buyer Be Aware: What to Know Before You Bid
Chapter 5 - Bidding Strategies
Chapter 6 - I Won an Auction! Now What?
Chapter 7 - Working Through the Bad Buy
Part III: Selling Antiques and Collectibles on eBay
Chapter 8 - Setting Up Shop on eBay: Getting Started Selling
Chpater 9 - Titles, Descriptions, Photos and More
Chapter 10 - Setting Your Starting Price, Understanding eBay's Fees, and Creating a Basic Listing
Chapter 11 - Managing and Completing the Sale
Chapter 12 - Standing Out in a Comptetitive Market
Appendix - More Helpful Resources

The book came so fast that I thought it was teliported!
Great price for very useful, informative information.
Thank you!

Just when you think you know Ebay out comes a great book that teaches you even more. A great learning book for the beginner and for the advanced auction seller. Don't miss this book. Great writer that writes so everyone can understand.

Good book if you just start to use ebay, but it is not offer much to e-bay users that are already familiar with standard features in e-bay. For example if you like to know, how to use web site to add pictures to your listing or like to know, how to write HTML to make your listing more organized, this book would not help. however, I will keep this book in my liberary as a referance for a few tips that I found usefull.

Job hunters nowadays must use the internet in their job search but it can be "needle in a haystack" time if you don't have good reliable navigational tools. Crispin & Mehler have provided a great roadmap in their book Career X Roads. When I was searching last year, I used their book constantly. It's a great help for career coaches too who are helping others to find the right web sources to further their job search.

The latest version of CareerXroads continues to be the definitive source for job seekers and recruiters using the Internet. This outstanding reference enables the reader to determine, quickly without wasting valuable time, which are the best web sites to review for job opportunities and the resumes of qualified candidates. In addition to the directory portion of the book, there are many helpful articles on career management for both the job seeker and the recruiter. Whether you are looking for a new opportunity or searching for the best candidate to fill an open position, don't go on the Web without CareerXroads!

Even better than last year's edition.

A thorough reference for anyone interested in advancing their career or anyone in the career management business. Crispin and Mehler review over 500 job, resume and career management sites on the web. In addition, they provide some excellent articles on the subject of career management.

The book is a "must" for anyone in the job market, as well as all Human Resource Professionals.

Would you go to the supermarket without a shopping list? Could you board a commercial airplane flight without a ticket? You wouldn't have the gall to attend a wedding without offering a gift, would you? The answer to these questions is a resounding "No, of course not!" Likewise, at least to my mind and experience as a professional recruiter and staffing manager (and sometimes job seeker), it would be folly to engage in a job search or candidate search without first consulting Cripin & Mehler's "CareerXroads". Within its 435 pages, the authors successfully manage to review more than 1500 internet sites that focus on the ever-widening and complex world of jobs, resumes and career management. The authors' research and insights are presented clearly, in relevant and concise language that every reader should find invaluable. The payoff in saved time, effort and increased efficiency is priceless. Every passive or active job seeker and every hiring manager, recruiter or staffing professional should clear space for "CareerXroads" on their bookshelves and refer to it, daily. Read well and prosper.

This is the job hunters bible. For those looking for a new job, this book has it all. Everything you need to find your next job. If you are an employer or recruiter the listings and reviews of hundreds of job sites will help you target your search to find the best candidates.

This is a reference I keep on my desk at all times. I have used it in my job and have used it to find new jobs. I would highly recommend it for anyone looking to stay on top of the rapidly changing job market.

The book is a concise compilation of case studies that encompass a myriad of experiences faced by companies and cultures in their pursuit of reaping the benefits of e-commerce. The cases provide a global focus on cultural challenges both geographic and organizational, a sampling of various information technology considerations, and customer interface and acceptance factors.
Two of the cases explore cultural issues in Latin and Asian societies. Their explosive demand for IT outpaced the substantial infrastructure shortfalls. Reliability of telecommunications systems, the lack of electronic payment methods, and weak processing infrastructures are just a few of the areas discussed.
The study of the Texas Instrument implementation and management of an e-commerce enabled enterprise information system clearly describes the paramount concern for the development of a strategic focus within the organization, the need for top management support, and most importantly the development of sound business processes. The significance of business process development is explored often throughout the cases starting with the first chapter where a description of the dynamic evolution of an e-commerce entity is taken from the concept stage all the way through implementation.
Finally, throughout all the cases it is clear that customer focus and direct customer interface during the development and implementation are key success factors in reaping the benefits of an e-commerce endeavor.
The variety of cases maintain your interest and offer a comprehensive collection of experiences that are sure to alleviate most start up and operational issues.

The big boom being over, many are apparently of the opinion that the Internet does not matter--at least on a global level. Cases on Worldwide E-Commerce gives many examples to the contrary. It shows interesting and instructive examples of how organizations are making use of the Internet and networking technologies to help them carve away at markets and improve operations.

"Cases on Worldwide E-Commerce: Theory in Action" is a great read for both practitioners and scholars. Because of the book's unique perspective on this timely topic, my students will find that it is required reading in my next E-Commerce class.

"Cases on Worldwide Electronic Commerce: Theory in Action" is a good read. It is very useful for both scholars and practitioners. I intend to use this book in my next Electronic Commerce class because it gives the latest perspectives on this dynamic topic.

This is a very worthy book that amply describes best practices for achieving a competitive edge in eCommerce. Dr. Raisinghani's book illustrates the methods used by industry to transform strategic plans for eCommerce into viable business operations. While written as an academic text, the book none-the-less offers insight into the practical nature of how different organizations went about leveraging their respective IT investments in order to provide superior customer value, cycle time reductions, and expansion of their operations to a global market. This book is highly beneficial in both the academic and business sectors...very useful and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in the growth (or study) of eCommerce.

This is a very well-written study-guide. It gets to the point without getting too wordy. It could serve as a model for other study guides. But, I do have a few minor gripes. First, some of the pages were printed kind of blurry, a kind of shadow image. Second, there is too much preaching about what the author feels are best practices, some of which I question. Best practices questions are not on the exam, at least the one I took, and thus should be left out of a study guide except as perhaps small footnotes. There were also a few minor typos, but being a niche market I can forgive that for technical books.

This is pretty much the only material you need to pass the certification. I was thinking of getting the exam buster as previous reviewer suggested, but exam buster does not promise same day delivery of their products, and with the exam one day away, I had only this guide to rely on.

Here is the approach I took that might work for you as well if you are pressed for time: Work on the end of chapter exercises first, mark all the questions that you are unsure of, if you have the time, go back and read the chapters and correct your own mistakes (I skipped this one because of time issue), and finally check the answers at the back. Note all the ones you were unsure of or didn't get right and studied the reasons provided with each answer. If you don't feel confident of the topic or you have made enough mistakes in the questions, read that chapter.

Before I read the guide, I scored a 70% using Ben's site. After a day of going through the guide using the "algorithm" above, I got an Advanced certification the next day. It goes to show you how good the guide is. One thing to be aware of, some answers are not correct (ran into about 4-5 incorrect answers at the back of the book), thankfully the answer analysis are correct most of the time so you can catch any mistakes in the answers the book provides. Do Ben a favor and get this book, he really deserves the royalty.

Ben Forta's deep experience and practical application overflows from the pages of this book that I highly recommend. Of the dozens of computer books I've ever read, this one kept me astounded me with its perfect-sized chapters, handy reference and cross-reference segments, and the well-written pages. Not only is Ben Forta a good writer, he's an outstanding teacher.
Clarke Schroeder
Advanced Macromedia ColdFusion Certified

This is a very good book, however the coupon for 15% off of the exam is no longer valid. It expired December 31st of 2003.

This book does a good job of giving you information on every possible topic of the certification exam. I used the original study guide to take and pass the first exam. This book includes just about everything in the first book, and goes into topics that are relaevent for MX (i.e. CFCs, XML, Flash intergration, etc.). If you want answers in a few pages vs. a few chapters, then buy this book.

Perhaps it's just in my nature, or simply just the way I was brought up (I'm always looking for a bargain)... but I didn't learn anything new from reading this book.

Having said that, Cheap Web Tricks! Build and Promote a Successful Web Site Without Spending a Dime is a book that covers a lot of ground making it a good point of reference for anyone wanting a site starting out from scratch. In fact, the first part of the book takes you through the process of getting a site online without dealing with all the unnecessary details that inevitably get in the way.

Needless to say, this was not what I was expecting when I first opened the book. I guess I was just blind to fact that the word "build" was in the title but I was hoping for a lot more pages on the promotion side of things, so that I could pick up a few new ideas on the way.

One nice surprise was the section on making money from your site as it wasn't something I was expecting. Not only does it give you an overview of the various different ways you can make money from a web site, but also realistic with describing the results you can expect.

This has to be the reason why I'd still recommend it for the complete beginner. Of course, the book simply isn't big enough to go into all the details, nor does it claim to, but it goes a long way to giving an overview of what's involved in owning a web site. For many beginners, this is exactly what they need to know before starting out!

I thought I was a web genius until I read this book. It is absolutely amazing. The author Anne, even responded to a question I had within the hour by email. If you want to build a succesfull website you have to get this book.

Never thought it could happen, but with the help of Cheap Web Tricks this formerly computer illiterate senior has created a dynamite website. And am actually getting inquiries already about the talents I apparently convinced the folk I can offer. Now I just want to get that money rolling in!

This one is worth every penny. If you are looking to see how the whole website experience goes together from planning the site, building the site, promoting the site and tracking the site then look no further. Martinez tells you how to do this and for free, in most cases.

As a webmaster myself I can say that "FREE" when used in webspeak translates to either limited or restricted or both but nothing comes closer than pointing you in the right direction than Cheap Web Tricks.

Some parts of the book may not be as in-depth as you would want but at least you don't have to go slogging through 10 or 20 different sources either. 5 stars for Martinez. Well done!

An amazingly thorough examination of just about everything you need to know about websites. I feared the book would be boring and a rehash of things I knew; that was not the case. The information builds nicely and there are many great tips. Even if you don't utilize the "cheap" techniques(which are excellent I might add) there is a lot of useful information. Hats off to this author!

You won't be configuring a router from scratch with this book, but it shows you how to handle about 90% of the common scenarios that you'll encounter with a Cisco device. Highly recommended if you are someone like me, who knows just enough IOS to get around and handle the basics, but configure these things maybe once a year and will never know enough IOS to do it on their own.

always when i forget some of command i find in book, this is cool book..

This book is pretty much an all in one book, it won't prepare you to pass any exam, but it will help you in your work if you have to do something with your cisco router when it's outside your scope.

i found this book is very well written, it gives you an example of how to configure something, then it will give you a detailed explanation of what it does and other options that you can do to adjust your need.

more things that i found very interesting is the "handling queuing and congestion" part which helped me implement qos for my router and make my network runs better.

there are many other interesting chapters for me, which will be too much to review. but i will recommend this to any body who works with cisco devices to get this book for in job reference or even just for study because this book will teach you more than what a ccna can do.

A book that resides outside of the often-essential Cisco Press series of books, Cisco IOS Cookbook delivers the goods. I'd like to see more coverage of Ethernet switching, which is a huge part of Cisco's business (and many modern Cisco Catalyst releases run IOS now). Communication between Ethernet and Token Ring is fully covered, however. Otherwise, this is an excellent, accurate and razor-sharp configuration reference for Cisco router hounds. Very good coverage of all L3 routing protocols and subjects such as serial interface and CSU/DSU setup, all of which I've done in previous jobs. Check out the Chapter 19 section on Access Lists. Finally, if you really need a thorough introduction to IPv6 on Cisco, go straight to Chapter 25. Another solid effort from O'Reilly.

This book should be on every Cisco & network admin's shelf! If you manage several Cisco routers, this book is packed with loads of time-saving tips, tricks, scripts, and real world solutions to make router management easy and take the pain out of repetitive daily processes. Some Perl & Unix knowledge is helpful as well as some basic "CCNA level" understanding of Cisco IOS. Troubleshooting and configuration commands are taken to the next level beyond most boring and dry CCNA and Cisco Intro books.

Cisco ISP Essentials is the ideal book for those responsible for ISP networks, whether big or small. The authors mix in practical examples, along with industry standard methods to describe ideal network setups.
The book follows a logical step by step look at ISP networks, first by examining basic router setup and maintenance. Here topics such as memory and backup issues are discussed. The wonderful thing about this book is that it covers in detail many books simply leave out and unnecessary. There are detailed examples of the Network Time Protocol and configuration management. Along with the how, is the very important why for the various techniques.
In the routing protocols section, most of the space is dedicated to BGP, as would be expected in a book dealing with ISP networks. The authors did not forget about internal protocols and laid a foundation for the rest of the book. There is in depth coverage of BGP setup, and the various features and setting to further enhance your network based on its requirements. Examples are provided to show actual running configurations proving the practices out.
Security is a hot topic right now, and it seems to not receive as much time in its chapter of the book. What you will find however, is the constant minding of security issues throughout the rest of the book. Securing routers and routing protocols is followed by discussions on ACL's and network filters. Every area of the book touches aspects of security at some point.
The fifth chapter is entitled Operational Practices, and takes the detailed ideas presented so far, and applies them to actual situations seen on ISP networks. The chapter starts with design ideas, and follows with discussions of ISP services such as DNS, Mail, and News. A detailed discussion of IPv4 addressing covers the basic structure of addressing history. There is a detailed example of an allocation plan for an ISP's needs, as well as any customers. It shows the steps to plan for the present as well as future growth in your network.
There follows an extensive survey of external routing topics. A few examples for interior protocols are given, but the main topic is exterior protocols. Scaling route protocols is discussed for both interior and exterior protocols. This talk leads in to peering practices involving BGP. Multi-homing is the last topic covered, and is done in great detail. The authors describe the various options available for stub networks, single and multiple ISP connections, as well as load sharing designs.
Here again security and the management tasks talked about in earlier chapters are placed into the ISP network and their use described. Tools and sample configurations follow in appendices to wrap up the discussion on best practices.
Overall, the detailed examples and well thought out explanations of the various practices will serve your ISP for a long time.

Good work and a must have for people dealing with networks daily.

I totally agree with the other reviewers. Reading this book is an enjoyment.

Better yet, this book has both to-the-point explaination _and_ example on all topics.

I would say, if you wanted to learn tricks to doing things, this is for you. Don't forget this book concludes with full examples/templates showing how people configure their ISP core and edge routers/switches.

What I love about this book is both the way the authors explain complex technologies simply and also (and more importantly for me) add a very real-world/practical slant to everything. Not much more I can say except do yourself a favour and buy this book.

Written especially for network engineers by Cisco experts Barry Raveendran Greene and Philip Smith, Cisco ISP Essentials is a 428-page, matter-of-fact, "access friendly" guide to the many versions of Cisco IOS Software, and cogently explains how to ensure the best configurations that provide Internet access, as well as having a reasonable expectation of security. Offering a wealth of detailed technical information at the expert level, configuration diagrams, examples, and much, much, more, Cisco ISP Essentials is an indispensable and recommended guide, serving the Cisco using community as a much-needed supplement to the often confusing documentation of the Cisco IOS Software itself.