Internet Books

Buy this book. Enough said. Doesn't get any easier.

While confirming many of my already developed ColdFusion skills, this amazing book tough me a few new techniques that have brought me to the next level. An excellent book!

I have been programming in Coldfusion for over a year now but with this book, I've discovered more techniques in creating an efficient code.

Although I haven't taken the exam yet, I'm pretty sure that what I've learned would be a great help in passing it.

Once again the pen of Ben comes produces a gem! This book is the perfect capstone to any introductory level book for developers that not only want to study for the Cold Fusion certification exam but take their knowledge of Cold Fusion to the next level. This 378 page tomb has more higher level tips and tricks than his equally well written 1000 page+ giants. Several tips and tricks have saved me hours of time and helped me produce better code. Now all that I need to do is pass the exam and I am sure that this book will indeed do the trick. Keep em' coming Ben...

I have been working exclusively in cold fusion for a bit over 1yr. Just when I thought I knew everything there is to know to pass the CF certification test, reading this book was a humbling experience -- I learned something new in every chapter.

This book was a quick read, it took about 20 hrs +/- to complete all 38 chapters. By the time I was done with this book, it only took me 25 minutes to complete the 60 questions (90min) exam. Best of all, quite a few of the questions on the exam came straight from the book.

The only flaw, if that's what it is, is that it was written with CF 4.5 in mind -- Did not cover things such as CFFLUSH, CFGRAPH, and other new tags.

Even if you think you know all there is to know, you can still learn a few things from this book. It's a MUST GET!!

I was so impressed by this book when I checked it out from the library I realized I had to have a copy of my own for those times when problems crop up that drive me toward the deep end. This book does what it claims. Though it won't answer all of your problems (what book would), it's easy to understand and can provide simple solutions to what seem like complex problems. It also gives the reader various references and free helpful programs on-line. I highly recommend it.

OK for the nontechnical XP users. Most of these hints have been published elsewhere but it is a nice collection.

I love the format Steve Bass uses while writing
about computer annoyances. Many of the tips and solutions
can save you frustrations that are always there even in
a minor way because you may not know how to fix them.

This is not the usual boring computer book. Just the opposite.
I'm reading it the second time with a felt tip marker. After reading a chapter I go to my computer, explore, and make changes. I've learned more reading this book than any other computer book I've purchased. And it's written so the average computer user like me can understand.

After slogging through books on W2KPro/XPPro that are painful to read and no help unless your running 100+ PC's this book was a welcome relief in it's smarts,humor,and direct approach to fixing many of the challenges presented by the above mentioned OS's. Having one of my usual sleepless nights I started tallying up all the money I spent trying to keep MS software running,protected from hackers,bots,spyware,virii worms and it's own predisposition to fail and I realize that with an entire industry built around sloppy software as the norm and a gov't asleep at the antitrust wheel we're not likely to see a real improvement any time soon. When you hear words like regulation stifles innovation reach down and make sure you still have your wallet because it's about to be plundered. It's always about the money. If I had to spend another $25 to have this book included in the box that MS/OS came in then I would've saved hundreds on books that did'nt meet my needs and priceless amounts of lost time.

This is the book if you are new to RF radio frequency design. I lost my original copy so I had to get a new one. The printing is perfect.

I have owned two copies of this book for as long as I can recall; one for me to keep on-hand, and one that is constantly on loan to colleagues that ask to learn about impedance matching, Smith charts, filter design, transmission lines, small signal amplifier design, etc. Nearly everyone that borrows my copy ends up buying their own shortly thereafter. The text is readable by anyone with a good knowledge of electronics, and the depth of subject is an excellent "just right" balance of practice and theory. Finally, it's very refreshing that this excellent book is available at such a reasonable price - I would venture to say that Bowick's book is likely the best value on my bookshelf in terms of "usefulness per dollar spent"!

Easy to read, understand. Good reference book for basic buliding blocks in RF circuit design. The book only has solved example problems and is not very helpful for practise.

We have used Chris's book for training and refreshing engineers for years. We have literally worn the cover off and I can't begin to tell you how many pages have been dog eared for future reference. The previous comments regarding "outdated" are, in my opinion, misguided since the focus of this book is more on the fundamentals and foundation of RF circuit design which HAS NOT changed since the first edition of the book was written. The information in this book is diverse and condensed very well. We haven't purchased the 2nd edition yet, but likely will in the new year to replace our reference copy.

If Chris's book sounds too technical, you may want to start with Jon Hagen's "Radio Frequency Electronics" or if you are more into the magnetics side of it try Jerry Sevick's "Transmission Line Transformers". Lastly, if you need some general testing guidance, Joseph Carr's book "Practical Radio Frequency Test & Measurement" will likely be of some benefit.

Having worked with the industry leaders in this field, I can honestly say that Chris and his colleagues are among the best in the industry and Chris's experience shows in the content of this very fine work.

I ordered this book to assist in refreshing my memory about RF Circuit Design and associated equations. I found it to be a great source of advice on the "how to's", as well as a wonderful reference source for the basic equations involved, which I haven't used actively in some time. Since my old reference/school books are in storage, I needed a concise, compact and easy to understand presentation of the application of the math to real world design considerations. I highly recommend it for self-tutoring, for general reference, and especially for those "breaking away from theory and into the real world" of design.

Excellent gay murder mystery that kept the reader guessing for a long time! Measured backstory on the psyche of the killer gave the reader another dimension of the killer. What horrific events lead this man/boy to commit the murder of gays. Where his rage came from and his helpless life that caused him so much misery.
Well-developed characters and great descriptive narratives of places, murder victims, etc.
Thoroughly enjoyed the novel!

From the book's very first murder, Mr. Reed takes the reader on a wild ride where nothing is as it seems. Ed is a cop whose job crumbles from under him as he chases after a madman who may already be dead. Timothy Bright seems heartless and cruel, but as the story progresses, the reader learns what has made him who he is. Throughout the book, the pacing is tight and fast, catapulting you through the twists and turns, leaving you breathless, until you're reading as fast as you can in an effort to find out how it ends.

Beware ~ the violence is graphic and sexual, disturbing images that speak to the dangers of anonymous sex. But Comparetto is the perfect counterpart to the evil Timothy Bright, who haunts the cop's every move throughout the story. I found myself rooting for Ed from the start, and as time seems to run out for him, I was on the edge of my seat, reading furiously, flipping pages to find out what happened next.

In short, this book is riveting. I couldn't put it down. This is a must read for any fans of gay fiction who are looking for a good murder mystery/horror story. Think Stephen King meets Patricia Cornwell, with lots of gay sexual references to satisfy readers. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of Mr. Reed's work.

Rick R.Reed has confected a mystery/horror/suspense tale as only an artist could do. Not only is the story a major page-turner, but the reader comes to know the characters as three dimensional human beings -- and one tends to care about them.

I read at least one book of mystery fiction per month. I tend to enjoy the most those works which shed light on a certain culture or role: being Amish, being a guidance counselor, being a maid, being an Irish inn-keeper, being a journalist, etc. In recent years writers such as john Morgan Wilson, Mark Richard Zubro, and RD Zimmerman have invited readers into the gay community with all of its wonderful and intersting attributes, as well as it demonic dimensions. I believe Reed has done the finest work, however, in the cause and effect within human relationships. Also, the reader cares about the characters, and flinches at some of the events which have formed their experiences. Definitely, this is not a "cozy."

A reader does not have to be gay, however, to share in this story, any more than one needs to be Catholic to understand THE DI VINCI CODE. The author develops the meaning of psychosis, displays the technology which is such a great influence in our current culture, and empathetically focuses on the effect of life minus loving relationships. As well he develops a budding relationship which adds an element of hope to the story, as well as an invitation to further stories flowing from this love.

As a Chicagoan I was excited about the use of so many places in the story which are only blocks from my home. He so well describes these settings, however, that one could live in Newcomerstown, Ohio or Rim-of-the-World, California and still share in the adventure with the same high interest. Again, this is an artist who has developed this tome.

I have already recommended this story to my friends. I want to encourage any mystery buff to explore this novel.

Thomas P. Hull, Chicago

IM is one of those rare books that scared the bejeezus out of me, to the point that I had to put the book down. A few days later, I was drawn back to the book "like a moth to a flame."

The story moves quickly, switching seamlessly between several points of view - Ed Comparetto the detective, the victims, the bystanders and the killer. The third person narrative, switching to first person narrative with the murderer was intensely effective. Downright creepy! The mystery unfolds in many layers, shifting in time, twisting and turning to the heart-pounding end. Once everything is revealed, Reed isn't done with us yet; the story continuing through one final confrontation between Comparetto and the killer. At first, when I read the "blurb" on the back of the book I was slightly disappointed that so much was given away, but I soon realized that was only the beginning of something so much more. The blurb was like a plot device in itself. I also felt the ending left something unresolved, but once my heart rate returned to normal, the ending made perfect sense - Comparetto was where he wanted to be.

Detective Ed Comparetto is an appealing character, a dedicated cop that still feels compassion and remorse for the victims. He isn't one of those wise-cracking police detectives, spewing out one-liners like some "has been" stand-up comedian. When Comparetto enters the first murder scene, he's feeling unsettled and apprehensive, oppressed with "what's behind door number one" type of feeling. He hides his true emotions well, slipping into that professional cop-mode, feeling the need to prove himself to those out there that are just waiting for him to "slip-up." His professional life is already threatened after a recent "public" outing. Ed's a humanly portrayed character, with all his human flaws and human weaknesses. In other words, he's not an arrogantly perfect macho man. And this is not meant to be a negative reflection on Ed's sexual orientation. It is wholeheartedly meant as a compliment. I really got into Ed's character, his motivations and toward the end -- his fear.

I loved Ed's lover, Peter. The two meet for the first time in a library where Peter worked, when Ed was researching a lead. Peter's like a breath of fresh air in the story, pursuing Ed with an amusing single-minded determination. He's a lot like Nick's Nora (The Thin Man Series), helping Ed investigate and sort out the conflicting clues. A real partner in and out of bed. I would have loved to see more of Peter. Peter begins to have second doubts about their relationship, when Ed starts to become obsessive about the case. For Ed it's more than just finding the killer, it has become something personal. And that's something Peter needs to figure out.

The book should have Nightmare Warnings, because I sure as heck had 'em! I liked Reed's use of descriptive phrases to set the proper mood like, "the gallery of ghouls," to described the assembled investigation team at the first murder. I thought the plot became a little "out there" with certain elements, but I realized that was just the type of book I was reading. I just suspended my mundane imagination a little and enjoyed the nightmare ... I mean the story.

According to Reed's Amazon Blog, he has signed a contract for a film option. I'm keeping my fingers crossed! And my toes. *grins*

When it rains, it pours...just ask Ed Comparetto...

The Chicago police detective's life is losing its luster: his lover has just left him, and, blamed for his failure to solve a rash of gruesome killings, he is suddenly run off the force. The reason for his dismissal: falsifying a witness at a crime scene. Ed may be losing his touch, but he knows he's not losing his mind, so this reasoning doesn't fly with him. He knows what he saw, and he knows who he talked to...slowly but surely, he gets the feeling that someone, somehow is playing him - little does he know...

Before long, Ed finds himself inextricably caught in the middle of a deadly game being waged by a sadistic killer with a malevolent axe to grind. More bodies are found, more questions go unanswered. As the clues begin to pile up, so does the danger, which Ed can handle as long as he's the only one involved; however, when his newfound love, Peter, gets entangled in the mess, the stakes are raised to a much more urgent level, and Ed knows it's imperative that he solve the case before more innocent blood is shed...

What he doesn't know, though, is that nothing can prepare him for discovering who is truly responsible for the murders - especially considering the fact that all roads actually lead to someone who died in similar fashion just two years before...

The action of IM is unmatched. Reed deftly weaves intriguing characters throughout an intricate plotline of misdirection and manipulative sleight-of-hand. The resulting mosaic is a masterpiece of suspense and nail-biting drama. Many make noble attempts at crafting whodunits, but few pull it off with such convincing realism as Reed.

The backdrop of IM lends much to the enjoyment you experience in putting all the different pieces together along the way, as you truly don't know just who/what the big picture will ultimately reveal. With equal parts action and mystery, Reed's tale is an enjoyable, fast-paced read entertaining to the fullest. Highly recommended for all readers, whether you're fans of the genre or not.

This is a great book on Cisco networking, so just buy it now. I've tried reading the CCNA prep books before but never got around to finishing them because they got into too much detail and I wasn't working with Cisco products enough to get hands-on experience.

At my current job I'm more involved in networking, so when I saw this book, I thought I'd give it a shot. So far it's been very helpful. This book is strictly practical in nature, so you won't get a lot of detail on Ethernet framing or the OSI model. (Note to author, it would be helpful in the second edition to include one concise chapter on the OSI model and network protocols as a refresher.)

If you have a certification such as MCSA, MCSE, Network+, or CCNA, you will have all the background info you need before reading this book. If you have no networking knowledge at all, this book is not for you.

I've been skipping around reading different chapters (this is the kind of book where you can do that). This is one of the few IT book that I've read that actually gave me practical info that I could put to use right away. Here are two examples:

1.) From Ch 2 regarding auto-negotiation: In June 2008 we moved to a new office that had all new gigabit Cisco switches that replaced our 10/100 switches. A few weeks after our move we started getting reports of errors when saving files to our EMC Celerra NAS. Users would get errors saving files to the NAS and their computers' system logs would report a "Delayed Write Failed" error.

Source: MRxSmb
EventID:50
{Delayed Write Failed} Windows was unable to save all the data for the file \Device\LanmanRedirector
The data has been lost. This error may be caused by a failure of your computer hardware or network connection. Please try to save this file elsewhere.

This looked to be a network issue so when I was poking around the Celerra Manager I noticed that its NICs were hard coded to 100 full duplex. Since we were on gigabit switches that were set to auto-negotiate, I deduced (from the knowledge gained in this chapter) that the EMC devices should be set to auto-negotiate as well. So after contacting EMC and then changing the EMC NICs to auto-negotiate, we've had no more reports of these errors.

2.) From Ch 9 regarding routing: I ran into an issue with improper configuration of the gateway of last resort during our office move. For whatever reason, the gateway of last resort was not configured on our new VLANs. We noticed the problem because we couldn't get to the Internet, but we could get to our other offices. When our network support vendor walked my manager through running the sho ip route command, I immediately saw "gateway of last resort is not set" at the top and knew that it was the issue. So even though I had only been reading this book for two weeks, it paid off. I'm sure the vendor would have found the issue after a few more minutes, but it was nice to be able to point out the issue to them.

I found this book to be absolutely remarkable. The text at the top about it being what you need to be that wasn't on the CCNA is all too true.

Mr. Donahue's writing style is what makes the book. He explains often complex topics in a manner of a grizzled old veteran telling a war story. He doesn't break down into the deep technical details, he tells you how it works and why you should do it the way he's telling you to.

There's more that goes into being a network monkey than just knowing what commands to type, and the insight he offers into the more social aspects of how to be a network guy are invaluable. It is my honest opinion that the final chapters, particularly those on how to deal with management and being a nerd, should be required reading for anyone that works at a technology company.

It is my sincere hope that Mr. Donahue continues his writing career and takes his style of communicating to other complex subjects. I would love a dissertation of BGP written in the same manner, for example.

If you're a bright shiny new CCNA, or studying for the CCNA, and you're serious about pursuing a career in networking, buy this book. It won't help you pass any exams, but you'll find it as one of your favorite reference materials nonetheless.

I loved three things about this book:

1- The simple style it conveys from cover to cover. Every subject in network administration is divided into short but detailed chapters in order to keep the reader's attention focused. Anyone can write a book that lists an experienced user's knowledge of the subject, but it takes a real engineer to compile the data in small doses of knowledge.

2- The clarity of the information mentioned. The author uses the same style of defining the problem, suggesting the best solution, and detailing the technical commands to implement the best solution.
Common pitfalls, problem symptoms, and real life examples are provided as well.

3- The deep coverage of the subject at hand. The author goes over almost every subject in network administration, but without the extra fluff. It's really what you need to know.

Definitely a great buy.

Network Warrior is another quite useful O'Reilly effort in the Cisco handbook space. It really is potentially handy for many real-time network operators. One thing I wish the author had spent much more time on is Ethernet switching. He does dig into some of the quirks of configuring VLANs in the Cisco environment but to my way of thinking associated subjects (mirroring, span port config, spanning tree troubleshooting) need a lot more exposure. One area that cannot be talked about enough are the twists involved in setting up spanning tree through a complex VLAN network. Another potentially vital topic involves interoperating with other vendors' equipment in a spanning tree network. I bought this book hoping for more exposure than I got in those areas. This is the only reason I didn't give it five.

One of the best networking books I have read, period. Not just how it works, but why it works and should be configured. After you study and obtain your CCNA, this is the next read that will fill in many information holes.

Highly recommended.

I have been learning ColdFusion for about 5 months now and have 4 books on it. So far I have this one and 3 others. And out of all the books I have on ColdFusion, I use this one and one other one the most. Even though it is written in ColdFusion MX, it still has a lot of good ColdFusion examples and descriptions on how to make some of the most popular applications. Great book if your looking for a book that is a little cheaper and still has a lot of great info. If your looking for the new breakthrough features of CF8, than mabye you should try somewhere else. But overall, a great book for the price!!

This book is the best Cold Fusion book to date. I use this book daily. The book contains clear examples without a lot of fluff. Can't wait until the next release.

Everithing you need to good programming in ColdFusion. Not to useful if you're interested in Server Configuration.

The only quibble I have with this book is that it is not long enough! Some parts just paraphrase ColdFusion documentation, which is not bad in itself but left me wanting to know more from the author about how he applied the feature to a project.

It would be phenomenal if the author could expand this book or, better yet, put together a new book of more extended examples called "ColdFusion Examples in a Nutshell," similar to "Java Examples in a Nutshell" by David Flanagan.

Having said that, I can now state that this book is a shining example of what a programming book is supposed to be:
(1) Well-Organized. Chapters are grouped logically.
(2) Well-Documented. Almost every topic has at least one example; a few have a complete set of templates to guide the beginning CF (ColdFusion) programmer.
(3) Well-Balanced. In addition to instructive code, the author also provides many in-depth explanations of ColdFusion and database principles.

About six months ago the company I work for recently moved to Coldfusion 5 server (holding off on CFMX until all the bugs are worked out) and since that time, application programming duties have been dumped on me. As a web designer and not a programmer, this was a more than a little worrisome. After trying to wade through Forta's Construction Kit, Hewitt's Core Coldfusion 5, as well as "Mastering Coldfusion 5" it was as if the light was turned on by Rob Brooks-Bilson's Programming Coldfusion.

By the by, those books mentioned are all great books. I own all of them. But when it came down to what I really needed to know and understand Bilson came through like no other. Great job Rob! Keep up the good work.

This is a general comment regarding Hacking Exposed series. I owned Hacking Exposed (first edition) and then I moved to the more specific Hacking Exposed books, so now I've got Hacking Linux Exposed, Hacking Windows 2000 Exposed and hacking web Applications exposed. All those books absolutely worth it, do not hesitate to buy any of them.

Don't run Windows without it. An in-depth windows security book written for those who do not understand geek. Easy to read and chocked full of info provided to save you from common (and not so common) windows sins. Definitely for the home and enterprise network user/admin.

If you are responsible for a Windows 2000 server and do not have this book, you are asking for trouble. Get it today!!!!

Excellent book which helps you secure your system from the attacker's point of view. It makes you think as a hacker to be able to find the vulnerabilities in your machine/network.

My security officer loves this book because it allows him to send me emails guaranteed to keep me up at night. ;-)

I've been in IT for over 25 years, and in that time I've read a lot of technical books. "File System Forensic Analysis" is not only the best book I have read on computer forensics, it's probably the best technical work in ANY field I've ever read. It's thoroughly researched, clearly written, and contains virtually no fluff. The numerous rave reviews it has received are well-deserved.

My only quibble is the short, but seemingly gratuitous section on hexadecimal and decimal arithmetic. If you're ready for this book, you'll already know this stuff. But, that's only a few pages in a book that's otherwise packed with real substance.

I can't say enough good things about this book and author. The material is beautifully laid out and the writing style is fluid and effortless. The author has a real talent for using metaphors and figures to illustrate elusive concepts.

All but the very rarest file systems are covered, and numerous 'screenshots' show how to use the Linux command prompt and get your hands dirty exploring disks on your own.

While this book is a gold standard for digital forensic examiners, it would also be valuable to the computer enthusiast who's interested in things such as what happens to their hard drive when they format it, exactly what happens during the boot process, etc.

I've had 3 courses in digital forensics, and this book gives an in-depth discussion of disk level concepts (HPA, FAT, MFT, etc) that were merely glossed over in my formal studies.

Great resource on file systems and file system data structures, although I wish it covered Apple's HFS+.

Thanks a lot, we are very happy to have this book in our library!

Great Book. Great job Brian. A must have in your bookshelf if you are serious about computer forensics.
It only lacks two things to be perfect: a reiserfs and a HFS+ sections.

Only an error. GPT partition schema isn't used only in big servers. New Intel Macintoshes use it by default for their boot drive.

I purchased this book, as I want to change my business model, from Break-fix to Managed Services. I read it from cover to cover in a few days and now I am listening to the Audio CD in the Car. It is THE best book on Managed Services that I have seen. The CD is packed FULL of templates and documents you can use to get you going .. so there is no excuse

If there is only one thing you do today.. BUY THIS BOOK

So many pages and so little time yet this book is easy to read. How he manages to keep the flow on what could be a very dry topic moving along at such a fast pace is amazing. Don't be fooled though. You'll be referring back to this book as your business morphs and you're ready to tackle each piece of the MSP puzzle. Each element is well thought out and walks you through the process of implementing a managed services offering to your clients based on value. We all dream about getting our clients to understand the value that we bring to their business. Erik shows the way to make that dream a reality.

As an E-Myth/Gerber fan, I consider Erick's work an "E-Myth for IT Services". It will get you thinking about your business as a business and it provides a roadmap to get where you need to go.

Making the transition from working in to working on your business is the most powerful thing you can do to put more money in your pocket. Do it now. Buy this book!

The contents of this book contains valuable information if you are thinking of getting into managed services. If you include the contents of the CD, it is absolutely invaluable.

I am a business owner interested in the Managed Services market space. I have read so much about Managed services but have not found a step by step guide on how to implement the managed services business plan or sell those services to clients. What I needed were step by step guides on both the topics. I was introduced to Erick's books by another associate. This book and "The Best I.T. Sales & Marketing BOOK EVER!" by Erick were exactly what I was looking for. Erick is not just a subject matter expert in Managed Services but has practiced and implemented his teachings and recommendations. He explains several key concepts and best practices on Managed Services, Deliverables, Pricing, How to identify clients, sell, support and maintain the services and build a long term win-win relationship with the clients. The coverage on How to Hire and Train your sales staff is worth its weight in gold. Included along with these 2 books are several forms, analysis tools and documents which make the sales process a whole lot easier with predictable results. These are the bibles for my managed services business and I refer them frequently. If you are serious about building a profitable managed services business, you must have these books.

This book provides invaluable info for individuals, business and organizations who want to protect themselves from identity theft. And if you happen to bu among those unlucky people whose identity has already been stolen, this book will help you recover (and quickly) from the damage. Easy to understand and yet detailed enough to cover all the bases - from emerging threats to ongoing scames. Also tells readers how to plan effective anti-theft policies and systems. Well worth your time!

This book is quite timely and very thorough, going from defining the problem to providing solutions. Everyone should take note of the valuable information provided to avoid this growing problem. From a professional standpoint, I was particularly impressed with some of the technical solutions Mr. Vacca provided.

This book is right on the money. I personally experienced an identity theft to the tune of [$$$] on my credit card. Everything described in this book is consistent with my experience and information shared to me by the bank representative and the detective assigned to my case. I strongly recommend that anyone who conducts electronic commerce (who doesn't!)to read this book. This book clearly describes the many elements of personal risk and the controls one can demand and implement for security and peace of mind. Highly recommended.

With current advanced technology across the world, crime is also changing in most countries and more sophisticated counter measures are required. John explores the main victim of crime, which is our own identities and it's vulnerability to theft. He gives a full account of how it is done and how to avoid it. Another great book by John.

How many times have you disposed of items containing personal information (e.g., credit card statements, Electric Bills, etc.) without destroying them first or utilized a personal computer in a public place (e.g., Airport, Train Station, etc.)? After reading Identity Theft you may think twice. John Vacca presents an informative text that enlightens the reader on current methods employed by identity predators and how to protect yourself and your business. Mr. Vacca also addresses the Internet environment and the increasing use of E-Commerce, and exposes the dangers that exist both from the user and developer perspectives. For the IT professional, Identity Theft offers many informative essays on the use of digital signatures, Smart Cards, Optical Cards and Encryption as protection methods. I highly recommend this book to anyone!