Hoffman Books

This is very good book. I've created so many websites using AJAX techonlogy. This book provided me to check how secure the websites are. I am glad that I fullfilled all the details without having the through knowledge of AJAX security. But this book has collected all the security check point at one place.

A lot of examples shows how absolutely everything could be attacked and corrupted in the chain of components used for building ajax applications, from css (yes even css) to html, from javascript to http, from browser to server ... Sometimes there's too much lines about evident things and sometimes things seems more proof of concept than real possible attacks. But these guys know what they are talking about. This is an excellent book that every serious ajax developer must have read, specially if they plan to make mashups or let their users bring and share things using their applications.

Are you a web developer? Do you believe you can ensure that your client-side code will function as expected? Well, you are wrong. In Ajax Security you will find out why.

Ajax changes the game in that it moves business logic to the client. In doing so it increases the attack surface of the application. The authors get curious with some real world Ajax frameworks such as Prototype, Dojo, and Microsoft Ajax. They demonstrate with these frameworks how developers might be unknowingly building vulnerabilities into their applications. If you're home brewing Ajax, the authors cover important security considerations you'll need to know so that you don't make the same mistakes the industry leaders have made.

I learned a lot about JavaScript from reading this book. I learned even more about how JavaScript can be used maliciously. The authors describe techniques for function clobbering, JSON hijacking, storage attacks, and presentation layer attacks. One of my favorite parts of the book, not to mention one of the scariest, is an explanation of how to hide malicious JavaScript from signature based anti-virus software.

The authors explain why the Same-Origin Policy is broken and how it can be subverted. Also covered are security considerations for offline applications. An in-depth analysis of Ajax worms is covered. If you are curious about how Ajax is changing web security you should read this book. If your are a web developer or a security professional you should read this book, even if you aren't using Ajax. If you don't believe cross-site scripting is a "big deal", I dare you to read this book and maintain the same opinion.

Anyone involved in developing/testing AJAX should read "AJAX Security." It covers preventing a hacker from attaching your application. The audience includes developers, QA and penetration testers. While there are code snippets, they are explained well. While managers aren't in the target audience, I think they could benefit from understanding the concepts presented in the book.

The book begins with a brief review of AJAX architecture with an emphasis on security. The writing style is quite engaging including a chapter walking you through an attack from a hacker's point of view. All the major known categories of attacks are included including resource enumeration, parameter manipulation (with SQL and XPATH injection), session hijacking, JSON hijacking, XSS, CSRF, phishing, denial of service, etc.

I particularly liked the analogies to things that happen in the physical world such as resource injection into a roommate's "to do" list and hijacking another customer's paid order in the deli. These made it easy to visualize the problem even for people who don't code often.

The authors were realistic and included the limitations and drawbacks of each tool/framework mentioned. I liked the chapter analyzing two major JavaScript worms including the source code. This really hit home on the importance of certain practices!

All information was up to date as of printing including comments on all four major browsers (IE, Firefox, Opera and Safari.) They even mentioned the HTML 5 specification. The book is not server side language specific, which was nice.

Ajax Security was the last book I read and reviewed in 2007. However, it was the best book I read all year. The book is absolutely compelling and every security professional and Web developer should read it. It's really as simple as that.

I am not a Web developer. I was not very familiar with Ajax (beyond its buzzword status and a vague notion of functionality) when I started reading Ajax Security. I attended the authors' Black Hat 2007 talk and was thoroughly impressed and disturbed by the security implications they presented. I expected Ajax Security to be a good book, but one can never be sure if talented hackers and presenters can transfer their skills to the written word. Ajax Security gets the job done.

Despite being a traditional network security guy who prefers inspecting traffic to analyzing JavaScript, I had no problem understanding Ajax Security. The authors do a superb job leading the reader through the issues surrounding modern Web applications. They start by introducing a technology, which is critical for someone like me who doesn't deal with Web development issues. Next they describe how it is broken. They continue with defensive recommendations and summarize their findings in the conclusion. This is a perfect technical writing style that is too often lost on other authors.

Ajax Security makes very good use of case studies (both large stories like ch 2 and small ones throughout the text). The book also integrates code, diagrams, and screen shots. The text itself is very clear and the authors keep the reader's attention throughout. Histories for various technologies provide a welcome background, showing readers how we've ended up in our current Web 2.0 predicament.

If you'd like a positive critique of the technical components of the book by someone who is a Web expert, I recommend reading Dre's review of Ajax Security in the TSSCI-Security blog. Otherwise, I give my highest recommendation to Ajax Security, as my Best Book Bejtlich Read in 2007 award.

I totally agree with the other reviews about the value of this book. I have (and still use) Henry Stern's Dutch grammar book, but was to the point where I needed more information. Well, I sure got it! I was searching for something good but not quite as expensive as this book, but finally broke down and got it. It's well worth the cost.
I do think this should not be the choice for beginners, but for advanced learners that want the info without having to wade through reading a grammar book in Dutch I give it two thumbs up... heck, I'll borrow my Dutch boyfriend's thumbs and go for four thumbs up.

Bruce Donaldson's other book, Beyond the Dictionary in Dutch, is also awesome and great for someone with a little experience in the language.

Susanne Spangler

Over 30 years ago when I tried to learn the basics of the Dutch language in-country, there was nothing like this available. It was a struggle, particularly so when you're butchering the basics and kindly Dutch folks inevitably say, "Why don't we just speak English?" (which they do ever so well).

Ah, but now I'm older and wise enough to have picked up Donaldson's superb Dutch grammar for another go at the subject, this time in the warmer clime of the Dutch West Indies.

It's still a struggle, but thanks to this great resource, the "Why don't we just ..." questions come far less frequently. Reading Donaldson's "Comprehensive Grammar" is actually (amazingly) pleasureable and a good thing, too, since that's likely to be a daily affair for those who really want to learn this complicated "keel ziekte". A bit pricy, sure, but a great value, indispensible for the likes of me.

That's a very good grammar. I'm a Portuguese native speaker and it is very difficult to a Latin language speaker to learn a Germanic language, but this grammar made it easier. It even helped me with the German language. This one is great for beginners, everyone should buy it. With this book I was glad twice: I started to study an interesting language (Dutch) and I began to understand a very difficult language (German). Buy it, you won't be disappointed. It gives you a comprehensive explanation about all points of the Dutch language.

Somewhere out there there may be a more comprehensive Dutch grammar for English speakers, but you won't need it unless you are a scholar. This book covers pretty much every useful grammatical topic you will need for learning Dutch. Thankfully, Dutch is not a particularly difficult language for English speakers, so that fact helps keep the size of this grammar manageable. Any assiduous student should be able to master it in less that six months. After reading it you should be able to read any newspaper; and although speaking is a totally different animal, there is no reason you should not have a good grounding in speaking proper Dutch. The book, however, does not delve into colloquialisms to a great degree.

Bruce Donaldson is the doyen of English Dutch Teachers and his Comprehensive Grammar is far and away the best Dutch Grammer aimed at English speaking students available--far better than Professor Shetter's grammar cum text. It is an excellent reference grammar with clear explanations that do not require an in-depth understanding of generic grammatical terms. It is best used in conjunction with a text as a reference book. If you want to "read through" a brief summary of Dutch grammar, try Stern's Essential Grammar.

Fascinating book written by Henry Louis Gates Jr. that complements the PBS special of the same name. On the back cover Oprah says, "Knowing your family history is knowing your worth-- your whole worth"...and it goes on. I've done a bit of ancestry work on my father's family personally and I have to say it was amazingly rewarding. An easy to read 172 pages plus an appendix on how to research your own family is a nice contributon to any family bookcase. Gates uses Oprah as an example and explains how you can adapt his search for her roots to your own --starting with oral history. Oprah always says she consults her ancestors prior to any big meeting...and it was rather surprising to find out that her ancestors in Africa are not from the tribe that she thought they were. Plus she is part Native American too. Fun to see copies of the exact records and pix of Oprah's ancestors. Very inspirational.

Don't let the size of this book fool you, it is a tremendous book that has needed to be written for a long time. There are many guides and tools for researching roots, but this one, highly specialized to pre and post slavery sources is exceptional.

Why is it exceptional? 1) It documents a search. 2) It provides inspritation. In demonstrating a typical search (while Oprah is not typical, the search for her roots is) it shows the dynamics of the oral history, specific written records and the larger regional histories. It discusses the uses and limits of DNA.

The photos and documents are excellent. I like the way the full document is shown with the pertinant info blown up.

Everything Oprah does increases my respect for her. This search could have turned up reprobates and losers, but she didn't know that from the start. She approved potential embarrassment on an international level so that people could have this model... this encouragement.

I cried when I saw Oprah's South African school on TV. I almost did, like she did, when I saw the record of her ancestor's actual ownership.

A "must read" for everyone who loves Oprah and/or genealogy. Contains a relatively brief yet detailed bio of Oprah's life, plus insight into the history of Afro American culture in our society and the problems one experiences in family research.

I purchased this book a couple of days ago -- I am a huge Oprah fan. I read the book in one sitting as I wasn't able to put it down. Finding Oprah's Roots expanded both my heart and mind. It is a history lesson and an emotional/spiritual experience. This is a positive and uplifting book even though truly looking at the facts of slavery is painful. Bravo to Oprah and Henry Louis Gates, Jr. I have heard Oprah's quote from Toni Morrison (Toni Morrison giving credit to James Baldwin) before, but when I read it in the context of this work, I openly wept. I highly, highly recommend this book for everyone. It is truly inspirational and has made me want to work on my Family Tree so I can "sit with my ancesters."

This book is part genealogical guide, part celebrity biography, and part African-American history. Professor Gates has used the family history of Oprah Winfrey as an example of genealogical research and a case study of how education can lift a disadvantaged family out of hardship.

The written record of Oprah's ancestors only goes back to the 1870's census because the last names of slaves were rarely recorded. Here the author delves into the history of slavery in America and (to a lesser extent) in Africa. He also discusses the after-effects of slavery following the Civil War. The use of DNA to trace one's ancestors is also explained.

Although this book will appeal to persons trying to trace ancestors who were slaves, it is valuable to anyone getting started in genealogy. It's also an interesting story of a family who used education to leap beyond the expectations of those around them. You don't need to be a fan of Oprah to enjoy this book.

The book, "A Flower For Iggey" is one of the most heartwarming stories I have read in quite a while. It is a beautiful book which tells the story of a most unusual and charming pet, a young iguana named Iggey. The author has quite an understanding of the relationship between animals and people, and, this book, although it is categorized as a book for children, is indeed, a story to be read and enjoyed by people of all ages. Anyone who has ever loved a pet, will love this story.
The story is well written and the cover has a most charming illustration of the hero of the story. The addage, "never judge a book by its cover", doesn't apply to this particular book, as the cover of this book bears a lovely picture of what to expect inside.

Hope, Fear, Near Tragedy, Suspense, Friendship, Humor, and most af all, a touching story of Love. It is all here in, " A Flower For Iggey ". The emotional sensitivity of this story brought out the best in me when I wrote the music for it. Thank you and Bless you Beverly....Love, Sal

This book teaches a lesson in friendship, and our whole family enjoyed reading it. My daughter's school recently added "A Flower for Iggey" to their library.

I do know the author and the music composer. I have heard the music and it is beautiful. This is a must to read for all of the kids that want drama in their life and a real hero. This is a non-violent book, maybe too tame for these days. My husband did some of the artwork. I hope this book gets discovered soon. My favorite pet is featured in the story, a dusky green conure similar to the hero in the Paulie movie. It is based on real life...our favorite tropical pets.

About leaving home, finding a new home, and friendship. Iggey finds a human friend (really, she finds him). He is afraid at first but is treated kindly and learns to react in kind to the friendship. This would be a cute childrens play.

I like this book so much, I've purchased it 3 times! (My first copy was "borrowed" by one of my designer/producers, my second copy was left at Ubisoft SF, and this is my 3rd copy for myself.)

Great mixture of theories, old-school practices, and new-school techniques.

Although I personally disagree with some parts of what this book teaches, it this game design book is one of the most comprehensive I've seen. Well-recommended.

This might be a good book for teachers looking for material in their classes gamedesign or gamedevelopment. It may also be a good book for selfstudy, if you have the discipline to do the exercises. You need to have played a lot of the classic videogames though, otherwise you might not be able to do the exercises, which are mostly about thinking about gamedesigns and making little designs or design alterations on existing games.

Few people realize just how big a business digital gaming has become. Think of it this way: It's bigger than the domestic box office of the film industry. The amount of time spent playing games by young people now exceeds everything but television in time spent on entertainment. The main factor driving the development of the new extremely powerful computers is gaming, slower machines are capable of handling almost all office tasks.

The authors of this book have a great deal of experience in both designing games and teaching how to design games. This has given them an understanding of how beginning designers grasp the structured elements of games, common traps they fall into, and certain developmental exercises that help the student learn to make better games.

Note that this is not a programming manual, nor is it a graphics design manual. It is on game design. What are the characteristics that make a game, how can you prototype and play test the game without a horrendous programming expense, and finally some input on the game industry and how to decide on how you might like to be employeed in that industry.

I consider this an excellent book on game design. As an amatuer board game and basic computer game designer, I found a lot of the material extremely useful in the *process* of coming up with a game from start to finish.

The chapter on prototyping did a great job in showing how to go ahead and create a prototype from a game idea, while keeping it simple and concentrating on the "core gameplay mechanism."

The chapter on "Playtesting" and "Functionality, Completeness, and Balance" builds on the prototype chapter by emphasizing the iterative nature of design where one go aheads and evaluates, tries new things, identify problems and keep evolving.

The next chapter following is maybe the most important chapter that discusses whether you game is fun, goes in to some theory of what makes a game fun, and relates various techniques of improving player's choices so as to make the game fun.

This is a great book that gives you the necessary tools to go ahead and be able to at the very least create a viable prototype of a game that is possibly fun and playable.

The Hoop & The Tree: A Compass For Finding A Deeper Relationship With All Life is a ground breaking treatise offer the reader a practical integration of psychology, spirituality, and ecology. Chris Hoffman draws from world mythology and scared traditions that include elements of Native American teachings, Taoism, Kabbalism, Sufism, Druidism, Buddhism, and contemporary psychology. Highly recommended reading for students of metaphysics, spirituality, psychology, and personal growth, The Hoop And The Tree makes clear that there is a direct relationship between human psychology and environmental ecology, and that the mature self is necessarily ecological in nature.

Chris Hoffman takes a poet's care with language and a scholar's care with information. The Hoop and the Tree is indeed a compass, pointing toward powerful truths of human experience and growth. For the seasoned practitioner of a spiritual life this book is a wonderful reminder of the universality of our need to connect and to stretch. For someone who is just beginning to explore a deeper meaning in life, this book will be a wonderful way to get started. The stories and examples balance out the ideas nicely.

Joe Campbell taught us the "journey" underlies most myths. Chris Hoffman is teaching us that not only stories but whole cultures are spun on one of two images. Students in my seminars say "It's a unified field! We can hang everything on this structure." They also find hope for themselves and the future in the book, with comments like "It's not about duality. We're not forced to make a choice between, for example, hierarchy and community, or ambition and friendship, or a life of action or one of contemplation. It's both Hoop and Tree." The payback for reading this book - an easy read compared to Campbell - is a simple structure for organizing immense amounts of information, and for living your life.

I tend to be put off by organized religions because each faith generally claims a monopoly on "the truth" while ignoring the wisdom of other traditions. In The Hoop and the Tree, Chris Hoffman reveals a remarkable commonality in major world religions. Using Black Elk's sacred hoop and tree as a takeoff point, Chris shows how our natural desires for community, connection with nature, and personal growth can lead to an enduring and inclusive spirituality. If you liked the Dalai Lama's Ethics for the New Millennium, I think you'll love The Hoop and the Tree.

Chris Hoffman's eloquent book makes the case that the model of the Hoop and the Tree, an image that can be found throughout the world's wisdom traditions, could well be the key that opens our lives to the deepest spiritual possibilities. Hoffman's book is beautifully written and well grounded in scholarship, but its greatest value lies in its accessibility and the many examples Hoffman gives of how he has used the healing pattern of the Hoop and Tree in his own counseling practice. This is a book that could change your life.

Sick and twisted characters you can't help but love.. or want to be!? I never rooted so hard for the "bad" guys before!

Sick and twisted characters you can't help but love.. or want to be!? I never rooted so hard for the "bad" guys before!

Gosh, I couldn't put this book down and I've been thinking and/or fantasizing about its characters. Besides the great story (which I have found in other books as well) and the round characters (which I have also found in books before) I think Ms. Hoffman does a geat job describing the deviant sex urges of her characters without judging them for it and then giving very probable cause for them to turn towards less restrictive relationships. And so it's her blend of story, characters and sex that I greatly enjoy. I wish she had already published more than two books. But I think we're in for a new one soon.

This book, to put it kindly, is extremely sick and dirty at the least. Think of the worst torture and the sickest forms of fornication- most likely, you'll find them in here. However, the book is so good! The writing is really excellent- descriptive and clear. The characters are all very well fleshed out (with maybe the exception of Donovan, whom I didn't really like anyway- he was too good, esp. for this story!), the plot is fast-paced, and there's action and sex. All in all, it was a great contemporary pulp fiction read; a great diversion from any normal person's boring life. Well, even a normal CIA detective's life would seem boring compared to this!However, reader beware: this book is only enjoyable if you're prepared for some pretty disturbing stuff. Most of it I stomached just fine, but when it came to the torture of Lindsey, I was completely grossed out (anyone who has read this has an inkling why). There is graphic (and I mean GRAPHIC) sex and violence. There was a rape scene where the masochistic woman enjoyed it, there is a lot of people getting shot up by the other secret agents, and there are tons of liasons. Still interested? Before buying this book, I would definately recommend that you read the back cover of it, if you can. It basically tells you just what kind of a ride you're in for. Still, if you can overlook the sex, violence, drugs, and profanity so overused it becomes bland, or perhaps even enjoy all these elements, then have at this book! It really is very well written and fun to read.

Granted, this book has some very adult themes that aren't suitable for anyone under...well... let's just say it has graphic everything. Still, the writing is great, and the story line is fast paced and fun. I wasn't bored for a minute reading this book, and as someone once said, you'll never cheer so much for the bad boys! The women are really strong and smart, also, which is great that they aren't fawning over all the drool-worthy guys in this book. Alexei might make you want to kill him, but you can't deny he's a genuine Russian hottie, for instance. This is a must-read book, and the author has a wonderful style. I'm definately looking forward to more stuff from her in the future.

If you have every been a New York tourist, cluelessly wandering the streets looking for a cool bar in which to hang out only to end up in a cheesy "Night at the Roxbury" reenactment, you must buy Shecky's. The guide has never failed me. You can find a bar for any occasion or mood, with helpful information such as which places sell the strongest drinks. I only wish they'd write one for San Francisco!

I once was lost but now I'm found.Accurate, outragiously funny reviews. A must have if you're going to assume the overwhelming task of finding the best spots in town. Great value if you're looking for the perfect gift.I Love Shecky's!

This book is a great idea, simply because New York is one of the world's great drinking towns and hasn't had a very good guide (if at all) to put it all together. This guide can only get better, since there are some notable omissions, but the task is indeed daunting so I can understand how difficult it is to include everything. For instance, New York City does comprise of FIVE boroughs, not just Manhattan.

My only other criticism is that it is a bit biased...you can clearly tell by reading the descriptions and classifications of the various bars, clubs, and lounges what type of people are contributing to all the reviews. That being said, the "Shecky's Picks" denoted by a happy face next to the name of the bar generally are excellent choices.

Definitely worth buying.

Shecky's really spells it all out.With all of the bars listed in this book, I was able to pick out a perfect spot to have a large group for some drinks. The reviews are hysterically funny, and the descriptions are right on the money. Essential for any one who goes out at night. Anyone.

Shecky's Bar, Club and Lounge Guide is the greatest. Before SHecky's, there was no guide to drinking in NYC, and lets face it, NYC is a nightlife, drinking town. All of Shecky's reviews are right on, funny, hip and always accurate. The icons are great as well as the lists in the back of the book. All of my friends love the guide and we all live by Shecky's Bar, Club & Lounge Guide.

This is the greatest book I've ever read and that includes the classics. And, for all of you cynics out there, I'm not just saying this because I'm the senior editor (P.S. The 2004 guide is hitting stores this week).

Shecky's makes it easy to pick a watering hole. All the reviews are funny, hip, and, most importantly, true. Whether you live in New York or are just visiting, this book will help you find refreshment.

The funniest New York guide book i've ever read! The description s are right on and the jokes are awesome!!!

Shecky's is by far one of the most useful recreational/night spot resources I own. While I do not always agree with the reviews, the comments are definitely worth taking into consideration and are usually rather amusing (especially the review of the Gemini Lounge). At the very least, this guide can help you eliminate the frat boy bars from consideration!

Sheckys is by far the best guide to all that New York's nightlife has to offer. Its to the point reviews are both entertaining and right on the mark. Sheckys is a great way to avoid a bad night.

A very good technical resource for those dealing with a family member who has BPD.

There is a terrible glut of misinformation on BPD. Many books on the subject are seriously flawed, and the Internet is worse than useless. Searches for BPD are more likely to reveal "hate sites" put together by estranged ex's than anything with a scholarly or clinical basis.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone affected by this terrible disorder. It is balanced, readable, and based on the best available research. Gunderson and his co-authors discuss the nature of BPD and treatment options without demonizing either those who suffer from BPD or those who care for them.

Ce collectif est utile et réconfortant à la fois. Avec beaucoup de simplicité, d'empathie et d'humanité, les auteurs laissent la parole aux spécialistes et aux patients confrontés au trouble borderline. Clair, professionnel, argumenté, en un mot brillant, " Understanding and treating Borderline Personality Disorder " fait toute la lumière sur une maladie encore méconnue en France.
A lire absolument.

Useful book for families trying to figure out what is going on with their child.

Professionals John Gunderson M.D. and Perry Hoffman Ph.D., with the aid of other expert contributors, present Understanding And Treating Borderline Personality Disorder: A Guide For Professionals And Families, a straightforward discussion of how to live with, care for, treat and help borderline patients. Chapters discuss the diagnosis and treatment of borderline disorder, and issues directly pertaining to families including forming a support system, living with the possible negative effects of borderline disorder, family involvement in treatment, and more. Sample cases, plain- terms discussions and definitions, and a highly accessible style and format make Understanding And Treating Borderline Personality Disorder immediately comprehensible to readers of all backgrounds. Highly recommended for anyone whose family or professional life places them in contact with or makes them responsible for borderline patients.