4 comments about Oracle Database 10g XML & SQL: Design, Build, & Manage XML Applications in Java, C, C++, & PL/SQL (Osborne ORACLE Press Series).

1. I wish more books were written like this. When you read it you understand that a team of high professional people have worked on it. The book is organized to be useful for developers, DBAs, managers. You'll find here everything you need: XML & SQL, XSQL , XSLT, XML in PL/SQL, Java, C, C++. I highly recommend this book.



2. This book covers everything on how to develop XML applications based on the Oracle XML infrastructure. It also provides the readers with a lot of samples on how to utilize the technology. No matter you are an advanced professional or a fresh graduate, if you are interested in XML-related Oracle application development, personally I think this is a must-have book.



3. This book does not do a good job of getting the small experiments running. And w/o that, it is difficult to get any handle over the big picture. If you haven't done XML and Oracle integration before, this book definitely is not what you are looking for.



4. I guess I am rushing to judgement - but in the first 10 pages I read, there were about 8 typos - so I am giving this a 2 stars for now. Will update my review/rating as I go along.

No comments about Oracle 10g Programming: A Primer.

5 comments about Oracle9i DBA 101.

1. As an aspiring Oracle DBA (I am currently an Oracle PL/SQL programmer), I found the insights that this book provided invaluable. It is a great overview of what it takes to be an Oracle DBA and what your day-to-day tasks would likely be. I only wish that it covered certification in more detail, but it does go into a lot of detail in many other areas. I especially liked the installation details, and crisis/backup/restore management.
   I am curious as to what an experienced DBA would think of this book, but will have to wait until I am one.



2. As a programmer with experience in MS SQL Serer, this book appealed as a first introduction to Oracle. Unfortunately, too much space has been dedicated to complicated and unnecessary detail. For example, early chapters go to great detail of setting up the SQL Plus utility, interesting, but frequently I found myself skipping page after page that I didn't need as a beginner and there's no way I would remember. As a beginners' book, it's disappointing to find installation of the database pushed all the way back to chapter 7, and with that the chapter starts by saying that a full coverage of installations is beyond the scope of this book! If installing the database is not important for beginners, what is? Final word, this book isn't for beginners.



3. Rather tedious reading because of so much obvious padding to get the page count up to 500... I would estimate that there are 200 pages of real content here. There is a long explanation of what actions the trigger on a gun initiate, in order to be sure we understand what an Oracle "Trigger" is through a long analogy. This is a typical example of where a text is padded out to a paragraph to explain a concept that could have been done in a sentence. Authors should respect the reader's time and attention. Some of the coverage is very thin and the seams show on the revision for the 9i. We I reviewed the book and noted the highlighted passages, I realized how thin in content this actually was.

   Still a good first read for a new DBA, but the Wessler or Dawes or even Ault are better, more detailed and ultimately more useful.




4. There are many other better books out there for beginners. Just because this say's DBA 101, doesn't mean it is for beginners. reading this book was very difficult as I had NO knowledge of Oracle and it was very confusing. After reading other books, that are far better, then picking this one back up then I could understand, But why? getting knowledge from other books, you won't need this one. Lot's of definitions of oracle parameters, Not enough real examples and very logical in nature, not practical at all



5. Upon reading the reviews of this book, I can understand how some have mistaken what the book was truly meant for based on its title. The book should be titled more along the lines of "Your First Job Working As a DBA: 101" or "Your Job as an Oracle DBA from Jr. to Sr. Is This the Job for You ?", you get the point.
   
   In the section of the book titled "Getting Started", the authors explain how this book developed from a workshop called "DBA 101: A Refresher Course", and they had been DBA's since 1991. It was designed to help others who were DBA's. The 9i certification course consists of four exams and uses four books. Those books teach Oracle and prepare you for the certifications. They cover being an Oracle Certified Database Administrator (Jr. DBA) to an Oracle Certified Professional (Sr. DBA). You may be studying for the individual exams after you completed the course and have no experience or you may be attempting to apply for a job as a Jr. DBA, which are few and far between, you need to understand what is going to be expected of you. If you have a job as a Jr. DBA, you may need a refresher on what you need to work on in order to become a Sr. DBA. Whether your skill set is entry level or intermediate, this book does an excellent job of taking the important information from ALL FOUR books and consolidating it into one book that describes the job duties of a Jr. or Sr.DBA.
   
   This is NOT a study guide for the exams nor is it for anyone trying to learn Oracle. It answers the question of what a DBA really does and all of the duties you should be aware of that you need to gear up for if you are new and looking for a DBA position. Only real life experience can truly prepare you for what really goes on day to day in the life of a DBA. That's where this book comes in handy. This book is EXTREMELY useful only AFTER you have taken the Oracle course or have some experience. Use it to get a jumpstart as to what will be expected of you to know when you get that first job so you can get a head start and hopefully advance more quickly. It answers the questions that an aspiring DBA has and it provides you with a refresher course if you are a DBA so you can improve upon your skills.
   
   Take note that Oracle does make changes to its software so you want to do research on different procedures as this book was written in 2002. However, as for the topics it covers it is GREAT ! !

5 comments about OCP Developer PL/SQL Program Units Exam Guide.

1. Amazing...great..those are the words for this book which i recently used for 1z0-147 exam which i passed with score 63/66.
   After lot of research i used this book for 1z0-147 and i happily confirm that i made great choice.
   
   Most of the topics required for exam are covered except LargeObjects(LOB).
   
   Thanks a lot Steve for wonderful job.!!!!!!!



2. The book is fine and covers almost 80% of the topics of OCP 9i as well. So far little upgradation is required to make it effective for 9i exam papers. The book is wonderfully organized even a novice user can start with the book and take a hold.



3. Although this book is a guide for the 1Z0-101 exam, I got it to prepare myself for the 1Z0-147 exam, which I just passed. It covered everything but LOBs and the use of CALL for triggers (topics not supposed to be in the 1Z0-101). So, it is a great book: easy format, very realistic practice exams. The only reason I give it 4 starts instead of 5 is because the CD that cames with it is horrible. The software has a lot of bugs, so it's a waste of time using it. To give you an example, some questions that are intended to have multiple answers, just don't let you chose more than one. Ridiculous!



4. This book is good for preparing 1Z0-147,which is 2nd paper of OCA.It covers almost 90% of the course.



5. I took the test last week but failed with a score of 26.Looks like you need to prepare thoroughly and in depth to clear this test. I took by word the other reviews which claimed after studying this book,the test would a cakewalk. It doest seem so and the questions were more tricky and difficult. If you are planning to take ,prepare in depth and be prepared to expect tougher questions than in this book.

5 comments about OCP: Oracle 10g Administration II Study Guide: Exam 1Z0-043.

1. I just passed my Oracle 1Z0-043 test after using this book as my sole study source, in addition to an Oracle installation I set up at home. The book does a great job of covering all the material I encountered on the test.



2. This book apparently underwent no proof-reading. Careless and obvious mistakes abound. The publisher's errata page is of little use although the book has been published for nearly two years. Considering that this is a book you rely on to pass an exam, this is close to irresponsible.
   
   I've only read half of the book, I hope the remaining is better.



3. This book is jam-packed with info that the Oracle 10g DBA will need to know...unfortunately, its not enough to pass the exam. The book isn't necessarily at fault - the exam is full of so many trick questions and obscure references that cooincidentally are all spelled out in Oracle's training material (which you'll need to shell out three thousand dollars to attend the class and get the books).
   In order to get OCP certified, you have to attend an Oracle class anyway, so skip this book and get the training from the source.



4. i have passed my ocp 10g exam last month, thanks to this book and bersinic & watson book (ocp all in one exam guide). i have to say overall this book is better than the admin I book also by sybex. the thing i like about this book is it covers more than the exam needs, e.g. how to create the rman recovery catalog, which is not found in other ocp preparation materials (including oracle's student guide for admin II training). i also find the flashcards helpful (also available in sybex oca), and the two bonus exams. but just be very careful when assessing the answers to all the questions, there is a few misleading answers i found, although it is very rare. the best way to find the right answer is to test the question on a practice database, or find the exact answer from Oracle's documentation. i would still say it is a good and pretty complete reference for your OCP 10g exam.



5. I studied this book from cover to cover with my eyes close (3 months 2-3 hours a day). I just failed the exam and I scored 60% out of 70% passing. Although the book covers all the materials you have to know, it does not cover in detail on each section to pass. The test questions are totally unrelated to the practice exam of this book. Almost all the questions are scenario questions. I suggest that you need additional references beside this book.
   
   Furthermore, this book is hard to understand. I have re-read so many times. The wording is poor. There are about 20% mistakes on the practice exam questions of this book. The reason I did not add additional references is that if you study the book from cover to cover, there is no doubt you passthe exam---I WAS WRONG.
   
   WARNING: The OCP exam had 2-4 long sentences each question with a multiple choice from A-F (2-3 answers). That's how it makes it hard. You have to think very very very deep and NOT ENOUGH TIME.

5 comments about Expert Oracle Database 10<i>g</i> Administration (Expert's Voice).

1. As a DBA with 9 years Oracle experience I was looking for a good general reference book for 10g, something to update my library. This book is not an 'expert' book. The author specifically says in the introduction that it is designed for novices looking to become DBAs. I feel quite misled by the title and most of the reviews here. I wish I'd saved my money. Very cursory explanation of some 10g topics. Lots of wasted space talking about Unix OS.
   Is in need of some technical editing, e.g., (page 206) "Under this constraint state, all new inserts and updates will be checked for compliance. Because the existing data *won't* [emphasis mine] be checked for compliance, there's no assurance that ..." Much of what is written in chapter 6 (Schema Management) is from a data warehouse point of view. This fact is not made clear--heaven help the novice DBA wanting to implement materialized views in his/her 100 Mb database.
   
   Oracle's powerful new version of OEM is given a spare (for a book of this size and scope) 25 pages. However, many of OEM's features are discussed separately under other topics. This may be a matter of taste, but I would have preferred a discussion of all the utilities in OEM in the OEM chapter, and not have to go hither and yon throughout the book for this info.
   
   There is some very good information here. It is not, however, organized for utility. It could have used more diagrams in places. And, for a book whose introduction indicates that the audience is novice DBAs, there is emphasis on some esoteric details (materialized views, flashback tables, etc.), and thin on others.



2. I knew this book for a long time and i am so lucky to get it... it explain stuff in a very nice and sequential way, the best about it is that it trains the DBA to use command line at all time.....



3. Guys..
   This is it. I have 2 other DBA books that i use to refer. I sold them on Ebay, and bought this book. This is the only book that i have on my desk. It got everything from Basics like 1NF ( first Normalization) to PL/SQL packages.
   Time spent reading this book is worth it. Thanks Sam for Wondeful book.



4. read one month before taking the class, at lease, because it's not a 1200 pages book full of snapshot, but full of characters. good for students who never touch the Unix/Linux subject



5. A good book for a reader that did not attend Oracle courses or lack an expertise in several fields, definitely not a study textbook, but a reference for already working DBA.

5 comments about Oracle DBA Interactive Workbook (Interactive Workbook Series).

1. Not every book is meant for every reader. Many books about Oracle focus on teaching working professionals who use Oracle what they need to know. These readers then use the books later as reference material. If that is your goal in buying this book, look elsewhere.

   If, however, you are a student learning about Oracle for the first time, this book is GREAT because it doesn't assume anything about your knowledge. It is used at Columbia University for teaching Oracle and is well-designed as a manual for classroom Oracle instruction.




2. I have been working with this book for over a month and have not been able to get beyond Ch.2 because the instructions in the book simply do not work. ORA-ERROR!!! This book needs to be tried and tested by random students across the country before releasing to the general public. There is no-one responding to the "Bulletin Board" questions the student's pose and no interaction with the professors or any instructors. Why do they call this book "Interactive?" It is time consuming and highly frustrating. Find another do it yourself book or CTB... I hope the author's really improve on the 2nd edition, with better web support!



3. I think this is a good book for all of you to have a hands-on experience in oracle database. If you understand some concepts of oracle database, you will find it useful.
   Everyone doesn't use unix at home, but it provides how to use unix and windows NT in oracle database.
   I am expecting the author can rewrite the book and add the contents of oracle 9i to this book. It will be more helpful.



4. This books is the worst POS I have ever had the misfortune to buy. The instructions are vague and error-ridden. Excessive details is given to completely trivial items that any OS savvy user would already know. Stay away from this book.



5. Very vague, instructions not clear on the fundamentals. I'm a student trying to read through this book and am stuck on Chapter 2. On page 42, when it teaches you to run the script, it just says "now run the script". Very poorly written - do not buy.

5 comments about Barbarians Led by Bill Gates: Microsoft From The Inside: How The World's Richest Corporation Wields Its Power.

1. Although it may not be as in-depth as some other readers may expect, it does paint a vivid picture of what is going on in MS. In fact, it is very creditible. I am a programmer on Window platform and have witnessed their lack of direction. Bill has strong influence over the market. That's. Anyone given billions of dollar can roll out beautiful software. This book let's me see through form another side of the window.



2. The book was a well written account, some other titles which may be of interest are; 'hackers' by Steven Levy, 'Fire in the Valley: The making of the Personal Computer', 'Pirates of Silicon Valley' (movie). Reading/viewing these titles before 'Barbarians Led by Bill Gates' will provide a good chronology.



3. An insider's account of the development of windows and related events, Barbarians is excellent reading. It explodes the right wing fetish about the genius of Bill Gates, and nullifies the equally baseless conservative notion that huge bureaucratic enterprises are efficient, as long as they are private. It is also quite revealing of the dangers of allowing the monopolistic practices of any business to remain unchallenged. The thuggish tactics of Microsoft, from it's days as a IBM toady to it's genesis as Corporate bully number one, coupled with the mindless greed, the idea theft and the thick headed stupidity of the Microsoft upper management reveal the true nature of the corporate capitalist state. Worse for Chairman Bill, the book cannot be dismissed as the sour grapes ranting of unhappy competitors since Eller made millions as a Microsoft software developer and Edstrom is the daughter of one of MS' chief PR goons. Barbarians should be read by fans and foes of Microsoft alike, if for no other reason than to witness the alienation and frustration of all corporate employees, even those that are millionaires. Death to the corporate state.



4. I feel sorry for author. Dennis Welt BC Canada



5. As others have pointed out this first person/third person thing is quite hilarious. After about the second or third time you come across this "Eller" fellow who seems to be always on the scene and always right, you look back and see his name on the cover. But the funnier one is every now and then you can almost hear Jennifer Edstrom saying "and then mommy saved the day again ..."
   
   However I did give it more than the minimum, because I do think there is value in getting a perspective from what it looked like from the front line. I did finish the book, and I think I got some insight into Microsoft.

5 comments about OCA/OCP: Introduction to Oracle9i SQL Study Guide.

1. Good book, very thorough, equally useful for study-reading and reference.
   My one complaint was the end-of-chapter tests and practice tests, which were much more detailed and more difficult then the exam itself. I wasted time trying to perfect my knowledge until I purchased an 'Exam-Prep' software kit and found I was getting 90%+ on tests, instead of the 40 and 50%+ with the Sybex tests.
   When I took the exam - sure enough 90%+
   For the next exam I'm buying the Sybex book and 'Exam-Prep' software kit together!



2. 
   I just passed the 1z0-007 exam yesterday. I dont have a lot of experience with oracle, but this book helped me learn all the important concepts for the exam and helped me pass it in my first attempt.
   
   I recommend this book to anyone who is looking to pass the exam. However, the usefulness of this book ends there. It is not very useful and the explanations are not detailed enough for learning more about the technology itself.



3. I bought this book and i am still preparing for the certification. So can't really say how useful it will be for the exam. But while reading it, i think it has a great style and really pertinent information.
   I am confident this book will help me successfully complete the exam.



4. I just passed 1Z0-007 a few hours ago making 90% (47 of 52) first try. Trust me, If I ONLY studied this book, I would have failed. This book has so many mistakes that it will make you go crazy. It's completely outdated. It doesn't have the current exam objectives. The wording and content placement of this book is terrible. I should have bought the oracle 9i OCP: sql studyguide by Oracle Press.
   
   Get the Self Test Software. It will save you a retake.
   
   I'm studying Oracle's 10g PL/SQL book and Self Test for the next test.
   
   I can't wait to be an OCA!



5. è arrivato un pò oltre i tempi di stima della spedizione, ma nel complesso tutto bene

5 comments about The Road Ahead: Completely Revised and Up-to-Date.

1. Mr Gates didn't mention anything about Java running on any platform/machine
   
   He didn't mention anything about Linux being free
   
   He didn't mention anything "new" about IBM their Lotus Notes products
   
   Didn't mention anything "significant" about future changes in graphics and companies like Pixar and Disney
   
   He didn't mention anything about Oracle and middleware
   
   He didn't mention anything about the POWER of Ebay, Yahoo, Google and Amazon to get you things!!
   
   What about AOL?, and what about the fact that he didn't even once mention Netscape, the superior company who revolutionized the Internet with their browser.
   
   Don't get me wrong it is a very good book. However somewhat lopsided
   I guess I must be on a different road than the one Mr Gates is traveling on.
   btw: I happen to be one of the many Microsoft Certified Professionals that invested a significant amount of my own money and time supporting his products.
   (10 grand and 12 years)
   
   I think this book is as much about what is NOT in the book as opposed to what IS in the book!!
   Buy it anyway! (Maybe used - it is some what dated) You will learn something just by being exposed to it.
   The concept of The Web as being "self publishing" was an eye opener for me.
   My favorite chapter and quote was from Chapter 8 Friction-Free Capitalism. "Our success in the PC world has come from working in partnership with such great companies as Intel, Compaq, HP, DEC, NEC, and dozens of others. Even IBM and Apple, with whom we have occasionally been in competition, have had an immense amount of our cooperation and support. We created a company that was dependent on partners. We bet that somebody other than us would do great chips, somebody other than us would build great PCs, somebody other than us would do great distribution and integration. We took a narrow slice and focused on that. In this new world, we want to work with companies from every industry to help them make the most of the opportunities the information revolution will bring." page 182
   
   Well here are some other technology people and companies you might want to investigate as I am sure they too will have an impact on the direction of the road we will all be traveling: (unless of course, he buys them or squeezes them out)
   Doug Humphrey - Founder, Digex ; Chairman and Founder, Cidera
   Jonathan Klein - Co-founder and CEO, Getty Images
   Tom Stockham - President of Access and Emerging Markets, Ticketmaster
   
   Chip Perry - President and CEO - AutoTrader.com, former VP, Los Angeles Times
   Jim McCann - Founder, Chairman and CEO - 1-800-FLOWERS
   Brooks Fisher - Vice President (Strategic Initiatives), Intuit; former VP, Infoseek
   Micheal Rubin - Founder, Chairman and CEO - Global Sports
   Robert Covington - Chief Technology Officer and EVP, MerchantWired
   Rob Burgess - Chairman and CEO - Macromedia; former SVP, Silicon Graphics
   Steven Snyder - founder and chairman - Net Perceptions
   Kenneth Cron - CEO, Flipside, Inc; former President of Publishing, CMP Media
   Emerick Woods - President and CEO - Vicinity
   Glenn Meakem - Founder, Chairman and CEO - FreeMarkets
   Ted Meisel - President and CEO - GoTo.com
   Nicholas vanDyk- President, Artisan New Media; EVP, Artisan Entertainment
   Glenn Meyers- Founder and CEO - Rare Medium Group
   Mark Goldstein - President and CEO - K-Mart's BlueLight
   Charles Johnson - Founder and CEO - PurchasePro
   David Perry- Founder, Chairman and CEO - Ventro
   Alan Meckler- Founder, Chairman and CEO - INTMedia Group
   Christopher Jenkins - former President, Ziplink; former VP, Arch Communications
   Michael Levy -Founder and CEO - CBS Sportsline
   John Schwarz - CEO - Reciprocal; former General Manager, IBM Solutions
   Chris MacAskill - Founder -FatBrain.com, CEO - MightyWords
   Harry Motro - Chairman, MotroVentures, former CEO - Infoseek
   Zach Nelson - CEO and President, Mcafee ASaP
   Joe Chung - Founder and Chairman, Art Technology Group
   Jeet Singh - Founder and CEO, Art Technology Group
   
   Royal Farros - Chairman, CEO and Founder, iPrint Inc.
   Pehong Chen - Founder and CEO, BroadVision
   Jeffrey Smith - Founder and CEO, Tumbleweed Communications
   Scott Kurnit - CEO and Founder of About Inc.
   Bob Young - Founder and Chairman, Red Hat Software
   Scott Mednick - Founder, Think New Ideas; former Chairman, Worldwide Exceed
   Tom Rogers- President and CEO, Primedia, former President, NBC Cable
   Russell Horowitz - Founder and former Chairman, Go2Net Inc.
   
   Naveen Jain - Founder and Chairman, InfoSpace
   Michael Rosenfelt - Venture Partner, Impact Venture Partners; Founder, Powered, Inc.
   Charles Conn - Co-founder and former Chairman, TicketmasterCitySearch.com
   Mark Walsh - Chairman, VerticalNet; former SVP, America Online
   David Goldberg - Founder and CEO, Launch Media
   John Holt - Founder and CEO, The Cobalt Group
   (From the book eFront! by Mattew W. Ragas)



2. Definitely worth reading. I'd also, however, suggest that if you really are curious about the early years of computing, you use the internet to check up other opinions of Microsoft's origin. There's two sides to every story...

   Mr. Gates is is undoubtedly a phenomenal businessman, though not perhaps quite the visionary he perceives himself to be. Would a visionary have to rewrite his book a year after completion? The internet took off - and The Road Ahead received a complete overhaul to reflect the recent developments. More like, The Road Behind. He's also not quite such an innovator - Microsoft purchased "MS-DOS", rather than created it, and incorporated many other people's ideas into Windows (without permission, of course).

   This isn't just a Microsoft bashing session. I have the greatest respect for them. But, think twice before you believe every word in this book. There is a definite stretching of the truth in places. Having said that, buy it - it's an interesting comparison with other accounts of the dawn of personal computing. No doubt the truth is somewhere in between.




3. Seriously this is Bill Gates talking about the future but out of 300 pages about 9 are dedicated to talking about the internet -- and most of that is buried with other information. Lots of talk about applications and appliances that did not materialize....one book you need to read because-- then you know that all the gurus DO NOT KNOW everythng !! Wonderful for entrepreneurs who dont' doubt their own paths on their road ahead......



4. This book hit the stands in 90's when I was an undegrad doing my 4 year course in Computer Science and Engineering. I devoured this book with the kind of passion a teenager devours his first Playboy/Penthouse.
   
   In hindsight whatever BillG has written in this book has happened.
   
   This book Rocks.



5. Bill Gates is a first class teacher. That is one of the most striking things you learn about him after reading what he writes. So to his talents of being a first class businessman, a first class programmer, first class mathematician and first class tech leader, you can add not a bad book author, given that this is his first incursion into the field of literature.
   
   The big question however is why you would want to read a book that is dated 1996 about technology? The answer is four-fold. First of all, it's Bill Gates and how he thinks. Second, this book has an odd sort of history to it. Third, only some things in this book are coming to pass and much of it remains open or in development. Forth, you can still learn heaps from it although this stuff that has to come to pass doesn't have the same impact it did when he predicted it. However there is a little bit of controversy over how much he did predict and this is explained in the preface.
   
   Preface
   After launching the book in 1995, Bill Gates quickly revised it for a 1996 edition that focused on the Internet. It was only after releasing the 1995 book that Gates watched as the Internet unexpectedly achieved a mass sufficient to turn heads in the industry. Gates responded by making Microsoft Internet orientated and revising his book, The Road Ahead. So this book is a combination of how Gates predicts the future and how he suddenly reacted when the future came in unpredictably ahead of schedule.
   
   1 - A Revolution Begins
   Bill Gates discusses his history as a child growing up with computers. He describes what he was doing with very simple machines the size of a refrigerator and how he and Paul Allen in their teens developed software for businesses. He talks a lot about microprocessors and Intel.
   
   2 - The Beginning of the Information Age
   Gates talks about the dawn of computer technology and implementation, especially in war time. He talks about binary systems and how these techniques of communicating information changed the world.
   
   3 - Lessons from the Computer Industry
   In this chapter Gates walks us through the computer revolution which includes BASIC, VHS, IBM, PC-DOS, MS-DOS, Xerox developing the mouse, Apple's graphical interface, Compaq clones, Windows and the failure of IBM's OS/2 project that paved the way for Microsoft to become a mega player. It is a really good business story with many lessons to learn.
   
   4 - Information Appliances and Applications
   This is focused on the concept of asynchronous technology such as video on demand (VOD), the wallet pc and encryption technology. The principles are still valid although the forms they take differ in the 21st century.
   
   5 - From Internet to Highway
   Gates merges VOD with a need for better communication hardware to handle the technology such as fiber optics. Essentially he discusses bringing broadband to the home user cheaply, somehow, but states that the costs in doing so mean completely revolutionizing the way phone companies make money. It is a very detailed chapter in which Gates correctly asserts that this will happen no matter what.
   
   6 - The Content Revolution
   Gates discusses the differences between paper documentation and digital documentation including design techniques. He talks about the power of CD technology to capture large quantities of written data, such as the Encyclopedia Britannica and even mentions DVD technology. He talks about VR (virtual reality) and simulators.
   
   7 - Business on the Internet
   This is his view on how business will be conducted using computers to communicate, arrange meetings, video conferencing and how commerce will be conducted on-line. Gates is alerting business that they need to be computer Internet savvy or else the competition will drive them out of town.
   
   8 - Friction-Free Capitalism
   The Internet is predicted to increase sales and thus business will boom. Here Gates sees everybody improving across the world because the Internet gets businesses to serve a bigger community with more precision marketing. Business will move faster because of this revolution.
   
   9 - Education: The Best Investment
   He wants computers in schools to undergo a major upheaval. The computer lab needs to be transformed into the central focus of all knowledge based school activities. Gates emphasizes the need for public schools to undergo a major upheaval. He claims fears about computers replacing teaching jobs are superfluous.
   
   10 - Plugged In at Home
   Bill Gates describes his home. This is probably the main reason why most people bought this book when they heard that they could read about what the inside of this billionaire's house looks like. Needless to say he lives in a mansion the size of football pitch filled with all the toys you could image. One room is even a trampoline. Computers control everything from the lighting mood to paintings. Gates talks about robotics a bit here too.
   
   11 - The Internet Gold Rush
   This chapter compares the Internet to the American Gold rush and is devoted to broadband infrastructure. It is about the investment potential of the Internet but he specifies that the Internet itself will not make money but is a tool for making money.
   
   12 - Critical Issues
   This is mostly about the Internet and the law. Gates has a growing concern that Internet censorship will undermine this next technological leap forward and warns against being too strict. A lot of this chapter is devoted to the issue of a world where more video cameras will be present in both work and life. He highlights problems concerning piracy and forgery. In the end he states that the Internet is a journey everyone should be prepared to make.
   
   Afterword
   This is a brief synopsis of the entire book.
   
   The Road Ahead is essentially about the birth of the home PC evolving into the Internet. There is an article called "The Road Ahead 10 years on" on the Internet that you should read after finishing this book to get an idea of how this book faired in its predictions. Things to keep in mind are that Gates maybe undermined how disc storage space would develop. He correctly predicted broadband television services (digital TV). His wallet PC is essentially mobile phone technology. Pen-based computers are the PDA. Wireless is here. There isn't a whole pile he is off-target on. In fact the reader will be surprised by how much he gets right.
   
   There are some criticisms. It does repeat much of what is being said especially when it comes to telecommunications companies investing in broadband. Gates revised this book to reflect changes that had already taken place, namely the Internet revolution. He also doesn't tell everything about Microsoft's coming to power or how they essentially bought DOS and just sold it on. Probably most apparent of all is that Microsoft has tried relentlessly to maintain a monopoly and has been criticized for anticompetitive tactics that run contrary to the ethics and morals that Gates evangelizes in this book.
   
   All in all, the book has lasted in people's memories (it sold 2.5 million copies) and there is no reason to not want to read it. I would recommend it to people who just want to get informed about why everyone is on the Internet or just want to be clearer about what is going on.
   
   It maybe a historic piece of writing, but equally it is one of the most important books about computers ever written. If you like computers and if you like technology then read this modern classic. It is possibly the first book about computers that was scooped up a computer illiterate public.