5 comments about Pro XML Development with Java Technology.

1. This book discusses technologies that a Java/JEE developer would use on a regular basis. It keeps it real by providing sample code and discussing the concepts at a technical level unlike other books that bombard you with buzzwords and jargon.
   
   I keep the included sample projects mounted in Eclipse all the time. I found myself copying and pasting from these samples into my own programs. I do this not only for APIs that I am learning but also with APIs that I am pretty familiar with. I do this to save time as I won't have to lookup javadoc or other internet resources.
   
   I have worked as a J2EE Architect and am now working as a Web Services Architect. As part of my job I frequently develop documentation on concepts discussed in this book for providing guidance to my developers. Now all I do is, I give them this book and refer them to a relevant chapters.
   
   In short this is the only book I need for all my XML development needs. A must have in any Java/JEE developer's bookshelf.



2. This book covers all important details of XML technology for use in Java.
   Although all this information exists in various fragments elsewhere, this
   book does an excellent job of bringing a lot of technology together in a
   simple to use, step-by-step description.
   
   This is great book to have if you use java on a regular basis but have
   been hesitating to use the XML alphabet soup. This book is a must-have.



3. This book is titled 'THE EXPERT VOICE IN JAVA TECHNOLOGY'. But this book is full of something like how to use eclipse(window pictures in many pages), which most of experienced programmers already know. It repeats this again and again. Another book 'Java & XML ' is much better than this one.



4. This is a very decent book on XML with Java. Lots of examples and it is pretty well organized. Good coverage of SAX, StAX and JAXB. Be aware that if you are looking for in depth coverage of XSLT or XPATH this is not the book ( and doesn't purport to be). Although examples are for Eclipse IDE I was not fazed by this at all and readily translated them to my IDE.



5. 
   Information in the book is great.
   
   Author's sarcastic tone of voice often mocks/belittles the 'dumb reader'
   
   "We will not describe this schema definition in great detail. By now, you should be familiar with schema constructs; if you need to review this material, please refer to Chapter 1." pg. 375(ch 14)
   
   "At this point you may be wondering ..how it knows what this message is requesting. From an intuitive standpoint, the answer to this question is that the.... pg 361
   
   "If you examine the response message, again from an intuitive standpoint, you may notice the following points" pg 362

5 comments about MySQL Administrator's Guide and Language Reference (2nd Edition).

1. The MySQL Administrator's Guide by MySQL Press is the ultimate reference for anyone installing, upgrading or maintaining the MySQL database server. I found this guide to be completely invaluable when using MySQL, even before I had downloaded the software. The Guide uses clear, easy to read, formatting which makes shell instructions stand out from MySQL statements. A detailed index takes no time to show you where in 600 pages your answer lies. And you can bet you'll find the answer in this Guide. Beginners beware, however, this is no introduction to MySQL. Readers should have a clear understanding of their system, along with experience of MySQL, although an insight into MySQL AB and MySQL's history is included in Chapter 1.

   As I began reading through this Guide, I couldn't help notice immediately how it sets itself apart from similar books. The MySQL Admin Guide has a detail which you will not find anywhere else. Such is to be expected from the company who make the software, and this book certainly shows the high quality of MySQL. After reading through this book, I can't help but agree with Kaj Arno (Vice President Software Engineering, MySQL AB) who is quoted on the back page; "'It is not possible to find a more thorough and more current reference in print, anywhere'". One of the best example I can make of this fact is in Chapter 2 which focuses on Installing MySQL. Not only does this Guide list all the option of a source distribution, all the ins and outs of installing MySQL on all likely platforms - Windows, Mac OS X, NetWare, Linux and other general Unix systems - this guide also deals with Upgrading and Downgrading the most recent version of the MySQL database server. And of course, to ensure that the entire knowledge is in print, Perl installation notes are included too. What other book covers the often troublesome installation process in almost 150 pages of detail?

   And that's only the second chapter. Throughout the book you're assured to find comprehensive information straight from the people who know it best. You may think that this book simply offers too much information, and for most people I would have to agree. It is unlikely to bother a system administrator how MySQL server optimizes the WHERE clause, or how to avoid table scans. Even if someone was interested in understanding something like this, they'd have the opportunity of looking at the MySQL Reference Manual online. So why buy the print version? The printed Guide not only allows for offline viewing, it also includes information which has not been included in the Reference Manual, such as how details are stored and the many feature of MySQL's MaxDB. If your not content with only having part of the story, you'll want to get this Guide.

   The MySQL Administrator's Guide is the ideal book for system administrators who want to get the most out of their MySQL server. With all the advice on installing, maintaining and administering that you'll ever need to know, this Guide by MySQL AB is ideal for those who long for a comprehensive printed reference.




2. This is a good book gives out the details in an easy to understand format.



3. Good stuff. But the MySQL Administrator's guide (2nd edition) and Language reference is out and on Amazon. That contains the same book in a later edition with the language reference on CD on top of it. Buy that instead.



4. This is an excellent book, but it is written for MySql 5. Check your version before buying.



5. Excellent delivery service and the condition of the book was new. The price was also excellent.

5 comments about Visual C# 2005: A Developer's Notebook.

1. I just borrowed this book from the library as I'm trying to cut down and only buy true reference books. I didn't have a whole lot of expectations, but this book was exactly what the doctor ordered. I knew C# for VS.NET 1.1 and am gradually migrating to 2.0 and all of it's extra features. I just wanted a book that covered the new stuff... and could come as close to just injecting the information into my brain without all of the extra fluff. This book does exactly that. If you're new to .NET don't get this book... but if you're looking for an incremental upgrade book (as I was) that is concise, full of examples, and covers the whole spectrum of VS.NET 2.0 then this is IT! That said, the title is just a bit misleading... the first chapter is about the new C# keywords and constructs, but this book covers changes with Forms, ASP.NET (Themes, Master Pages, ...) and so forth. This books has been hard to put down and I'm seriously considering buying this one to add to my reference collection. I've learned a lot from it in just the past 24 hours.



2. This is a very good "delta" book for moving to 2.0. It doesn't spend a lot of time with "object oriented programming began in 19..."-type gibberish. Instead it moves directly to some of the new features and talks to you like you know what your talking about.
   
   Easy read.
   
   However, the introduction says something to the effect of "this series skips the 'hello world' applications and is instead the often frantic scribblings of real developers performing real tasks" or something like that. In reality, none of the examples was terribly realistic. It was the same type of examples and 'hello world' demonstrations you would find in any other book. And the "scribblings" in the margins were often just pullouts from the text--just like any other book.
   
   Overall - good book. But the marketing hype for the series is just that--hype.



3. I purchased this book to get prepped for 2.0 development. As usual , Jesse delivered with additional benifits. He is a great, clear speaking, author. I needed the facts and he delivered.
   
   Well worth owning for those of you transitioning from 1.1 to 2.0.



4. I've had this book for almost two years now, and I consider it (along with Liberty's classic "Programming C#" [I have both first and second editions]) one of the most useful books for helping me move from "beginner level" C# to "journeyman" mastery of what has become my favorite language and daily working tool of choice.
   
   Liberty's books join with my books by Sells, Petzold, Gunnerson, Archer on that small shelf ... within arms reach ... which I consider essential tools to have as I work in Visual Studio.
   
   What I find unique about "A Developer's Notebook" is :
   
   1. Content : the sheer amount of immediately useful information and code samples. This is a book, imho, for people who've already reached initial mastery of .NET, and are ready for intermediate-advanced topics. There's more technical content, more information, "per square page" in this book than in many books on .NET and C# that are 800+ page "whoppers" :) And I do have the sense that every bit of code in this book has been "refined" to the efficient minimum without losing its "educational punch."
   
   2. Book Design : imho the design and structure of the book are a "tour de force" of technical book design : it's in the form ... almost ... of a laboratory workbook; the "asides," or comments, in italic script font in the margin of the pages add a very useful commentary that evokes and provokes thought.
   
   3. Immediacy : I get the feeling that Jesse is right there talking to me as he takes me through the intricacies of IEnumerable, Generic Interfaces, Delegate Covariance. Very good terse introductions to technologies like ClickOnce.
   
   4. Technical Format : the book has a format of presenting a concept concisely, outlining the structure of the classes or methods involved, describing a practical usage scenario, and then, in a section titled "How Can I Do That ?," presenting a key code example that demonstrates the technique in use. I find this similar to what I perceive as the "experimental" method in Petzold's books, and, for me, this is a compelling way to learn.
   
   4. Writing Style : As in JL's other books, I personally experience him as one of the clearest writers of technical expository prose I have ever read. In sections typically titled "What About," or "How Can I Learn More," for each major topic, he succinctly addresses questions that imho any intelligent developer might be asking about the limits or side-effects ... or the "gotchas" ... of the techniques presented.
   
   I like to compare learning a programming language with learning a musical instrument. It seems to me that initial mastery of C#, like learning to play the guitar, involves a required period of just learning the general way you use the tools (the Visual Studio environment, the .NET compiler, assemblies, WinForms, Classes, Interfaces, UserControls) : until you have that initial "vocabulary," imho, you can't really "play a tune." But once you do have the initial comfort level and mastery of the tools, you are ready to start with studying simple "Etudes" which are designed to be musically satisfying in themeselves and, at the same time, help you progress in mastery. Using that analogy, I consider "A Developer's Notebook" a book of "Etudes," an excellent one !
   
   In summary : this is one of the best technical books I've ever read. I do hope that at some point JL will do another book in this format, and structure, probing, in the same "experimental method" other topics in .NET 3.0 and 3.5 like LINQ, sophisticated uses of AppDomains and Contexts, the ability in WPF to get WinForms controls across domains, etc.
   
   best, Bill Woodruff
   dotScience



5. 
   This book is a quick way to get up to speed on C# 2.0. Highly recommended for developers new to 2.0. My only complaint is that it neglected to mention the new SqlBulkCopy class, an important addition to ADO.Net.

5 comments about Beginning Object-Oriented Programming with VB 2005: From Novice to Professional (Beginning: from Novice to Professional).

1. This book is an excellent resource for anyone new to vb.net, or anyone transitioning from vb6 to vb.net. It covers the foundation of object oriented programming neccessary to successfully code in the .net environment.
   
   There are samples and a case study, which help cement the concepts covered.
   
   I recommend using this book as a foundation before moving on to more advanced material.



2. I have to admit, has some interesting stuff and information on how to make the theory of Classes to Programs, but I can not agree that is novice to professional, in my opinion I would say just novice.
   
   Leaves many un-answered questions.
   
   But can work as a reference.



3. I performed some programming in Visual Basic 6 a few years ago and then my job was changed so that I was maintaining a Unix program for a few years, which entailed putting fires out each day and very little programming of any type. A few months ago I was fortunate enough to get transferred to a great job programming web sites and some Windows applications. I've been able to write some fairly complex programs, but I knew I was missing some large piece of the puzzle. I'm really a novice programmer. I wasn't creating classes and I wasn't doing a lot of things that were efficient. If my programs needed to do more or scale, they were very difficult to adjust. During these months I've purchased a lot of books, and they had good stuff in them, but I still wasn't able to put things together. I would see things like "WithEvents" and ask what was that for. I had to do some threading and succeeded, but only by trial and error and I didn't understand the "why" of why it worked. For that matter, there was a lot that I didn't understand the "why" about.
   
   I then thought that, even though I was using objects, that I didn't really understand object-orientated programming enough. I looked on some User Group sites and saw this book listed as a good one.
   
   I held high hopes for this book. It's my first book from Apress. I started reading the first 4 chapters, which were on how to design and plan an OOP program. I'm convinced his information is important but ugh! It was horribly boring! I was mostly through the 2nd chapter when I thought I'd committ suicide . I had to quit reading chapters 2-4 and tell myself I'll get back to that later. Yes, it's that boring. It's worse than hearing your girlfriend talk for hours about makeup and dresses! So I skipped to Chapter 5 which gave basic instructions on using Visual Studio. I thought, "Why put this beginner's crap in this book". If you need to know the basics of VS, then get a beginner's book on VS. It shouldn't have been here.
   By this time I'm thinking I bought a book of garbage. But I went on to Chapter 6, and I'm glad I did. It finally got to the point and started talking about OOP and classes, constructors, overloading - and I was getting some of the elusive "why" explained! Chapter 7 got into inheritance, derived classes, overriding and overloading, etc with more of the "why". Chapter 8 got into the stuff like "WithEvents" and delegates, and how delegates work with threading. You will need to use threading and you will see "why". In geekspeak, threading is cool! Chapter 9 shows how to work with Collections (arrays, dictionaries, etc). This chapter didn't explain much "why" but when I need Collections there is enough to be able to implement them. Chapter 10 starts explaining some "why" regarding databases, such as connected versus disconnected data access. The examples use SQL Server. Chapter 11 looks at forms in a different light from other books, looking at them as objects instead of just sticking controls on them, and works with using databases more.
   
   Now I feel better about going back to the first 4 boring chapters as I will now have something to build with.
   
   To a complete beginner, I would say to first get a basic VB.NET beginner's book and get familair with VB and Visual Studio. If this is your very first book you will be very lost. The book is made for a novice.
   
   This book is one of the most important I have read. I am making progress very quickly over the last week or two, while previously I sputtered for several months. I've tried to convey how I felt, and if you feel similar, you must get this book.



4. This book is in very good condition. Shipping very fast. Overall I'm very satisfied with my purchase.



5. I thought the first 4 chapters were boring, but in fact the idea was to build your skill before you code the application! This book was written in a way that readers should already be familiar with OOP terminologies because it does not go into detailed explanation like those for dummies books do.Instead, it shows you how to analyze a problem, draw the diagrams and design the application! This is so far the best book i've read about object-oriented programming using VB, toppling Deb Kurata's or Alistaire Mcmonnies' books on my list. This book will teach you how to do UML/USE CASE so you can design a robust application. This is not a beginner's book on object oriented VB. I've had some knowledge in Java object programming and I know a little of object programming, but reading this book the first time has confused me as the author seemed to have tried to squeeze the discussions in short chapters and programming codes are not explained well, delving right into OOP design and techniques. As the author mentioned in the book, he doesn't know the skill level of a 'beginner', so he added some short intro to programming at the back of the book (Appendix A), so I believe the audience of this book are those 'beginners' to OOP but not to programming. I applaud Dan Clark for the way he laid out the teaching concept of this book, and how I wish he would follow this up with an advanced book with lots of case studies and applications starting from analysis to coding again. Highly recommended!

5 comments about X Power Tools.

1. I have been using X11 with OpenBSD for at least 5 years now. I have
   become knowledgeable about using KDE, less so about using X by itself.
   
   This book filled in quite a few gaps in my knowledge of X, but it did not
   provide me with the information I need to solve a problem making a new
   monitor run at its rated maximum resolution.
   
   I had been running with a 21" crt at 2048x1546, but the 9-year-old crt
   was wearing out. So I bought a 19" ACER lcd display with maximum
   resolution of 1440x900. The new display would not work at all with the
   default xorg.conf generated by "X -configure". The problem turned out to
   be the driver, which was specified as "ati". When I changed the driver
   spec to "vesa", X came up at 1280x1024 and worked well. But I have so
   far not been able to get the monitor to run in 1440x900.
   
   The book does a pretty good job of explaining the xorg.conf file.
   Modelines are mentioned briefly in the text, but not in the index. There
   are no formulas given for computing modeline data to be included in the
   xorg.conf file. No mention is made of the various values (eg ati, vesa)
   that can be specified for X drivers. There is no list of validated modes
   in the Xorg.0.log file. So after reading the book I still have not
   figured out how to make my monitor run in 1440x900.
   
   The book describes how to support keyboards for multiple countries, but
   it was not clear to me after reading it how to display the corresponding
   characters for (eg French,German,Russian) characters in addition to
   English.
   
   That said, I give the book a 4-star rating. There seems to be no other
   current, up-to-date book on X. I'm glad I have a copy to study and write
   notes in.



2. According to the author of the book in review:" This book is written for experienced
   computer users...".
   
   Nothing can be further from the truth. In reality this is a very elementary
   text on X window system that probably would not be worth of buying if not for the excellent Chapter 3 which does a great job in systematically explaining
   structure of xorg.conf file. It is also the only book written in the past ten years entirely dedicated to X window system.
   
   At the beginning of the chapter 6 the author brags about the
   fact that he will discuss often ignored utility programs which ships with X window
   system. That is quite an overstatement as after the reading of chapters 6, 7, and 8
   one would not be able even to configure mice for a left-handed person.
   
   The book in review is just a part of the general trend which can be summarized in the following observation:" As the use of computer technology has seen unprecedented
   expansion in the past 20-30 years the computer literacy of an average computer user
   has shrunk to zero". I can just add that above observation seems nowadays apply
   to so called "power users" too.
   
   At the end, I shell mentioned that the book is written by a GNU/Linux user but the
   author made a genuine attempt to write in a fashion which would make the text useful
   to Unix users. In an era of great ignorance by a large part of GNU/Linux
   community about Unix the author's approach should be commended.



3. The X Window System is the foundation of graphical desktops on both Linux and Unix systems and supports advanced features of modern graphics cards, so X Power Tools' articles on the topic are a top pick for any advanced computer library specializing in Unix. It offers an introduction to how the system works, considers useful utility programs and applications, covers software that work with X, and reviews the basics of building networks and systems with X. Any advanced Unix or Linux computer reference library will find it useful and specific.



4. Ever since making Linux my primary OS of choice, I have found it impossible to find a cogent explanation of the different pieces of software that result in the graphical desktop. There are X, session managers, window managers, compositing managers, and desktop environments. Happily, this book explains these pieces of software, their purpose and the way they interact, and does it in a way that is accesible to the intermediate *nix user while still providing a satisfying amount of technical detail. It also provides tools for managing the software and tweaking it to make it do what you want.



5. 'X Power Tools' is a book for Linux admins and developers who want to learn how to use Linux better than ever before. With 250+ pages of material spread over 15 chapters and close to 200 recipes, this is perfect for anyone looking to do more with the X Windows system.
   
   Great book, great resource, easy recommendation
   
   ***** RECOMMENDED

5 comments about Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) Compass: Business Value, Planning, and Enterprise Roadmap (developerWorks Series).

1. The whole subject of SOA, or Service Oriented Architecture, is getting to be ever-more mainstream in IT organizations. Being able to build systems using a web services architecture presents some very real advantages, but how do you know where to begin? From an architecture and structure viewpoint, this book does a pretty good job... Service-Oriented Architecture Compass: Business Value, Planning, and Enterprise Roadmap by Norbert Bieberstein, Sanjay Bose, Marc Fiammante, Keith Jones, and Rawn Shah.
   
   Contents: Introducing SOA; Explaining the Business Value of SOA; Architecture Elements; SOA Project Planning Aspects; Aspects of Analysis and Design; Enterprise Solution Assets; Determining Non-Functional Requirements; Securing the SOA Environment; Managing the SOA Environment; Case Studies in SOA Deployment; Navigating Forward; Glossary; Index
   
   Given the right audience, this has a lot of valuable information. If you're a developer looking for information on how to code a web service, then you'll likely be highly disappointed. This book is *not* a coding tutorial, nor does it profess to be. It really serves as a guide on how an SOA environment can be built and leveraged within an organization. I would see this as being a great book for an application architect trying to position an organization's overall application strategy. For a person like that, all the important concepts are to be found here. There's the "why"... why be concerned with SOA? There's the "who"... Who in your organization plays a part in designing and building these services to be used by the business? And of course, there's a lot of "what"... What are the parts that make up an SOA implementation, and what does an organization have to take into account to make it all work together? It's easy enough to build a web service to look up a name or something, and to think you're now leveraging SOA. The reality is much deeper and more fundamental than just rolling out a web service here and there... An additional feature of the book that makes it unique is that it references online developerWorks articles on the IBM web site in order to add more information to the mix. Oh, and I probably should mention that since it's an IBM Press book, there's a heavy slant towards IBM examples and software. But overall, the core information is vendor-neutral, and it's material you'll need to understand in order to make an SOA implementation a success.
   
   Don't think you'll sit down, read the book in a couple of hours, and then be all-knowing when it comes to SOA. The material takes time to read and understand. But once you make it all the way through, you should be well-grounded in the fundamentals behind it all.



2. I enjoyed the book. It was well-written in clear language, presenting a concise set of principles for a successful SOA strategy.
   
   This book was an eye-opener for me. It presents SOA as something that you grow into. It described SOA in terms of the business benefits that it leads to, namely agility and flexibility. The authors filled the book with wise advice. It opened my eyes to the path that lay ahead of me.
   
   The authors suggest a close working relationship between business process owners and the technical staff. They claim this is a critical foundation for being able to create services which are indeed flexible and lead to business agility.
   
   The 2 case studies at the end of the book could have included more details.
   
   If you're looking ahead for your own SOA development efforts, definitely pick up this book as you plan projects, evaluate staffing needs, design your architecture, and consider
   software purchases.



3. This new book from IBM Press released in October 2005 provides valuable inputs for someone looking for an authentic source to obtain a roadmap on SOA. Having said that, the 11 chapters present only a high level view of the topics. For instance, it clarifies that SOA is Platform, Protocol and Programming language independent. These and other aspects relating to backward and forward compatibility, the Enterprise Service Bus, the On Demand Operating Environment (ODOE) are all compressed into one chapter, Chapter-3 titled "Architecture Elements". Chapter-4 presents the SOA Adoption Roadmap with a brief set of tips for success which make interesting reading. Chapter-4 also takes a look at existing roles in IS projects and redefines some of them and introduces new ones. The UDDI Designer, UDDI Administrator and the Services Governor are new roles that I found interesting. Chapter-5 deals with Analysis and Design of Service layers through abstraction and how to categorize them. Chapter-6 carries the interesting analysis and design discussion forward and states that finding the correct asset to solve the enterprise architechture problem is difficult. The chapter discusses 2 scenarios with pros and cons and consequences of each approach with diagrams that are good.
   
   I found these 4 chapters (3-6) of the 11 the highlights of the book. I am looking forward to delving deeper into SOA architecture from other books. This book provided a good foundation for understanding SOA.



4. I enjoyed this book and found a lot of valuable information and insight into SOA concepts and issues.



5. I read this book after reading Enterprise SOA: Service-Oriented Architecture Best Practices By Dirk Krafzig; Karl Banke; Dirk Slama. That is the best book on SOA in my opinion. So may be I am a little biased, but following are my comments:
   1. I found it highly theoretical. It tries to explain a lot of concepts, but does not use practical examples. This is in total contrast to the book I mentioned, which keeps the information interesting and readers can relate to it easily.
   2. The case studies sections seem to be done hastily and there is no practical knowledge which you can get from them. They seem to be simple applications of web services. The authors use buzzwords like hub centric architecture etc. to make them look different.
   3. Authors use all available opportunities to promote IBM products.

No comments about Desktop GIS: Mapping the Planet with Open Source Tools.

5 comments about The Computer and the Brain: Second Edition (Mrs. Hepsa Ely Silliman Memorial Lectures).

1. Perhaps the most famous and often quoted line in this remarkable book appears on page 39, where von Neumann declares that "The most immediate observation regarding the nervous system is that its functioning is prima facie digital."

   The "prima facie" modifier is commonly taken to mean von Neumann saw the brain as "obviously digital," or "patently digital," and that it therefore must resemble a digital computer. But as you read the rest of the book, you quickly discover that this is not what John von Neumann intended. Von Neumann uses words cautiously and precisely, and to him, "Prima facie" means exactly what it says: "on its face."

   In 1956, the brain appeared digital. But von Neumann thought this impression might be superficial. He thought that deeper biological investigation might well demonstrate that the nervous system is not, in fact, digital, or not completely digital. He believed it might work in some more sophisticated way, and suggests that perhaps some intermediate signaling mechanism, a hybrid between analog and digital, might be at work in the brain. For this and other reasons he actively resisted labeling the brain as a digital computer.

   In the mid 90s, evidence began to appear that von Neumann was probably right to reserve his judgment. These curious new results show that a single nerve impulse is somehow able to convey information to the brain. This signal seems distinctly un-digital. A number of theories have popped up, some attempting to explain this whopping new mystery, others attempting to explain it away. But its impact on neurophysiology, and on conventional computer models of the brain, is pretty shocking. Not to say, devastating. (See Spikes, by Rieke et al, for a readable account of this story.) When the smoke clears, it would not be surprising if people go all the way back to John von Neumann, looking for traction, fresh starting points, and for von Neumann's wonderfully broad sense of what is possible in neurobiology - a sense we have evidently lost to progress in the years since he wrote this splendid essay.

   Von Neumann did not include in this book his interesting views on the nervous system of the eye. He was an early adopter of visual memory systems in digital computers, and he was evidently intrigued by the way the retinal cells of the eye are arranged to look backward, that is, toward the screen of the back wall of the eye. Possibly he thought the retinal cells saw back there a thin film diffraction pattern. You can find his interest in the nervous system of the eye remarked in his brother Nicholas Vonneumann's book, John von Neumann as seen by his Brother, and this reminiscence is also paraphrased in Poundstone's Prisoner's Dilemma. Finally, some of the worldly story of von Neumann, his digital computers, and their role in the creation of the hydrogen bomb can be found in MaCrae's biography.




2. Perhaps the most famous and often quoted line in this remarkable book appears at the beginning of Part II, where von Neumann declares that "The most immediate observation regarding the nervous system is that its functioning is prima facie digital."

   The "prima facie" modifier is commonly taken to mean von Neumann saw the brain as "obviously digital," or "patently digital," and that it therefore must resemble a digital computer. But as you read the rest of the book, you quickly discover that this is not what John von Neumann intended. Von Neumann uses words cautiously and precisely, and to him, "Prima facie" means exactly what it says: "on its face."

   In 1956, the brain appeared digital. But von Neumann thought this impression might be superficial. He thought that deeper biological investigation might well demonstrate that the nervous system is not, in fact, digital, or not completely digital. He believed it might work in some more sophisticated way, and suggests that perhaps some intermediate signaling mechanism, a hybrid between analog and digital, might be at work in the brain. For this and other reasons he actively resisted labeling the brain as a digital computer.

   In the mid 90s, evidence began to appear that von Neumann was probably right to reserve his judgment. These curious new results show that a single nerve impulse is somehow able to convey information to the brain. This is distinctly un-digital. A number of theories have popped up, some attempting to explain this whopping new mystery, others attempting to explain it away. But its impact on neurophysiology, and on conventional computer models of the brain, is pretty shocking. Not to say, devastating. (See Spikes, by Rieke et al, for a readable account of this story.) When the smoke clears, it would not be surprising if people go all the way back to John von Neumann, looking for traction, fresh starting points, and for von Neumann's wonderfully broad sense of what is possible in neurobiology - a sense of possibilities we have evidently lost in the years since he wrote this splendid essay. He is eloquent on the problem of selecting a memory "organ," and evidently thought the worst choice would be a neuron.

   Von Neumann did not include in this book his interesting views on the nervous system of the eye. He was an early adopter of visual memory systems in digital computers, and he was evidently intrigued by the way the retinal cells of the eye are arranged to look backward, that is, toward the screen of the back wall of the eye. Possibly he thought the retinal cells saw back there a thin film diffraction pattern. You can find his interest in the nervous system of the eye remarked in his brother Nicholas Vonneumann's book, John von Neumann as seen by his Brother, and this reminiscence is also paraphrased in Poundstone's Prisoner's Dilemma. Finally, some of the worldly story of von Neumann, his digital computers, and their role in the creation of the hydrogen bomb can be found in MaCrae's biography.




3. Von Neumann was one of the most celebrated and prolific mathematicians of the 20'th century; his contributions were legion, and always bore unmistakable creativity and elegance. "The Computer and the Brain" is a record of a lecture series that von Neumann delivered at Yale University in 1957. In these lectures, von Neumann set out to explore connections between computing hardware and their biological counterparts; brains. Von Neumann compared neurons with physical computing elements in terms of size, speed, heat dissipation, capacity, etc., in an attempt to discover what, if anything, could be said to unite them or to set them apart. He drew from what had been learned in designing computer instructions and memories in an attempt to glean some insight into what the brain might be doing. Ever the consummate mathematician, von Neumann was guarded in his statements, never over-reaching or confusing speculation with fact.

   The ideas contained in these lectures will come as no great surprise to most scientists today; indeed, I would expect most to simply nod in agreement at most of von Neumann's observations. For example, von Neumann notes that neurons are essentially digital in that they have an all-or-nothing activation energy. However, it is interesting to see how seriously he pursues the idea that the brain may rely upon a mixture of analog and digital encodings; he took absolutely nothing for granted, and may well have been vastly ahead of his time.

   Although von Neumann's many references to vacuum tubes and differential analyzers may seem archaic today, his central points remain essentially intact. I'm certain that von Neumann would have felt somewhat vindicated by the explosive advances in semiconductor devices (in both digital and analog incarnations), as well as in machine learning and neurobiology. One can perhaps view von Neumann's lectures as the first glimmerings of what would eventually become fruitful exchanges between computer science and various biological disciplines.

   If you are looking for a discussion that will give you some insight into artificial intelligence, neural networks, or brain physiology, then I'm afraid you will likely be disappointed with this book. While many of von Neumann's observations may have been controversial at the time, they have for the most part moved quietly into the collective consciousness of scientists. However, if you have interest in either the historical development of these ideas, or in seeing how one of the preeminent minds of the 20'th century approached this vexing new problem, then it will be worth your time.

   What I most enjoyed about this book is von Neumann's methodical and exceedingly cautious approach, coupled with his occasional willingness to speculate. As the vast majority of von Neumann's writings are accessible only to a very small audience, such as his enormously influential treatises on quantum mechanics, geometry, and game theory, and his pioneering work in areas such as functional analysis and operator theory, this little book is perhaps unique in that it lets you in on the ground floor.




4. After the quick read that it was this morning I am left uncertain as to exactly how I feel about this book. On the positive side even though one does get the feeling that The Computer and the Brain is slightly dated (1958) it has held up remarkably well despite the extreme rate of technological development. On the negative side though it is a bad sign when the most enjoyable part of a book is the foreword.
   
   The cover of the book basically tells the whole story, apples and oranges- for while as von Neumann recognizes that "the most immediate observation regarding the nervous system is that its functioning is prima facie digital" the connection between them is not as strong as a first glance might suggest.
   
   There doesn't seem to be too much that a study of one can teach us about the other but maybe finding out that lack of an underling connection is just as useful as finding such a connection. While this book is a fairly good recitation of the facts (at least as they were known in 1958) I can't say there is really much here to recommend it to the casual reader- think that only as a reference work can this book gain high praise.



5. The Computer and the Brain, by John von Neumann, is theoretical work which examines mathematics, logic's, and statistics as the basic tools of information. The book explores how these subjects make up the entirety of the planning, usage and coding of computers. The author explores how mathematics and logic are related to the functions of the organic human brain in the same way they are applied to the artificial automated computer processor.

2 comments about Effective Prototyping for Software Makers (Interactive Technologies).

1. As a visual interface designer (and a reviewer of this book while in its manuscript stages), and as someone who has worked for fifteen years in software interface design, I recommend this book. The authors are experienced designers themselves, and this book is strong on both theory and practical advice. It can be read through in page order or used as a reference for just-in-time help. The text provides detailed advice about how to select and use appropriate tools for building various kinds of prototypes, how to plan for the full range of prototyping activities, and guidelines for basic visual interface design. As far as I know, there is no other text available covering this range of topics.
   
   The authors also talk about important process issues, and talk about how prototyping is used to learn not only about product features but also about users and markets. They argue that prototypes are a risk-reducing activity, and this business case for prototyping may the best way to promote adoption of more and better prototyping practices.
   
   The text is well organized and does a good job of identifying appropriate techniques for early, mid-term, and late development phases. This won't substitute for actual professional experience, but it will undoubtedly save many readers from choosing the wrong method at the wrong time. The book is a virtual template for best practices in software prototyping.
   
   Another important aspect of the book is the author's attention to the value of prototyping in supporting collaborative work and building a shared sense of purpose and strategy among teams. It's another argument that ought to appeal to management.
   
   This is an ideal text for software engineers and designers who have not done much prototyping as well as students in engineering, design, and human factors. I recommend it to my own clients who are still developing their capability in this area. A basic familiarity with the aspects of prototyping presented in this volume should really be considered a part of the fundamental knowledge base of anyone in the software development field.



2. Two stars to the publisher. This book is verbose, as most American books are. It is good of course to clarify concepts and to repeat them in different chapters, but my impression after having read a part of it is that it is definitely too much, as the same concept is repeated three or four times withing two-three pages.
   I am sure that this 560 pages book could have been published on 200-250 pages. Not only because the text could have been shorter. Some images are used two or three times in the book even unnecessarily, and some of them provide a little value add to the comprehension. Moreover, a large amount of space is being used for visual maps that represent steps in the process, as if designers were children who need large coloured titles repeated throughout the whole book extensively as signposts.
   Quite a good reference to all different prototyping techniques, but as a professional IA and UI designer, I am sure that this stuff is obsolete compared to what one can find on the web.

5 comments about Agile Modeling: Effective Practices for Extreme Programming and the Unified Process.

1. For those few places left that steep themselves in documentation and don't have a legally-required reason to do so (do they exist?), this book should help motivate why producing too much documentation and doing too much modeling up front can hurt rather than help. Even for a company that sees itself as lightweight, he's got some rough assessments you can do to see if you're overdoing things, which were relevant even where I work.

   The only bad thing is that it was a very theory and ideal oriented book. It didn't contain concrete examples of what Agile Modeling would look like on a real project, how it would feel, and how what models were produced would evolve. This made it a bit difficult to verify my interpretation of the book.




2. Good book with lots of behind the scenes process info about how to implement agile modeling techniques. If you are looking for step by step instructions to modeling or how to model, look elsewhere. It doesn't cover specific modeling, but techniques. Some of the techniques are common sense, but there were lots of suggestions of how to apply them in a difficult political environment. I did not completely agree with the often repeated
   statement that unless you apply all of the techniques you cannot truly claim agile modeling success, which I think is a somewhat arrogant statement. Agile modeling is a huge cultural change and implementing as much as possible, if not all, is still a great idea.



3. Agile modeling is about the latest approach to the modeling of Business Information Systems. This book focuses on the Agile method and also describes how to incorporate the strong points of UML. The book will be an aid to "survive" in the jungle of developing modern BI Systems. There are IT decision makers that are not aware of Agile, since Agile is a mind shift, be careful how you introduce the new ideas to these decision makers. The book is for the IT professional (all levels), who wants to be in the forefront of software development. If you are in the "nuts and bolts" of systems development, do yourself a favour and look also at "Agile Database Techniques", by the same author.



4. This is a mix of good, bad, and annoying
   
   Good: the author really does know a lot about modeling (except data modeling, see "Bad") and gives good explanations and examples of many aspects of modeling at many stages in the development process. If you can plough through his 350+ pages, you will have found many stimulating and practical concepts and some good advice on implementing them.
   
   A very good chapter is Chapter 29 - a discussion of how to implement Agile Modeling - or really, any agile practice - in a usually hostile world. Some battle scars showing here!
   
   I also like that he does not consider the UML the be-all and end-all of modeling tools. Like him, I've found good use for the trusty old DFD (Data Flow Diagram) of the 70's, where appropriate.
   
   And his overall message - that the agile approach can extend to your design and modeling task, not just code, and the implications for minimizing the documentation effort - is very strong.
   
   I find his reference to quick diagrams "on the back of a napkin" a bit overdone. Sure, the quick informal diagram is excellent, but paper napkins are not the best medium! Hand-drawn on a piece of paper, or a card, sure...if you are discussing models in a bar or restaurant with that degree of focus...get a life!
   
   Whiteboard and digital camera can certainly be used much more than they are. But the overall point is excellent: that when you are documenting (and he has some difficulty separating out "modeling" from "documenting" and acknowledges the problem) you are not creating the end-product, and there is a cost for that. "Travel light" - yes. As Einstein said "Everything should be as simple as possible, but no simpler."
   
   Bad: his data model example is terrible. What's with adding surrogate keys to every table? This is a pernicious practice that has become all too common from people who never learned relational theory and try to fit relational into the object model. A giveaway is that he calls his "identity" columns "persistent object identifiers." Yes, sometimes they are necessary or useful, but in general the natural key is way better. In his Customer table, there is a customer number - but it's not the primary key, a pesky OID is! He himself acknowledges that this may give performance problems, or at least not be optimal. It implies more indexing and triggers...oh well, enough already. Just don't let RDBMS gurus like Fabian Pascal or Joe Celko see that chapter.
   
   Slightly annoying: A few little niggles about English usage etc - by now you would think that any publisher's editor would know that "supersede" has no "c" in it, and that you can't be "reticent to" something - the word is "reluctant. Odd. On the other hand, thank goodness for someone who understands why it's "co-located" not the bizarre "collocated" that I see far too often.
   
   Really annoying: Basically, Einstein's phrase above could have replaced about half the book. It's incredibly repetitious, and also over-organized, over-conceptualized, over-categorized, generally over-inflated. We need a discipline of Agile Communication! An end to ListMania! A thoroughgoing refactoring of the contents is in order. His four Parts and thirty Chapters contain massive redundancy. The matching of agile modeling precepts, in finest detail, to the equally excruciating detail of the RUP, is really an unnecessary exercise. We don't have TIME for this!
   
   As someone else said, a short White Paper could have replaced the entire book. Hence the two stars, good though some of the material is.



5. Not much information other than what you can read on his website. I was looking for something much more prescriptive in terms of how to model in an agile way and how to communicate the model.