5 comments about Database Processing: Fundamentals, Design, and Implementation, Ninth Edition.

1. I use this book to teach database course as part of information systems management program. The update to the 9th edition is a big relief to me since it makes considerable improvement from the 8th edition, though I still feel disappointed time by time during my preparation and teaching. The 9th edition perhaps is a quick fix to the 8th edition and a lot remain to be corrected or improved.
   
   First, let me discuss some of the strengths of this book as textbook. This book covers not only relational database itself, but also the database applications, which is essential to build an in-depth understanding of database technology. It covers managing Oracle and SQL Server in two separate chapters, which makes it easier for instructors to tailor the book. It has extensive coverage of database access technologies that enhance the understanding of database processing if the presentation of such material is improved.
   
   This book does contain quite a few vague and confusing discussions on some important issues and concepts, even to subjects as basic as entity, entity class and entity instance. This makes the book sometimes difficult for beginners and students and irritating for experienced practionaers.
   
   In my opinion, the author sometimes deliver material without enough consideration of the course flow or the style of the book. For instance, the discussion of the synthesis of relations is in a very different tone from the rest of the book. There are many occations like this one that cause this book unnecessary difficult to read. Though the book has devoted entire two chapters to Oracle and SQL Server, it fails to provide an adequate coverage of database industry, vendors and products. It does not provide good overview for the architectures Oracle and SQL Server, either.
   
   Upon reading and teaching this textbook, I have the impression that the author often fails to deliver adequate and correct discussions of many of the contemporary technologies widely used in the industry. For instance, the discussion of database access technologies contains many incomplete and incorrect statements. Often efforts are made more to unnecessary details other than important concepts. Apparently the author is teaching us something that he does not understand well.
   
   Some of the newly added contents are not very well designed and organized. Part V is titled Database Access Standards. I do not understand why Chapter 14, with subjects such as OLAP, data warehouse, data administration, is placed as a chapter here. I do not understand either why the author does not consider XML be a part of Chapter 14. I believe the author should also cover data integration in this chapter. Though the author spends 3 chapters to discuss database access technology, I feel most of the efforts are devoted to lengthy and poor-written ASP/VBScript, and JSP codes that do not help much to the understanding of the concepts and should be covered by other books and courses. Surprisingly, the author does not cover multi-tier architecture. For me, merely one chapter to cover the latest client/server and Internet architectures, as well as the various data access layer implementations, including the conceptual coverage of the contemporary database access technologies such as ODBC, OLE DB, ADO, ADO.Net, JDBC, and object-relational mapping, will achieve more. I also suggest the author to enhance significantly the coverage for Chapter 14, since OLAP, data warehouse and data management and database administration are fundamental for database processing course. I believe the author should at least dedicate one chapter to OLAP, considering that fact that he wrote 3 chapters for database access technology alone.
   
   Overall, I feel the database coverage of this text is far more professional than the database applications part, though I still hope he will do a better job next time for the database part.
   
   At the website of the publisher of this book, it states that this book is "For undergraduate courses in Database Design, Introduction to Database Processing, Database Management and Design in departments of Business, Information Systems and Applied Computer Science". However, The book description of Amazon.com suggests that this book is "For database administrators, database designers, application programmers, or other professionals in the field who want a complete, up-to-date, easy-to-use database book". Of course, this is an almost impoosible mission. My opinion is that this book is for school study, provided you have an experienced and good instructor who may clarify the many issues that the author misrepresented or not explain well.
   
   /* The statement and opinions expresses here are my own and do not necessarily represent those of my employer */



2. This book was used in the Data Modeling course I just finished and it was an excellent choice. Kroenke's book came bundled with oracle 9i, but I think that the ERwin data modeling tool should also be included in future editions. The use of the book along with Oracle and Computer Associates' ERwin made my study of Data Modeling very enjoyable.
   In response to some of the negative reviews, it is my belief that the student should have a previous exposure to Relational Databases before attempting to read this book. Therefore, to use this book as an introductory course might be a bit much for the novice.



3. Without question, this is the most obscenely overpriced and worthless book I've ever bought.



4. There is a problem in the IT learning experience that surrounds textbooks. The problem is that their is not a logical learning path to follow to obtain the prerequisite knowledge to progress in the field. Data structures and Discrete Math are two prime examples of this. Its not like traditional math where you take Alg1 then Alg2 College Alg...etc....Its more like boom here it is with Discrete. Anyhow, I have been over many textbooks in IT and this is the problem. IT authors are either way too indepth and write textbooks that are practically impossible to understand or...??? Well in lots of cases there is no alternative. Database texts are no exception. I studied Conelly/Begg's "Database Systems" and found that to be an exceptional book for Intermediate level study, however it lacked any systematic learning approach. Its more encyclopedic and detailed than what is needed in a first course. Thats the problem with learning from IT texts. We are forced to learn from texts that are written from a high level non-structured format in entry level courses where structured learning is most critical. So how do we learn and progress when this is the case...answer: you dont...its a weed out. LOL? Anyhow, look at the title, it says FUNDAMENTALS! Then look up the word in the dictionary if you dont know what this means as it seems that some people in the IT teaching/learning world dont understand this word! Kroenke writes this book as an entry level, basic, introductory and FUNDAMENTAL course in database processing. After understanding these basics then you can move on to Intermediate and more Advanced Database courses. Thats what the IT teaching and learning experience is lacking. A Progressive structured learning format with texts written with appropriate titles which is seldom the case! Kroenke does this however as the title suggests. The text is progressive and structured and teaches the FUNDAMENTALS! Hopefully the textbook teaching world will evolve from the dark ages and professors will start writing texts in a progress oriented format in order to make the learning process more efficient and effective. Hmm..maybe thats why we are losing out to other countries, they teach this stuff more effectively? In brief conclusion, although this text isnt perfect, Kroenke provides what many of us are really looking for; to learn the basics of database technology. Thanks Mr. Kroenke!



5. I'm a beginning db student, and this book is bad. Really bad. I'll just pick a few words that describe my experience with it: verbose, awkward, vague, anguishing...
   Mine is now filled with handwritten corrections that our professor helped us add (I can't believe how many typos slipped through editing). Our whole class pretty much agrees that this book still needs some serious work before it could be considered publishing material.
   The university department chose this book based on Kroenke's excellent teaching and database reputation. However, it seems that he really has no idea of how to put together a good book.
   Something criticized in other reviews is the text's layout. I agree--it's horrendous. You are often reading about a diagram two pages back, or one page ahead. In fact, I'd say that, more often than not, when the illustrations are referenced, it is on a totally separate page. (Did that make sense?) Example: "Figure 4-5a shows how......." So you'll have to flip two pages back to see the illustration.
   Ugh! I normally love learning, but I really have to force myself to trudge through this drivel.

5 comments about Professional Pen Testing for Web Applications (Programmer to Programmer).

1. First things first, this book is not intended for newbies... That being said, this is by far the most comprehensive guide to application security that exists today. No other books out there can give you the depth and practical security knowledge that is presented here.
   
   Anyone that is serious about application security will find this book to be a great tool to augment their existing skillset...
   
   Anyone who thinks that they know security because they run traditional network firewalls and/or IDS/IPS systems will find this book eye opening!!!



2. I recently received copies of Hacking Exposed: Web Applications, 2nd Ed (HE:WA2E) by Joel Scambray, Mike Shema, and Caleb Sima, and Professional Pen Testing for Web Applications (PPTFWA) by Andres Andreu. I read HE:WA2E first, then PPTFWA. Both are excellent books, but I expect potential readers want to know which is best for them. I could honestly recommend readers buy either (or both) books. Most people should start by reading HE:WA2E, and then fill in gaps by reading PPTFWA.
   
   Before proceeding I should note I used to work with the two ex-Foundstone authors of HE:WA2E, although I haven't been afraid in the past to review books honestly.
   
   First, I must say PPTFWA was published in the right series. The motto "Programmer to Programmer," and the term "Professional" in the title, clearly apply to this book. Author Andres Andreu takes his work very seriously, sometimes at the expense of the non-programming network security crowd. You will feel welcome if you are a programmer/security person, but maybe not if you work with "edge devices" like firewalls, IDS, and so on. Given this stance, I found it ironic that PPTFWA's advice (on p 220) for dealing with such impediments is "[m]ake sure your client disables these." Despite the author's focus on application security, he still notes (on p 425) "edge-level protective steps are interesting because they can provide the same level of protection to multiple Web applications simultaneously... [t]his is important because many times you will be faced with a Web application that needs remediation, but the stakeholders will not allow anyone to touch it at the core." Exactly!
   
   PPTFWA's strengths lie in the depth it covers certain subjects. For example, its discussions of Web Services are very strong, easily better than HE:WA2E. PPTFWA introduces a wider variety of tools than HE:WA2E, many of which were totally new to me. Even tools without a strict security use (e.g., Twill) are shown to have powerful assessment features. (I liked the hints on p0f in Ch 3, and I use p0f with Sguil.) I like the examples of real cross-site scripting attacks in Ch 4 and the case studies in several parts of the book.
   
   PPTFWA deserves credit for two other features. First, the book covers report writing, especially identification and removal of false positives. This is critical yet not often mentioned elsewhere. Second, the book links to a VMware image built by the author containing vulnerable Web app software. This is exceptional and much appreciated.
   
   I couldn't give PPTFWA five stars for two reasons. First, I didn't think the book was as well-organized as HE:WA2E. One of the other reviews mentions this fact. Signs of weak structure include repeating or rephrasing material, or wondering why a chapter is placed (e.g., Ch 5?).
   
   Second, I found conceptional problems with PPTFWA that are unfortunately not limited to this book; i.e, they often appear in Web app security community discussions. On p 5 the author writes "truly thorough defensive postures can always beat out the offense in these scenarios because there will just be an easier target elsewhere." I disagree, especially when targeted attacks or insiders are at work. Speaking of insiders, on p 11 we read that FBI and CSI reports say "a majority of attacks [come] from inside." This isn't true either, and hasn't been for many years (if it were ever true at all).
   
   I found the author's use of the terms threat and vulnerability to be all over the map. For example, p 191 says "Threats that are identified as unresolved become vulnerabilities. Vulnerability is also present when a threat exists and the steps to mediate it have not been implemented." This is just wrong; vulnerabilities exist despite the presence or absence of threats. Risk exists when a vulnerability is present, a threat has the capabilities and intentions to exploit it, and an asset has value. Furthermore, much of the "threat" talk in PPTFWA is built on the flawed characterizations of mostly attacks and vulnerabilities found in WASC and OWASP documents. It would have been great for PPTFWA to build on these technically exceptional but terminologically challenged guides by wrapping them with a sound risk, threat, vulnerability, asset, and attack framework.
   
   Aside from these issues (which bother me but can be ignored in favor of technical material) I really liked PPTFWA. I think the book is an example of the sort of higher-end book we should expect to see from good security authors in the future. There is much more to digital security than Web applications, although you might not feel that way when reading PPTFWA. Nevertheless, I consider PPTFWA a must-read after HE:WA2E.



3. Awesome book on Pen Testing!! I believe this is right up there with Richard Bejtlich's books. Great examples and very 3D. I highly recommend this book to ANY hands on security folks out there at all levels of skill.



4. Just a quick note about this book; the book was entertaining enough to keep you interested and contained alot of useful and practical information. Recommend for anyone who is a IT professional entering into a pen testing role and any web developer.



5. For the last 9 years I had been working daily in security tasks, (no managerial position!) in multiple tasks IDS, Firewalls, Switches, and had been exposed with multiple flavors of security products. From Open Source to Windows. Working with the products! In our arena we need security books references that will help us improve our analytical skills, and let us know what is out there. The field is very dynamic and nobody holds the torch of "guru" in this arena (Even thou many claim it!). Very very few books excel in quality of delivery, and comprehension. And understand our day to day security jobs. This book is one of the few books I recomend for your average security guy, that needs help to understand what is behind the scene in the web network traffic. Go ahead and buy this book. Its worth it.

5 comments about Safeware: System Safety and Computers.

1. This is an OK book that should have been an excellent book. Frankly, it was a big disappointment. The author is the grand poo-bah of software safety, and so I expected the book to be deep and profound. Instead it is rather shallow with lots of generalities. A lot of what is said is the type of common sense discussion that I would expect from a social scientist, rather than a scientist. I was particularly surprised to see but one page on independent verification and validation. This is a very important topic for ensuring software safety, yet one evidently not on Professor Leveson's radar screen.



2. The key to understanding safety lies in the understanding that no one component failure or no human error ever occurs in isolation - an accident is a result of some systemic problem, and this is the fundamental theme of this book. No single book could ever address in detail all of the finer points of system safety analysis (indeed this would take a series of books) but Leveson is able to capture the core issues in an engaging manner. This book is a must read for any student of software and system safety, and will continue to be relevant in an age where automated technology is ubiquitous.



3. This book is among seminal works on system safety and safety engineering and should be read by anyone who is entering the field. One may not necessarily agree with Prof. Leveson's views (e.g. her often unfair and unjustified dismissal of european approaches to safety engineering) but her views in the field are simply too important and influential to be ignored!
   The book is a good "bed time reading" that gives an overview of the field, major problems and introduction to some major approaches. It is however not a handbook per se - you will not understand any particular method sufficiently to apply it.
   Overall, very good introductory text with a good coverage and a very easy and clear language!



4. Interested in the development of high integrity software? Looking for a system safety engineering text? This is not the one for you.
   
   This book won't describe when to use a sequence number or what size CRC is appropriate for your safety-related communication, or what level of code coverage is appropriate or what level of requirement coverage is appropriate for your identified hazard etc. It won't describe the actual versus perceived issues with OOA/OOD, what aspects of a hard real-time design require attention or how to meet the expectations of an independent assessor or certification agency.
   
   The principles of software design assurance/software integrity can be garnered from the standards such as DO-178B, and DO-248-style discussion papers or from CENELEC 50128 and good old MIL-STD-882B to name but a few. Alternatively a free start can be achieved by downloading the Joint Software system Safety Handbook from the US DoD.
   
   Save your money for the works of Moriarty (executive-level), Ericson (introduction/supervised practitioner), or Dunn (software controlled system safety intro) if you must buy something.
   
   But if you're looking for some stories to put into your slick safety presentation or seminar then it might be just the right book.



5. This book is a starting point of what is important to make a system safety.
   This provide over all view of system safety not software safety.
   The case studies in appendix are very important for safety engineers.
   Appendix A is the therac-25 story on Medical devices.
   Appendix B is Apollo 13, the DC-10 and Challenger, Aerospace.
   Appendix D is windscale, Three mile island and Chernobyl, Nuclear power.
   These are very bad accidents, so we should study more deep.
   The naming "safeware" is very good wording, this is not safe software nor safe hardware.
   Go ahead, after this book. There are many resources about ssytem safety and software safety.

No comments about iPhone in Action: Introduction to Web and SDK Development.

4 comments about Designing Concurrent, Distributed, and Real-Time Applications with UML (Addison-Wesley Object Technology Series).

1. this book show u how to build real time app, but foor example



2. I am using it as a textbook for a course on object-oriented development of real-time and distributed applications. I found that the author did an excellent job at merging the OO techniques and UML on one hand with the concurrency/distribution issues on the other hand. The book presents clear helpful guidelines for the developers of real-time and distributed systems. One of the features I liked the most is the fact that a number of well chosen examples, from an elevator control system to an e-commerce system, are completely worked out in the book. How better to learn than by following relevant, clearly explained examples!



3. This book is an excellent source of information for software engineers designing concurrent and real-time systems using the object-oriented paradigm. Hassan's COMET method tackles the hard issues of concurrency, real-time constraints, and distributed systems with a comprehensive, straight-forward approach that is easy to understand and conforms to the UML standard. The text is also enhanced with an excellent selection of examples from different application domains. The book is structured in such a way as to be useful to both the novice (as a guidebook) and to the expert (as a reference). This book spends more time on my desk than on my bookshelf.



4. This book provides a practical method to apply the Unified Modeling Language (UML) to design concurrent and distributed software for large systems. While many books have been published to explain the details of the UML notation, this book provides a method, COMET, to approach software design through application of a practical subset of the UML notation. The book contains numerous, extensive case studies and provides pragmatic, useful guidelines to identify distributed subsystems and concurrent tasks from a UML analysis model. The approach described represents a unique and valualbe contribution by the author of this text. Finally, because this book is intended mainly as a text for software design courses, I consulted with a few students who have used this book in a graduate-level software engineering course. All of the students were favorably impressed with the content, clarity, practicality, and detail contained in the book.

   Prior to the publication of this text, a software design course based on UML could only be taught using a UML text together with a separate software design text. In this text book, Dr. Gomaa has integrated material from UML and software design in such a form that a software design course can now be taught with this text alone.

5 comments about AdvancED Flex Application Development: Building Rich Media X (Advanced).

1. CAST FROM A NEW MOLD
   
   Early in the history of the Adobe Flash Platform it was possible to read all of the great books on the subject because there were so few notable titles. However, now with the incredible popularity of Flash CS3 and Flex 3, the industry is flooded with training materials. While decent, most are rehashes of the introductory 'Welcome to Flash/Flex' perspective giving a broad overview without taking the bold position to teach pertinent topics and to teach them correctly.
   
   INTRODUCTION
   
   This book is a great well rounded resource, perfect for anyone serious about Flex application development. This book 1) features a blend of various learning styles, 2) it offers the right amount of depth to tease & inspire, as well as actually teach, but 3) it is not for all audiences (and I like that).
   
   LEARNING STYLES
   
   With technical literature the tone and style ranges from the dry dictionary-like reference to the micro-task-oriented recipe books. There is not often an editorial voice giving industry insight, technological context, and workflow experience. That is one of my favorite aspects of this AdvanceED book, it gives all that and more. There is a historical introduction to application development, deep coverage on the many steps of the software development lifecycle through the real-world application of techniques on the authors' RMX application project, as well as some relevant, isolated (albeit kinda' non sequitured) programming recipes that can be plucked from the greater project shown in the book and applied in your own projects with ease. The multiple-learning styles is refreshing for those who have been disappointed by reading many other books. Most of the audience for this book has surely done some reading of tech texts and should appreciate the change of pace.
   
   
   DEPTH AND SCOPE
   
   The book lacks the breadth of a thick reference book, but what subjects it covers it covers deeply. Don't expect to be able to crack open a chapter and a fresh Flex project in your Flex builder and get typing. The book doesn't work like that. Its more of a casual read in many parts, fit for any time you get away from your computer. Fit even for some of the less-technical personnel on your team who would like to see the big picture of application development. Project managers, executives, and any creative folks with an eye toward project leadership will get great value from the book, but of course the intended audience is developers.
   
   
   INTENDED AUDIENCE
   
   Perhaps rather than titling this section 'Intended' Audience, I should say suggested-by-me audience. Part of the appeal of this book and what sets it apart from what else is available on the subject is its unique perspective. The book focuses on building one application, RMX. This application has a specific purpose and a different one than any we'd likely make as the readers, but one that has components that are immediately relevant to our every day app-developer-lives; Styling, UI/UX + Navigation Design, Forms, Video (that continues to be a big topic these days),
   
   It goes on to feature some rare gems such as Advertising (specifically for Flex) and SEO (specifically for Flex). You just don't find those covered anywhere else.
   
   CONCLUSION
   
   This book is a refreshing read and the only must-read on my Flash bookshelf from this publisher.



2. This is a very basic introduction to Flex, and doesn't provide much into how it fits into web design as a whole!



3. This book is not all about FLEX it spends time covering the creation of RMX which is not what i wanted at all. The authors are idiots and don't focus mainly on flex. If you want to learn flex puchase something else. If you are interested in their (the authors) project and what they use in their project spend 42.00. WHAT A WAISTE!!



4. I have mixed feelings about this book which I got because it was one of the first to cover Flex 3.
   
   I think it is a bit weak on the pure Flex bit - I just can't see someone actually learning Flex out of it, though they will get a pretty good feel for what Flex does. It presents just enough information to explain their application, the RMX, no more. The coding examples are also somewhat hard to follow, with code being all over the place. Yes, it might be real-life production/business code but that doesn't mean that it is automatically great for teaching. Simpler, more illustrative, tighter code would have been better.
   
   On the other hand, the book does a much better job at presenting the big picture of a Flex website and how all the parts fit together, almost at a business/planning level. The wireframe chapters and how to integrate ads are great. Also, though I don't use PHP+Drupal, which they use as a backend, I definitely came away with a confirmation that Flex wasn't tied to particular backend server technologies. If you do use PHP and Drupal, you will get more value out of it for sure.
   
   All in all, a 3.5/5 book.



5. This is a great book to learn how to build Flex Rich Internet Application. It is easy to read and follow, and it also includes SEO omptimization techniques for higher ranking in SEO results. Highly recommended!

5 comments about CMMI Distilled: A Practical Introduction to Integrated Process Improvement (3rd Edition) (SEI Series in Software Engineering).

1. I bought the book thinking it would be a practical introduction on how to apply CMMI to your company hence I was very disappointed to find out the authors have limited themselves only to summarize the CMMI models. Few real explication is given about concepts within the CMMI models, neither any real life experience is shared that could help you implement CMMI.



2. This book is useful to those who are fairly well-versed in CMMI. For me, this is by far the best "reference" material, since it is concise, and it consolidates separate points into a table or a 1-pager with diagrams, making it easier to digest and understand. This is especially so when compared with the thick (700+ pages) big (A4 size) tome official guidebook from SEI. I could easily take Ahern onto the plane / train for quick brush-up on particular process areas. I would recommend this book to those who had already gained some CMMI knowledge, and would need a light handbook for quick reference.



3. CMMI is an acronym for Capability Maturity Model Integration, and is almost totally an area of management. Therefore, if you read this book with a mindset that is anything other than that of a manager, it will bore you and you may question the practicality of CMMI. When I say this, I am thinking of software developers, who will most likely consider some of what they read to be impediments to the true ways in which software is created.
   As a set of objectives designed to improve quality, the basic tenets and activities mandated by the CMMI model are applicable to many other areas of business and organizations. This book is written for people unfamiliar with model-based processes and is non-technical, so very little is needed in the way of background knowledge. It is very appropriate for the manager who is considering adopting a CMMI model. Not only does it provide the essential background information, but also explains how to begin and execute the implementation of CMMI.
   Like all other processes designed to improve quality, the most essential precondition is the desire to improve. No book can provide that ingredient. However, this one provides the essential knowledge about CMMI and I strongly recommend that all managers read it carefully. Even if your decision is to not implement CMMI, the knowledge that you will obtain will force you to rethink your current strategies and no doubt improve them.



4. Many words, but not too practical. Definitions are fine, but that could have happened in 50 pages. This book basically consists of bureacratic motherhood. I will now look for a book written by someone who has actually managed a project to see what his book says about practical application of CMMI.
   
   I wish I could remember the name of the author of a book I read several years ago on SEI processes, which provided excellent guidelines for projects. The author was very explicit and provided examples. He also stated in the Foreword that, though the book contained a great deal of excellent and useful information, if you tried to do everything in the book, you would fail. That may have been the most important line he wrote, since it implied that common sense was still the most important ingredient to meaningful process.



5. This book is easy to read and well organized and provides a great overview of CMMI. A good choice for those wanting to acquire a working knowledge in a short period of time.

5 comments about Customizing the Microsoft .NET Framework Common Language Runtime.

1. If you want to understand the intracies of how the 2.0 build of the CLR has been designed and implemented to support the hosting of it this book is it. I am a very curious person, I love technology and even more I love to understand how it works...
   
   When I wanted a better understanding of how SQL Server Hosted the CLR than what BOL could give me I began searching. I was referred to this book by Microsoft Program Manager(s) (as in plural) and sure enough the book filled my void. If you are an expert Microsoft developer/architect this book had better be on your bookshelf.



2. After reading the positive reviews on this book, I hoped this book would tell me things MSDN did not. How wrong I was. There is more information on MSDN than can be found in this book. For example, in Chapter 1, the author lists the function ExecuteInDomain, referring to Chapter 7 for details. In Chapter 7, the ExecuteInDomain function is not even mentioned. Also, the author often leaves out crucial details that would allow you to actually understand the point he is trying to make.



3. This book does provide a great deal of valuable information for any .NET developer and is definitely a book worth reading. However, since the topic is a bit advance, it would certainly help if the example application used to illustrate extensible application architecture was more complete. The proposed example application 'Boat Race' started in chapter 5 provided a great beginning, but left the reader hanging even after reading chapter 6. The downloaded companion samples did not include any code sample for 'Boat Race', which was the main example used to explain the concept.



4. The topics covered by this book are so specialized that the vast majority of .Net programmers will have no need for this level of detail on these topics. However, if your application does require expertise on any of the topics covered in this book (I needed information on AppDomains), this book is excellent. It is very detailed, clearly presented and authoritative.



5. The book gives a good insight in the workings of the CLR as an unmanaged process.
   Require more full working code samples as against the code snippets.

5 comments about Taking Your Talent to the Web: A Guide for the Transitioning Designer.

1. A thorough, comprehensive and usable book for people trying to migrate from traditional media into the (sometimes) scary world of new media.

   Jeffrey Zeldman's unique voice permeates the entire book, holds your hand, and gently guides you through the ups & downs of working with the web. His examples are concise and to the point, his writing style (as always) humorous and friendly, and, most importantly, you get the feeling that he truly loves this medium, and would like nothing more than being able to help another person discover just what the fuss is all about.

   Should be on the shelf of every designer - no matter what your level of experience is.




2. This book opened my eyes to issues such as accesibilty, css and xhtml, I now have a site that is fast to load and easy to update. I found this book to be an easy read,[ I am neither a graphic designer nor a trained web designer] I really like Zeldman's writng style and will use some of his points in my classes web design for photographers. The mix of code and ideas was great and for once I just read the book rather than being tempted into turning on my computer and starting work.



3. Even though some of the content in this book is outdated (such is the nature of a book based on the internet, which evolves daily), it is still a mainstay in my collection. I would recommend this book to anyone even remotely interested in web design.
   
   Jefferey Zeldman teaches basic, foundation building principles that you will use almost daily during your tenure as a web designer. If your looking for a book to hold you by the hand and teach you how to perform specific actions with step by step coding, this isn't your book. Instead, it touches upon ideas and methods. Zeldman covers topics from designing good navigation to fundamental steps in working with a potential client.
   
   I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. It would have received a perfect score if it wasn't for some outdated material. Purchase this book, it should be a part of any collection.



4. This book gives a good overview of Web Design till 2001.
   People who are interested in where the web is coming from will like this book. If your are looking for how web design is done today anno 2005 I would like to recommend Jeffrey Zeldman book "Designing with web standards".



5. It's now over 6 years since this book came out and it still has a tremendous amount of relevance. I am rereading it again and stop by every now and then in hopes that a new edition will come out. I have all the other Zeldman books and they are all useful, but nothing approaches how much I learned from this book. It amazes me how much of the content is still applicable. Anyone who's been doing this since the book came out can make mental notes about what has changed. A proponent of CSS before it was practical (really), Jeffrey seems to have planned a long shelf life for this book.
   
   If you're a graphic designer who is entering web development (which is a large segment), it's still a must read, but beware the 4.x browser version suggestions, and don't bother to try and support tables any more. It's not necessary, and it's bad form for oh, so many reasons. Everything else in the book is absolutely essential for the transition. Your best bet would be to read it and ask questions from someone who's been developing websites for a long time (and is open to web standards).
   
   And if you've been building these things for a long time, it's still a great book to revisit at least yearly.
   
   You can't really go wrong with a Zeldman book, imho, at least so far. If he writes something on knitting, I can't guarantee it...

3 comments about Executing SOA: A Practical Guide for the Service-Oriented Architect.

1. There has been books in the market on the topic of SOA, in numbers. Many of them quickly get into the quagmire of either keeping it too abstract and talk about just business aspects and their benefits or going to the other extreme and treating just the technology aspects of SOA.
   
   'Executing SOA - A Practical Guide for the Service Oriented Architect' is a revealing, startling and supremely practical treatise on this topic of SOA. The first great point about this book is that it does not go into too much of the basics of SOA as a concept; its definitions; terminologies etc. It provides just an introductory chapter on its history and more significanly why SOA matters more and more in today's world of business and IT.
   
   The topic of SOA Governance has not been treated so well if not, at all, in the books that try to fill up the shelf. An entire chapter is dedicated to this topic! The chapter focusses on how business and IT alignment is enabled and empowered by SOA Governance and demonstrates how SOA Governance can and should be used as an SOA Strategy to realistically align IT initiatives with the business drivers and goals of the enterprise. It provides a splendid treatment on how to structure the organization; with its roles and responsibilities and the management of power so that SOA Governance can be implemented as a mainstream SOA discipline inside an enterprise. What I found most useful was the way the authors provided a prescriptive checklist of the various components of SOA Governance and what to execute to make each component be executed upon.
   
   SOA introduces a new architecture paradigm to IT. Rational Unified Process, as a methodology to perform software lifecycle development saw the hole in its existing process around how a typical SOA project should be executed. They used SOMA as a service oriented modeling and architecture method and came up with their new version of RUP called RUP-SOMA. This book is the first of its kind that dedicates an entire chapter in defining to its reader what RUP-SOMA is and more importantly provides step by step guidance on how each phase of the service oriented methodology should be executed in a real world project. I not only find this chapter as a first of a kind in the industry but also am startled by the way the authors have treated the subject and brought it to the reader. One can easily use some very basic and common sense to create a project plan to execute on an SOA project based on the sheer merit that this chapter brings to the table.
   
   Each other chapter focusses on a specific discipline of how to take SOA into a real world project engagement but the topics are kept so well aligned, integrated and standalone that the reader can either focus on one single chapter and execute on it or put them all together and be the guru in your company! The chapter on 'Realization of Services' is a master art that demonstrates how you can implement the RUP-SOMA methodology using the present day products and technologies that are available in the market.
   
   In short, I consider this book as an eye-opening treatment of the subject of SOA and it keeps itself very true to its title i.e. it provides the reader with enough arms and ammunition to go execute successfully on a real-world and practical SOA project.
   
   Thank you authors - now I know why IBM is the best and has the greatest share in the SOA market!



2. Like many of the acronyms in use today, SOA is quickly becoming so broadly used that it is difficult to understand the real role of SOA, the impact on legacy platforms and the realization of true return on investment.
   
   This book avoids focusing on the generalities and re-definitions found in most SOA books and heads straight at the heart of and challenges addressed by SOA. The book gives superb treatments of service modeling and how to maximize reuse of existing silo based services, decomposition of silos and implementation of new reusable components.
   
   But, even more critical to the reader and SOA implementor, the book provides the best and most useful information on SOA governance that I have seen in any of the SOA books out there. Like all models oriented towards reuse, SOA models without proper governance can quickly devolve back into a silo structure negating the value of SOA. This book provides a clear path towards delivering the benefits of SOA in conjunction with implementing an evolving SOA governance model.
   
   Anyone who wants to understand the value of SOA, the challenges of deployment and a means of delivering it while avoiding the risks of "big bang" deployment should definitely read this book.



3. This book contains much valuable information, but I see little that is not readily available on the web. Just do some searching and you can find this information quickly enough. If you don't mind paying for information that is available for free, then buy this book. Look at sites like zapthink, searchsoa.com, soa-consortium.org. Also look at a book named "An Implementor's Guide to Service Oriented Architecture - Getting It Right" and authors like Thomas Erl.