Rapid Development
by Steve McConnell
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (02 July, 1996)
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Editorial Review

I can hear some of you exclaiming, "How can you possibly recommend a book about software scheduling published by Microsoft Press and written by a consultant to Microsoft?!" Well, put aside any preconceived biases. This is a tremendous book on effective scheduling software development, and it drinks deeply from the wisdom of all the classics in the field such as Brook's Mythical Man Month -- and is likely well-informed by McConnell's experiences, good and bad, in Redmond.

The nine page section entitled "Classic Mistakes Enumerated" is alone worth the price of admission and should be required reading for all developers, leads, and managers. Here are some types of the 36 classic mistakes that McConnell describes in detail:

• People Related Mistakes
  • Heroics
  • Adding people to a late project
  • Politics placed over substance (etc.)
  
  
• Process Related Mistakes
  • Abandonment of planning under pressure
  • Planning to catch up later
  • "Code-like-hell" programming (etc.)
  
  
• Technology Related Mistakes
  • Silver-Bullet syndrome
  • Overestimating savings from new tools or methods
  • Switching tools in the middle of a project (etc.)

I suspect that if you've ever been involved in software development, you winced after reading each of these nine points. And you will learn a great deal from the remaining 640 pages about concrete solutions.

My only substantive gripe: cheesy Powerpoint graphics. Nonetheless, this book is Very Highly Recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (97)

Yes, yes and more yes
If you do software project management i'd bet you would benefit pretty greatly from either having its contents under your belt or at least near your fingertips when you need it.

Great stuff - truely awesome.

Old but classic, still required reading
If you buy this book, keep in mind it was written in 1996.Despite that, it is a great book and still relevant!

Those interested in XP are referred to the author's website.He has published a white paper there.

One request:Mr. McConnell, please update this book!We need an update with more on risk and schedules, agile processes, teamwork, productivity tools, fresh case studies, etc.

STILL top notch advice, 8 years later
It never ceases to amaze me how "hard" it seems to be to deliver a software project in on time...The truth is, it's NOT hard (when you follow the best practices outlined in this book).I've been searching for a book to back up my experience and common sense approach to software development and I found it!Now I'm just depressed that the problems I see happening every day were documented in 1996 as "Classic Mistakes", and they're as common today as ever.This is such a great read for anyone of any level of responsibility for software projects - from the CIO to the Programmer.You CAN develop great software, it CAN be developed on time and on budget, and your developers CAN truly enjoy their jobs during the development process.You just have to commit to doing it right - and this book explains what's "right" and what's "wrong". ... Read more

Isbn: 1556159005
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer software    4. Computers    5. Development    6. Programming - Software Development    7. Software Development    8. Computers / Programming / Software Development   

Rainbow Six
by Tom Clancy
Average Customer Review:
Mass Market Paperback (07 September, 2004)
list price: $8.50 -- our price: $7.65
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Editorial Review

No one would have blamed David Dukes if he had declined reading for Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six. Not only is "Rainbow" a melting pot of secret-agent patois, but the 700-page-plus book version runs at a rampant pace--this despite the usual wealth of Clancy detail. But actor and audio pro Dukes (and the editor responsible for condensing the script onto six hours of tape) handles this daunting task admirably, applying a steady--but not urgent--Everyman's tone and imparting a sense that we're hearing the whole story. Listeners may want more, but will be satiated with this abridged rendition.

Dukes also bounces seamlessly among dialects, giving distinct but easy-to-understand voices to Rainbow, a colorful cast of international good guys assembled to save the world from terrorism. The group is led by a sometimes violent but justice-minded ex-CIA agent, John Clark, who is proof that Clancy can paint a dark protagonist as vividly as his good knight, Jack Ryan. But Rainbow Six is an equally bright showcase for reader Dukes, who, like Clark, is bent on providing justice. Dukes's reading gives justice to the abridged form. (Running time: six hours, four cassettes) --Rob McDonald ... Read more

Reviews (1418)

An interesting read, but too long and rambling.
The premise of this novel is interesting enough...eco-terrorists want to cause an epidemic to wipe out most of humanity in order to "save" the environment.Of course there are nutcases out there who would probably like to do just that, and as Clancy's novel postulates, it is not out of the question that some of them could conceivably put a plan into work to attempt something of the sort.

This novel's strengths are Clancy's familiarity with military technology (as always) and his fairly good grasp of how Washington's power structure functions.These strengths make this a fairly good read, despite the negatives.The negatives are that this novel is at least twice as long as it needs to be, the storyline rambles, the terrorists are unconvincing, and the characterizations are not particularly good.

All in all this is a good cautionary tale by a good writer who needed a stricter editor.

The terrorists are just too stupid in this book
*spoiler* The terrorists' master plan is to kill off all humans that are polluting and destroying the earth in order to save the earth. To do this they intend to use a virus to infect and kill everyone except themselves because they have a vaccine that will protect them from it. They test the virus and it works on rats and monkeys and they even test it and find it works on humans. Never mind that some of the biology is wrong, the point is that if it works on rats and humans it's going to kill off a majority of the mammals on the earth - they're trying to save the animals! These are supposed to be smart terrorists with the ability to create a virus but for some reason they don't realize they're about to kill everything they want to save.

LLLOOONNNGGGANDDULL!!!
Well, mostly this novel is 899 pages of boredom. The plot centers around an anti-terrorist group based in England, comprised of primarily Americans and British commando types, with a few continental Europeans thrown in for good measure. This group quells one terrorist incident after another, setting the stage for a final encounter. Everything here is by and large predictable, a few surprises do await the reader. Tom Clancy wrote this novel circa 1999, obviously dated as you will see if you do decide to read it, being pre 911 is just a part of this. I found it long and dull, being punctuated by brief periods of action. A plodding writing style indeed. 899 pages...give me a break, if an author cannot get his ideas across in 400-500 pages he/she needs to get a better editor. Also, if you truly believe in the environmental movement and are cognisant of how we are harming the earth with our industrial way of life you will be disappointed with this novel as Clancy generally disparages environmentalists as extreme. I suspect Clancy may be a far right-wing neoconservative, just a guess on my part. But more to the point, this book is far too long and contains lots of filler, not recommended. ... Read more

Isbn: 0425170349
Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Espionage / Thriller    4. Men's Adventure    5. Technological    6. Thrillers   

Snow Crash (Bantam Spectra Book)
by NEAL STEPHENSON
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (02 May, 2000)
list price: $14.00 -- our price: $11.20
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Editorial Review

From the opening line of his breakthrough cyberpunk novel Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson plunges the reader into a not-too-distant future. It is a world where the Mafia controls pizza delivery, the United States exists as a patchwork of corporate-franchise city-states, and the Internet--incarnate as the Metaverse--looks something like last year's hype would lead you to believe it should. Enter Hiro Protagonist--hacker, samurai swordsman, and pizza-delivery driver. When his best friend fries his brain on a new designer drug called Snow Crash and his beautiful, brainy ex-girlfriend asks for his help, what's a guy with a name like that to do? He rushes to the rescue. A breakneck-paced 21st-century novel, Snow Crash interweaves everything from Sumerian myth to visions of a postmodern civilization on the brink of collapse. Faster than the speed of television and a whole lot more fun, Snow Crash is the portrayal of a future that is bizarre enough to be plausible. ... Read more

Reviews (439)

Stephenson's unique
Snow Crash is one of those books that will either grab you in the first 30 pages, and hold you to the end, or you will hate.You'll worry about the comic book aspect at first, but quickly get past that.

As with much of Neal Stephenson's writing, Snow Crash is completely unique.It is hilarious through the first half of the book, and has a couple of Stephenson's amazing allegories sprinkled throughout.One in particular describing a Dilber-view of a future Federal bureaucracy is worth the price of the book on it's own.Snow Crash is not, however, at the level of Cryptonomicon.The world of Snow Crash seriously bogs down and becomes Hollywood-movie-clichéd at the end.But it's a great ride getting there.

Will It Ever End??!?!?!
My gosh, what a complete waste of time.I finally put the book down after 6 weeks and 273 pages.I just couldn't take it anymore.I would have stopped a long time before now, but I don't like leaving books unfinished.In this case, not finishing is better than the alternative...

Nothing every really happened in the book, at least not the part I read.There were a few scenes where something actually transpired besides dialog or author rambling, but the scenes were shallow and short.

I kept waiting for some big event to take place after all the description, but over half way through the book, it never did.I just feel like I wasted the last 5 weeks trying to get through this book, when normally it takes me only a week to get through one that can keep my attention.

I was not impressed.

something for a Jerry Bruckheimer film, but that's all...
From what I heard, this was meant to be up there with Neuromancer, but it didn't even come close in my opinion.

After [what seemed like] the first three or four times Stephenson explains to the reader that computers understand binary, and that binary is made up of 1's and 0's, I started to get a bit worried about this novel.

I continued though, thinking that he was just educating the computer illiterate in the early chapters, but it just went on and on...

The whole thing just seemed to be made up of a mish-mash of 'cool' images like hackers, samurai, the Mafia, skateboarding, etc, etc, etc... All just thrown into the mix for the sake of being cool.

The only interesting thread of an idea in the book just sort of trailed off into nothingness, just like the rest of the story.

I give it one star for the mythological storyline [which was the only thing that kept me reading], and for resisting the urge to write the protagonist from the first person. Everything else just annoyed me.

If you're after a cyber-novel with genuinely creative ideas (not just a Neuromancer wannabe), try Permutation City (Greg Egan). ... Read more

Isbn: 0553380958
Subjects:  1. American Science Fiction And Fantasy    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Science Fiction    4. Science Fiction    5. Science Fiction - General    6. Science Fiction - High Tech    7. Fiction / Science Fiction / General   

Eon
by Greg Bear
Average Customer Review:
Mass Market Paperback (01 May, 1995)
list price: $7.99 -- our price: $7.99
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Reviews (74)

Challenging read
This book is definitely of the "hard" sci-fi genre, and runs quite long.Sometimes it can be very hard to imagine what Bear is describing, and in that way I agree with the other reviewers here who have called his writing style clunky.The plot is quite complex, and at first it can be hard to remember which character did what.The ending is less than satisfying, and the characters could have been more developed so that the reader cares more about them, but the worlds on the Stone and in the Way are fascinating and so creatively crafted.Just trying to imagine how this world behaves, from a physics point of view, can be enthralling.I also enjoyed the stature of Patricia, the female protagonist.One down-side is that the politics between the US, Russia, and China severely date the novel.It's a strange kind of "historical" sci-fi in that you have to recall the climate of the '80s to get a good grasp on many things, but the futuristic aspects are amazing.

The title fits the reading...
Greg Bear has an excellent storyline here, but the problem is that he doesn't have the faintest idea how to write a flowing story.

The first half of the book is gripping, edge-of-your-seat action and intelligent, immersive science at the same time, with a good balance of the two. The book follows a single storyline and character development is pretty good.

In my opinion he should have written two books of 250-300 pages each, because halfway through Eon the novel falls apart. Two separate storylines begin alternating chapter-to-chapter, and the book becomes so disjointed that it is a pain to read. I was tempted to skip every other chapter, reading one story to the end and then going back to read the other.

The action of the first half is too successful; Bear cannot keep the reader's interest for the second half. Believe me, I have read long novels (the Sword of Truth series averages about 800 pages).

Overall, I would give this book five stars if it stopped after 250 pages. As it is, it drags far too much.

Slow Reading... Very Descriptive Sci-fi world. Amazing
This book is fantastic but its two other sequels are not worth reading. The story is about a very large mysterious asteroid that takes up an orbit around the earth. The only problem is that the inner dimensions do not match the outer dimensions. The story becomes a race between the Russians and the Americans to see who can get to the asteroid first to study the findings.

Eon is about another world, which exists inside this rock, but is also a portal to a dimension called THE WAY which is inhabited by millions and billions of different species. The WAY is also going through a dramatic change and it is up to the explorers to discover what the WAY truly is and why the asteroid has arrived to orbit the Earth. Lots of story and action but be careful because the actual descriptions of the places in this book require a lot of imagination. Great story, great plot, lots of action and a great character called Olmy.

My bet is that the Matrix filmmakers will try and give this book a bash sometime. It is said to be un-filmable but maybe they can pull it off. The production company is also called EON... hmmmm... ... Read more

Isbn: 0812520475
Sales Rank: 48553
Subjects:  1. Fiction - Science Fiction    2. Science Fiction    3. Science Fiction - General   

Eternity
by Greg Bear
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 December, 1994)
list price: $6.99 -- our price: $6.99
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Reviews (11)

A thinking piece not an action piece
Eon is a great novel with an interesting and dramatic plot that moves the story along and brings up certain important and interesting themes along the way. Eternity has much less of a movng plot, which is why I think many reviewers don't like it as much. Eternity challenges the reader to think about what's right and what's wrong, and how the answers to those questions make them feel. I think this is an important book from its philosophy, but yes, if you are looking for action, keep looking.

I put it down half-way through.
Nothing like EON. EON is the one. This was a hack sequel with no guts. Very dissapointing.

Almost as good as EON
While this sequesl to EON clears up and tidies some aspects presented in the first book, there are some jumbled parts. I wanted more time spent with the Jarts interacting. Maybe get into the Jarts head some more? Thereligious concepts and misunderstandings are as fresh today as when this was written. ... Read more

Isbn: 0446601888
Sales Rank: 240316
Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Science Fiction    3. Science Fiction    4. Science Fiction - High Tech    5. Fiction / Science Fiction / High Tech   

Red Mars (Mars Trilogy)
by KIM STANLEY ROBINSON
Average Customer Review:
Mass Market Paperback (01 October, 1993)
list price: $7.99 -- our price: $7.19
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Editorial Review

Red Mars opens with a tragic murder, an event that becomes the focal point for the surviving characters and the turning point in a long intrigue that pits idealistic Mars colonists against a desperately overpopulated Earth, radical political groups of all stripes against each other, and the interests of transnational corporations against the dreams of the pioneers.

This is a vast book: a chronicle of the exploration of Mars with some of the most engaging, vivid, and human characters in recent science fiction.Robinson fantasizes brilliantly about the science of terraforming a hostile world, analyzes the socio-economic forces that propel and attempt to control real interplanetary colonization, and imagines the diverse reactions that humanity would have to the dead, red planet.

Red Mars is so magnificent a story, you will want to move on to Blue Mars and Green Mars. But this first, most beautiful book is definitely the best of the three. Readers new to Robinson may want to follow up with some other books that take place in the colonized solar system of the future: either his earlier (less polished but more carefree) The Memory of Whiteness and Icehenge, or 1998's Antarctica. --L. Blunt Jackson ... Read more

Reviews (331)

so Mars is red...yawn...
Robinson's "Red Mars" follows the stories of 100 men and women as they train for, travel to, and inhabit Mars. Each chapter in the novel is told from the distinct point of view of one of several major characters.Oddly, Robinson's technique fails to reveal anything really interesting about any of these people.When American space hero, John Boone, is murdered in the first chapter, I expected to eventually find out why.Is that alot to hope for?Other events ensue, Mars changes, more major characters die... to me, at least, these characters never seemed all that alive in the first place...

While "Red Mars" is certainly vast in scope and largely interesting from a scientific standpoint, the overall story suffers from underdeveloped characters, an overemphasis on Martian landscape, and no cohesive plot.And maybe that's Robinson's plan - the major character in the novel is Mars itself, not the folks who live there...

Great start but the rest of the series is lame
I really enjoyed the characters, plot, and technology in Red Mars. I'd give it a 5 except that it leaves in the middle of the story. You really can't read it without wanting to read the 2 follow-up books and they're so bad that you'll wish you hadn't started.

Unpretentious, Subtle, Precise and Engrossing
Having recently read this novel, and skimmed through some of the reviews on amazon, I felt compelled to write one, because I think some of these reveiws are misleading and overly subjective.

Some of the previous reviewers have called the characters unbeleivable/boring/poorly drawn.I feel this is a misinterpretation of the CONTENT of the characters, rather than the skill with which their development was executed.How many career-obsessed scientists do you know who constantly change and soul search, and who's life is wholly accessible to those around them?Many of the characters, like Michel, who doesn't get a lot of face time in the book, are very complex, amazingly so for the portion of prose in the book they are given, others are predictable and don't change much.BUT WE UNDERSTAND THEM TOTALLY.Robinson deftly explains them in a variety of situations so that we feel we know them, the fact that many of them aren't exciting or don't have epiphanies constantly over the course of their lives is MORE realistic than a lot of fiction which concentrates on unstable characters, or moments in the lives of characters who are confronted with something which motivates them to a personal change.

The book is so wholly realistic precisely because the characters resemble those who would actually be sent up to mars.That is, focused, often one-sided academics and scientists.And yet Robinson DOES weave unpredictable elements into all his characters.Someone here actually compared him to clancy.That is incredibly off base, and i hope no one takes that too seriously.Someone said that the author is "trying" to make an epic.I don't think robinson set out with the word "epic" in mind, but his goal WAS to DOCUMENT (yes, this book is very documentary in nature, if you don't enjoy reading factual accounts of exploration and history, but only highly fictionalized work that ignores the excitement of discovery of new knowledge in favor of thrilling mortal escapades, then this book may not strike you as something special) an incredibly well researched possible timeline for the colonization of a planet.That takes a lot of TIME.Perhaps the characters don't change dramatically, because if he had documented every action which may have changed each of the huge cast of characters over the decades it would take to make small environmental and terraforming procedures work, the book would be 3000 pages long, and then peole would complain about THAT.I have to confess, I may be on the extreme edge of a certain demographic, I mean, I read Proust, and anyone can tell you that NOTHING "happens" in proust, much much less than "happens" in this novel, but Robinson's prose is some of the most luscious, engrossing, poetic, AND structured writing I've ever read, in any genre.He deftly uses vignettes, and the prologues to each chapter perfectly prepare you for the mindset of the coming events.

If you find the content of this book overwrought/too technical/long winded/not character intesive enough, then I encourage you to try some of his novels which aren't quite so documentary in nature (the three californias series for instance).Everything he does IS concerned in some sense with environmental/social sciences, thats why I enjoy his books so much, if you don't enjoy that kind of book, then you probably should look elsewhere.However, I'm willing to bet that a lot of people who dislike this book revere books like Dune.Why?Dune attempts to do all the same things this books does, but herbert's characters come off thinner and more trite, his social science and environmentalism is often far more poorly researched, and many of his passages are downright clumsy.This is a book that looks into a lot of the same peepholes in the human soul as dune did, but jettisons the high fantasy, court politics (in favor of REAL, modern politics) and classic cornball pubescent protagonist science fiction cliches. Don't approach this book expecting superficial excitement and the kind of characters that authors like to create specifically for you to feel sympathetic towards.There aren't any heroes in this book, just like in real life.There are self-seeking, often hypocritical individuals trying to survive in a commune-style existence while trying to get their own agendas through. They remind you of professors you didn't really care for in college, ex girlfriends you're glad you don't see anymore, and a lot of familiar types which you probably didn't get to know as well in real life as robinson will aquaint you with them.

This is where the tension and conflict comes from. Please approach Red Mars as a finely hewn work of subtle, precise prose, whose aim is an exploration of the nature of human groups, and you'll find an exciting documentary of social interaction, politics, and the adventurous spirit. ... Read more

Isbn: 0553560735
Subjects:  1. Fiction - Science Fiction    2. Science Fiction    3. Science Fiction - High Tech    4. Fiction / Science Fiction / General   

XSLT Programmer's Reference 2nd Edition
by Michael H. Kay
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (April, 2001)
list price: $34.99
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Editorial Review

Written by a true expert in the field, Michael Kay's XSLT, Second Edition is a thorough and truly informative guide to using XSLT and XML for real projects. With plenty of in-depth information on current standards and tools, this tutorial and reference is all any working developer needs to implement XSLT-based applications effectively.

The book is remarkable in its wide-ranging perspective on XML and XSLT, plus it contains a complete reference to all elements and keywords used in XSLT and XPath. The author has created his own open-source implementation of XSLT and thus writes knowledgeably about all current XML standards. Early sections explain the larger strategies of using XSLT to transform XML data for browsers or for B2B systems. Clear diagrams--and short sample documents--are used to explain where XSLT fits into the big picture of today's XML-based systems. The book has plenty to say about new and emerging standards, so you can plan effectively for what's on the horizon.

The core of the book is its 400-page alphabetical reference on every XSL element, expression, and function (including XPath for querying and specifying XML data). Each entry is amply illustrated with example code and hints for using each feature correctly. You also get plenty of rules for using common XSL features effectively, along with sample usage.

Later sections of the book look at "design patterns" for types of XSLT style sheets, including simple fill-in-the-blanks and more advanced rule-based and computation style sheets. There are also digestible examples of XSLT used to format a long text document (for the XML standard itself), genealogy data (for a family tree), and a chess problem. Several appendices provide information on several popular XML and XSLT tools, including Microsoft MSXML3, the author's own Saxon XSLT processor, and Apache's Xalan tool.

With its mix of practical advice and solid reference matter, this book is a perfect choice for any developer working with XML and XSLT who needs a reliable guide to these important and groundbreaking technologies. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered:

• Introduction and reference to XSLT standards
• Basics of transforming XML with XSLT, XPath, XPointer, and related XML standards
• The XML tree model
• Transforming XML (including push and pull processing)
• XSLT variables, expressions, and datatypes
• The structure of style sheets (including top-level elements and template bodies)
• Comprehensive reference to all XSLT elements, expressions, patterns, and functions
• Creating extension functions for XSLT in Java and JavaScript
• Style sheet design patterns (fill-in-the-blanks, navigational, rule-based, and computational style sheets)
• Sample XSLT code for formatting a large document (with the XML specification)
• A family tree (with genealogical data) and chess data (the Knight's tour problem)
• Appendices and references for XSLT/XML tools (including Microsoft MSXML3, Oracle Java XSLT processor, the Saxon processor, and Apache Xalan)

... Read more

Reviews (75)

The book for every serious XML programmer.
M. Kay issavvy fellow, very careful formulation with excellent examples. I recommend though buying the XSLT 2.0 book, as the present XSLT 1.0 is essentially included in the latter. Every chapter has: "Whats new in XSLT 2.0" so the XSLT 1.0 programmer gets more look-ahead info. NB XSLT 2.0 runs till now only on the author's parser. Although I had no previous XML experience this book was the most helpful of the three other books I bought. Its the only one I still use as reference. There was no question that the book could not answer until now.

Not much to complain about here
This book has helped me out of a jam more often than I care to remember. If you are stuck with programming with XSLT, you should take a good look at this title. It guides you through the language and even provides you with insight into how processers actually process XSLT templates. A good book, but only for experienced programmers.

A good intro to a tough topic
XSLT is almost the official programming language of XML - in fact, it uses XML as its representation. Given the importance of XML, XSLT is going to be a critical tool at anyone's workbench sooner or later.

XSLT is also a hard language to work with. That's where this book comes in. When I needed to write an XML-based application of my own - one involving DocBook, HTML, and XSLT itself - XSLT was the natural choice, though a daunting one. Using only this book, I managed to pick up the XSLT programming model (hint: there is almost no such thing as flow of control) and get the job done. Kay's discussions of XML name spaces and other basics were part of what got the job done right.

This book should be on the shelf of every serious XML programmer. I don't know whether a programming beginner would get the full value from it, but experienced readers will find it dense, well-organized, and above all helpful. ... Read more

Isbn: 1861005067
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Programming Languages    4. Computers    5. Desktop Publishing    6. Electronic Publishing    7. Internet - Web Site Design    8. Programming - General    9. Programming Languages - General    10. Programming Languages - HTML    11. Programming Languages - XML    12. Programming languages (Electronic computers)    13. XSLT (Computer program language)    14. Computers and Internet   

Dynamic HTML: The Definitive Reference
by Danny Goodman
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 July, 1998)
list price: $49.95
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Editorial Review

Danny Goodman felt that he couldn't trust any of the documentation on Dynamic HTML (DHTML) that he read (too many contradictions), so he wrote this book as a reference for working with his own clients. After testing tags and techniques on multiple releases of the main browsers, Goodman came up with very practical information--some of which you may not find in any other resource.

Goodman assumes a solid foundation, if not expertise, in basic HTML and an understanding of what DHTML is all about. From those assumptions, he presents a meaty, information-dense volume. The first of the book's four sections discusses industry standards and how to apply the basic principles of DHTML. He emphasizes the differences in Web browsers and discusses how to build pages so that they work well in both Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. The second section is an extensive, quick reference of all the tags, objects, and properties of HTML, cascading style sheets, Document Object Model, and core JavaScript. A particularly handy cross-reference guide to this information follows, helping you locate it in alternate ways. The final section contains appendices, with useful tables of values and commands. --Elizabeth Lewis ... Read more

Reviews (141)

Exceptionally good
Goodman must have invested an astonishing amount of grunt work in compiling the reference material, but it's not just the content that sets this book apart; the layout and index are also excellent.

This is among the very best reference books I've ever used, but don't mistake it for anything else.It's not a tutorial.

My only caveat is that the book's coverage of JavaScript is rather superficial.

Best. Reference. Evar!
As a web applications developer, I am constantly enveloped in DHTML.

This book is a lifesaver.This book is not just recommended for all UI developers, it is an absolute *necessity*.The book itself is not so significant in what you learn from it. Goodman only spends 186 pages on the practice of DHTML, but the rest of this 1343 (not including index) behemoth is dedicated to pure, unadulterated information.

Yeah, lots of books have lots of information.What makes this book unique is:

1. The excellent organization of this information
2. The depth of this information
3. The accuracy of this information
4. The relevance of this information (even though the second edition came out in 2002)

This book is an absolute necessity, even more so for anyone doing cross browser DHTML.One of the great things about this book is how Goodman has gone out of his way to emphasize compatability of elements, CSS, and JavaScript between the two major browers (Netscape and IE).

Like others have mentioned, this book is *not* meant for newbies.It is *not* designed to help you learn HTML, JavaScript, or CSS.It is what it is: a reference book.This book can be used by newbies, but should only be used as a companion reference to more accessible books (try HTML Goodies by Joe Burns).For seasoned DHTML programmers, this book is the best of its kind and an absolute necessity.

An amazing book!
I bought this book to learn how to create a new menu system for a web site that I'm working on, and I certainly don't regret the choice. Danny Goodman's book does a very good job of covering Dynamic HTML (DHTML), HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), DOM (Document Object Model) and even JavaScript.

The amount of information in this book is incredible. 1400 pages! (Not 1500, as currently indicated at Amazon.com, incidentally, but 1400 is sufficient.)

Mr. Goodman explains the current situation, where Microsoft's Internet Explorer follows one "standard" and the other browsers follow the W3C standards to varying degrees. He also indicates which version of MS IE first began to support each feature, allowing you to decide whether you want to use some feature that some of your clients' older browsers may not support. This kind of information is invaluable if you want to make your web site cross-browser compatible, including support for Macintosh, Unix, Linux, etc., as well as Windows.

My only criticism is that the book is unfortunately becoming a bit dated. It was published in Sept. 2002 so it obviously can't contain any information about the latest versions of web browsers. On the other hand, Microsoft has not released any new version of IE for over two years, so it's only information about the latest versions of Netscape and other browsers that is missing.

One additional thing I liked about this book was that Danny Goodman sometimes uses an almost poetic English, something rather unusual in a technology book. A couple of examples from page 19: "... can be a challenge unto itself." "If the inexorable flow of new browser versions..."

Highly recommended if you are making web pages that require the use of Dynamic HTML.

Rennie Petersen ... Read more

Isbn: 1565924940
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    2. Computer Books: Web Programming    3. Computer Networks    4. Computer Programming Languages    5. Computers    6. DHTML (Document markup language)    7. Internet - World Wide Web    8. Networking - General    9. Programming Languages - HTML    10. Databases & data structures    11. HTML    12. World Wide Web (WWW)    13. JavaScript (Computer program l   

Legacy (Eon)
by Greg Bear
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (15 June, 1996)
list price: $7.99 -- our price: $7.99
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Reviews (18)

Fairly entertaining but not worth the time invested
This was a fairly entertaining book with some remarkable ideas and concepts but I felt like it never achieved its full potential. I also found it to be a very frustrating book because it constantly got bogged down in dull forest and ocean adventuring at the expense of exploring the interesting sci-fi concepts that are introduced in the book (far too infrequently, I might add). It explores a tiny bit of the early history of Thistledown at the very beginning of the book but never returns to it, instead continuing the rest of the book on the planet of Lamarckia. The book begins with a lot of promise but quickly descends into boring planet exploration for hundreds of pages. The unique flora and fauna of the planet, although fascinating, are not enough to hold the interest of the reader for 400+ pages. There is so little action that actually takes place in the Way that it is difficult to connect this book with Eon at all, never mind calling it a prequel. Overall, the book was mildly enjoyable and I recommend it to those that want the complete story of the Eon world, but otherwise it's not worth the time it takes to plow through it.

One of the best
I think this is one of Greg Bear's best books and one of the best SCI FI books ever.This book has a crafted literary quality that many others do not.

Misleading
I am a huge Bear fan-but this book reminds me of Orson Scott Card milking his Enders Game success ad nauseaum.
The most charitable explanation I can think of is that Bear didn't even write this book-perhaps it is ghost written. The connection to EON and ETERNITY is laughable.
If you are in the mood for an Edgar Rice Burroughs style Tarzan novel from the 30's -you might find this interesting.
I wouldn't have minded this too much if Bear had been honest about this book and not tried to connect it to EON/ETERNITY. It might have worked as a stand alone fantasy adventure. Hardcore science fiction-this is not. Its going rate of 40 cents on the used list is a good gauge of the value of this book. If I could get my money back-I would. ... Read more

Isbn: 0812524810
Sales Rank: 260578
Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Science Fiction    3. Science Fiction    4. Science Fiction - General    5. Fiction / Science Fiction / General   

The Watchers Guide Buffy The Vampire Slayer (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)
by Christopher Golden, Nancy Holder
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 October, 1998)
list price: $17.95 -- our price: $12.21
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Editorial Review

One of TV's best shows now has a superb tie-in book--and this watcher's guide is even better than the one for The Simpsons. For novices, the title is a pun: Buffy, an ordinary high school girl with all the normal problems, also must spend her nights battling vampires and demons, supervised by her "Watcher," who poses as the school's librarian.

But the book serves novices and obsessive Buffy fans equally well. Each episode of the first two seasons gets a snappy yet learned summary, including a "Quote of the Week," a quick recap of each love entanglement and relationship switcheroo (and no soap opera is tanglier than Buffy), a "Pop-Culture IQ" guide (when Oz hunts for Buffy--who's been turned into a rat--that's Michael Jackson's "Ben" he's singing), countless pop-up balloons of fun facts (Buffy was turned into a rat in order to free up her schedule to host Saturday Night Live), and a catalog of "Buffy's Bag of Tricks"--her weapons, plus all the spells, chants, incantations, and previously incomprehensible rock-band lyrics on the show.

There's way more than we can list here. Not only do we get an ample sample of dialogue nearly as clever as Seinfeld's, there are scenes from the original scripts that were cut for length and cast interviews. Every single vampire, demon, witch, zombie, mummy, werewolf, shape shifter, ghost, reanimated cadaver, invisible killer, prehistoric parasite, monster puppet, and psychotic robot on Buffy's acrobatic dance card gets its due.

Get this book, then send one as a gift. Friends don't let friends miss out on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. ... Read more

Reviews (107)

One of the Best books EVER!
When I recieved this book for Christmas, I was a bit skeptical about the contents inside. After taking a long time flipping through the pages, I was both intrigued and impressed by the work the others had done on the show. Every time I pick up this book I learn something new about the episodes. Characters with small parts had interviews, and the color photos on the pages are glossy and nice. Pick up this book if you haven't. I know I'll be picking up "The Watcher's Guide : Volume 2" very shortly. Buy it,you won't be disappointed!

Not the best, but a must have for any avid fan
This isnt the best book if you're looking for a behind the scenes one. But it is great when it comes to quotes.Behind the Scenes is more in the 2nd volume.

This has an excellent array of quotes from seasons 1 and 2(which is what this book covers).It also has pretty good episode reviews, with some deleted scenes usually showing up along with some unknown facts.

But it also has some information that I found boring, which included a tour of Sunnydale.

But on the whole, not to bad of a book.

Pretty interesting though a bit lightweight
I like the books by Kenneth Topping a lot more than the official guides.They are more fun, more informative, and because they aren't "official" can be fans more than authors maintaining an official relationship with the show.But having said that, this and its companion volume are both really informative.And although I knew all the quotes anyway, it was a lot of fun reading them all.The best part of the book is the interviews with people you normally don't hear as much about, like set designers and associate producers and such. ... Read more

Isbn: 0671024337
Subjects:  1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Fict    2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Fictitious character)    3. Buffy, the vampire slayer (Tel    4. Buffy, the vampire slayer (Television program)    5. Fiction    6. General    7. Miscellanea    8. Movie-TV Tie-In - General    9. Mystery/Suspense    10. Occult    11. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    12. Television - Guides & Reviews    13. Juvenile Fiction / Horror & Ghost Stories   

The Watcher's Guide 2 (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
by Nancy Holder, Jeff Mariotte, Maryelizabeth Hart
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (31 October, 2000)
list price: $17.95
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Reviews (30)

A Good Guide To Go By
I found 'The Watcher's Guide 2' a very interesting book. Not only did it have great detail about the main characters, but special guest stars as well (in character that is). I also found the choice of photos refreshing since they are not the same photos you seem to see everywhere.

Wow- -Unbelievably Bad
Like the title says--Unbelievably Bad. Its an official companion to the show, and it sucks. Bit Me--An Unofficial Guide is so much better and much more worth the money. This is pretty much straightforward, spoiler packed, boring takes on the show and its characters. Bit Me, has interesting things about each episode, such as mistakes to look for, while this, just tells about each episode and goes on to the next. This has half page summaries of the characters, while Bite Me has sever pages per, including a summary of Buffy from the Movie to the planning of the show, all the way through the change of networks. i must say, this was one of the most worthless things I've ever bought.

The Bible to seasons 3 and 4
The Watcher's guide vol 2 is a definite improvement on the first.It is more geared to the adult viewer and fan and fully covers season 3 and 4 of BtVS.

It is a more indepth review of the actors, characters, behind the scenes workers and of course the episodes. It does an especially good job with the Season 4 finale (restless)- which is confusing and full of symbolic meaning, allusions and prophecy.It also gives us an indepth behind the scenes view of what goes into making a Buffy episode (the I in team).

The book is also filled with great photos and ilustrations.It is a great book for all Buffy fans, and even the casual viewer will appreciate all the nuances that are involved in each episode.Buy this book! ... Read more

Isbn: 0671042602
Sales Rank: 173236
Subjects:  1. Buffy, the vampire slayer (Television program)    2. General    3. Miscellanea    4. Performing Arts    5. Performing Arts/Dance    6. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    7. Television - General    8. Television - Guides & Reviews    9. Television - Reference    10. Performing Arts / Television / General   

The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail (Management of Innovation and Change Series)
by Clayton M. Christensen
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 June, 1997)
list price: $29.95 -- our price: $19.77
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

What do the Honda Supercub, Intel's 8088 processor, and hydraulic excavators have in common? They are all examples of disruptive technologies that helped to redefine the competitive landscape of their respective markets. These products did not come about as the result of successful companies carrying out sound business practices in established markets. In The Innovator's Dilemma, author Clayton M. Christensen shows how these and other products cut into the low end of the marketplace and eventually evolved to displace high-end competitors and their reigning technologies.

At the heart of The Innovator's Dilemma is how a successful company with established products keeps from being pushed aside by newer, cheaper products that will, over time, get better and become a serious threat. Christensen writes that even the best-managed companies, in spite of their attention to customers and continual investment in new technology, are susceptible to failure no matter what the industry, be it hard drives or consumer retailing. Succinct and clearly written, The Innovator's Dilemma is an important book that belongs on every manager's bookshelf. Highly recommended. --Harry C. Edwards ... Read more

Reviews (130)

Entrepreneurs - read this & gain the upper hand
In this revolutionary bestseller, Harvard professor Clayton M. Christensen says outstanding companies can do everything right and still lose their market leadership, or worse, disappear completely. And he not only proves what he says; he tells others how to avoid a similar fate.

To be a successful entrepreneur you must be able to capitalize on change. "The Innovator's Dilemma" is all about dealing with change, from the incumbent's point of view. How valuable do you think it would be to understand how your larger competitors think? That's exactly what this book talks about.

Most large, established firms are inherently weak in one area - they cling to the status quo with a vengeance. While talk of innovation is commonplace, it is the attacker (entrepreneurs) who holds a definitive advantage. Without legacy systems and overbearing bureaucracy it is the entrepreneur who has the upper hand.

"The Innovator's Dilemma" consists of two major parts:

Part One: Why Great Companies Fail
Part Two: Managing Disruptive Change

This is one of the most insightful books on business that I have ever read. It explains a very important concept - how radically new (disruptive) technologies can overtake existing well-established (sustaining) technologies and in the process beat market leaders at their own game.

Large companies typically ignore small markets and instead look for growth in established markets. All too often executives of large companies are reluctant to take on challenges in small and unknown terrain since they are always trained to "think big" - which is good news for Aspiring Entrepreneurs.

Take heed, read this book and learn how to fully exploit disruptive technologies and become the next "great company."

-----------------
Michael Davis - Editor, Byvation

Fresh and insightful analysis
A great book with some very insightful ideas. Prior to reading this book, the term "disruptive technology" was foreign to me. I always thought that the large company's misfortunes were largely an indication of how short-sided or greedy their management have become. The more I read, the faster my previous assumptions disappear. We have had many companies come out of no-where and become a technological sensation over night, with products that are destined to become main stream. I never viewed those innovations as disruptive technologies but rather as fresh approaches to the same problems that have existed for sometime, which may seem sound to some, but to others who were focused on that core of business, they will see how some new innovations may spell the death-sentence for some companies as well as retire the current de facto products that are in that void. Christensen also discusses how companies can survive disruptive technology attacks and benefit from them to maintain their active participation as well as leadership in their respective industry. Foresight and the courage to invest in those disruptive technologies is key to keep the core business balanced as well as staying in touch with the new competitors.

Only the Paranoid Survive
In a landmark study, the author argues that the basis of competition among businesses undergoes a paradigm shift everytime a disruptive technology is born. So what is a disruptive technology? Remember what Walmart did to Sears? Of course you do, because disruptive technologies are usually products or services that are faster, cheaper, smaller, and more convinient. Ultimately, good companies must refrain from doing what got them to the top in the first place--listening to their customers and believing everything comes down to superior technology--in order to successfully compete with the onslaught of start-ups redefining both the buying hierarchies and value networks in which they are implicated.

This is without a doubt one of the best business books I have ever read. ... Read more

Isbn: 0875845851
Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Creative ability    5. Creative ability in business    6. Customer services    7. Decision Making & Problem Solving    8. Entrepreneurship    9. Industrial management    10. Management - General    11. Organization Development    12. Success in business