Book Description
Internet Book, The: Everything You Need to Know About Computer Networking and How the Internet Works, 4/e utilizes a non-technical perspective to explain the technology of how computers communicate, what the Internet is, how the Internet works, and what the Internet can do for people. This book works to fully connect readers to the âbig pictureâ by presenting a solid overview of networking and the Internet, rather than burying them with details. Comer assumes no prior background in computer networking or the Internet.
Introduces computer communication system concepts and technology, reviews the history of the Internet and its growth, describes basic Internet technology and capabilities, and describes services currently available on the Internet and how to use them.
For anyone interested in learning how to navigate the Internet to its full potential.
Customer Reviews:
MBA Text.......2005-10-09
This book was required reading for an MBA class. The simplicity of the technical explanations, as well as the simple diagrams make it an easy book to understand. There are a few places where I wish the author would delve a bit deeper, on the topic of security as one example. Overall though, a good book for those who need a basic understanding of internet technology.
a good book to start if you are scared........2005-05-26
The author is one of the "founding fathers" of the internet, he does explain basic concepts clearly. Unfortunately, he doesn't have any sense of humor. The book reminded me a conversation between an old-fashioned professor and his grandkids. Also, some material is outdated in 2005, (e.g. there is a lot of pages devoted to the bulletin board system, and no mention of instant messaging.)
You're no "dummy" but new? This one's for you........2001-06-28
He's the leader in his field. I've used his books for teaching and as referrals. He's so readable but does not talk down to you like the silly "dummy" stuff. You'll be so glad you gave this a try.
A basic guide for novice users........2001-04-30
Although initially frightened by all the acronyms surrounding the Internet and its language, I was put as ease while reading Comer's book. I found that it was written for a person like myself. I have some amount of knowledge of how the Internet and other systems work, but I am a typical user of computer applications and am happy when my machine gives me the information I ask of it. Required reading in a college class is often the only reading I've done for the past seven years. I used to be a reader who read for many reasons. Some days I wanted to be transported away into a science fiction novel. Other days I wanted to live the life of another while reading a fascinating piece of fiction. Sometimes, due to necessity, I read a non-fiction work in order to educate myself just in case I need to know something. Upon picking up Comer's book, I felt that I didn't really need to know much about the Internet. However, after reading, I find that my curiosity was aroused. In fact, Comer dedicates the book to "Everyone Who Is Curious." I became one of these people. Comer's writing was a highlight of the book. The complex became simple in regards to understanding the inner-workings of different systems. I found this book to be a perfect companion for the class as it helped me understand a number of concepts in theories that I simply could not understand no matter how many people explained it in the weekly postings. While reading reviews about the book from an Internet book supply company, many critics are not bashful in their feeling that Comer spent too much time relating the history of the Internet to the reader. I wholeheartedly disagree with these critics and found that the history of the Internet had to be explained in order to fully understand why certain features of the Internet and its accompanying systems are in existence today. The book seemed to be quite simply a recap of all that has led up to today's modern systems. LANs, WANs, and other acronyms had to be explained for the Internet novice. Comer did an excellent job of introducing these areas and their relation to where we are today in regards to technology. Others may have wanted him to be somewhat controversial in his interpretations of where the Internet will lead us. For those people, I would suggest another text. For a person like myself, this text was near perfection. There is only major problem that I did have with Comer's book. With my limited knowledge does come some understanding of today's Internet markets. I believe that if Comer would have mentioned a few prominent companies while explaining certain aspects of the Internet, the book may have been easier to read. I found myself writing questions on the margins such as, "Is this what Netscape is?" His only mentioning of some real world company was of Purdue University. It is only as I write my response to this question that I read that he is a professor at that University. I'm not sure why companies would refuse to give permission for Comer to name them while explaining certain areas. One would think that free publicity is always welcome. I'm not sure if Comer is well known throughout the Internet world. Perhaps he is some type of radical that companies fear. Either way, it would have been easier to understand some concepts if the reader could relate them to aspects in the real world.
Amazing Book.......2000-08-10
Douglas Comer has an amazing ability to cut through the heavy fog that surrounds Internet technology. Many well trained and accomplished academics are terrible writers. I have wasted much money buying from these authors. I have read Douglas Comer's many books from detailed implentation of TCP/IP to overview of computer networks and internet. I am not surprised by the excellent quality of this book. I will buy any book anytime that Dr. Comer writes. I think this all the result of his pioneering reseach and great desire to teach.
Book Description
Identifying and Leveraging the Hidden Social Networks That Drive Corporate Performance
In today's flatter organizations, collaboration in employee networks has become critical to innovation and to both individual and companywide performance. Executives spend millions on new organizational designs, cultural initiatives, and technologies to promote the sharing of knowledge and expertise across functional, hierarchical, and divisional lines. Yet these efforts have achieved disappointing results.
Rob Cross and Andrew Parker argue that's because most managers have little understanding of how their employees actually interact to get work done. In fact, formal "org charts" fail to reveal the often hidden social networks that truly drive--or hinder--an organization's performance. In this eye-opening book, Cross and Parker show managers how to find, assess, and support the networks most crucial to competitive success.
Based on their in-depth study of more than sixty informal networks within organizations around the world, Cross and Parker show how managers can implement a wide range of specific and inexpensive actions-from bridging strategically important disconnects in a network to eliminating information "bottlenecks" to recognizing key connectors-that will enhance the powerful impact networks can have on performance and innovation.
Customer Reviews:
Social network theory gains real traction in this how-to guide........2007-02-16
In 1935 social network theory was created when an Italian born sociologist began drawing the now familiar network diagrams - laboriously constructed by hand but showing how employees related to each other within organizations. Today, softwares such as Ucinet are readily available and as a result social network analysis has moved onto the desktop and is available to all those who see its potential. here, Cross and Parker have wasted no time in stamping some ownership on the field by showing how and why social network studies within organizations should be conducted - and then how the results, those complex network diagrams can be diagnosed. They achieve a high standard here though they shy away from some of mathematical thinking that explains how the diagrams are derived: with only scant reference to terms like Betweenness, Centrality and Group Density which have become of the social network lexicon and, one would ahve thought, a useful toolset for the analysis of results. For this I mark them down one point - but overall the volume is rich in insight, clear in writing, and action-oriented: as much as anything it is a how-to guide, and HR professionals and market researchers would do well do reflect that the real dynamics within an organization do not follow the official organization chart but, rather, reflect the informal networks based on trust, knowledge and wisdom and developed by individuals as they navigate around what is usually a politically charged environment. Good insightful reading! I recommend this for researchers, HR professionals and managers.
On a broader front - here are two other books on social networks that are worth reading. Six Degrees: The Science of a Connected Age (Open Market Edition) Nexus: Small Worlds and the Groundbreaking Theory of Networks
Not bad.......2007-01-03
The book is written in an acamdemic style, you know the type of books you read in college. They are not mush fun to read, are a bit "woolly" and lack any personality.
But its an ok book. If you are interested in social networks and other networks I would recommend Mark Buchanen and books "Nexus", "Why catastrophes happen", and "Linked".
Very insightful book!.......2005-09-16
This book has been very interesting and helpful for me. It helped analyze and systemize my social networks. I recommend it to the people who want to organize their networks.
Understanding How Work Really Gets Done is Organizations.......2005-07-24
Well written book with helpful insights that one can apply to the work world. By becoming conscious of the power that these networks yield we can better harness their potential energy and creativity force.
Things that may hinder or break social networks.
1) Reward Systems
2) Splintering work groups
3) Poor job design
4) Watch for creating bottlenecks reliant upon specific people in the organization.
5) Redundacy, having involve everyone in the decision
Common Social Network Applications
1)helping in the collaborations of partnerships and alliances
2) improved strategic decision making
3) streamling core processes
4) promoting innovation
5) developing communities of practice
6) introducing change
7) spread learning and communication
Some attributes of that can affect social networking
1) Tenure in the organization
2) Encourage of mentoring
3) Ability to get new folks intergrated quickly
4) Gender, Age, Ethnicity, Education
5) Organizational Culture -> view of external contractors
6) Opportunities for projects to allow cross fertilization
7) Employee status
8) Task Interdependence
9) Physical Distances
10) Hierarchical levels
11) Organizational silos
VIVIDLY REVEALS A KEY DIMENSION OF ORGANIZATIONAL SUCCESS!.......2005-04-23
This book is about how employees actually interact through networks to get work done, how such social networks function, how to analyze these networks, and ways to build and strengthen them. The major focus is on information flow and collaboration. The authors have found that a highly effective and pragmatic approach to analyzing and developing networks need not be highly complex. Their focus is on improving organizational performance by both understanding and promoting vibrant networks. The book concentrates on the factors that make a network effective and how, in practice, managers can foster the potential of a social network within and between units of organization. The discussion of factors that infuse energy into a network is excellent. So too are sections on the elements used to promote network connectivity and the six steps for conducting a social network analysis, including example questions. Based on considerable research and real-world experiences in private and public sector entities, the book is outstanding in revealing a key dimension of organizational success. It is well written, makes main points clearly, and delves into the substance of its subject. For anyone with an interest in, or engaged in, organization analysis, design, development or leadership, this book is must-reading!
Amazon.com
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then Frank Derfler and Les Freed's fourth edition of How Networks Work is worth about a quarter of a million words. With lavish illustrations on almost every page, this book--like the entire How It Works series--teaches technology with detailed visuals on everything from the inner workings of a modem to the configuration of a Token Ring network. Departing somewhat from the usual form of the series, however, the authors take a historic approach. Part 1 briefly discusses the operation of the telegraph, telephone, and printing telegraph. This material is of interest, but is not presented with any detail (Edison's Carbon Transmitter, for example, is depicted as a museum piece with a bit of textual explication). Where the volume excels is in its diagramming and simplifying of complicated networked systems. The Network Interface Card is dissected, fiber optic and STP wires are cut open, and Server-Based LANs are mapped out. While Derfler and Freed don't address the nitty-gritty issues of picking specific machines and setting up specific networks, How Networks Work offers an essential first step toward understanding and implementing multiuser systems. --Patrick O'Kelley
Book Description
Ever wonder how your office computer network works? Or how the Ethernet card inside your computer connects you to that network or to the Internet? How Networks Work will give you a thorough, detailed explanation of the inner-workings of network systems without getting you caught up in network jargon. Learn the basic principles of networking and how those principles work inside pieces of network equipment. Complete with illustrations to show how things work together, this latest edition also includes information on the newest technologies, including VoIP, wireless networks, broadband and more.
Customer Reviews:
This book is great for a beginner!.......2007-10-01
I was not able to put down this book!
Purchased it and read it from cover to cover. This was the kind of information I was looking for a long time and it was presented in the right way I needed. Text and lots of pictures/diagrams well balanced for a beginner.
Finally I am able to orient myself in the filed of computer networking and now I know what direction to go, if I want to obtain deeper knowledge in it.
Would Not Recommend.......2007-08-05
What I thought was Good about this book:
- Nothing was inaccurate.
What I thought was Bad about this book:
- I didn't learn anything. For the most part, this book just gave a bunch of vocabulary "buzz" words, and "hand waving" of how the pieces fit together to make a network.
I read this book because I wanted to get a better understanding of How Networks Work. After reading this book, I know the names of major components involved in various networks; however, I still don't know how these components actually process the information. The book shows a traffic cop controlling the flow of information. Fine, the book gave me the name of the traffic cop(s), but I was hoping for a more down to earth explanation. Might as well just say that it magically happens!
Excellent Beginning Level Book .......2007-03-09
This is a beginning level book on networks. If you're a CCNA or something like that it will be trivial to you, and a waste of time. If, on the other hand, you have a local CCNA and he seems to spend a lot of time trying to snow you then this will give you the knowledge you need to know when he is full of it. Likewise it will be good for the beginner who is, perhaps setting up a home network to give multiple computers access to the Internet.
This book is not hardware specific, so you will still have to make decisions as to what brands of equipment to buy and things like that, but you will have an understanding of the concepts and the functions of the equipment you will be needing.
Intended for beginners, the book is printed in full color and is extensively illustrated with drawings that are clear and drawn specifically for this book.
Wonderful Classroom Tool.......2006-06-30
My students LOVE this book. They refer to it regularly. The flow charts and diagrams are invaluable. The systematic diagrams help students visualize how various networks components work individually and as a group. This is a great beginning network book as well as a reference tool. The chapters are short and to the point. Reproducing the diagrams without the text allows assessment of student understanding.
OVERVIEW OF BASIC CONNECTIONS.......2006-04-14
This book, "How Networks Work" is a basic overview of how a typical computer networking apparatus functions. As everything goes online these days, computer networking has truly become a way of life. And, there are fewer better ways to get initiated than acquiring and dissecting (the contents of) this well-written book.
Beginners are its primary audience. Hence, it is understandable that advanced learners are often pissed-off by its rather elementary lacklustre approach to relatively complex issues. Still, this seventh edition did a good job in explaining how high-speed networks are revolutionizing businesses and entertainments.
Using easy-to-follow presentations and narrations, the author of "How Networks Work" unmasked the mysteries shrouding both client and server hardwares. The same treatment applies to network operating systems, LANs and WANs, as well as DSL and ISDN connections. It also dealt with all the basics of business/enterprise network requirements and maintainance: including broadband, routers, integration, encryption, and security concerns.
In a nutshell, this book parades all the essential ingredients, which any newbie would need in order to gain solid foundation in computer networking and security.
Book Description
Affiliate Millions
For more than a decade, the Internet has allowed people to make substantial amounts of money on both a full-time and part-time basis. Today, with even more online opportunities available than ever before, you can achieve a level of financial success that most people only dream about-and in Affiliate Millions, author Anthony Borelli will show you how.
With the help of coauthor Greg Holden, Borelli will show you how to make thousands, and eventually tens of thousands, of dollars each month through the process of paid search marketing and affiliate advertising. Along the way, they'll also share the secrets to mastering this often-overlooked strategy and provide you with the tools and techniques needed to maximize your potential returns.
Since making one million dollars through paid search marketing and affiliate advertising in his first full year of operations, Anthony Borelli has never looked back. Now, he wants to help you do the same. Filled with in-depth insights and practical advice, Affiliate Millions will introduce you to this profitable endeavor and show you how to make it work for you.
Customer Reviews:
Success is elusive but content is good.......2007-09-06
My experience was similar to that of "gordo the lordo." Plenty of clicks but just a few orders.
I give the book a high rating, however, because the content is good. The chapter on managing your campaigns is especially worthwhile. The book gives you everything you need to know to get started. The author is helpful with his Affiliate Millions website. I asked him for pointers. All he could say was I needed to write better ads.
If you are lucky enough to crack the code this is a fabulous way to make a living. You get your ads up and running, tinker with them, and watch the money roll in. I wish I could have pulled it off. I didn't, but I don't blame the book.
Didn't work for me.......2007-08-21
I tried the principles in this book. I set up some ads for a variety of products and different companies through Commission Junction and was, at first, delighted that I was getting a good amount of clicks. I was confident the ads were good enough because of some experience I've had in the past writing copy.
However, after over 250 clicks to major websites that boasted a large earnings per click, I got one sale and a large $ loss. The ads were good enough to catch the people's attention, but no one was buying.
I think this is a tough way to go at it. A website might be the better way to go. I am amazed that anyone could make any money doing this, never mind millions.
Direct and Immediately Useful.......2007-07-24
I was seeking a detailed, practical and thorough "how-to" approach to build internet-based revenue. This book filled the bill. It covered all key facets of the approach - particularly helpful for a layperson - as well as for someone with web-based experience (as am I). I have yet to test the specific recommendations. The book was solid.
Basic start but could leave you broke.........2007-07-12
Its true that money can be made by signing up for affiliate programs and marketing them on pay per click search engines. However, its possible to lose a great deal of money and this book doesn't do a good enough job helping people calculate the risks. For example, the author indicates he markets Amazon products. Amazon on its basic associate program pays 4%. A $20.00 book pays a comission of .80 cents. But in pay per click advertising a marketer can pay 30, 40 cents and even a dollar depending on the keywords. In a test marketing the new Harry Potter book (book 5) I spent over 9.00 in ppc ads that resulted in 4 sales. The click thru to sale was 13%... which isn't bad. The point is, I earned only about $2, but spent over $9.00 to earn it (a loss of $7.00). The author doesn't explain how to choose affiliate programs in terms of cost vs. payoff. Anyone who reads this book will get some basic information, but before spending money on ppc advertising they'd be better off buying The Ultimate Guide to Google Adwords which does a better job explaining keywords, writing effective ads and managing campaigns.
This is a great book.......2007-07-10
A great book about search marketing and how to become a search marketer, also very helpful for people who have their own websites. I was motivated enough to start my own website, [...].
Book Description
eBay is a billion-dollar phenomenon. For the millions who want to jump on the bandwagon, here’s the straight scoop on how to get started making the most out of the Web’s greatest marketplace. Based on interviews with successful eBay buyers and sellers, this insider’s guide reveals what everybody wants to know, including: how to avoid rip-offs, find great stuff, bid and set a price, and run auctions. It tackles tough questions that eBay hopes users will forget, such as: Is it safe to buy big-ticket items, and Are listing enhancements really worth it? Quick-Start Guides give ready-to-go newbies a jump-start, and there are informative screenshots, tips on PowerBuying and Selling, and hints on making eBay a full-time job.
Customer Reviews:
So you want to sell on ebay? Which book to buy?.......2007-01-15
How eBay Really Works is a latecomer to the How to sell on ebay book category and that's a good thing because it's fresh, not dry and outdated. Back when I was starting there were fewer books about ebay, Most of them were a dry read and had lots of screenshots of ebay web pages. Some of those old books are here on Amazon and sell quite well due to their ratings and longevity on Amazon itself. I've read quite a few of them and I can tell you they are getting stale quickly.
Brad and Deb told me they were writing a new book geared towards the ebay novice, the ebay buyer who wishes to become a seller. I thought, "Boy have they got a job". I thought how could they make it different and better, than the other 100 how to sell on ebay books already pounded out by everyone and his brother/sister who thinks they know how to "eBay". Writers, who have never sold or bought a thing on ebay, yet profess to others in print as if they were experts.
First you get two writers for the price of one! Second you get 352 packed pages of eBay info for only $14.95! Brad & Deb are true hardcore ebay aficionados buying and selling on ebay. If they haven't bought or sold it on ebay they know someone who has! And that is where their strength and expertise lies, when they write an eBay book they harness the power of the eBay community and bring it to life on printed pages, you'll never be bored reading How eBay Really Works, It features quite a few of the best sellers on eBay contributing the best secrets and tips they have, found in no other book. The My Best eBay Sale and My Best eBay Buy stories that end each chapter really pull this book together. There are lots of sidebars, interesting facts and quick start lists sprinkled throughout.
I think every buyer and seller on eBay should have this book! It really does explain how to be the best buyer you can be, how to get the best deals, how to handle a transaction gone bad and how to avoid a bad transaction in the first place. It really is about how eBay really works and in a few places the underbelly of ebay is exposed, something ebay doesn't want you to see. ( eBay is not always a rosy picture, despite how ebay and the media paint it.) This book will help you navigate those pitfalls with hints and advice from top sellers who have been in the reader's shoes.
One of the sections I enjoyed most in the book was setting up a website and moving beyond eBay. I think this section was very applicable for an eBay book and should be one of the first considerations for anyone who wishes to make a living selling online. Ebay is now like the Army, (It's a great place to start). The truth about eBay's Prostores, not to be confused with eBay Stores, is an eye-opener, another must consider section of the book. Ultimately, the message in the book is that you can do it, you can sell on eBay, it's easier than you think, the authors point out all the things you need to know in order navigate ebay SKILLFULLY.
Brad and Deb have written three eBay books
eBay Powerseller Secrets:Insider Tips from eBay's Most Successful Sellers
eBay PowerSeller Million Dollar Ideas
How eBay Really Works
I have bought and read all three, each is different, yet all are packed with information you can use. I recommend purchasing this one and ebay Powerseller Million Dollar ideas together, you get a discount and more bang for your buck!
Helpful, and Easy to Read and Use Guide. .......2007-01-06
This is one of the few eBay books I've read that really gives the whole picture about eBay--not just relentless cheerleading about how much of a sure thing it is. Half of the book is for new buyers; the other is for new sellers. So there's a lot here for new eBay users no matter what they're interesetd in. I like that the authors use a lot of stories from real sellers and buyers to make their points and keep this fun to browse through and read.
Good book but..........2006-12-18
If you've read Ebay Powerseller Secrets. I would suggest you skip this one.
Amazon.com
What can you find out online about others? What can anyone find out about you? Quite a lot. Carole Lane shows you both how and why in this encyclopedic book. Naked in Cyberspace reveals the personal records available on the Net and demonstrates both how they are used and how to use them. Lane further examines the issue of Net privacy, noting what information is not available to the average searcher and discussing what safeguards protect you from unwarranted intrusion. This is an important work for anyone who values both privacy and information.
Book Description
Surveying the types of personal records that are available on the Internet and through online services, this encyclopedic book explains how researchers find and use personal data, identifies the most useful sources of information about people, and offers advice for those with privacy concerns. Researchers will learn how to use online tools and databases to gain competitive intelligence, locate and investigate people, access public records, identify experts, find new customers, recruit employees, search for assets, uncover criminal records, and conduct genealogical research. Added to this updated edition is a more comprehensive listing of all vendors of public records.
Customer Reviews:
An Update . . ........2004-12-13
The review I wrote below still applies, though I don't know why it says "A reader."
The title should be: "The Best Places to Spend Your Money on a Whim, and Lordy, I Hope You Got Time". Lane's book is well-written, researched, and simple to understand. It covers an enormous number of topics and is actually quite useful--IF, and yes, that's a capital IF, you wish to find things as a way of making money or starting a business. The book gives you many ideas and starting points, but it, and it's official review are somewhat misleading. There is plenty of info about where to find minor stuff (geneaology, search engines, et cetera) on the 'net, but most of the good stuff (credit reports, skip tracing, legal records, criminal records, et cetera) requires you to sign up and PAY for things like Nexis-Lexis, Knight-Ridder Databases, and Dun and Bradstreet, depending on what you would like to find. For a corporation that needs these information constantly, or someone trying to learn what is available, and where to look, "Naked" can be very informative. But for those of us who just want to find someone/thing once in a while, "Naked in Cyberspace" is not worth the money nor the time spent. Bought it--returned it. 'Nuff said
Perfect Tool For The Job.......2000-06-25
I'm referred to often by talk-show hosts as 'expert on personal safety and privacy', and yet - here is a resource that is an endless wealth of information on Web resources and a few tricks even I did not know.
I have to disagree with the 'yawn' offered by another reviewer - this book isn't aimed at professionals who have already been around the block, though they can still benefit to a degree. It's aimed at people who don't have the tools and skills already at hand. Further, the best part is that there is a well-maintained Web site that keeps all the links and information up to date - more like an insider's association membership than a book with respect to usefulness. That's a value to all, especially a professional who is too busy applying what he knows to continually research the narrow topic on their own.
I've even tracked down former intelligence community types using her advice. With a table of contents 20 pages long, its in there. While the book focuses on trying to help you find someone, it logically follows that if you are trying not to be found - knowing what you are up against and how it works can help you defeat the system.
A good come-on but not much follow through.......1998-02-20
Some of the sites are informative -- for instance, if you are doing academic or "serious" research, the search engines, etc. provided are great. But as far as real "spy" stuff, there's not much new between the covers here.
Be prepared to spend yer hard earned cash..........1997-08-30
The title should be: "The Best Places to Spend Your Money on a Whim, and Lordy, I Hope You Got Time". Lane's book is well-written, researched, and simple to understand. It covers an enormous number of topics and is actually quite useful--IF, and yes, that's a capital IF, you wish to find things as a way of making money or starting a business. The book gives you many ideas and starting points, but it, and it's official review are somewhat misleading. There is plenty of info about where to find minor stuff (geneaology, search engines, et cetera) on the 'net, but most of the good stuff (credit reports, skip tracing, legal records, criminal records, et cetera) requires you to sign up and PAY for things like Nexis-Lexis, Knight-Ridder Databases, and Dun and Bradstreet, depending on what you would like to find. For a corporation that needs these information constantly, or someone trying to learn what is available, and where to look, "Naked" can be very informative. But for those of us who just want to find someone/thing once in a while, "Naked in Cyberspace" is not worth the money nor the time spent. Bought it--returned it. 'Nuff said
Book Description
From the time of Booker T. Washington to today, and William Julius Wilson, the advice dispensed to young black men has invariably been, "Get a trade." Deirdre Royster has put this folk wisdom to an empirical test--and, in Race and the Invisible Hand, exposes the subtleties and discrepancies of a workplace that favors the white job-seeker over the black. At the heart of this study is the question: Is there something about young black men that makes them less desirable as workers than their white peers? And if not, then why do black men trail white men in earnings and employment rates? Royster seeks an answer in the experiences of 25 black and 25 white men who graduated from the same vocational school and sought jobs in the same blue-collar labor market in the early 1990s. After seriously examining the educational performances, work ethics, and values of the black men for unique deficiencies, her study reveals the greatest difference between young black and white men--access to the kinds of contacts that really help in the job search and entry process.
Customer Reviews:
The BEST book on race discrimination since maybe ever.......2004-11-11
Give this book to relatives, friends, students who think that race discrimination is history in America. Royster is a fabulous interviewer and writer. Her fifty young graduates of vocational high school (half African-American, half white) open up to her with heartbreaking honesty. White kids are successful because of the web of older white friends, relatives, and teachers in their school who make sure that they have jobs, even when they have criminal convictions. They praise the skills of some black classmates but feel no obligation to help them, as they themselves have been helped. The black young men think many of the white men are "cool," but make no demands. Anyone who doesn't see the need for affirmative action should read this book.
Exclusionary Networks.......2004-10-05
In examining the seeming intractability of race and exclusionary tactics of white-male social networks, sociologist, Deirdre A. Royster asks and answers five fundamental questions that serve as a foundation for substantive discussions and analysis, among academic and non-academic audiences alike. Her questions are: (1) What happens when whites and blacks share a track placement, the same teachers, and the same classrooms? (2) Can desegregated institutions, in this post-civil rights era, provide equal foundations and assistance for blacks and whites? (3) Does the problem of embeddedness - in this case, historically segregated job networks - stifle the emergence of cross-racial linkage mechanisms and networks beyond schools? (4) Or does the post-Civil Rights era provide a new, color-blind labor market in which blacks show signs of work-readiness and achievement succeed on a par with white peers in terms of initial employment outcomes? (5) Finally, are black students, as the racial deficits theory suggests, lacking something that should make them less desirable as workers than their white peers? Of her questions, I find number one of considerable interest, for it illustrates what are some outcomes even when the playing field is leveled.
In asking such questions Royster lays a foundation that challenges conventional wisdom as it relates to African Americans and their economic, political, and social achievements. Not unlike a 1992 Atlanta newspaper article by Leonard Steinhorn, wherein he writes, "rather than asking why blacks have achieved so little, it is more appropriate to ask how blacks achieved so much given the odds against them," Royster begins her work by examining the social networks of her African American and American Anglo male respondents; networks that allow for successful school-to-work transitions for white males, but which are lacking in African American blue-collar social circles. Historically, with fewer and fewer African American men in quality blue-collar jobs, coupled with the lack of social networks, young black males seeking entrée into the sector were not met with a hand up, but a proverbial boot in the face.
Examining the landscape of African American unemployment, coupled with massive deindustrialization in many American cities, I conclude that not only do African American males face seemingly entrenched "stigmatization" as articulated by Glenn Loury in his work "The Anatomy of Racial Inequality", they are also victims of a mistaken belief among white males that if an African American male has a particular job the Anglo male covets, it was not earned by merit alone, but by means unavailable to white males, i.e. affirmative action. Recognizing this faulty logic among many white males is particularly telling in that they seem to ignore historical impediments, i.e. deadly threats and actual death faced by African Americans in general and African American males in particular seeking quality employment. Even among black and white males of like educational, social, and economic standing, as proffered by Royster, white males persist in asserting that blacks are undeserving of their position, which some white males argue is due to legislative intervention.
Partially employing Granovetter's theory of the strength of weak ties, Royster, shows how white males partake in a system often unnoticed by black males and never given a second thought by white males themselves. So much so, that white males do not observe that even when they engage in "typical `boys will be boys behavior'," white males are not without access to a web of networks. She goes on to write, "whereas white men can be thought of as second-chance kids, black men's opportunities were so fragile that most could not have recovered from even the relatively insignificant mishaps that white men report in passing." Such comments in "passing" by Royster's white male respondents illustrates their lack of an acute understanding of their "white-skin privilege" as articulated by Peggy McIntosh and their membership within a social structure/network that affords many opportunities for "mishaps" to be routinely accepted by both peers and potential employers. Mishaps that often leaves the African American male possessing a criminal record and effectively barred from potentially lucrative employment.
Royster does a very good job of writing in an approachable style for non-academics and in a way that is intellectually redeeming for the hardcore academic mind. While some researchers may find fault with her "passing" as white to gather data, little can be said against both its utility and effectiveness of moving into a comfort zone with her respondents, such that her interviews with white males prove both disturbing and enlightening. As she states at the outset, "because I can pass for white, I have often overheard conversations among whites to which people of color are not ordinarily privy," Royster understands the risks, but proceeds and produces a masterful work.
Overall, Royster has provided a work that, as William Julius Wilson noted, "will be widely read and cited." For this work and the ideas generated, this reviewer applauds the author's efforts and contributions.
Right on, Dr. Sistagirl!.......2004-08-18
Since so many conservatives think that racism no longer exists, the market will cure all evils, and blacks do poorly because of individual rather than social failures, Dr. Royster puts these ideas to the test. She interviews 25 white men and 25 black men who studied the same vocational courses at the same high school to see if they did just as well in the marketplace. Though the black men get just as good grades and attend classes just as much, their individual initiative does not explain why their white counterparts consistently found jobs easier, were paid more, worked in fields in which they prepared, and were just generally better off.
So many people nowadays feel that racism is so nebulous in the post-civil rights era that surely it must not exist. Dr. Royster explodes this idea and gives American racism a real face. In this study, white employers would forgive white males with criminal backgrounds but condemn black men in the same situation. White teachers gave black males verbal support but they only went out of their way to find actual jobs for white, male students. White males had tons of contacts who could find them jobs, no questions asked; while black men were consistently asked to prove their skills and proceed through bureaucracy. White male job applicants met white employers in predominantly-white parks, golf courses, churches, and many other places where few black males would have access. White employers would rather tell white applicants "You didn't get hired due to affirmative action" rather than "You were far from the most qualified person." The only successful black in this study said he has to constantly grin and bow and that white co-workers purposely used racist epithets hoping to make him explode and get fired. Though white males unanimously agreed that "who you know" gets you into doors, they never once realize that they know more well-off peopole than black men. In addition, though white males consistently fared better than their black counterparts, white employers would continually imply that they must give preferential treatment to them to counteract affirmative action policies.
This book is well-written and sophisticated, though I think lay readers will be able to understand it generally. This book doesn't become overly descriptive and fall into simple narrative. The first individual interviewee discussed isn't brought up until page 66 of this 200-paged book.
Dr. Royster stated that she originally intended to interview black and white females as well, but didn't due to time constraints and a lack of an interviewing pool. Thus, this is men's studies by default. Still, since the trades mentioned here are predominantly male, this exclusion makes sense. In fact, Dr. Royster suggests that black males have limited contacts because they can only go to similarly-classed black women, rather than the powerful white male mentors that young white males had. This was a fascinating gender politic.
Dr. Royster describes herself as "a very, light-skinned African American." Hence, white subjects revealed things to her that she is sure they wouldn't have revealed to a phenotypically black researcher. This undercover interviewing is fascinating, but lead to truthful and accurate results.
Though a new scholar, Dr. Royster critiques the most famous living black sociologist, Dr. W.J. Wilson, yet he even has to admit that her research is excellent. (See the back cover of the book.)
I wasn't expecting this book to be a sociological study. I thought it would be a history of racism in labor movements and unions. Still, I was not displeased by the results. I am a better person for having found and read this text. Big applause to Dr. Royster.
Amazon.com
How the Internet Works promises "an exciting visual journey down the highways and byways of the Internet," and it delivers. The book's high quality graphics and simple, succinct text make it the ideal book for beginners; however it still has much to offer for Net vets. This book is jam- packed with cool ways to visualize how the Net works. The first section visually explores how TCP/IP, Winsock, and other Net connectivity mysteries work. This section also helps you understand how e-mail addresses and domains work, what file types mean, and how information travels across the Net. Part 2 unravels the Net's underlying architecture, including good information on how routers work and what is meant by client/server architecture. The third section covers your own connection to the Net through an Internet Service Provider (ISP), and how ISDN, cable modems, and Web TV work. Part 4 discusses e-mail, spam, newsgroups, Internet Relay Chat (IRC), and Net phone calls. In part 5, you'll find out how other Net tools, such as gopher, telnet, WAIS, and FTP, can enhance your Net experience. The sixth section takes on the World Wide Web, including everything from how HTML works to image maps and forms. Part 7 looks at other Web features such as push technology, Java, ActiveX, and CGI scripting, while part 8 deals with multimedia on the Net. Part 9 shows you what intranets are and covers groupware, and shopping and searching the Net. The book wraps up with part 10, a chapter on Net security that covers firewalls, viruses, cookies, and other Web tracking devices, plus cryptography and parental controls.
Book Description
How the Internet Works, Sixth Edition is divided into eight parts, starting with a brief introduction to the Internet and followed by seven additional parts talking about connecting and communicating on the Internet, security and privacy, multimedia, Intranets and more. This book is up to date on the hottest technologies!
Download Description
How the Internet Works, Sixth Edition is divided into eight parts, starting with a brief introduction to the Internet and followed by seven additional parts talking about connecting and communicating on the Internet, security and privacy, multimedia, Intranets and more. This book is up to date on the hottest technologies!
Customer Reviews:
Hard to rate - it depends on the audience.......2007-01-16
Obviously if you are just learning about the Internet, your first choice is not going to be Tanenbaum's classic "Computer Networks". Likewise, if you are a network security professional, this book won't help you either. This book is basically a picture book with very easy to swallow pieces of accessible text between pictures. It is meant to acquaint the complete novice with the basics of the Internet. By basics I mean defining terms, what it means to connect to the Internet, and interacting with the Internet without getting your identity stolen. The illustrations are quite enlightening to beginners, but don't expect detailed instructions on how to accomplish tasks of any complexity. If you are looking for that kind of beginner's book I recommend "The Internet: The Missing Manual" by Biersdorfer, published by O'Reilly and Associates. If you have a friend or relative who is completely new to computers who just wants to know about the Internet, this will do. If they want to interact with the Internet in any meaningful way, get the Missing Manual book. I was generous and gave this book three stars because I'm not really sure it's fair to downgrade a book because I think it is too simple. That might have been its intent.
Surprisingly Helpful.......2007-01-16
I've been involved in writing web pages, setting up web/mail/ftp servers for about a dozen years. I was working on a problem with a fellow and had to admit that there was a point I didn't understand. He reached up and pulled down this book and opened it to the section on security - Part 9 : Protecting Yourself on the Internet. Here in a very few pages the Governments Carnivore (FBI) and Echelon (NSA) programs were discussed. There wasn't much on the details, but it explains what the Government is doing to monitor and track e-mails. Carnivore has, of course, been shut down.
Each item being discussed only gets a page or two, and those pages are mostly illustration. But this makes it easy to understand. If you want to know more then you can go to more advanced books, or of course search the web. [Wikipedia has an entry -- Carnivore (FBI)]
On the whole a surprising amount of information. It's aimed mostly at beginners, but there are some things here that I believe most professionals would find interesting.
Practical staring point for inspiring Webmasters.......2005-04-06
All the facts you'll need about the Web, email, service providers, Web browsers and FTP. Topics range from connecting to the Internet, using Mail, Instant Messages (Chats), News Groups, File Transfer (FTP), and shopping from the Net. Written in a brief but informative style, at under $20.00 you'll find a wealth of information to help you. Keep this book on your desk and refer to it often for "practical" solutions to internet problems.
bare bones basics.......2003-06-25
I highly recomend this book for 4 year olds and 80 year olds. This book addresses concepts only and then at the most simplistic of levels. I am not technical and was not looking for a book targeted to programmers. I simply wanted a book that would provide a modicum of information to satisfy a curious mind and give some substantive explanations as to how the internet works. This taught me nothing and is falsey advertised.
Great overview of the internet and related technologies.......2003-06-06
Simple, easy top read, give lots of indepth info for the non-techie and answers to all the questions you've wanted to ask.
Great starter book on the internet for someone who wants to understand better everything from digital media technology to ASPs to how ISPs work.
Book Description
In 2003, fraud and identity theft cost consumers at least $437 million dollars. In 2004, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission received 247,000 consumer complaints in 2004 (up 15% from 2003), from individuals whose identity was stolen, and according to Reuters.com (2/2005), Americans lost $548 million dollars to identity theft and consumer fraud in 2004. Don't allow yourself to become a part of the statistics!
How Personal and Internet Security Works illustrates in vivid detail the many dangers faced by those who use the Internet to send or receive email, surf the Web, conduct personal business, use a credit card, or even travel to airports and how those dangers can be solved. You'll also get detailed explanations of Internet privacy issues such as spyware, phishing, identity theft, data mining, biometrics, and security cameras, as well as Homeland Security issues such as airport scanning and terrorist screening.
Customer Reviews:
The big disappointment.......2007-04-06
I purchased this book online without getting a chance to look inside (the option was not available for this title...I believe I know why). In many cases buying a book by its title works out, but in this case it did not. Had I realized that this "award winning author of more than 30 books" also wrote a book called "Complete Idiot's Guide to Internet Privacy and Security", I certainly would have passed on the purchase.
For a book of 280 pages, it contains very very little real content. Each chapter begins with a one page description of the topic (probably the most useful part of the book), followed by a series of two page spreads on each subtopic. Each two page spread is completely covered by a computer generated graphic, and 4 - 8 small paragraphs, enough to fill up at most 1/2 of one of the two pages. The graphics usually attempt to depict the subtopic, but most of the time there are a few items in the graphic that relate to the topic, but the graphics alone add no value to the topics, and often are a distraction from the few small paragraphs on the two pages. Had the graphics been absent, and the text condensed into normally spaced pages, no content or meaning would have been lost, and this would have amounted to about a 70 page book full of commonly known buzzwords and surface information many already know.
As an example of how Gralla treats each subtopic, consider this analogy. If I were to read a book on how an automobile engines work, I would expect it to say something about the carburator, spark plugs, timing, camshaft, crankshaft, pistons, etc. The "Gralla" equivalent of this description would be something like "The gas goes in the engine, the spark plugs fire, and the wheels go round". For some, maybe that is enough. But for me, a book called "How
Works" should tell you how it works!
So, if all you need is the "gas, sparkplug, wheels" version of how things work in the internet security world, and you have $20 or so dollars to throw at it, then this is the book for you. However, if you would like to dig a little deeper, save your $20.00 and look for a more technical book on the subject, as I am off to do. What a big disappointment, and a waste of $20.
Product Description
Significant Benefits Ill summarize the benefits of this book with three words: success, essential and certification. This book guides you to success during fiber optic network installation. This success results from the books three clearly written parts and 24 chapters. Part 1, Essential Background Information (Chapters 1-9). Part 2, Essential Installation Principles (Chapters 10-14). Part 3, Proper Procedures (Chapters 15-24) From Part 1, you learn the language essential for success during installation. When you understand language of fiber optics, you can follow the procedures and recognize the results that indicate installation success. From Part 2, you learn the basic principles behind the installation procedures. With this essential understanding, you can follow the proper procedures because you understand how your actions help you achieve the three goals of fiber optic installation. From Part 3, you learn the procedures that guarantee success (see box at right). When you follow these clearly-written, cook-book like, procedures, you achieve the three goals of low power loss, low installation cost, and high reliability. Finally, this book will help you achieve personal success through certification. From this book, you gain the extensive, basic and subtle knowledge you need to earn the four certifications of the Fiber Optic Association (The Professional Society of Fiber Optics). No other fiber installation book delivers these significant benefits. After working with this book, youll agree: this book is an investment that returns many times its price! Eric R. Pearson, CPC, CFOS
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