From: mc@shore.net (Michael Crestohl)
Subject: REVIEW: THE WHOLE INTERNET USER'S GUIDE & CATALOG, 2nd Edition
Date: 15 Dec 1994 10:11:50 -0500

REVIEW: THE WHOLE INTERNET USER'S GUIDE & CATALOG, 2nd Edition
Author: Ed Krol  paper 543 pages $24.95  ISBN: 1-56592-063-5 
Publisher: O'Reilly & Associates Inc. 1994

When THE WHOLE INTERNET was published two years ago it was one of
a very few "how-to" books on the Internet.  At the time it was
376 pages long and was undoubtedly the "best" book on the
subject.  Well, since that time there have been a lot of books on
the subject, particularly within the last year which saw such
explosive growth in Internet use.  Author Ed Krol and the editors
at O'Reilly & Associates have not been resting on their laurels
and have updated and expanded this classic user's guide with 167
pages of new material.

THE WHOLE INTERNET covers all the basic tools and utilities that
are used in navigating the Internet - TELNET, FTP, E-MAIL and
USENET NEWS and news readers.  It also fully covers Archie,
Gopher, WAIS and the World-Wide Web in the same detail as it did
in the first edition.

The Second Edition makes THE WHOLE INTERNET more comprehensive
than ever.  Some of the additions include a look at MOSAIC (a
powerful WWW browser),  MIME (a multi-media mail extention) along
with PINE which is a mail program that supports it and TIN  a
popular newsreader).  Also covered are enhancements on some of
the first generation tools: XARCHIE (a popular X-based ARCHIE/FTP
client), VERONICA and JUGHEAD (new features of GOPHER)  and SWAIS
which is a line-oriented WAIS client.  There's descriptions of
three Internet resources: InterNIC, GNN, NETFIND and Almanac -
what they are and, more important, what they're for.  There's
more on FTP mail servers and mailing list managers, including
MAJORDOMO.  Finally, the list of Internet service providers and
the resource catalog are greatly expanded and updated.

I most confess I'm biased towards this book - I bought it two
years ago when it came out and learned a lot from it. Ed Krol
lives with the tools and utilities he discusses and uses them
daily.  This book is for someone with some computer experience
and knowledge. If you're a total newbie on the Net I would
recommend a basic, beginner book such as some of titles I've
reviewed here as a primer.  But, once your feet are wet Ed Krol's
book will provide a great source of information and reference.
The 2nd edition is greatly expanded and the Internet Resource
Catalog is big enough to keep you interested and surfing for
years.  If you already have the first edition of THE WHOLE
INTERNET,  Oreilly & Associates is offering a 25% discount if
you want the second edition.  Just contact them at their address
or phone number as listed in your book.   To sum up: If I could 
only have one Internet book THE WHOLE INTERNET USER'S GUIDE 
AND CATALOG, 2nd Ed. is the one I'd choose.  No contest!

(C) 1994
Michael Crestohl
mc@shore.net