From ROBERTS@DECUS.CA Wed Aug 31 23:24:27 1994 From: ROBERTS@DECUS.CA (Rob Slade, Ed. DECrypt & ComNet, VARUG rep, 604-984-4067) Newsgroups: alt.books.reviews,alt.books.technical,biz.books.technical,misc.books.technical Subject: Book review index Date: 29 Aug 1994 10:26:08 -0500 Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway NNTP-Posting-Host: news.cs.utexas.edu Book review index This is a listing of (mostly technical) book reviews. The initial coding is the review file name (and approximate size of the file): this is followed by the name of the book and author(s) and a very brief description. (Some versions of this file may also contain listings of software reviews.) BK101UDC RVW 1248 "101 Uses for a Dead Computer", Wahlstrom, 1992, 0-672- 48540-0, U$7.95/C$9.95 - cute, but a few useful suggestions as well BK2NDCNT RVW 2832 "Second Contact", Resnick - fiction about hacking for data, some reasonable database security stuff BKABCLAN RVW 5439 "The ABC's of Local Area Networks", Dortch - practical, but somewhat limited in detail, good intro for small LAN BKADOLP1 RVW 1484 "The Adolescence of P-1", Ryan, 1977 - fiction, my personal favourite of the classic "computer virus" stories BKALEXPK RVW 1798 "Artificial Life Explorer's Kit", Thro, 1993, 0-672-30301-9, U$24.95/C$31.95 - good fun, but little analysis BKALFRPO RVW 1469 "Assembly Language: For Real Programmers Only", Johnson, 1993, 0-672-48470-6, U$44.95/C$56.95 - MASM source and reference lists BKA-LIFE RVW 4116 "Artificial Life", Levy, 1992, 0-679-73489-8, U$13.00/C$17.00 - an interesting wander through fields studying artificial life but no strong points BKAMGTMN RVW 2012 "A manager's guide to multivendor networks", Enck - like it says BKBASSB RVW 3792 "Building a Successful Software Business", Radin, 1994, 1- 56592-064-3, U$19.95 - the usual generic advice BKBBS4BS RVW 6728 "Bulletin Board Systems for Business", Wood/Blankenhorn - very PC oriented (COM932) BKBNABCM RVW 2395 "Broadband Networking ABCs for Managers", Davidson, 1994, 0- 471-61954-X, U$29.95 - handy resume of the new comm technologies, but primarily for the tech aware BKBSC2C RVW 1824 "Leaping From BASIC to C++", Traister, 1994, 0-12-697421-7 - helpful start to learning C++, but BASIC can't take you far BKBSECCS RVW 4880 "Building a Secure Computer System", Gasser - heavy on technical, particularly secure hardware BKBSFRRL RVW 1850 "The Basics Book of Frame Relay", 0-201-56377-0 - Motorola Codex on Frame Relay (but not very) BKBSIFNT RVW 2127 "The Basics Book of Information Networking", 0-201-56370-3 - Motorola Codex on point-to-point links BKBSTJIR RVW 1187 "The Best of The Journal of Irreproducible Results", Scherr, 1983, 0-89480-595-9, U$10.95 - guaranteed giggles regardless of your field BKBSX25 RVW 1386 "The Basics Book of X.25 Packet Switching", 0-201-56369-X - Motorola Codex on packet switching BKBURGER RVW 11277 "Computer Viruses and Data Protection", Burger - poorly written with little solid information, some viral programs in source code BKCGTWFW RVW 1848 "Concise Guide to Windows for Workgroups", Jamsa, 1993, 1- 55615-505-0, C$17.95 - rehash of the most basic docs BKCHMERA RVW 6469 "Chimera", Rosenblum, 1993, 0-345-38528-4, US$4.99/CDN$5.99 - fiction, examines virtual reality and network "telecommuting" BKCLRSWK RVW 1269 "ClarisWorks Companion", Sosinsky, 1994, 1-56830-083-2, U$14.95/C$19.95 - nice docs but no more BKCMCOOP RVW 3668 "Communications for Cooperating Systems", Cypser - IBM biased view of OSI and TCP/IP BKCMPETH RVW 1492 "Computer Ethics", Johnson, 1994, 0-13-290339-3 - the basic work in the field, thorough coverage and good discussion starter BKCMPSEC RVW 5779 "Computer Security Basics", Russell/Gangemi - good overview, but some problems (SEC931) BKCMRLCR RVW 1257 "Computer Related Crime", 1-55950-027-1, U$10.00 - pretty banal but not completely inaccurate overview of computer crime BKCMVRCR RVW 3662 "Computer Virus Crisis", Fites/Johnston/Kratz - somewhat sloppy and a number of errors BKCNTCRP RVW 1235 "Contemporary Cryptology", Simmons, 1991, 0-87942-277-7 - thorough collection of theoretical essays BKCONINT RVW 4132 "Connecting to the Internet", Estrada - good reference for contact with Internet providers, hopefully to be improved in future versions BKCPTETH RVW 3961 "Computer Ethics", Forester/Morrison, 1994, 0-262-56073-9 - lots of great stories, but short on analytical depth BKCRSTHR RVW 3220 "Crossing the Internet Threshold", Tennant/Ober/Lipow, 1882208013, U$45.00 - good basic introduction and reference sheets, handy materials for training, library emphasis BKCSIBGD RVW 1678 "93 Computer Security Products Buyers Guide" - excellent first start when looking for security products BKCSVCIM RVW 1676 "Compuserve CIM Running Start", Campbell, 1993, U$17.95/C$22.95 - if you need help with WinCIM, you need help BKCURRY RVW 3171 "Unix System Security - A Guide for Users and System Administrators", Curry - not as good as Spafford/Garfinkel (SEC932) BKCYBRSP RVW 5243 "Cyberspace: First Steps", Benedikt, 1991, 0-262-52177-6, U$18.95 - concentrating almost solely on the virtual reality aspects, multidisciplinary essays with little technical background but a few interesting ideas BKDCADN RVW 1757 "Data Communications and Distributed Networks", Black, U$56, 0-13-203464-6 - good overview with some practical extensions BKDCMN&S RVW 2794 "Data Communications , Networks, and Systems", Bartee, 1991, 0-672-22790-8, U$49.95/C$64.95 - somewhat unfocussed series of essays on basic concepts BKDEC22 RVW 1756 "Dec 22", Romano, 1993, 1-884514-16-2, U$14.95 + 1.50p&h - a years worth of dreams from Christopher Dante Romano. First of a series. BKDECWRK RVW 2603 "Digital At Work", Pearson, 1992, 1-55558-092-0 - promo history of Digital Equipment Corp 1957-1992 BKDEDMAC RVW 3614 "The Dead Mac Scrolls", Pina - diagnosis guide for Mac hardware BKDEMAN RVW 3069 "!%@:: A Directory of Electronic Mail Addressing and Networks", Frey/Adams, 1-56592-046-5, U$9.95 - valuable reference on email details between networks as well as a terrific resource for finding companies and institutions on the net BKDENING RVW 8118 "Computers Under Attack", Denning, ed. - collection of essays roughly related to security, also "the net" BKDGTLWO RVW 6883 "Digital Woes", Wiener, 1993, 0-201-62609-8, U$22.95/C$29.95 - excellent introduction to the risks of software BKDMGTOU RVW 8012 Dr. Macintosh's Guide to the On-Line Universe, LeVitus/Ihnatko - somewhat flippant but very thorough introduction to computer communications regardless of system BKDOSINT RVW 2049 "A DOS User's Guide to the Internet", Gardner, 1994, 0-13- 106873-3 - a minimalist software package and manual for setting up a UUCP connection for mail and news BKDRSVEN RVW 1328 "Dr. Solomon's Virus Encyclopedia", Solomon, 1992, 1-897661- 00-2 - good listing of MS-DOS viral programs BKDRVINF RVW 2084 "Driving the Infohighway", Neufeld, 1994, 0-920436-54-4, C$24.95 - site specific guide, but excellent work BKDSINTL RVW 2026 "DOS Internals", Chappell, 1994, 0-201-60835-9 - solid stuff, with some gaps BKDSKSOL RVW 1742 "Desperately Seeking Solutions", Kerwien, 1993, 1-56830-009- 3, U$29.95/C$37.95 - good ideas for a guide, but the material needs work BKDTCMDC RVW 2912 "Data Communications & Networking Dictionary", Pardoe/Wenig - a basic glossary, not overly biased, not overly complete BKDTXINF RVW 1417 "Digital Transmission of Information", Blahut, 0-201-06880-X - mathematical study of using analogue waveforms for digital streams BKECOLNK RVW 4205 "Ecolinking", Rittner - good catalogue of where to find help, resources and other people BKEFFPRS RVW 2461 "Effective Business and Technical Presentations", Morrisey/Sechrest, 1987, 0-201-15852-3 - good solid intro and overview for both beginners and experts who want to keep sharp BKEMAIL RVW 4066 "E-Mail", Caswell - good business proposal, but limited and dated BKETHICS RVW 4331 "Computers, ethics and society", Ermann/Williams/Gutierrez - textbook for computer ethics course: not great BKETHPKT RVW 2529 "Ethernet Pocket Guide", Spinney, 1994, 1-878956-43-4, U$15 - big on cabling and stuff BKETWOOS RVW 6481 "Exploring the World of Online Services", Resnick - looks at Compuserve and Prodigy, very rah, rah, not much info BKEVRMAC RVW 1872 "Everything you wanted to know about the Mac", Hanson, 1993, 1-56830-058-1, U$29.95/C$37.95 - good intro for beginner and resource for intermediate Mac user, good writing, but holes and repetitions BKEXPINT RVW 2183 "Exploring the InterNet", Malamud, 1993, 0-13-296898-3 - not a guide, not technical, but lots of fun stories about travelling around the world (physically) BKEYESTM RVW 2465 "Eye of the Storm", Gold Eagle/Worldwide - fiction, virus is minor subplot BKFANLAN RVW 2782 "Fantastic LANtastic", Talbott/Raker - good one stop reference for users, managers and installers BKFARROW RVW 3556 "Unix System Security", Farrow - basic BKFDDIHB RVW 4748 "FDDI Handbook", Jain, 1994, 0-201-56376-2, U$49.50 - useful technical information about FDDI but chauvinistic BKFEUDO RVW 4414 "Computer Virus Desk Reference", Feudo - collects basic virus reference sources for those without online access BKFIRDEP RVW 2626 "A Fire Upon the Deep", Vinge, 1992, 0-812-51528-5 - fiction, a galactic "Usenet" is a major factor with realistic "online characters" BKFLSRUN RVW 1309 "The Fool's Run", Camp, 1989, 0-451-16712-0. U$4.95/C$5.95 - good fun and a more than adequate account of tiger teams and cracking (the basis for "Sneakers"?) BKFRINSC RVW 2096 "Firewalls and Internet Security", Cheswick/Bellovin, 1994, 0-201-63357-4, U$26.95 - solid and practical guide for building firewall machines on TCP/IP (or other networks) BKFUTCRM RVW 919 "Future Crime", Bova, 1990, 0-812-53241-4 - fiction, short story collection only one dealing (tangentially) with data security BKFUZHBK RVW 3079 "The Fuzzy Systems Handbook", Cox, 1994, 0-12-194270-8 - good conceptual and practical introduction to fuzzy logic and systems programming BKGARGVR RVW 2004 "Garage Virtual Reality", Jacobson, 1994, 0-672-30270-5, U$29.95/C$37.95 - fun and practical introduction for the hobbyist interested in working in virtual reality BKGDPCNT RVW 1990 "Insider's Guide to Personal Computing & Networking", Segal, 1992, 0-672-30180-6, U$29.95/C$37.95 - pretty banal puff pieces from "names" in the industry BKGEMACS RVW 2170 "Learning GNU Emacs", Cameron/Rosenblatt, 1992, 0-937175-84- 6 - good introduction to the editor, and for those who know the editor a good introduction to the environment BKGIGNET RVW 3564 "Gigabit Networking", Partridge - good overview of some of the latest hot topics in comms BKGLBLNT RVW 4532 "Global Networks", Harasim, 1993, 0-262-08222-5, U$29.95 - broad ranging topics but limited and uninteresting papers on the use of computer mediated communications BKGLBTCH RVW 7883 "Globalization, Technology and Competition", Bradley/Hausman/Nolan - what business thinks about technology and communications - not much BKGTONLN RVW 3091 "Get On-Line!", Wood, 1993, 0-471-58926-8 - general intor to PC/modem communications, still not very good BKHACKRS RVW 2943 "Hackers", Levy, 1984, 0-385-31210-5 - entertaining but trivial and limited collection of anecdotes about two of the many hacker communities BKHARLIE RVW 3344 "When H.A.R.L.I.E. Was One", Gerrold, 1972/1988 - fiction, often cited as first fictional reference to a computer virus BKHBNTCN RVW 1609 "The Handbook of Networking and Connectivity", McClain, 1994, 0-12-482080-8 - single chapter "quick courses" on networking topics, generally for the technical professional with little telecom background BKHGHLND RVW 5286 "Computer Virus Handbook", Highland - good overview, unfortunately somewhat dated BKHGTWFW RVW 4648 "Hacker's Guide to Word For Windows", Leonhard/Chen - necessary information to augment Word for Windows with its bugs and documentation BKHKRCRK RVW 2413 "The Hacker Crackdown", Sterling, 1992, 0-553-56370-X - collection of the stories surrounding Operation Sundevil in 1990, not analytical but entertaining BKHODGE RVW 2393 "Rid Me of This Virus!", Hodge - short, uneven material, perhaps a good pamphlet BKHOFMAN RVW 5768 "Rogue Programs", Hoffman, ed. - good collection of essays BKHPRTXT RVW 1783 "Hypertext & Hypermedia", Nielsen, 1993, 0-12-518411-5 - a good, if enthusiastic, introduction to a poorly documented field BKHRUSKA RVW 4664 "Computer Viruses and Anti-Virus Warfare", Hruska, 0-13- 036377-4 - MS-DOS specific, technically reasonable but commentary very suspect BKHTHGRP RVW 2270 "The Hawthorne Group", Hauser - fiction, supposedly high tech thriller. Yawn. BKIBMPC RVW 2622 "The IBM Personal Computer From the Inside Out", Sargent, 1986, 0-201-06918-0, U$26.95/C$34.95 - BIOS/Intel/MS-DOS hardware and software at the lowest levels of the machine BKILOBYT RVW 4410 "Kill-o-byte", Anthony, 1993, 0-441-44425-3 - fiction, unreal version of gaming and virtual reality BKINSINT RVW 3513 "The Instant Internet Guide", Heslop/Angell, 1994, 0-201- 62707-8 - quick intro to the Internet that leans rather too heavily on pine and tin BKINTBOK RVW 3356 "The Internet Book: Everything You Need to Know About Computer Networking and How the Internet Works", Comer - very good explanation of what the Internet is, how it works and how it came about, all at a level for the non-technical reader BKINTCMP RVW 5422 "The Internet Companion", LaQuey/Ryer - short and quick, not many helps and sometimes too many details, passable intro BKINTCON RVW 2617 "The Internet Connection: System Connectivity and Configuration", Carl-Mitchell/Quarterman, 0-201-54237-4 - a road map for getting your system connected to the Internet. Doesn't have everything you need, but as least has pointers to it BKINTDCM RVW 7280 "Introduction to data communications", Gelber - bad start, good contents later BKINTDUM RVW 5262 "Internet for Dummies", Levine/Baroudi, 1993, 1-56884-024-1, U$19.95/C$26.95 - good basics, strong "whole Internet" bias BKINTGST RVW 1648 "Internet: Getting Started", Marine et al, 1994, 0-13- 289596-X - good list of contacts, but not so good on explanations BKINTMLS RVW 3475 "Internet: Mailing Lists", Hardie/Neou, 1994, 0-13-289661-3 - selected, and not terribly well indexed, but well described list of lists BKINTMSG RVW 1126 "The Internet Message", Rose, 1993, 0-13-092941-7 - technical discussion of mail agent and system design BKINTNAV RVW 2733 "The Internet Navigator", Gilster, 1993, 0-471-59782-1, U$24.95 - general introductory guide, good list of Internet accessible resource guides, very well written and balanced BKINTPAG RVW 1357 "Internet Public Access Guide", Hughes, 1994, 0-916151-70-0, U$2.95 - handy introductory pamphlet but not much more BKINTPRM RVW 2910 "Internet Primer for Information Professionals", Lawley/Summerhill, 1993, 0-88736-831-X, U$29.95/C$37.50 - too low level, but a good chapter on applications BKINTPSP RVW 3911 "Internet Passport", Kochmer - slow start but solid research on Internet resources and facilities BKINTRCN RVW 1603 "Interconnections", Perlman, 1992, 0-201-56332-0 - complete coverage of one of the most difficult problems in "inter" networking BKINTRFC RVW 2782 "The Art of Human-Computer Interface Design", Laurel, 1990, 0-201-51797-3, U$28.95/C$37.95 - passable intro to the field but very elementary BKINTSKM RVW 3071 "Internet Starter Kit for Macintosh", Engst, 1993, 1-56830- 064-6, U$29.95/C$37.995 - very friendly Internet introduction regardless of system and containing helpful Mac software BKINTSYS RVW 3175 "Internet System Handbook", Lynch/Rose - essays by people involved with the Internet, strong on protocols, weak on direction BKINTTCP RVW 3105 "Internetworking with TCP/IP", Comer/Stevens - good overview, also good basic network comm concepts BKINTUNL RVW 3631 "The Internet Unleashed", various, 1994, 0-672-30466-X, U$44.95/C$58.95 - massive, but very uneven material BKIPCHRD RVW 2490 "The Indispensable PC Hardware Book", Messmer, 1994, 0-201- 62426-9 - very complete reference to the lowest level hardware components (chips and pinouts, rather than cards and peripherals) BKIPEDOS RVW 1182 "In Plain English DOS", Nimersheim, 1993, 1-56664-029-6, U$9.95/C$12.95 - reasonably short introduction and fairly well chosen set of commands, some extraneous material and some possible problems BKIPEWIN RVW 1926 "In Plain English: Windows 3.1", Nimersheim, 1993, 1-56664- 007-5, U$9.95/C$12.95 - do we really need another short extraction/rehash of the Windows documentation? BKISPME RVW 2110 "Information Security Policies Made Easy", Wood, 1994, 1- 881585-01-8, U$495.00 - expensive, but if it is the difference between having a security policy and not having one it's worth it BKITSALV RVW 3084 "It's Alive!", Cohen, 1994, 0-471-00860-5, U$39.95 - an intriguing, provoking and practical exploration of computer programs as "artificial life", but somewhat narrow BKJURPRK RVW 2814 "Jurassic Park", Crichton, 1990, 0-345-37077-5 - fiction, good read but mistakes in DNA, computers and boats BKKANE RVW 2494 "PC Security and Virus Protection Handbook", Kane, 1994, 1- 55851-390-6, U$39.95/C$49.95 - good overview for the MS-DOS arena BKKERMIT RVW 3203 "Kermit: a File Transfer Protocol", da Cruz - excellent text for anyone interested in computer communications, protocols or even Kermit BKKRNSHL RVW 2131 "Learning the Korn Shell", Rosenblatt, 1993, 1-56592-054-6 - a good intro to UNIX for the computer familiar BKKROL RVW 4616 "The Whole Internet User's Guide and Catalog", Krol, 1994, 1-56592-063-5, U$24.95 - excellent introduction to the Internet as well as resource for experienced users BKLERNVI RVW 1962 "Learning the vi Editor", Lamb, 1990, 0-937175-67-6 - excellent introduction to take away the fear of vi BKLEVIN RVW 3793 "Computer Virus Handbook", Levin - vague and undisciplined BKLNSCNW RVW 2516 "LAN Desktop Guide to Security, NetWare Edition", Sawicki, 1992, 0-672-30085-0, U$27.95/C$34.95 - good inside info on NetWare, but a trifle paranoid BKLRNPRL RVW 2429 "Learning Perl", Schwartz - good introduction to the language, but not very motivating BKLRNUNX RVW 2169 "Learning the UNIX Operating System", Todino/Strang/Peek, 1993, 1-56592-060-0 - like it says. Short and to the point. BKLTLDOS RVW 2294 "The Little DOS 6 Book", Nelson, 1993, 1-56609-056-3, U$13.00/C$18.00 - good intro to DOS to the intermediate level, heavy on DOSSHELL BKLTLMAC.RVW 2057 "The Little Mac Book", Williams, 1993, 1-56609-052-0, U$16/C$23 - good basic Mac beginners book BKLUDWIG RVW 6838 "Little Black Book of Computer Viruses", Ludwig - MS-DOS specific, not very accurate, viral source code BKLUNDEL RVW 4304 "Virus!", Lundell - a lot of research, but a lot of errors as well BKLVYRJB RVW 5527 "Love Your Job", Powers/Russell, 1993, 1-56592-036-8 - fairly standard advice, presented in as interesting fashion BKMACBIB RVW 2523 "The Macintosh Bible", Naiman et al, 1993, 1-56609-009-1, U$32.00/C$42.00 - the Mac source, but odd priorities BKMACFAK RVW 1965 "Macintosh First Aid Kit", Kerwien, 1993, 1-56830-063-8, U$19.95/C$24.95 - good thorough but intro level guide BKMACPWR RVW 1280 "Mac Power Toolkit", Langer, 1993, 1-56830-002-6, U$34.95/C$43.95 - reviews of Mac utilities BKMACUND RVW 1950 "Guide to the Macintosh Underground", LeVitus/Fraase, 1993, 0-672-48549-4, U$19.95/C$26.95 - undisciplined, self- indulgent and sometimes even illegible BKMACUPC RVW 3306 "The Mac User's PC/The PC User's Mac", Marmel, 1993, 0-672- 48545-1, U$24.95/C$31.95 - simplistic guide to both machines, very little help in crossing platforms BKMALSTL RVW 4540 "The Elements of E-mail Style", Angell, 1994, 0-201-62709-4, U$12.95/C$16.95 - an English writing reference, with little relevance to email BKMANUCP RVW 2114 "Managing uucp and Usenet", O'Reilly/Todino - clear and complete overview BKMATRIX RVW 7009 "The Matrix: Computer Networks and Conferencing Systems Worldwide", Quarterman - almost everything you ever wanted to know about "inter" networks BKMC4MRN RVW 1441 "Macs 4 Morons", Boyce, 1993, 1-56830-077-8, U$12.95 - if you need an intro Mac guide, this one starts in the right place BKMCAFEE RVW 5668 "Computer Viruses, Worms, Data Diddlers, Killer Programs and Other Threats to Your System", McAfee/Haynes - some interesting speculations buried in a mass of undisciplined garbage BKMDMDUM RVW 4695 "Modems for Dummies", Rathbone, 1993, 1-56884-001-2, U$16.95/C$21.95/UK#14.99 - disappointing regarding setup, but good overview of online options (who to call) BKMDMREF RVW 4939 "The Modem Reference", Banks - fairly complete overview, but with errors and without much organization BKMGENIE RVW 5560 "Glossbrenner's Master Guide to GEnie", Glossbrenner - somewhat dated with the changes in the system, but still very useful BKMKTXWK RVW 1453 "Making TeX Work", Walsh, 1994, 1-56592-051-1, U$29.95 - obtaining, installing and running TeX and utilities BKMOVMRS RVW 2588 "Moving Mars", Bear, 1993, 0-312-85515-X, U$23.95 - fiction, remarkably unscientific "hard" sf, mostly about clash of cultures BKMSDOSB RVW 2127 "MS-DOS Bible", Simrin, 1991, 0-672-22789-4, U$29.95/C$37.95 - a good thorough introduction to DOS for those starting out and wanting to understand and use it. Technical level varies widely at some points, and a hefty tome for those only wanting to know how to start the word processor. BKMSSRCM RVW 2683 "Mastering Serial Communications", Gofton, 1994, 0-7821- 1202-1 - uneven but reasonably good "advanced user" level coverage of COM ports on PCs BKMSTCWR RVW 2483 "Mastering Technical Writing", Mancuso, 1990, 0-201-52350-7 - sound step by step guide to starting or improving technical writing of all kinds BKMSTNVL RVW 4432 "Mastering Novell Netware", Currid/Gillett - a very *basic* intro to Novell BKMSUNCM RVW 4464 "Mastering UNIX Serial Communications", Gofton - good, but very brief, intro to serial comm and some UNIX programs BKNAISDV RVW 1437 "Naissance d'un virus", Ludwig translated by Condat - French translation of Ludwig's "Little Black Book" BKNAVINT RVW 4944 "Navigating the Internet", Gibbs/Smith, 0-672-30362-0, U$24.95/C$31.95 - another introductory guide, oddly dependent upon BITNET, some handy resource guides BKNETPWR RVW 1574 "Netpower", Persson, 1993, 1-56523-031-0, U$39.95 - a resource guide covering both commercial and non-commercial networks and systems, primarily directed at educators BKNHACKD RVW 2453 "The New Hacker's Dictionary", Raymond, 1993, 0-262-68079-3, U$14.95 - excellent introduction not only to hacker language but also culture and society BKNOTCON RVW 7460 "You Must Not Let Them Con You! There's Too Much at Stake", Shapiro, 1993, U$30 - con laden book on how to spot when people are misleading you - more negative than positive BKNSDNAV RVW 2298 "Inside the Norton Antivirus", Norton/Nielsen, 1992, 0-13- 473463-7 - not much good as a general guide, plus outdated docs for NAV BKNTAPUN RVW 1351 "Networking Applications of UNIX System V", Padovano, 1993, 0-13-613555-2 - good text for the specific system BKNTINTG RVW 1458 "Network Interface Technical Guide" - lists important data for any and all network cards, invaluable for LAN admins BKNTLNAN RVW 1783 "Novell's Guide to Netware LAN Analysis", Chappell, 1993, 0-7821-1143-2, U$29.95/C$39.95 - good "cookbook" troubleshooting reference for those with Ethernet LANs (also should be considered in planning) BKNTNATN RVW 3508 "The Network Nation", Hiltz/Turoff, 1978/1993, 0-262-58120- 5, U$24.95 - excellent analysis of society as molded by computer mediated communications, a classic but still visionary BKNTQUTT RVW 3868 "Netiquette", Shea, 1994, 0-9637025-1-3, U$19.95 - good collection of the "received wisdom" on an important topic, but still needs work BKNTRFAC RVW 1573 "Interface", Bury, 1994, 0-553-37230-0, U$11.95/C$15.95 - fiction, robotic Manchurian candidate again, technically disappointing but a fun read BKNTSCSE RVW 3055 "Network Security Secrets", Stang, 1993, 1-56884-021-7 - practical and thorough security at the right level for most LAN managers BKNTUROM RVW 2169 "The (New) Turing Omnibus", Dewdney, 1993, 0-7167-8271-5, U$24.95 - interesting and broadly based series of essays on (mostly theoretical) topics in computer science BKNTWDUM RVW 1586 "Netware for Dummies", Tittel, 1993, 1-56884-003-9 - passable intro to setting up a net but too breezy for a good reference BKNTWRKS RVW 3403 "Networks," Ramteke, 1994, 0-13-958059-X - good text, good overview of the whole field of networking, good backstop for network experts in one field who haven't time for crossover training BKNTWTRB RVW 2729 "Netware Troubleshooting", Hader, 1991, 0-201-57737-2 - good concept and start, but holes still to be filled BKONIN94 RVW 2918 "On Internet 94", Dern/Abbott, 1994, 0-88736-929-4, U$34.95/C$44.95 - great resource guide, but a few bugs to be worked out yet BKOPSYNT RVW 3366 "Open Systems Networking", Piscitello/Chapin - Solid management and technical review of the "hot topic" BKPCANSR RVW 1742 "The PC Answer Book", Barrett, 1992, 0-672-30227-6, U$12.95/C$16.95 - friendly and aimed at non-tech audience, but many failings BKPCBYGD RVW 2834 "Personal Computer Buying Guide", Pearson, 1990/1993, 0- 89043-622-3, U$14.95/C$19.99 - some good tips, but enough bad material that this would not be really helpful to the first time buyer BKPCCOMB RVW 5153 "Pournelle's PC Communications Bible", Pournelle/Banks - overly verbose, not overly accurate BKPCFAKT RVW 4814 "PC First-Aid Kit", Jerome/Taylor, 1994, 0-201-62627-6, U$24.95/C$31.95 - helpful, but it misses a lot, too BKPCINTG RVW 3947 "The PC Internet Tour Guide", Fraase, 1994, 1-56604-084-1, U$24.95 - OK intro guide relying heavily on the included SLIP software BKPCPOWR RVW 2682 "PC Power", Quimby, 1993, 1-878956-30-2, U$19.00 - very subjective look at PCs and software BKPCTRBL RVW 3035 "IBM Personal Computer Troubleshooting & Repair", Brenner, 1989, 0-672-22662-6, U$24.95/C$31.95 - if you know most simple troubleshooting already, and are technically inclined, some helpful pointers at low levels of hardware BKPCVIRS RVW 6620 "PC Viruses: Detection, Analysis and Cure", Solomon - very accurate, slightly dated, somewhat demanding technically BKPCVRCH RVW 2474 "The PC Virus Control Handbook", Jacobson, 1990, 0-87930- 194-5, U$24.95 - dated and uneven, but a good chapter on how to deal with infections BKPHZDBT RVW 3786 "Phaze Doubt", Anthony, 1990, 0-441-66263-3, U$5.95 - fiction, in which Anthony proves he knows nothing about black holes BKPICKGD RVW 2333 "A Guide to the Pick System", Dale Dougherty - like it says, intro BKPIWTAU RVW 2071 "Practical Internetworking with TCP/IP and UNIX", Carl-Mitchell/Quarterman, 0-201-58629-0, 1993 - good practical first stop BKPRTCOM RVW 4160 "Portable Communications", Banks - very little portable, but some reasonable communications background BKPRUNSC RVW 3705 "Practical UNIX Security", Garfinkel and Spafford - very practical, very secure, very UNIX (SEC932) BKPTHVIR RVW 1395 "A Pathology of Computer Viruses", Ferbrache, 1992, 0-387- 19610-2 - good technical overview for the serious researcher BKPTHWRK RVW 1992 "The Complete Guide to Pathworks", Spencer - DOS and VMS only, but a reasonably good overview BKQRCNUN RVW 2070 "A Quarter Century of Unix", Salus, 1994, 0-201-54777-5, U$26.95 - interesting and fun, but poorly related to present BKQRFGRP RVW 1802 "Quick Reference to Computer Graphics Terms", Stevens, 1993, 0-12-668310-7 - good, solid, wide-ranging and thorough BKRDDBSC RVW 3796 "Research Directions in Database Security", Lunt (ed.) - rather generic, but a good intro to the various problems in a very complex area BKRIDINT RVW 2760 "Riding the Internet Highway", Fisher, 1993, 1-56205-192-X - shorter version of online guide but no major missing parts BKRNWBRN RVW 3662 "The Runaway Brain", Wills, 1993, 0-465-03131-5 - interesting stories behind some of the recent studies in human evolution but incomplete and without direction BKRS2SOL RVW 1862 "The RS-232 Solution", Campbell, 1989, 0-89588-488-7, U$24.95/C$32.95 - practical and readable, but not the full spec BKRSI RVW 3582 "Repetitive Strain Injury", Pascarelli, 1994, 0-471-59533-0 - important and often misunderstood problem which can have severe implications for both individuals and the industry as a whole BKSADMAC RVW 2500 "Sad Macs, Bombs, and Other Disasters", Landau, 1993, 0-201- 62207-6 - good basic Mac recovery and fixit book BKSCNCMP RVW 2839 "Security in Computing", Pfleeger - reasonable textbook, but some shortcomings BKSCONSH RVW "SCO UNIX in a Nutshell", Cutler, 1994, 1-56592-037-6, U$9.95 - quick technical reference for SCO UNIX BKSCSUHK RVW 2719 "Secrets of a Super Hacker", Fiery, 1994, 1-55950-106-5, U$19.95 - oddly disjointed perspective, generally good for protection awareness but no tech details BKSGTCVR RVW 6052 "Survivor's Guide to Computer Viruses" - relatively accurate, but disappointing coming from the Virus Bulletin BKSHKWAV RVW 2582 "Shockwave Rider", John Brunner - fiction, "tapeworm" is a minor but important aspect of the plot BKSHRTVR RVW 1892 "A Short Course on Computer Viruses", Cohen, 1994, 0-471- 00768-4 - excellent analysis providing thorough guidance for antiviral policy and procedures BKSMILEY RVW 2704 "Smileys", David W. Sanderson/Dale Dougherty, 1993 - short, mostly listing, some discussion (COM931) BKSMLDCT RVW 1444 "The Smiley Dictionary", Seth Godin - not as complete as Sanderson and Dougherty, but nicer format BKSNCRSH RVW 4150 "Snow Crash", Stephenson, 1992, 0-553-56261-4 - fiction, sound technical background for nets and programming, interesting plot line about an "information virus" and funny BKSNDMAL.RVW 3201 "sendmail", Costales/Allman/Rickert - complete overview and reference on sendmail BKSOUPPC RVW 2653 "Even You Can Soup Up and Fix PCs", Jones, 1993, 0-672- 30343-4, U$16.95 - not necessarily a good repair guide, but a good intro to the PC and its peripherals BKSSCREF RVW 1975 SSC UNIX and other reference pamphlets BKSTEPSL RVW 3648 "STEPS for Implementing Local Area Networks", Cauchi/Dennison - excellent questions. No answers. BKSTPTRK RVW 2119 "Stupid Beyond Belief PC Tricks", LeVitus/Tittel, 1992, 0- 201-63235-7, U$19.95 - very cute and even occasionally useful BKSTRTPC RVW 3348 "The Streetwise Guide to PCs", Jerome/Taylor, 1993, 0-201- 60839-1, U$14.95 - opinionated harangue against the industry, but many good points BKSVHSPC RVW 3068 "History of the Personal Computer", Veit, 1993, 1-56664-030- X, U$27.95/C$32.95 - idiosyncratic review and personal stories about some of the earliest hobbyist computers BKSYBIOS RVW 2788 "System BIOS for IBM PCs, Compatibles, and EISA Computers", Second Edition, Phoenix Technologies Ltd., 1991, 0-201- 57760-7 - reference for programming "(almost) down to the metal" on PCs BKSYSLAW RVW 3685 "Syslaw", Rose/Wallace, 1992 - legal aspects of BBSes and online systems (COM932) (SEC932) BKTAOAPS RVW 2038 "The Tao of AppleScript", Schneider, 1993?, 1-56830-075-1, U$24.95/C$31.95 - good intro to an important utility, but programmer rather than user oriented BKTCHDCM RVW 4029 "Technical Aspects of Data Communications", McNamara - an intro to data comm course between covers BKTCPADM RVW 2102 "TCP/IP Network Administration", Hunt, 1992, 0-937175-82-X - practical guide to TCP/IP administration and setup for both LAN and Internet setups (heavy on UNIX) BKTCPIPI RVW 1939 "TCP/IP Illustrated, Volume 1", Stevens, 1994, 0-201-63346- 9 - great text for the protocols of TCP/IP ("illustrated" by examples from a real network) BKTECHED RVW 2435 "Technical Editing", Tarutz, 1992, 0-201-56356-8 - an excellent overview of, and helpful suggestions for, the editing process; of use to the editor, writer or manager of either BKTERMCP RVW 3666 "termcap and terminfo", Strang/Mui/O'Reilly - good overview and tutorial BKTEXEXM RVW 1998 "TeX by Example", Borde, 1992, 0-12-117650-9 - excellent tutorial using examples of various document styles BKTIGFNU RVW 3885 "The Internet Guide for New Users", Dern, 1994, 0-07-016511- 4, U$27.95 - excellent introduction for serious users BKTLSNMP RVW 1986 "Total SNMP", Harnedy, 1994, 1-878956-33-7, U$45.00 - hefty reference for SNMP developers BKTMOAWB RVW 2351 "The Mother of All Windows Books", Leonhard/Simon, 1993, 0- 201-62475-3 U$39.95 - lots of info, but disorganized BKTOUE RVW 2944 "The Online User's Encyclopedia", Aboba, 1993, 0-201-62214- 9 - lots of stuff from beginner to advanced, Modem setup to Intenet, but could use better organization BKTRMCMP RVW 12846 "Terminal Compromise", Schwartau - fiction, some good security ideas buried in a lot of bad writing BKTSCPPP RVW 1208 "Tom Swan's C++ Primer", Swan, 1992, 0-672-30188-1, U$34.95/C$43.95 - good, positive textbook for C++ programming BKTSDET RVW 1787 "Top Secret Data Encryption Techniques", Held, 1993, 0-672- 30293-4, U$24.95/C$31.95 - fun and maybe useful but *not* top secret. BASIC source included. BKUNICOD RVW 4962 "The Unicode Standard" - just like it says BKUMASSC RVW 4709 "Using McAfee Associates Software for Safe Computing", Jacobsen - printed docs for SCAN et al BKUMSKMT RVW 5143 "Using MS-DOS Kermit", Gianone - excellent documentation for MS-Kermit, excellent overview of terminal emulation and file transfer in general BKUNDCDS RVW 2583 "Undocumented DOS: A Programmer's Guide to Reserved MS-DOS Functions and Data Structures", Schulman et al, 1994, 0-201- 63287-X, U$44.95/C$57.95 - not only good internals book, but a good read, too BKUNDCNT RVW 1260 "Understanding Computer Networks", Apple, 1989, 0-201-19773- 1, U$10.95/C$13.95 - short and basic quick intro to data networking BKUNDLAN RVW 2712 "Understanding Local Area Networks", Schatt, 1992, 0-672- 30115-6 - good broad overview and introduction for those who will need to plan, but will definitely need more support to be workable BKUNDTCM RVW 2819 "Understanding Data Communications", Held, 1991, 0-672- 30005-2, U$24.95/C$31.95 - uneven material, emphasis on engineering topics but possibly good adjunct text BKUNDTEL RVW 2175 "Understanding Telephone Electronics", Bigelow, 1991, 0-672- 27350-0, U$24.95/C$31.95 - good introduction for the non- telephony professional BKUNDWRD RVW 1982 "The Underground Guide to Word for Windows", Leonhard, 1994, 0-201-40650-0, U$19.95/C$25.95 - hobbyist perspective, but some useful stuff BKUNDXCL RVW 1658 "The Underground Guide to Excel 5.0 for Windows", Hudspeth/Lee, 1994, 0-202-40651-9, U$19.95 - background stuff, but possibly not for all users BKUNXNSH RVW 1558 "UNIX in a Nutshell", Gilly, 1992, 1-56592-001-5 - good general UNIX reference, though short on communications BKUNXNTP RVW 1546 "UNIX Network Programming", Stevens, 1990, 0-13-949876-1 - very solid textbook on the subject BKUNXNTW RVW 1271 "Unix Networking", Kochan/Wood, 1989, 0-672-48440-4, U$29.95/C$38.95 - series of essays that serve as a very general introduction to concepts BKUNXSMA RVW 1880 "UNIX Systems for Modern Architectures", Schimmel, 1994, 0- 201-63338-8, U$47.50 - addresses the gap between OS texts that don't address modern architectures and hardware books that don't deal with OSes - and very well, too BKUNXSVB RVW 1687 "UNIX System V Bible", Prata/Martin, 1987, 0-672-22562-X, U$29.95/C$37.95 - good command list and descriptions, but probably not biblical status BKUPOS RVW 4625 Unix, Posix, and Open Systems, Quarterman/Wilhelm - good intro to one of the current "buzz phrases" BKUSUUCP RVW 1548 "Using UUCP and Usenet", Todino/Dougherty - short BKVRRLTY RVW 2318 "Virtual Reality", Wexelblat ed., 1993, 0-12-745045-9 - solid and practical overview of the current state of VR, essays by those working in the field BKVRTCOM RVW 3149 "The Virtual Community", Rheingold, 1993, 0-201-60870-7 - glimpses of narrow slices of the nets BKVRTLIT RVW 1903 "Virtual Light", Gibson, 1993, 0-7704-2568-2 - fiction, nice story, but hardly sf at all BKVRTRLT RVW 4455 "Virual Reality", Rheingold, 1991, 0-671-77897-8, C$16.75 - one man's self-indulgent overview BKVRXCBR RVW 2653 "Virtual Reality and the Exploration of Cyberspace", Hamit, 1993, 0-672-30361-2, U$26.95/C$33.95 - very balanced overview of the VR field BKWAYCLN RVW 2931 "Way of the Clans", Thurston, 1991, 0-451-45101-5, U$4.50/C$5.50 - fiction, extremely implausible on *all* fronts. Probably popular with the video game set. BKWCSCD RVW 2514 "What Computers Still Can't Do", Dreyfus, 1992, 0-262-54067- 3, U$13.95 - important take on AI, but limited to a rather narrow view BKWDIDNM RVW 1689 "The Macintosh Bible What Do I Do Now Book", Rubin, 0- 940235-23-4, U$22.00 - good general guide to software problems and fixes BKWEAPON RVW 1106 "Weapon", Mason, 1989, 1-55773-309-0 - fiction, pulp high tech thriller, but with an oddly realistic version of neural nets BKWNPROG RVW 2471 "Windows Network Programming", Ralph Davis - good programming reference BKWNWRKB RVW 2546 "The Windows for Workgroups Bible", Miastkowski/Lent, 1993, 0-201-62281-5 - good intro to both networking aspects and applications (though not quite deserving of biblical status) BKWP6PPK RVW 2864 "The WordPerfect 6 Print & Presentation Kit", Solomon, 1993, 0-201-62261-0, U$28.95/C$37.95 - extremely basic, could be used with systems other than WP6 BKWRDMAC RVW 1799 "The Word Book for Macintosh Users", Engst, 1-56830-088-3, U$24.95/C$32.95 - very practical guide for introduction and advanced work BKWRK3PC RVW 2085 "Running Microsoft Works 3 for the PC", Rubin - another set of documentation for MS-Works BKXL5SPR RVW 2372 "Excel 5 Super Book", McFedries, 1994, 0-672-30385-X, U$39.95/C$52.95 - thorough coverage from beginner to advanced BKXWNDWS RVW 1763 "X Window System", Scheifler/Gettys, 1992, EY-J802E-DP-CRE - the defnitive reference BKYAKMAC RVW 2089 "Yakety Mac: the Telecom Tome", Rubin, 1992, 0-672-48548-6, U$34.95/C$43.95 - why do the Macs get all the good modem refs? BKZAP RVW 3803 "Zap!", Sellers, 1994, 1-56609-021-0 - discussion and suggestions regarding various ills that can be related to computer use BKZENINT RVW 3371 "Zen and the Art of the Internet", Kehoe, 1994, 0-13-121492- 6 - first, shortest and still best of all the introductory Internet guides. No resource guide but an excellent overview of the functions for those starting out. MVSNEAKR RVW 4726 "Sneakers", Universal Pictures - fictional, but reasonably good portrayal of a "tiger team" Publishers or authors wishing to have their books reviewed and added to the list should have copies sent to Rob Slade at 3118 Baird Road, North Vancouver, BC, Canada, V7K 2G6. Publishers shipping from outside of Canada are advised to label the materials as samples per GST section 215(1), without value and not subject to GST. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993, 1994 REVIEW.LST 940801 ====================== DECUS Canada Communications, Desktop, Education and Security group newsletters Editor and/or reviewer ROBERTS@decus.ca, RSlade@sfu.ca, Rob Slade at 1:153/733 Author "Robert Slade's Guide to Computer Viruses" (Sept. '94) Springer-Verlag