Takedown
by Tsotomu Shimomura with John Markoff
published by Hyperion, New York
ISBN # 0-7868-6210-6
list price $ 24.95 US
Being involved in computer security as I am I found
this book to be quite fascinating, from the initial attack, through the
long period of grueling pursuit of the perpetrator, to the methods they
used to finally catch him.
Although the capture occurred early in 1995, I
feel this book can still provide insight into both the mind of the Kevin
Mitnicks out there and the methods required to guard against them. It's
also a good look into the bureaucratic tangle when dealing with computer
security like this - even if it is a simplified USA - only example. (For
a more dated but more complete look into international bureaucratic snarls,
there is also The
Cuckoo's Egg by Clifford Stoll - a classic in computer security.)
Teach Yourself Visual Basic 4 in 21 days
This is an update to the version 3 book which I had
when I first started learning Visual Basic. There is also a VB
version 5 flavor of the book out, and I expect they will be coming
out with the version 6 revision soon as well.
I found this book to be excellent for learning
the basic-to-intermediate details. I have had experience with programming
in Basic and other languages before and found this to start very much at
my level of understanding. Good step-by-step instructions and explanations
in the various example projects. I continue to refer back to this book
on occasion, even after more than a year - rare for technical books these
days. If you have had a little exposure to Basic programming and want to
jump in, this book is a good guide.
Windows 95 Secrets 4th Edition
I have the older version of this book, too: Windows
3.1 Secrets. I referred to that one frequently when I was supporting Windows
3.1 platforms, and when I saw the Windows 95 update in the local bookstore
I bought it immediately.
Good solid information, the most complete reference
on Windows 95 I have found. Lots of step-by-step information. If you are
having problems with your system, or if you support Windows 95 computers,
I think you will find this book very useful.