Telecom/1996-04-telecom-walnutcreek.iso/book.reviews/inet.navigator-gilster

Text File | 1995-01-01 | 3KB | 74 lines

Date: Sun, 22 May 1994 22:24:22 MDT
From: Rob Slade <[e-mail]>
Subject: Book Review: "The Internet Navigator" by Gilster


BKINTNAV.RVW  940211

John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
22 Worchester Road
Rexdale, Ontario  M9W 9Z9
800-263-1590
or
605 Third Avenue
New York, NY   10158-0012 USA
800-263-1590   212-850-6630
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]   [e-mail]
"The Internet Navigator", Gilster, 1993, 0-471-59782-1
[e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail]

This book is an embarrassment to me.  I *think* that it's very good --
but I am at a bit of a loss as to why.

By and large, this is an Internet guide like other Internet guides.  A
bit of an introduction and some history, then coverage of the major
applications (email, ftp, telnet) and the more esoteric ones (gopher,
WAIS, World Wide Web).  Right from the front cover, though, Gilster
avoids the "whole Internet" bias of so many guides and aligns himself
with the dial-up user.  There is, in fact, a whole chapter devoted to
the use of email to access Internet resources; particularly useful to
those on commercial online services, business "mail only" connections
or Fidonet.

It is, of course, very much easier to point out the flaws.  Although
Gilster explains "why UNIX," there is a heavy emphasis on the specific
commands of mail, trn, elm and other UNIX specific programs.  (In the
chapter on email access to resources, Gilster switches to Compuserve:
oddly appropriate, but no less limited.)  While the explanation of
LISTSERV is complete and helpful, the sin of sending administrative
messages to the list, rather than the LISTSERV, is not emphasized.
Even in the opinion chapter, a discussion of the future of the
newspaper lauds Clarinet for providing syndicated material, apparently
unaware that Clarinet is strictly a reseller, and is providing for no
development of editorial content.

In spite of minor shortcomings, however, this book has a very
comfortable feel to it.  The material is clear and well-written, with
little attempt at the sarcasm or barbed wit of some other beginner
materials.  One positive factor may be the grouping of functional
items together, so that archie, for example, is covered in the chapter
on ftp.  There is only one icon; a very helpful little ship which
points out Internet accessible resources for the item under
discussion.

The resource guides included are not extravagantly large, and are of
variable quality.  The directory of Internet resources is very useful
for the beginner: not exhaustive, but of high quality in terms of what
*is* covered.  The bibliography is more exhaustive than useful, with
Gibson's fictional "Neuromancer" next to Quarterman's quite technical,
"The Matrix."

Overall, I highly recommend this for the beginner to the Internet.

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1994   BKINTNAV.RVW  940211. Distribution
permitted in TELECOM Digest and associated newsgroups/mailing lists.


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