Books On The Internet - J.K. Cohen/jkcohen@uci.edu - Prices in $US
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Each month, somewhere between 7.0 * 10^4 and 1.0 * 10^5 new people make use of the Internet. In the past few months, the Internet has passed into the public consciousness, with articles in major news publications -- after all, if it's in the New York Times, it must exist, eh? -- and into mass culture. The publishing industry was not slow to pick up on this trend, and scads of books on the Internet have come off the presses.
Many of the books are of the same sort -- an introduction to the Internet and the major ways of making use of it. Their contents are surprisingly similar. Most of them describe the nature of the Internet, lay out some of the technical basics of transmission, provide a quick discussion of its history, go over possible providers, set out the different commands and utilities available -- FTP, archie, telnet, gopher, Viola, mosaic --, lay out addresses and domain names, list FTP sites for public access and download, briefly review a few of the most basic UNIX (tm) commands, expound network, listserv and email etiquette, and, in an appendix, propose new and abstruse emoticons.
The differences are mainly in approach and style; even though many of them are nominally "for beginners," the underlying assumptions about what a "beginner" is varies substantially. Here, I've made a division, perhaps an arbitrary one, between "beginner" and "advanced beginner"; for representative samples of each, look at the review of Internet for Dummies on the one hand, and of Zen and the Art of Internet on the other.
Judging what level is right for you is highly subjective, although some features, like walk-throughs of simulated sessions, with your response and the system's response, and summaries of commands and options, can be particularly helpful. You're going to have to decide how much detail and lore -- or how much personality or impersonality -- you can deal with. The following capsule reviews make some brief gestures toward helping you to determine these things. BeginnerInternet for Dummies, by John R. Levine and Carol Baroudi. San Mateo, CA: IDG Books, 1993. ISBN 1-56884-024-1. $19.95
In the case of Internet For Dummies a "beginner" is an absolute beginner, a virtual computer illiterate with a strong need to use these sometimes tricky services right away; s/he doesn't mind being repeatedly reminded of the basics if it means s/he can get started. The book is not actually as condescending as the rest of the series (qv., Macs for Dummies, which in some circles might be thought of as tautological). It has a handy information card, and, for all its gestures towards back-slapping amiability, the information-to-cartoon ratio is surprisingly high. For people who insist on starting at the absolute beginning, this might not be a bad choice. (Note that it's a little dated; its WWW chapter is scanty, and it doesn't mention Mosaic.)
The Internet Roadmap, by Bennett Falk. San Francisco, CA: SYBEX, 1994. ISBN 0-7821-1365-6. $12.95.
Given the price, this book is rather a value. It contains the standard information set, as described above, with special emphasis on transcripts of sessions with various programs and services. As well, it has interchapters which dramatically describe some of the present-day uses of the Net, and an appealing running sidebar on how to "scavenger hunt" for trivia, Internet style.
The Internet Starter Kit for Macintosh, by Adam C. Engst. Indianapolis, IN: Hayden Books, 1993. ISBN 1-56830-064-6. $29.95.
For the Macintosh user, this book may be the fastest and easiest way to get started with Internet. It includes a disk with the most common and useful Mac shareware necessary, including MacTCP, Eudora, Fetch, Turbo Gopher, and Stuffit Expander. It's light on technical details of the Internet itself, but it walks you through the features of the included programs and other handy Internet software, and includes enormous listings of information providers, FTP and WAIS sites, shareware authors, newsgroups, and access points. Engst, a well-known electronic columnist, provides breezy, elementary commentary from a point of view not dissimilar to that of the intended reader. From this standpoint, the Internet is an implement for use, ready to hand, rather than an environment or way of life. As a result, however unintentionally, the book is a harbinger of the assimilation of Net culture into mass culture, and of the steady march towards a convergence of computer and consumer electronics as a philosophical ideal.
Internet Basics: Your Online Access To The Global Electronic Superhighway, by Steve Lambert and Walt Howe. New York: Random House Electronic Publishing, 1993. ISBN 0-679-75023-1. $27.00
This book is very much on the level of Internet for Dummies, but without any of the condescension. It should be called Internet for Intelligent Beginners, because people new to computers and Internet who don't want to be talked down to, but can't tolerate too fast an exposition or too high a jargon level, will find it a splendid place to start. The tutorial is the concept around which it's organized; at the end of every chapter, there are review sections, and there are plenty of walk-throughs, screen dumps, command summaries, and extended, elementary explanations throughout. Internet Basics has many fine sections on beginner's Internet culture and behavior (though not lore), and anticipates many beginner's questions with ease.
The Internet Companion, by Tracy LaQuey with Jeanne C. Ryer. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1993. ISBN 0-201-62224-6. $12.95.
This beginner's guide is a guide, not a tutorial; it describes the Internet and its resources without going into great amount of detail or specific fact about the actual steps involved in finding or using them. If you're a newcomer who doesn't want to get hooked up but just wants to quickly see what it's all about, this is a good book with which to "get your feet wet"; it'll give you a very brief overview of what you're culturally in for, and you can then supplement it with one of the more practical beginner's guides.
Advanced BeginnerZen and the Art of Internet: A Beginner's Guide, by Brendan P. Kehoe. New Jersey: PTR Prentice Hall, 1993. ISBN 0-13-010778-6. $20.00
Zen and the Art of Internet is for beginners, but, as the title suggests, for beginners with "beginner's mind" -- people who have some familiarity with computers in another setting and who are receptive to very concise but understandable and friendly exposition. (No koans, though.) $20.00 for 110 pages might seem funny in terms of dollars-per- sheet-of-paper. However, the book puts, clearly, into 110 pages, roughly the same amount of information as other books, bloated with screen dumps and chattiness, put into 355 (see above). It's plain (it looks like it's been laid out in TEX), fast, and smart. Recommended.
The Whole Internet Users Guide and Catalog, Second Edition, by Ed Krol. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly & Associates, 1994. ISBN 1-56592-063-4. $24.95.
O'Reilly and Associates' books on UNIX (tm), administration, X Windows, etc., have garnered great respect in the community, and this one should be no exception. This book is on a par with Zen in terms of its information density, but it packs in rather more lore, history, addresses, and exposition of the different programs available to navigate the Net. For the intelligent reader who has more time and wants more explicit depth than the reader of Zen, this is the perfect book with which to begin an acquaintance with the Internet.
A DOS User's Guide to the Internet: E-Mail, Netnews, and File Transfer With UUCP, by James Gardner. Ontario, Canada: MKS, 1993. ISBN 0-13-106873-3. $34.95. (Includes disk.)
MKS, or Mortice Kern Systems, is a company that made its name porting a UNIX (tm) lookalike to different platforms. In this package, they're essentially trying to sell you some of their software, the MKS version of the UNIX communication program UUCP. Although the book goes through some Internet basics, it's really for the most part a manual for the software; it's a little dastardly of the publishers to suggest their software as the sole beginner's introduction. UUCP is not a particularly modern, user-friendly, comprehensive or convenient way of accessing the Internet, and is best suited to people who have a computer, a modem, and no intention or ability to sign up for better service with an existing Internet provider. Nonetheless, for DOS users who want a truly bare-bones system with which they can fiddle constantly, this might be an appropriate book.
Internet: Getting Started, by April Marine, Susan Kirkpatrick, Vivian Neou, and Carol Ward. New Jersey: PTR Prentice Hall, 1994. ISBN 0-13-289596-X. $28.00
This well-written, up-front and non-chatty book is at an intermediate level. It's low on hand-holding and tutorials, high in acronym and information density, but quite clear to an average user or administrator. As well as concisely presenting the standard information set, it has excellent, comprehensive compilation sections on US and foreign service providers and Internet Organizations, as well as on non-US sites. It also has a great bibliography.
Advanced and/or Single-Minded. Internet System Handbook, edited by Daniel C. Lynch and Marshall T. Rose. Reading, MA: Addison, Wesley, 1993. ISBN 0-201-56741-5. $53.33.
Though many of these technical papers on the Internet date back to 1992, this book still represents a good way to get acquainted with basic Internet technology at a reasonably high level of complexity. Quoth the flap copy: "Part I is an introduction to/ review of the Internet's geographic and technological evolution. Part II is devoted to underlying technologies, covering the core protocols, routing and the major applications. Part III discusses the Internet infrastructure, covering directory services, tools for network management and performance, and operational security issues. Part IV focuses on changes in the Internet architecture made necessary by the enormous growth in usage and the advent of new technologies." I found myself learning plenty that I didn't know before, especially from the ground-level restatements of basic definitions in terms of actual protocol; it pulls together a lot of practical information in one place.
Internet: Mailing Lists: 1993 Edition, edited by E. Hardie and V. Neou. New Jersey: PTR Prentice Hall, 1994. ISBN 0-13-289661-3. $29.00.
Special interest group mailing lists -- there's practically one for every conceivable topic, from chess to fly-fishing to metallurgy to device drivers -- are one of the richest information sources on the Internet. This book compiles a list of 800 of them, giving a description of each along with the method of gaining access.
The Internet Connection: System Connectivity and Configuration, by John S. Quarterman and Smoot Carl-Mitchell. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1993. ISBN 0-201-54237-4. $32.25.
This book's flap copy claims that it answers elementary questions and gives the standard information set, but its content is clearly for the advanced user. It explains how to set up various Internet services, explaining utilities and configurations at a comparatively technical level. Great for system administrators thinking of connecting their networks to the Internet, and for those interested in the internals of what they're using. Good bibliography. Not for tourists.
Connecting to the Internet: An O'Reilly Buyer's Guide, by Susan Estrada. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly & Associates, 1993. ISBN 1-56592-061-9. $15.95.
The Internet is about internetworking computers. However, before the computers can communicate, you have to talk to an Internet service provider about your data communication needs. This book describes the different types of Internet connections and helps you evaluate usage, speed, equipment, service, and price as the key factors. This O'Reilly guide lives up to the publisher's good reputation, with excellent lists of providers and a no- nonsense, practical account of how to connect to the Internet in the way that's right for you.
Exploring the Internet: A Technical Travelogue, by Carl A. Malamud. New Jersey: PTR Prentice Hall, 1994. ISBN 0-13-286898-3. $26.95.
This hilarious book does not tell you how to connect to the Internet and share the hype. It's a travelogue; the intrepid author managed to get the publisher to pay for three trips around the world in order for him to observe the state of the Internet in 21 countries. As a self-styled "Internet ambassador," he mixes great travel description with much detailed lore about the people responsible for the creation and extension of the Net; there's no better or more entertaining way to learn some history about what most users take for granted.
