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Resources - Book Bytes |
| by Stephen M.H. Braitman - NBMA Director of Communications Book Bytes announces new publications of interest to our members and community in multimedia, technology, business, and culture. First appearance of each Book Bytes column is in the NBMA email events newsletter. To subscribe, send a blank email message to: nbmaevents-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. If you have a recommendation for review — and, especially, if you have published a book — send the information to . |
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July 2002 Radical Project Management Rob Thomsett 348 pages, $39.99 Prentice Hall www.phptr.com I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Rob Thomsett was a member of the skateboard subculture, or that he was a regular rave attendee. His approach to project management theory is presented as something radical (or rad, really) in the face of traditional, static models. The standard phases of a project, from scoping to ROI analysis to budgeting, are all taken out for a fine shake, using what he coyly refers to as "XMP"; xtreme, dude. Seriously, it all boils down to his view that the project manager needs to aggressively engage stakeholders, management, and end-users in a project's development from conception to implementation. Through a series of well-defined chapters, Thomsett's writing is pointed and real, with a conversational style easy to identify with. The modern I.T. professional needs to function in several roles these days, from network guru, Web developer, database administrator, software developer, and, of course, project manager. Thomsett gives us all a clear roadmap for project success with keen insight and practical methods. If you're handling a Web or other I.T. project, and it seems like a massive, uncoordinated mess, get this book and use it like a Bible. Creating Adobe Acrobat Forms John Deubert 239 pages, $29.00 Peachpit Press www.peachpit.com Another great user manual for an essential tool from Peachpit. Adobe Acrobat form-making is not like rocket science, but it requires some study to take full advantage of its power. John Deubert rolls out the whys and wherefors of creating forms in Adobe Acrobat to enable more secure design and functionality across browser types and media. If you've tried to create any kind of form in straight HTML (log-ins, email boxes, credit card submission, et al), then you know how transient your hard-labored creative and functional design remains in different situations. Acrobat, as most of us already know, is the blessed answer. I found the chapter on creating signature files particularly helpful, since the Web's growth as a legal instrument in commerce and government is ever expanding. Step-by-step instructions in plain language, with plenty of illustrations, add up to a very easy way to understand the subject and become relatively expert in a short time. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Javaserver Pages Robert Brunner 337 pages, $19.95 Alpha www.idiotsguides.com Naturally, there are those of you who have seen enough Complete Idiot books on the Mafia, Feng Shui, Claypot Cooking, Afghanistan, and Bible Study for Teens to feel that you can't possibly approach the series' coverage of a technical subject like this one with a straight face. But, get beyond the title and you've got a reasonable, readable introduction on how to use JavaServer Pages (JSP) in designing dynamic Web pages. The Complete Idiot brand extends to the title, its orange-bordered design, and the manner in which pull-outs and other important alerts are handled within the text. But Robert Brunner knows his subject, and guides even less-technically trained Web developers through a clear understanding of how to create a JSP application and, more importantly, how to get it up and running. If this is a subject you're interested in, take a browse through this book at your local bookstore. No need to be embarrassed. You'll find it as good an introduction as any other, and perhaps even better. Cutting The Cord: A Wireless Consumer Guide Joyce Schwarz with TechTV 415 pages, $24.99 Que www.quepublishing.com TechTV www.techtv.com Most likely you've got a cell phone. But, have you really learned all there is about that phone to make it really, really useful? Sure, you can dial a number and make a call, even receive a call. But do you know if it's got a video game inside? Can you actually store a phone number into it? And, do you know if your phone is beaming radio waves directly into your brain? "Cutting the Cord" is the book for you. It's an extremely comprehensive, not overwhelming, survey of all the wireless options and capabilities out there today. Starting with the basics, Schwarz moves into the vitally important area of function-versus-needs. Do you need paging? Email? The latest Pokemon clip? Just how wireless is wireless, anyway? You'll find the section comparing phone "guts" to FCC wave compliance to be a revelation. She looks at all the major wireless services, also, to give the lowdown on their relative value to someone on the run, with a small screen, and with low bandwidth. In short, this truly is a consumer guide worthy of the name. If you've already purchased a wireless device, you can use this book to find out if you made a big mistake. Or to make you realize more of the wonders you can do with it. |
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