This book addresses two technical domains that should be complimentary, but rarely are: (1) network and infrastructure maintenance and management, and (2) applications and systems QA.

For the network infrastructure and maintenance domain this book provides a structured testing methodology that includes the key elements of both quality assurance and release of changes to production. For applications and systems testing teams it gives the necessary technical details for effectively performing applications and systems testing in a distributed environment. Too often the applications test group is called upon to conduct performance testing of distributed applications and miss some critical factors that should have been included in the test plan and associated test cases. The cause of this oversight is a lack of technical information in the application testing body of knowledge, which this book corrects.

What makes this book especially valuable is the emphasis on availability, application response and reliability. These are essential elements of service level agreements and the author does not lose sight of that fact.

I especially like the way the book starts by putting testing into a business and technical context. The eight chapters that comprise Part II of the book provide a structured test methodology that is completely consistent with testing best practices in the applications and systems test domain. This gives network and infrastructure professionals an effective and proven methodology, and gives their applications and systems colleagues a familiar point of reference because network testing has grey areas that overlap their domain.

Part II will be familiar territory to network professionals and is in many ways the heart of this book. The test cases provided can be templated and used in real life QA efforts, adding value to this book. Part III is where the overlap between network and applications testing becomes apparent. The material provided in the chapters in this part are filled with invaluable information that will enable applications and systems test professionals to develop viable test plans and cases for "footprint" testing, performance and application response testing in distributed environments. This is where the book becomes valuable to both groups. Part IV, Test Tools, is obsolete and can be safely ignored.

This is an outstanding book that should be in the libraries of both network maintenance and support groups and applications and systems QA groups. The approach provided is straightforward and is focused in the right direction - on availability and reliability in support of service levels.

The Art of Testing Network Systems provides the professional network tester blueprints for designing, implementing, and understanding the results of network testing. It is an easy to read useful reference. I would recommend it to network testers, test managers and end users charged with understanding test plans.

I found this book to be helpful as it provided much new information in areas that have not been fully explored in recent works. Buchanan showed that Deaf adults actively defended American Sign Language during the very decades (1900-1950) when "Oralism" was the official policy in most schools. He also shows that this tradition of self-activity extended into employment where Deaf adults worked individually and collectively to challenge discriminatory employers many decades before the Americans with Disabilities Act. Finally, Illusions is helpful as it provides an honest and empathic portrait of the Deaf Community that considers frailties and divisions as well as its extraordinary history of determined self-activity.

Robert Buchanan's book 'Illusions of Equality' fills a gap long overlooked in activist literature. Meticulously researched and well written, Buchanan's book details the plight of deaf Americans in trying to find equal opportunity in employment during the heyday of American industrialization. With this book, Buchanan becomes one of the premier voices amongst activist/historians.

This book was informative and enjoyable to read. The pictures are a huge plus. I now have a much better understanding of how the beer industry in Kansas City contributed to the success of the city. After completing this book, I could hardly get myself to the bar quickly enough to have a pint of Boulevard unfiltered wheat. And, it was great!

This short story collection centers on the impact of separations and divorce on the participants including extended family members. However, the twenty tales share a dark look at IRRECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES as the audience is treated to situations that do not end as peacefully as our current legal system expects.

Lia Matera has put together a remarkable anthology that has several excellent stories, some very good tales, and no poor entry. The cross-genre contributors are a modern day who's who with such noted authors like Oates, Cross, Deaver, Lutz, Buchanan, and Muller, etc. None of the writers are lightweights as they all hold their own with the heavyweights. Anyone who enjoyed the Battle of the Roses will fully relish each tale that paints a very dismal look at broken relationships.

Harriet Klausner

I just finished reading Mr. Buchanans book and feel that it should be required reading, not only for the gay community,but especially the Hetero-Christian community. As a gay man I know all too well the hate and prejudice that is intentionally, or unintentionally voiced from the pulpit.If you consider yourself a devout,loving Christian, but have a problem with homosexuality, then I strongly advise that you read this book.You may want to step back from the mirror and take a second look at your own values and those of your designated church. It is a VERY enlightening read, I guarantee it.

What Should Economists Do is a little book with some big ideas. It deals with many complicated subjects. It examines the relation of economics to other academic disciplines. It examines what economists can learn from and teach to other academics. It examines the scientific method in economics. It examines the use of a-priori axioms and the empirical testing of hypotheses. It examines subjectivism in economics. It examines human nature. It looks at the human desire for self-improvement. It delves into political economy. It examines Public Choice theory and the conflict between public financed education and academic freedom. Above all it examines the nature of human choice and argues against deterministic notions of "scientific choice" that preclude real choice. This book is one of Buchanans' best works. It is one of his most readible too. It should be read, not only by economists, but by anyone who is interested in social theory.

For anyone interested in Deaf culture--or, for that matter, anyone who has encountered peddlers selling those ABC cards in airports--this book is an excellent choice. Buck gives a perspective most of us would not otherwise have the opportunity to hear. He discusses his reasons for choosing this way of life, and also describes in detail what his days were like. I highly recommend the book.

Deaf Peddler-Confessions of an Inside Man
By Dennis S. Buck

When I read this story I couldn't help to think of the old movie "Rebel without a cause", for that is what on the surface appears to be. Although I could never understand his motivation or choice. Yet as a Deaf person I could understand the pressure and rejection he felt from the hearing society. Of the one steady job he did have, he wasn't given the opportunity for training like his peers. When he did work with someone who understood his Sign Language they corrected him and although he had the education he was still held back. Maybe this was his reason to take to the street out of frustration thereby acting out the hearing worlds perception of Deaf people.
But in the end the wayward son comes home to the Deaf Community and realizes that Deaf people are not single entities like hearing people. That Deaf people are not whole who live outside of our community. When Deaf people strive, we strive for all Deaf people.
This is not the best book I have ever read, nor is it the worst but I am glad he came home and that his book is now added to Deaf Culture Literature, and for that reason I give this book 5 stars.

I spent two very pleasant evenings and a reasonable morning reading this 300 page book.

As a consultant who is about to do just that: measure the impact of an intranet web site for a large international company I was of course very interested (and critical) of what the authors have to say.

The book breaks down into three parts:
Part I: Measurement Strategy and Planning
Part II: Measurements and Consolidation
Part III: Analysis and Action

I found part I to be a very useful overview and framework for developing a measurement strategy.

In particular, the many sets of questions that the authors list are a great help in exposing elements of a strategy.

Parts II and III were (for me at least) less informative in that they were more based on common sense and many of the statements made there were all too easy too derive from part I. This is not as bad as it seems however for Part I covers almost half of the book and this part alone provides more than enough value to cover the cost of the book. In any case they were interesting enough that I read through the entire book (which says a lot).

While the book is a good start it is by no means the be all and end all (and considering the rapid flux of the field I don't think the authors ever had this pretention). In particular, my interest lies in the impact of intranets and this issue is covered almost as an afterthought in the very last chapter which is a pity considering that probably over 80% of all web development currently takes place on intranets.

An indepth discussion on impact measures related to knowledge management and sharing, workgroup collaboration and culture transformation would all be highly useful additions in a possible second edition. From the costing point of view, cost lowering metrics of websites such as self-maintainance and self-regulation as well as extensive support for self-publication (i.e. without intervention of "traditonal" webmasters might be a useful addition.

Nevertheless currently this book is a must read for anyone in the field involved with website justification.

Not only does this book expose the key metrics, but it also provides a methodology for gathering and analyzing the metrics.

Chapter 1, Planning and Measurement Essentials, is uniformly excellent and lays the groundwork for what follows. I also liked Chapter 3, Measurement strategies and Sources, because the information has much wider application than web site analysis. The overall methodology steps you through gathering raw measures, consolidating them, developing assumptions and approximations, then performing impact measurements.

This book will not only give you insights into the business and what is important, but will also give you a methodology that can be employed for technical analysis within the IT domain. For example, these business techniques are also the basis for measuring IT effectiveness, service level attainment and other performance areas. Of course the metrics for IT are going to be different than the business metrics given in the book.

If you're in marketing or competitive intelligence you'll find this book to be an asset for the ideas and methods. I personally learned many subtle facts and techniques about measurement and highly recommend this book to anyone who is tasked with impact analysis, regardless of whether it is for web site effectiveness or other technical or business areas.

The title of this book sound very great. SO I bought it and I might expect too high. The true story of one family who faced the very terrible situation should turn to be an exciting book. But when I turn it from page to page. I didn't quite feel with them especially for the writing style. It was so boring that I have to stop for some time . If you like this kind of stuff. I recommend "Ädrift"by Stephen Callahan or classic sailing "Survive the savage sea". With these 2 books I guarantee you won't be disappointed like I was when I finish this book.

Have you ever watched a movie about adventurers shipwrecked on a desert island and thought what an interesting and exciting experience that must be?

Well, read this book and you'll find out what it's really like. Everyone I tell this story to is amazed by this family's experience.

To fully appreciate this book you must periodically while reading the book imagine yourself in these folk's situation.

You'll never look at sailing across the ocean the same way again

The intense struggle to survive both physically and spiritually was well laid out in this first-person true life tale. The dramatic pace and intense emotions flowed smoothly and kept me entranced throughout the story. I read it in one sitting! Being able to meet both the author and his wife allowed me to experience their deep love and peace with life that was forged through their experience. Don't miss this chance to take a voyeuristic first person look at their horrific, yet heart-warming ordeal. I loved it, and you will too!