BKBSVRST.RVW   20060528

"The Best of Verity Stob", Verity Stob, 2005, 1-59059-442-8, U$24.99
%A   Verity Stob
%C   2560 Ninth Street, Suite 219, Berkeley, CA   94710
%D   2005
%G   1-59059-442-8
%I   Apress
%O   U$24.99 510-549-5930 fax 510-549-5939 info@apress.com
%O  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1590594428/robsladesinterne
  http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1590594428/robsladesinte-21
%O   http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/1590594428/robsladesin03-20
%O   Audience a Tech 1 Writing 3 (see revfaq.htm for explanation)
%P   316 p.
%T   "The Best of Verity Stob"

CCXLVI. Verity Stob of Briton

I MET a writer from an antique time
Who said:-Two vast and readerless shelves of mags
Stand in the Archives.  Near them, thick with lime, 
Half ripped, a wrinkled visage lies, whose crags
And curling lip and sneer at nerdy grime
Tell that its photog well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamp'd on this lifeless page,
The hand that marketed and tech edge that bled.
And from geeks unseen these words appear:
"We search for Verity, she of the rage:
Read on her words, ye mighty, and take care!"
An ancient Sinclair remains: round the decay
Of that minuscule wreck, boundless and bare,
The dusty, silent stacks stretch far away

If you remember that far back, these columns are quite enjoyable. 
It's fun to recall some of the ancient history of computerdom (which
means anything more than five years ago).

The essays are insightful and show, in addition to the humour, a keen
analysis of technical developments, culture, and the management of the
undisciplined rabble of nerds without whom most IT shops would fall
into ruin.  Some may not fully understand the British references, but
these are not frequent enough to impede comprehension and enjoyment of
the material itself.  (For Americans, there is a glossary of terms
listed at the end.)

The historical allusions, aside from the technology itself,
concentrate on programming, but there is plenty of fun for those who
had to deal with technical support, system administration, and
technical conferences in the olden days.

(Apologies to P. B. Shelley, particularly since I'm quite partial to
Ozymandias.)

copyright Robert M. Slade, 2006   BKBSVRST.RVW   20060528