BKINACES.RVW   950315
 
"Internet Access Essentials", Tittel/Robbins, 1995, 0-12-691393-5, U$24.95
%A   Ed Tittel 76376.606@compuserve.com  etittel@zilker.net
%A   Margaret Robbins 75730.1451@compuserve.com  mrobbins@bga.com
%C   525 B Street, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA   92101-4495
%D   1995
%G   0-12-691393-5
%I   AP Professional
%O   U$24.95 619-699-6362 619-699-6735 fax: 619-699-6380 app@acad.com
%P   374
%T   "Internet Access Essentials"
 
The title, and particularly the word "access", suggests a book about getting
connected, or "onto" the Internet.  Maybe a little demystification of dial-up
IP.  Having reviewed two previous "Essentials" books, I suspected a book on how
to connect your LAN to "the big one".  A book of either description would be a
valuable addition to the Internet library, but such is not to be, at least not
yet.  The preface states that what distinguishes the book is that (a) it is for
beginners, and (b) it doesn't list everything, just the tools for you to find
stuff.  Sorry, but these are *not* distinctives.
 
You will find the usual material here.  History, concepts and background; the
applications; miscellaneous stuff; the December, 1993 PDIAL list of access
providers.  Part three, titled "Resource Guide", is not a catalogue or list of
resources; it's a rather random assortment of informaiton covering directory
types services, access providers, once over lightly on dial-up IP software and
a second run at Usenet and Gopher.
 
The content is not hard to follow, but neither is it particularly easy for
beginners.  Block diagrams of IP, UDP and RARP (Reverse Address Resolution
Protocol) are not going to contribute to a neophyte's understanding. 
Experienced users will realize that such knowledge is not required for use of
the net, and TCP programmers will have to go to other books, anyway.
 
The information is basically good (although Internet experts will be startled
to learn that "sendmail" is a "mail reader" at the user agent level).  Compared
to "Zen and the Art of the Internet" (cf. BKZENINT.RVW), however, one finds
that the smaller book has the same amount of hard information, and more precise
references to network resources.  Compared to a similarly-sized work, such as
"The Internet Navigator" (cf. BKINTNAV.RVW), ... well, there isn't much
comparison.
 
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1995   BKINACES.RVW   950315

======================
DECUS Canada Communications, Desktop, Education and Security group newsletters
Editor and/or reviewer ROBERTS@decus.ca, RSlade@sfu.ca, Rob Slade at 1:153/733
Author "Robert Slade's Guide to Computer Viruses" 0-387-94311-0/3-540-94311-0