BKEDINYP.RVW   960530
 
"Educator's Internet Yellow Pages", Ron Place/Klaus Dimmler/Thomas Powell,
1996, 0-13-232356-7, U$24.95
%A   Ron Place
%A   Klaus Dimmler klaus@usa.net
%A   Thomas Powell tpowell@cerf.net
%C   One Lake St., Upper Saddle River, NJ   07458
%D   1996
%G   0-13-232356-7
%I   Prentice Hall
%O   U$24.95 +1-201-236-7139 fax: +1-201-236-7131 beth_hespe@prenhall.com
%P   386
%T   "Educator's Internet Yellow Pages"
 
Educational endeavors, and educators, require all the help they can get in
terms of access guides to the information and resources of the Internet.  That
niche, however, already has a sizeable population of publications.
 
Both "NetPower" (BKNETPWR.RVW) and "Internet Passport" (BKINTPSP.RVW) target
the educational market, and each provides a much better overview of the net and
net applications than does this work.  Resource guides, catalogues and even
"yellow pages" are old hat, starting with the now venerable "Whole Internet
User's Guide and Catalog" (BKKROL.RVW), through the collections of Hahn
(BKINTYLP.RVW), to Maxwell/Grycz (BKNRYLPG.RVW), and even Jean Polly's
collection for kids (BKINKDYP.RVW).  What teachers really need is advice on how
to search out resources, and there "Finding it on the Internet" (BKFNDINT.RVW)
stands alone.  This Place/Dimmler/Powell book doesn't even mention the basic
resources.
 
The actual listings have very few descriptions aside from "titles" of mailing
lists, newsgroups, and Web pages.  The organization is difficult to use:
listings are ordered by topic, subtopic and then access method, so that even
having found the area of interest you have to check seven sets of listings to
found out what is available.  Within those listings, order may be by title or
by address.  The list of "computer science" newsgroups runs for fifteen pages
without interruption by description or discussion.
 
Yes, there are a wealth of resources compiled here.  You could find as much,
and more, by accessing the standard online listings, such as the
Spafford/Lawrence newsgroup list.  You can get a number of books with much
better annotation of the resources, so as not to waste time exploring the
irrelevant or uninformative.  And you could find a lot more, and more closely
targeted, material with a visit to Alta Vista.
 
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1996   BKEDINYP.RVW   960530

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