MIT Has Come a Long Way - Book Review

The Massachusetts Institute of technology or MIT has always been on the cutting edge of technology, and years ahead of the rest of the world. Their engineers, students, and professors have brought forth significant innovations, concepts, and they have literally changed the world. To fully understand how incredible this institution is and how long all of this has been going on, it takes a little bit of a history lesson.

If this is a topic that interests you, as much as it does me, then perhaps I can recommend a very good book to you. It is a book actually that is on my shelf at home, and one that I use as a reference from time to time. The name of the book is;

"The Media Lab; Inventing the Future at MIT," by Stuart Brand, Penguin Book Publishers, 1988, (304pp), ISBN: 01-4009-701-5.

There are pictures, charts, and illustrations of what MIT was bringing to the market place prior to 1990. Some of the ideas and concepts will make you laugh because they are commonplace today, but now you know where they started, who started it, and the theory and technology behind it all. Each and every year there are new ideas and concepts which are being generated from MIT, and therefore it is interesting to study their past, present, and there ever increasing drive towards the future.

I invite you to read this book, think about it, and take the MIT magazine. I'd also advise you to take their online newsletter for the topics that interest you in biotech, energy, computers, Internet, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, or robotics. If you do this you too can be on the cutting edge of what comes next. Please consider all this.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes in MIT.

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Who Moved My Blackberry

I've just finished reading "Who Moved My Blackberry" by Martin Lukes with Lucy Kellaway which is a hugely funny dig at the corporate world and electronic communication.

It shows the fallout of sending delicate emails to the wrong people, what can happen when you align yourself to the wrong side even when you suspect all is not as it should be, and the perils of letting your Blackberry get into mischievous hands. Totally unlike the book "Who Moved My Cheese" by Dr Spencer Johnson (www.amazon.co.uk - oe3.99), which could do with falling into more hands!

I know there's lots of negativity around communicating by email but I love it. I haven't got a Blackberry but I do have wireless internet so I can do all my emails in bed if the fancy takes me - yes, OK, sometimes it does! As I see it, it's all about how you use it. It's great for setting up meetings, keeping in touch with people when you haven't always got time to phone, or even making arrangements for a verbal chat.

I think the negative publicity kicks in when it's used as a distraction. It can aid procrastination and stop you from making decisions. It can help you put off jobs that you should be dealing with. It can become an obsession when you can't stop checking your email to see if you have new messages, or it can make you feel driven as you feel you can't switch off from it.

Like many people, I use email to aid my business but have become a bit obsessed with it on occasions instead of sorting out the real issue. When you realise how much time can be wasted without achieving anything it's quite a shock, and time to take stock.

Only checking emails at certain times, having a "must do" list of other things, and adopting a more relaxed attitude to it are all strategies that are good for keeping it under control. After all, if someone wants to contact you in a hurry, they'll use the phone.

Oh, and maybe not taking your laptop and/or Blackberry to bed with you is also a good strategy!

Dammit! I'm still saying maybe -

Pam Stokes is a Business & Personal Development Coach. Besides coaching, she provides interactive online programmes for busy people, supervises newly qualified and trainee coaches, runs workshops in stress management and a Diploma Course in NLP. Free downloads www.pamstokesassociates.co.uk [http://www.pamstokesassociates.co.uk]

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Windows 7 - The Missing Manual

Windows has recently been going through a tough phase of its glorious legacy in the world of technology which it has dominated for the past few decades. Its internet Browser "internet explorer" is getting upstaged by other browsing engines like Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome while it also went through that fiasco of Vista which really was shockingly bad.

So it was no surprise when I found myself holding onto XP and waiting for what else Microsoft would come up with. Trust the worlds richest man and he came up with the Windows 7. Though I wanted to do a head bang on it right away! the prospect of going through another technical manual which would have me scratching my head was not exactly tempting.

In computer book land, you either get lame introduction type material which leaves you with only the basics and at times actually makes you feel like a lost soul, or you get a thoroughly informative book that puts you into a short lived coma.

At this critical juncture of time enter Windows 7 - The Missing Manual.

The Missing Manual is a guide to everything that you need to know regarding Microsoft's newest adventure. One may ask how is it any different from the other manuals that continue to bore us to death. The answer lies in the fact that it does exactly the opposite of what the other manuals do i.e. it does not bore you. The language used by the author is a conversational one that everyone can comprehend making the material extremely simple to grasp.

The flow of this book allows you to move from section to section without there being a "hard" interruption in between, the index and appendix are top notch for anyone choosing to pick helpful nuggets here and there. The bad aspect of other books are that the humour in them is so false that it actually irritates you rather than lightening your mood. Although the book will not make you roll all over the floor, it will bring a lot of smiles to your face making your read enjoyable.

If you want a comprehensive manual for Windows 7 that is useful for beginners through to advanced users then get the book that Microsoft forgot to put in your box.

If you would like to read a chapter of this comprehensive guide click here

For your chance to get a free iPad or Amazon Kindle do check out http://powerfulreviews.com/ thanks.

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Beginning SharePoint 2010 Administration - A Review

Take a look behind the scenes and you will understand... that's the key point of this book. If you are not familiar with SharePoint in general, basic concepts, or use cases and if you wonder why you (may) need SharePoint you should read this book. All of the questions are answered and in combination with basic technical administration tasks you will not only get an understanding of how to do it... you will also know why to do it. Let's start from the beginning... the book has 14 chapters written by Goran Husman and Christian Stahl:

Introduction to Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Building SharePoint Foundation Sites Office Integration Content Management in SharePoint 2010 Managing My Sites SharePoint Administration Building Intranets and Internet Portals Customizing SharePoint 2010 Using SharePoint Designer 2010 Backup and Restore Installing SharePoint Foundation 2010 Configuring SharePoint Foundation 2010 Installing Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 Configuring SharePoint Server 2010

The writing itself is adequate, it's neither boring nor difficult or funny. The length of a chapter is around 30 to 50 sites depending on the complexity of the subject. Each chapter has easy to understand examples as well as graphics, diagrams and screenshots where necessary. With a summary at the end of each chapter you can sum up the things you have read.

The biggest strength of this book are the chapters 1 to 9 since these are the chapters telling you the concept behind each administration task. You will understand the task itself, the things you need and the things you have to consider. Chapters 10 to 14 are additional chapters... you should read them first because they tell you how to install SharePoint 2010. Here it's not that important to understand things from the beginning since on the one hand you need a running instance for chapter 1 to 10 and on the other hand the understanding comes with the use of SharePoint.

All in all a SharePoint 2010 Book which can be recommended.

Markus Ramirez is an independent SharePoint developer mainly in Switzerland but also in Germany and Austria. As a trainer he tries to sensitize people to take a look behind things in order to understand them.

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Review: FutureHype: The Myths Of Technology

Author: Bob Seidensticker

ISBN: 1576753700

In an age where there is considerable hype about the wonders of modern technology, Bob Seidensticker prods us to take a step back and put everything into a more realistic perspective or as he most aptly states, we should vaccinate ourselves against hype.

Seidensticker's principal theme in FutureHype: The Myths Of Technology Change is that the pace of technological change does not increase exponentially. According to Seidensticker, although we may be living in an era of fast change, this does not imply that we are the only ones to have experienced this phenomenon. In earlier times people had their own examples of fast change and to discover if our times are really unique, it is necessary that today's social change be compared to that of the past. In fact, as Seidensticker warns us, "the popular perception of modern technology is inflated and out of step with reality."

Divided into two parts, the book first illustrates how we fall into the trap of incorrectly and myopically seeing technology. Seidensticker underlines his contentions with several concrete examples that are elaborated upon throughout this first section.

As an example, we are reminded that a technology might be innovative, but the product that we build from that technology does not necessarily have to be revolutionary, particularly if our predictions are off the mark. It is to be remembered that predictions are often more of a picture of the present rather than the future and there is often a danger of careless extrapolation.

The Internet may be able to provide us with a great deal of information, however, will this lead us to being better informed. Probably not, as the downside is that much of the information is unreliable and pure garbage!

One of the hypes we are all bombarded with daily is that we should blindly trust modern technology and put all of our eggs in one basket. This is all great until the basket breaks, as we become increasingly dependent on software that sometimes is filled with bugs or where we have fragile and brittle technology. No doubt, all of this has created much of the insecurity we feel today in our modern world.

The second part of the book takes a look at the constancy of change in a broad spectrum of areas-popular culture, health and safety, fear and anxiety, personal technologies, and business. We are provided with an excellent survey of the history of technology that is illustrated with stories from thousands of years of human advance proving to us that technological change is not unique to our day.

FutureHype: The Myths Of Technology Change immerses readers with a challenging study wherein technology is to be considered neither good, nor bad nor neutral. As Seidensticker states: "a technology isn't inherently good or bad, but it will have an impact." It is the impact that is important, as it will have a good side and a bad side.

Bob Seidensticker has spent twenty-five years in the technology industry and he holds thirteen software patents. His broad experience is quite in evidence with his insightful and compelling study, as he alerts his readers to the dangers of technology infatuation. He also cautions us that we should never lose sight of the myths that surround technology and the unexpected ways it evolves and affects our lives, while at the same time examining its downsides. As he concludes his book, he leaves us with a very important warning, "don't be bullied into buying a particular technology because a vendor, an advertisement, or your nephew you tells you to." Ask yourself if the product is right for you?

Norm Goldman is editor of the book reviewing and author interviewing site http://www.bookpleasures.com/ and the travel site http://www.sketchandtravel.com/

Bookpleasures is a global Internet book reviewing and author interviewing village. Reviewers come from all over the globe and review all genre. There are over 6500 sites that link to Bookpleasures and many of the reviews are listed within the first 3 pages of the Google Search Engine.

Norm also offers his own personalized express review service where you can have a quick review within 15 business days from the receipt of your book. To learn more about this service go to bookpleasures.com

Norm is ranked among the top 1000 Amazon reviewers and he contributes his reviews to several other Internet sites.

In addition, Norm and his artist wife Lily meld words with art focusing on romantic and wedding destinations, inns, and other hospitality properties. You can read Norm's travel articles and view Lily's art work that is always for sale at sketchandtravel.com

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The Minimum You Need to know to be an OpenVMS Application Developer - Book Review

Do you want to be an OpenVMS Application Developer? If you don't know what that is, then you probably don't need this book, but if you do, you've found the seemingly most comprehensive and readable guide to doing so. Roland Hughes' offering, "The Minimum You Need to know to be an OpenVMS Application Developer" is an abundance of information that you cannot afford to be without.

Here's some background: "OpenVMS (Open Virtual Memory System) is a high-end computer server operating system. As a multi-user, multiprocessing virtual memory-based operating system (OS), it is designed for use in time-sharing, batch processing, real time, and transaction processing. It offers high system availability through clustering and distributes the system over many machines." In other words, you need to know this!

This isn't a beginner's guide, to be sure. However, those in the IT industry will be thankful to Hughes as he describes uses of: the MMS and CMS tools from the widely used DECSET OpenVMS software development toolkit CDD FMS the RDB and MySQL databases. He describes other tools found in OpenVMS application development such as VMSMAIL, and PHONE. The book works readers through and around a single application which is developed in each of DEC BASIC, FORTRAN, COBOL, C and C++ using a variety of tools. On the accompanying CD, full source code is provided.

Hughes' language is easy to understand. He doesn't speak over the heads of the readers, nor talk down, and his tome is not the dry textbook form you may be used to. He uses humor and easy going guidance, making this likely one of the most readable IT guides out there.

Drawing on his vast experience and knowledge, Hughes rewards himself and the reader with a final chapter on the IT field. His guidance here is not so technical but rather personal when deciding where a developer wishes to work. His attention to company restrooms is something I did not expect to read about but is likely very valuable information. If you want to be an OpenVMS Application Developer, this is the book you need.

"The Minimum You Need to know to be an OpenVMS Application Developer"

By Roland Hughes

ISBN-10: 0977086607

Review by Heather Froeschl

Heather Froeschl is an author, award winning editor, and book reviewer, at http://www.quilldipper.com/ and http://www.bookideas.com/

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How Roll Top Computer Desks Reduce Clutter

The roll top computer desks are coming back into play these days. At one time a they were considered your grandmothers desk. In contemporary designed households this style has not been in good taste. It just reminds people of older times when bulky was the thing to have.

But not anymore, now owners are once again finding real value in these desk. They are finding out why these desk were so popular in the 1950 and 60's.

Computer desk have always been a concern of many household. Hell, as I look at my computer desk I see plenty of wires and paper lying around with no where to put them. Roll top computer desk make it possible to ride all the clutter or at least organize the clutter into meaningful organized information. First of all they make it possible to tuck away and cover every part of the computer. That includes the CPU, the monitor and the keyboard. Now depending on how large your system is, you may have to tuck away the printer and scanner in another piece of furniture.

Roll top computer desk also have another great advantage over traditional computer desk. It is feasible to have a them in public areas of the home. This is very advantageous for apartment dwellers that just don't have the room to dedicate an entire room to a home office. When the desk is down, the desk looks like a normal piece of furniture.

They also have a large selection of draws to store away books and important papers. Some desks are equipped with secret draws that are only accessible by the owner. The owners are the only ones who know how to open or even get to these draws.

Roll top computer desk is a revamp of a old favorite. They are very flexible and should make a great addition to any home.

Get you very own roll top desk. Also check out the flexibility of these roll top computer desks.

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This Book, Learning Your Computer Through Pictures Is a Wonderful and Fun Way to Learn Computers!

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to tell you a story about my journey learning how to use my computer. Have you ever felt that you just don't have the skills to learn your computer and its applications? Have you ever been so frustrated with your computer that you just want to throw it out the window?

That was me too. As I began to play around with the internet at first it was just surfing around and looking at sites. Whenever I came upon a beautiful web page; and saw all of the unique applications the web designer put onto his page I would feel really bad because I didn't feel I had the skills to do those things even though I really had great ideas.

Then I decided to really go through an in-depth study of my computer based on what I wanted to do online. I really wanted to post blogs about important information. I really wanted to be able to share links to other sites, and I really wanted to use video format to express myself online.

I didn't have time to go back to school so I decided to write a book using pictorial examples that explained each instruction. Subject: Introduction to Using Your Computer, the Basics

Textbook: Learning Your Computer Through Pictures.

Course Description:
This study course is designed to give you the basics in understanding and using your computer. The format is simple and all of the instructions are coupled with pictorial examples which will take away any apprehension you may have as each instruction is supported with its correlating picture every step of the way.

We will cover things like the creation of documents, how to share those documents online, the operational features of the Microsoft Works word processing program including font size, editing documents, creation of video formats, navigating on the web, and added insightful little tips to make things easier as you explore your computer applications.

The Course Outline, Provided in Three Sections as Follows:

Introduction to Section One: Beginning Using Your Computer to Create Microsoft Word Documents. This will start you out learning the basics of word processing, incorporation of graphics, modifying graphics, and understanding toolbar functions.

Study Topics, Section One:

How to Create and Save a Microsoft Word Document.
How to Format your Document Page.
How to Select a Font for Your Document.
Adding Pictures: Opening Your Pictures Storage File on Your Computer
Opening Your Pictures Storage File on Your Computer (Adding Pictures Continued).
Finding Pictures inside Your Computer's Picture Folder.
Finding Pictures Stored in Your Computer's Pictures File inside a Named Folder.
How to Re-Size a Picture.
Using the Toolbar to Edit a Picture.
Formatting a Picture Using the Picture Toolbar.
Creating an Additional Picture File Folder within Your Stored Pictures.
Creating Hyper-Links into Words Within Your Document.
Inserting Hyper-Links into Pictures Within Your Document.
How to Save Your Document.
Where to Save Your Document.

Introduction to Section Two:
In this section we will study copying text, modifying text, use of the notepad application, use of Microsoft Word text enhancement features, navigating the internet, accessing the control panel, accessing your internet connections and options settings, understanding your internet provider's tool bar functions - (Mozilla Firefox and Explorer), and using the bookmark application.

Study Topics, Section Two:

How to Copy and Paste the Entire Page of a Document.
How to Copy Partial Texts Within a Document.
Understanding Your Note Pad Application.
Using the Note Pad Program Application. (Introduction to Understanding Your Note Pad)
How to Find the Note Pad Application and Use It.
How to Use MS Words Text Enhancement Features, (Part 1- Font Size & Bolded Text).
How to Use MS Word's Text Enhancement Features, (Part 2- Font Color & Italics).
How to use MS Word's Text Enhancement Features, (Part 3 - Adding Characters &
Symbols - Accessing Your Symbols Files, About the Special Characters Tab).
Note on Tool Bars.
Accessing the Internet and Creating Shortcuts.
Navigating the Internet, Setting Your Default Internet Provider & Home Page
Navigating the Internet, (Accessing the Control Panel),
(Accessing Your Internet Connections & Internet Options Settings), (Making Changes to Internet Connections, & Options.
Understanding Your Internet Tool Bar Functions, (Mozilla Firefox).
Understanding Your Internet Tool Bar Functions, (Internet Explorer).
Using the Book Mark Application (Internet Explorer).

Introduction to Section Three:

In this section we will study how to create a slideshow video using Microsoft Movie Maker. This will include adding and editing graphics, working with transitions and durations, adding text and voice audio, adding music, cutting and trimming the slideshow and its audio, converting the slideshow into a video file, uploading to YouTube, understanding keywords and meta tags, connecting various network accounts, and the basics of recording from your computer's web camera.
Study Topics, Section Three:

How to Create a Video Slide Show Using Microsoft Movie Maker,
(Part One - Getting Started).
How to Create a Video Slide Show Using Microsoft Movie Maker,
(Part Two - Importing Picture Files).
How to Create a Video Slide Show Using Microsoft Movie Maker,
(Part Three - Dragging Pictures into Your Story Board).
How to Create a Video Slide Show Using Microsoft Movie Maker,
(Part Four - Playing Your Story Board as a Film Strip & Adding Video Effects).
How to Create a Video Slide Show Using Microsoft Movie Maker,
(Part Five - End Note of Video Effects & Let's Talk About Adding Transitions).
How to Create a Video Slide Show Using Microsoft Movie Maker,
(Part Six - Adding Transitions Continued & Let's Talk About Durations).
How to Create a Video Slide Show Using Microsoft Movie Maker,
(Part Seven - Let's Talk About Durations Continued & Maneuvering Through Your Story Board & Quick Reminder - Saving Your Project).
How to Create a Video Slide Show Using Microsoft Movie Maker,
(Part Eight - How to Save Your Un-Finished Story Board).
How to Create a Video Slide Show Using Microsoft Movie Maker,
(Part Nine - Re-Opening Your Un-Finished Story Board & Adding Text to Your Video's Story Board).
How to Create a Video Slide Show Using Microsoft Movie Maker,
(Part Ten - Adding Your Title Page).
How to Create a Video Slide Show Using Microsoft Movie Maker,
(Part Eleven - Adding Text to Individual Slides & Text Animations).
How to Create a Video Slide Show Using Microsoft Movie Maker,
(Part Twelve - Adding Audio to Your Movie & Let's Start With Adding Narration).
(Assigning your Line in/Mic - Microphone System)
How to Create a Video Slide Show Using Microsoft Movie Maker,
(Part Thirteen - Adding Music Content & Designating When a Music File Will Play & End)
How to Create a Video Slide Show Using Microsoft Movie Maker,
(Part Fourteen - Designating When a Music File Will Pay and End).
How to Create a Video Slide Show Using Microsoft Movie Maker,
(Part Fifteen, Dragging-In & Editing an Uploaded Audio File).
How to Create a Video Slide Show Using Microsoft Movie Maker,
(Part Sixteen - Saving Your Finished Movie - Getting Started).
How to Create a Video Slide Show Using Microsoft Movie Maker,
(Part Seventeen - Converting Your Slide Show into a Movie File).
Accessing the Internet and Creating Shortcuts.
Navigating the Internet, Setting Your Default Internet Provider & Home Page
Navigating the Internet, (Accessing the Control Panel),
(Accessing Your Internet Connections & Internet Options Settings), (Making Changes to Internet Connections, & Options.
Understanding Your Internet Tool Bar Functions, (Mozilla Firefox).
Understanding Your Internet Tool Bar Functions, (Internet Explorer).
Using the Book Mark Application (Internet Explorer).
How to Upload a Video to YouTube
(Creating a User's Account).
How to Upload a Video to YouTube
(Step 1, Start Your Video Upload & Selecting Which Video to Upload Within Your
Computer's Video Storage File).
How to Upload a Video to YouTube
(Step 2, Designating Titles, Descriptions, Categories, URL & Embedding Codes, Sharing With Online Networks).
How to Upload a Video to YouTube
(About Upload Details, Finding Your YouTube Videos within Your YouTube Account).
Using Your Web Camera to Upload a Video on YouTube (Part One & Two)
Note, these instructions vary according to the web camera being used - they are designed to give you an over view of the web camera upload process.

Just think, all of these instructions are exampled in pictures. This is a great buy! You can purchase this book in E-Book format for easy Kindle upload on my website: http://www.theundefeatedlifet-shirts.com/ It is also available on Amazon.com and on Barnes & Noble.com; the above site provides links to these pages. If you click this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8QPtD5WWEQ you can watch a video that shows some of the contents of this book.

Life is a Learning Process That Has No End.
Thank you,
TheUndefeatedLife

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Book Review: Computer Investigation by Elizabeth Bauchner

Who is the target audience for this book?

Make no mistake. This book is not targeted for computer professionals. If you have a degree in Computer Science or just know a lot about computers, you won't learn anything from this book. This book is targeted to children in the middle school age group, but it would also be a good introductory book for adults.

That said, what does the book talk about?

What is the science of computer forensics?

Computer forensics is a two-part process. First, data is retrieved and then the data is used. It is different from other forensic sciences because the data usually stands on its own and does not need to be interpreted.

What are the many duties of a computer forensics technician?

While doing their job, computer forensic specialists must preserve evidence, not introduce viruses or worms into a system, handle data properly, keep evidence within the chain of command, reduce the impact of the system's analysis on any businesses affected, and make sure privileged information is not divulged.

Following those rules, computer forensic professionals find hidden files, swap files, and temp files used by the operating system and by applications. They access these files and protected and encrypted files, searching for information relevant to the case. They analyze the data found, especially in areas normally considered inaccessible. They perform an over all system analysis and list all relevant files. They provide an opinion of the system's layout and who authored which files. They make notes of attempts to delete or protect files, and they provide expert testimony and/or consultation in court as needed.

The book gives definitions for commonly used words, or jargon, in the industry.

A hacker is someone who is really interested in a piece of technology and learns all possible about the technology.

A cracker is someone who uses their hacker knowledge for bad.

Hackers are white hat, and crackers are black hat hackers.

A phreaker was a person who scammed the telephone company to get free long-distance calls.

Spoofing is mimicking a website (or an email) so the receiver thinks the sender is someone else.

Phishing is trying to get information from people, like their user accounts and passwords, and social security numbers.

A virus is a program, attached to another program, that infects a system when the program is opened. The virus can't do anything unless the program is opened and ran.

A worm is like a virus, but it can replicate itself without other programs being opened.

A Trojan horse is a program that pretends to be a different kind of program.

Denial of Service (DoS) is when a cracker tries to prevent a system from being accessible by its normal users.

Gwen Nicodemus has two children that she's been homeschooling all their lives. Gwen also teaches science and math classes in a local homeschooling cooperative. As a temporarily retired engineer, Gwen keeps her brain active by writing unit studies and little books for her kids whenever someone gets interested in a new topic. Check out the great free resources, including unit studies, videos, tutorials, and little books at http://unitstudiesbygwen.com/

©2010, Gwen Nicodemus

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Mastering AutoCAD 2008 and AutoCAD LT 2008

The World's Bestselling AutoCAD Resource Fully Updated for 2008.There's a reason why Mastering AutoCAD is so popular year after year. Loaded with concise explanations, step-by-step instructions, and hands-on projects, this comprehensive reference and tutorial from award-winning author George Omura has everything you need to become an AutoCAD expert.

If you're new to AutoCAD, the tutorials will help you build your skills right away. If you're an AutoCAD veteran, Omura's in-depth explanations of the latest and most advanced features, including the exciting annotation, notes, and layer properties features, will turn you into an AutoCAD pro. Whatever your experience level and however you use AutoCAD, you'll refer to this indispensable reference again and again.

Coverage includes:
*Creating and developing AutoCAD drawings
*Drawing curves and applying solid fills
*Effectively using hatches, fields, and tables
*Manipulating dynamic blocks and attributes
*Linking drawings to databases and spreadsheets
*Rendering realistic interior views with natural lighting
*Giving a hand-drawn look to 3D views
*Presenting 3D models with cutaway and x-ray views
*Making spiral forms with the Helix and Sweep tools
*Exploring your model in real time with the Walk and Fly tools
*Adding hyperlinks to drawings
*Converting multiple layer settings and other layer translator options
*Master the New Text and Table Features
*Explore the Layer Manager Enhancements
*Annotate, Secure, and Authenticate Files
*Track Your Projects with the Sheet Set Manager
*Publish Drawings over the Internet and eTransmit Your Files
*Customize the New Dashboard and Control Panel

Autodesk has released both AutoCAD 2008 and AutoCAD LT 2008 simultaneously. Not surprisingly,they're nearly identical in the way they look and work. You can share files between the two programs with complete confidence that you won't lose data or corrupt files. The main differences are that LT doesn't support all the 3D functions of AutoCAD 2008, nor does it support the customization tools of AutoLISP and VBA. But LT still has plenty to offer in both the productivity and customization areas.

For more information please browse at [http://www.freecadebook.co.cc/]

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Machines That Think - A Book Review

In the 1980s a huge number of books were written on artificial intelligence. From as early as 1980 books started really producing solid content on the topic. No, the concept obviously originated decades the prior, but by the early 80's computer scientists were really getting a handle on it, and towards the end of the 80s there were some really excellent books that honed in on the future.

Much of what we think of today and the direction we are moving in AI programming really stem from this period. So, if this topic interests you, I'd recommend that you read at least a few works from that era. Let me recommend one book that is fully illustrated and straight forward, one which will really get you on the right track, by allowing you to see from where all of this once came. The book is:

"Thinking Machines; the Search for Artificial Intelligence," by Igor Aleksander and Piers Burnett; Alfred A. Knoff Publishers, New York, NY, (1987).

The authors address the age old question; What is intelligence? And this chapter has a great overview of originality of concept, and all of Alan Turing's philosophical thoughts. It indeed brings it up to date to the mid-1980s. Then the authors talk about the ever elusive "Universal Machine" and then they really help us understand the difference between humans and the future of AI, which one could now say is in the present.

Learn about the thoughts on The Machinery of Vision and sensors, and the philosophical and historical significance. The chapter; "Inside the Machine" is of supreme interest and one you will enjoy. Indeed, I liked the authors' topic; The Myth of the Super Intelligent Machine, and these authors seem to indicate, in the end, no matter what, it is still a machine, not a human and it can only work a certain way. The Future may confirm this, but with the neural networking it may prove them wrong too.

Lance Winslow - Lance Winslow's Bio Lance Winslow is also Founder of the Car Wash Guys, a cool little Franchise Company; http://www.carwashguys.com/history/founder.html

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Netbook Review

You may or may not have heard of the term "Netbooks". They seem to be all the rage in personal computing these days. So what are they? Netbooks are the new class of mobile computers that offer an alternative to laptops. Basically, they are a smaller version of the laptop, both in form factor and computing ability to execute resource intensive computing applications. They may very well be the next revolution in mobile computing. Computer manufacturers are now offering a scaled down version of the ubiquitous laptop. The alternative they are offering is one that is smaller, thinner and inexpensive. Inexpensive as compared to the price of a regular laptop and in some cases even less expensive than a mobile phone. So is this scaled down version of a computing platform for you? Are you willing to give up your laptop for a netbook?

Before you decide on purchasing a netbook, it would be good idea to identify and understand your requirements for a mobile computing platform. What do you do with that current laptop of yours? Chances are that you use it more often to surf the web, run office applications for document processing, spreadsheets, presentations, email, etc. If you are a savvy web user, you probably could do all of this on the web. Is there any local application on your laptop that could utilize the entire computing resources of your laptop? This probably is a rarity for most laptop users. Games, photo, video, music editing applications, etc., could be part of the mix but even some of these have online alternatives.

Most netbooks run windows software. The operating system that comes installed is mostly Windows XP. So there is nothing new on the OS front that users would require to learn. Specifications in general include the Intel Atom N series chip with a clock speed rating of 1.6 GHz and installed RAM at 1 GB with the ability to expand to 2 GB. A screen size of 10.1" TFT may be a limiting factor for some users, but given the clarity of screens today and the primary motivation being a smaller form factor, this could be easily overlooked.

Netbooks are available from most major computer manufacturers most notably from Acer and Asustek. Both Acer and Asustek have a wide product variety and attractive price points, especially suitable for students and business users. Netbooks could serve as the standard computing platform for students in schools, colleges and universities. Small and medium business owners and corporate executives who are out and about, could also benefit from netbooks. Sales force personnel who are constantly on the move visiting customers, could use netbooks to connect with back office applications over the web from a customer location.

Today, more work is being done on bringing netbooks capable of working with different operating systems (e.g. Linux), chip sets etc., to make low cost computing feasible for all user groups. Looking forward into the future, you can expect to see faster, thinner and less expensive computing platforms. Click on Netbook Review to see a list of the latest netbooks available. Compare features and specs to find one that would suit your needs the most.

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Codin' For the Web by Charles Wyke-Smith - Book Review

The full title for this book is Codin' for the Web: A Designer's Guide to Developing Dynamic Web Sites and that is an accurate description of the contents of this book. The author also wrote Stylin' with CSS: A Designer's Guide. With this book he completes the loop. In the first book he had shown you how to make the site look good with style sheets divorced from code. In the latest books, he leads you through an education in how to use the php scripting language to create full featured dynamic page web sites.

The book is well designed with comprehensive screen shots and code listings. The code is available for download. This is always appreciated as it avoids the tedious practice of typing code from a book page during the learning process.

The book starts at the most basic level with an introduction to php and a simple explanation of statement syntax, variables, operators, etc.

Chapter 1 introduces the reader to coding principles. Types of variables, functions, control loops and much more are covered comprehensively. By the end of this chapter, the student has the knowledge and tools to write well styled php code.

Chapter 2 deals with form processing. The author covers input forms and the checking of data for completeness, correctness and security. Creating, reading, and writing flat files is covered.

Chapter 3 covers the creation of a mysql database. Code examples show how to add, modify, delete, select, and retrieve data. This is a good introduction to the power of the combination of php and mysql.

Chapter 4 continues using the database material to begin designing a content management system with the creation of database tables and the necessary administration section or back end of the site. Style sheets and editing functions are covered.

Chapter 5 is about cookies, sessions, and authentication. These are required for limiting access to areas of the site and for tracking visitors. The chapter gives example code for a members only site.

Chapter 6 extensively covers building a website with php. The value of include files for effective site maintenance and modification. The best practices for site navigation and the creation of dynamic page titles are given their own sections.

This book is highly recommended as a beginner/intermediate level introduction to building dynamic web sites with php/mysql. No book can give complete coverage but this one will take you a long way and the author does a good job of telling where to get more information. All this in a visually pleasing well designed book makes a book that you will want to add to your library.

John Paige is a writer, researcher, and student of how technology can be used to enhance the quality of life.

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New Products - Leading or Bleeding Edge?

We all love to be at the leading edge of technology.   When you have the confidence of a technology-oriented mind, it is especially nice to try out the latest and greatest network products.   However, ordering new products before they are proven can sometimes be the wrong idea.    It can cost your enterprise, so be cautious!

The leading edge of technology is also known as the bleeding edge.   Manufacturers almost always encounter unexpected design, production and logistical challenges with new product lines, including new network equipment.

Can you imagine a critical switch, router, or firewall that fails due to bad power supply, or reboots continuously.  We see these issues all the time.   Many new products have that same potential and it like a time bomb, meaning your time and energy are wasted on an issue that should have been resolved by the manufacturer and not you.

When are issues fixed?  Many problems with new network equipment are resolved when they first come up.   Some issues are never resolved.     Instead, you may have a work-around or recall.     In the meantime, who knows how many
hours, days and weeks will have been lost while dealing with the unknown new network equipment problems?

Unless you absolutely must,  don't go after new network equipment as soon as they are announced.   Give them time to settle down in the market and for the problems to present themselves.

Of course, there may be compelling reasons for you to specify a brand new network equipment product - product features essential to your application and not available elsewhere, for example.   You shouldn't risk becoming a manufacturer's unpaid product tester, especially if you are pressed for time or have limited budgets, a small network team or a mission-critical network.   Let someone else do it.

In all aspects of business, time is one of the most valuable commodities you have at your disposal. And wasting it is one of the most expensive mistakes you can make. Just as jumping on the wrong bandwagon can cost you dear in terms of wasted time, so can specifying an unproven new network equipment product.

We all love to be at the leading edge of technology.   When you have the confidence of a technology-oriented mind, it is especially nice to try out the latest and greatest network products.   However, ordering new products before they are proven can sometimes be the wrong idea.    It can cost your enterprise, so again, be cautious!

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People Verses Technology

With the recent upsurge of technology, many companies are employing these technologies in many of their operations including sales, record keeping and as far as customer service. Advertising and publicity are now done more effectively than ever, reaching more customers. Another big area that has also evolved with technology is customer service.

Organizations are now employing sophisticated methods to get feedback from customers and give the appropriate response. Some organizations have however gone too far in their bid to employ these sophistications in delivering customer service to their clients. Customer service is now run entirely by automated systems instead of human beings.

Google has reportedly been running most of its services by automated systems. Automated systems provide help to customers; disseminate information to customers and almost everything. Google Health is being run by an automated system, but offers no live help for the system. It means that sick people using this facility only get to interact with a piece of software and not a human.

The fundamental flaw here is that, software is designed to accept a predictable input and produce a predictable output. Human behavior is however unpredictable. If for instance, the health system is designed to prescribe malaria drugs for a patient reporting with a headache and fever. What happens if a patient walks in with a headache but no fever? Provisions could be made for such cases, but there will always be an element of unpredictability at play. A customer service system that suggests solutions may be ineffective when the user encounters a new problem that was not factored in the design of the system.

In any information system that will be used by people, it is very crucial to offer human help to customers, though it may come at a higher cost. Google must be able to offer human help for its facilities as humans are in a better position to handle unpredictable situations than software and hardware.

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Computer Running Slow?

It is a common experience among the user of personal computers, or PCs, to find that the performance of their computer deteriorate over a period of time. Laments such as computer running slow, my pc is slow etc., prop up in informal meetings of these PC users. The primary reason for this development is not due to any fault on the part of the PC, but only due to the fault of the person using the personal computer.

The inability of the person to maintain the performance of the PC at 100% performance level is the real culprit for the computer running slow and not any manufacturing defects on the part of the PC or any other thing is the reason.

PC is being used for doing a number of activities such as browsing the internet, downloading software, audio and video files, emails and chatting, to name a few. Every time a software is downloaded or a music file is played through the Internet, a whole lot of cookies and virus creep into the hard disk of the PC without any knowledge about the same to the user. A periodic maintenance of the system is of utmost importance for maintaining the performance at peak level.

The files deleted from the system using the Delete key, while disappearing from the directories, appear on the recycle bin and in turn occupy the space. This is a safety measure provided so that files are not deleted by mistake, and an option is given to retrieve such files, which were deleted wrongly. After confirming that the files are no longer required, the recycle bin should be cleared at least twice or thrice a week. Or else, using the Shift+Delete key to delete the files can be resorted to, by which the files get deleted once for all from the system without getting stored in the recycle bin.

The fastest way to speed up a PC is to simply download a registry cleaner and run a scan. It will clear up errors and instantly speed up application loading and PC boot up times.

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Learning How To Program In No Time

Are you considering learning how to program? Maybe you've seen a movie that has spurred your interest. Or perhaps you have come to the inevitable realization that programming fundamentals are extremely useful in almost any occupation, be it technology or other. Through an internet search you'll find a plethora of information and resources that promise you competent programming skills. I personally prefer reading hard copy books to get my information. Here are some things that you should keep in mind when searching for some good programming books.
Author's Experience: Does the author of the book have sufficient experience in the programming languages that you want to explore? There is no use reading a programming book from a C+ guru if you want to learn Java. Sure, some of the basics are the same but ideally, you want an author that can relate to the language you want to learn.
One-Language Book: This tip goes hand-in-hand with the tip above. You want a good programming book that focuses on one language. Take a look at the book's table of contents to make sure that they match up with what you want to learn.
Publishing Date: While many of the basics of programming have remained the same, technology has definitely evolved. Ideally, the programming book that you find will have been published within the last couple of years. If you do pick up an older edition be sure to keep in mind that much about programming has changed in recent years.
Price: A chief concern with any purchase, and buying a programming book is no different. Fact is that there are tons of free resources on the internet that could teach you the basics, and although I love a hard cover, I'm not paying an unreasonable price for any book. You'd be better off trying a used book store or searching Amazon for a discount price.
Beginner Friendly: Grab a book that is actually intended for beginners. It will usually tell you, right on the cover, if it is. As much as everyone wants to be the next Mark Zuckerberg some of us just aren't on that level yet. Take baby steps and I'm sure that you'll be programming masterpieces in no time.

If you keep these things in mind you'll be all set and on your way to programming mastery. You might want to check out some good book reviews as well to see if people actually learned from the books you're thinking about buying.

This article is to get you started on your programming journey. Check out more in-depth reviews of the best books for programming.

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17 Ways to Force Vista to Run Faster

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The Minimum You Need to Know About Java on OpenVMS - Book Review

The Minimum You Need to Know About Java on OpenVMS

By Roland Hughes

ISBN 0-9770866-1-5

Stop right there. If you haven't read Roland Hughes' first book in this series, "The Minimum You Need to Know to be an OpenVMS Application Developer" you'll need to do so. Think of it as the prerequisite of a college course. Now, you are ready for the second book, "The Minimum You Need to Know About Java on OpenVMS." Why two books? Java wasn't covered so thoroughly in the first. Believe me; you'll be glad you have both.

The concept of this book is "how to convert your existing core business application to use Java, yet still preserve your investment in the most stable platform on earth." In other words, Hughes shows programmers how to create all the tools you need to make Java a usable language on OpenVMS. Java is an object-oriented programming language somewhat similar to C and C++ but really very different. Hughes goes into great comparison. Java has classes, but has a unique class called an Array with no defined constructor. This means values can be stored anywhere and in no specific order. You're going to learn to build the tools you need to build the tools you want. Pretty simple, right?

As in the first book, Hughes uses the same application to demonstrate each new tool, in this book, using Java with FMS and RDB. He shows how to develop a generic class that will be usable by Indexed Files, also how to use JNI to access RMS, FMS, system services, and operating system provided libraries. Programmers learn to create an infrastructure MMS Procedure and how to use the supporting classes the procedure creates. Hughes also shows how to access RDB via the JDBC driver, demonstrating the importance of SQL. An accompanying CD-ROM contains the Class source.

This isn't just flat textbook reading though. Hughes uses humor and casual language to engage his readers. He comfortably refers to things like geek books and nerd attitude. He knows that this work is on the intense side of life. The information within the book is very professionally presented, with detailed analysis and explanations, troubleshooting and error experiencing tips, and exercise quizzes that test your knowledge. You have to know these things!

The final chapter examines the future of IT and the choices you make going into it. So you want to be a computer programmer huh? Are you sure? Don't listen to your guidance counselor without reading this book (and the first) first. Triple digit hourly rates, six figure salaries...maybe not. Downsizing, layoffs, feast or famine? Maybe so. When looking for sage advice on IT, go to the guru, Roland Hughes.

Heather Froeschl is an author, award winning editor, and book reviewer, at http://www.quilldipper.com/ and http://www.bookideas.com/

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Computer Book Review - DOS

One of the biggest problems with computer users is that they really do not understand how their computer actually works. They do not fully comprehend the binary codes, which everyone should understand. They do not understand how the electronics work in their computer; they just do not get it they do not know how things work like the mother board, CPU, hard drive or understand the software or how it all works.

Perhaps, worst of all they do not understand operating systems and thus, are beholden to whatever they see on the screen and are fine as long as everything is working and nothing crashes. They do whatever the screen tells them without thinking or considering their alternatives, as they believe they do not have any, ah but they do, they just don't know it.
Everyone should understand the operating system on their computer, these things are not that difficult and once they do, it opens a whole new world. And believe me you do not need a computer degree to understand the operating system on your computer. Of course, if you want to learn about operating systems, principles and the philosophy of how and why they work, I suggest you start at the beginning and learn a little about DOS.
Now then, I'd sure like to recommend a very good book to you that will clear up much of the misconceptions that folks have with regards to operating systems and I believe it is a book that will help you with the basics and therefore, an excellent place to start:
"DOS for Beginners; No Experiences Regurgitated" edited by Robbin Markley; 1993

"Lance Winslow" - Lance Winslow's Bio. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/.

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Head First Java, a Peculiar Style of Learning

A Different Style of Learning

Due to a justifiable reputation for being difficult to learn, the java programming language has long needed a training course that could ease the journey. By adopting an interesting comic book approach that mixes peculiar art works with a clever teaching style, the authors of Head First Java provide an easy to grasp solution to the java education problem.

A Full Featured Java Training Course

Though simplistic in presentation, Head First Java is a fast paced book. After presenting an early introduction into the features of object-oriented programming, the author's move quick to link java into the applications of encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism. The book addresses the GUI programming front, network programming, midi sequencing, and the command lines of the java library. Though sometimes limited in content, the range of topic coverage is considerable. Every reader will close the final pages with a workable foundation in java application.

Advantages

Head First Java targets experienced programmers. The material, as presented, assumes that the student possesses a reasonable familiarity with several basic programming topics. Yet the applied approach to learning is intuitive in nature, almost equivalent to a child's word game. The difficult components of the object-oriented programming design model are exposed in easy to understand byte sized nuggets. Concepts like inheritance and polymorphism take on a new aspect of reader clarity. Even the beginner programming student can profit from this book.

Disadvantages

While resourceful and helpful, the strange teaching methods used by the authors of Head First Java are sometimes offensive in nature. If crude mannerism has become a necessary component of effective teaching, Kathy Sierra and Bert Bates have hit the mark.

Final Points

The teaching style used in Head First Java resides outside the world of mundane education. The book, though at times crude, is generally acknowledged as a "fun" read that successfully accomplishes its primary purpose. It teaches the student how to effectively apply the java programming language.

Acquire the book, apply its wisdom to the challenge of learning Java, and have some fun with the illustrations to boot. Follow along through example, practice, and corny jokes as Kathy Sierra and Bert Bates reduce the java coding language into a manageable and usable designer's tool.

thomas devos have 8 years java programming experience. first head java is the best java book for beginners he highly recommands.

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PC Secret Formula Review - Transform Slow PC Into Speed Monster

Having a slow PC can be a pain in the neck, and it certainly takes the fun out of using your computer. But before you throw your sluggish PC out of the windows and go buy a new one, check out an ebook PC Secret Formula first. It could save you some money.

Also, don't call the computer service man and pay him $50 an hour to do some basic things like cleaning up your PC or defragmenting the hard drive because you can do all these by yourself easily even though you know nothing about computer except for switching it on and using Microsoft Excel. PC Secret Formula will show you how to transform your slow PC into a speed monster in minutes.

So don't worry if you're not a technically-challenged type of person, the author of PC Secret Formula has done a great job in making the report and the video tutorials very easy to understand. Anyone who can read or watch a video can follow the steps in PC Secret Formula. There is no complicated jargon, it's all step-by-step and screenshots are provided where needed.

And all the tweaks, tips and techniques presented in PC Secret Formula will NOT harm, erase or damage any aspect of your PC because you are not going to touch any of the files or registries, so please dont worry. You're going to learn advanced PC performance techniques that most people (even the professionals) haven't seen before. After reading the report/ebook and apply some of the tips, you will not only notice immediate improvements in your computer performance but I'm sure you would like to show off your new found skills to impress your friends :-)

Everyone knows that a slow PC is a pain to use. But you can't avoid your PC performance to degrade over time, this is due to the amount of programs we install and uninstall over a period of time. Sometimes we forget how much junks we have installed on our PC. I remember buying products and services that cost me over $200 but they fall short on delivering their promises in improving my PC performance :-(

Here is the sneak peek inside the PC Secret Formula report:

Part 1: The First 5 steps to a Blazing PC.

You'll learn five secret steps used by the author to transform your PC into a speed monster. These are the exact techniques used by the author for his clients and his own computer.

Part 2: Secure Windows.

If security is your concern, you're going to love this part. You'll discover THREE vital things on how to protect and secure your PC that most people don't have a clue about.

Part 3: System Tweaks.

You'll be amazed by how a few simple and harmless tweaks can transform your sluggish PC into a blazing one. Awesome tips indeed!

Part 4: Windows Services Guide.

In this part, you'll learn how to free your PC from those useless programs that are hogging the precious resources. Your PC will breathe a lot better after you implement these steps, so to speak.

Part 5: Windows Cache & Disk Defrag.
Now this part of the PC Secret Formula alone is already worth much more than the price of the report. You're going to discover some secret places to download some amazing FREE software. These are high-quality software and they are free (the owner only asks for voluntary donation, so if you love the tools you can donate some money to the owner). I have installed and used the tools, they are safe and very effective. And you know what? There are many websites that are selling similar products for $40. I know this because I bought those products before. Again, simply amazing! PC Secret Formula is perhaps the best deal on the Net that I've come across so far.

Part 6: Speed Up Windows Boot Time.

Have you ever experienced that after switching on your PC, you'll go and make a cup of coffee, and when you come back to your desk, your PC still not finish booting? Perhaps I exaggerate a bit here but I have seen some PCs that boot so slowly that I feel like wanting to take a short nap. If you've felt this way before, you'll love this part of the report.

Conclusion:

The performance tips revealed in PC Secret Formula are very practical and effective yet they are so easy to implement. You don't need to understand any technical jargons in order to use the tips. If you use PC everyday, you want to have this report by your side. It's a very useful report and it has only 27 pages. I've printed the report and put it in a folder so I can refer to it easily in the future. I will rate this report 10 out of 10 without a single doubt and this is one purchase that I will never regret!

You can find out more info about PC Secret Formula in my blog and also find out how you can be entitled to receive 3 great bonuses. These bonuses are related to online business. So, if you're doing online business, you may be keen to check them out.

Copyright © 2008. This article may only be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached and all hyperlinks are active. Leon is an Infopreneur dedicated to sharing his online discoveries across the net. You can visit his sites Online Business Success and Self Improvement Tips

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Computers and Keeping Track of Your Employees - Book Review

Most people don't realize it, but after the advent of computers and as the cost became less and less, more and more small businesses were able to afford them. Therefore, they were able to keep track of all their employees, their payroll, and they have nice printed out spreadsheets to give them all the information they needed. Prior to this, everybody had to do things the hard way.

For those that were not around before such computer use they probably don't realize how computer systems for personnel and employee matters revolutionized business. If this topic interests you, then I'd sure like to recommend an excellent book to you because in its day, it told of a bright future, and the solution to the paperwork nightmare that most businesses faced. Luckily, the future is bright and these computer systems make doing business all whole lot easier. The book is;

"Planning and Using a Total Personnel System," by Richard A. Kaumeyer Junior, 1982

Perhaps, the author can explain it better than I, and enlighten you to the differences of before and after; that is to say manual systems versus computer systems. When these systems first came out they had many options and features, not everyone thought they needed all the features, today, all the software systems have all the features, you can choose which one you want. However, this author has the chapters on such things as;

Choosing the Types of Reports You NeedTraining Your Personnel and Computerized Training SystemsThe Future of Personnel Systems

Interestingly enough, the author did peg the future correctly, and when you read the book you'll smile because he was absolutely right. Indeed I hope you will please consider this.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes in efficiency always and forever.

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My New iPad: A User's Guide Book Review - No Starch Press Book

Wallace Wang, best seller of My New Mac and My New iPhone for the No Starch Press publisher has written a new book detailing everything you need to know about the iPad in a book called "My New iPad: A User's Guide." No Starch Press provided a reviewer's copy of "My New iPad: A User's Guide" for this review.

"My New iPad: A User's Guide" includes seven chapters including: basic training; customizing your iPad; getting on the Internet; sharing data with your iPad; video, music, and eBooks; organizing yourself and additional tips. Each chapter is small and comes in easily consumable chunks of information that can instantly help new users complete a certain task with easy to follow step by step instructions.

The first chapter called "Basic Training" teaches you how to turn on and off the iPad, what the various buttons and slides perform and how to use and customize the virtual keyboard. Apple changed the Screen Location Lock since the book was published so information has changed since the publish date resulting in incorrect information.

"Customizing Your iPad" is the second chapter that details how to customize your home screen, set the date and time, restoring and resetting your iPad and installing and uninstalling iPad apps.

The third chapter called "Getting on the Internet" shows how to use the email client and web browser called Safari including some intermediate information such as how to use bookmarks and automatically fill out forms with Safari.

If you do not know how to transfer content to your iPad, chapter four is perfect for you. "Sharing Data with Your iPad" shows how to synchronize with iTunes to transfer media such as photos, movies, TV shows and even podcasts. The chapter further goes on to show steps to synch your eBooks, Audio Books, Contacts, Appointments, Mail, Notes, Bookmarks and even iTunes University Courses. The book is light on how to actually configure Yahoo! or Google services with your iPad however.

The next chapter focuses on content consumption on the iPad and it titled "Video, Music and eBooks". This chapter shows you how to watch your photos to listen to your music to watching YouTube videos.

Chapter six focuses on how to use the iPad to keep yourself organized using included iPad apps and is called "Organizing Yourself."

Finally, the last chapter called "Additional Tips" provides some additional miscellaneous tips including how to update the iOS or use foreign languages. This last chapter also includes a section called "Best iPad Apps" which includes some good apps but is dated. To keep up with the best iPad apps, you should watch for articles that continually are updated such as the Gizmos for Geeks Favorite iPad Apps monthly updated list.

I started and finished "My New iPad: A User's Guide" in one afternoon. The book is geared towards new users of not only the iPad device but of Apple's iOS devices including iPod Touch and iPhones and definitely not towards advanced user's of the iOS. For example, this book would be ideal for my parents since they have never used an iOS device, but I found the book way to simplistic to really become engaged.

Doug Felteau enjoys blogging about the latest gadgets and anything technology related and maintains a monthly article on Gizmos for Geeks listing the best iPad apps. An avid iPad user since the device was released, Doug has integrated the device and apps into his everyday life.

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Considering on Implementing a Computer System - Some Thoughts on That

If you are a decision maker that will be making recommendations, advising, consulting or even making the final and actual decision on a new computer or IT system then you need to understand the best process. Today's IT systems are costly and understanding this process will keep your organization from making mistakes. Thus, I'd like to recommend a very good book to you:

"Computers for Jumping Profits; Understanding, Selecting, Evaluating and Implementing Computer Systems" by David C. Dykstra; 1983.
This book tells you how to set up a computer system for any small, medium or large business or any organization or government agency. Although the book is older and the technology has changed over the years, the fundamental principles of planning, budgeting, ratios and accounting remain the same.
The author discusses the various folks involved and who their different motivations cause conflict in the implementation phase if a more analytical approach is not taken in the decision making process. For instance the author uses the example of implementing IBM Mainframes and micro-computers and how the advisors and salespeople with different objectives have very different perspectives.
This creates a false reality when doing strategic planning and asset allocations, cost analysis and estimates of return on investment thru productivity and efficiency. The author also discusses employee training costs, temporary slow down until the users are up to speed and other human factors to be considered.
Since this book has to do with IT systems, it also discusses issues with feature creep, challenges with speed, configuration and potential failure. Sometimes IT professionals and definitely their superiors get too caught up in the newest and latest technology and not the reality, functionality or cost.
This book is of value to all those decision makers along the way, the information in it is timeless and it hardly matters the time period or the actual technology involved. It is the decision making process that is important and that is why I highly recommend this book.

"Lance Winslow" - Lance Winslow's Bio. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/.

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Computer Books - Update Yourself With The Latest In Information Technology

Some people are not even aware of what are computers and how are they useful to us. They can benefit a lot by reading computer books. Computer knowledge has become necessary these days to succeed in any area of specialisation. Every job requires that the candidate should have computer knowledge. We have become so dependent on these machines that our work would stop if we do not have access to them. The books which impart knowledge on the basics of computers help us a lot to know about the technical terms associated with them.

Computer training books are essential in the field of computer learning. These manuals are classified based on various subjects of computers. One can satisfy his desires of getting expertise in this area by reading these educational books.

Now a days, computers have become an important subject for children in schools. By reading these books, children can learn about the various applications which are most commonly used like Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc. These educational books teach us a lot about the latest applications and technologies.

Can you imagine the world without computers? Well, its quite difficult to imagine so. In today's modern world, these powerful machines have become necessary for every job. There are computer training schools opened in every corner of the world. This education helps us to learn the various technologies that can facilitate our work. You need to have a practical knowledge and hands-on computer experience and skills. They have become an important tool for business as well as homes.

If you wish to acquire promotion in your job, you are required to keep yourself updated by having sound knowledge of computers. One needs to be computer savvy to succeed in his life. You can easily elevate yourself by obtaining knowledge of the technological advancements and by reading the educational computer books. They can help you in all spheres of life. The easy to understand computer books give you all the information about computer devices so that you can prosper in your area of expertise.

The best place to search for these books is online stores. Here you will get all the popular authors' books. You can even read reviews given by different users and then make your decision. Research carefully and take your time. Not only you will get discounted priced books but also get free gifts and offers.

Know more about audio books [http://www.rupizcompare.co.uk/books-and-magazines/book-category.aspx?bookCategory=audiocd] and buy books [http://www.rupizcompare.co.uk/books-and-magazines/] at cheap price.

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Artificial Intelligence Everywhere - A Book Review

Do you ever wonder how our modern day computers came into existence? If you do, then perhaps, you'd like to read some incredible history, and consider all the philosophical debate on artificial intelligence, machine learning, and some of the future perceived uses of this technology. If so, then I'd sure like to recommend an extremely interesting book to you. One that was well ahead of its time, and one that today would still make you think.

Yes, if you are asking, this is a book that's in my personal library. And it is a good book that I'd recommend to you, if this topic interests you. The name of the book is;

"Soft Architecture Machine" by Nicholas Negroponte, MIT Press, MA, 1976, (140 pp), ISBM: 978-02621-4018-8

So, imagine a self creating artificially intelligent CAD CAM software program, which could design buildings, all by itself without a human operator, and these would be buildings that would be more pleasing to humans, than even the buildings that humans build themselves. Now consider artificial intelligence inside your home which constantly manipulates your home for your needs. Sort of like the Bill Gates high-tech home of the future on steroids.

Climate control just happens, it would sense if you were warm or cold or what was needed. Walls would move in, open up as needed, light would be redirected, entire kitchens would fold away, and even the pictures on the wall would change depending on who was walking down the hallway. All that stuff now doesn't seem so exotic, most of it exists, and the rest seems like a very possible future. However this book was written in 1976.

And the folks at MIT were busy figuring out how to design all that back then. Well it's here now, or most of it and the rest will be coming soon. Indeed I hope you will please consider this, and purchase this book if it interests you. Think on it.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes believes in AI.

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Computer Book Review - Microsoft's Next Leap Forward

One of the greatest success stories of all times in the business world is perhaps the story and history of Microsoft. Selling software is a great business because once you create it, you can indeed sell it millions of times. And Microsoft has the advantage because their operating systems run on 95% of all computers in the World. Under the leadership of Bill Gates in all his creating brilliance and genius, he created one of the most dynamic and largest companies on a surface of the planet.

But now that Bill Gates has left the company, many are wondering what comes next. Microsoft is no longer just a software company, as they are involved in the Internet, they run the second largest, and many would agree the best search engine and they are involved in online advertising. Microsoft is also a media company amongst other things. Their research and development departments are on the leading technological edge of just about everything.

Many its software industry analysts wonder what will be the next step for Microsoft. Will Microsoft break off into a spinoff companies? Now that the Federal Trade Commission's unwarranted attacks are completed with Microsoft and the now that Bill Gates has left the company, where will they go today? Indeed, there seems to be a lot of pretty strong opinions and countless predictions on this subject.

One author has some things to say on this issue and whereas, I think she has some very good points, I do not agree with all of her contention, but she brings up some very interesting and philosophical questions. Thus, I'd like to recommend this book to you;

"Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft plans to Stay Relevant in the Post Gates Era," by Mary Jo Foley, John Wiley and Sons Publishing; 2008.

"Lance Winslow" - Lance Winslow's Bio. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/.

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PDF Hacks - 100 Industrial Strength Tips and Tools by Sid Steward - Book Review

If you have ever downloaded free ebooks, product manuals, consumer guides, etc from the web you are aware of PDF files. These files owe much of their popularity to the fact that they can be read on any computer with the free Adobe reader. Also, most word processing programs have the capability of converting a document to PDF format with a mouse click. PDF is the acronym for Portable Document Format, a format created by Adobe Systems for document exchange. I was a passive use until I picked up a copy of "PDF Hacks" by Sid Steward. This book really opened by eyes to the many features of this tool.

The first to interest me was PDFtk, or PDF Tool Kit. This is a set of command line tools available for both windows and linux. With PDFtk the user can select specific pages of a document, rearrange them, combine with other books, and essentially create customized reference documents. As an example, I have the usual collection of ebooks on article writing. By combining my favorite pages from each, I had one handy reference source. I even added my own notes to various sections to tie the material together and document the tips and procedures I had discovered.

For some time I have been using the free open source program Inkscape to create vector graphics. Inkscape has many of the same features as Adobe Illustrator. Sid shows how to use pstoedit to create vector files and embed them in a document.

There is a section on adding web style navigation to your PDF document. Buttons can be used to link to online material. It is easy to style these buttons to get away from the usual gray institutional looking buttons.

Hack #66 shows how to copy protect the PDF document you have created. This is very important because of the ease with which documents are passed around on the web. It is very frustrating to spend a lot of time and research developing a commercial product that has real value for the reader only to find that is being distributed by others as a free document.

I knew that Visual basic could be used to access and manipulate PDFs. What I didn't know but learned in Hack #95 was that I could do the same thing with perl. Perl is free, well documented, and has an extensive support community. There are many available perl modules to simplify the code for any project.

PDF Hacks is a great book. Grab a copy and start creating your own books.

John Paige is a writer, researcher, and student of how technology can be used to enhance the quality of life

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Deal With Windows Error Messages

It is very common that many computer users have encountered and faced the problem which Windows error messages pop up repeatedly. It must lead to programs not to respond and the PC to slow down or freeze. It is more dangerous when you are operating your pc.

You can image that when you are either installing or uninstalling a program or hardware when windows errors occur and then changes occur in your windows registry that may not always be accurately reflected, thus creating numerous unused applications, incomplete commands, and broken drives. As we all know that windows registry is a very important database in which all programs that you use, including Windows itself, store an enormous volume of data.

Essentially, it represents your PC's unique configuration. So whenever you make a change to the control panel settings, file associations, system policies, or installed software, the changes are reflected in the registry. In effect, windows registry monitors the way your entire system behaves, and unless you keep this registry clean and error-free, you will not get away from windows error messages. When you install and uninstall software, for example, you may make a change in your registry and even a very little registry change may lead to registry mangle.

So it is pretty obvious that without a clean and efficient registry, your windows operating system is vulnerable to corruption and crashing.

Therefore, you need to take corrective measures to optimize the performance of your PC by cleaning your windows registry.

The best way is to use a good Registry Cleaner to scan and fix your registry periodically. Of course,you can use regedit to clean your registry manually. But it is not suitable for most pc users. This is because only a technologically proficient person can manually edit the registry. It is a delicate and time-consuming process, and amateurs run the risk of permanently damaging their systems by trying to manually clean their windows registry.

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A Review - Adobe Photoshop CS One-on-One

As the title implies, Deke McClelland gives the reader a one-on-one approach to the wonders of Adobe Photoshop CS. The book provides a comprehensive walk through of the features of Photoshop in a classroom setting where the reader is the lone student and McClelland the teacher.

Deke McClelland is an Adobe Certified Expert and a member of the PhotoshopWorld Instructor Dream Team. He was inducted into the National Association of Photoshop Professionals' Photoshop Hall of Fame in 2002.

This full-color book includes two hours of video tutorials in CD. It features a step by step presentation of real-world projects that are sure to help the reader gain proficiency with Photoshop. The reader is give a rich amount of graphics theory, best practices, and tips for avoiding Photoshop disasters. McClelland's approach to learning Photoshop bridges the gap among available literature on the subject and provides a unique educational experience.

The book is created with the intention of making the seemingly monumental task of mastering Photoshop look like a walk in the park. Inside are twelve lessons, each made up of three to six exercises, illustrated with more than 600 photos, diagrams, and screen shots. Each book-based lesson comes with a corresponding video lesson, included on a companion CD. The exercises are project-based, culminating in real-world projects that readers can show off when they've finished.

The book also contains "Extra Credit" sections that show readers how to tap into Photoshop's powerful features to give their projects a professional polish. Multiple choice quizzes follow each lesson, providing a great teaching tool for educators and a way for new users to test their knowledge.

Rich with "Pearls of Wisdom" gained from McClelland's years of experience, "Photoshop CS One-on-One" is accessible to complete beginners while still offering tips and secrets that even the most experienced Photoshop users are unaware of. Readers are sure to find that the combination of step-by-step lessons and video introduction provide the best learning experience of any Photoshop resource on the market.

The exercises included with each lesson are interesting and fun to do. The end result is almost always something you can be proud to say you created.

Because of its comprehensive approach, understanding this book fully will take some time. Take it slowly and at your own pace. McClelland's wit, literary allusions and breezy writing style help turn a cumbersome, complicated and sometimes mysterious computer application into a user-friendly tool.

Did you find this article useful? For more useful tips and hints, points to ponder and keep in mind, techniques, and insights pertaining to Photoshop, do please browse for more information at our websites.

[http://www.infozabout.com]

[http://www.photoshopcs.infozabout.com]

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The Extreme Searcher's Internet Handbook - A Guide For The Serious Searcher by Randolph Hock

Looking for something on the Internet and need more than the results you find with a quick Google or Bing search? If so, this might be just the book you are looking for. "The Extreme Searcher's Internet Handbook: A Guide For The Serious Searcher" by Randolph Hock is touted as the essential guide for anyone who uses the internet for research - librarians, teachers, students, writers, business professionals, and others who need to search the web proficiently. The book provides strategies and tools (including search engines, portals, and social networks) for all major areas of internet content. The author explains how and when to go beyond the leading search engines and offers techniques for using Web 2.0 resources like Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn, and more.

Here is the really great thing about this book. Hock has organized it very well, so you can easily find what you are looking for, and the book is also written for everyone. Don't worry, you don't need to be a computer geek to understand this book. In fact, it is written for the non techie or geek, and for anyone who just wants to use the internet and web to locate information. Again, the book is organized well. It starts with a detailed table of contents, then a listing of the figures and tables in the book, a foreword and then introduction that includes a brief overview of the chapters and some advice on proceeding. There is also a page about the web page that accompanies this book that you will most likely want to check out. I'm planning on using it.

The book is divided into ten chapters that focus on the basics for the serious searcher; directories and portals; the basics about search engines; more specifics about search engines; discussion groups, forums, newsgroups, and their relatives; an internet reference shelf; sights and sounds, or how to find images, audio and video; news resources; finding products online, and your own place on the web, participating and publishing. All of these chapters contain many websites and a lot of practical information regarding finding what you are looking for. There are so many different places to look for things, and this guide really does help you figure out the best places to look for what you need. In the back, there is a list of all the sites covered in the book, and if you visit the accompanying website, the links are provided there.

Easy enough for the novice, but with ideas that even experts may not know about, this book contains the information to make anyone an advanced expert at finding things on the internet, or in other words, an extreme searcher.

Alain Burrese, J.D. is a writer, speaker, and mediator who teaches how to live, take action, and get things done through the Warrior's Edge. He is an expert on conflict and mediates and teaches conflict resolution and negotiation. Additionally, he teaches physical conflict skills in his Hapkido and Self-Defense courses, lectures, and seminars. Alain is the author of Hard-Won Wisdom From The School Of Hard Knocks, the DVDs Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking series, and numerous articles and reviews. You can read more articles and reviews and see clips of his DVDs as well as much more at http://www.burrese.com/ and http://www.yourwarriorsedge.com/

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Computer Books Are Important to Have on Your Small Business Book Shelf

Computers are a way of life and yet two decades ago computers did not even exist, well, not personal computers like the type that every single person in America owns and has in their home or office. Sometimes keeping up with the technology is not easy at all.

There are always new words to learn with each new technology and it is as enough you have to learn a whole new language just to understand what those in the industry are talking about. There are always new buzzwords and you must learn at least some of these words otherwise you cannot comprehend what the computer experts are trying to explain to you.

It is for this reason that I'd like to recommend a very good book to you and one, which I believe you should have in your own personal library so that you do not get behind on computer vocabulary. The book is called;

"Computer; a dictionary of computer words of the English Language" (new Revised Edition) Trident Press international; Date: 2001.

So, you ask why did I like this book so much, well indeed, I'd like to explain just why this book is a must read and why it is my contention that you should own a copy to have in your own personal library at home or in the office. First, the back of this book has 120 pages labeled; An Introduction To Personal Computers.

While the first part of the book is a pocket dictionary with just about every single word that has to do with computers that was invented before the year 2000. No, words like; blog, blogger, blogging and social networking are not in it, but in a way that just proves the point of how fast the computer world moves and why you need to stay on top of it. So, please consider this.

Lance Winslow - Lance Winslow's Bio. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/.

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The Minimum You Need to Know About Logic to Work in IT - Book Review

If you are an IT college student, you are likely being gypped. Logic is no longer taught and it really is something you need. According to Roland Hughes, in his book, "The Minimum You Need to Know About Logic to Work in IT," "Logic is the fundamental tool of IT."

This book has nothing to do with Leonard Nimoy and Spock's form of Logic, but I'll bet that character would have had knowledge of it! This is where you will be taught what you should still be getting from college professors. So, what's it all about? Yes, there are the basics of flowcharting and pseudocode, and there are chapters on fundamental data types, searching and sorting, decision order (with multiple exercises to work on), and even more on linked lists, hash, and relational databases. And what happens during a major disaster? Surviving the Fire is a must read chapter.

Hughes' familiar style permeates the book. His wit and humor make for interesting reading of what could be bone dry material. His decades of experience shine through, leaving readers thankful and wishing he were a college professor at their local university. If this is your first introduction to Roland Hughes, be sure to check out his other works, such as, "The Minimum You Need to Know to be an OpenVMS Application Developer," and "The Minimum You Need to Know About Java on OpenVMS." If you are going into the IT field, Roland Hughes should, and will, become a familiar name to you.

The Minimum You Need to Know About Logic to work in IT

By Roland Hughes

ISBN 0-9770866-2-3

Heather Froeschl is an author, award winning editor, and book reviewer, at http://www.quilldipper.com/ and http://www.bookideas.com/

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Recommended Reads - World of Warcraft

With the amount of lore within the World of Warcraft Series, great novels have been written to accompany and explain it. Here at My Norgannon we have decided to a quick review of some of these novels as we highly recommended that you look into reading some of them. These novels have been written with great detail. Whether you are the novice or the expert on the Warcraft Series, these books are for you.

The Original Series

1. Day of The Dragon by: Richard A Knaak

This novel takes place after the second war. The main plot line is the freeing of Dragonqueen Alexstraza from the Dragonmaw Clan. A Dalaran Mage Rhonin is in charge of freeing her. Rhonin along with the dragon mage Krasus. On their journey to rescue the Dragonqueen they are faced with many challenges along the way. They were attacked by a dragonmaw orc patrol along and faced many similar complecations. My Norgannon considers this a great read.

2. Lord of the Clans by: Christie Golden.

This novel is the story of the rise of Warchief Thrall after the collapse of the horde.

Back of Book Description.

Slave. Gladiator.Shaman. Warchief. The enigmatic orc known as Thrall has been all of these. Raised from infancy by cruel human masters who sought to mold him into their perfect pawn, Thrall was driven by both the savagery in his heart and the cunning of his upbringing to pursue a destiny he was only beginning to understand-to break his bondage and rediscover the ancient traditions of his people. Now the tumultuous tale of his life's journey-a saga of honor, hatred, and hope-can at last be told....

My Norgannon finds this book very interesting and recommend to anyone who is interested in the story behind the rise of Thrall.

3. The Last Guardian by: Jeff Grub

This novel is about Medivh's struggle between evil and good. As he is destined to be very powerful, his decisions can change the very face of Azeroth.

Back of Book Description

The Guardians of Trisfal: a line of champions imbued with godlike powers, each one through the ages charged with fighting a lonely secret war against the Burning Legion. Medivh was fated from birth to become the greatest and most powerful of this noble order. But from the beginning a darkness tainted his soul, corrupting his innocence and turning to evil the powers that should have fought for good. Torn by two destinies, Medivh's struggle against the malice within him became one with the fate of Azeroth itself...and changed the world forever.

War of the Ancients Series

This book series acts as a prequel to Warcraft games and other novels. These help players understand the lore of The World of Warcraft greatly and we highly recommend them. The three following novels are by the writer Richard A. Knaak.

1. The Well of Eternity

This novel takes place months after the Battle for Mount Hyjal. Three warriors from current times were sent back in time from a mysterious rift in the Kalimdor Mountians. These warriors have to convice the Queen to not cleanse Azeroth of the lesser races.

Back of Book Description

In the first chapter of this epic trilogy, the outcome of the historic War of the Ancients is forever altered by the arrival of three time-lost heroes: Krasus, the dragon mage whose great power and memories of the ancient conflict have inexplicably diminished; the human wizard Rhonin, whose thoughts are divided between his family and the seductive source of his now-growing power; and Broxigar, a weathered orc veteran who seeks a glorious death in combat. But unless these unlikely allies can convince the demigod, Cenarius, and the untrusting Night Elves of their queen's treachery, the Burning Legion's gateway into Azeroth will open anew. And this time -- the struggles of the past may well spill over into the future...

2. The Demon Soul

The Demon Soul is the story of the night elves defense of the Burning Legion from their lands. The Burning Legion's current attack led by Archimonde currently stands at the well of eternity. With the defense Malfurion Stormrage and the wizard Krasus lead the Night Elves against the onslaught of the Burning Legion. On their final stand a ancient power awakens and forges a weapon of unimaginable power. The Demon Soul has the power to drive the legion from Azerot completely but its use will cost more than anyone could have predicted.

3. The Great Sundering

As the last novel of the series, The Great Sundering describes the end of the War of the Ancients time line. This includes the Sundering of Azeroth into the two continents that exist today.

Back of Book Discription

The hour of wrath draws near...

The valiant night elves have been shattered by the loss of their beloved general. The black dragon, Neltharion, has claimed the Demon Soul and scattered the mighty dragonflights to the winds. Above all, the demonlord, Archimonde, has led the Burning Legion to the very brink of victory over Kalimdor. As the land and its denizens reel from this unstoppable evil, a terror beyond all reckoning draws ever nearer from the Well of Eternity's depths...

In the final, apocalyptic chapter of this epic trilogy, the dragon-mage Krasus and the young druid Malfurion must risk everything to save Azeroth from utter destruction. Banding together the dwarves, tauren and furbolg races, the heroes hope to spark an alliance to stand against the might of the Burning Legion. For if the Demon Soul should fall into the Legion's hands, all hope for the world will be lost. This then, is the hour... where past and future collide

The Authors who have written these books have put much time into them. We and My Norgannon suggest you all to read some or all of them. It would also be great to pass this information onto your friends as they can find much pleasure from reading them. As these books are numbered, they are not required to read all of them to understand the others. You can read any book from either series and have a good idea of whats going on.

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