. . . Put this one on your must-have list if you have software, love software, hate programmers, or even ARE a programmer, because Mr. Platt (who teaches programming) has set out to puncture the bloated egos of all those who think that just because they can write a program, they can make it easy to use. . . . This book is funny, but it is also an important wake-up call for software companies that want to reduce the size of their customer support bills. If you were ever stuck for an answer to the question, 'Why do good programmers make such awful software?' this book holds the answer."--John McCormick, Locksmith columnist, TechRepublic.com "I must say first, I don't get many computing manuscripts that make me laugh out loud. Between the laughs, Dave Platt delivers some very interesting insight and perspective, all in a lucid and engaging style. I don't get much of that either!"--Henry Leitner, assistant dean for information technology andsenior lecturer on computer science, Harvard University "A riotous book for all of us downtrodden computer users, written in language that we understand."--Stacy Baratelli, author's barber "David's unique take on the problems that bedevil software creation made me think about the process in new ways. If you care about the quality of the software you create or use, read this book."--Dave Chappell, principal, Chappell & Associates "I began to read it in my office but stopped before I reached the bottom of the first page. I couldn't keep a grin off my face! I'll enjoy it after I go back home and find a safe place to read."--Tsukasa Makino, IT manager "David explains, in terms that my mother-in-law can understand, why the software we use today can be so frustrating, even dangerous at times, and gives us some real ideas on what we can do about it."--Jim Brosseau, Clarrus Consulting Group, Inc. A Book for Anyone Who Uses a Computer Today...and Just Wants to Scream! Today's software sucks. There's no other good way to say it. It's unsafe, allowing criminal programs to creep through the Internet wires into our very bedrooms. It's unreliable, crashing when we need it most, wiping out hours or days of work with no way to get it back. And it's hard to use, requiring large amounts of head-banging to figure out the simplest operations.It's no secret that software sucks. You know that from personal experience, whether you use computers for work or personal tasks. In this book, programming insider David Platt explains why that's the case and, more importantly, why it doesn't have to be that way. And he explains it in plain, jargon-free English that's a joy to read, using real-world examples with which you're already familiar. In the end, he suggests what you, as a typical user, without a technical background, can do about this sad state of our software--how you, as an informed consumer, don't have to take the abuse that bad software dishes out.As you might expect from the book's title, Dave's expose is laced with humor--sometimes outrageous, but always dead on. You'll laugh out loud as you recall incidents with your own software that made you cry. You'll slap your thigh with the same hand that so often pounded your computer desk and wished it was a bad programmer's face. But Dave hasn't written this book just for laughs. He's written it to give long-overdue voice to your own discovery--that software does, indeed, suck, but it shouldn't.

    You can think of Python as your tool to solve problems that are far beyond the capability of a spreadsheet. It is an easy-to-use and easy-to learn programming language that is freely available on Windows, Macintosh, and Linux computers. There are free downloadable copies of this book in various electronic formats and a self-paced free online course where you can explore the course materials. All the supporting materials for the book are available under open and remixable licenses. This book is designed to teach people to program even if they have no prior experience.

    Offering a gentle learning curve, PHP is an accessible yet powerful language for creating dynamic web pages. As its popularity has grown, PHP's basic feature set has become increasingly more sophisticated. Now PHP 5 boasts advanced features--such as new object-oriented capabilities and support for XML and Web Services--that will please even the most experienced web professionals while still remaining user-friendly enough for those with a lower tolerance for technical jargon.If you've wanted to try your hand at PHP but haven't known where to start, then Learning PHP 5 is the book you need. If you've wanted to try your hand at PHP but haven't known where to start, then Learning PHP 5 is the book you need. With attention to both PHP 4 and the new PHP version 5, it provides everything from a explanation of how PHP works with your web server and web browser to the ins and outs of working with databases and HTML forms. Written by the co-author of the popular PHP Cookbook, this book is for intelligent (but not necessarily highly-technical) readers. Learning PHP 5 guides you through every aspect of the language you'll need to master for professional web programming results. This book provides a hands-on learning experience complete with exercises to make sure the lessons stick.Learning PHP 5 covers the following topics, and more:How PHP works with your web browser and web server PHP language basics, including data, variables, logic and looping Working with arrays and functions Making web forms Working with databases like MySQL Remembering users with sessions Parsing and generating XML DebuggingWritten by David Sklar, coauthor of the PHP Cookbook and an instructor in PHP, this book offers the ideal classroom learning experience whether you're in a classroom or on your own. From learning how to install PHP to designing database-backed web applications, Learning PHP 5 will guide you through every aspect of the language you'll need to master to achieve professional web programming results.

    You'll learn the concepts by tying them to on-the-job tasks, blending practice and theory in a way that only Head First can. With this book, you'll learn skills through a variety of genuine scenarios, from fixing a malfunctioning office network to planning a network for a high-technology haunted house. You'll learn exactly what you need to know, rather than a laundry list of acronyms and diagrams. This book will help you:Master the functionality, protocols, and packets that make up real-world networking Learn networking concepts through examples in the field Tackle tasks such as planning and diagramming networks, running cables, and configuring network devices such as routers and switches Monitor networks for performance and problems, and learn troubleshooting techniques Practice what you've learned with nearly one hundred exercises, questions, sample problems, and projects Head First's popular format is proven to stimulate learning and retention by engaging you with images, puzzles, stories, and more. Whether you're a network professional with a CCNA/CCNP or a student taking your first college networking course, Head First Networking will help you become a network guru.

    A Barbara Kingsolver Omnibus; Contains Homeland, The Bean Trees, Pigs In Heaven and 11 other short stories.

    Bjarne Stroustrup, the designer and original implementer of C++, thoroughly covers the details of this language and its use in his definitive reference, The C++ Programming Language, Fourth Edition. In A Tour of C++ , Stroustrup excerpts the overview chapters from that complete reference, expanding and enhancing them to give an experienced programmer-in just a few hours-a clear idea of what constitutes modern C++. In this concise, self-contained guide, Stroustrup covers most major language features and the major standard-library components-not, of course, in great depth, but to a level that gives programmers a meaningful overview of the language, some key examples, and practical help in getting started. Stroustrup presents the C++ features in the context of the programming styles they support, such as object-oriented and generic programming. His tour is remarkably comprehensive. Coverage begins with the basics, then ranges widely through more advanced topics, including many that are new in C++11, such as move semantics, uniform initialization, lambda expressions, improved containers, random numbers, and concurrency. The tour ends with a discussion of the design and evolution of C++ and the extensions added for C++11. This guide does not aim to teach you how to program (see Stroustrup's Programming: Principles and Practice Using C++ for that); nor will it be the only resource you'll need for C++ mastery (see Stroustrup's The C++ Programming Language, Fourth Edition, for that). If, however, you are a C or C++ programmer wanting greater familiarity with the current C++ language, or a programmer versed in another language wishing to gain an accurate picture of the nature and benefits of modern C++, you can't find a shorter or simpler introduction than this tour provides.

    I’m definitely having a midlife crisis…I didn’t expect to be single at forty-five, but I’ve always prided myself on facing up to a challenge. A new town, a better job, and a cozy cottage of my own are all at the top of my To Do list. A new man? Right at the bottom. I’m far too busy for love.Returning to the Devon village of Crows Tor on Dartmoor brings a new lease of life for me – in more ways than one. It turns out my old school friend, Fiona, makes a secret moonshine at her whisky distillery using spring water collected under the full moon. Apparently it enhances your psychic powers, and she tempts me to have a shot… or three.I’m thrilled at the prospect of developing my psychic abilities. And then I look into a crystal ball at the May Day fair and have a vision of a murder. Suddenly it’s not such a fun idea after all, especially when my prediction comes true. Consumed by guilt because I didn’t warn the victim, I’m determined to find the killer, even if it puts me in the very path of danger…*The Midlife Moonshine stories are set on Dartmoor in Devon, England, and contain British English spelling and usage. They are clean reads with no graphic violence, strong language, or sex, but they’re packed with magic, mystery, romance, and history – all starring women in the prime of midlife!

    Richard Coles, led a pilgrimage to all the major historic sites of the Holy Land: from Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee in the North, via Jericho and the Jordan River, to Bethlehem and, finally, Jerusalem. All of the pilgrims in his care were practising Christians, except one: the writer Kevin Jackson, a diffident and sympathetic atheist intrigued by the chance to take part in this modern-day version of an ancient act of piety, and to learn some more about his old friend, the media clergyman.Coles to Jerusalem is Kevin Jackson’s light-hearted diary of that pilgrimage, and a close-up portrait of Richard Coles both as priest and as man. As the journey proceeds, Coles reminisces at length about his past life as a rock star and radical gay agitator, his new life as a spiritual leader and a popular broadcaster on BBC radio and television, and the strange, unpredictable path that led him from self-destructive debauchery to faith and vocation.With a lively supporting cast of fellow pilgrims, Coles to Jerusalem ranges among the magnificence of ancient monuments and the banalities of the guided tour, the grim political background of contemporary Israel and the comedy of a group of idiosyncratic English folk abroad, the intensity of worship and the lightness of banter. It will be irresistible to all admirers of Richard Coles, who has contributed a foreword; and a revelation to those who have never encountered his wisdom and warmth.

    This practical guide covers 10 CISSP exam domains developed by the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC2).

    The intended readers are programmers, architects, and project managers who have to process large amounts of data offline. Hadoop in Action will lead the reader from obtaining a copy of Hadoop to setting it up in a cluster and writing data analytic programs.The book begins by making the basic idea of Hadoop and MapReduce easier to grasp by applying the default Hadoop installation to a few easy-to-follow tasks, such as analyzing changes in word frequency across a body of documents. The book continues through the basic concepts of MapReduce applications developed using Hadoop, including a close look at framework components, use of Hadoop for a variety of data analysis tasks, and numerous examples of Hadoop in action.Hadoop in Action will explain how to use Hadoop and present design patterns and practices of programming MapReduce. MapReduce is a complex idea both conceptually and in its implementation, and Hadoop users are challenged to learn all the knobs and levers for running Hadoop. This book takes you beyond the mechanics of running Hadoop, teaching you to write meaningful programs in a MapReduce framework.This book assumes the reader will have a basic familiarity with Java, as most code examples will be written in Java. Familiarity with basic statistical concepts (e.g. histogram, correlation) will help the reader appreciate the more advanced data processing examples. Purchase of the print book comes with an offer of a free PDF, ePub, and Kindle eBook from Manning. Also available is all code from the book.

    It is a book I recommend." --Scott Guthrie, Corporate Vice President, .NET Developer Platform, Microsoft Corporation "A must-read for a concise but thorough examination of the parallel programming features in the .NET Framework 4." --Stephen Toub, Parallel Computing Platform Program Manager, Microsoft "This wonderful book is a great reference for developers of all levels." -- Chris Burrows, C# Compiler Team, Microsoft When you have questions about how to use C# 4.0 or the .NET CLR, this highly acclaimed bestseller has precisely the answers you need. Uniquely organized around concepts and use cases, this fourth edition includes in-depth coverage of new C# topics such as parallel programming, code contracts, dynamic programming, security, and COM interoperability. You'll also find updated information on LINQ, including examples that work with both LINQ to SQL and Entity Framework. This book has all the essential details to keep you on track with C# 4.0. Get up to speed on C# language basics, including syntax, types, and variables Explore advanced topics such as unsafe code and preprocessor directives Learn C# 4.0 features such as dynamic binding, type parameter variance, and optional and named parameters Work with .NET 4's rich set of features for parallel programming, code contracts, and the code security model Learn .NET topics, including XML, collections, I/O and networking, memory management, reflection, attributes, security, and native interoperability

    What they don't realize—and what Daniel Hillis's short book brilliantly demonstrates—is that computers' seemingly complex operations can be broken down into a few simple parts that perform the same simple procedures over and over again.Computer wizard Hillis offers an easy-to-follow explanation of how data is processed that makes the operations of a computer seem as straightforward as those of a bicycle. Avoiding technobabble or discussions of advanced hardware, the lucid explanations and colorful anecdotes in The Pattern on the Stone go straight to the heart of what computers really do.Hillis proceeds from an outline of basic logic to clear descriptions of programming languages, algorithms, and memory. He then takes readers in simple steps up to the most exciting developments in computing today—quantum computing, parallel computing, neural networks, and self-organizing systems.Written clearly and succinctly by one of the world's leading computer scientists, The Pattern on the Stone is an indispensable guide to understanding the workings of that most ubiquitous and important of machines: the computer.

    JavaScript lets designers add sparkle and life to web pages, while more complex JavaScript has led to the rise of Ajax -- the latest rage in web development that allows developers to create powerful and more responsive applications in the browser window."Learning JavaScript" introduces this powerful scripting language to web designers and developers in easy-to-understand terms. Using the latest examples from modern browser development practices, this book teaches you how to integrate the language with the browser environment, and how to practice proper coding techniques for standards-compliant web sites. By the end of the book, you'll be able to use all of the JavaScript language and many of the object models provided by web browsers, and you'll even be able to create a basic Ajax application.

    Throughout, the emphasis is on how IT provides organizations with strategic advantage by facilitating problem solving, increasing productivity and quality, improving customer service, and enabling business process reengineering. It also covers the latest real-world developments, including the introduction of applied grid computing and utility computing.

    Written by the leading authority on CompTIA A+ certification and training, this expert guide covers CompTIA A+ exams 220-701 and 220-702. You'll find learning objectives at the beginning of each chapter, exam tips, practice exam questions, in-depth explanations, and more than 1,000 photographs and illustrations. Designed to help you pass the CompTIA A+ exams with ease, this definitive volume also serves as an essential on-the-job IT reference. Covers all exam objectives, including how to: Work with CPUs, RAM, motherboards, power supplies, and other PC components Install, partition, and format hard drives Install, upgrade, and troubleshoot WIndows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Vista Troubleshoot PCs and implement security measures Install video and multimedia cards Work with portable PCs, PDAs, smartphones, and wireless technologies Manage printers and connect to networks and the Internet Understand safety and environmental issues Establish good communication skills and adhere to privacy policiesThe CD-ROM features: Practice exams for 701 & 702 600+ chapter review questions New video introduction to CompTIA A+ One-hour video training segment Mike's favorite PC tools and utilities Searchable e-bookMike Meyers, CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, MCP, is the industry's leading authority on CompTIA A+ certification and training. He is the president and founder of Total Seminars, LLC, a major provider of PC and network repair seminars for thousands of organizations throughout the world, and a member of CompTIA.