Ray Duncan is a software developer, neonatologist, and author of several programming books. He can be reached at duncan@cerf.net.
A lot of water has passed over the dam, or, if you prefer, a great many terabits have been routed through the backbone, since I wrote my "Programmer's Bookshelf" columns on Internet books (February, April, and August 1993). In that short time, the Internet has continued to grow exponentially, in effect becoming the data conduit and mail switch for the entire civilized world. Concurrently, it has become the darling of both politicians and the media, the presumptive cornerstone of the National Information Initiative, a marketing weapon for the commercial online services, a preferred medium of exchange for soft pornography and stolen software, and fodder for hype masters of every persuasion.
Book publishers have jumped onto the Internet bandwagon with a vengeance. Two years ago, it was difficult to find a dozen books total about the Internet. Then O'Reilly & Associates released Ed Krol's breakthrough book, The Whole Internet User's Guide and Catalog, and much to their surprise sold 250,000 copies--a megahit, as technical books go. Now, the problem is rather different--every publishing house has a dozen Internet books on the racks and more on the way; the real challenge has become winnowing out the few books with intrinsic value amid the deluge of clones, drones, and blatant rip-offs.
In this month's "Programmer's Bookshelf" I'll provide thumbnail sketches of the subset of Internet-related books that I've read and believe are worth your attention for one reason or another. For reasons of space (and to protect my sanity), I have omitted the excruciatingly basic and tiresome books of the Internet for Dummies or Idiot's Guide to the Internet genre. However, I have included a few introductory books that are appropriate for the technically sophisticated Dr. Dobb's audience, or have other special attributes.
Connecting to the Internet, by Susan Estrada (O'Reilly & Associates, 1993, $15.95, ISBN 1-56592-061-9), focuses entirely on the sometimes nontrivial chore of obtaining Internet connectivity at a suitable speed and price point. It includes useful explanations of the different types of network connections, performance trade-offs, and an international list of network providers.
Internet: Getting Started, by April Marine, Susan Kirkpatrick, Vivian Neou, and Carol Ward at the Network Information Systems Center, Stanford Research Institute (Prentice Hall, 1994, $28.00, ISBN 0-13-289596-X), assembles lots of useful reference material: an index to Requests for Comments (RFCs, the Internet consensus technical-standard documents), a list of public providers, overseas-contact information, and the like. The book takes a bit too much for granted to be used alone by the average Internet beginner, but makes a good companion to the Krol book.
Internet CD, by Vivian Neou at SRI International (Prentice Hall, 1994, $49.95, ISBN 0-13-123852-3), is a book/CD-ROM combination made up of public-domain or shareware TCP/IP software for MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows, and UNIX. The book itself consists largely of patched together program documentation files with a minimum of editing and is cryptic to the point of unusability in several sections. However, the package is well worth its price for the CD-ROM, which contains UUCP, SLIP, packet drivers, gopher, FTP, and mail software for DOS and Windows; gopher and WAIS software for UNIX; and the complete LINUX Version 1.2 operating system with source code. Inexplicably (and disappointingly), the CD does not contain the Mosaic clients for Windows or UNIX, or any of the excellent public domain/shareware Macintosh TCP/IP software that is available.
The Internet Companion Plus, by Tracy LaQuey and Jeanne C. Ryer (Addison-Wesley, 1993, $19.95, ISBN 0-201-62719-1), is a pocket-sized guide to basic Internet terminology, utilities, and resources. Although it takes a relatively low-tech, gee-whiz approach, it is a good choice for your technically challenged friends. The latest printing includes a disk with communications software by Intercon Systems.
The Internet Navigator, Second Edition, by Paul Gilster (John Wiley & Sons, 1994, $24.95, ISBN 0-471-05260-4), is detailed, readable, and with its fine production values, could have been one of the best introductory books available. Unfortunately, the first edition of the book was severely retro: It was strictly oriented to dial-up, character-based accounts on UNIX hosts and completely ignored non-UNIX connectivity issues and graphical clients such as Mosaic. The second edition, however, includes more on ftp and other topics, which may make the book more useful to Mac and PC users with Internet connectivity.
The Whole Internet User's Guide and Catalog, Second Edition, by Ed Krol (O'Reilly & Associates, 1994, $24.95, ISBN 1-56592-063-5), is an excellent mid-level introduction to the Internet, the first of its kind and still the book to beat. It explains why to connect, how to connect, how to use basic network tools, how to troubleshoot networking problems, and what cool things you can do with your Internet connectivity once you've got it. The second edition has expanded coverage of the World Wide Web (WWW) and its graphical clients, including Mosaic, and an updated resource guide. Beautifully written, illustrated, edited, and produced, this book is a model for technical publishers everywhere.
USENET: Netnews for Everyone, by Jenny A. Fristrup (Prentice Hall, 1994, $24.95, ISBN 0-13-123167-7), is a brief introduction to what USENET is and how it works, news-reader programs, terminology, and netiquette. It includes a comprehensive list of USENET newsgroups sorted by category and topic. Although oriented to beginners, DDJ readers may still find it useful.
Using UUCP and UseNet, by Grace Todino and Dale Dougherty (O'Reilly & Associates, 1986, $21.95, ISBN 0-937175-10-2), is UNIX-centric and its sections on UUCP are increasingly irrelevant, but its explanations of the use and abuse of Internet "news" will be helpful to any Internet novice.
Zen and the Art of the Internet: A Beginner's Guide, Third Edition, by Brendan P. Kehoe (Prentice Hall, 1994, $23.95, ISBN 0-13-121492-6), is a brief, well-focused introduction to Internet terms, electronic mail, utilities, and resources. Previous editions of this book were rather dismal, but the third edition is attractive and easy to read. A good starting point for any would-be Internet user.
!%@:: Addressing and Networks, Fourth Edition, by Donnalyn Frey and Rick Williams (O'Reilly & Associates, 1994, $9.95, ISBN 0-56592-046-5), starts out with an introduction to addressing conventions, continues with a brief description of each major network throughout the world that has connectivity to the Internet, and finishes up with a comprehensive list of known Internet addressing domains and subdomains. This is a great coffee-table book for Internet nerds and self-professed "net surfers," but it also has some practical utility for network managers.
EMAIL Addresses of the Rich & Famous, by Seth Godin (Addison-Wesley, 1994, $7.95, ISBN 0-201-40893-7), is divided into various categories: Academics, Authors, Celebrities, Government Mandarins, Phi-losophers and Deep Thinkers, Reporters, Military-Industrial Complex, Rich Americans (such as Bill Gates and Ross Perot), World Peace Creators, and so on. Not a particularly useful book in the strictest sense, but makes a great conversation piece.
Internet Worlds On Internet '94, edited by Tony Abbott (Mecklermedia, 1994, $34.95, ISBN 0-887-369-294), is a hashed-over version of the famous (and free) Internet "List of [mailing] Lists," augmented with some additional sections on electronic journals, community and campus information services, FTP sites, and WAIS servers. I mention this book mainly to steer you away from it; it is ridiculously expensive, poorly organized and edited, and the production values stink.
Internet: Mailing Lists, edited by Edward T.L. Hardie and Vivian Neou at the Network Information Systems Center, Stanford Research Institute (Prentice Hall, 1993, $29.00, ISBN 0-13-289661-30), is a comprehensive guide to mailing lists, many of which are reflected to USENET (or vice versa). Especially valuable for Internet users who have dial-up e-mail access only.
New Riders' Official Internet Yellow Pages, by Christine Maxwell and Czeslaw Jan Grycz (New Riders Publishing, 1994, $29.95, ISBN 1-56205-306-X), is an extensive list of Internet mailing lists, FTP archives, telnet query interfaces, gopher and WWW servers, and other resources, categorized and sorted alphabetically by topic (for example, medieval history, Medline, Melrose Place, memorabilia, and so on).
The Internet Directory, by Eric Braun (Ballantine Books, 1994, $25.00, ISBN 0-449-90898-4), is another comprehensive list of Internet access providers, mailing lists, newsgroups, library catalogs, FTP archives, and archie, gopher, WAIS, and WWW servers.
The Internet Yellow Pages, by Harley Hahn and Rick Stout (Osborne McGraw-Hill, 1994, $27.95, ISBN 0-07-882023-5), is similar to New Riders' Yellow Pages, but is not as detailed or as well organized. Somewhat slanted toward that category of Internet users who download GIF files of girls in swimsuits and hang out in the goofier newsgroups.
Exploring the Internet: A Technical Travelogue, by Carl Malamud (Prentice Hall, 1992, $26.95, ISBN 0-13-296898-3), defies classification and pretty much defies description as well. The author recounts his jaunts around the world to meet Internet wizards and taste exotic foods. You'll learn about some strange fruits in this book, both the kind you might find in a market and the kind you might find administering a national network.
Interconnections: Bridges and Routers, by Radia Perlman (Addison-Wesley, 1992, $49.50, ISBN 0-201-56332-0), is completely dedicated to the obscure and somewhat magical topic of bridges, routers, data-packet handling, and routing algorithms.
Internet System Handbook, edited by Daniel C. Lynch and Marshall T. Rose (Addison-Wesley 1993, $61.25, ISBN 0-201-56741-5), is a massive collection of technical essays and overviews by various prestigious network architects, gurus, and programmers. Tough to digest technically in some areas, and suffering from uneven editing and style, but nonetheless a valuable resource.
Internetworking with TCP/IP, Volume I: Principles, Protocols, and Architecture, by Douglas E. Comer (Prentice Hall, 1991, $60.00, ISBN 0-13-468505-9), and Internetworking with TCP/IP, Volume II: Design, Implementation, and Internals, Second Edition, by Douglas E. Comer and David L. Stevens (Prentice Hall, 1994, $50.00, ISBN 0-13-125527-4), constitute the most detailed and most structured technical course on TCP/IP networking that the average programmer could need or want. As you might guess from the titles, the first volume is mainly descriptive, while the second focuses on implementation techniques with plenty of example source code. The second volume is also probably the only book ever dedicated to a specific IP address.
Internetworking: A Guide to Network Communications, by Mark A. Miller (M&T Books, 1991, $34.95, ISBN 1-55851-143-1), is a somewhat abstract overview of internetworking and protocols, both LAN and WAN.
Open Systems Networking: TCP/IP and OSI, by David M. Piscitello and A. Lyman Chapin (Addison-Wesley, 1993, $49.50, ISBN 0-201-56334-7), is a unique book that explains, compares, and contrasts in parallel the OSI- and TCP/IP-based network layers, routing, directory services, and management. Includes much interesting historical perspective and editorialization. For reasons that escape me, the authors seem to feel that OSI still has some hope of being a significant force in internetworking.
SNMP, SNMPv2, and CMIP: The Practical Guide to Network-Management Standards, by William Stallings (Addison-Wesley, 1993, $49.50, ISBN 0-201-63331-0), is a rather dry textbook about the so-called "Simple Network Management Protocol" (SNMP) protocols, including technical overviews of SNMP-based network monitoring, analysis, and management.
How to Manage Your Network Using SNMP: The Networking Management Practicum, by Marshall T. Rose and Keith McCloghrie (Prentice Hall, 1995, $48.00, ISBN 0-13-141517-4), discusses the basic principles and technology of the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), then illustrates the power of SNMP with code examples and actual output from network sniffers and browsers. One of the authors (Rose) essentially invented SNMP and is well-known as an Internet super-wizard. The book appears to be aimed mostly at the do-it-yourself types, but may also be of interest to users of commercial network-management packages.
Stacks: Interoperabilitiy in Today's Computer Networks, by Carl Malamud (Prentice Hall, 1992, $42.00, ISBN 0-13-484080-1), is a succinct overview of the competing network protocols and transports: OSI, TCP/IP, ISDN, X.25, and so on.
TCP/IP Illustrated, Volume 1: The Proto-cols, by W. Richard Stevens (Addison-Wesley, 1994, $47.50, ISBN 0-201-63346-9), is focused entirely on the implementation and operation of various TCP/IP protocols, with byte-by-byte examples of actual protocol transactions obtained with network-monitoring utilities. Anyone who is writing low-level network code will want to keep this book handy. Strangely enough, Addison-Wesley's publicist wanted me to sign a nondisclosure agreement before looking at galleys of this book. I'm still trying to figure out why, considering the protocols themselves are in the public domain.
TCP/IP: Architecture, Protocols, and Implementation, by Sidnie Feit (McGraw-Hill, 1993, $45.00, ISBN 0-07-020346-6), has a textbook approach, which is thorough and detailed, but not very friendly. It includes chapters on the physical networking layers; IP routing; the IP, TCP, FTP, telnet, and mail protocols; NFS; SNMP-based network management; and the socket programming interface.
The Internet Message: Closing the Book with Electronic Mail, by Marshall T. Rose (Prentice Hall, 1993, $50.00, ISBN 0-13-092941-7), provides an overview of Internet mail protocols by one of the most famous Internet gurus. This book makes it look easy.
The Simple Book: An Introduction to Internet Management, Second Edition, by Marshall T. Rose (Prentice Hall, 1994, $55.00, ISBN 0-13-177254-6), is a highly readable (but relentlessly technical) explanation of the Simple Network Management Protocol Version 2 (SNMPv2) by one of its inventors.
DNS and BIND, by Paul Albitz and Cricket Liu (O'Reilly & Associates, 1992, $29.95, ISBN 1-56592-010-4), has very helpful explanations of DNS, bind, sendmail configuration, and the like, although coverage of SunOS peculiarities is spotty and somewhat outdated.
Firewalls and Internet Security: Repelling the Wily Hacker, by William R. Cheswick and Steven M. Bellovin (Addison-Wesley, 1994, $26.50, ISBN 0-201-63357-4), is written by the researchers responsible for protecting the internal network at AT&T Bell Labs. This book is both entertaining and scary. The authors show you exactly how to set up a near-bulletproof firewall against hackers, industrial saboteurs, graduate students with too much time on their hands, and other nasties that go bump in the night. Then they provide you with plenty of motivation in the form of horror stories about past attacks on their own network.
Managing UUCP and UseNet, Tenth Edition, by Tim O'Reilly and Grace Todino (O'Reilly & Associates, 1992, $27.95, ISBN 0-937175-93-5), is a general discussion of e-mail and news servers and clients.
Practical UNIX Security, by Simson Garfinkel and Gene Spafford (O'Reilly & Associates, 1991, $29.95, ISBN 0-937175-72-2), is UNIX-centric but includes discussions of passwords, gateways, firewall machines, and the like, that will be valuable to any system administrator.
Sendmail, by Bryan Costales with Eric Allman and Neil Rickert (O'Reilly & Associates, 1993, $32.95, ISBN 1-56592-056-2), describes the sendmail daemon, which controls mail flow on BSD UNIX workstations. Sendmail is pervasive but poorly understood--mostly because it is configured via scripts that are cryptic and obscure beyond imagining. Marshall Rose has written: "It is a tribute to the Internet mail system that it works so well, given that sendmail behaves so poorly." This unique, hefty book tames the savage sendmail and should be within arm's length of every network manager at all times.
TCP/IP Network Administration, by Craig Hunt (O'Reilly & Associates, 1992, $29.95, ISBN 0-937175-82-X), is a clearly written, extremely helpful overview of TCP/IP from protocol basics to configuration of gateways, DNS, and sendmail. It also includes nice discussions of network troubleshooting and security considerations. I have found this book an invaluable resource while configuring and managing all types of workstations.
TCP/IP: Running a Successful Network, by K. Washburn and J.T. Evans (Addison-Wesley, 1993, $48.50, ISBN 0-201-62765-5), is a highly technical, comprehensive, practical treatment of TCP/IP network implementation and administration at all levels. Protocols are explained in detail with occasional source-code examples. It includes material on NetBIOS, NFS, routing, gateways, and network testing and debugging.
Troubleshooting TCP/IP: Analyzing the Protocols of the Internet, by Mark A. Miller (M&T Books, 1992, $44.95, ISBN 1-55851-268-3), is an interesting and highly readable guide to implementation, maintenance, and debugging of TCP/IP networks and internetworks, with many practical examples and extensive references. Miller pays particular attention to multiprotocol environments.
Copyright © 1994, Dr. Dobb's Journal