Customer Reviews (2)

If you need to start at Square One
I know, it's written for kids about 10 years old (perhaps younger) but if that's where you need to start... So many books assume you know things, and if you're from the era of slide rules and long division on paper, this one will help you get started, even if it only takes you 20 minutes to get through it. I'm very glad my local library keeps this one in the Adult section!

for kids
um, this book is for kids, i mean small children. it has great big print, and tells you very little that is useful. ... Read more

Product Description
What's inside a computer? How does information get into and out of the computer? Can faster, more powerful computers be invented? These questions and more will be answered in Computers. Learn about computers from the gigantic machines with mechanical switches to the computers of today. (20020601) ... Read more

Product Description
As the Internet continues to transform commerce as we know it, the method of payment is one component that's critical to successfully conducting business across a network. Electronic Payment Systems offers the first comprehensive, up-to-date survey of the major electronic payment systems currently available.

Requiring only a basic familiarity with computing and networking, the book covers numerous Internet payment systems including E-cash, SET (secure electronic transactions), FSTC electronic check project, and Millicent. It identifies the properties unique to the various systems, provides a working knowledge of the necessary cryptography, and explains the protocols involved. In eight concisely written chapters, it provides all the background needed to understand how each payment system works and to select the system and financial software best suited to a specific company's needs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Not up-to-date!
This book is from 2001 so it is definitely not up-to-date. In one table, it compares 25 different companies that offer payment options on the web but only 4 or so are even around. So I'd be wary about paying $88 for information that may not be too trustworthy. Seems geared more towards academics than professionals.

An excellent book, but...
If you want a great overview of electronic payments, the various schemes in operation and how they work, this is the book for you.I downloaded the eBook version of this book to do some research on electronic payments and it proved invaluable.I have read only the following sections in detail: overview, security techniques and micropayments, but I would say the book is worth the price just for the lucidity, structured presentation and breadth of coverage of these chapters. The chapters on credit cards and other forms of ePayments look just as well written based on my cursory look at them. The language is precise and non-obfuscatory, readable by managers and technical folks alike, while providing a depth of detail adequate to design your own systems based on these principles, unlike your typical technical book!However, the eBook version has certain extremely annoying featires which compel me to give this book only 3 stars as opposed to the 5 stars it deserves: you can't print even a single page, you can download it only to 3 computers (which is a pain if you have a PC and a laptop at home, and a work PC, and if you then want to refer to it when on a business trip or vacation from another PC),and you can't copy and paste even a word from this document.Draconian copyright measures, if you consider that you can do all these things with a paper version of the book.This is exactly the kind of arrogance on the part of eBook publishers that's going to kill the industry, because I will never buy an eBook again unless I have no choice.If you aren't in a tearing hurry, I'd say get the paper version.

Academics understand technology, not the business
I believe this book is a good technical study in the bits and bytes of how payment systems work, yet lacks the real-world applications, value propositions, and financial information on why some payment systems work, and many others are complete failures in the real world.Technology is only one segment of the payment arena.

excellent book
this book has gathered information about payment system as good as possible.I hope every one thatlike E_banking technology see this book!

To the point
For those who are seeking the alternative topologies in Electronic Payment systems this book is a very good starting point with some very good references as well. Gives a good insight on the mechanisms as well. Onedownside is that too much emphasis is put on maths for security relatedsubject compared to the general aim and tone of the book. ... Read more

Product Description
A practical, step-by-step approach for improving an organization's software development process, using the Software Engineering Institute's Capability Maturity Model (CMM).Gives software project managers & administrators a practical understanding of software process improvement with CMM & how it can be implemented.DLC: Computer software - development. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Very Helpful Book
This is a very helpful book for anyone working to implement the Capability Maturity Model. The author describes the culture that is necessary for effective process improvement, and clarifies the CMM terms, making them easier to use. He also describes the need for metrics in process improvement, and recommends methods for capturing and using the information you collect. There is also a very helpful chapter on assessments. Overall I found the book informative and easy to read.

There are much better books on CMM
While implementing CMM in our company we read about all books on CMM currently on the market.

This book is one of the worst we read. Most of the paper is just filling (especially the last chapters, written by a student). The thing that is "good" about the book is the case study in one chapter on how CMM is implemented in NASA on a very high level. I don't know where where the other reviewer got the "sense of humour" from.

If you want to know more about CMM you're better off buying the book on CMM by Mark C. Paulk.

An excellent new book on software quality & CMM.
I had the opportunity to read Mr. Raynus' book prior to final publication, and feel that it provides the best overview of process improvement with CMM now available. It is not a detailed analysis of the model; rather it linksthis valuable tool to overall software improvement. Mr. Raynus discussesother tools which must be used in this endeavor--common sense, a good graspof software metrics, and the ability to define goals and objectives. SWprofessionals will find his outlook to be a breath of fresh air--he hasbeen in the business, and knows how to put CMM in the right perspective. Throughout the book interesting parables and quotes are used to underscorethe need for good problem definition, and a sensible outlook.Then thespecifics of CMM are brought in to show how this powerful model can be usedto focus an organization's efforts.Also notable is the concise way Mr.Raynus organizes and explains the area of software metrics, which is theunderpinning for CMM. Finally, the author provides excellent case studymaterial, showing first-hand the ways an organization copes withmajor CMMimplementation--this alone is worth the price of the book.

It may soundlike an oxymoron to call this "an enjoyable CMM book"--softwareengineering isn't supposed to be fun! Even so, Mr. Raynus brings personality and a sense of humour to his task, as well as a lot ofconceptual and practical expertise. I for one strongly recommend the bookfor anyone working with, or considering, software improvement efforts withCMM. ... Read more

Product Description
This series has been designed to give children an insight into the world of science and technology. Each book explores and explains the latest scientific knowledge and is illustrated with explanatory diagrams. This book focuses on the revolution caused by the development of computers and examines the principles, variety and applications of computer technology. The topics covered include the electronic brain, computer hardware and software, the silicon chip, computer languages, manufacture, robotics and automation. The book also describes how computers have contributed to various aspects of human activity. ... Read more

Product Description
This book coherently documents the results and experiences of a major digital library pilot effort, the MeDoc project (Multimedia Electronic Documents). This two-year project was initiated by the German Informatics Society (GI) and involved authors, publishers, librarians, and computer science departments. The prototype distributed digital library system developed during the initiative was operated in a nationwide trial for several months. The book presents the technical and operational results achieved during the project as well as input from foreign digital library activities. Besides professionals active in the area of digital library research and design, this book addresses librarians and others engaged in scientific publishing. ... Read more