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Network Working Group J. Quarterman Request for Comments: 1432 MIDS

                                                           March 1993
                       Recent Internet Books

Status of this Memo

 This memo provides information for the Internet community.  It does
 not specify an Internet standard.  Distribution of this memo is
 unlimited.

Abstract

 This article originally appeared in Volume 2 Number 12, (December
 1992) of Matrix News, the monthly newsletter of Matrix Information
 and Directory Services, Inc. (MIDS).

1. Which Books

 Here is a list of books related to using the Internet, which is the
 global and exponentially growing network of more than a million
 computers that communicate by interactive use of the TCP/IP
 protocols, for the use of millions of users.  This article was
 prompted by the recent publication of nine or ten books on the
 Internet in the space of a year (some are so new they aren't even
 published yet).  I have also included some books that have been
 around for quite a long time (as long ago as the dim past of 1984).
 I think all of them contain useful information for people new to the
 Internet.
 Some of the books included here are about more than the Internet.
 Some of them are about the Matrix, which is the set of all computer
 networks worldwide that exchange electronic mail.  The Matrix
 includes FidoNet, UUCP, BITNET, USENET, the Internet, and many
 others, but is not limited to any one of those networks.  This
 particular bibliographic collection is oriented around the largest
 computer network in the world, the Internet, because of all the
 recent books about that network.  Matrix News continues to publish
 information about the Matrix, including but not limited to the
 Internet.

Quarterman [Page 1] RFC 1432 Recent Internet Books March 1993

 Author          Pp. Price  Audience       Type           Other
                                                          Networks
 LaQuey & Ryer   208 $10.95 public         user guide     some
 Kehoe           112 $22    technical      user guide     minimal
 Krol            376 $24.95 researchers    guide, catalog minimal
 Kochmer         450 $39.95 researchers    guide, catalog some
 Marine, et al.  380 $39    administrative contacts,      some
                                           context
 Dern             ?    ?    new users      user guide     chapters
 Lane &          200 $37.50 information    primer         ?
 Summerhill                 professionals
 Malamud         376 $26.95 varied         travelog       some
 Quarterman &    448 $42.50 varied         standards      minimal
 Wilhelm
 Lynch, Rose     822 $40    technical      standards      minimal
 Tennant, et al. 142 $45    professionals  textbook       ?
 Benedikt        444 $15.95 varied         anthology      some
 Kahin           446 $34.95 faculty        scholarly      variable
 Parkhurst        86 $10.50 librarians     scholarly      some
 McClure, et al. 746 $45    varied         scholarly      some
 Levy            473  $4.95 public         history        some
 Raymond         453 $10.95 varied         dictionary     some
 Stoll           332 $19.95 public         spy story      some
 Hafner &        368 $22.95 public         journalism     some
 Markoff
 Denning         574 $23.95 public         scholarly      some
 Sterling        352 $23    public         documentary    some
 IRG             240 $15    technical      catalog        minimal
 NorthWestNet    297 $20    technical      catalog        minimal
 Frey & Adams    436 $26.95 varied         desk ref.      many
 LaQuey (UDCN)   645 $34.95 varied         directory      several
 Quarterman      746 $50    varied         context        all
                   Table 1. Network Books Summarized

Quarterman [Page 2] RFC 1432 Recent Internet Books March 1993

 I have excluded from this article books that are solely about
 technical aspects of technology, such as the TCP/IP protocols.
 Instead, I have included books about the resources and users of the
 Internet.  I have grouped them in rough classifications for
 convenience of presentation.  Several of these books fit several
 classifications.  For that reason and others, the classifications
 should be taken as illustrative, not definitive.  Table 1 summarizes
 some features of all the books described.
 Thanks to various people for input; especially David Bridge.  Much of
 the detailed bibliographic information came from the Library of
 Congress catalog server supported by Digital Research Associates,
 Inc., accessed via gopher and Telnet over the Internet.
 Please note that prices may change, as may electronic mail addresses,
 telephone and fax numbers, and postal addresses.  The price you pay,
 in particular, may be less because of a discount, or more because of
 shipping, or because you buy the book outside of the United States.
 The information included here is accurate to the best of my
 knowledge, but your mileage may vary.  Use at your own risk.  But
 please do report errors, changes, and additions to mids@tic.com.
 Some bibliographic citations end in a line of the form
                domain.name:path/name
 This means you can retrieve further information by connecting to
 domain.name with FTP, logging in as user anonymous, using your
 electronic mail address as a password, and changing to path/name as a
 directory, or retrieving it as a file, whichever works.
 Some citations end in a line of the form
                local@domain
 This is a domain address for further email inquiries.

Quarterman [Page 3] RFC 1432 Recent Internet Books March 1993

2. Introductions

 New user guides and information on getting connected fill most of the
 new books about the Internet.
    LaQuey & Ryer:
             Tracy LaQuey, and Jeanne C. Ryer, The Internet
             Companion: A Beginner's Guide to Global
             Networking, p. 208, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA,
             October 1992.
             $10.95. ISBN 0-201-62224-6.
             Book Review: Internet Society News, 1(3):34.
             Summer 1992.
             Book Review: Link Letter, 5(3):4. Nov. 1992.
             Book Review: Matrix News, 2(9):8-9. Sept. 1992.
             companion@world.std.com
    This is the least expensive introductory guide for new users of
    the Internet, and perhaps the only one aimed at the general
    public.  It is also being made available online by anonymous FTP
    from world.std.com, two chapters a month.
    Kehoe:
             Brendan P. Kehoe, Zen and the Art of the Internet:
             A Beginner's Guide, p. 112, Prentice-Hall,
             Englewood Cliffs, NJ, July 1992.
             $22.00. ISBN 0-13-010778-6.
             Book Review: Link Letter, 5(3):3. Nov. 1992.
             Book Review: MicroTimes, 102:3, Nov. 23, 1992.
             simsc.si.edu:networks/zen.ad
    The first edition of this book was and is available only online,
    from various anonymous FTP servers.  This second edition is
    somewhat enlarged and updated, yet is still the shortest
    introductory Internet book.

Quarterman [Page 4] RFC 1432 Recent Internet Books March 1993

    Krol:
             Ed Krol, The Whole Internet User's Guide &
             Catalog, p. 376, O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.,
             Sebastopol, CA, 13 September 1992.
             $24.95. ISBN 1-56592-025-2.
             Book Review: Internet Society News, 1(3):33.
             Summer 1992.
             Book Review: Link Letter, 5(3):3. Nov. 1992.
             Book Review: Matrix News, 2(11). Nov. 1992.
             Book Review: MicroTimes, 102:3, Nov. 23, 1992.
    Perhaps the most ambitious of the new crop of books, this one is
    both a user's guide and a catalog of resources in one.  It is
    aimed at graduate students who want to use the Internet for
    research.
    Kochmer:
             Jonathan Kochmer, and NorthWestNet, The Internet
             Passport: NorthWestNet's Guide to Our World
             Online, 4th ed., p. 450, NorthWestNet, Bellevue,
             WA, 1993.
             $39.95. ISBN 0-9635281-0-6.
             info@nwnet.net
    A forthcoming guide and catalog, not yet seen.  It is
    paradoxically both the fourth edition of and the successor to the
    other NorthWestNet book listed later.
    Marine:
             April Marine, ed., Internet: Getting Started, p.
             380, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA, September
             1992.
             $39.00.  ISBN [none].
             Book Review: Internet Society News, 1(3):33.
             Summer 1992.
             Book Review: Link Letter, 5(3):4. Nov. 1992.
             Book Review: Matrix News, 2(12). Dec. 1992.
             ftp.nisc.sri.com:netinfo/internet-getting-
             started-contents
    How to join the Internet, and some context so you will know why.
    This book is not a guide, and not a catalog, but it does contain
    numerous contact listings.

Quarterman [Page 5] RFC 1432 Recent Internet Books March 1993

    Dern:
             Daniel P. Dern, The New User's Guide to the
             Internet, McGraw-Hill, New York, forthcoming in
             1993.  ISBN 0-07-016510-6 (hc). ISBN 0-07-16511-4
             (pbk).
    A forthcoming new user guide, not yet seen.
    Lane & Summerhill:
             Elizabeth S. Lane, and Craig A. Summerhill, An
             Internet Primer for Information Professionals: A
             Basic Guide to Networking Technology, p. 200,
             Meckler Corp., Westport, CT, forthcoming in 1992.
             $37.50. ISBN 0-88736-831-X.
    This book, not yet seen, is apparently aimed at information
    professionals, presumably meaning librarians and others.

3. Travelogs

 This category has only one book in it so far.
    Malamud:
             Carl Malamud, Exploring the Internet: A Technical
             Travelogue, p. 376, Prentice-Hall, Englewood
             Cliffs, NJ, August 1992.
             $26.95. ISBN 0-13-296898-3.
             Book Review: Internet Society News, 1(3):34.
             Summer 1992.
             Book Review: Network Computing, 3(11):46. October
             15, 1992.
             Book Review: Matrix News, 2(9):9,11. Sept. 1992.
    Many fine lunches and dinners with users, administrators, and
    developers of the Internet in many countries around the world,
    with accurate technical background.  Certainly the most wickedly
    funny of all the books about the Internet.  Contains a subplot
    about how and why ITU and ISO do not publish their standards
    online.

Quarterman [Page 6] RFC 1432 Recent Internet Books March 1993

4. Standards

 The seemingly obscure topic of standards is actually illuminating
 when the subject is Internet Standards, because the processes that
 produce them reflect how the whole network works: by the efforts of
 its users and engineers.
    Quarterman & Wilhelm:
             John S. Quarterman, and Susanne Wilhelm, UNIX,
             POSIX, and Open Systems: The Open Standards
             Puzzle, p. 446, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1993.
             $42.50. ISBN 0-201-52772-3.
             Book Review: Internet Society News, 1(3):34.
             Summer 1992.
    Context about open systems standards.  Includes a very brief
    history of the Internet, comments on the effects of networks on
    standards and the reverse, commentary on the benefits of
    publishing standards online, and an in-depth examination of the
    IETF standards process used to produce Internet Standards.  Also
    includes an Internet growth graph.
    Lynch & Rose:
             Daniel C. Lynch and Marshall T. Rose, eds., The
             Internet System Handbook, p. 822, Addison-Wesley,
             Reading, MA, 1993.  $40, ISBN 0-201-56741-5.
    A description of the process that produces Internet Standards, and
    some other user level material in addition to protocol material.

5. Textbooks

 This category includes a textbook on using the Internet, and some
 other books that could be used as textbooks for sociology or policy.
    Tennant:
             Roy Tennant, John Ober, Anne G. Lipow, and
             Foreword by Clifford Lynch, Crossing the Internet
             Threshold: an Instructional Handbook, p. 142
             pages, 1993.
             $45.00. ISBN 1-882208-01-3.
             simsc.si.edu:networks/crossing.ad
    A short textbook on using the Internet, by two librarians at the
    University of California at Berkeley.

Quarterman [Page 7] RFC 1432 Recent Internet Books March 1993

    Benedikt:
             Michael Benedikt, ed., Cyberspace: First Steps, p.
             444, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1991.  $15.95. ISBN
             0-262-02327-X.
    An anthology of sociological examinations of networks and related
    topics, by writers, scholars, and public figures.  Edited by a
    professor of Architecture at the University of Texas.
    Kahin:
             Brian Kahin, ed., Building Information
             Infrastructure: Issues in the Development of the
             National Research and Education Network, p. 446,
             McGraw-Hill Primis, New York, 1992.
             $34.95, ISBN: 0-390-03083-X.
             Book Review: Matrix News, 2(5). May 1992.
    Includes the entire text of the High Performance Computing Act
    (HPCA) of 1991 that authorized the forthcoming National Research
    and Education Network (NREN), as well as numerous examinations of
    what it does and should mean.  Papers from a workshop at Harvard's
    Kennedy School of Government.  Tough sledding in spots, but very
    rewarding in others.
    Parkhurst:
             Carol A. Parkhurst, ed., Library Perspectives on
             NREN: The National Research and Education Network,
             p. 86, LITA, Chicago, 1990.
             $10.50. ISBN 0-8389-7477-5.
             Book Review: Matrix News, 1(7). Oct. 1991.
    Another NREN policy anthology; this one oriented towards library
    uses.

Quarterman [Page 8] RFC 1432 Recent Internet Books March 1993

    McClure:
             Charles McClure, Ann Bishop, Philip Doty, and
             Howard Rosenbaum, The National Research And
             Education Network (NREN): Research and Policy
             Perspectives, p. 746, Ablex Press, Norwood, NJ,
             1991.
             $45 personal; $95 institutional. ISBN
             0-89391-813-X. Book Review: Matrix News, 1(6).
             Sep. 1991.
             Book Review: Electronic Networking: Research,
             Applications and Policy 2(1). Spring 1992.
    Masses of information on NREN, and examination of its potential
    effects on research.

6. Hacking and Cracking

 Hacking is skillful programming.  Cracking is breaking and entering.
 If you don't know the difference, read the first two books below.  If
 you don't think it matters, read the last book below, which examines
 how law enforcement agencies confused about computers and networks
 did some very strange things.
    Levy:
             Steven Levy, Hackers: Heroes of the Computer
             Revolution, p. 473, Anchor Press/Doubleday, Garden
             City, NY, 1984.  $17.95. ISBN 0-385-19195-2 (hc).
             $4.95 ISBN 0-440-13405-6 (pbk).
    Tales of the real hackers who invented the modern computer
    industry.  Some of these people are still quite active on the nets
    today.
    Raymond & Steele:
             Eric S. Raymond, ed., Guy Steele, The New Hacker's
             Dictionary, p. 453, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA,
             1991.  ISBN 0-262-18145-2 (hc). $10.95 ISBN
             0-262-68069-6 (pbk).
    The authority on hacker jargon, and a very amusing book.  Look it
    up in here when you doubt a definition in the press.

Quarterman [Page 9] RFC 1432 Recent Internet Books March 1993

    Stoll:
             Clifford Stoll, The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy
             Through the Maze of Computer Espionage, p. 332,
             Doubleday, New York, 1989.  $19.95. ISBN
             0-385-24946-2 (alk. paper).
    A spy novel, except it's true: a first person account by a down-
    on-his-luck Berkeley astronomer who with others tracked down a KGB
    network spy.  Despite its necessary concentration on cracking,
    still a readable introduction to what the Internet is about.
    Hafner & Markoff:
             Katie Hafner, and John Markoff, Cyberpunk, p. 368,
             Simon & Schuster, New York, 1991.  $22.95. ISBN
             0-671-68322-5.
    Interviews with some of the crackers who have appeared
    conspicuously in the press in the past few years.  One of the co-
    authors is the New York Times reporter who broke the Stoll story
    to the public.
    Denning:
             Peter J. Denning, ed., Computers Under Attack:
             Intruders, Worms, and Viruses, p. 574, ACM
             Press/Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1990.  $23.95,
             ISBN 0-201-53067-8.
    Details of celebrated network security cases, including those
    described in the previous two books.  Includes Stoll's original
    article about the Wiley Hacker, and responses and articles by
    others on the same subject.  Has extensive coverage of the 1988
    Internet Worm.  Also includes information on viruses.  Has quite a
    bit of material on the cultures of the networks, and on social,
    legal, and ethical matters.  Starts with the standard historical
    network papers, including "Notable Computer Networks" by
    Quarterman and Hoskins.

Quarterman [Page 10] RFC 1432 Recent Internet Books March 1993

    Sterling:
             Bruce Sterling, The Hacker Crackdown: Law and
             Disorder on the electronic frontier, p. 352,
             Bantam, New York, 1992.  $23. ISBN 0-553-08058-X.
    An in-depth examination of the forces of law who try to deal with
    computer crime, and of the issues involved, written by one of the
    science fiction writers who invented cyberpunk.  The real story
    behind Operation Sundevil and the Legion of Doom.  Readable,
    informative, amusing, and necessary.

7. Resource Guides

 These have always been available online.
    NorthWestNet:
             NorthWestNet, NorthWestNet User Services Internet
             Resource Guide, p. 297, NorthWestNet, Bellevue,
             WA, 1992.
             $20.  ISBN [none]. Book Review: Matrix News, 2(1).
             Jan. 1992.
             ftphost.nwnet.net:nic/nwnet/user-
             guide/README.nusirg
        NorthWestNet's Resource Guide.
    IRG:
             NNSC, Internet Resource Guide, p. 240, NSF Network
             Service Center (NNSC), BBN, Cambridge, MA, 1991.
             $15. ISBN [none].
             nnsc.nsf.net:resource-guide/README.
    The original Internet Resource Guide.

Quarterman [Page 11] RFC 1432 Recent Internet Books March 1993

8. Also About Other Networks

 The network service most people use is electronic mail, which is
 carried over many networks other than the Internet, throughout the
 worldwide Matrix of interconnected computer networks that exchange
 mail.  These are books about networks that cover more networks than
 the Internet alone.
    Frey & Adams:
             Donnalyn Frey, and Rick Adams, !%@: A Directory of
             Electronic Mail Addressing and Networks, p. 436,
             O'Reilly & Associates, Sebastopol, CA, January
             1991.  $26.95. ISBN 0-937-17515-3 (pbk.).
    A quick desk reference to many networks, with two pages on each
    one.
    LaQuey (UDCN):
             Tracy Lynn LaQuey, Users' Directory of Computer
             Networks, p. 645, Digital Press, Bedford, MA,
             1989.  $34.95 Digital Part Number EY-C200E-DP;
             Digital Press ISBN 1-555-58047-5; Prentice-Hall
             ISBN 0-13-950262-9.
    A directory of users, domains, etc. of the Internet, BITNET, UUCP,
    etc.
    Quarterman:
             John S. Quarterman, The Matrix: Computer Networks
             and Conferencing Systems Worldwide, p. 746,
             Digital Press, Bedford, MA, 1990.  $50. Digital
             order number EY-C176E-DP-SS, Digital Press ISBN
             155558-033-5, Prentice-Hall ISBN 0-13-565607-9.
    A context book about all computer networks worldwide, including
    UUCP, FidoNet, BITNET, USENET, and the Internet.  The longest of
    all the books listed, and the most comprehensive.

Quarterman [Page 12] RFC 1432 Recent Internet Books March 1993

9. Publishers

 These are in alphabetical order.  Most of the telephone and fax
 numbers are only for orders, not for other kinds of communications.
        Ablex Publishing Corp.          Doubleday, a division of
        201-767-8450                    Bantam Doubleday Dell
        fax: 201-767-6717                  Publishing Group, Inc.
        355 Chestnut St.                212-765-6500
        Norwood, NJ 07648               800-223-6834
                                        fax: 212-765-3869
                                        666 Fifth Avenue
        Addison-Wesley Publishing Co.   New York, NY  10103
        74230.3622@CompuServe.com
        617-944-3700
        800-447-2226                    Library Solution Press
        1 Jacob Way                     510-841-2636
        Reading, MA 01867               fax: 415-594-0411
                                        1100 Industrial Road, Suite 9
                                        San Carlos, CA 94070
        Bantam, a division of
        Bantam Doubleday Dell
           Publishing Group Inc.        LITA Publications
        212-765-6500                    ALANET ALA0085
        800-223-6834                    800-545-2433
        fax: 212-765-3869               312-280-4270
        666 Fifth Avenue                fax: + 312-440-9374
        New York, NY  10103             50 East Huron Street
                                        Chicago, IL  60602
        Digital Press
        buddenhagen@cecv01.enet.dec.com McGraw-Hill
        617-276-1498                    212-512-2000
        fax: 617-276-4314               1221 Ave. of the Americas
        Digital Equipment Corporation   New York, NY 10020
        12 Crosby Drive BUO/E94
        Bedford, MA 01730
        Meckler Corporation             Simon & Schuster
        (203) 226-6967                  212-698-7000
        Fax: (203) 545-5840             800-223-2336
        11 Ferry Lane West              fax: 212-698-7007
        Westport, CT 06880              Subsidiary of
                                        Paramount Communications Inc.
                                        the Simon & Schuster Bldg.
                                        1230 Ave. of the Americas
                                        New York, NY  10020

Quarterman [Page 13] RFC 1432 Recent Internet Books March 1993

                                        SRI International
        MIT Press                       nisc@nisc.sri.com
        Massachusetts Institute         415-859-6387
           of Technology                415-859-6387
        Cambridge, MA  02142            fax: 415-859-6028
                                        Network Information Systems
        NorthWestNet                    Center
        nusirg-orders@nwnet.net         333 Ravenswood Avenue,
        206-562-3000                    Room EJ29
        fax: 206-562-4822               Menlo Park, CA 9402
        NUSIRG Orders
        15400 SE 30th Place, Suite 202
        Bellevue, WA  98007
        NSFNET Network Service Center
        nnsc@nnsc.nsf.net
        617-873-3400
        Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc.
        10 Moulton Street
        Cambridge, MA  02138
        O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
        nuts@ora.com
        707-829-0515
        800-998-9938  7am to 5pm PST
        fax: 707-829-0104
        103 Morris Street, Suite A
        Sebastopol, CA 95472
        Prentice-Hall
        info@prenhall.com
        515-284-6751
        fax: 515-284-2607
        Route 9W
        Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632

Security Considerations

 Security issues are not discussed in this memo.

Quarterman [Page 14] RFC 1432 Recent Internet Books March 1993

Author's Address

 John S. Quarterman
 Matrix Information and Directory Services, Inc. (MIDS)
 1106 Clayton Lane, Suite 500W
 Austin, TX 78723
 U.S.A.
 EMail: jsq@tic.com
 Phone: +1-512-451-7602
 Fax: +1-512-450-1436
 For further information on MIDS, contact:
 Matrix News
 Matrix Information & Directory Services, Inc. (MIDS)
 1106 Clayton Lane, Suite 500W
 Austin, TX 78723
 U.S.A.
 EMail: mids@tic.com
 Phone: +1-512-451-7602
 Fax: +1-512-450-1436

Quarterman [Page 15]

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