Python Scripting for Computational Science (Texts in Computational Science and Engineering) Review

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Python Scripting for Computational Science (Texts in Computational Science and Engineering) ReviewThe author has 2 main goals:
1) To improve the productivity of scientists familiar with specific software systems (especially Matlab, Maple, and Mathematica) by teaching them to "glue" applications together.
2) To advocate Python as the preferred "glue" language. In his own words, "I hope to convince computational scientists having experience with Perl that Python is a preferable alternative, especially for large long-term projects."
He has certainly done a creditable job. As an expert in computational differential equations, he neglects neither efficiency nor correctness, while stressing both simplicity and reliability. In this sense, he has done a great service to the Python community.
The question is: What justifies the purchase of his book?
The answer is: Chapters 4, 9, and 10.
Contents:
1. Introduction--26pp
Very convincing arguments.
2. Getting Started With Python Scripting--38pp
Interesting examples.
3. Basic Python--56pp
A too-quick tutorial. Go to python dot org instead.
4. Numerical Computing in Python--48pp
Stellar explanations of vectorized array operations.
5. Combining Python with Fortran, C, and C++--36pp
Details use of Fortran2Py and SWIG. Mentions many alternatives.
6. Introduction to GUI Programming--70pp
Useful examples of Tkinter/pmw widgets.
7. Web Interfaces and CGI Programming--24pp
Good source of ideas.
8. Advanced Python--132pp
Deep and extensive. Includes: option parsing, regular expressions, data persistence and compression, object-oriented programming, exceptions, generic programming, efficiency.
9. Fortran Programming with NumPy Arrays--32pp
All about efficiency and re-use.
10. C and C++ Programming with NumPy Arrays--40pp
More about efficiency. NumPy C API, C++ objects, and SCXX.
11. More Advanced GUI Programming--73pp
Tedious discussion of both Web and standalone GUIs. BLT, canvas, cgi.
12. Tools and Examples--70pp
Excellent examples of PDE solvers, with a powerful GUI, but quite long and tedious.
A. Setting up the Required Software Environment--16pp
Wonderfully specific installation instructions!
B. Elements of Software Engineering--50pp
Python's strength! Very practical advice on modularity, documentation, coding style, regression-testing, version-control.Strengths:
+ Downloadable py4cs package, esp. numpytools module
+ Great advice everywhere, e.g. CGI checklist, Pythonic programming, and trouble-shooting.
+ Concrete evidence for most assertions.
+ Very attractive presentation. Sturdy, high-quality cover, binding and pages. Brief, elegant code fragments (except in Chapter 12). Readable prose. No wasted space.
+ Available as 5MB pdf file, after purchase of hardcopy. Very nice.
+ Slides, installation instructions, and errata also at web site. Very professional.My peeves:
- Not enough tables to be a useful manual.
- On p.428(#7) he points out that handling a raised exception is very slow. However, when I time his example with a positive argument, the try-except version is 20% faster (b/c the if clause is skipped), so he is actually giving bad advice for the general case. Luckily, he contradicts himself later, on page 685: "Exceptions should be used instead of if-else tests." The best advice: Avoid common exceptions in inner loops.
- The 10-page index is not as great as it at first seems. (See Martelli's Python in a Nutshell for a better one.)
- Pure interface functions should 'raise NotImplementedError', rather than 'return'.
- Exceptions should never be trapped mindlessly with 'except:'. That would hide your own SyntaxErrors!
- Too many exercises. (It's published as a textbook.) Since there are no answers, the exercises are useless for non-students. (See Lutz's Learning Python for effective exercises with answers.)Overall rating:
This contains the best information on numerical programming in Python that I've seen. Though expensive, it could easily be your only Python book, given the excellent online documenation already available.Python Scripting for Computational Science (Texts in Computational Science and Engineering) OverviewWith a primary focus on examples and applications of relevance to computational scientists, this brilliantly useful book shows computational scientists how to develop tailored, flexible, and human-efficient working environments built from small scripts written in the easy-to-learn, high-level Python language. All the tools and examples in this book are open source codes. This third edition features lots of new material. It is also released after a comprehensive reorganization of the text. The author has inserted improved examples and tools and updated information, as well as correcting any errors that crept in to the first imprint.

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Modeling Embedded Systems and SoC's: Concurrency and Time in Models of Computation (Systems on Silicon) Review

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Modeling Embedded Systems and SoC's: Concurrency and Time in Models of Computation (Systems on Silicon) ReviewThe writer of this book, Dr. Axel Jantsch, is a professor at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. As a postgraduate student at the Technical University of Denmark, I have participated Dr. Jantsch's course whose curriculum was dictated by this book.
Dr. Jantsch is a splendid lecturer and his a pioneer in his comprehensive, yet highly-readable, cover of modelling technieques for embedded systems. The book covers in depth notions such as final state machines, petri nets, as well as the untimed, timed and synchronous computation models. Dr. Jantsch does not, unlike other sources, sticks only to the formalism related to the modelling, but also includes "real life" examples that make the reader apprieciate what model of computation is the more optimal for his modelling aims.Modeling Embedded Systems and SoC's: Concurrency and Time in Models of Computation (Systems on Silicon) Overview

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Queueing Networks and Markov Chains: Modeling and Performance Evaluation with Computer Science Applications Review

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Queueing Networks and Markov Chains: Modeling and Performance Evaluation with Computer Science Applications ReviewThe authors give a nice overview of computer performance evaluation using queueing theory and continuous and discrete-time Markov chains. After a short review of the relevant probability and statistics, the authors discuss Markov chains in the second chapter, pointing out that Markov processes can be used to model queueing systems even when these systems have behavior governed by non-exponential distributions. They characterize these as Markovizing methods. Their treatment of both discrete and continuous time Markov models is short but adequate, covering all the necessary concepts such as ergodicity and irreducibility. They then give a thorough discussion of the modeling process as actually done in practice. Their discussion of model sizing sets up their methodologies for dealing with large models later in the book. Performance measures for system requirements are discussed in terms of Markov reward models. Their treatment here is very detailed and they also give a large collection of helpful references on the subject.Petri nets are also discussed in the context of model generation. The authors state, correctly I think, that more time should be spent of developing models rather than the underlying mathematics. In their treatment of networks with non-exponential service time and interarrival time distributions, the authors employ the diffusion approximation via the solution of the Fokker-Planck equation. The don't discuss this in detail but give references for those who can read German. This would have been a place for a detailed analysis and derivation, given the surprising introduction of the Fokker-Planck equation in queueing theory. They also use, interestingly, maximum entropy methods to get approximate solutions of open and closed queueing networks. A very short chapter on optimization is given in the next chapter, which could stand to be more lengthy given the importance of this in implementing networks commercially. The next chapter covers some of the performance tools that are available for studying networks. The Performance Evaluation and Prediction System (PEPSY), stochastic Petri net package (SPNP), the CSPL language, the Model Description Language (MOSEL), the symbolic hierarchical automated reliability performance evaluator (SHARPE) are discussed with examples of each. Readers not having these tools will of course will not benefit too much from reading this chapter, except for maybe to get an idea of what is available. The OPNET and Ns-simulator packages,which are very nice modeling tools are not treated at all for some reason.
The last chapter covers applications, with case studies of queueing networks, Markov chains, stochastic Petri nets, and hierarchical models. Although of somewhat limited value in practice, the examples given do give the reader an idea of how the material in the book can be applied. And here again, the authors stress the use of modeling packages such as SHARPE and PEPSY, to verify the calculations in the case studies. They consider a closed non-product form queueing model of a medium-sized LAN in some detail with Ethernet links and a FDDI ring, solving it using Marie's method. Also interesting is their model of the UNIX operating system, which is also represented by a closed non-product queueing network. They compare the computation time needed to solve the model using CTMC, shadow, and DES techniques. Although the discussion is rather hurried, their model of an ATM network is also interesting, in that they use Markov reward models, obtaining both the state and transient solutions.
The book is one that will be of great assistance to those doing network modeling, performance analysis, and other time-scheduling modeling activiites. It is somewhat expensive, but worth the price I think considering the care which the authors take in their exposition.Queueing Networks and Markov Chains: Modeling and Performance Evaluation with Computer Science Applications OverviewCritically acclaimed text for computer performance analysis--now in its second editionThe Second Edition of this now-classic text provides a current and thorough treatment of queueing systems, queueing networks, continuous and discrete-time Markov chains, and simulation. Thoroughly updated with new content, as well as new problems and worked examples, the text offers readers both the theory and practical guidance needed to conduct performance and reliability evaluations of computer, communication, and manufacturing systems.Starting with basic probability theory, the text sets the foundation for the more complicated topics of queueing networks and Markov chains, using applications and examples to illustrate key points. Designed to engage the reader and build practical performance analysis skills, the text features a wealth of problems that mirror actual industry challenges.New features of the Second Edition include:* Chapter examining simulation methods and applications* Performance analysis applications for wireless, Internet, J2EE, and Kanban systems* Latest material on non-Markovian and fluid stochastic Petri nets, as well as solution techniques for Markov regenerative processes* Updated discussions of new and popular performance analysis tools, including ns-2 and OPNET* New and current real-world examples, including DiffServ routers in the Internet and cellular mobile networksWith the rapidly growing complexity of computer and communication systems, the need for this text, which expertly mixes theory and practice, is tremendous. Graduate and advanced undergraduate students in computer science will find the extensive use of examples and problems to be vital in mastering both the basics and the fine points of the field, while industry professionals will find the text essential for developing systems that comply with industry standards and regulations.
Additionally, a solution manual and an FTP site with links to author-provided data for the book are available for deeper study.

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Press On: Principles of Interaction Programming Review

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Press On: Principles of Interaction Programming ReviewPart of my job is to analyze customer needs for enterprise web applications and then translate the needs into requirements for developers to implement. I have been enjoying this book and its treatment on taking computer science approach to design better user experience. The author Harold Thimbleby has done a good job in presenting the material in a very engaging approach.Press On: Principles of Interaction Programming OverviewHow to understand and program interactive devices so that they arereliable and easy to use; includes wide-ranging programming insights, tools, andcode.

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Practical Risk Assessment for Project Management Review

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Practical Risk Assessment for Project Management ReviewThe ideal audience for this book is relatively narrow, consisting of readers who meet the following two criteria: (1) new to risk management techniques, and (2) using Palisade @Risk. In fact, this book comes close to being a tutorial on using @Risk, which is a popular commercial product that works within Microsoft Excel and project management programs.
If you are new to advanced techniques in project risk management you'll like the way the author succinctly covers all of the key elements of project risk assessment, project finance forecasting, and simulation and modeling. Considering the complexity of the subject area, and the fact that both probability and simulation techniques are covered, the author does a remarkable job of conveying the wide range of topics in a scant 134 pages. I especially liked the generous use of graphs and examples, and the way each topic was broken down into easy-to-grasp facts and steps.
However, even without @Risk you can learn much about risk assessment from this book, including a refresher on probability distributions, how to perform an assessment using manual techniques, and modeling and simulation with an emphasis on Monte Carlo simulation.
The only problem I have with this book is that it's out of date with respect to @Risk, which has evolved into a much more capable tool since this book was first published 7 years ago. Since one of the this book's strengths is the way it teaches how to apply @Risk to real world project risk assessment, the fact that it's out of date with respect to the software version diminishes its value.Practical Risk Assessment for Project Management OverviewIn the estimating, planning and management of any project, large or small, an understanding of the impact of risk is critical. This book explains how the growing number of people choosing to or forced to organise their work as projects can make realistic assessments of the uncertainty affecting costs, timescale and revenue, before commitments are made. A clear analysis of the role of uncertainty is combined in this concise and practical handbook with simple, cost-effective techniques for measuring and modelling the overall risk to a project's budget and schedule. There is advice and help here for the whole project team, including project managers; bid managers; project sales professionals; planners; estimators; managers running a project-based business; and consultants and auditors advising a projects business. Drawn from the author's extensive experience on projects ranging in scale from a few man-months to hundreds of man-years, the book will beelevant to anyone involved in a project-based business. Examples are presented as simple models, built in spreadsheets using the @Risk software package. No more than basic knowledge of Lotus 1-2-3?? or Excel?? will be required by the reader.

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Ubiquitous Computing: Smart Devices, Environments and Interactions Review

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Ubiquitous Computing: Smart Devices, Environments and Interactions ReviewMuch has been said and written on the ideas and technologies of Ubiquitous Computing since Mark Weiser's pioneering work at Xerox PARC in the late 1980's to mid 1990's. There have been conferences in many related areas, proceedings books and journal articles, and Adam Greenfield's popular yet wide-ranging book "Everyware", reviewing some of the relevant technologies, social implications, and policy concerns. Yet, until now there has been no comprehensive textbook suitable for a course in the Computer Science curriculum covering all of the component technologies of Ubiquitous and Pervasive Computing. Professor Poslad's comprehensive textbook provides a tutorial and reference on all of the component technologies and study areas relevant to this increasingly important field, covering such topics as sensors and actuators, distributed systems, embedded operating systems, various form factors including "smart dust" and wearable systems, and the HCI and security issues which are concerns for research and development in this area. This well-organized and comprehensive textbook will serve for classroom teaching and reference in the Computer Science curriculum and ancillary fields including Architecture, Psychology and Public Policy that will be profoundly affected by these technologies in the coming years.
I heartily recommend this text as a comprehensive and technical introduction to the fields and literature of Ubiquitous and Pervasive Computing, a research, development and human endeavor that will become increasingly important in the near future.
--Ira LaefskyUbiquitous Computing: Smart Devices, Environments and Interactions OverviewThis book provides an introduction to the complex field of ubiquitous computing
Ubiquitous Computing (also commonly referred to as Pervasive Computing) describes the ways in which current technological models, based upon three base designs: smart (mobile, wireless, service) devices, smart environments (of embedded system devices) and smart interaction (between devices), relate to and support a computing vision for a greater range of computer devices, used in a greater range of (human, ICT and physical) environments and activities. The author details the rich potential of ubiquitous computing, the challenges involved in making it a reality, and the prerequisite technological infrastructure. Additionally, the book discusses the application and convergence of several current major and future computing trends.

Key Features:
Provides an introduction to the complex field of ubiquitous computing
Describes how current technology models based upon six different technology form factors which have varying degrees of mobility wireless connectivity and service volatility: tabs, pads, boards, dust, skins and clay, enable the vision of ubiquitous computing
Describes and explores how the three core designs (smart devices, environments and interaction) based upon current technology models can be applied to, and can evolve to, support a vision of ubiquitous computing and computing for the future
Covers the principles of the following current technology models, including mobile wireless networks, service-oriented computing, human computer interaction, artificial intelligence, context-awareness, autonomous systems, micro-electromechanical systems, sensors, embedded controllers and robots
Covers a range of interactions, between two or more UbiCom devices, between devices and people (HCI), between devices and the physical world.
Includes an accompanying website with PowerPoint slides, problems and solutions, exercises, bibliography and further reading


Graduate students in computer science, electrical engineering and telecommunications courses will find this a fascinating and useful introduction to the subject. It will also be of interest to ICT professionals, software and network developers and others interested in future trends and models of computing and interaction over the next decades.

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Real Time Systems and Programming Languages: Ada 95, Real-Time Java and Real-Time C/POSIX (3rd Edition) Review

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Real Time Systems and Programming Languages: Ada 95, Real-Time Java and Real-Time C/POSIX (3rd Edition) ReviewThere are a number of excellent books on the topic of real-time systems. Few, if any, address the breadth of topics covered by this book, much less to the depth and quality exhibited here. Read as many of the others as you can, but if you must purchase only one book on real-time systems, this is the one to have. Indeed, I have each of the three previous editions of this book and this latest is, once again, worth every penny.
One of the reasons I hold such a high opinion of the book is that it is written by people who not only know what they are talking about, but can do so with clarity and precision. As leading contributors to scheduling theory and the real-time programming facilities of both Ada and Java, the authors are internationally recognized experts on real-time systems and programming languages. The text's depth reflects that fact, but it is also clear, concise, and a pleasure to read.
Another reason I recommend the book is that it has a good balance between theory and practice. Make no mistake, the necessary theory is covered extensively, but it is then illustrated with concrete examples using programming languages that are in wide-spread use today: Ada, C, and Java. As neither C nor Java were explicitly designed for concurrent real-time systems, the text includes the necessary extensions. For C, the POSIX real-time profile is used. For Java, the Real-Time Specification for Java (RTSJ) is used. When necessary, examples are provided in other languages as well.
In fact these three programming languages form the underlying context for much of the book. They are not themselves the subjects of the book, however, and those readers seeking an introduction to these languages should look elsewhere. Instead, the programming languages are used to explore the distinct nature of real-time systems and the requirements for developing applications in that domain. The code examples thus provide a means of illustrating the topic at hand, but also provide a means for comparing the strengths and weaknesses of the real-time facilities of the languages. The authors are leading contributors to the Ada 2005 Real-Time Systems Annex and the RTSJ for Java, a fact reflected in the detailed critical analysis provided.
I felt happy to purchase yet another edition of the book because of all the above, but also because of the additions (and removals) present in this edition. New material includes additional schedulability analysis theory and material on multi-processor and multi-core architectures. With respect to programming languages, the new material includes extensive coverage of the real-time systems programming additions to Ada 2005, the latest version of the RTSJ, and the new real-time POSIX profile enhancements for C. As for removals, the introductory material on the programming languages is no longer present. This change was a necessity for the sake of brevity, but the result is a better overall focus. Also removed is the chapter on distributed systems. I was sorry to see that go, but the primary points have been moved to other chapters. Discussion of other programming languages, such as occam2, are also removed for the sake of brevity but is available on the book's web site.
I should point out that this is not just a "timing" book. For example, real-time systems typically have reliability requirements as well as timeliness requirements. Reliability is thus covered extensively, as are a number of other topics that might not be immediately suggested by the title.
In summary, I am a real-time systems engineer with over 30 years of professional development, industry lecturing, and occasional university lecturing experience. Based on that combination, I give this book my highest recommendation to both professionals and students alike. The field of real-time systems is not for beginners, but developers (and managers) as well as more advanced university students will definitely benefit. Both will find a text they can use to learn the latest in the field.
PS: Note that, at the time of this writing, Amazon is for some reason showing some reviews for earlier editions of the book, not this latest (fourth) edition.
Real Time Systems and Programming Languages: Ada 95, Real-Time Java and Real-Time C/POSIX (3rd Edition) OverviewB> This book provides an in-depth analysis of the requirements for designing and implementing real-time embedded systems, and discusses how these requirements are met by current languages and operating systems.The comparative advantages of Ada 95, Real-Time Java, and Real-Time C/POSIX are discussed in full.The emergence of Java as a real-time language through the Real-Time Java extensions has resulted in the treatment of Java as one of the core languages covered in the book.The additional real-time facilities in POSIX are also explored, as well as the proposed extensions to CORBA to address real-time issues.More material on schedulability analysis is also included. No other book on real-time programming languages (or concurrent programming languages) covers this range of topics.This book is designed for programmers and engineers looking for an introduction and/or reference that discusses current real-time programming languages and how they are suited to designing and implementing real-time embedded systems.

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Distributed Systems for System Architects (Advances in Distributed Computing and Middleware, Volume 1) Review

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Distributed Systems for System Architects (Advances in Distributed Computing and Middleware, Volume 1) ReviewThis is quite an interesiting and thourough book. Although I really don't understand the stupidity of it's price since I bought it for 60 Euro in Portugal... Really, You can get all the information in this book for much less than this absurd price....Distributed Systems for System Architects (Advances in Distributed Computing and Middleware, Volume 1) OverviewThe distributed systems architect assembles pieces of hardwarethat are at least as large as a computer or a network router, andassigns pieces of software that are self-contained - such asJava applets - to those hardware components. As systemcomplexity, size and diversity grow, the probability of inconsistency,unreliability, non-responsiveness and insecurity, increases. It isabsolutely necessary for distributed systems architects to understandthe management of such complex systems. Distributed Systems forSystem Architects addresses these issues.

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Randomized Algorithms Review

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Randomized Algorithms ReviewThis book is a jewel. It demonstrates how clever and beautifully simple probabilistic ideas can lead to the design of very efficient algorithms. I like its very verbal intuitive style,
with proof strategies being always transparently explained.
For computer scientists, this is *the* reference work in randomized algorithms, by now a major paradigm of algorithms design. For classical probabilists, this
could serve as an eye-opener on unsuspected applications of their field to important areas of computer science.Randomized Algorithms OverviewFor many applications, a randomized algorithm is either the simplest or the fastest algorithm available, and sometimes both. This book introduces the basic concepts in the design and analysis of randomized algorithms. The first part of the text presents basic tools such as probability theory and probabilistic analysis that are frequently used in algorithmic applications. Algorithmic examples are also given to illustrate the use of each tool in a concrete setting. In the second part of the book, each chapter focuses on an important area to which randomized algorithms can be applied, providing a comprehensive and representative selection of the algorithms that might be used in each of these areas. Although written primarily as a text for advanced undergraduates and graduate students, this book should also prove invaluable as a reference for professionals and researchers.

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Transaction Processing: Concepts and Techniques (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Data Management Systems) Review

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Transaction Processing: Concepts and Techniques (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Data Management Systems) ReviewFor nearly a decade this book has been the definitive reference on transaction processing. Although the more recent, May 2001 book titled "Transactional Information Systems: Theory, Algorithms, and the Practice of Concurrency Control" by Gerhard Weikum and Gottfried Vossen will probably supplant this book as the standard reference, there is still much material that makes this book useful.
In particular, this book covers the following topics in more depth than the newer boom cited above:
- Fault tolerance and availability, both topics are covered in depth from hardware and software perspectives. This is unique for a book on transaction processing in that most books on the subject confine their scope to software and databases.
- A wide and complete survey of transaction models. True, some of this material is about models that are falling into disuse, but the value is the way the authors go deeply into the mechanics. I've always felt that this part of the book is the most valuable because the principles can be refactored into hybrid models. Moreover, comparing this material with the newer book by Weikum and Vossen shows that these principles are still employed in today's TP solutions.
Material about transaction processing monitors is obviously out of date, but, like the TP models, the principles still apply to contemporary systems. My recommendation is if you are going to buy a single book on the topic get the Weikum and Vossen I cited in the first paragraph. However, if your budget allows, I also highly recommend this book as well because of the depth in which fault tolerance and TP models are covered. If you want to just learn the basics of TP I recommend that you consider "Principles of Transaction Processing" by Philip A. Bernstein and Eric Newcomer because it is less daunting than this or the Weikum and Vossen book (both of which are 1100+ pages).Transaction Processing: Concepts and Techniques (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Data Management Systems) Overview
The key to client/server computing. Transaction processing techniques are deeply ingrained in the fields ofdatabases and operating systems and are used to monitor, control and updateinformation in modern computer systems. This book will show you how large,distributed, heterogeneous computer systems can be made to work reliably.Using transactions as a unifying conceptual framework, the authors show howto build high-performance distributed systems and high-availabilityapplications with finite budgets and risk.

The authors provide detailed explanations of why various problems occur aswell as practical, usable techniques for their solution. Throughout the book,examples and techniques are drawn from the most successful commercial andresearch systems. Extensive use of compilable C code fragments demonstratesthe many transaction processing algorithms presented in the book. The bookwill be valuable to anyone interested in implementing distributed systemsor client/server architectures.


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The Art of Testing Network Systems Review

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The Art of Testing Network Systems ReviewThe Art of Testing Network Systems provides the professional network tester blueprints for designing, implementing, and understanding the results of network testing. It is an easy to read useful reference. I would recommend it to network testers, test managers and end users charged with understanding test plans.The Art of Testing Network Systems OverviewA comprehensive, hands-on guide to state-of-the-art network systems testing
A proven, inexpensive way of avoiding network slowdowns and failures, proactive network systems testing helps you to stop problems before they occur. The most complete, hands-on guide to network systems testing available, The Art of Testing Network Systems supplies you with all the hands-on guidance and information on testing tools you need to keep your network up and running.
Based on Robert W. Buchanan's decade of experience in product management, testing, consulting, and network administration at a number of leading network vendors and large users, The Art of Testing Network Systems:
Schools you in cutting-edge testing procedures, test configurations, and data collection and interpretation techniques
Shows you how to make testing an integral part of existing network management and troubleshooting tools and procedures
Provides detailed instructions on how to conduct testing on network applications and presentation layers, including client-server applications, database servers, and GUIs
Describes techniques for testing network transport layers, routers, switches, hubs, and WAN links
Features a comprehensive reference of available network testing products and tools
Includes instructive case studies from leading companies including American Express, Boeing, Motorola, Lehman Brothers, MCI, and American Airlines


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Grace Hopper and the Invention of the Information Age (Lemelson Center Studies in Invention and Innovation series) Review

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Grace Hopper and the Invention of the Information Age (Lemelson Center Studies in Invention and Innovation series) ReviewThis is a great book. While it is from an `Academic' press, it is not at all pedantic or overbearing. In fact, it is a fascinating story of Grace Hopper and the amazing contribution that she and her team made to the development of computers. It also provides an insight into that development unlike any other. The fascinating aspect of this is that much of what we do today - from flow charting to debugging had to be invented and it was - by Howard Aiken and Grace Hopper. If you are at all interested in understanding the amazing tale of our computer development and the amazing impact that Grace Hopper had on that development, this is a must read!Grace Hopper and the Invention of the Information Age (Lemelson Center Studies in Invention and Innovation series) OverviewThe career of computer visionary Grace Murray Hopper, whose innovativework in programming laid the foundations for the user-friendliness of today'spersonal computers that sparked the information age.

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The Certified Software Quality Engineer Handbook Review

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The Certified Software Quality Engineer Handbook Reviewthis book describes software quality in very good way by examples and includes the most important topic software quality management , software life cycle , audits, metrics, etc ...The Certified Software Quality Engineer Handbook OverviewThis handbook contains information and guidance that supports all of the topics of the ASQ Certified Software Quality Engineer (CSQE) Body of Knowledge (BoK). Armed with the knowledge presented in this handbook to compliment the required years of actual work experience, qualified software quality practitioners may feel confident they have taken appropriate steps in preparation for the CSQE exam.This invaluable handbook also goes well beyond being simply an exam preparation guide. It is designed to be a resource not only for software quality engineers, but also for software development practitioners, project managers, organizational managers, other quality practitioners, and other professionals who need to understand the aspects of software quality that impact their work. It can also be used by readers to benchmark their (or their organization s) understanding and application of software quality principles and practices against what is considered a cross-industry good practice baseline.New software quality engineers can use this handbook to gain an understanding of their chosen profession, while experienced software quality engineers can use this handbook as a reference when performing their daily work. Trainers and educators can use the book to help propagate software quality engineering knowledge to future software practitioners and managers. Among all its varied audiences, this handbook will establish a common vocabulary to communicate about software and quality, thus increasing the professionalism of the industry and eliminating the wastes that can result from ambiguity and misunderstandings.

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Software Engineering: (Update) (8th Edition) Review

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Software Engineering: (Update) (8th Edition) ReviewI used this book as the text in my software engineering class in the spring semester of 2008. When I was evaluating it for potential adoption, I did not read through it in detail, I looked over the chapter titles and subtitles, read the first few chapters and examined the exercises at the end of the first few chapters. As the semester progressed, I found myself wishing I had read further into the text.
As I moved through the chapters, I found myself mentally noting over and over again that topics are repeated. When the class was over, I asked the students their opinion of the book and they were unanimous, with no prompting from me, in saying that there is a great deal of repetition after the first chapters.
I have no complaint about the quality of exposition or the coverage of software engineering in this book. My reason for not continuing to use it in future classes is solely due to my belief that the size could have been reduced from the current 840 pages to around 600 pages with no real loss of content of flow.
Software Engineering: (Update) (8th Edition) OverviewTHE most current Software Engineering text in the market– quality trusted coverage, practical case studies, strong lecturer support.

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Operating System Concepts Review

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Operating System Concepts ReviewThis provides a solid introduction to the basics of operating system (OS) internals. After an introductory section, this covers the major subsystems in an orderly progression: processes, memory, storage, protection, distributed systems, and special purpose systems. Although I might quibble with some of the ordering, (e.g., virtual memory vis a vis process management), this gives a firm foundation for anyone teaching introductory OS internals. As an aside, instructors should also be aware of the additional support they'll find at the book's web site.
I have no real objections to this book, but find that some of its emphasis won't suit all readers. For example, 99% of all processors don't run Windows or Linux. Instead, they run your DVD player, car air bags, microwave, digital watch, and just about everything else with a power cord or battery. Engineering students headed for embedded system development will need supplementary material. Also, like every other undergrad text I know, this underplays the critical importance of standards in everything from APIs and file system structures to network protocols and safe coding guideline.
I've taught from this book and from Tanenbaum and, to tell the truth, have no strong preference between the two. They present comparable material at roughly the same level, both offer good case studies, and both offer on-line support to students and instructors. Each outweighs the other on specific topics but, on the whole, that seems to balance out. I note that some reviewers object to this book's level. To them, I can only say: that's life. OS development is at least ten times as hard as developing mainstream applications (as measured by programmers' output of debugged code), so it will require some programming knowledge to follow discussions of OS internals. Railing against obviously important prerequisites says more about the speaker than about the book.
- wiredweirdOperating System Concepts OverviewKeep pace with the fast-developing world of operating systems
Open-source operating systems, virtual machines, and clustered computing are among the leading fields of operating systems and networking that are rapidly changing. With substantial revisions and organizational changes, Silberschatz, Galvin, and Gagne's Operating System Concepts, Eighth Edition remains as current and relevant as ever, helping you master the fundamental concepts of operating systems while preparing yourself for today's emerging developments.
As in the past, the text brings you up to speed on core knowledge and skills, including:
What operating systems are, what they do, and how they are designed and constructed
Process, memory, and storage management
Protection and security
Distributed systems
Special-purpose systems

Beyond the basics, the Eight Edition sports substantive revisions and organizational changes that clue you in to such cutting-edge developments as open-source operating systems, multi-core processors, clustered computers, virtual machines, transactional memory, NUMA, Solaris 10 memory management, Sun's ZFS file system, and more. New to this edition is the use of a simulator to dynamically demonstrate several operating system topics.
Best of all, a greatly enhanced WileyPlus, a multitude of new problems and programming exercises, and other enhancements to this edition all work together to prepare you enter the world of operating systems with confidence.

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Distributed Operating Systems: Concepts and Design Review

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Distributed Operating Systems: Concepts and Design ReviewConcepts and coverage is excellent for learning and the content are not too in-depth especially towards a student. Cover areas like file organisation as well as memory management which is lacking in many similar topic publications. Chapters discussed are comprehensive and relevant to learners in these fields. Diagrams are illustrative and easy to understand. A good choice especially to students that are beginners in operating systems concepts.Distributed Operating Systems: Concepts and Design OverviewDistributed Operating Systems will provide engineers, educators, and researchers with an in-depth understanding of the full range of distributed operating systems components. Each chapter addresses de-facto standards, popular technologies, and design principles applicable to a wide variety of systems. Complete with chapter summaries, end-of-chapter exercises and bibliographies, Distributed Operating Systems concludes with a set of case studies that provide real-world insights into four distributed operating systems.

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Engineering a Compiler, Second Edition Review

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Engineering a Compiler, Second Edition ReviewThis is really a super compiler text. It is also one of the most recent compiler books you can buy.
First of all this is a theoretical book. If you read the title 'Engineering a compiler' as 'Coding/Building a compiler' you would be disappointed! So, if you're looking for a learing-by-coding book, this is not for you (but I have some recommendations at the end of this review in the latest paragraph). The difference with most of the other theoretical books is that this book is not a dry text. It has also a nice layout. It gives plenty of examples, and all topics are well connected to each other. It's a pleasure to read for not native English people, so native English people can read it pretty fast.
This book read like a novel.. It does contain enough diagrams, tables, etc. but not too much (crowded), and everything is well explained.
You can read this book as a compiler introduction book. But I can only recommend this to B.Sc/M.Sc Computer Science students (like me). You don't need to have a M.Sc in Mathematics to understand this text, (all the math, eg. liveness graphs are well explained), but you will understand everything better if you have some background in algorithms (design), pseudocode, etc. like you gained during your B.Sc program. People without formal computer science education I would recommend to read a practical book first (see at the end of this review), because you may find else this text too theoretical.
This book focus on code optimizations. According to the authors (and me) compiler front ends (scanning/parsing/etc) are commodities today, and the backend (codegeneration) is where the difference is made nowadays. So if you're looking for a introduction text into compiler optimization this book is for you!
If you're looking for a more practical book I advice you to read 'Programming Language Processors in Java' from Watt & Brown. In that book you learn to build a nice stack virtual machine in Java with 'advanced features' like records (structs), procedures/functions, arrays and so on. That book is a good companion for 'Engineering a Compiler' to give you some practical insight. If you're looking for a Language Design book I advice you to look at 'Programming Language Pragmatics'. Both books are worth the money...Engineering a Compiler, Second Edition Overview

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Design for Trustworthy Software: Tools, Techniques, and Methodology of Developing Robust Software Review

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Design for Trustworthy Software: Tools, Techniques, and Methodology of Developing Robust Software ReviewThis thoroughly researched book begins with an excellent summary of the state of software development methodologies. It provides a useful description of the important strategies, life-cycle models, and process improvement methodologies. The theme of the book comes from applying Taguchi Methods to software development. This approach to trustworthy software shifts effort "upstream" from testing to design: Build software right in the first place rather than waiting for a huge quality assurance department (or worse yet, customers) to find the bugs for you. Several chapters provide detail on how to apply these principles to large scale software systems.
The authors have pulled together material from an impressive set of resources into one, admittedly lengthy, book. The shear number of methodologies (including corresponding acronyms!) contained in this volume is staggering. The chapter endnotes document these sources and web references give many pointers for additional information. They also include several case studies written by practioners who have used the methodologies described in the book.Design for Trustworthy Software: Tools, Techniques, and Methodology of Developing Robust Software Overview ASQ 2007 CROSBY MEDAL WINNER!

An Integrated Technology for Delivering Better Software—Cheaper and Faster!

This book presents an integrated technology, Design for Trustworthy Software (DFTS), to address software quality issues upstream such that the goal of software quality becomes that of preventing bugs in implementation rather than finding and eliminating them during and after implementation. The thrust of the technology is that major quality deployments take place before a single line of code is written!

This customer-oriented integrated technology can help deliver breakthrough results in cost, quality, and delivery schedule thus meeting and exceeding customer expectations. The authors describe the principles behind the technology as well as their applications to actual software design problems. They present illustrative case studies covering various aspects of DFTS technology including CoSQ, AHP, TRIZ, FMEA, QFD, and Taguchi Methods and provide ample questions and exercises to test the readers understanding of the material in addition to detailed examples of the applications of the technology.

The book can be used to impart organization-wide learning including training for DFTS Black Belts and Master Black Belts. It helps you gain rapid mastery, so you can deploy DFTS Technology quickly and successfully.
Learn how to

• Plan, build, maintain, and improve your trustworthy software development system
• Adapt best practices of quality, leadership, learning, and management for the unique software development milieu
• Listen to the customer's voice, then guide user expectations to realizable, reliable software products
• Refocus on customer-centered issues such as reliability, dependability, availability, and upgradeability
• Encourage greater design creativity and innovation
• Validate, verify, test, evaluate, integrate, and maintain software for trustworthiness
• Analyze the financial impact of software quality
• Prepare your leadership and infrastructure for DFTS

Design for Trustworthy Software will help you improve quality whether you develop in-house, outsource, consult, or provide support. It offers breakthrough solutions for the entire spectrum of software and quality professionals—from developers to project leaders, chief software architects to customers.

The American Society for Quality (ASQ) is the world's leading authority on quality which provides a community that advances learning, quality improvement, and knowledge exchange to improve business results, and to create better workplaces and communities worldwide. The Crosby Medal is presented to the individual who has authored a distinguished book contributing significantly to the extension of the philosophy and application of the principles, methods, or techniques of quality management.


Bijay K. Jayaswal, CEO of Agilenty Consulting Group, has held senior executive positions and consulted on quality and strategy for 25 years. His expertise includes value engineering, process improvement, and product development. He has directed MBA and Advanced Management programs, and helped to introduce enterprise-wide reengineering and Six Sigma initiatives.

Dr. Peter C. Patton, Chairman of Agilenty Consulting Group, is Professor of Quantitative Methods and Computer Science at the University of St. Thomas. He served as CIO of the University of Pennsylvania and CTO at Lawson Software, and has been involved with software development since 1955.


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Operating System Concepts, Seventh Edition Review

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Operating System Concepts, Seventh Edition ReviewDefinetely targeted towards the sophomore/Junior level students. This book goes into generic concepts used by most operating systems - i.e., what happens when a program is loaded into memory? How do processes make system calls to the kernel, how is deadlock among several programs competing for the same resources resolved, what is the characteristics of real-time operating systems etc.
I have adopted this book for teaching the operating systems course. I find that students, in general, appreciate this book as it is very readable. I believe a good text book should have the following qualities: It should be light enough to read it in bed, the fonts should be large enough to not give a headache after an hour of reading, should be written in clear lucid style with plenty of figures and should have decent binding. I believe this book qualifies in all those aspects.
However, I do have one unpleasant comment. I hate it when authors keep coming out with new editions with just small delta changes - forcing students to buy high priced editions because some professors could care less about the cost of books to students (after all, we profs get them for free). The 7th edition is not a whole lot different than the 6th edition (about 2 or 3 new chapters included in the 7th edition). Considering that you can buy a used 6th edition for half the price of a new 7th edition, I recommended my students to go with the 6th edition instead and chose to just teach them some of the additional materials from the 7th edition.
What I would have liked to see in this book - greater detail (perhaps with some psuedocode) on the workings of the kernel and how programs can take advantage of it (I guess I am thinking along the lines of Steven's UNIX programming book).Operating System Concepts, Seventh Edition OverviewAnother defining moment in the evolution of operating systemsSmall footprint operating systems, such as those driving the handheld devices that the baby dinosaurs are using on the cover, are just one of the cutting-edge applications you'll find in Silberschatz, Galvin, and Gagne's Operating System Concepts, Seventh Edition.By staying current, remaining relevant, and adapting to emerging course needs, this market-leading text has continued to define the operating systems course. This Seventh Edition not only presents the latest and most relevant systems, it also digs deeper to uncover those fundamental concepts that have remained constant throughout the evolution of today's operation systems. With this strong conceptual foundation in place, students can more easily understand the details related to specific systems.New Adaptations* Increased coverage of user perspective in Chapter 1.* Increased coverage of OS design throughout.* A new chapter on real-time and embedded systems (Chapter 19).* A new chapter on multimedia (Chapter 20).* Additional coverage of security and protection.* Additional coverage of distributed programming.* New exercises at the end of each chapter.* New programming exercises and projects at the end of each chapter.* New student-focused pedagogy and a new two-color design to enhance the learning process.

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Concepts, Techniques, and Models of Computer Programming Review

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Concepts, Techniques, and Models of Computer Programming ReviewThis book is a real mind-bender that illuminates paths for computer design at both the conceptual and practical levels I'd never travelled down before.
The notion that one language can be so flexible as to accomodate both the syntax and semantics of so many different computational models, or paradigms, took some unlearning of bad programming practice before its power, elegance and potential began to sink in.
It also explodes the myth that "pure" languages -- i.e., pure OO, or pure functional, etc., languages--have some kind of innate advantage over so-called "hybrid" languages. In fact, "hybrid" (or as the authors would prefer to call them, "multi-paradigm") languages come out of this book looking even more powerful than the "pure" ones, insofar as they allow the programmer to use the right model for each task, instead of trying to make OO fit, for instance, in places where it doesn't fit so well.
The idea here is that each computational model represents a completely different way of approaching a domain problem. Used by themselves, each has its niche. For instance, everybody knows OO is good for domain modelling and busines objects. Prolog-type languages are good for applications that need to apply rules over a set of data. Functional languages are great in mathematical applications. And so on. What is new here is that one can program in an environment in which all of these tools are available in a single core semantics that seamlessly weaves these computational models into a complementary whole. Used together judiciously, with an eye toward program correctness, they make things possible that have long been considered very hard -- for instance, constraint programming.
Mozart-Oz, the underlying technology, is a strange language when you first look at it. It's hard at first to get used to concepts like "higher-order programming" or "by need execution" or "lazy execution" if you are the programming grunt in the field of most modern IT shops, forced by bosses to code in your standard fare -- Java, C#, VB, etc. If OO in Java is like the hammer that makes everything look like a nail, in Mozart-Oz you have a language that is like walking into Ace hardware store, a swiss army knife of a language (conceptually speaking) that challenges you to become a highly skill code craftsman, not just a programmer.
But, if only for the personal growth you will experience grappling with the concepts in this book, I recommend it very highly even to "non academic" programmers (like myself) as well as to any advanced student of computer science. It may be painful, you may scratch your head in places where the concepts just seemed to leap over your cranium, but if you are patient, do the exercises (and at least think about what it would take to tackle some of the research projects), you will grow.
Unfortunately, you may find the languages you work on to be rather confining, and maybe even boring, after you get a whiff of what multi-paradigm programming can do. More likely, however, is that you will grasp very clearly how the language you code in today works, and that can only make you a better software engineer. So do it-buy this book!Concepts, Techniques, and Models of Computer Programming OverviewThis innovative text presents computer programming as a unifieddiscipline in a way that is both practical and scientifically sound. The bookfocuses on techniques of lasting value and explains them precisely in terms of asimple abstract machine. The book presents all major programming paradigms in auniform framework that shows their deep relationships and how and where to use themtogether.After an introduction to programming concepts, the book presents bothwell-known and lesser-known computation models ("programming paradigms"). Each modelhas its own set of techniques and each is included on the basis of its usefulness inpractice. The general models include declarative programming, declarativeconcurrency, message-passing concurrency, explicit state, object-orientedprogramming, shared-state concurrency, and relational programming. Specializedmodels include graphical user interface programming, distributed programming, andconstraint programming. Each model is based on its kernel language -- a simple corelanguage that consists of a small number of programmer- significant elements. Thekernel languages are introduced progressively, adding concepts one by one, thusshowing the deep relationships between different models. The kernel languages aredefined precisely in terms of a simple abstract machine. Because a wide variety oflanguages and programming paradigms can be modeled by a small set of closely relatedkernel languages, this approach allows programmer and student to grasp theunderlying unity of programming. The book has many program fragments and exercises,all of which can be run on the Mozart Programming System, an Open Source softwarepackage that features an interactive incremental development environment.

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