database management systems

If you are not familiar with the Client/Server and Web programming jargon and/or are having trouble figuring out how all of the pieces fit together, this book is for you.

You'll need to get past some of the 'cuteness' that the authors use to make their points. However, they cover the topic soup to nuts in a way that you will understand going forward.

I picked up the first edition of the book by accident when I was trying to figure out fat client server computing and subsequently bought the other two versions to get more overview and to use as a desk reference (i.e. I had to explain the concept of ACID properties of transactions and needed a brush up)

Lastly, if your manager is non-technical, do yourself a favor and get him/her a copy of this book.

I don't have a programming background and only had general knowledge about the client/server architecture world when I purchased this book. I needed to come up to speed quickly. The book was recommended to me by a co-worker who is extremely knowledgeable about c/s. At first I tired to read the book as a reference piece, reading just the parts that I was interested in at the time. I didn't get anything out of the book, confused by all the acronyms. I found myself with some free time and ended up reading the book cover-to-cover within a week (unfortunately not sitting on the beach as the authors suggest).

This made a world of difference. Each chapter builds on the next and the information started to crystallize. I highly recommend this book for anyone that wanted to learn about c/s. I plan to read it again. With ever-changing technology this book will become quickly out-dated. This is one reader that will be looking for the next edition. The reason this book is "one star short" is because while I was reading, I kept wishing for a section where all the acronyms are expanded for quick reference. A glossary would also be great.

I found this book very interesting 1.5 years ago when I read it. Partially because there was a very good match between what was written in there, and what I could hear around me in the work place.

Time has passed, and I hear less and less talk about CORBA (except in negative terms), and more and more talk about Websphere (based on some technologies explained in the book also - I have to say)...

The third edition remains mostly interesting, but it is now more of a book providing background information, rather than a book providing cutting edge info and likely to help people make choices for the future.

I am impatiently waiting for the fourth edition.

Bernard