internet commerce

This book is already outdated and offers topics which are well dealt by the vendors in an authorative manner. The book is poorly deals with the topics with many errors.

This book is just a walkthrough of an simple example eCommerce site implemented in Java. The farther you go in the book, the more you begin to wonder just how many eCom sites the authors have really built.

If you are really looking for a book titled something like "Look How I cobbled Together My First e-Commerce Site Using Java" then this book is for you. Otherwise, skip it.

This book does a good job in demostrating how an ecommerce web site can be implemented using most of the inexpensive non-Microsoft web site development tools (except for Oracle.)

It introduces (just that--an overview) the readers to HTML, XML, CGI, Perl, Java, Servlets, Javascript, etc. Yes, the spectrum is broad but all of them are necessary. The brief overviews and the application of each to an ecommerce web project, informs the reader what role each plays in the development process including their current limitations.

While its strength lies in the demonstration of the integration of several web development tools, it also contributes to its weakness--particularly to its claim that the reader needs minimal technical background. Yes, that would be true if the technically challenged were to skip the example sections and stick strictly with the descriptive sections. For the technical reader, a foundation in Java, Javascript, basic HTML, etc. is essential. In fact, the authors, themselves mention in the opening chapter, that the book intends to integrate several techniques even though the reader might have mastered each of the techniques independently. The primary focus is on the demostration of how the web techonologies for ecommerce site development can be integrated. While it may cover several tools/techniques/technologies, this book is not a comprehensive study of each and all of them. So, learn the tools/techniques/technologies first to be at least at the intermediate level, and then purchase this book to see how you can bring all of them together to work for you.