Book Description
Freakonomics meets Moneyball in this provocative exposé of baseball's most fiercely debated controversies and some of its oldest, most dearly held myths—explained through the language of numbers and cool cash.
Two hot topics team up in The Baseball Economist, and the result is a refreshing, clear- eyed survey of a playing field that has changed radically in recent years. Utilizing the latest economic methods and statistical analysis, writer, economics professor, and popular blogger J. C. Bradbury dissects burning baseball topics with his original Sabernomic perspective, such as:
• Did steroids have nothing to do with the recent home run records? Incredibly, Bradbury's research, reviewed by Stanford economists, reveals steroids had little statistical significance.
• Is the big-city versus small-city competition really lopsided? Bradbury shows why the Marlins and Indians are likely to dominate big-city franchises in the coming years.
• Which players are ridiculously overvalued? Bradbury lists all players by team with their revenue value to the team listed in dollars—including a dishonor role of those players with negative values.
• Is major league baseball a monopoly that can't govern itself? Bradbury sets out what rules the owners really need to play by, and what the players' union should be doing.
• Does it help to lobby for balls and strikes? How would Babe Ruth perform in today's game? And who killed all the left-handed catchers, anyway? The Baseball Economist knows.
Providing far more than a mere collection of numbers, Bradbury shines the light of his economic thinking on baseball, exposing the power of tradeoffs, competition, and incentives. Statistics alone aren't enough anymore. Fans, fantasy buffs, and players, as well as coaches at all levels who want to grasp what is really happening on the field today and in the coming years, will use and enjoy Bradbury's brilliant new understanding of the national pastime.
Customer Reviews:
Inquiring Minds Wander from This Book.......2007-08-26
I work with economic theorists all the time, but I am not going to tell you this is a good book. Pieces of it are. Bradbury dwells on the steriods issue, prattling on and on about the lack of evidence. Yet, no where does he accept the challenge of studying the relative performances of the individuals to determine the effect of steriods. Rather, he just says it has never been proven. He even blurs the distinction of taking steriods for performance reasons vs. health reasons (and he never considers the differences in the steriods themselves!)
Some of his economic observations are interesting, those where he really studies the game and statistics. I, for one, can find other, more rewarding but boring books to give me a Saturday afternoon snooze. And Bradbury should stick to his statistical analysis of the game (where he excels), not the policy points (where he only debates under the ruse of economic theories).
Didn't care for the book.......2007-08-14
I'm a rabid baseball fan and have read most of the sabermetrics books and have enjoyed most of them. I bought and read all the Elias Baseball Analysts books (if you have to ask you're not a hard core fan) in the series. That said, I didn't care for the subjects or writing in this book. The books needs more punch to make it enjoyable and interesting. I got through the first couple of chapters, then rapidly skimmed parts of the rest of the book.
If you thinking about buying the book for a friend don't. If I didn't care for the book, I can't imagine casual fans even going past its cover.
"Good things tend to be scarce, ...".......2007-07-01
This quote starts chapter 13, and applies to this book as well. The Baseball Economist holds its own and then some when compared to most sabermetric stats books out there. It contains an ecletic but interesting collection of subjects like Freakanomics, presented within a baseball/economic context like MoneyBall. This isn't a book specifically about the economics of baseball, it is more about how the author applies economic methods to answer certain baseball related questions.
That sounds kind of dry, but the author is a better writer than I am, so the book is quite interesting. The first section I found particularly convincing, as it applies principles of economics to identifying why the DH promotes more hit batsmen, why there are almost no lefty catchers, and the over-ratedness of the protection afforded by the on deck hitter. Latter chapters discuss how baseball differs from a true monopoly, and how this has worked to the benefit of the fans.
In the Epilogue, the author writes that he considered calling this book, "An Economist Ruins Baseball", which I'm glad he didn't. That would have done a disservice to this book. Very interesting book to the general baseball fan, and not just a number cruncher book. Probably the best baseball book I have read since MoneyBall.
An economist writes about baseball.......2007-06-02
Bradbury is an associate professor of Economics. He wrote this book with an economists' viewpoint on baseball. He may have gone too in-depths in economics for some people's taste, but being an economics major in college, I enjoyed it and re-learned a few concepts. He covers some topics that have were previously discussed by folks like Bill James, Voros McCracken, Michael Lewis and Jay Gould (and gives them due credit). Topics that were new to me that I found interesting included the effect of "protection" by the on-deck hitter, managers lobbying for balls and strikes, and the baseball monopoly.
I enjoyed this book and I recommend it to baseball fans that are not afraid of charts, numbers and economic concepts. I would be the first in line to buy his second book if Bradbury expands his economic analysis and writing into other sports.
Very interesting look at baseball from a unique perspective.......2007-04-11
Very accessible, very interesting look at baseball. Bradbury tackles both high-profile issues in baseball (steroids, spending disparity amongst teams) as well as ideas you might not have even considered. (What can we learn from trends in hit batsmen?) I recommend this book to baseball fans with an interest in learning more about the inner-workings of the game as well as economists with even a passing interest in the sport.
Amazon.com
A lot of computer-security textbooks approach the subject from a defensive point of view. "Do this, and probably you'll survive a particular kind of attack," they say. In refreshing contrast, Hacking Exposed, Second Edition talks about security from an offensive angle. A Jane's-like catalog of the weaponry that black-hat hackers use is laid out in full. Readers see what programs are out there, get a rundown on what the programs can do, and benefit from detailed explanations of concepts (such as wardialing and rootkits) that most system administrators kind of understand, but perhaps not in detail. The book also walks through how to use the more powerful and popular hacker software, including L0phtCrack. This new edition has been updated extensively, largely with the results of "honeypot" exercises (in which attacks on sacrificial machines are monitored) and Windows 2000 public security trials. There's a lot of new stuff on e-mail worms, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, and attacks that involve routing protocols.
The result of all of this familiarity with bad-guy tools is a leg up on defending against them. Hacking Exposed wastes no time in explaining how to implement the countermeasures--where they exist--that will render known attacks ineffective. Taking on the major network operating systems and network devices one at a time, the authors tell you exactly what Unix configuration files to alter, what Windows NT Registry keys to change, and what settings to make in NetWare. They spare no criticism of products with which they aren't impressed, and don't hesitate to point out inherent, uncorrectable security weaknesses where they find them. This book is no mere rehashing of generally accepted security practices. It and its companion Web site are the best way for all of you network administrators to know thine enemies. --David Wall
Topics covered:
- Security vulnerabilities of operating systems, applications, and network devices
- Administrative procedures that will help defeat them
- Techniques for hacking Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Novell NetWare, and Unix
- Strategies for breaking into (or bringing down) telephony devices, routers, and firewalls
Book Description
“The seminal book on white-hat hacking and countermeasures... Should be required reading for anyone with a server or a network to secure.” --Bill Machrone, PC Magazine
"The definitive compendium of intruder practices and tools." --Steve Steinke, Network Magazine
"For almost any computer book, you can find a clone. But not this one... A one-of-a-kind study of the art of breaking in." --UNIX Review
Here is the latest edition of international best-seller, Hacking Exposed. Using real-world case studies, renowned security experts Stuart McClure, Joel Scambray, and George Kurtz show IT professionals how to protect computers and networks against the most recent security vulnerabilities. You'll find detailed examples of the latest devious break-ins and will learn how to think like a hacker in order to thwart attacks. Coverage includes:
- Code hacking methods and countermeasures
- New exploits for Windows 2003 Server, UNIX/Linux, Cisco, Apache, and Web and wireless applications
- Latest DDoS techniques--zombies, Blaster, MyDoom
- All new class of vulnerabilities--HTTP Response Splitting
- and much more
Customer Reviews:
Excellent book for the beginner.......2007-08-01
While starting out in a new career, this book has been recommended to me time and time again. I have some background in security and penetration testing however this book takes you into a deeper understanding of how things work. I strongly recommend it for the beginner as well as the seasoned Information Security Professional.
Good learning reference for those interested in learning........2007-07-30
This book offers an excellent overview of techniques, though some outdated, to exploit and secure systems. The book is easy to read with just enough technical jargon to teach you something. It covers most major exploits and the techniques used to secure your system against them. I have tested many of the exploits and tools and found them to work very well attacking and defending. If you are new to computer security this is a must-read. If you are an expert in the field this is a great reference.
vedy good.......2007-03-31
The book is one of the best that i've read.
It speaks about hacking in a technical way and it's full of information
An essential book for Linux admins.......2007-03-07
I read this book cover to cover and bookmarked half the pages with tips I want to use. It's not just a book on preventing hacks...it's full of great productivity tips as well. Nowadays, I rarely buy computer books because all the info is on the internet. But this book is an exception. The internet can't substitute for the education you'll get by walking through this one page at a time.
Information Security.......2006-10-10
I had to purchase this book for college but it is a great read. One of the only textbooks that I have used that was actually interesting. They give clear examples and make it easy to follow thier explanations. Great book if you want to learn about hacking and some of the issues it involves.
Book Description
Sidestep VoIP Catastrophe the Foolproof
Hacking Exposed Way
"This book illuminates how remote users can probe, sniff, and modify your phones, phone switches, and networks that offer VoIP services. Most importantly, the authors offer solutions to mitigate the risk of deploying VoIP technologies." --Ron Gula, CTO of Tenable Network Security
Block debilitating VoIP attacks by learning how to look at your network and devices through the eyes of the malicious intruder.
Hacking Exposed VoIP shows you, step-by-step, how online criminals perform reconnaissance, gain access, steal data, and penetrate vulnerable systems. All hardware-specific and network-centered security issues are covered alongside detailed countermeasures, in-depth examples, and hands-on implementation techniques. Inside, you'll learn how to defend against the latest DoS, man-in-the-middle, call flooding, eavesdropping, VoIP fuzzing, signaling and audio manipulation, Voice SPAM/SPIT, and voice phishing attacks.
-
Find out how hackers footprint, scan, enumerate, and pilfer VoIP networks and hardware
-
Fortify Cisco, Avaya, and Asterisk systems
-
Prevent DNS poisoning, DHCP exhaustion, and ARP table manipulation
-
Thwart number harvesting, call pattern tracking, and conversation eavesdropping
-
Measure and maintain VoIP network quality of service and VoIP conversation quality
-
Stop DoS and packet flood-based attacks from disrupting SIP proxies and phones
-
Counter REGISTER hijacking, INVITE flooding, and BYE call teardown attacks
-
Avoid insertion/mixing of malicious audio
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Learn about voice SPAM/SPIT and how to prevent it
-
Defend against voice phishing and identity theft scams
Customer Reviews:
Invaluable VoIP Security Handbook.......2007-08-11
In this book David Endler and Mark Collier have pulled together a vast wealth of material about hacking VoIP networks at every possible level. More than this, they have also created new value in the form of software test tools, which they have published on an accompanying website. It really is a must-have reference book for anyone working in VoIP.
Chapter 1 talks about Google hacking, or in other words, using the Internet to find out things about a target network. They show that Google can be a crucial tool in finding out what type of hardware and software you use in your VoIP networks, and in some cases will give vital clues even about how to login to the management systems of your network from the Internet. If this doesn't scare the bejesus out of you, then proceed on to further chapters about more VoIP-specific issues.
Chapters 2 and 3 detail the kind of tools a hacker might use to scan your network and enumerate all the devices, i.e. build their own map of how your network is laid out, right down to the telephone numbers and MAC addresses of desktop phones. Chapter 4 talks about Denial-of-Service, and the kind of attack resources that hackers might use to cripple a telephony network.
Chapter 5 is on VoIP eavesdropping, talking about some existing tools that can be used for this (Oreka, Wireshark and the unpleasantly named vomit), and as in the earlier chapters, some suggestions on how to defend against such a type of threat. Chapter 6 goes further to explain how a VoIP man-in-the-middle attack might be mounted, giving the possibility not just to listen, but to modify, replace or remix the audio stream.
Chapters 7, 8, 9 talk about specific platform threats, namely to Cisco Unified CallManager, Avaya Communication Manager and the Asterisk PBX. The vendors have added their own comment to these chapters, at the request of the authors. Chapter 10 takes in Softphones, including Google Talk, Gizmo, Yahoo and of course the ever popular Skype.
Chapter 11 describes VoIP fuzzing, or in other words, testing protocol stacks for flaws, so this is useful for those developing VoIP systems and applications. Chapter 12 talks about disruption of networks using flooding techniques and chapter 13 talks about Signaling and Media Manipulation.
The final section of the book is entitled Social Threats, and talks about SPAM over Internet Telephony (SPIT) in Chapter 14, followed by Voice Phishing in Chapter 15. Neither of these threats are in frequent use yet, but their use is certain to increase in the future, so this is a good moment to get to grips with what this means.
This is a highly technical book, but for managers responsible for IT security but not immersed in the details I would say this: buy the book, and read the case studies. There are five sections to the book, and each starts with a short case study. Invest 20 minutes in reading these, and you will start to get an appreciation for how important VoIP Security will be in the future. Then pass the book on to your hands-on security guy and tell him to read it from cover to cover.
A great Hacking Exposed and VoIP security book.......2007-05-07
Hacking Exposed: VoIP (HE:V) is the sort of HE book I like. It's fashionable to think HE books are only suitable for script kiddies who run tools they don't understand against vulnerable services they don't recognize. I like HE books because the good ones explain a technology from a security standpoint, how to exploit it, and how to defend it. I thought HE:V did well in all three areas, even featuring original research and experiments to document and validate the authors' claims.
HE:V is a real eye-opener for those of us who don't perform VoIP pen testing or assessments. It's important to remember that the original HE books were written by Foundstone consultants who put their work experience in book form. HE books that continue this tradition tend to be successful, and HE:V is no exception. Good HE books also introduce a wide variety of tools and techniques to exploit weaknesses in targets, and HE:V also delivers in this respect. HE:V also extends attacks beyond what most people recognize. For example, everyone probably knows about low-level exploitation of VoIP traffic for call interception and manipulation. However, chapter 6 discusses application-level interception.
HE:V goes the extra mile by introducing tools written by the authors specifically to implement attacks. In at least one case the authors also provide a packet capture (for the Skinny protocol) which I particularly appreciate. HE:V also looks ahead to attacks that are appearing but not yet prevalent, like telephony spam and voice phishing. Taken together, all of these features result in a great book. You should already be familiar with the common enumeration and exploitation methods found in HE 5th Ed, because the HE:V authors wisely avoid repeating material in other books (thank you).
If you want to understand VoIP, how to attack it, and how to defend it, I highly recommend reading HE:V. The book is clear, thorough, and written by experts.
Book Description
Find out how institutional and private investors can safely invest into private equity funds including venture capital and buyout funds. Two experienced practitioners provide you with a review of the private equity fund indistury and a description of all the relevant management issues of fund investments - from a day-to-day an a portfolio perspective to indirect investment vehicles such as funds of funds and securitised notes.
Customer Reviews:
Comprehensive introduction into the world of Private Equity.......2005-08-31
This new book gives a very good insight and overview into the world of private equity for the interested student and practitioner.
In fact, it starts from the very basics, explaining the market and the nature of PE fund investments, presenting the various data providers in the market, and goes on to tread very complex issues like state-of-the-art forecasting & monitoring portfolios, important legal issues, advanced cash flow modelling and risk assessment techniques, funds of funds, CFOs and secondaries.
The authors are both highly renowned experts in the PEF industry, Mr. Weidig as a consultant with various publications regarding funds and funds-of-funds, and Mr. Grabenwarter as head of division for Venture Capital Operations at the EIF.
Both combine theoretical understanding with years of experience in the PE funds market, as well as hands-on experience with building risk management systems for this specific type of financial investment - a combination rarely encountered in the world of PE funds!
Book Description
Think your child is safe surfing the Web? Think again, says R. Stephanie Good in this chilling expose and personal memoir about her efforts with the FBI to bust child sex predators. Posing as a young girl, Stephanie has helped the federal government catch everyone from common perverts to Fortune 1000 executives, even an executive from a children's cable television channel. Stephanie reveals the near-tragic personal story that compelled her into this harrowing career and takes readers on the hunt.
Customer Reviews:
Exposed.......2007-09-30
This book was very informative and eye opening. I recommend it for anyone with a teenager that wants to know what to look for on the internet.
Truth in Print....Get the book!.......2007-08-21
Hey Folks,
Mrs.Good takes you through her experiences with the sexual predators that she enounters in her great work as a civilian UC helping the FBI put these folks where they belong...in a cage away from our kids! This book discusses the many facets of this section of law enforcement and even brings you into a trial and shows you the sleazy attempt by a defense lawyer to get the predator from having to do the time for his, or her, crime. This is a great book to companinion "To catch a Predator" by Chris Hasen. These two books are must reads for anyone interested in this subject. God Bless you all, Doneaux.
I commend R. Stephanie Good for this book.......2007-05-21
I have read this book, and found it very interesting! Repetitive it was NOT. There are ALOT of sick pediphiles out there, and this lets them know we have their number! This woman works at getting them off the internet, and it doesn't take over night, it's alot of making sure she has who she thinks she has. I think R. Stephanie Good is a "PLUS" to life, if only more people were more like her this world would be a better place.
Reality.......2007-05-15
The book exposes the real world we live in and the dangers it poses. The author does an excellent job of telling the stories and not getting into too much detail. We need more people willing to risk their own personal life to help others.
great book.......2007-04-04
Wow...This book really lets you right into the middle of these frighteningly perverted cases. The Dateline series only scratches the surface. Before reading this book, you can't even imagine the things these grown men will do and say to get what they want. Thank God for people like Stephanie Good and the FBI agents she worked with who protect our children from these horrors. Hopefully this book will raise the awareness of this problem and make parents more aware of the dangers their children face online.
Book Description
Implement bulletproof e-business security the proven Hacking Exposed way
Defend against the latest Web-based attacks
by looking at your Web applications through the eyes of a malicious intruder. Fully revised and updated to cover the latest Web exploitation techniques,
Hacking Exposed
Web Applications, Second Edition
shows you, step-by-step, how cyber-criminals target vulnerable sites, gain access, steal critical data, and execute devastating attacks. All of the cutting-edge threats and vulnerabilities are covered in full detail alongside real-world examples, case studies, and battle-tested countermeasures from the authors' experiences as gray hat security professionals.
Customer Reviews:
A very good book.......2007-05-12
this book is quite complete, very utile to learn all about security on web applications.
The best book to start your Web application hacking experience.......2006-10-06
I recently received copies of Hacking Exposed: Web Applications, 2nd Ed (HE:WA2E) by Joel Scambray, Mike Shema, and Caleb Sima, and Professional Pen Testing for Web Applications (PPTFWA) by Andres Andreu. I read HE:WA2E first, then PPTFWA. Both are excellent books, but I expect potential readers want to know which is best for them. I could honestly recommend readers buy either (or both) books. Most people should start by reading HE:WA2E, and then fill in gaps by reading PPTFWA.
Before proceeding I should note I used to work with the two ex-Foundstone authors of HE:WA2E, although I haven't been afraid in the past to review books honestly.
I read and reviewed the first edition of HE:WA about four years ago, and I rated that book five stars. Authors like Scambray and Shema exemplify the best aspects of the HE series: explaining technology, then showing how to exploit it. Frequently the first time security people hear about new applications is when they are being attacked. By digesting books in the core HE series, readers become familiar with the latest services, their flaws, and attacks against those technologies. HE:WA2E continues this tradition.
I was pleased to see HE:WA2E is largely a thorough reworking of the first edition. (This has not always been the case with HE books, considering there are five editions.) In one case, however, this worked against the authors. Ch 8 (Attacking XML Web Services) references non-existent material in Ch 1. Ch 1 in HE:WA2E is completely different from Ch 1 in the first edition, which contains the referenced diagram. A positive aspect of the rewrite is the frequent reference to outside material, instead of repeating techniques and tools already published. Combined with the extensive chapter-ending references list, this makes for a book packed with value. Note that the second edition still offers 520 pp, vastly exceeding the 386 pp of the first.
HE:WA2E is very consulting-oriented, which delivers some excellent real-world experience. For example, Ch 2 (Profiling) explains how to identify and deal with load balancers and web application firewalls. This seems to contrast with PPTFWA which says, for "IDS/IPS Systems," "[m]ake sure your client disables these." I thought HE:WA2E took a more realistic approach to this problem.
HE:WA2E's major weakness is its coverage of Web Services. PPTFWA does a better job addressing this important area. In fact, HE:WA2E's Web Services coverage seems fairly similar to the first edition's material. PPTFWA also includes a larger variety of attacks and tools, albeit in a manner not as organized as HE:WA2E. Ch 12 of HE:WA2E would be conceptually stronger if so-called "threat trees" were called "attack trees," as originally developed by Bruce Schneier in 1999. Furthermore, the list of "threats" on pp 404-5 are mostly vulnerabilities. The figures of Ollydbg in Ch 12 are also too small.
Despite these issues, I think HE:WA2E is the best general-purpose Web application security book available. I would definitely add it to your HE library. In other words, if you have HE:5E, you still need HE:WA2E. If you have the first edition of HE:WA, it's time for an update. After reading HE:WA2E, read PPTFWA. Perhaps both sets of authors could collaborate on a comprehensive Web app attack, defend, and test virtual machine, building on the one Andres Andreu built?
Average customer rating:
- Good stuff
- Excellent Resource for Windows Server 2003 Admins
- Not the ultimate Windows 2003 security book, but still solid
- Good place to start, but just a refresh on the 2000 edition
- Lots of old information that does not apply to Win2003
|
Windows Server 2003 (Hacking Exposed)
Joel Scambray , and
Stuart McClure
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media
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ASIN: 0072230614 |
Book Description
"The most demystifying source of information since Toto exposed the Wizard. Hacking Exposed Windows Server 2003 eliminates the mystique and levels the playing field by revealing the science behind the curtain." --Greg Wood, General Manager, Information Security, Microsoft Corporation
From the best-selling co-authors of the world-renowned book, Hacking Exposed, comes Hacking Exposed Windows Server 2003. You’ll learn, step-by-step, how to defend against the latest attacks by understanding how intruders enter and pilfer compromised networks and weaknesses. All the new security features and exploits in Windows Server 2003 are covered.
Customer Reviews:
Good stuff.......2005-04-14
If you are working with Windows Server 2003 security, this is pretty good stuff. For one thing, it gives you the background on a lot of the security features that Microsoft has placed in Group Policy as well as their security recommendations in White Papers. By the way, I suggest you download the Threats and Countermeasures guide from the Microsoft web site, if you don't already have it. That would go very well with this book!
Excellent Resource for Windows Server 2003 Admins.......2005-02-10
Hacking Exposed- Windows Server 2003 is the latest addition to the Hacking Exposed series of books. Joel Scambray and Stuart McClure have teamed up to create another excellent source of information to help you understand the weaknesses in your Windows Server 2003 system and what you can do to defend against them.
It may not be quite as gripping as a John Grisham novel, but the Hacking Exposed books are relatively easy to follow and understand. The use of Tips, Notes and Cautions helps to highlight specific areas that deserve more attentions than others.
As with other books from the Hacking Exposed series, this one walks through how an attacker would locate and exploit your machine. It covers how to footprint and enumerate potential targets and then goes into comprehensive detail for the various attacks and vulnerabilities. Each attack or vulnerability is ranked based on its popularity, simplicity and potential impact to arrive at an overall risk rating.
This book covers the latest exploits and security measures for Windows Server 2003 including Windows-specific services such as MSRPC and IIS6. The authors also provide information on attacks against Terminal Services such as password guessing and privilege escalation as well as the latest DoS (Denial of Service) attacks.
New security features of Windows Server 2003 are covered as well- updates to IPSec, software restrictions and ICF (Internet Connection Firewall).
Anyone with Windows Server 2003 should read this book.
(...)
Not the ultimate Windows 2003 security book, but still solid.......2004-06-02
"Hacking Exposed: Windows 2000" (HE:W2K) was published in August 2001, eight months after the W2K OS was released to manufacturing (RM) in December 1999. "Hacking Exposed: Windows 2003" (HE:W03) was published in October 2003, seven months after the Windows 2003 OS was RTM. Does the shorter gap between OS availability and book publication hurt the successor to the original hit Windows security book? It's possible, but I don't see many contenders for the title of best Windows assessment guide. Because this book delivers the technical goods in a proven format, I give HE:W03 four stars.
I gave the original HE:W2K five stars for finally breaking out Windows-specific security material into its own "Hacking Exposed" title. HE:W03 is mainly an update of its predecessor, a fact I confirmed with a chapter-by-chapter evaluation. HE:W03 has a new foreword and better organization. Ch 1 sports five more pages, and ch 2 offers a new discussion on service accounts and groups. Ch 4 adds an RPC enumeration section while ch 5 provides info on sniffing Kerberos authentication. Ch 6 mentions exploiting the Windows debugger but is short on details. Ch 7 explains psexec and ch 8 explains usage of MDcrack. Ch 10 gives new info on IIS 6, ch 11 mentions SQL Slammer and more defensive strategies, and ch 12 updates remote access methods for Windows XP and 2003. Ch 13 presents a few recent client-side attacks and ch 16 mentions several defensive tools. Ch 17 is mainly original, although the Windows OS roadmap appears as dated as the one first proposed in HE:W2K. Oddly, chs 9, 10, and 16 were missing material, like talk of hiding files via streaming and the "runas" command. Ch 3, 14, and 15 are mostly the same.
HE:W03 is still the best book available if you want to learn how to assess and compromise Windows servers using publicly available tools. It will not teach original exploitation techniques like coding exploits, although this is usually unnecessary when admins deploy stock servers with blank administrator passwords. The authors are experts when it comes to performing pen tests of Windows targets, even though they are unapologetic Windows fans. (Page 195 bears the quote "command-line brain damage of Linux.") Their bias is also apparent as they question the applicability of the word "monopoly" to Microsoft (a legal fact); this isn't surprising given the authors' employers. Their bias also colors their judgment in the introduction, where they propose that security is a zero sum game between security and usability. Attitudes like that can no longer cover for Microsoft's security lapses.
If you're forced to run Microsoft products, it pays to understand how intruders can compromise them. It's also helpful to know how to defend those systems. HE:W03 shows both sides of the coin in the plain language readers have been enjoying since the original "Hacking Exposed" was published in 1999. I recommend this book, especially if you haven't read HE:W2K.
Good place to start, but just a refresh on the 2000 edition.......2004-03-01
Having read "Hacking Exposed Windows 2000" (and most of the other Hacking Exposed books), and just started using Windows 2003 Server, I ordered this book with an eager anticipation for what it would reveal on Microsoft's supposedly significantly more secure OS.
The opening chapters were a disappointment and in general a lot of the content had been copied from the previous Windows 2000 edition, often with just "Windows 2000" replaced with "Windows 2003", which while sometimes accurate, was more often than not, completely inaccurate.
Many of the example outputs and screen shots didn't match the text and often there were inconstancies in the outputs, suggesting that they had perhaps been hand crafted.
In general the editing was poor and this book didn't really come up to the standard I've come to expect from the Hacking Exposed series. It had all the hallmarks of a book rushed to press.
As for Win2003 specifics, there was actually very little. Weather that's because Win2003 is super secure... or just that the author's (and perhaps the hacking community) hadn't really come to grips with the product....
Even the updated Win2000 content was largely pre SP3, which is odd, since SP4 had gone public, well before this book was released (in fact, some of the virus/worm references in the book are post SP4's release).
If you haven't read the Windows 2000 edition, then don't bother, get this one, it has all the content from that edition, plus a small amount of new Win2003 content.
If you've already read the Win2000 edition recently, then don't bother with this one, especially if you're already playing with Win2003. You've probably got most of the Win2003 info already, from MS and other public sources.
I've just started reading "Microsoft Windows Server 2003: Insider Solutions" (ISBN 0-672-32609-4) written by a team of writers who have been using Win2003 in it's pre-beta and early adopter stages. These guys had been using Win2003 since most of us got Win2000! Hopefully this will cover some of the security aspects that are missing in the Hacking Exposed book.
Lots of old information that does not apply to Win2003.......2003-12-28
I like this book because it illuminates many of the approaches a hacker would take when trying to invade the system. But it is already out of date for anyone who has Windows 2003 and the latest version of IIS and SQL Server.
Most of the entire section on IIS describes vulnerabilities in IIS 5.0 and does not apply to Win2003. Some of the recommended tools from Microsoft will not even download onto a Win2003 machine running IIS 6!
The SQL Server chapter describes vulnerabilities that are already fixed in SP3. It does however describe application defects that can be exploited, and tells how to guard against them.
So, this is a good reference on general vulnerability mitigation, but much of the information is already out of date as of Christmas 2003.
Book Description
With a new introduction and new readers study guide by the author
The idea of "The Rapture"-the return of Christ to rescue and deliver Christians off the earth-is an extremely popular interpretation of the Bible's Book of Revelation and a jumping-off point for the best-selling "Left Behind" series of books. This interpretation, based on a psychology of fear and destruction, guides the daily acts of thousands if not millions of people worldwide. In The Rapture Exposed, Barbara Rossing argues that this script for the world's future is nothing more than a disingenuous distortion of the Bible. The truth, Rossing argues, is that Revelation offers a vision of God's healing love for the world. The Rapture Exposed reclaims Christianity from fundamentalists' destructive reading of the biblical story and back into God's beloved community.
Customer Reviews:
rapture.......2007-08-23
There are many different views of the coming of the end of the world. The book of Revelation has been misunderstood and misused and taken out of context by mainline evangelicals. The Rapture Exposed brings to light to truth of the Bible. It is very well written and very theological. Anyone who believes in the rapture needs to read this book.
Hope for the Bible view of comfort in the end of gosple age is not left behind in this book........2007-08-03
It seems to me that many love to be tricked,fooled and lied to about the Bible. Thank God there are authors willing to dig for truth and revealed what they have learned in their writings as Rev. Barbara Rossing as she explains that the Left Behind novels are NOT of the truth and why in "The Rapture Exposed."
The religious world is confused the thinking about interpreting I Thessalonians 4:13-18, on which the concept of "The Rapture" is based. Most Christian people believe that these verses are teaching how Jesus will return to take away faithful Christians from earth,the rest mainly Jews,infidels or other faiths will be left to suffer the pains of man made hell on Earth. Whereas this teaching was intended by the Apostle Paul to be one of consolation to the Thessalonian brethren who were enduring severe persecution.
These were faithful Christians did not go to heaven when they died, but as verse 13 explains, they were now "asleep" in death. They also are described as being asleep "in Jesus" (vs. 14), which means that, although they were asleep in death, they were in the arms of Jesus and the Father. Paul was reminding these brethren at Thessaloniki that their brethren who had died would be brought forth in the resurrection. First, however, all would be entering the sleep of death. The resurrection would not take place until the Lord returned. Those who would be living at the time of the present age of coming of the Lord would not precede those who had fallen asleep in death. Contrary to the concept that when our Lord returns he sweeps up all the faithful living upon earth, Paul says that those asleep in death will be come first. These will be the first raised from the dead.
Those few who have been invited to follow Jesus in the narrow way proof 'faithful unto death' (Rev. 2:10) Thus, those who are of this class and are alive at the time of our Lord's return must die before they can join all the other faithful footstep followers. The important feature of our Lord's return is the resurrection. All those who had previously died will be raised from the dead. Those who are living at the time will die, but will not have to remain in the sleep of death awaiting the resurrection, rather they will be changed immediately to be with the Lord in the twinkling of an eye (I Cor. 15:51-54) Those thus assembled with the other faithful become the completed body of Christ HIS CHURCH to perform a great work during the kingdom of assisting Jesus in bringing back from the dead all that are in their graves. (John 5:28,29, RSV) The work of uplifting the downtrodden family of Adam will end after one thousand years of education in the way of righteousness and Truth. Obey God and live.
This is the real hope for the world.
http://axisoflogic.com/cgi-bin/exec/view.pl?archive=89
The 2nd half of the book was better than the first half.......2007-07-20
Barbara Rossing is a learned Lutheran New Testament scholar. She writes this book to expose the false doctrine of a pretribulation rapture and to reveal the true message of hope found in the book of Revelation.
The first half of the book was disappointing. Rossing paints with a broad brush and writes off dispensationalists as right wing wackos who glorify the violence in the Bible and who are hoping for things to get worse in the world so that Jesus will come back and rapture them home to heaven. She misrepresents the theology and the hermeneutics of dispensationalism time and again, too many times to enumerate in this short review. She chooses not to interact with established dispensational scholars such as John Walvoord, Renald Showers, Robert Thomas, and J.D Pentecost. She seems to prefer easier targets such as Hal Lindsay, Tim LaHaye, and John Hagee.
The truth is that most of the dispensationalists that Barbara critiques are people just like her: They are trying to lovingly live for Jesus the best way they can in light of the fact that He could come back at any time.
The second half of the book was much better. Rossing presents Revelation as a visionary book, much like Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Story," a vision of how bad things could get if we turned our backs on God. She sees the Revelation as a wake up call, as a way for God to say, "It's time to repent and turn to me." She has a hard time believing that God would ever actually carry out the judgments threatened throughout Revelation.
But as we see in Genesis 6-9, Exodus 7-14, Joshua 7-12, and in the judgments on Israel and Judah described in 2 Kings 17 and 2 Kings 24-25 (not to mention the terrible events of 66-70 A.D), God does sometimes carry out His judgment.
There is an appendix where Rossing briefly expounds on some other relevant New Testament texts. Her exegesis in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 is plausible and possible, but unfortunately, she adopts Robert Gundry's idiosyncratic reading of John 14:1-4, a text where Christ clearly promises to come back for Christians and take them to heaven.
She also expounds on Matthew 24:41-44, but the truth is that there are no contemporary dispensationalists that I am aware of that teach that this is the rapture. Most would agree with her reading of the text.
Dr. Rossing is a good writer, and I hope she puts out some more books.
Rev. Marc Axelrod
Left Behind Is Busted!.......2007-07-10
This book is a true exposition and explanation of how the book of Revelation ought to be interpreted. Barbara Rossing exposes all of the inconsistencies of Left Behind, Hal Lindsey's "Late Great Planet Earth" and all people of their kind and shows their theology for the hoax and the misinterpretation of the Bible that it truly is. The only criticism that I have of this book is that Rossing focuses so much on good stewardship of the earth and social justice that she "downgrades" heaven a bit. I have no doubt that she still believes heaven to be a real place; however, her main concern is calling Christians in the here and now to live out their faith in Jesus by loving one another as we wait for Him to return. Score one for the true historical Christian faith against these new weird interpretations that were taught NO WHERE and at NO TIME in the Christian church until 1830!
Cuts through the confusion on Revelation.......2007-05-28
If you cringe from the gleeful tint of the books and televangelists predicting and anticipating a blood-soaked end of the world, all claiming legitimacy from the vision of John, and all a bit too far from the love and peace of Jesus for comfort, you're not alone. Rossing examines the text of Revelation and reminds us that the true intent of the book was to extol Jesus as "the Lamb," the bringer of forgiveness. She points out how dangerous it is for would-be political masterminds to try to tie their personal agendas to the Scripture. This book is a brisk but thoughtful counterpoint to the John Hagee crackpots of the day. Read it if you have seen one too many weird tracts stuck in a phone booth.
Book Description
Everything you need to know to succeed in the programming interview and get the job you want Whether you are a veteran programmer seeking a new position or a whiz kid starting your career, interviewing for a programming job requires special preparation. The interview is likely to consist of an hour-long interactive oral exam in computers, programming, and logic. This helpful guide will give you the tools necessary to breeze through the test and make a lasting impression that will get you a top-dollar offer!
Mongan and Suojanen take you step-by-step through the same problems that they were asked on technical interviews. These veterans use their experience with the technical interview process to prepare you for any situation. With their help, you'll gain critical interviewing skills such as how to ask effective questions, how to best approach a problem, and what to do when you get stuck. Integrated throughout the book are problems
taken from real interviews at top computer companies, followed by an in-depth analysis and explanation of the thought process leading to solutions. By focusing on techniques and not just answers, you'll be able to apply what you learn to the wide variety of problems you will face during an interview. The problems included in this book will challenge your programming skills and help you ace the programming interview! Problem types include:
- Programming problems with emphasis on data structures and recursion
- Logic puzzles, counting and measuring problems, and spatial reasoning
- Knowledge-based problems that cover today's most important technologies
Visit our Web site at www.wiley.com/compbooks/
Customer Reviews:
It's OK.......2007-09-21
This book is just .. OK ...you should really review your data structures and algorithms in detail before jumping into an interview. Do the exercises for fun, not thinking oh they will show up in an interview -- also, you should review the details of whatever language that is core to the job you are applying for ... this book is too brief for that. I give it 3 stars instead of 4 because I think the price should be lower.
Recommend for technique interview.......2007-09-17
The problems in it are not very hard, but extensive and fundemantal.
It teaches you how to think out a solution.
Recommend
Mediocre Title.......2007-09-08
There is nothing inherently wrong with this book, and it is nice to have a single reference before an interview. This book, while including a satisfactory number of interview topics, does not go into enough depth on any topic. The algorithms described are not shown in enough detail or with enough emphasis on time complexity, for example. If you are looking for a quick refresher to calm you down the day before or day of a big technical interview, this book might be sufficient, but find other references for the heavy-duty studying in the week(s) before your interview.
Must Read.......2007-07-26
This book is a must read for anyone who is preparing for an interview that involves solving algorithmic and programming questions. I strongly recommend this to everyone. I can confidently say that I was able to get my recent job only with the help of this book.
Must Buy for someone who is preparing for job interviews.......2007-06-11
This book gives you insight on a lot of issues faced while hunting for a job in the open market. Help full especially for new grads.
Plus+ A lot of explanation and example solutions.
Book Description
A journalist reveals the disturbing realities of life in the Saudi kingdom. S audi Arabia: Land of oil, terrorism, Islamic fundamentalism, and a crucial American ally. As the only Western journalist to have extensively worked in the Saudi Kingdom, John R. Bradleyis uniquely able to expose the turmoil that is shaking the House of Saud to its foundations. From the heart of the secretive Islamic kingdom's urban centers to its most remote mountainous terrain, from the homes of royalty to the slums of its poorest inhabitants, he provides intimate details and reveals underlying regional, religious, and tribal rivalries. Bradley highlights tensions generated by social change, focuses on the educational system, the increasing restlessness of Saudi youth faced with limited opportunities for cultural and political expression, and the predicament of Saudi women seeking opportunities but facing constraints. What are the implications for the Sauds and the West? This book offers a startling look at the present predicament and a troubling view of the future.
Customer Reviews:
Insightful Portrayal Of The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia.......2007-06-05
Bradley is a journalist who lived and worked in Saudi Arabia for more than 2 years. This book describes what he observed, obviously from a Western perspective, while living there. Some of what he discusses has been covered in other books. For example, the strict segregation of men and women, the brutal public executions and the extreme corruption and hypocrisy of the Saudi royal family. He also mentions the poor education and professional training received by most Saudi citizens which requires the country to be dependent on foreign workers. Many of these workers are people from poor countries such as India, Pakistan and the Philippines who do the "dirty jobs" that, supposedly, Saudis don't want to do themselves. But I find this questionable since Bradley also describes the high rate of unemployment among Saudi citizens and the fact that many of them live in poverty while the Saudi royals bask in the enormous wealth generated by the oil business.
Bradley also talks about the good qualities of the typical Saudi person, such as kindness, hospitality and generosity. There are certain Western right-wingers and Christian zealots who have an anti-Muslim agenda and are clearly biased in their writings. But Bradley doesn't strike me as that sort of person. I think he is simply trying to explain his experiences in Saudi Arabia with as much honesty and truth as possible. Of course, he is seeing the country from the point of view of a non-Muslim Westerner. But that doesn't mean he is necessarily wrong in what he is saying.
However, what really takes this book to the "5 stars" level for me is that he elaborates on the regionally based political and cultural differences in the kingdom. He talks about the Hijaz area, including Jeddah, as having a long history as an international center of trade which makes it somewhat more liberal and sophisticated than the rest of the country. The southern region is called Asir and includes people who, in many ways, have more in common with the neighboring country of Yemen than with their fellow Saudis. Finally, there is the Eastern province which is largely made up of Shiite Muslims who, like the people from Hijaz and Asir, often finds themselves at odds with the Wahhabi dominated central region which includes the royal family and the Wahhabi religious establishment that controls the country politically. In other words, Saudi Arabia is a complex and diverse society with people from a variety of religious and cultural perspectives who are seeking to challenge the hold on power by the Wahhabis and the royal family. This is not the picture provided to the broader American public, who tend to recognize that the royals are corrupt but still see them as the lesser of two evils when compared to the Osama allied extremists. Obviously, the situation there is more complicated than most people think.
I actually came away feeling at least a little more optimistic about the future, or at least the potential, of the country. But, of course, Saudi Arabia still faces a tremendous amount of problems and what happens there will continue to be of vital importance to the rest of us, especially considering that the Saudis have 1/4 of the world's known supply of petroleum.
A little bias detected.......2007-06-03
This was the fourth book that I read about Saudi Arabia and although I thought the descriptives were very good in that Bradley goes into some depth that other authors may consider too trivial (i.e. Najran and Flower Men), the author clearly takes hold of the arab militancy with a one track mind. This was the first post-911 book I read about the Kingdom and I was curious to find out what has changed, and all I found was a loud-echo of anti-Wahhabism and the outcry of abused Asian workers. I understand very well that K.S.A. has many issues in that area, but I also know many families who treat their workers well. I'm always leary of books that incite anger in me as I read, and this certainly made me angry and defensive toward the Kingdom when I have already met so many wonderful Saudis who give me an entirely different perspective. A fuel on the American bias fire, but worth reading if but for the descriptives of Shiite history in the Kingdom.
Try Again.......2007-05-23
really needs to try again here I was in the kingdom the same time as this man and have read his account, but cannot agree, one thing to put straight here is that the mention of a Keith Birmingham as an engineer is incorrect he was a welder for Saudi Arabian Airlines at the engine overhaul centre in Jeddah. Perhaps had John really spent time out and about in the rest of Saudi and met the those who you can say are not the city folk could probably had a very good book but this account is far from complete
Tipical Orientalist.......2007-05-17
I GREW UP IN A MIDDLE CLASS SAUDI FAMILY AND READ THE WHOLE BOOK.
John R. Bradley goes to Saudi Arabia for 2 ½ years, befriends upper class kids and some liberal journalists then thinks he figured out the whole country. These are some things you should know before you read the book:
-When a teenage boy has a satellite in his room he is rich even in Saudi Arabia. Same thing goes for students who hire a Briton to teach them English and for kids with fluent English.
-Average Saudis will not talk to foreigners especially not westerners.
-The book was written in June 2005 and Saudi Arabia is rapidly changing (for better or worse)
-This was before the new king came to power.
-The people he speaks of are not representative sample of the Saudi society(mostly pro-American liberal)
-Any other orientalist could not have done a better job of an inside view of Saudi Arabia through a westerner's eyes.
Insightful look at an understudied country.......2007-04-05
This is an informative book for those wishing to gain a better understanding of the political and social situation in contemporary Saudi Arabia. The author was apparently one of the few Western journalists in the country in the early 2000s and he was able to obtain a visa that allowed him to travel around the country and speak with people without facing many of the restrictions that apply to most Westerners in the country. The author discusses a number of subjects. I thought that the two most interesting chapters were the ones dealing with Saudi youth and gender relations, respectively. He also writes about the rise of crime, attacks against Western expatriates, and, of course, the royal family, among other subjects. The author traveled outside of Riyadh, the capital, to many different regions. One of the main themes of the book is that the tensions between various regions within the country, many of which are inhabited by distinct tribal and ethnic groups, pose perhaps the greatest threat to the country's unity. Perhaps the one thing that I found frustrating was that, at times, it seemed like the text was devoid of Saudi voices. While the author obviously made a great many friends and professional contacts in the country, I kind of wish that he would have presented more of their viewpoints. He often seems too eager to convey his own impressions and opinions of Saudi Arabia rather than let the country's citizens speak for themselves. Luckily, this isn't as problematic as it could have been, because his opinions are generally very insightful and well-argued. Overall, as someone with very little knowledge of Saudi Arabia (and the Middle East in general), I found this book to be a highly informative analysis of some of the major tensions and problems facing this country that has been so often discussed and misunderstood in the Western media.
Books:
- The Deed of Paksenarrion: A Novel
- The Encyclopedia of Grasses for Livable Landscapes
- The Gospel According to Judas by Benjamin Iscariot
- The Harsh Cry of the Heron: The Last Tale of the Otori (Tales of the Otori, Book 4)
- The Innate Immune Response to Infection
- The Lunatic Cafe (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Book 4)
- The New Essential Guide to Characters (Star Wars)
- The Nymph King (Atlantis, Book 3)
- The Pack: Touch Of The Wolf (Book 5) (Silhouette Nocturne)
- The Poison Master
Books Index
Books Home
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Baseball Prospectus 2007: The Essential Guide to the 2007 Baseball Season (Baseball Prospectus)
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The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball
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