About Netsurfer Books

Netsurfer Books is a twice-monthly listing of books which we think would be interesting to read. These are not book reviews - we have not yet necessarily read any of these books. Think of this simply as a list of books which we think look neat, and which you may not have otherwise heard of. Yes, we do get a small commission from Amazon.com if you buy any of these books through the links included here. No, nobody tells us to include any specific book - we just pick neat stuff which catches our attention. Have fun!

EDITOR'S CHOICE

The Victorian Internet: The Remarkable Story of the Telegraph and the Nineteenth Century's On-Line Pioneers

The Victorian Internet: The Remarkable Story of the Telegraph and the Nineteenth Century's On-Line Pioneers
Tom Standage
Walker & Co; ISBN: 0802713424

Anyone who views the Victorian age as a dark era notable only for tight corsets and prim manners ought read this fascinating book. Standage relays the birth of electrical communication with style, showing the comparisons between today's Internet and the telegraphic `net of the past. His "writing is colorful, smooth and wonderfully engaging." - Smithsonian Magazine

SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY

Catfantastic

Catfantastic
Andre Norton (Editor), Martin H. Greenberg (Editor)
Fine Communications; ISBN: 1567311539

Here's a purrfectly wonderful collection of sci-fi and fantasy stories from "two of the biggest names in the fantasy field. fantastical cat tales for friends of furry felines. Cats work a special magic in these stories from the future, from the past, and from dimensions people never dream of." - Amazon.com

The Forever War

The Forever War
Joe W. Haldeman
Avon; ISBN: 0380708213

This thought-provoking science fiction novel describes a war in a future of a different dimension, where a soldier may age much more slowly than the folks at home. Winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and Ditmar awards for Best Novel of the Year - yet, for some reason, not often included on lists of classic science fiction. "An engrossing, poignant epic ... one of the most memorable characters science fiction has ever produced." -- Chicago Daily News

The Alien Years

The Alien Years
Robert Silverberg
Harper Prism; ISBN: 0061050350

A Robert Silverberg novel is the epitome of the ideal book for a wintry afternoon when all you long to do is curl up by the fireplace, sip some cocoa, and read a take-me-away-to-another-planet fantastical adventure. Does this one deserve to be included in that category? Oh yes. "...Silverberg's rich characters, his dead-on target vision of modern society, his mastery at building tension--all are in evidence in this notable outing from one of the very best." - Publishers Weekly

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Top Secret Intranet

Top Secret Intranet
Frederick Thomas Martin
Prentice Hall Computer Books; ISBN: 0130808989

A former National Security Agency official, Martin describes how the need for instant intelligence information ("I need that satellite photo of the terrorist camp, and I need it now, or NSA heads will roll!" you can imagine the voice of a five-star General yelling) resulted in Intelink, a supposedly top-secret (and, one hopes, supernaturally secure) Intranet. The book describes how Intelink was created, and even includes a CD-ROM with a demo of the Intelink interface, complete with demo software, tools and training. Great both as a history book and as a guide for those needing to create an extremely secure Intranet or extranet.

Core Java 1.2: Fundamentals (Java Series, Volume 1)

Core Java 1.2: Fundamentals (Java Series, Volume 1)
Cay S. Horstmann, Gary Cornell
Prentice Hall; ISBN: 0130819336

This hefty volume (more than 700 pages) guides experienced programmers through the material they need to incorporate Java into their knowledge base. The fundamentals of the JDK 1.2 (including the new Swing user interface components) are included. You'll also learn the details of object-oriented programming, Java inner classes, exception handling, debugging, the current Java event model, input/output and file management. Accompanying the book is a CD-ROM with source code examples, the JDK 1.2, and a variety of tools such as HexWorkshop and SourceAgain.

Windows 95 Games Programming

Windows 95 Games Programming
Stan Trujillo
IDG Books Worldwide; ISBN: 1558514481

You love to play computer games so why not rise to the ultimate challenge and create your own? (Hey, and make a little money, too!) Read the book and play the write-a-computer-game game. Includes "the information needed by programmers to enhance Visual C++ skills and develop games for Windows 95," with seven demo games on the CD-ROM. -Booknews

The Riddle of Scheherazade: And Other Amazing Puzzles, Ancient & Modern

The Riddle of Scheherazade: And Other Amazing Puzzles, Ancient & Modern
Raymond Smullyan
Knopf; ISBN: 0679446346

Riddle me this one: do you enjoy mathematical and logistical puzzles? If so, this book will polish up your brain cells with its devilishly difficult conundrums. Guaranteed to produce "1001 hours of brain-teasing fun." - Amazon.com

From Barbie to Mortal Kombat: Gender and Computer Games

From Barbie to Mortal Kombat: Gender and Computer Games
Justine Cassell (Editor), Henry Jenkins (Editor)
MIT Press; ISBN: 0262032589

All right, confession time. When I was a mere lass (just a couple of months ago, right?), I possessed a Barbie doll, a Ken doll, and a passion to be the first on my block to own Barbie's dream house (my mother, a psychologist, gave me a chemistry set and a lecture on sexism instead of the toy mansion. Thus it was with awe that I read this book, which "brings together the perspectives of feminist activists and media scholars in a thought-provoking discussion of the "gendering" of video games," according to Booklist. Looks like Mom was right.

What Remains To Be Discovered

What Remains To Be Discovered
John Royden Maddox
Free Press; ISBN: 068482292X

So you're feeling depressed because all the secrets of the universe, the origins of life, and the future of the human race have been discovered? Wrong. In "this splendidly lucid and wide-ranging account of our scientific ignorance, Maddox revels in highlighting fundamental problems that don't appear to be readily soluble in terms of the science we already know." - New Scientist

Professional Active Server Pages 2.0

Professional Active Server Pages 2.0
Alex Fedorov et al.
Wrox Press Inc; ISBN: 1861001266

If you're in the business of designing Web sites, you need this "thorough and intelligently organized text (which) covers all the bases for developing state-of-the-art Web sites powered by Microsoft Web technologies". It describes basic Microsoft tools, such as NT4, Internet Information Server (IIS), and Personal Web Server, .. using Active Server Pages (ASPs) starting with basic objects (such as the Request, Cookies, and Response objects). They stress a solutions-basic approach with plenty of examples to show what's going on. Sections on Active Server Components and listings of third-party controls that can enhance your ASP Web site are particularly useful." - Amazon.com

NONFICTION

Does Your Computer Byte?

Does Your Computer Byte?
Martin Hopper
Walrus Productions; ISBN: 096351766X

This wryly witty book is better than Java for pepping up your mood. "If you've ever snorted Jolt cola out of your nose while reading a "mouse balls" joke on the Net. it deals with all the frustrations in the battle between man and machine. Recommended for anyone who needs to lighten up about their misadventures between the keyboard and chair." - Tech Week Magazine

Your Money or Your Life: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence

Your Money or Your Life: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence
Joe Dominguez, Vicki Robin
Penguin USA (Paper); ISBN: 0140167153

No secrets here - but a lot of common sense and reminders about priorities. "The bible for those seeking to reclaim their lives through financial independence.The authors write eloquently of the mental and emotional toll taken by a life of ceaseless getting and spending. few will come away without questioning their own priorities." - Amazon.com

Lone Star Swing: On the Trail of Bruce Wills and his Texas Playboys

Lone Star Swing: On the Trail of Bruce Wills and his Texas Playboys
Duncan McLean
W.W. Norton & Company; ISBN: 0393317560

A hilarious story of how a Scotsman discovers the art of the almost-buried swing music. "McLean gives the sort of resourceful, witty, genuine, slightly folksy literary performance that you end up reading aloud to any available bystander.. He takes a largely forgotten genre of music and by the force of his knowledge and enthusiasm convinces us that it is the most raw, red hot and American stuff ever recorded." - Los Angeles Times

A Year of Living Consciously : Daily Inspirations for Creating a Life of

A Year of Living Consciously : Daily Inspirations for Creating a Life of
Gay Hendricks
Harper San Francisco; ISBN: 0062515888

The search for personal fulfillment often gets lost as we become focused on such necessities as hunting for an extra roll of toilet paper, responding to a memo from the boss, and coping with a toothache. In this beautifully written book, a psychotherapist provides inspirational quotes and inward exercises that focus on viewing life as a journey that can - and should --involve the mind and soul. Hendricks has created what he calls a "daily inspiration" for every day of the year. A wonderful way to begin - or end -- your day and renew your ability to appreciate life's wonders.

FICTION

Catcher in the Rye

Catcher in the Rye
J.D. Salinger
Lb Books; ISBN: 0316769487

You've always meant to read this classic - but never found the time. No excuses. You'll thank us for it. "The influential and widely acclaimed story details the two days in the life of 16-year-old Holden Caulfield after he has been expelled from prep school. Confused and disillusioned, he searches for truth and rails against the "phoniness" of the adult world." - Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature

An Instance of the Fingerpost

An Instance of the Fingerpost
Iain Pears
Riverhead Books; ISBN: 1573220825

Don't hesitate because of the category (a "literary mystery"): this historical thriller is mesmerizing. "It is literary--if that means intelligent and well written--and for the reader who likes to be teased, who likes his plots as baroque and ingenious as possible, An Instance of the Fingerpost will not disappoint." - The New York Times

Bridget Jones's Diary

Bridget Jones's Diary
Helen Fielding
Viking Pr; ISBN: 0670880728

This wickedly funny book introduces the fictional and captivating Bridget Jones, who verges between empowered pizzazz and self-conscious concerns. The reader winds up "hoping, as you'd hope for a friend, that she'll find happiness, true love, and a way to eat Milk Tray chocolates without beating herself up afterward." - Philadelphia Inquirer

Everybody Dies

Everybody Dies
Lawrence Block
William Morrow & Company; ISBN: 068814182X

Another elegantly written mystery by the master. Block weaves "an unforgettable dispatch from a world in which there are no real survivors, just guys who haven't died yet." - Kirkus Reviews

BIOGRAPHY

Nureyev: His Life

Nureyev: His Life
Diane Solway
William Morrow & Company; ISBN: 0688128734

Nureyev is often deservedly credited with bringing the artistry of ballet to the attention of the general public. Brilliant, wicked, and incredibly talented, he fascinated the world. This book celebrates his life with "an impressive feat of reporting..." - New York Times

At Home in the World: A Memoir

At Home in the World: A Memoir
Joyce Maynard
Picador USA; ISBN: 0312195567

After you've treasured Catcher in the Rye, you'll want to read this fascinating memoir. Maynard is a talented writer, and her skill is well-displayed as she paints this "portrait of a comic genius, Salinger himself.(a) wry, painful, engaging book. " - Frank McCourt, author of Angela's Ashes

MUSIC TO READ BY

Blues on the Bayou

Blues on the Bayou
B.B. King
Uni/Mca; ASIN: B00000DF6O

Travel along with King's band as they play live in a Lafayette, Louisiana, studio. Rich, impassioned sound is evoked in King's producing debut, in which he "summons a slow-rising, down-home aroma, like bacon and grits in the morning." - Entertainment Weekly