An Introduction to Geographical Information Systems US Edition (co-pub) (Prentice Hall Series in Geographic Information Science) Review

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(More customer reviews)This book has the best organization of all the GIS texts I've read. Other texts have either too little or too much on some topics (especially GIS project management and GIS analysis). This one has an excellent balance. A little more on data sources would have been nice. The British authors use a few terms American students won't recognize, but it reads very well. I'm recommending it right now over other overviews of GIS.

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Focuses on the practical applications of GIS, & considers how the technology works.Each chapter addresses a specific theme & is backed up with examples, case studies, direct reading & additional resources on a Web site.Paper.

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The CMDB Imperative: How to Realize the Dream and Avoid the Nightmares Review

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(More customer reviews)I have had this book since early March 2009 and am not complete with it yet...but... what I have read is great. If you are looking for deep technical guidance on setting up a CMDB, buy another book on VSS, Serena, ClearCase, Subversion or whatever you plan on using.
However, ODonnell/Casanova's book covers configuration management at an enterprise and strategic level and how critical CM and a CMS is to support development methodolgies and support methodologies (al la.. ITIL/ITSM). It also stretches the common concept that a CMDB is for code version control and management, ODonnell/Casanova suggest that a HR system contains a partition of the CMDB for those configuration items we refer to as "employees" (perm and contract and outsourced...), and that other systems are also forms of CMDBs because they manage other assets of an enterprise that have potential to be changed in status, location, cost, or relationships.
There ARE some basic architecture guidelines in the book that cover various federation schemes and other considerations - these will be useful for a CM Manager, Chief Data Officer, VP of Data, or architect supporting the development, testing, and code & document management environments.
Again, this is a book very useful for IT management to develop their strategy for implementing a CMS or enterprise CMDB, esp for organizations with distributed locations, esp. mutli-nationals or those relying on offshore development or support.
Overall a very good book...

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Implement Configuration Management Databases that Deliver Rapid ROI and Sustained Business ValueImplementing an enterprise-wide Configuration Management Database (CMDB) is one of the most influential actions an IT organization can take to improve service delivery and bridge the gap between technology and the business. With a well-designed CMDB in place, companies are better positioned to manage and optimize IT infrastructure, applications, and services; automate more IT management tasks; and restrain burgeoning costs. Now, there's an objective, vendor-independent guide to making a CMDB work in your organization. The CMDB Imperative presents a start-to-finish implementation methodology that works and describes how the CMDB is shifting to the superior Configuration Management System (CMS).Expert CMDB industry analyst Glenn O'Donnell and leading-edge architect and practitioner Carlos Casanova first review the drivers behind a CMDB and the technical, economic, cultural, and political obstacles to success. Drawing on the experiences of hundreds of organizations, they present indispensable guidance on architecting and customizing CMDB solutions to your specific environment. They'll guide you through planning, implementation, transitioning into production, day-to-day operation and maintenance, and much more. Coverage includesDefining the tasks and activities associated with configuration management

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Computers and Ethics in the Cyberage Review

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(More customer reviews)I teach a graduate class in Information Technology in the Public Sector, in the M.S. in Public Administration program at a major university in southern California. I selected this text for my class because I found it to be an excellent, wide-ranging and deep exploration of a host of ethical issues dealing with information technology for non-computer majors. While not every article was directly relevant to my class (which is made up of current and future managers of public sector organizations), the book is easy to read and has a "friendly" style that draws you into the articles. Some articles are only a few pages while others are quite long. This text has been very appreciated by my students and the articles in it have been the source of many in-class discussions and debates. Overall: Outstanding!

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This anthology of essays, contributed and compiled by experts in a variety of fields, addresses both perspectives in the debate regarding the proliferation of computers in our lives. Topics ranges from privacy copyright and computer crime issues to the global impact of computers, online communities and virtual reality. For anyone interested in a broad-based interdisciplinary view of the ethical issues facing society in light of the computer's proliferation in our personal and professional lives.

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