Women are always complaining that "men are dogs" and that they don't treat them well. As you know, that is a gross generalization. That statement might be true for some men, but not for all. It certainly isn't true for William McCall, the protagonist in Frederick Cooper's new tome, Six Days In January. McCall is a young brother from Brooklyn who makes a terrible mistake with his girlfriend, but when he seeks her forgiveness, she fails to give it. He tries his hardest to make amends, but she won't have any of it. In time, he meets Andrea, a women with whom he falls desperately in love. Between his issues and her baggage, their romance is bittersweet at best. At last, readers are given a rare treat into a man's mind and into what he really feels about loving and being loved. Cooper gives us a realistic view into male emotions and it's a welcome relief to finally know what's really on the minds of today's black men. Readers will no longer have to wonder, guess, or speculate because he tells it straight up no chaser. Six Days In January is a wonderful book by a rising new talent. It's a quick, enjoyable read and contains something to which every reader will be able to relate. The writing is action-filled, highly emotional and the high drama content makes this novel a page-turner. You'll not want to put it down! And the love scenes...ooh la la! This author knows how to craft them. If you're looking for a down-to-earth, in-your-face book written by an ordinary guy with an incredible story to tell, read Six Days In January. It's one of the best literary investments you'll make!

I happened to be at Book Expo and this book was mentioned. I couldn't find it anywhere so I went online and purchased it. I received it a couple of days ago. I AM ON MY THIRD READING!!!
That says it all. "Six Days In January.." is an absolutely incredible read!!! You have to drink cold water to douse the flames the love scenes provide. Not as explicit as others, Fredrick Cooper gets his point across nonetheless is fine taste.

But the power behind the story lies in its emotions. A lot of the Fiction novels by Black authors we want to believe are real. Ladies, take a read of this and tell me if you don't see yourselves in some of the women William McCall dates. If you have ever taken advantage of a guy who really loves you, then this startling truth will make you cringe in regret. If you had a man who, when in love, would shower with all his heart, do erotic strip teases for you, make love to you in every way imaginable, wouldn't you want to treat him right and keep him a little naive? (Sad to say, that's McCall's bug-a-boo.) This William Mcall character is all that!! Alas, he keeps giving his heart to the wrong woman, something that will both anger you and leave you crying. Oh God, just Read chapter nine!!!

This book is an excellent book for men as well, for it has range and depth. It moves the crowd!!! It might assist our brothers in theif efforts in that commitment issue they battle with. Recognize your fears like William McCall and make the necessary changes.

Mr. Cooper, if this story is true (Your back cover indicates it's semi-autobiographical.) I hope and pray you find what you are looking for. And the woman that acquires your heart had better be worth all that love!!! WOW, What a story!!!

Six Days in January gives a very heartfelt, realistic glimpse inside of the heart and soul of a very sensitive, lovelorn William McCall. Fredrick Cooper is to be commended for his courage to go where no other male author would dare tread, namely, inside of the mind and heart of a man revealing that yes, men also suffer from broken hearts, and yes, they too cry tears of pain.

Six Days is a very moving story that compels the reader to feel anger over Andrea's treatment of William, frustration over his tolerance of it and joy when he finally makes a stand for himself. Fredrick has done an extraordinary job on his first novel. His portrayal of William has revealed that men are, in their own right, delicate creatures too. Creatures deserving of understanding, respect and love. Six Days in January is a must read for every woman.

_Silver in the Tree_ is the fifth and final book in the Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper. It tells the story of the final confrontation between the Light and the Dark. Here the threads from previous books come together: Will Stanton, Merriman, the Drew children, Bran Davies, the Rowlands, the Stantons, and more. Cooper also introduces new characters, like Gwion, who leave lasting impressions both on the characters and the readers. In this book, the Light tries to find the last thing of power--a crystal sword--that will help them in the last and greatest rising of the Dark.

On a more serious level, this book addresses questions such as: what does it mean to *belong* to a family or a place? What right do people have to make decisions for others? The answers are neither simple nor easy. The disappointment of some of the other reviewer here shows that. (Warning: Some of them give away the ending, so reader beware). Personally I thought the novel's conclusion was fitting--it went well with the message of the other parts of the series. Cooper's prose style meshes well with her story.

Fantasy buffs, especially those with an interest in Arthurian legend, will love this series. I recommend this book very highly to middle school readers or advanced late-elementary school readers. But read the series in its proper order! This book gets its much of its poignancy from what comes before it. The order of the series is: _Over Sea, Under Stone_, _The Dark is Rising_, _Greenwitch_, _The Grey King_, and _Silver on the Tree_. The first two books can be read in interchangable order; I might even recommend reading _The Dark is Rising_ before _Over Sea, Under Stone_, but don't read _Greenwitch_ without reading the first two.

I could sum it up in one word: WOW. But since one-word reviews are not allowed for an amazon.com review, I'll elaborate. The whole series is the best one I've ever read about that on-going struggle between light and dark, good and evil forces. All of the young main characters from the other books get together in this one, and it is interesting enough to see how all these children, whom you know well, get along together. They each have a different part in the vanquishing of the Dark. In it, Bran also has more to discover about himself and the value of friends, which he gives everthing--everything!--up for. You'd have a hard time to decide who was more important, next to Merriman, of course, in the book, Will or Bran. Until the end, which is so fitting yet sad and tragic, because of the nature of the servants of the Light's existence. This book is true to the world of the other books, with funny times, serious ones, adventure, sacrifice, friendship, and power. This book is more rich in sensory details than the others, and has less sit-around-and-think scenes. The very end is bitter-sweet, you'll have to read it to see what I mean. If you're a careful reader, you'll see things hinted at from the other books happening in this one (for example, I believe it was in Over Sea Under Stone that had Merriman reading from the grail or the parchment something like "when the Light is no more than a dream"--forgive me for not remembering it exactly-- and in the book Merriman gets a faraway look in his eyes and repeats the line, but it is seemingly forgotten after that. But it has real meaning in Silver on the Tree, but I can't explain...you'll have to read it for yourself). Cooper has many crafty foreshadowings like that which are fun to find. The novels, while extremely original, are deeply rooted into the Arthurian legend, sort of a modern-day continuation of it. Like there is a cave in Cornwall like the one in "Over Sea..." that is called Merlin's cave. Little, generally overlooked real-life allusions make it fun and realistic, while the actual plot is deep beyond explaining, so i won't try. Just read them and see!

I'm a twelve-year-old from KL and I first read this book when I was eleven, two years ago. Ever since then I have reread it about a million times. This book is the last in the series and one of the best. In the beginning Will begins to see shades of fleeing people. He calls a gathering of the Old Ones, only to find that the Lady is not present. He is drawn into an adventure with Bran Davies and the Drew children, ending in a struggle to cut the blossom from the midsummer tree on the Chiltern hills with the crystal sword, which will enable the Light to vanquish the Dark. This is one of the best books I have ever read. Susan Cooper shifts from time to time and place to place seamlessly. I loved the Lost Land and the climax at the midsummer tree. When I first read this book I was rather upset that Bran and the Drews had to forget their adventures completely. However, after rereading this book a few times, I began to think that the ending was, after all, quite appropriate. I did feel sorry for Will, though, because he had to bear this burden alone. I loved this book.

"Family" is a book that must be read. It is a touching, powerful book. This is one of Ms. Cooper's most dynamic books. "Family" is a generational book. It is sensational. Much praise for "Family."

"Family" shared insights into the institution of slavery. The bitterness a race suffered, but yet the courage of that race to survive. "Family" is about a mother, who did not want her children to live as she was forced to live or to endure the misery forced upon them, but in which they had no control. "Family" is moving. Indeed, some of the events will bring tears to your eyes. "Family" is about survival.

Ms. Cooper is an exceptional author and has truly captured the essence of what it is to be a 'family.'

I read "Family" years ago, but it was, and still is, the best book I've read in life, along with another of J. California Cooper's books, "A Wake in the Wind." Ms. Cooper's fancy for telling a story is one of the best. Not only are you being entertained, but you're learning about our past as a people. I've read every book that Ms. Cooper has written and am looking forward to her next release. Thanks Ms. Cooper for being the storyteller that you are!

I am a high school English teacher, and my students are assigned to read the novel, Family, every year. Of course, I usually have a lot of students who claim "I hate to read", but once we get started on the novel, they cannot put it down. They love Ms. Cooper's novel, and always ask if we could read another one of her novels in class. Keep up the good work Ms. Cooper; you have provided us teachers with a book that students love.

I was so impressed by the author J. California Cooper. My sister turned me on to this literary wonder. I have read all of her books because I can't get enough of her writing, I suggest them all, even the short stories as must-reads. I was so moved and yet surprised that she's not one of our more popular writers. I have a good feeling about her. I want to give this book 6 stars, it's worth it. Happy Reading!

Unlike Ms. Cooper's short stories, the web she has spun for "In Search of Satisfaction" is spellbinding. The way the characters lives are intertwined are amazing. The book encounters racism, love, spiritual well being. Like most people in life they keep searching for satisfaction and what they over look most times is what is right in front of them. I can say like all her books, the theme is within the title. I am glad this book was picked for our reading group last month, I am a very faithful follower of J. California Cooper. I recommend this book to everyone. I love it.

This book was recommended to me by a friend of mine who is African-American (which I am not) and she said J. California Cooper was an incredible author. I bought the book that day and started it. I could not put it down! The characters were so rich and interesting. It gave me a new insight into post-Civil War days and struggles that the former slaves and their descendents lived through! Definatly a must read! Looking forward to reading "The Wake of the Wind"---if I can ever get a copy!!!

The Borrowers is a book for losers. Not the modern kind of loser, but people like me who are always losing stamps and pins and pens. The book tells the story of Arrietty Clock and her parents, tiny people who live beneath the floor of an old house and `borrow' the things they need from the humans who live in the house above. A postage stamp becomes a painting for their wall, pins become knitting needles. Even Arrietty's parents' names - Pod and Homily - are borrowed.

Life has never been easy for the borrowers, but now times are changing for the worse. The Sink family in the scullery, the Broom Cupboards, the Rain-Pipes and even Uncle Hendreary and his family have emigrated. Only the Clock family remain, living in fear of Mrs Driver, the housekeeper upstairs. When Pod comes home and says that a boy is living upstairs and that the boy has `seen' him, Pod's wife, Homily, is thrown into panic.

Arrietty, however, is intrigued. While her parents cling to the dubious safety of the life they know, Arrietty wonders about the world outside and dreams of adventure. She persuades her reluctant parents to let her accompany her father on his borrowing expeditions. On her first venture out, she meets the boy upstairs. A dangerous friendship develops. Meanwhile, Mrs Driver stalks the borrowers, full of the sort of cruelty Roald Dahl would have been proud to create. It is only with the boy's help that Arrietty and her parents narrowly escape Mrs Driver's attempts to destroy them. At the end of the book, Arrietty faces the dangerous adventure of emigration.

Like all great books for the young, The Borrowers can be read as an enthralling story of adventure, but also contains many layers of meaning. Mary Norton's creation of the tiny race of borrowers is an imaginative achievement in itself, but she does not stop there. She gives poignance to her tale by telling it through the voice of the boy's sister, now an old lady, who tells us at the start that her brother has long since grown up and died a `hero's de!ath' on the North-West frontier. The old lady seems to believe her brother's tale of the borrowers, and yet at the end of the book she provides evidence to suggest that the borrowers may have been nothing but a product of her brother's imagination. The reader is left wondering about reality and truth. On another level, in the relationship between the borrowers and the human world, parallels with the misunderstandings and confusions which occur between different cultures can be discerned. The uncertainties the borrowers face and their final exile mirror the plight of our world's increasing number of displaced people. Long after the book is finished, the characters and the questions their story raises reverberate around the mind. The Borrowers is a book which will fascinate, intrigue and entertain.

This is a great tale of a tiny family living under the floor in a house. It shows how the father goes up into the house when everyone is asleep and "borrows" things his family needs or wants. He must only borrow things that will NOT be missed. They are not to be seen by the "big" people. Some of their relatives were seen and had to move from their home to stay safe. Once seen the "big" people will bring in exterminators and try to catch the tiny people (they think they're rats). In this story, the Borrower's daughter befriends the young boy of the house. He does NOT try to harm the family. Mater of fact, he befriends them and brings them things they need. Unfortunately, the Borrower then feels useless and their house gets cramped. It's a great book for young children (and even adults to read). It's easy to get lost in the story, even when you know people like this cannot exist. I won't tell you the ending, you need to read it for yourself. I highly recommend this book.

This book is a must for all kids and pre-teens who enjoy a suspense-filled, fun-packed, fantasy. Living at the size of a toothpick isnt easy, but it sure is fun! The borrowers draw their readers into an amazing, wonderful world as they go through each of their adventures. When reading about how the tiny people "Borrow" household items and turn them into amazing things, its impossible to not be so absorbed that you almost feel 2 inches tall! Throughout the whole book, I was always awaiting the Borrowers next move, and when it ended, I wanted MORE! I recommend this book to anyone young or old who wants to read an enjoyable, wonderful story about survival in a completely different, yet the same, world. I ensure you that it is wonderful, and will be all-around loved by everyone in the family.

From Susan Cooper, award-winning author of The Dark is Rising sequence. This one has a young orphaned American boy, Nat Field, playing Puck in a troupe of boy actors chosen to perform A Midsummer Night's Dream at the replica of the Globe Theatre...and while rehearsing in London, falls back in time to Shakespeare's day, to perform the same part in the original Globe. At the same time, his 16th century double falls forward to present day London, and seems to be suffering from the bubonic plague. Pretty darned sophisticated for a middle school reading level. Engagingly-told in the first person by Nat, we get to hear about the troupe rivalries (both present and past), the excitement and tedium of rehearsals, the incredible high of a performance...and also the sorrows of remembering his father's death, the pleasure of working with Master Shakespeare, and a never-preachy admission of the joy of being a performing artist. Excellent for anyone, kid or grown-up, who's trodden the boards...

Nat Field, an actor in the American Company of Boys, goes to London with the troupe to play the role of Puck in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the new Globe Theatre. Suddenly, he is transported back in time to 1599 London and finds himself portraying Puck at the original Globe. Not only that, he's performing with Will Shakespeare himself, who is playing Oberon! The author brings the sights, sounds and smells of Elizabethan London to life and takes us behind the scenes of the Bard's own production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream." After reading this, you'll probably want to read the play and see a performance yourself. Susan Cooper, who was a student of J.R.R. Tolkien, is an outstanding writer and storyteller. Don't miss her magnum opus, the five-book "The Dark Is Rising" series.

In this book, Nat is a young actor who had been shattered by the death of his parents. He traveled to London to perform as Puck A Midsummer Night's Dream in the remake of the Globe theater, and is mysteriously transported back in time to when the play was first performed. He soon bonds with the Bard himself who helps him begin to heal his emotional scars.

I absolutely loved this book. Susan Cooper is one of my favorite authors. She really brought the world of Shakespeare alive with her descriptions of the life back then. When she writes about Nat's emotions while he is acting, you can almost feel yourself onstage with him, getting caught up in the moment. You should read this book!!!!

Death Traps: The Survival of an American Armored Division in World War II is an unusual addition to the growing pile of memoirs being published as WW II veterans age and then die. It is not written by a soldier who was in the thick of combat and has brave tales to tell, nor is it the story of someone in command, explaining and justifying his decisions. Instead, Cooper was a junior officer in charge of vehicle maintenance for the 3rd Armored Division as it fought its way from Normandy to Central Germany. He was always right behind the front lines, but seldom in combat, though frequently exposed to sniper and artillery fire. The main revelation of Death Traps is obvious from its title: the famous M4 Sherman tank which was the mainstay of American armor during the war was completely inadequate when facing German tanks. American commanders, especially Gen. Patton, chose to continue producing the Sherman even when they knew it could not face German tanks and antitank guns, and American tank crews paid a heavy price for this mistake. Cooper has done his homework. Unlike many war memoirs, he has spent time reading the general histories in recent years, and gets the background information right when he discusses the pursuit across France, the invasion of Germany, and the Battle of the Bulge. But the most important thing here is the details: how the Sherman worked, how maintenance was carried out under harsh conditions, and, especially, what happened when a high-velocity 75 mm or 88 mm shell hit an M4.

Belton Cooper was an officer in the 3rd Armored Division, which fought its way across France and Germany in 1944-45. His job in the division was taking refurbished tanks from the repair depot to the front-line units of one Combat Command, and locating and recovering the tanks that had been knocked out. He tells you that his division, and his combat command in that division, had seen more combat than any other armored unit in the U.S. Army, and then tells you that he thinks he's seen more knocked out American tanks than any other person living. It's a believable claim.

The book has a great deal going for it. There are a number of descriptions of armored combat at the close tactical level from the last year of the war. The illustration section has some very interesting photos, including one sequence where a Pershing tank duels with a Panther, and knocks it out. In the last photo you can see the Panther's crew bailing out. There's also a good deal of information on various American tanks. Cooper hates all of them, though he thinks the Pershing was better than the previous ones. He was involved in the deployment of a SuperPershing in the last days of the war, a tank which had a better gun and extra armor on it, and he tells you of the problems that they had with it, and it's fate.

I would highly recommend this book if you're an enthusiast of WW2 or armored combat, because it's well-written and very informative. It's not War and Peace or anything, but it is full of information, and reads reasonably well.

Hundreds of books have been written about armored warfare in World War II, usually from the viewpoint of a combat commander. "Death Traps" is a first hand account of the often overlooked area of maintenance support. Belton Cooper was a army Ordnance officer with the 3rd Armored Division. He gives a different perspective of the day to day life of supporting a combat command of the 3rd AD during WWII. He served as a laision officer with the duties of evaulating knocked out military vehicles, primarily M4 Sherman Tanks. His job was to determine if these tanks could be salvaged,rebuilt and be reissued to tank crews. It is already well known that America's main battle tank was far inferior to German Armor, but Cooper explains how the M4 met its fate through numerous encounters with German Panthers and Tigers. This required Tank Commanders to rethink Armored Warfare and to come up with ways to defeat the enemy. He explains in detail the numerous obstacles that had to be overcome from the Normandy landings all the way to the surrender of Germany. You will read of the development of the famous Cullen Hedgerow device that helped break the stalmate in the hedgerow country of Normandy. Also the first trials of the M26 Pershing Tank which was so badly needed by our troops to counter heavy German Armor but was refused by General George S. Patton. Pattons view was that we needed fast tanks to go to the enemys rear to disrupt supply and command elements, did not warrant tanks like the Pershing. Coopers evaluation of the Pershing shows that if we had this tank in great numbers the war in Europe could have been over much sooner and with less loss of life. Also there is the rare story of the use of the M26A1E2(aka M26E4) Super Pershing and its encounter with a Panther. This is a great book. As a Veteran Tank Commander I highly recommend this book be read by all Armor Officers and Tank Commanders. You will awe at the stories of horror when you have to clean out a destroyed tank and try to match up the body parts. You will laugh at the comical incidents soldiers often find themselves in. A great deal of thanks is due to Cooper for contributing this work. It is a much needed addition to the library's of our nation's history. The new millineum is upon us. We must encourage our veterans to write about their experience's before they are lost to time. Cooper has done this and we thank him.

Tom Holt Veteran, The Big Red One

"The Dark Is Rising" is a hard book to top, but Susan Cooper nearly matches it in "Grey King." A stunning, atmospheric Welsh fantasy tinged with Arthurian legend, it also introduces one of the most important and unusual characters in the classic series.

In the aftermath of a nasty case of hepatitis, Will Stanton has temporarily forgotten his mission from the Light: to recover a golden harp, with the help of the "raven boy" and "silver eyes that see the wind." When his family sends him to Wales to recover from the illness, he regains his memory when he meets an albino boy his own age named Bran -- which means "raven." Bran's mother "Gwenny" vanished many years before, and his stepfather has devoted himself to religion and penitance. Bran's only friend is the silver-eyed dog Cafall.

Will acquaints his new friend with more information about the battle with the Dark, while Bran acquaints him with information about Wales that can help Will find the golden harp, and wake the Sleepers under the hill. But the malevolent Grey King is spying on them with magical warestones and trying to wrest the harp from Will. To stop the Grey King, Will must learn the secret of Bran's past and evade the dangerous farmer Caradog Pritchard...

Atmosphere is thick and enticing in "Grey King" -- Cooper has clearly come a long way from the fluffier "Over Sea Under Stone." This book, unlike "Greenwitch," does not handle the Drew family, or even much about Merriman: it's all about Bran and Will, who are given equal parts of the plotline. Though there are many other characters, these two are the core of the story.

Here the Arthurian theme, which has been present in a smaller way throughout the series, becomes more pronounced and integral. Cooper continues interweaving mythic elements into it, such as the Sleepers, Cafall the dog, and the Brenin Llwyd. Fans of mythology and other mythic-themed stories such as the Prydain Chronicles will have a heyday.

Will is very much like he is in "Greenwitch" -- sometimes he's an ordinary preteen boy who starts yelling "Achtung!" at the top of his lungs, and sometimes he is the wise and ancient Old One, with knowledge he learned from the book of Gramarye. Bran is an instantly sympathetic character, a very ordinary boy with an extraordinay past; he, like Will in the second book, gradually grows into a unique and more powerful person. Caradog Pritchard will inspire disgust from his first appearance onward, while the tragic Owen Davies will gain the sympathy of the readers despite his insulated life.

Perhaps the worst thing about reading "Grey King" is the knowledge that there is only one more book in this series. But if that book is half as good as "Grey King," then it will be quite a ride before the end.

The book opens with a Welsh poem: "On the day of the dead,when the year too dies/Must the youngest open the oldest hills/Throughthe door of the birds, where the breeeze breaks..." A beatiful, mystical and magical beginning to a beatiful, mystical and magical book.

We see Will Stanton, a seemingly normal English boy struck terribly ill, go to Wales to visit his aunt and uncle to recuperate, where he will have the adventure of perhaps a lifetime, sweeping everybody around him, including the reader into it. As we read of his quest to awaken the Sleepers, we learn a little Welsh culture, history, and language. We feel the emotions of the characters involved; experience their sorrow, bewilderment, hatred and joy. We dabble in a little High Magic, and realize the presence of the Dark, and the Light's endless struggle against it.

One of the great things about this book is that you don't have to read the other parts of the series to understand, and become swept up in the magic of it. Even though it's the second to last book, it was the first I read of the series. It speaks for itself.

If you liked C. S. Lewis's "The Chronicles of Narnia", you'll probably enjoy these books. It's the same struggle between good and evil told in a new way, and though I think this series is the easier read, it loses nothing off it's competion.

Diolch yn fawr!

_The Grey King_ is arguably the strongest book in Susan Cooper's _Dark is Rising_ sequence. A winner of the Newbery Medal, it is the story of Will Stanton and his new friend, Bran Davies. Will, a character who appeared in _The Dark is Rising_ and _Greenwitch_, is the youngest of the Old Ones, a group of magical beings fighting to protect the world from the Dark. In this book, he is sent to relatives in Wales to convalesce from typhoid. He learns he is in Wales to win a quest for the Old Ones--and for the first time, he must do it without the direct guidance of his friend and mentor, Merriman. During the course of the book, his new friend Bran becomes deeply involved in Will's quest and both boys learn a lot about themselves. The title character, the Grey King, is a member of the Dark who is bent upon preventing their success.

On one level, this book is an all-out fantasy adventure. There is a cryptic poem, magic, good and evil lords, and fascinating uses of classic Arthurian legend. On a deeper level,however, this is a story about coming-of-age and family. Will learns how to be an independent Old One rather than an apprentice. Bran struggles to understand his mysterious past and his place in the world. This book is more than just a thrilling adventure--it is the story of people's choices and what "family" really means. In other word's, _The Grey King_ is deep *and* fun.

I highly recommend this book to all readers. It may be a little hard for very young readers--but middle readers and older will enjoy it. I reread this book (and the rest of the series) at least twice a year. It should be read after the three previous books in _The Dark is Rising_ sequence (_Over Sea, Under Stone_; _The Dark is Rising_; _Greenwitch_). Lovers of Arthurian legend will particularly appreciate it.

This second edition goes into great detail on how to build and maintain a firewall. It briefly discusses the attacks earlier this year on various well-known web sites and notes that one effective way of (if not toally stopping) slowing down these types of attacks is by use of a firewall.

In the first section, it talks about the reasons for having a firewall and security strategies. The second section (Building Firewalls) consists of several chapters and describes topics like packet filtering, firewall architectures and design, proxy systems and bastion hosts. I gleaned a lot of good information from this section alone.

The next section contains chapters describeing how to protect against attackers invading any Internet services (World Wide Web, email & netnews, FTP, IRC, DNS, games, etc). The last section describes methods to keep your network secure, such as settinp up security policies, how to maintain your firewall once it's up and running, and how to deal with a "break-in." There's also three appendices containing various information about firewall tools, mailing lists and newsgroups.

All in all, an excellent book on building and maintaining a firewall.

Every cell in the human body changes completely every seven years, but the underlying essence of the person remains. Similarly, information security has changed dramatically in the same time period, when the authors of this book were writing the first edition, but its essence has remained the same.

Topics such as ActiveX, RealVideo, IP version 6, and instant messaging were not even on the horizon when the first edition of this book was released. Now in its overdue second edition, the book covers these important topics and more.

Among the many fine security books available-several of which have been reviewed in this column-Building Internet Firewalls is one of the best. It is not just a comprehensive tome on firewalls; the authors take the many aspects of a firewall (for example, policies, protocols, and varied networks) and integrate them into a common framework. This is necessary, since management often equates security with firewalls.

Divided into four sections (network security, building firewalls, Internet services, and site security), the bulk of the book is built around the sections on Internet services and building firewalls. In these 20 chapters, the authors detail the many aspects of a firewall. Critical concepts such as firewall technologies, architectures, intermediary protocols, and directory services are discussed in detail. The authors do a splendid job of defining the various types of firewalls and exploring their advantages and weaknesses.

This book is remarkable for detailing the components of an effective information security system that are conferred via a firewall. Anyone needing a grasp on the often-confusing topic of firewalls need look no further.

This review originally appeared in the June issue of Security Management magazine

Since there was no such thing as CIDR when it was written, we now have a few reserves to directly apply the book's conclusions. Because private IPs were rather new then, the authors did not take advantage of their security aspects. It was written at the time passive mode ftp was rather rare. Because there was no IP masquerades nor NAT, authors' choices for outbound connections were limited to few proxies and impractical packet filtering. PC unix-likes, which are the major player in building firewalls nowadays, were infantile, it they existed. There were very few choices on packet filters, the most important firewall component. Dialup connections were yet negligible, so the book did not discuss personal securities when connected to internet.

In spite of all these and other changes, the book solidly laid out firewall network structures. We don't see any significant variations of them, as yet. Its in depth discussions on impacts of various tcp/udp/icmp protocols upon firewalls are now the criteria we use to judge safeties of newly proposed ones. Despite new security softwares, and new exploits I must add, arrive daily, the book has established true home ground we start from. On the other hand, I am certainly interested in what authors would say looking at changes we have encountered.

I think this is a great book because it has excitement in every chapter. The Boggart is an invisible spirit that can change into anything at any time. The characters in this book are a computer whiz named Jessup, his sister Emily, and a mischievous little devil called Boggart. Some of the pranks that the Boggart pulls are making the furniture fly around the mother's antique store and then going into Jessup's computer game and becoming a blue flame. This was a fun book to read, and I had trouble puting it down!

This is a really neat book about an invisible and mischevious character. His name is the Boggart and he gets Emily and Jessup into lots of trouble. One of my favorite parts of the book took place on Halloween. The Boggart thought that all the people dressed up were evil spirits. To scare them away he threw chairs, bookcases, and other furniture out the window. Mrs. Volnick thinks that Emily and Jessup and their friends are causing the trouble and they get punished. Meeting a spirit from the past in a fictional book made this book interesting and fun to read.I reccomend this book to all kids who like being mischevious and playing tricks on other people.

This book is perfect for the middle school fantasy lover, the sci-fi enthusiast, or someone who just wants an engaging, entertaining read for fun. The Boggart, a mischeivous but harmless spirit of the Old Magic, has been trapped in a shipment to Toronto, Canada. In the new world, his harmless pranks wreak havoc and injury to the family receiving the particular shipment. In a world that scorns magic, he longs to go home to Scotland. The only way home looks to be through a floppy disc and incredible risk.....