Koncocoo

Best Computer History & Culture

Mastering Bitcoin: Programming the Open Blockchain
The second edition includes: A broad introduction to bitcoin--ideal for non-technical users, investors, and business executives An explanation of the technical foundations of bitcoin and cryptographic currencies for developers, engineers, and software and systems architects Details of the bitcoin decentralized network, peer-to-peer architecture, transaction lifecycle, and security principles New developments such as Segregated Witness, Payment Channels, and Lightning Network Improved explanations of keys, addresses and wallets User stories, analogies, examples, and code snippets illustrating key technical concepts. With experience ranging from hardware and electronics to high level business and financial systems technology consulting and years as CTO/CIO/CSO in many companies — he combines authority and deep knowledge with an ability to make complex subjects easy to understand. His expertise includes Bitcoin, crypto-currencies, Information Security, Cryptography, Cloud Computing, Data Centers, Linux, Open Source and robotics software development.
Reviews
"Deep complex book for programmers."
"This is an outstanding introduction to the technology behind Bitcoin and cryptocurrency."
"Good technical introduction to bitcoin."
"Fantastic book if you want to learn what Bitcoin is and how it works."
"detailed, comprehensive, and masterful."
"great book very technical."
"He also tackles ways one might lose their bitcoins, and the ideas that are quite different from the centralized payment systems and banks we've become familiar with: one of these being the transference back to the asset owner of the responsibility for security--with suggestions as to how to go about securing them, even providing ways of leaving them to the family even in the event of death of the owner."
"One of the best technical books about blockchain technology I have ever come across."
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Cryptoassets: The Innovative Investor's Guide to Bitcoin and Beyond
This clear, concise, and accessible guide from two industry insiders shows you how to navigate this brave new blockchain world―and how to invest in these emerging assets to secure your financial future. In addition to offering smart investment strategies, this authoritative resource will help you understand how these assets were created, how they work, and how they are evolving amid the blockchain revolution. By sequentially building on the concepts of each prior chapter, the book will provide you with a full understanding of the cryptoasset economy and the opportunities that await the innovative investor . “As we hurtle into a new, decentralized economy, Burniske and Tatar have laid down something of immense importance: a coherent logic, a new science even, for investing in the assets that will define that coming world.”. “In this sweeping and lucid work, Burniske and Tatar make a compelling case that cryptoassets are foundational to the second generation of the Internet and represent a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the innovative investor. ―Ric Edelman, three-time #1 Independent Financial Advisor ( Barron’s ) and New York Times bestselling author of The Truth About Your Future. Cryptoassets is an excellent introduction to this breakthrough in technology and finance, and a tremendous resource for those eager to get their heads around what can be a daunting and complex subject.”. Chris Burniske and Jack Tatar give the most compelling case for why, with sharp, detailed analysis that reflects their deep understanding of the technology and their strong finance background. The authors surface many historical examples to remind us that in times of excitement, it is even more important to pay attention to the teams and talent behind each project.”. “ Cryptoassets is a must-read for all financial services executives and investors who want to understand the fundamentals and future directions of this burgeoning, new asset class. Within this book, they’ve rolled up their sleeves to provide helpful historical context and a valuation framework that readers will find intellectually stimulating and illuminating for understanding this rapidly emerging world of cryptoassets.”. Cryptoassets explains, in simple to understand terms, the full paradigm of Bitcoin and its successor currencies, and it provides everything needed to explore this exciting world.”. Cryptoassets makes blockchains accessible to the nontechnical by exploring their varied origin stories, use cases, and fundamental value. “Young, Stanford-trained, blockchain analyst and investor Chris Burniske has teamed up with financial planning expert and author Jack Tatar to provide the first comprehensive guide to understanding the fastest growing, most exciting asset class under the sun. “While the cryptoasset space has witnessed exponential growth, to achieve its full potential, it has to be broadly integrated into the real world. With consistent objectivity and clarity, Chris and Jack’s book details cryptoassets as an asset class, and will prove influential in driving institutional investor adoption of this groundbreaking opportunity.”. “ Cryptoassets provides a great introduction to and overview of the young yet rapidly growing universe of all things blockchain. This industry, asset class, and overall idea will make you ponder why abstract concepts like money, identity, and business function like they do in the world today, and how the innovation we’re seeing will completely reshape the economy of tomorrow. From setting the stage to diving into specific protocols and projects to sharing practical knowledge on how to invest in these emerging assets, Chris and Jack’s combination of expertise and familiarity with the complex topics at hand are testament to why I have considered them some of the best resources throughout my journey of falling deeper and deeper down the crypto rabbit hole.”. It’s not a hard read yet delves into much of the detail needed for a complete understanding of the benefits, and risks, of bitcoin, blockchain, and more. I’d totally recommend it to anyone who wants to dive into investing and understanding how cryptoassets will shape the future of society and the creation of value.”. “Those of us who work in the blockchain industry have long realized that the rise of cryptocurrencies as a legitimate asset class was inevitable. Chris was the first buy-side analyst to focus exclusively on this emerging asset class, and Jack was one of the earliest financial journalists to stress its importance. Now, with Cryptoassets , they describe, as nobody has before, why every investor should incorporate bitcoin, ether, and new blockchain-based assets into their portfolios, and how to analyze these tokens in order to make the right investments.”. The authors capture not only the technical and market analysis you need to know to invest in these projects but also the ethos and excitement of the people pushing this envelope. The book provides background and the potential impacts of ICOs, offering insightful knowledge to both those entering the space and experienced investors like myself. The book covers the full potential and array of what this technology offers in piercing the veil to an Internet of value with all the new innovations and crossovers from the traditional realm of finance. Chris and Jack have brought a wealth of knowledge and cross-disciplinary methods to bear from their respective fields and broken new ground in their analysis of this exciting new space.”. Burniske and Tatar are able to leverage their deep industry experience to condense a complex, continually evolving topic into a concise and informative guide for investors looking to be on the cutting edge of a new asset class. “In a world where issuing digital assets becomes as easy as creating a website, Chris and Jack provide a comprehensive guide that will help you separate the wheat from the chaff.”. “As we enter the next great evolution in global financial markets, Chris Burniske and Jack Tatar have authored a unique and much needed volume. The book adapts classic finance pricing models to the challenging task of valuing cryptoassets, offering the reader a solid headstart to investing in this new exciting asset class.”. You’ll learn about their colorful histories, how to apply fundamental valuation techniques, and practical tips to navigate the at-times turbulent markets.”. For curious minds who want to know about emerging technologies or even those who already have an understanding of blockchains, Chris and Jack leave no stone unturned. Chris Burniske and Jack Tatar steer the reader through a torrent of unknowns, illuminating the complicated world of cryptoassets and their underlying technology, which will more than likely become our generation’s most important innovation.”. “A must-read to appreciate the Bitcoin network effect and the wave of innovation that it launched through the community of people who played critical roles in creating all the distributed ecosystems that are transforming business models.”.
Reviews
"They cover the good, bad, and ugly of bitcoin’s history and bring us into the present world of decentralized applications. The examples include bitcoin, Litecoin, Ripple, Dogecoin, Dash, Monero, Zcash, Ethereum, Auger, dApps in general. They paint a realistic picture of the landscape and give fair warning to those that may embark on a ride of the cryptoasset roller coaster. The authors provide an analysis and valuation framework that lays out the elements to look for and analyze when deciding on weather or not an investment would be worth it. I have added 2 pictures to the review to show you there is a lot of things you’ll want to recall as you go through your journey."
"The book wisely uses textbook features including headings; sidebars; labeled diagrams; charts and graphs; resources, notes and large index; and maps. The history of this surprisingly (to me) large knowledge domain is presented in the most succinct and straightforward manner. But it's way to long to have been a mere essay, and hence we have the first justification for getting the book rather than picking up information piecemeal. Next the text discusses returns on bitcoin and inclusion of cryptoassets in a financial portfolio."
"All aspiring crypto and blockchain investors need to read this book!"
"Comprehensive Intel on the future of commerce."
"Whether you’re a traditional investor, a non-investor who’s interested in bitcoin, or an experienced financial professional who isn’t yet familiar with cryptocurrency, read “Cryptoassets: The Innovative Investor’s Guide.” It’s not only for investors—it’s for anyone who wants to learn more about cryptocurrency and blockchain. Chris Berniske and Jack Tatar do an excellent job telling the story behind many cryptocurrencies. Whether you’re an investor in cryptocurrency or not, chances are it’ll be disrupting a vertical near you."
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Cryptocurrency Investing Bible: The Ultimate Guide About Blockchain, Mining, Trading, ICO, Ethereum Platform, Exchanges, Top Cryptocurrencies for Investing and Perfect Strategies to Make Money
So, this book is not about: Illegal ways of making money Praising cryptocurrency and urging you to invest in it to the last penny Fraud techniques and making a fast buck Boring and pointless theory Ways to earn millions without investments and risks. This book will help you get to learn the following: Which way of making money in cryptocurrency market suits you best. Understand whether you really want to invest in cryptocurrency (perhaps, this type of business doesn’t suit you at all and you will save your time) Get to learn how to check the risks and not to invest in the first available currency Having considered my experience, protect yourself from possible failures and pouring money down the drain which will inevitably happen if you go it blind.
Reviews
"My only criticism is that when Norman writes about the economic underpinnings of the market, ie the broad trends contributing to the rise of cryptocurrencies, he could have elaborated more."
"The content of the book is fantastic!"
"Open cryptocurrency world for both investment and speculate."
"Must read for all people getting into crypto. Outstanding easy to read book."
"I highly recommend this book and his first one on cryptos, I feel much more confident entering the market having read them!"
"Gave me the basics to know what game I'm in."
"I picked this book up in the hopes to learn more of bitcoin, blockchain, mining, ICO, and how to ride out on the cryptocurrency market."
"Read full summary and review of this book on my blog: imeducatingmyself.com/cryptocurrency-investing-bible-alan-t-norman-book-review. This book really helped me to understand many things when it comes to cryptocurrencies."
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Best Computer & Internet Law

Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your World
Corporations use surveillance to manipulate not only the news articles and advertisements we each see, but also the prices we’re offered. Much of this is voluntary: we cooperate with corporate surveillance because it promises us convenience, and we submit to government surveillance because it promises us protection. He brings his bestseller up-to-date with a new preface covering the latest developments, and then shows us exactly what we can do to reform government surveillance programs, shake up surveillance-based business models, and protect our individual privacy. “A pithy, pointed, and highly readable explanation of what we know in the wake of the Snowden revelations, with practical steps that ordinary people can take if they want to do something about the threats to privacy and liberty posed not only by the government but by the Big Data industry.”. - Neal Stephenson, author of Reamde. “This important book does more than detail the threat; it tells the average low-tech citizen what steps he or she can take to limit surveillance and thus fight those who are seeking to strip privacy from all of us.”. - Seymour M. Hersh, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist. His recommendations for change should be part of a much-needed public debate.”. - Richard A. Clarke, former chief counterterrorism adviser on the National Security Council under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and author of Cyber War.
Reviews
"As the author admits, elaboration of this text was inspired by Edward Snowden disclosing classified NSA materials, showing the extent to which people all over the world are invigilated by numerous government agencies. In second part, the author writes about negative effects of mass surveillance - notably the stifling of free speech - and what risks come from the abuse of power from secret agencies. Privacy and security can coexist; mass surveillance should be replaced with targeted one, allowed by warrant, along police procedures - not espionage (secret) ones. I would like to point out that the author does not negate the patriotic intentions of federal personnel; his criticism pertains to how whole agencies are organised (amassed power with little oversight) and how their recently-acquired mass-surveillance tools are not cut out for the job of finding terrorists. On the other hand, it is not hidden that this whole book is an expression of Bruce Schneier’s beliefs; if he writes that privacy “is something we ought to have (...) because it is moral” - he does not have to elaborate too much on why he thinks that, does he?"
"But the author does more than just alert the reader to the dangers to our privacy and freedom but makes practical suggestions about positive actions we can take to address the issues he raises."
"My summary of this book is: Chapter 1-7: everything you do produces data that has no lifespan. Chapter 8-end: there is a lot of money in mining your data patterns for a lot of folks. It's an ok game read."
"He goes into great detail, specifics, and situations we are all familiar with outlining, in a chilling way, how we have all been seduced into doing what we would have never thought we would do - VOLUNTEER - no... PAY to be under constant surveillance so that, by our complicit agreement, the entire world has changed and privacy is a concept of the past."
"Each one of us has hundreds of thousands of pieces of information about our everyday lives, what do, where we shop, what we buy."
"Scary book, shows how much we have surrendered in our race to enjoy sometime liberating technology."
"Enjoyed the book and I'm also a big fan of Schneier."
"The book is an interesting source for people who are aware and interesting in computer, data and specifically cybersecurity."
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Best Computing Industry History

Steve Jobs
Based on more than forty interviews with Jobs conducted over two years—as well as interviews with more than a hundred family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues—Walter Isaacson has written a riveting story of the roller-coaster life and searingly intense personality of a creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing. But his personality and products were interrelated, just as Apple’s hardware and software tended to be, as if part of an integrated system. Amazon Best Books of the Month, November 2011 : It is difficult to read the opening pages of Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs without feeling melancholic. Now, just weeks after his death, you can open the book that bears his name and read about his youth, his promise, and his relentless press to succeed. Few in history have transformed their time like Steve Jobs, and one could argue that he stands with the Fords, Edisons, and Gutenbergs of the world. This is a timely and complete portrait that pulls no punches and gives insight into a man whose contradictions were in many ways his greatest strength. Isaacson: Andy Hertzfeld, who worked with Steve on the original Macintosh team, said that even if you were aware of his Reality Distortion Field, you still got caught up in it. We would take long walks or drives, or sit in his garden, and I would raise a topic and let him expound on it. He loved to tell stories, and he would get very emotional, especially when talking about people in his life whom he admired or disdained. His counterculture background combined with his love of electronics and business was key to the products he created. Fortunately, as people read the whole book, they saw the theme of the narrative: He could be petulant and rough, but this was driven by his passion and pursuit of perfection. He liked people to stand up to him, and he said that brutal honesty was required to be part of his team. Isaacson: He was a genius at connecting art to technology, of making leaps based on intuition and imagination. But he was deeply satisfied by the creativity he ingrained at Apple and the loyalty of both his close colleagues and his family.
Reviews
"I bought this book, not because it was about Jobs, but because I'm a big fan of Isaacson."
"I liked that Steve and his family and co-workers participated in this book. I did not feel that way about this book although very little comes from his family."
"I am trying to understand how this film did so poorly in theaters."
"The book also (briefly) details the reason the competitors (Sony, Microsoft, IBM, et al) fail to respond to Apple's market presence, and how Apple's lack of fear with cannibalizing its own product sales resulted in higher company profits compared to companies (like Sony) which attempted to slow emerging divisions to artificially bolster sales in legacy divisions. He comes off as an arrogant, crazy, narcissistic, tool that is so spoiled you want to throw him over your knee in the Wal-Mart aisle and wear the polish off of your leather belt. When combined with other books about Silicon Valley giants (Google, Microsoft, IBM), you're going to get a very accurate depiction of the rise of the personal computer."
"But I loved reading Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs. I was surprised by how much Mr. Isaacson evidently liked Steve Jobs as much as he says he did on those videos, because when I read his biography I felt I was constantly being assailed by the negative parts of Jobs' personality."
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Best Foreign Exchange

Cryptocurrency: Mining, Investing and Trading in Blockchain, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple, Dash, Dogecoin, Emercoin, Putincoin, Auroracoin and others (Fintech)
Now is the time for cryptocurrencies, so do not miss the boat. These currencies have a market cap of over $100 billion as of October 2017. This book is packed with research and references so that you can make an informed decision about these cryptocurrencies. Understanding Wallets and the digital marketplace. If you want to learn more about cryptocurrencies and whether the opportunity is worth it, then this book will definitely help you make an informed decision!
Reviews
"Good read while traveling."
"Nice introduction to cryptocurrencies, but I would have liked a more in-depth chapter or two to explain more intricacies of the cryptography behind it."
"Great book, informative and concise writing."
"From reading this book I feel like I know so much more and can effectively invest in cryptocurrencies. I still feel like bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have too much hype and not enough solid proof, but this book really put things into perspective."
"I decided to learn more about Cryptocurrency and found that Abraham K. White's book was a real winner!"
"This cryptographic money putting guide is composed so that in only couple of minutes, you would have a feeling of what's in store of your up and coming crypto trip, and how to best approach beginning it."
"I only got the chance to skim the book and already found quite a few misleading statements and some that were outright rediculous and incorrect (Bitcoin is based on IOTA's Tangle? This book throws around a ton of jargon, has a lot of unnecessary, useless, and misleading fluff, and talks about cryptocurrencies that shouldn't be mentioned in a book like this (PutinCoin?"
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Best Computer Hardware & DIY

Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words
In Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words, things are explained in the style of Up Goer Five, using only drawings and a vocabulary of the 1,000 (or "ten hundred") most common words.
Reviews
"In doing so, it makes you consider when and why it's actually important to use a special name for some things, and think harder about what your words are really telling people. But I sometimes ask my students to try explaining complicated stuff using only simple words, because when you do that, you find out whether you really understand it. So, this book shows us a way to pay special attention to how our own thinking bag works."
"...because the details of the diagrams do not translate well to the smaller Kindle."
"The thing about this book is that it only uses the ten hundred most used words by people to tell you about things that are hard to understand."
"Thing Explainer writes without expectation of understanding, prior knowledge of language, or any prior knowledge; it is one of the closest things to a window into someones thoughts. I hope to clarify for many potential buyers that saw the early "Up Goes Five": this book is more focused on explaining things in paragraphs rather than the pure labelling style of that early prototype. This book is great for me and my family to make connections between what we already know and the book, but I believe it will also be great for kids to easily learn new things, and get a grasp of complex ideas. A Thought: I'd love to see this style of writing carried across to genres beyond science, because I think it has the potential to make generally interesting yet charm-less writing far more fun; history books, biopics, even short stories."
"Intelligent and quirky, this book is everything you want for a conversation starter or actually to explain something technical in an amusing way."
"Pretty funny, pretty cool, but also written in such simple language that at times it's actually harder to read than you'd think!"
"Complicated concepts explained only using the 1,000 most commonly used words in the American English language."
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Best Computer Software

Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software
These texts cover the design of object-oriented software and examine how to investigate requirements, create solutions and then translate designs into code, showing developers how to make practical use of the most significant recent developments. Design Patterns is a modern classic in the literature of object-oriented development, offering timeless and elegant solutions to common problems in software design.
Reviews
"Should be required reading for graduation - but I found this to be much more relatable a few years into my career where I had seen these patterns out in the wild having used or written them without terminology to match."
"Depending on on how you think of programming, this book could be incredibly insightful, or horribly abstract and impractical."
"I have been using this book as a reference on Design Pattern."
"This book will forever stand as a foundation of software development."
"OK, so this title has become almost a bible for the software industry - it seems to get cited by every other author I read, so I thought it was about time I actually bought a copy."
"Even though I program in ABAP, it helps me to translate the pattern into that code."
"Great book for who want to understand each pattern deeply."
"Excelent book."
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Best Computer Graphics & Design

Don't Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability (3rd Edition) (Voices That Matter)
If you’ve read it before, you’ll rediscover what made Don’t Make Me Think so essential to Web designers and developers around the world. Steve Krug (pronounced "kroog") is best known as the author of Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability , now in its second edition with over 350,000 copies in print.
Reviews
"As the subtitle, "A Common Sense Approach", and Krug's consultancy's name, "Advanced Common Sense" ([...]) convey, many great design considerations today involve some simple approaches to dramatically improve your web user experiences."
"This should be required reading by ALL marketing execs, ALL web designers and developers, ALL graphic designers, ALL product designers and inventors, and ALL copywriters."
"Krug breaks the issues of usable web design into simple, digestible form for anyone who depends on a website for promotion or income."
"That fact makes this book a good read for anybody who is involved in any aspect of a websites operation, Web Developer, Marketing, Sales and Management (from mid level to upper level)."
"Many of the ideas and resources in the book have been incredibly valuable to me in my work, and it's almost always the first book I recommend to anyone asking questions about User Experience related topics."
"Unlike a boring text book, Krug makes the book really fun with helpful (yet obvious) examples that bring some concepts to life."
"This book was on the "suggested" reading lists for an interface design class that I took in college."
"But how is though to follow common sense when building a website! I use it on my daily work, to guide my business partners in the construction of the websites for my B2B Clients, and after reading it, is quirte amazing how you can immediatelly spot in the web the websites that follow its principles and those that don't."
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Best Computer Science

Cracking the Coding Interview: 189 Programming Questions and Solutions
And as such, I know what it's like to be asked to whip up brilliant algorithms on the spot and then write flawless code on a whiteboard. Learn how to uncover the hints and hidden details in a question, discover how to break down a problem into manageable chunks, develop techniques to unstick yourself when stuck, learn (or re-learn) core computer science concepts, and practice on 189 interview questions and solutions. Extensive coverage of essential topics, such as big O time, data structures, and core algorithms. At Google, she interviewed hundreds of software engineers and evaluated thousands of hiring packets on the hiring committee.
Reviews
"The DP solutions in this book are not actually tabular DP formulations--I recommend looking at the problems here http://people.cs.clemson.edu/~bcdean/dp_practice/ (Brian Dean's Dynamic Programming Practice Problems)."
"I got several offers and without doubt this book helped. The specific coding questions that I would have failed outright on had I not read the book include: breadth first search/shortest path, fundamentals of hash tables, and recursion (fibonacci)."
"Like this book, the material very well structured, with real life examples."
"Good paper quality, great questions organized into exercises covering most important basics like Data structures, programming languages, problem approach etc."
"The afternoon before I interviewed with Amazon for a scientist role, the HR said you should prepare for data structure and algorithm."
"I did many other things to prepare besides using this book, but I nailed my interviews and got a great offer so I can't complain!"
"I've been writing software for a long time, and I'm competent at my job. Because the presence of books like these create a vicious cycle: prep book gets written; interviewees study/memorize answers; interviewers make questions "harder" to compensate; new book gets written! The grinder continues to turn, and whereas ten years ago you could get a good job with some string or linked-list manipulation questions, now you've got people who consider whiteboard coding of topcoder elite questions to be the baseline measurement of programmer competency. You'll even run into lazy interviewers who take questions directly from this book, which is the ultimate in stupidity: if "good" candidates have prepared from the book, and you ask questions directly from the book, what are you really accomplishing, other than a test of memorization skills? I've seen it myself."
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Best Computer Security & Encryption

Cracking the Coding Interview: 189 Programming Questions and Solutions
And as such, I know what it's like to be asked to whip up brilliant algorithms on the spot and then write flawless code on a whiteboard. Learn how to uncover the hints and hidden details in a question, discover how to break down a problem into manageable chunks, develop techniques to unstick yourself when stuck, learn (or re-learn) core computer science concepts, and practice on 189 interview questions and solutions. Extensive coverage of essential topics, such as big O time, data structures, and core algorithms. At Google, she interviewed hundreds of software engineers and evaluated thousands of hiring packets on the hiring committee.
Reviews
"The DP solutions in this book are not actually tabular DP formulations--I recommend looking at the problems here http://people.cs.clemson.edu/~bcdean/dp_practice/ (Brian Dean's Dynamic Programming Practice Problems)."
"The main reason I bought the book is that it closely reflects the status quo of the technical interviews in large tech companies. For many of the problems, unless you know the solutions beforehand, there is no way you can code up a decent one within an hour. The book mentions an example, a good candidate whom the author knows very well but just cannot pass the coding interviews. I am guessing the assumption is that the coding problems we do nowadays on the interviews somehow achieve minimal number of false positives. One solution reduces the problem to checking for substrings. The author claims the time complexity is O(m+n), which I believe for Java is actually O(mn). Overall this is good book for preparing for coding interviews."
"I've been writing software for a long time, and I'm competent at my job. Because the presence of books like these create a vicious cycle: prep book gets written; interviewees study/memorize answers; interviewers make questions "harder" to compensate; new book gets written! The grinder continues to turn, and whereas ten years ago you could get a good job with some string or linked-list manipulation questions, now you've got people who consider whiteboard coding of topcoder elite questions to be the baseline measurement of programmer competency. You'll even run into lazy interviewers who take questions directly from this book, which is the ultimate in stupidity: if "good" candidates have prepared from the book, and you ask questions directly from the book, what are you really accomplishing, other than a test of memorization skills? I've seen it myself."
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Best Computer Programming

Cracking the Coding Interview: 189 Programming Questions and Solutions
And as such, I know what it's like to be asked to whip up brilliant algorithms on the spot and then write flawless code on a whiteboard. Learn how to uncover the hints and hidden details in a question, discover how to break down a problem into manageable chunks, develop techniques to unstick yourself when stuck, learn (or re-learn) core computer science concepts, and practice on 189 interview questions and solutions. Extensive coverage of essential topics, such as big O time, data structures, and core algorithms. At Google, she interviewed hundreds of software engineers and evaluated thousands of hiring packets on the hiring committee.
Reviews
"The DP solutions in this book are not actually tabular DP formulations--I recommend looking at the problems here http://people.cs.clemson.edu/~bcdean/dp_practice/ (Brian Dean's Dynamic Programming Practice Problems)."
"The main reason I bought the book is that it closely reflects the status quo of the technical interviews in large tech companies. For many of the problems, unless you know the solutions beforehand, there is no way you can code up a decent one within an hour. The book mentions an example, a good candidate whom the author knows very well but just cannot pass the coding interviews. I am guessing the assumption is that the coding problems we do nowadays on the interviews somehow achieve minimal number of false positives. One solution reduces the problem to checking for substrings. The author claims the time complexity is O(m+n), which I believe for Java is actually O(mn). Overall this is good book for preparing for coding interviews."
"I've been writing software for a long time, and I'm competent at my job. Because the presence of books like these create a vicious cycle: prep book gets written; interviewees study/memorize answers; interviewers make questions "harder" to compensate; new book gets written! The grinder continues to turn, and whereas ten years ago you could get a good job with some string or linked-list manipulation questions, now you've got people who consider whiteboard coding of topcoder elite questions to be the baseline measurement of programmer competency. You'll even run into lazy interviewers who take questions directly from this book, which is the ultimate in stupidity: if "good" candidates have prepared from the book, and you ask questions directly from the book, what are you really accomplishing, other than a test of memorization skills? I've seen it myself."
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Best Computer & Video Game Strategy Guides

The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia
Look for the sequels to The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia , with The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts and the upcoming Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia due out April 24th 2018. He is the series producer and manager of The Legend of Zelda and won the Golden Joystick Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.
Reviews
"The opening letter from Shigeru Miyamoto sets a wonderful, celebratory tone for the rest of the book. The first third of the book, entitled "The Legend Begins: The World of Skyward Sword" is devoted to said title, the most recently released Zelda game we all played and loved. It's filled to the brim with the concept and official art that inspired Skyward's Sword brilliant aesthetic style. As one who views Skyward Sword as one of the most beautiful and brilliantly inspired video games ever made in terms of its art design and visuals, this is just fine with me. There's tons here, including a lot of really interesting ideas for characters that didn't make it into the game, like a floating Fi in a massive suit of armor or Zelda designs that are decidedly more elegant and fancy. There's also a good amount of location art that is simply gorgeous and really captures your imagination, just like the settings in the game did. What is even better about this section is the following 70 or so pages that actually chronicles, in great detail, the events of each timeline in chronological order. Sprinkled liberally through all of this are nice screenshots and art, as well as fascinating tidbits, like boxes that fully decipher the various Hylian/Hyrulean dialect text that appear in the games. This section closes with a very nice letter from Eiji Aonuma, arguably the second most important man behind the Legend of Zelda, after Shigeru Miyamoto of course. The lay-outs are nice, the printing quality is vibrantly beautiful and sharp as a tack, and the pages are crisp and clean. The binding is also high quality, which is important because this is a big book that would fall apart relatively quickly if it wasn't bound well. There are few games that capture the sense of beauty, imagination, and adventure like the Legend of Zelda effortlessly does with each and every release."
"There's translations of some of the games in-game language systems and explanations for why certain things are as they are, for example hinting that timeshift stones and the ocarina of time are made of the same time-travel capable material. If I had to say anything negative, it would be that perhaps learning about the development decisions made during other games would have been nice, particularly Majora's mask, instead of just showing Skyward Sword concept art."
"One thing that I wish this had, and I don't know why I assumed it would... but I have a Nintendo Power magazine of Zelda from the 90's that was pretty cool."
"I say, anything that will hold his attention for that long and he will read in it daily, I consider it a great buy."
"After going through Amazon in search of gift ideas, I came across this particular one and decided it might be a good gift to purchase for him."
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Best Computer & Technology Certification Guides

CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, Ninth Edition (Exams 220-901 & 220-902)
Practice exams download for both exam 901 and 902 with hundreds of accurate practice exam questions More than an hour of online video training featuring Mike Meyers Online performance-based simulations that prepare you for the performance-based exam questions A link to Mike's favorite PC tools A PDF copy of the book. He is author of Mike Meyers’ A+ Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs and Mike Meyers’ Network+ Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting Networks .
Reviews
"My method of study i chose to read this textbook cover to cover, taking all practice tests at the end of each chapter, along with the included practice exams on the disc. In addition to this text i went further to find online practice exams and Professor Messer videos on Youtube as free self studying material. The book covered the objectives and even went beyond which is why this makes a great on-the-job reference."
"First off, let me say this, the author of this book is very informed on IT."
"Most importantly, I was looking for a book that could not only keep me engaged yet also provide the necessary educational materials. Presently I'm over a hundred or so pages in (the book is Bible thick) and have purposely slowed myself down at times to ensure lesson absorption but honestly could read this book like it was a spellbinding work of fanciful fiction. It really helps to have an actual, honest interest in the subject matter and there are times where you'll want access to several different operating systems."
"Just started, but it has been an easy to follow book so far."
"Nice book for those people who like to learn as they go."
"Must have to get certified."
"I found the CD to be the best part of the book, and definitely recommend not getting a version of this book without it."
"I know a lot about computers and learned a bit to go and write the A+, but it's very good I bought this books, learnt so many additional stuff, not even for the exams but for myself m. Thank you Meyers💪🔥."
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Best Networking & Cloud Computing

The Personal Internet Address & Password Log Book
Now you can keep important website addresses, usernames, and passwords in one convenient place!
Reviews
"Book #1 is the red one I personally own and love, (this one is not currently available here but for comparisons, this is it) The Personal Internet Address & Password Logbook - Red If you want to read my review with photos, you can do so here, http://www.amazon.com/review/R35K16WUNGUFH6/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1441308148. Book #2 is similar to my own and is currently available here, The Personal Internet Address & Password Log Book (Like mine, it has cut out tabs in the pages, two letters per tab.). Book #3 is the smaller but thicker, spiral bound, white book, BookFactory® Password Journal / Password Diary / Mini Pocket Passwords Notebook, 120 Pages - 3 1/2" x 5 1/4", Durable Thick Translucent Cover, High Quality Wire-O Binding (JOU-120-MCW-A-(Password)) (This one is handy if you want the ability to hold it in one hand while writing on either side. Book #4 is the larger book with a bright geometric cover, Password Journal: Password Keeper / Music Gifts ( Internet Address Logbook / Diary / Notebook ) (Password Journals - Music (Carnvial)) (This one has noticeably lighter ink inside but definitely stands out on a bookshelf.). Book #5 is the larger black book with butterflies on it, Password Log: (An Internet Address and Password Journal) (I like that the ink is printed nice and dark so I gifted this one to my mom since her eyesight is not what it used to be.)."
"Our banks are always sending us notices to change our passwords every 3 months if not they lock you out."
"Gave this to my father as a stocking stuffer since he always asks me what his passwords are (why would I know?)."
"I like this - however, a person needs to remember to write down the passwords, addresses for log-in."
"I love how there are multiple slots per letter, it makes it easy for updates. Definitely a good book to have and makes me feel more secure than storing everything on my phone."
"I bought this Black Logbook as a copy for my safe deposit box."
"The inside the book is fine, but there is a huge sticker on the back of the book that states: "Warning----To avoid danger of suffocation, keep away from babies and children."
"Having a notebook where all the login information can be alphabetically organized for easy access was wonderful. Not the kind of binding you would expect in a reasonable well bound notebook. I am not sure if the paper in this book will withstand frequent erasures and re-writes without showing eraser marks or getting faded. It has a spiral bound inside (visible in the last picture) that is not very smooth. If you desire a quality notebook, you will be disappointed after mild usage, if not on first sight."
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Best Mobile & Wireless Computing

CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, Ninth Edition (Exams 220-901 & 220-902)
Practice exams download for both exam 901 and 902 with hundreds of accurate practice exam questions More than an hour of online video training featuring Mike Meyers Online performance-based simulations that prepare you for the performance-based exam questions A link to Mike's favorite PC tools A PDF copy of the book. He is author of Mike Meyers’ A+ Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs and Mike Meyers’ Network+ Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting Networks .
Reviews
"My method of study i chose to read this textbook cover to cover, taking all practice tests at the end of each chapter, along with the included practice exams on the disc. In addition to this text i went further to find online practice exams and Professor Messer videos on Youtube as free self studying material. The book covered the objectives and even went beyond which is why this makes a great on-the-job reference."
"Most importantly, I was looking for a book that could not only keep me engaged yet also provide the necessary educational materials. Presently I'm over a hundred or so pages in (the book is Bible thick) and have purposely slowed myself down at times to ensure lesson absorption but honestly could read this book like it was a spellbinding work of fanciful fiction. It really helps to have an actual, honest interest in the subject matter and there are times where you'll want access to several different operating systems."
"the author does not drift off to complicated things when starting to learn the basics."
"While this was required material for my IT class, the writing is easy to follow and the information is clear."
"Pros: Packed with so much knowledge that I think Mike Meyers may be Thoth."
"Very informative, most chapters are easy enough to read, a little too heavy on the jokes some times, but I suppose I'd rather that than it being dry."
"It is packed with everything I need to know for passing the CompTIA A+ exam, and as a matter fact I almost gave it four stars because it is so packed it is too heavy to hold up when I’m laying down reading it!"
"Great book when it comes to questions in each."
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Best Internet & Social Media

The True Story of Fake News: How Mainstream Media Manipulates Millions
You will see the powerful and deceptive methods of manipulation that affect us all, as numerous organizations and political activists cunningly plot to have their stories seen, heard, and believed by as many people as possible. The depths of lies, distortions, and omissions from traditional mainstream media will shock you; and now they’re colluding with the top tech companies trying to maintain their information monopolies. Mark's YouTube channel has over 1 million subscribers and more than 400 million views, and his viral videos have been mentioned on the Fox News Channel, CNN, the Drudge Report, TMZ, the New York Daily News , the Washington Times , and other media outlets around the world.
Reviews
"I believe a person that is not ready to be awakened may experience severe soul pain and Mark forgot to put "Trigger warning" on the cover but still I believe for awakened people this is going to be great laugh and joy to read pages and see how death of media complex is unravelling and humanity awakening while people that still caught in nets of news manipulators may feel really bad but after few weeks I believe healing effects of truth will be refreshing."
"The book mentions how our leftists media is trying to persuade us to accept insanity like there being more than 2 genders, and how the media is pushing fake hate crimes committed by leftists in attempt to frame Trump supporters as Nazis,white Supremacists,KKK members, and racist."
"A lot of people don't know history and how much the media has been involved with the CIA and FBI and the rest of our federal gov't to create stories, manipulate events, etc."
"The news media has become so untrustworthy, the majority of sane Americans have seen this before even reading Marks book!"
"Great book and well written!!!!"
"Excellent book; this will not disappoint."
"A must read."
"Awesome work once again by Mark Dice as he exposes the nature of propaganda - otherwise known as the mainstream news in America."
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Best Operating Systems

CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, Ninth Edition (Exams 220-901 & 220-902)
Practice exams download for both exam 901 and 902 with hundreds of accurate practice exam questions More than an hour of online video training featuring Mike Meyers Online performance-based simulations that prepare you for the performance-based exam questions A link to Mike's favorite PC tools A PDF copy of the book. He is author of Mike Meyers’ A+ Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs and Mike Meyers’ Network+ Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting Networks .
Reviews
"My method of study i chose to read this textbook cover to cover, taking all practice tests at the end of each chapter, along with the included practice exams on the disc. In addition to this text i went further to find online practice exams and Professor Messer videos on Youtube as free self studying material. The book covered the objectives and even went beyond which is why this makes a great on-the-job reference."
"First off, let me say this, the author of this book is very informed on IT."
"Most importantly, I was looking for a book that could not only keep me engaged yet also provide the necessary educational materials. Presently I'm over a hundred or so pages in (the book is Bible thick) and have purposely slowed myself down at times to ensure lesson absorption but honestly could read this book like it was a spellbinding work of fanciful fiction. It really helps to have an actual, honest interest in the subject matter and there are times where you'll want access to several different operating systems."
"Just started, but it has been an easy to follow book so far."
"Nice book for those people who like to learn as they go."
"Must have to get certified."
"I found the CD to be the best part of the book, and definitely recommend not getting a version of this book without it."
"I know a lot about computers and learned a bit to go and write the A+, but it's very good I bought this books, learnt so many additional stuff, not even for the exams but for myself m. Thank you Meyers💪🔥."
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Best Web Development & Design

Python Crash Course: A Hands-On, Project-Based Introduction to Programming
As you work through Python Crash Course you’ll learn how to: –Use powerful Python libraries and tools, including matplotlib, NumPy, and Pygal. –Make 2D games that respond to keypresses and mouse clicks, and that grow more difficult as the game progresses. –Work with data to generate interactive visualizations. –Create and customize Web apps and deploy them safely online. –Deal with mistakes and errors so you can solve your own programming problems. Eric Matthes is a high school science and math teacher living in Alaska where he teaches Introduction to Python.
Reviews
"I purchased this book with a book on Machine Learning in Python as well."
"but not with this book. Like i said, I started this book AFTER going through all those other materials so I'm not sure how it would fair with someone who is starting at absolute zero, but my honest opinion is that if i had started here and moved on i would have perhaps been a bit further at this point."
"This book is a must have for Python Learning."
"This book is one of the clearest, most concise books I've ever read on a technical subject."
"I am about half way through this book."
"Well this is a very good book for beginner may or may not have previous programming experience."
"learned a lot."
"Great start into python; this will give you the foundation."
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Best Databases & Big Data

Don't Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability (3rd Edition) (Voices That Matter)
If you’ve read it before, you’ll rediscover what made Don’t Make Me Think so essential to Web designers and developers around the world. Steve Krug (pronounced "kroog") is best known as the author of Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability , now in its second edition with over 350,000 copies in print.
Reviews
"As the subtitle, "A Common Sense Approach", and Krug's consultancy's name, "Advanced Common Sense" ([...]) convey, many great design considerations today involve some simple approaches to dramatically improve your web user experiences."
"This should be required reading by ALL marketing execs, ALL web designers and developers, ALL graphic designers, ALL product designers and inventors, and ALL copywriters."
"Krug breaks the issues of usable web design into simple, digestible form for anyone who depends on a website for promotion or income."
"That fact makes this book a good read for anybody who is involved in any aspect of a websites operation, Web Developer, Marketing, Sales and Management (from mid level to upper level)."
"Many of the ideas and resources in the book have been incredibly valuable to me in my work, and it's almost always the first book I recommend to anyone asking questions about User Experience related topics."
"Unlike a boring text book, Krug makes the book really fun with helpful (yet obvious) examples that bring some concepts to life."
"This book was on the "suggested" reading lists for an interface design class that I took in college."
"But how is though to follow common sense when building a website! I use it on my daily work, to guide my business partners in the construction of the websites for my B2B Clients, and after reading it, is quirte amazing how you can immediatelly spot in the web the websites that follow its principles and those that don't."
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Best Digital Audio, Video & Photography

Tony Northrup's DSLR Book: How to Create Stunning Digital Photography
Stunning Digital Photography is much more than a book; it's a hands-on, self-paced photography class with over 12 hours of online training videos and free help from the author and other readers. In this book, beginner photographers will master: * Using composition to take great photos with any camera. * Adjusting exposure to control the brightness of your photos. * Setting your shutter speed to freeze action or blur motion. * Controlling your aperture to blur or focus the background. * Setting your ISO for bright and dark environments. * Finding beautiful natural light for landscapes and portraits. * Using flash without the ugly effects. * Troubleshooting blurry, dark, and bad pictures. * Taking great pictures of pets * Wildlife photography (mammals, birds, insects, fish, and more). * Taking pictures at night, including fireworks, stars, and meteors. * Photographing sunrises, sunsets, landscapes, cityscapes, flowers, forests, waterfalls, rivers, fireworks, and more. Advanced photographers can skip forward to learn the pro's secrets for: * Posing men and women, with checklists. * Taking candid, casual, formal, and underwater portraits. * Using RAW files. * Using HDR to overcome lighting challenges or create art. * Macro/close-up photography. * Using diffusers, reflectors, and other light modifiers. * Remotely triggering multiple flashes for inexpensive studio lighting. * Building a permanent studio in your home. * Using studio lighting on any budget. * Shooting your first wedding. * High speed photography. * Location scouting/finding the best spots and times. * Planning shoots around the sun and moon. * Creating star trails using two techniques: long exposure and image stacking. * Light painting. * Eliminating noise. * Focus stacking for infinite depth-of-field. * Underwater photography. * Getting close to wildlife. * Using electronic shutter triggers. Tony studied photography at the New England School of Photography and the Massachusetts College of Art and Design.
Reviews
"What I love about it is that when you buy the book you get access to community forum and the Facebook page which is very nice, It has loads of useful information to improve your photography, I would highly recommend the book to anyone starting out in photography, very very useful."
"I have recently purchased a Nikon 3100 and bought the corresponding "dummies" book, which about matches my photography expertise. The embedded links and videos, as well as the ability to grab the sample photos and enlarge for detailed study (need an Internet connection for the latter two items) is invaluable to rank photography newbs like me. The videos are stuck in the appropriate place in the book, which leads to excellent learning flow as you build on the lessons. This is a refreshing change to the "quick scan, make a buck and forget" mentality that the big publishers follow. Tony has evidently not subscribed to the overpriced ebook mentality that has been the source of thousands of complaints on Amazon."
"I've learned a lot through the Stunning Digital Photography Facebook page, as well as Chelsea and Tony's live show, podcasts, and Youtube videos."
"I do know that it is is not just the "mechanics" that one can learn from a book that makes better photographs, but I think the concepts that have been outlined are extremely valuable to keep in ones repertoire and will make anyone a better photographer (maybe incrementally!)."
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Best Business Technology

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action
In studying the leaders who've had the greatest influence in the world, Simon Sinek discovered that they all think, act, and communicate in the exact same way-and it's the complete opposite of what everyone else does.
Reviews
"It reads a little bit like he took articles from his blog, stuck them in a large word-processing document, did some minor editing, and submitted the thing as-is for publication in order to create this book. As far as I can tell, if you're reasonably intelligent you can glean pretty much everything essential to Sinek's idea based on his TED Talk together with this understanding that "HOW" means something different in each of the two contexts he contrasts. What you WON'T get from that is his rather in-depth, incredibly clear exposé of why the "WHAT --> HOW" communication pattern requires manipulating people to some degree or another and why that is by necessity unsustainable in the long run. So in short, the book is a reasonable buy, certainly at the Kindle price, but do consider benefitting from Sinek's wisdom for free in 20 minutes first by watching his TED Talk."
"This book has inspired many thoughts as I read it, but it has helped me to truly put into perspective the age-old advice to follow your passion."
"The author was trying so hard to make a many-page book out of the message and it was excruciating to go through this repetition.. Save your money and (most importantly) your time and just watch the TED talk on YT.."
"As he drags out the book to whatever number of words he needed to fulfill book contract, he re/illustrates his thesis with different examples. This book should have been a column in a weekend newspaper, or, at best, a chapter in another book about leadership."
"This book was awful."
"I bought this book upon the recommendation of a friend, hoping to find tips or checklists or questionnaires on how to redefine my WHY, but I found nothing to help define (or re-define) WHY. The book is full of meaningless stories you have most likely heard or read (about the turn around of Continental and the fun stuff about Southwest Airlines, Apple Computers, etc)."
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