6 Weeks or Less: The Job You Really Want, Guaranteed

Customer Reviews:

Some good info but overblown.......2001-01-31

I think this book could be very helpful to first-time job-seekers b/c it gives info that sometimes takes us "experienced" job-hunters years to figure out. However...while I agree with the author's basically straightforward approach (and have found it be successful in the past), there is something slightly underhanded he recommends: pretending to seek an "informational interview" when your are actually seeking a job. Yes, you'll probably get an interview more easily if you ask for an informational interview, but the hirer might be irritated when s/he discovers your hidden motive. Why not tell the truth about your intentions and quickly move on if they are disinterested? Sure, you may get rejected, but that's a natural part of a job-hunt..

Also: there is some useful info but it's not really new or unusual, I've heard it all before, and it's presented in a sensationalist way (i.e. "this will change your life forever!!!" "never been seen before!!" tone - very sales-y and magical sounding) that is a bit off-putting.

Buy this book.......2000-06-24

My new job is the direct result of using 6 Weeks. Previously, I was going nowhere in my job search. It's simple, direct approach to employers is a godsend. I didn't have to mail, fax or email a single resume, or call about a single ad. I can't recommend this book highly enough. If you want a job, but not just any job, and don't want it to take forever, buy this book. To say it made all the difference is an understatement.

Two thumbs up.......1999-12-06

6 Weeks proved to be an indispensible tool in my job search. Explaining why agencies, ads, resumes and the internet don't yield results, the book goes on to lay out a faster, better way to the job you want. I'm convinced that without this invaluable book I'd still be looking.

Truly Unique.......1999-11-01

Warning: this book is very different from other job hunting books. First, because the procedure it describes actually works -- that's different in and of itself. Second, because the "looking" phase and non-resume approach is a welcome change. Using 6 Weeks I got the type of job I was looking for, and I'll definitely use this book the next time I look for a job.

An Excellent Book.......1999-10-31

The mistake I was making was that I applied, as most of us do, for job openings. But as 6 Weeks points out, openings are the least desirable jobs. (Otherwise they wouldn't be "open".) You also have a lot of competition for them. 6 Weeks shows how to be considered for jobs that are not listed, advertised or published -- better jobs where you eliminate the competition. I got the job I wanted in just 4 weeks, and I did have to mail a resume to get it. This is an excellent book.

Book Description

The voluntary and non-profit sector is an important and emerging feature of Japanese society. It is a response both to the changing nature of this society and to political and social trends that have encouraged the Japanese government to see this sector as a potential provider of public services. It is also part of the emergence of 'civil society' in Japan. This book explores the roots of the societal challenges that voluntary and non-profit organisations face in Japan and evaluates their future impact on Japanese society. It is an essential text for any student of Japanese studies or the international non-profit sector.

Book Description

Reconstructing the campaign waged by a Chicago labor coalition against the foreign policy objectives of the American Federation of Labor, Elizabeth McKillen establishes the impact of United States foreign policy during the World War I era on the development of the labor movement.

Chicago labor and the quest for a democratic diplomacy, 1914-1924.

Average customer rating:

Chicago labor and the quest for a democratic diplomacy, 1914-1924.
Elizabeth. McKillen
Manufacturer: Cornell U.P., [c.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OUPEYS

Average customer rating:

I like this book

This book has It

Quintessence: The Quality of Having It
Betty Cornfeld , Owen Edwards , and Betty Cornfield
Manufacturer: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Elements of Typographic Style

ASIN: 1579121500

Book Description

The perfect coffee table book for those who appreciate the finer elements of ordinary things, this beautifully photographed volume displays with the design flair of a museum show the ultimate iconic items. The thoughtful, intellectual--often irreverent--commentary on these commonplace things alongside the artistic photographs of each--over 75 in total--entertains with the search for soul in products that we know and probably use or have used. Whether they agree or disagree with the authors--and this is part of the fun--readers will delight in the homage to these things that we appreciate but rarely take the time to venerate. The martini, the peanut butter and jelly sandwich or a Mont Blanc pen--these things are not just drinks, foods or writing utensils, "they exhibit a rare and mysterious capacity to be just exactly what they ought to be," as the authors write. We get excited about them, not because they are the "best" but because they have an elusive combination of style, class and utility. The collection is astonishingly eclectic, yet with a flip through the pages readers instinctively understand the connection.

Customer Reviews:

I like this book.......2003-03-01

We need another book like this. Most design books lack "it".

This book has It.......2001-03-01

Americans today are sick of things. We've got way too many of them and most of them are utterly useless, oftentimes almost grotesque in their superfluity. A flip side to this overload is that we, especially the younger generation, lose touch with how beautiful and life-enhancing a thing can actually be. We're awash in things, but ignorant of "thingness." In all the rhetoric about possessions not creating happiness--true at bottom but overdone--we're forgetting that, yeah, actually, some things do make me pretty damn happy.

This book Quintessence shows us a few of these special things and allows us to enjoy them by pointing them out, and on a more general level the book persuasively argues for a re-appreciation of objects of affection and even of utility. The things shown in this book vary widely--from a brown paper bag to a Harley Davidson to a Camel cigarette to a Keds hightop--all sharing the one common quality of "quintessence," the quality of having it. At least as the authors see "it," that is. Fortunately, they're almost always right. I came across no thing in the book that I rejected as having a classical "thingness" that, once recognized, does work on the senses and can sometimes even bring an unconscious smile to your face. Accompanying the photos of these objects is stylish, flowing prose from Edwards and Cornfeld, both accomplished writers and people of fine taste. Edwards, now a columnist at Forbes ASAP, has written on topics as diverse as men's clothing, technology, office politics and the difference between how West Coasters work vs. New Yorkers, and all of his work exhibits this special talent of searching for, and often finding, the essence of the thing. The book, then, is a joy to read as well as look at the pictures. I came away with a new appreciation for the things I love in life--I remember my fifth-grade red nikes, my Costco-bought Spalding basketball, the Ferrari Testarossa--and I think others who read this book will do the same.

Unfortunately, the copy being sold on this website is not up to snuff with the quality of the book itself. There are a couple missprints and the page layout next to the pictures isn't great. The original printing of this book now retails for large sums, sometimes in excess of 700 dollars, and imagining how fine this book well-printed would be offers a clue as to why. For persons of lesser means, however, this copy will do just fine to get the message across: don't forget, amidst plenty, the value and aesthetic pleasure to be gained from one, loved thing.

Average customer rating:
Quintessence: The Quality of Having It
Betty & Owen Cornfeld & Edwards
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NQGZIW

Average customer rating:
Quintessence: The Quality of Having It
Betty & Owen Cornfeld & Edwards
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NQIDTG

Book Description

Now in a second edition with many, many updates and additions, this book is simply the most comprehensive, accurate and thought-provoking reference ever published on Phish - the quirky rock group that rose from the college scene to become the single most popular touring band in the U.S. Thousands of fans helped develop this book, contributing detailed set lists, show reviews, song histories, and more via the Internet. Incorporating unreleased information plus fact-checking from official band sources, this intimate guide also offers interviews with key Phish figures, complete discographies, essays, photos, a topical index of lyrics, and lots of fun Phish facts. 898 pages! "The most amazing compendium of facts about a single musical group published to date." - San Francisco Chronicle

Customer Reviews:

Very cool; detailed book.......2007-08-07

Very cool book. Gave it as a present to one of my wonderful hippie friends and we both totally got sucked in. A lot of cool information.

great reference.......2007-02-27

This book is the best guide to one of the greatest most adventurous bands ever. It has a complete breakdown of all the songs played by phish as well as jam classification, anecdotes and other useful information if you are a die-hard phan, and if you have witnessed the spectacle that is a phish show you are probably a die-hard phan.

A must buy for phishheads.......2006-03-13

I bought this book for my boyfriend a year ago and he lost it, and he missed it so much I bought it for him again. He consults this book frequently to get show information. It gives the date, location, and set lists of pretty much all Phish shows. Its a must have for big Phish fans.

A great improvement.......2005-08-02

The old Phish companion was a great book. This one however is 10 times better. The additional shows, as well as the more comprehensive song histories and sidebars really improve the overall look and value of the book. The last summer tour is however not listed, but even so, the second addition is a much better version.

Best Phish Book on the market.......2004-08-21

What can I say? Best present a Phish fan could receive. This book is far superior to any other Phish book on the market, including the Foundation's first edition. For the die-hard fan it'll prove to be the most used tool in his/her belt (a true companion), and for the just initiated it will provide eveything you need to know about Phish, and then some. I just can't say enough about the content - the fact that official Phish folk endorse the book legitmizes every word. Plus, all net proceeds are donated diectly to charity via the Mockingbird foundation! Its a win-win!
If you are looking for something for that Phish fan you know, look no further! Thanks Mockingbird for a great book!

Customer Reviews:

Approach with caution.......2005-05-06

I approached this book with the highest of expectations, and perhaps therein lies the reason for my disappointment. As an historical record of the Britpop years, The Last Party is very thorough - perhaps too anecdotal, to the point where I remember reading most all of the information presented. If you, like me, read Q Magazine with any regularity - to the point of investing in an overseas subscription - during the mid-90s, you will have heard the stories before. To the uninitiated, though, this is a very thorough oeuvre - just not groundbreaking in the least.

I agree with the others here who question the links between the rise of Blair and the rise of Britpop. Blair latched on to the whole Britpop movement after its real high watermark (Oasis at Knebworth) - and before everyone in the world slagged "Be Here Now". But there was really no cause and effect - New Labour may have needed Oasis, but really only as background music for the May 1, 1997 celebrations - and reading this will convince few of any genuine link. The real reason Britpop died have nothing to do with politics - as Britpop itself was fundamentally apolitical - and everything to do with the Spice Girls being mistaken for part of the movement. That, too many drugs, and the seven minute songs on "Be Here Now".

Two stars for me, four for those who approach this book as a tabula rasa and read it simply as biography rather than its abortive attempt at political science. Thus the three overall.

don't patronize me tony blair.......2005-03-14

this is by far the best book i've read about britpop. it's a must-read for anyone interested in blur, oasis, and elastica, amongst many other british bands. it's very insightful, giving you the full history on many different bands as opposed to just the more popular ones. also discusses the link between british music and tony blair.

Fascinating read.......2005-01-21

I was given this as a Christmas present and finished it within a couple of weeks. Whether you want to debate the whole issue of the link between Tony Blair and Britpop.....there are some links but they're not interconnected. It's true that Tony Blair ( or for the benefit of some Tony B(liar)) used the whole Britpop movement for political gain.....but that's only to be expected. He probably saw it as a calling from the disaffected nation of the youth ( if you've listened to him sometimes, he desperately wants to come across as a messiah ).

However the political aspects always seem to loom in the background. In the 80s, Paul Weller and Billy Bragg popping up as part of the Red Wedge ( horrible name ), which was a sort of Labour tie-in at the time as " Musicians against the Tories " which admittedly is a good idea but never amounts to much in the end. It ended in failure.....just like now when Bruce Springsteen et al rocking to get Kerry in.....see something here musicians don't make much of a difference!

It digs even deeper into Tony Blair's past when he used to be in a band and could do a striking Mick Jagger impersonation.....so no wonder Jagger got knighted! The 90s though was made up of new ideas. As the " baggy" movement died away and was superseded by America's grunge, various musicians ( Suede, Blur, Elastica etc. ) were thinking of something that was anti-grunge, that was gave themselves a British identity, " a sense of who we are " in a way. Steadily as it was built, the music press got more and more excited and had suddenly forgot about it's past politicking and other things and just forget everything and just be happy to be British and so on. To make this all the more clearer, in 1992, Morrissey was scorned upon for waving the Union Jack flag at one of his concerts. Within 3 years you were hailed as god for sleeping in a Union Jack duvet with your soon-to-be wife or play a Union Jack guitar in front of millions......well you get the drift of it. Funnily, the picture of Liam Gallagher and Patsy Kensit lying underneath a Union Jack duvet was to be mocked by an Irish magazine called In Dublin, where they had lookalikes under an Irish quilt. I say funnily, but in some ways it was as grotesque as the real thing. That last bit's not in the book but also it will tell you that most ( if not all ) Americans did not get to see that because, hell, an interview with someone from Seinfeld is far more interesting.

But rewind a little and we find that not only are the music press obsessed but so are the media which means a widespread cultural renaissance is in place. And while the general public are hastily looking for any little tidbit of information from their newspapers, we find that Blur and Oasis, who used to be at least friendly to each other, now go into a full on war for the number 1. The hysteria is palpable and duly enough Blur win and Oasis lose out.

What also should be noted is that there is a growing tapped interest by the Labour Party which started in 1994 and which they have to be seen with the coolest thing on the block. First Blur, then eventually it's Oasis which Noel Gallagher was invited to Number 10 to sip champagne and hobnob with the new prime minister.

And then everything seemed to go sour

With the whole Britpop ideal moving into more paranoid terms what with endless amount of hard drugs it seemed inevitable it would collapse. All the bands in heroin-stooped madness that all the creative juices just seem to curdle up and be spewed out like a really bad hangover. Everybody had moved on. If you were still playing Britpop by then you were sadly laughed at for jumping on the bandwagon while it had no wheels and was about to crash.

And New Labour......well by then perhaps the idea that New Labour wasn't really worth all the hype had dawned on everyone and while there wasn't a case of hopes being dashed but......well they promised more didn't they?

There is a hell of a lot more packed into this book that I'd run out of time and space trying to describe it for you. But to slim this down to an nutshell, to take from the song New Labour used as their party manifesto song from 1997 - D:Ream's Things Can Only Get Better. It was their promise to which the NME replied " Have you ever got the feeling you've been cheated "

Well, *I* think it's awesome!.......2004-12-16

I ran across this book in London in the summer of 2003 right after it had come out. As an Anglophilic purveyor of English Rock music (say that ten times fast!), this book appealed to me from the shelf at least. I took a chance on it, and boy, I wasn't disappointed. For Americans like me who are into English rock, all we know is what we get from the CDs. I lived through 1990's America, while England underwent a cultural shift not seen since 1960's America. You can really experience it in this book, especially if you have listened to all of the great music that came out in that decade (Blur, Suede, Radiohead, Supergrass, Pulp) and avoid the garbage (Oasis, Menswear). Besides in-depth interviews and private photographs from some of the biggest players, you get two feelings from this book: One, the English music scene was really like a gang of friends for the most part (excluding the Brett vs. Damon and Blur vs. Oasis feuds). And two, it was a talentless [...] of a woman in Justine Frischmann who really drove two of the biggest talents of the decade, Brett Anderson and Damon Albarn, to fantastic heights by being the third point in their little love traingle. A fascinating read.

What a disappointment.......2003-10-15

This is a book that attempts to cover the music scene in Britain in the 1990s, contrasting the rise and fall of an indigenous rock music movement with the rise of Tony Blair. The author chooses to focus on a group of bands - Oasis, Blur, Suede, Elastica and Menswear - that were all part of the same incestuous group (The lead singer of Elastica went out with both the lead singer of Suede then Blur for instance). The book is full of minute detail - he said, she said about each other, dates and locations for early gigs, chart positions and such like. I can only say that I think only a real fan would be interested in most of this detail - and if you were a dedicated fan you would probably know most of this anyway.

The author's attempt to make links between the rise of Blair and the development (and fall) of Britpop is tenuous. It is true that there was interaction between the Blair camp and bands like Oasis and Blur, but they feel like adjuncts to the story. Yes, Blair and his people co-opted the rise of `Cool Britannia' to their cause, and Britpop was a part of Cool Britannia idea, but the author doesn't make a very strong cause for the association with Blair being a major part for the sell-out, and therefore end, of Britpop. It is as though the author wanted his book to be taken seriously, and thought a book 'just about pop music' wasn't enough, so he threw some politics in.

It has been said that `writing about music is like dancing about architecture' and this book is a good example of that. It didn't make me feel like getting out the Britpop CDs in my collection and giving them a new hearing. Rather, it left me feeling that the people covered were selfish, drugged up self-centred musos that lost all perspective and refused to grow up. I didn't learn much that I didn't already know, and I am not convinced that Britpop was anything special. Rather, I just feel that someone needs to shout `It's only Pop music!'

I actually discussed this book with Britpop fans who lived in England during the 1990s, and had also read the book. They were disappointed too. So i am not sure who this is meant to appeal to - nothing new for the fans, nothing too interesting for those who aren't fans. And the demise of English Rock? Suede, Blur and Oasis still sell out concerts. Doesn't seem like much of a demise

Book Description

Some shows just get better with age. As The Andy Griffith Show turns forty, the authors of the complete fan guide to the show have updated the book with new information gained from access to the complete shooting scripts of the original episodes.

The Andy Griffith Show remains one of America's most-watched programs, gaining new fans through its widespread syndication (including a major promotional campaign accompanying its joining TV Land's prime-time line-up in 2000), conventions, and upcoming "behind-the-scenes" television specials. America has embraced the characters of Mayberry---Aunt Bee, Barney Fife, Goober, Opie, and Andy himself---as family members. From Miracle Salves to Kerosene Cucumbers, The Andy Griffith Show has left a lasting impression on our culture, a sweet nostalgic taste for a time gone by.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Reference for the Mayberry Trivia Buff & Fan Fiction Writer.......2005-07-17

Ken Beck and Jim Clark no doubt eat, drink, and breath the Andy Griffith Show as they must have watched every episode several times with pen and paper in hand to create this book filled with almost every bit of trivia you'd want to know about the show, not to mention their many other books on TAGS. This book is not about the actors, writers, behind-the-scenes activities, or the philosophy of the show, it is a book on the characters, places, and happenings in Mayberry. The episodes of the television show is the only source for this book.

Some reviewers do not think a book recapping the events of the television show is valuable, but it is for trivia buffs and for fan fiction writers. Fans who like to write Mayberry-related stories can find all sorts of helpful tidbits in this book. There is even an episode guide in the back with brief synopses. It is very useful for those who have not seen all the episodes or cannot remember certain details about the characters, places, etc. I have referred to this book several times in writing just one fan fiction story. It is very well-organized and usually offers that little detail I'm looking for. I was very surprised how much information is offered in this book.

Every character is profiled (almost all with photos) from the main ones to those who were only on a short time or intermittently like Ellie Walker, the Darlings, Clara Edwards Johnson, Emmett Clark, Sam Jones, and that adorable Warren Ferguson (with a nice photo I have not seen before). For trivia buffs, there are chapters on "Cops and Robbers," "Codes and Cases," "Mayberry Media" (local newspapers, radio stations, tv stations, tv programs enjoyed by Mayberry residents), "Music of Mayberry," "Contradictions," and more. There is also a helpful map of Mayberry with all the important spots like Myer's Lake, the Duck Pond, the Darling's cabin, and Ernest T. Bass' cave, a town directory and yellow pages for both Mayberry and Mt. Pilot. It also has a quiz. There are scores of b&w photos throughout the book. My only complaint is that the episode guide is not divided up into seasons. Recommended for anyone interested in the characters of TAGS.

the ultimate andy griffith show book.......2005-01-01

this is book is wonderful! it is by far the best andy griffith book that is out there.

Miracle Salve and Kerosene Cucumbers.......2003-05-21

Wonderful, just what I anticipated. Thank you for distributing this excellent review of the show, and list of all episodes.

A peek inside Mayberry's secret life.......2003-04-04

This is the second book I have read about The Andy Griffith Show. (The first one was Barney Fife and Other Characters I Have Known, written by Don Knotts with Robert Metz)
This book has very descriptive information about all the favorite characters from the show, based on what is known about them from the episodes of the show. There is NO information about the actors that played these roles, JUST the characters. These facts are put together in an easy-to-read style that will make for pleasant browsing or looking up trivia facts. There are also many nice photos in the book, some in color (fortieth anniversary edition) and there are quizzes, lists, and an episode guide with very brief summaries of the shows.
It is a really nice book and can be enjoyed by fans of the show in any age group, from youth to grownup.
And even though there is no actual show production stories or actor interviews in this book, it does do a good job of profiling the characters and showing their individual personalities in the context of the world they exist in, that of their beloved Mayberry.

Hallelujah, I have died and gone to Mayberry!.......2002-02-07

Everything you ever wanted to know about Mayberry, but didn't know whom to ask. Until now. Painstakingly assembled by two self-proclaimed "Goobers" who have likely forgotten more TAGS tidbits than you or I will ever know, this exhaustive guide is very well-organized and easy on the eye. The first time I read it, during a memorably relaxing trip to the north Georgia mountains, I devoured it in one luxurious sitting, and I still refer to it often. It's that entertaining, addictive and authoritative.

It's important to note, the authors present facts about Mayberry and its denizens as if they were real (and don't try to tell me they aren't!), leaving the task of analyzing the program itself to other scholars. (Such as Richard Michael Kelly, whose own TAGS book is top-shelf.)

The rampant commercialization of all things Mayberry in recent years is more than a little disconcerting. The loving care that went into the making of this book, however, is not in question. For my money, it is the only indispensable reference for those with Mayberry in their blood.

Book Description

Phishing Exposed unveils the techniques phishers employ that enable them to successfully commit fraudulent acts against the global financial industry.

Also highlights the motivation, psychology and legal aspects encircling this deceptive art of exploitation. The External Threat Assessment Team will outline innovative forensic techniques employed in order to unveil the identities of these organized individuals, and does not hesitate to remain candid about the legal complications that make prevention and apprehension so difficult today.

This title provides an in-depth, high-tech view from both sides of the playing field, and is a real eye-opener for the average internet user, the advanced security engineer, on up through the senior executive management of a financial institution. This is the book to provide the intelligence necessary to stay one step ahead of the enemy, and to successfully employ a pro-active and confident strategy against the evolving attacks against e-commerce and its customers.

* Unveils the techniques phishers employ that enable them to successfully commit fraudulent acts
* Offers an in-depth, high-tech view from both sides of the playing field to this current epidemic
* Stay one step ahead of the enemy with all the latest information

Customer Reviews:

Phishing Needs to be Exposed to More of Us!.......2006-10-30

Here are the chapters:

- Chapter 1 Banking On Phishing
- Chapter 2 Go Phish!
- Chapter 3 E-Mail: The Weapon of Mass Delivery
- Chapter 4 Crossing the Phishing Line
- Chapter 6 Malware, Money Movers, and Ma Bell Mayhem!
- Chapter 7 So Long, and Thanks for All the Phish!
395 pages paperback

As others have stated in their reviews, this is the book if you are involved in Internet security either at an ISP, webserver administrator or a security analyst at a large corporation or in law enforcement dealing with cybercrime. Phishing Exposed is also very useful for watch dog individuals on the web who actively report Internet scams to ISPs. It is an eye opener on how phishing scams have gotten more sophisticated in snaring unsuspecting victims' data within the last few years. This book was released in late 2005, however, most of the information is still rather relevant and useful for today for those who are working to minimize Internet fraud. For example, the use of botnets and malware have gained a larger role in the proliferation of phishing scams since this book was published; the author does cover some detail on this newer approach to perpetuating fraud online.

I have pretty much read the entire book, though I read quickly through all the scripting and coding details Lance outlines in his book and the detail takes up quite a few pages. I did enjoy reading it, thus why it only took me about 2 days to get through it. As I come across some of the coding complexities Lance outlines, I will return to this book as a reference.

One criticism I have is there is no glossary of terms. Lance uses many many technical terms, a few here and there that I didn't know and when I did read them, sometimes I forgot what they stood for.

I will point out a few highlights which may be useful for some of what is covered:

Email Headers
The author provides us information on how to read email headers we receive in spam from phishers who are just a subset of spammers anyway. This is quite useful for those still learning how to decode email headers line by line. Though there are a few things the author leaves out regarding explaining the breakdown of headers, he covers this seldom-covered subject quite well. Most of the samples of spam we have here are Lance's own fake phishing spams, similar to examples you will read in the scripting sections.

Scripting
The author tells us about CSS (Cross Site Scripting) - Cross site scripting (also known as XSS) occurs when a web application gathers malicious data from a user. The data is usually gathered in the form of a hyperlink which contains malicious content within it. The user will most likely click on this link from another website, instant message, or simply just reading a web board or email message [...]. This part of the book will take me longer to grasp as my own scripting knowledge is not very strong.

Lance covers the scripting exploits in creating phishing websites in regards to DHTML, DOM, SSL, JavaScript, redirects, and covers HTTP responses (common status codes) via user-agents. Lance uses his own made-up phishing sites to demonstrate how these scripts work. Status codes example: such as 404 file not found.

Money Laundering
Finally, the author also covers phisher money laundering in chapter (6) "Chapter 6 Malware, Money Movers, and Ma Bell Mayhem!" of the book. Phishers use mules to forward the funds for them (mules have bank accounts setup to accept the money and transfer it elsewhere: sometimes the "mules" do not even realize they are participating in illegal activity); this is similar to what drug dealers do to launder their money. He also covers caller ID spoofing in this chapter. This area is probably generally less well known, as it is more of the bank side of things of how the stolen money is transfered from account to account.

Details That Developers and Security Experts Need.......2006-08-28

Phishing quickly exploded from a nuisance to a full-fledged threat in the middle of 2005. Weaknesses in email, combined with flaws in Web security and with a little social engineering mixed in make for an effective tool to get the attention of users and lure unsuspecting people into the trap.

It didn't take long for the organized crime elements of the malware underground to recognize the power and efficiency of this tool. Phishing is a virtual poster-child for the convergence of malware because it is a malicious tool that helps tie viruses, worms, spam, Trojans and other malware together and get them delivered effectively to their designated targets.

While a book like Phishing: Cutting The Identity Theft Line is aimed at managers and executives and users, this book is more along the lines of Inside The Spam Cartel in the way it dives deeper to look at the secrets and techniques and explore the underground that makes it work.

While the content is more technical, James writing is engaging. Phishing Exposed is an excellent resource for developers, specifically Web developers, and for security experts to understand more about how and why phishing works, rather than just what it is and how to detect and defend against it.

Not just a technical reference: A great read.......2006-07-17

If you're on your way to a security conference this summer, and you'd like to get up to speed on web site abuses and browser design vulnerabilities, this book makes for excellent airplane-reading fare. I say this because Phishing Exposed manages to succeed on two fronts: it is both an instructive technical reference, as well as a surprisingly compelling narrative.

The first is unsurprising -- it is, after all, a Syngress book, and so is typical of technical books from this imprint. The second accomplishment, though, was a pleasant surprise. It's not common that someone as deeply involved in the technologies of network security are also talented writers.

As an example, while documenting the technical characteristics of e-mail delivery, James illustrates example forensic techniques of identifying the home city, working schedule, and handedness of the attacker. It's this mix of CSI-meets-ITSec that makes the book an honest page-turner.

Given this literary attention to narrative and even elements of plot development (especially on the follow-the-breadcrumbs analysis of a seemingly endless series of HTTP redirects), this book illustrates the phishing problem in a way that both technically-oriented defenders and interested "power user" readers will understand and enjoy.

Expands the boundaries of client-side hacking.......2006-03-11

Phishing Exposed is a powerful analysis of the many severe problems present in Web-based activities. Phishing Exposed is another threat-centric title from Syngress. The book presents research conducted by Secure Science Corporation as a way to understand the adversary. The author demonstrates his own attacks against multiple popular e-commerce sites as a way to show how phishers accomplish their goals. I was surprised by the extent to which the author could repeatedly abuse high-profile financial sites, and for that reason I highly recommend reading Phishing Exposed.

The book begins with an overview of the phishing problem. Three basic phishing techniques (impersonation, forwarding, and popup) are explained. The mechanics of email and HTTP are also described. The heart of the book appears in chapters 4 and 5, where almost 270 pages are devoted to the author's assessment and abuse of banking sites. I was shocked by the author's ability to repeatedly take advantage of vulnerabilities in client and server software and configuration. These chapters made me wonder if it is possible for an average end user -- or even a skilled technical user -- running popular operating systems and browsers to survive these sorts of high-end attacks.

Ch 6 featured some innovative material on subverting caller ID by using Voice over IP and other methods. I also appreciated the historical perspective in that chapter.

My only real concern is that the author devoted lots of material to his own attacks, and not as much to attacks by real phishers. I would have liked additional details on how to detect and potentially defeat these attacks using network-based and proxy-based means.

Incidentally, reviews by "relatives" should be considered suspect, although reviews with the title "inadequate and unoriginal" should be completely ignored. Reviews like that demonstrate another instance where that particular "reviewer" has once again skimmed the text and not spent any time reading the book. Phishing Exposed is incredibly original -- and that's why I've given it five stars, despite some rough editing from Syngress.

Chapters expose attacks then probe the world of organized phishing gangs and operations to show how phishers operate.......2006-03-06

What do phishers gain from their techniques, and how do they steal identities, passwords, and information? Learn to identify the three classes of security attacks, how phishers scour the net for valid email addresses to attack, and how they are able to exploit computer vulnerabilities with Lane James's Phishing Exposed, which will interest programmers, network administrators and legal officers alike. Chapters expose attacks then probe the world of organized phishing gangs and operations to show how phishers operate, and how you can protect your system.

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