Introductory Report: Sport and Tourism

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Seminal work on public debt finance

Public principles of public debt,: A defense and restatement
James M Buchanan
Manufacturer: R.D. Irwin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Public Finance | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007DFBX6

Customer Reviews:

Seminal work on public debt finance.......2004-10-20

This is Buchanan's earliest book. Its main contribution is the debunking of the notion, prevalent at the time of publication and perhaps still, that government debt does not constitute a burden on taxpayers. Buchanan demonstrates that it is not the bondholders but future taxpayers who bear the cost of today's public expenditures. Bondholders are eventually repaid their invested principal plus interest, and they bought the bonds voluntarily because in their opinion it was the most appropriate investment from the entire range of investments available to them. The voluntary nature of their lending suggests they are better off not worse off, and thus they could hardly be deemed to be bearing a burden. Since bondholders will eventually be repaid from the proceeds of future taxes, it is future taxpayers who pay for today's public expenditures insofar as they are debt-financed. It makes no difference whether the debt is held internally (domestically) or externally (by foreign entities). Buchanan was not the first to make this argument (he credits classical economists such as Henry C. Adams, Charles F. Bastable, and particularly the Frenchman Paul Leroy-Beaulieu), but considering the "we owe it to ourselves" nonsense that was fashionable at the time, Buchanan's exposition was clearly warranted.

Although Buchanan is a libertarian thinker, his rationale here is not one of small government being superior to big government. He argues that not having to face the financial consequences of our spending decisions leads to distorted cost/benefit analyses: "[T]he real cost of public expenditure which is debt financed must rest on individuals other than those who participate in the social decisions made at the time of the approval or rejection of any proposed expenditure...This destroys the individual comparison of benefits from public expenditures and the costs of these expenditures which is possible in the case of taxes...If any individual benefits at all are expected to accrue currently from a proposed public expenditure, the individual when making his choice between the public debt-public expenditure and the no debt-no expenditure alternatives will always tend to favor the former over the latter. In such cases, the choice processes usually embodied in democratic institutions cannot be expected to provide correct decisions, upon any criterion of correctness. The individual chooser cannot fairly compare benefits and costs" (pp. 119-120).

All in all this is a terrific slim volume that makes for an indispensable first read in the study of the topic of public debt finance, along with Democracy in Deficit, volume 8 in the Buchanan Collected Works series, and, better yet, Debt and Taxes, volume 14 in the series.

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As the Workforce Ages: Costs, Benefits and Policy Challenges. (book reviews): An article from: Southern Economic Journal
Bruce H. Dunson
Manufacturer: Southern Economic Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books
ASIN: B00092XU3I
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Southern Economic Journal, published by Southern Economic Association on October 1, 1994. The length of the article is 1360 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: As the Workforce Ages: Costs, Benefits and Policy Challenges. (book reviews)
Author: Bruce H. Dunson
Publication: Southern Economic Journal (Refereed)
Date: October 1, 1994
Publisher: Southern Economic Association
Volume: v61 Issue: n2 Page: p543(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

As the Workforce Ages: Costs, Benefits, and Policy Challenges (Frank W Pierce Memorial Lectureship and Conference Series)

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As the Workforce Ages: Costs, Benefits, and Policy Challenges (Frank W Pierce Memorial Lectureship and Conference Series)

Manufacturer: Ilr Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Labor & Industrial Relations | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Unemployment | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Gerontology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

As the Workforce Ages makes accessible key insights generated by social scientists about how the labor market and labor market policies function for older workers.

"Presents a wealth of empirical evidence relevant to population and work force aging. . . . This volume usefully identifies a panorama of aging issues that will need and will receive continued attention in the years to come."--ILR Review

Customer Reviews:

The Starlight Trilogy.......2005-10-20

Excellent book. It opened my eyes. I don't just listen to the members of a church. Now, I read books about the religion and how it started.

Star Light, Star Bright (Loveswept, Book 232)

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Intrigue

Star Light, Star Bright (Loveswept, Book 232)
Iris Johansen
Manufacturer: Loveswept
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0553218611
Release Date: 1987-12-01

Customer Reviews:

Intrigue.......2000-05-28

Quenby Swenson is hired to as a nanny for little Andrew Ramsey. Her special skills and tenacious love will be needed for little Andrew's special abilities. Gunner Nilsen, a member of the mysterious Clanad, goes along to protect Andrew and his new pretty nanny. Gunner and Quenby learn to trust each other and come together through their love of a special little boy.

Average customer rating:

Three dimensional and realistic story about facing and conquering fears

Bright Lights for Bella: Star Sisterz
Lana Perez
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0786937467
Release Date: 2005-08-02

Book Description

The third book in an exciting new series for girl readers. Bright Lights for Bella is the third book in a new series of real-life adventures written specifically for girls ages 8-12. Sized to fit the young reader market, the series follows a group of friends who receive mysterious messages and win charms as they grow in confidence. The stories emphasize friendship, fun, and empowerment. They are tied to Star Sisterz, the hot new collectable charm game for tween girls.

Customer Reviews:

Three dimensional and realistic story about facing and conquering fears.......2005-09-24

BRIGHT LIGHTS FOR BELLA, the third volume in the Star Sisterz series, features Bella DeLuca, a 14-year-old high school freshman trying to figure out who she is. Not a brain like her younger sister and not an athlete like her older brother, Bella hates feeling in the middle and uninteresting. When a poster announces auditions for the upcoming production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Bella decides to take a chance and try out. Best case scenario: she'll get to act with her older brother's friend Seth and convince him that she's not a little girl anymore.

But Bella is not prepared for all the things that could go wrong, such as her best friend Rani getting mad at her because trying out for the play means she can't do brain bowl like they planned, or the fact that her role of Titania includes flying across the stage in a harness. Bella is so afraid of heights that she hasn't done her laundry for a week because she doesn't want to climb a step-ladder and get the detergent down from the top shelf. How is she ever going to get into a harness and fly high above the audience in the play?

When Bella receives a mysterious message advising her to tell a friend her secret fear, it takes her a while but she finally figures it out. But can she reach out to Rani, who's still mad at her, and ask for help conquering her fear of heights? Or is Bella doomed to be a friendless member of the audience?

Once again, the Star Sisterz sets just the right tone for a series book. The characters, particularly Bella and Rani, are believable and the conflicts are difficulties that every young teen faces. Bella takes realistic steps to solve her problem, and it's likely that the decisions she makes could inspire readers to face and conquer their own fears.

Bella lives in a three-dimensional world that includes siblings, parents, teachers and friends. Her father in particular is a vivid and intriguing character, and Bella's relationship with him is heartwarming. One of the things I like best about the Star Sisterz series is its recognition that everyone has problems, and that even minor problems can loom large and insurmountable if you don't know how to solve them. In BRIGHT LIGHTS FOR BELLA, author Lana Perez takes care to show that problems can be broken down into smaller pieces and solved one step at a time. This is an important lesson for preteens and teens to learn --- and something many adults could use a refresher course on.

--- Reviewed by Paula Jolin

Average customer rating:

Very disappointed in KS
Star Light, Star Bright it is Not!
What Happened To This One!!!
My First Katherine Stone book
Good but not as wonderful as the rest

Star Light, Star Bright (MIRA)
Katherine Stone
Manufacturer: Mira
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 1551669544

Book Description

Two women, closer than sisters. Who will he choose? Pale Lily, who's suffered a long and mysterious illness? Or fatherless Brooke, either copper hair and clever mind?

Twelve years ago Rafe McClute came to FoxHaven in Virginia, ancestral home of the Forsythes. Descended from ancient enemies, Rafe knows tragedy -- and he recognizes it here in this haven, this place of sanctuary and secrets.

Now Rafe is a man loved by two women -- Lily Forsythe Rutledge, who has never left FoxHaven, and Brooke Blair, who has just returned. Rafe loves them both, but he loves only one of them as a wife. There can be no marriage, though . . . not until all the secrets of their childhood are revealed. Not until all the truths are told . . .

Customer Reviews:

Very disappointed in KS.......2007-08-22

I am halfway through this book and not enjoying it as I have all of her others I have read. I decided to look on Amazon to see what any other comments were about this book. I looked, and have decided to give up on this one and continue on to another one of hers. I just found this one very hard to follow and I don't like having to work that hard trying to keep up with a story line. My sister-in-law, who is also an avid reader, once told me that if you're not "into" a book by page 100, it may not be worth the effort to continue.

Star Light, Star Bright it is Not!.......2007-07-23

First off, things I liked about the book: (1) the title, it's a nice touch of whimsy, (2) the cover colors, and (3) the little shooting star above the chapter numbers (hey, it's cute!). I'm sorry to say that's about it.

This book was just a disaster; there was an excessive amount crammed into 360 pages, and all of it was predictable, over-the-top, and unbelievable. All the characters are supposed to be flawed but they were one-dimensional and boring. Lily and Peter were an exception; I think they had possibilities, most likely better suited to a completely different book. Brooke was an absolutely horrible character; she's boring, whiney, and did many things that I don't think her character would do (such as leave her horses without a by-your-leave), not to mention when her mother tells Brooke about her father and she's not affected by it in the least. What?! Then she spends the whole rest of the book a whole mess of a person who really needs to be sent to a psychiatric clinic, it's just too bad no one else sees this. Ugh, why would anyone like this person, let alone love her?

I don't think the author knew quite what to do with the book. First, the prologue, I'm sorry but it really didn't make sense to the rest of the book, not that the rest made much sense either. Secondly, the author was always changing direction; from the back of the book, I thought it was a love triangle, not exactly. Ms. Stone shifted to and from that but never really settled on a solution to have the triangle. Next, the conversations were a joke; everybody just opens up to a stranger and tells them a whole story? Every conversation was so melodramatic too.

Now for the relationships... No love triangle, that's why I read the book, I thought it sounded interesting. Rafe and Brooke: he's 26, she's 17 when they meet, they spend 9 days together...they're in love? Ha! Not to mention it's very creepy. I can pretend that Brooke is a mature 17 but I don't think a relationship for 9 days would reckon they love each other, they don't even know each other well. I'm sorry but 9 years in between, especially when the younger is 17 is huge; it's not like when someone is 30 and the other is 39, it's a big difference. I also find it hard to believe that 12 years later, everyone is the same and feels the same, no one has really changed. Then from here, the rest of the book is played out in a week, and the last bit totals a month. Way too much for the time period.

I know I had many, many more problems with this story but I think I'll stop here because I gave the main ones. If I continued on I might give spoilers and I don't want to do that in case someone actually wants to read this book. I don't know if this story was supposed to be like a fable, but if it was, it was a dismal failure.

What Happened To This One!!!.......2003-01-20

I'm a great fan of KS, but this book was awful! Not only was it hard to follow, Brooke and Rafe were totally boring. Only when Peter and Lilly got together did it become even remotely interesting, and that was more than halfway through the book. And their relationship consisted mostly of phone conversations!
As passionate as Rafe was about horses and flowers, why didn't he ever get his own place with his own horses and flowers? In the real world, he would have been considered something of a gold digger, or moocher.
KS tends to use the same names for her characters in her books. Why?
If you're new to KS's work, don't start with this one! I only finished it in deference to this usually talented author.

My First Katherine Stone book.......2003-01-01

The prologe of the book lost me, I almost stopped reading all together but stuck with it. The rest flowed wonderfully and was a really great read. I will definatly be trying more of Ms. Stone's books

Good but not as wonderful as the rest.......2002-03-09

I have read all of Katherine Stone's books. They all took me away and were a very fast read. This one was not up to her usual standards. The first chapter lost me, but I prevailed and continued and eventually got into the book.I am someone who eagerly looks forward to the next Katherine Stone book but this one left me a bit lacking. I do want to comment that once it got going though it was easy and a fun read.

Star Light, Star Bright (The Starlight Trilogy, Book 2)

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Star Light, Star Bright (The Starlight Trilogy, Book 2)
Marian Wells
Manufacturer: Bethany House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Fiction | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0871238837

Book Description

Bringing history and fiction together in a powerful novel of one woman's search for truth, bestselling author Marian Wells continues Jenny's story with the sequel to THE WISHING STAR.

Jenny's search for truth and for power to control her own destiny continues even into her marriage to the young lawyer, Mark Cartwright. Her happiness and security with Mark are often shadowed by dark thoughts and frightening memories. The very beliefs which seemed to have brought them together are now pulling them apart -

Light and darkness, truth and falsehood, good and evil will Jenny discover the path to freedom?

Average customer rating:

Star Light,star Bright
Johnny Hart
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0449123650
Release Date: 1982-10-12

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B C Star Light Star Bright
Hart
Manufacturer: Coronet Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JGR97C

The Nashville Sound: Bright Lights and Country Music (Country Music Where It's Really at, The Stars, The Stories, The Down-Home Riffs)

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The Nashville Sound: Bright Lights and Country Music (Country Music Where It's Really at, The Stars, The Stories, The Down-Home Riffs)
Paul Hemphill
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books . New York
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000TFSLYS

Book Description

THE GRAMMAR OF CONDUCTING: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO BATON TECHNIQUE AND INTERPRETATION provides a comprehensive introduction to the techniques and practical concerns of leading an orchestra. The text proceeds from basic conducting patterns to sophisticated explorations of performance and rehearsal techniques.

Customer Reviews:

Great Conducting Book!.......2007-05-13

This is a great book for study conducting. A lot of examples and tips. And all the diagrams for all the rythtym music patterns.

Great and Simple.......2006-03-11

My conducting teacher said that this was the best book there is for learning how to conduct. I agree with him. The chapters are well organized and the language is simple.

Simply Not That Valuable.......2003-03-24

When I was a conducting student in the USA I was largely taught from this book. I found it simplistic then and still feel the same. It is not in the same league as something like Gunther Schuller's The Complete Conductor, Prausnitz' Score and Podium, or the more recent Morgenstern No Vivaldi in the Garage.

The BEST Conducting Text for Modern Conductors.......2001-12-08

This is the standard conducting text for major music schools in America (for example, I use it at the music school I attend). It's a fantastic book, with many elaborate and descriptive drawings to help the student along. There are hundreds of examples and exercises to help learn all the techniques and there are several additional sections on rehearsal, conducting opera, choir, and band, score preperation suggestions, notes on styles of certain composers and conductors, and sections about bowed string parts.

The most comprehensive conducting book ever, period........1999-10-21

If you ever wanted to know anything (repeated for emphasis: anything) about conducting, this is truly your book. Related somewhat to Leinsdorf's Composer's Advocate, this book contains every topic on conducting I was able to conceive of. Beat patterns, as well as orchestral exerpts, are given to the reader to illustrate many important tips that (I'm sure) the aspiring conductor will find quite useful. If you, in your wildest dreams, have ever even once contemplated conducting, you will want to sincerely consider this book.

Average customer rating:

A True American Pioneer

A first-person review of obstacles, achievements, challenges, and a rapidly-changing industry under transition to this day

We Changed the World: Memoirs of a CNN Global Satelite Pioneer
Sid Pike
Manufacturer: Paragon House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 1557788553

Book Description

CNN began a revolution in television with the advent of its 24-hour cable news channel out of Atlanta in 1980, challenging the three major television networks headquartered in New York that shaped the perception of current events by Americans. This revolution was to take the world by storm during the next decade as satellite and cable television provided an alternative, if not the only, source of information for people throughout the world.

With satellites over 22,400 feet above the earth's surface beaming their signal like sunshine to the earth, media and telecommunications monopolies and governments could no longer control the programming and flow of information in their countries. Each satellite receive dish that appeared, legally or illegally, created an appetite for more and more information about the rest of the world. Access to this information became necessary to compete economically with others. Within a decade, a flood of information became available to people throughout the world, and no leader of government would be without CNN. When Gorbachev and Reagan met in Iceland each had CNN to monitor the world.

This global information revolution led by CNN had something to do with the way governments changed or collapsed, the way the Berlin Wall fell, and even the reaction to globalization by Islamic terrorists that led to 9/11. Americans will forever document the change with images of Bernard Shaw broadcasting from under a bed in a Baghdad hotel during the Gulf War in 1991.

Sidney Pike's story is the most thorough chronicle of these changes that exists. As he met with media and government leaders around the world, trying to sell CNN programming, he faced the forces that stimulated the changes and those which offered resistance to them. Sidney Pike was a pioneer and evangelist for the global television channels and news services that are taken for granted today. This book should be read by all students of telecommunication and by anyone interested in the role the media played in globalization and democratization.

Customer Reviews:

A True American Pioneer.......2006-01-09

Ted Turner dreamed it. Sid Pike built it. The book's title, We Changed the World (Paragon House, 2005) -- is far from being immodest. The creation story of the CNN International satellite communications network evokes the American legends of stringing the intercontinental railway from sea to shining sea and the decade-long mission to land a man on the moon.

Sidney Pike apparently never heard of the words, "It can't be done," although there are certainly plenty of folk around shouting them in his ear. His task brings him to confront domestic and global communications bureaucracies and powerful political leaders around the world. Some suffer from such shortsightedness and ignorance that they cannot even comprehend the concept. Others comprehend it only too well, fearing the threat to their own vise-like grip on information. To accomplish the mission, he crisscrosses the globe many times, coming to feel that "home" is a Boeing 747. (He probably has enough Frequent Flyer miles to actually take up permanent residence in one.) From China to Bahrain, Argentina to Moscow, Iraq to Canada, Aruba to New Zealand, bit by bit, the International network grows, as Pike cajoles, explains, and hammers out agreements that inch the project forward. (The case of establishing the link in Guam is in itself a cheering vindication of the American yearning for the triumph of the underdog!)

In every case, Pike gives credit where it is due and pulls no punches about naming names where a hard punch in the nose is more appropriate ("Ted Turner is the worst deal maker I have ever known.") Even when the player is himself, Pike lays it down straight. On several occasions, his relation of a disagreement ends with "They fired me." His personal integrity and genuine belief in the value of this mission allow him to do no less. This sense of mission never intrudes into the narrative, but patently fuels the endeavor: a core belief in the power of free information exchange to ensure the viability of democracy. He's right, of course. For some portions of the world, the easy access to information that most of us take for granted is as dangerous to despotic power as an ICBM.

The saga is thrilling as a narrative alone, but sprinkled throughout are fascinating insights into the workings of the global communications industry, the inner wrangles of Ted Turner's corporate empire, and the arcana of trying to establish a new mindset for a twenty-first century world. Beyond that, it is both inspiration and proof-positive that "it" can, indeed, be done.
-- B. S. Horton, Ph.D., Technology Advocate. 2005.

A first-person review of obstacles, achievements, challenges, and a rapidly-changing industry under transition to this day.......2006-01-03

The introduction of CNN's 24-hour cable news channel in 1980 changed the world of television, with satellite and cable providing a strong competitive alternative to tradition TV - and author Sidney pike was in the middle of the revolution, here explored in his We Changed The World: Memoirs Of A CNN Satellite Pioneer. Pike met with media and government leaders around the world trying to sell CNN programming, and was an early pioneer for the global television channels we know today. His memoir provides a first-person review of obstacles, achievements, challenges, and a rapidly-changing industry under transition to this day.

Book Description

Cisco authorized self-study book for CCSP 642-521 foundation learning

Gain proficiency with new features of PIX Firewall version 6.3, including OSPF, 802.1Q VLANs, NAT-T, and more
Learn the ins and outs of the PIX product family and its complete feature set
Use the PIX Device Manager (PDM) 3.0 to configure and manage the PIX Firewall
Use advanced techniques to control traffic on your network using ACLs (access control lists), content filtering, and object groups
Improve security using PIX Firewall attack guards, intrusion detection, and shunning features
Learn about techniques and security considerations for configuring OSPF on PIX Firewall version 6.3
Configure scalable site-to-site and client remote access VPNs using the PIX Firewall version 6.3
Configure high-availability solutions using stateful and LAN-based failover techniques
Use logical interfaces and 802.1Q trunks to scale your PIX Firewall implementation
Configure the PIX Firewall Services Module (FWSM)

The use of firewalls-devices residing at the network perimeter to protect against intrusion-is an essential building block to even the most basic security program. Cisco Systems has continued the support and development of the PIX OS to provide networks top-notch security while maintaining compatibility with the latest standards and protocols. Now offered in many models, the PIX Firewall is perfectly suited to meet the requirements of small offices (501 model), medium to large businesses (506E, 515E, and 525 models), and large enterprise and service provider customers (525 and 535 models and the Firewall Services Module). CCSP Self-Study: Cisco Secure PIX Firewall Advanced (CSPFA), Second Edition, offers in-depth configuration and deployment information for this popular and versatile firewall solution.

CCSP Self-Study: Cisco Secure PIX Firewall Advanced (CSPFA), Second Edition, teaches you the skills needed to configure and operate the PIX Firewall product family. Chapter overviews bring you quickly up to speed and help you get to work right away. Lab exercises and scenario-based solutions allow you to adapt configurations to your network for rapid implementation, helping you make the most of your PIX Firewall. Chapter-ending review questions test your knowledge. PIX Device Manager (PDM) configuration procedures are presented to complement extensive coverage of traditional CLI commands.

Whether you are looking for a reference guide on working with the various PIX Firewall models or seeking a study tool for the CSPFA 642-521 exam, CCSP Self-Study: Cisco Secure PIX Firewall Advanced (CSPFA), Second Edition, supports your effective use of the PIX Firewall.

CCSP Self-Study: Cisco Secure PIX Firewall Advanced (CSPFA), Second Edition, is part of a recommended learning path from Cisco Systems that can include simulation and hands-on training from authorized Cisco Learning Partners and self-study products from Cisco Press. To find out more about instructor-led training, e-learning, and hands-on instruction offered by authorized Cisco Learning Partners worldwide, please visit www.cisco.com/go/authorizedtraining.

This volume is in the Certification Self-Study Series offered by Cisco Press. Books in this series provide officially developed training solutions to help networking professionals understand technology implementations and prepare for the Cisco Career Certifications examinations.

Customer Reviews:

The Labs don't work!.......2005-11-12

I purchased this book to prepare Cisco's 642-521 certification exam on the PIX firewall. There is alot of useful information and the book is pretty thorough. However, I got a couple of PIX's and tried to go through all the labs which follow the chapters. Not everything is covered. Chapter 10 on Routing has no labs at all. Almost no lab works as written. Mostly there are small errors like using a hostname which has not been mapped to an IP address. Some are pretty extreme. For example, the labs in Chapter 16 try to connect servers on remote lans without setting up either routing or NAT. The also do nothing to allow the IPsec traffic through the firewall. There is an access list created for NAT in step 2 but it is never applied to anything. Missing from the solution are the statements:

nat (inside) 0 access-list nonat
sysopt connection permit-ipsec
route outside 10.0.2.0 255.255.255.0 192.168.2.1

It works once you add these commands, but they are also missing from the errata on the ciscopress web site. That includes several pages of corrections to the text without any corrections to the labs.

If the labs had worked, I would have given it five stars, but since they don't, it only gets three. This seems to be a common problem with Cisco Press. The extreme worst case is CCNP Practical Studies: Routing. That is a whole book of just routing labs but again, hardly any work as written.

CCSP SELF-STUDY: Cisco Secure PIX Firewall Advanced.......2004-03-11

Overall, this is a very good intermediate level text on Cisco firewalls. It is not for the beginning networker. Having an understanding of topics such as VLANS, access lists, NAT, PAT, and routing protocols is a prerequisite, if one wants to utilize the text to its fullest potential. With this understanding, this book becomes a powerful reference on setting up a Cisco PIX firewall. It walks one through the necessary steps of configuring a firewall in various different networking environments. The scenarios provided in the text can be adapted for most small to medium-sized networks. As one continues reading, the level and depth of material gets progressively more difficult. This increased difficulty may appeal to the advanced networker. Topics in this category include VPNs, attack guards, and enterprise management will not make sense to the novice, but add value and depth to the text.

Simply put, this book is a good reference and study aide on the topic of PIX firewalls. It is worth reading, if you are interested in learning basic topics or even some advanced ones. What you get from this book totally depends on the amount of time and work you put into reading and/or studying the text. This book will remain on my shelf as a valuable reference as I could not find much to fault.

Good Reference.......2004-02-18

I grabbed the book as I got in to a project where I needed to configure Failover PIX system. Given no prior experience with PIX, this book was very handy. However, I still had to consult Cisco website for useful and up-to-date information for PPTP, MPPE, etc.

CCSP Cisco Secure PIX Firewall Advanced Exam Certification Guide (CCSP Self-Study) (2nd Edition) (CCSP Self-study)

Average customer rating:

This book was worthless...
Fair at best, very poor practice exam
Don't waste your time
Incomplete and Replete with Errors
Fair Reference... Poor Study Guide

CCSP Cisco Secure PIX Firewall Advanced Exam Certification Guide (CCSP Self-Study) (2nd Edition) (CCSP Self-study)
Greg Bastien , Christian Degu , and Earl Carter
Manufacturer: Cisco Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1587201232

Amazon.com

It's a tough market these days for network consultants, but the one commodity there's lots of is fear. There's loads of stuff to be scared of. Which means that canny network experts can get some work by offering to protect computer networks from unauthorized access. It's best to earn a certification before you go touting yourself for work, though. Cisco Systems' Cisco Secure PIX Firewall Advanced (CSPFA) rating is a good vendor-specific one, and is sure to help get you in the door for security work at places with lots of Cisco equipment. CCSP Cisco Secure PIX Firewall Advanced Exam Certification Guide brings you up to speed on the PIX firewall line, with emphasis on the coverage of the CSPFA exam.

Like the other books in the Cisco Press certification line, this one reads like an instructor's lecture, albeit frequently supplemented by reference material (command documentation, for example). The authors begin with material that should be familiar to a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) or anyone else with basic network grounding, and build from there into the more specialized areas of VPNs, NAT, and access-control lists as they pertain to PIX environments. As always, you'll learn more if you have a testbed PIX firewall on which to try the procedures that appear in the text (the companion CD-ROM holds no simulator, only a quiz program), but this book gives test candidate a great base from which to work. --David Wall

Topics covered: The stated objectives of the two CSPFA exams, one of which candidates must pass in order to earn the Cisco Secure PIX Firewall Advanced (CSPFA) certification. The two exams are 9E0-111 (soon to be retired) and 642-521. Coverage includes PIX firewall installation and configuration, as well as techniques for adding such services as remote access management, virtual private networks (VPNs), network address translation (NAT, and accounting features.

Book Description

Official self-study test preparation guide for the Cisco CSPFA 642-521 exam

Coverage of the CSPFA topics enables you to fill your knowledge gaps before the exam date. You'll learn about:

The comprehensive line of Cisco PIX Firewall products and the technology and features central to each one
Transport protocols, Network Address Translation (NAT), and Port Address Translation (PAT)
Reporting, tool use, and administration using Firewall MC
Using access control lists and URL filtering
Attack guards and intrusion detection
Cisco Firewall Services Module (FWSM) deployment and configuration
Concepts and configurations that support failovers
Enabling a secure virtual private network (VPN)
Using Cisco PIX Device Manager to configure a firewall and create VPNs

Becoming a CCSP distinguishes you as part of an exclusive group of experts, ready to take on today's most challenging security tasks. Administration of the Cisco PIX Firewall is a difficult and complex task, critical for protecting a network. Whether you are seeking a PIX-focused certification or the full-fledged CCSP certification, learning what you need to know to pass the Cisco Secure PIX Firewall Advanced (CSPFA) exam will qualify you to keep your company's network safe while meeting business needs.

Each chapter of the CCSP Cisco Secure PIX Firewall Advanced Exam Certification Guide, Second Edition, tests your knowledge of the exam subjects through features such as quizzes, sections that detail exam topics to master, and summary sections that highlight essential subjects for quick reference and review. Because experienced IT professionals agree that the most demanding portion of their jobs is troubleshooting, the final section of this book includes scenarios dedicated to troubleshooting Cisco PIX Firewall configuration. This includes a description of the problem, a portion of the system configuration, debug output, and suggestions to help you resolve the issue. The companion CD-ROM's customizable testing engine enables you to take practice exams that mimic the real testing environment, focus on particular topic areas, randomize answers for reusability, track your progress, and refer to the electronic text for review.

CCSP Cisco Secure PIX Firewall Advanced Exam Certification Guide, Second Edition, is part of a recommended learning path from Cisco Systems that includes simulation and hands-on training from authorized Cisco Learning Partners and self-study products from Cisco Press. To find out more about instructor-led training, e-learning, and hands-on instruction offered by authorized Cisco Learning Partners worldwide, please visit www.cisco.com/go/authorizedtraining.

Companion CD-ROM
This companion CD-ROM contains a test bank with more than 100 practice exam questions unique to this book.

CD-ROM test engine powered by www.boson.com. Boson Software is a Cisco Learning Partner.

This volume is part of the Exam Certification Guide Series from Cisco Press. Books in this series provide officially developed exam preparation materials that offer assessment, review, and practice to help Cisco Career Certification candidates identify weaknesses, concentrate their study efforts, and enhance their confidence as exam day nears.

Customer Reviews:

This book was worthless..........2005-04-21

Just took the exam and passed - barely. If I hadn't taken the actual Cisco training class I would have failed and this book would have been the prime reason. The exam was MUCH more in depth on a NUMBER of areas that the book did not even being to go deeper then about a paragraph into, if at all. This book was poorly written, difficult to use, the examples were horrible and it CERTAINLY WAS NO USE FOR EXAM PREP - DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK.

The Pix FOS is already pretty unfriendly (compared to IOS) and a book that didn't just show you the help output and then break the option into tables (which looked lifted from CCO) would have been a big help - you know, something with actual explanations of how things are configured an such. This book was nowhere near this and a real disappointment, especially since it's a "Cisco Press" book. What the book turned out to be is was a hack job that was poorly put together, inaccurate, and useless for exam prep - which is horrible since it is marketed as a CCSP "self study guide." There were even examples that were wrong within the book.

BEWARE.

-Calvin

Fair at best, very poor practice exam.......2004-04-12

The study guide is only moderately valuable, and sometimes confusing. Worse, the practice exam is sometimes blatantly incorrect.

Example: What kind of protocol is easiest to spoof?
Possible answers: UDP, TCP, ICMP, All protocols, or DNS
The "correct" answer is "TCP is the more difficult to spoof..."

I've found a few other errors, making the practice test virtually useless. In the example, the given answer is correct for a different question. In some cases, the answer is actually wrong for the question.

I'm disappointed that an "official" study guide from Cisco Press has so many issues.

Don't waste your time.......2004-03-05

I can't add much to the comments already posted here, except to support the view that this book is a waste of time and money. It will NOT help you pass the exam. Even if it covered all the material (in my estimation, it omits ~20% of the required curriculum), it still simply copies or paraphrases the (free) Cisco Configuration and Command Reference guides.

At best it's a waste of money, at worst it will give you a false sense of what is required for the exam.

Incomplete and Replete with Errors.......2004-02-17

The previous reviewer's comment that it's better than nothing is pretty accurate. The book is not organized with the exam objectives in mind, and it appears to have undergone no quality control checks whatsoever. To call some of these mistakes typographical errors is graciously optimistic.

Even the accompanying practice exam was flawed. About 10 minutes into it I got a question whose "correct" answer logically contradicted the parameters of question itself. I'll never know how good or bad the remainder of the exam was, because I immediately uninstalled the program in disgust.

My biggest complaint, however, is that too much material covered on the exam is missing from the book. Sure, the book will get you throught he basics of setting up a PIX firewall, but topics such as the Firewall Services Module, the CiscoWorks Firewall Management Console, and the Auto Update Server are conspicuously absent. And these topics were prevalent on the exam.

With that said, I did pass the exam on the first attempt. But it was thanks to some of the other practice exams and source materials that I was able to make up for the deficiencies and errors in this book. Had I taken this book as gospel, I have no doubt that I would have failed.

I need these study guide books to get me through the CCSP certification, but I am certainly going to avoid anything else by these two authors if possible. Frankly, I'm not sure they understand how some of these technologies (e.g., VPN protocols) really work. They certainly haven't explained them well to me.

Fair Reference... Poor Study Guide.......2004-01-19

CCSP Cisco Secure PIX Firewall Advanced - Exam Certification Guide by: Greg Bastien and Christian Abera Degu is a good source for anyone that is interested in setting up and configuring a Cisco PIX. I found page after page of useful information without all the unnecessary filler introduced by other authors.

If you have no experience with a Cisco PIX this book is a good start. It can help you select the proper model for your needs. Each model has different features that may or may not be important to your use. The differences are outline in a model by model summary followed by a complete comparison chart of the all the models.

Once you select your model you will need the basics to get going. The authors do a great job of covering the commands that you will need to get started. Examples highlight the usage, which helps when there are multiple arguments available for a single command.

As you progress through the book the subject matter increases in complexity, but the authors keep you informed. Cicso has built in the power to their operating system, but unleashing that power needs some explaining. The advanced commands are helpful since there are times when difficult configurations push us to the test. Having the insight to the power and proper use of certain commands and configurations help us overcome these obstacles.

I was impressed with the scenarios provided in the end. I like the way that the authors challenged me with their configurations and tested my skill and understanding. Their explanations have helped me to reconsider and change my configuration and setup to provide for a more secure network, which is something that we all need these days.

On the book's negative side I found quite a few errors in spelling and grammar. It seems to have been poorly proofread. I found the word "network" spelled "netowrk." How does that get by? My spellchecker corrected it for me, but somehow this made it passed the spellchecker used by the authors and was not caught by the proofreaders.

There are a few sections where I found some copy and paste errors. For example in the section regarding the Cisco 520, the body text reads "Cisco 515" in error. This leads to some confusion if you are not alert. It could easily lead you to believe the Cisco 515 can function the same as a Cisco 520, which is not always the case.

Another annoyance is the fact that some of the figures in the book do not use the same IP scheme as what is written in the text. It is as if the scenario or configuration was written and the figure was not updated to correspond, or vise versa. This makes it a little hard to follow along. I found it easier to correct the figure with a pen then to change the text.

Overall I feel that the book is a good reference guide, but does not make the cut for a study guide. There are too many errors that are distractions while studying. I should not need to hold a pen in my hand as I read along to make corrections. That is the job of proofreading.

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