Designing Systems for Internet Commerce (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

by G. Winfield Treese (Author), Lawrence C. Stewart (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Read the entire review of this book.

Designing Systems for Internet Commerce is the first book I've seen that goes in the opposite direction, relying almost exclusively on bulleted lists to walk the reader through the elements of designing and implementing an electronic commerce system. I have mixed feelings about this approach. On the one hand, if the reader is using the book as a reference and doesn't care about its cover-to-cover readability, Designing Systems for Internet Commerce is packed with useful information in a compact, easily digested format. For the reader in search of a book with something akin to a traditional narrative structure, however, the constant flow of high-density information can be a real turn-off. I brought the latter viewpoint to my examination and came away flat, which is reflected in the below average "readability" score at the end of this review. -- Curtis D. Frye, Dr. Dobb's Journal -- Dr. Dobb's Journal --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
A guide to the business and technical considerations of building systems for pursuing commerce on the Internet. Discusses such aspects as consumer retail, business to business, and information commerce business models, privacy versus merchandising. Softcover. Previous edition c1998.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional; 2 edition (October 12, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201760355
• ISBN-13: 978-0201760354
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #846,015 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Architecture is the central theme, May 21, 1999

By	Michael Darmody ([e-mail]) (San Diego, California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Designing Systems for Internet Commerce (Paperback)

The book is geared for IT professionals. This still is the only book that views Internet solutions in a decomposable architectural perspective. It contains a good chapter on the value chain, payment systems and transaction processing. The graphics are clear and reusable. It had a little too much overview material on related topics and not enough alternatives to the authors' company solutions. Great book for budding technical architects. More books are needed that address lessons learned from real architects. This fills that gap.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars 10% useful content, 90% filler, April 1, 2002

By	C. Mitzel (Schaumburg, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Designing Systems for Internet Commerce (Paperback)

This book feels to me like the authors came from a teaching background, had a few original ideas about how to cover certain broad topics in their own personal way, and then went overboard saying the same things over and over again as if paid by the word.

I had to buy this book because it was required for a class at Regis University Online. I would have preferred to choose my own book. I started reading diligently and eventually came to the conclusion that the book was a waste of time. Even if the blithering was taken out and the useful information condensed, the book still wouldn't be saying very much.

Here's an example from chapter 5, "Conflicting Goals and Requirements." The reader expects to learn how to balance the two. Instead, we get this (this is the chapter summary):

"Whenever different participants in a system have different goals and requirements, there is a potential for conflict. This is particularly true in a new industry like Internet commerce, where there are few established standards. Our advice is to build a list of the participants in your system, and to be very clear about their goals, interests, and agendas. Understanding the participants, their goals, and their interests is very important in framing both the business problem and the technical challenges to be overcome."

...huh? No answers, just laborious advice telling you to be aware of the problem. I would expect this sort of thing from a nerdy friend that thinks he knows what he's talking about and just likes to hear himself talk. Or from a business meeting where people like to make lists but don't have a clue about what to do about the issues at hand.

If you really, truly don't have a clue about Internet commerce, and want to read 350 pages of monotony and still not have a clue, this book may be of interest to you. But if you're intelligent enough to be reading reviews first, you know enough to look elsewhere.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Too much philosophy, not enough content, January 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Designing Systems for Internet Commerce (Paperback)

The authors are clearly qualified and knowledgeable, but the book suffers from being a dry and largely superficial overview of almost every concept related to computers, IP networking, telecommunication and e-commerce. Little space is devoted to real-world examples, illustrations of products and promise of specific technologies in e-commerce.

The book is probably written to those who need a some "corridor competence" to talk about these matters, but there's little technical "meat" to be found here.