Customer Reviews

The Internet Revolution: The Not-for-Dummies Guide to the History, Technology, and Use of the Internet

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The tongue in cheek subtitle of the book, "the not for dummies guide ..." is actually quite accurate- this is a book for smart people who want to understand the ins and outs of the internet in a sophisticated and thorough manner. That being said, it is extremely accessible to any reader, no matter what their previous level of computer knowledge. This book provides the history of the internet along with descriptions of how it actually functions. Likewise, this history probes questions about communication - its design, its future, and how the internet has revolutionized human communication on a global level. I find these questions fascinating, and this book provided me the history and technological explanations to explore them more deeply. People in the computer technology industry will find this book invaluable - it's a must read for technology students and professionals. Lay people, merely interested in knowing more about a technology they use every day, will find the book equally illuminating.
-Jessica Teel

The long subtitle is of course a jibe at the Dummies [and Idiots] books. Okin offers a more indepth explanation of what the Internet is, and how it grew. At a level very accessible to the general reader.

He traces its development from the ARPANET and the early days. When email was the first "killer app". Though the term is an ananchronism, and would not be invented till over 20 years after email. Email catalysed the first growth of the Internet, helping it spread to many universities and a few computer companies.

Okin then explains how, and still very recently, in 1991-2, the development of HTML and HTTP and the writing of the first browsers became the second killer app. This gave rise to the World Wide Web and the exposure of the Internet to a mass audience.

He offers a technically accurate and readable narrative of a still growing Internet.

My daughter approached me recently needing help with her computer homework. She was stumped by the teacher's question, what is the difference between the internet and the world wide web? Neither of us knew the answer, but fortunately I had a copy of The Internet Revolution. We both looked up this question in the book, and found out that there was so much to learn about the internet, communication, and how this system we use every single day actually works. I highly recommend it for parents, teachers, and students (college and high school). Written in a straightforward and well organized fashion, The Internet Revolution is a valuable tool to have on your bookshelf. If there's one technology to learn about, it should be the internet - we use it constantly! If there's one book to buy to understand the internet, it is definitely the Internet Revolution Not For Dummies Guide.

The Internet Revolution: The Not-For-Dummies Guide to the History, Technology, and Use of the Internet is both a modern history lesson and a practical how-to guide combined into one exciting exploration of the technological marvel of the Internet. Chapters address how the network was created, etiquette on the net and common jargon, the basics of email, internet mechanics such as packet switching and protocols, and much more. A fascinating tour ideal for closely familiarizing oneself with the digital institution continues to transform the modern world.

Of the three books I've read on the history and development of the Internet, this one is the best. It covers not only the history, but focuses on explaining the I'net protocols and their evolution more than the other books. To really understand the I'net and how it works, you simply must have a grasp of the protocols, and this book does a good job making sense of it all without going over a "Not for Dummies" head.

Good job, Mr. Okin.

Very good book about the Internet's origins and factors, technical and non technical, that helped its evolution.

I strongly recommend it.