Vintage clothing has never been more chic, with everyone from celebrity trendsetters to style-conscious professionals searching for wearable treasures from the past. Virtual Vintage is the first and only guide that helps both the novice and the fashion connoisseur evaluate and confidently participate in the thriving vintage marketplace that exists online. No other book explains how to get it, sell it, fix it, or wear it with flair. Authors Linda Lindroth and Deborah Newell Tornello equip readers from head to toe with

• more than 100 chic sites—rated and evaluated
• instructions on contacting sellers
• smart strategies for bidding in online auctions
• advice about evaluating the size, quality, and colors of a garment
• tips for cleaning and repairing vintage items

Whether you’re looking for a 1960s Rudi Gernreich knit, Gucci hipster trousers, a Claire McCardell for Townley shirtwaist, or a Chanel suit in pink wool with black patent-leather trim, Virtual Vintage will help you build a unique and sensational wardrobe.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars The Best of ANY Book of Its Kind!!
A WONDERFULLY fun book — to read, to refer to, to give as a gift to alll your girlfriends! Endless information, up-to-date resources, very knowledgeable and savvy and the only book you need about vintage on the net. I hope it gets a new edition every other year or — knowing the net — EVERY year; I’ll keep every edition, because none will ever be obsolete. These authors know their audience, know their subject, know their territory. A book you’ll read again and again and never, ever, finish. :->

5 Stars The Best On-Line Fashion Guide
Usually I don’t “read” antique guide books, but a couple of pages into this one and I was hooked. In Virtual Vintage you’ll find common sense tips on buying and selling vintage on-line, the A to Z of navigating eBay (I learned several new tricks) and lots of design and fashion tips. The book presents useful info including international size conversion charts, how to remove stains from clothing and must-see Hollywood films for clothes lovers. It was so well done I wanted to learn more about Virtual Vintage’s two women authors and how they came to write this surprisingly literary guide book.

Virtual Vintage has a section that rates many of the dot com vintage sites for content, ease of use and return policies. Virtual Vintage is considerably more user friendly than most other antique/collectible guide books that I’ve seen… I am also fond of the book because it gave my vintage site a great review! I will certainly recommend this book to my web customers.

5 Stars One of the best of its kind
Virtual Vintage stands out from most other books on the vintage-resale-thrifting topic — even though it is geared to the online market. First, the writing is both excellent and entertaining; I found the book hard to put down.

Additionally, the authors also offer some good tips — laced throughout the text — on HOW TO WEAR some of this old stuff. As much as I love vintage fashion, and have collected it for several years, I am often at a loss as to how to WEAR some of the pieces, or how to incorporate my vintage “finds” into my real-life wardrobe. So far, few books actually address this issue, and tend to focus instead on buying, selling or simply “collecting” vintage fashion.

This book is thorough and carefully put together — like a great outfit. I hope the authors write more on this topic, and maybe put together a how-to guide to vintage fashion.

Kudos!

5 Stars Informative for all levels of Vintage Buyers & Enjoyable
Virtual Vintage covers the world of online vintage fashion. If you are new to buying and selling vintage fashion online, its a great place to start. If you are not new, it still had plenty of tips that I didn’t think about before.

The book is much more than online vintage fashions. It also goes into detail about what to look for from different designers, periods, etc. It has chapters on how to repair and care for your vintage fashions. The back of the book includes a directory (with summary) of online retailers to check out.

I found this book easy and enjoyable to read cover to cover rather than just as a reference. The authors write in an informative yet enertaining way.

The only negative thing I would have to say is; when will there be an updated version??? Some of the online sites and eBay information is dated, as is to be expected in a virtual world.

5 Stars Excellent book. A must-have.
Hello:

I have been collecting vintage jewelry and clothing for many years and now intend to start an online business.

I found this book very useful. It has plenty information about how to buy and sell vintage clothing and accessories online, many tips and advice on how to list items in eBay and other auction sites plus a directory of web sites which sell this kind of stuff, rated by the quality of pages and prices. In chapter “Heroes” the authors list some of the best sellers they have found in the web and comments about them.

Another enjoyable chapter lists the movies that all vintage fashion afficionados should watch.

Written in a very friendly style, this book is a great source of information. Highly recommended to all those persons who intend to start a vintage clothing online business.

Renée

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A fascinating, research-based look at the impact of social media on businesses and consumers around the world, and what’s in store for the future

Social Media. You’ve heard the term, even if you don’t use the tools. But just how big has social media become? Social media has officially surpassed pornography as the top activity on the Internet. People would rather give up their e-mail than their social network. It is so powerful that it is causing a macro shift in the way we live and conduct business.

Brands can now be strengthened or destroyed by the use of social media. Online networking sites are being used as giant, free focus groups. Advertising is less effective at influencing consumers than the opinions of their peers. If you aren’t using social media in your business strategy, you are already behind your competition.

• Explores how the concept of “Socialnomics” is changing the way businesses produce, market, and sell, eliminating inefficient marketing and middlemen, and making products easier and cheaper for consumers to obtain
• Learn how successful businesses are connecting with consumers like never before via Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and other social media sites
• A must-read for anyone wanting to learn about, and harness the power of social media, rather than be squashed by it
• Author Erik Qualman is a former online marketer for several Top 100 brands and the current Global Vice President of Online Marketing for the world’s largest private education firm

Socialnomics is essential book for anyone who wants to understand the implications of social media, and how businesses can tap the power of social media to increase their sales, cut their marketing costs, and reach consumers directly.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Socialnomics Exoses The DNA of Social Marketing
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3BQ0JKTUVWMG3 My name is Troy Dooly, and over the last few months I have used Erik’s book Socialnomics to help drive my online footprint to one of most influencial in my niche market.

I share a little on my video above.

Living An Epic Adventure,

Troy Dooly

5 Stars A Must Read for Business Owners and Marketers
Facebook and Twitter are both big right now and it appears they’re only going to get bigger. With their growth, the overall reach of social media could cause a shift in how businesses market their products and services over the internet. The reach for the top spot on Google may soon be replaced by having as many fans or friends (or followers if we’re talking about Twitter) as possible. As an example, having a testominial on your Facebook fan page might mean way more then having a testimonial page on your website. This shift is one of the primary subjects covered in the book Socialnomics: How social media transforms the way we live and do business. In the book, Erik Qualman (a fellow Spartan) provides examples and case studies into why you want to jump on the social media band wagon.

Nornally I tell you my thoughts after I run down the book but this was such a great read that I might as well get to the point. I’m highlighting five books on my website that I consider required reading for any business owner. Some of these are older books (with one yet to come that was written in the early 1900s). Not all of the books have to do with marketing as much as developing a mind set for owning and operating a business. This book probably doesn’t belong with those five but it’s definitely one of the top five marketing books I’ve read (which is something for another series). If you’re a business owner right now and you want some ideas on taking your business to the next level, this book is a must read.

Here’s what you get. We start out with several answers to some very important questions. Why is there social media? Why has it gotten so big? Another underlying premise of the book is that surfing the web is going to be a thing of the past. With social media, everything is going to find you, whether it’s news, what your friends are doing or updates from the company’s related to the products you buy.

He also discusses the downfalls of social media, namely that you have to be careful what you put up on your Facebook page. Likewise, if you’re business owner, you have to be very careful about what you do or your shortcomings could go viral in the blink of an eye. It also highlights how people will now go to their friends on Facebook to get advice on making a buying decision before (or even if they do it at all) they go to google to read reviews by random people.

One of the longest case studies is a look into how President Barack Obama used social media to help win not only the presidential election but the democratic nomination over Hillary Clinton. There are also several case studies through out the book from how ESPN is getting their advertiser’s messages across on their radio shows to how television networks are adjusting to how people watch their shows (on the computer versus on the television).

The book then wraps everything up with how things might look in the future. The general message is that company’s need to adapt or see their revenues shrink. Interruption marketing could become a thing of the past and social media is here and it’s here to stay at least for a while. The sooner you can jump on the train, the better of you’ll be.

Another cool thing about the book is at the end of each chapter, there’s a summary of all of the key points. It’s great to have that so you can go back and find something you wanted to go back and read (or if you need to find something to help you write your book review). Overall, I give the book a ten (out of ten) rating and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to further their marketing efforts.

5 Stars Top Notch Book on Social Media!
Socialnomics was a great read and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to understand the basics and intricate aspects of Social Media. The stats and real life examples are what really made the book interesting to me. Thanks for the great book Erik!

5 Stars Social media changed everything
The gist of this book is that, thanks to social media and the new ways in which we use the internet, even the basic web2.0 theory goes out the window. It’s beyond consuming and producing media, it’s about community centered around those goals.

If you’re trying to make it in this brave new internet world, this is a must-read

5 Stars Must read
Whether you are new or a professed expert in social media this book is a must read. Qualman uses data and case studies to showcase how to effectively “win” today in social media. The other item that is different than other social media books is that he looks also at the long term impact of social media for business and individuals. He also uses humorous analogies for some more complex issues to make a lasting point.

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The search engine for success.

Using the Internet to increase the visibility of a small business today is no easy task. It can take a lot of time, energy, and money—especially if you’re not a computer expert. Here, readers can get a valuable overview of how search engines, web sites, ad services, and web logs can all work together to build a business, as well as practical hands-on tips, tricks, and planning tools to help readers create and execute a plan that utilizes the Internet to its fullest.

• Google‚ is widely recognized as the world’s largest search engine—an easy-to- use free service that usually returns relevant results in a fraction of a second

• Author holds an MBA and has started and run several small businesses in addition to being a well-known technology book author

• Perfect for the entrepreneur and small business market

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars One of the best investments I’ve ever made!
I thought I knew a lot about designing an optimal website, using Google AdWords and online marketing. Then I picked up this book, and learned how much more I could be doing, and how many mistakes I had made. There are at least a half-dozen great ideas that can be implemented quickly and at little or not cost to improve your site’s placement on search engines, and to attract more relevant AdWord clicks.

4 Stars Not Bad Overall
While normally I go for books aimed at experts (i.e the ones that are 400+ pages and dry as a salt sandwich), this book had received enough positive reviews that I gave it a shot. I was not disappointed.

For someone with my background (experienced software guru and web designer, with a moderate amount of Google know-how), I was still able to gain some valuable insight. So you’re not surprised, this book is as much Marketing 101, as it is about Google (particularly the first half of the book). But it’s needed to give the book a solid grounding from which to make its Google-related recommendations.

The bottom line though, hasn’t changed from prior years: if you do the right thing and make your site rich in useful content, relative to its general audience and subject, you’re going to do well with Google. If it’s only moderately relevant or lacking in information “density” (the amount IOW), all the tricks in the world won’t make your page rank any better. First, make sure you’re really delivering the goods (the information your customers want and need and not a bunch of link farms, fluff, etc), *then* make sure your meta-tags, document names, document structure, Ad Words, and all the rest, are Google-savvy. The latter without the former, is useless. To the author’s credit, he emphasizes this in several chapters.

Overall, I felt like there was a little too much “Freshman Marketing” and some of it was rehashed unnecessarily IMO (though someone with minimal marketing background would probably find it useful). I think the first 70 pages could probably be distilled down to about 40 or 50, but who’s counting?

Recommended for anyone getting start with a business web site or who wants to make their existing site better.

5 Stars Wow! Is this complete
I have opted into online courses and even have an MBA where I studied E Business. This is by far the most complete, helpful and timely guide I have seen to succeed with an internet business. It is rare that I read a “How To” cover to cover, but this is an exception. It is certainly the first time I have had my highlighter out since Grad school. If you want to succeed in an ebusiness, this is the way to get started!!

5 Stars Keep this one next to your computer!
I definitely recommend this book. This was a very readable and approachable book. I consider myself a “non-techie / non-programmer” kind of person, but found Dave’s examples and explanations to be very straight-forward and understandable. Now, for the implementation of all this great information!!

5 Stars Should be titled “Learn how to do SEO correctly!”
Before this book I read many articles online on SEO, and it all seemed muddled, confusing, and contradictory. However, I received a college level education on SEO that made sense. Every one that builds websites must have this book on their shelf! Every college web design program should feature this book in at least one class.

My book is well marked up, and then as I read I wrote rewrote all the important data in a notebook so I could pound it into my head.

Great Book…mandatory reading!

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How can a small business owner best position their business to be found on the Internet? By using local search marketing. Google, Yahoo and Bing all allow a business to list their unique information. Business owners who know how to complete and optimize these local business listings will see their search engine positions improve dramatically. Using Local Search Secrets Exposed you will be able to; claim your local business listing, create a local business listing optimized for “findability”, use reviews to help maintain and boost your ranking in the search engines, include photos and videos in your listing and incorporate your brand identity improve visibility. Today’s marketplace is so crowded you have to stand out from the pack. A successful business today requires a real web presence. If your customers can’t find you on the web, how can they be expected to find you on the street? You CAN be the leader of the pack following the simple steps in this book.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Straigtforward, practical, fill-in-the-blanks book
Local Search (I now know) is not rocket science. It’s just a matter of taking a series of steps so that your website appears in Local Search Results, which is that list of businesses and their locations that often appears at the top of search results. This book walks you through each step necessary. Screenshots are a bit grainy I thought, but the textual instructions were enough for me to follow the steps without a bother. Full disclosure: I know Richard Geasey through business contacts. If the potential customer base for your website is within driving distance, then this handy little book on Local Search is exactly what you need.

5 Stars Great book!
I bought this book to find out more information on how to do local search marketing. I found the content very easy to understand even for the non-technical people. I sent a couple of emails to Rich (one of the authors) and asked for his advice based on my personal situation, and I got replies within a day. I would recommend this book to whose who are thinking about doing local search marketing!

5 Stars Up To Date and very Informative
If your a small business looking to promote online this book is essential. Very easy to read and full tutorials on how to rank high in local search.

5 Stars brilliant concise “head shot” - formal review to follow, but this is the quickie
Okay - 58 minutes cover to cover with 4 pages of notes of great points and tips. Okay I read fast, but I think most should be able to read, absorb in 4 hours. My initial estimate is this book will save the average do it yourself (DIY) small business owner/marketer about 60 hours of research at the library ( I have done this without Shannon’s book) and they are in my Google library. This is a value of $3000 if the person brings $50per hour they spend on their business selling, managing, etc. I suspect they will be able to implement the sample walk thru’s in 8 hours and see results in 24-72 hours. So for a similar investment of $50 per hour, they will spend $400 in results bearing work and if they get 1 new sale per week with a net sale profit of $50, they break even in 2 months for their time, 1 more week for the book and miles ahead in profit by the end of one year. Net, net, net is no need to invest in $3000 of research, use $400 of DIY time to get $2500 back in a year minus the book and DIY time, net $2050. Yes, I like numbers that involve time and money. I will be posting a “Book review” on my site and blog by weekend, so you can see my references and why this book is such a brilliant concise “head shot” for the DIY Small business and pros of the IT community that do this day in and day out.

[...]

5 Stars Every Small Business in America Needs This Book
This book is for every small business that doesn’t have the money to hire a web/seo company or the time to learn by trial and error. I have been studying web development for about 4 years. There are even some new ideas for people like me. I would have been so much farther ahead of my competitors if I had read this book back when I started. I am going to be recommending this book to all my clients and friends who ask me about help with their websites. It’s a great resource.

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User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Good Collection of Interviews
In spite of Stanley being relatively young, even by Internet standards, he manages to pull some interesting and useful information from his interview subjects.

5 Stars An Exceptionally Inspiring Book for All aspiring Entrepreneurs

Stanley has put together a masterpiece with this book. It’s content rich with inspiration and strategies that all entrepreneurs could use and benefit from. Whether you are an inspiring or an established enterprising soul, you will gain a new insight, idea or tactics that will add value to your life.101 Reasons You Should Fire Your Employer & Start Your Own Business (Fire Your Employer Book Series)

5 Stars eMillions Offers Inspiration - and Golden Nuggets For Entrepreneurs
As the administrator of the Writer’s Business Academy - an online training center for writers who are tired of struggling to make a living from their writing - I get asked to read and review a lot of books. Some are good, some are not so good, and every now and then, some are destined to become great. I think eMillions is one of those.

BUT…

If you’re looking for a step-by-step guide to becoming an Internet Millionaire, this is NOT the book for you.

If, on the other hand, you’re feeling a little frustrated, you’re tired of all the hype, the half-truths and the out and out lies about what it takes to make a living from the Internet - and you’re looking for a little inspiration, a little hope and a few nuggets you can take to the bank - then you need to buy this book.

Stanley - who by the way is a 16 year old kid - wanted to know the truth about success for himself. And he didn’t let anything - or anyone - stop him from achieving his goals. (Now how’s that for inspiration?)

Before I tell you what gold I found in eMillions, let me tell you what you WON’T find:

You won’t find a bunch of blah-blah, here’s how to start making millions of dollars overnight - in your bathrobe, while someone else does all the work for you and you just push that wheelbarrow full of cash to the bank…

And you won’t find a bunch of the typical interviews - the I’m so great, and you’re not - but you can be if you buy my stuff…

And you won’t find a bunch of pie-in-the-sky, mystical “woo-woo” stuff either.

Instead, you’ll find 14 candid, one-on-one conversations from real people - who started out with nothing - and who used the Internet to build real businesses - and in the process - became real millionaires.

If you pay attention - you’ll also find real gold nuggets of information, insight and ideas - that you can turn, tweak and try in your own business right away. Because one of the biggest nuggets I found in eMillions is that it’s the little ideas that take hold and become the basis for your “overnight success.” Each person who was interviewed shared some of the things they tried that worked - and the things that didn’t. If you pay attention - what you take away from this book could help you become the next internet millionaire.

3 Stars More Inspirational Than Step-by-Step
I found this book full of inspirational stories, especially Chapter 2 that talks about Jermaine Griggs, the founder of hearandplay.com

His story is what internet marketing is all about. Making it from nothing and pursuing your dreams.

Although I found the stories inspirational, there is not one simple system that will work for all who read the book. It’s more about finding what you love and pursuing it through until you have accomplished your goals. Finding a way to turn what you love, your hobbies or work, into a business you can market online.

1 Stars Another Interview book
What is another source of making money? Interview the Gurus, create a book and sell. If Mike Litman and Jason Oman did it they knew what they are doing. They delivered a treasure of information that can be applied to life. But the problem with today’s self made authors is that they don’t know how to drill people and what questions to ask. OK I come to the point now. This book gives not much information that can be applied to today’s internet science. When the author asks questions like how did you do it, and they all answer how they started years back pre Yahoo era. Those techniques don’t apply today. There is not enough information how a newbie can start on the internet and make a decent income. I give one star for the effort and all the money going to waste in printing this book.

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Turn landing pages into profits with the right tools

Successful landing pages don’t happen by accident, they follow a carefully crafted formula. If you want to convert visitors to your site into sales, it’s crucial to understand how to design, monitor, and maintain your landing page. This straightforward, plain-English guide shows you how to cover all the bases-from the visual layout, to using language effectively, to linking strategies, and more. The book is packed with practical tips and techniques, it also identifies common mistakes and pitfalls you should avoid. The book features a valuable $50 coupon off the price of a site diagnosis and webinars on the author’s website.

• Discover the power of language and how to use it as a call to action
• Start predicting customer browsing behavior
• Diagnose current problems with your landing page
• Create a unified marketing message between the search engine result and landing page
• Examine common optimization approaches
• Master specific tools for tracking results and follow strict maintenance procedures

If you want to make your landing page more appealing, this book provides clear, hands-on explanations and information that you can put to use immediately.

User Ratings and Reviews

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“Sell Your Crafts Online” provides a roadmap to the best Internet places for makers of handmade crafts to sell, promote and get reviewed from. Discover over 500 promotion ideas. Get 21 ways to inspire trust on your site pages. Learn how to boost your craft site’s search engine traffic with 24 Search Engine Optimization tips. Get the 12 best practices for getting link love from other sites. Find 85 places (including Etsy and eBay) to sell handmade crafts from. Learn where to sell your crafts to stores online from 10 wholesale sites. Promote your indie designed art and crafts from 42 online communities. Get reviews of your craft products on 51 shopping community and blog sites that seek unique products to write about. Syndicate your handmade crafts images, blogs, videos, and articles from 36 networks and discover 16 ideas for getting free publicity in magazines and on TV. Thought about starting your own t-shirt business? “Sell Your Crafts Online” covers 16 sites like Cafepress that let you sell your art and designs via on-demand products like t-shirts, mugs, caps and hundreds of other products. Save yourself weeks of research. Get ahead by accessing undiscovered but popular places for selling crafts online from. Author and craft artist, James Dillehay has written nine books and operates more than fifty Web sites. “James was a guest speaker on our Guerrilla Marketing conference call and he blew me away with what he knows about selling on the Internet,” said Jay Conrad Levinson, author of the Guerrilla Marketing series, over 15 million copies sold. “Sell Your Crafts Online” is a completely updated edition of Dillehay’s book “The Basic Guide to Selling Crafts on the Internet,” of which Lapidary Journal said “An astonishing amount of usable information, crammed into so few pages! James Dillehay has an amazing talent for getting right to the point, with a minimum of “geekese.” Of the entire list of computer instructional manuals I have read, this one would top the list. I would not hesitate to recommend it . . . even to my mom.”

User Ratings and Reviews

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User Ratings and Reviews

1 Stars Absolutely Stupid
I would give this book no stars if I could. I didn’t buy it, I checked it out from the local library.

I suspect all these great reviews are from people who think Carlton Sheets and Robert Kiyosaki are legitimate businessman.

The only money this guy ever made was from selling his crap to suckers that fall for all the other get rich quick scams.

Check out John T. Reed’s BS Artist Detection list number one indicator

“Emphasis on luxurious lifestyle.”

He actually has a picture of his BMW in this stupid book.

If your the type of person that likes Amway, MLM, and Robert Kiyosaki books then this book is for you.

4 Stars [...]
The purchase of this book has given me a most informative insite into the internet marketing business and I look forward to implementing the various procedures and know how that the book demonstrates, particularly on how to achieve success in this most interesting and potentially lucrative business.

Bill Campbell

2 Stars Good for Beginners
Another rags to riches story about internet marketing. Millions try, only a handful make it. There are some good ideas about marketing in the book, but if you’ve been around for a while, then it’s pretty much the same story. If you’re a newbie to the internet marketing world, then you should get this book.

5 Stars A lot of information
lots of information in the book. Some I’ve heard before but all pulled together in one book

5 Stars How I Made My First Million on the Internet and How You Can Too!
This is a basic to advance Internet Marketing book that you must read. It tells you everything that you need to know. There are lots of tips and resources that you should explore. Don’t Wait and Grab your copy now!

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The Web has developed its own set of rules and attitudes for writing hard-hitting marketing copy. Robert Bly’s The Online Copywriter’s Handbook is the first practical and authoritative guide to what exactly those rules are and how they differ from writing for print audiences. From novices just taking their first copywriting steps to veterans looking to add impact and results to their online efforts, it covers everything from general fundamentals of writing effective copy to specific Web copywriting tips and traps.

User Ratings and Reviews

1 Stars Title misleading, content copied from his other handbook
the title is misleading, the content is poor, many examples but no explainings on how to create a similar good copy

content is mostly copied from his other handbook

dissapointment

4 Stars Bly has great experience and helpful hints
Learning to write content for an effective website is crucial for any business or organization. Not only does Bly recommend good writing practices, he also describes the best way to design and market your website. This book is a credible source and a helpful resource for anyone pursuing web content development.

I especially thought that the tips in the first half of the book regarding web writing fundamentals and practices were very helpful. And, although the data may have been out of date, the principles still apply. Bly also provided several good websites throughout the book that would help any beginning web designer in their quest for the perfect website.

3 Stars Too many copywriting rules, not enough tech.

This book was very similar to Bly’s previous books which went through the basic tenets of copywriting. He does a great job of transferring the “writing to sell” principles to web pages in this book, but I wish he would have touched more on the technical aspects. Many writers are looking to learn how to approach writing for Flash or any new web language of the day… and we need something that brings us into that territory. With this book, it was close but no cigar.

2 Stars Not up to Bob Bly’s normal standards
I like Bob Bly’s easy-to-read style. And he usually offers great tips and sage advice. In fact, every now and again, I’ll pull out my copy of “The Copywriter’s Handbook” for reference or ideas. It’s a must read for any writer just starting out. But I struggled through this book until I eventually had to stop reading about three-quarters of the way through. It seemed to lack his normal flow. And he relied heavily on other “experts” for advice (which now are probably quite dated). I got the impression that Bly was trying to capitalize on a hot market without fully knowing the subject matter. It wasn’t terrible–you will find some good tidbits in it–but it’s far from his best work.

2 Stars Stale and dated, actually boring
His “handbook” on copywriting is pretty good, so had high hopes for this, as I specialize in web copy and digital white papers.

Sadly it failed to deliver in just about every way. It’s actually a boring book, which from a copywriter is inexcusable.

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Netwar-like cyberwar-describes a new spectrum of conflict that is emerging in the wake of the information revolution. Netwar includes conflicts waged, on the one hand, by terrorists, criminals, gangs, and ethnic extremists; and by civil-society activists (such as cyber activists or WTO protestors) on the other. What distinguishes netwar is the networked organizational structure of its practitioners-with many groups actually being leaderless-and their quickness in coming together in swarming attacks. To confront this new type of conflict, it is crucial for governments, military, and law enforcement to begin networking themselves.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Lacks Index But Excellent Collection

Although their references lean toward “the usual suspects” among the beltway bubbas, and none of the authors demonstrate real access to the various hacker groups with deeper insights than any government bureaucrat will ever achieve, this is without question one of the best sets of articles, put together by two people I view as being the most capable in this area of inquiry, and therefore I recommend it very strongly as a starting point.

As with most publications by RAND it lacks an index, for which I deduct one star. The value of an index does not appear to be appreciated by those who publish these taxpayer-funded collections, and I continually lament the myopia that prevents the publishers from making such a useful collection even more valuable by taking the time to create an aggregate index.

I hope this is the last of the theoretical volumes. While it has some operationally-oriented contributions, one of the best being by Phil Williams on Transnational Criminal Networks, it is too theoretical overall, and much too US-centric. There are French, Nordic, and Singaporean, and Australian authorities, to mention just a few, that the editors must now make an effort to bring into a larger dialog. At the same time, it is now vital that we get on with much deeper study and discussion of the actual networks and specific practices–we must do much more in documenting the “order of battle” for netwar. One article, for example, lists a sample of Arabic web sites but goes no further–I would have liked to see some discussion of the 396 terrorist, insurgent, and opposition web sites, including the “Muslim Hackers” who asked for a clerical ruling on whether the Koran encouraged hacking as a means of war (it does, according to the same people that support bin Laden’s views), and I would like to see much more integration with the investigative efforts of both law enforcement authorities and private sector security and fraud authorities. I am especially disappointed that all of these authorities appear to be largely oblivious to or at least not making substantive reference to the ten-year-long track record compiled by Winn Schartau and his InfoWarCon speakers and web site, an event that is arguably the only serious international venue for addressing these issues in a serious manner, with a commensurately valuable web site.

There is one other major gap in this book’s approach to networks and netwars. With the exception of Paul de Armond’s article on netwar against the World Trade Organization, there are no references to intelligence failures and intelligence requirements vis a vis this threat domain. The editors and authors need to establish intelligence concepts and doctrine for this threat.

This book represents the very best that DoD money can fund in isolation, and therein lies the problem. What few taxpayer funds are spent by DoD in addressing such important matters and not being spent wisely because there is no serious commitment to creating a data warehouse of all studies related to networks and netwar; there is no commitment to accessing and understanding the considerable lessons learned outside the somewhat nepotistic DoD network of standard experts; and there seems to be no commitment to creating a center of excellence that can nurture *public* understanding and new *public* standards for protecting both our critical infrastructure and the vital data that circulates on that infrastructure.

The editors and the authors are of the very highest caliber. They are also operating in a vacuum. I for one would like to see them get serious funding, to include the establishment of a public international center of excellence on netwar, with branch offices in London and Singapore.

We are losing the Third World War, between governments and gangs, in part because the military-industrial-congressional complex continues to define security in terms of very expensive mobility and weapons systems–communications, computing, and intelligence are an afterthought, and the authors are quite correct in the aggregate when they suggest that we are our own worst enemy in failing to redirect substantial funds toward cyber-war and cyber-peace. The editors and authors could be very helpful if they address in their next volume, both an intelligence order of battle against which capabilities might be created; and specific proposals for establishing international, national, and state & local capabilities. What should they be, what will it cost, who should manage them? “It ain’t real until its the budget.” The authors are gracious to a fault, but it is clear from their work in the aggregate that they share a concern with our lack of preparedness for a 9-11 level of effort against our financial, transportation, power, and communications networks. They merit the greatest of respect and a full hearing from the public.

5 Stars The Sharpening Fight for the Future
This is a timely, well researched and thoughtful book about the world we have come to inhabit over the past decade, with a punctuation mark added for September 11. That said, it is not like so many ‘quickie books’ written to take advantage of recent events. Authors John Arquilla and David Ronfeldt of the RAND Corporation have been among the most thoughtful writers about security and diplomacy in an information age. Their previous works include Cyberwar is Coming, The Advent of Netwar, In Athena’s Camp, and Swarming and the Future of Conflict. Their latest work is Networks and Netwars. Here they look inside “the lower-intensity, societal-level counterpart to…the mostly military concept of Cyberwar.”

The editors are joined by Michele Zanini, Sean Edwards, Phil Williams, John Sullivan, Tiffany Danitz, Warren Strobel, Paul de Armond, Dorothy Denning, and Luther Gerlach, and focus on the nature of what has been thought of as an emerging form of conflict and competition. They explore Netwar’s “dual nature…composed of conflicts waged, on the one hand, by terrorists, criminals, and ethnonationalist extremists; and by civil-society activists”. The essays lock in on an overarching theme. “What distinguishes Netwar as a form of conflict is the networked organizational structure of its practitioners-with many groups actually being leaderless-and the suppleness in their ability to come together quickly in swarming attacks.”

While our attention is focused on Afghan campaign in the news every night, not all Netwar is of the type practiced by Al-Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden. The broad range of Netwar is demonstrated in the complementary essays. But for those who are interested in what they have to say about the recent terrorist activities, their insights are exceptional: see their essays “What Next for Networks and Netwars” and the Afterword (September 2001: The Sharpening Fight for the Future).

The latter essay was added to the book after the attacks on New York and Washington. “Theory has struck home with a vengeance. The United States must now cope with an archetypal Netwar of the worst kind. The same technology (and infrastructure) that aids social activists and those desiring good of all is also available to those with the darkest intentions, bent on destruction and driven by a rage reminiscent of the Middle Ages.”

Networks and Netwars is a well written addition to their body of work. Arquilla and Ronfeldt are the internationally recognized experts in this area; together with their contributing essayists, they have written an essential volume to read and discuss as we press forward in the post-911 life of America.

5 Stars Excellent network theory
This is the best ‘network theory’ book I’ve read. The book is a collection, and the ‘field work’ is more enthusiastic than thought provoking. Binding together the fieldwork, at front and back, is the analysis of Arquilla and Ronfeldt. Though only 20% of the text, their comments make the reading exceptionally rewarding.

The deep dynamic guiding Arquilla and Ronfeldt’s analysis is that the information revolution favors the rise of network forms of organization and thus redefines cooperation and conflict. According to their terminology, the really bad side is ‘cyberwar’, an earlier book. ‘Netwar’ is a more ambiguous form of network conflict, one that can be used by social activists for the benefit of all. While I find their scholarship excellent, I’m less than sanguine regarding our ability to distinguish enthusiasm from cohersion.

The term netwar calls attention to the prospect of network-based conflict becoming pervasive at all levels of social interaction. Just as romance is now streamlined by online match-makers, so too will the new technologies enhance and focus aggression, both the good and bad kind. According to the authors, ‘Netwar’ is a form of ‘just warfare.’ Most of the book covers examples of non-violent, democratic netwar-warriors.There is a brief review of traditional crime going online for drug distribution efficiencies, but most is devoted to friendly political activists ranging from Zapatistas to anti-globalists.

Fortunately, the authors forget their preoccupation with Zapatistas when trying to make sense of the field work. In particular, they focus on the remarkably vague notions we attach to the term ‘networks’. It seems everyone knows what it means, but no one has the same concept in mind.

Wisely, the authors point out our need to define ‘network organization’ itself. To this end, they offer a very thoughtful survey of network organization theory. Avoiding easy answers, they list some provocative, but contradictory theories. The reader is left to piece together their own conclusions

They provide 3 perspectives: 1) ‘actor and link,’ 2) ‘methodological’ and 3) ‘Naturalist’. In more familiar domains, there are the perspectives of the physicist, sociologist and botanist.

Probably most of the literature defines networks in terms of ‘actors’ (nodes) and ‘links’ (ties) whose relationships have a patterned structure. Using this scheme, one can draw a set of basic shapes for networks: chain or line networks, hub/star/wheel networks, all channel and hybrid networks.

An alternative ‘actor’ framework is the notion of ‘friendship cliques’ and ‘interlocking memberships.’ This suggests the notion of networks of networks. One ‘actor’ can belong to a variety of ‘cliques’, thus interlocking a variety of networks. One’s personal power relates to their network assets, not personal attributes. In this case, the ‘unit of analysis’ is not the individual ‘actor’, but the network as a distinct identity. The network functions to create opportunities for both it’s members and for it’s ‘network self. ‘

Another ‘actor’ framework stresses the importance of specific ‘actor’ roles. In this view, small group dynamics rely on a natural self-organization process that sorts out specific roles, and creates roles for outsiders to play. Here the focus is on the tight/loose connectedness of individuals to their network and the network to other networks. In this scheme, degrees of reciprocity characterize exchanges between parties (both individual and group). This ‘flow’ between actors is colored by the roles each accepts and the diversity is great. Equality is only one of many ways to order relationships.

An entirely different focus is upon measurement of ‘network’ units. One measure is the individual’s recognition of the network as an entity. For example, network analysts might ask whether the actors recognize that they are participating in a particular network, and whether they are committed to operating as a network. ‘Who do you work for?’ represents the archetypical question/issue. An even deeper issue is the notion of ’self’ and the ability of a ‘network’ to allow ’selfhood’ to emerge. Though somewhat distant from mainstream terminology, almost everyone will understand the notion that organizations have a ‘mind of their own’ and that it implies the network has a ’selfhood’ it will strive to protect.

Finally, the authors include the ‘naturalist’ view of Fukuyama that networks are nothing new, that networks are nothing more than ‘trust’ communities. Trust communities are nothing new. Along the same lines are ’small world’ network theories, a body of thought that suggests networks and ‘life’ itself are inextricably woven together.

While the networking form of social organization has existed in other times and spaces, the new information technology paradigm provides the material basis for its pervasive expansion throughout a global social domain. Along these lines, they quote Keck and Sikkink’s notion that networks are defined as “forms of organization characterized by voluntary, reciprocal, and horizontal patterns of communication and exchange. This seems addressed at one of the most universally recognized phenomena of networks, resiliency to shock unless a key hub (if there is one) is taken down. This interest in survival is a key part of the naturalist perspective.

In what I find the most illuminating discussion, the authors encompass the wide diversity in network theory by suggesting a multi-level theory of organization to account for network dynamics and resilience. In their scheme, there are 5 levels;
1. organizational design.
2. the narrative story about the network’s genesis and powers.
3. The doctrinal habits used for producing desired outcomes, initiating newcomers and developing seniority.
4. Technological tools
5. Personal ties of loyalty and trust.

Personally, I suspect networks, like the Internet, evolve without a plan. They emerge and persist in spite of their plans and desires of those that give them concrete reality. Thus, I somewhat disagree with the ‘title’ of level #1, if not the concept.

Their focus on level #2, the network’s organizational story, is probably the most original and insightful. Though the authors seem hopeful that ‘netwar’ has a bright side, consider how the ‘bright side’ is entirely defined by the organizational narrative. How is the network’s bright side described in a Wahabi madrasas? Behind the walls of the Vatican?

3 Stars An interesting pot pourri of articles on an important topic
There is a wide variance between the 11 contributing authors.

Some of them give stimulating eye witness accounts of events in Seattle, or detailed case studies of criminal activities from around the globe.

Then we get others who just give you their opinion on an issue, expressed so academically that with one of them I was desperately looking for any indication of form of who / what / where / when that might have contributed to the development of their ideas.

So for those who cited the evidence - 4 or even 5 stars - but for those who gave rather sterile theoretical opinions - 2 stars.

And what a shame there was no Index.

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