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THE SOFTWARE CONSPIRACY

Name: THE SOFTWARE CONSPIRACY
Author: Mark Minasi
ISBN: 0-07-134806-9

WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE SOFTWARE INDUSTRY AND HOW IT'S TAKING CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE

by Mark Minasi ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1999

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A lucidly written, eminently practical guide to fighting back against the modern scourge of software “bugs.” Ever had your keyboard freeze up in the middle of creating a document? Ever lost a file because your computer mysteriously shut down? Software problems like these are costly, frustrating, and far from rare. Technology journalist Minasi tells us why software is so defective, and what we can do about it. Minasi advocates a “buyer beware” approach: “Companies make software and sell it to the public despite the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of defects in the software, defects that the company is fully aware of when it sells it.” How do these companies get away with introducing defect-filled products into the marketplace? Minasi offers a surprisingly candid answer: people have such abysmally low expectations about software that very few complain. Thus, software companies sell whizbang features, while skimping on quality control. The cultural divisions within software companies also contribute to the problem. Marketing departments wants dazzling features and a short design process, while programmers want time to create superior products. Mostly, marketing wins out. Moreover, the computer industry press rarely criticizes software companies, who provide essential advertising revenues. Minasi isn’t optimistic about the ability of consumers to gain legal redress for software-related problems. He describes the flagrantly anticonsumer licensing agreements contained inside boxes of “shrink-wrapped” software. These licenses are basically one-sided contacts offered to consumers on a “take it or leave it” basis. The software lobby has succeeded brilliantly in fending off efforts to enhance consumer protection. What Minasi proposes is that consumers learn how to take care of themselves. He provides an array of troubleshooting suggestions to combat bugs, as well as practical advice on how to seek technical support. An absorbing, easily understandable, and inspiring book about standing up for your rights in the realm of defective software.

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999

ISBN: 0-07-134806-9

Page Count: 209

Publisher: McGraw-Hill

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1999

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.