THE ROSE REVIEW: Books and Pubs

Book Shows Readers How to Quickly Handle Unexpected Computer Catastrophes

Paraglyph Press recently published a most intriguing survival guide, designed to help PC users expertly deal with the unthinkable. "Surviving PC Disasters, Mishaps, and Blunders" (U.S. $29.99, 416 pp, ISBN 1-932111-98-0), authored by PC experts Jesse Torres and Peter Sideris, is much more than a backup and recovery book. The content between its covers covers the real "digital lifestyle problems" that most computer users will face sooner or later -- from the horrific to the embarrassing, as well as the truly stupid accidents and mistakes. For a PC that is smashed, hacked, stolen, in flames, virus-laden, or just plain slow and unreliable, this book covers it all by giving the reader triage advice and tips to prevent problems from occurring in the first place.

With over 150 million new PCs being sold every year, according to IDC, and
laptops, PDAs, and other handheld devices taking over in most households
today, mishaps and accidents are occurring at an alarming rate. Just think
about how devastating a situation like dropping your laptop, having a hard
drive crash, or having your PDA stolen can be (especially if you are not
prepared for such a disaster). Today, PC users are so hooked on their
devices that any kind of disaster or mishap can really set them back. When
a PC or portable electronic device breaks, security is breached, data is
lost or compromised, or a device is lost or stolen, the first reaction is
panic. But with the expert advice in "Surviving PC Disasters, Mishaps, and
Blunders," readers can learn how to protect themselves to minimize the
chance of a problem escalating. Or if a catastrophe hits, readers can
learn how to recover from one in the shortest amount of time. "Surviving
PC Disasters, Mishaps, and Blunders" provides valuable insight on
preventative measures that can help avoid a complicated or expensive cure.
In addition to being a lifesaver, it is a great read, too!

"Surviving PC Disasters, Mishaps, and Blunders" is jam-packed with
eye-opening horror stories that will truly inspire (or really scare)
readers to be more cautious. Each chapter shows the reader how to deal
with disasters, mishaps, and blunders that can occur in areas such as
hardware, software, viruses, travel, Internet fraud, identity theft,
networks, and much more. Scenarios are presented with practical, hands-on
solutions designed to help readers solve wicked problems quickly.

Some of the disasters, mishaps, and blunders covered include:

-What to do if your PC or other device, such as a PDA, is stolen
-What to do if your PC won't boot
-What to do if your PC catches on fire
-What to do if you spill soda on your keyboard
-What to do if your network crashes
-What to do if you can't get an Internet connection while traveling
-What to do if your important data is stolen and you suffer as a result of identity theft
-What to do if you are ripped off because of Internet fraud
-What to do if you send embarrassing emails to the wrong people and your job is threatened
-What to do if someone is pestering you by sending you annoying instant messages
-What to do if you are having problems with your power adapter
-What to do if you have a bad crash and you need to quickly restore critical data
-What to do if you are caught pirating software or music (and no, paying a big fine or going to jail is not the smart outcome)

Co-author Jesse Torres says, "As an IT consultant, I see wicked PC
disasters every day. Sadly, most of these crises could be avoided with
just a little planning. My intention in writing this book was to help arm
everyone with common-sense advice on protecting their PCs and other
devices, and learning how to recover from those unexpected catastrophes
that always seem to happen at the worst possible time." Co-author Peter
Sideris adds, "I'm always amazed at how vulnerable most computer users are
to identity theft, theft of their laptops, or completely avoidable
blunders, such as letting their kids play in their office around all their
cables and wires. That's just an accident waiting to happen. This book
is a must-have for anyone who is worried that they're not ready for a
computer disaster -- or someone who runs a computing environment and needs
to prepare for the worst."

Keith Weiskamp, President and Publisher of Paraglyph, says, "After having
a PC crash recently, the first thing I did was grab a copy of "Surviving
PC Disasters," and it saved my butt. Reading the horror stories in this
book made me feel lucky my mishap was solvable, and made me really think
twice about how I use my PC, the Internet, and all of the other gadgets I
can't live without. Anyone with a PC or handheld device needs to read
this book to become aware of the very real threats of loss, theft, or
other mishaps. "Surviving PC Disasters, Mishaps, and Blunders" can save
readers a ton of money and a lot of lost time."

About the Authors

Jesse M. Torres is an IT consultant specializing in enterprise management
and administration, with over a decade of work experience in the
government, corporate, and private sectors. He has extensive knowledge of
process analysis and automation. Jesse is an MCSE and has written articles
for "Win 32 Scripting Journal." He is the author of "Windows Admin
Scripting Little Black Book, 2nd Edition," published by Paraglyph Press.

Peter Sideris started his career as a field technician and quickly became
an IT department manager with Prudential CT Realty, managing the helpdesk,
creating network documentation, providing technology needs assessment, and
troubleshooting. He is currently works as a Systems Engineer for General
Technology Group, Inc. in Meriden, Connecticut, specializing in security,
disaster recovery and planning and client needs assessment. Peter has
numerous technology certifications, including A+, MCSE, MCDBA, and MCAD.

About Paraglyph Press

Paraglyph Press, founded in 2002, is now celebrating its third year of
record growth. Founded by highly successful publishing entrepreneurs
Keith Weiskamp and Jeff Duntemann, along with publishing executives Steven
Sayre and Cynthia Caldwell, Paraglyph publishes unique "must have" titles
that help readers do more with the tools they have. Paraglyph launched
the Degunking Series in early 2004, and since then the series has rapidly
grown to cover a number of topics and has established itself as a leading
brand around the world. Some of Paraglyph's recent best-selling titles
include "Degunkinh Windows," "Degunking Your Mac," "Degunking Your Email,"
"Degunking eBay," "Game Coding Complete," "Jeff Duntemann's Wi-Fi Guide,"
and "Looking Good in Print." For more information about Paraglyph Press,
visit www.paraglyphpress.com.

Paraglyph Press is distributed by O'Reilly Media, Inc. in the U.S. and
Canada. For order information, please contact:
O'Reilly Media
1005 Gravenstein Highway North
Sebastopol CA 95472
Phone: 800-294-4747
Fax: 800-997-9901
E-mail: order@oreilly.com
Website: www.oreilly.com
For distribution in other regions of the world, or for information on
foreign rights and translation, visit the Paraglyph Press web site
at www.paraglyphpress.com and click on the "Booksellers" link.
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Theft and Loss
Chapter 2: Hardware Disasters and Mishaps
Chapter 3: Software Disasters and Mishaps
Chapter 4: Network Disasters and Mishaps
Chapter 5: Wireless Networking
Chapter 6: Internet Fraud
Chapter 7: Spam
Chapter 8: Surviving Viruses
Chapter 9: Junkware: Malware, Adware, and Spyware
Chapter 10: Email and Other Internet Hazards
Chapter 11: Travel Mishaps and Disasters
Chapter 12: Power Adapters and Batteries
Chapter 13: Backup and Recovery
Chapter 14: Digital Lifestyle Hazards
Chapter 15: Piracy