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Information expert Ratzan uses plain language, humor, and everyday examples like baseball and arithmetic to make sense of "information systems" (computer hardware, software, databases, the Internet).

Tabla de contenidos provista por Syndetics

• Figures(p. ix)
• Tables(p. xi)
• Acknowledgments(p. xiii)
• Introduction(p. xv)
• 1 Describing Information(p. 1)
• What Is an Information System?(p. 1)
• What Is a System?(p. 1)
• What Is Information?(p. 2)
• Working Definitions of Information(p. 3)
• Information Distortion(p. 7)
• Exercises and Research Questions(p. 11)
• 2 Representing Information(p. 12)
• The Cumbersome Decimal System(p. 12)
• The Simple Binary System(p. 14)
• Converting Binary to Decimal and Back Again(p. 15)
• The Hexadecimal System(p. 18)
• Number Humor(p. 20)
• How Did the Romans Deal with Fractions?(p. 21)
• Prefix and Postfix Representation(p. 22)
• Exercises and Research Questions(p. 23)
• 3 Organizing Information(p. 25)
• Fundamental Information Structures(p. 25)
• Who Wants Short Sorts?(p. 33)
• Exercises and Research Questions(p. 36)
• 4 Retrieving Information(p. 39)
• The Nature of Information Retrieval(p. 39)
• Boolean and Beyond(p. 42)
• Vector Methods (Simplified)(p. 47)
• Fuzzy Information Retrieval(p. 50)
• Inverted Files(p. 54)
• Exercises and Research Questions(p. 56)
• 5 Networking Information(p. 57)
• Network Topologies(p. 57)
• Bridges, Switches, Routers, and Gateways(p. 61)
• 6 Securing Information(p. 62)
• Physical, Data, Server, Backup, and Network Security(p. 62)
• First Line of Defense: The Lowly Password(p. 66)
• Viruses, Worms, Trojan Horses, Logic Bombs, and Other Nasties(p. 68)
• A Dangerous Script(p. 71)
• Misdirection(p. 73)
• Exercises and Research Questions(p. 75)
• 7 Concealing Information(p. 76)
• Codes and Ciphers(p. 76)
• Key Issues(p. 79)
• The Unbreakable One-Time Pad(p. 80)
• Symmetric (One-Key) Cryptography(p. 81)
• Asymmetric (Two-Key) Cryptography(p. 82)
• The Secret History of Public Key Cryptography(p. 86)
• Other Cryptographic Systems(p. 87)
• Steganography: Hiding Information in Plain Sight(p. 89)
• Exercises and Research Questions(p. 90)
• 8 Measuring Information(p. 92)
• Bibliometrics: Measuring the Printed Word(p. 92)
• Sabermetrics: Measuring Baseball Information(p. 96)
• Web Metrics(p. 101)
• Exercises and Research Questions(p. 102)
• 9 Counting Information(p. 105)
• Counting Tools(p. 105)
• Counting Methods(p. 108)
• Counting Things(p. 111)
• Exercises and Research Questions(p. 133)
• 10 Numbering Information(p. 138)
• Prime Cuts(p. 138)
• The Intriguing Nature of Pi(p. 142)
• Pascal's Triangle(p. 147)
• Exercises and Research Questions(p. 149)
• 11 Managing Information(p. 150)
• Characteristics of a Successful Information System(p. 150)
• Building a Successful Information System(p. 152)
• Why Things Go Wrong(p. 154)
• Costs and Risks(p. 155)
• 12 The Computer as an Information System(p. 157)
• How Big Is an Exabyte?(p. 157)
• Data Compression: Reducing Redundancy(p. 158)
• Information Issues in the Background(p. 160)
• Exercises and Research Questions(p. 161)
• 13 The Internet as an Information System(p. 163)
• Basics of Internet Protocol Addressing(p. 163)
• Addressing Schemes(p. 165)
• The Internet Metaphor Project(p. 168)
• Is Internet Access a Privilege or a Right?(p. 172)
• Other Internet Issues(p. 175)
• Exercises and Research Questions(p. 177)
• 14 Music as an Information System(p. 179)
• The Nature of Music and Sound(p. 179)
• Tuning Information Systems(p. 181)
• How Many Tones Belong in a Scale?(p. 184)
• Making Cents of It All(p. 185)
• Melody Machines(p. 186)
• Fundamentals of Music Information Retrieval(p. 188)
• Exercises and Research Questions(p. 195)
• 15 Interpreting Information: Numbers as Meanings(p. 197)
• Gematria(p. 197)
• The Numerology of 666(p. 203)
• Exercises and Research Questions(p. 206)
• 16 Counterintuitive Information(p. 207)
• Not Quite Paradoxes(p. 207)
• The Trouble with Infinity(p. 214)
• Exercises and Research Questions(p. 218)
• Appendixes
• A Which Librarian Has the Server?(p. 219)
• B The Square Root of Two Is Irrational(p. 220)
• C Who's on First?(p. 222)
• Answers to Selected Exercises(p. 229)
• References(p. 237)
• Index(p. 247)

Reseñas proporcionadas por Syndetics

CHOICE Review

With the emergence of the Information Society, it behooves even nonexperts to gain some familiarity with the commodity that is rapidly transforming their lives. In this vein, Ratzan (Univ. of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey) has written a general introduction to information systems; coverage is thorough and his organization impeccably logical. In chapter 1 he defines his topic and in succeeding chapters methodically explains the processing of information (including representing, organizing, retrieving, networking, securing, concealing, measuring, counting, numbering, and managing). Many chapters conclude with exercises and research questions that are creative, thought-provoking, and current. On the other hand, Ratzan has taken on the Herculean task of trying to pitch his book to an audience of such scope that it ranges on one extreme to the general public and humanities students and on the other to computer science students. He has not been entirely successful. His unremitting barrage of definitions of basic terms, for example, will be vertiginous for the humanities student and soporific for the computer science student. Perhaps conceding the dry nature of his subject matter, he also attempts to effect a humorous tone. This humor is no more than a mild palliative, though, for Ratzan's relentlessly monolithic style. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. All levels. D. M. Gilbert Maine Maritime Academy

Booklist Review

Unlike most books discussing information systems, this one is not oriented to a specific application, time, or technology. Instead, readers are treated to 16 chapters covering different aspects of information, among them description, representation, organization, retrieval, networking, security, concealment, measurement, and management of information. The computer, Internet, and music are also discussed in terms of information systems. Information is well articulated, insightful, and strengthened by illustrative exercises and helpful appendixes. The author's use of humor is a welcome addition, making the text more engaging and palatable. Although conceived for the general reader, this resource would most likely appeal to students and instructors in library and information studies or computer science. Mathphobic readers or those uncomfortable with quantitative data may find the text a bit daunting at times, but for those willing to make the effort, the rewards are great and plentiful. -- RBB Copyright 2004 Booklist