Rating: 
Summary: A very good book with a couple small problems
Review: There has been one fundamental problem when one wants to learn networking; where to start. Wendell Odom tries to overcome this problem in Cisco Press' Computer Networking first step. While this book is not perfect, it is one of the best books I've found to date to introduce network concepts. He has done an excellent job covering a much wider range of material than I would have thought possible in a 457 page book. However, as with all books, it comes with ups and downs.
The good parts:
Overall, this book introduces a wide range of concepts to a reader with little to no experience with networking. In the beginning of the book Mr. Odom starts by explaining exactly what a network is, and by the end he has introduced everything from VLANS to AAA. This wide range of material allows the reader to get a broad view of the networking landscape in a very short amount of time.
I have always had one major problem with introductory networking books; the pictures have always been either non-existent or useless. Originally I started reading Cisco Press books because of their high quality illustrations and network diagrams, and they continue this tradition in Computer Networking first step. In areas there do seem to be a few too many pictures, but overall they are very well done.
The bad parts:
While I did enjoy Computer Networking first step, there were a few areas that did annoy me. The chief annoyance was the constant metaphors between networking and driving. While it worked quite well in the beginning of the book, it got tiresome after 457 pages. This constant reference to driving ended up confusing me more than helping me. This may partly be due to the fact that I already knew all of the material covered by the book, but it was irritating. However, networking is a very hard subject to introduce, and a metaphor to something that everyone can understand may be quite helpful to those who have never touched a network in real life.
My second complaint really isn't any fault of the book, but really the sheer amount knowledge needed for a proper introduction to networking. With such a wide range of material covered in 457 pages, nothing gets covered in any real depth. The entire chapter on network monitoring is 16 pages long, while I have read 500+ page books on the subject. So as long as one understands Computer Networking first step is an introductory book and doesn't expect to be an expert, I would highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Computer Networking First-Step
Review: Wendell Odom has achieved his goal of providing a good introductory networking book for beginners and, as a bonus, a good review for intermediates. For the most part, the claims of "no experience required" and learning made "easy" are fulfilled. He accomplishes this throughout the book with good humor and consistent figures. Having each chapter's test questions repeated in the appendix prior to giving answers was particularly helpful.For the most part, Odom shows striking sensitivity for the novice. For example, it was helpful to redraw figures (like 9-4, p. 188) rather than having to flip back and forth. On the other hand, some figures were hard to follow. For example, which "cloud" is referenced in the text for Figure 3-8 (p. 55). In addition, Figure 15-4 was referenced on page 323 as a "three-site Frame Relay network" but the reader is left wondering whether the author is referring to 15-3 or 15-5 (as 15-4 cannot be a reference to the same). While repeated attempts were successfully made to simply drawings, at times this was not helpful as in the case of his discussion of wiring. He should have stuck with a four-pair wiring figure (p. 72). Perhaps he should have enhanced the discussion with focus on color codes and further defined T568A and T568B as voice and data respectively. It is helpful for a novice to pick up a cable and know by color which pin is number one through eight. While one can appreciate the challenge of writing for the novice, at times it seems concepts were over simplified. For example, calling wall plates "sockets" (p. 7) may be somewhat dangerous to the proverbial novice who thinks his/her CD Rom to be a cup holder. Precision when dealing with and around electricity would dictate a few more definitions and pages of text. It wasn't for about 30 more pages that a fuller picture of cabling was presented. Also a bit over simplified were calling the telco professional an "electrician" (p. 9) and the use of the word "license" (p. 356). At times the reader was late in getting definitions of terms (byte, p. 41; MAC/Ethernet address, p. 94; VLANS, p. 135). I believe that this is a book I can use on the job and in pursuing my CCNA. However, some concept that were covered in my CCNA training, like ISDN, were not found in the text. So, there are limits to how this book can assist the CCNA candidate. I would definitely read other titles by this author and his team of technical editors. I give Computer Networking First-Step a 4.5 rating on a scale of 1 to 5. An on-line errata page would greatly assist the reader in filling in some of gaps, typos, etc. missed by the author and editors.
Rating: 
Summary: Computer Networking First-Step by Wendell Odom
Review: Wendell Odom has put together a very nice introductory networking book for the beginner. I believe he has put together a book that will benefit anyone that is thinking about entering into a networking career. This book will also serve as a very good basic knowledge book for the entry-level technician.
This is a book that can be used if someone is considering the pursuit of the CCNA certification. However, this book does not go to the depth necessary to be the only book for that certification. But I do not believe this book was intended for that path. This book is designed mainly for the novice and is written in that light. So if you are looking for a very technical detailed book for computer networking, this book is not for you. If your are stepping into the networking arena for the very first time and want a book that explains networking technologies in an easy to understand format then this book is definitely the one you need to have in your library.
Computer Networking first-step, (ISBN 1-58720-101-1) by Wendell Odom is very well written in a layman's point of view for basic networking knowledge. The book is divided into six parts and provides an overview of each of the major components of local and wide area networks, networking basics, routing, addressing, and security and remote access.
Each chapter presents the learning objectives of the chapter, detailed, concise and clear text on the learning objectives throughout each chapter, a chapter summary and finally a set of review questions to test what you have just read. The references to highways and roadways is a very clever angle that Wendell Odom has incorporated to aid the reader into understanding the concept being discussed.
I can see this book coming in handy when attempting to explain basic networking technologies to the uninitiated into networking. There are very many simple and clear illustrations that can assist the novice into a better understanding of different aspects of networking.
I really like the stepped approach that Wendell Odom used to build the readers knowledge base. From the basics of what a switch and hub are to the more complexities of local and wide area networks. Finally finishing the book off with network security. This is and has always been a hot topic in my line of work. Giving the novice a taste of network security lets them know that there is more work to do after building a network whether it is at home or at work.
There are many introductory books on the market today that cover several of the topics in this book but they tend to be on the expensive side. Computer Networking first-step, (ISBN 1-58720-101-1) by Wendell Odom covers the basics of computer networking very well and is priced just right. You definitely will get your moneys worth with this book.
I have read several books by Wendell Odom in the past and this one ranks very well with the other more technical books that he has written. I like the way that Wendell Odom writes his books and Computer Networking first-step, (ISBN 1-58720-101-1) by Wendell Odom is written just as well. His ability to write this book at a basic level and not lose the reader's attention with very dry technical specifications is a testimonial to his writing ability. It is very easy for me to recommend this book and any future (or past) books written by Wendell Odom. Well Done!
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: You are ready for this book. If you are just beginning your career in the networking arena or are just thinking about networking this is the book to start off with. This is a very good first read book for an introduction to these networking topics. Wendell Odom gives you the basics. Wendell Odom takes the mystery out many things like terminology and gives you an easy to understand analogy to go along with the meaning. How many times have you wondered what one of those acronyms mean? Read this book and find out what some of those terms that you hear people throwing around mean. Reading through this book was fun and easy. Getting the knowledge that came with it is incredible. Have you ever asked yourself what is all of this networking stuff all about? Wendell Odom goes through the step by step process and shows you the start to the finish line. Connectivity and security are the end results that you want to have. This is a good introduction to those topics. You will want to learn more once you are finished with this book. Many of the industry concepts are in this book. He takes you from the point that you can connect to the network through the things that help keep your network safe and running. How things move through the and get from place to place. If you are looking for an easy to read book that gives you the information that you want. Here it is. Let this be the beginning of your advancement to greater heights. This is a good foundation to get you going and keeps your focus throughout the book. The novice will enjoy this book and the simple to understand terms and pictures. The review questions help solidify the topics that you just finished reading about. Everyone can use the knowledge in this book, even if you are not in the industry. It is a good collection of topics for the power user or someone who wants to know more about networking. Do yourself a favor and get this book and read it.
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