Distributed Operating Systems & Algorithms

Rating:
Summary: It's an okay book.
Review: I bought this book expecting that I can learn some fundamentals on distributed systems and algos. The author touched many areas - but even stuff that I know pretty well ( security ) wasn't explained in an easy-to-understand manner, sometimes too much prose to no avail. Even worse, sometimes I was a bit confused. I can only guess that the rest follows this way. If you are looking for GOOD book, better look for something else.

Rating:
Summary: "Good Rough Draft"
Review: The best way to explain this book is, its a "good rough draft". Now go work on it some more. As is, the book is extremely hard to read. Crucial concepts are stated matter of factly, succinctly, and with little detail as possible, ie, just enough to get the point across (and that might be a stretch). The authors could make this a very good book, but they need to take much more time with every subject, and give more than one example. Furthermore the diagrams are sub-par. These diagrams could be greatly enhanced by professional technical artists. Also, the 2nd half of the book might be better interspersed with the 1st half. A *much* better read, with better diagrams, and a gentler approach on the exact same subject is "Distributed Operating Systems" by Andrew Tannenbaum.

Rating:
Summary: "Good Rough Draft"
Review: The best way to explain this book is, its a "good rough draft". Now go work on it some more. As is, the book is extremely hard to read. Crucial concepts are stated matter of factly, succinctly, and with little detail as possible, ie, just enough to get the point across (and that might be a stretch). The authors could make this a very good book, but they need to take much more time with every subject, and give more than one example. Furthermore the diagrams are sub-par. These diagrams could be greatly enhanced by professional technical artists. Also, the 2nd half of the book might be better interspersed with the 1st half. A *much* better read, with better diagrams, and a gentler approach on the exact same subject is "Distributed Operating Systems" by Andrew Tannenbaum.

Rating:
Summary: Lists a few basic ideas, but is dull and simplistic
Review: This book is probably useful only at the University of Florida, since it follows the course lectures exactly - and that, because the first author is the instructor.

The book reads like a series of lecture notes, nothing more, nothing less. Several ideas that a student of operating systems may need to take note of, when making the transition from single-machine systems to multi-machine, are listed here. You can think of this book as a listing of a few basic ideas, with small expansions of each - as in a slideshow presentation. The merit of the book ends there.

The topics covered - in other words, the expansions of the listed ideas - are treated in a confused, sketchy manner. The material is insubstantial and hardly thought provoking. Motivation is absent, and pedagogical methods seem a distant concept. There is a near-total isolation of concepts and practice, and reading the book gives the feeling of being isolated in a dreamy sphere that belongs only to the author.

One could go on about such demerits, but to summarize, you don't need to buy this book unless it's required for your class. It's a slideshow in hardcover format.

Rating:
Summary: It's an okay book.
Review: This is a not so good book, but our school uses it. I suggest the author to update some of the contents of the book.