Customer Reviews (7)

An odd study of Poe that captures both sides
Hoffman has put together a very odd book. It is not biography of Poe, nor is it a straightforward critical study of Poe's works. It's almost a memoir, discussing Hoffman's own relationship with Poe and his works over time. Hoffman, a poet himself, looks into Poe's works with an aesthetic mind, but is also careful to point out the bad with the good (noting, for example some of Poe's pathetic made-up words used as forced rhymes and, of course, the monotonous repetition of "The Bells" - the poem from which the book draws its seemingly-silly title). It's also somewhat refreshing to read an analyst who is capable of separating the author's life from his works; it's true that sometimes writing can be read independently - even with Poe!

Hoffman uses a lot of ink focusing on works that are not the typical Poe works most often read. In lieu of extensive discussions on "The Tell-Tale Heart" or "The Black Cat," he writes about Poe's only complete novel "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket" as well as "Eureka," Poe's nonfiction essay on the origins of the universe. It's fascinating to try to figure out if Hoffman really is a Poe fan, or if his occasionally-caustic assessment qualifies him as another Griswold who can only reluctantly admit there are some gems hidden somewhere in Poe's body of works.

Hoffman Hoffman Hoffman Hoffman
i always wondered why i keep returning to read Poe and now i somewhat understand after reading Dr. Hoffman's work.This evaluation of Poe's works is lively with alot of soul to it.If you haven't read it yet and you love Poe,why do it now!There is alot of humour and psychological insight into Poe's works. the chapter on Poe and how he viewed God was a little rough but worth sticking to it.

Lively, Humorous, Engaging and Reverential Study of Poe
It surprises me that one could read Hoffman's humor in this engaging critical study as anything but reverential to Poe's work.Hoffman isn't (as so many reviewers here have suggested) picking on Poe; instead, he's tempering his reverence with some very honest comments about an author whose work (like that of all authors) is not entirely consistent.I found it enlightening to read Hoffman's section on Poe's poetry, which brings out the steadfastness ofthe author's attempts, whether they succeed entirely or fail.In fact, Hoffman's honesty about the writings of Poe was this Poe devotee's first view of the author from a perspective other than absolute worship.Hoffman doesn't dwell on the misses in Poe's ouvre to belittle the author; he does it to show the experimental quality of the author's work.He illuminates the author's process and his struggle.Considering that writing is a struggle, and that "genius" is a problematic term, I think Hoffman justly humanizes Poe in this excellent, engaging book.

Get it!
One thing Mr. Hoffman definitely cannot be accused of is hating "poor Eddie Poe" - except when to hate means to criticize (good-humoredly) verses like "Where the good and the bad and the worst and the best / Have gone to their eternal rest"... This book is both a work of art and a work about art. It's equally recommendable if you are doing serious research on Poe - Mr. Hoffman offers psychoanalytical criticism of all of Poe's major works - and if you like imaginative writing as much as Poe's beautiful dead women or simply want to read an extremely amusing book. Of course this is only possible if you don't take Poe, Mr. Hoffman or yourself too seriously. Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy!

Better than most
Too many Poe books play on the reputation Poe had as a genius who lost a high number of woman he loved to TB, and drank himself to death. Hoffman can't ignore history and doesn't, but he does talk, unlike many others,about the writing. He does it in a playful, flirtacious way, yet engages aPoe fan in something beyond the 'same old, same old'. If it is the lastword on Poe you want, that authoritative tome of all things Poe, goelsewhere. If you want to kick back and ENJOY a new look at one of the mostinfluential American writers ever, buy this one. ... Read more

Product Description
This guide presents real-world hacking scenarios along with complete implementation guidance for the right NAP/NAC solution, so you can understand which solution makes the most sense based upon the most prevalent risks in your environment. Follow the actual steps hackers take to perform specific exploits, determine which security solutions will stop the exploits from happening, and learn all about the standard components of any NAP/NAC solution. By learning to analyze a security posture, set policies for device analysis, and communicate with the device, you?ll be able to take action. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Implementing NAP & NAC Security Book
The book was brand new as described. I will definitely buy from this seller again.

Clear and Actionable Advice on Choosing the Right NAC Solution
Disclaimer:
I was asked to read a pre-release copy of the book, my quote made it onto the book, and I was given a review copy.

I found myself in a position to learn about the different types of NAC appliances as well as Mobile NAC.The problem is that I don't work for a NAC vendor or install NACs for a living. Googling left me with tons of vendor hype on NAC but not a lot of good information to help me understand the different type of NACs, how they work,and why I would would choose one type over the other.Dan Hoffman's book is the only NAC book I know of that is (mostly) vendor neutral.The only other NAC/NAP books I know of are Cisco Press book which obviously tout Cisco products as the best way to go.Dan Hoffman breaks down the functionality of NAC and they different types of NAC solutions into simple easy to understand language, just like he did for Blackjacking on mobile threats.He has a great knack for explaining technical systems and topics in an easy to understand way.

Here is a list of what he covers in the book:

CH1 Understanding Terms and Technologies
CH2 The Technical Components of NAC Solutions
CH3 What Are You Trying to Protect?
CH4 Understanding the Need for LAN-Based NAC/NAP
CH5 Understanding the Need for Mobile NAC
CH6 Understanding Cisco Clean Access
CH7 Understanding Cisco Network Admission Control Framework
CH8 Understanding Fiberlink Mobile NAC
CH9 Understanding Microsoft NAP Solutions
CH10 Understanding NAC and NAP in Other Products

My favorite chapters are CH3 "What Are You Trying to Protect?", CH4 "Understanding the Need for LAN-Based NAC/NAP", and CH5 "Understanding the Need for Mobile NAC."

By far the most important chapter is chapter three where Dan walks through the questions an organization needs to ask itself before it purchases a NAC solution. The company needs to know if they are trying to protect LAN based or Mobile assets and they need to know exactly what they are trying to protect the answer from the first question against.Dan discusses the various scenarios that come about from those two questions and the two follow on chapters provide even more detail on how the two types of solutions (LAN based and Mobile NAC) work and how they differ from one another. Chapter two covers the details of the different parts of NAC and Chapters 6-10 give some of the specifics about different NAC vendor's solutions (not a complete list).

The only thing I didn't like about the book was that it really didn't cover bypassing NAC.It would have been nice to see some content on how NAC is currently being bypassed or what NAC doesn't protect against and how to mitigate against it. ... Read more

Product Description
Today, it is almost impossible to do business without a cell phone and a BlackBerry or PDA. These devices are the lifeline for companies large and small—and nobody knows this better than a hacker. Traditionally, security for mobile devices has held a low priority. Now, a certified ethical hacker explains in this book why this must change and how to change it. Packed with sobering examples of actual attacks, this unique resource shows you how to mount your counterattack. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

It's not just for BlackBerry's anymore! :)
Personally, I skipped over the entire BlackBerry section (I'll read it later) and went straight to the the PDA section. My reasoning for this is that I do not, currently, support any BlackBerry users. I do support a lot of Palm users and have a Windows Mobile PDA, myself. There is a surprising amount of detail to be had on a subject that is not getting the light it needs, but I feel there could be a little more. Perhaps I am greedy in that respect, though. Excellent book. I hope to see more like it.

Really Good Book
This book is a very interesting, quick and easy read.It not only talks about the issues of deploying a blackberry environment inside your organization, but also addresses smartphones, and other pda's.
The only issue I really have with this book, is the author presents ideas on how to "more" securly deploy a BES server in ways that either aren't supported by Blackberry (place your entire BES server in the DMZ) or "according to Blackberry" don't by you any type of security "Deploy the BES router function only in the DMZ).
I would use this book as a great starting point, but also do your research before you start declaring the sky is falling for your organization.

Great book on BlackBerry and Mobile Device Security
Blackjacking takes on the task of educating both administrators and management about the threats of mobile devices to their enterprise. I believe this book succeeds in its task and serves as a great reference not only for the blackberry enterprise server (BES) administrators out there but also for the network administrators, help desk personnel, security personnel as well as a book that can aid in the education of the end users.It is written in a tone and dialog that can be useful to the technical reader and non-technical reader and does well digging into the relatively new field of mobile device (especially BlackBerry) security.

The book starts out with a very good overview of the threats to mobile devices (Malware, Direct Attack, Data Communication Interception, Spoofing and Sniffing, and Physical Compromise).It then moves into an excellent overview of the devices that will be covered in the book (BlackBerrys, Pocket PCs, Palm Handhelds, and Cell Phones).
From there each device is covered in depth with "Exploiting the Device", "Hacking the Supporting Device Infrastructure", and "Protecting your PC and LAN from the Device."

The BlackBerry section (which is probably why you are thinking about purchasing the book) does a great job covering the current and future attacks given the fairly limited publicly available research, tools, and code and gives solid advice on setting up your network infrastructure to deal with the growing threat with mobile devices.The vignettes discussing plausible attacks for each attack scenario serve as good feasible examples to think about for your enterprise and users and how to protect your network.

Likes: Discussion of how BlackBerry communications work with your cell phone provider and within a BlackBerry Enterprise Server environment, all the background material on the BlackBerry device, multiple examples (for further research on what is best for your environment) for AV and firewall solutions for each type of device, and seeing attacks on most of the threats in the lab using available tools.

Dislikes: while not in the scope of the book more code examples would be nice (of course it would take away from the usability of the book to "non-technical" people) and the book didn't list links for the tools and malware discussed (yes I know Google exists).

Overall an excellent book. I purchased the book for my BlackBerry admin (but I read it first) and I think he will find it useful since he is not a "security" guy.It really ties together networking best practices and technologies and while not a "BlackBerry (or mobile device) or network lockdown guide" blackjacking serves as a good reference for further research into AV, firewalls, and VPNs for mobile devices as well as safe methods for allowing those devices entry and access into your network.

... Read more

Product Description
Bringing Peace Into the Room examines the personal qualities that make a mediator effective. The eminent authors of this volume go beyond traditional descriptions of academic training, theoretical orientation, and refinement of technique to confront issues related to personal temperament and the crucial psychological, intellectual and spiritual qualities of the mediation professional— qualities that are often the most potent elements of successful mediation. In this comprehensive resource, Daniel Bowling and David Hoffman bring together a stellar panel of practitioners, academics, teachers, and trainers in the field— Michele LeBaron, Kenneth Cloke, Robert Benjamin, Don Saposnek, Sara Cobb, Peter Adler, Jonathan Reitman, Lois Gold, Marvin Johnson, and others— ¾who share their personal experiences as mediators. Each contributor demonstrates that at the very heart of conflict resolution is the subtle interaction between the parties and the mediator's personal and authentic style.

... Read more

Product Description

Brotherly Love is a long poem that evokes William Penn's luminous vision of America and shows what has become of it as the intractable conflicts of our history—struggles over the land, keeping faith with the Indians, the uses and abuses of power—threaten Penn's ideal.

Daniel Hoffman began writing Brotherly Love while he was Poet Laureate of the United States, in 1973-74 (the appointment then called Consultant in Poetry of the Library of Congress). Widely hailed, the book was a finalist for both the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1981. It is adapted as the libretto for Ezra Laderman's music in the oratorio Brotherly Love, premiered by the Philadelphia Singers in March 2000.

Product Description
Abbie Hoffman's brother presents an intimate portrait of one of the most fascinating and complex history-makers of our century. From the creation of the "Yippies" in 1967 to his final struggle with manic-depression and suicide, Run, Run, Run offers a compelling examination of the contradictions that made Abbie Hoffman such an intriguing figure.Amazon.com Review
Abbie Hoffman comes fully to life in thisportrait, which features an especially good depiction of the 1960s radical'sembattled relationship with his father. Author Jack Hoffman is sympatheticto his brother's controversial political beliefs but regretfulabout what he sees as Abbie's insatiable need for fame andan inability to separate his public and private lives. Coverage ofHoffman's glory days as clown prince of the counterculture, hisyears underground, and his reemergence in the '80s all gaindimension from the personal insights of a family member. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Read After Viewing STEAL THIS MOVIE!
I was compelled to visit the Emmaus Public Library by my renewed enthusiam for STEAL THIS MOVIE! in its video form, which I viewed last Saturday. Their collection didn't contain the biography upon which the film was based (AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY), but it did feature this 1994 biography of Abbie Hoffman by his brother Jack.

Last summer, I had seen a special sneak preview of STEAL THIS MOVIE! at the County Theater in Doylestown, PA (at which the film's director gave a short talk). I loved the film, and I was horrified when it received such little fanfare from reviewers and so little time in the multiplexes.

The video confirmed my enthusiasm: it's a great film which captures the hopes and chaos of the 1960's in America, as well as the struggles of one manic-depressive to keep those in power accountable to the American Public.

Jack Hoffman's biography of his brother Abbie fills in a huge quantity of details which the film ignored. It's the old tale of the blind men and the elephant: each man speaks the truth, but one needs the data of each individual in order to perceive the full picture. One needs the film AND this biography to begin to understand the complex person who was Abbie Hoffman.

I believe Abbie Hoffman was a hero, but he also was human. RUN RUN RUN reveals the importance of family in Hoffman's life and in his career as an anti-war activist (and then activist for various environmental causes). The film completely ignores Hoffman's first wife and two children with her, as well as Hoffman's close links with his younger brother and sister.

As I have read about Hoffman and watched his film biography, I have been struck by the idiocy of his harrassment by the American government, particularly the FBI. What a waste of taxpayer's dollars!

Readers wishing to better understand the history of America in the 1960's through the melancholy tale of one person who sought to change the System through satire and media activism would do well to read Jack Hoffman's thoroughly honest, engrossing, and empathetic portrait of his brother, of a family, and of an era.

Compassionate last portrait
Although I prided myself on being leftwing, I thought I understood everything there was to know about Abbie Hoffman. The final tribute by his brother is sympathetic without covering or making excuses for less thanstellar behavior with various drugs.

Intially starting out as a cleancut middle class psychologist, Abbie Hoffman gradually morphed into one ofthe most recognizable revolutionaries in America during the 1960's and1970's. This noteriety also placed him on the FBI's most wanted list, incourt following the 1968 Democratic National Convention and eventuallyundeground in Mexico to evade a drug bust.

Although he was certainlyeccentric (a string of marriages and divorces)and a proponent of free love,he also came across as an average guy who worried about his kids, likedsports and remembered his roots. In turn, his family stuck by him even whenit was not easy to be related to Abbie.

I was also struck by howdepressed Abbie felt when younger generations did not want to take on thesystem so vigorously. For somebody who prided himself on being hip and withit,realizing that young adults of the 1980s did not share his same moralrighteousness must have been worse than fear of aprehension by the FBIand/or CIA.

It is this state that Hoffman spent his final years. Althoughhe still organized, it was apparent the 60's were long over. Nonetheless,he was optimistic that Michael Dukakis would become president in 1988.

Although this dream did not become realized, it is interesting totheorize what kind of reaction he would have had to Clinton's election.

Even if this book is intended to be a personal tribute to another familymember, it convinced me more than ever that, if the world is moredemocratic and open minded since the 1960's,Abbie Hoffman, (among others)deserves the credit for this victory.I do not remember Hoffman's death,butam certain that he will remain deeply missed by many of those who did. ... Read more

Product Description
Paul Bunyan is the giant of American folklore, so huge that several states claim him as their own-some say he was born in Michigan, others claim Minnesota, still others, Maine. Daniel Hoffman's Paul Bunyan shows that the hero's origins are more surprising still.

More than another recounting of Paul Bunyan's adventures, this book is a classic of American folklore. First published in 1949, this new edition traces the clues of origin to turn-of-the-century logging camps, to the sparse record of actual folktales, and then to the ways these yarns were repeated, revised, simplified, or distorted. ... Read more

Product Description
"Hang-Gliding from Helicon" presents more than forty new poems by Daniel Hoffman and a generous selection from six of his previous books.

Hoffman's poetry is a celebration of life, yet some of his poems have dark implications. "The City of Satisfactions" is a journey into the haunted heart of the American dream. "The Center of Attention" portrays a suicidal man being taunted by a crowd to jump from a bridge, and "Witnesses" explores the aftermath of a car wreck on a desolate stretch of rural highway.

Each of Hoffman's poems represents a striking response to the moments of being alive. "Hang-Gliding from Helicon" affirms the power of poetry to make possible the acceptance and transformation of life. Daniel Hoffman has given us the remarkable statement of his deep poetic faith. ... Read more

Product Description
Reflections on poetry, from the birth of modernism to the present
... Read more

Product Description

Combining the disciplines of folklore and literary criticism inhis perceptive readings of works by Irving, Hawthorne, Melville, and Mark Twain,Daniel Hoffman demonstrates how these authors transformed materials from both highand popular culture, from their European past and their American present, in worksthat helped to form our national consciousness. In his new preface, Hoffmandescribes the evolution of his critical method and suggests the book's value forcontemporary readers.

Customer Reviews (1)

An excellent overview of classical American fictional tropes
I enjoyed this book immensely and relied on it heavily for a Master's thesis on the impact of medieval literature on the works of Nathaniel Hawthorne.Hoffman's theories about the evolution of American archetypal characters is a must-read not only for those in the American literature academic community, but anyone desiring to write in a method that draws strength from that which is authentically American.Hoffman's analysis of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow sets an impressive stage, and his chapters on the impact of folk tales on Hawthorne's short stories are very insightful.The writing style is clear and scholarly without devolving into the common risk of pedanticism.On the creative side, as someone who is working on an historical fantasy set in early colonial Connecticut, I found this book to be helpful in tapping into the historical American voice.It is a volume to which I will often return. ... Read more