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BOOK REVIEWS
BOOK REVIEWS
The Chicago Guide to Your Career in Science. A Toolkit for Students and Postdocs The Chicago Guide to Your Career in Science. A Toolkit for Students and Postdocs. By Victor A. Bloomfield and Esam E. El-Fakahany. The University of Chicago Press: Chicago, U.S.A., 2008. vii + 367 pp + index. ISBN (paperback) 978-0226060644; U.S. $20. ISBN (hardcover) 978-0226060637; U.S. $50. Although aimed at students and postdocs, this reference could also be used by teachers and mentors of those contemplating a career in the sciences. In this reviewer’s opinion, the biomedical sciences (the background of the authors) are more often stressed or exemplified. However, there is much material of interest to chemistry and chemists, including readers of this journal. Other reviewers have also noted that detail on individual topics may suffer in a such a comprehensive treatment. For readers of this journal, the most relevant portions in Part 1 are the chapters on job searching. However, the description of nontraditional or alternative careers are better described elsewhere. For example, since careers in information, library science, informatics, and the computer sciences are conspicuously absent, Nontraditional Careers in Chemistry by Lisa Balbes would be a better resource. The chapters on communications, speaking, writing, and preparation of presentations are goodsbut for chemists are better covered in Write Like a Chemist. (Both of these titles are or have been reviewed in this journal.) Several other scientific career resources are cited, but several key sources are not. The need for any scientist to stay current is stressed repeatedly, and the chapter on finding and managing information is good. However, the specialized subject of chemical information is not addressed nor are sufficient references given. Even with shortcomings, this book is a good resource at a good price. Although other books are possibly better for experienced scientists, it should be readily available for career mentors and those interested in a career change.
Robert E. Buntrock Buntrock Associates CI900206M 10.1021/ci900206m
Google: The Digital Gutenberg. By Stephen Arnold. Infonortics: Tetbury, England. 2009. approx. 113 pp. E-book available only in online PDF download version direct from publisher; no ISBN. US$350, Euro 260. This is the third book from Steve Arnold on various aspects of Google. Stephen Arnold’s latest monograph complements his two previous Google studies: The Google Legacy1 and Google Version 2.0 - The Calculating Predator.2 In these two previous books, Arnold provided an in-depth analysis of the rise of Google over the past decade and discussed its potential for growth and diversification based on its impressive leading-edge technology. In the Preface to this third (and final?) book in the Google trilogy, Arnold comments that “...in this monograph, I haVe gathered together examples of Google’s non-adVertising technology, narrowing to what I call “publishing” technology. I haVe highlighted three points: First, I show how Google has initiated but not completed an endto-end publishing system, seeming content to mothball its technology and allow deVelopers to discoVer how to use its App Engine to access the Google operating enVironment.
Second, I illustrate Google’s data management capabilities. One benefit of structured or semistructured information is that blocks of information can be “sliced and diced” to create new concoctions, as suggested in the word “mashup”. Third, I haVe focused on Google’s stature as the next big thing. I do not discuss MySpace, Twitter or Facebook in this monograph, but these serVices represent companies that haVe built around some of Google’s technical methods. My working hypothesis is that Google has the infrastructure and the technology to compete in social networks and social search.” According to Arnold, Google’s potential is great, and The Googleplex is certainly not destined to remain an engine solely for crunching data in the fields of search and advertising. Thus he recommends this book is for those who need to understand Google and its potential: 1- those working in media and publishing companies; 2 - investment analysts, financial advisers; 3 - suppliers of corporate IT services and software; 4 - banking and financial companies; 5 - publishing and information industry strategists; and 6 - government advisers and analysts. There are 10 chapters in the book. As I read through the book, what struck me was the current Google style of “throw it up on the wall and see what sticks and doesn’t fall to the floor” business model. The Google staff seems to be having lots of fun, which most of us would consider “work”. While there are many legal issues (including copyright and monopoly) that continue to crop up with Google, the amazing technology they continue to develop using advertising revenue as the funding process (like Microsoft uses Windows and Office) could really have an impact on the Web. Google has income, a huge user base, and a first rate brand name (but then again, so did GM before it went bankrupt). There are too many examples in the book for me to describe, but the overall product development strategy for Google seems to be “fail early”. They seem to take this to extreme with most every “product” being made available as a “beta” test version. Of three well known and widely used products - Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Calendar - only Gmail has finally had the tag “beta” removed in July 2009, more than 5 years, millions of users and billions of e-mails later. As you read the chapters, you see where Google has created a vast number of minisystems, which can be sliced and diced in many ways, a few of which they expect will actually produce a real product and (someday) income. After reading all the things that are going on at Google, the one thing that stands out and is so different from the Gutenberg approach is the automation. Manpower is both expensive and slow. And it is getting more expensive and certainly not getting faster. Data tagging, text mining, indexing, content delivery, directories, matchmaking or brokering, report generation, and mashups - are all either totally automated or the labor is done by the user: a sort of modern Tom Sawyer who got the other boys to paint the fence. What Google has developed is an enormous collection of software modules which, with clever people, can be pieced together to make all sorts of things. But the real genius to this process is that while the development is labor intensive and expensive, in the long run being able to use and reuse the pieces makes it cheap. Read the book and enjoy the examples. And speaking of getting your customers and users to do the work and spend their time and money, an interesting feature of this book is the way you obtain it (http://infonortics.com/publications/google/ google-gutenberg.html). Like the previous two books by Arnold on Google, this publication is only available as an e-book in PDF (printable) form, as a Web site download (7.75 megabytes), and is some 113 pages long. On receipt of the order form and payment, purchasers will receive a password and access code to allow them to download the PDF file for one-person use. Then, one must print off the book preferably with a printer that allows for two-sided printing. This is a neat and (for the publisher) inexpensive way to sell a book; but for the user/reader, this is a somewhat expensive book which uses your own paper and ink to print it.
BOOK REVIEWS
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In summary I found the book an interesting and useful read. But at $350 (and your printer and paper to print it), the cost is a tad on the high side.
REFERENCES AND NOTES (1) Heller, S. R. The Google Legacy: How Google’s Internet Search Is Transforming Application Software by Stephen Arnold (book review). J. Chem. Inf. Model. 2006, 46, 1533. DOI: 10.1021/ci068004w. (2) Heller, S. R. Google Version 2.0 - The Calculating Predator by Stephen Arnold (book review). J. Chem. Inf. Model. 2008, 48, 1729–1730. DOI: 10.1021/ci800190g.
(3) Price perdownload is US$350 or Euro 260. It may be ordered using the Infonorticssecure order form at https://www.infonortics.com//https/ goog-ord.html. The work is also available at a special price as part of Arnold: The Google Trilogy whose price for a one-time download is US$650 or Euro 490.
Stephen R. Heller NIST, CBRD CI900268V 10.1021/ci900268v
