Rating: 
Summary: Two Books?
Review: Maybe there are two books by Harry Brelsford with the same title. In the book I got Bob Clough, a marketing manager at Microsoft, wrote the forward to Mr. Brelsford's book. He was not a co-author. The book I got is not a 5 star book.This book needs an editor. There are many typos (what is a 3/18" nut driver?) and Harry's good-old-boy prose is annoying. As proof of this I also bought Harry's "MCSE Consulting Bible" which was published by IDG Books. This book is well edited and Harry comes across as the smart and informed business man I'm sure he is. This is a 5 star book. What a difference an editor makes! "Small Business Server 2000 Best Practices" is a book filled with tips and a few best practices by a man who has extensive experience installing small business server. I can recommend this book because of the great advice and despite the poor editing and high price.
Rating: 
Summary: A 'Must Have' book
Review: Quick, what do you do? You're a small business owner who would rather devote time to growing your business than learning about a software package. But you suspect Microsoft's Small Business Server (SBS) might be just the ticket to help manage, organize and streamline your operation. What do you do? If you're smart, you buy this book. Considered an expert in the field and with 8 previous books to his name, Brelsford uses his Texas humor and extensive knowledge of Microsoft Small Business Server (SBS) to give the reader what they need. Starting with the basics ("Defining SBS") onto installation and then into using consoles and other nifty features. Explanations are down-to-earth in a conversational tone. The book furnishes information without burying the reader in computer jargon. Computer networks, by nature, are complicated things. Microsoft's approach is to break it down into manageable parts or "components." These components make up Small Business Server and include an operating system, e-mail program, powerful database, Internet security and so much more. But with so many features (read "overwhelming") in SBS, where do you start? What should you know before installing? How do you make full use of its features? "Small Business Server 2000 Best Practices provides the answers. Hardware suggestions, network layouts and workstation installation plans are covered as is extensive installation details ("When you see the following screen, insert this disk..."). A nice feature is the detailed Table of Contents. Beyond chapter titles, entries are bolded within each chapter and also listed for easy reference, making quick work of finding what you're after. Whether to be used for implementing SBS for a small business or as the 'go to' book for operational answers, odds are it's in there. Want to build a presence on the Internet? In there. Want to use other Microsoft software, such as Exchange Server and Outlook with SBS? In there. Want your customers to never encounter a busy signal when trying to send you a fax? Yes, it's in there. Want to run the business remotely in your P.J.s? Well, almost. Bottom line, you don't have to be an IT professional to install and use SBS, but with "Small Business Server 2000 Best Practices" at your side, you can look like one.
Rating: 
Summary: Novice to Expert in One Book!
Review: Rarely does one run across a book that allows one start out knowing absolutely nothing about a specific product but in the end leaves you feeling quite comfortable and even competent at supporting others on that product. Small Business Server 2000 Best Practices by Harry Brelsford is just such a book. And instead of the typical dry technical diatribe, Harry's personality and humorous quips are sprinkled throughout - keeping the reader awake and very interested.
Rating:
Summary: Whoa, too easy....
Review: Thank you Harry, this book covers it all... and as a MCSE/SBS consultant I hope that none of my customers find this book. You really are giving away the inside scoop and alright.... I love it because it has made setting up SBS and performing specific tasks quick and easy, like opening ports on ISA to gain access to the internet with messenger and the whole bit on Outlook, Exchange, faxing... this is a goldmine of information. So I guess I really mean to say thank you for a lot of headaches saved - you have made my job a lot easier. For the next book: Could you keep a couple of secrets to yourself?
Rating:
Summary: It's Not Just Me!
Review: Thanks to Harry for giving us the first real look at what actually happens with an SBS install. I've done more than a dozen and I was starting to think I'd lost it completely. His practical tips offer some great work-arounds, but mostly, it's reassuring to me that others run into the same snags I have with this product. I've got some stumper questions and issues that he doesn't mention, but at least this gives us some direction.
I've sold copies of this book to my clients and urge them to study it too.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely the best!!
Review: This book is absolutely awesome. I've just gotten my copy (after waiting for weeks for the book to get published) and am about half way through. It is one of the most informative books I've read. I've been working with Windows 2000 and the individual server products for quite some time. After reading this book I'm completely sold on the benefits of SBS. Harry really knows his stuff.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book for the Small Business Owner
Review: This book is wonderful! For a SOHO like me, it was perfect. It cut right to the point and I set everything up in one weekend. I shipped the Microsoft's book back!
Also, I was quoted [a lot] for hardware/Software. I paid [much less] for the server and saved the rest because this book. I was able to set up the server myself with only a peer to peer networking background.
Rating:
Summary: Don't leave home without it!
Review: This book is, in my opinion, "the" definitive manual for Small Business Server 2000. Its approach is informal in tone - but highly informative. One can find specific information quickly, and it's easily understood (all the things that a typical Microsoft manual wasn't!) As an experiemced SBS consultant, I plan to carry it with me daily, and also recommend it to all of my clients. The first hour I started reading it I found a solution to a vexing problem I was having at a client. How about THAT for "return-on-investment?"
Rating: 
Summary: A book for beginners
Review: This book should have been titled "Small Business Server 2000 for Dummies" It is a good for for a novice business owner or manager to do the most basic setups of SBS 2000. However, if you are experienced with Windows NT/2000 Server, you will be disappointed, as this book covers some of the most basic features and functions and it does NOT show the best practices in real life small business networking situations. In short, this book is for beginners only and it doesn't deserve similar rating as Mark Minasi's outstanding Windows NT/2000 Server books.
Rating:
Summary: This is a great real-world, pragmatic book
Review: Whether you are a computer network consultant or own a small business and want to setup a small network THIS BOOK is a great read packed with pragmatic information you want & need to setup & administer Microsoft SBS 2000. Harry Brelsford demonstrates his mastery of SBS 2000 and consulting to small business customers this book is within reaching distance of my desk.
| 
