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Rating: 
Summary: A good explanation of encryption basics including Internet.
Review: How private are your Internet communications? Would you like an explanation of electronic encryption technology? You may want to determine how much information you are willing to give away - and how much to protect..The first half of the book is a good explanation of encryption basics that clearly details theory and mechanics. The second half demonstrates useful Internet protection schemes.
Rating: 
Summary: I was delighted with this book!
Review: Many years ago, when atomic testing was in full swing in the New Mexico desert, The New Yorker ran a cartoon showing two indians exchanging smoke signals when a giant mushroom cloud appeared over the horizon. The caption was one of the indians saying, "I wish I had said that!". I felt that way when I read PERSONAL ENCRYPTION. I found it a most enjoyable and useful treatment of a non-trivial subject. As a former IBM-er (I have been retired for many years, living in Southern Spain) I had the pleasure twenty years ago, when working at the Palo Alto Scientific Center, to meet Marty Hellman who gave us a few seminars on his work in Public Key Encryption. However, I found the subject matter reminiscent of my earlier experience with Norbert Weiner's "Yellow Peril" (Interpolation, Extrapolation, and Smoothing of Stationary Time Series), viz., I could follow it all and nod me head in agreement but, a week later, if I tried to explain the fundamentals to a friend at a cocktail party, I would get my tongue twisted around my eye teeth and couldn't see what I was saying. Since reading this book I can't wait for someone to ask about Public Key Encryption, although I must admit the chance of that happening here in Mojacar, Almeria is vanishingly small.
Rating:
Summary: Encryption by Example let down by early chapters
Review: This isnt a bad book despite the 3 stars I've given it. The first part of the book describes the theory and aspects of cryptography. I felt it was rather waffly and not precise enough. I wanted more diagrams and more stuff like Appendix A in the early chapters. By page 100 I felt the knowledge I had learnt could have been dealt with in 10 pages. The 2nd half of the book is quite good. Lots of walk throughs with the likes of verisign (getting a digital id) and emailing with PGP. However, the book assumes you already have the software, eg PGP and I had to refer to Appendix B to find where to download software.
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