Internet Babylon:
Secrets, Scandals, and Shocks on the Information Superhighway
Book Review

By Dale Farris, Vice President Golden Triangle PC Club May 2004 General Overview This book looks at the Internet from a sordid and entertaining perspective. The line between truth and fiction is blurred on the Net, just as it is in Hollywood, and so are the scandals involving well-known movie and TV personalities, politicians, and the Internet's own brand of celebrities. The battle between illusion and reality is every bit as intense on the Internet as on the celluloid screen. Going beyond sites that glorify the seamier side to life, Internet Babylon is a guide to the unique sites that appeal to selective sensibilities. Internet Babylon gives you the ability to live vicariously through and be a participant in extraordinary, even strange, goings-on that you might never otherwise encounter in your day-to-day life. You’ll not only find entertaining and titillating stories that define the rough and wild side of a major force in society that’s still developing, but you’ll also discover the tools you need to be on top of breaking stories and find the news that’s not fit to print. Author Holden has a fondness for Kenneth Anger's "Hollywood Babylon" books, and like those books, his Internet Babylon gives you the ability to live vicariously through and be a participant in the oddities of the Internet. These sites are therefore not necessarily "mainstream," whatever that means, and may offend those with more sensitive eyes and ears. However, in this interesting collection of unusual web sites the author does NOT glorify the most extreme of sites that do exist on the web. Table of Contents The twenty (20) chapters are organized into six parts, and include the following: Part One: The Rich and (In) Famous 1)    Family Values in Babylon 2)    Washed Up in Babylon 3)    The Babylon Enquirer Part Two:  The Afterlife 4)    Unsolved Mysteries in Babylon 5)    Death in Babylon 6)    God in Babylon Part Three: Bad Boys and Naughty Girls 7)    Hackers and Other Internet Heroes 8)    Spam and Other E-Mail Follies in Babylon 9)    Low-Down, Dirty Scum in Babylon 10)  Flakes and Fanatics in Babylon Part Four:  Big Brother Is Watching 11)  Political Intrigue in Babylon 12)  Scandals in Babylon 13)  Government Secrets in Babylon Part Five:  Did You Hear the One About 14)  Tongue Lashings in Babylon 15)  Silliness, Fun, and Games in Babylon 16)  Gossip in Babylon 17)  Internet Legends, Myths, and Symbols 18)  Dressing Up Your Home-Page and Yourself Part Six:  Big (and Not So Big) Business 19)  E-Commerce Comedies in Babylon 20)  But Is It Art? Target Readers This is an Internet surfing book that is definitely targeted to those readers and Internet users who have tastes and interests that run a little different from the "mainstream," whatever that may be. Certainly, the sites that are explored and explained in this curious collection will appeal to folks who are more inclined to be open to new ideas, different approaches to life, and certainly different interests. In addition, the author shies away from the most bizarre, most extreme, and the most sordid or sadistic, so these intriguing sites are relevant to most all age readers, except for the very young. Book Contents 472 pages; about the author; acknowledgments; tips; figures; random googling; index Author Greg Holden About the Author Since 1996, Greg Holden has been a full-time writer of books, articles, and columns on computer and Internet-related topics. He is the author of over twenty books on e-commerce, Web design, and computing. Greg collects odd facts in his mind the way some folks collect pens, watches, or vintage clothing. A computer geek back in the days when most of his fellow newspaper reporters were still pounding away on typewriters, he was excited by the web in its early days and has been devoted to it ever since. The web allowed him to leave the confining cubicle of his nine-to-five editorial job at the University of Chicago and form his own company, Stylus Media, which specializes in technical writing, publications management, and desktop publishing. Most of his books are pretty straightforward computer how-to manuals, but when he gets a chance he loves to branch out to write books such as "Literaty Chicago," and "Karma Mama, Dharma Dad." He keeps his eye  out for the unusual, the offbeat, and the exceptional. ISBN March 17, 2004 - First Edition 1-59059-299-9 List Price $29.99 About Apress Apress is a publishing company devoted to meeting the needs of programming professionals. Apress' unique approach to computer book publishing grew out of conversations between Dan Appleman and Gary Cornell, Apress' founders, who believe that too many programming books are of such low quality that they are a complete waste of time. Computer professionals need quality books that are not just rehashes of documentation. The "A" in Apress stands for The Author's Press, and their books have "The Expert's Voice." Apress acquires manuscripts of the highest quality by attracting the best authors and technical experts that the world has to offer. Apress makes authors partners in the publishing process, doesn't impose a "house style" on authors, and doesn't make them conform to a series that straightjacket's them. Apress also makes sure that authors are treated equitably. Another key feature of the Apress approach to publishing books is taken from the software industry. Apress treats the technical review process as seriously as the best software companies treat the quality assurance process. Apress is convinced that the innovations listed above make it possible for them to produce the highest quality books, recruit the highest quality authors, and publish titles that information technology professionals need and want. The Apress management team ensures that the distribution and fulfillment of Apress titles is second to none, and that the capital is available to move aggressively and take advantage of any publishing opportunities that arise. To accomplish this, Apress has entered into a partnership with Springer-Verlag, one of the world's most respected publishing houses. Springer-Verlag is convinced that Apress will be the publisher of quality trade computer paperbacks in the years to come. Apress will continue to publish titles of the highest quality, and has compiled a team of authors that reads like a veritable "Who's Who" list of the computing industry. The company founders have published over 200 software titles by leading software professionals, all of whom have "The Expert's Voice." Publisher Contact Chloe Benjamin Marketing Associate Apress 2560 Ninth Street, Suite 219 Berkeley, California 94710 510-549-5930 ext. 120 FAX 510-549-5939 chloe@apress.com www.apress.com