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Title: The Information Broker's Handbook by Sue Rugge, Alfred Glossbrenner ISBN: 0-07-057871-0 Publisher: Computing McGraw-Hill Pub. Date: June, 1997 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $34.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.33 (9 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: still valuable, if a bit dated
Comment: Reading a book like this makes you appreciate the rapid advancement of internet technology and the availability of online resources. In some ways this book reads like ancient history. (Remember Archie and Gopher? ftp?) That said, you can still learn how to use many older and traditional information resources, and the book's main focus -- becoming a professional information broker -- remains relevant and intact.
Part One, The Information Business, defines the market for information and the role and requirements of a professional information broker. Part Two, Fundamental Tools and Techniques, is a user-friendly guide to library, government and public records resources. These two sections are still quite useful, though obviouisly incomplete. Part Three, Electronic Options and Alternatives, is outdated, addressing no World Wide Web resources at all, though it does cover online special interest groups (SIGs) and bulletin boards (BBSs) well. Part Four, The Business Side of Information Brokering, is quite valuable and deals with completing a project, marketing, sales, pricing, contracts and billing.
Appendices cover essential resources (books, software and magazines), vendors, conferences, associations and seminars. An accompanying 3-1/2-inch floppy disk contains the appendices as well as electronic forms and letters, and a sample report. Stylistically, this disc is like a fine black & white movie. ASCII text files ensure accessibility by multiple platforms, and elegant but casual writing combined with beautifully-formatted text is information rich. If you buy this book used, make sure you get the disk too.
In short, while some of the content is quite outdated, this book and disk would still prove invaluable for someone who is interested in becoming an information professional. Rich in content, accessible in style.
Rating: 4
Summary: My information "Bible!"
Comment: A friend recently said I have "an almost pathological passion" for research. Yip, he's right! And this book, along with Reva Basch's "Researching Online For Dummies" has been of invaluable help. I read some parts of both nearly everyday. I've read in other reviews that The Information Broker's Handbook was skimpy on where to find info online. Maybe, but that wasn't the whole point of the book. And, at nearly 580 pages, it is more than sufficient in detail and is a clear, informative guide. Most people probably wouldn't pick a technical manual to read for recreational reading, but it is so interestingly written that it really is hard to put down, and you learn so much even from casual reading a bit at a time. I love this book, and couldn't do without it. It is perfect for information nuts, especially since the Internet is a knowledge junkie's paradise!
Rating: 4
Summary: Solid Basic of Starting an Information Brokering Business
Comment: In contrast to Mary Ellen's book, this book is actually for self-starters who are thinking about creating their own small business and covers such excellent basics as the market for information, what an information broker does, the pros and cons of the information business, and then the tools, followed by chapters on marketing, pricing, and project management. Although seven years old now, I still regard this as a good starting point for those who would understand the information brokering business (a small niche within the larger open source intelligence business).
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