Reviews for XML Databases and the Semantic Web

1. Useful, but not essential.

   Rated 3 out of 5 stars, November 12th, 2002

   The enabling technologies that drive the Web continue to develop at an astonishing pace. The Semantic Web is the name given to the web infrastructure and technologies currently being researched in order to facilitate a new phase; content that can be understood by machines and programs.
   
   The book is intended to be a primer for technical managers and technologists on the subject of emerging technologies that will have a significant impact on how electronic business is conducted. XML is the central technology in providing the foundation for the Semantic Web, and it is this notion that informs the book's structure.
   
   Separated into three parts, Thuraisingham consistently discusses XML in relation to developments in the Semantic Web. Part I offers a context for the emergence of XML in describing supporting technologies for this markup language. This section attempts to cover a great deal of ground, and
   it is the scope of this section that proves to be it's downfall.

   Discussions of technologies such as Java are too brief to be of any real value, yet their inclusion makes the reader wish for greater detail. A summary of HTML seems rather unnecessary considering the technical knowledge expected in the reader.

   Part II is a presentation of the underlying concepts behind XML and the applications that have both driven its emergence and brought it to prominence. Part III considers various applications of XML and its place in the building of the Semantic Web. These two sections are of much greater value, introducing the reader to Resource Description Framework (RDF), DAML+OIL, and the Semantic Web as a concept where the syntactical nature of XML is complemented by the application of ontologies and semantics to data.
   
   The text is often cluttered with jargon and lacks real world examples to illustrate complex ideas the author intends to render simple and tangible. This is a useful book, but considering the cost it is not essential. As Thuraisingham points out, the best way to keep up with
   developments is to read various web sites which provide extremely up-to-date information.

2. Useful, but not Essential.

   Rated 3 out of 5 stars, November 12st, 2002

   The enabling technologies that drive the Web continue to develop at an astonishing pace. The Semantic Web is the name given to the web infrastructure and technologies currently being researched in order to facilitate a new phase; content that can be understood by machines and
   programs.
   The book is intended to be a primer for technical managers and technologists on the subject of emerging technologies that will have a significant impact on how electronic business is conducted. XML is the central technology in providing the foundation for the Semantic Web, and it
   is this notion that informs the book's structure.
   Separated into three parts, Thuraisingham consistently discusses XML in relation to developments in the Semantic Web. Part I offers a context for the emergence of XML in describing supporting technologies for this markup language. This section attempts to cover a great deal of ground, and it is the scope of this section that proves to be it's downfall.
   Discussions of technologies such as Java are too brief to be of any real value, yet their inclusion makes the reader wish for greater detail. A summary of HTML seems rather unnecessary considering the technical knowledge expected in the reader.
   Part II is a presentation of the underlying concepts behind XML and the applications that have both driven its emergence and brought it to prominence. Part III considers various applications of XML and its place in the building of the Semantic Web. These two sections are of much greater value, introducing the reader to Resource Description Framework (RDF), DAML+OIL, and the Semantic Web as a concept where the syntactical nature of XML is complemented by the application of ontologies and semantics to data.
   The text is often cluttered with jargon and lacks real world examples to illustrate complex ideas the author intends to render simple and tangible. This is a useful book, but considering the cost it is not
   essential. As Thuraisingham points out, the best way to keep up with developments is to read certain web sites [...] which provide extremely up-to-date information.