Saturday, July 30, 2011

31 Days Before Your CompTIA A+ Exams (2nd Edition)

Product Description: This is the only A+ exam preparation guide that is mapped to several study resources. This new edition includes references to but is not limited to just the Cisco IT Essentials v4.1 course material to prepare for the new CompTIA 2009 A+ certification exams. Like all Cisco Press "31 Days..." exam prep books, it is organized by day, starting 31 days before the exam. Short, low-cost, and exceptionally readable, it gives you a highly-structured, simple tool that tells you exactly what to study each day to be fully prepared. 31 Days Before Your A+ Exams, Second Edition also contains easy-to-understand information on how to sign up for the exam, detailed explanations about what to expect during the exam, time-proven test taking strategies, and a tear out visual aid calendar. With these features, it is a true exam prep guide in every sense.

Ben Conry authored the first edition and much of the second edition of this book, but he needed some "backup". That's where I came in. Inside the front matter, you'll see me listed as "Contributing Author".

I'm no stranger to the CompTIA A+ exams and have previously authored PC Technician Street Smarts, Updated for the 2009 Exam and CompTIA A+ Certification Practice Exams (Exams 220-701 & 220-702). This is my first outing writing for Cisco Press and I hope it's not my last.

31 Days Before Your CompTIA A+ Exams (2nd Edition) will be available in October. Pre-order your copy now.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Trying to get a look and feel

I know, I know...it's been forever. I've been working on other blogs and have woefully neglected my first effort. I've also been trying to figure out exactly what content I want to feature here. For awhile, I was doing technical book reviews more or less exclusively here, but I ran out of bandwidth to do that kind of writing. I've been pining to get back to something like that lately, but maybe not with such an emphasis.

I love reading. I really enjoy it. I also like to write about what I read, but I read all kinds of books. The theological tomes I'm reserving for another blog entirely so if that's not your cup of tea, you don't have to be concerned that such content will appear here. On the other hand, I'm having a lot of fun reading Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. I have been trying to get together with a few other folks for a "book club" of sorts, but the priorities of the various members seem a bit scattered, so it's not as successful as I'd hoped. Even if the "club" doesn't continue, I now have the desire to expand my reading selections into other more "literary areas.

I've changed the theme and imagery of the blog significantly but I still don't know if I really like it. I'll probably keep tinkering with it, but expect new content to appear here pretty soon. I'll still review books on technical subjects I like, but I also want to talk about (even if it's just to myself) my other "biblio" interests.

Please stand-by. There is nothing wrong with your television set.