Web Farming for the Data Warehouse (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Data Management Systems)

In Web Farming for the Data Warehouse, author Richard D. Hackathorn applies his 30-plus years of information expertise to the novel concept of "Web farming." He lays out the methodology of cultivating the global Web for information relevant to an enterprise's operation. Although this title is targeted at information managers in large organizations, the basic ideas contained within can easily be applied to businesses of all sizes to some degree.

The first part of the book, aptly titled "Plowing the Soil," presents the importance of gathering information to build institutional knowledge for competitive reasons. The author explains how Web farming fits in with the more established concept of data warehousing and emphasizes the way high-capacity information gathering can change business processes.

In the central portion of the book, the author explains the process of moving an organization to Web farming from both technological and managerial perspectives. Then he gets into the details, explaining all of the related Internet standards, information tools, and online databases waiting to be tapped. This section is amazingly comprehensive.

The book finishes with a discussion of privacy and the effects of new information technology on society. If you're interested in Web farming or simply want a taste of where the Internet is likely to take us, this title is sure to provide a fresh perspective. --Stephen W. Plain