Internet Routing Architectures (Cisco Press core series)

Modestly subtitled "The Definitive BGP resource", Internet Routing Architectures is published by the book division of that cornerstone of the Internet, Cisco Systems--so you can be sure that the contents therein have come pretty much straight from the horse's mouth. For those unaware, "BGP" is short for Border Gateway Protocol, the de facto inter-domain routing protocol used in the Internet today.

The book is broken down into four sections, an overview of the Internet, routing protocol basics, effective routing design and routing device configuration. It's not a revision aid per se, one that would help you prepare for a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) qualification, and so is laid out as a general reference work. But the book's layout and format does have more than a passing resemblance to a Cisco router manual!

Now it would be an understatement to say that the ground covered by this book is incredibly technical and isn't for the casual reader. It is also true to say that where the subject matter is so complex, it's won't be long before your eyes glaze over. But if you try to over-simplify something that is inherently complicated it loses its meaning. This book succeeds in treading this fine line by introducing technical detail gradually and making use of practical examples whenever possible. And the going only really gets tough in the final chapters. Making this sort of rocket science accessible takes some skill and, more often than not, this book succeeds at that task, though it remains a dry read. Its intended audience is fairly small but for those that do need access to this information, this book is one for the shortlist. --Roger Gann