Getting the Most Out of This Book

This is not one of those entertaining quick-read business books. It provides a tremendous amount of research material as well as analysis, saving you hundreds of hours of doing your own fundamental Web services research and analysis. It crosses several disciplines (technology, business strategy, vendor criteria and selection, and more) it's a challenging read.

To meet this challenge you'll need to "get psyched" about Web services! You'll need to remind yourself, "I have to know this material to ensure the long-range success of my company." You'll need to look for the gleam of excitement in "application development environments" and "program-to-program" communications.

Further, for maximum learning benefit, do not try to read this book "all in one sitting." Treat each chapter as a mini-white paper. Read it, then put the book down and walk away from it. Come back when you've had a chance to consider what you've learned. This approach will help you maximize your learning experience while keeping your interest high.

Also, take the opportunity to access the Internet source sites referred to in each chapter. More in-depth information on each topic can be gleaned by visiting these sources.