Now’s the time to build up your Bruce Schneier library

Over the past week, I’ve been thinking about which new books to recommend for holiday buyers – either for themselves, or their technology teams. Three recommendations will come out in SD Times News on Thursday this week. (I’ll repost them here afterwards.)

While you’re waiting, I urge you to check out a tremendous article by SD Times’ Jeff Feinman. Published in the Sept. 1, 2007, issue of SD Times, Jeff asked a number of top techies which books they’d recommend. In “Take a Look in a Book,” you’ll get reading ideas from people like Peter Coffee, Jeff Duntemann, Bernard Golden, Lori McVittie, Andy Hunt, Andrew Binstock, Miko Matsumura, Tony Wasserman and Scott Barber.

If I counted correctly, there are thoughtful recommendations for 45 books. I’m sure there are some books in Jeff’s article that are already your favorites.

One book recommended by Jeff Duntemann was Bruce Schneier’s Applied Cryptography. In October, Bruce released a 1664-page paperback called Schneier’s Cryptographic Classics Library, containing three books: Applied Cryptography, Secrets and Lies, and Practical Cryptography (co-authored with Niels Ferguson).

Since I already have all three of those books, I don’t need this combo volume. However, if you don’t have them, this is a great way to get (or give) all three.