Software Diagnostics Library

I’ve been fascinated by Chemistry since the age of 13-14. At that time I noticed organic formulae on the blackboard of a higher school class and was curious about what they meant. So I asked my mother to bring me a book about Chemistry from a library and she brought a school textbook about Inorganic Chemistry. I read it in a few weeks and proceeded to reading a textbook about Organic Chemistry. At the same time I found in a local library 10 volumes of The Feynman Lectures on Physics (in Russian translation) and started reading the first volumes on classical mechanics and learnt about calculus. Another popular book about Quantum Chemistry raised my curiosity in Quantum Mechanics and Morris Kline’s The Loss of Certainty book (in Russian translation) made me interested in abstract mathematics and its logical and set-theoretical foundations including Gödel’s theorems and intuitionistic mathematics. All this happened before the age of 16 and in one evening when I was reading a Linear Algebra textbook an idea struck me to represent certain aspects of Inorganic Chemistry formalisms like Periodic Table and empirical formulas of chemical compounds as linear vector spaces of element vectors over the field of numbers.

Now OpenTask is going to publish its first popular science book called:

Vector Space Chemistry (ISBN: 978-1906717551) 

with a preface written after 25 years since the discovery of this mathematical model and formalization of Chemistry.

A note for cautious readers: I’m aware about over-excessive application of mathematics in sciences, especially after reading these books:

Fashionable Nonsense and Social Sciences as Sorcery

My book is just a popular science book that explains some chemical and abstract mathematical concepts and provides an example of using Mathematics as a modeling and formalization tool for Chemistry.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Last weekend I spent a few hours devising a cover for the forthcoming computer memory visualization book and finally created this one piece cover featuring a journey to the center of pagefile theme and the discovery of cosmic rays in memory:

Coincidentally the whole 100 x 18400 centered slice of pagefile.sys image fit on the cover and nothing was left!

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Finally designed a conceptual cover for DebugWare book using command-line theme:

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Which paper type do you prefer? Paperback Memory Dump Analysis Anthology volumes are printed on creme paper. Hardback volumes sold on Amazon are also printed on creme paper but Lulu uses white paper for them. Full color hardback Volume 1 Collector’s Edition is printed on white paper too and sold on Lulu only. I chose creme paper for Amazon and other distribution channels because I read that this type of paper is easier to read. So if you like text printed on white paper your only option at the moment is to buy a hardcover on Lulu.

Here is a stack of all different types of volumes:

From top to bottom:

• - Paperback Volume 1 on crème paper (Lulu, Amazon, B&N, … )
• - Hardcover Volume 2 on crème paper (Amazon, B&N, … )
• - Paperback Volume 2 on crème paper (Lulu, Amazon, B&N, … )
• - Hardcover Volume 1 on crème paper (Amazon, B&N, … )
• - Hardcover Volume 1 on white paper (Lulu)
• - Hardcover Volume 2 on white paper (Lulu)
• - Hardcover Volume 1 Collector’s Edition on white paper (Lulu)

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Here is the front cover image for the first issue of previously announced Debugged! MZ/PE magazine:

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Last quarter was very busy for me and to keep up with schedule I now employ pipeline book writing techniques borrowed from CPU of my laptop to work simultaneously on 10 books. I also feel more relaxed with take it easy attitude towards writing and publishing: TIEP - TIE Publishing. In summary: the following book is planned to be released in Q1, 2009 where I’m an author:

• - Windows® Debugging: Practical Foundations (ISBN: 978-1906717100)

A magazine issue is planned for Q1 where I’m an editor:

• - March issue of Debugged! MZ/PE: MagaZine for/from Practicing Engineers (ISBN: 978-1906717384)

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

OpenTask publisher plans to expand its offering of computer memory visualization titles:

http://www.opentask.com/memory-visualization-titles

More details will be announced soon.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

The analogy between learning a complex tool with its own language and a foreign natural language has been developed further after the release of WinDbg Learning Cards and finally culminated in “WinDbg In Use” book series with the first book to be published during the 1st quarter of 2009:

• Title: WinDbg In Use: Debugging Exercises (Elementary and Intermediate Level)
• Author: Dmitry Vostokov
• Publisher: Opentask (15 March 2009)
• Language: English
• Product Dimensions: 23.5 x 19.1
• ISBN-13: 978-1-906717-50-6
• Paperback: 200 pages
• Book Annotation: Includes 60 programmed exercises from real life debugging and crash dump analysis scenarios and multiple-choice questions with full answers, comments and suggestions for further reading.

Some example exercises will be published on this blog from time to time. I also plan a corresponding column in the forthcoming Debugged! magazine. 

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

The following book is planned for publication during the 1st quarter of 2009:

Title: Reference Stack Traces: Windows Server® 2008 and Windows Vista™
ISBN-13: 978-1-906717-23-0

It features visual separation between kernel and user space in thread stack traces and useful footnotes for IRP and modules. Its publishing was delayed by a few months but fortunately my editing just got new breath by introducing thread stackprint images for kernel stacks (12Kb bitmaps):

Sample pages 13 and 96

Thread stackprints were generated from a complete memory dump using WinDbg scripts and Dump2Picture.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Previously announced Salary Figures book is on sale:

Salary Figures: A Codebook of Expectations

Front cover:

Back cover:

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Some people asked about OpenTask publishing terms:

It is a well-known fact that average book is sold in no more than 100 copies. It is considered good if a book is sold in 300 copies per year which should break even with offset printing costs for several thousand copies. Print on demand is more economic but still there are costs to allocate an ISBN number and set up a title (about 100 USD), annual catalog maintenance fee of 10 - 15 USD per year, Ingram catalog advertisement fee of 50 USD, and a legal deposit book copy to British Library. Any title revision amounts to another 50 - 100 USD. A proof copy costs 20 - 50 USD. Therefore initial setup costs amount to 150 - 200 USD. Because OpenTask publisher is growing and wants to attract authors it offers the best possible terms for accepted book proposals that also balance publisher’s risks. After setup costs and annual catalog maintenance fee are covered by book sales an author gets 90% of the following sum - VAT: retail price - wholesale discount - printing costs (*). In return for 10% OpenTask offers extensive advertisment on affiliated books, magazines, blogs and portals. An author retains all copyright and OpenTask gets non-exclusive publishing rights. OpenTask accepts book proposals in various forms from initial conception without a sample chapter to complete manuscripts but at this time most of editing, proofreading and cover design must be done by authors unless a title has potential market opportunities and OpenTask helps with interior editing, formatting, proofreading and cover design and then bills them from future book sales. OpenTask works with leading industry distributors to make books available on Amazon, Barnes&Noble and other booksellers worldwide. If authors want to order copies of the book for independent distribution or give away signed copies they only pay printing, delivery and handling fees from a factory (**).

(*) Example: 6 x 9 (15.2 x 22.9) B&W perfect paperback book of 256 pages with full color cover costs 4.23 USD to print. If a retail price is 20 USD and standard industry distributor discount is 55%, then the author’s compensation per sale is 4.29 USD. If VAT is 20% the author gets 3.43 USD. Assuming that the title setup, annual maintenance fee and proof copy costs are 175 USD the auther receive his compensation after 40 book sales.

(**) Assuming that the cost of printing a book is 4.23 USD (*) and the author wants to order 25 books for independent distrubution the cost is 25*4.23 + delivery and handling fees (standard or express post rates apply).

Source:  http://www.opentask.com/publishing-terms 

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

OpenTask publishes the following sequel to Resume and CV book:

Title: Salary Figures: A Codebook of Expectations
Author: Dmitry Vostokov
ISBN-13: 978-1906717469
Paperback: 100 pages (1 January 2009)
Product Dimensions: 20.3 x 12.7
Book Annotation: After publishing Curriculum Vitae as a book the author started receiving e-mails asking for his salary expectation. Being shy to discuss such matters openly he devised a codebook of salaries. Now everyone could answer a question about his or her salary expectations by referring to specific page. Also colleagues and friends could say to each other: “I’m still on page X” or “Last month I turned the page Y over”. The last 10 pages of the codebook specify various perks. The response template to the question of salary expectations is: “My salary expectation is on page Z plus benefits listed on pages N and M”. (*) X,Y,Z,N,M are page numbers from 3 to 100. Good luck with job hunting

Typeset in Chilling font the book is suitable for wide salary ranges, from 1,000 to 1,000,000.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Finally previously announced full-color coffee table book is on sale:

DLL List Landscape: The Art from Computer Memory Space

Memory Dump Analysis Anthology, Volume 1 and Volume 2 have numerous articles related to computer memory visualization techniques using Dump2Picture and Microsoft debugger WinDbg.

I’m also working on Computer Memory Visualization book together with Jamie Fenton that was originally conceived as a coffee table book for general readers but now becomes more software engineering and science oriented the more I work on it. Coffee table status now comes to DLL List Landscape book.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Following the release of WinDbg: A Reference Poster and Learning Cards the following book is planned for Windows (GDB), Linux and FreeBSD users:

• Title: GDB and KDB Debuggers:
  A Reference Poster and Learning Cards
• Author: Gonçalo Gomes
• Publisher: Opentask (1 April 2009)
• Language: English
• Product Dimensions: 28.0 x 21.6
• ISBN-13: 978-1-906717-39-1
• Paperback: 16 pages

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

Due to some technical difficulties the release of WinDbg: A Reference Poster and Learning Cards has been delayed by 2 weeks. Now I got a proof copy and approved the book distribution on Amazon, B&N and other bookshops worldwide. Hope you will enjoy it and find it useful.

The similar book for GDB will be announced soon.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

If you have an article idea or if you’d like to write an article for Debugged! MZ/PE please use the following contact form:

http://www.dumpanalysis.org/contact

Author’s guidelines will be published soon.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org - 

As one of the new initiatives for the Year of Debugging  DumpAnalysis Portal will publish bimonthly full color 16 page publication called:

Debugged! MZ/PE: MagaZine for/from Practicing Engineers
The only serial publication dedicated entirely to Windows® debugging

The first issue is planned for March, 2009 and will have ISBN-13: 978-1-906717-38-4. If it goes well I’m planning to have ISSN number assigned to it too. More details will be announced soon.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org - 

I’m pleased to announce that OpenTask has submitted the book Dumps, Bugs and Debugging Forensics: The Adventures of Dr. Debugalov for printing and here is the link to TOC:

Table of Contents

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org - 

I was thinking about the universal character of debugging for quite some time and finally the following bugtation provided an inspiration for a new book title to be published during the Year of Debugging:

Title: Breaking the Bug: Debugging as a Natural Phenomenon
ISBN-13: 978-1906717377

More product details will be announced later.

Actually I believe in the mystical nature of various debugging numbers and sequences. For example, the ISBN number of this book ends in 377 which is the octal base equivalent of 0n255 or 0xFF.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org - 

Here are product details and covers for previously announced DLL List Landscape book:

• Title: DLL List Landscape: The Art from Computer Memory Space
• Author: Dmitry Vostokov
• Publisher: Opentask (15 December 2008)
• Language: English
• Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 21.6
• ISBN-13: 978-1-906717-36-0
• Paperback: 16 pages

Front cover:

Back cover:

- Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -