BYTE-ing Satire

Skewering a vast array of technology topics that apply to IT professionals and laypeople alike, this compilation of columns from MC Press's popular "MC TNT Tips 'N Tirades" follows the author as he searches for the answer to that eternal question: "Is technology more hindrance than help?" Joel Klebanoff masterfully doles out wry critiques of the pitfalls of eBay, the dangers of online surgical advice, the value of pet cloning technology, the trouble with jargon junkies, and cell phone etiquette.

For those who work with, own, appreciate, or hate all modern science has to offer, this collection of keen insights and clever musings on the often hilarious interaction between technology and human beings offers an entertaining and delightful look at the frustrations and laughs that are a part of techie culture.

Here's what Joel has to say:

• On Spam: "When telemarketing calls, spam, and regular junk mail fully clog all other forms of communication, the only remaining option will be to accept visitors to my home office, and I really don't want to have to clean up my place."
• On Merging TVs and Computers: "I have never spent a moment worrying that, while working on my computer, I might miss the latest episode of a new 'reality' show during which Betty Sue of Ohmigosh, Wisconsin, challenges her fears of insects and heights, and particularly insects at heights, by eating 27 live cockroaches while jumping out of an airplane."
• On Surgery Webcasts: "After a long session of Web surfing, Ethel, the frugal wife, calls out, 'Sam, stop worrying about how we're going to pay for that hernia operation you need. I just learned how to perform it myself. It looks easy. We'll save a bundle if I do it for you.'"