Writing letters to powerful people to win their favor and garner rewards such as political office, tax relief, and recommendations was an institution in Renaissance Florence; the practice was an important tool for those seeking social mobility, security, and recognition by others. In this detailed study of political and social patronage in fifteenth-century Florence, Paul D. McLean shows that patronage was much more than a pursuit of specific rewards. It was also a pursuit of relationships and of a self defined in relation to others. To become independent in Renaissance Florence, one first had to become connected. With The Art of the Network, McLean fills a gap in sociological scholarship by tracing the historical antecedents of networking and examining the concept of self that accompanies it. His analysis of patronage opens into a critique of contemporary theories about social networks and social capital, and an exploration of the sociological meaning of “culture.” McLean scrutinized thousands of letters to and from Renaissance Florentines. He describes the social protocols the letters reveal, paying particular attention to the means by which Florentines crafted credible presentations of themselves. The letters, McLean contends, testify to the development not only of new forms of self-presentation but also of a new kind of self to be presented: an emergent, “modern” conception of self as an autonomous agent. They also bring to the fore the importance that their writers attached to concepts of honor, and the ways that they perceived themselves in relation to the Florentine state.

The Art of Network Architecture Business-Driven Design The business-centered, business-driven guide to architecting and evolving networks The Art of Network Architecture is the first book that places business needs and capabilities at the center of the process of architecting and evolving networks. Two leading enterprise network architects help you craft solutions that are fully aligned with business strategy, smoothly accommodate change, and maximize future flexibility. Russ White and Denise Donohue guide network designers in asking and answering the crucial questions that lead to elegant, high-value solutions. Carefully blending business and technical concerns, they show how to optimize all network interactions involving flow, time, and people. The authors review important links between business requirements and network design, helping you capture the information you need to design effectively. They introduce today’s most useful models and frameworks, fully addressing modularity, resilience, security, and management. Next, they drill down into network structure and topology, covering virtualization, overlays, modern routing choices, and highly complex network environments. In the final section, the authors integrate all these ideas to consider four realistic design challenges: user mobility, cloud services, Software Defined Networking (SDN), and today’s radically new data center environments. • Understand how your choices of technologies and design paradigms will impact your business • Customize designs to improve workflows, support BYOD, and ensure business continuity • Use modularity, simplicity, and network management to prepare for rapid change • Build resilience by addressing human factors and redundancy • Design for security, hardening networks without making them brittle • Minimize network management pain, and maximize gain • Compare topologies and their tradeoffs • Consider the implications of network virtualization, and walk through an MPLS-based L3VPN example • Choose routing protocols in the context of business and IT requirements • Maximize mobility via ILNP, LISP, Mobile IP, host routing, MANET, and/or DDNS • Learn about the challenges of removing and changing services hosted in cloud environments • Understand the opportunities and risks presented by SDNs • Effectively design data center control planes and topologies

The Art of Network Penetration Testing is a guide to simulating an internal security breach. You’ll take on the role of the attacker and work through every stage of a professional pentest, from information gathering to seizing control of a system and owning the network. Summary Penetration testing is about more than just getting through a perimeter firewall. The biggest security threats are inside the network, where attackers can rampage through sensitive data by exploiting weak access controls and poorly patched software. Designed for up-and-coming security professionals, The Art of Network Penetration Testing teaches you how to take over an enterprise network from the inside. It lays out every stage of an internal security assessment step-by-step, showing you how to identify weaknesses before a malicious invader can do real damage. Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF, Kindle, and ePub formats from Manning Publications. About the technology Penetration testers uncover security gaps by attacking networks exactly like malicious intruders do. To become a world-class pentester, you need to master offensive security concepts, leverage a proven methodology, and practice, practice, practice. Th is book delivers insights from security expert Royce Davis, along with a virtual testing environment you can use to hone your skills. About the book The Art of Network Penetration Testing is a guide to simulating an internal security breach. You’ll take on the role of the attacker and work through every stage of a professional pentest, from information gathering to seizing control of a system and owning the network. As you brute force passwords, exploit unpatched services, and elevate network level privileges, you’ll learn where the weaknesses are—and how to take advantage of them. What's inside Set up a virtual pentest lab Exploit Windows and Linux network vulnerabilities Establish persistent re-entry to compromised targets Detail your findings in an engagement report About the reader For tech professionals. No security experience required. About the author Royce Davis has orchestrated hundreds of penetration tests, helping to secure many of the largest companies in the world. Table of Contents 1 Network Penetration Testing PHASE 1 - INFORMATION GATHERING 2 Discovering network hosts 3 Discovering network services 4 Discovering network vulnerabilities PHASE 2 - FOCUSED PENETRATION 5 Attacking vulnerable web services 6 Attacking vulnerable database services 7 Attacking unpatched services PHASE 3 - POST-EXPLOITATION AND PRIVILEGE ESCALATION 8 Windows post-exploitation 9 Linux or UNIX post-exploitation 10 Controlling the entire network PHASE 4 - DOCUMENTATION 11 Post-engagement cleanup 12 Writing a solid pentest deliverable

This long out-of-print anthology, edited by Mary Stofflet and Michael Crane and published in 1984, is the authoritative work on correspondence art. This anthology was compiled during the peak of correspondence art activity, with contributions from many of the medium's major players. Contributors: Ken Friedman, Dick Higgins, Ulises Carrion, Judith A. Hoffberg, Marily Ekdahl Ravicz, Jean-Marc Poinsot, Thomas Cassidy, Milan Knizak, Klaus Groh, Kenneth Coutts-Smith, Richard Craven, A.M. Fine, Tomas Schmit, Thomas Albright, Anna Banana, Andrzej Partum, Stephan Kukowski, Robert Reehfeldt, Steve Hitchcock, Edgardo-Antonio Vigo, Geoffrey Cook, Gaglione 1940-2040, C.E. Loeffler, Ken Friedman, Georg M. Gugelberger, James Warren Felter, and Peter Frank.

What if all the advice we’ve heard about networking is wrong? What if the best way to grow your network isn’t by introducing yourself to strangers at cocktail parties, handing out business cards, or signing up for the latest online tool, but by developing a better understanding of the existing network that’s already around you? We know that it’s essential to reach out and build a network. But did you know that it’s actually your distant or former contacts who will be the most helpful to you? Or that many of our best efforts at meeting new people simply serve up the same old opportunities we already have? In this startling new look at the art and science of networking, business school professor David Burkus digs deep to find the unexpected secrets that reveal the best ways to grow your career. Based on entertaining case studies and scientific research, this practical and revelatory guide shares what the best networkers really do. Forget the outdated advice you’ve already heard. Learn how to make use of the hidden networks you already have.