BKHAFGOI.RVW   990218

"How to Access the Federal Government on the Internet", Bruce Maxwell,
1999, 1-56802-387-1, U$28.95
%A   Bruce Maxwell bmaxwell@mindspring.com
%C   1414 22nd Street N.W., Washington, DC   20037
%D   1999
%G   1-56802-387-1 ISSN 1088-7466
%I   Congressional Quarterly Inc.
%O   U$28.95 800-638-1710 fax 202-887-6706 bookhelp@cq.com
%P   328 p.
%S   Washington Online
%T   "How to Access the Federal Government on the Internet, 4th ed."

For those interested in (the U.S.) government, and access to its
information, Maxwell has provided a very useful compendium of
addresses.  As he admits, this is not an exhaustive list to U.S.
federal government systems available through the Internet, but it
definitely gives a good, broad starting field.  University and other
sites with a specialized interest in the government are listed,
although these are taking up less space as the directory expands, and
concentrates more directly on those sites provided by the government.

The reader is expected to be reasonably familiar with the Internet
use: the information given in the introduction is intended only to
help keep the listings brief.  The site descriptions do note the type
of access method (increasingly, of course, this is the World Wide
Web).

All of that would be extremely valuable for those interested in
government and access to information, but since the feds have fingers
in just about every pie, there is much more.  The various departments
provide information on access to information, agriculture, arts and
museums, business, children and families, defense, computers,
demographics, education, emergency response, energy, environment,
foreign affairs, medicine, history, employment, law, technology,
space, and transportation.  Government sites often provide the most
informative content to be found in the net.  Maxwell has added to this
with a very useful index: I didn't really expect to find anything
under computer viruses but was pleasantly surprised to note a third
site from a government department has taken an interest.

For the avid U.S. government watcher, an essential.  For the serious
Internet information gatherer, regardless of nationality, a very
useful resource.

(Sigh.  Yes, it does tell you where to find the Starr report.)

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1995 - 1999   BKHAFGOI.RVW   990218