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Explain the Cloud Like I'm 10
This is an Alternate Cover Edition for ASIN: B0765C4SNR
What is the cloud? How does the cloud work? What does it mean when something is 'in the cloud'? And why is it called ‘the cloud’ anyway?
When you hear about the cloud, do you get a little anxious because you don’t know what the cloud is? Do you feel like technology is passing you by? Do you feel like the future is leaving you behind and you’ll never catch up?
Have you ever wondered what Amazon Web Services (AWS) is? Have you wondered how Netflix, Facebook Messenger, Amazon Kindle, Apple iCloud, Google Maps, or the Nest Thermostat work?
We hear about the cloud all the time these days. And I mean all the time. Every day there’s a new cloud-based dating app; a new cloud-based gizmo for your house; a new cloud-based game; or a thousand other new things—all in the cloud.
The cloud is everywhere! Everything is in the cloud! What does it mean!
Let’s slow down. Take a deep breath. That’s good. Take another. Excellent. This book teaches you all about the cloud.
I’ll let you in on a little secret: the cloud is not that hard to understand. It’s not. It’s just that nobody has taken the time to explain to you what the cloud is. They haven’t, have they?
Deep down I think this is because they don’t understand the cloud either, but I do. I’ve been a programmer and writer for over 30 years. I’ve been in cloud computing since the very start, and I’m here to help you on your journey to understand the cloud. Consider me your tour guide. I’ll be with you every step of the way, but not in a creepy way.
I take my time with this book. I go slow and easy, so you can build up an intuition about what the cloud really is, one idea at a time.
When you finish reading, you’ll understand the cloud. When you hear someone say some new cool thing is in the cloud, you’ll understand exactly what they mean. That’s a promise.
How do I deliver on that promise? I use lots and lots of pictures. I use lots and lots of examples. We’ll reveal the secret inner-workings of AWS, Netflix, Facebook Messenger, Amazon Kindle, Apple iCloud, Google Maps, Nest and cloud DVRs.
You’ll learn by seeing and understanding; no matter if you're a complete beginner, someone who knows a little and wants to learn more, or a programmer looking to change their career to the cloud.
The cloud is the future. You don't want to miss out on the future, do you? Read this book and we'll discover it together.
I’m excited. This will be fun. Let’s get started!
What is the cloud? How does the cloud work? What does it mean when something is 'in the cloud'? And why is it called ‘the cloud’ anyway?
When you hear about the cloud, do you get a little anxious because you don’t know what the cloud is? Do you feel like technology is passing you by? Do you feel like the future is leaving you behind and you’ll never catch up?
Have you ever wondered what Amazon Web Services (AWS) is? Have you wondered how Netflix, Facebook Messenger, Amazon Kindle, Apple iCloud, Google Maps, or the Nest Thermostat work?
We hear about the cloud all the time these days. And I mean all the time. Every day there’s a new cloud-based dating app; a new cloud-based gizmo for your house; a new cloud-based game; or a thousand other new things—all in the cloud.
The cloud is everywhere! Everything is in the cloud! What does it mean!
Let’s slow down. Take a deep breath. That’s good. Take another. Excellent. This book teaches you all about the cloud.
I’ll let you in on a little secret: the cloud is not that hard to understand. It’s not. It’s just that nobody has taken the time to explain to you what the cloud is. They haven’t, have they?
Deep down I think this is because they don’t understand the cloud either, but I do. I’ve been a programmer and writer for over 30 years. I’ve been in cloud computing since the very start, and I’m here to help you on your journey to understand the cloud. Consider me your tour guide. I’ll be with you every step of the way, but not in a creepy way.
I take my time with this book. I go slow and easy, so you can build up an intuition about what the cloud really is, one idea at a time.
When you finish reading, you’ll understand the cloud. When you hear someone say some new cool thing is in the cloud, you’ll understand exactly what they mean. That’s a promise.
How do I deliver on that promise? I use lots and lots of pictures. I use lots and lots of examples. We’ll reveal the secret inner-workings of AWS, Netflix, Facebook Messenger, Amazon Kindle, Apple iCloud, Google Maps, Nest and cloud DVRs.
You’ll learn by seeing and understanding; no matter if you're a complete beginner, someone who knows a little and wants to learn more, or a programmer looking to change their career to the cloud.
The cloud is the future. You don't want to miss out on the future, do you? Read this book and we'll discover it together.
I’m excited. This will be fun. Let’s get started!
242 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 1, 2018
363 people are currently reading
727 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
May 23, 2022
What goals did I set for myself when I started reading this book? I wanted to get an understanding of what the cloud is, how it works, what IaaS, PaaS, SaaS are, what virtualization and containerization are, what product lines can be presented by a cloud provider, what economic benefits from using the cloud and much more. Did I manage to find out all this? For the surface level, yes, and in some cases it is not enough as I wanted, but it clearly follows from the title of the book that it gives only general ideas, but about everything in order.
The book is written in light English of A2-B1 level, which makes it accessible to most readers. The author explains the work of the cloud by comparisons with typical everyday situations and in addition illustrates examples with images. The explanation is built in layers from the bottom up: from the physical description of clouds to the operation of cloud services and computing with explanations of the economic component of the issue. It is clear that Todd Hoff is an expert in his field, it is easy and pleasant to read him. He makes every effort to make you understand everything on your fingers, but for me there is a minus in this book – too many examples and attention is paid to cloud services, and in my opinion, the topic of cloud providers is not fully disclosed. Yes, he talks about virtualization and containerization, casually mentions AWS products, but this is not enough, compared to the volume of the entire book. Instead of developing this topic in more detail and describing it in more depth, he returns to describing the example of the Netflix cloud service, when the general principle was already clear in the chapter about Facebook messenger.
In conclusion, I want to say that I recommend reading the book, in general it left positive impressions, and it's just right for a starting point.
The book is written in light English of A2-B1 level, which makes it accessible to most readers. The author explains the work of the cloud by comparisons with typical everyday situations and in addition illustrates examples with images. The explanation is built in layers from the bottom up: from the physical description of clouds to the operation of cloud services and computing with explanations of the economic component of the issue. It is clear that Todd Hoff is an expert in his field, it is easy and pleasant to read him. He makes every effort to make you understand everything on your fingers, but for me there is a minus in this book – too many examples and attention is paid to cloud services, and in my opinion, the topic of cloud providers is not fully disclosed. Yes, he talks about virtualization and containerization, casually mentions AWS products, but this is not enough, compared to the volume of the entire book. Instead of developing this topic in more detail and describing it in more depth, he returns to describing the example of the Netflix cloud service, when the general principle was already clear in the chapter about Facebook messenger.
In conclusion, I want to say that I recommend reading the book, in general it left positive impressions, and it's just right for a starting point.
March 21, 2024
I started reading this when I took a job as a marketing manager for cloud solutions - this was incredibly easy to follow and understand. Content may be a bit dry, but very accessible for the average layman. Highly recommend if you want a fundamental understanding of what the cloud is, why customers would want it and the different components available. You don’t have an heavy technical background for this to make sense.
September 15, 2021
This is a really bad book. The author takes 100 pages to define some basic terms, like what the cloud is. It's just way too verbose.
What is the target audience? The general reader? If so then he goes into far too much detail about EC2 and S3, and even without that the way he writes is just super verbose. Do you need multiple chapters to define "the cloud" or can you do it in a couple sentences? Maybe stretch it to a couple paragraphs if you want to give examples. 50 pages though? It was just painful to read.
Is the target a software developer, or someone who works in the industry? If so then don't make us wade through pages and pages of fluff to reach a couple nuggets of interesting info, like that Netflix has its own CDN.
A good example of how much fluff there is is that the author at one point lists out the features of a Kindle. Really? Who needs a book to list features on a Kindle to them? Like what is the target audience for that info? Is he really just making another example to demonstrate what the cloud is? I mean is the purpose of this book really just to define the cloud? Because if that's so then it does a really terrible job.
I don't know I'm just really upset after reading this book. It was an unpleasant experience in frustration and nonsense and fluff.
What is the target audience? The general reader? If so then he goes into far too much detail about EC2 and S3, and even without that the way he writes is just super verbose. Do you need multiple chapters to define "the cloud" or can you do it in a couple sentences? Maybe stretch it to a couple paragraphs if you want to give examples. 50 pages though? It was just painful to read.
Is the target a software developer, or someone who works in the industry? If so then don't make us wade through pages and pages of fluff to reach a couple nuggets of interesting info, like that Netflix has its own CDN.
A good example of how much fluff there is is that the author at one point lists out the features of a Kindle. Really? Who needs a book to list features on a Kindle to them? Like what is the target audience for that info? Is he really just making another example to demonstrate what the cloud is? I mean is the purpose of this book really just to define the cloud? Because if that's so then it does a really terrible job.
I don't know I'm just really upset after reading this book. It was an unpleasant experience in frustration and nonsense and fluff.
May 29, 2021
Does the job perfect as said on the cover. I regret not getting to the book earlier. A highly recommended book for cloud enthusiasts.
October 20, 2018
Makes everything crystal clear..no more cloudy thoughts
Great book..Everything explained in layman terms to clear all the concepts about cloud computing..I have come to appreciate cloud services like Netflix and Google photos so much more after reading this book..the chapter on Netflix was outstanding!!
Great book..Everything explained in layman terms to clear all the concepts about cloud computing..I have come to appreciate cloud services like Netflix and Google photos so much more after reading this book..the chapter on Netflix was outstanding!!
April 26, 2018
Easy and quick read. The book gives a high level overview of how cloud works and provides a good base to reason about cloud technology and delve deeper into specific areas.
January 28, 2018
Awesome explanation about the cloud that made me finish this book in one sitting. Best book to start learning about Cloud technologies, especially for non-techies. For techies, there is a hidden treasure of cloud services architectures, especially Netflix. Would recommend everyone to read this book.
January 6, 2018
Fantastic read
Enjoyable even for someone who’s moderately technical but still gets caught up in jargon. Loved the real world examples and illustrations.
Enjoyable even for someone who’s moderately technical but still gets caught up in jargon. Loved the real world examples and illustrations.
May 2, 2021
This book is written very well. I've worked in cloud computing since its infancy and I still learned a few interesting things. I read this book to get another perspective on educating others about a subject I have particular expertise in, and for that it's really good.
If you are new to the cloud, or cloud adjacent and are just looking for high-level information this book is also really good. There are a few things that are simplified a little too much to be accurate, but overall it will leave you with an accurate understanding of what the cloud is and how it works at a high level.
If you are new to the cloud, or cloud adjacent and are just looking for high-level information this book is also really good. There are a few things that are simplified a little too much to be accurate, but overall it will leave you with an accurate understanding of what the cloud is and how it works at a high level.
April 16, 2022
I totally got blinded by the overall positive recommendations. As a software engineer for me the book is totally worthless. The books is very verbose and tries to explain things a regular pc user should be familiar with. E.g „what is a device?“, „what is a Network?“ After reading/viewing about 20% of the book (it also includes lots of pictures) i quit reading because it’s a waste of time imo.
June 1, 2022
What a lucid, effective and well-written book! This may sound counterintuitive but this book is a page turner…it actually gets you interested (and restless) to learn more about cloud! I gave up all hope of getting any work done and just read it straight for 6 hours one Tuesday evening and I do not regret it in the least.
December 2, 2018
If you are a beginner or an expert, I think book is great and entertaining read for all. I think this reproves that the answer to the age old question "how do you know if you have truly understood something?" is "Try explaining it to a 10 year old"
Todd explains the working of cloud in an extremely simple way with some great examples. Definitely well spent for anybody getting started to know about Cloud or anybody who wants to know what goes behind the scenes when you click play on a Netflix movie :).
Todd explains the working of cloud in an extremely simple way with some great examples. Definitely well spent for anybody getting started to know about Cloud or anybody who wants to know what goes behind the scenes when you click play on a Netflix movie :).
January 19, 2019
Pretty very basic stuff, don't expect to learn much if like me you've had some-average experience/knowledge of cloud, highly recommended for clearing basics and getting a good grasp of the fundamentals. Finishing chapters are good, especially the one on Netflix. A light read, could be finished in one-two days with decent reading. Not very technical content, best for a layman starting up to understand cloud or for anyone who struggles to visualize how things might work behind the black box that is visible to us.
5-star rating for author's clarity of concept and explanatory power.
5-star rating for author's clarity of concept and explanatory power.
January 5, 2022
A great intro into the cloud.
As a person holding a Tech undergrad degree, I strayed away from Tech for a few years post-grad because I did not know where to begin. Now, I want to pursue a career in cloud architecture and this is a GREAT refresher. It really explains the basics in a way that anyone can understand and I am grateful. I finished the read in 2 days and it was so worth it.
As a person holding a Tech undergrad degree, I strayed away from Tech for a few years post-grad because I did not know where to begin. Now, I want to pursue a career in cloud architecture and this is a GREAT refresher. It really explains the basics in a way that anyone can understand and I am grateful. I finished the read in 2 days and it was so worth it.
April 8, 2022
If you find yourself surrounded by buzzwords about cloud computing this should be your go-to book. Whether you are in IT or not I recommend reading this as your first cloud book. It will give you all the fundamentals and technicalities of cloud without going into unwanted details. There are also several popular examples which are so commonly used nowadays and which you should be informed about, such as Netflix and Kindle or Apple Cloud. Must-read. As a next step you can go on to doing certifications or reading longer articles on cloud topics.
September 28, 2023
About as close to perfect as you can get to introductory book on a technical subject. Even as a practiced software developer, this overview of the cloud helped solidify my understanding. The chapters on cloud computing and Netflix were particularly interesting. I only wish this would have been the first resource I would have reached for when beginning the migration journey to developing for cloud native.
April 6, 2024
I really enjoyed reading this book. I’ve been wanting to understand how the cloud works for a while, and this really simplified things for me. Bonus was that it was also pretty funny, clever and conversational. I finished it in 2 days (because it was quite short) but I think for non-fiction, this is the fastest I’ve ever completed something. Kudos to the author and I’d love to learn more from him!
April 23, 2018
Good explanations, although probably too basic for a software developer
I had read before that this book had something for everyone. I do think it is a good explainer on the cloud, but I walk away not knowing much more than before I began. That
said, I would highly recommend this for those not in the software development industry.
I had read before that this book had something for everyone. I do think it is a good explainer on the cloud, but I walk away not knowing much more than before I began. That
said, I would highly recommend this for those not in the software development industry.
June 3, 2019
This is one of the best, if not the best book on understanding the Cloud. Highly recommend it to people starting out in the Cloud Industry. Todd does a great job of using simple analogies to explain the fundamentals of what makes up the Cloud. I also enjoyed the use of real life examples (e.g. Facebook Messenger and Netflix) to further cement the reader's understanding of how the Cloud works.
January 19, 2020
Nice Read - Ghost cease to exist with light of knowledge
It is being Saif that if you can not explain things in simple language then it’s waste of knowledge - I am astonished as well as delighted to go through this book content and author’s explanation prowess
I really liked it
Dinesh - Senior Security Architect in leading bank
It is being Saif that if you can not explain things in simple language then it’s waste of knowledge - I am astonished as well as delighted to go through this book content and author’s explanation prowess
I really liked it
Dinesh - Senior Security Architect in leading bank
January 29, 2020
Some good parts, a lot of basics and repetition
It clarified a bunch of hazy concepts for me. That was definitely good. It was an easy relaxing read that I really enjoyed (even the boring parts were well written). Overall quite enjoyable and worth my time. I hoped there of the technical bits explained.
It clarified a bunch of hazy concepts for me. That was definitely good. It was an easy relaxing read that I really enjoyed (even the boring parts were well written). Overall quite enjoyable and worth my time. I hoped there of the technical bits explained.
May 16, 2020
As the name says it's written well that could be understood by anyone. Easy and quick read. Yes it is too basic for software developer, who already has idea. Yes as mentioned by many people, Netflix chapter is really interesting and has many insights on what is happening behind in providing the user fast and quality videos.
September 13, 2020
The book title is right. This is really for 10 years old. The second last chapter about making sure people know cloud computing isn’t about the cloud in the sky says it all. I do manage to learn something in the chapters on cloud computing and Netflix. It is overall a good introductory book for anyone who has minimum knowledge in computer science.
January 26, 2022
This book came highly rated by programmers I know, and lists programmers as a target audience on the back. This books was more basic than I’d hoped. It was very verbose when describing basic concepts. I did find the chapter on Netflix’s in-house CDN interesting. Overall — perhaps it’s great for folks not in the technical realm, or perhaps I just did not heed the title “Like I’m 10” very well.
October 1, 2022
We connect and share information using app in our mobile. How does this work and what is behind this is the curiosity to know, but in a layman language as if we are in school.
The author use simplified language to connect dots for easy understanding of the basis on device, application, network and cloud services and services provider with day to day application that we use
The author use simplified language to connect dots for easy understanding of the basis on device, application, network and cloud services and services provider with day to day application that we use
November 29, 2023
I found it excessively repetitive, especially regarding basic concepts. You could skip the first 90 pages and proceed directly to Chapter 16. The best chapters are 16, which covers cloud computing and the distinctions between IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS, and 22, which focuses on Netflix and their development of the Open Connect Appliance.
July 2, 2019
Excellent explanation
If you can explain thing simply, it means you understand it well. And this book does very well for all level readers regarding what cloud is and how it works using some example of popular cloud services we have used. im glad i bought this book.
If you can explain thing simply, it means you understand it well. And this book does very well for all level readers regarding what cloud is and how it works using some example of popular cloud services we have used. im glad i bought this book.
October 31, 2019
This book cost me around 10 bucks and took me 4 hours of total reading time to finish and gave me better insight to the cloud than my grad level course called systems for data science. I realized I wasted $4000 and 5 months on a useless course instead of reading this
November 7, 2019
Great if you're new to the cloud for sure, but also for people that work with it everyday. The author provided some great details on how Netflix uses the cloud and how cloud technology started and evolved. This is easy to read and worthwhile!
July 26, 2020
Explained every term in layman terms. I found Netflix chapter to be interesting, rest most of the book was pretty basic.
Would recommend to people who are just entering into Software Engineering field and Product Managers.
Would recommend to people who are just entering into Software Engineering field and Product Managers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews