Brett McLaughlin
Brett McLaughlin从Logo时代(还记得那个小三角吗?)起就开始从事计算机工作。他目前正致力于使用Java及Java相关的技术构建应用程序的基础研究。最近的几年里,他在Nextel 通信公司和Allegiance电信公司研究这些技术。Brett是Java Apache项目Turbine的发起人之一,该项目使用Java Servlet为Web应用程序开发构建可重用的构件体系。他还参加了EJBoss项目,一个开源的EJB应用程序服务器;以及Cocoon,一个开源的XML Web发布引擎。他的项目都针对在运行关键任务的高性能分布式系统上使用XML和J2EE平台。为了在Java程序中操作XML,他和Jason Hunter合作定义了JDOM API。
不在计算机屏幕面前呆着的时候,Brett会弹奏吉他,或者被他的五条狗拖着遛弯儿。
Brett McLaughlin是一名吉他演奏者,他还在与现实搏斗——毕竟沉迷于指弹吉他(acoustic fingerstyle)的蓝调与爵士乐,是付不起每月的账单的。他最近刚刚发现的乐趣是写书能够帮助别人成为好的程序员,并且让自己付得起账单。他对此感到很快乐,他的妻子Leigh、小孩Dean与Robbie也是。
在进入“Head First”领域之前,Brett为Nextel Communications 及Allegiance Telecom开发企业级的Java应用程序。之后,他转战应用程序服务器领域,为Lutris Enhydra的Servlet引擎
(Servlet Engine)与EJB容器(EJB Container)开发内部系统。这一路走来,Brett着迷于开放源码并且协助进行一些很酷的编程工具开发的奠基工作,像Jakarta Turbine与JDOM。他的电子邮箱是brett@oreilly.com。
Brett D. McLaughlin has worked in computers since the Logo days. (Remember the
little triangle?) In recent years, he's become one of the most well-known authors and
programmers in the Java and XML communities. He's worked for Nextel Communications,
implementing complex enterprise systems; at Lutris Technologies, actually
writing application servers; and most recently at O'Reilly Media, Inc., where he
continues to write and edit books that matter. His list to date includes Head Rush
Ajax, and Java 5.0 Tiger: A Developer's Notebook.
Brett McLaughlin is a guitar player who is still struggling
with the realization that you can't pay the bills if you're into
acoustic fi ngerstyle blues and jazz. He's just recently discovered,
to his delight, that writing books that help people become better
programmers does pay the bills. He's very happy about this, as
are his wife Leigh, and his kids, Dean and Robbie.
Before Brett wandered into Head First land, he developed
enterprise Java applications for Nextel Communications and
Allegiance Telecom. When that became fairly mundane, Brett
took on application servers, working on the internals of the
Lutris Enhydra servlet engine and EJB container. Along the
way, Brett got hooked on open source software, and helped
found several cool programming tools, like Jakarta Turbine and
JDOM. Write to him at brett@oreilly.com.
本书封面上的动物是鹗。鹗生长在除南极洲以外的各大洲的湖、河和海岸边。在芬兰、斯堪的纳维亚半岛和美国的切萨皮克海湾非常常见。鹗是一种肉食鸟,有着很大的羽翼和尖锐的爪子。它们大多数的外貌特征是:窄小的头、褐色的背部和白色的腹部。这种鸟只吃鱼,每天进食两次,上午和傍晚各一次。它盘旋在水面上,突然扎入水中,抓住猎物,然后在水面上休息片刻,才飞离水面去享受美餐。
鹗靠近水边建立自己的巢。它们选择的地点一般都靠近猎物,周围有足够的空间,以便它们能展开自己的羽翼。鹗通常选择在一棵很高的单独的树上、电线杆上、无线电信号转播塔或灯塔上筑巢。
鹗在多年以前就已濒临灭绝。鱼类保护社团有时猎杀这种鸟,因为鹗可能消灭有价值的鱼类资源。工业化、森林砍伐和全球人口增长也严重威胁着鹗的生存环境。第二次世界大战后DDT的使用也使鹗的数量大大减少,因为这种用于杀灭害虫的化学制剂同样也能杀灭鸟类和鱼类。这种杀虫剂最终在美国被禁止了,但在世界其他区域仍然威胁着鹗的生存。
鸟类保护的努力和法律约束已经使鹗数量减少的趋势得到缓解,这种鸟现在已经部分返回了它们原来的生活环境。通过为鹗建巢并为它们引入水源,人们成功地营造了它们的栖息之地。狩猎爱好者和鱼类保护社团也减少了对这种鸟类的威胁。1973年通过了将鹗列为濒临灭绝物种的法案,从而在法律上有效地阻止了对这种鸟类的猎杀。