C

Applied Cryptography: Protocols, Algorithms, and Source Code in C, Second Edition

Format: Paperback
Author: Bruce Schneier
ReleaseDate: 18 October, 1995
Publisher: Wiley
Rating:

A must-have book for understanding Cryptography.
I honestly can't put it down--I wish I had paid more attention in my statistics classes so I could be able to apply some of the stuff the author talks about better. This book has really shed a lot of light on cryptography for me. I am about half way through the book, and I haven't gotten to the point where it's more of a chore than a pleasure to read it (something I can't about my other technical books).
Glancing through the C source code at the end of the book started me thinking on the code implementation in my efforts - although I used Java althrough my life. I am not much comfortable with the C code because I was hoping for more goodie examples. If you want some practical guidance. . you may little bit uncomforatble as well. At the end of the day if you are serious about Cryptography then you really need to get a copy of this. .

Prepare to drink from the firehose
When it was first published in the mid-90's, there was almost no material available on the subject of cryptography. This book is really incredible. Now, ten years later, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of books riding on Schneier's coattails - but almost none have anything new or useful to say. Impeccably researched (with 1,653 references!) and unarguably complete, Schneier's expertise in theoretical mathematics, experience as a practitioner, and razor-sharp lucidity combine to make this the only book you'll ever need on the subject of cryptography.

Text Book for School
The book came within the alloted time period. The book was in excellent condition. No complaints!.