The topics of this book are Voice Extensible Markup Language (VoiceXML), and using voice to access the Web. It is targeted at readers with a strong interest in seeing VoiceXML succeed, including those with backgrounds in telephony and highly customized voice applications, in the voice technology group, Web enthusiasts, and technology integrators for business. The author, Kenneth Abbott, is an experienced enabler of Web applications. At the time of writing the book, he was an independent software architect and consultant.

The book is organized into three parts, each composed of several chapters. Part 1 takes a retrospective view on two key technologies: speech and the Web. It consists of three chapters: “The Role of Voice on the Web,” “The Convergence of Speech and the Web,” and “The Evolution of Web Application Architectures.”

Part 2 focuses on the nuts and bolts of the VoiceXML language. It consists of seven chapters: “Simplified Personal Information Manager Example,” “VoiceXML Concepts,” “Outfitting Your VoiceXML Expedition,” “VoiceXML Language Tutorial,” “VUI (Voice User Interface) Design Principles and Techniques,” “VoiceXML Programming Guide,” and “Advanced VoiceXML Topics.”

Part 3 steps back from the details of the VoiceXML language, and explores the issues involved in building a single Web application that incorporates multiple access modes, such as voice and graphical interfaces. It consists of four chapters: “Overview of Related Web Technologies,” “Adding VoiceXML to Web Applications,” “The Web Application Prototype,” and “What’s Next.”

There is also an appendix, “A Quick Reference to VoiceXML 1.0 Syntax,” a preface, and a section titled “Author’s Note on VoiceXML 2.0,” as well as a table of contents and an index. The index is adequate. There are many references to supplementary and source knowledge on the Web throughout the book, but there is no explicit list of references.

The book also includes a companion CD. The author asserts that it contains all the software needed to begin developing VoiceXML applications on a PC; the author had a well-equipped PC with 384MB RAM and more than 20GB of hard disk space. Attempts can be made to download the software provided, but most likely, one will need to access the vendors’ Web sites to download usable and current evaluation copies. As of late October 2002, VoiceXML 2.0 still seems to be pending approval, as noted by the author; the W3C working draft, dated 23 October 2001, has been released for public viewing at http://www.w3.org/TR/2001/WD-voicexml20-20011023.

The book does not provide a complete step-by-step tutorial on working through the prototype simplified personal information manager (SPIM) application to make it accessible through voice, wireless, and Web interfaces. There is, however, a lot of guidance in developing develop fully fun ctioning components for SPIM. One should expect to spend a lot of time wrestling with installation, administration, and component integration issues, but probably relatively little time coding.

The book provides good insight on adding VoiceXML to Web applications, from both the managerial and programming perspective. It provides a good overview of servlet and server pages architectures, and of the XML publishing architecture. There is good discussion of Java server pages (JSP) and Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL) technologies for formatting application data into data structures that can be used by user interfaces (graphical or voice), including even discussions of using these in pipeline fashion, or in a combined fashion. There is no discussion of the current state of .NET technology. There are a few misprint anomalies.

The author speaks to all constituencies in providing a foundation for both understanding and starting to build voice enabling Web applications, using various Web programming technologies in concert and as standalones. The book is appropriate for managers seeking a big-picture understanding of the topic, and also for experienced programmers who want deeper understanding to help them eventually build the production components and technologies. Those who are completely new to this concept might play the Tellme blackjack game by calling (800) 555-8355 and saying “entertainment” at the main menu, followed by “blackjack.” Tellme is a VoiceXML vendor, and its voice site is completely written in VoiceXML.

The book meets the needs of both programmers and managers as a seminal guide to the issues to consider in current voice enabling Web applications.