It’s not often I get to announce a book launch! However, I’m sure many of you will be interested in Programming the Semantic Web, a new book just launched last week, written by Freebase data team members Toby Segaran, Colin Evans, and Jamie Taylor.

With this book, the promise of the Semantic Web — in which machines can find, share, and combine data on the Web — is not just a technical possibility, but a practical reality. Programming the Semantic Web demonstrates several ways to implement semantic web applications, using existing and emerging standards and technologies. You’ll learn how to incorporate existing data sources into semantically aware applications and publish rich semantic data. This book will also help you: Learn how the semantic web allows new and unexpected uses of data to emerge Understand how semantic technologies promote data portability with a simple, abstract model for knowledge representation Become familiar with semantic standards, such as the Resource Description Framework (RDF) and the Web Ontology Language (OWL) Make use of semantic programming techniques to both enrich and simplify current web applications Learn how to incorporate existing data sources into semantically aware applications

Each chapter walks you through a single piece of semantic technology, and explains how you can use it to solve real problems. Whether you’re writing a simple “mashup” or a maintaining a high-performance enterprise solution, Programming the Semantic Web provides a standard, flexible approach for integrating and future-proofing systems and data.

You can buy it now from Amazon or any good bookseller. You can also check out the companion website at semprog.com.

In related news, there will be a Semantic Web meetup hosted at the Freebase.com office on August 12th. You can find details and RSVP over on meetup.com.