These most recent works have received a great
deal of critical acclaim.
Book
Reviews for: Telecommunications and Data
Communications Handbook
Telecommunications and Data Communications Handbook…covers
the entire telecom landscape, from wireline to wireless, from copper to
radio and fiber, from electrical to optical, and from the customer
premises to the cloud. It discusses voice, data, fax, video and
multimedia technologies, systems, and applications in great detail, and
in the LAN, MAN, and WAN domains. The handbook explores every relevant
technology, standard, and application in the telecom and datacom
space….It is exceptionally well-written in Horak’s plain-English,
commonsense style, making it just as helpful to the neophyte and
layperson as to the serious student or seasoned IT professional. Horak
makes liberal use of well-constructed graphics to illustrate system and
network architectures, topologies, and applications.
It
is hard to make a valid direct comparison to this book. The Irwin
Handbook of Telecommunications, by James Harry Green, is good, but less
complete, less technical, and drier, if such a combination is possible.
The Voice & Data Communications Handbook, by Regis “Bud” Bates, is
written at a lower level; and, the Essential Guide to
Telecommunications, by Annabel Dodd, at a much lower level. These latter
two books are breezy reads and appeal more to a mass market than to a
serious student or professional. The Telecommunications and Data
Communications Handbook compares more correctly to some of the more
seminal works of Gilbert Held or James Martin, but covers a much wider
range of subject matter and is a much easier and more pleasant read.
The
Telecommunications
and
Data
Communications
Handbook
is
written
for
the
academic and professional community, but is just as relevant to anyone
who needs to understand telecommunications system and network
technologies and their meaningful applications. It is an exceptional
work that should be on every IT professional’s bookshelf…when not in his
or her hands.
“…a thoroughly researched and
comprehensive survey of telecom and datacom technologies and services<<
ASCDI News October 13, 2008
There
is finally a guide to telecommunications and
data communications that non-engineers can
understand. Popular author Ray Horak provides
comprehensive, up-to-date information in plain
English, instead of confusing
technotalk….Complete with a discussion of the
current regulatory and business environments,
including divestiture and revestiture as well as
mergers and acquisitions, this is the ideal
reference for non-engineering professionals in
the end-user, carrier, content or service
provider, manufacturing, regulatory, or
financial communities.
IEEE Communications Society
ComSoc/Wiley Book of the Month, August 2008
We recently received a copy from
Ray Horak of his “Telecommunications and Data
Communications Handbook.” This (literally)
weighty tome contains almost 800 pages of
current technology, and, maybe more importantly,
the historical basis for how we got to where we
are today. From frequency division multiplexing
to the invention of the Strowger switch by a
disgruntled undertaker to the origin of wire
“gauge,” the book is a great trip down memory
lane for us old-timers and a necessary piece of
technology background for neophytes.
However, the book isn’t just
history. It’s more of an encyclopedia that
includes current topics as of the publication
date in 2007. As such, is serves as a great
foundation for topics like application delivery
and virtualization.
As we move forward with new
ideas, this historical context is mandatory to
making sure that the mistakes of the past aren’t
repeated. And this book is a great resource for
providing that context.
Steve Taylor, Columnist, Network World
The
Handbook is the sort of thing one either has to,
or should, read at the beginning of a career in
communications. That applies to just about any
segment: wireless or wired telecom company,
cable TV, satellite or data communications…. The
Handbook reminds me of the James Martin books I
once pored over. More than once, I’d add.
Gary Kim, founder and CEO Dagda Mor Media and
Contributing Editor, Cable.TMCnet.com, (July 14,
2008)
I
recently had the pleasure of reviewing Ray
Horak’s…Telecommunications and Data
Communications Handbook. The book’s 791
pages, divided into 15 chapters, cover
everything from legacy technology such as basic
telephone switching to leading edge technologies
such as DWDM optical networks, 3G wireless
networks, and IPTV converged video. I have read
other Horak books in the past, but this one is
the most comprehensive one that he has done to
date.
You
would be hard pressed to find a topic that was
not discussed in the almost 800 pages of the
book…. Overall, I found the book to be a well
written wealth of knowledge. I plan to use it as
the text for my undergraduate course in
telecommunications in the spring.
Walt
Magnussen, Director of Telecommunications, Texas
A&M University; ACUTA: Journal of Communications
Technology in Higher Education, Summer 2008)
It has not been easy keeping
pace with the rate of development in
telecommunications and data communications; a
book that presents a comprehensive overview of
the wide range of communications systems and
networks is most welcome. This book discusses
the various aspects of issues in
telecommunications and data communications,
describing the terminology involved, and
visiting their histories when appropriate. It is
organized into 15 chapters, preceded by a
preface explaining the author’s intent, an
elaborate acknowledgment, and a concise
biography of the author. Two appendices and an
exhaustive index complete the book.
The book is very well
written and accessible to the average reader.
Although some of these ideas can be found
in other books, this one presents all the
current information on telecommunications and
data communications.
William Oblitey, Association for Computing
Machinery (ACM), Computing Reviews, May
6, 2008
Readers wanting to
gain insight into the terminology of the field
would be advised to consult this outstanding
reference book.
American Reference
Books Annual,
March 2008
A must-have
acquisition for both beginners and
practioners…highly recommended.
Choice,
February 2008
Although the book is written
for reasonably astute engineers, analysts,
regulators, attorneys and other telecom
professionals, Horak develops each topic in a
common sense and patient manner so it is
informative and useful to a student or relative
newcomer to telecom.
Mark Simon, President,
Evince Media; Telecom Reseller, May/June
2008
This
book is the top center of my telecom book shelf.
Although I have only had it for a few months,
some wear is already beginning to show because
of overuse. It is organized simply and logically
into 15 chapters, from the fundamentals to
regulation. There are diagrams and illustrations
as necessary, but not enough to make it look
like a comic book.
Most
technology books fall into one of two categories
– inane or arcane. Horak’s book is written in
clear English, understandable by the unwashed
masses, but covers highly technical concepts
without glossing over the necessary details.
Best of all, even though Horak is a Bell
veteran, the book is acronym friendly. (Bell
heads have a tendency to cling to acronyms, even
converting them to verbs on occasion.) Horak
uses acronyms, to be sure, not gratuitously;
they are an essential part of the telecom scene.
If you
can only have one book on voice and data
communications, this is the book to have.
Gene Retske, Senior Vice President/Editor, The
Prepaid Press, May 15, 2008
…an
exhaustive survey of communications technologies
supposedly for non-engineers. I write
“supposedly” because the book frequently gets
technical. Its value to engineers and management
is as a starting point, and the topics covered
include everything from CATV and fax through to
VoIP, WiMAX and ZigBee…every corporate IT
library should have copies. Highly recommended.
Mark Gibbs, Network World, May 5, 2008
InfoWorld,
April 30, 2008
While
Telecommunications and Data Communications
Handbook may not be a book that will appeal
to everyone, everyone in the telecommunications
industry should read it. It provides a concise
guide to the telecommunications industry and is
written in a way that even non-technical types
can understand.
If you have
had to try to understand how Broadband network
services work, or Frame Relays, or even mobile
communications, then Telecommunications And
Data Communications Handbook is the book for
you. If you work in the telecommunications
industry, then you need this book….
T. Michael Testi, BC Books, October 31, 2007
Book Reviews for: Webster’s New World Telecom
Dictionary
Webster’s New World
Telecom Dictionary
is an excellent piece of work. A
handful of other telecom dictionaries and encyclopedias are currently
in print, by far the most popular of which is
Newton’s Telecom Dictionary.
Because Newton’s
dominates the market and has done so for many years, any telecom
dictionary or encyclopedia is inevitably compared to that work.
Webster’s New World Telecom Dictionary
is no exception, particularly because Ray Horak was the
contributing editor to Newton’s from the 12th
through the 22nd
editions.
Although
Webster’s defines only 4,600
terms in comparison to Newton’s highly dubious claim of some 24,500
terms, Webster’s
definitions are much better researched, much more precise, and much more
efficiently worded (that is, there is much less “fluff”). Even if
Webster’s almost certainly
will gain in bulk as future editions expand the coverage of the telecom
domain, it contains all of the essential telecom and IT terms, and
defines them clearly and concisely.
Webster’s includes many humorous definitions but, unlike
Newton’s, they are all
relevant and meaningful. Newton’s,
on the other hand, is so full of personal observations and
anecdotes, irrelevant humor (?), and inaccurate definitions as to make
you wonder why bother to make the comparison at all.
Webster’s New World Telecom Dictionary
is an excellent piece of
work. Ray Horak and his technical editor, Bill Flanagan, have
collaborated to create a well-written, authoritative work that clearly
sets a new standard for telecom dictionaries. I highly recommend it to
anyone serious about telecom.
John R. Vacca,
The Internet Protocol Journal (Cisco Systems), December 2008,
pp. 36-38
Webster’s New World Telecom
Dictionary… is thoroughly researched, highly objective,
absolutely accurate…. The book clearly is the most
authoritative contemporary telecom dictionary.
|
NATD World (October 27, 2008)
ASCDI Now (October 27, 2008)
It’s
not often that you find a dictionary that worth
reading just for the heck of it, but we now have
one for telecom. My old friend Ray Horak has
published just such a piece in the Webster’s New
World Telecom Dictionary, and it is a must read
for seasoned pros and novices alike. With the
help of panel of advisor that includes Bill
Flanagan as Technical Editor, Ray has put
together an absolutely astounding body of
information that will help anyone to better
navigate the trick waters of telecom.
Calling
this book a “Dictionary” is somewhat misleading.
The terms are arranged in alphabetical order,
and the definitions are certainly spot on, but
there’s a lot more here than a set of sterile
definitions. Ray gives you not only the
definition, but the context. Some of these
definitions run for a couple of pages, and
provide a clear and objective description of the
area that includes the market framework as well
as the technical content. As a reference, it is
unparalleled including tables for every
conceivable set of standards from modems to
cables and to anything that the ITU has every
identified with a “letter-dot-number”
combination.
What
real telecom pros will appreciate is the depth
of the research and the history that Ray has
managed to capture. While “dictionaries”
relegate proper names to the back, Ray has
included the luminaries in our field from Bell
to Metcalfe and Nyquist. For those of us who
have been around the field for a while, a casual
read will bring back countless memories of
technologies long past along with the vocabulary
we once used to describe them.
For
anyone who has to work in our field, and
particularly for those who must describe it to
others, I highly recommend Ray Horak’s Telecom
Dictionary. It is over 500-pages of thoroughly
researched, densely packed, and wonderfully
entertaining information for anyone who works in
the telecom field.
Jim Burton, UC Strategies, July 21, 8008
Many
folks who entered the telecom trade during the
1980s and the go-go years of the 1990s came to
rely on Newton’s Telecom Dictionary,
from long-time BCR columnist Harry
Newton, as their guide to the wild and wooly
world of telecom.
Unfortunately, those of us in the trade didn’t
think very highly of Harry’s contribution. While
it did not lack for wit, Newton’s Dictionary was
woefully short on quality information. In fact,
one of the ways the veterans identified the
rookies was by the latter’s dependence on what
we looked at as a rather lame source.
For those
who are entering the field today (and even for
those who have been around for a while) there is
a new dictionary that is worth the investment.
Ray Horak, President of The Context Corporation,
has written the Webster’s New World Telecom
Dictionary, and it’s a gem. It’s 559 pages
of well-written, insightful information on
everything from “A” (for Ampere) to “Zero-Water
Peak Fiber.”
Mr.
Horak’s book is thoroughly researched, and
contains an unfathomable wealth of detail. I
have taught data networking for over 25-years
and pride myself on precision—this book is
precise. Where you might think you know
the definition of that term, here you’ll find
that definition expressed with absolute
precision and find three other definitions you
weren’t even aware of.
For
people who need to “know what the words mean”
this is an excellent resource. However, for
those of us who thrive on telecom trivia, this
is truly a delight. Whatever term you look up,
you will inevitably be drawn to some other
definition on the same page that is pure trivia.
In the past few weeks I’ve learned everything
from the name of the first telephone operator to
the altitude of the ionosphere…. You start by
looking up a few random terms, and before you
know it, you’re sucked into a delightful journey
of discovery.
Michael Finneran, dBRN Associates; No Jitter,
May 29, 2008
Books
about telecom subjects generally fall into one
of two categories: Very Basic or
Incomprehensible. For the vast majority of us
that fall between these two extremes, there is a
new dictionary of telecom terms that is neither
too technical, nor condescending.
The
standard text, and one of the most widely read
books in telecom, has been Newton’s Telecom
Dictionary, now in its 23rd edition. But, the
man who edited Newton’s for much of its history,
has now published his own version of a telecom
dictionary. Webster’s New World Telecom
Dictionary (Wiley, 2008, ISBN 978-0-471-77457-0)
is written by Ray Horak.
It is a
far different book than Newton’s. Horak has
resisted the urge to entertain, so this book
reads like a serious work, and has all new
definitions. Webster’s is focused more on the
technology, and defines over 4,600 terms and
acronyms used in telecom in its 568 pages. Horak
provides charts, diagrams and drawings to
accompany his definitions where necessary. The
definitions are clear, concise and well written.
There is no editorializing, just usable
definitions.
Horak
has done an admirable job, and created a work
that can be used where Newton’s can cause
problems. For example, in the expert witness
work I sometimes perform, Newton’s funny or
flippant definitions can be used to impugn the
credibility of the source itself. You will not
have this problem with Webster’s; it is a work
that will never cause you a red face if you use
it in a hostile environment.
Gene Retske, Senior Vice President/Editor, The
Prepaid Press, May 15, 2008
Although the book is a
technical dictionary, Horak’s plain-English,
commonsense style yields definitions that are as
thoroughly understandable to the business
professional or student as they are to the
electrical engineer. It is thoroughly
researched, objective, accurate and includes
just about every essential term, abbreviation,
acronym, contraction, initialism and portmanteau
you might encounter in the telecom and datacom
domains…. These and other nuggets will put a
smile on your face, but not to the point that
they detract from the serious subject hand. This
is one of the many points that distinguish
Webster’s from Newton’s Telecom
Dictionary, which has long been considered
by many as a staple. Horak was the Contributing
Editor for Newton’s for more than 10
years, but severed that relationship in favor of
writing what he considers to be a much more
serious and authoritative reference work.
Mark Simon, President,
Evince Media; Telecom Reseller, April/May
2008
What’s
remarkable about this work is it defines over
4,600 telecom terms and, scanning through it, it
appears there are more TLAs (three-letter
acronyms) involved than the mind can comfortably
encompass. I’ve found the dictionary incredibly
useful when researching, and every now and then
I find an interesting snippet of trivia (did you
know Bob Metcalfe’s middle name is “Melancton”?)….every
corporate IT library should have copies. Highly
recommended.
Mark Gibbs, Network World, May 5, 2008
InfoWorld, April 30, 2008
I found a lot to like about
Webster's New World Telecom Dictionary.
First, it is indeed very easy to read, and
contains a lot of detail, as well as good cross
referencing in the entries where needed. Second,
it provides good illustrations and diagrams that
get the point across. Finally, while touted as a
dictionary, it feels more like an encyclopedia
in that it does not have that dry dictionary
form—but rather a more inviting feel that makes
you want to come explore. Whether you are a
telecom or IT professional, do yourself a favor
and get Webster's New World Telecom
Dictionary as it is highly recommended.
T. Michael Testi, BC Books, October 31, 2007
