Telecommunications and Data Communications Handbook
Author: Ray Horak
Hardcover: 791 pages
Publisher: Wiley-Interscience (July 2008)
ISBN 10: 9780470396070
ISBN 13: 978-0-470-39607-0
List Price: $112.00
Digital Guru Price: $100.80

Reviewed by Jeff Owen

If you want to really learn and understand the world of telecommunications and data communications this book is a must read.  Written in plain English, Horak’s book is equally useful to the uninitiated and professional alike.   In 15 chapters and two appendices spanning 762 pages, Horak has created a complete course of instruction that would cost the reader thousands of dollars to attend if it were offered live.   The depth and breadth of information contained in this single volume is unmatched by other books I’ve read.  Equally important is the use of plain English and Horak’s writing style making this book eminently readable.

Horak has created a full course in a single book that will give the reader more overall knowledge of telecommunications and data communications than most practitioners working in the field today.   In my years in this field I have not been more impressed by a single publication.  I enthusiastically recommend this book to all who want to better understand this industry — be they students, professionals, or merely interested.

Jeff Owen is an independent consultant with 20+ years experience in telecommunications/networking and IT. He has worked in engineering, project management, and management positions for major corporations in the telecommunications, finance, aerospace, and IT consultancy industries. As an industry analyst for Datapro and Gartner, Owen authored numerous analytical reports published for international consumption.