Communications Systems and Networks Book

Living in an era of instant communication has certain drawbacks. Not too long ago, living was simpler. The communication technology behind this revolution continues to evolve--becoming faster, cheaper and more prolific. What technology is behind the scenes, and how does all this information get delivered? That is the question answered by this remarkable tome, Ray Horak's Communications Systems and Networks.Horak explains communication technologies in 15 chapters, using the growing convergence of voice, data and video as the narrative thread holding the book together. He starts at the beginning--telegraph and early telephone--and details the progression from analogue voice signals to modern high-speed digital networks. Horak blends a high-level view of the subject with implementation and deployment issues, as well as the relative costs of different technologies.This book is valuable for both engineers and managers. It is a perfect resource for inquisitive engineers who are well versed about one area of communications and want to explore the rest of the communications world. For a manager wanting a technical overview of a given subject, the depth is perfect--just enough knowledge to become dangerous.The conversational style of the book is also a welcome touch. Horak presents complex material concisely. Historical perspective is integrated with technical details, reflecting the author's many years of experience. This book is the perfect complement to such industry mainstays as Perlman's Interconnections, Comer's Internetworking with TCP/IP, and Tanenbaum's Computer Networks. --Pete OstensonRead More