This book is required reading for anyone involved in the telecommunications industry from salespeople and buyers to managers and developers. Telecom is undergoing revolutionary changes as television, telephones, PCs, networks, the Internet, and other technologies converge, with new equipment and terminologies being created every day. No matter how technically savvy, no one can keep up with the explosion in telecom terminology. Harry Newton adds, changes, updates, and expands over 100 definitions a week just to keep up with the rapid pace of innovation. Terms are explained in clear definitions and mini essays, sprinkled with Newton's dry wit.
This is a great desk reference for those interested in communications. Still highly applicable.
I tend to rate 3 to 5 stars as I don’t bother with books that aren’t acceptable to the subject. 3 stars means it is a good book, but there are better treatments of the subject matter. 4 stars means the book is great and I use it regularly in projects/research. 5 stars is reserved for top 10-20% on a given shelf that abstracted a particularly difficult idea in an easy to understand manner (i.e. it blew my mind).
After working in the computer industry for years I thought I was accustomed to jargon and acronyms, then we started making computers for telecom companies and working with them. Phone companies have an 80yr head start on creating their own gobbldygook and this book was a great help in deciphering it all, ok most of it.
I've worked in the Telecom industry for over 10 years this is one of the few books that I keep at my desk. I work at a small rural telephone co-op. whenever we hire a new person I try to find a copy of this book so they have some sort of reference guide my favorite edition of it is the 30th edition.
This book is a must-have for anyone who has anything to do with voice, and if you're in networking, you should get this, because of the popularity of convergence.