Customer Reviews

Security: A Guide to Security System Design and Equipment Selection and Installation, Second Edition

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10 years is a long time in high technology, and alarms sytems are based on high technology. So this book is now of mainly historical interest and for background reading.

Compounding this issue for non-UK residents, is the fact that the book was written in the UK, by a UK engineer about UK alarm sytems. These differ quite significantly from those used in the USA. There are different regulatory standards and quite different customs and practices.

When published, the book was an exceptionally useful volume and it highlighted for me the mystery of why there was no equivalent in the USA, nor is there today. Mr. Cumming should update his book and someone in the US should take it as a model for a book about US alarm systems.

Most of info on electronics is out of date in this book, don't waste your money.

This book was published 15 years ago in 1992. Like all technology, security system design and equipment improves at a dramatic rate (on a yearly basis). The information in this book is not relevant to today's available technology. There are better resources out there.

I teach Electrical Contractor exam preparation classes for the NJ State Licensing Exam
I could not believe it when I saw the book's publishing date of 1992. A book about any kind of electrical and/or electronic products that is 16 years old is obsolete.
The basic principles may still apply, but it certainly is way out of date due to the advance of technology.
I feel like I threw $80 out the window.

What I liked about this book is that its detailed and has good current and historical information about the security industry. Some of the information about detection devices is out dated but it gives you a good perspective on what the past trends in the security industry was like. Now items like glass break detectors and PIR and dual sensors are a main stay in the industry. I purchased this book for the Florida state alarm exam along with a bunch of other books. I took the online prep course with Steve Dale at Power Learning Systems. That helped a lot. I don't believe I would have passed this very hard exam without taking this course. Also, you need to get all the state approved reference books because the exam questions are from every book that is listed on the state website.