Customer Reviews

Webster's New World Telecom Dictionary

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Webster's World Telecom Dictionary is very good as far as it goes, but it does not go far enough to earn a 5-star rating. Its definitions are well written. They are written in the same agreeable style as the definitions in Newton's Telecom Dictionary, which comes as no surprise since the author of Webster's New World Telecom Dictionary previously worked on multiple editions of Newton's. Webster's New World Telecom Dictionary also resembles Newton's in its having some humorous definitions tucked in here and there. Webster's also has an attractive layout. Typographically, it's beautiful. The problem with Webster's New World Telecom Dictionary is that it has less than one-fifth the definitions that are in Newton's Telecom Dictionary. As someone who has worked in the telecommunications industry for over two decades, I can say with certainty that Newton's is the better alternative for people who work in the industry. If you are a telecom or networking professional, you will have a much better chance of finding in Newton's the definition of a word or phrase that you encounter on the job. It is also the better alternative for anyone who has anything to do with telecom or networking in their day-to-day job, for example, telecom and IT professionals in any industry, and their peers at government agencies and not-for-profit organizations. Journalists who write about telecom would also be better served by Newton's. Given Webster's much smaller number of definitions, I've been trying to figure out what target market this dictionary would be suitable for. I still can't figure it out. All of this being said, if you can buy the book cheaply, say, for a buck or two -- I bought it for only a penny through a 3rd-party bookseller here on Amazon.com -- then by all means, buy it, but be sure to pick up the 24th edition of Newton's too so that you can find definitions of words that are not in Webster's. Otherwise, wait until a newer edition comes out with an additional 20,000 definitions or so.

Although this book does not have all of the terms I needed information for, I did find that it does have most of the terms used in telephony. The definitions are clear and concise. If you need a dictionary on telephony, do not need information on little details and do not have the money to aford the other, this book will get you by. If however, you need information on little details such as switchtails, then this book will not do.

I review books in my role as a VoIP & SIP trainer for TrainingCity.com. When students ask me what to buy, I always recommend that they have a technical dictionary close at hand.

I am now recommending they have two, the old one and "Webster's New World Telecom Dictionary". I know it seems like overkill, but in fact these two books are both on my list of "must haves" for 2008. Webster's dictionary is focused, includes diagrams, and provides timely, accurate information.

Buying two or more books is never easy, so I often suggest students speak with their managers and discuss buying a "team library" of books that can be shared by everyone in the group. Often companies have a book budget, it can't hurt to ask!

Indispensible. Whether you are a telecommunications professional, aspire to be one, or just want to understand all the techno-babble, you need this book. Packed with over 4,600 terms and acronyms, this portable volume is essentially a decoder ring for the language of telecommunications. Horak has managed to write clear, plain English, definitions to the lexicon of one of the world's most befuddling languages. He has also peppered this work with seemingly unrelated terms just to keep the reader on his/her toes and demonstrate that nerds really do have a sense of humor.

With all the available telecom dictionaries and glossaries on the market, why chooses this one? (a legitimate question.) My answer is two names; Webster and Horak. Webster is undeniably the most trusted name in dictionaries and Horak is equally undeniably a telecommunications expert. The combination is a well researched dictionary that you'll keep close at hand and refer to often.

Hats off to Horak and his colleagues on creating a uniquely useful book.

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.

Ray Horak's "Webster's New World Telecom Dictionary" is an invaluable reference for anyone studying or working in the telecommunications and/or computer fields. These disciplines are well-known for their excessive use of acronyms, but Horak's clear, explanatory prose makes sense of the alphabet soup. The book is actually fun to read as well, which is remarkable for what is ostensibly a dictionary. His writing is spot-on for technical accuracy and detail, yet engaging and accessible. A very useful feature of this Dictionary is its extensive use of cross-references for entries, prompting the reader to engage on a journey of learning from one related topic to another. An excellent companion reference for this dictionary is Horak's "Telecommunications and Data Communications Handbook".

Review by Vladimir Kaminsky

Webster's New World Telecom Dictionary by Ray Horak is a comprehensive telecommunications dictionary of more than 4,600 terms essential to a clear understanding of voice, data, video, and multimedia communications system and network topologies, technologies, applications, and regulations. The book encompasses numerous volumes of materials in the area of telecommunications that can be only compared with information from the Internet.

Horak's background and experience allowed him to be an expert in many telecommunications areas. The book is the witness to this fact: it covers such simple technologies as twisted pair, such complex techniques as Passive Optical Networks, Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing; and such evolving technologies as WiMAX and MIMO.

It is interesting to note that Horak presents dry facts of telecommunications reality with humor and historical references, making it easy to read and more attractive to readers. The book can amaze a reader by its thoroughness to cover various topics, provide references, describe symbols; and it reveals Horak's deep knowledge of the topics and ability to work with huge amount of sources. For an encyclopedic treatment of the subject and a perfect companion to this work, see Horak's Telecommunications and Data Communications Handbook, also published by Wiley in 2007.

Horak is an independent telecom consultant. He is active in litigation support as a consulting expert and testifying expert, often in cases involving intellectual property such as patent, copyright, and trademark and service infringement. He has authored five telecom books and written of hundreds of technical articles, white papers, case studies, and solution briefs.

Vladimir Kaminsky, PhD is a President of Practel, Inc, a consulting company that is specializing in advanced communications technologies and network design.

Regardless of whether you a an undergraduate in a Business Administration curiculum, or an established Telecom or IT Professional, YOU NEED THIS BOOK. First of all, the price is right. And in today's world that is vital. But more important, the information provided exceeds expectation and is presented in language that even an industry novice can comprehend. The drawings and tables provide the proper support documentation without going into overkill.
In my 30+ years of experience in the telecom field, I have often found that the best way to gain client approval for a recommendation is to first educate the client and provide sufficient historical background so that my ultimate recommendation is the obvious solution. The information provided here, and the attention to detail in the way the information is presented, will allow the reader to answer or pose questions in any telecom-related environment.

"Webster's New World Telecom Dictionary" is destined to become my most dog-eared book. I just got my copy a few days ago and already I have referred to it many times. What's especially interesting about the dictionary is how easy it is to read and understand. Ray Horak has a no-nonsense style which shines through in this book. He takes what was surely a gargantuan task - producing content for over 4,000 terms - and makes it look easy with his completely understandable definitions and explanations. The book is also filled with numerous diagrams and tables which make the more arcane definitions a lot easier to understand. If you work in telecommunications, data communications, service automation, contact centers, computer telephony, or any industry tied-in to telecommunications, this book is a must have desk reference.

This book is an excellent resource for networking professionals that must wear multiple hats -- LAN and WAN, legacy and emerging networks, or voice, data and video applications. Keeping up with all the terminology across these multiple technologies is quite a challenge, and this dictionary provides a ready reference for the times that you hear or read something that is unfamiliar, and you need a quick pointer to a definition or succinct explanation.

This is an excellent addition to my library and one that everyone should own. If you are a technology person, or someone who just wants to understand today's terminology, this is the book for you. Ray Horak provides a relevant and comprehensive reference for today's telecommunication lingo. In our everyday lives we are surrounded by technology, and understanding technology's foundation is vital to everyone. Aren't you just a little curious what SAN, BGP or VoIP is? Add this book to your library!