Date: Mon, 29 Aug 1994 19:37:17 MDT From: Rob Slade Subject: Book Review: "Data Communications, Networks and Systems" by Bartee BKDCMN&S.RVW 940706 SAMS 11711 N. College Ave., Suite 140 Carmel, IN 46032-5634 317-573-2500 317-581-3535 800-428-5331 800-428-3804 hayden@hayden.com haydenbks@aol.com 76350.3014@compuserve.com "Data Communications , Networks, and Systems", Bartee, 1991, 0-672-22790-8, U$49.95/C$64.95 It is very difficult to determine the purpose, objective, or audience for this book. There is not much specifically wrong with the information, but it is hard to tell who might need this particular presentation. The back cover blurb speaks of the growth in personal computers, and talks of "suggestions for high profile results". This could be seriously misleading, as little of the material is of direct use to those working with personal computers, and the papers tend towards a generic background overview, rather than specific practicalities. The preface opens by stating that the book contains the latest information in the important areas of digital communications, networks and systems. In fact, the book contains ten essays by different authors, generally addressing topics basic to data communications. The papers vary in audience and technical level. Most are relatively non-technical (and non-specific) but some assume a fairly solid grasp of higher mathematical concepts. Because of the differing authorship, little information can be developed from chapter to chapter, and some topics are repeated, while others are missed. Transmission media, in chapter one, is given a thorough but basic background. Chapter two, on carriers and regulations, is solely concerned with the US, an attitude which carries over into modems (chapter three), which lists modems only by the Bell standards. This is a rather dated reference, as is the continual discussion of RS-232C which, as the book notes once, was superseded by RS-232D in 1987, four years before the *first* publication of the book. Chapters four and five discuss basic ideas in protocols, and integrated voice and data networks. Chapters six, seven and nine talk about baseband, broadband and standards in local area networks, oddly separated by security in chapter eight. The book closes with a very mathematical discussion of error control. While sections are good (chapter six, on LANs, is excellent), overall the book lacks focus. Trying to give the "latest" information in a book tends to date it quickly. In this case, even in 1991 the material would have been quite pedestrian. None of the material looks at technologies that would have been "new advances" in the fields. McNamara's "Introduction to Data Communications," whose most recent version was three years earlier, outdoes this work in many areas. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1994 BKDCMN&S.RVW 940706. Distribution permitted in TELECOM Digest and associated newsgroups/mailing lists. DECUS Canada Communications, Desktop, Education and Security group newsletters Editor and/or reviewer ROBERTS@decus.ca, RSlade@sfu.ca, Rob Slade at 1:153/733 DECUS Symposium '95, Toronto, ON, February 13-17, 1995, contact: rulag@decus.ca