BKDCFBTB.RVW   951023
 
"Data Communications: From Basics to Broadband", Beyda, 1996, 0-13-366923-8
%A   William J. Beyda
%C   One Lake St., Upper Saddle River, NJ   07458
%D   1996
%G   0-13-366923-8
%I   Prentice Hall
%O   +1-201-236-7139 fax: +1-201-236-7131 beth_hespe@prenhall.com
%P   311
%T   "Data Communications: From Basics to Broadband"
 
Beyda's aim was to provide a clear readable textbook with a broad overview of
the field of data communications.  He has succeeded with this work which is not
only suitable for an introductory course in communications, but also for the
working technical professional who needs a quick but thorough background in the
field to add to other knowledge.
 
Telecom professionals may find that the material does not give sufficient depth
for their purposes.  Indeed, it does not come up to the technical quality of
works such as McNamara's "Technical Aspects of Data Communication" (cf.
BKTCHDCM.RVW) for those who want to know the "how" of the technology.  Beyda
does, however, touch on a number of very recent topics which are not covered in
more traditional textbooks.  (There is even an acknowledgement that RS-232-C is
*not* the last standard in the series.)
 
Teachers will find the end-of-chapter questions to be fairly simplistic, and
not much use as assignments.  The overall level of the material, however, is
quite suitable for first or second year courses as a "communications literacy"
introduction.
 
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1995   BKDCFBTB.RVW   951023

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