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".

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!

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It is interesting to note that Horak presents dry facts of telecommunications reality with humor and historical references, making it easy to read and more attractive to readers.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.

Webster's New World Telecom Dictionary (Webster's New World)
Fianlly a comprehensive dictionary of Telecom, Data and Computer terms. It is a fantastic addition to my library.

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.

If you are in the Telecom or IT industries, this is a dictionary that belongs on your shelf. It's concise, and very comprehensive. Ray Horak's injection of bits of humor allow the reader to engage with the book, rather than just using it as a tool.
A quick and easy way to locate a definition or specification.

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!

Admittedly, this review is somewhat biased, since I am the author. As Amazon requires a rating for every review, I'll give myself 5 stars. After all, it took me the best part of a year to write this book, even though I based it on 30+ years of experience in the industry and drew considerable background content from the 3 editions of my best-selling Communications Systems and Networks (1997, 2000, 2002) and from my very recent Telecommunications and Data Communications Handbook (2007). Bill Flanagan, my Technical Editor, is a big part of the reason for the long gestation period. Bill has an extensive background in telecom and, as a formally trained mathematician and physicist with practical experience in electrical engineering, possesses a different perspective on the subject. Coupling all of that with his unswerving attention to technical detail, his insistence on absolute accuracy, and his experience as the author of a dozen or so excellent books ensured that each of the 7,500 or so definitions in this book is absolutely correct in every respect. We so firmly believe in the special nature of this book that I am compelled to offer some comments.

This book is a comprehensive telecommunications dictionary of more than 7,500 terms critical to understanding voice, data, facsimile, video, and multimedia communications system and network technologies, applications, and regulation. Given the convergence of computing and communications, the book also effectively is a computer dictionary with a telecom focus. It is thoroughly researched, highly objective, absolutely accurate, and includes just about every essential term, abbreviation, acronym, contraction, initialism, and portmanteau you might encounter in the telecom and datacom domains. Although the book is a technical dictionary, I have written it in my unique plain-English, commonsense style, intended to yield definitions that are as thoroughly understandable to the business professional or student as they are to the electrical engineer. Many entries are encyclopedic in nature, discussing applications and issues, as well as technical specifics. I have also injected an occasional bit of humor by sprinkling some telecom trivia and marginally related definitions (e.g., endianess, Geneva Convention, Hellenologophobia, hoot `n' holler, insure, Luddite, OCD, PC, rules of engagement, warrior's code, and WMBTOTCITBWTNTALI) that I hope will have you smiling and chuckling to yourself, but not to the point that they detract from what is an important book on a serious subject. (Note: I do not take myself all that seriously. I do, however, take my work very seriously, but not so much so that I don't have a bit of fun with it, now and then. If I didn't enjoy my work, I guarantee you that I would find something else to do.)

I own hundreds of books on telecommunications and data communications, have read at least some of all of them, and have learned something from each. In many cases, I learned how not to write a book. I also own at least 50 telecom, datacom, computer, and engineering dictionaries and encyclopedias. I even contributed to multiple editions of one of them. However, I find each of them to be lacking. Some are inaccurate and incomplete, as the authors lack sufficient understanding of the technology and, for whatever reason, did not expend the effort to learn about it. Some are so chock full of fluff, absolute nonsense, personal bias, and other irrelevancies as to be not only useless, but even counterproductive. (I could cite chapter and verse, but I won't.) I also have access, as you do, to a number of on-line dictionaries, several of which are open source, meaning that they are written by anyone and everyone and, therefore, cannot be trusted.

This book is none of those things. It is relevant, accurate, and unbiased. It is the best we could make it. You can take every one of the 7,500 definitions in this book as gospel. If you are involved in litigation support, as I am, I assure you that you can take every one of them to the courthouse and swear to their truth. (In the words of Will Sonnett, that is "No brag, just fact.") That said, please contact me with your comments and any errors or omissions you might discover. With your help, I am confident that the next edition will be even better.

By the way, the perfect companion to this book is Telecommunications and Data Communications Handbook, also by Ray Horak (me). Bill Flanagan served as Technical Editor for both books. We made sure that each complemented the other. Your compliments (as well as your constructive criticisms) are welcome.