View source for Dot-Dash To Dot.Com by Andrew Wheen

{{infobox1
|title=Dot-Dash To Dot.Com
|author=Andrew Wheen
|reviewer=Keith Dudhnath
|genre=Popular Science
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|isbn=978-1441967596
|pages=301
|publisher=Springer
|date=December 2010
|website=http://andrewwheen.com/
|video=XrGk9tTMQzU
|summary=An engaging and informative history of the telecommunications industry, written for laymen. Although the target market might be narrow, those to whom it appeals will find much to appreciate. Worth a look.
|cover=1441967591
|aznuk=1441967591
|aznus=1441967591
}}

You know exactly what you're getting when you read the summary of Andrew Wheen's ''Dot-Dash To Dot.Com''. ''How Modern Telecommunications Evolved from the Telegraph to the Internet'' sums it up perfectly. This is a history of technology and the people involved in creating that technology. It serves as a primer for anyone with an interest or need to know about telecommunications.

With its assumption of little technical knowledge, and bright writing style, ''Dot-Dash To Dot.Com'' is perfect for a layman to read. You could well imagine a newly-appointed boss coming from a different industry reading it. They'll shore up what they know and fill in a few gaps too. Although it treads similar ground to a textbook (it's informative and packed with information) it rarely heads into dry territory. You'll enjoy reading it, even diving into the many appendices that expand on some of the more technical aspects.

''Dot-Dash To Dot.Com'' strikes a thoughtful balance between the technical and human history. Technical rightly comes out on top, but learning about the pioneers adds much-appreciated colour to the information. The final chapter tries to comment on as many aspects as possible of what might happen next in the industry. Due to the ever-evolving nature of technology, there's so much to comment on that it feels like ticking off everything that needs to be crammed in. It's a necessary approach, but it does mean ''Dot-Dash To Dot.Com'' doesn't end with as much of a bang as it could.

The target market of ''Dot-Dash To Dot.Com'' is somewhat narrow. Those who would need to know the information would tend to know it already, and those who are reading solely for pleasure might tend to lean towards a book offering more of the human interest side of things. However, there's no denying that the book speaks directly to those whom it's pitched at, so it seems churlish to offer even the mildest criticism for achieving what it sets out to do. I certainly enjoyed and learned from it. If it appeals to you in the slightest, you'll appreciate it. Worth a look.

My thanks to the publishers for sending it to Bookbag.

Although books on telecommunications aren't ten a penny on Bookbag, you'll find that the [[Top Ten Books For Slightly Geeky People]] appeals to you. [[Farmer Buckley's Exploding Trousers by Stephanie Pain]] and [[The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean]] will appeal to people looking for more light-hearted popular science.

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[[Category:History]]