Radio Books

This would be a great way to start a unit for upper elementary kids on media and truth in journalism. It's a visual delight, and has lots of details to spark further inquiry. While most kids today think they are pretty media-wise, can they indeed tell the difference between "entertainment" and "infotainment?" A fun visually engaging introduction to the "War of the Worlds" broadcast, might provoke some interesting conversations in the classroom.

Aliens Are Coming is about a false radio broadcst about aliens.This book illustrates how a little prank could affect so many people. I thought this book was great and you should too.

One of the most famous - or infamous - hoaxes in American history, an event that terrified hundreds of thousands and sent normal people into panic-driven frenzies, may not be the first thing you'd think of when you consider writing a picture book for young readers, but thank goodness Meghan McCarthy had a vision for this book that presents this very significant snippet of Americana in a way that not only won't scare the bejeezus out of your little alien hunter, it will entertain them with great, kid-friendly art, and educate them with photos of the period and some really well-researched historical information in the back pages that will make this one a staple in American classrooms. A must for anyone studying the time period.

Picture book non-fiction. A hard format to write in, or the hardest format to write in? Every year countless libraries get inundated with the same old same old. Your bee books. Your dinosaur books. Your fifteen different biographies of Teddy Roosevelt. So you can imagine my surprise when I picked up a book that looked... different. You don't expect something called, "Aliens Are Coming" to be factual. You especially don't expect it to tell the truth when you flip through the pages and see large multi-tentacle-laden outer space beasties terrorizing the natural landscape. But then, it helps to know your history. Seeing the 1938 radio broadcast of "War of the Worlds" for what it truly was (perfect picture book fare), McCarthy gives us, thrills, chills, and some wonderful little factoids in the back of what I might well call my favorite non-fiction picture book of 2006.

It's the 1930s! Good old 1930s. Open the book and here's a cheery announcer telling kids that back in the thirties the primary source of entertainment and information was the radio. It then explains that some people "were easily fooled by a radio play that sounded like an actual news bulletin". Turn the page, and everything is black and white. We're looking at a typical American street scene. "It was October, 30, 1938, the day before Halloween". We next see a nice black and white scene of a family gathered in their living room. The noise coming out of the radio forms into colorful dancing sequences. Suddenly an announcer comes on and starts talking about a flaming meteorite that has fallen in New Jersey. As the listeners grow worried, the scene shifts to a field where a group of people stand around as a flying saucer slowly begins to open up. It's aliens! And they've come to conquer us all! They ransack the farmlands. They invade the cities. They land all over the country. "Was this the end of the world?" Certainly a lot of people listening thought so. The pictures are back to black and white and we're seeing clogged highways and jammed phone lines, and police investigating perfectly calm fields in the country. It wasn't the end of the world. It was Orson Welles and his troupe of actors at the Mercury Theatre performing a realistic version of "War of the Worlds". Interesting factual information rounds off the book with the true story and fun info about subsequent readings of the story (with similar results).

Part of the fun of this book is that there is no indication that any of this story might not be entirely on the up and up until you reach its end. Then it finishes a bit abruptly. Still, imagine introducing this book to a room full of second graders. You tell them in all seriousness (preferably around Halloween time) that this book is a true story. True true true. Then you fill their little heads with a wacked-out tale of alien invasion and widespread panic. The fact that they've been duped only makes them (like those poor 1938 American citizens) only more intrigued and want to read the book again and again later. The pictures make it ideal read-aloud material, to say nothing of the haunting scenes, colorful during the broadcast and bleak in real life. Though McCarthy works with a misleadingly simple palette, her pictures have a great deal of depth, tone, and character to them.

Actually, author/illustrator Meghan McCarthy has always struck me as being underrated. She first came to my attention when she wrote, "The Adventures of Patty and the Big Red Bus". Like a cohesive Lauren Child, McCarthy is particularly good at her atmospheric round-eyed cartoonish illustrations. She seems at her best when she's writing non-fiction too. Her factual information bringing up the book's rear is just amazing. All in all, this is one of the most amusing and wonderful titles to grace libraries and bookstores this or any year. A great idea for a book and superb follow-through. Amusing to its core.

This is an extremely entertaining, compulsively readable book. Doerksen mounts a compelling case for his view that early radio involved much much more than the non-commercial high-brow recordings of the national networks. But the great joy of reading this book is in the stories. Doerksen gives us robust, full-bodied descriptions of the people who filled the airwaves of the 1920s, of the (sometimes craven, sometimes wacky) things they cared about and how they tried to use radio to promote then. Whether or not you think you're interested in early twentieth century broadcast history per se, I can guarantee you'll be enthralled by the outsized on-air personalities Doerksen brings to life.

Doerksen uncovers the fascinating yet neglected histories of the independent stations that operated in the dawn of radio broadcasting. He details their (sometimes) humorous battles with the corporate players and the Federal Radio Commission and the ultimate demise of these stations under re-written rules and "consolidation". I was surprised to learn that it was the populist stations -broadcasting hillbilly music or vaudeville acts or ultraconservative diatribes or "smutty jazz"-- who pushed broadcast advertising, not the "Big Four" corporations or the advertising industry. A concise and easy read.

This was an interesting book about how the medium of radio was perceived when it was brand new. Essentially middle-class people attributed all sorts of miraculous potentialities to broadcasting, and expected it to bring universal culture, prosperity & wisdom. In other words, this was the Twenties version of the Internet bubble of the 90s. I kept expecting the author to refer to the obvious historical parallels between the two mediums but he never does. I actually found it distracting as I got closer to the end of the book, wondering when he was going to acknowledge the 9,000 pound elephant standing in his foyer. Maybe the author is so old that he hasn't heard of the Internet or something. Anyway, other than that, it tells an interesting story.

Anyone interested in radio history or the 1920s in general would enjoy this book, which tells the stories of forgotten pioneers of radio from the days before the networks took over the airwaves. A lot of the radio personalities profiled were kind of crazy and the book is often quite funny. It's very well written and I read it cover to cover in two sittings.

"The ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications" has been the bible of amateur radio since 1926. The 80th edition carries on in the tradition set by prior editions by providing an outstanding overview of practical electronics as well as a wide range of information and over 60 projects on amateur radio communications.

The "Handbook" starts with information on what amateur radio is, from the variety of people who are involved in the hobby to how to get started as a radio amateur. The book reviews the wide range of activities available to radio amateurs, with discussions of everything from emergency communications to Amateur Radio contests and awards. There's also a glossary of ham radio terms.

The book continues with the fundamentals of electronics theory. First is a review of the mathematics required for applied electronics. For those who need a refresher, the chapter provides an excellent review of electronics mathematics, from significant figures and equations to complex algebra and logarithms. It also includes examples to help those with little prior background in math understand the principles involved.

Next, the book discusses the fundamentals of electronics, from DC theory to AC theory, including both resistive and reactive components. This is followed with information on digital signal theory that starts with the basics of binary logic and builds up through computer hardware. The section on electronics theory wraps up with a discussion of analog signal theory. This chapter covers the various circuits used in radio communications and the devices used in these circuits, from the ubiquitous transistor to integrated circuits. Each of the chapters in the fundamental theory section has a glossary of the terms introduced in that chapter.

Fully half of the handbook covers practical radio design and related projects. This section of the handbook starts off with a chapter on safety practices for radio communications that discusses antenna and tower safety, electrical wiring including grounding, RF radiation, and other dangers encountered in radio (it's amazing how many chemical hazards there are in a radio shack!).

The rest of the design and projects section covers virtually everything in modern communications, from the characteristics of components at RF frequencies to power supplies and from communications filters to radio wave propagation. In each chapter, there is a review of the basic theory on the topic followed by projects that apply the theory. In addition, the projects are of practical items that the radio amateur will need.

For example, the chapter on Antennas discusses the theory of how antennas work. Following a discussion of dipoles and half-wave antennas, there are four projects for building dipole antennas for HF operation on various bands. There is similar information for vertical, yagi, and quad antennas, as well as discussions about antennas for mobile operations; each followed by one or more projects.

The Handbook includes chapters on construction techniques including information on electronics components, how to use common electronics tools, circuit construction tips, electronics test instruments, and electronic system troubleshooting and repair techniques. There are several related projects, including a frequency counter and several signal generators.

The ARRL Handbook bills itself as "The comprehensive RF Engineering Reference." I believe the handbook lives up to this statement and more. As a practicing RF engineer in the past, I can attest to the usefulness of the handbook to radio technicians and radio engineers. My team and I referred to the ARRL Handbook constantly in designing and maintaining MF, HF, VHF, and UHF installations.

As an instructor, I continue to find the ARRL Handbook as a useful reference for both Communications Systems classes, but also as an excellent resource for basic electronics circuits and components. I'm currently using the fundamental theory portions in the study sessions I hold for those preparing for electronics technician certifications.

This is an outstanding book for anyone interested in amateur radio or wireless communications. I also strongly recommend it as a reference for radio technicians and radio engineers.

Review by Mike Powers, Radideo.com Guide, January 2003

I have been involved in the hobby for less than a year and am a non-technical person. This book is a real work of art for what I would call a "technical user" or "technician". The manual is a superb desk referance.
However, for the greenhorn, ARRL has other books that are written at a more simple level and there is also a "Dummies" title that is a pretty good book in spite of the heavy overlap with "Now You're Talking".
There is content on antenna installation and principals that even newbies can understand, but again, ARRL has some titles that are targeted toward this need.

This book, published by the Amateur Radio Relay Lague, is a must-have item for any serious amateur radio operator.

Any question you might have about RF, antennas, tuners, amplifiers, and so on are in this book.

I would recommend this book to any ham who's interested in working HF or building antennas. It's not really necessary for most new hams who are planning on working two meters for awhile since most of the information doesn't really apply to working 144MHz on a handheld.

Otherwise, pick up a copy. I wouldn't buy one every year since the technology doesn't change that much, but support the League and get a great book by buying this item.

When I recently picked up the newest edition of the ARRL Handbook, the first thing I noticed was that they had changed the subtitle from ?For the Radio Amateur? to ?For Radio Communications?. This was done to reflect the fact that a large percentage of these handbooks are purchased by non-amateurs. Electrical Technicians and Engineers, Laboratories and Researchers often have a copy on their shelves. So with the 80th edition they made the slight name change to better appeal to the wider audience of active users. The book covers just about any major category of radio communications one can think of from Fundamental Theory, to Construction Techniques to Operating Practices. It is a excellent reference source for anyone with a question about radio. Off course for anyone with a very specific interest the ARRL has other books that deal with a more specialized subject, but for a starting point I would purchase this book first.

The book is published on a yearly basis, but since the soft cover copy I purchased retails for $34.95, I wouldn?t purchase a new copy every year. The basic technology doesn?t change that fast, most of the yearly changes are adding and removing projects. The new edition does have revised chapters, including ones on Modulation Sources and Digital Signal Processing, but I wouldn?t run out to purchase it if I had last year?s copy, unless I had a specific interest in the new material. Personally I have a hard cover edition from the 80?s and a CD edition from the late 90?s and much of the basic information is still the same. I would recommend for the average user that they purchase a new copy every 5 to 10 years unless they have a specific need. I might also recommend alternating between paper copies and CDs. CDs are archival and easy to store and duplicate (for back up purposes of copyrighted material), but for manuals of this sort it is also convenient to have a hard copy to thumb through at their workbench.

Reviewed by Trip for Huntress Reviews.

This is a great book for understanding many aspects of radio communication and RF. It contains practical information with a minimum of theory. It starts from the basics and works up to more complex topics. If you want to get into ham radio, this will be an excellent reference. Also, engineers and technicians will find this invaluable as well.

The ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications (formerly known as the Radio Amateur's Handbook) has been around since the early 20th century. It has always been both technical and practical. My only criticism, and it is from a personal viewpoint, is that in recent years there is more technical detail and fewer practical projects, but don't let that stop you! Indispensable.

With the searchable CD-ROM, you can find and read about anything in the printed edition, and makes everything really easy to find fast. I LOVE it!!

Section on DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSING is a great balance between theory, math (just enough to get us by!), and actual practical applications. You can actually understand it without the heavy Differential Equations and Calculus... and come away with a decent understanding of DSP.

An off-shoot of DSP is the SDR (Software Defined Radio), and that is covered in here too. What it is, how it works, and actual implementations. This is an evolving Leading Edge Technology item, so of course, things are changing on a daily basis... but it's still a great way to get started if you're new to SDR's.

Thank you, ARRL! For making keeping up with Electronics Technology something the rest of us can manage with your very timely help.

"The ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications" is a classic never equaled in the discipline. It is the most compact, practical assmeblage of notes on radio frequency communication in existence.

While the 'A' in ARRL stands for 'Amateur' don't let that fool you. I am an electrical engineer of 25 years professional experience. My specialty is electro-magnetic compatibility or EMC. I and many of my associates, (some with PHd's in electrical engineering) refer to this book when it comes time to apply theory and get something operating. ARRL makes a systematic effort to keep this important reference current with the latest technological developments.

This book is great if you're trying to build your first ham set or doing more advanced professional work.

THE ASPHALT JUNGLE is probably one of the earliest crime caper stories written in which the details of the planning, execution and aftermath of a crime are explained. It may not be the first book of its kind but it's certainly the earliest that I can remember reading and is a terrific study of the interactions of a diverse group of individuals who are all dependent on one another for the success of their operation.

We are softened up right at the opening of the book with a statement from the new Chief of Police acknowledging that the crime rate in their (unnamed) city was at disturbing levels. He follows this up by vowing that he was going to make a difference and clean up the city while he was running the police force.

We switch over to the criminals where a plan is being organised by a mastermind criminal known as Herr Doktor, a very unlikely looking little man who has just been released from prison. Doc is after three reliable men to help him carry out his plan and asks a small-time bookie named Cobby for help assembling them. Cobby's link to Doc is through Doc's cellmate from prison. The plan that Doc has cooking is of a jewellery heist that could be worth half a million dollars.

They recruit Gus, a small hunchbacked man with a bad temper as their driver, Louis "Schemer" Bellini as their lockman and the largely unknown quantity of a man named Dix as their muscle. They then turn to a crooked lawyer named Emmerich to stake the operation. Emmerich is well known in criminal circles for his wealth and tight lips, but little do the conspiring thieves know that his fortune has dwindled to the point where he is now just about broke. The prospect of such a huge take is almost too much for Emmerich to conceal his enthusiasm agreeing to finance the operation while secretly planning a double cross would solve his financial woes.

Even though the planning is impeccable, problems occur during the heist and the way in which the makeshift team works together is critical to their success. It's this aspect of the story that becomes the main focus once the robbery is over and the pressure of evading an ever tightening police dragnet is applied.

W.R. Burnett has written a wonderful story of desperation, deception and mistrust set in a gritty world of tough criminals and equally tough cops. He has given his caper the suitably dark setting of a brooding city rife with corruption as he dangles the promise of vast wealth just out of reach of his flawed characters.

The Asphalt Jungle is perhaps best known for its 1950s film adaptation (..supposedly a real good movie). However little do most folks realize the screenplay was co-authored by the man (Burnett) who wrote the original novel. The novel is generally available in paperback form in the UK but only as an "e-book" in the USA. This is a shame because I was surprised at how wonderful a story The Asphalt Jungle really is.

Okay, so what *is* the story? It is about a bunch of low-life criminals planning a jewelry store heist. The characters are an eclectic bunch (rednecks, blue collar immigrants, a German "doctor", a wealthy lawyer). Each person is greedy and distrustful of each other. Despite carefully planning the heist doesn't come off terribly well. Tragically, it is the individual weaknesses of the characters and the mutual distrust which ultimately leads to catastrophic consequences.

While the story might sound somewhat formulaic (..Reservoir Dogs seems almost like a modern film adaptation of it) I found the book to be a most enjoyable read. The prose has a tight feel, and the characterizations are simply wonderful. I plan to seek out other works by Burnett such as Little Caesar.

Bottom line: a classic. Strongly recommended.

In Little Caesar ,W R Burnett wrote a classic and pivotal novel of the rise of gangsterism .Twenty years later ,in 1949 ,he wrote The Asphalt Jungle and in so doing introduced most of the elements of the caper novel -a complicated robbery for big stakes is planned and we the reader watch as events unfold from planning to execution.
The switch from the emphasis on individualism and the charismatic figure of the gangster to this novel where the emphasis is on teamwork ,planning and the meticulous application of specialist skills is in many ways refelective of societal change and the shift away from crime as an individual response ,to crime as a corporate entity .

The plotting ,as befits the subject,is mechanical and the caper is laid out before the reader ;it is precisely timed and requires absolute adherence to detail and schedule in order to work.

The contrast between this cold impersonal planning and the unpredictability of human emotions and behaviour is pivotal to the story and exposes the folly of any plans which fail to take the human element into account

Burnett is good at showing the clash between the criminals and the cops and succeeds in dividing reader loyalties -the two sides are opposed but share common characteristics.

Good pulp writing and a slick piece of gem bright plotting

Though numerous susbsequent imitations have taken some of the edge off this classic novel, it is still a powerful look into the seedy underworld of post-WWII America (Burnett knows the milieu-- he was one of the first on the scene of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, and once worked as a night clerk at a hotel frequented by lowlifes and criminals). While it is a caper novel (the first one, in fact), it has less to do with the mechanics of carrying out a major crime (in this case, a million-dollar jewelry store heist) than it does with the interplay of the gangsters. H. R. F. Keating ranks it as one of the 100 best crime and mystery books, yet it seems as if Burnett's work has been largely (and unjustly) forgotten today.

We found this program many years ago while visiting the Battle Road visitor center/museum in Concord. We took a guided tour of the battle field and the park ranger recommended this tape as a great audio drama of the events that took place on April 19, 1775. To make a long story short, we listened to it many times while driving around on that vacation, and have continued to enjoy it. We are pleased to see that it is now on CD. If you love history and radio drama, you will enjoy this classic production. Really a perfect gift for a history buff, or a child needing to learn some American history in a pain free manner.

We bought this tape because we thought it would be a good way to expose our kids to American history. The Colonial Radio folks seem to have a knack at making dry history lessons fun (we own a couple of their tapes). This particular production is not as flashy as some of their others, but it is none the less a good one. Unfortunately, my Father-in-Law is a history fanatic, and we have not seen the tape since his last visit. The family gives it a hearty four thumbs up.

I live in the area and have been along Battle Road many times. This tape has really brought the historical events alive for me. I have since gotten the Plimouth tape and am eagerly looking forward to the rumored Gettysburg series.

We stumbled upon this wonderful little tape purely by accident while doing the tourist thing in New England. When visiting the Lexington visitors center, we over heard the park rangers saying great things about this cassette, we bought one and must have listened to it a dozen times during the trip. The story of Paul Revere's ride and the battle of Lexington is truly a great one, and this tape makes listening to history fun and exciting. The kids love it (as do we) thought it is by no means a childrens product. It is apparently well researched and very well performed. We will be ordering some of the other items written by Jerry Robbins to see if they are of equal quality.

Our children caught the commercial bug. Try as we might, we couldn't explain the concept to a 4-year old and a 5-year old. They saw kids enjoying cereal, toys and other stuff and figured it had to be good.

The Berenstain Bears book allowed our kids to discuss the bears' problem first before relating it to their own challenge. We bring this book out about 1-2 times per month at bedtime and revisit the concept.

We own several Berenstain Bears books and they have worked very well in helping us instill good values and manners in our children.

My kids love these books. They are fun to read, and at the same time they teach them about daily values of life.
Very nice books for parents to share with their children.

Sister and Brother bear want EVERYTHING they see on the TV Commercials. Whether it is a new cereal or a new candy or a new toy or whatever. They want it and they HAVE to have it.

Mama Bear thinks she should unplug the TV, but then she would miss her show and Papa Bear would miss his.

The cubs keep pestering her to get the things in the Advertisements. So one day Mama decides to let them have everything they want off the TV commercial. They have to eat every bit of cereal and candy and play with all the toys for a month.

The cubs find out the cereal is gross, the candy is too sour, and the toys are lame.

They stop asking for things off the TV.

Children love the Berenstain Bears-- the Berenstain bears have been a source of comfort before dentists' visits, shared important information about safety, and helped in times of transition like new schools or moves. This time, the friendly bears tackle the problem with commercials. Young children are exposed to commercials on TV, the radio, even at school-- this book deals with the "I need that because I saw it on TV" syndrome in a very clever, gentle, and clear way. Highly recommended.

....and you will get plenty of laughter if you listen to these two brothers....their impromptu responses, clever wit, but serious and focused advice makes a very, well-worth buying piece of entertainment. I own new cars and not currently experiencing any mechanical problems, but chose to listen to Car Talk just to relieve some everyday stress in my life! Although the tapes are usually only 90 minutes or less, you will get more out of this than watching some untalented comedian on Comedy Central.

I guess you either love these guys or you hate them. My wife finds them incredibly annoying when she hears them on the radio.

Myself, I love them. Their accents are not off-putting to me, and I love how they laugh together.

What I've learned over time, though, is that the 'straight' answers they provide are actually pretty authoritative. They actually know what they're talking about, based not only on their extensive formal education but also based on their hands-on work with many, many cars.

If I personally found anything annoying, it's only their constant self-referencing which gets old. However, it's a part of their "shtick" which we would not want to do without...

Tom and Ray Magliozzi (aka Click and Clack) are classic examples of the fact that NPR and talk radio can't always be easily categorized. While most NPR stations spend the majority of their time playing classical music, every Saturday morning Bach gets pushed to the side for a heavy of Click and Clack. And while most talk radio hosts seem to take themselves way too seriously, Tom and Ray never let anyone (including themselves) get away with anything. If you or someone you know has never heard "Car Talk", get ahold of these tapes. You'll be laughing before you know it!

If you are new to Car Talk, this tape is a neccessity. Even if you have been listening for years, you may not have heard some of these calls. And if you never have listened to Car Talk, shame on you! The funniest thing on radio is also the funniest thing on tape, and I have found that when Tom and Ray are on my stereo, I can not be in a bad mood. The price is worth the reduction in therapy bills alone!

This book is absolutely essential if you want to understand what television has done to Western Civilization. It is not a rant against shabby programming but a brilliant analysis of what the medium itself does to us, regardless of content. Marc is a compassionate and witty writer and his book deserves to be widely known and discussed.

The main point of Bonfire of the Humanities is that there isn't a difference any more between what used to be called High and Low Culture. These categories might have been hard to define, but at least academics used to know where to put Titus Andronicus and where to put Star Trek.

The Low Culture David Marc is most interested in is television, which he points out controls us by delivering pleasure, not pain, as dystopian literature sometimes predicted.

But there were artists who foresaw how we would get hooked on TV. (Even the expression "hooked on" reduces the viewer to just another plug-in.) I remember a scene in Francois Truffaut's film Fahrenheit 451, where the fireman's wife is is watching/participating in a TV soap opera. The characters stop and address her by name, asking what they should do about the latest plot complication.

What's worse is I don't remember if the scene is in Ray Bradbury's novel, which I read, or not. But I still remember the image from the movie. I've been educated out of the reading culture and into the viewing culture just like the character in Truffaut's film.

What makes Marc's essays so informative (and a lot funnier to read in places than most university press books) is that he isn't a partisan of one culture over the other. He criticizes teachers who have allowed their students to graduate without developing a love for reading and writing as well as the professional curmudgeons who want to limit "education" to some cannon they've decided on.

Did you know that reading Madame Bovary and watching Beavis and Butthead might drive you to the same kind of antisocial behavior? Huh huh huh.

The film critic David Thomson said that there have been two terrible threats to humankind in the second half of the twentieth century - - nuclear weapons and television, and that the way it turned out television was the more insidious, beamed into our brains every day.

I am a doctoral student in English and I teach multiple sections of Freshman Composition. This is the first book this presents a recognizable picture of the contemporary classroom: a place where literacy is taught as a specialist's skill to students immersed in television culture. If you are interested in the future of reading and writing, I recommend this book highly. It is also hilariously funny.

To his credit, Marc, an erstwhile literary scholar, doesn't delve into the pseudo-academic question of whether television is or isn't a cornerstone of contemporary American culture. Instead, he examines what actually has transpired in the US -- the wholesale acceptance (and enjoyment) of the medium -- and describes its impact on the ever changing landscape of the Republic. With an oftentimes acerbic wit, Marc, lifts the curtain on the great Oz, allowing us to see who we are and what we've become, intellectually and culturally, whether we want to admit it or not. Ample notes let the reader discover further musings on the effects of this commonplace appliance. Overall, a brilliant -- if not disquieting -- social critique of Americans and our often reviled, often beloved boob tube.