Radio Books

Excellent book. Clearly written. Explains the actual value of RFID and gives numerous real word examples from really companies. Cuts through the fantasy of what RFID can do and actually shows how a company can really use RFID to further their business goals.

Excellent book, quick read. Mr. Henrich identifies the business context for investing in RFID and why it is important. His vision of "real world awareness" should be discussed in every corporate boardroom.

Very good book. Highly recommend to read for the person who want to seek the deep understanding of RFID technology and its application.

Compared to so many other dull-reading license manuals that one has for introducing newcomers to Amateur Radio,'Ride the Airwaves with Alfa & Zulu' is a one of kind book for becoming a ham- and it's an excellent learning tool for students of all ages. Every question in the FCC Technician License Pool is covered, and all the information is worded and portrayed in ways that make learning a lot of fun and very easy to comprehend. The best feature of this book are the hundreds of illustrations that explain what's going on. Without question, anyone who is interested in becoming a ham ought to read K6YB's excellent book-for the book is one of kind when it comes to showing one 'what ham radio is all about' - and helping them to earn their first ticket. Amateur Radio Instructor- N6MV, Dr. James R. La Frieda

Hi, again, John Abbott has again produced a "SUPER" book that will assist those non-technical types, kids, and (older) kids (chuckle) open the door to Amateur Radio. I have used each of his A&Z texts since they first came out. Each time, my students and adults use it new Hams result. Amateur Radio is a great activity for ALL! Others who publish manuals should take a lesson from John and realize everyone does not have to be a tech'y to enjoy the fruitful activities of Amateur Radio. School starts in late August, 2000 for me. Alpha &Zulu will be on my desk and at the radio table. It will shown to my grade-6 class. It will become dog earred, written in, and studied by several of those eager minds. There will be more smiles at test time. There will be more Hams as a result. This book opens the door for future Hams. The more the better!

Conrad Ekstrom WB1GXM/KB1CCA(GEARS) ADVISOR GOSHEN-LEMPSTER EDUCATIONAL AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY EST 1989

This is an excellent book to either teach or learn enough about amateur radio to get your license. It breaks complex concepts down into ideas presented in a cartoon format. I used it as a teacher with great success. There is an updated version called "Ride the Airwaves with Alpha and Zulu" (as opposed to this older version "Riding the Airwaves with Alpha and Zulu")that is both current and readily available from amazon.com This version does not have the latest changes for F.C.C. tests.

One of the greatest losses to cinema is the old-fashioned, politically incorrect but thoroughly enjoyable British Empire film that was designed to prove no point other than its value as entertainment. In recent decades John Huston's "The Man Who Would Be King" managed to distill the old and the new sensibilities into a cohesive whole; but alas, the increasing lack of hardy and rugged actors of the caliber of a Sean Connery or a Victor McLaglen or an Errol Flynn have made the task of filming Kipling or Haggard yarns all the more formidable; and audiences are the losers.

What Philip Leibfried has achieved here is an immensely readable and enlightening survey that details just how many such films have been made based on the writings of these two authors. The survey goes beyond the films to also include adaptations in other media. The list is staggering: some 110 adaptations all told, each one described (where information was avaliable) with cast and credits, production history, and criticisms. Each of the authors' works is also delineated in a plot summary; and stills illustrate the book liberally. (How the author managed to find some of the more obscure stills remains no small achievement). The lives and careers of both men are also described in some depth in the Introduction.

The author's approach is sensible and fair: even the poorest film gets coverage and consideration. Space obviously did not allow for it, but on rare occasion, however, one wishes for an even more expansive approach, as in the case of the 1950 adaptation of "King's Solomons Mines". Because that film was almost unrecognizable as an adaptaion of Haggard, it receives less coverage than most of the other major productions. However, the author is clearly more respectful of the more faithful filmings, and he rightly bemoans the fact that this 1950 film left out the book's fantasy elements, many of its characters, and much of its action and plot.

These adaptations of Kipling and Haggard brought forth the best that Hollywood and the world had to offer in order to make them: directors such as John Ford, Victor Fleming, William Wellman, George Stevens, John Huston, and the Korda brothers; and actors of the caliber of Cary Grant, Spencer Tracy, Michael Caine, Deborah Kerr, Ronald Colman and the three mentioned in the opening paragraph; not to mention inimitable players such as Sabu, Shirley Temple, and of course Sam Jaffe, whose heroic and poignant portrayal of the simple regimental "bhisti" Gunga Din remains the most unforgettable of them all.

The book is handsomely packaged, on fine paper, with the stills very sharply reproduced. It is the kind of book that can be opened to any page for reading; and for once we have a "Complete List" film book that offers up a healthy serving of fresh and virtually unknown material, both written and pictorial.

This well-written and delightful book, a comprehensive guide to the works of Rudyard Kipling and Sir Henry Rider Haggard on screen, stage, radio, and TV, is the perfect gift for both the cinéaste and the casual moviegoer and reader of adventure lore. The stills and posters are great. Many of the scenes come alive in memory. The synopses and reviews are exhaustive. Mr. Leibfried's knowledge of his subject is encyclopedic. His aside on the Haggard-Hayden feud is proof alone of that. A great book for film buffs everywhere.

Rudyard Kipling (The Jungle Book) and Sir Henry Rider Haggard (King Solomon's Mines) were close friends who wrote popular stories and poems about exotic adventure in very different ways. Their various works have been adapted many times for screen, stage, television, and radio productions. Rudyard Kipling And Sir Henry Rider Haggard On Screen, Stage, Radio And Television is a complete and definitive guide to those adaptations and each original literary work is summarized, followed by a complete filmography and analysis for each film based on a particular story or poem. Separate sections provide information on adaptions created for radio, stage, and television. The informative text material is enhanced further with numerous photographs from films. Rudyard Kipling And Sir Henry Rider Haggard On Screen, Stage, Radio And Television is an invaluable addition to literary and film histories, and an important reference for all Kipling and Haggard fans.

This collection of the late Richard Salant's letters and memoirs shows that the former CBS News president -- with his strong sense of justice, fairness and intelligence -- deserves to be just as much a legend to the public as the men and women who worked for him.

Throughout the Vietnam and Watergate era of the 60s and 70s, the lawyer-turned-news executive was credited with standing up for his news people in conflicts with the government and business interests. In this volume of memoirs, organized very well by Susan and Bill Buzenberg, readers also see that he was just as tough with his own staff when it came to issues of balance and accuracy.

Readers will also be intrigued by Salant's explanation of why he approved "60 Minutes" several years after it was proposed; his written battle of wits with Charles Crutchfield, the conservative chief executive of a CBS Television affiliate;
why he didn't like music on CBS news shows; and why he felt himself a stranger in strange lands during his post-CBS years at NBC and the National News Council.

This book will be enjoyed by those interested in the issues behind newsgathering. And even though the business has changed markedly (to many, for the worse) since Salant's days, the Salant memoirs show the intelligence, thought and love of humanity he brought to his work -- qualities that are always needed in the exercise of news judgement.

It's been a quarter century after Dick Salant's left the stage of broadcast journalism. But thanks to this excellent book, his wisdom and intellect can benefit generations of young journalists.

I had to read this book for a Media Ethics class and I must say that it was one of my favourite books! Salant teaches readers about the workings of a newsroom and the struggle to do what is right with the news through funny annecdotes and interesting stories. Any aspiring journalist MUST read this, and anyone just looking for a good biography would do well to read this. (Actually, EVERYONE should read this as journalism and the media are a strong presence in all our lives, and this is a fun way to learn more about it.)

The Buzenbergs have captured the essence of a unique man of principle. Using Salant's voluminous archives, this book is a fascinating trip through an era that established high standards in broadcast journalism. The book raises issues and questions which are at the heart of today's journalism. Household names Cronkite, Rather, Brokaw, Jennings, Sevareid are the characters in the tale of how the premiere broadcast news organization came to be - what and who held it together - and the inside view of a corporation struggling with its identity. The players were giants in a land that has more recently turned into a universe of pygmies. You don't have to be a news junkie to enjoy and learn from this book - you just have to ask yourself: "if I see one more Monica Lewinsky story"...I won't take it anymore! Good reading.

Peter Herford

Mr. Cooke culls his years of experience in news/talk radio into this one most informative book. He shows radio stations how to make money and have fun in the process.

As a radio talk host myself I am always looking for new ideas. This book is chuck full of great ways to raise revenue and ratings!

I urge radio professionals to read this book.

Cooke does a masterful job. Smart radio is a lot like common sense - not very common! Read this and learn from the guy who was operations manager of DC's award winning all-news station, WTOP, and now makes his living as "the expert from out of town" brought in to fix distressed radio stations all over the US.

I've just finished reading Mr. Cooke's book and I feel very well dressed for my pep-talk tonight with my on-air staff. Most of my other books about radio are big and very detailing about the subject but not as easy as "Secrets of Smart Radio" to get a quickly guidance on a specific subject.

Kent Kordt PD, Radio Viborg, Denmark - Europe

Reading Semi True is almost as good as taking your own relaxed, spontaneous road trip --better, really, because Ringsak stops at more unlikely places, discovers more remarkable people and elicits their stories better than anyone. I raced through the book too fast; I was enjoying it too much to slow down and when I finished I wanted nothing more than to randomly select a road to anywhere and take it.

Twelve years of hauling stage equipment for public radio's Prairie Home Companion show led hauler/author Ross Ringsak to become privy to some amazing stories gleaned from truck stops, blues bars and more. Fans of Prairie Home Companion will be the likely audience for his social survey of factual tales encountered during the course of truck driving. Semi True: Seasons On The Road With A Prairie Home Companion's Resident Writer And Truck Driver a lively first-person account of close encounters of the folk kind.

You could take a video tour or even a driving tour of this country and miss most of what the author sees, hears and tastes. Avoiding the common roads, eateries, entertainment and attitudes most of us travelers fall prey to out of habit and convenience, he seeks out the unique. Rather than avoiding conversation with strangers he engages them until they come forward with stories and secrets. And there are some great stories here.
I have been awed and impressed in my travels to places that have left an indellible impression, but I have missed the details, the subtle shifts in the landscape and the weather and the people, that this author perceives and writes about so naturally.
This is a truck driver with suprising sensitivity to his surroundings. These stories will make you wish you could ride shotgun and get the personal tour. If this book doesn't make you yearn to travel to places you've never experienced, or even to familiar places with new eyes, nothing will.
In the end though, the ultimate feeling he leaves with the reader is the warmth at the end of the journey... arriving home, even if means being greeted by a bitter Minnesota blizzard.
If you are a fan of books by authors like Studs Terkel, who make the common man interesting and even heroic, you will like this book.

None of us can learn all of history in detail, but we also need to learn something more about it than the one-sentence summaries of key events that we often settle for. Worse, when we are dealing with contentious and emotional issues, we tend to grab onto a very simplistic version that happens to be `safe' to hold. However, if you do try to read something in-depth about these emotional and controversial events what you are likely to pick off the shelf will be strongly biased to one or another position. That isn't necessarily bad, but it will require you to read and study multiple sources and that may require more time and energy than you care to spend on the topic.

David Everitt has written a wonderfully balanced book on the broadcast blacklists in radio and television after WWII through the $3.5 million dollar award to John Henry Faulk for libel and against Aware, Inc, Mr Vincent Hartnett, and the estate of Mr. Laurence Johnson. At that time, it was the largest libel judgment ever awarded by an American jury. The author reports the facts without feeling the need to make extraneous judgments about the people who made the events.

However, this isn't a simple indictment of the people who ran Counterattack, Red Channels, Aware, and other anti-communist media. The book is frank about their background, their sloppiness, their bullying, their mistakes, and those whom they harmed, and the few that were actually innocent and blacklisted. But this book doesn't content itself to make the easy condemnations of those like Keenan, Kirkpatrick, Bierly, and Johnson who printed and promoted the blacklists. He also faults the network executives who rarely questioned or pushed back against them. In the rare cases when some brave souls put up some resistance they usually won.

What I appreciate about this book is that Everitt also provides the facts about the very real efforts by communists to use the recording and broadcast industries and their associated unions to spread the ideology. While it was never as pervasive or as dire a threat as the alarmists claimed, it wasn't without threat either. Another aspect of this telling of the story that I really appreciated is that it provides the names of those who were actively promoting communism and the undermining of the US government, how they went about it, and some of the words they used (which have largely been swept under the rug of historical convenience). One of the wonderful examples of the connection between the American communists and Moscow was their opposition to America entering WWII. But when Hitler attacked the USSR and Stalin needed America in the war they flipped their story, songs, and advocacy without missing a beat.

This book is VERY much worth reading and I recommend it strongly.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

A SHADOW OF RED: COMMUNISM AND THE BLACKLIST IN RADIO AND TELEVISION tells of the arrival of the Cold War and its politics in the broadcasting world, surveying the unique circumstances of the purge of the airwaves, different from movie industry blacklisting. This approach challenged media's free speech rights and affected writers, directors, and more - yet only five anti-Red watchdogs affected the media's freedoms and rights. SHADOW OF RED follows these five and uses interviews, personal correspondence, FBI reports and more to examine blacklister history and politics. A 'must' for any collection strong in media history or Cold War politics, especially at the college level.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

I rank this book along with Allen Weinstein's Perjury and Sam Robert's The Brother in terms of advancing the conversation about one of the most unfortunate chapters in 20th Century American History. Weinstein and Robert ended the debate, in my mind, about "were they really spies?" and thus moved the conversation to "was the punishment justified" and "why did the hysteria build?"

In this book, Everitt traces the beginnings of Red Channels, a publication that identified people in the entertainment industry with "ties to Communist Front Organizations." For years there has been debate about where these organizations were indeed fronts, whether those named were Communist sympathesizers, or just well-meaning liberals. Everitt building on others' work settles the question of CPUSA. There was a plan and action to infiltrate or create communist front organizations with an intent to influence the messages in mass entertainment.

That doesn't mean that every participant in those organizations was a sympathsizer or even aware of the intent. But some certainly appear to be based on their willingness to accept whatever party line Stalin was touting even when it directly contradicted the previous ones. Or their gullibility in declaring the Gulags a good workplace.

Everitt handles the "blacklisters" with a similarly cold eye. He points out the sheer lack of humanity in almost every action by American Business Consultants. He does a fine job of explaining how an obscure grocer from Syracuse, NY came to hold such sway over network television and how much that grocer relished that power.

Most importantly Everitt demonstrates that the blacklist was not pervasive and all powerful. Certainly, if it cost one person their job simply for having unpopular beliefs it was too much. The question Everitt raises is: if some institutions could resist, why didn't others? For example, why did CBS (the home of Edward R. Murrow) cave in while NBC pretty much ignored Johnson and Red Channels? Why did P&G and Mark Goodson have no trouble getting the writers, performers and directors over Red Channel objections? There are numerous examples given by Everitt that shows what paper tigers Red Channels and Johnson truly were. Was it merely hysteria that made so many kowtow to them? Was it simple cowardice?

Finally, Everitt makes that case that the tendency to demonize the opposition is still alive and well on both sides of the aisle and this tendency is as dangerous today as it was in 1951.

Highly, highly recommended.

Odd Banana was prompt in their service, much quicker than Amazon has been on an item I ordered at the same time. The product was well packaged and was in great condition. Their description of the product matched exactly what was sent.
I would definitely consider doing business with them again in the future.

The Shadow is one of the most fondly remembered shows from the golden age of radio. Even many who are not radio buffs recognize the name and what it stood for. And what it stood for was entertainment the likes of which will never be heard again. It was a theatre of the imagination. For years families would gather around the radio and be caught up in the adventures of Lamont Cranston and Margo. This great collection makes a nice addition to any radio buff's home.

There are 20 shows in all, and it is available in both cassette and cd format. Orson Welles is represented on 4 shows, Brett Morrison on 7, John Archer on 1, and Bill Johnstone, my personal favorite, on 8. I have owned this and listened to every show on more than one occasion. While it is not quite as encompassing as the larger boxed collection I have reviewed, it is still a must have for fans of radio's greatest show.

This great collection comes with a stunningly researched booklet by Anthony Tollin, who uses a number of sources, including John Dunning's fine book, to give a far-reaching look at the history of radio's greatest man of mystery as he appeared in print, on radio, and in film. There are marvelous program notes on each episode included in the booklet and photos of many of the key players. Those key players included the many voices of Margo Lane.

Over the years, Lamont's constant companion, Margot Lane, would be portrayed by Agnes Moorehead, Margot Stevenson, Marjorie Anderson, Judith Allen, Lesley Woods, and Grace Matthews. Margot Stephenson was the beautiful Broadway actress who had actually inspired the character of Margot Lane.

There are many outstanding shows in this attractively packaged set, and while I would have to rate the sound quality on a couple of these shows a B or B-, that is still excellent considering their age. A few minor adjustments to your stereo will allow you to enjoy every minute of every show. The overall quality of the 20 shows is quite good, and the entertainment value is priceless.

This greatest of mediums has sadly passed from popularity, but for those who either remember it, or have just begun to discover it, this Shadow collection is essential.

Well, I thought I was a fan of The Shadow radio shows from the 1930's. I've heard a bunch, and own a bunch, and in this box set here's only two I've heard before--"Prelude to Terror," about a loony who concocts exploding light bulbs and plants them in strategic buildings. [..] then there's "Reflection of Death," about a mirror from Inferno itself--or is it now? Many of these feature Bill Johnstone as the Shadow, and believe me, he may have been the best of any of the men who played that role. Each man brought his own flair to the role. the one I like least is kid Orson Welles, who hadn't yet panicked America and made his name forever. When these shows were made, he was still riding by ambulance from show to show--no joke, he did just that. This is money well spent.

When I took my long service leave, I bought Garfield's books of Shakespeare's Stories (both volumes) and I hired videos of Shakespeare's plays. Working with these and the texts of the plays, I gave myself a course in Shakespeare's plays. It was one of the highlights of my life.

I had supposed the Laurence Olivier was some pompous old fart with a plum in his mouth. He is ELECTRIC. His Hamlet is a study in depression. His voice in "To be or not to be" is scarcely audible but carries so much emotion.

In all, I watched 22 different plays - my favourites, Richard 11 and Hamlet, in several different versions. I followed the BBC series which uses the same actors from one play to the next so that the Duke of Gloucester in one play is played by the same actor who later becomes Richard 11 in the next play.

Leon Garfield's story-telling with its light touch of irony and its perfect choice of words opened a door that I had assumed was marked "Other people only". Garfield wrote marvellous children's book and I've read them all but these books are the best of his achievements and they've made a big difference to my life.

These are stunningly well told versions of the plays.

They give not only the story, but a wonderful sense of the theatrical - you read and enjoy a visual sensation as well as the speech of Shakespeare (all the words 'spoken' are taken directly from Shakespeare's scripts).

Romeo and Juliet, for example, sweats in the heat of Verona. There is a fantastic image of wasps fighting! You go directly into the story - and moral considerations are there.

The pictures support the text well- giving yet another dimension to the book.

Forget Lamb!

I've used these stories in the classroom for many years now - partly because young people (11 through to much older!) relate to them -but also because I really enjoy re-reading them.

(There is a whole set of Abridged Shakspeare by Garfield too - and wonderful Animations done with Russian animators!)

Excellent choice for English teachers who want to review Shakespeare's classics with students. I have also used this with my middle school students to introduce them to Shakespeare. The stories are written in clear language so that students will be able to understand the wonderful stories of the bard without being intimidated by Shakespearean language A must for all English teachers!

If you need simulation hints this is the book. I really recommend it.

This book deserves my 5 stars due to its tremendous effort to illustrate how complex digital communications algorithms are actually put into "code" for applied research. Any newcomer to mobile communications will benefit extensively from reading and using this book. For practicing researchers and engineers, it provides a refreshing and often insightful revision of basic concepts, as well as exposure of newer technology such as OFDM and software radio.

I recommend this book to all digital communications engineers.

Harada & Prasad provide a very good working-level
understanding of how to simulate communication systems
using MATLAB. This book will appeal to advanced
undergraduate and beginning graduate electrical
engineers. It emphasizes nuts&bolts simulation, and
assumes a good working knowledge of communication
system analysis. Professionals who use MATLAB to
analyze communication systems for a living will find
the coverage fairly basic - even shallow - but the
authors well meet their goal of giving beginners a
better leg up on the process. Including their MATLAB
source code on a CD with the book may make the purchase
worthwhile all by itself.