Radio Books

This book helped me understand this complicated subject. This book covers the economic reasons for a particular cellular system design as well as the technical aspect. Although technology changes rapidly in this field, I feel this book will make an excellent reference for anyone interested in this subject.

In short time I had to learn Radio Technology. As usual when approaching new subject I bought and borrowed a dozen of books. The problem with most books is as usual, that you already have to know the subject in order to benefit from them. Not so with this book. I've read it just like a crime novel and I think I've got better understanding of the subject than I've got from rest of the books. So start with this book and then you will be ready to attack any of the other books from authors like Sklar, Proakis, Miller and Blake.

This is not the cheapest book you'll find on DBS satellite technology, but I have found no other books to date that go to the depths of detail that this one does, especially on MPEG2 encoding for satellite broadcast. Mr. Mead was there at the beginnings of DirecTV in 1990, and his years of experience show through in the vast amount of technical detail included in this book. From the discussions on modern satellite RF design, to error-correction schemes and conditional access encryption of transmissions, through the uplink facilities designs and subscriber decoding equipment, it's ALL THERE! Even the last two chapters of the book are devoted to "future" DBS technologies like MPEG4 and Global Broadcast Service.

This book will be on my reference shelf for some time to come!

For those who want to understand the main principles of the satellite communications system construction. The author provides a comprehensive explanation of error correction, MPEG compression and even RF issues important in a context of the modern DBS system. The book is very easy to read and is NOT intended for the developers!

I got a copy of this book simply as research for a school paper, but soon myself reading a lot more. The entire book is filled with fascinating insights into the process of television directing. The interviewer does an excellent job of exploring all aspects of the process and interviewing directors in a wide range of television fields. Readers will almost certainly learn many things that they never knew about television directing and gain a new respect for the process.

This was an informative and well-organized survey of American TV directors. The interviews proved that these men and women are often as creative as their counterparts in film. Brian Rose does a sensational job of examining the problems and struggles directors face in their everyday lives. I highly recommend this book to those with interest in the field and to those want to satisfy their hunger for learning new information.

"Dirty Discourse" is a comprehensive examination of indecency and broadcasting. The authors provide interesting examples to explore the social, cultural, and legal developments of indecency in electronic media. The books is well-written and superbly researched. "Dirty Discourse" is cutting-edge reading on contemporary issues surrounding the tensions between the FCC, the First Amendment, and the vast, yet disparate audience that broadcasters strive to serve and the government seeks to protect.

DD fairly and comprehensively examines a controversial and fascinating subject. An entertaining and informative work.

In 1982, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) decided to adapt 13 of Rex Stout's short stories and novellas about Nero Wolfe for radio. This tape contains two of these 1-hour long adaptations.

This series is the best adaptation to any media of Nero Wolfe stories that I have come across. The production values are excellent, with good, well-integrated music and sound-effects, and excellent casting.

Mayver Moore, as Nero Wolfe, doesn't immediately jump out as the prototypical Wolfe, but gives a very satisfying performance nonetheless. Because of the symbiotic relationship between Wolfe and his assistant Archie Goodwin, and because of Archie's pivotal role as the series narrator, a miscast Archie would be more damaging than a miscast Wolfe. Fortunately, Don Franks captures Archie's personality so well that it is difficult to imagine how anyone could provide a better portrayal.

Once you have listened to these shows, you will be left wanting to hear more episodes, and you will be disappointed that CBC Radio adapted only 13 episodes.

In 1982, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (a.k.a. CBC) adapted 13 of Rex Stout's short stories and novellas about Nero Wolfe for the radio. This series is the best dramatic adaptation of the Nero Wolfe canon that I have come across.

Mayver Moore, as Nero Wolfe, sounds not quite fat enough, but very quickly overcomes any objections as to him being Wolfe. Don Franks plays the pivotal role of Archie Goodwin, and I could not imagine any better portrayal of him. Because of the symbiotic relationship between Wolfe and Archie, and because of Archie's role as the narrator of the Wolfe stories, a miscast Archie would cause more damage than a miscast Wolfe. Fortunately, CBC Radio was very careful about this role, as, indeed, they were with all the supporting and guest roles in the series. Having listened to three DHAudio releases (equivalent to 6 of the 1-hour long shows), I have no complaints about the acting or the casting. The production values were very good, and sound-effects and music fit very well.

This tape contains two excellent 1-hour long episodes, and will leave you wanting more. It's a shame that the CBC only made 13 episodes.

Disney: The Ultimate Visual Guide will make the perfect family Christmas present for families already interested in Disney's wonders. Disney has touched lives for decades: Disney: The Ultimate Visual Guide provides an excellent visual survey of the extent of the animated creator's works and the logical progression of Disney talents and creations. A fine oversized picture book the entire family will enjoy.

How did the DK staff manage to condense a century of Disney into 124 pages? This is a great coffee table book. It has enough colorful pictures to keep a preschooler occupied, and enough text to satisfy adult fans. I liked the index in the back--makes referencing quick and easy. Well done, Russell Schroeder! Disney television, Disney theme parks, Disney cruises, Disney stage productions, and of course Disney movies and merchandise fill this image-rich book. If you had to purchase each image on postcards, they would be smaller--and cost a whole lot more.

In this well written, highly accessible book, author Mary Main tells the background of one of America's most engaging celebrities. Today Dr. Phil is a highly regarded, well respected psychologist, with a large television following. Often he makes life and giving advice look easy- as his life seems so well put together and successful. But as this book reveals his life has not always been a bed of roses. Early poverty and family instability were the realities of his childhood. The author describes how the young Phillip C. McGraw learned early in life to set firm goals,and to work hard to create the life he wanted. Anyone reading this book will have a fuller understanding of Dr. Phil. And anyone reading this book will clearly understand why he has become a beloved mentor to millions. In these uneven times it is good to have a postive role model. Ms. Main shows us a man whose advice is both moral and practical at the same time. The author demonstrates in a very readable way- how character counts and that is why everyone who wants to live a more meaningful life should own and read this book. I highly recomend it.

Mary Main's biography on Dr. Phil illustrates his upward struggle from instability and poverty to dependability and prosperity. Main tells how Phil McGraw used goal-setting, unique guidance techniques, and hard work to achieve success, gaining respect and acclaim along the way. Readers of either gender will find this a fascinating read; boys, in particular, will gain knowledge, as well as confidence from this esteemed mentor.

The CBC radio production of 13 of Rex Stout's "Nero Wolfe" stories is the best Wolfe adaptation that I have come across in any media. The voice casting is excellent, production quality is excellent, and the writing is so true to the tone of the stories that it could almost have been done by Rex Stout himself.

My biggest regret with these shows is that the CBC did not adapt more of the stories.

My first introduction to Nero Wolfe was an audiobook I picked up on a trip. He seemed slothful, arrogant, pompous, and disagreeable. His assistant Archie Goodwin seemed like a somewhat deductively challenged Sam Spade.

My next encounter with Wolfe came in the form of the Radio Spirits editions of the old Nero Wolfe series starring Sydney Greenstreet. Greenstreet was a natural for Wolfe, bringing out Wolfe's better qualities while minimizing the flaws. I got hooked on the A&E Nero Wolfe series. What seemed like serious character flaws in the audiobook became endearing eccentricities in the TV series. I wish it a long run.

The A&E series sent me scurrying to Amazon.com for some Nero Wolfe novels. Good exercises in logical deduction as a method of solving crimes. But the endearing eccentricities of the TV shows once again became off-putting character flaws.

Enter the CBC radio dramas. The CBC plays are every bit as good as the A&E TV series. Since you can drive a car and listen to the CBC plays, I consider them even better.

"Eeny Meeny Murder Mo" is a dramatization of a Wolfe novel that was also done by A&E. I wouldn't give you two cents for the difference in entertainment values and production qualities between the two shows. The musical score of the radio play could have been improved, but that was the only sour note in the whole production.

On the flip side, we find "The Squirt and the Monkey." The back panel has this to say about "The Squirt and the Monkey": "It's an all-out assault on Wolfe and Goodwin when one is framed for murder and the other is sued for a fortune. A liar is playing with fire."

Apparently without leaving his specially made chair, and certainly without leaving the front stoop of his brownstone house, Wolfe solves the mystery with a tour de force exercise in deduction.

Reading this book and being from Central America took me back to the place I came from and remember all the stuff that my Dad and my Uncles used to do. I feel like I was reading part of my life. It made me cry, it made me happy, it made me sad....I think its a great book and I definitely recommend it!

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS THE PEOPLE EVER READ BECAUSE TELLS ALL THE TRUE ABOUT SPANISH PEOPLE HOW HARD WE WORK TO SURVIVE IN LIFE HOW HARD WORKING PEOPLE WE ARE THANKS RENAN FOR REPRESENT OUR CULTURE AUR PEOPLE SO WELL THE WAY YOU DOU THANK YOU ''CUCUY''

I happened on to this book by just browsing through ..., a great way to find books I would not ordinarily run across. Unfortunately most of the Elvis books I find are very disappointing such as that recent (2001) travesty of a bibliography on Elvis that basically imparts very little information about each entry. Then again, I sometimes luck out and run into a book so fabulous and well done, I want to tell the world. Such a book is Aaron Webster's Elvis: A Radio History from 1945 to 1955. I would have thought that Mr. Guralnick's exhaustive works on Elvis would have covered just about everything but Mr. Webster proves otherwise. This book is detailed, accurate and features much new information, especially on the radio interviews Elvis did in his first full professional year, 1955. The information on Elvis at the Louisiana Hayride is equally as exhaustive. In my opinion, this book shows what a natural communicator Elvis was and how fascinating he would have been, and probably very happy as well, had he been able to interview, visit radio stations, put on live shows, and more, throughout the sixties, instead of being stuck away making some interesting but not too exciting films. Not only is the writing very incisive and to the point, the charts at the end of the book are well constructed and very informative, allowing me to fully understand much of what Elvis did in detail that year plus before he moved on to record for RCA Records. Congratulations Mr. Webster, on a fresh new look at early Elvis and a book truly worthy of ranking up there with the classic works on Elvis such as those done by Mr. Guralnick and Mr. Jorgensen.

I compare this book to my two favorites; ELVIS & GLADYS by Elaine Dundy and AROUND ELVIS by Thorne Peters. Those books and this one show us that there are so many layers left of Elvis' life yet to be discovered. Like his music, we have barely scratched the surface of his being and the best is yet to come. These books show us what we've already seen in such a new light that it is fresh and vibrant each time you read it. These books reveal that Elvis' life was as multi faceted as he was multi talented. To this short list I would add IF I CAN DREAM by Larry Geller and LAST TRAIN TO MEMPHIS, by Peter Guralnick. In these books Elvis is shown to be a multi dimesnsional human and not the second coming. The more you humanize Elvis and see him for the man he was the more incredible he becomes and the more you realize just how phenomenal his acheivements are. In life and in death, Elvis is forever 2nd to NONE!