To the Editor-in-Chief:
One of the columns I read first in IEEE Communications Magazine is the Book Reviews. Sometimes they help me decide to buy a book or not. Once in a while, your reviewer covers a book I already own. Such is the case with Telephone Switching Systems written by R. A. Thompson and reviewed by Wojciech Kabacinski in your June 2001 issue.
If I had written this review, it would have been quite different. Whereas your reviewer wrote a positive review, I would not have been quite so benevolent. This book was published in 2000 but it is grossly out of date -- devoting a chapter to step-by-step switching, which became obsolete in the early 1970s, instead of a historical appendix and using a description of the 1ESS, deployed in the early 1970s, as a centerpiece proves my point.
Almost everything in this book is of historical interest only and only represents how it was in the Bell System. It was clear that Bell Labs were way behind the times and were very late deploying digital end office switching systems (5ESS). Even today, that system represents a lot of old thinking. The author completely overlooks the many other digital switching systems deployed throughout the US and the rest of the world. This book is very large, but only because it has so much superfluous material. There is too much material unrelated to switching.
Your reviewer says "Overall, it is a good book for teaching courses in telephone switching ... It also can be a good reference for telecommunications professionals and electrical engineers." I couldn't disagree more unless the course is on "How it was in the Bell System" and if professionals and engineers only have historical interest. The book contributes nothing to current knowledge. Unfortunately, there are not many good switching books out there but I have a few of them, all written within the last couple years and representing state-of-the-art. Maybe your reviewer would like to go through and report on them in a future issue?
Whit Whitham D. Reeve
Book Reviewer's Response
I appreciate the comments made by Mr. W. D. Reeve, and I can even partly agree with them. However, when presenting the contents of the book, I wrote that it contains chapters concerning both step-by-step and crossbar systems. Nevertheless, I disagree with the opinion that the book is of historical interest only. Problems of optical switching are still a matter of research activity and subject to numerous scholarly works. Does this book contribute anything to current knowledge? I think it does not, but a question arises whether it was the aim of the author to give an added value. And, more generally, whether books of that kind are intended to give innovation. New ideas and solutions are first of all announced at scientific conferences and published in journals and conference proceedings. I agree that there are not too many good books on switching in the market. The book by Thompson is surely not the best of them, but, in my opinion, it is a good book. I respect and appreciate, however, the opinions of my opponent. Each review is, to some extent, the presentation of the reviewer's (expert) opinions, which do not need to correspond to views of other readers. I would be grateful for a possibility of exchanging opinions about other books on switching with Mr. Reeve.
Best regards,
Wojciech Kabacinski
Author's Response
You aren't the only person who didn't like my book -- some other self-appointed critic put a similar review on the Internet. I didn't respond to that review, and I almost didn't respond to yours. I put a lot of work on this project, and I don't know what to say to someone who didn't like what I did, especially in a public forum. Most of your specific complaints are addressed inside the book itself (but you already know that): I decided to include chapters on Step and Crossbar because I thought they are a valuable part of the story of switching, and I emphasized 1ESS software because I thought it revealed the real-time behavior of switching software. While the book describes some history, I count at least 600 pages that deal with the present and the future, including two full chapters on digital switching, a chapter on the Intelligent Network, and two full chapters on photonic switching. We sold 1000 books in the first year and a lot of people have corresponded positively. So, many other people agree with the review that Professor Kabacinsky wrote for Communications Magazine. I'm sorry you're not one of them and I'm sorry you don't appreciate the pedagogical choices I made. But, I'm not sorry about how I wrote the book.
Best regards,
R. A. Thompson
Book Review Editor's Response
Dear Mr. Reeve,
The Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Communications Magazine, Professor G.S. Kuo, has forwarded to me your e-mail concerning the review of Telephone Switching Systems written by R. A. Thompson. Your comments are very interesting and valuable. I have to admit that I share some of your opinions. However, I strongly disagree that "the book contributes nothing to current knowledge." See, for example, the chapter on photonic switching. I think that the book of Thompson complements well the existing literature on switching systems.
In general, I ask reviewers to give a brief overview of the contents of a book, thus helping potential readers in their decisions on whether to buy it or not. And the review in question contains such information. I also ask reviewers to present their personal views on quality and value of the reviewed book. And, in most cases, I do not try to influence their opinions.
"Unfortunately, there are not many good switching books out there but I have a few of them, all written within the last couple years and representing state-of-the-art. Maybe your reviewer would like to go through and report on them in a future issue?"
We would be happy to present reviews of such books. Do you have any specific suggestions?
Thank you again for your input. It will help me in improving the quality of our Book Reviews column.
Best regards,
Andrzej Jajszczyk
Book Reviews Column Editor
IEEE Communications Magazine