Mathematical Theory of Communication

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Summary: Valuble information for book report
Review: Glibly referred to by anyone with a smattering of data and telecommunications savvy, few have ever read it. As usual with breakthru authors, their efforts get commercially applied and the insightfulness of the original work is closeted, where it can conveniently be academically referred to "what he said was..." (ellipsis filled in by whatever your professor used to characterize the book.) Shannon took an early art form to a rigorous science. This is the book reporting the method of the since-evolved science of data communications, and a good bit more. The fact that I am the first reviewer in this forum speaks eloquently of the paucity of readers and the concomitant large number of data communication experts who have ignored the now larger issues it discloses than the single commercial application of one of its conclusions. Read it. You will agree with me that focusing on the source rather than the sink (terms he coined) is the weakness of communication theory as currently modeled on Shannon's first, obvious conclusion. The development of the digital computer over the past five decades has opened up the way to harness the ideas that lie latent in this excellent, groundbreaking book.

Harvey B. Vedder ret Sr Data Comm Eng, Bell Atlantic [e-mail]

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Summary: Arguably, the most important paper EVER written!
Review: I think it is fair to say that this book, based on Shannons landmark paper represents what I believe to be, the most important engineering paper ever written in the history of the world (both up to this point, and likely will remain so in the future). In terms of "practical implementation" of theory, it's fair to say that this seminal work has had a far greater contribution to mankind than Einsteins' paper on general and special relativity (just don't say that to a physicists face).

... All to often, famous theorists are relegated to "cult-like" obscurity. Persons like Shannon, Gallager, Forney, Komolgorov may be legendary within a cult-circle of die-hard communication theorists, but are relegated to unfortunate obscurity by the masses. It's rather unfortunate, with todays advanced communication systems, and techniques of coding (Turbo codes, modified LDPC codes, etc..)which push the boundaries to the ultimate limits as defined by Shannon.... that more people (both engineers, and laymen alike) don't recognize the names of early pioneers who started the revolution, and who's theories are the basis for many of our modern luxuries which allow us to download information at such rapid rates.

People often underestimate the deepness of Shannons' work,due to Shannon's writing style. He was one of those rare writers (somewhat like Forney, or Massey) who can actually explain complicated subjects using mere words, without the need for prettying the theory up with fancy math. Comparing the equation filled textbooks of today, versus Shannon's work, one might get the impression that Shannon's work was simplistic. I think it's clear to anyone whos studied his work, that IT WAS NOT SIMPLISTIC. Obviously, there was alot of "behind the scenes" math which Shannon had to go through to actually codify his many theorems. Just because Shannon did not show extensive derivations for each one of his theorems does not mean that he was not a good mathemetician..It merely means that he did not want to write a 1,000 page paper... he wanted to keep it simple (as was the customary writing style in the early to mid 1900's).

In short.. This book should be on YOUR shelf if you dont already own it, and if you are interested in information theory, and the deeper underpinnings of digital communications. I give the book 5 stars, not because it's any kind of elegant literary masterpiece; simply because it is based on the most important paper ever written. ... S.A. Hoffman -

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Summary: If you are reading this sentence, you should read the book.
Review: More people should read this book. Anybody with any interest in language, communication, artificial intelligence or any area where ideas are conveyed abstractly will benefit from a reading of this book. This book provides powerful and rigourous tools for examining communication. No student of language/linguistics, logic, comp-sci, e.t.c. should leave this book unread.

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Summary: Right from the master
Review: The book about information theory. It is old but contain all the basic concepts. Even better, you can enjoy reading it!

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Summary: A first!
Review: Where it all began.---The book grew out from an epic scientific paper in 1948, but luckly its author Shannon chose a light touch and a gentle delivery in his presentation. The paper became a book, with a 1949 first edition, which is now a classic, and which has been reprinted a number of times since, ending with the present lovely 1998 edition. It is still the place where readers can learn the essentials, including the two equations of information theory, that are now named after Claude Shannon.

Rating:
Summary: Arguably, the most important paper EVER written!
Review: While being referenced in many courses and textbooks, few have read it unfortunately. This is not the kind of book that will change your life but it is amongst the ones that are part of the CULTURE of anyone far or less involved in communication theory.

The content is certainly very conceptual but it provides a different view of what information is. In this world where content is king, it will refresh your notion of syntax and semantics, and the difference between just words and the information that lies within them.

Even if it is quite small, it's not the book you'll read from the beginning to the end without a stop. It is very deep and has profound implications on everyday's computer scientist's life. I've read once that often the size of a book is inversely proportional to its informational content...it is true for this one at least...