Published in a crowded field, Optical WDM Networks does a good job at covering the title topic in a surprisingly compact volume. As with many other books with a similar scope, the daunting task of covering a complex and rapidly changing field makes the author take on a brisk pace, going from basic photonic devices all the way to network architecture, control and management. Given the succinct coverage of the myriad concepts included, the book would work well as a reference for professionals. For using the book as a learning tool, the references at the end of each chapter will likely be required reading.
Going back to basics, the first chapters include mainly references from more (in some cases, many more) decades ago, but the final chapters cover concepts and include references from the more recent past. Although most references are research papers, some include books and company technical publications. The dense coverage relies on heavy mathematics and it is aided by numerous black-and-white charts and diagrams, as well as a comprehensive index. There are six to twelve problems in each chapter, some at lower levels of the Bloom taxonomy, but many that go into higher levels of practical application of the concepts in the chapter. This makes the book useful as a textbook for a fast-paced course.
Review by Bogdan Hoanca, a professor of management information systems at the University of Alaska Anchorage, USA.
The opinions expressed in the book review section are those of the reviewer and do not necessarily reflect those of OPN or OSA.