theory

This is probably one of the worst books I have ever bought and read. The print is terrible, the notational conventions very unusual with very limited Mathematical exposition on the subject. I found the book very limited in its ability to present far less prove general principles. Seems like a bunch of class notes put together and printed for public consumption.

I used this book to learn how to implement Single-Error Correcting Reed-Solomon decoders for use as a part of a project undertaken by my employer. I found that this book explained in far better detail and more English than Mathematics than any of the other 5 or so books I purchased to assist me. This book was recommended to me by a Professor of Optical Communications and how right he was. Some small details I had to glean from other books (such as feedback matrix for syndrome generator) but I got there in the end. What impressed me the most about this book is that I could understand it. I am an engineer, not a mathematician, and so many of the people who write books like this are mathematicians. What I needed was a practical solution that I could build. If you are just starting with Error Detection / Correction theory then this book is a good introduction. Believe me, I bought plenty of books on the matter, some of which were talking about "k-dimensional subspace" by the end of the first chapter and are now collecting dust in my bookshelf. The problem is the 6-week wait for delivery as the book is out of print. How about another print, MIT Press?

I am new to the field, BSEE. The book is concise, not alot of verbage. The book is what it claims to be, and very useful. It starts with simple codes and progresses through RS codes, and ends with a convolutional code. It teaches how and why without losing the reader in too much or too little theory.