358 Book Reviews

Despite its lightweight feel, it still provides much useful background information on telephone services and terminology. Such fundamental information is especially useful for neophytes, but even seasoned telco-freaks will find it helpful for understanding the terminology, jargon, and acronyms, perhaps for the first time. In much the same way, Simon provides details on exactly what the architec- ture of the system was prior to divestiture, exactly what divestiture accomplished (along with a chro- nology of earlier attempts to limit AT&T’s monopoly), and what the post-divestiture architecture is.

Less useful are the detailed tables of executives and contacts (without dates, presumedly as of 1984) which will quickly go out of date, and of equal-access availability, which already is. Unfor- tunately several of the sections which could be most helpful are incomplete: a glossary of telecom- munications terminology (which really should have been called a glossary of telephone terminology) should have included a list of the acronyms which the author uses throughout the text, and which readers are likely to encounter in semi-technical and business reading. While such acronyms are explained in the text the first time they occur (and often on subsequent use as well) a single list would have been exceptionally useful. To be fair such items can be deciphered from the index, where they are parenthesized following the full entry, but such an approach is awkward at best.

To sum it up, this is a work with a limited audience. The truly uninitiated, unless strongly moti- vated, would likely find the topic boring in such detail, while it is too simplistic for communications professionals to use in daily operations. The audience appears to be the individual (for example the newly appointed office manager) who must learn about telephone communications in order to sur- vive, and needs a truly basic work to bring them up to the level of introductory technical or legal texts. While this is a small audience, After Divestiture should serve them well.

Graduate School of Library Studies University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI

LARRY N. OSBORNE

Computer and Microcomputer Systems for Small Businesses. R. E. WILCOX. Oryx Press, Phoenix, AZ (1984). x + 242 pp., $27.50 (hc). ISBN O-89774-131-5.

This book is intended for small business managers who are not familiar with computers but are inter- ested in using them in their organizations. The scope of the work is broad, covering computer tech- nology, programming, data processing and business information systems. Its purpose is to help managers automate their businesses successfully.

The book starts with a perfunctory introduction to computers and data processing. The sec- tion on hardware is dense, containing only a single diagram and one uninformative black and white photograph, whereas most introductions to computer hardware are profusely illustrated in color. The discussion of software and programming is brief and centered on minicomputer practice.

After this disappointing start the author gives a lucid description of business information sys- tems and their relation to small computers. He identifies the major options for small businesses wish- ing to computerize and discusses the variables that affect the probability of success.

One option Wilcox does not recommend is writing one’s own business programs in BASIC. Nevertheless, he devotes an entire chapter to the BASIC programming language. Even more ques- tionable is the inclusion of a chapter on the English Programming Language which, by the author’s own admission, is virtually unknown in the United States.

The chapter on applications software is the most disappointing in the book. Application pack- ages are extremely popular with small businesses, yet the author devotes little more space to them than to the obscure English Programming Language. Moreover, Wilcox emphasizes CP/M software, making no more than passing reference to even the most popular MS-DOS programs.

The remainder of the book contains a general discussion of the computer industry, advice on the development of proposals and contracts, and dubious speculation about future developments in computer technology. The appendices (which account for fifty-five of the book’s 242 pages) include a list of databases available through DIALOG, a list of business packages for CP/M, sample con- tracts and riders, a short and rather dated list of recommended books, and a glossary of computer terms.

This book does not compare favorably with others in the area. Readers who want to learn about computer systems for small businesses would do well to look elsewhere.

College of Library and Information Science University of Kentucky Lexington, KY

RICHARD POLLARD