An Introduction to Information Theory

This Reza book is what the Ash book should have been (both are published by Dover). While the Ash book focuses on much moreadvanced topics in information theory and requires a much higher level knowledge of mathematics, it gives no real cluewhatsoever as to what information theory really is... at leastif your of the "engineer" mentality... the Ash book won't bemuch help because it's to rigorous and not practical enough(i.e. what's the relavance of information theory to communications). In comes the Reza book. This is truly one of the finest books for beginners in information theory. It covers very extensively the basics of "classic information theory," although it's shortcoming is that like the Ash book, the perspective of the book is more mathematical and it really doesnt emphasize enough the "practical" applications of information theory as it relates to electronic communications.Reza is an outstanding author in that he can explain things in words, and doesn't need to bedazzle you with mathematical equations.. Reza makes you understand what it's all about.If your seeking something even simpler... only one book fits the bill... I highly recommend Pierce's information theory book, subtitled "symbols, signals, and noise" (also by Dover) which is probably THE BEST/SIMPLEST INFORMATION THEORY BOOK EVER WRITTEN. Way too simplistic in my opinion... but it's great light reading, because Pierce is also a fabulous author, one of the best of his era, and for those not math/science/engineering oriented, it would be a greatbook to read.Summary, buy this book before you buy the Ash book.

This book is the best, like introduction in the theoryinformation. The examples are great, the analogies withthe circuit are helpful. The review of mathematical backgrounds,in special the statistical, the theorems, permit agood comprehension.The new books in this topic are bad, because they separatethe aplications and the theory, don't waste your money in them!

Like most Dover mathematics books, this is a high-quality reprint of an older textbook (1961). I have read the first 100 pages, and am very impressed thus far. The writing is crisp and clear, and moves at a good pace. The book seems to me to be ideal for self-study and as a lead-in to more modern (and complex) treatments. In a way, the age of the book stands in its favor, as Information Theory was just being canonized at about the time of publication. Thus, this book attempts to organize and present about 20 years worth of research, rather than the 60 or so years that modern authors may feel compelled to include. Thank God for Dover books.