A Top Editor's Take on the State of Journalism Today--and His Prescient Forecast of Its Future

"This is a personal and insightful book about one of the most important questions of our time: how will journalism make the transition to the digital age? Steve Shepard made that leap bravely when he went from being a great magazine editor to the first dean of the City University of New York journalism school. His tale is filled with great lessons for us all."
--Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of "Steve Jobs"

"An insightful and convivial account of a bright, bountiful life dedicated to words, information and wonder."
"--Kirkus Reviews" (Starred Review)

"This is two compelling books in one: Shepard's story of his life in print journalism, and a clearheaded look at the way journalism is evolving due to electronic media, social networking, and the ability of anyone with a computer and an opinion to make him- or herself heard."
"--Booklist"

Shepard's book will resonate with many and should be read by anyone interested in the flow of information today and its simpact on society as a whole."
"--Library Journal"

"The book is in part a memoir, a tale of a life lived at the height of print journalism when print journalism itself was at its height. But it is also an analysis, an examination of the new challenges facing an old industry as it ambles and occasionally sprints its way into the digital age."
"--The Washington Post"

About the Book:

""My personal passage is, in many ways, a microcosm of the larger struggle within the journalism profession to come to terms with the digital reckoning. Will the new technologies enhance journalism . . . or water it down for audiences with diminished attention spans? What new business models will emerge to sustain quality journalism?""

Stephen B. Shepard has seen it all. Editor-in-chief of "BusinessWeek "for more than 20 years, Shepard helped transform the magazine into one of the most respected voices of its time. But after his departure, he saw it collapse--another victim of the digital age.

In "Deadlines and Disruption," Shepard recounts his five decades in journalism--a time of radical transformations in the way news is developed, delivered, and consumed. Raised in the Bronx, Shepard graduated from City College and Columbia, joined "BusinessWeek" as a reporter, and rose to the top editorial post. He has closed the circle by returning to the university that spawned him, founding the Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York.

In the digital age, anyone can be a journalist. Opinion pieces are replacing original reporting as the coin of the realm. And an entire generation is relying on Facebook friends and Twitter feeds to tell them what to read.

Is this the beginning of an irreversible slide into third-rate journalism? Or the start of a better world of interactive, multimedia journalism? Will the news industry live up to its responsibility to forge a well-informed public?

Shepard tackles all the tough questions facing journalists, the news industry, and, indeed, anyone who understands the importance of a well-informed public in a healthy democracy.

The story of Shepard's career "is "the story of the news industry--and in "Deadlines and""Disruption," he provides peerless insight into one of the most critical issues of our time.

Broadband in the Metro Area has proven to be telecom’s one bright spot in 2001 – all the long haul backbone capacity in the world does you no good if you can’t move your data through the Metro bottleneck. But service providers are wrestling with all manner of technology choices (SONET? DWDM? Ethernet? The coming 10Gig Ethernet?), and also face the challenge of easily and effectively accessing SANs and VPNs. Quality of service issues are crucial in recruiting and maintaining customers

Steven Shepard lays bare the tricks and traps awaiting service providers in the metro area space, detailing the technological challenges and opportunities in his trademark lucid, humorous prose.

HOW TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY AND SERVICES

FEATURING ITS OWN REGULARLY UPDATED WEBSITE, TELECOM CONVERGENCE IS THE ONLY SURVIVAL MANUAL YOU NEED FOR THE BRAVE NEW WORLD OF TELECOM

In this new edition of Telecommunications Convergence, globally recognized telecom guru Steven Shepard gives you a life raft for the whirlpool of todays tech market. With the keen analytical skills and deep knowledge of the industry that have earned him marquee status at telecom conferences around the world, Shepard breaks down the key questions you must answer for your own company and career.

Steven Shepard predicted the current overcapacity, convergence shakeout, and downturn in telecom. Now, in this second edition, he gives you nearly 300 new pages of solutions that work--an almost entirely new book. With this information you and your company can survive--and even thrive--in the challenging environment he forecast.

If youre serious about telecom, you need Shepards technology, service, and management answers to the most critical questions you face:

* What survival strategies will work for my company?

* How do I build a company-sparing blueprint?

* Can management and network hierarchy changes improve the outcome?

* Capability: build or buy?

* What are the smart companies doing right now?

* And most important of all--whats next?

THE HOWS AND WHYS AND APPLICATIONS ON SONET/SDH--MINUS THE JARGON

Intended for use in broadband ISDN and ATM networks, SONET (Synchronous Optical Network) and SDH (Synchronous Digital Hierarchy) have taken on a life of their own. As fiber optic cable becomes the standard for data transmission, telcos and other carriers are deploying more high-speed SONET/SDH technologies to support leased-line services such as DS-1 and DS-3. In search of ever-faster data speeds, leading corporations such as Boeing, AT&T, and Disney are moving their private global networks to a SONET/SDH infrastructure.

THIS BOOK IS A MUST-READ IF--

* Yourre at the point where technology turns to business and shoot-or-pass decisions get made

* Staying on top of whats hot in communications is your job

* You need to understand the growth and workings of SONET/SDH, but dont have time for MIT

* You want to compare cots, potentials, and performance of SONET/SDH with other technologies

* Youd like business-model case studies of DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing) and WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing) that make sense

* You sell, market, or manage for a firm that develops SONET/SDH systems

* You make career choices in telecom, Internet service, networking, or the upper echelons of any large business

* You invest in communications equipment makers, service providers, or applications creators

* Youre a curious technophile who cant get enough insider details on new communications strategies, methods, and trends

* You see that theres more sun in the winners circle than in the also-ran column

The easiest way to size up SONET/SDH for your network--or simply to better understand these rapidly expanding technologies--SONET/SDH DEMYSTIFIED is the ideal shortcut to the front edge of high-speed networking.

Get the latest information on optical networking technologies, companies and trends.

Penetrate the facts behind the speculation on optical networking’s promise as a potential solution to skyrocketing Internet traffic. With Steve Shepard’s Optical Networking Crash Course, you’ll discover what’s what, who’s who, and how it all works together in the speed-of-light world of optical networking. From technologies, equipment, companies and competitors to nitty-gritty issues such as security, signal sinks, backhoe fade, add-drop mix and much, much more, this state-of-the-art guide is a must-read if you want to:

Compare optical and other strategies such as cable, DSL, and LMDS

Understand optical technology means, methods, potentials, and constraints

Learn what DWDM (Dense Wave Division Multiplexing) is and why it could change everything

Get straight answers on optical transport issues, routing, switching and more.

The How and Why of WiMAX -- The Revolutionary Wireless Broadband Technology.

. "WiMAX Crash Course" offers an accessible overview of the revolutionary solution for wireless delivery of broadband services. Using real-world examples, the book explains how WiMAX works, the applications it enables, and how it integrates with other technologies. You'll find in-depth coverage of the business and economic implications of this groundbreaking technology, as well as regulatory issues..

. WiMAX is emerging rapidly, and this book will get you up to speed quickly, giving you the tools to evaluate service providers before making infrastructure and service delivery decisions. You'll also get strategies for integration and deployment. Soon, WiMAX will be everywhere. "WiMAX Crash Course" will help you take full advantage of everything this innovative technology has to offer..

. FULL COVERAGE OF WiMAX, INCLUDING:
. * Introduction to Wireless and WiMAX * WiMAX History and Support Organizations * How WiMAX Works * WiMAX Applications and Services * WiMAX Regulatory Issues * WiMAX and Other Broadband Wireless Features

TAG THE HOTTEST GROWTH IN WIRELESS.

. With a predicted $10-billion market over the next decade, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is a booming new wireless technology with an eager new audienceretailers. From global giant Wal-Mart down, RFID is being adapted to track inventories via microchip-tagged products. Popular technology writer Steven Shepard's "RFID" gives you an inside look at the entire arena, from the technology's staggering capabilities and potential, through insightful coverage of issues from vendors, implementation, and monitoring, to possible technical conflicts, market forecasts, and security..

. A must-read for both technical types and retailers, this book's need-to-know contents include: .
. Defining RFID Underlying Technologies Technological Competitors Future RFID Applications RFID/3G/Bluetooth Coexistence Implementation Potential Roadblocks RFID Security RFID Chips, Readers, and Applications Sets Short- and Long-Term Forecasts.