The Complete Guide to Home Automation

Book by Wacker, David Alan

At a time when most adults' inability to program a VCR is a comedic given, a do-it-yourself book about home automation might seem likely to be a satire. Not this one. It's a clearly worded and illustrated guide to automating a home, whether an existing building or new construction. The schematics in it are easy to follow, the technical descriptions are thorough and informative, and a glossary helps with the sparely used technical jargon. After an overview of the state of the art in home automation, Wacker covers available systems and how well they adapt to pre-existing wiring. Individual chapters concentrate on specific automation tasks: water management, audio/video systems, etc. In each, Wacker emphasizes description of the various home automation products available rather than the nuts-and-bolts of installation. Schematics show how to create a system, but for actually installing components, readers will have to turn to other resources. For accomplished do-it-yourselfers, or if components with adequate installation instructions are available, Wacker's work will greatly simplify the automation of many domestic systems. Mike Tribby