The Complete Book of Home, Site and Office Security: Selecting, Installing and Troubleshooting Systems and Devices,   ISBN:9780071467445

Customer Rating: 

I was looking for a book on alarm systems first and general home security second. Did this book fit the bill?

Let me say this book covers lots of related subjects, from history of locks and home automation to designing websites (if you are a locksmith and want to have WWW presence) and home safes.

This book also has some manuals for some security-related products, including product warranties.

So, while it covers lots of subjects and goes into technical details (ex: how to install), I didn't find substance I was looking for, so was somewhat disappointed. There is nothing in the book about alarm central station monitoring, nothing about specific panels and non-phone monitoring options (internet and GSM).

However, it does include interesting info about magnetic sensors that was new to me (even after countless hours on internet forums) and enough of other information that made me give this book a solid 3 stars (could be even 4)

Your mileage may vary though, especially if you are just looking for general home security information - in this case it would be a recommended buy.

Customer Rating: 

The Complete Book of Home, Site, and Office Security provides the reader with an excellent overview of security; from locks, to alarms, to lighting, to CCTV, and more. Whether you are a homeowner interested in adding some additional security to your home, or a security professional wanting a basic professional reference, this book is an excellent choice.

The book is easy to read for someone with no background in security, yet contains enough technical information to make it valuable for the security professional. The author, Mr. Phillips, is the author of several other security books (all of which I enjoyed) and is more than qualified to write on this topic.