With this second edition, Nader Mir provides a comprehensive introduction to the most important topics in current networking. The almost 900-page book is composed of 22 chapters addressing packet-switching concepts, the well-known transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP)-layered conceptual network model and advanced topics related to cloud, network security, software-defined networking (SDN), and mobile networks.

Reviewing such a voluminous book in only few paragraphs is difficult, especially when such a broad scope is covered. Nevertheless, the logical flow and writing, as well as the multiple illustrations and timeliness, make it invaluable reading for any network professional. Having an excellent mix of theoretical background, mathematical modeling, and hands-on views of existing fabric and switch hardware abstractions, the author fills a gap in the current networking literature. With many books on the market falling into a technical or architectural-centric view, a newcomer that uses Markovian models and optimization problems to show not only “how” network technologies operate but also “why” these were designed in a particular way is definitely both original and stimulating to read. For those readers who took Probability 101 a long time ago, a self-contained aide-memoire to probabilities and stochastic processes is included in the book.

I was very happily surprised to also find more esoteric topics addressed--for instance, information-centric networks--and truly enjoyed chapters 12 (covering router and switch architectures) and 17 (on SDN and network function virtualization).

The book can serve as an excellent textbook for an undergraduate or graduate class in computer networks. It can also be read from cover to cover or used as a reference handbook, with state-of-the-art introductions to each topic. Each chapter concludes with a set of exercises and practical programming/simulation assignments. For all these reasons, I strongly recommend it to any reader interested in computer networks.

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