Telecom Business Opportunities : The Entrepreneur's Guide to Making Money in the Telecommunications Revolution by Steven Rosenbush

Despite the title's slightly misleading name, this is a great book. It gives a short history of the telecom industry and goes on to profile several of the industry's most successful entrepreneurs and tells how they got started.

If you are looking for a book on how to "get rich quick" in the telecom industry, this is probably NOT the book for you. Rather than selling a pie-in-the-sky business opportunity, it details how the best in the telecom industry got started, and urges you to follow their example.

Of course, many of these leaders made mistakes along the way. Some of these mistakes translate to valuable lessons that will help you to avoid the pitfalls of getting started in this industry.

Among the people profiled in this book are Bernie Ebbers (WorldCom), Laura Scher (Working Assets), Tom Bradenburg (USN Communications), David McCourt (RCN), Christopher Harnett (USA Global Link), Joe Naccio (Qwest) and Daniel Borislow (talk.com). Many others are also included.

The book also includes a glossary, a chapter on telecom regulatory requirements for carriers and resellers, a guide to the 1996 Telecommunications Act and information on regulation and taxation, managing growth, raising capital, relationship marketing and much more.

Steve Rosenbush's background is that of a telecom reporter at USA Today. He provides a no-nonsense perspective and overview on the industry, and explains why today's upstarts and risk-takers will become tomorrow's telecom tycoons. It is of just as much use to investors as to those getting involved in the industry itself, and makes for fascinating reading.

Among the best written and most pertinent telecom industry books we offer. Well worth buying, and reading. - William Van Hefner

Amazon: $17.46
Barnes & Noble: $24.95
Powell's: $17.00