Book of the Day (12 cents)

Perhaps I should give you all an idea of the books that I buy for under $4 several times a week.

Today's is a coffee table sized book entitled "From Semaphore to Satellite", and it was published in 1965 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the International Telecommunications Union, in Geneva. It was signed by Gerald Gross, the Secretary-General of the Union, and inscribed to Francis de Wolf, whom Gross says is the guy who got him to Geneva in the first place. There is also a brief letter from Gross to de Wolf, or ITU stationery. On ABEbooks, there is one signed copy of this book for sale for about $70.

If you are interested in the history and international spread of the telegraph (first suggested by Robert Hooke in 1726), and want to see a lot of black and white historic photos, this may just be the book for you. Gross was the Secretary General from 1960 - 1965 and is the only American ever to hold this position.

The ITU is of course still going strong, having expanded its scope beyond the telegraph. It is now a part of the United Nations.