Technical Book Review | The IES Lighting Handbook vetted it, you may have to defend your choice of source to a client or colleague. That’s more time and effort. No one argues with the authority of the IESNA’s The Lighting Handbook . They may disagree with it, they may argue, for example, that for a particular situation a different level of illumination than what is recommended would “ . . . if you need the kind of detail that is con-tained in The Lighting Handbook, 10th Edition in your work, it is a worthwhile investment . . . be better, but the recommendation in The Handbook is the starting point for the discussion, not “Where did you get that idea?” If you have a copy of the ninth edition, you might be tempted to keep it to save some money. However, the 10th edition is better: it’s updated and it has more information. The ninth edition only has about a page on LED sources; the 10th edition has 14 pages. The 10th edition also has much more information about the business of illuminating engineering and offers a full chapter on model contract documents. One topic area that is not covered in the new edition is theatre, television, and photographic lighting. However, the chapter on that in the 9th edition doesn’t recommend that edition. It read as “old” when printed 10 years ago and contained errors. The IESNA now covers part of that topic area in a separate publication, DG-20-09, Stage Lighting – A Guide to Planning Theatres and Auditoriums , and does a better job of it there. $595 at fi rst seems like a large chunk of change for a book, but if you need the kind of detail that is contained in The Lighting Handbook, 10th Edition in your work, it is a worthwhile investment—and that’s the full list price. IESNA members can buy it for $350. Not a member? Membership costs $170 a year in the USA, Canada, and Mexico; and $160 outside North America. Spend $595 or spend $350 + $170? You do the math! “ 73 FALL 2011 PROTOCOL