To kick off the release of his new book Introduction to Show Networking, John Huntington is giving away 100 copies. Fifty copies will be given to out-of-work backstage workers who fill out a form saying why they would like a copy and how the shutdown has affected them. The first still-employed workers who donate $25 or more to Behind the Scenes and submit documentation on his website will also receive a copy.

Here’s a description of the book: 

“Introduction to Show Networking covers the basics of how Ethernet networks provide a platform for entertainment control and audio/video media distribution for concerts, theatre productions, corporate and special events, cruise ship revues, wrestling shows, houses of worship, museum presentations, fountain spectaculars — any kind of show presented live for an audience.

The book’s bottom-up approach was designed with show technicians in mind, starting with the basics and then moving up through cables, network switches, and layering, and on through Ethernet, and network components like TCP, UDP, IP and subnet masks, all with a practical focus. More advanced concepts are introduced, including broadcast storms and VLANs, along with show networking best practices.