Book excerpt: Codes, Curves, and Signals: Common Threads in Communications is a collection of seventeen contributions from leading researchers in communications. The book provides a representative cross-section of cutting edge contemporary research in the fields of algebraic curves and the associated decoding algorithms, the use of signal processing techniques in coding theory, and the application of information-theoretic methods in communications and signal processing. The book is organized into three parts: Curves and Codes, Codes and Signals, and Signals and Information. Codes, Curves, and Signals: Common Threads in Communications is a tribute to the broad and profound influence of Richard E. Blahut on the fields of algebraic coding, information theory, and digital signal processing. All the contributors have individually and collectively dedicated their work to R. E. Blahut. Codes, Curves, and Signals: Common Threads in Communications is an excellent reference for researchers and professionals.