4 comments about The Honda Myth: The Genius and His Wake.

1. I was hoping this book would give a thorough background of Honda as a manufacturing entity. What it did was go into exhaustive, boring, tedious and repetitive detail on seemingly every executive that ever worked at Honda in a senior management level. There was precious little information on how Honda changed the face of motorcycling in the world during the 70s, hardly any useful information on the Acura brand and barely any mention of Honda's other product lines, such as ATVs, portable generators and power equipment.
   
   I was also disappointed that a 475 page book with a small typeface and narrow borders did not have a single illustration, photograph, chart or the like. There is nothing but text in this book. It would have been nice to see a picture of a Honda Cub motorcycle, the H1300 car, the N360 'k' car, a diagram showing how the CVCC engine worked, etc. These topics were discussed over and over in the book, but there is nothing to illustrate them.
   
   This book could have been half the length and covered the same material, because it repeats itself over and over, and sometimes contradicts the repeated material.
   
   Overall, I was disappointed. It is a tedious read lacking in what I consider interesting information on Honda's products, while dwelling endlessly on certain executives and why they became president, vice president, etc.



2. It reads like a diary or journal kept by some traveller moving through Honda...but through careful and diligent reading you can catch many of the formative insights that guided Honda through the constant changes.
   
   This book is not a regular business management book, with issues presented in a structured manner. It's a reflection of the work ethic where hard work and long hours will pay off with brief but influential flashes of creativity.



3. I agree with both the positive & negative. It is a long, repetitive and boring book with many technical & date errors; far too much unnecessary detail such as the names of hotels where meetings occurred. And yes, NO pictures or graphics of any kind! Having said that, I did learn a lot more about the Honda company, it's people & products, that I had not found elsewhere. As a Hondaphile, I will swallow anything Honda related. You have to remember that it was written by a Japanese journalist for Japanese consumption; detail is in their DNA. If you're in business, like me, there are some good philosophical lessons too. You've been warned.



4. I am a Honda fan, and I bought this book to gain insight into the history of the company through its products. Unfortunately the book failed to deliver what I'd hoped for. It vaguely describes management decisions made through the years, and some of the top management personalities, and their roles in the company's fortunes. However, it is very repetitive and ungainly. In fact I can't believe that it has so many pages, and such small text, yet says so little.
   
   Honda is a company which specialises in engineering, and the author of such a book should ideally have a good engineering background. Mr Sato obviously couldn't tell a piston from a conrod. Further to this, the translation into American English doesn't seem to be done by somebody who understands many of the concepts in the book either. Over and above this, it has way more than its fair share of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Avoid.

5 comments about Honda Civic & del sol: 1992 thru 1995 All SOHC models Haynes Repair Manual.

1. This is a decent general reference book, but as I was troubleshooting an ignition problem I found that color codes and positions of wires listed are incorrect. The illustrations are black and white, grainy, and very small. Additionally they certainly appear contradict the instructions in the text.

   Example : a drawing labels 4 wires coming off of a part as a,b,c,d and gives the color codes. These don't match the real part. Then the instructions say check the resistance between a and c, but the photo shows them checking between b and d. The color codes are right for the picture, but the labeled position is wrong - or is it the other way around .... who knows ????? Many of the photos are too small and grainy to verify what is being checked anyway, so now your really lost.

   Another example, a section tells you to remove all the wires from the terminals on a part (so that only the case is electrically connected to the ground). Now you are asked to verify that there is voltage between terminal X and ground. How could there be!?!? Not finding any is supposed to tell you the part is bad. The photo shows it being checked with all wires connected. ?!?!? BTW one of these check is for resisitance between two teminals that show 12V between them - ZAP! there went your VOM fuse!

   From these types of checks you are expected to determine if a part is faulty or not. If you have two identical hondas, one working and one not, you could use this book to get the gist of what you are supposed to be checking, otherwise its pretty useless.

   There is a decent section on trouble codes which seems to be correct if not complete, and other than the nitpicky details it seems to be a good guide, but they assume the user has a good bit of knowledge and don't go into enough detail on alot of steps.




2. this book does not cover all sohc engines from 92-95!!!
   d16a7 and many more are not included.
   does not cover ecu types as well.
   very basic book.



3. i have used this manual several times for basic maintenance
   and simple repairs.
   
   well worth the price. will probably pay for itself
   the first time you use it instead of paying someone
   else to do the work.
   
   good section on tuneups and routine maintenance.
   appears to cover any work i would be inclined to attempt.
   
   well illustrated and easy to follow



4. I way out in the middle east, and I got this item in a much faster time than anything else i've been sent!!! bravo zulu!



5. It's a detent starters, but if you know how to search on the web, you can find the Helms manual which is much better. The big flaw of Haynes is that if you don't know where to search for a part, the close-up won't help you locate it.
   It also won't help you troubleshoot soemthing. For that join a forum or club, and use the book as a reference to do the repair once troubleshooting is done.
   
   I used it for electrical and for such it's fine...

5 comments about Civic Duty: The Ultimate Guide to the World's Most Popular Sport Compact Car - the Honda Civic.

1. This book is excellent if you are just starting out with a Civic/CRX. The author suggests the smart ways to go about upgrading your car, not just sinking money into parts you won't need later. He covers every major topic, from bolt-on performance to interior and exterior styling, and is thankfully not biased either way.

   The author does make a few comments which are 100% false, for instance, about limited slip differentials which he says "are not available as an aftermarket performance product, therefore your only option is to locate a factory unit..." WRONG, Quaife has been making LSD's for Civics for years. This is just one example of the author making off the wall statements even novices know are false.

   He is also extremely biased towards the B18 series of engines, giving the workhorse B16A (which is much more suited to Civic/CRX's) a passing mention. Even the H22 prelude motor, which is totally unsuitable for Civics unless you want a drag-only car, gets more mention than the B16A.

   For beginners, this book is great. It's a good introduction to the Honda world, and presents logical, money saving methods and advice for modifying your Honda. Don't take everything written as 100% gospel though.




2. This book would help you to get to know your honda civic engine even more. Good book for beginners. It would tell you which mods are worth buying or not and what kind of power to expect. It tells you what kind of HP gains you can expect from your engine when modified from "don't even bother" to "mild" to the "best". The only thing I think it didn't cover is the auto tranny which some has... it mostly concentrated on the D16Z6 SOHC and B16A DOHC Si engines and manual tranny. All in all get this book if you wanna learn more about civics and it would help you get on the right track.



3. book focuses mostly on basic suspension theory and NA performance, as well as a quick glance at on how to mod your car visualy

   this book is NOT a step by step guide.

   expect to walk away learned alot but still no concrete answers.

   Biased towards well known car manufactures, hardly refers to a "junkyard approach". Sure titanium eagle rods would be a good upgrade, but used LS rods would be just as good.

   good book for those that have NO CLUE, but if you have spent a good year or so hanging out in car forums then this might not be for you.




4. It's really only for the beginner, it gives general information on everything related to the Civic, even custom paintjobs.

   Not as specific as i had been expecting after reading the other reviews. Tuning the engine is covered in just one small chapter.

   If you're really into engine tuning, take a look at Honda/Acura engine Performance from Mike Kojima. That is a really good book.




5. It's a guide, not an instruction manual. It's not a "hold your hand" approach, and quite frankly, if you need every detail spelled out for you, you shouldn't be allowed near a wrench.
   It's a good starting point, but it wont turn you into an expert, so if you don't it expect to, you should be happy with it.

5 comments about High Performance Honda Builders Handbook (S-a Design).

1. I got this book sometime last year. It was a good book to read but it seems like it needs to be updated. The priciples are the same put techniques and products often change or are upgraded.



2. very very helpful book from start to finish. I've been a honda lover for years now and I'm getting a 99-00 integra GSR soon and this is what i bought to help me build a fast street car. It has tons of pictures (some not very helpful) but overal good stuff, and best of all, you wont find one ad in this book which is a plus! I agree with some people who wrote a review on this that this is more of a informational book and not so much a "how to do it yourself" kind of book so if you're looking for a how to book this isn't for you. If only Joe Pettitt can come out with a coresponding how to book it would be nice. One other thing that would have been nice is if he included a performance parts list where he lists the mid to top parts required and estimate price on a honda/acura engine buildup. Overal great informational guide.



3. As a beginner, I find it hard to find books and information that I can decipher to gain information from. This book did have a few technical terms that I wasn't sure about, but went on to explain them later in the book.. This book is excellent for anyone who is or is wanting to get into Honda tuning. All engine aspects are touched upon, some more than others. Overall, an excellent book!



4. I would not recommend this book and here's why: 1. The book does not go into enough detail for a beginner to understand the parts being described or how they operate. 2. For an experienced mechanic, they will understand what is being described but will already know the information being given.
   To summarize; the book is to advanced for the beginner but is not advanced enough for the experienced mechanic. Also, the hints and tips given in the book are not very informative nor are they secrets that most honda tuners don't already know.



5. While Joe Pettitt has a deep understanding of automobile tuning and performance, it appears as though he has no actual first hand wrench time on a Honda. He mentions different types of fuel injection but not which type Hondas are typically equipped with. This is a common theme throughout the book.

   That being said, the background information on engine development and tuning is very useful. The information is broad and detailed and, for a tuner looking for general information and bolt on performance, the book may be useful. In the blurb about the book, a specific engine buildup is mentioned (the reason I bought the book). This engine buildup was described in two pages which did not even begin to cover the detail I was looking for. The author mentions in the beginning that the book is not just a series of ads for bolt ons but he does plug certain vendors pretty thoroughly.

No comments about Haynes Isuzu Rodeo, Amigo & Honda Passport 1989 thru 2002.

1 comments about Honda Civic and CR-V, Acura Integra, 1994-2000, Honda Civic 1996-2001, Honda CR-V 1997-2001(Haynes Manuals).

1. The manual provided valuable information on troubleshooting points. Eventhough I don't carry out any of the repair works myself, I will relate the possible causes of my car problem to my mechanic, just to ensure he doesn't start repairing other unrelated components. Anyway it will be best if we can have a complete manual for Honda CR-V only, where I believe the troubleshooting list will be more comprehensive.

2 comments about Honda CB750, 1969-1979 (Haynes Manuals).

1. All I have is a question.I just was wondering how extensive this manual is.I already have a clymer publications service repair handbook.Is there anyway to preview this book before i buy it??I need a fairly detailed book.any info you could send would be greatly appericated.thank you eddy udry



2. Repair manuals for these are easily found used. I prefer the Clymer version, and the original Honda Manual is best. Haynes
   is good but it feels a bit "stodgy." I keep it mostly as a
   reference when working on problems. It is good to have different perspectives (ie- more manuals!)

No comments about Haynes Honda Foreman & Rubicon ATVs Ownes Workshop Manual: 1995 thru 2007 (Owners Workshop Manual).

2 comments about Honda Cb900 - 1100 Fours, 1980-1983: Service, Repair, Performance.

1. This book has helped me a lot during the past few weeks, and I can see no reason why this shouldn't go on. Very well illustrated book, filled to the rim with easy-to-follow and absolutely understandable instructions on how to repair and/or overhaul the Honda. I like it a lot!



2. Great book to have. I started working on my CB900C the next day and have replace many parts on it. I'm glad I bought it.

1 comments about Honda Cx & Gl500/650 Twins 1978-1983 Service Repair Maintenance.

1. Por favor si les es posible quisiera contactarme para poder encontrar el manual tecnico de la moto honda cx 500 custom.Desde ya les quedo muy agradecido.Si pudieran mandarme una respuesta a la brevedad a mi email.