5 comments about Small Engine Care & Repair: A step-by-step guide to maintaining your small engine (Briggs & Stratton).

1. I have two lawn mowers with Briggs and Stratton engines. One purchased in 2000 and the second in Oct 2006. Both have roughly the same 4 HP engine. (This has to be one of B&S more popular B&S lawn mower engines.) This book does not offer any guidance on repair or maintenance instructions for the carburetor that is on my 2 engines. Very generic. I thought it would cover all models



2. OK, here's the deal on this book: if you either need to do some repair and heavy maintenance on your B&S (or, as I like to call, BS) engine, or you already have part of it apart and don't know how to get it back together, then this book will be helpful. However, if you have already torn your mower apart, put it back together, but are still having trouble honing in on the problem, I don't think you'll get much out of this book.
   
   I was in the latter position up until, well, today. I had taken the carb off, "rebuilt" it, and readjusted it several times. But I couldn't get my mower running. Turns out the smallest internal part of the carb -- the needle seat -- has to be put in a certain way. This book doesn't go into anywhere near that much detail. This is only one example of which I'm sure there are others, particularly when you start messing around with the head and piston.
   
   You can only learn engine repair and diagnosis through experience with (hopefully) a mentor. Online forums can help be that mentor in many cases. If you have no idea how to get started, then yes, I recommend this book. But if diagnosis and other small issues are your problem, I don't think this book will help.



3. I love this book. I found the information to be very helpfull, I was able to replace the gas tank on my lawnmower and clean out the engine. This is the first time I have done anything like this, but because of this book I think I can even work on my other small engine equipment. This was a great buy for me.



4. OK maybe that's harsh. If you've never touched an engine before, and yours is still running, this is a friendly introduction. Or if you lost the operating manual.
   
   What I was hoping for was an updated version of the old B&S manuals you could buy at the auto-parts and hardware stores (See Briggs & Stratton Repair Manual (For Single Cylinder 4-Cycle Engines)), but this is not it. It seems dumbed-down a lot. The "Care" and "Troubleshooting" bits are mostly in the manual when you buy something with an engine, and the "Repair" stuff is mostly obvious if you've got any mechanical sense.
   
   Unfortunately, Neither Haynes nor Chilton seem to have updated their manuals since the late 90's, and the newer pubs by other folks seem to be dumbed-down as well according to the reviews. I'm at a loss to recommend an alternative. Personally, I'm going to dig up my old B&S manual and see how much of it still applies. In the end it'll be the carburetor, it always is, and the old book won't help because that's the part that changes continuously from year to year. Oh well.



5. FAST SHIPPING. BOUGHT IT FOR MY HUSBAND AND HE IS PLEASED WITH THE INFORMATION. IT IS A BASIC GUIDE ON MAINTAINING YOUR OWN SMALL ENGINES.

5 comments about Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach (Aiaa Education Series).

1. There are several stages to aircraft design. This book covers the first stage, conceptual design, which aims to find the best possible configuration for the aircraft prior to designing the aircraft in detail.
   
   Arriving at this final design involves several layers of complexity. Initially the process involves creating several simple designs and performing a brief evaluation of their performance. This allows the designer to select the best design and develop the design to the point where it can be `fixed' and sent to the specialists who will design the individual parts for manufacture.
   
   The conceptual designer needs to be a jack of all trades, he needs to understand all of the issues, but he doesn't need to be an expert in any of them. For this reason this book is makes it a great reference for people like me with a general interest. It gives an excelent overview of aircraft design, but doesn't go into fine detail.



2. Great Great Great Great Book !!
   An essential book. Every people who work in aeronautic and space industry HAVE to read this book. Very easy to understand. Should be the first book on airplane design that you read.



3. For any aspiring Aeronautical Engineer, this book provides indepth analysis and insights into design of Aeronautical Systems. Several design concepts have been demonstrated with real examples. A must read.



4. The Raymer's book is a great title for airplane preliminary sizing.
   The book is very useful with many tips about the subject.
   The Torenbeek's book and Roskam's books is also recommended.



5. The shipping is fast~ i was expecting it to arrive like 3-4 weeks but no~! is less then that
   books are wrapped in good condition

5 comments about Practice Problems for the Mechanical Engineering PE Exam: A Companion to the Mechanical Engineering Reference Manual, 12th Edition.

1. I recommend this book if you are studying for the PE exam. The problems are numerous and relevant. The solutions are easy to follow.
   
   You do NOT need to have Lindeburg's study guide to use the Practice Problems. He does refer to the appendices in his study guide (steam tables, etc) by page number, BUT if you have the reference elsewhere (which you should), you can do all the problems in the book.



2. The practice problems are all written in SI and English units yet there will only be in English units on the Mechanical PE exam. All problems have both units, however if you are interested in becoming proficient with conversions this may actually distract you. This could be confusing to someone studying and trying to improve the ability to work in different systems.
   
   Be particularly aware of the sample exam. The following quote is an excerpt from a forum on the exam which I just read. I am dissapointed to read that the Sample exam is not reflective of the actual PE exam. I too just bought this for the purpose of taking a timed practice exam but now will send it back and find a more appropriate practice exam.
   
   "I was going to take the PPI ME sample exam under timed conditions but thank goodness I flipped through it first. As soon as I saw the SI units I knew it wouldn't be representative of the NCEES exam, at least in that regard. I saw it as being pointless working problems in the SI system since they won't be on the real exam and all my studying has been in the English system."



3. Book was fine condition but didn't get to do any of the practice problems before my exam, which I passed thanks to the reference book.



4. I recommend this manual only as a means for working additional problems once you've exhausted your textbook sample problems. I just took the ME PE exam yesterday and the problems on the actual exam should take no longer than 5 minutes to work, IF you know what tools (equations, etc) to use. The sample problems in this book took me, on average, about 35 minutes each to work. 90% of them are far more difficult than anything you'll see on the actual exam.
   
   I think time would be much better spent simply working the "easy" problems out of your old textbooks.



5. I worked through several of these problems before the exam. Most of the problems are harder than the problems on the exam, but that is a good thing.
   
   This, and the on-line practice test from NCEES are all I used to study and I feel I was well prepared. The PPI problems help you get the knowledge of the material; while the NCEES problems give you a feel for timing, and what the exam problems are like.
   
   The only thing that would make this more helpful for studying would be if it had difficulty or time ratings for each question. There were some areas of study I did not want to spend a lot of time on.
   
   Don't take lots of books to the exam. All I used was the MERM (Mechanical Engineering Reference Manual) that accompanies this. It had what I needed to solve every problem except one.

5 comments about Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators (FAA Handbooks).

1. This is an excellent manual for those interested in all aspects of aerodynamics. Originally printed for U.S. naval aviators, it covers aerodynamics from pistons to jets, fixed wing and rotary wing. The manual includes information on Basic Aerodynamics, Airplane Performance, High Speed Aerodynamics, Stability and Control, Operating Strength Limitations, and Application of Aerodynamics to Specific Problems of Flying.
   
   The manual is written at the university level and has graphs and formulae liberally sprinkled throughout the book. However, this is not an impediment and I have used this manual for many years and find it excellent for basic information.



2. Here's my very simple take on this book: if you operate (fly) airplanes of any kind, you need to have this book in your easy-to-get-to library. Period.
   
   My only negative comment is that the current "FAA reprint version" (How did they get involved? This is not a typical "How to" FAA kind of publications!)of the original NAVOPS manual is of very poor reproduction quality. The photos and artwork look "muddy" compared to an original copy of the manual. The text is not crisp, while some of the photographs of wind tunnel demonstrations are simply not understandable unless you know already what you're looking at.
   
   Although it was written in 1959 by Hugh Hurt of USC under contract to the U. S. Navy (and thus its copyright came into the public domain), it remains as relavant and informative today as it was when the ink was drying on the first press run! Incidentally, this same book also had a brief life as an Air Force manual, ATCM 51-3, Aerodynamics for Pilots, used by Air Training Command as a reference text in the pilot training program during the 1960s. The USAF version simply replaced the motivational photos of Navy aircraft with USAF models, but the manual was otherwise identical. It was eventually replaced by a much less rigorous edition, about one third the size and scope, that was, by comparison, almost useless. Seems that people found it too challenging, especially all that math -- a point I'll address below.
   
   Some of the material will shed "AH-HAH!" kind of light on day-to-day routine things; other topics will inform how you ought to approach the extraordinary, whether it's a sudden weather change, or an in-flight emergency.
   
   Not every pilot will find all chapters equally interesting. Also, experience has shown that the majority of pilots who are interested in the details of aerodynamics seem to gravitate towards the performance aspects of aircraft flight: Performance is generally easier to understand, but the real details of how the aircraft's inherent properties as seen by the pilot are only revealed in the sections on stability and control. Don't slight those chapters.
   
   A suggestion about approach: even though you may have never flow a jet-powered aircraft and have little prospect of doing so, don't think that it's a waste of time to learn about the details of jet aircraft aerodynamics (as distinct from propeller aircraft). Why? Because it's easier to learn first about how a jet-thrust aircraft behaves without the complications such as torque, brake horsepower, etc., introduced by getting thrust from an "air screw." Once you're clear about these basics, then you will be able to understand a little easier how various performance and stability and control issues are affected by the propeller/recip combination.
   
   Thus, the book is clearly oriented toward the operator/pilot and the things he has direct control over, or things that will affect his decisions or decision-making process, or choices of technique of how to operate his airplane. (You might be surprised to discover that a lot of techniques that are around were developed as easy-to-use compromises, needed simply because people didn't know the underlying details -- not because they're naturally the best way to do something.)
   
   The only persistent objection to this text over the years has concerned its routine use of math, consisting basically of simple algebraic expressions, with some trig thrown in occasionally when trying to analyze things going on at some angle, such as bank or climb angles. There is also frequent use of simple graphs that show important relationships between two variables, say, angle of attack and the wing's lift coefficient.
   
   Well, it's an accurate observation, but it's not a fair criticism -- and it's certainly not a valid reason to not use and study the text.
   
   The book presents the derived equations, the results, obtained from other texts, whereby the pilot can see the physical terms that affect some aerodynamic terms (e.g., lift). In doing so, you also see two essential things: first, how the terms are related to one another; secondly, how changing each of them, alone or in groups, affects the airplane's overall behavior. You see, for instance, what's really going on when you operate from a high elevation airport in the summer vs. winter, how the change in density altitude affects lift, drag, engine performance, etc. Without the results-based math that this book uses, you're really guessing or relying on what other people pass along as rules of thumb.
   
   Can you fly an airplane without knowing how to interpret the meaning of an equation? Of course. People do it every day. But: can you fully understand what you're doing without knowing the full scope of information that the equations are conveying? No, not really. Besides, it's a real kick to be able to visualize an equation, say of maneuvering flight, and translate that mental picture into a series of control inputs that make the aircraft do exactly what you want it to do, as you bring that mental picture into reality.
   
   For example, once you learn to think, to visualize, in terms of knowing that an airplane's turn radius is proportional to the square of its true airspeed, you know a great deal more than the person who simply knows that as the speed increases, the turn gets bigger. If you understand the relationship between the wing's lift coefficient vs. angle of attack, you'll also have a deeper understanding of the most effective techniques for flying final approach at a given airspeed and how you might safely modify your approach for unusual conditions, such as weather or being confronted with a shorter-than-expected runway.
   
   If you don't learn the language that conveys the details of Why the airplane behaves as it does, you're always going to feel a little uncomfortable, uneasy perhaps, just as you would if you were at a party and everyone was speaking some foreign language. This is especially true when you encounter a situation that the normal procedures -- the How of it -- were not intended to address. If you don't have this underlying understanding, you'll find yourself in a position of having to play "test pilot" -- without the benefit of the training and experience that usually goes with that title!
   
   The last point to make concerns the book's age: it is more than 40 years old now. The short answer is that airplanes still only talk Newton and Bernoulli, etc., and those guys never get too old. The advent of the "electric airplane" hasn't changed the basic aerodynamic issues the pilot must understand. Rather, electronics largely just alters the economics of flying and has also enhanced safety considerably. Technologies such as anti-skid brakes or 3-axis autopilots have been around for over 50 years, working exactly according to the same principles then as they do today. What has changed is how much it costs to get the capability. In 1950, anti-skid braking on a military aircraft might add $50,000 to the cost of the aircraft. Today, the same system functionality is installed in cars, no less, for under $25.00! The variables (the equations) that describe stopping distance have not changed, however. For private pilots especially, e.g., the single-engine Cessna variety, the airplanes generally available to that market are much older than the book is. Even if they do have an expensive Glass Cockpit, from a performance and handling qualities standpoint a 172 is still a 60-year old airplane, no matter what the instrument panel looks like or its date of assembly.
   
   A final comment: In my opinion, anyone who aspires to a high level of aeronautical proficiency that ultimately has safety as a major objective, anyone who wants to truly master his or her craft, needs to be able to study and learn at the level of detail and rigor presented in Hurt's technical masterpiece. It's a true classic.



3. Currently we are using this book as a textbook for my Aerodynamics class. Unfortunately for me, the book itself is difficult to understand unless you have a great imagination, piloting experience, several tools at your disposal (visual aids), or a great teacher. While our teacher is knowledgeable, he doesn't have the kind of skill required to break it down. I, unfortunately, have only five hours in the air and am not a piloting major. I had to go online several times and to a dictionary several times to learn what the terms "flare", "yoke", "attitude", and so on meant. I am not conditioned in any way, shape, or form for this material and so I have a hard time understanding it. Needless to say, the piloting students in my class have a harder time understanding the equations, but they understand the text since they "go up" all the time. I, however, need to draw on my five hours and on several textbooks, online aids, plotting tools, and online wind tunnels. I also found need to buy a simplified version of this book as a guide. While the integrity of the book itself is there, it requires that some experience be had on the reader's side in order to understand it to its full extent. I also think that perhaps the manual itself should also include a glossary, but it's rather old and was created ages ago at the behest of the government. I recommend it, once again, if you have some experience or if you have time to read and re-read some portions (assuming you have little to no experience in flight) since it will help you in grasping some of the material better. Also, chapters two and chapters three should be switched around. To make any sense of two, you have to read three first.



4. It's a perfect book for those who wants to maximize their knowledges in Aerodynamics, and enter in an Airline.



5. Just as I remember it 25 years ago when I began Navy Flight Training. Still a great summary of aerodynamics.

2 comments about Wills' Mineral Processing Technology, Seventh Edition: An Introduction to the Practical Aspects of Ore Treatment and Mineral Recovery.

1. Its a readable book for being technical, its information is mediocre though. Work out examples and pictures very useful in understanding information.



2. This comprehensive book focuses on beneficiation methods. These include crushing, grinding, comminution, froth flotation, dense medium separation, etc. Parts of this book are quantitative, and suggested Excel spreadsheet formats are provided.
   
   There is a relatively sophisticated introduction to the economics of metal recovery. For instance, when tin occurs within easily-accessible alluvial deposits, as little as 0.01% tin (that's a mere 100 ppm) is commercially exploitable. In contrast, when tin occurs in veins that require deep mining to reach it, a minimum level of 1.5% may be necessary to make it worth getting (p. 4).
   
   Considering their increasing importance in recent years, there is little attention devoted to the rare earth minerals. However, the table provided on the polarity of minerals (p. 270) includes some commonly REE-bearing ones (e. g. apatite, monazite). Likewise, the table provided on the electrical behavior of minerals (p. 367) includes the same two minerals.
   
   Virtually all mining operations involve the production of mine waste. Apropos to this, there is a helpful chapter on methods of dealing with mine tailings.

5 comments about Understanding Space: An Introduction to Astronautics + Website (Space Technology).

1. Mr. Jerry Jon Seller's book, "Understanding Space" is an amazing textbook about the technical aspects of space. The text is well written, the diagrams are easily understood, and the "tech-factor" for space geeks is acceptably high. It is no wonder that the United States Air Force has recommended "Understanding Space" as its baseline text concerning Technical aspects of space flight.
   
   For those afraid of "rocket-science" level math, the book is written at a very easy level, using algebra, trigonometry, and bits of calculus covered with a whole BUNCH of physics. It is an excellent text for technical classes, and also easily readable for non-technical space classes. I've personally referenced this book in *EVERY* space-related class I've taken (4 undergrad and a *whole* bunch of graduate classes) - if you buy it, you will use it, I guarantee.
   
   The only downside to this text lies in the fault of its users, not the author or publisher. This book was written to be the introduction to the Space Technology Library, a list covering more advanced topics in space. That said, the text is written at a high-school/undergraduate level for math and physics; yet the USAF has committed its "Certified Space Professionals" to using the text at their advanced level "Space 200" course. If you're taking (or teaching) space-related classes, understand the level of information you're needing - there *are* other space technical books (some by the same publisher) that will cover these topics in more depth (i.e. harder math and physics).



2. For the course I'm taking, this text is an excellent resource.



3. It's a text book. I ordered it and it got here on time...what more could I ask for?



4. This textbook was required for 2 of my Aeronautical Science courses in my pursuit for my Masters and I was more than happy to read it again. There is so much useful information in this text.
   
   The author reveals the intricacies of the space environment as well as the hazards of going into space with great depth. If you are required to purchase this book; it's a keeper for reference purposes as well.
   
   Happy reading.
   
   Sam



5. I found this book to be very enjoyable. A great review of Calculus and linear Algebra, are available in the appendix. This book has easily understood orbital concepts and is easy to follow. Anyone with and interest in Space technology should enjoy this book.

5 comments about Shigley's Mechanical Engineering Design (Mcgraw-Hill Series in Mechanical Engineering).

1. As a senior ME student, I think Shigley's Mechanical Engineering Design may be a good reference book, but find it is a poor text. Most topics are covered quickly and equations presented with little or no emphasis on any engineering derivation. This will frustrate engineers who enjoy knowing why the equations work. Also many of the answers found in the back of the book are simply incorrect. This inhibits the value of the problems found at the end of each chapter. The book covers a myriad of engineering topics which makes it fine to pull off the shelf to find the correct equation to use. However as a text, it lacks the engineering and mathematical depth to help one understand why the equations presented are true and why they work.



2. As is quite apparent from the one review of the hardcover edition (and from my machine design professor repeatedly referring to this as a reference book), this isn't the best textbook from which to learn the material in the first place, but it has every formula you'll ever need (well, maybe not...). However, there is one very important fact to note if you are considering buying this book for a class. It is NOT identical to the hardcover 8th edition; all problems and examples are in SI units (often with significantly different numbers), and the problem numbers are not necessarily the same (one cannot help but suspect that this is intentional on the part of the publisher, since it means that the cheaper paperback edition cannot be easily substituted for the hardcover edition). If you will need this book for homework, be aware of this.



3. I think this is a really good textbook, though it is very pricey. Many of the tables that are in the book are very useful and the examples are extremely helpful. I only bought this book because I needed it for 2 classes and it will be one of the few books I will keep even after graduation.



4. This text book has been around for awhile and for good reason. I used it for my Machine Design class, and still use it occasionally for reference after graduation. It is a bit pricey, but it is one of the few textbooks I've held onto for reference in my job. It does contain quite a lot of information and presents it rather well. Not perfect, but a good text book overall.



5. The book is a most have for mechanical engineering students, it covers everything from mechanics of materials, to metallurgy, to basic design knowledge of dynamic stresses, statistics and much more. Been a student myself it's a great reference for many future curses.

1 comments about U.S. Experimental & Prototype Aircraft Projects: Fighters 1939-1945 (Specialty Press) (Specialty Press).

1. This is a solid book written by someone who took the time to track down all those little details that airplane buffs want to know. There are nice write ups of all the planes listed in this book, and the pictures are first rate. There are lots of planes that I've never heard of, and it was interesting to see all the work the DoD was doing during the war.
   
   If you are interested in WWII or experimental planes, you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy of this book. You'll be very happy with your purchase.

1 comments about Mechanical Discipline-Specific Review for the FE/EIT Exam, 2nd ed..

1. The book was a great help for a Mechanical Engineer that forgot some of the basic knowledge because not using the information after college. If you plan on taking discipline-specific second part of the exam this book is a very must have.

5 comments about Sail and Rig Tuning.

1. I brought this book to check the rigging on a boat that I want to build.
   The diagrams are very clear and the book is concise and easy to read.
   While this book was helpful it was not really what I was after.
   I see this book being great for those sailors who want to win races.



2. Good physics, good illustrations, good explanations mean that you will have the intellectual tools to maximize your sail power. That will mean minutes in a race, and hours or days on a passage...as well as the safety of a well tuned rig. A must read for anyone powered by sail.



3. When it comes to sail & rig tuning I think it is important not to complicate things too much and write 3 exceptions for every rule. This book gives clear advice on the biggest issues in sail & rig trim and illustrates them as well.
   Very good book to get the most out of your boat!



4. A super book, great illustrations, very srtaightforward approach to explaining sails and rigging. Glossary could be bette but not much.



5. If you could buy only one book on sailing, have moderate experience and enough common sense not to do things that will obviously damage the hull or hurt the crew, this would probably be it.
   
   It is not perfect, in the sense that there is no engineering math, but it's so good that, having lost my copy, I'm buying a replacement now.