2 comments about Three Scientists and Their Gods: Looking for Meaning in an Age of Information.

1. Wright focuses on the theories of digital physicist Edward Fredkin (the universe is a computer), sociobiologist Edward O. Wilson (the universe is united by genes and culture), and Kenneth Boulding (the universe is united through communication as a natural process of evolution). Each man has *faith* in his hypothesis without following it up with rigorous experiments. Therefore, this book reads as one man's evaluation of other men's ego trips. I give it four stars, tho, because it is an excellent review and synthesis of these theories, including their origins. The book touches upon the "coincidence" that each theory maps into the basic tenets of the world's religions. Wright includes a fantastic bibliography with reviews of each listing; definitely worthwhile if you are interested in any of these theories. (For a more captivating read of Wright, check out _The Moral Animal_ and _Nonzero_. In those books, he continues what he starts in _Three Scientists_.)



2. In agreement with the other reviewer, this is a good synthesis of the theories of the scientists reviewed and very readable with discussions in layman terms. However, if one has not been introduced to these theories, then spend the time to take the brain out of the box and on a wonderful stroll. If so, I am confident that after consumption of these theories you will have an active interest and enthusiasm to pursue further studies or reading in one of the three.

No comments about Chaos in Discrete Dynamical Systems: A Visual Introduction in 2 Dimensions.

5 comments about Linear Systems (Prentice-Hall Information and System Science Series).

1. This book is exhausting to read. A far better source to learn linear systems is _Linear System Theory and Design_ by Chi-Tsong Chen.

   There are numerous other books that cover certain topics in Kailth's book much better, too. Look at _Optimal Filtering_ by Anderson and Moore, _Linear Optimal Control Systems_ by Kwakernaak and Sivan, _Digital Control of Dynamical Systems_ by Franklin, Powell, and Workman, and even _Digital Control_ by Franklin and Powell.




2. If you are an engineer with least span of attention, this book is certainly not for you. But if you are somebody who likes things to be concise and profound, and takes thrill in riding through theoretical maze, only to wonder in the end at it's simplicity and completeness, you would love this. I would say, second chapter on State-Space theory is the core of the book. Helps you to look at systems from different view-points, elaborating on different proprerties a system can and should have, meanwhile relating one with the other, filling the reader with sheer joy by giving him a complete picture.

   Huge list of references at the end of every chapter and a brief appendix on Matrix algebra adds further value to this ultimate book on Linear System Theory.




3. This book is that dangerous combination of being theoretical without being rigorous. It's very deep and subtle, and it is not unusual to ponder a particular point for several weeks, as no derivation or explanation is given. Many statements are just thrown out there for the reader to figure out for himself. I have now read the book more or less from cover to cover, and that's how it has been, but I have to say, in the end it is worth it. I now truly feel that I know a lot about linear systems.

   It's really not possible to read this book without having a number of other references around: linear algebra (Strang), abstract algebra (Artin), control theory (Brogan) and multivariable systems (Kaczorek) were most useful to me.

   This book is excellent in that you will find results in here that you would not find anywhere else, including recent results and some developed by Kailath himself. On the other hand, frankly, the somewhat haphazard presentation style is a real impediment to understanding. In summary, this is a very good book, but you will have to work very hard to get something out of it.




4. I used this book along with _Linear Systems_ by Antsaklis and Michel. The latter book is better organized and easier to read, although (like this book) it is a bit dense. As another reviewer noted, Kailath's style is a bit hard to follow, so unless you're already familiar with some concepts from theoretical linear algebra, systems, and/or control theory, I would not recommend using this book alone as an intro to Linear Systems Theory. Nevertheless, it is a very thoughtful and useful book and should be on your shelf if you have a real interest in systems and controls.



5. The book is very nice, although the cover seems to be not so robust (too thin).
   But I'm satisfied with the product.

1 comments about Optimal Estimation of Dynamic Systems (Chapman & Hall/Crc Applied Mathematics & Nonlinear Science).

1. It presents the fundamentals of state estimation theory and the tools for the design of state-of-the-art algorithms for navigation and tracking, vehicle attitude determination. There is a lot of material that is covered by this book. The examples are well presented and they really help you when working on the problems at the end of each chapter. Also, computer routines for all the examples shown in the text can be accessed. I have to say that this is an excellent book for estimation of dynamic systems.

5 comments about Principles of Plasma Discharges and Materials Processing , 2nd Edition.

1. This book provides a theoretical overview of plasma's, including coverage of ECR applications. This was very valuable for Hitachi Etchers. The theory is presented at an undergraduate level and assumes the reader has knowledge of vector analysis. Highly recommended for any Etch Process Engineer in the Semiconductor Industry.



2. Lieberman covers many of the standard processing devices and much of the physics needed to model them effectively.

   The presentation is clear and extremely useful both as a reference and as a tutorial. A must-have book for anyone interested in plasma processing.




3. This book provides an excellent introduction and overview of plasma discharges applied to semiconductor manufacturing. It is well-organized, clearly-written and full of useful examples and exercises. And unlike many books on plasma physics, it is not overly-mathematical and contains many useful physical insights. I strongly recommend this book for anyone wanting to review the field of plasma processing.



4. As a praciticing process engineer my opinion is this book lacks insight. Typical text book written a professor in the academic community with no practical experience. This book spends far to much time deriving equations and not discussing the basics concepts. The author makes a half hearted attempt to relate the first 14 chapters to the real worl, in a short and inadequate Chapter 15. This is the first mail book order book i took the time to return. In all honesty this book is not worth the $90.00. Spend your money elsewhere



5. One of the most practical and comprehensive resources on plasma phyics and engineering. The book is much easier to understand and more in depth than most other books on the subject, except for maybe chen (who takes more of a physics approach, whereas lieberman takes more of an engineering approach) This book is a must have for anyone working with or studying plasmas.

2 comments about Knowledge Representation: Logical, Philosophical, and Computational Foundations: Logical, Philosophical, and Computational Foundations.

1. I thought the first three chapters did an excellent job of covering advances in knowledge representation. However chapter four is marred by an attempt to present what appears to be virtually every syntax used relating to processes. Somewhere in this gulf of complexity I think he has some basic concepts, but they are hard to reach. It's equivalent to reading a book on algorithms in which the author presents the algorithms in C, Cobol, Fortran, Basic, SAS, etc. Why not just present the concepts within the context of a MINIMUM of syntax? Still the book is worth reading and has good appendixes.



2. In this book, John Sowa conveys diverse and effective insights within the field of knowledge representation (KR). The frameworks he employs are deeply grounded philosphically. (Sowa's previous work on conceptual structures reactivated and extended the innovative work of Charles Sanders Peirce integrating logic and graph theory.) The work reviewed here surveys a wide range of KR issues from basic ontology to agency and processes. Chapter 6, Knowledge Soup, is widely recognized for framing and addressing some of the more demanding, and largely unresolved, challenges in the field.
   
   Throughout the book, issues are explored in a coherent, readable way. Of course, KR implies the use of relevant formalisms, and readers with some background in some AI research tradition will be better prepared to absorb the book's insights. However, for students and scholars looking for an integrated overview, Sowa makes a unique contribution.

5 comments about UFOs Over California: A True History Of Extraterrestrial Encounters In The Golden State.

1. This book was logically organized, and presented with a vocabulary that gripped your attention from the getgo. If even 1/20th of what the author says is true (and the evidence says it is), we are on the verge of being merged with societies of extraterrestials that we know nothing about, even if the military knows something about the equipment that they use. It is past time for the military to come clean and get our sociologists and psychologists to studying these societies. Otherwise, the human race has a disaster in the making.



2. This book is almost identical to UFO's over Topanga Canyon by the same author.
   I found the book to be unorganized and the information to be poorly supported. It just mentions an event with nothing to back it, no scientific proof, no investigation.. something like .. "Wilma from Long Beach saw a UFO over the ocean."
   So what? Big deal!! Very disapointing.
   I would NOT buy this again.



3. For those who deny the reality of this phenomenon, please don't bother those of us that accept it. Just go on to some other subject. This is not a book for you. Those of us, in the millions, who are aware of the reality of UFOs and do not wish to argue the point anymore will find this book interesting. I for one do not care to debate the reality issue anymore.
   
   As far as I know, Preston Dennett has set a precedent here by writing a documentary account of sightings and personal experiences with the UFO presence expressly in California. He has sited Blue Book cases, books, magazines, and newspaper articles and given us an entertaining and sometimes spine-tingling accounting of that extensive research. I read through this book relatively fast as I found it absorbing and enlightening. The documentation is thorough, Dennett is not making these stories up!
   
   If you are a California resident and have interest in the subject matter, I recommend this book wholeheartedly. It was interesting to read the history of my particular area of California, and thought provoking to get a concept of how the phenomenon has progressed and become more overt over time. The book exposes a wide range of interesting cases from the very southern tip of California to the Oregon coast.
   
   I found this book well worth the price. Thank you Mr. Dennett!



4. UFOs Over California by Preston Dennett is somewhat of an encyclopedic compilation of UFO History in general, and events throughout the State of California in conjunction with that history.
   
   As stated even by the author himself; most of the sightings and events are placed into a somewhat haphazardly date line. However, due to the extensive history and updated interviews many of the sightings jump back and forth through certain windows of time.
   
   Strict chronology is really unimportant in this publication because it is presented as an informational warehouse to impress upon the reader the sheer extent of UFO cases reported in California alone.
   
   I found the book an enjoyable and informative read, and would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in the on-going history of this enigma which still continues even as I write.



5. I like Preston Dennett. The stories are believable and Dennett knows what he is talking about. I saw him on television many times. I like the guy and I like his hat. Some stuff he talks about is strange but hey what do we know, all these secrets are hidden by our government. Coverup coverup coverup. The big guys at the pentagon in Washington have files on extraterrestrials. They are not telling us anything. When you read this book you will find out that UFO are for real. They are everywhere. A few months ago on television Larry King showed us a documentary on the UFOs flying over Texas. Many people saw the UFOS and they are not dreaming. I like this book it is easy to understand. Everybody should read it.

No comments about Cladistics: A Practical Course in Systematics (The Systematics Association Series : Volume 10).

No comments about Foundations of Complex Systems: Nonlinear Dynamic Statistical Physics Information and Prediction.

No comments about Online Stochastic Combinatorial Optimization.