1 comments about Industrial Electrical Troubleshooting (Electrical Trades).

1. Anyone who knows anything about mindbending,hardcore, systematic industrial electrical troubleshooting will imediately recognize that this book is worth its weight in gold! I have been an industrial electrician for many years and I have a degree in electrical technology. Over the years I have read many books to help me in becoming the troubleshooter I am today. However I have never read any book with enough troubleshooting techniques that I could call the real Mcoy until now. This book is the real deal! The Author obviously has been in the industrial electrical field for many years. The best aspect of this book is his ability to clarify and simplify the various techniques of using instruments in troubleshooting safely and efficiently.Well done Mr Lundquist!! We now await the advance edition! THANK YOU Sir.

3 comments about Beyond Success: Building a Personal, Financial, and Philanthropic Legacy.

1. Finally a book that puts together all of the pieces of the world of what it means to invest and why we do it. Mr. Ottinger very carefully pieces together what is important about investing and building a legacy. He uses real life examples of people who have become successful not only with their wealth building but also in building a legacy in the philanthropy as well as family legacy. No matter how much wealth anyone has, the lessons that are inside of this book are relevant to all of us. It could almost be called, "The Habits of highly successful legacy builders"



2. 
   
   T
   
   his is the best and most interesting book ever written on this subject.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   This is the best,most complete and most interesting book ever written on this subject.It is'nt just for those who have acquired wealth,it is also for their children. Can't hardly wait for Mr.Ottingers next book on business or whatever he feels compelled to pass on to his new group of admirers.
   
   
   



3. It's a great book specially if you are looking for some reference in how to take care of your assets, cash flow, etc. when you have to think about legacy, it is funny for me because I was talking to my brothers in order to start building something together having in mind to build a legacy for our family and I found this book just exactly what I needed, includes some examples about families that have done it before and how to have a structure to make it happen, I highly recommend it. Great job by Mr. Randall J. Ottinger Congratulations!

5 comments about Signal Processing First.

1. I'm not sure who wrote the positive reviews here, but I can tell you as a student using this book that it is among the worst I've ever been stuck with and most of my classmates seem to agree.
   
   The concepts are made much more difficult than they should be by poor writing. The authors jump around constantly, use new terminology at times before introducing it, and provide examples that are inadequate in helping to solve the problems at the end of the chapter. Stylistically, the writing is very bland and sure to put you to sleep. The first sentence of the book is "This is a book about signals and systems."
   
   Sure, this book may cover all of the core concepts involved in signal processing, but trying to make sense of it when you don't already have a background in the subject is quite a challenge. After reading the chapters, we were unable to solve most of the problems in the book until the answers were given to us. I've dealt with bad textbooks before, but this one tops them all. Needless to say, it was a very frustrating experience and I can't say I recommend this book.



2. This is probably the worst textbook that I have used in the past two years. The book makes a lot of basic concepts seem very difficult and a lacks the proper examples to even explain what the problems at the end of the chapter are asking. The wording is very boring and tends to put the reader to sleep- making the poor explanation of concepts even worse. The authors jump around and often fail to define terms or use them before they are explained. The index has proved to be worthless in many of these instances. There are a lot of problems that I do not believe could be solved by a new edition.



3. I think this book is absolutely outstanding. I don't understand any of the negative comments. The cd that comes with the book is indispensble. It provides example after example. I actually bought schaum's outline of dsp as well, but because of all the examples on the cd (they are handwritten) I don't even have a need to refer to the outline.
   
   In addition, I thought the content of the chapters to be very readable. The only downside is that because the book is dated 1998 the matlab code is out of date and some of the drills no longer work with the newer versions.



4. My only complaint is that some of the algebra should be worked out with a few more intermediate steps. The worked out homework problems are fabulous and sooo plentiful.
   
   I wish I had the time to really read the whole book. My ECE201 course will probably only cover around 6 chapters.



5. I have been using this book for my master's course and this is the first time I have understood DSP. And it feels great to finally have grasped the fundamentals of the subject that has long evaded me. The treatment in this book is very unique and novel. And the mathematics is used as a tool to help understanding the concepts and not given in the form of pages of proofs in which the reader can get lost. I salute authors for coming out with such an original and easy-to-understand approach to the subject.
   Highly recommended!

5 comments about The Chip : How Two Americans Invented the Microchip and Launched a Revolution.

1. TR Reid, who studied ancient Greek and Latin at Princeton, has written an excellent short history of integrated circuits, or microchips, which is accessible to any high school student. The basic concepts and main figures, such as Kilby and Haggerty at Texas Instruments, Noyce at Intel, and others are described extremely well in language that is easily understandable, interesting, and enjoyable to read. On top of that, it is good pointers to other, more detailed books at the end.
   
   If you have a PhD in electrical engineering, or are a veteran of the industry, you may, on the other hand, feel that this book is to short for your liking.



2. I was literally stunned by the first three chapters in this book. The author seems to have gleamed what little he knows
   of electronic history from Life magazine or maybe popular mechanics. There is very, very little mention of the impact of Germany and quantum theory in his history of semiconductors. His description of valance electrons and holes is almost comical.
   I was expecting him to pronounce Sarnoff as
   the wizard of the age, which he sort of does with Edison -
   one of early electricity's greatest hacks and the 'great'
   marconi,he who was so fond of ripping off tesla's patents.
   Maybe the later edition is somewhat more worthwhile, the edition I bought was from amazon marketplace and although
   I thought I was receiving the current edition, I was sold the book with a 1984 copyright. People it pays to have
   merchants actually sell you the book that is listed.
   I guess if you like really easy going and simplified story telling this book is for you.



3. This book was very interesting, and the author did well at explaining things in terms that all could understand.



4. Reid balances the general narrative with the "drilling down" into details with virtuosity. You brain will love the way he lays the information out. You'll never get bored throughout the book. The author successfully reverse-engineers the story of electronics all the way down to a vacuum tube. Read this book yourself and read it to your kids.
   Vicki



5. "The Chip: How Two Americans Invented the Microchip and Launched a Revolution," by TR Reid, Random House, NY, 2001. This 309 page paperback provides a highly readable account of the invention of the integrated circuit. It begins with the discovery of the Edison effect and carefully explains the various technologies in a non-technical way as it goes along. The heros of the story are Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments and Robert Noyce of Fairchild Camera and later Intel. Both invented integrated circuits and received patents for them. Interferences were filed to resolve the issue resulting ultimately in a cross licensing arrangement. Kilby also invented the pocket calculator.
   
   Along the way the book describes the work of Edison, Fleming and DeForest in invention of the vacuum tube, and later the invention of the transistor at Bell Labs. Other technologies are also mentioned including development of radar and television, the first Altair computer, and the Intel microprocessors. The transition from magnetic core memory to semiconductor RAM is described. The story of the pocket calculator, digital watches, and some early computers are mentioned. Apple is mentioned but not Motorola. And little is said of Microsoft. Strangely absent are Radio Shack and their TRS-80, Commodore, Atari, Sinclair, TI-99-4a, and CP/M.
   
   The book was originally written in 1985, and then revised and update in 2001. Not surprisingly it devotes considerable space to the Japanese conquest of digital memory chips. It notes that when shortages forced domestic customers to use Japanese chips, they found those made in Japan were of higher quality. This discovery was a major factor is the quality programs initiated soon after. The books stops before the emergence of China as a major producer of electronics.
   
   The detailed non-technical explanations of numerous related topics (thermionic emission, discovery of the electron, conductivity theory, doping, Boolean algebra, digital arithmetic, Deming quality programs, patent law, operation of a digital calculator, etc) make this an excellent introduction to the field. In addition to those interested in the history of technology, those considering careers in engineering, electronics, or information technology will find the book especially useful. Extensive references. Indexed.

5 comments about Electrician's Calculations Manual.

1. I wish I had this book my first year of ELCs, it would have saved me a very big headache. This has all the primary calculations you need to get you thru to a two yr.degree.



2. This is a well crafted manual for working electricians as well as the text book for calculations classes it was originally written for.
   
   An excellent resource for apprentice studies as well as the experienced pro studying for his masters.
   
   This book could benefit from a good proof-read but the information is valid.



3. A very good manual to keep on the jobsite. Quick and easy to find calculations within, a must have for every electrician, wether a JIT, Journeyman, or Master. I was very impressed with the manual for the money. Now I have everyone at work asking to borrow it.



4. Upon first sight it appeared to be a solid text, but after getting past the first several pages there were enough typos, inaccurate calculations and blatantly wrong information that I promptly returned the book to its seller. I cannot recommend this text for anyone that will actually rely upon it for solid information.



5. This book is very handy to have with you when on a jobsite. It is small and easy to carry with you. There are times I need to go through this book to help refresh my mind in doing load calculations etc. It has been very helpful for me.

5 comments about Mathematical Methods and Algorithms for Signal Processing.

1. this book is really good for a signal processing researcher.
   generally it is difficult for a new researcher to connect math to the signal processing methods. conventional signal processing books only give the bit of math as needed in the signal processing books and this makes it difficult for an inexperienced student.
   in this book mathematics is explained in more detail and in the introduction of each chapter it is mentioned why and where you would need this math knowledge.
   at the end of each chapter application sections are provided
   where problems from signal processing are explained for that particular mathematical method.
   
   there are also exercises.
   
   however, this book can be difficult for a new graduate without any establishment of signal processing concepts and problems.
   
   it is an excellent book for a phd student in my view and it can be a classic.
   
   
   
   
   
   



2. This book is certainly technically sound. That being said, I find the notation confusing and the text relatively inacessible. The book is likely a good selection for someone wanting to study the innermost mathematical details of modern signal processing. Unfortunately, the text spends less time on actual implimentation and usage than would be preferable for audiances focussed on real world applications.



3. Recently purchased this book and from reading parts of it the book is a very good source of the mathematics associated with signal processing. However the publisher in the latest printing I just received no longer provides the promised CDROM and the listed website where to obtain the MATLAB material on the CDROM is also no longer supported by the publisher. An e-mail response to my inquiry about the missing MATLAB code source from a representative of the publisher indicates that the book is too old and their is no need to provide the material anymore.



4. This book is not for beginners. it is for students who have a background in real-analysis. It is also not a book to study signal processing, but it is more of a reference guide. I am disappointed with it, because I didn't get what I hoped to from this book.



5. If the typos and the software bugs weren't that many. Very good and complete reference book. It is more general than signal processing. If you can master this book you can be a very good engineer. The implementation in matlab has some bugs, but they are very helpful when it comes to understand the algorithms. It includes topics from optimization, linear algebra, probabilities etc. It's a good book to have in your library. It is worth its price.

4 comments about Harnessing the Wheelwork of Nature: Tesla's Science of Energy.

1. BOOK REVIEW

   "Harnessing the Wheelwork of Nature" is a new book by Thomas Valone, who edited this book in time for the Wardenclyffe Tower Centennial (1903-2003)*. This book presents for the first time, the feasibility argument for Tesla's most ambitious dream, the wireless transmission of power. Pictured on the book's cover near his feet, the 187-foot Wardenclyffe Tower was Tesla's means to deliver natural 8 Hz electricity anywhere in the world, by longitudinal waves.

   Unknown to most electrical engineers, Nikola Tesla's dream answers the energy crisis worldwide, saves electrical conversion losses, and provides a real alternative to transmission lines. Among the total of sixteen chapters or articles, only a few are reviewed here.

   In Dr. Corum's two contributed papers, he explains Tesla's magnifying transmitter, which Tesla compared to a telescope. Corum points out that "the tuned circuit of his magnifying transmitter was the whole earth-ionosphere cavity resonator." This fact helps explain why Tesla stated, "When there is no receiver there is no energy consumption anywhere. When the receiver is put on, it draws power. That is the exact opposite of the Hertz-wave system...radiating all the time whether the energy is received or not." Thus, with Tesla's futuristic transmission of power, source dissipation will only be experienced when a load is engaged in a tuned receiver somewhere on the earth. This fact alone represents a major leap forward in electrical transmission efficiency, even one hundred years later.

   Dr. Rauscher indicates in her paper that the earth's magnetosphere is the source of electrical energy, as Tesla emphasized. She points out that the relatively small longitudinal impulses that the Tesla Tower supplies triggers the earth-ionosphere oscillations to take place so the receivers can tap the earth's atmospheric electrical energy. Tesla estimated the available energy of the earth-ionosphere cavity at 7.5 gigawatts whereas Dr. Rauscher today shows that it is closer to 3 terawatts (3 billion kW), while the US only consumes about 360 million kW today for electrical needs (at 27% of the world usage). Therefore, the earth has almost three times the capacity available for electrical consumption than the entire world presently utilizes everyday.

   Why wasn't the prototype of Wardenclyffe finished in 1903? Tesla offered this visionary conclusion: "The world was not prepared for it. It was too far ahead of time. But the same laws will prevail in the end and make it a triumphal success... Let the future tell the truth and evaluate each one according to their work and accomplishments. The present is theirs; the future, for which I really worked, is mine."

   Up until now, there has been a general malaise regarding the lack of scientific comprehension of Tesla's greatest dream. For example, the Serb National Federation notes, "With the exception of the first biography of Tesla by John J. O'Neill, science editor of the New York Herald Tribune, and published in 1944, unfortunately no biographer since has had the necessary scientific/engineering academic credentials to discuss Tesla's work in the various fields." Contributors to Harnessing the Wheelwork of Nature are primarily physicists and engineers who are experts in Tesla technology. Their wealth of knowledge demonstrates their mastery of this extraordinarily progressive and technical subject. Finally, the best academic credentials have been brought to bear on the world's greatest electrical futurist.

   This is a very readable and profusely illustrated reference volume on wireless transmission of power, besides being an excellent biographical gold mine of Tesla history.

   Nick Cook, editor of "Jane's Defence Weekly" and author of "The Hunt for Zero Point" says, "Tesla is one of the great overlooked geniuses of science and electricity. His full story deserves to be told. Tom Valone sheds important new light on his life and work." ...




2. Deftly compiled and edited by Thomas Valone, Harnessing The Wheelwork Of Nature: Tesla's Science Of Energy is a straightforward look at Nikola Tesla's iconoclastic dream and scientific ambition for the development and utilization of a wireless transmission of power itself. Investigating Tesla's alternative to transmission lines and how his ideas could have changed (and may yet change) the shape of human civilization itself, Harnessing The Wheelwork Of Nature is a simply fascinating read offering a unique perspective on an idea that may well have found its time at last. Composed of a series of articles contributed by an impressive spectrum of informed and informative writers, the essays are grouped into three sections: History of Tesla's Early Electrical Life; Principles of Wireless Power Transmission; and Miscellaneous Articles and Tesla Reference Material. Simply put, Harnessing The Wheelwork Of Nature is mandatory reading for all students of Tesla's remarkable life and contributions to science.



3. Harnessing the Wheelwork of Nature is a fascinating book about the transmission of electrical energy developed by Tesla. If you are not familair with this incredible man, consider his hundreds of inventions that have laid the groundwork for robotry, computers, microwaves, and nuclear fission, among many others. In the late 1800s, Tesla filed patents on things such as the incandescent electric light, the transmission of electrical energy, radios devices, electrical transformers, and generators.

   This book is both entertaining and enlightening, and well worth the purchase price. Tesla has long been overlooked by the general public and deserves recognition as a great inventor, that even Edison learned from. This book in particular focuses on technology that Tesla invented over 100 years ago to transmit electrical energy around the globe, without powerlines. Why have we not implemented his ideas?




4. This is a very important book, very comprehensive, and the newenergymovement.org is an organization very deserving of your consideration and support if you are at all concerned about the state of our environment and world today!! Tom Valone has some other very good products to bring this message to your friends; videos, etc. Our Noetic Sciences study group thought Integrity Research Institute's video was exceptional and so is this book!!

3 comments about Vacuum Bazookas, Electric Rainbow Jelly, and 27 Other Saturday Science Projects..

1. I've only had this book for a few days, but have found the projects unusual and offbeat. For the most part, they are not a rehash of old science projects. They are well described and each one has a good description of the science and math behind them. The illustrations are not overly detailed, but they do the job quite well. I found it a little odd that the description of what the project is about is separated from the chapter on the project. The summaries of what is interesting about the projects and simply what they do is in the front of the book. If you open to a project within the book, you'll wonder what the real appeal of the project is until you go to the front of the book.

   The author is quite a tinkerer and at least one of the project toys is patented. I believe a few others are heading toward patents.

   Several projects require access to a small amount of Mecanno (or Erector) set parts. These companies almost do not exist it the U.S. any longer. However, Brio recently started distributing Erector sets again. I'm sure one could find substitutes for the Mecanno parts at a local hardware store or maybe even make them.




2. I enjoyed the book, but so far the only experiment we've done is the vacuum bazooka, for which I recommend using a wet vac and small water balloons as ammo.



3. The technical language was easily understood and presented in a clear interesting manner.
   Mr Downie has inspired me to have a real go at these projects.
   As we say in New Zealand "Sweet As".

No comments about Thin Film Solar Cells: Fabrication, Characterization and Applications (Wiley Series in Materials for Electronic & Optoelectronic Applications).

5 comments about The Essential Guide to Semiconductors (Essential Guide Series).

1. This book is a must read for anyone in the technology industry - even a software guy like me found the content and processes explained fascinating! I would also urge anyone investing in public companies like Intel, Sun, etc.... to read this and truly understand what those companies do. There were several points in the book where the author would explain something, and the curious side of my brain would question "hrm, I wonder why it's called that... or how that came to be" - and without fail... the next paragraph of the book knew exactly what my curiosity would be and spelled it out. A HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BOOK!



2. Should be called 'The Coffee Table Overview to the Semiconductor Market'! It talked more about people who make them than how to make them.
   
   It burned well!!



3. Simple, easy to read and to understand, good pictures at appropriate places to help you visualize the details.
   
   This is a great book for first time semiconductor lovers. The author takes you through a time line of the semiconductor industry and also talks about the industry trends etc. The books talks about semiconductor components and its functions in an "easy to understand" format.
   
   It's a good read especially if you are new to the semiconductor industry and want to get a good understanding of the industry.



4. Jim Turley's book, The Essential Guide to Semiconductors, is a GREAT read for anyone interested in learning about the building block technologies that power so much of our world. The book offers a truly comprehensive overview of semiconductors, encompassing easy to understand, "byte-sized" technology definitions and interesting chapters regarding the evolution of semiconductor design and manufacturing. Turley also presents interesting big picture perspectives of global market trends, supported by recent data. The reader is guided through the evolution of semiconductor technology, from component parts to integrated circuit technology with relevant concepts explained along the way. What makes the book especially enjoyable is Turley's insider perspective which allows him to make humorous anecdotal observations. All text is well-organized and clearly written. Graphics aid in understanding. Overall, the book offers a solid foundation of knowledge for the non-technical reader and can also be used as an up-to-date refresher course for seasoned practitioners and engineers.



5. This is a very readable book that provides an excellent overview of the semiconductor industry. It avoids a lot of technical jargon in discussing a very technical industry.