5 comments about Optimal Filtering (Dover Books on Engineering).

1. This is an excellent book. I often see it referenced, in the old edition from Prentice Hall, in IEEE papers written by "old important guys" (and gals of course) indicating that it carries some weight amongst people in the know.
   
   It treats aspects of filtering, from the ground up, in a mathematically correct way. You do need to be comfortable with matrix analysis, calculus, certainly random processes, and have some level of "mathematical sophistication" (that elusively defined quality.) As a supplement to a course in Statistical Signal Processing where you use the book by, say, Kay, it would be very good (and much cheaper than Kay.) I'm not sure how Dover selects their catalogue of books, but they certainly do a good job of picking up the lagged copyright from big publishers, of very good older books.
   
   The book is written by a couple of Aussies who begin each chapter with the salutation "G'day Mate!" (**) and end each chapter with "Good on yer Cobber," and also, confusingly, refer to each other as "Bruce" throughout the book. The book is good enough for you to be able to overlook these nationalistic quirks. They also use tracking problems, in the section on Kalman filtering, taken from Aussie Rules football, as a player tracks the ball through the air, before he is clobbered by an opponent. This is a good example of tracking, whether you are a Raytheon missile engineer, or an Aussie rules footballer. They even use a more complicated example where the player tracks both the ball and the other player (the clobberer). This example could probably be generalized to missile defense.
   
   In summary, this really is a good book on filtering, especially the core material of Wiener filtering and Kalman filtering. Highly recommended. Good on yer Cobbers!! (Bruce and Bruce, that is.)
   
   **Disclaimer: Some of this review is a fictionalised account of a review.



2. It is very useful to study the Bayesian optimal filtering.



3. This book is already a classics in signal processing. If you are serious in optimal control, linear estimation or general signal processing, get this book to have a look, you might be benefited from it. I am glad to see Dover reprint this out of print classics at reasonable price.



4. I usually buy books here because they always arrive in time and in prefect conditions, even the used ones! As I live in Brazil, it's really a serious delivery system, because it's not easy to send so far!



5. I'm sorry I have not fluency in English, however I can say that I'm satisfied with the book "Optimal Filtering (Dover Books on Engineering)" and your service.
   thank you.

5 comments about There Are No Electrons: Electronics for Earthlings.

1. I bought this book because of a review in Make magazine at the time. It really is a cute book that offer some entertainment into learning about electronics and electricity.
   Pros: Easy to read, fun and entertaining. The book teaches you about electronics in a away that is easier to understand than most other book out there. A real outside the box book.
   Cons: The book can be difficult to follow at times and may require a go back and read again in some instances.
   
   All in all the book is a good book (really good for beginners) and is worth picking up for a read if you are interested in electronics and how they work.



2. My physics/chemistry teacher in high school recommended this book over ten years ago. I read it during college and it helped demystify all the mathematical descriptions by giving me an understandable picture. It's a bit more difficult to visualize electron behavior in electrical components than it is to picture a bunch of wild, crazy green people doing stuff. Highly recommended for physics or engineering students for improving conceptual grasp of basic electrical theory.



3. There Are No Electrons: Electronics for Earthlings is an engaging and educational introduction to the science of electronics for lay readers. Written in a narrative, storytelling style, There Are No Electrons covers basic electron theory (and why it's the "Easter Bunny" of science), voltage, current, resistance, magnetism, and much more. Written to be accessible to readers of all ages, from high school science students to the fortysomething who wonders how his computer is really powered, There Are No Electrons blends entertainment with solid information into a clear winner. Especially recommended for public and high school library shelves.



4. This is by far the best beginners book on electronics that I have ever read. The book uses metaphors to teach about electronics from conductors to transistors. So simple that anyone can get a basic grasp of electronics. It's a great book to launch your study of electronics if you really want to understand what's going on in the circuit instead of just memorizing theorems.



5. I purchased this book on impulse at an airport kiosque shortly after it first came out, in a very clunky home-drawn sort of cover. I was feeling it was high time (around age 48) that I learn or try to re-learn a few basic facts and concepts about electricity that I'd been exposed to all my life but never quite absorbed. Why? Maybe to be a little more savvy about doing electrical home repairs, to grok a little better what was going on inside computers, but mostly because I just want to understand how things (and nature) work around me. Like reviewer Godfrey I'd dawdled over this for a long time, unable to get over the hump of reading some dry explanation of this stuff. And this book worked. I got the basic feel of electronics I'd been lacking and really enjoyed the book itself, outlandish as it is. I'm guess I'm just nutty enough myself to have enjoyed Kenn's nutty little-green-men approach. Nutty to Meet You! Dr. Peanut Book #1

5 comments about American Electricians' Handbook.

1. Another motley McGraw-Hill product. First copyrighted in 1913. The author appears to have died prior to 1976, and the book has been maintained by hired help. Don't try to use this as a textbook; treat it as a reference only. You never really know whether some item is up to date or 50 or 80 years old. Examples: There is a lot of treatment of two-phase (yup, 90 degrees) power, including at 25 hertz, and of multi-kilovolt series incandescent streetlighting, plus knob and tube wiring. Also, it is stated that the highest radio frequency in use is 30 megahertz, whereas in reality we're up to 1,000 or 2,000 times that just now. This book is a curiousity; charming if you have the cash, but if you don't, maybe you should be getting something more coherent.



2. I would NOT recommend this book to any electrician, engineer, or architect. It is extremely difficult to comprehend. Gaining any practical information from this book is futile. I have had the twelfth edition over ten years. I used it to study for the electricians exam. I hated it then. Since that time, I have found it to be a very poor reference book. The thirteenth edition is no better. I understand why some electrician training schools might use this book - it is very comprehensive. It would make a good reference for a classroom lesson plan, but not a direct teaching tool. If you want to learn the material in this book, get the National Electric Code Handbook (and related materials published by the NFPA) and appropriate textbooks. FYI - I am a licensed electrician and a registered professional engineer.



3. I went through the union apprenticeship in San Francisco. I completed my apprenticeship in 2003, and decided to purchase this book to study for the CA state certification. HUGE MISTAKE!!! If all you are looking for is a study tool for the state certification test all you need is a code book. In school we never used this book, and I went through a 5 year apprenticeship, and after looking through this book I can see why. I found it almost impossible to use the index, and the table of contents wasn't much help either. I do however reccomend the National Electrical Code 2005 Handbook. It cost $25 more but it is well worth it. Neither of these books will teach you how to be an electrician so don't even bark up that tree! DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!!! My 8 and a half years of being a wireman (including 5 years as an apprentice)and I can't make sence of this book. Don't waste your time or money again DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!!!



4. This is an excellent, if dense read that bridges the gap between the science of electricity, and the practical matter of an Electrician's work. It will not fully explain the science of the topic, and it will certainly not teach you how to wire a house. It is a very good book if your question runs along the lines of "Why does it work that way?" Its treatment of Ohm's law and other fundamentals is particularly useful. That said, the index is a nightmare, the book is not organized by page number, and it contains some apocrypha.
   
   I have been an electrician for just over two years now (and I wrote this using my wife's login, because I'm too lazy to relog)



5. It is interesting to note that many of the reviewers have bashed this because they were attempting to use this as a study guide for a particular State's Electrician Exam. This book is not intended to be a Code Reference/Guide and is more of a "how it works" reference. As noted there are much better study guides out there for testing purposes. I highly recommend Stallcups Journeyman's workbook or the Master Electrician's workbook if you are wanting to pass the exam. I have taught Journeyman prep classes and used Stallcups and the appropriate edition of the NEC exclusively. Mike Holt's books are also good for exam preparation.
   
   As for the using the index it should be clear after only a cursory examination that it is indexed by section and not by page. This does make it a bit more tedious to look up a particular subject but it is certainly not impossible or unusable.
   
   As for some of the archaic information included- there are still two phase systems in existent, there are houses with knob & tube wiring, we still see 3 phase delta high leg systems, manual motor starters (the old "one arm bandits"), and so on. Just because these are not part of modern wiring methods/systems does not mean that they have ceased to exist altogether.
   
   I have found this to be a great reference and have used it many times to resolve questions that I could find little or no information for anywhere else. It is not an exhaustive reference on any single subject but it is a great reference to give you an overview.
   
   One other observation- Amazon apparently ties the reviews to the book title and not the edition. The reviews here are for previous editions and do not specifically address the 15th edition.
   
   As for my background- I have been a master electrican for over 15 years, am a certified electrical inspector, certified instrument technician, and NETA certified testing technician.

5 comments about Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-ray Microanalysis.

1. This book is a great book for learning the Basics about Electron Microscopy and X-ray Analysis. You get a good overview!



2. The book is very good. I can learn a lot about the SEM from this book. The cd has also some interesting pictures, additional information.



3. This ought to be the dream book of those who do SEM imaging. The first half or say first five/six chapters are solely devoted to fundamentals of SEMs and the rest of the chapters are dealing generation of X-rays and concentrate on EDS. I have not yet finished reading this book. But certainly recommend to other SEM users to possess this book and read it as and when required.



4. This book is a comprehensible review of principles and methods of SEM and X-ray microanalysis write in a single and elegant language. The authors avoid using mathematical formulas in the description and demonstration which turn it an atractive book to all scientists and even the beginners.



5. If you are like me and had to use a Scanning Electron Microscope or SEM, you want to start with the basics that everyone goes by. This book is a safe bet that most everyone knows about. Plus, it is written with very little background in the world of electron microscopy. Too many authors to list but it's wonderful that alot of experts got together to present this material in clear, concise manner. Before you grab your solid-state physics book or check Wikipedia, just relax and page through it since this book pretty much makes it easy for you.
   
   Chapters are arranged by the following: What is SEM?, How SEM works?, and Why are we interested with SEM? That's the easiest way to explain rather than list all the chapters. If you have a specific question, you don't even have to read through the previous chapters (if you have rough understanding). The size of this book is a BIG PLUS. It's compact compared to the monsterous Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) book by Barry Carter which is another great reference. For this price, you would be lucky to find another good reference book under $100 with such relevant information.

5 comments about Basic Electricity: Revised Edition, Complete Course.

1. This is the best book on electricity I have every read! I have read a number of entry level books on electricity and all of them have fallen short. The key to this book is its order of presentation. When explained in the proper sequence it is much easier to grasp the topics. If you are looking for a book that will give you a rock solid foundation in electricity then this is the one.



2. This book is a reprint of the series first published by Rider in 1954.
   
   Its companion book, Basic Electronics, covered vacuum tube equipment. Authors have also done "Basic synchros and servomechanisms" (1955) while a later book, Basic Solid State Electronics (ISBN 0790610426) - published 1982/1983 - covered basic transistors. See my review of this last book. It's not as good as Basic Electricity.
   
   To this day, the Basic Electricity book is one of the best you can start with when learning about electricity. The writing is crystal clear and the authors never waste words or repeat themselves.
   
   Even clearer than the words are the diagrams. They show you exactly what's going on. And so many diagrams. Put the words and pictures together and you can't help but understand everything.
   
   This reprinted version by Prompt covers more topics than found in my 1954 series by Hayden Books. Prompt version also has problem sets.
   
   The only section I didn't enjoy of Basic Electricity was part 5 on motors/generators/power systems. And that's just because it's not my area of interest.
   
   This book is done (mostly) from a qualitative POV. The math is simple. some algebra and phasors. Doesn't use calculus or complex numbers. For those who want this approach get "Principles of Electronics: Analog and Digital" by Lloyd R. Fortney and/or "Introduction to Modern Electronics" by J.C. Sprott (OOP now so buy it used)
   
   Probably the only books that match Van Valkenburgh et al. for clarity are the 24 part series Navy Electricity & Electronics Training Series (NEETS), the books by Schuler/Fowler (Electricity: Principles and Applications by Richard J. Fowler and Electronics: Principles and Applications by Charles A. Schuler) and Bernard Grob's books: Basic Electronics and Direct and Alternating Current Circuits.



3. I also own the Bureau of Naval Personnel's "Basic Electricity" and Mike Holt's "Basic Electrical Theory". While I really like Holt's book, and the Bureau's book is a good one, this is one better. Since it was first published in 1954, you may find the illustrations and graphics (did they have "graphics" in 1954?) a bit dated. On the other hand, I think they help explain the concepts very well.



4. TO TEACN A 15 YEAR OLD BOY BASIC ELECTRYC AND BASIC TUBE CIRCUITS BEFORE HE BEGININGS SOLID STATE ELECTRONICS BY HIS GRANDPA.



5. I first discovered this book about twenty five years ago, when I was a teen. I distinctly remember devouring this book quickly. The concepts are clearly explained in a manner that is very easy to grasp without a mathematics background. The diagrams are extremely well done. Some of the circuit diagrams are quaint by todays' standards, but for me that just adds to the appeal. Without this book, it is doubtful whether I would have chosen electrical engineering as a career.

5 comments about Electricity and Magnetism, Vol. II.

1. I used this text in an 'advanced' introductory physics course and loved it. Explanations are clear and concise, examples and homework problems are of sufficient sophistication to prepare one for challanging exams, and the text limits itself to a thorough study of the more basic concepts of electricity and magnetism. The text is excellent preparation for more advanced study, and probably a good reference for students who need help while pursuing more advanced study.



2. A true classic among the textbooks for introductory electricity and magnetism. Yes. This book is highly mathematical. The author takes great effort to present both concepts and mathematical formulations clearly and rigorously. This is a great book for any physics class that emphasizes theory. Many exercise problems are inspiring and practical. The book uses the CGS unit system which is a little odd but it takes little time to get use to.



3. A very logical introduction to EM.
   
   The author starts only with the conservation of electrical charge and coloumbs law and using basic vector calculus concepts of field and divergence along with stokes theorem he derives maxwells first equation( diff form of gauss law ).
   
   He then uses concepts of line integral, potential and gradient and goes on to show how the conservative nature of the electrical force translates to path independence of work done in a static electric field and derives the static version of maxwells second equation.
   
   He takes an important look at applied theory especially in current analysis detailing the concept of resistance and basic series and parallel circuit analysis and how they directly derive from conservation of electric charge and conservative nature of the electrical force.
   
   A nice introduction to magnetism is completed by showing that it is a relativitic effect of electricity and defines the magnetic force accordingly. He then shows that unlike electricity the net flux of the magnetic field is zero and expresses it in differential form ( maxwells third equation ). By now you should know he is going to talk about line integrals as with electricity and shows that this is proportional to the current enclosed by the path ( static version of maxwell equation )
   
   A nice digression on AC currents is explored and he then introduces induction as a prerequisite for modifying maxwells equations.
   
   He then shows that something is wrong with 2 of the equations above by showing that conservation of electric charge ( written in differential form ) leads to a contradiction in the above equations. He then shows how "adding" the term from the induction phenomena completes maxwells equations in a vacuum.
   
   A solution to maxwells equations is found resulting in the electromagnetic wave we hear so much about.
   
   The text concludes with chapters on electric and magnetic fields in matter.
   
   There is also a nice intro to special relativity.
   
   As with any text to gain understanding you must attempt a majority of the problems which range from very easy to interesting.
   
   A definite must for any physics buff.



4. Put it briefly, if you are picked with this as textbook, then you have no choice; otherwise you have plenty of choices, like some $10 Dover classics. For physical insight I particularly recommend Feynmann's lectures, though it's less systematic, more casual. This one is good, of course, easy going and cristal clear, but sucks a lot of money. A Webster's dictionary has more than ten times content, but sells for one-tenth of price, that makes about 100 times price difference for each individual word. Scary?



5. Purcell's is empirical throughout, with experiments that can be reproduced in the laboratory, not textbook fiction. Subtle aspects, as well as the conventional ones, are treated. The presentation is physical with enough mathematics to empower but not overwhelm.
   
   If one's goal is to have a physical understanding, without the detail of graduate-level mathematics, one need not proceed further than Purcell. The preface claims that the intended audience is not honors' students. It is, however, too deep for a freshman first exposure.

3 comments about Electromagnetics Problem Solver (Problem Solvers).

1. The text was sufficient to help on a fair amount of problems, I feel i got my money's worth by purchasing it. The varbiales are a bit archaic, if you are using Griffiths' Text for your class, but never the less this book covers about 50% of the problems in Griffiths, their method of pedagogy is at times slightly muddled, but you can track through it if you have some idea on what you are doing. Don't think of this book as your savior though, if you aren't doing well this won't push you over the edge.



2. This book looks like it is very comprehensive on the subject of electromagnetics and offers easy to follow solutions.



3. ...in engineering electromagnetics. I bought this just before the final, realizing that I was in big trouble and needed to study like crazy to do well in the course. I laid down forty bucks for it, hoping it would save me the $500 that it would cost to retake the course. And boy did it ever! I studied my brains out with this book. The book claims that it has all the questions that they can ask you on homework or exams. Well, on the final, there were six questions, and two of them were ones I had practiced in this book! I guess they weren't kidding...

5 comments about Angels Don't Play This haarp: Advances in Tesla Technology.

1. Got me started in the direction of Tesla. Didn't realize that Begich was so much of a Bush hater politically. Once detected political slant, I didn't trust further opinions.



2. Man's desire to be god will eventually lead him to the unltimate self-destruction and the demolition of the planet he inhabits. "Angels don't play this HAARP" is a book that must be read by every citizen who cares about the condition of this planet. It will help the reader learn about man's manipulation of mother earth, and the possibility of rendering this gift into ruin....



3. Using electromagnetic energies to control the weather, tamper with the capacity of the mind to think clearly, etc., is not science fiction. The great scientists, Albert Roy Davis and Walter C. Rawls, themselves world renowned experts in electromagnetics, wrote in their fourth book, "The Magnetic Blueprint of Life" (1979), that electromagnetic energies could be used to do exactly that. They stated in the book that the communications disruptions throughout the world in 1977 (1977 blackout?) were, they believe, due to experiments the Russians were doing, blasting enormous amounts of electromagnetic energy into the atmosphere, just like HAARP does. They also wrote that they believe that the upper strata atmospheric winds that control the weather have been changed (global warming?).
   
   In addition, Davis and Rawls stated that powerlines in the U.S. are above ground, unlike in Great Britain and other countries where they prefer to put them underground, and they will eventually cause a change in the protective ozone layer that surrounds the earth.
   
   We're still laughably told in the media and on TV programs that nuclear weapons are the most powerful weapons in the world. So in fifty years we haven't developed weapons that are more powerful? Consider how far computers, aircraft, communication systems, etc., have come in fifty years. All of that money spent on the military, and a fifty year old technology is still the best we have. Somehow I ain't buying it.
   
   The ultimate weapons of the 21st century are various forms of electromagnetic weapons. HAARP is one of them, and likely one of the most lethal.



4. HAARP stands for The High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program. The goal of this program is to further advance our knowledge of the physical and electrical properties of the Earth's ionosphere which can affect our military and civilian communication and navigation systems. The HAARP program began in 1990 and operates a world-class ionospheric research facility located in Gakona, Alaska. This book tends to focus on the darker, more sinister side of the project. There are claims that the US Navy is performing experiments that would shock, frighten, and possibly outrage the good people of Earth. There are, in fact, some compelling "facts" and arguments that WILL make you pause and think for a while.



5. HAARP is an innocuous research station designed only to help mankind. It's a radio transmitter probing the secrets of the ionosphere for our mutual benefit, right?--Wrong.
   
   Dr. Nick Begich teamed with Jeanne Manning to write Angels Don't Play This Haarp, the book that exposes the potential dangers (and there are many!) of the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Project in Alaska.
   
   Manning and Begich substantiate their theories and concerns with extensive research, documentation, interviews, and scientific facts. Some of the geopolitical and mega-corporate connections they have uncovered are as frightening as HAARP's possibly disastrous impact upon our planet and our lives.
   
   The military has invested heavily in HAARP. Why? Begich and Manning have supplied some very scary answers.
   
   HAARP's high-energy research system may very well have serious consequences for planet Earth. Its true purpose and actions must be revealed, and toward that end, Angels Don't Play This Haarp has fired a first and powerful salvo for "We, the People."

5 comments about Principles of Optics: Electromagnetic Theory of Propagation, Interference and Diffraction of Light (7th Edition).

1. This book is a classic with all problems associated. Half of the reference quoted have been written before the WWII. Very useful if you like to quote original papers. This book cover most topics of the classical optics but hardy cover modern topics.

   However, it is hard to read and use a weird notation. Certainly not useful for rapid referencing. Like the bible, use it only when you have serious problem to deal with.




2. It is just a rare book on physical optics based on Maxwell equations. Rarely a book states the assumptions,the validity of the equations, the principles and how the equations arrived. Certainly, it is a great book for postgraduates and researchers in physical optics not so for undergraduate students who don't want to go through all the mathematics.



3. I read this book in the late sixties, when some of my fellow engineers built and tested an acoustic lens for a developmental company. Born & Wolf were well-acquainted with antenna aperture theory, and were among the first to write that the human eye could resolve 5X better than aperture theory would predict. This they credited to involuntary eye movements called flicks and saccades, which when combined with the brain's ability to do signal processing, was able to produce much better resolution than would have been predicted by the diameter of the retinal rods. In many ways the book gives testimony to God's wonderful gift of vision with color, depth, clarity, and order.



4. 
   Amazing book. It's the bible of geometric optics. Have everything you might need.
   
   Needs a little previous knowledge, but which book doesn't?



5. Yes - all classical (linear) optical concepts are in here, and yes, it's the 'bible', but it's very dated in its content, style and references, generally, and not very practical to use.
   
   I wish Hecht - or someone like him - would re-write this classic as a more advanced version of his book.

5 comments about Empires of Light: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World.

1. This book is so good they could make it into a movie. I've worked for an electrical power utility for over 38 years and I'm a history buff so this was a double pleasure for me. Jill Jonnes gives us a fascinating look at the origins of electrical power in the U.S.
   
   There is something here for everyone: the macabre account of the first execution by electrocution, and the equally gut-wrenching story of the lineman in New York who died a horrible death dangling from high-voltage wires forty feet above the pavement. His body burned and spewed blood while the frightened onlookers could do nothing to save him. Then there is the inspiring story of Edison, Westinghouse and Tesla, the three who get the most credit for advancing and solidifying electrical power as a viable business in the U.S. Whether they were "geniuses" or not is a matter of your own perspective. They were certainly workaholics who had extraordinary intelligence and vision about what could be done with new technology. (Edison once worked five days straight while inventing the phonograph.)
   
   There was a great battle between alternating and direct current. Edison stubbornly fought AC all the way. He felt it was unsafe for use by the general public because of the danger of lethal electric shock. He bragged that with his DC system, anyone would survive accidental contact, although the proponents of AC led by Westinghouse countered with the fact that Edison's DC system had caused many fires, both in customers' houses and in the central generating plants. The author points out that Edison may have had another reason, his own pride. Anyone in the business at that time could see the obvious advantage of AC over DC. DC was limited to about a one-mile radius of the generator, where AC could be transmitted several miles by stepping voltage up or down as needed with Westinghouse's new transformers. And once Tesla's AC two-phase motor was developed for commercial use, Edison's DC system was doomed.
   
   Tesla turned into a sort of benevolent mad scientist after the Niagara project--Dr. Frankenstein with his gigantic Tesla coils, shooting lightning into the atmosphere. At one point his lab pulled so much power he caused the Colorado Springs powerhouse to trip off line, throwing the entire area into a blackout. Tesla's visionary dream, apparently, was to develop a means of transmitting power wirelessly. All humanity could tap into the standing wave generated by the Tesla coils, or whatever, and thereby receive free electricity. Tesla naturally needed huge financial support for this and he turned to J.P. Morgan who had financed the Niagara project and many other large ventures. But Morgan had seen too many of Tesla's projects come to naught, so he declined to back any more of them. Among Tesla's many experiments were the fluorescent light and the radio transmitter-receiver, the later being carried forward by Marconi who may have purloined some of Tesla's patents.
   
   Two great projects did the most to advance electric power: the 1893 Columbia Exposition in Chicago, and the Niagara Falls hydro-generator plant. Tesla and Westinghouse were the brains and brawn behind the Niagara project completed in 1895, and it was Westinghouse who got the contract to light up the Chicago World's Fair. In 1893 only the wealthiest Americans could enjoy the advantages of electric light. The fair, known as the White City, showed all Americans the marvels of electrical light and appliances.
   
   The advent of electrical power in the U.S. was a struggle of hard-driven men plowing new ground against constant financial and legal setbacks, the intrigues and subterfuge of their competitors, and the race forward with a technology that was only barely understood at the time. But once it took hold it spread like wildfire as almost everyone, rich or poor, wanted to convert to electric. Indeed, the success of America in WW II, the great arsenal of democracy, was due in large part to the fact that by 1940 cheap electrical power was available in every part of the country, even the desert of New Mexico.



2. This was a great piece of narrative non-fiction - great for anyone who loves nerdy stuff or Wall Street - either story (both well told) are fascinating -



3. This book explained a lot to me. I selected over AC/DC based upon the reviews. I wasn't disappointed. Buy it, reading it, enjoy it.



4. Its fascinating to imagine the world as electricity was coming into its own. And then there's the reality.
   
   This book offers a perspective rarely seen of someone we consider a major American icon, and two others we all know were important but, unfortunately, often can't remember why.
   
   Living in Pittsburgh, I of course know the legend of George Westinghouse -- but most of my knowledge is of the more recent divestiture of his amazing company after years of mismanagement. I have to say I was pleased to find that while he was a Gilded Age industrialist -- perhaps with many of the characteristics that label implies -- his goals and intentions for his products, as well as his sportsmanly handling in many ways of Edison's ridiculous and often atrocious behavior, were quite noble.
   
   I was shocked to learn more about Edison -- our most celebrated inventor -- particularly his tunnel vision and ruthlessness in preserving his self-decided reign over a technology that had more to offer society than any one man could take credit for. Condoning Brown's dog experiements with AC was sick enough -- to hear that he promoted the development of the electric chair simply to get a leg up on his competition (Westinghouse)was truly sad.
   
   As a publicist, I find Jonnes descriptions of information, disinformation and yellow journalism paint a picture of Gilded Age America steeped in lessons we should have learned long ago about news, business and the legends of American icons.
   
   Well worth the read for anyone who loves to find those places where history repeats itself over and over again.



5. Empire of Lights is the story of the quest to conquer the American Electric Industry. Thomas Edison, Nicholas Tesla, George Westinghouse are all giants in their own right with great accomplishments and life stories to fill up many books. It should be no surprise that when
   they come together, they end up altering the way humans live. Edison the experimenter, who invents stuff by relentlessly tring out many things vs Tesla the theoretician with visionary dreams; Edison the all-controlling boss who loves the spotlight vs George Westinghouse a generous boss under whom Tesla flourished. Students of Electrical Engineering with poor grades can feel a little better ; even the great Edison failed to understand the significance and utility of the AC distribution system championed by
   George Westinghouse and Tesla. This book may infact enhance the understanding of modern day students by providing perspective on the drawbacks of the DC system and benefits/challenges in implementing an AC system. In a way, the war of the electric currents is similar to the arguments between the coal and nuclear industry of today. The AC current was portrayed as a deadly form of electricity totally unsafe for human use. The Electric industry of late 19th century was lucky that it didnt have to suffer major liability lawsuits for fatal injuries. It will be interesting to see if the Nuclear Industry can overcome the fear in the minds of the people.