5 comments about Electric Universe: How Electricity Switched on the Modern World.

1. This book, a popular account of a number of things that relate to electricity and electronics, reads very well and I found it to be one of those gripping books that one wants to finish.
   
   The author makes a few claims that I have never seen before, such as one that Morse, in inventing the telegraph, stole most of his ideas from Joseph Henry, and I'd be curious to see how much of this is generally accepted. But if so, it would certainly appear that Samuel Morse was overrated by history. The book covers both Morse and Henry, and also such well-known inventors as Edison and Alexander Graham Bell, often showing sides of them that we don't see elsewhere. The book devotes a large amount of space to Alan Turing, who is obviously highly regarded by the author. It also covers much of the scientific side of the story, even giving a glimpse of quantum mechanics (the scientific theory which underlies much of modern electronics).
   
   That being said, this is a _popular_ book. It does not attempt to present all the mathematics of Maxwell's electromagnetic theory or quantum mechamics, but simply describes them in terms that a non-physicist can comprehend, and I think it is successful at that level. If you don't expect of it something that clearly was not intended by the author, but want a well-written book on the historical aspects of electric and electronic devices, you will be well-served by this book.
   
   A very extensive bibliography, not just listing the books but explaining what you will find in each one cited, ends the text of this book.



2. Purchased this book after seeing that it won the 2006 Aventis General Prize for popular science writing. While the book is a quick and interesting read, I found that it ultimately left me wanting more... much more. The book certainly manages to hit many of the high points in the history of electricity and electronics. Unfortunately, it fails to provide much detail about any single person or idea. The book does include an extensive "Guide to Further Reading" and numerous notes for those who like more details. Annoyingly, the notes aren't referenced in the main text so you're forced to read in parallel through the main portion of the book as well as the "Notes" chapter if you want the full story.
   
   In the end, I suppose my own expectations got the better of me: I was hoping for an in-depth history of electricity, perhaps along the lines of Richard Rhodes Pulitzer Prize-winning "The Making of the Atomic Bomb", rather than a entertaining afternoon read...



3. "ELECTRIC UNIVERSE: How Electricity Switched On The Modern World" by David Bodanis
   
   
   WINNER of the 2006 Aventis General Prize for popular science writing.
   
   David Bodanis is one of those rare authors who laboriously researches private diaries and letters to get ..."the rest of the story." This Tour De Force contains a wealth of background of related research.
   
   Bodanis traces the lineage of profound minds which powered the unlocking of the atom and our grasp of electromagnetism. The lineage of Michael Faraday, Joseph Henry, William Thomson (Lord Kelvin), James Clerk Maxwell, Alexander Graham Bell, Heinrich Hertz, etc....
   
   Two of the books highlights are the illuminations of Joseph Henry (working with magnets in America) and William Thomson (working with the Atlantic telegraph table). Thomson and James Clerk Maxwell were key figures in the expansion of our understanding of magnetism and electricity.
   
   In a style that is reminiscent of James Burke's "CONNECTIONS" Bodanis shows the process of theoretical cross-fertilization over a period of decades, revealing that with progressive changes in our view of the Electron , a new foundation is established for the release of fresh tecnology. From the late Victorian era view of the Electron as a hard little ball, to Faraday's & Hertz's vision of the Electron as a part of a force field, leading eventually to the idea that
   the Electron can pop through space in an abrupt teleporting jump known as a Quantum, Bodanis shows how far our grasp has come, and tells this story in such a compelling manner that "Electric Universe" is hard to put down, once picked up.
   
   There can be difficulties with this kind of literature. Either the author is droll, and the reader becomes bogged down with a single particular theory or abstraction and the resulting confusion causes revulsion; but Bodanis is not that kind of science writer. He makes the excitment of reading about science, contagious. I had no trouble at all following every single idea, and Bodanis has an infectious humor. Sometimes his phraseology is absolutely hilarious!



4. Bodanis's prior book "E=mc squared" was a more informative and entertaining read than Electric Universe. Electric Universe was a bit too dumbed-down technically in its attempts to be accessible. More detail could have been paid to Maxwell and his wave equations, and ignoring Nikola Tesla's contributions to electromagnetics is a glaring ommission. Bodanis does present though some interesting observations and anecdotes on the personalities and politics of science; scientists may claim the moral high ground with their vetting of each other when they compare themselves to the non-scientific community, but really great scientitsts are often no better than the rest of us, all's fair in love, war, and scientific endeavor.



5. My 14 year old son had to read this for school. In his words, it took what he thought was going to be a dull subject and made it interesting with all the stories and examples. He actually enjoyed it.

5 comments about Magnetic Current.

1. First of fall, the reader needs patience to take on this book. I say
   'book', but it is really a pamphlet, and somewhat overpriced. The author asks the reader to do certain experiments with various types of magnets which, frankly speaking, are impossible for most people to even consider attempting. However, contained within these paragraphs are real gems, clues to how the author was able to transport 30 ton megalithic blocks. Sixty years have passed, and scientists are still in the dark as to how he did it, and nobody has been able to repeat the feat since. Clearly, he knew something they do not. He was never awarded the Nobel Prize...but then again, he probably assumed that he would be killed before he could ever reveal his secrets. He was a refugee from Eastern Europe.



2. This is short book with some experiments author did with wires and horseshoe magnet. Basic idea is that electron and proton doesn't exists and that also North and South poles of magnet doesn't exists, but positive and negative magnet units which create electric current and
   also magnetic field where they are coupled together. He also claims that in closed hourseshoe magnet (like torus) magnetic field can circulate forever which is a kind of perpetum mobile. Ideas are initerested but book is written so that you have to keep your concentration high in order to grasp his ideas.



3. This book is a bit hard to follow. However, Ed certainly knew a thing or two about magnetism. I've been to Coral Castle and seen part of the generator he built. I brought a magnetometer with me and checked the generator. It still has a substantial magnetic field coming from the magnets. You have to have some knowledge of magnetism and electricity to build your own generator, and from what I understand there were other items that Ed used that were stolen many years ago under strange circumstances, so what is displayed at the Castle now is only part of the story, not the whole story. Ed was incorrect about a few things though.
   
   If I recall correctly, Ed says that "between the poles there is a semi-neutral part where there is not much going in or out", referring to the direction that the magnetic fields flow around a magnet. He was almost right. At the direct center of a magnet (between the two poles) there is no magnetic field at all, and it's called the Bloch Wall. Ed also says that "on the earth there is no place where the magnets are not going in or out". He's a little off there too. A law is a law no matter where in the universe you happen to be. The Bloch Wall is present wherever magnetism exists, even in an atom.
   
   The North pole magnetic energy doesn't exit the North pole of a magnet (or earth) and circle around to the South pole and nor is it the reverse. When magnetism exits a magnetic pole it re-enters the magnet at the Bloch Wall, reverses its polarity, and then circles around to the opposite pole. Both poles are doing this simultaneously.
   
   Ed's work is very intersting and still a mystery, but if you want to learn about magnetism you should read all of the books by Albert Roy Davis and Walter C. Rawls. That's where I discovered the information I've written here. I promise you there is no better source to learn about magnetism. Of the books written by Davis and Rawls, the most technical ones are "Magnetism and Its Effects on the Living System", and "The Magnetic Blueprint of Life". After reading their books I'm sure you'll agree that their discoveries are nothing short of incredible. They're right up there with Tesla's!



4. You can save your money by hunting down Leedskalnin's "book" on the Web, but you can save your time by not reading it altogether. I have never seen such a collection of jumbled nonsense and purely empirical reasoning. As a prominent example of his empirical reasoning, he concludes that magnetic 'particles' are smaller than light 'particles' because magnetic force 'passes through' various photo-opaque media. Come to think of it, let's put 'reasoning' in quotes to reflect Leedskalnin's inconsistent employment of logic here, illogic there.
   
   Whether or not Leedskalnin's "Coral Castle" reflects his application of some secret principles or forgotten paranormal abilities or such, you won't advance your understanding thereof by reading this crock. Save the author the posthumous embarrassment by steering clear of his rambling, poorly argued nonsense that is scarcely worthy of a curious but well-intentioned seven-year-old.
   
   I assigned two stars, rather than one, solely for the book's comedic value. That, and the Web version (at least, the first 'hit' in my Google results) exhibited lovely, uniform typography.



5. This book is full of experiments. The only way to make this book better would be if it came will all the Magnets need and the iron filling.

3 comments about Satellite Communications, Fourth Edition (Professional Engineering).

1. For the undergraduate or graduate student in engineering, this is a very understandable text on the basic principles of using satellites to communicate. Many topics in the field are covered. Like a comprehensive listing of existing geostationary satellites, and their orbital assignments.
   
   For those of you who need a revision of Keplerian mechanics, Roddy supplies Chapter 2. Or if you need a quick cram on the propagation of radio waves, there is Chapter 4. And there is the all-important subject of antenna design. Whether this be for an antenna on the satellite or here on Earth.
   
   Given that communications are of interest, various analog and digital encoding schemes are bruited. By now very well understood. Which leads into a discussion of signal and noise interference on a channel.
   
   For all of the topics, like antenna design, or communications theory, there are certainly more indepth books. But the breadth here is a key utility of this book.



2. I expected the 2006 fourth edition to be more up to date with today's IP satellite technology. While the networking chapter discusses IP, it is in the contex of ATM and TDM technology with little or no information on current IP topologies and satellite Internet IP services like Hughes and BGAN among others. Additionally, there is no mention of current DVB-S or S2 technology which is widely deployed today. Roddy fails to make note of the broadcasting migration to IP with most of the broadcasting information somewhat dated.



3. This is an excellent introduction to the field that's pitched at the undergraduate engineering level. It's clearly and concisely written and the writing overall is much better than what I'm used to finding for most engineering texts. It uses almost no calculus, actually, but there's a fair amount of trigonometry, which shouldn't be a problem for most people who will be reading this book. Its strength is in the breadth of coverage; some of the topics, such as entire antenna design, or digital signal theory, are huge areas just by themselves that you will need other books for if you need more depth there. By the way, the Schaum's Outline on Digital Signal Processing is outstanding if you're looking to get a leg up there. It's more concise, better written, and explains concepts better than the vast majority of the texts out there.
   
   It's also important to know the basics about radio and wireless communication before reading this book, otherwise it will just be too difficult. So you should already know something about subjects such as analog and digital signals, amplitude and frequency modulation, basic filter concepts such as low and high pass filters, amplifiers, coders and decoders, frequency detectors, antenna principles, and so on, before reading this book. There's also a fair amount of microwave information in the book, but this is easier to pick up if you already have some idea about wireless radio communication.
   
   I agree with the other writer that one weakness of the book is it lacks coverage of the more recent developments such as current IP topologie, satellite Internet IP services like Hughes and BGAN, or discussion of current DVB-S or S2 technology, digital satellite services that are used all over the world now since 1995. However, I don't fault the book too much for that as things change so quickly now i this field that books on communications are partly outdated by the time they're published. But overall it's a very good introductory text and one that I learned a lot from. By the way, in recent weeks I've discovered that Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, has hundreds of articles on satellite and other communications topics, including some of the ones that aren't discussed here such as DVB-S and DVB-S2, and you can use that site to bone up on them a bit.

5 comments about Engineering Electromagnetics with CD (McGraw-Hill Series in Electrical Engineering).

1. I find this to be a very interesting course, but it is made quite difficult by a single small problem: It is very hard to get an understanding of a field which is built upon a solid foundation of mathematics when the book you're using skips over this most crucial aspect.
   
   It is great that I have answers to the odd problems and the in section examples, but with no work to guide me I am left frustrated and exhausted. Combined with 4 other classes, this leads to a tough time trying to figure out even simple concepts.
   
   Find a better book unless you already have a thorough understanding of this material, you will NOT regret it.



2. This is the worst textbook I have ever used is any class. The coverage of the topic is unclear and the practice questions are poorly worded. I can only hope that my school will find another text for teaching this subject.



3. Received the book in the promised time. Will buy from this seller again.



4. well just take my word . if u plan is to hate E&M field and T lines ,this book will do the job . i suffer for 2 semester with this book , not just me but at least a dozen of students with me and i m glade its over and done with .
   i don t want to scare u but field theory and transmission lines are not that easy and with such a text book the semester will be very long for u



5. I ordered this book believing like many that I am getting a brand new book, shrink-wrapped and all. I WAS WRONG! I opened the box and there was no shrink wrap, the front and back covers had wear, scratches, and nicks. If I pay full price for a new book, I want a NEW book. (Opinion may change if the second, free order is in better condition). Also spent over 30 minutes trying to contact amazon on the phone before I could get someone that spoke any form of english I understood or someone that didnt ask me to repeat myself 5 times, took 3 tries. STOP THE OUTSOURCING!!!

5 comments about Semiconductor Physics And Devices.

1. I had the misfortune of using his Electronic Circuit Analysis book my sophomore year. I'm impressed - he's actually managed to write a book that is more worthless! The examples are poor and few and definitions of symbols and constants was almost nonexistent. Get yourself some note cards or you're going to lose hours of your life flipping through this waste of paper.



2. This is used for an upper division intro to semi's class at the Univ of MN-Duluth
   This book is at best a poor text, but more likely it would be better with a reference book that actually went over the material, and used this as an overview.
   I like what other students say about the answers in the back, "If you get that answer, you know your wrong."
   Either the author doesn't really want the student to know how to do the material inside, wants an instructor to figure it out and teach it, or just doesn't care.
   A poor purchase at 10% of the price.



3. Worst book I have come across in my college career. My only D EVER is from a professor that tried to follow this book. Many of his printed solutions to the problems in this book are vague with "Trial and Error" that yield no reasoning to how the problems should be solved.
   
   It would take an excellent professor to make sense of Donald Neamen's, incomplete at best, work. If you don't want to take the word of the many posts of dislike for this book please feel free to read portions for yourself. And please try the wonderful incomplete problems (4 unknowns with 2 equations for example on Problem 4.4).



4. Assuming you have already read the previous (rather low) reviews on here, my own review may seem like overkill, but I feel that I must express just how bad Neamen's book is at explaining the material.
   
   Most other reviewers have already covered the important points, so I'll just develop on two that I find particularly unsettling (after wasting several hours trying to see how the author arrived at the solution for ONE problem in his book): How is anyone supposed to figure out the many assumptions this guy makes when he makes no mention of them anywhere else? Also, how is anyone supposed to know what equations to use in what problems?
   
   So far I've found that all the answers in the back of the book have been correct, however the problem is that the reader has to first figure out what equation(s) to use, which is why I'd imagine that many readers believe the answers to be incorrect. In terms of what the author explains, there are (presumably) several ways of obtaining the same answer, but for some reason this is not the case, given that your answer will often be different depending on what equation you use. Assuming the author is even correct in using the formulas he uses, he offers no explanation as to why one equation should be used in one situation but not in another.
   
   Also, this book makes entirely too many assumptions and offers no explanation as to where they come from. Case in point: Problem 1 of Chapter 5 asks the reader to determine the drift current density in a semiconductor material under a certain set of conditions. Well, this is all fine and dandy, except for the fact that the author provides an in-book example IDENTICAL to the problem in which the answer is DIFFERENT. So why do the example and problem answers differ? Because Neamen (in the problem)apparently arbitrarily assumed a different value for electron mobility in said semiconductor material, yet he did not not explain why this different value was assumed in the first place, nor did he offer any clear explanation as to how to determine the supposedly correct electron mobility.
   
   In summary, this book would be somewhat decent if the author spent more time explaining the material more clearly. As it stands, there are simply too many assumptions made and too few explanations for them, making this book a very poor source of information.



5. I own five different books on semiconductor physics and this text is by far the best. I've also references a sixth book.
   
   I understand the other reviewers complaints but I think this is a weakness of all semiconductor books or proof of just how complicated device physics can get.
   
   It helps to have an instructor step you through a lot of the derivations to make you understand the equations.
   
   I like this book because it explains concepts very well. Making use of the equations and knowing when to make assumptions just comes with practice.
   
   I've found a few mistakes but far fewer than some of the other books I've seen.
   
   My advice to students studying semiconductors is to go to the library and get as many books as you can.

5 comments about Prodigal Genius: The Life of Nikola Tesla.

1. Here is a story of a man born in the glorious womb of science, a man who so completely understood the laws of nature and the scientific method that he commanded total dominion over the physical universe.

   Once you read this book you will find it difficult to name an aspect of modern life that hasn't been affected by the hand of Nikola Tesla.

   Some of Tesla's ideas were so far ahead of his time that to the people of his day, they were considered impossible; his vision of the world of the future was mocked and laughed at even by other scientists. Over time scepticism about the possibilities of science and technology has waned. Unfortunately for us the world was not yet ready for Tesla, this man out of time, and he died with his greatest achievments alive only in his mind.




2. This book tells the fascinating story of an amazing Serbian boy, Nikola Tesla, who was born in 1856, in the area we now call Bosnia. The author explains how Tesla's accomplishments brought forth our modern electrical power era and provide the foundation for the industrial system on which the entire world is built.
   
   Tesla's mother could repeat, without error or omission, thousands of verses of the national poetry of her country. Tesla shared her retentive memory. He had another ability that he only revealed to his mother. If Tesla thought of an object, it would appear before him exhibiting the appearance of solidity and massiveness. He used this ability to visualize the solution to creating the first alternating current generator.
   
   The first time Tesla's ability to visualize helped him in his quest to develop an alternating current generator, occurred when he suggested to a college professor that alternating current would solve some of the problems with a piece of electrical equipment that could be used either to generate electricity or if supplied energy could operate as a motor. As his professor demonstrated the machine, the solution to the problem came to Tesla in such a vivid, illuminating flash of understanding that he knew his visualization contained the correct and practical answer. He saw both the equipment operating without the problems and doing so efficiently, however, he could not see the essential details of how this could be accomplished.
   
   In Feb of 1882, Tesla took a walk in the city of Budapest with a former classmate. While a glorious sunset overspread the sky, Tesla engaged in one of his favorite hobbies-reciting poetry. The setting sun reminded Tesla of some of Goethe's beautiful lines:
   
   The glow retreats, done is the day of toil;
   It yonder hastes, new fields of life exploring;
   Ah, that no wing can lift me from the soil,
   Upon its track to follow, follow soaring...
   
   Suddenly, Tesla snapped into a rigid pose as if he had fallen into a trance. "Watch me!" he said, "Watch me reverse it!"
   
   Tesla's friend said, "I see nothing, are you ill?"
   
   "You do not understand," said Tesla, "It is my alternating-current motor I am talking about. Can't you see it right here in front of me, running almost silently? It is the rotating magnetic field that does it. See how the magnetic field rotates and drags the armature around with it? Isn't it beautiful? I have solved the problem."
   
   Tesla now had an electrical system utilizing alternating current, which was much more flexible and vastly more efficient than the direct-current system then being used. But now Tesla had another problem, convincing the rest of the world that his alternating-current power system was simpler, flexible and freed electricity to be sent long distances. The direct-current systems being used at that time were not able to send electricity long distances without major problems. The fact that our power system today uses alternating-current shows that Tesla was finally successful. The book, Prodigal Genius, provides all the fascinating details of this story



3. Once I got by the romantic flair of the first pages, I really enjoyed O'Neill's biography of Tesla. The subject of Tesla's life is certainly fascinating. He was a true visionary and a man well before his time.
   
   Minus one star for the romance (Is this typical of biographies of the era? I don't know.), for some circular logic (punishing Marconi for not seeing the potential of wireless transmission but lauding Tesla generating the first X-rays even though he did not grasp their potential).
   
   Over all, an informative and enjoyable read.
   
   P.S. I recommend Googling up Tesla's patents while progressing through the book.



4. Tesla was not prodigal by any definition of the term. He was a genius-fool with severe neurological problems. Omitting the real Tesla makes any biography of less worth than it could be.



5. Prodigal Genius: The Life of Nikola Tesla is the amazing true-life biography of inventor extraordinaire Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), a friend of Mark Twain and George Westinghouse, and a rival of Thomas Edison. Tesla invented the AC electrical current; his talent for inventions and scientific advancement was enhanced by his ability to visualize three-dimensional images of his inventions, saving money and effort on prototype constructions. Though his prodigal talents brought him great wealth and recognition - he made his first million before he turned forty - he refused to accept the Nobel Prize, chose to give away his royalties as a token of friendship, and died nearly penniless. His dream was to provide the world with sources of energy and wonders of technology that were free to enrich the lives of all, rather than fuel the profit margin of corporate sponsors. Yet for his selfless ideals, he received derision and disdain. Written by John J. O'Neill, a personal friend of Tesla's, and originally published in 1944, Prodigal Genius remains the seminal biography of a staunchly ethical man of science, who deserves far more honor than history has given him.

5 comments about Introduction to Digital Systems.

1. This book is very "bare" when and it doesn't offer enought examples. This book is difficult to understand and takes deciphering the material takes many tedious hours. Therefore, I would like to conclude by saying this is absolutly the worst text book that was ever written.



2. I began learning about hardware design with this book. Now I use it for reference.

   But for beginners, this is not a very good book. Although hardware design is somewhat difficult to explain, the book does not analyze subjects in detail or how circuits work. When it does try to explain topics, it does not do so clearly and provides few examples. Unless you have outside help (such as a teacher, professor, teaching assistant, etc.), I would definitely recommend finding another book to learn about hardware design because you will struggle while trying to figure out how things work (if you are a novice).




3. I used this book for an introductory logic design class. I was able to learn from it, but it was difficult. The teacher didn't even use it much. The book was not well written and hard to understand. I recommend learning from another book.



4. This book is absolutely horrible. The Professor who teaches this class with this book HE WROTE, is utterly dispicible because of his teaching ability. This professor, at UC Irvine does not know the one bit in teaching a COMPLICATED subject like Digital Systems to a class who has had little to no experiece with this type of work. I hope this book is revoked for any reason, and hope that professor reads this review in order to gain some knowledge about the way he is teaching a class of Engineers in an era where knowledge is not automatically achieved, rather taught by knowledgable instructors.



5. This book was assigned for my undergrad intro digital logic class. It is probably the worst possible introduction to the subject. The material is only mildly to moderately difficult in practice, but the authors managed to make it convoluted. If you are unfortunate enough to have this book assigned, I suggest that you purchase another textbook on the subject, and just get the homework problems from your classmates or from the reserve copy at the library.

5 comments about Principles of Electrodynamics.

1. C'est de loin l'exposé le plus clair sur le sujet à ma connaissance. Quant au rapport qualité/prix, on voisine l'infini



2. This book is the best introduction to advanced electromagnetic theory I have ever encountered. The author does a masterly job at simplifying the mathematics without over-simplifying the physics. If you're looking to gain a deep understanding of electromagnetics and its relation to the theory of relativity, this book is for you!



3. Bref, c'est tres bien sauf que beaucoup d'erreur se sont glisses dans le livre. C'est le probleme principal de ce livre est que l'audience est tres restreinte aux eleves de secondes. J'en appelle donc au serieux de l'auteur pour se relire quand meme.

   Il est ecrit que Integrale infinie de la derivee est egale a la fonction identite, non c'est faux. la constante a disparu. Beaucoup d'autres erreurs similaires sont surprenantes.




4. This book is somewhat famous for its heuristic derivation of the full Maxwell's equations using Lorentz invariance, but every topic is covered in an exceptionally lucid manner, on a par with Feynman at his best. The book is also a neccessary antidote for the excessive detail and overgeneralization of Jackson.



5. Principles of Electrodynamics by Melvin Schwartz is a very well written, very didactic book. The principles of Electrodynamics are clearly shown and the author explanations and demonstrations are rigurous but easy to understand. The book is a very good reference for certain topics of Electrodynamics not so well covered in other text books.

4 comments about The ULTIMATE Tesla Coil Design and Construction Guide.

1. This book does live up to it's name in that it breaks down the minute details of Tesla coil design to dozens and dozens of formulas.
   
   For an engineer that wants to make exacting calculations for his/her first Tesla coil this book has all the mathematical legwork done for you.
   
   For the hobbyist interested in making Tesla coils without requiring an engineering degree this book is of very limited value and will be a disappointing purchase.
   
   This is not a book with instructions or plans for building Tesla coils but rather a reference for those that wish to use exact calculations for every aspect of their coil design.
   
   Unless you have a fairly solid background in the mathematics of electromagnetic theory, and you want to use formulas without having to do the brainwork yourself, I recommend purchasing other books.



2. If all you want to do is "make a Tesla coil and watch the pretty sparks" then I agree this book may be over your head, and yes to truly understand all that is in this book you will need a good electronics background. Having said that then the only other thing that can be said about this book is that it is without question the most comprehensive treatise ever written thus far regarding the theories and disciplines of Nikola Tesla. The electrical principles that Tesla was working on are still to this day not totally understood. From all that is in this book, it may be that the author, Mr. Tilbury, understands and knows more about Tesla's theories than anyone else there is. If you too would like to truly understand Tesla's theories, then this book is for you. This book would also be very useful as a supplement to electrical engineering courses in helping the student understand practical applications and how to perform SPICE analysis, one of the staples of everyday electrical engineering.



3. This book is only for those with a high degree of knowledge of engineering. This is not written for the hobbyist or the general public. I think the place for this book is in the library of the Engineering Department of universities. I plan on donating my copy. But I can't help thinking that Tesla himself would be pleased with the rigorous science with which it is written.



4. This is an extremely detailed treatment of the theory and the practical design considerations of building Tesla coils, primarily those based on spark gaps. There is scarcely mention made of vacuum tube or solid-state based coils, but the author seems to have chosen to cover the basics exhaustively rather than try to reach into every corner of present-day Tesla coil design.
   
   Others have protested the book's math-intensive nature, but some things (the Manhattan Project, the Apollo program, etc) just can't be done--correctly--without heavy mathematics, and this is one of them. I did find the book's CONSTANT references back to the author's (freely available) Excel spreadsheets a bit distracting. (It's hard enough to try and absorb the physical principles involved without constantly having to read around cell addresses.)
   
   All in all, though, this is THE best summary of the principles of Tesla Coil design and operation I have found.

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.