Posted in Engineering (Friday, September 5, 2008)
Written by Thomas L. Floyd. By Prentice Hall.
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2 comments about Digital Fundamentals with VHDL.
- Very easy to read and a good introduction to digital logic circuits. Too many books on VHDL try to teach the hardware design language assuming the reader knows how each of the logic circuits are modelled or the books skimp over timing issues. This book takes the time to show you how logic circuits operate, how timing works and then gives you the VHDL scripts to model the circuit. Though not particularly advanced with the projects that are presented in the book, I do like the emphasis on timing and troubleshooting circuits. Definately not a reference for the intermediate or advanced digital designer, but a good book to get you started thinking about how VHDL relates design process. The book loses a star for its overly simplistic coverage of CMOS and DSP technology. Get another book for that.
- this is one of the terible book that i ever have in my life. This book i would say it is belong to digital terminology rather.
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Posted in Engineering (Friday, September 5, 2008)
Written by Jennifer Niederst. By O'Reilly Media, Inc..
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5 comments about Web Design in a Nutshell.
- I read a lot of reviews. I have still 1 edition of this book from 2001 year.
And there was information how design stuff works for IE and Netscape.
But IE is sucks and Netscape is also and in all reviews of this book i saw only mention of IE.
Is there any information 'bout difference in how pages look in IE and Mozzila FireFox?
- I really enjoy this book. I used it to learn Cacading Style Sheets. A few years ago I had been part of a team to develop a web application where I used the "old" way of constructing a web page - with the tags, etc. I used this book to learn to separate page content from formatting using CSS. I find that it is a good reference book to have on my desk.
- Web Design in a Nutshell is not merely an updated edition of the previous book (2001) of the same title. Extremely quick substantial changes in the web design systems over these past few years simply wouldn't allow for such an update. Instead, the author has composed this book from the ground up to address the issues and concerns of web designers in 2006. This reference covers all the basics of web design how tos from basics like choosing text elements and creating links through more challenging topics such as optimization of graphics and using flash on web pages. However, the portion of the book that I found most useful was the sections on designing sites for a variety of different browsers and increasing accessibility on your website. Together, these aspects create an easy to understand guide for those individuals wanting an introduction to web design or as very solid reference material for current web designers.
- I got this from the library to see how I liked it, and then ordered it. If you do websites and are overwhelmed by all the myriad details, and needing a quick clarification or reminder, you might want to add this to your library.
- This comprehensive reference book covers every topic a web designer could need in 36 chapters. Numerous code examples and figures showing the end result make it easy to find and understand. As with so many of the website reference books published by O'Reilly Media, Inc., this book is an excellent addition to a web designer's library.
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Posted in Engineering (Friday, September 5, 2008)
Written by Charles E. Dole and James E. Lewis. By Wiley-Interscience.
The regular list price is $120.00.
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3 comments about Flight Theory and Aerodynamics: A Practical Guide for Operational Safety, 2nd Edition.
- In short, this new volume is an excellent introduction to the aerodynamics of aircraft. This book could well serve as an introductory text for those entering the study aeronautical engineering student, engineers, pilots, publics. The author explains the subject of aerodynamics in concise languages. So very easy to read. It will not only help you fly more safely and get more performance out of your aircraft, but also increase the aerodynamic knowledge greatly and easily. This book well illustrated and nicely developed the physical phenomena with good photo, drawings, and understandable curves. If you're interested in understanding the principles of aerodynamics and aircraft design, this outstanding source book is the place to turn! Whether you're a pilot, technician, flight student, or kitbuilder, a knowledge of basic aerodynamics is essentials. The new material covers all the important topics needed for the complete understanding of aircraft flight dynamics. These topics included the basic concepts for the mechanics and aerodynamics, aircraft performance, low and high speed flight, takeoff and landing performance, maneuvers, stability and control. In addition, this book includes a convenient question-and answer helpful for anyone studing aeronautical engineering. "Flight theory and aerodynamics-2nd edition", you'll have all the information you need to fully comprehend this complex, yet fascinating, scinece!
- This text offers an algegraic approach to basic aerodynamics, air craft performance, plus limited coverage of helicopters. The chapters are now managebable for use in a college level introductory aerodynamics course primarily geared toward flight students, in any of the new emerging college curriculum. The book's organization has improved significantly over the first edition. The text is easy to read with good practical examples but there is a level of sophistication above most of the other aerodynamics texts geared for pilots. Practicing aviation professionals will also gain from use of this text. In short, I would say that the book is ideal for college level aviation programs and practicing aviation professionals.
- I purchased this book for a college course at Embry Riddle. I was so disappointed at the quality of the book. It is very poorly written and gives very few examples. Aerodynamics for the Navel aviator is a much better book. AVOID THIS PIECE OF JUNK!
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Posted in Engineering (Friday, September 5, 2008)
Written by Wayne Johnson. By Dover Publications.
The regular list price is $34.95.
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5 comments about Helicopter Theory.
- I picked up this book with the intent of getting some ideas for physics demonstrations that illustrate the physics of helicopter flight. Also, I was curious as to why helicopters are not made that are three, four, or perhaps ten times the size that they are now, and if chaotic dynamics could be present in helicopters. Over a thousand pages long, this book gave me what I needed and much more. Written for design and mechanical engineers who are involved in helicopter manufacturing, the book could be read profitably by anyone who is curious about the physical principles behind helicopters.
In the introduction to the book, the author defines a helicopter as an aircraft that uses rotating wings to provide lift, propulsion, and control. He then discusses briefly the basic physical principles that a helicopter needs in order to sustain vertical lift, as well as to move translationally. The design engineer must then weigh the factors that enable the helicopter to move against the maintenance and human factors involved in the use of the helicopter for transportation. The rest of the book is then an extremely detailed and fascinating account of the engineering analysis that goes into the design of a succesful helicopter. The author also overviews the history behind the helicopter, beginning with the Chinese rotor, circa 400 B.C. and with the first succesful flight with one passenger, and one meter above the ground, for about one minute, by Breguet-Richet of France in 1907. The author remarks that helicopter engineering currently emphasizes research and development than with invention. This is especially true in the military environment, with the Apache helicopter being a superb example of just how sophisticated a helicopter can be. It will be interesting to see how the technology and design of helicopters will change in the decades ahead. The trend might be towards pilotless flight for delivering military supplies or manufactured goods from one point to another, or perhaps helicopters that can morph into completely vertical or horizontal aircraft as the need arises. The physics behind vertical flight is described by the author as 'momentum theory', which was developed for marine propellors in the late nineteenth century. As the name implies, this is just an application of the principle of conservation of momentum. The rotor disk of the helicopter feels a thrust created by the action of the air on the helicopter blades. It must therefore exert an equal and opposite force on the air. This forces the velocity of the air in the rotor wake to be opposite in direction to the direction of the thrust. Momentum conservation, energy conservation, and mass conservation then give a relation between the induced power loss and the rotor thrust. The author also gives details on the 'vortex theory', which is based more on fluid dynamical laws of the flow field of the rotor wake. Emphasizing the local aspects, it reduces to momentum theory in appropriate limits. The author also shows how momentum theory applies to the forward flight of the helicopter. The author also treats helicopter performance analysis, which boils down to determining the power required and available for a range of flight conditions. The rotor forces and power must be calculated, and the author details two methods to do this: the 'force balance method' and the 'energy balance method'. The use of the computer has made this analysis considerably easier for the design engineer of course. The author gives a very interesting overview of helicopter speed limitations and how the helicopter could be landed safely after an engine failure, all of this being analyzed from a physics perspective. The mathematics of rotating systems is included in the book, along with the differential equations of motion for the rotor blade. The motion of the blade is expanded into a normal mode representation and analyzed using Sturm-Liouville theory. The author though outlines other approaches to the blade dynamics, such as the Lagrangian formulation and the Galerkin method. And also, in spite of the ability of computers to solve for the aeroelastic equations of motion, the author considers their analytical solution for the cases where such solutions can be obtained. One very interesting part of this discussion was that of 'ground resonance', which is a dynamic instability involving the the coupling of the blade lag motion with the in-plane motion of the rotor hub. There is then a resonance between the frequency of the rotor lag motion and the natural frequency of the structure supporting the rotor.
- This book is quite difficult to understand and the concepts contained in it are quite complicated. With that in mind, and the fact that I did not understand most of it, I can't fairly rate it. I will however warn any potential buyer that a thorough knowledge of Calculus and Matrix Algebra is required to fully understand the text.
- OK for a reference book, but much too bulky for any classroom. Mr. Johnson would do well to write an abridged addition. There does not appear to be any attempt to start with basic concepts and proceed to more difficult ones. Try to get a copy to review before buying it.
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This is a comprehensive textbook which covers in detail most of what an aeronautical engineering graduate interested in this subject will find useful and handy. This is not a book for the novice but for those with good engineering and mathematics background seeking in-depth knowledge of the helicopter design, rotary wing aerodynamics, stability and control, helicopter performance and many more.
For the target audience, the book is well written with clear explanations and sufficient detail.
The book has stood the test of time (having been published in 1980) although it can benefit from an update to take into account the latest helicopter designs.
- I bought 3 books, the first two were perfect, however the last one was damaged and the back cover was was dirty and was marked with a pen. I think, it was used by someone, perhaps second hand.
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Posted in Engineering (Friday, September 5, 2008)
Written by Simon Haykin. By Prentice Hall.
The regular list price is $148.80.
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5 comments about Adaptive Filter Theory (4th Edition).
- Despite the commonly negative opinion against Simon Haykin's book, I find this book to be a very fun reading. It starts off with a very brief review of DSP (more useful just for getting familiar with the notation, really), properties of random processes, and a small section on linear algebra in the middle of the book.
The rest of the book can be viewed as a story of how different approaches and algorithms were developed, and is a little difficult to use as reference due to its lack of structure and over-dependency on the previous chapters, both for technical content and notation. I have to admit that the notation used in this book is very, very poor and can be a source of frustration. The dependency is also a pain because you always have to keep flipping 100 pages back because Mr. Haykin prefers to say "Eqn. (4.24)" instead of "an AR model". But there's a lot of hidden treasures within this book that should have been more emphasized. For example, Mold's theorem that states that any discrete stationary process can be decomposed into a deterministic component and a random component, which are uncorrelated to each other. I'm sorry, but a reference to a proof in another book is not enough to really motivate me. This is a very fundamental theorem if you're interested in stochastic signal processing. Sure, you don't cover the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus in your very first calculus class, but then again this is supposed to be a fairly advanced book. So if you're interested in learning certain things quickly, this is NOT the book to get. Consider Munson Hayes' book instead. Save this one when you feel like investing a little time to hear Haykin's story on stochastic signal processing.
- I have always wondered why many people have negative opinions about books by Simon Haykin, whether it is 'Communication Systems' or 'Adaptive Filter Theory'. Particularly, this book 'Adaptive Filter Theory', in my opinion, is one of the bestbooks on this subject. As Julius Kusuma correctly mentioned, this book is indeed an "adventure ride" into the field of Adaptive Filter Theory.
I discovered this book when I was doing a class project on Self-Orthogonalizing algorithms for Adaptive Beamforming and I felt that all the relevant information that I needed was present in this book. I did'nt really feel the neccesity to refer anything outside this book. Apart from that, this book contains everything that a graduate student needs to know about this exciting field of adaptive filters. The author assumes some background on Random Signal Theory... I'd suggest to look up Sam Shanmugan et al's, "Random Signals: Detection, Estimation and Data Analysis" before beginning to read (enjoy) this "adventure ride" on Adaptive Filters.
- This book looks very impressive, but if you try to understand it you'll find it very mechanical. There is not much motivation behind the many pages of formulas and derivations. I'm not even sure how many people actually read those derivations becuase even in its 4th edition the book and its solution manual both have many typos (see, for example, equations 8.11 and 12.5). Even the problems are more focused on derivations than on numerical examples. This is a good cookbook if you just want to implement an algorithm or find some pointers to the original research papers. Like many other reviewers, I beleive that engineering textbooks are losing their depth and becoming more and more like instruction manuals.
- I was introduced to this text in a graduate course. I was not too thrilled about learning from another Haykin book due to a previous experience with his Communication Systems text in an undergraduate course (Horribly confusing... Proakis's text is infinitely better). To my surprise, the book was very detailed and easy to read. The math is very clear and detailed (great for the self learner). Also, the second chapter, which serves as a review of stationary processes and properties, was written much better than most random process textbooks (I applaud Haykin for this given the section was only a review). In chapter 3 or 4, he shows the derivation of the Levison-Durbin Algorithm step-by-step. I strongly disagree with some of the other reviews stating this text is just the typical engineering manual or cookbook with no explainations.
However, this is either a love or hate text. If you are looking for a text about practical linear predictive filter design, this is NOT the book for you. This text is heavily geared towards understanding the theory behind the design... hence the title Adaptive Filter THEORY. However, it can make a great reference to engineers in the field of DSP.
- The book is sound, but I have to agree with others here. Formulas, procedures are presented without an intuitive sense of why things turn out the way they are, or even from the beginning of derivations. Good to implement mechanically all those algorithms without proper understanding.
As it is usually the case, in this very important subject, one has to learn from many sources.
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Posted in Engineering (Friday, September 5, 2008)
Written by Robert Bentley. By Bentley Publishers.
The regular list price is $59.95.
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5 comments about BMW 3 Series (E30) Service Manual: 1984-1990 (BMW).
- I was looking for a more descriptive book on my '03 330i. Although it is very thorough, it appears to try to appeal to many users of many vehicle types in the 3 series family. I expected a bit more user friendly steps. You really need to know what you're into here. My opinion, if you need this book, you probably need professional car repair help.
- I recently bought this book as a reference guide for my 2000 BMW 328Ci. In the past few years I have migrated toward maintaining my own car rather than paying high fees for work of varying quality at the dealership.
I have benefited greatly by using the internet as a reference for DIY projects such as oil changes, brake pad replacement, and brake bleeding etc. In my opinion this manual is excellent for providing additional procedural detail, pictures, guides and practices that are not available elsewhere.
I also have a service manual for my Honda Pilot. Of the two, I feel the BMW Service Manual is better written.
- I own multiple BMWs so I own multiple Bentley manuals to cover them. The updated E46 3 series manual is my most recent acquisition since my newest BMW is a 2004 330xi. The Bentley manuals cover more detail than most of their competitors, have good clear pictures, note the variations from year to year in the production run, and are well produced on good paper stock (or on CD media in some cases). If you maintain your own car and want to be able to do more than the most basic things, this is a must have. Even if you just want to understand how things fit together, it's a good resource.
- This is a very complete and comprehensive servicemanual for anyone who doesn't really know much about the technology underneath the hood (or anywhere else in the car for that matter). If you know what exactly is wrong with your car, bets are this manual will help you fix it.
- Having just acquired a BMW coupe, purely by chance, one felt that a guide book to the wonderful world of Bavarian technology was essential. After all they do not make bicycles, though if they did one would need a degree to service them. The modern BMW is designed by engineers who have both the ability to be extremely simple in their approach while at the same time cloaking their complex systems in a simple smooth stylish exterior. (I exclude all bangled designs from this last comment) The Bentley book gives one an opening into this world allowing exploration without falling into elephant traps; an educational glimpse of modern automobile technology written in easy to read English with helpful diagrams, pictures and instructions. Supplementing this heavy tome with easily accessed DIY internet sources like E46 fanatics etc will enable one to care for your pride and joy without plumbing the depths of depression and your bank account. Read, learn and inwardly digest and enjoy
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Posted in Engineering (Friday, September 5, 2008)
Written by Arnold M. Kuethe and Chuen-Yen Chow. By Wiley.
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5 comments about Foundations of Aerodynamics: Bases of Aerodynamic Design, 5th Edition.
- A well written introductory book on aerodynamics . Advanced printing technology also adds to the book`s qualities .However , this is not the book for someone who wants to excel at aerodynamics .Like other more recent books ,It aims for medicore level.For example, there are no expansions of advanced topics for the curious student.Also a subject of practical and historical importance like complex potential & conformal mapping is omitted. Summary : If you are new to Fluid Dynamics ,buy it .If you intend to be a real scientist ,you should look for Karamcheti for the incompressible part ,and Shapiro for the compressible part.
- Although significantly older than this text, I would suggest that readers look for a copy of 'The Aerodynamic Design of Aircraft' by Dietrich Kuchemann (Pergamon, 1976). Although not particularly up to date in terms of the advent of complex CFD methods, Kuchemann's text is an essential summary of the progress of analytical aerodynamics, and it's experimental underpinnings, from Gottingen in the Ludwig Prandtl era, through to the technology of the mid 1970s.
- This book is one of the best written ones. It covers everything. I own the 1986 edition. It contains everything you need top understand the nature of the fluid flow past a body.It covers airfoils, finite wing, compressible and incompressible flows, shock waves, boundary layers, turbulence. It doesn't mention complex variable methods and Joukowsky transformation, it is true, but it does a very good job in the other tasks. Personally, I think everyone involved in aerodynamics should own it. It is a good introductory to mid-level book as a reference one.
- I have the third edition of this book, which was required reading for many AE students back in 1978. I also have a copy of Anderson's "Introduction to Aerodynamics", which, unfortunately for many, did not became available until 1984. It is superior in depth, breadth, and especially, in pedagogy. Given this, it is hard to recommend Kuethe's book, despite its venerable history. The fact that the publisher has the gall to charge $119 for a PAPERBACK book makes this conclusion that much more sound. Note that "like new" fourth editions (also paperback) are now selling for $10.00 on Amazon.
- Although this book leaves out a lot of the derivation material for the equation of continuity and the Gauss Theorem of Divergence, it gets the point across. There isn't a lot of mindless dribble in which the authors try to translate highly mathematical concepts into words... this is avoided most of the time, to the delight of the student.
Some might complain that it doesn't cover such-and-such as much as they want, but remember, the title of the book is "FOUNDATIONS of Aerodynamics." Suck it up!
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Posted in Engineering (Friday, September 5, 2008)
Written by Albert P. Malvino. By Career Education.
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5 comments about Electronic Principles.
- First off, I already had graduated with an AAS degree in electronics technology before I got this book. A relative borrowed it to me after I graduated. I was amazed with how much more electronics made sense to me after I read this. I thought I had a good foundation, but my school really only touched on some principles, and had us memorize equations. Dr. Malvino does as excellent job of covering all the fundamentals, and in a way that makes perfect sense. You name it; transistors, op amps, FETs, filters, etc.; they all made perfect sense to me after I read this book. I could actually understand how all those equations I learned were derived, and why electronic devices function the way they do. Thanks to Dr. Malvino's book, I can say I actually understand electronics, something my schooling didn't do for me.
- I bought this book (6th edition) solely due to the overwhelmingly positive and glowing amazon reviews- but I must say, I'm quite disappointed.
Principles explains basic Analog electronics in a simplified manner that's less theoretical (i.e. less mathematical) and more practical than other popular texts such as Microelectronics by Sedra/Smith. The writing style is fairly clear and it has an attractive full-color display. However, I did not find it exceptional in this regard- there ARE other textbooks that explain the same theory at a similar level of difficulty (maybe that wasn't true 20 years ago).
The problem for me is that an inordinate amount of this book is about transistor theory and low-level transistor design. It does not cover digital electronics at all (except for a brief discussion on CMOS).
Very few electrical engineers today do much low-level analog design (unless you work for TI, maxim, linear, etc)- most of us are consumers of Integrated circuits. What's needed is a textbook that explains the key device parameters (and the design implications for SYSTEM applications) and how to interpret datasheets, etc. Unfortunately, every textbook, including this one, I've seen are mostly useless to the practicing engineer in this respect. You're better off downloading application notes from different vendor websites than spending $100 on this.
I would recommend something like "Practical Electronics for Inventors" instead- despite the many typos, it's an affordable book that covers analog and digital electronics. This book is too long (too dense to make a good reference) and for what it offers, WAY too expensive.
- This is a really amazing introduction to analog design. It does not dwell into all the mathematics, but it gives you a really good intuitive understanding of all the major subjects of analog electronics. This is surely one of the best books to get started with. This author also has another book on the digital side which is also amazing. It tells you how computers work.
- I'm just teaching myself electronics in order to be able to understand and design circuits for musical analog synthesizers, a new hobby I took up a few months ago. As an engineering professor (albeit, thankfully, in a totally unrelated field) I have access to an excellent university library, and I checked out a bunch of basic textbooks on electronics, including Malvino's 3rd edition (1984). This book absolutely blows me away. Anyone who works through this book from cover to cover will learn electronics, almost in spite of himself! I started by trying to work through Horowitz and Hill, but I just wasn't getting it. Then I went back to Grob to brush up on some basics (most importantly, dc and ac theory, reactance vs resistance in particular), and then graduated on to Malvino.
Everything which is unclear in any book you've ever read on electronics is rendered clear and simple in Malvino. The chapters on biasing transistors and coupling and designing simple transistor amplifiers stand out for me in particular for taking a subject which is typically only glossed over in other books and breaking it down to its basic fundamentals, each step illustrated by a nice example, and reinforced with several back-of-chapter problems (with answers to the odd-numbered ones provided in the back of the book -- how about that, Horowitz and Hill?!?!? -- what good are practice problems if you don't know whether you obtained the right answer or not?!?!?).
I can't really speak to the latest edition, but if its anything like the 3rd, then buy it without hesitation! I only wish that the textbooks I have to use in my own classes were written half as well.
- After several attempts in the early '80s to get into electronics (which included reading several electronics books and enrollment in a correspondence course for electronics technician), I was in a world of hurting and frustration trying to make sense of what I was reading and learning in electronics. Then, one day I happened to catch a glimpse of the textbook of one of the students of an electronics school in San Francisco in 1984. It read "Electronic Principles." I hurriedly went to the closest bookstore downtown and purchased one. I didn't even know about this book, but it was a risk I had to take. I just wanted to learn electronics. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. Because of Dr. Malvino's book, a whole new world of electronics opened up in front of my eyes. That book was so easy to understand and the numerous examples, diagrams, and troubleshooting problems and tips only reinforced the learning process. I have never read a book that explained the theory on transistors like this book has done; a truly remarkable, detailed, yet crystal clear explanation of operation and design of transistor circuits. The knowledge that I acquired from reading this outstanding book, helped me in my career in the military (mechanical maintenance which included some electrical and electronics systems)for the next twenty something years. Without this book, I would not have pursued such a strong interest in electronics. My most sincere gratitude to you, Dr. Malvino. I still have that 3rd edition on my book shelf, always ready for quick reference. Now that I am about to retire from the military, what would be a better way to enjoy retirement than rekindle my electronics interest. Yes, I had to buy a more updated edition of Dr. Malvino's Electronic Principles book: the 6th edition. As I expected, this book made the mark. Like my old trusty, 3rd edition, it is very easy to understand, and it just makes you want to keep on reading it. An advice for anyone who wants to learn and enjoy electronics without brain torture: Get one of Dr. Malvino's "Electronic Principles" books, and read and learn it by heart. You will not get disappointed.
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Posted in Engineering (Friday, September 5, 2008)
Written by J. R. Parker. By Wiley.
The regular list price is $90.00.
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5 comments about Algorithms for Image Processing and Computer Vision.
- It has source C code available, which I found is very helpful. It would be better if its code is written in C++.
- This book is a great source of code for the implementations of common and not so common algorithms used in image processing and computer vision. It is not meant to be a textbook on either subject. For that I suggest you turn to "Digital Image Processing" by Gonzalez and Woods for the subject of image processing and to "Computer Vision" by Linda Shapiro for computer vision.
The book starts out with the treatment of a common subject - edge detection - and provides code for various edge detectors including Canny, Shen-Casten, and Marr-Hildreth.
Chapter 2 does a pretty good job of explaining digital morphology, the various operations, and their uses.
Chapter 3 has a very brief introduction to gray-level segmentation, and then jumps into more advanced topics such as the method of iterative selection, entropy, fuzzy logic methods, and the method of Chow and Kaneko, among others. Most of the methods here are somewhat mathematically involved, and the author does a pretty good job of explaining the mathematics and showing resulting images that show the strengths of each method.
Chapter 4 is about the calculation and use of texture in image processing and computer vision. Again, the mathematics here can get involved and equations and illustrations are included to help make the concepts clear. Even fractal geometry and its use in texture is very briefly mentioned.
Chapter 5 is one of my favorites, since it covers the topic of skeletonization, which is not commonly covered in most vision or image processing books. The most common method is mentioned first - that of the medial axis transform. This is followed by a discussion of iterative morphological methods and also the use of contours. Finally, the chapter is rounded out with an explanation of the Zhang-Suen/Stentiford/Holt combined method and accompanying code. This method usually produces the best combination of good visual results and computational efficiency.
In Chapter 6, on image restoration, the author moves to the frequency domain and discusses the Fourier Transform, the FFT, and their uses in image restoration. The author provides his own image restoration system, the Eagle Restoration System, complete with code.
Chapter 7, on wavelets, is a very brief and not too satisfying introduction to the topic. The author does provide some mathematics and some code for some basic transforms, but does not provide much in the way of motivation.
Chapters 8 and 9, on optical character recognition and symbol recognition respectively, are two very good chapters on this subject. It provides the simple introductory information on recognizing printed alphabetic characters. It also talks about skew detection in the case of slanted lines of text. Chapter 9 expands the concepts with a very good section on neural networks and character recognition concluding with a system that recognizes printed music.
Chapter 10, the final chapter of the book, was an OK introduction to genetic algorithms and evolutionary computing. However, like the chapter on wavelets, I found it a bit thin.
The appendix contains a listing of all of the C code included on the CD and each program's purpose. Going through the individual programs was, for me, almost as educational as reading the book, since the code is very well laid out and commented. I highly recommend this book to individuals looking for implementations and discussions of certain image processing and computer vision algorithms.
- This nifty book is unusual in several respects: it is written in an extremely clear and simple style; it presents good clear code, both in print and on the accompanying CD; and it presents a variety of different methods for achieving each given goal. For example, the book presents a half-dozen different algorithms (usually with code) for edge-detection, for thresholding, and for skeletonization. For the most part, the book does a good job of explaining the relative merits or suitabilities of the different algorithms.
It's important to say, though, that this book is not a comprehensive introduction to image processing issues and algorithms (such as Gonzales&Woods), nor is it a soup-to-nuts cookbook of code (such as Myler&Weeks' admittedly dated "Pocket Handbook"). Although the book is written in a style that students could understand, I wouldn't recommend it as a first book for novice students. It would be better suited to a non-specialist who nevertheless needs to accomplish something specific -- like thresholding or edge-detection -- in short order, and with an algorithm that's tuned to their particular application.
One last thing: this book will be VERY MUCH appreciated by anyone seeking a foundation in optical character recognition.
- It's a good book for people who is working in Computer Vision with C++ language. There are explanations of some algorithms and their respective implementation in C++, so it's very helpful. Furthermore, after each topic there is a bibliography list about this topic, which is better than have all bibiography in the last part of the book.
The only drawback is that the quality of the book is not good. The pages are very easy to tear.
- Clear and simple book, goes right to the guts. One minus is sloppy code. It's written by a scientist who is not a programmer. Implementations are slow and sometimes inaccurate. For example, function nays8 counts 0's in one thinning algorithm. Function snays count 0's in another thinnnig algorithm, while nays8 now count 1's!
Most of these comes from straightforward implementation of ideas. Sure enough, exactly this makes his code a good starting point in writing more effective programs.
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Posted in Engineering (Friday, September 5, 2008)
Written by Tom Corcoran and Earl Davis. By Motorbooks.
The regular list price is $34.95.
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5 comments about Mustang 1964 1/2 - 73 Restoration Guide (Motorbooks Workshop).
- I bought a 68 as a project in a semi dismantled condition, this book is an excellent reference for piecing together which bits go where (& which are missing!), the notes on options are also useful.
This is my first restoration & this book will be a valuable source of information.
- Gives you good information about model development, and original and optional equipment and modifications. Good photgraphs. Good description of essential parts by model year. The exploded line drawings give you a general impression of the build and parts, but they are not adequate for do-it-yourself projects. I miss information about function (i.e. ventilation or heater regulation) and about fluids (oil, cooler etc.)
- This book is an excellent guide for anyone who is restoring an early Mustang or needs information identifying an existing car or possible purchase. Richly supplied with photos, diagrams and tables of specifications, the book gives nearly all the informtion to do an accurate restoration of a 64-70 Mustang.
The biggest flaw is that many of the data charts do not include information past 1970. The engine identification photographs and charts fail to give information past 1970. Since the motive power for a Muscle Car is of great interest to most owners, this is an important oversight. The section on interiors also fails to show photos or diagrams beyond 1970. Since I am restoring a 1972 with a trashed interior, I was very disappointed not to be able to tell how my interior should look. The trim codes list didn't go beyond 1970 so I couldn't tell what the colors should be. The suspension section and driveline section is also short of critical information.
For a person working on a 64-70 Mustang, I highly recommend the book. It is richly filled with information and visuals. I would still get the book as a restorer of a 1971-1973 because there is lots of great information, such as complete information on the body and paint. Much of the missing information can be inferred from the 1970 model and since one also needs a shop manual, the rest of the information would be there.
- As long as you realize this book provides all the nitty gritty details of a Mustang, you should be happy with it. You will note many of the diagrams are the same ones used in the parts catalogs like NPD. Since I am in the stage of disassembly and early restoration, it won't get much use yet but once I start to put things back together, I see this book as very valuable. There is not much verbiage so this will not give you the "tricks" to put things together but should be a good supplement to other books.
- This book has alot of information/data but none of it is useful unless you need specific concourse part numbers, etc. Even so, the diagrams are jumbled several to a page making them virtually unreadable and hiding any detail you might be looking for such as how exactly the 1968 headlight bucket attaches to the fender/grill (just as an example). If you need detailed, specific information, it would be best for you to purchase your car's make/model/year factory service manual. The most irritating issue I have with this book is that it's a regurgitation of diagrams and data tables but does not include listings of part numbers to match the diagrams. For instance, the body panel breakdown contains part numbers listed with the body panels but there's no cross-reference to find out what exactly the body panel's name is as you would need to order it from a parts house.
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