5 comments about Beginner's Guide to Reading Schematics.

1. Yup, this is a nice, basic book for learning how to read a schematic. If you intend on working with electricity and will need to read schematics then this is where to start.



2. I'm not a particularly techie sort of person, but I found I needed to have a grasp of the electronics of some of the equipment I use (I'm a musician). Most beginners books are overwhelming in theory and completeness and end up more confusing than anything else. This book is baby talk and exactly what I needed. The five stars are for its simplicity and usefulness. It has flaws and it's not exciting to read, but it has the simplest explanations of components I have come across. If you don't need to know everything, but just fix your wah wah or explore a little circuit bending, this book will demystify a lot of electronics for you. It won't tell you how to do anything, but it will enable you to figure out what you need to know from more complicated books. If, like me, you've started with electronics a few times and given up because the books you've used have offered way too much information and spent too much time on electrons, or just been written from too knowlegable a point of view (one 'basic' book I tried has four pages on capacitors that I read several times without really ending up knowing what they did), this is the book for you. It will make the books that have frustrated you in the past far more useful.



3. I'm just getting started teaching myself electronics. I've never been able to make heads or tails of a schematic. However, after about 2 evenings reading this book, I now have no problem reading the schematics for the beginners projects I've been working on. This book also explains WHY some of the symbols look the way they do, which goes a long way to help in reading schematics even if there is a symbol a little different than what's in the book. I would recommend this to anyone learning electronics.



4. This was an excellent choice. It gave me exactly what I wanted and needed, was in excellent condition, and was received in a timely fashion. Thanks very much.



5. I bought this on impulse while ordering another book. Sorry I did, wasted my money. I can't really figure out who the intended audience is: If you have never been exposed to electrical schematics you wouldn't likely want this compendium of symbols with no conceptual background, and if you have had even a little conceptual background you have already been introduced to most of this. You don't need a book to find out what the schematic drawing of a transistor is, for instance, because any instructional material dealing with electronics circuits that you look at will include that information. Reading the individual symbols used in circuit diagrams and schematics isn't difficult- they are just symbols you can look up in any table of electronic symbols. The difficult part is conceptualizing how the components work together by "reading" the schematic- following the signal or current flow or being able to identify functional blocks, something this book does not help you with. All the circuits used as examples in this book are very basic, and the theory that is discussed is very superficial. I am not saying this book has no value, but it's value is minimal and can be easily found in the introductory chapters of most any primer on electronic circuits. For that I recommend a similar vintage TAB book written by G. Randy Sloan entitled "TAB Electronics Guide to Understanding Electricity and Electronics".

1 comments about Who Was Amelia Earhart? (Who Was...?).

1. My 7 year old son could not put this book down! He read the entire book in one afternoon, and then was able to complete his biography project for school without any additional research. The book brought Amelia Earhart to life; it was comprehensive and interesting, with so many insights that I had never known before. There were also numerous sketches and maps which would keep a youngster engaged throughout the book. This book gets a resounding "WOW!" from us.

5 comments about Advanced Strength and Applied Elasticity (4th Edition).

1. As an Aerospace Engineer (structures), I found this to be the one book that remains on my shelf. It has valid and accurate ACEDEMIC explanations of structural systems - but it does not lend itself to practical implementation of those methods...and many other books do! If this book is supplementing a curriculum, it will serve its purpose well. However, if you actually plan to use what you've learned - not here.
   
   For a book that fits the requirements of application, please refer to "Practical Sress Analysis for Design Engineers", Flabel (ISBN 0-9647014-0-5)



2. First few chapters are well treated but advanced topics are not covered in detail.For example, beams on elastic foundation chapter is not covered extensively.To conclude,anyone interested in advanced mechanics of materials should own it.



3. Many Engineering text books lately do not seem to be written well. I feel that this is not the fault of the authors as much as it is the fault of the editor. This book overall is not in my worst text book list, but can be improved very easily. I have given it a 2 star rating, meaning that it still can be improved upon and until it is improved it is a difficult book to follow.

   The problems with this book are:
   1. Example problems are not included in the text in a sequential order. Instead a concept is introduced and five pages later there is an example problem with that material. The example problems should be there to reinforce the theoretical material. When it is so many pages later it is difficult to know what the example is trying to show.

   2. There are too many formulas included in text lines. Formulas should be written in a formula type instead of included within a paragraph. When it is in the paragraph it makes it difficult to follow.

   3. Topic names and definitions of concepts should be highlighted so the reader can easily go from one topic to another with a better understanding of the material.

   4. As I am reading the text I have made my own illustrations for my own study. I therefore believe that the editor, with an understanding of the material, could have been able to include illustrations.

   5. There is a constant reference to formulas written in previous chapters. Just rewrite the formula if it is so important to the understanding of the material. Instead the reader is in a constant state of turning pages. I am glad this book has a good binding.

   To the authors: Since I am attending your University, Please do not take my criticism personally. Instead, listen to my fellow students when the review time comes about our course.




4. I don't understand what the other reviewers are talking about, I find this book a lifesaver for my Deformable Solids course, because the authors take the time to explain the formulas they put in the book with real words. I appreciate that the formulas are in the text and not coldly thrown at you in a scary cluster, making the concepts much easier to understand thoroughly.
   I found the information easy to find and I think the examples are great, with detailed and explained solutions.
   Finally a book that cares about "how" and "why" instead of just "what".



5. I'm a student in mechanical engineering, and I recently took a class called Advanced Mechanics of Materials. Unfortunately, this book was the required textbook for the course. I know that a lot of text books can be considered "bad", but this is by far the worst textbook I have ever used.
   
   Ideally a textbook will explain concepts well and give relevant examples to reinforce the concepts. The textbook does neither. This textbook explains concepts extremely poorly which makes it bad enough. On top of that, moreover, this book does not give examples for 90% of the concepts.
   
   If this book is the required text for a course, I would recommend changing classes. If you're looking for a book on advanced mechanics of materials, this is NOT a good book to consider. I would have given this book zero stars if that had been an option.

2 comments about Power Electronics: Converters, Applications, and Design.

1. Good power electronics textbook. I use it for my power electronics course at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. It covers a lot of material well, including switching power converters, thermal and magnetics design. It's a bit thin in some important subjects, such as current mode control.

   Marc T. Thompson, Ph.D.




2. Although a little light on full converter schematics, this textbook contained excellent descriptions of converter building blocks and semiconductor device physics. It is excellent that it came with a simulator program too.

5 comments about Chassis Engineering HP1055.

1. Book goes over a lot of information in a very short time, but not much of that information is worth anything unless you're building a circle-track or drag car. Took the hit and ordered Stanforth's Competition Car Suspension.



2. Tons of information, Good explanations of suspension angles and the effects on tire attitude, handling, and weight transfer.



3. I recently purchased this book and have read it twice from front to back. It had a lot of good solid information, however the title is decieving in the fact that it has the word "engineering" in it. This book touches lightly on the subject of engineering, however it stops there. This book is mainly designed for those with Camaros or Corvettes and doesnt really give much information regarding independent suspensions or anything else besides what may be found on those two vehicles. I am by no means an engineer but I do know a thing or two about mechanics and this book does not help me to understand the complete dynamics involved in a vehicle chassis. It barely goes into detail about shocks or springs and the only information that seems relevant to that is "How to cut your springs". This book is written more for the back-yard mechanic than for the aspiring automotive engineer.



4. book starts with basics of suspension. if your planning modifying or completely design a suspension this is a nice book to add to the library.



5. This book is a great early step in understanding suspensions. No one book can tell you how to build a sports car suspension, but this one is easy to read, and left me in a place where I was beginning to be able to ask intelligent questions, and also assuaged a signifigant amount of my fear. Ackerman effect, castor, camber, toe-in, anti-dive, anti-squat, and much more will be demystified in this fine book.

5 comments about Metal Fabricator's Handbook.

1. This book is a good start for those wanting to know more about metal fabrication. Author sells alot of the handtools he mentions in the book. Lots of good info.



2. This book was written in the early eighties, and it shows. There is some valuable information, but it is aimed at the sheet metal shaping world- for instance, how to put compound curves into metal.
   
   Some of the information is fairly folkloric.



3. This book paid for itself at page 3 and has continued to do so ever since. Why no 5 star rating well its because I cant afford some of the equipment and he provides no poor mans alternative.



4. My purpose for ordering this book was to gain the knowledge of how to do this type of work. While the "how to" is limited, the advantage to me is to learn what can be done and this book covers this well. Overall, I am pleased that I ordered it.
   The delivery time was short and the condition of the book was excellent.
   Thanks;
   Dennis Osborn



5. I never saw someone doing this job before, so, I could'nt understand all the procedures the author explained. The fotos are dark and hard to see. I will try another one.

4 comments about Systems Engineering Principles and Practice.

1. I have just completed the JHU program in Systems Engineering. This book is the foundation for the curriculum and is a very readable, solid overview of Systems Engineering. All phases of the system life-cycle are introduced and tied together to truly illustrate the process. The book focuses on processes, the tools used will change, but good Systems Engineering will stay the same. The process to derive good requirements that are able to be implemented and tested are the same regardless of technology or field.



2. Useful in many of my process definition tasks. Essential text for any System Engineer.



3. This book is a great text for those interested in learning or expanding your knowledge of systems engineering. Well presented with sound explanations on the concepts. My company has multiple copies in use. Highly recommended.



4. Excellent book on Systems Engineering covering Development, Post-Development (Production, Operation and Support), Systems Engineering Management, Software Systems Engineering and Decision Tools on the same book.
   
   I believe it is coherent with its goal: "help students learn how to think like systems engineers".
   
   It is easy to read and has exercises at the end of each chapter.
   
   I recommend it for both students and practitioners.

5 comments about Volkswagen Official Service Manual Super Beetle, Beetle and Karmann Ghia 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979.

1. This is the manual the dealer sold to repair shops to work on the air-cooled VWs. It is the only repair manual you will need. We resale the manual in our VW repair shop for our VW owners.



2. The Volkswagen Official Service Manual Super Beetle has a lot of info.
   Has some good NEWBY info.



3. In response to the first review. If you are to stupid to take an engine out of a VW please do not buy this book. Take your car to a qualified mechanic.



4. Bentley manuals are the gold standard for VW repair. Absolutely the best VW service manual. A must for EVERY veedub garage.



5. This is a nice reference manual for the aircooled VW owner . Very helpful .

5 comments about Schaum's Outline of Basic Circuit Analysis.

1. This is an excellent supplement for electrical technology and electrical engineering students taking a first course on circuit analysis. It is a particularly good companion to Boylestad's "Introductory Circuit Analysis", which is a standard circuit analysis text that has insufficient examples on several subjects. This outline starts with the analysis of DC resistive circuits, goes on to AC circuits, and also covers power circuits, transformers, and op-amps. There is a good chapter on complex numbers and phasors, an understanding of which is essential for the study of circuit analysis. There is no need of differential or integral calculus although the book uses derivatives in the chapters on capicitors, inductors, and transformers as needed for voltage-current relations. Even though there is not one integral shown in the book, the outline is still useful to engineers since circuit analysis courses mainly use only algebra.
   This book also presents necessary tools such as PSPICE, the computer circuit analysis and simulation program for PC's. SPICE is the standard for analog circuit simulation across the electronics industry, and knowledge of its syntax is essential. The outline also covers the use of advanced scientific calculators in the context of solving actual problems.
   Besides being a good source of examples and solved problems, this outline does a pretty good job of outlining the basic theory of circuit analysis. I highly recommend it.



2. I initially picked up this book to do remediation on my first circuit analysis course, and have continued to use it through the second course. I call the Shaum Series my "secret weapon" for doing well in EE classes (and physics too, actually). The few pages of exposition at the beginning of each chapter are clear, concise, and mostly complete (Electric Circuits by Nahvi is more rigorous), and the problems, half with detailed solutions and half with just answers, are on-topic, perfectly-tailored, and numerous.
   
   If you are taking circuit analysis courses, EE or not, you would be a fool to not have this book in your bag.



3. Great explanations and fully worked out problems makes it a great study aid



4. If your having trouble with an EE Intro class - this is a good book to get



5. Going to an engineering school, we deal strickly with SI units. For the most part the book deals with them too. But often, it seems like the problems that would be good for me to try, are in inchs and mils and lbs and all the imperical crap.
   
   Now i only gave it 1 star less. Considering most of the engineering world laughs at imperical crap, which i dont blame them.
   
   Besides for that, the rest of the book is pretty good. The lack of explanations could be worked on. (not in the problems, but in the information prior to the questions). I luckily took a physics on electricity before i got this. Which helped me alot, especially when dealing with OhmMeters.
   
   
   I would by this book if you want to great in your EE classes. But you may want to have someone who can explain some things. Or just do some demensional analysis to figure out why things are the way they are. And resistance and others like that will make sense.

5 comments about Schaum's Outline of Electrical Power Systems.

1. Ok for review of power systems, However many typo's or errors. If I was Mr Syed A. Nasar I would be embarrased to have my name on this book. In the first chapter alone there are more than 10 errors. If anyone knows where to find the McGraw Hill errata page for this manual please post the URL, it will be a great service. If I find it I'll repost.



2. Worthy of being considered a book of the Schaum collection. Very good!



3. This book should not be sold to students because it is no good. I felt like my money went down the drain due to the fact that the book is very stinks and useless.
   
   I should get my money back because the book is helpless to me.



4. I agree with everyone else who says that the number of errors in numerical calculations are unacceptable in this book. That is too bad, because if that problem was rectified this would be a great little overview of a topic not really taught to Electrical Engineering undergraduates anymore - power and power calculations. Most EE's that graduate today are more signal processing or computer engineers than pure electrical engineers, and being able to work with power if you stay on the technical end of things long enough is bound to come up.
   
   The math is really all over the map in this book - many calculations only require basic math, others involve calculus, still others involve iterative numerical methods. In fact, chapter eight is pretty much dedicated to the subject of numerical methods. The author at least hits the high points of all aspect of power systems. There is a great deal of material on transmission lines as well as the calculations involved when working with underground cables. One chapter is dedicated to fault calculations and discusses how the operation of a power system departs from normal after the occurrence of a fault. Chapter seven develops general solution methods that are amenable to the computer solution of power system network problems. Later in the outline, the author gets into subjects involving heavier power including a good introduction to three-phase power. A final and very short chapter discusses how to protect equipment against abnormal currents and voltages. The author does a good job of introducing the reader to all of the symbols that you are likely to see on a power system diagram, and their meanings.
   
   In spite of the errors in the numerical calculations, I'd still say it's a good buy for the price. You're not going to find a good book that even touches these subjects for under a hundred dollars. If the errors were cleaned up, this Schaum's outline would be an invaluable classic.



5. here in brasil we have portuguese versions of schaum's outline books on many subjects.since I was an electrical engineering graduate student, I have studied the theory on the specific books of a related field and after that I tested my knowledge on schaum's outline books, always improving my skills by solving problems, which are in my opinion, the main reason of being an well succeeded engineer.