5 comments about The Finite Element Method: Linear Static and Dynamic Finite Element Analysis.

1. I wanted a complete book in FEA to start learning about it. I expected this book to be clear, practical, complete, with a good amount of practical examples showing how to use the theory, that is complex by itself. I also wanted some sort of reference to a computer program so that I could start using to simplify my life. I work at a Company and I don't have too much time. This book is not for me. I



2. The text is obviously considered a benchmark for FEA. The date of the first edition causes me to guess that it was among the first serious texts in the subject. For that reason, the book is worth the some of the price. But, detractors reduce the worth...
   
   Two major items detract from the usefulness of the text:
   1. It is written for a mathematician. So, reading is a little rough for those who are learning the notation as they read the book.
   2. The text spends pages describing examples using and an appendix providing user information for software that is missing from the reprint. This subtracts from the value, even if the code is a source in FORTRAN, because excellent examples of FEA implementations are missing.
   
   It turns out that the source code and a compiled executable for DLEARN is available on the web. However, you have to know where and how to search. [...]



3. This book has been a core finite element reference for me for 16 years. The mathematics are actually somewhat mild compared to most of today's finite element literature and many of the other seminal finite element texts. It is completely inappropriate for an undergraduate level text, but it is an excellent graduate level introduction the FEM. It provides a sound basis for advanced topics in non-linear analysis. It does assume that the reader already has a reasonable background in related fields (e.g. continuum mechanics, linear algebra, and real analysis). I have never touched the code that the text references.



4. I am an international student majored in geology and geophysics. FEM is quite important for me to build a computational model to caculate statical and dynamical problems. This FEM book is recommended by my supervisor and I have read it carefully. The concepts and mathematics are easy to understand for me. good deal~ not too hard, good for new students in this area



5. I bought this book to begin understanding of finite elements theory. the book is good but sure not for starters. The lack of examples and introduction to computer software make this book limited at least for me.

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 To Engineer Is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design.

1. In this book, Petroski brings up a few good points. Engineering is human. Engineers, as oppose to what some think, are not perfect. They are not able to create a perfect design for the given problem. They create what they believe is the best solution for the given design specifications. They, along with others, test their solution, in theory. The majority of these solutions are created and succeed perfectly. Although most of these designs are successful, some are not.
   
   It seems to be most of the failures of designs happen when it deals with something big, including the Kansas City Hyatt Regency Hotel walkways, which killed over 100 people, or the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. These failures become famous and the engineers are the first ones to be looked at.
   
   Along with engineering success comes failure. This is a part of being human. Human engineering will always have its failures along with its successes. When engineers build something, they analyze it to determine if their solution is the best solution. Sometimes it takes a failure for the engineers to see their failures and to correct the problem. This book tries to explain this and does in most cases. In some of the cases, it leaves the reader wondering what else could have been done or what needs to be done in the future to prevent these failures.



2. I purchased this book at the Duke University bookstore, after the recommendation from a professor at another institution.
   
   Petroski's prose is extremely dense and verbose. His style consists of run-on sentences which require several readings. Even if it is technically (grammatically) correct, it is extremely difficult to read. The subject matter is dry to begin with, however, Petroski does nothing to liven it. I am an engineer also, and am not threatened by the technical information (admittedly lifted from his students' term papers). I have chemical engineering textbooks that read like a novel. Hopefully the courses he teaches are clearer than this muddled prose.
   
   Petroski is certainly an engineer. He has engineered an elegant method of making money from saps like us. I successfully engineered Petroski's book into a beverage coaster to help drown the sorrows of wasting $14 on this book.



3. This book tries to answer the question of why the stuff built by engineers break, what a stupid quesion. Stuff breaks and stops working all the time, that's why we have quality control in factories. If someone thinks we can make something perfectly the first time and every time he must've been born yesterday or smoking. Think about the first plane built or the first car, the first train, the first computer, MP3 players that stops working in a week, umbrellas that flip in the wind... Maybe people don't die when these things break, maybe they do... but this has always been how technology develops---it improves over time.
   
   The title of the book suggests that things built by God do not fail, wrong! Humans get sick, ozone layer gets holes, species go extinct, the Old Man of the Mountain falls flat on his face, and how about birth defects, the list goes on.
   
   Not a well thought out book. And trust me when I say the writing style puts even a true nerd to sleep.



4. The title suggests a coherent essay on 'failure', but the actual content is a collection of essays loosely brought together by the theme 'engineering is about preventing failure'. Some chapters focus on the history of engineering, others on the nature of failure. If one essay bores you, just flip to the next chapter. The articles can be read in any order. All in all, a very thought provoking book.



5. I found the book absolutely fascinating, especially since I am a mechanical engineer by education and experience. To Engineer is Human covers some of the greatest engineering disasters in modern times such as the Tacoma Narrows bridge collapse, the Kansas City Hyatt Regency Walkways collapse and the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.
   
   Henry Petroski explains the engineering disaster in great detail and then explores the causes and effects. He then explores how (if possible) the disaster could have been avoided.
   
   Well written and understandable this book is a masterpiece. One of the primary things that all good engineers do is to contemplate the "lessons learned" after any significant endeavor...whether it has good or bad results. As the old saying goes: Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it!
   
   Engineers as well as anyone else who has an interest in engineering marvels and what can go wrong will find this book entertaining, informative and well researched.
   
   The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

5 comments about Schaum's Outline of Digital Signal Processing (Schaum's).

1. This book is a carefully written one which will enable any student to revise thoroughly before DSP exam. It has an outstanding collection of solved problems like most other Schaum's outlines. This book is to be used as a supplement book to any standard DSP book like Oppenheim or Proakis & Manolakis. This book can make quite a lot of difference in final grades of most of students. So, it is advisable for any UG/PG to revise this book well before exam.



2. The electrical engineering approach to teaching a subject can often be quite rugged in comparison with the other hard sciences. I believe that for many students, an honest and unbiased appreciation of this text takes quite a bit more time than other hard science texts. Treating this book with respect and his or her instructor with reverence, the talented student who dedicates herself or himself to be a disciple of DSP will profit from Discrete-Time Signal Processing.



3. This text was recommended as a companion to Oppenheim's "Discrete Time Signal Processing" for a senior DSP filtering course. If your school is like mine, you sit in three hours of lecture a week, nodding and agreeing and feeling like DSP is straightforward and intuitive. Then you sit down to do your homework and wonder, "where did this come from?" Schaum's helps to bridge this gap with compartmentalized topics and numerous examples. The sections help you quickly ascertain how the notation translates and how thoroughly the topic is covered relative to the coursework. The examples help because, let's face it, it helps to see certain types of problems worked through from start to finish. There are many, many examples within the sections and at the end of the sections, worked through in minute detail. If you're into or studying DSP as a senior engineering student, if you're not the top dog in your class but still want to do well, if you learn from examples and from working through many problems that you're able to confirm, then this book is for you. If you're looking for a "solutions manual" type of book, if you want a "cliff notes" type companion, or if you don't understand lecture concepts at all, then this book won't help you much. It's not an introductory text, although it covers introductory concepts, in my opinion there's not enough background on the rudimentary DSP topics to truly qualify as introductory.



4. The book came fast, was much cheaper than a new book, and its quality was practically new.



5. This book is mostly composed of formulas and math. It gives little background information on the reasons/motivations for the formulas. I would not recommend this if you are new to digital signal processing.

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 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".

4 comments about Introduction to Microelectronic Fabrication: Volume 5 of Modular Series on Solid State Devices (2nd Edition) (Modular Series on Solid State Deviced, Vol 5).

1. It is an excellent book for beginners who need a good understanding of the basic unit processes associated with a standard microelectronic foundry. It gives a quick reference to almost everything in modern processing and refers to a variety of textbooks and journals for further information. In summary, this is the book you must have if you are in the semiconductor profession and require a quick but useful reference to almost everything in the business.



2. Book is seriously lacking required information to solve the examples let alone the problems. For example chapter six's first example is 6.2. What happened to 6.1? The equation for mean free path (6.6), what is p? Is it the same as P in equation (6.5)? Who knows since there is no example or explanation. Attempting to get the same reults in the text become time consuming and frustrating because all the required information is absent. The book is lacking detail. Avoid it at all possible costs. Hey anyone out there thinking they can write a better book than this go for it. This one needs to be put off the marketplace.



3. This book offers a concise and pheripheral approach to introductory microelectric fabrication. It covers the essentials that are needed to delve into more intricate and complex fab issues. It is a good starting material for me, even though I might sometime get lost reading concepts from it only. It is great resource when you have it in company of another fab book. hence complememting each other. Have fun digging this!!!!!!!!



4. For a beginner in my Nano and Micro engineering classes this book is simple enough to read that I dont feel like i am completely lost in it. I suggest this if you are looking for a semiconductor/mosfet book that is less expensive yet thorough.

5 comments about Working with Concrete.

1. This is the better book on pouring concrete forms that Taunton Press offers.
   When I bought the book I was a complete novice. Now after 1 1/2 years and several large projects I am starting to learn what is missing. The book does not talk about the design of the forms. For example concrete exerts 150lb/sqft for ever foot of height. At the bottom of a 2ft wall the pressure is 300lbs but at the bottom of a 8ft wall the pressure is 1200lb/sqft. The plywood, 2x4 bracing, and ties need to be set for the height of a wall.
   You can lessen the number of ties in a wall by using stronger ties but then you have to make sure the grid spacing of the 2x4's will support the plywood.
   The pressure on the plywood can also lessened if the pour is slowed down or done in two stages but if it is a small job that will take less than a hour to do the forms will get the full pressure.
   With the first form sys I rented there was nothing telling me how much pressure the forms would take. Trying to save some money I set everything up with ties on a 4'x 2' grid pattern this is O.K for say a 3ft wall but (lucky for me the guy that was going to pump the concrete told me)not strong enough for a 7ft wall.
   There are many different types of form sys if the one that is shown in the book is not available in your area you will need to do more research.
   If you are using a small inline pumper truck you need to order the concrete with small rock.
   Bracing the wall is also very important you are dealing with tons of weight so make sure the bracing holding the wall vertical/straight is done well.
   
   Forms are also called Falsework.
   
   With rebar in the form it is just about impossible to spray the form release on without getting it on the re-bar. It is better to spray the form boards before setting them up or ...
   Make sure you strip the forms 1 - 2 days after the pour then you don't need form release. Any spilt concrete be easy to break up.
   
   Added Dec. 10 2007
   
   Rent a concrete vibrator and hit the sides of the forms with a hammer to get rid of the air. Don't over vibrate the concrete or you will make big air bubbles.
   
   For form stripping buy a 5ft wrecking bar with a 90 degree end not a crow bar with a hook. The 5ft bar cut the stripping time in half.
   
   Hitachi makes a rebar bender/cutter I have rented several times it is great tool.



2. It gave a lot of great information for bigger jobs with concrete. We were initially looking for something on a much smaller scale, but we are going to be doing our driveway soon, and this book had much needed information on how to do it yourself.



3. Covered many areas and ideas that were new to me (like rebar chairs and footing brackets), but I wish more coverage had been shown on dealing with hydronic tubing in slabs. Even the hydronic books lack specificity on how to maintain tubing at uniform location in slab so as not to be too deep, yet not so close to surface to prevent damage by saw-cut control joints. Would have also like to have seen more discussion on powered trowels for flatwork, and finishing stairs so as not to see formwork impressions on riser (says to leave formwork on for several days, but that means no texturing options for the risers.)



4. Minimal coverage of additives, finishing, and concrete mix variations. Good coverage
   of form building and setting. Not as complete as the title implies; really another formwork book.



5. comprehensive book on concrete - just what I was looking for before building my own house.

3 comments about Dynamics of Flight: Stability and Control.

1. "Dynamics of Fligth, Stability and Control" is a basic book for beginners who want to learn dynamics of flight. It doesn't have too many complicated equations and formula, but using simple phrases and sentenses to make readers can access easily. As my junior-college text book, I think this book is worthy.



2. Flight Dynamics is one of the most important and complicated fields in aerospace engineering. At my university KFUPM, students taking AE 426 (Flight Dynamics) are required to do 3 projects to pass the course. For these reasons, I have purchased 4 books in flight dynamics. Dynamics of Flight is one of these books that I would love to comment on in this review. Below is a list of points that summarizes my personal opinion about this book.

   1)Compared to other flight dynamics book I used, Simplicity in this book, in particular, is something worthy of remark. You would not see big fat hamburger equations.

   2)The policy mentioned above is quite very good, as it has made me in further read in this field. And this why I highly recommend it to beginners.

   3)By and large, it is clear and easy to understand.

   4)The book has good balance between theory and application.

   5)At the end of each chapter, there is quite good number of problems to solve. However, the final answers to these questions are not provided.

   6)I am 80% satisfied with the number of examples provided in this book compared to the number of examples provided in (Introduction to Aircraft flight Dynamics + Flight Dynamics Principles). But, it worth to mention that I faced similar problems (Boeing 747 numerical examples) given in this book in my major exams.Also we had some problems in which we were asked to write/ define flight dynamics and its importance. I found the answer to such equations in chapter 1 of this book as it has excellent introduction to flight dynamics.

   7)This book was helpful to me in writing two of my project plus in my major exams as I mentioned earlier.

   8) Very good appendixes at the end of the book that will refresh your mind in some topics required in this course.

   9)Objectives of each chapter are stated.

   10)The authors did excellent job by listing important points. In fact, this is something wonderful and remarkable in this book.

   11)The figures that the authors used in explaining the equations of motion of a rigid airplane are not so good.

   12)No PC programs in this book




3. This book is used for my third-year course, AerE 355-Aircraft Flight Dynamics and Control. All of my fellow classmates agree that this book leaves much to be desired. From day one, we joked, "This book is 1/3 the size of my other texts, yet twice the price... every page better be pure gold." It is not gold. It leaves many things undefined or ill-defined. I have never spent more time in a book searching for useful definitions. The reason I give it two stars is because no book can be as bad as Riley/Sturgis books.

3 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. There is a ton of information on three-phase power electronics, converters, and etc. I feel guilty for not being able (time wise) to read all of it.



3. 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.