5 comments about The Papermaker's Companion: The Ultimate Guide to Making And Using Handmade Paper.

1. Finally, I found a book that isn't about pretty pictures and way out there techniques. This book is about making paper. Helen gives you all the nuances necessary to make paper on your own. This is a comprehensive, information-packed book that is THE must-have for any beginner or even intermediate. Too many books show us beautiful photos of great art work but neglect to give us those finer details that would make our efforts a success. This book shows you how to succeed.



2. I checked the Papermaker's Companion out of the library just for some basic information about paper making. I found myself referring to it so often that I renewed the loan. And again. Finally, I broke down and bought my own copy. The recipes and instructions are clear and fairly comprehensive. The book contains at least a basic explanation of everything from using recycled paper to making your own pulp from plants and leaves. The projects are interesting and clearly explained. This is a good reference book for experienced paper makers and a good beginner's guide for those just starting out. Although it does contain a few projects for kids, this book is more appropriate for older teens and adults.



3. This is a comprehensive little book for those who want to learn about making paper! The title says it all. It is pretty clear; both in its instructions as well as detailing the material needed. It can guide you through something simple that will leave you with a piece of paper so you can say "I did it" and its not for me. Or, help you set up a full studio so you can really get into making paper for art, for gift giving, for writing, for what ever purpose. If the latter becomes your passion, then you will probably have to move on to something more detailed for expanding your craft. This is a nice, basic beginner book, although not a "papermaking for dummies" level. Read it through, figure out where you want to start, and give it a try!



4. book is well written and covers all the basics pretty well. onecan get stqrted making paper by following guidelines in this book. addresses most needs and covers method well.



5. This book approaches paper making in a way that is so simple anyone can manage it. It explains the process in a readable way and inserts interesting bits of history and background on the way.

5 comments about Juran's Quality Handbook (McGraw-Hill International Editions: Industrial Engineering Series).

1. Excellent reference. I used this in my Six Sigma Black Belt course. I referenced it many times. I could not have passed the test without it. Some of the chapters (e.g. quality in foriegn countries) did not interest me, but seemed to be well written -- such is the case anyway with references. I heard Dr. Godfrey speak at a national conference -- he is a real champion for Six Sigma.



2. The most complete quality reference available.
   The fifth edition includes new material on ISO 9000, benchmarking, the Baldrige and other awards, adoption of Strategic Quality Planning and TQM, management leadership for quality, self-directing teams, quality function deployment, and Tuguchi Methods.



3. Excellent reference..........Oh man the language and the content rocks. You need to read other books to appreciate this book more.
   Quality pro's..........you need to have one of this for sure.
   
   Warning: Not a best choice for "just preparing for a certification exam". It is too much of content for a "small goal of exam". Primer seems to do a good job



4. 
   "Juran's Quality Handbook" is an excellent book on Quality by one of the most well known quality gurus. The book gives a comprehensive coverage of the subject of quality management. It includes the latest techniques on quality as well as quality theories.
   
   This is a very useful book for those who are interested in producing quality goods and services in a customer focused organization. This huge tome is of immense value to all those involved with the quality profession and is an excellent reference book that covers the wide range of topics and subjects pertaining to quality.
   
   This is a well written book that is very useful for all businesses where quality matters (that is, all businesses). This should be essential reading for quality specialists such as control and quality assurance personnel.



5. For decades Joseph Juran has been a famous name in the quality movement. He formed his own institute for quality and has for many years edited an extensive volume on methods for improving quality in manufacturing processes. This Quality Handbook, now in its fifth edition has long been the basic reference for quality engineers and statistician alike. To honor Juran, the fifth edition is titled Juran's Quality Handbook. The volume is now over 900 pages and consists of 48 chapters and 5 appendices. There are 53 authors including Juran himself and his colleague and co-editor Blanton Godfrey. Many other well-known persons have contributed. It includes a chapter on government services by Vice President Al Gore. Prominent statisticians who have contributed include Don Marquardt, Stu Hunter, Bill Meeker, Luis Escobar, Gerry Hahn, Ed Schilling, Ed Dudewicz and Necip Doganaksoy.
   As a statistician, I particularly like having a wealth of practical statistical information and tables in one source. Dudewicz provides the introductory statistical material necessary to understand the four other statistical chapters that follow it (SPC by Wadsworth, Acceptance Sampling by Schilling, Design and Analysis of Experiments by Hunter and Reliability Concepts and Data Analysis by Meeker, Escobar, Doganaksoy and Hahn). These are all distinguished authors who are excellent writers and several have written whole text books on these subjects. This edition is up-to-date with the latest advances in quality techniques. Statistical advances in robust design (Taguchi methods), bootstrap methods, process control and capability are all included. Juran and Deming had major practical impact on the quality movement because they both emphasized the need for proper process management. This can be seen in many of the non-statistical chapters that deal with successful management techniques such as six sigma.
   
   This edition is even better than the previous editions and is indeed worthy of the title of bible. Despite the high cost this book is prominent on my bookshelf. I recommend it to anyone heavily involved in product reliability, even if they own copies of previous editions!

5 comments about Manufacturing Processes for Engineering Materials (5th Edition).

1. I think that the book is very good on the fundamentals of manufacturing and a must read. It serves as an excellent reference book in my opinion and is well worth its high price tag.



2. This book is one of the best in manufacturing engineering, even if there are a few mistakes in some mathematical deductions. I think it is a very didactic and easy to learn book, it shows almost every manufacturing process used by modern industry.



3. This book is one of the best in manufacturing engineering, even if there are a few mistakes in some mathematical deductions. I think it is a very didactic and easy to learn book, it shows almost every manufacturing process used by modern industry.



4. The emphasis of this book seems to be more on the basic mechanics of the different processes it describes. That's fine, and important to understand manufacturing, but...

   BUT, he gives very little attention to how the material being processed responds to the processing. Without a better understanding of the microstructural effects -- and ensuing DEfects -- it may be too hard to troubleshoot the processes described in this book.

   My professor was flipping through the early chapters of this book (where the materials issues are presented) and declared them "cheesy."

   So, to sum up: this good book becomes great by combining it with other books/courses/professors/etc that will interject materials issues into this books discussion of the mechanical issues.




5. i was privileged enough to have dr. kalpakjian as a teacher in college before he retired. we used his 3rd edition as our textbook. now as i start my career in engineering, i am finding that i need to refer to the book! i borrowed the book in college for his class and am now buying a copy for our office. a great reference. very well thought out book with excellent diagrams. worth every penny.

5 comments about Fabric Glossary (4th Edition).

1. I was a little disappointed that all of the pictures were blackand white. In order for this book to be useful to me, I would have topay [approx. $20.] plus shipping and handling to get the actual swatches used in this reference book.

   The text seemed to be very thorough and all fabric types are covered. For the price, I would have expected color photos of the swatches since it is difficult to judge texture from black and white. If you don't mind investing [more money] for the swatches, you'll be happy with this book.




2. Fantastic book! One that is extremely useful and one that I take everywhere with me. Perfect for new designers acquiring fabric sense. I know several firms where this book is a staple reference guide. A+++++



3. I received this book in a timely manner and it's in great condition. thanks.



4. It has places to attach sample of fabric so you can feel, touch, and learn about them. It is organized alphabetically which is nice if you know what fabric you are looking for. It should have an extra source to look up by the weave of fabric.



5. Okay. Remember those old sticker books? This is sort of like that, one swatch of fabric at a time, except you're not licking them...Sound tedious? Sort of, but the process of putting the swatches on the correct pages/descriptions is great tactile exercise. This is a good reference, and the suggested uses will help to keep you from making a really bad choice for a given project. A drawback to this book is that it gets a huge bulge in the middle, making it difficult to shelve or stack with other books and materials.

5 comments about Understanding Wine Technology: The Scienceof Wine Explained, New Edition.

1. Excellent book, covers a very good breadth of topics including many that my other books don't cover. Not extremely in-depth, but it covers the topic completely. I would highly recommend it.



2. Contrary to popular belief, this is not a winemaking textbook, rather it is a great look into the process of winemaking as it would pertain to a wine industry employee or wine expert. Anyone seriously trying to make wine should either view 'From Vines to Wines' by Jeff Cox (for home winemakers) or attend UC Davis (for large scale winemakers).
   
   As a Master of Wine student, I have found this to be a great addition to my wine library. Paired with the Oxford Wine Companion and Halliday's 'The Art and Science of Wine' this makes for a solid read.
   
   Pros: beautiful diagrams, great writing, wonderful knowledge
   Cons: some topics lack depth, paperback



3. This book is filled with misleading technical information. I am an enologist, and would NOT recommend it for anyone seriously interested in wine making. Wine textbooks may be more expensive, but they are comprehensive and present the correct, full, scientific information.



4. This book is a great introduction to wine science for the non-scientist. It is well written and thorough. While it's not a book for someone who's looking for information on how to troubleshoot problems in the winery or find answers to exactly what kind of equipment would be best for their unique situation, it does explain many different types of equipment, wine-making techniques, and the science behind the process. It is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in working in or starting up a winery.



5. I purchased this book for a course I will take in winemaking and finished the book before the class started. Good layman's description of the art and technology of wine making for the beginner winemaker who wants to start learning more than just hobbyist level.

5 comments about Value Stream Management.

1. This book gave me great insight to re-initialized our lean efforts. We have been so busy and got caught up in the value stream mapping craze and kaizen events, but little impact. This book did a superb job in laying out the eight steps, with all the forms, templates necessary to ensure sustainable results. Great work by the authors!



2. This book has helped in all areas of our business. We are incorporating it into all of our processes!! Wonderful training tool for any organization.



3. I use this book in my lean manufacturing class. It has good practical examples and a useful method for doing lean using the value stream mapping approach. I highly receommend this book for the first timers. I think someone who has no experience could get started using this book.



4. This book provides a practical approach for implementing lean manufacturing and what pit-falls should be avoided during the lean journey. Recommended for organizations that are beginning lean manaufacturing implementation.



5. VSM books shows interesting process to apply modern control thinking to production. However, clear products standardisation & determination process could be necessary before methods can be applied as well as possible.
   
   Discussed waste elimination is generally nice approach. Waste elimination possibilities in organisations should to be evaluated with this book and more generally at lean bibliography, because elimination of waste helps almost everybody. :)

2 comments about Wills' Mineral Processing Technology, Seventh Edition: An Introduction to the Practical Aspects of Ore Treatment and Mineral Recovery.

1. Its a readable book for being technical, its information is mediocre though. Work out examples and pictures very useful in understanding information.



2. This comprehensive book focuses on beneficiation methods. These include crushing, grinding, comminution, froth flotation, dense medium separation, etc. Parts of this book are quantitative, and suggested Excel spreadsheet formats are provided.
   
   There is a relatively sophisticated introduction to the economics of metal recovery. For instance, when tin occurs within easily-accessible alluvial deposits, as little as 0.01% tin (that's a mere 100 ppm) is commercially exploitable. In contrast, when tin occurs in veins that require deep mining to reach it, a minimum level of 1.5% may be necessary to make it worth getting (p. 4).
   
   Considering their increasing importance in recent years, there is little attention devoted to the rare earth minerals. However, the table provided on the polarity of minerals (p. 270) includes some commonly REE-bearing ones (e. g. apatite, monazite). Likewise, the table provided on the electrical behavior of minerals (p. 367) includes the same two minerals.
   
   Virtually all mining operations involve the production of mine waste. Apropos to this, there is a helpful chapter on methods of dealing with mine tailings.

No comments about Manufacturing, Engineering & Technology (5th Edition).

5 comments about The Organic Chem Lab Survival Manual: A Student's Guide to Techniques.

1. very helpful for organic chemistry lab, very clear directions and the author writes in a way geared towards students so it is funny



2. Zubrick's manual gives a comprehensive overview of fundamental lab methods. I've found it to be very useful on many ocassions. However, some of the explanations could be improved with discussion of the theory, especially the sections on chromatography. Even so, it's cheaper than other books and explains many techniques very well.



3. This is a phenomenal book in which Mr. Zubrick brings down the complexities involved in Organic Chemistry Lab into terms that undergraduates can understand. Also, in something I've never seen done before, he adds humor to his writing. I actually enjoy reading this book, and get more out of it then any other lab text I've ever read. If you take Organic Chemistry Lab without it, you're doing yourself a pretty big diservice.



4. This small book was a requirement in my organic chemistry lab last year. Unfortunately, I think I'm the only one who actually read it. Had others cracked the binding a few times I imagine there would have been fewer exploding flasks and spilled beakers. This awesome little text explains (with humor) the best ways to set up apparatus for experiments, to avoid explosions, and to get in and out of the lab quickly with as few mistakes as possible. I'm happy to report that I never lost any glassware to an explosion, though I did lose a couple pieces to carelessness. Zubrick also covers basic distillation, separation, washing, and extraction techniques, as well as briefly covering spectroscopy. A very simple and helpful book for ochem undergrads.



5. This book is the definitive guide to organic chemistry, whether you're a student or graduate, everything is in here! I bought is as a required book for Organic Lab I, but I recommend it as a reference for any chemist.

5 comments about Practical Lean Accounting: A Proven System for Measuring and Managing the Lean Enterpise.

1. Best book on how to get your accoutning function to look at, use and make use of lean costing which really makes your lean projects work.



2. "Practical Lean Accounting" is the best management accounting book I've read in 20 years - maybe more. Well written and illustrated with plenty of examples and diagrams, it adds new tools to management accounting and restores the relevance of some older ones. As such I recommend it to all management accountants and students - whether or not you are involved in lean accounting itself.
   
   The aim of the book is to "produce a roadmap for finance managers in companies seeking to transition their organisations into lean enterprises". Lean accounting is a new approach to managing a business and, as management accountants, we have a duty to be there. As the authors say "it's never too early to start dismantling the company's transaction driven control systems. They represent huge amounts of waste and cost to the organisation !".
   
   Specifically, lean management seeks to radically restructure the organisation into Value Streams (rather than functional departments), and this requires new management accounting tools including Value Stream performance measures, Box Scores, new methods of planning and budgeting, target costing and a whole host of other tools. The book explores all these tools in detail. The introduction of "lean" tools also allows significant reduction in transactions in the company's accounting processes, including the elimination of full-absorption costing.
   
   Lean accounting is, therefore, designed to replace "traditional" accounting techniques which encourage inefficient practices such as building inventory, and often lead to poor management decisions (using Standard costs). Traditional measures are also too complicated for operational employees to understand easily and are often too late to be useful in shopfloor decision making. Lean accounting, by contrast, is very much focused on simple visual shopfloor measures for instant decision making, coupled with management accounting tools for longer term planning.
   
   "Practical Lean Accounting" provides a good overview of the lean management process, and excellent linkage to management accounting activities. Highly recommended.



3. "Who's Counting" and "Practical Lean Accounting" are two great books on lean accounting. I wondered some time ago, which one to read and I am glad that I could not decide, so I bought and read them both. They complement each other extremely well and each one conveys the lessons of lean accounting from a different angle.
   
   "Practical Lean Accounting" is a well structured textbook, approaching lean accounting in a systemized way. Starting from straight-forward shop-floor measurements, like the day-by-the-hour report, it gradually immerses the reader into more demanding topics, like value stream costing or lean performance measurement, culminating in the thorough description of the Sales, Operations and Financial Planning (SOFP) process, which is the way, how an entire lean enterprise is planned, controlled and measured. Lean practitioners looking for specific answers to particular questions will find it easy to navigate through the book. People with the luxury of time for reading it cover to cover will also like it, due to the gradual increase in the complexity of the topics and the many references to other chapters.
   
   "Who's Counting" focuses more on the human side of turning the vision of lean accounting into reality. The novel format is the best way to illustrate, how strong the resistance against change will be and from how many corners of the organization it will attack back. Knowing what to do and knowing why is not enough, the issue is not capturing people's brains. The real challenge is conquering their hearts, while tearing down decades worth of wrong beliefs, bad trade-offs and political game-playing. Mike, the hero of the book teaches us through his own mistakes, that patience, tactfulness and respect for people is more helpful, then acting like a bull in a china shop. The reward is the enthusiastic desire of fellows to go his way and take ownership of the new processes. He even manages to turn Fred, a CFO who has to recognize, that most of what he built during his career was wrong, to use the 3 years until his retirement for becoming the most enthusiastic advocate of change!
   
   Both books provide the reader with insight and incite self-reflection about "the way, we do things". There is hardly any chapter without a sacred cow being slaughtered, however this will strike the reader as plain common sense, due to the thorough description of the reasons. Deeply engrained management practices, such as approval routings, full absorption overhead allocation, standard costing or departmental budgeting will seem ridiculous, once the reader starts to open the eyes to see their fundamentally wrong assumptions.
   
   These books will make You hate many of Your current processes!



4. Well structured and very clear concepts, It help me to have a deep understanding of how to develop a value stream mapping. I really recommend it.



5. I've seen it (and lived it) multiple times. An Exec kicks off a Lean Initiative and the company creates a Lean Enterprise. At first, its all about training, Kaizen Blitz, 5S, prototype cells and Kanbans. The focus is about 95% shop floor processes. But after a while, the program starts to stall. Folks start seeing two sets of rules (traditional MRP and Lean), but none of the traditional goes away. So Lean start sounding and feeling like just a bunch of extra paperwork and steps without any obvious benefit to those who "live it" every day. In the end, the program fails or the Lean Enterprise is reorganized to try again, usually with similar results. This book clearly explains what is happening. It also provides a different perspective to the initial Lean implementation strategies that will help pull the organization through that first big stalling out and propel the initiative into true effectiveness. A "must read" book for anyone that is or is going to be dealing with a fledgling Lean initiative.