5 comments about Welder's Handbook : A Complete Guide to Mig, Tig, Arc & Oxyacetylene Welding (Hp1264).

1. This book is great resource for learning about different techniques for welding and cutting. It focuses on the equipment, safety, and skills and is written in a first person voice that makes the subject very approachable.
   
   Rather than treating the subject as clinically as other welding books do, the author speaks from his own experience, and has plenty of notes about the details that characterize improving skill. The author provides anecdotes about disasters, but also reassures the reader that success is possible as long as they pay attention to what they're doing.
   
   I came across this book in a bookstore along with a few other welding books. This one was by far the best as an introduction. It also provided enough knowledge quickly to be able to make informed decisions about what techniques and equipment would be appropriate for the task that got you interested in welding. Overall, this book is like having a shop teacher with you. The other welding books were like surface level surveys of the subject - sparse and full of disclaimers voiding themselves of responsibility if you blow up your garage.



2. An easy to understand book on welding. Well laid out, and written in plain English
   
   Ideal for the beginner, or as a refresher for the experienced welder.
   Cheap enough to buy one for a friend too



3. The author spends to much time telling you how he's so good he welds nuclear reactors & aircraft.
   But, his information on TIG welding is plain wrong.
   Dont buy this book, go to the Miller Welding web site to find Accurate FREE info.



4. For beginners or if you just need a review, the info in this book is invaluable.



5. I think the book spends a lot of time telling what the author has accomplished as a welder, and little time talking about how to weld. Spare me the self-promotion and fill those pages with real information

No comments about Design Matters: Packaging 01: An Essential Primer for Today's Competitive Market (Design Matters).

5 comments about The Packaging Designer's Book of Patterns.

1. "The Packaging Designer's Book of Patterns", currently in this newly revised third edition, is a massive collection of cardboard and corrugated board packaging designs. The book has a small introduction to these materials, highlighting the basic principles behind scoring and die-cutting, plus some information on the common printing processes available for folding carton and some comparison charts between the materials. There is a chapter (mostly in diagram form) about closures and corner locks, which could perhaps benefit from some extra (textual) aids, but it serves its basic purpose. The book chapters are organized by packaging type (Folding Carton, Set-up Paper Boxes, Corrugated Containers and Point-of-Purchase Displays), with various designs of cartons, tubes, trays, multi-packs, point-of-purchase displays, shipping containers, etc. Each design features both the pattern and assembled forms, but there is little or no accessory information to complement them (the author states that this is intentional, not to "stifle the creative process", but as he himself states, many people have asked for this, so why not give the people what they want? Maybe a fourth edition will correct this). There is practically a design for every use imaginable, and you can surely adapt the designs to other purposes as well. Supposedly, these designs are ready to be scanned or photocopied (be aware that some of the designs are patented), but you will probably find this very difficult without damaging the book's spine, as many of the graphics are too close to the inner margin and will most likely suffer distortion if scanned/photocopied. To make matters worse, the paper used for the pages is also incredibly thin for a book of this size and at times, even with mere handling, I am genuinely afraid of making a tear in them. Whether you are a hobbyist looking for functional packaging patterns, a student trying to learn from practical examples or a designer looking for inspiration, this book will most definitely be of use.



2. The information is a great database for packaging design, but, it comes in a very thin paper. As you use, handle it, you'll feel as if your book is melting in your hands. And you'll miss a CD-ROM with the patterns, in a vetorial format. I have no idea why they didn't provide that.



3. The patterns in this book are fantastic - a great book for designers of all types. My only wish is that it came with a CD ROM of the patterns.



4. I bought this book after seeing a copy one of my graphic design professors had, actually the class was package design. Not being a graphic designer well-versed in packaging, I ended up buying this book and it's served as a wonderful resource for ideas. I only wish it came with the patterns on CD in Adobe Illustrator format or something, that would save me the time scanning, hand-drawing and tweaking the templates. But it's still worth having if you do any sort of package design.



5. I have looked and analised the book, and compared with the Peppin Press books, this book is all you need to learn and study packaging design.
   This book will teach me and maybe you how we can design packaging.
   
   All cash deserved

5 comments about More Workbench Silencers.

1. The only criticism I have of this little book is that it was way too short; I wanted to see more of these elegant designs.
   
   My favorite was the silencer for the Maverick 88 bullpup shotgun firing 575 grain subsonic slugs. With some aluminum tubing, sturdy PVC pipe and fittings, steel wool, and a clamp, the author puts together a heavy-duty silencer capable of withstanding and suppressing the blast of a 12-gauge shotgun. Although an easily-constructed "disposable" silencer, it has the lines of a professional model that was designed for that particular weapon.
   
   I don't know what the other reviewer's problem is; anyone who knows anything about silencers can attest the soundness of these designs. (Maybe it's George Hayduke trying to disparage his competition!)



2. You will be better off doing a search on the net. I will say this positive about the book...it proves anything can actually get published. If you spend a couple of hours on the net you could write a better book...



3. The designs in this book are simple, lo-tech, and surprisingly effective. Being a good do-it-yourselfer helps, as does a good assortment of hand tools (which if you don't own, you will end up owning by the time you finish the book). Some of the designs are open to improvement, and adaptation to other circumstances. Additionally, they can be adapted to what supplies you have available. It makes for interesting trips to hardware stores.
   
   Remember safety first. Start with wide tolerances, which reduce effectiveness but increase safety. As your skills become more precise, reduce the tolerances. Oh, and of course, don't do any of it, because it is illegal.



4. I bought this book out of curiosity. Upon reading this book, I am not impressed. I am not an engineer, nor do I claim to be, But in my opinion,
   there is no information in here that anyone who even knows what a suppressor is does not know already. I am dissapointed with my purchase and wished I bought other literature.



5. Mr. Hollenbeck's first how to book on silencers was terrific, and this one follows suit. The instructions are easy to follow with clear pictures. You can't go wrong with this book.

2 comments about Ethics in Information Technology.

1. This text is highly reductionist. From the beginning his only concern is argue for protecting from monitary loss (he describes unethical behavior based on how much money you loose). In summary this is a book designed to develop a background for understanding why we have corporate security on IT/IS systems. The book really should be titled "MIS and Corporate Security the Current Social Backdrop".

   There is nothing real for the student to grab ahold of from an ethical stand point. Use this as source book for indentifying the current trends but don't expect it to cause your students to think.




2. You don't normally think of ethical issues in the case of information technology, but this book brings many, many questions to the fore. ==For instance should American companies (Sun, Cisco, Yahoo! & Goodle) assist the Chinese government in censoring web access. They block access to words like 'Dalai Lama' and 'democracy.'
   
   We have seen a raft of corporations filing bogus financial statements. These were undoubtedly produced on a computer. What about access to porn sights from public facilities like libraries or schools? What about pirated software, or pirated movies or songs. And computer controlled surveillance - it is said that the average person in London appears on 300 cameras. Where does a right to privacy interfere with a society's right to protection from vandals, from terrorists.
   
   This book features white pages and grey pages. The white pages describe facts, laws, rules, equipment and so on. The grey pages summarize the chapters but then give a large number of questions that either review the material or which can service as discussion questions for classroom use.

5 comments about Operations Management for Competitive Advantage with Student DVD.

1. This is a very good book required by many MBA programs. The book contains much useful information with detailed analysis and examples. The biggest problem I have with this book is the use of the word "it." I find it hard to figure out what "it" is. "Rule 3. Merge Information-Processing Work into the Real Work That Produces the Information. This means that people who collect information should also be responsible for processing it. It minimizes the need for another group to reconcile and process that information..." There are countless examples of the use of "it." In the same section (Principles of Reengineering) the authors make note that "it" refers to the actual rule 3, while in rule 4, "it" is noted as the result of the rule. The authors could have chosen an alternate phrase instead of confusing the reader with the lack vocabulary. Although, I have the problem with pronoun usage, the book is very well laid out and flows greatly from operations strategy to supply chain planning and control. The supplements that are available with the book include financial analysis tools, operations technology tools as well as sample problems.



2. I didn't get a chance to use this book, dropped the class after I ordered it.



3. you should get the international addition. the hard cover was too heavy to carry to all the open book exams haha.



4. This book seems to pretty good. My instructor that had us buy it for class has decided to not really use now though. But as far as I can tell it is pretty good book if you are interested in manufacturing.



5. Outdated edition still a bit pricey for some reason. But it is exactly what I purchased.

5 comments about Welding.

1. When I purchased this book I had already scheduled a stick welding class at the local vocational school. I wanted something that would help me not seem like a total noob when I got there. This book helped out greatly! This is a very infomative book and provides a good overview of all welding types.



2. For the novice only, Broad coverage of oxyaectylene welding and cutting, soldering and general information pertaining to various metals. Only a brief mention of arc welding though. 5 star rating only for those not interested in arc welding !!!



3. I bought this book on the strength of previous reviews and absolutely no experience at welding, brazing, silver-soldering, silver-brazing, sweat-soldering, or any other metal-joining skill beyond electronics soldering. It was a good choice. The author covers his subject thoroughly, clearly knows much more than he can pack into this book, and is able to present it all in an understandable fashion. There may be other books aimed at welding specialties that cover them in greater depth than this book does; this can tell you enough to let you decide whether you need more info or not. There is enough here to enable a neophyte to select, intelligently, the equipment required to accomplish whatever project he is considering. The rest is practice. The only thing lacking in the text is minor: a single color section demonstrating the differences in flames for different purposes. That information is carried by black-and-white line drawings in this book. They may be enough; I would feel a bit better-informed with a color photo (or illustration, for that matter).



4. This book i just great for oxyacetyle newcomer like me. I got really good step by step indrodution. There are a lot of helpfull tips to get jobs done. I like this book because its clearly made an its what i need to build up my skills.



5. I've been wanting to learn to weld, and all the local classes I can find seem to be geared towards getting certified instead of just teaching a hobbiest/mechanic/fixit person. So, I figured I'd just get a book and teach myself. This book seems to have all the basics I'll need to get started.

5 comments about Customize the Ruger 10/22.

1. Excellent presentation of both text and illustrations. Material very helpful to both inexperienced shooters as well as old pros.



2. This book was well written and organized. I found it very helpful in answering some questions I had about my Ruger 10-22. It was a good value.



3. This book is a 'must have' if you own a Ruger 10/22 rifle. Very informative!



4. The first shipment was wrong, I returned it with a picture of the cover showing the thumb hole stock. Second book arrived, the same as the first.
   Not the thumb hole stock, but the none thumb hole stock which I had. I want the edition with a thumb hole stock on it, even if it is just a new cover on the one I have.
   Why is it people do not think, read and pay attention to what or why things are returned? I'll go to Barns and Noble at the mall and try there.
   The first book is very, very good if you shoot and own a Ruger 10/22! It has more information, how to, where to find, about the 10/22 than any book I have found to date.



5. As a machinist, and amature gunsmith, I'm fairly well versed on how to modify guns. However, there's no need to reinvent the wheel if it's already been done. Since this was my first 10/22 buildup, this book helped just by being able to see all the different possible combination of parts one could use for a modified 10/22. The accuracy tests with various ammo brands vs. different rifle mods give the new owner a great place to start. If you've been around modified 10/22's for a while, this info might not be too much of a surprise. But for the person getting into this type of gun for the first time, it is very informative, and time saving in the long run.

5 comments about Normal Accidents: Living with High-Risk Technologies.

1. Perrow sets out a framework for thinking about the causes of 'normal' i.e. unpreventable accidents by looking at the coupling of features in a system and then overlays the potential severity of a failure to draw conclusions about the real reasons for catastrophes beyond the often useless explanations of user error and acts of God. This is a book that is more often quoted than read, which is a pity as it is well written and thoughtful, though the final attacks on social power relations are a bit over the top.



2. having obtained a second hand copy of "Normal Accidents" in the original 1984 edition, it is fascinating to see how many of the accident scenarios are still valid today. When compared with Lagadec's thesis published in 1982 ("Major Technological Risk", Pergamon Collection Futuribles, o. o. p.), the style is easier to understand, and the book is leaning a little more towards US culture and thinking of the 1980s. Incidentally, Lagadec himself reflected in a 1997 paper how "Normal Accident Theory" had become one of the generic views that engineers and/or sociologists had developed since the early 1990s. Even in 1996, Hood and Jones ("Contemporary Debates in Risk Management") quote Perrow as one of the significant contributors to the fundamental debate in risk management.
   I very much enjoyed reading one of the early works in disaster and accident theory. Recommended without hesitation, and essential when you are looking for a deeper understanding of the theories that are around today.



3. I purchased and read the book for the concepts but enjoyed the examples. However, I did find several errors in the events in which I am familiar. Specifically those of space flight. In as little as four pages (pp267-270) he makes three errors. It makes me wonder about the accuracy of the rest of the book's examples.
   
   Just for the record:
   1) He attributes the second orbital flight of Mercury to Scott Crossfield when in fact it was Scott Carpenter. Crossfield was an X-15 test pilot of great skill, while Carpenter has been noted as the "worst astronaut in the program" by Chris Kraft. There are many accounts of Mr. Kraft openly wondering how Carpenter got to be an astronaut in the first place let alone being allowed to fly into space. This might better explain the events instead of it being a process - system problem.
   
   2) It was almost certain then, and now after the recent recovery of Gus Grissom's Mercury capsule absolutely confirmed, that Gus did NOT blow the hatch. This would have been know at the time of my copy's printing.
   
   3) It was Glenn's heat shield not the landing pack, which the status light indicated had come loose. This would have explained the reluctance of ground control to inform the astronaut since not much could have been done if true.
   
   Of course these are minor and don't lead the author to any significantly different conclusions than if they were corrected. But the sloppiness does make me lower it to a 4 instead of 5 stars.



4. This book will change the way you think. It's as simple as that. Really eye-opening and persuasive arguments and examples as to why the absence of accidents per se is not an adequate indicator of a system's safety. Near-accidents are a better metric. Fascinating!



5. This was a very good look at the complexities of modern technology although the analysis and conclusions could be just as valid for any complex system. The issue I see with the book is that the information seems to be dated. There are a number of places where the author draws conclusions based on a lack of experience, technology operating hours, with the systems involved that may or may not be valid based on today's experience. It would be very interesting to see an update to determine if some of his assumptions are correct. If you are looking for an introduction to how portions of complex systems may interact in unpredictable ways, this is a good starting place.

5 comments about The Clock Repairer’s Handbook.

1. This book was a total waste of money for me. The UK English is nearly impossible to decipher at times. It is very difficult reading. This mihgt be a good book for experts but is worthless to the beginner. The author describes repair in detail, but assumes the reader knows all the technical terms being used without explaining them. The drawings are difficult to decipher. Photos would have been better. If you are a beginner looking for a good book to get started in clock repair, this isn't it!



2. Very difficult book to comprehend. Just about useless as an aid to repairing clocks. I think a lot of it has to do with the language gap between American English and what the people in Britain speak. I am sorry I wasted my money on this book.



3. Excellent book!! Very detailed. It will require study, but is easily understood. And it's ALL in there- ftom nubie to expert. I've purchased 5 books, and this is the last one. I'll never need another.



4. A very concise and detailed book, with many simple graphics but no photographs and certainly not of use to the novice who just wants to clean up and maintain a collection of old clocks.



5. The book arrived quickly, and in good shape. The book has a lot of good information, with clear diagrams.