5 comments about Modern Welding.

1. As advertised, this book is comprehensive in scope - even the most esoteric forms of industrial welding are covered. It is a good reference text, but probably not a good beginner's how-to book. As a welding amateur, this book expanded my knowledge of the subject tremendously. The text is oriented more towards commercial and industrial welding that amateur welding.

   One subject that is not covered that would have been most helpful is the electrical needs of welding equipment and how they are or can be met.




2. Get started SAFELY in any type of welding: Gas, Mig, Tig, or Stick. Use this book to fill in any gaps in basic formal training (such as from a local Community College, which is highly recommended for learning proper techniques) or knowledge. The book is filled with outstandingly detailed illustrations, tables and pictures that cover the different machine particulars, proper set ups and hand movement techniques that will allow anyone to produce consistantly strong welds on just about any material. Check it out: this book has so much information, and is layed out in such a way that it is easily worth twice the asking price!



3. I purchased Modern Welding- the "paperback" version, used off of Amazon, however, when it arrived today I was dismayed to discover that the "paperback" edtion is a Lab Manual, that is, a quiz that accompanies the text book. Well, I am out some cash and back at square one- I still need a copy of Modern Welding, too bad Amzon did not state that there is no Paperback version of Modern Welding.



4. Excelente la atención de Amazon. El libro: Muy bueno, es un compendio del arte de la soldadura que ayudará a cualquiera que desee introducirse en este campo. Contiene grán cantidad de información tanto de equipos como de procesos y técnicas. Desearía si que tuviese un poco mas de profundidad en el tema de la soldadura por resistencia del aluminio. Soy ingeniero mecánico, grán parte de mi trabajo tiene relación con soldadura y recomiendo de todas maneras leer este libro.



5. the book beat other books from Alibris and was the right book unlike Alibris

3 comments about Analysis, Synthesis, and Design of Chemical Processes (2nd Edition) (Prentice Hall International Series in the Physical and Chemical Engineering Sciences).

1. I really like how they focused on Hysys which is what is mostly used in industry. This is a great book for undergrads and grad taking designs in chemical engineering.



2. Item received as described. Took much longer than expected. Seller didn't notify me that there would be a two week delay until I contacted them and waited several days for a response.



3. It's a very helpful book for getting a real and useful information about the common tasks and activities in the engineering design

5 comments about Introduction to Operations Research and Revised CD-ROM 8.

1. Although we used the 8th ed in a recent course, it is probably the most well thought out O.R. intro you will find - good relevant case study material for the interested practitioner as well. Not too mathematically rigorous w.r.t. research, but examples are detailed enough, and the book also has a great selection of seemingly real-life practice problems. I especially appreciate ancillary chapters (e.g. crystal ball, project mgmt) being kept on the CD-ROM, it makes it a lot easier to carry and read on the train!



2. The book may be suitable for some people but I found the explanations excessively long-winded. I frequently found myself crossing out an entire paragraph and a writing summary sentence in the margin. I do not think it will make a good reference because it is very easy to get lost in its verbosity. This is problematic in the real world when you need to refresh your memory of a small detail under time pressure. This book is useful for learning new concepts for the first time but you will quickly outgrow it.



3. I haven't read the whole book, only selected chapters. Good book with thorough explanations (but may be considered by some too long winded). Very wordy in style, but OTOH has many examples (very important!) The style is for practioners - it's not a math or algorithms book.
   
   The bad side: no solutions on the back of the book, and no solutions manual to buy. Only instructors have access to the solutions manual. So, for self-study, you might want to look at the competition...ISBN: 0534380581



4. I hesitated a long time before I bought this book, and I am very sorry about that. I started my M.Sc. in Operations Research and Decisions at the Tel Aviv University 3 years ago, and the first course I took was Optimization. I was a new immigrant to Israel, and I had difficulty in understanding the subject in Hebrew (it is not that easy even when you master the language!) The course book was this one; therefore, I decided to put all my efforts in the book rather than in the classes. Thanks god!
   
   IMHO, Hillier and Lieberman make it clear that Operations Research is the father/mother of all the mathematical and statistical models that support decision making. They wrote the book in a way that all these models (including game theory, Markov models, decision trees, simplex, and others) seem closely linked to, or maybe even a consequence of, the development of Operations Research. The authors do not only explain models and techniques, they tell the story of the introduction of mathematics and statistics into the decision making world.
   
   I read this book from upside down ten times and I really enjoyed it. The examples are so well chosen and interesting that I still remember them. But the biggest advantage of the book is its wide range of subjects, each treated in-depth. I have used the book for three important courses during my masters: Optimization, Stochastic process, and Decision theory. For all these courses, this book was the most comprehensible and interesting resource (though sometimes it was only an introduction, and I had to find more detailed material). The subjects discussed on the book go from an introduction to Operations Research, through modeling techniques, linear programming (Simplex), duality theory, the transportation problem, network optimization, dynamic programming, integer programming, nonlinear programming, game theory, decision analysis, Markov chains, queueing theory, and inventory theory.
   
   Don't hesitate, if you got to this page you probably are looking for a good resource on Operations Research. This tome serves beginners, intermediates, and advanced knowledge seekers in the field.



5. Maybe not enough explanations behind maths. I didn't find the answers for the cases. Everything else is excellent. The DVD is very useful with Lingo / Lindo included.
   
   A must-have if you like Operations Research.

5 comments about Biomaterials Science, Second Edition: An Introduction to Materials in Medicine.

1. It's hard to cover EVERYTHING related to biomaterials in one book, but the topics that are covered in this book are done so in detail. I don't really like how the book is pretty much a collection of works, but I understand how this allows each topic to be covered by an expert in that field. Overall, I find this book to be very useful in all of my classes.



2. This is a great text that sums up the body's response to biomaterials. It has good introductory sections to materials science issues, tissue engineering, and immunology.



3. I had this book required for a class, and although it certainly has a lot of information, it is a very poor textbook especially for an introduction. There is WAY too much information on some subjects and unnecessary detail. It reads more like a collection of peer reviewed articles than it does a textbook. The authors need to learn to HIGHLIGHT the important results and summarize information in a concise way. Even graphs are presented in very confusing manner (variable symbols not consistent in comparable graphs. Many authors also makes for different style changes...
   
   Then again, I have little background in biology, and only moderate interest in the subject, so that might slant my opinion.



4. Not a product for the new biomaterialist. Recommended for persons in the field or planning to enter the field. Chapters are complete, concise and detailed allowing for quick analysis. The book is organized very cleanly and permits one to use either as a reference or as an in depth reference on the subject. Solid for use in lab.



5. This book is widely used for grad-level biomaterials courses and for a good reason: it is a compilation of the forefronts of biomaterials research, including chapters written by well-regarded experts in the field. Any biomaterials researcher can look through the list of contributors and tell you that almost every single one listed is a big name when it comes to biomaterials conferences. As such, the material is presented in a way that will benefit someone who's reading it for background or reference to projects in academic research/industrial R&D.
   
   This is a very heavy book materials-wise, and is NOT for anyone who is looking to have an easy, leisurely nighttime read. The topics may seem disconnected for the unprepared. For example, out of the entire "Types of Biomaterials" unit, there are individual chapters on hydrogels, metallic biomaterials, inorganic biomaterials, etc that took up maybe a good 200 pages, and it's almost difficult to go from one chapter to the next in one sitting and take it on like you would a textbook. For more of a structured textbook, you may want to refer to a book by Temenoff and Mikos published recently.
   
   Instead, this book is more of a fixture in the reference shelf of any biomaterials researcher. It is one that you pick up and read a few chapters out of depending on what you're planning on running experiments and furthering the field of. If you treat this book more as a reference book than a textbook, then you will find the reasons why it deserves 5 stars.

5 comments about Microwave Engineering.

1. I took a graduate course in Microwaves at ASU taught by a former student of the author for which this was the text. Overall, the book is well written and is an excellent teaching and learning tool. The problems at the end of each chapter are superb. The text provides excellent coverage of practical microwave engineering at an intermediate level.
   
   While coverage of basic EM theory is adequate enough as a refresher for someone who has seen the material, for a good introductory text, I would recommend the late John Kraus' classic Electromagnetics, or Field and Wave Electromagnetics by David Cheng.
   
   As a reference for practicing engineers it leaves a little something to be desired, in that many of the real nuggets of insight are glossed over in the text and developed in the problems at the end of each chapter. Hence - the book is great as a tool for learning, but not always as a ready reference for someone who has not worked the problems at the end of each chapter.
   
   That said, the book is very practical and clear, and will be of value to students and practicing engineers alike.



2. This serves well as an introductory textbook; however, when one wants to go deeper (which will be necessary in most uses outside of the classroom), the references aren't always comprehensive enough. That being said, this is often where I start.



3. Awesome book. Covers all the fundamentals, clearly, without sacrificing the math but keeping the reader alive. If you want to learn about microwave design, work in this field, do research in it, buy this book, it is the standard microwave text for the current generation of engineers.



4. This is a terrific book on microwave engineering. I bought this book because a professor recommended it, and I'm glad he did. My only complaints are that the book doesn't seem to have as much in depth coverage of mixers and oscillators as I would like (the section on mixers seems especially weak - for a better treatment of mixers you might want to try "The Design of CMOS Radio-Frequency Integrated Circuits" by Thomas Lee).



5. A friend showed me a copy of this book and after reviewing several chapteres I order my own copy. With so many books available it is hard to find an author who's information and explanation is clear, correct and valuable when working with transmission lines and antennas. This book covers the theory then breaks it down from complicated math models into simplified models for practical use. There are plentiful examples to follow or make clear the ideas. It is an excellent book to further onces knowledge of printed circuit board design or for applications which require the detailed anaylsis.

5 comments about Delmar's Standard Textbook of Electricity.

1. I've used different revisions of this book for years as I've progressed through my schooling in the electrical trade. This book is easy to read with many helpful illustrations. (yes I like books with pictures) This is the best textbook on electricity I've seen.



2. This book was puchased for a class. It was a good selection for a textbook. It is written clearly and has many pictures and examples to further explain the theory. There are helpful summaries and review questions at the end of each unit. A great overall textbook.



3. The textbook that I purchased was exactly what I needed for my class. It was in PERFECT condition and I got it quickly. The purchase process was very easy and and the book was delivered as I had anticipated. Thanks!



4. This is an AWFUL textbook. One person in our class has the 2nd edition, and it doesn't have any of these mistakes! The THIRD edition is a piece of GARBAGE! It was so difficult trying to comprehend complex formulas when the examples given arent even correct! Wrong values, wrong, math, wrong symbols, mislabeling...and we're only to chapter 30 so far.
   
   Simple things are OVER covered to the point of exhaustion, but when the chapter on filters came up, there was nothing to give examples of how to figure out how to do the problems at the end of the chapter. Power factor correction is barely glanced upon, and the author gives complex formulas when basic Ohms law could be used instead.
   
   If you use the 3rd edition in your classroom, PLEASE verify with your instructor so you dont struggle with the homework for no reason



5. Extremely important to have this book for the Electrical Maintenance student, Apprentise, or Journeyman. This book is truely the "backbone" of critical information used by all electricians! When you know your "Delmar", you will have gained an invaluable amount of knowledge and confidence in your work.

5 comments about Technology in Action, Introductory (4th Edition) (Go (Prentice Hall)).

1. Be careful - there is an introductory (only goes to ch. 9) and a complete edition. I'm writing this because I did not pay attn and just realized (half way through my course) that I have the wrong one. Didn't want anyone else to make the same mistake...



2. Technology in Action is a great book for college-level computer concepts classes. I have taught with Technology in Action at a community college for 4 years now. The book is written to engage today's students with a very useful question and answer format. I find my students are reading again since using Technology in Action!
   
   My students also love the multimedia that comes on the CD (packaged with the text) which they describe as entertaining, informative and fun! Wow, students who think learning is fun...what a concept!
   
   I highly recommend this text for freshman and sophomore computer concepts classes. This is a book your students will read and enjoy!



3. There are many books that could be used in the introduction to computers level of classes. They tend to be very similar, in topics, order and structure. While this book is more of the same, there is one feature that stands out, the coverage of ethics in the context of computing. Ethics and the proper usage of computers is a significant aspect of the computing culture for all of us, but it is more significant for the college student. The advent of the Internet has made it much easier to obtain information and harder to filter it for accuracy. It is now much easier to plagiarize; all you have to do is copy and paste. Fortunately, it is also easier for instructors to identify an act of plagiarism; there are websites that will do it for you. The digitization of music makes it easy to download and play music on MP3 players. This list could continue for some time.
   There are several places in the book where ethical principles are related to the topic. It is to the credit of the authors that this coverage is not just a spouting of facts; the questions are designed to have the students think about the situation and reach their own ethical conclusions.
   It is most unlikely that I will ever teach an introductory course in computing again. However, if I was to do so, I would take a hard look at this book, it is suitable for the course.



4. Needed it for class and it suited my needs. Only complaint is I couldn't sell it back to my college's bookstore because it was the complete version versus the standard student copy. The only difference is it has extra information/chapters in the back. The entire beginning is the student copy, it just has extra chapters. I was shocked they wouldn't take it back. If you need this book for a class get it here. Good price.



5. I got a great price on the book but, I didn't receive the book as I should.

5 comments about Systems Engineering and Analysis (4th Edition) (Prentice-Hall International Series in Industrial and Systems).

1. I'm currently teaching graduate students and used this as a text book last semester. I suppose students have enjoyed this book very much. I appreciate the author and ...'s excellent work as well.



2. I took a course in school that used this book and I really enjoyed the book and what it taught me about systems engineering. The authors do a great job of walking the student through the systems engineering process, and ginving a general overview of the steps. The later chapters expand upon this overview to give the detail needed to actually carry out the process. The last part of the book expands upon the "-ilities" of systems engineering which are the authors partiucalr areas of interest. I think anyone interested in systems engineering should get this book, its a great resource. A few things I didn't like was the constant referencing of graphs and figures from previous chapters, it really inhibits my learing when I have to keep flipping back and forth to follow a train of thought. There are also a few chunks of the book that are very, very hard to follow the logical train of thought and require meticulious attention to the detail, and often require rereading. I'm hoping the authors with put out an updated and expanded edition soon, that compensates for these shortfalls.



3. Very much the 30,000 foot view of systems engineering. I picked this book up because I saw it referred to all over the place, and assumed that it was reasonably definitive. Sadly, it is not. What the book does do is give the reader a reasonably good high-level overview of systems engineering in general, and of some of the techniques involved in estimating the "ilities" of a given system design. However, the level of detail on any one subject area is very light, and the bias of the book is very much toward DoD-style systems engineering. A good book for systems engineering managers. System designers should also seek out Wymore's "Model-Based Systems Engineering" for a thorough understanding of requirements and design.



4. I agree with Keith here on the irritant QUOTE "constant referencing of graphs and figures, as well as notations from previous chapters, it really inhibits my learing when I have to keep flipping back and forth to follow a train of thought. There are also a few chunks of the book that are very, very hard to follow the logical train of thought and require meticulious attention to the detail, and often require rereading. UNQUOTE.
   
   
   My nit-picks:
   
   The book fails to explain the logic behind some of the concepts. An example follows: The author mentions the Mean Service Time Under Control Formula on Page 318(Section 10.6.4) Unfortunately, the text doesn't seem to explain why the procedure is used that way in the book.
   
   There are some typos in the book, and some unknowns:
   Page 319: reference to "equation 10.38" must read as "equation 10.40". Similarly, reference to "equation 10.41" must read as "equation 10.43".
   
   Additionally, the sections on PERT/CPM as well as Statistical Process Control seem to get into a lot of advanced detail, skipping important concepts.
   
   You may want to look at other resources for Optimization Theory Chapters as it is not covered in detail in this book.(as required by the rigors of the course I'm taking!)
   
   In a nutshell- the book can be greatly improved by expanding on the "WHYs" behind some of the concepts mentioned above, for eg section 10.6.4



5. we used this book for undergrad se classes i taught.
   unfortunately there are not a lot of alternatives.
   (we *also* used buede for another class and mandel for project management etc).
   
   the authors know their stuff, unfortunately some of it got lost in translation. perhaps because a lot of the material got translated from govt publications.
   
   this is more like a handbook than a textbook. for the handbook user just get sage's tome. for a textbook -- well this is least worst for an intro to SE. for supporting areas other books are better.
   
   what is good is excellent. but what is bad is frustrating.
   they tried to cover way too much in one book and got confused with SE and OR and management techniques and quality and a whole bunch of other stuff that is really tangential to SE.
   
   and the material gets covered at uneven levels of detail so it is not a good handbook nor a good textbook just a good pile of notes on a lot of se related stuff.
   
   previous editions had many errors and did not come with any answers to the problems, many of which were confusing as stated.
   
   the first part of the book really introduces SE. The rest of the book is for review by someone who has specialised in the areas they cover.
   
   The book would be much better if they concentrated on SE and left the other stuff to other books. i have not checked with the publisher for current availability, but previously there was no instructors guide and no answers to the questions. that is a big drawback for classroom use.
   
   this would be best for an experienced person who wanted to review SE or get an introduction to a specialised topic relating to SE.
   
   the dsmc/dau se handbook is (was?) free on the internet from various govt sites and does a great job of introducing SE. you should look at that resource before buying this book. indeed, unless you are using it in a class you might just want to borrow this from a library instead of buying it.

2 comments about Abc's Of Reloading: The Definitive Guide For Novice To Expert (ABC's of Reloading).

1. This book came highly recommended by members of a forum on reloading. I was not disappointed. I will recommend it myself. The book covers the bases and is easy to read. You will need to add other books to your library, ( such as load data for specific calibers ) but this is a very good place to start.



2. This is the book I used when I got started reloading about 10 years ago, and this book gave me just what I needed. When I first got the itch to load my own ammunition, I was overwhelmed by the amount of information and terminology involved in this fascinating field/hobby. It was very difficult to take all the individual pieces of information that I had and form it into an understandable process. I was snowed in under a blizzard of data that I was piecing together through chat rooms and web sites. Everyone was very helpful - basically shooters are the most helpful people I know - but still I was just getting fragments without a solid, complete overview. Phrases like "roll crimp", "seating and sizer dies," and "headspace" came at me in a blizzard. I could look up each phrase, understand each one as a piece, but still the whole picture was fuzzy. In essence, that is what this book will do for you: turn it all into a coherent, linear whole. The writing is very solid and clear, the illustrations are well done and helpful, and the information is very complete. After reading this book, the entire process made sense to me, and more importantly, I was fully warned about the does and don'ts of the reloading world. The coverage is very complete. Primers, powders, bullets and cases are explained with regard to nomenclature and history. All necessary tools and accessories are discussed and explained. This is just a great book. It won't make you an expert (only actual reloading for years will do that), but it will put you on the right road if you wish to become one. --Mykal Banta

1 comments about Technical Communication: A Practical Approach (6th Edition).

1. If I had to learn technical writing all over again, this would be the book I would choose. It is a relevant, clear, and comprehensive guide to technical writing processes, skills and practices. It includes numerous examples and exercises in each chapter. The discussions of ethical considerations and communicating with international audiences that appear throughout the text are important topics that are not often covered in other books. The broad range of document types and industries presented in the examples offer a good sense of the range of technical writing career opportunities. This book won't give you everything you need to know as a technical writer, but it will give you a good foundation.