Distribution Books

Very dissappointing. The video cabling section didn't discuss splitters, taps, attenuators, modulators,signal loss and many other areas of video installation. The other sections were somewhat better but also lacking in depth. I've learned more from reading the appendixes in the Leviton Catalog.

This book is probably the best book on communications cabling I have seen. It covers copper cabling and fiber in different sections which makes it less confusing. It has lots of good pictures on how to actually install the cables.

I found this book to be written in a way that can be understood easily by the common "Joe". I've read many books on this subject and found that I wish I would have started with this one to begin with. It lays out the foundations of the infrastructure field in a descriptive and understandable way. Excellent choice.

This book is easy to read and covers most topics in a logical easy to follow format. I am a architect and needed a good starting point for understanding cabling installation and various types of low voltage wiring systems (voice, data, CCTV, security). The author emphasizes that this book is meant for practical application, but he does provides good coverage of basic theories without being like an engineering textbook. The discussion of how fiber-optics are transmitted was very helpful. If one already knows the basics, this book may not be useful but I found it a good overview of the subject.

I have been teaching fibre optics (Canadian Spelling for fiber) and communications for a number of years now, and I have read and used most every book available on the subject. I have been able to get something pertinent out of all of them. I have been using "Data, Voice and Video Cabling for some time now. The majority of the time my students are offered these books, not as a requirement of the course, but as a an option. (They are supplied during the course free of charge.)

Recently a class involved in an extensive training course asked about Homework. I suggested reading the issued text books by the next morning. (Big mistake) The next AM, I was inundated with questions and ideas about communications cabling. Further, I sold 12 of the VD&V books immediately. Most of my people had spent many hours reading over and reveiwing all required reading. These students were all eminently qualified instructors in a Communications, train-the-trainer course.

Many people assume that they can learn everything from books without the benifit of formal instruction. An unfortunate mistake. I have to deal with this attitude on a daily basis. However if you want to be close to this assumption, try this book. Always keep an open mind and try to refrain from the negativity.

Chapters 1-7 of Stevenson's Elements, insofar as they went, were poetic descriptions of abstract power system principles. Nonetheless, Stevenson's masterpiece has been improved by the brilliant graphical explications in Grainger's recursion of it. Obviously, Grainger expands importantly on Stevenson with an additional 400 pages. Would that such an expensive text as Grainger simply include the CD with solutions to PROBLEMS, thus providing both equitable distribution of same in classrooms, and, outside the classroom, incentive and positive reinforcement to grapple with problems.

Oh babe, this book is way beyond the words to describe.. The power system bible, U wont find any other good book that explains the complexity of power system flow, faults, TL modelin per units, power stability... than this book. I loved The way how he explained the zero sequence of different power system elements. Great!!!

In general I liked the book. The only restriction is that it should have answers for the proposed exercises.

One of the best books written on the subject of Power System analysis. This book has a very good approach to power system problems with many solved examples and many more problems at the end of each chapter. I recommend anyone taking the P.E. exam to have this book as a reference for Power System problems.

This has been the bible of electrical power systems for the past 44 years so don't leave home without it ! It is a classic well-written textbook that stresses the important fundmantals of power system analysis with clarity that I have not seen in any other power book. Although other books may be fatter and contain more details, this book remains the best by wisely avoiding falling in the often tempting trap of computational details of numerical techniques and remains faithful to the basic principles. The chapters are just of the right length with many examples and clear explanations. It feels so good for the student and the professor to cover each chapter in about a week. I have used this book as a student and as an instructor and my recommendation is this: stick with this original classic and avoid the imitations! You will never regret it !

With any operating system, certain tasks must be addressed. How do I configure peripheral devices, how do I setup a network, how do I find documentation on the many other questions I have?

This book gives basic answers to the major questions, and points the reader to sources of additional information. This is a perfect book for someone looking to become a Fedora Administrator, or for someone looking to gain merely a working knowledge of this operating system.

Are you an experienced computer user with some Linux experience? If you are, then this book is for you. Author Chris Tyler, has done an outstanding job of writing a book that covers both desktop and server configurations, and is ideally suited to an administrator or power user migrating to Fedora Linux from another environment, such as Windows, Mac OS X, or Unix.

Tyler, begins by covering the installation of Fedora Core. Then, the author introduces the use of Fedora on the desktop. Next, he deals with the issues specific to using Fedora on a notebook computer. The author also covers basic system management tasks. He continues by discussing package management--adding, removing and updating software. Then, the author deals with storage administration, using logical volume management and RAID arrays. Next, he covers the Samba file server; as well as, DHCP, DNS, web, email, and print services. The author then deals with security using Fedora's security facilities including SELinux, PAM, and ACLs. He continues by discussing the Fedora community and how you can become involved. Finally, the author deals with advanced installation options.

This most excellent book is targeted at Fedora Core 6, but is also useful to users of Fedora Core 5 and 7. Perhaps more importantly, this book is designed to give you the most critical information in an accessible format, and shows you how the packages work within the context of Fedora.

It seems to be a pretty good book overall.

To be fair, I have not read this book entirely, and I don't intend to do so either. I was reviewing the section on the web server and it is entirely missing the setup or even the mention of SSL (or https) for the web server. That I feel is a bit too important of an information to skip.

Update - 3/1/07
I am editing my review after looking at Chris's comment on my review. I kind of agree with Chris. I do like the book overall and it covers a lot of ground. Having gone through more of this book, I wish I had given it 4 stars, but I don't seem to be able to edit the ratings. I still feel that the https/SSL configuration of the Web Server is important enough and should be covered, and Chris intends to do so in the next revision.

Chris' writing style is easy to read and flows as smoothly and conversationally as chatting with your best friend. The book is not an "overview," as it does drill down into many of the most difficult issues surrounding using and administering a Fedora-based Linux system.

I've been a Linux user since 1992 and I learned a LOT from reading this book. There are literally 100s of nifty tidbits of useful information packed away inside these pages. I don't know if I can give 5 stars to a "secular" Linux book, but it probably deserves them!

In the usual O'Reilly tradition, the book is exceptionally well-edited and the content practically overflows the pages.

There is an interesting presentation "feature" to the book that constantly poses questions and provides the answers to them that is compelling, unique and very practical. While not every question is one that I've asked myself, each answer is useful information to which I often didn't know the exact answer.

I highly commend Chris' work. If you are using or plan to use a Fedora-based Linux system, this is a "must have" book!

Despite having used linux for many years, and fedora since its release, I found lots of very specific how-to information in this book that would take a long time to find in other documentation. The term "lab-based approach" in the book's description basically translates into the book having very detailed and accurate step-by-step instructions for performing common (and some not-so-common) Fedora tasks. Although the book is focused on Fedora system administration tasks, there is also lots of material that any Fedora desktop or laptop user would want/need to know.

I hope the author is able to continue to revise the book as new Fedora releases are produced. The book is very current as of Core 5/6 but Linux changes so fast that any book has to be revised frequently to keep up.

One thing I especially like about this book is that there isn't the "padding" so common in Linux books. This book includes helpful URL references, but doesn't pad its page count with their contents. All the original content in this book makes it an extremely good value and I strongly recommend it to anyone working with a relevant Fedora release.

My six year old kept checking out this book at her school library over and over. She can read the entire book to us. She even dressed up as Josefina for storybook character day at her school. It is a great book full of love and adventure. The first time you read it you will cry but your child will read it over and over again.

The Josephina Story Quilt by Eleanor Coerr. It is interesting because I learned that quilts made in the 1700's helped people remember the days going west.

The Josefina Story Quilt, by Eleanor Coerr is a sad and happy book.

Faith is a girl and she has a pet hen, named Josefina.

Like lots of other families in 1850, Faith's family is going west to California. Faith wants to take her pet hen(Josefina) with them but her Pa says no. Finally her Pa lets her take Josefina along.

On the way lots of sad things happen:2 old people die along with 3 oxen. Faith makes quilt squares on the way to tell what's happening.

Josefina saves the day at the end.

I would reccomend this easy reader to you. It has a bittersweet ending. I say this book is 4 out of 5.

Our seven year old loved this, kind of a "Little House on the Prairie" type story only vveerryy simple. A girl doesn't want to leave her hen behind on the trip west by covered wagon. In the end, the hen gets to tag along, and the events that ensue become quilt squares pieced together to make a quilt which the girl treasures long after the hen is gone. Cute, simple illustrations. Perfect length "chapters" for those to whom "chapters" are very important! :) Thumbs up.

We never tire of Josefina's story. It was a great introduction to the western migration, and sparked my daughters curiosity about the prairie and the period. I would recommend it.

No other book covers the elements of distributions and the fourier transform quite like Rudin's Functional Analysis. This is a must for every budding PDE-er!

De los excelentes textos en Análisis Funcional que existen en el mercado, éste es de los mejores. Tiene una excelente presentación de la Teoría de Distribuciones, en los capítulos 6, 7 y 8. La teoría espectral como se trata aca es magnifica. Tambien tiene un desarrollo muy completo sobre espacios vectoriales topológicos. Termina con una reseña bibliográfica muy completa.

Hardly can I find words to highlight the goodness of this book. As mentioned by other readers ,it provides elegant, direct and powerfool proofs of the three theorems which constitute the cornserstones of functional analysis (Hanh-Banach, Banach-Steinhaus and Open mapping). These theorems are, in addition, studied in their most general context, namely topological vector spaces.

Specially appealing is its treatment of distributions' theory. It is, as far as I know, the only text which start by defining the rigurous topology on the set of test functions and then obtains the convergence and continuity of functionals (distributions) in terms of this topolgy, which is, indeed, the only way to present and gain insight into these concepts and to reach some results such as completness. In doing otherwise one risk definitions can emerge as artificial and rather arbitrary.

It is, without any doubt, a must have book for those with interest in pure mathematics as well as for those who, eventually, realize that the only way to dominate their area is saling through mathematics.

I enjoy perusing Rudin's "Functional Analysis" at this stage in my life. It is fairly nice tome for functional analysis, and its general treatment of topological vector spaces (as opposed to the standard Banach space examples studied in a typical functional analysis class) is now well-received.

However, as a student, I was put off by this book. At times, I found it difficult to tie the theory present to the basic examples which were relevant at the time (such as L^{p} spaces). For a first time learner, I would suggest the book of Kolmogorov and Fomin (which is a Dover book, by the way), and would wait until later for this book.

"Modern analysis" used to be a popular name for the subject of this lovely book. It is as important as ever, but perhaps less "modern". The subject of functional analysis, while fundamental and central in the landscape of mathematics, really started with seminal theorems due to Banach, Hilbert, von Neumann, Herglotz, Hausdorff, Friedrichs, Steinhouse,...and many other of, the perhaps less well known, founding fathers, in Central Europe (at the time), in the period between the two World Wars. In the beginning it generated awe in its ability
to provide elegant proofs of classical theorems that otherwise were thought to be both technical and difficult. The beautiful idea that makes it all clear as daylight: Wiener's theorem on absolutely convergent(AC) Fourier series of 1/f if you can divide, and if f has the AC Fourier series, is a case in point. The new subject gained from there because of its many sucess stories,- in proving new theorems, in unifying old ones, in offering a framework for quantum theory, for dynamical systems, and for partial differential equations. And offering a language that facilitated interdisiplinary work in science! The Journal of Functional Analysis, starting in the 1960ties, broadened the subject, reaching almost all branches of science, and finding functional analytic flavor in theories surprisingly far from the original roots of the subject. The topics in Rudin's book are inspired by harmonic analysis. The later part offers one of the most elegant compact treatment of the theory of operators in Hilbert space, I can think of. Its approach to unbounded operators is lovely.

We used "Geopolitics of Energy" for a class discussion on the current energy crisis at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. The students really liked the book because it has a lot of illustrations and charts, allowing them to visualize the issues discussed in the text. The students also liked the fact that the book was less than a hundred pages and they could easily read it in week.

The book is packed with very good factual information regarding the energy crisis problem, and proposes a solution (the so-called "a third, a third, a third"). It also takes a detailed look into the three categories of energy sources available to us. Although the author is a supporter of nuclear energy, the book is very fair and balanced on presenting ALL energy options, and the book ultimately advises to us to keep all energy options on the table (yes, even fossil fuels) in order to achieve a realistic solution by 2050.

If you are wondering why gas prices keep going up at your local gas station, and what we can do about it, then this book is for you. I highly recommend this book for all college students in energy related areas (petroleum engineering, electrical engineering, nuclear engineering, mechanical engineering, etc). This book is a big hit in our department and we currently hand out copies of it to visitors from industry or faculty from other universities.

Somewhat disappointing, but worth the read. As I skim the book, I see very few source citations in the text; flipping to the back, I see a list of bibliographic sources not tied to any specific statements.

I was expecting a more scholarly book from two Ph.D. authors. I had hoped The GeoPolitics of Energy would be a source I could use, personally, as I try to make up my mind what needs to be done about energy in the future. Unfortunately, the lack of in-text citations makes it difficult to verify the author's statements.

However, with all that said, The GeoPolitics packs a lot of information into one book. I haven't seen another book that provides as broad of an overview of the implications of continuing with the current, mostly ad hoc, energy policies around the world. Nor have I seen a book that provides such a carefully defined global strategy for an alternative energy policy that recognizes the right of all nations to have access to energy.

Perhaps the publisher made the decision to eliminate in-text citations, thinking that the presence of multiple citations might scare off casual readers. If, so, the publisher erred: without clear citations to indicate the sources of information, the book lacks credibility.

Could a 2nd edition be offered? One that clearly cites every fact? That would be an awesome reference. Or even a Web-version of the book?

Are you ready for $100/tank gas? Are you curious why most environmentalists do not have wind turbines in their backyard or solar panels on their roof? Do you want to know why your grandchildren will someday speak Chinese and/or Hindu, and maybe even French?

If these questions intrigue you, then Drs. Wright and Conca new book on the Geopolitics of Energy will engross you. This concise, but complete coverage of why the world's energy future looks so bleak contains not only a description of the problem, but a vision of the only real path forward that may avoid serious societal instability. And it does it both graphically and logically, without recourse to knowledge of history, culture or idealism.

In the very near future, whether driving a hybrid or a gas guzzler, you'll be happy to pay $100 to fill your tank, when you can get gas/alcohol/bio-diesel at all. "Peak Oil" is here, and adequate renewable energy sources are still many decades away. The risk to America in depending on foreign oil is unacceptable, but unavoidable, for many decades as well. Geopolitics of Energy explains that the rising standard of living in rapidly developing nations like China and India will drive the demand for oil past the price that America can support. It explains the inherent limitations of renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, hydro and geothermal. It also honestly questions whether America should use its limited arable land and water resources for producing oil replacements like ethanol or bio-diesel to power the nation, at the expense of growing food.

Geopolitics of Energy posits that America's (and even the world) energy future must balance upon a three-legged stool to reach to the future without societal instability. America learned about, but didn't like and quickly forgot, the first leg during the Arab oil embargo and gas lines of the 1970's: conservation though energy efficiency. The second leg has recently achieved true popularity among the masses. Every day, Americans hear about renewable energy in the form of solar, wind, and bio-fuels. Geopolitics of Energy recognizes that renewables must play a long-term role in the world's energy future, but realistically considers their supply-side limitations.

Finally, Drs. Wright and Conca join other former antinuclear apostles like Patrick Moore, cofounder of Green Peace, James Lovelock, creator of the Gaia hypothesis that Earth is a living organism and Whole Earth founder Stewart Brand, who have all recently resurrected themselves in support of nuclear energy. Drs. Wright and Conca also began their young careers as anti-nuclear activists, but as their professional lives took them to new places and new understanding, they recognized that nuclear power must play just as large a role as other energy sources. Geopolitics of Energy explains why and how we must balance on all three legs of the energy stool to allow all the peoples of the world to achieve an equitable standard of living within a sustainable future.

America needs quick action to change the way we think about and use energy. Geopolitics of Energy will help us make these changes without fighting among ourselves to further individual idealistic goals. Buy it for yourself. Buy it for your children... and theirs.

Drs. Wright and Conca, in Chapter One, explain the dynamic relationship among four systems that, with a slight stretch of my imagination, dominated ancient science and philosophy beginning with the Greek philosopher Empepedocles and the alchemists for over 2000 years. The four systems they describe, and the elements of antiquity to which I relate them, are the (a) lithosphere (Earth), (b) atmosphere (Air), (c) hydrosphere (Water), and (d) biosphere (Fire [of life]). The premise that everything was formed from these four elements was firmly held until the rise of modern science. Even today, earth, water, air, and fire are not bad symbols for the four states of matter -- solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. Imbedded in the first sentence of this paragraph is the coalescence of philosophy and science that was characteristic of the ancients. The rise of industrialism and technology separated them so distinctively that now we see no relationship between the humanistic sciences and natural science, and yet it is human behavior that is responsible for the dire technological, environmental state of affairs with which we are wrestling.
This book is exquisitely written to facilitate the lay person's comprehensive understanding of the history of energy and mankind's behavior that has brought us into this energy predicament. The authors underscore the urgency to re-unite philosophy with nature, humanity with science. Amelioration of our energy/environmental crisis does not require exclusively scientific knowledge, but rather changes in technology and applied science based upon law and public policy, on institutional structures and practices, on habits of consumption, and countless other facets of daily life.
The structure and flow of information from Drs. Wright and Conca in this book provide a poignant lesson plan for political science, natural science, social science and economics programs from junior high school through university levels.
Many questions arise for us from their work regarding what effective activities might overcome the political/social/economical/technological issues that have brought us to this critical juncture in the history of earth. Drs. Wright and Conca have answered the technological questions and thrown down the gauntlet for our nation to cast aside irrational fears and to responsibly, rationally, and aggressively reunite the four elements of antiquity in harmony with the life forms they support.

Energy is a significant factor in determining quality of life. Drs. Wright and Conca provide a broad overview that illustrates through copious graphics, just how important energy is, and what the looming issues are to sustainability of energy--not only for the US--but also for the emerging countries of the world.

While I agree with another reviewer that the lack of footnotes is disappointing, many would see this as a feature, not a bug! For the serious scientist, I do not know of a more concise analysis that frames the significant issues as succinctly (albeit without footnotes). But the real power of the book is how it is targeted for a general audience and lays out the broad brush strokes with enough information that each person can draw their own conclusions regarding the need for immediate and sustained attention to our common problem. In this regard, I think it succeeds admirably.

The book can be thoughtfully read in a couple of 2 or 3 hour sittings. I read mine on an airplane trip and have not stopped talking about it since: with friends, relatives, my electrician, educators, clergy, and Ph.Ds. The logic is clear and the graphics well-chosen and effective to minimize confusion and illustrate the points. This book should not be viewed as a self-contained solution, it is a wake-up call and conversation starter designed to introduce the vocabulary to the uninitiated. Drs. Wright and Conca have started the conversation and I am now participating and encouraging others to do so.

Seemed a bit out of date. Easy to read.

The author can be forgiven for writing a book that reads a little more like a formal academic paper, given his illustrious credentials. However, it is a surprisingly comfortable read given the complexity of the industry (if you could call it one industry) and the material covered. His analysis is as comprehensive as it is thought provoking. He does an excellent job of portraying the myriad of complex relationships between various evermore technologically sophisticated players within the health value chain. I would have preferred more coverage and discussion of specific company/organizational profiles. But, his artful and deft handling of the complex subject matter presented in a way that gives the reader many "aha" moments makes this book a must-read for anyone serious about the business of healthcare.

Burns and several of his Wharton School colleagues collaborated on this book as well as a subsequently published book, The Business of Healthcare Innovation, which I also highly recommend. In the later work's Introduction when explaining the value chain perspective, Burns observes that it "analyzes the entire sequence from raw materials (input) market to final customer (output) market. The sequence is labeled a `value chain' because each link in the chain adds value to its inputs. Each link seeks to maximize its contributions to the total product's value added, thereby capturing as much profit as it can. This may involve focusing on only those links which add the greatest value (and let other firms focus on links that add less value), or encompassing as many links as possible in order to maximize the total profit captured (and leave as little as possible for other firms to divide up)."

This is a key point because whatever decision is made, there can be -- and almost always are -- significant consequences insofar as gross volume, net income, and market share are concerned. In this earlier published volume, Burns and his Wharton School collaborators focus on a large segment of the health care industry which, until now, has not received the attention it deserves. They rigorously examine "the trading relationships between [and among] the producers (manufacturers) of health care products, the purchasers of these products (group purchasing organizations, wholesalers/distributors), and the health care providers (hospital customers) that are the end users of those products -- hence the title of this book."

This is by no means an "easy read" but, as does The Business of Healthcare Innovation, it generously rewards those who absorb and digest the material, then carefully consider appropriate ways by which to apply what they have learned. Obviously, the relevance of the material will ultimately be determined by its practical value to each reader but it may be helpful if I suggest some of the questions to which Burns and his Wharton School collaborators respond.

1. What does the health care value chain consist of and how does it work?

2. What are the major pathways and stumbling blocks to improved value chain operations?

3. Which are the most effective strategies used by manufacturers in pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and medical-surgical product areas?

4. Which are the most effective strategies used by group purchasing organizations and wholesaler/distributors?

5. What do the health care value chain and the "extended enterprise" found in the auto industry share in common? So what?

It is important to keep in mind that this book was published in 2002. There have been several significant developments within the health care industry since then, several of which Burns and his Wharton School collaborators examine in The Business of Healthcare Innovation (published in August, 2005). I take this opportunity to recommend, also, Steven J. Spear's article, "Fixing Health Care from the Inside, Today" which appeared in the September 2005 issue of Harvard Business Review.

For whom will this book be most valuable? In my opinion, there are two separate groups. The first consists of teachers and students associated with undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate programs such as those offered by the Wharton Center for Health Management and Economics. The second group would include senior-level executives of organizations which are (a) producers of health care products, (b) purchasers of these products, or (c) health care providers that are the end users of these products. I presume to observe that decision-makers in any one of these three categories would be well-advised to understand its inter-relationships with the other two.

In the concluding chapter of this book, Burns and John R. Kimberly suggest that in order to avoid the failure of prior organizational innovation (e.g. integrated health care), "the revamped health care value chain must find parties willing to pay for it." Given the nature and extent of the investment required, it seems imperative that all of those involved share the costs as well as the benefits of organizational innovation. According to Burns and his Wharton associates, there is no acceptable alternative.

For anyone working in the manufacturing or distribution industry within pharmaceutical, diagnostic or medical device companies, this book offers an excellent oversight. Its very helpful for anyone doing business analyst work in a technology department who is new to the industry, but wants to come up to speed rapidly. I recommend it for everyone in my department.

Its rare that a good overview of an industry value chain is available and so accessible to help someone understand how an industry operates.

This is an ace book that will unfortunately only appeal to those wanting to bring all areas of professional health care into a commercial but patient focused new paradigm.

My firm has created a business operating system (all the non clinical stuff) for dentists in Australia - we do everything from the tools to assist them to credibly advise of pharmacy level home care products, to FactSheets on complex services for better and higher levels of compliance to treatment plans, and to achieve all those economies of scale that small businesses can never secure.

It is a well structured book and presents a (psudeo Porter)value based way of looking at health care in a readable and logical way.

If you want to make a branch of healthcare work and you have the energy to think your way through the issues (and to overcome the existing Luddites), this book will assist you greatly.

I first reviewed this book in the AZTCS Journal of October 2007.

There are things I don't like about this book.

Bible status, I think not!! If there is a Bible for Linux this isn't it. Enthusiastic Beginner's guide. Yes. Bible, no!!

In Chapter 3, I'm disappointed there isn't more detail about alternate window managers. I think too many people feel KDE and GNOME are the only choices available ... or the desktop is Linux ... or don't know they can start with a blank xwindow and make their own desktop and menus.

The book should include more about shell scripting, not so much to teach it as to give an idea of the power available. I feel slighted he didn't mention Emacs in the text editor section; honestly I think this is a tremendous oversight on his part as Emacs is a popular and powerful text editor.

The 250 + pages is too much to spend on specific distros in a book with Bible in the name. Almost 1/3 of the book is wasted and could have been put to better use or left out.

There are several things I like about the book. I think it gives an objective view of Linux. The author introduces and quickly acquaints the reader with the command-line. Many authors seem to feel the command line should be avoided, but Negus plunges in Chapter 2 and makes the use of the command-line, if not easy, at least not scary. The command-line is a part of Linux. He is not afraid to expose his readers to the terminal and to its use.

Chapter 4 covering basic administration is very helpful. He gives a lot of good information here about log files with excellent explanations.

The CD/DVD collection contains an excellent range of distros (of course most are out of date by the time the book is released) ... from a distro that will run from a floppy (I recently used a floppy distro to fix a forgotten password in Windows XP) to some desktops that are a little cramped on a PIII with 512 MB memory. Negus shows, although there are some specialized distributions, most have the tools and versitiliy to handle any task. If you want to surf the web and check your email and chat on-line, build a full webhost, add a firewall to your home network, recover files from a crashed Windows system or are looking for something VERY interesting to do with your computer, Linux probably has something for you.

I think this CD/DVD collection should have been a chapter with links for downloading the latest versions instead.

His instructions are generally clear and concise. Where necessary, Negus gives step-by-step examples. He explains but, to me, manages to balance between over informing to the point of boredom and talking down to the audience. I read 2 or 3 of his other books and his style generally is informative and as technical as necessary but not overly so.

Of the several beginning to intermediate Linix books I read in the last few years, this book is the best so far. As a Bible, I don't think it is up to that status. I am rating it on the good parts and comparing it to other books available on the subject. I think the useful parts make this book above average.

I'm new to Linux. I've been using it for three months. I was looking for a fairly inclusive book so I could learn more. I didn't find this book terribly helpful to me though. Mostly I used the discs that came with the book to try out the distributions contained. So, on to the book ...
The first 1/3 of the book deals with the "shell" - Choosing a shell (fairly esoteric for somebody like me), and running commands from the shell. Unfortunately, the book never gives any comprehensive list of commands in one place (this would have been quite helpful). The commands it does give are scattered throughout the section. Also covered are basic administration, securing Linux, running a firewall/router, getting into the desktop and getting on the internet. Most of it except "Getting into the Desktop" seems geared more toward system administrators than standard desktop users. As written, I doubt I'll ever use the first third of this book even as reference material.
Approximately the next 1/3 of the book deals with choosing and installing a Linux distribution. It covers the distros that come with the CD and DVD included with the book - a total of 12 distros - excluding alternate installs and 4 specialty programs such as Coyote Linux (floppy firewall), INSERT (I don't know what this is and I don't see it in the index or contents), BackTrack and System Rescue CD. (This leads me to the fact that the index left a lot to be desired.) This being said, this third of the book was a good and helpful companion to the discs.
The next part of the book deals a bit with running bootable distributions but mainly with running applications such as word processing, Internet browsers, e-mail, playing music and videos, image editing and gaming. I can't comment on this - I merely glanced through it. I tend to figure this stuff out myself. I'm sure it would be helpful to many people though.
The rest of the book (about a quarter of the book) deals with running Linux servers and programming. I'm not running e-mail, print or file servers and so had no interest in Apache, LAMP, SQL etc... but I'm sure there was some good information there.
If you want a book that comes with a dozen distros and is a rather helpful companion to the installation and basics those distros, this is the book for you. But overall, for my purposes, I'd give it an average rating.

I wish I'd bought this book first - it would have saved me a lot of frustration (and $$) in trying to find a Linux distro (version) that would actually work on my evidently odd combination of hardware.

Thanks to the DVD and CD that come with this book, I was able to find 3 different Linux distros that work just fine on my computer (I'm using one of them right now, in fact). I'd say the best part of this book, at least for me, is definitely the included DVD and CD - especially since I'm on dialup and it's not practical to try to download a bunch of different versions of Linux, to find which ones are compatible with my hardware. The DVD and CD itself is worth 5 stars, in my opinion.

Before buying this book, I'd previously bought a *different* book, whose DVD featured only one version of Linux that everyone raves about (it's supposedly user-friendly and all that), but that other book and Linux version was a total waste of my money because that particular Linux distro had too many major incompatibilities with my hardware, and I was unable to make it work. I spent a good solid week doing web searches trying to find workarounds to make it work (using my other computer to do online research, since I couldn't even get that far with Linux), but it was hopeless. I figured that if one of the most popular and most raved-about Linux versions couldn't be made to work, then what chance would I (as a total newbie) have with other versions?

It was at that point that I gave up on Linux for several months, concluding that Linux was over-rated and worthless. But I was not happy about that.

But, after a while, I decided I couldn't just let it drop like that - I wanted to try some different versions/distros, to give it another try. So I bought a different version/distro of Linux, on DVD, but that one had an entirely different set of problems and it was useless too. More money down the drain.

But, my "last chance" to make something of Linux, then I ended up buying *this* book, which turned out to be a good idea, because as I said, this book's DVD and CD has enough different versions/distros of Linux included with it, that it greatly increases your chances of finding one that will actually work for you. If I'd bought this book *first* I could have saved myself all that aggravation.

So, thanks to this book, I went from being a Linux newbie that couldn't make Linux do anything at all, to finding a distro that I'm actually comfortable with, that works great for me.

I agree with what others have written, that the book itself may not exactly be up to "Bible" standards and once you find a distro that works for you, you may want to supplement the book with some additional material. But it got me started with Linux, which other books and materials were unable to do.

- J2000 - and now Registered Linux User #454273 :-)

The book is an excellent overview of Linux. I highly recommend the Linux Bible to get an idea of what is available in linux and to chose a distro. However, and this is not a flaw in the book, to become more that a windozer, one must read at least, Garrell's, "Introduction to Linux", available online as opensource. Without proper maintenance linux will soon be clogged, useless and hacked, but at least it will still be free!!

The CD/DVD combination available with the book, is very helpful and quite a time saver.

Knowing that I need to spend some time learning about Linux I went looking for a book that would be a general introduction to help me get started. This book attracted my attention because it has an individual chapter talking about the special features about the distributions that are included with the book. I don't know how many distributions there are - over a thousand, I think - and had no idea about the best one for me to pick. After reading the book I'm going to try Ubuntu.

This is an excellent book on getting started, but as a Linux Bible, I think the book is mis-named. It's strength is talking about the distributions and the fairly general things you can do with Linux. It's a bit weak in the details of how to do things. As such, it's a great book to use when you are getting started. Then you will want more books to talk about the individual software packages that you'll be using. For instance he talks about PHP, he tells you how to get it running but once you start you'll want a programming book on PHP.

If you like his work -- you will LOVE this book ..
A must for your collection

Chronicling three years of a young man's life in photographic images, Howard Roffman's "Pictures of Kris" is a remarkably achievement in male erotic photography. Kris will be familiar to many Roffman fans as one of the beautiful young men who appeared in his previous photo book "Three."

It is easy to see why Roffman chose Kris as the sole subject of an entire oeuvre. He is captivating, with his warm smile, his obvious physical attributes, and his tremendous lack of self-consciousness when being photographed. But there is more of Kris that also is evident in these pictures - a strong personality, the presence of intelligence, and certainly a lot of heart seem to define this young man.

Done in entirely black and white photography (Roffman is a true master of the art), this book contains a few images of the subjects of "Three" that were previously unpublished, plus some that were shot more recently in South Africa. The passage of time in Kris's life is evident by the changes in his face and body (and hairstyles), and in a certain confidence he exudes in the later shots that comes only from a certain level of emotional maturity. In all of them, Kris has a certain natural sexual heat that permeates the work.

As for Roffman's work in general, it continues to be amazingly, starkly intimate - particularly when he focuses his lens on subjects he knows well personally, as in this case. The finest shots in this collection, for me, are the ones that show Kris unabashedly romping on a beach with his dog, wearing only a tattered New Mexico State Aggies T-shirt. Both the T-shirt and the dog (as a puppy) appear in some of the earlier photographs, giving a sense of history and continuity to the collection.

There's not very much you can say about this beautiful book of photographs, it speaks for itself. If you enjoyed Kris's images in Roffman's book "Three", you will love this tribute to him and glimpse we get into Kris's life. These very intimate pictures show Kris over a period of three years, as he matures from a rather shy young man to the handsome, confident, young man he is now. This blond Adonis has the ability to hold anyone's gaze just by being himself and displaying his natural good-looks, and eroticism. Only a talented photographer like Roffman could bring the natural beauty of this youth to these 80 pages of black and white photos in such a sensitive way. Roffman is the author of six best selling books of photographs, and this is one of his best! This book of nude-images will be a lasting addition to any collector's library! Enjoy.

Joe Hanssen

HOW BEAUTIFUL !! HOW HANDSOME !! HOW FABULOUS!! ...KRIS IS A MAGNIFICENT!!..'NUFF SAID.

I like Roffman's work. I like his models and his style.

Pictures of Kris, "with the highly tuned intimacy for which Roffman's pictures are known", gives us a glimpse into Kris's life over a period of three years. Kris, one of the Three from Roffman's collection of pictures of the same name, matures from a rather shy youth to a confident young man, whose clear gaze and natural eroticism have already bewitched many an observer.

His previous book of Johan Paulik was slightly better than this, perhaps because it contained solo photographs but nonetheless, Pictures of Kris is a worthy addition to your coffee table or bookshelf. (And let's face it, if you're not into muscle-men, you're not likely to turn this young man from your front door on a cold and wet spring evening).

This books focuses on the fundamentals of electric circuits. It walks students very carefully through the basics of electric circuits. What I liked in particular was that the book provides examples of things like: "why would you place resistors in parallel" or "why would you place resistors in a series".

It has a CD in the back that I haven't tried yet, but looks interesting. The CD has more experiments with circuits using a simulator or two.

This book explains in great detail every concept but when it comes to math , the author replaces it with an intuitive manner (such as : experimentaly it is know that ... so ... ; think at the water as being electric current ...).The only thing that can be considered as being math are formulas and some exercises (require basic calculus) , nothing more.So if you want to reach that formula by yourself then you must choose another book.The math beyond Electric Circuits in general is very simple but it seems that Floyd preffered to use those 1k pages to write aditional explanations instead of demonstrations.So this book is a great deal for those who want to begin designing.This book has a target audience but I think everyone in this field must own this because no other book has so many coloured graphs , explanations , many real electric components (schematics and descriptions) , experiments drawn in a real way.I'm glad that I bought this.I give it 4 stars because of no math (some portions requires it).

there are many quality first course textbooks for electric circuits...
but did u notice that these books have some gaps..

the books that cover COUPLED NETWORKS (x,y,z parameteres) don't cover much on filters or waveshaping circtuis (RC/RL integrators and differentiators) ..

and the books that cover the waveshaping and filters.. don't cover the coupled networks topic

this book covers waveshaping and filters very well.. but no mention of COUPLE NETWORK techniques... which are integral to TRULY understanding the subsequent ELECTRIC DEVICES courses...

otherwise.. the rest is very well presented

Hi. principles of electric circuit book is very usefull book.but I would like to have a guideline for the problems in every chapter, like step by step, or problem solve guide line. plese e-mail me with the information about that. thank you.

Once again.... THis book is da bom