Titles Books

llevo trabajando el texto desde 1998,obteniendo muy buenos resultados en la enseñanza del control de procesos. en particular creo que la obra presenta un excelente equilibrio entre la teoría y la práctica. adicionalmente los problemas enfrentan al estudiante con situaciones muy cercanas a las que encontraran en su vida profesional. a nivel de sugerencia para proximas ediciones, considero debe ser incluido el tema de los grados de libertad para control de plantas completas.

When it comes to automatic controls, Dr. Smith is incredibly knowledgable. Unfortunately, this does not always come through in this book. The book suffers from lack of sufficient worked examples to assist the reader in gaining competency in this area. At times, the theory takes leaps that leave the reader wondering how they did that. As with most engineering texts, once the reader fills in the missing steps the concepts become clear and logical. Overall, this is a worthwhile text from which the subject can be learned.

Note the word 'truely'. Just the section on Installed Flow Characteristics on control valves is enough to worth buying this book. The writers solved the mystery on why an inherent "Equal Percentage" control valve behaves "Linear" when installed; and why an inherent "Linear" control valve behaves "Quick Opening" when installed in most chemical processes being controlled (should factors such as the over-sized factor, the fraction of the dynamic pressure taken by the control valve, and the rangeability of the control valve are overlooked). The writters did it by vigorously deriving the Installed Characteristics from the universal definition of "Cv" (first introduced by Masoneillan in industry, now adopted by ISA), fluid mechanics, and simple algebra, from which the installed gain at various percent-opening of most control valves is derivable analytically by math. Excellent job done. I have used this book since mid 1980's in my career as an Instrument Engineer and recently I used it in writing engineering specifications for control valves. For 15 years before mid 1980's, a book like this has been in my search list. While control theory can be easily found in many texts, unique relevant work experience of writters cannot. Whether you are a Chemical Engineer or not, if your work is related to Automatic Process Control, I will recommend you to buy this book. Before it gets sold out, I am going to buy the lattest edition tomorrow since I believe this book will be useful for at least the next 50 years from now in any process control industry.

This book really delivers what it promises: A practical guide for understanding and implementing industrial control strategies, with many examples derived from the authors experienced.

I am an Industrial Practitioner of Process Control. I have been working for more than 16 years as an Instrumentation, Automation, and Process Safety and Control Engineer for the Oil & Gas Industry.

The book is written in a very clear and readable way. I am not a Chemical Engineer (I am an Electronics Engineering Grad) but my work requires me to deal with chemical engineering issues relates to process control in a day to day basics. This book has been an excellent reference in my job, and is always available in my desk. If a non-chemical engineer can benefit from this book, I can bet that any chemical engineering student or industrial practitioner dealing with automatic process control will find this text most useful.

If you are looking for an excellent book, highly practical and applied, this is the one you should get.

I disagree with the review below. This book is already on 10 state award lists. It's a critical addition to any 3rd or 4th grade language arts program. What better way for kids to learn about wordplay and have fun at the same time? They won't forget, even into their high school years, what oxymorons, anagrams, and palindromes are. Hurray for Lubar!

Punished! tells the story of a boy named Logan who accidently collides with the mysterious Professor Wordsworth in the reference section of the library. After saying he is sorry, Wordsworth states that words are not always enough. Wordsworth decides that Logan needs to be "punished" and blows dust on him from an old book.

Immediately after his encounter with Professor Wordsworth, Logan realizes something is definitely wrong... everyone groans after he talks. Analyzing his speech, Logan now realizes he is speaking in puns. He tracks down Wordsworth a the library and asks how he can undo his "punishment". The professor then sets Logan to three separate tasks. First he has to gather oxymorons, then anagrams, and finally palindromes and bring them back to the professor in time, or Logan can't be cured.

I know of David Lubar from his short story collections In The Land of the Lawn Weenies and The Invasion of the Road Weenies. Those stories are somewhat twisted and mildly creepy, but appeal to a lot of my fourth grade students. Punished! doesn't play up the creepiness found in Lubar's short stories, but has some similar mysterious elements. The novel's action moves along and is quite predictable, but this book would appeal to third through fifth graders who enjoy wordplay. Recommended, but not essential.

Is a good read for my daughter. She has read it several times and still won't let anybody else have it!

I'm in the 3rd grade and i just read Punished...wow! it's the best one on my reading record sheet! When Logan goes to the library to study for his research, someone stops him from running in the library and he gets his face puffed up with fairy dust which scrambled his brains. Now, whenever he talks a pun comes out. To cure this evil curse, he must go out and find certain types of words. I like it because everything in the story ties together (if you know what I mean.)

Directing his book to the academic world, Proctor presented the medical and biomedical communities as the propelling forces behind Hitler's holocaust. After explaining the historical origins and context of Nazism, Proctor provided an illuminating examination of the obscure, complex role of Nazi medical science and "applied biology" in the development of Nazi public health policy and the implementation of Nazi atrocities. Proctor disclosed how the medical profession, motivated by politics and a lust for power and prestige, used science to produce knowledge to be used to the detriment and even the destruction of others. Proctor's comprehensive assessment also revealed international influences (normally erased from American history books!) and scientific "evidence" which contributed to the scientific and political views that helped shape Nazi medical culture, and political and racial policies of the Third Reich. Proctor detailed Nazi programs involving racial purification, sterilization, women's rights, euthanasia, and scientific experimentation as examples of how politics shaped the practice of science. Proctor also detailed the resistance to the onslaught of Nazism by the Association of Socialist Physicians, the most organized form of medical opposition and how German medicine might have evolved had history taken a different path. Proctor concluded with an epilogue on postwar legacies and detailed the events that occurred to those involved in the implementation of the Nazi public policies including the transition of prewar "racial hygiene" into postwar "human genetics". ("amedard" aka "djondjon")

I read this book after Peter Sichrovsky's 'Schuldig Geboren' (Born Guilty) about the offspring of noted Nazis. The connection? A whole lot of the latter were descended from Nazi doctors. Many of them were themselves in or studying medicine, and the claim was made repeatedly of the huge following of the whole medical profession for Naziism. And why not?, the Nazi doctrine itself can be rendered by the phrase 'racial hygiene'! Imagine having a whole political movement willing to empower physicians, give them their heart's delight for social prestige and influence (in funded public health measures) and eliminate a huge fraction of their competitors/rivals (Jewish doctors) to boot? But did you know that the inspiration for a lot of Hitler's measures (from anti-alcohol measures to restricted immigration, to sterilization of 'undesirables') came from the USA? Frightening how close our two systems could be.

The book is one of the best-- and not only because it is meticulously researched and written, but because it does not stint at showing that the most respected and supposedly wisest of men can, in their own folly, commit unspeakable crimes. And that science can justify these crimes. It is one of the most powerful arguments against the idea that mankind has progressed that I've read of late.

What were the scientific views of the followers of Nazism and what scientific "evidence" helped them to decide public policy? Author Robert N. Proctor does an excellent job answering these questions.

This is a book that every astrophysicist should have. It is an excellent textbook on radiation processes that enables graduate students to learn the essential physical processes of radiation that take place in the universe while at the same time it is also a helpful reference book for the more experienced researcher. It is quite expensive but it is a very good long term investment which will pay on in the future.

This is THE standard text in the field of astrophysical radiation processes. Covers most processes of interest for the astrophysicist, at a depth adequate for graduate students. Well written and understandable. A must buy, despite the very high price.

Thorough, concise, and very readable. Topics are clearly presented, equations are elegantly explained. One of the most useful texts I own.

One of the peculiarities of Astrophysics is that, as a
subject, is difficult to teach. It requires to go deep into
the physics of the objects under study (which span the whole
Universe) but alto to keep a broad view (the so called "Big
Picture") since most of the objects and their histories
cannot be understood if they are isolated from the others.
One of the problems a teacher faces is, hence, how to strike a
balance between these two disparate goals within the limited
time of one or two academic terms.

Rybicki and Lightman success with this book is to take the
physics of astrophysical problems involving radiation from
the general approaches of the physics books to the particular
conditions of most of the cases that astronomy cares about
without leaving rigorousity along the way. With a little
abuse of language: They bring Physics a step closer to
Astronomy.

On the other hand, the area of actual applications that
astronomers use is almost neglected. For example, the
introductory chapters on Radiative Transfer and Black
Body Radiation could have served to motivate a chapter on
theoretical basis of photometry (theoretical approach to
color indices, extinction by dust or other microscopic
particles). This would have given the student a more
realistic flavor of the tools that astrophysicists use
in their everyday (every night?) work. The Problem Sets,
in addition, are claiming for a few numerical
applications to profit from the, now easily available
to students, computer power.

Every serious astrophysics teacher and student should
use this book... and think hard on how to take the
next step from Rybicki and Lightman to the Absolute
Magnitude versus Color Index diagrams.

Even though the book was written in Europe (it refers to some materials, which are hard to find in the U.S.), its quite useful and well written. I consider myself an experienced scratch builder, but I found a lot of useful information, building techniques, and construction ideas in this book. Highly recommend to everybody using foam in the airplane construction.

Anyone interested in learning the basics of foam model construction would be well advised to pick up a copy of this book. Everything is written in a clear, easy-to-understand text that takes one through making tools, cutting foam, covering and sheeting methods, and other modeling uses for foam.

It is highly recommended.

Even though I just bought this book (not from Amazon), my edition appears to be the 1999 one, not 2000. At any rate, the book is really excellent. What impressed me most was the simple design of the tools employed, from the hot wire cutter to the vacuum bagger, all appear to be buildable from stuff at the local auto parts store, junkyard, and hardware store. Things like a cheap auto battery charger, old refrigerator compressor, etc. Nothing exotic.

Not only that, but after describing how to build wings from templates, he gives an explanation of how to draw the templates, with details on a half-dozen popular wing shapes. Like everything else in the book, he takes you through it step-by-step, leaving nothing out.

Overall, I think this must be one of the best "how to" books I've ever read.

Thank you NEXUS Special Interest Books (UK) for putting this book back in circulation. If anyone is even thinking about building their first Foamie, this book is a must, for it will answer your basic questions on the "dos and don't" about FOAM, a very well though out book for any modeller's first Foam aeroplane.. Thank You David Thomas, Sid King

I couldn't wait to get this book and I wasn't disappointed. The photos are great and I highly recommend this book. Ramesses reign was magnificent. The building during his reign is unequalled. The Abu Simbel is absolutely fantastic,but there is so much more. He truly was the master builder. I love this book and it doesn't disappoint. Also,buy Tutankamun his other book.

Being an avid collector of any book related to Egyptian history I was still knocked over by this superb new volumne exploring the life and times of one of Egypt's greatest Pharaohs, Ramesses The Second of the Nineteenth Dynasty. Utilising all the latest in information about this legendary ruler of one of the worlds greatest ancient civilisations author TGH James weaves an informative, non bias account of this Pharaoh enriched by some of the most magnificent photography that has ever been seen in any work devoted to Ancient Egypt.

Having been long associated with the Egyptian Antiquities department of the British Museum the author is more than well qualified to talk on the life of Ramesses the Second and his lavish volumne spends time in the introductory chapters painting a picture of the lead up to Ramesses' reign through the Amarna Period and Tutankhamun to the life of his father the magnificent Pharaoh Sethos the First. Various chapters deal with specific periods of Ramesses life and are devoted to the period as a young prince in his father's kingdom through to his military activites as Pharaoh and in particular Ramesses' well chronciled clashes with the Hitties culminating in the Battle of Qadesh. Of great interest in the book is the research that has gone into reconstructing the complex family situation of Ramesses and fascinating chapters are spent creating vivid images of Ramesses' great royal wife Nefertari, the royal harem and his many children. Of particular interest is the research devoted to the foreign brides of Ramesses especially the two Hittite princesses who became the brides of Ramesses as a result of his lasting treaty with the Hittites.

Of course no work on Ramesses the Great would be complete without an examination of his great reputation as a builder and the volumne is rich in many previously unpublished photos documenting many of the works attributed to Ramesses the Second. Ample space is devoted to his elaborate work in the temples of Karnak and Luxor, his work at his new capital of Piramesse, the beautiful tomb in the Valley of the Queens created for his wife Nefertari and of course the two great temples at Abu Simbel. A particularly interesting amount of space in devoted to the grand and still not entirely excavated tomb of Ramesses' son's in the Valley of the Kings which contains a summary of some of the very latest finds from this rich and still not totally explored site. All these places illustrated in this book are accompanied by eye catching and extremely beautiful colour photographs more sumptous than I have seen in most works on Ancient Egypt. So vivid are most of them that they almost seem to transport you to the very temple of sculpture being discussed.

For any Egyptologist or lover of ancient civilisations "Rammesses 11", is unsurpassed reading of the first order filled with terrific information, stunning photography and much new information that really enables the reader to get a vivid picture of Ramesses the Great and Egypt at this time. I highly recommend this book to all lovers of history and of ancient art in particular, it is a true treasure that deserves a special place on any book lovers shelves.

In spite of misspelling the title of the book, Amazon.com makes available a large format publication that provides excellent viewing of fine photography and renderings. The details of wall reliefs and murals are rendered exquisitely and hilight otherwise missed opportunities to appreciate the finesse of ancient Egyptian artists. Mr. James' text is extremely readable and in writing the history of a notable king engages the reader in a variety of ways and maintains a high level of interest. A very worthwhile acquisition for anyone interested in ancient Egypt!

This book is a detailed look into the life of Ramses II. Much has been written about Ramses by other authors, therefore, this was a pleasent surprise. T.G.H.James is one of the most outstanding and important egyptologists alive today. His newly published book on Ramses should be in every good egyptologists library.

A school required book. Purchased for a college course and used quite a lot. Great information and examples, I will be keeping it for future reference in my career!

The book was just as described. I do not like it only because it is a school book, but it was brand new and in great shape. The time it shipped was as expected.

I used this book for a college class as well, the book provides not only the concepts of the subjects you may have to explore and write, but also provides examples and exercises that help you focus in on the most important parts of the writing (which helps for your own work).

I recently used this textbook in a college course. All of the essays are short, easy to read, and cover a variety of interesting topics.

This book is simply the best and one of the only books on the Indians of Brazil and Uruguay and the conquest of them. This is an amazing wide ranging study from the missionaries to the slave trade to the many indian nations in Brazil.

The story of how the Portuguese came to rule Brazil takes us to the "Pope Line" of Alexander VI, which split South America into two pieces. Most of it fell within the Spanish hemisphere, but, as fate would have it, the eastern slab (roughly, where Brazil is) went to Portugal. Given the absence of mineral deposits, the colonists resorted to exploiting human population. The tale of Brazil's conquest is a grim story of progressive accretion, acre by acre, tribe by tribe, with only the Jesuits serving to moderate the excesses of the colonists. Needless to say, the Jesuits were soon eliminated as a threat (this is depicted in the Morricone film "The Mission") and the Brazilian interior given over to plunder. Hemmings also takes us through the Dutch and French interludes, wherein Portugal stood to lose its dominions to these interlopers. There are few heroes on the European side in this epic, however there are a number of brave tribesmen who succeeded, always temporarily, in holding back the advance.

A terrifically comprehensive history of the impact of European settlement on the native population of Brazil. Hemming has introduced a style and content that makes this as much a story book as a formal text book. The brutal and tragic consequences of the meeting of two extremely diverse cultures are brought to life in this book, with the greed and self-righteousness of the Portugese settlers set against the innocence and primitive nature of the indigenous 'Indians'. Anybody with an interest in the history of Brazil would find this a truly fascinating read.

A terrifically comprehensive history of the impact of European settlement on the native population of Brazil. Hemming has introduced a style and content that makes this as much a story book as a formal text book. The brutal and tragic consequences of the meeting of two extremely diverse cultures are brought to life in this book, with the greed and self-righteousness of the Portugese settlers set against the innocence and primitive nature of the indigenous 'Indians'. Anybody with an interest in the history of Brazil would find this a truly fascinating read.

Unique review of the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt in Latin American air forces. Contains bona fide data and rare photographs. Easy to read. A must for the aviation historian.

It is a great book regarding the P-47 serving with the South American Air Forces. Good text, good pictures. The the south american air enthusiasts, the plastic modelers will have a lot of good information.

This book encloses a whole lot of historical data, photographs and images about the service of P-47 Thunderbolts in Latin America. Although technically and historically detailed, the book is very readable and amene. A must for Latin American aviation historians and modelers.

For anyone interested on knowing more about Mexicos Participation in WWII, (Pacific theatre. The Pictures are very good, de detail and description of the missions are excelent! About time the "Escuadron de pelea 201" receive the attention it deserves.

I read this book in a translation to the portuguese, here in Brazil.It's concise, fun to read and good about this subject.
The problems in this book are small, but they exist.
One of these problems is that this book is a little outdated.To exemple, it teachs that Jim Bakker got tens of years in prision.Correct when this book was writen, but Jim Bakker was relased from jail some years later.

Islamic fundamentalists murdered nuns in Algeria, Menachem Goldstein opened fire on praying Muslims at the Tomb of the Patriarch, physicians and patients were gunned down at family planning clinics for performing legal abortions. The list of terror acts in the name of God is growing. What is the origin of this violence, and is there a common denominator between these different religious fundamentalists? Dr. Kepel describes in this very well written book how the three major Abrahamitic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam - four, if you like Dr. Kepel in this study, separate Protestantism and Catholicism) have gone through a notable transformation since the seventies, from adapting their doctrines to the surrounding secular world, to demanding that the secular world adapt to their doctrines. He shows how, as a consequence of this shift, the tolerance towards other religions as well as to secular society has been dramatically reduced. In turn, this has caused an increased willingness amongst religious extremists to use violence to ensure that the surrounding world follows and obeys the demands and customs of the religious communities. One of the central theses, and maybe the most interesting, in Kepel's book is how these tendencies are common to all four religions and how their origins also are similar. Partly because of his viewpoint - Kepel is a islamist at the French research agency CNRS - the book very effectively shows how also modern Christianity and Judaism show tendencies that many probably associate with only militant Islam. Kepel shows how for all three religions the transformation is a more or less explicit rebellion against the enlightenment and rationalism, mostly founded in a desperation about the social end economic conditions in the wake of the recession of the 70:ties. In all cases the "grass roots" movement that arouse around that time has since risen to power and it's in its fringes that the violence flourishes. There is a tendency to accept a certain amount of extremism in the name of cultural and religious freedom, but the question arises: how much do we accept that the freedom of expression and choice is limited in order to meet religious standards and norms? "The Revenge of God" won't answer these questions, but it's an excellent introduction to the background and the context in which they must be answered.

This book was originally published in France in 1991 and remains incredibly topical. It illustrates better than any book I know, the resurgence of religion the author calls `re-Christianization', `re-Islamicization' and `re-Judaicization'. It powerfully points out that the views of those who still feel secure in - or dismayed by - the apparent triumph of secular modernity, may be thirty years out of date.

For although by the early 1970's it seemed that a modern liberal secularity was becoming everywhere more dominant, by the late 1970's, the tide began to turn.

Kepel locates his account of this turning in four streams: Protestant and Catholic Christianity, Judaism and Islam. He begins with the late 70's founding of Falwell's Moral Majority, the 1978 election of Pope John Paul II, Begin's 1977 victory over nearly thirty years of secular Zionism and Khomeini's 1979 revolution in Iran, and goes on to marshal, an amazing amount of facts and insights from the following years illustrating a continued activity in all of these domains to establish cultures that break from secularism in decisive ways and mount challenges to the secularist state.

I give this book high praise on numerous accounts. Its subject is incredibly important and still so overlooked in many attempts to understand our contemporary world. Kepel's marshalling of evidence is prodigious. It is very well written and accessible. Its tone is balanced, fair and non-polemical. It cries out to read and absorbed - deeply - by anyone seeking to understand our times. I can hardly recommend it highly enough.

Thus, I am not prepared to dock this book a single star. Yet, as far as I am concerned, it has serious faults. As a point of disclosure, I will say I am a Catholic traditionalist of the kind that arouses Kepel's concern. From my perspective, the book misrepresents aspects of Christianity and no doubt, it also misrepresents Judaism and Islam. As I am not qualified to comment on these latter, however, I will mostly restrict myself to the field of Christianity.

Thus, I will say that my main critique of Kepel's account of religious resurgence, is that it is too monolithic, too homogeneous. He seems to assume that the return to religion, is a more or less single phenomenon in response to secularism's failures, though varying from culture to culture. However such variations in culture are not sufficient to explain the fact that there is a world of difference between the Ayatollah ordering the execution of Rushdie and John Paul II proclaiming - with deep sincerity, I believe - that `the Church must propose, it must not impose'.

There is a world of difference between John Paul II declaring that other religions constitute the `normal' way of salvation for those involved in them, and being unsure `whether' any one is in hell and Protestant fundamentalism. There is a world of difference between a kind of Christianity - and I believe Judaism and Islam, as well - that weeps for the entire way secularism degrades humanity and that which focusses on a few limited issues, such as, say, abortion. Certainly John Paul was concerned with abortion too - but his critique of modernity was hardly limited to a few `flash-points'. It extended to include the entire way capitalism and communism debases the human being as a means, not an end, the way our culture of arid commercialism manipulates the desires of millions and the cultural deserts that results from utilitarianism and functionalism. You will not hear Jerry Falwell taking about these things ...

My point is that resurgent religion may encompass at least two distinct types of phenomena. On the one hand, a simplistic fundamentalist backlash. On the other hand, a profound meditative seeking for a higher order of values than secularism permits - an order of values that does not permit the tragedies of either laissez faire capitalism or communism. Moreover, although Kepel is understandably concerned with the way resurgent religion can compromise freedom, he does not consider nearly enough the way secularist ideology may do exactly the same - except perhaps unconsciously, as when he notes how the new religious resurgence is `an attempt to loosen the grip of secularism'. Yes, secularism has a powerful `grip' ... all the more effective and insidious, because it manages to disguise itself as `value-neutral'.

Whatever my qualms, I repeat: five stars. This book is incredibly useful for understanding matters of fundamental import to our times.

Gilles Kepel, professor at the Institute of Political Studies of Paris is one of the world's foremost experts on the modern Middle East. In "The Revenge of God" he discusses the resurgence of the three monotheisms that each claims Jerusalem as its own holy city. This book was first published in 1994, but Professor Kepel's chapters on the Islamic revival can be profitably read with post-9/11 hindsight.

Just a glance at this week's 'NY Times' headlines such as "Syria, Long Ruthlessly Secular, Sees Fervent Islamic Resurgence" and "Bush Says He Disagrees With General [Boykin's] Remarks on Religion" are an indication that Professor Kepel's comparative essay is still very topical.

From my viewpoint, the most frightening chapters were not on the revival of Islamic extremism, but the battle for the re-Judaization of Israel by groups such as the Gush Emunim. Intellectually, the concept of 'sacred ground' is easily understood, but the viewpoint that non-Jews have no right to the land that had been promised to the Chosen People is harder to grasp by someone like myself who was raised in a secular state--especially when that viewpoint was carried to its logical extreme via a plot to blow up the mosques on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

If you think it is going to be easy for the Israeli Government to disband the West Bank settlements of its fundamentalist citizens, you need to read this book.

The title of this book might even give an atheist cause to fear when examined in the light of extremist groups such as Gush Emunium or the followers of Sayyid Qutb, the father of modern Islamist fundamentalism. According to Professor Kepel, the radical pessimism of Sayyid Qutb's message did not take root until social conditions in Egypt fell into disarray in the 1970s. Modernism and secularism were profoundly rejected by Qutb's followers, just as they had been by members of Jewish, Protestant, and Catholic fundamentalist groups.

The author contends that the 'simultaniety' of this rejection of modernism by all of these religious groups was the "loss of assurance born of scientific and technological progress since the 1950s." Another factor was the death of "the great atheist messianic ideology of the twentieth century, communism." In his concluding chapter, "Reconquering the World," Professor Kepel writes that the danger (although he does not use the word 'danger') posed by the fundamentalist groups is that in their rejection of the philosophy of the Enlightenment, they also reject the legitimacy of secular governments. "The successes of the Islamists are the clearest indication of the political, economic, and social bankruptcy of the post-independence ruling elites."

How will the social breakdown of the Muslim Mediterranean countries affect the rest of the world? We are just beginning to realize what a quagmire we've gotten ourselves into in Iraq. Even if you don't agree with Professor Kepel's thesis, read this book for a French professor's view of American evangelists Jerry Falwell, Oral Roberts, and Jim Bakker. He doesn't take any cheap shots, but he'll still make you smile (or say 'ouch').