Industrial Books

I think the book is wonderful. I wanted to attain a better sense of Charles A Lindbergh and what better
way then to read something he wrote. He is a good writer and his character comes through. It is also very
enterntaining and down to the practically of having real substance of history in the book. I am greatful to have read it and attained a glimps of a cherished individual in our aviation history.

This book got a little dry at times but it is a great 1-stop shop for anyone who wants to know everything about the famous flight.

Great account of an adventure. Includes all the early stages, including conception, financing, building, testing, and monitoring the competition. Especially relevant these days with all the X prize comparisons.

The writing of the actual flight is exhaustive, and sprinkled with autobiographical anecdotes to give context and color. His accounts of growing up on a Minnesota farm surely add to the American mythos of self-determination. And his days spent learning to fly through barnstorming and the Army are notable for being enchanting, yet completely straightforward and accurate.

Lindbergh says accuracy is one of his major aims. This adds to the substance of the book, since he examines his mistakes at least as much as his successes. The writing sometimes waxes poetic, as when he says "The dull blade of skill is sharpened on the stone of experience."

Overall, this is a valuable book on many levels. For the historical record of a groundbreaking flight. For the description of the early days of flight, and the adventure and pioneering spirit it embodied. And for the tale of a man who conceived a great project, found the friendly cooperation of others to help him achieve it, worked through many obstacles and setbacks to prepare for it, and then finally executed it well, despite his own human imperfections and mistakes along the way.

Lindbergh took some risks with this book. He wrote it out first person, present tense. (A big "no no".) And he broke up the storyline with frequent flashbacks. Somehow it all works anyway, in spite of or because of these risks.

But, then again, Lindbergh was a risk taker. He put his life on the line with his Paris flight and succeeded gloriously. He does the same thing here, in the literary world, winning the Pulitzer prize.

We should all stop to reflect a moment on how great a coup this was. And how improbable. Lindbergh published this book in the decade following his ill-fated attempt to prevent America's entry into World War II. In many ways his star had fallen with the American public, politically and otherwise. Yet, he was able to resurrect himself through this first-hand story of his great experimental flight. You can't keep a good man (or woman) down.

My favorite part of this book is the section where he refers to his metaphysical experiences during his flight over the Atlantic. He recounts these experiences in more depth in Autobiography of Values, but it is here that they first see the light of day.

This is an enthralling saga of a great moment in the history of aviation, told by the flier himself. It is a unique contribution to world literature, and as such, scarcely needs me to recommend it. Yet, I do so, unreservedly.

Richard Salva--author of Soul Journey from Lincoln to Lindbergh [UNABRIDGED]

Lindbergh's flight solo New York to Paris is still hard to repeat with a small, prop driven, aircraft. It is hard to summarize or constuct a methaphor to measure the impact of Lindbergh's historic flight in today's setting, it was such a great leap forward for mankind.

The flight inspired my father, 14 years old and living on a farm in Wisconsin in 1927, to become a graduate aerospace engineer, and later to work on the design of the P-38, X-15, and the Apollo capsule, among others, many of which he could not even tell me about. It had similar effects and results for thousands of others.

This book is well written and documents not only the flight, but the life of Lindbergh, and the logistics of pulling off this incredible event. After reading this book, I came to the opinion that the planning and logistics (including fundraising and sponsorship) may have been more difficult than the actual flight. We owe much for this leap forward to a group of individuals from St. Louis, who told Lindbergh, "you worry about the design, building, and flying of the aircraft, we will take care of the money". Reading about this portion of the effort alone, provides much food for thought about current corporate management and government projects. A case study in delegation! I found this book interesting, fascinating, well written, and inspiring. The event and the book are timeless. Reading it makes you realize the difference one person can make when perseverance is applied in a large dose.

I received the manual in a timely manner, and it was in very good condition as advertised. I would recommend to anyone that they use this supplier to buy a book.

Having just completed Rupert Smith's _The Utility of Force_, this was recommended to me by my former executive officer as a companion piece. He was dead-on in his recommendation. Whereas Smith's strength was in disucssing strategy in combating insurgencies (and proposing that the warfare of the future will be of a counter-insurgency nature), Nagel addresses counterinsurgency at the tactical ( battalion. company and platoon) level.

Naturally there is some overlap, particularly as it relates to dealing with and among a population. Nagel, however, literally walks one through waging warfare on the ground, from reconaissnace and intelligence to planning operations through executing and sustaining the campaign. I was particularly impressed by the chapter on leadership and ethics for counterinsurgency and by the numerous vignettes providing a historical perspective on successful counterinsurgency strategies.

While the manual is written (by definition) for professionals, it is an excellent tool in gaining insight and understanding how to successfully engage the types of conflicts we are likely to see more of in the future. Read in conjunction with _The Utility of Force_, a strong foundation for the future of warfare at both the field and company grade.

As I understand the history of the COIN manual, it was originally published in 1940 by the Marine Corps, and dealt with the lessons to be learned from Black Jack Pershing's development of a strategy against the "Moros" insurgency in the Philippines in 1903. Ergo the double title "Army/Marine." And BTW, what Clausewitz wrote is "War is diplomacy by other means," not "policy" or "politics." He was talking about the two ways that countries deal with one another, one peaceful, the other coercive.

I've been studying insurgent warfare for a long time before it became a hot topic... again. I still recommend Galula's Counterinsurgency Warfare and Hamilton's The Art of Insurgency which is a great book but is little referenced. There are of course books by Kitson and others. (Nagl's book which I've reviewed is a good dissertation but is limited in it scope and perception. He writes the forward to this edition.) The two volume War in the Shadows is okay background but not worth a two volume read. Which brings us to the Counterinsurgency Field Manual, which if you are serving and only have time to access one source, this is a dependable one.

Although the CFM is oriented more toward the current unpleasantness the principles of counterinsurgency have been carefully gleaned from the best sources and multiple situations as well as updating insurgent response for the 21st century. Keeping food deliveries out of active insurgent areas might have worked for the British in Malaya, but you could imagine the field day CNN would have with it today. Probably the best things the writers do in this manual is freely admit that the devil is in the details and that these will have to be worked out locally and supported nationally.

For those who still aren't buying into "the insurgent stuff" which unfortunately over the last 30+ years has gone under state department approved phrases like "nation building" and executive office of the President terms like "counter terrorism" you don't have to worry that the Army or Marines are going to lose their conventional edge with these approaches. The CFM makes it clear that this is only one form or warfare and that modern war can slip across the entire spectrum. What is not needed is more doctrine...what is needed is a tool box and the CFM attempts to be one of those tools.

The CFM makes many good points and I'm not going to list them all here, but the most important one I felt has to do with the assumption of more risk. Insurgent warfare requires soldiers to go out and get in the streets with people to provide the basic security for everyday activities that will lead to a legitimate government. Legitimacy cannot come from the national level down no matter what form of government people actually settle for (A basic concept found in any undergraduate PolySci 101 class which no one in the State Deptment or Congress must have taken.) The average Joe doesn't care about the grand schemes. He wants to go to work, get married, raise a family and have a shot at some level of comfort without getting killed. The key to winning against insurgents is that the most committed to providing these basic parameters for the average Joe, wins. You show your true colors and level of commitment when you have to go out and get shot at. But the alternative, which never works, and we still seem to be doing is to concentrate forces on large FOB's and separate them from the population. This has got to be one of the toughest of balancing acts to provide force protection, logistics as well as force projection and maintenance that supports an ongoing relationship with the civilian population. Fighting an insurgency is not for the faint hearted, the draftee, or those who needed to be reelected every 2 years. It takes soldiers in neighborhoods who know the people and have the power to affect their lives...albeit indirectly if possible.

I disagree with the CFM on two points. I disagree with using the idea of "counterinsurgency" for philosophical reasons. The term by its very nature places you at a disadvantage to the insurgents. I believe you fight an insurgent war and win it by being better insurgents, not by being better "counterinsurgents." But this is probably more a matter of semantics. My second area of disagreement is really the book itself. This "new" book on insurgent warfare is really a great gazette of all the current knowledge that has been around for years plus the all necessary Army doctrine, without which the lowliest private cannot have a bowel movement. The Army's "can't do it without doctrine" attitude is what made this book come out so far behind the power curve to begin with. All this information is and has been known and available but the Army couldn't "discover" it. The US has a long insurgent history that is little studied or learned from. Our nation was founded by an insurgency. We've fought insurgents throughout our history: Native Americans, especially in the West, the border struggles during the Civil War, Phillipines, Cuba, Nicuagua, Vietnam, and Afghanistan. As organizations that need to be highly adaptable, the Army and the Marines need to stop paying tuition for the same lessons over and over again. I realize that not all of this lack of organizational awareness is theirs. A great deal of the responsibility for lack of responsiveness lies at the feet of elected officials who do not do their part and provide the clarity of purpose upon which coherent military strategies are based. The mist in Congress becomes a dense fog for those who are tasked with the nation's defense.

I actually bought this book some months back but I kept putting off picking it up because I assumed this would be a dense work filled with military jargon and more acronyms than one could shake a stick at. I assumed that it would be a tedious and difficult read so I found reasons to put it off, but when I finally forced myself to begin this book I was quite shocked. The book is very easy to read and very well written. The book has just a few acronyms that I had memorized within a couple of pages after their introduction, and the book is very well laid out with impeccable organization (as should be expected I guess). I dare say I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book on all levels. Of course the information and the knowledge to be gleaned from this work is extremely important.

I think if this book were to become required reading for students then I think we could prevent some costly misadventures in future because this book really details what an occupation requires. Everyone would understand that military action will require a deep level of commitment for the military and on all levels of civil society as well.

I also think it is the least we can do as citizens to educate ourselves on what our military men and women are doing and attempting to implement in situations where they face this type of conflict. One gets a sense of what a soldier goes through and the huge load that is put on the ordinary soldier. It is an extremely difficult task they are asked to perform in these situations, and they are asked to perform this task with honor and discretion in the face of terrible situations.

There are some good reviews here that speak more to the content of the work by people obviously more versed in the topic than myself, so I will just say that this book is very well done and an easy read. If you are like me and are putting off reading or buying this book, then let me just say go ahead. It is worth the money and the effort. I highly recommend this book.

visually stunning and excellent coffee table book. if you are looking for a picture book of the universe for casual purusal this book will more than do. provides very brief, non-technical descriptions of what each photograph is of. not for heavy duty research. recreational reading only. once again, the photos are...wow!

++++++

"Astronomy is one of the sublimest fields of human investigation. The mind that grasps its facts and principles receives something of the enlargement and grandeur belonging to the science itself. It is a quickener of devotion."

The above is a quotation uttered by American educator Horace Mann in the 1800s. It eloquently sums up my feelings when I viewed the images (the majority of which are taken from our Galaxy) and read their accompanying text in this fascinating book by M. K. Baumann, W. Hopkins, L. Nolletti, and M. Soluri (with astronomy consultant R. Villard).

Stephen Hawking, who wrote the book's forward, tells us that "the [spectacular] images in this book represent some of the most up-to-date and high-definition data available." Yes, the more than 180 images are truly spectacular and were selected because they were judged to be the "most important" examples to highlight a particular topic. (The earliest image was taken May 1967 and the most recent was taken Jan. 2005.) Each photographic image has a standard data area that gives key information about the image. For example the data area of the image that's on the front cover of this book (shown above by Amazon) might be as follows:

(1) Identification icon of the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft. (I will explain more about these icons below.)
(2) Saturn with its moon Enceladus appearing near its south pole
(3) Visible-light image (metallic color added)
(4) Cassini orbiter (Note that this spacecraft consists of this orbiter and the Huygens probe)
(5) 16 May 2004
(6) 12.5 million miles (20 million km) from Earth

Each topic is presented alphabetically with a brief, easy-to-understand, descriptive, and interesting text to explain a topic. The letters covered are from "A" to "W" (excluding "K," "O," and "Q"). Topics under each letter range from one to several. For example, under "A" are two topics covering four pages but under "C" are six topics covering ten pages.

Thus each topic generally has three pieces of information. For example, the first topic under "A" is "Asteroid." Then there is:

(1) a descriptive text of an asteroid
(2) an actual image of an asteroid--in this case asteroid Eros
(3) a data area for asteroid Eros (which, as shown above, has (i) an identification icon (ii) image description (iii) image type (iv) image source (v) date image taken and (vi) distance celestial object is from Earth).

At the end of the book are three sections. One section lists with a brief description the mechanical and human image-makers that made the images in this book possible. Another well-written section explains the science behind the images used in this book. The last section is a glossary of important terms.

The section regarding the image-makers is one I found especially interesting. Over forty image-makers are listed and well described. These image-makers are divided into four groups:

(1) Earth-based (like observatories)
(2) Near-Earth (like space-based telescopes)
(3) Spacecraft, probes, & cameras
(4) Individuals (who work with accessible and mobile equipment).

The identification icons I mentioned in the sample data area above are in this image-makers section. Any icon that appears in the book can be matched with the same icon in this section. For example, the icon of the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft mentioned in the sample data area above can be matched with the identical icon in the above-mentioned third group. Then below the icon is a brief description of this spacecraft that I found quite interesting.

Finally, I did find some problems with this book. I should emphasize that these in no way affect the book's readability but I found them to be irritations:

(1) There is no introduction. There is a four-paragraph blurb on the inside front jacket flap that promotes the book and at the same time tries to give some indication of what to find in it. It does not do the latter very well. For example, how to use the icons is not explained at all. There should have been a good introduction included within the book itself.
(2) Three astronomical images located on the first two pages are not explained at all. Why?
(3) There are no references for the text. True, we are given the names of almost sixty scientists and space professionals who shared their knowledge. But throughout the book's pages are certain figures that must have been looked up somewhere. These sources are not given credit.
(4) The glossary is somewhat redundant. For example, the first word in the glossary is "asteroid." But as I mentioned above, it's a topic in the main section of this book! Why include it in the glossary? I found this for several other words as well.
(5) Right after the index of this book (that is, on the very last page) is a description of a newly discovered phenomenon that is "a telltale trace of other Earth-like planets out beyond our solar system." I found this VERY interesting. Why was it on the very last page of the book? It should have been included in the main narrative.

In conclusion, if you're an armchair astronaut like me, you'll appreciate this visually stunning and informative book that reveals the awesome beauty and mystery of the cosmos!!!

(first published 2005; forward by S. Hawking; the Milky Way; celestial phenomena from "A" to "W;" science behind the images; the image makers; main narrative 175 pages; glossary; index; picture credits; acknowledgements; Earthshine)

+++++

Splendid images, combined with descriptions of what you're viewing, abound in this book, available for less than $20.

It's arranged alphabetically, so you can either browse from page 1 onward, or go to your favorite subject, such as "galaxy" or "black hole." And, it runs from our backyard to the edges of the universe, so whether your interests are planetary, interstellar, or deep space, there's plenty here for you.

The text material greatly adds to the value of the book (if that is possible).

For instance, under the pictures of different types of galaxies, readers will get an explanation of how barred spirals or ellipticals are believed to develop. But, that's not all.

In the caption for each photo, the authors carefully note what satellite, explorer craft, or telescope took the picture, what wavelength it was used, how it was filtered, etc. and otherwise brought to "normal" visible light, etc.

And, that's not all. There's more for backyard astronomers with telescopes.

In all pictures of nebulae, M or NGC numbers are provided for nebulae so identified.

Not many things in the world can literally take your breath away. Maybe it was your first kiss, or maybe when your son or daughter finally became part of the living. But this book cannot be excepted from that category, because these pictures seem to live and breathe just as we do. Light years and light years away.

Mars is viewed up so close, you feel like you're actually breathing in the dusty storms of the planet and you're surrounded by barren red wasteland, where life might once have existed. Jupiter's moon, Europa, has so many stunning pictures, as each one depicts its greenish-blue hue cracked with red lines and ice that fit in with the satellite so icily, but coolly. And don't get me even STARTED on the nebulae! They are so unbelievably beautiful - swirls of reds tingling with blue and a shiver of yellow belting down an orange, with sparkles and beauty outlining every inch of it. I think the nebulae deserve fifty chapters just for themselves.

All the pictures are arranged alphabetically from their title, from A for Asteroid to W for WMAP (check the book if you don't know what that is ;D), this book has it all. All the pictures are high-definition and just a frightful wonder to look at, staring at the deep, stellar field of space.

But as another reviewer said, don't miss out on the captions! There's an universe of information to be read, and they just can't be ignored because the pictures are so gorgeous. They're extremely factual and faultless, and only glorify the images with much information, unlike other space books where one-liners just dismiss the true meaning behind the pictures.

This book is highly recommended. I can't imagine a better source to start a lifelong interest in space, or to simply indulge in the beauty of space.

Stephen Hawking provides the foreword to WHAT'S OUT THERE: IMAGES FROM HERE TO THE EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE. Here are nearly two hundred of the most important images ranging from close-ups of Mars to views of the most distant nebula. An alphabetical arrangement allows for quick and easy reference and topics which lend to commentary by experts as they accompany striking color photos. Photos have been culled from archives and astronomical sources from around the world and beyond the planet and provide an amazing A-Z picture record of striking images. Very highly recommended; especially for college-level astronomy holdings.

If you want to write for kids, there's two things you need to do (i.e., other than writing your book!): join SCWBI and get this book. The book is full of great advice and contacts. A must-have for all children's writers.

This is a highly informative book that no household should be without. Held within these pages are countless words and expressions for every aspect of writing. From A to Z you will find references for everything. Fundraising letters, personal letters, query letters, sympathy notes, email, business, thank yous, etc. It is all found in this highly recommended book! Don't write without it!

This book gave me a good perspective on what it takes to "try" to get a children's book published. I really feel like I have a better grasp on the reality of writing children's books...it's not as easy as I had first expected!

This is well-organized and has all of the information one would need to access publishers. Agents and publicists, as well as writers, need to have this "encyclopedia" of resources. There is a wealth of information needed for sending book proposals and manuscripts. Just excellent!

Professionals in the children's book genre have been relying on the yearly Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market for 18 years. This guide covers everything writers and/or illustrators would ever need to find a home for their work.

The 2006 edition contains more than 800 listings of opportunities. Book publishers, magazine opportunities, literary agents, contests and conferences are just a few of the numerous types of listings you get in 400+ pages.

Each listing is updated yearly to make sure the contact information, pay rates and specific publishing needs are accurate. Editors of the guide generally work all year long to ensure the listings are up-to-date.

What makes this guide even more valuable are the articles, interviews and also help for those just getting started in the business. The guide could simply be a compilation of listings and it would be a great investment but the fact that these other resources are added make it a powerful tool for any writer or illustrator's career.

If you're searching for markets on your own, you're wasting precious time. The 2006 Writer's & Illustrator's Market does the tedious work for you so you can simply choose an appropriate market and find a publishing outlet for your work.

this book should be a companion reader to the "OZ principal" in order to "see it" you need to know what your looking for. this book gives good insight to what your workers are thinking and feeling.

Over 50,000 employees tell why company morale and productivity are low and loyalty nonexistent in 30 Reasons Employees Hate Their Managers: What Your People May Be Thinking and What You Can Do About It. In synthesizing the surveys of over 50,000, this book helps pinpoint common problem areas, solutions which apply to the real world and work, and insights on the psychology of these solutions. A focus on each issue and how to resolve it lends practical analysis to the matter, making this a top pick recommended for both managers and business libraries seeking to quickly identify problems and enact changes based not upon time-consuming trial-and-error, but tested real-world experience.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This book is simple, practical and easy to read. Citing data from Discovery Solutions wide normative database created from years of employee surveys, "30 Reasons Employees Hate Their Managers" highlights many of the more prevelant problems facing management today and offers clear tips and solutions to help make things better.

This book belongs on your bookshelf.

This book will be helpful to any manager. Bruce Katcher identifies organizational vulnerabilities that are often unknown to managers and executives. Each of the 30 chapters offers psychological insights and practical solutions to management problems from an outstanding organizational psychologist. I believe that Bruce Katcher's book can be a spring-board for the careers of readers. It presents valuable lessons that could take a life time to learn.

Mark Campbell, Author, "Five Gifts of Insightful Leaders"
www.mjcampbellassoc.com

The fact is that most employees don't really hate their managers. But lots of them are frustrated. In this glass-half-empty book, veteran organizational psychologist Bruce L. Katcher plumbs the survey research he has gathered over almost two decades to distill the 30 biggest frustrations of working men and women, including managers. More importantly, for each frustration he cites, Katcher offers up solutions that are as easy to implement as they are sensible. The wonder is that solutions like these are not more widely practiced. With books like this pointing the way, maybe one day they will be.

For any aspiring Aeronautical Engineer, this book provides indepth analysis and insights into design of Aeronautical Systems. Several design concepts have been demonstrated with real examples. A must read.

Great Great Great Great Book !!
An essential book. Every people who work in aeronautic and space industry HAVE to read this book. Very easy to understand. Should be the first book on airplane design that you read.

There are several stages to aircraft design. This book covers the first stage, conceptual design, which aims to find the best possible configuration for the aircraft prior to designing the aircraft in detail.

Arriving at this final design involves several layers of complexity. Initially the process involves creating several simple designs and performing a brief evaluation of their performance. This allows the designer to select the best design and develop the design to the point where it can be `fixed' and sent to the specialists who will design the individual parts for manufacture.

The conceptual designer needs to be a jack of all trades, he needs to understand all of the issues, but he doesn't need to be an expert in any of them. For this reason this book is makes it a great reference for people like me with a general interest. It gives an excelent overview of aircraft design, but doesn't go into fine detail.

5 Stars.

Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach, by Daniel P. Raymer, is an outstanding book on the aircraft design process. Well organized and well written, the book clearly defines the three principle stages of aircraft design, and covers the conceptual design stage at length.

Starting from the aircraft mission definition, Raymer presents a rational, methodical approach to aircraft design. Emphasis is placed on sizing, weight estimation, and early handling and performance estimates. This approach is supported with historical and statistical data summarizing trends in previous successful designs (and a few failed ones).

Although the book includes effective overviews of aerodynamics, stability and control, and structural analysis, the nitty-gritty details of these subjects are left -- as they should be -- for more specialized texts. The focus of this text (as it should be) is entirely on design, with particular emphasis on conceptual design. Preliminary and detailed design are touched upon, but largely left for other texts.

Overall, this is a great book for aeronautical/aerospace students and practitioners alike.

This is an interesting and enlightening book (or rather tome) on aircraft design by a very knowledgeable author who knows what to say and how to say it. This is among the best books on the market dealing with aircraft design and is well written in a clear and easy to understand and follow format for those studying aeronautical engineering and design. It is also an excellent reference guide for aircraft design professionals.

This is a comprehensive book covering all the major topics in aircraft design including mission definition, initial sizing, structural and aerodynamics design, weight estimation, configuration layout, performance analysis and estimates. The author reinforces his teaching with tips, illustrations, explanations and equations and provide essential data for aircraft design.

Overally, an excellent book that is well worth investing in.

I used this product to obtain my Technician license and it worked perfectly. Every topic is easily laid out in a clear, concise fashion, and the question pool at the back of the book is well-organized. The material is also presented in an interesting and unique way, so you will not tire of learning. Highly recommended!

I am a new Ham. I just passed the Technician class test with a perfect score. The only resource I used was this book. The test isn't hard to begin with but why not make it easy on yourself and use the official material. The question pool in the back of the book are the same questions on the test. Technically you could just memorize all the questions and go take the test but you will be lost as to how to actually BE a Ham after you pass.

The contents of the book cover everything from what frequencies you are allowed to use as a Technician level Ham to basic electric theory. There is no need to buy any other materials. Just find a comfy chair, open this up and read it cover to cover stopping to answer the questions in the back of the book when prompted. That's it.

Great book.

The first few chapters were a lot to wade through with introductions to radio and electrical terminology. Chapter three is where the book gets interesting and begins to be a lot of fun to read. (note: You might want to read chapters one and two twice before going on to the rest of the book). It tells you all you need to get licensed as a ham as well as where to seek out additional information. One caution it introduces you to a World that seems endless with opportunities to explore. A good companion to this book for studying for the test are the sample tests at www.qrz.com.

There are lots of things to learn about radios and lots of books available on different technical topics. This one is focused on getting your first ham radio license.

The ARRL Ham License Manual is written in a 'welcome to the club' type manner with most of the information on radios, licensing, and ham radio as a hobby explained farily clearly. Moreover, it contains ALL of the ACTUAL questions in the pool of potential test questions. In other words, if you read the book and work through the questions there will be no surprises on the FCC exam!

This book was used as the text for a two-day ham radio license class I attended. I read the book ahead of time and worked through the test questions at the end of each section. All of the answers are given and linked to chapters in the book if you need to go back and see what you missed.

If you have a background in radio or catch on to technical things easy, this book could easily prepare you to pass the Technician (basic level ham license) without taking a class. Used along with a class or with help from a local ham radio club, this book would help prepare someone with no radio background or little technical experience.

ARRL is the dominant, authoritative amateur radio organization in the US and this book is 'a standard' among hams. It won't make you an expert or explain every technical detail of radio but will help you get your first ham license. At $25 it is a very good value.

This is a one stop book to studying for your amateur radio license. Not too dry, but it is study material and will help put you to sleep. If you don't want to take a class, this is the book for you.

Dr. Ovadia has written a thorough and carefully researched dissertation on the end-to-end Cable TV network architecture. The book is excellent for both a high level overview of the Hybrid Fiber/Coax network as well as for an in-depth review of the various network components, including laser transmitters and optical fiber amplifiers, plant noise characterization, head-end and subscriber modems, media formats and more. There is also an overview of the Docsis protocol. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the Cable Operator network architecture. The contents should be required knowledge for anyone involved in developing any of the components of a cable TV network.

As a non-expert in the field, "Broadband Cable TV Access Networks" is a very complete book that is well-organized and full of information. The introduction sections are very clear and setup up the rest of the book very well. It is clear that Shlomo is an expert in the field and also a very good writer that integrates difficult concepts into a readable story. On areas that Shlomo is not an expert in, the descriptions are not so complete. Sometimes, the book moves too quickly through the details, but the amount of material in the book is impressive for its size. Overall this is a very good book that holds the reader's interest.

I am working in MRV Communications in the field of FFTx Receivers Transceivers design, focusing in the analog side of the system video transport.

I had purchased the book and enjoyed reading it. Indeed, it is a great system engineering book covering a broad spectrum of technical subjects which I have a lot of interest. It broadened my knowledge on the arena of CATV which was new to me.
(I came from Israel from the Satellite Communications subject).

It is a recommended book to any communications engineer, component engineer and system engineer dealing with fiber optics data communications and video transport.
It covers all design aspects in all perspectives, system wise and component wise.
It provides a broad review, showing the affects of RF chains and , optical links imperfections on a QAM signal in most scientific analytic and professional way.

The book is structured as a zoom-in, taking reader from a broad picture of definitions, system architectures and topologies such as HFC, PON,zooming into each building block requirements constrains such as optics CWDM WDM optical none linearities, pre-distortions, CATV receivers topologies , specs and optimized solution. Additionally it covers the aspects of protocols such as DOCSIS and CATV standards showing how to approach to system design, understanding its requirements in order to reach the proper design.

The books provides block diagrams, schemes plots and conclusion to each chapter subject.

Indeed Dr. Shlomo Ovadia did here a huge effort and a great job.
This book mast have in any technical library.

Avi Brillant
Senior Design Engineer
Luninent-Inc
20550 Nordhoff Street
Chatsworth
CA-91311

Cell 818-266-7330

The book "Broadband Cable TV Access Networks" by Dr. Ovadia presents both a high level overview and low level details of CATV technology. It is a well organized system engineering handbook for cable TV network. It gives an excellent introduction to the overall CATV architecture. The introduction is very descriptive and easy to understand. And then extends to rigorous technical details in transmission technologies (over both fiber and coax cable), RF and digital transceiver design, cable modem protocols, software architecture and applications. The book can be a good tutorial for people interested in CATV technology and a good reference for engineers working in the area.

I am working in MRV Communications in the field of FFTx Receivers Transceivers design, focusing in the analog side of the system video transport.

I had purchased the book and enjoyed reading it. Indeed, it is a great system engineering book covering a broad spectrum of technical subjects which I have a lot of interest. It broadened my knowledge on the arena of CATV which was new to me.
(I came from Israel from the Satellite Communications field).

It is a recommended book to any communications engineer, component engineer and system engineer dealing with fiber optics data communications and video transport.
It covers all design aspects in all perspectives, system wise and component wise.
It provides a broad review, showing the affects of RF chains and , optical links imperfections on a QAM signal in most scientific analytic and professional way.

The book is structured as a zoom-in, taking the reader from a broad picture of definitions, system architectures and topologies such as HFC, PON, zooming into each building block requirements and constrains such as optics CWDM WDM optical none linearity, pre-distortions, CATV receivers topologies , specs and optimized solution. Additionally it covers the aspects of protocols such as DOCSIS and CATV standards showing how to approach to system design, understanding its requirements in order to reach the proper design.

The books provides block diagrams, schemes plots and conclusion to each chapter subject.

Indeed Dr. Shlomo Ovadia did here a huge effort and a great job.
This book is must have in any technical library.

Avi Brillant
Senior Design Engineer
Luninent-Inc
20550 Nordhoff Street
Chatsworth
CA-91311

Cell 818-266-7330

First off, I have to say this book is absolutely perfect for all first-time freelance graphic designers. My business partner and I recently started our own design agency at [...] and didn't have a clue about where to get our hands on the legal forms needed. We were referred to this book from another source. And since my partner's father-in-law is a lawyer, we decided to let him take a look at it to see what he thought. He said everything was solid. He couldn't find any holes on any of the forms inside. So after making a few small changes to custom fit our business, we were set. I can honestly say this book should be on the shelf of every aspiring freelance graphic designer. I highly recommend it.

I have only serious clients who are willing to pay me because I take a contract to our first meeting and make them sign it. These contracts will protect you and your clients! They are worded with the legal stuff but easy to understand. He even explains what it all means. It even has a CD so you can pop it in your computer right before your meeting (as I have done) and print a contract.

This book has EVERYTHING you need ... and then some. When you think you're not going to need one of the forms in this book, you later realize that YOU DO! As a freelance artist, using these forms made me feel as though clients noticed that they were dealing with a real professional. Absolutely a great investment.

In starting out and gathering information it's hard to determine what books will be helpful. This is great. It is filled with tear out forms you can make copies of and use over and over. Great information. And the CD-ROM includes all the forms in pdf format, as well as Pagemaker and Quark XPress so that you can make changes to fonts and style, logo additions, and more, to suit your own home business. Files are compatible with Mac and IBMC platform, which is great for me being a designer working mostly on an IBM computer. Excellent book!

Our small graphic design firm had been relying on the legal forms and contracts from this book for about one year. Finally, we decided that perhaps we ought to visit with a lawyer to make sure we were doing it right...$560.00 later for an initial consultation, we realized that this $29.95 book was the best business investment we'd ever made! The lawyer confirmed that the contracts that we had been using were airtight and were great (he had a few other pointers...but, none worth $560.00).

We have had many comments from our clients that over all the creative teams they'd worked with over the years, our design firm had surpassed them all in business professionalism. If you are serious about running a firm, or just want to protect yourself, you really can't go wrong with this book! Such a small investment for such a large return!

Its been a good reading so far. Interesting points of view. I'll keep reading it for sure.

I can't speak for every industry but it's dead on for the media industry. When we look at the diminishing number of clients or prospects that have a solid respect for what we do, many of the answers (the little things) are in this book.

I don't hide the fact that I go against the grain in my search to improve procedures and systems to super serve clients while strengthening a company's bottom line. In that quest, a book called, "Close Like The Pros" by Steve Marx, had an impact on me. It's the closest strategy that I have found to date that I totally agree with in terms of real and realistic sales. "Close Like The Pros" is not a sales style, but rather a sales strategy for sales professionals who already understand why and how you should focus on customer needs. The book explains that providing the focus, power, and direction for the sale are important points to make during the sale. Oftentimes, management forces their own sales style on other members of their team and loses focus of the common goals to fill the client's needs while generating revenue for your company.

It's clear that Steve Marx has a sales training company because he provides a useful resource for the employee-focused manager. Those who live by partnership creation realize that it takes a great deal of work to provide that training and teach that skill to others. As an effective tool for the sales staff you want to educate and inspire, "Close Like the Pros" tells it like it is with clear, easy-to-follow examples. The book also includes easy and precise "how-to's" and encourages the exploration of the sales process in steps that permit growth. For the sales person who welcomes the opportunity to become even better, and for the manager who would appreciate an effective format for addressing the subject with new life, "Close Like the Pros" sets the stage for discussion in an active and energetic manner. I don't think there's any doubt that interactive selling is effective - "Close Like the Pros" will boost your own enthusiasm and renew your skills, whether you manage a staff of sales individuals or sell directly yourself. I've heard it said that 90% of all jobs are sales in one way or another. This book benefits people in every field because the ability to interact, to sell our product, or ourselves, is part of life as we know it.

I was skeptical when I first picked up the book, because I have read a lot of business self-help books, and haven't really gained much from them. But I got the book from a friend who recommended it, so I picked it up and started reading. It was very easy to relate to--from both sides of the desk! I'm frequently a buyer and occasionally a seller. This books works on both levels.

As a buyer, I recently distributed an RFP to a group of architects to design a medical office building that we will develop for and lease to the local hospital. I was reading the book at the time. Some of the architects waited until the proposal deadline, then sent me a generic package describing their firms' background, who the team members would be, and similar projects they had worked on in the past. Others visited the development site, called me to ask questions about the project, and even wanted to meet with the hospital to understand how they would be using the building. At first I was frustrated. I thought, "Why don't these firms just send me a proposal, like I asked?" Then I realized that they were trying to be interactive sellers, and that I should embrace that approach by being an interactive buyer. The firm we ended up choosing did not submit the lowest bid nor the thickest proposal. It was the firm that spent time at the development site, met with us before submitting a proposal, and called constantly to refine their understanding of our needs. By the time we received their proposal, it was custom-tailored to reflect our conversations leading up to that point. Further, we had interacted with their team enough to know that we had chemistry and would be comfortable working with them.

As a seller, we are often seeking approval from the City for our development projects. We never ask them to "take action" (vote) until we know the project will be approved--precisely the strategy that Close Like the Pros is all about Just last week we received unanimous approval from the City Council for a one million square-foot, 13-acre development project in the middle of the City. The meeting and vote only lasted about 15 minutes. Everyone on the City Council was already familiar with our project, because we had spent the last two years meeting with them and incorporating their input. We held weekly meetings with the Redevelopment Agency to review and discuss the plans, proactively invited ourselves to make presentations to local community groups, and held public hearings to receive even more input from stakeholders. The development plan constantly evolved based on the input from these various constituents, and we ended up with a far better proposal than we ever could have come up with on our own. This is why some of the best real estate development projects result from "public-private partnerships." The process is interactive. Not every such proposal takes two years, of course, but when the deal is this big we expect to make that kind of investment.

Close Like the Pros is about as real-world as it gets. And the author gets it right. I recommend it not only to salespeople--but to buyers, too!