Industrial Books

I would have wanted to know that the book had more than ten chapter. I also would wanted to know a little more about the subject before purchase. After I purchase this book I realize that it explains crystal clear all about business communication. I also find out that this book had useful information about business communication for today technology. Explain part by part all procedure to make good reception and open discuss for get better business. I highly recommed this book as reference for people work in Office.

I used this text for an online class and it was just an exceptional experience. I also had the option of visiting the classroom, which was completely out of the picture once I started turning the pages. The chapters were clear and passages easy to follow. The grammar/mechanics handbook section was really great. I have decided to keep this book as a wonderful reference tool. I find myself using it daily to double check certain things for clarification before mailing. I highly recommend this book for anyone seeking a refresher course or an improvement tool for business English. This is money well spent and is worth every cent!

Other books to read for relaxation: Trilogy Moments for the Mind, Body and Soul; Everyday Miracles; and, The Language of Poetry Forms.

I have been reading this book since I received it and so far it is an excellent business tool! Very informative.

The book was in perfect condition, however, it didn't come with the user access code for internet review websites.

I am an instructor for a local college. I selected the Essntials of Business Communication as the textbook for my Business Communications course after working with it in a previous class. It is the best organized text I have found with step by step instructions for students to readily grasp the techniques used in modern business documents. The book covers e-mails, memos, a variety of business letters, reports, business proposals, resumes, letters of application and communication skills for oral presentations and interviews. Lectures, examples, assignments, and grammatical challenges are pre-designed for the instructor's use, making this a turn-key system for teaching communication skills.

Exploring Digital Video provides well-organized and reliable information. This book is quite appealing, with distinct photos and graphics, lucid text, and clear-cut chapters.

Notably, a beautiful full-color insert offers a look at Star Wars. And the DVD-ROM that comes free with the book contains surprising and useful free offers and specials and a feature on The Philadelphia Eagles! A must-have.

This book covers so many areas of digital video that I'm sure it will have what you need. It talks about topics such as purchasing video cameras and includes technical specs and quality. It also discusses bluescreen technology, capturing video and audio, scriptwriting, storyboarding and so on. And this is all just the beginning. It goes on to discuss how to edit, render and output film for the internet, television, or for multimedia presentations.

Other than just being a great source of information this book also has a lot of fun extras that will keep you interested. At the end of each chapter there is a quick question formatted review to make sure that you understood and remembered the important aspects of the chapter. There are also various inserts with profiles and interviews of some of the professionals in the field. Although all of the inserts are interesting and informative, the best was the piece about Star Wars. This particular insert is about Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) which is part of Lucas Film LTD. It discusses how one of the scenes from Star Wars was created. It's really cool to hear how they created something and made it look so amazing on film.

As if this weren't enough already, this book comes with a DVD/DVD-ROM with interviews with the Eagles Television Network and a number of tutorials. For those unfamiliar with the ETN, it is the Emmy award winning network of the Philadelphia Eagles. You get to hear about digital video from experts in the field through watching the DVD and reading the book. For such a low price it is one of the best literary investments you can make if you want to learn about digital video.

The book does a great job of offering an overview of digital video, including things like using still photos, what type of equipment would you need, and how to set-up a shoot.

Only complaint is that the author occasionally states opinions as fact example: wide screen is better than standard, when in reality, it is an artistic choice, and it is how you use the space provided that makes something like widescreen better or worse.

Finally! A book that makes a difficult subject easy to understand - creating and working with digital video (DV)! Each chapter is well laid out with great illustrations and nicely sized titles for each section and lesson. It also enhances its content by making good use of sidebars, to add relevant information.. Each chapter ends with an very useful set of questions and exercises, which furthers the reader's comprehension.

Lesson 6 was a highlight for me because I often incorporate photographs into my videos. This sometimes results in a badly distorted photo, forcing me to omit some great photos because of that distortion. Other times, I've been lucky and able to successfully place a photo without any distortion. Until I read this book, the causes were unclear; the author demonstrates the correct way to prepare a photograph for digital video in a way that I could understand and will remember. Though math and computations are a turn-off to many, she successfully covers the meaning of pixel values without confusion. The DVD included with the book contains tutorials which do an excellent job of taking the viewer step-by-step through cropping a photograph vertically and horizontally, so it is properly proportioned for video. The reader therefore has a visual and a written source for future reference at any time.

As a bonus, the author interviews Fred Meyers and Ben Snow, the makers of the Star Wars movies from George Lucas' Industrial Light & Magic (ILM). Meyers and Snow re pioneers in the DV field. She interviews several other DV professionals as well, adding their vast experience to the subject.

The DVD also includes discounts from major retailers, saving readers money on computer and electronics products.

This book is a keeper-excellent for the both the beginner and the experienced hobbyist.

The book is great. All you have to do is open it up and glance through it to see that it will be helpful.

The Companion DVD is even better with step by step tutorials. The DVD also offers discounts with retailers on equipment, stock video and a great DVD duplication offer from Action Duplication in West Conshohocken, PA (800-847-3827).

This book provided an excellent read and a good overall picture of the topic. Even though it is written for the American market it has a lot of information that is transferrable to Australia and other countires. A good buy for people interested in the topic, especially for beginners such as myself.

The text and photographs in this book are equally instructional. Especially enlightening is the book's emphasis on the humane approach to farming with drafts -- an approach that benefits the horse, the driver, and the land as well.

The information in Farming with Horses is presented in a clear,and readily understandable manner. This book answers the how and why of harness fit, hooking to a vehicle or implement and how to do it all safely. The photos illustrating the text are of the highest quality. This book is a must read for anyone interested in driving whether for pleasure, show or work.

SMCannon D.V.M.

Steve Bowers is a master at driving. His straightforward, logical approach keeps the principles in this book clear and easy to implement. Bowers keeps both horse and driver safe and working together. Whether you're heading for competition or just work around the ranch, this is a must read. You can apply "Farming with Horses" to any driving discipline.

This is the best book on driving horses that I have ever read, and I've read everything on the subject that I can find. The information is not confined to farming with horses. There is valuable information on training, hitching, aligning teams and many other things that is applicable to any type of horse driving. This is a must book for beginners and experience professionals as well.

Dwight G. Bennett, DVM

Gadget Nation is a great read. It's very well written, easy to read and extremely entertaining. It's just amazing what people will come up with in terms of products. Most of the products are at least somewhat useful but some of them are downright weird! The author does a very good job outlining the histories of the products and telling the inventors' stories. Highly recommended.

Jeff from California

I am one of the inventors in the book--page 108 :). As you might imagine I was a bit nervous about what Steve was going to say about my invention; Hand Crafted Personalized Marshmallow Roasting Sticks for toasting perfect marshmallows. I had no idea what he was going say until the day he said, "OK, the book is in the stores." Unfortunately, my local stores didn't have it yet, so I immediately ordered it from Amazon; probably saved some cash as well. As I opened the package, I was very impressed with the look and feel of the book. It can definitely be at home on your coffee table. It's a good read and is absolutely worth the money you will pay for it. I agree with others that it is a great gift item that will be enjoyed by whomever receives it.

The design is fresh and the writing creative, clear and fun to read. It really does entice one to look at the next invention. You'll show it to friends and family and have fun checking all the cool stuff out. I've been skimming around from invention to invention so far, and look forward to reading each one.

Steve and his team absolutely captured the jist of my interview although my product's price is outdated; but that would be expected with any book. Thanks for including Marshmallow Chef Sticks in your book Steve. I wish you much success and look forward to your next book.

And if the folks reading this review want another cool and unique gift, check out www.MarshmallowSticks.com and get a few personalized marshmallow cooking sticks for your loved ones. Your Family and Friends Will Still Be Thanking You For This Thoughtful Gift For Many Years to Come!

Gadget Nation, a perfect name and a great book!
John Higgins, proud Inventor [...], A reviewer, 04/19/2008

Steve Greenberg has sucessfully caputred the trials and tribulations of Inventor's. It's not easy, but it can be rewarding, Steve portrays. The Inventor is a special breed of cat, an optimist with a can do attitude, creating, marketing, and trying to sell their invention, what a Brotherhood. Gadget Nation, a perfect name and a great book! It is not as easy to bring an invention to market as one probably thinks, sometimes selling the idea/product is more remarkable than the invention.

I got this gift for my dad for his birthday and was surprised by how much I loved it! So I got one for me too.

It's one of those surprising books that you don't want to put down because you just have to see what's next in the wacky world of invention. The layout is fun and easy on the eye. And the tone is a fabulous mix of funny and factual with a refreshing touch of heart.

This book would make a great gift, and would be a fun ice breaker at a party too. We plan to keep our copy on the coffee table where everyone can enjoy!

I think this whole concept would make a fun TV show one day too!

I loved it. I learned so much about what goes on in the making of inventions. I'm curious what my neighbors are doing in their spare time! A great conversation starter. I'm usually not interested in this stuff but the way the book was written made it easy to follow. I am looking for other books by Steve Greenberg. I am definately a fan.

This book is beautifully conceived. The photographer, James Rudnick, had the foresight and the love for these icons of New York City to preserve them photographically for generations to come.
The design is elegant. The text is interesting and important.
A great book.

Rudnick's book is monumental both figuratively and literally. In photographing the restorative work performed on New York's most recognizable structures, Rudnick has forever preserved an important piece of Americana. With a discerning and creative eye, he juxtaposes images of exquisite detail and grandiose sweep, of human form and man-made object, of decay and renewal. One of my favorite shots is that of Liberty's internal spiral staircase (p. 75). This photograph could just as easily be a study in abstract form; three ghostly lights punctuate an array of metallic angles and curves in an enormously deep field of vision. Another stand-out is a view of Liberty through scaffolding (p. 67). The torch rises dramatically above the gridwork, suggesting that American freedom can never be constrained. There is obvious forethought to Rudnick's work -- as in a shot of ironworkers on the Brooklyn Bridge perfectly framed by the Twin Towers (p. 49) -- but his photographs never appear cliched or stilted. Gotham Restored offers up new rewards with each viewing. It should serve to place Rudnick among the pantheon of living photographers. Highly, highly recommended.

Thomas Mellins provides the text for Gotham Restored: The Preservation Of Monumental New York, an impressive survey of photographer James Rudnick's works on New York. Rudnick's images gave him a reputation as a documentary photographer, and his projects following landmark buildings and structures in New York provide fine shots from 'before' and 'after' their reconstruction. New Yorkers in particular will find this packed with memories and familiar images.

This beautifully designed book presents monumental icons in a way that is both insightful and inspirational. The subject matter in this work is so very familiar (the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, Grand Central Station and the NY Public Library) that it would have been temptingly easy to trivialize and display these structures as they are frequently seen in glossy calendars and travel books. In contrast, Rudnick's exquisite work transcends these more commonly seen depictions. His intimate knowledge of, and obvious reverence for, the structures allows him to share with the reader unique perspectives that revitalize our appreciation for these great national treasures. The book celebrates the exhaustive and impressive work that the restorations entailed and the presence of the various craftspeople in the shots allows one to appreciate the enormous scale of the projects. Those who spend time with this book will never look upon these colossal structures in quite the same way again.

A curious thing happened to me as I read the text and looked at these photographs. They made me feel somehow comfortable and pleased. I realized this after going through the entire book. It was comforting to see how these standard landmarks are rejuvenated to be enjoyed for time to come. Far more than a "coffee table" book on famous sights (or sites), the images are embued with the authors sensitivy to the aesthetic of the structures and the city. If you love New York you will enjoy this volume. Wonderful book and a great gift for anyone who knows NYC.

I've been putting off raising beef for years. Now I know just what I want to do. I have a great opportunity because I dont have to correct my calving season. Just water and fences. This book will guide you through all the steps and explain why you should do things. I couldn't put it down.

South Africa's Farmer's Weekly said this was a book every cattle farmer should have. I agree. Its easy to read, comprehensive and I hope that one day there will be a South African edition.

My entire family has been involved in Ranching for my whole life, I purchased the book before I even started cross fencing my first ranch. This book gives great advice to properly set up a Ranch, what to do, how to do it, when to do it, etc....It is the most thorough book of the 20 or so I have read to date. I highly recommend this book. Though all the ideas are great and give you good ideas, and best practices, not all of the ideas and tips are feasible for a person who also holds down a full time job and has a ranch on the side. The book is certainly written for the full time rancher

All in all, a great Book.

I also do not own any livestock and found this book to be a great read. I had just read The Omnivore's Dilemma (loved it) and wanted to read a book on the subject of grass fed cattle, I found this book and when I saw the mention of The Omnivore's Dilemma on the front cover I knew it was the book to read. I am interested in raising some livestock in the future and want a solid base of knowledge before I start since I have never raised any animals (except of course the usual dog and cat). After reading this I have decided to do many things different than I had previously thought I might. I also have to say I agree with "Mara" another reviewer about the fertile cows and bulls, I did think of that on a number of occasions while reading the recommendations.

Exelent text, a whole world of things you can do on your ranch or farm to improve and benefit your operation on a gentler way to nature, great book.

I hardly ever make a move with my chickens nowdays without checking this book again. It has more rips and dents, water stains, (and maybe even some chicken poop on it) Than any other book in my library. Once you buy this book, you will not be able to box it up or give it away!

Intrigued by the notion of fresh eggs and chicken provençale every Sunday, I bought this book to see exactly what raising chickens entailed. I was pleased to see that the book covers all aspects of the process. This is probably the most comprehensive book available on the subject.

However, it will also open the eyes of anyone with romantic notions of chicken raising (like me). Personally, I've decided to stick to store bought. But for anyone serious about raising chickens, the purchase of this book is money very well spent.

I was a beginner and this book worked well for me. This book explains everything from incubation to chicks to health management, all at a beginners level. Highly recommend this book if your working on your first brood.

My 9-year-old daughter wants to raise chickens, and we bought this book to find out how to proceed. It has answered every question we had, and many we didn't know to ask! The book is so clear and easy to read, that my daughter read it cover to cover. But don't get the impression it is written for kids; it is intended for an adult reader, and has all the detail you could want.

This is an excellent piece of work, with information on every aspect of chicken raising from housing and disease prevention to the general management of a flock. It covers all the aspects of raising chickens from nearly every point of view: the backyard flock, small-time commercial operation, and show birds. Everything is written clearly and well-illustrated, and even sprinkled with occasional gentle touches of humor! An excellent reference book for any chicken owner to keep on their shelf.

This is the most helpfull refference book Ive ever bought. It got me started on my poultry prodject for 4-H and has helped me for three years to continue to learn. Every time I've had a problem It or Dammero's other books has solved it. As the title sugjests it covers every aspect of raising poultry. I would sugjest this book for a beginner to a experienced poultry farmer. This book has been abig help.

Hank has compiled a life time of insight and wisdom into one book. The book uses a bulleted format to provide answers and insights into many of todays burning business issues. Some ideas you will be familiar with. Others you will quote often in your own communications. Hank has a provided a valuable resource for any business executive.

Mr Moore has toutched the right buttons for me. Understanding the tremedous cost to 'doing nothing' has spurred me on to make an effort to be pro active.

Jack Welsh, while at GE, once said, "If the change on the outside is greater than change on the inside, the end is near." Hank Moore has written the Manager's lifeline in dealing with omnipresent, dynamic change. His book covers everything from strategy to the need for employee training. In each chapter, Mr. Moore gives the reader compelling reasons to take certain actions or attitudes in order to succeed in the difficult business world of today. And in most chapters, he offers simple-to-understand lists or snippets that make it easy to apply his concepts. His material on slogans, oxymorons, acronymns, and the proper usage of English and wording is extraordinary -- and much needed in business. His ideas on customers and advertising are tremendous. Mr. Moore is quite a visionary himself, a very successful consultant with five U.S. Presidents, and his extraordinary talents have led to an effective set of concepts captured in this book regarding vision, change, and success. He makes a strong case for taking action in those areas. Visionary thinkers are hard to find. Read the book, and become one! Every manager MUST read the book, own the book, and PRACTICE THE BOOK!!

Science has learned, recently, that we cannot understand the nature of the entire being by breaking it down into sub atomic particles and removing it from the natural environment.

Thanks to Hank Moore, we now have a credible Big Picture Thinker who has the life saving prescription for business of all sizes in these most dynamic of times. Take a step back, look up and all around and with the conviction of Corporate Responsibility, take an ethical look at the entire Business Tree from the roots to the leaves. Then, define the ethical vision required for the long term growth and prosperity of the business. Only this process will gain and maintain the trust and confidence of the stakeholders.

Hank Moore's book, The High Cost of Doing Nothing is a work in harmony. He harmonizes the details of doing the right things with a complete understanding of seeing the "Big Picture." This book is invaluable for business planning and growing your business. I'm glad I have it and will continue to recommend it to my business associates.

Must read for anyone in the Ironworker family!! You will learn a lot about what it means to live the life plus you'll learn the roots and sufferings of the early sky-walkers.

Not many books have made me stay up until the early morning hours reading,this one did,the alternating chapters of present day steel workers and early 1900s history was a stroke of genius,all you office people who sit in your little air conditioned rat holes all year need to read this and understand what the construction industry has had to put up with for many years just so you little prima donnas can be comfortable.This is the story of real men working hard for a living.

"High Steel" has the reader marveling that this dramatic story has remained untold until now. As in "Seabiscuit," the author's narrative skills work with an exotic profession, and a dramatic period in history, to produce a truly gripping read. Rasenberger illuminates the history of ironwork in this country, and beautifully evokes both its danger and its draw to those who join the trade. It is a thrilling, perilous, foreign world up there where the ironworkers spend their days; we are privileged to gain entrance to this world through "High Steel."

Jim Rasenberger unblinkingly depicts the demanding nature of the work done by these unique men. The reader cannot help but be impressed with their bravery and accomplishment.

It's also clear that this is one of the last few places where men only need apply. In almost every other phase of American working life, qualified women are accepted as working peers. It's really ironic that one of the thickest "glass ceilings" is where they haven't even built the ceiling yet...

But Rasenberger's job is not to change this world, but just write about it. And write he does - you share in the working days of these men, of what happens when they fall (as they do), their families, their heritage, and, in an especially moving chapter, their heroic work right after the collapse of the World Trade Center.

Gender equality is the right thing. I get impatient when I encounter a workplace where women are so clearly unwelcome. What these men do, though, is very special and very much worth our attention and praise. As we might ask them to confront their stereptypes about women, we're challenged to confront our own stereotypes about the "lazy, ignorant construction worker." Rasenberger teaches us that nothing could be more unfair.

These are intelligent, skilled, disciplined and, above all, brave men who can do what we need done. The book will open your eyes.

An outstanding account of the brotherhood that built the New York City skyline. Rasenberger does two things particularly well in this book. First, he provides a fine history of the DANGEROUS iron working trade, as it developed with the advent of the syscraper, the redoubtable Flatiron building. "The danger was reflected in the carnage...of 1,000 members of Chicago Local 1 that same year, 103 were injured, 15 permanently disabled and 18 died." Second, he paints lovely portraits of the individuals (the stoic daredevils) who did the work, Sam Parks, "Frenchy" and Jack Doyle, to name a few. I highly recommend that a prospective reader use Amazon's "look inside" feature to sample Rasenber's non-nonsene prose, so well-suited to his subject matter.

This is an excellent history of the subject, especially of its genesis and earlier years. I could have wished for more on the later years and for more upon European and Russian contributions during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. However, that is probably just my bias as a contributor to the scene during the last two of those decades. Certainly, these are but minor quibbles concening what must be the definitive work on the subject for a long time to come.

An excellent book bringing to life the trials and tribulations behind the history of flight. This book is an easy read, because it sounds like the author is talking directly to you.

This book is very good read indeed. Anderson sets out in meticulous detail the history of aerodynamics leading up to actual flight by the Wright Bros and then proceeds through the periods of World War 1 and II and jet flight. There are very few equations to deal with and the book is both descriptive an instructional. Although the book is a bit Americo-centric it does cover much of the early aerodynamic development elsewhere in the world with some notable exceptions for later periods. The book becomes a little unstuck when it starts to make unfavorable comparisons on the basis of efficiency between early European WWI fighters and the American WW I Jenny for example, a comparison which is really in the chalk and cheese category. The book also largely ignores roll moments of inertia (i.e. the basis of maneuverability) but seems to concentrate on aspect ratio and wing shape as its main yardstick in its comparisons, and this is a major weakness. It is also a bit weak on actual worldwide historical development and appearance of jet aircraft outside of America. Nevertheless, the subject matter is very engaging and overall it is well worth the purchase price and is strongly recommended for aviation buffs despite the niggling flaws.

In this important overview, senior aerospace engineer John D. Anderson Jr., explores one of the most critical areas of flight, the evolution of aerodynamics. And the result is a significant work that goes far toward capturing the essence of this field. It will find a place in both aeronautical engineering and history of aeronautics classes, but the greatest importance of "A History of Aerodynamics" will probably be its use as an essential reference by scholars without the technical depth of Anderson working in the history of flight.

Anderson divides his subject into four key areas and attacks them chronologically. The first period, requiring nearly 100 pages in this publication, begins with antiquity and ends with the work of the Wright brothers at the beginning of the twentieth century. The second era he characterizes as one dominated by the strut-and-wire biplane of the 1900s through the 1920s. A third definable era came with the mature propeller-driven airplane that emerged in the 1930s and predominated until the 1950s. Then, a fourth era arose in which the jet aircraft has dominated. Anderson would be quick to point out that the last two eras have existed side-by-side since the coming of the jet, but that each of them present different aerodynamics challenges requiring different solutions and, hence, they deserve separate treatment.

Three major themes run through "A History of Aerodynamics" from Aristotle to the present. First, the author emphasizes the development of the discipline of aerodynamics-the change over time in the understanding of the physical nature of aerodynamic flows over solid bodies and the discovery and systemization of basic governing equations-much of which emerged independently from a variety of sources and without immediate practical application. For instance, Anderson concludes that with Newtonian physics as a foundation, numerous scientists and mathematicians ranging from Leonhard Euler to Pierre-Simon Laplace working largely individually constructed a framework for aerodynamics that included fundamental understanding of Euler's equations for an inviscid flow and the Navier-Stokes equations for a viscous flow. That effort, however, took place independently of a desire to build flying machines, and indeed many of those working on them scoffed at the idea of human powered flight.

Second, it took a group of practical inventors to apply these theoretical aerodynamics principles and build the first practical flying machines in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. These individuals, few of whom held academic posts, began the practice of applied aerodynamics. The classic example is Wilbur and Orville Wright who had no advanced degrees and no outside funders, either public or private. The research of these people went directly into the design of airplanes. As Anderson concludes, "It is remarkable that the flying machine was developed and advanced well into the beginning of the twentieth century without direct recourse to the state of the art of theoretical aerodynamics that existed in academic circles" (pp. 448-49).

Finally, Anderson traces the linkage between the aerodynamic theory being developed in the academy and its application to the design of aircraft. Whereas the linkage had been tenuous at best until the second decade of the twentieth century, it has grown increasingly interrelated and complex since. Making airplanes more efficient, safe, and effective has become the raison d'être for aerodynamics research at least since the 1930s. The basic research of Otto Prandtl in Germany and Theodore von Kármán-himself a Prandtl student-at Caltech exemplify this transformation, as it found its way almost immediately into practical designs.

There is much to praise in this volume. It provides for the first time a comprehensive overview of the subject. It also offers the best discussions available about some of the key breakthroughs in the twentieth century made by leading aerodynamicists such as Richard Whitcomb, John Stack, and Fred Weick. But for all its virtues, the overview offered here is a history written for engineers. Replete with formulae and technical detail, certainly to be expected in such a history, the author concerns himself with the linear process of aerodynamic understanding to the very great exclusion of any social or cultural factors that might have influenced the engineers.

For instance, the author concludes that the era of the modern propeller-driven aircraft was dominated by the requirement to reduce drag, and therefore enhance performance, so a "streamlining craze" emerged among aerodynamicists that fundamentally altered the direction of the airplane development. Despite many intriguing areas that might have been explored-for example, the story of the adoption of retractable landing gear explored by Walter Vincenti in a 1994 Technology & Culture article-here the progression of streamlining follows a linear pattern, with the text too often emphasizing what comes across as farsighted, preordained solutions to aerodynamics problems that led inexorably to the clean, efficient designs of the 1940s. There is little of the obscurity of choices, blind allies of research, or trial and error that might have enriched this story.

Even so, this is a massively impressive work that will be of real use to a large community. It will find use for years to come.

This book is almost sure to be the definitive treatment of this subject for many decades to come. As far as I know, it is the most comprehensive history of aerodynamics and its relationship to aircraft development. Speaking as someone who has been involved technically in aircraft design, I found it truly fascinating to learn how today's techniques and base of knowledge evolved through the interaction of theory, experiment, and engineering experience. I believe that this book will interest anyone who wants to understand how aircraft design has evolved and why airplanes were designed as they were at various times and places.

It is, as the title says, strictly about aerodynamics and does not cover many other matters of vital importance to aircraft design, such as structure, mass properties (like the inertial moments mentioned by another reviewer), propulsion, or systems. Moreover, it's about the principles of aerodynamics and does not cover many of the important aspects of its application to aircraft, such as propulsion system integration. Thus it is not by any means a comprehensive history of aircraft design and development. But it treats its one topic of the development of the principles of aerodynamics for aircraft very well.

The book does not assume any real technical knowledge of aerodynamics, although I imagine it could be somewhat tough going for someone who had no prior knowledge of the subject at all. There is a sprinkling of equations and a few mathematical arguments, but no one should be put off by them because (1) they are not complex (no calculus) and (2) you can skip over them if you are willing to take the author's word on what they mean. From my perspective, the author does a good job of explaining concepts clearly and correctly. He does not insult the expert's intelligence, while remaining accessible to those without deep knowledge. More technical details are given in appendices.

Of course it is impossible in any single book to cover all important developments in aircraft aerodynamics. This book is definitely slanted toward the fundamentals -- the Wright brothers don't appear until nearly halfway through the book. The author, himself an authority on modern aerodynamics, only very briefly sketches developments of the past 50 years, on the grounds that they are too much a story in progress to make for concise history.

For readers used to thinking of the US as the world leader in airplane development and manufacture, it may come as a surprise to learn how often America trailed behind in the development of aerodynamics and how fortunate Americans were to have escaped the worst consequences of their nation's past (and recent) neglect of research in this vital area. In light of the book's emphasis on this, it was a little surprising to find another reviewer criticizing it as too slanted toward US developments. In leafing through the index I see a strong preponderance of names from outside the US. In order to keep the book to "only" 450 pages of text, however, the author does often concentrate on the main theme in a given area and does not cite all of the parallel and supporting work elsewhere, leading to neglect of some non-US (and some US) efforts.

I particularly liked the way the book puts a human face on the story by giving brief biographical summaries of the people who have played key roles in aerodynamics development and sketching the times and circumstances in which they worked.

Readers hoping for a brief (and somewhat impressionistic) introduction rather than Anderson's more comprehensive approach may want to look up Theodore von Kármán's _Aerodynamics_ (1954) or John E. Allen's _Aerodynamics: A space age survey_ (1966). The standard broad surveys of the development of aircraft design and technology are Ronald Miller & David Sawers, _The Technical Development of Modern Aviation_ (1970) and Laurence K. Loftin, Jr., _Quest for Performance: The Evolution of Modern Aircraft_ (1985; NASA SP-468).

Will O'Neil