Industrial Books

A well written and helpful text on the technical and procedural points of making scotch whisky. I know of no other source that matches this book's level of detail. A must for serious students of scotch production.

Great content and technical data. A must for any micro or craft distillery.

This well-written book provides a wealth of useful information on all aspects relating to whisky production. To date, there has been a scarcity of technical books on the market for those studying the field of whisky production and distilling in general. This book fills the void by collecting together a group of highly qualified technical experts to share their knowledge with both novice and advanced reader. Students will find clearly defined chapters beginning with the history of whisky distillation, and going through the production process from raw materials, to fermentation, distillation and maturation and finally finishing the book on a dedicated chapter to the marketing of Scotch whisky.

Overall, this is a well-conceived, well-written, and well-organized book. This will prove to be an excellent addition to the bookshelf of any undergraduate or Masters level student who wishes to understand the field of whisky production and marketing.

The book quickly become a reference for daily work. It is good to have also for the rather non-technical reader. Seldom you find such a complete collection.

This book is the first volume in what seems set to be an important and major series: the Alcoholic Beverage Series, edited by a highly esteemed trio of experts in the respective fields of brewing and distilling. This first, highly specialized volume, Whisky: Technology, Production and Marketing, is brought to us via the considerable editorial talents of Dr. Inge Russell who has presented the works of 14 qualified (peer reviewed and respected) individuals in one comprehensive and highly readable text. Apart from The Science and Technology of Whiskies, edited by J.R. Piggott et al, and which was published back in 1989 there has never been such a technical volume dedicated to one type and style of distilled alcoholic beverage. Some books including the so called "Alcohol texts" were published in the 1930s and 1940s (some recently reprinted) and even some within the past 20 years but these were either of a more generalized nature or were non-peer reviewed vehicles that entertained us with a promotional bias towards particular interests or authors and furthermore, which, while still useful, are of course considerably out of date.

The up-to-date volume by the team assembled by Dr. Russell covers all aspects of the topic starting with raw materials and progressing through all processes involved in the manufacture of finished products and beyond. Both malt whisky and grain whisky production is entertained. Scotch whisky is placed in context with its Irish, N. American and Japanese counterparts. Batch and continuous distillation topics are adequately and evenly presented. Fermentation and its associated biochemistry and microbiology gets a fairly detailed presentation. Flavor terminology (an ever expanding and important subject) and quality control issues are given appropriate coverage along with the compositional analysis of whisky. The vast and fascinating topic of oak wood-based maturation, aging and blending are admirably presented; this latter topic worthy of the cost of the book in and of itself in this reviewer's opinion.

The volume certainly fills a very wide gap in the literature concerning alcoholic beverages. The book will provide a "definitive" and excellent textbook, but even better than that, it will be useful and valuable to all who wish to delve deeper into the art, the science and the histories and "mysteries" of this most fascinating beverage.

In short and in summary, there is clearly something here for everyone who enjoys and truly appreciates whisky and other distilled beverages at, for its extensive yet readable coverage, a pretty modest price. You will be "tapping" into this potential classic volume on frequent occasions for many years to come.

If you're looking for clues on how to solve your people problems at the office, Work it Out may provide just the help you need. Hirsh weaves workplace difficulties into mini mysteries to illustrate our different communication, data gathering, time management and decision-making styles. Written with humor and candor, Work it Out is sure to provide you with valuable lessons learned from easily recognizable workplace situations.

For an independent free-lance consultant like me, Work it out is a must ! It is an extremely useful book providing case studies which are clearly laid out and diagnosed in a comprehensive and enlightening way. They are great guidelines for professionals. Furthermore, Sandra Hirsh offers some useful guidelines on the team-building and coaching processes that are also extremely interesting and practical.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who is not only involved in the Human Resource field, but for those who are responsible for managing teams or for the curious among you who find the human complexities fascinating.

If you're looking for clues on how to solve your people problems at the office, Work it Out may provide just the help you need. Hirsh weaves workplace difficulties into mini mysteries to illustrate our different communication, data gathering, time management and decision-making styles. Written with humor and candor, Work it Out is sure to provide you with valuable lessons learned from easily recognizable workplace situations.

For several years I facilitated workshops using the Myers Briggs Type Indicator and found them very rewarding. When I picked up a copy of Work it Out, it greatly broadened my scope. This book gives wonderful, real-life examples of situations that we can all relate to and understand. Sandra discusses many different cases and scenarios in the text that will shed light for many of those who are stuck and wonder what is going on in a relationship with a fellow worker. There are valuable sections on team-building and coaching that have been especially useful to me and "type clues" throughout the book that are great "aha" moments for even a seasoned MBTI user. Wonderful text to understand and appreciate differences in anyone we work with! Should be on the shelf of every MBTI user.

I employ 10 folks in a computer development "geek" shop. A long-time student and user of Temperament or Type -- I was pleased with this book in that it presents the premise of Type in an easy to read style that represents realistic work environments; situations that I believed my staff would understand. I bought a copy for each staff member -- and as a team, we are working our way through the book chapter-by-chapter; one chapter each week. 30 to 45 minutes of each Monday morning Staff meeting are devoted to discussion of the issues in the "current" chapter; what each person's "type" value is, and how those values contribute and frustrate the values of others. We are six weeks into this project. Conflicts issues between staff that used to cause friction and frustration are simply melting away as the chapters drop away. Staff openly discuss disagreements as conflicts in Type; and allow each other to have different views. Staff that would never read anything ... are reading this book in advance, usually over the weekend on their own time, to be prepared for Monday staff meetings. Team members that were often late to staff meetings in the past ... are "on-time". Whether the excitement will sustain itself after the book is completed is clearly a "management" issue -- but this book has captured the interest of a diverse group of computer "geeks", administrators, and managers. And while the company's profits are determined over sustained selling and development cycles ... the productivity output of the staff is up and we've not missed even an internal delivery commitment in the past three weeks; a virtual impossibility in years past. The book is proving to be a very powerful tool for my company.

\\ Richard Eastman
The Eastman Group, Inc.
www.eastmangroup.com

My wife asked for this for her birthday. She absolutely loves it. So much so that we recently purchased 7 more as gifts for her friends in different crafting groups. She insists that 4000 Flower and Plant Motifs has inspired her with tons of quilting/craft ideas. This book is a great gift.

Sam Hendricks, author of "Fantasy Football Guidebook: Your Comrehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football" and "Fantasy Football Almanac"

I love this book for the quilting designs it inspires. If you're stuck for ideas, open McCallum's book and start drawing.

I have a collection of books on designs and historical motifs. This is one of the most useful. I'm using it to create designs for decorating pottery.

I've been looking for a good sourcebook for a long time now. At last a book that meets all my expectations. I've been able to use it in many of my creative endeavours. There are so many designs(in varying styles) to choose from. Once again, I'm excited about my creative endeavours ahead.

This book has found a permanent spot in my home, namely, on my desk, where I do all my hobbies. It has loads of great ideas that I've already used. Can't wait for the author's next book --apparantly its a sourcebook on animal designs.

The design of electronic filters is usually seen as a complex and difficult task, best handled by specialists. Don Lancaster, with this durable treatise, has written a clear and easy to follow guide. The principles and mathematics at the root of this subject are not trivialised but are explained in such a way that the non-specialist will have little trouble achieving success.

Owners of Lancaster's original Active Filter Cookbook: read on. I just bought Lancaster's Active Filter Cookbook, Second Edition. For years I have owned a copy of the original (1975) edition (mine is the 17th (1992) SAMS reprinting). Based on a cursory inspection, I can find no difference between the 1992 reprinting of the original edition and the so-called second edition. The Preface, the Table of Contents, the page numbering, the contents of numerous pages I examined, the List of References, the Index, are all identical, as far as I can tell. There is no new preface to the second edition. There is no description, either inside or on the outside cover, of what has been changed in the second edition. Based on my examination, I would recommend that, if you already own a copy of the first edition, there is no reason to buy the second.

A great book for filter design and analysis. This book has been a great help in understanding the detailed aspects of multiple filter types.

I bought the second edition cookbook in the early '90s. I have used Mr. Lancasters' book to design many audio active filters. I am ordering another copy of the "Active Filter Cookbook" because I gave away my other copy to an engineer in Asia (while on a business trip) who desparately needed it. The math is kept to a minimum, but very accurate if good quality parts (Op-Amps, resistors, caps etc) are used. Each chapter is dedicated to a specific topic, which makes reading very easy. Mr. Lancaster arms the reader with the tools neccessary to understand, build and/or modify existing designs. I would only recommend this book to readers who have built previous projects, as Mr. Lancaster does not go into any construction details/techniques.

Owners of Lancaster's original Active Filter Cookbook: read on. I just bought Lancaster's Active Filter Cookbook, Second Edition. For years I have owned a copy of the original (1975) edition (mine is the 17th (1992) SAMS reprinting). Based on a cursory inspection, I can find no difference between the 1992 reprinting of the original edition and the so-called second edition. The Preface, the Table of Contents, the page numbering, the contents of numerous pages I examined, the List of References, the Index, are all identical, as far as I can tell. There is no new preface to the second edition. There is no description, either inside or on the outside cover, of what has been changed in the second edition. Based on my examination, I would recommend that, if you already own a copy of the first edition, there is no reason to buy the second.

This is a very good book for gas turbine engine technology. It is helpful over the whole subject, but having detailed sections of individual engines (really the best sellers) was an extra bonus. It's in my work bookcase, one of only a few.

I found this book to be intensively desciptive when I was taking my gas turbine technician course and would recommend it to any one who wishes to understand the concepts of the gas turbine engines.

This volume is the best publication for aeronautical gas turbine technology. It is a powerful tool as a reference and as a didactic implement.

Theory. The development of theory is quite simple and straightforward. Being intended for technicians, the mathematical level is really easy, nevertheless the associated phenomenons are solidly explained. If the reader is looking for a more advanced maths dissection, he has to search a different book, conversely this treatment is the best complement to theoretical study: here concepts came alive and the mathematical set of solutions to equations are translated in real stuff.

Materials and technical evaluation. The edition copes with the advanced techniques introduced in more recent designs and products. The previous editions were full of excerpts from manufacturer pubblications or other technical papers, the current one is enriched by new illustrations and detailed explanations of advanced research. Drawings and graphs were the best facets of former editions and still they are, literally boosting reader's learning curve.

Engines. A wide selection of engines is avalable as examples, each one deeply dissected, showing typical arrangements and design solutions. This accurate study of construcion details and manufacturing techniques is explanatory since it shows the real article as designed, produced and maintained, focusing on each part functionality and it is real as it gets!

This book is what you need if you want to know HOW aircraft engines are made. Since it's thought for technicians, it doesn'cover (almost) at all thermodynamics, no math, just a few basic physical principles on aircraft gas turbines. This is the real point: more photos, shematics, diagrams then equations (rigor mortis).

You will learn how are Gas Turbines made, what kind of engine is currently being used in what kind of aircraft, how is the fuel system made, plus a much more.

Buy it without esitation.

This is an outstanding book by a knowledgeable author that provides the basic know-how and skills that a technician who maintains or just wants to learn or study aircraft gas turbine engines will find useful and helpful. The book is well written in a readable and easy to follow format that provides the reader with a comprehensive overview of jet propulsion. The author clearly presents the concepts and principles of modern gas turbine engines with no complicated formulas.

The reader will learn the various components of a gas turbine engine including the intake design, compressors, turbines, combustion chamber designs, and the jet pipe and how thrust is produced as well as the modern maintenance, repair and overhaul techniques and philosophies.

The book has great explanations, diagrams and figures that the reader will find useful and helpful. I recommend the book not only to technicians but also to beginning aeronautical and mechanical engineering students who need a basic but comprehensive understanding of gas turbine engines and how they are maintained.

Nate Shaw was the father of my Uncle Oscar Turner's best friend. His real name was Nate Cobb and the family of the son, Lorraine, is prominent in the Middletown, Ohio ghetto.

The author has done a masterful job of illustrating how greatness was thrust upon him. Nate never set out to become a hero, only to protect his own dignity and provide for his children.

I do not believe that there is a better book for teaching about the lies of 20th century sharecroppers. Theirs is an overlooked legacy.

This is a timeless classic, and not just among memoirs, because the subject was a great American---a man who "had no get-back in him." Nate Shaw (real name Ned Cobb) had an amazing memory, and also an acute understanding of the post-Civil War rural South. The rhythm of the seasons, work routines, knowledge of livestock, nature and people too, combine for a profound view of a vanished America. (If you want to really know about mules, Ned's the man.) But Ned didn't just observe, he worked with the Alabama Sharecroppers' Union and defended powerless friends, serving 12 years in prison for his pains. This activism sets him apart from Kas Maine, a South African sharecropper to whom he's been compared in recent years. The earthy dialect wears out some readers, but otherwise "All God's Dangers" is compelling from start to end. Writers from Wendell Berry to Pete Daniel praise both man and book, while John Beecher's "In Egypt Land" is a moving poetic rendition of Ned's story. R. Kelley, "Hammer & Hoe" vividly recreates 1930s Alabama; on Kas Maine, see C. Van Onselen, "The Seed Is Mine." But Ned tells about his world far better than the others. In living, then narrating, a life of great struggle lived with great dignity, Ned Cobb performed a signal service---for all of us. We are in your debt!

I am hoping that by entering a review here, I can see other reviews that I can use to write a book review on this title. Its due tomorrow! Yikes!

Ted Rosengarten is a masterful writer. All God's Dangers is an amazing undertaking that brings Nate Shaw's story to life. After a few pages, it's almost as if you can hear Nate talking. A must read for anyone interested in history and anyone who wants to learn how a book should be written. And Rosengarten's Tombee, if it can be found, is another must read.

In the middle of Rosengarten's book, truly a masterpiece of oral history memoir making, Nate Shaw says "all God's dangers ain't a white man." This would seem truly a remarkable thing for a black man who spent over a decade in an Alabama prison to say, but as a farmer growing cotton in Alabama during the first half of the twentieth century it quickly makes sense once he explains it. Shaw's story of his chaffing under his good for nothing father's roof; his growing prosperity as share cropper and than as a yeoman farmer; his hucksterism when dealing with violent and hostile whites attempting to cheat him; the defense of fellow small farmers that got him thrown in jail during the Great Depression; and his takes on the science of farming, race relations, the American class system and his own life experiences show Shaw to be a master story teller and Rosengarten and master interviewer. The combination of these two was absolute dynamite.

This book is jam-packed with useful info, great pictures, and a very enjoyable writing style. I found myself constantly saying "I had that -- I remember that -- my friend had that one!" The book has been my constant companion ever since it arrived. What's more, it has sparked a new interest in collecting the old tin litho houses from the 50s and 60s -- items I had all but forgotten when I moved on to 1" scale wood miniatures. Thank you for a truly remarkable book, one which many of my friends will be enjoying, too.

Informative, well written, well illustrated. If you're a collector, this book is a great reference.

After searching for a reference book of this type for many months, I finally discovered this book through the internet. I have over 50 collectible reference books in my library and this one I would rate at the very top. A comprehensive, beautifully photographed, helpful reference guide.

Zillner has actually answered burning questions I've had on dollhouses and their furnishings. This is by far the BEST reference I've seen in 25 years of collecting. I highly recommend the book.

This book filled my burning desire to know everything about dollhouses & furniture from the last 50 years. There are no gaps of missing information or omitions of important items in this detailed and comprehensive book. Quite a relief after seeing an army of inadequate collector books flood the market. I'll have hours of fun reading this. My only complaint is some of the photos are dark or of poor color quality. I want to view these things in their full glory.

I have reviewed a few Angkor books. I think this is the best book among them. The pictures are very good.

This is an outstanding book...as one who just returned from a trip to Angkor Wat, Angkor Cities and Temples provides beautiful photography of these amazing structures and an excellent description of the sites. I highly recommend it to anyone who is going to Siem Reap to help prepare for your visit. It is also a most memorable book that you can share with your friends as you attempt to describe this historic area.

Angkor Cities And Temples is perhaps one of the most beautiful books I have ever had the pleasure of owning. Everything about it beckons the reader to remain absorbed in its pages. The text by Claude Jacques is erudite, well-written, and very well translated. The photography by Michael Freeman is astonishingly good. Not only by virtue of his technical skills, which are considerable, but because he handles the art and architecture of the monuments with a tremendous sensitivity to detail and a glorious feel for the way in which light interacts dramatically with stone. Together, the flowing text and luminous colour images provide a wondrous exposure to an ancient world of great sophistication and profound aesthetic development.

Angkor: Cities and Temples by Claude Jacques, et al undoubtedly presents one of the most enchanting illustrative descriptions of Khmer architectural design and history I've ever seen. The photos are crisp and clean and the printing quality is first class. However, the text, translated from French, is overly technical and lacks a sense of cohesiveness, which would have otherwise made it easier to percieve the "big picture" concerning the period of Angkor.

I had always wanted to visit the Angkor temples.And I was looking for some good books on Angkor. When I saw this book, I immediately bought it inspite of its price. The text is crisp and illuminating. And the photographs are the best I have seen of Angkor. They are so real and dramatic that you feel that you are right there. The only drawback with this book is its size. It is mammoth, making it a reference guide rather than a guide you can bring with you on your travel to Angkor. Nevertheless, only in this book has justice been done to the magnificent temples of Angkor. If there is only one book you buy this year, make it this one.

I recommended this book to a client with social anxiety, as an adjunct to therapy. She found the coaching tips to be very easy to understand, and easy to apply. Because this book is written in a way that is made for the general public, my client found it especially helpful that it wasn't shaming nor did it make her feel like she had a clinical disorder. I would definitely recommend it to therapists to use with their clients.

She did it again! I've purchased a number of Dr.Kase's e-books, and her book "The Successful Therapist"...she always offers a wealth of information and ideas that you can apply immediately. I loved the "coaching points" that suggested exercises you could do to really apply the information and more importantly, integrate the new strategies, behaviors, etc. in to your work and personal life. I will be using this book for my own personal use as well as with my clients.

Wow! What a great resource this book has been for me. Being a small business owner has many challenges, anxieties, stresses... and Larina's book has been a tremendous read for me. Not only has it been awesome to me, but I will be ordering a copy for each of my employees as well. Thanks Larina for another great addition to my library!

This book is essential for anyone who works!! Prefectionism and anxiety often get in the way of our work performance. Dr. Kase coaches readers on ways to reduce stress in the workplace, leading to greater productivity and an increased sense of satisfaction and well-being. This book is really like having your own personal career coach "on call" at any time!

This book is extremely helpful and easy to follow. It is also well written by a respected clinician in the field of anxiety. Dr. Kase has given her audience the tools to enjoy and master the work environment.

This irreverent collection of 52 "Peter Principles" of "What NOT to do" if one wants to become a successful problem-solving manager, is management thinking of a very high order. There is just nothing else like it in the management literature.

It is prescriptive thinking and advice that can be, and indeed should be applied to any field of problem-solving. It is nothing if not a reference manual on why "common sense" approaches should not be relied upon exclusively. Augustine, without trying, and without saying so explicitly, demonstrates how and where "common sense" often breaks down. That is not to suggest that Norm Augustine was not often an advocate of "common sense' approaches himself, far from it: he just always warned against complete reliance on common sense.

As one of only a handful of Analysts who had the privilege of working with Norm well before he became famous, and went on to become the CEO of Martin-Marietta, among his many other accomplishments, Augustine's Laws have evolved from Norm's own personal management style and timely admonitions, from the time of one of his first management jobs as Manager of the "Systems Analysis Directorate" of the Douglas Missile and Systems Division (which was at the time, soon-to-become "The McDonald-Douglas Systems Analysis Directorate."). Even then, Norm was cautious about over-reliance on "common sense" especially in complex-problem solving situations. He always wanted to "look beyond and behind" the common sense approaches.

At the time that I worked for Norm, he was a young honors math graduate from Princeton U. who hit the ground running as one of "Mac Narmara's whiz kids" ready to help solve the many problems of the "Cold War." He was thrown into a den of other elite and very talented Mathematicians and political scientists, to head up, and solve, among other interesting projects: that of helping to develop the MIRV missile system; designing launch vehicles to take payloads to the moon; and designing adequate missile defense systems (like the Nike-Zeus system) to protect the U.S. homeland.

I may be the only person in the world who still has one of his beautifully written unclassified mathematical analyses of how MIRVs actually solved the American "throw-weight' disadvantage problem with the then Soviet Union. Frank Eastman, Joe Rebholtz, Richard Johnson, Robert Young, James Brinsley, and Wayne Martin, all of whom are Phds now and who also went on to their own separate stellar careers, can testify to Norm's brilliance and skill at applying these 52 laws doing those heady days.

This is an invaluable compendium of pragmatic wisdom that should be tucked away in a safe place not just in the library, but also in the brain, always available for ready use.

50 stars

This book describes to autor's knowledge in the aerospace and defense industries. Written with a lot of humor and unfortunatly the stories are probably true. A must

Norm Augustine has captured the government defense aerospace industry "sprawling on a pin" for dissection. In one particularly humorous bit he points out that just when the aerospace industry's trend to more and more expensive combat aircraft looked like it might be stalled since adding weight is anathema to aircraft -- along came something expensive and weightless to fill the gap -- software! This is one terrific book! Just the figure showing there is no correlation between what executives are paid and the performance of their companies is worth the price of admission.

I would not have ever expected to find myself laughing out loud, nor even smiling often while reading a book that discusses government projects and corporations who contract them. Norman Augustine provides a clear and critical insight into the corporate-government affairs world with just enough graphs and charts to make it comprehensible yet not overbearing. I found it as light reading - which is a virtue on it's own when reading about such complex a subject.

Accurate, Funny, and informative. This book captures the real (and not so real) world of government and other large projects spot on. Having been on both sides (NASA and contractor), there be truth in this wit. Enjoy. To be appreciated, best read while sitting on a $600 toilet seat.