Satellite Books

2007/10/25 a video based on this book is called Sputnik Mania and it is nominated for an award. awards night is 7 december 2007.thehoffmancollection. i think it is important for baby boomers to read because they may become curious as i did about the cold war, the world trade center and osama bin laden. through the artificial moons now circling the earth we are entertained.hopefully, we will not just amuse our selves to death.1957 sputnik.2007 plumpynut.we could not have had 2007 without the events of 1957.

This is a terrific accounting of the event leading to the ramp up of the Space Race. The anecdotal information is great for those who want to fill in the gaps in the true, inside story of the politics and pressures leading to the creation of NASA and Kennedy's challenge to reach the Moon.

Dickson's work is more support of the thoughtful active presidency of Dwight Eisenhower, who was far from the lame duck, do-nothing president described during the 1960 elections.

This "Shock of the Century" also serves to illustrate the outrageous hyperbole of the the American press and of American politics.

Sputnik was the "beep-beep-beep" heard around the world, the beginning of the Space Age on Oct. 4, 1957. Paul Dickson has written a compelling account of the epic event that shocked the American public. Sputnik heralded the modern era of transistors and miniature electronic devices, communications satellites and the worldwide Internet.
How could Russia, a nation then considered technologically backward, suddenly propel itself into forefront of world science, scoring a worldwide publicity coup in the process that surprised even its creators?
Dickson's book is one of the best popular books about Sputnik yet published, a tale of challenge, fear and the resulting monumental government program that put the first man on the moon.

I vividly remember the Sputnik announcement when I was 6 years old. Gradually, I became part of the cohort of the concerned. By my seventh birthday, I worriedly discuss the possibility of a Soviet bomb hurtling down from a satellite to kill all Americans. My cousin, Mark (older and wiser), reassured me that bombs from satellites were not possible. On a piece of paper he drew a picture of an object falling from outer space. "They burn up before they hit the ground," he explained. This seven year old's analysis was reassuring and I became less panicky. Later, of course, I learned that my cousin was wrong -- things could fall from space without burning up.

Frankly, I am glad that I (and other Americans) didn't know the content of Dickson's work when Sputnik was beeping. The Sputnik "freak out" would have been far worse! Dickson demonstrates a history of lack of vision. It should come to no surprise that the US government and military were unable create a policy that would maintain technological advances. If the Soviets wanted to stifle our process toward outer space, they couldn't have done a better job than our governmental incompetence. If it weren't governmental meddling, I am sure we would have a colony on Mars now.

The eerie aspect to understanding the historical circumstances of Sputnik involves two dimensions. First, I see a continuation of gross incompetent government leadership. Things haven't changed. We can't seem to construct a coherent immigration policy. Our military lacks an effective strategy to combat guerilla warfare (we call it "insurgency"). Our governmental leaders are only recently admitting that global warming might be a problem. It is Sputnik all over again. Second, one can quickly recognize our weak educational system. At the beginning of the space race, we used our brains and the slide rule. With the technological advances associated with micro chip, Dickson demonstrates that we have an increasing proportion of engineering disasters like bridge collapses. We seem to be witnessing an increase proportion of senility. Perhaps, we need to surrender our computers and return to the slide rule!

Dickson is a crafty writer. Although Sputnik is well-documented piece of nonfiction (great footnotes), it reads like fiction. If one enjoys reading about history, technology or incompetent governmental officials, I highly recommend SPUTNIK.

In Sputnik, Paul Dickson takes a single historic event and uses it as a spot from which to take a look around and see what can be learned. When applied cleverly, that writing strategy leads to some great books. This is one of them.

Dickson covers the history of rocketry and missiles, taking a look at the science and the scientists that led up to the launch of Sputnik. He captures the mood of the Cold War and gives you a sense of the rude awakening the United States experienced when the USSR beat it into space. Then the book ranges into the responses of the US and the USSR to Sputnik, covering the space race to its end on the moon.

All of the material is carefully brought together and conveyed in such a way that you keep reading long after you needed to put the book down and do something else.

Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys history. This one is very well done.

I wanted to be in the Dolan family after reading this book. I enjoyed the different perspectives of each sister. I love their radio show, too. I feel like we are long-time friends.

These sisters are hilarious. I read their regular column in Oprah Magazine and listen to their radio show, so when I saw the paperback in the store, I grabbed it. You know how you feel when you spend a fun night with your girlfriends? That's how you'll feel after reading this book. The five Dolan sisters are all very funny but their points of view about life are very different. It's organized into a series of separate essays about their lives growing up and their lives now. This book is a pleasure and I've already bought it for a couple of my friends for their birthdays and they agreed.

I really enjoyed reading the Dolan sisters' book. I have only listened to their radio show half a dozen times, so I found the insight into their personal lives very helpful to understanding the show---also, quite hilarious! Not really a "guideline" book, which is what I thought it would be. Just a pleasant read.

I laughed. I cried. I rushed out and picked up 4 more books (1 for each of my sisters, and 1 for my best friend). These sisters really seem to belong in my family. Vivian (our baby) is the family story-teller, who can turn the oddest situation into an adventure which will wring laughter out of the most jaded and depressed audience around. Beth can organize any event flawlessly, and boss around anyone in her vicinity with great aplomb (except our older brother, who always would hide in a closet or bathroom when projects were afoot). And... the comparisons, stories and lists just won't stop. Thanks to these wonderful gals for reminders about the sheer fun of growing up in a huge family - and the life lessons which we acquired along the way. Makes me wonder how on earth our Mother managed to shepherd our entire brood around Europe by herself, but the answer is obvious - she was already a member of the Sisterhood!

I enjoyed the sisters' book. Though I identify more with Julie- I think Liam is an excellent writer- I would read another book of theirs. It is a satisfyingly civil book.

LIparulo continues to release suspense filled novel that grab your attention and wont let go. When I found out he had a new novel I had to read it. This book deals with four friends take a remote wilderness expedition. They come across a group who have taken a remote town hostage and plan on destroying the town and its people with a new weapon. The friends must lead an attack to release the towns inhabitants from this group. Liparulo does a great job bringing the characters to life. A must read for all suspense fans.

Because it turns the pages, holds our interest, and promises more than the average TV show. The characters, some at least, are well drawn and give us reason to care. Our disbelief must be suspended, because the reason for all the killing turns out to be ridiculous. But the author is talented enough to keep us up at night.

INTRIGUING but also discouraging. It is almost scary because it could really happen. It surely did keep my attention throughout. What would I do if this situation ever occurred in my town or neighborhood? How would we ever counteract something devastating like this? The games that exist today seem to me to be so realistic and "hard core" that people lose all concept of what is moral and/or amoral. It truly scared me!!!!!

"Deadfall' is a great book to invest in for anyone who is looking for an action-filled plot that contains authentic believable characters who must go through nearly impossible situations to either overcome, surive or die.

Each character in this book is easily to believe in, connect with or to genuinely feel that "such a person must surely exist", whether they are protagonist, villain or innocent bystander.

The plot moves along at a gripping pace and a solid stage is set well before the ride takes off. Perhaps what R.L. does best here is that he is willing to create such real characters but is unafraid to submit them to very real realities and consequences, even if such realities mean their removal from the rest of the story.

When all is said and done, your heart has been broken, you have wanted to jump out of your seat and cheer. You have hated, sympathized, held your breath, and shed a tear.
Having said all this, as wonderful of an emtional and mental journey this wonderful story is, I'm afraid it left something lacking in depth. Where there were opportunities to explore deeper questions and issues, the action stole such moments away.

R.L. is a great author and this is another great work, but perhaps just something more is needed before we go from a good read to memorable literature...(here some would say that is not the goal, but why should such a gifted author not aspire to something timeless and life changing?)

Robert Liparulo is an animal! He just happens to display quite a talent when it comes to writing great thrillers. In the best-selling anthology, "Thriller," edited by James Patterson, Liparulo merely showed a glimpse of his genius with "Kill Zone." In "Deadfall," he lets it all hang out. He goes wild and crazy, and that's when he's at his best, thrilling the masses, and leaving us speechless. I was craving more after "Comes a Horseman," and going GA-GA after "Germ" bit me. Now he gives us "Deadfall," and Publisher's Weekly think they have it all figured out. Publisher's weekly sucks on this one! This was great!!

Taking a camping trip in Canadian woods is just the ticket for a group of four friends. They are looking to live with the wildlife for the time being, while doing some hunting and other guy things. But it looks like those plans are going out the window, or should I say, the tent! There are problems in Fiddler Falls, a town that suspiciously sounds like a bad musical trying to go Broadway, or if you're Canadian, to Toronto? And with a whole new set of plans, and weapons like they've never seen, they aren't prepared for what's in store. They just have the weapons that they brought with them. Is that enough?

Liparulo drives this with a savage force! And yet he gives us lessons for life at the same time. He doesn't hesitate to put the pedal to the metal, and he doesn't even think to apologize for it. I like that! Author Thomas Perry said that this deserves the name THRILLER. I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Perry. Robert Liparulo has found his audience, and he's giving them what they want each and every time. That's a great read, and that's what keeps me coming back. Keep bringing your A game with you, Mr. Liparulo! Not many authors are doing it better.

It honestly took me awhile to get into this story. It seemed like a typical sappy love story, from the go. I thought it a waste of time so I put it down but found myself reading it under duress -- I didn't have anything else to read.

To my pleasant surprise, the story improved dramatically and by the end I desperately wanted to see where everything would go. Though, a persistent frustration was the lack of chemistry. If I weren't told of their affections I would not have guessed it, except that it was obvious that Tetrok and Nyota would end up together from the initial meeting.

I was also disappointed to find that there has yet to be an addition to the story, leaving things incomplete.

I can guess what's likely to happen but this one surprised me so I'd much rather read it. The second book would have definitely been more enjoyable.

great book!! compelling!! still waiting for the rest!! nichelle and margaret did a great job on this.

This book was wonderful. I am anxious for the next book in this series. You don't want to put the book down. Pick it up and read it. Savor every moment.

This is a character-driven story -- the essence of the narrative is really about the characters, their histories, and how they interact and relate to one another. The space exploration and politcial plots are a framework upon which the characetrs can act and interact. As such, there is a lot of detail, especially about the characters, but a significant effort was made in the world-bulding, and it never feels as if the characters are on a cardboard stage. I enjoyed this book for those very reasons.

That said, what I would fault the story for is the following: It has a fairly slow pace and the flashbacks are occasionally disconcerting -- I would start to get into the story and sometimes found myself wrenched off into a character's past. Nooo! We were justing getting to a good part.... I found the end a little too neat and tidy, given all the convolutions that led up to it. There are some issues with some of the science, but these probably won't be noticed except by readers with a strong science background. This is not a hard sci-fi novel, but the detail is much better than in some soft sci-fi novels, and I appreciated the fact that science and scientists were presented in a positive way. And I do think the setting was more than a little idealistic, with the humans and Fazisians (and their governments) getting along extraordinarily well.

In summary: If you like character-driven sci-fi, this book is worth a read. If you are looking for space battles or accurate technological detail, best to look elsewhere.

I hardly ever read a book that I just cannot finish, but this was one of those rare instances. I tried, really tried to get into it, but I never made it past page 50 or so. The characters didn't strike me as believable. The world-building was clunky at best. But the worst offense of this book was in the writing. Most of it was passive voice and overstated motivation to try and make the characters seem real. I can see why Nichols grabbed a co-author on this one. Too bad it didn't help more.

Fisher's history of radio stretches from the medium's shove from the living room (by TV) in the late `40s to its shove aside by the internet and iPod. In between he chronicles the social, political and business forces that led to radio broadcasting's multiple re-inventions. The breadth of Fisher's focus is both a blessing and a curse: by taking in 60 years he's able to show common patterns and the relentless force of commerce, but by telling the story in vignettes of personalities, there's ten times as much omitted as included. What comes across by book's end is that Fisher is a better analyst than he is a storyteller. His descriptions of seminal radio people never quite reach the level of excitement or magnetism of their subjects, and his New Yorker styled interwoven narratives are often more frustrating than compelling. Fisher's bias to the East Coast, and to New York radio in particular, is obvious, and his lengthy discourses on Jean Shepherd and Bob Fass will be interminable to many. Better are his profiles of those who were behind-the-mic forces, such as consultant Lee Abrams. His analysis of radio as a numbers game, and the confluence of surveys, statistics and deregulation make the second half of the book a winner. His description of how the fragmentation of radio formats in the 1970s has come back to haunt oldies radio is particularly enlightening. Over and over he describes how the inexorable march of commerce rules radio, and how research-oriented programming drove radio into a dead-end. This is worthwhile reading, but more for the analysis than the profiles. 3-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2008 redtunictroll at hotmail dot com]

Two metrics by which to judge a survey are whether what you know to be true matches what the author says and whether there is information that is fresh and new to the reader. I have no problems with Marc Fisher on the first point, and it is on the second point where the book really shines.

I grew up as a middle-of-the-baby-boomer listening to Top 40 Chicago stations, early FM campus radio, and the rise of album-oriented FM. I thought I knew something about radio's history. Nope. With little anecdotes and lengthy stories, Mr. Fisher provided background and analysis from the early days up to the present. The most pleasant are easily the rise of Top 40 with Todd Storz and a wonderfully written piece on Jean Shepherd. Several other bits follow closely behind.

The author moves along at a nice pace, perhaps using his columnist's talent for compact writing and interviewing. No sections were duds, although a few may have gone on a tad long for unfamiliar readers. For example, Bob Fass meant little to me in advance and wasn't particularly interesting here, either. We can cut the author some slack for a bit of partiality toward the radio of his beloved New York.

The fun fades some as the book moves closer to the modern age of homogenized, pre-packaged radio. Fisher's analysis of how that happened and why that's bad seems spot-on, and he's not afraid to complain. Even NPR takes its lumps for turning into just another market-driven vehicle that moved away from its mission and roots. His look at podcasts, web radio, satellite radio and other alternatives and trends makes for interesting reading, and he highlights the conflict between nationwide reach, affinity groups, and local content. Fisher clearly believes that radio's soul belongs to local flavor and variety, and that passion helps energize the book.

Will the radio of today and the next decade inspire that passion in others, as it did for a young Marc Fisher with his transistor? Read this book and listen to the radio and you'll probably think not, but with the way radio has changed even in a single lifetime and with such a diverse country, who knows?

I had to read this book twice. The first time I started with the Jean Shepherd section, then skipped around. After I made it through all the pages, I didn't want the book to be over, so I read it from beginning to end. That is how absorbing Something in the Air is; Fisher has put together fascinating strings of anecdotes and facts, well-cemented with narrative and a bit of his own opinion, and given us the evolution of radio as experienced by listeners, station owners, management, deejays, and other air personalities, and he's shown us all the angles--legal, commercial, esthetic, and ethical.

The book won't please everyone, and anyone who reads it is going to say "What about ____?" and "Why didn't he tell the story of _____?" The answer to that is, of course, that everything wouldn't fit into the book. Having written quite a bit on radio history, I can tell you that Fisher's research and interviews probably left him with half again as much material as he put into the book. That's always the burden of the competent author: what do put in and what do I leave out?

As other reviewers have pointed out, there are a few errors here and there. I won't dwell on those; the book is so valuable that they are of little consequence. It would be nice if the author posted an errata sheet at his blog, though.

And I have to say that the story of the WOR I, Libertine hoax that Jean Shepherd and Ian Ballantine perpetrated, aided and abetted by Theodore Sturgeon's ghost-writing, is worth the price of the book on its own. And there are other anecdotes that equal that one.

Fisher might have overdone some of the topics, falling at the feet of radio "gods," for instance. But I was pleased to see that he didn't harp on Don Imus or Howard Stern to please readers, nor did he haul out other celebrities the way some overly self-conscious writers feel obligated to do when writing about the famous.

Did I mention how good the writing is? Good enough to keep you turning the pages. Fisher is a good stylist. He also has a journeyman technique, as illustrated by the fascinating build-up to Rush Limbaugh's triumph. Among other things.

There's nothing more to say, other than this book does for radio what Michael Korda's Another Life did for book publishing.
--Mike

This is less a review and more an enthusiastic recommendation. As a Brit, many of the presenters' names in this book (apart from, say, Stern and Limbaugh) meant little to me but I still found this book absolutely unputdownable. This is testament to a) my radio "geekiness" and - more importantly - b) Marc Fisher's skills as a writer, historian and storyteller. A fascinating history of radio in the US with many a good story tucked away in the endnotes. Highly recommended.

Everyone should read this compelling book by Marc Fisher. It brilliantly uses radio to tell the story of Americans in the last several decades. Funny, powerful, commanding, and lyrical, Fisher is a beautiful storyteller.

Three worlds are colliding, power is shifting, and a gifted climber is the only one who can climb the cliffs that separate three mysterious worlds. His search for treasure will unlock keys to a coming catastrophe - and the clues to a dangerous world that very few even know exist. ATHERTON is a riveting fantasy adventure hard to put down.

This book really surprised me. I started reading it and was completely drawn into it at once.
The story is about Edgar, who lives on Atherton as a fig grower. Edgar discovers that life is more than his boring life on Atherton and finds out about his gift as a climber. Edgar is told a startling secret that will change the course of history on Atherton. On the way, Edgar meets friends for the first time in his life.
This is a great book that you should definitely read if you're a scifi fan.
By the way, if you've ever read the Land of Elyon series and loved it, you'll love this even more.

My 10 year old loved this book. He stayed up really late to finish it all in one day.

A bit different from the Land of Elyon series but certainly entertaining. Patrick Carman is a very descriptive writer and this book has an intriguing plot. I am curious how many books will be in this series.

Edgar knows that he should be working rather than climbing and swinging in the trees, but he just can't seem to help himself -- even if it does earn him a beating from Mr. Ratikan's stick. It would hardly be the first time and it isn't likely to be the last. He also knows he shouldn't be climbing the cliffs, but he has to.

Edgar's world is shaped sort of like a three-leveled top. The top level, the Highlands, are populated by the well-to-do people. They control the water for all of the other levels. If you fell off of the Highlands, and didn't die, you would land on the middle level, Tabletop, which is the level Edgar lives on. They are the workers who harvest food and raise animals. They receive water based on how well they feed the people above. If you fell off of Tabletop and weren't killed by the fall to the Flatlands, you would either be eaten by the monsters that live there, or die of starvation. If you could survive long enough to fall off of the Flatlands, you would fall off of the earth.

Edgar's father fell off of the middle level when Edgar was just a small boy. Edgar has one memory of him, though. The older he gets, the weaker the memory becomes, but he knows that it has to do with a book that he is supposed to find. It's hidden in the cliffs between the top and middle levels. So Edgar climbs, and searches, whenever he can.

In one day Edgar finds the book, climbs all the way to the Highlands (forbidden), and makes a friend (hopefully) there. The biggest discovery Edgar makes that day could be he most dangerous of all. The Highlands are sinking. If the cliffs keep shuddering, eventually the Highlands and Tabletop could be level with each other! That thought alone sends Edgar off on the adventure of a lifetime.

Edgar is off. He is on a search for answers, for the right questions, for his destiny. It's going to get far worse before it gets better.

This book is a fantastic mix of mad scientist, alternate worlds, and realistic people. Patrick Carman hasn't missed a trick in this one; believable characters, a fully imagined and realized world, and an absorbing plot. I had a hard time putting this book down. I can't wait to see what happens next! Though while you're waiting you should check out the very cool, interactive website athertonseries dot com.

Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman

This is the best weather prediction guide I've seen. Michael Carr makes it easy to understand and interpret weather prediction models and provides plenty of examples so you can make sense of those satellite images available online! Not only that, he applies his extensive blue water sailing experience in helping to identify appropriate tactics for heavy weather avoidance. I wouldn't go to sea without it.

Michael Carr explains weather better than anyone I know. He uncomplicates the theory, makes sense out of the details and variables, and presents this often-too-technical subject in a friendly, easy to understand way. Read this book and the logic of weather falls clearly in place -- through the authors clear descriptions, excellent graphics and extensive resources.

This is one of four weather books I recommend, the other three are hot-linked below. It is a truly great book with both white space and color images, easy to read font, and a sensible easy to understand roadmap for integrating satellite imagery, upper air (500 milibar) and surface forecasts and sea state charts.

After I finished the five day course in Advanced Meterology, I created a short guide for myself that I could share with others, and this book was very helpful as a reference to complement the binder that I received with the course.

See also my list of books in my sailing library.

Mariner's Weather
Understanding Weatherfax
The Weather Wizard's Cloud Book: A Unique Way to Predict the Weather Accurately and Easily by Reading the Clouds

I learn pretty well from books and have taught myself some rather complex things that way. As a sailor and technical person, with some understanding of weather prediction and understanding weather charts going in, I still found the information difficult to assimilate. The author frequently uses terms without defining them, and his descriptions are often ambiguous, making understanding the material frustrating. I am reading it for the second time, and still find this to be the case. For example, he will make reference to something "below the [upper level] trough", and you need to somehow figure out whether he means closer to the equator, since the plane of the waves is north-south; or closer to the earth. The material is very useful, but he needed a better editor or proof-reader

As a scientist, physician, and sailor, I consider myself fairly good at assimilating technical material, but I had trouble with this book. The author (like the NOAA meterologists who write those impenetrable forecast discussions) does not seem content to stick with one set of terms. A better editor would have helped him do so. One of the main thrusts of the text is the relationship between upper atmosphere phenomena (troughs and ridges) and surface conditions. After reading the book, I still don't have a satisfying grasp of how this relationship works, mainly, I think, because the phenomena are defined in descriptive rather than mechanistic terms. I am going to read it again, but will be looking for something better.

Wow, this book covers so much material with such depth, accuracy and clarity. It aided me tremendously in my thesis at the university. Therefore, I must graciously thank the authors for the truly amazing work which they have done with this book. I recommend it to all students focusing on wireless security and its future potentials .

I was recommended to read this book by my class mate and I am stunned at its depth and quality. It gave me so much detail in my studies of wireless security that I needed for my university thesis. I am pleased that there is literature out there that will put down all the facts without any "fluff." I must truly congratulate the authors for their work. I highly, highly recommend this to anybody with a thirst wireless security. I would give it more than a 5 if I could. I am also looking forward to reading Mr. Lekkas' upcoming book.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It gave a lot of sight on Wireless Security and gave a lot of useful information. Some of the chapters are long, but don't let that discourage you from purchasing the book. I found the last two chapters really challenging and difficult. Lan experience will help you get through the book. Some of the wireless solutions are easy to understand, and some of the wireless solutions are difficult. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn or write a paper on wireless security.

I liked this book for its wide and solid coverage of many things that could be tackled from many different angles. I have discussed its content with many colleagues and customers who read it and they all had the same positive feedback about it. Mind you this is an area that is rapidly moving forward, a couple of chapters could use a 2nd edition in the near future, especially regarding the newest standards, nevertheless this book covers a lot of material and very well!

I decided to write this note, because I was surprised and even taken aback by the irrelevance and unfairness of the comments from a previous reviewer (Aug.'03) purportedly from Australia, regarding the satellite security chapter.

The book does not make any sweeping pronouncements on commercial non-US satellite technologies like that reviewer claims, although no one denies that the reviewer's commercial example may very well turn out to be true or not true. So what? The satellite chapter of the book is clearly written from the US policy point of view (whether you like it or not, is actually irrelevant), which at the time the book was being written (a couple of years ago), presented specific and significant export hurdles. In fact the very same chapter the reviewer has a hard time with, actually discusses the use of the RPK-encryption algorithm (a New Zealand invention) in high-end satellite products of Communicado Data Ltd (a UK company). How can that same reviewer dare say that the chapter states "there is no encryption in commercial satellite systems" and that there is no mention of foreign products? Is he reading selectively what he criticizes? Or maybe he wishfuly infers it from what he projects that is written between the lines? Or maybe he does not understand what he is reading. Most probably he did spend too much time looking desperately for something bad to say about the book. This does not lend much credibility to his review. He comes across as a man with ....an ax to grind.....

Even if one takes at face value the reviewer's comment, namely that the authors allegedly did not have much knowledge on the subject, a far-fetched inference given their background, the named contributors, who have been working for the super-secret NRO, the US DOD, and the intelligence community should. I am sure that the satellite chapter would have never seen the light of the day if these people had not vetted what is being said in there. The Australian reviewer comes across as sharply biased and unfair, and most definitely with an ill-intentioned agenda against this book or its authors.

Even if the authors were at fault for such a little commercial detail, in my mind it would not constitute enough ground to even come close to raising doubts about the technical validity of the rest of the content. In fact I am amazed that Mr.Owen berates such a book that comes along with truly numerous references to go and check things out by yourself, with an impressive list of contributors, and above all with a very large number of happy and satisfied readers, as I am hearing it has become a technical best-seller, and rightfully so.

Did all these people miserably miss the point, when only Mr.Owen "down under" didn't? I seriously doubt it!!

Although on first reading the book appears to give a comprehensive introduction to wireless security. When I started to study the section on satellite security, two things became obvious. Firstly that the authors had little information on satellite security and they tried to fill out a chapter with more general information. More seriously though, the information they gave on satellite security is incorrect and, contrary to the book, encryption is widely used in commercial satellite systems. The book states that encryption is not used on any commercial satellite system. The Thuraya satellite system that covers the Middle East and Europe, for example, uses standard GSM encryption algorithms. Commercial satellites may not use encryption algorithms that have been blocked for export by the US Government, but that is quite different from not offering any encryption at all. As a result of this serious error, the validity of all the information in the book is now open to doubt.

Robert Owen

As a resident of a small, dark, cold and remote place in Arctic Alaska, I join many of our 4,200 residents in protesting the demotion of Pluto to dwarf planet status.
This book shows that as we explore the outer regions of the solar system, we are finding so much more than rock-solid, unchanging frozen outposts.
Even before the New Horizons spacecraft reaches Pluto/Charon in 2015, the authors carefully summarize decades of precise science to learn a lot about this dynamic system
We already know that Pluto has an atmosphere, and may resemble Neptune's surprisingly active moon Triton, which has ice geysers, long vapor and dust trails and evidence of a changing surface.
We learn about the hard work, and frequent frustration as astronomers travel around the world to find vantage points when Charon passes in front of Pluto, or Pluto passes in front of a star.
Imagine the challenges of observing such motions of small bodies more than 3 billion miles away!
Get the book, keep it close, and we will all get ready for New Horizons to finally give us a close up view of this fantastic planet and moon

The reviewer below - An.McCracken - is a fake. He reviews countless books each day but he does not read the books, just paraphrases other people's reviews. REPORT THIS TO AMAZON. Click on (Report this) link under the review, next to the voting buttons.

The author and New Horizons Principal Investigator, Alan Stern, is obviously excited (i.e. worse than a creationist zealot) about Pluto and Charon. But he doesn't fairly tackle the other side of the debate: who really cares? Yes, scientists can make up reasons why the American government should waste millions of dollars to send a spacecraft to Pluto, Charon, and the Kuiper Belt, but what startling science will be advanced by two pieces of ice that we already have a pretty good understanding of after Voyager 2's trip past Neptune's moon Triton in 1989? Even if we lack a fundamental understanding of so-called ice dwarf class planets, is the extraordinary cost really worth the benefit? Any scientist will admit that it is extremely unlikely that we will find life on Pluto or Charon. Can we finally solve the debate about whether Pluto is a planet or a KBO? Wow. What a great use of over $700 million. I think that Stern and other Planetary Society members need to focus on more important, and less selfish, world problems, such as genocide and starvation in Somalia or Al Qaeda. Or at the very least, spend the money on a worthy objective, such as sending another craft to Jupiter's moon Europa, a place where we might actually find life.

If you don't know much about the "King of the Kuiper Belt", read this book, and you will have a very clear scientific description of this "massive comet"...

This book is complete, starting from the historic discovery (blind luck, really) of Pluto, the subsequent observations that kept on shrinking the planet, then the suprising discovery of Charon, the fortuitious Pluto/Charon occultation, and the latest HST results.

Easy to read, and yet technical enough, this book will probably make you love this planet, even though it's only a big comet saved from destruction by its orbital resonance with Neptune... and will make you hate NASA (or the US Congress) for not going forward with their Pluto Express probe.

This book is a well-written and enjoyable summary of what we know about Pluto and its relatively huge moon Charon. However, the fact of the matter is we don't know much because we have yet to send a spacecraft to this fascinating double planet! Stern and Mitton do a great job presenting the timeline of our discoveries about Pluto as well as the latest theories on the compositions and origin of these bodies.

I was especially impressed with the discussion of Pluto's atmosphere changing as a result of the planet's greatly elliptical orbit around the Sun. In addition, the authors give a great detailed breakdown of the discoveries gleaned from the mutual occultations in the late 80s. Also, this book was written several years ago but we have since indeed found many more Kuiper Belt objects that lend great credibility to the theory of Pluto simply being one of the largest of that family.

Too much time was spent on describing the birth and continuing struggles of the Pluto Express project. This discussion would have been more appropriate if the spacecraft had even launched, let alone successfully completed its mission. But the fact is that NASA's funding issues have kept the project grounded for now. Hopefully it'll fly in the next couple years. If it doesn't, much of the mission may be compromised because Pluto is getting farther from the Sun each day and as a result its atmospheric activity is dying.

Overall a great effort and worth your time. Don't expect incredible revelations and photographs though, because we still have yet to visit the place!

I am just a programmer. I use some of the older, classic literature to write algorithms to track low-earth satellites. I'm not a math major. This book is an excellent addition because it helps me to understand how to connect orbital concepts with the math. It is short and to the point. The book's construction quality is excellent!

Perfect book, even if it's not completely up to date (not covering IERS conventions 2003). It's my reference book of satellite orbit determination.

I found this book to be extremely well written with just the right mix of explanation and formulaes.

I bought this book in order to complete a project for a University assignment and the CD containing all of the source code in the book, made my life much easier. I could quickly whip up a working prototype of exactly what I needed.

I would recommend this to anyone for who was wondering how Physics and the laws of Nature relate to equations and programming.

To the authors, thank you for a wonderful book - bringing me up to speed in a few short weeks on a very complex subject.

The sections dealing with orbit estimation are very sketchy. Needs to filled out with specific and detailed computational algorithms (e.g. Escobal).
Excellent! software, however.

Satellite Orbits, Models, Methods and Applications is a great reference on Satellite orbit computation/determination. Chapters include; 1. Around the world in hundred minutes 2. Introductory Astrodynamics 3. Force Model 4.Numerical Integration 5. Time and Reference Systems 6. Satellite Tracking and Observation Models 7. Linearization 8. Orbit Determination and Parameter Estimation 9. Applications + Apendices and list of symbols.
This bookýs emphasis is on the mathematical methods and algorithms used in modern satellite trajectory computations. It also contains extensive list of WWW URLs on spaceflight dynamics.
Hardcover book measures 24 X 16 centimeters, contains 370 glossy pages with a dozen of color photos in the first chapter but lots of graphics ( Ground projections of satellite orbits, perturbations of satellite orbits, orbit determination analysis, ý ) and comes with a CD-ROM on the applications usable in Win98 / NT4.0 or Linux SUSE 7.2.
Excellent textbook designed for post-graduate students and engineers working in the field of spaceflight dynamics, navigation and geodesy.
Philip CORNEILLE