Information Books

I used this book during my studies, but also now I use it often to check some things. The book is written generally - it does not go too deeply into detail - but is still a good reference for a lot of questions.

Physical Principles of Remote Sensing
by W. G. Rees, Gareth Rees

is one of the first books that should be chased after by anyone planning to adapt the theory of LAND STUDIES to his/her future. Required as an intorductory textbook for many university level programs, THE PRINCIPLES OF REMOTE SENSING prepares the mind for future training in earth sciences.

Ms. Carmen R. Cross

The book provides simple explainations with just enough equations to help understand concepts in electromagnetics, radiation interaction with atmosphere, Microwave-visible-IR systems, scattering, satellites, antennas and data processing. Great for reference or introductory course in remote sensing.

I was fortunate enough to attend Gareth Rees' course, for which this book was initially written. As a student that always needed to get things through the brain more than once for it to stick, I can thoroughly recommend this book. It is well written, handles the mathematical treatments with enough detail to be easy to follow (but it does assume a fairly strong undergraduate mathematical background). Excellent description of Synthetic Aperture Radar techniques and written in a style that makes it quite fresh for what is fundamentally a course text book.

Great book for the "Business of Podcasting"! I like the clear layout with tips and reviews at the end of each chapter. I would also recommend the
Podcasting For Dummies and Podcast Solutions if you want core books and are just starting with the plan of a business podcast show. The one thing they left out mentioning is WaveLab Essential 6 with build in Podcasting for about $99.00 on Amazon. I use it for all my audio production including my podcast and love it!

I liked this book a lot. It is very well outlined. And it is very well written. I found it to be an easy read. But not a particularly quick read since it is pretty thick in page count and page size. The book is broken into four parts and 16 chapters:

I. Podcasting overview: Understanding the medium and its impact on business (Chapters 1-3)
II. Podcasting fundamentals: Planning and development (Chapters 4-6)
III. Producing the podcast: Production, delivery and legal issues (Chapters 7-10)
IV. Podcast distribution: Marketing, measuring and monetizing (Chapters 11-16)

Social media and Web 2.0 is comprised of a few tools that people and businesses can use to be a part of that community. The main one is blogging. And podcasting is a natural extension of blogging. What is said and has been written about blogging can also be said and written about podcasting. And this book does just that. Some people read books to get their information. Others listen to the radio or watch TV. I suspect many more listen to the radio and watch TV than read books.

Currently many more people taking part in Social Media and Web 2.0 are blogging than podcasting. But that statistic very well may change. And by reading this book one will probably understand and realize why. And even better, one will learn how to get involved in podcasting.

This book is specifically written for a business audience. It focuses on how businesses can incorporate podcasting into their marketing mix. It covers planning, content creation, legal considerations, branding, marketing, advertising, monetization, and much more.

I liked the chapter summaries at the end of each chapter called "Lessons Learned." They made it easy to get an overview of the book before I read it page to page. My favorite chapter was the seventh. It went into "Podcast Production." It got into sufficient detail and specifics that I pretty much saw what was involved in creating audio and/or video files. Emphasis was more on audio files.

The bottom line is that businesses should understand the power of podcasting and how to use it in their marketing mix. Podcasting can significantly improve a company's communications efforts with its customers, prospects, and the media. 5 stars!

As a podcasting and new media consultant, I've read just about every podcasting book out there (and authored one myself). This book is now at the top of the short list of books that every business podcaster (or podcaster with business aspirations) needs to read. The authors know there stuff and have done their research. I'll be referring again and again to the case studies and ideas shared in this book.

This book stands head and shoulders above all other podcasting books for teaching you how to make podcasting a go within the enterprise. I haven't read another book that addresses so many of the concerns that businesses have when they want to start podcasting. The other two that I have read focus on the independent podcaster and the issues that they encounter with a small focus on business interests.

What makes this book stand out so much for me is that it is written at a technical level that anyone can understand regardless of their role within a business. Every idiosyncratic element of taking a podcast from the planning stages production, copyright, distribution with rss, ROI and podcasting's role in integrated marketing is addressed in full.

Businesses and "internal champions", as they are called in the book, tasked with creating a new or social media presence through podcasting should pick up a copy. Podcast consultants, you too could learn a thing or two from this book. I did.

Many thanks to the authors!

This is a great text. It is wonderful for a speedy consult or general tox review, and is great for those in Emergency Medicine as well.

In a previous review for the 3rd edition I was harsh in my assessment because of the extensive errata sheet. HOWEVER, as a practicing graveyard hospital pharmacist I have come to greatly respect this reference. This version doesn't have an errata sheet, and I haven't taken the time to figure out if that is because there are no errata or they just haven't had time to figure them out. BUT, I would not go into a shift without a copy of this book on the shelf. It is that good.. and I use it to guide docs weekly. Without hesitation I say 'BUY THIS BOOK', it's a lifesaver - really.

This is a concise and well-written toxicology handbook. Many additions and updates since the 2nd edition.

Olson brings together experts in medicine, pharmacology and toxicology to produce a masterful guide to poisoning and overdose. This book is written for the bedside clinician and provides a rapid guide to specific exposures, kinetics and treatment. Items are generally one page or less and contain the elements you need to care for your patient. Other books have more information but Olson gives you what you need quickly and in a very concise format.

Mr. Foster does a great job of providing an overview of many different types of technologies currently being used by todays law enforcement agencies. This book is a must read for anyone interested in becoming involved in law enforcement.

The text can also be used by current officers to learn more of what is available and how it can help their departments.

Ray Gerwitz
Law Enforcement Technology Consultant
www.rmjtechnology.com

I recently taught a police technology course at a local community college using Raymond Foster's Police Technology book as the base reference for the course and then puncuated the book will information and exercises from the accompanyinig website. Oustanding! The website is very informative, current and relevant. Several of the practicing law enforement personnel including senior supervisors and managers had their eyes opened to the technology available to them now ane the future potential for the technology to improve the service they provide their communities, understand contemporary issues in law enforcement and may compelling arguements to their respective governing counsels for funding and technology initiatives. Great book - understood and applied by students at all levels of experince.

Mike Kelley
michaeloharakelley@comcast.net
Criminal Justice Professor

Anyone in the Criminal Justice Field will want to read this book. Raymond Foster has provided a comprehensive book on how technology affects today's thinking in Law Enforcement.

I read the introduction to his book on my Internet Radio Show, Global Security, on www.voice.voiceamerica.com It is chilling. It begins by telling the reader how a murderer hid behind technology. Thanks to new technology, the murderer was eventually caught. Raymond E. Foster the Author was the team leader.

Foster gives great examples of new technology being used today by Law Enforcement. I have already recommended this book to many of my associates to use as a guide for instruction.

Vic Plessner, Global Security Consultant, www.vhpconsult.com

My father wrote this book, and lemme tell you about it. This book is the first of its kind. My father served 25 years in the LAPD and now he's retired. The Police Technology guru said his book was brilliant. My father even wrote and guest starred in the History Channel's Modern Marvels: Police Technology episode. This seven week old book has already been made required reading by eight universities, two from the UK. My father now teaches this course at a CalState college. Need more convincing? (...)

This is a "must have" resource, particularly if you are a doctoral student pursuing your studies via distance learning means. Virually everything you need to know for crafting your dissertation can be found right here, and it's written in a style that makes it not only informative, but interesting and enjoyable to read as well. I cannot say enough great things about this book...it really is that good!

Dr. Bryant's The Portable Dissertation Advisor was aptly named. It has traveled in my carry-on bag many times as I made the flight to the university where I earned my doctorate, primarily through distance learning. Like my suitcase, the book is lightweight, efficiently packed, and carries all the essentials for the journey.

I referred to this book extensively throughout my dissertation proposal development, the writing process, and even when preparing for the defense. The advice offered is thorough, direct, and very practical. The number of turned-down pages and sticky-notes left protruding from the well-worn pages are testament to the usefulness of the small text. I will - and in fact, already have - recommended this resource to anyone in a doctoral program.

If you are a doctoral student preparing to write you dissertation, you need to get this book. Dr. Bryant does an excellent job of taking you through this process. Not only that, but he understands the feelings and frustrations that all doctoral students go through at this time. This will be a reference I will continually use throughout my dissertation process.

All dissertation writers search for practical hands-on advice. The Portable Dissertation Advisor offers that advice in a clear, readable, never overwhelming style. In addition, dissertation writers, particularly those involved in distance education, seek someone to assure them that their struggles are neither unique nor insurmountable.

Miles Bryant is a faculty member at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Bryant teaches a course in the development of the doctoral dissertation and has worked with hundreds of doctoral students over the span of his career. This experience has helped him to write a book that is specifically aimed at distance and part-time doctoral students.

Finding a topic, choosing a research design, writing a literature review, and presenting your proposal are some of the key topics covered in this book. But beyond the practical advice, Bryant goes a step farther. By the time you finish this book, you will not only have a solid handle on the task in front of you, you will also feel as though your fears and trepidations are understood, you have found a sympathetic and understanding guide through the dark forest that is the mighty dissertation.

This is an excellent book on powerbuilder programming targeted mainly at intermediate and advanced level programmers and provides step by step code not found in other powerbuilder books. This book does not waste too much of time on theories ,but wherever possible provides useful hints.Till date, there is no powerbuilder book in the market that provides plenty of code,and this book does fill that void.Only minus point is lack of PFC coverage.I really wonder why waite group is yet to release their next version(ie PB 6 how to) and I am eagerly awaiting its release.

This is a fantastic book which Provides a lot of code not found in other PB books that too in an excellent step by step HOW TO format.It mainly targets the intermediate to the advanced level Programmer although beginners can also benefit from it and advance quickly.Lack of PFC coverage is the only minus aspect about this book.It wastes very little time on theories as is the case with most other PB books.Topics covered include OLE, API calls etc. I am eagerly waiting for their next release.(ie PB6 how to)

This is a book which provides a lot of code in an excellent HOW TO format.It does not waste much time on theories as is the case with most other Powerbuilder books.Instead it teaches through practical examples and Provides step by step code. from beginner to advanced level.Lack of PFC coverage is the only minus aspect.I am eagerly waiting for their next release.(ie PB6.0 how to)

This is one Powerbuilder booK Which Teaches you how to write code from beginner to advanced level in an Excellent step by step HOW TO format.It does'nt waste time on theories as is the case with most PB books.The only Minus point about this book is that it doesn't cover PFC.I am eagerly waiting for PB 6 HOW TO to be released. I hope PFC 6.0 would be covered in that Edition. I hope the authors take notice of this.I strongly recommend this book For people who are not too comfortable with coding in Power builder but yet familiar with the concepts.

Prentice Hall MOUS Test Preparation Guide for Access 2000 and CD Package is a great book and a study guide. Despite a few flaws, I will still give it two thumbs up.

I spend alot of time sifting through preparation materials, and purchased this one based on the two other reviews. The preparation guide is extremely well written with tons of illustrations and the PinPoint software is fantastic. This was the only guide I used to prepare for the exam. How'd I do? Perfect 1000.

With NO prior Access experience, I completed the 26 questions on the MOUS test in about 30 minutes (out of the 45 minutes allowed).

You will pass the certification test easily after completing all of the material in this book and on the CD.

The material is well focused on just that information needed to answer the MOUS test questions correctly.

The only complaint I have is that the software on the CD would "flag" questions for review that were marked correct on the Test Report and it would not flag some questions for review that were marked as incorrect on the Test Report.

Note: I spent about 120 hours going through all the material twice (and experimenting with Access 2000 a little) before taking the test.

If your are pursuing the MOUS certification for Microsoft Access 2000, then this book is your best friend. The text is thorough and easy to follow. It concentrates on the test, so you won't be confused by peripheral discussions. But the real gem is the PinPoint CD that accompanies the book. The Access tasks are presented in the same manner as the test, with excellent walk-throughs for any tasks which you might find difficult. When you miss a task, the software keeps track so you can easily try it again. Using Susan L. Wise's MOUS Test Preparation Guide as my primary study tool, I pulled a perfect 100% on the Microsoft Access 2000 exam!

This book is a very good preparation for Access 2000 Core. However, as of May 2002, many of the questions on the Access 2002 "Core" test were actually from the "Expert" objectives which were not published on the Web MOUS site. Fortunately, the Microsoft Access 2002 MOUS Expert book by Winters and Manchester does an excellent job preparing readers for the Core test and it covers all of the Expert objectives.

This book is a very good preparation for Access 2000 Core. However, as of May 2002, many of the questions on the Access 2002 "Core" test were actually from the "Expert" objectives which were not published on the Web MOUS site. Fortunately, the Microsoft Access 2002 MOUS Expert book by Winters and Manchester does an excellent job preparing readers for the Core test and it covers all of the Expert objectives.

This book is a very good preparation for Access 2000 Core. However, as of May 2002, many of the questions on the Access 2002 "Core" test were actually from the "Expert" objectives which were not published on the Web MOUS site. Fortunately, the Microsoft Access 2002 MOUS Expert book by Winters and Manchester does an excellent job preparing readers for the Core test and it covers all of the Expert objectives.

This book is a very good preparation for Access 2000 Core. However, as of May 2002, many of the questions on the Access 2002 "Core" test were actually from the "Expert" objectives which were not published on the Web MOUS site. Fortunately, the Microsoft Access 2002 MOUS Expert book by Winters and Manchester does an excellent job preparing readers for the Core test and it covers all of the Expert objectives.

I bought this book just out of interest to read a book about mail servers.
I have setup mail servers before (including virtual domains etc.).

I think this book sales point is the combination of the well thought structured contents, the nice contents flow, the good administration manners and well paced chapters based on simple proven solutions.

Its one of the books which you just cant put down till the end. The author has its very own idea of how to tell the story and its refreshingly different.

He is deliberately splitting up processes for server and client side point of view (f.e sending and receiving e-mails, filtering etc.)and goes the extra miles to bring his points accross.

The book describes all required functionality for basic, but full blown mail server systems (Virtual domains, clusters etc. are - if at all - only mentioned for completion purpose).

I did like that the authors have a good feeling on how much information first time system admins can take. Whereever possible the author gives basic explanations about the components described, warn to make backups before proceeding, and reasons the design decisions he made (keywords: backward compatibility with previous standards, work arounds etc.).

I also liked the motivating spirit, design considerations and experiences the author is sharing with the reader. I would give it 5 stars for junior system administrators, 3-4 for seniors.

Regardless of how many stars I give it, I find the story, how its told, its ideas and the spirit of it most impressive.

Full marks !!

This book was really informative from start to finish. I come from a Windows backround, and with the aid of this book, I now an running an open source mail server. I would highly recommend this book!

I am very impressed with this book. My interest in deploying my own email server has been peeked by recent events concerning privacy. While I am a programmer and I lean towards open source technologies, I was a little skeptical of my abilities of launching an open source email solution. After about four chapters of this book I relaxed because I realized the author was never assuming anything on part of the reader. Everything was thoroughly documented before me. Plus it's cool that the author adds in a little bit of history here and there on email. I definitely recommend this book. Just remember to get the most out of it, read it front to back.

If you're a beginner this is a great book. However, I guess I'm at a higher level than what this book aims for. For example, I don't need the whole history of email, nor do I need basics on getting around a Linux system. Also, this book used FC4 and sendmail, while I am a Debian guy who uses Postfix.

If you've never set up a server before, give this book a shot. Otherwise, look for something a little more advanced.

Also - Poor editing! See especially the discussion of IMAP servers (appears as "IMA" in several tables). There are other assorted errata as well. Nothing a second edition can't fix (from what I saw).

One of my prize possessions is this book, a copy of the original 1975 edition, signed by Professor Ott himself.

When I first got a job in Quality Assusrance, this was one of the books I consulted in my local college library. I soon found it was the best of the lot for its clear explanations, practical examples and sheer readability. When I came back into QA after working in another field, one of the first things I did was procure a copy of the book from a bookfinder - the 2nd hand copy I was delighted to discover also had Ott's signature!

It is great to see an updated edition is now on sale and that Ellis Ott's name is not forgotten, for he (as far as I can find out about him) is one of the unsung pioneers of Statistical Process Control. Ott is not longer with us, but the co-authors have sensibly decided to update a classic, rather than starting from scratch. The examples in the older book are as relevant today as they are then.

From what I can see, this book sticks to the philosophy of the earlier editions but has modernized its approach in some respects, especially in the notation of Experimental Design and in the use of Excel, which I also remommend as an easy-to-use PC tool. Highly recommended for practitioners of Statistical Process Control.

You want SPC, you got it.

This is a wonderful textbook for the practicing statistician, process engineer, or anyone who works with data on a regular basis. This book finds the right mix of statistical theory and practical applications of the statistical concepts to process troubleshooting. "Process Quality Control: Troubleshooting and Interpretation of Data" will be appropriate for a course taught to statistics majors as well as anyone in an engineering field, and it will also be a very valuable reference to anyone working in industry who is tasked with using data to make decisions about their processes.

The book is very thorough, covering everything from the basics of visualizing data (histograms, box plots, etc.) through basic DOE and SPC all the way to more sophisticated SPC concepts such as narrow-limit gauging, acceptance control charts, and cumulative sum charts. I cannot think of a topic in basic SPC that is not covered in this text. A great bonus is the CD that comes with the text that includes answers to all of the exercises and an add-in for Excel that performs Analysis of Means, making this great graphical tool for summarizing results of statistical analyses even more practical to use.

All in all, a very thorough text with many examples/case studies that would be useful to anyone in industry in charge of controlling and improving processes.

I recommend that this very well written text belong to every statistician who works in industry. Others such as mechanical, electrical, chemical, etc., engineers and scientists will also find this book to be a valuable reference. The book covers the breadth of useful statistical methods that industrial practitioners would likely encounter. Some topics such as implementing statistical process control, design of experiments with two or three factors, and troubleshooting with attributes and variables data are discussed extensively. Many real life examples from various industries are used throughout to illustrate the statistical concepts. All topics are well referenced enabling the reader to explore more thoroughly their areas of interest. The book also features a CD-ROM for the PC which contains datasets and solutions to practice exercises. An Excel add-in program is included for Analysis of Means [ANOM] of attributes and variables data the results of which are presented graphically.

The book is divided into three sections: Basics of Interpretation of Data, Statistical Process Control, and Troubleshooting and Process Improvement. The first section reviews many basic statistical concepts familiar to most statisticians. The second describes many facets of SPC some of which, such as Precontrol or Narrow-Limit Gauging in Process Control, the reader including myself may not be conversant, but will find useful in their own line of work. The last section describes what are probably underutilized but often very useful troubleshooting techniques. ANOM, for example, is a powerful way of analyzing data from industrial experiments with two or three factors resulting in graphics that can be used to clearly communicate conclusions to managers, to other engineers and scientists, and/or to operators on the shop floor.

I really enjoyed reading this book and am finding it to be a valuable reference to which I refer again and again.

Hank W. Altland Senior Project Engineer, Statistics Corning, Inc.

August 26, 2000