CAD and CAM Books

This was my second Ridley Pearson book. Based on the first one, I expected this one to be not only a good story but also to have a little depth. But while it was full of action and easy to read, it seemed to have no real substance. It was the mystery equivalent of a Harlequin romance. I will try Pearson again because the first Lou Boldt book I read was pretty strong. But had I read this book first I would likely not have read more.

Nothing very special with this book. Publishers Weekly called it one of his best, and I just don't see it. It's a plot that's been done, and characters that were pretty bland for the most part.

Cut and Run although certainly not the most realistic book in the world is a very enjoyable fast paced read. The action which starts in the prologue six years earlier keeps up for the duration of the novel. Whilst it is a little bit predictable how the book will end it is certainly not a boring time for the reader getting there. An enjoyable light read which you won't want to put down until the final page. Also check out Pearson's entry into the younger market which he co authored with humorous author Dave Barry. These adventures are the prequel series to J. M. Barrie's classic tale Peter Pan. The first book in that series is the sensational Peter and the Starcatchers. In fact the high quality of those novels is the reason I decided to check out Pearson's adult work with this novel being my first. Although Cut and Run isn't the greatest novel ever written it is good and enjoyable enough that I will continue to explore his adult fiction titles.

In Cut and Run, Justice Department officer Roland Larson does the very thing those in the witness protection scheme are instructed not to, he fell in love with and had an affair with a witness named Hope Stevens. After she was nearly killed in his custody she flees the scheme and goes into hiding on her own practically disappearing from the face of the earth. Six years later and the list of the details of everyone who has ever been on the witness protection program are stolen and the chief suspect is the very man Hope was supposed to testify against and still could if she ever turned up. Put in charge of tracking down the list before it is sold to the highest bidder of organised crime Larson can't help himself from trying to track down the woman he has been infatuated with since the night he spent with her. When he does eventually track Hope down he learns the situation is even more personal than he could have ever thought.

With Cut and Run, Ridley Pearson takes a break from his Lou Boldt series, but fortunately for his readers, that does not mean that Pearson is slacking off. Cut and Run is a nice little thriller that keeps things moving at a nice pace from beginning to end.

The novel starts with a prologue in which U.S. Marshal Roland Larson is part of a group of feds protecting Hope Stevens, whose testimony could inflict major damage on the Romero crime family. Despite their circumstances, the two have fallen in love, but their brief affair ends after Larson barely foils an assassination attempt and she is swept into the anonymity of witness protection.

Six years later, the Romero family has infiltrated the Witness Protection program and acquired a complete list of all the witnesses along with the programmer who created the program. There is encryption to deal with, but that may only be days away from being broken. Larson is called into the case and tries to track down Hope, who now apparently has a daughter, Penny. Penny is five years old, and Larson can quickly do the math to determine that he is most likely the father.

Tracking down Hope is not that difficult, but Penny is kidnapped by Paolo, a twisted killer who works for the Romeros. What follows is a series of cat-and-mouse chases and fights, culminating in a showdown in Seattle (in which Boldt series character John LaMoia has a cameo appearance).

There are little problems with the story, especially with Penny, who sometimes appears to be the most gifted five-year-old on the planet, but overall, Pearson has put together a winner that fits the classic definition of a page-turner and as a standalone novel, is a great introduction to a good writer.

The plot is mechanical and unoriginal. It has characters of no interest and it manipulates the reader shamelessly, even by the standards of the genre (sweet little girl kidnapped by killer whose MO is to slit people's throats with a straight razor). Did I mention that the killer beats up and rapes his victims before killing them, but can't bring himself to harm little girls?

But what really stands out is how badly Pearson writes: "He didn't speak any of this, didn't voice his concerns, but he clearly wore them on his face, for she grew pale, turning away from the wind and him along with it." And this gem: "A night-light came on unexpectedly. Blinding him. Markowitz's grandson, dressed in cowboy pajamas, cowered. But it was he who'd turned it on."

Don't bother with this piece of trash, for you'll regret it.

I enjoyed the previous John Keller-Hit Man books by Lawrence Block, who has been one of my favorite authors for many years. But this one fell kind of flat. In the earlier books, Keller has a certain charm, despite being a professional killer. For some reason, in this outing Keller comes across simply cold-blooded and inhuman. I think the author took away Keller's formerly interesting personality and all of his charm. This book is not really a novel, but rather a series of short stories about various hits Keller is hired for. Perhaps this is why Keller's character suffers this time out. I am hoping for a much better book with the latest Keller novel, HIT AND RUN.

Not usually my type of book, but really enjoyed it. I will now have to get the others in the series. I thought the concept of the story was great, a stamp-collecting hit man! Who would have thought something like that up?!

This is the 3rd book in the series and Lawrence Block has developed this character to the point where he is almost family. He is less complicated than the Matt Scudder character, but still has the same issues that we can all identify with. There is a mix of humor, sarcasm, deep thought and the everyman we can identify with. It's just a job, it's not his life, but we are what we do. The 4th in the series should be out next month and based on the last three will not be anything less than another hit, no pun intended. I can think of three series that rank in my top five. Sandford's Lucas Davenport and Lawrence Block's Matt Scudder and John Keller. We have two heroes and one odd duck. A killer with a conscience and a warm character. Heck, he likes dogs so what else do you need? This is the second time I have bought the book, I don't think I can recommend it any higher than that. I guess just buy it once and don't lend it out. If that happens again, just make that call to White Plains.

I've always enjoyed Lawrence Block's Hitman series, but he mailed it in on this one. The story just meanders with no purpose and the characters were not at all true to their former incarnations. The end is very disappointing. It's like he just quit when he reached a certain number of words/pages required.

I really don't know if I liked this book or not. I got it in audiobook form and was so distracted by the author's monotone reading that I missed most of the storyline. Authors should not read their own material. It takes an actor to make a book come to life.

The book looks nice but I haven't found enough time to read it. Overall it is good for any one who is in starting phase or in the middle.

Other good thing is they send me free mac coupons.

Thanks.

The description of the book states: "The most complete resource for SolidWorks on the market. Matt Lombard's in-depth knowledge plus his snappy wit and wisdom make SolidWorks accessible to users at all levels."

Sheer size with bad wit does not make a book good. It shows for this book!

The book is fragmented, poorly explained, written, and illustrated, with a mound of tips that look like they came from various SW User groups.

As a new 3D CAD user and a Mechanical Engineer with 10+ years in industry, it did not help, nor would it help if I was not a new user.

The book was not recommended by my local SW VAR, I know now and I should have listened!!!!

This book has pictures that create the illusion that you are going to learn all of that model and at the end it doesn't show you the way step by step to make those models.

I found it very useful for filling in holes I had with Solid works primarily design tables and some basic programming. It is useful but not terribly detailed. It covers a lot and not much of that a lot in detail.

I haven't received the SolidWorks Bible yet, thouhg I have it ordered one month ago.
I am still waiting my book

One of the most impacting parts of this book for me is the main thesis.

page 16
QUOTE:
"...the three components of childhood innocence: security, a sense of wonder, and optimism.

At the moment, our society seems to be obsessed with the importance of "self-esteem," but we argue that as significant as it may be for children to believe that "I'm a great kid," it's even more crucial for them to believe that "It's a great world."

If feelings of gratitude and hope and appropriate awe at our astonishing universe aren't instilled in childhood, chances are they will be denied for a lifetime."
END QUOTE.

When did we as a society become so determined to "prepare" kids for the terrible world?? Children growing up in fear and pessimism will not make effective leaders and citizens of the world they are inheriting.

The Medved's have performed an absolutely huge cultural service in writing this book. The brilliant and wise and refreshingly counter-cultural things they say within its covers should be shouted from every rooftop -- or at least shared enthusiastically at every place where parents gather. Read this book and tell other parents about it. They will thank you, and someday their kids will thank you.

This book was at best okay. I agree that it is important to allow children to grow up slowly and preserve their sense of wonder and awe. Most parents will do the best that they can. This book goes over the top with trying to scare you into implimenting its suggestions. I think any engage parent understands most of what this book has to offer(Unfortunately we live in a time where there are a lot of parents that don't engage their children) and deals with it as best they can. It's another call for no more television, blah, blah, blah. Again, I feel that good parents are doing the good things that this book has to offer and the bad parents probably aren't going to even pick up this book. Life goes on

The idea of childhood as an idealized, golden time of sweet innocence is actually relatively new, culturally speaking, and it was invented by adults. Anyone who actually remembers their school days without glazing them over in sentimental nostalgia knows that children are not little angels untroubled by the sins and cynicism of their elders. Kids are basically little animals that, hopefully with the careful guidance of loving parents, may someday develop into responsible, moral human beings. If you don't believe this, go observe the kids playing at your local elementary school when they don't think the teachers are watching. Listen to the things they call each other, watch them push and shove and show off. There's your "innocence".

Not that kids are little adults, either. They haven't yet formed some of the necessary cognitive, moral, and emotional constructs to understand the complicated issues that adults must. But they're human beings, and are fully capable of all the worst of human nature. The catch is, it's only by facing that side of ourselves that we learn not to be ruled by it. Otherwise why did God bother to burden us with the ability to choose wrongly?--because without knowing what you reject, choice is meaningless. What the Medveds are preaching is not the preservation of innocence--a comforting illusion dreamed up by adults--but a doctrine of willful ignorance.

I am not surprised that their daughter was so upset by troubling news reports. Their attempt to shield her has apparently made her sense of security and optimism that much more fragile, easily broken by the merest intrusion of the rest of the world. As those children grow, they will either have to continue to shut out anything that disagrees with their tunnel-vision view of the world, or completely restructure their thinking. I would rather teach my children to face this world's trials, eyes wide open, in compassion and love, then teach them to hide from it in fear masquerading as "innocence".

It's refreshing to hear someone finally espouse an idea that's been clear to me for a long time and that seems to have been completely lost in today's society:

Children need to be introduced APPROPRIATELY to "reality".

Does it make for easier parenting? Not by any stretch. It takes diligence and effort to make intelligent decisions about what to expose your child to.

The idiotic idea that it's somehow better for a 5 year old to "see how things really are" is borne of lazy parents, both intellectually and physically.

If you want easy, don't have kids.

Thank you to the Medveds for writing this book- I hope some of the people I see writing reviews here have the sense, for their children's sake, to heed some of the advice.

I am an EE with no previous FPGA experience. Some of the reviews here made me think this book might be a good stepping stone. Completely wrong. The title of the book is misleading, in my opinion. For the engineer wanting to get started using FPGAs this book is utterly without merit. Why did I give it any stars then? Well, I'm assuming that the nebulously defined 'wide audience' the book was really written for is non-technical managers who need enough of an understanding of common acronyms and terminology to impress their even-less-technical bosses, accounting, and HR people and to be able to relay communications without garbling the message too badly. The author devotes a tremendous amount of space to making sure you know how to pronounce the relevant acronyms like 'FPGA', 'SRAM', etc. The author also sedulously avoids any 'brass tacks' kind of information in an effort to keep his book from becoming obsolete too soon. In my opinion this strategy is like making something useless to begin with, so it won't *become* useless later. Having read this book (it's a fast read: low information density, much repetition, large margins (for acronym pronunciation and largely irrelevant history trivia), and big print.) I think a manager needing a survey of FPGAs and especially terminology might find this useful. To anyone wanting to actually implement something in an FPGA look somewhere else.

I read through this book on a whim a while ago when I started getting into reconfigurable computing, and since then have gone up the 'food chain' so to speak. This book isn't that bad, in fact for total neophytes to FPGAs and EDA in general, it's a fairly lightweight but pretty comprehensive introduction.

It includes a fairly basic overview of the FPGA architectures, HDLs, C/C++/SystemC design flows, a brief description of simulation and verification, and other random tidbits here and there. Almost no math required, just a high level introduction and overview.

That said, it probably is best targeted towards business / marketing types who don't want to be total idiots to their engineering staffs. Also undergraduates or new engineers who want a light introduction to the FPGA industry and design process might benefit.

Anyone obviously who is already a design engineer or whatever won't find much use here. Then again I would question why someone with lots of experience would read a book titled "Design Warrior's Guide." Shouldn't you guys be reading the latest papers from DAC or ICCAD?

For a more technical overview of EDA in general, a good series is the EDA for IC Design series. But it's probably too technical for the audience this book is targeting.

I bought this book because I needed it for my class. But this book was not that useful as it covers justs the general aspects of the FPGA which you can easily find on the internet. Most of the chapter was not at all worthy to read it.

This is a terrific book!

I received this book at a seminar on logic synthesis for FPGAs. I found the book absolutely delightful to read, enjoyed the timelines in the margins, and the excellent readability of the text. Also, I implemented a couple of the book's suggestions in my current FPGA device. The debug signal mux for example. I had been recompiling the design each time I needed to examine a different section of the logic. However, by implementing a four-port debug mux, I was able to test various sections of the device without running the recompile sequence each time. This is something I really should have thought of myself, so I appreciate the book's describing this approach as it is saving me a lot of time, wasted effort, and frustration.

This book contains little if any practical information with respect to real world FPGA design.

This book contains many useful examples of real design applications with various coding styles. It is a very good reference for the students who start to learn Verilog for the first time. It describes from structural to behavioral level design with emphasis on synthesizable codes. Students can learn not only the verilog language itself but also the hardware system design concepts and flow. The CPU design chapter is a very excellent example of showing how to approach a complex design task step by step.

This book does an OK job in explaining the language for a beginner. However, it falls short with the details of the language. I had accidentally left the book at the school, right after the exam, and didn't go back to pick it up (even though I was only a block away). If I end up needing a book, I will try to find a better reference book.

This is an excellent book for beginners. I especially like how the examples are organized. It starts with the basic ones and ends with a complete working CPU. The later examples use the earlier ones as basic modules, which is very helpful for beginners.

The materials included in the CD are very useful with the exception of the software, which is outdated now. Hope the latest software will be included in the CD with the new edition of the book.

Verilog is probably the most common package for modelling digital circuits. Navabi provides detailed instructions on how to use it for many types of circuits. We see how Verilog can provide different levels of modelling. From the Register Transfer Level to doing higher level synthesis. This lets you simulate either a small circuit, to great depth, or to scale to much larger sets of transistors.

The testbenching ability of Verilog is emphasised. Vital in checking the validity of performance of your circuits, before you tape out to silicon. One of Verilog's strengths is how its testbenching can save you time and money. Provided you take full advantage of it.

I have used this book in my graduate level course. As a intermediate level person, I have found this book very useful to understand the design process, simulation, synthesis and etc. I would strongly recommend this book for both beginners and intermediate level programmers, as concept of HDL is written clearly in an understandable way. A person who is interested in the Digital Circuit Design would find an excellent flow between each chapters, and informations in each chapters are described very well. On the other hand, I found that the book is kind of outdated, and someone who wants to use this book as a Reference Book may not find it useful.

I am still busy with the book but have already started enjoying it. As for Amazone the book arrived one day after their estemated day of delivery Very good

This is a good task-based, issues-based overview of SolidWorks. Suitable for today's attention-deficit, info-overloaded, multi-tasked-maxed-out student or working stooge who wants to get a solid beginner's feel for this complex, cool 3D engineering tool--jus' the facts and not a heck of a lot of incomprehensible theorizing. (Of course a committed engineer will need to go somewhere else for the math & other CAD ideas). I'd venture a bold statement and say that this is THE starting point for people considering a career change to this field, and what I liked especially is that the book is pretty clear about being a starting point only. Near the end are the "Ten Tips" for new SW engineers; they make a lot of practical sense. I recommmend pairing this with another task-based product, a video tutorial by VTN, which is also good for the busy beginner who just needs to figure out how to become quickly productive with this tool. Learn SolidWorks by Video - Volume 1 and Learn SolidWorks by Video - Volume 2.

This book is written by the Solidworks Customer Satisfaction Manager.

He rehashes the same stuff as in the Solidworks Essentials manual that comes with the software.

I found it virtually useless.
I was seeking a different viewpoint in the hopes of gaining a better grasp of the many vague issues in the manual.

I love the dummies series, so I was greatly dissapointed by this book. I needed a solidworks tutorial because I found the help files and "basic" tutorials that come with solidworks to be too advanced. When this book is not tooting its own horn on how great solidworks is, then it is way too technical for the beginner. I am a designer, not an engineer. I am hired for the look of a product, not for how it is molded. This book assumes too much. I had to look up chamfer and fillet on Wikipedia, as this books skips the basics and launches into a thou-shalt-sketch-like-this. (again, I am NOT AN ENGINEER) I understand that engineers out there would find this book too basic because it takes half the book outlining anal-retentive ways of structuring workload before launching into actually making anything. [...].

I bought this book hoping to learn some little known shortcuts, secrets, etc., but all I got from the book was a different writing of the help file.
This might be a great book for someone just starting out.

This book is great. Those who have a graphic mind and know what they want to do but do not know the commands nor the variables will find this book gives quick solutions to do the processes they want to do. I have looked at a lot of books but this one stands out from the rest. When I want to do something in CAD, I check the book and find it quickly, the explanations are concise, and I get it done.

I am using this book for customizing AutoCAD and have found this book very useful in my work. It has thoroughly explained the functions and applications of advanced AutoCAD. Highly recommended for advanced users.

I am a basic user for AutoCAD and have found this book very helpful. It is a comprehensive book covering almost all the aspects of AutoCAD. The examples have made the concepts very easy to understand.

This book illustrates a good method of using the Autocad software and should be recommended to all students for its easy approach and willingness to include all the parameters involved without making unnecessary jumps and yet keeps a steady approach without getting monotonous. Must read for all students of AutoCAD

I am a mechanical engineer & recently joined a design company . A colleague highly recommended Sham Tickoo's book, but I was a bit sceptical initially as I read a couple of not so good reviews at this site. The book has however put all doubts at rest. It is a wonderful book put together with a lot of thought and understanding. The style is so interactive, sometimes I felt I was actually being taught in a classroom! It's a great buy and I would recommend it to all AutoCad students. Well done Sham & Co.

"It is easy to fall in love. But it's a lot harder to stay in love." ~ pg. 4

Reading "How to Make Love All the Time" may make you less satisfied with your relationship. The book begins with solutions to communication problems, dips into sexuality and then ends with reasons why you may not be compatible after all.

If you are truly committed to making your relationship work then you may want to read the first three sections and skip the fourth (all the reasons not to stay). There are some interesting points to consider. Is your sex life really a mirror of your entire relationship? How can you create the relationship you really want? Can anyone really be "in love" for their entire life? What are the real causes of depression? Is there hope even in the worst situation?

"Remember your partner is a mirror, reflecting all the parts of yourself you may not want to see." ~ pg. 176

While Barbara DeAngelis has a number of failed relationships (she talks about them in this book) she does seem to be a keen observer of what works and what will fail to please. She does a good job uncovering the real issues in a relationship. What are you really fighting about? Why do you push love away? What can you do to increase romance and attraction?

Most books on love seem to imply that the "in love" feeling normally lasts between six months and three years. Is it unrealistic to expect more? Can you feel "in love" again after years of being with your partner? Barbara DeAngelis believes you can recharge your relationship with romantic encounters and love letters. My only advice in the area of love letters would be to leave out the negative aspects (what you hate about your partner) because seeing it written down may be slightly severe and cause more anguish.

Overall this book has lots of good ideas for anyone trying to make their marriage work. The section on sexuality is very revealing and I read parts of it to my husband for his amusement (you get to pick which type of lover you are or guess about your partner). I just think the book is rather anticlimactic since it ends on a sour note. If you can't sweeten up your relationship then Barbara says you may want to seek a divorce.

If you want to fight for your relationship you may want to read All You Need Is Love and Other Lies About Marriage: A Proven Strategy to Make Your Marriage Work, from a Leading Couples Therapist.

~The Rebecca Review

At first I was a skeptic concerning Ms. de Angelis' work. After reading "Real Moments for Lovers" I became convinced that she was indeed a Godsend to men who are serious about reviving their love relationships or who want to keep their new relationship fresh and alive. There is so much truth about who we are and why we react the way we do in our relationships. Reading this and "Real Moments" has definitely turned around the intimacy and romance in my own marriage and I highly recommend this book to anyone else (again, especially men who are looking for intimacy truths and ways to communicate with their spouses).

So, this book, despite its description and jacket, is for people in a failing relationship. It's not for relationship enrichment at all.

And bottom line, if you need to be walked through such mechanical artificial suggestions as the author makes, skip the money in buying this book and seek marriage counselling. Now.

Don't waste your money, there's a lot of better books on the subject. Keep looking.

It's telling that a DIVORCE lawyer highly recommended the book (does that REALLY speak good about it?). If you read this book, you will discover why DeAngelis has failed in several marriages herself.

While Barbara "Divorce" De Angelis pretends to have written a book to help your relationship, she has really written a book on how to turn your marriage into a tedious, argument-ridden affair. She'll introduce you to junk sciences such as "pleasure waves," different colored "zones" that indicate different levels of "release," and the "duplication" technique. All of these fanciful, yet failed sciences are explained with ridiculous graphs and silly diagrams.

She'll also teach you how to write a love letter to yourself and will spend chapter after chapter explaining a phony spiritual mysticism that she apparently invented.

It takes her 400 pages to turn love-making and communication from something that should happen smoothly between spouses, into a complex science. If you read this book and try to follow the advice, you will become as methodical, predictable, and as boring as a robot. Don't waste your time and make your love-life any worse than it is by reading this book.

Forget the fact that DeAngelis invented a science and it failed for her several times. These methods are pipe-dreams on their face to any rational human being.

I believe this is a great book to read if you are in a relationship and looking to grow. It has some great ideas and gets you asking the right questions. My only negative point in the books is that there is a section towards the back for single people and I'm sure a single person would not reach that part of the book as the rest is geared towards couples and sharing your love. It is NOT a sex book as some might think but there is a chapter that gives good advise. It is about learning to make love the rest of your life and not just the bedroom.

This book was not helpful at all. The majority of the book is devoted to descriptions of menus, buttons, etc. But it does not tie any of these descriptions into any kind of coherent whole. What's the point of knowing what an individual button does if there is no follow-up on how to incorporate that knowledge into putting together a project. The extremely short tutorials are misleading. The book says it will show you how to do a barn, for example. And then at the end of the uncompleted barn , the tutorial refers you back to the buttons! The book feels like the three authors did separate parts of the book and they did not know what the others were writing. I do not recommend this book for anyone trying to learn form z on their own.

The format is so clear and easy to navigate, I felt so much pleasure in going thru each chapter as it progresses very logically, from using all the tools and what everything means in the menu foldout, all the way to tutorials to begin learning and exploring , then ending with the more advanced stuff like animation and rendering.
I highly recommend this book for 1st time learners and intermediates.

I am teaching formz to architects and designers and have found inside FormZ indispensible for my class. It is an excellent book for beginners, giving them simple step-by-step exercises. It also acts as a wonderful tutorial and set of examples for my most advanced students. One other thing that I have found in my teachings that that NO OTHER BOOK covers animation - Inside FormZ provides an special in depth section on animation.

I recommend this for those people that are just starting to learn and trying to teach themselves, as well s for those that just need a supplement to the manual.

This book is an ok book. It focuses more on describing the tools in FORMZ and what they do than educating the user on how to use the program. I don't think it's for a new user in 3d. The author writes this book with an assumption that the user has a previous understanding of 3d concepts and so schemes over a lot of important information. Sometimes I wonder if there was an ongoing battle on wether to just make this a FORMZ manual or a tutorial book. The tutorials are just ok, they don't go into a lot of detail.
Overall it is a good book but only if you have a relatively solid grasp of 3d concepts or are using it in a class where an instructor can fill in the blanks. And for a program that has such an unintuitive interface, there are a lot of blanks.

I bought this book thinking there would be step by step tutorials which are the best way to learn a program. Instead there are long "user manual" type chapters on describing the tools, menus, etc. More than halfway through there are some exercises, but they are simple and do not explore the full capability of form z. My recommendation is look for another book. This one is good as a reference only, not as a learning tool.