Domain Books

Excellent book for someone trying to obtain insight into characters of the conflict. Sorrel is candid and generally does not fall into the "hero worship" that many Confederate Officers did when writing their memoirs.

He makes it very clear throughout the book that his observations are his own and may be flawed when viewed historically (and some are).

Very easy reading -- not a lot of Victorian memorializing and generally flows well. A real good book for the beginner or historian alike.

As Civil War autobiographies go, this one is more delightful than informative. Well, Sorrel does tell us what he saw during the war, much of which he spent as adjutant to Lt. General James Longstreet. And in that capacity, he saw a lot. Near the end of the war, after Longstreet was wounded at the Wilderness, he was given a command of his own. Not long afterward he, himself, was seriously wounded.

Written at the suggestion of his wife while he recovered from an illness, the general gives a ground level view of the war as a young soldier. Although privy to many decisions made by his superiors, he was not in on the decision making. Sometimes there is a certain naivete about his observances.

This more personal view of the battles and times between would be of interest to any student of the Civil War. It is a valuable story, if only for his view of the controversial Longstreet.

General Gilbert Moxley Sorrell's memoir of the War Between the States is a must-read for any serious student of the War and a fascinating historical account of soldierly life and experiences. Sorrell served in Longstreet's Brigade beginning at Manassas and as his staff officer until his promotion to Brigadier-General in 1864. He paints a vivid picture of camp life and of the political climate of the times that is often overlooked in military accounts. Highly recommend

I read This book and I would like to buy it. However I do not use Credit cards, only Debit cards, Best Regards, Professor Gerardo Paredes F

This 56-page Dover edition offers two lectures by Albert Einstein, "Ether and the Theory of Relativity" and "Geometry and Experience". The lectures are described as "devoid of complicated equations and abstruse terminology". Nonetheless, while the reader does benefit from Einstein's clarity of thought, these lectures do require careful attention. The first lecture presumes familiarity with physics; the second is largely a discussion of non-Euclidian geometry and is easier reading.

Ether and the Theory of Relativity, an address delivered on May 5, 1920 at University of Leyden:

Einstein recounts how the concept of ether originated and subsequently evolved. After some discussion of work by Hertz, Maxwell, Lorentz, and Mach, he notes that it became possible to take a position that ether does not exist. However, using an analogy of water waves, he explains that although the special theory of relativity does forbid us to assume ether consists of particles observable through time, the hypothesis of ether in itself is not in conflict with the special theory of relativity. Only we must give up ascribing a motion to it.

While it may seem superfluous to postulate a homogeneous, isotropic, ether-medium, Einstein contends that to deny the ether is ultimately to assume that empty space has no physical qualities at all. He then argues that according to his General Theory of Relativity "empty space" in its physical relation is neither homogeneous nor isotropic, compelling us to describe its state by ten functions (the gravitational potentials). There can be no space or part of space without gravitational potentials.

After noting that elementary particles may be considered condensations of electromagnetic fields, he concludes that our current view of the universe presents two realties which are completely separated from each other conceptually, although connected casually, namely gravitational ether and electromagnetic field, or as they might be called, space and matter.

Geometry and Experience - an expanded form of an address to the Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin on January 27, 1921:

Einstein begins by posing and answering why mathematics, a product of human thought, is so admirably appropriate to describing reality. In exploring limitations associated with applying Euclidian geometry to relations between rigid bodies, Einstein introduces other axiomatic systems, including Riemann's geometry. He argues that there are difficulties in applying geometry on the sub-molecular level, but it is less problematical to extend the ideas of geometry to cosmic orders of magnitude.

After some clarification of the meaning of a finite universe and an infinite universe, he devotes several pages to illustrating how to visualize a finite, three dimensional universe that is unbounded. Einstein concludes this lecture with an enthusiastic comment: "My only aim today has to show that the human faculty of visualization is by no means bound to capitulate to non-Euclidian geometry."

This is the first book of I have read in which Einstein wrote directly rather than the many reiterations of his works. Sidelights on Relativity is a two part book of lectures in which he gave in 1920 and 1921. The first titled "Ether and the Theory of Relativity." Einstein explores the concepts given by Newton, Maxwell and Lorentz of the ether arguing the universe is not mechanical in nature. The other argument is the purely physical aspect in which the mechanical perspective seems to propose what is seen is that exists, and/or can be measured and proven to exist. That "space without ether is unthinkable," that is, the effects of spce/time gives credence to ethers existence just as "the undulatory surface forming the boundary between water and air alters the course of time." This, then, creates the contradiction. The second lecture is titled "Geometry and Experience" in which Einstein argues Euclidean geometry by noting the difference of experiencing and proposing laws of earth-measurement. He demonstrates this through the plane and the globe asking the reader to imagine the globe and a plane. While the plane is infinite in all directions, similarly one can fill the plane up infinately. This is not an all together accurate picture of our universe. Rather if we imagine a sphere and fill that up, we realize only a finite amount can fill up the space.

At this point, I will say that my understanding stands at a finite point in which it would be only arrogant for me to claim I understood the entirety of the book. Nonetheless, I found this book completely readable, mostly due to the fact that there are no formulas to follow. My knowledge of relativity is limited and I have given you what I believe I understand. Its a short book with the writing clear and concise and logical; which surprised me hearing stories about Einsteins genius in which he is unable to explain in laymans terms. Highly reccomended!

Hi it is Frank in Canada I lost your e-mail address when my system crashed, still enjoying your books. Thanks

I have read a lot of Cameron Judd's books, but this is my favorite. It is well written and it keeps the reader on edge all the way till the very end. I would recommend this book to other readers without hesitation. ~dumpling~

I think the thing I like most about this book is what it is not. It is not about an overly-handsome cowboy who can "not" be outrode, outdrawn, outshot, outsmarted, or outfought. It is about everyday characters that one would find in any town in the old west. It tells their story, and along the way draws the reader into their lives. One feels like one knows each character, whether they are good or evil. Snow Sky centers around Tudor Cochran and his wife's request that he make sure a young boy is safe. What results is mystery, mayham, and murder. When I finished reading the book..all I could think was..Wow. There is so much action going on that there is never a dull moment.

This neat little novel is written in the tradition of Tom Sawyer, though it appeared 5 years earlier than Twain's classic. It's about all the mischief, chivalry, loyalty, and pluck of a young boy's life. Aldrich is in love with his material and revels in all the antics his characters get involved in. The snowball fight is a gem. The boyhood dialogue is excellent and rings true.

The Story of a Bad Boy is one of my favorite books. It's interesting, humorous, and touching, and gives you an inside look at the life of a boy in Massachusetts in the early 1800s. I love the author's style of writing. It seems to make the story all the more humorous, and brings you back to those olden days. I also love this book because it's a true story, and this kid led a life full of adventures and mishaps. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Tom Sawyer because these two books are similar, and the two boys have the same type of mischievous personalities. Yet in spite of similarities, Bad Boy is unique because it's true.

We live in a world of fantacy and of real life.This book gives you a glimpse into the life of a real American boy.

TAMINOR is an exceptional story for both magic lovers and those with two feet in reality. It has a fresh view on previously over-stereotyped creatures. It is also a very enjoyable and addictive book to read. I recommend it for all ages (12 and up). To adults, read it to your kids. To kids, make your parents read it.

This new book is a wonderful example of suberb writing!! The characters are well thought-out. My personal favorite is Shaylen, the elven granddaughter of Bricanael, the queen of the elves. Taminor, the Guardian unicorn, is not what you'd expect. Instead of the frail, white, go-frolick-in-the-meadow sterotype, Taminor is strong, large and knows that he has linitations. The plot is wonderful, with excitement on every page. Harry Potter should move over!!! Taminor and Co. is charging in!!!

Taminor has all the makings of a great classic! MCF Devine has written a book for all ages to enjoy. Grown out of Harry Potter? Decided it wasn't good enough for a reader of your class? Taminor is the book for you. The unconventional unicorn Taminor knows immeadiatley when his Horn starts tingling that something's up. And so begins Taminor. Patrick is saved from wolves by Taminor's magic and grows to be a boy genius. Now, aided by Rourt the troll, Shaylen the elf, and of course, the Garuidian Taminor, he must learn to control his magic. If you don't like this book, you can't read.

This is a must own book. Explains in detail and basic terms on how OTDR's work. One of my best books that I refer to. Wow....

In 1989 two of us (Bell and Anderson) sat in our offices, across the hall from each other, discussing the history of optical time-domain reflectometers (OTDRs), the technology required to build these amazing machines, and the surprising depth of complexity associated with their use. As we discussed these issues, our conversation began to focus on the idea of a comprehensive engineering guide for OTDR users. It seemed obvious that, with increasing popularity and use of OTDRs, an authoritative text on the subject was needed.

At the time (1997) we were engineers at Tektronix, in the company's Cable and Network Analysis division. In 1997, Tektronix was a major producer of OTDRs, and our book was the first single-source handbook describing optical time-domain reflectometers (OTDRs). Tektronix sponsored our work in writing the book, and published and distributed it worldwide.

At the time, worldwide investment in fiber-optic networks was expanding in double digits, and Tektronix was one of the top manufacturers of OTDRs, responsible for both their early innovation and development of several key technologies. Neither of us could have anticipated the dramatic changes that would take place in the next six years. While fiber optics proceeded at a steady and respectable pace during most of the 1990s, the industry exploded in irrational exuberance near the turn of the century as part of the telecom bubble, only to be followed by a deep depression that would see many companies, including Tektronix, abandon key business sectors devoted to optical telecom by the end of 2003.

Through these tumultuous times, the OTDR continued its remarkable evolution, resulting in today's machines, which are considerably smaller, faster, more capable, and less expensive than their earlier predecessors. The evolution of OTDRs has been driven largely by the widespread use and deployment of optical fiber, and the need to put high-powered test capability into the hands of the optical technicians that engage daily in installing, maintaining, and repairing these networks. The days of optical engineers doing field tests with bulky $35,000 OTDRs are gone forever.

It is because of the dramatic changes in the markets and science of OTDRs that a second edition is needed. Furthermore, the widespread use of OTDRs necessitates publishing and distributing the book in a manner that makes it more widely available to field technicians as well as engineers. These changes also demand a new title that reflects a broader theme to the book and goes beyond simply testing with OTDRs to address broader issues surrounding fiber-optic networks in general, and how to keep them working properly.

Because OTDRs have evolved from difficult-to-use, specialized equipment to ubiquitous mainstay status, we found the book required additional contributions from a third author. Larry Johnson, owner and founder of The Light Brigade, was the obvious choice. Larry's company is a leading training organization with nearly two decades of experience teaching technicians how to use OTDRs in the field to install, maintain, and repair fiber-optic networks. He has an intimate knowledge of the challenges and needs of the technician that are unmatched in the industry, as well as a high degree of familiarity with different OTDR manufacturers their products and related fiber optic standards.

As with the first edition, our objective in writing this book is go beyond a simple handbook that discusses operational procedures such as cursor placement and waveform interpretation. While we do cover these topics, we also explain more esoteric subjects and give insight into the technical nuances of OTDRs that enable non-traditional OTDR measurements such as mode-field diameter, cut-off wavelength, and polarization mode dispersion. We also dedicate considerable attention to measurement errors and how to estimate them. This, especially, is a subject with which all OTDR users should be quantitatively familiar. As a part of this, we have devoted a chapter to event-marking software, which was the key innovation that resulted in OTDRs being readily used by field technicians.

Our target audience is practicing engineers, system technicians, and field technicians. We have constructed each chapter so that, for the most part, simpler concepts and ideas are discussed first, followed by concepts of increasing difficulty as the chapter progresses. The level of difficulty varies. When this happens, we try to warn the reader that the level of difficulty may rise but subside in succeeding sections. We have also added a short quiz at the end of each chapter so that the book can be used in the classroom as a text, or for self-study.

The book makes full use of mathematical equations and detail which are used liberally throughout the text. These are intended to provide quantitative support for many of the book's central points. Though we use them unabashedly, most of the equations are summaries, with few derivations, and involve only algebra or elementary calculus. Where appropriate, we use diagrams and text that illustrate ideas embedded within the equations so that full command of the mathematics is not necessary to obtain an intuitive feel for the subject being discussed. For the most part, the book can be read and the key points understood without having to understand the mathematical equations. For those who want to delve a little deeper, however, the mathematics opens the door to understanding OTDRs at a level of detail that should appeal to design engineers.

We hope this book serves as a useful desk reference, and provides value even if not read cover-to-cover. Toward this end, we have included a detailed table of contents, glossary of terms, glossary of mathematical variables, and a detailed index.

My company, Taliescent, makes measurement standards for fiber optic test instruments. We have recently decided to add products for the FTTH market and the first logical product would be a way to verify Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) Measurements. Since I have not dealt with OTDRs since graduate school, and I was attending the Optical Fiber Conference in Anaheim, CA I decided to go talk about our product ideas with one of the experts, Larry Johnson who is the president of The Light Brigade. His company provides live fiber optic training and makes training videos aimed at the technician and the installer market. During our conversation he mentioned that he co-authored a book on OTDRs. Figuring this would be a useful resource, I went to the Elsevier Publishers booth where they happened to have the book. I then told the booth lady that I publish an online fiber optic newsletter (ftthblog.com) and would like to review the book. So she gave me the book for free.
So, I guess now I have to review this book the title of which is "Troubleshooting Optical Fiber Networks, Understanding Your Optical Time Domain Reflectometer". First, a little background on OTDRs. This was one of the first fiber optic test instruments introduced commercially 24 years ago and is still evolving and one of the most commonly used. Basically an OTDR shoots a pulse of light into the fiber and monitors the reflections. From this measurement, the user can tell whats happening in a fiber network many kilometers downstream from where the measurement is made. For example, you can tell that there is break in the fiber 5.4 km from where you are. This is very useful information if you are troubleshooting or commisioning a fiber optic installation.
This book is very good in that it was written by two scientists from Tektronix, Duwayne Anderson and Florian Bell, who have intricate knowledge of all the technical aspects, and by Larry Johnson, who is very familiar on how users interact with the instrument and what kind of information would be useful to them. This combination produced a book that is very readable but also provides enough meat for an engineer or a scientist.
The book starts with an short history of the OTDR, moves on to a basic tutorial of fiber optics and then dives in to the various technical aspects of the insides of anOTDR. The second part of the book focuses on the various types of measurements that can be made with the OTDR and finally finishes up with some advice on selecting the appropriate OTDR, since they come in many flavors. The book can be used in several different ways. If you want a crash course on OTDRs, as I did, this is a very good place to start. Also, it functions as a good reference that you keep on the bookshelf. Finally, its a good textbook for a course on OTDRs aimed at technicians or even engineers, since it has ample references and study questions at the end of each chapter. As an added bonus, there is a training CD from the Light Brigade included with the book that provides some good videos on how an OTDR is used in the field.

My two children adore this whimsical take on an old favorite. They love the characters, the bright colors, the new parts to the song- the whole thing. It is a family favorite and a wonderful book to cuddle with for a bedtime story.

Awesome debut book for illustrator Scott Fischer! We have been following his artwork from Magic to Dripping Fang and now this! My 2 children love the book - we read it from the child's perspective for my daughter and flip to the alien side for my son. They love the fold-out center - we read it constantly. Great artwork for a great nursery rythme. MUST HAVE!!!

WOW! Creativity and imagination are emphasized - such great traits. Shows a child he or she can reach for the stars. Wonderful to read the entire Nursery rhyme. The artwork and color used make the story come alive. Thank you from Mimi, Sarah, Richard and Jane

I found this book at a yard sale, so no help to those trying to find someone still selling it. I hadn't read the previous 2 volumes, but this book stood by itself very well. The story was well-written and very enjoyable. It was an interesting point of view - that of a child who is not completely of the "white" world or the Native American world.

Unfortunatley, something happened to my copy of the book, and I'm going to have to search for a new copy. Let's hope they'll publish this again!

I have read the previous 2 books, LONG WINTER GONE, and SEIZE THE SKY, both which i think are Mr.Johnson's greatest books, but where can i find this book? readers out there, can you help a fellow Custerpile? Use my e-mail address please..And i give this book five stars because i know it's going to be-that damned good.

I want a copy of this book. Help! pedlhed@aol.com

This book is one of my favorites. I am glad to see several editions (hopefully not abridged!)available...I hope more people will read it. It was once widely read. Read it and find out why! My copy is hardcover in 2 volumes. It was more expensive, but this is one I definately am handing down to my daughters...trouble is I have three, so I guess I'll have to get a couple more copies:)

I am a 14-year old girl, and I have read this book twice! It is exceptional in that it teaches good Christian values that are much needed in our society today. If everybody learned to die to themselves and have the self-control that Ellen did in the book, this world would be a much happier place. I dislike the feminists' biased criticism of the book, but I am thankful that they had the book reprinted.

Susan Warner's _The Wide, Wide World_ was first published in 1852 and is often acclaimed as America's first bestseller.
Its heroine, Ellen Montgomery, is her mother's sole companion, confidante, and spiritual prodigy. Ellen's father wisks the mother away under the pretense of taking her to a climate more favorable to her health. Her mother's last words to Ellen are "We must endure, but we must not rebel." Ellen is sent to her father's sister's house in the country. Miss Fortune is a pragmatic independent manager of a small farm. She takes Ellen in though she was not told of Ellen's coming. Ellen's
sensibilities are crushed by Miss Fortune's lack of sympathy
for Ellen's tastes. Ellen will find friends in the more genteel and conventionally religious neighbors, Alice and John Humphreys, who agree that Ellen would make a good wife for John when she grows up. Ellen's foil is the "wild girl" Nancy Vawse who roams the countryside and turns up to torment Ellen with her rough ways. When Ellen reaches her teens, she learns some very surprising news which precipitates a trip to Scotland. The intensly emotional and high-strung Ellen who "conquers her will" represents everything contemporary psychology and feminism denounce.

For the experienced network person, this book provides comprehensive and real life scenarios in an easy to understand manner. Its like having a consultant working with you and telling you what really matters. Even for a manger or new person who needs to understand how things work this is a must have. One of my best purchases.

Great resource for first timers and old pros.

I bought this book before I actually started working towards my MCSE in order to get a general understanding of NT network architecture. It proved to be incredibly useful first step towards understanding the overall picture of how multiple servers and workstations interact in both a large and small environment. The understanding I derived from this book created a good frame of reference for when I began my training towards the MCSE.