Controls Books

"That was terrific!" While not what you would expect to hear after a colonoscopy, these were the first words out of my husband's mouth as he woke up from this somewhat inconvenient procedure a few weeks ago, which he and I had postponed as long as possible. Howls of laughter burst forth from the nurses and others present in the recovery room. Nonetheless, the words revealed my husband's shock and delight that the dreaded procedure began and ended so imperceptibly and so painlessly.

"That was terrific!" would also be my assessment of this little book. While there is nothing sexy about the prospect of reading a book about cancer, my middle age, my weight, my family history, and personal medical history nearly demanded that I inform myself. The previous reviews for amazon.com have focused repeatedly on Dr. Adrouny's gift for making a boring, technical, and frightening subject accessible to the non-medical public through very readable text, references, and glossary, as well as lucid diagrams. I would echo all of those comments nearly verbatim. Anyone in the field knows that teaching science to non-science majors is more difficult than teaching it to those committed to the subject. You have to engage them first, and then inform them. Dr. Adrouny succeeds brilliantly in his chapters such as "Who Gets Colon Cancer and Why," "The `Look'...," "The `Feel'...," the stages, the prognosis, the treatment, prevention and future of colon cancer.

For me, however, Dr. Adrouny's greater gift is the art of gentle persuasion. He informs but does not preach. Who wants to go to the doctor and be ordered to go and lose 30 pounds? My husband was spurred to action by Dr. Adrouny, and now it's my turn. My colonoscopy is in two months. When will you sign up? (As he points out, there is usually a wait.) Read the book while you are waiting. Meantime, I am wondering if perhaps Dr. Adrouny's next book should be, "Understanding Extra Pounds."

Reviewed by Sonia Russo
Gaithersburg, Maryland

Dr. Adrouny is one of those rare physician/oncologists who is able to convert knowledge of his subject into words, phrases and thoughts that are fluid and understandable to the layman. Since colon cancer is the number two cause of cancer in the nation today, interest in the subject has heightened considerably and the book is a fast, yet comprehensive read for a wide audience. Having ordered and read the book before undergoing a routine colonoscopy I went into the procedure with a positive and informed outlook. Dr. Adrouny also analyzes the latest techniques in colon examinations including the merits of virtual colonscopies.

C. G. Elliott
Wailea, Hawaii

Richard Adrouny, MD is a personal friend of mine but I am not a patient of his nor a physician nor do I have any medical training. However, I am approaching 60. I do get annual checkups and prostate exams and I do worry about cancer.
Understanding Colon Cancer is as good a book on a critical medical issue as any lay reader could ever hope to find. Dr. Adrouny writes very fully and specifically about colorectal cancer, its development, theories regarding its prevention, and current treatment interventions. What makes his writing so valuable to cancer patients and others of us without medical training is its accessibility. He continuously offers clear, direct and perfectly understandable explanations so that the interested reader can truly grasp the meaning of necessary medical terms and their significance. When he mentions sigmoidoscopy he explains that the procedure is an examination of the inner rectum and lower colon. When he refers to adenomatous polyps he specifies that a polyp is a growth from a mucous membrane and an adenoma is a benign growth from a glandular tissue. Continuously, he shares with us state of the art medical understanding in terms non-physicians can grasp. And in the course of treatment for a potentially life-threatening disease understanding is comfort.
Colorectal cancer screening as an annual event isn't a high priority for most men or women. When Dr. Adrouny explains that 15% of all cancers can be detected by a simple digital rectal examination, the momentary inconvenience of this act of diligence seems a small price to pay confirming our health status. Similarly, fecal occult blood testing, barium enema, and endoscopy all offer evaluations that could spare us suffering and save our lives.
While reading this book I wondered if Dr. Adrouny didn't perhaps edit his own writing by asking himself "So what?" every paragraph or so and then took the time to make clear the importance of his points to his general audience.
While reading this book, I could imagine a colon cancer patient returning home after seeing his own oncologist and grabbing for Dr. Adrouny's book by way of understanding his own physician comments.

Adrouny does a great job explaining the ABC's of colon cancer.

This short--less than 150 pages--guide to colon cancer is accessible to those of us who are not physicians or familiar with healthcare terms. Adrouny patiently walks us through the basics of colon cancer: Who Gets Colon Cancer (men and women, too!); the look (signs) and feel (symptoms) of the disease; and the treatments and prevention.

This book is an absolute must for anyone who has colon cancer or anyone who is close to someone with the disease. The book also provides easy to read charts and drawings that I found very helpful.

My father was recently diagnosed with Colon Cancer and I decided to purchase a book about the horrible disease. This book by A. Richard Adrouny MD, a new author of medical books, provided me with facts and a new understanding of what my father is going through. This book will make you much smarter about this disease no matter what knowledge you have. I strongly suggest you buy this book to further increase your knowledge of one of the most common forms of cancer in America.

Wow. That pretty much sums it up. The incredible story of this typical New Orleans family and what they went through during Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath is almost unbelievable. Although the tragedy of the disaster and the bureaucratic response got the headlines, this book tells the story of how individuals, sacrificing of themselves make all the difference in the world. If you have lost faith in the American government, this book will restore your faith in the American people.

When I was reading this book, I couldn't help but be drawn in by Katie Thomas's writing. Straight forward, unbiased and compelling, the writing leaves nothing out, but isn't cluttered with overly descriptive narratives meant to show off the author's vocabulary rather than to entertain and inform the reader.

This book should be mandatory reading for all people involved in disaster response and all people who need a little inspiration.

Waters Dark and Deep is a story that celebrates the spirit of humanity and compassion. It tells the story of how collectively, independently, creatively and stubbornly people spring into action to help out in any way necessary or possible in times of need. Katie Thomas draws the reader into the story by letting us really see each one of those individuals. She lets us get to know them, and know them well, in a very short span of time. And then, she throws the reader right back into that whirlwind of tension, stress, and worry.

There were so many unique heroes to celebrate in this story. I feel honored to have had the opportunity to know their stories and felt that while I was reading this book, I was able to be in their presence.

I was one of the volunteers that helped take care of the seven young children when they were brought to Baton Rouge after Hurricane Katrina, so this book brought back many memories to me. It told the story of how the seven children were separated from their parents in the days following Katrina, and showed the great extents that so many people went to in order to make sure that the families were reunited. Katie Thomas did a great job of relaying the feelings that everyone involved with the children felt. A great read about seven truly amazing children.

At this point, most of us that live outside the areas directly affected by Katrina have moved on to other things: the threat of terrorism, the next natural disaster, or even the latest celebrity break-up. Ms. Thomas's story helps to draw our attention back to the continuing disaster that has affected thousands by focusing our attention on just a few: these seven children. Through their experience, captured by Ms. Thomas's unbiased and unpretentious writing, we are reminded of the horror and suffering visited on so many others. And we need reminding.

A well-written, well-researched story, and one that cried out to be told. Highly recommended.

The story told in the book Waters Dark and Deep draws you in to the lives of seven young children in the days following Hurricane Katrina. Katie Thomas writes a story so vivid that it allows the reader to explore the full range of emotions that the the families and countless volunteers and rescue workers dealt with in the days and weeks following this tragic storm. The book is a great tribute to the numerous people who were involved in the reunification of the seven children and their families. A story of tragedy and everyday hero's that will restore your faith in the human spirit!

This was a great book I was not suprised by the shape of the used book. It was in great condition just as the seller said it was! I do think on all used books the price of shipping is high.

This is one of the most comprehensive and helpful books on puppy behavior and training I have read over the years. It touches upon all of the puppy traits that new owners have the most problems with, i.e. biting, jumping, acting like a maniac, etc. It explains what is normal and what is not for those of us who forget what a "normal" puppy acts like. Most training books are for all ages of dogs; this book is specifically for the puppy. The advice is great and easy to follow. The format and photographs are top quality. I have a new Boston Terrier puppy which is much different than my Golden Retriever. He's a rambunctious puppy, and this book has helped tremendously! I definitely recommend this as the number one book for all puppy owners. I don't normally write reviews, but this book was so amazing, I found that I had to.

Fabulous Book! Teoti Anderson provides common sense, easy to impliment, and effective suggestions that any owner (even those with busy schedules) can use. Every puppy owner should have this book in their home. She covers it all - Housetraining, chewing, barking, puppy biting and more. I will certainly recommend this book to puppy owners who come to our training school.

Written by Teoti Anderson (a professional dog trainer with eight years of experience), Your Outta Control Puppy is a solidly written, thoroughly "user friendly" instructional guide to training and control-ling common puppy misbehavior, and ranges from housebreaking a precocious pet, to curbing puppy tendencies to chew, bark, nip, bite, or jump up. Full-color photographs, straightforward instructions, numerous examples, and a wealth of sound advice distinguish this "owner manual" and confidently recommend it for anyone owning, or considering the ownership, of a puppy.

This is an excellent book for a person who just got his first dog. Small, easy language, encouraging. Very good advice. And easy to follow steps. I feel comfortable recommending it to all new puppy owners who come to our training school.

I have added more recipes to my arsenal from this book than any other. Most recipes are tasty, not too difficult and don't require hard to find ingreds.

I bought this book because I didn't know where to start with low fat cooking, and the other reviews were very favorable. What a find! The six or seven dishes we've already tried have been very tasty, and not too difficult to prepare. I was surprised to find that low fat dishes can actually taste good too. Great photos and a wide variety of dishes to select from. My only regret is that I should have purchased the hardback. We're using it so much that I know we're going to wear the paperback before too long. This one is a keeper!

Nancy Bagget and Ruth Glick have put together an easy to understand guide to Low Fat Cooking. with some sound and practical advise on why its an important lifestyle change. What makes this book even more worthwhile is the recipies! I have made meals and baked deserts from the recipies in this book on many occasions; And have always received compliments.This book proves that Low Fat Cooking dosn't have to mean no flavor and no fun.

The recipes in this book are wonderful. They may be a little time consuming in some cases, but well worth it. You would never know the dishes were reduced fat if someone didn't tell you. I particularly like the soup recipes, and many of the chicken recipes are regulars at our house now. Portion sizes are actually realistic, not the tiny bits that most 'diet' cookbooks use as a 'normal' portion. This cookbook has been one of the things I used to lower my cholesterol and to lose 24 pounds in the last several months. I have learned from the techniques used in this cookbook how to lighten some family favorites, and my husband has lost weight, too. I highly recommend this cookbook to anyone trying to lower their fat intake without feeling deprived.

Dr. Taylor does his usual great job covering a difficult subject - ties in well with his "Applied Life Data Analysis", the revered reliability resource. Because of his GE background, he emphasizes experimental plans and analysis methods (i.e.: partially censored) which permit you to make good predictions regarding a product or system while you are still collecting data (e.g.: management wants an answer NOW, even if the experiment is not completed). A few more examples of how "typical" systems behave would be helpful, but otherwise a great resource.

Nelson is a private consultant who has worked on countless practical problems in reliability from his consulting practice and previous employment at General Electric. He is an excellent lecturer and writer. His earlier book "Applied Life Data Analysis" was considered to be one of the best texts on reliability.

This book is very thorough in its treatment of all aspects of accelerated testing and is filled with many good references. Nelson carefully defines the mathematical models which consist of two components, (1) an acceleration function which describes how the mean lifetime changes as a function of the acceleration factor and (2) a probability distribution that explains the random variability of outcomes at each acceleration factor. A particular mean function could be the Arrhenius relationship and the probability distribution could be exponential. Hence there is not a single Arrhenius acceleration model but rather an Arrhenius-exponential, an Arrhenius-lognormal or an Arrhenius-Weibull model. The book is filled with interesting theory and examples. Nelson provides excellent practical guidance based on his wealth of experience.

I agree with the previous reviewer that this is the definitive classic in accelerated life testing. It's a great companion volume to Dr. Nelson's "Applied Life Data Analysis" which remains one of the best reliability textbooks ever written. I have noticed that all major reliability and accelerated testing programs use this book as their main reference - proof of the books usefulness. My only compaint is with the publishers for the steep price - now that they're bringing out a lower cost version of Applied Life Data Analysis, I hope they'll bring out a low-cost or paperback version of this classic as well.

Nelson is a private consultant who has worked on countless practical problems in reliability from his consulting practice and previous employment at General Electric. He is an excellent lecturer and writer. His earlier book "Applied Life Data Analysis" was considered to be one of the best texts on reliability.
This book is very thorough in its treatment of all aspects of accelerated testing and is filled with many good references. Nelson carefully defines the mathematical models which consist of two components, (1) an acceleration function which describes how the mean lifetime changes as a function of the acceleration factor and (2) a probability distribution that explains the random variability of outcomes at each acceleration factor. A particular mean function could be the Arrhenius relationship and the probability distribution could be exponential. Hence there is not a single Arrhenius acceleration model but rather an Arrhenius-exponential, an Arrhenius-lognormal or an Arrhenius-Weibull model. The book is filled with interesting theory and examples. Nelson provides excellent practical guidance based on his wealth of experience.

This book sets itself the task of being not "one more procedure and tools" book on value engineering ... but on being a challenging, thought provoking text concentrating on the theories of value engineering as a decision technology.

Its aim is to shift the focus from value engineering as a set of routine techniques into value engineering as a powerful thinking methodology.

In these objectives it succeeds taking the reader in a logical and thought provoking manner past the systematic and into the complex structures of perceptions and knowledge.

It is rare to sit and read a book at a single sitting but this is what I found myself doing being intrigued by the developing arguments and well-crafted points.

The author's state that the future for value engineering rests with the development of more rigorous approaches to thinking and decision taking, I believe that they have argued this point succinctly and convincingly.

"This is an important work directed at executives, middle line managers, project managers and anyone else familiar with Value Engineering and Value Management, concerned with the value creating process either in the public or the private sectors, and this for a numbeof reasons.

First it sets the the traditionally technical process of value design in the broder context of the organization.

Secondly, it deals with some of the important theoretical issues concerning the nature of value improvement from a technological point of view.

Thirdly, it pulls together the threads of a disparate literature around key concepts of value and function. Finally, it maps out with examples and cases, the intellectual process of VE and VM.

In sum, the book ought to be of particular interest to practitioners, researchers and students who seek a view of value improvement within a broader intellectual context."

Roy Woodhead and James McCuish have broken the mold in writing about value engineering. By using analogies and case studies throughout to explain and inform they have provided the reader with an insight into using VE as a robust thinking methodology.

The concepts behind value engineering have been explained in full and they take the reader through the process, tools and techniques in an enlightening way, challenging practitioners, students and researchers of VE to look at the methodology in a different light. They argue that to continue developing, value engineering must go beyond a set of tool and techniques into a methodology that becomes a rational decision support system to support senior management.

I found the chapter on functional analysis particularly informative, and I look forward to debating the arguments raised in the book with the authors when we next meet. I am sure other readers will enjoy the book and will find it difficult to put down.

In their book "Achieving Results, How to create Value," Dr. Roy Woodhead and James McCuish bring the understanding and search for value by the producer and consumer to a higher intellectual plane by taking the reader deep into the principles and philosophies that influence decisions to improve value.

Woodhead and McCuish take the reader beyond the methodology to create value options. They stress that value creation requires more than presenting good value alternatives. Also required are good value decisions. Woodhead and McCuish build a compelling argument in support of a process that produces value based decisions, that support the development of best value options by dissecting and analyzing the decision making process. Of particular interest is using the Stage Gate process as a value-creating model.

Throughout the book the authors have demonstrated a unique ability to bring complex issues to an understandable level by presenting simple analogies one experiences in every day life.

As a value practitioner, I found the author's discussions of intrinsic and extrinsic functions and the principles and philosophies that form the foundation of function analysis and modeling, refreshing and thought provoking. I also find their description of the value practitioner in the role of facilitator reinforcing. The contributions to team performance by the facilitator are well defined as is the surrounding environment that influences the value practitioner's success.

Anyone interested in managing, engineering, or creating value for the purpose of value adding, or value improvement, must add "Achieving Result ... " to his or her value management reference library

serves as a valuable tool regarding my project on AN

This is an excellent book for the signal processing community as the stress is mainly on algorithms and implementation. A reseacher who wants to work in this field without much background in acoustics, finds this book very useful and it enables him to get to know how he can apply his adaptive signal processing skills to active noise control. This book provides in a simple way the active noise control field and its associated problems. As the book provides only required amount of acoustical details and explains the filtered LMS algorithm very clearly unlike other books, for a beginer it is a very good book. I didn't know any thing aboout ANC when I started, but to day I am able to contribute even to international journals and conferences. Further I have under taken projects at national level from government agencies to develop ANC systems. I feel this book is really well written and it makes the reader keen to know about the subject and provides him high level of confidence. I sincerely recommend this book for any person who is new to this field and has signal processing background. It is a very very very excellent book.

This is an excellent book for persons with signal processing background. The book provides only minimum information about acoustics for a signal processing person and does not confuse with too much of details. In this way, the book makes to reader comfortable. Also many aspects of signal processing which can improve the performance of an active noise control (ANC)system are explained and hence the reader feels more confident that he too can work in this field. This is very much essential as the adaptive algorithms play a crucial role in the ANC implementation. The FXLMS algorithm and its problems are well described. To start with I did not know any thing about ANC, but this book has helped me to get good understanding about it. Presnently, I am able to do research contributions to international journal and to conferences. Further, I have taken up projects at national level in ANC. I feel this book has presented the subject in a simple way retaining all the intricate details. This background enables a reseacher even to follow new developments taking place in this filed. This is a very very useful and excellent book.

This excellent text is written for advanced study and practicing engineers who need to design controllers for active noise control systems. The emphasis is on the algorithms that are usually implemented in a Digital Signal Processor. The book's treatment of acoustics, sensors, and actuators is not as in-depth as texts by Fuller or Nelson. Included in the book is C and assembly code for the most popular adaptive control techniques, but beware of bugs and patent issues. One of the algorithms covered in detail is the Filtered-X Least Mean Squares technique that one of the Authors (Morgan) help to make popular in the community.

I have to take exception to Jon Shell's editorial comment about the author. It is totally irrelevant and disrespectful of the thoughtful and compelling treatment Mr. McArthur gives to Canada's airline industry.

However, that said, I actually had the opportunity to meet Mr. McArthur at a book signing. He has a very strong grip, an icy stare and a boyish shock of blond hair reminiscent of Robert Redford circa 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'. I suspect Mr. McArthur will go far in the entertainment industry.

I bought this book the first day out and read through it in about 3 days. I found it quite exceptional for its historical perspective, but not particularly insightful. The author spends the entire book trying very hard not to put any editorial spin on anything which doesn't really make it very readable, but becomes a great reference material down the line.

My initial thought when I finished reading it was that this book may become the Canadian equivalent of "Hard Landing", the book by Thomas Petzinger which has become the de-facto mass market textbook on the impact of US airline deregulation.

This book is definitely a must-have for industry professionals and hardcore airline affectionados, but a casual reader is probably better served to wait for the paperback or deep discount.

I don't know much about this book, but that Keith McArthur is one sexy dude. Did you see that jacket photo? Whoa...

Everyone claims to be an expert on airlines. Frankly-some of these so called "airline history" books are dead wrong. The Canadian saga has been going on for about as long as the Star Wars series, except here thousands of people's livelihoods and the economic wealth of a nation are at stake. Air Monopoly is balanced, well told and VERY interesting.

I'm unable to review the book or get an email address to contact you !!! I'm particularly interested in aircraft controls.eg. in the cockpit ,I need to read a book about the control of the throttle,pedals,control panels ...et. Can you please help me find this book . Much appreciated . My name is : Hany Nakhla and my Email address is shown below .

i will buy i

This classic text was used in my undergraduate aeronautical engineering classes 30 years after its publication (It's a classic ;). It covers in considerable detail airplane performance (climb, dive, turning, etc., and reciprocating engine (non-jet) and propeller performance), and aircraft stability and control (how does an airplane control its attitude and how to analyze the attitude dynamics).

Given that you understand differential calculus (not just Calculus 1), this is an excellent book for the professional and the serious amateur aircraft maker. This is a far better book than Perkin's second book on Stability and Control. That tome is both pompous and difficult to understand. Unlike his second book this book is written in a straightforward and very easy to understand manner. Therein lies the reason that this book has been a standard reference for 50 years.

Great adventure. Makes a person know your dreams can come true

What sets this Atlantic crossing story appart is the genuineness of Mr. Spiess and his pure passion for the voyage, both nautical and personal. Many aspects of his story are greatly appreciated. First and foremost, the successful completion of crossing the North Atlantic in a 10 foot sailboat, he designed and built in his garage, is simply amazing. While it is easy to assume this to be a fanatical attempt at publicity or record setting, it is refreshing to discover that Yankee Girl was designed according to what he believed to be sufficient for the task at hand. Other strong points in his telling of the story are his conveying his own doubts and fears, yet continuing on, motivated by his passion and desire to experience all his journey has to offer. Spiess is a person who strives to live the dream and, along the way, inspires others to do the same. Spiess' writing is both gripping and genuine. He is able to express passion and the true "romance of the sea" without waxing poetic ad nauseum. For "armchair navigator's" such as this reader, Alone Against the Atlantic was a wonderful reading experience.

Gerry Spiess is a school teacher with a dream, a dream to sail across the Atlantic in a tiny boat of his own design. He takes you through the inception, design, building and finally his epic journey across the Atlantic ocean. He spent nearly two months sailing toward Falmouth England at barely walking speed. You will laugh with him, you will suffer with him as he inches his way through rough seas and calm winds as he crosses the Atlantic. He had me grabbing for maps to follow his progress. It's a good read

This book should come with a warning label attached that states, "If you don't want your dreams to become reality, don't read this book"! Gerry Spiess proved that the average man or woman, given enough tenacity, determination, and, yes, even enough bullheadedness, can do just about anything they wish. It is a triumph of the human spirit in the face of incredible odds. Alone Against the Atlantic stirs those coals of adventure that lie deep inside each of us. Gerry makes us believe that we can all "go forth and do likewise". The simple truth is - we can.