Mazda Books

I bought this book expecting great things from Keith Tanner, after reading many of his insights on Miata.net. This book might be a good introduction to a new Miata owner, but it leaves a lot out that is covered in the Miata Performance Handbook by Norm Garrett.

The Miata is a great car off the lot, but everyone has different ideas of perfection and the canvas that the Miata provides is perfect for people to create their own vision of automotive perfection. As an autocross racer I'm obviously biased toward performance rather than comfort, and with the help of this book, I've been able to modify my car (and maintain it) to the point where I'm winning at the races. A good purchase, it's saved me hundreds in maintenance fees by being able to do the work myself. Well worth the money!

This book is great for anyone who intends to do repair on their Miata. Much clearer instructions tha most manuals, and written by someone is is a Miata entusiast.

This book is great and written in a very easy to read and understand manner. If you actually do things to your Miata to improve performance or if you just dream about doing these things, then this is the book to start with.

The projects range from cheap and easy to expensive and involved, but they are all explained and illustrated in detail.

For those who don't know, the author works at Flyin Miata; the premier Miata performance supplier in the US. His knowledge is extensive; so much that I consider him the most knowledgeable Miata enthusiast around. It shows in this book.
The book is well written, easy to understand, and effectively helps the reader tackle projects normally left to a professional. The most common projects are covered.
A must have for those who want to save money and work on their cars on their own.

This book is very good - very detailed, good structured, a lot of stuff is covered, very high quality thick paper used.
I like it much more than Haynes.
The only thing that i would improve is the quality/resolution of the photograph pictures in the book.
Regarding electrical schemes - they indeed are available on the Internet.

Being used to Haynes and Chilton, this book was a breath of fresh air. All instructions directly apply to the vehicle in question (naturally, since the focus is quite narrow). Everything is easy to follow, and pictures are all easily comprehensible. There is no assumption that everything is the same on all cars, variations are explained in detail. There isn't much to say about this book beyond any of this, as its virtues are all purely practical...which is exactly what they should be in an automotive manual.

Every 1.8 liter Miata owner should have this book.

Not perfect, but workshop manuals usually aren't. A bit too "British" for Americans, but the information and pictures are first rate and it can get you through most do-it-yourself overhauls and repairs.

This book covers maintenance and major and minor repairs to 1.8L Miatas up to the 1998 redesign. In the US, this means model years 1994 thru 1997. If you have a 1990 - 1993 Miata, buy the 1.6L book by the same author. If you have a 1999 or later Miata, then neither book will be useful.

This book is well written, with lots of photos and diagrams. I have found the instructions very useful and well thought-out. This book has allowed me to do repairs on my Miata that I would have never tried alone. For example, I was able to completely remove my dash from the car, including the steering wheel and airbags, so that I could replace the carpet.

The instructions included in this book are more complete and detailed than in the Haynes book. FYI, [...] also has good instructions for many common repairs and upgrades.

Thanks to Rod for writing such an excellent book!

A well written, clear and concise book with plenty of pictures to help you do what you want to do to the car. It covers everything from all of the standard distance / time maintenance jobs that should be done, through to the more complicated in a language that makes it easy for the novice and the expert.

I bought this book over a year ago and still use it every time I go to do something to the car! If you want to do jobs your self, and need a bit of help, get this book!

Excellent Miata tool for many of the projects that a non-wrench would like to attempt. As a long time owner of a miata it has frustrated me that I don't do more of the basic maintainance on my little car. This book as provided the foundation for me to perform repairs I never thought I'd be able to. In the two weeks I've had it I've replaced the Crank Angle Sensor (CAS) gasket and put aftermarket sway bars on my car.
I highly recommend this book to any enthusiast regardless of mechanical skill level. If anything, it will better inform you what to expect/look for after you take your car to your own mechanic.
Tanner provides clear instructions with great pictures.

This a great book writen by someone who know his Miata in and out. Keith is a man (a boy)and his life is to share information with miata people.

Its a good book but in my opinion not detailed enough for do it yourself repair or maintenance on a Mazda Miata.
Karl H. Poehlmann

It goves lots of information on Miatas, the whole culture of ownership, and great basic to intermediate maintenance and upgrade advice. If you are looking to get into the world of the best sportscar of the modern era, buy this book and it will help you find it, fix it, and trick it. (Sorry, couldn't resist!)

I already knew 80 percent of what Tanner's book covers from hanging around on sports car discussion forums. It's got good information, but very basic, and a bit heavy on "lifestyle" (OK let's all fawn over what a great car the Miata is.) On the plus side, Tanner knows his stuff. The book reads easily and is has great pictures.

Perhaps the book should be renamed Miata: "Find it, fawn over it, fool around with it" because there's precious little real repair or high performance information there.

I read this book some time ago after I had purchased a 2001 model in 2007. For the most part this is about its marketing which was startling to realize how involved it is, for example one year wasn't selling too good in Australia so they added more options to the base model, in France they had to detune the muffler system because of stricter noise regulations, and if you try to figure out the exchange rates from year to year it would appear that the markup changes from country to country. If you read between the lines you'll also come to understand that one years new model if inspected is often full of problem corrections of the previous year. This reflects back on the fact that originally the engineering came after the external design and mock up resulting in scavenging engines, drive trains, suspension systems and whatnot from other models for its initial launch with subsequent designs being molded by the original criteria into a more specifically defined Miata.
This is the bulk of the book, a description through enumeration and detail of how one model morphs into the next, some of which requires further research to understand why one feature is superior to another.
In regards the pictures (it is like a coffee table book) I liked them and wished in some instances they were larger and as far as the sales brochures go at first they seem annoying but after looking at them critically you'll find a distinct difference between how they look in Japan and other countries. In Japan it seems they are much more intent on depicting and explaining the various features and options as opposed to showing a sort of attraction by lifestyle approach as they do in the US. The Coffee Table attribute is vastly overcome by the amount of esoteric information presented. The idea of producing a British Triumph like sports car originated in the US with a Mazda employee and was ok'ed many years later after convincing the President of Mazda at the time in Tokyo to drive a Triumph through the mountains west of the city. The design and engineering was all Japanese but before production some models were vetted by English and German auto design companies, somewhat of an international effort, many, many people were involved.
Special Edition models also play a large, if largely unknown, part in Marketing. Maxing out the potentialities of a model and devising exotic colors and interiors to attract a niche market of those who are desirous of a distinctive looking car is covered, no doubt contributing to its popularity (the best selling sports car in the world) and humorously following upon one of their design criteria, a sports car doesn't have to be fast so much as to appear fast.
This book is like a puff piece but the amount of interesting and unabashed information it includes makes it a great read.

Mr. Brian Long's book on the Mazda MX-5 Miata provides a wonderful insight into the sequence of events that led to the creation of the first three generations of this delightful light sports car. The book carries the reader from the initial 1982 idea of developing a light sports car in the flavor of the British roasters of the 1960's through the third generation of the vehicle that was brought to market in 2005. Any MX-5 fan will find the information presented in the book fascinating and informative. Unfortunately, Mr. Long pads his wonderful work (222 pages) with about 100 pages of truly mind numbing minutia on the endless special edition variants of the vehicle Mazda marketed over the years and how they varied across the major markets (i.e., Europe, Japan, Australia, and America) where the MX-5 was sold. Reading the detail presented in these discussions is about as interesting as reading a dictionary. Fascinating on one level for the research performed in pulling it all together but truly mind numbing on another. Mr. Long could have presented this information much more effectively had placed it in tables and presented it in the appendix rather than interweaving it into the general narrative. Interesting for its brevity is the discussion on the one variant of the MX-5 that was truly unique. This was a fastback coupe variant of the second generation vehicle marketed in Japan during the 2003/04 timeframe. Mr. Long dedicates only one short paragraph to this interesting variant and he does not even have a good picture of the vehicle to show what it looked like. A glaring omission given the extreme level of detail presented for the other trim variants which were in the final analysis little more than parts bin specials painted different colors. Mr. Long is obviously British and the book is written in British English which is a little different that American English in the nomenclature used to describe the various parts of the vehicle. No problem for those of us who grew up reading British Shop Manuals but it may be a little confusing for the newly initiated. Overall, this is a truly informative book and the culmination of a lot of research for which Mr. Long deserves a special vote of thanks from the MX-5 community. Unfotunately, Mr. Long decided to pad the work to make it appear more than it is and this padding detracts from what is otherwise an outstanding effort.

I enjoyed this book. It is very detailed and at times that gets on top of you but I guess that is the attraction for many people. The chapters on the gestation of the car and the tuning options are excellent.

Some contemperary road tests would be nice, but there are other books for that. This is just a very detailed history of the model.

Oh Sweet MX5(Miata) for you American folk. For someone who owned a '99 10th Anniversary, this was a trip down memory lane and a book for all Miata fans to have in their man(or woman) shed bookcases. Very detailed and nice pics, not to forget all of the drawings from the design stages of the various models. Highly recomended.

This is a great book. It extensively covers all Miata generations. It is well written and has great pictures. It does a great job covering all the Miata prototypes.
A must buy for the Miata owner/enthusiast.

A well written book, BUT, many of the halftone pictures (photographs) too small,light, or busy to be useful. The author could probably delete the engine and transmission overhaul information as I doubt that many home repair mechanics will attempt these procedures. It does give enough information to identify those jobs best given to a specialty shop or dealer. Worth the $30 cost but not much more.

This book came highly recommended; it was a great buy, arrived quickly and in great condition; I'm very pleased

I do a lot of DIY maintenance and repairs. I recently purchased a 2000 Mazda Miata along with the model-specific Factory Workshop Manual. While Grainger's ...1.8: Enthusiasts Workshop Manual is intended for the earlier model, pre-1999, most of the guidance can be applied to the 1999-2000 with patience and ingenuity. I found that this manual, when combined with the Mazda Factory Workshop Manual and online resources, provide complete guidance for most tasks including major service. I particularly liked that Grainger included personal insight and tips & tricks that are helpful to a non-professional mechanic. The only issues I have with the Manual's presentation is that the small text is hard to read and the photos are small and some lack clarity. The last issue, which is not totally objectionable, is that the Manual is written with the "right and left" references from the perspective of someone standing behind the car looking forward (this takes some getting used to) - I took a red marker and wrote "left & right" to clarify these references. I would recommend this manual to any Miata owner that does his/her own work.

If you have a Mazda Miata with a 1.8L motor and you plan to work on the car yourself this book is a must have and priceless. Let me tell you how this book helped me. I'm a 51-year-old parts changer. I do the basics Brakes, Exhaust, Tune Ups, Water Pumps. I needed to change the water pump in the Miata. Lucky for me I had this book. Changing the water pump involved removing the timing belt and pulleys, which I've never done before. When I got to the point where I realized that this is not a basic water pump job I took out the book. The book walked me through the job with informative step-by-step text and photos. I'm happy to say the car started right up and is running better than ever. I'm now so confident with the technical support I receive from this book that I would not hesitate to tackle any job on this car. This book covers it all.

Richard N. Frye's Greater Iran is a mixture of autobiography and memoirs of Harvard University's retired Aga Khan Professor of Iranian. After 60 years of researching and writing history books about Iran, from ancient to recent history, Professor Frye has written an outstanding story of his personal experiences living and researching in the region. To Professor Frye, his 60 years of travel in the region was an odyssey. The real life hardships and the risks of the odyssey will be more fascinating to many readers than the fictional Indiana Jones movies.

From 1971 to 1972, I studied Persian (Farsi) at Harvard University. Professor Frye came to my home for my wife Badri's Persian dinners and for discussions about Iran. During his five years of service as director of the Asia Institute of Pahlavi University (now the University of Shiraz), I had the opportunity to join him once for dinner in his Qajar-period home.

Persian author and poet Ali Akbar Dehkhuda called Professor Frye Irandoost (lover of Iran). There are probably few Iranians who can rival Professor Frye's passion for a glorious Persian culture (Persian poetry, music, art, and architecture) over a 3,000-year period.

The title of the book refers to the entire region where Iranian languages were and are spoken. Professor Frye worked also in Afghanistan and in Tajikistan. Greater Iran includes also the Caucasus and Central Asian regions.

Total immersion into research of a culture over a 3,000-year period requires an immense commitment. In addition to living in a region during current times, a researcher cannot analyze original documents without mastering the languages of a region over such a long period of time. For Iran, this means an intense study at least of Avestan, Old Persian, Pahlavi (Middle Persian), and of Sogdian.

Fake antiquities are a big business in the Middle East. Professor Frye included pictures of pages from a fake manuscript and stories of his encounters with producers and sellers of fake antiquities.

Spies and political struggles are no strangers to the Middle East. Professor Frye included stories of his meetings with political leaders, such as Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh, and with spies. Major consequences of American intervention in Iran in 1953 remain to this day.

Such an intense passion for a career can come with a huge personal price. Professor Frye included details of his divorce and of re-marriage.

Professor Frye's legacy includes also the students who went on to become ambassadors, professors, and others who are passionate about Iran. Sir Roger Stevens' The Land of the Great Sophy is an example of the depth of appreciation for Iran of a British ambassador. The American Foreign Service could benefit from the examples of Professor Frye and of Sir Roger Stevens by requiring foreign service officers to remain in and to master the language and culture of a single country or region.

America fought a long war in Vietnam but has an American embassy in Vietnam today. America did not fight a war in Iran but has no American embassy in Iran (or in several other countries) today. After September 11, 2001, some Americans believe that CIA stands for Central Ignorance Agency, not Central Intelligence Agency. Many members of Congress, Democrats and Republicans, have chosen instead to accept political contributions and misinformation from the Rajavi cult (also known as the MEK or MKO, a Marxist terrorist organization responsible for murdering American military officers, Rockwell International employees, and many innocent persons in the Middle East). America's war on terrorism needs to begin at home by declaring war on ignorance and corruption in America.

In 1932, a single book changed the life of Professor Frye. While a high school student in Danville, Illinois, Richard N. Frye saw in the bookstore's window Harold Lamb's Tamerlane, the Earth Shaker. Hopefully, Professor Frye's Greater Iran will inspire many young readers to understand deeply and explain another culture. Perhaps, then, future voters and political leaders will be able to reject the ignorant views of those who call for wars against anyone they do not understand.

So great is his love for Iran that on a recent trip to Iran, Professor Frye met with Iranian President Mohammad Khatami to request permission someday "... to be interred in the mausoleum of the late Arthur Upham Pope on the banks of the Zayendeh River in Isfahan ...." (page 322)


Professor Paul Sheldon Foote

California State University, Fullerton

pfoote@fullerton.edu

Dr. Frye has written a sincere memoir of the time he has spent in the Mid-Asian countries, especially Iran. This is a great work reflecting his passion toward the outstanding work he has done on the history of Iran and her neighbors.

These memoirs of a founder of Middle Eastern studies at U.S. institutions reveal more than the events of a life spent in intimate contact with many peoples of Eurasia. Although mainly concerned with "Greater Iran" (Afghanistan, Iran/Persia and Tajikistan), Richard Nelson Frye, Aga Khan professor of Iranian emeritus at Harvard University, describes changes which he witnessed there and elsewhere, making observations that are timely to understanding present-day relationships in the region. One of the first Western scholars to visit Central Asia after the death of Joseph Stalin, his knowledge of many languages enabled Frye to report on conditions in that hitherto little known region. In the course of subsequent trips to the USSR, the friendships he formed gave him unique insights about Soviet intellectuals concerned with the greater Iranian world. Life in Afghanistan and Persia (Iran) before the great changes that have transformed the area since the 1970s form a major part of this book. A much traveled Orientalist of the "old school," Frye's interaction with Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh, Sadruddin Aga Khan, Bobojon Gafurov, Fikri Seljuki, Roman Ghirshman, Henry Corbin, as well as Nathan Pusey of Harvard, and various shapers of US policy toward Iran and Iranian Studies, are especially noteworthy. Personal matters are not forgotten, since some readers will wish to know how a boy from a small Midwestern town became so enamored with Iran and Central Asia that he devoted his life to investigating and explaining their history and cultures. These memoirs are not only a record of the past, but also of recent visits to old haunts that have evoked comments about the future of the Middle East and Central Asia.
About the Author

Retired after more than sixty years of study, research and teaching at Harvard University, Prof. Frye is now engaged in lectures and promoting Iran. Living in the Near East and Central Asia has given him a much broader view of the area than merely study and the reading of books. Also as an employee of Afghan, Iranian and Tajik governments, rather than simply a member of a foreign institution, or as a tourist, has been a unique experience, shaping his views of lands and peoples. His writings reveal an intimate knowledge not only of the past of those areas where Iranian people live, but also an understanding of the present. In a reversal of the usual maxim, he says that in order to understand the past one must study the present.

Bugünki Yerevan'da kurulan Türk Revan hanlýðýnýn Osmanlý Devleti arþivlerine dayanarak portresinin ortaya konmaya çalýþýlmýþtýr.Bu çalýþmamýzda Bournoutson'un çalýþmalarýndan farklý olarak Kurulan hanlýðýn ekser çoðunluðunu Türklerin oluþturduðunu ve bölgeye Ruslarýn etraftan Ermenileri toplanarak toplama bir topluluk oluþturularak tanpon bir devlet oluþturmaya çalýþýldýðý ortaya konmuþtur. Çalýþmamýz yayýnlanmak üzeredir.

A very usefull study on that period of the history of Armenia and Iran both. It is written in a scholarly manner and gives a very good overview of the situation in border regions of Iran and Russia at the time.

Very objective and precise. For those who like to study the region, the "History of Qarabakh", or the translation of Mirza Jamal's Tarike Qarabakhi is another great product of Bournotian's work.

Just a note of caution:
Notice that the title Amazon lists for this book is "Mazda Miata Mx-5: Performance Portfolio 1989-1996", but the cover reads "Mazda Miata Mx-5: Performance Portfolio 1989-1997" (the difference is in the dates that are covered). There are two editions of this book, and they do have slight, but significant, differences in the contents. Although both editions are the same size (by page count), the 1997 edition adds an article or two, and deletes others. I have the 1989-96 version, and I have enjoyed reading it, but I can't help but wonder what I have been missing!

If you have any interest at all in the Miata MX-5 / Miata at all, this is a must have item on your bookshelf. Buy it.

Like Miata's? Then your love to read all the assorted articals in this book. Test drives, comparisons, and after-market reviews from the worlds most respected plublications... Road'n'Track, Car and Driver, many European Articles. Miata vs. Alfa, BMW, and the Monster V8 Miata

Matras has a way with words and a great knowledge of cars. The Mazda RX-7 thanks you, John!

...for RX-7 enthusiasts. Provides a great history of and timeline of its progress. High quality. Well written by a John Matras who appears to be passionate about his RX-7s. Buy it!

Matras did a very nice job of composing this book on the much-loved mazda rx-7.

I've had this indespensable book for about 17 years now. I am not Iranian, but have several Iranian/Persian friends who all tell me this book is very authentic. Don't know what I would do without it.

I have missed this book. I had two Persian cookbooks and of the two, this one was by far the better book: for its presentation (easy to read and follow); for the finished product (the food always tasted great); and the author presented the cook with substitutes which were easy to find in any grocery store. I remember making some adjustments (e.g., too much salt was used in the steamed rice or "polo" instructions or once or twice we believed there was a mistranslation) but this is minor. Overall I came to use this book quite a bit and have missed having it my kitchen repertoire so much that I went out of my way to track it down! THANK YOU AMAZON.COM!

The directions are simple and easy to follow. Recipes are in English on one side and Farsi on the other. Suggestions for substitutions are helpful.