Technology Books

This product was in perfect shape and I received it in no time! I was very happy with this transaction!

I strongly recommend this book. I read "set phasers on stun" and thought it was very good. The author has done even better this time.

Fascinating stories on human stupidity, negligence, incompetence and lack of common sense that ends up costing people's lives. Anyone involved with Engineering, Sciences or Maintenance needs to read this book. Actually everyone should read this book to understand human failings and why no one should ever take safety for granted. Every day people die needlessly and this book details how and why.
I really commend the author for bringing these stories to print and hope that it may save some lives.

I just finished reading "The Atomic Chef" and found it difficult to put down. I simply couldn't resist finding out what unexpected consequence or turn of events was around the next corner.

This is an absolute must read if you are in any way involved with the development of new products or services. Sometimes things don't go as planned despite everyone's best efforts. Like the bumper sticker says, "stuff" happens. This book gets into the stuff to reveal what really happened. The author painstakingly researches and recounts the real story behind mismatches in people and technology.

If you like fairy tale endings this may not be the book for you. However, if you are interested in learning the true details behind real world events, I highly recommend the Atomic Chef. In contrast to more traditional Human Factors books or case studies, the Atomic Chef presents enjoyable and eminently readable accounts of actual events.

Little things can make a big difference, I'd recommend The Atomic Chef's cautionary tales to any student or professional interested in learning more about the relationship between people and technology.

This anthology of 20 brilliantly written true stories should be of special interest to anyone dealing with technology management or product development, but it also would be enjoyed by any lay reader. As a well-known expert and writer on human factors engineering and human error, Steven Casey has obviously selected these stories because each subtly educates the reader about the role of the user interface in system failure, but also because each is tremendously interesting.

Although each chapter stands solidly on its own, a few stand prominent in my own mind due to personal interests. "Rhymes and Reasons" is a beautifully written story of musician John Denver's fatal flight in a new aircraft. Although an accomplished pilot, Denver's piloting skills were no match for a confusing set of aircraft controls and displays in his just-purchased home-built plane. The story makes the clearest case possible for the importance of good user interface design and ergonomics, and like all the stories in the book this one is thoroughly researched and referenced.

In addition to aviation and aerospace settings, the stories address transportation, maritime, medical, and various everyday events in contemporary life. Particularly poignant is "Event Horizon," a disturbing accident involving a child and an MRI machine in a New York hospital. In hindsight, the reader understands the procedures and barriers that must be in place when dealing with powerful new technologies like this.

Casey throws some truly hilarious stories in the mix to break up the pattern of predictability inherent in a book on error and disaster, and this approach works well. But, overall, be forewarned: the author is skilled at putting the reader in the "pilot's seat" to experience the confusion, shock, and terror that can occur when technology and human behavior conflict. I highly recommended this book.

Bought this book for my grandchildren to read. I am reading Gifted Hands and Take the Risk. Wonderful books and a wonderful human being.

as a 7th or 8th grader, i checked this book out from my school library...it must have been around 1995...I had to write a book report about it....I always loved the book because it taught me never to give up..For some reason after that, i always remembered Ben Carson..Anytime, someone said, "who is Ben Carson?", i knew...Now, years later, after graduating from college, I continue to hear Ben Carson acheiving even more..he is my hero!

I have added this book to my classroom library for 5th graders. They enjoy reading books about diverse people. Ben Carson is our classroom hero!

I really liked this book. It is a real story of Ben Carson. When he was young other children called him dummy. He always wanted to be a doctor. Sometimes he thought that it could never happen but his mom would cheer him up. I think it's a great influence to kids. You should read this great book. Jk

I read this book in which I had briefly heard the story of Dr. Ben Carson and was amazed at all of his accomplishments. This book was very inspiring and should be recommended reading for all youths and even adults to show them that their dreams can come true. Dr. Carson's story has really helped to inspire me for when times start getting tough that I should look to god for guidance.

This is THE book that you want if you are starting out as an experimental physicist.

It includes key information on optics, electronics, vacuum techniques, machining,...

The information in here is the "lore" that you often only learn after working in a
lab for many years; its not taught in school.

Every graduate student in experimental physics should get this book on their first
day in the lab. I don't know how to say it any stronger than that.

I have a library of nearly 500 books on optics and this falls in the top 5. But this book not only covers optics (theoretical and practical, lens design to thin-film deposition), it also include topics such as vacuum physics (better than standard texts such as Harris), electronic design and mechanical design considerations.
Any inventor, systems engineer and instrument builder must have a copy of this book.

I recently purchased the updated edition of this book, after having owned the previous edition for many years. It is concise, well-written, expertly illustrated and thoroughly referenced.

The book covers a number of areas, all of which I've had occasion to use in my career as a materials scientist and chemist. The book is aimed at the practical aspects of design, construction and use of apparatus, primarily what might be termed "physics apparatus", but the principles may be applied to many scientific fields. It provides sufficient theory and mathematics necessary for an understanding of the designs, as well as pointing out common pitfalls.

When I am designing and building equipment this book is never out of reach.

excellent

this is a great book to design and build instruments. It will give you a quick background on pretty much every thing you need to know for instrumentation. I'm a physicist by training, but I realized that when it comes to build stuff, there are many gaps in my 'tech' expertize. This book helps me fill those gaps.
LLG

This book is a great resource for career changers as well. I've worked in Biotech R&D my entire career, but now I'm looking for a position in marketing. An MBA gave me a solid understanding of the field but "Career Opportunities in Biotechnology and Drug Development" has given me the industry specific vocabulary and knowledge to focus my search. I only wish I had read it sooner!

Having worked in biopharma marketing and business development management for over 30 years, I am often asked by young professionals working in biotech R&D what positions they might pursue successfully on the business and marketing side of the business. I feel comfortable sharing what the roles, rewards and expectations are for business and marketing functions but don't have the background of actually moving from R&D myself to understand their current positions and the questions they should be asking. In the future, I will now recommend Toby Freedman's book to help them find the position that best fits their background, skills and temperment. I was especially impressed with the extremely valuable information about career ladders inside functions in all divisions as well as great insights where those with "Research bench" experience can move successfully. This book is not just for newly graduated life scientists but for those desiring a transition after years in a function. I was amazed with the breadth and depth of the myriad career paths covered and quality and accuracy of those positions I hadn't expected the author would have understood as well as research.

Many college graduates, and even professionals, often wonder whether working for the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry is appropriate for them. I am a recent graduate who faced that question. The career and development office at my school recommended Toby Freedman's book "Career Opportunities in Biotechnology and Drug Development". It is the best source of information I have encountered to guide me through the almost endless possibilities of career options in the health care and life sciences industries. By interviewing more than 200 industry executives, she provides in an easy to read format all the information necessary to determine if a career in this industry is for you. It is fun to read and it provides great insight. I highly recommend it.

Career Opportunities in Biotechnology and Drug Development by Toby Freedman, Ph.D. (http://www.careersbiotech.com) is an invaluable tool for anyone pursuing a new career or currently working in biopharma.

Applying for a job is a job in itself. When starting this process, it is difficult to remember everything that needs to be researched and considered for this important life decision. Executive support Web sites like TheLadders.com offer helpful pieces of information, but in this book Dr. Freedman seems to have included everything the job-seeker needs.

The writing style is direct and personal, allowing for quick and enjoyable reading. By the end of Chapter 3, the reader can have a personalized list of to-do items that will increase confidence, and set a realistic expectation of the job seeking experience. Chapter 5 covers the Informational Interview concept. It is a key step in networking that I first learned after paying a career consultant $3,000 after I left clinical practice. Networking is how many people gain entry into biopharma. Part 1 of this book prepares the reader to start networking effectively.

Part II of the book is chaptered by career area over the life cycle of the biopharma product. The reader will gain a clear understanding of each step and how they depend on each other. Chapters are full of definitions and detailed explanations of each role, as well as educational and experience requirements for candidates. Each chapter creates a day-in-the-life-of-this-job picture with pros and cons of the job. Section titles such as "Are You a Good Candidate for Regulatory Affairs?" help readers match position requirements with their personal traits. There is even a list of personal characteristics in each chapter to help rule out a position.

I read the career chapters out of order, starting with the career paths I had always intended to explore. Within the first few paragraphs of each chapter, I was able to decide if this position could work for me. Some of the positions that have always sounded like a fit for me by their name were not even close after gaining the full picture.

Relative salaries and potential career path / job security coverage is realistic and helpful. There is equal weight of discussion across positions from Basic Research roles to CEO and from Discovery stage to Commercial Operations. It even includes Law, Recruiting, and Consulting roles, and advice for non-scientists.

Dr. Freedman interviewed more than 200 people working in biopharma to write this book. In a few hours, readers can leverage this extensive experience for their career planning.

Paul Martinetti, MD
President
Network of Researchers, Doctors, and Scientists
Nords.com

So you have a degree in biology or experience in a sector of the biological sciences...what can you do with it? Until I read this book- I pretty much thought i could only 1) go to grad school or 2) become a lab tech.

The book is very helpful in detailing what you can do with your biology degree and even more helpful in helping you decide if this job or that job type is suitable for you.

Book includes flowchart diagrams of where people within the biotechnology and pharma industry can move to in their careers starting from a number of positions ranging from lab technicians and post docs to customer support. Also quite helpful- a list of what traits do and don't' suit a particular career and what to expect of that career choice.


I wish I had this earlier!

This book is packed full of useful information and it's presented in a clear, readable and very comforting way. I found Cooper and Glazer wise, compassionate and very informed. I read the book from cover to cover and then started all over again.

My husband and I have been struggling with infertility for six years and have read several books on the subject. Choosing Assisted Reproduction is the most comprehensive, informative and challenging book that we have come across. We were both relieved to see that the authors raise some of the ethical questions that we are struggling with. They do so in a very sensitive way, always respecting the difficult choices that infertility patients face in this new world of baby making. I recommend this book to anyone going through infertility, as well as to their families and friends.

As an infertility specialist, I'd heartily recommend this book to all infertile couples - and their doctors as well. The forte of this book is the superb way in which emotional issues have been discussed.

This compassionately written book has provided a constant reference and framework within which to think during the hugely emotional period of infertility. It has managed to normalise to some extent the weird world in which readers of this book dwell. It has contributed largely to my change of views on the right of the child to know its biological history. I would recommend it as essential reading for anyone going into third party parenting.

I can't believe that anyone let me start the process of infertility treatment (beyond the clomid stage) without telling me to read this. I found it on my own when having to decide whether my only chance to have a child, egg donation, was right for my husband and myself. I only WISH someone had told me about it sooner. It would have helped me think about all of "this" in a not so crazy way. It's technical, but, those of us who go through infertility procedures know more about the getting pregnant process than most books and online souces give us credit for. These authors treat us like intelligent human beings.

Dr. Higgins' personal experience with ART and her professional experiences as an obstetrician/gynecologist, artfully threaded through her informative text, bring this book alive and make it accessible to all readers. Essential reading for all infertile couples considering ART, I would also highly recommend this book to their adult family members to help them understand the journey.

This volume is remarkable for its lucid non-technical (non-medical) language and the way it speaks to the body, mind, and spirit. The book is about people who struggle as under dogs against the odds to have babies through a third party contributor. Thoroughly accessible, it will appeal to general readers, offering many pearls of wisdom. While en route to China to adopt an infant daughter (after having a stillborn biological daughter), I read this book. I am painfully aware that medical science/arts have their limits and are not always successful (even for those who are indomitable.) Having been schooled in the Boston area with clinical work in several exotic locales, the author Lonny is now in a Hawaiian paradise where she lives a wholesome lifestyle. The narrative is honed from the lens of a physician with emphasis on ethics, politics and complications of third party ART's. Dr. Higgins has many unique discussions like that of the "Solomon Syndrome," a reference to the biblical story, coining a new phrase for what some women, including herself, experience as unworthiness, questioning if they are the real mother when an egg donor is involved. One wonders if there are similar syndromes for fathers using donor(s), non-carrier(s) partners or parents who employ a surrogate-gestational carrier.
The vignettes of case studies or clinical scenarios describe the psychological risks and high stakes of 3rd party reproductive matters (on the one hand, issues of loss of genetic contribution from one parent; and on the other hand, how worthwhile it is to have these children made against the odds). Higgins tells stories from her own family, e.g., referencing her romance with her husband and miracle son Tucker. She also addresses well what parental responses might be when a child says to their parent: "You should have shopped for better egg or sperm!" In a reader-friendly chart of drawings "The Birth Matrix: An Illustrated Guide to All the Options" Higgins gives representations of possible reproductive combinations available for singles, gay, lesbian families and traditional heterosexual couples. This is helpful because often people may need to try more than one standard way to make a baby when spontaneous pregnancy is not working or possible due to numerous factors/unknown causes.
The author could have dealt more with the hardest cases when enough is enough, and the journey results in childfree living (not included fully), adoption (one case relates to China adoption), or surrogacy (included more fully). Higgins addresses society's lack of willingness to deal with 3rd parties in terms of nuanced language. Anyone considering third party reproduction will benefit from mining this book. The journey to parenthood from infertility has numerous rewards and pitfalls (joys and sorrows). Higgins has discussion of God talk and mentions a spiritually up-lifting hymn (referring to a creation hymn "Out of the Stars.") Offering an empathetic embrace like a hug, this book soothes in that it eases pain and calms one down to make one more centered and less angry, anxious or upset. With a bit of luck this book will receive wider circulation among mothers and fathers to-be, professionals, indeed all interested parties. It makes a thoughtful resource and can be a healing balm. Available in both hard and soft cover, this book wholeheartedly offers plenty of doses of loving-kindness based upon the doctor's orders!

Dr Higgins provides a refreshingly lucid and personal narrative that bridges the all-too-common gulf between patient and physician. The wealth of facts and reference material helps propsective and "in-process" families understand the clinical journey and the many actors in the process. The first-hand experience and shared stories of her patients and acquaintances breathe life and soul into the book, and reach the heart of any careful reader.

This volume should grace the offices of every fertility and ART provider.

This is an outstanding book describing the procedure and emotional aspect of being an "egg" (oocyte) recipient. With more couples needing the help of third party reproduction or donor egg this book is an excellent resource combing the knowledge of a gynecologist with the personal experience of being an oocyte recipient. A must read for anyone considering egg donation.

this book is enormously helpful to anyone who is considering her fertility options. dr higgins gives a thoughful, truthful review of all the things that we need to consider before going ahead w/making a decision. also, as a mother through egg donation herself, as well as an OB, she has a perspective which i have not found anywhere else. this book is truly like no other.
highly recommended!

This concise book is very helpful for people who would like to know cryptography. The book uses a lot of diagrams to make complicate concepts easy to understand. One improvement the author may want to do is to fix the errors in the book.

It usually takes me a while to understand new things, this book was very informative and easy to understand. I now understand cryptography! Read this book!

The goal of this book is to provide an introduction to the basic concepts of cryptography to non-technical people, and to illustrate how cryptography can be applied in e-commerce applications. The author has succeeded admirably in this endeavor.

The first part of the book provides a gentle introduction to symmetric-key encryption and authentication, public-key cryptography, key managements and PKI. The detailed explanations are accompanied with intuitive figures. For the most part, the mathematical intricacies are omitted from the main chapters thus enabling the reading to grasp the important concepts without getting bogged down with technical details. For those interested in the underlying mathematics, the second part of the book provides a tutorial to some of the mathematics. Finally, the third part of the book describes two crytographic architectures designed by the author.

I highly recommend this book to the people with nontechnical backgrounds who are interested in learning how cryptography can be used to secure their applications. Once the basic concepts are understood, the reader can then proceed to one of the many available technical books on cryptography.

The goal of this book is to provide an introduction to the basic concepts of cryptography to non-technical people, and to illustrate how cryptography can be applied in e-commerce applications. The author has succeeded admirably in this endeavor.

The first part of the book provides a gentle introduction to symmetric-key encryption and authentication, public-key cryptography, key managements and PKI. The detailed explanations are accompanied with intuitive figures. For the most part, the mathematical intricacies are omitted from the main chapters thus enabling the reading to grasp the important concepts without getting bogged down with technical details. For those interested in the underlying mathematics, the second part of the book provides a tutorial to some of the mathematics. Finally, the third part of the book describes two crytographic architectures designed by the author.

I highly recommend this book to the people with nontechnical backgrounds who are interested in learning how cryptography can be used to secure their applications. Once the basic concepts are understood, the reader can then proceed to one of the many available technical books on cryptography.

The basics of the usage of symmetric and asymmetric cryptography are explained here step by step in a precise way visualized by clear drawings of a sender, (evil) observer and recipient. Starting with the simplest case and showing what's faulty about it, the author develops an understanding of why it needs message digestion, public and private keys and either Kerberos or a certification authority.

A small part of the book is reserved for some mathematical expostions which do not go very far. Two case studies, one awkward, one profound, round off the book.

The term e-commerce in the title is somewhat misleading. The book deals rather with B2B, the other subcategory of e-business.

A possible audience for the book are people like me, who are supposed to know what excatly a digital signature is and therfore cannot really ask someone.

DEFINING VISION by Joel Brinkley is as comprehensive as any history behind the development of HDTV/DTV can ever possibly get. The text of this book will surely be required possessions for technological historians for at least the next 1000 years.

I'm reading this book a second time (a year later) because it's such a great introduction to players in the HDTV world. Brinkley chose a suspense style, and it really works well. I am excited about HDTV and turned each page holding my breath - hoping for a successful conclusion. Now I'm looking for more works that go beyond 1998, and can't find any more fulfilling...and the story isn't over yet!

Having had the opportunity to check the authenticity with several of the principles in the book, my hat's off to Joel Brinkley. He ties all the factions together that brought us DTV. It is a story with more twists and turns than you expect that comes mixing an industry that hates to change with new technology. Add in the governments of the U.S. and Japan, and it really becomes fun. Mr. Brinkley did a masterful job telling the story. This is a must read for anyone interested in television.

In the early 1980s US broadcasters faced two major headaches spawned by greed and jingoism. Their comfortable, tidy, oligopolistic-and profitable-broadcast world was about to be shaken by the digital revolution, where foes and friends were often indistinguishable. New York Times reporter and Pulitzer Prize winner Joel Brinkley takes the reader on a roller coaster through boardrooms, bureaucracy, technocracy, and hubris (individual and national) in "Defining Vision." It is a ride worth taking for broadcast students, educators, historians, and international political economists.

Represented by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), radio and television companies considered the broadcast band spectrum their personal property. This largesse suddenly came under assault from the land mobile industry that wanted more spectrum space for a variety of public interest broadcast services such as police, firefighters, ambulance, quick response units, and other emergency services. Broadcasters, too, saw a new threat from across the sea. The Japanese spent $300 million and hundreds of thousands of engineering man-hours developing high definition television (HDTV). NHK unveiled its Muse system in 1986 to US policymakers and consumers. The picture quality was superior to the current analog systems in the United Sates, and Japanese-made monitors were designed to fit the wider formatted movies without the annoying letterbox effect.

Brinkley chronicles the scrimmages involving development of HDTV in the US like a general writing his wartime memoirs-if that general had access to the thinking of his opposition, that is. First the grand alliance-RCA, Zenith, AT&T, Phillips, General Instruments and MIT-had to admit that a victory by any one of them in the costly race to develop HDTV would be a defeat for the others. They were able to convince a willing FCC Advisory Committee that cooperation was possible in building a single system. Committee chairman Richard Wiley's role in HDTV cannot be understated (and Brinkley doesn't). His single-minded pursuit of high definition television as the national (and, it turned out, international) standard most probably resulted in its acceptance.

US broadcasters had worried privately and publicly as well, that the future of television would be dictated by a consortium of Japanese electronics magnates and NHK, the world's second-largest broadcasting company. Across the Atlantic, the European Union was equally concerned, and promised up to a billion dollars to Europeans to come up for a system on its own or else adopt the Japanese HDTV, since the Americans seemed not to be players in the game as the century's ninth decade unfolded. But the European effort never got off paper. US broadcasters at first fretted about a new "yellow peril" that posed as great a threat to them as it did to the automobile industry a decade earlier. Ever opportunistic, however, broadcasters found the Japanese an unlikely ally in their fight to snatch the unused frequencies from land mobile companies. HDTV, as the Muse system showed, required additional bandwidth space. Obviously, they reasoned, Congress and the FCC could not allocate precious broadcast spectrum space to land mobile users when they, the "rightful frequency heirs," needed the frequencies for HDTV.

At the same time, MIT's Nicholas Negroponte, who Brinkley treats somewhat derisively, was telling anyone who would listen that "HDTV had to be digital," not analog, which would allow for signal compression that would fit into existing frequencies. One naysayer echoed a common broadcast engineering complaint at the time: "we will have digital HDTV when we have anti-gravitation machines." Broadcast engineers at the major manufacturers nodded in agreement: digital high definition television technologically could not be done. The NAB, in its attempt to protect its space band largesse, inadvertently kicked off a race to develop HDTV in the United States that took on the trappings of a crusade to "rescue" the future of television in the United States from the hands of foreign interests. Along the way, General Instruments research engineer Woo Paik invented digital television (because, as a non-broadcast engineer, he didn't know that "it was impossible").

HDTV uses a compressed digital broadcast signal that not only remained within a single frequency but allowed broadcasters additional capacity to sell secondary services such as pager services, email, Internet connections, digital music, and pay-per-view movies. With such an entrée to new revenue flows, the reader would be surprised to learn the depth of NAB's animus to HDTV. Simply put, broadcasters used the HDTV concept to wrest away additional public airwaves spectra and then, among themselves, grumbled that they were unwilling to invest in new high definition cameras, monitors, and other equipment that would allow them to broadcast signals in both progressive scan (favored by the computer programming and manufacturing sector) and interlaced (favored by broadcasters) modes. Another opponent of a high definition television standard was the fledgling computer manufacturing industry in the mid-1990s, which didn't want the additional expense of adding interlacing decoding to what essentially was a dedicated proscan system.

After seven years of ups and downs in a process that often threatened to sputter, splinter, and spin totally out of control, HDTV in a digital form arrived in the US shortly after Thanksgiving in 1997. Despite all predictions to the contrary, the HDTV "turkey" arrived fully stuffed with enough goodies to ease its transition into the marketplace. The result was acceptance of the Americanized international standard by the European Union and the final, if not sad, acknowledgment by NHK that its analog Muse system was outmoded before it even got much beyond a toehold in its native land.

In "Defining Vision," Brinkley has crafted a highly readable, almost techno-mystery story with well-defined characters: heroes, villains, and rascals alike. At times he seems to get into the heads of the key players, which he explains as a literary device borne from extensive interviews with the principals who told him what they were thinking at the time. The effect rounds the edges of what could have been a highly technical, heuristic, and sloggish recitation of engineering reports, public hearings, and dreary diary entries from the participants. To his credit, the author explains his process to readers in an epilogue, thus enhancing the book's credibility. Furthermore, in this paperback edition, the author has updated and expanded several sections over the hardcover version, including an appendix and FAQ that are instructional.

I work in the television broadcast industry and this is a must read if you want to learn about the origins of HDTV, the players who made HDTV a reality, and how the standards for HDTV were defined. The author is an authority on the subject and provides an excellent description of the systems, history, etc. that both technical and business professionals can understand. At my company this has become required reading. I highly recommend this book.

Tom Heaton's book is an excellent resource for Marx collectors or those who used to play with Marx toys in their childhood. It is packed with clear and colorful photos of the toys, packaging, accessories, etc...

For many years, Santa left me a Best of the West figure under the tree. Being able to flip through the pages and remember the toys and all the neat stuff they came with is a wonderful walk down memory lane.

Although I still have most of my childhood collection, they are in a terrible state of repair. It is comforting to know there are current versions being made (details in this book).

A must have addition to your library if you collect, or used to collect, Marx Action Figures.

Tom Heaton's Encyclopedia of Marx Action Figures is an invaluable tool for any Marx collector. It includes more in-depth coverage of Marx's action figures than any other book to date.

This is the most outstanding collection guide I have ever read! The author seems to have put unlimited hours into research to come up with such a thorough history of Marx action figures. The photos are fabulous! I've never seen such a variety of great pictures. This book will inspire many others to become new collectors and relive their childhood with Johnny West! A totally awesome book! Many thanks to the author, Tom Heaton, for finally putting a book like this together for us diehards! Cheri Basham

Tom helps us reclaim out youth, it is great to be able to pick this book and feel like a kid again. My 8 year daughter and I use the book for a guide as we search through the thrift stores and antique stores for the best of the west toys.

This is a must have book if you are a Marx Action Figure collector or even a fan. I have never seen so many excellent pictures that can really help a collector. Since owning this book I have used it on a daily basis.

In engineering, what in truth wins out and why?

-Nonverbal thoughts or unambiguous verbal desciptions?
-Art or science?

The answers to such questions can be found within the pages of this book. Nonverbal thoughts are a kind of art. And both of them will, based on history, win out.

Actually, seeing a vision that involves a win-win between art and science is the correct approach. To account for many current engineering fiascoes, Ferguson often sites late 1950's changes in curriculum at top universities as they chased after "science-orientated" federal funding.

Post world-war II misconceptions between what is science and what is in fact technology (art) have resulted in problematic media reports and poor federal policy. From MIT to NASA, our top technology institutes torture themselves in the name of "science." For instance: from the lunar landar to the space-shuttle, space-craft are almost pure technology (art). Naturally, current technologists need to be able to check themselves with fundamental science principles and that is a purpose of ABET B.S.-type engineering degrees.

A strange, new badge of intelligence seems to be the ability to see through all this.

This gave me a better understanding of the history of the my profession than any other book I have. It also pointed out gaps in my education which I hadn't even realized I had. All engineers should read this.

This book should be required reading for all engineers. It reviews how the art, practical and design type courses were taken out of the engineering schools in the 1950's and how those schools are now correcting the situation.

The author reviews the importance of practical experience and the ability to sketch... particularly for chief engineers.

Most impressive and perhaps most important was the panoramic history of engineering, design and creativity. The book has beautiful pictures and an extensive bibliography.

I found interesting that Leonardo's notebooks were only part of the many notebooks prepared during the Renaissance. And, that many of them copied drawings of earlier works. Lots of pictures of these notebooks are included, along with pictures of the extensive use of models (mostly fortifications) used at this time... and all the way up to WWII.

The author discusses how CAD systems really help on the productivity but include so many limiting asssumptions that they may stifle creativity. Particularly bad from the author's point of view is the over reliance on math. He points out that most engineering problems are messy, and not amenable to a clean mathematical solution. And, that we have all these younger engineers looking only for clean problems so they can put their math training to work. Unfortunately, nature is not so co-operative.

His solution: more drawing and more practical experience. For example, budding engineers should get out into the field and go see the problem, or visit other plants. They should build prototypes and learn how to operate a lathe. In this regard he likes Dutch and German engineering schools best.

This is a great book that any engineer should add to his permanent collection.

John Dunbar
Sugar Land, TX

...is more important than knowledge." This fine book examines the deep roots of this simple and wise truth. The author takes us on a journey of discovery within our [engineering] profession and shows us where we originated from, and [unfortunately] where we are headed. The author has the courage to come out and say what many, if not most, in the field of engineering would like to say, but for one reason or another have not: Academia is producing more and more clinical analysts, and less and less true engineers. He examines and clarifies the difference between the two and goes on to explain how we have arrived at this strange place so far away from the road that we should be on. He further offers some of, but certainly not all, the solutions for getting ourselves back on track as a profession.

I found this book to be wonderfully entertaining and incredibly insightful about the field(s) of engineering and how we think, communicate, advance in our profession(s). Being a graduating senior in a dying breed of EEETs at Montana State University, I have generally found the author profoundly on the mark, and recommend this book for everyone even associated with the field of engineering and most especially, the educators!

A short, nicely written book. A must read for those with an interest in history of technology, engineering or education. Time well spent for almost any intellegent reader. A lot of "bang for your buck" with this one!