Society Books

The back cover of the book has the following book review statement from John Lucey, Executive Vice President & General Manager, USFilter Engineering & Construction.

This book is a "must read" for anyone involved in implementing a GIS for a water or wastewater utility. Being the first published reference book on this topic, it would be a valuable addition to your reference library. I like the "cookbook" style of the book which is quite appropriate for utility professionals. The book is filled with numerous examples of GIS applications in the water industry that are both current and practical. The extensive listings of GIS data, software, and the Internet resources will help you to build the right kind of GIS for your system.

John Lucey, P.E.
Executive Vice President & General Manager, USFilter Engineering & Construction
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Arguably, this is the best introductory GIS and water, wastewater, stormwater book around. The material is very readable and well organized, making the book an excellent foundation for additional detailed study. The selection and organization of topics, style of presentation, emphasis and writing are excellent. Examples to reinforce concepts are also provided. For example, GIS data and software examples are presented before their applications and GIS case studies are presented before the methods are explained.

This book provides a wealth of information and resources. In addition to the examples and practical case studies, the book also provides links to web sites that offer articles, tutorials and more samples, as well as organizations that have an interest in all aspects of the GIS and water resources and water distribution networks. The book also includes an introduction to Internet GIS, GeoSpatial database tools for water resources, integration of hydrologic and hydraulic models with GIS, and several other resources. For anyone who wants a solid introduction to these topics, these chapters are a must read.

This book provides exhaustive coverage of everything you need to know in order to master the GIS applications for water related fields. The book is designed for readers of all levels from experienced GIS users to those with little or no GIS experience. It does so by providing beginners with basic underlying GIS topics, while at the same time offering experienced GIS developers detailed and exhaustive coverage of the GIS tools for water, wastewater and stormwater systems.

By simply flipping through the pages of this book, it becomes evident that an enormous amount of time and effort went into it. It offers the same high quality and detailed coverage that you would find in most college level academic books. In fact, this book is written using the recommendations of the Accreditation of the American Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) and ASCE's Excellence in Civil Engineering program.

The book is so diverse to cover many topics and yet all written comprehensively for each topics. You get real-world experience with the tools and case studies presented in this book, such that you might use in a job somewhere.

I recommend this book to any water professional or civil engineer that deals with everyday GIS. An excellent job of expository writing and worth every nickel you pay for it.

Chapter 1. GIS Basics
Chapter 2. GIS Development Software
Chapter 3. GIS Applications Software
Chapter 4. GIS Data
Chapter 5. Internet GIS
Chapter 6. GIS Database Design
Chapter 7. Modeling Integration
Chapter 8. Water System Applications
Chapter 9. Wastewater System Applications
Chapter 10. Stormwater System Applications
Chapter 11. Case Studies
Chapter 12. GIS Resources
Appendix A. Acronyms
Appendix B. Glossary
Appendix C. Conversion Factors
Appendix D. Notations

References
Index

GIS Tools for Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater Systems
By U.M.Shamsi

Abstract

Data and software are the two most important tools for developing GIS applications. GIS Tools for Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater Systems presents a step-by-step approach covering GIS application case studies, examples, and costs associated with hardware, software, data conversion, and implementation. It addresses a broad range of GIS issues, from basic definitions to specific applications, teaching how to utilize GIS tools and implement them in a practical and cost-effective manner in the fields of water, wastewater, and stormwater management. Written in textbook format with stylistic focus on the inductive presentation of examples before principles, this book provides state-of-the-art information about the tools required to develop GIS applications for water, wastewater, and stormwater systems. This book is geared for any professional involved in the management and operation of water, wastewater, and stormwater systems, as well as civil and environmental project engineers and project managers. With a substantial amount of pictures, diagrams, graphs, and illustrations, this book is also suitable for use in the classroom. Each chapter begins with learning objectives, and ends with a chapter summary and practice problems that can be used as assignments for the student.

Crichton Miller is a man on a mission. His mission is, in my humble opinion, far more important than the Victorian search for the source of the Nile or the 60's race for space. It is more extravagant than the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb and in my mind of more archaeological, scientific and historical importance than just about anything else you care to mention.

To comprehend why I say this we need to just consider a few points. Firstly, how many of us agree that our Mother Earth is warming? How many of us are aware over the short lifetimes that we have had so far that the climate has been altering year after year? I know for myself, living in middle England that we no longer have the snowstorms I knew as a child; that Autumn is moving into Winter; Spring is coming sooner and Summer is stretching itself out like a lazy lion in the Sahara. In other parts of the globe huge waves crash onto idyllic shores and destroy the lives of thousands of humans; whirling tornadoes break and batter whole States in America and ice mountains the size of Ben Nevis collapse and crumble into the warming waters. There is one thing that is sure - the world is changing around us as we live and breath. Whether you believe this change is man-made or by the power of the solar Father in the sky; whether you think the leaders of political parties and corporate empires are making the destruction of the world a reality or it is simply a cycle of nature - one thing overrides the argument - we cannot escape it now.

And so, what to do, where to go, to whom do we turn? What will you hide away in your secure dug-out? Will you hoard tinned food and a tin opener? Or bottled water? And when they run out, what then? How will you hunt for food then? Should you carry a gun? And where will you get the bullets when all the shops have been removed by that passing ice-flow?

You will need to travel. You will need to move fast and over long distances. You will need to know the weather cycles and the times of year and you will need to know your way around. How are you going to do this?

You see what Crichton has stumbled upon may seem on first viewing to be fairly mundane. But, the closer you look and the more you find out, the more you become consumed in the intricacies, both exoteric and esoteric, of the workings of the artefact and the universe in general. This incredible discovery will one day change the world and help mankind to grow strong again. When we find ourselves in the stark reality of a nuclear winter; a solar consumed desert; a frozen wasteland - then and probably only then, will mankind remember this fight of Crichton Miller's to make known the secret tool of the ancients. The reason is quite simple. Only by using this device, which requires no electricity, gas, petrol or any power at all will we then, be able to discover where and when we are. This may seem incredibly trivial to us now, but imagine standing in the middle of a barren landscape of brilliant snow or sand and needing to find your way home. How will you do this without your GPS? A compass only points north and there are two issues with this. Firstly north may move magnetically, and this will cause chaos as we are already discovering with our modern electromagnetic systems. And secondly the compass cannot tell you the time of day, month or year. The wonderful Celtic Cross that Crichton re-discovered is all any future survivor will need.

Read this book, keep it close to your heart; understand the workings of this cross, because one day, it may save your life. If you value your children's or grandchildren's lives then pass on the information and knowledge of the stars, let it be locked in their young minds and hearts. The future of humanity may again depend upon the wisdom of the ancients, who kept this knowledge for us locked subtly away. Crichton has re-discovered the incredible science and simplicity of our ancestors who too needed to escape the oncoming deluge over 12000 years ago. Did mankind recover again because he had the cross?

I thought I would never hear myself say this to anybody - but take up the cross, it may very well be your saviour.

Philip Gardiner, England, 2005.

This book starts out slow, but it has to, there is a lot of ground to cover.What is covered is simply a rather complete discussion of celestial navigation through time. And how that clear , simple and concise system was somehow lost to us. The Cross of Thoth is easier to use than an Octant, Sextant, or most other devices of navigation. Its existense adds more possibilities to the argument that global exploration occured at a far earlier age and with better or at least equal instruments to the best we have today. In any event certainly adequate for world wide travel. The argument presented in the book as to the determinaiton of longitude is hardly new, and fraught with danger of mistake, but possible, if excercised with great care. I ordered the DVD too and enjoyed it. it allows me to share the concepts with others while we watch the DVD at the same time. Read this book and discussions on plasma and electromagnetic energy dominating Interstellar spacethe "Electric Universe" and you will waste not a moment more on anything a modern astronomer has to say. This book is THAT seminal in importance to an understanding of the intersection of religion, science, and navigation and a host of other branches of knowledge. A lot of "Ah ha's" happen while reading this book.

If you are truly interested in understanding ancient man and ancient cultures read this book. The fact that this man actually figured out the Celtic Cross is just the proof we need that our ancestors weren't as ignorant as most modern people like to believe.

Leaves the pack of speculative ancient history works in the dust. Reveals how prehistoric global navigation was possible by means of primitive yet precise astronomical instruments. How archaeoastronomical sites (cosmic clocks), like Stonehenge and the Pyramids, were part of a universal time-keeping network. How lost ancient knowledge probably begat modern religious systems. Religious symbols (Christian & Celtic crosses) look remarkably similar to scientific instruments (Mariner's Astrolabe & astronomer's Cross-staff). In other words, studying the stars most likely degenerated into worshipping the heavens. Also worth reading: 'Christ Conspiracy' and 'Brotherhood of the Sun'.

We have tried about 8 recipes so far in this cookbook, and to my surprise, they have all be excellent. In addition to healthy, they are very easy to make, and it's amazing how simple it is to change up a few things to make a normal dish even healthier.

I found out about this book when I was googling for a "greek chicken" recipe. It looked interesting so I got the book out of the library. It is so fantastic - SO many recipes are very appealing and it is very well written. I'm placing my order today. I have lots of cookbooks and love getting recipes off the web but can totally see this book becoming my "go to" source for most meals.

Healthy Eating can prevent cancer deaths, which is why the American Cancer Society is involved with the publication of The Great American Eat-Right Cookbook, a gathering of over a hundred tasty recipes paired with color photos. From Poached Salmon with Mango Salsa to Pepperonhi Tortilla Piza and Mushroom-Barley Soup, the collection surveys the basic elements of healthy eating, then provides jazzy, innovative new dishes to support healthier habits. Any general-interest collection strong in cookbooks and health will want this.

I can't say enough about this new healthy cookbook. The instructions are clear, the recipes are easy, and the results are amazing! I particularly like that the book lays flat--so I can keep it open while I'm cooking. And the bottom line is, I can put great tasting, healthy food on the table for my husband and children--without them suspecting that it's healthy for them. My goodness, even the french fries recipe is better than anything you'll find in a bag! Anyone who can make-over a french fry is tops in my book!

I had never tried rattatouille--or however you spell that--but the movie inspired me to try it. And all I can say is WOW!!!

Beautifully photographed with interesting history on the diversity of Texas homes, this book details the unique blend of European sophistication and "homegrown" design that combined to create a truly unique architecture. This book makes a wonderful gift for any favorite Texan.

Great Houses of Texas would be appreciated by anyone with an interest in great architecture as exhibited in this book. Many of the houses included are well known, but some are hardly known at all. O'Neill Ford's house for the Steves family should have been included, in San Antonio. Its omission is my only disappointment in the book. The text is adequate though not extensive and the photographs, alone, are worth the price of the book. I know of only one other book on this subject, and that was written years ago, so such a book is long past due! Lee Govatos

Though some readers may quibble over the title of this book, it is clear that the book is focussed on the greatest houses still occupied in Texas. This is a subtle but important distinction. The houses shown are not dead great houses, of which there are many in Texas and many of which are greatly admired; Germany instead has focussed on private homes occupied by individuals. With that in mind, it is a fascinating read.

There are many things to admire about this book, the images are well presented, the text is informative and overall I liked it, but WHO selected these houses. The book should have been titled, some great and not so great houses in Texas. How could you write a book about Great Houses in Texas and not include the Sealy House in Galveston, the only McKim Mead and White house in the South, or the most famous house in the state, the Bishops Palace in Galveston, or not include Bayou Bend!!! or the McFaddin Mansion in Beaumont, a house that is considered by architecture scholars to be the best example in Colonial Beaux Art in America..it's just incredulous. Many of the houses selected were great, such as the mansion at Kings Ranch which graces the cover and leads you to believe all the houses in the book will be to this standard and they unforunitely are not...the Crespi House in dallas by Maurice Fatio is great as well as is the Bass House in Ft. Worth, as well as the Pease House in Austin, but many just leave you thinking..WHAT!..Im from Texas and am very familar with the grand houses in the state, so I shocked to see some of the most famous houses in the state not present in this book. This is not a bad book, I give it four stars, but it could have been great..too bad whomever selected the houses for this book, was not as thorough as they should have been, nice book, but a disappointment to those of us familiar with the truely great houses of this singular state.

The preparation of a modern lexicon dedicated to the vocabulary of the LXX is most welcome. Yes, one can find all the words in the unabridged Liddell & Scott, but the latter volume is not very portable, and it has far more information than a reader of the LXX will need.

A more important difference, though, is that the present volume addresses many matters of lexical meaning that are peculiar to the LXX. Many senses given are followed by verse references. An exceptionally helpful feature, and one which I am sure took much time to develop, is the inclusion of hypotheses about how certain odd-looking translations in Greek may have been derived from the Hebrew text. This may be due to a different assumed voweling, a slightly different consonantal text or a simple misunderstanding by the Greek translators.

Words unique to the LXX and literature based on it are marked, as are words found in the NT. Corrections to Rahlf's edition of the LXX, to which this is a companion volume, are also indicated.

While my overall impression of this volume is very good, there are a few desiderata I have for a subsequent edition:

1. Many of the translations are rather old-fashioned, and some are positively obsolete. I burst out laughing when I found "conjure" as the translation of *exorkizo*, which means 'to put under oath'. The fact that this gloss is found in Liddell & Scott suggests that the authors depended too much on its quaint 19th-century and earlier vocabulary, rather than giving modern English equivalents in all cases.

2. Occasionally an additional gloss is needed. For example, *elegcw* (elenkho) needs the gloss 'to prove to be' for Wisdom 2:11.

3. This lexicon has extremely few cross-references for unexpected or irregular forms. A few more would be highly desirable as an aid to students. Among them are *arnos* referring to *amnos* 'lamb, sheep' and *qhmwnia* (themonia) referring to *qimwnia* (thimonia) 'heap'.

This is the companion to Stuttgarts Septuaginta. It is an excellent lexicon. It has the highest quality Greek font. It is very informitive. And is nicely bound. Another fine book out of Stuttgart, made like books used to be made. Thank God for such gifts to man!

The LXX is a unique body of literature. When the Jewish scholars translated their Scriptures into Greek (c. 350-250 B.C.), they had to utilize existing Greek vocabulary, and assign to it Hebrew religious concepts. In doing so, they sometimes influenced the understanding of that Greek vocabulary for their readers. In other words, the meaning of a Greek word in Thucydides/Plato may not match the way the word is used in the LXX. Therefore, the generally excellent Liddell-Scott should be supplemented with this exquisitely produced volume. I can not say enough positive about the printing and binding standards of the German Bible Society. Most lexicons are a pain on the eyes, but this one is a joy to use.

I do not regularly read the Septuagint, but there are times when a passage from it is helpful for work in the New Testament. At such times the last thing one wants is to encounter an unfamiliar vocable or a vocable that has a twist in meaning different from the usual New Testament meaning. Such words are not likely to be found in other Greek lexicons. For such times this work is very helpful. It is not exactly a concordance to the Septuagint, but does give several passages where the word is used, sometimes indicating the list is complete for all occurences. It is spendy, but a very good resource. Put it on a wish list and wait for someone to buy it for you.

I am in 7th grade and read this book for a project. A friend suggested it to me and I was not sure I was going to like it. I read the first few pages and it started to draw me in.

It shows a strong relationship between a man who dies and his old faithful companion.

Great! I highly reccomend it for any age!

And if you can understand that bit of Old Scottish then this book is definitely for you.

We all know the gist: a dog sits on his Master's grave for many years, becoming so well known that the Edinburgh authorities built a statue of the canny wee beastie.

What is most impressive is the author's magnificent depiction of Bobby's understanding. Eleanor Atkinson is a master of the plausible and has us believe Bobby can understand English (or rather Scottish) by the tone and the mentioning of names by the speaker. Bobby's actions are always totally in keeping with the actions of a very intelligent dog rather than the actions of a human. The reader is never left thinking "Are you sure?" with any of Bobby's antics but is more inclined to applaud.

Another amazing fact of the story is Atkinson's very evocative depiction of Edinburgh in the 1860's, especially considering she had never been there. I will however have to grumble slightly at the language she uses for the characters. Authentic as I am sure it is, it is still a real struggle to muddle through, and it is intensely annoying to have to skip to the mini dictionary at the back of the book all the time.

As I say, a slight grumble on what is otherwise an enchanting read on the devotion and initiative of a legendary little dog. I strongly recommend anyone with a dog, an interest in Auld Sotland or a need for a lift, to have a read. It's lovely.

I don't know if it is possible to be too old to enjoy this book. It is written in the manner of Dickens' Christmas Carol with something of Oliver Twist thrown in. If you can read this story without shedding a tear or two, there must be something missing inside of you. The Scottish dialect is a wee bit of a struggle but the experience is more than worth the effort. Try not to read it too rapidly.

I recently read the book, and it is one of the best dog stories that I have read. It shows the value of relationships between a dog and its master, and what it means to be a friend to a dog and to your neighbors.

I would highly recommend it to anybody 8 years an up.

I never tire of looking through my Growing Fruit book, and find endless new things about fruit everytime I do read it. The subject is fascinating and the drawings well executed. I work in a garden nursery, am a horticulture student, and have a small garden of my own; helping customers with their fruit tree problems and small garden fruit needs is one of my tasks. Some people are looking at fruit trees for their smaller gardens, having never been able to consider them before due to size issues and the like. This is a small career investment I am glad I made.

I am very glad I purchased this book before I started planting my fruit trees. I did not realize what needed to be done, for best results, before the trees were planted. I also got a better idea of the size fruit trees I needed for our use. The book is very informative. I look forward to studying it during the summer and, hopefully, starting the planting of trees in late fall when everything is prepared. It is a little complicated to follow and I found I needed real quiet to get the details lined out. I had to take many notes in order get everything into a easy format to follow.

I have an extensive home orchard with 56 trees (18 varietals) of fruit and nut trees. This little volume covered everything I needed in a short, erudite and amazingly well-detailed volume. I live in the Southeastern US and this book was spot on everything from blueberries to stone fruits and pears and apples, (not to mention Walnuts and Filberts). It covers everything from soil preparation, pruning, fertilization, pests and diseases, propagation, healing-in, ad infinitum. I have nearly every book available on fruit and nut production for the home orchard. This is the best one I own by leaps and bounds.

This is an informative book without being boring. Lots of diagrams. The book is laid out well and it's easy to find the information.

This book is written by Swamiji who himself is on the path of devotion from a very long time. This book is really good for the aspirants on the path of shaktipat. The book explains the topic to them in a very simple manner. Please also read the book by Swamiji;s Guru Swami Vishnu Tirtha Maharaj. But, this book will require a very good technical understanding on the subject and a very serious aspirant must read this book. What else?

This small book is an authentic commentry on shaktipat written by the greatest master of this century. You feel the energy while reading & it motivates you to learn more on this mystical subject. Written in simple language by the great great master.

His Holiness Srimat Swami Shivom Tirthji Maharaj answers popular questions asked by aspirants regarding the path of Kundalini Maha Yoga. The book is an indispensable aid to understanding the process of shaktipat diksha. It sheds light on the prerequisites; describes the different levels of diksha; explains the relationship of maha yoga to other yogic paths, scriptures,etc. An ideal introduction to the yoga of total surrender to the Divine Power. A Guide to Shaktipat is truly a blessing for sincere seekers. Also see Devatma Shakti by His Holiness Srimat Swami Vishnu Tirthji Maharaj.

It iswell written and the basic philosophy behind Kundalini is well explained in simple language (specially for the people who are not exposed to spiritual literature much).

Good up to date information and give a good overview, very useful for control and System professionals and students in the process control field.

If you're working anywhere in the field of automation, you need this reference: it's the updated second edition of the popular Guide to the Automation Body of Knowledge, and it packs in writings from nearly thirty leading experts in the field on such diverse subjects as control system documentation, motion control pros and cons, system and network security issues, and more. Students seeking to pass the CAP exam as well as field engineers will find it an essential reference filled with discussions linked to real-life needs and situations.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

The term "automation" includes all topics that have traditionally been identified as instrumentation, process control, and system integration, for example. Automation professionals are those individuals who are responsible for the direction, design, and deployment of systems and equipment for manufacturing and control systems. This book emerged from the work to develop ISA's Certified Automation Professional (CAP) program. However, it should be beneficial to more than those that wish to pass the CAP exam. While this book attempts to cover all of the topics in the scope of the CAP exam, many CAP exam questions will not be covered in this book since CAP questions can be drawn from any book or referred paper in automation. Still a good knowledge of the material in this book should be very helpful in preparing for the CAP exam. Since there are only approximately 13 pages per subject, you may need to go to one of the listed references in a particular section to get a more complete understanding of that topic. Also, note that this book reads more like a reference book than a textbook with lots of densely packed information. The table of contents is listed below:

Part 1 - BASIC CONTINUOUS CONTROL
1. Process Instrumentation
2. Analytical Instrumentation
3. Continuous Control
4. Control Valves
5. Analog Communications
6. Control System Documentation
7. Control Equipment

Part 2 - BASIC DISCRETE, SEQUENCING, AND MANUFACTURING CONTROL
8. Discrete Input and Output Devices and General Manufacturing Measurements
9. Discrete and Sequencing Control
10. Motor and Drive Control
11. Motion Control

Part 3 - ADVANCED CONTROL TOPICS
12. Process Modeling
13. Advanced Process Control
14. Control of Batch Processes
15. Environmental
16. Building Automation

Part 4 - RELIABILITY, SAFETY, AND ELECTRICAL
17. Alarm Management
18. Reliability
19. Process Safety and Safety Instrumented Systems
20. Electrical Installations
21. Safe Use and Application of Electrical Apparatus

Part 5 - INTEGRATION AND SOFTWARE
22. Digital Communications
23. Industrial Networks
24. Manufacturing Execution Systems and Business Integration
25. System and Network Security
26. Operator Interface
27. Data Management
28. Software

PART 6 - DEPLOYMENT AND MAINTENANCE
29. Operator Training
30. Checkout, System Testing, and Startup
31. Troubleshooting
32. Maintenance, Long Term Support, and System Management

PART 7 - WORK STRUCTURE
33. Automation Benefits and Project Justifications
34. Project Management and Execution
35. Interpersonal Skills

In the few months since the release of the first edition of this book it has become a standard overview of the field. 'Overview' because this is a brief introduction to virtually all of the subjects which when lumped together can be called automation.

The subjects covered include instrumentation, process control, motors, process modeling, reliability, safety, and of course a great deal about computer controls. In the computer area (about 40% of the book), the subjects include networks, security, operator interfaces, data management, software, operator training, troubleshooting and more.

This book is intended for use by automation professionals, academicians either for their own knowledge or for teaching, and is probably the best single source to use in preparing for the ISA Certified Automation Professional (CAP) exam.

Because of the large number of subjects covered and the depth given to each subject (which is not to say that if you want to go further you wouldn't find whole books on each of these subjects) the individual chapters are written by an expert in that particular field.

In the short time that this book has been available, it has become the standard in the field. I know of no other book that goes into as many different subject areas in automation with as much depth as this one.

OK, I'm not into woodworking or wood collecting; I'm just interested in, fascinated by all those wonderful woods out there. Enter this book. Anything I want to know about a particular wood?? Well, here it is in this book--or at least a good start on it. The only thing I can compare it to is the Peattie books Natural history of Western Trees and Natural History of Eastern Trees. Those too I would just sit down and read--just because they were interesting. This is just a WAY cool book for anyone interested in wood.

After listening to me grumble that I couldn't always tell what exotic aw lumber looks like when finished, the shop manager told me to get a copy of this book. Actually, he ordered me to get the book, since, like most novices, I pestered him incessantly. As usual, he was right.

The meat of this book is a set of 279 two-page descriptions of each wood. The information inclides scientific name, family, distribution, a description of the tree, a description of the lumber, seasoning information, durability, workability, possible uses, supply availability, a photomicrograph, and a photo of the naturally finished wood. Quite a lot more than the average craftsperson might need, but enough to make this a useful volume to a wide audience.

Indexes are provided by common names, family name, and scientific name. I wish their were a few more permutations (I would have liked a listing by geographical sources, having once wanted to know what the native Japanese wodds were. But really, the book has proved most useful as a reference when I am wondering through an exotic wood stash, or evaluating a particular wood for one purpose or another.

It's a very plain spoken volume - just a presentation of the facts in an easily accessible format. An appendix I found particularly interesting discussed wood toxicity (walnut dust drives me crazy). Unfortunately it really only brushes the surface. If you stick to only a few known woods, this book isn't for you, but if you like to explore possibilities than you will indeed find this a useful volume.

279 woods each on 2 pages with ample information, 2 x 3.25 inch photos of the wood, a 1.25 x 2 inch micrographs for identification, and line drawings of leaves and any fruit. I don't see what else a person could want with the exception of more woods covered. Is there ever enough wood? This book is also blessed by the International Wood Collectors Society, a meticulous bunch. This volume is a good size, not too big or too heavy (yet). Maybe there will be a second volume. Hope so.

As far as I could tell the only other book that competes with this book is "World Woods in Color". I had the chance to compare the two side by side and here is my take:

The two books are very similar in many ways. They both include about the same number of woods (around 280) and they both have roughly the same sort of information about the woods. Of course 280 is a tiny number compared to the number of woods in the world, but as far as I can tell these books seem to be about the best there is in print on the subject, and these books do probably cover most the woods one can get on the retail market here in the US.

In any case, the small distinctions I noticed between theset two books were:

"Useful Woods" is organized by scientific name, which means that for most of us to find a particular wood we have to start at the index. "World Woods" is alphabetical by common name, which is easier unless you know the wood by a name other than what the authors considered to be the most common name.

"Useful Woods" is published by the International Wood Collectors Society and this orientation is apparent in the text. There is information such as the origins of the scientific names, and the sources for small samples, which most woodworkers are not likely to care much about, although it is interesting on occasion to read this information.

The color pictures of the woods in "World Woods" are larger but the pictures in "Useful Woods" are plenty large enough for me (2" x 3"). "Useful Woods" includes black and white end-grain pictures, which are useful for identification of an unknown sample. Single pictures are always hard when one is trying to capture something as variable as wood and so it's not surprising that some pictures are better than others. For example, the pictures of Lacewood in both books completely fail to capture the amazing grain of that wood, however, I thought that most of the pictures where pretty good in both books overall.

On average "World Woods" probably includes just a little bit more information on the working qualities of most woods but both books are somewhat thin in this area, at least from a woodworker's perspective.

"Useful Woods" was written in the US where "World Woods" was written in England. This shows in a number of areas, the most important of which are the woods included and the availability information about the woods. This was the final deciding point for me. I figured that everything else being about equal, which I judged it to be, it made more sense for me to get a book that focused on the woods I can get here in the US and that gives me availability information that is focused on the US Market.

So, I went ahead and bought "A Guide to Useful Woods of the World" and so far I'm happy with my choice.