Simulation Books

It is difficult to read this book and not catch the bug of biologically inspired computing. It is fascinating, inspiring and comprehensive (even my dad read it). It clearly makes the point that by understanding the way nature solves its problems we have discovered a whole new class of computation.

The book takes you smoothly through the basic domains of biologically inspired computing. Starting with the definition of a digital universe (that makes you think twice about our own), it introduces evolutionary computation, neural networks, ant colonies, artificial immune systems and other fascinating computational metaphors. It explains their foundations and underlying theories and describes their practical applications.

My only complaint: there are no references to scientific papers. The motivated reader will have to spent some time searching the web for further reading, other than the books included in the bibliography.

I've got to say that I thought this was a wonderful book. An absolutely fascinating overview of a new and developing field of science. Nicely laid out, elegantly written, very "easy style", lots of detailed material is covered for each of the areas the author touches on, so you get depth aswell as the overview. The author presents some very interesting perspectives on existing ideas about biology and machines. Useful notes at the end and the further reading section is good.

Rather than be another "here is the future" book by yet another science journalist, this is a book with its feet very much in the present and written by a scientist who is active in the field (rather than a journalist). Do not be alarmed! This guy writes well. I'm not going to say it's a one- sitting read (because that would just make me too much of a techno-nerd), however it's definitely a page-turner.

In terms of books available, I think that there is presently only one other non text-book that takes an overview of this field (Moshe Sipper - Machine Nature), though I'm sure there are gonna be a lot more before too long . If you want 2 books - buy both. If you just want the one - I thought Peter Bentley's had detail aswell as breadth whereas Moshe Sippers, whilst still a very good book, stayed more at an overview level.

This book did not deliver what I was expecting. I thought there would be detailed examples of the use of biological concepts in computing. Unfortunately I was very wrong.

There are some examples, however they are very vague with little or no detail. Frequently the author asserts a technique has too many applications to go into in any detail without boring the reader. Next he proceeds to rattle off a dozen vague applications such as scheduling, optimization, etc. without giving enough information about the application to be useful.

The center of the book contains a number of pictures that are the result of one technique or another. Unfortunately he does not elaborate on how any of them were created. I enjoyed seeing the coffee table his computer designed. Unfortunately the only explaination he gave on how the program worked was something to the effect that it was complicated. A bit more detail or perhaps even code would have been much better.

Beyond my perceived technical shortcomings, the author's style did not appeal to me. For example he wrote a fairly detailed account of what it might be like (as though a virus could think) to be a virus invading a host. Perhaps this was an attempt to engage the readers' imaginations. If so, the effect was wasted on this reader.

Two stars seemed right as there are worse books in the world. However I doubt most people would gain much from reading it.

I agree with other reviewers of this book who say that it doesn't deal with any of its topics deeply (as the author says in the book, it's just a summary of conversations he had with the scientists he gives all of about half a page to each, and material he found on the Internet) and that the writing is just a shade above mediocre. The author isn't a bad writer, necessarily, he's just very inconsistent. If he stuck with facts instead of pretending to be a fiction or magazine writer, he'd do well. Also, if he stuck with a British voice and didn't cater to Americans, that would be a good move. If you want to tailor your writing to an American audience, fine--do that and don't make a point of it. Otherwise, stick with your native tendencies, as it tends to make the book more readable.

This book is just ok. A few parts were downright painful, but mainly just because of the writing. The content was never painful, just boring in many places. For anybody with a background in complex adaptive systems, current computer science research, or any of the in vogue areas like network theory or chaos, this book can easily be put aside for others. If you're a layperson just looking for an introduction to the research being done connecting computers and biology, this book might be good. For serious readers, there are better books like 'At Home in the Universe' by Stuart Kauffman (excellent) and 'Complexity' by Mitchell Waldrop (also excellent). Those books are much older, but much more thought-provoking and well-written. They may not cover some of the newest research, but this book covers everything with such lack of depth you won't really get anything more out of reading it.

In short: not a bad book, but could have been much better in writing and content, and serious readers would do better elsewhere.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Since reading it, I have refocused most of my spare time into studying artificial life, microcosms, complexity, bottom-up organization, etc...
If you have a computer science or programming background you will find the first chapter boring. Everything else is golden!

I previously read Deborah Gordon's book about the social behavior of ants. And, I'm currently reading "Emergence" (Stephen Johnson). Next on the list is "Turtles, Termites and Traffic Jams" (Resnick).

My husband is an "old" Brooklyn Dodger fan who loves everything Roger Kahn writes, so I thought this was the perfect Christmas gift...until he opened it and told me he had already read it!!! I was disappointed until he told me he had read it a couple of years ago and would read it again because he enjoyed it so much the first time. Christmas saved.

I got this for my husband who only reads sports books and mostly baseball at that. He said he hadn't liked other books by this author but proceeded to plow through this book and really enjoyed it. I picked it because it featured some stories about Willie Mays - his all time favorite.
I'd say give it a try for your sports/baseball fan.

Roger Kahn has written numerous books (according to his most recent offering "Beyond the Boys of Summer" he has written nineteen). Seemingly all of them have been praised and this one is no exception. Being a huge baseball (in particular the Yankees) fan and student of the game's history, this book is fantastic. Kahn brilliantly weaves his personal history in with the year-by-year accounts of baseball in New York. In the book, he claims The Era of 1947-1957 is the greatest in baseball history. While that can be debated, there is no denying that his expansive knowledge of this time greatly aids the book. The antics of Leo Durocher and Casey Stengel are featured prominently, as is the struggle of Jackie Robinson to gain acceptance among his peers and fans. The paperback features a brief four-page afterword discussing what has happened in baseball since the book's release in 1993. Overall, a great read and highly recommended.

The Era is a wonderfully written account of New York's three baseball teams from 1947-1957. It provides strong coverage of that period's most important events and puts you into a box seat (no skyboxes then) for the most thrilling moments of that decade. Even though you know the outcome of the games, Kahn's writing leaves you on the edge of your seat.

In short, Kahn provides a strong narrative of the period's most important events and portraits of its most important personalities, but is uneven when recounting the seasons the book purports to cover.

Kahn is strongest on a few topics, such as Jackie Robinson's historic entry into the game and the abuse he suffered at the hands of many players, particularly those from the South. He pulls no punches, and clearly rebuts attempts at revisionism by those now rightfully embarrased by their conduct at the time. His portraits of Branch Rickey, Walter O'Malley, Leo Durocher and Casey Stengal are vivid and illuminating.

On the down side, much is missing from The Era, even given its confines to New York's teams. Kahn provides strong coverage of the 1947, 1948 and the 1949 seasons, but then skims quickly from 1950-1957, providing only the briefest summaries of the seasons and then short accounts of the World Series. He slows down during the 50s only to (brilliantly) tell the story of how Walter O'Malley obtained control of the Dodgers and then removed them to LA, forever breaking the hearts of Brooklynites.

Another minus is his occassional asides into the era's politics. While occasionally relevant on issues such as race, his comments on foreign affairs are totally out of place and add nothing to the narrative.

All told, however, The Era is a wonderful book that you'll read quickly and put down wanting more.

THE ERA is Roger Kahn's anecdotal, witty and exceptionally readable retelling of the eleven baseball seasons between 1947 and 1957 (also known as "The Glory Days") when baseball was preeminently the National Pastime, and New York City was the capital of the baseball universe.

Kahn, an ultimate baseball insider, covered all three New York area ballclubs for various publications during The Era, and knew most of the participants personally. In THE ERA he avoids the deification of ballplayers that was so common in the contemporary press, bringing these men into realistic focus. By so doing, he reduces some giants to the stature of ordinary men and creates giants out of pygmies. Carl Erskine of the Brooklyn Dodgers has said that, "baseball is a reflection of society," and never was this more true than during The Era, when baseball became the cutting edge of an increasingly powerful trend toward liberalism (the signing of Jackie Robinson), a battleground of the conservative ethos (the suspension of Leo Durocher), and a stage play wherein a small army of more talented and less talented heroes, scoundrels, clowns, jerks and geniuses helped create the national mood against a backdrop of increasing prosperity, Cold War paranoia, and tectonic sociological change.

Although THE ERA is ostensibly about the rivalry between the Brooklyn Dodgers, the New York Giants, and the New York Yankees, it is really about so much more. It is about the "good old days" when things perhaps were not so good as we recall and far newer than we remember. THE ERA is a time-travel visit to the world of the Eisenhower Baby, the first world many of us remember. So return with Roger Kahn to those thrilling days of yesteryear, the Spoiled Bratdom of America.

The guide has much useful information for newbies, but Mr. Chiu should leave the humor to someone else. He constantly tries to make jokes (perhaps the editor said "Keep it light") and he is not funny. This book is okay, especially if it's just one book in your aviation library, but there are other, better guides out there.

Since the Help files on FS98 can be confusing and at times hard to access, This book is extremely useful. Hardly a session with FS98 goes by without me refering to this volumn. It is a great guide to anyone starting out with this program, or experienced users who want the occaisional reference. The only thing I was disappointed in was the fact that this book had very little info about about the technical aspects of the program. In particular I expected to see a chapter or two about downloading and loading add-ons from the internet (planes, scenary etc..). However, this is minor. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a good guide to FS98.

Flight Simulator 98 came with a booklet with airport maps and that is all. As a newcomer, I wish this book had been in the box. I tried for several hours to land at the designated runway and always failed and so sought a manual. INSIDE MOVES is a good one. It first explains the program; its drop down menus, options, preference settings, etc. Next the language and conventions of flying, planes, and airports are covered. The instrument cluster is explained next, along with the variations for the different aircraft. I suppose the first areas might be considered ground school because the author takes you through these topics before he puts you in the cockpit on the runway; the next section. From normal flying procedures you are taken through emergency situations, flight planning, navigation, and finally some stunt flying.

I recommend this manual to Flight Simulator newbies like myself, experienced users might try Kiang's book. I give the book four stars. The book is well written and illustrated but the index could be improved. If you want to find the page describing how to use the localizer on the Boeing 737, you'll have to thumb through the pages some.

An excellent book for people who don't want to read the help files. All major topics have been covered, including Ground School, Flying Techniques, and Aerobactical moves. Also, don't forget - if you buy the book before April ends, you can get a $5 rebate on the book. Go to Microsot's website to print the coupon. CONSIDER THIS BOOK YOUR CO-PILOT !!

This book, which I refer to as my perfect Co-Pilot, really helped me in the early stages when I first got the game. It tought me about all the radio communications, (ie. VOR, MAV1, NAV2), and how to use all the proper flight instruments. Needless to say, I currently go onto the web every night and play with my online buds. This book is a MUST GET!! for all you veterens and newbies.

Great photos and a wonderful introduction about the creator of these "dollhouse crimes," Frances Glessner Lee. The book is full of wonderful photos of the crime scenes Glessner Lee created as well as background about the crimes she recreated. Facinating and beautiful despite its macabre subject matter.

I got this for my sister-in-law and she said it was really cool but she would have liked more text--more information on the background crimes and their outcomes.

The book is a by far the best in Miniature Studies,Today April,13,2005,my friend Dan and I saw the photo's related to the book and Frances Glessner Lee's,historical items related to her life at the Glessner House In Chicago
1800 Prairie Ave,the home she grew up in,Buy This Book and you can explore the world of a CSI,but only through the eyes of the Miniature World Of Ms. Lee
Bloodstains and more........Dominick Manella, Miniature Room Creator

Had I seen this book in a store I wouldn't have gotten it primarily because I'm into dollhousing & am used to seeing excellent photography. The majority of the photographs in this book is very poor. There is a close up shot of a table with lots of clues on it but the photo is so blurry that you can't tell what most of the items are. Its a real shame too because they make cameras just for miniatures & those of you who are familiar with the quality photos in "Miniature Collector" & "Dollhouse Miniatures" magazines would recognize just how poor they are. Also because Mrs. Lee was very talented & it would have been a great pleasure to have seen her work photographed clearly.

For the mystery minded, the book offers clues along with the bad photos but does not solve the mysteries.
I would suggest that you go & look at it in a bookstore before you decide to buy it. You just might save yourself some money.

I loved this book all except the fact they didn't tell you the answers to the death riddles and yes they do have them. Darn now I have to become a law enforcement agent to find out.

This is a very good book as explained by other reviewers. However, I
cannot give it five stars for the following reasons
1) It has what I believe is a serious error, in a crucial part. The first
equation on page 157 is the first step to explain why the spark-gap
transmitter scatter electromagnetic energy all across the spectrum.
However, it does not make sense to me. Perhaps I misunderstood the explanation of the spark gap oscillator given in figure 4.3 on page 45. If I understood correctly the "spark gap" oscillators there are four times are involved. The most important is the time interval T that is mechanically given by relay r. It is the interval during which relay r , opens, closes and then opens again.
This time interval is the period of the signal but should not be in the
equation on page 157. If asked, I can send a PDF file of the correct
equation by e-mail
2)The comments about science-fiction films, scattered thru out the book,
are a bit annoying. Of course, you can skip those comments easily, but
they are annoying anyway.

This is a great history book but not a matlab book. Yes it is interesting and well written but I am almost through the first hundred pages and I will read no more. The math I found so far is thrown out without explanation. I skimmed through the book and found only one or two matlab examples. I thought from the title, that each step along the way to the development of radio would be given an example to enter into matlab so I could understand mathematically what was going on. The introduction says that any 2nd year student could use this book as long as they have had calculus. The author assumes you already know Kirchoff's Laws and Euler's formula. I am teaching myself after a 35-year layoff from my college days. I have obtained a ham license and have started studying electronics, math, and physics on my own. Apart from revealing the scandals behind Marconi and Tesla, I see no relevance for this book. I am very disappointed.

This is an excellent book which combines the history, the
mathematics and the physics of radio. It is not a textbook
and you need to know calculus and physics to understand its
technical chapters. It has ten appendices, they explain the
"bottom" material or background needed in the book. However,
the all book is well written and it has an excellent presentation.
I think that the author's opinions about the
radio developers such as Marconi, DeForest and Tesla
are out of place in a book like this. So I gave three starts.

Mr.Nahin, could you please write more books like this... ?

As a physics student and a beginner analog circuit designer with an interest in RF circuit design, I can highly recommend this book. Most books on RF design simply jump to quickly and assume a bunch of prerequsite knowledge, and also assume you don't need to understand the physics (or science) of what is going on, but only understand the models to be used to plug numbers into. I've had a hard time putting this book down, it is really great. It will definitely help you gain an intutive understanding of HOW IT ALL WORKS! Also, after reading all about spark radios, I discovered that my uncle was a spark radio operator in WWII! Now I really understand what he did!

It's interesting in a sense that if it had been someone other than Neild writing this book, I probably would have given it five stars. As it is however, the presentation of the subject matter is at times vague and at other times condascending. Science is always evolving as new ideas are put forward and old ones become obselete. As such, there's no need to criticize old ideas, even if they've been rendered null and void.

The science is still good though, so I'd recomend picking this book up.

Based on the subtitle of this book, I was expecting details on the changes in the earth's crust/continents over the last 10 billion years -- a very interesting survey that would be! However, the author begins with a parable on what an alien visitor would see from outer space, suitable for teenage readers, after which the bulk of the book is a survey of the history of plate tectonics. This survey focuses on the individuals involved, jumping back and forth between them, and offers little real information. It is not particularly scientific but would instead be a history of the research, with bios of the scientists/philosophers. I ended up skimming in order to find the kind of info I was looking for. Also, to note, the illustrations don't have captions, so you aren't entirely sure what you are looking at or where/why it applies to the text.

In this remarkable book, the author touches upon just about everything regarding long lost continents: how the idea of a supercontinent came about, ancient and not-so-ancient myths (Atlantis, Lemuria, Mu), why continents cannot simply sink, highlights in the lives of some of the individuals involved and, in particular, the fascinating science. After discussing how the existing continents are moving relative to each other (continental drift) and how they will likely collide in the distant future, thus forming another supercontinent, he discuses the supercontinents of the past. In so doing, the reader is treated to a history of the earth and how it works, brimming throughout with scientific facts, principles as well as theories and the evidence that supports them. The scientific processes involved and the dating techniques that are used by scientists are particularly well explained; this is not surprising given the author's credentials. The writing style is clear, elegant, authoritative, often witty and always quite engaging. As a result, this is a book that can be enjoyed by anyone, although science/geology buffs may be the ones that would savor it the most.

This book tackles the great subject of the geologic history of the Earth from the vantage point of plate tectonics. Along the way, the author writes compellingly of the origins and development of life and the history of our atmosphere. He also gets side-tracked in biographies of some key geologists in the Continental Drift controversy as well as a light-hearted discussion of fictitious 'Lost Continents'. Luckily the book is organized in such a way that these digressions can be skipped if desired. My main objection in this book is the lack of good and relevent illustrations and maps. At the very least, a detailed stratigraphic chart relating geologic periods to continent-building and other events would be helpful. Also, maps detailing the assembly and disassembly of the supercontinents would greatly enhance his narrative of these events.

In many ways this is a wonderful and informative work. Paradoxically, it is not an easy read in the most interesting sections but it is well worth the effort.

"Did the Earth move for you?", asks the voice beside you. Well, yes. Because that's what it does. All the time. The continent you live on used to be someplace else, and far away from where it is now. Your home ground has even been part of a greater landmass known as a "supercontinent" - and will be again. Hence, the title of this book. Ted Nield provides us with a fine account of how we came to learn about these movements. He has brought together the years of research tracking where the rocks have been and where they are likely to go. He likens the movement of continents to a dance of landforms - a "Grand Quadrille". A fine synopsis of the history of geology and its compelling figures - scholars who had to project what was known in their time back into a distant past.

Earth has been a busy place for the past four billion years, and it hasn't stopped to rest. We speak of the "firmness of the Earth", but that phrase is a sham. The key figure in this story is the great supercontinent of Pangaea that began breaking up 250 million years ago. Assembled from previous continents that had once joined and also separated, Pangaea's breakup into places we live on today have been traced in exquisite detail. The matching of rocks in places separated by wide seas provided the clues. In fact, as Nield relates, it was the vast Atlantic that bears the responsibility for Pangaea's fracturing to form the basis for the continents we know today. The author explains how the continents have been engaging in a Grand Quadrille and will continue to do so - for another five billion years, at least.

The progenitor of the idea of "drifting continents" was Alfred Wegener. Using maps to show how western Eurasia and Africa matched the east coasts of the Western Hemisphere, Wegener proposed they had once been joined, but had pulled apart. He couldn't provide a mechanism for the movement, and his idea was rejected - most notably by the geologic "establishment" of the United States. Rejection of the proposal was so strong there that one British geologist described it as "regarding the Declaration of Independence as retroactive to the Palaeozoic". Continents formed separately and remained so through time, it was thought.

However, one US dissident, Reginald Daly of Harvard, had been in South Africa, encountering the work of Alexander du Toit, who noted similarities in rocks of the Great Karoo and South America. That discovery, enhanced by some detailed measurements in Greenland, suggested that movement was occurring. It took a war and the hunt for submarines to reveal what prompted continental movement. An Irish geophysicist, John Joly had already postulated the mechanism, heat from radioactive elements deep in the Earth required escape. That venting pushed the softer areas in the Earth's crust around. Sitting atop that stirring material, the continents track the flow patterns of the heat.

In moving, the continents encounter each other, joining, fusing and establishing mighty landmasses that break up again. Nield skilfully describes the mechanisms and the people who have read the rocks to understand how they work. Beyond Pangaea, for example, the author cites the work of Mark McMenamin, who proposes a yet older supercontinent, Rodinia. Rodinia's importance in the history of the Earth is that it was probably the extant landform around which complex life, after over 3 billion years, finally emerged. Nield's skill in presenting all these complex ideas and their significance never wanes throughout the book. He's achieved a fine summary of the history of modern geology, supported by a collection of portraits and some line drawings. The emphasis on Pangaea is slightly overdone, but his pointer to Chris Scotese's web page of geologic ages more than overcomes that small limitation. An excellent overview. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

It took a bit of time for me to figure out the purpose of the game. Once I did , I felt it can be used in my professional work. The big point is to adapt to fit your particular need.

This book contains all you need to run one of the most successful simulation games ever devised. The book includes photo-copiable signs for use in the game and all you need provide are a few decks of cards. Unlike most activities of this order, the game is a relatively simple one in which different groups of students play cards with each other use different rules. At first, students playing the game are baffled, then annoyed, then even hostile toward one another.

The game is an excellent way to promote discussion of how our pre-conceptions lead to cultural misunderstandings.

Greg Strong, English Professor, Tokyo

Very complete -- certainly all you need to create this experiential learning, and in several languages. I simple, yet effective exercise.

I'm a college professor who also does diversity training. I use BARNGA in my corporate trainings as well as in my college classroom. Everyone loves it! The simulation is an excellent way of driving home the idea that every environment (an institution, a business, a classroom) has unwritten rules that we assume have been communicated to the uninitiated. When the new person experiences problems, we all too often attribute the problem to a lack of skills rather than to a lack of knowledge about the "rules." This game is a great deal of fun and allows the facilitator to engage the participants in some serious discussion afterward about diversity. Excellent! Get it today! You won't be sorry.

This is basically a card game. There are several variations and learners play the game silently in groups with each group having slightly different rules. As learners move to differen tables they have a diffucult time adjusting to the new rules since no verbal communication is permitted.

Learners are supposed to realize that their frustration at not knowing the rules is similar to not knowing the rules of different cultures. I found this entirely unsuitable for my language students because they already know that different cultures can lead to conflict and because I'm not interested in running a silent class.

I can't say how this would be as an intro to signal processing, but it's an excellent book for the working engineer. This one spends more time on top of my desk than any of my other textbooks. It includes lots of examples, illustrations, Matlab code, review materials, etc. And Mitra is the king of allpass filters!

This book is wonderful as a reference for those conversant in DSP. This book's primary strength is the breadth and depth of the material covered. This book contains material on a wide variety of topics; more than most DSP textbooks. The other selling point of this book is its close association with MATLAB. There are quite a few MATLAB examples in the companion CD. Using MATLAB makes learning DSP much easier and more intuitive. The reader can play around with the example programs to get a real feel for the subject matter. Beginners might find this book a bit difficult to read through. In a few places the explanation is either not clear or could have been written more intuitively. For newbies, I would probably suggest other books which are better written (such as Proakis).

I particularly liked the following sections:
Chapters 3-5 - Especially the sections of filter design for A/D and D/A converters. I like that the z-transform is introduced after Fourier transform.
Chapter 8 - A comprehensive treatment of filter structures.
Chapter 12 - Good coverage of issues associated with fixed point implementations. This can be appreciated more by practicing engineers.
Chapter 15 - This chapter looks at a few real world applications of DSP. Its both informative and insightful. This was my favorite chapter.

I bought this book as it was a required book at the University. I found that it is no better then any other introductory book on DSP such as the one by Boaz Porat. Moreover, you could buy two other DSP books at the same price.
Regarding the content,I have to say that it does cover all the topics needed in an introductory DSP course and coupled with the MATLAB drills it will teach you step by step how to implement your DSP theory into practice using MATLAB.

Had it not been for the price, I would have given it 4 stars but no more than that.

This is very good book for teaching and for self study of digital signal processing. It is especially useful for Matlab users.

Although this book has a good amount of Matlab examples, they will not help you prepare for any practical DSP exams. I recently bought this book as a required textbook for a graduate course on DSP and I found myself having to use my undergraduate book on DSP (Proakis) for learning the material and preparing for my exams. This book's weakness lies in the fact that the examples are not worked out in detail, but rather they are shown through the use of matlab functions and commands which will in no way prepare you for working out a problem's answers using the tried and true paper, pencil, and calculator approach. I found myself frustrated several times during my homework assignments because there were not enough examples worked out showing the nitty gritty details of the solution. Instead, the solutions were in matlab which only helps if the problem being solved is asking for a matlab solution. The only plus side of this book is that it does use matlab to teach some DSP concepts just as the title says but I agree with the other reviewers that this book is nothing special. I found Proakis and Manolakis to be a far better book with worked out problems and only used this Mitra book for matlab problems on DSP.

It's tough balancing where to start, and how deep to go into a subject like C++ programming. This author balances that perfectly.

If you're unlucky enough to have to learn C++, this is the book to start with.

I found this book exactly the same as all the other guides.
Very good to start with then what the hell happend? Did I miss 2 chapters.Lately I have read quite a few guides and found them all the same. I always get the feeling I've missed something. Please can anyone suggest a book for the people who like to go on at a steady pace to understand C++.
Thanks

I will probably never write a program for anyone (other than to entertain myself) but learning at least the fundamentals of C++ has contributed immeasureably to my understanding of how computers do things, as well as increased my pleasure in computing. And, since I work very closely with IT, I have found it very useful to learn some C++ as well as some SQL.

Among my favorite technology books are the programming guides by Steve Heller and include: "Who's Afraid of C++?"; "Who's Afraid of More C++?" and "The C++ Training Guide," as well as "Introduction to C++." His approach is for the complete, absolute novice--someone who has never programmed (most books want you to understand something about programming). In addition, the books all include C++ compliers and editors for free. Finally, they actually talk about HOW the computer does what it does with what you write so you can understand what to do in the odd situation.

Book is written in understandable language, with a very good explanation of the fundementals, prior to getting to the main body of the book.

The writing style of Mr. Heller is very engaging and makes the text fun to read. But there are several flaws in his approach. I used his book for an Intro to C++ college course and soon had to run out to a store for another book to complete my assignments. This book starts out nicely but before you know it, he is talking multi-file programs and complicated class header files, etc. This book might be suitable to someone who already knows C and whats to learn C++. Too many basic concepts are left out. One example is structures which will help in the understanding of classes. Finally, the comical chapter titles are fun to read but make it difficult to find again, material for reviewing later on. A title that might be better is by Robert LaFore -OOP in C++.

I am studying Phase Lock Loop. I am current studying 3 books at the same time because I can verify the correctness of the book and get different point of view. The other two are by Phase Lock Basics by William F. Egan and Phaselock Techniques by Floyd M. Gardner.
I went through the formulas on page 32 and 33 to check the equations and I think there is quite a few mistakes in the fomulas. I verifed over and over again and it does not add up. I am 90% sure of what I am saying. I wonder if anyone ever analyze the fomulas step by step to verify them.

In this 5th edition, Best gives you a thorough education in the theory of designing phase locked loops. Written assuming about a year or two or prior undergraduation background in electrical engineering and elementary circuit theory.

The book is also useful to the experienced electrical engineer. For example, you are shown how to design higher order PLLs. Far beyond what a begineer might be expected to design or use.

Also of critical importance are the sections on how to do computer aided design. Using the enclosed CD. The graphics is a little primitive. But still a great timesaver, in how it lets you intuitively layout a circuit and see its theoretical performance.

I own both editions of this book.The 2003 edition of this Book is an effective design tool for SONET jitter filter design as it applies to reference clocks in transponders &SERDES.The digital PLL design discussion is most applicable to modern CDR/clock regenrator applications where there is not much info. available form IC vendors.The design software CD is quite useful for circuit design optimization over temperature.

This is a well written book and is the perfect source if you need to understand and design a PLL. If you are designing an analog PLL, Digital PLL or software PLL this book has what you need. The CD rom that comes with the book provides a quick and easy way to get started, design the PLL and simulate its operation. Many authors tend fill their books with formulas and obscure references and convey very little understanding. Authors that possess both an understanding of a subject and an ability to communicate well can make the subject both easy and enjoyable to learn. Best is such and author. I would recommend this book to anyone who either wants to learn about PLLs for the first time or enhance his understanding.

Even though the title says professional engineering, the presentation is at the Howard W. Sams hobbyist book level. There is nothing wrong with this, but be aware that this is a hobby book and not a university level text book.

Having said that, this book is very good for people who are more interested in getting results with simple PLL ICs and not in understanding what they are doing. It gives step by step procedures and has CAD programs that do all of the thinking for the operator.