No comments about Classic Book Jackets: The Design Legacy of George Salter.

3 comments about Sandtiquity.

1. The photos in this book were beautiful and the illustrations of how to make the different sand creations were easy to follow. One of the authors was the architect who had designed a local library in NJ, so I felt somewhat of a personal connection in reading this book, since I'd worked at that library for 2 yrs. For a person with limited time to read or who loves the shore, this is the perfect book. It's not too wordy or too long.



2. Although I compliment the authors for the beautiful things they created, this book was not much more than a picture book of what could be done. There was very little of the "howto" of sand castle building. 'The S.o.B. "take me to the beach" Sand Castle Book' by Lucinda Wierenga, while only a booklet and all black and white images, gives some wonderful tips on not only what you can do, but **how**.



3. Breaking free from the typical "drippy castles" and sand bucket designs, the author reveals through photos how he and his family and friends build "monumental" architecture at the beach. Simple tools and instructions inspire you to get out your staight edge and head to the shore.

   A quick read. I hoped for more designs and specific how-to's of the various structures, but basic concepts are clearly explained and give you enough information to build your own exotic and elegant sand castles.

   A fun departure from the author's unusual books on earth-sheltered, earth-friendly architecture.

5 comments about Oracle Web Applications: PL/SQL Developer's Intro: Developer's Introduction.

1. This book came out in 1999, and it's now late 2001 as I write this.

   This publication is a very well written introduction to the spectrum of tools and approaches for using Oracle databases to generate dynamically created web pages - based on 1999 technology. While Oracle has advanced since then, most of this book - especially the PL/SQL web toolkit sections - is still useful. If you're an Oracle developer who's familiar with SQL and PL/SQL, then this book will get you up to speed very quickly (it's only 220 pages - thin by "computer book" standards) on the detail of how the PL/SQL web toolkit is used to combine database data with HTML. If you're an Oracle developer, but you don't know anything about web architecture or HTML, then you'll get a brief yet effective introduction in here of what you need to know.

   If you don't know PL/SQL, get Steve Feuerstein's book first called Oracle PL/SQL Programming. Use that to learn PL/SQL. Then, once you're familiar with it, you'll get much, much more out of what's presented in this book.

   The section about the PL/SQL web toolkit is very useful, even today.

   The overview of WebDB is dated. Oracle's new name for this tool is "Oracle Portal", and while the underlying architecture is the same, and the features taught here still largely apply, there are new features and a completely different interface on the new tool.

   The chapter about Oracle Application Server (OAS) is still interesting to read for an overall idea of how web architecture is implemented in Oracle's web server family. But the app server has been updated several times since this book, and has very different screen displays. The basic features are still the same, and the brief review provides helpful insight into where Oracle has been, which isn't too far, fundamentally, from where it is now.

   Finally, the XML chapter is not bad for quickly getting a great general introduction of XML and it's capabilities, but be aware that Oracle has GREATLY extended it's XML support since the publication of this book. Nevertheless, I still find this chapter extremely interesting in that it shows the intricacies of what it really takes to generate an XML document, while the newer Oracle XML utilities do much of this work automatically. While the new utilities are good to use, this chapter will give you a bit more insight into the utility of XML and a database, along with a fuller understanding of what is happening, so that you can be more flexible in your use of XML.

   There's nothing of substance in this book that addresses Java or Oracle Forms for web use.

   So - in summary - it's a little dated for 2001, but still very useful. It's brief and to the point. Very helpful for an Oracle developer who needs to come up to speed quickly on web technologies.




2. This is a fabulous book, clear and well-written. It's simple enough for those without much experience, but also provides enough detail for those who don't need coddling... Definitely, worth the $.



3. I have used this book as a handbook reference in teaching advanced Oracle & Relational Database Development. As I metioned, it is a very good theoretical book. I particularly liked Chapters 3 (WebDB), 4 (OAS) & 9 (XML). Should you require more hands on examples & sample usage, however, you will have to look elsewhere.



4. Don't expect too much from the book that covers so many topics on just two hundred pages! First five chapters are dedicated to current Oracle & If you have time you can probably download white papers with better technical information about the topics from Oracle, Technet or related websites. On the other hand this five chapters are good time savers. Last four chapters are much better, covering introduction to PL/SQL and Toolkit (HTF, HTP, OWA_***), two sample web applications (Survey and Discussion Forum) and XML. The best thing about this book is that you'll find out what you don't know, so you can make a list of relevant books that covers the topic in more detail.



5. If you're starting to become involved with making your Oracle databases available over the web this is a must read. You can dig out the information presented here from the Oracle manuals and tech sites but ... in just 200 pages the relevant information is collected and organized. Take a weekend to read this book before you start working with the web. You'll learn what pieces are available to you and how they fit together...

No comments about Young Architects 8: Instability (Young Architects).

No comments about Engineering Graphics with AutoCAD 2009.

5 comments about AutoCAD 2000: One Step at a Time Basics (AutoCAD).

1. So far so good. Realy well laid out. Just starting to explore it



2. I purchased this book to learn the basics of autocad map... a very similar program. The book is very easy to follow and detailed. Sykes does a great job of explaining all the autocad jargon and the step-by-step projects are perfect for becoming familiar with autocad tools. I haven't made it through the entire book yet, but I selectively read the chapters I needed to get me going within about 8hrs. Not too bad. Be sure to get the CD with the book as well as the reference card. I wished there would have been more info on how to layout the drawing for print and how to insert legends, scale, etc. but I suppose that is what the advanced book is for.
   Overall, a very user friendly book if you want to become familiar with a not-so user friendly program. I look forward to purchasing the advanced book.
   
   Pura vida.



3. This is truly a step by step approach. It starts with the fundamentals. The progression from basics to advanced is very orderly. I have used this book to learn AutoCAD 2000 and now I highly recommend it as a text or a reference. I reach for this book when I need information or help with a command or sequence of commands that I have forgotten. The examples and exercises develop real understanding.



4. This book is excellent! The step by step procedure, clear detailed graphics and the multimedia CD are all linked to each other which allow reader of any level to understand AutoCAD without any difficulty.



5. For a student this book is the best. The step by step approach is excellent. I like the graphics and the pictures of what the screen looks like when I do the commands. Easy to follow and Sykes takes a difficult lesson and make it easy to understand.

4 comments about Principles of Communication Systems Simulation with Wireless Applications (Prentice Hall Communications Engineering and Emerging Technologies Series).

1. This book is good for the beginners who need to understand the basic principle of communications. The basic matlab source will be usefull to understand the concept. But this book doesnot good for advance reserach. we can not find any detail principle of OFDM, CDMA or other multiple access technique that are better and close to the application. Therefore, this book may be (only) better for the undergraduate student but not for advance wireless communications research.



2. It is a very nice book that gives you a good background about simulation of communication systems which is very important for communication engineers to have good knowledge of. What makes this book be very valuable in my point of view is that it deals with a topic that there are relatively not too many good resources or documentations on the internet to learn about. So, I think you must buy one. But, I wash that the codes were written on a CD that comes with the book.



3. This book really gave me a joy of learning what simulation is. Cool...



4. I started from zero knowledge on simulations of communication systems, and after reading 95% of the content, I realize that this book is a treasure! With its lecture note style, the book is so readable and accessible that a beginner would have no difficulty in paving through the so-called "simulation theory." Another nice thing of this book is that it comes with MATLAB codes that actually run correctly!
   
   In sum, I really like this book, and I would suggest this book as the first book to anyone who wants to begin learning communication system simulations. Another book "Simulation of Communication Systems" by Jeruchim is also recommended for a further reading after finishing this book.

No comments about Designing the World's Best Exhibits.

No comments about Commercial Design Using AutoCAD 2009.

3 comments about Process Control: Modeling, Design and Simulation (Prentice Hall International Series in the Physical and Chemical Engineering Sciences).

1. 
   This book successfully teaches how to analyze dynamic chemical processes and develop automatic control strategies to operate them safely and economically. Rather than simply present theory topics and develop analytical solutions, this textbook uses "interactive learning" through computer-based simulation exercises, employing for this the very popular "Matlab" engineering software package, and the "Simulink" block-diagram simulation environment. Introductions to both "Matlab" and "Simulink" are included in the book.
   
   Each chapter of the book is followed by a series of "learning modules" that serve several purposes: some focus on software tools, while others focus on particular control problems.
   
   An introduction to process control and instrumentation is presented in chapter 1. The development and use of models is very important in control systems engineering, and fundamentals models are developed in chapter 2, including the steady-state solution and linearization to form steady-state models. Chapter 3 focuses on the dynamic behavior of linear systems, starting with state space models and then covering transfer function-based models in detail. Chapter 4 covers the development of empirical models, including continuous and discrete transfer function models.
   
   Chapter 5 provides a detailed introduction to feedback control, developing the basics of feedback systems, PID controllers, and methods of analyzing closed-loop stability. Chapter 6 presents methods for controller tuning. Frequency response analysis techniques, important for determining control system robustness, are presented in chapter 7.
   
   Model-based control leads to improved control loop performance, and one of the clearest model-based techniques (Internal Model Control o IMC) is presented in chapter 8. The PID controller remains the most widely used controller in industry, so chapter 9 is very valuable since it shows how to convert internal model controllers to classical feedback PID controllers.
   
   Chapter 10 develops two widely used control strategies: Cascade and feed-forward control. Chapter 11 presents auto-tuning and gain scheduling, two methods used to deal with poor performance due to changing operating conditions and poor tuned control loops. The phenomenon of reset windup and the development of anti-reset windup strategies are also presented in this chapter.
   
   Chapter 12 presents the split-range, selective, and override control strategies, which are used when we need the control loop to be able of switching between manipulated inputs or select from several measured outputs. Chapter 13 deals with the effect of control loops interactions, while the design of multivariable controllers is developed in chapter 14.
   
   Chapter 15 presents the challenging tasks encountered when developing Plant-wide optimization and control schemes. Chapter 16 presents the most widely applied advanced control strategy: Model Predictive Control (MPC).
   
   Even though the book is designed for Chemical Engineering students, I truly believe that this text would also be suitable for industrial practitioners and students in mechanical, nuclear, industrial, and electrical engineering. I am an Industrial Practitioner of Process Measurement & Control who has been working in the Process Industries for more than 16 years as an Automation, Instrumentation, Process Safety and Process Control Engineer. My academic background is in electrical and electronics engineering (I am an Electronic Engineer), not in chemical engineering as might be the case of the usual reader of this book, but working in the Oil & Gas Industry all this time, I have been dealing with Chemical-Process Control issues in a day-to-day basics. I found this book to be a very useful reference and refresher to gain a better understanding of Modern Process Control Applications.
   
   If you are a practitioner of Process Control you may want to consider also "Instrument Engineers' Handbook, Fourth Edition, Volume Two: Process Control and optimization" by Bela Liptak, for its practical and comprehensive coverage of Process Control.



2. This book presents its idea very clearly and it's an easy read! I would say it's a must have for all process engineers!



3. This book is awful. It has terrible explanations and few examples. The math is very unclear.
   
   If you are an instructor, please use a different book.