Mechanical Vibrations (5th Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)I recently used this as a text to teach Vibrations to Mechanical Engineering seniors after Vibration Analysis by Vierck went out of print. I was attracted to Rao's book because much of the presentation is similar to Vierck. After using this text for one semester, I was not satisfied. I was particularly concerned by Chapter 2 where the fundamentals of damped single degree of freedom systems are covered. This Chapter is critical to building the foundation of Vibration Theory and I was disturbed to find that two critical plots, the time history comparison of responses with various damping levels and the phase plane plot for the same cases were seriously incorrect. While errors always can be found in texts, these plots were so obviously wrong at first glance that I wondered how a book with 29 reviewers (as listed in the Acknowledgements) has such glaring errors. As I progressed through the text I found a number of other errors including incorrect equations in some places. I also found that some material, emphasized in Vierck, that I consider important was buried in the worked examples rather than being emphasized as part of the book's text. While the book does present a lot of material and gives some interesting problems, I found that I was not comfortable with the text at the end of the course. I have since decided to drop this book from consideration as our text.

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Mechanical Vibrations, 5/e is ideal for undergraduate courses in Vibration Engineering.

Retaining the style of its previous editions, this text presents the theory, computational aspects, and applications of vibrations in as simple a manner as possible. With an emphasis on computer techniques of analysis, it gives expanded explanations of the fundamentals, focusing on physical significance and interpretation that build upon students' previous experience. Each self-contained topic fully explains all concepts and presents the derivations with complete details. Numerous examples and problems illustrate principles and concepts.

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High Tech Hot Shots: Careers in Sports Engineering Review

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(More customer reviews)I read this book for a research project I was doing at school. This gave excellent insight into the sports engineering industry. I had no idea how many opportunities there are in sports for engineers. The list of Web sites in the "Getting Started" chapter was very helpful and provided me with many outlets in the industry. I would definately reccomend this book to any student wanting to explor a sports or engineering career.

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A fresh way to look at a career in sports for the student with a passion for athletics and an aptitude for engineering.Over 20 sports engineering career profiles that highlight new opportunitiesInspirational, real-life engineering success storiesExplanations of how engineering innovations can play a major role in athletic success and broaden your horizonsA "Getting Started" chapter that tells how you can ease the transition from student to successful engineerEmployer Web sites and contat information for every sport and a large recommended-reading section that connects you to sports engineeringLearn how to turn the love of sports into a lucrative engineering career. Consider this book a gateway. It is designed to open your mind to the wonders of engineering. You will see, first hand, the hundreds of things that you can do with an engineering degree and an interest in sports. You will discover opportunities you hadn't thought about, and you may even begin to look at engineering in a new way. Be prepared to get excited and to learn that engineering can give you a new and different way of seeing the world.Written for middle school, high school and pre-engineering college students, this book compiles resources, information, and stories of engineers who work passionately in the sports industry to design new and improved products for athletes and spectators, alike. Ranging from the design and construction of stadiums and courses to the design and manufacture of skateboarding, golf, swimming, and skiing equipment, as well as shoe design and much more, you will understand what you need to know to work in this industry and find a satisfying and rewarding job as a sports engineer. This book presents possibilities you never expected. You will see what types of engineers create your favorite sports equipment and find out how to identify companies that will hire you as an engineer. From the software engineers who design scoreboards to the materials engineers who work on new helmets to the mechanical engineers who create new "extreme sports" products, the sports industry has a place for almost every type of engineer. You will learn what it takes to design sporting goods and get advice from engineers about how to succeed as a sports engineer. A strong motivation for writing this book is to help you see that engineering can be fun. It's fun being on the cutting edge of technology, and it's exciting to try to make the world a better place in which to live in.If you have ever played a team sport, you understand that teamwork is integral to the success of the team. Each player brings different strengths to the team, without which the team can't function as efficiently. Engineering design works in the same way. Each member of the team contributes, according to his or her individual strengths, and, as a result, the learning produces an excellent product.A vital component of engineering success, especially in the sports engineering industry, is excellent communication skills. As explained by Jennifer Ocif, a performance footwear engineer at Reebok International Ltd., "Communication is a life skill that constantly needs attention and improvement. Unfortunately, it is not specifically taught in engineering classes, but you can learn it by doing it anywhere. You just have to work at it, because, no matter how smart you are, if you can't communicate with the people you work with, your ideas will never go anywhere."Because the sports industry is so large, I can't cover every sport in this book. Some sports may be left out entirely and some descriptions may leave you craving more information. If you find yourself in the craving-more-information category, use that energy to your benefit. Contact the manufacturers listed to inquire about summer work or co-op opportunities. Tour facilities and begin talking to engineers for tips on getting through school and for gathering information about what they do now. Take apart your favorite piece of equipment to figure out how it works. Then, you'll truly begin to think and work like a sports engineer. Don't be afraid to fail a few times, either. Thomas Edison was one of the most prolific inventors of all time. What made Edison so great was that he believed that every failure brought him closer to success. As a result of a lifetime of work and tens of thousands of failures, he held over 1,000 patents for his successful inventions. Failure is a rite of passage to success. Some of the most amazing inventions and technologies on the market today exist because one engineer had an idea. Look back at old pictures of the bicycle. People wanted it to go faster, they wanted it to go down mountains and wanted it to be more comfortable. The difference is engineering. Year after year, engineers returned to the drawing board and made the bicycle better. What will bicycles look like in another 10 years? It's up to you and your imagination to make the world a better place-a place that is safer, more fun, and enjoyable for everyone.If you want an exciting and diverse career, an engineering degree can blow open the doors of opportunity. So lace up your running shoes and let's get going....

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Mechanics of Flight Review

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(More customer reviews)"Mechanics of Flight" will become a classic in the aerodynamicist's library alongside Abbott and Von Doenhoff's "Theory of Wing Sections". Here's why:
* Coverage of topics in aircraft design is exhaustive. From balancing lift and weight for steady flight, on through off axis forces and moments from running propellers, to 6-dof formulas for aircraft dynamic modes, to how propeller location affects aircraft stability, and on and on. Great for both the beginner and the authority in aircraft.
* Often a completely thorough analysis including the minutest effects is presented along with a linearized or simplified method. The simplified analysis is so useful for rapid conceptual design and study of fundamentals, while the detailed analysis gives a complete grasp of the physics and phenomena involved. Plus, in simplifying a complex derivation, the reader is shown which parameters may be safely neglected and which require careful scrutiny, and what is engineering if not intelligently ignoring smaller effects to come up with a reasonable solution to a problem?
* The figures! Well thought out and consistent, the figures clearly illustrate the material.
* Actual aircraft data is used in the example and homework problems. I have a feel for the performance of several classes of aircraft simply from using this book.
* Phillips derives everything, and I mean everything using the fundamental laws of physics as the starting point. A student would be very well served to go through these derivations themselves. Phillips basically shows the student how to learn and how to think mathematically. No shortcuts here. I wish I had learned these things very early on in my own schooling.
* Phillips has included experimental data along with rigorous analytical derivation and computer numerical analysis. I believe that all three are necessary for a true understanding of fluid dynamics.
The bottom line: Buy and use this book! While it is true that the material is focused on subsonic flight, I work for a large airframer of supersonic aircraft and I find the principles and fundamentals to be extremely useful in my work. Whether you are a student or a professional, if you have an interest in aerodynamics this is THE book to use.

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Mechanics of Flight is a unique combination of theory and applications organized in a logical presentation. It affords readers extensive coverage of individual topics within flight mechanics, including overviews of aerodynamics and propulsion. It also offers a full range of modern and classical techniques for applying fundamental principles to the solution of engineering problems in fight mechanics. Mechanics of Flight explores the basic principles of flight mechanics with the help of many worked examples, starting with simple problems involving steady-level flight and building to more complex ones such as the analysis of turning flight and spins. Special coverage found here–and not in most books on the subject–includes a detailed presentation of the quaternion formulation for six-degree-of-freedom flight simulation, including treatment of efficient numerical integration methods.

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Beginning Electronics Through Projects Review

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(More customer reviews)When you cut right down to it this book is just a 120 page commercial for the SINGMIN PCB. Andrew Singmin uses this book to continuously tell the reader that they'll have more success with electronics if they buy his PCB. The theory included in the book is non-existant, and the projects are simply a step by step guide of what to solder pin x of a 555 IC to. There is no discusion as to why. If you buy this book and build the projects, you will not have gained anything useful.

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If you are interested in electronics, but don't know where to start, Beginning Electronics Through Projects lets you learn the basics through building 10 step-by-step projects.Theory is limited to "need-to-know" information that will allow you to get started right away.No complex math.Common components and their functions are described briefly in everyday terms. All the components used in the book are widely available, and pre-assembled parts kits and circuit boards are available by mail from the author.Andrew Singmin is President of Singmin Enterprises, an electronics consulting company based outside of Ottawa, Ontario, in Canada.He has been involved in the electronics industry for more than 20 years, and has had numerous articles published in Electronics Handbook and Popular Electronics.His articles have specialized in teaching electronics to the beginner through projects.Mr. Singmin attained his electronics engineering degree in London, UK, and has postgraduate degrees in Semiconductor Physics (Masters) and Solid State Physics (Doctorate). Learn basic theory and components.10 easy-to-build projects.Parts kits and printed circuit board available.

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