Basic Tig and Mig Welding: GTAW and GMAW

Customer Reviews:

Good Mid to Entry Level Welding Book.......2004-01-04

As the previous reviewer said this book is laid out like text book, but, if you are looking for basic to intermediate information about the MIG and TIG welding processes you will find plenty of useful information that is easy to find and understand.

A course textbook.......2003-02-18

This book looks like it was done originally as a textbook or workbook for a welding course. I found the information to be fairly simplistic and out of date.

Book Description

This book provides a contemporary perspective on a broad range of international migration problems. It considers recent immigration trends and policies, examining migrant behaviour, illegal immigration and links between migration and trade.

Book Description

Who says you can't have a serious reference work on humor? This new resource offers a broad look at humor with more than 100 well-written and entertaining entries. Scholarly in nature, yet enjoyable to read, the Encyclopedia examines several aspects of humor, such as: styles of humor, subjects of comedy, media methods, academic endeavors, humor in society, historical aspects. This volume celebrates a century of twists and turns in American humor. With entries ranging from the vaudeville days of the early twentieth century to the Internet's influence on modern jokes, this resource is a valuable addition to any library.

Customer Reviews:

Truly encyclopedic in scope, scholarly in content........2000-04-07

Encyclopedia Of 20th Century American Humor surveys the phenomena of humor in all its aspects, forms and formats alphabetically from "Academic Study of Humor" to "Wit". Along the way we are treated to informative entries on Business Humor, Children's Television, Comic Books, and Humorous Icons, to Movies, Poetry, Satire, and Television. Encyclopedia of 20th Century American Humor is enhanced with an extensive bibliography and index. An ideal reference acquisition for both academic and public library collection, Encyclopedia Of 20th Century American Humor is truly encyclopedic in its scope, scholarly in its content, and a delight to simply browse through for the non-specialist general reader with an interest in the history of humor, comedians, and popular culture.

Average customer rating:

A Great Survey In Need Of An Update
bought it as a first edition, still read it!
Outstanding look at America's more regrettable phases.
Funny, informative, but uneven blasts at popular culture
Love it, want another

Encyclopedia of Bad Taste
Jane Stern , and Michael Stern
Manufacturer: Harpercollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Art | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books

Humor | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books

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Look Inside Entertainment Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Interior Desecrations: Hideous Homes from the Horrible '70s
Jane & Michael Stern's Encyclopedia of Pop Culture: An A to Z Guide to Who's Who and What's What, from Aerobics and Bubble Gum to Valley of the Dolls
Mommy Knows Worst: Highlights from the Golden Age of Bad Parenting Advice

ASIN: 0060164700

Customer Reviews:

A Great Survey In Need Of An Update.......2006-09-17

What a great book - you can peruse this one and find forgotten things that you secretly love, secretly loathe, along with any number of things that simply cause you to think "what the hell?!?"

Digging into the proletarian underbelly of what could broadly be described as 'Americana,' the Sterns wallow around in a world of bikers, jello, spam, bad t-shirts, large-breasted pin-ups, disco, Nehru jackets, faux-Hawaiiana (Tiki Torches!), Winnebago warriors and assorted other things that make this country great and icky.

You just have to hold your nose and dive in - of course there's an elitism here, but even the trashiest people I know are usually aware of their own trashiness, and revel in it as often as not: I could claim with some arrogance to be a cultured person, having read Kafka and Borges and having sat through both operas and 'performance art' spectacles, but I also do recall having hanging macrame and driftwood sculptures in my childhood home, and I LOVED seeing those things in here.

Some conspicuous absences: Martin Denny (get to know Martin Denny - you'll thank me), Southern Rock, the entire state of Florida, blaxploitation films (actually, any -xploitation films), slasher movies, neo-folk music and Valley Girls. Vegas is here; we also need its' siblings - Atlantic City, Myrtle Beach and Orlando! Please, let's have an update!

-David Alston

bought it as a first edition, still read it!.......2003-03-15

A wonderful book. if you are mid 30's to mid 50's, this book's for you. I bought it in 1990- laughed out loud MANY times---I still read parts of it today, although the cover has come off! It has short articles on some of our nations funnier, and awfull-er things, from accordians to zoot suits- with stops at dino parks, liberace,diners, & fake fur, to name but a few. Reading it now, some things are definitely dated, and I would LOVE to see an updated edition ( hint hint, jane & micheal stern). All in all a fun, fast read, blast from the past for all of us to laugh at ourselves, and recognize someone we knew. and remember,"just because something is in bad taste, doesnt mean it has to taste bad."( the sterns, on cool-whip)

Outstanding look at America's more regrettable phases........2002-09-15

Witty and sharp-tongued, this book guides readers in a primer of that which was bizarre and tasteless in the 70s and 80s. Topics range from "Frederick's of Hollywood" to Jell-O [tm] to Chippendale's Dancers to those obnoxious cedar plaques you used to be able to find at truck stops across the country (and maybe still can, somewhere). Some of these topics will be totally lost on younger readers -- my 25-year-old boyfriend had never heard of the Mayflower Madame, never knew the glory of ring-pull caps, and had never seen a macrame plant hanger. For me, however, a child of the 80s, these are just part of the general background of my life.

Some topics are strangely absent (where was the section on raccoon-style eyeliner? Where were edible underwear, slogan-bearing buttons, and Love's Baby Soft perfume?), and others are explored in far more depth than might be strictly necessary (Charo is a prime example -- she just never blipped my radar like fish sticks did, I guess).

I loved it, though. It's a good source of laughs. Actually, it made me feel a bit nostalgic. I'm making Jell-O tonight.

Warning: There is some strong language in this book, including a few examples of the F-word. There are also some R-rated pictures in it. Also, it really pokes fun at people named Tiffany. I wasn't offended, but I thought I'd mention it in case someone else wanted to avoid such things.

Funny, informative, but uneven blasts at popular culture.......2002-07-10

The Sterns, best known for their books about vernacular American cusine, dug their claws into pop culture in this book full of short (1-3 page) essays about topics as diverse as Death Cars, Fish Sticks, and Florida's Fountainblu hotel.

The tone is generally mocking, sometime excessively so (some of the phenomena the Sterns spear are not so much in bad taste, but merely goofy), but the pieces are almost always informative and entertaining.

Out of print? What a shame. But come to think of it, this book could use an entirely new edition, with the Bad Taste items of the 1990s worked in and a few obscure items (Boudoir photos) expunged.

The entry on Las Vegas, which has outdone itself in recent years, could be expanded into a book.

Love it, want another.......2002-04-23

This book is hilarious. The Sterns provide history and facts about some of our culture's more notorious fads, and explain why they might now be "past their prime." The writing is hilarious, and the Sterns make sure to take a goodhearted look at these entries without offending those who might enjoy them (I used to love heavy metal, but was howling at the descriptions of my favorite bands of the late 80's/early 90's). I've had this book for years, and it still makes me laugh until I can't read any more. I'm hoping for a second volume soon!

The Encyclopedia of American Comics: From 1897 to the Present

Average customer rating:

Graphic SF Reader

The Encyclopedia of American Comics: From 1897 to the Present

Manufacturer: Facts on File
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Cartooning | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

History & Price Guides | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Satire, General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Art | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books

Humor | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0816018529

Customer Reviews:

Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03

This is very comprehensive. It details characters, and creators of both the strip and book variety, in various incarnations. Did you know Dashiell Hammett and Alex Raymond worked on a strip together? Me either. A very impressive piece of work by Goulart.

True! The Complete Cartoon Encyclopedia of Human Knowledge

Average customer rating:

True! The Complete Cartoon Encyclopedia of Human Knowledge
Daryl Cagle
Manufacturer: Plan Nine Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Humor | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0966067681

Book Description

This text reflects the current state of computer technology and music composition. The authors offer clear, practical overviews of program languages, real-time synthesizers, digital filtering, artificial intelligence, and much more.

Customer Reviews:

Best combination of digital signal processing and music.......2007-01-05

Music synthesis is understood by a number of people just as manipulating a keyboard or just a work done by frequency equalizer. This book can remove such a misunderstandings and can give the readers the basics and advanced idea of building sound waveforms from zero to one. The readers are expected to have some knowledges of Fourier transform and analogue electronic circuits. All the engineers who are engaged in noise and vibration control should read this book.

Excellent first book on computer music.......2006-07-28

This is a great first book on computer music for anyone who already has some training in music theory and computers. By "music theory" I simply mean that you should be able to read and write music and understand its terminology. By having knowledge of computers, if you have had any college course equivalent of "Introduction to Computer Technology" or equivalent work experience, then you qualify. I discuss the contents of this book in the context of its table of contents:

Chapter one is a broad overview and introduction to computer music and its components - operating systems, block diagrams, software, and the use of a computer in computer music.

Chapter two is a very basic introduction to acoustics and psychoacoustics in music. It presents the basic measurements of acoustics, describes the transducer mechanism of the human ear, and then discusses the psychoacoustic response of pitch, loudness, duration, and timbre.

Chapter three, "Fundamentals of Digital Audio", discusses the process of converting a signal between its analog and digital forms. This includes the restrictions, errors, and limitations imposed by the numerical representation of an audio signal. Finally, the chapter addresses the issues raised by the speed at which digital audio can be synthesized or processed. This last issue is a moving target and has changed considerably since this book was published.

Chapter four, "Synthesis Fundamentals", begins with the fundamentals of signal generation and presents techniques of additive synthesis, modulation, and noise generation. Several example computer instrument designs are shown along with examples of composition. This chapter is very important because it introduces the building blocks of synthesis - the oscillator, unit generator, etc.

Chapter five, " Synthesis Using Distortion Techniques", concentrates on frequency modulation and nonlinear waveshaping. The chapter concludes with three examples of synthesis methods that explicitly use discrete summation formulas.

Chapter six, "Subtractive Synthesis", is about creating musical tones out of complex sources by sculpting away selected portions of the spectrum of the source. Filtering is discussed at length, and musical examples are provided to show the design considerations for computer instruments with noise and periodic sources. Several examples from musical literature are given. The chapter ends with a technical description of digital filtering and some filter recipes.

Chapter seven, "Analysis-Based Synthesis Techniques", discusses techniques such as the short-term Fourier transform and wavelet methods and also discusses limitations. The operation and application of the phase vocoder is presented.

Chapter eight, "Granular Synthesis", is a very brief discussion of a complex synthesis technique whose name was coined by Xenakis, who detailed an extensive theory of grain selection in his writings. If you want to implement this technique you should read Xenakis' work on the subject plus there are some applicable articles in "The Computer Music Tutorial".

Chapter nine, "Physical Modeling", is also a very slim chapter on a very complex subject. It talks in very high level terms about approaches, excitation for physical models, waveguide filters, the physical model of the vocal tract at a block diagram level, and the use of mechanical models. The authors rightly refer the reader who wants details to "The Physics of Musical Instruments" by Fletcher and Rossing. Another and more recent work on the subject published after this book is Perry Cook's "Real Sound Synthesis for Interactive Applications".

Chapter 10, "Reverberation, Auditory Localization, and Other Sound-Processing Techniques", talks about various techniques that have to do with sound reflection, sound placement, and sound motion. This book has more implementation details than the previous two chapters had.

Chapter 11, "Composition with Computers", examines the techniques of using the computer for both random and deterministic operations to produce a composition. There are examples of actual compositions shown to help the reader develop a sense of the possibilities that are achievable with computer-aided composition. This is a chapter where musical literacy is necessary. There is also some C-code present, but it is well commented and should be somewhat legible even to the layman.

Chapter 12, "Real-Time Performance of Computer Music", presents various modes of computer music performance and some of the many devices that can be used to change the actions of a performer into musical information. Methods of transmitting information between pieces of computer equipment are discussed as well as the use of a computer to respond musically to the sound from a live performer. There is a discussion of MIDI in this chapter that may be inadequate to some readers. I suggest the latest edition of "MIDI Power" for those readers. Also, there is some discussion here about the speed of computer equipment that is no longer relevant given the date of publication.

In spite of the fact that it is nine years old, I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in computer music. With the exception of a few paragraphs on computer technology, the entire book is still relevant, and it introduces all of the terminology that anybody interested in this subject must know. Also it is a well written and well illustrated book that reads easily.

Program independent, but falls short.......2005-02-14

The principle credit I could give to the authors are to stay away from one particular program, however, after reading up to FM synthesis so far, there isn't anything spectacular that I'd say about it.
The math support is spotty. It gives the spectral distribution of a white noise generator, but I couldn't find the basic FM synth equation. Although I could derive the equation from the diagrams of a simple FM, but I would assume that this equation is important enough for a square-inch of space.
Another noticibly annoying thing was that I was trying to generate triangular waves. The book said that you need odd harmonics, and their contribution is the inverse of the square of the harnomic, ie k = 2i+1, i>=0, contribution would be 1/(k^2). However, they neglected to say that to really get the triangular wave, you alternate the sign, ie k=2i+1,i>=0, triangular wave = sum i=0 -> infinity, (-1)^i*1/(k^2)*sinusoid is the correct way to generate such a wave.
Also, it assumes the reader has a strong music background, and certain chapters, namely chapter 2, would be hard to follow. The music jargon was not explained well, and make it hard to understand. Mind you I did have classical piano training up to Grade 9, and still it was hard to follow in that chapter.
Perhaps this book is good for people who want to compose digital music, but it is, in my opinion, insufficient for those who wants to know how it works.

I (heart) Computing.......2004-03-05

If you're looking to get a good fundemental understanding of sound this book is the way to go. It's the book you read after spending hours randomly turning knobs on a synthisizer and realizing that you have no clue how to describe or control the knob-to-sound beaviors that you hear. There's a heavy price to pay -- both in money and in hours of trying to wrap your brain around mathematical descriptions of sound waves -- but it's worth the gains.

should have been my first book.......2004-02-27

i've been making computer music with supercollider and before that
with a commercial graphical patch up package for several years now,
and i wish that this had been the first book i had read.
the first book i did in fact read was roads' 'computer music tutorial',
which is a great book which i also highly recommend, but is more of
a reference than a tutorial, both in its layout and style. the dodge/jerse book
is so clearly and pedagogically written, that even though i already knew
a great deal of the material, it solidified quite a lot of it into place for me.

the thing i liked best about it is that the authors invariably direct you
to compositions made using the methods just described. in other words
the methods are not just described in a vacuum.

expect to learn from this book the basics of acoustics and psychoacoustics,
digital audio and sampling theory, and a slew of sound synthesis techniques,
as well as about composition.

who should buy this:

the serious computer music student, who does not necessarily have any
experience yet in computer music, but who is not afraid of some hard study.

the computer musician using either a graphical patch up system ( max/msp, reaktor, pd etc... )
or using some Music-N derived language (supercollider, csound) would both benefit tremendously
from a thorough study of the contents of this book.

the mathematics level required for this book is not high. your algebra should be strong
with a solid understanding of exponents and logarithms, and some basic trig wouldn't
hurt either.

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Notes, published by Music Library Association, Inc. on September 1, 1998. The length of the article is 775 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Computer Music: Synthesis, Composition, and Performance, 2d ed. (book reviews)
Author: Christopher Dobrian
Publication: Notes (Refereed)
Date: September 1, 1998
Publisher: Music Library Association, Inc.
Volume: v55 Issue: n1 Page: p136(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Computer Music : Synthesis, Composition, and Performance

Average customer rating:

Computer Music : Synthesis, Composition, and Performance
Charles Dodge; Thomas A. Jerse
Manufacturer: Schirmer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O9223A

Customer Reviews:

Global Garbage.......2003-09-20

This collection of articles is a poorly edited collection of lesser known writings by academic authors, most of which border on incoherence. The articles contained in this edition reveal that the authors and their editors are sorely out of touch with the dynamics of the pop music industry in their naive view of global trends and styles. The articles are largely unremarkable, labourious to slog through, and filled with useless jargon that renders it neither suitable for academic nor lay readers. Save your money, as this volume is not worth the exhorbitant purchase price. I hate to offer even one star's endorsement of this sad excuse for a book.

Book Description

Turn on your TV! This helpful resource helps you select the best TiVo service based on your needs, then shows you how to set up your TiVo, watch live television with your TiVo, record programs, hook TiVo up to your home network, remotely schedule programs to be recorded over the Internet, use multiple TiVos, and much more!

Customer Reviews:

ok not great only thing I really use is the commercial skip code.......2007-04-25

Ok not great only thing I really use is the commercial skip code which you can find online anyway. If you know nothing about Tivo then this can be a handy reference but if you are more advanced then you can find more and better info on the web with a Google search. And if your that advanced you're probably not reading this review anyway. ;-)

Only the routine........2007-03-30

This book, while very informative offers no more information than the users manual. If you're looking for something more advanced look elsewhere.

thank goodness for this guide.......2005-11-08

Well written and detailed book. This text enabled me to easily upgrade my TiVo's disk, something my box's manual didn't go into in enough dept and simplicity.

many TiVo uses.......2005-01-22

You should find this an easy read, in learning how to effectively use your TiVo. The company has spent a lot of time in trying to make the user experience as simple as possible.

Carter gives hardware tips as to various accessory items you might want to hook up your TiVo to. Plus, you can find out how to use various listings offered by third parties. Notably AOL, which offers a neat Remote Scheduling of its TV listings. Talk about convenient.

For those of you with DVD players, and especially recorders, sections of the book describe how you can hook these up to the TiVo and get everything working with each other. And remembering that a TiVo is a special type of personal computer, you get instructions on how to upgrade its disk. Very good for the heavy user.

Average customer rating:

How to Do Everything With Your TiVo
Evan; Bellomo, Michael Young
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OGJ1ZU

Book Description

Written for readers with a background in algebra, this book provides a complete and modern treatment of basic management science methodology. The authors survey the variety and power of management science tools, working to alleviate readers' apprehension about the subject and to enable readers to recognize on-the-job situations in which management science methodology can be successfully employed. Emphasizing modeling skills for readers of varying mathematical backgrounds, the authors explain how to use Microsoft Excel spreadsheets to build skills as they work through problems. In general, problems are broken into several parts to make difficult concepts easy for readers to learn. This book's modular structure affords readers maximum flexibility. This text contains a special student version of Palisade Corporation's DecisionTools Suite, containing @Risk, PrecisionTree, BestFit, TopRank and RiskView. This software is expressly provided for student use and requires student authorization to unlock the software for its full one year license. Professional customers may use the software for 30 days at which point they must contact Palisade Corporation for a professional version should they wish to continue using the software.

Customer Reviews:

To Authors: Revise your answers and review.......2006-12-13

I am surprised to see a 7th edition with many quantative errors in the answer key. considering the book, cd, answer key combo could cost close to $200, I urge the authors to correct mistakes and review the answers in detail. I could site more than a mistake in Every chapter. Otherwise I would have given the book 4 stars.

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