Book Description

"This book is a must for anyone teaching, or wishing to better understand, qualitative research . . . This handbook is destined to be a classic text in the field of qualitative research that belongs on every student's and researcher's bookshelf."

--HARVARD EDUCATIONAL REVIEW

The Strategies of Qualitative Inquiry, Second Edition, the second volume in the paperback version of the Handbook of Qualitative Research, 2^nd Edition, consists of Part III of the handbook ("Strategies of Inquiry").

The Strategies of Qualitative Inquiry, Second Edition isolates the major strategies--historically, the research methods--that researchers can use in conducting concrete qualitative studies. The question of methods begins with the design of the research project, which Valerie Janesick describes in dance terms. Design issues also involve matters of money and funding, issues discussed by Julianne Cheek. Questions of design always begin with a socially situated observer who moves from a research question to a paradigm or perspective, and then to the empirical world. So located, the researcher then addresses a range of methods that can be employed In any study. The history and uses of these strategies are explored extensively in this volume. The chapters move from performance ethnography to case studies, issues of ethnographic representation, grounded theory strategies, testimonios, life histories, participatory action research, and clinical research.

"This may well be 'the one book on qualitative research' that one would want to take 'to a desert island,' as the editors hope."

--JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY ETHNOGRAPHY

The Handbook of Qualitative Research, Second Edition is widely considered to be the state of the art in evaluating the field of qualitative inquiry. Now published in paperback in response to the needs of classroom teachers, The Strategies of Qualitative Inquiry, Second Edition will be an ideal supplement for a course on research methods, across a wide number of academic disciplines.

"The Handbook of Qualitative Research represents a major publishing event. It comprehensively gathers together and organizes rapidly-growing developments in the philosophy, theory, and method of conducting qualitative research."

--EVALUATION AND PROGRAM PLANNING

Reviews (1)

A cornerstone to qualitative research
"Strategies of Qualitative Inquiry" by Denzin and Lincoln is one of the top references for those starting research using a qualitative methodology.

The book starts of giving a brief overview of all the methodsthat are classes as qualitative in the introduction.

Chapter one continues by talking about what methodologies of research can be used with these methods, as well as dealing with some of the issues of qualitative research, like resistance, it history and a comparison between qualitative and quantative methods.

Chapter two mainly deals with research design. It talks about initial design, pilot studies and the writeup.

Chapter three deals with designing and conducting funded research. It helps with strategies and writing research proposals.

Chapter four details case studies and what you need to do to use this technique for your research,

The remaining chapter study the various qualitative methods in detail, giving a good understanding of each.

Finally the reference section for this book is excellent, give a good guide to further direction for study in the area of qualitative methods.

The the student or begining qualitative researcher it is a must. For the experienced researcher it a n excellent reference to have on hand ... Read more

Book Description

Nonlinear measurement data arise in a wide variety of biological and biomedical applications, such as longitudinal clinical trials, studies of drug kinetics and growth, and the analysis of assay and laboratory data.Nonlinear Models for Repeated Measurement Data provides the first unified development of methods and models for data of this type, with a detailed treatment of inference for the nonlinear mixed effects and its extensions.A particular strength of the book is the inclusion of several detailed case studies from the areas of population pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, immunoassay and bioassay development and the analysis of growth curves. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

great coverage of theory and applications
Analysis of repeated measurement data is commonplace in clinical trials and there is a great body of literature and books on the repeated measures analysis using linear models. The many fine texts on repeated measure linear models are often found with the term longitudinal data analysis because the repeated measurements are given over time. As Davidian and Giltinan point out htere is a need for nonlinear models in the case of pharmacokinetics trials. The theory is new and is presented here in a text for the first time. The authors provide many real applications from their experience. They present a good mix of theory and applications. Thorough references to the literature are given. Even though the development is new the authors do treat the computational aspects. Software implementation for Bayesian Hierarchical models is also mentioned. SAS macros that have been developed are also covered. The methodology is developed in the first eight chapters with applications and case studies in Chapters 9-11. Chapter 12 provides open problems to interest researchers. It contains useful information for practitioners but requires mathematical sophistication. ... Read more

Book Description

This book is a practice-oriented introduction into phytotherapy. Methodically classified by organic systems and fields of application, it offers a quick insight into dosage, form of application and effects of the most important herbal remedies. Only those herbal remedies that are of pharmacological and clinical efficiency have been considered. The authors are highly experienced in the field of postgraduate medical education, and, with this work, present an indispensable reference book for the medical practice. All practitioners and pharmacists interested in treatment with herbal remedies should have this book at their disposal. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An absolutely magnificent guide to herbal medicine!
I am completely enthralled by this wonderful volume. Rational Phytotherapy discusses general information about the pharmaceutical aspects of phytotherapy, and specific information about the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodymic effects of herbal medicines. There are references galore, although relatively few, as Dr. Tyler points out, are listed in Medline; many are from the German literature. Any health care professional who is just starting to learn about herbal medicines, either for personal interest, or to assist interested patients, must have this book. (I only wish I could use underlining, italics, sound, etc. to convey how helpful this book has already been to me.) I wish I could give it a zillion stars! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Physics and computer science genius Stephen Wolfram, whose Mathematica computer language launched a multimillion-dollar company, now sets his sights on a more daunting goal: understanding the universe. Wolfram lets the world see his work in A New Kind of Science, a gorgeous, 1,280-page tome more than a decade in the making. With patience, insight, and self-confidence to spare, Wolfram outlines a fundamental new way of modeling complex systems.

On the frontier of complexity science since he was a boy, Wolfram is achampion of cellular automata--256 "programs" governed by simplenonmathematical rules. He points out that even the most complexequations fail to accurately model biological systems, but the simplestcellular automata can produce results straight out of nature--treebranches, stream eddies, and leopard spots, for instance. The graphicsin A New Kind of Science show striking resemblance to thepatterns we see in nature every day.

Wolfram wrote the book in a distinct style meant to make it easy to read, even for nontechies; a basic familiarity with logic is helpful butnot essential. Readers will find themselves swept away by the elegantsimplicity of Wolfram's ideas and the accidental artistry of thecellular automaton models. Whether or not Wolfram's revolutionultimately gives us the keys to the universe, his new science isabsolutely awe-inspiring. --Therese Littleton ... Read more

Reviews (314)

Mind candy
A New Kind Of Science may come to be viewed as the Godel, Escher, Bach of our generation. It's full of challenging big ideas that touch on nearly every field of science and beyond. It's a brilliant and delightful read and makes wonderful mind candy.

The only problem is I don't believe any of it. Wolfram bases the entire opus on the complicated behavior of a few simple cellular automata (CAs). Curiously, he never discusses any of the cool things that originally got a lot of people so excited about CAs -- topics like adaptation on the edge of chaos, and genetic algorithm evolution of specific functions. Instead, the entire book is just about how it's sometimes possible to observe complex and unpredictable patterns. And he tries over and over to convince the reader of just how important that observation is for understanding the universe.

As a supposed harbinger of a major paradigm revolution, we can contrast it with Einstein's one-time dramatic new theory of the universe. While a lot of people didn't understand it, the theories of relativity gave quite a few very specific predictions that could be -- and were successfully -- tested by observation and experiment. I've now read through the entirety of A New Kind Of Science and I can't find any specific predictions that would show his worldview explains reality any better than conventional ideas.

The only prediction he gives us relating to his theories is that every field of science will ultimately be transformed by them, and he goes on to list many of those fields. As I have a doctorate in molecular evolution, I was particularly interested in his dismissal of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection -- one of the most firmly established theories in science. Wolfram claims that Darwinian evolution is not sufficient to produce complex adaptations. I'm loathe to criticize an intellectual of Wolfram's stature, but his understanding of evolutionary theory, at least insofar as is presented in this book, is not very sophisticated. At any rate, anyone wanting an authoritative explication of the power of natural selection to generate complex adaptations may refer to Richard Dawkins' The Blind Watchmaker. I wish Wolfram offered some sort of testable alternative, or evidence of any kind beyond an endless display of pictures of the output of his simple programs. While the output may match the complexity observed in nature, Wolfram never makes the case that they match the adaptivity or intelligence observed in nature.

Many of these pictures are indeed very pretty. But by the fourth or fifth hundred page his obsession with these automata becomes a bit tedious. And the outworldly conclusions he draws from observing their behavior will leave you bumfuzzled. For example: because his automata are discrete in space and in time he proposes (with no further justification) that the entire universe must be made up of discrete cells of space and time. Sounds great, but where's the evidence, and where are the testable hypotheses? He goes on to propose, again with no evidence other than the observed behavior of a select few of his automata, that the mysterious rules of the universe update only one discrete time cell at any given instant. Wolfram offers countless other extrapolations to the mechanisms of nature and structure of the universe, all similarly astounding and similarly unsupported.

As I read through this opus, and especially as I neared the end, I kept asking myself -- How is it possible for someone so brilliant to have spent so many years developing something so uncompelling? I came up with three possible explanations:

1) Wolfram has gone off the deep end. Just like Dr. Richard Daystrom of Star Trek's "The Ultimate Computer", the undisputed genius who goes mad trying to exceed his former glory. Perhaps Wolfram has been staring at his pretty pictures for so long his synapses can no longer make any other kind of connection.

2) Wolfram is perpetrating an elaborate hoax on the world, much like Dr. Alan Sokal's famous "Transgressing the Boundaries" paper, a parody of the academic humanities that the editors of Social Text were fooled into publishing. But Wolfram's physics flimflam is writ on an infinitely larger scale. Just to prove he's so much smarter than every one else, and just as a practical joke, he's trying to derail the entire scientific enterprise.

And finally,

3) I have become so entrenched in the practice and paradigms of traditional science that I am unable to grasp or appreciate the profundity of what's been laid before me in the simplest of terms.

Number three is always possible. And in fact it would be wonderful to bear witness to what he's calling the greatest discovery in the history of science, even if it does fly over my head at Mach 2. Wolfram is one of the smartest and most accomplished residents of the universe, and even though one of the basic tenets of the (traditional) scientific method is that the validity of a claim is judged independently of the stature and reputation of the one who proposes it, it's difficult not to give someone like Wolfram the benefit of the doubt -- no matter how much of a stretch.

All the same, I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys being intellectually stimulated and likes to think about big ideas. Even if he's wrong, I'm sure glad I read it.

Wolfram's "New" Science Simply Doesn't Work
As everyone who can read English and has been awake for the past six months knows, Stephen Wolfram has written how certain cellular automata have the "universal" property of being able to perform any calculation that can be performed on a computer or anything else. Wolfram generates thousands of lovely pictures that, he claims, are similar to those observed in many physical and biological systems. All these pictures are generated by simple rules and sometimes simple initial conditions. Yet, some show surprisingly complex and seemingly random behaviour.

So far so good. Wolfram's next contention is that the complexity found in what he calls Class 4 cellular automata cannot be exceeded by any physical, biological or computational process. Put more boldly, every physical, biological, psychological, financial, meteorolical and, no doubt, astrological feature of the universe that exhibits complexity is generated by some sort of cellular automaton with appropriate initial conditions.

Such a statement cannot, of course, be proved in any acceptable way. To compensate, Wolfram gives us many examples of phenomena whose random behaviour resembles those of cellular automata. He is most convincing with his pictures of real seashells and arguments about turbulence in fluids (I especially liked his wafting smoke in the air anology.) He is less persuasive when he argues that evolution has nothing to do with maximizing anything and everything to do with generated patterns, some of which survive. When he talks about the analogy between Class 4 cellular automata and human cognition, he is downright silly.

Yet this is all irrelevant. Wolfram is scathing in the inability of mathematics to solve anything but the simplest physical problems. Thus Newton could tell us how to calculate the orbit of a planet around a star but neither he nor any of his successors could come up with a reasonable mathematical model for turbulence. And no one has even attempted a mathematical model of evolution.

But describing the disease is easier than prescribing a cure. Suppose that Wolfram is correct and that every meaningful physical and biological process is generated by an ongoing cellular automoton--or something equivalent. Then we could understand how we got where we are and predict where we will go. All we need is to discover the underlying rules and initial conditions for each system we wish to model. But therein lies the rub.

Wolfram argues persuasively that the systems generated by Class 4 cellular automata are irreducible. This means that there is no shorthand method for calculating future behaviour. The only thing we can do is go through the iteration millions, billions, gazillions of times and observe the outcomes at each step. Since the behaviour is random, knowing where you are at any step doesn't help you to predict where you will be at a future step.

The inverse problem is far more intractable. It is practically impossible to determine the underlying rules and initial conditions of a cellular automoton by looking at the deterministic pattern that it generated--especially if the pattern is complex and random (the only case of interest). But that's the whole point. Even if we knew with certainty that some complex process was generated by a cellular automoton with simple rules, it would still be impossible to describe its past behaviour or predict its future because we could never find the rule and starting conditions.

So, at its most profound level, even if Wolfram's new science is correct, it fails at doing two of the most fundamental things that science is supposed to do: telling us how we got where we are and making predictions about future behaviour.

In the final analysis, Wolfram's book is brilliant and well worth reading. But its new ideas may prove to be as useful as those in astrology.

Wolfram is not as revolutionary as ME
Stephen Wolfram is making a lot of noise about his "new kind of science," and the revolutionary impact it will have. But Wolfram is wrong, because his theories are not as revolutionary as my own. If you really want to know about the "new kind of science" you will find it in my work, not his.

Let me explain why I can so confidently make this statement. First, the issue of computers. While Stephen is right that computers will play an important role in the new kind of science, he failed to realize that his computer is not as good as mine. He has a pathetic, outdated model manufactured more than two months ago, while I buy a new computer each time a new breakthrough is made in micrprocessor speed and memory. Thus, my computer models are better than Wolfram's.

Also, Wolfram does not and cannot account for the amazing scientific discoveries made by ME using MY computers. I am a recognized pioneer in the field of quantum mitosis, and my studies of the statistical entropic confabulations of subcognitive querktons have become benchmarks in modern science. But I don't remember Wolfram ever calling ME to discuss these important breakthroughs.

Looks like it's back to the drawing board, Steve. Your supposedly all-encompassing new science may draw admiring glances for a week or two, but MY ideas are better. Right now, I'm even working on a grand unified theory of cognitive assonance which will allow me to objectively determine the degree to which Wolfram's ideas are inferior to my own, and finally get the crab grass out of my lawn. Who's your daddy, Wolfy?

Thought-provoking book
Given that you bothered to read these reviews, you probably should buy the book.

Wolfram's either on to something or he's not. I don't know and don't care. His writing style is tedious and annoyingly arrogant, but again, who cares?

His assertions about science are bold and unconventional. If he's right about something, maybe there will be some benefit to mankind (or even better, to me ;-) ) If not, so I wasted a few bucks. It's not the first time. Won't be the last....

Bottom line: Thinking Wolfram's ideas through is fun, whether you agree, disagree, or have no opinion. If you disagree, you'll feel good that you're smarter than a "physics and computer science genius". Otherwise, you'll feel that you have thought about some intriguing possibilities.

Single mindedness is bad even if it's a brilliant mind
The lack of proper reference to those minds that have studied and articulated complexity and cellular automata gives the impression that Wolfram solely thought up and now presents the ideas. No great ideas are exclusive. The book appears to be a self generated hoo rah for himself, oh and a little bit of computer generated plot. After lugging this monster around for way too long I finally just dropped it to door stop status and now it serves a much higher purpose than its content deserves. ... Read more

Book Description

This market leader offers the broadest range of experimental measurement techniques available for mechanical and general engineering applications. Offering clear descriptions of the general behavior of different measurement techniques, such as pressure, flow, and temperature, the text emphasizes the use of uncertainty analysis and statistical data analysis in estimating the accuracy of measurements. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

good introduction to measurement
Much of the engineering curriculum is devoted to analytical techniques for solving particular problems, often derived mathematically from first principles. However, without grounding results within the physical realm, solutions may neglect factors that do not neatly fit into the assumptions used. Thus, measurement of phenomena are needed. But what constitutes a valid measurement? Holman provides an excellent introduction to this area in _Experimental_Methods_for_Engineers_, often an otherwise neglected field of study. Few parameters can be measured directly, and those that can must be compared to a standard that is ubiquitously available and repeatable. So Holman begins with standards and units. Analysis of measured data covers sources of error and uncertainty -- without these, the measurement cannot be used with confidence for the application intended.

Subsequently, Holman introduces sensors in separate chapters for discrete physical phenomena. The first of these includes electrical sensors using known physical laws governing electro-magnetism. The next chapters cover displacement, pressure and fluid flowrate, followed by temperature and heat flux. Then forces, vibration, nuclear radiation and chemical traces are covered. _Experimental_Methods_ concludes with data acquisition and report writing descriptions. The treatment in each chapter is geared to the level of a competent engineering student. Although replete with equations, the terms are explained (unlike so many textbooks) and associated with quantified examples. Holman presents a useful overview of the instrumentation types and their limitations, together with how quantities may be derived from the values measured. A valuable addition in any technical library.

Complete Recipe for Engineering Experimentation
I have reviewed several books in engineering experimentation to adopt one of them to my course. Among them, this book is most complete and provides lots of useful information nicely organized. One of the strengthes this book provides is the "recipe" for various enigneering experiments with excellent summary. ... Read more

Book Description

From the Preface: There has been a great upsurge in interest in light microscopy in recent years due to the advent of a number of significant advances in microscopy, one of the most important of which is confocal microscopy. Confocal microscopy has now become an important research tool, with a large number of new fluorescent dyes becoming available in the past few years for probing your pet structure or molecule within fixed or living cell or tissue samples. Many of the people interested in using confocal microscopy to further their research do not have a microscopy or even a cell biology background, and so not only do they find considerable difficulty in obtaining satisfactory results with a confocal, but they may be mislead by how data is being presented.This manual is intended to teach [its readers] the basic concepts of microscopy, fluorescence, digital imaging, and the principles of confocal microscopy so that [they] may take full advantage of the excellent confocal microscopes now available.This manual is an excellent reference source for information related to confocal microscopy for both beginners and more advanced users. The main emphasis in this manual in on the laser scanning confocal microscopes used in biology. However, a variety of related imaging technologies are briefly introduced as a comparison. ... Read more

Book Description

Allegations of fraud, conflict of interest, and other ethical dilemmas have troubled the scientific community lately. With increasing frequency, graduate programs in the biomedical sciences are offering formalized training in the principles of responsible scientific conduct. Until now, there has been no single true textbook that can be used to teach this important subject. This text was developed to cover broad areas of scientific integrity and to meet the needs of today's graduate students and scientists working in the biomedical sciences.Case studies that parallel the material presented in the chapters are included to illustrate the diversity of issues that have been identified under the umbrella of scientific integrity. TABLE OF CONTENTS: Scientific Integrity MentoringScientific Record-KeepingAuthorship and Peer Review Use of Animals in Biomedical Experimentation Use of Humans in Biomedical ExperimentationConflict of InterestOwnership of Data and Intellectual PropertyGenetic Technology and Scientific Integrity ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Should be read by everyone involved in biological research
It is a very important book. Should be read by everyone involved with biological research;it would be useful to have a spanish version. ... Read more

Book Description

Although less than a decade old, the field of microarray data analysisisnow thrivingand growing at a remarkable pace. Biologists, geneticists, and computer scientists as well as statisticians all need an accessible, systematic treatment of the techniques used for analyzing the vast amounts of data generated by large-scale gene expression studies. And there is arguably no group better qualified to do so than the authors of this book.Statistical Analysis of Gene Expression Microarray Data promises to become the definitive basic reference in the field. Under the editorship of Terry Speed, some of the world's most pre-eminent authorities have joined forces to present the tools, features, and problems associated with the analysis of genetic microarray data. These include::"Model-based analysis of oligonucleotide arrays, including expression index computation, outlier detection, and standard error applications"Design and analysis of comparative experiments involving microarrays, with focus on \ two-color cDNA or long oligonucleotide arrays on glass slides "Classification issues, including the statistical foundations of classification and an overview of different classifiers"Clustering, partitioning, and hierarchical methods of analysis, including techniques related to principal components and singular value decompositionAlthough the technologies used in large-scale, high throughput assays will continue to evolve, statistical analysis will remain a cornerstone of their success and future development. Statistical Analysis of Gene Expression Microarray Data will help you meet the challenges of large, complex datasets and contribute to new methodological and computational advances. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent book for data analyst
Thorough converage of statistics involved in microarray data analysis. It presents important knowledge for biologists who use data analysis tools but would like to know what is behind the scene. Understanding the book needs some statistical background and hence not a easy book for biologists and genetists who do not have that knowledge.
I would like to emphasize that experiment design issue is presented in a very clear way and should be read by all who plan to start project related to gene expression. Clustering and classification are two major analysis methods for microarray data, and the comprehensive discussion of the statistical mechanisms for each method in the last two chapters will help analysts to choose the right methods when mining the data. The first chapter seems to be a little out of the place, because it mainly discusses model-based genechip data analysis. This chapter touches a little about preprocessing and gene selection but far from complete.
A chapter with thorough discussion of pre-processing techniques and gene selection techniques would make this a prefect book. Overall it is a great reference for anyone who is interested in microarray data analysis! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

If you have to take Statistics, at least get this book!
I've said it before, and I will say it again. I hate Statistics! It is not just that statistics originated as a means to classify and rank people according to their perceived social worth. Statistics is still used that way as evidenced by the publication and use of the book The Bell Curve. In comparision to a pure science like Neuroscience and also to mathematics, statistics is a subjective science. Everyone knows that statistics can be manipulated and used to show whatever the researcher wants to show...and it is more prone to abuse then most other hard sciences and math.

Ok, having said that...I had to take a statistics course at the last minute (read that last year) while working on my dissertation, because it was determined I did not have enough measurements classes. This book was required, but it really has not been used as much as the other textbook which is equation-based, but I quickly found that I preferred this book!

This textbook explains how and why statistics are used in all sciences, social sciences, etc. and how they are to be interpreted when seen in a journal. It is very concise...the authors for once are not writing for their peers, they are writing for their audience (which are going to be students, grad students, patient/consumers, etc). The book is written with an eye towards helping the reader understand the reasoning and logic behind using statistics. It is done with minimal decorative writing, and with a sense of humor. It makes use of good examples of both good and bad statistic use in papers and journals, it lambasts those who need lambasting, and it has a sense of humor.

If you have to understand statistics so you can read medical journals, sociology, educational journals, etc. this is the book to get. It is immensely helpful. I will rid my library of all other statistical books, but this one I will keep (since my statistics outside of class will be either on computers or I will do qualitative research!)
Karen Sadler,

Science Education,
University of PIttsburgh

the poor statistics students guide to understanding
This book not only assist the researcher in reading and understanding sometimes difficult statistical topics but it also is a excellent guide to decision making when writing your own research. ... Read more

Book Description

Heath 2/e, presents a broad overview of numerical methods for solving all the major problems in scientific computing, including linear and nonlinear equations, least squares, eigenvalues, optimization, interpolation, integration, ordinary and partial differential equations, fast Fourier transforms, and random number generators.The treatment is comprehensive yet concise, software-oriented yet compatible with a variety of software packages and programming languages.The book features more than 160 examples, 500 review questions, 240 exercises, and 200 computer problems.Changes for the second edition include:expanded motivational discussions and examples; formal statements of all major algorithms; expanded discussions of existence, uniqueness, and conditioning for each type of problem so that students can recognize "good" and "bad" problem formulations and understand the corresponding quality of results produced; and expanded coverage of several topics, particularly eigenvalues and constrained optimization.The book contains a wealth of material and can be used in a variety of one- or two-term courses in computer science, mathematics, or engineering.Its comprehensiveness and modern perspective, as well as the software pointers provided, also make it a highly useful reference for practicing professionals who need to solve computational problems. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Good Introductory Survey
This book excels at presenting a reader with little to no knowledge in computer science and a mild mathematical background (knowledge of differential equations as a prerequisite) with the fundamental concepts regarding scientific computing. The presentation of pseudo-code algorithms helps smooth the transition from analytical (pencil and paper) thinking to numerical thinking. The algorithms are presented in a manner such tha anyone with access to dozens of possible environments can apply them, though they are by no means complete, thus requiring some thought into the processes. The material covered is 110% of what an engineer will want to know, 90% of what an applied mathematician will want to know, and 45% of what a numerical analyist will want to know. In all, a great book to begin a foray into numerical computing.

A better book than the rest
For a teaching book this is better than anyother book out on the market. It skims over the material, which makes it so the students don't get bored or overwhelmed by it. I have read books that were a lot more in depth about Algorithms Analysis espically the Knuth series, but that is too much for the introductionary course to Numerical Analysis and this book offers breadth and some depth when it comes time to deal with the complicated subject matter. This book recieves three stars, just because all the other books are worse. ... Read more

Book Description

Including valuable advice for those planning a field study, this practical manual for students and researchers studying wild primates provides essential information concerning the technical and practical aspects of field and laboratory methods.The study covers surveys and habituation, remote sensing and GPS, tracking and trapping, non-invasive genetic and endocrine assays, and ethical issues. It will be appropriate for final year undergraduates, postgraduate students and researchers in primatology, behavioral ecology and zoology. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

"This book fills a large gap in the applied statistics literature and, at the same time, provides empirical researchers with the means to quickly determine a valuable piece of information, namely: what sample size is needed for a particular study. "If this book only presented the reader with a straightforward set of procedures for determining N for any particular research design, it would have fulfilled its mission successfully. But the book does more. . . . How Many Subjects? has much to offer the careful and interested reader." --from the Foreword by Victor H. Denenberg "How Many Subjects? provides a 'cookbook' enabling researchers to plan an analysis that gives their alternative or research hypotheses a reasonable chance of being supported . . . useful to those with limited statistical background who simply need a guide to evaluating the power of a test contained in others' research, or to selecting the proper sample size to achieve a given level of power in their own research." --Contemporary Sociology "Until now no broad framework has existed to treat power in a unified fashion across hypothesis testing techniques. . . . An excellent contribution to the literature. . . . A valuable reference book. . . . A nice addition to the statistical literature. How Many Subjects? should be at the disposal of teachers and students of statistics." --Applied Psychological Measurement "This is a simple introduction for non-statisticians to power analysis and sample size determination. Helena Chmura Kraemer and Sue Thiemann have produced an easily readable book that clearly illustrates why sample sizes need to be sufficiently large, so that the experiment has good power properties and hence low type II error rates. . . . This book is an excellent introduction to the problem and whets the appetite to find out more." --The Statistician "A success. . . . For graduate students, there is no question about the book's value. I think that all graduate students should be advised to read this book before starting significant projects such as a dissertation." --Journal of Marketing Research The authors introduce a simple technique of statistical power analysis that allows researchers to compute approximate sample sizes and power for a wide variety of research designs. Because the same technique is used with only slight modifications for different statistical tests, researchers can easily compare the sample sizes required by different designs and tests to make cost-effective decisions in planning a study. These comparisons, emphasized throughout the book, demonstrate some important principles of design, measurement, and analysis that are rarely discussed in courses or textbooks. This book therefore serves not merely as a "how-to" reference for sample size calculations but also as a guide to some general principles of cost-effective research. ... Read more

Book Description

The Measurement Instrumentation and Sensors Handbook describes the use of instruments and techniques for practical measurements required in engineering, physics, chemistry, and the life sciences.The book examines:oSensorsoHardwareoSoftwareoTechniquesoInformation processing systemsoAutomatic data acquisitionoReduction and analysis as well as their incorporation for control purposesOrganized according to the measurement problem, each section addresses the different ways of making a measurement for a given variable. Chapters present information on three levels:oBasic information without equations and a description of the subject that can be understood by the newcomeroDetailed text and mathematical treatment essential fordiscovering applications and solving problems outside one's field of specialtyoAdvanced applications of the subject, evaluative opinions, and areas for future studyThe Measurement, Instrumentation and Sensors Handbook provides a graded level of difficulty from start to finish, serving the reference needs of the broadest group of readers. Edited by one of the more noted instrumentation experts in the world, the book contains nearly 150 contributions, covering all aspects on the design and implementation of various instrumentation. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Magnificent collection of material
This book is one of the best book covering measurement and sensors. The book cover almost any sensor you think of, describe it function (the background physics) and then explain how it work with some application in software. This book must have for any one working with sensor (engineers, physicist...). the book start explaining it material assuming no prior knowledge for the reader which make it much easier and easy to follow up, start from simple point to explain and then get more complicated with mathematics applied for that particular sensor. I have a degree on physics and I believe this book is a good reference even in physics and I enjoy this book so much. It is a lot fun to read for professional or even for any reader. Any time I was searching for more information about specific sensor this book never turn me down. In short it's on of the greatest book I bought and I don't mind paying it's price because it worth every penny. ... Read more

Book Description

"More than a history of science; it is a tour de force in the genre."—New York Times Book Review

A dramatic new account of the parallel quests to harness time that culminated in the revolutionary science of relativity, Einstein's Clocks, Poincaré's Maps is "part history, part science, part adventure, part biography, part meditation on the meaning of modernity....In Galison's telling of science, the meters and wires and epoxy and solder come alive as characters, along with physicists, engineers, technicians and others....Galison has unearthed fascinating material" (New York Times).

Clocks and trains, telegraphs and colonial conquest: the challenges of the late nineteenth century were an indispensable real-world background to the enormous theoretical breakthrough of relativity. And two giants at the foundations of modern science were converging, step-by-step, on the answer: Albert Einstein, an young, obscure German physicist experimenting with measuring time using telegraph networks and with the coordination of clocks at train stations; and the renowned mathematician Henri Poincaré, president of the French Bureau of Longitude, mapping time coordinates across continents. Each found that to understand the newly global world, he had to determine whether there existed a pure time in which simultaneity was absolute or whether time was relative.

Esteemed historian of science Peter Galison has culled new information from rarely seen photographs, forgotten patents, and unexplored archives to tell the fascinating story of two scientists whose concrete, professional preoccupations engaged them in a silent race toward a theory that would conquer the empire of time. 40 b/w illustrations. ... Read more

Book Description

One of the best books on electrostatics for the hobbyists, inventor, or experimenter is updated and expanded to include newly uncovered information on electrostatic generators and complete instructions for building various types, including Wimshurst and Van de Graaff generators. Throughout the book, the author provides hard-to-find information on electrical anomalies, which represent the frontier of electrostatic research.

Covering theory and presenting electroscope and other construction projects and experiments, this handbook also includes experiments with electrohorticulture, gravitation and electricity, cold light, and electric tornadoes. Homemade Lightning is both an excellent first book for the building electrical experimenter and a superb book for accomplished experimenters who haven't spent much time with electrostatics. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Home Made Lightning
This book is eye opening in that it awakens you to the fact that many traditional explanations of electricity do not explain all of the properties of electricity. A wonderful reference work. The illustrations are old, perhaps because the research seemed to stop around the 1930's. His chapter 6 on "Theories of generator operation" is excellent. His statement that "It is fair to say that there are as many theories as there are inventors of original generator designs." inspirers you to learn about all of the other designs. The book is packed with extensive references and I have recently acquired many of them. Although his references concerning Nikola Tesla are not pronounced, at least he mentions him in chapter 21 "Some philosophical conclusions and insights". Final answer: If I lose the book, I'll buy another!

Where's the Originality
There is an old saying to the effect: If you steal from one, it is plagiarism. If you steal from many, it is research.

On that basis, this is a well-researched book.

Without actually counting pages, my impression is that roughly a third of the book consists of facsimile reproductions of 100-150 year old news releases, advertisements, and journal reports. Most of the illustrations and pictures are of similar age.

The author does go into loving detail with regards to the construction of his machines -- essentially a copy of a Wimshurst with a modern drive system (dual axle-mounted motors vs one motor/crank driving a straight and a crossed belt).

The chapter on theory is only 5 pages long, and 3.5 of those are facsimile reproductions. I'm also surprised the author managed to get any output from his version of Kelvin's water drop generator -- his illustration shows the drops formed inches above the induction rings. A working device needs the drops to break loose from the water source just at the point of induction. In order for the drop to retain the charge as it falls into the collector it has to have the "repelled" charge pass from one-side, which means a continuous circuit from nozzle through source to other nozzle.

If deciding between this book, and A. D. Moore's "Electrostatics" (which was finally reprinted in 1997, 30 years after the original release), I recommend one consider "Electrostatics"

Packed with info, could use more on dangers, yes, dangers
The book has great info, but read a lot more then this before implementing. Dangers exist with Hi Pressure, DC voltages. Science can be fun but a fully charged 1 quart Lyden Jar, or a 2 liter plastic soda bottle Lyden Jar will knock you down. It can be lethal. Read, then read again, don't experiment alone and make sure everyone can do CPR(having number for EMTS is good too). When they tell you make your own lightening, remember the dangers of lightening. Other then that, there are process' that are downright dangerous just to make, (electrophorus). The finished product is safe enough(maybe), but the process of manufacture is tricky and dangerous.

Other then that 5 stars, great, you will develope respect for that "Humble" foot dragging on the rug static snap you give the dog on his nose. You will understand why they ground your car at toll booths, before you hand the person at the booth.

Finally this book IS NOT for children. High Schooler Seniors maybe. BUT WITH SUPERVISION, CLOSE SUPERVISION, a Lab setting is preferential, with fire extinguishers, First Aiders and people who can tell if you are about to reach X-Ray Potentials.

Modern, detailed view of mysterious subject
This is an area of science that seems neglected, hidden in the back room of the "mad scientist". however, this book details both traditional and moderns means of obtaining, using, measuring & studying aspects of static electricity, including history. Several projects containing relatively common materials compliment the theory. The author is very open minded about science in general, although sometimes to the extreme. All in all, a very informative, even enjoyable read for anyone interested in high voltage electrostatics.

Wimshurst Machine and other wonderful information
This is a must buy book for the electrical experimenter and science/physics educator. Very well written with unusual and unexpected material. Beautifully illustrated. Great plans for Wimshurst machine to make 14 inch sparks! Kinetic gravity and countergravitation experiments/information and more! ... Read more

Book Description

Rather than presenting each experimental design in terms of a set of computational formulas to be used only for that design, the authors use a model comparison approach to present a few basic formulas that can be applied with the same underlying logic to every experimental design. ... Read more

Book Description

Emphasizes the strategy of experimentation, data analysis, and the interpretation of experimental results.
* Features numerous examples using actual engineering and scientific studies.
* Presents statistics as an integral component of experimentation from the planning stage to the presentation of the conclusions.
* Deep and concentrated experimental design coverage, with equivalent but separate emphasis on the analysis of data from the various designs.
* Topics can be implemented by practitioners and do not require a high level of training in statistics.
* New edition includes new and updated material and computer output. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

well written applications-oriented text
Mason, Gunst and Hess have done a great deal of consulting in industry which has provided them with an understanding of the design and analysis of linear and nonlinear models. In fact, I have had some direct experience with Bob Mason from Southwest Research Institute. When I was working at a medical device company owned by St. Jude Medical Inc., Southwest Research Institute had been contracted to analyze data from one of our animal experiments for defibrillation thresholds. As the new statistician in the company I needed to get acquainted with their work. The book illustrates many designs using real world problems. The first 5 chapters (88 pages) cover elementary statistical concepts and methods. The next 6 chapters (145 pages) cover designs. Most standard designs are covered including full factorials, balanced incomplete blocks, latin squares, fractional factorials and nested and crossover designs. There is also a chapter on response surface designs including rotatable designs, central composite designs and Box-Behnken designs. The rest of the book, some 368 pages, deals with statistical analysis of data from designed experiments. It makes a very good reference source.

The only disadvantage of it is that there have been many advances in the design of experiments since 1989 when the book was published. The topic of robust parameter design is not covered because much of the development occurred after 1989. Hints of the topic and mention of the Taguchi approach appear only on pages 108-110. To learn much more about the recent developments in the design of experiments see Hamada and Wu (2000) "Experiments". My review of Hamada and Wu can be found on Amazon.

Design and experimental
Anova,multi stage charterlisti ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Highly Recommended
"...unique and I highly recommend it as a first book on programming for biology-oriented professionals interested in using perl...excellent for self-study...can also be a great resource as classroom material..." (Clinical Chemistry, Vol. 50, No. 2, 2004) ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Not So Good
Book is not so good, There is a discussion of different brands of SCT but besides that you can't get much of the specifics on things to help you with SCT. At least nothing that you can already get from the internet. Also doesn't seem to discuss much on the possible accessories for SCT's. Practically his discussion relates more to visually using SCT, but for astrophotography nothing, doesn't even mention equatorial wedges. All in all this book just whets your appetite regarding possibilities of SCT but you have to look for details in some other book. Look at Wodawski's book on Astrophotography as it discusses quite a bit regarding astrophotography using SCT. The rest look at Star Ware by Phil Harrington

Best book I could find
This is an awesome book. It answered about a million questions that I had about equipment, accessories, a bit of telescope
history, etc.. It held my hand step-by-step during the search for a new telescope and then again once I had my new telescope in my hands. I found the author's writing style to very very good for the person brand new to Astronomy. I've already recommended this book to 5-6 other folks. It contains enough information that it will be useful for quite a while as there are many aspects of my new telescope that I'm not ready to try yet.

This book is pretty darn expensive but worth every penny. With good telescopes costing from [X], the price of this book isn't much.

The tips alone on new telescope assembly, setup, checkout,
etc.. are invaluable.

A Valuable Reference
This is the book I wish I had read before I purchased my SCT (to understand what I was getting into) and that I wish had come as its user's guide. While it provides great explanations and many useful tips on setting up and using an SCT, it also honestly describes potential drawbacks (e.g., weight, transportability). Mr. Mollise also understands -- and wryly comments on -- "reality" for many amateur astronomers: At one point he descibes the many amateurs who talk about astrophotography but never quite get to the point of taking a picture -- which is true of many amateurs.

Extremely helpful suggestions
The book has great information, including, how to set up your scope, tips on filters, how to collimate the scope, how to transport and care for your telescope, choosing a telescope, and much more. The book is targeted toward owners of Meade and Celestron telescopes with fork mounts, but this should not dissuade you. Much of the information in the book is useful for owners of equatorially mounted scopes, as well. Examples of tips are-- to reduce tripod vibration, hang a gallon jug of water from the bottom of the mount or the tray. Or, to safely transport your scope to a dark site, use a foam-lined cooler. Very comprehensive, well-written, and far reaching in its coverage of all aspects of telescope ownership and use. Highly recommended!

Choosing and Using as Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope
The author provides a complete review of SCT and Makstovs covering all the basics of operation. The chapters on setup, testing and observing are much clearer then the manuals that come with a new scope. If you are considering spending a $1000+ on a new scope you should get this book first. The section on "keeping Your Cat Happy" shows ways to improve your scope's operation without spending a lot. This is stuff that works from dew shields to warning lights. The only limit I have seen in the book is that the goto technology described is changing yet again with new scopes. Celestron has just introduced units with a built in GPS & electronic compasses that find their own location and time. I am sure that Meade can not far behind in introducing their own version. Exploring the stars with SCTs has never been easier, but don't start the trip without this book. ... Read more