Transportation Books

I am using this book as a research and knowledge base for my pending Plug In Electric Vehicle (EV)project. I am converting a 1992 Mazda MX-3 to a plug in fully electric auto.

This book is the best place to begin, it conceptualizes the whole environment surrounding the need for conversions providing historical back ground, economic understanding, and environmental impact information. Although the book was published in the early 90's it's predictions of the future for energy dependance and economic turmoil are right on. The Books prime function is as an excellent technical reference on the "how to" of EV conversions. This book goes into great detail about chassis selection, energy calculations, motor and component selection, range and speed expectations, and gives many examples, tips and techniques to use in building an EV.

This book also goes through from beginning to end a conversion of an auto conversion (a light pick up truck) from internal combustion engine powered to plug in electric powered. It is impressively simple to do and this book shows you just what to do. It also provides a great amount of contact information for parts suppliers and businesses already engaged in the conversion market place.

So if your sick of paying high fuel prices, want to do something personnally to reduce the effects of human impact on the environment, or are an engineering weenie who wants a fun and cool project to obsess over then pick up this book and start today!

Have Fun and Good Luck!

David Fink "Shade Tree Mechanic"
My first EV conversion project (1992 Mazda MX-3)

A good review of history of the electric car, best vehicles to convert, lists of sources for kits and parts, diagrams of how to do it, etc.
Highly recommended.

A good place to start if you prefer to look at paper vs. the computer screen. Much more & better info available on the internet.

Does cover the basics - what exactly is involved in a conversion, batteries, controller, charger, motor & the "extras" - main contactor etc.

Others complained about too much math, but I found it was too basic to make any engineering decisions or judgments.

I've read several books on Electric Vehicles and this is, by far, the definitive resource for the DIY Electric Vehicle designer. It provides details and pictures on every topic necessary to design and build an electric vehicle from an existing gas vehicle.

I read the book because I was interested in converting a car. At times, it became waaay more technical than I bargained for. But it gave me the confidence to go ahead with my project.

I later learned that what I wanted to build was going to be so expensive, that I would not be able to afford it. This led me to see the book on a different light. For example, I would have liked it to be more specific info on the ranges and speeds one could get with a certain system. I did not find that... maybe I skipped it when I blew off the extremely technical info.

But other than that I thought the book was AWESOME. I would not recommend anyone to start a project like this without first talking to people who have done it already. (That is how I found out that I was being too ambitious).

I have not converted a car yet, since I decided to wait until batteries get better so I can get the range and speeds I need. But when the time comes, I going to pick up this book again. This puppy is NOT going to the used-book bookstore.

Not a great book. Pictures aren't that great and the storyline is rather boring.

This is a favorite in our house. The chorus of "Dump it in, smash it down, drive around the trashy town!" will probably get stuck in your head too. Don't miss this one!

My three year old son loves this book. He likes the repetitive nature of the writing because he can help me "read" it. The illustrations are sweet and the verbage rhymes. Great for kids who love the garbage truck.

What a gem for boys and girls! My daughter has the whole book memorized and when she wants the book she just yells "Dump it in smash it down drive around the trashy town" It has great repetition and if you do it right its interactive as well! Great find!

This was a family favorite and a regular check out from the library. When we moved to a new town and the new library didn't have a copy to borrow we bought them one. It's charming.

Everything in the book is from the FAA Instrument Flying Handbook which was published as printed in this book in 2007. The content is great. All the FAA publications are and none are copyrighted as our tax dollars paid for them. But Sky Horse does not have a right to claim this publication is more recent that what the FAA or others publish.

Covers all IFR basics in an excellent way. Very helpful for the preparation for passing the IFR written test.

The FAA put together a good book for study and review of IFR material. A true one-stop shop for info.

One of the best I ever read on this subject.
Items clearly explained.
Easy reading.
Reasonable priced.

First off... this is an essential book. Do note that it can be downloaded for free from the FAA:

[...]

...but many times it's better to have the print version. There are some vendors selling illegal CD versions of this on Amazon when you purchased that are not paperback as listed. Do NOT accept this if they send you a CD. Demand the print, book version if you purchase it - and do not tolerate the scams.

o livro faz uma abordagem de forma racional e científica dos métodos mecanísticos para dimensionamento e análise de pavimentos flexíveis e rígidos, representado um guia para o engenheiro estrutural que pensa em abordar os pavimentos pelo método mecanístico. Ainda é um guia para uso dos softwares kenlayer e kenslabs, fundamentais para análise de tensões e deslocamentos em pavimentos de concreto e asfalto. é o livro de consultas fundamental nessa área, sem a menor dúvida. Uma obra indispensável.

Si algo es evidente en esta producción de Yang H. Huang es que, si bien el texto abarca muchos niveles sobre el tema de los pavimentos, actúa más como el marco teórico del software desarrollado por el autor que como un intento de substituir, o por lo menos actualizar, obras tradicionales en el tema como el libro de Yoder y Witzckac.

El tema expuesto es denso, así como la presentación del texto y el desarrollo de los diferentes ejercicios. Por momentos carece de unidad, especialmente en lo relacionado con la confiabilidad que se presenta como un capítulo independiente cuando sería conveniente ilustrar su aplicación en cada tema.

El libro, no obstante, es muy bueno y no dudo en recomendarlo especialmente a estudiantes de postgrado y consultores en ejercicio. Los estudiantes que se inician en el estudio de los pavimentos pueden encontrar el libro confuso, especialmente en algunos postulados básicos que se han tomado como axiomáticos, por lo cual otro tipo de obras es recomendable antes de acometer la lectura del mismo.

Overall, the book is helpful. It starts off discussing the general pavement types, design methods, and roads tests. Included in this section are the results of findings which, although not something I consider in everyday design, are items that are interesting enough to promote thought in my designs. All in all, I found almost all the chapters useful as they cover stresses in flexible and rigid pavements, rigid and flexible pavement design, drainage design, pavement performance, as well as a few other issues.

The only downfall are the two chapters covering the authors computer program. Most books have this problem, though, as technology quickly outgrows software, but enough information is given in relation to results of parametric studies to make these chapters worth the time needed to read through them.

All in all, a pretty good purchase.

Whether you manage an airline, an airport, or aspire to do so, This text is for you. To the best of my knowledge, it is the only true textbook on management in the air transportation industry and it is worth every penny of its cost.

I have a long interest in the airline industry and it was nice to find a book that has no agenda that covers the subject. Although truly a textbook it is a well-organized, well thought out book that is easy to follow and understand. Perfect for students or managers in the industry.

This book is "the" standard book to use in any type of air transportation environment (industry, academia, self-use). This book is a one-stop shop for anything and everything one needs to know about aviation (GA and commercial). Looking forward to future titles by the authors.

This book provides a comprehensive coverage of various aspects of the air transportation business. The book is well written and easy to follow and understand which makes is accessible to a wide audience and all stakeholders of the air transport industry. Even those who are not familiar with the industry should find it easy to assimilate the information.

The positive points above are also the main drawback of the book for those that need a more indepth coverage of the subject, who may find the book a bit shallow. The authors also need to update the book to take into account the various major changes that continue to take place in the air transport industry.

Therefore I recommend the book to those seeking a comprehensive but basic knowledge of the air transport business.

I have purchased Mr. Wells books for many years. Every book is meticulously and painstakenly accurate. His books are most appropriate for college level and post-graduate aviation students beginning their formal training. Yet, I find myself scrambling back to all his books for background information, general and some detailed analysis all the time.

Include this book into your library. It's part of my classic aviation collection. There are chapter outlines, checklists, and relevant examples applied to give the novice a quick blast into an aerospace career.

I purchased this book as a soon-to-be MBA graduate going to work for one of the leading airlines. I must say that it did not fulfill my expectations. It IS a very good brief overview of the major issues and concerns that air carriers face. As such it may be very useful to those unfamiliar with the industry at all and those with only a limited business background. For students at a graduate level, I cannot recommend this book.

If you are like me, in business related to call centers, but not really in call center business, this book is the one. After reading it, I got a new level of appreciation for the processes and complexity involved.
First part describes business aspect, goals, variables and how they influence goals. That's the part where I said, "It's not as simple as it seems".
Next one, on technology, gives you a review of supporting technologies. I personally knew most of the stuff, but it's a light reading and gives you a perspective how the call center views the technology.
Final two parts, on managing agent performance and call handling are valuable reading no matter what business you're in. Suggestions from the book can be applied outside of call centers, as well. And call handling... I think every employee that has a phone on their desk is the company's representative and should know how to handle calls. Dealing with angry customers, controlling the call, sales... it all goes beyond just call centre agents.
To summarize, if you want to get the big picture, see all the elements, understand them and understand how they interact, this is where you should start. Doesn't dwell too much on any individual subject (and doesn't go too much in-depth) and therefore, it is an easy informative reading. And that's what books from Dummies series are all about, aren't they?

I'm a new call center manager and this book did a great job of explaining a lot of the basics. I was even able to share the technology section with my IT department so they could understand how to better support the needs of our department. Plus my staff fought over the book - because the information was in an easy to read/understand format.

One of the true great adventures of our time. A great read for all of us 'Walter Mitty' types who dream of doing such things but never find the time or have the ability or courage to do so. A wonderful story.

My father gave me this book when I was 16 and I loved it. Totally inspired me to travel. I asked my father for his boat when I finished the book but helas he didn't hand it over! He did however buy me a ticket around the world at 22yrs old and I spent a year and a half traveling around the world alone... London to London west. While I didn't sail, it was still an amazing trip, an incredible education and now back at work now saving for my boat. :-)

This non fiction story is filled with interesting adventure. A young boy setting off to sail the world. Finding new friendships, discovering beautiful places and falling in love with a girl that was raised not too far from his home in the U.S., yet met half way around the world. A very good read.

This was a very interesting book written by a man who at the age of 16 decided to sail around the world alone. The book describes his journeys and his feelings as he experienced life alone.
I believe this book is suitable for 8th through 12th graders based on conservative views of a parent. There is the use of swearing in the book so be aware of this before hand. I did appreciate the fact that the Lord Jesus led Robin to Him through his experiences. Would be interested to know how the family is doing now.

Get ready for an adventure, because in DOVE, Robin Lee Graham
Will take you into the life of a young man who in his little boat
That he will use to sail around the world.

This goy was outgoing, and set out to look for
adventure and love. Little did he know, this boy from San Pedro,
California, was about to make history. He will have to make many
Sacrifices, which for a while was bad.


Many people doubted him, but Robin was serious about
this trip. He also had many people supporting him. This lone
Sailor will face many obstacles at sea.

Follow Robin to places like Tahiti, Ala Wia, Hawaii,
Tutila, Apia, Tonga Islands, Florida Islands, South Africa ect.

So grab your gear, because in this trip, you will discover
The good, the bad and the better of sailing.


So come on, you can experience the unforgettable true
Life story of Robin Lee Graham only when you read DOVE.

This is great for the intended class. Provides all the needed information.

Commercial Aviation Safety is an excellent textbook for those needing a thorough overview of the nature of commercial aviation.

The book makes for a tremendous reference for anyone wanting more detailed information on the business of commercial aviation.

The chapters are all well written and well organized. At times, the writing style can be a bit dry. While an excellent book, it does not flow or read to the smoothness that Airport Planning & Management (Wells & Young) does.

But for anyone needing an in-depth outline on the dynamics of commercial aviation safety, from regulatory to operations, Commercial Aviation Safety is a very good book to use.

This is required reading by many Embry-Riddle Aviation Safety teachers.

It is broad in scope and recent, regarding coverage of the latest technology and events. It is not just a reprint of an out-of-date textbook with a new cover and a little new stuff thrown in, although I have not read the previous edition. I was surpised to see references to recent events and new technology that is barely being used. With the industry moving as fast as it is, I believe this is the book's strength. (Copyright is 2004) 5 of 5 stars for information.

Sure it may be dry, but it's a textbook. I haven't read too many textbooks that were written in a lively manner. Personally, I want information, not a entertainment or an agenda.

I particularly like that there is very little 'word fluff'. The writing is concise and straight-to-the-point, without excessive writing or stories to try to make a point. It encompasses a very wide range of Aviation Safety topics that one would need to know for general knowledge of the subject.

For a typical expensive textbook, I was surprised that there are NO pictures, and the book is printed on cheap 'copier paper' rather than fancy glossy paper. Otherwise, the binding and cover is rugged and secure. The absence of color or pictures, or fancy paper doesn't detract from the information which is top-notch. 3 of 5 stars for appearance and quality.

If you want fancy, get something else. If you want concise, up-to-date information, get this!

"Commercial Aviation Security" is a comprehensive book on various safety and security aspects of commercial aviation. The wide range of topics covered include aviation law and regulations, the FAA Rule Making process, recording and reporting safety data, safety statistics, model of accident causation, risk assessment and management, air traffic management and control issues, aviation security, among other things.

The book is well written, well presented and easy to follow and understand. Those people involved with commercial aviation safety, operations and security will find this a valuable, helpful and handy reference book.

"Commercial Aviation Safety" is a great introductory text for students wanting exposure to most safety considerations in aviation. The book is a well-organized survey, although I only award it four stars because the authors frequently get off-topic into areas only tangentially related to aviation safety.

The book opens with a discussion of the aviation regulatory and historical framework. This goes rapidly astray, with discussions of everything from the 1978 lead standard to the 1989 Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard (HAZWOPER), which deals with toxic spill cleanup. Both of these could be tied to aviation safety, but the numerous citations of this nature serve to dilute the import of more important and common aviation safety programs.

Chapter two is a good overview of rulemaking processes, and I agree with the authors that the current FAA rulemaking process is far to labyrinthine at 217 steps long. Unfortunately, chapter two gets into a protracted discussion of OSHA related topics including quagmires like the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement and Fairness Act (SBREFA) which are not especially germane to aviation. Chapter three is a good introduction to the NTSB.

Chapter four is on "Recording and Reporting Safety Data" and is one of the key chapters in the book. The authors make excellent points about accidents and incidents as precursors to accidents (page 75). I was amazed to find that the FAA has 280 separate data collection systems. Clearly a database management system would be of great help to the government. On page 84 the authors have written a great explanation of Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA) and the Air Transport Oversight System (ATOS). Anyone interested in this field needs a good working knowledge of these two components. The authors once again (page 92) make the excellent point that nonaccident safety data is vital in identifying and estimating the magnitude of safety problems. Chapter four, unfortunately, closes off course with a discussion of chemical spill reporting requirements. This is only applicable to extremely specialized professionals and is not readily of interest to readers of a survey on aviation safety. (This, for instance, is the closing line of the chapter: "RCRA listed hazardous wastes (F, K, P, U) under 40 CFR Part 261, Subpart D, and characteristic wastes (I, C, R, TC) under 40 CFR Part 261, Subpart C, are reportable if the release equals or exceeds the designated RQ.")

Chapter five is an overview of safety statistics, and pages 102-103 contain an excellent discussion of the utility and interpretation of accident rates and their use as indicators of risk trends. Beginning in chapter five, though, the pro-Boeing bias of the authors becomes readily apparent. Many safety advances are attributed to Boeing when they were actually introduced first or done better by another manufacturer. Chapter five also contains a summary of accident statistics that is useful, although monotonously written.

Chapter six deals with accident causation modeling, and introduces several models including the 5-M model (page 145.) It also contains good discussions of risk management (page 151) and human performance factors (page 160.)

Chapter seven starts with (page 163) an excellent discussion of the management of error, which is becoming more important in aviation today. It goes astray on page 164, though, with an inaccurate Boeing versus Airbus example in which Boeing is seen as the champion for simplicity and Airbus for complexity. The authors then get into an example of fuel system design. Anyone who has flown the B-747-400 and the newer Airbus products (A-320 and subsequent) can refute the assertion that Boeing is simpler. The 747-400 has the most nightmarish fuel system I have ever been exposed to, whereas the Airbus fuel system is very simple to operate. Even the "simpler" Boeings like the 757 and 767 have more fuel-related operational limitations and user knowledge requirements than a newer Airbus. My point here isn't to denigrate Boeing, but to point out that some of the examples in the book are perhaps skewed by personal knowledge or bias. Page 170 has an interesting comparison of 757/767 versus A-320 envelope protection. It is generally well balanced and technically correct, but their conclusion about windshear escape maneuvers is not justified: many simulator studies have now been carried out comparing the Boeing and Airbus escape profiles, and in all that I am aware of the Airbus full aft stick recovery provided greater ground clearance in identical conditions. I am unsurprised that the B-777 is cited for the electronic checklist (ECL) as a safety improvement, although all Airbus aircraft since the A-310 have had excellent ECAM automatic normal and abnormal checklists.

The remainder of the book is an overview of Air Traffic Control (although the authors contend that Free Flight is alive, most think it's DOA), and airline specific information, which is generally good. The book credits the 737 with starting the two-pilot cockpit, while actually the DC-9 flew much earlier. The Flight Control Computer (FCC) discussion of page 248 discusses the advances in modern FCCs, though fails to mention that the architecture being described is exclusive to Airbus. Once again the chapter deteriorates at the end with a discussion of 29 CFR 1910.215, Abrasive Wheel Machinery (pedestal grinders and other grinding wheels), and a discussion of the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists under 29 CFR 1910 Subpart Z.

Security is well covered in Chapter 11, although perhaps the discussion of nuclear quadrupole resonance technology, and the Body Orifice Security Scanner (BOSS) are more rooted in minutia than is needed in a text of this nature.

Chapter 12 concerns airline safety programs, and discusses employee selection. Particularly excellent is the discussion of requirements for a Safety Director (page 352). The discussion of Internal Evaluation Programs (page 346) is also superior.

This book is a great resource. The material within it would rate five stars if it weren't for the fairly constant introduction of material only tangentially relevant to aviation safety. I recommend this book for any aviation student or professional.

Ed Emberly's books are so great. If your child can follow visual directions and draw a line, circle and color in, then he or she can draw these things. My son is five and can draw these. He is quite smart and loves trains and trucks, so those are probably factors. When he isn't drawing from the book, he loves to look at it. Great for boys.

I bought this book for my five year old boy. Based on the description, it sounded age appropriate. However, it was a little advanced for him so we returned it. Maybe better for eight and up.

This is a book that uses stick figures and basic shapes to help children learn to draw more complicated pictures. This is an interactive book to teach drawing. Every little artist will enjoy the simple step-by-step drawings and colorful illustrations that Ed Emberley's Drawing Book of Trucks and Trains contains. Smaller children will learn new words while their older siblings can use the book to learn how to draw more complicated pictures than just stick figures. However, it is somewhat difficult for the four-year-old child. An age recommendation on the book itself would make buying the book a little easier for parents and gift-giving relatives.

Every little artist will enjoy the simple step-by-step drawings and colorful illustrations that Ed Emberley's Drawing Book of Trucks and Trains contains. Smaller children will learn new words while their older siblings can use the book to learn how to draw more complicated pictures than just stick figures. While Mr. Emeberley works with some stick figure designs, he cleverly weaves in triangles, circles, rectangles and squares to make learning fun and easy. An age recommendation on the book itself would make buying the book a little easier for parents and gift-giving relatives. While amazon shows an age of 4-8, it was too complicated for my almost four-year-old son to use. It is, however, a book that children that age could grow into with time.

Christine Louise Hohlbaum, author of DIARY OF A MOTHER (2003)
SAHM I AM: TALES OF A STAY-AT-HOME MOM IN EUROPE (2005), resides with her husband and two children near Munich, Germany.

I bought this book because my son loves trains and is not very good at drawing. He is six years old. While I could follow the instructions, it was really rather complex for my son and the pictures were rather complex too. I wanted to help him make simple 6 year old drawings that he could be proud of and this wasn't the book to accomplish that.

While alot of the drawings in the books simply require you to be able to make a triangle or a square etc, often it's a tiny traingle placed in an obscure part of the picture. You are also required to change color to follow along step by step or you can get lost, instead of just being able to draw the out line in one color first, then filling in the details. This was just too complex for what I was trying to accomplish.

Review by Sherry North, Author, Because You Are My Baby

When my son was 2, he could not get enough of this book - he asked for it every day and even carried it with him in the car. Of the many truck books for young boys, this one is especially appealing for a few reasons:
-Simple, bold illustrations are easy to look at.
-Just one sentence per page makes the book great for short attention spans.
-In very simple language, the book introduces different kinds of trucks and their purpose. (Oil truck, bucket truck, cement mixer, etc.)

Besides appealing to toddlers, I think this would be an excellent choice for boys who are beginning to read on their own.

We like this one... story is pretty cute, great drawings. Good book for toddler boys... my son enjoyed it from 18 months on.

Love this book for a 1, 2, or even 3 yo. Both my boys love(d) it. We just bought it as a gift.

We have about a half dozen Byron Barton board books, including this one, and they're tops in our house. I started buying them for my not-quite-4-year-old when he was about 9 month old. Then he loved to look at the pictures with me. Now, he and his little brother (18 months) both love them still. We have shelves and shelves of books, but these come out regularly for story time, particularly this one, Trains, Boats, and Planes. Highly recommended!

This little book is sturdy and uses vibrant colors to catch your little ones attention. The text is very simple, but there is a truck on every page! My two year old wants this one read over and over!!