Transportation Books

Long story short: 1st Choice Charlotte K Lowrie, 2nd Choice David D Busch,
3rd Choice Rob Sheppard.
The long story: This is my second Black and White book from Magic Lantern
Guides and by Rob Sheppard having read his "Canon EOS 30D". Black and White what is Lark Books thinking, We'll save a nickle using black ink? Sheppard does a good job of explaining how to work the 40D, which is all we are looking for any way. He uses the actual icon image that matches the various dials and buttons on the camera. Included in the back of the book is a wallet size card to remind you of various menus and setting. On page 89 sRAW is listed as 12.4 instead of 7.1, no big deal, most people only care how many pictures you can get per GB, not how many MB in the sRAW file. The black & white pictures cost this book 2 stars. Will I buy Magic Lantern Guides again? No. Will I buy Rob Sheppard again? Only if he is in living color.

I am transitioning to digital as it has become difficult to find quality labs to handle film, it is quite different to get used to this change and this is the best of the several guides I have used so far.

A definite improvement and a must over the manual that comes with the camera. I read both manuals cover to cover and the Magic Latern book is a much better explanation of the operation of this digital camera.

I wanted a book to learn how to use things like the C1-C3 modes, and how/why to change picture style settings. Nothing in the booked helped me. It looks like the book is wriiten for the person who is moving from a point-and-shoot to their first D-SLR. Relative to the pictures being black and white - I'm not buying a picture book, I'm buying a book to help me understand the camera and how its settings affect the picture. So even if they had been in color it would not have helped me understand the camera. I also bought Charlotte Lowrie's book and liked it better.

Magic Lantern Guides: Canon EOS 40D (Magic Lantern Guides)

I am surpised by the less than enthusiastic reviews of this book. I have owned all the Digital Rebels to date and a few months back bought a 40D. This book has been an excellent description and discussion of the various features of the 40D. I especially like Rob Shepards approach of giving detailed descriptions often followed up by a clearly differentiated "insider view" opinion of where and when he finds a particular feature useful. True, a larger format and color might be prettier but I have found this to be the book that makes me comfortable with this excellent camera. This will be the book that travels with the camera.

It's the best book written on how pilots can land a left or right seat job offer from their targeted airline. Irv Jasinski is certainly an expert on effective job interviewing skills and techniques, with impressive credentials to back it up. His book walked me through everything I needed to do to prepare myself for my job interviews, how best to sell myself to HR and Flight Ops interviewing captains during those interviews, and what to do afterwards. Applied everything I learned, was hired, and start class a month from now. Jasinski has a new book out entitled Win'Em Over! Get Hired! which is directed to people in all the professions who are seeking advancement opportunities. A terrific book as well.

This book goes beyond the average "job hunting" book.
It explains in Detail the specific steps to be hired as a pilot.
I would buy it again.

I not only read the book, I met with the author to prepare for my interview. It was most helpful in my getting hired by a major airline. I gave the book to a friend and he also was hired by my airline. He then gave it to someone else. (Sorry, Irv.) This book is a definite must.

As stated above, extremely informative information for the future ailine pilot to be. This book is very easy to read, clear and concise. Irv gets right to the point on all his topics whether it would be writing the cover letter and resume to what color suit to wear to the interview. There is definitely an experience factor that went into writing this very short book. A must buy for the on-going airline hiring boom.

My son loves this book & others by the same author. This is a great book for little boys!

My two year old son is obsessed with construction trucks and this book hits the spot for him. And its great to read just before bed (with the lights dimmed) since the pictures are so large and the font is easy to read. There is enough detail to allow you to really interact with your child and ask him "Where is the dump truck? Where is the ladder? Where is the workman?" And it has a good ending where all the trucks go to bed which is PERFECT for bedtime. We love this book and have read it every night since we received it 3 months ago. I highly recommend it.

This is a wonderful book about machines and the art work is great. Toddler boys who are into cars, trucks, trackers would enjoy this book.

Our copy has now passed on to our third child -- Anna and Jane loved this book, and Danny loves it, too.

Byron Barton really seems to "get it" -- what captivates a child. Bold illustrations, nice use of color, and just enough detail for a board book.

Board books aren't necessarily meant to teach or be encyclopedic -- they're like good friends that you visit every day, and look forward to doing so. "Machines At Work" is just that -- a good friend.

We've named the characters, we make construction sounds when we read, and we love the lunch break and the end of the day pages.

Solidly constructed, wonderfully illustrated, and age appropriate, "Machines At Work" is a winner, sure to please any pre-reader. Thank you, Byron Barton!

When I first got this for my son (2 years), I thought "What a snooze-fest!" We were still high on the Mo Willems wave, still in love with Knuffle Bunny and the slightly off-kilter viewpoint of the Pigeon, so the utter barrenness and simplicity of Machines at Work honestly put me off. But, as it is all about the baby (and don't he know it!), Connor simply loves it! Although he is fickle (we have now moved on to the pop-up Bug series by David A. Carter) it firmly held the New Boy Times #1 bedseller slot for a good 3 weeks (an eternity to the toddler set). It also was known to douse many a tantrum (great diversion - "I know you just ka-bonked your head on the dining room table for the fortieth time today, but LOOK AT THESE COOL TRUCKS!") and entertain on long car rides.

The story (as it is) involves a diverse work crew doing stuff with simple 4-5 word narration for each page. It is so simple, it is almost zen-like. And Connor came to be able to repeat each phrase as we turned the page - as soon as I opened the cover he would gleefully shoud out "Hey, you guys!". Reading this to him at bedtime has become one of the fondest memories of my fatherhood experience, and hopefully one of my son's funnest moments.

The title should read :- "Plug-in Hybrids; the Cars that will Transport the World". Sherry Boschert has done a wonderful job in drawing all the pieces together. It is a "must read" for those who have an interest in our transport future. I sincerely hope that by the year 2012, it will be completely implemented. However, I feel that the automobile industry and the oil companies will both fight very strongly, against the adoption of PHEV's. Also, the Governments of the world, will not be sufficiently forceful, to demand, that the automobile manufacturers produce quality PHEV's. They are our only answer, to vehicle pollution of our planet.

I like this printer cartridge, I think it actually prints better than the original. I was not sure it was going to fit, it looked different from the original cartridge. When I inserted it it locked right into place.
Definitely would recommend these, and will probably buy another one to keep as a spare.

This book exposes American car companies indifference towards environment and national energy security. A must read for every American who cares about environment and terrorism.

This book gives an unbiased view of what our options are as Americans on reducing and virtually eliminating our dependence on foreign oil. It also gives the pros and cons of alternative fuel sources as well as the great advantage of plug in hybrids over hybrids currently being sold.

Chelsea Sexton: "The EV1 caught the eye of the California Air Resources Board (CARB), a regulatory body searching for ways to meet the states Clean Air Act and clear its smoggy skies". Sep 1990, CARB mandated if companies wanted to do business in California, they had to produce a percentage of zero emission vehicles: 1998 - 2%, 2001 - 5%, and 2003 - 10%. "The Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate might as well have been a kiss of death for the EV1." Automotive News in 1998 figured GM spent $350 million for the EV1 development. People outside GM believe the company spent $600 million on its multi-year lobbying and public relations campaign to kill the ZEV Mandate. In late 2001, GM and Chrysler sued Calfornia to block the ZEV mandate. By 2005, of the 800 EV1 available for public lease, all but 78 were hauled off to Arizona and crushed. By 2003, ZEV Mandate "gave automakers the option of meeting requirements by making a handful of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles for demonstration purposes". "CARB went along with the hydrogen scenario, even though this technology would not be usable for decades, if ever." "In 2001, CARB had created a new category, alternative technology partial zero-emission vehicles, to give extra credit to hybrids and especially plug-in hybrids with a 20-mile all-electric range." In 2003, the range was reduced to 10 miles. CARB stated, "We believe that they are accelerating our progress toward our ultimate goal, which is zero-emission vehicles. We're particularly happy with how this AT-PZEV portion of our regulation has worked out." After AT-PZEZ, 2003, GM and other automakes officially canceled their electric-car programs.

The ZEV mandate ensured tought competition, a new kind of vehicle, and historical resistence to change. GM and other automakers went to work to meet California's ZEV Mandate. "Seven major car companies each signed an individual Memorandum of Agreement with CARB to produce a small number of electric vehicles by 200 as a demonstration of their viability, and to make ZEV's 10% of sales in 2003."

GM initiality built 660 lead-acide battery packs with a 70 to 90 mile range per charge In 1999 GM release the last 182 EV1s which used the Nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) battery with a range of 140 miles. GM was in a financial slump and looked to cut costs. "It abandoned the EV1 and bought the hummer brand and started to ramp up it's marketing of the most wasteful car in history." The EV1 waiting list grew to 5,000 names. GM said it would restart production of the EV1, if there was enough customer demand. Other prototype versions of the EV1 were created but not marketed, including a plugin hybrid version.

The hybrid and electric car could lose out to the new "Air Car". The MDI Engine is more efficient, with a different configuration that allows pressure to build in the piston producing better torque. Four horizontal piston turn the camshaft. The vehicle runs on compressed air stored in a carbon fiber tank. The air can be compressed from home in a four hour recharge cycle or on the road using a gas powered compressor. 6000 ZEVs are scheduled to hit the streets of India in 2008. Tata has indicated that they will build the Air car. The air car solves the problem of energy storage, no batteries required. The air refuel stations run on electricity meaning no transportation of energy required. Recharging air reserves is off the electrical grid. The car will be light (simple and small engine less steel), so stronger nanotechnology materials will be required. The air energy usage is very efficient.

India and China will push the Air car technology into a feasible and desired market opportunity. The low cost will apply to the vast number of comuters that travel less than a 100 miles a day.

America could transform automobiles like they did computer technology creating a doubling of computational power every 18 months and doubling information every nine months which created more value for less money. IBM next generation of computer architecture could move computation towards artifical neocortex machines, another leap forward. Automobile value has been noncompetitive and for this reason the price remains high for the value. However, India and China competition will bring new levels of innovation and value to the market.

People want cheap fuel alternatives. The automotive company that provides increase comfort and power with a every decreasing fuel cost will penetrate the market and gain market share. The cell phone replaced the land line telephone; the Voip replace both; the iPhone combined music, media, and phone together in device function within a emerging network. The automobile will become an appliance, it is inevitable. The applicance could run on air or electricity. The market will follow the path of lest resistence. Air cars have less waste problems and disposal of the car include recycling the materials used in the car.

MiniCat: Compress Air recharge from an air-station will be 3 mins. The cost of the vehicle will range between $12,000 to $16,000; 800 miles with dual energy - air and gas.

CityCat: will sale for $13k running at speeds of 68 mph and maintaining a range of 125 miles. MDI says it will cost about $2 to fill the carbon-fiber tanks with 340 liters of air at 4350 psi.

City bus: MDI uses the CAT's Series 34 moto-compressors/moto-alternators which are safe and powerful; the compressed air be used to power the alternator and produce 10-20kW of electricity.


Hybrids Case:

LA 301: produced by Clean Air Transport, four seater, 57 hp electric motor, 18kwh of batteries, 650 cc internal combustion engine, and 7 gallon gasoline tank with a range of 150 miles.

In 2006, Tien Doung said, "We changed, a plug-in hybrid is the most viable technology."

DOE futurecar challenge proved that a ford Taurus could replace the 140 hp engine, 3,000-cc, 6-cylinder with a 3 cylinder, 660 cc motor combined with a 100 hp electric motor. The Taurus accelerated from 0-60 in 10 seconds and had 15% less moving parts. "To cruise at 80 miles per hour on highways only requires about 40 hp in an engine, most cars carry around 250-300 hp." The electric motor provides the performance and acceleration and the gasoline engine provides the steady-state load for the greatest efficiency.

The Volvo HEV98 combined an electric drivetrain with a three-cylinder piston engine. Ford buys Volve and the parallel hydrid drivetrain was applied in Ford's first hydrid SUV, the Escape hybrid.

"President Lyndon Johson slapped a 25% tax on all imported light trucks in 1964 to retail against Europe for restricting imports of frozen chickens from the United States. US automakers exploited that advantage and began advertising their trucks and utility vehicles to all drivers." "Congress exempted light trucks from the 1975 Energy Policy and Conservation Act that set fuel economy standards." "The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1977 allowed light trucks to emit tow to five times as much pollutants compared with cars." By 1998, 47% of the vehicles sold in the US were SUVs and light trucks. "Truck sales accounted for $4 billion of Ford's record $6.5 billion in profits in 1997".

In 2000, Andrew Frank converted a Chevrolet Suburban to a plug-in hybrid increasing mileage from 15 mpg to 29 mpg. The suburban hybrid included a DC brushless electric motor on the front wheels making it four wheel drive, a 1.9 Liter gasoline engine, and the ability to run on electricity for 60 miles tapping 29kwh NiMH battery pack before relying on gasoline. The hybrid suburban had less emission than an Honda Insight on trips of 87 miles or less. Frank also converted a 330 hp Ford Explorer using a 1.9 liter Saturn engine, 75 kwh electric motor, and weighted with batteries 4,500 pounds and remove tailgate and seats yielding the same weight as the original.

Energy Conversion Devices (ECD) converted a 1998 Prius putting in 5 kwh Ovonic NiMH batteries, 20 AH, tripling the power and energy with a 20% increase in weight. The prius could travel 20 miles on electric only and 70-80 miles per gallon of gasoline.

AC Propulsion built a plug-in hybrid Jetta that had an all electric range of 30 miles and improved efficiency, 27 mpg city, and 34 mpg highway with a 560 miles per tank range.

"Calcar and EnergyCS estimate that plug-in hybrid would sell for $3,000 more than a hybrid or $5000 more than a non hybrid car if mass-produced by a major automaker."

Lots of good info about dyno tuning using both a chassis and engine dyno. My favorite parts of the book were the formulas to check dyno numbers against track numbers and vice versa. I also really liked the part about the questions to ask when you interview a shop. I am in the process of finding a chassis dyno so this was really beneficial. There were two chapters that went over my head a bit but, overall a good read.

Not as informative as I had hoped. I can use much of the information, but I was hoping for more detail

I believe this book should be mandatory reading for anyone operating a dynamometer or using dynamometer services. It provides a fundamental knowledge on what to expect from the dynamometer and how to get the most from your time spent using the dynamometer. The focus is on water brake engine dynamometers and chassis dynamometers using eddy current power absorption units. The book is not a scripted tuning session, specifying exactly what to do for each engine tuning anomally. It does provide a great foundation for where to begin and what to look for during a tuning session. In my job, I teach people how to use a dynamometer every week. I wish each dynamometer manufacturer would include this book with the purchase of their dyno, and then make it mandatory reading prior to my training session with the new customer.

The book, I believe, did not live up to my expections. The author only just touches on spark timing (MBT), and a little on lambda. He does not go every deep into tuning. The type of information that I would like to have seen for example would be say, when you see the egt's start to go down and the cht's coming back up you need to re adjust the timing. No I do not think this book is that informative.

Perfect book to read and help you understand your vespa. I feel its a good book.

There arent very many Vespa scooter repair manuals out there that are in english. So why not get this one?

This is a great book for minor OR major repair to Vespa scooters. It covers vintage models of different styles. For the Sprint 150cc, I found the wiring diagram easy and helpful. It appears the diagrams for others were as complete. All were color coded as well. The book is well illustrated for most any job necessary.

If you own a vinatge Vespa from 1959-1978 you should own this service manual even if you don't plan on working on your scooter. It helps with routine maintence, trouble shooting, and just basic knowledge of your machine. Take care of you scooter and it will take care of you. Tons of pictures, parts and wire diagrams. A MUST HAVE!!!!

The bible for 993 owners. The detail and organization of all the information is incredible. Worth every penny. You can't go wrong buying this book. I cannot imagine the years of research required to pull this book together. Thanks

This book was a pleasant suprize. The black and white photos are pretty good. I would recommend this book for any 993 owner.

A very thorough and well versed volume on the last of the air-cooled engines. If one ever wanted to find out any kind of information on this classic car, then look no further. A fairly balanced book, this read should prove it's value to those new to the marque, or are looking for a more detailed answer to any questions they might have.

This is the 993 bible; if you have any interest in the 993 you must own this book.

Overall, a good addition to the literature. Not so detailed that it stands ALONE as a repair resource, but with Pelican, Excellence, Panorama and the various web sites offering 993 information, adds more complete information for the do-it yourself mechanic. Of my reference books, this is perhaps the most comprehensive, specifically for the 993 (other than the factory manuals). An easy read, usually clearly written, yet at times too abbreviated. (Cabrio top repair, for example) First 100 pages deal with "styles" of 993 offered. Contains torque specs. Some info is nothing more than "owners manual" info. Nontheless, I am happy to have added this volume to my library!

This book is suitable to anyone who is interested in this field. If you understand the knowledge within this book, then it's easier for you to read any more complicated contents. Highly recommended!!

This is by far one of the best written books on flight mechanics. Actually, it so good that I plan to teach a aircraft stability and control course using this book.