Transportation Books

My 2.5-year-old loves all these John Deere books. They're not terribly literary -- they don't rhyme or use meter and they're not exactly deep -- but they are solid entertainment for small children who love construction and farming vehicles. The characters are cute and the content is appropriate for preschoolers. This one tells a story of how a friendly backhoe does a series of good deeds that come back to haunt him -- in a good way! He's a regular mitzvah machine.

This book isn't going to win any awards, but it is going to provide a lot of children with some good clean fun.

I got this book for my son who is not quite three and he really likes it. He wants to read it every night at bedtime. What surprised me is that my 5 year old daughter enjoys it so much too. It's an upbeat story with Barney Backhoe saving the day (even though he doesn't know it at the time) There's a lot of "Oh no!" and then "I can help" throughout the story. It's just a great book for kids interested in construction vehicles or even just problem solving. (It also reminds me of Bob the Builder and I think that's why my kids like it so much.)

Beautiful book, perfect condition, and extremely informative! This book is outstanding for the seafarer, the ocean lover, and anyone interested in true accounts of what really happened at sea. Thanks for the great adventures!

Being fond of true stories about the sea, shipwrecks, and that kind of thing, I recently purchased this book after looking at some others on Amazon. I ordered it because I saw that an earlier reviewer scored it with five stars. But, after reading it, I think that it only merits about a three star rating -- in other words, it's okay. Not bad, but five stars? No way! In my opinion, there are much better, more intriguing "reads" on this subject.

It didn't take me very long to get through this book, despite its apparent length. While some of the material was new to me, relatively large portions of it (for me personally, about a quarter of the entire book or more) are comprised of extended extracts from other things I have previously read, such as "Titanic Survivor, The Memoirs of Violet Jessop, Stewardess", or "Owen Chase's Narrative", about how an angry whale charged and sank the whaleship Essex (a true story which was a major inspiration for Melville's Moby Dick). If I hadn't have already seen and read so much of the material in this collection -- if it was mostly new to me and "original" -- I might have ranked it a little higher.

Now, I don't want to jump to any hasty, ill-informed conclusions, but, as it is, I feel like this book might be yet another example (though certainly not one of the worst or most blatant) of an insideous little money-making trend that I've noticed in book publishing in recent years: a publisher contracts some "pro" to be an "editor"; the publisher's staff helps them hastily collect a bunch of topical material that has already been published elsewhere (it's even better if relevant material can be found which is relatively inexpensive to acquire and use, especially if copyrights have expired and one does not have to "shell out" for royalties and the like); the "editor" patches the miscellaneous material together, perhaps adding a quick few notes here and there; somebody cooks up a title; somebody else throws together some splashy cover art; and, then the end product is released and marketed as if it is something "new". It seems like a "rip-off" to me. Buyer beware -- check over things carefully before you make a purchase, and try to go for "originals", not "knock-offs"!

Although it's not too old, my copy of Rossel's book is dog-eared and stained. That's because it lives not on a shelf but on the work bench in my shop. I refer to it, and Rossel's earlier book, frequently. Building a boat involves hundreds of small tasks, some of them a bit tricky. Because many of those only come up infrequently, it's easy for even the relatively experienced amateur builder to need a little help remembering how it's done. This book is perfect for that.
It is equally well suited to the beginner. I wish it had been around when I first started messing around with wooden boats. It really is the next best thing to being a real life apprentice to a master boatbuilder. If you can't build a boat with the help of this book, maybe you should consider taking up golf, or some other hobby.

This book contains an interesting and plentiful assortment of photos and illustrations, but it is a drag to read. It is verbose and frequently veers off course to matters only loosely connected to Airstream's history. And the storyline jumps around and virtually disappears, time after time, into thickets of fluff. Overall I found it took unusual effort to find the wheat amidst the chaff in this book, and to follow the often sketchy, weaving trail of the story. Were I not so interested in Airstreams, I would not have finished it. I recommend it only to those likewise enamored.

While this book offers much for those interested in the people behind Airstream, it offers little about the trailers themselves. Still, a good and interesting read.

Though never having owned an Airstream, I've always been interested in its development and history as the 'Cadillac' of travel trailers. This book was, for the most part, a disappointment. I was primarily interested in the trailers themselves. There are very few illustrations of floor plans over the years, of the development of the interiors and exteriors--after all, today's trailers are quite different from 40 years ago! A great deal of space is dedicated to a few Wally Byam caravans with some large, page-filling photos.

In the end, this can make a nice coffee-table book for Airstream fans. I'd still like to see a more comprehensive research into the trailers themselves and their development.

Nice book on the history of the Land Yacht and the many global travels of airstream owners. Very few interior photos, so probably not the book for restorations but more to put in the rack once your restoration is complete. For interior photos, a more reliable source is www.vintageairstream.com Enjoy the book. We are.

Probably the only mid-20th century vehicle design that can compete with the beloved Volkswagen Beetle is the classic Airstream trailer. It seems to be the testosterone-oriented vehicle of choice for current Hollywood stars like Tom Hanks and Matthew McConaughey. The timeless appeal is clear from its clean, cocoon-like design and the promise of a mobile self-contained world. Airstream enthusiasts Bryan Burkhart and David Hunt have compiled a pleasing, soft-cover coffee-table book that looks almost reverentially at the birth of this unique vehicle and how it attracted its devoted following, as well as a pictorially rich history of international caravan adventures that showed off the communal spirit of its owners. The pivotal figure in the book is Airstream founder Wally Byam, an ad man who started his business in the late 1920's with "how-to" kits which allowed people to build their own trailers.

The familiar loaf-shaped, silver-aluminum design was not introduced until 1936, and production has since remained uninterrupted. Fittingly, Byam was an adventurous eccentric who had a keen if indiscriminate sense of publicity. What is most striking in the book is the fanatical following he developed between the 1950's and the 1970's when uniform convoys of Airstreams would be found in far-flung locales such as the Great Pyramids of Egypt, Mont St. Michel in France and a pygmy village in Uganda. Leading the masses in evangelical mode with his distinctive pith helmet, Byam met with leading political figures of the day, often notorious ones like Selassie and Batista who became enamored with the clean design. The co-authors have gathered a fascinating gallery of vintage photographs of these cavalcades, the most impressive showing the hundreds of trailers parked in perfect formation in concentric circles. You don't have to own an Airstream trailer to enjoy this book, as you can be like me and fantasize what the open road could be like in one of these Art Deco-styled wonders.

A well written and informative book on the early years of Chris Craft through the sale of the Company by the family. This is a great Wood boat reference not much Fiberglass information within. A great coffee table book.

The book is fine, however I'm not impressed with Amazon at all. I ordered two books, but after 5 weeks of waiting, I've only received one of them. Service is much to slow!

In addition, Amazon did not send my book via United Parcel Service like they said they would. Instead it came via the US mail, and the box was badly mangled and damaged. Also, since the box did not fit in my mailbox, I had to make an extra trip to the post office to pick up my item.

I'D MUCH RATHER THAT AMAZON HAD SHIPPED VIA UPS! THEIR SERVICE IS MUCH QUICKER AND MORE PROFESSIONAL. IN ADDITION, UPS WOULD HAVE DELIVERED THE ITEM TO MY HOUSE, INSTEAD OF ME HAVING TO MAKE A LONG TRIP TO THE POST OFFICE.

I think that Amazon should review their service in regards to timely and better shipping. Waiting over 5 weeks on an item is unsatisfactory!

The only book out there where you can learn about how Chris Craft Boats came to be a part of Americana in the twentieth century. This historical account details the arena of wooden boating and how it progressed under the Chris Craft logo. The perfect holiday gift for the boater in your life, or for anyone who is intereted in classic boating and its history in America. Not to be missed!!!!!!!

A wonderful look at the history of Chris Craft.

Terrific pictures of some beautiful vessels.

This book is exactly what I have been looking for to give to my husband: a BIG Chris-Craft enthusiast. If you love boats, or know someone who does, I highly recommend that you get this book. I'm sure you'll be very happy with it too.

This book is chock full of insider tips that will make motorcycling safer, and more fun, for both the veteran and the novice rider. I've spent years riding all types of motorcycles and interviewing all types of motorcyclists. The knowledge I've gained is spelled out in this book in a fun and easy-to-read way so that you don't have to interview hundreds of riders yourself! Want to know how to plan a motorcycle trip they way the motojournalists do? I show you how. Want to know what to do if you ride into a corner waaay too fast? I let you know. Want to fit in with the biker crowd? I reveal how. Don't know what to pick for your first motorcycle? I steer you the right way. Are you a woman looking into getting into motorcycling? I help you discover how to fit in, and provide resources specifically for women. It's a fun book full of great info. I hope you enjoy it. -- Bill Kresnak

By the third mention of Angelina Jolie riding a motorcycle in Chapter 1 to justify the "coolness"of motorcycling the book has already started to go downhill. With the exception of a few chapters (buying a first bike: what you should know & keeping your bike in tiptop shape) I have found most of the other chapters read so far (which in fairness is only about half) to be total fluff and of little value. Worst off, some of the valuable chapters seem to have little added value when compared to the FREE DMV material. Unless you really have to know the "Ten Must-See Motorcycling Movies" save some money, use the internet when you have questions and take an intro level rider training course.

This is a unique book on human factors in multi-crew flight operations. I come from a region where a significant number of middle aged pilots leave airlines for greener pastures elsewhere leaving a lot of young first officers flying with relatively elderly captains. Also the culture in many countries tends to be hierarchical and worship seniority (the Captain is God syndrome). This book provides valuable lessons on how to enhance communication, deal with cultural issues, and highlight human limitations and errors, the operating environment, among several other critical subjects.

The subject is treated very well in a reader-friendly manner. The importance of CRM is highlighted and the need to work as a team. Since most airplane accidents worldwide are as a result of human factors, the importance of this subject to pilots cannot be underestimated. Hence this is a useful and handy book to read and refer to often and keep on your bookshelf as a ready reference manual.

"HUMAN FACTORS IN MULTI-CREW FLIGHT OPERATIONS" co-written by Harry and Linda Orlady - Ashgate ISBN 0-291-39839-1 - Published in 1999

A father and daughter team! It is rare enough to have a flying father and a flying daughter in the real world, but sharing the same passion so intensely and to write a book together on an all-encompassing aviation Bible, (yes, this book is a Bible for aviators!) is truly unprecedented!

When I said this book covers virtually all topics concerning flight operations related topics, I meant just that. The most important thing is; this book is highly readable, rich in reference materials and data and yet "gripping" to read! A rare gem in terms of human factor topics. I have read other CRM or human factors books by other more renowned and authoritative people but none as good as the Orladys, probably with the exception of Tony Kern, who is also just as good a writer on aviation safety.

Okay, the book covers the brief history of air transport, the industry and its safety record,, a brief history of human factor and its development in aviation,, the physical environment and the physiology of flight, as well as those magnificent flying machines and their internal environment - sort of like a trip down to aviation memory lane.

It also discussed the social environment, basic communication, documentation - including checklists and information management. It went on to discuss on the Man's limitations, human errors, and information processing. Nothing is left unturned, the Orladys went on to talk about workload, automation, situation awareness and operating in today's environment. Of course, they did not miss out on crew resource management and the team approach.

Fatigue and stress were covered in depth, plus fitness to fly, even selection and training of pilots! Most interestingly is the coverage on the challenging roles of the flight attendants, this shift in focus of our cabin colleagues was most insightful.

I loved the chapter on non-punitive incident reporting.. the CHIRP and ASRS were great success stories in UK and USA respectively, I fervently hope that SIA will follow suit in our pursuit of excellence in aviation flight safety.

Another eye-opener chapter is "some ramifications of accident analysis", this is the first time I heard of the "Stop Rule" phenomenon in flight safety investigation - find it out yourself what it means.

In the last few chapters, the Orladys talked about the worldwide safety challenge in the near future, the current safety problems and the future of air transport too.

This is not a book to be missed by any pilot who wish to enrich himself, you may get this book from AMAZON dot com. Hardcover costs US$109.95! and papaerback costs US$44.95!

Credits:

Capt Harry W Orlady was a B747 captain for United Airlines, he has contributed a lot in the CRM research works with NASA's AMES Research Centre in California.

Linda M Orlady, a GA instructor pilot and an expert in organizational behaviour.

Eddie Foo

A father and daughter team! It is rare enough to have a flying father and a flying daughter in the real world, but sharing the same passion so intensely and to write a book together on an all-encompassing aviation Bible, (yes, this book is a Bible for aviators!) is truly unprecedented!

When I said this book covers virtually all topics concerning flight operations, I meant just that. The most important thing is; this book is highly readable, rich in reference materials and data and yet "gripping" to read! A rare gem in terms of human factor topics. I have read other CRM or human factors books by other more renowned and authoritative people but none as good as the Orladys, probably with the exception of Tony Kern, who is also just as good a writer on aviation safety.

Okay, the book covers the brief history of air transport, the industry and its safety record,, a brief history of human factor and its development in aviation,, the physical environment and the physiology of flight, as well as those magnificent flying machines and their internal environment - sort of like a trip down to aviation memory lane.

It also discussed the social environment, basic communication, documentation - including checklists and information management. It went on to discuss on the Man's limitations, human errors, and information processing. Nothing is left unturned, the Orladys went on to talk about workload, automation, situation awareness and operating in today's environment. Of course, they did not miss out on crew resource management and the team approach.

Fatigue and stress were covered in depth, plus fitness to fly, even selection and training of pilots! Most interestingly is the coverage on the challenging roles of the flight attendants, this shift in focus of our cabin colleagues was most insightful.

I loved the chapter on non-punitive incident reporting.. the CHIRP and ASRS were great success stories in UK and USA respectively, I fervently hope that SIA will follow suit in our pursuit of excellence in aviation flight safety.

Another eye-opener chapter is "some ramifications of accident analysis", this is the first time I heard of the "Stop Rule" phenomenon in flight safety investigation - find it out yourself what it means.

In the last few chapters, the Orladys talked about the worldwide safety challenge in the near future, the current safety problems and the future of air transport too.

This is not a book to be missed by any pilot who wish to enrich himself. In fact, I recommend that every single commercial pilot should own a copy for reference purposes as well.

Driving Techniques for the Professional and Non-Professional was one of just a few excellent reference sources for my safe driving CD "Mind the Road - Mind the Road: Waking Hypnosis for a Conscious Commute. The advice and recommendations from this book were a great inspiration for the suggestions my audio CD gives to drivers as they start their drive to have a safe and focused drive. I would highly recommend this book with my audio CD to help drivers be prepared for what potentials the road may present to them.

I was actually looking for something along the lines of executive protection detail driving. This book is not it! However, it does seem to cover all the bases for teaching my daughter the basics of how and why a vehicle reacts the way it does and other good safety tips for beginner drivers.

As a concerned father, I bought this book with the idea that it might be something my daughter could benefit from. Well, after reading it and discovering that, even after twenty plus years behind the wheel I still have a lot learn I've got to say that this is a must read for anyone who gets behind the wheel. It is well written and easy to read and got my daughter to finally start asking some great questions about driving.

I took the liberty of "googling" Tony Scotti's name and was impressed with how much was out there. Even has his own websites (www.securitydriver.com and www. vehicledynamics.net). Though most of the content may not be suitable for the young driver, it certainly puts safe driving in a new light.

This is a great book!! Lots of useful information that the everyday person can use. It is written in a way that is easy to understand. As a new mom the information on car seats was very valuable.
I highly recommend this book. We all spend ALOT of time driving and the more information we have the better!!!!

I have actually started driving since a a bit more than a year ago. I was taught the basics by my friends, but I knew i had to learn more than those "basics", so I bought a lot of books and read them on my spare time. This book written by Scotti is something that really helped me a lot because it has a lot of information and detailed explanations, including the physics involved in driving. Somehow, the knowledge I gained here helped me become a more confident and a reliable driver. I would recommend this book for all who really need to become good drivers. Don't just drive, drive safely, well and correctly! This is the essence of the book. And how to do that? It's in this book.

Burch's legendary book is full of information, but really is not a book I consult to renew my skills or solve a navigational problem. As an encyclopedia of navigation for small human-powered craft this book has use. It's a good read after one has mastered basic navigation from a practical standpoint. Simply too much information. Much of that contained could be edited severely and would be of more practical use. Burch is a great fact-presenter, but navigation is a subject that needs to be mastered through presentation of basic facts repeated in practical ways. Burch speaks too far over the heads of most beginning and intermediate navigators. This book didn't really make sense to me until I'd read it yearly for a number of years. Because of this fact, I only recommend it to navigation "junkies" who already have a firm understanding of all nav foundation topics.

I purchased this book at the suggestion of a top sea kayaking coach. I should note that many paddlers consider this book the encyclopedia or "standard" of sea kayaking navigation books. The book is lengthy and appears to be comprehensive, however, I found it to be poorly organized and presentation lacking. It is a decent desktop reference on the subject, if you are looking for specific information on a sea kayaking navigation topic. It is tough to just pick this book up and learn navigation. It is really not layed out for self-instruction.

I would strongly recommend "Simple Kayak Navigation" by Ray Killan over Burch's book. It is concise, easy to understand, comes packed with excellent examples, and has just the right amount of humor.

This book tells you what you need to know about navigation to safely paddle a sea kayak in the great outdoors.

It tells you how to read a nautical chart, how to use a compass or GPS, and how to navigate by "the seat of your pants". The book desicribes fundamental saftey issues and tells you how to avoid getting run over by large ships, trashed in tide rips, or hopelessly lost in the fog .

This book is absolutely REQUIRED reading for anyone serious about covering large distances in a sea kayak. If you paddle, get this book and read it many times!!! The material in this book has to be second nature to you if you want to be safe in "big water".

The complete guide to finding your way and getting there safely. Burch, the director of the Starpath School of Navigation in Seattle, Washington, covers every topic that I can imagine is relevant to sea kayaking, including reading and using navigational charts, dead reckoning and piloting, determining paddling speed, estimating distance from a landmark, maintaining a heading while paddling in a crossing current, and tidal effects relevant to navigation. Each example is accompanied by clear diagrams which help illustrate sometimes difficult points. This book is written specifically with the kayaker in mind; it's not an adapted version of a small-craft navigation manual. Burch strove for completeness when writing this seminal manual, but also kept the layperson in mind by maintaining his clear style throughout the text. His years of teaching experience and immense navigational knowledge are obvious from reading Fundamentals. The book will take more than one read to absorb all important information and all the techniques the author decribes, but you will never need another source. This is the kayak navigation book to buy if you plan on doing any sort of ocean kayaking.