Two Words, One Answer.
gillespie
 Fundamentals of Vehicle Dynamics (R114) $79.95 I first have to say I am surprised that I am the only one to give this book such a poor rating. From a "reading for leisure" standpoint, this book explains the basic concepts of vehicle dynamics pretty well; however, as a engineering book (from SAE no less), this is probably one of the worst books I have ever purchased in my entire educational and professional career. As one of the reviews mentioned, the "unexplained 'magic numbers' in formulas" take time to get used to. I am not one to just accept formulas as is. As a graduate student, I like to know some thought behind the formulas I am using. In addition to the 'magic numbers', the author poorly explains many formulas. As an example, the author does not explain whether the sprung weight or total weight should be used when determining steady-state cornering. In all the formulas, the total weight is used; however, when determining changes due to body roll, only the sprung weight should be taking into account. Since unsprung weight only accounts for 5% of the total weight, maybe the author decided that was "close enough"; however, he should explain his reasoning in his assumptions. The author does this throughout the book. This brings me to my next point: poor examples and very few examples. The review from the individual who said this book had great examples must have been a review for another book. I can count on one hand the number of examples in this entire book. The few examples that are used are grossly over-simplified and very poor in explaining the steps involved in finding a solution. Additionally, the author rambles on too much. His wordy explainations could easily be condensed into fewer pages. As an engineer, I like conceptual explainations, but I don't like wasting my time either. One particular example that comes to mind is a formula written in paragraph form. Instead of just typing out the formula, the author takes a paragraph to write out the formula. After taking about 30 minutes of reading the paragraph and trying to find out the meaning of it (along with 2 other graduate students), I finally gave up.  The Complete RCA Victor Recordings $15.93 Of course this is a fine collection. Of course Dizzy's big band in the forties made some fantastic music. Of course this is an indispensible part of jazz history. But oh, the sound... Previous issues of this music on both CD and vinyl far surpass this one in terms of sound quality. The dreaded nineties-era noise reduction technology is all over this music, taking great hunks of sonic elements away from these vital performances. Since Bluebird corrected similar problems by issuing the Blanton/Webster sides by Duke Ellington, should they not do the same for these great records?  Dizzy Gillespie Royal Roast New Art Black Wood-Mounted Poster Print - 24" X 36" $99.99 This poster shows a black and white photo of Dizzy Gillespie standing up playing the trumpet. There are a few band members seated behind him. At the bottom it says "Dizzy Gillespie, Royal Roost. NYC. 1948, The Herman Leonard Collection." This plaqued poster measures approx. 24" x 36" Dizzy Gillespie was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, singer, and composer. He was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz. He performed with Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, Max Roach, Stan Getz, Sonny Rollins. His albums include Bird & Diz, Dee Gee Days - Savoy Sessions, At Massey Hall, Diz & Getz, Afro, Sittin' In, At Newport, Sonny Side Up, Have Trumpet Will Excite, Swing Low Sweet Cadillac. |
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