Stephen Prata
Computers & Internet
Macmillan Computer Publishing
4.5 (30 votes)
This is a huge book. I liked some of the content, but I also feel that the author tried to stuff too much in. As usual, he glossed over pointers leaving the reader clueless, as most books on this topic usually do.
If you decide to buy this, then I recommend that you supplement it with C++ Pointers and Memory Management by Daconta.

Ron Person
Computers & Internet
Que Pub

Steve Davis
Computers & Internet
Que Pub

Scott Mueller
Computers & Internet
Que
4.5 (11 votes)
If you want to understand what's going on inside an Intel-standard PC, Mueller's tome should be at the top of your hardware-book heap. "Upgrading and Repairing PCs" overflows with both tutoring and reference material. Mueller intersperses intelligent and easy-to-follow prose with conceptual diagrams and drawings and factual tables. You can either read through and learn from the author's experience or flip right to the answer you need to solve a problem. The up-to-date information includes Pentium II and limited coverage of Celeron, Xeon, and the latest non-Intel processors. The author also accurately surveys state-of-the-art components aside from CPUs, covering new SCSI boards and Voodoo Rush video, for example.
The guide hosts a directory of almost every company that makes hardware for the PC, complete with physical addresses, phone numbers, and URLs. On top of that, there's a good glossary, a table of modem commands, and thousands of hard-drive parameters (heads, cylinders, and so forth). Two companion CD-ROMs hold a searchable database of hard-drive specs, some videos of Mueller's lectures, and a bunch of diagnostic software.
Though it's not specifically written as an A+ certification study guide, this book could be used as preparation for the hardware portion of the A+ exam. Mueller's coverage is far more comprehensive than what that exam requires, so be careful about studying details that don't appear on the test. "--David Wall"

Stephen Coffin
Computers & Internet
Mcgraw-Hill Osborne Media

Peter John Dyson
Computers & Internet
Sybex Inc

Gilbert Held
Computers & Internet
Sams
5.0 (1 votes)
This book was very understandable. Gilbert Held presents his information very well. I did find several typos, but that's a minor quibble.

Bathroom Reader's Hysterical Society
Nonfiction
Bathroom Reader Press
4.5 (3 votes)
This book helped me make it through Confucious and a 500 page book on anthropology. Uncle John continually brings a smile to those in need of obscure, strange truths, that may matter very little, or a lot, in the big scheme of things.

Richard Raffan
Engineering
Taunton
5.0 (2 votes)
Turning Wood with Richard Raffan is my number one pick out of the several books I bought on wood turning. He went into the lathe, its components, safety, and techniques. The editorial reviews go into all of the subjects covered in this book, so I will not reapeat them all. What I wanted to share with you is the overall feeling of the book. You know the frustration of buying a book, and it doesn't feel right. I guess you could analyze some of the reasons why. This book feels right. The photos, the explanations, the way it is laid out, all are done in a way that makes me say, I really like this book.
I turned wood when I was in high school. Recently acquired a lathe, and wanted someone to walk me through the essentials. This book covers that. Safety is a primary concern. For example he explains, that you always want to use your wood turning chisel from the higher areas, into the shallower. If you do it the other way around, you could have a piece of wood flying into your face. It is like your skiing down the side of the mountain. I know this sounds trivial, but he is not afraid to cover the essetials for those of us renewed in the hobby.
Great book, highly recommended.

Charles Calvert
Computers & Internet
Sams Publishing