An excellent introduction.
587187
Engaging, fast-paced story; interesting characters; unique vision of the future; suspenseful, gripping events. This book is entertaining from start to finish. Bring on the sequel.
3315559
This book is truly a wonderful introduction into the life of Muhammad and the beginnings of Islam.  It is well-written and concise, never going into any more detail than is needed for such an introduction.  It is an excellent starting point for anyone just getting started in learning the history of Muhammad and Islam.
3343078
This book is an excellent introduction to al-Islam. It offers the reader a clear picture of this religion and its contribution to a healthy pluralistic society.
273107
I bought this book in order to learn more about economics, and wasn't disappointed.  This is an excellent introduction to 20th century economics for the general reader as well as the specialist economist.  The vast majority of the book is accessible to all, and covers a broad brush of history, in fact most of the 20th century.  The years of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher are especially well told.  Well worth the time and effort.
4114513
An excellent introduction to accelerator physics. Bernal's book provides a nice overview of a variety of topics without getting bogged down in lengthy derivations.
2669785
I had been looking at a few Python books, but this strikes me as an extremely well written introduction. Very systematic and nicely structured. One thing that makes this book valuable for me is the explanation of object oriented programming. Having learned programming in the "old days" with Fortran, this object oriented approach still is somewhat unclear to me. This books leads the reader slowly towards this issue, such that the usefulness of using objects, classes, etc. becomes very clear out of the problems from all proceeding chapters.

It should be mentioned that this is an open source book and freely and legally available on the net! But some, like me, may find it nice to have a printed copy to work through.
167986
A great introduction to both subjects in one text. The interplay of both subjects in well presented in this timeless classic. The example problems make this a great reference.
1954226
Grade schoolers and junior high school students will find this to be an excellent introduction to the causes of the Civil War, including the leading cause- slavery and the attempt by some politicians and others to extend it into the territories and newly forming states. The organization of the facts and the writing by historian Don Nardo are first rate and the pictures and layout by the publisher are very nicely done. I recomend the book highly.
1299234
Gladney's Dislocating China is an excellent introduction into the ways in which ethnicity and religion intersect in contemporary China today.  Although many of the chapters deal with China's Muslims the book as a whole is more wide ranging examining ethnic representation in Chinese cinema, ethnic 'culture parks' and in popular culture.  One of the central themes of the book is Gladney's contestation of "Han" as a legitimate ethnic group.  The book while theoretical is highly readable and a good introduction for anyone who wants to grapple intellectually with the People's Republic of China's policies towards its Muslim population.
3098784
This is an excellent introduction to the fundamentals of economics.  The material is well organized and the concepts are present in clear, concise, readily comprehensible english.  Topical newspaper articles provide real world examples. The margins are used to highlight definitions and key concepts so that they are easy to find and each chapter is followed by a summary and exercises.  Although this is a university textbook, the author manages to make the subject fun and as well as interesting.

Anyone wanted a better understanding of economics benefit from reading this book. Economics does not explain everything in life but it does provide an essential grounding to understand some very complex subjects such as public policy, business management and the global economy.  Anyone  interested in these subjects would also enjoy reading The Essential Drucker by Peter Drucker and The Other Path by Hernando de Soto (essential for understanding economics in developing countries).
3892655
For a beginner in spirituality..... a great introduction.
578934
A great introduction to this art form with pictures and short but crisp explanations. The book is written in simple language not drawing attention away from the subject. A very good book.
2434126
This book is an excellent introduction, which is what it is meant to be. For the record, I have a degree in physics and have worked on a number of robotics projects, but my background in mechanical pursuits is pieced together from various places - so, I picked this up at the library because it looked interesting and I wanted to see what I had missed along the way.

The overview is good, and I feel like the book gives you just enough knowledge to start experimenting (which is where you will really learn, anyway). There are some good example projects to get your mental gears turning (sorry for the pun) and the various resources referenced are invaluable.

The one thing I would've liked to see: A chapter or book level summary that presents a snapshot of the information you're likely to reference. There are a couple of tables (the one comparing CAD packages, for instance) but I think the book could benefit from more - on the covers, or in an appendix for instance. I'm thinking specifically of a list (maybe comparison?) of all the numerous resources mentioned, or a collection of the basic equations that were used. What I'd really love is something that could be photocopied and put up in the workshop for quick reference.

That said, useful book, it does what it sets out to do and is aimed well at the target audience. Even if you've been in the biz for a while, there might be a couple of resources in there that you haven't used before, or maybe an idea that makes you think about something in a new way.
2265584
Highly readable, excellent introduction to the basics of astrophysics. This short book focuses on the meaning of our place in the cosmos, outlining essential concepts in clear and cogent way without getting lost in technical language.
824285
This Seventh Edition is a good introduction for beginners, while being comprehensive enough for more advanced students. The topics are orderly presented, and the chapters are numerous and short, rather than few and long. This enables students to study topics thoroughly, without having to plow through unrelated material. The questions throughout the book are an effective help for reviewing, taking notes and control the learning process.
1642063
This book provides an excellent introduction to philosophy. There are also many beautiful photographs, which add to the quality and general appearance of the book. Bryan Magee captures the essence of the thought of literally  dozens of philosophers who lived over a span of more than 2,000 years. He  is able to translate complex ideas into a format that is interesting to the  nonprofessional. If one could read just one book on western philosophy,  this one would be a good choice. As someone who has studied philosophy at  both the undergraduate and doctoral levels, I can say that this is one of  the best books I have read on the subject. Magee's writing style is to be  commended. He makes reading a pleasure. I have added most of his other  books to my list of books to read.
1047711
This is an excellent introduction to parasitology. It is an excellent reference for those just beginning their studies of parasites.