Numerical Techniques in Electromagnetics, Second Edition Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This book is a decent overview of numerical techniques in electromagnetics (and in general). I have mixed feelings about it, however.
I think the math coverage is OK, although it is somewhat abstract. E.g., MoM and FEM are introduced through variational methods, which is probably an elegant yet unintuitive way to understand them. A more heuristic approach might have been better.
Many techniques are covered (FDTD, MoM, FEM, TLM, Monte Carlo, method of lines), but I wish this book spent more time on the really important methods (FDTD, MoM, FEM) and less on the more obscure ones (TLM, method of lines). I would gladly trade these two methods for some coverage on geometrical optics, physical optics, GTD, and UTD.
One nice thing is that the numerical methods are illustrated with simpler EM problem formulations, e.g., Poisson's equation, instead of going into the full complexity of solving general wave problems.
The short intro to analytical and numerical techniques is appreciated.
There are a few glaring typos in this book that I've noticed, e.g., in figure captions. This is annoying, but I guess the errors are obvious enough that you won't be led astray. I hope there's not more subtle errors elsewhere in the text.
There's a fair bit of Fortran 77 and C++ source code included. I don't think there's a machine readable files available, so they'd be mostly for illustration purposes.
I originally rated this text 3 stars, but after getting into numerical EM more since then, I'd upgrade it to 4.

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As the availability of powerful computer resources has grown over the last three decades, the art of computation of electromagnetic (EM) problems has also grown - exponentially. Despite this dramatic growth, however, the EM community lacked a comprehensive text on the computational techniques used to solve EM problems. The first edition of Numerical Techniques in Electromagnetics filled that gap and became the reference of choice for thousands of engineers, researchers, and students.The Second Edition of this bestselling text reflects the continuing increase in awareness and use of numerical techniques and incorporates advances and refinements made in recent years. Most notable among these are the improvements made to the standard algorithm for the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method and treatment of absorbing boundary conditions in FDTD, finite element, and transmission-line-matrix methods. The author also added a chapter on the method of lines.Numerical Techniques in Electromagnetics continues to teach readers how to pose, numerically analyze, and solve EM problems, give them the ability to expand their problem-solving skills using a variety of methods, and prepare them for research in electromagnetism. Now the Second Edition goes even further toward providing a comprehensive resource that addresses all of the most useful computation methods for EM problems.

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Technical Tennis: Racquets, Strings, Balls, Courts, Spin, and Bounce Review

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(More customer reviews)A few years back I did read "The Physics and Technology of Tennis." Even though this was a sensational book that gave me the physics knowledge to moonlight as a racquet development consultant, "Technical Tennis" is a great update. "The Physics and ..." consists of a collection of papers that were published in TennisPro magazine between 1993 and 2000. Meanwhile, "Technical Tennis" was published in 2005. Tennis technique and technology have changed since the mid nineties. The authors thoroughly study these changes. They do a great analysis of Sampras second serve that remained a standard even for today's pros. They also analyze Federer's forehand that is a marvel of versatility, speed, and accuracy. Nobody hits a forehand using Federer's technique. But, maybe thanks to this book more tennis players and especially pros will emulate it.
The authors' opinions have become more complex and nuanced over time. In "The Physics ..." they stated unequivocally that heavier racquets gave you more power, control, and felt better all around than lighter ones. Now, they indicate it depends somewhat on your playing style. And, they come up with an all around "ideal" weight of 342 grams or 12 ounces. That is heavier than most recreational racquets sold in store. But, it is not heavy vs what the pros use. On page 55, they also indicate that to reduce the force on your arm there are five things you can do:
1) Use a heavier racquet;
2) Use a head heavy racquet;
3) Use a more flexible racquet (not a widebody one);
4) Lower the string tension;
5) Use a softer thicker grip.
These are different recommendations than in "The Physics ..." book. Back then they recommended a stiff racquet.
The authors also study in greater details the relationship between racquet weight and ball speed. And, how the relationship is different for serves vs groundstrokes.
If you read "The Physics ..." book, you have to read this one to update your knowledge. If you have not, you don't need to read it, and can jump in straight into this one. It will provide you with all the physics you care about. This book is really not dummed down much. Be ready for that. At times the physics discourse gets pretty dry and challenging. But if you digest it, it's pretty interesting stuff.

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What are the single most important variables in racquet performance? What racquet and string features combine to provide the most control, comfort, and feel? How can a player create maximum spin? This informative primer answers these and other elusive equipment and performance-related questions that perennially plague hackers and experts alike. A simplified, layperson's companion to the authors' previous work, The Physics and Technology of Tennis, this conveniently sized guide to selecting racquets and strings includes bite-sized explanations of the possible expectations of equipment choices.

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