Modern Control Systems (10th Edition)

Book Description

Written to be equally useful for all engineering disciplines, this book is organized around the concept of control systems theory as it has been developed in the frequency and time domains. It provides coverage of classical control employing root locus design, frequency and response design using Bode and Nyquist plots. It also covers modern control methods based on state variable models including pole placement design techniques with full-state feedback controllers and full-state observers. The book covers several important topics including robust control systems and system sensitivity, state variable models, controllability and observability, computer control systems, internal model control, robust PID controllers, and computer-aided design and analysis. For all types of engineers who are interested in a solid introduction to control systems.

Customer Reviews:

Dorf, a good book but bad problem sets.......2007-03-30

This book has good explanations for learning the material, but the problems stink. My first controls class was under Kuo (Kuo & Golnaraghi, Automatic Control Systems), and this book has similar ordering of the material that I like. My students wanted more simple examples than Kuo's book had, unfortunately as I used this book I discovered that the problems are bad. They either give-away the answer by including all relevent equations, or they make the answer unobtainable by giving most of the equations but leaving out important aspects of the problem. For example, Ch4 p10 gives most the equation e=-ky, but that leaves the input R out of both the problem and the drawing; the equation should be e=r-ky. The solution key for this problem also finds a Torque (N*m) as the integral of a velocity (m/s); not getting the units right in a problem in the 10th edition is unacceptable! My impression was a group of new graduate students were sent out to develop a bunch of problems so a new edition could be printed, and what they came up with sometimes was simple (OK, you need easy problems to help develop confidence and understanding), and sometimes based on real systems (GREAT), but rarely clearly-presented and realistic. This is the fifth year I've taught this subject, and I worked in industry/research for 11 years before that. I know what a real controls problem looks like in the field. This book ALMOST did that part of it right, but the only way this is like horse shoes and and hand grenades is that it sometimes explodes in the students and professors face. Too bad, otherwise this would have been a great book with clear explanations and a good range of examples and problems.

The class' courseware is better.......2007-03-14

The book is uninspiring to read. The book spends too much time discussing far flung control systems (space shuttle, airplanes), rather then working out examples. Where's the beef? Luckily the courseware in my class was better

Late Shipping.......2007-02-12

The book was supposed to ship two day ground but showed up 3 days late.

OMG Are professors being paid to choose this book........2006-12-08

This book is at best confuseing,,,At worst it is junk. I have read every page of this book at least twice. I still find some of the concepts impossible to understand. I will still get a b in the class. But at two hundred dollars per credit hour plus 150 for this trash. I got ripped.

From an Industrial Practitioner of Industrial Process Control.......2006-07-10

This book is an excellent option for students taking their first course in Control systems. The topics are covered in a clear way, with many examples, and illustrations.

This was one of the books I used back in college. The other one was Katsuhiko Ogata Modern Control Engineering. Both has been invaluable references.

I am an Electronics Engineering graduate and I have been working for the last 16 years as an Instrumentation, Automation, and Process Safety and Control Engineer for the Oil & Gas Industry. This book will be a useful reference if you are working with or studying Control Systems.

Average customer rating:

Good Fundamentals Book by a Talented Writer
An excellent introductory book. Highly readable.
A lot of info on aircraft control in a small textbook.

Flight Stability and Automatic Control
Robert C. Nelson
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Science/Engineering/Math
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0070462739

Book Description

This edition of this this flight stability and controls guide features an unintimidating math level, full coverage of terminology, and expanded discussions of classical to modern control theory and autopilot designs. Extensive examples, problems, and historical notes, make this concise book a vital addition to the engineer's library.

Customer Reviews:

Good Fundamentals Book by a Talented Writer.......2000-10-05

This is an excellent book for the modern fundamentals of aircraft control design. Most subjects are clearly treated with just the right amount of illustrations and examples. The author makes good effort of explaining procedures without resorting to function calls from some software package. The last of the book devotes relatively little space to modern control theory. I would hope this talented writer would create something more advanced in the future that would expand on his treatment of the state observer and the use of the cost function.

An excellent introductory book. Highly readable........2000-08-27

The best aspect of this book is the simplicity in the exposition of ideas and concepts while giving more than enough information for an introductory book. Fully worked out examples are frequent throughout the chapters and helps even further in getting good grasp of new materials. If the reader has taken introductory courses in Vibration and/or Feedback Control, the book should be an easy read. The book is roughly divided into two parts: The flight dynamics part and control part. In the flight dynamics part, the explanation smoothly leads the reader from equation of motion to the concept of stability derivatives and how they relate to dynamic stability. The derivatives are very well explained and then summarized in tables for a quick reference. In the control part, the author starts from the classic linear feed back control and proceeds to the modern state space method and introduces optimal control design using linear quadratic regulator. The control part is an amazing time saver. I have never seen a more efficient introduction to optimal control as applied to aircraft dynamics. If the reader wants a full fledged treatment of optimal control of aircraft, the materials presented here are far from enough, but as an introductory book, this is an excellent exposition that lets the reader get to pace quickly and have straight forward perspective on the subject. Although there were some blatant typos, it is an excellent work and I highly recommend the book.

A lot of info on aircraft control in a small textbook........1999-04-13

I found this textbook to include a large amount of concisely presented material on all aspects of aircraft stability and control and feedback control system design. It covers everything from the atmosphere, to development of forces and moments and equations of motion, to estimation of stability derivatives, analysis of dynamics and modes of motion, and handy reduced degrees of freedom. It also includes many examples of designing autopilots and stability augmentation systems. I really liked the examples which included both classical and state variable methods. Each chapter also has several interesting example problems. I would recommend this text for anyone in the field of aircraft or missile flight controls. The only dissappointing aspect of the text is what I consider an excessive number of typographical errors. I would caution anyone not to use the equations or formulas without first checking the derivation. The derivations are clear and concise enough that the reader should be able to find these errors.

Modern Control Engineering (4th Edition)

Average customer rating:

great book but lacks application problem
A true introductory book on Control Engineering
Great book!
For whom want to master the subject!
Formulas done right

Modern Control Engineering (4th Edition)
Katsuhiko Ogata
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0130609072

Book Description

This comprehensive treatment of the analysis and design of continuous-time control systems provides a gradual development of control theory—and shows how to solve all computational problems with MATLAB. It avoids highly mathematical arguments, and features an abundance of examples and worked problems throughout the book. Chapter topics include the Laplace transform; mathematical modeling of mechanical systems, electrical systems, fluid systems, and thermal systems; transient and steady-state-response analyses, root-locus analysis and control systems design by the root-locus method; frequency-response analysis and control systems design by the frequency-response; two-degrees-of-freedom control; state space analysis of control systems and design of control systems in state space. For control systems engineers.

Customer Reviews:

great book but lacks application problem.......2007-05-14

Great book but lacks application problems. I am told this book is more for an indepth analysis of topics already learned from other coureses with the addition of Observers,state observer feedback, Intro to the use of Kalman filters, state variable feedback, and optimization. The optimization section could be better but if you have a great teacher its a good reference. I had used this book as an undergrad and told its a reference for grad students.

A true introductory book on Control Engineering.......2006-07-10

A true introductory book on Control Engineering

I love this book. The book is written in a very clear and readable way. All topics explanations are simple to understand. All examples are shown step by step, so you can really understand the ideas and applications associated with each one.

Katsuhiko Ogata's book is unbeatable as an introductory textbook for Control Systems at the undergraduate level. This was my text book in college, so I can recommend it base on my first hand learning experience.

Great book!.......2005-09-28

This book helped me a lot while I was studing Control Theory at college. It has very clear examples and it is well written.

For whom want to master the subject!.......2005-01-09

This text is not just thorough in its covered material. It covers more material than all other undergrad. level control texts I've ever seen. It treats thoroughly both state-space and the transform approaches which makes this text somehow unique. The text opens your eyes to the P,PI,PD and PID controllers in the very beginning which is thrilling for first time control students. As a matter of fact, the text is more focused on mechanical engineers interests than those of the electrical engineers. I consider the concept itself neutral :) which ECS/EE majors might share with ME(s).

As a student you will find the text written in a way that it walks through the concept and practice with you step by step. It teaches you matlab the same way (step by step!). If you are using another text through this course you may use this one as a supplementary text since it covers almost every topic used through the undergraduate level. The multi input multi output system is covered in every control systems text except the fact that none of those I read (more than 5 'big' texts) stated how would you evaluate the values of betas in the B matrix!. Yes, that was no big deal! :) but for me, I always appreciate to see how/where did you get it more than how does the final form look like!

As an undergraduate student I would say, you can either use another text and consult this one just in case! or you can get this one and save the other text's money !

Formulas done right.......2004-01-13

This book is very good. I really like the way the formulas are given, with all the variables immediatelly defined. When reading it was amazing. As the questions arose in my mind as to what something meant, the next sentence or two satisfied my curiosity.
While other books tend claim that a piece of information is "beyond the scope of this text" (yet then expect knowledge of the topic), Ogota takes a couple of extra paragraphs to explain the basics of what is needed for better understanding.

Average customer rating:

Innovative
If you like learning from novels
5 star concepts in a 3 star novel
A must for every potential project manager
if you manage projects for a living...

Critical Chain : A Business Novel
Eliyahu M. Goldratt
Manufacturer: North River Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0884271536

Book Description

Powerful yet simple techniques to solve project management's toughest problems. This book teaches companies to drastically cut project development times resulting in early completion within budget and without compromising quality or specifications.

Customer Reviews:

Innovative.......2007-01-03

An interesting concept presented in an innovative novel. Easy to read and follow. Just like a novel once you start, it is a page turner and hard to put down.

I highly recommend this along with Goldratt's first novel, The Goal.

If you like learning from novels.......2006-10-24

A "made-for-TV" novel with a lesson about a new method of project scheduling. Goldratt invented the "Theory of Constraints," a general problem analyis and planning method which he then applies to various areas. Each application presented in story format.

"Critical Chain" = "Critical Path" x "Theory of Constraints".

Read this book if you want an easy read and a fun introduction to the subject. But if you actually want to apply the Critical Chain method, you'll probably need a textbook format. Or make the effort to abstract the method from the dialogue of the story.

5 star concepts in a 3 star novel.......2006-10-04

Eli Goldratt is one of the most respected experts in the field of Project Management. His work on the Theory of Constraints provides project managers with some very useful tools for keeping projects focused, on budget, and on target. I have definitely benefitted from Goldratt's insights into these topics.

Unfortunately, this work of fiction, with three largely separate story lines, makes for an awkward read. The 246 page novel has about half of its page count spent on two stories that add little to the main message of the book. The ongoing storylines about fixing the business school's executive MBA program and the main character's relationship with his wife Judith have nothing to do with project management. Fortunately, these two superfluous stories are at the end or beginning of each chapter and it is easy to skip over them and get to the useful subject material in the main story line, the running of projects and their problems. Skipping over about 100 pages of the book makes me question the value of paying for a book that could have easily been less than half as long. I might be OK with that if the stories were interesting or well written, but they are not.

Using the book as a reference would be challenging. It has no Table of Contents, no Index, nor a Glossary. The Chapters do not even have titles, or a summary of the key concepts at the end in most cases. I would struggle to find an important concept if I went back to the book more than a week or so after reading it.

A much slimmer, edited version of this book, with just the TOC and project management material, laid out end to end would be an instant must have, and a valuable learning tool.

A must for every potential project manager.......2006-08-11

I've been introduced to CCPM (critical chain project management) years ago in school, but thought it was boring. Reading Goldratt's novel opened my mind to it in a much deeper way, and I'm now using it at my work with great success. I also recommend his other business novels.

if you manage projects for a living..........2006-06-27

Face it, everything that happens in a business is either a process or a project. Even companies that manage projects for a living (e.g. construction, software development) often are lousy at managing internal projects (working ON the business). If you have anything to do with projects, you need to read this book. It will change how you look at projects forever. This guy is brilliant.

Average customer rating:

Hard Read!
Satisfied customer
This old man knows how to tell the story :)
Best modern control text
System theory presented in its best

Modern Control Theory (3rd Edition)
William L. Brogan
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0135897637

Book Description

M->CREATED

Customer Reviews:

Hard Read! .......2005-12-15

Damm this book is difficult to comprehend. If it wasn't for my instructor to teach us, there is probably no way you can absorb this book cleanly. If you simply revel in reading a book with usage of every greek character known to man, and then some, then this is the book for you. Countless variables + theories = Clueless

Thank god my instructor taught us everything we needed to know on the board. The only times we had to refer to the book was for the Homework problems. This book is like it came from the past, 3 decades ago. Don't get me wrong, this material is not too difficult if you already have a grasp of Linear Algebra (which supremely helps). A TI-89 or similar calculator is a life-saver as well, for the matrices. But if you wanted to learn this material yourself, you could can certain do better!

This is an example:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0131457330/qid=1134632969/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/104-0453185-3538347?n=507846&s=books&v=glance

How do I know? Because I own both books, because I took two Control classes at the same time, with the same teacher. The above book is very clean, and what I mean by clean is that you learn very quickly. It's 'bam, bam, bam'. Of course, some might argue it's not a typical "graduate" book, but at least you won't wake up in the middle of the night, sweat dripping from a nightmare about greek symbols. Trust me - if you can find a bookstore with these two books, go ahead and compare them yourself. It's like night and day.

If you HAVE to buy this book for a class, pay close attention in class, and pray to the Gods you have a decent instructor, and you should be fine. If you want to learn about Controls, and thinking about getting this book, look elsewhere.

The material from other book I compared are pretty similar; the one I compared does not go into matrices and linear systems as much as Brogan's book. So don't expect that one to completely replace it. It is used only as an example of how other books are more easily 'readable' than this one.

This review was written for your best interest in mind!

Satisfied customer.......2005-07-03

Very satisfied. The book was sent the same day I ordered it and arrived in the condition stated.

This old man knows how to tell the story :).......2005-01-09

This text is unique as it is written for those students interested in both the insight and the GPA! The text covers almost all topics of vectors and matrices required for a modern control using state space approach. The author has devoted his time to teach students how to see through vectors&matrices and how to master the required mathematics in a very concise manner. What makes this book unique is its illustrated and solved examples in the end of each chapter.

After you master the mathematics through Chapter 8. You will find the later chapters a piece of cake :). A nice introductory chapter on optimal control and another on nonlinear control in the end of the book make you eager to find other hardcover texts on these advanced topics. Unfortunately, you might not find them as concise and to the point as this text!

As a student, you might be more interested in (solved) examples. A (little) theory wouldn't bite as well. In this book the theory to example ratio is definitely within the range you would like to see.

Best modern control text.......2003-11-03

This book is adopted as a text for state space control courses in my school. The writing style is clear and it is easy to follow. Concept of controllability and observability are shown very nicely. This book provides quite solid theoretical background for state space control. For control implementation using microchip, "PowerPC Programming Pocket Book" was also very helpful.

System theory presented in its best.......2003-05-13

We adopted this book in our graduate courseof linear systems and controls. i was the TA of that course. I have never seen such an elegent utilization of Vector Spaces and Matrix Theory to explain the system concepts and its controlled behaviour. It really is the engineering text which builds upon the mathematical concepts.Beauty of the book is the its implicit presentation of the concepts which challenges the intution of the reader.End chapter problems and solved exercises enhance the skills in student's quiver.i recommend that any student who wants to build a firm engineering basics should surely spend his thoughts on the material presented in the book.

Average customer rating:

Modern Control Engineering
P.N. Paraskevopoulos
Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0824789814

Book Description

"Illustrates the analysis, behavior, and design of linear control systems using classical, modern, and advanced control techniques. Covers recent methods in system identification and optimal, digital, adaptive, robust, and fuzzy control, as well as stability, controllability, observability, pole placement, state observers, input-output decoupling, and model matching."

Modern Cryptography: Theory and Practice

Average customer rating:

It's a College TextBook
Good reference, poorly edited
Best of all
Very good book!
Very good book!

Modern Cryptography: Theory and Practice
Wenbo Mao
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall PTR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0130669431

Customer Reviews:

It's a College TextBook.......2004-11-23

It's a pretty good one too, but it's still a college text. The orientation of this book is far more theoretical than practical, complete with abstract mathematical notation that sometimes does more to confuse than to elucidate (although the author, to his credit, includes a glossary of mathematical notation early in the text). Still, the book is complete and up-to-date, covering everything from probability theory and number theory through the latest stuff on PKI, symmetric crypto (including AES), and authentication.

Cryptography is not an easy subject, and this book will take a while to wade through for all but the most mathematically astute readers. Nonetheless, for those wanting a "deep dive" into the theoretical underpinnings of the subject, this is a good book. Security practitioners will likely find Schneier's "Applied Cryptography" an easier, more enjoyable, and equally beneficial read, although it is due for an update.

Good reference, poorly edited.......2004-05-20

What's great about Mao's book is that so many aspects of cryptography are covered in an approachable manner and with many good examples.
What's not so great about Mao's book is that it is chock full of errors. There are many mathematical typos. But what really kills this book for me are the ridiculous number of English mistakes - on average about two or three per page. Most mistakes are simple grammatical mistakes that can be re-parsed by the reader on the fly. However, there are more serious errors that make it very difficult to understand the meaning of significant passages and concepts.
Given Mao's refreshing conversational style it's a real shame that Prentice Hall couldn't come up with some decent editing. Hopefully a second edition will fix this.

Best of all.......2004-03-19

Excellent,the best of all modern treatment on this subject,All in one guide.
Not for beginner.Icluded are many new features as ID based,Pairing,Provable security etc.
Nguyen Quoc Nam

Very good book!.......2004-01-08

Cryptography has been around for a long time but a solid introductory crypto book is hard to find. This is one of the best crypto book I have ever bought. Well worth the investment and I am sure it is a book that I can always go back to if I need to look up something. It has a nice number theory chapter but I wish it could be more in depth(provides more proofs). The chapters on public-key crypto and related crypto.techniques are very well written. This book also covers some nice research result one can only found on some research papers(if one cares to dig). I am very impressed with this book! Not too "dry" nor too "elementary!"

Very good book!.......2004-01-08

Average customer rating:

34 Years Ago, This Was a Book to Save
I wonder 'what is wrong with this book?' The title maybe!
Modern Control Systems Using Classical Methods
Depends on what you are looking for
Makes a nice paper weight

Modern Control Systems (9th Edition)
Richard C. Dorf , and Robert H Bishop
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0130306606

Customer Reviews:

34 Years Ago, This Was a Book to Save.......2005-04-15

Yet, in a point of irony, somewhere, sometime, in my various consulting travels, Dorf's textbook was misplaced.

The quality of a textbook on any technical book for students or practising professionals is critical mainly if the person doesn't use other humans to learn for them. Many organizations expect or demand their employees to use others for this purpose. This approach was in dire countpoint to my own approach: read the book, do the problems BEFORE class and almost never ask questions of profs. Sadly, self sufficiency in the large corporations is often seen either as a weakness or a threat.

Anyway, three years ago I took the old version out of a library, and it was just as clear to me then as it had been 30 years before. I bought a companion volume to make connections with MatLab and other software tools.

Here's a suggestion for those who don't like a book: do not use that book alone! If the book which you do not like or find incomprehensible is a textbook, then register your complaints, but find another, better book to complement the one you cannot use easily.

35 years ago I had a textbook on differential equations which was extremely difficult - I was not used to difficulties in math at all - and which caused many very talented student engineers, physicist, and mathematicians to bail. ONE book literally shattered their confidence after a lifetime of As and success.

I took that book and copied every page of it by hand. If I still didn't understand the text well enough to solve the problems (this text had few examples, if any, and was even on the thin side for leavening text with equations!)... I copied the chapter again! And if I still didn't understand it, a third time! What I then knew: the DiffEq book was great if you wanted to be a theroetical mathematician, but not if you wanted to learn diff eq for anything else. So, it was a brilliant book, it really stretched me out... but of course, the next text in the math for engineers sequence was Kresyzig, which turned diff eq into relatively simple algebra with Laplace transforms...

so, other than as a great intellectual 'gut check' the diff eq book was not for someone with five other problems courses to digest.

What I know now: if one book isn't enough, then you get another from a library or wherever. Copying chapters of a math book letter for letter is not an efficient way to acquire knowledge or skills.

A pointed question for students might be to ask their prof or TA if they used that textbook, AND, if they truly understand it easily. If memory serves, they really like students who find other resources to learn material: ask about other books - hell, they may even loan one to you!

I wonder 'what is wrong with this book?' The title maybe!.......2004-12-20

Unless you aren't trying to learn Control Systems concepts this book is ideal for you to read. Otherwise, if you are interested in either learning the concepts or getting a higher GPA, this book is not what you think it is since you will find yourself losing the insight everytime you answer in terms of a matlab code and I guess you will never learn the concept this way!

Let me explain, the book is mainly teaching you MATLAB since the authors are devoted to teach MATLAB to anyone they see in the street! Ironically speaking, MATLAB would never make you understand the concept even worse it will blur the big picture in your mind!

To summarize this,
I would say, want to learn control systems? Well, find some control systems text like Ogata and Kuo ...etc.

Otherwise, if you are interested more in learning MATLAB , I mean that you are already familiar with control systems concepts I would say this book is ideal for you not to mention its nice exercises and problems in the end of each chapter!

However, this is a good control systems using matlab book and thus I suggest that the title of the book should be something like 'Fundamentals of Control Systems Using MATLAB'.

Modern Control Systems Using Classical Methods.......2004-02-15

I am a practicing systems engineer in industry. My company, Transpower Corporation, writes custom and commercial engineering and accounting software. Over the years I've purchased many, many control engineering books, including the fourth and seventh editions of Prof. Dorf's Modern Control Systems. At my request, Dr. Dorf sent me the solutions manual. Unlike the other reviewers here, I find the book to be easy reading, particularly because of the many fine illustrations which add immensely to the clarity of presentation. The 800 problems contained in the book cover a very wide range of modern real-life control systems; they are vastly better than the problems contained in any other control book I've purchased.

The book is very strong on classical methods, but rather weak on the so-called "modern methods." I happen to prefer the Internal Model Principle and even wrote a software package, Optimal Control Designer, to make that method easy to apply. Unfortunately Dorf treats the Internal Model Principle only briefly. The same goes for LQR and other optimization methods. On the other hand, ITAE and deadbeat systems are treated rather well.

The use of MATLAB in the book and problems is very welcome. However, Simulink is not used. Those of us in industry are likely to use Simulink to simulate a proposed system to death before production. Hopefully the forthcoming 10th edition will include example applications using Simulink.

One other deficiency is the lack of treatment of real-time computer control (for example using Real-Time Workshop and Real-Time Windows Target). I haven't yet found any text on control which goes into any detail on this subject--those of us in industry would very much like such a text.

In summary I highly recommend this book. It's worth the price just for the spectacular set of end-of-chapter problems.

Depends on what you are looking for.......2003-10-26

If you want to learn about Modern Control Systems the first time around then use a book written by Ogata, Kuo or Nise. These three authors have some of the best books on this subject that you will ever see.

As for this book
GOOD:
The Matlab part of the book I would give 4 stars. It is pretty good and lets you get acquainted with the control toolbox. There are a wide variety of problems in the book and it has a lot of design problems for the reader. Problems include exercise problems, regular problems (beats me why he didn't put them together), advance problems and Matlab Problems. If you already know the subject then it could possibly be a good design book.

BAD:
Worst book I have ever read. This book offers some of the worst explanations I have ever seen in a book. It is nearly impossible to do the problems with the information given to you. Reading the book is like solving an exercise problem in itself. A lot of times the math is skipped so you have no idea how he got to the answer. While other books happened to spend 4 pages on a topic, Dorf managed to compress it into a useless paragraph. Also, Dorf expects you to clairvoyantly know what a definition is. When reading through a chapter he talks about something without telling you what it is. Somehow he expected you to know that at the end of the chapter, AFTER you've read everything he'll give you a definition list. Very few exercise problems have answers to them so if you are doing something wrong then you will not know. If you are looking for self-study from this book then start crying now because you will throw over 100 bucks in the garbage.

The most definitively annoying thing about the book is how it references other books. Dorf commonly gives you a sentence on a topic and then references the sentence to another book. Those sentences are meaningless and explain nothing, which gave me the impression that I was supposed to go to one of the hundreds of referenced books to learn what he was talking about.

IN SUM:
The only people who will like this book are the ones who already know the subject. I found that after I read Modern Control Engineering by Ogata and understood the subject, I appreciated a FEW of the examples Dorf gave, even though I could find a slew of books that could cover that material better. If you are a teacher looking to make this your class's book, reconsider because your students will not learn the subject.

Makes a nice paper weight.......2003-10-02

That book was required for my course, and that was the $150.00 I wish I spent on something else. It still looks like new, because I almost never reffered to it. I found better explained info on the internet. I flanked the course the first time, then I found othe sources of information. Never, EVER buy this book, mine is alredy in the garbage.

Modern Statistical, Systems, and GPSS Simulation, Second Edition

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Modern Statistical, Systems, and GPSS Simulation, Second Edition
Zaven A. Karian , and Edward J. Dudewicz
Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0849339227

Book Description

Modern Statistical, Systems, and GPSS Simulation, Second Edition introduces the theory and implementation of discrete-event simulation. This text: o establishes a theoretical basis for simulation methodology o provides details of an important simulation language (GPSS - General Purpose Simulation System) o integrates these two elements in a systems simulation case study Valuable additions to the second edition include coverage of random number generators with astronomic period, new entropy-based tests of uniformity, gamma variate generation, results on the GLD, and variance reduction techniques. GPSS/PC is an interactive implementation of GPSS for the IBM-PC compatible family of microcomputers. The disk accompanying Modern Statistical, Systems, and GPSS Simulation contains the limited educational version of GPSS/PC with many illustrative examples discussed in the text.

Military Power: Explaining Victory and Defeat in Modern Battle

Average customer rating:

Thought provoking
Provocative, Brillant and Controversial
Brilliant study of modern warfare
The Science of Military Outcomes
An interesting thesis

Military Power: Explaining Victory and Defeat in Modern Battle
Stephen Biddle
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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HOOAH! Soldier Fuel Energy Bars, Chocolate Crisp, 2.29-Ounce Bars (Pack of 15)

ASIN: 0691116458

Book Description

In war, do mass and materiel matter most? Will states with the largest, best equipped, information-technology-rich militaries invariably win? The prevailing answer today among both scholars and policymakers is yes. But this is to overlook force employment, or the doctrine and tactics by which materiel is actually used. In a landmark reconception of battle and war, this book provides a systematic account of how force employment interacts with materiel to produce real combat outcomes. Stephen Biddle argues that force employment is central to modern war, becoming increasingly important since 1900 as the key to surviving ever more lethal weaponry. Technological change produces opposite effects depending on how forces are employed; to focus only on materiel is thus to risk major error--with serious consequences for both policy and scholarship.

In clear, fluent prose, Biddle provides a systematic account of force employment's role and shows how this account holds up under rigorous, multimethod testing. The results challenge a wide variety of standard views, from current expectations for a revolution in military affairs to mainstream scholarship in international relations and orthodox interpretations of modern military history.

Military Power will have a resounding impact on both scholarship in the field and on policy debates over the future of warfare, the size of the military, and the makeup of the defense budget.

Customer Reviews:

Thought provoking.......2006-10-04

I'll begin by saying that this is an excellent book and highly recommended to anyone interested in the field. Well written and great to read even for a non-military reader.
Unfortunately, the case studies and battles are not really described, and if you were not already familiar with the battles before (as I was not in 2 of 3), the analyses will not help to gain any real understanding.
Second, the model presented is an excellent tool for "post mortem" analyses. However, since according to the model, the major factor that will decide the outcome of the battle is force emplacement, and since it cannot be known in advance what will the force emplacement be (neither for friendly nor for enemy forces), the model cannot really be used to predict outcomes of future battles. I see this as a major problem with the model.

Provocative, Brillant and Controversial.......2005-11-13

Prof Terry Tucker, Senior Doctrine Developer, Saudi Arabian NG Modernization Program;
The author presents a balanced, provocative and well presented case for how victory or defeat occurs in battle. This book is designed for both the tecnical numbers kind of person and also the less technical. The chapters can be read as a stand alone or you can also go through the entire book. Either way it has immense value.
The thesis of this book is that force employment, or the doctrine and tactics by which forces are used in combat is centrally important. This book is great reading, is controversial in its presentation but clearly provides both empirical and quantitative analysis to support his position. THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ.

Brilliant study of modern warfare.......2005-02-21

Stephen Biddle, a Professor at the US Army War College, has produced an important book on modern warfare. He shows how material forces, numbers and technology, only count if used in the modern system. Force deployment shapes the role of material forces. He analyses full data-sets of modern battles, proving that bigger is not always better.

The increasing lethality of firepower means that since 1914 exposed mass movement is suicidal. Only the modern system of using combined arms, cover and concealment enables the attackers' forces to survive the defence's response.

Biddle looks at three significant battles, firstly, the successful German attack of March 1918. For preponderance theorists, the Allies should have stopped this attack dead. The German/British force-to-force ratio was 1.5/1, among the least favourable of any major attack of the war. The British had a few more tanks, but the main weapons were still the infantry and guns of 1915-18, a defence-dominant technology. The British official history blamed the fog, as if there had been no fog until then.

The Germans won an unprecedented breakthrough, advancing 40 miles across a 50-mile front. The Germans implemented the modern system tactically and to some extent operationally; the British didn't. This broke the great stalemate, not new technology, US intervention or exhaustion.

Biddle's second example, Operation Goodwood in July 1944, was the failed Allied effort to break out of the Normandy beachhead. The British had more troops and weapons: 1,277 tanks, 4,500 aircraft and 118,000 troops against 319 tanks, several hundred aircraft and 29,000 troops. If preponderance theorists were right, the British would have won, but they tried an exposed mass tank charge, unsupported by infantry or suppressive artillery.

Biddle's third example is Operation Desert Storm of 1991, which US forces won with an unprecedentedly low loss rate. US forces used the modern system, the Iraqis did not. The superior US air technology did not eliminate the Iraqi resistance: 2,000 tanks still fought back after the air assault. US troops with or without advanced ground technology, and those fighting local engagements at better or worse odds, won equally convincingly.

The Science of Military Outcomes.......2004-11-25

This is an exceptional work of real empirical science. Steve Biddle has a hypothesis that "force employment" is a more important determinant of military success than either technology or preponderance of military forces. He subjects this hypothesis to a wide range of analytical and empirical tests, and the evidence in support of his argument is compelling. And the author has the foresight to raise many of the issues that occur to a skeptical reader, and to treat them with reasoned analysis and data. His prose is clear, and this is compelling reading even to one who is not an expert in this field.

An interesting thesis.......2004-07-27

According to Stephen Biddle force employment or the use of combined arms is the secret to military success not superior technology or overwhelming numbers. The first example that Biddle uses is the opening German offensive in 1918 against the British in which they succeded intially against the English army due to effective coordination of artillery and infantry. The second case that Biddle brings up is the British operation Goodwood against the Germans in 1944. The British failed, according to Biddle, due to the lack of cooperation between infantry and armor.Also Biddle dispels the myth that technology alone won Desert Storm because the Marines,equipped with only sixties era tanks, were able to defeat the Iraqis with superior tactics. The only weakness of Biddle's book is that he leaves out the two cases in which opponents with superior nummers defeated a force with effective force employment methods which is the defeat of the Germans to the Russians in the summer of 1944, and the rout of the Americans from North Korea by the Chinese in the winter of 1950. Otherwise, Biddle writes an effective case that force employment and not technology is the most important factor in military victory.

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