Category: book review

How to win friends and influence people, book review

How_To_Win_Friends_and_Influence_People-Book_Cover

Published on: 03.07.2016

Number of pages: 288
Written by: Dale Carnegie
Publish by: Pocket Books

Conclusion
Classic book for soft skills.

Review
After three attempts, in few years, I manage to finish this book.
I always started to read it, but after some time would just leave it, I am used to read technical books not soft skills book.
First edition of was written in 1936 and I liked this.
If it is that old and people are still reading it, maybe there is some use of it.
I did liked ideas from this book, so far they work.

Programmable Logic Controllers, book review

Programmable_Logic_Controllers-Book_Cover

Published on: 01.06.2016

Number of pages: 408
Written by: Dag H. Hanssen
Publish by: Wiley

Conclusion

This is book provide good explanation of PLC, digital, analog, input, outputs, and programming languages for PLC.

It is great book for all around introductions to PLC.

Review

Book is divided in five parts:

1. Hardware

Explain what is PLC, analog I/O and digital I/O. I/O is abbreviation for input/output.
Most new informations I got from this chapter, because I had least experience with hardware.

2. Methodic

Have only one chapter called Structured Design.
Content of chapter is: number system and digital logic, boolean design, sequential and state-base design.
What most developers already know.

3. IEC 61131-3

Describes IEC 61131-3 standard and basics of programming.
PLC can be programmed in five different languages: structured text (ST), function block diagram (FBD), ladder diagram (LD) instruction lists (IL) and sequential function chart (SFC).
Each of languages is introduced.
Common languages elements are explained also.

LD, SFC and FBD are graphical programming languages.
IL and ST are text-based languages.

Structured text (ST) is similar to Pascal or C.
Function block diagram (FBD) is based on connecting functions and function-blocks.
Ladder diagram (LD) is similar to relay diagrams.
Instruction lists (IL) is similar to assembler-like low-level language.
Sequential function chart (SFC) is good for programming sequential controls and implementing state-based control algorithms.

4. Programming

Describes in details: ladder diagram (LD), function block diagram (FBD), structured text (ST), sequential function chart (SFC).
Instruction lists (IL) is not described in details, because it is not so much used in practice.

5. Implementation

Implement some examples from book in CODESYS 2.3 and 2.5 IDE

Final thoughts

Because I have background in programming/development, was working as professional software developer for 10 years, most useful part for me was: hardware and description of different languages that can be used for programming PLC.

I also understood that there is big difference between programming computer and PLC, even micro-controler and PLC.

After every chapter there are “Test Problems”, what are basically questions or exercises that are testing your knowledge of that chapter.
I liked the this concept and it will be great if more book had it, because it gives quick overview of what is important in chapter.

Learning to Love Data Science, book review

Published on: 01.05.2016

Learning_to_love_Data_Science-Book_Cover

Number of pages: 168
Written by: Mike Barlow
Publish by: O’Reilly Media

Conclusion
This is good book to get high level non-technical overview of what is data science and what one can expect of it in future.

Review
This book is collection of ten reports from author of book from 2013 till 2015.

This is non-technical book, so it will not give concrete code snippets or configuration of technologies for implementing big data solutions.

Practical Electronics, book review

Published on: 10.04.2016

Practical_Electronics-Book_Cover

Number of pages: 560
Written by: John M. Hughes
Publish by: O’Reilly Media

Conclusion
If do not know anything about electronic, but you want to learn the basics, this book is useful.

Review
This is my first book that I have read on topic of electronic.

So I did not had any expectations of book, or had and idea how book will be, or should be, organised.

Book have 17 chapters, glossary and 5 appendix.

Soft Skills: The software developer’s life manual, book review

Published on: 01.03.2016

Soft_Skills-Book_Cover

Number of pages: 504
Written by: John Z. Sonmez
Publish by: Manning

Conclusion
If you are software developer, and you plan just to read one book, that read this book.

Review
This book is really software developer life manual.

It has 7 chapters: career, marketing yourself, learning, productivity, financial, fitness and spirit.

I am using lot of ideas from this book, and they are really working.
For example, his quota system was eye opener for me.

If I had this book 10 years ago, life would be much easier for me.

“The Lean Startup”, book review

Published on: 01.02.2016

The_Software_Paradox-Book_Cover

Number of pages: 296
Written by: Eric Ries
Publish by: Self published

Conclusion
If you are interested for solid/scientific way to test your software business ideas, than read this book.

Review
I have found about this book from a friend.
He recommended it that I should read it.

Book is almost 300 pager so it is not a quick read.

Idea of this book is that you should first test your idea/assumption with some measuring and after that, according from result from measurement, either pivot or persevere.
You have test with measure so that you can always objectively learn something.

This is called Build Measure Learn feedback loop in book:
Build-Measure-Learn-feedback-loop

Pivot mean to change, or abandon original idea, and persevere to continue with it.
But you should first test and measure, before implementing final solution, so that you do not waste time on something that will not be useful in the end.

So far, when I have used this approach in practice it always worked.
At least, you learn something from it 🙂

“The Software Paradox”, book review

Published on: 13.12.2015

The_Software_Paradox-Book_Cover

Number of pages: 62
Written by: Stephen O’Grady
Publish by: O’Reilly Media

Conclusion
This is very interesting book regarding software business, read it.

Review
I read this book because it is very short, around 60 pages. I can read it fast, and if book is not good at least I did not spend much time on it.
But the book is great.

Software paradox means that even as software is more used everywhere and is more strategically important than ever before, but making money from software is getting harder and less profitable.
This is basic idea of book that is explained in first chapter.

Chapter 1 describes what is software paradox.
Chapter 2 present evidence for software paradox and present four generations of software valuation.
Chapter 3 explained what have influenced decline in revenue from software, examining competing with free, available, customer and developer empowerment.
Chapter 4 is describing how few companies are coping with software paradox.
Chapter 5 has some advice on what to do.
Chapter 6 is just final thoughts.

Point of this book is that businesses should shift from making money from software, to making money with software.
Because profits from making money from software are declining and will got to zero (in most case).

“VSAT Networks Second edition”, book review

Published on: 30.11.2015

VSAT_Networks_Second_edition-Book_Cover

Number of pages: 296
Written by: Gerard Maral
Publish by: Wiley

Conclusion
If you do not know anything about VSAT networks, then you will be benefited from reading this book.

Review
This book is around 290 page, with lot of pictures, graphs and math equations. So it is not like 290 pages full of text.

Reason why I have read this book is that from 2015 I started to work as Electrician Officer Entertainment on AIDA cruise ship. There I have responsibility for TV satellite system. Because I like to know science /theory behind things I read this book to have better understanding about subject.

Book have 5 chapters. Introduction, Use of satellites fro VSAT networks, Operational aspects, Networks aspects, Radio frequency link analysis.

Most important thing to know in VSAT network is that average propagation delay for star shaped network is 0.5s and for meshed networks 0.25s.

Book has lot of math, equations and graphs, so it is very good from academic point.
In this book you can lear how to calculate everything in VAST network.