Maintenance

This is an excellent book for newcomers and experienced motorcyclists alike. It is very dated now but it explains in detail the mechanical components of a motorbike and has a VERY helpful flow chart for when things go wrong. I regularly re read this book as a reference when working with motorcycles. It will last a lifetime. It covers everything you need to know from what to wear for different seasons to how to ride in very bad weather. If you ride a real bike or would like to do so this is a must read!

This is an excellent book for anyone who owns or operates a car. Mr. Freemon's writing style is clear, organized and easy to understand. He concisely explains the components and workings of each automobile system from starting to the steering. He also provides valuable checklists regarding maintenance, an extensive troubleshooting guide, and a glossary of terms. Illustrations supplement the text well. All in all, he provides the novice with a strong working knowledge of car basics and the confidence to deal with and understand automechanics (i.e. speak their language!)

Yankee transplants to the Sunshine state as well as present state residents moving from Tallahassee to West Palm Beach or from Jacksonville to Sarasota can learn much about the unique problems inherent in establishing and maintaining shrubs on a Florda homesite. In addition to reviewing the basics of shrub planning, authors Gilman and Black provide a complete guide to what plantings will work best throughout the state, which they divide into six different hardiness zones. They also point out which plantings work best or worst in sandy or wet soil or in areas exposed to salt. Helpful hints are offered on when and how to plant, when to water and when and how to trim. In addition to the clear, concise copy, the book supplies beautiful color photographs of 172 different shrub varieties. Know what your landscape service is recommending!

No Florida homeowner -- present or prospective -- should be without this book.

For the amature gardener this book is a must! Common sense advice, informative "top ten" lists, and a humorous tone. The author has a warm personal way of writing, so it almost reads like a novel, but gives garden basics as well. The chapter called "Keeping it Going" was most helpful to me, a gardener of some experience. This book focuses on low-maintenance gardening.

A very clear and helpful book. Explains what the piano technician does -- tuning, regulation, voicing, rebuilding -- so that you understand the difference these things make to the performance of your piano. With this knowledge, you can discuss the technician's work with him to make sure you get a good job done and your piano sounds and plays the way you want it to. Helps you both to appreciate the work of a good technician and to be aware when the work is not so good.

Upgrading and repairing PC's Eleventh edition By Scott Mueller

Scott Mueller's Upgrading and repairing PC's the eleventh edition is a very usefully book to have in your library. It covers all aspects of computers from the different types of computers and operating systems to floppy drives and disk storage to local networking and the Internet. The author refers to the technical meaning of things, then compares what was said to terms that are more easily understood by your average home computer user, and then re-asserts the point that was trying to be made using the technical terms and the analogy. For certain task that are trying to be accomplished there are some good drawings accompanied by actual photographs for a more real world feel to help you visualize the components. Often there is an explanation of what is needed as hardware and software components. How to check if your computer is already set up with certain configurations, and how to go about changing anything to meet these requirements. This review of the book is not just merely experienced through the effort of reading. I used chapter 13 to aid in the installation of a CD-ROM device. The chapter was on optical storage and I used and older computer from work that did not have a CD-ROM installed on it. The beginning of the chapter gave a brief history and other facts that I did not find interesting, others might enjoy having such knowledge. After getting through the fluff of the chapter there was a lot of explaining and re-explaining followed by diagrams and pictures. The choice of words used to describe this technique was chosen well. The point was not lost in making you feel like in idiot, but allowed you to walk away from the experience some technical jargon. The chapter on local area networks was also written very well. Chapter 19 had diagrams of the OSI model along with an explanation of each layer and how it related to the other. It talked about cables, hubs, and topologies. The topics being discussed was more easily critiqued because of way I was taught these subjects. I really felt the author did an excellent job with the way that he was able to explain what was needed in order to complete a given the task. Through the use of diagrams, photographs, and a complete explanation of what to expect and how to perform the given task, one was able to be successful.

Many people within the industry have long considered Scott Mueller's Upgrading and Repairing PC's the quintessential hardware guide; I whole heatedly agree. There is not a week that goes by that I don't pull this book off the shelf to look up something. Mueller updates his book yearly to reflect the changes within the industry. Perhaps the thing I love the most about Upgrading and Repairing PC's is that it is a combination tutorial and reference guide. The well-organized chapters and subheadings make it easy to find the info you want and need. Within a chapter, you can merely peruse through it, or study the sections you need to read for the objective at hand, whether that is a: 1) general overview of a topic, 2) specific hardware installation or troubleshooting solutions, or 3) the nitty-gritty details of the subject. (Also, the index is outstanding so you can find what you need.)

This is a very long book. The reason is that while Mueller updates the book every year with new information reflecting the latest technology and standards, he does not remove the old material, making the book a priceless tool when dealing with legacy systems. Conversely though, this information may appear to be - as one reviewer wrote - "just filler" at other times. Additionally, there are a plethora of reference pages - tables of pin configurations for various interconnects for example -- that one would not "read" when reading through the book, but are invaluable when troubleshooting or installing hardware. Because this book is an ever-growing entity, there are, unfortunately, a few typos and "broken links" (i.e. inaccurate cross-references). I have, however, never found any blatant technical inaccuracies that one reviewer alludes to.

Mueller has a great writing style. It is easily understood without treating the reader as a "dummy" or "idiot". "Upgrading and Repairing PC's" attempts to do a lot. It tries to be both a tutorial and a reference. A very difficult combination to pull off; Mueller however does so wonderfully. It attempts to cover a lot of material; and it does so very well.

This book is well worth the money. I have been a faithful reader of this book since the 8th edition, having purchased every edition since. As you read the other reviews for this book, you will see that many people have done the same. (Also, see the 45+ reviews written on the 11th Edition) Repeat buying is the biggest compliment and review any single book can hope to have. When so many people are willing to spend their money every year to have the latest edition, not much else needs to be said about the quality and superiority of this book.

Oh, I almost forgot... there are some wonderful & useful utilities on the enclosed CD.

If it isn't in this book, you don't need to know it. Current, well organized and specific.

Mrs. Mendelson does a thorough and engaging job of outlining the general principles and specific methods of keeping a house. More than just hints and tips for cleaning, the book also includes information on everyday legal matters, how to optimize the lighting in a room, and suggestions for ways in which to spend time in the home you create. The advice is thorough and specific -- she presents a picture of a well-kept home, and then gives you all the information you need to deal with the specific tasks that need to be done and problems that need to be solved in the process.

Rather than taking the attitude that the work of keeping a home is unavoidable drudgery to be got over as quickly as possible, the author encourages both full-time housekeepers and people with demanding outside employment to view the work of keeping house as rewarding work that improves life for oneself and one's family. It truly inspired me to make my home a place of comfort and order, so that it can be inviting and pleasant for all who enter it. Those of us who have spent years stepping over things and only cleaning up enough in order to survive the next week can benefit from Cheryl Mendelson's high standards and gentle encouragement, and aspire to make home a place where order is enjoyed, rather than where mess is constantly being battled.

"Home Comforts" is enjoyable reading and very well-organized. You'll want to sit down and read large sections of it through the first time to get a glimpse of good housekeeping as a lifestyle choice, and then you'll refer to its specific explanations again and again.

I have dog eared my copy to bits. I can now calculate watts and amps, tell you what fabric is ironed on what temperature, and what detergent or soap combination gets out what stain. As a librarian, I always want the full details as well as the guidance, and this book provides it.

If you simply want to understand what temperature to wash your clothes at, this book will tell you that with minimal effort on your part. The chapters and index are organized well. If you'd like to understand why the clothes are washed at that temperature, you can read on.

This book is good for the beginning home keeper, whether a bride or a college student with their first apartment. The experienced home keeper will enjoy the more technical discussions of microbes and pressing and disinfecting.

My sister bought this book for me a few years ago as a Christmas gift, and errantly enough I often made the mistake of simply checking the index and thumbing to the appropriate pages when needed. This week, in a fit of un-hominess related to flat-mate changes, 30-something grad school home-neglect, etc., I went to my bookshelves looking for some solace. For the first time -- I looked at the table of contents and there I found the secrets I had been looking for all along: Chapter 1 - My Secret Life. I started reading the book from the preface onward immediately.

Though I am a child of the early 70's, I was raised by parents born in the 30's, subjected to post-war/50's cleaning rigors through the week and every weekend. At heart, like my own grandmother, I am a putterer - 100% contrary to my callisthenic style chore-upbringing.

For years, I have secretly reveled while doing all of my housework as close to bedtime as possible, sometimes hours after all "normal" people were long in bed. The truth is I honestly like doing housework -- I simply do not like doing it first thing out of bed, nor according to any clock. I love going to sleep knowing that there are far better reasons to wake up in the morning than some mess left over from today. To finally find a book written by someone who genuinely loves to keep house, this was a sleeping joy sitting on my bookshelf I am sorry I never started reading cover-to-cover long ago. Though I am sure I will probably find a point within a few chapters where I decide that it will be relegated to more of a reference, I now know that when I have a little free time here or there, want to steal myself away to relax with a cup of tea between loads of laundry -- I have just the tome to which to turn to learn more and more about how make house into "home".

Cheryl Mendelson brings her secret love of housework into her writing brilliantly and sometimes humorously. After years of looking at housekeeping as a chore while I tried to keep up with the clockwork callisthenic style of my childhood and feeling guilty for wanting to relax my way through making my home just that, I finally found an author who approaches her subject as something to revel in rather than revile -- an author who validates the secret wisdom of my own grandmother as absolutely nothing to feel guilty about. At first realization that Mendelson left "JD" off the cover, an eyebrow went up as to how many pages would pass before the respect and humor turned into a dry-as-heck legal brief, as enthusiastic as a math professor reciting his grocery list, but it doesn't really happen.

Anyone can pick up a little 100-page quickie on how to make chores more efficient or effective, written by people who hate to "waste time" tending to household needs. While Mendelson does indeed write about many things effects the same ends, her style exudes respect and truly communicates that one does these things to convert the house into a well balanced, efficiently run, harmonious home. A place to "come home" to, rather than a demanding place that simply adds to the worries of the outside world. Save your pennies and ignore those little "hints" books -- this one single volume is worth its weight in gold.

This is my third A+ book and it's the best by far. Most thorough, best written, best edited. Speaks with the authority of someone who's been doing computer support since the early days of PCs. The index could be more thorough, but it still makes other books look like dirt.

That said, you'll still need to do more reading. Based on practice tests from MeasureUp (included with a DVD training mistake - see below), I still have more to learn.

As another reviewer mentioned, don't expect that one book will automatically get you that certification. Unless you've been doing PC support for awhile, and not just Windows 2000 or Windows 9x but DOS as well, you are not going to breeze through the tests. Meyers starts out with a questionnaire about your technical experience then gives you an estimate of how long you are going to have to study. A real eye-opener.

One other bit of advice, don't go for those DVD based training courses. I did and it would be laughable if I hadn't wasted $350 on it. If you do talk to them, see if they'll give you a satisfaction guarantee - they won't, which should tell you something.

I recommend this book to anyone who hates reading and has a little to some experience with PC's. This was the first 1200 page book I ever read and I literally read it from cover to cover. The author is very conversational in his writing making the reader feel like they have been in lecture after each chapter. Also, the organization of the book is really effective. Micheal Meyers breaks all chapters into 3 sections: (1) Historical Conceptual - which puts into context how the computers evolved into what they are today, (2) A+ test specific - which dives into the objectives of the test, and (3) Beyond A+ - which isn't anything on the test, but interesting to read. This format makes the flow of the book very manageable and easy to understand. Also the software included is a very good practice test. The look and feel of the software is similar to the CompTIA test.

After 4 weeks of studying the book and doing practice tests, I passed both test. I took the tests separatly, but probably could've passed both on the same day. Personally, I've been doing Tier 1 Helpdesk support for 15 months, which may have helped a lot. This book contains a lot of what you need, but I would also recommend studying some exams from www....com. They have many practice tests that have questions similar to those on the test.

Good Luck and Thank You Micheal Meyer!

Fairleigh Dickinson University | PC Service & Support/A+ Certification YOU WILL NEED THIS BOOK

ON THE UP-SIDE: This book goes in depth about the core components of a PC. It assumes that you have little knowledge about a PC which is good for beginners. It is very thorough and has easy to follow illustrations.

ON THE DOWN-SIDE: The DOS/WIN portion of the book isn't as useful for test taking purposes. If anything, the book goes too deep for modern DOS usage. And the test is more about Windows 95 than DOS or WIN 3.X

Overall it is a good learning tool but to pass both parts of the A+ you might consider an additional study guide.....especially for the DOS/WIN portion. I don't think I would have passed the DOS/WIN test if I had only read this book.

Michael Meyers covers it all in this aptly titled "All In One" guide. Humor is nicely sprinkled throughout the book; however, the copy I purchased (not on this site, in late July 1998) was infested with more than its share of typographic errors. My copy of the accompanying CD-ROM contained test questions which nearly (almost word-for-word) matched several of those I encountered on the Core and DOS/Win exams (I passed both on my first try!). It's a must-buy, but don't rely on it solely ... scan the Web sites for other test questions to get you 100-percent prepared.

This is for people who want to understand and use the test material for the actual job. If you just want to memorize for the test I found the Dummies guide short and quicker to the point. I used this book when I wanted to understand what was really going on. I read 3 different books before the Test because I thought it would be harder than it was. Mike's is the only one I still use to refresh how stuff really works. The Network+ Guide sequel is also excellent.

I think this is an excellent book for anyone wanting to learn computer hardware but I would recommend supplementing your studying with other material for the actual exam. Study guides and free practice tests available on the Internet will help you focus on what is actually on the exam. Meyers' book goes into much more detail than what is needed for the A+ exams, making review a daunting task if you depend only on this book. The author seems to care more about teaching you something than preparing you for the exam (that is commendable but this is supposed to be geared for the test). To sum up, this is a very well-written book and I learned a great deal from reading it, but it is just way too much too review with. I passed both tests on the first try with good scores but I don't think I would have if I had depended solely on this book. So read this book but use study guides and practice tests for review. By the way, according to the CompTIA site the Dos/Windows exam is changing this spring or summer. They are dropping the Win 3.x info and adding NT, Win98 and Linux. None of which is covered by this book so keep that mind if you don't plan on taking your test before June. Good luck.

This book is really all you need to pass the A+ Exam. It isparticularly strong in the Core Service Technician area, but a littlebit weak on the DOS/Windows protion of the exam. There is way, way more here than is needed to pass the A+ Exams, but it makes an excellent guide for troubleshooting even after the exams have been passed. All the same, you may want to wait until the tests are upgraded before testing; Windows 3.x and Windows95 are still included on the test, which is rather silly now that we have Windows98, Windows NT, and Windows2000 out. The book is so large that review is difficult, and the questions provided at the end of each chapter are nothing whatsoever like the ones on the exam, so you may need to invest in some testing software as well. The CD asks you to pay more money before you get full access to it, which is kind of a dirty trick. All the same, this book can't be beat for the sheer amount of information and detail that is in it. Caveat: it may not be best to start out with this book -- it is really not for beginners are those with no experience under the hood of a PC. A more basic book may be in order before feeling comfortable with identifying the varying types of expansion slots and so on. But on the whole a great book.

CompTIA is updating the test the end of November. So in one month this book becomes obsolete. Keep an eye out for the updated edition that should be published shortly.

All of that aside this is a great book. Beginning with historical back ground then bringing the reader "up to date" helps make these ideas stick. After each chapter there are sample questions that insure you are truly getting it.

Add to that the bonus CD with practice tests and useful utilities that you, as an official CompTIA certified technician, might actually use in the field and you got a no brainer.

Five stars!