Book Review: LED Lighting: A Primer to Lighting the Future by Sal Cangeloso

LED Lighting: A Primer to Lighting the Future by Sal Cangeloso is a very good primer to the world of LED lighting.

It begins with a chapter on key feature of LED lights in an attempt to win you over.

The book is structured very well but has too few illustrations for my taste. The information it carries is very thorough but may turn off non techies.

Although I am an electronics engineer and am very interested in green technologies, I felt that the primer was not very successful in keeping me interested. Perhaps this is what primers are for and my expectations were misplaced.

Recommended for those seeking a thorough but short reference about LED lighting. Not recommended for non-techies.

About the author:
Sal Cangeloso is a life-long technology enthusiast who founded computer hardware site XYZcomputing.com in 2003. In 2007, he started working for Geek.com. He now runs Geek.com and ExtremeTech.com. Sal is an inquisitive guy who loves computers, cameras, and pretty much anything electronic. via Amazon.com

[Disclaimer: I got this book for free as part of the Oreilly blogger review program I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."] 

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Book Review: Product Design and Development by Karl Ulrich and Steven Eppinger

Product Design and Development by Karl Ulrich and Steven Eppinger is one of the most handy product development references I have ever encountered.

The book covers all of the basic steps in the product development process and offers a less-detailed but essential information for those leading product design and/or development teams.

The book is wonderfully illustrated and provides enough detail for understanding the various cross-functional roles and processes involved in designing and developing product.

Recommended for those involved in product development team as well as students of design and engineering.

About the authors:

Karl T. Ulrich is the Vice Dean of Innovation and the CIBC Professor of Entrepreneurship and e-Commerce at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds an appointment as Professor of Mechanical Engineering. His research is focused on innovation, entrepreneurship, and product development. He is the winner of many teaching awards, including the Anvil Award, the Miller-Sherrerd Award, and the Excellence in Teaching Award at The Wharton School. At Penn, he co-founded the Weiss Tech House and the Integrated Product Design Program, two institutions fostering innovation in the university community. In addition to his academic work, Professor Ulrich has led dozens of innovation efforts for medical devices, tools, computer peripherals, food products, web-based services, and sporting goods. As a result of this work, he holds more than 20 patents. Professor Ulrich is a founder of Terrapass Inc. and Xootr LLC and he currently serves on the boards of several technology-based companies. Professor Ulrich holds bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from MIT.

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Book Review: Blockbusters: The Five Keys to Developing GREAT New Products by Gary S. Lynn and Richard R. Reilly

In Blockbusters: The Five Keys to Developing GREAT New Products, authors Gary S. Lynn and Richard R. Reilly presents the five keys they have found to be common among  companies. The findings are based on a ten-year study of 700+ product launches.

The book uses very famous examples of products and how they evolved from being good to great products. The book is filled with very nice illustrations and very compelling examples of each of the five keys as they are being applied in product development.

What I liked most about the book is that it strikes a balance between being practical and academic in presenting their findings.

Recommended for those involved in innovation and new product development teams.

About the author:
Gary Lynn, Ph.D., is one of the leading scholars on new product development. Formerly a design engineer with high-security clearance at General Electric, he founded the Innovation Research Institute, a company that designed and launched new products in the medical field.

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