The Wiley Dictionary of Civil Engineering and Construction (Wiley Professional)

Rating:
Summary: Must have for student or beginning engineer
Review: I have only had the book for a few weeks, and have found myself referencing it often. I believe that, as an engineer, you will be seeing and hearing new things throughout your career, and reference manuals are excellent tools, and this is a must have for any beginning engineer/construction manager, and/or student.

Rating:
Summary: Must have for student or beginning engineer
Review: I have only had the book for a few weeks, and have found myself referencing it often. I believe that, as an engineer, you will be seeing and hearing new things throughout your career, and reference manuals are excellent tools, and this is a must have for any beginning engineer/construction manager, and/or student.

Rating:
Summary: Not bad, but could be better.
Review: I would have to say that the Canadian gentleman who blasted this book is a bit harsh. The buyer should take note that this book is a DICTIONARY, not an encyclopedia. The definitions are of the quality you would expect from Wiley, they are concise yet informative enough to get the general meaning of what the term being defined is. My biggest gripe is that I bought this book to take the Civil PE exam, and each time I opened it during the exam, the term I was looking for was not listed in the book, rendering it useless. I was disappointed with the book because of this, and would have to say it is not comprehensive enough if you're using it for the PE exam. (I'd have to say that more "technical" terms are not included, only general concepts in design and construction.) Bottom line: a good supplement to an engineering library for information outside of your field of practice, but not a definitive, comprehensive text.

Rating:
Summary: Not Worth the Money!
Review: It came as a great disappointment to leaf through this particular book and discover its content was less than adequate for the price. The definitions were incomplete and lacked any technical elaboration. Mr. Webster conveniently explains this in the preface as "purposely brief". There's even a word misspelled; Enathalpy. It's "enthalpy", sir! I had genuinely believed that I was purchasing a superior work since it was published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Instead, I receive in the mail this amateur attempt that is definitely NOT worth the price I paid. I get greater detail and clarity from my old 1980 copy of the Penguin Dictionary of Civil Engineering by John S. Scott, and I paid only seven dollars for it! This experience forces me to reconsider purchasing publications from John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Clearly, they'll let any ol' thing through.