The Data Handbook: A Guide to Understanding the Organization and Visualization of Technical Data (TELOS - The Electronic Library of Science) [Hardcover]

Brand Fortner (Author), E. Pervukhin (Illustrator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0387945059 | ISBN-13: 978-0387945057 | Publication Date: April 21, 1995 | Edition: 2nd ed.

The Data Handbook was originally published in 1992 by Spyglass, Inc., a Savoy, Illinois-based visualization software publishing company who markets their products primarily to scientists and engineers. This "Handbook" was authored by Brand Fortner, one of the founders of Spyglass, and it was his experience in working with large amounts of numerical data that provided the underpinnings for this work. The second edition contains updated and corrected materials, and includes 100 pages of new material in Part IV on Data Formats. Numerous journal reviews of the first edition have pointed out the value of the book.
A structured array of data sets will be available online via the TELOS Web site, www.telospub.com, which will provide users with direct digital access to information they might need in working through the book.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"If your experiments generate a large amount of data and you want to know what scientific data formats are available to assist in the storage and visualisation of the data, then this book is for you." Australian & New Zealand Physicist
"The books real strength lies in the breadth and detail of the material covered and the simple explanations provided." - Endeavour

Product Details

• Hardcover: 350 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 2nd ed. edition (April 21, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0387945059
• ISBN-13: 978-0387945057
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,116,964 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All the details fit to print regarding computer data formats, April 28, 2000

By 

Herbert M. Bryant Jr. (Tampa, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Data Handbook: A Guide to Understanding the Organization and Visualization of Technical Data (TELOS - The Electronic Library of Science) (Hardcover)

I bought The Data Handbook when first published, and later, this 2nd (1995) edition also. It's clearly organized, with multiple b&w illustrations per page. I know no other book overviewing, with useful details, so many file formats for scientific data (e.g., CDF, netCDF, and HDF). But more than this, it explains to aspiring computer programmers the most common structures describing scientific measurements.

It's a pleasure thumbing through the pages, dipping into sections when attracted by the crisply rendered illustrations. Although not using the term in a pejorative sense, this is almost as much a "coffee table" book as a computer reference manual. Readers with well developed interests in technical matters concerning computers & science will appreciate Mr. Fortner's efforts.