Customer Reviews

Simulation Model Design and Execution: Building Digital Worlds

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This book's breadth of coverage is above average. It addresses nearly all of the basic simulation model designs in enough detail to allow the reader to come away with a good understanding of each of them. It does not focus on simulation and modeling in specific contexts, but rather on the general ideas behind and processes of modeling. On those occasions where more detail would aid in the illustration of concepts, that detail is provided. Lastly, the book addresses subjects such as conceptual modeling and multimodeling that are not usually covered in many other texts - concepts which are only now, some years after the publishing of the book, coming to the forefront of simulation and modeling research. Overall, use of the book should allow the reader to develop a creative, yet disciplined approach to simulation and modeling in its most abstract senses. A few words about another (anonymous, Lake Worth) review: I felt that "Ad Hominem" attacks and gross characterizations did not do the book the justice it deserves. Plus, the author of the review didn't take credit for it - what does that tell you?

This text is well written and easy to follow. The concepts are explained clearly and thoroughly. The text is supported well with excellent diagrams and illustrations that help convey the concepts. The exercises at the end of chapters are challenging, thought provoking, and enhance the learning experience.

The organization of the material is excellent. The text provides complete coverage of the subject. The bridging of the theoretical concepts to the application of these concepts to real world problems is excellent. The beginning chapters provide the background knowledge and a solid foundation of the subject to build on. The following chapters cover different simulation model designs. By exploring different ways to think and reason about any system, you will gain an appreciation for alternative approaches for a model design and their ramifications. After completing the text, you will understand simulation methodology as well as how to apply it to solve real world problems.

Dr. Fishwick's use of an interdisciplinary approach in explaining concepts with examples provides an open environment for creativity and imagination for applying the knowledge gained. He teaches an object oriented approach which provides a method of looking at any real world system at any level of abstraction for design of a meaningful model. In my opinion, this approach in teaching the subject of simulation is very effective in understanding the material as well as learning how to use theory in a practical and useful way to solve real world problems. He is extremely knowledgeable in all areas of simulation and modeling and has excellent ideas on further advancement of the field. His ideas are sound and well thought out. Myself having a background in industry and now pursuing further education, I am of the opinion that Dr. Fishwick is an expert is the academia arena as well as in the industry arena.

The subject is presented in an interesting way that creates a motivating and enthusiastic pursuit of the field of simulation and modeling. This is one of the best textbooks I have ever used. I recommend this text highly.

I'm just completing an undergraduate course using this book and I've found it to be totally useless. The examples are bad or do not completely illustrate the concept he is trying to show. There are many errors in the book, especially in translating a physical system into a simulation model. The model just doesn't fit the actual system and will be misleading if you actually try to apply it.
I generally keep my textbooks but I've given serious consideration to selling this one back to the bookstore. The only thing that stops me is that I don't want to be responsible for some poor sap who buys this thinking they have gotten a good deal. If I had a fireplace, the book would have more value as fuel.
Don't buy this book!

I used this textbook as a student in a graduate level course. It starts out at an easy pace and then goes deep. At times, I was not sure where I was. There is a software package that is mentioned in the book. It is not included. One must purchase it. Most of my classmates had trouble making the software work on the classroom Windows NT computers. The biggest thing that sticks in my mind is that the book was not well made. Nearly every copy in the classroom experienced problems with the book coming apart.

Well, it seems clearly evident that here is another example of a academician writing a Book for the sole purpose of inflating his carreer but the Book in its own right is not worth the paper it was written on and entirely useless. The Book is poorly written and choppy. One has difficulty following the author's trend of thought,( it is doubtful the author has established one). More importantly , however, the Book oversimplifies the theoretical aspects of simulation and presents a completely wastful and inadequate treatment of the subject matter. This book is for people who enjoy drawing pictures and nothing more. Thats all you will be doing. The book fails to treat simulation concepts fully and those concepts that are dealt with are oversimplified and misrepresented. It seems clear tht the author's intent is not to teach simulation, but, rather to give the reader the false impression that somehow thats what the subject matter deals with. To prove my point, refer to 'Simulating Modeling and Analysis' by Law and Kelton and find out how inadequate Fishwick's Book really is.

iam a graduate student who used this book in my simulation course. i didn't have a solid background in this subject and i found it very difficult to understand the concepts in the book. i needed a lot of help from my prof. not for beginners is my opinion

[...] The previous review in its own right appears to be asimulation model of the ideal Book that doesn't exist. However, Paul Fishwick's Book is quite inadequate and subpar. Firstly, the Book is outdated, being published in 1995 and excluding many of the recent findings in the field. Secondly, the Book does not teach Simulation Theory. The author either assumes the student already knows simulation or simply wishes to deceive the student into believing thats somehow whats being taught. Fishwick's Book is quite inadequate, outdated, and far from being considered an adequate text on simulation. Fishwick's Book details only one aspect of simulation which is the graphical representation of modeling which is largely regarded a quite insignificant and minor feature of simulation theory.