Surveyor Reference Manual, Fourth Edition [Hardcover]

Andrew L. Harbin (Author), George M. Cole PE PLS (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 2006 | ISBN-10: 1591260442 | ISBN-13: 978-1591260448 | Edition: Fourth Edition

The Surveyor Reference Manual is the most comprehensive reference and study guide available for surveyors preparing for the Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam. New chapters on GPS, electronic distance measurement, geographic information systems, economics, job costing, and ethics have been added to this edition to meet the current NCEES survey exam specifications.

The most trusted reference for the FS exam

• A complete introduction to the exam, including the format and content
• A comprehensive review of the math needed to perform surveying functions
• More than 240 solved example problems and 385 solved practice problems
• A full glossary of terms
• An easy-to-use table of sine, cosine, and tangent values

"The Land Surveyor Reference Manual successfully prepared me for the exam and is now the backbone of my reference collection." -J. Forest McKenzie II, E.I.T., L.S.I.T. Civil Designer ADC Engineering, Inc.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

This book is written primarily for land surveyors taking the Fundamentals of Land Surveying (FLS, formerly Land Surveyor-In-Training, or LSIT) exam. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

From The Introduction "How to Use This Book"

This book is intended to serve a dual purpose.

First, as the title suggests, it is intended to serve as a comprehensive manual for practicing land surveyors. If you are a practicing surveyor, you will find it to be an invaluable and frequently used addition to your library. I keep one copy on the bookshelf next to my desk in my office and another copy in my home library. That way, it is always available for easy reference.

Second, because of its comprehensive coverage, it is an ideal resource for people preparing for the Fundamentals of Land Surveying (FLS) examination. (It is also an ideal textbook for instructors teaching review courses for the FLS.) This book may also be used as a study aid for the Principles and Practice of Land Surveying (PLS) exam, but it should be recognized that since it is intended as a comprehensive manual of fundamental principles rather than an in-depth analysis of any particular area of surveying, it may not be suitable as a stand-alone study guide for all portions of the PLS. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 576 pages
• Publisher: Professional Publications, Inc.; Fourth Edition edition (January 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591260442
• ISBN-13: 978-1591260448
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.7 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #913,951 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Do not need it, March 3, 2003

By 

C. Yuen "yuenvictor" (San Mateo, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Land Surveyor Reference Manual (Engineering Review Manual Series) (Hardcover)

The manual was not written by a professional or educator in land surveying. The manual delivers only quite superficial coverage to each category in surveying. Although the author managed to involved many relevant information from coded sources, in-depth discussions and delivery of critical fundamental concepts are unavailable.

The manual may be somewhat useful for civil engineering students with none or minimal surveying knowledge, but too much over-simplified ABCs for students possess certain basis surveying knowledge.

It contents not even adequate materials for LSIT exams.

It still could be a concise guide for Civil Professional Engineering candidates in reviewing surveying topics; however, it will not satisfy any other purposes for LS exams, advanced students, or professionals.

If you are buying references in surveying topics intended for in-depth purpose, try something else.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Less than impressed..., February 14, 2005

By 

S. Walden (Woodstock, GA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Land Surveyor Reference Manual (Hardcover)

Like everybody else, I bought this not because I wanted it, but because it was the class text and thus, required. In that sense, it did its job (and the instructor's) in that it conveyed the information needed to pass the exams.

The downside:
--Numerous typo's, especially in the practice problems, leaving you to wonder why your answer doesn't jibe with the book's. Frustrating.

--SEVERAL leaps in logic: The book will (loosely) explain a concept. Then it will give an equation with no explanation as to how it was derived from the original concept. Sure, you can just memorize the equation, but without understanding WHY it works, it's awful hard to apply it to the real world. VERY frustrating.

--Many concepts are glossed over. Not too useful to those making a career of this.

I suppose this book is somewhat useful for a refresher course in geometry and basic surveying math, but it's no value.

Get it only if you have to. And get it used.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Useful, but with drawbacks, May 28, 2007

By 

hummerfriend "hummerfriend" (Sacramento, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Surveyor Reference Manual, Fourth Edition (Hardcover)

I am married to a licensed land surveyor, and have been in surveying for five years. I purchased this book to prepare to take the LSIT exam. It is a useful review of the pertinent math and does touch on a pretty comprehensive scope of topics, but still leaves a lot to be desired. This is a new edition and is FRAUGHT with errata. I have to update from their errata website frequently. It would be bad enough if I was familiar with the concepts in the book, but as I am trying to learn new concepts for the exam it is very demoralizing to be working through a problem which has errors in it and I can't figure out why I can't make my answer match what they have. I've done the problem correctly, but they've got a bogus solution and without a solid understanding of the concept at hand, there's no way for me to know who's right and if I've got the concept or not.

Also bear in mind this is a textbook. And trying to learn from a textbook is virtually impossible without a teacher. My husband is my tutor and I am learning using this book and his knowledge together--you are not going to learn surveying concepts out of this book by yourself...it's just too superficial. They breeze through a concept, give an example and move on...there's no explanation or in-depth analysis of what you've just touched on. It is a fine tool for exam prep, but you better already know the concepts, or have a tutor available.

The biggest disappointment is all the errata. If they had done a better job of editing before it went to press it would be a far better and more useful book....unfortunately there aren't many to choose from, so you're kind of stuck with it for LSIT prep work.