Comments for Engineering Anonymous

Comment on Brooklyn Bridge by J. Cumming

J. Cumming — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 17:48:59 +0000

Review by J. Cumming for Andrew Carnegie: Prince of Steel and Libraries Rating: Do not be fooled. This is not a book. It is no more than a two or three page condensation of the material you can get more extensively from Wikipedia.

I can't believe that I fell for this deception and paid for what I thought would be a full scale biography. Let my folly be your wisdom. This is not worth 99 cents.

Comment on Brooklyn Bridge by Neil Kottler

Neil Kottler — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 16:58:36 +0000

Review by Neil Kottler for Andrew Carnegie: Prince of Steel and Libraries Rating: I like concise, well-researched biographies of any length. This biographical profile is well-written, a complete sketch of Carnegie's life with all of its salient points. I've read "Meet You in Hell" and "Andrew Carnegie" by Nasaw, all wonderful reads, and all priced accordingly. If you want a complete view of Carnegie's life and an insight into his qualities and characteristics, this biographical sketch--no, not a book--is a great read.

Comment on Brooklyn Bridge by A. Battles

A. Battles — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 16:14:16 +0000

Review by A. Battles for Brooklyn Bridge Rating: For anyone who read David McCullough's excellent book, The Great Bridge, this film will be a disappointment. Obviously, there is only so much one can fit into an hour segment, but Burns could have done with more history and less noodling commentary from people on "what the bridge means to me." Unlike his excellent "The Civil War," "The Brooklyn Bridge" does not let the pictures and events speak for themselves.

Comment on Brooklyn Bridge by Adams Family

Adams Family — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 15:51:42 +0000

Review by Adams Family for Brooklyn Bridge Rating: I watched this a few weeks before a trip to NY and couln't wait to go after watching. It goes over all the interesting details about it being built. Nice documentary.

Comment on Brooklyn Bridge by Rocco Dormarunno

Rocco Dormarunno — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 15:43:44 +0000

Review by Rocco Dormarunno for Brooklyn Bridge Rating: While Ken Burns was getting his feet wet in the documentary film industry, he created this hour-long tidbit on the BROOKLYN BRIDGE. Relying on David McCullough's wonderful book, "THE GREAT BRIDGE" (see my review), Burns deftly takes the viewer down the long arduous road the builders and engineers had to take--over fourteen years--to get the bridge off the drawing board and into the East River.

The names of the protagonists and antagonist who either supported or stole from the coffers of the Brooklyn Bridge are familiar: John Roebling, Washington and Emily Roebling, Henry Cruse Murphy, William Kingsley, Boss Tweed, etc. And it's the story of these men and women--and their respective intrigues--that keep the film moving, as do the photographs of the various stages in the bridge's rise. Burns does a great job in keeping a liveliness to this aspect of the story. Then, in typical late 70s/early 80s fashion, the director turns his camera to the people of his time to get their impressions of the bridge. A common, though somewhat effective, technique to move from the historical elements of the subject, and show its relevance to "today's" world. It is an annoying and dated technique but it didn't bother me as much as it did some other reviewers. This is still a solid documentary--as solid as the bridge itself.

Rocco Dormarunno
Author of The Five Points

Comment on Brooklyn Bridge by Alex G. Simon

Alex G. Simon — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 15:23:43 +0000

Review by Alex G. Simon for Brooklyn Bridge Rating: this review is based on my recollection of the original PBS broadcast, which I remember as being in 1983; the 100th anniversary of the opening of the bridge. if this is slightly inaccurate, so be the rest of the review.

as a mid-westerner with no experience in new york, I found the Burn's interpretation of events compelling. i was studying for my engineering degree at the time and had worked in civil projects up to that point. i was stunned to learn that the plans were mostly pictures and contained little written language. i saw for the first time how the suspension structure was actually achieved. and i understood for the first time what a marvel the erection of the bridge represented in its time. i continue to marvel, today, at the functionality of the structure. I have not seen the documentary except for the one time. i do remember the section of interviews with the bridge's contemporary cohabitants. i thought that was as important and revealing as the function of the bridge today. the film has left such an impression on me that I intend to buy a copy and share it with anyone showing the fainest interest.

Comment on Brooklyn Bridge by Joseph T. Reeves

Joseph T. Reeves — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 15:20:12 +0000

Review by Joseph T. Reeves for Brooklyn Bridge Rating: Although parts of "Brooklyn Bridge" hint at the excellent work Ken Burns would demonstrate in later works, this particular film falters in its last twenty minutes. The Brooklyn Bridge is many stories, but it's mainly the tale of how perseverance can make an almost impossible vision take form. The Bridge took many years and several million dollars to build. It faced political and social opposition. It weathered scandals and corruption. And when it was over, it stood as a monument to mechanical brilliance and soulful aspirations. Burns only spends forty minutes on the story of theBridge's construction. He spends the last twenty minutes focusing on what the Bridge means to various scholars, poets and citizens, and this is where the film lags. Admittedly, the Bridge is important as a cultural icon, not just for New York, but for America. However, if Burns was going to devote this much time to testimonials, then the film should have been at least ninety minutes, or better yet, two hours. When the film concentrates on the Bridge's construction it shines. Burn has carefully selected photos, drawings, contemporary newspaper accounts and personal journals of key participants in the Bridge's construction to vibrantly tell this story. He just should have spent more time on his subject. The pace of this documentary is so hurried and awkward, you can tell where Burns is skipping key parts of the history to get to the testimonials. Now that Burns is an accomplished film maker, I wish he would go back to this subject and try it again. There's still more to tell.

Comment on Improving Your Soil: Storey’s Country Wisdom Bulletin A-202 (Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin, a-202) by April Bayne

April Bayne — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 10:01:01 +0000

Review by April Bayne for Improving Your Soil: Storey's Country Wisdom Bulletin A-202 (Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin, a-202) Rating: I use the Storey series to help customers in my landscape design business.They are a concise and an inexpensive way to support my customers with landscape maintenance questions.

Comment on First Across the Rhine: The 291st Engineer Combat Battalion in France, Belgium, and Germany by Marion J. Chard

Marion J. Chard — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 01:33:13 +0000

Review by Marion J. Chard for First Across the Rhine: The 291st Engineer Combat Battalion in France, Belgium, and Germany Rating: I've had the pleasure to read this book, and to talk with the author. After all these years he is still sharp as a tack and willing to talk about his experiences. The book gives a great first hand look at the important role combat engineers played in WWII.

Comment on First Across the Rhine: The 291st Engineer Combat Battalion in France, Belgium, and Germany by Douglas Dobson

Douglas Dobson — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 00:46:47 +0000

Review by Douglas Dobson for First Across the Rhine: The 291st Engineer Combat Battalion in France, Belgium, and Germany Rating: I own this book in hardback format. I holds a special place in my world as my father-in-law (Rest in Peace, Mike) served as a common grunt in the 291st, fought the Battle of the Bulge, crossed the River Rhine and returned home to live a quiet, unassuming life. He didn't often talk about the war and after reading this book I can only begin to understand the horrors he witnessed.

I decided to update my col-lection, replacing those books I read often with Kin-dle versions. Like several other book-s I've purchased, this one suffers from the inex-plicable appearance of hypens in the mid-dle of words. At first I though it was due to some direct trans-lation from type print, but the pattern doesn't fit since sometimes the wo-rd hyphenated is on-ly three or four letters in length or the hyphen appears after the f-irst or last lette-r.

It's r-eally quite an-noying as it dis-tracts the rea-der. If it was just one or two instances it might be excusable, but in the case of this book it appears at least once per page and sometimes four or even five times.

This is just sloppy quality control, something that really detracts from the Kindle experience. Amazon would do well to have better proofing.