OK, so I’m bi-polar–a member of both ISA and SME.

Readers earn more

From an email I just received from SME, “Here’s an astounding fact — people who read business books make more money — a lot more! (Even in tough economic times.) According to a number of recent studies, business people who read at least seven business books a year earn over 2.3 times more than those who read only one book per year.”

One reason, according to SME, is they have a constant flow of new ideas and strategies they can use to help their careers, their teams and their companies.

After that great start, the message goes on to say that no one has time to read, so SME teamed with a company to offer summaries. Much as I like SME, somehow that sounds like trying to pass your literature course reading Cliff Notes (or whatever they use these days).

How about book plus web

How about using the best of the written word along with the best of the Web? The book “Advanced Control Foundation – Tools, Techniques, and Applications” co-authored by Willy Wojsznis, Mark Nixon and Terry Blevins will be introduced for sale at ISA Automation week Sept 25th and will be on display and available for purchase in the ISA booth at Emerson Exchange 2012. This is the second book is a series of “Foundation” books we have written. The first book in the series “Control Loops Foundation” co-authored by Nixon and Blevins received the Raymond D. Molloy Award for being the bestselling book published by ISA in 2010.

One of the unique features of the book is that there is a Web site that goes with the book. On this web site under the workshop Solution tab are YouTube videos that show the solution to the workshops included in the book. There are no restrictions on the web site so anyone can access the book’s web site and view the solution video’s using their web browser. The book is written to be non-commercial and applicable to any control system.

Blevins told me that the book is approachable for anyone. It assumes basic control knowledge but for those who may not have had time to explore advanced control. Each chapter’s first part shows how the technology is used. For those who wish to dig deeper, the second part delves into the math behind the concepts. Importantly, one chapter focuses on economic justification of advanced control. As Blevins put it, “Hopefully engineers can learn to communicate with management.” Amen.

The last chapter shows integration of advanced control and users’ present DCS system. It’s a “what if” there is no native APC. Engineers will then have to layer it over. Written primarily by Nixon, Blevins says, “What we’ve learned the hard way we’ve put in to help readers.”

Check out the ISA Web Site on the book to buy a copy. I’ll be in line at ISA Automation Week next week. See you there.

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