BOOK REVIEW : ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT by Erich Maria Remarque

My BOOK REVIEW of ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT written by me on 28 August 2015 and posted online on my Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve on 28 Aug 2015

Link to my original post in my Academic and Creative Writing Journal : 
http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2015/08/all-quiet-on-western-front-book-review.html


AUTHENTIC MILITARY LITERATURE

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT by Erich Maria Remarque
Book Review
By
VIKRAM KARVE

NB: In my review below, the generic term “soldier” encompasses all uniformed personnel of the Armed Forces (Army, Navy and Air Force)

PSYCHE OF A SOLDIER

Recent events indicate that most civilian citizens – including the “powers-that-be” – do not understand the psyche of a soldier.

Almost every day – we see news of soldiers being martyred on the Line of Control (LOC) with our hostile neighbour.

But – the common man remains indifferent to this news since it does not affect him – and some politicians go to the extent of remarking that “soldiers are paid to die”.

We see the tragic sight of military veterans on hunger strike for OROP (One Rank One Pension).

We dismiss the OROP imbroglio as “any other issue” – thinking that veterans protesting and agitating is similar to industrial workers, civilian employees or students going on strike – which happens quite frequently.

Jingoistic Politicians “celebrate” the 50th Anniversary of the 1965 War – while Military Veterans who actually fought in the 1965 War are ignored.

We confuse jingoism with patriotism.

I have seen that many people feel that jingoism means patriotism – whereas – in actual fact – there is a big difference between jingoism and patriotism.

Most civilians have a fancy image of the Armed Forces – because they see the “pomp and show” of smartly dressed soldiers marching during the Republic Day Parade and other ceremonial occasions – or they observe the elegant social life of military officers in peacetime cantonments.

But very few civilians know about the harrowing time experienced a soldier in the field – where he is subjected to extreme physical strain and mental stress – not only in war, border skirmishes and counter-insurgency combat operations – but even in “peacetime” – when he is deployed on hazardous “aid to civil power” duties for maintaining law and order or in dangerous disaster rescue and relief or on “internal security” duties in anti-militancy/anti-terrorism and Counter-Insurgency (CI) operations.

There is a stark contrast between “peacetime soldiering” in exquisite military cantonments and the harsh life in the field (and at sea on warships) – and – sadly – only the former is visible to civilian citizens.

For a civilian citizen – it is difficult to grasp the psychology of the average combat soldier – who lives in an environment of dread and fear – and survives each moment with death tagging him at the elbow.

Over time – the soldier becomes reproachful of those who enjoy safety and security – sitting in peaceful comfort – far away from danger – be they politicians, bureaucrats, civilian citizens, or even his own senior officers or the non-combatant “tail” of the Army.

And – this feeling of antipathy further alienates the soldier from civil society – and increases the chasm between the military and the civil society.

In order to bridge this gulf – it is necessary to apprise the common man about the life of a soldier.

Sadly – we have failed to do this.

Our Mainstream Media tends to hype and dramatize military news/issues for TRPs.

Though Hollywood has produced some realistic War Movies – in India – most Bollywood War Films are jingoistic and overly dramatic in nature.

Curiously – even the Armed Forces indulge in hype and propaganda whenever their PR machinery puts out reports in the media.

Even in their recruitment advertisements – the defence services project the “goody goody” part of “peacetime soldiering” – while downplaying the realistic aspects of military life.

If you peruse literature – to see whether there are any literary works which discern between hype and truth – you will realize that most war novels tend to romanticize war – accentuating jingoistic and romantically appealing concepts such as glory, honour, patriotism, sacrifice, adventure, heroism etc - which are far removed from reality.

When I asked myself whether there were any authentic military novels which realistically depict the “psyche of the soldier” – I remembered that indeed I had at least one such book on my bookshelves.

So – I delved into my bookcase and pulled out my ancient dog-eared copy of ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT – which is the most authentic war novel I have ever read.

As is the case with most of my books – I picked up this book long ago from the pavement bookstalls located on the footpath opposite the Central Telegraph Office (CTO) near Hutatma Chowk (Flora Fountain) in Mumbai.

Whenever I buy a book – I always write the date and place – and I see that I have bought this book 37 years ago in 1978.

So – Dear Reader – let me tell you a bit about this classic war novel which authentically describes the horrors of war and portrays the psyche of a soldier in a most realistic manner.

DETAILS OF THE BOOK

Title: All Quiet on the Western Front
Published: 1958 (Fawcett Crest) Paperback 175 Pages
Author: Erich Maria Remarque
ISBN: 44901634095
Edition language: English (Translated from German)

The above details pertain to the copy of the book I have with me.

For details of various editions of “All Quiet on the Western Front” – just “google” the title – or click the url link: Editions of All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque 

Also – if you do a google search – you will see that this book is freely available online on the internet.


ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT – An Authentic Military Novel

There are very few authentic military novels.

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT is the most authentic war novel that I have read.

The author Erich Maria Remarque was a German War Veteran and this novel is based on his first hand combat experiences during World War I.

Writing with stark authenticity, Erich Maria Remarque realistically depicts the horrors of war as seen through the eyes of a simple soldier – the violence, brutality, fear and terror soldiers experience at every moment – and the novel vividly brings out the effect of combat on the psyche of a soldier.

A novel tells a story.

But – storytelling alone can never produce a great novel – a classic.

What makes a novel a classic is whether the novel has a message – a “moral of the story” – and how effectively the author succeeds in conveying this message to the reader – so that the “moral of the story” has a lasting impact on the reader.

As elaborated by EM Forster in his book “Aspects of a Novel” – the sine qua non of a good novel is that the story must not only move in time – but it must also impart “value” to the reader – and this “value” is encapsulated in the “moral of the story”.

Erich Maria Remarque achieves this brilliantly – writing in present tense to move the story in time – and using flashbacks to effectively convey the “moral of the story”.

The novel emphasizes that soldiers are normal human beings like everyone else.

Soldiers have feelings like you and me.

Soldiers have families, children, relatives, friends – and love them.

Soldiers are sensitive individuals – not emotionless zombies.

The narrator – a young man only 19 years of age – joins the German Army and fights on the French Front in World War I (the “Western Front”).

The narrator speaks to you in the first person – and gives you his “worm’s eye view” of his war experience.

From time to time – by way of flashbacks – the narrator takes you into his “mind’s eye” – as he reflects on his own views, feelings and emotions on warfighting.

And right at the end of the story – while delivering his coup de grace – Erich Maria Remarque suddenly switches to ‘third person past tense’ – and you remain numbed by the epiphany.

As you read the story – you realize the narrator’s growing awareness of the emptiness of such concepts as patriotism, glory and honour when faced with the reality of war.

When they start fighting on the frontline – the young newly inducted soldiers perceive the huge dissonance between peacetime hype and wartime reality.


THE FRONT-LINE ISN’T A PARADE-GROUND

The essence of the book can be encapsulated in the comment – “… the front-line isn’t a parade-ground…” – expressed in ruminations of the narrator in Chapter 5 of the book.

I too realized the significance of this military truism (“… the front-line isn’t a parade-ground…”) – more than 37 years ago – during my nascent days in the Navy – when I joined a front-line warship after completing my training.

Here – on the warship – the focus was on operational excellence and professionalism – in stark contrast to the emphasis on parades, drill and “spit and polish” during our naval training in “stone frigates”.

The story in “All Quiet on the Western Front” begins when – immediately on completion of their basic military training – the narrator and his friends are sent to the front-line to fight on the battlefield.

Fighting on the frontline – the raw soldiers realize the military truth – that – in the ‘fog of war’ – the harsh reality is that – “the front-line isn’t a parade-ground” – and that all that parade drill and ‘spit and polish’ they had endured during training was futile – and is of no use in brutal warfighting on the frontline.

Subjected to the horrors of war – the narrator and his fellow soldiers realize the“absurdities of saluting and parade” – and – in a rare expression of dark humor – one of his comrades in uniform sarcastically comments:

“You take it from me – we are losing the war because we can salute too well.”

As they fight a brutal battle on the front-line – the soldiers realize the huge difference between “peacetime soldiering” and actual warfighting.

In peacetime – the Army is a reliable, decent job.

However – peacetime rules and hierarchy lose their relevance in the fog of war and amidst the chaos on the battlefield.

In wartime – rules and hierarchy are pretty useless and silly – especially in the merciless cruel atmosphere of ruthless ferocious conflict.

On the battlefront – it is straight and simple – “kill – or be killed”…

As the narrative progresses – we see the protagonist’s growing awareness of the emptiness of such jingoistic concepts as patriotism and honour when faced with the reality of war.

He realizes that most civilians seem to know nothing about military life.

War may be an adventure to a jingoist sitting comfortably at home – but it is a terrible experience for the combat soldier who is actually confronted with the possibility of being blown to pieces at any moment.

As he engages in brutal merciless infantry combat – attacks and counterattacks – bombings and artillery barrages – seeing dead and wounded comrades around him every day – he is overcome by fear and a sense of fatalism – and he becomes obsessed with survival.

I am sure most soldiers have experienced similar emotions.

No soldier wants to die – or worse – get injured and become disabled for life.

A soldier just wants to complete his “tour of combat duty” – and return home in one piece – safe and sound.

Forget about full scale war – this is true even in so-called “peacetime” deployments in the field, especially on turbulent borders and in counterinsurgency operations.

I remember that whenever we were deployed – all that the crew wanted was to return safe and sound and waited eagerly for our warship to return to our base port.


SOLDIERS DON’T START WARS

A soldier does not like war – because it the soldier who suffers most in war.

Soldiers don’t start wars.

It is the politicians who start wars.

But – politicians don’t die in the war – it is the soldiers who die in the war.

And later – when the war has been won – it is the jingoists who celebrate war-victories – and most of these jingoists are civilians who probably have never seen a shot fired in anger.

Earlier – in the days of monarchy – the King would lead his Army on the battlefield.

The King would lead his soldiers from the front – he would lead by personal example – fighting on the battlefield.

Sometimes – the King would be killed on the battlefield.

If he lost the war – the King would be imprisoned – and most likely – he would be executed or tortured to death by the victor.

Nowadays – in modern democracies – politicians rule nations.

But – politicians do not lead soldiers on the battlefield.

In fact – politicians have nothing to do with the fighting – they remain safe and sound – securely ensconced in peaceful comfort – far away from danger – while they exhort soldiers to sacrifice their lives for the nation.

And – when the soldiers win the war – the politicians emerge from their safe cocoons – to “celebrate” and take credit for the war victory.

The inherent message in “All Quiet on the Western Front” is that whether the war is won or lost – it is the soldier who is affected by the war.

In fact – all soldiers are affected by the war.

Some soldiers die on the battlefield.

Among those who survive – there are no “unwounded” soldiers.

Some soldiers are injured and get physically disabled – but all soldiers who go through a brutal war are mentally scarred for life.

The author wants to convey that war destroys men – it can kill them – it can cripple them – it can leave them mentally traumatized for life – and even if they survive in one piece – it leaves them changed for life.

While the book focuses on the extreme physical and mental stress faced by soldiers during the war – it also delves on the detachment from civilian life felt by many of these soldiers upon returning home from the battlefront.

Depicting the difficulty of soldiers to revert to civilian life after having experienced extreme combat situations – Erich Maria Remarque says: “...men…even though they may have escaped its shells, (they) were destroyed by the war…”


CONCLUSION

If you have noticed – while I have delved on the theme – I have not divulged the story of “All Quiet on the Western Front” – because I want you to enjoy the book fully when you read it.

Of course – in subsequent blog posts – I am going to discuss some salient excerpts from this book – and try and relate then to present times.

I recommend you read this classic war novel – in fact – I would say that this is a “must read” book – especially if you are thinking of joining the Army or the Armed Forces.

Of course – if you are already in the Army – you must have already read this book as a part of “essential reading” during your cadet training days – and – I am sure this review will motivate you to read “All Quiet on the Western Front” once again.

Do read “All Quiet on the Western Front”.

As I said earlier – you can easily get the book – in print – or digital version – and it is freely available on internet too.

Written in German language – “Im Westen nichts Neues” was first published in serial form in the German Newspaper Vossische Zeitung from November 10 to December 9, 1928. 

It was published in book form the following year (1929) and became a big success.

The 1929 English translation of this book by Arthur Wesley Wheen had the title: “All Quiet on the Western Front”.

The literal translation of “Im Westen nichts Neues” is “In the West Nothing New” with "West" being the Western Front and the phrase referring to the content of an official communique at the end of the novel.

“All Quiet on the Western Front” earned Remarque international popularity and by the time of his death in 1970, perhaps fifty million copies of the novel had been sold and it had been translated into fifty-five languages. It is still widely regarded by many readers and critics as the greatest war novel of the twentieth century. 

I love reading military literature – especially war fiction – and I have read many war novels – but “All Quiet on the Western Front” is my all time favourite.

The writing style is unique – owing to its stark authenticity – and this book has left a lasting impression on me.

I am glad I read this superb novel – and – I am sure that you will find reading this engrossing book a fulfilling and enriching experience.

VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Disclaimer:
All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the story are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright Notice:
No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.
Copyright © Vikram Karve (All Rights Reserved)
     
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Book Review - EMP Radiation and Protective Techniques

EMP Radiation  and Protective Techniques

by LW Ricketts, JE Bridges, J Miletta

A Wiley-Interscience Publication, 1976

1.            Nuclear weapons can have devastating effects. Usually, one thinks only of the blast, thermal, and radiation effects as they relate to the human body. However, considering only these factors ignores some of the other devastating effects. One such effect is that of the nuclear electromagnetic    pulse   (EMP).   The   effects   of   the   nuclear electromagnetic pulse must be considered and calculated when preparing for a nuclear war.

2.            Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) is now recognised as one of the most important nuclear weapon threats. EMP from a weapon detonated many hundreds, even thousands, of kilometres away is capable of disrupting or damaging electronic equipment, especially modern digitally controlled systems. Equally important, in many cases EMP is not accompanied by any other prompt nuclear weapon output. These conclusions are supported by a considerable number of data developed from both sophisticated analyses and non-nuclear-threat-level experiments on electronic equipment.

3.            The importance of EMP is now clearly established, and a considerable amount of information is appearing in the open literature. Much of this information, however, is processed exclusively on a single topic and often does not address problems that are of immediate concern. Moreover so much “good” information has now become available that it is often impossible to extract the essentials and lay out a meaningful hardening program.

4.         The book shows how quantitative data on EMP pickup, component susceptibility, and hardening performance can be developed and integrated into EMP hardening requirements for specific electronic components or subsystems. These hardening requirements can be stated in a form (in terms of EMP pickup currents and voltages) readily understandable by various system design specialists. The book also describes the management aspects necessary for long term EMP hardening.

5.         The author has summarised information on hardening allocation in such a simple language that it can be understood even by the reader having nil experience in the field. This first involves identification of threat, the related EMP environment, and then the EMP pickup. The pickup is compared with the susceptibility to determine the total isolation required, which is then allocated to specific components of the system. The hardening isolation required can be reduced by proper component and system design. Laboratory methods similar to many existing procedures for EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) and RFI (radio-frequency interference) can be employed to confirm these analyses.

6.         The book is divided into three parts. Each part is further divided into chapters which cover specific topics. The author has definitely put in hard work and has covered a broad spectrum of the subject. Each chapter covers the related topics in great detail.

7.         In Part I EMP Environment and Pickup are nicely covered in two chapters. In chapter 1 the author discusses the EMP environment from a system and trade-off viewpoint. Twelve environments of significance are identified that may affect the various system design or operational mode options, and are explained with the help of a diagram. Further Near-Surface Burst, Mid-Altitude Burst and Exoatmospheric Burst are explained in detail with the help of figures and mathematical expressions. The author has covered the topics in such a way that even beginners can draw fruitful lessons from the text and other means used. Chapter 2 deals with the conversion of the EMP environment into currents and voltages that may be applied to sensitive components. This helps to give a means to the reader to understand as to how we can measure EMP in terms of quantities such as current, voltage and energy. Examples of results from calculations which are included, definitely enables the reader to obtain a feeling for the type of EMP pickup likely to be encountered. Similarly approximate formulas are presented that characterize the pickup in terms of a single lumped parameter circuit or Thevenin’s equivalent generator.

8.         Part II covers the Behaviour of Components and Subsystems. A large amount of data is tabulated in this part and also in Appendix B which covers the susceptibility tables. In chapter 3 the susceptibility on a quantitative basis of typical electronic parts, such as transistors, resistors and capacitors is discussed at length by the author. Although electronic components can be acted on directly by an EMP, the main threat to electrical components is the induced transients generated by EMP-system interaction. The chapter deals with the effects of short-duration electrical transients on electronic components. The prime attention is given to the failure thresholds of components, with emphasis on semiconductor devices. The electrical response of components to high-level transients is also discussed. All this is discussed with the help of well described graphs, diagrams and mathematical equations, which further helps the reader to understand the issue in an efficient manner. Chapter 4 deals with numerous formulas and other data that permit estimating the performance of various hardening components such as envelope shields, cable and connector shields, baluns, filters, surge arresters, transformers, chokes, disconnects, spark gaps, zener diodes and varistors. This chapter also tells how to calculate the hardening or shielding effectiveness of the various protective techniques and devices. Chapter 5 gives an insight to the practical aspects of the techniques described in chapter 4. The author has covered as to how to conduct the various laboratory test procedures required to evaluate the effectiveness of shields, vents, gaskets, cables, connectors, filters, surge arresters and chokes. This chapter shows how to setup and how to perform the various test procedures in the lab. The diagrammatic description of each procedure can be used to conduct these tests in the lab.

9.         Part III of the book gives an insight in to the System Aspects. Chapter 6 presents the management aspects of EMP hardening with emphasis on quality assurance. It also covers numerous system design aspects, including operational upset control, harmonising EMP, lighting and RFI requirements, and the development of a grounding and cabling plan. The chapter covers EMP hardening management, EMP control plan, design and development, maintenance and operations and monitoring of operational systems. The chapter also covers EMI, EMC, RFI, EMR, HERO and RADHAZ in brief. Shielding and Susceptibility Zoning Approaches, System Aspects of Damage Protection and System Aspects of Upset Protection are also covered. In Chapter 7 the author has nicely discussed one method of developing hardening allocations-specifying quantitative performance requirements for components and subsystems. The author has nicely addressed how hardening allocation approach may involve breaking the system up into various subsystems. Then the EMP hardening performance requirements are applied in a specific and quantitative way to each of these elements. This chapter also covers Buried Facility Allocations, Mobile Shielded Van Allocations and Aircraft Allocations which gives an adequate exposure to the reader.

10.       Apart from these seven chapters the author has also provided three appendices, which prove quite helpful. Appendix A contains a Glossary of Relevant Terms so that the reader can get a quick reference to various terms used in different chapters. Appendix B gives the various Susceptibility Tables, which contains susceptibility data on electronic circuits and components. Appendix C covers the various Simulation Facilities. 

11.       The book covers the activity relating to the susceptibility of electronic components and circuits used in electronic or electrical systems to the EMP environment or, more specifically, to the effects of transient voltages and currents that result from EMP energy being coupled into cables, antennas, power distribution systems, and other conductive structures. Particular emphasis has been given by the author to the margin of tolerance in the specifications of a device, circuit or subsystem. This can be a very important consideration in evaluating the degradation in the EMP environment.

12.       The book describes each topic adequately with the help of graphs, diagrams and mathematical expressions which will definitely be helpful for persons working in the field of EMP. Certain topics such as effects of EMP radiations on human body could also have been touched upon. The book also gives an exhaustive list of references and with the bibliography provided one can easily go out and enhance his knowledge of the subject.

Reviewed by one of my students Vikas Agnihotri

Why Things Always Go Wrong

THE PETER PRINCIPLE
Why Things Always Go Wrong
BOOK REVIEW

By  

VIKRAM KARVE

 

 

The Book: The Peter Principle

 

Authors: Dr. Laurence J. Peter & Raymond Hull

 

Published: 1969 William Morrow

 

 

I think there is a Chinese saying that it is a misfortune to read a good book too early in life.

I think I read ‘The Peter Principle’ too early in life.

And at that time, I being of an impressionable age, the book influenced me so much that I “rose” to my level of incompetence pretty fast, either unintentionally or by subconscious design.

 

I read ‘The Peter Principle’ in the early seventies, maybe sometime in 1972, when I was studying for my B. Tech. degree in Engineering, and I was so impressed by this book that, pooling my meagre resources, I even bought a personal copy of the book in 1974 (which I possess till this day) which, considering my financial status those days, was quite a remarkable feat.

 

The book, written by Laurence J. Peter in collaboration with Raymond Hull, a management classic and masterpiece in the study of hierarchiology, is so fascinating, riveting and hilarious that once you start reading, it’s unputdownable.

 

In the first chapter itself, giving illustrative examples, the author establishes the Peter Principle: In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence and its corollary: In time, every post tends to be occupied by an employee who is incompetent.

 

Dr. Peter writes in racy fictional style and as you read this book you experience a sense of verisimilitude and in your mind’s eye can see the Peter Principle operating in your very organization. 

That’s the way to savor the book and imbibe its spirit – read an illustrative “case study” in the book and relate it to a parallel example in your organization.

 

The book discusses cases which appear to be exceptions like percussive sublimation, lateral arabesque etc and demonstrates that the apparent exceptions are not exceptions. 

The Peter Principle applies in all hierarchies.

 

Discussing the comparative merits and demerits of applying ‘Pull’ versus ‘Push’ for getting promotion, Dr. Peter concludes: Never stand when you can sit; never walk when you can ride, never Push when you can Pull.

 

He then tells us how to recognize that one has reached one’s state of incompetence (final placement syndrome) and should one have already risen to one’s state of incompetence suggests ways of attaining health and happiness in this state at zero promotion quotient.

 

Towards the end of his book he illustrates how to avoid reaching the state of incompetence by practicing various techniques of Creative Incompetence. (I probably practiced Creative Incompetence quite competently and hopefully I am still at my level of competence!)

 

In conclusion Dr. Peter tries to briefly explore remedies to avoiding life-incompetence which he has elaborated in his follow up book ‘The Peter Prescription’ which is a must-read once you are hooked onto The Peter Principle.

 

The Peter Principle is a compelling book, written more than forty years ago, and with the flattening of hierarchy and advent of flexible organizational structures and HR practices, it would indeed be worthwhile for young and budding managers to read this book and see to what extent the Peter Principle applies to contemporary organizations and whether it is still relevant in today’s world.    

Dear Reader, read The Peter Principle, then look around you in your workplace.

Do you see the principle in operation...?

And next, you must read THE PETER PRESCRIPTION - Do read the book review right here in my blog.

Book Review of THE PETER PRINCIPLE

By

VIKRAM KARVE
 

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2010

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this Book Review.

http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve 

vikramkarve@sify.com

http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com

INFORMATION CONTINUUM

MAKING SENSE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Book Review by Vikram Karve

Title: Information, Systems and Information Systems – making sense of the field
Authors: Peter Checkland and Sue Howell
John Wiley & Sons (1988)
ISBN 0-471-95820-4


Information Technology ( IT ) is the buzzword of today. 

IT is ubiquitous. 

Today you are connected with IT in some way or the other, in fact IT is an integral part of our lives, and everyone seems to be rushing to join the IT bandwagon.

A few years ago, till the 1980s, there were courses in Electrical, Electronics, Communications and Telecommunications Engineering and later in Computer Science and Engineering, but now there are dedicated courses specifically in Information Technology, and almost all Engineers, and even pure scientists and others, irrespective of their specializations, are rushing away from their "core" academic disciplines to take up jobs in IT and IT Enabled Services.

The Management guys have also joined the fray and added a “management” dimension to IT by offering MBA courses in “IT Management”.

What exactly is IT...? 

Maybe the phrase Information Technology or “IT” was coined to mark the convergence of two technologies that had been traditionally separate: “Computing” and “Communications” and the confluence of several streams of development including electronics, microelectronics, computer science, telecommunications, software engineering and systems analysis.

There are a large number of books and extensive literature on the content of Information Technology.

This book is a significant treatise on the context of Information Technology.

The principal author Peter Checkland is a pioneering researcher in the field of Systems Engineering and Management and has developed breakthrough concepts like Soft Systems Methodology [SSM] and written the seminal classic “Systems Thinking, Systems Practice”. The co-author Sue Holwell has a rich and varied professional experience in systems design and implementation, information strategy and communication networks.

This book has eight chapters arranged in four parts.

In the first part on “The Field of Information Systems and its Problems” the authors deliberate on the basic concepts pertaining to Information Systems [IS] and Information Technology [IT], distinguish between the “Hard” (objective positivistic scientific) and “Soft” (subjective interpretative) schools of thought in the context of Management Information Systems [MIS], and introduce the reader to the fundamentals of Soft System Methodologies [SSM].

The “meat” of the book is in Part Two whose two chapters elucidate on the application of the developed Information System Management concepts to organizations and describe the “information continuum” – the linkages between data, information and knowledge. 

Parts Three and Four of the book substantiate these hypotheses with experiential examples from as early as World War II and drives home the point that the evolution and development of the science of Information Systems [IS] owes nothing to computers which did not exist in 1940, makes it clear that IS is not the same as IT, reminds us that computers are a mere means of IS, and cautions us against falling into the trap of “technological determinism” resulting from the prevalent propensity to overly focus on computer-based IT and allow technology to take charge of our actions.

The book is aptly adorned with simple illustrations which facilitate ease of understanding. 

As the dust jacket says, the book is a work of conceptual cleansing and presents a well-argued account of IS and IT which is both holistic and coherent. 

I recommend this remarkable book to students of Information Technology, Engineering and Management, Practising Engineers, Managers and Teaching Faculty and IT Professionals – reading this unique book will certainly enhance your conceptual understanding of Information Systems and Technology.

Book Review by Vikram Karve

http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve

vikramkarve@sify.com

Book Review - Biological Effects of Microwaves by S Baranski and P Czerski

Title: Biological Effects of Microwaves


Authors: S Baranski and P Czerski

Published by: Dowden, Hutchinson and Ross, Inc., Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. (1976)

Pages: 234

ISBN: 0-87933-145-3




Electromagnetic Radiations emanating from various communication systems and devices like Radio and TV broadcasting, satellite communication, cell phones, microwave ovens and electrical and electronic appliances have now become unavoidable area of our life. Microwaves constitute a significant part of electromagnetic radiations and contribute t “electro-pollution” as research indicates that microwaves affect living organisms. The book ‘Biological Effects of Microwaves’ by S. Baranski and P. Czerski presents the detailed research work done in this field and is one of the earliest books on the subject. It will prove helpful for the biologists, physicians, physicists as well as budding and practising electronic engineers.



The content of the book is organized in seven chapters.



Chapter number one is the ‘introduction’ with the subject. At the beginning of this chapter the authors make our concepts clear about the important terms like microwave radiation, ionizing radiation, non ionizing radiation and radioprotection. Before dealing with the microwaves we must know about the electromagnetic radiation spectrum. There are figures, illustrations and tables describing the electromagnetic radiation spectrum, the wavelengths (cm), energy (eV) of different waves like radiofrequencies, microwaves, visible light, UltraViolet Rays, X rays and Gamma rays and explaining some examples of typical uses of equipment generating radio-frequency and microwave radiation. It explains the uses of different ranges of frequencies, their respective applications, their occupational exposure and some examples of potential exposure i.e. general population hazards. This chapter also explains the microwave transmitter valves such as magnetron, klystron – Reflex klystron and multi cavity klystron and travelling wave tube briefly with their schematic representations.



Second chapter is about the ‘Physical Characteristics of Microwaves’. This chapter is designed in such a fashion that the reader who wants to enter in this field but have forgotten some of the basic concepts of physics related to the microwaves. This chapter is important and helpful to grasp the further concepts. It includes the basic phenomenon of formation of electromagnetic wave, set of parameters that characterize the electromagnetic waves such as frequency, velocity, wavelength, Electric and magnetic field vectors, relation between the two and the characteristic impedance. Coaxial transmission line, coaxial cable and wave guide are also explained to understand how the waves are propagated.



After getting introduced with the microwaves and going through their physical characteristics, in the third chapter we study the interaction of microwaves with the living systems. Biologists and physicians studied the interaction of microwaves with the living systems and they came to the result which had three phenomena like penetration of microwaves into a biological target and their propagation within it, secondly the primary interaction of microwaves with living matter and the secondary effects induced by the primary interaction. The three layered semi-infinite slab model of a biological target (which is made up of skin, fat and muscle) illuminated by simple wave front is explained and may be used for solving various problems relative to the medical use of shortwave and microwave diathermy. In the later subsections primary and secondary effects of microwave interaction are studied. There are illustrations of the primary and secondary effects of microwaves on different levels of organizations ranging from molecular level to highly organized living systems.



The fourth and the most praiseworthy chapter of this book is titled ‘Biological effects of Microwaves (Experimental Data)’. It presents the collection data found in literature on experimental facts and observations on biological effects of microwaves. Various results of experiments done on different animals like mice, dog, rats, guinea pigs and cat are illustrated. Effects of microwaves on nervous system, cardiovascular effects, effects on endocrine and metabolic effects, effects on genital system, foetal development, chromosomal effects, possible genetic effects and cellular effects, effects on internal organs like abdominal cavity, chest and digestive track, effects on blood and the blood forming system, cataractogenesis are presented with experimental details. In the last section of the chapter some comments on experimental studies on the interaction of microwaves with living systems are done which are very useful while doing such experiments.



Chapter Five is about the ‘health status of personnel occupationally exposed to microwaves and the symptoms of microwave overexposure’. In this chapter the outcome experiments and conclusions of literature survey of various authors are given. At the end of the chapter the main points which are the outcome of all the survey of the literature are collected.



Microwaves are the boon for the mankind and improve our quality of life in so many ways and it is prudent to be aware of and adopt safety standards to protect ourselves as well as the environment form the adverse effects of microwaves. Chapter Six is about the ‘Safe exposure limits and prevention of health hazards’ with analysis on the safe exposure limits of microwaves. The basic principles which may be used while determining the safe exposure limits are elucidated. At the end of the chapter prevention health hazards are given which are very much important while dealing with the microwaves.



The last chapter of the book summarises the work presented in the previous chapters and the important developments in the field till the writing of this book. The authors suggest integrated co-ordinated interdisciplinary efforts of biologists, physicians, physicists and electronic engineers. The authors have done extensive literature survey for this book and cite more than 600 references which may prove helpful for the reader for further studies in this subject. Though not recent, this book is an important reference work in its area and will prove useful for those who are doing research in this field.

A LOCAL HISTORY OF POONA AND ITS BATTLEFIELDS - Book Review

Book Review

 

A LOCAL HISTORY OF POONA AND ITS BATTLEFIELDS

By

COLONEL L W SHAKESPEAR

 

[MACMILLAN AND CO. LONDON 1916]

 

Reviewed by Vikram Karve 

 

 

It was indeed my good fortune to chance upon this engrossing book on Pune (Poona), the city I was born and live in. 

I enjoyed reading this book. Let me tell you about it.

 

Dear Reader, before you read on, please bear in mind that this 1916 vintage book was written for “present-day residents” of Poona by Colonel L.W. Shakespear, who at that time, in 1916, was the AQMG 6^th Poona Division, and apparently an eminent military historian who also wrote “History of the 2^nd KEO Goorkhas (sic)” and “History of Upper Assam and the North-East Frontier”.

 

Things change, a lot of water has flown down the Mula and Mutha, the anglicized Poona is now known as Pune (its original Maharashtrian name) and if you want to truly enjoy this delightful book, close your eyes for a while and transport yourself ninety years back in time from the chaotic Pune of today to the Poona of 1916 in order to enable you to lucidly see in your mind’s eye its glorious heritage so vividly portrayed by the author.

 

Eschewing long-winded prologue, the author, a military man, succinctly states his objective right in the beginning on the first page: “It is not intended to go deep into dynastic matters, but only to touch on the locality’s earliest days, and then turn to more modern times; calling up items of interest which may make their sojourn here, and perhaps their outings, of greater value to present-day residents.”   

This is not a definitive work and the reader must keep in mind the author’s intent and point of view for a better understanding of this book.

 

Tracing the genesis of Poona, Shakespear concludes: “From about A.D. 230 to A.D. 500 no specific information is found concerning this locality; but there is reason to believe that … Poona was ruled by the Ratta clan, which… became sufficiently powerful as to be styled “Maharashtra”, or country of the greater Rattas, from whence the… name Maharatta. The next few pages sketch, in a perfunctory manner, the period till the advent of English troops in 1722 and building of the first Residency west of the Mutha river, at its confluence or Sangam with the Mula river, for Mr. Mostyn, the first British Resident. There is an illustration, of an old-time painting by Henry Salt, depicting the Mula-Mutha Sangam, the City, and Parbatti (Parvati) Hill in the background that gives a good idea of the extent of Pune city before the Bund was built across the river followed by a wooden bridge near the Sangam.

 

“This brings us to the period when Poona began to possess a personal interest for the English” the author writes and than takes the reader on a series of “rides” or “outings” to vividly describe important historical events against the backdrop of geographical topography. The narrative, interspersed with apt illustrations, is very interesting and even today it would be worthwhile to walk the “rides” and see the various landmarks of heritage value and historical importance like Ganeshkhind, Bhamburda Hills and Plain, Lakdi Pul Bridge, Parvati, Panchaleshwar, the Poona and Kirkee cantonments, Garpir, Ghorpuri, Wanowri, Yerawada, Katraj, Sarasbagh, Gultekdi, Hadapsar, Saswad, Chinchwad, Induri, Talegaon, Lonavla and Peths of Poona City. There is an interesting description of the underground water ducts and conduits from the springs and lakes at Kondhwa, Katraj and foothills of Sinhagarh to bring water to Rasta Peth and ensure pure water supply to the city.

 

The meticulous account, embellished with maps and sketches, of Poona and its Battlefields, and the battles that took place thereon, has been fluently narrated in easy readable storytelling style and this makes the book gripping and unputdownable once you start reading it. However, the reader must remember that this book is written by a British Army Officer in 1916 and depicts his version of events and point of view and the perspective of that period. 

 

The book describes the defining events in the evolution of the cantonment town of Poona, which was the precursor to the modern day Pune as we know it today. It is an entertaining and informative book, a unique and rare piece of writing about an important period of the history of Poona (Pune) and would be of interest to Punekars and students keen on learning about the heritage of Pune.

 

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2010

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this book review.

http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve

Appetite for a Stroll

  

vikramkarve@sify.com