What readers are saying ...

This book really lives up to its name. The author, Jonathan Stein, has taken a tremendous amount of DSP subject matter and hand-tailored it for a perfect fit for readers with a computer-science background. While the relevant math is still there, the book excels at providing easily accessible and readable explanations and descriptions of the various topics. As you read the various chapters, it becomes very apparent that the author has truly understood, assimilated, and has put into practice virtually all of the information from his listed references and his real-world experience. Stein is simultaneously a practicing expert in the field, an academic master of each subject, and a patient, thoughtful and humorous teacher who knows well the unique needs of his readers.
Computer scientists will appreciate the six chapters (12-17) devoted to Architectures and Algorithms. This emphasis is what sets this book apart from the many other DSP books out on the market. I especially enjoyed Chapter 17, Digital Signal Processors. After reading Sections 1-3, I finally understood the significance of the MAC (Multiply-and-Accumulate) operation, and exactly how a DSP processor allows it to be executed in one clock cycle. Section 7 guides the new DSP programmer with Stein's well-conceived CHILD's play system of DSP task development. And on the humorous side, in Section 8 describing DSP Development Teams, we are told, "Your boss has given you five days to come up to speed (in understanding the new system). In your cubicle you find a stack of heavy documents. The first thing you have to learn is what a TLA is." You will find yourself breaking out with stifled bursts of nervous laughter as this all-too-true scenario unfolds.
Definitely give this book a try and you'll come to understand and appreciate DSP in a new light from Stein's unique perspective. It will make a welcome and refreshing addition to your DSP library.

Prof. Mauro Caputi
Hofstra University Engineering Department

I thoroughly enjoyed your book.
DSP written with a sense of humor. It's an excellent idea that should have been done a long time ago.
I've been working with DSP on and off for 20+ years and your explanations of theoretical issues were much more understandable than any I've seen before.

Jeff White
Soneticom, Inc

I have obtained a copy of your book from Wiley and looked it over. I think it would be an excellent addition to our list of recommended books and plan to add it to the TI online site as part of the next update.

Regards,
Christina Peterson
DSP University Program Manager, Americas
Texas Instruments

I haven't read it "cover to cover", but I've browsed it pretty thoroughly, and have read through several sections. I really like it overall. I guess my main feedback (for what it's worth), is that I wish you had maybe covered fewer topics, but gone into more depth on the topics that you did cover: the material was so good that I often wanted more than just the one or two pages you spent on some things.
I plan to list your book somewhere on dspGuru. I still haven't decided whether to provide a mini-review or just list it on our "bibliography" page. Either way, I'll be happy to include a link to your page.

Grant Griffin
Publisher, dspGuru

I have just received a copy of your book from the publishers. I think it is a very good book and you have obviously spent a lot of time writing it. I will be happy to recommend that we include a reference to it on our web site.

Best regards,
John Edwards
Numerix Ltd.
Professional DSP Software

Good background book for DSP programmers
I do a lot of programming for music applications, both in C++ and in DSP assembler. I never really got into the theory behind the algorithms before, I was always too involved in the real-time aspects. I have picked up a few DSP textbooks over the years, but I only use them for reference when needed, they are much too dull to actually read. I purchased this book on-line, although I was originally put-off by the high price. But it was worth it. I skimmed the early chapters, but have actually read 5 whole chapters, and did some programming to solve exercises, just for the heck of it. I intend to read through a few more chapters as well. The chapter on DSP processors is quite good (I never saw a chapter on DSPs in a text before) but too short. The chapter on FFT starts off great, gets a bit too technical at certain parts, but then more than makes up for it by the special algorithms. The chapter on computing special functions is great. My biggest complaint is that although there are two very long chapters on applications (modems and speech compression) there is nothing at all on musical effect programming.

anonymous reviewer, Barnes and Noble on-line bookstore

... I am looking forward to the coming chapters, which look like they have a lot of useful topics. I enjoyed your DSP Development Teams real-world story, since it basically is what has happened to me over the last 5 days!

Mark Lakata
Staff Engineer, MIPS Technologies

Just a quick note to say that I have been reading your book over the past 6 months and am really enjoying it. Best DSP book I have come across by a mile, absolutely superb. The breadth of topics you manage to cover is truly remarkable (and the explanations equally lucid).
It's certainly helped me out a great deal during the course of my PhD.

Nick Hughes
Robotics Research Group
Department of Engineering Science
University of Oxford

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