Horowitz-Hill: Serious scholarly query

Max Hauser · 2004-12-23T05:21:32+00:00

Here is a serious constructive inquiry or feedback about the Horowitz-Hill_Art of Electronics_ book, for W. Hill or P. Horowitz. I first raised thismatter by email but saw no response to date. The issue remains, so I'll tryposting it here.Both the first (1980) and second (1989) edition of the H-H book contain aparticular remarkable circuit design, for example Figure 9.73 of thefirst-edition copy that I've seen (9.90 in the second). This design is apseudorandom noise generator with programmable spectrum, demonstratingseveral important electronics principles at once. What I found moststriking about it was how closely it resembles the circuit published, if Irecall, the year before the first edition, in _Electronic Design_ magazineby Michael Workman of IBM. The latter received an award by that magazinefor best design idea of the year (with attendant publicity). This unusualdesign appears unattributed in both editions of the Horowitz-Hill book thatI have seen. I _don't_ know or presume the exact history of the circuit.But whether Workman's appeared first (making it prior art), or the circuitin the book appeared elsewhere before Workman (originating with you, or withsome other author), attribution in your book would be widely considered goodform, eliminating any conceivable misunderstanding. (Workman, by the way,at my last word, was a vice president at IBM.)(Again my original effort with this query was private, in a January 2004email from my IEEE address to W. Hill's email address of record. I laterposted a reminder of the email, spelling out the address I'd used, here onSED on February 1 as part of a technical thread in which W. Hillparticipated. I've seen no response to either.)Max Hauser

Dec 23, 2004 235 Replies

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Dirk Bruere at Neopax 21 years ago

I believe you may just have enetered into a contract...

Dirk The Consensus:- The political party for the new millenium http://www.theconsensus.org

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Winfield Hill 21 years ago

Nobody sent me the $2.50 yet.

Thanks, - Win

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Dirk Bruere at Neopax 21 years ago

Fewer fools on this NG than I suspected...

Dirk The Consensus:- The political party for the new millenium http://www.theconsensus.org

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John Larkin 21 years ago

PayPal OK?

John

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Rich The Newsgroup Wacko 21 years ago

They thought you were _Joking_! Bwahahahaha!

Cheers! Rich ------ "There's more than one way to skin a cat: Way #3 -- Krazy Glue and a toothbrush. Way #27 -- Use an electric sander. Way #32 -- Wrap it around a lonely frat boy's pecker. Way #33 -- A bicycle pump."

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Dirk Bruere at Neopax 21 years ago

Actually, it might not be a bad idea to include a page with the names of the regulars on this NG (except maybe for the authors). $2.50 seems a small price to pay...

Dirk The Consensus:- The political party for the new millenium http://www.theconsensus.org

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mroberds 21 years ago

Have you checked your snail-mail lately?

Matt Roberds

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Winfield Hill 21 years ago

Yes, Sheesh! now what am I gonna do?

Thanks, - Win

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Guy Macon 21 years ago

Well, the offer was made to me (and I considered sending $2.50 as a joke then decided not to), and you are not required to make the same offer to anyone else.

If Matt says he was paying on my behalf, you are in trouble... :)

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mroberds 21 years ago

Some suggestions:

0) Put me in the book 1) Give it to your favorite charity 2) Spend it on wine, women, and song

You might also make the offer again but ratchet up the amount and see how high you have to make it before people stop sending money...

I took it as an open-ended offer.

Haven't done that yet, but if you want... I will charge you (Guy) a nominal handling fee, though. :)

Matt Roberds

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Winfield Hill 21 years ago

Like $2500. However, it's non-transferrable. OK, I'm a man of my word (even if foolishly given), but you'll have to earn it. I'll email you with the details. :>)

Thanks, - Win

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Guy Macon 21 years ago

All joking aside, I would never hold you to such an offer and hereby release you from any obligation. If you choose to insert a joke into your text, I would very much prefer that you decide to do so because you want to, and not because of the Usenet equivalent of a bar bet.

That being said, I am interested in finding out what I could possibly do to earn something from you, even if I don't want the something that is to be earned. What may I do to serve you, O Great One? :)

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