A Concise Guide to Collecting and Restoring Vintage Binoculars (Third Edition) is a short, introductory guide that should be particularly suitable for beginners who would like to build a collection of vintage or previously owned binoculars and would like advice on how to carry out servicing and restoration tasks at home.

The touchstone for contemporary stargazers. This classic, groundbreaking guide has been the go-to field guide for both beginning and experienced amateur astronomers for nearly 30 years. The fourth edition brings Terence Dickinson and Alan Dyer's invaluable manual completely up-to-date. Setting a new standard for astronomy guides, it will serve as the touchstone for the next generation of stargazers as well as longtime devotees. Technology and astronomical understanding are evolving at a breathtaking clip, and to reflect the latest information about observing techniques and equipment, this massively revised and expanded edition has been completely rebuilt (an additional 48 pages brings the page count to 416). Illustrated throughout with all-new photographs and star charts, this edition boasts a refreshed design and features five brand-new chapters, including three essential essays on binocular, telescope and Moon tours by renowned astronomy writer Ken Hewitt-White. With new content on naked-eye sky sights, LED lighting technology, WiFi-enabled telescopes and the latest advances in binoculars, telescopes and other astronomical gear, the fourth edition of The Backyard Astronomer's Guide is sure to become an indispensable reference for all levels of stargazers. New techniques for observing the Sun, the Moon and solar and lunar eclipses are an especially timely addition, given the upcoming solar eclipses in 2023 and 2024. Rounding out these impressive offerings are new sections on dark sky reserves, astro-tourism, modern astrophotography and cellphone astrophotography, making this book an enduring must-have guide for anyone looking to improve his or her astronomical viewing experience. The Backyard Astronomer's Guide also features a foreword by Dr. Sara Seager, a Canadian-American astrophysicist and planetary scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an internationally recognized expert in the search for exoplanets.

"Decades of experience concentrated into the highest possible SNR." - Stephen F. Tonkin, Author Binocular Astronomy "Bill Cook is a seasoned optical professional who has perfected 'everything binocular' with his no nonsense approach to straightening the curves of understanding concerning them. With an unmatched writing style, his vignette on Collimation vs. Conditional Alignment is spot on!" - Gail Fisher, Repair Manager, Swarovski Optik "I have gone through your book and I am amazed - it should be printed asap! It was not only fun to read, but also highly educational and absolutely worth studying, even for the experienced binocular user." - Holger Merlitz, Professor of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, PR China. "This is an important book and one that should be read by engineers, binocular users, collectors, dealers, and manufacturers." - Paul R. Yoder, Fellow Member of SPIE and OSA, Co-Author Field Guide to Binoculars and Scopes Written for any serious user, "Binoculars: Fallacy & Fact" provides a fascinating look at the world of binoculars by someone who knows binoculars inside and out. And when I say inside, I mean truly inside as Bill Cook has spent his career adjusting and repairing binoculars. Bill knows his stuff and he is not afraid to clarify the facts and to share his honest opinions with us. The book comes across as a casual conversation making it an easy read but chock-full of information illuminated by personal anecdotes. - John E. Greivenkamp, Professor, College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona "Going through the US Navy Opticalman "A" School with Bill, serving with him aboard USS Grand Canyon, and later working with him at Captain's Nautical Supplies in Seattle, I can attest that you'll not find a man more passionate or knowledgeable about optics and binoculars. Any odd-ball questions asked by the novice or self-proclaimed expert are quickly answered in a straight-forward and accurate manner. This book goes well beyond the ever-regurgitated numbers and gets into the facts of how it all works." - Cory A. Suddarth, President, Suddarth Optical Repair "When it comes to optics, think Bill Cook. I have known him for several decades and his credentials are as strong as they come. When a question arises that I am unsure of, he is one of the first to be called on among the dozen or so experts I trust. Bill is not out to protect brands and factories when they continually mislead consumers about their products. Instead, he tells it like it is - straight and honest - even when manufacturers get upset when they hear the truth. This book will not only be helpful for those thinking about purchasing a binocular, but also those who want to learn more about the instrument they have now." - Alan Hale has served as C.E.O. and President of Celestron and is currently Chairman Emeritus of the company. Alan is the author of "Sport Optics - Binoculars, Spotting Scopes, and Riflescopes"

The Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) handbook can be used by trained personnel to identify, inventory, and screen buildings that are potentially seismically vulnerable. The RVS procedure comprises a method and several forms that help users to quickly identify, inventory, and score buildings according to their risk of collapse if hit by major earthquakes. The RVS handbook describes how to identify the structural type and key weakness characteristics, how to complete the screening forms, and how to manage a successful RVS program.