This is a book about software packages for use by civil engineers. It is written for engineers who need software that can do the job without re quiring that they become computer experts or programmers. The purpose of this book is to present a broad picture of the personal computer packages now available for use by civil engineers. Each chapter is devoted to an area, such as structures, surveying, hydrology, drafting, or equation-solving, in which a number of software packages are presently offered for use with personal computers. The chapter introductions explain what kinds of design or analysis or other tasks these packages perform, outlining the available choices, and comparing the capabilities of the var ious packages. Detailed reviews of individual packages follow. The emphasis here is on what the user must know and do to employ the capabilities of the package. Going beyond general description, these reviews also explain what the pack ages actually will and will not do. Although many packages are covered, there is no attempt here at completeness. In every category covered in the book, many more packages exist than those that have been reviewed. In the fast-moving field of engineering software, many new packages are cur rently being written and marketed.

The updated Second Edition of Alan C. Elliott and Wayne A. Woodward’s “cut to the chase” IBM SPSS guide quickly explains the when, where, and how of statistical data analysis as it is used for real-world decision making in a wide variety of disciplines. This one-stop reference provides succinct guidelines for performing an analysis using SPSS software, avoiding pitfalls, interpreting results, and reporting outcomes. Written from a practical perspective, IBM SPSS by Example, Second Edition provides a wealth of information—from assumptions and design to computation, interpretation, and presentation of results—to help users save time, money, and frustration.