Ethem Alpaydin

Broad and shallow, but not in a very informative way.

Exactly what I was looking for: an overview of the field that is technical but without a mathematical exposition. More of a "physical" treatment.

While I can't say I didn't glean a few tidbits from this book, it was not the accessible overview for neophytes I had hoped. Maybe the topic is simply too complex to be conveyed easily to those of us outside the field, but he doesn't say that either, which suggests that the author is so immersed in the arcana of this specialty that he simply can't get back down to the level of us mortals. I will continue to look for something that fills my initial need.