Pocket Reference

I first encountered this treasure while apprenticing in a machine-shop. It had every conversion, formula, and piece if data I ever looked for. These can be hard to find and/or expensive. Grab one, you absolutely will not regret it.

Need to tie a knot? There are illustrations and descriptions explaining what knot is the best to use. Need to hook up a car trailer? There's multiple sections and illustrations as well as step by step guidance. Do you have a large gaping wound that requires first aid? You guessed it, the Pocket Ref has you covered. Do yourself a favor and pick a copy up, it's almost too handy not to have.

I bought one copy for myself, then liked it so much I went and got another one for the office, along with Auto Ref for the car! This book has everything--insulation values, lumber and wood characteristics, hand signals, military ranks, area codes, time zones, geometry and trig functions, plumbing and metal-working specs, "perpetual" calendar, first aid, and more! The best fun I had was buying one for some friends' Christmas party last year, which involved one of those "white elephant" gift exchanges (the type where people can grab an unopened present or steal one of the opened presents). Finally the men had something worthwhile to fight over instead of the scented candles, potpourri, and other decidedly feminine knick knacks! The guide got "stolen" at least five times before the last gift finally got opened. You may not need 80% of the stuff in here, but the low cost and small space this guide takes up means there's no reason not to have a copy handy. Then if someone asks you "What's a cirrus cloud?", "How big is a bushel?", "What day of the week is July 4th, 2010?", "How do you tie a butterfly knot?", "How far is the earth from the sun?", "What's a European 43 shoe size in the American scale?" or "Can PVC pipe be used for hot water?", you'll have the answer!

Pocket Ref is one sweet book. It is part encyclopedia, part trivia tome, part entertainment and part dispute-solver. Buried in the various tables and charts are tons of data and facts to aid the rider, roadside mechanic or budding MacGyver.Let's say you are riding in Colorado, and want to know how much to re-jet. You simply go to the chapter on air & gases (p. 13) and learn that air pressure @ 10,000 ft is approx. 70% of mean standard air pressure.Lose your owner's manual? In Chapter 2 (p. 25) you can find a torque level to safely reinstall 12mm spark plugs in an aluminum head (18-22 ft-lbs.) Settle that tavern bet over the codes on your tire sidewalls (p. 31)Wondering how thick the wire should be to run your new electric vest? Look in Chapter 6.What do you suppose the weather is like in Maine in September? Will you need warm weather gear? (p. 162)This book has everything. Wind Chill tables, Heat Index data, an entire chapter that cross-references SAE, Metric and even Whitworth hardware. Listings of those formulas you've forgotten from High School. Several Chapters apply to the off-season mechanic or machinist. Drill sizing; counter-sinking; metal properties & hardness; welding data and taps and dies. Granted there are more complete machining books, but if you are at the store and are blanking on a spec, the Pocket Ref may save you a return trip.Oh sure, you can get most of this information off of the internet. But out in Hooterville at O-dark-thirty, you may be able to find your answer before your alpha-geek friend has even accessed the 'net.Author Thomas Glover has compiled tons of data onto 544 pages into this little, 5 1/4" X 3 1/4" book. Tankbag?!? Hell - this thing fits into your jacket! Available from better hardware stores, booksellers or the publisher.Verdict:Casual Reader--You could live without this, but why would you want to? Gear Head--Serious "geek-credit" earned when you deploy this little gem. Serious Ride--Has scores of uses directly applicable to motorcycling. A no-brainer.BIG DAN's OVERALL RATING: 9.2/10

Between working in my garage, a teen-age son, computers, construction and working in a marine terminal, I need easy access to formulas for converting measurements, figuring volume, getting info on material strength and "trivial" facts on just about everything. This Pocket Reference supplies all this information and lives in my work bag, next to my screwdriver and labor contracts. It has gotten me out of jams with the load limits for wire rope, torquing bolts and bets on the diameter of the planet Mercury. Nice tool for the person who needs to know everything.

The biggest problem I've had with this book is getting people to return it to my office after they've borrowed it. It has so much useful information including every unit conversion imaginable; bolt, screw, nail, pipe, wire, etc... specifications; mathematical constants; chemical element properties......and that's just scratching the surface of what this book contains. But even with over 500 pages of reference info, it's still small and portable. It measures 3-3/4" x 5-1/2" x 3/4", so it'll fit in a pocket, briefcase, or drawer. If you're looking for a good all-around reference, this is definately a good buy.

The Pocket Ref is right up there with the dictionary and thesaurus. The nice thing about it is that you can tote this little book everywhere (which I do). It is very handy and contains everything from airport codes, measurement conversions, area codes, the periodic table, etc. All of us have one at work and we give these away for clients, associates, and friends. This book has everything you've always needed to find, just didn't know where.