We recently discovered a bunch of conversion errors in the Kindle ebook version of the second edition of An Engineer’s Guide to Solving Problems.
There was something very strange and totally surprising about these errors. They were clearly the kind of error one gets when doing an optical character recognition (OCR) on printed text. I have not received a clear answer yet as to why this should ever happen. Nonetheless, it appears to me like the company which did the eBook conversion actually printed out a copy of a print-edition PDF and then did an OCR cycle to re-capture the content and formatting.
These kinds of errors tended to be word-substitution errors: like “hut” instead of “but” or creating odd spacing or punctuation.
I was quite surprised (and a little horrified) at this, because I expected that the electronic PDF would convey the text with 100% fidelity and then the formatting would be modified to fit an eBook. Worse, the eBook has been through multiple proofreading and review cycles. Unfortunately, when one is scanning for obvious kinds of error, these word substitution errors can easily be missed.
One independent expert told me that PDF files can be somewhat “non-linear” which makes it more difficult to segregate content and formatting. He speculated that the OCR path made it easier to reformat the content to keep the general appearance while allowing text resizing (dynamic formatting) in the eBook reader.
In any case, I learned something from this process. Making assumptions about the fidelity of a document conversion process is as risky as other kinds of assumptions. I will ask for a full-circle electronic verification of the text for future book conversions.
If you purchased the Kindle eBook version of the Second Edition (orange cover) of An Engineer’s Guide to Solving Problems please download a fresh copy from Amazon. There should not be any charge from Amazon to receive this update.
Here are the errors which we identified and which have now been corrected in the Kindle eBook. Please feel free to let me know if you find additional problems.
|
Kindle eBook Location(s) |
Error |
Correction (as in print version) |
|
267-268 |
He might think, "There is only one thing that is shared between the two of us, and that is the project that includes fit.'" |
He might think, "There is only one thing that is shared between the two of us, and that is the project that includes ‘it.’” |
|
377-379 |
If you have enough information, enough tests, enough proof, you can finally make a statement like, "The bucket leaks because there is a hole in the bucket, five centimeters above the bottom of the container. This has happened because we found a flaw in the plastic mold that created a weak spot in the sidewalk" |
If you have enough information, enough tests, enough proof, you can finally make a statement like, "The bucket leaks because there is a hole in the bucket, five centimeters above the bottom of the container. This has happened because we found a flaw in the plastic mold that created a weak spot in the sidewall." |
|
403 |
His wisdom fives on in his writings. |
His wisdom lives on in his writings. |
|
723-724 |
Remember, we five in team environments, and we need to be able to communicate these ideas quickly to other folks who might be far away. |
Remember, we live in team environments, and we need to be able to communicate these ideas quickly to other folks who might be far away. |
|
763 |
These silly words mean you need to know what "goes into" a block and what "goes out of' a block in that diagram. |
These silly words mean you need to know what "goes into" a block and what "goes out of” a block in that diagram. |
|
1078-1080 |
If there is always a bright flash of fight a few milliseconds before a failure, then I believe it would be worth noting that fact. However, if the system is constantly flashing bright fights and they only occasionally coincide with the failure, then at best you might note the apparent lack of coincidence between the two. |
If there is always a bright flash of light a few milliseconds before a failure, then I believe it would be worth noting that fact. However, if the system is constantly flashing bright lights and they only occasionally coincide with the failure, then at best you might note the apparent lack of coincidence between the two. |
|
1440-1441 |
But when apiece of the system (block or component) responds in an unexpected way, you must investigate that section until you completely understand the behavior. |
But when a piece of the system (block or component) responds in an unexpected way, you must investigate that section until you completely understand the behavior. |
|
1478-1479 |
Other folks might be able to reproduce your results by knowing that the "failure has been observed between 3.21 and 3.22 VDC at temperatures slightly above 27.6 ° CO |
Other folks might be able to reproduce your results by knowing that the "failure has been observed between 3.21 and 3.22 VDC at temperatures slightly above 27.6°C.” |
|
1709 |
For example, if you greatly under-sample a signal, abases will appear at incorrect frequencies. |
For example, if you greatly under-sample a signal, aliases will appear at incorrect frequencies. |
|
1713-1715 |
One of the most common experiences in electronic system design is to find a circuit block that works badly— hut suddenly works quite well when an oscilloscope is connected to some particular node in the circuit. |
One of the most common experiences in electronic system design is to find a circuit block that works badly— but suddenly works quite well when an oscilloscope is connected to some particular node in the circuit. |
|
2247-2248 |
If the failure rate does not change, that guess was not very good— bid you now can record this in the things you know: "This system is not failing because of its temperature." |
If the failure rate does not change, that guess was not very good— but you now can record this in the things you know: "This system is not failing because of its temperature." |
|
2389-2390 |
The theory itself is not a fact; it is just a good story that helps you wrap your mind around the observedbehavior. |
The theory itself is not a fact; it is just a good story that helps you wrap your mind around the observed behavior. |
|
2529 |
Big Debug an d Little Debug |
Big Debug and Little Debug |
|
2756-2757 |
You tried this and really expected to see that result— hut something totally different happened. |
You tried this and really expected to see that result— but something totally different happened. |
|
2762-2763 |
Although intuition can lead you to a brilliant diagnosis, it can also he to you. |
Although intuition can lead you to a brilliant diagnosis, it can also lie to you. |
|
2864-2865 |
Did management set a schedule that the team said could never be met— hut management had already sold the customer on such a ridiculous delivery? |
Did management set a schedule that the team said could never be met— but management had already sold the customer on such a ridiculous delivery? |
|
2870-2871 |
[Various Internet sources, none I have found with absolute trace ability.] |
[Various Internet sources, none I have found with absolute traceability.] |
|
2902-2903 |
Many years ago, my friend Hugh Macdonaid-Smith told me that the reward for solving a customer's problem was the opportunity to solve that customer's next problem. |
Many years ago, my friend Hugh Macdonald-Smith told me that the reward for solving a customer's problem was the opportunity to solve that customer's next problem. |
|
3418-3419 |
I learned very much from Hugh Macdonaid-Smith, who is probably the most brilliant deductive reasoning engineer I have ever encountered. |
I learned very much from Hugh Macdonald-Smith, who is probably the most brilliant deductive reasoning engineer I have ever encountered. |