Forthcoming Titles

Asbestos Abatement Training

for Contractors and Supervisors
By Karen Hoffman
Over time, with increasing documentation of adverse health effects, many
studies and epidemiologic investigations have demonstrated that inhalation
of asbestos fibers may lead to increased risk of developing one or more
diseases. Therefore, the United States Environmental Protection Agency
developed this manual as a guide for those who are about to undertake an
asbestos abatement project. Prepared by professionals in the field of asbestos
abatement and control, this book was subjected to review throughout its
preparation by government, academic, and industry experts. Features include:

• History and health effects of asbestos

• Legal and insurance considerations
• Waste disposal requirements and much more $34.95
ISBN: 978-1-934302-42-2
1st edition
May 2009

TechCareers: Automotive Technicians

By Helen Ginger
The world of automotive repair and maintenance is always changing due
to constant technological advances, both mechanically and through
increasing involvement with computers. For people who are good at problem
solving and are interested in a hands-on, project-based career, becoming
an automotive technician is the best way to be a part of one of the largest
industries in the world. TechCareers: Automotive Technicians is your guide to
becoming involved in this field. Features include:

• How to start your training

• Areas of specialization
• Salary ranges and benefits
• Profiles of current students and professionals in the field $14.95
ISBN: 978-1-934302-43-9
1st edition
June 2009

publishing.tstc.edu 1
 The Algebra Workbook: A Short Review
By Aprilsue Grulick

Created by a developmental algebra teacher at Texas State Technical College

for students who needed help refreshing their knowledge, The Algebra
Workbook: A Short Review will provide the materials necessary to polish
anyone’s algebra skills. Whether students are looking to pass an evaluation
exam at the end of an algebra course or to review for placement/assessment
tests such as the Accuplacer®, this workbook is just what they need.

Topics covered include how to work with parentheses, substitution, how to

manage equations, how to factor polynomials as well as 10 different practice
tests for skills application. Also included is an answer key for students to check
their work.
$19.95
ISBN: 978-1-934302-41-5
1st edition
May 2009

The College Algebra Helper Workbook

By Dr. Clara Wajngurt

The College Algebra Helper Workbook was created as a supplement to Dr.

Hossein Pezeshki’s The College Algebra Helper. Its problems are designed
to further student understanding of basic algebraic concepts and provide
additional opportunities for application. Using this workbook will enable
the development good algebra skills and a thorough understanding of the
materials presented in The College Algebra Helper.

Practice activities for first-semester algebra students cover the areas of

quadratics; polynomials; rational, logarithmic and exponential functions;
systems of equations; progressions; sequences and series; and matrices and
determinants.
$19.95
ISBN: 978-1-934302-44-6
1st edition
June 2009

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New Titles
The Technician’s Guide to Reading Blueprints
By Sharon Bagby

Being able to read blueprints — not just draw them — is a necessary skill for
technicians in a variety of fields. To meet this need, Sharon Bagby has written
The Technician’s Guide to Reading Blueprints based on her years of experience
in both industry and the classroom. From blueprint reading basics to their
use in a wide range of applications, this book is an indispensable resource for
students and technicians alike. Features include:

• The ABCs of lines

• Scales and measurement instruments
• Overview of manufacturing materials
• Electrical, sheet metal and pipe drawings
$34.95
ISBN 978-1-934302-34-7
1st edition
December 2008

TechCareers: Welding Technology

By Karen Mitchell Smith

TechCareers: Welding Technology provides a detailed overview of the

foundation to become a welding technician including the benefits, job
options and skill requirements for succeeding in this rewarding career.
Through course listings and welding programs and personal interviews with
instructors, students, employers, and employees, anyone can gain insight
into this exciting career field. Features include:

• Comprehensive listing of welding programs in the United States

• Overview of educational requirements and career pathways
• Sample degree plans and additional sources of industry information
$14.95
ISBN 978-1-934302-33-0
1st edition
December 2008

publishing.tstc.edu 3
 Biomedical Equipment Technicians
By Dr. Roger Bowles
The outlook is very bright for biomedical equipment technicians, with entry-
level salaries in 2007 typically ranging from $32,000 to $42,000 annually.
According to both the Occupational Outlook Handbook and professional
recruiters, demand for individuals in this field will remain strong. Features
include:

• Detailed information on career pathways, skill sets and educational

requirements
• Profiles of BET technicians in the field, employers, current students and
$14.95 instructors
ISBN 978-1-934302-29-3 • Program listings, sample degree plans and additional industry resources
1st edition
August 2008

The Hand Tools Manual

By Thomas Dutton
Many technicians know the difference between standard and Phillips
screwdrivers. They know Allen wrenches from crescent wrenches. However,
they may not know those tools’ origins, their history, or the best ways to
properly and safely use them.

Thomas Dutton, a biomedical technology equipment instructor at Texas

State Technical College Waco, wrote The Hand Tools Manual not only to teach
technicians how to properly and safely use hand tools of all varieties from
$24.95 screwdrivers to files, but also to pass along tidbits of history — the early use of
ISBN 978-1-934302-27-9 tools, for instance — as well as to tell how and why a particular tool gets used
1st edition today.
January 2008

Basic Electronic Troubleshooting

for Biomedical Technicians
By Nicholas Cram & Selby Holder
A majority of texts available for teaching electronic troubleshooting are based
heavily on theory and complex formulas that are not required or desired in a
hands-on teaching approach.

In contrast, Basic Electronic Troubleshooting for Biomedical Technicians by

Nicholas Cram and Selby Holder enables technicians to understand electronic
$64.95 repair problems without introducing high-level engineering formulas.
ISBN 978-0-9768503-0-4
1st edition This objective is accomplished by presenting applications-oriented, problem-
August 2005 solving techniques along with pictorial representations that replace
complicated theory-oriented and equation-intensive learning processes.

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 Safety in Healthcare Facilities
By Nicholas Cram & Selby Holder
Everyone from a hospital CEO to an entry-level worker must have knowledge of
basic healthcare safety policies and procedures.

To meet this need, Safety in Healthcare Facilities by Nicholas Cram and Selby
Holder provides an overview of vital subjects like regulatory and standards
agencies, medical device safety, fire safety, and natural disaster response
planning. Both authors have extensive experience in the field and in the
classroom, and they have used that experience to inform this text.
$22.95
Whether you’re a seasoned healthcare professional wanting a refresher or are ISBN 978-1-934302-03-3
new to the industry and need to know nuts-and-bolts protocols, this valuable 1st edition
resource is indispensable. May 2007

Installing and Administering Microsoft®

Windows® Server Operating Systems: A
Projects Lab Manual
By Ken Scheler
Today’s computer networking students must move beyond textbook theory
combined with disconnected and piecemeal assignments. To meet this need,
Installing and Administering Microsoft® Windows® Server Operating Systems:
A Projects Lab Manual by Ken Scheler offers a comprehensive set of lessons
and assignments for students to gain practical experience installing and
administering Microsoft® Windows® server operating systems. Features include: $34.95
ISBN 978-0-9768503-3-5
• Sixteen lessons, focused on specific topics, that build knowledge 1st edition
through a tightly integrated series of 40+ projects December 2006
• Topics covering installing Active Directory, working with FAT and NTFS
file systems, creating and administering computer accounts,
implementing security, data backups, system recovery, and more
• Projects that have been rigorously field tested by computer networking
faculty

publishing.tstc.edu 5
 TAKING CHARGE:
YOUR EDUCATION, YOUR CAREER, YOUR LIFE
KAREN MITCHELL SMITH

Taking Charge:
Your Education, Your Career, Your Life
By Karen Mitchell Smith
$49.95
ISBN 978-1-934302-30-9
1st edition
April 2008

Typically, college success textbooks focus on traditional higher education academic skills: note taking, test
strategies, and research. However, in response to the increasing trend — especially at two-year colleges — of
students immediately entering the workforce upon graduation, Taking Charge directly contextualizes these
academic skills with the soft skills necessary to succeed in the workplace.

In addition, all the subject areas covered in the book are related to personal growth so that students may
see that these skills are not used in isolation but are, rather, an integral part of the ongoing development
everyone experiences in life.

Features in Taking Charge: Your Education, Your Career, Your Life include:

• Personal, educational, and career applications relating to each chapter’s subject

• Chapters focusing on goal setting, time management, financial planning, critical thinking, research,
written and interpersonal communications, the diverse and non-hostile work environment, and much
more
• Success stories at the end of each chapter profiling students, graduates, faculty, and staff from around
the country
• Additional suggested resources as well as individual and group exercises designed to increase student
comprehension and internalization of concepts presented

More information about Taking Charge can be found at its Web site: http://tstcpubtakingcharge.wordpress.com.

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 The Quick Math Review
By Diana Gafford & Dr. Mike Hosseinpour
A quick (and successful!) review of math needs a good nuts-and-bolts book to
help students develop their math skills. Diana Gafford, the late developmental
math department chair at Texas State Technical College Harlingen, and
Dr. Mike Hosseinpour, TSTC Harlingen developmental math senior instructor,
have written a math text to do just that.

The Quick Math Review is a basic review workbook originally written to be

used for TSTC Harlingen’s Quick Review math course, a one-week intensive
review course covering topics from Basic Mathematics, Introductory Algebra
and Intermediate Algebra. The basic math review workbook begins with
fractions and continues into areas such as factoring, basic algebra and
graphing. $34.95
ISBN 978-1-934302-06-4
Gafford said the book “pares everything down to the very basic skills that 1st edition
students need to know.” May 2007

Since the inclusion of the text into the curriculum, Gafford’s Quick Review
class has shown a 70 percent success rate of students who pass the class,
typically saving themselves one or two semesters of basic math classes.

The College Algebra Helper

By Dr. Hossein Pezeshki
The College Algebra Helper by Dr. Hossein Pezeshki, chair of the mathematics
department at Texas State Technical College Harlingen, provides a focused,
thorough overview for first-semester algebra students in the areas of
quadratics; polynomial, rational, logarithmic and exponential functions;
systems of equations; progressions; sequences and series; and matrices and
determinants.

The book includes multiple step-by-step examples to guide students in their

understanding of college-level algebra. Sets of exercises following each
section further aid students in their progress.

Pezeshki says he feels a large part of his role as a teacher is to motivate his $34.95
students to stay in school, and he always emphasizes the power of education ISBN 978-0-9786773-2-9
to them. He adds that there isn’t a treasure better than education, and that 1st edition
getting a good education takes time, effort and desire. August 2006

publishing.tstc.edu 7
 Short Math Review CD
By Aprilsue Grulick
A few years ago, Aprilsue Grulick’s intermediate algebra students kept saying
they already knew the material being taught in the class. Some even said
they just missed getting into the next class level by a couple of points on the
placement exam, Accuplacer®.

She felt students needed a set of review materials to help them pass the
placement exam and perhaps ease them through any test anxiety. So, she
$5.95 created the Short Math Review CD, designed to help students think about
ISBN 978-1-934302-28-6 algebra and refresh their knowledge. It contains 30 test questions with multiple
1st edition choice answers for practice test taking. It addresses common mistakes and lets
January 2008 students know how to get the correct answer.

Contemporary Math I Using MAPLE or TI-89

By Dr. Otto Wilke
MAPLE is a computer algebra system that was first developed at the University
of Waterloo in Canada. Dr. Otto Wilke, math professor at Texas State Technical
College Waco, has produced Contemporary Math Using MAPLE or TI-89 to teach
students how to use the software to work problems in areas such as algebra,
geometry, logarithms and basic trigonometry. It is the first textbook taught in
a math survey course that teaches problem solving using MAPLE specifically. In
addition, the book includes instructions on how to work problems with a TI-89
calculator.
$39.95
ISBN 978-1-934302-07-1
1st edition
August 2007

The Ethics Reader, Volumes I & II

Selected by Troy D. Williamson
The function of The Ethics Reader: A Selection of Entries from the Summer 2007
Edition of the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy is to challenge students
and teachers alike to ponder philosophical issues like integrity and moral
responsibility. With articles from more than 30 different scholars, readers are
bound to question their already formed opinions. They may find they know
less than when they started the book, much like the famous thinker, Socrates,
who said, “There is only one thing that I know for certain, and that is that I know
nothing.”

$29.95
ISBN 978-1-934302-26-2
1st edition
December 2007

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 TSTC Emerging Technologies TechBriefs
TechBriefs are three-to-four-page studies of new technology and
occupational trends. Each brief begins with a summary of key performance
indicators and recommendations for technical and community colleges.
TechBriefs also address the following areas:

• Technology
• Jobs
• Skill Sets
• Trends
• Timing
• Relevance

Recent topics examined include mechatronics, home technology integration,

usability analysis, biomedical equipment information systems specialist,
Free
and various alternative fuel sources.Those topics that indicate a strong Bi-Monthly
opportunity or potential for curriculum demand are then selected for Publication
detailed study in full-length technology forecasts such as those listed in this
catalog.

To join the TechBriefs mailing list and receive this publication at no charge,
email your contact information with “TechBriefs Subscription” in the subject
line to TSTC Publishing at tstc.publishing@gmail.com.

Mechatronics: A Technology Forecast

By John H. Vanston, Ph.D.; Henry Elliott, M.S.M.E.; Jim Brazell;
Eliza Evans, Ph.D.; James A. Irwin; Michael A. Bettersworth, M.A.
Mechatronics is another way of saying “intelligent mechanical systems.” It’s
the foundation of many 21st century enabling technologies and careers, and
involves the integration of mechanical and electrical systems with control
systems and information technology.

Mechatronics products and processes are increasingly pervasive across

a broad range of industries. These same industries are expressing a
clear demand for highly skilled employees capable of excelling in these
technologically advanced environments.

Mechatronics: A Technology Forecast includes an overview of mechatronics $24.95

technology and analysis of related occupations and salaries, an inventory ISBN 978-1-934302-12-5
of existing mechatronics curriculum and considerations for colleges July 2007
contemplating developing related programs, and lists of industry experts and
mechatronics companies.

publishing.tstc.edu 9
 Biotechnology: A Technology Forecast
By John Vanston, Ph.D.; Henry Elliott, M.S.M.E.
Continuing advances in biotechnology have the potential to dramatically
improve human health and wellness, provide more efficient food production
processes, contribute to a cleaner environment, enhance homeland security
and support human identification techniques.

Biotechnology: A Technology Forecast examines fundamental trends driving

advances in biotechnology, reviews current and planned research projects,
includes discussions with leading biotech experts and provides strategic and
$24.95 targeted recommendations to increase the competitiveness of biotechnology
ISBN 0-9786773-1-5 companies in Texas.
July 2006

M2M: The Wireless Revolution

By Jim Brodie Brazell, Laurel Donoho,
John Dexheimer, Robert Hanneman, George Langdon
M2M is an acronym for Machine to Machine and the birth of a fourth
generation of computing. M2M is a category of information and
communication technology that combines communications, computer, and
power technologies to enable remote human and machine interaction with
physical, chemical, and biological systems and processes.

In many ways, M2M represents a wireless revolution, as all things are

$24.95 increasingly connected to the network via wireless telemetry. Analysts are
ISBN 0-9768503-4-6 optimistic that a spectrum of promising markets and opportunities abound
June 2005 with an established $100 billion market in 2005.

Home Technology Integration:

A Technology Forecast
By John H. Vanston, Ph.D.; Henry Elliott, M.S.M.E.;
Michael Bettersworth; Wayne Caswell
Many homeowners and homebuilders are integrating digital technology into
residences because of the decreasing cost of these systems. System integrators
(employers) indicate a lack of available expertise in the home technology
integration (HTI) sector capable of designing, installing and supporting these
home subsystems. HTI includes audio, video, networking, control systems,
air conditioning, security, and computer technology. As the entry cost of HTI
$24.95
solutions and services decreases, the market is expanding beyond large,
ISBN 978-1-934302-02-6
custom-built homes and into the broader mass housing market.
April 2007
This publication includes an overview of HTI technology, analysis of existing
HTI curriculum, descriptions of relevant industry certifications, the nature of HTI
jobs and skills, a directory of more than 100 Texas HTI companies, and market
drivers and constraints.

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 Gaming: A Technology Forecast
By Jim Brodie Brazell, Nicholas Kim,
Honoria Starbuck, Ph.D.
The game industry is not a future industry — it is a high-growth, $50 billion global
industry that promises important benefits and implications to society and for
science- and technology-based industries in general. Gaming: A Technology Forecast
is specifically designed to provide Texas community and technical colleges with
insights and data useful in identifying and initiating new technology-related
programs in the field of digital games. Though this report was designed for
Texas educators, its contents may also be useful to a variety of state and regional
economic development efforts. $24.95
ISBN 0-9768503-7-0
Report highlights include the digital game market, game-related technologies, February 2004
game industry trends, game industry workforce needs, salaries and occupations,
and college gaming curricula.

The report also discusses the unique transdisciplinary nature of gaming and
potential relationships and implications of gaming throughout 21st century
science, technology, and education.

Fuel Cells: A Technology Forecast

By John Vanston, Ph.D.; Henry Elliott, M.S.M.E.
The fuel cell industry is only now beginning to achieve its promise, and it is
possible for Texas to establish itself as an “early adopter” state. Such a position
will make the state attractive to manufacturing and service companies as
commercialization accelerates. Given its strong, long-term position in the
energy sector, Texas could easily become a leader in the fuel cell field, if the state
government, industry, and academic institutions are willing to make the necessary
commitments.

Fuel Cells: A Technology Forecast is specifically designed to provide Texas

$24.95
community and technical colleges with insights and data useful in identifying
ISBN 0-9768503-8-9
and initiating new technology-related programs in the field of fuel cells including
October 2003
stationary, portable and mobile fuel cells.

The forecast looks at the state of fuel cell development, training strategies for
community and technical colleges, current fuel cell activities in Texas, the nature
and rate of technical advances, and potential employment demands. It also
provides forecasts and insights into the future of fuel cell development and
commercialization.

publishing.tstc.edu 11
 Homeland Security:
A Technology Forecast
By John Vanston, Ph.D.; Henry Elliott, M.S.M.E.
September 11, 2001, brought attention to the challenges of internal security
in the United States, and led to the establishment of the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS). Homeland Security: A Technology Forecast presents
information, ideas and concepts designed to assist Texas community and
technical college leaders in making reasoned decisions about the design,
initiation and conduct of HS programs at their institutions. The report includes
analyses of identification specialists, network security specialists, weapons of
$24.95
mass destruction detection specialists, WMD mitigation and decontamination
ISBN 0-9768503-6-2
specialists, concealed explosives specialists, critical infrastructure security
September 2004
specialists, and pattern analysis specialists.

Emerging Technology Programs:

ADM, Hybrids, Computer Forensics, & MEMS
By John Vanston, Ph.D.; Henry Elliott, M.S.M.E.;
Michael A. Bettersworth, M.A.
By anticipating and actively responding to future Texas workforce demands,
community and technical college curricula can be a constructive force in
attracting high tech companies to the state and ensuring that existing high
tech companies have a source of appropriately skilled employees.

$24.95 Emerging Technology Programs: ADM, Hybrids, Computer Forensics, & MEMS is
ISBN 0-9768503-5-4 designed to provide Texas colleges with timely analyses and actionable insights
September 2004 into four emerging technologies: advanced digital manufacturing, hybrid
vehicles, micro-electromechanical systems, and computer forensics.

Nanotechnology:
A Technology Forecast
By John Vanston, Ph.D.; Henry Elliott, M.S.M.E.
Today, there is scarcely any subject that elicits more interest and excitement
in the science/engineering community, the business community, and the
knowledgeable general public than nanotechnology. Current or projected
applications range from more sanitary toilet seats to improved treatments
for cancer. Nanotechnology: A Technology Forecast is specifically designed to
provide Texas community and technical colleges with insights and data useful
$24.95 in identifying and initiating new technology-related programs in the field of
ISBN 0-9768503-3-7 nanotechnology, including instrumentation, tools and computer simulation,
April 2003 materials, electronics/information technologies and optical applications, and
life sciences.

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