Customer Rating:  
Summary: Great Reference but not intended for study for a code exam
Comment: It is interesting to note that many of the reviewers have bashed this because they were attempting to use this as a study guide for a particular State's Electrician Exam. This book is not intended to be a Code Reference/Guide and is more of a "how it works" reference. As noted there are much better study guides out there for testing purposes. I highly recommend Stallcups Journeyman's workbook or the Master Electrician's workbook if you are wanting to pass the exam. I have taught Journeyman prep classes and used Stallcups and the appropriate edition of the NEC exclusively. Mike Holt's books are also good for exam preparation.
As for the using the index it should be clear after only a cursory examination that it is indexed by section and not by page. This does make it a bit more tedious to look up a particular subject but it is certainly not impossible or unusable.
As for some of the archaic information included- there are still two phase systems in existent, there are houses with knob & tube wiring, we still see 3 phase delta high leg systems, manual motor starters (the old "one arm bandits"), and so on. Just because these are not part of modern wiring methods/systems does not mean that they have ceased to exist altogether.
I have found this to be a great reference and have used it many times to resolve questions that I could find little or no information for anywhere else. It is not an exhaustive reference on any single subject but it is a great reference to give you an overview.
One other observation- Amazon apparently ties the reviews to the book title and not the edition. The reviews here are for previous editions and do not specifically address the 15th edition.
As for my background- I have been a master electrican for over 15 years, am a certified electrical inspector, certified instrument technician, and NETA certified testing technician.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Gem, with caveats
Comment: This is an excellent, if dense read that bridges the gap between the science of electricity, and the practical matter of an Electrician's work. It will not fully explain the science of the topic, and it will certainly not teach you how to wire a house. It is a very good book if your question runs along the lines of "Why does it work that way?" Its treatment of Ohm's law and other fundamentals is particularly useful. That said, the index is a nightmare, the book is not organized by page number, and it contains some apocrypha.
I have been an electrician for just over two years now (and I wrote this using my wife's login, because I'm too lazy to relog)
Customer Rating:
Summary: Worst hand book ever! by a Union Inside Wireman
Comment: I went through the union apprenticeship in San Francisco. I completed my apprenticeship in 2003, and decided to purchase this book to study for the CA state certification. HUGE MISTAKE!!! If all you are looking for is a study tool for the state certification test all you need is a code book. In school we never used this book, and I went through a 5 year apprenticeship, and after looking through this book I can see why. I found it almost impossible to use the index, and the table of contents wasn't much help either. I do however reccomend the National Electrical Code 2005 Handbook. It cost $25 more but it is well worth it. Neither of these books will teach you how to be an electrician so don't even bark up that tree! DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!!! My 8 and a half years of being a wireman (including 5 years as an apprentice)and I can't make sence of this book. Don't waste your time or money again DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!!!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Not a handbook
Comment: I would NOT recommend this book to any electrician, engineer, or architect. It is extremely difficult to comprehend. Gaining any practical information from this book is futile. I have had the twelfth edition over ten years. I used it to study for the electricians exam. I hated it then. Since that time, I have found it to be a very poor reference book. The thirteenth edition is no better. I understand why some electrician training schools might use this book - it is very comprehensive. It would make a good reference for a classroom lesson plan, but not a direct teaching tool. If you want to learn the material in this book, get the National Electric Code Handbook (and related materials published by the NFPA) and appropriate textbooks. FYI - I am a licensed electrician and a registered professional engineer.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A patchwork monster
Comment: Another motley McGraw-Hill product. First copyrighted in 1913. The author appears to have died prior to 1976, and the book has been maintained by hired help. Don't try to use this as a textbook; treat it as a reference only. You never really know whether some item is up to date or 50 or 80 years old. Examples: There is a lot of treatment of two-phase (yup, 90 degrees) power, including at 25 hertz, and of multi-kilovolt series incandescent streetlighting, plus knob and tube wiring. Also, it is stated that the highest radio frequency in use is 30 megahertz, whereas in reality we're up to 1,000 or 2,000 times that just now. This book is a curiousity; charming if you have the cash, but if you don't, maybe you should be getting something more coherent.
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