Over recent years there have been substantial changes in those industries which are concerned with the design, purchase and use of special purpose (ie critical, high-revenue) rotating equipment. Key personnel have been the victims of early retirement or have moved to other industries: contractors and end-users have reduced their technical staff and consequently have to learn complex material 'from scratch'. As a result, many companies are finding that they are devoting unnecessary man hours to the discovery and explanation of basic principles, and having to explain these to clients who should already be aware of them. In addition, the lack of understanding by contractors and users of equipment characteristics and operating systems often results in a 'wrong fit' and a costly reliability problem. "Forsthoffer's Rotating Equipment Handbooks: Compressors" provides detailed coverage of characteristics, types, operation in a process system, (using the concept of required and produced gas head) performance relationships, selection, what determines the turbo compressor curve shape, surge/stall/stonewall, the effects of fouling, the design basis of journal and thrust bearings, balance drums, seals, critical speeds, control and protection guidelines, series and parallel operation, component condition monitoring, troubleshooting and many other aspects. "Forsthoffer's Rotating Equipment Handbook: Compressors" is the third title in the five volume set. The volumes are: "Fundamentals of Rotating Equipment"; "Pumps"; "Compressors"; "Auxiliary Systems"; and "Reliability Optimization thru Component Condition Monitoring and Root Cause Analysis'". It is one of a five volume set which is the distillation of many years of on-site training by a well-known US Engineer who also operates in the Middle East. It is a practical book written in a succinct style and well illustrated throughout.