• A Primer on Wavelets and Their Scientific Applications, Second Edition (Studies in Advanced Mathematics)
• Digital Signal Processing Using MATLAB and Wavelets (with CD-ROM)(Electrical Engineering) (Computer Science) (Electrical Engineering)
• The Illustrated Wavelet Transform Handbook
• Who Is Fourier?: A Mathematical Adventure
• Ripples in Mathematics

tells the story well
Review written by: W Boudville From Terra, Sol 3
What is impressive is how the author has told a story about wavelets, at a level that correctly communicates the mathematical essence. Where specifically the impressive achievement is that that level is for a first year undergrad. The maths discussed involves Fourier series [of course!], definite integrals, and simple matrix manipulations.

En route, she explains the Fast Fourier Transform. She credits Gauss as the original inventor, but does not mention Cooley and Tukey who independently rediscovered it, when computers were available to actually make the method practical. There's a hilarious little aside, when she does some approximations and credits this to "minor" administrative overhead. Where the humour is that universities typically charge 40% overhead on government grants! Must remember that.

Excellent Introduction to Wavelets
Review written by: Salvatore R. Mangano From Oyster Bay, NY United States
This is an excellent introduction to wavelets and also the Fourier Transform. The first part of the book is readily accessible to almost anyone who has a passing knowledge of high school math. The second half will mostly be useful to the more mathematically sophisticated. It is an ideal kick start for any one who has the requisite knowledge and is motivated to learn more about the applications and theory behind wavelets.

It is not likely that this book will satisfy all your needs if you intend to master this subject but if you are just getting started, I would start here.

Good effort, but no
Review written by: orangekay From San Francisco, CA United States
The author of this book states in the preface that her goal is to make wavelet theory accessible to the layman, without bombarding them with "paralyzing" "funny symbols or hieroglyphics" they haven't learned yet. I thought this was a wonderful idea, as I am a layman who never made it past high school geometry with an interest in learning all about the successor to the ubiquitous FFT used in engineering. Unfortunately, while she does manage to avoid using excessive amounts of "hieroglyphics" in the first part of the book, she makes up for it by throwing around a lot of mathematical terms which are never defined for the reader, so the net result in terms of comprehension is ultimately the same as if she had used the formulae, if not worse. Ms. Hubbard will dedicate three pages worth of text to an anecdotal retelling of some conversation that took place between two researchers in front of a Xerox machine, and then suddenly throw in one line at the end of all this nonsense about integrals and coefficients, as though the preceding story somehow prepared the reader for these terms well enough to divine their meaning from one terse little sentence devoid of any contextual clues. It may be presumptuous of me, but I don't think these words mean any more than the much maligned "hieroglyphics" would to the average layman this book is meant to be read by.

On top of that, the diagrams and illustrations are horrible, looking like something that came out of a dot-matrix printer in the late 70s, and ultimately illustrating nothing.

The world desperately needs a book that actually does what this one claims to. "Who is Fourier?" certainly managed to pull it off well enough for the Fourier Transform despite being translated from Japanese, so I'm certain it's possible even if Ms. Hubbard happened to fail miserably at her task.

Good for start
Review written by: Stana Zivanovic From Sheffield, UK
I was very happy reading this book. If you are familiar with the Fourier transform and don't know anything about wavelets, this is a book for you.

Actually, the book has got two parts. In the first part you can learn basic things about Fourier transform (about its usage but also about its limits), what we need wavelets for and what the wavelets are. It is explained in very simple language without any formulas. The second part contains basic formulas related to the topics in the first part. I find that the link between these two parts is very good. Also, the author gives physical explanation whenever it's possible.

If you are a specialist in the wavelets area, you probably know all these things but if you are new (like me!) you will find that this book is quite useful.

It can be done!
Review written by: Palle E T Jorgensen From Iowa City, Iowa United States
I am a math professor,-- and I often wondered if it wouldn't be possible to get some essential math ideas accross to almost anyone, --and with fewer equations. Ideas can be burried in symbolism;-- not always! But it does happen. Many of my colleagues tell me that if it were possible, then it would be done. The author of this lovely little book didn't take math courses (she says!). Professional mathematicians would most likely agree with me that she (the author) did in fact communicate the essential ideas behind wavelets (and did it well!);- and so she must have understood them!! Perhaps, anyone who really wants to, can penetrate a specialized math discipline;-- I would guess. Perhaps it is not even hard!? At least this book proves that it is not impossible to communicate
the beauty of math;--and its uses. Take a look at the book, and judge for yourself!
It is fun too!