Control Valve Selection and Sizing, by Les Driskell of ISA (ISBN 0-87664-628-3), is the control valve "bible." Virtually everything you need to know about these valves is there ," from sizing to trim types and applications.

The Valve Primer, by Brent T. Stojkov (Industrial Press, ISBN 0-8311-3077-6), is a small book that not only is easy to carry around, but also is the best basic valve book available, in this author's opinion.

The Chemical Engineering Guide to Valves, by Richard Greene and Chemical Engineering magazine (McGraw-Hill, ISBN 0-07-024313-1), is a compilation of various magazine reprints. Highlights include articles on valve installation and the selection and specification of valves for new plants.

Valve & Actuator Technology, by Wayne Ulanksi (McGraw-Hill, ISBN 0-07-019477-7), contains a lot of basic valve information, but focuses much of its attention on valve actuation.

Valve Handbook, by Philip Skousen (McGraw-Hill, ISBN 0-07-057921-0), is a heavy handbook. Its 726 pages cover virtually all valve subjects. It offers a complete reference work, although it is slightly heavy on control valve material.

The Valve Book, edited by Pirjo Sparig of Neles-Jamesbury, is a book with heavy emphasis on quarter-turn valves. Highlights include much data on seat construction and operation, including offset types.

Lyon's Encyclopedia of Valves, by Jerry Lyons and Carl Askland (Van Nostrand Reinhold, ISBN 0-442-24961-6), is truly a reference work, with most of its pages devoted to a valve terminology glossary and fluid power symbols.

Valve Selection and Specification Guide, by Ronald C. Merrick (Von Nostrand Reinhold, ISBN 0-442-31870-7), is different from the other texts in that the author gives extra attention to valve specifications and procurement. The volume also contains a good basic valve overview, with a focus on construction details.

Two excellent general corrosion books provide help in making sound valve material selections. Corrosion Control in The Chemical Process Industries, by C.P. Dillon (Metals Technology Institute of the Chemical Process Industries), offers a great overview of chemical process corrosion and materials. Corrosion in the Petrochemical Industry (ASM International) could be the best overall chemical and petrochemical corrosion book around today. Its 500 pages cover materials, case histories and corrosion forms.

Because the valve book market is small, most of the above-mentioned books can be difficult to find at technical bookstores. However, they usually can be located easily on Internet used-book marketplace sites such as www.bookfinder.com.

It would be nice if all this valve information was available online. But so far only a smattering of easily obtainable data is available. Most of what exists is available on manufacturers' Web sites. Many of these sites now offer PDF catalog and document downloading.

Reference books and documents will never replace practical valve experience, but the combination of the two might help create the next "valve guru" in your organization. If you have a local valve service facility, call and get acquainted with its representatives ," these people are the front lines of valve technology and most are glad to offer assistance or welcome you into their shop for some hands-on experience.