The ARRL spread spectrum sourcebook at:
http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?isbn=0872593177

and

TAPR's Spread Spectrum Update at:
http://www.tapr.org/tapr/html/Fpub.ss.html

Has anyone read either of these publications? I'm afraid I'm just a
little rusty on
the old algebra, trig and calculus. So a relatively math-free (not
completely
math-free, mind you) book would be appreciated.

As I understand it, the ARRL spread spectrum sourcebook is evidently a
collection or
articles put out by the ARRL/AMRAD on spread spectrum experiments. Would
this be
correct?

I had the ARRL spread spectrum sourcebook (before I sold it on eBay). It is
a bit a jumble of chapters:
A lot of legal and restrictive stuff (as SS originated in military comms and
can be used for covert and/or jam resistant communication)
Several articles on shift register sequences and coding gain.
Synchronisation
Some designs, but the digital parts are quite obsolete now.

Wim