No comments about Living Spaces: Sustainable Building and Design.

No comments about Publicidad, Diseno Y Empresa/ Publicity, Design and Business.

3 comments about Treehouses (The House That Jack Built Series).

1. This small book is a collection of 22 stories about living in trees. Each story is written by someone close to the project, usually the builder themselves. Each story involves 1 or 2 pages of text and a few images. The book ends with a brief summary of how to make your own treehouse.
   
   This book has little to recommend itself. It is a disjoint collection of poorly written essays and grainy, unprofessional photos. Of the 22 stories presented, very few were not previously known to me, and those that weren't were quite uninteresting. Some of the articles read like advertisements for a particular builder's services.
   
   From a builder's perspective, there is little to be gleaned from the short "Make It" section at the book's end. The complexities of building your own treehouse require much more than a few paragraphs. I will say that the author does not distribute any misinformation, something I can't say for a lot of other, more prominent works. On the other hand, very little information is provided in the first place.
   
   This book does provide you with a quick and thorough glimpse of modern treehouse ideas from 10 years ago. You will not find a more concise introduction anywhere. However, for those serious about treehouses, the lack of in-depth information is a sore lack indeed.



2. not only does this book have wonderful pictures, but it has wonderful stories that tells you about the personal life of some of the people who built and/or live in the treehouse. Including, myself.



3. This is really a dream book to savor and enjoy and look at again and again whenever you need to lift yourself up. Beautiful pictures, and many different designs, from all over the world. The stories alongside the pictures are more about the dreams before and the experiences after than the actual building. But the books out there on actual building are short on designs, so this book really helps you see what others have done. My only regret is that the treehouse on the front cover and the treehouse pictures in the introduction are not featured with a paragraph or two as are the other 22 treehouse articles. However, overall, this book is a delight to read and enjoy. Also, a good resource section in the back. Definately, 5 stars!

No comments about Mastering 3ds Max Design 2009.

5 comments about Cocinando!: Fifty Years of Latin Album Cover Art.

1. I bought this book on a friend's recommendation. It's pages are filled with great album art that spans the range of great Latin Jazz and Rock, from Desi Arnaz and Mongo Santamaria to Carlos Santana and Los Lobos. It is like a pictoral history of great Latin music in America, including a section on Brasilian music. Tito Puente, Poncho Sanchez....even Dizzy Gillespie (who helped introduce Latin Rhythms to America) is represented....all in glorious vintage styles that you forgot you loved!
   
   So if you love Jazz, buy this one.
   
   Now I need to add these albums to my record collection.



2. Other books have been written on rock album cover art: here's the first to cover fifty years of the brightest and best album covers in Latin music history - and those who fostered them. Using album covers over the decades, Cocinadndo is an artistic, visual treat of the best Latin record covers from all genres of Latin music, from congo and bassa nova to salsa. Cocinando! is a simply gorgeous, rich presentation with full-page color album covers packing every page.



3. Many people who love Latin music and vintage Latin album graphics will snatch up this book. Be forewarned that there are disappointments to be found inside. The author/compiler seems to look down his nose at the garish, exotic, sexy and sensational album sleeves from the '40s and '50s that we gringos adore, choosing for the most part to showcase politically correct, bizarre abstract art creations from the 1970s. No me gusta! It's not that there are none of the earlier variety of album sleeve on display here, but there are not nearly enough. What's worse, the author interprets "latin music" to mean Cuban, Brazilian and Puerto-Rican-derived product; if you're looking for reproductions of some great old ranchera, flamenco or merengue album sleeves, you're out of luck. The richness and diversity of Latin music is missing from this book. COCINANDO! is certainly a groundbreaking collection, but by no means is it definitive. I hope someone follows up this incomplete history with another that presents the Golden Age of latin music from a more unbiased viewpoint. I'd like to take the opportunity here to tout the collectability of vintage Mexican album sleeves; many of them are absolutely gorgeous, and they need to be recognized as the works of art that they are.



4. How wonderful that someone has at last collected and memorialized the music and musicians from the Afro-Cuban and Latino bands that too often went unnoticed in this country. I wish that the publisher had included a CD or two to go with the book, since many of the musicians represented in pictures are not widely available on disc any more to a public which needs to hear as well as see.
   
   In any case, gracias, Senor Yglesias - do it some more!



5. If you're going to be stuck some place without music - Bring This Book With You! This book swims with visual excitement and indepth analysis of an exciting genre that is poorly understood. Pablo Yglesias acts a curator Extraordinaire in this not to be missed work.

No comments about Technical Drawing With Claris CAD.

1 comments about Language of Space.

1. I must admit I haven't read this book, but I recently attended a presentation by Bryan Lawson where he presented these ideas in some detail. He is a good, entertaining speaker and has shown very good writing skills in previous books.
   
   The topic, however, is mostly well-known stuff by designers and architects, who have been interested in how the built environment shapes our behaviour for millenia, literally. The classic studies by Jacobs ("Death and Life of Great American Cities") is a more recent (1960s) example of this concern.
   
   In all (topic + author), I'd recommend this book to readers who are interested in design and architecture topics and are not fully familiar with Jacobs and all the subsequent work in envirmomental behaviour. This is a good place to do some catching-up.
   
   It is also very much recommended to non-design people trying to understand that design is much more than 'styling' or superficial appearance.

No comments about High Performance Instrumentation and Automation.

2 comments about Starting a New Design Firm, or Risking It All!.

1. Ms. Willard is insightful. Her book is both informative and creative. Definitely a bargain purchase for anyone entertaining the notion of beginning a design firm. It is refreshing to find an author who is stacked and has a creative mind.



2. This book was an eye opening experience. It should be read by anyone thinking of opening their own firm. Read it two to three months ahead of taking the plunge

No comments about Reynold's Reinforced Concrete Designer Handbook.