No comments about Architectural Details from Old New England Homes.

No comments about Parametric Modeling Using Inventor: Autodesk Inventor 2008.

1 comments about Eames House: An Appreciation of the Work of Charles & Ray Eames.

1. ...this is the coolest book, i've seen in quite sometime. The book includes 3 pages that make a quick and easy model of the Eames House. Its definetly worth the $... price tag.

No comments about Discovering AutoCAD(R) 2006.

1 comments about Character Design for Mobile Devices.

1. Judging by the cover of this book, which features numerous sprites from old 8 & 16-bit consoles, it's hard to tell what this has to do with character design or mobile devices. In actuality, "mobile devices" has more to do with old portable gaming systems than cell phones, (plus there's virtually no mention of PDAs or their content) and there's really no mention of any aspects of character design outside of compensating for any resolution or color limitations.
   
   A more appropriate title might've been "Sprites: The Book" This book's purpose seems more geared towad pixel art in general and the mobile content angle was added because it's the platform where pixel art is still a technological necessity rather than an artistic choice.
   
   But don't let all that dissuade you. Considering how little literature there is on pixel art & sprites outside of webpages, this book is a must-have primer on the history and mechanics of sprite work.
   
   Sections include an overview of raster graphics, a brief history of portable gaming devices, (which if nothing else made me appreciate my old Atari Lynx a little more) breakdowns of the limitations of cell phones and LCD screens, profiles of popular pixel artists, quotes from mobile game developers, walkthroughs of creating a few sprites, examples of porting sprites between platforms, histories of pixel-heavy video game genres, (RPGs, Fighting games & platformers) as well as histories of classic sprite characters Mario, Donkey Kong, Sonic, Bonk, Arthur from "Ghouls & Ghosts" & Castlevania characters. There's plenty of knowledge to glean, even if it's not what the title might suggest.
   
   If you're looking for specific instruction on developing mobile content, look elsewhere. But if you're in the market for a broad overview on sprites and pixel art, you've found a winner.

5 comments about Inside Autocad 14 (Inside).

1. When they burned down the library at Alexandria, The excuse was if it is in the Koran than we already have it; if it is not, then we do not need it. What was true for them is true for us; if it is not in this book, then we do not need it. Or as Ed McMahon would say on the Johnny Carson Show "everything there is to know is in this book"

   I will not give you a blow by blow description of all the features in this book, as it would weigh as much as the book. Let's say it covers everything you need to get off the ground or expand your existing knowledge. One usually overlooked feature that is well covered is [Connecting Using ODBC (with Microsoft Access)]. What I really want to do is tie this back to my Unix applications, as this is the only program I use that is not UNIX at this time. My best guess is that AutoCAD can not afford to keep their UNIX experts. That is no excuse for lack of information in this book. So five stars for coverage of almost everything and minus one for lack of UNIX information.




2. The book itself is an amazing tool to have at ones side while learning this complex program. However, I see I'm not the only one who had problems with the CD. Most unfortunate as the files that do work are an excellent match with the scripted tutorials.



3. I have found the book to be an excellent source of information. The only problem I have found is that the CD that comes with the book locks my computer when autorun is turned on, and will not let me access the CD.



4. I am a very experienced Autocad user and I was amazed at the amount of timesaving information I was able to extract from this book. The writing is very well done with a good amount of "How & Why" information. New Riders has been my preferred choice for learning various software programs since the late 70's and early 80's and this book reflect the depth of their knowledge. I highly recommend this as the at the workstation book to buy. The CD that comes with the book is not ready for prime time. I found many errors with both the content and format of the disk. I even had problems installing and reading it with my computer, but the book more than make up for this flaw.



5. excellent text and explaination of the commands. this book takes you from the beginning all the way to plotting your finished dwgs. covers the bonus tools as well. 3d could be covered in more detail, yet it the section is still quite informative

5 comments about Architectural Acoustics.

1. If you are an acoustic consultant or designer, buy this pleasant little monograph (147 pp.) to give to your commercial clients. But if you really want to learn about the design of halls, you probably want Beranek's "Concert Halls and Opera Houses" instead. If you want graphs, formulas, and construction ideas for recording and listening rooms, spend the same amount of money (amazon net prices) and get "Master Handbook of Acoustics" (615 pp.) instead.
   
   This book adds precious little to the available literature on acoustics or concert hall design. The first 60 pp. is the "technical" portion, which is pretty basic. The remainder is principally anecdotes of successes and failures in the field, which repeats itself, like a series of articles pasted together. A few scenarios are presented which culminate in "rules of thumb," but sometimes no conclusion is given -- maddening to a technician, but of less import to a client. One other possible target audience: If you were hoping they published a "For Dummies"-series book on acoustics, this would be an easy read, only not as organized or thorough as that series.
   
   I would have given it fewer stars, but it has a short bibliography of REAL acoustics books. So I read it thru, and I didn't hate it, but my copy is now up for sale...



2. With prudent editing, this rambling, discourse of music and architectural aesthetic psuedo-philosophy could be reduced to a thick pamphlet about architectural acoustics.



3. The babysnatcher, this goes to you. The reason it says nothing about the accoustics of rock'n'roll is because accoustics are of little interest to most rock'n'roll musicians/fans because they have a little thing called the amplifier. Classical music, when performed properly, is never amplified. Excluding some modern music, it is all created by accuoustic instrumetns. That is why this book was not directed towards you.



4. This book does a wonderful job of explaining the principles behind sound waves. The launguage is easy to understand, and the pages not darkened by excessive mathmatics. If you are looking for the best classical music acoustic design book out there, you have found it.

   However. C. Brooks seems to beilieve that the only people that care about acoustics are classical music fanatics. From the offset he talks about his love for clasical music and hearing a single note fade away to silence. I didn't buy the book for classical music, I bought it to enhance my rock and roll experince. The book is centered towards classical music and the acoustics there in, but I did glean a few gems from the pages, allowing me to better the acoustics in my room, but those were few and far between.

   Classical music fans, rejoice! Rock and roll fans, keep your hands away. I'm sure there's a book for you somewhere out there.




5. I just recently read Architectural Acoustics by Christopher Brooks. It is easy to read and quite interesting. It kept my attention, and I was anxious to get back to it. Chris is able to explain how soundwaves behaves in rooms in a way that is easy to understand. This book is excellent.

2 comments about Architectural Graphic Standards/Student Edition.

1. I was displeased with the description of the item in relation to the final product i recieved.



2. At less than $40 for a used copy, the Student Edition can't be beat, as it provides most of the essential information from the complete Graphic Standards. The information is organized along the lines of Masterspec with additional sections on Energy and Environmental Design and Historic Preservation. It is certainly enough to get you started. It is also important to have relevant code books. Ching's Building Codes Illustrated is a good place to start. It is nice to have so much building construction information consolidated into one book.

1 comments about AutoCAD 2002 Inside & Out: Practical Techniques and Expert Insights for Maximum Productivity.

1. Once again Lynn Allen has written a book that will be useful to the most advanced AutoCAD users, as well as those just beginning in this field.
   Tips and tricks written in simple english that will help the reader to better understand what is being introduced.
   Anyone who has read Lynn's first book, "AutoCAD Inside And Out" will no doubt find this second book even more insighful.

4 comments about Estate Dream Homes: 150 Plans of Unsurpassed Luxury.

1. "Estate Dream Homes: 150 Plans of Unsurpassed Luxury" is an opulent gathering of home designs. The book opens with a series of beautiful, full-color photos of interiors and exteriors of homes built from the designs in this book. Twenty-one different firms have designs represented in this collection; these firms include Larry E. Belk, Design Traditions, Home Planners, Northwest Home Designing, R.L. Pfotenhauer, and others.

   A large proportion of the homes in this book lie in the 4,000 to 6,000 square foot range, although a number of homes are much larger. Both single-level and multi-level designs are included. Each design spread features floor plans and external drawings. Many different architectural styles are represented: Tudor, French Provincial, Georgian, Prairie, Pueblo, Greek Revival, and Victorian.

   Some of the features found in these designs include the following: huge master baths (some with built-in spas and saunas), elegant curved staircases, covered verandas, 2-story windows, majestic Greek-style pillars, gabled dormers, prominent external chimneys, external balconies, and much more. So if you want to indulge in some home architecture fantasies, check out this book.




2. I love looking at luxury floor plans, and this book did not dissapoint me in that matter. There could have been some more interior pictures, but if you want to study extraordinary floor plans up to +9000 sq ft, this is the book for you.



3. I adore looking at luxury dream home floorplans and to me "Estate Dream Homes" is one of the best of its kind.



4. The book starts with about 10 color pages of about 12 houses. Then there are 150 pages - one page per house plan. Most houses range in size from 4,000 - 8,000 sq ft. Most plans are architecturally interesting in some way or another. With a single page per house, it is hard to really appreciate the houses. House plans are available from their respective designer/architects.