5 comments about Mastering AutoCAD Civil 3D 2008.

1. Mastering AutoCAD Civil 3D 2008
   I bought this book the week it came out and used it to teach myself Civil 3D from the ground up. I was able to, in a short time, use Civil 3D in a production environment. This book along with the web site for it have been invaluable in expanding my knowledge of the software.
   
   Recently in a new position at a new company we purchased a dozen of these books as the text I will be using to teach Civil 3D to the entire company, as we transition from Land Desktop to Civil 3D.
   
   As a self teaching guide or a classroom text this book is the best.



2. This book is exactly what I needed to "kick-start" our Civil 3D turnover from Land Desktop. This book gives real world examples and real applications, unlike the autodesk "bells and whistle" workshops. If you are not sure if this book is for you, trust me it is. The book is well written and doesn't miss a step. Very easy to follow along for the Land Desktop user to skip intermediate steps and straight forward for the novice. The only drawback is the small text.



3. It's interesting to read some of not so great reviews on this book. I'm not sure what people expect but if you want a comprehensive introduction to Civil 3D 2008, This is the best book on the market right now. The book is well organized, easy enough to digest (as technical self teaching software books go). For $45 you have the tools to learn this software.
   
   Writing books of this nature has to be a real challenge. Autodesk puts out a new release every year, most users have the latest release, the books have a very limited period of marketability & writers have little time prior to offical release to prepare. Considering all that, I find the price very reasonalble, the content accurate & appropriate and errors minimal.



4. I have another books for C3D, previously to Mastering, and I like the say, that is very friendly, I feel like, it's a friend that answer me the questions that I have from Civil 3D, with examples and tips, without all that technical stuff that others books use. I recommend it. Thanks



5. The book is just OK. It has technical errors here and there nothing that can't be figured out by doing an excersize over two or three times. Called Technical Support about some errors on the companion CD and was told the errors were from my version of Civil 3d. I think they just didn't want to admit to their errors or replace my CD. I've found additional errors on the CD since contacting them but I don't have time to be bothered witth them anymore. I can imagine there must be better book out there as this only helps with the most basic design problems.

2 comments about Graphic Design: The New Basics.

1. this is the book i've always wanted to share with beginning graphic design students: a clear, articulated description of design principles for postmodern students. it defends enduring principles from the bauhaus, and introduces new ways of thinking about gd basics as transferrable skills.



2. This book is a great overview for the vocabularies of print design. Technically, I am an illustration student, but I have been taking graphic design courses at my school. That being said, alot of the stuff being covered here would fall under the basic design courses at my school: Design 1 and Design 2. The information in this book ( I've read 2/3 so far) covers basic compositional structures, hue/ value/ saturation, and other good fundamentals, but doesn't give you more than a paragraph. This is a GREAT coffee table book to give you ideas on your current project, but it is by no means textbook-grade learning for graphic design. It simply does not go into enough depth in order to become a great learning tool. I just wish there were more professional examples rather than student-created ones.

2 comments about We The People.

1. This is a great book, one of best deisng i seen, contain lots of page but is a compact size. save space.



2. I ordered my books almost 2 full weeks ago, and paid to have them shipped first class so I would recieve them before my classes began...Well unfortunately 2 weeks and 100 dollars later, still no books. I guess I just don't know how people can do things like this and not have a guilt trip..

5 comments about The Dock Manual: Designing/Building/Maintaining.

1. As a handyman I like to bulid my own things. This book gives you a lot of insight. It shows an easier way of doing things by using things you would not have thought of. It is an excellent book with a lot of ideals.



2. I've built decks and docks in the past and I find this text to be of immense value as I prepare to build a new system of decks and docks at a new location. I'd suggest this this one to anyone who was about to build near or on the water.



3. Very thorough. Just the information I needed to determine what type of dock to build on my lakefront property.



4. Yes, this book provides a well-illustrated overview of approaches to dock building and choices of materials. But it doesn't go far enough if you have a significant tidal range or if the wind blows. What's missing is any introduction to engineering. How to make sure the ramp doesn't fall off your float when the tide goes out. How to figure the static forces on your dock caused by 4 knot currents. How to estimate the wave heights and dynamic forces in 80 knot winds. And how to design a dock that will survive this abuse. You might want to involve a professional engineer in these situations, but that can be true of pretty much anything to do with docks. A book with this title should at least introduce you to these subjects and provide references for the gory details. Like some others, the author believes books like this should be peppered with jokes. Personally I find this annoying, but I must admit his jokes are above average. So if you want a funny introduction to building docks in gentle places, this book is for you.



5. I gave up trying to find any useful information on dock building and then happened across this book not long ago. Max Burns has written a very comprehensive reference book that covers almost any imaginable dock/shore situation including the one I was looking for . If you're thinking of building your own, add this book to your library!

5 comments about Get Your House Right: Architectural Elements to Use & Avoid.

1. I would have to say this is by far THE best book I have found for designing authentic traditional style homes. Say goodbye to cookie cutter - every designer should have a copy of this book beside them when they design, or else memorize it!
   I am not a HUGE reader, but I was so enthralled with this book, that I read about 125 pages in my first and second sitting. Ok, it has a lot of pictures, but still that is pretty good for me. I usually lose interest quickly. :)
   Don't hesitate to buy this book. It is a deal at any price. It WILL help you "Get Your House Right", save money and increase the value of your home tremendously in the process.
   This should be standard issue at all technical schools, colleges and anywhere that teaches how to design good quality authentic buildings that are pleasing to the general public.



2. This book is a refreshing antidote to the sea of mediocrity being built all around us. It fuses classical design principles, so long lost by architects and the building industry, with practical applications to everyday home design and construction. It's easy to understand by layman and architects alike and is a fundamental primer to building your new home.
   
   I've purchased additional copies and sent them to friends about to build their new homes to share with their architects. It has become one of my book shelf treasures.



3. This may be the best handbook on traditional design published since the 1920s, informative for both layman and professional alike.
   
   If you wonder what makes today's so-called "traditional" houses look so ugly, Marianne Cusato provides answers in a guidebook that walks you through "how things go wrong" (avoid) and "how to do it right" (use). In meticulously-drawn illustrations, she charts the course of design from first concepts to fine details, providing pearls of wisdom on things that can make or break the authenticity of a new old house. Notations accompany each drawing, describing essential building elements and how they go together.
   
   Never before have I seen a more comprehensive or practical guide through the minefield of traditional design. Clear, insightful directions make "Get Your House Right" the perfect learning tool for builders at all levels, whether novices or those needing a refresher course. This book should become the primary text to teach architects the fundamental building blocks of the classical tradition.



4. I live in Naperville, IL, the McMansion capital of the Midwest. I have watched new multi-million dollar houses go up, and I thought most of them were just plain ugly. Over-done, or pompous, or something. Yet they sell, even now, and they keep going up.
   
   I started to think maybe it was just me.
   
   Then I picked up this book, and there, just above the AVOID label that adorns many of the design examples in the book, was a pencil sketch of what could be a typical new-construction Naperville street.
   
   Having read the book through -- and several parts twice -- I now understand what it was that was causing the rejection of this architecture by my inner voice: bad design. I have nailed down the specific elements in many actual houses that hurt the appearance of the house, that make it less -- much less -- than it could be.
   
   And -- surprise! -- I found that the few houses I did like of the newer construction were properly designed to classical principles.
   
   The book is an incredible achievement. Well-written, accessible, and with hundreds and hundreds of beautiful pencil sketches that clearly demonstrate the principles. Marianne Cusato is a young, brilliant and well-educated designer whose vision has been shaking the architecture world for several years. And she's all of 33 years old!
   
   So get this book, read it through, and then have some fun. Start scanning front elevation drawings on house plan sites and see if you can spot the issues that keep each from being as welcoming, as home-y, as they could be.
   
   We are embarking now on designing our own new home, and this book is by far the most important acquisition in our burgeoning design library.
   
   Thanks, Marianne. We all owe you.



5. I have struggled for years with design issues in the buildings I renovate and (sometimes) modify. It is the "just doesn't look right" syndrome where you spend money and time on what you think is a good idea, but when it's done you can tell it looks goofy, or backwards, or convoluted or something.
   
   Well this book is exactly addressed to people like me - indoctrinating the reader to the (seemingly) rigid rules of traditional architecture that have evolved over the centuries since we emerged from caves. It's like getting an abbreviated overview of the lessons learned by earlier generations of builders, condensed into a readable book. Probably the most notable lesson I gleaned from it is the importance of details on the overall look and feel of a building.
   
   I know I'm not going to necessarily follow every rule on every decision I make - economics play an important role too - but at least now I have a little better understanding of where I can cut corners, and where spending a little more on the right details will be crucial. It's like having the wisdom of the ages at your back when making design decisions.
   
   One thing that attracts me to traditional architecture is that it comes from times where buildings were much more monumental accomplishments than they are today. With our concrete and steel, equipment and technological advances, buildings go up in a matter of days rather than years, and will be replaced just as quickly if we decide we don't like them. Sometimes the way they look reflects this lack of thought necessary for their contstruction.
   
   If you follow the guidance provided by this book, you building will at least look like an accomplishment worth celebrating.

5 comments about Designing Design.

1. Not only a beautiful book but also a great collection of images and essays, a strong contribution to the field of design literature.



2. The Book has a different approach when it comes to design, and its not the mere use of the banal connotation that design has become, but the art of designing and undertaking projects with special sensibility which is explained in its pages. The author shows through different examples of his work, when designing how he engage his projects in a more significant way. Simplicity and common sense.
   The eastern perspective and its way of life is strongly reflected in a very palpable philosophy which is the guideline throughout the book. Truly special lecture.



3. DESIGNING DESIGN is quite possibly the most beautiful book on design ever published. Not only is the content illuminating and intelligent, allowing the world to gain an appreciation for one of the truly unique voices in the design field - that voice being the Japanese master Kenya Hara - but also in keeping with the subject, the book itself is a paramount of elegance, simplicity and superb creative force. This is a white book, a volume of information and illustration that embraces the purity of white as the matrix upon which everything blossoms and emerges.
   
   In an introductory essay by John Maeda the author states `Kenya Hara is a complex man. He views the world through his many lenses of seeing, tasting, smelling, erasing, evaporating, and all the forms of construction and deconstruction.' And after those appropriate words this pristine book opens into the genius that is Kenya Hara. `Verbalizing design is another act of design....To understand something is not to be able to define it or describe it. Instead, taking something that we think we already know and making it unknown thrills us afresh with its reality and deepens our understanding of it.' What follows on the pages are images of page design, paper, bowls of white cabbage leaves, signs, images of Swatch watches that come down through projected air onto any surface presented, unique signage for public spaces, soft ice cream shapes, furniture, spaces, lamps, posters - any object that requires rendering is treated and discussed in concept and philosophy by a man of great wisdom as well as endless creativity. The illustrations accompanying the text are clean and as well placed on the page as any creation by Hara. This is a seemingly endless array of fascinating subjects.
   
   For the non-designer reader, the reader fortunate enough to open this book without the prejudice of traditional design information, this text contains powerful philosophical concepts. `The human brain likes anything that entails a great deal of information. Its extensive capacity waits eagerly to perceive the world by completely exhausting its great receptive powers. That potential power, though, remains today in a state of extreme constriction and is a source of the information stress we're all under.' Hara approaches this conundrum by dividing his book into sections that approach answers to these problems: RE-DESIGN, HAPTIC (Awakening the Senses), SENSEWARE, WHITE, MUJI (Nothing, yet Everything), VIEWING THE WORLD FROM THE TIP OF ASIA, EXFORMATION (Rivers, Resorts), and finally WHAT IS DESIGN? This book is meant to be absorbed slowly, portion by portion, and then to be read again once the reader understands Hara's contributions - quiet yet majestic though they be. The text reads very well (thanks to the superb translation efforts by Maggie Kinser Hohle and Yukiko Naito) and while the information is complex, the writing style is comfortably conversational.
   
   This is an important book on many levels and should be required reading for all students of design, practitioners of design, and for everyone whose eyes are influenced by astute observation. Brilliant! Grady Harp, December 07



4. A plain white cover with some black text in Helvetica. That's the dust jacket cover of a design book? If I'd judged the book solely by the cover I would have missed what is actually a quite unique and wonderful book about design.
   
   The cloth-bound cover itself is also all type, but now white type embossed into a white cover--not the most readable (though you can read it) but in a way the essence of this book--minimal, elegant, playful, clever and thought-provoking.
   
   This understated and often witty approach is a refreshing antidote to the frantic overkill that constitutes much of the commercial design we're bombarded hundreds of times a day.
   
   Like the cover, the text can be mysterious. When I first read the preface I balked. But I was intrigued and read it again and this time, it was surprising and beautiful.
   
   "To understand something is not to be able to define it or describe it. Instead, taking something that we think we know already and making it unknown thrills us afresh with its reality and deepens our understanding." It's almost as if he's talking about a Claes Oldenburg sculpture which takes a common object and shows it to us in a gigantic size that makes us see it in a new light--yet the designs and ideas featured in the book give us this new perspective right on a printed page.
   
   You're not going to see innovative typography in this book (though the book itself is beautifully designed, typeset and produced). But you are going to see stunningly understated photography and a Japanese approach to design that can be an inspiration everywhere in the world.



5. This book gives some insight into the mind of the designer.
   
   The idea of involving the senses, first in how to consider what to design (a glass, a rug, a car) to how the senses are involved by the design is a considerable part of this abundantly-illustrated book.
   
   A lot of the book is devoted to Japanese modern design, which, if you have ever looked at the stunning graphic ads on Tokyo subways, will astonish you with its beauty and sometimes sideways way of looking at the world. Much is covered about how to stop the eye and make the brain see something old in a new way.
   
   It's very hard to cover all that is in this book, but my impression is that if you are involved in any kind of design, this might be a book to stimulate the creative process and get you thinking when a new project is on your drawing board. Beautiful, pictorial and thoughtful book. It's hard to be more specific, but if you are in design, you will probably find huge ideas and new ways to look at the world.

5 comments about Architectural Graphics.

1. I know that Ching is revered in the field and is recommended by virtually all, but I'm just not feeling the love, especially for this particular book. The graphics in the book have a "sketchy" look I don't just don't find appealing or inspiring. A more serious problem is the way the information is weighted: there are pages of illustration/discussion about simple things like line weights and triangles, which would lead one to assume this is a beginner's book. That would be fine, but as the book progresses, the depth of information dissapates, so that a beginner who tries to follow instructions, for instance, on preparing a perspective or isometric drawing would be completely unable to do so. In this way, the book reminds me of certain assemble-it-at-home instructions: Step one is to get out your tools, step two is to take out the pieces, and step three is to put the thing together. If you're already a professional, you don't really need to see an illustration of a lead holder. If you are an absolute beginner, you need more thorough instructions. Really, I can't imagine the audience for whom this book is intended.



2. This book is great for a professional or just in school. Ching points out techniques to further develop and create great schematic and conceptual drawings.



3. this book offers easy understanding of the basic concepts of drafting. good book for interior designer and architects.



4. Get your act together Amazon or Wiley (I suspect Wiley) !!! (especially, note my final paragraph below)
   
   1. This is NOT a hardback.
   
   2. The "et al" is because this is NOT a single volume as suggested by the single ISBN 0471738263, but a COLLECTION of 3 PAPERBACKS - Architectural Graphics 4th ed ISBN 0471209066 (note different ISBN from that for the 3-volume set cited under only Ching's book title; 215 pages) by Francis D K Ching, Construction Drawings and Details for Interiors ISBN 0471109533 (246 pages)by W Otie Kilmer and Rosemary Kilmer, Interior Graphic Standards - Student Edition ISBN0471461962 (452 pages) by Maryrose McGowan AIA and Kelsey Kruse AIA for American Institute of Architects; overall total of 913 pages (NOT 944).
   
   I have owned Ching's book since the first edition and it continues to be one of the best of the best. The Graphics Standards series is, of course, of biblical stature among all interested architectural and associated professionals. The Construction Drawings ... book I am unfamiliar with, though at a glance, it seems worthy.
   
   Frustating thing is that I was especially interested in the prospect of a MAJOR significant enhancement of Ching's book - my take on Amazon's/Wiley's deceptive (or incompetent, to be more generous and kind) advertising. I already owned Ching's 4th edition and had no particular interest in the other 2 volumes, useful as they appear to be!
   
   If only one of these volumes is of interest, any one of these 3 books would cost substantially less as an individual purchase. The price of the package of all 3 is probably a bargain, though I have not verified this.
   
   You can do better Amazon and Wiley, so DO IT! This is sloppy work, which I have seen exemplified in other locations recently on your website; though, this is probably the worst I have seen (yet).
   
   I resent the fact that this review is also being used at the Architectural Graphics (single volume only) webpage - where, removed from it's original and proper context, my comment appears to make no sense at all - as well as at the webpage where Ching's book title is deceptively (or sloppily) used to entice buyers to purchase a 3-book package (not explained at the webpage), when the buyer may only be interested in Ching's excellent book, thinking the much higher price is for a major revision of such (which it is not).
   
   Fredric Lee McLaughlin, Architect



5. this book has taught me so many drawing techniques... this is useful. hightly recommended!

5 comments about SolidWorks 2007 Bible.

1. The description of the book states: "The most complete resource for SolidWorks on the market. Matt Lombard's in-depth knowledge plus his snappy wit and wisdom make SolidWorks accessible to users at all levels."
   
   Sheer size with bad wit does not make a book good. It shows for this book!
   
   The book is fragmented, poorly explained, written, and illustrated, with a mound of tips that look like they came from various SW User groups.
   
   As a new 3D CAD user and a Mechanical Engineer with 10+ years in industry, it did not help, nor would it help if I was not a new user.
   
   The book was not recommended by my local SW VAR, I know now and I should have listened!!!!



2. I found it very useful for filling in holes I had with Solid works primarily design tables and some basic programming. It is useful but not terribly detailed. It covers a lot and not much of that a lot in detail.



3. I haven't received the SolidWorks Bible yet, thouhg I have it ordered one month ago.
   I am still waiting my book



4. This book has pictures that create the illusion that you are going to learn all of that model and at the end it doesn't show you the way step by step to make those models.



5. By far, this has to be the best SolidWorks book out there. Believe me; I am a Mechanical Engineer and a seasoned SolidWorks user. I have purchased several other instructional books on SolidWorks and very few delivered the information in a well structured manner. Lombard's book is well written and very well organized. The book is written both for the beginner and those who have been using SolidWorks for a while. Everybody can learn from Lombard's book. Bottom line is this: If Lombard was to write another book for SolidWorks 2008, I would definitely buy it.

4 comments about Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design With Nature.

1. Every once in awhile you find a book that becomes a new favorite. That happened recently with the arrival in our Livable Communities Coalition offices of this fabulous book by Doug Farr. Not long after receiving and beginning to read it, I had the pleasure of facilitating a workshop for the development of a "sustainability element" for the master plan for an intown Atlanta neighborhood. We are now organizing the outcome of that workshop for consideration by the neighborhood and the city. It feels as though Farr has handed me the answers to a final exam before I have to take the test.
   
   Farr's book combines passionate, compelling arguments for design reform with more than 100 pages of short essays. The essays explain how to implement sustainable urbanism and present case studies to illustrate his points. The book has given me a logical framework for organizing and connecting concepts and recommendations. And with just the right amount of detail - enough to get the point across, with where to go if you need more.
   
   Reduced to its most basic tenets, Farr's sustainable urbanism is walkable and transit-served urbanism integrated with high-performing buildings and infrastructure. As Farr puts it, high-performing infrastructure is an emerging field that combines many strains of reform: smart growth concerns about the financial burden imposed by new infrastructure for greenfield development; the New Urbanist's desire for humane, pedestrian-scaled infrastructure design; and the green building movement's focus on resource "greening" and consumption efficiencies.
   
   If smart growth, sustainable development or healthy communities interest you, and especially if you also work in the nonprofit or for-profit arenas for these causes, buy and read this book, and buy another and pass it on.



2. Doug Farr shows a comprehensive understanding of sustainability rarely seen in this movement. Too often different professions work on greening their product in isolation. While they may be doing wonderful designs they are not linking with other elements and professions to make these improvements complimentary and exponential. A LEED Platinum building built on farm land miles from the city center is not a comprehensive solution (and should really not be able to get a platinum rating.) Mr. Farr shows how to create an integrated approach to building where the "green" structure is consciously tied into the communities' transportation, utilities, culture, and work life creating a truly sustainable environment. Every public official and city planner should read this book.



3. Thank god for the current trend toward the generalization of textbooks.
   
   I don't mean generalization in the sense of broadening or watering-down of subject matter, but rather in writing: many more texts in relatively technical fields are being written so that they can be appreciated interdisciplinarily, but professionals in related and sometimes even slightly-unrelated fields, and other folks who may simply be interested in the topic. It's good marketing, too, of course - it opens up much larger markets both academically and professionally, and as long as the book contains enough authority to convince instructors and professionals to purchase (or trust) it, it's a win-win situation for the publisher and author as well as the audience.
   
   Douglas Farr's Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design With Nature (Wiley, 2008; foreword by Andres Duany) falls into the category of win-win for everyone. A very well-illustrated primer on the subject, it appeals to planners, architects, landscape designers, engineers and other folks interested in integrating their work into the larger natural environment.
   
   Duany - the great architect and urban planner whose work with Arquitectonica shaped what we think of as "Florida modern" and whose current firm, DPZ, has become a de facto leader of the New Urbanism movement - suggests that the problem with such books is often that they most often fail to engage the reader in any kind of dialogue by simply being too technical, or by failing to instruct by simply being too exhortative and dogmatic. Luckily, Farr gives more than enough data and instruction in the dozen linked essays and case studies to instruct - but never loses sight of the fact that he's along with us for the ride, not talking at us but at our elbow, learning along with us, sharing both successes and failures and an honest interest in building communities that complement, rather than exclude, the unmanufactured world.
   
   There's so much more here than just part one's "Case for Sustainable Urbanism." Other sections focus on the type of leadership and communication strategies most helpful in implementing both small and large-scale projects; technical tools and special techniques for community involvement are also explored extensively. Other chapters discuss the role of density, how to approach corridor situations, diagramming neighborhoods and the various types of housing that complement specific types of neighborhoods, "biophilia" - including everything from designing walkable streets to integrating wastewater management - and extensive essays on high-performance buildings and infrastructure. The last section of the book is given over to case studies, which both illustrate the preceding chapters with easy-to-understand real-world examples of sustainable success stories & offer solutions for those of us slogging through similar projects or at an impasse with a particular audience.
   
   I recommend the book without hesitation to any planner interested in integrating sustainable projects in urban infill or exurban growth environments, as well as other aficionados of new urbanism topics. It's an entertaining read AND a necessary reference; it will replace several books on the already-overloaded shelves of a number of planners I know.



4. Chicago City Planning Consultant Doug Farr has written a great book, Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design with Nature.
   
   Farr combines new urbanism with green development in a clear and logical manner. He believes that "sustainable urbanism" is more than designing new Leed certified green buildings. It also includes the creation of green sustainable neighborhoods, and includes plans for sustainable urban development. He combines the strategies and principles of new urbanism with environmental improvements very well.
   
   Farr explains the evolution of the design reform movement. He outlines strategies on how to lead and promote sustainable urbanism.
   
   Doug Farr did an outstanding on form based codes for our neighboring communities of Bloomington and Normal, Illinois, and in developing plans that enhanced the environment while creating new urban space. I strongly recommend this book.
   
   Craig Hullinger AICP City of Peoria, Director, Economic Development

5 comments about Geometry of Design: Studies in Proportion and Composition.

1. I bought this book primarily to see the studies of proportions in architecture. There are very few examples (really only 4 pages dedicated to that subject and 3 buildings analyzed) shown here. It does, however, give a myriad of ways to lay out different proportions using rectangles, circles, triangles, pentagons, etc. These, along with the examples of proportion in nature and on the human body were enough to spark my imagination as to how proportion can be used in design of buildings, but if you are looking for broad analysis of architectural proportions, look elsewhere. The examples that are given are mainly of poster design in the 1900s and Modern furniture design.



2. Want to be better or the best at what you do? This is the kind of book you use to fuel inspiration at a foundational level.



3. Kim Elam's book is not only a fascinating read, but beautifully designed as well, making it a perfect example of its subject. A must for all artists and designers.



4. It was very fast to get the product and I experience a very good seller!



5. As a design student i have found this book to be very informative, yet it doesn't really get into too much detail which for me is good. This book is good for understanding the golden seccion and how it has been applied in some of the most memorable designs of all times as well as in architecture and other forms. If you want a full, no-details-left-out kind of book this is not it. The most important thing about this book is the examples. for begginers it really helps to see that proportion and composition is not just a matter of intuition or chance.