5 comments about Using AutoCAD 2005: Basics: Basics.

1. Any body who says this is a "GOOD BOOK" didn't pay enough attention. You don't even have to get far in the book before you find mistakes. For instance it says arcs are drawn in a counterclockwise direction but then all the examples are drawn in a clockwise direction. So it doesn't matter if YOU KNOW HOW TO USE IT or not the book has mistakes and a lot of them.



2. While just beginning my experience in CAD, this book takes you thru the steps very simply. I'm really enjoying it.



3. It real does start with the basics, explaining everything. Explains things thoroughly without loosing your interest and most importantly allows me to be on track with the class. It's a very good book especially if you plan to use autocad professionally!!



4. Honestly, I can't fathom how this book could be published by Autodesk Press. This book has to be an embarrassment to Autodesk. It is ridden with poor examples that were obviously thrown in very quickly to fill space; the examples aren't very illustrative of how to correctly use features. Experienced engineers and architects would scoff at this book.
   
   Contrast this book with "Mastering AutoCAD 2005" or even "AutoCAD 2005 Bible". Those texts are not laid out as nicely, but they have accurate information that is error-free. If you're an engineer, I would supplement one of those books with an Engineering Graphics book to learn proper techniques.
   
   The book reads as if it were written by my 5th grade nephew. The grammar is pretty bad, and subjects and verbs often disagree with one another. Some sentences are so poorly structured that the whole point of an entire paragraph is lost. Sometimes, I believe the author forgot what he was writing about and moves on to another topic, never finishing the last topic. Clearly, the book was ran through a spell checker and then published -- no real editing could have taken place.
   
   I'm ashamed to have wasted almost $50 on this. This book looks like it is high quality at first glance, but it is written very poorly. I think Autodesk may have provided an outline of what to write (a very good outline) to a low-paid author to churn out a book to bring in some extra profits.



5. Although this book can be helpful it has many many mistakes. The author even makes mistakes on basic computer commands. The examples are often bad with misleading diagrams. I have even found examples that have mistakes in them, they say one thing but do another. I would recommend trying another book first.

No comments about Mini Icons (Agile Rabbit Editions).

No comments about AutoCAD 2007 in 3D: A Modern Perspective.

No comments about Architectural Details from Old New England Homes.

No comments about Freehand Sketching for Engineering Design (General Engineering).

No comments about Models: Architecture and the Miniature (Architecture in Practice).

2 comments about The Next Architect: A New Twist on the Future of Design.

1. The previous comment is actually more insightful than the book itself. As a student I found it insulting to my intelligence. Also, as the previous review hints, it is a criminal waste of paper. Literally, I have seen longer magazine articles but this somehow manages to cost more than a year's subscription.



2. First of all, with 144 pages (which really equates to 72 pages with text only on one leaf) the $40 dollar price tag is a way too steep. Secondly the 'new' insights and twists into the profession are really not all that new and groundbreaking. Here's a summary of the point's they bring up in the book. You be the judge.
   - Design is a team sport.
   - clients come first
   - the essence of design is in creating value
   - process innovation - bringing all the stakeholders into the project as early as possible. a.k.a. Integrated Practice. (most insightful point, however simplified)
   - faster and faster (chapter name)
   - Dynamic Decision-making (chapter name) Here's an italicized quote the authors pulled out of their text: "The ability to make a decision is the essential act of design" (By the way, the opposing leaf or every other page is dedicated to these 'salient' quotes from the text.)
   - Another quote, different chapter: "The next architect understands that money is a design tool"
   - Leadership (chapter name) Quote: "Without a conductor, no orchestra can function to its full potential - thus it is with team leaders of design."
   - The green machine (chapter name) - sustainability.
   - TCB: taking care of business (chapter name) - explains itself
   
   I guess unless you haven't practice architecture since 1901, a lot of these principles are not all that new. I guess my gripe with the book stems from not really delivering what the title suggests. If, however, you are a student just entering into the profession, the book would be a good source for a list of oversimplified tenants of what an architect does , but not really all that insightful into the ways the future architect will work.
   
   But that's just my opinion.
   
   
   
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No comments about Print Reading for Engineering and Manufacturing Technology.

No comments about AutoCAD 2008 Companion (McGraw-Hill Graphics).

No comments about Engineering and Computer Graphics Workbook Using SolidWorks 2007.