No comments about Designing for Privacy and Related Needs.

1 comments about Bezier and B-Spline Techniques.

1. I'm not sure what sort of person would find this book useful. If you want to LEARN about Bezier or B-Spline curves, then I don't think this book is for you. The authors' stated goal was to "provide a solid and uniform derivation" of Bezier and B-Spline properties. I believe that they have succeeded, almost every factoid I've seen in other books is included and proved rigorously. What is NOT included is any sort of meaningful explanation of the concepts. The material is presented at a breakneck pace, with everything presented exactly once, and most often in mathematical notation rather than in English. This is a good way to pack a lot of material into a few pages, but it makes for pretty difficult reading. I really don't see how a person could possibly follow the exposition in this book unless they basically already knew the material.
   
   If you already are familiar with Bezier and B-Spline techniques, or perhaps you are an expert in a related field like approximation theory, then you might find this useful.
   
   So if the Authors acheived their stated goal, then why only the 3-star rating? I've recently bought quite a few of these books on splines, in preperation to write a chapter in my own (introductory) 3d math book. Most of the material in this book can be found in other books. Of course, all of the books have significant overlap, since they are covering the same subject. But if you could have a book that covers most of the same material AND also has more exposition, I'd go for the one with the more exposition. I don't think there's enough unique material in this book to trade off the loss of the much more graceful exposition in the other books.
   
   In particular, if you're interested in *learning* about Bezier curves or B-Splines, I found these two books much more accessible:
   
   An Introduction to Splines for use Computer Graphics and Geometric Modeling by Bartels et al. has a much slower pace - paradoxially this means that if you're learning the material, you will be able to read it FASTER since you can maintain a constant pace. It focuses on B-Splines and only stops breifly to mention Bezier curves as a general case.
   
   The other book is Curves and Surfaces for COmputer Aided Geometric Design by Farin. He introduces Bezier curves and fully develops them, at a reasonable pace, before discussing B-splines. I personally found this approach to be better from a teaching perspective, since B-Splines are more abstract and Bezier curves are easier to understand. (Be warned that I have a rather old editition, the 2nd, I believe he's on the 5th now. I don't know what all has changed since then.)

No comments about The Ultimate Logo Collection.

2 comments about Mastering Autocad 13 for Windows.

1. is in this book. Good learning tool for those just starting CAD or need quick catching up. So much reference I used it for ACAD 14 as well.



2. I have used AutoCAD 13 since shortly after it's release. I purchased this book, over three years ago, and this is the only book I have ever needed as a reference. I would recommend this book for even the most seasoned users.

No comments about Space Planning with AutoCAD Architecture 2008.

No comments about The Structural Basis of Architecture: second edition.

No comments about Sustainable Living: the Role of Whole Life Costs and Values.

No comments about Architects Without Frontiers: War, Reconstruction and Design Responsibility.

No comments about Mixed-Mode Simulation and Analog Multilevel Simulation (The Springer International Series in Engineering and Computer Science).

1 comments about The Essence of Home: Design Solutions for Assisted-Living Housing.

1. As someone who has built and manage an ALF and plan on expanding, this book is invaluable. It breaks down the art of architecture as it relates to senior housing and makes suggestions for certain elements that a non architect can easily achieve. A great "how to" book for someone who wants to build a facility. Also, after reading, I'm sure my knowledge base on the subject is better than the vast majority of architects.