4 comments about The Projective Cast: Architecture and Its Three Geometries.

1. There have been times when after reading an assignment from this book, my students will ask me how the subject-matter was pertinent to what we had been studying. I tell them: in no way. I just want them to read Robin Evans so that they can learn how to write. No one writes like Evans.



2. While Translations from Drawing to Building is perhaps Evans' more often referenced publication, The Projective Cast is even better.



3. This book is a must read for any architect interested in the geometries and shapes of buildings (which I hope is every architect) If you have second thoughts about buying it, buy it... it is informative, entertaining the diagrams and pictures are beautiful and it will take 2 (amazing) months to go through it.



4. Robin Evans has a knack of getting right to the point of many a subject with expertise. Extremely versatile and knowledgable, he uses this base to write profoundly. Evans takes criticism to another level by getting to 'the obvious' quickly, then building on pre conceived theory with frightening clarity to form an original alternative view. This is a marvelously laid out book with fantastic illustrations and plates from Renaissance history to Eisenman. He is not caught up in the hype of self-preserving discourse or traditional methods of interrogation. The book has a wealth of information that acts like a reference book. So easy to read and so refreshing in opinion. RIP Robin, this is a classic work.

No comments about Mastering Revit Structure 2009 (Mastering).

5 comments about Everyday Engineering: What Engineers See.

1. The book is quite small in size - smaller than a paperback novel. Each chapter starts with a page of text and then the rest of the chapter is pictures with no text. Not sure what they were trying to accomplish. If you look at the index page in the Amazon "look inside" feature, you have seen most of the book. To me this exactly the kind of thing that makes people suspicious of "creative types" - all form and no substance.



2. THis is a good book that emphasizes the profound impact of engineering on our daily lives. The book contains little texts but for those of us in engineering the pictures speak for them selves.



3. When I bought this book, I thought I'll be receive a lot of shared experiences from the author on how engineers see everyday interactions and situations. I didn't expect to see something familiar to Jane Fulton Suri - Thoughtless Acts?: Observations on Intuitive Design. On the contrary, Jane's book was an appetiser to me. But, to have another book that's similar in its style, I was hungry for a main course. I felt that this book wasn't worth as depicted. Tom Kelley, please help make this book better ...



4. "Thinking like an engineer" is a great idea for a book for designers, especially one that could encourage and develop methods of collaboration or cross-fertilization. This silly book--more of a pamphlet, really--is an utterly trivial effort. It's designer vanity publishing at its worst, a short pretty picture book for IDEO's clients to flip through in the reception area while waiting for the meeting.
   
   The problem is that "broken things" look equally broken to everyone. An engineer might see a problem as a stress or tensile failure, or too much weight applied to a surface, or a failed gasket. A designer might see failures of clarity, accessibility, or aesthetic appeal. But a picture of a rusty pipe is pretty much just that, and it's not instructive on its own. (By the way, use Amazon's "Search inside the book" feature to read the entire book using its clever index, which reproduces every image at thumbnail size with a helpful caption.)
   
   And if you want even more pictures of broken things, try the "thisisbroken" tag on [...] for an endless stream of them.



5. I was hoping for something insightful and educational. It turns out to be a picture book of design flaws that were never designed; rusty pipes, leaky faucets, etc. The text does not redeem, in any kind of instructional manner, what is essentially a foto album. With IDEO credited as an author, I was expecting much more insight into the design process.

5 comments about AutoCAD and Its Applications: Basics.

1. While this text covers a great deal of information and is required at community colleges it's as exciting to read as drug warning labels. And you practically need a rossetta stone to drag the pertinent information out of the chapters.
   
   The student CD included requires the student to have AutoCad loaded on their computer to access it. So you need to invest another $800 or so in a seperate computer program in order to access the student disk at home. Otherwise...well, it makes a cool drink coaster.
   
   I only acquired this book because it was required for my class. I hardly even cracked the cover. I used my 2004 copy of "Mastering AutoCad" by George Omura and highly recommend that instead. I only refered to Shumaker's book when encountering a 2005 upgrade (of which there aren't many).
   
   Omura's book has an easy to use index, goes beyond "the basics" and includes a disk with a trial version of ACAD that you can use for at least 30 days. I could look up commands and subjects in the index, breeze through the overview and be functional in minutes.
   Shumaker's book is adequate if you have zero ACAD experience, the patience of Job to trudge through the text, no other options or someone is offering to just GIVE it to you. Otherwise and for personal use, go for Omura.
   
   Oh, and don't forget, AutoCad has a HELP menu (F1) if you happen to be stuck for an answer during a test.



2. In the book there are purple boxes with commands in them that are really helpful.



3. while this book appears to exhaustively document the program, I could rarely find helpful information when I ran into specific problems while using the program. I'm currently looking for a book with better clarity and organization



4. I have used Terence Shumakers books for teaching for the last eight years. This latest one covering AutoCAD 2000 is no exception. It is one of the best books to teach from, excellent subject explanations and easy to follow samples exercises. I do disagree with the order Terence follows, but it is easily overcome and does not reflect on the book its self.



5. I have had a chance to review sections of this publication in our local library. I found that it is truly a well written book with lots of exercises and helpful hints for the drafting/design discipline. However, I did not find anything on 3D modeling. Perhaps, you can mention a similar publication (same authors?) with the 3D modeling feature, treated with the same details. Thanks for the info. Is this book available in Toronto, Canada? (bookstore please?).

1 comments about The Architectural Pattern Book: A Tool for Building Great Neighborhoods.

1. Most of us like architectural books because we think, or possibly just dream of building our own ULTIMATE house. Here, however, is a book not on building a house, but on building an entire neighborhood.
   
   It starts with a bit of history, the pattern books written in roman times. It brings them up to date with a survey of several American neighborhoods dating from turn of the century times. And finally it goes on to show what the authors have done as they designed blocks, sub-divisions and the like. It is intended to show what can be done to replace the common cookie cutter houses common in recent developments. It is a fascinating book that leads to thinking.

2 comments about Bridges of the World: Their Design and Construction.

1. this is an excellent book for people with an intrest in the history of bridge construction and their design from the roman times to the modern bridge with lots of black and white illustrations.anybody who likes bridges will like this book.



2. This reprints a 1929 classic in an unabridged presentation covering the design and construction of spans around the world, from wooden landmarks and classic restored medieval structures to covered bridges, stone structures, and modern (up to early 1900s, that is) creations. Chapters pack in many vintage black and white photos and diagrams to accompany a technical survey of bridge advancements and construction.

5 comments about Architect's Portable Handbook.

1. This is a nice little reference book that is packed with useful info. It's not the definitive Architectural reference but that's not it's intent. It is a bit pricey...but pick up a used copy for $10 bucks and you'll be pleasently surprised.



2. After using the older version of this book, I was disappointed by the sequel. Not only was the shipper terrible, the book showed up sliced and with no return instructions, but the content was already outdated. It has been a disappointment.



3. book is very basic. for the home owner (or joke architect) to become familiar with the basic concepts of building. not for a contractor or engineer.



4. As a portable handbook and quick reference it contains some useful information if you need something to carry in your pocket, beyond that I feel if you have a graphics standards or building construction illustrated you are better off. The cost estimation is a bit simplistic but useful, but does not offset the lack of information. Plenty of areas are covered with only the most generalized and basic information. Reason for two stars: should be a 10 dollar notebook.



5. I have had the First Edition of this book since 1993, and have used that as a reference almost daily throughout my education and well into my professional practice. I decided to purchase this revised edition since the original book was becoming worn and flat out-of-date. This new version (a good 200 pages heavier than the first edition) includes new building code information (specifically IBC 2000), and provides revised cost estimate numbers. To this day, it is still the ONLY book worthy enough to reside on my desk.

   This book is an excellent source for the student and professional alike. Basic concepts, construction methods, and principles for design considerations are organized and indexed for easy reference and all attempts have been made to make the content easy to understand. Rules-of-thumb and graphics are provided throughout the text as well as commonly used tables, charts, graphs, maps, etc. Guthrie has also managed to develop several clever little checklists, which assist in making sure all issues have been addressed.

   The book is getting a little thick, and the distinctive oversized laminated cover has evolved into a standard size cover (it's not spiral bound - it's a paperback). The price is a little high, but I think the information found in this tidy little book is well worth it.

1 comments about Designing the World's Best Bars.

1. This is a nice book for viewing bars that have already been designed. However, I wanted to actually design a bar and this book didn't help me with that at all. Good book. Nice pictures. But if you are looking to actually design a bar, then this book will not help. This book would have been more accurate if it were titled "the world's best designed bars."

No comments about AutoCAD 2009 Tutorial: First Level - 2D Fundamentals (AutoCAD Certification Guide).

5 comments about Make It Bigger.

1. I ordered this book late November in 2006. It was not in stock, so expected to ship sometime in February. Every 3 weeks I received another email notifying that the expected ship and delivery dates were pushed back another month or two.
   There's NO reason that this should happen - so I googled the book and eventually found a publisher's site to order from.
   
   Great book, but BOO amazon.



2. A great read for anyone who is ready to make the jump from art school to working clients. Scher goes into excellent detail about working with illustrators, the structure (and politics) of agency work, her strategies/approach to design. She also shares good insight on how to work most effectively with clients who may not know a whole lot about design. I found this very practical, and a very easy read. I am also a big fan of her work, which spans several decades.



3. Paul Scher hit me. No, literally. On a student tour of the Koppel/Scher offices, I was standing by a closet--Paula flung the door open and I provided the rubber stop. Though it's been a struggle, the last 12 years have softened my emotional pain. Make It Bigger provided some very necessary closure.
   Also, trust whatever Randy Silverman (a previous reviewer) says about anything, especially anything concerning design. Frighteningly insightful.



4. I have to say I'm not a big "fan" of Paula Scher's visual style, it's far too "horsey" and "big-boned" for my taste, but I am a fan of what she has to say about the design profession and her experience in it.

   This book is an excellent reference/story book on the frustrations of dealing with clients (which are many, as I can relate) who have poor taste or are just clueless. I agree with everything Paula says here and enjoyed the grain of salt with all that's said. I can feel the frustration and exasperation Paula speaks of as anyone worth their blood has designed something great, only to have a client with tunnel vision ruin it. Sigh.

   Any serious designer should read this book, or already has. I would have no problem calling anyone who hasn't read it a poseur in this profession!




5. Too often designers see their own result(s) and design solutions without the knowledge of the 'client process' . . . a truly remarkable reality in this business. ALL design students should be made aware of this aspect of the profession, possibly even before seriously considering if one wants to be a designer. There is so much more to it than having an 'AHA' on one's own. Ms. Scher has presented this in a manner both pictorially and honestly with examples and explanations . . . and, of course, with much experience in the real world of design (which must also include some humor). I have been a designer for thirty years and would recommend this as part of required reading from the start for future "wannabes" and for all of us who need that reassurance that this is indeed how it works.