5 comments about Architectural Graphic Standards.

1. A standard reference work on building components and design considerations - with many excellent diagrams. Although the book has a technical focus, a little perspective on the constructability and suitablity of componets and systems for specific applications would add value.
   
   Also, some additonal treatment of new chemical related technologies that are now mainstream, such as chemical anchors and carbon fiber reinforcing, would be helpful.
   
   Choosing Project Success - A Guide for Building Professionals



2. The new version of Architectural Graphic Standards is an impossible book to use. It reflects a component approach to putting a building together instead of looking at the totality of a building. The Eleventh Edition omits basic information, for example, like the exhaustive catalogue of material and electrical symbols found in previous additions. The book now has an attitude that follows the mantra of the American Institute of Architects with regard to issues like sustainability and visitability. Any architect with a conscience incorporates these values into actual practice, so to have whole sections on these subjects is like preaching to the converted. The book is really an editorial snow job on the profession. The metal plate on the front cover is truly pretentious while the pages inside have been physically downgraded to an almost tissue-like quality.
   
   By changing the format of the book so radically from the previous organization (without any kind of cross referencing) of the construction divisions that guided the profession for decades, looking for information is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
   
   If, as a practicing architect with 30 years experience, I find the book problematic then I would not even want to fathom how a young practitioner could wade through this disorganized, inadequate mess. If Ramsey and Sleeper, the original authors, saw this book today I think they would be rolling in their graves.



3. For over 70 years, architects have been using a valuable reference book, "Architectural Graphic Standards."
   
   "Architectural Graphic Standards" (11th edition) is organized roughly per the UniFormat(r) classification system, i.e., by function instead of by product or material. This new edition has expanded and new content covering contemporary issues, such as LEED standards, green materials, sustainable construction, recyclability, new building systems, structural technologies, universal, and accessible design strategies, computing technologies including Building Information Modeling (BIM) and CAD/CAM, etc. It may take you a while to get used to this new format, but the information is still valuable and current.
   
   "Architectural Graphic Standards" has 1120 pages (9.7 x 11.6 inches large format) and numerous line drawings. It is a must-have for architects, landscape architects and urban planners, interior designers, engineers or any other building-related design professionals.



4. I'm really disappointed to find that my big, beatiful new edition of Architectural Graphic Standards does not contain everything that previous editions did. I was so happy to have my very own copy and now will have to also buy a 10th edition to get everything. Check it out before you buy!



5. I received the new Graphic Standards today. It is filled with lots of additional information. If one were to take the time and look through the whole book, they would find almost everything they are looking for. The layout is different from previous versions. All one has to do is re-familarize their self with the new layout and it won't be confusing. Oh yeah, and it gives great examples.
   
   Thanks!

5 comments about Grid Systems: Principles of Organizing Type (Design Briefs).

1. The organization of the book seems a bit disjointed to me. I would have also liked to have seen a lot of the examples use actual type rather than block diagrams.
   
   The overlays are helpful, more discussion about them would make them even more useful. I want to like the book, but am not quite there. If I had to describe the book in one word it would be sterile.



2. I am a web designer and a someone who appreciates good print design. A lot of books on CSS (cascading style sheets) try to explain the concept of grids, but these are usually written by people that have a great grasp of the tech side of things, but their writing skills, or ability to relate these concepts are limited.
   
   This book doesn't mention web design (so far as I've read), but she perfectly explains grids.
   
   Lastly, this book is a piece of art. It is pretty. It is stylish. It has semi-transparent overlays in many of the sections allowing one to see a page without grids. This book is special.



3. amazon has super slow shipping. took a month for the book to arrive. had to buy another book at a bookstore.



4. If you want an excellent book dealing with the grid - and if you want to actually learn something - get Tim Samara's Making and Breaking the Grid. I was very unhappy with this purchase.



5. Esto es un gran aporte al conocimiento y una herramienta imprescindible en el diseño gráfico, claramente escrito, excelentes y variados ejemplos, increíbles hojas guías y una gran redacción. Excelente compra!

5 comments about The Hand-Sculpted House: A Practical and Philosophical Guide to Building a Cob Cottage: The Real Goods Solar Living Book.

1. It's a guide. No matter if you will be building in cob or not, it' real pleasure to read this book. I recommend it heartfully.



2. This will sound like a strange thing to say about a book on building, but I've been moved to tears reading this. One might think that the authors of such a book would be Luddites proposing a return to savagery or some such, but this is not the case. What they propose, beautifully, is a return to sanity and perspective.
   
   The subtitle of this book, "A Practical and Philosophical Guide..." is dead on accurate. This book is eminently practical and the philosophy of it one of learning to really live and love life rather than struggling to overcome the multitude of unnecessary obstacles we impose on ourselves. It talks not only about building a house from cob, but deals at length with the sort of observation of the world around us that was common in preindustrial times that has, sadly, been largely lost.
   
   Even if you have no plans at all for building your own house (from cob or any other material) read this book. If you are a teacher or parent, read this book with the children in your charge. This is a great way to help them develop an appreciation of the world around them and spark an interest in science. What could be more interesting to a child (and the child within us all) than learning from the beauty of what naturally occurs around us?
   
   A beautiful and informative book.



3. I bought this for myself as a Christmas present, on a whim; little did I know I would spend hours with it after its arrival.
   The authors detail building with cob (a mixture of sand, clay, straw, and water) - from the design stages (including land selection) to adding sculptural details. While writing about cob's uses, they also tell the reader where cob should not be used (wet, low-lying areas). This is a well-written, very accessible book for anyone who is curious about environmentally-friendly building techniques.
   Because of this book, my fiancé no longer thinks I'm crazy for wanting a "greener" house without a mortgage. I'd call that a success.



4. For me this book has covered all the bases. Not only has it inspired me to take on building with cob in the near future it has awakened my entire family to the possibility of building with alternative materials. The more I read it the more I appreciate it.



5. They weren't kidding when they told me that this was the cob builders bible! I agree that Becky Bee's "The Cob Builders Handbook" is also, a must have. I actually would suggest reading that one first. If you are serious about building with cob, then just buy it already. Even if you already know everything, like I do (Ha :) Ha) from being a builder for almost two decades and growing up in a family of them. It's worth it's weight and then some! A must read and reference.

5 comments about Mastering Revit Architecture 2008 (Mastering).

1. If you are an intermediate revit user attempting to create construction documents with full details, do not hesitate to buy this book. This book covers a lot of ground and does so with uncommon depth in how to apply this program to working projects. I have found it indispensable in getting certain things working correctly in current designs.
   
   This book basically shines in that it helps to provide lots of original examples and technical explanations that finally explain to users how to get into this program and feel comfortable with it. It is an ideal bridge to very advanced efforts, and contains some rare published advice on how to apply this program in a real working environments. Some of this info you will not find documented hardly anywhere.
   
   A few items that I thought were worth the price of the book alone: 10+ pages explaining view range, 17 pages on railings, excellent illustrated roof section, 19 pages on using design options, and others. Also some easy to understand explanations regarding things like work planes, datums, and similar items new to 2d folks. High quality numerous smaller illustrations show lots of original examples yet leave enough room for explanatory text, and basically just a ton of information packed into 620 pages that is well balanced.
   
   This book has been lovingly written with a thought to real world implementation, and it covers all the issues in good depth. It takes 650 pages to do this as revit is of course a deep program. So some explicit step by step items (although a few selected ones are presented) were probably not practical at the expense of covering the necessary ground. I found the space devoted to textual explanations extremely helpful and appropriate in planning out my projects. I would happily spend more for additional pages of this type of information.
   
   This book will help you get a solid grip on a really sophisticated program, and will leave you feeling a lot better in understanding the possibilities (and limits) of how revit will respond in lots of different situations.



2. Revit is great fun if you can figure out how to use it. This book takes you a long way. Like AutoCad, half the battle is knowing what it can do, then you figure out how to get there. This book is still written in geek-speak, so it's not always clear instruction. But it's the best Revit bible I've found so far.



3. It is a good reference manual, but not step-by-step tutorial. It very seldom has examples of how to do's. It is good, if you already somewhat efficient in Revit.



4. My recommendation is that Revit beginners buy this book after you have used the Sham Tickoo book. This one is not a simple tutorial book. As has been pointed out there are not a lot of step-by-step instructions, but what I got out of it is the way it takes you to the next level- beyond the basics and shows some more of the intricacies and potential of Revit. For example, the chapter on creating design alternatives within a single project is nowhere to be found in any of the other books I have used. The pics of many different roof types gives brief explanations of their formation- just what I want. I would rather see that than a 20-page explanation of a simple hip-roofed building.
   I am a recent(1 week to date) convert to the program and am more impressed everyday with the power and simplicity of Revit.
   !!!!!Here is the the great thing about this book- great graphics and lots of it. There are other books which have minimal graphic examples. Don't those authors know who their target market is? We are visually oriented people!!!!!!



5. The title of my review is more a comment on Revit in general. This book goes a long way and in a detailed, usually, understandable manner to the heart of this program. Having worked in AutoCAD for years now actually helped understanding the interface--similar logic.
   
   What it didn't do well for me--and this goes back to title of this review, was to show how much drawing went on in Revit. The program is sold on its BIM ability, automatic drawing coordination (almost), instant sections, enlarged plans, schedules, etc. All of which it does amazingly well. It wasn't until I worked in an office that had used Revit for several years that I was indoctrinated into the Revit Reality--there is still alot of drawing going on to make the drawings presentable. It's not all automatic. (Learn the difference between a model line and a detail line as soon as possible).
   
   Don't get me wrong--I will never go back, Revit is a beautiful program that can only get better and this book goes a long way toward making that end understandable. Get on board now!

2 comments about Thinking Architecture.

1. Reading this book was like reading a long-lost secret manual of
   "How to become a 21 century Samurai..." I guess that sense of delusion rises because the content and the tone of book has this (quasi) idea of medieval perfection achieved through a repetition of hands-on practice. "I do not work towards architecture from a theoretically defined point of departure, for I am committed to making architecture,," writes Zumthor.
   
   Moreover, a reader, at the back of her/his head, has those powerful images of Bath House in Vaals (tour de force of phenomenological experience) that intensifies the delusion. One would think, 'Zumthor must be a man from Mars to build architecture like that' and 'his writings must be a strong sleeping pill.' Usual Suspect !
   
   He writes extremely clear with extremely simple terms. This slim book tells us how an architect of such originality thinks and experiences daily life. It's a great pleasure to find out what kind of music (Mozart's piano concertos) zumthor listens; what kind of artists (Beuys and Merz) he likes; what kind of film he watches (Ettore Scola's film Le Bal); what kind of books (Calvino) he reads; and what kind of sayings ("the hard core beauty") in the radio show captivates him. A former cabinet maker, his book is carefully jointed, just like his buildings. Anyone who found this book fun/inspiring to read should also try Alvaro Siza's "Writings on Architecture"



2. A thoroughly engaging book about meaningful architecture - it now holds a very special place in my architecture library, right next to Michael Benedikt's For An Architecture of Reality.
   Excellent for anyone interested in Peter Zumthor's work.

3 comments about SAS for Mixed Models, Second Edition.

1. Positive: 1.Well written in a field with limited sources.
   Negative: 2. Not enough explanations for a lot of procedures.
   2. Expensive



2. A pretty good book which is very suitable for some people who needs to use the mixed model. The content of this version is better than the previous version. I recommend this book.



3. I am a Ph.D. student, and I work with longitudinal and hierarchical data. I bought this book recently and I have only had a look at it. I like it very much. This book presents mixed model methodology in the setting of numerous applications and many examples are included from several applications areas. It is a useful book even to people with no muck knowledge of analysis of variance an regression analysis. You do not need to read the book from cover to cover. This book is certainly applied.

4 comments about Design of Wood Structures-ASD/LRFD.

1. The book came in great condition, looked like it hadn't even been opened. Very fast delivery. smooth transaction



2. This book is easy enough to understand for beginner and detail enough for experienced engineer. Well structured, cover not only ASD but also the LRFD design. As a complement, reader should also pick up the NDS manual for reference of timber property. And also the ASCE 7-05 for design load.



3. Excellent. Very well organized and numerous examples. I have followed this author from 3 of his previous editions of this book.



4. Now in it's sixth edition, this book has become the standard text on the design and construction of buildings made of wood. While most wooden structures are residences, the book also covers multi story wooden structures such as apartment houses, commercial buildings with wooden roofs, and to a limited extent newer techniques such as glue-laminate beams.
   
   The book is suitable for use either as a text for a course or as a reference for self study. The sixth edition of this book was promoted by five major developments:
   
   1. Publication of new dual-format (ASD/LRFD) wood design criteria in the 2005 National Design Specification for Wood Construction.
   
   2. Publication of the new Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic (SDPWS) Supplement to the NDS.
   
   3. Publication of the comprehensive ASD/LRFD Manual for Engineered Wood Construction.
   
   4. Publication and increased adoption nationally of the 2006 International Building Code. ==5. Publication of updated load standards in the 2005 edition of Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures.

5 comments about Atlas of Novel Tectonics.

1. get it... that's all i have to say. there's no reason not to own it.



2. Reiser and Umemoto (henceforth R&U) have put together a wonderful role model of a textbook in a field that erroneously prides itself on having NO textbooks -- that is, by having far too many "must-read" books that remain disconnected and often irrelevant to the problem of learning HOW TO GO ABOUT wrapping one's head around this thing called Architecture. Without turgidity, mysticism, pedantry, or pretentious narcissism, the authors elegantly demonstrate one version of architectural head-wrapping: THEIRS. But make no mistake: to call it 'theirs' is only to specify the site of the (unavoidable)subjectivity that propels this kind of demonstration. And the clarity with which this demostration is done is yet another demonstration of the refinement of their subjectivity.
   
   This book, along with those by George L. Hersey, is one of the very few books in the field that can actually help one in reducing the confusion in trying to understand what Architecture as a DISCIPLINE really deals with, so overcrowded it is today with so many extra-architectural issues/agendas. After all, it was never Architecture as such that was confusing or difficult to understand. People with clubby exclusionary motives, aided and abetted by academic survivalists -- the small sort of people Dryden derided as 'criticules'(teeny weeny critics) -- have made the topic into the unnecessarily convoluted intestine that it is today. And given the paucity of well-paying or creatively challenging work for architects in the real world, this nefarious practice of obfuscation will likely continue since "all forms of power are always accompanied by some form of mysticism."
   But I digress.
   
   I mentioned George L. Hersey's books earlier as exemplars of clarity. I was thinking of his `Architecture and Geometry in the Age of the Baroque'. There you see what actually qualified AS an architectural problem for architects like Borromini and Guarini. You also see the INTENSITY and COMPLEXITY in the SIMPLICITY of the problems they chose to deal with. This kind of architectural cathexis (focus of interest) is something that got lost a while ago with people wasting their vital fluids arguing over possibly important but ultimately extra-architectural issues like low-income housing, importance of having porches, evils of capitalism, etc -- issues that are really a matter of political will, compassion, self-control, and/or common sense.
   
   Enter R&U:
   Knowledgeable admirers of the Baroque that they are, they remind us what it really means to "play ball" in Architecture: ripped-pantyhose mediations on Heraclitus be damned, Architecture, like Baseball, has its internally generated/regulated rules that demand consistency with how Nature designs; and playing a great game regardless of all external factors (politics, ideology, economy, management, the weather, etc) is really all that counts in the end.
   
   In five sections, R&U demonstrate the very thing they profess to practice - strategies of ordering - by crystallizing the perennial topics of Architecture. The five headings are:
   1. Geometry
   2. Matter
   3. Operating
   4. Common Errors to Avoid
   5. The World
   
   Under those five headings, Reiser and Umemoto present short discussions based on themes that are often paired into their basic Yin & Yang. Some examples:
   Difference in Kind / Difference in Degree
   Variety vs. Variation
   Selection / Classification
   Classical Body / Impersonal Individuation
   Exact / Anexact-yet-rigorous
   Continuity / Discontinuity
   Intensive / Extensive
   
   No doubt there are ways of looking that go beyond the binary but I agree with this manner of presentation for the clarity it can offer to the student who needs to first get his conceptual house in order anyway.
   With their confident yet quiet presentation, R&U steer clear from trying to be clever or pointlessly esoteric. Every illustration serves to enhance the point they are trying to get across. And the point is always and consistently ABOUT HOW ONE MIGHT GO ABOUT DOING this thing called Architecture which essentially operates - without necessarily being delimited thereby in its possibilities - as a finite set of limits within a SYSTEM - a coherent system of desire and sensibility, as opposed to a smorgasbord of personal whims, tastes, styles, and personal baggage.
   
   Discussion of each topic is accompanied by quirky but spot-on illustrations ranging from stress diagrams to engravings of Solomon's Temple from Villapando to Max Ernst collages to selections from their own projects. (Whether, if, and how well R&U actually applied these very principles to their own design work is a matter outside the scope of this review.)
   
   Being teachers as well as practicing architects, R&U thoughtfully included a section (Section 4) that should be particularly useful for most architecture students who often end up getting the short end of the stick after going from one teacher to another without there being any rhyme or reason to the arbitrary sequence in which they are exposed to ideas.
   
   The value of this book lies in its status as an exemplar of clarity in terms of its strategy of perception/observation, not necessarily in its enormity of scope, exhaustiveness, logical throroughness, or profundity in the application of Deleuze's or DeLanda's ideas -- which in this case is not really an issue.
   As an exemplar, this book points a way possibly toward a New Architecture (again) but more importantly, a New Honesty/Modesty/Clarity in speaking/writing about Architecture.



3. This book gets lots of play right now in (big "A") Architecture schools. I'm a firm believer that if your thoughts are clear, your writing is clear. This book embarks on many dialectical examples that are explained with too much "difficult writing" for its own good. Grad students of the world, beware the three DDDs that inspire some of this writing: Deleuze, Derrida and Delanda. They plow enormous fields in complicated patterns and only yield a kernel or two. Ironically, I admire Reiser + Umemoto as architects and am looking forward to a book on their more recent work.



4. An unxpectedly fine book on architectural theory that's rooted not in politics or aesthetics or lit-crit theory, but in the worlds of physics and engineering-- a look at architecture and architectural possibilities based on the sinews of buildings rather than the ideology of architects. I'm an historian by training, and an aficionado of architecture and design theory. Reiser + Umemoto have created a small book that offers a view of postmodern architecture seen through the lens of the physically possible. Anyone who wants to imagine new cities and new styles of building needs to consider the sheer physical constraints of design, and this book is a fine place to start.



5. Must read lexicon of architectural forays and methodologies for any critical architect or designer.

3 comments about AutoCAD2008 and AutoCAD LT 2008: No Experience Required.

1. This book teaches cad well for the construction industry. If you need to learn the basics, it is good. Only a few changes of importance for those of us who are used to AutoCAD 2000. If you are a user of AutoCAD 2000, then 2008 only ads a few benefits.



2. I found the book very complete, covering all the common commands and tools necessary for drawing complex diagrams. Also included are explanations on drawing set-up, drawing blocks, text, title blocks, tables, printing layouts, viewports, etc. Pretty much every facet of the program is at least introduced (except LISP), including 3-D.
   While I will be using the program primarily in drawing electrical diagrams, the concepts and methods used for architectural drawings are exactly the same.
   If you are a beginner and want to get up to speed fast, this is the book you're looking for.



3. The book's title was no experience required for autocad 2008 and LT. Well all they covered was homebuilding. I do mostly mechanical work. It did not even touch the subject of parts or anything of that sort. Great work if you want to build a house, just not what I needed.

5 comments about The Timeless Way of Building.

1. The book was in fantastic condition. I received it very quickly as well. And so far has been a fantastic read. thank you!!



2. We are in the process of designing a home. This book was recommended as being good food for thought in planning a future home. It is not an easy read but well worth the effort. It,along with another from the same author,is required reading for college students in architecture. This book establishes the "language" for describing all the elements inside and outside buildings, neighborhoods, towns, etc. "A Pattern Language" is the sequel which explains in great detail how to apply this language. I would recommend both to anyone who is planning a future home - especially a custom-built home.



3. In many ways, The Timeless Way of Building remains the best book by Alexander, as it is easily accessible to all readers and provides a wonderful, thought provoking look into building traditions. Alexander searches for examples of a more humane architecture that took its proportions from the nature of building materials and the context in which these structures were built. The book is evocatively illustrated with black and white photos and thumbnail sketches. It has a look and feel like that of the Everyman's Library edition of Tao Te Ching, and in a similar way represents the building blocks of architecture through an insightful series of meditations on place. Alexander built on this series with A Pattern Language and The Oregon Experiment, and has since come out with a new series of books on The Nature of Order, but for many this is all you need to appreciate the sense of balance and order Christopher Alexander finds necessary in the built environment.



4. He is a very whimsical writer. Take time to browse through the 'Search Inside' to see if you really need this long introduction. For content you can actually work with, check out his other book: A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction (Center for Environmental Structure Series).



5. One of the most intriguing books I have ever read, The Timeless Way of Building is one part complexity theory, one part architectural and city-planning theory, and one part spiritual treatise. It makes a great contribution to any class on Aesthetics, and resonates with people far and wide. I wish this book were in every library in America.