5 comments about The New Cottage Home: A Tour of Unique American Dwellings.

1. I thought it was a little dated for being called "New cottage homes". I know some of the houses built and they were built over 13 years ago. So not so "new" if you know what I mean. If you buy it I am sure you will understand.



2. Some books you love and race right through them. This one I loved so much I dawdled over every page, scrutinized the photos, and extracted every bit of info I could from the written descriptions.
   I pictured myself curled up on the windowseat reading a book. I imagined walking through the woods to my camp cottage, or lounging in the adirondack chair on the porch with an ocean view. This book will fuel any dreams you have of owning a second home, a special retreat from the real world.
   The cottages are grouped into these categories:
   *Cottages by the water
   *Cottages of the forest and mountains
   *Cottages in the field
   *Cottages in town
   The final section covers designing the cottage home (26 pages).
   Each cottage gets 4 to 6 pages. The book describes the owners' vision and tells how the architect created their dream cottage. It might be 500 sq. ft. or 2,000 sq. ft. but each vacation home is a pleasure to view. Besides numerous color photos, there's a floor plan for each cottage. These combine with the descriptive text to give a pretty good picture of each home.
   Savor this book. Even if you never have a cottage, you can dream.



3. the used bookstore wouldn't even want this rubbish- about 5 pages of decent information. it's all coffee table fluff and I don't drink coffee- Boo



4. This book is great if you want gables and a structure with more character but more expensive. I am looking for simple structures. I do like the book a lot.



5. As an avid cottage fan, and living in one while designing a new one to build for myself which is even more zen and simple, I found this book to be one of the best books on cottages around. Although I also admit what was considered a cottage when my place was built someone hundred years ago and what is considered a cottage in 2006 is around five square feet more in size.
   
   Of course I am a purest and go by what my dictionary says a cottage is which is 1 : the dwelling of a farm laborer or small farmer 2 : a usually small frame one-family house. Small being reduced in size. So I was surprised that on page 112 they show a French Hunting Lodge from the Pacific Northwest. Not a cottage at all.
   
   What does make this good sized book useful for anyone looking for ideas on cottage styles is the vast array of examples given. From the coastline of Maine to the San Juan Island of Washington State, to rural Kansas to Massachusetts to favorite areas here in California.
   
   And wonderful examples of simple to elaborate. One of my favorites because of its really simple zen style is the Pumphouse on pages 52-59 on San Juan Island in Washington State that was made into a smooth lined, all in one cottage which I and other minimalists would love to own. Or the wonderful Salvage Yard cottage in Franklin County, Kansas on page 156-161 that would fit in just about anywhere where clean lines and environmental desires are important.
   
   There is even an off the grid cottage and some communities of nothing but cottages like those on Lopez Island in Washington State beginning on page 196, where the cottages are part of a land trust that was set up to allow people on moderate incomes to build small abodes with common greenbelt areas in and area where expensive homes were/are the norm. Heck, this made the book worth the price in itself.
   
   Each cottage is shown inside and out complete with basic blueprints of each cottage so one can see how the space sits and works. The photography and text meld well and makes this a book that is hard to put down.

No comments about Residential Design Using Revit Architecture 2009.

5 comments about AutoCAD 2005 and AutoCAD LT 2005 Bible.

1. I got this book to refresh myself and the Dummies book for a quick reference.
   I highly reccommend that.
   This book walks you through step by step the entire process and well over 90% of the entire program.
   The examples are very easy and the text is spot on accurate.
   The only complaint I have is that I wish that the information that we hagve to enter was all in bold text.
   Some is and some isn't, but this is a minor complaint compared to quality of the training you get from the material.



2. I've been a long time CAD user experienced in almost everything but "AutoCad". Always seemed to find a way around using this industry standard (eg: .dxf or other file translator to bring into your CAD app). Well, after alot of digging my heels into the ground to avoid AutoCad, due to it's unfamiliar CAD interface and menu nomenclature, I decided to give this book a try. WOW, what an eye opener for me! Absolutely the best. Spend the time to do all of the excercises in this book and you'll no longer dread the unfamiliar GUI (graphical user interface) of ACAD. In a matter of approx. 40 hours of study, I feel relatively comfortable using ACAD, along with our other CAD programs. Do yourself a favor and get this book if you have any interest in learning ACAD, you won't regret it. Ellen Finkelstein and crew did an absolutely fabulous job!



3. The Finkelstein Bible series -as reference books for AutoCAD- stand head and shoulder above the others, the depth, the accuracy and the conscientious effort is unmatched. If a supplement book for exercises at the same technical level is published, we will definitely have an undisputed knock out.



4. This book is clear, concise, and well-written. It covers everything I've needed to know about AutoCAD, and probably everything I'll ever want to know. Explanation of the more difficult concepts is thorough and complete, and the exercises are very helpful, keyed as they are to practice drawings on the included CD-ROM. A great reference...structured by topic, so it's easy to find what you need.



5. If you are using AutoCAD 2005 or LT 2005 as a beginner who needs step by step instruction or a seasoned AutoCAD user who can use a good reference manual - this book is well worth owning. It is a very thorough and clearly written book. No new or old AutoCAD feature is left unturned.

No comments about 1000 Turn-of-the-Century Houses: With Illustrations and Floor Plans.

No comments about Engineering Graphics w/AutoCAD 2008.

5 comments about The Inner Harmony of the Japanese House.

1. Badly written, disorganized, minimally illustrated, far less poetic than the subject matter. More historical than harmonious.



2. On of the few architectural books that is actually a pleasure to read, simple and direct, explains with no fuss the characteristics of a Japanese Home. This book is indeed a Bible on the understanding of the Japanese architecture's historical evolution. This book would be almost perfect if it had better pictures and more examples, all photos are black and white, and very few. In spite of the lack and quality of images, the book is a pleasure to read, let's hope the editors reconsider their inclusion of more examples for a future re-editions.



3. Bought the book thinking it would show ideas on how to decorate with Japanese furniture and art. All the pictures are in Black and White. Gives more information on "What a Japanese house is", then decorating ideas.



4. What a fascinating book. I bought it because I am interested in Japanese architecture, but found so much more. The reasons and explanations of the construction gave me a deeper understanding of the people and their customs.
   I liked the book so well that I bought it for my daughter, who is also a
   lover of Japan.
   
   Diana Van Vleet



5. The original title in japanese was "The Japanese and the house" and that should have been the English title. Don't expect a sales-advertisement trying to sell you japanese architecture as the world's most perfect, showing you only the most perfect examples, like most books on the subject do; this book was written by a Japanese for the Japanese, so it's not trying to fool anyone. Instead, it addresses the good, the bad and the (very) ugly of Japanese architecture in the 1970s, and gives a lot of recommendations for future development. In this sense, this book feels a lot like "A Pattern Language", from Christopher Alexander.
   
   I finished this book in a weekend. Unlike many other translated books on Japanese architecture, it is written in clear English and talks about daily life issues anyone can understand, and does it with a good (sometimes hilarious) sense of humor. It does not go high on insipid philosophical discussions, but goes deep into the roots of current day virtues and vices of Japanese architecture.
   
   Don't expect color photographs, floor plans or sections; this books was not illustrated by the author, but by the editor. The original work is text-only. Even if it were to be stripped from the b/w photos it has, it is still a very entertaining book, that reads almost like a novel, and will make you learn a lot of things about the realities and problems of Japan while having some good laughs. It's really refreshing to find a book on architecture that talks about real life needs instead of difficult-to-understand philosophical concepts.

1 comments about Driveways, Paths and Patios: A Complete Guide to Design, Management and Construction.

1. Driveways, Paths and Patios: A Complete Guide to Design, Management and Construction provides an excellent survey of how driveways and paths are constructed, packing over two hundred color photos and drawings with a step-by-step guide for any who would build their own. From basic driveway and path design to choosing proper materials, estimating costs and considering drainage, this is the book to turn to for any driveway or path project start to finish.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

2 comments about Just Enough AutoCAD 2007.

1. Just Enough AutoCAD 2007 is an excellent purchase. It does just what it's title entails, it give the user just enough information on the use of autocad to give them a fairly decent jumping off point. It is extremely easy to use and read and offers a more inexpensive way of finding out what you need to know/



2. I have not used my high school drafting lessons since 1968, when I last attended Maricosta College in California. The computer was not very popular in that field, at the time, and now that it is, working with it is interesting and rewarding.
   Auto Cad makes it simple, easy, and quick, to produce drawings from specifications. The T-Square and Drawing Board, are truely things of the past; and the protractor,compass and various other devices used for measureing angles, are very neatly displayed in the configuration of the program itself.
   sylvspst@aol.com
   01/06/2007

1 comments about Shaping Interior Space.

1. This book provides a good conceptual approach to designing the layout and organization of commercial spaces. There are many diagrams and sketches illustrating the concepts of space, volume, flow, order, repetition, etc. The only thing is the photographs, while numerous, are just black and white. Helps keep the cost down though. Any student or new professional in interior design should get this book,

1 comments about Mail It (Agile Rabbit Editions S.).

1. I am not saying dont buy this one.
   But beware that this is a only 128 pg book and all of the foldings and designs are basic.
   I believe a good graphic designer can create the same die-cuts and designs in a very short time. No trade secrets or big creativity involved.