No comments about AutoCad 2009 Instructor (The Mcgraw-Hill Graphics Series).

2 comments about Building A Fireplace: Step-by-step Instructions For Contemporary To Classic Styles.

1. If you are an amatur builder and want to size your new firplace, this is not the book for you. The book focuses on the building steps from contractor's or builder's point of view and not designer's point view. You will find many good ideas on custom fireplace construction. However, you will not find how to size your fire chamber, the geometry of the fire chamber, the relationship between the fire chamber and the flue size or chimney hight, and many other specific data necessary for designing the fireplace.



2. Good book for learning to construct your own fireplace with how to instructions

1 comments about How Designers Think, Fourth Edition: The Design Process Demystified.

1. I have followed the many editions of this book. It is a classic. In this latest offering, the author has managed to keep it up to date - not easy in today's fast changing world. Well done. Look forward to the next edition.

No comments about Building Type Basics for Transit Facilities (Building Type Basics).

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

5 comments about An Eames Primer.

1. Before reading this book I would have found it difficult to believe that I would be able to use the word hyperbole and the Eames Office in the same sentence. The work of the Eames Office remains beyond reproach and this book does offer some genuine insight into its multifaceted work but tends to avoid difficult questions and for the most part gives simple answers.
   
   The book glosses over the realities and complexities of the Eamesian approach to design and the creative atmosphere of the Office. However, I think the title itself makes the authors intent clear. As a "primer" this book fits the bill in terms of the information included. My main criticism is that the author should have followed through and been more concise and direct. This book is verbose and practically glows with the repetitive and nearly-universal fond memories of the individuals interviewed. Worst of all, the prose has the faint sent of re-contextualization and hero worship (hard to avoid for a grandson).
   
   Secondary to the above but still significant is the books poor quality of design and production. I found the book extremely difficult to read. The font and point size selected, compounded by the overly-wide text line length, made for uncomfortable reading. To top it off the paper selected displayed a surface glare that made reading the book all but impossible except in the best light conditions. The design renders it more a pretty-object rather than a functional book. On the other hand it looks good on the shelf... if you want to impress your friends.
   
   If it weren't for the fact that this book is really about as good as any other design book, it would fair far worse. If you couldn't tell, I would recommend getting the book as there is not much out there on the subject thats any better.



2. I have had the pleasure of visiting the Eames House and the Eames Family (incldg Eames Demetrios--author and grand-son and Lucia --Charles's only child) on the occasion of the Charles's 100th birthday anniversary. What a delight! Before that wonderful trip, I had the benefit of reading this book which helped me fully understand the history and legacy of this important creative team and the family life that influenced them
   
   It's a must have for any mid century devotee. Get it for your library and be inspired!



3. This is a great insight into the lives of the Eames'. I think many designers (myself included) think we know something of their lives and importance. This book is a true eye opener into their influence around the world. There is so much to learn not just from their work, but HOW they lived their lives. Very well written. A must read for any designer.



4. As you might imagine and the title implies this is a wonderful introduction to the work of the Eames' design office. More importantly it is a warm fun filled story of two wonderful and creative human beings who truly sought to make a difference in the world by living with integrity. I feel they succeeded and I think that anyone who reads this little gem will begin to see the connections that weave all life's little mysteries into a comprehensive story .



5. In 1988, filmmaker Eames Demetrios made the film, 901: After 45 Years of Working, a family record of the closing of the Eames Office shortly after the death of Ray. It was an objective attempt to capture the essence of the studio and design work created by Charles and Ray Eames and their multi-talented staff. Now more than ten years later, Demetrios has again recorded the studio and work in the book, An Eames Primer. The modest title implies an introduction and starting point to all the work of his grandparents but it is much more informative. What makes this book essential reading is the personal nature of the writing, connections, and the concept of "design addressing itself to the need."

   Much of this personal nature is expressed in the chapter on the life of Charles Eames and Ray Kaiser before their meeting at Cranbrook, including extensive writing on each family history. This early period of their lives is illustrated by several drawings and paintings by Charles and Ray with each piece exhibiting a pleasing combination of color and form that would later become the hallmark of their work.

   Demetrios devotes two pages on the issue of the Eameses signing with either Knoll or Herman Miller for the plywood group. This analysis, which isn't really dealt with in other books, is a rational and logical explanation of Charles and Ray's principles and their main concern about simply marketing a "good chair". For anyone interested in this crucial choice the author has formulated an essential case for the decision to go with Herman Miller.

   One of the many highlights of the book is a wonderful collection of color photographs of different objects hanging from the ceiling of the Eames House that is pure aesthetic delight. Also, the bottom right corner of each page serves as a flipbook tour of the expansive 901 Studio.

   What must have been an amazing event in film exhibition is Glimpses of the USA at the American Pavilion in Moscow in 1959. The seven-screen presentation of life in the United States shows a cultural identity of amazing diversity and Demetrios explains the process behind the production of this film. In an unbelievable set of circumstances, the American government had given Charles and Ray complete freedom to produce this film at the height of the Cold War with no "final cut" approval from Washington. Several pages also describe the production of the two versions of Powers of Ten. These films required experiments in film technology and camera work and Demetrios fully describes the process. The many contributions of staff members and outside consultants are thoroughly explained.

   Throughout the book, many former Eames Office members and consultants describe their experience of working in the studio on the amazing variety of projects. Issues of design attribution are commented upon and examined for several projects.

   Two days after finishing the book I retrieved Eames Design and several other excellent books and realized that everything now seemed much clearer after reading Primer. Perhaps Demetrios is correct in giving his work that modest title. The clean and clear connection has been analyzed and described so that it all seems so perfectly obvious. This is an informative educational book written in a casual but serious style and a worthy addition to a personal library.

3 comments about Technician's Guide To Programmable Controllers.

1. This book is intended for the beginner, it has so may misprints and errors in it makes a hard subject for the beginner to an impossible one to understand! This 4th edition has many of the same misprints in it from the first edition! I would never recommend this book to anyone!



2. I used this book with great success in the course, Introduction to Programmable Logic Controllers, which I developed for a leading aircraft manufacturer. This book was recommended reading prior to attending other PLC courses offered in my training business.



3. I used this book to train industrial electricians and recommended it in the PLC course I designed at Coyne American Institute in Chicago in 1989. They still use the book along with a lab manual and Allen Bradley PLC's in the electrical maintenance course. I reviewed other books and felt this one was the right choice for the length of course, training level and content. It is clearly written with hardware and instruction set examples from various PLC manufacturers, troubleshooting, number systems, start-up hints and some useful general computer information. Also included is a chapter on understanding MS-DOS commands-very handy for people (a lot of them around) with no computer background except a point-and-click once in a while. The soft cover format, number of pages (372) and size make it easy to carry and throw in a brief case. If you are learning PLC's for the first time, this is a good place to start. If I was going to add anything to it for the next edition, I would include things like data highway, serial communications, remote displays and PID loop. Maybe a little more about programming details involving analog I/O would be nice.

2 comments about Assembly Modeling with SolidWorks 2008.

1. I've purchased books from these authors and like their style of writing with well illustrated step by step instructions. This book is no different. The book does an excellent job in providing general and in-depth information on Assembly modeling. It covers a lot of subject topics and tools. To have initial and final model solutions with the CD is a big plus. An impressive book on Assembly modeling.



2. An excellent text with lots of illustrations for any SolidWorks user who wants to learn about top-down and bottom-up assembly modeling. It is very easy to read, follow and best of all to comprehend.
   
   The book is clear and succinct and deals with 95% of the key topics in assembly modeling namely; templates, custom properties, document and system option, SolidWorks Explorer, toolbox, blocks, layout sketches, two levels of configurations, (design tables, configure configuration and configure dimensions), assembly drawings (great section), SmartMates, mate errors, MateXpert and I can go on... In other words, it has a lot of great SolidWorks stuff on assemblies. Initial and final SW models in the book are included on the CD. This is a big plus.

3 comments about AutoCAD & AutoCAD LT All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)).

1. This book provides lots of good information, but it is truly written for dummies. By that I mean that the book is really dummed down with very specific instructions on doing things like opening the program, saving a file, etc.
   
   There are lots of great tips scattered throughout the book. However, they will be difficult to find again without highlighting the book the first time you read it.
   
   The author seems to assume that the reader has experience in AutoCad. This assumption lends the book towards not providing exercises on how to use the program. Such exercises would have made the book much more useful.
   
   The bottom line: The AutoCad software is a big let down in the context sensitive help. A good instruction book is needed - but this is not it. If you can't find a better book, get this one. But, do the best you can to find a book that walks the reader through using the program with exercises.



2. This is the book I use for quick reference when the latest version of AutoCAD comes out. They always seem to change things around and the help in the program is poor at best. This book makes it easy to find the commands for the common stuff and I use the AutoCAD Bible for the more complicated commands.



3. When you are first starting to use AutoCAD, you get to the point where you are looking at a basically bare screen with a whole bunch of control icons around the edges. What do you do then? Just simply getting the first line drawn is a confusing task.
   
   In this book the authors have applied the full range of the 'For Dummies' books style guidelines to produce a book that gets you working in AutoCAD just as fast as possible. It still takes them over fifty pages to get started drawing a picture, but that first fifty pages gives you a lot, an awful lot, of basic information. So often I find that computer books leave out this first fifty pages that explain just what it is that we are trying to do. Plow through it. It's material that you will need to know sooner or later, probably sooner, and it's really not that bad.
   
   As a simple summary about this book. I like the 'For Dummies' style, and if I were trying to get started in AutoCAD, it's where I would start.
   
   It's a big book, almost 800 pages, but a lot of details about Autocad are included. You'll be productive before you get down to the customizing and programming chapters.

No comments about AutoCAD 2009 for Architects and Interior Designers.