5 comments about Mastering AutoCAD 2004 and AutoCAD LT 2004.

1. As a student landscape and gardenarchitecture (last year), i found myself lacking the courage and will to learn autocad as they taught us at school.
   I actually got very bad grades untill i decided to make an effort and buy some kind of book that could teach me.
   
   After giving it some thought i decided to buy this book written by Omura and boy! i am i glad i did.
   My grades went up a whole bunch and suddenly i understood what the teacher was explaining. Students around me started to come to me to get answers on things they didn't understand about the program.
   So in short, what makes this a good book?
   It starts from zero, absolutely from the beginning, working itself up to the point where you enter a more advanced level.
   each step is fully explained, instead of telling what to do, George Omura tells you WHY you need to do what you do.
   
   The best about the book is that in the back of the book, there is a list with keywords, enabling you to fastacces things you are stuck with or don't understand as you use the program.
   
   So this book isn't only handy to learn autocad, it's also good for a fast look-up on something you need to know.
   
   I did at a certain point hunger for more knowledge on the more advanced 3D operations. George Omura does a good job explaining the fundaments, but i wish he would've gone more deeper into it sometimes. Sometimes the explanation felt lacking more information.
   
   But overall, i class this a 5 star book!



2. I used this book to teach myself AutoCad in two weeks and got a job as an engineer. (Yes, I still have the position!)
   The book is clear and concise in it's instructions. The index works exactly as an index should work allowing you to quickly find solutions to perplexing problems. It covers the ACAD program from beginning (Look! I drew a box!) to end (3-D modeling).
   There's more info than you can possibly remember so buy a copy and guard it jealously. Users of any level will walk away enlightened.



3. I've been an Autocad user for 9 years going back to version 12. I've used every version since. Let me state right off the bat, whether you're a beginner or a very experienced cad user, BUY THIS BOOK. This book will give you a solid foundation for every area of Autocad. The book is structured from beginner to expert and includes 4 appendixes.

   For the beginner (I read the beginner chaps just for fun and to see what's new in 2004) excellent walk-thru exercises with great pictures and easy to understand instructions should have you drawing in no time as well as building your confidence with each chapter.

   For the more experienced user who wants to delve in to the 3d features and customization capabilities of Autocad (ex. database integration, VBA, Lisp, Web dev, sys vars, etc.), excellent coverage including walk-thru's of these areas will provide you with the solid foundation to do whatever you want. I was particularly impressed with the coverage of the 3d environment as Omura devotes 4 chapters to this topic with each one being a must read.

   The inclusion of good screen shots throughout the book allows you to read and understand while away from the computer.

   Very satisfied with the purchase of this book!!




4. I love Omura's books about AutoCAD.I have all the versions from AutoCAD13 to AutoCAD2004, it is wonderful, easy to read to Understood to deal with, since I am an architeact& a lecturer in University, I this book very helpful in my work& teching.
   Thank you
   Arqem



5. Page 963 alone is worth the price of the book if you are an advanced user. I learned how to set up all my blocks into a custom tool palette. Tool palettes are a new feature in 2004.
   I started at chapter one, and learned about features I have overlooked although I've been using AutoCAD since version 10.
   I can't praise Mr Omura enough, he even gives his e:mail address and invites suggestions for improvements. There isn't a better book on the market for new users of AutoCAD, or experienced users either. The writing style and exercises are so easy to follow.

3 comments about Architecture + Animation (Architectural Design).

1. this book gives another dimentition to the understanding of animation, it goes more into the philosophical use and representation ideas of creationg both formas and spaces in digital reality



2. I high recommend this book for all the architects interested in architecture in motion.



3. I am a architect and I want to collect some articles about animated architecture and architectural animation.

No comments about Architectural Drafting for Interior Designers.

2 comments about Creative Time: The Book: 33 Years of Public Art in New York.

1. This book is an absolutely illuminating look into the history of Creative Time's impact on public art. Beautifully printed images accompany textual explorations into artists' projects with Creative Time over the past few decades. A must-have for anyone interested in the growth of art that is vital for the creation of a more enriching public realm.



2. If you like public art and if you like New York, buy this book. It's a fascinating history of an organization that has, for four decades, been at the forefront of this field. This book is beautifully done by Princeton Architectural Press and the several year effort by director Anne Pasternak and her staff is really quite amazing. The 300 plus projects they have sponsored are chronologically presented with beautiful color photography and interspersed with essays and interviews by some fascinating people. Also, this book is going to be a collector's item because each cover is a distinct numbered print generated by a machine recording the sights and sounds of NYC. You can either skim the surface by focusing on the projects alone, or you can delve deeper into the minds of the people who have created and presented these projects.

5 comments about Laboratories: A Guide to Planning, Programming, and Design.

1. As an architect who is actively engaged in the planning and design of laboratories I found this book to be an indisposible resource. Mr. Dahan's knowledge of what makes a good lab work comes through on every page.



2. This is a complete and comprehensive handbook which shall be used by all involved in the planning and design of chemical, biochemical, and other laboratories. It is a comprehensive reference covering guidelines for site selection, the design of laboratory rooms and wings as well as of complete facilities. It provides the most up to date criteria for the design of sustainable type of labs. It also give a unique process for the analysis of needs and the determination of what type of building should be acquired for each given set of circumstances, all in the context of strategic master planning. We feel here in our laboratory that it is an excellent tool for architects, engineers, and project managers as well as for those who commission, operate, and manage laboratories at every level from schools to industry.



3. This is a complete and comprehensive handbook which shall be used by all involved in the planning and design of chemical, biochemical, and other laboratories. It is a comprehensive reference covering guidelines for site selection, the design of laboratory rooms and wings as well as of complete facilities. It provide the most up to date criteria for the design of ustainable type of labs. It also give a unique process for the analysis of need and determination of what type of building should be acquired for each given set of circumstances, and that in the context of strategic master planning. We fell here in our laboratory that it is an excellent tool for architects, engineers, and project managers as well as for those who commission, operate, and manage laboratories at every level from schools to industry.



4. This is a complete and comprehensive handbook which shall be used by all involved in the planning and design of chemical, biochemical, and other kinds of laboratories. It is a comprehensive reference covering guidelines for site selection, the design of laboratory rooms and wings as well as of complete facilities. It provides the most up-to-date criteria for the design of sustainable type of labs. It also gives a unique process for the analysis of needs and the determination of what type of building should be acquired for each set of circumstances, in the context of strategic master planning. It is an excellent tool for architects, engineers and project managers, as well as for those who commission, operate and manage laboratories at every level from schools to industry.



5. This book not only provides state-of-the-art technical information related to laboratory design such as layout, mechanical & electrical systems, air quality, instruments, special purpose labs, etc. but it also deals with information useful in the planning process for a new facility which should be valuable to lab users. I know of no other source for this type of information. This book virtually provides a step-by-step guide for providing a laboratory facility.

No comments about AutoCAD 2008 Tutorial - Second Level: 3D Modeling.

1 comments about Design for Assisted Living: Guidelines for Housing the Physically and Mentally Frail.

1. This is an amazing book because it includes design considerations that are European and American. Northern Europe has a definite view of the aging population that is very different than that of Americans. Much more focused on wellness, physical activity, landscape as part of healing, maximizing the aging process. This book also includes American facilities that are more focused on creating a HOME for elders. Wonderful photos too. Comment made that senior residences are designed for the daughters (those who make the decision) rather than for the residents. This gives you ideas on how to change that issue... for the positive. Very good resource book.

2 comments about The Architect's Handbook of Professional Practice.

1. This book is an impressive accomplishment, admittedly. It is a vast amount of information, very thorough, complete, and seems to cover every aspect of professional practice for an architect. I have other editions of this book back to the 1958 copy, and they are fairly extraordinary records of the changes in the profession.
   
   The failures of this book are to some extent caused by its subject matter. Architectural practice has changed in the last decade for some firms, and this book admirably tries to reflect and analyze that change -- although this probably holds true for a very small number of firms. If you're a partner at Skidmore Owings and Merrill and trying to broadly envision where practice is heading, hey this book is perfect for you. But I imagine many firms are not going to have that much use for re-examining the nature of the "client" or "project," a lot of this material would be better served by smaller (cheaper) specialized books.
   
   It's an ambitious goal to attempt a comprehensive overview of architectural practice but its editing doesn't rise to the occasion. In between interesting insights and clear explanations of practice topics you really can't find elsewhere, you find some seriously clunky essays and information that is comically useless.
   
   For example, consider this gem in an essay on architecture and the web: "Email is a personal, direct connection to the Internet. You can send messages, attach drawings, and communicate instantly across the globe with a few clicks of the mouse. Email is much like regular mail. You send mail to particular addresses, and they write to you at yours..." Okay, this for a book published in 2001. Not 1981, but 2001. Are they also going to explain what a telephone thingy is on my desk, or what I'm supposed to do with this fax machine here? It might have been useful to have a page about email's legal status, or how a firm should set policies about email, but what we've got here is a page long description for someone who's been living under a rock and has no idea what email actually IS. Although this is simply one minor example, it is the kind of thing that makes this book wildly uneven and screaming for a competent editor. For the price of this book I think we deserve more.



2. In addition to the all-new format (thankfully no more binders!), this book really does cover EVERYTHING an architect needs to know to run a business-- from working with clients to developing added-value services-- all in one book. I especially appreciate the new section devoted to understanding client motivation, thinking, processes, and values and the new section summarizing services I can offer to expand my client base. This is definitely the book that every architect needs to keep close at hand!

5 comments about AutoCAD 2002 Bible (With CD-ROM).

1. This book is more geared towards mechanical drafting rather than architectural drafting. But nonetheless it's a good book for referential purposes.



2. This books is better than the autodesk manual for showing you how to draw with AutoCAD and some of the drawing features. If you are looking for a book that explores how to customize AutoCAD using LISP, VBA or ObjectARX look elsewhere.



3. This is a great book and has come in handy now that I know AutoCAD but it was a little too difficult for me to start with. My teacher showed me a much easier book "Exercise Workbook for Beginning AutoCAD 2002" by Shrock Publishing. You can review it on their website. It made learning AutoCAD very simple. Also, why are these books so expensive. ...



4. This is an excellent book. It's a well-written exposition of many (perhaps all) features of AutoCAD 2002.

   If you already use AutoCAD and are looking for a reference in which to look up advanced features as the need arises, this book would be an excellent choice.

   If you're new to AutoCAD and are learning from scratch, this book might be an excellent choice. It contains about 300 clearly described sequential excercies which walk you through many (perhaps all) features of AutoCAD 2002. After you finish, you'll be a proficient user. But expect to invest a substantial amount of time (perhaps 3 weeks full-time).

   If you're learning from scratch and just want to invest a couple of days to learn the basic features and then jump in, you might want to look for a shorter book. The first 5 chapters purports to do this, but it doesn't do it well in my judgment.




5. I mostly use this book as a reference. Every time I have searched for a particular command or topic I have found it; and clearly explained. I highly recommend it either as a reference book or as a step by step guide to thoroughly learn AutoCad 2002.

1 comments about Art Nouveau Designs (Agile Rabbit Editions).

1. This is a lovely book full of very cool patterns for all types of art and reproduction.
   I make glass beads and find these patterns very inspirational.