2 comments about Jan Tschichold: A Life in Typography.

1. The late Ruary McLean has deligted the world of typography with many seminal books on the subject. "Jan Tschichold: a life in typography" is but one good example of his prodigious output. McLean uses his personal acquaintance with Tschichold to good effect in a delightful essay about this important 20th century type designer. The essay evaluates the work of this controversial figure who started as a convential designer, espoused a radical change, and then reverted to a more classical view of typography. The book contains many examples of Tschichold's work from all three stages of his development. An excellent reference.



2. First the good. "Life in Typography" is a beautifully illustrated paperback containing gorgeous, intriguing scans of pages and illustrations from the work of typographer/illustrator Jan Tschichold. Fortunately, a number of reprints in the book are reprinted actual size, to give the viewer a distinctly real vantage point into what the originals actually looked like. So unless you've got the cash to buy out-of-print books, this is by far the most sane route. And it's not too expensive either.

   But the only problem I had with the book is that I wanted to learn more about the artist himself. Tschichold's bold, at times abbrasive tone comes out in his pen sketched notes on a number of reprints and in-house drafts, leading the reader to believe he was probably one obnoxious, colorful, temperamental character. Instead, "A Life in Typography" sheds little light on the 'life' of Tschichold, and focuses instead on images with little explanation.

   Were there no interviews with Tschichold that could have been reprinted? A larger window into his persona would have really helped understand his persistance and drive for typographic perfection.

   But of everything reprinted in the book, quite possibly the most stirring, worthy part is a four page reprint of "Composition Rules" written by Tschichold and distributed to employees of the Penguin Book company. It's forceful, blunt, and essential reading for anyone involved in typesetting. He explains in detail how to treat capitals, italics, paragraph indents and punctuation marks. His thoughts and opinions about typography leap off the page.

   So if you need a quick reference of his work, or are someone who just discovered the name Tschichold, this is a must have for your design library.

5 comments about CorelDRAW 9 for Windows (Visual QuickStart Guide).

1. This book was one of the best written books that I have bought and believe me I have bought a bunch to learn various programs, such as Adobe Illistrator, Corel Photo Paint, Corel Draw etc. Phyllis not only explains things well, she also gives photos showing what she is talking about!" She doesn't write these books as if you should know everything, like most authors do, she writes it with the idea that you bought the book because you don't know what to do... and explains things so a normal person that doesn't have any expertiese in how to use the program, can actually learn something. She gives practice special projects to do so that you can practice what she has taught you. I am the kind of person that having the pictures with the knowledge to go with it makes the learning experience so much greater and interesting, where most authors tells you to click on the _____
   button and if you are new to the program you want to see what they are talking about without having to search for what the author is talking about... The only thing negative that I have to say is I wish she hadn't stopped with Corel Draw for Windows book I hope she goes on and writes other books for Adobe programs and also extends the knowledge to more advanced levels in the books she writes.... I would love to see her write a book on every detail that is in the Corel Program so that you can not only learn the basics, but go beyond the basics in the same book!!
   Love Ya Phyllis and will be looking for more of your books thats for sure...



2. I have looked at several other author's books, but this one is the first I would call an easy read. She does not assume that you know computer lingo, she explains and shows with screenshots every term.Well done!



3. Finally, a well designed, illustrated, straight-to-the-point book for using CorelDraw9. The author does a fine job of explaining step-by-step procedures for accomplishing everything from utilizing clipart, working with nodes and layers (yes, Ms Davis includes definitions), and extruding text to printing and designing a web page. Also included are plenty of tips, shortcuts, and projects to get you started/keep you interested. Not only a friendly text for beginners but also a "must have" as a reference. I was gritting my way thru the "...Dummies" book (which is just a little bit too dumb!) when I found this one. What a relief! If you want to get in and get to work, this is the book for you.



4. Miss Phyllis Davis does an excellent job of explaining CorelDraw. She really knows what she is talking about. You can use this book as a reference, or follow the steps in it to perform specific tasks. Do not be fooled because it is a smaller book with many pictures. This "little" book says more than any other CorelDraw book I have looked at. It is indespensable on my shelf.



5. There is a whole lot of useful CorelDRAW info packed into the compact, no-nonsense format of this book. Phyllis Davis doesn't just illustrate basic procedures in DRAW, she anticipates the kinds of problems professional illustrators will encounter - and solves them. Designers will be inspired by the creative example s used to illustrate each feature of DRAW.

1 comments about Best Designed Modular Houses.

1. the cover is the best project. there is not enough information or project for pre fab projects. and too general information. you can get those information in any architectural magazine.

No comments about City Houses.

1 comments about Barns (Norton/Library of Congress Visual Sourcebooks).

1. I highly recommend this book for general readers and researchers interested in relationships between architecture and history. John Vlach has a comprehensive knowledge of architecture, and he insightfully writes about the importance of barns and rural cultural landscapes as resources for studying history. This new volume is an important resource for studies of rural folk culture as it provides studies of a great variety of barns and an array of approaches for learning about vernacular architecture.

No comments about Color - Communication in Architectural Space.

2 comments about The Illustrated AutoCAD 2005 Quick Reference Guide (Illustrated AutoCAD Quick Reference).

1. This is a very handy and great reference for AutoCAD user. Each command is described in details complete with all its possible options. You can also trace back which command was added in which version of AutoCAD. Some very rare but interesting command like "overkill" can also be discovered in the book. It is also priced reasonably. Serious AutoCAD user should own this book. Why not 5 stars then? Because Autodesk come out with a new version of the software every year nowdays mean you have to buy a new edition of the book every year also.



2. Quick shipping, book in excellent condition. Thanks!

5 comments about Implementing Sap R/3 : How to Introduce a Large System into a Large Organization, 2nd Edition.

1. This book is actually a methodology for implementing a new system, no matter which one. So, main points covered are change process issues, pitfalls in the implementation process and ways to ensure the success from a organizational point of view. So, little technical or programming stuff is supplied apart from some generic structure of SAP. If that is what your are looking for, this is a good book. Don't come here for technical/programming stuff or even for an end-user manual.



2. Wish I had picked this up earlier in my consulting career. The last 1/2 of the text could be applied to every ERP / MRP implementation I've ever been on. The authors do a great job documenting the "people issues" that often get left out. They discuss managing change, expectation setting, training, top management support. All those diffucult , often ignored , subjective "soft" stuff, that kills the spirit of the implementation team. You probably won't like the book if you're a die hard programmer. There's little technical programming here. But that's great if you're new to SAP, and want a non technical , yet detailed discussion of the set up and data requirements. I also used it to understand where the integration points would be - tables and data types - when implementing JDE, and had to bring SAP manufacuring data over to JDE financials. Most recently, skimmed highlighted areas to prepare for an interview. If I never install SAP, it was still an excellent investment in methodology.



3. I think this is still one of the best reference books for implementing SAP, particularly the change management aspects. The 2nd edition had many updates that should negate older, more negative comments.



4. This book will serve well for managers who are planning to or going through their first R/3 implementation project. However, you probably would not need it any further after you have succeeded in your first project. Realistic people and organisational issues for project management are presented with limited technical detail.



5. I enjoyed reading this book, it has an easy reading style, and I keep a copy of it on my desk to refer back too. It is a good introduction to the organizational issues that can arise when SAP R/3 is implemented in a company. If you read this book and want to know more about what the individual modules in SAP R/3 can do, I recommend getting the latest copy of "Using SAP R/3", published by QUE.

1 comments about Residential Design Using AutoCAD 2008.

1. This book is horribly unorganized, and full of typographical and grammatical errors. The basic premise is good--you are guided through a complete project from start to finish. Each subsequent exercise builds from the previous. However, Stine's instructions are inconsistent. Sometimes he's point by point; other times he leaves you searching the book--forward and backward--for information necessary to complete the task. Sometimes it doesn't exist! Often he falls into the trap of using jargon that beginners haven't been exposed to, and the book has no glossary for reference, and a very weak index. Stine's intentions are good. I blame the editors for letting his manuscript hit the printers.

5 comments about Building Big.

1. This book is outstanding! It's informative, yet easy to read. I have used it as the textbook for my high school engineering class for two years, and the students love it!



2. I bought this book for my 6 year old son who is an avid builder. I knew that the text would be above his head, so I read the book before giving it to him so I could summarize the paragraphs for him. He asks to look at this book every night and loves it. This is not a picture book as it has a lot of text, but the pictures are well done, and he has gained some basic building concepts that he uses with his Legos and blocks. He likes to look at the book about how they build a structure (he is really fascinated by the Hoover dam and Petronas Towers) and they we look online at the completed pictures. It's a great book for older children (or if you want to take the time with a younger child to explain it) and I recommend it.



3. I gave this book as a gift to someone who loves and understands architecture. He found it most interesting. It contains many facts that are not generally know about large, historical structures.



4. David Macaulay takes the reader on a tour of some of the really big civil engineering structures of our time. Building Big has sections on Bridges, Tunnels, Dams, Domes, and Skyscrapers. Each part of the book describes the design and construction of from four to ten outstanding examples of the structure highlighted. The examples in each category are described in chronological order with some going back to the time of ancient Rome. The drawings that accompany the text are excellent at focusing on the details and techniques described. The integration of text and graphics is wonderful. In each case, Macaulay describes the design objectives, the interplay between the structure and the environment, and the engineering solutions used to bring the structures into being. This is a wonderful book for anyone interested in structural engineering and design. I have not seen the related PBS video series, but I can say that the book stands on its own very well. Highly recommended.



5. Macaulay fans are going to be amazed and impressed by this, his best book yet. It's a companion to the PBS series that's better than the films! A must see and better yet, must buy.