3 comments about ArchiCAD: The User Handbook.

1. While AutoCAD dominates the CAD field, ArchiCAD aims to do the same for architecture. The book has many examples of how traditional architectural tasks can be performed under ArchiCAD. You can see traditional floor plans being laid out. Plus a natural extension into different floors of a building. As well as 3d image rendering derived from the blueprints.
   
   For large buildings, or a group of buildings, there is also a neat feature of being able to define terrain that the buildings sit on. The text also discusses how to organise interior space, aided by reasonably realistic renderings.
   
   The problem with the book is that it has the format of a large glossy coffeetable book. You know, the artsy kind, with nice pictures on many pages. But if you want an actual user's manual, this text may be somewhat deficient. And that is the problem. The very title bills this as a user handbook. It does not live up to that.



2. I got this book before the previous review was written, and boy am I sorry. It is essentially a nearly 300-page sales brochure. Fantastic examples of what can be done with ArchiCAD, but rarely does it give even the most rudimentary directions on how to do any of these things. No explanation of technique is found, just nifty examples of what you could do if you already knew how to do it. That any reputable author or printer would issue this bound joke is a point of lasting perturbation for me.
   
   Save yourself the money. Save yourself the frustration. Don't bother with this overpriced, underwritten book.



3. I have waited for this book for 11 months.
   I finally got it two days ago.
   
   I was anticipating receiving a book with
   many tips and tricks on how to use Archicad.
   
   Instead I just got a broad brush history,
   no good how to's,a limited how firms are
   using it, and an incredibly insulting
   talk about stories and layers.
   
   The whole text of the book could have been
   contained in one large magazine article,
   but the designers of the book choose instead
   to double space the sentences and leave a
   lot of white space in the margins.
   The composition of the pages is fine, but
   I bought the book for knowledge
   (which it did not contain),
   not a pretty page format.
   
   Don't waste your time or money.
   
   I hope some one else does write a
   good archicad book.I'll gladly pay
   for one, but they should have paid
   me for looking thru this waste of good paper.
   
   I have never written a review of any kind of
   book or product before, but this book was sooo
   baaad that I am writing one now.
   
   Jack Rogers AIA

1 comments about Power Distribution Networks with On-Chip Decoupling Capacitors.

1. I am happy to read this book which is practical and useful. The treatment of
   electromigration is adequate. The authors cover the power distribution networks in multiple angles and present simplified rules for the designs.
   The composition is smooth and well organized.

No comments about Realms of Impossibility: Ground (Architectural Fragile Earth).

No comments about Realms of Impossibility: Air (Architectural Fragile Earth).

2 comments about Mastering Sheet Metal Design Using Autodesk Inventor.

1. This is not what we thought it would be. No where does it say it is a book for a computer related course. We were trying to find out metal fabrication information books.... This is not a guide...



2. This is a book that you would get for free in your Autodesk package. Very dry run down tutorials. It took me an hour to go through 100 pgs. and get 2 usefull things out of it (1 per 50 pgs. to help you with the math). It probably took even less time to write it. (Sorry if I offended Travis and Neil but take pride in your creations, step back and see if you can actually follow and like what you did).

   But anyways, book is going back, don't recomend it, I only gave it one extra star just to be nice.

5 comments about Pure California: 35 Inspiring Houses in the New California Tradition.

1. This book has more inspiration per page than any other book I;ve purchased on home building. This is a literal home idea book in one package. Floor plans , detailed pictures and amazing ideas are all within the package. I;m building a home and this book has provided more inspiration than all other books combined. Bravo, bravo, bravo. Save the decorator fees, just check out the ideas within. You won;t need a decorator!
   
   I wish they would make more versions of this. These architects rock!!!



2. I live in California and have been throughout the state admiring authentic "Pure California" homes. The homes represented in this book are not much different in design from a number of uninspiring tract homes I've seen from North to South. I was hoping to find some authentic Early California design when Pasadena was mentioned. I didn't realize these were all new subdivisions. I was disappointed. The addition of floor plans is always a great idea; these just didn't offer the architectural elements I was looking for.



3. Great design! All the residential projects: The floor plans, the overall building, the interior, the furniture layout, furnishing and landscape are really well designed.
   I would like to recommend this book for those who loves residential, interior architecture. It's worthed.



4. For anyone who loves to do the Sunday-afternoon-drive-around-and-look-at-old-houses thing, this is the book for you. The quality of the photos is really impressive and while I suppose it'd best be described as a coffee-table book, it also contains a fair quantity of information about the houses and their style and influence and history of design.
   
   While there is some history and corollary info, I was saddened to see not a word - not ONE word mind you - mentioned about Pacific Ready-Cut Homes. Perhaps you're thinking "what has that got to do with anything?", let me explain.
   
   This book has quite a bit of info on Pasadena and whilst Pasadena is home to a stunning variety of architecture, it's also home to a wonderful collection of bungalows that were originally ordered as KIT HOMES from Pacific Ready-Cut Homes.
   
   That being said, I was truly impressed with "Pure California" and found it to be a fun, easy read and a beautiful book with wonderful, strong-quality (and richly-colored) photos.
   
   Rose
   author, California's Kit Homes



5. This book is the evident that the housing projects in the United States are mere products of the market force that lack inspiration, imagination, and progressive attitude. People who praise this book for its beautiful photographs only expose the biggest flaw in this book: there is no content. All the homes in this book are built on false premises of consumerist culture. There is no attempt to make the houses affordable or challenging the notion of domestic living. People may have bought the book because they like the drape or the furniture in it, but you will be better off buying yourself a copy of Martha Stewart's "Living" for that purpose. Don't waste your money on propelling the cycle of our wasteful culture, give that money to the charity and you will sleep better at night.

1 comments about Fantasy Architecture: 1500-2036.

1. This book is full of houses, buildings, cities and other architectural designs that could have been built, if there had been more money or less common sense. Many of these designs are before there time and some are just ideas that could never be. Tombs, bridges, toys, video games and other items from the past that have shaped and channeled our ideas of modern and future architecture. The book was printed for a touring exhibition but is still worth getting just for itself. Lots of images to look at and dream about.

2 comments about Brick Pavement and Fence - Walls: Authentic Details for Design and Restoration.

1. Peter Joel Harrison provides a valuable service to architects, designers, preservationists, landscapers and homeowners by researching, recording and presenting the details of historic homes and gardens. His books, full of accurate drawings of period fences, gates, gazebos, trellises, pavement and garden walls, are tools for anyone who's restoring an 18th or 19th century home or landscape and inspiration for anyone who hopes to infuse some of yesterday's charm into a new building. I used Brick Pavement and Fence-Walls for ideas on some new garden walls in Richmond, Virginia. They look almost as elegant as Harrison's examples from James River plantations, and seem just right for their location.



2. At first glance, the book resembles an ancient work by Palladio or other. The drawings are beautifully simple yet a bit coarse for today's standards. The book is made up mostly of patterns and elevations; text is limited to a 13-page index and a some explanations on tools and methods. Overall, the book is quite useful, but missing are the following: pictures, better diagrams, some data about the architect, etc.

   Although the format is absolutely stunning (meant to resemble an old manuscript), this book is not for everyone. It should appeal to the designer, architect or contractor.

3 comments about Construction Specifications Writing: Principles and Procedures.

1. I have found this text to be highly useful in explaining the purpose and content of specifications. The text provides a comprehensive and detailed overview of what should be in a specification. The only thing that might have been better was if the authors had spent more time on the technical specs and less on the EJCDC and other standard items that do not appreciably change. All in all though, this is an excellent text and well worth the price.



2. The previous reviewer obviously has not read the book that he rated so low. Harold J. Rosen is an Honorary member of The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), an honor given to few CSI members. This book, in its first edition, predates the CSI Manual of Practice, and it has been updated over several decades.
   
   Construction Specifications Writing: Principles and Practices has been the leading textbook for teaching construction specifications at colleges and universities.
   
   The 4th edition has been superseded by an expanded and updated 5th edition, co-authored by this reviewer, that is consistent with the CSI Manual of Practice and includes more examples and resources than CSI's MOP.



3. I want ask if the book contains this title:

   CSI = Construction Specification Institute

1 comments about Water in Buildings: An Architect's Guide to Moisture and Mold.

1. Bill Rose has truly outdone himself in penning this text. With a conversational style, and laced with amusing anecdotes, Rose clarifies the fine points of a technically sophisticated topic: how does water interact with the built environment?
   
   This book is a must-read not only for architects, but for home inspectors, engineers, industrial hygienists, and others involved in the investigation of water damage in buildings.
   
   6 stars ******
   
   Bravo!
   
   Wane A. Baker, P.E., CIH
   MICHAELS ENGINEERING INC.