2 comments about Meier: Richard Meier & Partners, Complete Works 1963-2008.

1. Richard Meier is most talented contemporary architect in the World. His architecture based on human scale, gold proportions and organic design. His Getty Center still is the Worlds most beautifully designed complex, organically integrated to the natural landscape. The complex is so dynamic that walking through the complex opening hundreds of different points of view, fantastic perspectives. Same way designed all Richard Meier publications, all of them very well proportioned (basically squared) with beautiful layout of the pages; each page could represent individual art work.
   However this particular publication is gigantic in size: 17.8" x 13.5" x 2.6". This book is extremely heavy and is not fitting any bookcase cells. This is more like architectural poster book. Unfortunately the human eyes can not oversee the poster size photographs from the reading distance. I wish this book could be published in more Human Scale, as all previous Richard Meier's publications. Book pages have been beautifully designed and have excellent composition of photographs and drawings. The photographs are very sharp, beautifully laid out on the pages and in focus despite of large format.



2. This really is the definative book on the singular Richard Meier. The images are vivid and the text is well researched and respectful to his work. Meier's signature is, of course, the crisp, white, modern, with lots of glass and steel and this book shows these structures at their most advantageous. If you have any interest in Meier, or just appreciate fine books on breathtaking subjects, then I can't imagine you being disappointed.

5 comments about Draw Real People! (Discover Drawing Series).

1. My eleven-year-old daughter wanted a how-to-draw-people book that was more advanced than cartoons. This is the one I chose, and she loves it. At her age, she just tries to copy the pictures, but when she is older I am sure that she will read it, and learn even more about technique.



2. Based on the recommendations I decided to give this book a shot.
   I am a dabbler in most everything, and have recently picked up drawing again...
   
   this book, has nice pictures of faces and up-close and personal body parts (like ears, and noses) it's not for the raw artists. There's a surprising lack of step-by step on how-to-, where to draw each part of the body and so forth. They have only a few samples with the steps drawn in; I'd love to have more pointers!!
   And, it should be titled, "How to draw the head profile" instead of "How to draw real people", since the author did not include how to draw human figure, hands, arms, etc.
   
   however, it's still a helpful guide in giving the basic knowledge of how to draw the human face.



3. As a self proclaimed 'doodler' I've always been fascinated with how you can make a drawing look lifelike... and not cartoonish. I could sit for hours and doodle and copy almost any picture, but they never looked real. This book is written in such context that even my 12 year old daughter has now taken an extreme interest in pencil drawing. It could have something to do with the examples in the beginning of the book of portraits drawn by children as young as 11 years old and they are better than anything I had ever done! After one day of reading the entire book and acquiring the recommended supplies, I took a deep breath and started the practice sessions. At the end of the first day, I decided I wanted to try to draw the eye and the lips using the newly learned techniques and was absolutely blown away at the realism on my piece of paper! Now, I shall try to draw the other facial features and then an entire face. I can't wait for my next break at work so that I can do more.



4. THIS BOOK IS EASY TO USE AND UNDERSTAND, WHICH I FIND MOST HELPFUL. THE STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS ARE EASY TO FOLLOW AND THE RESULTS ARE AMAZING. I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK FOR EITHER A BEGINNER OR AS A HELPFUL REFRESHER. THE TECHNIQUES ARE PROFESSIONAL AND INFORMATIVE AS YOU GO ALONG.



5. I am 13, and drawing has always been a major avocation for me. Normally, I don't like drawing books, because most of them only give you a limited amount of objects to draw, in one pose. The most useful part of the book was always the first one or two pages, which normally include an introduction to drawing and the basics of shading. "Blocking out the subject in simple shapes" has never worked for me, for whatever reason, and neither has the technique for drawing portraits where you put in lines where the eyes should go, exc... I found my drawings to be of much better quality if I simply looked at the picture and tried to draw it, as opposed to following the step by step instructions. Using this straightforward style, I started drawing people's faces, until I was recommended this book. I bought it, and it was a worthwhile investment.
   I'd never heard of this particular drawing style before, and I wish I had; it would have saved me much trouble. I wish I could post a before and after picture for you to see how much my drawing improved when I started using this style. Shading is explained thoroughly throughout the book, as is highlighting and many other important techniques. I recently painted an 8x8 mural of our school logo, a Native American, and this book provided priceless help. Though it might help to go through some trial and error first, I highly recommend this book to all classes of artists, beginners to professionals.

4 comments about Mies Van Der Rohe: 1886-1969 (Basic Architecture Series).

1. it' nice to have it in your colection or a travelling pack. you can starts to explore his works and get a idea about him. its ideal for the students, but if your looking for more minimalist details and plans you better find a another.



2. this books introduce lots of important works of Mies Van Der Rohe
   If you're his fan or like the art works of the Bauhaus
   this book is a good option to know the artist



3. I wish I had more floor plans and pictures and also more buildings.
   Not bad though for the price.



4. Mies Van Der Rohe is one of the father's of Modern Architecture. He began his career in Germany before the Great War and ended it in the United States in the late 1960's. Not only did he design some of the most iconic buildings and furniture of the Twentieth Century, Mies was also a teacher who deeply influenced generations of architects. We see his influence in cities throughout the world.
   
   The volumes in Taschen's Basic Architecture Series are a must for anyone interested in the history of architecture. At $9.99 a volume, they are an affordable and attractive introduction to the works of the most influential architects of the past century. The sole hesitation I have with this volume is Claire Zimmerman's writing style. She writes in a flowery academic style that is off putting. However, at $9.99 a volume, you cannot go wrong. Recommended.

5 comments about First Steps Painting Watercolors (First Step Series).

1. I have never really painted with watercolours until I read this book and it made the transition into this medium with ease. I heard constantly that is medium is difficult to control etc. The techniques described in this book broke that myth for me and I have been using it to compliment my photographs.



2. Cathy Johnson is a down to earth and talented instructor. I thoroughly enjoyed working through "Painting Watercolors" and it came highly recommended to me. I used this book as my basic guideline for studying watercolor and I greatly improved by doing all of the exercises she recommends. She is a very natural teacher and I found it very easy to follow her demonstrations. I am encouraged and feel as if I am really on my way to becoming the kind of artist I always wanted to be.



3. Great book, perfect for ideas. Detailed easy to follow. Poor delivery service from the seller.



4. If you are looking for a good start-up book you can plan on this being the one. Her easy going style belies the amount of information and great try out activities that establish basic necessary techniques. True--no book can do everything and eventually one would want a supplement but think purchasers would be generally pleased with this user-friendly book. It is not a cookbook (thank goodness) but rather in a format that will establish a base and encourage and confirm to a budding artist that he/she really can paint.



5. I like all of Cathy Johnson's books, but this one is my favorite. It is very practical, understandable, and well illustrated. Although anyone would enjoy it, this book is especially beneficial to someone just beginning to paint with watercolors. It deals with the basics. I love it.

No comments about Materials for Interior Environments.

5 comments about The Very Efficient Carpenter: Basic Framing for Residential Construction (For Pros By Pros).

1. VERY informative, need a slight tweeking for 2008 Guidelines for Los Angeles County. Otherwise I thought it was excellent reading, either at the site or in the kitchen with a cup of Coffee.
   They need to rethink the binding, the pages fall out after awhile, but Otherwise I'm ready for the next edition. Many thanks to the Author.



2. I want a Larry Haun tee shirt, beer mug, calendar, tool bag and special edition saw. It is a pleasure to read a book that was written by someone who knows what he is talking about. It doesn't get any better for me. I'm not kidding, this is one of those rare books that teach a trade in an inspiring way. For what I'm up to, I will never need to look at another framing book.



3. Mr. Haun certainly knows a great deal about carpentering and he conveys a lot of that knowledge in this book; however, terms are introduced prior to being defined or explained, which makes it a bit difficult to extract the information. If one has the patience to read the entire book, the terms are eventually explained, but it requires you to go back and re-read the parts where these mysterious terms were initially used. A little help from a professional writer/editor would enhance the value of the book.



4. this is a great resource. it covers the basics and then some. if everyone on your crew was familiar with this system, you could easily frame a house in a week.



5. I am doing an addition and wanted to frame it my self, knew a little about framing but not enough. Great book on the way to frame and how to build walls. highly recomended. There is a video that goes with this book buy it also. I went back and referenced both the book and the video through out the framing of our addition.

5 comments about Earthbag Building: The Tools, Tricks and Techniques (Natural Building Series).

1. This is our "go-to" book for very practical descriptions and diagrams of process and procedure. We are planning our new house, and are incorporating elements of off-grid solar/wind power, rainfall catchment, passive ventilation, and high-mass wall construction.
   
   Nothing beats a hands-on experience, and if you can visit either the CalEarth site in California, or the Earthships site in New Mexico, you should. You get a much better understanding of the process of earthbuilding, and also of the finished product. Then, as you begin to plan to build, gather all the information you can. "Ceramic Houses" will give you great information on design principles and on philosophy; the Earthship books by Mike Reynolds give primo information on the plumbing and electrical systems, and in particular on rainfall catchment.
   
   "Earthbag Building" however, remains our mainstay. Hunter gives such good detail, and provides excellent resource lists for materials, and also lovely line diagrams that are very clear and easy to follow. And to truly make her the Queen of Bag Building, if you e-mail her a reasonable question, she answers!



2. I first checked this book out in the local library. It's a wealth of information, so I went to Amazon and bought two copies. I can recommend it highly to anyone interested in exploring this form of construction.



3. This is a must book for anyone who is considering to undertake the task of building an earthbag structure. There are many tips and suggestions, the result of long practical experience, that will help the inexperienced builder to avoid many: "if I only had thought of this earlier..." moments.



4. Earthbag building, a method developped by Nader Khalili, is a wonderful innovation in building. It means that a building be built from materials found on site, even if those materials are too poor for rammed earth or mud brick. I've already used the techniques in this book to detail two public buildings! The trick is now to convince the structural engineer and councils...



5. This book makes a good gift to those who are planning or are fascinated by alternative house building.

No comments about Loblolly House: Elements of a New Architecture + DVD.

4 comments about The Elements of Style: An Encyclopedia of Domestic Architectural Detail.

1. This book is an invaluable resource for restoration work and new construction, where clients want something that 'authentic' to a particular era.



2. This book contains many beautiful pictures, which are key to defining period style furniture adn architecture. The chapters are clearly defined and arranged in a logical, easy to use manner. It is a must for anyone seeking a career in Historical Preservation.



3. i am taking this oppurtunity to let you know that i never recieved this book. i have emailed amazon several times but have heard nothing back, maybe you can help me
   thank you
   
   john robinson



4. Great historical reference book detailing period styles of everything from windows to fireplace mantels. Lots of photos - many of them in color. Also includes useful drawings. I found this book to be EXTREMELY helpful, and I reference it often; worth every penny!

2 comments about Architectural Drawing and Light Construction (7th Edition).

1. While I am not an architect or an engineer of any stripe, I have sold and setup CADD systems for engineers and seen them convert from their drafting boards (this was years ago - I am sure most students learn on computer systems today). I do like the fact that this text still talks about the manual methods of drafting and believe that it has some benefit to the student to learn to draw by hand in order to develop their sense for the methods and means in a very direct way. Learning to letter by hand, sketch freehand, and all the other aspects of architectural drawing can only help one use the computer-based systems in more rich ways. Also, even in our day and age it is conceivable that one would be in a situation where a computer system is unavailable and one has to produce a drawing. It is good to have the skills to do so. The text also discusses the use of CADD systems (particularly AutoCAD).
   
   Since architectural and technical drawings are meant to communicate specific things to many users, it is good to learn the conventions as well as the lessons of what has been shown to work over the years and what does not. This book communicates this important information very well. There are twenty chapters and they are:
   
   1) Drafting Equipment and Its Uses, 2) Computer-Aided Drafting and Design (CADD), 3) Lettering, 4) Drafting Expression, 5) Modular and Metric Drafting, 6) Basic Technical Drawing, 7) Axonometric and Oblique Pictorial Drawings, 8) Freehand Sketching, 9) Perspective Drawing, 10) Shades and Shadows, 11) Presentation Drawings and Renderings, 12) Principles of Light Construction, 13) Structural Member Selection, 14) Typical Architectural Details, 15) Basic Residential Planning, 16) Building Models, 17) Writing Specifications, 18) Working Drawings of Small Homes, 19) Residential Mechanical and Electrical Systems, 20) Drawing a Small Commercial Building.
   
   As you can see, this book centers on learning how to draw residential and small commercial buildings. This is a great place to start and happens to be what I was interested in learning when I obtained this book.
   
   There are six appendices that cover abbreviations, modular vertical brick coursing, metric system in construction, tables from the UBC, span tables for wood structural members, and heat loss / gain calculation examples. There is also a helpful glossary and a useful index.
   
   A very good text that has helped many and has passed the test of time.



2. I recommend this book to anyone looking for quick building or construction reference. Excellent for Design students.