5 comments about ARE Review Manual (Architect Registration Exam).

1. This book is so full of information, it's great. The best part is most of it actually showed up on my ARE exams, so reading this guide by Ballast was never a waste of time. I took all 7 divisions close together, which this book is perfect for due to its organization of having all the exams combined in one guide.
   
   The companion practice test books are very good too. I liked the system and finished the whole ARE within 5 months using this system along with some materials from NALSA.



2. The ARE review manual is a great introduction to the material required for the ARE exams. Pairs well with the Archiflash flash cards!



3. I used this book as my main source to the ARE, with it I passed 3 exams, first try: CD, MM, Pre-design. It is a technical book, it takes time to understand the material. I give it fours stars because it tends to assume you know some of the stuff already. It is a little hard to get into, but once you did, you will have a better understanding of the material.



4. This book is very general and gives a good overview, but does not help you very much with the actual ARE test. I've found contradictions in the book too. One of them caused me to miss a question. If you do go the PPI route with Ballast, I would suggest reading the entire review manual before you take a single exam and use several other more specific sources for each category.



5. This book is a decent complement to other study materials when preparing for the ARE. It is not exhaustive, but it's not meant to be. The nicest thing about this book was having all the material for each of the sections in one volume, so it was easy to read portions of other sections for information that applied to the section that you're studying.
   Cons: The subsections in each chapter don't always flow very well from one to another, and results in a somewhat choppy read at times, but this is a review manual - not a novel. Also, there are no sample exam questions in this book, as you might find with some other study guides.

2 comments about The Function of Form.

1. Where was this book when I was in architecture school? I have to say this is one the most comprehensive books ever written about structures that "generate" form... It's way of illustrating concepts with graphics and drawings are the way ALL architecture books should be written. Correct me if you think otherwise but Farshid Moussavi could become the Louis Kahn of contemporaneity...



2. THE FUNCTION OF FORM is a 'must' for any serious college-level arts collection. It proposes a new theory of form based on repetition and differentiation, offering a way for function in built forms to be conceptualized as a transversal process. Architecture and arts libraries will find this a technical, comprehensive analysis of the parts of forms that interact and reciprocate, going beyond text to pack pages with finished designs offset by pages of diagrams and explanations.

5 comments about The Timeless Way of Building.

1. I re-read this book once a year.
   
   There's so much of importance in Alexander's constructs, regardless of your professional field. The application of it's principles are endless. As an educator, I can't think of a work that has as much cross-over application as The Timeless Way of Building. Life is better with this book in it.



2. The concrete examples are there, but you have to wait for them sometimes.
   
   Alexander's method frees architecture from the prison of professional jargon and technical terminology. Buildings should be designed with the use in mind. What events, human or non-human will most often occur? Design should encourage the fullest expression of these events.
   
   Chapters 1-10 outline Alexander's whole philosophy of language, when perhaps it would have been more effective to give more specific examples. But the examples do come, good ones too.
   
   One he gives is that of a fountain. Should a fountain within a secluded garden have a trickle of water that spreads outward in four directions from the center? Or would a gushing flow be better? Thinking about intellectually likely tells us nothing, but anyone who experiences the two will instantly prefer the gush to the trickle. It is the feeling of freedom and aliveness. All architecture should seek to promote such a quality in the events that recur there.
   
   Another good example comes on page 300 when he talks about building houses in Peru. He was criticized for wanting to put in an "Entrance Transition" room that would allow guests to experience a change in surroundings from the formal street to the comfort of a home. Most considered this room totally unnecessary, with an attitude that "people should be beyond such trivialities." A good architect moves beyond values when designing. It is authentic feelings that are important, that must be taken into account when designing, not our opinions about how things ought to be.
   
   A complete pattern language for a building is one that recognizes all the authentic feelings that recur in and around the building. These smaller components make up the larger components that guide the decisions of the architect. Alexander's vision is insightful and well worth the look.



3. I bought it and left it on a bookshelf. Then I took it on holidays and haven't touched it for a whole holiday.
   Than I started to read it on a ship back from holidays. O my god. The book is great. I bought it because it's supposed to help me understand software design patterns. But the book is much more, it describes the way things are and are supposed to be, the nature of being. The book helped me to understand the world just a bit better.
   
   Things are the way they are, because that is the natural way, that is the way things should be.
   
   Love it!



4. The Timeless Way is an important book and worth reading for anyone in the fields of architecture, design, development, construction, or community planning, and many others who are interested in the subject. However, it is didactic and requires several grains of salt to read.
   
   Alexander is poetic and brilliant at times, annoying and luddite at others. This book is better read as a meditative 'centering' than as a practical exercise. For those who have some grounding in the concept or otherwise are looking for practical advice, the companion volume, A Pattern Language, is the better choice. Sure you can and perhaps should read both. But these are lengthy tomes and this one can actually be quite a turnoff at times.
   
   If I hadn't read A Pattern Language first and practiced the patterns in action and seen how effective they Can be, I don't know if I'd have been able to trust much of Alexander in this one. His rhetoric can quickly become overblown and repetitive, and is best read in snippets. I did find it a restful way to spend my lunch over several months. Reading a few pages at a time, I could meditate on the poetry and the peace within and avoid the overtones of egotistic genius.
   
   Very Harold Roarke in his insistence on his One True Way - ironically anti-Ayn Rand in his insistence on the community and collaborative process: Alexander essentially insists that architects and designers and city planners are not necessary. This is like insisting that we all grow our own food and weave our own cloth.
   
   Having worked in one-on-one roles directly with clients, and also in community 'consensus driven' processes - I beg to differ with much of Alexander's essential theory: that any group of folk can automatically come together to design rooms, buildings, complexes of buildings, etc. in a virtually leaderless way simply by implementing the 'patterns.' And that construction drawings and written specifications are superfluous. In my experience the opposite is true - the more detailed the drawing and the tighter the written spec, the more fully realized the design is before ever breaking ground - the more successful the project is with less surprises, mistakes, stress, and costly problems.
   
   Sure, much of contemporary architecture is dead, cold, barren. Sure, many, many, many architects and designers are lazy and uncreative, or many who are creative and talented are too ego-driven and care little for their occupants' experiences of the buildings they draw. But Alexander would have Lloyd Wright, Gropius, Philip Johnson et. al. consigned to the dustbin. This aspect is troubling. I do suggest reading The Timeless Way for those in the field and others who are so inclined, as it has much to offer. But I recommend A Pattern Language much more.
   
   For other of my didactic (and meditative?) views on design and construction, see [...]



5. A colleague recommended this book to me. I am a software developer and he said that this would be a good book for me to read to better understand the concepts that are shared in this book.
   
   I haven't finished it yet. I've been working on getting through the book for the past 2 months. I continue to pick it up and read a chapter or two and then put it down again.
   
   It is so theoretical that I'm struggling with the concepts as they relate to what I'm doing.
   
   Perhaps my opinion will change later on after I have finished the book, because I know a lot of people think very highly of this author, but for now, I'm not getting how it relates to what I do.

5 comments about Interior Design Course: Principles, Practices, and Techniques for the Aspiring Designer (Quarto Book).

1. I was looking for some real meat in a design book, to learn on my own because I can't take classes right now. This was EXACTLY what I was looking for! Thank goodness it does exist!!



2. I like this book very much...it's good book to have when starting an interior designer job



3. I bought this book my second year of design school. I found it useful in that it gives an overview of the entire deign process. I follow this process in every studio course that I take. It is a very graphically beautiful book as well.



4. I was hoping for a book geared towards someone of very novice skills. The book has good information; better for someone interested in possibly pursing a degree in Interior Design.



5. This book contains nothing that I expected based on the description. I should have read the other reviews before purchasing. I can't even use it as a coffee table book. To be fair, I don't know how good this book is because it had very little to do with what the description provided. Perhaps a seasoned professional might find it of interest.

5 comments about Why Buildings Stand Up: The Strength of Architecture.

1. I love this book, along with its companion "Why Buildings Fall Down". For the lay person, this is informative and entertaining; it makes structural engineering very attractive. I have a much higher appreciation for the science that goes into making any building and the people who execute this science on a daily basis - go engineers!



2. If you have ever wondered how the why the Eiffel Tower stays up or why skyscrapers don't fall then this book will help to answer your questions.
   
   The book deals with a technical subject in an understandable fashion. For instance in the chapter on skyscrapers or high rises, you get a bit of history about the development of these tall buildings, information on how the foundation is excavated and reinforced, and then of course you get a picture of how they are built so they don't fall.
   
   Chapter one gives you a ten page down and dirty overview of structures so you have the basic understanding to follow the rest of the book. Chapters include the Pyramids, loads (weight), materials, beams and columns, houses, skyscrapers, the Eiffel Tower, bridges, (with a special chapter on the Brooklyn Bridge), form resistent structures, cathedrals, domes, churches, tents and baloons, hanging domes/dishes and then of course a wrap up.
   
   If architecture fascinates you, but you have no desire to be an architect, this book is a good basic reference that has fascinating facts when it comes to answering the question: Why Buildings Stand Up.



3. The condition of the book was like new.
   I learned a great deel about the engineering and
   construction of man-made structures. It includes
   the everyday structures as well as internationally
   known structures.



4. As a structures primer, there is no better read. Why Buildings Stand Up covers the breadth of historical presidents intermingled with well presented, clearly written structural techniques. Certainly not an exhaustive textbook, it does however generate momentum for further study and will definitely lay a solid foundation of structural understanding. An absolute essential for young architects and a great read for anyone interested in some construction fundamentals. If you're more interested in the "what went wrong" kind of structural failure documentary as opposed to this more technical piece, see Why Buildings Fall Down also by Salvadori.



5. Very nice book!!
   Very easy to read!
   There you can learn many things that you never known!!

5 comments about The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses.

1. The book is great. I bought it as a gift & my son loved it. The seller was very timely in shipping & the book was in perfect condition.



2. The book has excellent intentions and addresses a very important and neglected issue in architecture. The topic discusses the predominance of mind/visual based designs that end up being projects of artistic self expressions on the part of its sponsors. The author challenges
   this bias to make us aware that buildings also need to relate to us not only visually to also all of our human senses. The writing is clear and simple but still academic in flavor. While this is a much needed message I gave only 3 stars because of the following observation. I thought the overall concept was excellent but I did not think the application of the concept was very successful once I looked at the work of the architects being referenced. The author quotes many architects whose work he believes touches all of our senses and are therefore assumed to be less visual and cerebral. My reaction was these architects are doing non-cerebral but from an intellectual place. As a result while their buildings are richer and more interesting to our senses they are nevertheless still very conceptual and dissociative. In other words we still end up with designs that while promoting a fuller sensory experience are still very mental. For me that's the weakness with this book at least based on the specific architects referenced.



3. I enjoyed a lot reading this book. it is a traditional but essential book to have for any architecture lover.



4. I shouldn't really be so harsh because I was starting to forget about it has been so long. To be honest your service has been pretty good up till now but this time its a joke I been searching around the neighbourhood and no one has heard of it, I have email and ask if you know where it is and you said it was sent. I have paid for it so I should have it.
   
   Please I do understand this can happen occassionally, but please rectify this ASAP
   
   Thanks, otherwise this is a possitive review...



5. During my 15 years of architectural education and some years of practice (both as architect and as 'explainer' of architecture) I have not yet encountered a book on architecture which has changed my view on architecture so dramatically.
   
   Juhani Pallasmaa's book makes an excelent argument for retrieving in architecture that which seems to have been lost for a long time: the lived intelligence of the bodilly senses. In his book Pallasmaa gives an overview of the development of the occularcentrism which is dominating architecture (and pretty much every cultural aspect) in the Western world for centuries and goes on to show how this leads to an impoverment of the architectural experience (and with that the impoverment of our daily lifes).
   
   The mix of theory, practice and convincing examples (ranging from architecture, art, cinema to literature and poetry together with the size (80 pages) makes the book easily readable, even for the less theoretical inclined reader. My advice: read it!
   
   For those of you who are as impressed with this book as I am: there's another book by Pallasmaa with the title 'Encounters'(published by Rakennustieto Oy Rati, June 2005). This book features a collection of essay's which were written by the author over the last 20 years. This book is also about the phenomenology of architecture but, due to its size (app. 350 pages), gives a broader overview of the thinking and writing of Juhani Pallasmaa. It seems it is not available at Amazon but I hope they will put is on there list soon!

5 comments about Why Buildings Fall Down: How Structures Fail.

1. This is one of the best books I've read on the engineering behind structural failures. The authors teach by example, exploring fallen apartment buildings, stadiums, bridges and other structure, and using each to illustrate an important engineering principle. The illustrations are also an invaluable aid to understanding the problems in each structure (particularly for readers who, like me, may find it difficult to follow verbiage on the orientation of strutts, the direction of braces, etc.).
   
   I only had two gripes: a glossary provided the only introduction to many basic concepts; and political/historical/personal context would have made for a livelier account. The glossary was a very helpful resource for understanding basic things like, what "load" is, and how it effects structures. It might have been better to also work those descriptions into the text as the concepts arose - this would have made it easier for me to assimilate them. Also, I enjoyed it when the authors gave context for many of the engineering decisions made - for instance, that a stadium rooftop was designed, in part, because flaws in the city sewer system prevented the efficient disposition of significant rainfall. However, more of this kind of context - particularly historical and personal facts that had bearing on design decisions - would have made each example into a better story, and improved the reading experience for me.
   
   Overall, a highly recommended book.



2. Wonderful building engineering text. Good for experts or beginners, this book opens up the hidden world of forensic building failure analysis. Humorous and informative



3. I receipt the book very quikly and in excelent conditios of use, as a new book.



4. THE BOOKS GIVES A LAYMAN A GENERAL IDEA ABOUT STRUCTURES, ELASTICITY, STRESS AND STRAIN WITHOUT TOO MUCH MATH. IT IS WELL WRITTEN AND THE CONCEPTS ARE CLEAR AND CONCISE. THE BOOK IS EASY TO READ AND VERY ENJOYABLE.



5. I am not an architect or engineer, but I found this book really fascinating. The authors explain things so that those not in the field could understand, but sometimes get too technical. The illustrations were great, but there should have been more, and some color photos would have been nice.
   
   One thing the authors did not point out, is that hindsight is 20/20. It is almost as though they believe they would never make any errors like those they describe (though some designs they discuss really do sound irresponsible), that buildings they designed would stand forever regardless of environmental factors like earthquakes, floods, etc.

5 comments about Materials for Design.

1. The book itself is solid graphically and formatted well, however as an architectural student I would not recommend it to anyone looking for gaining a unique perspective on the manipulation and action of materials in design. A much better choice would be the Berkhauser Series, particularly the Facade Construction Manual. The assembly drawings and diagrams are too stripped down to gain any understanding of the system assembly. Not for students or people with a good understanding of material and assemblage effects.



2. thing you wont see in avery book, they go further, projects not that known wich is great



3. This is one of the best materials books I've been able to find. It provides thorough descriptions of the history, development and manufacturing of numerous materials (traditional and non traditional) in addition to useful applications and proper techniques all in one very well crafted book. An essential for student and practicing architects as well as anyone involved in interiors, environmental design, industrial design, graphic design...



4. It is really a nice book. The definitions for each material are clearly represented. The case studies are up to date. I like the demonstration of all of the details.



5. I highly recommend this book. I am an architecture student, and I have found this book to be interesting, useful, and full of great projects. The book does a nice job of talking about the history, uses, strengths, and weaknesses of building materials. The book is organized by material with building projects that utilize those particular materials in an innovating and interesting way. The photos are great and the detail drawings are very nice to see as well.

5 comments about Google Sketchup Cookbook: Practical Recipes and Essential Techniques.

1. A profoundly straight-forward and informative guide to quickly mastering and getting the most out of Google's SketchUp. Bonnie Roskes years of experience in design and education are readily apparent in how the book is organized and presented. Like it's title's namesake: it is literally a volume of practical recipes that anyone can follow easily and without getting bogged down in techno babble and irrelevant details.
   
   The book's usefulness cannot be underestimated and was perfect for both novices and advance users alike. The simple to follow tutorials for solving and learning the many amazing abilities of SketchUp made learning as easy as making pie.
   
   The color graphics liberally included throughout her book provide are useful and perfect for the visually driven users of SketchUp ( a common sense detail clearly lacking in some other How-To Guides for SketchUp ). As a bonus; in this digital age, O'Reilly has thoughtfully included a complete online version of this book through their Safari Books Online service for which the purchaser can access. Also as of this writing, a Kindle version of this book was available through Amazon.com.
   
   - Lee Henry
   e-Zine Co-Editor
   [...] (Cleveland Digital Publishing Users Group)



2. Many thanks to Bonnie Roskes for a thoughtfully conceived tutorial to a mind-boggling piece of software.



3. I knew a little bit about SketchUp from playing with it, but I wanted to learn how to use it as a real tool. This book is a great way to learn from the basics to more advanced subjects, with a clear descriptive narrative and illustrations for each step along the way. All the sample models are easily obtained from 3D Warehouse and everything is well referenced. Highly recommended!



4. After trying to teach myself SketchUp last year, I decided to try again this year so I can teach my middle school gifted students how to make 3D models. Using the free tutorials at Google, SketchUp for Dummies, SketchUp Level One DVD, and SketchUp 7: Hands-On Basics (also by Roskes) will provide the new SketchUp user with a strong introductory foundation. Once you are a strong beginner, you should check out Google SketchUp Cookbook to take your SketchUp skills to the next level. Written in a problem & solution format, this book does not have to be read from cover-to-cover (though I did!), rather one can simply use the well-organized table of contents to find exactly the answer needed as problems arise. Full-color screen captures and tons of ready-made models in the 3D Warehouse make this book even more valuable. Some of the skills addressed include Follow Me; using groups, components, and layers; modeling with photos and textures; creating animations; and using the 3D Warehouse and Google Earth. Working through the entire book and all of its `recipes' takes weeks, but in the end you'll be able to anything in SketchUp that is worth doing! :)



5. This book is a huge help! I've been using SketchUp for a few years and never knew about some of the topics covered in this book. For instance you can use section planes and styles as part of an animation, which I never saw explained in another book or video. The stuff on presentation and model display is really helpful for developing models that my clients want to see. The tutorials are easy to follow, and the use of color is great bonus - very unusual for a how-to book. Excellent book!

1 comments about Structural Systems: ARE Sample Problems and Practice Exam (Architect Registration Exam).

1. PROS
   I like how there are sample problems with answers and complete solutions that come right after it. Earlier versions had answers written at the back and was a hassle to look up each time. Then the other half of the book is a practice vignette and a Mock Exam where the solutions are hidden.
   CONS
   My major problem though is that there are a lot of errors in this book, in some sample problems the solution/explanation are different from the multiple choice answer. I often find myself go huh in these examples. They should just call it The UNEDITED Version.
   
   I am disappointed as it was a promising product.