5 comments about Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning: Analysis and Design.

1. By far the worst text book I've ever had to use. Riddled with errors. Poor and incomplete explanations of complex subject matter. Examples and problems often with errors. Does lead the student into intense studying of content, if only to understand exactly what authors are saying and whether it is correct or not. Included software worthless except for limited use in solving problems in text.
   
   This book should be offered free to India, Japan, and China to give us an edge over their HVAC engineerng expertise.



2. I am holding beside me a 6th edition with the CD in the back of the book. The 6th edition DOES include a CD, unlike what the previous review wrote. I had to write this so others are not mislead. Maybe some books people are selling don't include it -- what to do? Just ask the seller if their book has a CD with it. Mine does, and others do too.



3. This book is equal in quality of content to edition 5 except that the version of edition 6 being sold here does not contain the CD normally included with this textbook. The publisher's web site states "New to this edition (edition 6) is the inclusion of additional realistic, interactive and in-depth examples on CD". This CD would also contain the software that was included with edition 5. According to the publisher's tech support however, the version of edition 6 being sold by Amazon.com is for use under the guidance of an instructor where apparently the material on the CD would not be needed. If this book is for personal use I recommend a version that includes the CD.



4. This is an excellent HVAC text. The concepts are clearly explained and well developed. The references in the book are current with ASHRAE standards which is of utmost utility and importance. The minor drawback from the text is the simplicity of the examples; fortunately the excellent explanation and development of the concepts by the authors helps in overcoming this small flaw. Excellent book overall. I highly recommend it.



5. This book is a good source for determining all the design needs for HVAC systems from calculating the heating /cooling load to duct design and fan selection which is essential to assure an economical, energy-efficient, maintainable and flex design that will only not be technically adequate but also meet the user within the allocated budget. I consider this book a key to get in the HVAC industry and a reference for HVAC study courses.

1 comments about Japanese Castles (Japanese Arts Library).

1. Motoo Hinago's book is without a doubt the definitive guide in English to Japanese Castles. Written nearly 20 years ago, the book has been out of print for some time, but I managed to purchase a copy, and found a treasure trove of information. The book delves into history, architecture, defenses, and daily life in a castle and castle town. It is beautifully illustrated with full color photographs, and printed on quality paper - my copy is 20 years old and looks brand new. I really wish Kodansha would bring not only this, but the entire Japanese Arts Library series back into print. There have been a few new books out on Japanese castles, but none come close to this one.

No comments about Modern Architecture.

No comments about Hindu Temples in North America: A Celebration of Life.

1 comments about The Dancing Column: On Order in Architecture.

1. we came to expect from Joseph Rykwert works of great erudition, which incessantly delve into their subject matter to uncover its deepest folds and hidden meanings...[perhaps a "deconstruction" without the fancy of that attribute], and this work is no exception to this. This is a thick investigation into the meanings of the column, and from that into the associations of body and building, into the meanings of classical architecture. For the erudite, a pleasure; for the professional, a necessary though at times difficult read. Not a coffee table book, though...amateurs beware.

No comments about Houses for Science: A Pictorial History of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

No comments about F L Wright & The Johnson Wax Building.

2 comments about Country Victorian (Architecture and Design Library).

1. The book is full of quality photographs, but the interiors are full of furniture, decorative and useful objects, and details of building construction that are strange to American eyes and could not easily be duplicated in this country. Examples are English cookstoves, numerous exposed timberframes in interior walls, odd lampshades, and furniture that is simply not like the Victorian furniture we commonly find in the U.S. Thus the book is interesting but not inspiring. The same author's The Victorian Home is outstanding and preferable to this in every way. It's also still in print.



2. When we decide to decorate an old house, we need more "to see" than "to read". This is exactly what we get here. In a few words, but with help of extraordinary photos, we learn how Victorians decorated their country or manor homes and how we can adapt the country Victorian interior to our old houses today. Few words but a lot of photos. Helpful to pick ideas.

No comments about The Evolution of American Urban Design: A Chronological Anthology (Academy Editions).

1 comments about Frank Lloyd Wright's Furnishings (Wright at a Glance).

1. "Frank Lloyd Wright's Furnishings," by Carla Lind, is one in an excellent series of "mini-books" about the work of this great architect. This volume is devoted to the various items that went inside the houses designed by Wright. The book reveals Wright to be not only a skilled architect, but also a master of interior design.

   This book contains many of the praiseworthy features of other volumes in the series: a concise text by Lind, a treasury of wonderful full-color photographs, and an interesting series of sidebar quotes from Wright and others. The book covers many topics: bedroom furniture, dining room chairs, office furniture, lighting fixtures, cut stone decorative panels, and more. Lind also makes mention of some of the craftspeople who collaborated with Wright on these furnishings. Overall, this little book is a fine tribute to the work of an architectural visionary.