3 comments about Wood-Frame House Construction: Complete "How-To" Information on Constructing Wood-Frame Houses.

1. This book has some useful and informative discussion of the construction methods but if you intend to purchase only one book on the subject, then you are better off with GRAPHIC GUIDE TO FRAME CONSTRUCTION by Thallon.



2. This book has great illustration for wood framing. Recommend it: however, it would be nice to have a CD on all the drawings illustrated in the book.



3. This book has many things to recommend it. It includes a wealth of material on wood frame house construction, from laying out a hole in the ground for foundations, to framing, to "paint and paper". And it's clear and generally easy to read. It was designed for people in apprenticeship programs and trade schools, so it's oriented toward practical details, not engineering theory, which will make it a good match for most do-it-yourselfers, too.

   On the other hand, it clearly is an older book. Attempts have been made to keep it up to date with newer techniques, but a lot of obsolete material remains, and it's not always easy to tell which methods are new and which old. The obsolete material could be a plus, in some cases -- if you're renovating an old house, for example. But I wouldn't place absolute trust in this book as a bible of new house construction.

   I am a structural engineer, and reviewed this book primarily in my search for resources to recommend to my residential clients who are involved in do-it-yourself renovation projects.

No comments about Did Someone Say Participate?: An Atlas of Spatial Practice.

No comments about Strategies for Sustainable Architecture.

No comments about New York's Pennsylvania Stations.

5 comments about The Encyclopedia of Colored Pencil Techniques.

1. Here is another must have book in your library for new and novice artists using colored pencil as a medium. This book defines all you need to know, and shows the user the proper techniques. Learn all the new langugage from the pro, on what is what in colored pencil medium.



2. This book has good tips on color pencil drawing but it lacks on detailed information for truly beginners. Wrong orthography is a problem on this book. It is not worth more than the sales price.



3. I have been using Prismacolor pencils for many years and over that time, developed my own techniques, but I found the ideas and examples in this book to be great. I have been dabbling in the techniques I learned in this book and combined some of them with my own. Drawing some things had always been a struggle for me to get "just right," but after seeing some of the detailed examples, I now do them without thought. My favorite discovery in this book was learning to get rid of or hide my mistakes instead of my previous method of just scraping the entire project and starting over.
   
   As for the reviews about the art work, well, they didn't bother me. I wasn't buying a book of art, I was buying a technique book and I found the drawings inside to do a good job of showing off each technique. I also enjoyed that the artwork was taken from various artists because it gave a better sampling of what is possible.
   
   As a recreational sketcher, my husband also enjoyed browsing this book and playing with some of the ideas. Even his notepad doodles now show some signs of the shading and erasing effects that he picked up in this book. So, you don't have to be a serious artist to get something out of this book.
   
   I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to get the most out of their pencils or explore new coloring techniques.



4. I like the book a lot, it will be of great use to me,both for learning and a good source of reference.



5. The drawings in this book were amaturistic, if not childish.
   Not the quality I expected.

4 comments about Japan the Art of Living.

1. If you are looking for examples of the zen and minimalist aspects of Japanese style, then this is the wrong book for you.

   Pluses:
   Some of the pictures are interesting, and I liked many of the cultural aspects of the book.

   Minuses:
   Some of the pictures reminded me of the elaborate and glitzy decor of some Westernized Asian restaurants.

   Recommendation:
   If you are interested in all aspects of Japanese style, this book might interest you. Everyone else should avoid buying this book.




2. i have thouroughy enjoyed it thank u very much it really made my day to see that other people have the same in terests as me n my colleagues



3. Regardless if you want to have a Japanese Tea Room, a Japanese touch, or just like looking at great photographs of Interior Design, you should buy this book.

   I normally don't like books which take elements from one Style, in this case Japanese, and then adapt it for Western use, but here it works very well, thanks to superb and tasteful examples. The authors are also very up-front about it, as the sub-title which does not appear on the cover is "A Sourcebook of Japanese Style for the Western Home".

   In hundreds of excellent photographs we are shown in sections with such titles as: "Light and Space", "Traditional Furniture" and "Japanese Textiles" just how easy it is to give rooms and areas of your home a Japanese touch or feel. I personally like the Style very much because it is subdued, almost austere, yet elegant, and makes much use of natural materials. The book is full of really clever examples of what one can do with space, and the best part is, that for the most part it can be done without great expense. The list of sources of where to buy materials at the end of the book is unfortunately out of date. The copy of the book I have was published in 1990, but many sources should be readily available on the Internet.

   Along with the excellent book "Japanese Style" by Suzanne Slesin, et.al. (at the time of writing out of print), "Japan: The Art of Living" is all you'll need to go Japanese. And lastly before I forget, the price is right.




4. As a an architecture student and in an architecture firm working guy I found this book very helpfull. I like japanese architecture and this book has taught me a way to design interiors in japanese-western way.

5 comments about Miss Julia Strikes Back.

1. Miss Julia has another adventure when her wedding rings are stolen and she goes to Florida to attempt to retrieve her jewelery (and others) from a professional gang. The story may be a bit over the top, but Miss Julia and the other regulars make this a very enjoyable read.



2. Loved it! Miss Julia is my kind of woman. I did miss Sam and Hazel Marie in this book.



3. I love this series and the character of Miss Julia, but this book seemed carelessly put together. Miss Julia is known to be headstrong, but to put life and limb (as well as innocent Little Lloyd's and Etta Mae's) at risk for some jewelry seems unbelievable. Miss Julia never struck me as a fool in previous books. For the first time, she seems snobbish and spoiled. Detective Tuttle's alcoholic behavior was unexplained and extremely unamusing. Disgusting actually. It was disconcerting for Miss Julia to slam on the "trashy" people buying cropped pants at Target...maybe because I am wearing cropped pants purchased at Target? :-)
   I give the book 3 stars because I love the series so. I am glad this book was not the first one of Ann B Ross' that I have read!



4. THE MISS JULIA BOOK GIVES LOTS OF LAUGHS, IT IS REFRESHING TO HAVE A BOOK THAT MAKES YOU LAUGH.



5. Miss Julia's jewelry is stolen while Sam (her husband) is away in Russia. Following a dubious-sounding lead by a local sheriff, she withdraws Lloyd from school and drives to Florida where she hires a private investigator to help her locate the thieves. Unfortunately, the PI is an alcoholic, and is more than Miss Julia can handle so she sends for acquaintance Etta Mae Wiggins to assist her. Together the four team up to find Miss Julia's property.
   
   This was a light, entertaining audio. The plot was a little more fantastic than normal... (It reminded me of a Lucille Ball episode). Thankfully there was no Sam in this one. Sam's not a bad character, but he cramps Miss Julia's style. I liked Etta Mae, and Lloyd.... I was disappointed to see less of Lillian. I was lukewarm about Mr. Tuttle. I was a bit fed up with his alcoholism towards the end. Plus, he was so under-developed as a character, we never really understood why he drank, or what his real trouble was. 4 stars. Light amusing non-serious stuff.

No comments about Architectural Ironwork (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

No comments about Overlook: Exploring the Internal Fringes of America with the Center for Land Use Interpretation.

No comments about Space Planning for Commercial and Residential Interiors.