5 comments about Photovoltaics: Design and Installation Manual.

1. Great Book. Well written and easy to follow. This is designed as a workbook for a class, but it is also a great self-led instruction book. Highly recommended.



2. This is a great starting manual for introducing solar installation. The worksheets could be better and updated. The use of nominal voltage and other parameters could be done better.



3. There is no such thing as a perfect book, but I have read all of those other books on solar. None of them tell you how to setup a system. This one does. It comes as close to perfect as you they get.



4. Given all the raves this book got I was pretty disappointed. I was expecting a comprehensive design and install manual. What I got was PV 101.
   It's not bad if you have no background in the field and want a basic intro but this manual sorely lacks in depth material on the subject. I am a contractor looking to expand into PV installations. This book bare got my feet wet.



5. To be fair, I have not read this book. Why 5 stars? The book is a for-profit venture by the author, so recovery of time, effort, & energy is important for revenue reasons. So why write this review? After spending nearly 12-18 hours perusing AMAZON's book list on solar energy and photovoltaic systems, I was frustrated! None of the reviews on any single book seemed to be convincing enough to make me want to buy. For instance, none of the reviews mention how the books address the National Electric Code, specific wiring and disconnect installation information, electrical and other safety hazards, inspection issues, etc. For a DIY'er, these books seemed a waste of time, never mind the fact that some reviewers insisted they actually DIY'ed just from the book. It then occurred to me that dozens of resources that I had used over the past 10 years - with the exception of 2007 due to extenuating circumstances - many resources are available for free from our fantastic .GOV, .ORG, and .EDU sites like Sandia Nat'l Labs, NREL, NMSU, and CA.GOV. Folks, before you start buying books on PV left & right, be smart and leverage what your fine tax dollars paid for! I have to admit - I believe it's just stupid searching for good PV technical, installation, and detailed literature on a For-Profit Bookstore when so much is already available online for Free. Folks, use your head - our government and academic labs pioneered this from federal tax dollars. Hence, much of it is public domain! (REPLACE all "?" with "." in the following website links.) nabcep?org nmsu?edu/~tdi/index?html photovoltaics?sandia?gov and energy?ca?gov - just to name a few! Of course, if you're just not Internet savvy, not an engineer/analytical A-type personality, and highly resourceful, plus you'd rather prefer to kill trees buying a book instead of leveraging online resources that are 100 times more than what's on AMAZON, and most likely don't have the wherewithal to DIY, go ahead. It will be amazing to see how many are simply duped by the thousands of new "get rich quick" companies and businessmen entering the renewable energy markets. *** Don't get me wrong - spending a few $100 yearly on many good books is not a problem for me. But when I've already paid tax dollars for outstanding American research, development, and "free" public domain resources - AND they are apparently waiting for me to simply find and use, well NOT to do so is plain un-American!

5 comments about Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings, 10th Edition.

1. An approachable, comprehensive, and learning resource for understanding sustainable as well as reasonable methods and techniques for employing building systems.



2. This book is the most comprehensive reference that addresses some of the most important concepts that are fundamental to architectural design. All the issues are dealt with in considerable detail. An awesome design reference, this book never leaves my desk. Combining the experience and lessons from ancient architecture to the most modern technologies, this book teaches good, effective and environment friendly design with solid reasoning and examples. There is often a quantitative base to the theory as well, which makes the measurement of benefits clear and defined.



3. This is a huge compilation of relevant information about building equipments currently used in North America. One may call it a Handbook rather than a Text Book. Design calculations are given for simple scenarios. HVAC and Lighting sections are very well written. Inclusions of more examples of Modern methods in HVAC (UFAD, Radiant cooling/heating, DDC) will be appropriate for future editions. A new chapter on LEDs (light emitting diodes) and expansion of the chapter on Photo-Voltaic Systems could have enhanced the value of this edition.
   
   Overall, this is the best compilation of materials for building equipments that I have come across. I recommend it to be a reference for all Practicing Engineers.



4. As a resource librarian in a mid-size design (architecture) firm, building and maintaining a reference library is one of my responsibilities. I normally wait until I get a request for a book before I review it for inclusion since there is so little space for "real" books. This book was requested so that a designer could study for her registration exam. She gave it a glowing review and said it had been mentioned on the exam blogs as one of the must-reads. It also seemed to have, in one place, all the information a practicing architect would need to design with or around mechanical systems, as well as provide the framework and vocabulary to talk to consultants.



5. This book was used as a text for two of my classes in my third year of architecture schooling. It is extremely useful, with lots of descriptions and helps you to understand more than just the structure of the building. Lighting, plumbing, all the different systems, etc. It has been very useful and I recommend it as a great reference.

5 comments about Design Drawing.

1. This is a great tool to use for design and is a great reference book for work if you are a drafter too. The drawings are very clear, informative and precice. We love this book for our office.



2. While Ching does cover some aspects of drawing outside of those needed for drafting, the primary focus is on architectural drafting. This is a technical book intended for design students. It is not a do-it-yourself learn-to-draw manual. Most often, this book will be a textbook in a design class. As such, it is excellent. The instructions are clear and well written, the drawings are simple and easy to follow, the flow of the book is natural, building from very simple to more and more complex drafting skills. This book can take you from elementary drafting skills to advanced if you use it as intended. All in all, this is an excellent book on design drawing. I highly recommend it for anyone entering the design field.



3. i purchased this book as required text for an upcoming class and got more than i bargained for...the book is informative, fascinating, and inspiring and i haven't been able to put it down...i am really looking forward to utilizing the book in the classroom setting to in order to explore some of the concepts presented, particularly those that are more elusive to grasp...because the book uses exercises to really cement in the main idea of each of its concepts, it is an invaluable learning tool...i highly recommend this book to anyone interested in developing a deeper understanding and appreciation of drawing and design.



4. This book is very good for designers, and you can learn many details of drawing from this book. Also, it was a very good price to buy it with Amazon (cheapest than other stores).



5. Way too fast for learning to draw. Like most of Chings stuff it lacks narrative and aims at getting you to think visually. However first timers need a bit of narrative hand holding so I would suggest something else. Might be good for a 2nd book to help reinforce concepts visually after you already have some base confidence in the drawing.

5 comments about A Visual Dictionary of Architecture.

1. This is a practical straight forward guide to Architecture for the non-architect. Also of use to those interested in building design and architectual history.



2. Vision is better than a thousand words. This graphic book makes you very easy to understand the architectural vocabulary. Not only good for student but also good for architectural practicer.



3. My husband bought this book for me when I decided to go back to school to study architecture, and it has turned out to be sooooo helpful. I have used it in every course I've taken; it makes studying for tests so much easier. It has a fabulous index so you can find what you are looking for right away, and the illustrations and page layouts are great. This book is a must for any architecture student. I really can't recommend it highly enough.



4. As with other materials by Francis D.K.Ching, the illustrations are not only clear and precise but aesthetically pleasing. It is a pleasure to read through the material for a comprehensive understanding of architectural concepts, presented in an historical perspective which clarifies the how and why of modern day building technology. The Visual Dictionary of Architecture
   is an invaluable reference for the student and architectural practicioner as well.



5. This book is really good for architecture students. I do not use the book every day, but when I need it, it proves very usefull. All books from this author that I purchased are really good so far. This one has a lot of details drawings which are great.

5 comments about A Global History of Architecture.

1. i agree with all the previous reviews, this book is a must be and worth every penny you spend on it. the chronicle order of this book make it easy to understand and to be used as a reference... i recommend it for my students in the comparative class...



2. At first I thought the book would be too dry and encyclopedia like, but when I started reading the chapters, I was taken by the text. It moved along nicely, and though there is a lot of information, it is presented in a way that makes sense, and in a way that helps one navigate through the `big pictures' of history. The maps are nice but they sometimes could have more information on them. The book is a challenge to those who think linearly or for those who think that the history of architecture "begins" with the Egyptians and Greeks and then "ends" in US postmodernism; the purpose of the book is to keep the globe turning. Sometimes the authors go east to west and sometimes west to east. It takes a little getting used to, but I think people will appreciate the idea that history is a moving target. It makes for some interesting contrasts. Each chapter has its own particular logic, however, and tries to emphasize a particular theme, having to do with religion or politics. On page 511, there is an imaginary architecture tour that begins in Japan and ends in England; it was an eye opener for me. At that particular time, as the authors point out, though Europe was in the middle of the Renaissance, there was a lot of good stuff also happening in China, India, and Turkey, that cannot be simply ignored as part of some `other' tradition.' It was all interconnected. I also discovered the free Google Earth download from Wiley Press web site where all the buildings in the book are flagged! That has been a great help in lectures.



3. This book arrived on time and in perfect condition. I was pleased with the service and would order again.



4. This book is a sorely needed alternative to current textbooks. It is written in crisp and unsentimental style that conveys big themes but with an attention to details. The book is organized as a series of timelines beginning with 3500 BC and ending with a chapter on recent architecture. But instead of each chapter beginning at the same place in the world, each chapter begins somewhere differently.3500 BCE starts in China, 25 BCE in India, 1500 BCE in Egypt and 800 BCE with the Olmecs in Mexico. This constant turning and spinning of the globe is, in my view, quite exiting, as it gets students to learn how to be comparative in their thinking and simultaneously mobile in their intellectual understanding of history. Each chapter is introduced by a one page "take" on the architecture of each time section. These introductions, which serve as a text with a text, point out the themes of each chapter. Naturally in a work like this, one can talk about what is and is not included, but one has to give credit to the fact that book provokes that type of question in a positive way.
   
   A fascinating argument that the authors make is that from early on architecture was changing and adapting, and, in essence, `modern.' In other words, it is not that WE are modern and everything before us was linear and stable. The book in that sense not only wants us to get a sense of the global horizon of architecture, but also a sense that architecture is very much IN history, reflecting in very real and dramatic way the changes that take place not only in technology and economy, but also in religion and power, those being four identifiable subtexts of the author's approach to the material.
   
   I especially liked the chapter 1600 and its companion chapter "Architecture of Eurasian Power Block" which starts in Japan and works its way through Eurasia to England, not once but twice to emphasize the significance worldwide of the period 1500 to 1700 in the history of architecture. The drawings, sections, plans and photos work well with a text that is as densely packaged as this. And finally, it is worth noting that the book also serves to give the students fundamentals in the various global architectural vocabularies, Greek, Chinese, Hindu



5. I pre-ordered Ching's new book months ago based just on his outstanding work in his previous books. I wasn't disapponted. The timeline organization gives a much-needed new comparative perspective on architecture around the globe and across time. Ching's illustrations and choice of photos are just enough to illustrate the excellent text. This is yet another example of Ching's talent as an architectural illustrator and teacher of arxchitecture.

5 comments about Designing Interactions.

1. Outstanding read about the history of how some of the things we use daily were conceptualized and designed.
   
   Moggridge interviews some of the coolest and relevant inventors of the modern (technology) era.
   
   The book hit a dry spell toward the end but finished strong.
   
   As a usability and design professional I found this book to be a good read on perspective, and to read the techniques and methods used to develop new things.



2. The book provides some good insights into the world of interaction design.
   However, it's a bit boring and too much of a history lesson.
   
   While the information provided within is a nice examination of various things previously done, the book provides little about how to go about processing or coming up with the information or general practices for doing so in your own project(s). However, if you have a generally analytical mind, you can definitely pull some of that information out of it. The few gems of knowledge as applied to products already designed are very valuable and the proper descriptions were chosen for each.
   
   The "interviews" contained within the book are a bit too disparate for my tastes, though. There is a lack of general cohesion that causes the book to "feel" off-topic, even though it is all related. Focus seems to be lost on the underlying reason for the book (even based on the forward, description, etc.).
   
   There's a lot there, but you're going to have to pick it out for yourself. The book definitely lacks the ability to state what the intentions of varies arguments and examinations are but what is there is valuable.



3. This book makes you think a lot about how interactions have been designed. It has a lot of great examples and I even picked up a few tricks on storyboarding my interactions and designs. Well done.



4. En este libro se revisan una serie de autores que son relevantes en el campo del diseño de interacción. Podemos encontrar desde Brenda Laurel hablando del desarrollo de juegos para niñas, hasta los creadores de Google. No es un libro que profundice en los temas, es más bién un útil panóptico del desarrollo del diseño de interacción.
   
   Marcos Chilet
   Diseño, Pontificia Universidad catolica de chile.



5. This book is a terribly self-indulgent view of interaction design. There is no real analysis in this book or critical thinking. It's mostly a collection of simple stories from companies or efforts that Moggridge likes. There is no real theory offered here, only anecdotes. It's also a very Silicon Valley-centric view of the world. If you are looking for a partial history of interesting "interaction" design efforts, this book may be for you. Though, perhaps, not at the price it sells for.

5 comments about Decorating Master Class.

1. This is a book that should be read by anyone who is interested in design or just wants to decorate/redecorate their house. The book gives advice on decorating every room of the house in all detail, including sizes and measurements. The book is also lavishly illustrated with wonderful photos.
   You want to start decorating straight after you finish reading!



2. I decided to weigh in on this book because 1) I feel so strongly about it and 2) Because of the disparity of opinion regarding whether this book can be used by amateurs, or is simply for professionals only.
   
   I am a homeowner, with a limited budget, in the midst of a new home construction. I saw this book recommended in an issue of architectural digest as really forthcoming about the how-tos of decorating, not just pictures to drool over. I bought the book immediately and I love it. I can't tell you how valuable this book has been. I learned SO much.
   
   I read it through cover to cover, then reviewed every picture again to assess the details, the use of symmetry, asymmetry, patterns, textures, trims, recurring themes and color schemes. It was incredibly informative, useful and inspiring. It completely prepared me to choose the surfaces in my home. It was useful for planning design details, such as how high the mantel should be and the appropriate distance between furniture pieces and how to achieve layers of light.
   
   I have even purchased some of the resource material listed to further educate myself about antique rugs and furniture.
   
   This book is for everybody. It's gorgeous and incredibly helpful.



3. This is not your mother's book of cookie-cutter interior design ideas...but lookout, she may "borrow" the book. The photography is great, the ideas are fresh and there is something for everyone...only...if you prefer exquisite taste whether casual or formal, elegance without the "do look at me" obvious cost. The rooms evoke the feeling that you "own" it, not that it was "done by a famous decorator with her tell on it" and the element of experienced quality in every aspect of the rooms shown. You will get lost in it in the most pleasant way.



4. This is a book I picked up, as I was attracted to the title. I read a review on amazon that said it's not a book for the home decorator. I disagree, I think it's a text book style book good for anyone who decorates, and for anyone who needs a guideline of how to present a professional proposal; for the non professional it shows you how approach a project, and organize keep project records and files.



5. Found this book helpful in better understanding and visualizing the practical requirements in running a high end luxury design business

5 comments about Graphic Guide to Frame Construction: Details for Builders and Designers (For Pros by Pros).

1. A great reference for the DIY homeowner. Lots of drawings to show you the right way to do things from foundations to framing.



2. This book has a lot of good framing scenarios interesting tidbits. Both a good reference and interesting to page through.



3. I do a lot of non-professional new construction. For me, visualizing the right way do do something is the problem. Once the skin is on a building I have no idea what lies underneath -- I have no 'guide' to model my construction after. Also, building according to convention is useful -- for instance, it's good to know that you can expect to find a vertical stud in a wall every 16 or 24 inches, regardless of who built the building and when -- and this book clarifies what those conventions are.
   
   This is a great book. The graphic representations are exceptionally clear and detailed. Many alternatives are given, and in building you simply choose the alternative that gives you the most of what you want and follow the diagram.



4. Have been using this reference for years as an Architect. Probably the best one out there that covers all the basics. Not overly complicated. Could use an advanced version for more complicated details, especially in roofing (half-hips, etc.) and foundations.
   Great reference for the nomencalture of all the parts.
   Do not expect to build from it as codes and structural sizing are required and vary too much, but good, basic detailing and understanding overall with plenty of illustrations.



5. This is a good reference for framing details, which I turn to frequently as we work on the design for our new home. That said, there are numerous gaps and while some might be excused as esoteric, like framing a swept roof at the eaves (though it is pictured on the cover of the book), many others are not, such as flashing at masonry entry steps. I would like to see the book updated to include more "Building Science" lessons, OVE (Optimum Value Engineering)and perhaps SIPS. Still a good book, overall.

5 comments about Apartment Therapy Presents: Real Homes, Real People, Hundreds of Design Solutions.

1. This is a great book for small space organization and design. It follows the same approach as the Apartment Therapy blog but is edited to include the best in a variety of styles, budgets and sizes in coffee table format.
   
   If you feel the need to be a cheapskate, you can find many of the house tours on the blog; but once you go to the blog, you will probably become a hopeless addict and have to buy this book any way for quick reference.
   
   If you are considering this book, make sure to get AT's 8-step Home Cure too.



2. i've been reading the ApartmentTherapy.com blogs for a few years now, and my mom sent me MGR's first book, "Apartment Therapy", which was a quick and awesome read...which i also made real by joining an AT Cure.
   
   So, for my mom's birthday I bought us both copies of the new "Apartment Therapy Presents" picture book - which rules! It's full of great ideas and very pretty apartments, photos, tips, tricks, you name it.
   
   I'm very impressed.



3. I'm a modern design junkie (magazines, books, blogs, web sites and oh yeah, actual decorating of our 975 square foot condo in a 100-year-old building). When I heard about this book I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. . . but I was a little disappointed. I enjoyed the text and the way each person/couple did something different with their space -- and those tiny apartments were amazing! -- but I was disappointed with the photos and the captions. I thought the photos looked sort of amateurish, and should have been bigger. Sometimes they referred to an object in a caption, but it was hard to find it in the photo! Often, the photos showed only a tiny section of a room, when a complete view and perspective would have been much more helpful. Overall, I enjoyed this book, but with these caveats. Anyone else feel that way?



4. Seriously. One of the most inspiring books I own. And yes, I really do ration a chapter a night so (hopefully) it never ends! One thing you'll learn - all creativity is apparently born in IKEA. Who knew?!



5. This book is as good as I expected it would be; tons of ideas and ingenious solutions to space problems. Very talented people who achieve an individual look usually without mounds of money.

5 comments about Delirious New York: A Retroactive Manifesto for Manhattan.

1. While "Delirious" has its fair share of archispeak, Mr. Koolhaas pulls off an intelligent, fun and thought-provoking take on the early 20th century building culture of New York.
   
   One of the quirkier aspects of "Delirious" is Mr. Koolhaas's analysis of Coney Island: an "incubator for Manhattan's incipient themes." As a reader, one initially questions the inclusion of such a trashy place in such a lofty manifesto. However, as the chapter progresses, you start to see Mr. Koolhaas's iconoclastic brilliance. He pays an amazing homage to "the laboratory" that was Coney Island, illuminating the vital role it played in the building philosophies that would emerge later in Manhattan.
   
   Scattered throughout "Delirious," also, are compelling supporting images that Mr. Koolhaas clearly spent a lot of time digging up. In fact, flipping through the book for the images alone makes for a near-equivalent, and fun, learning experience.
   
   However, unlike his tasteful use of images, Mr. Koolhaaas's flamboyant use of scholarly English makes his writing difficult to digest at times:
   
   "It is probably inevitable that a doctrine based on the continual simulation of pragmatism, on a self-imposed amnesia that allows the continuous reenactment of the same subconscious themes in ever new reincarnations and on inarticulateness systematically cultivated in order to operate more effectively..."
   
   Given Mr. Koolhaas's journalism background (and assumed mastery of writing), I suspect he made the conscious decision to remain somewhat inaccessible to preserve his "lofty" image. While such a decision may be understandable, his brilliance as a writer often gets overshadowed by the sheer irritation of trying to understand him.
   
   Ultimately, "Delirious" proves itself to be a very intelligent synopsis---just as delirious and congested the themes Mr. Koolhaas puts forth. For the most part, it's a pleasure to read, and it also reflects the exhaustive research on Mr. Koolhaas's end. Much like Mr. Koolhaas's buildings, "Delirious" is on the cusp of being as grand as it intends to be.



2. through the exhaustive historiography of the phases of congestion coney island brought to manhattan, koolhaas provides a rather cynical view of the Grid as being an ulimatley neutral zoning system of constraining ideas that represent the continual decline of a phantastically realistic civilization, represented as mutated symbols of architecture in the "void" of repeated "pregnancies."
   
   it's really well written. funny. uses, like above, a somewhat inefficient vocabulary but remains in the same vein throughout. it is also a graphic design hubris consuming every page, even the left-justified text, showing off koolhaas's interpretation of the importance to combine scholarship and marketing.
   
   buy it. it's a very good book.



3. A very inventive concept of New York's "culture of congestion" and how people are affected by the architecture they create. It is heavily researched and exhaustive, and after pretty much the third page I agreed with his concept of NY being "totally fabricated by man". What could of been a fascinating article becomes a spastic, heavy-handed read with a sledgehammer effect to your brain. (However,for those of us reading it for school, there are plenty of pictures that fill up the almost devastatingly vast 300+pages quickly.) It will scramble your brain with its thousands of nearly bumper-stickerish statements ("It hides life." "The Mountain MUST become architecture.") written with pretentious glee. However, I believe an independent scientific study has concluded that when pretending to read this book on the train people around you will assume your IQ is 40% higher than truth.



4. koolhaas is a bit over-the-top for me, but this I think is is best work. it's worth checking out if only for the story of coney island. once you get past blisteringly pretentious phrases like "coney island is a fetal manhattan", you'll find it gloriously entertaining as both a narrative and theoretical work.



5. This is by far Koolhaas's most accessible work, as it is rooted so clearly in detail from the city's past. Further, the book is simply brilliant. His take on urban history is to Jane Jacobs what Socrates is to common sense. New York is a special case of modernism that sprang from a special constellation of poltiical and technological forces that collectively create a cultural "big-bang" at the turn of the century. Read it. Blow your mind.