1 comments about Architecture Exam Review, Volume III: Graphic Divisions, 5th Edition.

1. I was quite disappointed with Ballast's Graphic Division review. Not only is the book itself sloppily laid out, and quite incomplete in regard to the information provided within it, there are much better alternatives out there.
   
   Norman Dorf's "Solutions" guide is a much better preparation guide, one that I wholeheartedly recommend to anybody about to tackle the ARE Graphic Exams.

5 comments about Civil Engineering: FE Exam Preparation (Fe Exam Preparation).

1. Feels like a slapped together attempt to make some money. No survey review. Most of the reviews are very confusing. The hydrology review is just a couple questions with manning's and Hazen equations. The review questions don't have real explained solutions. Don't waste time with this book, find something else.



2. It discusses in detail obvious stuff, and then references you to textbooks for more advanced topics. So it is more of a basic reference for the things you practice everyday, than a way to help you remember the topics you did during your undergrad degree



3. This book is okay. It's not very in-depth. I would pay the extra money and get a more thorough study guide.



4. Talk about a big disappointment.I was expecting a book that would really help me prepare for the civil discipline specific portion of the EIT exam. Unfortunately this book only skims the top of major topics and does not go into any sort of detail whatsoever.It's not a complete book, i think it miss more than 50% of the course. My suggestion would be to leave this book alone and study from reference text books.



5. I got this book last week and I've only worked through the second chapter but I've already found 4 mistakes. Grammatical mistakes I can handle but what I've come across are technical mistakes, units - poorly photocopied diagrams, mislabeled examples, that I cannot handle. If you're the publisher or one of the contributors reading this review you should be ashamed of yourself. Save your money, stick to Michael R. Lindeburg.

No comments about Invitation to Vernacular Architecture: A Guide to the Study of Ordinary Buildings and Landscapes (Perspectives in Vernacular Architecture).

2 comments about A Theory of Architecture.

1. A Theory of Architecture is not a cook book. It does not tell architects how to compose a building in several easy steps. Rather, it gives architects permission to do what we would automatically do if we had not been taught the style rules and the world view of the `Modern Movement' and its successors. A Theory of Architecture reveals the scientific food value of most tried and true building recipes while demonstrating that contemporary junk food is exactly that.
   
   Why should the architect, who is more often a creator and a builder than a reader, plough through pages of analogies that link our perception of spaces and surfaces with the laws of nature in mathematics and physics? Simply because the laws come alive for us in the author's straightforward and active prose. They remind us that when we design a building, we do far more than please a client or satisfy demands of use and economy. They remind us that we shape order in our world. We can base that order on an ideological whim. Or we can base it on patterns and forms found in nature and in the majority of architecture throughout history.
   
   A Theory of Architecture is a book we can read again and again. Then we can put it down and forget about it. The lessons we glean from it will have taken form in the designs we make. We discover that our buildings have levels of scale, meaningful ornament, proportions which the human eye notices inherently. We notice that both patterns and forms comprise the language which our spaces and their boundaries speak. We realize we have learned to design in consonance with our own nature. What a breakthrough! What a book!
   
   Dr. Ir. Jaap Dawson,
   Architect and Assistant Professor of Architectural Design,
   Technische Universiteit Delft



2. What an amazing book! I highly recommend it to any architect, designer or student thereof. It is a powerful, direct look at the principles behind psychologically pleasing design - grounded in math and science. Salingaros presents easy to digest information; rules that help an architect create his/her own "language" to humanize design, and interesting concepts that everyone can enjoy.
   
   I picked it up about a few months ago, and it has dramatically changed the way I see "good architecture". Following the patterns of Christopher Alexander and others, Salingaros offers us an accessible and applicable examination of how architects construct basic psychological needs into the built environment. He has created easy to understand guides to build a socially responsible, aesthetic and long-lasting architecture.
   
   A Theory of Architecture is a different view of sustainable design that will lead a new breed of architects into a dynamic renewal of human-centric architecture. Undoubtedly the most powerful book I've read since McDonough's Cradle to Cradle. Salingaros is a visionary, and I can't wait to read more of his work!

No comments about The Design of Renovations (Norton Professional Book).

No comments about Blue Monday: Stories of Absurd Realities and Natural Philosophies.

No comments about Creative City.

4 comments about Feng Shui For Architecture.

1. "The subject of Feng Shui is naturally interesting and intriguing, so to have a book that concisely explains the ideas and history so thoroughly is a valuable find. Dr. Mainini's book is that find.
   Feng Shui for Architecture makes an excellent text and resource book as well as teaching guide because it is clear, informative and easy to read. It has such a natural manner of expression that it is as if the author is explaining the material verbally to the reader.
   The book provides historical background and theory for Feng Shui and integrates other related practices. The theories are presented in a straight-forward manner, fully developed with thorough explanations, and visually clarified with pictures, diagrams and charts, then translated into specific practical instruction.
   This book would be extremely helpful for homeowners, designers and architects, as well as a strong reference resource for public and private libraries."



2. This book has been extremely inspirational to me and my colleagues. We are very impressed with the author's knowledge and experience. She brings a new pattern to design and new insights to the application of Feng Shui.



3. I am very happy to write this review for Feng Shui for Architecture by Dr. Simona Mainini.
   I found the book very practical in its applications and clear and concise in its style.
   It has been also incredibly insightful during the process of renovating of our 4,000 sqf home here in Los Angeles and the construction of our vacation home in Scottsdale, AZ.
   My architect couldn't agree more.
   Although my husband was skeptical of Feng Shui because of the many 'hocus pocus' Feng Shui book we had read prior, he's now solidly convinced.
   He particularly liked the approached to Feng Shui as a holistic science rather then religious self-help.
   We couldn't take it anymore of bagua mirrors, hanging crystal and 'love' corners.
   It is definitely the best book on the topic of Feng Shui and design I have ever read.
   I plan to attend Dr. Mainini classes at UCLA this spring to learn more about this incredibly fascinating topic.
   Highly recommended to those that are serious about creating the healthiest, happiest and most prosperous home for themselves and their family.



4. The title and subtitle promise a lot, and this book delivers even more. Mainini has done a fabulous job organizing and explaining, in a clear, precise manner, the principles of Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese art of placement for good energy flow as it applies to the places in which we live and work. Not only is this book great for the preparation of buildings, but it is extremely useful even if you are searching for an energetically superior apartment, house or office to rent. If you are looking for an invaluable source of feng shui information to help bring harmony to your living and working space and your life, this book is for you. I applaude Dr. Mainini for the publishing of this, her first book offering, and highly recommand it to those who want to learn more about this fascinating modality of healing.

No comments about Inchoate.

No comments about The Landlord's Troubleshooter: A Survival Guide for New Landlords.