5 comments about Construction Drawings and Details for Interiors: Basic Skills.

1. I have many years of architectural drafting experience. Although this book says "Basic Skills" on the cover, it is much more than basic. It's an excellent reference book, covering everything that is needed for interior design drafting: from line weights to scale, dimensioning, plans, elevations, sections, checklists, furniture and finish schedules, contract documents, and the list goes on. I highly recommend this book for students of interior design and practising designers alike.



2. This is a handy reference tool that goes over the basics and more, covering equipment, title blocks, various tags and elevation markers, material representation, and graphic representation of everything from doors and windows to wall sections. There are separate chapters on Floor Plans, Elevations, and Sections. Later chapters go ino Reflected Ceiling Plans, Electrical Plans, Furniture Plans, Finishes, and Schedules. There is a checklist of things to remember following every type of construction drawing discussed; this serves to reinforce the most important information in any given chapter. I found the check lists to be a great learning tool, and used them to double-check my class assignments before turning them in.
   
   One of the things that I appreciate about this book is that it was written clearly and was easy to understand the first time through, but with additional readings I continue to get more out of it. It is the book I find myself returning to when I need answers. Some of the more complex information is formatted into tables and these tables can be particularly helpful--there is a terrific section on paraline and axometric drawings, for instance. There are even step-by-step instructions on how to create one- and two-point perspective grids.
   
   Some of the illustrations are a little dated, and some information is not as complete as I think it should be. The information on lettering, for instance, is particularly light, and I found myself needing to purchase another book to really understand how to develop my lettering technique. The information on material representation is also not as complete as it probably should be. Still, this is a very worthy reference book. It is the only required textbook in at least five classes and with good reason: it provides the basics and more, enabling it to continue to earn its place on the bookshelf well after one has completed Drafting 101.



3. This book has been very helpful for me. It reviews perspective drawings, elevations, and sections before leading into the construction documents. It provides sufficient examples to match the text explanations. I consider this a good buy. It has served as a great reference/instruction guide for me.



4. This book made all the difference for me in my Interior Design studies. The course that I took was intensive, and if I had not discovered and utilized this book, I would have probably scored much lower on my desk-crits, and my practical exams. Because of it's wonderfully portable size, I take it with me everywhere. It is easily carried, yet filled with pertinent information from cover to cover. Construction Drawings and Details for Interiors contains a wealth of information, and I am grateful to the author for having written this book. It is, and will remain a cornerstone of my Design library.



5. This a great book for the basics of how to create Construction Drawings. It has everything you could have questions about as an Interior Designer learning how to create Documentation for a project. I highly recommend this book. It lays everything out in an easy to understand format and has great pictorial examples.

3 comments about RSMeans Building Construction Cost Data 2008, 66th Edition (Means Building Construction Cost Data).

1. Product was as specified, brand new and was received in a timely manner. Will definitely make future purchases. Thanks!



2. I wouldn't say they went out of there way to make sure I got it as soon as possible but I received it within a reasonable time period and would buy from this seller again.



3. This book, and its previous editions, has long been a standby reference for building owners, facility managers, and architects and, to a lesser extent, contractors.
   
   The base cost information is broad, extensive, and detailed. However, this base information must be adjusted for area of the country, building type, and project specific productivity influencing factors. Each of these adjusting factors is critical, and cumulatively the adjustment can be significantly large - over 100% of base costs. This is too broad a range of adjustment to permit utilizaion of the adjusted cost figures with confidence.
   
   More attention to determination of these adjustment factors would increase the accuracy of the adjusted costs, and make this book more valuable.
   
   Choosing Project Success - A Guide for Building Professionals

5 comments about The Complete Idiot's Guide to Solar Power for your Home, 2nd Edition (Complete Idiot's Guide to).

1. Very generic and almost all of the information is in this book can be found for free doing web searches. For example, the chapter on installations is nine pages long and has no specifics. It merely repeats to consult a qualified electrician and I already knew that!
   
   The plus side is that it is well organized and concise.



2. I did not get all the info that i wanted but it did teach me several things that i needed to know. Mostly an interesting read.



3. Sept 08, 2008 Revision: After borrrowing this book from a friend to read it thoroughly, I still give it 2 stars BUT...
   - the book is fairly thorough, concise, and comprehensive in its coverage of residential solar. It does cover nearly every introductory topic and question a home owner new to solar energy might ask.
   - it goes into topics such as the history of solar, developments past present and future, batteries, Do-It-Yourself issues and concerns, inverter operation and general info, identifying and hiring a contractor, inspection issues, brief mention of the NEC (Natl Electric Code), federal and state solar incentives, and so much more.
   And it does this in a very few short pages - don't let the 336 pages fool you. The meat of the book is actually in less than 200 pages of writing.
   
   Given that it covers nearly ALL the topics in one book - in ONE PLACE - in a VERY QUICK read of 200+ pages - FOR LESS THAN $15.00, I actually give this 5 STARS for VALUE AND TIME well spent. (If you have ANY technical background, you'll cover the entire book in one night of reading.) But why 2 stars then? Well, if you are serious about installing solar, after reading this book you will come to realize that you still need to know so much more. Inevitably, you WILL have to talk to your municipal inspector, spend some time researching solar contractors, and quite a bit of time understanding the requirements of the incentives offered by your utility/city/state/federal govt - in all, that's at least another 10-24 hours of research, discussion, and reading. A book costing 2-3 times as much with much more detail might therefore be more beneficial. Or simply following the FREE links, as I originally espoused below, might still be the best approach since either way it is going to take time to understand it all - but only if you really are serious about installing residential solar. Otherwise, if you simply want to gain enough insights to evaluate solar, and determine its prospects for your home and situation, then this is a very good book for you.
   
   BTW, this book is very similar to the other "Dummies" Book - "Solar Power Your Home For Dummies (For Dummies Series)".
   
   ORIGINAL REVIEW COMMENTS ON MAY 1, 2008: 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.



4. The future is here. Solar Power is the answer. The book is plain and simple.



5. The title is disparaging but the contents are excellent! Anyone considering attempting to learn about Solar Power should read this book. It has an excellent chart for determining what you should consider before you start your project. It is written in easy to understand language that a lay person can easily understand. I highly recommend it.

5 comments about BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers and Contractors.

1. In the BIM Handbook (A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers and Contractors), a remarkably knowledgeable and credential team of authors has provided a sound, thoroughly researched and comprehensible review of the technology, the market drivers and the business transformation issues surrounding Building Information Modeling (BIM). This book is a must-read for anyone involved in the design, construction or operation of buildings who needs to understand and apply effectively the emerging BIM tools and techniques. University professors of architecture, engineering and construction will find this an excellent text for introducing BIM to the emerging generation of design and construction professionals.
   
   The concepts underlying BIM have been evolving for a quarter century, as the book makes clear. In the past few years, however, market drivers and technology advances have converged to produce software tools that have an extraordinary positive impact on the design and construction of buildings. In the industry scramble to take advantage of this potential, there has been much confusion about what BIM is, how to use it and who benefits from it. The BIM Handbook tackles all three questions.
   
   Highlights include the chapter on the interoperability of building models, which clarifies what is probably the least understood technology issue related to BIM. Of immediate utility is the evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the major BIM software products. Even the most design-oriented readers will marvel at the variety and innovation demonstrated by the ten case studies. The very thoughtful chapter entitled "The Future: Building with BIM" provokes lively conjecture and debate.



2. This is clearly the most comprehensive book to date on the subject of building information modeling. It covers the entire spectrum and provides many comparative analyses of existing products, to help you make an educated choice of tools.



3. The BIM Handbook is an extensively researched and meticulously written book, showing evidence of years of work rather than something that has been quickly put together in the course of a few months. It brings together most of the current information about BIM, its history, as well as its potential future in one convenient place and can serve as a handy reference book on BIM for anyone who is involved in the design, construction, and operation of buildings and needs to know about the technologies that support it. It is the must-have text book for BIM for all academic institutions who would like to teach or research this subject. Some practitioners might find it a little intimidating, as it does get very detailed and technical, but those refuse to be daunted by its academic style will find their efforts very well rewarded with a deeper understanding of all aspects of BIM that are relevant to their work.
   
   You can read a more detailed review of this book in my AEC technology publication, AECbytes: http://www.aecbytes.com/review/2008/BIMHandbook.html



4. This book is a great resource for managers/executives who need to familiarize themselves with bim technology in order to successfully initiate implementation within a company. Benefits (and drawbacks) of technology for all groups mentioned in a title (developers, facility managers, designers, contractors)are covered in details.
   
   Authors are very competent and they put lots of effort to prepare and organize this material (this is one of the best organized book I have ever read).
   
   [...]
   
   Highly recommended.



5. Excellent in how it encompasses BIM issues to various partners in the building process. It is considerably appropriate and relevant when considering the impact of BIM on the building industry and our personal business.

5 comments about Code Check Complete: An Illustrated Guide to Building, Plumbing, Mechanical, and Electrical Codes (Code Check).

1. This book is well made, obviously for field use, more importantly the information is very well organized and presentation is easy to understand. I own all the code check series and this just ties in with the rest. Illustrations are excellent and documentation and references are great. A definite positive addition to my library.



2. good source book for those who are making their way through the permit and inspection process. Seems to be complete, but misses a few things such as smoke alarm requirements. An index would have been really helpful.



3. Code Check Complete should be on every job site. A comprehensive book with illustrations on the latest building codes



4. This is a handy composite easy-to-use reference book of the four major building codes covering building, electrical, plumbing and HVAC. It is for residential buildings.
   
   Previously, the Code Check series was (and still is) issued for each of the individual codes noted above. This guide combines all four into a condensed and smaller spiral bound hard cover book. It is easier to carry and use if you need to take a quick peek at more than one of the various building code references.
   
   It is an easy guide for contractors, home inspectors, and others interested in the current rules and regulations as they pertain on a national basis. It is not meant as a substitute for your local code regs however.
   
   I believe both formats have a use and am glad they came out with this newer composite or complete version of all residential codes into one small book.
   
   An individual contractor or tradesperson might appreciate the individual CODE CHECK flip chart style guide better. As they cover one of the 4 various building codes, they are slightly larger and much more durable than the composite book. They are published on damage-resistant plastic coated card stock and impervious to moisture damage. They are also larger, yet thinner and are quicker to use as they flip open with their sections all summarized on the cover.
   
   The composite book is smaller, yet thicker. While it is also spiral bound, the paper it is printed on is not tear or moisture-resistant. The value for the composite is superior in that it provides most, if not all of the same information as the individual Code Checks. It is also much less expensive buying the composite compared to buying the four code checks separately. The pages are smaller and more difficult to read if one relies upon glasses in order to read.
   
   The other glaring detraction is the information for the Electrical section. Perhaps the book came out a few months too early. Everything in the Building, HVAC, and Plumbing sections is up-to-date. The Electrical section still contains the information from the 2002/2005 National Electrical Code. Not the newest 2008 version. I would imagine however, that the next edition of the composite "Complete" Code Check book would contain the latest info. Many, if not most local jurisdictions tend to operate off the older NEC, so it may be of little consequence at this point anyway.
   
   One other small observation, is that if you lend out your code check "complete", then you lend all of it out together. Unlike the individual publications. Also, it is not as durable, so if one does lend it out, it may not hold up in the long run, unlike the other larger plastic-coated booklets.
   
   It is still a wise investment for the money. And a great way to have all the major code R&Rs in your hand for a quick and easy reference.
   
   One other note, the publisher on their website also offers several downloads free of charge. One is the "California" Building Code. Another is changes or errors and ommissions in the Code Check Complete. It is after all in its first edition. However the mistakes are kept to a minimum.



5. I was suprised how complete the codcheck series is. If you live/work in California you will need the special California edition

5 comments about Working Alone: Tips & Techniques for Solo Building.

1. If you have never done any type of construction, buy this book. Even if you have only visited a construction site once in your life this book is below your expectations. The majority of the book is showing that taking two pieces of wood nailed at 90 degrees with a triangle placed perpendicular to the joint in different jobs. I thought I would learn something new but I was wrong. I would have returned it but it would cost just as much to ship it back as it cost in the first place.



2. This is a book I saw on store shelves for a while, then couldn't find it anywhere. So, I was very pleased to find it online. It is everything I was expecting, very informative. Lots of useful information for doing carpentry work, that may need a helper for a short time. A great deal of help if you don't need the helper longer than a few minutes.



3. Dobra ksiaka dla pracujacych samotnie lub dla tych, ktorych pracownicy zostawili "na lodzie". Zawiera sporo przykaldow jak dac s obie rad samemu. Autor zwraca te uwag na to, e niektóre prace powinny zostac wykonane przez podwykonawców ze wzgledu na wymagane doswiadczenie lub regulacje prawne. Polecam. Wydane pieniadze nie beda zmarnowane. Jest to dobra inwestycja.



4. I have no read the entire book, however at a glance, I can see that there are many helpful ideas. Surely worth the $



5. If you use just one or two tips from this book (and you will) it is worth the investment in time and money. It is well written with simple concise instructions and advice. A little humor goes a long way toward making this an easy enjoyable read.

5 comments about Practice Makes Perfect: Complete French Grammar (Practice Makes Perfect).

1. I am happy I got this book. It's filled with practicable exercises covering every important aspect of the French grammar. This book is a must have for everyone who wants to improve and supplement the skills without the fuss of many French book. I recommnand it to anyone who wants to have a complete, concise & clear learning experience.



2. As a language teacher, I think this is the best grammar guide I've found for my students and for anyone seeking to improve their French skills. The explanations are clear, the exercises useful, and the tables and verb charts are an easy to use and invaluable aid to anyone trying to write in French.



3. The delivery of this book was not immediate- but certainly prompt!! The quality and condition are great. I will use it for many years to come. Thanks!



4. I found this book well-organized and easy to proceed through. I have a lot of experience with French (studied in high school and college), but needed a review, so for me it was perfect. I really can't say how it would be for someone just starting out; I think most folks would want to be able to hear the words. But there are some great websites for that, so perhaps in conjunction with the web, this would be a good starter French grammar book.



5. If you're studying French grammar, it's usually because you have to ( student) or you enjoy French and want to improve your writing. I find this book exceptional because it provides the basics but won't bore the advanced student or teacher. This is a clear, concise, guide to basic grammar without the excessive prattle that fills pages and inflates the price of textbooks while boring students to distraction.
   It had been years since I studied French. When I picked up this smartly organized volume, I not only quickly began to recall what I thought I'd forgotten, but I also learned new concepts for thinking about grammar. Painless and highly recommended!

5 comments about How to Build Your Own Greenhouse.

1. Any who would build a greenhouse will find HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN GREENHOUSE: DESIGNS AND PLANS TO MEET YOUR GROWING NEEDS offers up the hope of year-round gardening as it explores a range of greenhouse designs and options, from simple cold frames to elaborate freestanding tropical constructions. Chapters cover basic freestanding and extension designs for greenhouses, include lean-tos and garden shed blends, and discuss not only construction of independent structures, but how to incorporate them into an existing home. From floor to ceiling options, HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN GREENHOUSE covers it all, includes design tips and basic plans, and is a pick for any library strong in homeowner's or gardener's construction references.



2. I originally bought this because I am thinking about making a greenhouse. The book is very comprehensive with lots of drawings and pictures. It was well worth the investment.



3. I finally "sprang" for this book because I read a good review on a garden club website. It is a wonderful book on all aspects of greenhouse design. I am sure glad I spent this money before we started spending the serious money, and hard work, on the real thing.



4. If you're operating a small or a LARGE greenhouse - this will be your "bible"...... for operation.
   
   I have 2 copies! In the house and greenhouse.



5. Very good information. The greenhouse is almost done. My husband referred to this little book often. I'm a happy camper.

3 comments about Minimum Design Loads for Buildings And Other Structures: SEI/ASCE 7-05 (ASCE Standard No. 7-05) (ASCE Standard).

1. Excellent for what we needed on our project. Well organized to find what you need.



2. It is very good book and in very good physical condition. Paper quality is a kind of okay.



3. Good book, easy to find what you're looking for. Unfortunately this book is kind of useless is some respects since the building code in the US follows the IBC.

5 comments about Branningan's Building Construction for the Fire Service.

1. This should be required reading for anyone in the fire service who deals with Structural fire fighting. The book is pretty straight forward and in an easy to read font. I love this book. It also has a pretty decent index if you're using it for school. Out of all the books I've had to buy for school so far, this is the best one. If you're a fan of Brunacini, you may find a few points where they disagree, thus creating the great debate between which author is right. The principles of this book are easily put to use in day to day firefighting and could possibly save your life.



2. Mr. Brannigan, whether senile or just incompetent, fails to write his book in any logical order. He is all over the place when presenting the few facts he is actually correct about. The book currently stands at 667 pages. It would be 1/3 of that length if it weren't for the numerous opinions, hearsay and accumulated ramblings of this arm chair quarterback who has apparently done more fire buffing than fire fighting! Studying for a promotional or just increasing your knowledge base? Stick with IFSTA's Bld Contstruction and study guide or Vinnie Dunn's "Collapse of Burning Buildings."



3. I was lucky enough over the years to have attended classes taught by Mr Brannigan. Yes, it is all over the place. But I can tell you this, this book has saved my life more than once. That was Mr Brannigans motivation the whole time when he wrote this book, not to make money, but to save lives. He was a great man and will truly be missed by many. If you are in the fire service, this should be one of the books you own.



4. The late Francis L. Brannigan was truly the "Dean" of the American Fire Service modern era. He was the very first and the best at putting the emphasis on structural safety for fire fighters and the general public. Francis was the first and foremost outspoken fire service professional at speaking out against lowering building construction standards and pointing out what's killing fire fighters and occupants in substandard building construction. This is a must read for all of those in the fire service, builing code officials and those in the building trades.



5. Building Services Handbook, Fourth Edition: Incorporating Current Building & Construction Regulations (Building Services Handbook) (Building Services Handbook) This book is a great resource to enhance the knowledge and concepts being taught in the text book.