2 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.

No comments about Construction Materials, Methods, and Techniques.

5 comments about The Only Wiccan Spell Book You'll Ever Need: For Love, Happiness, and Prosperity.

1. i was looking all over for a good spell and information on wicca and couldnt find a good book then my boyfriend got me this book for valentines day and i couldnt stop looking at it and trying out new spells and reading about wicca it self. its a wonderful book im glad i have it thanks.
   
   love,
   Andrew daleigh



2. This book is very useful, and definitely helpful for those who are new to Wicca, and those who have practiced it for years.



3. I bought this book for my daughter who chosen the wiccan path. She really enjoys it almost as much as I do being a green witch. She said it is great for those who are new to the craft as well as to those who have been practicing it their entire life. I often see her reading this book when I go to visit her, infact she has opened it so much that the cover is wore out!



4. Just when you think every possible book on Wicca had been published already.Along comes this fine book on Wiccan spells and interpretation.This spellcraft book is ideal for camping sabbaticals and day-hikes in the wilderness.It's not weighty enough for a serious ponderous look.Yet,it can not be dismissed as a feather-weight either.You can't even use it as a 'Pagan Breviary' really.You can use it as quick resource for your heathen inspirations and ideas for Wiccan devotional ritals.Do yourself a favor,and read a copy of this excellent wicca-craft book.Bright Blessings & Blest Be!



5. It seems to me that magic is just another form of positive affirmations/prayers/spiritual practice. I enjoyed reading this and still refer to it every now and then.

5 comments about One Thing At a Time: 100 Simple Ways to Live Clutter-Free Every Day.

1. This book is easy to read and has some good ideas to organize and de-clutter.



2. I usually find these types of books to be celebrations of the obvious, written by people who want to sell books. But this one is really different. Cindy really "gets it" and her expertise and experience in working with real people in the real world is obvious.
   
   Instead of addressing the issue of disorganization and clutter by outlining 17 new, onerous systems to organize your life like some authors do (which everyone, including those authors, knows full well no one will ever follow), she gives a series of simple, practical tips that can actually be implemented - even in the lives of the busiest people.
   
   The other thing she does that makes this book unique is that she offers brief, but insightful psychological observations for why we might save useless things, or why we don't clean up regularly, or why we get disorganized all over again right after we've just re-organized our lives.
   
   Last, this is an easy read. She says what she has to say briefly, succinctly - and then moves on. No droning on and on for 27 pages about something that could be addressed in 5 paragraphs. A very easy read, but a wealth of great practical insights. Don't think about it - just buy this book. It's a gem.



3. I have barely begun to read this book so I don't have much to report. This book was recommended by my sister who read the book and enjoyed the content. She reported it motivated her to get more organized and get rid of the clutter.



4. This is a nice book. She does have some helpful suggestions. One of my favorites is....let the phone ring....the idea that you don't have to be a slave to the phone. That way of living is a lot less stressful! I do like the way the book is set up. You can pick and choose where you want to read.....you can jump around in the book...I like doing that if I can. You aren't required to read it from cover to cover to get something out of it.



5. I read the book and it is helping me to keep a clean even with 3 children.

1 comments about Reinforced Concrete Design (6th Edition).

1. Helpful for designing retaining walls...

5 comments about Shelter.

1. Now I don't know if I want to live in a tree, a yurt, or on a converted vehicle. This makes my 'normal' house seem quite ordinary. Drat!



2. I studied architecture in Australia and dragged my feet through the course. That is until a mate suggested I check out this book.
   It liberated me.
   
   Here was a bunch of common folk who met one of the most basic needs of all humanity - shelter.
   
   So much of what we encounter in our 'western' enlightened age is alien and regulated. The materials that we commonly use in buildings & infrastruture is devoid of any life or connection with the earth. They are not in or close to their natural state. And even if they are, there is so much regulation and stipulation on how we are to use them.
   
   But this book gives you hope, a chance to dream. It shows buildings as art forms, useful & practical but completely expressive of the owners they serve. They are not bound by regulations and conventions. This is craftsmanship not industrialisation. They are made from from natural unrefined materials which in essence connects us to the earth, which we all belong to. From dust we came, to dust we will all return. The beauty of nature is your own home.
   
   This book is filled with ideas and ways in which people have often 'escaped' from the life draining cities to a more peacuful and harmonious way of life. It's superb photo's, hand illustrations and even the way the book is laid out are a freedom in itself. This is one book you will not regret owning and will always find pleasure returning again and again to.



3. Throughout the 1960s and `70s, hundreds of unwashed, longhaired youth from around the world descended on the open foothills around Placitas, New Mexico, and established multiple communal hippie settlements. These youth had read of the Placitas scene in national magazines and counterculture books, or heard about it from other hippies; they were idealistic types from all around the world, and they came to the area to try to raise their own food, escape The Man, indulge in free love and mind-altering drugs, and live communally in tents, geodesic domes, adobe shacks, and experimental homes they built themselves out of plastic and scrap metal.
   This book, "Shelter" documents their bizarre housing experiments in wild detail. It also documents curvaceous mud homes in Africa, riverside huts in Yugoslavia, thatched huts in Ireland, homes in busses, homes in caves, dome homes, homes made of car parts, homes carved into mountainsides, homes made of hay, tipis, barns, gypsy tents, and more.
   If there's a strange kind of housing, you'll probably find it in here, and you'll probably be inspired by it.
   "Building this house was more of like feeling where you went as you started working with it, you know, the material and just playing it from there," said one Placitas hippie interviewed in this book. "...It's like three dimensional sculpturing, you know, we just got into building a house out here that's like jewelry. ...OK, let me put it this way, the inspiration like as we move along through it, like I found it in [Stanley Kubrick's film] 2001, where the dude had finally split out of the satellite and was heading towards Jupiter, just as he was coming in, what they had done was they had used different types of film, infrared for one, and just taken a plane and flown over Grand Canyon at a high speed, low, what is created you know, is in some respects synonymous to what the house is, you know, and certainly our cell structure in our body is synonymous with that...."
   As you can probably tell, this is not "Better Homes and Gardens" or even "MTV Cribs." It's "Shelter," and it's a trip.



4. I bought this book when I was fourteen years old and it blew my tiny little mind! Now that I've lived a bunch of years in the design field, and I take it off the shelf, tattered from three decades of intense study, it still blows my (now even tinier) mind. Mr. Kahn has done us all a great service with this book that goes beyond architecture to higher values and has a spirit that leads by example. Sure it's got some crazy hippy parts, do with that what you will. But a deep devotion to what you make and why; it's all here. I'm thankful for this inspiring work.



5. I saw this book at my brother's house and immediately knew I had to buy it for my husband. It is a high quality reprint of an older book and has that "60's" feel. Much excellent info and lots of great pictures. Very eclectic. We got it specifically for the info on Geodesic Dome houses but there's plenty more for shelter freaks.

5 comments about Amy Butler's Midwest Modern: A Fresh Design Spirit for the Modern Lifestyle.

1. A few publishers have finally begun to take heed of the desire of their reading public for books infused with lush photos, brilliant color, and elegant design, in addition to innovative writing that enchants and possibly compels us to try a little something new.
   There's luscious eye candy on every page. Amy Butler invites us into her home to examine her hip takes on art, craft, fashion, interior and garden design, even shopping. With photographs of every room in her house, various collections, the cat, a multitude of aprons, potted plants, and more, Midwest Modern is essentially a Design Lab encyclopedia. It's a lifestyle handbook, a 21st century version of Alicia Bay Laurel's artful 1971 classic, Living on the Earth.
   Today, when DIY is synonymous with cool and "I got it on Etsy" is heard at least as often as "I got it at the mall", artists and designers are blossoming and Amy Butler in full bloom. With a wholesome emphasis on recycling and reinventing, Midwest Modern overflows with exuberant patterns drawn from the natural world. In her epilogue, Amy writes, "Beauty is in the way you live. Enjoy your surroundings. Let them inspire you. Follow your own path, and approach everything you do with love in your heart."
   This book will make you want to get your Spring cleaning out of the way fast, so you can open the windows, crank up the music and make something pretty!



2. If you have a "vintage-chic" aesthetic, this is the book for you! I am consumed with interior design and love mixing new and old for an interesting, eclectic look. I became interested in Amy Butler after purchasing "Found Style" which is an earlier book put together by Amy and her husband with many ideas of how to mix up interiors with flea market finds. Amy Butler's Midwest Modern is filled with pictures of Amy's current home and shows how she successfully complements each room with new pieces, old pieces and fabrics she designs. A small portion of the book is a portfolio of her textile designs which she uses generously in her home for pillows and upholstery. I find myself referring to this book often for inspiration.



3. This book could stand alone as a coffee table book. There are many beautiful and inspiring pictures. If you like the Amy Butler look, this book will be inspirational.



4. excellent book I just love Amy Butler. She is very smart and creative. Ilove her patterns. I have nothing negitive to say about this book.



5. Amy Butler's quote (love what you love, and don't apologize for it) sums up her gorgeous style book. The photography is beautiful and the feeling of the book is at once modern and fun, flirty and sweet. There are lots of decorating ideas in the book, and if you are already a seamstress, you'll get lots of ideas for your own projects. This isn't a project book, however, and doesn't include patterns. For patterns, there's her "Feather Your Nest" patterns and her two big books of patterns, Stitches, and Little Stitches, both of which I recommend.

5 comments about Decorative Concrete (Sunset).

1. I've purchased other books on decorative concrete, but this is the first one that I think is worth what I paid! It has excellent discussions of different techniques and materials, something that other books lacked. And, since they are not promoting some specific product, they provide information about products that are not as expensive as some of the systems that are being sold. The pictures are not as detailed as would be helpful on some pages, but that is a minor issue. There are enough step by step instructions to make it possible to do projects from the book as you learn the techniques. I highly recommend it.



2. Just purchased a home with painted concrete countertops and wanted to learn more. Lots of pictures and information on how to start outdoor and indoor projects. I don't know if it is quite detailed enough for doing your own countertops but lots of pix and ideas for someone interested in the subject. Gave me the information I was looking for in expanding the use of concrete into other parts of my home and garden.



3. This author really helps those who want to "Do It Yourself" or gives outstanding examples and ideas. We used this as a resourse
   guide and by trial and error ( as the book states ) have successfully updated our exterior, interior flooring, kitchen/bath
   countertops and sinks to model home quality for pennies on the dollar.



4. This book was great! It has all the necessary information needed for making stepping stones and other neat projects, including types of cement and sand and stuff needed for those projects. A must have!!



5. I bought this book in conjunction with another book so I wasn't really expecting it to be very detailed. What this book does for me is offer a lot of ideas with great pictures and some steps to achieving the end result. If you've ever read a more detailed step-by-step book and then you read this book you'll see that this book leaves out a lot of detail but it does serve as a good book for concrete project ideas and works great in conjunction with other more detail material on working with concrete.

5 comments about Living with Chickens: Everything You Need to Know to Raise Your Own Backyard Flock.

1. This book has lots of nice pictures, but the information can very easily be obtained from the internet at no cost. not recommended



2. I have bought several books recently on this topic. This is one of the better ones. Enjoyed the pictures and the inserts in the book. It is just a thorough as all the other books on raising chickens. A good buy for anyone interested in staring a chicken flock. Very nice quality of the book. Probably one of the better of any books you will purchase no just in this topic.



3. This is a great introduction to keeping chickens, and I found it very useful.
   
   The author goes through all the basic info you need to know in order to raise chickens. It is a very easy and entertaining read - the author has a great writing style that is enjoyable. It is full of lovely photos that really add to the book. It is a fast read as well.
   
   It is not terribly complete - you will need another source for information once you get into the chicken care part. I would recommend "A Guide to Raising Chickens" by Gail Damerow as a companion to this book. The Damerow book is *very* complete, but it also has the dryness of a textbook and isn't nearly as fun to read [think "dense" and kinda boring].
   
   So, I would recommend buying this book if you are considering raising some chickens because this book will give you all the information you need to make an educated decision. Then, if you do decide to raise some chickens, get the Damerow book in addition to this one so that you have every single detail you need to know.



4. Excellent for those who wish to have a home flock. Very informative on the subject and the "how to" of keeping a small flock.



5. The recommendations in this book make it a waste of time, especially the nesting box design.
   Save your time and money and befriend someone who has healthy chickens. Learn from them.
   These men are not as well informed as they think they are.
   Frustrating.

5 comments about The New Bungalow Kitchen.

1. I have purchased many Bungalow Arts & Crafts decorating and remodeling books. This book is on the top of my list. The author goes into detail about how an original bungalow home, in the early 20st century, was built and designed. How and where you maybe able to find original kit designs for your home. Also, there are many completed remodeling examples in the book, these picture helped me decide which design fit my taste the best. This book is a keeper for anyone who is considering remodeling their kitchen in the Arts & Crafts design.



2. We finished building our new Craftsman home a few months ago. This book was very helpful in determining how we should create a kitchen that looked like it belongs in a bungalow, while keeping with modern conveniences. The chapters cover every detail from top to bottom, wall to wall, and there are beautiful photos that help you visualize each point. This book would be helpful for new homes like ours, and also for restorations. It shows how you can bring bungalow style to your home without it looking outdated and old. For me, this book was much more useful than "Bungalow Kitchens" by Jane Powell, which is more for the obsessive bungalow restorer. Peter LaBau shows you how you can utilize modern materials and conveniences in a "bungalow" way.



3. Lush photos, sparking ideas for kitchen designs in arts-and-crafts bungalows, and crisp writing make this book a valuable tool for any bungalow owner contemplating a kitchen redesign. Even if you don't own a bungalow, the photos are worth the price of the book.



4. A beautifully illustrated book full of good ideas for kitchen design.
   While the focus is on bungalow-style, much of the information could be applied to kitchens in any style home



5. What a joy to pick up a book and see photos of lovely kitchens in my size -- meaning, not McMansion. I am so disheartened by all the kitchen porn featuring 48 inch ranges under huge hoods behind islands with seating for six! Though the book specifically references the bungalow style, the photos and narrative describe how the Colonials and Tudors evolved early in the century, and there is plenty of visual and descriptive information applicable to these styles too. I especially liked the emphasis on finding ways to use authentic materials and styling while incorporating modern appliances, from lighting to cooking and even surfaces. The earlier book, Bungalow Kitchens, took on a very proscriptive voice, for example, absolutely banning in-ceiling spot lights. New Bungalow Kitchens, by contrast, is much more ecumenical, recognizing it is no sin to want to acknowledge and utilize the best of the current offerings, and provides real guidance on how to accomplish this without blatantly violating the period aesthetic. There are lovely kitchens in both dark stained and light painted finishes. It seems the author has a few favorite kitchens that were pictured over and over throughout the book. But the ones he chose certainly bore up well in their close-ups. I got several ideas that I can actually use, in fact, probably more ideas than I can actually use.