Book Description

Discover the "whys" and "hows" of creating a complete set of professional-quality construction documents using features and functions contained in the newest release of Autodesk Architectural Desktop (ADT)! Written by a professional Autodesk Training Center (ATC) manager and successful national ADT applications engineer, Mastering Autodesk Architectural Desktop 3 focuses squarely on the rationale and practicality of the ADT process. Unlike other books that confront novices with a never-ending stream of seemingly discrete and unrelated commands, this book propels its readers to new skills using detailed examples and exercises that showcase the "why" as well as the "how" of using Autodesk Architectural Desktop to complete residential and commercial building design projects. The book begins by acquainting readers with the user interface and familiarizing them with the conceptual underpinnings of Autodesk Architectural Desktop software operations. Subsequent chapters enable readers to delve directly into the process of using their software to set up residential and commercial building projects, produce sections and elevations, generate schedules, design layouts, work with details, plot construction documents, and more! As a result, readers gain a first-hand understanding of the value of Autodesk Architectural Desktop as a professional design tool as well as practical knowledge of what can be and what ought to be modified. Prior experience using AutoCAD is assumed. However, no prior experience with Autodesk Architectural Desktop is required making this book perfect for today's professional architects, interior designers, facilities planners, and students. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Great Book!
Great book essential for getting started! (The autodesk book "Gettign Started" certainly doesn't. Nor does the online training included with ADT.) Very thoughtfully laid out and really gets you into the "guts" of the product in short order. CD included has a great setup for doing residential and commercial work...you can use it to set up your shop. Any corrections or clarifications in the book or on the CD are on paulaubin.com. As software is a work in progress, so are these books on the software, and the site includes some important clarifications that have come out since the release of 3.3. If you need to know ADT, buy this book.

Great Book....
I've had a bit of experience having started with Cadence and then moved on to Autocad, Softdesk and eventually ADT. However I've had very little formal training (one time at Autodesk University). For that level of experience the book is excellent... no idea how it would be for people just starting out or unfamiliar with ADT.

I'm about 3/4 fo the way through the book and while much of it is a review there are great portions that have filled in gaps and eased the transition to the new management system.

For people in circumstances similar to my own I'd highly recommend this book.

Mastering Autodesk Architectural Desktop
A good book over all but lacks the finer points for using the program. I would recommend the book for someone who has not had much experience using AutoCAD.

Try to figure out how to create i.e. Schedules
Good book, but it could be better. You have to think the deepest tough to figure out where is the beginning and or the end of many procedures. Try to figure out the best way to approach the creation on a Door Schedule in 2d, for example.Good luck

Avoid this book-Written By Master for Master
The reason I got this book was the price and some of the good review by buyers. Unfortunitely I didn't take the words of the buyer who gave this book a rating of 1. This book really is confusing. Let me warn you this book is not for beginners or even expert current AutoCAD 2002 users like me. This is more suited for current ADT user upgrading to v3.3. The way the book layout is hard to understand. It start off with the MOST confusing part of CAD,Display. The instructions make you go in circles and by the time you finish all the steps you forget how to do it. Following the instructions are somewhat difficult for a experience 2002 user due to lack of pictures so forget about it being a beginners. I'm sure the people who crafted this book put alot of time on it but it's not a very good layout book. Sorry about the 1 star rating but this is the highest I can give. It's a sure return. ... Read more

Book Description

A richly illustrated and up-to-date source of practical guidance and hard-to-find technical data on all aspects of landscape lighting

The Landscape Lighting Book, Second Edition shows you how to achieve a wide range of beautiful and dramatic lighting effects. You'll get expert guidance and advice on the theory, design process, project needs, and techniques of landscape lighting. You'll find prizewinning projects designed by the author and other landscape lighting professionals throughout the United States. Plus, hundreds of diagrams, drawings, and black-and-white and full-color photographs illuminate topics and provide visually stunning insights into new and creative ways that lighting can transform landscapes. This fully updated edition covers the latest technologies and equipment and features new chapters on installation, documentation, and seasonal lighting. You'll also find:

• Guidelines for preparing lighting drawings, control and transformer charts, symbol lists, and other technical specifications
• Design strategies for avoiding potential conflicts between plantings and landscape lighting equipment
• Accurate performance characteristics of all lighting materials, finishes, and fixtures
• The best ways to locate fixtures, set appropriate light levels, and perform preventive system maintenance
• The special lighting needs of plants in indoor environments
• A complete listing of fixtures, controls, lamps, and accessories manufacturers and vendors

Whether you're seeking to sculpt a landscape with light or make an outdoor space useable at night, The Landscape Lighting Book, Second Edition shares all the technical and creative insights you'll need to beautify your landscaping projects and consistently win client approval. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

expert opinion
Still the best book for the professional.Invaluable resource for architects, landscape architects and landscape lighting designers.Broad and deep with plenty of technical information.I purchased this book in1992 and I bought it again today (an electrician friend "lost" myoriginal copy).A second edition (if planned) should include betterinformation about transformer regulation (the ability of a low voltagelighting transformer to maintain 12v under load) and voltage drop (thedreaded decrease in voltage through the main supply cable) which arepresented as formulae rather than actual measurements.Great photographsmostly of large scale projects.This book should be in every outdoorlighting designer's library. ... Read more

Book Description

Throughout the previous six editions, this text has earned a reputation for elegance and the highest standards of quality. Living with Art helps students develop an appreciation of art by offering a clear and comprehensive introduction to the visual arts from several perspectives: themes and purposes of art; the vocabulary of art; individual art media (painting, drawing, camera arts, sculpture, architecture, etc.); and the history of art. The book is rich with illustrations drawn from a wide range of artistic cultures and time periods. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Language and art beautifully intermingled
This book is wonderfully written.Through its mastery of language and composition, as well as the fascinating illustrations and photographs, it has piqued my interest in art.

Living with Art not being true to Rita Gilbert
When I was in school taking Art History, there were no women artists to mentor me - none!I am so grateful there are some now however as I now teach Art History.

I have to tell you about my disappointment with this 7th edition.I'm not able to feel comfortable teaching both male and female students from this book anymore.You have been gradually making your "mark" by subtle and not so subtle changes of the last few editions but this one is particularly objectionable.

1)Why is Marie-Denise Villers (my slide says) (Constance Charpentier) on the cover?There is no relation to the text, there is no discussion of the image.Is it because she is "attractive"?
2)What is happening to the former women artist images?Are you "cleaning up" possibly more "direct" imagery by women artists?Do they make you or other male instructors uncomfortable discussing? (Artemisia, Judith Leyster, Morisat)
3)What is going on with the female nude?I am very uncomfortable with your replacement of the very influential La Grande Odolisques by Ingres with the Jupiter and Thetis image.I can discuss the dominance of the female object as significant subject but what is that other awful image?That to me is offensive.
4)Where has Rosa Boneur gone?Wasn't she famous enough for you? Put her back.

Here we have obviously run right up against the crux of the problem of a male art historian versus a female art historian.We do not perceive art history through the same lens.You do not see the huge significance that women do of the position of women historically in these cultures and the resulting use of women in art imagery.I do not want these issues swept under the art historical rug again!

By the way, how do you know about Monet's models' loose morals. Please read "Alias Olympia" by Eunice Lipton.She was a woman artist herself.Life drawing models do not have "loose morals"!Remember, you are teaching attitudes here.Your text implies that it is still there.Is it?Why? ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Next Best Thing
If Jantzen's view of art history seems lifeless and distant, Henry Sayre has something to say to you. It's the best survey I've seen in terms of making art accessible and demonstrating a continuing tradition. The CD-ROM is an excellent bonus, especially for readers who have never seen an artist at work. Ever wonder how a print is made? There's a demonstration.

amazing!!
This book is absolutely fabulous!It covers a wide array of art and is very informative!I have actually has a couple of art history classes with him and he is amazing! One of the best professors I've ever had.He knows everything! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Great historic analysis on military innovations
It is a very good review on how things developed between world wars. It provides a good insight of the thinking of the different countries and how they coped with their doctrines and how much they took an advantage of the WWI experiences.
I am rating 4 stars because actually I would like much more information rather than 30 pages on each subject.

Readable and Good
This is an anthology of various articles. Generally anthologies are the pits as they tend to lack a central them and the quality will vary. These articles are generally by the authors and as such they are of an even standard.

There are a number of chapters that discuss a range of issues from the use of Tanks to the development of the Aircraft Carrier.

The book is interesting although the area covered is naturally enormous and the amount of space that can be devoted to complex subjects is naturally limited. Despite this most of the essays are interesting and not only for what they say. In the first essay about the development of armored warfare by way of an aside the writer attacks Gueridian as a sycophant and also as a person whose reputation was largely the result of self publicity. Later the English theorists Fuller and Liddell Hart are critiqued as presenting overly schematic histories of the First World War which warped the truth to fit in with their own theories. Interestingly the essay then goes on to suggest that the first world war infantry battles were so complex that even now we struggle to understand them and for that reason it was no surprise that Douglas Haig had the problems that he did.

All in all an interesting book although again very much a starting point for the issue it covers.

A Serious Systematic Look at Military Innovation
This may be the one book Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld should read. It is a serious systematic look at military innovation between the first and second world wars and its ten chapters run the gamut from aircraft carriers to submarines to mechanized combined armed warfare (the Blitzkrieg) to the development of radar, the emergence of amphibious landing capability, and the evolution of strategic bombing campaigns. There is a wide divergence of patterns both between topics and between countries. The British led in aircraft carrier development but made a series of organizational and technological choices that left them far behind the Japanese and the Americans. The British also led in the development of the tank but then rejected it as a mobile warfare system and were rapidly supplanted by the Germans who used the 1920s British tests as a basis for their development of Blitzkrieg. The submarine was rejected politically by everyone but was then developed effectively by the Americans and the Germans. The American torpedo failures are a maddening study in bureaucratic rejection of reality and a sober warning to the current peacetime Pentagon.

This book captures the complexity and the lessons of peacetime military innovation as well as any that has been written. It should be required reading for everyone who wants to work on the current problems of transforming the Pentagon.

Excellent Food for Thought
Williamson Murray (Editor), Alan R. Millet (Editor), combine again to publish a "must have" reference work for any serious military professional. The articles are universally excellent, well researched, and full of analysis. As military policy makers and strategists confront the ambiguities of the 21st Century, this work provides superb lessons learned from history. Buy the book and read it - it will be time and money well spent.

HQDA Recommended Reading!
This book is on the HQDA Recommended Reading list! Enjoy! ... Read more

Book Description

The Designer's Complete Index. It's creative, powerful, inspiring and real - providing all the insight and problem-solving muscle a designer needs to produce the best work of their life.

This super-cool boxed set contains all three of Jim Krause's best-selling "Index" books, including Idea Index (graphic effects and typographic treatments), Layout Index (your secret weapon for effective, dynamic layouts) and Color Index (over 1100 color combinations with CMYK and RGB formulas). Each volume is packed with hundreds of stimulating ideas, creative solutions and practical instructions.

And the collector's box itself is a prize worth having, a slick yet practical carrying case you can use long after having put the books on your "most valuable resources" shelf. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

ARTFORMS
Last semester i had taken a visual arts course at my college, Artforms was the text that we use and that the school still uses. If you are wanting to familiarize yourself with past and modern works of art from all cultures then this is a complete introduction to the reasoning behind specific artforms. After reading it you will get an overall gist of what art was in societies before ours and how it continues to live on and how it is viewed in present day societies.

Want to know about art? This is the book
This book deserves to be in any person's library. It tells you the different thecnics of painting, the differents colors, how they divide, how to recognize the paintings. If you are studiying art or just like it, you must get this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Since 1929, Scalamandré has been weaving its own exquisite silks, wools, linens and cottons as well as laboriously hand making elaborate and ornate passementerie (trims, cordings, tiebacks and fringes) for some of the finest interiors in the world.Scalamandré also has the unique role of being the major manufacturer of historical fabrics in the world, and over the years has woven historically accurate textiles for restorations ranging from the Red Room of the White House to William Morris' home in England.

At last, the story of this leading design and manufacturing house is told, and is introduced by personal reminiscences by Adriana Scalamandre Bitter, chairman of the board.

Tour some of the most exclusive and well-appointed homes in America, and experience the lavish and colorful furnishings, draperies, wall coverings, and decorative elements that Scalamandre textiles produces. From Traditional to Neoclassical, from Cottage to Country French, Scalamandre products exude personality and exemplify elegance.

Designers featured in the book include: Michael Simon, Melinda Gray, Nancy Serafini, Carol Knott, Robert Bitter, and JZ Knight.

Brian D. Coleman, M.D., is a practicing psychiatrist in Seattle, Washington.Brian is a graduate of Stanford University and Chicago Medical School.Also an old house enthusiast, Brian has grown his love for historic restoration into an active second career. He is the author of Classic Cottages, Vintage Victorian Textiles, and The Victorian Dining Room. Brian divides his time between New York and Seattle.

Dan Mayers is a New York-based photographer whose work appears regularly in Country Decorating, Country Collectibles, and Country Victorian as well as Old House Interiors.His work has been included in such books as The Ultimate Kitchen and has been exhibited both nationally and internationally. ... Read more

Book Description

Updated for the 2005 releases of AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT, this best-selling introductory book gives you a solid grounding in the essentials. You'll get instant gratification by following the step-by-step instructions and hands-on projects that cover each phase of designing a summer cabin. You can progress sequentially through the book or begin at any chapter by downloading the drawing files from the Sybex web site. Experienced author David Frey helps you acquire and practice your new skills, preparing you to delve into the more advanced topics and projects covered in George Omura's Mastering AutoCAD. ... Read more

Book Description

81/2x10 in, 160Pp, 120 Color Photographs, 25 Black and White Photographs, and line drawings.

Bungalow Kitchens:Bungalow and Period kitchens come alive in this style book with how to complete, a reference guide and exquisite photographs.This is the ultimate guidebook to preserving the beauty and integrity of the past while adapting it to the utilitarian values of the present. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

The Real Deal
This book is great encouragement for those homeowners who know they want authentic vintage, but have to deal with current day construction fellas who just don't get it. The authors give many tips on how and where to get what you are looking for. The only drawback is that I was looking for a 1950's looking style, and this book very much focuses on an era before that. Their focus on a style largely from the 1920's has styles and functions somewhat limited to that era. Still it did help me make some remodeling choices, and the photographs are wonderful.

A must read before you remodel your old kitchen
My first impression was WOW! Here is a book for anyone who has an old house to remodel. These kitchens will fit into any house older than 1950. Bungalow doesn't begin to say it all. My son is remodeling a Californis Arts and Crafts house with obsessive zeal,whereas, my goal is just to get the feel of an old house in a new addition to a two hundred year old cape in Maine. Read the book from cover to cover.

This is the best guidebook available on the subject to date.
In Bungalow Kitchens, Jane Powell and Linda Svendsen have successfully collaborated to create, quite simply, the best guidebook available today for preserving the beauty and integrity of yesteryear's bungalow kitchen while adapting it to the utilitarian values and conveniences of today. Every aspect is covered from plumbing to windows to shelving to electrification. What the remodeling householder needs to know about contractors and subcontractors is also informatively dealt with. Highly recommended reading for anyone contemplating an upgrade or modernization of their bungalow kitchen facilities, Jane Powell's informative and detailed text is superbly enhanced by Linda Svendsen photography showcasing bungalow kitchen examples throughout.

An indispensable resource
As an interior designer working in home restoration, I'm constantly searching through books and magazines to find answers to my clients' questions about period kitchens. This book has all the answers - not just about bungalow kitchens, but also those in other styles of period houses. I especially appreciate the fact that both the "Obsessive Restoration" and "Compromise Solution" sections focus on how it would have been done originally. There's enough information in other places to tell us how to build modern kitchens - in fact, we're overwhelmed by it! It's obvious the author has a love and respect for original styles and her take on kitchen restoration is something that's been sorely lacking until this book. In addition, "Bungalow Kitchens" is a lot of fun to read and the pictures illustrate beautifully the points that are being made. I don't know how I got along without this book!

Interesting but sometimes impratical
"Bungalow Kitchens" offers an outstanding historical perspective on the use and layout of the kitchen in bungalow homes. As someone who is in the process of restoration/rennovation of a 1920s bungalow I found the suggestions for restoration a bit unforgiving however. I felt the breakdown on restoration ideas into the two catagories of "obsessive" and "compromise" to be a good idea for presenting rennovation ideas. However, even the compromise ideas seem to be impratical for someone who will continue to use their bungalow kitchen frequently. I had hoped the author would have dedicated more time towards rennovating bungalow kitchens using materials of the present day. A more complete discussion of maintaining the character of the bungalow kitchen using modern materials and amenities would have been more useful to those of us embarking on a "semi-restoration" effort. ... Read more

Book Description

The world's best-selling, definitive guide to AutoCAD has been updated for the 2005 software! Once again, acclaimed author George Omura delivers the most comprehensive and comprehensible coverage for AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT users, including discussion of all the new features. He starts off with the essentials then moves on to the intermediate tasks before delving into advanced topics. Throughout, Omura provides concise explanations, focused examples, step-by-step instructions, and hands-on projects. While architectural processes are emphasized, you can apply the concepts to a variety of projects. The CD offers six chapters of advanced material, files for all of the drawing exercises, plus general-purpose utilities for better productivity. ... Read more

Book Description

San Francisco,

For more than a century, writers and poets have tried desperately to grasp the elusive Camelot. It is, perhaps, more a quest for a photographer. Surely its God-given beauty has never been more thoroughly captured than in these exquisite photographs by Robert Cameron. From his helicopter soaring over this idyllic setting, Bob Cameron has looked down with a God-like eye and recorded with his camera what God sees. He has recorded it for you, gentle reader, and for generations yet to come. Here in these pages is proof that, yes, once there was a Camelot.

With introduction and text by Art Hoppe. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great Photos
This is a great photo book of the San Fransico bay area. It includes just about every area around, including San Jose, Oakland, Stanford, etc. It has photos of the city, Silicon Valley and most of the major Computer companies and chip makers such as Intel and AMD. Living in this area, I really like this book as I can see what my area looks like and there are a lot of photos, including every major bay bridge.
...

Very nice, but really "Bay Area from Above"
Very nice. Title should be "Bay Area from Above." It covers Silicon Valley, San Mateo, Marin, and many other parts of Bay Area -- with SF. My only complaint is the 25 overhead views of wineries out of 200 pages -- they all look pretty much the same... Overall, a very good book.

This book is totally awesome
I love the before and after pictures contrasting the same street now vs. 100 years ago. Susan likes it too! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A comprehensive, flawed survey of the subject
I'm reading this book for an Asian Art class, and I find it has both significant strengths and significant weaknesses.

Its major strength is the integrated approach: Sherman Lee organizes the book chronologically and thematically, rather than geographically. Instead of writing a section on Chinese art and a section on Indian art, Lee organizes his material by stage of development (Stone Age pottery) or by cultural movement (Buddhism), for example tracing the development of Buddhist styles in India, the adoption of those styles in China, Japan, and S.E. Asia, and the eventual synthesis of the Indian influences into local styles incorporating indigenous themes. Lee writes eloquently and even passionately about his subject, letting us know which cultures, styles, and artworks he admires. He covers a vast amount of cultures and time periods, easily enough material for dozens of books.

The book does have significant flaws, however. Most frustrating are the black and white photos (presumably a cost-saving measure). Roughly 90% of the images in the book are black and white, and they cannot do justice to most of the subject matter. A second weakness is Lee's writing style, which is sometimes more eloquent than comprehensible. At times I had to reread a section several times in order to figure out what Lee was trying to say. He sometimes seemes to be addressing himself to an audience of art critics who are already familiar with the material, rather than students encountering it for the first time. He will tell us that a particular art work is hieratic in style, or is an example of Daoist style, without explaining why. Also the thematic, rather than chronological, approach means that some topics are fragmented into parts of different chapters. The material on Korea, Southeast Asia, and the Tang Dynasty seemed especially disjointed. The sections on China in particular need more development: Lee provides only a single page of text on the historically pivotal Qin Dynasty, and does only a fair job explaining the influences of Confucianism and Daoism.

One alternative text that deserves consideration is The Art of East Asia, edited by Gabriele Fahr-Becker. Almost of the photographs are in color, and the text is both more comprehensive and more comprehensible than Sherman Lee, in particular the section on China. The text is written by several different authors, one for each region, which has both advantages and disadvantages -- it avoids the fragmentation of Lee's approach, at the expense of integrating it all into one consistent framework. The key disadvantage of The Art of East Asia (compared to Sherman Lee's History of Far Eastern Art) is that it doesn't include India, which contributed some of Asia's most impressive sculptures, and whose religions had tremendous influence on the rest of Asia.

Pretty, chronological, detailed.

I was required to use this book as a secondary text for a class on early Asian Cultures at NYU. Along with the material presented in class, this book provided great insight into basics of the Asian culture.

This rather heavy book is perfectly organized chronologically and geographically. It provides great graphical supplement to the study of early Asian art. Many artifacts are portrayed, most with detailed description of their history and origin.

I enjoyed my class greatly and this book provided great help to understanding Asian art. If you are a person who prefers visual aids rather than tons of text and would like to learn the basics of Asian art, I highly recommend this book. The photographs are excellent, and more often then not, actually motivate you to reading the descriptions of the portrayed objects. This book will not make you an expert on Asian art, but you'll be able to schmooze your way through at pretentious cocktail parties without any effort.

what a great deal!
I was required to purchase this book for an oriental art class at VCU. when I went to purchase it in person, most places wated $75 or better for it. Being a student, I am not rich. Amazon had it for the best price and for that I am very happy. points to amazon yet again for having the best price. THANKS!

No where is there such a broad base of expertise
Sherman Lee guides us through the ages and territories of the Far East in this study. A study of art following a wonderfully coordinated common theme - ritual and religion. Most noteable is the progress of Buddhism from its origins in India, through Southeast Asia, into China, Korea and finally Japan. Respectable discourse on other arts are included in the tour. Good reading and a great survey of the arts of the Far East.

I find this text to be accessible and interesting.
I used this text in college, in a course on the subject. It pained me immensely to have to sell it back, but I was even more poor then than I am now, and needed the $50. I am now planning to purchase a new copy of it. This book is beautiful. It is full of simply amazing images, the text is clear, concise and accessible. Out of 10 years of undergraduate and graduate studies, I remember this text more fondly than almost any other. My thanks to the author for writing it. ... Read more

Book Description

Offering an exploration of Western and World civilization's cultural heritage, this book is richly illustrated, beautifully designed and engaging. Readers move chronologically through major periods and styles—from prehistoric culture to 20th Century America—to gain insight into the achievements and ideas in painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, philosophy, religion, and music. For arts and cultural coordinators, professionals and enthusiasts. ... Read more

Book Description

A celebrity fashion stylist reveals the tricks of her trade and shows women of all sizes how to pull together their own polished, individual look.

Whether she’s petite, average, or plus size, every woman has experienced the frustration of searching for flattering clothes. In The Pocket Stylist every reader can have a consultation with her own personal stylist and use the author’s behind-the-scenes wardrobe wisdom:
- Taking her true measurements—from eight different body zones—to ensure an attractive fit based on the reader’s unique silhouette and the proportions that will flatter it best
- Why ready-to-wear isn’t, and how and when to use a tailor for a custom fit
- The best fabrics for your unique silhouette
- How to balance trends with the classic, indispensable pieces that are the backbone of any well-conceived wardrobe
- What "closet archaeology" can unearth and reveal about your wardrobe needs
- Why the right lingerie makes a critical difference in the fit of your clothes
- Tips from other experts on the beauty principles that ground your everyday look— Bobbi Brown and Sonja Kashuk for makeup and Kevin Mancuso for hair—offer backstage access
- Accessories that give an outfit an individual look and that no versatile wardrobe should be without

Best of all, The Pocket Stylist features specifically edited shopping lists for various body types.Four "styled" looks for each silhouette—from jeans-casual to cocktails—illustrate ideal proportion and fit. The reader becomes Kendall Farr’s client and will learn to shop and dress herself like a pro. The Pocket Stylist delivers the behind the camera expertise of a veteran stylist in one purse-size indispensable guide. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

This book is AWESOME!
I don't have anything to add to the positive reviews that have already been posted. Suffice it to say that this book lives up to its promise. I have been buying lots of book on fashion, but this is the book I refer to over and over. Whatever your personal style--trendy, romantic, classic, sexy--this book is pertinent for you. This is a refreshing change from other books, which I feel try to steer you toward one basic style or another. Farr gives you basic principles so that you can choose tasteful, flattering clothes no matter what your preference. I could see a teenager using this book or a senior citizen!

I now understand how celebrities look so good in their clothes. Her writing is clear and to the point, and specific without being confining.

A book every woman who wants to look her best should own
In the sea of so called 'fashion experts', Farr is a real standout. Her approach to style differs greatly in that it instructs women how to honestly assess their wardrobes and logically pinpoint their individual body type. She clarifies how to flatter any figure (including plus sizes), incorporate trends and individual style, mix and match pieces, shop on a budget and avoid falling victim to common fashion mishaps. The book isn't limited to just clothing - bras, stockings accessories and tips from beauty experts are also thoroughly covered. Best of all there are pages and pages of tips, places to shop and stylist secret weapons that even the most fashion savvy girl probably doesn't know. My favorite section of the book is 'Your Tailor is Your Best Friend' which details everything from having a garment fit to having a piece custom made. Unlike other guides I have read, this book is written without condescension and truly aims to make all women feel beautiful and stylish. This book is not only an incredibly useful tool but is also a great read. Farr writes with humor and gives the reader a number of hilarious personal, real women and celebrity anecdotes.
This is without a doubt the fashion guide to buy. I have given a few copies as gifts and my friends loved it too.

If you only buy one fashion book, buy this
Farr zeroes in on what's probably the most important truth in fashion: Understand your silhouette and which shapes flatter it, and the rest is really pretty easy. I've bought several books on fashion, but this is probably the best. If you buy this book and back it up with one of Leah Feldon's, you're covered!

great guide
The Pocket Stylist is one of the few fashion books I've found that lives up to its promise. It steers clear of the personal and lifestyle advice usually offered under the guise of fashion and provides a thorough guide to the little things that make you look better.

Ms. Farr offers simple clothing and makeup advice, but the real (and perhaps fleeting) strength of this book is its wealth of wardrobe care and planning resources. She names names and provides phone numbers.

This is not a glamorous book- despite its chic little illustrations. But its tips are the underpinning that can keep you looking elegant yourself.

A Required Addition to Your Style Library
This is a well-written guide to defining your style. Not since Simple Isn't Easy have I run across such an informative fashion advisor.

Add it to your library. ... Read more

Book Description

Residential construction accounts for more than half of all of the building construction dollars spent annually in the United States. Architects and construction professionals must have a basic understanding of the material and structural systems appropriate to this type of construction as well as a working knowledge of codes and management procedures. Building on Edward Allen's best-selling Fundamentals of Building Construction, this book provides the information they need, with an authoritative, in-depth look at the procedures and materials specific to home building. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A modified "Fundamentals of Building Construction"
This is awfully similar to the book in the title. Even down to the same photos separating the chapters. I'd buy F of BC if I had to choose, since it has so much more material. There's nothing in here that cannot be found in the two other Rob Thallon books.

Great book, but overpriced
I bought this book sight unseen because I also have Rob Thallon's book "Graphic Guide to Frame Construction" and was pretty impressed with it. While "Fundamental of Residential Construction" is a very good book on all aspects of residential construction, there's isn't that much of an improvement on the typical voc-tech textbooks on construction (which are available for less) to make it worth the price.

...

THE reference for Designer, Builder, or Student
Fundamentals of Residential Construction is a welcome update for my reference library. As a residential architect, it is refreshing not to have to wade through irrelevant commercial methodology. This edition is residential specific, but broad-based covering alternative building systems and the most current construction materials. I especially appreciate that it begins with chapters on the context for construction, and the construction and design communities, areas of discussion most often neglected. The well-balanced mix of diagrammatic and photographic details is very helpful. I highly recommend it for both the student and the professional.

A Great Book!
Its simple, well-illustrated explanations make understanding and implementation easy. It covers every aspect of residential construction, including trowel trades, mechanical and structural systems, and landscaping! In a nutshell- this is a 'must-have' for anyone working in residential construction! ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Excellent from middle school to college
This book is wonderful for several reasons:

1) clear and concise; 2) inclusive of the audience; 3) makes art very approachable; 4) places art within its historical context and development; 5) quick reference;

I was exposed to this book after taking various humanities courses and found this book great. It does a much better job of making art accessable than books like Gardner and Janson. I was impressed that the book covered a variety of bases without leaving too much out.

The tone of the work was inclusive and allowed anyone with an interest in understanding methods, techniques, personalities and history of art to do well towards approaching that goal. It does not approach art for the few with a rarefied tone nor does it talk down to the reader.

The layout of the pages are done well and have a decent flow of text and image. It does not, thank god, go into list memorization which is the downfall of some compact versions of some topics.

Highly recommended for those who play academic tournaments at the high school and college levels. The topics covered and interesting personal history found in this book will be found at all levels of play. The pricing of the paperback version will allow people to compete very well indeed.

For home schoolers/educators this book is a good survey introduction and is portable enough for museum trips.

Very few books do so well with so much material to compress. Very impressive. The only thing I could wish further is a music history version of this work.

Useful
I've found this book to be helpful as a teaching tool. I teach from Gardner's, but this book helps me to focus my lectures, since I can't cover absoultely everything in class.

My only gripe is that on the book flaps Strickland unnecessarily pans introductory art textbooks in order to bolster her own book, saying "The Annotated Mona Lisa isn't bogged down with convoluted theories or author's pet peeves," or jargon. Being someone who has read Janson, Gardner's and Stockstad, I can honestly say that these books are quite approachable and traditional, and can not be sweepingly characterized in that way. My feeling is that these statements may be a manifestation of her own feeling of alienation from the academic community; her work appears in some venues -- the Christian Science Monitor, Wall Street Journal, Arts and Antiques -- that aren't exactly on friendly terms with the academic world of art history. Fortunately, however, the actual text of Strickland's book does not resort to backhanded and reactionary gripes about other authors' approaches to art history.

Strickland and authors of college-level introductory textbooks have different goals and intentions. Textbooks offer a kind of engagement with the material that is essential to any comprehensive study of art history. The author does a good job of touching on key issues, but the book could not possibly serve as a replacement of introductory texts such as Gardner's, Janson, or Stockstad.

For the person with a only a casual interest in art history this book would be a very nice thing to have on hand. It would also serve well as a study aid for a student who is taking an in-depth art history course.

Too much fun
Sadly, I have to thank this book for sparking my interest in art history. Now that I know more about the subject, of course, I can see how simple and inadequate "The Annotated Mona Lisa" really is, but for anyone who is grossly unfamiliar with art, as I once was, this is a fine place to start. The book's coverage of pre-Renaissance art and non-Western art is limited, but the sections on 19th- and 20th-century art are fairly thorough, and certainly entertaining--you've gotta love those gossipy stories the author throws with her descriptions of every artist.

I heard somewhere that someone read this book and then scored a 5 on the Art History AP exam without doing any other work, but having just taken the test I very much doubt this is true. Art History students might benefit from reading the chapter on modern art, since the AP doesn't require much knowledge about 20th century art movements beyond their general characteristics, which "The Annotated Mona Lisa" provides. The rest of the book, however, is guilty of dangerous oversimplification, and probably wouldn't be useful to serious students, though it is still way too much fun.

Great source
I use the Annotated Mona Lisa in my 8th grade Art History class. Throughout my years of using it I have seen this as my most reliable source of information. Each period or movement is well introduced and there is a lot of information on each major artist. It is filled with many colorful quotes, all coming from people of the time period. Overall I consider this a great source and I recomend it to any aspiring art historians. im 14

a wonderful introduction
The Annotated Mona Lisa is a fabulous introduction to the history of western art from pre-history to the Post-Modern era. Artists, movements, vocabulary, and specific works of art are all discussed in enough detail to give the reader a very good foundation. The only thing lacking is that it is oriented exclusively towards Western art. Boswell has done a marvelous job on the art of the West, its a pity attention was not given to the art of Asia, the Americas or Africa - especially considering the influence these regions have had on western art through the ages. Nonetheless, a recommended resource. ... Read more

Book Description

The latest volume in ULI's highly respected Development Handbook Series, this handsomely illustrated reference takes you step by step through the development of complex mixed-use projects. You will learn about the key points that can make or break a project, and get in-depth information on feasibility, financing, planning and design, regulatory issues, marketing, and management. Case studies describe how seasoned professionals developed projects with a wide range of densities--from suburban town centers to high-rise mixed-use towers. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

The Sociological Aspects of Commercial Imagery...
Murakami's latest curatorial effort has gained nearly universal acclaim amongst the art world.His "Little Boy" exhibition attempts to understand the origins of contemporary Japanese art's affinity for both the horrifically violent and the frightfully cute (kawaii).Ultimately, Murakami argues that these images are spawned from the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined with postwar US domination.Violent imagery becomes a sign for a fascination with the kind of power that postwar Japan lacked.Kawaii imagery is then seen as stemming from Japan's status as a protectorate of the US.This relationship was not unlike that of a parent and child (the child/adolecent becomes a prevalent theme in Japanese art from postwar era forward.)
This effort is faithfully documented in this beautiful catalogue which includes works by contemporary Japanese artists, artists of Murakami's Kaikai Kiki, and popular anime and manga such as Neon Genesis Evangelion and Doraemon.A must for anyone interested in the origin of Japan's unique hyper-contemporary aesthetic.

Murakami comes out for the fraud he is!!
hello kittyis better and more interesting. waste of space it all comes off as mark kostabi again his sweatshopand its members. Aya Tanaka is no EXPERT just a fan. another misleading catalogue ... Read more