General Books

Building Construction Illustrated

Francis D. K. Ching

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 68 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The classic visual guide to the basics of building construction, now with the most current information

For nearly three decades, Building Construction Illustrated has offered an outstanding introduction to the principles of building construction. This new edition of the revered classic remains as relevant as ever-providing the latest information in Francis D.K. Ching's signature style. Its rich and comprehensive approach clearly presents all of the basic concepts underlying building construction and equips readers with useful guidelines for approaching virtually any new materials or techniques they may encounter.

Laying out the material and structural choices available, it provides a full under-standing of how these choices affect a building's form and dimensions. Complete with more than 1,000 illustrations, the book moves through each of the key stages of the design process, from site selection to building components, mechanical systems, and finishes.
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Illustrated throughout with clear and accurate drawings that present the state of the art in construction processes and materials
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Updated and revised to include the latest knowledge on sustainability, incorporation of building systems, and use of new materials
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Archetypal drawings offer clear inspiration for designers and drafters
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Reflects the most current building codes and CSI Master Format numbering scheme

With its comprehensive and lucid presentation of everything from foundations and floor systems to finish work, Building Construction Illustrated, Fourth Edition equips students and professionals in all areas of architecture and construction with useful guidelines for approaching virtually any new materials or techniques they may encounter in building planning, design, and construction.

Design Like You Give a Damn: Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crises

Architecture for Humanity

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The greatest humanitarian challenge we face today is that of providing shelter. Currently one in seven people lives in a slum or refugee camp, and more than 3,000,000,000 people--nearly half the world's population--do not have access to clean water or adequate sanitation. The physical design of our homes, neighborhoods and communities shapes every aspect of our lives. Yet too often architects are desperately needed in the places where they can least be afforded.Edited by Architecture for Humanity and now on its third printing, Design Like You Give a Damn is a compendium of innovative projects from around the world that demonstrate the power of design to improve lives. The first book to bring the best of humanitarian architecture and design to the printed page, Design Like You Give a Damn offers a history of the movement toward socially conscious design, and showcases more than 80 contemporary solutions to such urgent needs as basic shelter, healthcare, education and access to clean water, energy and sanitation.Design Like You Give a Damn is an indispensable resource for designers and humanitarian organizations charged with rebuilding after disaster and engaged in the search for sustainable development. It is also a call to action to anyone committed to building a better world. (20061116)

Solar Water Heating: A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Water and Space Heating Systems (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series)

Bob Ramlow, Benjamin Nusz

Amazon Price: $16.47 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: New Society Publishers Amazon Marketplace: 50 new & used starting at $14.86

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Heating water with the sun is almost as old as humankind itself, and it is done all over the world. Yet there are strangely few resources on the topic in North America.

Solar Water Heating fills this gap. It reviews the history of solar water and space heating systems from prehistory to the present, then presents the basics of solar water heating, including an introduction to modern solar energy systems, energy conservation and energy economics. Drawing on the author's experience as an installer of these systems, the book goes on to cover:

• Types of solar collectors, solar water and space heating systems and solar pool heating systems, including their advantages and disadvantages
• System components, their installation, operation, and maintenance
• System sizing and siting
• Choosing the appropriate system.

Since people often get turned off by the up-front cost, the book focuses especially on the financial aspects of solar water or space heating systems, clearly showing that such systems can save significant costs in the long run. Well-illustrated, the book is designed for a wide readership from the curious to the student or professional.

Bob Ramlow is the solar thermal consultant for the Wisconsin Focus on Energy Program. The owner of a renewable energy company, he has over 30 years experience with solar energy systems and is a founder and director of the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA). Benjamin Nusz currently works as a solar water heating consultant and site assessor in Wisconsin.

Drywall: Professional Techniques for Great Results

Myron R. Ferguson

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Taunton Amazon Marketplace: 63 new & used starting at $4.42

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

3rd Edition is also a great addition to your library 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I noticed that the 3rd Edition of this book has a copyright date of 2008 and the cover of the book notes that it is completely revised and updated. Any review written before 2008 is almost certainly for the second edition. The 3rd edition is a reasonably hefty 210 pages of content; it is printed on nice paper, is nicely organised, and has an index.

I am an experienced do-it-yourselfer and bought this book to get an update on the latest corner beads made of vinyl and some made of metal and paper. I also wanted a little more knowledge on available types of drywall and joint compounds.

This book is very comprehensive and covers drywall techniques, tools, and materials. Consistent with the reviews of the earlier edition(s), this book focuses almost exclusively on drywall (which is also consistent with its title). There is a section on soundproofing which I believe is very useful.

I would rate this book as a must read for anyone who wishes to learn about drywall techniques. The text is clear and there are many photographs to illustrate the points that the author is making.

I would have liked it if the author covered skip troweling but this is a little tricky to learn from a book (so this omission did not bother me much).

I already had a good amount of knowledge about drywall and this book has given me another step up in knowledge. I am completely satisfied with this book.

Editorial Review:

The most thorough and concise guide to hanging drywall available. This revised edition features new material, additional pages and color photographs. With more than 87,000 copies sold, Drywall is a mainstay of any comprehensive home-building library.

Wind Power, Revised Edition: Renewable Energy for Home, Farm, and Business

Paul Gipe

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Subjects -> Professional & Technical -> Engineering -> Civil -> Construction -> Building Construction

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Zero to Sixty (mph) in One Week 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Are you starting from zero knowledge regarding wind energy? Do you want to get up to full speed in a reasonable amount of time? If yes, then this is definitely the book for you. Paul Gipe has captured the essence of not only the fundamental technology but also the industry in general. Once done with this book, you will have the cranial capital to dig deeper into the engineering, the municipal or national scene, or the fundamentals of financing including energy-cash flow analysis. There is plenty of nitty-gritty for whatever side of the technology you prefer to understand, including building your own system. And there are many specific and anecdotal examples to support the many scenarios described. Yours is sure to be one of them. To paraphrase the late Abby Hoffman - *Buy This Book* You'll be up to 60 mph (26.8 meters/second) in no time.

Editorial Review:

Wind energy today is a booming worldwide industry. The technology has truly come of age, with better, more reliable machinery and a greater understanding of how and where wind power makes sense--from the independent homestead to a grid-connected utility-wide perspective. Heightened concerns about our environment mean that this resurgence of interest in wind--a natural and widespread power source--is here to stay. Wind Power is the completely revised and expanded edition of Paul Gipe's definitive 1993 book, Wind Power for Home and Business. In addition to expanded sections on gauging wind resources and siting wind turbines, this edition includes new examples and case studies of successful wind systems, international sources for new and used equipment, and hundreds of color photographs and illustrations.

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

Rob Thallon

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 46 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great basic reference for residential building 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

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

Great 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I do a lot of non-professional new construction. For me, visualizing the right way do do something is the problem. Once the skin is on a building I have no idea what lies underneath -- I have no 'guide' to model my construction after. Also, building according to convention is useful -- for instance, it's good to know that you can expect to find a vertical stud in a wall every 16 or 24 inches, regardless of who built the building and when -- and this book clarifies what those conventions are.

This is a great book. The graphic representations are exceptionally clear and detailed. Many alternatives are given, and in building you simply choose the alternative that gives you the most of what you want and follow the diagram.

Editorial Review:

Teaching through hundreds of meticulous drawings, Rob Thallon's guide covers foundations, roofs, building systems and materials, durability, energy efficiency, and more.

S M L XL: Second Edition

Rem Koolhaas, Bruce Mau, Hans Werlemann

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 28 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

This extraordinary, massive, and mind-boggling 1,300-page book combines essays, manifestos, diaries, fairy tales, travelogues, a cycle of meditations on the contemporary city--and complex illustration--with work produced by Koolhaas' Office for Metropolitan Architecture over the past twenty years. This almost overwhelming accumulation of words and images illuminates the condition of architecture today--its splendors and miseries--exploring and revealing the corrosive effects of politics, context, the economy, and globalization. In some ways, this is the "Medium is the Message" of 1990s architectural discourse: guaranteed to be hugely influential in the coming decades, but grossly misunderstood by those who have not read it. The core arguments it makes about metropolitan architecture--accepting complexity and lack of centralized control--are similar to those of Kevin Kelly's Out of Control: The New Biology of Machines, Social Systems and the Economic World. Very highly recommended.

Insulate and Weatherize: Expert Advice from Start to Finish (Build Like A Pro)

Bruce Harley

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

great series 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

same great features of other books in the series (pro tips, what can go wrong...). these books are thorough and informative.

Good coverage 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book gives credible (not just a repeat of info on manufacturer websites) coverage of insulation, air leakage, ventilation, moisture problems, etc. and handles each subject with respect to different climates. I learned a lot and it helped me make decisions in the renovation of a 60 year old house.

The most complete guide to insulating your house 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book was exactly what i was looking for! It tells you how to properly insulate and seal an existing house. Great illustrations, clear and easy to read. I read the whole thing the day i got it!

I found major air leaks right where it predicted and sealed them using methods suggested.

A MUST HAVE BOOK FOR ANYONE LOOKING TO IMPROVE THEIR HOME'S INSULATION.

Editorial Review:

From the most basic solutions to advanced, energy-saving projects, no book covers home insulation and weatherization like this one. With 35 drawings and 350 color photos guiding them, homeowners will learn how best to keep their homes warm in winter, cool in summer, and weather-tight all year long.

Water-Works: The Architecture and Engineering of the New York City Water Supply

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Subjects -> History -> Americas -> United States -> State & Local -> New York

Editorial Review:

The fresh, clean taste of New York's water is legendary. Less well known is the fascinating story of the massive program of exploration and construction that was required to achieve such purity. The story of that monumental undertaking is told in Water-Works and illustrated with an astonishing archive of drawings and photographs documenting the design and construction of dams, reservoirs, aqueducts, and tunnels. This complex system brings millions of gallons of water to the city every day from rivers many hundreds of miles away.

Kevin Bone, Gina Pollara, Paul Deppe, and students from the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture of the Cooper Union spent nine years cataloging and preserving this remarkable archive, which is held by the City of New York Department of Environmental Protection. Essays by Bone, former DEP commissioner Albert F. Appleton, and scholars Peter H. Gleick and Gerard Koeppel trace the history of the system from its beginnings in the mid-1800s to the current construction of City Water Tunnel #3. The story of New York's water system is illuminated in expert detail on the pages of Water-Works, revealing the beauty and power of these magnificent works of public architecture and engineering.

1001 Buildings You Must See Before You Die: The World's Architectural Masterpieces (Quintessence Books)

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Great but INDEX IS TERRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1 out of 5 stars.
20 of 22 people found this review helpful.

I love this book but I am giving it one star because I am so infuriated by the lack of a useful index. There is no index that lists which cities the buildings are in -- they are only arranged by country. Why? Many of us would like to visit buildings that are near us or in cities that we travel to. This bizarre lack of information in the index makes that virtually impossible.

This is perhaps the most foolish indexing decision I have ever seen in my entire life, perhaps the most foolish indexing decision in the history of the written word.

Also: why don't they give addresses of the buildings anywhere?

Please correct this in the next edition. Maybe create a website where we can look this stuff up.

Clearly, a lot of time was spent on this book. It's unfortunate that strange indexing decisions have rendered it almost useless.

Editorial Review:

This book is a one-stop guide to the world’s greatest architectural achievements. Comprehensive and concise, it contains reviews of the most influential structures ever built worldwide. Covering a diverse array of architectural traditions and construction styles–from the bold and brash to the spiritual and reserved, from Angkor Wat to the Parthenon, from Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater to Frank Gehry’s Bilbao Guggenheim–the book celebrates the vision and achievement of world architecture. Entries are organized chronologically and include essential information on the featured building, as well as the social, political, cultural, and geographical considerations that influenced the design. Stunning illustrations and photographs highlight the technical feats and aesthetic brilliance of architects past and present. This comprehensive collection is an accessible reference for anyone interested in the history of architecture.