Book Description
This is a book that students of architecture will want to keep in the studio and in their backpacks. It is also a book they may want to keep out of view of their professors, for it expresses in clear and simple language things that tend to be murky and abstruse in the classroom. These 101 concise lessons in design, drawing, the creative process, and presentation--from the basics of "How to Draw a Line" to the complexities of color theory--provide a much-needed primer in architectural literacy, making concrete what too often is left nebulous or open-ended in the architecture curriculum. Each lesson utilizes a two-page format, with a brief explanation and an illustration that can range from diagrammatic to whimsical. The lesson on "How to Draw a Line" is illustrated by examples of good and bad lines; a lesson on the dangers of awkward floor level changes shows the television actor Dick Van Dyke in the midst of a pratfall; a discussion of the proportional differences between traditional and modern buildings features a drawing of a building split neatly in half between the two. Written by an architect and instructor who remembers well the fog of his own student days, 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School provides valuable guideposts for navigating the design studio and other classes in the architecture curriculum. Architecture graduates--from young designers to experienced practitioners--will turn to the book as well, for inspiration and a guide back to basics when solving a complex design problem. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Architecture 101
Very insightful, informative and funny! A humoristic, light-hearted take on the architectural education, which sometime tends to be dry... Well, except for studios hours! Frederick's book is quick read that will quickly become any good student's basic reference to answers that sometime we're afraid to ask, such as are my graphics and texts too small on my panel? See 67. Or, is this a good idea to incorporate in my project? See 28. Or, will be a good architect? See 101.

The book's format and presentation makes it easy to grasp the idea or intention of each of the 101 things to be learned, or remembered (pending where one is in his or her architectural education). Its simple and effective drawings convey the message, just like Ching's architectural design guidebook Form, Space and Order. Frederick's book should be placed next to Ching in every student's library... may be even as its author suggests should be kept in plain view in the studio so other can use it!

A MUST HAVE
My only regret is that I didn't see this book until now.Wish I had discovered it sooner. Worth every penny.

Great book
Great book with funny and very serious tips. I am an Interior Design major and I look at it for ideas as much as I can. I received it quickly and enjoyed every minute of it.

101 things i learned in architecture school
A very good book.Very direct and to the point.Each page takes you on a different design concept.Easy to understand and very well done.Concepts can be used for areas other than architecture.I've recommended this to other friends already.

Terrific book
I was going to call this a terrific LITTLE book, but it is simply a terrific book.When I ordered it, I didn't know what to expect, but figured the $10 wouldn't kill me.Then I found some sample pages on the publisher's website and thought it looked really cool.When it arrived, I read through it right away (doesn't take too long), and have been rereading it ever since.The format is perfect for rereading -- no chapters, just 101 illustrated lessons I can look at in any order.Whichever one I open it to, I feel like I either learn something new or am reminded of something I need to better integrate into my professional practice.Every architecture student should have this book -- it is more helpful than Ching's, even though much shorter.Every architect should probably have one too.
... Read more

Book Description

The post-Ajaxian Web 2.0 world of wikis, folksonomies, and mashups makes well-planned information architecture even more essential.How do you present large volumes of information to people who need to find what they're looking for quickly? This classic primer shows information architects, designers, and web site developers how to build large-scale and maintainable web sites that are appealing and easy to navigate.

Customer Reviews (40)

Good enough
This is a perfectly good resource, if you're looking for the theoretical underpinnings of how IA should work.I was, however, looking for more specifically technical information, along the lines of algorithms and integration techniques.For this I ended up going with Programming Collective Intelligence: Building Smart Web 2.0 Applications, which is more geared in that direction.Again, if IA is your whole intention, then this is a great resource, but if you're looking for technical detail, look elsewhere.

A lifesaver
As project manager, I was in a bind when our contract information architect failed to understand the complexities of our matrixed business model and client base. Rosenfeld's book helped me design a IA for our 700 page HTML site that has since been described as simple, intuitive, a no-brainer.What great compliments!

The book describes basic theories of IA in general (i.e. book indexes and tables of contents, libraries, etc.) and the pros and cons of different organization, labeling, and navigation systems. Then Rosenfeld advises on presenting IA to management, etc., managing expectations (yours and others), and gives detailed examples of IA strategies online.

Intriguing Title (3rdEd)
In "Part I - Intro to IA," obviously the basics are covered, like what exactly is IA? What does an Information Architect do? After reading this title, I would define an Information Architect as a glorified content manager. Someone that occupies the realm between UI designer and DB engineer.

Google is pretty good at finding information for us on the vast Internet, but there is a long way to go. I believe these authors make a valid point that IA will become increasingly relevant. In fact, I wouldn't doubt that in the future you will actually be able to obtain a BS in IA. Nonetheless, IA is around us everyday when we use technology no matter what we want call it.

The elements that make up IA are covered in "Part II - Basic Principles of IA." The basis of IA is the interaction or retrieval of information in terms of organization systems, labeling systems, navigation systems, search systems, thesauri, controlled vocabularies, and metadata. What this basically means is, how do we categorize our data so that it makes sense, is easy to navigate and search, and is relevant or adaptable according to our users' vocabularies.

"Part III - Process and Methodology" helps one plan a path to your IA goals. For instance, developing a research management team to discuss such goals, your target audiences, functionality/deficiencies of your current IA system, and integrating other software, such as your customer management system (CMS).

My favorite topic here is the detailed discussion of "building vocabularies." This is something everybody needs to constantly perfect. An example of this is, two people can search for the same thing using two different criteria. How can can we build a vocabulary system that recognizes that?

Many research tools are discussed. My favorite technique, and it's so simple, is card sorting. Get some blank cards (20-25) and write on them the headings from categories, subcategories, and content within your site. Ask a user to sort this stack of cards into piles that make sense to him and have him label those cards using post-it notes. Make sure to tell them to think-out-loud and be sure to take notes. This will give you an idea of how one would "travel" through your site, what is relevant, and what should not be on your homepage, etc.

The authors take the reader through the process of the IA development cycle, from concept, to getting managers to buy-in, to the implementation and administration of the system; very thorough.

The hands-on aspects of IA are explained in "Part IV - IA in Practice." One thing I found insightful was how one could pursue an official education in the area of IA, albeit there is no such degree. To gain a competitive advantage, the authors suggest obtaining a degree in Library and Information Science (LIS) or Human-Computer Interaction (HCI).

At the end of chapter 15, there is a list of position titles making up an ideal IA team.
This list may prove helpful for potential readers to get a better understanding of what IA is comprised of.

1) Strategy Architect - responsible for overall design goals and integration

2) Thesaurus Designer - develops classification schemes, controlled vocabularies, and thesauri

3) Controlled Vocabulary Manager - manages the evolution of controlled vocabularies and coordinates the indexing specialists team

4) Indexing Specialist - tags content and services with controlled vocabulary metadata

5) Interaction Designer - creates navigation schemes and page layouts with a focus on user interaction

6) IA Software Analyst - links the IA and IT teams, focusing on ways to leverage software to create, manage, and drive the user experience

7) IA Usability Engineer - focuses on intersection of usability and IA by conducting studies that isolate IA elements, such as category labels or metadata.

8) Cartographer - converts patterns in content, structure, and usage into maps, guides, indexes, and other useful navigational tools.

9) Search Analyst - leads the design, improvement, and ongoing analysis of search system.


"PART V - IA in the Organization" was a little dry for my tastes and irrelevant to me. May be very helpful for someone in a large bureaucratic organization that wants to implement their IA concepts.

The moral of the story is that "site builders" must employ multiple info retrieval methods and tightly integrate them. Everyone searches, browses, scans, and finds info differently; accommodate them.

This book is very comprehensive and even deals with the politics of IA. To me, the book gets a little long at times, but if your life evolves around information somehow, this is an essential read.

Excellent reference
The topic of the Polar Bear is very defined and focused, and the book reflects this.It's a bit dry - reads much like stereo instructions - but for someone who is dedicated to exploring content and information architecture in depth, there's simply no better reference.

I wouldn't call this a good primer, but I'd definitely recommend it for more advanced reading, and definitely as a reference book.

Very biased book
In general, this book contains some useful yet common sense information. This book is more about how to become a talker than a worker. I read throughand found the first half confirmed my experience and the second half is a bust. If you want to become an office politician, this is a must have. ... Read more

Book Description
Enterprise architecture defines a firm’s needs for standardized tasks, job roles, systems, infrastructure, and data in core business processes. Thus, it helps a company to articulate how it will compete in a digital economy and it guides managers’ daily decisions to realize their vision of success. This book clearly explains enterprise architecture’s vital role in enabling—or constraining—the execution of business strategy. The book provides clear frameworks, thoughtful case examples, and a proven-effective structured process for designing and implementing effective enterprise architectures. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Excellent review of important new area of business strategy
"The IT strategists at MIT CISR present an exceptionally clear and well constructed book, Enterprise Architecture as Strategy: Creating a Foundation for Business Execution. It extends Jeanne Ross' earlier work in IT Governance by bringing the emerging concepts of Enterprise Architecture out of the rarefied domain of IT theory into the realm of general business strategy."

Good book to understand Enterprise Architectire Strategy
The book is very practical and analytical for Enterprise Architecture. It is a handbook for professionals working in EA. Must Read...

solid foundation for BPA and Software landscape connection
People who have been involved in Business Transformation and ERP implementation often get disconnected from the business itself. The IT implementation often happens in a silo where SOA means software service. This book provides you with the foundation of business process architecture methods and guidelines which help you develop the lower level architectures of data, software etc. It clearly talks about the various business strategies like diversification, unification with real life examples and then drives the data architecture from the BPA. I am actually close to couple of those architecture and quite fascinated to see the accuracy of the book.
Some of the companies I have worked with tend to jump into the software architecture before anything else and every executive with a pen and a paper or a visio envisions themselves to be the greatest software architect on earth. So in most cases we end up with a software solution that does not have a sound business strategy to support it. This book provides the tools and methods to develop that business strategy which can be aligned to the software landscape.
One area I think needed a little more emphasis is EDM or Enterprise Data Management. I believe with web2.0 and web based collaboration - the large monolithic solutions with go away and we will get more flexible modular solution - integration will be at the data level and not at the application level

Excellent Resource
Excellent reading for anyone interested in enterprise architecture including those who may not be in a position to make the big decisions.By reading this book, you can gain insight into how some of the strategic decisions should be made.Both business an IS people should read and think about how they want to help support the alignment of business and IT within their corporation.

This book is about IT Strategy
I have read very few books which comes this close to defining IT's Strategic practice. Enterprise Architecture is the place where IT meets the needs of business. Enterprise Architecture is where operational risk is measured, future operational planning is done and the new business strategy is transformed into IT strategy. This book does a very good job of linking Enterprise Architecture with core business processes. It also explains the differences between, often confusing terms, such as -- application, data and IT systems/infrastructure architecture.

In last few years EA has become a large practice for Federal Government. It is fast becoming a need for every big company who is involved in making its IT agile, productive and innovative.

IT managers and business strategists both should read this to understand their role in crafting EA. This book is an easy read and uses very simple words, business examples and analytical frameworks. It is an unique bookbecause most of Enterprise Architecture arena is muddled with acronyms and jargons, which makes the issue not only confusing but also very intimidating.

Enterprise Architecture As Strategy: Creating a Foundation for Business Execution ... Read more

Book Description
A superb visual reference to the principles of architecture

Now including interactive CD-ROM!

For more than thirty years, the beautifully illustrated Architecture: Form, Space, and Order has been the classic introduction to the basic vocabulary of architectural design. The updated Third Edition features expanded sections on circulation, light, views, and site context, along with new considerations of environmental factors, building codes, and contemporary examples of form, space, and order.

This classic visual reference helps both students and practicing architects understand the basic vocabulary of architectural design by examining how form and space are ordered in the built environment.? Using his trademark meticulous drawing, Professor Ching shows the relationship between fundamental elements of architecture through the ages and across cultural boundaries. By looking at these seminal ideas, Architecture: Form, Space, and Order encourages the reader to look critically at the built environment and promotes a more evocative understanding of architecture.

In addition to updates to content and many of the illustrations, this new edition includes a companion CD-ROM that brings the book's architectural concepts to life through three-dimensional models and animations created by Professor Ching. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (30)

Well it is informative.
Its very informative, but feels very tedious to read. Very very good illustrations which aid in learning to draft and understand spacial concepts.

A wonderful architectural book!
I read this book in Chinese when I started to learn architecture many yaers ago, and I bought the English version later when I came to the US. I love it, it is one of the best architectural books that you can have.

Architecture
The book came in good shape.It just took a long time for it to arrive (2 weeks).

great
its always good to buy book driectly from amazon if the price is right.i had to buy it from amazon due to a poor transaction from "superbookdeals" who were late to send my book, then won't process my refund after I sent it back.

Interesting
I picked it up as a first architecture book.Its not.Its more or less hundreds of pages of drawings with themes on each page to make you think about that form. Good for understanding basic forms. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

word to your mother
I am an architecture major and an architecture history minor.I love both fields, and I made 100 in the class that used this book.Take this review legitimately.

I can go on to the academic approach to this review and tell you how this book is the best thing ever since the invention of electricity, but I won't.

I am telling you this from a student's point of view, and I had to drag myself through a large majority of this book's chapters.

As fairly wide-reaching as this book is with a wealth of information, this is one of the most boring reads I ever encountered, up there with Nathaniel Hawthorne.Quite frankly, I would rather drop everything right now and fly to London to drink some Earl Grey tea and choke on some exceptionally dry scones while chatting to a man in the Days of Yore curly wig and a white face of arsenic than ever have to read this book again.

The only reason I would ever purchase this book (besides class) is to use it as reference.

It is not a fun leisure read and it is drier than a martini with dust on it.

You've been warned.

It's provoking. It's breath taking. It's excellent !!!
It's extremely difficult, if not impossible, task to write a review on
Mr. Curtis's book on Modern architecture. Scope of time/space/subject
is just so wide and deep to write down on a single page.

However, the reason why this book stands out is that Mr. Curtis's
writings are based on first hand experience of actual buildings.
One can easily grasp that because he points out nitty-gritty aspects of
Unique construction process and its critical position as "A"rchitecture.

What impressed me personally was his stance on the tectonics of structure.
He gives more credit (or may be it's just my reading of him) on the "visual structure"
Than "actual structure."Issues of veiling, hence, comes to the foreground.
Given his on-going interests in Spanish architects and his recent interviews and essays in
El Croquis, it comes as no surprise.

Mr. Curtis is extremely objective and logical in his analysis and his subject
matter. However, what makes his book extremely tantalizing to read
is that he takes a position that architecture could be more than just a composition of
materials. Architecture should tell more than just its story. The intervention of the materiality and
anti-gravitational nature of higher order puts architecture on a higher dimension

Moreover, through the struggle between architect and client, and through
The clash of public wantings and ambition of an architect,
there is a momentthat uplifts normative expression of construction
into a higher and symbolic level. This sort of revealing of invisible or pervasive metaphors
are ultimately achievable only through accuracy and precision

This is only one aspect of the book. Grab it, you'll know what I mean.

A good introduction for Modernity
Excellente Review of the History of Modern Architecture.Brief analisys on every condition that certainly had an influence in modernity.

pretty survey
This is the kind of book I found stimulating before I went to architecture school. Curtis seems to argue that composition, tectonics, personal triumph, modernist orthodoxy and mythos are the big ingredients of 20th Century architecture. As if you can't make junky architecture from that recipe, and the damage from those ideas isn't all around us. Any "Uncomplicated" reading (to me) is non-compelling, but I guess that's what surveys are. I'll be damned if I can tell you what Curtis' overall thrust or polemic is, beyond "Modern Architecture is neat." Social responsibility and political meaning are pretty much missing here. No matter how much I read it, nothing sticks. The design is nice, which is what I suspect people are reviewing here.

Modern Architecture
Much like all the other architecture books I own, Modern Architecture Since 1900 is a great reference for basic knowledge on the history of Architecture. Some sections I enjoyed were Louis Kahn, Frank L. Wright and Mario Botta. The book overall is wonderful adn appealing; it is a good read. ... Read more

Book Description
Architectural detailing makes a building unique and an architect outstanding. This book provides analysis of both the technical and the aesthetic importance of details in the development of contemporary domestic architecture from 2000 to 2005. Featuring many of the world's most highly acclaimed architects, the book presents over 50 of the most recently completed and influential house designs. For each house there are color photographs, plans of every floor, sections and elevations, and numerous construction details. The book also features in-depth information for each project, including the size, the client, the architectural project team, main consultants, and contractors. With CD-ROM. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Great Book-terrible CAD drawings
This is a terrific book with many interesting residential projects.However, if you are an architect buying this book for the supplementary CAD details included on CD.....don't.The details actually lack detail, making many of them somewhat worthless.Although I was disappointed in the drawings, the book has been insightful and definitely worth the purchase.

Detail In Contemporary Residential Architecture
This was a gift to my son, an architect student at CU. He loved the
book and wouldn't put it down. He also loved the way it was arranged
(by building materials). The accompanying CD has been loaded into his
computer (which all ready had the Auto-Cam software needed) and thinks
its fantastic. Its a book that he will use probably throughout his new
career.

Sets the standard
I've purchased one too many architecture books that have cool buildings with nice photos, overly self-indulgent artistic descriptions, and really not much else that is useful. Despite its title, I was expecting this book to be similar to those other ones, if only perhaps a small step forward in terms of the quality of the information.

This book is a giant leap forward compared to most architecture books. It is outstanding because it presents each project completely; with photos, plans, sections, and numerous quality details. The information is much more complete than I am accustomed to seeing from these types of books, and the drawings are for the most part clear and well-noted. There's also a CD included with DWG files and EPS files of every illustration!

Because the information is so complete...there's enough information there to really study the materials and assemblies, to understand both the concept and the execution of these great projects. This is the kind of book you can study over and over, and really learn from. Compared to other architecture books in my library it is outstanding. My only wish is that the author would keep going and expand her great work into numerous other architecture styles (way beyond contemporary buildings).

WYSIWYG
It delivers. Excellent roundup of modern day detailing.
Features projects from all continents and takes into account climatic differences and local craftsmanship. The included digital files are a bonus. Recommended.

Good DD details book
Overall this is a fairly good detail book and well presented with nice modern houses.The level of details is more on the level of DD and SD and varies from project to project. The best CD details are only found in real construction drawings.The German's "Detail" magazine and books also shows comprehensive details. Another good detail book is "The architectural Detail, Dutch architects visualize their concepts" by Ed Melet.

Well this book has less texts then the Dutch architects detail book.Also, the drawing details are on average larger.The details are also drawing in an American's standard presentation. The Dutch book is presented with European hatches and drawing standards, which are not as easy to understand.The range of details type methogolies are very good, from some what of a roof garden to cylinder metal house.

At time there are too many SD overall sections and plans that take too many pages.The CD (disc) is nice and includes a lot of drawings in CAD .dwg and .eps format with no texts.
... Read more

Book Description
Have you ever wondered why the Guggenheim is always covered in scaffolding? Why the random slashes on the exterior of Daniel Libeskind's Jewish Museum, supposed to represent Berlin locations where pre-war Jews flourished, reappear, for no apparent reason, on his Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto? Or why Frank Gehry's Stata Center, designed for MIT's top-secret Cryptography Unit, has transparent glass walls? Not to mention why, for $442 per square foot, it doesn't keep out the rain? You're not alone.

In Architecture of the Absurd, John Silber dares to peek behind the curtain of "genius" architects and expose their willful disdain for their clients, their budgets, and the people who live or work inside their creations. Absurdism in a painting or sculpture is one thing—if it's not to your taste, you don't have to look—but absurdism in buildings represents a blatant disregard for the needs of the building, whether it be a student center, music hall, or corporate headquarters.

Silber admires the precise engineering of Calatrava, the imaginative shapes of Gaudi, and the sleek beauty of Mies van der Rohe. But he refuses to kowtow to the egos of those "geniuses" who lack such respect for the craft. Absurdist architects have been sheltered by the academy, encouraged by critics, and commissioned by CEOs and trustees. They stamp the world with meaningless monstrosities, justify them with fanciful theories, and command outrageous "genius fees" for their trouble.

As a young man, Silber learned to draw blueprints and read elevations from his architect father. In twenty-five years as president of Boston University, Silber oversaw a building program totaling 13 million square feet. Here, Silber uses his experience as a builder, a client, and a noted philosopher to construct an unflinchingly intelligent illustrated critique of contemporary architecture.

Le Corbusier's megalomaniacal 1930s plan for Algiers, which called for the demolition of the entire city, was mercifully never built. But his blatant disregard for context and community lives on. In Boston, Josep Lluis Sert's unprotected northeast-facing entrance to the B.U. library flooded the first floor with snow and ice every New England winter. In Los Angeles, sunlight glinting off the sharply angled steel curves of Gehry's Walt Disney Music Hall raises the temperature of neighbors' houses by 15 degrees. And of course, Libeskind's World Trade Center plan, with its spindly 1776-foot tower and quarter-mile-high gardens, proved so impractical it had to be re-designed, in an exasperating negotiation hardly worthy of the complex tragedy of the site.

Dr. Silber, an honorary member of the American Institute of Architects, asks all the questions that critics dare not. He challenges architects to derive creative satisfaction from meeting their clients' practical needs. He appeals to the reasonable public to stop supporting overpriced architecture. And most of all, he calls for responsible clients to tell the emperors of our skylines that their pretensions cannot hide the naked absurdity of their designs. 103 color illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Critical viewpoint or rant?
The book delivers a honest, yet harsh opinion - not to say needed - about the truth behind the "glamorous" architecture of the starchitects. Yes, some are good and provocative designers and others not so good. Out of the thousands of architects in North America, many go unnoticed for various reasons. But this is beside the point of the book. It seems to relate one's experience with architects, or at least one's point of view of certain architects. And this were the book fails to deliver an effective blow against the aura of those certain starchitects.

It doesn't demonstrate the absurdity of their projects, but simply highlights the ego of the architect. It offers little examination in regards to form, spaces and the original intentions of the said architects. It presents a simplistic view of these recent projects as if the maîtres d'oeuvre were victims of the architect's popularity. Period. One would have expected some sort of the insight on the absurdity of their architecture, instead of the fallacies of their ego... Which are surprising arguments when one thinks of the author's background (son of an architect, professor of aesthetics, president of major university), one would expect a well crafted argument with rich and deep analysis to prove it. His argument simply states: "I don't like the building designed by Gehry and Libeskind."

While I do share his views, I was disappointed in Silber's approach and criticism. It seemed gratuitous and unsupported. As a master in architecture, I am able to understand and comprehend the "logic" behind Gehry's and Libeskind's approach and, also, able to "deconstruct" their absurd architecture without Silber's easy criticism, which to my opinion seems to favour outdated modernist architecture.

this isn't a book, this a con job.
This is an amateur work at best; this 'book' should be edited down to a decent essay in The New Yorker.Silber doesn't like Libeskind's and Ghery's work, but what's new?I think it's absurd I paid $25 for this book...if anyone is pulling a con job, it's the author. Thank you for your opinions, I'd like my money back Mr. Silber.

A work of seminal and compelling scholarship

"Architecture Of The Absurd: How 'Genius' Disfigured A Practical Art" by academician John Silber (who was named an honorary member of the American Institute of Architecture in 2002) is an expose of how some very well known architects disregarded or had disdain for their clients, their budgets, and the people who would have to live and/or work within their architectural creations. By 'absurd' as applied to architecture, Silber means buildings designed in a blatant disregard for the needs of the building and is to be found in structures ranging from student centers and music halls, to corporate headquarters and commercial buildings, to libraries and museums. Profusely illustrated with color photography, Silber's informed and informative text draws upon his personal experience and expertise gained as a builder, a client, and a candid critique of contemporary architecture. Thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Architecture Of The Absured" is a work of seminal and compelling scholarship that should be a part of every personal, professional, academic, and community library Architectural Studies reference collection and contemporary architecture supplemental reading list.

A decent essay from an old curmudgeon
I just received this book as a gift, and as an architecture student, I enjoy reading non-architects' writings on the subject.I agree somewhat with Silber, but he comes off as somewhat arrogant and I think that he tends to gloss things over.D. Locke has a good description of this in the discussion section.Two of the biggest problems that I have are his very short and negative take on Le Corbusier and his dismissal of Gunther von Hagens' work and admirers.Anyways, I got it as a gift, so the price wasn't important, but this is a short read.

Borrow it, don't buy it
At $28 US, this is overpriced for an extended essay.Pick it up at your free public library and spend an hour or so reading it.

It's worth an hour of time reading and another hour thinking about Dr. Silber's arguments.They're not new and they're conflated.By that I mean, leaking buildings aren't "absurd," they're simply poorly designed or constructed and buildings that are short on features we desire like sufficient wall space for notes (see the photos on page 87) are unresponsive to the brief or poorly programmed.

On the other hand, buildings that seek to seemingly defy gravity or induce nausea in their occupants are absurd.If I wanted that, I'd go to Knott's Berry Farm or watch The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.Haven't we been here before?How long will Gehry, Libeskind, et. al. be permitted to recycle these 90-year old ideas in buildings?I was encouraged to see the IAC building and am hopeful that it represents a new direction in Mr. Gehry's work on the order of Mendelsohn's Einstein Tower.Anybody know how IAC works as a building?

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana ... Read more

Book Description
This book defines over 5,000 terms relating to architectural design, history, and technology. It is the only dictionary that provides concise, accurate definitions illustrated with finely detailed, hand-rendered drawings, each executed in Mr. Ching's signature style. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Most USEFUL Book on Architecture EVER!
My husband bought this book for me when I decided to go back to school to study architecture, and it has turned out to be sooooo helpful.I have usedit in every course I've taken; it makes studying for tests so much easier.It has a fabulous index so you can find what you are looking for right away, and the illustrations and page layouts are great.This book is a must for any architecture student.I really can't recommend it highly enough.

The Visual Dictionary of Architecture
As with other materials by Francis D.K.Ching, the illustrations are not only clear and precise but aesthetically pleasing. It is a pleasure to read through the material for a comprehensive understanding of architectural concepts, presented in an historical perspective which clarifies the how and why of modern day building technology.The Visual Dictionary of Architecture
is an invaluable reference for the student and architectural practicioner as well.

Ching's books are great!
This book is really good for architecture students. I do not use the book every day, but when I need it, it proves very usefull. All books from this author that I purchased are really good so far. This one has a lot of details drawings which are great.

Easy to use and read and understand
Somewhere near the very beginning of my lecturing career, I showed a slide onscreen and was trying to point out a unique feature of a home. Gesturing toward the screen I said, "that thingie over the window..."

I was mortified. What a dreadful mistake for a "professional" lecturer to make!! Since I planned to give many more lectures, I came home and bought this book from Amazon.

When the parcel arrived, I quickly opened it and was delighted to find the easy-to-read drawings. Ching makes the most complex architectural graphics easy to see and understand. Using this book, I gave myself a crash course on "basic architectural terms" and since then, I've given 200 lectures and never used the word "THINGIE" again!!

Rose
author, California's Kit Homes
and "The Houses That Sears Built"

Very Good Graphics Book
This book was recommended to me by an architect for reviewing possible material on architecture license examinations.Graphically it's an excellent book. Bigger type letters would make it easier to read. Other than that, it's a great buy! ... Read more

Book Description
From ancient Chinese civilization to the postmodern world


Organized along a global timeline, A Global History of Architecture presents an innovative approach to the study of architectural history. Spanning from 3,500 B.C.E. to the present, this unique guide is written by an all-star team of architectural experts in their fields who emphasize the connections, contrasts, and influences of architectural movements throughout history. The architectural history of the world comes to life through a unified framework for interpreting and understanding architecture, supplemented by rich drawings from the renowned Frank Ching as well as brilliant photographs.

Architecture and art history enthusiasts will find A Global History of Architecture perpetually at their fingertips. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

a MUST be for all architects...
i agree with all the previous reviews, this book is a must be and worth every penny you spend on it. the chronicle order of this book make it easy to understand and to be used as a reference... i recommend it for my studentsin the comparative class...

Useful New Textbook on Global Architecture
At first I thought the book would be too dry and encyclopedia like, but when I started reading the chapters, I was taken by the text. It moved along nicely, and though there is a lot of information, it is presented in a way that makes sense, and in a way that helps one navigate through the `big pictures' of history. The maps are nice but they sometimes could have more information on them. The book is a challenge to those who think linearly or for those who think that the history of architecture "begins" with the Egyptians and Greeks and then "ends" in US postmodernism; the purpose of the book is to keep the globe turning. Sometimes the authors go east to west and sometimes west to east. It takes a little getting used to, but I think people will appreciate the idea that history is a moving target. It makes for some interesting contrasts. Each chapter has its own particular logic, however, and tries to emphasize a particular theme, having to do with religion or politics.On page 511, there is an imaginary architecture tour that begins in Japan and ends in England; it was an eye opener for me. At that particular time, as the authors point out, though Europe was in the middle of the Renaissance, there was a lot of good stuff also happeningin China, India, and Turkey, that cannot be simply ignored as part of some `other' tradition.' It was all interconnected. I also discovered the free Google Earth download from Wiley Press web site where all the buildings in the book are flagged! That has been a great help in lectures.

Perfect
This book arrived on time and in perfect condition. I was pleased with the service and would order again.

long over-due summary of global architecture: a must buy
This book is a sorely needed alternative to current textbooks. It is written in crisp and unsentimental style that conveys big themes but with an attention to details. The book is organized as a series of timelines beginning with 3500 BC and ending with a chapter on recent architecture. But instead of each chapter beginning at the same place in the world, each chapter begins somewhere differently.3500 BCE starts in China, 25 BCE in India, 1500 BCE in Egypt and 800 BCE with the Olmecs in Mexico. This constant turning and spinning of the globe is, in my view, quite exiting, as it gets students to learn how to be comparative in their thinking and simultaneously mobile in their intellectual understanding of history. Each chapter is introduced by a one page "take" on the architecture of each time section. These introductions, which serve as a text with a text, point out the themes of each chapter. Naturally in a work like this, one can talk about what is and is not included, but one has to give credit to the fact that book provokes that type of question in a positive way.

A fascinating argument that the authors make is that from early on architecture was changing and adapting, and, in essence, `modern.' In other words, it is not that WE are modern and everything before us was linear and stable. The book in that sense not only wants us to get a sense of the global horizon of architecture, but also a sense that architecture is very much IN history, reflecting in very real and dramatic way the changes that take place not only in technology and economy, but also in religion and power, those being four identifiable subtexts of the author's approach to the material.

I especially liked the chapter 1600 and its companion chapter "Architecture of Eurasian Power Block" which starts in Japan and works its way through Eurasia to England, not once but twice to emphasize the significance worldwide of the period 1500 to 1700 in the history of architecture. The drawings, sections, plans and photos work well with a text that is as densely packaged as this. And finally, it is worth noting that the book also serves to give the students fundamentals in the various global architectural vocabularies, Greek, Chinese, Hindu

Ka Ching!
I pre-ordered Ching's new book months ago based just on his outstanding work in his previous books.I wasn't disapponted.The timeline organization gives a much-needed new comparative perspective on architecture around the globe and across time.Ching's illustrations and choice of photos are just enough to illustrate the excellent text.This is yet another example of Ching's talent as an architectural illustrator and teacher of arxchitecture. ... Read more

Book Description
The era of seemingly unlimited growth in processor performance is over: single chip architectures can no longer overcome the performance limitations imposed by the power they consume and the heat they generate. Today, Intel and other semiconductor firms are abandoning the single fast processor model in favor of multi-core microprocessors--chips that combine two or more processors in a single package. In the fourth edition of Computer Architecture, the authors focus on this historic shift, increasing their coverage of multiprocessors and exploring the most effective ways of achieving parallelism as the key to unlocking the power of multiple processor architectures. Additionally, the new edition has expanded and updated coverage of design topics beyond processor performance, including power, reliability, availability, and dependability.

CD System Requirements
PDF Viewer
The CD material includes PDF documents that you can read with a PDF viewer such as Adobe, Acrobat or Adobe Reader. Recent versions of Adobe Reader for some platforms are included on the CD.

HTML Browser
The navigation framework on this CD is delivered in HTML and JavaScript. It is recommended that you install the latest version of your favorite HTML browser to view this CD. The content has been verified under Windows XP with the following browsers: Internet Explorer 6.0, Firefox 1.5; under Mac OS X (Panther) with the following browsers: Internet Explorer 5.2, Firefox 1.0.6, Safari 1.3; and under Mandriva Linux 2006 with the following browsers: Firefox 1.0.6, Konqueror 3.4.2, Mozilla 1.7.11.
The content is designed to be viewed in a browser window that is at least 720 pixels wide. You may find the content does not display well if your display is not set to at least 1024x768 pixel resolution.

Operating System
This CD can be used under any operating system that includes an HTML browser and a PDF viewer. This includes Windows, Mac OS, and most Linux and Unix systems.

Increased coverage on achieving parallelism with multiprocessors.

Case studies of latest technology from industry including the Sun Niagara Multiprocessor, AMD Opteron, and Pentium 4.

Three review appendices, included in the printed volume, review the basic and intermediate principles the main text relies upon.

Eight reference appendices, collected on the CD, cover a range of topics including specific architectures, embedded systems, application specific processors--some guest authored by subject experts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Clear and comprehensive
Used as a textbook for an introductory course on Computer Architecture.
The book is clear and well organized. Some of more basic stuff has been moved to the back of the book and this could be a problem if the audience is not familiar with some of the other (more advanced) topics.

a must-have for computer engineers
I read the 3rd edition cover to cover a few years ago and was amazed by its comprehensive coverage for computing related topics from high level to details. Now, the 4th edition is no worse and worth the money. With significant shift from single processor to multiprocessor, it matches the technology trend and stays on top of current industry challenges. This book is a definitely must have for both learning and referencing.

Regretfully, the publisher decided to save cost by moving many useful appendix chapters to CD and use paperback. The stretch to other topics like virtual memory, networking seems unnecessary. But that doesn't affect the overall book quality.

Combining this architecture level view with in-depth coverage of other important computer areas like "Computer organization and design", "operating system concepts" and "computer network", you will have a clear view of the whole infrastructure of the high tech industry.

always a great book!
every CS and computer releted student should read this book. It has great introductory as well as in-depth materials. The references are also extensive --- a great book for both learning and research.

a little wordy but intelligent
This book has a lot of information, especially with the appendices on CD and in the back of the book. If you are new to Architecture, I wouldn't recommend it. Get a simpler book...maybe by the same authors, just the "prerequisite" for this one.

Useful revisions to an already complete book
The paperback version of the book makes it cheaper than the previous edition in hard cover, so that's always a plus.There were also several new chapters and appendix sections for modern trends in the field.That said, using a used copy of the 3rd edition in a class that calls for the 4th edition doesn't work very well, since so much new material has been added. ... Read more

Book Description
The Achitecture of Happiness is a dazzling and generously illustrated journey through the philosophy and psychology of architecture and the indelible connection between our identities and our locations.

One of the great but often unmentioned causes of both happiness and misery is the quality of our environment: the kinds of walls, chairs, buildings, and streets that surround us. And yet a concern for architecture is too often described as frivolous, even self-indulgent. Alain de Botton starts from the idea that where we are heavily influences who we can be, and argues that it is architecture's task to stand as an eloquent reminder of our full potential. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

thoughtprovoking
de Bottonalwayswritesdensethoughtprovokingreviewsoftenonthingswe know aboutbutdon't ruminate about. SoitwaswithhisProustbook.Of coursesinceLehrerhas told usthatProustwas a neuroscientistProustisnowmore widely mentioned,though probablynot read. One wouldneedto take to his bed....Thearchitectureof happiness in a likemanner encouragesone to think abouthowdesign works on usandthroughouttimehasinfluencedus.Itencourages ustoruminate about the thingswe make and see. Ihavegivenacopytoayounggirlwho wants to go into architectureasIbelieveitwill widenher horizon. Ihighlyencourage reading of thisshorttomeandstudyingthe picturesforanywho can sitin a comfortable chair.

The author reflects on architecture
Considering the significance of architecture, the author remarks that beautiful houses falter as guarantors of happiness and can also be accused of failing to improve the characters of those who live in them and proceeds by explaining why this is so. Karl Friedrich Schinkel for example stated that to turn something useful, practical, and functional into something beautiful is the architect's duty. Architecture should thus be the decoration of construction as distinguished from mere building. The architects of the Modernist movement, like all their predecessors, wanted their houses to speak and express emotions. Indeed buildings speak. They speak of democracy or aristocracy, openness or arrogance, welcome or threat, sympathy for the future or a hankering for the past.
Interestingly enough what we search for in a work of architecture is not so far from what we search for in a friend because the objects we describe as beautiful art versions of the people we love. The buildings we admire are those which extol values we think are worthwhile: through their materials, shapes and colours they express qualities such as friendliness, kindness, subtlety, strength and intelligence. As Stendhal wrote, "Beauty is the promise of happiness."
We are vulnerable to what the spaces we inhabit are saying. In a drab hotel room our optimism and sense of purpose are liable to drain away. We look to our buildings to hold us, like a kind of psychological mould, to a helpful vision of ourselves. We need a home in the psychological sense as much as we need a home in the physical sense: to compensate for vulnerability, we need a refuge.
We may feel joy at the architectural perfection we see before us and at the same time melancholy at an awareness of how seldom we are sufficiently blessed to encounter anything of its kind. And sadness is conducive to receptivity: our downhearted moments provide architecture and art with their best openings because it is at such times that our hunger for their ideal qualities is at its height.
Such thoughts and many other are contained in this study of architecture and make for a valuable and interesting read.

Beautiful book
I learnt a lot from this book, usually Alain de Botton's books are not very easy to read but this one is so simple and pictures help a lot. I have seen so many Roman and ancient Greek buildings, I only appreciate how good they look. Now I know more about the styles and relationship with the human pyschology. Really great book for architecture-illiterate.

An interesting essay on form...
I suppose all art attempts to bring essence into form and architecture is no exception.De Botton digs right in and starts analyzing the ingredients that bring space to life, and poetically decodes the language of form and attempts to explain how it resonates and entices the observer and for what reasons different people are drawn to different architectural forms based on their own lacking qualities. It sounds pretty heady and it is.The author opens the book with the most poignant description of the unfailingly loyal character of a house which brought shivers to me as I recountedmy love affairs with all the houses I grew up in. His writing style instantly drew me in- with his clever pepperings of metaphor and other literary communicative techniques.By the end of the book, however, as the subject material became a little more obtuse, his writing style seemed to become more pompous and strayed from effective communication into the realm of word-smithing bravado.You know, kind of like those inexperienced jazz musicians who run off into incomprehensibly difficult solos - more intent on displaying superlative technique and ego fattening talent than eliciting a gentle stirring of the soul. It became somewhat annoying, but I am going to re-read some of it and see if a 2nd reading bears this out.In any case, the mental journey he provides for any architecture freak like me is truly thrilling albeit somewhat laborious! -

EXQUISITE RUMINATIONS!
The Architecture of Happiness is about beauty, in our physical surroundings and in our lives.The elegant style of writing, spare, essential and learned, takes us on a sublime tour of art as architecture and architecture as art, gently prodding us to take stock of all manner of aesthetic detail in our man-made environments, from follies and foibles, to superb examples of man's strivings to create lasting, transformng public and private spaces, as well as to ponder the historical/artistic links, which lead us from "then," to now, and beyond.This lovely book reminds us, advises us, to take a moment and "see" what is right before our eyes.
... Read more

Book Description
This concise manual goes beyond a simple rundown of tools and commands to examine and explain the process of creating professional-quality building design projects using the newest release of AutoCAD Architecture (formally Autodesk Architectural Desktop). Content focuses squarely on the rationale and practicality of the software through life-tested, practical lessons that emphasize the "why" as well as the "how" in order to help professionals complete their projects successfully. Text and lessons combine to deliver a clear sense of the value of the tools introduced as well each tool's potential. The result is a fully up-to-date resource that shortens the learning curve and builds confidence and comfort in using the software as a tool to create architecture. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Mastering AutoCad Architecture
This is a very informative book after trying to get a grip on the other books I've tried to study along with. This book is an excllent read and study book for all areas of Cad users interested in the Architecture aspect of it.

Excellent reference manual
I have been buying Aubin's Mastering series since Autocad version 14.He never dissappoints.This is a great book.

Mastering AutoCAD Architecture 2008
The book is excellent.It is everything that I expected, except that the product arrived with the cover damaged.The shipping package has an inner cardboard "flap" that damaged the front cover of the book.

Good Basics Book
It was hard to find an instruction manual for the newest version of Architecture that wasn't really more of an AutoCAD book.This book jumps into the specifics of using the unique features of AutoCAD Architecture and as the description and reviews say, It is good for beginners and more advanced users such as myself.It is especially helpful for figuring out where tools you have used in older versions of Architectural Desk Top have moved to or morphed into becoming in the new version.

Master ACA 2008
Excellent book.You have to have a full understanding of the names for the areas of the editing screen.There is a photo of the layout given at the beginning of the book that you will have to refer back to (page 43).For example, the author will say, "look for the button at the status bar".Unless you know exactly where the status bar is, you will have to review the photo at the begining of the book.Most examples are accompanied by a photo example, but some do not.Also, the author will sometimes tell you how to change the look or menu options, but does not tell you how to change it back to how it was before you altered the look.I had to spend some time with the ACA help center to figure out how to get it back.Some proceedure steps may be in reverse order.In one example (page 26), the author says to create a Space, and set the ASSOCIATIVE to YES and set CREATE TYPE to GENERATE.You cannot set the associative to yes UNLESS you have already set the create type to generate.But the author steps this out in the reverse order.So if you cannot get something to work in a step-by-step process, try and switch two or so items.Overall, a great book for a very in-depth and complex software program. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (12)

give me a break
the old jeanneret is a purist with a machine aesthetic yearning to become a calculator.

there's nothing wrong with public plazas.

stop repeating yourself. you're not fun to think about.

architecture is plastic and experiential, but not dogmatized by universality, so stop critcising utopian solutions for lack of ingenuity.

How buildings became boxes
A must read for anyone with the least bit of interest in architecture.

A must have for Architecture students
Worth the read just for Le Corbusier's description of the effects that a building has on the psyche's of its users. Lots of great line drawings. When reading, remember that the book is a collection of magazine articles, hence the repitition that occurs from chapter to chapter. The book should have been only half as long as it is; a lot of unnecessary filler.

Eye opening and excellent
While known for at times overstating his case, Le Corbusier still makes a well-thought and passionate statement for the impact and value of architecture in the 20th (and now 21st century). The book is a fast, engaging read and frighteningly topical for something that was written almost a century ago.

The Godfather of Sprawl
Corbusier's theories, as much as anyone's, led directly to the dis-integration of the city in favor of the elements that we currently know as sprawl. And he specifically celebrated the things that today, we are trying to painfully wean ourselves from. For example, he exulted over the fact that "I will live 30 miles in one direction from the office, while my secretary will live 30 miles in the other direction from the office, and together, we will consume enough gasoline and rubber for tires that we will keep several people busy producing them." OK, so that's not an exact quote because it's been several years since I read the book, but that's the essence. Look it up, and others like it, and you'll discover that this guy's ideas are responsible for greater destruction of western urbanism than World War II. Seriously. Look at maps of cities in Europe before the war and after. Then look at them in 1970, after Corbusier's ideas came to fruition. You be the judge. ... Read more

Book Description
A completely updated and revised edition of the classic reference work on architecture--now expanded with entries on landscape architecture.

This is a major revision and expansion of what has long been recognized as a basic reference in its field. Besides updating the existing text, the authors have broadened the book by including many new entries on landscape architecture as well as by significantly increasing their treatment of American architects and architecture. This is a highly readable work, worldwide in scope, covering architecture from ancient times to the present. Major entries on key individuals, styles, movements, materials, and terms range up to several pages in length and include cross references and bibliographies for further reading. This is an essential addition to the reference shelf of every architectural student and buff.

"Commendably wide in scope . . . special care has been taken to make the definitions and terminology as close and consistent as possible."-- Architect and Surveyor

"Immensely useful, succinct and judicious . . . this is a book rich in accurate fact and accumulated wisdom."-- The Times Literary Supplement

"A magnificent panorama of world architecture, scholarly conciseness at its best."-- Art Review ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An essential for everyone's reference shelf .
From Aalto to Ziggurat, the bounty of information provided in this well illustrated and value priced volume will keep you informed for a very long time. A great general reference of architecture and landscaping for both the student and the home owner alike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

Heavy in 'Case Studies'marginal on usable content.
This text is chock full of "Case Studies" in Architectural design & development methods, but surpringinly sparse in specifics. The authors' take an approach that is almost entirely qualitative; I was hoping to see a more analytical set of methods for analysing architectures, butfound little.

Not suitable for web applications
This book is great to gain theoritical knowledge about software architecture, but it lacks practical insights. May be it's my specific problem, because I was trying to find a good book on architecture of web applications, which this book does not provide.

Learning from the ancient masters of building
What is arguably the best analogy to the creation of the large, modern software product is the construction of the great pyramids of Egypt: any error made in laying down the lower layers was magnified many times over when the additional layers were added. The placement of even a single component required the coordinate actions of many workers. Large detailed plans were necessary before the first block could be laid and while no precise deadline existed, there was a general one. Finally, despite their impressive size, the pyramids were built by applying simple components while following a well-understood pattern for integration.
Therefore, as so many people are now pointing out, software engineers can learn much from the masters of construction.
Architecture (architorture to students of the craft) is a very difficult area to master. The human mind processes information based on patterns, but much of that efficiency is based on experienced patterns, and abstractions rarely come easy even to the prepared mind. In this book, the authors do a great deal to assist "open minds" in preparing to understand and use architectural patterns.
To present their ideas, the authors coined the phrase, "Architecture Business Cycle" (ABC). This phrase is designed to describe the entire process, from the initial itch on the back of the brain, to the influence of the architecture of one product in succeeding generations of products. Only when the consequences to future generations of software are included can we truly say we are describing the complete software life cycle.
The approach used is a combination of explanation and case studies. Seven of the nineteen chapters are case studies that generally are well-done examples of the material. The core of the book, however, is the development of the steps in the construction of the ABC. The first step is the creation and analysis of a specific architecture. To perform the analysis, the authors put forward the Software Architecture Analysis Method (SAAM), a scenario-based method of evaluation. This technique is also one of the components of an architecture-review process.
After the architecture is developed, it is time to create an equivalent system based on the design. To do that, a symbolic notation is needed. While there is some time spent on Architecture Description Languages (ADLs), this is one topic that should have been expanded. Without a common language that has a high degree of precision, there is a great deal of room for potential error. The analogy or metaphor that clarifies a concept for one person makes it less comprehensible for others. An example of an ADL is presented, but seven pages containing diagrams is not enough to do more than spark interest or confusion.
The final area concerns the reuse of components and architecture. Two chapters are devoted to this topic, one on reuse within an organization and the other on reuse within the community. Within an organization, the emphasis is on the other software product line-a series of products in both parallel and sequential development. Creating a "reasonable" match to a consumer's requirements in the software development equivalent of real time is achievable only if there is an extensive stock of well-designed components that work and play well with each other. The only way to achieve this is to make such behavior part of the fundamental design. In the modern era of global competition, exposing your architectural designs to the world might seem to be a poor business practice. However in many areas this is not the case.
Software developers can learn a great deal from the construction engineers of the ancient world. When planning a complex structure, the medieval architect commonly attacked the problem from a multigenerational perspective. Knowing the project would not be completed for decades, the initial architectural plans included the passing of the necessary legacy knowledge down to the later generations of planners and builders. Only then could there be a guarantee of completion and long-term viability. The ABC as put forward in this book is one way the computer industry can approach problems from the same perspective.

Published in Journal of Object-Oriented Programming, posted with permission.

A solid attempt to articulate on Software Architecture principles
Some would have trouble describing the discipline of Software Architecture in a concise sentence... Writing a book about it is a bigger challenge.

What I like about this book is that it spells out succinctly some of the principles that software architects should adhere to... and then identifies why they sometimes should not. The tradeoffs, while not discussed in the light of a common problem, but mostly as a comparison between two or more 'reference architectures', become clear once the reader can frame the problem in a way that applies to her own architectural dilemmas.

On the other hand, the book now shows its age. While CORBA makes for a good case study, most software architects would benefit from a Web-Services study, and the patterns that are being used there.

Overall, a good book but I would recommend you flipping through it to figure out if it would help you in your day-to-day activities - or whether another Software Architecture book is more suitable.

Part four very useful
I found part four "Moving from one system to many" quite useful and relevant in today's loosely-coupled distributed enterprise applications scenario. This book is a good read for those architects who are into product development.
... Read more