Product Description

This award-winning book, substantially updated to reflect the latest developments in the field, introduces the concepts and best practices of software architecture--how a software system is structured and how that system's elements are meant to interact. Distinct from the details of implementation, algorithm, and data representation, an architecture holds the key to achieving system quality, is a reusable asset that can be applied to subsequent systems, and is crucial to a software organization's business strategy.

Drawing on their own extensive experience, the authors cover the essential technical topics for designing, specifying, and validating a system. They also emphasize the importance of the business context in which large systems are designed. Their aim is to present software architecture in a real-world setting, reflecting both the opportunities and constraints that companies encounter. To that end, case studies that describe successful architectures illustrate key points of both technical and organizational discussions.

Topics new to this edition include:

Customer Reviews (25)

Huh?
I was so taken aback by the comments on this volume that I could not resist a retort.First, SEI transformation methodologies are abstract by intent.They are not how-to methodologies or roadmaps for composing class structures, web sites, or a coding guideline standard.The ATAM is immensely valuable for collecting and rating architectural drivers from stakeholders using a very novel approach to tradeoffs.Also, OAR is designed as a guideline to harvesting and rehabilitating pre-existing system components not for a detailed analysis of a systems component code-base.Again, this is not a coding guide for those of us who are new to the architectural profession and are thinking in code-modelling terminology.Last, (but of greatest concern), is the use of SEI transformation methodologies for plotting logical and physical design.They are not intended to be used for this level of design work.(One might compare this to the misapplied notion of using BPMN to design a detailed network topology).Other than possibly CBAM, these are also not cost modelling methodologies. Comparing COCOMO II to CBAM is paramount to comparing an abacus to an accounting algorithm for future value.Sorry if I stepped on any toes...off the soapbox.

Good Foundation Book
This is a solid work on SEI's ADD methodology. The authors fully document the ADD methodology in terms of incorporating this into your practice. Clear text, diagrams, and illustrations depict how you bridge the gap between theory and practice.

If you're looking to use, or enhance, how to leverage your use architecture, I recommend this book. ADD is a method that values the business intent of the software, and constructs a method that delivers value to the customer.

There are some weak chapters, which prevent me from giving a 5-star rating. For example, Chapter 10 addresses reverse engineering an architecture. The focus was on a point exercise that is not useful in either theory or practice. Other case studies in the book (there are a few) were not helpful as they did not have the keys to turn the theory into practice. For example Chapter 16 addressed a J2EE/EJB study; however it was very high-level and omitted important details to be used in practice. However, the case study of an avionics system (Chapter 3) was good; it provided insight in how to apply theoretical concepts.

I recommend this book for those organizations looking for a solid value-add approach to improving your architectures both technically, and in customer value.

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.
... Read more

Product Description
These days, green is the name of the game. There has never been so much interest in the ecological impact of buildings as there is today. This is not a negligible fact in the struggle to control pollution and in the search for responsible "sustainable" methods of construction. Buildings are among the heaviest consumers of natural resources and account for a significant portion of the greenhouse gas emissions that affect climate change. With global warming now a significant international political issue, architecture itself is on the brink of significant changes, where style and matters of aesthetics are placed in a secondary position behind issues of sustainability. At a certain time, "green" buildings were ugly and complicated affairs, usually multicolored as though an entire rainbow in one building might be sufficient to prove a concern for ecology. This is surely no longer the case as buildings published in this current volume demonstrate. However, it may be that green architecture is not so much about architecture as it is about survival; the aesthetics of the architecture are secondary considerations when it comes to finally stopping the war with nature that has resulted in the creation of the asphalt jungle. Well-known architects from Tadao Ando to Thom Mayne figure in this book, but so too do many others that are far less famous today, but perhaps the stars of tomorrow. Find out who is making today s architecture go green in a big way.

Featured architects/firms/artists:
Adjaye Associates, Agence Babylone, Tadao Ando, Shigeru Ban, Barlindhaug Consult AS, Barton Willmore, Patrick Blanc, Randy Brown Architects, Vincent Callebaut Architecte, Cepezed, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Vladimir Djurovic, Dennis Dollens, Ecosistema Urbano, EDAW, Fearon Hay, Foster + Partners, Peter Gluck, Monika Gogl, Zaha Hadid, Herbst Architects, Anna Heringer and Eike Roswag, David Hertz, Hotson Bakker Boniface Haden, Chris Jacobs, Kempe Thill, KieranTimberlake Associates LLP, Rafael de La-Hoz, Michael Lehrer, MIII architects, Marchi Architectes, Morphosis, Alberto Mozó, Manfredi Nicoletti, Office dA, Sergio Palleroni, Renzo Piano, Polk Stanley Rowland Curzon Porter, Philippe Rahm, Rau, Michael Reynolds, Roswag & Jankowski, Rural Studio, SITE, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill, Ken Smith Landscape Architecture, Germán del Sol, Werner Sobek, studio tamassociati, Chris Tate, TNA, UNStudio, Michael Van Valkenburgh, Weiss/Manfredi, wHY Architecture, Ken Yeang, Zoka Zola ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

i never recieved it
ive sen the book and its great only that i ordered it and never recieved it!

boo

Christmas gift..
Will be given for a Christmas gift.Hope he likes the format.May have been better in English only. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (34)

Good introduction to cloud computing
Overall this book was a great overview of cloud computing. It would be great to see a new addition or online addendum that is less Amazon-centric and provides more information regarding other players. However, this is a great reference whether you are designing a new application or looking to convert an existing application. After working with cloud computing for over a year I can say that I wish I would have had this book before I started because many of the considerations and concepts that are discussed in the book I have learned about through hard work and sometimes trial and error.

See my full lengthy review at [...]

A good overview of Cloud Computing and Amazon cloud
If you are looking to learn some essentials about Cloud computing and Amazon Cloud computing services, this is a book for you. The book covers the basics of cloud computing, addresses its costs vs. benefits, also discussed security, disaster recover, and scalability. This book is heavily focused on Amazon Cloud Computing with some information about Rackspace and GoGrid. It does not include many other Cloud providers and services like Force.com (Salesforce), etc. This book is a good reading and reference in general.

Good for the right audience
In Short: If you're looking for a book that explains how the AWS EC2 & S3 services can be used to implement transactional web applications on the IaaS model, while accommodating enterprise architectural needs, such as security, disaster recovery, and scalability, this is a good book for you.

This book provides a good introduction to cloud computing, but it focuses on a specific usage paradigm. As such the title is a little misleading; instead of providing a variety of cloud application architectural patterns, this book focuses on web application development using the Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) model. That is to say, the discussion covers a subset of IaaS; it neither covers other models (e.g. PaaS) or other uses of the IaaS model (workflow-based, sometimes called "scientific" or grid-based, applications).

The book also focuses on Amazon Web Services (AWS) as the implementation context. I think this is a practical approach, given the aforementioned usage focus as was just mentioned. The VAST majority of web application development using the IaaS model is implemented via AWS.

If you are a developer who knows that the usage pattern described above is applicable to your needs, this is a great book to get introduced to AWS prior to a design effort for a new project. It covers high-level (architectural) concerns such as reliability and security which should be considered at the outset of such a project. It is concise, and clearly written (assuming a technical audience).

If, however, you are looking for more of an overview, perhaps cataloging all the various architectural options that fall within cloud computing, or if you are looking specifically for information on other cloud usage patterns (grid computing, Platform as a Service, or Software as a Service), you'll want a different book.

What a bore.
This book was such a bore to read.The phrase 'Building Applications' led me to believe that this book might possibly be about building applications.Unfortunately, it was mostly CIO-speak.Awful, awful.

Easy to read introduction focusing on architecture, best practices.
Book provides a good overview of cloud architectures and best practices, with a slant towards architecting transactional web-based systems for security, failure recovery, and so on. Heavy emphasis on Amazon S3, EC2 and related offerings, so if you are curious about deploying to Amazon's cloud, a good overview. Nice short book at 150 pages, easy to read in a few settings. But if you are new to this space, a good overview doesn't need to be 1000 pages to get you going. Also contains a couple of appendices that describe Amazon APIs and other cloud ISPs such as Rackspace. I recommend this book if you are looking at a quick overview of architectures and discussion of issues you need to think about to deal with security, data integrity, costs, disaster recovery. Your choice of cloud provider may not be Amazon, but these issues need to be considered regardless. ... Read more

Product Description
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 in 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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

Humanitarian Architecture
A great book put together by a great organization (Architecture for Humanity). After 2 introductions by the founders of Architecture for Humanity the book is made up of profiles of numerous projects from basic shelter to schools, bridges and city planing. Most projects are built work, some are conceptual. The book profiles work by many organizations all over the world. Inspirational and creative. This is a great book for anyone interested in humanitarian aid, design activism, low cost housing, public planing and policy etc.

lots of specific info
I've skimmed through this. It has beautiful pictures along with specific info on what is involved in the projects. It doesn't go too overboard on the typology- (or is it typography-)masturbation like some design books.

Great Book!
I love Architecture for Humanity and I keep up with their work. This book is very interesting and worth having.

Book Review

Book Review: Design Like You Give a Damn

Design Like You Give a Damn seeks to transport design from the elite realm where it primarily exists to the realm of humanitarianism, where it is most needed.This book, edited by the non-profit, globally focused group, Architecture for Humanity, ambitiously takes on the most severe problems currently plaguing the human race, including lack of access to clean water, proper sanitation, and decent housing.The book presents a range of different possible solutions grouped into the sections of housing; community; water, energy, and sanitation; and politics, policy, and planning.The book is interdisciplinary and includes ideas from architects and designers, planners, engineers, politicians and others.It is primarily a collection of schematic ideas and projects with a little room left also for essays by the founder of Architecture for Humanity and a few others.
The ideas presented are not meant to be seen as westerners attempting to `fix' the third world and all its many problems.Rather the ideas attempt to be culturally sensitive and many are created by designers from the site or project location.In addition, many of the projects included community input by polling residents on what types of amenities they would appreciate being brought into their communities or involving them in other ways in the design process.For example, the Favela-Bairro Projects, located in Rio de Janeiro and designed by Jorge Mario Jauregui Architects, attempted to alleviate a very dangerous environment.The favelas consisted mostly of squatters and many did not even have formal streets.However they housed nearly 1/3 of the city's population and contained a vibrant community life.The community was involved in the actual design process as well as the decision of programming the building.Many communities did not necessarily want an all-purpose `recreation center' but opted instead for such buildings as a communal laundry, a salsa hall, a daycare center, and a venue for hosting Rio de Janeiro's soccer championships.As stated by the architect, Jorge Mario Jauregui, these buildings usually become `monuments' as soon as they are built because it indicates to the community that they are no longer being ignored by their government, that they have a right to design not to mention proper sanitation and housing that meets building codes as much as residents of the `formal city.'
This project is a good example of the spirit of the book.There is a belief that good design can be applied to serious problems not just aesthetics and that it does not have to be trivial.Although on the hierarchy of needs food and shelter are obviously much more basic than an environment which promotes beauty and functionality, the book also indicates that design dignifies.The projects do more than present people with a bare minimum meeting of their needs.They seek to go beyond this and provide housing, schools, community centers, and other things which will raise the level of hope in the community and show that things can be better than they currently are; change is possible.This book was very refreshing because it is representative of a `silent majority' of the population, both in the United States and other western countries as well as elsewhere, which is often ignored in terms of designers.Whitney Young once famously rebuked AIA members for their "thunderous silence and complete irrelevance" in the area of civil rights, a charge that could probably be shared by many related professions.This book attempts to reverse this trend and bring urban planning as well as architecture and engineering to work on the world's most difficult problems by approaching them in such a way that emphasizes not their grandeur only but the fact they can, if not be solved, at least be made better for our own and future generations.

makes a good read
This was a mother's day gift from my husband. I am a 3-d artist and as I have been "into " the topic of shelter and portable housing for years, this book was right for me. And that the book deals with the human condition, and especially about helping the Quality of life through design, makes the book very interesting to read. If you are into web sites like" Instructables "or" eco- geek" you will love the book. ... Read more

Product Description
A 2009 Game Developer Magazine Front Line Award Finalist, this book covers both the theory and practice of game engine software development, bringing together complete coverage of a wide range of topics. The concepts and techniques described are the actual ones used by real game studios like Electronic Arts and Naughty Dog. The examples are often grounded in specific technologies, but the discussion extends way beyond any particular engine or API. The references and citations make it a great jumping off point for those who wish to dig deeper into any particular aspect of the game development process. Intended as the text for a college level series in game programming, this book can also be used by amateur software engineers, hobbyists, self-taught game programmers, and existing members of the game industry. Junior game engineers can use it to solidify their understanding of game technology and engine architecture. Even senior engineers who specialize in one particular field of game development can benefit from the bigger picture presented in these pages. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Video game bible
Read the first few pages and see if this is a beast you want to own.I think you will, because of the way this Text is written. The author gives you the correct terminology and the explanations behind them.This ones going to be on the night stand for a while because of the mere size and content. But dont take my word for it....check it out

Excellent High Level Game Engine Exploration
I recently finished a degree in computer science specialising in computer games. One of the things that was missing from the course was a good overview of game engines. We studied graphics, physics, maths etc... but we never went looked at the game engine as a whole. This book was a great high level exploration of game engines. I should stress high level, because it does not go into great depth on any one topic instead it motivates a particular topic, gives an overview of the theory then explains how that theory is adapted to games. It should be titled "Selected Topics Relating to Game Engines." It was very easy to read whilst still being professional.

The one thing that, to me, really gave the book validity is the constant references the author makes to commercial games he has been involved with. "In game X we did Y for reason Z." Something which you don't always get, but really should, when reading technical game books.

One of the great things about the book is the coverage - you will be bound to come across something you haven't heard of. For instance the chapter on c/c++ had a couple interesting tid-bits explaining the stack/heap, compilation process etc... The memory management section was very useful - often at uni when you develop small-ish assignments on PCs you don't get a chance to appreciate how important memory management really is in the real world. The only complaint I have is thatthe chapter I was most looking forward to which discussed the different types of game object models in the end felt underdone and under referenced for such a key part of game development. Although the book is very long it does miss out on a couple topics (AI, sound, game play systems ) which the author points out - not so much an issue because the book does not feel incomplete.

All and all an excellent read and one of the best game engine resources I have come across. I wish this had been written while I was still at uni - it would have been a big help!

THE BEST
It isn't necessary to commnet a long for it. It's the best book in the game engine section.
Simply, just rough reading of this book will increase your engineering knowledge and skill.

I was able to feel the fidelity of the book and surprised at the author's structural knowledge.
I think, the only defect of the book is the paper (its stuff), the publisher should have dealt it with more care.

Great, anyway!

One of the best to start with, for rendering engineers
From my experience this is one of the best book for Game Engine programming to start with. This is not the book which gives you the inner most details of the engine, but rather an overall view of the engine. It's a must read, I would say, before you take a dive on David Eberly's or Eric Lengyel's ...

In the initial pages this book covers on how to work with Visual Studio, adding watch, breakpoints etc. and gradually moves over to memory management ... design of an engine. I sincerely regret not having this book some few years before.

One of the issue that I found with this book is that, the book is scattered with some good URLs but you've to manually type it properly. Those URLs are added into the book's website ([...] ) Check it out.

Jason Gregory is a wonderful teacher and teaches in a way that you can absorb the material in a much simpler way. He keeps all the presented information simple, but not simpler. Well worth.

Great book
The book has that brief into that all Game *Design* books have, but it quickly dives into the guts of what we all want to know. I read half of the book in a day and it already confirms several theories and ideas I've had that I wasn't sure of. I would definitely recommend this book to my colleagues, but also students just starting in the industry. ... Read more

Product Description
The Phaidon Atlas of 21st Century World Architecture is a comprehensive portrayal of the finest built architecture from around the world completed since the year 2000. Divided into six world regions, the Phaidon Atlas of 21st Century World Architecture provides an important overview of global and local trends in architecture for a wide range of users. The geographical contexts for twenty-first century architectural production are explored in a global framework presented in accessible graphic formats. Each of the six world regions is introduced by an in-depth look at their unique urban and architectural issues. This statistical data has been researched and analyzed by a team of from the London School of Economics.

More than 1000 key buildings have been chosen through a rigorous selection process involving a panel of expert advisors and specialists from every region. Each building is fully illustrated with drawings and photographs, and each is described by a short essay. Further information includes key data such as construction cost, client name, area of the building, and geographical coordinates. Cross-referencing between projects helps the user to find other buildings by the same architect included in the book. In addition, a mass of useful information is provided, including details about the architects' practices, as well as extensive indices.

Customer Reviews (7)

Maybe my favorite book
This is an amazing book chock full of projects that I have never seen before.It is organised intelligently and usually provides good drawings and pictures of each project.

Buyer Beware - Epic Fail
My wife recently ordered this fantastic book as a birthday gift. And yes the book itself is awesome, no doubt about it. She ordered it on Amazon as it is considerably cheaper, but was hesitant as she still likes to view items before she buys them - sadly she was all too right. To cut a long story short we are in the process of returning the second damaged Atlas to Amazon.

The state the Atlas' were received it (for a book of this price) was entirely unacceptable. The box it comes in (whilst admittedly somewhat flimsy) has been either cracked or bent both times. The Atlas', in all honestly, look like ex display copies that they're trying to palm off on you in the hope you cannot be bothered to return them; corners bent, pages torn, whole sections of the book pushed in and dented. This is a coffee table book and somewhat of an investment in my eyes at least.

If someone from Amazon actually reads this...if a book is returned due to damage why oh why wouldn't you check the second one you sent out wasn't in a similar or worse condition!!

We'll return one last time and see if the third one is in any better condition...

Brilliant book !!!
I love this book. Good collection of buildings from around the world.
Although the plans aren't overly detailed, the images in this book are stunning. My fav book... :-)

The Phaidon Atlas of 21st Century World Architecture
A great book....something every architect or anyone interested in contemporary architecture should have in
their library.

mehmet's review
Although the quality of the information inside is professionally edited and very useful, only the paper quality seems weaker than the previous atlas (the phaidon atlas of contemporary architecture) ... Read more

Product Description
With a focus on the process of design, this book's practical approach serves users with a design manual for those interested in gaining knowledge and developing skills in the design of landscapes for private residences. This useful reference clearly illustrates and discusses the actual procedures and underlying principles utilized by experienced residential landscape designers. Extensive illustrations in the form of plans, sections, elevations, diagrams and perspectives show users the application of material presented. Content provides the quality fundamentals of residential site design–exploring functional and artistic elements, with a focus on appreciation of quality and updated standards for site development, maintenance techniques and training. Architecturally responsive design material is emphasized throughout–examines landscape designs and structures that blend with the existing house character. Includes useful chapters on Functional Diagrams and Form Composition–critical subjects in creating functionally and visually successful design solutions. Also features reorganized and revised chapters–expanded section on planting design (Ch. 11); and Chapter 14 on Design Alternatives. A good reference for those who are beginning their design careers, as well as those currently practicing residential design. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Great book
I own a small landscape company and this book has helped me better my landscape designs and understand some of the basic principles of design.

I highly recommend this book if you are studying landscape design. Could see it being useful for a home owner also like someone else had reviewed. Most of the home owner books are packed with garbage about buying their plans etc.

This book offers no plans inside really but it does guide you on how to make your own.

RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
THIS COVER IT NOT THE BOOK THAT ARRIVED. THIS COVER SHOWN IS FOR AMERICAN STUDENTS. THE BOOK SENT TO ME IS FOR INTERNATIONAL USE AND "NOT FOR SALE IN THE U.S.A." THIS BOOK WAS SHIPPED FROM MALAYSIA AND NOT FROM OHIO AS DESCRIBED WHEN SOLD TO ME. FALSE REPRESENTATION.BE HONEST WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS!!!!

Basically informative...
The book gives you a pretty good overview of each phase of a job in residential landscape architecture, and also, what is expected of the landscape architect. At times, however, I felt that the author was trying to fill some space with wordy repetition. It does provide a basic roadmap of a job in this field of work, from start to finish. It also covers standard basic design elements. For that, it's worth the read. I'm not sure it's worth the price.

Easy ordering and arrived in good condition
Ordering was easy and I received the book in the time frame the shipping outlined. The book was listed as in 'good' conditon so I wasn't exactly sure what that meant but it was in great condition - looked almost new. There wasn't any writing or highlighting on any of the pages nothing ripped or stained - I was very pleased with the condition on the book and would definitley order from them again. And the price was right I saved around $50.00 off of the new book price.

A Review from the Perspective of the Novice Home Owner
Full Disclaimer.I bought this book specifically for the purpose of trying to design my yard without having the to dish out the exhorbitant cost of having a professional landscaper feng shui my yard.I am not a college student (probably the intended audience) but felt that being a reasonably intelligent person, I would be able to use some basic concepts to create my own design.

I found that the book was pretty easy to follow and tied together some basic concepts related to design.It was certainly a useful tool but you must be prepared to read and learn.Again, as a new home owner with a blank slate of a yard, I would recommend going to nice areas around you and take some pictures of the more appealing landscapes and pay attention.Search around on the internet.

If you are more interested in more of a pictorial representation with some side notes or bullet points then this is not the book for you.This is a college level book intended for perspective landscape designers. ... Read more

Product Description
The Internet's remarkable growth has been fueled by innovation. New applications continually enable new ways of using the Internet, and new physical networking technologies increase the range of networks over which the Internet can run. Questions about the relationship between innovation and the Internet's architecture have shaped the debates over open access to broadband networks, network neutrality, nondiscriminatory network management, and future Internet architecture. In Internet Architecture and Innovation, Barbara van Schewick explores the economic consequences of Internet architecture, offering a detailed analysis of how it affects the economic environment for innovation.

Van Schewick describes the design principles on which the Internet's original architecture was based—modularity, layering, and the end-to-end arguments—and shows how they shaped the original architecture. She analyzes in detail how the original architecture affected innovation—in particular, the development of new applications—and how changing the architecture would affect this kind of innovation.

Van Schewick concludes that the original architecture of the Internet fostered application innovation. Current changes that deviate from the Internet's original design principles reduce the amount and quality of application innovation, limit users' ability to use the Internet as they see fit, and threaten the Internet's ability to realize its economic, social, cultural, and political potential. If left to themselves, network providers will continue to change the internal structure of the Internet in ways that are good for them but not necessarily for the rest of us. Government intervention may be needed to save the social benefits associated with the Internet's original design principles. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

whither net neutrality?
A good part of the book is devoted to the history and technical architecture of the internet.Light reference to the burning issue of net neutrality and extensive discussion of its surrogate "end-to-end arguments" of the narrow and broad types is puzzling.The internet is not end-to-end but based on hops, box 3.4, as stated on p. 384, so what is the big deal with end-to-end hop-less connectivity, except for real-time communication which was not part of the original design of the internet? This is the first time I learned that Salzer, Reed and Clark (1981) take credit for original "end-to-end" arguments (p. 58), overshadowing Vinton Cerf, Bob Kahn and Jon Postel who "invented" the Internet well before 1981. van Schewich ought to explain why she considers Salzer et al phrase "end-to-end" to be the catchphrase and linguistic keyword for the entire book, instead of relegating it to a mere historical artifact.

Ignoring the unnecessary exposition on the Application/ Transport/ Internet and Link layers, known to every Cisco technician, van Schewich deserves credit for building the next two sections of the book: Net Neutrality and competition, and Net Neutrality and innovation.van Schewich comprehensively surveys the literature of the internet + competition (Varian genre) and internet+innovation (von Hippel genre).The conclusions are predictably unpalatable to the financial health of Comcast and Verizon, that erosion of transparent "end-to-end" connectivity (net neutrality) would be anti-competitive and would stifle innovation.

Confuses Architecture and Implementation
The principal problem with the book is the author's lack of understanding of the engineering process. Engineers, unlike law professors writing books about engineering, don't work from first principles like the Internet's retrospective end-to-end arguments principle; they make tradeoffs and design toward a goal or set of goals. Thus, when the Internet was built the project manager, Bob Kahn, adapted a design that had already been proved in the French research network CYCLADES rather than starting with a blank slate. CYCLADES designer Louis Pouzin went with an "architecture" that was appropriate for a research network, and not very suitable for an everyday network for unskilled people. The Internet has proved difficult to manage and expensive to operate because this research-centric design is still there. Security, privacy, viruses, spam, and denial of service attacks raise the price and lower the utility of the Internet, all a direct consequence of its organization.

The author is right that the Internet's organization makes it easy for some application programmers to bring new information services on-line, but wrong about the scope of the innovations it permits. Regardless of the system architecture, the services offered by a network constrain application developers. The telephone network is innovation-limiting because it's a slow, narrow-band system, not because it lacks end-to-end architecture. The end-to-end architecture is misleading in any case, as any network has an end-to-end element.

Because the Internet offers poor support for performance-intensive real-time applications (gaming, video conferencing, other forms of communication-oriented rather than content-oriented apps) the designers of these applications pay an innovation tax in the form of extra effort that effectively subsidizes content-oriented applications. They also end up bypassing most of the Internet through Content Delivery Networks and managed services. So the author is wrong regarding her claim that the Internet is the best of all possible networks from the innovator's perspective; it's good for some applications, but not for others.

If you must read this book for your job or a school assignment, wait for the Kindle version if you can (MIT Press says it will be three years from now;) it's just a bit tedious on paper.

One of the most important books in tech policy in a decade
This is an important and brilliant book, which I consider required reading for anyone interested in or serious about the Internet or innovation.

I have written a review of this book on my blog ([...]) and on the Huffington Post.

As I say there, this book is one of the very few books in the field of Internet policy that is in the same league as Larry Lessig's Code: And Other Laws of Cyberspace, Version 2.0, in 2000, and Yochai Benkler's The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom, in 2006, in terms of its originality, depth, and importance to Internet policy and other disciplines. I expect the book to affect how people think about the Internet; about the interactions between law and technical architectures in all areas of law; about entrepreneurship in general. I also think her insights on innovation economics, which strike me as far more persuasive than lawyers' usual assumptions, should influence "law and economics" thinking for the better.

Books this good don't come along every day--or even every year-and I'm already late to the praise-party. Harvard Law professor Larry Lessig (the trail-blazing cyberlaw champion) recommended it in the New York Times this week; Susan Crawford (a law professor who served as a top White House advisor) recommended it in an op-ed in Salon/GigaOm yesterday; Brad Burnham, the venture capitalist who was featured earlier this week in the NYT's Room for Debate, also posted an endorsing review on his blog. MIT engineering professor David Reed (one of the key architects of the IP protocol, inventor of the UDP protocol) praises it on the book jacket.

It is not easy material--the Internet's technologies and how innovation actually evolves--but she writes for a general audience, not a technologist or lawyer, and you will learn a lot from, and be challenged by, the ideas in this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Detailing makes a landscape unique, and a landscape architect outstanding. Featuring many of the world's most highly acclaimed landscape architects, the book presents 40 of the most recently completed and influential landscape designs.

Each project is presented with color photographs, site plans, and sections as well as numerous construction details. There is also a brief descriptive text, detailed captions, and in-depth information for each project. The projects are presented in clear and concise layouts over four pages. All the drawings are specially commissioned, styled in a consistent manner, and presented at standard architectural scales for easy comparison. Intended for architects, engineers, and landscape architects, the book will also be invaluable for architecture, garden, and landscape design students, for whom it will be a resource not only for understanding the work of the best contemporary landscape architects, but also as a tool for their own design work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent condition
I was very excited to see the book arrived still in its plastic cover and included the CD that accomanies the book. The book did take a little longer to arrive than the other books I ordered on the same date. Otherwise it arrived in excellent condition and I was very happy with the service.

best book
The book very good
It is a lot of helpful information for architects and designers.

On the book it is applied cdrom with all drawings
There is only one minus, on drawings there are no signatures, such as in the book.

In the rest - all is good.

A useful resource for design details
Detailing is difficult for young design professionals. College education does not cover enough detail design, the only ways to learn how to develop details are: 1) learn through working experience in design offices; 2) teach yourself by reading good books.

"Detail in Contemporary Landscape Architecture" can alleviate this problem. It is a book on design details, not construction details. It has color interior photos and sections and plans drawn to scale. It can help young design professionals to understand design details by comparing photos to drawings. It is also a good collection of details of 40 well-known projects, which can inspire you to develop your own design details.

If you want to really learn more about construction details, you can simply find a good set of construction drawings and reading it word-by-word from beginning to end, and try to understand it. You may need to read the set several times and seek answers from more experienced colleagues to completely understand it.

"Detail in Contemporary Landscape Architecture" has 192 pages. It is a useful resource for design details.

Gang Chen, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Author of "Planting Design Illustrated," "LEED GA Exam Guide," "Architectural Practice Simplified," and other books on various LEED exams, architecture, and landscape architecture



... Read more

Product Description
Author and Revit Architecture expert Eric Wing walks you through designing, documenting, and presenting a four-story office building. The continuous tutorial begins with the Revit interface and standard conventions for placing walls, doors, and windows, then progresses through the building's design as would happen in the real world. You'll learn how to work with structural grids, beams, and foundations; add text and dimensions; build floors layer by layer; join exterior and interior walls; and create roofs and ceilings as well as stairs, ramps, and railings. You'll also be introduced to using embedded families and formulas, crucial site considerations, and importing and exporting to various formats.

For Instructors: Teaching supplements are available for this title.

Customer Reviews (25)

Very Good Book.
This book was delivered very fast, it is almost new condition. I am very happy with the sender Thanks

Good tutorials but kinda quirky
The thing I like the most about this book was that it was basically one really long tutorial in which you become acquainted with all the features of revit and actually put them to use.For me, this is the most effective way to learn.

However, they frequently switch up "east" and "west" which can be frustrating and confusing sometimes.They are not always reversed, but probably 50% of the time they are reversed, which only adds to the frustration.Also, when you go to the website, you cannot "browse to chapter 10" or whatever chapter they say and download the necessary files.They are bundled in completely random packs.For example, when I was downloading something to create a custom railing, the directions said to "go to the website, browse to chapter 10, and download the following files:" and then listed the files.Sounds easy, but in reality I had to download "Datasets Part Four" and "Datasets for chapters 15-17" to get the pieces for the project.

So, these are not huge problems, just fairly frustrating.

Textbook for college class
i couldn't get this text at the universutiy bookstore but was able to get it through Amazon.It came in a timely manner. As far as the book goes- it's a required text book-what can I say?I had to buy it.

Excellent Service
Book was delivered in excellent condition, just as stated.Thank you for your service.

Good & Bad
This is a reasonable book for learning the basics of the basics.Certain chapters appear to have been written in haste and were never corrected, as a result the instructions don't make sense and are frustrating to work with.Terms used in the book often do not match the terms used in the software. With a little effort you can usually overcome the book's misdirections.

When you do get stuck and contact their on-line help center you will receive a quick response telling you they will answer you questions later.This may occur two or three times but often the questions will remain ignored.This book will get you 75% of the way to being good at Revit.

... Read more

Product Description
About This Book Praise for Enterprise Architecture Planning— "… the book has given me a wealth of good, fresh ideas about every facet of the architecture process … makes a substantive contribution to the body of IS planning knowledge." —John A. Zachman Zachman Information Systems Enterprise Architecture Planning is more advanced than traditional system planning approaches because you:

• define a stable business model independent of organizational boundaries, systems, and procedures,
• define data before application, and
• let data determine the sequence for implementing applications systems.

Customer Reviews (9)

Very good, indeed recommended! (but a bit outdated)
(spanish review below)

This book is VERY GOOD as a help to understand Enterprise Architecture, one of the key elements of any IT Systems Plan for a business.

It describes what is Enterprise Architecture, how it should drive the creation of an integrated IT systems plan for either a big corporation or a small business and the steps to conduct a Enterprise Architecture Plan.

It comes as well with useful references to audit the current status of and recommend future direction forEnterprise Architecture, Data Architecture, Application Portfolio, IT Infrastructure, etc.

The only drawback it is due not to the book but to the time going by: it was written 15 years ago (1995) and that's a lot in Information Systems. It should be refreshed with many new concepts like SOA, massive usage of middleware, clould computing and many other IT practices.

Anyway, I do recommend it.

Alex Ballarin @ Cynertia Consulting. Barcelona. Spain.

=====

Este libro es MUY BUENO para ayudar a entender qué es una Arquitectura Empresarial (Enterprise Architecture), uno de los elementos básicos de cualquier Plan Director de Sistemas para un negocio.

Describe que es la Enterprise Architecture, como debería guiar la creación de un Plan Director de Sistemas, integrado y efectivo, para una gran corporación o una PYME. Además, repasa con detalle los pasos necesarios en un proyecto de Enterprise Architecture.

Viene con un buen conjunto de material de referencia que te ayuda a preparar una auditoría del estado actual de la Enterprise Architecture, Arquitectura de Datos, Portfolio de Aplicaciones, Infraestructura IT, etc.

La única parte negativa no se debe al libro, sinó al paso inexorable del tiempo: se escribió en 1995, hace 15 años, y por tanto está algo desfasado por el rápido avance de los sistemas de informacvión. Debería refrescarse con muchas de las tendencias que han aparecido durante la última década, como la adopción creciente de SOA, el uso masivo del middleware, Java, Cloud Computing y muchas otras.

En cualquier caso, lo recomiendo vivamente.

Alex Ballarin @ Cynertia Consulting. Barcelona. Spain.

The Bible for Enteprise Architecture Planning!
This seminal book captures it all.I have used this book as an invaluable reference on enterprise architecture projects for NASA, EPA, FAA and the Marine Corps.

This book lays out the entire littany of everything an EA team needs to do to become effective.It is a complete planning methodology.Where the real value of the information in this book comes in is in diligently following and implementing its tenets and processes.

Most organizations fail in EA for one reason - they lack executive buy-in.If you have executive buy-in, then you have most likely succeeded in educating your leadership about the importance and the value of EA. Making it real and practical will be a by-product of executive buy-in which should also come packaged with adequate funding and resourcing.

Countless studies have shown that organizations that invest in EA and have a mature EA program reap the rewards.You would not build a skyscraper without a blueprint; why build an organization without one?

This book belongs in the library of every serious enterprise architect. Without it you are missing the essentials of this critical discipoline.

I highly recommend it!

Kevin Brett
CEO, Kevin Brett Studios, Inc.
Author: The Way of the Martial Artist: Achieving Success in Martial Arts and in Life!

Former lead architect: FAA/ATO, EPA and currently lead architect on the USMC Enterprise Architecture project.

The Way of the Martial Artist: Achieving Success in Martial Arts and in Life!

Very practical guide for EAP projects
The book focuses on the practical steps necessary to perform successful EAP rather than on theoretical concepts and is therefore useful as a guide in EAP projects. It aligns with the Zachman Framework for I.S. Architectures and that alignment is explained in the book. The forward was written by John Zachman and he gives it high marks (of course).

The book addresses the most difficult aspects of EAP--how to handle the political hurdles and human issues that can stop an EAP project dead in its tracks. In doing so, the author demonstrates keen insight and experience with technology projects in business. It's not just about those aspects, but they are included for the benefit of anyone going through an EAP process.

The book takes the logical approach of starting with the definition of the business according to its functions (business value chain), moving next to the high-level, conceptual definition of the data that is required by the business. It then uses that data model to define (not design) the conceptual application architecture and then, in turn, the conceptual technology architecture. There is a clear distinction between the conceptual architectures and the more concrete designs that occur at the lower levels of the Zachman Framework. The author makes a convincing argument that this high-level definition needs to be created before the lower-level designs or the efforts will fail to produce the desired results. Samples of reports, such as a Business Model and a Data Architecture report, are provided in the appendix. I highly recommend this book.

Excellent resource - but use with caution
I purchased this book with it was first published and it greatly influenced my thinking and has continued to do so to this day.There is a large caveat I want to share before continuing - be careful of the Zachman Framework because if you do base your enterprise architecture on it you will soon discover that making changes is a tedious process that ripples across the matrix.That said, I continue to believe in the basic concepts and components of the framework, and I also think that it is an excellent way to gain a view of an enterprise when you are attempting to model it.

Caveat aside, the techniques and many of the elements of the framework provided in this book are invaluable to creating any enterprise framework or initiating and managing a process improvement program.While Chapter 1 describes enterprise architecture planning in the context of the Zachman Framework, all of the subsequent chapters can be applied to any framework, which what makes this book as valuable today as it was a decade ago.Specifically, Chapter 3 (Planning), 5 (Enterprise Survey), 8 (Application Architecture), and 10 (Implementation Plan) are among the best of the best practices for approaching any project that is enterprise-wide in scope.For that reason I continue to keep my worn copy of this book nearby as a reference.

Despite my views on the Zachman Framework and some of its limitations and challenges, you may not have a choice - if you are on a team that is refactoring your enterprise in accordance with the Zachman Framework I recommend that you visit the Zachman Institute (see ASIN B00016NEXI) and augment the decade old material in this book with the up-to-date content available on that site.

If you are still in the exploratory stage and are considering this book because you want to learn more about either the Zachman Framework or EAP I recommend that you not only purchase this book (for the reasons cited above), but that you also read "How to Survive in the Jungle of Enterprise Architecture Framework: Creating or Choosing an Enterprise Architecture Framework" (ASIN 141201607X).

A book for multiple audiences that stands the test of time
I initially read this book at the start of my career as a systems analyst.The Zachman framework presented a great way to think about the relationships between systems, data, processes and business.Later on, as a project manager, it provided a more useful tool for understanding the importance of architecture in developing systems.In addition, it applies to architects and senior IT managers who want to make the most of their investment.

The writing displays the academic rigor of the author's background, as well as the applicability that comes from his wealth of experience.Perhaps this blend is best typified in the only application I've seen of reapplying (rewriting?) Deming's 14 points of management for an application in IT.

Perhaps what separates this book from most is how well it's held up over time.At 10 years old, it hasn't aged.If anything, in today's age of complexity, the relevance of a coherent understanding of architecture is more important than ever.This book will help you understand it. ... Read more

Product Description
Thoroughly Revised And Updated, The Essentials Of Computer Organization And Architecture, Second Edition Is A Comprehensive Resource That Addresses All Of The Necessary Organization And Architecture Topics Yet Is Concise Enough To Move Through In A Single Semester.The Text Covers Such Topics As Digital Logic, Data Representation, Machine-Level Language, General Organization, Assembly Language Programming, CPU Organization, Memory Organization, And Input/Output Devices, As Well As A New Chapter On Embedded Systems.Correlated To The ACM-IEEE Computing Curricula Guidelines, The Essentials Of Computer Organization And Architecture Is The Forefront Text For Your Computer Organization And Architecture Course. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

It's a book...
Exactly what the professor told us to get... So far the book has been an easy read and plenty of good examples.

Clear and very comprehensive.
Well written and nicely organized and structured. It's clear and comprehensive, while still covering a lot of topics. Excellent book for students. Also has an answer and hints section at the end. Students will appreciate it.

Required textbook, but pretty decent
I was required to purchase this textbook for a class, but it is still pretty good.The explanations are pretty clear and they do them a few times in a few different ways to help really get the feel for them.Engineering books like this can be fairly boring, but this one mixes in some real world examples and case studies which helps.

The exercises are pretty good, but I wished the answers for at least some of them were offered.

Informative
I personally liked this text.
It is not perfect, and some sections should be more elaborated, but otherwise it is rather informative.
Covers boolean algebra, logic gates, memory organization, and many other good things.
It can't be read quickly. You will have to spend time to read carefully.

Positive: for the most part questions for each chapter can be answered based on information in the book. In my life I have encountered text where there were NO way questions could be answered based solely on the info in the text. So, if you getting this text for class, it is good news.

Negative: I feel that some sections could be elaborated more with further examples. For instance binary divisions and multiplications would be better with couple more examples.

I feel like I didn't waste time reading it, so you too could learn something from it (unless of course you already know the subject well...).

Not a great book for self study
I am a college student and this book was the required text for the class. My problems with the book are. It was a very dry and boring read. As such, I found it very hard to attempt to read a chapter. Additionally, harder concepts are not adequately covered. The book just describes it and then goes on to another concept without attempting to explain it another way. In my opinion, the authors wrote the book in this manner-this is how it works or what it does, here some useful facts about who uses it or it uses, and next topic. Then it includes questions in the back of the book that are hard to answer because the textbook doesn't cover how to attempt a problem like it. That being said there is a student solutions manual which I didn't know about when I took the course. The biggest problem with the book is it expects you to have a good teacher accompained it and I was bascially using that text only to learn about computer organization and architecture. (My professor put me to sleep and had a hard time explaining things sensibly) As such, I recommend this book if it's not being used for self-study and has a good teacher to accompany it. Then the book would probaley be very helpful. It is very detailed-The book does try to cover alot of material from other computer science courses you have taken but the refresher is often needed especailly if you are teaching yourself. ... Read more

Product Description

• Reflects the latest technology in the field to provide readers with the most up-to-date resource
• Presents examples that cover a broad spectrum of hardware and software systems, from personal computers to mainframes
• Places more emphasis on networking to address increased importance of the communications area
• Consolidates the coverage of buses into one chapter.
• Integrates numerous review questions at the end of each chapter to enhance the reader's understanding of the material

Customer Reviews (4)

Waste of money.... many pages with bunch of examples
This is book is a waste of money. There are hundreds of examples and no important information. You gonna have to go through many pages, until you reach something that it's really worth it.
Anyway, it's matter of choice, but I don't wanna read the author opinions. I want to learn stuff I don't know. The serious material in that book is 100 pages or less out of 700!

Computer Hardware systems software & networking
My order arrived timely. Not enough information to maker buyer aware of having some highlights in the book which would just be a good information.

GREAT
The book is very helpful.
The only complaint is that they do not have a keyword dictionary at the end of each chapter.

Good purchase!
Book seems like new condition so i was satisfied. However, shipping took way to long. I can understand 7-10 business days but 16 days seemed a little ridiculous. ... Read more

Product Description
"One of the most important works on modern architecture we have today."—Architectural DesignThis acclaimed survey of modern architecture and its origins has become a classic since it first appeared in 1980. For the fourth edition Kenneth Frampton has added a major new section that explores the effects of globalization on architecture in recent years and examines the phenomenon of international celebrity architects who are increasingly active all over the world. The bibliography has been updated and expanded, making this volume more complete and indispensable than ever. 420 illustrations ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Frampton - the Bible for the History of Modern Architecture
This is the Bible for the History of Modern Architecture. I lived with this book in graduate school during the '80's,and is still relevant, important and has been up-dated to address the last 30 years of Architectural ideology and design.

A must have for students and any professional interested in a critical historical perspective. It is also a great read.

Framptonian Criticism
Excellent source for architecture students that want to acquire a perspective about modern architecture. Frampton provide his peculiar criticism about conflicts, particularities and contradictions of 19th and 20th century arquitectural history.
Recommended for anyone. ... Read more

Product Description

A milestone in modern thought, Space, Time and Architecture has been reissued many times since its first publication in 1941 and translated into half a dozen languages. In this revised edition of Mr. Giedion's classic work, major sections have been added and there are 81 new illustrations.

The chapters on leading contemporary architects have been greatly expanded. There is new material on the later development of Frank Lloyd Wright and the more recent buildings of Walter Gropius, particularly his American Embassy in Athens. In his discussion of Le Corbusier, Mr. Giedion provides detailed analyses of the Carpenter Center at Harvard University, Le Corbusier's only building in the United States, and his Priory of La Tourette near Lyons. There is a section on his relations with his clients and an assessment of his influence on contemporary architecture, including a description of the Le Corbusier Center in Zurich (designed just before his death], which houses his works of art. The chapters on Mies van der Rohe and Alvar Aalto have been brought up to date with examples of their buildings in the sixties. There is an entirely new chapter on the Danish architect Jorn Utzon, whose work, as exemplified in his design for the Sydney Opera House, Mr. Giedion considers representative of post-World War II architectural concepts.

A new essay, "Changing Notions of the City," traces the evolution of the structure of the city throughout history and examines current attempts to deal with urban growth, as shown in the work of such architects as José Luis Sert, Kenzo Tange, and Fumihiko Maki. Mr. Sert's Peabody Terrace is discussed as an example of the interlocking of the collective and individual spheres. Finally, the conclusion has been enlarged to include a survey of the limits of the organic in architecture.

Customer Reviews (6)

A dated manifesto whose time has passed
This book is vast in its ambitions, uneven in its analysis, and badly dated in its defense of modern architecture.Giedion's basic premise is that the Industrial Revolution caused a separation to occur between thinking and feeling, this separation was exemplified by what he considers derivative architecture during the 19th century, and that it is up to the modern movement to reunite these two spheres by combining emotions with a scientific approach to architecture, and by adding the dimension of time to its three dimensional depiction of space.His historical analysis is quite erudite, but his treatment of the major architects who founded the modern movement, particularly Gropius and Le Corbusier, verges on hagiography.For instance he considers Gropius' PanAm building in New York, and Le Corbusier's Carpenter Center at Harvard to be great works of architecture, when contemporary critics view these as among their worst.The only American architect given comparable attention is Frank Lloyd Wright.The book flounders at the end in its speculation about the future, praising Le Corbusier's advocacy of separating people from cars by building elevated highways, and housing people in slablike high rise towers.Considering that Pruitt-Igoe was already, at the time of his final revision to his book, failing in St. Louis as an approach to house poor families (it was later blown to smithereens as a total disaster), this advocacy of housing people in high rises rings hollow indeed.He also advocates separating functions in a city, at a time again during his final revision, when Jane Jacobs "Death and Life of Great American Cities" was revolutionizing city planning by advocating just the opposite.It is worth reading because it makes you think, but it is badly dated.

I like this book alot
This book tells the story of important buildings built since a long time ago, even bridges! Lots of nice pictures and drawings, especially of the real important artsy buildings built after WWII. You can learn alot about the history of world culture and architecture just by looking at the pictures! All my friends saw "Wow" when I show them this book! Wow!!

brief and to the point
90 per cent of books in a typical bookstore are not worth the paper they are written on.This is NOT one of those books. The concepts presented in this book are profound. It is the best book I own.

The seminal work on Modern Architecture
One cannot even presume to understand modern architecture until one has read Giedion's classic work. This book did more to shape the view of modern architecture than did any other book. Giedion provides an impressive survey of architecture down through the ages, illustrating those aspects which had an influence on modern architecture. One of his more illucidating chapters is "The Demand for Morality in Architecture," which underscores the content of this work.

The heart of the book is his chapter on "Space-Time in Art, Architecture, adn Construction," in which he examines the leading figures and movements in modern architecture, with the spotlight on Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe and Alvar Aalto. These were the founding fathers. He examines the roots of their ideas as well as the influence they had in shaping the modern movement. This later edition also includes a chapter on "Jorn Utzon and the Third Generation," which Giedion felt had successfully carried the principles of modern architecture into contemporary society.

Giedion also explores the shifts in attitude toward city planning in the late 19th century and early 20th century, reviewing such seminal figures as Ebenezer Howard, Patrick Geddes, Arturo Soria y Mata, and Tony Garnier, which ultimately lead to the creation of C.I.A.M, the International Congress of Modern Architecture.

Giedion is unabashed in his support of modern architecture, which has made this book the favorite whipping post of post-modern critics. But, few have explored the subject as deeply as has Giedion. Don't rely on other interpretations of Giedion. Read "Space, Time and Architecture" before drawing any conclusions.

Excellent history
I enjoyed this book for the author's insights into how 20th century architecture, starting from certain antecedents in the 19th century, such as the early iron-reinforced concrete structures of William LeBaron Jenny, progressed through Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, the Bauhaus school, and so on, up to the style which he calls "the hanging curtain of glass."

Giedion shows how this spectacular 20th-century building originated around the turn of the last century and how it's modern variations represent a triumpth of this type of design.

The basic principle, as exemplified early on in the Carson, Pirie, Scott, and Co. building in Chicago, is that as stuctural members receeded from the outlying masonry walls into the interior skeleton of the building, this allows the architect to open up the facade with windows, skylights, and other penetrating elements in order to let the maximum amount of air and light into the building. Eventually no real supporting structural members need reside on the outside of the building, and the aesthetic result is the "hanging curtain of glass" effect... Whatever one thinks of this type ofbuilding, it has become a major landmark of 20th-century architectural design in cities all over the world.

Giedion's treatment of Robert Maillart's graceful, parabolic spanning bridge designs in the Swiss Alps and some other places,such as the Tavanasa Bridge in the U.S., which he specifically discusses as one of Maillart's most important achievements, is also very interesting.

Overall, Giedion's book is a fine treatment of an important and difficult period in the history of architecture, and is one of the most important books on architecture to be written in recent decades. ... Read more

Product Description
Expanding Architecture presents a new generation of creative design carried out in the service of the greater public and the greater good. Questioning how design can improve daily lives, editors Bryan Bell and Katie Wakeford map an emerging geography of architectural activism--or "public-interest architecture"--that might function akin to public-interest law or medicine by expanding architecture's all too often elite client base. With 30 essays by practicing architects and designers, urban and community planners, historians, landscape architects, environmental designers and members of other fields, this volume presents recent work from around the world that illustrates the ways in which design can address issues of social justice, allow individuals and communities to plan and improve their own lives and serve a much larger percentage of the population than it has in the past. This new inclusionary practice must define new services and new processes, and these are illuminated in the generously illustrated texts as well.
Building on the momentum of Bell's Good Deeds, Good Design and other recent landmark publications such as Rural Studio and Design Like You Give a Damn, Expanding Architecture examines evolving notions of socially conscious practice and serves as a guide for designers who are willing to take on the social, economic and environmental challenges we face today.
Bryan Bell is the Executive Director of the Raleigh, North Carolina-based Design Corps, which he founded in 1991 to provide community service through architecture. His other initiatives include the Design Corps Fellowship program, the Design Corps Summer Studio and the Structures for Inclusion annual conference. In 2007 he received a National Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects.
Katie Wakeford received her M.Arch from North Carolina State University School of Architecture, where she became interested in community design. She began working with Design Corps in 2002, and currently serves as an intern architect with the North Carolina State College of Design's Home Environments Design Initiative, a research and community outreach endeavor focused on affordable and sustainable housing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A Milestone in Contemporary Architecture
As an educator, admirer and follower of Frank Lloyd Wright, I have admired the best of contemporary architecture for many, many years. This edition brings out not only the best of current thinking, but more importantly, it holds open a welcoming door to the future. Kudos to the editors. I hope that they publish a new version every five years.
Charles Eilber,
Durham, North Carolina.

Not Just for Designers
I'm about half-way through this book and am already amazed at all the ways designers have made a difference in their local communities, and beyond. Because a range of projects, small to large, have been included it is even more inspiring to be able to imagine how one person with a good idea and the energy to implement it could have a big impact.I think that even those outside the design profession would find that some of the included projects could serve as a model for how other professions can make similar contributions.I've had other people who are not designers pick up my book and start flipping through and ask if they can read it when I finish.I can't wait to read the rest and pass it on!

Enthusiastically recommended to anyone with a serious interest in expanding the humanitarian role of modern architecture
Expanding Architecture Design as Activism collects thirty in-depth essays about the concept of "public-interest architecture", that is, building designs created explicitly with the benefit of the public in mind. Illustrated with full-color photography on virtually every page, individual essays discuss examples ranging from building housing or water systems to best serve the needs of a refugee population, to participatory planning in a Taiwanese mountain village that transforms an abandoned creek into swimming ponds for the village's future, to exploring different ways to create strong designs with minimal environmental impact, all at a reasonable profit. Enthusiastically recommended to anyone with a serious interest in expanding the humanitarian role of modern architecture, from professionals in the field to any concerned citizen voting on city planning projects.

Good design can be Everywhere!
This book is filled with examples of good designs that redefine architectural resources.I am challenged to share architectural ways of thinking and space making in my own town. This book shows how good design can improve the way we work and live together! ... Read more

Product Description
Adored for his exuberant and original architecture, more than fifty years of Morris Lapidus’s designs are celebrated in this first-ever monograph. Known for inventing the postwar resort hotel with the Fontainebleau and the Eden Roc in Miami Beach, Morris Lapidus (1902–2001) is revered for his joyful interpretation of modernist tenets through an American vernacular of spectacle and whimsy. Lapidus enthusiastically embraced modernism’s formal freedom and sensuality while rejecting its more rigid principles, producing a unique style that seamlessly blends baroque fantasia with modernism’s clean lines and flowing spaces. His exuberant curving walls, zigzagging facades, and deft manipulation of space created dramatic forms that transform the moods of their occupants. In 2000 Lapidus was honored by the Cooper-Hewitt as an "American Original," an award created especially for him. This comprehensive volume presents the highlights of Lapidus’s extraordinary career. From seductive modern shops and private residences to iconic hotels and residential towers in New York, Miami Beach, the Caribbean, and beyond, this iconoclast proves that "too much is never enough." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Lapidus of Glamorous
Until I quickly went through this book I wasn't sure whether Morris Lapidus' creations survived. Thankfully, they do. Although I wished for a lengthier biography of the man, I am content with the author Deborah Desilets' aim of whetting my appetite for larger portions, because the black=and-white photos speak volumes about the scope of his talent and you can find a couple biographies to satisfy that longing elsewhere. Like other reviewers, Morris Lapidus appears to sybolize the kind of architect (fictional Howard Roark) Ayn Rand had in mind when she wrote "Atlas Shrugged." As compact and small as the photos are, this small tome serves notice that small, diminutive men with imagination and drive can astound the human eye with their creations.If this book was 2 in. square, I would still grab it hoping only for photographs knowing full well the rarity of its creator. Now, I am thankful that I can place a name to these lasting monuments.

Too much is never enough
Though there is the word Memoirs in the title this is just a collection of thirty-five photos of the architect's work over fifty-seven pages with an eleven page biography in the front of the book.

Some of the photos are interesting, a lovely aerial shot of the Fontainebleau and Eden Roc shows how good Lapidus was at creating exuberant over-the-top hotels in the perfect setting: Miami Beach.Mostly though the photos are just dropped onto the pages with no real sequence or thought, a few are in color.No page numbers either, the back four pages of captions use thumbnail spreads to identify them.

I'm not quite sure why this book was published as it's so superficial and in the same format as one on industrial designer Raymond Loewy.Both books can be picked up for under a dollar which should tell you all you need to know.

Too Much Is Never Enough: The Autobiography of Morris Lapidus, Architect looks a much better bet.

***SEE SOME INSIDE PAGES by clicking 'customer images' under the cover. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

lots of fluff, completely misses the point
Where do I begin? For a start the 'architecture' patterns are just 'features' that some web 2.0 companies have. It would be a bit of a stretch to call them patterns.
Also the comparison between web 1.0 companies and web 2.0 companies is laughable. Take for example "Akamai" vs "Bittorrent"; there is no comparison, Akamai is a content distribution network, their business model is to host data on their servers closer to users. Bit torrent is a filesharing network, mainly used to share open source and illegal files - it has no business model, it's just a tool. Usually when one compares something the things being compared must have a least something in common.
Take another example: "mp3.com" vs napster, MP3.com is a business, napster is NOT, it's a way to share songs illegally.
Another example: websites and blogs - no comparison, different focuses, they're completely different marketing channels!!
Yet another example: screen scaping and web services, again very different, can you order a book via screen scraping? NO! Web services provides both information and a service, screen scrapping only provides information.

Some quotes from the book to show the quality of the book:

"The Software as a Service (SaaS) Pattern
- Terms often associated with the Software as a Service pattern include:
Model-View-Controller (MVC)
Some people consider SaaS a specialization of the MVC pattern that distributes the Model, View, and Controller (or parts thereof) over multiple resources located on the Internet. It is strongly related to SaaS, and most SaaS providers follow the MVC pattern when implementing SaaS."

Completely wrong, not related whatsoever !!, they're at two completely different levels of abstraction. SaaS just refers to something hosted on the internet/usually self provisioning/usually multi-tenanted. MVC is a design pattern 1 step above coding.

""One of the defining characteristics of Web 2.0 developers and architects has been a dismissal of many traditional enterprise architecture patterns."

Misses the boat completely; the majority of web 2.0 applications aren't actually mission critical - the author would find in most business environments, architects following traditional enterprise architecture pattterns religiously. There's a big difference between facebook going down for 2 hrs and a major banking system.

The book is just a lot of buzzwords, with very poorly written analysis of web2.0.

A good introduction to Web 2.0
This book was a good read and gave me the insight I needed for this emerging technology. Well worth the money spent.

Valuable, but limited
This book sways between discussion and dissection - addressing entrepreneurs, curious technologists and architects. It's inconsistent in its treatment of the material it chooses to add to its scope. Fortunately, this doesn't mean the book isn't useful to read or fairly enjoyable in parts.

Early on the authors take on the considerable task of explaining Web 2.0. They use an approach in which 1.0 applications are compared to their 2.0 successors or competitors. This approach does not work for several reasons.

The 1.0 application on display has evolved since Tim O'Reilly picked the contrasting applications a while ago. So there is no good benchmark to use. The authors point this out in several places, which makes the whole comparison more kludgey. Instead of an architectural analysis that is crisp, the comparisons devolve into feature discussions. So what defines Web 2.0? A set of features, the approach, its execution? The resulting discussion doesn't really come out and clarify Web 2.0 any more or less than available material on the Internet.

However some central themes to emerge in this discussion that are put to good use later.

The second half of the book presents a reference architecture for Web 2.0. Its a decent chapter, but not comprehensive. I was very unclear about how to utilize the information that was presented in Chapter 5.

Chapter 7, which talks about Web 2.0 patterns at a deeper level, is easily the most enjoyable chapter of the book. Like it predecessors, its not comprehensive, but it covers important ground.

Each Web 2.0 pattern is explained very well. There is a paragraph on the context in which the pattern should be utilized. There is material on the pattern's static structure and dynamic behavior and notes on implementation (these are a little thin for some patterns). A nice section on gotchas (called consequences) is also available.

Some patterns are a little broad - for example, is Rich User Experience really a pattern or an expectation in the Web 2.0 context that consists of serveral, constantly evolving, well-understood patterns that encompass graphic design, usability and dynamic web programming? Fortunately, regardless of the approach, the resulting discussions in this chapter are all good ones.

A good book that helps formalize your thinking about Web 2.0 systems
The term "software system architecture" means many things to many people. Coders look at the microcosm. Systems engineers look at the macrocosm. By nature, writing about the software system architecture is hard. Most times no one size is going to fit all.

Thus, I am always apprehensive about a book that purports to explain software system architecture in general. Usually such books are written by highfalutin Big Six consultants for the benefit of entrenched IT managers that need to be "in the know". In most cases neither party has the aptitude or real world technical background to grasp the technical topic at hand in a manner that is useful and accurate. As a result, because neither writer nor readers are real world, the book flops.

So here's the good news. O'Reilly's Web 2.0 Architectures does a more than competent job of explaining Web 2.0 enterprise system architecture. The book takes a real world approach. The first two chapters are a primer in the basics of the Internet and Web 2.0 based software systems. In the primer sections you'll learn about the fundamental technology static and various architectural patterns that make up web based enterprise systems: Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), Software as a Service (SaaS), Participation-Collaboration, Mash up, Semantic Web Grounding, to name a few.

Then in Chapter 3 the authors frame real world, web based systems such as AdSense, Flickr, BitTorrent,etc..., against architectural concepts, comparing older systems against the newer Web 2.0 counterparts, DoubleClick vs. AdSense, for example.

The writers consider the ability to think and conceptualize in terms of structured abstraction as the primary tool in the architect's toolkit. Thus, Chapter 4, 5 and 6 get you thinking in terms of Models and Patterns.

Chapter 7 serves as Web 2.0 reference/lexicon and Chapter 8 provides the call to action for creating Web 2.0 architectures that last.

After reading this book will you be able to get a job at Amazon designing its next generation Movies on Demand web service? The answer is no. It takes years of experience and some very expensive failures to understand the intricacies of designing and implementing a system of such enormity.

Will you have a formalized understanding of the thinking, patterns and implementations that surround modern Internet based software systems? Yes, by all means.

In terms of the nuts and bolts of the book, there are pros and cons. The book is short. This is good. You can read it in about 4 hours. The conventions used are clear and the writing style is engaging. There is ample reference to online links. Thus, for ease of use, you'll do well to read the book in the online Safari version.

One of the drawbacks of the book is that at times, the book introduces some pretty hard core technologies and then lends fleeting reference once introduced. For example, the book devotes a single paragraph to introducing the concept of the Enterprise Service Bus. Those of us that have worked with the ESB know that it is an ornery technology that comes with a considerable learning curve, and more considerable implementation curve. Yet the book glosses over it. However, such hit and run tactics are limited.

Overall, I found this book useful. If nothing else, it wrapped formal language around concepts that I have been carrying in my head for years. And, once the reseller discounts kick in, the price is right!

I definitely recommend this book as a common reference for any team of developers making modern enterprise level software.
... Read more

Product Description
Landscape architecture covers the entire range of outdoor design: the fascinating scope of this field ranges from open space planning near, on or even inside buildings to self-sufficient creations in residential areas or in the open nature, and Land Art that uses nature as raw material for a work of art. The different geographical and social contexts shape the design of the creative and playful solutions applied to 1000 projects from around the world. While the main focus are parks and gardens, this publication also presents numerous other types of categories such as greened facades, stone gardens, memorials and waterscapes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great book for specialists
I bought this book as a gift for a friend who has a degree in landscape architecture. It is wonderfully illustrated with helpful photographs. It is however one of those works which is most useful only to those who are in the field.

Precedents Galore
Fantastic book. I'm a 4th year landscape architecture major and I wish I'd have had this book 3 years ago. It's a fantastic book to just flip through and find precedent for your own designs. I've had several fellow students stop by my desk just to peruse it. The text to picture ratio is great for a design oriented reader (i.e. lots of pictures very few words.)

my only gripe is with the index. it would have been fantastic if instead of organizing it by country and designer, they'd used type of project.

The Most Inspirational Landscape Architecture book out there!
I have had this book for a little over a month now, and I cannot get enough of it. It is basically a 1000+ page picture book to help give food for thought with your designs. Great starting place to look for inspiration. It is organized beautifully; broken up by region, country, and city. There is only a small paragraph of text for each project, but that shouldn't be the reason your buying this book anyways. It has such a broad range of designs there is bound to be something in there for any landscape architect. Wetlands, urban plaza's, parks, green roofs, gardens, river fronts and anything you can think of. I can see this book being used by students, professionals, or even people that just want a very cool coffee table book. It is a great investment, esp. with the $75.00 price tag I got it online for (its tagged at $125.00!) I cannot say enough about this book

absolutely awesome, photographs are wonderful, info is clear
10000xLandscape Architecture is a wonderful book for your collection or as a gift. The pages are tabbed so that well organized information is at your fingertips. It is an insprirational book full of ideas that have been phycically constructed and photographed. I would highly recommend this book to Architects, Community Developers, City Planners, gardeners, landscapers, and of course an absolute must for any Landscape Architect.

... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

GROWING A LITERARY NOVEL ORGANICALLY
Basically, there are two different approaches to generating the preliminary draft of a novel: Top Down and Bottom Up.

The top-down approach begins with a one-sentence statement of what the novel is about; expanding the sentence to a paragraph that describes the major events and the end; sketching each of the major characters; listing the scenes;and synopsizing in a 1000-word or longer essay.All of these steps must be completed before beginning to write the first draft. This is the approach urged in numerous fiction-craft books by authors who themselves write novels in genres such as mystery and thriller: The Weekend Novelist by Robert J Ray; and How to Write a Damn Good Thriller: A Step-by-Step Guide for Novelists and Screenwriters by James N Frey. (See my amazon reviews of these two books.)

Craft books by novelists who write in the literary genre are far fewer. The defining emphasis of this genre is character-and-language driven story, for which the bottom-up approach often works better. It calls for beginning with characters in a scene fragment; developing the fragment into a full scene; and then growing the scene into a sequence of scenes. In ARCHITECTURE OF THE NOVEL: A WRITER'S HANDBOOK, Jane Vandenburgh warns: "All of the other how-to books will programmatically fail you [she does not use the terms top-down or bottom-up]: The rules regarding the construction of our books are, of necessity, wrong for you because your book is individual.. . . A narrative design emerges in one way only, and this is in tandem with its use. We call this architecture, in which structure is shaped to fit its purpose and its use. To the degree this architecture is successful, we find the shape and its narrative beautiful" (pages 11-12). Strident tone, but she's right. Many literary writers such as Michael Ondaatje and Anne Lamott loathe synopsizing in advance and look forward to being surprised by the twists and turns that emerge in the process of drafting.

In the foreword, Anne Lamott extols: "'Architecture of the Novel' is a book after my own heart, rich in paradoxes and yet wonderfully plain, with an insistence on structure and discipline. It is also a call to freedom. . . . On how to listen as the story and its characters reveal themselves to us, how to soar as a novelist while keeping simple and real, almost make me want to write another novel." Vandenburgh cites Lamott'sBird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life -- in particular her widely anthologized essay on writing the first draft. The explicit adjective Lamott uses to characterize a typical first draft was censored in this review by Amazon as a profanity. Vandenburgh merrily uses the allegedly profane phrase and bestows on it the initialism SFD. Also cited are quotes from other novel-craft books such asE M Forster's Aspects of the Novel and James Wood's How Fiction Works to support her approach.

The second half of the book comprises a glossary of "evolving definitions of the tools and concepts I've found useful and necessary in thinking about the longer narrative" (p 165). For example: "Fractal Nature of the Narrative: A story resembles a mountain in its regular irregularity. A story grows by its own similarly shaped increments: These are its episodes. This is to say it will have the feeling of evolving rather than of being manufactured -- that of the conch shell or leaf rather than of the car being mass-produced on the assembly line" (p 243).

In the capacious glossary, Vandenburgh includes examples from recent films like "Slumdog Millionaire" (p 176) andJames Cameron's "Avatar" (p 250). Drawing on the latter film, Vandenburgh presents an update on the "show, don't tell" mantra:"We strive always, as novelists, to write in a manner that allows our readers to enter the scene. We want the narrator equivalent of the IMAX 3D experience, an enhanced sense of depth that the technology provides by what the film director James Cameron calls depth cues....What is successfully rendered in good 3-D film is the sense that -- as viewer -- we haptically occupy the time and place, as a physical space, in which the narrative is occurring" (p 214).

What about combining elements of top-down and bottom-up approaches? Two recent novel-craft books that do so: The Fire in Fictionby Donald Maass and Is Life Like This?: A Guide to Writing Your First Novel in Six Months by John Dufresne. (See my reviews of these two books on amazon.com)

ARCHITECTURE OF THE NOVEL: A WRITER'S HANDBOOK presents a bottom-up paradigm for generating, organically, the first draft of a literary novel. Highly recommended for MFA programs.
-- C. J. Singh ... Read more