Amazon.com
In the epic trilogy His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman unlocks the door to worlds parallel to our own. Dæmons and winged creatures live side by side with humans, and a mysterious entity called Dust just might have the power to unite the universes--if it isn't destroyed first. The three books in Pullman's heroic fantasy series, published as mass-market paperbacks with new covers, are united here in one boxed set that includes The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. Join Lyra, Pantalaimon, Will, and the rest as they embark on the most breathtaking, heartbreaking adventure of their lives. The fate of the universe is in their hands. (Ages 13 and older)Book Description
Now, for the first time, the HIS DARK MATERIALS Trilogy is available in a trade paperback edition. All three books in the His Dark Materials trilogy-- THE GOLDEN COMPASS, THE SUBTLE KNIFE, and THE AMBER SPYGLASS--are available in a new complete boxed set featuring the trade paperbacks. New material is available in all three books: The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife feature black-and-white chapter-opening art by Philip Pullman himself; The Amber Spyglass features chapter-opening quotes from the likes of Milton, Donne, Blake, Byron and the Bible, which did not appear in hardcover. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (884)

A definate must read!!!
I am already on the third book.Great read for young and old alike I think.As far as any contraversy, I don't think these books are harmful to anyone.The story is a great adventure and for those looking for something deeper it can give them a lot to think about.I am enjoying them very much and would recommend it to anyone!

Thought-provoking darkly disturbing trilogy
I don't understand what the fuss is about, the story is so clearly fantastical to me that I can't imagine getting so upset about one man's opinions about God, the Universe, and Everything.The books are engaging, well-written, and certainly thought-provoking.Lyra is a flawed heroine, she is not portrayed as a sweet naive innocent, and that's what makes her so appealing.I sense that some of Pullman's intent was to show children in a realistic light, not the fantasy naive innocents created by adults who pine for a time that never existed except in their imaginations.

I will say though, the first book especially is severely disturbing, with the ghoulish experiments and the snatching of the children, I can't imagine this book really being intended for kids, it's so dark and disturging and terrifying at times.Then again, this series also illustrates why as a kid I vastly preferred British kid lit over American kid lit, with a few exceptions here and there, sure.On the whole, the English don't seem to feel a great need to clean up the unpleasant side of human nature the way Americans do.Maybe what's got some people squealing so loud about these books is the unpleasant reflection in the mirror.I honestly don't know.

His Dark Materials Trilogy Spotlight
The books came in good condition, and I was happy with how cheep the entire trilogy was, however you need to work on your shipping options leave a little to be desired. You did not have any of the prices listed on your shipping options and, as a result, I accidentally paid more for the shipping than I did for the books; what's more, they were late by a day despite what your tracking information stated.

waste of time
Read The Golden Compass and if you really like it, then read The Subtle Knife.But don't bother with The Amber Spyglass.It does not supply a satisfying conclusion to the series and doesn't hold together as a story, but hops from one character and universe to another with no apparent point to several of the plot lines.

What a waste of time
Yuck.I am an avid reader of fantasy series and truly cannot understand why this series ever became popular.Don't waste your time. ... Read more

Book Description
Building on the extraordinary success of six best-selling editions, Bill Callister's new Seventh Edition of MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING: AN INTRODUCTION continues to promote student understanding of the three primary types of materials (metals, ceramics, and polymers) and composites, as well as the relationships that exist between the structural elements of materials and their properties. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Perfect...
Great book...does a good job of deriving things from first principles. Excellent reference, everything is well-organized. One minor complaint: I wish that the section on analyzing phase diagrams with the lever rule came with a few more examples and better explanations. For that, if I could, I would dock a quarter of a star.

Good book, though much overpriced
The quality of Callister's educational approach on basic Materials Science is out of question. His long time experience in the area is reflected by the success of the prior editions of this book. As Materials Science evolves quite fast -almost day by day- textbooks need to adapt. In this respect, Callister has demonstrated to be on top of the wake always.

My concerns arise when I compare this edition with the prior one and find very few enhancements in terms of the text itself. The only noticeable aspect in the printed edition is the use of more colors in the graphs. The publisher (Wiley) tries to justify the steep price of this book by placing online additional perks for educators and students. Honestly, although I may sound "old-schoolish," I believe that all that is unnecessary and cannot justify overpricing this resource.

As a college professor of a minority school, I do not feel fine by requiring this expensive book to my students. Yes, it can -in time- become a reference for the students; but then, as a reference, the web perks will become unusable since Wiley will keep changing them with newer editions. Most likely, due to its price, most of the students will try to sell their copies. Indeed, they will realize that there are better "reference" texts than this one.

Great Tool
Great introductory book. It built upon many of the concepts I had learned in my General Chemistry couses. Having previously worked in metal fabrication, I now learned what the metal specification numbers meant and why some types of metals are harder or softer than others.

Very easy to understand
Although i found it to be mundane at times, it was a great book when it came to teaching the material.the examples are made very clear and the text cleanly explains anything that you may find confusing.very highly recommended

an introduction
The depth, clarity with which he surveys materials science concepts will make this text indispensable for both studying and practicing engineers for years to come. Without a doubt, this is one of the most well written textbooks I have ever had the pleasure of reading.All the figures are well drawn, the green fonts here and there seem quiet. All the tough theories, concepts just jump out of the line and hit my forehead. ... Read more

Amazon.com
In honor of the United Nations-sponsored International Year of the Family in 1994, award-winning photojournalist Peter Menzel brought together 16 of the world's leading photographers to create a visual portrait of life in 30 nations. Material World tackles its wide subject by zooming in, allowing one household to represent an entire nation. Photographers spent one week living with a "statistically average" family in each country, learning about their work, their attitudes toward their possessions, and their hopes for the future. Then a "big picture" shot of the family was taken outside the dwelling, surrounded by all their (many or few) material goods.

The book provides sidebars offering statistics and a brief history for each country, as well as personal notes from the photographers about their experiences. But it is the "big pictures" that tell most of the story. In one, a British family pauses before a meal of tea and crumpets under a cloudy sky. In another, wary Bosnians sit beside mattresses used as sniper barricades. A Malian family composed of a husband, his two wives, and their children rests before a few cooking and washing implements in golden afternoon light. Material World is a lesson in economics and geography, reminding us of the world's inequities, but also of humanity's common threads. An engrossing, enlightening book. --Maria Dolan Book Description
We are witnessing the emergence of a unified world economy, as exemplified by NAFTA and GATT, that will, in theory, make goods available at cheaper prices, create new jobs throughout the world, raise standards of living, and benefit the average family. However, population growth and resource exploitation will also affect these potential benefits as patterns of consumption change. In stunning photographs and text, Material World demonstrates the present context for the emerging global economy, what it means to be "statistically average," by displaying families in more than thirty nations outside their homes - with all their possessions in view.
Among the 350 stunning images are those of a family in lush Samoa juxtaposed with a Kuwaiti family and the two Mercedes-Benzes parked outside their desert home; a family in Iceland posing with their treasured string instruments while a family in Sarajevo huddles outside their bullet-ridden apartment. The text describes what it means to be "average" in each of thirty very dissimilar cultures and the impact of each way of life on the local environment. Statistical information about each country accompanies the photo-essays so that readers can easily compare one culture with another.
Material World is a fascinating portrait of multicultural diversity and a preview of emerging issues raised by the impact of the global economy on the cultural heritage of the human community. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (49)

Beautiful book!
This book is a fascinating look at materialism, or the lack of it, around the world. Oddly enough, the American family was not the most obviously materialistic; there was a Saudi family with a 42 foot long couch! I have put this gorgeously photographed book in my classroom for independant reading time for my 9th graders. It is filled with statistics, information about the countries and the families and the stories of the photographers themselves. Also check out The Hungry Planet, a visual look at what people around the world eat, photographed and written by the same authors of Material World.

A beautiful achievement
"Material World," written during the 1990 U.N. International Year of the Family, is a major achievement and, although it can seem dated in areas, is still timely and relevant for our world today.

Profiling 30 families from across a wide spectrum of the 183 U.N. member states, "Material World" depicts these families' struggles and triumphs in words, pictures, and statistics. Many of these vignettes are uplifting--the Cuban family holding on to each other as their nation suffers through communism--and many are very saddening--the three Carballo children sleeping in fear of being robbed each night. It is highly useful in perspective building and also a good way to see how others live elsewhere in the world. It is not going to make one "proud to be an American," but it is also not an "America-bashing" book. "Material World" demonstrates very powerfully the old proverb: 'It's not getting what you want, it's wanting what you've got.'

The Albanian family, with its minute amount of belongings; the Brazilian family, struggling to survive the slums; the Mexican sisters, window shopping before getting the very special treat of an ice cream bar--all exemplify this ideal. The children are in particular very inspiring, rising as they do above the conditions many sadly live in. This is their life, their daily bread--and in a powerful example, they make the most of it.

"Material World" is inspiring, beautiful, and still timely, even over ten years after its publication.

What Blather!!
This book is an attempt to shame Americans for living in the land of plenty.So what we have more stuff than other folks do!Most of the world is hobbled by war and bad government so people have less wealth than Americans.But I'm not losing any sleep over it.The Sierra Club is a political organization and this book is just that. . . politics.Read the part about American family ... "the legacy of slavery"and the "uneven distribution of wealth".What pure hooey!

Eye-Opening View of Other Cultures
Photos showing the possessions - all of them, great and small - and daily life of families from around the world are supplemented by text and factoids backing up the photos. The purpose of this book isn't to make materialistic Americans feel guilty, but the book is certainly thought- and discussion-provoking.This book will be appreciated most by older children and adults, but even my 6-year-old "got it."Viewing a photo of the complete contents - what little there were - from the home of an Albanian family, he asked, "Where's the rest of their stuff?" Honey, that's it.And that's the point.

Life Changing!
This is one of the most meaningful books I've ever read.It changed the way that I think about the world, about my own belongings. Incredible and a must have. ... Read more

Book Description
FOR THE FIRST time, all three books of Philip Pullman's award-winning His Dark Materials trilogy (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass) will be published in their entirety in one volume. Perfect for both new and established Pullman fans who want to read (or reread) the whole trilogy before The Golden Compass movie debuts on December 7, 2007, this handsome 6 x 9 omnibus will feature every word of the trilogy as well as Philip Pullman's chapter opening art. Also, new and exclusive to this edition: Philip Pullman has written two pages of new vignettes for each book in the trilogy. Readers will be delighted to discover these intriguing new passages at the end of each book's section in the omnibus. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (68)

a masterpiece of imagination of complexity
I got this book over the past weekend and spent the weekend finishing it.I'm not much of a fantasy book reader although I have, through the course of my life, read Lloyd Alexander, C S Lewis, Tolkien but I've never liked anything else in the genre.Then I heard about the controversy about this series and thought I'd read it.Also heard it was the highbrow Harry Potter.

Well, let me tell you, Pullman is a genius, flat out.I don't know how he managed to craft such an intricate, vibrant, riveting trilogy with such complex themes keeping you unable to take your eyes off the page.His trilogy is proof that the physical book is not dead.This is the kind of book you need to hold and read in front of a fire through day and night until the last word is read.Then you want more.

Just brilliant.

His dark materials trilogy
2nd best to Harry Potter books. Lyra is a heroine of our times, and bravery beyond the call of duty. Young girls and women will look upto her. Move over Hermonie !!!!

HIGHLY recomended
This is a fantastic trillogy. The added "slides" help give more understanding while not trying to rewrite the story.

The only set back is that I just kept on reading until I had finished all three in one go.

Great Book!!!
The book was in excellent condition!Got it sooner than I thought!And I absolutely loved reading it!!!Thanks so much.

Really Good Trilogy
This book incorporated three stories - The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass.I brought the books with me on vacation, on the recommendation of a friend who reads a lot of (and teaches) adolescent literature, a genre I haven't touched in 20 years.I was really impressed with the stories - the themes of freedom, adventure, innocence/experience, stewardship, friendship - it was an amazing trilogy.I recommend it. ... Read more

Book Description
Intended for the core course in Strength of Materials, this text emphasizes problem solving techniques, analysis, and design theories. Well known for its clarity and accuracy, the book also provides a wealth of problems, including at least four computer problems per chapter. Interactive tutorial software is packaged with each book; each tutorial illustrates a specific concept in the text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Good Book, But Be Warned of the Units
This is a good engineering textbook, but this particular edition uses only SI(Metric) Units. The hardcover edition uses both English and Metric units. It was a little bit of a surprise to find out this difference. I actually prefer the SI Units, but if you are taking this course in the United States, you will notice the difference.

Continues the tradition of needless and overpriced revisions.
The last new substantial advance in basic mechanics of materials (the concept of shear center) was 80 or so years ago.Buy this new overpriced edition of the textbook only if required to for school.Den Hartog's "Strength of Materials" or an earlier version of Beer & Johnson or Popov will save you money without sacrificing any content.

Mech Engineering
This book was required for my Mechanics of Materials course in my major of Mechanical Engineering. The readings and examples are pretty straight forward and easy to understand. SuperSaving shipping rocks!

Mechanics of Materials review
I needed another copy of this book and it has been helpful to have it in my library.

Poor answer key
The book explained the concepts of the subject well enough, but the number of typos in the problems and in the answer key led to many hours of frustration. I was often under the impression I was doing something wrong, only to find out the givens in a problem had incorrect prefixes, or some other error. ... Read more

Book Description
As architecture programs throughout the country break out of the classroom and adopt the holistic methods of design/build programs, the need for a textbook that bridges the gap between construction materials and design sensibility is sorely needed. Materials for Design is that book.

Students must be taught how a choice of material affects the form and look of a structure; they must also learn how inspired design can inject any material with true personality and zeal. Broken into five sections glass, wood, metals, plastics, and concrete Materials for Design makes a thorough study of each material's properties, followed by a series of 10 12 case studies of that material put to imaginative use by today's brightest architects from around the world.

There is no other textbook on the market that tackles material details so thoroughly while presenting lush, inspired color photographs, plan drawings, and detailed architectural diagrams. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

book worth buying
I highly recommend this book. I am an architecture student, and I have found this book to be interesting, useful, and full of great projects. The book does a nice job of talking about the history, uses, strengths, and weaknesses of building materials. The book is organized by material with building projects that utilize those particular materials in an innovating and interesting way. The photos are great and the detail drawings are very nice to see as well.

A great resource for technical info AND design inspiration
I absolutely agree with the two previous reviews-- it is a seamless combination of technical info and aesthetics. The book was recommended in my Masters of Architecture program by the Construction-I professor and since then it has been circulating widely in the design studios. It is a great resource for material detailing AND design inspiration. Wa-hoo-wa, Victoria Bell, great job.

Materials Control Design
Architecture is an interesting mix of enginnering and art. All too often one of these is emphasized too much at the expense of the other. If too much art is emphasized, it is easy to design structures that cannot be built with the materials being specified.

This book is an attempt to bring the two together. It is broken down into five sections: Glass, concrete, wood, metals, and Plastics. In each category there is some description of the material itself, its history, and some generalized design characteristics. Then there is a set of descriptions of buildings built using that material. Each building is deacribed in some detail, photographed from several views and in most cases contain some line drawings of particular points of construction being used.

Obviously this is an idea book that can be used in the early phase of design when the broad concepts are being discussed. The designs in the book stretche the normal thoughts in design with the particualr materials. It is far more interesting than most as it also stretches shat can be done with these materials.

Design magicians reveal their material tricks
If you've seen beautiful design and wanted to know how it was actually made, this is the book to show you. The case studies are the best of recent work and each has clear concepts, many color shots and ALSO clear construction drawings and details which are impossible to find.Some books only tease with images but not explanations, and technical manuals miss the beauty of design altogether.This book brings the two together.I don't know why this approach was not taken before, but it's what I've been looking for. ... Read more

Book Description
FOR THE FIRST time, the hardcover editions of Philip Pullman's awardwinning His Dark Materials trilogy (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass) with the original, classic covers by Eric Rohmann, will be available in a boxed set. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (57)

Great!
Great book. A very enjoyable read. Fresh Ideas. Any Fantasy lover will find it amazing. If you liked Lord of the Rings or Eragon then this is definetely a must read.

Absolutely terrific!
I was longing for a good series of fantasy books ever since I finished Stephen King's "The Black Tower" series. Peter Pullman created a beautiful and very believable alternate reality and was able to sew the whole plot together without any big glitches (feat that King fell short with "The Black Tower"). I would dare say it's almost as good as Tolkien's "The Lord of The Rings".

Philip Pullman: His Dark Materials Trilogy
I enjoyed the story, writing and characters very much.Well worth the read. I thought the very ending was a little weaker than I would like to have seen, however.If you are pretty religious, you may want to pass this one up.

In awe of this story
Please read these books!

Really, really, really give yourself the time with these books and relish the journey you will take with them.

You may have heard all the comments about how these books contain a storyline designed to undermine the organized churches as we know them today but those comments take the story out of its context. Like so many novels, an opportunity is taken, is created, to teach us something important. This is a beatiful, hopeful fable, one which as childrens stories usually have, contains a moral tale for the adults too.

People who wish to take parts of the story as attacks on their faith should take the opportunity to study their faith being shaken, see which leaves fall off and be proud of the branches that remain sturdy.

For everybody in general, this is an excellent tale and the end is the best. For that you will have to read the book!

"I AM OF THE DEVIL'S PARTY, AND I KNOW IT!" - Philip Pullman as quoted in Tony Watkins' pro-Pullman Book, Dark Matter
If there's any doubt that Pullman's infamously anti-God, anti-Christian and anti-religious trilogy, His Dark Materials, is anything but, allow me to clue you, the reader, in on the exact genesis of the title of the trilogy alone. His Dark Materials is a somewhat veiled reference to the 17th-century, English poet John Milton's poem, Paradise Lost. In fact, this sacrilegious poem is the basis for Pullman's trilogy. As a refresher course, let me educate the reader into recalling that Paradise Lost is actually a poem in which the main protagonist is Satan himself who, from a modern perspective, is certainly presented as a sympathetic being who merely has the ambition to challenge God. This absolutely runs counter to the vast majority of Christians who view Satan as the Enemy of Man and the epitome of anti-life!!!! If that's not enough to make the case that His Dark Materials is hazardously atheist...then NOTHING will!!!!

His Dark Materials is indisputably an absolute, unmitigated assault on religion and Christianity specifically, and what makes it all the worse is its insidious plan to primarily target children via indoctrination through its kiddie lit!!!! Adults can willfully decide for themselves whether to be God-fearing or instead choose the path of spiritual sorrow through atheism or even agnosticism, yet impressionable kiddies don't have the mental ripeness to make this decision themselves--especially if they're being indoctrinated into hating God and organized religion, as His Dark Materials does throughout.

What makes His Dark Materials so lethal--and this trilogy is DARK indeed (as in anti-life and infernal)--is that it trespasses far beyond criticizing organized religion. It actually advocates DEICIDE of the Judeo-Christian God as described, in one of many examples, in a passage from The Amber Spyglass, which describes the encounter between protagonists Will and Lyra and the dying Authority (Pullman's catch-phrase for God)!!!! The passage reads "...there was nothing to stop the wind from damaging him, and to their dismay his form began to loosen and dissolve." Further, "...he'd vanished completely...Then he was gone: a mystery dissolving in mystery." There, anti-Christ Pullman fondly expresses his longing wish that God is destroyed forevermore.

I wish that this lustful embrace of DEICIDE was the height of Pullman's atheist and liberal breaches, but, alas, that's only the tip of the iceberg. In further, mortifying example, in The Subtle Knife, there's the character of Mary Malone, a physicist who used to be a nun. She says of her experience: "...till I saw there wasn't any God at all and that physics was more interesting anyway. The Christian religion is a very powerful and convincing mistake, that's all." Little, impressionable children--due to the reprehensible carelessness of their ignorant or amoral parents--continue to endure these anti-Christian messages throughout Pullman's trilogy!!!! Note that there isn't even a pretense of balance attached to Pullman's anti-religion bigotry--he doesn't even attack Islam, for instance.

The whole premise of the trilogy is anti-Christian at its inception because the evil, institutional force in the books is termed the "Magisterium" which Catholics should be familiar with as the teaching body of the Catholic Church. Pullman's association of an evil, oppressive institution with the Catholic Church should be enough to start alarm bells ringing at once.

In the Golden Compass, the "Dust" business, the plot-driver, is divulged, and it's a source of conflict between the villains (read: the Church!) and the "good guys" (read: enlightened, atheist scientists!). The Church views the Dust as the root of original sin and, therefore, kidnaps children in order to perform "cruel" experiments on them designed to sever the child's soul--in Pullman's world, appropriately called a "demon." The severing of a child's soul turns the child into a zombie, yet Pullman accuses the Church of wanting to do this because of his prejudiced belief that religion turns people into thoughtless zombies.

The anti-Christ themes only get more raging with the Subtle Knife (ironically, the worsening anti-Christian bigotry is anything BUT subtle!). In this novel, we discover that the aforementioned Dust is actually a code word for a bunch of rebel angels (read: Satan and fallen angels!) whose motive is vengeance. The witches in this tome believe that Lyra (a little girl), is destined to be the "second Eve," a new mother of all through her disobedience (read: disobedience to God, or the "Authority" in Pullman's trilogy). These same witches learn that a certain "Lord Asriel"--the trilogy's liberal role model due to his embrace of science over religion--is planning a war against God, again, another metaphor concerning Satan who is eternally at war with God.

The final installment, the Amber Spyglass, is so anti-Christ that if you're Christian, you'll be chilled with its blatancy!!!! The second main character (a little boy named Will) is being watched over by two rebel angels who are also HOMOSEXUALS--Will is moved by their man-love for each other--who encourage Will to bring his god-destroying knife to Asriel, who wants to kill the Authority (read: God). Another main character, a certain Mrs. Coulter (seriously), charges that priests of the Church are having lecherous, sexual obsessions, flagrantly an insinuation against the Catholic Church's small ped*philia scandal from a few years past.

The worst part of the sacrilege is Pullman's revelation of what God is according to his mythology. God isn't shown as an omnipotent being, but, rather in line with an atheist disdain for God, a being who was "so old and...terrified, crying like a baby and cowering away into the lowest corner...Demented and powerless, the aged being could only weep and mumble in fear and pain and misery." Any real Christian--not a liberal, fake one--ought to be up in arms over this antagonistic description of God, though Christians obviously won't stage violent demonstrations and issue death threats over this.

The ending of this third book is practically a victory for the Devil over God in propaganda terms because God, as in "the Authority," finally dies, and the kid-protagonists, Will and Lyra, find debauchery!!!! The Dr. Mary Malone character entices them into the licentious pleasures of erotica by explaining to them how gratifying--I bet!--her life's been since she quit being a nun and pursued a relationship with a man (at least it wasn't another woman in a lesbian slant!). So little Will and Lyra actually suck face to commemorate their murder of God!!!! The desecration's complete when it's revealed that Will and Lyra will attempt to build the Republic, not Kingdom, of Heaven on their own, mortal terms on Earth!

If you're Christian and have kids, just Christian, or merely not an atheist, you should be shaking in terror and simultaneously seething in righteous anger at the aforementioned, vivid outline of pure, sacrilegious hell that's contained within His Dark Materials. If you're a Christian parent or a parent who's not anti-religion and doesn't want to prejudice your kids, you CANNOT in good conscience permit your kids to buy or read these "books." If you're just a relativistic parent or merely a totally unobservant one, I ask you, "What the hell's wrong with you?!?!"

His Dark Materials turns the interpretation of Christianity on its head so that all the good that comes from organized religion--morals, charitable giving, modesty, sacrifice, purity--is cursed as being the root of all rot in life. If more misguided folks surrender to this misconstruing viewpoint, society will stray even further into liberalism which is the bane of all life as we know it. Thus, it's no wonder that the film version of The Golden Compass is ruthlessly popular overseas (read: atheist Old Europe), but largely flopped stateside. With 85% of Americans identifying themselves as Christians according to recent polling, do yourself a favor and be a REAL American by rejecting this anti-Christian indoctrination. ... Read more

Book Description
Most architectural standards references contain thousands of pages of details-overwhelmingly more than architects need to know to know on any given day. Now there is a place where architects can find vital information essential to planning and executing architectural projects of all shapes and sizes-in a format that is small enough to carry anywhere. Materials, Structures, and Standards distills the data provided in standard architectural volumes and offers and easy-to-use reference for the most indispensable-and most requested-types of architectural information.

Part 1, "Building an Architectural Project," addresses basic geometry, architectural drawing types, AutoCAD guidelines, building codes, accessibility issues, structural and mechanical systems, conventional building components, and sustainable design. Part 2, "Materials," provides a detailed catalog of wood, masonry and brick, metals, concrete, and interior finishes. Also included are an illustrated glossary of architectural terms and a cross-referenced guide to the most helpful books, organizations, and websites. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Excellent book, very helpful.
This book is so helpful in my studies. I would highly recommend it to anyone in the profession, or students trying to get an edge in class.

an architecture student's best friend
architectural graphic standard ALWAYS checked out in the library? and all you need to know is how wide the turning radius needs to be for this stupid parking lot? yea i've been there billions of times. my friends at school all started buying this book as a quick reference and it has great information inside. it's by no means exhaustive, but it definitely has enough to get a student by. the information is written and organized in a very accessible way. i highly recommend this book

Practical architecturebook
I purchased this book because I had experience borrowing a copy of a friend.It helps when you want to keep working, but need to get specifics.This was you don't have to fish through the Internet for standards, they are easily available in the book.

A great quickreference...
The person who reviewed this book and gave it two stars was definitely unaware of what the book was meant to be.I would NEVER replace graphic standards or any other set of architectural data.However, it is a WONDERFUL quick reference guide for people just starting out in the field.It gives some easy ADA info, some AIA sheet numbering, and other easy to use reference material.I agree with the person that said an architecture student and intern would get the most use out of it.That said, it should be on every student's and intern's studio desk.

Only very basic information, not intended for professionals!
I am a licensed architect, and have been in professional practice now for 15 years.I thought this book was going to offer me some of the common reference tables I need, or perhaps some of the general ADA measurements that must be exact, but it fell well short of my expectations.

It's not really suitable for anyone in the design profession, and I think much of the book is littered with detailing and CAD standards that are not necessary for your normal do-it-yourselfer or home builder.I think it may be appropriate for architecture students, however, it really does not have sufficient information to instruct students, and much of the material selection information and detailing is flat elementary. ... Read more

Book Description

This clear, comprehensive presentation discusses both the theory and applications of mechanics of materials. It examines the physical behavior of materials under load, then proceeds to model this behavior to development theory. ContainingHibbeler’s hallmark student-oriented features, this book is in four-color with a photorealistic art program designed to help students/readers visualize difficult concepts.A clear, concise writing style and more examples than any other book further contribute to students’ /readers ability to master the material. A useful, thorough reference for engineers and students.

Book Description

Written in a simple and user-friendly style, this book covers all the basics of supply chain management and production and inventory control. It is the only book listed in the APICS-The Educational Society for Resource Management CPIM Exam Content Manual as the text reference for the Basics of Supply Chain Management (BSCM) CPIM certification examination. 15 separate chapters discuss an introduction to materials management, production planning system, master scheduling, material requirements planning, capacity management, production activity control, purchasing, forecasting, inventory fundamentals, order quantities, independent demand ordering systems, physical inventory and warehouse management, physical distribution, products and processes, just-in-time manufacturing, and total quality management. For business personnel whose job functions include materials management, and production and inventory control.

Customer Reviews (10)

Well worth the money.
I own the 4th edition. I had to make a comment after amazon recommended the 5th.

This is a great book. Originally, i was PO'ed at the price. Especially when you get it and its quite thin compared to many texts. I had to get it for APICS.

Once you start reading it you find it cuts through all waste. This is not a padded book. It explains concepts in a brief, direct manner. Most importantly it communicates clearly. Its like a well written executive summary of the field of materials management. There is enough detail for practitioners.

I have almost all texts in the recommended reading of APICS. This is probably my favorite. The utility you will get per unit of time reading this is huge.

Basic Supply Chain
This book has an easy written language and is very good for beginners in the Supply Chain Management Area.

Best book to understand manufacturing process
This is one of the best books I have come across which explains the basics of Manufacturing.

A good textbook
This book covers the basics of material management and goes into some quantitative detail as well. It is very well written and its lucid style is perfect for a beginner to get a grasp on the subject.

The author clearly and logically explains the concepts of production planning, master production schedule, MRP, Production and activity control, purchasing, inventory management, forcasting, demand planning and much more.

The book also has an abundance of examples and exercises for the student to work through. It makes a good read as a beginner's textbook - but it is probably not very useful as a practical guide for the experienced professional.

Introduction to Materials Management (5th Edition) by J.R. Tony Arnorld (hardcover)
I was surprised that I got the book was kind of old and not a hardcover as I saw online.

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Book Description
Now in 4-color format with more illustrations than ever before, the Seventh Edition of Mechanics of Materials continues its tradition as one of the leading texts on the market.With its hallmark clarity and accuracy, this text develops student understanding along with analytical and problem-solving skills.The main topics include analysis and design of structural members subjected to tension, compression, torsion, bending, and more.The book includes more material than can be taught in a single course giving instructors the opportunity to select the topics they wish to cover while leaving any remaining material as a valuable student reference. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

There is a better textbook than this one.
I am an instructor of an introductory course on mechanics of materials. I used this textbook by Gere and another textbook with the same title by Roy R. Craig, Jr. as my references. I find the textbook by Craig has a much better content structure than this text. For example, this text splits Stress Concentrations, Energy Methods and Indeterminate Problems into subsections of different chapters which is rather annoying. These topics should be a complete chapter of itself for clarity.

Comprehensive and Enlightening

This is a comprehensive, enlightening and reader-friendly textbook on mechanics of materials. This excellent book is full of worked examples, illustrations and equations to help students relate to the fundamental concepts in mechanics of materials. The book provides a great foundation in this subject for undergraduate engineers. The book is well organized and well written with clear and easy to follow explanations.

The book is especially useful for reference, as it explains the derivations and many forms of complex equations in a step-by-step and simple to understand format.
Overall, one of the best books on mechanics of materials particularly for those that need a gentle introduction to stress and strain analysis.

Excellent coverage of Mechanics of Materials
The coverage of the material is excellent. The discussions of the various techniques are rational and insightful. The author is a seasoned engineer/academician who really understands mechanics, and knows how to convey its flavor to the reader.
Timoshenko's classic "Strength of Materials" covers most topics that are relevant to an engineer; however it comes with a "bag of tricks" and is difficult to follow. Gere's book takes a step back by eliminating certain advanced topics, and methodically explains the principles and techniques of mechanics.

The Most Confusing Mechanics Book Around!
This book is awful. The writing style is terrible. I think the author needs to learn how to speak english. Here's a quote from the book:

"Having found the principal stresses and their directions for an element in plane stress, we now consider the determination of the maximum shear stresses and the planes on which they act."

Instead he SHOULD have written:
"We will now find the maximum shear stresses."

The whole book is like this. It is far too wordy. This book could be a lot smaller if the author didn't try to make everything so complicated.

Easy to Understand
This book is very well written, it is easy to follow and each of the examples are explained in good detail. I would say that overall this is one of the better text books that I have used in my academic career. ... Read more

Book Description
The single most significant influence on today's manmade environment: materials innovation.

Smart substances, intelligent interfaces, and sensory surfaces are redefining the world we live in, from self-cleaning materials based on the surface morphology of a lotus leaf to outdoor pavilions made from inflatable membrane exteriors to temperature-regulated clothing.

The people at Material ConneXion are uniquely placed to explain these developments:
• the context and key tools for innovation, including biomimicry, nanotechnology, and sustainability;
• the application of new materials in interior, fashion, textiles, product, and vehicle design;
• where current developments are leading, along with the implications for educators, professionals, and society as a whole.

The book includes a classified presentation of the four hundred most recent significant materials; a directory of designers, design conferences, trade shows, and professional organizations; and details of degree programs, grants, scholarships, internships, research labs, and competitions.

Here is an indispensable resource for interior, product, graphic, and fashion designers, and for anyone involved with packaging, design, or architecture. 600+ illustrations and photographs in color and black and white. ... Read more

Book Description
Now in its Fourth Edition, Fundamentals of Building Construction is an essential textbook that has been used by thou-sands of students annually in schools of architecture, engineering, and construction technology. The best-selling reference focuses on the basic materials and methods used in building construction. Emphasizing common construction systems such as light wood frames, masonry bearing walls, steel frames, and reinforced concrete, the new edition includes new coverage of green design and energy-efficient construction energies, and is based on the International Building Code(r). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Basic Info
This book has alot of information in it both on the actual materials properties and production and on the structural methods and forms

Excellent Resource
I am still using my 1985 Edition!It is a resource you will want to keep around.The technical background and drawings are great!It has some of everything - residential and nonresidential.Thanks Edward Allen-great book.

A *MUST* have!
I am a construction engineering major and we used this textbook in our construction materials class, and I must say that it is fantastic. It covers a wide array of materials and methods used throughout the construction industry and it gives history lessons on said materials and processes. *This is a definite MUST HAVE for any architects, civil/structural engineers, construction managers/engineers, as well as M.E.P. engineers and applied engineering designers/ET's.* -M.

Good Enough
I found this book to be very good.The materials and methods used in construction are vast and constantly changing.This book does well at giving the reader a good working knowledge of both.There may be better sources, but this one is good enough.

my leisure reading
this book is an excellent overview of construction materials and practices.i really recommend this book to beginning structural/civil engineers who want to know more about construction.I would absolutely recommend this to architects because it's very practical. ... Read more

Book Description
There is an enormous wealth of materials and of print and manufacturing processes currently available to designers. These opportunities are rarely fully explored, whether from lack of knowledge, or from a belief that they will be too costly, too complicated, or too time-consuming. Materials, Process, Print explores these diverse possibilities, providing insights into how they can be stretched, skewed, and subverted to produce original results.

In-depth analysis of specific materials and of key print and manufacturing processes is combined with a series of case studies showcasing innovative practice from major international studios at the cutting edge of contemporary design. Functioning as a handbook for reference and a highly illustrated source of ideas and creative solutions, this book suggests fresh approaches and new ways of thinking for designers working in graphic design and packaging, and will also be of interest to product designers and anyone who commissions design in these fields. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Some books improve with age--the age of the reader, that is. Such is certainly the case with Philip Pullman's heroic, at times heart-wrenching novel, The Golden Compass, a story ostensibly for children but one perhaps even better appreciated by adults. The protagonist of this complex fantasy is young Lyra Belacqua, a precocious orphan growing up within the precincts of Oxford University. But it quickly becomes clear that Lyra's Oxford is not precisely like our own--nor is her world. For one thing, people there each have a personal dæmon, the manifestation of their soul in animal form. For another, hers is a universe in which science, theology, and magic are closely allied:

As for what experimental theology was, Lyra had no more idea than the urchins. She had formed the notion that it was concerned with magic, with the movements of the stars and planets, with tiny particles of matter, but that was guesswork, really. Probably the stars had dæmons just as humans did, and experimental theology involved talking to them.

In The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman has written a masterpiece that transcends genre. It is a children's book that will appeal to adults, a fantasy novel that will charm even the most hardened realist. Best of all, the author doesn't speak down to his audience, nor does he pull his punches; there is genuine terror in this book, and heartbreak, betrayal, and loss. There is also love, loyalty, and an abiding morality that infuses the story but never overwhelms it. This is one of those rare novels that one wishes would never end. Fortunately, its sequel, The Subtle Knife, will help put off that inevitability for a while longer. --Alix Wilber Book Description
Published in 40 countries, Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy--The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass--has graced the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Book Sense, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. In 1996, The Golden Compass changed the face of fantasy publishing, and 2006 marks its 10 Year Anniversary--and an opportunity to celebrate with a deluxe hardcover. Pullman created new material just for this edition (archival documents, scientific notes and "found" letters of Lord Asriel) which has been illustrated and handlettered by renowned British artist Ian Beck and will be included in the back matter. The deluxe edition also features Pullman's own chapter opening spot art. A quality collectible--with the enticement of never-before-seen new material--for Pullman fans.Download Description
Pullman introduces readers to a world as convincing and thoroughly realized as Narnia, Earthsea, of Redwall, wherein lives a half-wild, half-civilized girl named Lyra Belacqua, whose carefree life among the scholars of Jordan College is about the shattered by the arrival of two powerful visitors. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1429)

AMAZING!
This book is so awesome. It is the best book I have read in a while. It is action packed and incredibly interesting. Don't listen to the fanatical christian freaks! You'd miss out if you did.

It's an offence for the atheists
I've bought this book only because my friend said that she heard it is an atheist's response for Narnia stories. As I am an atheist myself, this was a commendation to me. I'm sorry to say that both my friend and myself were sadly deceived.
Suffice it to say, I would much sooner buy Narnia as a gift for a child than any part of the Dark Materials.
The plot starts well, yes, and the author writes well, too - but one wonders, oh, wonders!
The Golden Compass takes place in a parallel universe - this was done before, and with better results. The said universe seems to be our own world, but with different history and with magic thrown in for good measure. The magic is called "anbarics", but the kids can be easily excused for mistaking the term for "electricity". The geografic terms are partly weirdly different from the ones we use (German Ocean - i.e., the North Sea), and partly confusigngly identical. One wishes Mr Pullamn had followed Lewis's example and created a whole new universe. But that's by the by.
The story concentrates about the girl Lyra, who is predestined to a great future. With a help of her deamon, many kind people and thanks to stupidity of her enemies, she survives, though is not able to rescue everybody else. Lyra is an orphan (surprise, surprise!), but she has both parents (now, that's trully unusual) and she's out to rescue her friend from some very bud guys, though she appears to have different goals for most of the book (which actually makes me think that the author does know quite a lot about young teens). So far, so good. It's a relatively simple, but readable story for kids, with scary bits - but kids are much less easily scared than the adults.
The problem is, the story is marketed as an atheist's proclamation. Someone should have explained to Mr Pullman that a tale about predestination cannot, perforce, be considered agnostic - it's pure Calvinism, sir, Calvinism.
Secondly, the author seems to have an issue with Catholic church - which is very charasteritic of the bad old-fashioned, and mercifully, absolete vievs of the members of Church of England. Mr Pullman is not alone, however - Dawkins's "The God Delusion" had sent me to the same paroxysms of laughter at how much the author shares the bad opinion about the Catholics with any ultra-orthodox Protestant lady depicted by, for example, Agatha Christie.
Thirdly, why the Bilble paraphrase? The religious readers would just feel offended, the non-religious ones would just skip it - or head for the original.
Fourthly - yes, I liked the way the Gypsies are depicted in the book, but what the HELL does Mr Pullman have against the Tartars?! These people have enough problems already, and I'd thank the author for not stepping in the stalinists' shoes and bad-mouthing them for nothing. In case Mr Pullman's history books lack the information - the Tartars NEVER scalped anybody. Kill, yes; rape, yes; take for slevery, yes; but scalp - never. These were EFFICIENT soldiers - not wasting time for playing with the corpses.
All in all, I wholehartdly recommend the works of Pratchett, Rowlings, Milne, even Lewis's Narnia - anything but Dark Materials!

Atheist Propaganda
This atheistic diatribe, along with other so-called fiction books like Harry Potter Boxset Books 1-7 and Rabid: A Novel, will destroy the soul of America if not stopped immediately. I call upon Amazon to stop selling them, for they are teaching people that Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ does not exist or is not relavant to today. This is wrong! Protect your children from these books!

Must read!!
The Golden Compass grabbed my attention.The book had a mysterious plot that kept me wanting to read more.In this fantasy book, a young girl goes on an adventure to the north to solve the mystery behind the missing children in England.She solves the mystery and discovers a secret that involves the children and their soul companions called daemons.People who enjoy fantasies would enjoy this book because there are a lot of made up creatures.Many things that couldn't happen in real life happen in this book.People who enjoy a mysterious plot would enjoy this book becuase the plot is very exciting and stimulating. I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

If you want disobedient children
If you want your children to believe it is heroic to disobey parents, adults are evil, and demons are their friends, then perhaps you will want this book. ... Read more

Book Description
If you want top grades and thorough understanding of strength of materials, this powerful study tool is the best tutor you can have! It takes you step-by-step through the subject and gives you accompanying related problems with fully worked solutions. You also get hundreds of additional problems to solve on your own, working at your own speed. (Answers at the back show you how youÕre doing.) This superb study guide features clear explanations of the strengths of systems subject to static as well as dynamic loadings. And it's the only guide to this subject with complete programs in FORTRAN for difficult geometries of structural members, including numerical examples. It also offers simpler computer programs for less complex problems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Excellent book for beginners and pros
This is an excellent book. Very well written and with very explicit examples for a beginner or a pro.
The new facts are the programs for some beams, columns and typical elements of strength of materials.
The reading is easy and the processes are very simple and the exmaples are very clear.

Strength of Materials
I found the book to be very useful in that it summarizes my class textbook and offers many worked out example problems. I have since purchased Schaum's for my other classes and I find them equally useful

Well written book
I have already finished courses in strength of materials etc., and am using this book as a reference, instead of those voluminous handbooks. The book is very well written and William Nash has an excellent, straightforward way of putting forth the key points. The book has all theinformation you might need for a first course in strength of materials. Ialso use this book in conjunction with a finite element text to give me thetheoretical values for comparison. In summary, if you need a solid backupfor your textbook and a useful reference, you won't go wrong with this one.

An excellent book for first course.
This book is very good. First year students will find it very user friendly. Even a graduate engineer may need it to brush up previouly learned skills. All topics - e.g. material properties, stress, beamdeflection, bending moments, columns, etc. are covered in very lucidmanner. A must book for EVERY engineer. ... Read more

Book Description

The poems in Robert Hass's new collection—his first to appear in a decade—are grounded in the beauty and energy of the physical world, and in the bafflement of the present moment in American culture. This work is breathtakingly immediate, stylistically varied, redemptive, and wise.

Customer Reviews (6)

Outstanding poems
Since this book was purchased as a gift, I didn't have the opportunity to finish it before I had to send it off to its intended recipient.I truly enjoyed those poems I read, particularly the non-political poems in the first two-thirds of the book.The poetry is more musical than that of Ted Kooser or Billy Collins, who succeeded Hass as poets laureate.

Time and Materials
An excellent book of poems for this time, Hass' first after a long hiatus. Fine work, sharp insights, neglected truths, good writing.

Hass Paints a Philosphical, Sensual Landscape
If you want words that rhyme, go pick up "The Cat in the Hat."

If you want passion, then you must buy Robert Hass' "Time and Materials."

Poesy full of imagery and verbosity
Time and Materials: Poems, 1997-2005 by Robert Hass is his first collection of poems to emerge in past ten years. Hass is a familiar name in the contemporary world of poetry. He has been awarded National Book Critics Circle Award twice, and was the poet laureate of the US from 1995-1997. He is a professor at University of Berkeley and is presently a chancellor of the Academy of American Poets. He has co-translated the work of Nobel-winner, Czeslaw Milosz. The present book has lapped up a National Book Awards nomination, and received rave reviews from the poets and journalists alike.

What is a poem? Is it a piece that must be interpreted on basis of what it contains, or based on who has written it? Is the identity of poet important? Do his past achievements bias us to read his poems more favorably? Great poets and artists, irrespective of their reputation during their lifetimes, manage to produce works that transcend time, space, language and meaning. The toolbox is words, workstation is a solitary, barely visible corner chair and table, and the audience is firstly the writer's innate desire to create, and then maybe, a slew of readers who open the book. For a poet with the credentials of Hass, the audience is ensured, and what I wish to examine is if his poems justify the applause for a reader like me. I wish to read his poems with a wonder and appreciation that reviewers have expressed everywhere.

Here is excerpt from one of the poems "State of the planet", and this is representative of typical lines in Hass poetry and the arguments I am about to make:

"Poetry should be able to comprehend the earth,
To set aside from time to time its natural idioms
Of ardor of revulsion, and say, in a style as sober
As the Latin of Lucretis, who reported to Venus
On the state of things two thousand years ago....."

In reading poems by Hass, I found myself at lines which gave me intense feelings: I ravish the first three lines in this example, and then I begin to wonder why does Hass need a mention of Lucretis. Throughout the book, I wonder why he needs to evoke so many names and places that unless it is an erudite reader and a world traveler, the references are entirely lost on the reader. We, as beginning poets, are often asked to write self-contained poems, where images and metaphors stand on their realization by readers. We, as beginner poets, are asked to shun the abstract words, and the mention of painters, philosophers, poets and mythical figures, for cameos contaminate attention. In the poems by Hass, these rules are set aside. We watch paintings by Vermeer, we hear of Czeslaw Milosz, Horace, Whitman, Stevens and Nietzsche. We are at times in Mexican desert, in Bangkok and then we are entirely in the world of Dostoevsky. While at times, I enjoy these interludes, I want to know how Hass or the critics would react to a Hass-like poem written by a poet without Hass-like reputation.

Time and Materials strikes to me as a fairly unusual set of poems, where my own sensibilities as a poet are set aside. I am thrust into long, winding sentences, abstract and quirky details, forty-fifty line poems without stanzas and ten-fifteen words before line-breaks. Here as an example, I quote a line from Hass (and I loved this line): "The human imagination does not do well with large numbers." In another poem, he says, "It must be a gift of evolution that humans/Can't sustain wonder." So given he expresses these sentiments in his poems, I cannot comprehend why he has chosen this style. But a poem "Bush War" (featured in Best American Poetry last year) contains some remarkable and honest reflections on past wars, and strikes me an example of how the Hass-poems can work in spite of their verbosity.

Hass has translated great Haiku masters in the past. His own poems carry many Haiku-like phrases - where an apt image illustrates an emotion and an idea tersely. There are poems where he lets me breathe, stop, gasp, repeat lines to myself. There are lines where I shake my head vigorously and cannot appreciate the idea, the wordplay, the metaphor. I judge him more harshly than I would judge most poets, for he is one of the foremost poets of the country. After Robert Frost, America has not produced a poet who can transcend borders and cultures, and perhaps his poems can provide us a notion of why. Overall, I would still ask you to read Time and Materials, savor the humane moments and the montage of experience plastered all over the poems. I will leave you with the opening poem of the book:

IOWA, JANUARY

In the long winter nights, a farmer's dream are narrow.
Over and over, he enters the furrow.

New Time, Old Materials
I had been waiting for Hass' new collection of poems since it was announced in late Spring 2007.I must say that the wait was worthwhile.Visually, it's a glorious volume that cries out to be read...Then you have the actual poems: readers of Hass' previous collections will find here the usual wide range of his interests and his incredible ability to weave the most unexpected materials together in poems that challenge your vision and expand your sensibility.

Hass's voice sounds a bit more authoritative in "Time and Materials".He may even sounds "too sure" sometimes if you remember his sensuous -though wondering- glosses of the past.Yet that may be precisely the reason why this book is worth reading.It's a new time and Robert Hass has gathered some wisdom along the years...His materials are still the same, with newer charms and dimensions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

How do we form objects and events?
I am very impress