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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

Product Description
Newly designed and containing a full 40 percent completely new content, Time-Saver Standards for Landscape Architecture, Second Edition, continues to be the most complete source of site design and construction standards and data. It is fully metric, to meet Federal and International requirements. It features increased coverage of: Site storm water "best management" practices · New urban tree planting and xeriscape concepts · Earth retaining structures and pavement design · Land reclamation, including soil and vegetation restoration · Metric site layout practices, including recreation facilities · Energy and resource conservation · Natural processes and site construction procedures · New expanded construction details · Simplified construction materials data. Over 50 sections provide concise tables, checklists, "Key Point" text summaries, and illustrations to provide an invaluable information resource for offices and classrooms throughout the world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

price valued
I save 30$ for this book, just as described all pages inside is good except for the cover, quite good

Great Book poor service
The product I received is great, especially because I'm a student, it has quick references for almost all of the information I need. It has great little sketches and all kinda of information I need.
It took almost week longer than said April 16 -May 3 was my expected delivery date and I did not receive it until May 11.I felt that the 18 day shipping window was too broad for it to have still come late.

A must have for any landscape architect
Fantastic detailed drawings with standard practice for graphic technique. Includes a wide variety of information but goes in depth with each one as the book is almost a thousand pages. Would certainly recommend.

Useful, overview
The Time-Saver Standards for Landscape Architecture is large and heavy; however, it provides an overview of Landscape Architectural standards.I purchased mine as a LA student for class, which I believe to be where the book is best suited as a reference and introduction to the profession demonstrationing how plant and hardscape details are created, design and construction process of a landscape design, and description of design elements (paving, water, light, vegetation, ect).I've found the book helpful with my studying for the LARE (Landscape Architectural Registration Exam) as well.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
This manual is a MUST for practicing land professionals. This is considered a "bible" for anyone who works with the land. As you know this field is constantly changing but this book is fundamentally sound and thorough. ... Read more

Product Description
Business Architecture is a disciplined approach to creating and maintaining business models that enhance enterprise accountabilities and improve decision-making. Business Architecture's value proposition, unlike other disciplines, is to increase organizational effectiveness by mapping and modeling the business to the organization's business vision and strategic goals. The book is an introduction to this burgeoning new field. It explains what Business Architecture is, what a good, sustainable one should include, and explains how to implement a business architecture practically within the reader's environment. Extensive examples and case studies are included toclarify points and demonstrate clearly to the reader how they too can begin to build business architecture within their organization. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great book on Business Architecture
This is a great book on Business Architecture. Chris Reynolds takes you through what Business Architecture is, what it should be and how to implement it properly. Being new to Business Architecture, this book really gave me a comprehensive introduction. This is a book that all project teams, architects and consultants should have! ... Read more

Product Description
Our thermal environment is as rich in cultural associations as our visual, acoustic, olfactory, and tactile environments. This book explores the potential for using thermal qualities as an expressive element in building design.

Until quite recently, building technology and design has favored high-energy-consuming mechanical methods of neutralizing the thermal environment. It has not responded to the various ways that people use, remember, and care about the thermal environment and how they associate their thermal sense with their other senses. The hearth fire, the sauna, the Roman and Japanese baths, and the Islamic garden are discussed as archetypes of thermal delight about which rituals have developed—reinforcing bonds of affection and ceremony forged in the thermal experience. Not only is thermal symbolism now obsolete but the modern emphasis on central heating systems and air conditioning and hermetically sealed buildings has actually damaged our thermal coping and sensing mechanisms. This book for the solar age could help change all that and open up for us a new dimension of architectural experience.

As the cost of energy continues to skyrocket, alternatives to the use of mechanical force must be developed to meet our thermal needs. A major alternative is the use of passive solar energy, and the book will provide those interested in solar design with a reservoir of ideas.

Lisa Heschong earned a degree in Environmental Planning from the University of California at Berkeley and once in Architecture from MIT. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A thought provoking work.
Thermal Delight in Architecture is an inspiring look at the thermal aspects of architecture (temperature and humidity), a frustrating and unexciting topic for many designers. Although this work came out of the energy crisis of the 70's, its implications could not be more relevant in our time. When most architects view thermal design as efficient heating and cooling systems, heat gain and heat loss and the challenge of creating an envelope with a high R-value, Heschong approaches this topic from a completely unique and refreshing perspective. Her focus is not on the technical and monotonous aspects of thermal conditions, she looks at this subject as an architectural designer, not a mechanic or an engineer, focusing on the social, emotional and experiential significance of the thermal through a historic and cultural lens. Her thesis, although not entirely resolved in this short work, makes an argument for a new approach to architectural design, where thermal aspects are not treated with neglect and contempt but are used to enrich the experience of the inhabitant both physically and emotionally.
Heschong begins her case with a look at the fundamental need for humans to stay warm and cool, dry and humid. She explores the history of mankind and how it dealt with this issue, the making of fires, shelters and places of protection from the heat of the sun. She makes a case that the human of the past dealt with this issue simply, but their solutions were full of rich experiences and allowed for a strong connection to nature. In a description of the igloo she explains how nature itself provided the protection from harmful aspects of nature and the fire was a central aspect of the home, it not only provided warmth but was the center of activity, the source of comfort and light. Heschong uses many historic examples to express the significance thermal characteristics played in the history of humanity but her support comes not only from architecture. She uses a broad pallet of sources, quotes and common knowledge that unites the historic facts with human affection through poetry and stories that help convey the ideas.
Heschong's analysis continues into the Delight, Affection and Sacredness that thermal aspects of architecture creates. She states that man has always delighted experiencing thermal extremes such as "The Fins... jumping from the sauna into a snowbank or a cold lake. At the beach, after baking in the sun, there is a cold ocean to swim in." Although Heschong's examples are often not architectural, she always relates how architecture played a role in bringing people delight. Today, the extent of thermal experience is a constant room temperature controlled by pressing a button, unless the heating or cooling unit breaks. We ignore our past thermal experiences and delights that enriched our lives physically and emotionally. She argues that it is not natural for mankind to live, work and play in a space that has a constant thermal condition, it has never been the case in human nature, nor was it so for any other living thing on earth.
Although Thermal Delight in Architecture is an intriguing work of architectural exploration it leaves one with a somewhat nagging question. Heschong states the rich history of thermal aspects of architecture and the current neglect of such delights and affections but she does not resolve today's void and gives little advice to how this might be solved or if there is a solution at all. In her last paragraph she states that today, solar homes are the closest example of such architecture but how one should go about introducing thermal delight and affection into today's built environment is not stated.
Having lived and practice architecture through the 70's, Heschong understands the significance of efficient and sustainable architectural design. In fact, her studies of thermal delight, affection and sacredness were inspired through her work with solar homes. In an age where green design is king and energy prices are consistently going up and are predicted to continue the trend, sustainable and efficient design is relevant today more than ever. Although green architecture is everywhere and will continue to grow, it often lacks exactly that which Heschong addresses in her work. Thermal Delight in Architecture can be the perfect springboard for those who are interested in addressing this issue and want to help bring greater meaning a richer experiences to the future of green architecture.

Unique information
I purchased this book for use with my Thesis research, and have been quite pleased with it. The book brings up ideas about human perception of spaces as influenced by thermal conditions. It goes into historical examples very nicely, but it is a little weak on more contemporary works. That being said, it is quite easy to apply the proposals to any work of architecture. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in 1) architecture or 2) human perception. For someone that is interested in the human perception of architecture, it's a must-have.

Unique approach to architecture. Concise, accessible to all.
Of the many books I've read on architecture, this has been by far the most influential; it inspired by bachelor of architecture thesis.Heschong argues that thermal aesthetics in architecture, although almost universally overlooked, affect building users at least as much as visual aesthetics.She supports her thesis by naming dozens of examples linking thermal qualities to psychology/perception, culture, traditions, language, and, of course, architecture.The book is accessible to everyone and not just architects: it is not at all technical and is very concise.Yet it is thorough, and is sure to change the reader's perception of his or her thermal environments. ... Read more

Product Description
The entire span of Venetian art - in architechture, sculpture, and painting - from the 13th through the 18th centuries is systematically explained by renowned art historians.If you approach Venice by way of the lagoon, the city appears to be as homogenous as a single building.But as soon as you step into its shadowy alleys, you will be captivated by the palazzi, churches, and private palaces where the eye is drawn to the dazzling sylistic variety of Moorish window arches adjacent to balconies in Venetian Gothic and severe Renaissance facades. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Packed with information and well designed
This is unbelievably good value for your money. Though small in size it offers a huge amount of information of art and architecture as the title implies, but also of history and traditions somewhat. Very good print, design and photos, maps of the city and of some buildings room by room. It's a chunky little book, but it lays very well in your hands. If you have the slightest interest in the lagoon city, don't hesitate. I can't see anyone get disappointed by this, I certainly didn't.

Lovers or Venice
One of the best books I've read on Venice.Covers the important sights, some history, and the lifestyles.Excellent photos. ... 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

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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 (24)

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.

Good revit
This book is good for beginners. I'll also continue to use it as a reference in the future - I actually have revit 2011 and it worked just fine. ... Read more

Product Description
While it is widely recognized that the advanced architecture of the 1970s left a legacy of experimentation and theoretical speculation as intense as any in architecture's history, there has been no general theory of that ethos. Now, in Architecture's Desire, K. Michael Hays writes an account of the "late avant-garde" as an architecture systematically twisting back on itself, pondering its own historical status, and deliberately exploring architecture's representational possibilities right up to their absolute limits. In close readings of the brooding, melancholy silence of Aldo Rossi, the radically reductive "decompositions" and archaeologies of Peter Eisenman, the carnivalesque excesses of John Hejduk, and the "cinegrammatic" delirium of Bernard Tschumi, Hays narrates the story of architecture confronting its own boundaries with objects of ever more reflexivity, difficulty, and intransigence.

The late avant-garde is the last architecture with philosophical aspirations, an architecture that could think philosophical problems through architecture rather than merely illustrate them. It takes architecture as the object of its own reflection, which in turn produces an unrelenting desire. Using the tools of critical theory together with the structure of Lacan's triad imaginary-symbolic-real, Hays constructs a theory of architectural desire that is historically specific and yet sets the terms and the challenges of all subsequent architectural practice, including today's.

Writing Architecture series ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Lacanian Overview of the Expanded Seventies: Architecture as a "Domain" of Cultural Representation
Michael Hays of Harvard GSD has produced an interesting and thought-provoking take on the ways in which the architects Aldo Rossi, Peter Eisenman, John Hedjuk, and Bernard Tschumi sought to "negotiate the real"in their construction of concepts and "subject positions" (during the years roughly 1966-1983). The author is admirably clear in stating up front that this has little or nothing to do with the "making of things" (architectural objects). It is an historical compte rendu of the imputed philosophical aspirations of this (so-called late avant-garde) generation via their "inquiry into what is, what might be, and how the latter can happen."

The discussion is launched by way of the "received" views of the late critic and Renaissance scholar Manfredo Tafuri and the somewhat more recently deceased Mannerist historian and critic Colin Rowe, whose rather different yet coincident views are labeled "not so much incorrect, as... not correct enough" with regard to the impasse of post-modernist architectural ambitions. Instead, Hays would like to bracket Tafurian black pessimism and Rovian inquisitive skepticism with the question: "Where does architecture come from, and what authorizes its existence as architecture--- beyond the [largely Humanist-based] constitutions already in place?", a demand he specifies to have been the "query of the late avant-garde."

The author's "not correct enough" maxim hinges on full philosophical immersion in the "matrix of [Lacanian] desire", and the reader unfamiliar with Lacan's elaborate and not infrequently shifting terminology will make scant headway, especially in the opening chapter labeled "Desire", at the end of which Hays makes the suggestion that, after all, this first chapter should perhaps have been read last. This latecomer proviso is concomitant with the authorial hope that each of the four-architect chapters "can be read independently". Since each of these four is said, as pointed out above, to have striven to "negotiate the real", it may be well to indicate Hays's reminder at the end of the "Desire" chapter that: "Lacan defines the Real as 'that which resists symbolization absolutely.'"

The Lacanian framework progresses notably more smoothly as the book proceeds toward the fourth chapter Hays devotes to his easily recognizable hero, John Hedjuk. The discussion of Aldo Rossi is a tad shoehorned into the Tafurian mold, which already during the lifetimes of both critic and architect Rossi had begun to chafe at. Though Hays is from a part of the world notable for its sensibility to registers of character, speech, and language, yet like the (Roman-born) Tafuri before him, hefails to appreciate fully the exquisitely Milanese nature of the Tendenza and of Rossi's own (almost Stendhalian) personal stance. Rossi in his own right was a keen analogist, able to absorb and interpret vernacular styles, and traditions in Catalonia, Ticino, and finally America.

Here the first part of the Rossi chapter is occupied in drawing parallels with semiotics and French structuralism, on the one hand, and architecture on the other. However, these were largely collateral concerns for Rossi and, above all, the fact that the post-1968 crisis in the Milan Polytechnic is not dealt with renders Rossi as a kind of free-floating agent, which indeed, on account of that crisis, he later became to an extent. Moreover, Peter Eisenman's preface and introduction to the American edition of *Architecture of the City* (that appeared at the end of the period under discussion) make no bones about the "normalization" of this text and the well-intentioned attempt to reign in Rossi under the divers IAUS umbrella.

It is ironic, therefore, that the Eisneman chapter of Hays's book exudes the least apparent enthusiasm and provides the heaviest going. Movement here is, as Hays characterizes it, from "the structuralization of the object to the textualization of the site, by way of Tafuri (by implication and via Eisneman's personal contact with the Italian critic), Jacques Derrida (later a friend and associate), Walter Benjamin, and also Freud. Hays's narrative is dutiful, if exemplary, but ends in a paragraph that gives the game away, when, as Hays states, "Eisenman's glass beads of perfect repetition are thrown against the hard floor of building practice."

The next chapter entitled "Encounter" is the longest and possibly Hays's best written, in a work that is well written throughout, and for someone like me, who never knew the much loved John Hedjuk, is reason enough for the book. Although Hedjuk was surely not more literary or anymore of an intellectual than the early Rossi, the Hedjuk canon on its own works better without any prompting for a US audience, who were regaled with lectures at the Cooper Union in New York. The relationship to Le Corbusier, architectural modernism's greatest legacy to postmodernism, as defined by Hays, is now (and must always have been) clear. Finally, the case for Lacanian metaphor is obvious and unforced, as is the author's reference to Bahktin.

Hays is also very good on Tschumi, in whose work the Real makes itself known "not in the substance but rather in the failures and duplicities of the architectural signifier." There is talk of Hegel and again of Adorno, and also of Archizoom and Superstudio "with whom Tschumi clearly sympathizes." And, additionally, Bernard Tsuchumi has been able to take an even view of Le Corbusier and Bataille, not least at the "rotten point", where as Tschumi has it: "glass meets mould" or in the "gaps, holes, and cracks, that are the marks of architectural desire. (Hays)" It has been Tschumi's point of strength to realize architecture as an event and to mark "the disjunction between the particular event of architecture and the architectural unconscious into which the actual event is constantly fading--- the lost Other that architecture desires."

Denise Scott-Brown, too, has had a cameo role in all these goings on, rightfully and I think helpfully so, yet the book has been conceived by MIT Press as without an index (though with copious end notes) so it's difficult to locate her and others, except symphonically within the text). Hays ends the story with Rem Koolhaas, his co-option of the Downtown Athletic Club, and finally his essay entitled "Junkspace" of now nearly a decade ago. You will have to be a paid-up member of the Lacan Club to "get" all the author's references, to participate to the maximum in his lyricism (particularly the Hedjukian), and to draw with Michael Hays full circle to the conclusions of his protagonists. But you can still be an honorary member and acquire most of the benefits and enjoyment. There are seven color plates and a number of in-text figures.

David B. Stewart
Tokyo Tech
... Read more

Product Description

In A Practical Guide to Enterprise Architecture, six leading experts present indispensable technical, process, and business insight into every aspect of enterprise architecture. You'll find start-to-finish guidance for architecting effective system, software, and service-oriented architectures; using product lines to streamline enterprise software design; leveraging powerful agile modeling techniques; extending the Unified Process to the full software lifecycle; architecting presentation tiers and user experience; and driving the technical direction of the entire enterprise. For every working architect and every IT professional who wants to become one.

Customer Reviews (20)

total disappointment

been looking for an EA book. does not cover itil, togaf, cobit, feaf or any othe improtant EAs now being used.

Outdated
In support of the heading, let's take a look at presented viewpoints. There is nothing besides famous 4+1 and a slight variation on the theme.
EA leaped forward during last 5 years, leaving presented material far behind.

A Practical Guide to Enterprise Architecture (James McGovern)
To Whom It May Concern,

I have purchased "A Practical Guide to Enterprise Architecture" for my class which has already started on the 01/05/2009, I have waited for this book because it is vital in my research, and I have yet to receive it. It is paid for, I would like to receive my book or I would like to be reimbursed, and if not, I will be very please to use other services.

Thank you for reading this email, and thank you for your time.


Sincerely,


Rose


A Practical Guide to Enterprise Architecture (Coad Series)

A very poor book on EA
About 4 pages of this book concern Zachman.The rest of the book largely avoids any enterprise architecture topic.

The confused authors, and some reviewers here, do not understand the difference between enterprise architecture and software architecture.

The title of this book mimics the very popular PDF document "A Practical Guide to Enterprise Architecture", written for government EA practice.It may seem odd, but US government practice is at the forefront of EA because the organizations are huge and the IT budgets massive.Look for this PDF file on the CIO council website or www.egov.gov.This begs the question of if the authors wanted to steal from the popularity of the earlier work and take advantage of those without a deep knowledge of EA- such as most programmers.

Missing from the book are things like TOGAF, FEAF, DODAF.Also missing is the practical list of artifacts in Scott Bernard's EA3 book. Come to think of it, get Scott's book, DODAF vol 1 & 2, the PDFs at www.egov.gov under the EA link, FEAF v 1.1 (PDF) and you will be far ahead of this confused mishmash of OO religion and EA misinformation.

I've been doing this for about 20 years, so I may be entitled to an opinion.

The title is misleading. The book is NOT a practical guide to Enterprise Architecture
The title 'A Practical Guide to Enterprise Architecture' led me to expect a book that dealt with the processes, challenges and techniques for creating an ENTERPRISE architecture. It does not. The book is about various technology frameworks. The Contents lists Systems Architectures, Solution Architectures and Service Oriented Architectures but not Enterprise Architecture. Enterprise Architecture is skimmed over in the Preface. The book barely touches on Zachman and Spewak and Hill. It ignores FEAF, TEAF, TOGAF, PERA, C4ISR, the Clinger-Cohen Act and other ENTERPRISE stuff completely. Enough said. Whatever this book is, is it is NOT a practical guide to ENTERPRISE Architecture. The book may be of use to technical architects designing solution-frameworks to support an Enterprise Architecture. ... Read more

Product Description
This massive compendium by a noted architectural historian contains over 2000 line drawings, and clear, concise definitions for over 5000 important terms relating to the architectural achievements of a great variety of world cultures, ancient to modern. Includes cutaway views, close-ups of intricate details, precisely rendered plans for many famed structures.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Useful
I ordered this dictionary for a History of Design class. The required textbook wasn't very useful so I got this dictionary to do my terminology assignments. It's easy to use and has great descriptions and pictures.

My favorite book on Western Architecture
No long narratives, but a picture or dictionary description of everything you can think of architecturally.Very easy to use.This is my most used book for a class in the history of western architecture.The drawings are VERY well done.

Great Textbook Follow-Up
I love this book!My textbook can be unclear on certain architectural elements and I can almost always count on this book to give me a definition and a drawing.If you are looking for colored pictures this isn't the right book for you but if you need some great reference material this is a great book.

Illustrated Dictionary of Historic Architecture
This book is extremely helpful when taking any Architecture History course.Everything I have needed to know is in this book.The diagrams are more understandable than my textbook.

Dictionary Covering World Architecture
Cyril Harris has produced two great architectural dictionaries.The first one published in 1977 is the one currently being reviewed.His second dictionary is entitled, "American Architecture:An Illustrated Encyclopedia" and it was published in 1998 by Norton.

If your interest in primarily in American Architecture stick to "American Architecture".It is a newer book and its has beautiful line illustrations of which the majority come from the Historic American Building Survey (HABS).It has over 2,500 definitions and 1,000 illustrations.

However, if your interest is in World Architecture, this is the book for you.In this volume, Harris provides concise definitions for over 5,000 architectural terms and there are over 2,000 illustrations.From ancient ruins to 20th Century Modern Architecture, this illustrated dictionary covers the full spectrum of architectural achievement.All the illustrations are black and white line illustrations and they appear to principally come from the illustrated magazines of the 19th and Early 20th Century. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

How could you not get this for the price?
Beautifully illustrated, written, and presented. This book covers an excellent range of projects and firms/architects. The only thing I find slightly disturbing about this (and it may just be my copy) is that all the pages are bound into the hardcover upside down haha. No big deal, flip the dustjacket around and nobody will ever know! Wonderful find for the price, full of excellent information that should definitely inspire. ... Read more

Product Description
For History of Architecture courses in departments of Art, Design, Art History and Architecture.Moving back and forth between the long view of historical trends and close-ups on major works and crucial architectural themes, this insightful, lively and original modern survey reinvigorates conventional period and thematic structures of architectural history and revitalizes the canon of great buildings. Designed to help students understand and appreciate great architecture and its history, the lavishly illustrated text explains specific qualities of periods in depth and the complex illuminating differences between them in social, intellectual, and aesthetic terms. Exceptionally detailed coverage of the modern age (18th century to the present). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

good book, best price I found
Book was in virtually new condition. I had one product sticker on back cover, which the description mentioned prior to buying.It didn't contain the plastic face cover, but I saved at least $30 on this book so that didn't bother me.

Excellent Service
This book came in a very timely matter. I am satisfied with the quality of the book. It is in great condition.

Good stuff
Product was in Excellent condition except for a minor tear on the cover jacket (Which I don't use)

Was delivered fast and have had nothing wrong with it

Good stuff :)

Great Book
The book arrived earlier than expected. It is a book I needed and could only find on Amazon. I am grateful that the book came in the condition that was describe to me. I encourage people to check out this book.

This is THE story of Western Architecture
I am a Registered architect(with National Certification), Registered Interior Designer and instructor of Architectural History. Trachtenberg and Hyman have written the definitive history of western architecture in this tract. The reading is awkward at times, but the ideas conveyed comprise the foundation of todays architectural theory. There are few, if any textbooks on this subject which maintain a consistant thread of thought all the way through. This one does. If you are vitally interested in the underpinnings of today's designs, you should read it.
... Read more

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

Customer Reviews (12)

Great source of design details.
A while back, Architectural Record would include design details in each of their issues, albeit just one or two enlarged details, and mostly tiny floor plans.This book is similar to those Architectural Record issues, but in a nicely condensed series of 52 different residential projects with select plans, details, background information and photos, and at much larger sizes for excellent viewing.

The projects are separated by types of primary materials (concrete, steel, masonry, etc) and includes a index of types of details (door, glazing, roof, etc) as well as contact/address listings for the designers/architects.The big bonus of course, is that the details are available on a disk, in .EPS and .DWG formats, which are quite spectacular for further exploration of these designers' details.

It is a very well organized and complete book; I have rarely found this level of detailing and documentation in other books, and I would highly recommend this book - especially since I was able to get it for the bargain price of $20 - as a reference tool and the basis for an exploration of new ideas.If you are a detail-control-freak designer like I am, I think you would enjoy this book as well as I have.

-footnote added 3/16/2010-

After careful scrutiny of more details, I can tell you that there were apparently at least two different drawing editors, leading to drastically different levels of detailing and information.Further, errors in drafting and non-matching details to actual built work can be spotted in different projects, leading one to wonder about the quality control at some of these design firms.Some of the details are seemingly drawn for aesthetic sake instead of usable, working drawings; one should be careful when using these as reference material, as some - as drawn - are unusable, as if drawn by interns.Thus, I have down-ranked the book to 4 stars instead of 5.

Superficial book
Superficial book. Poor drawings. I purchase in 07/15/09 and the book arrives in Brazil in 08/10/09.

Great Technical Drawings along with Picture
This is a great book if your a designer. Simple, if you like a building it shows you how it all goes together. Cd rom with cad drawings included. Great for a student as well as a professional.

Very useful Book
As a new professional in Architecture, I found this product useful for showing modern details on a number of very interesting projects.While this is not unabridged access to construction documents for each of the projects, it does give insight on materials and clear drawings showing how they go together.There were details on projects that I would have wanted in the book that weren't included, but it is understandable that not every detail could appear in the book.There is a very good organization of details within the book.One improvement that I would like to see is close-up photographs of the real-life details next to the associated drawing of the detail.This would help to clarify what exactly is being drawn.I love the CD that is included.

Interesting book
A book that try to be a reference. The projects are well chosen and there are good images that have not been published really much so far. Many detail are made for building with a ''not that cold'' climate, I've appreciate it even if we have to deal with winter in Canada... ... Read more

Product Description
Google SketchUp for Site Design illustrates a holistic approach to SketchUp: how it works and more importantly, what to do with it.

Filled with tutorials from front to back, the book focuses on the start and completion of projects that include rich detail and expression. Each part and chapter of the book builds on the previous chapters and tutorial.

You will learn how to approach modeling site plans, buildings and site elements: from modeling each of these exterior environment elements to piecing them together to generate a singular and expressive model.

The book culminates with tutorials demonstrating effective and simple ways to include grades and terrain using the Sandbox tools and how best to integrate the entire approach with AutoCAD and SketchUp.

Also included are links to supplemental on-line resources such as YouTube tutorials and free tutorial and example models from 3D Warehouse.

The book is useful for all SketchUp proficiency levels including beginners, hobbyists, and professionals. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

Add SketchUp to Your Tools
This book is amazing, since it goes from an introduction to SketchUp to very complex architecture and site drawings. It discusses ways to use SketchUp with AutoCad, Photoshop, and other tools, and also includes discussion of SketchUp Pro -- all in a very simple, step by step manner.

The most obvious audience for this book is the architect or architecture student who knows how to do these things by hand and doesn't yet know how to do them with SketchUp. However, talented SketchUp lovers who want to create more impressive models will benefit from the examples and tips. I was able to get effects far beyond my expectations.

The book begins with SketchUp basics, including plenty of pictures and screen shots. This section goes over the simplest geometry, but also treats RubyScript and problem solving. The section on the best process for creating with SketchUp was very helpful, too.

Then you'll move on to projects. By following the steps, you can create gardens, buildings, components like streetlamps and railings, plus the landscape to put all these things into. Along the way, there are little assignments to try out. You'll also get web links to YouTube tutorials and exercises.

This book could certainly be used as a textbook, but it's also perfect for artists and architects adding SketchUp to their arsenal of tools, or for SketchUp aficionados who are ready to kick it up a notch.

A useful introduction to SketchUp terrain modeling
My experience with SketchUp instruction manuals is limited (this is the first one I've read), but overall, I was happy with the book, however, I have reservations before recommending it to others.

The examples that Tal includes were very clear, well-explained, and organized in a logical order. The images are helpful, and go a long way in showing what SketchUp is capable of in terrain modeling. Tal's approach makes it easy to learn some of the more complex techniques dealing with terrain grids, follow contours, and the like. That said, I felt that the book was generally thin in complex techniques. By the time I read this book, I'd been using SketchUp for a couple years, and had already learned most of this stuff through Google's online tutorial videos and the Go-2-School podcast series, both free. I also left the book a little hazy on some of the finer points of terrain modeling, like drape vs. stamp, etc, and wish that Tal had really spent more than a couple paragraphs on these.

I also wish that Tal had devoted more space to explaining how best to present a finished model. This could include using Scenes effectively to export images, describing the ideal views for a project, proper workflow to see a project through from beginning to end, and even on using LayOut (included in SketchUp Pro). I would think many readers, who spend a number of hours building a model, would want to know the best, cleanest ways to show off their work.

In the end, Tal's book is very useful for someone who would like to use SketchUp for terrain modeling, but 1) hasn't really started to explore the software's features, and isn't sure where to start, and 2) doesn't really know what SketchUp is capable of in terrain modeling exercises.

Daniel's book is subpurb!
Daniel covers more techniques that people haven't necessarily thought about than most Sketchup books out there. He's probably forgotten more about Sketchup, than most average users will ever know. Advance users probably know about all the features and tools of Sketchup, but Daniel takes the tools to new levels. Great graphics, easy to comprehend, covers all bases. I can't wait for the next volume Daniel, great job, I give this book the highest props. Where he finds the time to write books, teach classes and make it to work every day is beyond me!

Great item and great seller!
The item was shipped fast and was in good condition when I received it.Good seller!

One of the best books out there - but be patient.
I have to admit, I have little patience for 3d work as I'm an illustrator that makes "2D" paintings. However, I have seen the uses of SketchUp by other artists, and wanted to give this a shot. In fact, it encouraged me to build a desktop just for the purpose of dabbling in 3D.

I found other books and immediately was turned off by the tech speak, even the "for Dummies" was a little hard to grasp. Along with the videos out there covering SketchUp with this book I started understanding how to create little environments with this neat App by Google.

You may have my problem and be a bit impatient with the tech speak, and terms, but just go over the chapters in order as requested in the book. It also gives you links to extras and goodies too. The author is pretty thorough and despite some technical jargon, he's still rather simple and to the point. There are a great number of illustrations in the book to help you through it.

Learning 3D work is a bit of a daunting task for me, but this book has come in handy since I love how people were able to use the tools to help create 2D works with 3D programs. Slowly but surely I'll be able to build and even try other 3D programs. I know, I'm making it sound harder than it actually is, but if you have no patience with most 3D apps you can understand why I belabored over trying this and getting a book to actually understand all of it. I definitely am thankful the author knows how to make it interesting!
... Read more

Product Description
Detail in Contemporary Timber Architecture provides analysis of both the technical and the aesthetic importance of details in modern timber architecture. Featuring the work of renowned architects from around the world, this book presents 50 of the most recently completed and influential timber designs for both residential and commercial architecture.

Each project is presented with color photographs, site plans, and sections and elevations, as well as numerous construction details. There is also a descriptive text, detailed captions, and in-depth information for each project, including the location, client, architectural project team, main consultants, and contractors.

The projects are presented in clear and concise layouts over four pages. All of the drawings are styled in the same way and presented at standard architectural scales to allow for easy comparison. There is also a CD-ROM that contains all the drawings as printed in the book, in both EPS and DWG (generic CAD) formats. In addition, the book features an index of architects that includes the name, address, and all contact details for each architect included. ... Read more

Product Description

The industry¿s leading resource for Internet routing solutions and scenarios

• Explore the functions, attributes, and applications of BGP-4, the de facto interdomain routing protocol, through practical scenarios and configuration examples
• Learn the contemporary Internet structure and understand how to evaluate a service provider in dealing with routing and connectivity issues
• Master the addressing techniques--including Classless Interdomain Routing (CIDR)--that are demanded today to facilitate the Internet's rapid and continuing growth
• Develop optimal routing policies--redundancy, traffic balancing, symmetry, and stability--for your network
• Learn how to seamlessly integrate your intradomain and interdomain routing and manage large and growing autonomous systems

Internet Routing Architectures, Second Edition explores the ins and outs of interdomain routing network designs with emphasis on BGP-4 (Border Gateway Protocol Version 4)--the de facto interdomain routing protocol.

Using a practical, xample-oriented approach, this comprehensive resource provides you with real solutions for ISP connectivity issues.You will learn how to integrate your network on the global Internet and discover how to build large-scale autonomous systems.You will also learn to control expansion of interior routing protocols using BGP-4, design sound and stable networks, configure the required policies using Cisco IOS Software, and explore routing practices and rules on the Internet.

Internet Routing Architectures, Second Edition is your complete resource for Internet routing solutions and scenarios.

Topics covered: Means of connecting one network to another, especially by means of Border Gateway Protocol 4 (BGP-4) on Cisco Systems routers. There's coverage of addressing and routing-protocol generalities, as well as of BGP tuning for routing inside and outside autonomous systems. Design decisions are a big part of this book's scope. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (45)

the bgp 'bible', even for non believers :-)
This book has been reviewed many many times before, and because it is such a brilliant masterpiece, it thought it was worth while mentioning this again.
I simply don't have words for this book.Everything is so well explained, well documented, well written... it simply is a must read for anybody who wants to do anything with BGP.
Personally, I have found it valuable to first learn some basics about BGP before reading this book. But even if you are a BGP beginner, you will like this book.

High five, well deserved !

A must read on BGP
This is a great book to get the fundamentals of BGP and many advanced concepts related to BGP on the internet and in your enterprise. Even though Halabi wrote the latest edition almost 10 years ago the information is very relative to today. It is of course very Cisco specific but gives you a great understanding of how the protocol works and will help any engineer who deals with BGP. A must read.

Internet Routing Architectures Book
Very satisfied. The description of the condition of the book said it was like a new book. I wasn't disappointed. It was in excellent condition. The seller was very good and actually followed up with me to make sure that I was happy and totally satisfied with the book and delivery. I was.

Classic BGP and Internet Architecture
This is a really great book on BGP and Internet Architecture.The explanation of BGP at the protocol level is great.More importantly though is its explanation and examples of using eBGP / iBGP with an IGP.

I've heard it criticized as being dated and too Cisco specific.Though it is Cisco specific, it's still very relevant.I would start with this book and read past NANOG presentations on introductory BGP if I wanted to learn how the Internet works.

A great BGP book, but not the first book for the CCIE
I have always felt that I am part of the small minority that just does not see the beauty of this book if studying for the CCIE.I have, for years, read other's comments on the how Halabi's "Internet Routing Arch" is a `must have', yet I still have not found a similar reason why.While I do feel that the book does (probably) the best job at explaining BGP and how to implement BGP in a Cisco-centric world, I have not discovered the value for the CCIE.I would much rather spend my time with CiscoPress's "Routing TCP/IP" Volume 2, by Jeff Doyle and Jennifer DeHaven Carroll than this book.

One item of concern, there is a noticable amount of trivial errors in this book that can lead to disaster if implemented incorrectly.For example:

Page 106 - "...any traffic that has an origin OR destination that does not belong to the local AS."This clearly should be an AND, not OR.

Page 315 - "You can also specify a PREFIX list..." - I believe this should be a filter list, not a prefix list.

And then there are places where the book is too opinionated - for example - page 206 "Many operators choose to filter dynamically learned defaults to avoid situations in which traffic ends up where it is not supposed to be."I do not feel this is true, and can think of multiple times when not filtering the advertised default route may just end up being the worst option.In fact, I do not feel either configuration is the right configuration to admit or condone, as the wrong configuration can have disastrous effects.

I still have to give this book 4 stars - simply because of it's utilitarian value and overwhelming sense of loyalty given to this book by others.But I don't reach for this book too often.

I give this book 4 pings out of 5:
!!!.! ... Read more

Product Description

Dealing with computer architecture as well as computer organization anddesign, this fully updated book provides the basic knowledge necessary tounderstand the hardware operation of digital computers. Written to aidelectrical engineers, computer engineers, and computer scientists, thevolume includes: KEY FEATURES: the computer architecture,organization, and design associated with computer hardware • thevarious digital components used in the organization and design of digitalcomputers • detailed steps that a designer must go through in order todesign an elementary basic computer • the organization and architectureof the central processing unit • the organization and architecture ofinput-output and memory • the concept of multiprocessing • two newchapters on pipeline and vector processing • two sections devotedcompletely to the reduced instruction set computer (RISC) • and sampleworked-out problems to clarify topics.

Customer Reviews (25)

Just what I needed
The book comes at a good deal, better than buying it at the school bookstore. It does the job that it is intended to, and gets you through the course you are taking.

content ok, binding horrible
I'm currently using this book in a class on computer organization that basically goes through the whole book. The first chapters introduce Boolean algebra, digital gates, and number systems. In the subsequent chapters, the author designs simple sample computers to teach bus design, register transfer language, assembly, and microprogrammed control. He later applies these concepts to more general designs.

Overall, I found most of the book to be understandable and fairly clear. The sample computer was a good way to learn about computer design. However, some sections of the book were ambiguously written and required re-reading to understand. It also wasn't very clear when the book would jump from one computer design to the next. I especially disliked this book's explanation of K-maps in the first chapter.

A big problem is the binding of the paperback version. I've owned my copy for two months, and the pages are falling out in batches faster than leaves in autumn.

Misleading description of the book status
The book was described as brand new. However, I received an email after the book was shipped apologizing for some highlights within the book pages. I found this deceiving in a sense.

Great Amazon Customer Service
This review concerns Amazon.com's customer service, not specifically this book.I rated it 3-stars only because that's the current average.I haven't actually started the course for which I need this book, so I can't comment on it's content.

I received this book in a slightly damaged condition, i.e., a small tear in the front cover.This would normally not be a big deal, but I expect a new book for which I paid $110 for to be in mint condition.Since I didn't have time to exchange it before my class started, I instead asked Amazon.com for a small credit, without specifying an amount.They replied to my email in just a few hours, offering a 20% refund to my credit card.I thought this was more than fair and a great example of taking care of a customer.

UPDATE 5/27/2010:I recently finished my college class with this book and I didn't like it.The text is very dated (just look at the copyright date).There were one or two parts I couldn't reconcile with other material provided by my college and my professor's answer to the problem was that Mano didn't even know about the issue when he wrote the book because it wasn't invented yet.Hmmmm, is it just me or should a computer text book be newer than 18 years old?

In all fairness, this text book was used for an introductory course, so many of the concepts it teaches are germane to a basic understanding of the topic.However, for the price, I expect updated material.If you need the book for college, then you don't have a choice, but if you want the book for your personal interest, I recommend finding a newer text.

Would give it 2 1/2 stars if I could
The book isn't really all that bad, the problem is that it can beconfusing to some readers. Instead of giving a list of problems, I am going to go into some detail about one specific thing wrong with the book, which could be a BIG problem for some readers. It is this:

It seems like once or twice every couple paragraphs, Mano will give a one-sentence explanation or description of something; and then a sentence or two later in the same paragraph, he will attempt to make the same point again but by rewording and rearranging the original sentence. I found this so incredibly distracting that I could not finish the book. I think Mano is doing this, i.e. repeating himself, to embed a concept into the student's mind. Not a bad idea, but it is poorly implemented by Mano...

what was so distracting about this, is that even if the reader feels he understands the concept the first time it is presented, when he then reads the reworded version, the tendency is to say "hey, wait a minute, is this the same thing he said before, or do the two statements conflict? or is it new information? Or did I not understand the first time??" So then I, at least, would go back and reread the first statement, then again compare it to the second, until I was able to answer these questions for myself. So it really slowed down my reading. I don't know, maybe it's just the way I read.

I should mention that I was mainly trying to learn from the book by self-study, i.e. no professor, although I did take a microprocessors course about 15 years ago.

Well, I guess I was verbose :-> but I wanted to inform so that anyone who thinks that they also will be distracted by this, buy a different book (like Rafiquzzaman) ... Read more

Product Description
In his highly acclaimed reference work, David Watkin traces the history of western architecture from the earliest times in Mesopotamia and Egypt to the dramatic impact of CAD (computer-aided design) on architectural practice at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Adopting an approach that sees architectural history as a living continuity rather than a museum of neatly labelled styles, the author emphasizes the ongoing vitality of the classical language of architecture, underlining the continuity between, say, the work of Ictinus in fifth-century BC Athens and that of McKim, Mead and White in twentieth-century New York. Authoritative, comprehensive and highly illustrated, this fourth edition has been expanded to bring the story of western architecture right up to date. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

HE knows what he's talking about...
Watkin knows his stuff.But I don't so I bought this book which didn't clear things up as much as I hoped.There are far too many details, not a sense of narrative through history.Then there are far too few photos of things he expose's so that I have to guess what he means.And no maps.My geographic knowledge is not that good.I think it could be improved by streamlining, photos near the text which refers to them, and a map at the start of each section.But his prose is beautiful sometimes.

Expanded Version of an Old Favorite
This is the fourth edition of this monumental book. This edition has been expanded to include additional coverage of Egyptian and Mesopotamian architecture at the early end, and the coverage of the architecture of the twentieth century has been greatly expanded. There is also expanded coverage of the architecture from Asia, particular that of Japan.

The book now has 50 color and 931 black and white photographs. Most of these are from Europe, but the rest of the world does have some coverage.

The increased size and scope of the book now presents a continuous coverage of the evolution of architecture from the earliest building, about 5000 B.C. to buildings constructed in the twenty first century. It is the most complete single volume history of architecture available and it's new edition is greatly improved.

The author, David Watkin is Professor of the History of Architecture at the University of Cambridge.

Pictures without words
Dr. Watkin and his publishers would have done better to have deleted virtually all of the text from this tome, leaving more room for the most successful part of the book, its photographs. While the bleeding of the images helps make the format seem more up-to-date, this book remains hopelessly out-of-date, the inclusion of Frank O. Ghery's Bilbao Museum and I. M. Pei's glowing pyramid on the cover notwithstanding. The gaps in this book are egregious as are the waxing and waning from over- to under-statement. While the color images are lovely, many of the black & white images of pre-20th century works seem as if they were taken from a photocopy.

Dr. Watkins' propensity to treat "the New World" as a lost appendage of the British Empire colors the latter chapters in particular. The influence, for example, of "The Chicago School" barely registers within his stylometric system.As is often the case with survey books, in the end it seems quite a lot about all too little.

improper details
First time I read D. Watkin's book almost 10 years ago. Basically, it is a comprehensive and detailed throughout. However, I was struck by one 'little' improper detail - instead of the picture of Haja Sophia (St. Sophia Cathedral) in Kiev built in 11 cent. I found a picture of a Neo-Byzantine style church which dates to the beginning of the 20 cent. I'm just curious is it that difficult for a recognized art historian to tell the difference? Or it's just a matter of 'neglegence'? In 1996 I wrote a letter to the Publishing house and recieved a nice answer saying that in the case of the third print they would definitely check and replace the picture with the proper one. No changes so far.

A History from Ancient Rome to the Present, Well Illustrated
Suprisingly the book begins with Ancient Rome, leaving the Caves,Stonehenge, and Egypt out, but as a result has more time to explore WesternArchitecture in greater depth for a Survey Book. The photographs areexcellent, with many in color. ... Read more

Product Description
As XML becomes an increasingly significant part of the IT mainstream, expert guidance and common-sense strategies are required to avoid the many pitfalls of applying XML incorrectly or allowing it to be used in an uncontrolled manner. This book acts as a knowledge base for issues relating to integration, and provides clear, concise advice on how to best determine the manner and direction XML technology should be positioned and integrated. The book will be one of the first to provide documentation for second-generation Web services technologies (also known as WS-*). The importance of these specifications (which include BPEL, WS-Transaction, WS-Coordination, WS-Security, WS-Policy, and WS-Reliable Messaging) cannot be understated. Major standards organizations and vendors are supporting and developing these standards. ***David Keogh, Program Manager for Enterprise Frameworks and Tools, Microsoft, will provide a front cover quotation for the book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

SOA Design Fundementals in multiple levels
It's a practical guide on defining service characteristics and design principles in multiple levels, from component implementation to application design to enterprise architecture. Very digestive material.

Best Web Service Tutorial I have ever seen
This book is really useful specially for a person who want to learn the basic of web service and then go deep for XML and Web Service usage in Service Oriented domain.

Excellent roadmap
Thomas Erl covers SOA perfectly. The ebb and flow of the book is excellent. He does not cover proprietary technologies, and rightfully so. However, he explains the W3 standards of XML, SOAP, Web services and many key service models. He also is aware of corporate culture and thinking realistically as you take on a SOA implementation. This book has made me a better software developer. Keep things autonomous and keep things abstract.

Advertising for Author's Business
I read this book as part of a technical book club at work. The concensus of the group is that there is very little useful information in it. It contains many diagrams and charts that provide little benefit other than to increase the page count.It contains mis-information concerning competing technologies such as CORBA and constantly treats SOA and Web Services as if they are interchangeable terms.Much of the information is superficial.The bright spot in the book was that the large number of nearly identical charts made reading the chapters go very quickly.Finally, the author often seems to be using the book as advertisment for his company. There are much better resources for gaining an understanding of SOA and Web Services.Don't waste you money on this one.

Waste of verbatim
The entire book can be summed up on 3 to 4 pages.Mostly the book regurgitates the same concepts over and over to fill up the pages, using a plethora of technical terminology to abstract it's own meaningless.For the most part the book is intended to give you an overview of verity of technologies encapsulated in SOA architecture, but from a very distant perspective. ... Read more