Design Books

If you wish to pursue a successful career as an interior designer, or you are keen to develop your interest in this field, my advice to you is to buy this book. Buy it, read it, and make it your good friend! Whatever your background, this course will encourage your individual creativity and help you to explore and further your own design ideas.
I am a student in The Metropolitan Institute of Interior Design, a career changer with English as a second language. I have read some interior design educational books before, but none of them gave me as much knowledge, nor inspired me to approach the subject with as much enthusiasm and passion as this book by Susan Slotkis.

This is the best reference in the designing industry. Should be in every designers library.

This is a great reference book on interior design! It covers all the subjects of an interior design that a degree program would cover: design theory, color theory, history of design, business practices etc...(it's also a great source for the interior design vocabulary!)
I am an interior design student and this is the first place I go to when I need to research some aspect related to the design field.

And I just know it - it'll be my much used resource when I am out of school and working in the field.

"Foundations of Interior Design" is an instrumental key for designers, design students and design enthusiasts all the same. This must-have handbook explores the profession from the inside-out, giving a vast overview of interior design as a whole yet delving into just the right amount of significant detail. Slotkis' style perfectly simplifies even the most intricate of information while providing plenty of helpful visuals along the way. Its title certainly rings true, for the "foundation" Slotkis lays for interior design is by far a solid one.

This well written, comprehensive, book on design has been an inspiration to me. I thoroughly enjoy referring to it again and again. I would recommend this book to anyone who is considering the design field, or who enjoys design simply for the pleasure of it!

This book is great, and the pictures are wonderful. I'm studying for an upcoming exhibition and I am very satisfied.

This book illustrates the link between the incredibly beautiful quilts produced by five generations of African American women in the South to the architecture they saw around them and to their own artistic vision. Their personal stories, contained in chapters toward the end of the book, are very moving and inspirational.

I am really enjoying reading and looking at the pictures of the quilts in this book. I have met several of the ladies and decendants of the Gee' Bend Quilters and find their stories so interesting. The quilts definitely do define the quilters, their strengths and weaknesses, their ups and downs. I recomend this book to anyone who holds quilts near and dear to their hearts.

This book is gorgeous!!! It includes large photographs of tons of quilts, in a size that allows you to see the smallest details, such as topstitching. It also includes inspirational photos of details of the town. However, it's not your typical coffe table book, because it has probably equal parts very informative text and visuals. Since it's not small enough to carry with me on the train, it's been hard separating myself from this book-- it is beautiful!

I like this book because it is full of information about the construction of the quilts and alot of trivia about the makers of the quilts. Very beautiful pictures! A great book for learning.

I was going to avoid reviewing this book because I'm too close to the authors and my copy was free so I thought I would be too biased, but the book merits a stellar review...bias aside.

Generator concepts are in bite size chunks and easy to follow, yet not so easy that they bore the reader. The book follows a natural progression in complexity and will be usefull to developers of all experience levels stepping up to the Generator plate.

The level at which the author's stand in the developer community gives them the opportunity to bestow their knowledge in "we know it all" manner, but instead they maintain a humbleness that says "hey, we're just developers like you who've had a lot more time on our hands."

Chock full of all the essentials, and the non-essentials, this book is a must have for the Generator developer (or the developer wanna-be) and looks to have a long shelf life.

Chris, Phil, Mike-nice work!

Finally someone to really take the shrink wrap off two of the best tools in the business. It shouldn't surprise anyone that the eccentric behind flashenabled.com would be able to show all of us common men how to take the next step with Flash and Generator. Awesome.

I was going to avoid reviewing this book because I'm too close to the authors and my copy was free so I thought I would be too biased, but the book merits a stellar review...bias aside.

Generator concepts are in bite size chunks and easy to follow, yet not so easy that they bore the reader. The book follows a natural progression in complexity and will be usefull to developers of all experience levels stepping up to the Generator plate.

The level at which the author's stand in the developer community gives them the opportunity to bestow their knowledge in "we know it all" manner, but instead they maintain a humbleness that says "hey, we're just developers like you who've had a lot more time on our hands."

Chock full of all the essentials, and the non-essentials, this book is a must have for the Generator developer (or the developer wanna-be) and looks to have a long shelf life.

Chris, Phil, Mike-nice work!

Want to learn Generator? This is it, bar none!
As a Generator and Flash trainer I always look for good material to add to class for future reading, this book will not only top the list but will be integrated into all future classes. Having used Generator since 1.0 I thought I knew many of the tricks but this book showed me a few that I have never seen before and will use immediately.
If nothing else know that the authors are top of their game and that the material for this book matches their excellence.

This book is a must-have resource for anyone interested in working with Generator. Mike, Phillip, and Chris not only know their stuff, but they did a great job at sharing their knowledge in a way that even a novice can understand. They are able to share their real-world experience, and make using Generator just a little (maybe even a lot?) more palatable for the average Flash user.

I don't like to spend money on information that I can get for free. I found plenty of free information about geodesics on the web, but not enough.

I'm glad I spent the cash. This book filled in all the gaps.

It is not for people with weak math skills.

The book seems confusing at first, but if you keep reading and studying you will be rewarded with a deeper understanding of geodesics than you can imagine.

This book is a "must have" for anyone who wants to build their own dome, or just learn more about geodesics.

And yes, it's worth learning the math skills to understand this book.

To paraphrase Barbara Mandrell, geodesic domes were green when green wasn't cool. I read this book in college and was sorely tempted to steal it out of the university library because it had gone out of print and was just not available new or used anywhere else. I kicked myself later for not yielding to temptation when I went to check it out again and realized that someone else stole it before me! Seriously, give Kenner his rightful due, this is a classic in its field. What is my test for saying so? It has been thirty years since the book's first printing and has yet to see its equal. And there have been many many contenders. I could not recommend any one book higher for hobbyist or even professional reference to geodesic calculation and the practical design of geodesic domes. Though Hugh is no longer with us, five years gone as I am writing this, but the effects of his powerful intellect live on and continue to infect others with his inquisitive spirit by way of such seminal work.

The subject very well presented and in a way that is easy to understand. Gives the underlying math to be able to use our modern computers setting on our desk tops to go far beyond what one person could do 25 years ago.

Well, the time has come for the pirates to take a hike. UC Press is reprinting this book. The information I have indicates both hard and softcover bindings...It will be available this year (2003).

Geodesic Math and How To Use It is an extremely well written book, and with the NASA papers, forms the "canon of applied geodesic math." It is a great book, well written and useful.

Seemed over-technical at 1st, but after about a year has been my reference book on geodesics & making all kinds of geodesic domes... It lists chord factors (lengths of segments before applying radius of dome) on tables to 7 decimals for various domes @ the end of the book if you don't want do calculate w/formulas provided. If your familiar with trigonometry, it will let you jump around chapters that are of more interest.

This book was originally copyrighted in 1976, but not edited for this 2nd paperback 2003 Edition (glossy color cover). The author, Hugh Kenner (1923-2003), has compiled a very thorough book. Very well written & explained in orderly fashion with excellent general layout & (especially for the time) detailed diagrams plus cross page-references. IMO there is very little that I would change except for replacing current diagrams with modern CAD generated illustrations, that's about it.

Has 172 pages with several blank pages for notes (I note in the wide margins instead) & is 8.7 x 8.7 x 0.5 inches. Not a small book but not a big bulky one either. Makes for a lot of information handy to store just about anywhere...
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I found many formulas & shortcuts throughout the book. From Chapter 12 I plotted a 16 frequency (# of divisions making total # of triangles) icosahedron (the typical geodesic polyhedron shape) dome with 3880 chords or "struts". Even made them into arcs for a perfectly round sphere. Chapter 12 has "Using the Tables" with a simple symmetric triangle xyz-grid on a spreadsheet. Each chord calculated does not rely on another chord's result, so chance of error is greatly reduced. Chapter 14 "Truncations" has "Truncation by Rotation", which saves time on calculating the rest of the chords in dome, or moving chords by their symmetry.

This "still nicely" bound book after a lot of use covers tension & tensegrities, subdivisions, great circles, symmetry & breakdowns, choosing a polyhedron, spherical coordinate system, ellipses & superellipses, truncations, space frames & many kinds of angles - plus charts & other resources @ the end.

A free program on the web called Windome is useful to 8 decimals, but lacks input parameters like radius... So I use it to verify chord factors. From 2-16v involving about 12,240 chords plotting all verified (to 15 digits) on 1st try. Besides spreadsheets, formulas can be used in programming like "The R Project", formulas & programs are also written for old Hewlett-Packard HP-35, 21 & 45 series calculators & programs filed with the HP-65 library (circa mid-1970's). I guess it also goes to show Hewlett-Packard has a history in the PC & hardware programming business...

One thing - spherical coordinate symbols for Theta & Phi are switched, though referenced in correct order (check Mathworld). Easy to correct, just read "Phi symbol" as Theta & "Theta symbol" as Phi - references & formulas will be in order. This book was written in mid-1970's, guess more? people then used this as convention.
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There are many good free sources on the web for geodesic domes & math plotting through Cartesian x,y,z and/or spherical Theta, Phi coordinates using basic trigonometry. This book cost me $13.57 shipped free brand new & is WELL worth it, even after searching the web...


A final word of caution on building materials for domes in general: if you use wood make sure you take extra fireproofing precautions, unless it's a temporary frame. 2 domes here in town (on same lot) burnt down before fire department got to them - and they were right down the street! The intense heat from both fires left nothing except the slab & melted everything.

So, when they start to burn there is very little time to exit the structure. As energy efficient as they are, the same design allows for a very efficient combustion, especially with wood stud frames & panels. Other problems arise as well with ventilating interior wood frames to help prevent condensation.

There are many other materials that will not burn that could make up the panels (like from American Ingenuity, Inc.), or even a monolithic concrete pour over a temporary plastic covered geodesic wood frame. Another method that doesn't use geodesics is a "monolithic shotcreted airform dome" (from a company called Monolithic Dome Institute).

Honestly, I'm thinking of buying another two copies of this book (I have one now) so that I can cut out and frame some of the pictures - (I want two copies because some of the images are back to back). The images are stunning, and there are clear examples that show the influence of Islamic and Moorish art on Christian cathedrals, especially in Spain. Truly a beautiful and scholarly introduction to this lovely part of the heritage of the whole human race.

I found the book superb. As a lover of Gothic arquitecture, I buyed it recently and I found lots of great color photographs, really interesting texts as they have been written by german experts, and more surprising, with an excellent price/quality ratio. After buying this book, I have completed the series buying the books dedicated to Romanesque, Baroque and Renaissance. All of them are really fantastic.

I first discovered this book in the library and I checked it out several times because I just loved looking at it so much. The pictures are so breathtaking, it increased my resolved to go to Europe and visit all these incredible places first hand. It's a great thourough book for anyone who is new to Gothic art forms as well as a visual reference for people who are already familiar with the style.

Hard to carry around, but very easy to read!

Having borrowed this book over and over from the library, I really had a hard time parting with it when I last returned it. The photographs are splendid, a joy to look at. Since it also qualifies as a reference book, I looked it up ..... to but [buy] a copy but was certain price would be ... more than in was. Now I'm about to by my third copy --it is an amazing bargain.

This is the most spectacular book for you if you like lots of HUGE clear photos of TONS of gothic cathedrals. There are MANY pages of history and other information about the making and restoring of the cathedrals. A MUST HAVE for any gothic-history lover.

Ample photos and interesting text...a fine book to own if one is interested in graffiti art in the LA area

By no exaggeration, this book is the best of its kind. It starts out with the history of gang writing then follows up with the evolution of the art including techniques, paint and cap types, run-ins with the law, etc. The pictures are as clear as can be, and the forever present artist commentary is the perfect compliment to the fantastic collection of pics. This is a must own for any fan of graffiti.

All I can say is get this book!!!!If you love that LA raw stuff.It's pretty well rounded,and gives you a whole look at what's going on past and present.If you have never been to LA.Here is your chance.Oh and it's focus is not on just one crew.Get this book first, on LA graff if you have to choose one.Plus an cd rom with photo's.You can't beat that.Good job Mr.Grody GOOD JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I bought this book for my bf, because he loves graffiti art, and used to have his own crew many years ago. He loves to look at the pictures, and see the deeper meanings that a lot of artists present in their graffiti along with murals. Finding the artist's tags in the art is also fun. We both enjoy looking through this book, and plan to buy similar items in the future.

Fifty years ago, graffiti was something written in restrooms and was relatively private. Now graffiti is an art form. You can think of it as vandalism; if it is your wall, or a public wall, and it is supposed to stay clean and undecorated, any unwanted spray-painting, no matter how fancy, is vandalism. But even if it is vandalism (and sometimes the owner of the wall invites the decoration, or the painting is done on canvas for a gallery), there is no arguing that graffiti now is some sort of art. This is especially obvious if you examine the hundreds of pictures in _Graffiti L.A.: Street Styles and Art_ (Abrams) by Steve Grody. Grody loves the graffiti of Los Angeles, and booms, "Along with the myriad styles these artists have created, they have also evolved world-class graphic skills now comparable to the best aerosol work anywhere." It seems funny that anyone would be comparing "aerosol work" from any locales, but you don't have to know about the styles elsewhere to enjoy the astonishing colors and designs found here. Grody examines the ethical issues of this sort of work, but it is clear that such evaluation is secondary to the art itself. He includes interviews with many of the artists (they call themselves "writers"), examines techniques and styles, and shows an appreciation of how this peculiar form of art has redeemed many of its practitioners, and redeemed some blighted public spaces as well.

The spray can is the choice of the writers because it is easily concealed and is portable. On the wall's surface, its effects can be controlled, but it can also cover an area quickly. The furtiveness of making graffiti necessitates the use of the spray can, but writers use it even in gallery work. It is also used, when no concealment is needed, on a "permission wall", a surface donated by its owner for esthetic reasons to be the site of an elaborate piece. The writers quoted here have much to say about the work of others; it is clear that they have examined styles carefully and can give intelligent critiques of what they have seen, and that they admire the works of competent competitors. They know "bad can control" or excessive imitation when they see it. The writers are in danger of criminal prosecution if they are not working on permission walls, and are in physical danger if they are working on some surface that is elevated. There is little tangible reward to this type of artistry, which is mainly a means of self expression with little other benefit. Grody writes, "It is this creative passion in light of all the obstacles that gives the best work its pop pulp energy." There are numerous stories here about members who were at risk of descending into drug use or crimes worse than artistic vandalism, but were saved by joining a group of like-minded artists.

The descriptions here of classifications of the work, the social forces at play, and the lives of the writers are all good for putting the pictures here in context, but the pictures are the show in this big and glossy book. Not all the pictures could even get in here, as with the book there is a disk included of hundreds more, along with audio interviews. It is fun to try to make out the letters, which are clear in some of the examples shown here, but are often so stretched and stylized that even if you know the crew that has put its name up, it is hard to pick the letters out. The depiction of figures or portraits is sometimes hyper-realistic, but usually in a comic book style, and is (to my eyes) far less appealing than the letters shaped into abstractions of extraordinary complexity and color. Grody has a couple of pages to illustrate some basic techniques, like cuts, 3-D, or letter blends, but there is no need to acquire a technical eye to enjoy the shows of kinetic mural energy displayed here. There is still some moral ambiguity about some pieces and their execution, but one picture after another shows that this is a vibrant and valid form of folk art.

What a joy of a book. Not just the great grafics but very interestng information about the Great Hirschfeld

I really enjoyed looking through this book. I am absolutely in love with theater and I love seeing how he depicts all of my favorite shows and actors. He's been through the "Golden Age" of theater and has also done so much work for modern entertainment. I also have tons of fun looking for all the hidden "Nina"s. Just in case you might not know what I'm talking about, let me explain. After his daughter was born, Hirschfield began hiding her name in his drawings. The number by his "signiture" indicates the number of "Nina"s in the drawing. "Nina" is also written all in caps. Because of this, this book is not going to be just some ordinary coffee table book that only his fans might check out. It could also be a great deal of amusement for those who like to play the kind of "Where's Waldo" games.

I bought this book as a gift for my husband, and I fell in love with with the book myself. I recently visited the Delaware River Museum and saw my first in-person Hirschfeld line drawing of George C. Scott housed in the museum. Mr. Hirschfeld captures a personality with the stroke of a few lines. This book is wonderful. It has inspired my husband, a professional artist, to study Mr. Hirschfeld's style, and I found my husband doing line drawings yesterday. Packed with 400 drawings and photographs, this is a "must have" book for any Hirschfeld follower.

Al Hirschfeld rose above titles like "cartoonist" and "illustrator", and every other tag specifically applied to visual artists who inject design and humor into their work. His intelligent blend of the caricaturist's eye and the designer's sense of the beauty in flat forms add up to an entirely unique contribution to twentieth century popular culture- and a highly influential one. His recent passing at age 99 marks the end of the century that he witnessed and commented upon so wittily and so stylishly. His legions of admirers (and imitators) will be well served by this 1999 book, assembled by the artist himself, with an excellent selection from his career, his invaluable commentary, and a fairly satisying selection of his amazing (and less celebrated) color work. The reproductions are fine here, and the volume is designed and presented well. It can only be hoped that more comprehensive releases and reissues of earlier books are in the near future.

Here is the indispensible Hirschfeld book - a must for any fan of his work, or of line in general. From his earliest pieces, all the way through his long career with New York theatre, his work is showcased - and done so through his eyes. Each piece is described by this great artist - his inspirations, methods, and thoughts. I cannot imagine a better way to present his wonderful drawings, and I am so very, very thankful that this collection was printed before his death. Although, yes, the work would show just as beautifully without, his commentary alongside each piece just opens up an entirely new viewpoint. This is a truly timeless book, and I highly recommend it.

a very helpful book....more than pays for itself. As a real estate broker and developer, I found some hints and tips that
even I wasn't aware of. GREAT BOOK!!!!

I found the book to be very understandable with a lot of great information. The author obviously has a great deal of knowledge about the topic and conveys it in a very down-to-earth fashion. We have built several homes in our lives and I wish we would have had this book before we began. The book covers every aspect of construction and how to manage each stage. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone even thinking about building a new home, or having someone build one for you. Even if the reader is not planning to do the contracting themselves, it does give them good insight as to what to expect from a quality contractor. Read this book before you build!

The author states that women can contract the building of homes, as well as men. I wasn't sure that I believed that. I've already learned that I'm not good at hammering nails or finishing sheetrock. A still unfinished basement taught me that. But I think the basement will get finished now, with the help of this book. It appears to me that general contracting is a lot like shopping for the best deal with several subcontractors and then organizing them. Who knows how to organize shopping better than a woman?

This book is written in a humorous and concise, step by step, easy to follow manner that anyone can understand. Many sections are helpful not only to individuals building a house, but also to those buying an existing home. The information on financing and qualifying for a loan were very helpful to my daughter and son-in-law before they bought their existing home and they will be using the contractor/sub-contractor info to finish their basement. It is a very helpful book for any homeowner.

Having already built two homes myself I thought I k,new most of the pitfalls but Mr. Lane's book brought back many memories, most unpleasant. Besides going into wonderful detail without techical over load this book covers every subject. Most particularly is that you write down what is to occur at each part and have the sub-contractor sign the aggrement. Number one is "don't change anything agreed upon without a written change order". This proably costs most builders more money than anything during the project life.
This book will get you through the complete process, I call it my tech fact book. It's full of reminders and helpful hints as well as the "step by step basics". I also apreciate his willing ness to be involved if you request his help.
It's obivous to me Lane had "been there done that"

Hello, ay name is Cody and I am 17 years old. I know this book is rated 8-12 but i read it and loved it. I would say it is one of the best Horror mystery books I've ever read. I would recommend this book to people of all ages.

This book is excellent. I would highly recommed you get it. It is the first out of three. A normal family of four rent a summer house. But their two children have realised they are not alone. The children tell their parents but claim they have a wild imagenation. What is the secret to the old house in cherry street? Well, The children are about to find out.

This book has one of the best Haunted House plots I've ever read about. The story line and the characters all tie in to one another. The Cover was astounding! That was one of the best parts of the book. While the writing itself isn't ment for older children, it still fascinated me.I love these three books and wish the authors would write a more advanced version of them.
I only have Book 1 and 3, but I hope oneday I can find the 2nd. I will treasure these books forever!

I didn't like it at all. I read part 1 of this book and it was good. This book didn't even close to as good as the other one. The author kept describing one thing and that wasn't bad. The only thing that was wrong, is that it ended the complete opposite of what I thought. I didn't like the ending either. At the end of every chapter, it had a good cliffhanger. When you read the next chapter, it didn't have much to do with the cliffhanger or it ended up not being good. The book kept you in suspence most of the time, but it wnt away too fast. You could guess who was making all of the trouble by just reading the first couple chapters. All of the main characters in th book were really cool and they stayed in my mind really well. Overall, I thought that this book wasn't that good, but I liked it a little. It would have been better if the story was mre suspenceful and the cliffhangers would end in a different way. One of the lessons I learned in this novel is never underestimate people no matter who they are. They could do anything at anytime. If you are thinking of reading this book, I wouldn't recommend it. I would grade this book a 2 on a scale from 1-10. .

The book House On Cherry Street was about Jason his sister Sally and his baby-sitter Katie, It also had an evil which and a ghost named Bobby. It all started happining when Jasons parents went on a buisness trip and katie came to watch them and this ghost Bobby was trying to scare away katie cause it didn't like baby sitters but katie wouldn't beleive any thing that Jason said but things kept on happning and finally she saw it and believed it then the whitch was tyring to get them but sjhe didn't and they got bobby were he belonged.

How Firms Succeed transforms the poetry of architecture into the prose of practical management advice. This book offers solutions to the questions and problems that distract firms from their quest to provide excellent design. It should rapidly become an indispensable part of every architect's working library.

I was very pleased to find this book. It is a clear, concise resource for people who need to better understand design firms. It provides an insight into the nature of the design business - and it unique culture - that is invaluable to both practitioners and managers who want to create a successful and healthy organization.

Too many design professionals think that design excellence and financial acumen are mutually exclusive. Thanks to the authors of How Firms Succeed for putting this myth to rest. This book addresses the issues that, if practiced, will allow for both. One can only imagine the impact of a firm that provides best-of-class design and its impact on our communities.

I loved this book! In these highly competitive times acheiving success is just as much about running a quality business as it is producing great design. How Firms Succeed provides deceptively simple, yet ultimately critical guidelines that apply to anyone seeking inspiration and insight.

How Firms Succeed should be on every Design Firm's must read list. It is the closest thing to a how-to manual in running a design firm. Anyone who follows the principles of the text will reap the rewards as their business grows.