Product Description Ching's classic book on communicating ideas in architectural design clearly and effectively has been updated and expanded to include a complete guide to drawing equipment and materials, discussions on arrangingarchitectural presentations, and instructions and explanations on how to freehand sketch, shade, and use texture. The new larger format is easier to handle and store on a bookshelf. 1,000 line drawings.
Uncomplicated, basicOctober 17, 2008 If you are a person like myself whose idea of a perspective drawing is a line of telegraph poles disappearing into the distance next to a road, then this is the book for you, and me as it turned out. Starting from the different grade of pencil through the different forms of architectural presentations, with easy to read explinations. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who is learning architectural graphics.
Information is not weighted in a way that makes senseDecember 10, 2007 4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I know that Ching is revered in the field and is recommended by virtually all, but I'm just not feeling the love, especially for this particular book. The graphics in the book have a "sketchy" look I don't just don't find appealing or inspiring. A more serious problem is the way the information is weighted: there are pages of illustration/discussion about simple things like line weights and triangles, which would lead one to assume this is a beginner's book. That would be fine, but as the book progresses, the depth of information dissapates, so that a beginner who tries to follow instructions, for instance, on preparing a perspective or isometric drawing would be completely unable to do so. In this way, the book reminds me of certain assemble-it-at-home instructions: Step one is to get out your tools, step two is to take out the pieces, and step three is to put the thing together. If you're already a professional, you don't really need to see an illustration of a lead holder. If you are an absolute beginner, you need more thorough instructions. Really, I can't imagine the audience for whom this book is intended.
Great Visual AidSeptember 24, 2007 0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book is great for a professional or just in school. Ching points out techniques to further develop and create great schematic and conceptual drawings.
awesomeJune 13, 2007 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
this book offers easy understanding of the basic concepts of drafting. good book for interior designer and architects.
Architectural Graphics, et al - excellent books, DECEPTIVE advertisingApril 8, 2007 5 out of 10 found this review helpful
Get your act together Amazon or Wiley (I suspect Wiley) !!! (especially, note my final paragraph below)
1. This is NOT a hardback.
2. The "et al" is because this is NOT a single volume as suggested by the single ISBN 0471738263, but a COLLECTION of 3 PAPERBACKS - Architectural Graphics 4th ed ISBN 0471209066 (note different ISBN from that for the 3-volume set cited under only Ching's book title; 215 pages) by Francis D K Ching, Construction Drawings and Details for Interiors ISBN 0471109533 (246 pages)by W Otie Kilmer and Rosemary Kilmer, Interior Graphic Standards - Student Edition ISBN0471461962 (452 pages) by Maryrose McGowan AIA and Kelsey Kruse AIA for American Institute of Architects; overall total of 913 pages (NOT 944).
I have owned Ching's book since the first edition and it continues to be one of the best of the best. The Graphics Standards series is, of course, of biblical stature among all interested architecture and associated professionals. The Construction Drawings ... book I am unfamiliar with, though at a glance, it seems worthy.
Frustating thing is that I was especially interested in the prospect of a MAJOR significant enhancement of Ching's book - my take on Amazon's/Wiley's deceptive (or incompetent, to be more generous and kind) advertising. I already owned Ching's 4th edition and had no particular interest in the other 2 volumes, useful as they appear to be!
If only one of these volumes is of interest, any one of these 3 books would cost substantially less as an individual purchase. The price of the package of all 3 is probably a bargain, though I have not verified this.
You can do better Amazon and Wiley, so DO IT! This is sloppy work, which I have seen exemplified in other locations recently on your website; though, this is probably the worst I have seen (yet).
I resent the fact that this review is also being used at the Architectural Graphics (single volume only) webpage - where, removed from it's original and proper context, my comment appears to make no sense at all - as well as at the webpage where Ching's book title is deceptively (or sloppily) used to entice buyers to purchase a 3-book package (not explained at the webpage), when the buyer may only be interested in Ching's excellent book, thinking the much higher price is for a major revision of such (which it is not).
Fredric Lee McLaughlin, Architect
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