A good read, if you like builder stories
584064
Its a good read for anyone in the building business.  I'm reading it for the building story, not so much the social aspects of it.
2710579
This is a collection of short stories by authors associated with the "cyberpunk movement" within the science fiction field.  I enjoyed the book overall, but I wouldn't necessarily call this a representation of cyberpunk.  In fact, three of the stories to me (and more among others) absolutely do not qualify as such, and two of them actually seem to be more rooted in the fantasy field than anything else.  However, it's a good read, definitely worth it for the stories by Willam Gibson, both solo and collaborative.  Interestingly, my favorite was "Petra" by Greg Bear, which is one of the fantasies I referred to: a very original idea and superbly written.
One final thing: if someone understands "Tales of Houdini", please contact me and explain.  I just don't get it!
491553
This is the 3rd Build It book I have had the opportunity to look through.  I like it a lot more than the one about Landmarks.  This book has more models a child would be interested in making.  There are several dinosaurs, boats, thing found in the desert, and other vehicles.  The book is for ages 5+.  To be successful using this book, the child needs to be good at following picture directions, but reading isn't necessary.  One of my 5 year old grandsons is good when it comes to copying things using magformers, so I expect he will do well with this book.  His twin brother doesn't have the patience, so I don't think he will be one using this book right now.  Know your audience!
2678949
A good jump off for ideas on building wooden toys. Most of the projects can be completed with a "youthful" helper. A bit on the retro side, but well documented.
3219574
The author does what I hoped for in the descriptions of the building and the history of the subject. Some descriptions were too technical fir my taste, in that they did not provide a layperson with an adequate understanding of exactly what was going into the building.  The book could have used more diagrams and illustrations to enlighten the subject matter.
1526571
So, I don't rate all my reads, but I felt compelled to write a review of this one.  The author did a great job with setting building.  He clearly and quickly explained complex systems of magic, rules of the setting, history, and social organization.  Even though he did fall back to "telling" rather than "showing" the audience these things, it didn't feel tedious or overly bogged down with minutia, which is rare. The primary set piece, the tower itself, was interesting and engaging; you wanted to see more of the puzzles and mysteries.  The history hinted at later in the book was similar, suggesting intricate development and ancient events that left the reader wanting more.  Really the only problem with the writing was that the character development was mediocre.  There was some development, and the characters were both differentiated and fun, but a lot of it was superficial.  Another problem hinted at by other reviewers was that the characters often felt like 30 year old businessmen and engineers discussing how to deal with job-related problems in a board meeting instead of teenagers attempting to not die in the middle of a terrifying deathtrap.  Given that the setting revolves around solving puzzles, a little of this is understandable, but the book felt almost like a group of old D&D players planning their next moves in between rounds while time stood still waiting for their next move.

Really, I'm quite interested in the next book in this series and I look forward to seeing the metaplot and setting unfold.  I'd just like to have some more fully realized characters as my window into this interesting setting.
3665947
If you like a series of stories, you will like this book. Some of the situations are a bit unrealistic, but it's a fun read
1906717
I thought the World Building, though minimal, was excellent. Too much World Building gets in the way of a good story.  Ms. Leckie has taken on a formidable task by attempting to convey a part of a computer system as the protagonist.  She is successful, with the added benefit of having an omnipresent narrator. This book is more sci-fi/mystery than sci-fi/Cowboy Western, which appeals to me.  As with even the best sci-fi, endings are sometimes anti-climatic.  But as they go, this one is pretty good.  Most importantly, Ms. Leckie has introduced novel ideas to the reader.  Her book is transportive (which isn't a word, but should be.)  I think she has also left herself in a good position to continue building on her new world.  I look forward to future installments.  By the way, I'm stingy with stars.
3422897
At some point in my youth (I get lost on the actual time frame, though I suspect it was somewhere around the age of 9 or 10 years old) myself and my brothers were given Legos to play with and a love of those wonderful plastic building blocks was begun.  Over time the simple collection of blocks in a big bucket was expanded to include the Police Station, the Firehouse and other designed sets with arched pieces, and roof blocks and things like that.  Pieces that made more refined models rather than just simple models that called for a little more imagination and a willingness to look past the crudeness of the creations, though all along still allowing our creative instincts to take over as we built more and bigger models and mixed and matched pieces to our heart's content.

Given my love, and that of my brothers and then later my son and other family members, for Lego it's hard to imagine anyone that never got to experience the joys of playing with Lego in their youth.  Seeing that this book was written by someone that didn't experience that youthful pleasure intrigued me and inspired me to place a request for this book as soon as I saw it available.  Though I sadly have limited reading time available (which has kept me behind by several other titles that I'd like to read and review), I made time for this book, at least enough to sample a good quantity from, and have found it to be something that pretty much fulfilled my expectations.

Others would likely place their own ratings a bit lower, and I might do the same if given the opportunity to use half-star ratings, but for me this one is better the middle of the road even if not quite up to the 4 star level.  LEGO: A Love story isn't for everyone and many people will probably find it less organized than they may wish for, but it's still a decent book and is worth a read.  Buy it for the Lego fan in your family and let them bring back some of their own youthful memories, if not perhaps inspire some tales of how much fun they've had building some of the newest and most complex Lego models and creations.  They'll be glad you did.
2881483
My son said he would like to be an architect and build skyscrapers, so when I saw Hilary Koll and Steve Mills's book Design a Skyscraper: You Do the Math, I thought it would be perfect!  Well, he's about 5-10 years too old for this book.  But for the target audience, early elementary, it would definitely fit the bill.

Design a Skyscraper is hybrid: a math book, and a book about building skyscrapers.  Koll and Mills introduce facts about skyscrapers, then present a series of math problems related to skyscrapers.  For example, readers learn about calculating the amount of fencing for a building site, the height of a staircase given the rise height and number of stairs, or how long it would take to clean the windows on a glass skyscraper.

I like the real-world application of math concepts, and the engaging way they introduce the world of skyscrapers.  My son may never build a skyscraper, but Design a Skyscraper is bound to inspire some kids to build one.  And even if they don't, they will have worked on some important math skills.

(One note: don't bother with the Kindle edition. . . The illustrations and layout didn't work out too well on Kindle.)

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
3587399
I thought this book was a pretty good opener for The Engineer Trilogy. Like others have mentioned, I wouldnt call this a traditional fantasy, as there is some industrial-age technology, but not magic or other "typical" fantasy elements. The biggest determining factor on whether you would enjoy this book or not is how much you like the author's writing style. Its a bit different than most. There are a lot of parenthetical asides (like this) and technical details. I found the writing to add depth to the characters and the story, but i can see how others would think the novel too wordy, with too many extraneous passages that aren't needed. It worked for me, and I plan to read book two.
4102865
In reading this book you'll find descriptions of the various types of building materials, not just straw bales, these plasters are used on (it is not really a build yourself a house book) and a pretty good overview of the types of plasters themselves.

I'm not done reading it but don't find enough information to consider it a complete how to guide, more of a starter book. You get some recipes for pigments/ plasters but not much detail about applying the stuff. I've found nothing about measuring the walls to determine just how much material you'll need and I don't think it really tells thickness, just how many coats to apply (not really detailed about that).

There's an extensive resource guide at the end of the book, you'll need it if you're actually going to build a house of some sort. If you are collecting a set of books on building and finishing a home this one is all right as a starter book. You'll learn just enough to know whether or not this is something you want to be getting yourself into.
3426703
I enjoyed this book since the author is a very good writer, and sucks you in. I thought it'd be more tips and tricks, but the entire book is pretty much stories, and doesn't really say "how" to utilize all that myelin (I guess that's the next book). The stories were enjoyable, but that's all they were: stories. I do have the Tips book and will be reading that next.

I won't give this away, but at the end he talks about how the Oakland Raiders were trying to decide which first round draft pick to take.  As this book was written several years ago, I decided to look up the person whom they eventually took.  Definitely make sure to do that.
3583952
The book provided some history and foundation of architecture in an enjoyable manner. I've become a fan of this author.
4589950
This is an excellent memoir of an engineer/general contractor in the commercial building industry!  Samuel Florman, a balanced engineer with both an engineering and liberal arts & sciences background (like myself), has written several other books such as The Existential Pleasures of Engineering (another winner!).  He has great writing ability, rare in our field, and this memoir provides some nice life lessons for working in the real, practical world.  Additionally, Mr. Florman has a sense of humor, which can make a dry topic like this (as viewed by non-engineers) even fun to read!  This is not an autobiography, but rather a memoir that recounts the life stories and lessons, that new builders and engineers will find useful.  I highly recommend this one!!
2800643
Great book about a post war builder.  Great pictures and story about mid-century modern homes.
4845548
This is an unusual book for the do-it-yourself-er who is perhaps a little bit interested in the competing technologies embodied in the modern home, their origins, and their trade-offs.  Owen, a frank materialist, is sublimely taken with things, especially things that go wrong with homes.  Obsessed with the beauty of wood, while gamely observing its heaves with changes in humidity, tales of his struggles approach the transcendent.  His bouts of fighting the ravages of water and mildew, approach the heroics seen in New Orleans.  He is a real scholar of war.

I was surprised that I enjoyed this book so much.  Perhaps it is because I hate the mundane chores of maintaining a house, and that the vicarious thrills I can get from reading about his struggles is as old as the Odyssey.  Sort of like watching a cop reality show on TV.

The book actually has a lot of interesting stuff in it.  I particularly enjoyed learning about the invention of these things and a little sometimes about the actual inventor.  Linoleum in 1863 by Frederick Walton, the invention of Portland cement by Joseph Aspdin in 1824, and the stick house in 1832,  etc.  demonstrate that much of what we encounter in houses today actually had its roots in the industrial revolution.  Owen tells these stories well, but his first hand encounters with them and his personal observations make it all come alive.  The story of shellac, emphasized in the title, is a rare find.

The book, sadly, has few illustrations, and no index.

This book might actually motivate one to take a little more time and energy to do the stuff that has to be done.  Gotta get those gutters cleaned out right now!