Architecture, Form, Space and Order

As an artist, designer and storyteller, I find Dr. Ching's book to be a revelation. You can open it to any page, like casting the I Ching, and begin to read. His draftsmanship, his infinite patience and exceptionally ordered mind places even the most esoteric subject firmly into perspective. And it seems to rub off on the reader. If you are ever blocked for any reason, duplicate a page. I guarantee you'll return to your own work with fresh insight.

I'm a freshman architecture student and had to get Ching's book for one of my classes. It is much better at explaining new concepts than the other dry articles we have to read for class and the sketchs are amazing. After getting this book I bought Ching's visual dictionary of architecture which is a great source for looking up terms.

An excellent introduction to architecture. However, I liked the old horizontal format better. The new edition has all the same illustrations but its vertical formal isn't as compelling. Ching is the master of free-hand sketching. In this book he covers the basic principles of architecture with copious illustrations and an easy to follow progression of ideas. It is great for first year students and frustrated architects alike. My only word of warning is that once you buy one of his volumes on architecture, it is hard to resist the others.

After seeing this book on the shelf of a friend's architecture office, I bought it for my homeschooled children who are genuinely interested in architecture and building...Their dad (who teaches drafting and construction) and I could not put it down! The drawings are clear and so comprehensive. The book covers so much...Architectural styles, drawing types, etc. Mostly in drawings with very little text. So many architecture books are filled with heavy text, that you are lost in it, rather than learning the ideas and concepts. That is not a problem here. It is not to say that in any way this is a simplistic, elementary book...I'm sure it is used at the post-graduate and professional levels. The drawings and captions/info just say so much more than all those words! We are all learning a lot from this book, and are looking forward to buying more of this man's work.

The first time I read this book, it blew me away. Not only did Ching use a simple way of explaining the principals of architechture, he also included numberous sketches and quotes about architecture. Since I'm hoping to become a arcitect myself, I will use as a treasured resorce in my architecture in high school, in classes at college and beyond. This book has found a brilliant way to introduce the world of architecture to the reader in such a way that a person with little interest in the subject will become enthralled with it. I've even begun to read the book again!