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materials? After
100
years of conventional training and construction methods, there is a
better way
to
build houses with materials that are: cheaper; easier to use;
stronger; more
durable; more fire resistant; and kinder to the environment. At a time
when
limited
natural resources, greater environmental awareness, improved
technologies, and
home
safety are industry-wide issues, this indispensable handbook guides
you through
the
new materials and the implementation of new methods for the present
and future.
Written by experts who have hands-on design and construction
experience with
these
tested and proven new homebuilding materials, this book shows you how
to
expedite
the building process and cut costs in: foundations and basements;
floor systems;
exterior walls and roof systems; interior doors and hardware; interior
partitions;
heating and cooling systems; plumbing; electrical systems.
The author, Richard T. Bynum, Jr., AIA , October 26, 1998 New
innovations and
thinking will result in better quality The main reason that Dan and I
embarked
on
such a project as The Handbook of Alternative Materials in Residential
Construction
was basically a response to our frustrations with the current state of
the
homebuilding industry. As an architect, I am constantly involved in
the process
of
exploring better ways to design structures and improve habitable
spaces. It
became
obvious that the residential construction industry was not only
becoming
stagnate in
its evolution but somewhat ignorant as to the changes in methodology
and
material
improvements available. The mass production approach by the extensive
number of
national homebuilders has only exacerbated this trend that is
resistant to
change.
One of the problems is that although the information is out there, it
is not
easily
accessible to those not regularly involved in design or research. With
this in
mind,
Dan and I set a course to not only gather but to effectively
disseminate the
most
appropriate and promising research in a clear manner to illustrate how
easy it
is to
build homes better than they have ever been built before. We wrote
this book
with
the construction professional AND the homeowner in mind because in
this unique
market, both parties function as the primary instruments for change.
The
materials
discussed in this book are cutting edge, however that does not mean
they have
not
been time tested. In fact many of these materials have been used in
European
markets
or the commercial construction industry for years. As far as we know,
this is
the
truly the first and only book that assembles such a variety of
information that
competently and adequately covers such a broad scope in an effort to
improve
home
construction. Tankless water heaters, lightweight masonry units, steel
framing,
engineered wood products, deterioration resistant siding, home
automation and
geothermal heat pumps are but a few of the technologically advanced
products
discussed. Since the homeowner and homebuilder are the audience, the
technical
data
is presented in an easy to understand style without compromising the
professionals
interests and inquiries. An exhaustive appendix is also furnished to
provide
direct
access to product manufacturers if more information is needed. We hope
that this
book will not only edify the reader, but ultimately improve the
quality of the
homes
that we all live in.
Customer Comments : A reader , November 10, 1998 Great Book for
Everyone from
Weekend Workers to Foremen The Handbook of Alternative Materials in
Residential
Construction was truly a fascinating read for me. I discovered there
were so
many
things that I took for granted when it comes to home design and
construction.
Such a
simple notion as how to make your home wheelchair accessible for
anyone at any
age
at practically negligible additional cost is such a logical idea that
I do not
understand why more people are not building their homes with this in
mind. The
material was presented in such a clear and logical fashion that it was
very
simple
to compare the common construction materials in use for homebuilding
today to
the
"new and improved", innovative materials. Very enlightening. The
comprehensive
appendix in the back of the book also made it very simple to contact
the
manufacturers for more detailed information, product brochures and
store
locations.
A reader from Buffalo Flats, SD , October 27, 1998 Excellent How-to
book. My
wife
and I were getting ready to finalize plans to build our dream home in
South
Dakota.
We did not want to do it the same way that every else did. In other
words we
were
looking for something different. We heard about this book and thought
we would
give
it a try. Rebecca Dianne and I have been very pleased to say the
least. This
book
has given us so many alternatives to look at in the building process
that it
amazes
me that we didn't think of it before. It would be wonderful if there
would be a
follow-up every year or so to keep us abreast of changes in the field.
The one
thing
that pleased me greatly was that the book was written so that anyone
could
understand it. Most of these books are written like college textbooks,
this one
I am
happy to report is written for the lay person. Hats off to Rick and
Dan.
***************************************************
The Power Guide : An International Catalogue of Small-Scale Energy
Equipment
by Wim Hulscher, Peter Fraenkel Our Price: $47.50 Paperback 2nd
edition
(August
1993) Intermediate Technology; ISBN: 1853391921 Availability: This
title
usually
ships within 4-6 weeks. Please note that titles occasionally go out of
print or
publishers run out of stock. We will notify you within 2-3 weeks if we
have
trouble
obtaining this title.
Reviews Booknews, Inc. , January 1, 1995 An illustrated catalog of
small-scale
energy equipment (up to 250Kw), providing information on hundreds of
products
from
almost 500 manufacturers and suppliers in some 40 countries throughout
the
world. It
covers the following areas: solar photovoltaic equipment; wind pumps
and wind
generators; micro-hydro, hydraulic ram, and river current turbine
products; and
biomass pre-treatment, combustion, and steam systems, and gasifiers.
The guide
provides assistance with choosing an appropriate energy source and
conversion
technology, and finding out where the necessary equipment can be
obtained.
Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.
***************************************************
The Tech and Tools Book : A Guide to Technologies Women Are Using
Worldwide
by Ruby Sandhu, Joanne Sandler (Compiler) Our Price: $20.95
Paperback
(December
1986) Intermediate Technology; ISBN: 0946688176 Availability: This
title
usually
ships within 4-6 weeks. Please note that titles occasionally go out of
print or
publishers run out of stock. We will notify you within 2-3 weeks if we
have
trouble
obtaining this title.
***************************************************
Mothers and Daughters of Invention : Notes for a Revised History of
Technology
by Autumn Stanley Our Price: $30.00 Availability: Usually ships
within 24
hours.
Paperback - 708 pages (October 1995) Rutgers Univ Press; ISBN:
0813521971 ;
Dimensions (in inches): 1.48 x 9.24 x 6.12
Reviews Booknews, Inc. , November 1, 1993 A broadly focused
compensatory
history of
technology, not only including women's contributions, but beginning
the task of
redefining "technology" and "significant technology" to value these
contributions
rightly. The volume traces women's inventions in five vital areas of
technology
worldwide--agriculture, medicine, reproduction, machines, and
computers--from
prehistory (or origin) forward, profiling hundreds of women, both
famous and
obscure. While focusing on facts, Stanley doesn't ignore theory, and a
significant
contribution of her work is a paradigm for male takeovers of
technologies
originated
by women. The 125-page bibliography is both massive and eclectic.
Hugely
valuable,
not least for the further research it should engender. Annotation
copyright Book
News, Inc. Portland, Or. --This text refers to the hardcover edition
of this
title
***************************************************
Do It Herself : Women & Technical Innovation
by Helen Appleton (Editor) Our Price: $29.95 Paperback (July 1995)
Women
Ink;
ISBN: 1853392871 Availability: This title usually ships within 4-6
weeks.
Please
note that titles occasionally go out of print or publishers run out of
stock. We
will notify you within 2-3 weeks if we have trouble obtaining this
title.
***************************************************
Biomimicry : Innovation Inspired by Nature
by Janine M. Benyus Our Price: $17.50 You Save: $7.50 (30%) Usually
ships in 24
hours Hardcover - (June 1997) 256 pages
List Price: $13.00 Our Price: $10.40 You Save: $2.60 (20%)
Availability:
Usually
ships within 24 hours. Paperback - 320 pages Reprint edition (May
1998)
William
Morrow & Co Paper; ISBN: 0688160999 ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.90 x
9.21 x 6.09
Reviews Publishers Weekly The natural world, says Benyus (Beastly
Behaviors),
has
an enormous amount to teach us, if only we would "tune in"--as some
scientists
are
beginning to do--before it's too late. Touring the laboratories of a
wide array
of
researchers, she reports on the emerging race to mimic natural
processes (hence
"biomimicry") in the business-driven quest for better products,
environmentally
sound technologies and miracle drugs. The scientists speak with
palpable
excitement,
explaining the principles behind a utopian future of unlimited
possibilities:
energy
harnessed by simple, non-toxic molecules modeled on the principles of
photosynthesis, so efficient they put our best solar cells to shame;
an organic
computer, thousands of times faster and more powerful than that most
advanced
Pentium, that emulates the principles embodied in DNA; farms with
abundant
yields
requiring virtually no pesticides, fertilizers, or "energy inputs,"
mimicking a
natural ecosystem--and more. Benyus's shotgun approach can be
disorienting, but
the
possible breakthroughs, the technologies behind them and the
scientists
themselves
are invariably fascinating. And Benyus's observations are engaging as
well,
bringing
to her tech-oriented subject a non-didactic moral framework and an
invigorating
sense of wonder: "By deliberately looking for creatures that awe us,
we may just
stumble upon a whole new chemistry--the spoils of survival." (June)
The New York Times Book Review, Dorion Sagan : The sophisticated,
almost
pro-growth
angle of Benyus shows the great potential profitability of copying
some of
nature's
time-tested, non-polluting room-temperature manufacturing and
computing
technologies. The colors of Benyus, a splendid Stevensville, Mont.,
science
writer
with a grasp of several sciences, contain far more shades of green
than of
chrome.
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