[.ca] Basic Engineering for Builders (ISBN 0934041830)

a bit disappointing...:
I was hoping that this book would have more tabular data and formulas for calculating required structural members; instead it outlined basic components of materials of construction (i should hope we don't need an engineer to tell us things are made of wood & steel!) but did not get down how to solve problems. When I saw the author makes his living testifying against people, my heart sank.

This is a tool but can lead to trouble...:
I purchased this manual for two reasons: 1-The author had a credible level of experience and, 2-I was Project Engineer on a wood frame structure where I had no or limited experience. Mr. Schwartz presents the often technical material in a very non-threatening manner. It is relatively easy to follow and someone with some construction industry background could find the references useful. I would caution individuals that changing a design without the engineer's stamp invites significant liability. Claims could abound if some structural members were resized for static loads and not checked dynamically, for instance. Also, experience teaches economical design but if one might get the impression that bigger is better or smaller is more economical-disaster looms! This should not be used in lieu of qualified, registered engineers working within their field of expertise. It seems jaded, but a few hundred spent on a redesign check and stamp could save thousands later. I would not hesitate recommending this manual to Engineer Trainee's or fellow PE's as a quick reference-I would never suggest this to a contractor. In my state, design or analysis (the independent practice of engineering) without proper education and state examination is a felony! With all due respect to Mr. Schwartz, please be honest with your educational level and experience before over extending yourself or your business.

This book gave me a brief look into what other engineers do:
As an electrical engineer, I got a peek into the civil and mechanical engineers world. As a home owner/remodeler, I got the basis for structural design. I will be looking at more books by Schwartz.

Great Book for understanding basic engineering:
With this book I was able to understand and show my remodeling contractor what size footings our addition required for the soil we were building on. We had a difference of opinion. But after reading this book he agreed with me.

Disappointed in snow country.:
This book was not very impressive. A better title would have been "Basic Building for Nobodys". Too much text was wasted on the basics of building, not engineering. On page 62, for example, it tells us what a chalk line is. I already knew that. On page 56 he explains the plumb bob. It goes on like that. There are nine pages of examples of permits. Far too much text is devoted to such basics; there are already hundreds of books about those topics. (Keep in mind that everything he writes was dead accurate: my complaint is that it was outside the scope suggested by the title). Then when it got to the actual engineering, information was very scanty. There were not enough examples of various problems. I got the most out of the plumbing and HVAC sections, because those aren't my trade, and the simplicity was helpful. Make no mistake, I did not expect to become an engineer by reading this; you must not mess with building plans unless you are fully qualified. I hoped only to learn to consult more knowledgably with practicing engineers, and to this end the book was insufficient. It did help to expand my vocabulary of engineering terms, but it was not worth its price.