Rating: 
Summary: Loved it
Review: I am new to Autocad, and I needed a quick way to get up to speed with the whole program. Frey seems to anticipate the learner's thought process. I found Frey's style refreshing. I found myself wondering the answer to a question and turning the page to find a sidebar explaining the very thing. I wish he would write similar books for the 'Desktop' extensions to Autocad.
Rating:
Summary: Loved it
Review: I am new to Autocad, and I needed a quick way to get up to speed with the whole program. Frey seems to anticipate the learner's thought process. I found Frey's style refreshing. I found myself wondering the answer to a question and turning the page to find a sidebar explaining the very thing. I wish he would write similar books for the 'Desktop' extensions to Autocad.
Rating: 
Summary: good tutorial if you're starting at zero
Review: I told a potential employer that I'm good with AutoCAD. I had never touched AutoCAD and after playing around with it for a bit, it was obvious that I wasn't going to figure it out by browsing the menus. But I have a lot of computer experience and I learn fast. This book started at the absolute basics--drawing a random line--and progressed using the example of a little cabin, until by the end of the book I was rotating it in three dimentions and rendering it with shadows and a background image. One feature of the book I liked is that the author shows several different ways to do the same thing. It took me about five days to get through the whole thing, and when Monday rolled around and I went to interview, I knew more about AutoCAD than the guy who was hiring, which (though he didn't know much) is all that mattered. I since have acquired another book that I'll use to become an expert, but now I at least know how the program works and can do basic necessary procedures. I don't know what else is out there but this book was exactly what I was looking for and I'm glad I bought it.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding book for self-study with no experience.
Review: I wanted to learn AutoCAD but did not have the time or money to take a course. I had no experience with AutoCAD before getting this book, seriously, I could not draw a line. This book walked me through AutoCAD basics without once skipping a keystroke. The author ensured I did not get left behind, yet maintained a reasonable pace of introducing new functions. I am completely satisfied with this book as my introduction to AutoCAD 2002...
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding book for self-study with no experience.
Review: I wanted to learn AutoCAD but did not have the time or money to take a course. I had no experience with AutoCAD before getting this book, seriously, I could not draw a line. This book walked me through AutoCAD basics without once skipping a keystroke. The author ensured I did not get left behind, yet maintained a reasonable pace of introducing new functions. I am completely satisfied with this book as my introduction to AutoCAD 2002...
Rating:
Summary: Well put together introduction.
Review: I was pleased to find this guided tutorial through AutoCAD 2002 to be well organized, easy to follow and at a pace that matches mine. It is not an "everything you ever wanted to know or be able to do with AutoCAD", but then it never claims to be. If you are looking for a thorough introduction to using AutoCAD for simple architectural drafting, this is a great buy.
Rating:
Summary: Well put together introduction.
Review: I was pleased to find this guided tutorial through AutoCAD 2002 to be well organized, easy to follow and at a pace that matches mine. It is not an "everything you ever wanted to know or be able to do with AutoCAD", but then it never claims to be. If you are looking for a thorough introduction to using AutoCAD for simple architectural drafting, this is a great buy.
Rating:
Summary: Great book for beginners!!!
Review: If you have no experience, this is the AutoCAD book for you!Contrary to what another reviewer said, alternative line types such as center line and dashed line ARE covered around p.173. It should be noted that the examples in the books concentrate exclusively on architecture, but this is not really a problem. The differences between using AutoCAD for architecture and using it for any other subject at pretty minor. The obvious advantages of covering architecture is that there are more AutoCAD jobs in building design and related fields than other specific applications. Also more readers understand building drawings than, say, the detailed innards of an airplane. I think it is better to concentrate on at least one specific useful, employable application, rather than being overly abstract and pedantic, like so many math and science classes are. However, this is of course a beginners guide, so if you want a comprehensive reference, you should get another book such as the AutoCAD 2002 Bible. Buying them together is a great deal.
Rating: 
Summary: Other reviews are misleading!
Review: Ok, so I ordered this book in an attempt to make my first CAD class easier. What is mentioned nowhere in the other reviews, or anywhere for that matter, is that this book focuses on using autocad for designing floorplans and edifices in general. I am studying mechanical engineering and found a lot of this information useless. The book didn't even cover centerlines, an extremely basic topic. Sure, many of the topics covered are applicable to other uses of autocad, but I would much rather have had the book just show general examples of the functions of Autocad rather than focus on specific floorplans and the design of buildings.
Rating:
Summary: from a teacher of AutoCAD
Review: This AutoCAD manual is clearly written and easy to follow. The book is organized around a drawing or set of drawings of a house. The reader learns by following the steps. My one criticism is that it isn't always possible to determine the general procedure from the specific drafting exercise that it leads you through.
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