| |
Shop
| |  |
|
Best Sellers
| | Home Broken Buildings, Busted Budgets: How to Fix America's Trillion-Dollar Construction Industry | |
|  | |  | | | Broken Buildings, Busted Budgets: How to Fix America's Trillion-Dollar Construction Industry | | | | | SKU:
ACOUK_book_usedverygood_0226472671 | | In Stock | | Availability:
Usually ships in 1 business days | | Only 2 left in stock, order soon! | | | | | | Across the nation, construction projects large and small—from hospitals to schools to simple home improvements—are spiraling out of control. Delays and cost overruns have come to seem “normal,” even as they drain our wallets and send our blood pressure skyrocketing. In Broken Buildings, Busted Budgets, prominent construction attorney Barry B. LePatner builds a powerful case for change in America’s sole remaining “mom and pop” industry—an industry that consumes $1.23 trillion and wastes at least $120 billion each year.
With three decades of experience representing clients that include eminent architects and engineers, as well as corporations, institutions, and developers, LePatner has firsthand knowledge of the bad management, ineffective supervision, and insufficient investment in technology that plagues the risk-averse construction industry. In an engaging and direct style, he here pinpoints the issues that underlie the industry’s woes while providing practical tips for anyone in the business of building, including advice on the precise language owners should use during contract negotiations.
Armed with Broken Buildings, Busted Budgets, everyone involved in the purchase or renovation of a building or any structure—from homeowners seeking to remodel to civic developers embarking on large-scale projects—has the information they need to change this antiquated industry, one project at a time.
“LePatner describes what is wrong with the current system and suggests ways that architects can help—by retaking their rightful place as master builders.”—Fred A. Bernstein, Architect Magazine “Every now and then, a major construction project is completed on time and on budget. Everyone is amazed. . . . Barry LePatner thinks this exception should become the rule. . . . A swift kick to the construction industry.”—James R. Hagerty, Wall Street Journal
| | | |
List Price:
| $25.00 | |
Our Price:
| $19.00
& eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25.
| |
You Save:
| $6.00 (24%)
|
| | |
|
| | Product Details | | Author: | Barry B. LePatner | | Hardcover: | 229 pages | | Publisher: | University Of Chicago Press | | Publication Date: | October 15, 2007 | | Language: | English | | ISBN: | 0226472671 | | Product Length: | 8.36 inches | | Product Width: | 5.92 inches | | Product Height: | 0.94 inches | | Product Weight: | 0.95 pounds | | Package Length: | 8.5 inches | | Package Width: | 5.8 inches | | Package Height: | 1.2 inches | | Package Weight: | 0.95 pounds | | Average Customer Rating: |  based on 18 reviews |
| |
| | Customer Reviews | Average Customer Review: ( 18 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
Critical Insight, Worth Reading Dec 22, 2007
By Fernando Pages
This book will not make contractors happy, but anyone in the business for more that few years will recognize the author's critique. Our industry has not grown from craft to professional management. We resist improvement and defend the status quo. The author points out the flaws in our industry, provides valuable history lessons, and then suggests, in principle, that equal information for owners and builders might help balance the scales.
I don't know that these suggestions will amount to more than so many other attempts to bring construction into the 19-th (let alone 21st century). But looking at the truth straight on seems to help one resolve to do better; for the owner it serves as a caution. A bit repetative, but insightful and most certainly worth reading. My compliments to the author for good research and blunt talk.
7 of 8 found the following review helpful:
fascinating general interest material on the economics of construction Sep 27, 2007
By scaler rdh
I try to read all of Robert Wright's books because his prose is always
crystal clear and his analysis is often incisive. (I'm not sure why
Amazon doesn't list him as third author but plenty of other online sites
do. Maybe it is because his name is on the title page but not the
cover?) In any event, he does not disappoint here. Combined, the three
authors provide a provocative take on the construction industry and its
problems. This book may represent the first time that construction has
been analyzed from the perspective of game theory and asymmetric
information. I'm not sure it's right, but it is a fascinating read and
too little of general interest is published on the economics of
construction.
4 of 5 found the following review helpful:
 From David Gerstel, Builder and Author Jul 07, 2010
By David Gerstel
"Carpenter, Builder, Author"
Maybe I can not be objective about this book. LePatner cites my book on running construction companies about fifty times. That's flattering. On the other hand, he cites me only when he borrows my criticisms of our building industry. He never cites me when he is proposing solutions, though many of his resemble those my book offers and are, in fact, practiced by many builders. That irks me a bit.
Even so, I give LePatner's book 5 stars. Here's what I wrote about it in the Resources section of my new book, CRAFTING THE CONSIDERATE HOUSE: "Rightly criticized for being overly redundant and for a lawyer's bias toward his clients (owners as opposed to builders and designers), LePatner's book is, nevertheless, an exceptionally vigorous exposition of the ailments of and possible cures for the construction industry."
In fact, the book is so energetic and provocative it's downright fun to read. LePatner takes ideas for remodeling the construction industry much farther than my book does. When I write my next edition I will borrow back some of my ideas along with his added insights.
6 of 8 found the following review helpful:
 Pretty Deficient Oct 27, 2008
By Consultant
Like others here have said - the book offers a promise but doesn't deliver. Ironically - much like the sub-standard contractors the author faults for all of the industry's problems.
The book has serious deficiencies - it is questionable how much the authors really know about certain industry practices such as cost estimating, building information modeling (BIM)or Job Order Contracting (which is never mentioned). Some of their observations are simply anecdotal (despite an over-abundance of footnotes, like some academic text). They seem not to realize some of the circumstances that lead to the current configuration of the industry - such as specialized crafts and training required by contractors in order for owners to get manufacturer's warranties on certain products such as roofing. A general contractor can't keep people like that on the payroll all the time - it's just-in-time work, and a good deal of it is refurbishment, not new construction. Also, much of what the author faults the entire industry for are simply examples of bad management - on the part of architects, contractors and owners. Nothing new there. Then again - that's how the author makes his living - as an attorney in contract disputes. As another reviewer opined - he never sees the good projects.
For example - the author lauds architect Frank Gehry and specifically the Strata Center at MIT. Apparently the book was written before MIT sued Gehry for the many flaws in the design of the $300 million Strata center (search the Boston Globe of November 6, 2007 for the full article.) Just because MIT paid Gehry $15 million - MIT expects a building that doesn't leak, have poor drainage and a host of other problems. The nerve!
Here's another take on Gehry's Strata Center:
"It really is a disaster," said former Boston University president John Silber, who sharply criticizes the Stata Center's design in a new book, "Architecture of the Absurd: How 'Genius' Disfigured a Practical Art."
I was especially amused at how the authors tap-danced around the issue of how the construction industry in the US is supposedly deeply flawed, but leads all the others in the world in productivity! An interesting oxymoron that really isn't addressed.
This book is a scan read, and library loan at best.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Focused on large projects Apr 21, 2009
By Richard K. McLaughlin
"Richman"
This book focuses more on large, commercial construction projects and the industry in general. If you are looking at a book for home construction or improvement this would not be my first choice. With that said, it offers a lot of insights in how the construction business operates, some of which is quite eye opening. The book includes good descriptions of types of construction contracts and offers sound advice on how to write a contract that benefits you as the customer.
See all 18 customer reviews on Amazon.com
| |
| |
| |  | |  |
|
Recently Viewed | You may also like ...
|
