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Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI
Senior Member
Username: rliebing

Post Number: 671
Registered: 02-2003
Posted on Tuesday, August 07, 2007 - 01:08 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

For far too long I've been "teasing" you with the specs primer "I blocked out"! Well, now it's a reality [as in I "put up" in an effort not to be "shut up"].

Also, may I project this not only for students, allied professionals and other laypersons, but also as a vehicle to orient your own staffers up to and including Project Leads, so they better understand and appreciate your work-- and the whys and hows of it. May save you a lot of explanation time!!!

Description: "This is an introductory level text providing the basics of construction specifications. It is not an in-depth book about nuances of writing specifications; but rather is an explanation and orientation about specifications, their concept, intent, use and contribution in the process of constructing building projects".

Direct link to the page:
http://www.lulu.com/content/1066102

The reality of this effort is a tribute to Colin who encouraged me to get it done so the value he sees in it can be yours. Thanks, Colin most sincerely!
Jerome J. Lazar, RA, CCS, CSI, SCIP
Senior Member
Username: lazarcitec

Post Number: 414
Registered: 05-2003
Posted on Tuesday, August 07, 2007 - 05:07 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

Ralph
I ordered my copy.
The problem is how do I get it autographed?
I opted for priority shipping - can't wait to see what you've done...congrats!!!
Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI
Senior Member
Username: rliebing

Post Number: 672
Registered: 02-2003
Posted on Thursday, August 09, 2007 - 07:24 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

Link was changed to

http://www.lulu.com/content/1089865

Sorry!
Tomas Mejia, CCS, CCCA, LEED
Senior Member
Username: tmejia

Post Number: 34
Registered: 09-2003
Posted on Thursday, August 09, 2007 - 11:59 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

Ralph,

Thank you for writing this book. I ordered mine and look forward to reading it.

Tommy
Jerome J. Lazar, RA, CCS, CSI, SCIP
Senior Member
Username: lazarcitec

Post Number: 420
Registered: 05-2003
Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2007 - 10:28 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

Ralph - I am not having any luck getting my first copy, USPS says it was delivered on Monday, August 13th, but no such luck, LuLu has the right address, so I have no clue what happened. I guess one day I'll get a copy by hook or crook.
Jerome J. Lazar, RA, CCS, CSI, SCIP
Senior Member
Username: lazarcitec

Post Number: 421
Registered: 05-2003
Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2007 - 08:28 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

Ralph - I finally got it, I'll try and read thru it this weekend.
Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI
Senior Member
Username: rliebing

Post Number: 674
Registered: 02-2003
Posted on Thursday, August 16, 2007 - 07:05 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

Sorry, Jerome, can't imagine what the problem was. usually, here at least, UPS is pretty good.

Hope the extra wait is worth it.
James M. Sandoz, RA, CSI, CDT, LEED AP
Senior Member
Username: jsandoz

Post Number: 20
Registered: 06-2005
Posted on Thursday, August 16, 2007 - 09:12 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

Ralph,

I received my copy of "Construction Specifications, A Primer" yesterday. I look forward to reading it this weekend. I can tell already that I will read it cover to cover in one sitting.

By the way, it was a pleasure to meet and visit with you in Baltimore last June. Meeting our colleagues will always be one of the best reasons to attend the convention (by whatever name it is called and whether it is in a great city or Las Vegas).
Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI
Senior Member
Username: rliebing

Post Number: 691
Registered: 02-2003
Posted on Wednesday, September 12, 2007 - 10:14 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

Must offer my sincere gratitude to those several hundred who have "hit" the site for the Primer-- appreciate your interest.

Also, rather surprised by the number who did buy the book,

BUT who ordered 50 copies this morning?

[don't need a name necessarily-- just interested in location, if for a class, multiple door stops, random distribution, or?????]
Lynn Javoroski CSI CCS LEED™ AP SCIP Affiliate
Senior Member
Username: lynn_javoroski

Post Number: 640
Registered: 07-2002
Posted on Wednesday, September 12, 2007 - 11:39 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

Milwaukee Chapter CSI Education Trust for distribution to scholarship winners...and everyone on the Trust Board wanted a copy, too.
Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI
Senior Member
Username: rliebing

Post Number: 692
Registered: 02-2003
Posted on Wednesday, September 12, 2007 - 11:45 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

To paraphrase Tiny Tim-- "God bless them, everyone"!

Sincerely hope the value of the effort is realized.
Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI
Senior Member
Username: rliebing

Post Number: 708
Registered: 02-2003
Posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 - 06:51 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

My sincere thanks to the St.Louis CSI Chapter [and George Everding in particular who started the idea] for their use of possibly 100 copies of the Primer as handouts at their Oct. 16th seminar, "Fundamentals fo Specwriting"
George A. Everding, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA
Senior Member
Username: geverding

Post Number: 359
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Wednesday, October 03, 2007 - 12:16 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

[Also posted under "Chapter Discussions"]

The Greater St. Louis Chapter of CSI presents a day long seminar on specifications, October 16, 2007: “The Fundamentals of Specwriting: Improving Your Practice by Improving Your Written Documents”. Further information is available by contacting execsecretary@stlcsi.org

It may be of interest to readers of this forum that our seminar is part of a joint effort by our local AIA and CSI chapters. Tonight’s regularly scheduled AIA continuing education workshop series, is “Specification Writer: Endangered Species?” and we’re pleased to welcome architect, specification writer, and consultant Ken Crocco, FAIA FCSI, who is also a frequent contributor here. We’ve burdened Ken with the task of stirring up interest at the AIA workshop for our CSI seminar. As this is written, we are about half way to our goal of 75-90 attendees.

Both these seminars reach out to the “non-full-timers.” Recently Colin Gilboy shared with us his educated guess that half of the specifications in this country are written not by us guys who frequent this website and forum – the full timers at firms and the independents in private practice – but by project architects, engineers, and project managers who do specifying as one of many other tasks in putting together a project. So our approach will be to address the fundamentals in a focused nine hours, two at AIA and seven at CSI, based on CDT and CCS principles and stated in a series of real life examples.

Wish us luck.

[...and yes, Ralph's book is one of the "take-aways" for each seminar attendee]
George A. Everding, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA
Senior Member
Username: geverding

Post Number: 367
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Wednesday, October 17, 2007 - 03:47 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

Ralph-

I posted a report on the other thread about yesterday's seminar, but wanted to comment here that your book was a great success, and I am glad we decided to go ahead and purchase it for our seminar attendees. One of our presenters, Steve Gantner, actually read a few quotes from your book as part of his presentation, which were well-received by the audience.

So thanks for putting it out.
Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI
Senior Member
Username: rliebing

Post Number: 771
Registered: 02-2003
Posted on Friday, January 11, 2008 - 11:25 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

Just wanted to "stir the pot" yet again.

Primer still available and doing moderate sales.

Have received very nice comments on it, and evidently it has hit home with some of the recipients. Have not, though, heard from others who were to read it [just busy, and not an omen, I hope!}

Keep it in mind for your "newbies" and those you're talking to or who are "sniffing" around the whole or specifications and spec writing.

Booklet is available from http://www.lulu.com/content/1089865
David R. Combs, CSI, CCS, CCCA
Senior Member
Username: davidcombs

Post Number: 259
Registered: 08-2004
Posted on Friday, January 11, 2008 - 11:53 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

Ralph,

Have you discussed with CSI them making it available for purchase at the CSI Bookstore at the Convention in Las Vegas? Could be a great venue for sales, and bring it to the attention of the non-4Specs market sector.

Just a thought . . .
Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI
Senior Member
Username: rliebing

Post Number: 772
Registered: 02-2003
Posted on Friday, January 11, 2008 - 12:20 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

David, I'll try them again.

Margaret Chewning suggested that when it first came out, but CSI said it was too early to make that decision [like Octoberish].

Thanks for your help-- just might work this time. I deeply appareciate the fact that you feel it and CSI can co-exist!

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