Don’t you just love books that are titled “101…Whatever”? You know the material is going to be delivered in a fast, punchy way that will keep your interest, help you retain the material, and more than likely be entertaining. While this is fun for almost any genre (I can’t imagine how 101 Symptoms of the West Nile Virus would be much fun), it’s particularly helpful when you want to learn about something in an introductory way.

101 Things I Learned in Architecture School is one such book. Matthew Frederick delivers clean and clear-cut definitions, diagrams, figures and explanations that explain the nuts and bolts of architecture in an easy to understand fashion.

Instead of the obscure jargon and difficult concepts that many books provide, Frederick’s little book provides both meaning and de-mystification. In short, it keeps the simple concepts simple—and simplifies the rest. Frederick uses his own advice in writing the book—“If you can’t explain your design in terms your grandmother can understand, you don’t understand your own design.”

Sure, if you’re an experienced architect and you know the complexities of the business, you probably won’t need—or maybe even like!—this book. You’ve worked hard to get where you are and you don’t need someone watering it all down for you. But as much respect as we can give architecture and design, isn’t it fair to let the rest of the world have a peek into what you do without having to use a dictionary to translate?

This 2008 Silver Award Winner for the Independent Publisher Book Awards covers everything from the simplest of the simple—“how to draw a line”—to the more complex ideas of color theory, architectural terminology, design principles, and even the differences and compromises between modern and traditional buildings. There are even tips on how an architect should behave. Each concept is displayed in a two-page spread featuring an easy to understand—and even sometimes humorous—illustration for better understanding.

It’s no wonder the book is such a great teaching tool for the novice student—Frederick is not only an architect and a designer, but also a teacher. Fantastic for both architecture and design students as well as the layman with a basic interest, 101 Things I learned in Architecture School is a classic knowledge-builder that will make anyone who finishes it feel a tad bit smarter than they did before picking it up.