WORTHWHILE - Rated 
Even though an 825 page book could hardly be called "In Brief" it is a pleasant change to find an author who is able to write something about a very regulatory subject in such a readable manner. There have been many books written in the past about the English and Welsh Building Act and its associated Building Regulations, but many authors seem to completely miss the point and try to turn their books into their life's literary work and soapbox.
This fifth edition is a really worthwhile book and I have no hesitation in giving it a five star recommendation.
A good book, at a good price - Rated
Having been associated with the building trade for more years than I care to remember, I have always found it extremely difficult to find system specific requirements for a particular project (for example, walls) without having to trawl through all of the Building Regulations and its associated Approved Documents to make sure that I haven't missed anything. Tricker's book cuts out all this unnecessary research by simplifying the process and putting everything concerning a particular topic (such as walls) into one chapter
Not wanting to argue with the previous reviewer, it is my understanding, however, that this book is meant as a consolidation of the current Building Regulations as opposed to being an explanation of the Regs - this sort of coverage is readily available elsewhere (e.g. Scaddon's excellent series of books). Being a reference book, "Building Regulations in Brief" therefore, cannot (and should not) produce additional "requirements".
I personally think that this is a good book, at a good price. The only thing I have against it is its size (800 something pages) but then compared to the actual Building Regulations, this is nothing.
Don't waste your money! - Rated 
I recently purchased this book and I have to say that I am not impressed!
Although the book may be of some use to people with little or no knowledge of construction, it is not suitable for construction professionals such as architects, inspectors and surveyors as it lists on the back of the book.
Although it would be almost impossible to produce a book which details every regulation, this book still leaves out important regulations that the average construction designer would get involved with. On top of that the diagrams in the book are complete copies of those listed in the current building regulations. Wouldn't it have been of some benefit to add diagrams which show different angles to the illustrations currently listed in the building regs?
The complete building regulations are available on electronic format from a number of sites on the internet for under £10. Construction professionals should save their money and opt for these instead!
Saving You Time and Money - Rated
An easy to understand guide to the planning and building regulation minefield. I used this book not to try to become an expert on the subject myself, but to question a decision of 'experts' in the field. Very briefly my intention is to build an outbuilding as a hobbies/activity room in my garden. It was designed so as not to require planning permission, only to meet building regulations requirements. Because the proposal was nearer to a highway than the existing building, the local planning authority required a planning application together with a £135 fee. A quick check in Building Regulations in Brief index took me to page 149 '5.17 Outbuildings', and the statement that planning permission in such circumstances is only required if the building proposed is within 20m of the highway. A 'phone call to the planning authority pointing out that my proposal is 25m from the highway and therefore planning permission was not required was accepted by them and permitted development was authorised. It saved me a lot of aggravation and £135 into the bargain.
A word from the Author - Rated
As the author of “Building Regulations in Brief” (Ed 4) I wondered if I might be allowed to comment on Tom Wise’s recent review and try to explain why bathrooms for people with disabilities is spread over many pages in the book but placement of elecrical sockets and thickness of floor joists isn't?
As we know, Approved Document M of the Building Regulations is still a comparatively new set of requirements (i.e. it only came into effect on 1 May 2004) and this covers access to, and use of, buildings. As such, it concerns all aspects of a building’s structure as well as its application and because this sort of detail is not available in any of the current British Standards, I felt that it should be given more coverage in my book. On the other hand, BS7671 (i.e. The IEE Wiring Regulations) has been specifically designed for the installation of electrical systems. It is used by every electrician and Building Inspector and so the Building Regulations only provide minimal advice and information on wall sockets etc in the Aproved Documents. The general requirements for floor joists have been included in the book, but not, I must admit, their specific dimensions as these are covered in standards such as BS 4471.
One thing that is missing in my book, however, is a decent index! At the moment (as noted by the reader in Powys) the current index is an absolute nightmare and for this I apologise unreservedly! You have my promise that I shall ensure that the next edition has a far more user-friendly index than this current one!
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