Book excerpt: Guidelines for Design of Low-Rise Buildings Subjected to Lateral Forces is a concise guide that identifies performance issues, concerns, and research needs associated with low-rise buildings. The book begins with an introduction that discusses special problems with low-rise buildings subjected to wind and earthquakes. Chapter 2 examines probabilistic methods and their use in evaluating risks from natural hazards. It also addresses the characteristics of wind and seismic forces and levels of risk implied by building codes. Wind forces are covered in more detail in Chapter 3, with discussions of wind force concepts and wind-structure interactions. Chapter 4 is devoted to earthquake forces and traces the development of building codes for earthquake resistant design. Chapter 5 describes the main framing systems used to resist lateral forces and discusses the code requirements for drift control. The designs and requirements for connections between building elements are addressed in Chapter 6. It includes examples along with several illustrations of suitable connections. The performance of non-structural elements during wind and earthquake forces is also examined in detail. This book serves as an important reference for civil engineers, construction engineers, architects, and anyone concerned with structural codes and standards. It is an excellent guide that can be used to supplement design recommendations and provide a design basis where there are no current requirements.