Good Architectural Reading and Software: Trolling for Recommendations

Not particularly fussy about what sort of books in what languages, so long as they're profusely illustrated, and in ways that make the text's commentaries understandable to a layperson. I enjoyed drafting classes in high school as best I could and wanted to follow up, but this was waaaaaaaaaay back in the days before AutoCAD and its competition started showing up.

Come to think of it, if you've got a recommendation to make for low-budget, high-power CAD software for the Mac(yes, open-source/freeware is eligible for recommendation), share with me.

Warning/Promise(Dependent Upon POV): Artwork en Route...

...but not until later tonight, possibly tomorrow morning. I've got stuff to do this afternoon before I can post it.