4 comments about The Story of Architecture.

1. I was looking for a readable inroduction to varied styles and history of architecture that was jargon free but not overly simplified. This book did the job well. Perhaps Glancey could have provided a bit more text to go along with the beautiful pictures, but he still informs.
   
   Recommended for newcomers or those with an incomplete education in the field of architecture.



2. THis is a very, very good introduction to the complexities of architecture, at about the freshman level of college. Starting with the dawn of civilization (in what is now Iraq), Glancey takes the reader on a tour of human history from the angle of what we build to worship, work, and live in. THe basics are covered extremely well, providing a context for further research.

   Glancey writes with grace and clarity, dividing each major movement into regular cuts of two pages, each with brilliant images. While this format shoehorns things into categories that are a bit too sharply delineated, that kind of reductionism is a necessity in this kind of survey. In the latter part of the book, some of the distinctions appear artificial, but then we are in a period where no dominating style - you get post-modern, decontructivist, and organic, etc. - has emerged and the author had to make some decisions regarding how to put them in the format. To his credit, Glancey does not ignore the exceptions and quirks.

   One thing I enjoyed about the book is that Glancey does not shy away from making strikingly loud judgements, many of which I did not share. Corbusier, he writes, "was the most inventive and poetic architect who ever lived." Now that is strong stuff and I would never have expected it in a routine survey! (While I can respect and understand what Corbusier did, I don't love it like Glancey.) But that is what makes this book more than a run of the mill overview - it adds flavor and stimulates. Also, while international, because Glancey is a Brit, much of it focuses on Britain and contemporary Europe, which provides a valuable contrast to more US-centric views.

   Recommended.




3. Great book to review the history of architecture, it is concise and well illustrated.



4. As a freshman architecture student, this book was exactly at my level. The photographs are splendid, and the dialogue informative. This book provides a complete history of architecture in every area of the world, as well as some theory. Great for anyone truly interested in architecture, but not an expert (yet!)

No comments about L'Architecture (Reprint Series).

No comments about Emancipating Space: Geography, Architecture, and Urban Design.

No comments about Architecture and Modernity: A Critique.

5 comments about The House Book (Architecture).

1. it was one of my favourites until i got the phaidon atlas of contemporary architecture but this book is also a good one. 500 houses over the world. quick guide to have information around the world.
   ayse gokbakan yildiz, architect



2. I was thrilled with this book (and all the other mini-Phaidon books: The Art Book, The Movie Book, The Fashion Book, and The Garden Book -- I think that's all). It's absolutely gorgeous with large pictures on each page and just enough text to make it interesting and informative. I love the alphabetical organization that essentially randomizes all the eras and countries, thus making the diversity more apparent. And, of course, IT'S CHEAP! I love it!



3. This book is absolutley the most amazing book on house architecture I have ever seen. Anyone who is interested in houses and house architecture around the world should have this remarkable work.



4. Fascinating tour of homes, with most of the really rewarding images revealing the indigenous styles of homes across the globe, including the iglu, the long house, dung hovels, and dozens of other styles that incorporate the folk wisdom of humans across the centuries. The modernist austerities were the least interesting, even more boring than castles from the Hapsburgs. Some of the contemporary puzzle pieces were striking, and each page repaid the time invested pouring over the details captured. I wish that they would double page load, and show a representative interior of each exterior captured here.



5. In the best tradition of the phaidon culture books, this one explores architectural styles.
   It covers most periods and is eclectic in terms of style and the cultural heritage of the buildings. It also manages to present a huge time span of works, though the focus is on the boom years of architectural styles and changes (from the Victorian era onwards).
   Inspires plans for lots of day trips for culture vultures or indeed travels abroad. Very interesting, I imagine there was not quite the struggle to overcome snobberies with this book as there must have been with this books family members, Art, Modern Art, Fashion and Photography.

5 comments about Breaking Ground.

1. Libeskind proves in this personal account of his life that living dangerously has his rewards. He describes his endless struggles with authorities, bureaucrats in Berlin, New York and so on. He tells marvellous tales of taking a stand in architecture, how architecture and good design can add value to a city. But his life in architecture is an adventurous one. He won the commission for the Jewish Museum in Berlin just by good luck and an ambitious wife. Libeskind received too late the invitation to take part in the architectural competition. His wife succeeded by sheer thougness in nominating him for the contest and eventually he won. His struggle for the World Trade Center commission is a tough one. Larry Silverstein is his main opponent. Libeskind can never be confident about the outcome of this fight. Why insist on theoretical books on architecture when such personal accounts are available? Libeskind pleads for architecture with heart and soul. I liked this book tremendously and would like to recommend the book to every student of architecture. Just to learn that architecture is about winning competitions as much as about designing. Libeskind cites Einstein: Only an idiot can be brilliant at breakfast. Libeskind could have written this beautiful book during breakfast.
   
   Luuk Oost



2. Daniel Liebskind designed the new wing of my local (Denver) art museum, and to coincide with its opening, my book club chose to read "Breaking Ground." In reading the book I was expecting to gain a little insight into who this man is and possibly how he came up with some of his ideas. But I never expected to find that he is a very good writer, incredibly well-read, and to learn of the amazing thought processes behind his designs (e.g. the Twin Towers Memorial among others world-wide). It was a wonderful surprise and a book I will read again some day.



3. I purchased this book after attending a lecture of Daniel Libeskind's at my University. Daniel is one of the most sought after architects of the twenty-first century, for good reason. I found his writing style to be intelligent and concise, with moments of sheer brilliance. This book is a quick read for those familiar with Libeskind's work and the famous architects of today. There seems to be a distinct polarity in the reviews of whether one "gets" Libeskind's work or does not. His literal translations of idea and emotion into space are at times discomforting. The projects he has chosen often revolve around tragedy and loss, and much of the substance of his design process is esoteric and abstract to those not familiar with his background. Music, harmony, space and art seem to flow together in his composition with a certain logical order and reason. I recommend this book to any architect or student interested in the intangible qualities of design.



4. 
   You could be forgiven for thinking that `Breaking Ground' was written by a four-year old who had his favorite toy taken from him and has never gotten over it. This biography manages to emphasize it's author's weaknesses and insecurities more than it highlights any positive aspects of the life recorded. Author, Daniel Libeskind, airs many old grievances and seems hell-bent on boastfully proclaiming one-upmanship at any opportunity. He begins by telling a story about beating Itzhak Perlman in a musical competition when both were children. It may be honest trivia, but it sets a tone for the self-praise that is the book's most constant and ultimately most disturbing trait
   
   The enormity of Libeskind's ego is matched only by the scale of his resentment towards everyone else. Libeskind's most severe criticisms are saved for fellow architects, all of whom he holds in especially low regard. In Daniel's mind, he is an architect without peers. Of architect (and Ground Zero competitor), Peter Eisenman, Libeskind says with evident venom that, "No one ever called him (Eisenman), a mensch!" It is a curious comment from Libeskind who is hardly a poster boy for masculinity himself.
   
   In fact, as the book proceeds, it becomes clear that it is Daniel's wife and business partner, Nina, who wears the jockstrap around the Libeskind household. Whenever the going gets tough, and some recalcitrant client or municipality challenges one of Daniel's designs, it is Nina who flexes her biceps and steps in to do the heavy lifting. Daniel pits his mammoth ego against all comers, and might even blubber with rage, but usually he just resorts to "storming out of the room", a tactic he records frequently throughout his book. Unfortunately, the Libeskinds are not about building consensus or about listening to others, so most of their projects becomes embroiled in time-consuming controversy.
   
   Most disappointingly, Libeskind fails to see the humanity of the world outside himself. The Ground Zero commission becomes just another opportunity to do some more bragging and to whittle away at the reputations of people he could have learned something from. `Breaking Ground' never becomes the inspirational memoir that it could have been. If you want a book about a true post-911 hero, you'll need to bypass `Breaking Ground' and try General Tommy Franks' recent biography instead. `American Soldier" is the story of a real man, one who fights his battles face-to-face, and doesn't need to hide behind a pen. And what a difference having some testosterone makes!!



5. I came across a pile of these books remaindered for 10 cents and figured - "Well, you can't go wrong for a dime, Right?" - WRONG!! What a load of rubbish this book is. Pomposity and egotism on every page. Libeskind's love affair with himself is not worth the paper it is written on ... not even at 10 cents a copy! This one goes straight into the recycle bin.

No comments about Vernacular Architecture in the 21st Century: Theory, Education and Practice.

No comments about New Architecture in China.

No comments about Architecture and Power in Africa:.

1 comments about Abstraction and Transcendence: Nature, Shintai, and Geometry in the Architecture of Tadao Ando.

1. It was a fascinating book for anyone who has the slightest interest in architecture, history, and geometry. It is a must read for all searching for insight into these fields.