5 comments about A History of Architecture: Settings and Rituals.

1. I was very happy with the purchase, mainly because it was $50 off retail price and was free to ship.



2. Covers all the major styles and period the Western tradition of architecture. It does one chapter on Asian architecture but no single chapter can cover all the styles and history of the Asian countries of India, China, Japan, etc. It will be great for any aspiring architect who wants to have a good foundation...or to anyone who wants to appreciate the history of spatial design, and decoratives more.



3. This book was devised by a profoundly politically-correct mind. It is hard to read, inaccessible for an enthusiastic amateur, filled with historical gaps for a professional, and turns more often to social issues than to actual history of architecture. I don't know where to begin to list its omissions in terms of illustrations. On top of that, paperback is just too heavy and falls apart. I bought it at a clearance within a year after publication, it tells you something.



4. Even though greek architecture is a bit too much covered, students can enjoy the details about the history of architecture, as one can see the development of architecture and mankind step by step. Texts sometimes gets hard to understand.



5. Many great pics. Text is a little hard to understand.

5 comments about Theorizing a New Agenda for Architecture:: An Anthology of Architectural Theory 1965 - 1995.

1. An excellent collection of readings covering a wide variety of philosophical architectural readings. Highly recommended for those who want to understand the essential theory behind true architecture.



2. while nesbitt's introductions to the various sections and articles/excerpts are often quite good, i cannot give this book more than a "passable" rating. the selections are heavily weighted toward a the ideas of a select few authors/theoreticians, creating a fairly lopsided look at recent architectural theory (as can fairly easily be seen in a review of the table of contents). in addition, those familiar with the topic sections covered (for example, semiotics and its relation to architecture), will find the excerpts chosen to represent certain theoretician's bodies of work rather inappropriate and incomplete. i have not yet had the opportunity to read any similar anthologies of very recent architectural theory, but this is certainly not one which should impress, or one that should be used as a stand-alone source.



3. As an arcaheology student studying vernacular architecture, I found this particular text to be a waste of time. It does nothing for the history of architecture, nor does it lend itself to coherent reading.



4. Architectural Theory from 1965-1995 is complex, nuanced, and somewhat pretentious. Part of the problem is that contemporary Architectural Theory (and I would call this "Postmodern" theory) is connected to Continental Philosophy, which is also quite pretentious and often inaccessible to the vast majority of readers. Quite frankly, a lot of postmodern theory is, in my opinion, meaningless, but very hip, drivel.
   
   That being said, if one is able to separate out the drivel, there is also a great deal to gain from reading postmodern theory. They key is to learn how to separate the good from the bad. This book won't teach you that, so you may often wonder, after reading a text, whether you just don't get it, or if there is really anything to get at all. All of the authors whose essays are contained in this text are very important in contemporary architecture, and any student or enthusiast of contemporary architectural trends needs to understand these figures, such as Koolhaas, Eisenman, and Tschumi (also, all major figures at architecture schools in the US). I would say every one of the authors here has some good points, although some of them write in far more verbose and pretentious language than others. But, this book is simply presenting the important figures in architectural theory, so I won't fault the book for the flaws of the texts contained within. It would be irresponsible NOT to include all of these texts. Judge them for yourself, and remember that each of theorists in these pages has critisized the work of other theorists in the textbook. They aren't all equal, and nobody has claimed they are.
   
   The only problem with this book is that it doesn't contain any illustrations. Now I know this isn't meant to be a coffee-table book with pretty buildings, but it's very problematic to have architecture texts without illustrations. I highly recommened looking up some of the work of each of the architects in here. For example, if you don't understand what Eisenman is talking about, take a look at some pictures of his buildings and it may become clear. Also, remember that most of the texts in this book, when first published, DID contain pictures accompanying them, so something is lost in their removal. Some of the texts need pictures more than others. I think Rem Koolhaas, more than most of the rest, relies quite heavily on images to get his point across in his fantastic books (especially S,M,L,XL and Delirious New York), and republishing his work without these images takes a good deal of the meaning away, and also makes the texts much more dry.
   
   I recommend this book, but probably just as a reference or a jumping-off point from which to explore certain trends and theorists further. The organization of this book is quite nice, outlining each theoretical trend (such as deconstructivism, phenomenology, or critical regionalism), and making clear the overlap (many theorists have essays in several sections). Again, this book is probably not for the casual architecture fan, and reading it is not as fun as opening up a Koolhaas book or other beautifully-made visual book, but if you really want (or need) to understand the most important trends and theorists in contemporary architecture, this book is a great buy.



5. I am an architecture student at Washington University. This book is a great stepping stone into Architectural Theory. But, why I am really writing this review is to correct the unread
   individual who wrote a review of this book prior to me.

   phe·nom·e·nol·o·gy - noun

   1. A philosophy or method of inquiry based on the premise that reality consists of objects and events as they are perceived or understood in human consciousness and not of anything independent of human consciousness.

   2. A movement based on this, originated about 1905 by Edmund Husserl.

No comments about The State of Architecture at the Beginning of the 21st Century (Columbia Books of Architecture).

1 comments about The Virtual Window: From Alberti to Microsoft.

1. The movie screen, the TV screen, and the computer screen have become part of our everyday experience - substitutes for the architectural window that frames a view, and for the frame around a painting. But only in the last two decades have multiple screens become familiar. Typically film and TV both display a single frame on a single screen, despite other possibilities. What does it mean to "frame" an idea or experience using the new digital technologies? How does it change our "perspective"? Anne Friedberg takes up these issues with extraordinary theoretical sophistication and an impressive knowledge of history.

1 comments about Programs and Manifestoes on 20th-Century Architecture.

1. This book is mandatory for the library of any architect or student of architecture. It is the point from which any discussion of Modern Architecture could begin. I am hard pressed to think of a notable architect Conrad has neglected to include in this handy little book. From these pages I have seen generated a good number of arguments and debates on the state of architecture today. This is a small price to pay for such a wide array of ideas, both good and bad.

3 comments about Herzog & de Meuron: Natural History (Herzog & de Meuron).

1. H & DeM have always been influenced by art & you can even argue that their body of work could be an entire exhibiton. This book follows up some of their selected projects with interviews of the architects themselves as well as the collaborative artists. It does well to probe into theie unique process of design & actualization of their work. Jaques Herzog says that Art is roughly 20 years ahead of architecture. This vivid book clearly shows the great accomplishments by two men who are constantly trying to even up the odds between art & architecture through inspirations from the natural world.



2. I don't think this is an "object book" but a book in which herzog & de meuron want readers to understand their work like an archaelogical history. you cannot flip through it like an photographic architectural essay, but you really have to sit down, have a cup of coffee/tea, and really read the book, think about what they are saying, how other ideas such as art, history, materials, cultural, industrial changes, and etc. are interacting to their architectural process. certainly, they have the depth in their thoughts to publish a book that doesn't depend on photographs/architectural drawings. quite refreshing.



3. Another object book with content that matches the originality of the design. Herzog & De Meuron, the Basel-based architects, are best known for their art museums, but also for creating buildings that are works of art--even when the program is as mundane as a railroad signal box. This companion to the recent CCA exhibition is an anthology of interviews, stimulating essays by artists and clients, and pictures of objects that have inspired them, in addition to an illustrated catalogue of their 200 buildings and projects. (Michael Webb is the book reviewer for LA Architect magazine.)

No comments about Architect and Engineer: A Study in Sibling Rivalry.

5 comments about Richard Neutra: Complete Works (Architecture & Design).

1. I am a strong believer that any discussion of a good archtiect must contain excellect picures and drawings. This book is a good overview. It has some excellent pictures, but the selection, organization and orientation of those pictures are sometimes very poor.
   
   THE BOOK IS NOT COMPLETE. Richard Neutra designed the Gettysburg's Cyclorama Center in 1962. It has been visited by millions of people and is facing destruction (or already has been destroyed). But it is not shown or even mentioned in this book.



2. What a lovely book. I am so glad that this book was reissued. It is huge, with lots of beautiful photos of Neutra's work. A must for those interested in California modern architecture and the Case Study Houses.



3. It could better be called the incomplete works.
   It does not contain a description of Neutra's live.
   
   For many realized projects texts are incomplete (e.g. what is the history about realization of the projects?, what ever happened with the buildings?), or even missing, plans are incomplete, missing, or contain errors if compared with the pictures, or not all the floors are represented by plans.
   
   Basically, the book, in spite of its price and weight, looks attractive because of the very good photography and layout, everything else (the texts and plans) are disappointing and certainly not worth the money.



4. Barbara Lamprecht and Julius Shulman have created one the great architecture books about this leading figure of 20th century modernism. As a fan of Lamprecht's excellent writing, the text in this book is, of course, excellent---full of information, opinion and wit. The depth of information provided, including floor plans, is rare in an architectural photo book. Shulman's photos (and some by the new architectural photo star--John Ellis) are superb. The very large format of this book shows off the beautiful buildings to their best advantage. The real wood cover seems a bit odd for a book on Neutra, but it certainly is handsomely impressive. Though [the price] is a a lot for a book, this one's worth it. Buy it now. The second edition might not be so large and impressive, and certainly won't be made of wood!



5. This book is amazing though the photos of Neutra's projects are generally not as large as one would hope. It is amazing how much Neutra created during his career. A brilliant book filled with insightful information and general floor plans of building projects. Best of all, there is even a map as to the location of his buildings.

4 comments about The Architecture of the Italian Renaissance.

1. I would have little to say other than that this work is probably the most readable that i have seen and is quite useful. Color pictures and better quality photography-rendition would have been ideal, but the date of original authorship makes this unlikely, unless the work is to be revised.



2. For the layperson who is interested in the evolution of renaissance architecture, this is the book I would recommend. It is easy to read without swamping the reader with architectual jargon, while remaining informative. The abundance of illustrations and structural diagrams further help the understanding of how these buildings are important historically, as well as pointing out the artistic merits of them. Highly recommended, particularly for those visting Italy - it will clarify and deepen your understanding of renaissance structures.



3. This well-illustrated, tightly-crafted paperback is a pleasure to read. By well-illustrated I don't mean fancy. You won't find big color photographs, but you will see what the author is talking about. Murray is not only an expert on the subject; he's a good writer, and I know of no other book that so effortlessly leads the reader through the story of how the wonderful Renaissance architecture of Venice, Rome, and particularly Florence came to be. If you want to know WHY those churches and palaces look that way, and why it matters, this is your book. I especially recommend it to Florence-bound travelers.



4. I am not an academic, so I cannot judge the accuracy or importance of this book from a historical perspective. I bought this book to help prepare for a trip to Tuscany and Umbria, and was pleasantly suprised to find it very readable and even difficult to put down. I am now more excited than ever to visit not only the famous sites such as the Duomo and Palazzi in Florence, but also lesser known sites such as Lucca's Palazzo dello Signoria and its Piazza and fountain, by the Mannerist Amanetti. I wish I had this book before my visit to St. Peter's in Rome, because the knowledge of the succession of architects and their circumstances would have made my visit even more rewarding, if that could be possible.

2 comments about Blubberland: The Dangers of Happiness.

1. this book is genius. materialism is what is killing us. has been for so long. she so succinctly put into words what i have so often felt is wrong with the world. this book is so necessary and screams THE TRUTH. Better than a gazillion self-help books on how to be happy. like the music from Tommy, these pricey deals don't teach us, their freedom doesn't reach us, enlightenment escapes us. this book is a treasure. thank you so much for writing this down in your intelligent and witty way. Clancy OHaraSeamus and Emer



2. This is the first book by an architect that I've enjoyed reading. There are two reasons Blubberland is so good:
   
   One, it's about the philosophy of excess as much as biology and psychology. The second reason the book is fascinating are the examples taken from Farrelly's society (Australia, both white and Aboriginal). Stories and examples that are so culture-specific emphasize the universality of the problems the book deals with.
   
   Farrelly quotes thinkers from Immanuel Kant ("the beautiful is the symbol of the morally good") to Lily Tomlin ("the thing about the rat race is, even if you win, you're still a rat"). The book is very funny and very serious.
   
   Probably more than anything else, Farrelly talks about the concepts of Truth and Beauty.
   
   I think Truth and Beauty (along with Love) should be synonyms. We shouldn't try to define these things so precisely that it's even POSSIBLE to distinguish them from each other.
   
   A lot of our problems come from our primate nature, which evolved to put us on a " 'hedonic treadmill,' a constant round of wanting and getting, fuelled by dissatisfaction and disappointment."
   
   Farrelly agrees with economist Fred Hirsch, that we suffer from "the 'tyranny of small decisions.' " Too much choice.
   
   Perhaps our main fault is our self-absorption. (But are we biologically capable of being any other way?) Farrelly points out that "extreme fear of death, and the longing for it, are generally regarded as classic narcissistic traits." Maybe that's why (at least in the U.S) we have both color-coded terror alerts and apocalyptic fantasies on TV and in the movies.
   
   We want to live AND we want to die. And we're doing a good job of ensuring the later on a planetary scale.
   
   So, can we climb out of the narcissistic pit we've dug for ourselves? Farrelly quotes Iris Murdoch: "Love is the extremely difficult realization that something other than oneself is real." Back to those three ideas again - - Truth, Beauty, and Love.
   
   I also found what Farrelly said about art thought-provoking. She mentions the subject of the documentary film Who the #$&% Is Jackson Pollock? (Documentary), and discusses how art has changed since conceptual (as opposed to realistic or descriptive) art became the dominant form in the West. Warhol vs. Carravagio, to use two painters Farrelly mentions.
   
   Finally, Farrelly can't avoid the conclusion that Beauty doesn't necessarily come from Freedom. "The sad and prickly truth is that cities cannot be effectively planned, much less made beautiful, by democratic government."
   
   "From Mykonos to Paris, beautiful, traditional towns . . . were produced under condtions that we would consider intolerably oppressive, with little or no personal choice . . . as to material, style, colour or decoration."
   
   At the conclusion of Blubberland, Elizabeth Farrelly writes her own apocalyptic scenario, leaving the ending open. It all depends on whether we can learn "to transcend our primate selves and find some more altruistic mode" of being.