No comments about Living in Argentina.

No comments about Hip Hotels Orient.

5 comments about Romanesque: Architecture, Sculpture, Painting.

1. This is a beautiful coffee table art book for sure, but it's also a terrific post-trip debriefing source that explains in greater depth what you've seen as a traveler and maybe didn't totally absorb at the time. This has been true, at least, for my family. While the text can be a little academic at times, it is wonderfully comprehensive on architectural history for the Romanesque periods of Germany, Belgium, France, Italy and Spain. While the odds are that you won't find every beautiful church you saw on your trip and considered "comment worthy," most of the great Romanesque buildings are included in this work. The photos are also beautifully reproduced.
   
   If you're simply a student of architecture, this is a great addition to your library.



2. This is the first volume of an originally German series about European art and architecture, covering the entire period from AD 1000 to the first half of the 19th century.
   
   "Romanesque" deals with the High Middle Ages (minus the Gothic, covered in a separate volume), but it also digs deeper into the past, and mentions both the Carolingian and Ottonian periods in Germany, and some other pre-Romanesque styles eleswhere. Areas covered are Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Britain. (Scandinavia and Bohemia are mentioned only in passing.)
   
   Most of the chapters deal with church arcitechture, hardly surprising since most Romanesque architecture *is* church architecture. There is also an extensive section on Romanesque art, including sculpture, painting, books, reliquaries and (of course) the Bayoux tapestry. As usual, everything is lavishly illustrated with full-color photographs.
   
   Not being an art historian, I can't really judge the texts, but some of them seem to contain questionable interpretations about "medieval death cults" or "22 million people killed in the crusades" (sic).
   
   The text may be hard to follow for the general reader, but the photos and the low price makes the book worth buying anyway, certainly if you're interested in the Middle Ages. Somehow, Romanesque rather than Gothic feels like the "real" Middle Ages!
   
   Recommended. ;-)



3. Excellent, a trully work of art. This book digs down into the core of the post-classic period of the plastic arts. A delightful and resourceful acquisition of any scholar artist or architect with interest in the origins of building forms, natural lighting, and a three-dimensional space.



4. As the holidays approach and you find yourself entertaining more at home, it's time to start thinking about a new book to add to your coffee table, or to toss under the tree of a fellow Italiaphile. "Romanesque" is not only a substantial book with beautiful pictures it's also a complete resource for understanding the building style most representative of the Middle Ages. As Romanesque architecture, art and sculpture is not restricted to Italy, this book also extends to show examples of this style from Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Great Britan, and even Scandinavia!



5. Although I am no great architectural authority, I love the Romanesque and have had the pleasure of visiting many churches while travelling in rural France. Like a 12th century pilgrim, I even made the journey to Compostela in Spain. This book, however, made me feel like I only scratched the surface -- what amazing (and uncelebrated) Romanesque buildings there are ALL OVER Europe! I am newly amazed at how diverse the Romanesque style can be. The author and photographer undertook a daunting project, documenting hundreds of structures (practically every building of note, it seems). The quality of this book is staggering -- you would think it should sell for a lot. But as detailed as some of the academic articles can be, the book is never dull or pedantic -- partly because the photography is so terrific and compelling. This book is magical. A GREAT bargain, a great gift, and highly recommended.

No comments about Store Window Design (Designfocus).

2 comments about India: Decoration, Interiors, Design.

1. I love the book. Shows a modern view of India with strong traditions in the past. I always enjoy seeing how others live. I would strongly recommend the book for paople who are interested in our world and how we liveon it.



2. Detailed photographs capture the beauty and diversity of India.
   
   Inspiring mix of design styles: from the intricate carvings of a merchant's haveli in Ahmedabad to the tasteful remodeling of a 15th century fortified palace transformed into a modernist hotel, every page delights.
   
   There are elements of tribal origins and nods to colonial history. Bold, colorful decorated patterns of the tribal people contrast with the formal colonial influences of British raj. An adventurous soul will revel in the beauty and sense of place this book brings. It blends colors, textures, and light in a thousand ways.

No comments about Country Living Shoestring Chic: Extraordinary Style for Less (Country Living).

No comments about Modern Baroque Interiors (Reference Bks.).

1 comments about Ribbon.

1. I spotted the pre-release of this book way back in July and immediately signed up for it, and eagerly awaited the delayed arrival. The book itself is beautifully designed, photographed and executed, but BUYERS BEWARE: this is only an idea book.
   
   There are not really any instructions on how to create some of the beautiful complex pieces (eg. the "cockade") and for the most part the book is filled with suggestions about different things that ribbon (mostly bows) can be applied to. Ever since I learned to tie my shoes at age 3, I have been pretty clear about the potential use of that skill: wreaths, candles, shoes, clothing, flower arrangements, vases, etc. This is the content, for the most part - but it is beautifully photographed and art directed as previously mentioned.
   
   Much is made in the book about all the classes that are taught in Nicholas' store and I am disappointed that the authors did not choose to share some of that knowledge with us.
   
   There is an nice history of ribbon and the significance of ribbon at the beginning of the book, but for the most part I would suggest that this book is an extended advertisement for Nicholas Kniel's shop in Atlanta.
   
   Bottom line: it's a pretty coffee table book, but of limited use to designers. I will be returning my copy.

1 comments about Bathroom Decorating Ideas Under $100 (Better Homes & Gardens).

1. This is one of the few decorating books that would make everyone happy, because it has a section on such a range of styles. But, it's short and sweet. Giving you several key ideas that you could implement in your own bathroom for under $100 for each of the various styles. The pictures are fresh and beautiful, I felt calmer just looking at the 'Spa' pages.

5 comments about The Abrams Guide to American House Styles.

1. If you are just getting interested in the topic of house styles, this book is an excellent introduction. The color pictures are a great help versus black and white pictures or even sketches. If nothing else, this is a great starter book!



2. This book is a good guide to house identification as well as a pleasure to look it. The photographs are beautifully done, and in full color which I think is important for noticing details that help one identify a house. The text is helpful in explaining historical information, and there are quick reference charts for each house type that condense the major features of that type. Sometimes the distinction between early, middle, and late Georgian is hard determine, and I didn't find it very helpful there, but other than that it is a great guide and a nice coffee table book as well since the pics are so fabulous.



3. The color pictures are all new and the subjects very well chosen, and paging through this book is enjoyable. The concise text reviews the usual classifications in the usual ways, its academic tone partly redeemed by occasional wit.
   
   He renames Richardson Romanesque as Richardsonian, Federal as Late Georgian, and says Queen Anne originated from Arts and Crafts rather than medieval styles, although I think there's a little of each. Like most authors, he discusses the white flat-roofed Modern examples as though they were the next in line to follow the Tudors and Colonial Revivals, despite the fact that they never amounted to more than an insignificant fraction of houses built, then continues with the Post Modern and Deconstructivist styles, pure "magazine architecture", marking an era in which architects begin to serve a new and powerful patron of the arts, the media.
   
   But the countless postwar ranches and split-levels are never mentioned. Trying to keep it highbrow, I guess.
   
   He returns to ordinary houses at the very end, to jump on the mock-the-McMansions bandwagon, using as examples, ironically, some of the prettiest houses in the book.
   
   A few nits to pick:
   
   * Medieval homes had steep roofs because they used thatch, not due to the narrow London streets.
   
   * Le Corbusier's "machines for living" quote actually was intended to extoll creature comforts, not stark Modernism.
   
   * The Arts and Crafts post-and-beam masterpiece, the Gamble House, is ordinary stud construction where it doesn't show.
   
   * Beams are always horizontal, as are clapboards.
   
   * It was Louis Sullivan who said architecture was set back 50 years by a late 19th Century exhibition, not some academic.
   
   Still like the James C. Massey book, available used. But you may like this one for its pictures.



4. Despite the unfavorable comments in "A VERY POOR EFFORT," I decided to buy this book and try it for myself. I'm so glad I did. This reviewer seems to be confused about this book. Of all the books on the subject, this is the only one that's written by a Pulitzer-nominated architectural historian, comprised of all-color photos, inclusive of the late-20th and 21st cent styles, designed like an art book, and packaged in a compact/portable format for taking it on the road. These 5 features are completely NEW to this genre! The unhappy reviewer's other point of criticism (that there are too many trees on the property of some of the photographed houses) is simply absurd. How can a photographer remove trees and foliage from a house's property before photographing the house? These houses are important examples, not slouches. The book states clearly that each picture was taken from public property. Should the photographer have given each house a fresh coat of paint, too, before he photographed it? Such a criticism is illogical. For my dollar, this is the best book in the genre and thus should be given a fair evaluation. I'm glad I bought it. As a realtor, I need this kind of book, and this one's the easiest to use of all of them.



5. In the United States, there is a very rich history of producing field guides to American Domestic Architecture. So it was into this already crowded field that "The Abrams Guide to American House Styles" was published in 2004. In my opinion, if you are going to introduce a new book into an established field, you need to do something new.
   
   This Guide has two features that are unique. First, all of the photos are in color. This is the first Guide that I have seen that has done this. I really enjoyed seeing the photos of the earliest American homes. Second, unlike most field guides, this Guide continues to the current day. I thought that adding examples of McMansions was a very nice touch. Most other field guides stop somewhere around 1950.
   
   Field Guides can be divided into photo books and line drawing books. I prefer line drawing books because they help the reader concentrate on the architectural features that combine to make a style. I think photo books are less effective because they are too specific. Instead of concentrating on the stylistic details, the photos make the reader concentrate on a specific house. The other reason I do not like photo books is that photos are inherently distracting. Instead of concentrating on the architectural features, the eye is drawn to foilage, electrical poles, cars and people walking in front of the building.
   
   The Abrams' Guides does a good job of cutting out most of the distractions but where if fails miserably is in the trees around the house. A good 10-15% of the images are ruined by trees getting in the way of the photographer. Either they block the full image or their shadow obscure key details. I can accept a few trees around a house but to have so many photos ruined is unacceptable. It as though the editors did not have enough photos and they were forced to accept poor quality photos to fill out the book. If you want to see a field guide with beautiful color photographs of houses, see Robin Langley Sommer's "The American House".
   
   If your tastes run to photos, purchase "A Field Guide to American Houses" by Virginia McAlester. If you prefer line drawings like I do, check out, "The Visual Dictionary of American Architecture" or Lester Walker's "American Homes".
   
   Looking at old homes and determining their sytles is a great hobby. The Abram's Guide is a very poor introduction to this rewarding past time.