5 comments about Ancient Rome: Monuments Past and Present.

1. This is a wonderful book. It really fleshes out the remains of Rome's ancient monuments



2. We're planning a trip to Rome and like to prepare by reading about places we'll be seeing. This gives a very good explanation of the Roman building remains in an interesting manner.



3. Great book
   love to see rome then and now
   makes history come alive



4. This book uses overlays to show what Ancient Rome looked like when everything was new and in good shape. Then, you can flip the overlay and see how things look now. I always wondered how things looked then and wished I had a time machine to go back to those days. This book is the second-best thing to a time machine. The artists have done a great job of reconstructing the famous buildings, forums and temples. The book is well worth the money and is less expensive from Amazon than buying it in Rome.



5. This is a great book but way too expensive. I could have bought the exact book in Rome for less than half the price from a vendor at the Colosseum but decided to wait until I got home.

2 comments about How to Start and Operate Your Own Design Firm, Second Edition: A Guide for Interior Designers and Architects.

1. Any interior designer or architect who has dreamed of operating a design firm needs the second updated edition of this classic which covers all the basics of establishing such a business, from developing a plan and financing an office to setting fees, locating clients and marketing design services. Both general and design firm-specific tips are blended together making this an invaluable guide for any collection catering to businesspeople or designers alike.



2. Very good book if your looking to get started on your own. Everything you need to know. Nothing is left out!!!

1 comments about Natural Architecture.

1. The order arrived last friday, five month later...and the seller was not a great help when asked the whereabouts of it.
   German del Sol

4 comments about Architectural Detailing: Function - Constructibility - Aesthetics.

1. An excellent book for architectural students and young professionals, now made better in the second edition. Expanded with more insight and expertise from Professor Allen augmented by Professor Rand makes it invaluable to readers. A must on every professional's book shelf providing the basic fundamentals and principles of detailing.



2. This book is the thinking person's "Graphic Standards" (no slight to that book intended). But in this case, instead of handing you details, it teaches you how to design your own details. It is not only a one-of-a-kind approach but incredibly well-done, well organized, and beautifully illustrated as well. It is a guide to knowing why details should be designed in particular ways. It explains, in depth, what to think about when designing at the level of the detail. And the three case studies in the back of the book are worth their weight in gold. This book truly makes the point that detailing is part of the process of design. Get it, and keep it.



3. As much as I like the author's "Building Construction", this book is not recommended. It is based on the premise that many construction details share common principles: shed water by using sloping surfaces, for instance. After a few such groupings are described, it turns into a tips and tricks collection, e.g., do rough work before finish work. It's not a comprehensive reference by any means. On the contrary, it's shamefully padded with many nearly blank pages. Enjoyable reading, nice drawings, just not nearly enough material to justify the price.



4. This book is the recipe to designing architectural details. The book is divided into many small but concise sections each dealing with different aspects e.g, controlling water leakage, accommodating movements, providing structural support, forgiving details, etc. In each of these sections various solutions and stategies to deal with these aspects are shown with simple easy to understand diagrams accompanied by a brief explanation. A chapter at the end is dedicated to developing and designing the architectural details through choosing and combining solutions disscussed in the sections with illustrated examples.

   This book is the essence to "designing" or merely to "understanding" architectural details. The structure and simplicity of this book makes it almost like a dictionary of architectural details. This book is suitable for students, practicing architects, and those who are interested in the detailing of architecture. Note: in my opinion this book is of a reference nature and not recommended for leisure reading.

2 comments about Spaces Speak, Are You Listening?: Experiencing Aural Architecture.

1. A very engaging, wide-ranging look at the aural environment from many perspectives: cultural, historical, architectural, physical, sociological, political and more. The authors explore many of the deep and often times not-so-obvious connections and influences in an unusual, informative and refreshingly multi-disciplinary approach. Even though covered topics are broad in scope and complexity, the book is written in an easy and engaging conversational style that is neither academically stodgy nor technically overwhelming. But neither does it attempt to simplify the subject into shallow triviality.
   
   Unlike many modern-day science popularizations, this book is not a simple distillation of some lofty academic field. Rather it is at once the introductory text, the major body of research and a pointer to even wider exploration of the a heretofore under-explored and under-appreciated topic. There's plenty of new and useful material here for the professional practitioner in a number of disciplines. At the same time, the entire book is accessible to the casual reader, the neophyte. No chapter or paragraph need be avoided by any reader: all are carried along with the narrative: none are left behind.
   
   Personally, I have read book in out-of-order pieces as my busy schedule allows, without the feeling that I really should have read it in a more disciplined fashion. Rather than having to read other sections out of sheer necessity, I've gone back to fill in the holes more out of curiosity and interest.
   
   If you want to understand the intimate connection between humans and the aural space they live in, there is no better place to find it than this book. If you're looking for a new model of understanding of a complex topic through an truly broad, interdisciplinary approach, this book is the best model I know of.
   
   It's difficult to recommend it to highly.



2. Very interesting and new thinking about that sound around. Recommend for sound engineers, acoustic design architects, musicians and people who love music and/or are interested in the aural spaces abounding. Do you like John Cage, Terry Riley, ee cummings? Can you sing the sound of one _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _?

1 comments about Tuscany Style: Landscapes, Terraces & Houses, Interiors, Details (Icons).

1. This is basically a pictorial of the ins and outs of italian lifestyle. I find the rich colors and sense of simplicity coming through the photos to be what I needed for the project I am working on. Lots of small details in these photos make the overall very well worth the search for this book.

4 comments about Calligraphy For Dummies (For Dummies (Sports & Hobbies)).

1. This book was fantastic. It supplied all the information needed to begin calligraphy, including how to set up your lap board for an easier beginning writing experience. I really don't feel I would ever have been able to complete the projects without the help and guidance of this book. I would highly recommend it to anyone in the beginning stages of calligraphy.



2. This book is great for the beginner who doesn't mind being seen with a book for Dummies. The explanations are clear and there is even help for the left handed calligrapher. The illustrations help a lot. Although there are some different fonts to work with the selection has been kept to the simpler types. It is a good way to get started with the art of beautiful writing.



3. It has little depth to it but for the beginner is quite good. Better than many beginner calligraphy books.



4. I just wanted to say that I recently purchased this book and am pleased with it. The book has a nice structure to it and helps walk me through everything from getting the tools of the trade, to building my confidence. For someone with my complete lack of experience, this book was exactly what I needed. Some of the other books I've found have been somewhat slim on explanation, or a poor choice for a tutorial. While it doesn't have the full suite of letter forms inside it that others may have, it seems to have the major ones I'd like to start with, and is a great way to get started. I suspect that someone with experience already would find this book somewhat too basic.
   
   I would have given this book five out of five, were it not for the fact that I really have nothing else to compare it to. As well as the fact that the pages are not really suited to practise on as they are of a newsprint type quality. For those who wish to begin with calligraphy, I suggest using this book to get started with without reservation.
   
   Cheers,
   
   t.

1 comments about Follies of Europe: Architectural Extravaganzas.

1. 
   A trip around the world not on your calendar? No worries. With a copy of this abundantly pictured (400 color illustrations) volume you can visit some of the most spectacular, most extravagant buildings to be found. Nic Barlow's glorious photographs give you better than a bird's eye view with details and close-ups never seen through a tour bus window.
   
   Yes, the structures included in this volume are spectacular and extravagant, yet they are unique in another way as Tim Cox notes in his eloquent introduction, These follies are ..."raised for the amusement or diversion - and occasionally for the residence - of inspired patrons and artists throughout Europe......Created by popes and plutocrats, princes and postmen, these buildings stand today as mute testimony to their patrons' taste and discrimination, their passions and peculiarities."
   
   That they certainly do, but what is perhaps almost equally fascinating are the stories that these buildings tell. There is the Rushton Triangular Lodge built in 1593 by an Edwardian gentleman, Thomas Tresham, who converted to Catholicism in 1580. Constructed on the basis of an equilateral triangle, it represents the Holy Trinity with an angelic host under the roof , and the upper story at 33 feet wide represents the age at which Jesus Christ was crucified.
   
   Quite a different sight is found with the Villa Torrigiani in Italy which was transformed from a Tuscan villa to the very latest Baroque style, highly ornamented, boosting a parade of statues in the niches of its facade.
   
   Who will not be amazed and amused by what is thought to be the most outre building Scotland? Dunmore House is home to a pavilion topped by a 37 foot high stone pineapple.
   
   And so it goes with each of the 256 pages revealing one more wonder and another intriguing story.
   
   Highly recommended.
   
   - Gail Cooke

No comments about The Architecture of Parking.

1 comments about Building Technology: Mechanical and Electrical Systems, 2nd Edition.

1. A Great book on the fundamentals of engineering. It is used in many colleges. It helped me a lot for my most recent science fair project.