4 comments about Miller/Hull: Architects of the Pacific Northwest.

1. Beautiful visuals of the works from this phenomenal Seattle architectural firm (which won the AIA Firm Award in 2002) and knowledgable accompanying text by perhaps the leading Seattle architectural critic.



2. this book shows a great collection of the Mill/Hull works, very interesting and intreguing works. a strang recommendation to any architect or lover of architecture's collection.



3. I am a huge fan of the work of Miller Hull, however I was disappointed that this monograph lacked a thoughtful depiction of the design process. I would have loved to have seen the architect's sketches, drawings, and personal writing. There were really too many pictures, and the book had the quality of a film strip. The Ten Houses book, which showcases many of this firm's residential projects is a better book if you want to see drawings.



4. This book provides an excellent cross section of more Miller|Hull work than you've ever seen in the magazines. This book is a significant improvement in representing the full scope of their work compared to the Ten Houses book. The book is layed out so each project gets roughly 3 spreads (or six pages). A majority of the photos are clean, crisp, beautiful images of both interior and exterior. There's typically one page of text and two drawings.
   But, I have problems with this book. This book is over polished, over "published", & is more geared as a marketing brochure than a discriptive portfolio of thought and design. First, we all know these guys have done some really great stuff, but do we need to see ALL of it! Some of the less remarkable(i.e.,older, more traditional, more restrained) projects take valuable pages away from some of their more enlightened works. There's no heirachy about their design - everything gets 3 spreads, two token drawings, 500 words of static text, and some nice photos. You should not be able to learn more about a building from a magazine article than you can from the monograph. I want more! How do they think? What do early sketches and ideas look like? Models - I'm sure they've produced some great models! Where are they? This paperback book is a gem at it's current ...price. ... Ounce per ounce:dollar per dollar, the Ten Houses book is a better deal because it provides greater insight to the projects covered. But if you're looking for a blanket covering of Miller|Hull projects with nice photos, this is the way to go.

2 comments about Color, Environment, & Human Response.

1. This is an excellent book. It's very interesting and was the first book of it's kind that I have read. I gives color and light suggestions for different environments such as schools, office spaces, etc. It gives detailed scientific information about why these colors and types of light are good to use in these environments that is easy to understand. I think this book is a must have for all interior designers who care about the effects the environment they design will have on the people that will be in it!



2. Help! My cousin in Brazil is trying to contact the author of this book. The letter he sent was returned to him as the address being no good. He had gotten the address out of the back of the book. Does anyone know how to contact the author?

2 comments about Glass Tile Inspirations for Kitchens And Baths.

1. First of all, this is a beautiful book. The 200 plus photographs of glass tile works of art in kitchen, bathroom, and flooring are alone worth more than the price of the book, even if you have no plan to install glass tile. But you will be inspired to consider it. Add to that the informative and perspicuous exposition, the creative and imaginative sensibility, and the developed professional design judgment of Katharine Kaye McMillan, and you have a work of excellence.



2. Pat McMillan has done a great job of showing in her book -- probably in unprecedented manner -- different applications of the great variety of glass tiles currently on the market. Inspirational, indeed!

No comments about Restaurant Design (Daab Design Book).

3 comments about Paint Along with Jerry Yarnell Volume Three - Painting Magic (Paint Along With Jerry Yarnell, Vol 3).

1. I just got back from one of Jerry's workshops and am amazed at how much I feel that I learned. I bought this book at the workshop and it is excellent. It follows Jerry's method of step by step instructions with a photo of what the canvas should look like at each stage.
   
   Jerry's workshop followed the same procedure except we could ask questions and get Jerry to help us over rough spots.
   
   I've bought lot's of art books trying to find something that will help me. Jerry's books fill the bill perfectly! You can't go wrong with them.
   
   mstrick



2. Excellent book! Very detailed step by step instructions for each painting right down to colors to mix and brushes to use. Highly recommended.



3. This book is a welcome addition to the vast repository of teaching materials by Jerry Yarnell. The paintings are more intricate and challenging than in the previous two books. There are moody seas and skies, dramatic cliffs, serene settings, quaint buildings, and birds, elk and a variety of wildlife in the compositions. The step by step instructions are comprehensive, with excellent and detailed color photos of each step. Mr. Yarnell does a terrific job of reiterating and expanding on the fine art techniques that form the basis of all of his teaching material. If you are looking for an instructional painting book that is beyond the beginners level, then you should find this book inspirational, challenging and fun.

3 comments about Design Details for Health: Making the Most of Interior Design's Healing Potential (Wiley Series in Healthcare and Senior Living Design).

1. Is it just me - or do other people pay for things and never get them?



2. How long does a book remain useful after it is published? Most books, especially reference books don't last. "Design Details for Health" seems fresh even thought it has been a decade since it first came out. As Wayne Ruga said: ". . . this book is a reference standard with timeless value."
   
   Granted, nowhere in the book will you see the term "Evidence-based Design" used, because that phrase was not in widespread use a decade ago. But the book is packed with useful ideas that would be of real value to Interior Designers working on HealthCare projects.
   
   In 300 pages Ms. Leibrock covers the entire field of Healthcare in depth. Long-term care, Subacture Care, Ambulatory Care and Inpatient Hospitals each gets a section with several chapters. The writing is clear and very practical. Frequent references to "real world" projects are given with pictures and floor plans.
   
   Summary:
   
   * Great Comprehensive Reference Book for Interior Designers working in HealthCare
   
   Pros:
   
   * Practical advice that is easy to access.
   
   * A well constructed book with high quality paper.
   
   Cons
   
   * Very little about the use of Art in Healthcare
   
   * Lots of floor plans and useful photographs, but only a few are in color.
   
   Ms. Leibrock is the principal/founder of EASY ACCESS TO HEALTH (www.AgingBeautifully.org) in Ft. Collins, Colorado, a firm that offers consulting services in patient centered design, planning for independent living. She was selected as a Changemaker in 2002 by the Center for Health Design.



3. I am a professional Health Care interior designer who is always looking for resources to enhance my knowledge base for creating healing enviornments in the health care market. A few years ago I attended, along with about 300 other designers, a presentation by a nationally known health care designer. At the end of the 1.5 hr. lecture, there were six of us left. The focus of the talk was entirely philosophical: there were no gems of knowledge or tools we could take back to our design practices to make our projects better. Ms. Leibrock certainly doesn't have to worry about anyone leaving her presentation. The book has been delegated to my reference shelf and I am sure will become dog-earred.

   The specific types of healing environments included in the book range from birthing centers to long-term care facilities and all that is in-between. The philosophical issues are presented and then followed by research findings and case studies which support those concepts. Then the GEMS! Lists and lists and lists of hands-on guidelines which are distilled from the vast experience and research of the author.

3 comments about Writing for Design Professionals: A Guide to Writing Successful Proposals, Letters, Brochures, Portfolios, Reports, Presentations, and Job Applications, Second Edition.

1. The content of this book is useful and should come in handy to any design professional at any point of their career.
   
   I've docked this book 2 stars due to redundancy and the fact that it is very difficult to read due to poor typesetting (margins are only about 1/4" from the spine).



2. Whether you're a student or a design professional, good writing is the key to advancing your career: a key too often missed in design schools which don't inform students how to improve writing skills. Enter the second, updated edition of Writing for Design Professionals, a survey expanded to consider internet marketing, communication and job hunting and which fills the gap in blending a focus on design professionals with instructionals and methods of clarifying and improving writing. From producing brochures and marketing through proposals and portfolio development to writing for school or media and producing appropriate public speeches, Writing for Design Professionals is one of the most comprehensive, specific guides you could want.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



3. This is a much needed and appreciated book on clear and consice communication for students writing on their design projects, design statements for themselves about their portfolios, cover letters for employment purposes, not to mention all the aspects of proposals, business communication, applications, brochures, etc. As an educator in the design arts for over 25 years, I am especially happy to have this resource to share with design students and also find much useful information included for myself. Thanks for a great addition to my design library!

1 comments about Islamic Architecture: Form, Function, and Meaning.

1. This is an excellent book about Islamic Architecture. It offers a comprehensive coverage of building typologies, their influences, and the context (historical and geographic) within which these types can be found. However, I cannot use it as a textbook alone. I need to complement the content with other sources that talk about cultural context as both determinants and modifiers of the built form. I complement the book with George Michell's "Architecture of the Islamic World", the work of AlSayyad, Rapport, and many of the published work of the Aga Khan program.

2 comments about Castles of the Western World: With 240 Illustrations (Magnificent Castles).

1. I ordered this book as a surprise for my son's 15th birthday. I only wish that Castles of the Western World had been a "peek-inside book." The front cover aside, there are no color pictures (which is not a bad thing, but the photos displayed are quite dull). I am no professional photographer, but the subjects of black and white photos must be composed and presented artfully, but the pictures in this book are not. This book has all the appeal of an old textbook--without the requisite dust.



2. I love castles and these are just absolutely beautiful. They give you the feeling that you want to live in them - bar the drafty rooms, etc. Also, they make you wonder who might have lived in them and what kind of history the castles have. If I ever have the good fortune to travel to any of these places, I would most definitely look up these castles.

2 comments about Pamphlet Architecture 1-10 (Pamphlet Architecture).

1. A book where architecure doesn't follow a school of thought. Rather the liberty of artistic expression. The kind of work that must be seen before starting an architectural magazine.



2. a long waited and very well conceived series of reflections on architecture.
   A must to have in every creative library.