2 comments about Le Modulor and Modulor 2 [ENGLISH EDITION].

1. The books arrived well packaged and on time. The books however were a little smaller than what I anticipated since the last time I reviewed these same books was at a local library, but nevertheless I was impressed that the books did come in a compacted design. For what better way to show off the design tool called the Modulor by placeing a picture of it on it's very own jacket that comes with the books. You feel as if the whole box set is some sort of handy carpenters tape measure to carry 'round with you.The inside of the book is full of explanatory remarks about perfecting, creating and applying this human scale ruler which incorporates the practical use of what is termed the Golden Section and thereby adhereing it to his/your own building designs. For those of you who are avid Golden Ratio/Section seekers these two books are a great gift idea and a great collectors item.The books also include many letters too from his colleagues who critique and sometimes try to disprove his modular idea, that it really works.I have included pictures to show you the overall appearance of both books and its smart jacket design. Therefore I say an excellant choice and would recommend to college students, Architects, and all those versed in the Arts in general



2. Le Corbusier had been working for some time on his Modulor system using these French decimal measurements but without much success. Then one of his collaborators, Py, said: "Isn't the height we are working with rather a French height? Have you ever noticed that in English detective novels the hero is always six feet tall?" Le Corbusier continues: " We then applied this standard. To our delight, the graduations of a new Modulor, based on a man six feet tall, translated themselves into round figures in feet and inches". (hardly surprising when you consider that this is a natural system of measure.).

1 comments about Venice, CA: Art and Architecture in a Maverick Community.

1. I love strolling around Venice Beach. This delightful book allowed me to take a glimpse inside some wonderful homes and understand a little more about the quirky, creative people who have made Venice Beach special. If you can't live there, buying this book is the next best thing.

5 comments about One Thousand Buildings of Paris.

1. This is a huge book with hundreds of beautiful black and white pictures of Paris buildings. Photos are absolutely carrying out Paris soul and give you that special feeling of the city, that of art, history and grace. Turning the pages one by one, you just walk around this glorious city. I've been to Paris several times and I think this book is the second best thing after actually being there.



2. Clearly a lot of exhausting work went into this book, but as in any catalog, the quality of the descriptions varies in quality and depth, and there are typos. The author mixes casual language with more formal reporting in a way that is sometimes stylistically jarring. I heard the author speak in Paris, and evidently it was not possible to obtain permission to photograph some buildings, so the collection while in some ways comprehensive doesn't contain all the author had wished or that the reader familiar with Paris might hope for. This isn't the author's fault, just some French craziness, but it is unfortunate. I keep the book in my apartment in Paris, and use it to familiarize myself with buildings I walk by regularly. As the Parisians say, walking in Paris is "very pleasant," and this book makes one a more informed walker. The description of the Hotel de Sully in the 4th is especially nice. Pair it with the catalog of the Atget exhibition for some interesting contrasts, both historic and photographic. Paris is a sublime feast, and this is a book for those who will take the time to taste it more fully. I don't believe any other book like this exists.



3. I love it!! It's very comprehensive and detailed, and the pages are big enough to accomodate all of the photographs and text. The quality of the book itself is also good.



4. 
   This book was given to me,along with the London's one.
   One does not need to be an archictect or a professionnal builder to appreciate this masterpiece.
   In the last 100 years, Paris has eluded any massive destruction and as such has kept its historic,poetic and romantic characters.
   The book is precised,well mapped,and the photos are top notched.
   It would not be easy to carry around while visiting Paris! however one can list ahead of time the buildings of interest.
   the book is photographed and written, by three Americans, which makes it even more interesting ,with their artistic objectivity and a view with a non parisian or gallic optic.
   well worth the investment,and a real treasure.



5. all 1,000? No way. Too big to have as a travel companion but so many memories that it should be owned by everyone who loves Paris.

5 comments about The J2EE Architect's Handbook.

1. I received the book when expected and in perfect conditions. Very interesting book for a very reasonable price.



2. This book has outstanding breadth of information for system architecture. Some details are quite basic, while others are quite indepth. Overall though, what's most important is that the book is very well written and serves its purpose well. It has many excellent strategies, along with a comprehensive feature list of most J2EE projects.
   
   Definately a 5 star.



3. I develop applications using J2EE and .NET. I found that most concepts found in this book are equally applicable to the .NET arena as well. Good work.



4. I'm a Junior J2EE Technical Architect and I just finish reading your book. It's really interesting and instructive. It helps me a lot on my project planning.



5. This book covers many topics, unfortunately it does not go into great detail on any of them. I don't know what the author was trying to do with this book, but I do know that this is not the new J2EE bible as some of the other reviewers have stated. Some of the topics covered have nothing to do with J2EE, they are project management topics.
   
   If you are looking for a real J2EE book look elsewhere.

2 comments about Wild Borneo: The Wildlife and Scenery of Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei, and Kalimantan.

1. This book provides an excellent overview of what to expect in going to Borneo. The explantions are not lengthly where one gets tired of reading and the facts are written in a lively narative. Great for one who wants to see what this interesting island offers in all aspects of it's wildlife. Because of the size you probably won't have it in your luggage when you go, but great for researching before the trip and taking notes. Glad I have it!!!



2. Nick Garbutt's "Wild Borneo: the Wildlife and Scenery of Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei and Kalimantan" is a wonderful addition to an existing seies for the lay reader and expert alike. This series, started by New Holland Press and continued by MIT, has volumes on "Wild ....." including Indonesia, India, New Zealand, South Africa and Thailand. All were done a half dozen years ago or so. Thus this well-written and beautifully photographed book is most welcome. It is also reasonably priced for its intrinsic value. To underscore its importance, one need look no further than the name of the author of its preface, Sir David Attenborough. It covers Borneo's habitats, wildlife, people, The Heart of Borneo, fabled Mt. Kinabalu and ecotourism and conservation. Garbutt is also the author of the excellent and comprehensive "The Mammals of Madagascar."

1 comments about Award Winning Green Roof Designs.

1. A one of a kind book, written and photographed by pioneers in the field. Green roofs are an achievable way toward sustainability in urban environments.

5 comments about The North Light Book of Acrylic Painting Techniques.

1. thank you for this marvellous acrylic technique book, i have used acrylic paints before but this book gives me a new dimension to exercise, it will sit nicely in my art library with my other art books.yours faithfully,,margaret mcguinness



2. I like this book. The techniques are awesome. This is a good book for a beginner, or one who wants to explore other ideas that they may not have thought of. What I like is that it is focused on acrylic only. There are not many books on just acrylic. Many painting books seem to cover oil techniques and claim that the techniques can be applied to other mediums. But, you can only go so far, becuase oil and acrylic have two different characterisics.



3. This book gives a wealth of information on different techniques, materials, and styles. The step-by-step lessons do a great job of showing how the work evolves, and how that evolution varies according to the style chosen by the artist. Just as important, at least to me, is that there are so many color photographs of so many really good paintings. Often, books like this have mostly mediocre work. This is a book am I sure to revisit a lot.



4. If you have ever read any articles from The Artists Magazine then you will be familiar with the style of demonstrations of acrylic painting that this book offers. It is quite good at showing a diversity of painting styles - from airbrush photo-realistic to very thick impasto and impressionistic.

   The book examines 23 different acrylic artists and shows some photos of each one making a painting in their unique style. I loved this book for the sheer number and quality of styles it displayed. The chapters ranged from discussions of the paints to the various mediums to airbrushing to abstract work.

   For inspiration and over-all examinations of how-to in painting in acrylic this is a good book. It does, however, have one major flaw. Just like the magazine it doesn't give detailed instructions on EXACTLY how to practice any of these techniques.

   For example, in my acrylic painting I am trying to learn how to blend. I know it is possible. I've seen plenty of other acrylic paintings that show excellent blending. I bought this book with the hope that it would show me how they got those blends. Nope. Blending only gets a page and a half in the entire book. You get statements such as "For blending colors, Kooluris Dobbs finds that her fingers work very well."

   Well Ok. So fingers work well - so show me a photo or two of her ACTUALLY blending like this. But the book never does. And it uses generalized statements like the one above for practically every other technique mentioned as well. So if you are looking for a book that gives actual detailed step-by-step instructions for a technique this book won't do it. In spite of this flaw the rest of the book was so good and so inspiring I gave it a 4 when otherwise I would've given it a 3 (seeing as I find the over-generalization in a book that purports to be about acrylic techniques as a fairly big shortcoming).

   I still think this book is worth getting despite the drawbacks. Everything else about it was high quality and the many beautiful paintings are inspiring in and of itself. If you paint with acrylics this is a good book to have on your reference shelf.




5. found this boook extremely helpful in learning the techniques of acrylic painting

4 comments about Patterns from the Golden Age of Rustic Design: Park and Recreation Structuires from the 1930's.

1. I thought this would be a book of instruction or patterns for creating rustic furniture. Not even close. It is a book about layouts and some architectural design for parks and campsites. I sold it to a man designing and building his own campground. He loved it.



2. As a professional designer and consultant to the resort development industry, I found this book very informative, with extensive photos and architectural illlustrations, plans and diagrams originating from the early 20th century. A valuable reference book for land planners, architects and developers looking to create "authentic" park and recreational structures for their communities, whether in the mountains or the prairie!
   
   Excellent Book.



3. This guide, originally printed in the 1930s, is an incredibly complete overview of the many structures created in state and national parks from across America. Every kind of structure, and I mean EVERY kind, is represented here with an amazing number of photographs and plans so that you can reproduce them on your own property.
   
   Whether you want to make a simple stone fire pit or a two-story timber-frame visitor's center, this is the book for you. Chapters include fences, signs, administration buildings, drinking fountains, comfort stations, fire lookout towers, trail steps, bridges, picnic shelters, fire pits, outdoor theaters, cabins, bath houses, and lots more. There's even chapters on furnishings and camp layouts.
   
   The book is written in the somewhat flowery tongue of the early 20-century style, but it's quite readable and in some cases truly amusing, especially when discussing the evils of vandalism. A particularly funny passage is found in the chapter about signs:
   
   "Barring an act of God, like a cyclone, or assault by that instrument of Satan, the initial carver, signs like these promise long life... In spite of all the evidence to the contrary, [the initial carver] is a physical, as well as mental, sluggard and is likely to think twice (we flatter him) before he will stand on his head or shinny up a post to accomplish his scandalous, vandalous ends. Twin to the jackknife pest is the souvenir hunter. Signs too appealingly picturesque and easy to get at and carry away fall prey to his pack rat instincts."



4. I always wondered how these incredibly beautiful wood and stone structures were built, everytime we went camping in some state or national park. Now I know!

   Where's my pick, hammer, axe, adze and saw? I can't wait to get started! This book has everything. I hope to be able to buy the rest of Albert H. Good's books on the subject. Fabulous.

No comments about Case: Le Corbusier's Venice Hospital and the Mat Building Revival (Case Series).

1 comments about Protoarchitecture: Analogue and Digital Hybrids (Architectural Design).

1. Writing from my perspective as an artist and professor, what is most engaging and encouraging is Mr. Sheil's advocacy for very inclusive, not exclusive, approaches toward design making processes. The architects, designers, and artists selected have significantly expanded the array of possibilities working between older and newer technologies. They represent much more fluid and integrative individual and collaborative creative approaches. Thus, due to an ever expanding number of similar minded practitioners and advocates for them, our environs are again becoming more socio-psychologically engaging. Our architectural and artistic realms are becoming "unboxed" with more contemporaneous and organic type definitions. And, as shown with Mr. Sheil's selections, these practitioners are not only impacting the urban context, but those from the sea shores to mountain tops.
   
   Thankfully, Mr. Sheil also incorporated advanced student work into his representation. As a Professor Emeritus at Arizona State University, it is my conviction that students are also very responsible for creating institutional, educational, and cultural advances.
   
   Kudos to Architectural Design for selecting Mr. Sheil as a guest editor for a second time! As is historically the case, AD has made for another excellent and provocative reading.