2 comments about The World War II Memorial: A Grateful Nation Remembers.

1. This is a wonderfully realized book on a memorial that is a wonderful tribute to the greatest generation of behalf on a grateful nation. I appreciated the history lesson on American's envolvement in World War II, and the images of the memorial itself are well conceived. The memorial, though colossel, is somehow intimate and fitting, and is full of symbolism. I only wish my grandfather had seen it, but alas he died before it was completed. The nation owes Bob Dole a huge thanks for getting this long deserved memeorial built, thank you Senater Dole, you make me very proud.



2. THANK YOU for ALL you have given us...Freedom, peace of mind, dedication to our country!
   This book is a Beautiful tribute to our Heros! This memorial is a LONG TIME COMING, but it is Finally here!
   I Pray ALL vets get a chance to visit this memorial!
   Thank you, again!

3 comments about Building Fences of Wood, Stone, Metal, and Plants.

1. This is a general primer on building all types of fences and on growing hedges. The section on stone and masonry is particularly thorough. Great illustrations by Liz Buell, straightforward text and detailed photographs of works in progress make this a good resource for both novice and experienced builders.



2. A dull looking book with no color photos, it is nicely written but makes assumptions about what the reader knows. So unfortunatley for me there is a lot of missing information. Ok if you have 10 fence books in your library, but not a primary source for designing and building your first fence.



3. I found the book to be alright in terms of it teaching the fundamentals of how to construct different types of fences, but in reality, some of the types of fences discussed are not all that practical (i.e., stone and brick fences).

   If you are merely looking for numerous ideas for one style of fence (i.e., picket fence), you are better off looking elsewhere.

5 comments about The Arts & Crafts Cabin.

1. Beautiful pictures of a variety of houses that offer ideas for decorating for log cabins. It helps to allow thinking outside of the box. It shows that the feel of a log cabin does not just have to be the typical rustic decor.



2. I purchased The Arts & Crafts Cabin for my wife for Christmas, as we are building a new home this year. The book is chock-full of beautiful photographs by Roger Wade, who is the preeminent "log cabin" photographer, whose work graces most of the timber-frame and log-cabin oriented publications. The text is well-written but not particularly memorable. You buy this book because it looks lovely, and it is a favorite flipper on our coffee-table this summer.
   
   There are a great many more interior images than exterior elevations -- a minor disappointment because we were at least as interested in gleening good ideas for exterior design. This book has many more yellow stickies marking pages than any other in our collection, so that tells you something.



3. Great photos and alot of great info ; I don't want to blow my own horn , but, toot, toot!!!!
   I have two of my stained glass creations in this publication. I was very surprized my work was included in this great book. Thanks to all involved .
   David Fjeld . Big Sky Stained Glass Art Inc.



4. This is an incredible book! This book reminded me of my trip to the Canadian Rockies - but not because of the architecture. There, every time I drove around a curve, the scenery was more beautiful than before. The same is true about this book. Every time I turned the page, the photos were more inspiring. And it wasn't just the photos. The book itself captured the spirit of the Arts & Crafts style. The quality of the photos, the layout of the pages, the selection of fonts, even the binding of the book showed craftsman-level attention to detail.
   
   The book begins with the history and concepts of the Arts & Crafts movement and then shows and discusses new interpretations of the philosophy. The next section discusses ideas for incorporating key elements of the style such as sheltered porches, built-ins, and much more.
   
   Note that this book does differ from some of Robbin Obomsawin's other books. Most notably, she does not fully explore a single house in each chapter. You will not find floor plans of the houses discussed - something I missed but that didn't fit this layout. Also, remember this book is titled The Arts & Crafts CABIN. That does not necessarily mean log cabin. There are several examples of log homes but with a stronger focus on log-element homes with more of a timber-frame feel. But many of the ideas can work in a pure log home - at least we hope to incorporate many of them in our log home.



5. Being familiar with some of Robbin Obomsawin's other books, I bought this book expecting detailed house plans and handcrafted log architecture. After all, it's called "The Arts and Crafts ***Cabin***," right? And the picture on the front of that beautiful stained-glass door shows logs, doesn't it?
   
   Well, this book is beautiful. You'll drool over the pictures. but a planbook it's not. And a log-building book it's not. And none of the residences here would qualify as a "cabin," most are opulent estates. There's nary a plan in the entire book. And almost none of the houses shown are built with logs as a primary element. Most are timberframes; many pictures show no log elements at all!
   
   If you want to learn a bit about Arts and Crafts architecture or decorating, you may find some ideas here. But if you are designing a floorplan for a handcrafted log home and want it to have an Arts and Crafts feel, unfortunately, this isn't the right book.

2 comments about Resort Development Handbook (Community Builders Handbook Series).

1. After a very shallow description of the types of resorts, and a plea for developers to be more sensitive to the natural environment, the book glosses over the huge planning phase and goes into how to turn a profit once the doors are open. All of the steps in between are dismissed with the understanding that you'll hire various teams of professionals to handle them. But THAT's what I wanted to know!



2. Please display at least the contents of this book so that it is easier for me to comment or make a decision to purchase!

No comments about Preservation of Modern Architecture.

1 comments about New Hotels 3 (New Hotels).

1. All of us are familiar with the basic concept of the hotel, it's a collection of bedrooms for short term rental. And since the basic product is the same in all hotels, and the basic costs are about the same, what can you do to distinguish your property from the others in the next block, around the corner or across town.
   
   One answer is design. And this book is a collection of photographs of hotel designs that are the ultimate in design. They are selected from new properties all around the globe but with the criteria in mind that they reflect the work of the best designers around, some well known, some newcommers. They all reflect what is best in current design which blends the tried and traditional with the new and local cultural input.
   
   Often books such as these tend to reflect only the newest construction and giant properties. This one does not. There is one 'cafe with rooms' in Cape Town -- only 8 rooms. There are new buildings, but also buildings from the past that retain their outside appearance to fit into their community but which have been made luxurious inside.
   
   A splendid selection of hotels, well photographed and beautifully printed.

3 comments about Bungalow Plans.

1. Enjoyed this book very much. There were plans of the houses with pictures and explanation of features. There were pictures also of the interiors which were lovely. I loved this book. Excellent!



2. I am studying plans for a new craftsman neighborhood that I am building in. This book is not very helpful. It has a few pictures that may help with some exterior design choices but that is all. There are only about 20 plans in this book and none are very good. The plans have no dimensions on them. There is no way to tell what the width or depth is. We have some tight lots so all the houses have to be less than 40' wide. Save your money and buy Craftsman Style.



3. Profusely illustrated with simple yet methodical diagrams and gorgeous color photography, Bungalow Plans by bungalow development experts Christian and Christen Gladu (owners of the Bungalow Company, Bend, Oregon) is an impressive collection of twenty-five bungalow plans from top-class designers. Bungalow Plans is an enthusiastically recommended, beautifully presented showcase of practical, efficient, and "people friendly" homes in this distinctive architectural style.

4 comments about Extreme Simplicity: Homesteading in the City.

1. Extreme Simplicity is a look inside the life of Christopher and Deolores Nyerges as they practice simple, sustainable living in urban California.
   
   While not a true "How to" manual, this book is thought provoking and encourages the reader to seek out additional information. The real strength of this book is the quiet yet compelling way the authors strive to value their environment, and live within it. They demonstrate a real respect for their surroundings.
   
   This book is also full of a variety of suggestions to maximize ways a city dweller can live sustainably. Without preaching "do this", but rather through the conversation of the book, the authors discuss ways they maximize their food growing and gathering through the use of open spaces, woods, community garden spaces and the like. They present a full picture of how they provide for themselves by growing their own, gathering food stuffs that others overlook, and taking advantage of space outside their own yard to provide for their needs.
   
   If you are looking for a step by step manual for homsteading in he city, this book is not for you. If you enjoy reading about others who live the lifestyle, and are looking to get ideas from people walking the talk, however, then Extreme Simplicity is a rich edition to your home library.



2. This is a timeless and well written book for anyone interested in the idea of living as self sufficient as one can within an urban or suburban area, especially in California.
   
   The authors writing style is a combination of journal and how to genre. From fruits, vegetables, flowers, small livestock, water and unexpected issues like how to protect what you have the authors lay out a cornucopia of facts and think ahead ideas that will help anyone interested in urban homesteading.
   
   Loved reading how they started with a fixer upper home and made it into a home to be proud of and how they took a totally neglected yard and made it into an Eden to be proud of as well as an inspiration to the rest of the neighborhood.
   
   Also nice to read how their efforts also saved open space around them that was a dumping ground for junk but became a safe haven for wild birds etc.



3. First of all, it's nice to see a book that deals with urban/suburban (rather than rural) homesteading! Some of what the authors suggest is not terribly practical in my region, such as going without air conditioning in the summer (Michigan's humidity can be pretty unbearable), but there are plenty of good suggestions that can be adapted for any climate.



4. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but beware; it's not really a how-to manual. It's the personal and very specific homesteading experiences of the authors. There is some good how-to information but it is not covered in any depth; there are whole books dedicated to topics that "Extreme Simplicity" covers in a page or two. This is the book for you if you are looking for an extensive overview, personal anecdotes and ideas to get you started in your homesteading lifestyle.
   I only gave it 4 stars because I felt the title was a bit misleading. I purchased the book based on the subtitle "Homesteading in the City". What they really mean is "Homesteading in the Suburbs of a Major City Where You Have a Bit of Land and Own Your Own Home". I was hoping to be able to recommend this book to my apartment bound friends in NYC but if you don't have even a bit of land or you are in a rental, this book won't help much. Still, it's a good read if you are interested in the topic. Kudos to the authors for what they are doing.

3 comments about Residential Steel Framing Handbook.

1. This book covers the entire gamut of steel framing in one convenient source. It covers the entire residential structure from the first plan through the wall framing to the roof. It has plety of diagrams and photos to enhance the points it attempts to make. The chapters are thorough, but not unnecessarily long. The author has that unique ability to describe the instruction he wants to impart but at the same time the keeps on track. It helps if the reader has an engineering background, but anyone familiar with the process should have little trouble following the step by step instructions.
   
   This book won't find its way to a best seller list, but that is not the point of the book. It has important information for those involved in steel construction framing and that audience should benefit greatly from having this book available as a reference.



2. I am familiar with commercial metal framing and drywall. I know nothing about residential metal framing. This book helped answer alot of questions I had. I still have not framed a house in metal but if and when I do, I know this book will have made alot of the techniques and materials easier for me to understand and work with.



3. As a Civil Engineer, having to deal with both horizontal and vertical construction, and having to build residential, industrial and commercial buildings, both in Hurricane zones (Dade County, Miami, Florida) and in earth movement areas (Los Angeles Force 4/Richter Scale 9) in California & now in Istanbul, Turkey, this handbook has been particularly usefull when describing Light Gauge Steel Framing to Engineers which are having to cope with the subject for the first time. Would like to know when a new Edition of this Handbook with updated data will be published?

   Our deep appreciation to Mr. Robert Scharff and the editors of Walls & Ceilings Magazine.

   Sincerely,

   Alexandre Byron-Exarcos President & CEO United States Steel Framing Corp.

3 comments about At Home in Maine.

1. Beautiful houses and a lot of different styles of houses. A great gift for anyone who has lived in Maine, visited Maine or just loves good architecture.



2. This wonderful book by Christopher Glass and Brian Vanden Brink will simply take your breath away. I keep it by by bedside and turn to it on those lonely nights when I long for summer vacations in Maine. Brian Vanden Brink's photographs are crisp and amazing and are truly an inspiration to all novice photographers out there! Fans of Vanden Brink can see more of his amazing work at www.brianvandenbrink.com.



3. At Home in Maine: Houses Designed to Fit the Land is a showcase of Maine architecture especially designed to be aesthetically pleasing and fully integrated into the environment. Stunning full-color photographs reveal dwellings inside and out with a richness of texture and a smoothly harmonous design. The text by an architect with decades of experience offers insight into the subtle nuances of each house, noting its distinguishing features with a practiced eye in an easygoing, conversational manner that will appeal to lay readers and experts alike. A truly eye-pleasing book to page through, and a valuable resource for architectural design ideas.