4 comments about The Owner-Built Adobe House.

1. This book tries to cover every aspect of building a house instead of focusing on the details that are particular to building with adobe. I would have prefered the author refer me to other books and reference material for surveying, electrical, plumbing, etc. It is impossible for anyone to do a thorough coverage of all aspects of building so why try.



2. Great book. It has excellent drawings and photographs. It is a good basic manual for adobe building.



3. good book for the beginner, but very little in the book for those in need of advanced adobe info.



4. If you are going to build you own adobe home, this is a great book for the first time adobe builder.

   Had details on all aspects of the house. From electrical to pouring bricks to septic. Details as in the formula for a perk test, and footing sizes for load weights.

   I have a lot of adobe books, this is second "good" one I have seen.

   Very good.

5 comments about Basilica: The Splendor and the Scandal: Building St. Peter's.

1. As long as you don't approach the book expecting a definitive summary of 150 years of church history, it's an entertaining and fascinating read. I enjoyed the personal portraits of the characters in the book. It's the first book I read in Kindle, and I suspect I might have enjoyed the printed diagrams of the basilica more than the digital version, which I found difficult to read and impossible to enlarge.



2. This book was more than I had hoped for, and it made a very easy read. I couldn't put it down and hated for it to end. I will buy more books from this author.



3. I am disappointed in this book. The author's scattershot presentation of a subject that should be fascinating leaves this reader longing for either a scholarly approach or a personal one. This book tries to mix the two.



4. This book might better be termed an "epic" as opposed to a mere history, since it is a kind of saga in architecture that is as action packed as any in the history of art. First of all there is the cast of characters: Pope Julius II, Michaelangelo, Agostino Chigi (banker to the pope) Raphael, Bramante, Leo X, Paul III, Sixtus V, Paul V, Urban VIII, and finally Bernini. Any tale that packs in these powerful personalities is bound to frought with conflict and conflict there is. What is perhaps the most interesting thing about this book is just how the idea of what St Peters would become changed over time depending upon a variety of factors, mainly human ones. Scotti is not able to show us just the splender and scandal, but the changes in design that caused St Peter's to be one of the most expensive buildings ever to construct.
   
   The expense associated with the building was met by the sale of indulgences which as most people know led to the Protestant Reformation. It is rare that a building can change history before it is even built, but it happened and Scotti lays it all out for the reader in a very becoming manner.
   
   While this book does not shed any new light on the building of St Peters and many of the events have been recounted elsewhere, I do not think that the entire story has ever been presented in a more entertaining manner. Scotti knows how to tell a story and tell it well. If you are planning a trip to Rome or have been to Rome, this book will be an eye-opener.



5. This is a chatty, informative and thoroughly researched book about the construction of St. Peter's Basilica. It gives a wonderful insight into the lives of the popes, the artists and the architects of the largest church in the world. I learned a lot and it was a great read.

1 comments about The Production of Houses (Center for Environmental Structure Series).

1. If, after reading Christopher Alexander's earlier books, you were wondering if he ever actually built a house in the real world, here's your answer. Yes, he did. Yes, the people owning the houses love the results. Yes, they feel the special connection with their homes that is the hallmark of Alexander's ideas. No, the powers that be, who agreed to temporarily suspend building codes for his project, were not happy with the results. Why? Because they look funny, and because he built five homes instead of five hundred. Well, if they'd read his other books, they would not have been surprised. Our intrepid hero is quite unsparing of himself - you can see his delight as his ideas work, and his horror when they don't.

   I believe that Christopher Alexander is dead on in saying that the system he created is a better way to build homes, indeed a far superior way to do so. However, I can't say the official reaction to this project is encouraging. After the first five homes were built, the bureaucrats came in, stopped the project and sent our intrepid hero packing. You can tell from the ending of the book that this reaction spooked Alexander, and I can't blame him. A revolutionary system of construction, he says, antagonizes pretty much everyone. But it will triumph, he proclaims!

   It looks like it didn't, but I see increasing awareness of his ideas in more recent architectural books, so hopefully all is not lost. Despite the ultimate outcome, this is a brilliant book from an inspired thinker. You probably want to start with The Timeless Way of Building and A Pattern Language before tackling this one, but if you liked his earlier works, this is an excellent, real-world counterpoint.

No comments about Black & Decker Building Porches & Patios (Black & Decker).

No comments about Industrial Design: Materials and Manufacturing Guide.

No comments about Casa de campo: En Colombia.

5 comments about Outhouses by Famous Architects.

1. I found this book both fun and informative. The drawings are excellent and the text really taught me a lot about famous architects. I can highly recommend Steve Schaecher's book.



2. I first found out about this book when he was appeared in a benefit show for my schools fine arts program, since he graduated from it. He gave excerpts from the book and I bought it at intermission. The book is hillarious and offers a unique view into what would happen if famous architects designed outhouses. Each picture is accompanied by a historical and analytical text. This book is a great collection to add to your bathroom reading material.



3. This author and cartoonist is the greatest hidden treasure in the publishing industry. I'm not sure if this guy has made a fortune yet, but if not, somebody better grab him up quick...He's the next Gary Larson, Matt Groenig, Mike Judge! Some of the funniest writing combined with unique hand drawings I've ever seen~ Buy several copies and give to friends. I did.



4. Outhouses by Famous Architects clearly is a fine mixture of cerebral humor. Mr. Schaecher has definitely given someone in the bathroom some new things to ponder. While I agree that I will have plenty of time to view his impressive drawings, I sometimes wonder how many others have considered exactly how their outhouse flows. On a serious note, this is definitely a must buy for someone who has a sense of humor or needs decoration for their outhouse/bathroom.



5. This is a terrific, very funny look at the unseen side of many of the world's greatest architects. (I'm sure that most of them forgot about their secondary, no. 2 efforts.) Mr. Schaecher's wit and understanding of both architecture and basic bodily functions are clearly evident. This book may not quite be suited for the coffee table, but it surely will make a splash in the powder room.

1 comments about Circle Houses: Yurts, Tipis and Benders (House That Jack Built).

1. I thought the book gave an excellent description of yurts and tipis from a historical perspective and present day use. Its gives case studies/examples of people who current live in these types of unique dwellings. We added a couple of yurts to our North Georgia bed and breakfast inn. We have witnessed some of the feelings first hand that our guests have had that were also mentioned in the book by yurt dwellers.

4 comments about The Cape Cod Cottage.

1. living ih holland, this kind of design was completely unknown to myself,very adequate for expanding. i was hoping to see more floorplans. george from holland.



2. The author returns to his origins, geographically and aesthetically; he knows the hype about "the new" and "the old," he's neither cynical nor sentimental. Just the facts and the photos: the worn stepping stone at the door, the picket fence like the hem of a dress, the decorative pane reserved for the entrance door, the low doorways, wood that resembles trees. A threatened species, these cottages, remnants of a modest past, pre-vulgar. This plain beauty, seized by these gentle photos--like catching a butterfly without rubbing the dust off its wings.



3. The text in this book (called simply "Essay" by Professor Morgan) is only ten pages! The photographs, half archival and half taken by the author, are exquisite in their simplicity, though I craved a little more information than just location and date. (I wanted to know why Professor Morgan chose to include a particular house or show a particular detail: was it typical? atypical? a good example of what can be done with a Cape Cod cottage to improve it? an example of how the ideal has been corrupted?). While the Essay is clearly an appreciation of the Cape Cod cottage (with an occassional delicious dig on the current popularity of mega-mansions and hard-to-heat great halls), Morgan doesn't oversell us on the Cape's merits. There is enough discussion of history, philosophy (including references to Zen Buddhism), and social influences to be provocative, but not so much as to be cloying, "soap-boxy," or patronizing. And he does provide a bibliography for anyone who wants to explore this topic more deeply. This book will appeal to people with a general interest in architecture or the concept of "home," and to people who grew up in a Cape Cod style house or who own one (and might be thinking of expanding or altering it in some way). The photographs reward repeated viewing.



4. This is an amazing study, highly recommended. A North American will quickly recognize the houses of his/her childhood in this study. By discussing the influence of the Cape Cod Cottege in North American architecture, Professor Morgan covers allot of ground - within the US and to to some extent within the psyche of the nomadic American. One sees in this history (as written and photographed) evidence of an innate American desire for community togetherness and for the cozy, simple, independent lifestyle of the 'American Dream'. This book is as much about the 'Cape Cod Cottege' as it is about the independent lifestyle that has been part of the typically enthusiastic, positivistic, and pragmatic American outlook. Many readers will associate these buildings with their grandparents' homes, with childhood, with their roots - wherever they have lived in the US.

No comments about A Better Way to Zone: Ten Principles to Create More Livable Cities.