No comments about Architectural Details: Spain And the Mediterannean.

1 comments about The Pantheon: Design, Meaning, and Progeny.

1. William L. MacDonald presents an unpretentious and sound survey of Rome's most famous yet least understood architectural icon. For those with a keen but novitiate interest in the Pantheon, or casual readers of Roman history, this book is ideal; it's not overwhelmingly fact-laden and it's as assimilable as an afternoon snack. For those interested in the engineering, logistics and constitution of the Pantheon I would suggest some of the recent work by the Engineer David Moore. Historically MacDonald's ideas are consistent with previous analyses and include an interesting metaphysical supposition for the Pantheon's ambitious dimensions ("to unify unities...is the Pantheons ultimate meaning" - pg. 88). The final chapter offers an insightful survey of similar designs from ancient Mycenae to Neoclassical American, showing how influencing, and influenced, Hadrian's rebuilt Pantheon was as a western idiom and architectural paragon.
   
   All-in-all I enjoyed reading this book and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it!

1 comments about Ceramic Tile: Step-by-Step Projects (Smart Guide).

1. 
   I did not see a review on this book on Amazon, so I bought it used through one of the other Amazon retailers. I am so glad I did not spend much money on this book.
   
   I was very disappointed in this book. The book was almost entirely illustrations. The only pictures in this book were on the first page of each chapter and even that was a letdown. In chapter 3, there a photographs of three floor designs, one with a set-in square. Nowhere in the chapter did they tell you how to make that design, just generally info on laying out the design you want.
   
   I gave it 2 stars for the information, but feel it would have been a really good book with actual pictures of the steps. In these types of projects, pictures are much better than diagrams for me. For a great guide on laying tile that INCLUDES photos, I recommend Working with Tile by Tom and Lane Meehan. It is a Taunton's "Build Like a Pro" series.

3 comments about Japanese Castles in Korea 1592-98 (Fortress).

1. Stephen Turnbull's Japanese Castles in Korea is definitely one of these weird unknown subject matter that is worthy of Osprey's Fortress Series. In this short book, Turnbull managed to give a pretty good summary account of history of Japanese castles that were built during Hideyoshi's Korean invasion between the years 1592 to 1598. The book explained how these castles were built initially to support the invasion, support the supply lines, to control and policed the area around it and finally to support the withdrawal of Japanese troops from Korea after Hideyoshi's death.
   
   Stephen Turnbull managed to do all this in this short book with clarity and understanding that don't bogged the reader down. Turnbull also stated that Japanese castle designs at that time proves to be quite capable of withstanding the might of the Ming armies from China. From what I understand, lack of artillery consideration appears to be the major weakness of the Japanese military when defending their castles. Still, three major sieges of Japanese castles in Korea all ended with Japanese victories. And according to the author, the Japanese forces also adapted Korean cannons to their defensive lines as well.
   
   Interestingly, the author also spent few paragraphs describing how these castles were built and the hardships of the impressed Japanese peasants and Korean workers forced to worked on these fortresses. Brief outline of the war in Korea was given but the readers would have to wait for the Turnbull's Campaign series (Samurai Invasion of Korea 1592-1598) book coming out in July 2008 on the subject to get greater details or read a book already published by him on the subject (Samurai Invasion) that came out in 2004.
   
   Like all Osprey books, this book come well illustrated with very useful drawings and illustrations of these Japanese castles and their designs. Turnbull also inserted many black and white photos of the remains of these Japanese castles, mostly only their stone base remains while using castle parts from Japan to illustrated what they could have look like in Korea as well.
   
   Overall, this book covers a subject that is beyond the common knowledge of most people in the English speaking world and despite of the shortness of the book, I found this book to be utterly interesting in terms of information given.



2. Stephen Turnbull's JAPANESE CASTLES IN KOREA 1592-98 is a pick not just for military libraries but for any specializing in early Asian history. The focus on Japanese-built castles and Korean fortifications follows the design and use of key fortresses and joins the publishers' 'Fortress' history series.



3. I travel for a living and love these books. Easy packing, entertaining airport reads and educational. I have purchased many and will continue to do so.

1 comments about Gwathmey Siegel: Apartments.

1. I must preface this review by saying I am biased. It was my great fortune to be the co-designer of the building featured on the cover of this tome.
   It was a unique experience to collaborate with the talented architects at Gwathmey Siegel. Their inventiveness, boldness, and underlying respect for timeless qualities of design justifies the breadth of their commissions.
   The inclusion of plans, lovely photography and a brief but critical narrative makes this an excellent book for both architects and laypeople.

4 comments about Complete Deck Book (Complete Book).

1. I borrowed this book from a co-worker and have read it with great interest. I'm here to purchase it because the information is so clear and appropriate. Tips for making a deck last and how to repair and maintain a deck. This book will help you make it right the first time. Every home owner should have this in their library!



2. After finding that deck builders are getting $25-$35 per sq ft in MI I decided to design my own deck. If you only care about a square or rectangular deck then this book is pretty good. "The Complete Guide to Decks" from Black & Decker (available at Amazon.com also) covers the basics plus gives detailed information on including angles, circular portions, steep slope construction and multi-level construction.



3. I work for a lumber dealer and one of our areas of expertise is decks and deck estimates. When customers ask for a book or something to help them through the project I always suggest "The Complete Deck Book". I have reviewed many books for my company and this was the only one that stood out.

   If you are planning a deck project, this is a must have.




4. I built my deck almost entirely from this book. It's especially good at the structural engineering detail. Some other books try to steer you away from doing your own design. A nice photo selection, but no plans for any of the fancy extras.

4 comments about Some Place Like Home: Using Design Psychology to Create Ideal Places.

1. "Some Place Like Home" is a groundbreaking book for the field of Design Psychology. As an Interior Design student I realize that my study is constantly subordinate to the field of Environmental Psychology and the two are interrelated. Dr. Israel is a pioneer of this field and I would recommend her work to anyone wanting to further their understanding of this discipline. She is dead on when she states, " The idea of environmental autobiography has been around for a long time, so has environmental psychology. Unfortunately these ideas have not been effectively communicated to the public at large, or to architects. Perhaps this book will help convince people that there is a powerful connection between past, present and future sense of home and place and that this connection can be explored through...Design Psychology."



2. A great book, very easy reading but also very inspirational in the sense that you are handed very usable tools for communication with (potential) clients. A logical thaught-process which needed to be put to paper: how to create a design which is not only great, but also gives te person who has to live there a sense of home!



3. I'm rarely uncertain about my reviews but I am with this one. I've gone through Toby's recommended process of discovery and I think it is partially valid but either incomplete or on the wrong track. Her questionnaires and analysis of past experiences with "home" are the basis of her theory and book.
   
   From Martin Seligman's Authentic Happiness "It is difficult to find even small effects of childhood events on adult personality, and there is no evidence at all of large effects." (I happen to be reading this article with this quote, I haven't read the book yet: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2099-1793873_1,00.html.)
   
   I just don't see a childhood environment influence in my design preferences. I suspect that we are influenced much more by what we are exposed to that we remember. If a child sees a dome in a house and happens to remember 30 years later that a dome can be used in a house design then that designer is more likely to use a dome. My understanding of Toby's theory is that the designer would use a dome feature if they had a happy environment with a dome in the home in their previous experience. I see this as more coincidental than part of the psychological make-up of the designer.
   
   I grew up in an old California mining town and my parent's house had bats in the attic. The bats were amusing but I don't recall the urge to design my homes with accomodations for bats.
   
   An Amazon review is no place to get into a full academic discussion but I believe I've seen enough decent research that works against her theory and that my personal experience combined with her approach does not work at all. It would take a book to refute her theory properly but at least don't accept it without question.
   
   What value has this book, theory, and process to architectural and interior design? I found that the insight into the thinking and histories of the three superb architects she interviews was worth my time and money. Also, her process should work at least some of the time, and possibly more often than not. It can't hurt to know the client better and her technique is not burdensome.
   
   I recommend reading the book if you are doing design and want another theoretical reference point.
   
   - jim



4. This book is wonderfully written and easily understood by those directly and indirectly involved with interior design and architecture. The author, Toby Israel, leads you through her pioneering ideas behind design psychology with an interesting format that includes narration, interviews and exercises. You'll discover how your own past history of place - where you grew up, the type of home you lived in and even where you went to school - can affect choices you make regarding dwellings and workplaces now and in your future.
   The exercises throughout the book help readers uncover influences from their past and can help them create successful environments for themselves or for clients. This book is a must have for anyone seeking to create satisfying designs with tools we inherently possess but too often ignore.

5 comments about The Baltimore Rowhouse.

1. only wished it had more photos... great research for design ideas and historical renovation... chock full of information.



2. It's true, those from cities with rowhouses will find this book most interesting, but so will all interested in the history and geography of urban development and how land development, new building technologies, and individuals' working and family lives are interwoven with this development. By referring back to a single family and its trajectory within the city throughout the book, the author makes some of these larger-scale trends much more personal, and by following the paths of a few major developers within the city, you get a sense both of how the city and its hot neighborhoods shift over time, and of how literally a very small group of people can shape the physical space in which thousands live and work. Students of rowhouses or of Baltimore will be better able to see the continuities and the changes in rowhouses-- such as how the technology to make larger panes of glass changed the front facade, and how a simple setback from the sidewalk of 10 feet or so alters the feel of the buildings and the neighborhood by adding a little green. Formstone is also explained (to the extent that's possible...). Specialized, yes, but exceptionally well crafted. Architectural, urban, and social history and their intermingled best.



3. I enjoyed the pictures of these houses, and thought the book was especially well written. It's impossible to separate the evolution of these houses from the changes in the city itself, so some history is inevitable; there is also a great amount of detail involving the lives of the owners and developers. If you are not overwhelmed by all this, you will uncover some interesting bits: the ads for Formstone, the fact that basements were hand-dug by a crew of nine in two days, the tales of the "night soil" removers. Really concentrates on the local history, though, so it may not of interest to others.



4. The rowhouse is far more common in Baltimore than other US cities, and these authors have documented its history and development up to the present day. Every nuance of design change is thoroughly discussed, and the amount of detail allows a street-by-street discussion at times. We're told about the various developers who, parcel by parcel, converted old elite estates into street grids covered with rowhouses of varying quality. The book ends as an advertisement for new urbanism, in which dilapidated old rowhouses are renovated and run-down neighborhoods undergo renewal.

   The quality of writing is particularly high. There are approximately 140 b&w photos, which for the most part are grouped together so they can be printed on high-gloss paper. This is an awkward arrangement that requires the reader to flip back and forth to the glossy photo pages. There are approximately ten cross-sections and floor plans. There are very few maps, and a detailed knowledge of Baltimore geography is assumed. Because of the highly specialized nature of this book, it is unlikely to appeal to anyone outside Baltimore, but it would probably be a delight to architectural enthusiasts within the city.




5. ...and the time to read 'The Baltimore Rowhouse' is now! I'm telling you'se- this book has it all. ; )

   You not only get the expected descriptions of the architectural styles of rowhouses, and a historical review of the development of this style of housing, but the author weaves in the chronological social climb of an immigrant family throughout the book. Following the family's real estate history gives the book a story-like, biographical feel; unusual for non-fiction of this nature. It is in a sense, a well documented account of one way the "American Dream" has been realized.

   From a social/cultural perspective, the 'Baltimore Rowhouse' is a social commentary on Baltimorean (and American) housing development past, present and future from visionary authors who love the City of Baltimore.

   I received the book as a Christmas gift and read it in about 3 days. I couldn't put it down and was a little saddened that it had to end. I say this rarely- IT IS A MUST READ.

No comments about Beach Houses.

5 comments about Art and Architecture in Medieval France: Medieval Architecture, Sculpture, Stained Glass, Manuscripts, the Art of the Church Treasuries (Icon Editions).

1. Stoddard's text, culled mainly from early to mid-20th century monographs, is a highly readable and well-illustrated account of some of the major Gothic edifices of France but it should be treated with caution. Most of the scholarship is hopelessly out of date (and much of it already was when he wrote it) and he is too uncritical of the grand theorising of Simson & Panofsky et al. If it is to be used, it should be read in conjunction with Paul Crossley's footnotes to Frankl. I teach French Gothic architecture at undergraduate level and I always advise my students to steer clear of Stoddard. Suitable for a keen amateur but not for art history majors.



2. Stoddard's book, written in the very early 1970's, remains a highly informative and generally comprehensive introduction to French Gothic architecture. In spite of its age, it can be easily recommended to any person with a more than passing interest in the subject due to its extensive detail and coverage. At nearly 400 pages in relatively small print, this book may take some time and effort to complete, but it is simply one of the best single-volume treatments of the topic in print today. As implied by the title, the book does not focus solely on architectural forms, but also includes extensive descriptions of the art forms (sculptures, stained glass, manuscripts, and other church art forms), and so each historical section finds individual treatment of cathedral and church designs throughout the gothic period as well as the art forms that adorned these structures. The book is thoroughly illustrated with over 400 black-and-white photos and drawings.
   
   The book is divided into periods by chronological order: Romanesque France, Early Gothic of the 12th Century, High Gothic of the Early 13th Century, From Rayonnant to Flamboyant, and a final section on The Treasuries of Monasteries and Cathedrals. Each section starts with a historical background piece and a map listing the primary sites to be discussed before the main content of the text is presented, giving a good foundation to place that content into the proper historical and geographical context. Once establishing the forms (and shortcomings) of Romanesque architectural design, we are chronologically introduced to the aims and goals of the emerging Gothic style, and this lofty style begins to make sense to us, not only as a stylistic form, but a series of specific reactions to "deficiencies" in the Romanesque form. In fact, one of the strengths of Stoddard's approach is that the reader moves through this entire period in relatively strict chronological form, and it is not all that difficult of a task to visualize the chronology of the specific Gothic construction projects as they are undertaken across the Ile-de-France from the 12th through the 13th centuries. Supplemental drawings highlight specific architectural designs, and numerous floor plans help the reader visualize the similarities and differences between specific buildings.
   
   Art and Architecture in Medieval France is not only highly detailed, it is immensely enjoyable to read. If there are any shortcomings in the book at all, it is that the text is somewhat small, and one finds that "reach" to the reading glasses occurring on a regular basis. It would also have been nice to find this text with color photos on glossy paper. But to be honest, such a change would significantly increase the price of the volume, and the true value in this text lies not in the photos (which are good enough to visualize the discussion) but in Stoddard's research and written presentation, which is solid, informative, and often thought-provoking. If you are looking for a single-volume introduction to Gothic art and architecture, and have more than a passing interest in doing so, this book remains one of the best choices you could make to do so. Supplement it with any of the lavishly illustrated full-color photo coffee table books to get a better sense of the visual format of these buildings and art forms, and better yet, use it as research for making your own visits to the Gothic cathedrals of northern and central France.



3. I've now slogged through four books on Middle Age church architecture and this one is by far the best. The book is written clearly and not unnecessarily burdened with "professor-speak." At the same time, it provided more information, and more interesting information, than the other three books combined.

   A couple of cautions: the book focuses on Gothic architecture; Romanesque architecture is discussed more as an introduction to Gothic architecture. And it doesn't have a glossary, which is a downside for readers not familiar with architectural terms.




4. I have used _Monastery and Cathedral_ as a teaching text and as a guidebook. It's worth lugging through France, even by train: photos are b/w but well chosen & informative, and follow the text well. Stoddard gives good contextual background and is clear in his description and explication of the most important medieval churches in France. Could do more with sculpture and symbolism: the main focus is architecture. But his section on treasures, manuscripts & stained glass is a good start. I'm about to use it as a text for an on-site summer course: it's a tried and true old friend.



5. Professor Stoddard's opus Art and Architecture in Medieval France : Medieval Architecture, Sculpture, Stained Glass, Manuscripts, the Art of the Church Treasuries is still a viable and valuable work to study for any student of the Gothic era. The information provided allowed me to understand the cathedrals of France clearly and was an indispensible aid when I was lucky enough to visit several of the cathedrals addressed. While not a "light" read, Dr. Stoddard is the standard for the era. I envy any student of his, those lucky gargoyles!!!