5 comments about Angkor: Cambodia's Wondrous Khmer Temples, Fifth Edition (Odyssey Illustrated Guide).

1. One of the best guides that I have read. Very good background, history, religion,and description of the sites. In short, a great book.



2. This book is an absolute necessity for visiting Angkor, at least if one has an interest in archaeology. In fact, knowing what I know now, I would have skipped hiring a guide and just rented a bicycle with this book as my guide. It is comprehensive, well-illustrated (although the illustrations are not always tied to the adjacent text--my most serious complaint about the book), and has the right balance between academic and popular interest. It is well-worth the extra weight involved in taking it along to Asia (I wish they had used cheaper paper and binding to make it lighter, but then the pictures wouldn't have been so inviting). Maps and organization make it easy to use, although the index sometimes is off by a page or two--perhaps they didn't update it all from the 4th ed. At any rate, it is far superior to all other guides I found on the subject.



3. So many books available on Angkor ... and I bought Dawn Rooney's! I am just delighted with my choice. The photos and the scope of material covered in the book are so comprehensive. Would really love to spend days and days seeing it all! Maybe some day ....



4. ANGKOR, Cambodia's Wondrous Khmer Temples is not only a very practical guide for visiting the Khmer monuments at the Angkor archaeological park but also for visiting the Khmer monuments in Phnom Penh. Furthermore this guidebook includes the most important remote temples (Banteay Chhmar, Koh Ker, Preah Vihaer, Beng Mealea).
   
   Apart from a clear description of each temple it also gives a description from their location and from the access.
   
   Important to mention also is the fact it gives a short but clear insight in the old epics (Mahabharata, Ramayana etc.) and legends and this book includes a list of the most forthcoming gods, deities and divinities which makes its easier to understand the bas-reliefs of the Khmer art and architecture.
   
   The book also includes general and practical tourist information as well as for Siem Reap as for Phnom Penh.
   
   Together with the book from Michael Freeman and Claude Jacques "Ancient Angkor" and the book from Jean Laur "Angkor, temples and monuments" one will have the most actual existing complete information about the Khmer art and architecture in Cambodia.
   Ancient Angkor (River Book Guides)



5. If you are like me and avoid tour guides as much as possible, but still like to know about the places you are visiting, then this book is for you. It gives excellent descriptions of the temples. It has lots of background information on the history and on the art you'll see. It also contains wonderful photography. Plus, it has lots of general information on traveling in Cambodia including a section on Phnom Penh. If you are doing a basic Cambodia visit of Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, then this book is all you really need.
   
   My only complaint is that it is a big book, bigger than other tour books like Lonely Planet or Rough Guide. This is a problem if you are trying to travel as light as possible. However, I still recommend taking it.
   
   A general suggestion for visiting the temples: be aware that they are now apparently the second most visited tourist destination in Asia. Lots of Asian tour groups everywhere. To avoid them, go early! Get going at 6AM (or even earlier and go see the sunrise over Angkor Wat!). Then you'll have the temples to yourself for a couple of hours. Midday, when the tours go back to their hotels for lunch is also good, as is late afternoon/early evening. But even with the tour groups around, it is still an amazing place!

4 comments about Hariri and Hariri Houses.

1. This book is a woonderfull piece of art. lots of photos and explanation. highlly recomended for those who like contemporary art as well as a good point of view for the city life/



2. Excellent collection of stunning photos by incredible team! I can look at these photos for hours and still find something to admire!



3. Somewhat of a coffee table type book - not much technical stuff...nonetheless the pictures of the great homes are worth the price of this publication. Nicely photographed material that provides much design inspiration.



4. To word it simply, the houses designed by the Hariri sisters are the most dramatic small buildings I have ever seen. Here you will not find gigantic homes built to use size to impress. The Spartan House, built in the Hague, Netherlands was required to have a house footprint no bigger than 26 by 33 feet. Yet even in that small a space their house standa out.
   
   More than just the exterior design, Hariri houses have an integrated feeling that the rooms flow from one to another following the function that is needed with a minimal disruption to the esthetic sense.
   
   Their houses are modern, some even ultra modern, combining the look of steel and glass with the natural look of wood and rock. All appear to be designed to have an absolutely minimal amount of maintenance and a lifetime that will be close to forever.
   
   Some of the houses shown here are just design studies, the Digital House, where the walls are made of LCD's. Others have been built literally around the world.
   
   When you are getting ready to do your new beach house in Miami, here would be a good place to start looking.

1 comments about The Way We Live In the City (Way We Live (Rizzoli)).

1. This is a terrific book, full of all great photographs of beautiful places. Lots of ideas for anyone interested in decorating a room, or designing a home. Too often design books are either too extravagant or feel rather staged in they way a house is photographed. This book finds home -- both fancy and simple -- that are about great taste and they are photographed in a way that is very beautiful, but also real. You know a team of assistants didn't spend the day lighting every surface of the room. A really inspiring book.

1 comments about Design Hotels Yearbook 2008.

1. It is probably the best publishing of trends in hotel design today. It is a must on table of every hotel designer, architect and developer.

5 comments about Earthship: How to Build Your Own (Earthship).

1. good topic for discussion around a break room or sitting lounge. not extremely detailed on mechanics of an Earthship house (guess you have to buy a blueprint or get a contractor). well worth it if you want to be more environmentally involved.



2. Wonderful. Easy to read and understand (maybe a little too easy sometimes, but that's OK). We are preparing to build using this book, and we are really excited by the possiblities. I would reccomend this book (and have) to anyone interested in really understanding sustainable living. Great book.



3. This is a great "how to do it yourself" book. It was published in 1991, so I wish it had updated information, but the concept is great.
   
   It is VERY interesting to those of you wishing to build a home off the grid, and VERY insulated.



4. I've read the two volume Michael Reynolds "Earthship" Duo as a start to my new project to eventually design and build an energy independent and eco friendly retirement home. I'm not sure yet that I want a "composting toilet", but I do want to be educated about the entire process. This is the classic basic, The Earthship. It's a good way to start changing your mind set. How much hot water do I really need to be happy? Well organized and passionately written by someone who has dedicated a lot of thought to living responsibly on Mother Earth.



5. After reading lots of other underground building books I find myself asking, why build with tires? Anyhow, if your interested in underground building you might as well check this technique out. There is lots of interesting, and useful information inside, but the book could have used a lot more photos, especially colour ones. You will also learn about a new style of living in tune with the earth.

1 comments about Installing and Hanging Doors (For Pros by Pros).

1. This book has the well deserved reputation as being considered the authority on the subject of hanging doors. Written by Gary Katz, recognized as one of the top finish carpenters and teachers in his field, the easy to follow, step by step instructions, covers practically everything from A to Z, that one might run into when working with doors. A "must have" for any finish carpenters library. (It's actually become a cult classic among carpenters.)

5 comments about The Very Small Home: Japanese Ideas for Living Well in Limited Space.

1. it is obvious that someone was thinking when they created this book!
   I am very happy with the content and graphics.
   Lots of great ideas for building a new, more efficient house.



2. For those considering a smaller home, this book will challenge your sense of size. Most of the featured homes are under 500 sq ft. While this may work well in urban Japan, I think most Americans would be very hard pressed to fit two people into anything under 700-800 square ft.
   
   That said, many of the design solutions are elegant with clever ideas for spatial layouts, storage, light, and movement.
   
   Brown does a very nice job illustrating each of the selected houses with a 2 page spread of photos. The photos are followed by another 2 page spread that clearly illustrates the floor plans in lovely, hand-rendered, axonometric views. Accompanying text describes the drawings and the key innovation / "big idea" of the design. The final section of the book discusses "small" design principles for specific areas of the house.
   
   I would have given this one 5 stars, but I found myself really missing an additional 2 pages of pictures for each house so that I could really understand the spaces better.



3. I bought this book to research small space architecture as we are finishing our basement and planning expansion to our small home. The full page and collage photo spreads are gorgeous throughout this book. It contains much inspiration and thoughtful commentary on each of the featured homes.
   
   
   The primary focus of the book is contemporary architecture throughout Japan. There is very little coverage of traditional, fuedal or colonial architectural styles I was hoping to find. Still, the space saving innovations shared by the featured designers and firms are a great resource for anyone planning small area multipurpose, or contemporary Japanese, home building.
   
   Great as a reference and as a coffee table book. Beutiful and informative. If there's ever a revised printing, I'd request more fine grain detail on the space savers.



4. Interesting book well written, good details and good pictures, an insperation to those who seek some good ideas in looking as space saving ideas.



5. gorgeous and inspired houses. the creativity will amaze you ^_^
   you will probably be jealous of the people who actually live in the houses in the book.

5 comments about Treehouses of the World.

1. I got this for my step father who found it very inspiring. He is now working on a tree house of his own.



2. I have always fantasized about treehouses and this book definitely has some fantastic examples. It's a wonderful book -- I bought it because my 90 days of checking it out at the library were over. I had to own it.



3. Yes, nothing quite like giving one's friends good reviews on amazon!
   isnt is nice when people with too much money can build tree-houses when so many americans must live in dumpy apartments or are homeless?
   Its nice that those who have trust funds can build tree houses, while the rest of us are worrying about even having housing, especially with illegal and legal immigration saturating the rental market and drving out legal american citizens.
   Come to think of it, how many people who build treehouses have rental properties in slum areas ? I know of one who does.



4. I bought this book for my boyfriend (30) and he loved it. I enjoyed it just as much. The pictures are amazing and the stories that went with them were just as great. Great book to leave on the coffee table!



5. My 13 yo son loves treehouses and loves to read non-fiction books, so this was the perfect choice for him. I hear "WOW" over and over when he is reading this book!

5 comments about Fabrics: A Guide for Interior Designers and Architects.

1. This is not an easy reference guide, but a textbook that gives lots of information that is not needed for daily design use. It is also filled with lots of pictures which would be nice if they were really helpful, but they seem to take up a lot of space and act as fluff.



2. Well-organized and informative general reference on textiles for home or commercial use. Also has a great references section. Pictures are helpful, but I'd also recommend having a "hands-on" source in order to get a better understanding of all of the terminology and descriptions.



3. A very nice book, quite in depth.
   Covers natural and man made fibers, types of weaves, production and fabric finishes. Many color plate examples to illustrate the information.
   This book was shipped quickly by Amason at half the price I paid at the campus bookstore! Needless to say, I returned the book purchased at the campus bookstore.



4. book was in excellent condition, just as the seller specified! no torns, no highlights, no wear! arrived promptly!



5. I waited 6 weeks and Amazon never sent the book so I cancelled the order and gave up.

2 comments about The Architect's Studio Companion: Rules of Thumb for Preliminary Design.

1. As an architecture student, I was required to purchase this text book to accompany my studio course. I have quite often reached for this book from my expansive library of required texts to find answers to rules of thumb for preliminary design. I found that this book is very good at explaining the basics that one needs to accommodate early in the design process. If you are looking for something dealing more with code regulations, this is not really the book to purchase. It includes a wide range of topics which can help answer many student questions. I have been happy with my purchase!



2. This book is designed to help architects in their design of new buildings. Spedifically, the book is organized about the common building codes in place around the United States. The intent of the book is to minimize the time that an architect need spend on checking building codes themselves so that he can proceed to working on the design of the building.
   The book establishes a simple system of seven steps to help the architect in his initial design effort.
   
   The first step is to determine the Building Code and occupancy, then check as to what types of construction are permitted by the code, move on to a preliminary structural design, consider using daylighting, plan for mechanical and electrical systems, determine building code requirements for egress and accessibility, and finally parking.
   
   By having all this informaion at your fingertips a great deal of time can be saved.