No comments about Restroom Design (Design Bks.).

2 comments about California Crazy and Beyond: Roadside Vernacular Architecture.

1. I bought this book when it first came out in 1980 and I recently noticed that a new addition was available. Well worth getting too, more pages, extra subjects (cars for instance) updated bibliography and a sparkling new layout. Author Heimann feels that architectural historian David Gebhard's term 'Programatic' does not quite capture the flavor of these buildings, I propose calling them FUNTECTURE.
   
   A new chapter, not in the original book, is 'Current Condition' which has twenty-two photos, in color, of buildings now standing and they all look very smart and well cared for but wait till you see the photo on page 169, this shows the amazing headquarters of the Longaberger company in Newark, Ohio, famous for making baskets and that is exactly what the building looks like, seven stories high with two carrying handles reaching up to the sky...only in America! You can see and read about this lovely bit of whimsy on their website.
   
   You will really enjoy this book if you are a fan of roadside America, especially if you have lived in California and maybe remember some of the weird buildings that are no longer around.
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.



2. This book is a must-have for those of us who love the lure of the road and all it has to offer. It's sad that a lot of these wonderful icons of Americana are vanishing, but it's great that people like Jim Heimann are preserving it for future generations to see. I highly recommend this book -- lots of great photos and interesting history in a nicely organized book!

No comments about Materials for Conservation (Butterworths Series in Conservation and Museology) (Butterworths Series in Conservation and Museology).

No comments about Extensions.

No comments about Treasures of Westminster Abbey.

No comments about Cities of Ancient Greece and Italy; Planning in Classical Antiquity (Planning and Cities).

No comments about The Architect's Guide to Design-Build Services.

5 comments about Egyptian Palaces and Villas: Pashas, Khedives, and Kings.

1. This book is not only the perfect coffee table book with its beautiful cover and amazing photos, it actually is very informative. It takes us back in time to the era of pashas and kings. The book is very comprehensive, the author covers 41 palaces and villas with the history behind each of them. I also recommend "Cairo Illustrated by Michael Haag" and "Paris Along The Nile by Cynthia Myntti"



2. I do not know how Ms. Johnston managed to take all this gorgeous pictures and publish a book so outstanding considering the fact that some of these villas are not longer opened to the public.
   There is so much beauty in private villas.I remember some of my friend's houses,looked like palaces with gorgeous cherry wood,stairs that could envy Gone with the Wind movie.All The wood teak, ebony,Italian tiles and Greek original statues.
   I strongly suggest purchasing this book,as you will see how people lived in this wonderful places.
   There are much more villas to be photographed by I guess it is no longer allowed.



3. EGYPTIAN PALACES AND VILLAS may just be one of the more sumptuous books available on the always mysterious land of Egypt. For those of us who crave visiting the Alexandria of Lawrence Durrell or just having an inside view of the exotic pleasure domes of this bewitching country, then look no further.
   
   Shirley Johnston has a talent for writing about countries in away that is more than a travelogue or picture book. Not that her books are impoverished pictorially: photographer Sherif Sonbol assists her in over 170 fine photographs of the splendors that Johnston explores. Within the cover of this Abrams book are views of palaces in Cairo, homes in upper Egypt that are directly lifted replicas of palazzos along the Grand Canal of Venice, treasures both ancient and contemporary that have not been available for viewing until this insightful volume.
   
   Johnston's writing style is seductive, polished, and informed. This beautifully designed and produced book is a treasure trove for all those who dream of the days when wealth and Egypt - and mystery - were synonymous. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, November 06



4. Almost all books on Egypt have photographs only of the antiquities. It is rare that the public is allowed to see the inside of most of the places included in this book, and it is a privilege to see photographs of them. The narrative is well done and very interesting.



5. Deftly authored by Shirley Johnston with help from Sherif Sonbol, Egyptian Palaces And Villas: Pashas, Khedives, And Kings is an inspiring collection of photographic and informational documentation of historical and modern Egyptian architecture and the progressive means by which it has come to be. Focusing on architectural design from the nineteenth century, Egyptian Palaces And Villas artistically presents an illustrious compendium of Egypt's most timeless and visually engaging domestic structures. An ideal choice for academic or public library Memorial Fund acquisition selections, Egyptian Palaces And Villas is very highly recommended reading for students of Egyptian culture, history and architecture.

4 comments about Japanese Style.

1. In another book I recently read of the importance of shadows in the domestic architecture of Japan. Openings aren't created simply to provide light, they are used t leave part of a room dim and private and to provide illumination only exactly where needed. The photography in Japanese Style (by Gilles de Chabaneix) captures this beautifully, even as the writers focus on other possible threads.

   Any discussion of the intimate side of Japanese architecture and space use will spend a lot of time on the vast dichotomy between modern Japan and the style most Americans are familiar with - the traditional housing that represents over a millennia of incremental design. This book follows the same theme, moving from rural manor to a tiny Tokyo apartment, from beautifully carved wood to the unique character of poured concrete.

   The more you look through this book, the more you realize that Japanese designers have managed to bridge the time gap rather than making an abrupt leap. Even though the change appears to be radical, the underlying sensitivity to arrangement and a knack for disciplined minimalism have been there all along. One glance at the photographs of a four level home build on a 320 square foot lot is all you need to realize that there is an unerring understanding of harmony and purpose. Style becomes a two way street - Tokyo has evolved as an expression of the Japanese esthetic, at the same time as the conditions of the city have shaped the artistic experience.

   Buy this book for the photographs. For the most part the writers contribute little, other than providing some context. But De Chabeneix has an intuitive sense of how to see what the Japanese resident is seeing. Often the shots are magical, different angles of the same room look so difference that it is only on the second or third glance that you realize you are looking at the same room serving multiple purposes. As a result, you capture what it takes to make the Japanese Style happen anywhere, with any materials.




2. Because we are in the process of designing and building a Zen Danish (as we call it) new home I purchased this wonderful book in order to get some specific ideas. Of special interest are the similarities between the Danish and Japanese styles that we love.

   What amazed me is this book was published in the 80's yet I swear this book looks like it is a 2003 or futuristic publication that is timeless and well worth the hefty price of the book.

   The section on Small Spaces is excellent and a chapter I would recommend for anyone who is looking to build either a small yet open home for one or two, or the second home in the mountains or sear the seashore.

   I love the section on lofts and how they can be made to be classy, and not cluttered. And the whole chapter on craftsmanship which is actually what makes a Zen style living area so wonderful to me. Beginning on page 100 I gained some excellent ideas for our new garden and wisdom on how to have just the right amount of plant life and a koi pond to make the outside a part of ones living environment, rather than the grass and other high maintenance yards the average American has.

   It is a book I find myself picking up every few days, reading a few pages and getting new ideas I can actually use.




3. This has got to be one of the best "Style" Books ever published. Excellent examples of architecture, beautiful interior design, and superb photography. Just the right juxtaposition of traditional and modern. Each of the major sections has both Japanese and Western Styles. Normally this would not mix, had it been contrived, but all of the examples in the book are real houses where people live and work. No Architectural Digest type of Houses that look artificial and posed are to be found in this book. My favorites are the tranditional Japanese houses of which there really great examples. This book can give you hundreds of ideas for decorating your house tastefully. The photography really does justice to these houses and the subtle aesthetics of the Japanese Style.

   I collect "Style Books", and this has long been one of my favorites. I have had this book for over ten years and still look at it from time to time.

   I would like to point out that the other review for this book below refers to a Miniature version of this book, and is probably a misunderstanding of some sort.




4. To have this book labeled Paperback edition of the original SUPERB hardcover book without qualification is a little bit too much for me.

   Even at a quarter of the price, this 4 1/2 inch book is nothing compared to the original edition.

   And still I don't regret having it, because it reminds me of the big hardcover book...

3 comments about Managing Residential Construction Projects.

1. This book is written by a practitioner who has little thought on theory, structure, and pedagogy, resulting in a rather disorganized book that has yet to be tested by students who demand much more than just scribbles and anecdotes. Several parts are also weak, such as feasibility, cash flows, and contract management. The author needs to think seriously about customers's needs rather than incidental stories. More depth is also required.



2. This book contains a wealth of valuable insight and wisdom garnered over a lifetime career in residential construction. The book would be especially helpful for anyone who owns their own company or who works in a managerial capacity.
   
   However, the writing style is verbose and often abrasive. The author is a hardened contractor who has witnessed the darker side of residential construction: unethical contractors, mediocre workers and shoddy craftsmanship. That darker side bleeds into the material and casts a dreary shadow over the otherwise excellent ideas and information.
   
   The book is sometimes a downer to read and could be better organized, but is still full of valuable advice for anyone working in residential construction.
   
   For those interested in commercial construction management check out Construction Management JumpStart



3. If you are a residential remodeler, preferably a high-end remodeler, (I think that Mr. Graham will agree with me here) this book is a great guide to the quality conscious remodeler. This book is not about accounting rather it is about what a good remodeler and his team should do and should have been doing all along. Buy a good accounting book, marketing book and buy this book.