3 comments about The Churches of Egypt: From the Journey of the Holy Family to the Present Day.

1. This book is just breathtakingly beautiful and very informative. I recommend this book to anyone who has been to Egypt or who has ever dreamed of visiting. You will discover that Egypt is more that just pyramids and tombs but is a place rich in religious history and influence. A must have book!



2. Profusely and beautifully illustrated throughout with the color images by Egyptian photographer Sherif Sonbol, and deftly edited by editor, publisher and lecturer Carolyn Ludwig, "The Churches Of Egypt: From The Journey Of The Holy Family To The Present Day" the collaborative work of Gawdat Gabra (former director of the Coptic Museum and a Visiting Professor of Coptic Studies at Claremont Graduate University) and Gertrud J. M. van Loon (research expert in Coptic Art and Archaeology). Superbly organized and presented by regional classifications, the Christian churches of Egypt depicted and showcased include those in the Coptic Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Armenian Orthodox traditions, as well as what are described as 'Ruined Churches. From The Cathedral of te Holy Virgin in Port Said, Lower Egypt, to The Tomb of Ibrahim and Girgis al-Guhari in Old Cairo, to The Monastery of the Archangel Gabriel in Fayyum, Upper Egypt, to Churches in Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple in Luxor, "The Churches Of Egypt" is a truly extraordinary volume that with the inclusion of a Glossary, Notes, Bibliographic References, Bibliography, and Index, make it a welcome and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal and academic library collections, as well as being an especially appropriate 'Memorial Fund' acquisition selection for community libraries.



3. Because we have and interest in Egypt, we were in awe of this beautiful book. What a valuable find. The pictures of the various church sites are beautiful and just the way we remembered them when we visited and toured Egypt. The historical text, maps, pictures of various arts, and icons, are very informative and easy for us to reference.

5 comments about New York's Forgotten Substations: The Power Behind the Subway.

1. The book is interesting in a sort of disjointed way. If you like abandoned industrial settings the pictures are great too look at. Reading the narrative is tiresome because you just want to jump and look at the stunning pictures. The book also reviews the various styles of substations. About 2/3 of the way through the book conveys into a rather simple photo-album-style pictorial with few details on the subject matter, some of which is too interesting to know so little about.
   
   I had to read it several times to fully understand the different substation styles and technologies because some of those chapers are spread out over more than two pages. It is easy to lose your place when trying to identify the systems in the narrative to the diagrams, schematics, and photographs. Often I was trying to find details in pictures written about in the narrative, only to find I was in the wrong chapter.
   
   Other than these minor issues if you wanted to know how they converted AC to DC and how the subway works, even today, this is an important book for even a casual subway fan.



2. An excellent high quality work at a very reasonable price.
   Well written interesting text, superb high quality photographs and professional architectural drawings. A great buy for anyone interested in the subject.
   Amazon's rapid response to my order was also impressive. This is the first time I've ordered from Amazon. The book was shipped from stock and arrived just a few days after I placed my order. Excellent service.



3. I'm not an architecture student, or an art fan. I just happen to have an obsession with infrastructure. This book was completely satisfying. It's filled with gorgeous pictures of off-limits places. That alone would have been just a tease, but the author's extensive research pays off for the reader. He fills the book with history and technical details. Worth every penny and then some.



4. Who would have thought that a collection of buildings containing basically the same thing would have produced such a fascinating book and who but Princeton would take a chance and publish it. It seems to fit right into their quirky line of Americana, which includes, for instance, a history of paint-by-numbers (ISBN 1568982828) a photo tour of the brothels of Nevada (ISBN 1568984189) or a collection of amateur QSL cards (156898281X).
   
   Christopher Payne has done his best to record the contents of these buildings before they are gone forever. His efforts are perfect examples of what industrial archaeology photography should look like, well lit, straightforward and content rich images with fortunately no angled shots, no out-of-focus areas merging into darkness or meaningless close-ups. These photos really tell a story and being well printed (200dpi) on quality paper helps, too.
   
   As well as the fifty-four main photos there are others taken by him and several historical ones in the essay describing the workings of the subway electrical supply (some of the technical drawings included in the essay could have been larger though) and like his photos Payne makes the world of rotary converters, transformers, bus boards and potheads come alive.
   
   All in all a super little book and a good example of how a tiny part of industrial America can become fascinating with well-written words and elegant photography.



5. Many photo history books suffer from an imbalance between the strength of the prose and the strength of the photographs. Christopher Payne's New York's Forgotten Substations does not. The writing is crisp, bringing you into the subject matter and explaining the basics of subway power and the history of these substations. The photos capture the magnificence of the substations in they heyday, and the seeming pathos of their abandonment. This is black and white photography at its best. Forgotten Substations is a feast for subway buffs, engineering geeks, and appreciators of industrial aesthetic alike.

3 comments about The Architecture of Paris.

1. This is above and beyond any guide book i have seen. The Michelin Green Guide, Paris, has good introductory essays and synopses of all significant sites, whereas Ayers gives extensive historical, architectural, construction and descriptive detail of every site in every arrondissement as well as 18 Ile de France destinations, not just the 16 pages on Versailles; all presented with a definite, though unobtrusive, aesthetic point of view (or maybe i just happen to agree with him). In addition, there are masterly synthesis essays on urban development, housing, metro/RER, arcades and passages, bridges and street furniture. Not for quick reading or casual tourism, despite its "intended use in the field ... [or] the armchair," this book is suitable for upper division undergrad and graduate courses... or anyone who really loves Paris.



2. As an architectural history major, I find this to be a seminal guide to the architecture of Paris. Besides the in-depth descriptions that tell you more than just "built in 1860 by Charles Garnier," the book is helpfully organized by arrondissement (neighborhood) to make any self-guided walking tour an educational itinerary of your choice.



3. Paris is so blessed with wonderful architecture, be it from the time of Louis XIV or Chirac. This guide is very current and well researched and the images really pop. Paris is layed out so well and its buildings take advantage of the sight lines. Paris had been relatively lucky with modern buildings, for the most part they have not infringed on Paris's great historic buildings; thank you La Defense. Thank God, after the hideous intrusion on Montparnasse of that huge modern tower, the city set up stringent rules and created La Defense on the western city limits..ah the French, they are great at the aesthetics. If you have any interest in this singular city, then I highly recommend this wonderful book.

No comments about Extreme Restaurants.

2 comments about Architectural Graphic Standards/Student Edition.

1. I was displeased with the description of the item in relation to the final product i recieved.



2. At less than $40 for a used copy, the Student Edition can't be beat, as it provides most of the essential information from the complete Graphic Standards. The information is organized along the lines of Masterspec with additional sections on Energy and Environmental Design and Historic Preservation. It is certainly enough to get you started. It is also important to have relevant code books. Ching's Building Codes Illustrated is a good place to start. It is nice to have so much building construction information consolidated into one book.

3 comments about Cool Cottages: 235 Delightful Retreats, 825 to 3,500 Square Feet.

1. I was entained by the way the book presented itself..altho the cottages are truely small they are perfect for that affordable gettaway.
   They have good layouts and easy to understand plans.



2. When one thinks cottage they imagine a mountain cabin, oceanside bungalow or lakefront getaway. Home Planners Cool Cottages was filled with mostly black and white 'Home Plans', many over 1800 square feet with manicurred lawns. Through the entire book, I only found 3-4 cottages in 800-1200 square foot range showing a unique creative design. The floor plans were even worse. Do people actually build and live in these? What about traffic patterns? Formal dining rooms? Hello! That's what I do when I think getaway college, entertaining. Cool Cottage would have made a good $3.95 magazine in the Home and Garden section of a local newstand. A disappointment at any price.



3. The description is very misleading. It is a book of 235 cottage floor plans - all black and white (with the exception of the first few). I expected the book to include floor plans, but I also expected it to be a good read and have real pictures. If you are just looking for floor plans, it's a great book.

No comments about The 19th Hole: Architecture of the Golf Clubhouse.

No comments about Mini Loft Bible.

2 comments about Homes Filled With Natural Light: 223 Sunny Home Plans for All Regions.

1. I was looking for a book to get some ideas for the new house I am building and possibly some floor plan ideas. The homes in this book are gaudy east coast cookie cutter types best suited for fairways of some snobby country club golf course. I didnt find one house with a decent kitchen! Why is the kitchen always some tiny room stuck in the corner isolating the cook from the rest of the house. I wanted somthing inspirational and unique. It is also all balck and white with just arcitectural sketches of the houses. If you want ideas, go to the market and pick up a sunset, log homes or westen living magazine for $5 instead, they are full of great ideas and beautiful photos of kitchens, baths and exteriors that dont include hardy plank siding or somthing my 97 year old grandmother would find appealing.



2. I found this book while trying to find a unique but practical houseplan for a custom home to be built along a riverfront on a bluff. The sunlight is ample at this site. So I was rather optimistic to purchase this book. However, my enthusiasm turned to disappointment in browsing through this rather mundane set of plans. Some of the examples appeared to come from the 1970s prototypes found along Southern California. There were no magical window placements or use of extraordinary skylights and the such. There were a few distinguished types, but none to this reviewer's liking. I did find the adobe prototype of plans seen in the southwest as somewhat interesting in this book. Otherwise, don't let the title fool you.

5 comments about Elle Decor: The Grand Book of French Style.

1. While one might disagree that this is as grand a book as the title states, this reviewer is satisfied that it is indeed a good presentation of interiors in the many styles associated with French design. Here, the history begins with the 1930s, however, and the majority of the examples are from current times, all presumably previously published in ELLE DECOR magazine. But traditional styles are well represented with chic examples such as an office pavillion decorated by Francois-Joseph Graff for Pierre Berge -- a good arguement for working at home. While it is not an instructive book on style as such, careful study of the photos should provide inspiration to all interested in interior design, regardless of budget.



2. This is a wonderful design resource book. The books shows the homes of some of the design world "greats". It is eclectic and not your run of the mill "pretty" interiors, but offers new directions in ways to think about design.



3. I was somewhat disappointed in this book because I was looking for something that would explain the "French Style" of decorating. This is more a book of the homes of Parisian designers, obviously with a lot of money. The rooms in the book are beautifully photographed and I liked the chapter called "Seven Trends for Today." These included brief text and lots of photographs of the Provincial, Provence, Eclectric, Eccentric, Atlantic, Chalet and 1930-40's style trends. There was a brief description of the style trends, but the photos that followed gave good examples.
   
   The remaining two chapters in this book are: Parisian Fashion Designers at Home and Parisian Interior Designers at Home. The problem with this book is the rooms depicted would require someone to have an unlimited budget and/or access to resources for their furnishings.
   
   This book was not helpful in showing the "regular" person how to achieve the French Style in their own home. Most of the text just describes the exquisite items and creations. For example, "A vase- light has been created from minutely worked Venetian glass, and it dominates the sculpted wrought-iron pediment of a play cabinet which was designed by Gilbert Poillerat" which desribes an elaborate vase with flowers out of glass. There were a few rooms where you could probably implement and adapt to be used within your own home, but the "French Style" depicted in these rooms are based on ALL the elements, from the beautiful custom glasswork to the exquisite fabrics and furnishings.
   
   If you are an interior designer who has clients with unlimited funds or are someone with an unlimited budget, you might find this book useful. For those of us who have to stay within a reasonable budget, this is not the book to learn and implement French Style.
   
   What could have elevated this book above 2 stars would have been more informative text on creating the style and not just descriptions of the products and creators of the items in the photographs.



4. Having several books on French style and French Country style, many showcasing homes in France, this book is a huge disappointment. Few of the rooms are stylish, but rather, well just junky. I was looking forward to another look at French style in France, not just the interpretation of such in America. This is a coffee table book for those who have little design sense.



5. I have many books on style and decor, but this is by far one of my favorites. I love that it includes many facets of French style, not just the ubiquitous, American stereotype of what "French" looks like. Chapter headings read: "Provincial," "Atlantic," "Provence," and "Eclectic" (my favorite) to name a few. The back of the book is dedicated to showcasing the homes of a few Parisian fashion and interior designers, an addition that I quite enjoyed. If you're looking to redecorate or just love looking, this book is for you!