No comments about Mackintosh's Masterwork: The Glasgow School of Art.

No comments about Case: Le Corbusier's Venice Hospital and the Mat Building Revival (Case Series).

3 comments about Spectacular Homes of the Pacific Northwe (Spectacular Homes).

1. I was extremely disappointed by this book, and I'd like to warn potential buyers.
   1. This book is only about interior design.
   Do not expect a single exterior image. When I read the title, I thought I was going to see a good selection of images portraying 'spectacular' homes inside and out. But you only get very few shots of some of the main rooms.
   2. These homes are not spectacular.
   At best, they're average. Unless, of course, you're a big fan of froufrou design, overdone decoration, fake antiques, ribbons, lace and bows, factory made nostalgic gesso decorations and so forth. The designers represented in this book are not aware that we live in the Twenty First Century.
   3. The book is a promotional brochure for interior designers.
   Every project comes with a complete presentation of the author of the interior design, including details about how they most like to spend their money (?!?). It makes me think that probably these designers paid the publishing house to each have one project published (what a coincidence, exactly one each).
   Overall, the quality of the designs is disappointing. This book is not at all what it pretends to be. Not even the inside flaps reveal what this book really is, or that it is only about interior design.
   Anyone interested in good quality architecture and design, beware!



2. I guess there are people who find these homes spectacular, but I'm not one of them. Except for Melody Emerick's work in Oregon, these homes scream, "Designer's been here". These homes look so over-designed. Do people really want to live like this? Obviously, I don't get it.
   
   Of all the zillions of interior design books and magazines I've looked at, this book is one of the most uninteresting and uninspiring. And I live in the Oregon. One would think I would appreciate and value this book. Maybe this book is for traditional, conservative people and I live in a progressive realm...



3. Each designer is showcased beautifully. It's a great coffee table book.
   And don't we wish we all could have homes like those shown? But, we can get ideas!

5 comments about Ceramic Tile Setting.

1. I've never done any tile work and wanted to find out more about it. After reading this book, I feel like I can get started without a lot of confusion. For anyone wanting to learn more about tilework, even if your going to hire it done, this book is a must.



2. I am planning a mud-set ceramic tile project and it was suggested that I buy this book. I did and it is a GREAT book; sure wish I had known about it several years ago when I did my first tile project! I recommend it to anyone starting a tile project. It's written in a way that most anyone can understand and the small cost is worth the time and potential mistakes that will be saved.



3. If you are just starting out, or are wanting to learn more about the tiling do's and don'ts, then this book is for you.

   As a DIY person, I found the book covered all those little details that other books didn't. And when it comes to tiling, it is all about detail.

   It is written in a fun informative manner, and is easy to read and follow. If you buy one book only on tiling, this is the one to get.




4. I purchased this book hoping to get valueable information on the understanding of tile work.In addition to aquire ideas that would benefit me in achieving such goals.This book I found to be poorly written, the examples (pictures)provided were outdated and poorly presented to say the least.
   Save your hard earned money, this to me was Not worth the price !!



5. I can't believe this book! I have learned more about tiling in the 3-4 hours it took me to read the book, than in the previous tile projects I have done. Mr. Bridge covers it all. I found the section on laying out a project worth the entire price of the book. By following his layout method, I have saved considerable time. Mr. Bridge uses humor, simple explanations, and a great knowledge of tiling to make a do-it-yourselfer feel comfortable about taking on a large project.

   I am a Maintenance Superintendent for the largest publicly owned utility in the Nation. I have read way more manuals than I care to think about. Very seldom do I actually learn anything. This book covers not only the very basics, but also some of the more complex projects of tiling. It not only tells you what to do; it also explains why you want to do it. An excellent book I highly recommend to anyone. Just don't ask to borrow my book, BUY your own!

No comments about St Pancras Station (Wonders of the World).

2 comments about Room 606: The Sas House and the Work of Arne Jacobsen.

1. This is an amazing book on a great designer/architect. There are other OOP books on Jacobsen but this one describes every detail of this great project. It also describes other related buildings and objects so that you can get a good overview of his work. A must have for any design fan.



2. The Dalai Lama was staying at the Radisson SAS Royal Hotel when I was in Copenhagen, a month ago, but happily Room 606 was unoccupied and I was able to see this one surviving fragment of Arne Jacobsen's gesamtkunstwerk. Denmark's leading architect designed this hotel-terminal in 1960 as the flagship of SAS, a major patron of progressive design, when air travel was still a civilized experience for a fortunate few. Fabrics, lighting, and furniture-most famously the Egg, Swan, and Drop chairs-even the stainless steel flatware and door handles were custom designed by Jacobsen for the hotel. Everything but the one room (which rents for about $575 a night) and the spiral stair in the lobby has now been changed. Sheridan, a New York architect, employs a wealth of period photos and sketches to recreate every facet of the original and places it in the context of Jacobsen's earlier work. The result is a gem of lucid scholarship. (Michael Webb is the book reviewer for LA Architect magazine.)

1 comments about The Accessible Housing Design File.

1. This is an excellent, easy to read book with large print and good drawings. It covers all aspects in detail. If you want to remodel or build this book will tell you in very easy to understand language what to do.

3 comments about The New American Cottage: Innovations in Small-Scale Residential Architecture (New American Architecture).

1. Seems less than half the examples are houses; the rest are studios, guest houses, or cabins. All stylishly spare and uninviting. And while there are occasional floor plans and elevations, and about two detail drawings, the emphasis is on the pictures. You'll finish this book in about 20 minutes and wonder why anyone would spend money on these unlivable houses.



2. This book is a good resource for people who are looking to build a smaller, designed home. It shows that architects aren't just in business to build 10,000 sq. ft. trophy homes like the ones in the other two books in this series. It is full of ideas for designers and home onwners alike. It can be used as a starting point for opening up communication between client and designer. The thing I like most about this book series is that the author includes some of the construction drawings for some choice details. A student could learn a lot about how to put something together from these drawings (although, some are a little unclear and lack the neccesary context drawings, but I do this thing for a living and I like to see the whole picture when comes to why these designers came up with such COOL stuff!)



3. For those with smaller homes who are searching for ideas, this book is a real find. Tons of color photos showing great detail. The material of choice is wood, but some metal structures are included. This is not a back to the 60's book about building with remnants. The homes are first rate with a tremendous amount of innovation and care. I stole more than a few ideas for my own home.

No comments about Towns and Buildings.

No comments about The Royal Pavilion, Brighton.