2 comments about At the Water's Edge: Muskoka's Boathouses (Art & Architecture) (Art & Architecture).

1. You can not longer build and live so close to the water's edge but these beauties are grandfathered in on beautiful Muskoka and Rousseau, et. al. I thought of my boyhood days on a lake in Northern Minnesota. I remember smaller and less grand boathouses where the sundappled water reflected off the rafters inside. You were really one with the water. This book captures the essence of it all--I could almost smell the water, wood, paint, varnish, canvas, wet rattan and wicker--



2. At the water's edge

   Muskokaá Boathouses.

   This book gives the reeder a chance of dreaming back to the early yaers of the 20th century and experiance how the riche and famuose people spent there weekends and holidays. If you are intrested in old houses, especially bothouses, and architect designs this book is a must.

   This book is my best inspiration ever.

   Peter Östlund Stockholm Sweden

2 comments about Carpentry.

1. This book is an incredible source of information and "how to". It has 90 chapters divided into four sections; Tools & Materials; Rough Carpentry; Exterior Finish; Interior Finish.
   The scope of this book is incredible, and it is very informative and concise (it is a textbook). It covers the following areas
   Wood & Lumber;Engineered Panels;Engineered Lumber Product; Fasteners;Hand Tools;Portable Power Tools;Stationary Power Tools; Blueprints & Building Codes;Building Layout;Concrete & Concrete Forms;Floor Framing; Wall Framing; Interior Rough Work; Scaffolds, Ladders, & Horses; Roof Framing; Stair Framing; Insulation & Ventilation; Cornice Construction; Roofing; Windows; Exterior Doors; Siding; Porches,Decks, & Fences; Drywall Construction; Wall Paneling & Wall Tile; Ceiling Finish; Interior Doors and Door Frames; Interior Trim; Stair Finish; Finish Floors; Cabinets & Countertops; Cabinet Doors and Drawers
   Each of the aforementioned units is further divided into chapters giving the reader the ability to easily find and pinpoint the infomation that they need. The book has an 11 page glossary, many helpful pictures and photos and contains a total of 946 pages, with chapter tests and suggested essays which I find valuable for retaining info on procedures that I do not perform on a regular basis. A great, great book.



2. I recieved my book in perfect time - quick and fast! Thanks.

No comments about Architecture City Environment: Proceedings of PLEA 2000, Cambridge, UK, July 2000.

3 comments about Chicago's Famous Buildings.

1. This is the best general architectural guide to Chicago and the suburbs, but get the new Fifth Edition ISBN: 0226740668. It's much more up-to-date and the maps are easier to use.



2. This is one of my favorite mini-books on Chicago architecture. It is perfect if you are in need of a comprehensive guide with short entries to shape your exploration of the city. Unlike, say, the AIA Guide, photographs are provided for every entry. Photos are small but nowhere near as tiny as the AIA thumbnails. While the entries are brief, they cover most of the important highlights. I am anxious for a new edition, as many of the descrpitions (and their accompanying photos) are in need of updating in order to cover recent restoration efforts and newer major buildings as well.



3. I love this book. It is fairly recent overview of the famous buildings in the Chicago area. It covers downtown, the city, and the suburbs. It also has some good buildings featured from the Sears Tower to the Amritech Building at Hoffmann Estates. Though the photos are in black and white, and the entries are a little short, this is a definate buy if you are interested in Urban Architecture or Chicago.

No comments about Historic Homes of Minnesota.

1 comments about Expressive Details: Materials, Selection, Use.

1. I will admit there is some interesting stuff in the book but most of it I found to be quite boring. Also the book is in black and white with poor quality photographs. The book did introduce me to two interesting people, Bart Prince and William Eckerman, check out their web sites.

1 comments about Designing and Building Your Own Home.

1. Really found this useful to understand how we could go about designing our own perfect home. Answers all the questions you think you need to ask a professional who will normally charge a fortune.

5 comments about Prairie Style: Houses & Gardens by F.L. Wright.

1. Prairie style architecture is one of the most American of the house styles, it is quenticential Frank Lloyd Wright. I did not always appreciate the style, I watched as they demolished many in Dallas and did not shead a tear, but after really looking at these homes and admiring the unique style, I lement the loss of those homes and I have a new appreciation of these fine homes. This book is wonderful, it has vivid images and the text is very informative. It is fascinating how Wright perfectly merged the house into the Gardens and how perfectly the two interact. Even if you are not sold on the beauty of the Prairie Style, I encourage you to get this book, you will come away with a new appreciation of this singular style and you may actually find yourself wanting one.



2. This book does have a very nice blend of photographs and reproductions of sketches and interior / exterior images, but I was not impressed with the cross over into other architect's work that, in my humble opinion, do not come close to approaching FLW's ability. Overall it is a good resource, but hardly a definitive study on Wright and his structures.



3. This book varies from most books on Wright and the prairie style architects in its extensive use of interior photos. Many of the prairie homes are somewhat unremarkable from the outside, while inside they have a distict beauty and grace. "Prairie Style" beautifully portrays the interior as well as the exterior of homes by Wright, his students, and contemporaries.



4. This book covers more than just Wright. It also gives you some insight to others that came out of the Prairie School and others that were redefining the American style near the turn of the century. The book has wonderful pictures, but as an architect, I wish it had floor plans so I could more easily understand how the spaces worked together. It's still a nice addition to my library.



5. The great thing about the Prairie Style is that elements of it can fit into so many different other types of designs and times. Even though I have a very modern, contemporary home, I got plenty of ideas from this beautiful book. Contains loads of beautiful pictures of home interiors by Wright & his followers.

3 comments about North Shore Boston: Country Houses Of Essex County, 1865-1930.

1. This book is a treasure of information about the great homes north of Boston and contains outstanding rare and crisp photographs that tell so much. Due to the quality of this publication, I would not hesitate to add any book published by Acanthus Press, which obviously takes great pride in creating their architecture books. The preservation of the great remaining mansions and estates is vital to our continued rediscovery and appreciation of our past and this book is an important resource. I found that the award-winning author, Pamela W. Fox, to have great talent in writing an architectural book that is a joy to read. Probably you do the same thing with this type of book as I: you go through the volume the first time looking at the fine photographs and reading the captions, and then when you have time you read the text. I would call this getting triple the value, as after you have looked, and read, you will now use this book as a reference. (LarryLufkin@comcast.net)



2. I saw this book and as soon as I started looking through it I fell in love. This novel chronicles the expansive mansions on Boston's North Shore, with black and white photographs of both the exteriors and interiors. These pictures made me feel like I was part of that life, and helped me understand how people actually decorated those "Maderley" type manor houses. I was shocked to know families actually lived in them, and furnished them so lavishly!
   
   For anyone who is a fan of architecture or old houses, even victorian decorating, check this book out! I love old houses and seeing the way people decorated them, and this HUGE book took me further in than I ever expected. Some of these have blueprints, which helped me figure out the layout of these grand mansions, and how many rooms there really were.



3. This is a beautiful book and a great follow up to the book on Chicago's North Shore. These books are so luxurious and elegant, the craftsmanship is just amazing, I highly recommend both. It is wonderful to explore this well researched and interesting book. The black and white historic pictures are crisp and detailed and the history well researched. Anyone who has any interest in historic estates or just appreciates fine craftsmanship in a book will not be disappointed. I commend the authors and publisher for a job well done.

No comments about Kids Spaces: A Pictorial Review (International Spaces).