1 comments about Architect's Pocket Book of Kitchen Design.

1. This is a great little book with lots of useful information packed into a clear and concise format. Note to American buyers: The book is published in Britain and contains metric units, EU energy efficiency ratings, and a bit of regional information about the UK.

1 comments about The Designer's Eye.

1. Why this book has not been written before? its arguments are compelling, the evidence is before our eyes. Why was I never exposed to a similar book during my 8 years of studies at the Ecole des Beaux Arts?
   "The Designer's Eye" is about visual tradecaft. It shows on the same page, on the right side the way a building could have been, and on the left side the way it is. The difference between the 2 images is a visual detail, sometime very simple (say, a painted horizontal line) sometime more elaborate (say, a cornice). The visual result of this before and after approach is compelling.
   From time to time a little humorous vignette is added to illustrate with a non architectural detail - usually borrowed from women fashion - the visual point made on the page.
   The great strength of Brolin's book is that it shows real examples selected among a wide range of buildings. Some are architectural icons like the "Palazzo Nuevo" from Michelangelo, other are anonymous buildings like a suburban house in Pensylvania.
   Ninety percent of the book is visual, no long winded theory, just two images next to each other, and a few lines of comments below, in case ones doesn't get the point right away.
   The Designer's Eye demonstrates that no building needs to be visually unpleasant. A little care about the way things will look from the street will do wonder. Designers and builders who do not have instinctively this visual sensitivity would be well advised to borrow freely from Brolin's examples which are grouped by architectonic themes, facades, edges, details, etc.
   For those who think that they are already visually creative, a little reminder of all the tricks of the trade might also help.
   This book is a must for architects, remodellers, and more broadly for people interested in improving the visual quality of their own environment, at least when they have any control over it.
   I only regret that the book is not in colour, or may be on a CDROM. May be a future coffee table book edition?
   PS. I know why this book has not be written before. Without digital images and the possibility of modifying them easily this book would be impossible to produce. Previous books dealing with the same subject would have to ask the reader to imagine what the Michelangelo' capitol would look like without the "Grand Ordre" spanning two floors. Impossible to do without becoming terribly verbose, and therefore boring for the visually oriented.

1 comments about American Colonial: Puritan Simplicity to Georgian Grace.

1. Wendell Garrett once again produced another great collection on fine furnishings and architecture. There is great range from simple colonial design to grand represented in this book. I highly recommend this to anyone who is interested in colonial furnishings and architecture, or who simply likes the finer things!

5 comments about Adirondack Style.

1. I totally "loved" this book. One of my favorites. I am totally into "camp,cabin,and adirondack" decorating books and this book totally delivered the goods. Gorgous pictures gives one many cozy decorating ideas and just a book to daze and dream away an afternoon with.



2. In looking for ideas for the second home getaway we are planning, I came across this book and added it to my collection. It is handsome but, as the title would suggest, limited to one style. If that is your thing, fine. In this genre, the book that keeps rising to the top of the little stack on my coffee table is called SECOND HOME/Finding Your place in the Sun (or Fun or something like that). Second Home shows rustic styles and romantic cottage ones, too, taking me on a little tour of the United States as I turn the pages. The author obviously did his homework, too, because Second Home is filled with information on how to shop for real estate, evalute an area, decide what you want (and where you want it), etc.



3. As I just wrote in a review of Cabin Fever, this book, too, is a delight to look at. But it is limited (as its title says, of course) to one style that is a bit more rustic than what we have in mind. Still, this is a lovely book to peruse. As we gather information on vacation homes, our favorite book is a new one called Second Home, which includes visits to everything from oceanside homes and lake cottages to mountain cabins. Second Home also includes information on how to shop for a second home, how to decide what location is right, and tips on building, decorating and so on. I've never met a vacation house book I didn't like, and I like them all. But Second Home is our favorite because it has such variety of home styles and helpful tips in it.



4. In planning the vacation home we hope to have soon, we bought this book and a new one called SECOND HOME. Adirondack Style is more of a dream book and includes historical information about the style. It's also limited to one style, of course. The book called Second Home works on a couple levels as a dream book but it also includes information on shopping, building, decorating, and so on, and it shows a wide range of second home styles around the country. We like both, but if we had to pick only one, it would be Second Home. (A book called Cabin Fever is fun, too, but limited to very rustic styles.)



5. Between this book and another, also from amazon, called Cottage Style, I have more than enough to fuel my vacation house daydreams. A great start for 2000 and for my own dreams of early retirement.

No comments about Energy Management and Operating Costs in Buildings.

No comments about Wood Houses: Spaces for Contemporary Living and Working.

3 comments about Skyscraper Rivals.

1. What a wonderful book, the vintage black and white photos are amazing. I found this book so interesting, I had no idea about this wonderful story. I recommend this book on so many levels. If you enjoy great vintage photos, interesting history, and New York..all of which I do. This books makes you appreciate the beauty of Art Deco skyscrapers and makes you sad that the more modern buildings don't even compare. I commend the authors on reviving this wonderful history and for providing wonderful vintage photos of a more stylish past.



2. Coincidentally, I also am in Somerville, MA. I happened upon this only because it was displayed prominently in a local Cambridge institution in Harvard Square on top of a stack of new architecture and art books that I passed by just browsing. I probably buy more computer-related books (not many at all) than architecture these days, but after looking through this I easily decided to buy it then and there. Two buildings I never previously knew existed, but are richly and lovingly documented (right down to the oddball uniforms the staff had to wear during that period in time). Equal parts historical reference and architectural anthology of the two structures. It currently occupies the top shelf of my living room bookcase.



3. Daniel Abramson is a first-class writer who beautifully handles a large and interesting subject. Hundreds of photos make the book highly accessible. The text perfectly complements the photographs. Outstanding.

No comments about An early American home and the fun we had building it,.

3 comments about An Architectural Guidebook To Philadelphia.

1. I wanted a book that gave me lots of facts, not that gave the authors opinion on hippies and other irelevant things.



2. I found this book to be a diappointment. I expected a book which would discuss the architecture of the buildings of Philadelphia. Instead the book is about the history of the city and its buildings with scant discussion of the architure. A Better title for this book would be , The Historical Significance of The Buildings of Philadelphia. For a guide book their were surprisingly few (black and white) photographs. I would suggest , Philadelphia Architecture: A Guide To The City; by The Foundation For Architecture .



3. How many guidebooks can you read through like a novel? I have several times, and each time is better than the last. This book is informative and entertaining. It's amazing how many new things you can learn about a city you thought you knew. And how can you not love a book where even the index is fun to read?

No comments about Environmental Valuation: Interregional And Intraregional Perspectives (Urban Planning and Environment) (Urban Planning and Environment) (Urban Planning and Environment).