5 comments about IF THIS HOUSE COULD TALK...: Historic Homes, Extraordinary Americans.

1. Picture book about historic homes and their owners is fun and well done but inconsequential. Interesting groupings lends organization, but reads like a PBS anthology retrospective.
   
   Good pictures and great production values make the book an eyeworthy treat.



2. I had the pleasure of meeting the author on a flight from Frankfurt to Rome last summer. I bought and read this book with great enthusiasm. The author is brilliant and funny. The book takes us to various personalities, times and eras in the historical evolution of our country as these homes are used as the medium to demonstrate the message of the time and culture. It is eloquently written in unpretensious prose. I must read.



3. Through history, art, architecture and more, you journey through these extraordinary Americans lives, and their homes. Elizabeth Smith Brownstein takes you on a facinating tour of 26 homes including Presidential homes, Plantations, Haunted Houses, famous Women's homes, a home of the future and more. What a great book for treasured collections, book clubs, and anyone intersted in America, history and artchitecture.



4. This book has immediately become a favorite of my wife and I. We jump from chapter to chapter, revisiting homes we have actually been to and learning additional tidbits about them. As well, we are delving into homes we now hope to visit in the future. The pictures are well-chosen and attractive and the author's choice of text brings these dwellings to life. We recommend this "work of historic art" to everyone, no matter their level of interest in this area.



5. This fabulous book contains interesting histories and illustrations of the homes of famous Americans. I especially liked the sections on the historical California homes, since my husband and I have visited several of them. As a student of both archicture and history, this book inspired me to plan future visits to each of the homes described. Highly recommended!

2 comments about Air Handling Systems Design.

1. I have not finished this book yet because there is too much information about older systems with very little information on calculations. It is not a very inspiring book to read.



2. This book looks at every variation of air handling design and puts all of the systems in a very concise and accurate text. It was written by a well regarded HVAC Engineer in Southern California; Tseng-Yao Sun.

   What this book does:
   Breaks down virtually all air handling systems and their variations in a very simple and easy manner.

   What this book does not do:
   Articulate the intricate details of each system.

   This is a GREAT book if you are evaluating and determining the system type in the building/facility you are reviewing. It addresses key aspects of the system and will allow you to identify the system. In addition to existing buildings/facilities, this book is EXCELLENT for new projects and they will outline the basics of the system functionality and operation.

   Most engineering books delve too much into details that create wasted time and effort. This book succeeds with simple schematic diagrams. Good engineering practice is survived by simplicty; something this book does very well.

No comments about America's Favorite Homes (Great Lakes Books).

1 comments about Ashley, Laura - Complete Guide to Home Decor.

1. i had never read a such fantastic book that suit my style so close, i just love all the decoration shown in every pages, and it directed you in a very simple step to help to decorate your own

No comments about Bayer Konzernzentrale Headquarters.

3 comments about Family Houses in the Country.

1. I like this book and its sister book, Family Houses by the Sea (which I prefer). Both books, however, make me feel that I am simply looking through a window at something I cannot have. I find I prefer a new book called Second Home, because it offers the same kind of yummy dreamlike quality yet talks to me about how I can make my getaway dream come true. If you can afford a stack of books on retreats, add this Family Houses volume to the pile. If you can only afford one or two books, I highly recommend Second Home instead.



2. This book gives you great ideas for building a country home. It doesn't limit itself to only one geographic area, but moves from country to country. It allows you to review different elements, materials and design used over time. It's a beautiful book, great inspiration.



3. Forty-three beautiful summer-type homes appear in large glossy colored format covering more than 250 large size pages that make the book weigh as much as a heavy fire-log ready to sink a coffee table.

   Author Alexandra D'Arnoux and award winning photographer Gilles De Chabaneix visit several continents to pick out outstanding dream homes, that although luxurious, with stables, gardens and formal dining rooms, nevertheless look lived- in; loads of lucky children treck through casual libraries, relax, take walks, celebrate birthdays, and play chopsticks on an old piano.

   Emphasis here is on family values and most of the places are furnished to create a nostalgic atmosphere. It is like 'Conrad in Search of His Youth.'

   This is a wonderful book to have and hug. Whenever a guest opens it up and peers at a picture, there follows a deep longing sigh.

5 comments about Stairway Walks in San Francisco.

1. I found this book (rather thick - 251 pages) on the shelves of my local Santa Cruz library shelves. At first I thought it was rather boring - the cover is dizzying to look at. Then as I opened and perused thru more pages, I realized that this was a work of love - Adah Bakalinsky's love (a San Francisco local, and an emigrant to the US).
   
   Adah Bakalinsky has expended previous editions and the January 2007 is the 6th edition.
   
   What I liked about this book:
   * informs the reader on some cool areas to walk in San Francisco, with cool architecture, and routes that will have your blood pumping.
   * the 27 walks are all detailed with a map layout, interesting points of interest, photographs, and many factoids.
   * Appendix 1 contains "An Informal Bibliography" (one pager with more info on the San Francisco)
   * Appendix 2 lists all the staircases (across 36 pages) for each neighborhood in San Francisco and rates each one according to a 1 to 5 scale of combined: steepness, length, location, elevation, and beauty.
   * and ... it was FREE.
   
   Whether you are from out of town visiting San Francisco, a local denizen, or a Bay Area suburbian, you are sure to enjoy this book, even if not completing a walk from start to finish. The details are worth reading before each walk, as one is sure to add more mental details and moments of enjoyment as one walks across the beautiful city of San Francisco.



2. I love this book!! We live an hour north of S.F. and when ever we go to the city we start with one of these great walks. We have gone and explored neighborhoods we never would have without this book. San Francisco is such a beautiful city and getting to the top of some obscure staircase always gives you a unique and beautiful view. It is a must for anyone who lives in or near S.F.



3. Adah's book is a great collection of walks all over the city. As the name implies, all the walks focus on the stairways for which San Francisco is so well known. This has two implications: one is that these walks will wear you out; the second is that, on sunny days, you get incredible views from the tops of all the stairways Adah has you climb.
   
   For locals, the 27 walks cover the entire town from Glen Canyon to Lands End to Potrero Hill. No matter how long you've lived in San Francisco, I guarantee you'll see great spots you've never been to before.
   
   Most of the walks are well off the beaten path for visitors, but a couple cover the classic tourist areas of North Beach, China Town, and Telegraph Hill. The Russian Hill North walk, done on a sunny day, will have anyone believing San Francisco is the most beautiful city on earth.
   
   Adah provides maps, directions, and a great deal of color commentary for each walk. She tends to focus on eccentric details of the local architecture and flora for each walk, lending a whimsical quality to the whole experience.
   
   Two last things to keep in mind. First, because the views are such a big part of these walks, Adah's trips are much better in good weather than in bad. Second, Adah is sometimes a little loose with her directions; I recommend cross checking the directions and the map often.



4. San Francisco has over 50 hills with scenic vistas and small neighborhoods - so these nearly 30 urban walks are top picks for any who want to walk the city's byways. The revised expanded edition has been updated with new maps and color photos and adds three new walks, while an appendix lists the City's 600-plus public stairways. It's a 'must' for any San Francisco travel collection going beyond the general-interest city guide.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



5. Great book to have for anyone who enjoys an adventure. Lots of walking options within the city

No comments about Traditional Japanese Houses.

3 comments about Cliffhangers And Hillside Homes: Views from the Treetops.

1. CLIFFHANGERS AND HILLSIDE HOMES isn't just your ordinary photolog of famous homes, but a gathering of some fifty lovely hillside settings located across the U.S. These buildings come from some thirty notable architects and designers who describe their work and compliment the lovely photo displays with interior decoration comments. From trim detailings to borders, views, and design options, CLIFFHANGERS AND HILLSIDE HOMES is packed with eye-catching interiors, exteriors and informative comments. A top pick.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



2. No drawings, site plans or sections, no detail or analysis, very limited environmental information, poor graphic layout. This book is possibly interesting for the layman, but certainly not for the professional.



3. Rooney's Cliffhangers and Hillside Houses cling to rocky mountaintops, they hang on the hillsides; they direct our eyes outward to the "spacious plains and purple mountaintops."
   
   Those of us who have built a hillside house know that it is not an easy endeavor. How do you integrate the structure with the land and the natural features? What do you do about the need for privacy and protection from earthquake and fire? And then there are the views! Cliffhangers and Hillside Houses written by E. Ashley Rooney and approximately 30 architects and published by Schiffer (2006) presents many homes from Arkansas to California, Michigan to Maine . Their sites are as varied as their design. Architects and designers give you many tips. Once I finished dreaming my way through this book, I was ready to build another hillside home.

3 comments about Gables and Fables: A Portrait of San Francisco's Pacific Heights.

1. Part historical piece and part gossip, GABLES AND FABLES: A PORTRAIT OF SAN FRANCISCO'S PACIFIC HEIGHTS tours over a hundred of the structures of one of San Francisco's richest neighborhoods, blending architectural observation with a social history of the city that is perfect for any California history library. Chapters survey changing ownerships, politics, and social life surrounding these structures, with line drawings by Kit Haskell rounding out the historical backgrounds.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



2. This is a wonderful presentation of many fabulous houses in San francisco. it is an easy read and very pleasurable.



3. If you love San Francisco and its neighborhoods, Gables and Fables is an outstanding entry to the list of fine books documenting Pacific Heights. This book offers a compilation of articles written with a light, engaging style reminiscent of your favorite tour guide. Pick it up, read a few vignettes and set it down entertained by an insiders' tour of some of the neighborhood's fascinating homes. Anne and Arthur Bloomfield captured the essence of San Francisco and its unique flavor that includes the stories and secrets behind the doors.
   
   The accompanying illustrations by Kit Haskell offer superb views of each subject. Sketched with care and an eye for architectural detail and flair, the artist captures the essence of the homes, buildings and architectural gems. An Illustration precedes every structure described by the authors, highlighting the topic and bringing it to life.
   
   Each section includes a hand-drawn map. Put on your own home tour for visiting friends and show off your knowledge of the city. This book ranks high on my list of must haves for San Francisco aficionados.