No comments about Modernity and the Classical Tradition: Architectural Essays 1980-1987.

3 comments about Monticello in Measured Drawings.

1. I cannot recommend this book. An architect might find some merit in it, but I don't. The format is so small one cannot make out many details in the drawings. The narrative is simply an homage to Jefferson, a man about whom I have read plenty and who continues to disappoint me. Like the man, this book falls short of it's promise.



2. I saw this book at Monticello and wish I had bought it. The drawings are crisp and fairly detailed. I would recommend it highly.



3. I purchased this book at Monticello, and any lover of architecture will enjoy this beautifully conceived work. The paper and print are gorgeous (reminiscent of Tufte's The Visual Display of Quantitative Information) - everyone I've shown it to can't stop looking at it. As a non-architect, at times I wished they had better defined some architectural terms, but overall the text is also quite good. If you enjoy aesthetically pleasing books, this beats almost every art book I've ever seen.

No comments about Country homes (The Worlds of Architectural digest).

No comments about Morocco : Designs from Casablanca to Marrakesh.

3 comments about The Los Angeles Watts Towers (Conservation and Cultural Heritage).

1. This book was better than seeing hte Watts Towers in person. I saw more in the book than I did when I visited. Plus the photos were taken when the Towers were in better repair.



2. I am a distant relative of Sabato Rodia, and I'm always on the lookout for information about him and his beautiful towers. This book has some of the most beautiful pictures I've seen of the towers, as well as lots of fascinating information about the man and his work.

   This book actually has something for everyone. If you're interested in the history of Los Angeles, this book offers an interesting slice of that history. If you're interested in the immigrant experience in America, you'll get a lot of that. If you're interested in pottery, tilework, sculpture, or visual arts of any kind, bingo. If you're interested in engineering, there's a bit of that as well.

   I've always felt Sabato Rodia was a genius, but I couldn't put words to how or why. After reading this book, I have a better understanding of why the Watts Towers are so miraculous. The story of the Watts Towers is a story of immigrant determination and the American Dream. It's a story about the power of one person. It's a story about the strength of community. It's a story for everybody. Read it and be inspired.




3. The Watts Towers are one of America's great unique works of folk art/ architecture. The Goldstones' book documents their mysterious construction, the battle for their preservation, and provides many color photographs. But the disappointment is that the authors are unable to provide much insight into Simon Rodia, the enigmatic immigrant who built this mosaic monument in his backyard and then just walked away from them. The Watts Towers are visually glorious, but also speak to the artistic vision in "ordinary people" and the importance of obsession.

No comments about Homes in Colonial America (Welcome Books).

No comments about Future Forms and Design for Sustainable Cities.

1 comments about Asymptote: Flux.

1. Don't be fooled by Rashid and Couture's slick graphics. Their oeuvre has more to do with the capabilities of computer graphics programs than it does with quality architectural spaces. And the writing is predicatable archi-speak blather carefully crafted to sound more important and serious than it is. Asymptote are one of the many anti-architecture, anti-humanist firms walking the hackneyed architectural walk these days. From the prentious table of contents to the predicatable collage graphics, this book is as commonplace as Starbucks, and offers about as much to urban design today. Give it a miss.

2 comments about Field Guide to America's Historic Neighborhoods And Museum Houses: The Western States.

1. This book is totally unique, I have never seen another guide like it. The author does not just focus on the big cities she covers smaller cities as well and in depth. The book covers well known historic neighborhoods in the Western states, with highly informative text. I found the book hard to put down. Being from the Houston area I was impressed with how well the author had researched Houston's best neighborhoods and I also appreciated the photographs of homes from each neighborhood, it gave the reader a visual and a feel for the houses in the neighborhood, I really cannot say enough good things about this book, it even maps the neighborhoods and shows the reader where they can find the museum homes. It truly is a field guide in the best sence and I highly recommend it, I have been waiting for the Eastern states for several years now, I hope that it gets done, because if it is half as good as this book I will be the first to buy it.



2. A beautifully done baedeker of historic information on settlement patterns and architecture of the American West. As in their other books, Lee and McAlester weave local historiography with the creation of venacular architecture into entertaining narrative.

   There are two apparent shortcomings: a relative dearth of good photos--for a quasi-reference work, there is simply not enough visual stimulation, and a highly cryptic reference system wherein the photo captions are not cross referenced properly with the notes. Otherwise, this is a book to be valued by those with an interest in housing and architecture.

1 comments about How to Design a Successful Petrol Station.

1. My review is slightly old bcos i read this book several years back. However just need to say that it was wonderful to understand the design elements and it did give me an excellent idea on the future petrol station designs