1 comments about The English House: English Country Houses and Interiors.

1. I found this book to be extremely resourceful when building my Georgian-style home; it gave me great decorating ideas. This book is full of knowledge and beautiful colorful pictures. It is a great source for English decorating.

No comments about The Architecture of Parking.

5 comments about Cabin Fever.

1. Cabin Fever has beautiful photographs reflecting the rustic cabin style. I found inspiration in its pages to guide us as we decorate our new cabin.



2. We spotted this gorgeous book in the lobby of one of our favorite restaurants and I just had to buy it for my husband. Since then, we moved to our dream log cabin in the woods, so now we're reading all about the beautiful log homes across the country, being inspired to settle in and make ours our own.



3. I have been searching for books for months now that would give me real life examples of cabin type homes to use in designing my country home. While there are a lot of books out there on small cabins, I was looking for a book that showed examples that I could incorporate into a larger home. This book is exactly what I was looking for! The photographs are beautiful and truly capture some of the key elements that make these homes special. The author has managed to find some of the best examples out there of truly beautiful, well designed log/natural material homes.

   In addition to the photographs, the narative is also quite entertaining. It helps the reader understand some of the thinking that went into the creation of these great spaces.

   If you are looking for a very enjoyable book with wonderful pictures of a vast collection of cabins (both small and large), then this is the book you have been looking for! I know it was for me; I already have dozens of ideas that I plan on incorporating into my, not so small, cabin. Enjoy!




4. Excellent book with great pirctures of rustic rooms and homes. Great decorating ideas!



5. A great coffee table book for your house or mountain cabin! Most of these "vacation homes" are nicer than our regular houses. Great to curl up with this book in front of the fire.

4 comments about Stone Primer.

1. A primer by definition is a book of elementary principals; to this end McRaven succeeded in his intent. The book is full of large color photographs of good masonry used to visually aide in making his points. There are several very good sections on tools required for the job, the type of stone to be used, how stone is moved on the jobsite by the lone mason, and how every mason should start by building dry stack structures to teach them the principals of friction, proper fitting, etc. While While he covers a great deal of projects including retaining walls, patios, dry stack walls, and paths, he severely glosses over three things I was the most interested in;designing and building mortared stone columns, mortared arches, and load bearing structural masonry. As stated above this is a primer, but there is virtually no attention paid these topics. There was scarcely more than a page of typed material about one of the most basic structural element: the arch. Compared with the several pages devoted to tool selection and personal stories of other masons I found that to be troublesome and part of the reason this book receives only 4 stars. I would recommend reading this book because it is thought provoking, and makes you want to go lay a dry stack retaining wall in your back yard, but not build an arch.



2. i now own a handful of books having to do with masonry and stonework, mcraven's 'stone primer' is so far the best. it's well written, his personality comes across nicely providing an enjoyable read. there are also loads of full color pictures of stonework in varying styles and locations. i'll be sure to reference this book often in the future for projects.



3. Of all of the McCraven books I think this is the best. It offers very solid technical information on the art and craft of stonebuilding as well as inspiring profiles on stone artisans and craftsmen working throughout the US. If you're thinking about or planning a stone project this book will provide both instruction and inspiration.



4. Stone work adds much to a property, whether it be in the form of a patio, staircase, wall, or fireplace - and stonemason and blacksmith author Charles McRaven here provides all the keys to incorporating stone into projects, from choosing between structures to putting together a stone barbecue, retaining walls, and much more. With color photos throughout, interviews with designers and homeowners, and keys to stoneworking success, STONE PRIMER is a top pick for any homeowner's library, and for general lending collections catering to handymen.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

No comments about Green Building Through Integrated Design (GreenSource Books; Green Source).

1 comments about Cost Analysis and Estimating for Engineering and Management.

1. The author of the book goes over the top in derivation in his calculations. It's almost as if he's trying to show off instead of keeping the math simple and relevant. However, considering the other books for this topic, there are no better.

5 comments about Country Houses of John F. Staub (Sara and John Lindsey Series in the Arts and Humanities).

1. What happens? Architectural schizophrenia. Staub was the best neo-classicist practicing in Houston, and in Texas, in the first half of the 20th century. His houses are lovely studies in delicate classical detailing, repeated to reveal truly grand scale. His art reached its full potential because it was generously patronized by wealthy Houstonians. This book tells that story, with gorgeous photography and politically loaded language.
   
   Now, enter the over-the-top deconstructionist archi-speak of the author, who can't decide if Staub was a real genius or just another imperial imitator. Quite annoying, really. This book should have been written by someone with an appropriate appreciation for scale, proportion, massing and form rather than another graduate from Lars Lerup's flake factory. P-L-A-S-T-I-C. Yeah, whatever.
   
   Bottom line: This book is for browsing more than reading, so you're more likely to notice the startling work of the architect than the distracting analysis of the author. It's a shame so few people appreciate the art of building anymore. Staub did, and he was a consummate artist, more disciplined than McKim, Mead and White and more original than, say, Atlanta's Neel Reid.
   
   Buy this book as a catalog and chronicle of the work of one of our country's most talented residential architects, and go to see the houses now before Houston has a chance to demolish them all.



2. My objections to 'Country Houses of John F. Staub' begin with the title. Why the Staub works included in the book are defined as "country houses" is quite unclear. The majority of these houses are in fairly dense urban/ suburban neighborhoods. While the architectural ancestry of many of the designs is that of English, American and even French country houses, Staub's works are very much in the mainstream of American suburban house design of the mid-twentieth century.
   I lived for many years in a neighborhood rich with Staub houses, and I have always loved them for their understated and impeccable design. The earlier book on Staub by Howard Barnstone has become a collector's item and I am lucky enough to have a copy which I have read and re-read many times.
   The current book, I am sorry to say, is virtually unreadable. Stephen Fox's text is laden with impenetrable sociological jargon with the thesis being, as far as I can tell, that the newly rich of Houston wished to reside in tastefully traditional houses. This 'insight' is belabored to the point of comedy. To read passages of this prose aloud will make you roll over laughing at the convoluted language used to explain the obvious.
   Sadly, the overwhelming sociological point-making of the text completely dominates the book, rather than discussion of Staub's space-planning, detailing and architectural imagery.
   Richard Cheek's photographs, however are positively stunning. For me, the ideal would have been a re-edition of Howard Barnstone's earlier book on Staub with the addition of Cheek's photography.



3. Many of us are subjected to the new mega mansions in our neighborhoods and in other areas of our city. It's not just the close in Arts & Crafts and cottages that were our once our modest childhood homes at stake anymore. Many historical structures by talented architects in Houston such as John Staub, Barnstone, etc are now be razed to build homes that more resemble bank buildings to satisfy the nouveau riche excess taste. Even in Texas, bigger is not always better. This book chronicles many of these homes that I once remembered in awe, but now gone forever. While globabl warming may be hoax, the loss of these beautiful homes is a reality that needs to be addressed. Great book for your library and memories.



4. John Staub's attention to detail as illustrated in this wonderful book was second to none. The book's wonderful illustrations showcase many of the architect's beautifully designed homes in Texas. These homes would be very suitable for construction in most parts of the country and would fit right in. The floor plans show Staub's designs for the upper middle class as well as the truly wealthy class of people and reflect the quality of detail and craftsmanship prevalant in the late 1920's and into the 1930's. I assure you, this book is an asset to anyone's library who is interested in architecture.



5. This book is a true tribute to Staub and the world he created for his clients--mostly Houstonians. It is a beautiful well illustrated book that gives you a historical paradigm for which to better understand and more appreciate the homes showcased within. Great for coffee table reading or for the serious student alike.

No comments about Proceed and Be Bold: Rural Studio After Samuel Mockbee.

No comments about 150 Best Loft Ideas.

5 comments about Environmental Land Use Planning and Management.

1. this is a useful book for environmental planners and people who are concerned with environmental planning. its full coverage of environmental issues can help to understand these problem well.



2. Not exactly what I was expecting, but will be used for desk reference.



3. A refreshingly different perspective on the environment, how planners and water resources engineers relate to it, and land development.
   
   A must have just because.



4. When I was to order a book on Environmental Land Use Planning and Management, there were plenty on Amazon.com! Then I found, Butlers notes on this book, which leads me to purchase.
   This book is a great one in this topic. For almost all environmental planning questions that you can find an answer in it. The book is rich in literature survey and is clearly written by a teacher; as the material is highly digested and understandable. I think, only a "Master" Can Explain things with simple words.
   Of course, with this much explanations on the enviromental landuse planning and management, you should not expect the details of several methodologis, But for sure you can find a reference to find your answer when details are necessities.



5. There is little doubt that this book is the result of decades of experience, research, and teaching on the part of its author. John Randolph has compiled a fantastic resource that is the first place I turn when thinking about, writing about, or doing research on land use planning and its impacts on the natural environment. The book provides a foundational understanding of ecosystems, landscape ecology, soil characteristics, hydrological systems, habitat, and more and then clearly explains how land use choices impact the natural world. Through numerous real world examples, easy to follow exercises, and in depth exploration of his topics, Randolph also guides us toward more responsible land use choices. The dozens of full color maps and pictures further enhance the quality of this informative text. It is a pleasure to read and promises to serve as one of the top references on this subject for years to come.