3 comments about Hamptons Havens: The Best of Hamptons Cottages and Gardens (Hamptons Cottages & Gardens).

1. A lovely book with interesting stories but I was after beach gardens and there are very few. The title is misleading as it is from the magazine by this name.



2. This is a beautiful book which is as entertaining to read as it is to gaze at the pictures! I would have appreciated it more had all the houses featured been in a similar style to the one on the cover. There is quite a large spectrum of different designs. I wished they had presented more photographs of each individual home, but overall there is plenty to feast your eyes on.



3. The book was purchased for an anniversary gift for my daughter who resides on one of the Hamptons. She liked the book and even was familiar with the owner of the garden on the cover.

5 comments about Underground Buildings: More Than Meets the Eye.

1. This book is "THE BOOK" if you are looking for non-technical aspects of underground buildings. Great photos, excellent commentary!



2. This is not your typical Underground House book. The author gives examples of building underground businesses, schools, offices, storage, stores, museums, theatres, sports complexes, military facilities and residences. And explains their history and why they do or do not work.
   
   The photos are quite good and there are also some blueprints of a few underground structures. There are also two chapters on the theory and ins and outs of building underground.
   
   I think the author should have made this book more global, because it could have been titled Underground Buildings of the United States.
   
   I'll still give it 5 stars though, because I think she did a good job in accomplishing what she set out to do. I do hope she comes out with a sequel that is more global in its coverage.
   
   This book should be a must read for any architect.



3. At $29 or less, this book is being given away. This is a museum-quality book in terms of the paper, the photographs, the lay-out, and the cover.
   
   I bought this book in part because land is becoming extremely scarce around the great universities and the central business districts, and I was looking for something to help me think through how to persuade a university to let me put a building into a hill or under a playing field.
   
   This book does that. It is a very fast read, the photographs are priceless--worth 10,000 words each as the Chinese would say--and the only thing I did not find in this book were architectural specifics and photos of underlying infrastructure (pump rooms, air cleaning rooms, etc.)
   
   If you are contemplating the need for squeezing a building into an area that is down to the "do not disturb" green space, or if you are contemplating how to exploit existing mines, caverns, or other underground options, this exquisite book is not only useful as a tool for reflection, it will help you "make the sale" to skeptical others you have to get on board.
   
   The author provides a list of 50 places to visit with addresses, telephone numbers, and web sites, a fine resource section for more reading, and an excellent index.
   
   This is an all-around world-class book that is easily worth $49 or more.



4. This book has many short, easy-to-read sections about general topics relevant to building underground, and about many specific examples in the United States. Unfortunately, there is not room to go into much detail about all the examples, but this book is definitely a good starting point. Well illustrated with color photographs.



5. This book is filled with wonderful pictures that augment the authors descriptions of underground buildings. She writes with wit and demonstrates that undergound buildings have many benefits, including financial and asthetic ones. This book is well worth a read as a detailed resource of information on this topic, as well as being an entertaining "coffee table" book. She explores this issue, which is more common than the average person would believe, and takes it to the next level.

2 comments about Interior Construction & Detailing for Designers and Architects, Third Edition.

1. Has lots of tables and charts, and is adequately explained. The author also writes study guides for standardized architecture tests, and that pretty much sums up the style: no opinions, just facts. Very thorough though. Personally I don't need a whole chapter on locks, but I suppose there are those who do. Presentation and graphics are a bit low-rent for an architecture book.



2. This book should be on the shelves of every interior designer- it's so thorough that it's a little cumbersome at first. It should be used as a reference book, it gives chapter-by-chapter explanations on the specifics for the construction and application of windows, casegoods, partitions, etc. If there is ever any doubt in a designers mind as to how exactly something is constructed or works when it comes to the specifics of interior design, this book's for you.

5 comments about One Thousand New York Buildings.

1. This just might be the most awesome book about my hometown of NYC. The artwork is fabulous and this book is put together so well. Its shown me things I never saw. I think being a tourist in your own town is great.



2. I'll disregard the book's one glaring omission--Saarinen's TWA Terminal at JFK is not included--and give it a five. Well written.



3. The title might have been 1,000 of the BEST buildings in New York City. No city in America, and few the world over, contain the mind-boggling ensemble of outstanding urban architecture, both historic and modern, as does New York City. This city is a national and world treasure, and all of Manhattan SHOULD be a UNESCO World Heritage site, but, alas... There's simply no comparison possible. This book is a survey of 1,000 outstanding structures in the city, properly chosen in my opinion, each including a black & white photograph and short descriptive essay. With so much wonderful material from which to choose, the book is a real feast of architectural goodness! Because it isn't as exhaustive as White & Willensky, it is more thorough in coverage of the selected buildings. It's well put together. Good buildings. Nice photography. Well written short essays. Covers the five boroughs well.
   
   America's peninsular cities; San Francisco, New York, Charleston and Boston also happen to contain the best architecture. Hmm...



4. and come back and sit and look at this book.
   
   Bet you missed a lot on each street.
   
   Then go out again and do it all over.
   
   A real treat.



5. Every once in a while I'll walk down a street of my busy city and spot a building that I'd never seen before, or, if I had seen it, never paid it much mind. But something about it--its age or its architecture--tells me that there's a story to be told about it. Judith Dupre, Bill Harris, and photographer Jorg Brockmann in their monumental book, "One Thousand New York Buildings", fill in the gaps left behind in the AIA books.
   
   There are hundreds of buildings that, for whatever reason, have escaped landmark status and/or the attention of New Yorkers. Although "One Thousand New York Buildings" does discuss the familiar structures, like the Empire State Building, the Woolworth Building, and Grand Central Station, it also devotes equal time to those that have been ignored or overlooked. What are those tiny, Colonial style houses on Harrison and Greenwich Streets? How old is that building at 2 White Street? Who lived in those somber buildings at 130-132 MacDougal Street? "One Thousand New York Buildings" answers these and hundreds of other questions. In this sense, this book is much like "New York Streetscapes: Tales of Manhattan's Significant Buidlings and Landmarks" by Christopher Gray and Suzanne Braley, in as much as it pays equal tribute to the famous and not so famous structures.
   
   One last note, this is a solidly put together book. The binding is sturdy, the paper thick and glossy, and the photos are clear and intriguing. It as well constructed as the buildings they pay homage to.

5 comments about Hollywood At Home (Architectural Digest).

1. This book is just sumptous! A wonderful look into the lives of Hollywood legends via color and b&w photos. I especially like the older stars featured: Carole Lombard, Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, etc. I have most of the Architectual Digest magazines featuring Hollywood stars, but this book includes additional photos for some of the stars and is presented so beautifully that even those who own the mags should get a copy. Printed on heavy glossy stock, this is an oustanding book that every Hollywood fan should have in their library!



2. I saw Hollywood At Home from Architectural Digest advertised one day on HGTV and I was interested in getting it. Occasionally it's fun to take a peek into a celebrities life, which is what this book is all about. There are celebrities from mostly past and some present including Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, and John Travolta. Perhaps my high hopes made it difficult for me to truly enjoy this book. I was expecting there to be more celebrity homes showcased or perhaps show more pictures of the homes of the celebrities they did spotlight. I've read Architectural Digest many times and I have been more impressed with their single issues than this book. I did enjoy seeing John Travolta's home photos and his amazing wall of aviation. Overall, the photos were decent, most of them culled from archives. If you're into some of the celebrities that are featured in this book then I highly reccommend it. If you're expecting any mind blowing architectural insight, then this is not the book for you.



3. The book arrived in a timely manner in good condition.
   Beautiful photos and lots of inside
   information about some of Hollywood's greatest.
   It's a great book!



4. Architectural Digest has done a fantastic job in creating this book. They have taken some of their best features from their superb magazine on Hollywood's stars and their homes and compiled it into this great book. The stories feature stars from the golden age up to the present time. I highly recommend it! It also makes a great gift!



5. First of all let me state unequivically, I love Architectual Digest, and this book is a dream for those of us who do. The houses vary, some are opulent, some are modest, most are in between. You get a feel for the real person behind the star fascade and because Architectural Digest has been in circulation for so long, some of old guard Hollywood is on display here as well as the more current stars. It's interesting to see the juxisposition of the era's. Highly recommended to anyone with any interest in this subject.

4 comments about Barns: Living in Converted and Reinvented Spaces.

1. If you have an old barn and want to get some ideas and inspiration for making a lovely living space without sacrificing the integrity and charm of the original, this book is not for you. I wish I had seen the review that appears before mine before I bought it. Soulless says it all. And most of the barns pictured are in Europe, to boot, except for one in Charlottesville that is so over the top, I thought I was looking at a cardboard model at first. This would be a great book if you have an airplane hangar you want to convert, but spare the barns.



2. Lovely pictures of completely souless houses. Almost without fail, the buildings depicted started as gorgeous rustic barns, were stripped of every bit of character (with the exception of some beam-work), and populated with cold modern furniture. There is no warmth, character, coziness, or sense of home in any of them. They are carefully sanitized, and devoid of any sense of history. I can assure you that if I get to do a barn conversion, it would look nothing like any of the barns in this book. This book is inspirational--it tells me what NOT to do.



3. Excellent - very informative but not too 'interior designed'!
   My son is doing up an old house in Michigan and together we found some very good and sensible ideas to think about.



4. Good book overall if your intentions are to learn what architects and builders have done to old barns in converting them into modern and contemporary homes. Or a modern day interpretation of old barn design using todays style and building practices. Thankfully for most of the barn renovations mentioned, the authors did a good job in marrying the fine attributes that the old buildings possess with the modern styles and comforts that is required to make them habitable. All the pictures are exquisite, sharp and in good detail. I found the book an excellent idea source for my own pending barn renovation.

5 comments about Good House Cheap House: Adventures in Creating an Extraordinary Home at an Everyday Price.

1. I thought this book gave great examples of exactly what the book description led it to be. I'm surprised by some of the more negative reviews such as "this book features only modern style houses." It seems you could have figured that out from the photo on the front. It obviously is not a traditional house. Besides that fact, you shouldn't give it a bad review because of the style of the houses in the book. You could apply the ideas with any style you would prefer.
   
   I will agree it would have been nice to see some floor plans though, to see what the people were working with. Overall, I think this is a great book though.



2. How many times have my notions of my dream house been dismissed with "Who could afford that?" Start with a concept and figure out a way to make it work affordably.With willingness to spend time, research effort, and exploration, many dream concepts can become reality. I can't wait.



3. Lovely book, love the idea, got some great ideas for my remodel. However, the author makes clear that one of the most cost-savings measures the owners took, house after house, was to do the work, or some of it, themselves. That's great, if you already work with concrete or metal or can use autoCAD, but for the rest of us, it makes some of the ideas as expensive as before. In addition, the author relied on pictures in the book, which is always great, but the text didn't really cover all of the cost-savings ideas seen in the pictures. Going through the book, I kept wanting more and more detail.
   
   Also, the plywood, IKEA cabinets and concrete are used over and over. Now, I love and plan to use all three, but it's not like the author shows us new ideas with each house.



4. The book has some very good, inexpensive ways to update your home.definately worth the price !



5. Most of the book dealt with improving existing construction, not building new .... & most of it was very modern & brightly coloured.

5 comments about AIA Guide to New York City.

1. This book may seem like nothing more than a tourist guide to New York City, but that assumption could not be further from the truth. This book is insightful, interesting and very eye opening, even to myself who has lived in NYC for some time. It helped me appreciate this city as a living work of art, a place where every style of architecture comes together on a truly unique canvas.
   
   A real selling point are the walks outside of Manhattan that this book offers. This shows off a side of New York hardly ever covered by other book or looked into by tourists, and it is very interesting.
   
   The pictures are few and far between, and not large enough to give you an in depth look at the buildings described, but the walks layed out in the book are well organized, easy to follow and very interesting.
   
   Buy this book and go explore one of the greatest city in the world!



2. This guide really opens up a perspective of Manhattan with tons of information on architecture and building styles. It gets you thinking about the structures that you see every day. I am learning a lot from it.



3. This book is the benchmark for books of this type. It doesn't just focus on Manhattan, it does justice to the wonderful architecture in the other buroughs. It is just amazing how many great buildings this city has, the book just goes on and on. The quality of the book is first rate and the pictures, though B&W, are crisp, though understandably small. The latest update was 2000, so the World Trade Center is mentioned as extant, and some of the newer buildings in N.Y., like Time Warner and Bloomberg are not mentioned, but that is for the next update I suppose, New York is ever changing.



4. What can we say about New York that hasn't been said? It's an awesome place, and its architecture is truly astonishing in scope, diversity and importance. This book is a selective catalogue of the City's most beloved historic buildings, with a sprinkling of important modern structures as well. I say "historic" because this guide just happens to be that way. There are some conspicuous gaps in the presentation of important modern buildings, which probably reflects the artistic preferences of the editors, but all of the most well-known modern architects are appropriately represented.
   
   This is a book for architectural historians, curious cultural tourists and general readers. The entries are many, so the words included with each are few. Readers are not treated to long narrative histories of imporant landmarks but, rather, to a book that is exceptionally wide and quite shallow. This is what one generally expects from AIA-sponsored guides, so there should be no surprises. There are tiny monochrome photographs with almost every entry, but their small size limits the reader's ability to get a good mental image of the building. Buy this book to take New York's lovely historical architecture with you wherever you go. And by all means, go to see it! No city on earth even comes close.
   
   Latest edition is 2000, so World Trade Center towers are included.



5. I have been a New Yorker all my life and thought I'd known it all. There were buildings/structures that I knew to be older than most and probably landmarks, but never got around to checking them out. Then I picked up the AIA Guide to New York City sometime in 2001. Ever since, I have kept it with me at all times: in my back pocket, my briefcase, my jacket... Sometimes I go to some of these places in advance, with the intent of looking at them after I'd read about them. Other times, when on my way to or from work or lunch, I will see a building, stop, and look to read about what it is. My hunches aren't always correct, of course: not all the buildings I think are landmarks are. But I always keep this Guide on hand to find out.

4 comments about Kelly Hoppen Style: The Golden Rules of Design.

1. I was looking for some basic good advice for smart, clean interior design aesthetics...this book met those standards in a beautiful and sensitively assembled book. My only criticism is that the styling that Kelly shows is a high design with contemporary attributes - not very relevant to many other kinds of decorating challenges. I have an early 1900s home with standard ceilings, wood trim and smallish rooms - not very similar at all to Kelly's gorgeous and mostly spacious examples. I will have to work a little harder to envision the golden rules being applied to my humble abode.



2. I realize this may not be the most helpful, or relevant of comments but... I was actually quite bothered by the tone of this author's writing. She is, in my opinion, elitist and arrogant. With comments such as "many people try to immitate me, unsuccessfully" or statements to the tune of "I'm more skilled in this than most", I had to devote a lot of energy to focusing on the message, and not the messenger.
   
   And speaking of the message, I was drawn to this book because this style really resonates with me. I realize that most of the photographs inside the book demonstrate composition, and not necessarily the way you would find somebody's livingroom arranged on a Thursday morning after they've left for work, but I believe that, although seeing realistically decorated interiors is important to some, personally, I prefer to see design that is devoid of the truly personal touches that we should all be responsible for ourselves. After all, I don't need inspiration to figure out where to place my coffee or newspaper every morning.



3. I found the photographs in this book to be beautifully presented. It is a minimalist's dream book, clean lines, nothing over done, with rooms full of texture, beauty, and elegance. Nothing overstated, like a fine aged wine, or great architecture. The author, Kelly Hoppen, offers refined elegance, no kitsch.



4. In the introduction (pg.6) Ms. Hoppen notes, that after 11 September..."a perfect show house no longer mattered. Having a home that really was a home that really was a home did." So I wonder why all the really gorgeous photographs in this book really do not demostrate that people actually live in these homes. The rooms are devoid of individual personality and really do appear to be perfect show rooms. Personal artifacts are removed from the photographs, replaced with props and items that are fabricated for Ms. Hoppen and for sale on links on her web sites or by the vendors listed in the "Address Book" section of her book (read product placement). With that said there are a worthwhile morsels in this book and the photographs are wonderful, especially if you are looking for interesting and minimal examples of door and window trim, floral arrangement ideas, or you are designing a spiral staircase. The text portion of the book is very useful for the design process of building a home and the photographs seem to be blue prints come to life, but without any sentimental indications of the lives of the people who might be moving into these homes. The window treatment section should be licenced by Smith and Noble and used in their catelog.

2 comments about Designing the Sustainable School.

1. The book was a little pricey for my budget - but turned out to be well worth the expense! The range of school designs and locales provide great examples and were extremely helpful to me as I am working on a dissertation about school design. Finding up to date school design information - especially high performance school design, is quite difficult. This book made that so much easier. I also recommend the Prakash Nair Design Patterns for schools book.



2. Good for architects and for clients.
   
   1)Architects:
   This book is an excellent resource for sustainable architecture in general in addition to sustainable school design. It looks at 40+ buildings from around the world and in various architectural styles, discussing natural lighting, innovative HVAC systems, rainwater capturing and re-use, siting, natural ventilation, solar heating and cooling and many other systems. The buildings range from a community built clay brick building in rural Africa to modern high design.
   A great resource when designing your own project (house, school, whatever building type) in terms of brainstorming how to incorporate sustainable design systems. Also excellent for taking the next research step of comparing a variety of approaches to each individual system, and the book ends with a list of websites for further info. A valuable and inspiring find!
   
   2) Clients:
   A very helpful review of a wide variety of sustainable systems, it covers buildings of all budgets and styles. There is a list of the architects of each of the buildings, but the book can also be used for getting some useful background to help in working with an architect of your choosing.