5 comments about Paul Rudolph: The Florida Houses.

1. This book is an wonderful mix of photographs, drawings and text that give great insight into the work of Rudolph's understanding of the Florida's climate and the technology available in his day. It is a must for anyone seriously interested in modern architecture. What an amazing architect, what an amazing book!



2. I have the hardcover version of this book, and I must say the graphic design, color, printing, editing, text, and even the dimensions of the all seem wonderfully appropriate. I know the format of this, The Florida Houses, is similar to that of The Late Work in the same series; however it is far more successful when showcasing the building logic and detail elegance in early work of Rudolph and Twitchell than the later "brutal" style Rudoplh explored.
   
   A total package as well as totally classy. I suggest the hardcover.



3. surpreendent phase of this great american architect.
   the book explain small buildings with great significations.



4. I found myself becoming nostalgic looking through the pages of this book. Having grown up in Florida, I was stunned to see that the house I lived in had been a knock-off of one of Rudolph's houses. His early Florida houses were widely emulated for their clean lines and passive solar designs. It is an impressive collection, and illustrates the lighter side of Rudolph before he became caught up in the monumental forms that dominated the latter part of his career.

   You might call him the John Lautner of Florida, creating a lifestyle as much as an architecture. You could see Travis McGee laying back in one of these houses, drinking a beer as he waits for the elusive flash of green. Rudolph really captured the spirit of Florida in the 40's and 50's. Simple, well-thought out designs that are as relavent today as they were then.




5. As the Case Study program got under way in southern California, Rudolph launched his own from his office in Sarasota on FloridaÕs Gulf coast. For two decades (with time off for U.S. Navy service) he created (first with Ralph Twitchell and then independently) a succession of airy pavilions that mitigated the steamy heat and filtered the brilliant light. In Ezra StollerÕs crisp period photographs these houses seem almost dreamlikeÑtoo graceful and pure to endure storms and the crass consumerism of waterfront development. And yet, despite the pressure of escalating land prices and the cult of gigantism, most of these houses have survived in their original form, and several have been lovingly restored. Every aficionado of mid-century modern should buy this elegant volume. (Michael Webb is the book reviewer for LA Architect magazine.)

2 comments about Medical and Dental Space Planning: A Comprehensive Guide to Design, Equipment, and Clinical Procedures.

1. This book is Excellent in every regard! A MUST HAVE for anyone thinking of planning a medical or dental office space. It is very detailed with great photos! The author provides great resources as well through her company's website. It is definitely worth the investment!



2. this book is excenlent describes the medicasl procedures and what spaces to design for them, covers radiology, surgical suites, nuclear medicne and medical spaces for dentist it was a big help , an it even comes with plant layouts that you can really see how the facilities work!

1 comments about Great Houses of New England.

1. My wife received it as a gift and is enormously happy. What more can I say?

5 comments about Roofing The Right Way.

1. Like many roof texts, this one is helpful if you are installing plain 3-tab shingles to a simple gable roof with maybe a valley and a dormer.
   
   If you have a hip roof or hip roof section, or if you are installing shingles other than a plain 3-tab type, this text won't help you much.
   
   I'm a chronically addicted do-it-yourselfer for everything. I learn everything by gathering multiple texts on a subject: electronics, mechanics, carpentry, among others ... and now roofing.
   
   I think that no single textbook tells you all you need to know about anything so I have to recommend that you not rely on just one text for your roofing project. With that in mind, let me say that this text I'm reviewing titled "Roofing the Right Way" is helpful towards broadening your roofing knowlege base but it's not comprehensive enough to be your "bible."
   
   As another reviewer has said, this text feels, to me also, a little dated. However, if you are installing plain 3-tab shingles or plain roll roofing to a simple gable roof, you might be able to rely on this text alone. Not many of us fall into that category, however. If you are installing dimensional shingles on a hip roof, you'll definitely need other texts besides this one.



2. This book does a decent job of explaining roofing to the novice. It covers all the basics of planning, tear-off, prep, and installation, including a variety of specific types of roofs and sections. It felt a bit dated to me as it has very limited coverage of laminated (architectural) shingles and use of power nailers. There is a greater amount of detail on hand-nailing and alternative traditional materials than you see in some other books. The pictures are all in black-and-white which makes it very hard to tell what is supposed to be conveyed. More drawings or color photos would make things easier, particularly given that some of the methods are complex and the descriptions aren't always written clearly. All-in-all this book is adequate to the task for most do-it-yourselfers, but may not be ideal depending on your specific project.



3. This book is loaded with helpful pictures to assist any DIY with a roofing project. I gave it only 4 stars because the BUR section is too brief with no cold app section and the use of cap nails is pictured but not in text for BUR. The book was still helpful in many areas that are part of BUR. If you are doing shingles, buy this book. If you are doing BUR, buy this book and consult your manufacturer's website and technical division for installation instructions and questions.



4. This book has much info on traditional roofing methods, but if you want useful, up to date info on applying metal roofing, forget it! In this whole book, there are only a handful of pages dedicated to metal roofing( and even they appear outdated). I was very disappointed ...had nothing useful on metal roofing!



5. Because to date 25 of 26 people found misleading comments submitted by a "reader from upstate New York" to be "helpful," I would like to respond. I assure you that the upstate New York reader's comments are completely without merit. Apparently, this individual never actually took the time to read my book. No text, caption, or illustration in my book promotes "poor roofing techniques" or "directs you to flash with roofing cement." My book describes accepted roofing-industry practices and proven techniques. Such standard industry practices includes the appropriate, limited application of roofing cement to enhance the weatherproofing of metal or other roof-surface flashings. For unbiased comments about my book, please see the many posted editorial reviews from sources such as the New York Times, Washington Post, and Midwest Book Review.

1 comments about Crystal Cove Cottages: Islands in Time on the California Coast.

1. From the dust cover of this beautiful book to the last pages, readers are treated to beautiful photography, copies of lovely paintings, and a narrative about the history of this unique place on the CA coast. The book is divided into time frames starting in 1917 and continuing to 2001. Each segment gives the reader a glimpse into the recent past, of simplier times and the quest for life on the CA seashore. This book is very readable, a feast for the eyes and one that will join my permanent collection of very special books. Suitable for display as a prized coffee table book.

2 comments about Renzo Piano Building Workshop: Complete Works, Vol. 4.

1. This is a great book for people who appreciate architecture, professors, students etc. Renzo Piano is a amazing architect and this books reflects some of his best works and some his recent projects.



2. beautifull and complete book about of an important phase of the work of this great architect.

No comments about Quick Guide: Stairs & Railings: Step-by-Step Construction Methods (Quick Guide).

No comments about Luxury Houses Seaside (Luxury Books).

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.