1 comments about Freewheeling Homes (The House That Jack Built Series).

1. Appropriately enough, a book about mobile living is economically sized, yet surprisingly luxurious. The photos are tempting, like the best food porn, and helpful besides. The small size makes it conveniant, and the illustrations are alluring. These little houses or wagons offer the comforts of home with the freedom of the open road. There's shepherd's wagons, gypsy vardos, airstream restorations, and a whole host of other options, each more enticing than the last. Brightly-colored, beautfully-constructed, and lit by stained-glass windows, these wagons make the comfiest of homes---and I'm biased toward the tiny myself----look cumbersome and dull.

2 comments about Architectural Surfaces: Details for Artists, Architects, And Designers.

1. This is a picture book for architects to illustrate various treatments, hundreds of various treatments for surfaces. Surfaces includes walls, facades, ornaments & moldings, columns & posts, windows, dorways, ceilings & roofs, floors & pavement. The concept is to show what has been done by others which can help in filling out their ideas about projects. And it is useful in showing or asking clients for their comments on proposed treatments.
   
   All in all there are some sixteen hundred photographs in the 350 or so pages of the book. The overall design of a building is the first thing that is noticed, but the surface treatment isn't far beyond. And unlike the design, the surfaces from the floor to the ceiling are covered in paint, carpets, drapes, dozens of different treatments. All in all, the surface finishing may be the most expensive part of the building.
   
   This is a reference book that belongs in any architectural library.



2. Judy A. Juracek's ARCHITECTURAL SURFACES: DETAILS FOR ARTISTS, ARCHITECTS AND DESIGNERS comes with a cd-rom and provides students and professional practitioners alike with a new addition to the 'Surfaces' series. Hundreds of different architectural features are portrayed in well over a thousand color photos which capture details and provide a subject organization for quick, easy reference. Professionals and students alike will appreciate the illustrated glossary of technical terms, and the wealth of illustration packs four to six good-sized photos on almost every page.

3 comments about Mechanical & Electrical Systems in Buildings (4th Edition).

1. This book is terrible. If you are a certified HVAC specialist, it is for you. However, if you are new to this then it is a total waste of money. Explanation is bad, example are nowhere relate to the section discussed. And worst of all, there is no answer keys. You will not have a clue if you are correct or not. Every chapter there are as least half of the review question are calculations, yet in each chapter there will be probably one page showing how calculation is done. Example one of the simplest thing:
   COP = Cooling Effect / Power Input. If you look up the index, you cannot find the word "cooling effect", find out whichever chapter they discuss, or show you how to calculate the "cooling effect".
   You are in luck if you do not have class that uses this book. You have bad luck if you have a "good" teacher that using this book. You are doom if you have a "bad" teacher who using this book, might as well drop it. Waste of time and money.



2. Very good book. Helps you understand the systems inside (and outside) of buildings in use everyday that most folks don't have a clue about. If you are interested in understanding how your building equipment functions this is a good book for you. Down to earth and well written. Recommend to property management personnel.



3. If ur stepping into the building services industry, this book will be a comprehensive packaged info for your reading pleasure. Includes lotsa real-life diagrams, plan routings, concepts and explanation. It's 4am over here in Singapore and I've just finished reading one of the topics, just imagine how attractive the contents this book has! However, the only and regretable drawback is: the units are empirical which make it very difficult for me for in my country, we use SI metric units.

3 comments about Japan Country Living.

1. Spectacular photographs serve to illustrate a view of Japan that is far different from the bustling cities. This represents three things to me:
   
   First is the fact that until recently Japan was a rural rountry. People lived a farming, fishing existance.
   
   Second, the sense of using natural surfaces: wood, fabric, thatch and some rudamentory manufactured items: paper, pottery, cast iron makes for a room appearance that we could all strive to find.
   
   Third, as with any architecture book, the ideas of style, decoration, and utility in a small space give one ideas that may well be applicable in housing designs that we may be considering.
   
   These houses have a utility and a simplicity that is all their own. It is great to see what they have done with simple items and a rather small amount of money. These are not the million dollar homes often seen in architecture books, these are lived in.
   
   Beautiful book.



2. Sigh, disappointed: poorly composed, lousy photos inside the covers make this book visually un-stunning. Houses and vignettes looked dull, close, shabby, untidy, underexposed, overshadowed, and only very rarely triggered a moment of interest. I felt that I've seen better Japanese country design books and magazine layouts, and I was truly disappointed. Feh.



3. This is an amazing book, as are all by Amy Katoh. I was lucky enough to live in Tokyo two doors away from her store, and visited it at LEAST weekly.

   She specializes in simple but beautiful "country craftsmanship," as opposed to the opulent, such as dress kimino, and such.

   Her knowledge of Japanese culture and her sensitivity has even awakened the appeciation of Japanese citizens who had previously taken their material culture for granted.

No comments about A New Theory of Urban Design (Center for Environmental Structure Series, Vol 6).

2 comments about Mixed-Use Development Handbook (Development Handbook series).

1. Excellent overview. If you're involved with Mixed-Use Development in any way, buy this book as a great reference! Shawn C, CCIM



2. 1. The book gives useful knowledge for beginners but if you have more than 2 years of industry experience you can forget it.
   
   2. Cases are limited to serveral and lack of Asian perspective.
   
   3. A great text book for new comers to real estate development.

No comments about The Field Guide to Lighthouses of the Pacific Coast: California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii (Field Guide).

5 comments about Stone Houses: Traditional Homes of Pennsylvania's Bucks County and Brandywine Valley.

1. I am probably a little biased, because I bought this book because my inlaws house is featured in it. However, it's a lovely addition to a collection for someone interested in historic (and scenic) older houses in this area.



2. This is a very pretty book and very well photographed. The choice of houses, however, left something to be desired and the writeups on the houses themselves were thin and more akin to a puffy decorator magazine than any kind of detailed study. The book also had utterly no floorplan sketches for any of the homes, which is really almost mandatory for an architecture book. Some of the houses selected were not of any particular merit nor were they even old. Most of the write-ups on the various houses had almost nothing to say about the architectural detail and history nor any kind of regional or sub-regional analysis. Some photos were selected obviously because they were "pretty" but had utterly nothing to do with Pennsylvania -- the New England chest on the back cover is a good example. It's a nice book to flip through but don't expect great depth.



3. I found it nice but inadequate, since actually useful information was small part of the lot, from an architectural point of view.



4. I have always thought the stone used on houses in the Philadelphia area was beautiful; it's warm and elegant. This book has crisp images and well researched, interesting text on these wonderful homes. If you have any interest in this subject then I highly recommend this book, you won't be disappointed.



5. This book contains a wonderful pictorial view of stone houses, better than I've ever seen. It includes all forms of construction and gives very informative descriptions of each style. The history related here is invaluable to the reader, as it takes you back in time. The pictures are full color and very articulately done. I found the colors presented in the homes helpful to me in restoring our stone house, built in the 1830's. This book is more than a "coffee table" book, it's a history lesson.

3 comments about Classic Thai: Design * Interiors * Architecture.

1. This is the perfect book for those who like some substance to their form. The writing is wonderful - I felt like I took a trip through time and through Thailand. The photos are beautiful as well because they aren't just the standard head-on shots, but interesting details and angles.



2. Having bought a large number of architectural books on Thailand, I can validate that this is the best so far. It is a well written book and definitely worth purchasing. I definitely recommend it for whoever has a passion for the decorative arts and for plain class Thai architecture. Definitely a gem.



3. I wish I had owned this book before my month long visit to Thailand three years ago. I received this book as a Christmas gift last year and really appreciated the insight it provides concerning the history, culture, and style of Thailand. Not only is it a gorgeous book with wonderful pictures but it also helped me to better understand Thai culture and style.

   It really helped me to better appreciate my experiences in Thailand.

2 comments about The Timberframe Way: A Lavishly Illustrated Guide to the Most Elegant Way to Build a Home.

1. Timberframe homes used to be known as post-and-beam homes: no matter what you call them, their popularity has only increased over the years - and THE TIMBERFRAME WAY covers the elements of design and construction which lend to timberframe enjoyment. From design to decoration which enhances timberfame appearance, plenty of color photos pack a room-by-room assessment of specs, appearance, and decor.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



2. The cozy timberframe home - also known as post-and-beam - is the one home design style that probably elicits more `longing for' than any other. Unfortunately, with cookie-cutter suburban developments plopping `bloated toad' houses on barren lots, not too many of us can escape to our lodge-like home. But we can sure lose ourselves in the dreams of owning one - or designing and building one. Now, good friend of our LivingHome.com site, Michael Morris, and Dick Pirozzolo, have produced with The Lyons Press 2003's most beautiful home living book, The Timberframe Way. This holiday we can't wait to sit around the fireplace in our way-more-ugly home than those pictured in the book and drool over every picture.