5 comments about Interior Desecrations: Hideous Homes from the Horrible '70s.

1. A certain picture of a rotating spit in the middle of a kitchen had me in stitches, i mean i ask you! only truly demented people would want to barbecue several chickens in the middle of their kitchen, must play havoc with the smoke alarm! Good fun though, buy the book ,feast your eyes on the hideous decor and laugh your socks off.



2. overall, i'm a big fan of lileks, but this is not his greatest book. it got really boring after a while and it felt like he wasn't even trying. the gallery of regrettable food and mommy knows worst are hysterical. definitely check out his website too.



3. "Sweet smokin' Jesus" just about sums up the only reaction you can have to this stuff. I absolutely hated the seventies and this book illustrates some of the reasons why. What disco music was to the ear these interiors are to the eye.
   I love James Lileks books!



4. 
   This is a very unique book because it compiles examples of the MOD ERA furnishing styles, and the very "fashionable" furniture & accessories from the early to late 1970's! LOL! ....Most photos will make you laugh out loud!
   
   As you flip through the pages, you'll be dumbfounded as to how people actually lived in those decorated 1970's homes! Example: the colors were so jarring,...just like some of the clothes were.... (Eg: flourescent orange and hot flourescent pinks throughout some our wardrobes and walls!! Ugh! ).
   
   Anyhow, you will find at least one example of a home that you may have lived in, or visited ,---- sometime in the 1970's.
   
   Also, the "cheapness" of some of the accessories truly comes through in this book's photos. You almost have to see the photos to believe them!
   
   Though some younger kids may be enjoying the "RETRO look" right now,however, in seeing the actual accessories (and WALLPAPERS) in this book, the younger generation may possibly understand why the 1970's style lasted such a short time & was forgotten for almost 20 years!!
   
   Lets' face it, the 1970s' were not known to be ultra-inspiring times in either the Fashion World nor the Decorating World. (Maybe the previous 1960's Fashions were indeed actually inspiring to many, --- but once Mary Quant and Biba closed it's doors in London, the quality went slowly down hill!... The Economic times, being a contributor to that downward spiral [Fashion] problem).
   
   So when you look at this book, you'll be reminded as to why we were so eager to FORGET those Autumn Golds,Hot Pinks, and Avocado Green colors of yesterday!
   
   RECAP: They way I look at this book, though, is that this book is indeed part of America's history!...It tells part of the story. Therefore, I'm glad I own it.



5. I've read this book several times and I laugh so hard I cry - every time! I'm a mid-century modern aficionado, but this stuff is all wrong. James' writing is all right!

1 comments about The Granite Garden: Urban Nature And Human Design.

1. I am somewhat new to reading books such as this for pleasure, but I read what I think will interest me. I was thrown at first by the title thinking that the book was going to be about hard scaping. Instead this book was a real eye opener to a lot of things we take for granted every day. Chapters titled soil, water, and air open up the reader to understand all that is envolved in making a city before you get to the buildings and people. I initally borrowed the book from the library while reading it but had to purchase a copy of my own for future reference. I give this book a high recommendation to anyone in the architecture or landscape fields.

1 comments about Contemporary Design in Detail: Sustainable Environments (Contemporary Design Details).

1. This is a good book, but the focus is not in the details, but in a overall description of each project.

4 comments about Ecological Design.

1. This was a great book. I received the books within a few days even though I had selected ground shipping. I would recommend to anyone with an interest in "green" building and design.



2. Everyday sightings in nature can be the basis for the designs we "create." This is especially true in the field of architecture and I am enjoying the book.



3. A new benchmark in ecological awareness. Sym van der Ryn has long been practicing ecological design, and draws on his wealth of experience to give readers many valuable insights into this growing practice. Van der Ryn warns readers to separate the wheat from the chaff as there are many persons claiming to be toeing the line when it comes to sustainable design, but few are actually doing it. What is needed is a whole new approach to eco-friendly architecture and planning development, not just more band-aids.

   The book takes a fairly general approach but there are numerous references for those really interested in pursuing the subject in more depth. He outlines his principles of ecological design which begins with gaining a better awareness of your locality, by looking into the ecological history of your community. Who knows your street may be where a stream once flowed, and that your storm drain in all likelihood flows into your water source, so be careful what you dump into it!

   Van der Ryn avoids the cliches and pieces together a compelling set of anecdotes and observations which will open you up the broad field of possibilities. The book is well researched and written, with the valuable assistance of Stuart Cowan, a former student of van der Ryn. It is imperative that we gain a better appreciation of our natural environment before adding any more to our built environment. Sustainable design is our only future.




4. This book is a good intro to the "why" of ecological design. It gives its informatiion in a non-technical way and explains the reasons we should approch design this way. I recommend it for all those involved with land and building design and development.

5 comments about Louis I Kahn.

1. great graphic and textual documentation, you can get a great insight of kahn's work: ground-plans, sections, sketches, drawings, photographs, including good explanations. a must-have



2. The great value of this book is in the very comprehensive coverage of Kahn's work and in the excellent reproduction of many drawings and photos. Taking all this wealth of material into account, the book has an affordable price.



3. If you are to have just one book on Kahn, and anyone seriously interested in architecture ought to have at least one, this is the one.



4. great analysis and resource but redrawn CAD version of orgininal drawings somehow reduces clarity and meaning of 2D drawing set (line weight and landscape should be better redrawn)



5. This book on Kahn is essentially a "sequel" to McCarter's incredible book on Wright. McCarter traces the details of Kahn's projects and often uncovers little-known but important works. Like the book on Wright, this book focuses on the unfolding of Kahn's architectural philosphy through his career via a study of his built and unbuilt works. This discussion is immersed in the details of each project.
   
   An unfair review of McCarer's previous book overlooked the fact that the lush descriptions and details are essential to grasping the architectual ideas and philosophy. I doubt the reviewer had the patience to work through the entire book. Often you need to study a floor-plan, then return to McCarter's text, then study it again to really understand McCarter is telling you. Thus this book is interactive; you must engage it as thoroughly as it engages you.
   
   Yay, the floor plans are larger! My only criticism is that McCarter should have kept the layout the same as the Wright book. Pages lacking page numbers, references to photos far from the photos themselves, sideways text (???) on chapter headings, image subtitles far from the images themselves, and "backtracking" to give overviews of a project all create confusion. Therefore I disagree with the amazon reviewer, I find the content to be wonderful, but the layout poor, unlike Kahn's works.
   
   I see many mentions of Le Corbusier. Perhaps another project for McCarter? I would buy it in a second.

1 comments about Architectural Regionalism: Collected Writings on Place, Identity, Modernity, and Tradition.

1. The intent of this volume was to construct a coherent history of the idea of regionalism from its many many supporting texts and ideas. It is an important collection of writing that covers the entire 20th Century intellectual history of Regionalism in Architecture and includes such authors as: Lewis Mumford, Le Corbusier, David Williams, Mary Colter, Pietro Belluschi, Christopher Alexander, Wendell Berry, Kenneth Frampton, Sigfried Giedion, Harwell Hamilton Harris, Richard Ingersoll, Benton MacKaye, John Gaw Meem, Richard Neutra, Paul Ricouer, Alan Colquhoun, Juhani Pallasmaa, among others (44 in all). Further, it considers Regionalism in an international context, particularly the developing world through the writings of Suha Ozkan (Middle East), Balkrishna Doshi (India), and Kenza Boussora (Algeria). In it are provided contextual introductions to each text and an introduction that attempts to place the discourse, as a whole in reasonable framework. The topics include: Regionalist theory, Referential Regionalism (1920s & 30s), Regional Modernism (1930s-1960s), Regional Planning, Bioregionalism, Critical Regionalism, and a set of essays that update and extend the discourse into the future via performativity theory, sustainability, and the socially-critical work of the Rural Studio.

5 comments about The Pentagon: A History.

1. The Pentagon by Steve Vogel was thrilling to read, as much for its style as its substance. This is an in-depth history of "the building of the building," the problems, the personalities, and the product. It is one of the best books I have read recently. I highly recommend it.



2. More like a fast-paced adventure thriller than the narrative history that it is. With bigger than life characters, and the US' entry into WWII as a dramatic backdrop, the story of the sheer scope of the effort is fascinating in its own right. Intended from the start to be a no-nonsense government building, even the building's shape transcended the original location's restrictions to be a serendipitous boon to modern office design and efficiencies. The book has many amazing nuggets, not least being the fact that it was finished in less time than it took to repair the 9/11 damage, using relatively primitive construction technology, and during an increasingly acute labor shortage as the US moved to a war footing. Learning how to manage the project led to many other production successes, including the Manhattan Project. Highly recommended on several levels: An amazing and true story; invaluable lessons in project management; the role of politics and ego; and how amazing things can be accomplished when any group works as a team.



3. I think it best to keep reviews short. I rate this work five stars. I found it utterly fascinating. Unlike some reviewers, I thought the author did a superb job in portraying the characters involved in the construction and also in handling the historical period involved during the construction. I enjoyed so much all the attention to detail the author provided.



4. Steve Vogel has written a fascinating account of how this iconic building was conceived, designed and built. Well written, filled with larger than life characters and detailed descriptions of political infighting in Washington, it is also a history of America's military engagements - from Pearl Harbor and World War II to September 11th and the global war on terror.
   
   This excellent book aptly illustrates the maxim that "where there is a will, there is a way."



5. This book is very readable and historically accurate. It gives some amusing and interesting insights into the building of the Pentagon - not only with respect to the practical problems that had to be over-come but also the personalities involved in getting it built. I found this book to be enjoyable and informative.

No comments about Nature, Landscape, and Building for Sustainability: A Harvard Design Magazine Reader (Harvard Design Magazine).

2 comments about Robert Smithson: The Collected Writings.

1. The interviews are what stand out more than anything. The conversation between Smithson and Kaprow is really worth checking out. Anyone who will be having a show of their own should at the very least flip through this book. Also sheds some light into Smithson's early work (some text based things and a few paintings and so forth). Who would have thought that it would be a fun read too?
   This is the kind of collection you can return to again and again.



2. Bought this book for research, a lot to read, all photos are black and white.

5 comments about The Elements of Style: A Practical Encyclopedia of Interior Architectural Details from 1485 to the Present.

1. It tastes delicious, but leaves you hungry.
   
   the book is stunning. the pictures are inspiring. the information is rich. it covers a lot of time
   
   now i want a book just as thick for each of the particular styles that are covered so i can actually learn and delve.
   
   
   still, its a great start.



2. When this turned up on my doorstep, I got a real shock! I bought it as a reference book, something to "look things up in" from time to time, as needed. But, I found myself going through it, page after page after page. I couldn't put it down. It is jam packed with information, excellent drawings, photographs, text. I have nothing bad to say about it. The book is well bound, the paper excellent quality. Worth every cent.



3. As an Architectural Illustrator in black and white media, this book has been an invaluable reference tool. As a Librarian, no Library should be without this book. The only thing that one could wish for is that it was a multi-volume set with many more pages to peruse, like a novel you don't want to end.



4. EVERY STYLE IS FIRST DESCRIBED IN TEXT + PICTURES, FOLLOWED BY DETAILED DRAWINGS + PICTURES FOR WALLS, CEILINGS, DOORS, WINDOWS, FLOORS, FIREPLACES, STAIRCASES, BUILT-IN FURNITURE, LICHTING, WOODWORK, METALWORK AND SERVICES (STOVES, BATHTUBS ETC.) A MUST HAVE FOR EVERY INTERIOR DESIGN STUDENT - CUTS YOUR RESEARCH TIME IN HALF - A GREAT DESIGN TOOL TO USE FOREVER - A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE - INCL. AN EXTENSIVE DIRECTORY OF SUPPLIERS AND USEFUL ADDRESSES, TERMS - EVEN SHORT BIOGRAPHIES OF ARCHITECTS/DESIGNERS THRU THE AGES. GREAT BUY FOR THE MONEY!



5. This book will save the theatrical designer a lot of time. It provides just the right amount of detail to get you going on the right track. This book is the first thing you should open when designing a period piece. My research time has been cut drastically. This is perfect for the junior high or high school teacher who doesn't have the time to spend hours and hours at the library. The drawings are wonderful. This book is worth its weight in gold.