No comments about Historic Preservation Technology: A Primer.

2 comments about Financial Management for Design Professionals: The Path to Profitability.

1. Baker's Pro-Guide Lip Balm SPF-15 (Cherry) 3-PACK
   
   This is a great book for both the finance savy and those struggling to get a grip on your company finances. I would highly recommend it for any architect, engineer or graphic design firm; but know that the principles are easily applied to any business. Like a good foundation the authors starts at the beginning and builds to your end goal with each chapter. The most valuable aspect of this book is that the material was presented in a way that is easy to understand, even while watching TV. What would make the book better? I would suggest a section on applying the strategies with QuickBooks. Since the majority of small to medium design firms use QuickBooks for their accounting it would have been really helpful if the book had presented example companies with charts of accounts, budgets, P&L, profit plan, etc using QuickBooks software. Even if your firm is profitable I would recommend reading this book to help you find those subtl;e areas in your business where you can make improvements.



2. As a busy Architect who did not double major in business, this book not only helped me understand how to really know how my company was (or wasn't) doing financially, it helped me communicate what my Accountant needed to know (he did not double major in Architecture.) I highly recommend this book to all Sole Proprietor Architects who want to know how much money they need to keep the ship floating! Good luck!

1 comments about New Classicists: Ken Tate (New Classicists).

1. This book includes many semi-opaque illustrated papers that are pasted or taped to the bound pages. It's a nice idea, but the paste and/or tape in my copy arrived dried out so that the inserts are loose, and the acids or oils in the glue seeped through the paper so the inserts are also blemished. I'm assuming this was a design flaw, and did not just affect my copy. Did anyone else have this problem? Aside from this disappointment, this is a pleasant and attractively laid out picture book of one architect's expensive new dwellings using classical idioms. In my opinion, best suited for fans of the types of showplaces that are favored by Architectural Digest.

No comments about Renzo Piano Building Workshop: Complete Works - Volume 5 (Renzo Piano Building Workshop) (Renzo Piano Building Workshop).

1 comments about Farm Houses: The New Style.

1. I love farmhouse style, and there have been some noteworthy books recently that have amazing images and really help to articulate what is so compelling about the form. This is not one of them.
   
   "The Farmhouse" is a beautiful, useful book. Buy it.
   
   But Farm Houses: The New Style is not a peer. It is not tragic, but it really pales in comparison.

5 comments about 500 Cottages.

1. Very interesting. Enjoyed looking at all the cottages featured in the book. Mostly in California though.



2. This is a wordless picture book for adults that show images of cottages and Victorian homes. The pictures are nice, although some look particularly dated/old. The only item listed next to the picture of each home is the location - no date of construction or architect or anything else. The drawback of this book is also the limited scope - every other picture is from Chico, CA or the San Francisco Bay Area; there is a very small spattering of homes from other places. The photographer really limited himself to the West Coast, so the book is definitely lacking in that respect. The book is very small and compact, and I'd recommend browsing it at the library and not purchasing it.



3. This collection of outstanding photography of eclectic houses will take you out of your living room and offer you a stroll through the scenery.



4. Wow... well I must say that I really feel "taken"!! Both Taunton Press and Keister have done excellent work in the past, so I did not think twice about purchasing the book... Unfortunately I did not pay attention to the SIZE! I fully expected this to be a picture book because that was how it was advertised. But I assumed it would be 8"x10" like similar Taunton publications. Did it do what it set out to do? Yes. It is a picture book about cottages. I did not expect the book to be 5" x 6" -- less than half the size of normal books. This is a "post card book". Buyer Beware-- This book is tiny!



5. This is a small book with a lot of delightful images. To me it feels like sitting down in Doug Keister's studio and rummaging through a box of photos. The houses aren't in order so if you see one you like, you may come across it again from a different angle in a hundred pages. It's an eclectic group ranging from gingerbread to the stone extravaganzas of Earl Young in Charlevoix, MI.
   
   "500 Cottages" is short on text (and context) but it doesn't claim to be a comprehensive history. It's reasonably priced eye candy, the sort of thing one can set out that guests will grab and page through. It afforded me considerable pleasure and quite a few smiles of recognition as I flipped the pages from one enticing photo to the next. I'd been to his site at and enjoyed a chance to see excellent photos that didn't make it into his book projects---this (and "500 Bunglaows") is a more portable way to look at them.
   
   Keister's outtakes beat most architectural photographer's best work.

5 comments about The Distinctive Home: A Vision of Timeless Design (American Institute Architects).

1. Well done. I loved it. Great insights into building. Knowledgeable & yes, Timeless. Worth the price and worth the read for those who wish to build that are from "all walks of life".



2. But, sadly I was dissapointed. I recently updated a 'distinctive' home, I cannot think of anything more distinctive that a classic American farmhouse, yet IMO the homes feaured were cold. The Author writes well and is tops at his craft but I was expecting something else. I agree w/ other reviews it pertains more to new construction rather than restoring a historic home.



3. Would highly recommend this book to all! Covers many sound Design ideas, a must have for any designer or architect!



4. I really enjoyed looking at the pictures and picturing in my head what those ideas could look like in my area.



5. Another high-quality, gorgeous book from Taunton Press, a company that I remember from its inception when I lived in Newtown, Connecticut!

   This book is full of countless beautiful color photos and drawings that add immensely to the author's viewpoints and to his descriptions of the components of a distinctive home.

   Eck discusses every aspect of a home: siting the house; the roof; the landscaping, and everything in between. He overlooks no detail that will aid homeowners in deriving a sense of satisfaction from their homes. The homes he describes are livable and comfortable.

   I especially liked reading Eck's four elements of a "pleasing" house and the significance and importance he attaches to each element.

1 comments about Keeping Time: The History and Theory of Preservation in America.

1. Very good review of preservation in the United States. An easy read.

1 comments about Louis Kahn: Conversations with Students (Architecture at Rice).

1. Just to add some context to my review, I am a graduate student in architecture doing an independent study on Kahn's work. That doesn't mean you should listen to me, but simply that I care about this.
   
   There is a clear attempt by Bell and others to cash in on Kahn's popularity by adding texts to the end which are close to useless vis-a-vis an attempt to comprehend the lecture. Kahn's use of so many idiosyncratic phrases compells anyone compiling his work to explain, as best he or she can, what those mean. This is sadly lacking. If I knew what "white light, black shadow" meant to Kahn, I'd be better prepared to engage the text. One could claim Barthe's intentional fallacy, but, I think that's a bad excuse.
   
   Additionally, the introduction doesn't give an adequate summary of the political/social climate surrounding the talks, ie. Vietnam, King's death, etc., which I think plays a part in understanding the phrase "white light, black shadow" as well as others.
   
   That said, the lectures are really stunning, and, suprizingly accesible after a few reads. An overall continuity is harder to come by, but within a page or so range, there is a strong logic to his thinking. I don't know if this lecture is reproduced anywhere else, if you can't find "white light, black shadow", it would be worth the purchase. The question and answer is also interesting, but less so. Again, Bell should go hug someone, he clearly needs it.

1 comments about Legoretta + Legoretta: New Buildings & Projects.

1. this is defenitly a good book for your collection. quality of the paper and the photogrphs are really high. it has covered more of their letest project than repeating old ones.