3 comments about Key Houses of the Twentieth Century: Plans, Sections, and Elevations (Norton Book for Architects and Designers).

1. I really enjoyed this book, especially because it has a Cd in the back cover with all the pdf files of pictures and dwg files of CAD drawings for the floor plans of each project.
   
   The only downside is that there is only 2 pictures per project, but on the other hand it does have all the main architects of the Twentieth Century.



2. The so called CD of drawings is a joke. True, the drawings are in a real CAD format but they are really nothing more that worthless sketches. Buy the book for the information provide (however brief) on each structure but not for the CD.



3. Few books offer you a chance to see how the building is laid out and organized. Great book, especially for architects and designers.

2 comments about Goldfish I Have Loved (too much?): Mix and Match Stationery.

1. I love, love, love Heather Ross's drawings and have purchased as much of her designed fabric as I can get my greedy little hands on. However, the quality of this paper is pretty low and the colors are so saturated, they would be pretty useless for actually writing on. I will probably use the envies for letters and the paper for scrapbooking (although, honestly, it isn't as nice as most of my scrapbooking paper).



2. When I first saw this stationary set I knew I must have it. Not only was it fish themed, but it was just so darn cute. On the pages and envelopes are some of the friendliest looking goldfish and each has a name. To me that just give it all more character. The colors are all pleasing and not so bold that something as simple as pencil would not show on them.
   
   I know I will run out of these quickly and will probably have to buy another set soon. I love this almost too much to even write on it!

No comments about California Country Style.

5 comments about EcoNest: Creating Sustainable Sanctuaries of Clay, Straw, and Timber.

1. Great for case studies of Eco friendly construction of homes with some detail of how to do the job itself.



2. Paula Baker-Laporte & Robert Laporte's Eco Nest: Creating Sustainable Sanctuaries Of Clay, Straw, And Timber (158685691X, $24.95) surveys and contrasts different methods of green building which avoid the typical troubles of conventional building methods, from pollution and chemical usage to inefficient synthetic insulation. From design details to take advantage of solar energy to choices in lighting, entryways, and architectural design, ten selected 'dream homes' are presented. Full-page color photos of interiors and exteriors compliment design plans and first-person insights by the owner-builders on what makes each home a work of art - and an ecologically sustainable structure.



3. Paula Baker-Laporte & Robert Laporte's Eco Nest: Creating Sustainable Sanctuaries Of Clay, Straw, And Timber (158685691X, $24.95) surveys and contrasts different methods of green building which avoid the typical troubles of conventional building methods, from pollution and chemical usage to inefficient synthetic insulation. From design details to take advantage of solar energy to choices in lighting, entryways, and architectural design, ten selected 'dream homes' are presented. Full-page color photos of interiors and exteriors compliment design plans and first-person insights by the owner-builders on what makes each home a work of art - and an ecologically sustainable structure.



4. I purchased this text thinking it would give useful information on how to create an "econest" using timber frame and clay/straw techniques. I was disappointed that the book gave superficial information on the building techniques and seemed to be more of a promotional text for the writer's alternative home building system and business. If someone is interested in building a very upscale home using timber framing and clay/straw techniques and using the author's home building enterprise to do so, this is the book for them.



5. A book must for all of us on planet earth!
   The only one of its kind--- building these homes will sustain and balance physical, emotional and spiritual health of the most endangered species ---US--- Homo Sapiens! And these homes are also visual masterpeices!
   
   Magnificently designed, written, & illustrated!
   
   Carol Shein
   W. Palm Beach Fl.

1 comments about Cool Restaurants Las Vegas (Cool Restaurants).

1. This is a great book for looking at Las Vegas restaurants. It covers famous restaurants of various styles from numerous Las Vegas casinos. It includes both detailed photos and recipes from high-caliber chefs. If you are a Vegas or restaurant fan, buy it.

No comments about Cool Shops Los Angeles (Cool Shops).

1 comments about Contemporary Houses.

1. Excellent hardcover & paper, great photo quality & printing, impressive finishing details. All the text is in 4 different languages, the plan details are welcomed anytime and combined with the pictures provide an excellent in mind view of the actual house being pictured.
   Looking forward for more books from this publisher/author.

No comments about Dream Homes Coastal California: Showcasing Coastal California's Finest Architects, Designers & Builders (Dream Homes).

2 comments about The Yokohama Project.

1. This book engages this one specific project, its an exceptional book that's deeply routed in the ethics and practice of architecture.



2. The book is an inspiring and surprisingly honest account of the design and the construction of the Yokohama Terminal. The most optimistic part about it is the rather obvious fact that it was conceived and managed by a few academically rigorous but professionally inexperienced architects. The enormity of the project, the complexity of the structure, the problems of circulation, security, fire safety, seismic performance, etc. should all have choked the project before it even had reached the competition entry boards - the fact that it did not is an early tell-tale sign of the fresh naiveté, which must have fueled the design team.

   The true merit of the team (and the story as whole) is the fact that the designers decided to go through with it. They moved to Japan and spent over two years and 23.5 billion yen supervising the project through construction administration. The writers talk as openly about their greatest successes and their worst failures.

   The very extensive photographic documentation of the design and construction show the amazing story of the metamorphosis of an architectural idea into a material form. As I was reading thorough the text I saw myself picking favorite parts of the design and browsing impatiently ahead to see how they resolved themselves in the actual construction - sometimes I agreed with the chosen solution and sometimes I did not. The point is that the process of decision-making is revealed very clearly.

   I would like to finish with a quote from the book, which offers a most delightful message to the youthful talent in all of us:
   
   "This is where amateurs have advantage over pros. A pro knows what he can deliver and rarely goes beyond it. An amateur has no concept of his limitations and generally will go beyond them."

2 comments about Universal Millwork Catalog, 1927: Over 500 Designs for Doors, Windows, Stairways, Cabinets and Other Woodwork (Dover Pictorial Archive Series).

1. Hard to believe that a catalogue of millwoork should be so compelling and warrant frequent rereading. This volume is more than a useful reference for a refurbisher/restorer. It's a beautiful drawn/photographed view into the everyday life of comfortable middle-class homelife during the 1920s. Besides being of use to those of us who live in homes from the '20s, this book also is of use to any social historian or student of American culture.
   
   I only wish that the specs for some of these items, like the walls of kitchen cabinets, or the telephone niches, were more detailed so that they could be used as building patterns.
   
   Thank you for this high-quality reprint!



2. The item was requested as a Christmas gift. My son-in-law is in the remodeling business and it was my daughter who gave me the gift request.
   Apparently, my son-in-law had been looking at the book for his personal use.