5 comments about Country Houses of John F. Staub (Sara and John Lindsey Series in the Arts and Humanities).

1. What happens? Architectural schizophrenia. Staub was the best neo-classicist practicing in Houston, and in Texas, in the first half of the 20th century. His houses are lovely studies in delicate classical detailing, repeated to reveal truly grand scale. His art reached its full potential because it was generously patronized by wealthy Houstonians. This book tells that story, with gorgeous photography and politically loaded language.
   
   Now, enter the over-the-top deconstructionist archi-speak of the author, who can't decide if Staub was a real genius or just another imperial imitator. Quite annoying, really. This book should have been written by someone with an appropriate appreciation for scale, proportion, massing and form rather than another graduate from Lars Lerup's flake factory. P-L-A-S-T-I-C. Yeah, whatever.
   
   Bottom line: This book is for browsing more than reading, so you're more likely to notice the startling work of the architect than the distracting analysis of the author. It's a shame so few people appreciate the art of building anymore. Staub did, and he was a consummate artist, more disciplined than McKim, Mead and White and more original than, say, Atlanta's Neel Reid.
   
   Buy this book as a catalog and chronicle of the work of one of our country's most talented residential architects, and go to see the houses now before Houston has a chance to demolish them all.



2. My objections to 'Country Houses of John F. Staub' begin with the title. Why the Staub works included in the book are defined as "country houses" is quite unclear. The majority of these houses are in fairly dense urban/ suburban neighborhoods. While the architectural ancestry of many of the designs is that of English, American and even French country houses, Staub's works are very much in the mainstream of American suburban house design of the mid-twentieth century.
   I lived for many years in a neighborhood rich with Staub houses, and I have always loved them for their understated and impeccable design. The earlier book on Staub by Howard Barnstone has become a collector's item and I am lucky enough to have a copy which I have read and re-read many times.
   The current book, I am sorry to say, is virtually unreadable. Stephen Fox's text is laden with impenetrable sociological jargon with the thesis being, as far as I can tell, that the newly rich of Houston wished to reside in tastefully traditional houses. This 'insight' is belabored to the point of comedy. To read passages of this prose aloud will make you roll over laughing at the convoluted language used to explain the obvious.
   Sadly, the overwhelming sociological point-making of the text completely dominates the book, rather than discussion of Staub's space-planning, detailing and architectural imagery.
   Richard Cheek's photographs, however are positively stunning. For me, the ideal would have been a re-edition of Howard Barnstone's earlier book on Staub with the addition of Cheek's photography.



3. Many of us are subjected to the new mega mansions in our neighborhoods and in other areas of our city. It's not just the close in Arts & Crafts and cottages that were our once our modest childhood homes at stake anymore. Many historical structures by talented architects in Houston such as John Staub, Barnstone, etc are now be razed to build homes that more resemble bank buildings to satisfy the nouveau riche excess taste. Even in Texas, bigger is not always better. This book chronicles many of these homes that I once remembered in awe, but now gone forever. While globabl warming may be hoax, the loss of these beautiful homes is a reality that needs to be addressed. Great book for your library and memories.



4. John Staub's attention to detail as illustrated in this wonderful book was second to none. The book's wonderful illustrations showcase many of the architect's beautifully designed homes in Texas. These homes would be very suitable for construction in most parts of the country and would fit right in. The floor plans show Staub's designs for the upper middle class as well as the truly wealthy class of people and reflect the quality of detail and craftsmanship prevalant in the late 1920's and into the 1930's. I assure you, this book is an asset to anyone's library who is interested in architecture.



5. This book is a true tribute to Staub and the world he created for his clients--mostly Houstonians. It is a beautiful well illustrated book that gives you a historical paradigm for which to better understand and more appreciate the homes showcased within. Great for coffee table reading or for the serious student alike.

No comments about Sustainable Design: The Science of Sustainability and Green Engineering.

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 Materials and Components of Interior Architecture (6th Edition).

1. This book is very poorly written. It also does not adequately discuss estimating materials.



2. This book is a good reference for anyone who is currently designing or building a luxury home, but for a general education on construction interiors, this is not the book. There are many references to the latest products, which include both color and feature description that will be quickly outdated. Most of the discussion centers around materials that would be used in an affluent home rather than your typical family residence, and product descriptions focus on the unique product, not the typical. Dimensions for comfortable clearance and layout hints are useful for residential layout, but the commercial references are very limited.

No comments about Urban Transportation Systems.

3 comments about Hamptons Havens: The Best of Hamptons Cottages and Gardens (Hamptons Cottages & Gardens).

1. A lovely book with interesting stories but I was after beach gardens and there are very few. The title is misleading as it is from the magazine by this name.



2. This is a beautiful book which is as entertaining to read as it is to gaze at the pictures! I would have appreciated it more had all the houses featured been in a similar style to the one on the cover. There is quite a large spectrum of different designs. I wished they had presented more photographs of each individual home, but overall there is plenty to feast your eyes on.



3. The book was purchased for an anniversary gift for my daughter who resides on one of the Hamptons. She liked the book and even was familiar with the owner of the garden on the cover.

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 Cathedrals of the World.

1. I love this book, as it shows amazing cathedrals all around the world. The photos are clear and in color. It's a great book!

No comments about Best Designed Wellness Hotels: North And South America, Carribean, Mexico / Nord - Und sudamerika, Karibik, Mexiko (Best Designed).

1 comments about Urban Transit : Operations, Planning and Economics.

1. How to plan an urban transit system of buses and trains? Vuchic offers a text suitable to accompany an undergraduate course in urban planning. It describes many aspects of transit. Like the ability to have articulated buses that have capacities 50% greater than standard buses. By using these on dedicated bus lanes, overall transit capacity can be enhanced. We see how multiple public agencies need to cooperate, to let such methods achieve optimal potential.
   
   Rail transit is extensively studied. Including the all-important aspect of scheduling. There is some maths required of the student. But the text is not a fully fledged foray into scheduling theory. Chapters have numerous exercises that help the reader gain some fluency in understanding scheduling.
   
   Another related aspect is the geometry of transit lines. How to best lay out these lines. We see that there are systematic mathematical ideas that can be applied. It's not just some qualitative handwaving.