1 comments about Makers of Modern Architecture: From Frank Lloyd Wright to Frank Gehry (New York Review Books).

1. Martin Filler has been a contributor to The New York Review of Books for the last twenty years. During that time, he produced a series of remarkable essays on the "Giants" of Modern Architecture. "Makers of Modern Architecture" is a compilation of seventeen of those essays. Filler starts with the first Modernists (Sullivan, Wright, Mies, Corbusier) and then moves on to the second (Eames,Kahn, Johnson) and third generation (Gehry, Meier, Foster and Piano) of Modernist architects.
   
   Martin Filler is one of the nation's best architectural critics and this book finds him at the top of his form. With great style, he praises the noteworthy and pillories the cynical. There is an erudition and honesty to his writing that is at times, thrilling. His chapters on Phillip Johnson's opportunism and the political wrangling over the Twin Tower re-construction are especially good. "Makers of Modern Architecture" is criticism at its finest. Highly recommended.

1 comments about Special Forces Camps in Vietnam 1961-70 (Fortress).

1. I have looked for such a publication for many years. The descriptions are vivid and detailed. It is an excellent reference for those interested in the history of the conflict as well as for modelers and wargaming enthusiasts. My only complaint is that I would have gladly paid more for a larger publication with many more pictures and illustrations. Heartily recommended.

No comments about The Artist's Joke (Documents of Contemporary Art).

5 comments about Weekend Utopia: Modern Living in the Hamptons.

1. Finally got the chance to sit and read Gordon's excellent text in Weekend Utopia. The book goes way beyond an illustrated coffee book. Gordon manages to weave together stories about the characters who shaped the place (like developer Carl Fisher who created Montauk to be the "Miami Beach of the North")with stories about the flamboyant architecture, post-war artists like Pollock and Motherwell and his own personal memories as a boy spending summers there. While the book has a large format with hundreds of illustrations it is most readable and explains so much about how a rural American landscape was transformed into a resort for show-offs. I loved it and can't comprehend what reviewers from Hong Kong and the Netherlands were talking about. It is neither trying to be a professional book on architecture nor a cheap gossip book about pseudo-celebrities. It is an intelligent cultural history that also happens to be well designed and illustrated. It warmed my soul on a chilly winter weekend and made me want to go to the beach as soon as possible.



2. Wonderfully written and researched. Architecturally lacking photographs, drawings, or any substance for inspiration or idea generation. Cover and size of book suggests more pictorial content, but fails to deliver.



3. When i saw the cover of this book i thought this would be a great book. I wanted to find pictures of beautiful decorated houses,nice gardens and offcourse the habitants of the mansions. Well, that's not quite what's inside this book. For the most only pictures of houses taken in the 50's and 60's and a lot of text!! I want pictures of Aerin Lauder and the Miller sisters!!



4. I'm a bit mystified by the comments below that seem to implicate this book and its author in what the Hamptons have become. To the contrary, Weekend Utopia celebrates happier days pre-mega mansions: when culture and architecture and some fascinating characters created some truly exceptional houses, most of them modest in scale. In fact, today's Hamptons home-builders could learn a lesson or two from this book (like small can be very beautiful), and stop the further despoilment of what the Hamptons used to be: something Weekend Utopia shows with great clarity and style. This wonderful book is certainly no apologia for the mess that awaits you at the end of I-495...



5. I agree with the reviewer who said that the Hamptons were ruined long ago -- by the very succession of waves of development that this book touts. I do love looking at some of the quality design of the past that this book shows, but the new reality is overbuilding and, even worse, tasteless building. The feeling of getting away to a charming, easy-going, and low-key place with rural roots is gone forever in the Hamptons. We left because of the continuing intrusion of the nouveau riche who are more interested in showing off than in quietly relaxing-----peoplewho have now made the Hamptons a decidedly UNCOOL place to be.

5 comments about Sunset Western Landscaping Book.

1. This book has some really good ideas for gardening and landscaping in the desert. Anyone who lives in the desert knows what a challenge it is to grow a beautiful garden AND be a good steward of the limited, precious resources. The only negative comment is that the garden examples are mostly from California. It would be more helpful to me if there were more examples and discussion on high desert gardening in places like Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico.



2. Famous Landscape Architect Thomas Church once wrote: " Landscaping is logical, down-to-earth and aimed at making your plot of ground produce what you want and need from it."
   
   The original bestseller, "Sunset Western Garden Book" is one of the best encyclopedia and is the "Bible" of Western Gardening. I am very happy to read its companion, "Sunset Western Landscaping Book." This new addition to the Sunset family is a great attempt in covering the design aspect of landscaping. It covers topography, climate, lifestyle, plants, and environment. It starts with the purpose, design and planning of gardens, microclimates, seasons, soils, understanding of site, Western garden styles, the process from plan to reality, and gardens in different regions of the West. It continues to explore the use of various garden structures (arbors, decks, fences, fireplaces, gazebos, kitchens, paths, patios, steps, walls, etc) and garden plants (trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, annuals, bulbs, herbs, fruits and vegetables, ornamental grasses, wild flowers, and succulents, etc) in landscaping. It also discusses finishing touches (lighting, containers, birdhouses, garden art, water features, etc), regional problems and solutions, materials and techniques, and landscape plans.
   
   I like the color landscape plans in "Sunset Western Landscaping Book." I can tell Fiona Gilsenan and Kathleen Norris Brenzel and their team put in a lot of effort in creating and selecting the plans. They also have good, professionally trained eyes. The colors of the plans are harmonious and pleasant. They can be used as good samples for selecting colors for landscape presentation plans.
   
   "Sunset Western Landscaping Book" has 416 pages and many color interior photographs. It is a fine companion to "Sunset Western Garden Book" and a must-have for personal, professional, academic, and community library Gardening & Landscaping reference collections.



3. The best garden book overall. A smart book. Creative. Great pics. VERY Comprensive. Wish Id bought hardback.Complete. Very readable. Projects are suberb. Voluminous. A must for every serious gardener.



4. I expected more for the price. There are some nice ideas and a few plans, but the plans don't contain measurements. This is not very professional and makes implementation very difficult. Nice for dreaming, but no real help planning.



5. This is a very comprehensive book describing all western regions including the low and high desert, the Pacific Northwest and southern California. The book includes many landscape ideas with diagrams and suggested plant types and many plant photos. Ideas for special needs such as privacy, patio & small spaces , desert areas, swimming pools, decks, lots for shade, low water and other requirements are covered. Types of fencing and decking are also covered. If you are starting out with a bare backyard, as I am, this is the book for you!

4 comments about The Poetics of Gardens.

1. This is a book full of the breath of life. Like the great gardens described, it can be appreciated in many ways. At once a collection and a pilgrimage, combining East and West, always with a touch of humor, it makes you feel the joy of being alive!



2. This book impressed me with the amount of information on garden design, styles and history it has. No, it is not a coffee table book with pretty pictures, but a serious study on the history of garden design. The pictures in it are black-and-white, as well as all diagrams and plans. It is an excellent reference book for students of landscape design and garden lovers alike!!!



3. It's really about experiencing and analyzing the spacial environment. Well written & illustrated. I've used it as a supplemental text in a history of L.A. course, & students have found it really valuable. I've just plain enjoyed it.



4. Good examples of different aspects of the landscape. Explains different types of gardens well. It was an assigned book for a class, which made me not want to read it, but I'm glad that I did. Well written with good diagrams.

5 comments about The Genius in the Design: Bernini, Borromini, and the Rivalry That Transformed Rome.

1. This book sounded fascinating: Rome, architechture, golden age, personalities, drama; what else could a reader want? As it turns out, plenty.
   I don't know architecture, so found some of the book a slow go. The author painstakingly describes churches, fountains, etc., in detail - but a few photos would have saved (or enlightened) a few thousand words.
   This was a rather dry bio of these two folks, with disappointingly little about how they and their crafts fared in the context of life in the day. For example, I found the fluidity between their "careers" in sculpture, painting, and architecture to be remarkable. Almost as though architecture had not yet evolved into a credible career. I was surprised at the extent to which the Popes were intimiately involved in architecture - not just of St. Peters, but throughout the city.
   
   There is but passing reference to how Rome had to eye the impressive power of France and Spain warily; this must have colored some aspects of life in the day - including how these two gentlement found there way. Even so, Bernini's trip to France late in life is a dry narrative.
   
   Dava Sobel's LONGITUDE is a much better example of treatment of historical concepts that includes description of everyday events and brings the era to life. This wasn't such a long book, so no harm no foul. But now I have to Google all these places to see what Mr. Morrisseey was talking about.



2. This book is excellent. It will make you see the beauty of Rome from a more personal direction. The competition between these two figures was of great benefit to Rome.



3. Here's a look at a splendid historic period in a splendid city revealed to us through the lives of two artistic geniuses, Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini. Jake Morrissey gives us a smooth ride through the rough roads of 18th Century Rome, a world dominated and manipulated by various popes and cardinals but given lasting meaning, in the end, by the artists of the period, primarily Bernini and Borromini. Morrissey knows how to spin the story without getting bogged down in architectural minutiae while giving plenty details to set the mood and the understanding of the story. I have never been able to decide which of the two I most prefer, one visit to Rome it's Bernini and on another it's Borromini and Morrissey's book didn't help me change that but certainly helped me to admire them both more than I already did. It is a book that would immeasurably enhance anyone's visit to Rome bringing another dimension to the appreciation of the extraordinary buildings left as a legacy by these two men.



4. One of those "one can't put the book down" nonfiction reads.



5. The tantrums, the egos, the "in your face, Pope" attitude and the rest of the drama that surrounds the building of Rome. Interesting read for those who are interested in history, drama and intrigue.

No comments about Made in Tokyo: Guide Book.

3 comments about Design on the Land: The Development of Landscape Architecture (Belknap Press).

1. Unfortunately, gentle reader, you're likely to have this book assigned to you as part of your landscape architecture curriculum. If you're not in this situation, run from this book. First, the book was published in 1971, with no noticible updates in the past 33 years. Second, despite the relative modernity of the book, the author seems unaware of any advances in the social sciences and liberal arts after the Hoover administration. Thirdly the book rambles--no incision, no succinct observations, no underlying theme. Fourthly, Newton loads the book with indefensible positions. Fifthly, author weaves a cursory and grossly simplified (reduced) version of world history into an analysis of gardens and town plans. The result is horrid. Here is an example:

   From the chapter on Medieval gardens--"It is almost as though man's eyes were not yet wholly open to the wonders of the natural world, for he was too buy contemplating his soul and its tortuous future. Daylight was too bright to bear; these were truly the Dark Ages, and openness to worldly experience would have to wait."

   These types of generalizations, which don't stand up to even a cursory understanding of the gardens of the Middle Ages (herbalists, medicinal gardens, plurality of plant species growing in cloisters, flora in illuminated manuscripts, etc), that pepper the book.

   This doesn't even begin to address the the ubiquitous invocations of "Mankind."

   No university worth its salt can put this in front of a student in good conscience.




2. Unfortunately this purportedly comprehensive survey of landscape architecture fails to include even one woman in the entire history of the profession. It's as though the female gender never existed! It is inexcusable that this book is still in current use as a university text.



3. This is THE textbook for the history of landscape architecture. From early city planning in the cradle of civilization to recreating nature in the design work of our contemporaries, this book provides a chronology of land designs and theories, and outlines the formalizing of our profession by the father of landscape architecture, Frederick Law Olmstead. This book provides a framework for more intense study of both landscapes and the design theories associated with them, including the layout of ancient cities to New York's Central Park. This is one of those textbooks worth keeping well after graduation!

3 comments about Renzo Piano.

1. I think the book is really good for the people who doesn't know the work of Piano, but in my case it was - in certain way - disappointing. The pictures wasn't new, i already knew the most of them. A lot of sketches but few drawings, details or thoughts about Piano's work. The book could be excellent but it is just good.



2. ...As a proffesional photographer and an avid architecture enthusiast, I look for extreme qualities in the books I purchase. I have had nothing but great luck with my purchases from publishing companies such as Phaidon, Taschen, and Rizzoli. Phillip Jodidio is also someone who has proved himself time and time again (the author of this book, among others). This book is absolutely gorgeous! It is one of the few books I had to buy without being able to look through it, but wow! And to think there is one of these on Tadao Ando and one forthcoming on my favorite Architect Santiago Calatrava?!?!
   
   Anyhow, here are some details for you:
   
   This book is slightly smaller than the Phaidon Atlas of Contemporary World Architecture, which remains my favorite book to date. With that said, it's a little easier to hold on your lap, but best viewed on a table!
   
   The photography is awesome...some of the photos take up two pages! - in fact, there is a center-foldout of the Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Center that takes up four pages!!!
   
   There is enough text to fill you in on info, but the photography in this book really does the talking. You will also find a lot of sketches and some models from Mr. Piano.
   
   Renzo Piano is one of my favorite architects, but if your cause is a love for architecture in general, I still have to recommend this book. Everything is well done, even the catologue of his complete work in the back.
   
   The only drawback for me is that only certain pieces of his work are showcased - for example, the Ferrari wind tunnel is only mentioned in the rear catologue, not showcased in the book.
   
   This book is well worth $125.00, in fact, in my opinion it's worth more than that! - After having this book, I am going to pick up the Tadao Ando and Santiago Calatrava books WITHOUT viewing them, that's what a good job this book did at selling me on those products!!



3. Renzo Piano is without a question one of the worlds greatest architects, his talent is singular, it's just awesome...as is this amazing book. It is THE book on Piano, and that is saying something because there are quite a few good books on the man and his work, but if you feel you can have just one on Renzo Piano then make it this one. The text is scholarly and highly informative and the images are just what you would expect in a book of this caliber..first rate. I often visit the Menil Collection here in Houston and never cease to marvel at how beautiful yet function it is, and that really is his genius. I recently visited his building for the Nasher Collection in Dallas and again was blown away at the elegance and beauty of the building, yet it works perfectly as a repository for Mr. Nasher's world class collection, it works on every level, as with the Menil, it is highly functional,yet beautiful. The two buildings could not be more different, but they both bare Mr. Piano's penchant for a building that works. It's not enough that the building is takes your breath away, it must also work and Renzo Piano understands this and as an admirer of great architecture and someone who appreciates function, thank you Mr. Piano. I highly recomend this beautiful book on this amazing talent.