5 comments about The Provencal House: Architecture and Interiors.

1. Wow, what a gorgeous book. We look at it again and again for indoor and outdoor inspiration. You will be completely delighted by this book which captures golden light!



2. Pure and simple, for most of us PROVENÇAL HOUSE is a coffee table book filled with exquisite detail found in several dozen homes in the south of France. Author, Joanna Thornycroft, has classified the structures Andreas Von Einsiedel photographed into `Town', `Manor' or `Country' houses. Short on text and long on photos, the premise of this publication seems to be a picure is worth a thousand words. Beginning with houses in the French Rivera and ending with Le Murier in hameau das Auvis, the author takes you on a trip through the land painted by Van Gogh and Pagnol.
   
   Some of the homes are "simple" cottages, others the more ornate domains of the landed gentry or super-rich movie star. My favorite shots were taken in gardens, and show flowers, pots and rustic gates across cobblestone walkways that lead to the lane or another room of the garden. Small details such as a decorative window latch covered with several centuries of paint, delft-like kitchen tiles, and a rooster weather vane, remind me of the land of the Cathars-those God-fearing people who lived in this land that once harbored them as heretics who may or may not have been far from God but who must have understood how blessed life can be when the sun shines.
   
   Architects may get some ideas from the recessed windows, the red tiled roofs, the stucco blue walls, and the marble bathroom fixtures, but the fabric-lined antique china cabinets, and nifty little accent touches in the various rooms depicted so lovingly make this book a must for interior designers and others seeking the "look" of Provence.



3. I can be critical of design and house books after seeing so many, so it's a relief to finally be able to give a book five stars. The photographs are authentic and detail everything from interior to exterior, including gardens. The essence of French provincal style is captured and distilled here. The writing is clever and concise, although you'll hardly notice it because the pictures are so brilliant. This is an essential book if you're trying to capture the French provencal look in house design or interior design. This book gives you an authentic source reference.



4. I'm an architect with the task of designing a "French" style home. This is one of several books I ordered to use as references. The appeal of this book for me is that it includes exterior architecture, interior design/decor, & gardens/landscapes. It is extensively illustrated with color photos & captions (my kind of book...). I can't critique the text because I have not yet had time to read it. But I can't get enough of the pictures!



5. I picked this book up from the table of new releases at a local bookstore, sat in a chair, and didn't move except to turn the pages for the next 90 minutes. In more than 200 color photographs, The Provencal House explores the beauty of 16 Provencal homes - interior and exterior details, uses of color playing off the landscape, curves and arches and doorways. It's a beautiful celebration of an architectural way of life rooted in the land and its traditions.

1 comments about Extraordinary Interiors.

1. I discovered this book after reading a very favorable review in the Orlando Sentinel. The book shows salvaged items used in "elegant rooms to funky apartments, with practical ideas and whimsical inspiration."
   You just don't find pieces like an antique Indian swing or Syro-Turkish wall panels at the local Home Depot. The book shows rooms with salvaged items like an ornate painted mirror or bistro lamps from Paris. Saving these items from demolished buildings preserves the past and adds character to new homes.
   Anyone who loves home decorating will enjoy browsing this book and the inspiring rooms in it.

1 comments about Villas of Lucca.

1. This is an attractive book, but the layout and style really do not do justice to the subject matter. The photographs are prolific, but there is a certain carelessness in composition. They don't always convey either the grandeur and character of many of the great houses, or the stunning beauty and subtlety of the landscapes of the Lucchesia. The type chosen for the text (is it arial?)is not in harmony with the historical material. There is overall an impression of haste in the editing. The historical details are also at times unsatisfactory. eg. on page 195 we see the Villa Regis. The picture is a bland and boring shot of a wonderfully romantic house. In the Lucchesia, as in many other places, the names of houses vary. This house belonged for centuries to the Orsucci family. Signor Regis owned it for some years until 1969, when he sold it to my husband David Caccia. We lived there for the next five years. The present owner is Paolo Pardini, who has lived there for over 30 years. But the true name, locally and in the old documents, is Villa Colfranco. Angela Caccia Lloyd

2 comments about The American Collection: Craftsman Style (American Collection) (American Collection).

1. Nice, concise collection of Arts&Crafts house plans, with good color pictures and small but adequate pictures of the floorplans. The color pictures are good for ideas of paint schemes, column designs, window shapes, etc. If you're planning to build a craftsman style home, this book is well worth the small price.



2. This is a book a plans only. You can also find all these plans when you search online. Its a good book if you want to see what they would look like in color.

5 comments about Mongolian Cloud Houses: How to Make a Yurt and Live Comfortably.

1. Mongolian Cloud Houses: How to Make a Yurt and Live Comfortably If you're into simplicity in dwelling and have a piece of land (your own, or unhindered use of some other property) then Mongolian Cloud Houses by Dan Frank Kuehn may be for you. But please note, if you wish to build a yurt similar to Kuehn's specifications, you will also need to glean a fair amount of natural raw materials from that land, as well as have ample time if you intend to build according to the author's specifications. Although not terribly labor intensive in sheer physical construction, building yurts as Kuehn does requires a fair amount of determined patience (a notion of building that is almost heretical in today's culture of "instant gratification" but was widely accepted practice for centuries and firmly reconstituted by many a counter-cultural self-builder of the 1960's and 70's.) In short, this is not the book for you, if you're seeking to get a yurt erected overnight. (If that's the case, pony-up some hard earned dough and go buy a commercially manufactured yurt. Then also hire/recruit a bunch of warm bodies to assist you. Maybe you'll get the thing up in a week, maybe you won't. This IS the book for you, if 1). You are basically building alone or maybe with some help from a friend. 2). You are short of, or very economical with money. 3). You have abundant free time. 4). You want to live simply in the round and wish to work mostly with materials you can gather or scrounge. And finally, 5) You need to have something warm and comfortable yet nomadic (Because a nylon camping tent as your base camp/wilderness home/extra dwelling space just won't cut it.) As a micro building enthusiast, I admire anyone who creates useful organic dwellings and then shares what they know with others. Especially when that knowledge is shared at a most affordable price. As with all Shelter Publications, this book is chockful of useful information. Kuehn's own hand drawn ilustrations are fabulous. The pics of his yurts and his self-evolution from 1976-2006 are delightful. And Jim Macey's b&w photos of Mongolia are a nice addition. It is a valued addition to my homestead and architectural bookshelf.



2. Both the book and the transaction were great. A perfect step by step guide.



3. The author provides excellent resources and instruction on building Mongolian style yurts. Though the text is somewhat dated many of the principles are still applicable today. I recommend this book to any beginner interested in constructing this type of nomadic dwelling.



4. Nomadic living in the 21st century can be achieved if your house is flexible and even portable - and MONGOLIAN CLOUD HOUSES: HOW TO MAKE A YURT AND LIVE COMFORTABLE advocates and shows how to construct a yurt using low-cost, natural materials available in either a backyard or wilderness. Step-by-step black and white drawings accompany a yurt history and includes construction alternatives and tips and tricks. A rare 'must' for any interested in alternative do-it-yourself construction.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



5. This book covers all the bases for homemade yurt living. History, how-to construction manual, reference guide, state-of-the-art catalog for all things in world of yurts (ger). Great pictures and graphics; the original nomadic living bible.

No comments about What Is a City?: Rethinking the Urban after Hurricane Katrina.

No comments about The Study of Architectural Design.

2 comments about The Spiritual in Art: Abstract Painting 1890-1985.

1. I have owned this book for over twenty years and I never get tired of pouring over it again. It is an absolute treasure trove of information and is packed full of glorious illustrations- it's the one book I refuse to loan out. As an artist, this is the most important book in my collection.



2. There is a fantastic quality to the compliation of works in the Spiritual in Art, that indicates a profound understanding of the mystical forces of inspiration involved with the process of artistic endeavor. The book chronicles the exhibition of the same name organized by Maurice Truchman and Judi Freeman at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Many of the major artists of the 20th century are represented; Mondrian, Duchamps and Kandinsky to name a few. The ideosyncratic spin to the show lies in the examination of their work from a philospophical and spiritual standpoint that involves a more involved examination than is often given with the popular criticism styles of art history - ie; socio-political and aesthetic. With the aid of this book, the reader gleans a more profound understanding of the motivational forces at work in these artists whose creations transport viewers to new worlds and dimensions with only a glance.

3 comments about Whitman Coin Collecting: Starter Set.

1. This is a nice starter set for anyone just learning about coin collecting. It's a bit more challenging than collecting the state quarters so if this is for a small child they will need some help reading the material and how to manage the coins. Many students in 3rd grade will study "money" as part of the curriculum and this would make a great package for an adult or older child to share with a 3rd grader, but it's probably too much for most 3rd graders on their own. Enjoy!



2. I didn;t receive the items, they said they were shipped to my address at
   work and I never received them. I asked that they be resent. i had gotten these for my three grandboys last christmas and they are enjoying them.



3. Don't pay any attention to the photo of the box. If you want the book, this is the kit for you, but if you really want supplies, go elsewhere. It is very limited, and not at all what the pictures shows.

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.