No comments about The Art of Landscape.

2 comments about In Harmony With Nature: Painting Techniques for a New Age.

1. This is one of the best books on the subject. Masterfield's work is inspiring. The photography of her (and other included artists) work is top notch. She generously shares her techniques and instructs gently and ably.



2. Absolutely the best book of them all if your intereted in experimental painting. Informative and inspirational

No comments about Pamphlet Architecture 26: Thirteen Projects for the Sheridan Expressway.

1 comments about A House on the Water.

1. The pictures are beautiful and the reading is both enjoyable and informative. The book profiles many homes on the water - lakes, oceans. There are both interior and exterior pictures as well as floor plans. Full of inspiration and ideas.

No comments about The Organization and Architecture of Innovation: Managing the Flow of Technology.

2 comments about Philippe Starck (Universe Architecture Series).

1. I Love to get designers books. And in this case, the Philippe Starck one is one i picked up a while ago.
   I had this book in my hands before, and its so nice, that i decided to pick up one for me, and an other for my girl friend!
   
   I recomend this book to any design-lover



2. An entertaining and thoughtful journey through the career and the mind of this prolific celebrity designer. Illustrates hundreds of furnishings, objects, interiors, and architectural projects; some of which are documented here for the first time. Clean and interesting graphic layout by Keith Lovegrove captures the spirit of the "Starck aesthetic". Conway Lloyd Morgan's essays and commentaries by Starck himself do much to explain the inspiration and creative process of this enigmatic and controversial most-modern designer. Numerous books about the work of Philippe Starck have been published over the past several years, some on par with this one however, at the published price (and even less through amazon.com) this is a wealth of entertaining information for a small price.

   Karl Taps.

5 comments about House As a Mirror of Self: Exploring the Deeper Meaning of Home.

1. Have you every just fallen in love with a house, knowing that you were meant to live there? Have you ever had an apartment that seemed to suck the energy right from your body after a long hard day at work? Are there certain places in your home that are "yours" or "your spouse's"?
   
   Unconsciously we are all seeking to become our genuine selves. In this quest, we tend to surround ourselves with ideals, examples of what we feel matches our deepest parts of ourselves. These examples come primarily from past experience. For instance, we may have had a special place in a childhood home where we felt safe, loved, and free. Alternately, we may subconsciously associate a large dining room with sadness after the loss of a parent or unvoiced hostility in a dysfunctional family setting.
   
   House As A Mirror of Self brought to light many of the things that I had forgotten in my childhood and many of the situations that I hadn't really thought about. It is truly interesting what you gravitate towards because of your previous experiences and how those decisions get combined and complicated with that of your spouse. I even figured out why I was feeling that there was something not quite right about my home office.



2. I loved this book for its ordinariness with a subject that can be extraordinary and difficult to grasp at times. The writings of Clare Cooper Marcus helped define and hone many inner qualities in a very immediate manner. This book is like having a compassionate friend sitting with me.



3. This reads more like a textbook for an interior design course. It has little to do with the psychology of your own choice of home/setting. Like another reviewer said, the idea seemed fascinating, but the book disappoints right away, if not for the setup alone; the author overuses the same phrases and form to setup her next example. It is as though this were her thesis for design school. It could also pass for a really good new age book, that's how problem-centered it is. If you have watched "Designing for the Sexes" on HGTV, you have read this book. This book is only interesting and appropriate for interior designers, not for anyone seeking insight into our needs and choices when it comes to home.



4. I found this book when I was undergoing my own deep personal transformation ten years ago. It helped me understand my own relationship to the homes I had created for clients and my self. As an interior designer and a contractor it is important to understand the calling of the client's psyche and meet those needs. There is so much focus now on the spiritual aspects of one's home, and feng shui does offer up its own insights, but using this book as a primer for understanding what is calling to you will lead you to a different more integrated understanding. A carpenter builds a house, the family makes it a home. Clare gives the reader a path to understanding this complex yet simple process. The book is easy to read and offers many good exercises to dialog with the inner self. I highly recommend it to designers and psychologist alike.



5. I have an advanced degree in psychology and I have renovated several houses. The concept behind this book seemed fascinating to me. However, I have been very disappointed. The focus is on psychology written by an architect. She is an amateur psychologist--it would have been better if she had focused on her own area of expertise. It was a waste of money.

4 comments about The Lighthouse Encyclopedia: The Definitive Reference.

1. An impressively organized and presented 288-page compendium of information, "The Lighthouse Encyclopedia: The Definitive Reference" by lighthouse enthusiast and expert Ray Jones provides a wealth of information and trivia that will be especially appreciated by lighthouse fans and students of maritime history. Offering answers to hundreds of questions about lighthouses, their history, key people associated with them, lighthouse technology, lighthouse organizations, as well as specific lighthouses, "The Lighthouse Encyclopedia" truly lives up to its title. Enhanced with a literally hundreds of full-color photographs and archival images of lighthouses, sidebars addressing light house preservation, lighthouse collectibles, and tips for photographing lighthouses, "The Lighthouse Encyclopedia" is a superb contribution to the growing library of lighthouse literature and a core addition to any personal, academic, or community library reference collection on the subject.



2. Wonderful photos, lots of information. Loved it
   I make clay sculptures and I created a lighthouse so this book came in handy for details needed.



3. Colorful & informative. If you like or love lighthouses this book should be in your collection. If you don't, buy it, place it on your coffee table (if you don't have young children) - and let others that visit your home enjoy it.



4. 
   Lighthouses have fascinated me for over 60 years. Although never seriously smitten by these structures,I will always go out of my way to visit one whenever I get the chance. I grew up in Nova Scotia which seemed to have a lighthouse around every bend in the roads along the coast.They are always an excellent place to stop for a picnic lunch. I lived in New Jersey for a few years and again many lighthouses were nearby.My favorite was the Highlands Twin Lights in Navesink,which I visited often.I now live near Toronto,and my Birding trips often lead me to lighthouses which ring lakes Ontario,Erie and Huron.Other Birding trips along the East Coast ,Cape Hatteras,Southern Florida and California are continually providing new and exciting lighthouses. I have never made a list of all I've seen;but the total must be well over 100.I often thought it would be fun to photograph,or maybe even draw them as a hobby;but just never get around to getting serious about it.
   So,when I come across a "Lighthouse" book,I am always interested;and there are many around.
   This book is very different for several reasons.It is more than just a bunch of pretty pictures.As its title says,it is an encyclopedia.It covers many aspects of lighthouses,including,history,preservation,lots of technical information,examples from many countries,hints on photographing them as well as their present status.Of course, any one of those subjects could fill numerous books. This author alone,has written 14 books on lighthouses, so one can't expect everything about all lighthouses to be found in this one book
   With that in mind,I have the following comments;
   The quality of the paper,printing and overall construction of the book is top of the line.
   The photographs range from mundane to excellent.This hit me as surprising.For instance Robert's photo of the Crisp Point Light on page 174 pales in comparison with his supurb photograph of the Dunkirk Light on page 177 .Again, we see the same thing with the Pigeon Point Light on page 222 and the Point Area Light on page 223.Then, we get those amazing photographs by Jean Guichard.You gotta wonder if he ever took a poor or average snapshot.Then again,I must admit ,the photo of the Peggy's Cove Light left me cold.Is this the best of the millions of photos taken of this super-famous lighthouse? Quite a few photos are attributed to magazines,the Coast Guard,Harbour Lights,etc.,which are very average.Again,there is the excellent photograph of the Port Bill Light,England ,courtesy Harbour Lights on page 235.The otherwise great shot of the Portland Head Light,on page 236, by Roberts,makes one wonder if it was Roberts or someone in the editing room who lost the top of the lighthouse.
   I was also somewhat disappointed over the part on "Lighthouses around the world".There were none that I can recall from such coastline countries as Russia,China,India,Japan .
   
   In spite of my comments,this book is an excellent resource for anyone with an interest in lighthouses. It would be a good companion to "Lighthouse Spotter's Guide" by Michael Rhein which I have already reviewed.

2 comments about The Meaning of Gardens.

1. I found this an excellent and far-reaching book, beautifully organized into six "metaphors"--faith, power, ordering, cultural expression, personal expression and healing. This is a book for someone interested in exploring the deeper meaning and symbolism of gardens throughout history and in a variety of cultures, as well as the contemporary art of the garden and the exciting trend in community gardening. I found the section on healing particularly moving.



2. This book was very theoretical, not very practical. It had a lot of examples, some of which were very interesting. But some of the examples were quite strange and weird which makes the book sometimes a bit nonsensical. I would recommend it if you are looking for examples of overly-spiritual gardens not for normal everyday gardening.

3 comments about Broadway Theatres: History and Architecture.

1. William Morrison's book covers 74 theaters from 1873 to 1932, including those demolished as well as those still standing. Most theaters get two pages of coverage, consisting mostly of b&w photos of both the exterior and interior. The accompanying text emphasizes noteworthy performances. This book is a nice overview of the topic, although I preferred van Hoogstraten's "Lost Broadway Theaters," which gives more information about the interior layouts, but doesn't cover theaters that are still standing.



2. This book serves as a great photo album of the many legitimate theatres, which were constructed over the last century in New York. The style of this book is almost identical to Nicholas Van Hoogstraten's LOST BROAWAY THEATRES, which makes me question its necessity (some of the photos are duplicated). However, Morrison's book has some omissions that I feel are inexcusable. Two major theatres are missing: The CENTRAL, Broadway and 47th St and The ASTOR, Broadway and 45th ST, along with several minor ones. Also there are some errors in text such as when Morrison claims the ERLANGER became the ST JAMES in 1951, in fact the name change was decades earlier. Another error occurs when Morrison states the HOLLYWOOD (later HELLINGER) sealed its Broadway entrance in 1934, this actually occurred when the house went "legit" during late 40s. Never mentioned in any of these books is the PICADILLY (later WARNER, where sound movie were introduced in 1926) and COLUMBIA (later MAYFAIR and DEMILLE) Theatres, which started as stage houses but spent most of their existence as movie houses. I do not understand the continued emphasis being placed on NY's Broadway theaters without ever giving the great Times Square movie palaces (ROXY, PARAMOUNT, CAPITOL, etc) their due. Because of their vast size and popularity, the movie palaces, attracted more people to the Times Square area than the legitimate stage can ever hope to. New York's movie palaces were the largest, most expensive and arguably the finest ever built and I feel it's about time their place in Times Square's history is properly acknowledged. BROADWAY THEATRES by William Morrison offers a fine overview of its topic for those who are marginally interested. But for others expecting more insight and accuracy, Morrison's book should only be used as a starting point.



3. Ever sat in a Braodway theater and wondered about the history of the place and what shows had played there before? This book tells you. I took it with me on a recent trip to New York and discovered that one of the buildings in which I was doing business (The Hippodrome) was built on the site of the late Hippodrome theatre, where many spectacular productions, including Billy Rose's Jumbo, where staged. Morrison obviously is an expert in both theatrical history and architecture, making his essays on the individual theatres informative and lively. The play is what we go to see, but the house in which it's staged is often critical to a play's success--as Morrison demonstrates on page after page. Broadway Theatres: History and Architecture has made a great addition to my theatrical library.