No comments about Great Opera Houses (Masterpieces of Architecture).

2 comments about Historic Arts & Crafts Homes of Great Britain.

1. The "Historic" part of the title must be taken seriously. All of the houses are very big and open to the public. This is not a book for anyone wanting to duplicate Arts & Crafts style. There are much better books for that purpose. The book is fine, but a minor glitch occurs on pages 134-135. The same painting shown in two photographs shows that one of the photos is mirror-image.



2. This is a beautifully illustrated book depicting ten magnificant houses from the Arts & Crafts period in Great Britain. These homes dating from the late 1800's and early 1900's reflect a time that seems quintessentially England. You almost expect to find Sherlock Holmes or perhaps Lord Peter Wimsey to come around the corner.
   
   The homes are architectually impressive, but this book is mainly on the interior style and decorations. In many cases, such as Red House, the architect designed everything about the house from the structure itself down to the dining room table and the candlesticks and glasses to put on it.
   
   Needless to say, these houses were not built for the common ordinary people, but were the country homes of the very well to do. Most of them were not royalty but successful businessmen. Just to think of cleaning them now seems like a great deal of effort.
   
   As an added benefit, all of these homes are open to the public, and information is given as to how to visit.

3 comments about Handbook of Construction Tolerances.

1. Every practicing architect has to learn the difference between what is drawn and what is actually constructable -- and tolerances are a big part of that educational leap. I can't count the number of times I've had to search some standard -- or first of all, to figure out which standard -- so that my response to a question isn't simply "because I said so". I really think that a copy of this book belongs with every project team, and especially once the project goes into construction. This will cut back on the conflicts between the architect's seeking perfection, and the contractors saying "but this was good enough on the last job!"



2. Toleracnaces in construction were available to those willing to wade through numerous sources. Here all of the construction tolerances are avaailable for quick review.



3. This book provides practical construction standards to evaluate construction of a home

No comments about Forts & Palaces of India: Sentinels of History.

1 comments about Farm Houses: The New Style.

1. I love farmhouse style, and there have been some noteworthy books recently that have amazing images and really help to articulate what is so compelling about the form. This is not one of them.
   
   "The Farmhouse" is a beautiful, useful book. Buy it.
   
   But Farm Houses: The New Style is not a peer. It is not tragic, but it really pales in comparison.

2 comments about At the Water's Edge: Muskoka's Boathouses (Art & Architecture) (Art & Architecture).

1. You can not longer build and live so close to the water's edge but these beauties are grandfathered in on beautiful Muskoka and Rousseau, et. al. I thought of my boyhood days on a lake in Northern Minnesota. I remember smaller and less grand boathouses where the sundappled water reflected off the rafters inside. You were really one with the water. This book captures the essence of it all--I could almost smell the water, wood, paint, varnish, canvas, wet rattan and wicker--



2. At the water's edge

   Muskokaá Boathouses.

   This book gives the reeder a chance of dreaming back to the early yaers of the 20th century and experiance how the riche and famuose people spent there weekends and holidays. If you are intrested in old houses, especially bothouses, and architect designs this book is a must.

   This book is my best inspiration ever.

   Peter Östlund Stockholm Sweden

4 comments about Great Garages, Sheds & Outdoor Buildings: 145 Projects You Can Build.

1. This book is basically a list of plans for sale by the Hanley Wood Company. Most of the designs look rather dated to me, I would guess many of these were designed in the 1960's and 70's. I didn't find any particularly interesting or useful ideas here, most designs were either very simple or much too ornate & contrived for my taste. It's rather misleading to call this a "book" and say it was "wriitten by" and author, it is really more of a large sales brochure dressed up as a paperback book.



2. This book gives you a large variety of designs and styles to consider. It was just what we were looking for! We were able to combine a couple of ideas to build the perfect garage/guest house! Our builder had no problem just using the pictures and diagrams from the book. If you're a do-it-yourselfer, you can order the plans. (Everyone in the neighborhood compliments our new guest house/garage!



3. if you're looking for the basic garage or outbuilding book this is not it....too big , too contemporary.... also it should be called the garage plan sourcebook. as there are no actual plans...just sources



4. This book offers a very extraordinary group of ideas in the form of sketches, however that is as far as you will get with the 101 projects you can build yourself. Each project has a plan number that requires the speculative do-it-yourselfer to spend 20 to 85 dollars on a blueprint that most profesional builders won't even touch. In summary, the plans are too complicated for the weekend warrior, and the materials needed to build these elaberate structures will blow any do-it-your-selfers budget. You can get some good ideas from this book, but that is it.

5 comments about Damanhur: Temples of Humankind.

1. Damanhur: The Temples of Humankind (DTOK) is first and foremost for people with an interest in the intentional community Damanhur (in Northern Italy, since the mid 1970's) and what they have achieved with the construction of The Temples of Humankind. Perhaps you have been there and want a way to to show other people not only what you saw but to show them in a way that almost astounds as much as being in The Temples astounded you. Perhaps you simply know about this place and would like to own and view a splendid production of photos and information on what has been created there. Or maybe you know someone who went there, in which case this book would make a great gift which I am sure they'd be happy to own (if they don't already have it!)
   
   Yet having said that, DTOK is for more than just people who already know about Damanhur and these Temples. Anyone with an interest in art and creativity will most certainly marvel at the incredible creativity documented within DTOH. People with an interest in spirituality and human consciousness will likely find DTOH equally compelling. I am sure, that many who read this book will feel inspired to actually visit Damanhur and see them first-hand, and I couldn't recommend that more. So be warned, this might cost you more than just the price of Damanhur: The Temples of Humankind.
   
   Having visited Damanhur for a month and spent many hours in The Temples I can say that this book does a wonderful job of accurately and beatifically presenting what is hidden in those otherwise normal looking mountains. In all honesty I think many of the images look even more splendid that the real thing when it comes to the actual detail of the artistic works, simply because photos (well composed ones) have a way of hiding the fact that some of these artistic works are in need of some repair and attention. I don't see this as a negative, but rather positive in that it enables the reader to gain a taste of the magnificence one can ultimately only experience by walking in these chambers and temples in person. What the book lacks in size and scale (the Temples are quite huge when you're actually there), it makes up for by capturing these artworks at their very best.
   
   Enjoy this book, and if you feel moved to visit Damanhur and you have the means to do so, then go for it.
   
   If this book interests you (and/or you enjoyed it) I think you'll also be pleased to know about:
   Damanhur: The Story of the Extraordinary Italian Artistic And Spiritual Community, which gives a very thorough account of the Damanhur itself and the people living there (now around 1000 in total)



2. What a wonderful book this is! I am a great fan of New York artist Alex Grey's work and he and his friends have made a superb job of this large format hard back book which features marvelous glossy photos from Darmanhur, the artistic and spiritual community near Turin in Italy. It's a must have for your coffe table if you're interested in the power of spiritual vision, artistic expression and intentional communities.
   
   I will treasure this book always. Thank you EBay for delivering it so promptly all the way to Australia!



3. Alex grey brings his clarity to the task of drawing the publics eye onto an unbelievable society that has profound lessons to teach the rest of the world about opening up to the complete truth of who and what we are as sentient beings.



4. What a great book. Visually stunning and very interesting. And published from a great publisher, CoSM.
   
   Support CoSM. They have some other really cool stuff.
   
   "The Temples of Humankind were a secret from even the closest neighbors for the next twenty years as artists, artisans and builders excavated and created the equivalent of a five-story subterranean building."
   
   "Profound appreciation goes to WENDY GRACE and MICHAEL HONACK, and the Tides Foundation, for financial support of the Damanhur book project."
   
   Thank you for your work in helping to illuminate the path...



5. This book is absolutely gorgeous. It contains tons of really interesting information on the temples (not to mention brilliant photography work). Beautiful.

No comments about Homes Within Reach: A Guide to the Planning, Design, and Construction of Affordable Homes and Communities.

5 comments about Infrastructure: A Field Guide to the Industrial Landscape.

1. For me, this book brought a new level of fun to driving around. Another take on the many things that 'make civilized life possible.'



2. This engrossing book leads the reader on a tour of industrial features that one would encounter on both a cross-country or cross-town trip. After reading this book, you will find yourself---as I did---pointing out industrial installations and explaining their use to friends and family.
   
   The glossy, full-color pictures are the most striking feature of this large book. They superbly complement the already excellent, clear, and well-organized text. I was also particularly impressed by the further reading listed at the back of the book. It is organized by chapter and ranked from "Kids" to "Geeks". It filled my stack of reading for several weeks after I finished Infrastructure.
   
   My only criticism of the book echoes the author's apology in the preface: there are many technologies and industries necessarily absent from the book. I can only hope that the author will produce further books of similar quality in the future.



3. If you go for a walk and start actually looking around, you'll see a lot of things that most of us don't really understand -- power lines, sewer systems, the mysterious blue telephone junction boxes. This book explains why and what these things are -- think of it as a Nature Guide for the human-made environment. Do you have Sibley's Guide? Well, you should have one of these, too. My only quibble -- the pages are below standard quality for a hardback book. But never you mind -- don't be picky, like me! Get this book!



4. A proviso that must be made is that this is a very-USA-centric book. No disrespect intended as it is a beautifully photographed and relatively detailed (plus references for a lot more information) tome. Just something to keep in mind as the world is not (yet?) flat in infrastructure.
   
   I like to think of myself as pretty knowledgeable, but I learned quite a bit in each chapter. I can imagine a similar book for Infrastructure 1925 (or so). Would be fun to see what has been lost (trains/streetcars/twice-daily-mail delivery) and gained (more obvious).



5. I've been looking for a book like this for quite a while. I've always been interested about how technology is part of the infrastructure of our everyday lives. Particularly as it relates to electricity and telecommunications. While all of the novels and technical books I read eventually make their way to either my bookshelves or a box, I can easily see this book as something that will permanently become part of my coffee table. I look forward to reading (and re-reading) the various sections. I've found the book to be sufficiently technical, yet simultaneously casual in tone. Considering the subject matter, a very easy, informative and entertaining read. Highly recommended.