1 comments about Katsura.

1. Quite interesting book if you are fond about japanese architecture. Sensible, full of inspiration... Its pictures will make you travel to the place and time.

No comments about A Concise Guide to Community Planning.

No comments about American Architecture since 1780: A Guide to the Styles.

No comments about Verb Matters.

No comments about Tile Style for the Home: Kitchens, Baths, and More.

5 comments about Hello World: A Life in Ham Radio.

1. I bought this book because it was about ham radio. I was impressed at how well the storyline was. You actually felt as though you were there watching this story go on. A must read!!!



2. I know nothing about ham radio and loved this book. It is beautifully constructed, has amazing graphics and a great story that Gregory has reconstructed about one man's passion. It's a book about communication, and humanity, and art and how small the world really is. Gorgeous.



3. I was given this fantastic book by my neighbor and friend here in New Jersey, who is a longtime Ham Radio afficionado (and Police Officer by occupation). Truth be told, I have always wondered about Jim's (my mentioned neighbor/friend) hobby/pastime, especially given his tower and antenna systems, which are large and visible and hard to ignore! I did not know much about the hobby, other than 'people talk around the world much like CB'ers talk locally'. I now realize how utterly wonderful, fascinating and riveting this hobby is! Not to mention critical in times of regional or national emergencies! The authors take you on a FASCINATING journey through the ham radio life of an engineer named Jerry Powell, an actual FCC licensed 'Ham' operator from Kansas who moved to New Jersey early on in his career and spent decades on the air from his humble home, communicating with Hams everywhere from all kinds of economic and ideological backrounds. The book is replete with interesting vignettes and descriptions of what Ham Radio is all about, and the true passion and wonderment of engaging in all aspects of this hobby shared by millions around the world. The graphics are first rate, with a veritable 'world tour' of colorful QSL cards, which reflect many of Jerry's contacts with other Ham Operators from every conceivable corner of the world! After reading this book and 'taking in' the wonderful graphics, I even picked up a few entry-level study guides from the ... site (National Amateur Radio organization) on the advice of my neighbor Jim, and I am excitedly planning on obtaining my entry 'Technician' license! I can't wait to get on the air! Just a superb, SUPERB book!!!



4. This is an outstanding book which is beautifully illustrated primarily with QSL cards from a ham's 70 year love affair with his hobby that also serves to explain what amateur radio is to the newcomer. I have QSL cards on my wall from the fifties and received my first call in 1955 so to me this book is a real find. Any ham or person curious about ham radio will find this book a true gem. 73s, Jim, K4CFA



5. With the rise of "personal" electronics--think Internet, tiny cell phones & other wireless connection tools--the world of ham radio seems to have been passed by, forgotten, or otherwise relegated to the basement, or worse. But this hobby holds on, fascinating & attracting those wanting more, some means of talking, chatting, meeting & interacting with the world at-large. Who want something besides giant corporations (ultimately concerned only with P&L)& sometime silly can-you-hear-me-now keyboard manipulations. Something beyond the anonymous nature of what we call commercial radio.

   Hams, by & large, remain a curious lot--curious about how & why radio works. And curious because how is it possible to sit in your room & talk with someone else halfway around the world, without wires or other connections? Curious about the nature of communication itself, about who might be on "the other end" of that circuit. And curious about who & what they might be & do. The process occurs thousands of times, day & night, spanning everything, from continents to cultures to countries to crazy dreams & ideas. There's a romance to it, listening to signals that are all around us, unseen or felt, until we hook up a radio & detect them. Ham radio lets you put your own message out there, into that vast ethereal space, seeking something only you know about, something only you want.

   "Hello World" introduces readers to some of that romance, to some of what kept Jerry Powell (whose collection of QSL cards form the basis of the work) doing it for 70 years. To some of what fascinated him, & continues to fascinate millions of others around the world. It's a graphical treat, & a rare look into radio from the amateur's point of view. Hopefully, some youngster, somewhere, will see it, & want to learn more--about radio, the world, & communicating with it via radio.

   And Jerry Powell's legacy will live on...and on....

1 comments about China's New Dawn: An Architectural Transformation.

1. It was here quick and in great condition.
   
   Very reasonably priced.

2 comments about Exploring Garden Style: Creative Ideas from America's Best Gardeners (Fine Gardening Design Guides) (Fine Gardening Design Guides).

1. Okay, I'm a sucker for gardening stories ... personal experiences of gardener's and their gardens. These are stories of real people and the evolution of their gardens. There are ideas here for everyone with great photos for inspiration and many stories include a layout of the garden. It makes for good browsing to get motivated to get out and work in the dirt to create my own special sanctuary.



2. In this book 20 garden designers share ideas and techniques for creating a beautiful garden in a unique style. The book is divided into three parts - Traditional Gardens, Naturalistic Gardens and Specialty gardens. Each part is composed of short, beautifully-illustrated articles written in a very personal style by a gardener, landscape designer or horticulturist.

   It is the personal nature of each article that contributes most to the appeal of this book. Take the opening of Nani Waddoups article titled "Tropical Garden, Temperate Zone". She writes "The newer parts of our garden look a little out of place..." How can you resist an opening like that? Her article describing her garden - listed in the Smithsonian Registry of Gardens - shows how her Hawaiian background prompted her and helped her to develop a lush pseudo-tropical garden in the Pacific Northwest.

   My favourite section is that on Naturalistic Gardens. Five writers form points as far apart as Connecticut and Texas share with the reader ways in which they used the local climate, geology, soil and plants to create a garden that has given each of them great pleasure and satisfaction.

   Top marks to the Taunton Press for introducing these garden writers first to Fine Gardening magazine and now in book form for those of us who like to sit down and read the whole collection. The editors have put together a book that offers gardeners a diversity of fresh ideas in a most attractive format.

1 comments about Saints, Signs and Symbols.

1. I was looking for a book of the whole area of Christian symbols, and this book covers a good section of it (though not as exhaustive as I need). There are 31 pages of about four entries per page showing in black and white line drawing the emblems of saints and also a brief paragraph identifying the saint and significance of the parts of the emblem. There are only seven pages of symbols for God, Holy Spirit, and Jesus, with many more symbols and much less background info. Five pages of crosses with names only, and four pages of 32 plants and their symbolism. All of this is rather impressive, however I am frustrated with the five pages of Old Testament Symbols that have no explaination. All-in-all, if you want lots of saints' emblems this is the book for you, and if you were looking for what I was, this is a great starting point. There is no formal bibliography, but there is a list of sources used in the acknowledgments.

5 comments about Chicago Apartments: A Century of Lakefront Luxury (Urban Domestic Architecture Series).

1. This is a truly excellent book for those who appreciate the fine building traditions of Chicago. The black and white plates are of a generally high standard, with a scattering of interior views to give atmosphere to the plans. The text is brief but informative, and the overall design of the book itself is of a high standard. Another classy production of the Acanthus Press!



2. This book was a gift from a friend, since I live in a lakefront high-rise and have an interest in Chicago architecture, I walk past dozens of these building throughout my daily travels in the city with a new appreciation now. The amazing vintage photographs plus the many detailed floor plans, along with splendid elevation drawings make this book both a joy and a valuable addition to any library.



3. This is a gorgeous book, I really can't say enough about the quality of books Acanthus Press puts out, they are amazing. The black and white photos are beautiful, they are crisp and vivid. The book is quite thorough, and I found the text to be scholarly and highly informative. I was pleased that exterior as well as interior photos where used, the reader really gets a feel for the buildings and you get an excellent cross section of the top apartment buildings. Chicago is second only to New York in luxurious apartment buildings and this book does an amazing job of cataloging the best examples, I loved this book. The book even includes a silk book mark. If you are the least bit interested in this subject, buy this book, you will not be disappointed, it is first rate. A book for those who love books.



4. This is a first-rate survey of the great apartment buildings of Chicago. The title is misleading since Professor Harris covers over 120 years of architecture with his nearly 100 buildings. The interior decoration shots are fantastic: there are modernist interiors alongside misplaced historical interiors, there are Elkins and Adler designs too. Harris'introduction is a wealth of sociological information. This is a must buy for anybody interested in apartment buildings in Chicago.



5. Having been born in the windy city it was with great relish that I bought Mr. Harris' book. I was not disappointed. It is fascinating and full of details about the people who designed these dwellings and the people who populated them. Overlooking Lake Michigan these buildings were the envy of many cities. The natural shoreline provided a perfect setting for the imagination of the architects and builders who created these edifices for their wealthy inhabitants. The changes that took place as the city became more vertical and more populace is a truly exciting look into the growth of the United States. Mr. Harris has done a superb job.