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 Outhouses.

4 comments about Naturally Modern: Creating Interiors with Wood, Leather, Stone, and Natural Fabrics.

1. This book is helpful if you want to know how to use and care for natural materials in and oustside the home. There were some good photos featuring modern interiors but not very many photos relating to modern retro, as I had hoped for. I would recomend this book to anyone wanting ideas on using different types of natural materials for their home.



2. Naturally Modern: Creating Interiors With Wood, Leather, Stone, And Natural Fabrics is a practical how-to guide for creating handsome, functional home interiors using natural materials including wood, leather, stone, as well as textiles such as cotton, linen, and wool. Design writer Ros Shaw's "reader friendly", informative, and occasionally inspiring text is enhanced with 250 photographs of contemporary American, European, and Asian rooms that offer concepts and appearances that are beyond the vagaries of short-term fads and transient fashions. Highly recommended reading for the novice homeowner as well as the experienced interior designer, Naturally Modern is a welcome and invaluable contribution to any personal, professional, and community library interior design reference book collection.



3. This books explores ways in which we can substitute man-made materials for those that are found in nature, offering the reasons why nature is almost alwasy best. The book is aimed towards a contemporary design oriented audience, but the ideas can be adjusted to fit most decors. Beautifully photographed and well written, this book is a great addition to any design library.



4. A fantastic book. Provides lots of information of the various materials and textures and information on how the materials are processed and how to maintain them. Features unique products and accessories like calfskin chessboard and leather tiles.

5 comments about Skyscrapers.

1. Great book mixing the technical and art of architecture into a very tall coffee table book. Since new skysckrapers are being built all the time this doesn't have the newest and tallest buildings, there is a newer edition and hopefully they will keep updating with time.



2. First, the good stuff: the book's photography, though a little washed-out, is stunning. It was a wonderful inspiration to make a "tall, narrow" book of pictures of skyscrapers.
   
   Then there's the text. We learn way, way too little about construction technique, advances in technology, and the men and women who backed and financed these buildings.
   
   And we learn way, way too much about what a godlike figure Philip Johnson is. He was interviewed for an introduction for the book, and many Johnson or Johnson-clone buildings are found here. But sharp contrast, way too little treatment is given to the great skyscrapers of the pre-Modernist and Modernist eras.
   
   The book is a great premise and a broken promise; its coverage is fatally flawed by a lack of balance in viewpoint.



3. I've always been a great fan of skyscrapers. Eventually I started my own website and joined a few forums where other skyscraper lovers meet. My dad bought me this book and I love it. You can tell just by looking at my near destroyed copy of it. :D. It sits near my chair covered in coffee stains and filthy for how much I've read it!
   One thing did get me. I'm from Melbourne Australia and the writer takes a bit of a shot at Melbournes Rialto Towers. I was annoyed at first, I love our tallest skyscraper, but then I realised Judith Dupre was right. Rialto could have been built anywhere. I was just biased towards my home tower.
   So yeah, great book. Opened my eyes alot to the buildings I see every day and my perception of them



4. My wife was in Chicago recently for a quilt show, and she picked up a book for me while she was there. It's called Skyscrapers by Judith Dupre, and it's an interesting coffee table book.

   To start with, the size of the book is unique. To emphasize the "tallness" of the subject matter, the book measures 18 inches by 8 inches. It definitely doesn't fit on a bookshelf too well. Each two page combination in the book examines one of the world's tallest or most unique skyscrapers. The photography is well done, and the description and history of the buildings is often interesting. If you're an architect or someone who appreciates the art of structures, you'll think this book is wonderful. The only fault I can find with it (and it's more me than the book) is that the author tends to wax lyrical about artistic details and concepts that sometimes go a bit overboard. I guess I'm not "in touch" with my inner self... I found myself thinking "It's a building! Get over it!" more than once.




5. (The following review is dedicated to the brave men and women who lost their lives on 9/11/01.)

   At first glance, the aptly titled "Skyscapers" pictorial has the guise of a tall building. With an impeccable presentation, the book faithfully maintains the original context of each building represented with beautiful black & white photos. It gives the reader a nuts-and-bolts perspective: Judith Dupre, et al, along with the enigmatic architect, Philip Johnson, the unparalled book takes the reader on an incredible journey. From the pioneering Reliance Building in Chicago to the defunct World Trade Center in New York City, from the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco to the Ulm Cathedral in Germany--it never ceases to amaze me, the enormous contributions these towering marvels have made in our behalf. They're magnificent places where people gather to work and make an honest living. And, they're magnificent places where people gather to worship and reflect upon life's mere existance. All things considered, this book will inspire any aspiring architect to reach for the sky. At home, it proudly sits atop my desk. If you're an architectural buff, this is the book for you.

2 comments about Art of Japanese Architecture.

1. I know little about Japanese architecture but found this book very instructive and easily readable for the novice. I shared it with freinds who have lived in Japan for over 20 years. They were quite impressed at the authenic quality of the research and the wonderful illustrations. Another friend, a landscape architect, was delighted that so many of the fine photos showed how important landscaping is the Japanese architecture. The photos and illustrations are supurb. The book doesn't just dwell inhistoricism but brings you up to date with modern Japanese works as well. I feel it is one of the best purchases I've made in a long time.



2. After an extensive search, I found the above description of THE ART OF JAPANESE ARCHITECTURE in a Library Journal listing. While there is nothing in book itself or on Amazon to indicate that it is but a revision of Introduction to Japanese Architecture, as a result of comparing the two books in their entirety, line by line and illustration by illustration, I can assure you that this is indeed the case.
   
   In general, both books give one who is not knowledgeable about it an excellent overview of Japanese architecture from its beginnings through modern times via a well-written, easy-to-grasp text. What will also appeal to those just beginning to study Japan is that the architecture is discussed in context--i.e., in a narrative that includes details about locations, gardens, statuary, historical events/people, and religion.
   
   Both books also abound in illustrations, all in color. Of ART's 370, 216 are photographs, 39 of which are 1-to-2-pg. spreads, 80 of which range from 3 x 5 to 3/4ths of a page. Included, too, are the following, which, with 9 exceptions, also appear in INTRO:
   -24 watercolors of sites showing their structures and landscaping, often at least 1/2 a page in size;
   -20 layouts/floor plans;
   -88 drawings/watercolors of individual structures, construction and architectural details;
   -19 paintings and woodblock prints.
   
   As for the differences between the two books-- While ART is 48 pages longer than INTRO, what accounts for most of these pages is the addition of 51 photographs, 32 of which are full- or 2-page spreads, 10 of which are 1/2- to 3/4th-page ones.
   
   In regards to the text, ART adds only approximately 368 lines, the equivalent of 3.5 pages (two 56-line, 2.5-inch-wide columns per page). Though most do add information about the architecture, the additions are scattered throughout the 173-page book and typically amount to but a phrase here or a sentence or two there of descriptive detail. In only 21 instances is a paragraph or two added. And only occasionally is the information a result of findings made since INTRO was published. ART also omits the equivalent of a page of text because it excludes INTRO's section on Tomb Mounds. (Excerpts from it, however, comprise the first "comment" on this review.)
   
   So which book do I recommend? Currently, it really depends on which is more important to you: price or photographs. Be aware, however, that both books paint Japanese architecture in broad strokes--i.e., the details about the architecture of specific structures rarely exceed a paragraph. If you are looking for a book that goes into technical detail, What is Japanese Architecture?: A Survey of Traditional Japanese Architecture will probably be more to your liking even though its illustrations are limited to line drawings. --B. Evans, 1/19/08
   
   Note: If you are trying to compare ART/INTRO with other books, a printable copy of the Table of Contents is in the commentary following my review of Introduction to Japanese Architecture. Unfortunately, neither book has an index.

1 comments about High-Tech: The Industrial Style and Source Book For the Home.

1. Bought the book at Haslam's in St. Pete in the very early 80s. The ideas here just keep popping up in later books/magazines with different justifications for inclusion. Moral: hey, use all the ideas in this source book - just don't publicly brand them "high-tech."

No comments about Pools & Spas, 2nd Edition.

No comments about Hirschfeld: Art and Recollections From Eight Decades.

No comments about Nearest Thing to Heaven: The Empire State Building and American Dreams (Icons of America).

3 comments about Cool Cottages: 235 Delightful Retreats, 825 to 3,500 Square Feet.

1. I was entained by the way the book presented itself..altho the cottages are truely small they are perfect for that affordable gettaway.
   They have good layouts and easy to understand plans.



2. When one thinks cottage they imagine a mountain cabin, oceanside bungalow or lakefront getaway. Home Planners Cool Cottages was filled with mostly black and white 'Home Plans', many over 1800 square feet with manicurred lawns. Through the entire book, I only found 3-4 cottages in 800-1200 square foot range showing a unique creative design. The floor plans were even worse. Do people actually build and live in these? What about traffic patterns? Formal dining rooms? Hello! That's what I do when I think getaway college, entertaining. Cool Cottage would have made a good $3.95 magazine in the Home and Garden section of a local newstand. A disappointment at any price.



3. The description is very misleading. It is a book of 235 cottage floor plans - all black and white (with the exception of the first few). I expected the book to include floor plans, but I also expected it to be a good read and have real pictures. If you are just looking for floor plans, it's a great book.