2 comments about AIA Guide to the Architecture of Washington, D.C..

1. This AIA guide to Washington, DC is a great resource for those interested in learning a little about the many interesting buildings in the nation's capital. It is concise enough to add more interest and depth to a tourist's visit to DC and comprehensive enough to offer enough information to keep an amateur architecture enthusiast informed about DC's architecture. As a student of classical architecture in the nation's capital, I used this book to provide me with some fundamental, perfunctory background about the monuments, federal buildings, and privately-owned buildings of the city. It has served me well and I have no doubt that it will provide most with a more than adequate introduction to the finer points of this nation's city.



2. This is a wonderful book that highlights all the most important buildings in the District. It gives a short synopsis on each buiding highlighted, some like the Capitol and the White House getting a bit more coverage. It was quite comprehensive, and the buildings covered came with pictures. It is not up to the level of the AIA Guide to Detriot or New York, but it is a nice guide none the less. I definitly recommend it to anyone interested in the architecture of the District.

4 comments about American Homes: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Domestic Architecture - A landmark reference with more than 1,000 illustrations, elevations, and palns.

1. I teach a High School architecture class and I highly recommend this book for several reasons.
   1) The black and white line drawings allow my students to focus on the specific details without being distracted by the colors of photographs.
   2) The drawings are highly descriptive of the elements of style that distinguish one period from another and one region to another.
   3) Walker breaks down the sections first by year and then by region.
   
   You are able to see how the styles changed over a period of years and focus on the phases of development.
   
   I especially liked that he devoted separate chapters to individual architects that made a significant contribution to the development of the distinct styles and Walker does a good job of picking houses that showcase these talented individuals.



2. I am interested in historic architecture -- mostly eastern coast architecture of the colonial period. And this book does a grand job of displaying it in its varied forms and regional and ethnic differences. As you can see I rated it at 4. Why not 5? Because I caught a couple of mistakes in the identification of some of the buildings -- both as to location and to period of history from which they came.
   The first mistake I noticed is the octaginal blockhouse on Davis Island in Edgecome, Maine on page 67. Mr. Walker idenitifies it as a building from the 1650's. It was in fact built in 1805 as the central fortification of an earthwork and palsade gun battery to protect Sheepscot Bay. It is one of a whole string of idential coastal fortifications designed and built by the Army Corp of Engineers the specific engineer for this series of fortifications was Moses Porter -- at that time based at West Point. I have lived most of my life within 40 miles of this building.
   The second building that I believe to be mislocated is found on page 95. It is correctly identified as an early georgian house. Where I disagree with Mr. Walker is it location. It is in fact a house that stands to this day in the city of Portmouth, New Hampshire and was the home of an 18th century merchant of that city. There is also a wooden example of the same house on route 1a just outside of the town of Newberryport, Massachusetts and another one built, 1782, in Saco, Maine.
   With these exceptions I have enjoyed reading and re-reading this book



3. "American Homes" by Lester Walker is a bargain at the price Amazon is charging. It is a lavishly illustrated (albeit in black and white) comprehensive work detailing every style of American home in drawings, sections, and elevations emphasizing the differences that make a certain home or style unique. In this way it is extremely useful for anyone with even a passing interest in architecture to learn about the varying styles of American homes.

   Mr. Walker does not visibly seem to favor any one style over another, and avoids editorializing for the most part. Instead he seems to love all the differing styles for what they are, in different ways, and for different reasons, depending of the particular house in question. In addition to specifics on certain examples and styles, Mr. Walker also gives the reader a historical perspective of housing developments in a developmental time frame, starting with Pueblo and Tipi styles to the Inflatable, Deconstruction, Brutalism, and Neomodern styles that are decidedly more recent. As a fan of creative contemporary architecture, I especially found the coverage of the International Revival movement, the quirky Silo and Yurt homes of the early 1970s, and Fantasy homes from the 1940s in the shapes of an elephant (Margate City, NJ), Mother Goose (Hazard, KY), and a pig (Los Angeles, CA), among others, to be delightful.

   This is a wonderful volume and I highly endorse it to anyone from architectural historian to collectors of Americana.




4. I really love this book - it has given me some useful information on the kinds of houses and buildings I may see all over the country - an historical education that I have wanted. And this book makes it fun & easy to learn. The illustrations are cool and the format is very helpful.

5 comments about Gothic.

1. "Gothic" is the second book in a series that covers Western European art and architecture from the 11th to the 19th century. "Gothic" actually deals with two periods: the Gothic period proper, and the Early Renaissance, mostly it's Northern (Dutch) version. The editor believes that the distinction between Late Gothic and the Renaissance is problematic and somewhat artificial. Thus, the book takes us from the 12th century well into the 15th century.
   
   A large part of the book deals with Gothic architecture: cathedrals, churches, city halls and (to a much lesser extent) castles. There are also chapters on Gothic sculpture, painting and goldwork. The chapter on painting also includes Giotto, Fra Angelico and the Northern Renaissance (especially the latter). The text is very comprehensive, and probably mostly appeals to serious students of European art and architecture. What makes the book of interest to the non-specialist are the lavish illustrations. There are photos on almost every page, most of them in color, and all of it for a bargain price!
   
   Personally, I must admit that the "pure" Gothic cathedrals don't really appeal to me. I find them boring. And yes, almost half the book shows Gothic cathedral interiors or facades, most of them strikingly similar to each other... The second half of the book is more aesthetically pleasing, showing how the original Gothic style changed as it spread to Germany, the Netherlands and Bohemia, and how painting developed during the Early Renaissance. The section on goldworks shows many interesting objects.
   
   I like the "Baroque" volume of this series more, but if you have an interest in the Middle Ages, or "Old" Europe art and architecture in general, this book is nevertheless recommended.



2. Honestly, I'm thinking of buying another two copies of this book (I have one now) so that I can cut out and frame some of the pictures - (I want two copies because some of the images are back to back). The images are stunning, and there are clear examples that show the influence of Islamic and Moorish art on Christian cathedrals, especially in Spain. Truly a beautiful and scholarly introduction to this lovely part of the heritage of the whole human race.



3. This is the most spectacular book for you if you like lots of HUGE clear photos of TONS of gothic cathedrals. There are MANY pages of history and other information about the making and restoring of the cathedrals. A MUST HAVE for any gothic-history lover.



4. I first discovered this book in the library and I checked it out several times because I just loved looking at it so much. The pictures are so breathtaking, it increased my resolved to go to Europe and visit all these incredible places first hand. It's a great thourough book for anyone who is new to Gothic art forms as well as a visual reference for people who are already familiar with the style.

   Hard to carry around, but very easy to read!




5. Having borrowed this book over and over from the library, I really had a hard time parting with it when I last returned it. The photographs are splendid, a joy to look at. Since it also qualifies as a reference book, I looked it up ..... to but [buy] a copy but was certain price would be ... more than in was. Now I'm about to by my third copy --it is an amazing bargain.

5 comments about New York Streetscapes: Tales of Manhattan's Significant Buidlings and Landmarks.

1. doesn't mean that I can't recognize a great book when I see one. Christopher has the ability to bring buildings to "life." Andrea Stillman



2. I really enjoyed this book, the photos are so crisp and the text is quite informative. I am pleased that the vast majority of the buildings the author chose are still extant. After absorbing this book, you really appreciate the great architecture and workmanship of the past, the more current buildings in New York just don't measure up. The author does her research and it shows, I highly recommend this book to anyone with any interest in New York, it really is a must have.



3. Some books on the older buildings of New York City will give you the nuts and bolts about the structures: who designed it, who constructed it, when it was built, etc. And some photo books of old New York don't tell you anything at all. New York Times writer, Christopher Gray, with the assistance of the untiring researcher, Suzanne Braley, actually breathe life into these buildings. Not only do we learn the who and the when of a building's birth, but also the why and the how. Why were white brick apartment buildings so prominent at one time? How did the Winter Garden evolve from a huge stable? It's the little and, sometimes, epic anecdotes surrounding the buildings that fascinate Mr. Gray which, in turn, fascinate us. This is an indispensible book for anyone who loves the city, and who has ever stopped in front of a building and asked, "How did that ever get there?"
   
   Rocco Dormarunno, author of THE FIVE POINTS



4. As a New Yorker all I can say is this is the best book I've read about the city.



5. A tremendous gift to anyone who loves the history of Manhattan. Gray writes well, his information is military in both precision and accuracy and the anecdotes alone are worth the price of the book.

   My only wish is that one day, after he retires, a work of all his columns will be published. Perhaps the title "Gray's Anatomy" would suffice.

1 comments about Frank Lloyd Wright : America's Master Architect (Tiny Folio).

1. 
   This mini-book for the gnome's coffee table contains superb color photos, plus occasional color artist's renderings, of Wright's exteriors, interiors, and accessories from all periods of his life; it even includes items from his art collection.
   
   Informative mini-essays in each of 7 chapters plus Introduction precede the pix; includes glossary and index. Lotsa pages in this "Big Little Book" format -- a sleeper!

1 comments about Pamphlet Architecture 11: Hybrid Buildings (Pamphlet Architecture).

1. the book is not at all thorough, but is thumb nails of so called hybrid buildings. There is no distinction between mixed use projects and hybrid buildings. hybrid buildings is relatively a new concept but buildings from the sixties are cited as examples. A no no buy.

1 comments about Architecture in Transition: Between Deconstruction and New Modernism (Architecture & Design).

1. let your mind swim withen the papers of this book

2 comments about Barcelona: A Guide to Its Modern Architecture.

1. This compact (easily fits in backpack) guide has clear photographs of most every notable building, monument, and structure in Barcelona. Its main sections are divided by timespans, not geographically, but there's an index in the back that displays where each structure is located in the city. The book was essential for touring, to answer the "what was that?" question when some of Barcelona's incredible architecture presented itself. Each entry contains lots of detailed information, such as building name, address, year built, architects, builders, and sculptors, as well as a concise narrative on what is significant about this structure.



2. thats it

3 comments about Theo Kalomirakis' Private Theaters.

1. Great book. Lots of ideas. Many could be translated to lower costing projects. How would one get in touch with some of the different designer aspects used, such as the soft scuplter of Lisa Leintfelds (sic)? Have tried everything I could think of. Keep up the wonderful work.



2. I purchased this book to get ideas for our own home theater and of course the ideas in this book are way out of my price range, but the enjoyment of looking at the pictures and the editorial information was great. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to provide enjoyable reading items for visitors or guest. I definitely think this is a coffee table book that many people will enjoy. I personally have had 4 people ask me where they could get a copy of this book.



3. In this magnificient book Theo Kalomirakis, the front figure of extravagant home theater gives you an inside view to some of the finest home theaters in the world. The background of mr. Kalomirakis is shortly but concisely explained, as is his enthusiasm for movies and the history of the movie palaces of the golden era. His talent of bringing the dreams of his clients alive in perfect home theaters is delightfully revealed through the glorious pictures and thoughtful descriptions of the individual theatres in the book. Every chapter of the book gives you enough information satisfy your curiosity, but still leaves some details for your imagination. It seems like this book is as carefully crafted symbiose of technology and art as are mr. Kalomirakis' home theaters.

   I recommend this book highly for everyone that is aspiring to achieve the highest level of home entertainment, because the book gives you a lot of ideas. However, this book is not for technology oriented people, because the equipment used for these theatres are not in the forefront, the outlook and the atmosphere of these theatres take the leading roles.

2 comments about Desert Style.

1. This book is EXACTLY what I was looking for. Perfect condition and rapid delivery. Excellent service.



2. This was also added to my design collection of southwest decorating at its best. This is a very enjoyable book I always look at this for more items for another project. Or just to enjoy what someone else has done to make their living environment lovely.