No comments about Jeffrey Bilhuber: Defining Luxury: The Qualities of Life at Home.

5 comments about The Disney Mountains: Imagineering At Its Peak.

1. This book is awesome! I love all the concept art and stories behind all the attractions. Very good buy!!



2. I really enjoyed this book. This the third book Jason Surrell has written about rides in the disney parks and although it isn't the most detailed of the three, it's still excelent in it's own right. His first two books,
   The Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies &
   Pirates of the Caribbean: From the Magic Kindom to the Movies (Welcome Book)
   are excelent very detailed stories of each ride at the various parks. The only reason The Disney Mountains comes in 3rd, is because it covers ten different rides (One of which, never came to be) and obviously cannot fit the same amount of detail in a book the same length as the previous two. Still though, a great read and fun for people that love the Disney Parks.



3. The book list the "mountains" that have been build inside the Disney theme parks. Most thrill rides in these parks are located in mountains. SpaceMountain, SplashMountain etc.
   Disadvantage is that the book mainly focus is on the American Disney Parks, HongKong, Tokio and Paris are hardly mentioned.
   The book contains nice artist impressions of the Disney imagineers. However the technical drawings that are also interesting are missing.
   
   Conclusion nice coffee table book, that you probably will read just once.



4. If you are Disney Theme Park Fan. A fan who loves the mountain ranges of Disneyland, then this book is for you. A lavish book that covers all the Mountain Ranges in all the Parks. Amazing drawings and explanations of all these fantastic mountain based rides in the Disney Theme Parks. This is a great behind the scenes look at some of the best Disney Thrill Coasters and a complete look and how they were designed and built. Excellent!



5. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was an easy read, but had a lot of detailed information on how the Imagineers took Walt's original ideas and made them into reality. It has a lot of great original concept art as well as photos of the original models that were constructed of each project. If you are a Disney 'Geek', you will love this book.

3 comments about Design for the Other 90%.

1. I was already familiar with the catalog, but needed additional copies. I was pleasantly surprised to find the Amazon selling price was even lower than at the venue. The catalog contains links and resources to follow-up on all the displayed items and their authors.
   
   The shipping time was relatively long, but express shipment outside the US would have been too expensive.



2. "Design for the Other 90%" was published for the exhibition of the same name at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum at the Smithsonian. More like a review of an exhibition than a definitive text, the book is a nice brief review of some very interesting designs that are useful all over our planet. The book does not seem to be intended to teach you how to build, but rather to inspire you to think about building differently.
   
   The book contains a collection of inventions - most of them quite simple. Examples are a "pot-in-pot" cooler which uses evaporative cooling to keep food from spoiling, a portable water filter for drinking water, a communal solar-powered kitchen, a gravity-powered drip irrigation system, and small-scale photovoltaic lighting. There are many more interesting ideas within these pages.
   
   You won't learn the details of construction from this book, but you will be stimulated to think more broadly about designs that are useful for the majority of humans on our planet.



3. Excellent book. Besides many, many good ideas, the concept of Designing for the other 90% of the population is inspiring. If you've ever seen how people in developing nations live, you know how important and needed innovative ideas like these are.
   
   In the lines of "Poverty is our greatest common enemy", if people started designing products like these to help improve the lot of the rest of the world, the larger part of the world's problems would be solved.
   
   The only thing I'd like to see in this book is more good ideas..

5 comments about Oscar Niemeyer: Houses.

1. This has to be one of the worst books I have ever bought. I was expecting inspirational works - what I got was some trashy looking houses.
   Maybe they are better when seeing them live, but this book does not inspire me to go seek them out. Out of the numerous houses/flat in the book I could say that only 2 or so were inspirational - the rest trash.



2. Detailed images to show Niemeyer's thoughts on living. Choronological spectrum of his works and constant re interpretation of his own architecture.



3. I saw some of his work in real, but the pictures of those that I didn't see are awesome! Houses designed by a communist, for the capitalists... But we don't care



4. This is a marvelous edition of a particular unknown facet of Oscar Niemeyer (Houses). He is a Brazilian architect that built an international reputation because of public spaces solutions. This book offers a detailed timeline view of private houses projected by him.



5. Niemeyer's houses are like modern art deco, they exude elegance and elan. This book does a fine job of captureing what makes his work so special, through the crisp images and interesting text. I was familiar with Niemeyer's public work, which frankly I not a huge fan of, but not his house designs, which I must say I appreciate much more than his civic work, I mean Brasilia is a mess, an urban "1984" nightmare, but his houses are much more serene and elegant. Nice book, highly recommended to anyone with a love for architecture.

3 comments about Carpentry & Construction.

1. The project I'm working on right now in the hundred year old house I bought is refinishing some hardwood floors. So first I turned to the index to see what they said about doing that task. It was there. The description was rather short, but exactly what I needed to know.
   
   I then turned to how to install a toilet, yup, it was there too. So was wiring, framing walls, building a stair way, roofing, venting gas appliances, and there's a section on solar heating systems. In short, I couldn't find anything about building a house that wasn't covered (except for finding the money to cover the cost). If you're going to build a house, or have one built, I can't recommend any book higher than this one.



2. This book is a great overview of construction - it covers building stages ranging from the foundation to framing to roof details to types of siding available. Some electrical basics discussed, tips and tricks to keep in mind -- overall a good, lucid, well-thought out book that can get you started with construction.



3. From tools to termites, this book is an excellent reference tool for the construction novice (the person who is a neophyte to the trade, yet yearns to build their own home). This is a fine jumping-off point to more trade-specific references. It has given me the confidence to build my own house, even though I can't swing a hammer without hitting my thumb. Detailed drawings and illustrations complement a text that works from the "ground floor" up (forgive the pun) to the finishing touches aimed at the asthetic level.

1 comments about Enviromental Psychology for Design.

1. This was a required school text which I was very excited to buy, but I found the level of information was more general than I wanted. The author has certainly pooled together great amounts of research in each chapter (eg. children, elderly, commercial space) and admittedly gives plenty of references to delve further into, which I did. As an interior design senior with children and aging parents who has worked in corporate and retail spaces, the information provided seemed more in the common sense arena. Maybe it's just me.
   
   I also found the repetitive nature of the text a little tedious, and the core information could have been compressed considerably. The review sections and then further questions to ponder after each chapter struck me as more high school than senior level, or maybe the book is the culmination of powerpoint slide shows the author delivers in class?
   
   I'm sure readers will find it interesting but in the end I was disappointed at the value added versus book cost. Ouch.

4 comments about Kim Parker Home.

1. I really like this artist for her use of color- and it's always fun to read about people who have no formal training in art- but clearly are talented artists. But I purchased this book thinking that it was a home decor book- and while it does showcase the artist's lovely NY apartment- it was not what I was expecting. I was also sad to see that the bath/kitchen were not included- I would have liked to see the entire home showcased. It only shows select spaces in her own apartment and is more of an autobiography or tribute to her designs and related products than what the title would lead you to believe. It has some really nice photos of her work but I was a little let down by the narrative. I would have preferred to see her works displayed in various home settings than just her own home. It almost came across a little narcissistic - but overall it's a nice book if you enjoy her works.



2. What I should have expected, but did not, is that the images in this book are all from Kim's little artist's home in NYC. Personally, I wasn't too inspired by the photos. However, she has lived a rich, creative life as shared through her stories. So if you're expecting a ton of photos, as you'd expect in a typical home decor book, look elsewhere. But if you're someone who wants to be inspired through words, as much as images, then this book is a great choice for you.



3. Kim Parker's book is fabulous. I am a friend but I am not biased. She is a super talented artist and musician and has worked hard to get to where she is. Her book is a story about how she became an artist and how hard it is to do in NYC but the results are phenomenal. Her apartment is a collection of her images and more. Great stories abound page to page. Truly a great book for your coffee table to inspire anyone.



4. I received this book yesterday and COULDN'T WAIT to review it! I have a huge library of interior design books...mostly because that is my passion and my creative outlet. Kim Parker Home is, without a doubt, my favorite book. My taste runs from the quirky to the funky, but it is always colorful and the rooms that are featured in this book mirror that aesthetic. I am also a huge flea market fan and aside from the color, it is also obvious that Kim Parker, herself, also appreciates vintage items for their charm and uniqueness. As you leaf through the pages you will see the most vibrant colors and patterns imaginable. Vintage sofas are covered in lushly patterned and vibrantly colored fabrics of Ms. Parker's design. I found myself turning the pages over and over and each time I discovered something I had missed the time before. The only disappointing thing about viewing such treasures is discovering that unless you have money to burn, purchasing most of the wonderful rugs, pillows, linens, art or dinnerware that can be found in high-end stores is probably not in your budget. Nonetheless, I'm sure I will spend countless hours enjoying the beautiful photography and presentation this book has to offer. Another bonus is that under the dustcover the book is covered in a lovely floral design...very nice on your coffee table!

4 comments about Measure and Construction of the Japanese House.

1. Simply, with no doubt one of the best books on the subject. I've been studying Japanese architecture for some time and I always get back to it as a reference. Very technical and well illustrated. I'm looking for the complete volume by Heino Engel.



2. When I ordered this book, I was expecting to see a lot of pictures to help me design my house. But to my dismay, most of the colorless pages just feature blueprints that only an architect would understand. I kept the book for future reference.



3. Anyone who wishes to build a Japanese tea room either in the garden or attached to their house could do well to start with this book. You can also use this book to design accents for a single room, or to craft an entire house. It was written by a German architect who lived in Japan several decades ago and carefully measured surving older buildings as well as studying architecture there. While there are more detailed books in Japanese, this may well still be the best available book in English.



4. If you are an architect interested in japanese constructional systems, this is THE BOOK for you. If you aren't but find japanese culture a fountain of inspiration for living, you must read this extraordinary piece of art. Perhaps it don't shine like a jewel, but once you open it, you'll find the work of a man who decided to share his mastery. In this book, diagrams, materials, craftmanship, even detailed descriptions of the human space requirements are fully explained with precision and simplicity. Every page, and every example in them, is a world that must be carefully examined. And when doing so, you'll find that what the author is showing us, is more than a book about japanese houses: is the heart of the japanese carpenters and architects living in its pages.

5 comments about Private Tuscany.

1. This was not the book for me because we are building a Tuscan style house and the houses featured in this book are beautiful, but old and refurbished houses in Tuscany. So many of the materials are not available in America, and also there is the comfort issue; while the houses are beautiful and definitely authentic, they might not be so comfortable for today's lifestyle. If you are looking for ideas on a modern Tuscan style house, I definitely recommend Tuscan & Andalusian Reflections. However, if what you want is to see is the real, authentic, Tuscan refurbished houses, then this is the book for you.
   
   I must say the decoration ideas are great, and the pictures are beautiful. Even though it wasn't what I expected, I don't regret buying it because it definitely transports you to another place and time when you flip through it.



2. I am an Interior Designer and I am always searching for new references and inspiration. This is a beautiful book



3. With this book you can get a good idea of the warm ranges of wall colors that create a Tuscan mood. This book focuses more on color and neutral tones as opposed to some that go for the white tones. The decor shown is generally not over the top and focused on the grandiose villas that are out of reach of most everyone. There are many modest but lovely homes shown and you can pull fabric inspiration and accessory inspiration. I would give the book 3.5 stars due to some of the rooms being a bit sparse in design and lacking in real life things such as television/stereos, etc. That however is typical of most design books.



4. I WAS LOOKING FOR A GRANDER INSPERATION AND IT WAS NOT THERE. SOME NICE SHOTS BUT NOT WORTH BUYING.



5. Something that I will enjoy over and over with a cup of coffee on a Sunday morning.

1 comments about Santiago Calatrava: Complete Works, Expanded Edition.

1. I bought Santiago Calatrava's book as a gift but I was dying to see the pictures and his work. I totally recommend it.