3 comments about Professional Planting Design: An Architectural and Horticultural Approach for Creating Mixed Bed Plantings.

1. In this singular book, anyone interested in teaching planting design will find a comprehensive guide. My students are required to buy this book and use it throughout their class in Advanced Planting Design. Its full of challenging exercises and analytical guidelines. Thank you Scott Scarfone for producing this clear, comprehensive text.
   Louise Schiller, ASLA



2. Pro: copius details about design principles. Con: lack of color photos -- too many black and white photos



3. In almost every landscape architect's office, you can find two kinds of people: the designers who layout the design and do the color renderings and presentation drawings, and the horticulturists who select the plants. This book will give you a good understanding of both the design and horticultural aspects of planting design, especially the latter.
   
   It is also a very practical book. It'll leave you something useful that you can actually apply in your daily landscape practice after you read it.
   
   Gang Chen, Author of "LEED AP Exam Guide" & "Planting Design Illustrated." LEED AP, AIA

3 comments about Indian Art (Oxford History of Art).

1. I purchased this book for my own enjoyment and to supplement the required readings for my Asian Art class. It is a visual delight, inspiring, and highly informative as well.



2. This is a necessary corrective to previous, stale surveys of Indian art. It gives full attention to the whole range of art and architecture and also stresses the strong contribution of Islamic, tribal, and women's art. This is the standard volume at this time.



3. Although Partha Mitter has written a much better book "Much Maligned Monsters", this book is a total flop. It is hackneyed and bending backwards to be politically correct. For example, a major portion of the book is devoted to Islamic Art (712-1757), but the Islamic kings did not even get properly established in India for 400 years after the putative beginning of this period. Mitter's understanding of the earliest art is less then exemplary and his choices from the most recent period are idiosyncratic. I was greatly disappointed in this book.

2 comments about Building with Bamboo: A Handbook.

1. If you plan to build structures with bamboo, this book is a must. It is the only one I have found that has construction details.



2. Technology is great, but sometimes building methods of native people are "better" than our scientific methods. From an engineering standpoint it was a great book but as a book for someone curious about many ways of building things I was a little disappointed.

5 comments about Tuned Out: Why Americans Under 40 Don't Follow the News.

1. Tuned Out aims to analyze why the under-40 population in America today don't follow the news. The author, David T.Z. Mindich, has clearly done his research with many surveys and reports cited. He talks to many young people, but seems to focus mainly on teens and those in their early twenties. Although the title claims fault with the 30-40 year old population, they are largely ignored.
   
   Mindich does however argue a very good point. Young adults today would much rather watch entertainment news over local, national, or political news. With the internet available almost everywhere, and our country's "I want it now" attitude, people can pick and choose what they do and do not want to read. At the beginning of television, there were only a couple channels to pick from. The news was one of few choices. Today, with hundreds of channels available, there is always something else on that young people can choose over the news. In our celebrity obsessed culture, the latest Britney Spears stunt or which starlet is pregnant is more interesting to readers. Several years ago there were only a couple tabloids, mainly People and US Weekly. The genre has largely expanded with newsstands packed with choices. The younger population seems to feel that they can relate easier to these types of stories as opposed to which political candidate is gunning for higher taxes. Preferring to be blissfully ignorant, they have complete trust in what is going on in the government. Some even might contend that its something they'll deal with when they're older; that its their parents issue.
   
   Mindich offers some solutions to integrating the news into young peoples' daily lives. One resolution is to establish a type of kid's news. Another is to devote less time on the airwaves to scandals. While he has very valid arguments, most of the information is nothing new. This issue has been continuing for many years. Maybe even since Vietnam have young people not pursued interest and involvement in current issues. In my opinion, the news cannot be forced upon anyone, there needs to be a shift where the younger population really wants to be informed.



2. Tuned Out is exactly that. This book proves that it is out of touch with American youth and their outlook on our country. Tuned Out makes many brass assumptions about the newest generation of Americans and the technological society in which we live. Through these assumptions, the author, David T. Z. Mindich, clearly shows his ignorance regarding the subject.
   The author attempts to argue that due to the decreases in the number of people who read newspapers and watch broadcast television, Americans are now less informed about politics. This observation is inaccurate in its attempt to define the relationship between American youth and politics. While it is true that less Americans are reading newspapers and watching broadcast television, this is the result of advancements in technology and not the apathy of individuals. These advancements in technology, such as the Internet and portable media devices, let Americans access important information without having to pick up a newspaper or turn on a television.
   American youth are just as informed, if not more informed, than previous generations of citizens. While new technologies do make information more customizable for the user, they do not breed a society that is indifferent to politics. Generations of the author's beloved past showed how apathetic they were to politics in this nation. Many were ill informed and would vote for candidates based solely on their political party, paying no attention to the candidate's philosophy and character. Today's Americans are kept up to date on important issues through the use of advanced technologies and are free to choose candidates who best fit their "customizable" beliefs.
   Overall the author is outdated and indifferent to modern American society. He completely misses the point of the advancements made in technology and how they affect individuals. The author states his belief that American youth are apathetic towards politics, and that they will bring about the destruction of democracy. The truth is that only real threat to democracy is the type of ignorance that is displayed by the author.



3. The author speaks wistfully of when most people watched network news. But when the three networks news programs had that power, they abused it. Two decades ago Peter Jennings gave an interview in which he said that his job was not merely to present the news but also to interpret it.
   
   What if you don't like the way a newscaster is interpreting the news, yet many millions watch that newscaster?
   
   Nowadays nightly network news audiences have dropped to the point where it doesn't matter how a network news anchor interprets the news, because the audiences are small.
   
   The author mentions favorably how Walter Cronkite had a big impact when he announced that the US was in a quagmire in Vietnam. But that was an opinion, not news.
   
   The author is correct that the country is worse off for people not following the news. But the country is better off for the demise of those dinosaurs, the half hour network news broadcast and the weekly newsmagazine.



4. With all that is going on in the world right now, it's stunning to think how many people are out of touch with day to day news. The newspaper is now nothing more than the front page, maybe an eye-catching headline and the more importantly the horoscope and ads for groceries or cars, maybe the sports schedule or boxscore. TV news is reduced to glitz, glamour, Hollywood dirt, Washington scandal and the dog caught down a drain. At no time in world history has there been so much readily available media to the masses, sometimes unwillingly pumped into your subconscious by airports, banks and post offices on blaring televisions that have no off switch.. and this book eloquently examines why more watch less. To find out why so many have so often decided to watch or read so little news, Mindich hit the road; his journey is related as a classroom of the mind, challenging assumptions and explaining indifference. No one in the business of journalism - and lest no one be fooled, it is a business, a very profitable business for those who control it - and no one who is raising a child in this 21st century should miss a chance to learn why Americans under 40 are 'tuning out.' I heartily recommend educators who want their students to be informed about the world around them, to find a copy for their classroom.



5. I bet the author didn't even study youth surfing the web.
   If he had, he might have realized that today's youth are *highly* literate (not illiterate). They are also increasingly critical.
   
   That is precisely *why* they are abandoning Network News. They know that it can't be trusted for the really important stuff, unless they're willing to drink the swill that is "spin".
   
   The new generation does not need to be "inspired". What needs to happen is for the older generation to realize that the web surfing habits of the youth are both social and educational, in that they increase global knowledge by facilitating social interation unbound by geography.
   
   20 years ago you learned about Vietnam by reading the paper.
   Now kids just logon to MSN/ICQ/AOL, find someone living in Vietnam, and initiate a chat.
   
   Does reading the paper *truly* provide a better indicator of what daily life is like in Vietnam?

1 comments about Green Infrastructure: Linking Landscapes and Communities.

1. This is an excellent resource for physical planning in relationship to environmental sustainability. If you buy this book , buy also Skinny streets and green neighborhoods.

4 comments about Green Architecture (Architecture & Design).

1. Lots of ideas,concepts,inspirations at 1/10 the price. Well worth the money towards architectural environmental consciousness.
   However the discussion remains as an introduction without too much depth into project details



2. At first glance this seems like an excellent introduction to green architecture. James Wines has assembled an impressive collection of photographs of some of the eco-architecture that has been built over the past 30 years. But, a closer examination reveals numerous holes in the narrative. Wines has put together a grab bag of ideas that held my attention but left me scratching my head as to why he left so many important architects out of his survey, and included some of rather dubious distinction.

   Wines holds Frank Lloyd Wright paramount in his pantheon of ecologically-minded architects, alluding to his concepts of "The Natural House" and "Organic Architecture," as virtually the only texts written on eco-architecture at the height of the Modern movement. Wines likes Wright more for his aesthetic vision of ecologically sensitive architecture than for any great technological innovations in the field of eco-architecture. Wines laments the fact that eco-architecture is driven too much by the latest technology, and not enough by aesthetic concerns.

   He brushes over the Modern movement, which did offer a number of technological innovations, such as Buckminister Fuller's Dymaxion House and geodesic dome, and did explore traditional patterns in design, as in the work of Aldo Van Eyck, who was a contributing editor for Shelter. Wines wrote off Le Corbusier, ignoring the architect's later work, which was very site specific.

   However, the most glaring omissions are contemporary architects like Ralph Erskine, Glenn Murcutt, Samuel Mockbee, and Ken Yeang who have all given a great deal of consideration to environmentally responsive architecture. You certainly can't call them "eco-freaks," as their work has been readily accepted by the mainstream architectural community.

   But, Wines does offer a number of engaging examples from which to draw from, including his own work with SITE. Perhaps the most interesting examples are the "prophetic visions" such as an Ozone-maker by Jeffrey Miles, seemingly inspired by Leonardo da Vinci, and Michael Sorkin's "Shroom," which has a wonderful kinetic quality like that of Kiesler's "Endless House." Great photos and illustrations, but read this book with grain of salt.




3. This book questions the way architecture affects the environment, and encourages architects to ask the (W)right questions themselves to help remedy their destructive ways. I am disappointed that certain architects where left out of this book, for example there was one photo of a Malcolm Wells house, but no essay was done on him!? An essay on earthships would have fit into this book nicely also. I could go on, and on about all the Green Architects that where left out, maybe the author will include more with a new version 10 years from now. You need to be careful that you question all that the author tells you. For example the author seems convinced that Christians are bent on destruction because of their belief that the earth was made for them, therefore they have the right to destroy it, but in reality the Christian's point of view is just the opposite in that the earth was made for them so therefore it is their duty to protect it. What's with the photo taken in B.C. Canada, I never knew there where palm trees in Canada!? I bought this book for some of it's photos of unusual looking buildings, but have discovered there is allot more to the book than photo's. Read it, enjoy it, question it, question yourself.



4. Our basic way of thinking and living must change in order for the human species to survive and evolve on a sustainable planet. We already possess the knowledge and the technology to rebuild paradise on earth. We now need a growing, global conciousness and the wisdom necessary to move forward.

   This book gives an excellent historical and philosophical account on the shifts of human settlements and explains the imperative necessity of a change in attitude towards our built environment and its intrinsic relationship with its natural context.

   Many examples and a variety of projects, attitudes, perspectives, and approaches to the environmental problems back Mr. Wines view that there is no alternative, that a green architecture must become a basic constant and not remain a mere superficial trend.

1 comments about Kengo Kuma.

1. a wonderful book for the lay person and the Architect. Kenga's incredible structures are stunningly intelligent and beautiful written about by Lugi Aline. Kenga Kuma is a phenomenal writer aswell as a genius thinker. i carried a larger bag for two weeks so I could paw through this book constantly...not a great idea..it has dog eared a little.

5 comments about Phantoms of the Hudson Valley: The Glorious Estates of a Lost Era.

1. I read this book avidly, absorbed by the haunting photos and descriptions of manor houses: some that are still existing and others that were doomed for destruction imminently. The chapter about Wilderstein particularly captured me. I later visited this mansion, where FDR's cousin Daisy Suckley lived for 100 years, and it was just as fascinating and atmospheric in "real life" as it had been described in the book. Recommend this book for any fans of our country's architectural heritage and the Hudson River Valley in particular.



2. I bought this book with much hope and many expectations--having visited soem of the sites personally, I was disappointed in the photographic coverage and the writing. If someone is going to be buy this book in hopes of using it as a reference volume, then pass it by. It serves more as a personal portfolio for Ms. Randall to pose in old costumes, and share some tales in reference to the places she mentions. I found the photos of Wyndcliffe quite compelling, but having photographed it many times now over the last 12 years, I realize what is missing more than anything else.
   
   Don't get me wrong, it's a fine book, for what it is--an amusement for someone not looking for a lot of depth or knowledge on a wonderful subject.



3. Monica Randall is a good writer covering a great subject. I don't need her standing in as a model/ghost in various pictures. The subject is fascinating enough unto itself. Stop with the extra whipped cream on my ecliar!



4. If ever there was truth in the saying that a book shouldn't be judged by its cover, it's here. The book cover and the sales info might lead you to expect atmospheric photographic impressions of ruined estates on the banks of the Hudson. Well, that is definitely NOT what you are getting. Wyndcliff, seen on the cover picture, is one of only a very few true "phantoms" represented in this book - most of the houses documented are, on the contrary, in excellent repair and often even open to the public. The "phantom" part seems mainly to refer to the ghosts featuring in the accompanying texts (and, indeed, in several of the photographs - transparant ladies in elaborate ballgowns floating down stairways, that kind of thing). The texts as such are illuminating and have a certain charm, but clearly this book wants to be a photobook first and foremost, and in that respect it is massively disappointing. Just type "Wyndcliff" or "Bannerman's Castle" in your browser and the web will turn up many more pictures of these places than are seen in this book, many that are way more atmospheric than those on offer here, and all for free. Haunting impressions do not depend on sepia tones, unsharpness, and fish-eye lenses (Randall's love of the latter is truly worrying...), let alone Photoshopped apparitions. In fact, what this book basically gives you are unclear, artificially "spooked up" images, of houses that are seen to much better advantage in several other books - mostly ones that are far less expensive, too, than this exorbitantly overpriced publication.



5. A very nostalgic and melancholy look at some incredible estates both standing and demolished. The author chose most of her subjects because of interesting "ghost" stories that accompany them. Photographs are eery and of sometimes unimportant things like statutes, but there are beautiful interior and exterior shots as well. This is an enjoyable book preserving some of these homes for posterity, but it's not really meant for anyone interested in architecture. There are no floor plans or detailed descriptions of the architectural elements. This book is just meant to be enjoyed.

No comments about New Waterscapes: Planning, Building and Designing with Water.

3 comments about Vitruvius: Ten Books on Architecture.

1. Th Ten Books are a must for every architecture student. I must confess I did not read it all at the time of my first year...But Vitruvius' masterpiece on architecture is definitely a must read.



2. First off, I should note that I find this version of Vitruvius far more useful than many others, especially in the clearly noted diagrams, explanations of measurement units, and so forth. The editor and translators have done a good job of this aspect of Vitruvius Pollio's work.

   However, the translators appear to have taken a few liberties with the text. First, since Vitruvius is a historical work as well as a canon of Classicism, an honest modern-day translation must relate not only to its period, but also to subsequent periods in order to be understood in terms of the nearer to present and Vitruvius' own time. The translators' choice of ridding the text of the translation "the Orders" for Vitruvius' original choice of "genus" is bad enough, but when you observe that this translation has been rendered as "type" instead, it has the potential of blending in with unintended references in the text to type as well as being confused with common modern/Modernist discursions into what type is. The translators should have indicated their theories about what they thought would be a correct interpretation of the Roman word "genus" at the beginning of their notes, not by making a deliberate decision to diverge from the customary content of the text.

   Second, this translation appears to fail to take into account some aspects of military culture which have influenced the text. Vitruvius was a military man and although he adopted the linguistic style of Cicero in some respects (who has been accused of using two words in the place of one or even none), sometimes a distinction he makes, albeit slight, is worth noting, especially in the context of his role in the Roman military and in the context of subtle gradations of meaning being just as notable as subtle gradations in style and form.

   Third, and most telling, the translators and editors have missed an opportunity to note something very useful in Vitruvius, and that is that although he understood the what of the Orders, he may not have understood the why of the Orders. In some cases, he goes to great lengths to wave hands over certain aspects of the Orders, even devolving into a Ciceronian overuse of words and dense prose, in order to pull a Wizard of Oz-like "pay no attention to the unknowns behind this concept". The translators note the fuzziness, but they don't begin to question the nature of it and as a result, they may inadvertently paint Vitruvius in a little bit better light than he may actually deserve.

   Otherwise, it is a well-rendered translation, although for serious readers and researchers it should be balanced with at least one other translation, such as Morgan's translation.




3. As a Penn State first year architecture student I have been studying Vitruvius line by line. It is the most inspirational, thought provoking, and interesting book I have ever read. I even hold my own Vitruvian study sessions to review the material and relate all of Vitruvius's topics to the outside world not even related to architecture. If you are at all interested in architecture, construction, philosophy, or if you just want a different type of book to read I urge you to give this a try. It is truly a remarkable book that has revolutioned and standardized many architectural details.