3 comments about The Power of Images in the Age of Augustus (Thomas Spencer Jerome Lectures).

1. This book is an excellent example of how art critique can be used to analyze politics and history. Paul Zanker does an exceptionally thorough job as he systematically works his way through the end of the Republic to the heights of Augustan Rome. The book includes tons of photographs, coins, maps and reproductions to illustrate appropriate points in the text. The thesis of the book is to show how art was used to convey the importance and dignity of the new Imperial system. Despite the breadth of material presented here, the text is smooth and understandable.

   There really isn't enough space in a review to adequately cover this book. Zanker's main thrust is to show how Augustus rebuilt and remodeled Rome with himself at the center. The styles that Augustus used were quickly picked up and duplicated by the Roman upper classes, as well as those in the provinces. My favorite section of the book concerns the coinage. Augustus minted coins closely linking himself to Julius Caesar in order to establish himself as the heir apparent (which he was) to Caesar. Coins were also used to commemorate Augustus's triumph at Actium over Antony, and also to promote Augustus's conservative legislation concerning marriage and childbirth. Although Augustus slowly consolidated power under the title of princeps, he took great pains to show Rome that he was bringing about peace, prosperity and honor, all things that had been missing during the civil wars. Is Augustan art propaganda? It could certainly be interpreted that way, even though there was no "Ministry of Information" in Rome.

   An excellent book, although there are a few problems. One of them is the tendency of art critique to see things that others may not. Zanker's descriptions of statues of Augustus are a good example. While I can agree with his depictions of the later Augustan busts as showing a calm, sort of omniscient demeanor, I have a tough time agreeing with his assessment of an earlier bust of Augustus as nervous and power hungry. This is a small problem with an otherwise great book that will make you think about Rome in a different way.




2. Zanker offers a fascinating reconstruction of Octavian Augustus' agenda for consolidating his position as leader of the Roman world. He does this by careful analysis of the buildings, statues, coins and other physical objects made during the rule of Rome's first emperor. Zanker understands well the impact of visual communication and uses it insightfully. He doesn't simply catalog artifacts, he interprets them and connects them within a broad system of consciously articulated ideology. In two decades of academic reading, this is one of the two most memorable books I read.



3. A wonderful tour of the early Roman empire framed within a rigorous theoretical discussion. Zanker skillfully illustrates how an empire was built by the manipulation of public thought through the use of images, or in other words, propaganda. Shapiro contributes with a lively and nearly transparent translation.

2 comments about 124 Distinctive House Designs and Floor Plans, 1929.

1. Originally published as The Fourth Edition of the 1929 Home Builder's Catalog, this 127-page reprint features 124 of the most popular housing styles of that era. Far and away, the predominant style featured is the Tudor Revival, but there are also Craftsman-style bungalows, modest cottages, Cape Cods, Colonial Revivals, Dutch Colonials and more.
   
   Some of these homes are quite grand, such as The Edgewater (p. 16), with more than 2,000 square feet of living area (not counting an optional sunporch). On page 6 is The Elyria, which is another reincarnation of The Sears Mitchell, with room dimensions altered by a few inches, to make it all legal. (So who copied from whom? Did Sears steal the design from Homebuilders or did Homebuilders steal it from Sears, or did they both take it from Aladdin - who also had their own version of this house?)
   
   The descriptions that accompany each home are almost stark, given the traditional puffery and verbosity of that era's advertising styles. The Cullor, on page 42 is described as, "A story and a half home that has a lot of character and living comfort. Shingles, siding and brick combined harmoniously to create a very pleasing exterior."
   
   And that's all they have to say about that.
   
   Good book. Fun read. And the wee tiny print is legible. A good addition to your library on architectural history.



2. Fine examples of a type of photorealistic drawing that you don't see anymore, which are reason enough to buy the book. The majority of homes are Tudor or Old English, like the ones on the cover, with just a few Colonials and Bungalows mixed in. The writing is quaint, with bedrooms called chambers, and mentions of breakfast nooks, servant's quarters, and telephone cabinets.

4 comments about Restoring a Home in Italy.

1. Since we live in the southwest, but don't particularly want to decorate SWestern ..I like this book because it uses the same materials found here but in a different way... Wood, stone, tile..flagstone for the patios..
   They use simple uncluttered lines in their decor inside and out..
   There is a type of tranquility built in. Something we look for in this complicated world.



2. What a great book! The author Elizabeth Minchilli has done has superb job in creating this wonderful book. Although she's not Italian, she now lives in Italy after marrying an Italian architect. Her love and passion for Italy is obvious and the wealth of information that she has gathered is priceless to anyone thinking or planning to buy and/or restore a home in Italy. Her informative writing is beautifully coupled with fantastic photos from the well known photographer Simon McBride. The setting of some of these homes is spectacular! There are many books out there on Italy, but this is truly a must for any fan of Italy or old rural architecture. I highly recommend this book even if you don't have any intention in restoring a home in Italy.



3. After our house burned in San Diego county, during the waiting time for the insurance company, the architect, the engineer, and the city approval, we purchansed MANY books on Tuscan design and architecture, as that is the style we want to emulate. Restoring a Home in Italy provided may examples that helped us though the selection process.



4. While this book may look more like a coffee table piece - and it could very well be - I read it cover to cover. The stories were very informative, telling of the beauty and the challenges of restoring one of these fine homes. After each of the functional sections there was a great write up on the details of the topic, such as; roofing, swimming pools, heating, etc. Naturally, you can tell I loved it and would recommend it to anyone interested in fine Italian home. I hope the author reads this and realized what a great job she did. ....

2 comments about Beach Homes (Best of Fine Homebuilding).

1. As with all Fine Homebuilding books, "Beach Homes" is a valuable reference for anyone wanting to build on the beach.



2. Good short book with a number of high quality photo's and good of ideas for renovating, or building from scratch.

5 comments about Metric Handbook, Third Edition.

1. I am an Architect dealing with planning and early stages of projects. This book is concise, clear and comprehensive and I don't know what I would do without it. I had a well-used and dog-eared copy from the original edition of 1979 and have just updated to the current edition. The information is easy to find, not over-detailed and still seems to be under the control of one person. Highly recommended and good value.



2. A valuable and a must have book...but print and paper quality is not worth...it is very much like as if phocopied and binded...
   Yagmur TOPRAKLI



3. I'm a graduate design architect, and i've been looking for a design standards reference. I came across this book, i've never heard about it before, as i was more familiar with Time Saver. But i was surprised by how good this book is and how sufficient the information contained is for all stages of design.
   The Time Saver Book might be more comprehensive in some aspects and may also have more examples of different building types. But the price of this book is very good compared to the time saver, which costs much more. I definitely recommend this book...



4. this cd cost 250 dollars, it is a plug-in program for autocad. it creats a new toolbar for autocad users to find images. However, i find this toolbar is NOT frinedly to use and it is hard to find images, and this software can't work in autocad 2000, it just can work with the outdate autocad (r13,R14). Further, this software not ever cover different size of common doors and windows. EDITOR, your CAD-library is not powerful enough. I personally believe this software is only worth 50 dollars.



5. I have been told that there was a review that said that there were errors in the book. This is certainly so, I should know, I am the editor! No reference book as comprehensive as this will ever be perfect. However, if you, the customer, finds one of these, please tell me. My e-mail address is David_Adler@compuserve.com. Thank you.

5 comments about Great Cathedrals.

1. Schutz's photographic tour in "Great Cathedrals" is one of the most superb "coffee table" books on the market. The volume is massive in size and tips the scales at a number of pounds, but one glance is all it takes to be hooked. This is professional photography with results that only a seasoned photographer can produce, and then reproduced in the highest quality with splendid detail and high gloss, heavy weight paper. Browsing through these monumental pictures that pay homage to the monumental cathedrals, we forget all about the technical details of how the great Gothic structures were built and simply enjoy the fantastic beauty and immense impact the medieval architects planned all along. There are surprisingly few of these types of books in the American market (a plethora of them exist in France, England, and Germany), but Schutz's book fills the bill, and makes a splendid addition to the genre. From what I can see from the other posted reviews, it seems there is 100% agreement on the beauty of this book.



2. I got this book as an Xmas gift for my Dad who is a self confessed cathedral "junkie". He loved it and spent most of Xmas day and boxing day with his head buried in it.
   
   He is a photographer and he commented on the great quality of the images, so I'm assuming that they must be good as he's really fussy about that sort of thing.



3. Awesome and great selection. Text provides enough information about the buildings. One of my favourite books.



4. This book has been around for at least 3 decades; I'm 43 and remember looking over an earlier edition with awe and reverence in the town library when I was a teenager.
   
   The current edition has some nice updates, including added coverage of the great eastern European cathedrals, such as St. Vitus in Prague. The photography is splendid, and gives a feel of the look and scale of each building, as well as for the smaller details like sculpture and stained glass that makes each great cathedral a triumph of Western civilization.
   
   If you are looking for a book that covers the major cathedrals of Europe in a thorough, satisfying way via photographs and a text providing the history of each building, a discussion of its style, and so forth, search no more. This is EASILY the best book out there that provides what you want.



5. Magnificent photography, both general views and close-ups of architectural details and stained glass. The book covers France, Germany, England, Spain and Italy. UIt contains a useful glossary of architectural terms and floor-plans of each cathedral. The "Crazy Vaults" of Lincoln Cathedral are not to be missed! I wanted this book to study cathedral design in general, and it more than met my expectations.

No comments about Another City: Urban Life and Urban Spaces in the New American Republic.

2 comments about Louis I. Kahn: 1901-1974: Enlightened Space (Taschen Basic Architecture).

1. Full marks to TASCHEN for the BASIC ARCHITECTURE series. The small format, clear text/layout/photography make them visually pleasing and well worth revisiting often. I am buying one each month.



2. Although I am a fan of Modern Architecture, I have never really understood why Louis Kahn was one of the great architects of the Twentieth Century. His buildings have never really appealed to me. They stike me as very dense and way too serious. Kahn's embrace of "monumentality", strikes me as antithetical to Modernist thought.
   
   I purchased "Louis Kahn: 1901-1974" because at $9.99 this book is a low risk investment. It is published by the German Publishing Company, Taschen. This imprint produce some of the finest books currently being published about architecture. Typical of the Basic Architecture Series, the book is very well written and includes beautiful photos of the architect's best buildings. It is hard to believe that such an attractive book sells at such a reasonable price.
   
   I am still not a fan of Kahn's buildings but I now have a better understanding of why he is considered one of the most important architects of the Twentieth Century. This book is a good purchase for anyone trying to understand the forces that shaped the practice of architecture during the past fifty years. A good value and highly recommended.

1 comments about Ultimate Shop Design (Ultimate Books).

1. This book is HUGE (525 pages) and took me almost 2 hours to skim; I look forward to going through the book more thoroughly when I have the time. The majority of the stores featured are ultra modern, minimalistic styles... works of art themselves. You'll find stores located in Europe (London), Asia (largely Japan), and some from the US (LA and New York).
   
   Even for use as a simple design-idea reference, this book is worth its price. I will undoubtedly apply many of the concepts in this book the store I'm opening.

3 comments about Houses of the Hamptons 1880-1930 (The Architecture of Leisure).

1. I bought this book for my girlfriend, who is an interior designer. She absolutely loves it! It is a beautiful book that you can spend hours just looking at the wonderful photos of some gorgeous homes. My friend was totally happy with her gift.



2. The authors have clearly worked hard to document thirty important houses, located mostly in Southampton and East Hampton. The history is superbly researched, and there are many archival images that will thrill even the most knowledgeable Hamptons aficionado. If you are interested in the Hamptons in particular or resort architecture on general, you must own this book.



3. This is yet another well researched, beautiful book put out by Acanthus Press. Ms. Surchin does the Hamptons proud, with her insightful text and wonderful period images, I had no idea that there where so many period houses in the Hamptons, of course I knew all about the North Shore of Long Island, the famous Gold Coast, but i had thought all the huge houses in the Hamptons where fairly new, needless to say this book was a very pleasant surprise. If you have any interest in the Hamptons or just have an appreciation of beautiful books then I highly recommend this book; well done, indeed.