5 comments about A World History of Architecture.

1. this is a good overview of architectural history. I just wish that I had gotten the paperback version instead of this heavy hardcover.



2. TERRIBLE. Never got the book, and NEVER received an email after I contacted him/her about the status of the book.



3. This Second Edition of "A World History of Architecture" is an exact reprint of "Buildings Across Time", Third Edition by the same authors and publisher.
   The difference? Price. $52 more! Just check the other book. For a while the First Edition was out of print so I was forced to use "Buildings Across Time" (I teach architecture at a Community College so price is very important to me). While I understand that the publishers have to make a profit, how is that that they can "afford" to sell this book for $41 while an exact copy of the "approved" higher education version is $92?
   I welcome the addition of notable examples in the last chapter but I have a problem with the removal of many other buildings. Just to name a few that were present in the First Edition and are missing from the Second: Biskupin, Ishtar Gate, Temple of Ramesses II, Great Stupa at Borobodur, Caernarvon Castle etc. I am not sure what this cleansing is all about, both editions are 592 pages. Granted something had to give since there are new examples throughout.
   I am only writing this in a hope that the Third Edition would include the missing examples from First Edition. If number of pages is fixed, just make some of the photographs smaller. Come on McGraw-Hill, you can do it!



4. I got this book for my Architecture class this fall. It was cheaper online than at any of the university bookstores and it shipped VERY quickly. It was also sent in a secure package, and arrived intact, which is problem I ran into with some other books I ordered this summer, not from this seller however.



5. The making of buildings from natural materials is older than the recorded history of the human race. Even in paleolithic and neolithic eras there were remarkable, complex, and enduring structures as evidenced by archaeological discoveries. The collaborative work of the team of Michael Fazio (Professor Emeritus of Architecture, Mississippi State University), Marian Moffett and Lawrence Wodehouse (both of whom have extensive careers teaching architecture at the university level), and now in a newly updated and expanded second edition, "A World History Of Architecture" begins with the advent of the city state architecture beginning with the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Hittites, Assyrians, and Egyptians, then proceeds with an architectural survey of the ancient Greece, India, Southeast Asia, China, Japan, and the Romans. There are detailed chapters covering the distinctive architecture of the Early Christians and Byzantines, Islam, medieval and romanesque Europe. Also presented are informative chapters on Gothic architecture, indigenous American and African architecture, as well as the buildings and structures of the Renaissance and Baroque eras. The final four (and extensive) chapters deal with 18th, 19th, and 20th century architectural advances, as well as 'Modernisms in the Mid- and Late Twenty-First Century and Beyond'. Superbly illustrated throughout, the text is consistently informed and informative, making "A World History Of Architecture" a critically essential addition to academic and community library Architectural Studies collections -- and is especially recommended for non-specialist general readers with an interest in architectural history.

5 comments about Delirious New York: A Retroactive Manifesto for Manhattan.

1. I read this book on the train, to and from work. I'm an architect in NYC, so it seemed like a perfect place to read this book. There are some interesting case studies that lead to an interesting comparison of Le Corbusier and Salvidor Dali with their respect to architecture. Oddly enough, I end up liking Dali as an architect more than Le Corbusier.



2. The author presents in concise fashion his own version of New York City's urban development history.
   
   One may or may not be convinced by his thesis that there is a specific New York City psyche that is reflected over time in a wide variety of constructions.
   
   But one can only be enthralled by his intimate knowledge of the City and of projects ranging from Coney Island to the Empire State Building to the 1964 World Fair.
   
   The surprising and at times bizarre illustrations add to the incredibly rich text. They include for instance a vintage photograph of famous architects actually costumed as their own creations: the Fuller Building, the Waldorf-Astoria, the Squibb Building, the Chrysler Building, etc.
   
   Written over 30 years ago and thus also a reflection of the 1970's, this work is definitely a classic well worth reading today for anyone interested in New York or in cities in general.



3. While "Delirious" has its fair share of archispeak, Mr. Koolhaas pulls off an intelligent, fun and thought-provoking take on the early 20th century building culture of New York.
   
   One of the quirkier (and frankly, awesome/bravadoish) aspects of "Delirious" is Mr. Koolhaas's analysis of Coney Island: an "incubator for Manhattan's incipient themes." As a reader, one initially questions the inclusion of such a trashy place in such a lofty manifesto. However, as the chapter progresses, you start to see Mr. Koolhaas's iconoclastic brilliance. He pays an amazing homage to "the laboratory" that was Coney Island, illuminating the vital role it played in the building philosophies that would emerge later in Manhattan.
   
   Scattered throughout "Delirious," also, are compelling supporting images that Mr. Koolhaas clearly spent a lot of time digging up. In fact, flipping through the book for the images alone makes for a near-equivalent, and fun, learning experience.
   
   However, unlike his tasteful use of images, Mr. Koolhaaas's flamboyant use of scholarly English makes his writing difficult to digest at times:
   
   "It is probably inevitable that a doctrine based on the continual simulation of pragmatism, on a self-imposed amnesia that allows the continuous reenactment of the same subconscious themes in ever new reincarnations and on inarticulateness systematically cultivated in order to operate more effectively..."
   
   Given Mr. Koolhaas's journalism background (and assumed mastery of writing), I suspect he made the conscious decision to remain somewhat inaccessible to preserve his "lofty" image. While such a decision may be understandable, his brilliance as a writer often gets overshadowed by the sheer irritation of trying to understand him.
   
   Ultimately, "Delirious" proves itself to be a very intelligent synopsis---just as delirious and congested the themes Mr. Koolhaas puts forth. For the most part, it's a pleasure to read, and it also reflects the exhaustive research on Mr. Koolhaas's end. Much like Mr. Koolhaas's buildings, "Delirious" is on the cusp of being as grand as it intends to be.



4. through the exhaustive historiography of the phases of congestion coney island brought to manhattan, koolhaas provides a rather cynical view of the Grid as being an ulimatley neutral zoning system of constraining ideas that represent the continual decline of a phantastically realistic civilization, represented as mutated symbols of architecture in the "void" of repeated "pregnancies."
   
   it's really well written. funny. uses, like above, a somewhat inefficient vocabulary but remains in the same vein throughout. it is also a graphic design hubris consuming every page, even the left-justified text, showing off koolhaas's interpretation of the importance to combine scholarship and marketing.
   
   buy it. it's a very good book.



5. A very inventive concept of New York's "culture of congestion" and how people are affected by the architecture they create. It is heavily researched and exhaustive, and after pretty much the third page I agreed with his concept of NY being "totally fabricated by man". What could of been a fascinating article becomes a spastic, heavy-handed read with a sledgehammer effect to your brain. (However,for those of us reading it for school, there are plenty of pictures that fill up the almost devastatingly vast 300+pages quickly.) It will scramble your brain with its thousands of nearly bumper-stickerish statements ("It hides life." "The Mountain MUST become architecture.") written with pretentious glee. However, I believe an independent scientific study has concluded that when pretending to read this book on the train people around you will assume your IQ is 40% higher than truth.

4 comments about European Architecture 1750-1890 (Oxford History of Art).

1. A clear yet sophisticated introduction. Most undergraduate architectural surveys are organized around either time periods or themes. Chronological approaches tend to be linear and concentrate on form, thematic approaches on overlapping phenomena and the history of ideas. Professor Bergdoll's book ably does both. It combines a complex yet lucid historical narrative with excursions into the history of ideas, developing social and political forces, and the development of new aesthetic and formal problems. Greatest hits include Somerset House, The Crystal Palace, French and English train stations, The Red House, German Romantic Monuments and Rundbogenstil buildings, The Eiffel Tower. The range of topics and the depth of treatment makes this a valuable undergraduate text and though challenging a good text for the architect and fans of architecture.



2. Not a very interesting read and hard to understand at times but if you are versed in Architecture it might be great.



3. took far too long to recieve the requested item. Was told it would be 1-2 weeks but recieved the item 6 weeks after purchase. this is the last time i will use this seller.



4. this book must be read with Modern Architecture by Oxford in order to understand the history of architecture. This book covers the must needed areas of the field including, the hut to Palladio, and others up until the rise of modernism, where incidently the book Modern Architecture takes over. I recommend this book in concordance to that book and for the architecture student whether for class or not.

5 comments about A Field Guide to American Houses.

1. This as an excellent guide with hundreds of photographs and line drawings illustrating details such as porch supports and dormer windows to be found in small town America. Is that Second Empire or Tudor detailing on my Queen Anne home?



2. As a native Virginia historian and author, NEEDED this detailed background book on styles of our society's everyday home architecture. Excellent!



3. I am a professional architectural historian and this is the guide that all my colleagues and I use on a daily basis. It's commonly and affectionately referred to as simply "McAlester". I am obsessive about architectural style terminology and though I have been known to ask "If McAlester jumped off a bridge, would you?" (to colleagues who think this book is the end-all be-all of terminology), I do think it is a highly comprehensive and accurate book. My only complaint is that it has such a nation-wide focus, and tends to favor the East Coast. It overlooks many regional and temporal differences of the West Coast (where I work) and so I am sometimes forced to do a little interpretation. (Also, I wish the McAlesters would write a guide to commercial styles.) All in all though, this is one of the best guides out there. I would also recommend Lester Walker's "American Shelter" and John Milnes Baker's "American House Styles".



4. This is a must have book for anyone who loves old houses or is in the historic preservation field. I don't know a single professional architectural historian that does not own a copy (or two). If you have only one book on old houses this should be it. The book is easy to use, has great illustrations, covers most of the US and most importantly is pretty accurate. The first section "Looking at American Houses" is simple to understand and yet provides valuable information on determine house styles through key elements. If you are new to identifying house styles this section will help you to look in the right section and narrow down your choices. The main style sections are easy to understand with lots of examples. A word of caution however, most professional architectural historians, (who have trained as architectural historians), do use some different terms. For instances the term Folk Houses is not used, the correct term would be Vernacular. Also the section labeled eclectic is a little miss leading; many of the styles listed would be considered revivals. I have also never seen the houses listed as "modern house" also described as "eclectic". That be said you have to remember that a lot of houses styles and terms can be subjective, especially when dealing with different regional areas.



5. Of the many books available on American residential architecture, this is THE one book you should have. It breaks out house styles in several different ways and with many illustrations and photos it makes it much easier to determine what you're looking at. Buy two books ... if you use yours as much as I have, you'll wear it out.

5 comments about Native North American Art (Oxford History of Art).

1. The book is a text book for my college class. I was delighted that for only a little extra I was able to get an online version as well as the hard copy. This is helpful when I am writing papers and need to search a topic. Information is up-to-date and respects the request of tribes not to show pictures of come ceremonies.



2. This book was required for an Introduction to Native American Arts class that I took just for fun at school. It is an easy and interesting read, and the punctuation of gorgeous photographs of a wide range of art from all over the North American regions, makes it a pleasant experience. While I do not keep all of my textbooks, this is one that will remain in my collection as a reference and as one that I anticipate using as I research Native American cultures in upcoming classes.
   
   My only criticism of this book is that "art" is by default, defined as only visual arts, rather than including performance, literary and musical arts. It is also only an overview, and will not provide a complete explanation of every type of Native American art tradition, or even represent every tribal group.
   
   Quite honestly, I would recommend this book to anyone researching or studying Native American culture, history and/or tradition, since the art is much more interesting to many people, and the culture, history and tradition are such an important part of the art, reading about Native art will also give a good overview of the other subjects.



3. Was wonderful to find a book covering Native American art with photos that I haven't seen over and over in various other reference publications. Easy to read. In great condition and came right on time.
   thanks!



4. Berlo's and Phillips' erudite, critical voices are a welcome change from the often glossy, sales-driven world of Indian art writing. True to form, they have together crafted a sophisticated and highly readable survey of pre-contact, historic and contemporary Indian art, suitable for undergrads, grads, and the casual layperson. This book fills a HUGE gap, and stakes out a territory that few other scholars would dare venture; between connoisseurship, anthropology, visual culture and criticl theory. It is therefore to be expected that specialists of a particular region might take issue with some of their finer details. But specialist nit-picking misses the larger point of this book: to show how Native tribes across North America continued their cultural traditions despite colonialism and intertribal contact. It is a complex, interwoven history, but Indian art emerges, through this book, as one of the most vital, politically engaged arts in America today. This book sets the standard for Indian Art surveys.



5. one book can only give the reader a brief overview of the wealth of american indian art. the traditional art (i don't acknowledge a split between art and craft) was produced by all the nations, spans pre-historic and historic eras, and has been collected for centuries. the contemporary art is flourishing and much is breathtaking. that being said, this book does a wonderful job of covering such an immense subject.

   the only complaint i have is the relative paucity of photos. but i would feel that way if the book were nothing but photos.

1 comments about Across This Land: A Regional Geography of the United States and Canada (Creating the North American Landscape).

1. If one wants to comprehend the geography of North America, John C. Hudson's book ACROSS THIS LAND is a good stating point. Hudson breaks North America (the United States and Canada) down into twenty-seven sub-regions. The book is a comprehesive geography in that it explores the scope of the field, from physical geography to the realms of culture, economics, and history. To understand the contemporary landscape and the forces that shaped it, one must look into the past. Hudson's analysis is well-written and engaging. I use this book, which is written for a general audience, as a text for my course in Geography of North America at Dickinson State University.

5 comments about Islamic Art and Architecture (The World of Art).

1. Bought this book for my husband who was taking an Islamic Art and Architecture class. It was a useful resource for the course, knowledgeably researched and written.
   
   We purchased a used copy that arrived quickly and in excellent condition.
   
   Would recommend based on content, quality and service.



2. This book provides a very good account of Islamic art through the ages. However, one of the 'golden' eras of Islamic art and architecture, the Mughal era, has not been treated sufficiently -- it's only been treated tangentially. The Mughals ruled the Indian Subcontinent and adjacent areas for about 500 years, and combined Persian, Arabic, Indian and other styles in a brilliant system of arts. A chapter on them would pretty much complete the book.



3. Bought this book for my daughters Art class. It had all the information she needed. As alway amazon delivered quickly, with no delays.



4. As a beginner to the world of Islamic Art and architecture, I recently completed reading this book and found it a good introduction. It covers the development and major themes in architecture, ceramics, figure painting and calligraphy (textiles to a smaller extent) of Ummayyad, Abbasid, Fatimid, Saljuq, Atabegs, Mamluks, Islamic Spain and Morrocco, Ilkhanids/Timurids, Safavids and the Ottomans.

   Islamic art and architecture of the Indian Subcontinent (eg Dehli Sultanate or Mughal India) is not covered at all in this book.

   It has a good sampling of pictures in colour of especially major architectural monuments. I think the strength of this book is especially strong as an introduction to Islamic architecture. Its coverage of the other areas is not bad either.




5. This book has an unbilievable combination of detail, broad coverage of various topics, ability to keep attention concentrated due to a great way the book is written. Illustrations were both artistically beautiful and helpful in understanding the topics covered. I am in love with this book and, after library reading it, I am ordering it today!!!

5 comments about Atomic Ranch: Design Ideas for Stylish Ranch Homes.

1. I recommend this book to all those that admire designs that are ahead of their times and are timeless in themselves



2. Atomic Ranch is a book that I would recommend. What is nice about the book is that it includes design ideas for ranch houses that are within the realm of financial possibility of "average" people. Often, it seems like architecture books only showcase the high budget projects which are spectacular eye candy. After reading the book, I found myself wishing that there were some more exterior pictures of some of the houses although there may not have been good angles from which to take them. Some plan diagrams of the projects would also help orient the reader to the photos taken in the book and get an idea of room layout. Overall, this book would make a great addition to the library of someone who is interested in ranch houses, or just house design in general.
   
   Another positive note: the pages didn't come out of the binding the first time I opened it, which I can't say for some of my more expensive architecture books.



3. A snafu, once again, with the Amazon ordering process. I received a duplicate book shipment. Now, I have to make a trip to the post office to return, at my expense!



4. By far the best book about the unique style of mid century homes I have come across. Much better source of information for 50's & 60's interior than Modern Retro or other similar publications.
   Beautifully illustrated, perhaps the only thing I would have liked to have seen was the inclusion of a few floor plans - however that is not really the intended scope of the book.



5. Really loved the houses in this book. Lots of ideas for any home, Eichler or not. Well recommended!

No comments about Architecture of the Sun: Los Angeles Modernism 1900-1970.

5 comments about The Ghosts of Berlin: Confronting German History in the Urban Landscape.

1. The Ghosts of Berlin is an awesomely comprehensive history of the built environment of Berlin. Intelligent without being snooty, in most cases, this is one of the best guides out there.
   
   Having studied under Ladd at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, I can assure you that this book is excellent in every way. As a textbook, it is comparatively inexpensive and information-laden. As a casual read, it is detailed without being dry and tedious.
   
   A must-have for anyone interested in the effect of design on history and society (and vice-versa).



2. I agree with the other reviewers who praise this book as a great combination of history and architectural guide. Even if you don't plan to visit Berlin, the book is excellent in showing how choices about monuments and architecture have larger symbolic value in expressing a culture, and for Berlin the question of what "culture" to express after World War II is especially fascinating. This book is especially valuable in conjunction with an actual visit to Berlin. I fortunately discovered it on Amazon during my time in Berlin and was able to download it to my Kindle. (I wish I had known about it beforehand, and I didn't see it in Berlin museum bookstores.)
   
   This is a must-read book for anyone visiting Berlin, anyone with a strong interest in the city, or anyone interested in how choices about an urban landscape express the values of a culture.



3. Am reading The Ghosts of Berlin in anticipation of a trip there this coming summer. Great book for those interested in how the architecture of Berlin is the manifestation of the city's identity crisis. How does a city, its inhabitants, its government and the architects who design for it hide or reveal or inform their turbulent history and future hopes? This book provides an insightful view into the urban landscape of Berlin circa 1997: "German architecture and urban design cannot escape the crisis of German national identity...A building or monument might be able to display the wounds of Berlin's past, but it can do little to heal or even hide them."



4. I really enjoyed reading this book. as a fan of berlin, and having visited it first during the cold war, and several times since, it brings an interesting perspective to this city which is always changing, always reinventing itself. not only is the author asking valid questions relating to the history, demolition and reconstruction of numerous berlin monuments but also adds the viewpoint of the berliner mentality in regards to historic validity, often a balance of imperial/nazi/cold war times weighed against current relevance. surely many of the questions and issues raised are asked any time a society is dealing with historic architecture; the fact that berlin has had such a colorful past is what makes this book a compelling read.



5. This bok shows how great and brilliant is the glorious Berlin. You can understand everything about this city and about the modern world.
   An amazing book, no doubt!