3 comments about The Old Barn Book: A Field Guide to North American Barns and Other Farm Structures.

1. This field guide has what I consider to be soso black and white photos and drawings of each type of barn and supporting structures. If you are looking for accurate information on a style of barn and where it may be located this is the book for you. I would perfer better quality photo's and some color. Rather boring presentation!



2. For what I wanted the book for it is a fantastic resourse. I build model barns and covered bridges. This book has not only given me new ideas but also a history behind them. Love the book.



3. While the book presents numerous types of agricultural buildings from all over the U.S., it doesn't go into any sort of detail about any of them, making it of limited reference use.

4 comments about Splendors of Islam: Architecture, Decoration and Design.

1. This is a thorough and scholarly exploration of a fascinating subject - the world of Islamic Design. The work covers all the main areas of the field, from al Andalus to India. The text is clearly written, yet scholarly in its approach, while still being accessible to the amateur. The excellent photographs serve to illustrate this magnificint work well.



2. The 325 photographs in this book--all in color--merit every superlative reviewers have given them. But the text itself is in need of a good editor, for parts are repetitive. (See my content summary for specifics.) Furthermore, the last section is often so grandiloquent that I, a seasoned English teacher who is also well read in the field of Islamic architecture, had to work to decipher it. So why did I pay $40 for a used copy of this book (sans dust jacket)? Quite simply because none of the many other books I examined taught me nearly as much about the decoration and design of Islamic architecture. Granted, for example, one can look at a structure and see that its bricks create patterns, but to learn in detail how this was done is fascinating.
   
   For those unable to find a copy to preview, what follows is a more specific summary of its contents.
   SECTION 1--which focuses on the variations in Islamic architecture in one part of the world--devotes 8 to 10 pages of photographs and clearly written text to each of the following: the Dome of the Rock, the Alhambra, the Taj Mahal, and Persia's Shah Mosque. Eight pages of smaller photographs of other significant monuments from the Arab lands, Turkey, India, Iran and Central Asia follow.
   
   SECTION 2: After a lengthy chapter which goes into great detail about the history of the use of brick, stucco, mosaics and ceramics as decorative techniques, separate chapters are devoted to each of the materials. New in each is the detail about how the material is created; repetitive is much of the information about how it is used as architectural decoration. Although no text explains them, additional photographs illustrate the use of bronze, wood and painted wood as decorative devices.
   
   SECTION 3 focuses on the decorative use of mathematically defined forms--e.g. stars, hexagons--vegetation, calligraphy and even occasionally the human figure.
   
   SECTION 4 looks at how the elements in Sections 2 and 3 combine to create surfaces that resemble textiles. Specifically discussed are a) the division of flat surfaces into panels and bands, b) the multi-layering of textures and c) the use of repetition to create geometric designs. (Here, too, is repetition of information in previous sections.) The use of ornamentation to disguise supporting forms and embellish supported ones is also discussed in this section.
   
   NOTE: For those who are interested in more of an overview of Islamic architecture in general, I'd highly recommend Treasures of Islam: Artistic Glories of the Muslim World.



3. If you are someone who is involved in arhitect or interior decoration, this book is a must to guide you in creating something splendor from the Islamic culture, and it's a good refrence on a cofee table top.



4. Islam expanded quickly within a few centuries, embracing a wide area and altering the political and cultural heritage of the entire region. Splendors of Islam examines the visual effects of Islam, considering the structures in contrast with other architectural traditions and examining the role given to various decorative choices and styles. Four different approaches to Islam architecture provide an exceptionally well-rounded view, with color photo examples packing an oversized coverage.

1 comments about Maya Art and Architecture (World of Art).

1. I just returned from a vacation trip to Quintana Roo, Mexico , where Maya ruins are everywhere so i became interested in learning more about these Central American Indians that create an incredible architecture, a ieroglifica language and an excellent calendar after centuries of observing the skies.
   The book is a good primer for those who had an education in Art History (two semesters) but know little about the Maya except the lecture of their sacred book Popol Vuh, and a few photos of their pyramids. I recommend this book as well as a week on the Maya Riviera in Mexico.

2 comments about Jean Prouve, 1901-1984: The Dynamics of Creation (Basic Architecture Series).

1. very good introduction to Prouvre's work.
   
   This book is really just an overview of his career but it is very well laid out and informative. I think that the conciseness of the book is a real advantage. That said I really want to find out more.



2. This is the twentieth volume in the German Publishing Company Taschen's Basic Architecture Series. In previous volumes, Taschen has done an excellent job of summing up the careers of most the world's greatest modernist architects. It is fitting that after the first round of iconic masters, (Mies, Corbusier, Wright, Gropius) that Taschen has now moved on to other important modernist architects and designers.
   
   In most surveys of modern architecture, Jean Prouve's buildings are not prominently featured. He did not design the iconic buildings with which other great architects are usually closely identified. Today, Jean Prouve is probably best known for his furniture designs. However, Prouve contributed to the modernist agenda in other ways. As a designer, he produced some of the first modular metal buildings. Most of the metal buildings we see today are the grandchildren of the designs he first originated in the 1930's. However, his single greatest accomplishment is as one of the inventors of curtain walls. We may not be aware of them but they are all around us.
   
   Jean Prouve's work is not an easily accesible as some of the other great architects and designers of the period. Nevertheless, he was a powerful, inovative figure whose vision helped shaped the modern world. At a ten dollars a volume, this book is another Taschen success.

2 comments about Building a Century of Progress: The Architecture of Chicago's 1933-34 World's Fair.

1. This book is that rare combination of first class photographs and illustrations surrounding a first rate work of historical scholarship.



2. This new book discusses in depth the building of the 1933-4 Chicago World's Fair. With astute attention to detail, the managers succeeded in making a profit while presenting both a science show and avant garde architectural display during the depths of the depression. From the breathing dome of the Travel and Transport Building to the all glass block Libbey Owens pavilion, all kinds of innovations in architecture were presented. Ms. Schrenk does an excellent job in describing the numerous innovations in addition to providing good illustrations. One is also informed of why Frank Lloyd Wright was not repesented and his campaign in response. From pre-fabrication to Fuller's dymaxion car (which could move sideways!), all the new construction and technical innovations of the time are here. In sum, a fascinating read for all those interested in Chicago history, architecture, and the "Can Do" spirit of America during the depression.

4 comments about Cuba: 400 Years of Architectural Heritage.

1. WONDERFUL PICTURES AND YES, THE PAPER IS EXCELLENT QUALITY. DEFINITIVELY A COFFEE TABLE PIECE. CAN ANYONE SAY COHIBA? THE TEXT IS VERY CLEAR AND TO THE POINT AND INFORMATIVE ALL AT THE SAME TIME. ARCHITECTURE YOU NEVER THOUGHT EXISTED THERE.



2. great book. awesome pictures and paper quality. Very good price in amazon.
   Thanks.



3. Lots of beautiful photography (by Andrea Brizzi) for anyone who dreams of Cuba and would like to feel the cobblestones of Old Havana underfoot, taste the mojitos in the lobby bar of the Hotel Nacional, hear the strains of the mariachi band at sunset, and learn about the history of our most enigmatic, so-close-yet-so-far neighbor through it's architecture and the very readable text by Rachel Carley.



4. One of the best pictorial books on Cuba that has ever been published. It's the realization of profesionals and very objective, a very difficult achievement considering Cuba. Highly recommended to those willing to discover the real Cuba.

5 comments about American Castles: A Pictorial History.

1. I enjoyed the book. The photographs iside were excellent. The only reason I gave it three stars is because it was WAY TO SHORT. I only wish there was more pictures and backgound. As far as its delivery goes. The book came on time and in perfect shape.



2. 
   This is a nice hardback book with beautifully photographed pictures of the "MAJOR" USA Castles (or mansions) . Please note that most of the photos in this book are of the exteriors.
   
   There are many other mansions still around in the USA, but this book contains the most well-known "mansions",photographed on the outside.



3. Though I greatly enjoyed a visit to Hearst's "Castle" in San Simeon some years ago, as a European one tends to be unaware that it isn't the only building of its kind in the USA. This book provides an excellent overview of what's on offer, and for me truly opened up whole new perspectives on architecture. The shameless display of wealth is very much to the fore in several of the houses that are documented. Though the results are sometimes in questionable taste, or even childishly naïve, and architects apparently weren't always able to articulate the difference between a hallway in a private dwelling and an opera house lobby, there is also an exhilarating buoyancy to it all that's rarely found in European buildings, weighed down as they are by historical and stylistic consciousness (barring maybe a few Victorian extravaganzas in the UK and of course Ludwig II's castles in Bavaria). Confections like the dining room at The Breakers or the ballroom at Marble House might have been cooked up in Hollywood as sets for some million-dollar fairy tale movie and are simply mind-blowing.
   Still, of even greater interest than these would-be Versailles' are quintessentially American buildings like the Carson House in Eureka or the bizarre Winchester "Mystery" House. All of these are shown to excellent advantage in this book, with an occasional Italianate Palazzo and the odd gothic monstrosity thrown in for good measure. Both interiors and exteriors are (selectively) documented. Texts are brief and to the point. The photography is more than serviceable, though of somewhat variable quality and rarely quite top-notch. Still, at the price nobody interested need hesitate to pick up this slim volume. If you are seriously interested in the subject I would however urge you (also) to invest in the McAlister's more comprehensive, scholarly, and visually stunning "Great American Houses", which includes floor plans, unfortunately missing in the present book.



4. For $10.36 you simply cant beat the value of the beautiful photos in this book. Grand 'modern' castles & mansions of the Guilded Era with pictures of their interiors also. My favorites are the Hearst mansion/castle & the Hammond castle. I gave it less than 5 stars because it is only 80 pages long. I gave it more than 3 stars for the exquisite photos.

   See other books I have reviewed if you want more suggestions for books on castles & architecture.




5. A variety of architectural styles are represented in this full color book, including gothic castles, victorian mansions and palazzos. Each building represented contains a brief history and beautiful photographs. A few of the castles highlighted are the monumentous Hearst Castle, the Winchester Mystery House and Ca'd'Zan. Newport's mansions are well represented also. It is an absolute bargain for the price. Short and sweet it is a great way to start a library of castles. I would highly recommend.

3 comments about Ming Furniture in the Light of Chinese Architecture.

1. This is a beautiful & scholarly book written by an eminent art historian. The organization by furniture type (i.e. chairs, tables, beds, cabinets)makes it easy to use as a reference book. The text is beautifully written and highly informative, filled with quotations & poems about Chinese culture and history. This is not a text that focuses only on cabinet-making. It explains the relationship between Chinese architecture & furniture. The photographs are not only beautiful, they also illustrate & expand upon the text in that they include current photos of furniture as well as historical paintings & illustrations showing the context for the objects. The book has an index, bibliography, and endnotes. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Chinese art & architecture.



2. Being a fan of Sarah Handler, its easy to feel the furniture flow through the Ming Architecture.
   Just having retured from China and Tibet, this book was in the back of my mind as I stood and gazed up at the columns and beams mortised and tenoned together to form the typical Chinese structural backbone. Sarah has made the connection between the structural engineering of Ming/Qing building skills and the master carpenters' use of the Lu Bang Jin manual that describes appropriate and propitious use of shapes,materials, orientation and all things lucky in architecture. Buy this book and you will be happy,have prosperity and long life!
   BEN



3. chinese furniture have a strong relationship with architecture, in its proportion, construction, and relationship to the space. I was looking forward to see a more detailed analysis of such relationship but this book turned out to be a mediocre repetition of numerous chinese furniture books already in the market. Many of the pictures are from dealer's photos or Museum's existing photos. The reference paintings are primary from Chin P'ing Mei or similar paintings which have been published numerous times by other authors. The sketch or drawings are mediocre. There are no measured or proportional anaylsis of the furniture to the architecture. I have returned this book.

3 comments about Art Deco New York.

1. For lovers of the 1920s and 1930s this is a fabulous book. From New York's stunning architecture to the social lives of the rich and famous, everything associated with New York when Gotham was truly the center of it all, this book is a trip back in time. Historically rich and a visual treat! New York in its finest hour.



2. Art Deco New York by cultural historian and author David Garrard Lowe (who is also President of the Beaux Arts Alliance and lectures in such noted forums as the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, the American Academy in Rome, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York) offers a superbly organized and presented tour of seminal decorative designs during the transformative decades of the 20s and 30s when the art style known as "art deco" was affecting architecture, fashion, furniture, textiles, graphics, trains, automobiles, even Hollywood movie and Broadway theater stage sets. Profusely illustrated with period photography and artifacts, Art Deco New York is an impressive, "reader friendly", coffee-table book that would significantly enhance any personal, professional, academic, or community library architectural studies, art history, or American popular culture collection.



3. Garrard revives the restless, utopian, sensationalistic mood of the 1920s and '30s giving rise to the inimitable Art Deco style not only by pointing to buildings and their design features representing the style, but also by including posters, advertising, architectural drawings, furniture, and varied aspects of popular culture. The author evokes an understanding of Art Deco not mainly by discussion of aesthetics or art criticism, but by immersion in the spirit of the time between the World Wars, frequently with bountiful and in many cases, unfamiliar visual matter. The Empire State Building and Paul Manship's sculpture of Prometheus ringed by signs of the zodiac in Rockefeller Center are familiar Art Deco images, if often taken for granted. But designs of rooms, architectural details of buildings, trains and cars, and magazine covers and clothing fashion are often overlooked. Garrard demonstrates how deeply--thoroughly--Art Deco pervaded the culture; and points to elements of this vibrant, short-lived cultural period which continue.

4 comments about Morphosis: Volume IV (Morphosis; Buildings and Projects).

1. 
   this was a good all around book. Morphosis and Thom Mayne's style of architecture is something every person serious about the study of recent developments in modern architecture should have in their collection, no matter how much you buy his theory and approach. The book is very well done, the content level is definitely worth the purchase. Far too many architecture books these days are nothing more than pictures, this book definetely provides one the best balancing acts I've seen thus far.



2. If you are an architect or architecture student, you must have this book. Great price! fast shipping!



3. This is more a review of the books about Morphosis than the works of Morphosis. The first monograph is still essential to my library, and is highly accessible and analytical. Unfortunately, the second monograph was almost incomprehensible. I mean, I literally couldn't make out what I was looking at. The third major monograph from Rizzoli was better in this regard, but of course that snapshot of the from at that time showed a lot of promise but little built work -- yet. So this monograph comes along and a whole lot has happened for Morphosis in the meantime. While the graphics are complex still, often overlapping and vignetted, I can make sense of them. Also, it's just great, really an inspiration to not only see work built, but to see it executed so well.
   
   I would always like to see more detail drawings in these monographs, but with a few exceptions, I've just learned to live without them. It's my one criticism of this book really. The analysis is less, um, didactic than the first monograph, but you do get a certain joy out of figuring some things out for yourself. In the end, while the forms of Morphosis are complex and the high-lines-per-square-inch drawings add to that, ultimately, the process, idea and problems are apparent in the work itself. It's cleverly presented and clear in idea if not simple in execution.



4. This is truly a must have in any architecutal book collection. 400+ color pages, showing recent projects. I have found this book a great reasource for my studies.