4 comments about The Architecture of the Italian Renaissance.

1. I would have little to say other than that this work is probably the most readable that i have seen and is quite useful. Color pictures and better quality photography-rendition would have been ideal, but the date of original authorship makes this unlikely, unless the work is to be revised.



2. For the layperson who is interested in the evolution of renaissance architecture, this is the book I would recommend. It is easy to read without swamping the reader with architectual jargon, while remaining informative. The abundance of illustrations and structural diagrams further help the understanding of how these buildings are important historically, as well as pointing out the artistic merits of them. Highly recommended, particularly for those visting Italy - it will clarify and deepen your understanding of renaissance structures.



3. This well-illustrated, tightly-crafted paperback is a pleasure to read. By well-illustrated I don't mean fancy. You won't find big color photographs, but you will see what the author is talking about. Murray is not only an expert on the subject; he's a good writer, and I know of no other book that so effortlessly leads the reader through the story of how the wonderful Renaissance architecture of Venice, Rome, and particularly Florence came to be. If you want to know WHY those churches and palaces look that way, and why it matters, this is your book. I especially recommend it to Florence-bound travelers.



4. I am not an academic, so I cannot judge the accuracy or importance of this book from a historical perspective. I bought this book to help prepare for a trip to Tuscany and Umbria, and was pleasantly suprised to find it very readable and even difficult to put down. I am now more excited than ever to visit not only the famous sites such as the Duomo and Palazzi in Florence, but also lesser known sites such as Lucca's Palazzo dello Signoria and its Piazza and fountain, by the Mannerist Amanetti. I wish I had this book before my visit to St. Peter's in Rome, because the knowledge of the succession of architects and their circumstances would have made my visit even more rewarding, if that could be possible.

3 comments about Bricks and Brownstones: The New York Row House (Classical America Series in Art and Architecture).

1. Simply a fantastic book on a most deserving subject. The author captures what makes NYC's brownstones so saught after and prized. New York City is blessed with an embarassment of rich's when it comes to classic townhomes and brownstones and they are given a scholarly treatment here. I highly recommend this book to anyone with any interest in classic row houses, fine architecture and craftsmanship, or just enjoy great books in general, you won't be disappointed.



2. As a preservation contractor this book is a fantastic addition to my library.



3. there isn't a better book on this subject. I'm a Real Estate professional at Stribling & Associates. As such, I'm in and out of townhouses nearly on a daily basis. I have found this book to be an invaluable reference, as well as a joy to read. There's a tremendous amount of information contained in one place. Even those who already have great deal of knowledge, will discover new things in every chapter. I highly recommend this book to townhouse owners, prospective customers, & architects. Additionally, Historians or anyone with a love for, or interest in, the history of the City of New York will benefit greatly, as housing is an integral part of life in the world's greatest metropolis. --Jamie

No comments about Candela (Basic Architecture).

5 comments about Oscar Niemeyer: Houses.

1. simple the best book of houses....for the modern architect as I am!
   Thanks amazon.. sorry now I must to go work!
   See you soon
   cordiali saluti
   Federico



2. 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.



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



4. 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



5. 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 comments about Underground Buildings: More Than Meets the Eye.

1. This book is "THE BOOK" if you are looking for non-technical aspects of underground buildings. Great photos, excellent commentary!



2. This is not your typical Underground House book. The author gives examples of building underground businesses, schools, offices, storage, stores, museums, theatres, sports complexes, military facilities and residences. And explains their history and why they do or do not work.
   
   The photos are quite good and there are also some blueprints of a few underground structures. There are also two chapters on the theory and ins and outs of building underground.
   
   I think the author should have made this book more global, because it could have been titled Underground Buildings of the United States.
   
   I'll still give it 5 stars though, because I think she did a good job in accomplishing what she set out to do. I do hope she comes out with a sequel that is more global in its coverage.
   
   This book should be a must read for any architect.



3. At $29 or less, this book is being given away. This is a museum-quality book in terms of the paper, the photographs, the lay-out, and the cover.
   
   I bought this book in part because land is becoming extremely scarce around the great universities and the central business districts, and I was looking for something to help me think through how to persuade a university to let me put a building into a hill or under a playing field.
   
   This book does that. It is a very fast read, the photographs are priceless--worth 10,000 words each as the Chinese would say--and the only thing I did not find in this book were architectural specifics and photos of underlying infrastructure (pump rooms, air cleaning rooms, etc.)
   
   If you are contemplating the need for squeezing a building into an area that is down to the "do not disturb" green space, or if you are contemplating how to exploit existing mines, caverns, or other underground options, this exquisite book is not only useful as a tool for reflection, it will help you "make the sale" to skeptical others you have to get on board.
   
   The author provides a list of 50 places to visit with addresses, telephone numbers, and web sites, a fine resource section for more reading, and an excellent index.
   
   This is an all-around world-class book that is easily worth $49 or more.



4. This book has many short, easy-to-read sections about general topics relevant to building underground, and about many specific examples in the United States. Unfortunately, there is not room to go into much detail about all the examples, but this book is definitely a good starting point. Well illustrated with color photographs.



5. This book is filled with wonderful pictures that augment the authors descriptions of underground buildings. She writes with wit and demonstrates that undergound buildings have many benefits, including financial and asthetic ones. This book is well worth a read as a detailed resource of information on this topic, as well as being an entertaining "coffee table" book. She explores this issue, which is more common than the average person would believe, and takes it to the next level.

2 comments about Fantasy Worlds.

1. Beautifully photographed and well documented book of unusual structures. Got me hooked on the topic of "outsider constructions". Thanks for the inspiration.



2. Fantasy Worlds is worth at least twice its price. It is a showy, large-format hard-cover "coffee table" art photography book worthy of purchase for yourself or as a gift.

   Its 340 pages are crammed with full-page photos of bright and saucy gems of personal architecture. The subject matter consists of the creations of untrained visionaries who are obsessed with the desire to decorate and embellish their dwellings.

   The book features 73 environmental creations -- 37 in Europe, 27 in America and 9 in Asia and Africa. The works vary from famous sites such as the Watts Towers in Los Angeles, the Gaudi creations in Barcelona and the Tiger Balm Gardens in Hong Kong to largely unknown jewels such as Salvation Mountain near Niland in the Salton Sea area of California.

   The text is in English, French and German.

4 comments about Architecture and Meaning on the Athenian Acropolis.

1. Not only is Professor Rhodes's book far from boring, but rare in that it allows easy access to a scholar's interpretation of Greek architecture. I was lucky enough to have been a student in a few of the Professor's classes. A wonderful read for those expanding their knowledge on Greek architecture, or those just beginning.



2. If you are interested in Greek Architecture, this book is great for examining the Athenian Acropolis as a whole, and how the structures function in relation to each other, and to the viewer. Compared to some of the other books on the subject, this book was extremely readable, not to mention informative. To the first reviewer -I actually had Professor Rhodes for a class several years ago, and I have to say I totally disagree with your assessment. I learned volumes from him, and he couldn't have been a nicer person.



3. This book seems to be very well done on the scholarly end, however it is perhaps the driest read of my college career. Our school made it required reading for everyone in the freshman class my freshman year. Three years later it is still on the receiving end of jokes for its obscure and dry reading. The author of the book even came to our school to give an address on his book of which the address is long remembered for its infamous boredom. Perhaps someone with a high interest in Athenian Architecture might find it interesting. However the everyday student is going to be bored out of their mind.



4. Robin Rhodes' intuitive approach to one of the most discussed monuments in the history of art and architecture equips the reader to comprehend the work of a society which, facing destruction, re-interprets a building tradition hundreds of years in the making to express the innovative, nostalgic, and brilliantly defiant nature of the turbulent 5th century B.C.E. Drawing from scuptural attitudes, ritual practices, and political atmospheres, Rhodes places the Athenian Acropolis not at an assumed "zenith" of Greek architecture, but in a very alive and therefore constantly evolving context of artistic achievement. This books appeals to those who enjoy free thought in the most enlightening sense of the words.

1 comments about Cities and Buildings: Skyscrapers, Skid Rows, and Suburbs (Creating the North American Landscape).

1. This book came in exactly the condition described. Great deal would gladly buy from his seller.

1 comments about Verb Crisis (Verb) (Verb).

1. The latest in the avant-garde Verb series, Verb Crisis explores potential architectural solutions to the problems of an increasingly dense and interdependent world. Offering a diverse assortment of projects and investigations complemented with full color photography, essays, and exclusive interviews with experts in architecture, urban planning, and environmental, economic, or global affairs, Verb Crisis reveals how social needs can transform the effective structure and function of quality architecture. An excellent testimony to experimentation with a purpose, especially recommended as a source of inspiration to professional and aspiring architects preparing to build for the unique challenges of the twenty-first century.

5 comments about American Bungalow Style.

1. If your curious like me to what exactly is a Bungalow, what their history is, and would like to see lots of full colour examples, then I think you will find this book quite satisfying. Being that there where so many Bungalows built over such a wide geographic area, I doubt if anyone has covered every example of them in one book. So you may end up wanting to buy a few other books (which there are lots of good ones) to satisfy your curiosity. Non the less, this book does give you a good example of American and some Canadian Bungalow history, also it explores each room of the Bungalow and the rooms furnishings, all with quite a few excellent photo's.



2. Wonderful photographs; light, informative reading. What's missing is a better representation of the different regional examples of the bungalow. And they're everywhere.

   Residing in the Chicago area, for example, we have a tremendous variety and number of bungalows. Even in Atlanta, a region more famous for its colonial architecture, I noticed that the Virginia Highlands area also had some marvelous examples of the bungalow style.

   A more appropriate title would be "The California Bungalow" given that nearly all of the examples are located there (and within that state, in Pasadena).

   In other words, worth getting but not the definitive book.




3. This book defines the Bungalow style, explains how it started and flourished, and tells about the men who built and sold them. Then it takes you into still-existing Bungalows across the USA, where the current owners have preserved the period style. Hundreds of beautiful, full-color photographs showcase these homes and give the reader a good feel for the American Bungalow style. At the end of the book there is a list of suppliers, sources of information, and further reading that I found useful also.



4. This has to be one of the best books on art and architecture ever produced. Through hundreds of gorgeous photographs and detailed description, the history and development of the American Arts and Crafts movement comes alive. The author remains sensitive to the fact that most bungalow owners of the early 20th century were not following any set "style," but maintained and decorated their homes according to their personal tastes and means. The result is a presentation which would inspire any current bungalow owners to cherish and preserve their homes as they would works of fine art. In addition, this book contains a handy catalogue appendix listing businesses that deal in reproduction Craftsman style furniture, wallpaper, tiles, fixtures, etc.



5. This book provides preservationists and homeowners alike with valuable information on the architecture and associated style of bungalow homes from the turn of the century through WWII. This is not strictly a history text nor is it strictly a coffee table book. A reader can take pleasure simply from the sheer beauty of the photography -- yet each photograph illustrates important design elements that may be found in bungalow architecture, allowing for careful study. The text, concisely written, provides excellent information on bungalow architecture and furnishings, both from an artistic and social perspective. The book begins with a simple overview of bungalow architecture. It then features photography and detailed text on a number of outstanding bungalow homes in the United States, focusing primarily on those found in California, Chicago, and rarer cases the East Coast. It concludes with a very brief section on currently available Craftsman styled furnishings. As a reference book and style guide, this is an excellent resource that I highly recommended. If you are seeking detailed historic information on Gustave Stickley, the Arts and Crafts Movement, etc., the text is not exhaustive. It is very specific in its scope and presents its subjects quite well -- the American bungalow. If anything, this book is best used to inspire current bungalow owners of the possibilities contained in these remarkable homes