1 comments about Early American Architecture: From the First Colonial Settlements to the National Period.

1. I picked up this book inexpensively, secondhand, to use as a reference because it has a lot of very good photos and floor plans. But I glanced at the first page and was hooked. It's an incredibly well-written, well-balanced, unbiased, well-organized, and informed view of colonial architecture extant in the U.S. in the mid-20th century, when the book was written.

   Morrison tells in the introduction that his goal was to write a comprehensive history of the topic. And he's done a stellar job. It's the first such book I've seen that gives significant treatment not only of the Spanish Southwest (with separate chapters on each of those states and what distinguishes each state's architecture from that of the other S.W. states) but also devotes a significant portion of its pages to French Colonial architecture, not just of New Orleans, but also of the entire French Mississippi Valley and parts of the Gulf Coast.

   A bit about the composition of the book: Morrison devotes entire sections of chapters or entire chapters themselves to the background of a particular style (e.g, Dutch colonial in the New York area), but then gives a major portion of the text over to descriptions of prime examples of the styles he's just described. Several houses and public buildings are discussed in each section, almost always with photos, often with floor plans and interior shots.

   Morrison's unbiased and comprehensive coverage of a very wide-ranging subject is extremely well done, with the exception of just one rather amusing bit of editorializing: he doesn't seem to like dormers, or at least seems to prefer 17th century gables to dormers. Other than that funny (and seldom-appearing) idiosyncrasy, the book is a wonderful educational tool and reference book for the layperson. The fact that this book was originally published more than 50 years ago and is still in print is an amazing testement to the fact that it's so well written.

1 comments about Buildings of Louisiana (Buildings of the United States).

1. Louisiana is blessed with an abudence of architecturally significant buildings and this book selects some of the best examples. I appreciated how Ms. Kingsley gives each section of the state equal time and does not focus exclusively on New Orleans. I mean I love New Orleans, but as this books shows, there are significant buildings all over the state. This book has well researched text and many buildings are occompanied by images. My only real qualm with the book is that not all buildings described come with an image, but the images that are included are well conceived, though black and white. I recommend this book to anyone with a love of Louisiana or frankly just fine architecture.

1 comments about Positions: Portrait of a New Generation of Chinese Architects.

1. China is home to some of the world's most famous architecture -- old and new. Compiled and co-edited by Frederic Edelmann and Francoise Ged, "Positions: Portrait Of A New Generation Of Chinese Architects" is an impressive visual survey of more than forty finished building structures created over the last five years (2003 to 2008) by Chinese architects and their architectural firms, representing a new generation of building designers who are making their presence known for innovation, style, beauty, utility, and even grandeur upon the world stage of architectural design. Featured with full color photography are works by the China Architecture Design & Research Group, Jiakun Architects, Atelier Deshaus, Mada S.P.A.M., MAD Studio, Fake Design, TM Studio, Urbanus, Studio Pei-Zhu, Amateur Architecture Studio, Atelier Feichang Jianzhu, Atelier Z+, Qi Xin Architects and Engineers, Standarchitecture and the Architectural Design & Research Institute of Nanjing University. A welcome, original, and highly recommended addition to professional and academic Architectural Studies reference collections, "Positions" is informed, informative, and occasionally inspiring. Also highly recommended is Actar's bilingual English/Chinese language edition of "Mad Dinner: A Monograph on the Beijing-Based MAD Office" (9788496954212, $49.95) co-edited by Brendan McGetrick and Chen ShuYu.

1 comments about Barcelona: City and Architecture (Big Series Art).

1. This book is an excellent reference for those interested in architecture and interior design. Beautiful photography! Not only does it focus on the amazing architecture of Gaudi, but it follows a timeline that explains the cities continuous architectural revolutions. A must for anyone who is going to visit the city (like myself) or those who like to day dream...........

No comments about Architecture and Ideology in Early Medieval Spain.

No comments about The Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.

1 comments about Domestic Architecture of the American Colonies and of the Early Republic (Dover Books on Architecture).

1. Books on historic architecture tend to devote too little space to the homes of ordinary people. This book covers dwellings from the huts of the first colonists to governors' mansions, from rural plantation houses to Colonnade Row in Boston.
   The profusion of illustrations include early and modern drawings, photographs, engravings, and lithographs. They depict floor plans, elevations, interiors, exteriors, and details.
   What I found particularly useful is the way the author develops the historical changes in materials, style, and philosophy. His research is thorough but not at all dry. For example, he quotes William Hubbard who, before 1682, wrote of the New Haven Colony: "They laid out too much...in building fine and stately houses, wherein they at first outdid the rest of the country."
   This book will correct misunderstandings and oversimplifications about Colonial domestic architecture.

5 comments about Barragan - The Complete Works.

1. Nice price and fast delivery. I could not ask for more.
   Thank you very much indeed!



2. For a book titled The Complete Works, this book visually falls short. Many of the pictures are smaller and in black and white - not providing enough photos to be a really valuable visual research tool.



3. I extolled the first edition of this definitive, splendidly illustrated survey when it appeared in 1996, and urge you to add it to your shelves if you haven't already. Luis Barragan (1902-88) was a master of earthy yet sophisticated buildings that had nothing to do with style and look better with every year that passes. This revised edition is little changed, but for an update of the bibliography and a perceptive essay by Antonio Ruiz Barbarin, from which I learned that Barragan was an almost exact contemporary of Marcel Breuer, Lucio Costa, Arne Jacobsen, and Ivan Leonidov. Truly a vintage year! (Michael Webb is the book reviewer for LA Architect magazine.)



4. for a sensitive humane and theatrical perception of space color and interaction of mater and living creatures is the legacy of a great muster, his buildings as elements of a living construction interact with the elements of life, viewing the composition is relaxing and inspiring.



5. Luis Barragan's gift to twentieth-century architecture is inspiring. His impressive sensitivity, simplicity, and masterful use of color, was captured here for generations of architects to enjoy.

5 comments about Indian Interiors (Interiors (Taschen)).

1. We review a number of books and the first time we saw this one, we were very sure it was going to make to our top selections list. And we were not wrong.

   A beautifully laid out book with 500 vivid color photographs is a visual treat. Recipedelights.com gives it a "must-buy" rating for interior designers and style lovers. One of the few books that correct the injustice done by western journalists and gives a positive spin to thousands of years of culture and history. It truly reflects the grandeur of Indian style by weaving a colorful mélange that will come as no surprise to anyone who has ever visited India. This book explores a spectrum of interiors ranging from Palaces to Havelis to Huts. It does not bore with endless text or try to influence the judgment of the reader. Short text (In English, German and French) accompanies each photograph though the pictures speak for themselves.




2. Excellent value for the money. Beautiful photos covering a broad range of interiors.



3. This totally sumptuous book has been beautifully produced and is proof yet again that Taschen are publishing some of the most beautiful books around. Apart from being a visual delight, each picture has accompanying text on the place featured. The book covers a wide range of interiors from palaces and havelis to Rajasthani huts and everything in between. Whether you are interested in Indian style or interiors generally, you will find much to like in this book.



4. This LUSH book captivates the eye and provides such a visual feast of color, I feel saturated, then satiated, each time I dip into it. Good for hours of fun.

   I have to say, I was lucky enough to meet Deidi on her travels in Ladakh and can tell you that she is one intrepid traveler. There was a war going on in Kashmir when she went to take these photos - although you'd never know it from these pictures which paint such a beautiful image of these sumptuous settings.

   She is a great photographer, with three Taschen books to her credit (Gardens of France, and Fantasy Worlds). She also makes enormous photos of sacred trees in India which are exhibited in galleries - very dramatic and her best work yet!

   This book focuses a great deal on Rajasthan, but also includes regional coverage of key areas.

   A first of its kind and a good antidote to the predictable picture books of India. Everyone expects India photo books to show weird babas in Benares and starving people in Calcutta, so it's good for the West to see there's more to India than that.

   Glad to see that scenes from the folk and peasant traditions are included alongside the fantastic royal palaces, proving that art has no boundaries.




5. This is a gorgeous book, beautifully laid out, with good photography and a vast range of type of interiors from palaces to village huts. Having spent significant time traveling throughout India, I frankly opened this book fully expecting to be disappointed and expecting it to be one more example of journalism not being able to do justice to the breadth and scope of India. We see that failure in all manner of books about India, from cook books, design books, culture books, and travel books; any subject that trys to cover the subcontinent in one fell swoop. Remarkably, this book achieves what no others I've seen has. In addition to photography of Deco interiors, British Revival, and Native Cultural Design, INDIAN INTERIORS wisely leaves the commentary to short blocks of text detailing the background of the property and the homeowners but not forming broad judgements or attempting to endlessly characterize and embellish. I have photo books on Village India, India Rail, Indian Design, etc., and they all try to do too much and not let the material speak for itself. This book is different, very different, and from what I've seen from this publisher in other venues, Taschen is one to watch for if you like your material presented succinctly and beautifully without gushing or extraneous filler.

No comments about Otto Wagner, 1841-1918: Forerunner of Modern Architecture (Basic Architecture).