No comments about Washed with Sun: Landscape and the Making of White South Africa.

No comments about The Continuing City: Urban Morphology in Western Civilization.

1 comments about Landscape Stories.

1. Southam's wonderful book of (mostly) large format images taken from multiple series has been one of the most stimulating of the medium I've yet come across. I think it was Fay Godwin (also from the UK) who first made me look at both the beauty and timelessness of the landscape and the detritus of habitation despoiling same. One can get too precious with the subjects considered worthy of an exposure. From the methods of the photographer as revealed herein, Southam is a painstaking master of the medium with a strong idea of what he's trying to convey. His images of rock falls and dew ponds are unquestionably beautiful and with great colour. But it's the "stories", the multiple approaches of aspect or over time that are most interesting here. With some thoughtful essays and excellent printing, this is a book worthy of consideration.

2 comments about Color by Design: Planting the Contemporary Garden.

1. Color by design is the best book on the subject I have read. A different and complex approach on using color and its effect on the human eye, mind and spirit.



2. An innovative and creative approach to designing with colour. The use of Clive Nichol's stunning photos of Hadspen Garden combine perfectly with the witty and informative text of Nori and Sandra Pope, who are also the gardeners at Hadspen. The publishers are to be congratulated for producing a book that will change the direction of garden book design.

1 comments about Garden Antiques: How to Source & Identify (Miller's Guides).

1. Miller's Garden Antiques is an interesting read and also a good picture book for those interested in creating a "look" around horticulture or just around the poolside or patio. It may be difficult for one to actually garner the prices quoted for each piece in the book (especially if one doesn't live in a market that caters to these types of antique garden pieces). I'd like to say that there are better garden antique books available; yet, in reality, there is something to be derived from all of this type of book. Not a lot of hard information but an interesting picture book.

3 comments about Mirrors of Infinity:: The French Formal Garden and 17th-Century Metaphysics.

1. What would you rather do, talk about making love, or make love? If your answer is the former, then (A) please don't bother reading on, and (B) good luck! Talking about making love makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. It's absurd! The same holds true of art. Oh yes, there are those movie critics, art critics, music and CD critics, you know, all those people who think that their opinion matters. (What's worse, of course, is to write a critique of a critique as I'm doing here [lol].) Think about it in practical terms: out of a population of six billion people, why would you rely on the opinion of ONE human being? That makes no sense whatsoever. If you wanted some sort of opinion that was worth a hoot, wouldn't you ask more than one person? Or even more importantly, why wouldn't you trust your OWN judgment instead of somebody else's? Makes no sense to me whatsoever! Unlike other disciplines -- politics, religion, sports, etc. -- there is no "middle man" in the arts: there is no politician, no priest, no referee. ONLY in the arts do you have a direct relationship between the two parties, that being the art object -- the particular work of art -- and the "receiver" who "interacts" with it -- the listener, the viewer, the reader, etc. What a unique, simple yet powerful relationship and process! So, IF you are going to write about art, you better do it right: you better speak the truth by examining the subject methodically. And this is exactly what Mr. Allen S. Weiss has done in his "Mirrors of Infinity: The French Formal Garden and 17th-Century Metaphysics."
   
   Mr. Weiss has chosen a very narrow subject for his dissertation: the aesthetic examination of the French Baroque garden through the analysis of only three gardens -- Vaux-le-Vicomte, Versailles and Chantilly -- by the era's greatest champion, Andre Le Notre. (Note that I did NOT state `three masterpieces', because, as Mr. Weiss will correctly prove, the gardens of Versailles are NOT a masterpiece. It might be one in terms of size, but certainly not in terms of design. It was a surprise to me, too.) At the core of Mr. Weiss's dissertation is his examination of this era's logic through its aesthetics, and therefore, he begins the book with the analysis and explanation of the contemporary paradigm both in the arts, philosophy and sciences. Excellent! (Every landscape design book should do that.) In the Preface, Mr. Weiss discusses the aesthetics of various garden designs of various eras, i.e., the Zen garden, the Italian Renaissance garden, etc., in order to provide a general background of garden logic, so to speak. Also, it is important to note that Mr. Weiss, throughout the book, questions the visitor of why he/she visits a garden and how this mindset affects our perceptions of a garden! In the subsequent chapter, Mr. Weiss explains the aesthetic transformation that occurred within the Baroque era from "motion" to rigidity, the latter being the paradigm for Le Notre. In the following three chapters, Mr. Weiss gives both a historical account of each garden as well as a complete aesthetic analysis to show what makes each garden unique. Finally, Mr. Weiss concludes with a Postface in which he recounts a couple more historical facts about the French Baroque garden in subsequent centuries, and concludes by, once again, questioning us why we, the visitors, enter these gardens. This is actually very important.
   
   With this book, Mr. Weiss has not only given a thorough dissertation of French Baroque landscape design, but has elevated the level of dissertation of a landscape design era to such a degree that all future discussions of any other landscape design era MUST now be as methodical and complete as his: he has "raised the bar" of landscape design dissertation.



2. This book was recommended as further reading in my History of European Garden Design course, and proved helpful in understanding the quotation of Versailles to the imperial gardens of Rome, and then lead me to research why L'Enfant would use Versailles for the blueprint of Washington D.C.



3. An elegant, gracefully erudite and concise intellectual history. It is a focussed and yet wide-ranging look at the function and meaning of French 18th century formal gardens, specifically Vaux-le-Vicomte, Versailles, and Chantilly. The sources cited are also fascinating, and it is a book that leads you to many others. I found it quite wonderful, and am looking forward to reading more by the author.

1 comments about Historic Landscapes of Florida.

1. "Florida's historic landscapes are vivid mosaics of our cultural heritage. They remind us of where we have been and help to create a sense of place. From Indian Key (1823) to the Harry P. Leu House and Gardens in Orlando (1961), Lombard surveys Florida's most significant historic landscapes, both cultural and designed." (review by Florida Humanities Council)

No comments about Beatrix Jones Farrand (1872-1959): Fifty Years of American Landscape (Dumbarton Oaks Colloquium Series in the History of Landscape Architecture).

5 comments about Nicklaus by Design: Golf Course Strategy and Architecture.

1. Nicklaus has become a major name in the golf design business. Nicklaus-brand courses are becoming regular fixtures as tour events, and also play host to majors of every variety.
   
   This book on his view of golf course and hole design offers many looks into popular design ideas (such as "challenging for the pro, fun for the hacker"). Much of this comes through clearly, complete with Nicklaus' opinions of how he has fit these ideas into his designs.
   
   At the same time, a good amount of space seems to be devoted to saying why Nicklaus courses are good, as opposed to what sort of tendancies or drawbacks one might find in the designs. One popular criticism is that Jack designs courses for his own game, which might be particularly true on those tracks he had a direct hand in constructing. Also, little space was devoted to mention of green design, where slopes and hills are employed to feed the ball into hard-to-access parts of the green (this being one of Nicklaus' better design features).
   
   With the many wonderful pictures included and the careful explinations, this book serves as a fair introduction to golf course architecture. Unfortunately, even as a guide to Nicklaus golf courses, it falls a bit short of great. More so than anything, this book is a product catalogue, and is probably better read as such.



2. One of what is becoming a library of works on golf course designs written by leading architects - fun thing here is that not only do you hear from Nicklaus the architect but also get more insight into Nicklaus the golfer (something not found in books by Trent Jones, Trent Jones II or Fazio in their books).
   What is surprising are the sometimes very technical descriptions of drainage, irrigation and agriculture that you don't find in books of the other leading architects. As with the other books of this type on the market, lots of great pictures, lots of great stories and narratives about designing of particular courses and just generally interesting stuff about golf and golf courses.



3. This book is a masterpiece. It is very rich in its contents. It is not only interesting and historic but explains the creativity of design and the thought process that goes into designing a great golf course. Millard, Nicklaus, and Dye who could come up with better names in the Golf World. Millard in his beautiful wit and writing, Nicklaus in his play and design and Dye with his creativity. A must read for anyone who has played the game of golf. The photography and pictures are beautiful. Read,relax, and enjoy this wonderful book.



4. Of all the books I have read by Jack Nicklaus, this is the most accessible. Who would have thought that the subject of golf course design could evoke such excellent writing and superb description. Nicklaus has finally teamed with a writer to match the caliber of his own golfing and design ability.

   I only wish that Nicklaus -- or his Boswell, Millard -- would have taken the time to compare Nicklaus's style to the classic links-style courses such as Saint Andrew's and Fenwick.

   A great write and a great read!




5. While some will argue whether Jack Nicklaus has been supplanted by Tiger Woods as the greatest golfer in history,there should be no debate about the place that Chris Millard occupies among golf writers. He is at the top of his game in this outstanding book with witty prose and masterly pacing. Mr. Millard's writing captivates the reader, be he or she a scratch golfer or duffer. At the same time, it provides keen insights into what made Jack Nicklaus a legend that will endure. The book plays like a championship Nicklaus course, but with no bunkers or water hazards to divert the reader from the round of his/her life. Simply put: it's outstanding.

No comments about Magic of trees and stones: Secrets of Japanese Gardening.