1 comments about Understanding Frank Lloyd Wright's Architecture.

1. Not a bad book but the author could have provided more detail and photos to back up his claimed "understanding" of Wright's work. Some nice photos.

4 comments about Drawings and Plans of Frank Lloyd Wright: The Early Period (1893-1909).

1. A republication of the of the work first published by Wasmuth, Berlin, 1910. Plate headings are translated into English and there is a glossary of the German terms found in the ground plans. There is an essay by Wright, "Studies and Executed Buildings", written in Florence, Italy, 1910. These are the early houses and commercial buildings by Wright which even today remain modern and relevant; with the incorporation of up-to-date bathrooms, they would eclipse most of what is being designed today by leading architects. No color, and all line drawings, but you can spend hours studying the plans and admiring the elevation drawings.



2. We were fortunate to find one of the original prints while visiting a Chicago gallery. Unfortunately owning more than one print was well beyond our price range. This book captures the entire collection beautifully. These prints do Frank Lloyd Wright and his work justice, and the details are so interesting.



3. Una raccolta di disegni da non perdere, in cui la cura del dettaglio e la ricerca estetica invitano a scoprire il lavoro minuzioso di Frank Lloyd Wright. Un libro che non può mancare nella collezione.



4. This books brings an insight into the early designs of Frank Lyod Wright. The drawings are consisce and well represented. It is a must for any student of home design.

5 comments about Many Masks: A Life Of Frank Lloyd Wright.

1. If you do not know much about FLW's life, this isn't the book for you. It assumes that you are familar with his life-story as it jumps back and forth and drops names of people out of sequence to his chronological life story. For the neophyte reader there may be too much verbal description of floor plans. Despite these "flaws" (which forced me to do some background research in his other bios) the book is insightful and revealling as it peels off the layers of masks (most built by FLW himself). The book has many, many, black & white photos of his buildings and furniture - most of which I have not seen in other books. This would be a good companion book for someone who has read FLW's autobiography or other bios. It is amazing he survived, professionally, in spite of his apparent self-destructive habits. I found myself comparing his life to Picasso's - perhaps genius cannot be contained in an conventional life .



2. The Story of Frank Lloyd Wright has been told many times. Aside from his many biographers he is also the inspiration of a well known book and hilarious (unintentionally, though) movie, The Fountainhead. Other than Michaelangelo, I do not know of another architecte who has rated such a treatment.
   
   Wright's life was heroic and this book is useful in seeing how that came to be. Gill is suited to the task, he not only knew Wright, but wrote the building column in the New Yorker for many years.
   
   This book is a common sense take on Wright's life. Gill explores many of the myths that Wright constructed around his life and finds that Wright's creative powers were not always expended in the direction of his buildings. Wright was a genius who did not feel the slightest need to conceal this fact from the world. He was also a visionary who took the Eurpean architecture of its day and transformed it into the American vernacular. This feat he conttrasts strongly with Beaux Arts school which merely transplanted these European fads. Wright was a real original
   
   The book is lavishly illustrated since all of Gills writing does not give the same feel for Wright's genious as a hangful of these images provide. I think that were it possible color photographs might have provided a clearer view.
   
   As Gill demonstrates, Wright at times could be a rascal, but he was also a genius even when when all of the artifice of his life is stripped away. This book is a welcomed addition to Wright biographical scholarship.



3. 
   Brendan Gill's writing is always sophisticated and utterly charming. Nowhere is that more evident than in this treasure of a biography of the man who - not without good reason - styled himself as America's greatest architect.
   
   It is an unquestionable fact that Wright was a genius in the aesthetic realm; it is also unquestionable that he was a bit of a mountebank in all realms; even so, one cannot help but enjoy the outrageous, larger-than-life swath he cut across the better part of the 20th Century in his Cherokee red luxury cars, pork-pie hat and theatrical cape. If he hadn't been such a good architect, all of this would have been considered laughable, but anyone who has stood in his sublime interiors knows that the man knew his craft thoroughly.
   
   Gill conveys all of this and more. His narrative is like a good long conversation by the fire with someone who not only knew the man but also had an appreciation of him that did not miss the quirks and foibles. Asides, such as the pulling of all the teeth, make this book a constant surprise. Wright, of course, had more than one mid-life crisis, and the various loves of his life brought every conceivable high and low. No wonder Mr. Wright's saga has been turned into a grand opera! But Brendan Gill makes it more like the family stories of an eccentric uncle.
   
   This is my favorite biography of Wright but it sits right next to Meryle Secrest's -- one really needs both of them to have enough perspective on the man and his accomplishments.
   
   After all the anecdotes have been recounted, there are still some stories left to be told, by Wright clients who remember and students who are now getting on in years. One hopes that they, too, will put to paper their reminiscences, before it is too late.



4. First, Brendan Gil is noted for 'good work' but this one is the pits. I am not touching the subject matter nor areas of trash this author deems necessary to descend to. (Suffice it to say, I am not an FLW idealist and actually care little about his work).
   
   This was a toughh book to read, editted poorly, chronologically all over the map. Probably more disjointed than my simple review with long wordly (boring) digressions that vaguely related to FLW or some area of his life.
   
   I can understand why there are so many of these editions 'for sale'. This edition is just as big a 'train wreck' as that of the person whom it tries to cover.



5. "Who was that masked man?" As answered by author Gill, at various times an architectural genius who could shake a groundbreaking concept out of his sleeve, a supreme egotist, an unctuous charmer who bamboozled clients into spending more than they had budgeted, a procrastinator, a supreme manipulator of the media and a family-wrecker. America's (self-anointed) King of Architects wore many masks, many of them unflattering. Gill's well-researched biography ends up prompting the reader to ask whether the artistic ends that Wright achieved justified the means that he employed in bringing his creations to life.
   
   Gill does a fine job explaining Wright's objectives at Taliesin North and West, Fallingwater, the Guggenheim Museum, Beth Sholom temple and at other sites. And he laces his work with numerous passages from Wright's correspondence, leaving the reader shaking his head in sympathy with any number of exasperated clients. However, "Many Masks" falls short when discussing the infamous fire at Taliesin North. While the author provides a workmanlike account of the incident, not much is offered in the way of background on the arsonist or his possible motive, leaving the reader to search elsewhere for answers.
   
   Toward the conclusion, Gill excerpts a hitherto-unpublished statement from one of Wright's sons that drives home the degree to which the "Master's" lifelong shenanigans left some of his loved ones emotionally wounded. It's a moving statement that underscores the scorched-earth approach to living that Wright practiced well into old age, which for this reader ultimately debased the worth of Wright's public accomplishments.
   
   In summary, "Many Masks" is a finely crafted, sometimes droll and often thought-provoking look at a genuine American Original.

5 comments about 50 Favorite Rooms By Frank Lloyd Wright.

1. This book touches me in many ways. First, it brings memories of childhood, with the illusions of art full in my mind. I have always loved art and buildings and when in Sr. High School, I had the opportunity to visit one of Mr. Wright's creations, I was in awe at the sight of it. It was in Falling Water, PA. When you have the opportunity to walk into one of these homes, not houses; it is like you feel the presence of the man who designed it, not just a building. Looking at the pages in this book is as close to walking in one of the luxurious rooms as a person can get without actually physically being there. Frank Lloyd Wright truly is an Eternal Artist. His book is lively and full of feeling, as well as detailed artwork that comes from the love of designing itself. I could go on for a long time about his works, but I will leave a little to the imagination now. If you haven't already seen or looked at one of his creations, I suggest that you at least buy one of the many wonderful books about them. You will be delightfully pleased for years to come.



2. Most of the 5,000 plus wonderful rooms designed by Frank Lloyd Wright are not open to the public. This book gives you a chance to go where you often cannot go in any other way to see 50 of the best.

   Unlike most architects, Mr. Wright designed in such a way that "the rooms inside would dictate the architecture outside." Even inside, he designed all elements of the room, including floor and wall coverings, art glass in many cases, lighting fixtures, furniture, and where everything should be located. He also specified that those who used the rooms should be limited to bringing in only certain types of objects, and for certain locations. For example, ornamental china was allowed on one ledge of the dining room in Robie House.

   I have had the chance to visit many Wright homes and buildings, yet this book greatly expanded my understanding of his work.

   Mr. Wright was primarily a home architect, and "the living room was the heart of the home" for him. He would use built-in benches to encourage reading, fireplaces for conversation, windows with designs to inspire contemplation, tables for informal dining and card playing, and views of nature for living more organically.

   Clearly, it would be hard to outdo a Wright living room, and most of the best examples of his work in this book are living rooms. I thought the best ones were in the home and studio in Oak Park, Dana-Thomas House, Robie House, May House, Little House, Fallingwater, Taliesin West, Wingspread, Cedar Rock, R.L. Wright House, and Rayward House.

   I liked his dining rooms best in the home and studio in Oak Park, Dana-Thomas House, Robie House, May House, and Boynton House.

   For nooks and crannies, I liked the Oak Park studio library, and the Storer House Terrace.

   Of the public spaces, my favorites were the Unity Temple Sanctuary, Coonley Playhouse, the Guggenheim Museum atrium, and the Marin County Center skylit atrium under the barrel vault.

   If you ever have a chance to see any of these, be sure you take advantage of it! Robie House is now being rebuilt in Hyde Park, Illinois, but is open for tours. Final restoration is expected to be done in 2007. The Oak Park home and studio are open every day. Taliesin West is open most days. Fallingwater has an extensive schedule of being open. Unity Temple, the Guggenheim, and Marin County Center are usually open.

   After you examine these wonderful living spaces, think about how your life would be improved in such more natural surroundings. How can you make where you live closer to his ideal?

   Look for the most natural way to be with others!




3. The first thing that struck me about this book is how well put-together it is. In "50 Favorite Rooms by Frank Lloyd Wright," Diane Maddex (listed in the credits as "Project Director") has crafted a book that is clean, simple and elegant in its presentation of the architect's trademark design of personal living spaces.

   If you've visited more than a few of Frank Lloyd Wright's creations, chances are they won't all be represented here. He completed hundreds of homes and buildings, which means that this book could have been entitled "250 Favorite Rooms ..." and it still would have been too thin. What you do find are superb photos which are amazingly successful in capturing the perspective and harmony of lines, space, furniture, ornamentation and even lighting. My favorite views are inside the homes, but the public spaces are interesting also. You don't have to be an architect to appreciate the mastery in Mr. Wright's designs.

   The chapters are grouped by room type (e.g., living rooms, dining rooms), with each of the pictures taking up AT LEAST one full page, and supported by 20-30 lines of text describing key design aspects of the room. The photos are of the highest quality in terms of exposure, lighting and balance. In some cases, the vantage point allows for a look beyond the windows to the surrounding landscape or greenery. A nice touch, indeed. In short, if you're looking for the definitive image of a room, you'll find a bunch of them right here.

   If Mr. Wright had designed a book, I think this is what he'd have come up with. I give this my highest recommendation.




4. This book is great either if you are wanting infornmation on Frank Lloyd Wright, his personal life or the works of art he created. It gives examples of his personal choices and styles. Each page includes a full page color picture of one of the rooms he designed.
   It also is a good book if you are just looking for examples of interior design or aritechture. It has unique pieces and will give you great ideas!



5. A very natural companion book to 50 Favorite Houses by FLW by the same author. I think I prefer this one. It's not often I see photos of the interior of the Marin County Civic Center though there's just one. Despite there being 22 different photographers or souces for photos, they're all credited for 1998, the year the book was printed. This could explain why almost every interior shot appears to have, as much as possible, the same camera angle, that is, to include the ceiling and floors. It gives a feeling of first walking into a room. For some reason I like this book a little better than the 50 Favorite Houses one. Not sure why, maybe it's the rich natural wood colors of his interiors while all the homes in the other book are not as dramatic in color and bright detail as these rooms are. Both are worth having if you can get them at less than full price, which, thankfully, is one of the great strengths of this site. The author does a nice job with her medium sized column of information that is on the facing page of each entry. I'm always a happy FLW big color photo book owner when the book has every single photo (except one of FLW) take up the entire page and maybe half of them also covering a third of the facing page. That's what I want in such books, big color photos of his work taking up as much of the page as possible. Worth it owning this lovely book. chrisbct@hotmail.com

5 comments about Frank Lloyd Wright Interactive Portfolio.

1. A must-have for FLW fans. Can be found remaindered for less but this price is decent. Make sure its in good shape. Well-made, written & produced, worth every penny.



2. This is a unique book, nothing else like it around. A great coffee table book or a gift for anyone interested in architecture or the works of Frank Lloyd Wright.
   Highly recommended.



3. This is clearly a labor of love. The solid box the book fits into is very cool. Keeps the book with about 9 clear sleeves with insert papers from gettin' smushed. A few nice big photos. Plenty a text. Other good smaller photos. And a cd of Wright speaking. It's nice to finally have some drawings to hold and unfold. I'm not sure all 18 or so of them are what I would have chosen. One in particular is pretty basic. But the mile high tower is 3 folded tall. And there's maybe 6 letters he sent out, modern letter writers might not recognize them with their notations and corrections because since computers we don't need to make such written corrections but in his day that's all they had. I'd easily have taken more and bigger drawings than any of the letters. As it is most of the drawings are 3 or 4 foldouts, very nice. Definitely worth the lower used price available on amazon.com. I think you do have to be a fan though to appreciate it. I'd love to see more books made this way, expanding the notion of what a book is or can be.



4. Un buon libro in cui è racchiuso l'essenziale. Molto curato e fuori dal comune per la ricchezza di particolari. Un'ottima idea regalo per chi vuole avvicinarsi alle opere di Frank Lloyd Wright.



5. As an Architect student, I love this book. I show all my friends how a real great mind works. Wright is my favorite architect, so when I was this it was a given ofr me to buy it. I highly suggest checking your local book store first, because I bought this EXACT one for 13 dollars.

5 comments about Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater: The House and Its History, Second, Revised Edition (Dover Books on Architecture).

1. Of all the books on Fallingwater, this is the best when you want to know about how the house came into being. I have 2 copies of the book, one that accompanies me on all my travelling, and one to keep in my library. I have at least read it 8 to 10 times, and already look forward to the next time. The black and white photography is quite good, although the book would even be better with some color takes. Hoffman did a great job researching on the subject, and reading the book, it occurs that this was no easy task to get everything in order, chronoligically.



2. This book is one of the best I have seen for describing in detail the challenges of creating one of America's architectural landmarks. Anyone who reads this book will be reminded of Thomas Edison's comment about genius being 99 percent perspiration and 1 percent inspiration.

   Fallingwater came as a commission after one of the longest dry spells of Frank Lloyd Wright's career. Despite having no work to do, no money, and few prospects, Mr. Wright dawdled with the project while trying to sell his client, Edgar Kaufmann, as many other projects as possible. Contemporary accounts suggest that Wright only began sketching something on paper when Mr. Kaufmann was about to arrive at Taliesin in Wisconsin, where Wright did his work.

   Mr. Kaufman was not an easy client. He was the head of a major department store, and was used to getting his own way. Client and architect often clashed, with bent feelings on both sides. Independent "experts" got involved who also added to the controversy, mistakes, and misunderstandings. Mr. Kaufmann deserves credit, though, for sticking with Wright as the costs soared way above the original budget for this most unique house.

   Interestingly, the two were brought together by Mr. Kaufmann's son who had come to study with Wright in Taliesin. The book contains a brief introduction by Edgar Kaufmann, Jr. who ultimately gave the home to a local nature conservancy.

   Even without the challenges of the human relationships, Fallingwater was a most ambitious commission. In a remote part of the Allegheny Mountains in Pennsylvania, Fallingwater is sited on top of a waterfall. The potential for the water to undermine the house is enormous. Mr. Wright also wanted to keep as many of the original rocks and trees as possible. The site survey was often wrong, and the designs had to be adjusted to reflect the reality. The design also provided other unusual problems, and the first cantilever was built incorrectly due to changes made under Mr. Kaufmann's direction.

   The book contains a wealth of maps, letters, summaries of interviews with those who worked on the project, drawings, plans, and photographs of the work in progress in black and white. This detail brings the challenges to life in a very real way.

   The fascinating part of this book to me is that Fallingwater's final effects are the opposite of its creation. The home seems to float above the water, like a mirage. It seems to exude tranquility and peace. Yet, its every stage of movement toward becoming a reality was like a Sumo wrestling match with enormous heavyweight egos and ideas colliding at high speed and with little regard for the impact on the other fellow.

   As much as I love Fallingwater, I love understanding more about how it was created even more. Anyone who wants to leave a mark of greatness behind should read this book.

   After you finish thinking through the implications of Mr. Wright's vision and ways of implementing it, I suggest that you think about your own personal life and work. Where are you lacking in vision? Where are you lacking in the processes to implement worthwhile visions?

   Turn your dreams into beautiful realities . . . for everyone!




3. This is an historical books about this house but all the pictures are in B & W. And it's so sad for such a masterpiece of frank Lloyd Wright.



4. EXCELLENT HISTORY OF THE BUILDING OF FALLINGWATER. MANY INSIGHTS INTO THE CHARACTER OF FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT.



5. 
   Forget everything you know about building a house--a dream house--and read this book. If you are a Wright fan, then you will relish every page and delight in knowing about how various aspects of the most famous house in the world came to be built.
   
   No doubt you will enjoy knowing that the final work was indeed a collaborative effort between Mr. Wright (who had strong opinions about everything) and Mr. Kaufman who was if anything, one of those ideal clients in the vein of Darwin Martin before him and Hib Johnson soon thereafter. Some of the most celebrated details of the building were Edgar Sr.'s input (i.e. no gold leaf paint on the parapets, routing out the stone and letting the glass simply meld into it). These things help make the house what it is.
   
   The story--it must be true, it has been told by so many and so often--of the house's design springing from the master's hand as Mr. K. was on his short drive to Taliesin, is worth savoring.
   
   The role of the Taliesin apprentice on site as clerk of the works is important to note--Mr. Wright would use this concept again and again for the remainder of his life, to assure that what was built was what he had in mind. In many cases the apprentice became almost adopted-family to the clients and their association became lifelong.
   
   Mr. Hoffmann is to be congratulated again and again for giving us this marvelous record of the building of Fallingwater.

5 comments about Fellowship, The: The Untold Story of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Taliesin Fellowship.

1. What fun this book is! I could hardly put it down. A fascinating, almost embarrassingly readable entree into a group of brilliant, talented and contradictory people who literally changed the face of America. Frank Lloyd Wright comes across as a conflicted and rather scary genius who attracted star-struck acolytes prepared to put up with his mercurial humors; his family and entourage are equally vividly brought to life, as is the fascinating intellectual and artistic spirit of the times in which Wright's unique vision was born and developed. Some critics claim that sources are not cited - not true, they are, dozens of pages of them, but you don't realize they're there until you've finished the book (no callouts in the main text). Treat yourself to this one, you're almost certain to love it, and learn from it too.



2. Like many former apprentices I learned much more about Olgivanna
   than I knew from my own contact during the time I was apprenticed at
   Taliesin. It never occurred to me that she was indeed cruel--I just thought she was
   FLLW's means to keep himself free of the logistics of housekeeping.
   He never expressed much liking for the mystic Gurjieff, and Olgivanna set up the school
   following Wright's death which spelled the demise of Wright's ideas in favor of the mystic.
   
   I am sorry that the existing remnants of the Fellowship at Taliesin
   seem to have prevailed in denying this exposition. The idolization of
   Olgivanna persists!
   
   The book reveals it all and is a great read!
   
   Bill Patrick



3. The 20th Century was to have been the era of transformation in which the human race, and indeed human nature itself was to be wholly revised and repaired. There were as many different formulas as there were thinkers and doers. From Lenin to the Ayatollahs, everyone had a plan to bring paradise back from the lost and found. It hardly needs to be said that all of the various visions found themselves at war with each other. More than 100 million people died in the ensuing competition.
   
   Frank Lloyd Wright thought that transformation would be a natural result of living in a dwelling that conformed with his ideas of "organic architecture". The dwelling would be properly sited in a non-urban, highly programmed, planned community. He hated cities.
   
   In the Taliesin Fellowship, Wright had the opportunity to operate his vision the way a model railroad enthusiast operates a miniature transportation network. The results are instructive. The story is a most entertaining read and well told by the authors, Roger Friedland and Harold Zellman. The writing is excellent. The narrative has everything: sex, power, ego, mysticism, a grand vision, vivid characters, tragedy and madness.
   
   Frank Lloyd Wright has been called the greatest architect of the 20th Century. He may be. It will remain an article of debate for as long as people care about 20th Century building. There is no debate that he lived in interesting times. The Taliesin Fellowship is an excellent mirror in which to glimpse both some of the glory and some of the horror of that time.



4. I have always been fascinated by FLW's architecture, my favorite styles being the Prairie and Usonian styles. When you read which and how many buildings he had built per year, it hits you as being odd that he built very little during the roaring 20's? How did he survive during the depression? How could he afford to build such elaborate estates on architecture fees?
   
   The Fellowship was the answer. I was amazed to discover from this book that he created a school and named it the FLW Fellowship. Applicants paid yearly tuitions to work there! In the beginning the education was gained by learning how to build Taliesin and doing such things as kitchen details and farming. It was gratifying to know that only rich kids could afford to attend the FLW Fellowship since no one except the rich during the depression had and money left. Rich kids paying to farm and do manual labor for FLW. Ya gotta love that.
   
   During the early phase of the Fellowship, Wes Peters (apprentice) and Svetlana Wright (FLW's adopted daughter) left Taliesin. "Svetlana wrote Wes" about Olgivanna (FLW's 3rd wife, Svet's mother), "When I read her words I feel that a witch sits behind them! And I feel all sort of creepy and unclean!" That is exactly how I felt as I experienced this book............UNCLEAN.
   
   FLW was a person of extreme contrast or shall I say a person that lived a bi-polar existence. He attracted the like into his Fellowship. I always wondered why his "organic architecture" never spread thru America. His ego would not allow it. He simply could not allow the possibility that someone else could progress his work to an even higher level of genius than his ego. His ego would not allow his genius to be "shared". This is the real FLW tragedy. For a genius to live to be 92 years old and not be able to "grow" apprentices to practice organic architecture. Pitiful. What a perfect ego lesson!
   
   FLW's architecture is nothing more than the celebration of the ego. It breaks my heart.
   
   It apparently took the authors ten years to write this book. The source material is amazing. While I doubt all the authors' conclusions are correct, they with their extensive research in my opinion used their best judgments in drawing conclusions. Most judgments are slanted towards being harsh.
   
   I often thought that FLW was cruel to leave his first family consisting of a wife and six children. Now I am convinced that by abandoning his first family, he saved them from even greater cruelty. If you decide to read this book and experience this very dark journey, I am sure you will agree with me that staying away from FLW was one of the best decisions one could make.



5. Absoulutley amazing research the author has put into this book! I have never read a book on Frank Lloyd Wright so well entailed and so complete as this one. The book is very entertaining and could not put it down!

5 comments about Fallingwater Rising: Frank Lloyd Wright, E. J. Kaufmann, and America's Most Extraordinary House.

1. Every "thing" you could ever want to know about Fallingwater is contained in this book -- and then some. It is an enjoyable, insightful book about an extraordinary house. The writing is convincing, intelligent and clear, covering a wide range of complex and contentious topics without ever seeming either simplistic or academic. For my tastes there was too much detail on some peripheral subjects -- such as Ayn Rand's book The Fountainhead and the PR campaigns relating to Fallingwater. I didn't really need to be given lists of all the doo dads and art objects that were put on various walls and shelves at one time or another, but some of these matters are easily skimmed over. Despite its encyclopedic scope and thorough research and analysis, the book ironically fails to really get at the essence of the creative process that resulted in Fallingwater -- especially the contributions of EJ Kaufmann. How is it that EJ Kaufmann built Fallingwater and the Palm Springs Nuetra house -- two of the most extraordinary houses of the 20th century? In the end the essential mystery of Fallingwater remains.



2. I must say that as an architect who has been practicing for over 25 years, I have not read any book quite like this before that reaches so deeply into the creation of a master work such as Fallingwater. I have always "appreciated" FLW work but only recently have more fully understood what he has accomplished and created in built architectural works that to me borders on magical and genius at the same time. The glossy pictures alone only begins to reflect him as the gifted craftsman he represented. Living in Chicago I get to enjoy much of his work all the time. I'm still enjoying the book and must say your work here is amazing and a fitting tribute to an increbible individual and architect. Thanks for the experience. Jack Svaicer



3. I have now read FALLINGWATER RISING twice, and I think it is one of the most well-written, readable, and engrossing books about any subject. What I like most about it is that even though Fallingwater is an inanimate object, we feel that it is a living thing; this is our emotional response to it. This book makes it clear that people made the building happen. People with all of their strengths, foibles, desires and aspirations. Each of these people come to life on the page, and Toker's delightful spirit of inquiry illuminates the writing and makes it sing.



4. The binding on my paperback copy also fell apart half-way through the book. While I found some of the writing less than crisp and the organization sometimes left me confused as to sequences of events, overall it's a wonderfully detailed history of how a great house came to be. I wish I had read it before I visited Fallingwater; it would have greatly increased my enjoyment of the house.



5. This book is amazing in its scope. Mr. Toker has researched the Kaufmanns, Pittsburgh, Fallingwater, Wright, and American culture with incredible depth and breadth. As a fan (but layperson) of architecture, I found the insights into the design and construction fascinating. Of particular interest was the information about the overall architectural milieu into which Fallingwater was inserted by Wright(or inserted itself). I also enjoyed the sections of the book that reconstructed the commercial history of Pittsburgh.
   
   That said, I hesitate to give a universal accolade to this book. Toker occasionally belabors his arguments and stretches his scholarship to its limits. Particularly tedious are his chapters on the literary representations of Fallingwater, the press coverage of the completed house, and the interminable lists of objects d'arte found in the house (either currently or in the past). I also found the lack of illustrations of many of the referenced architectural works (of Wright and others) bothersome. Certainly I can look many of them up on the internet, but I shouldn't have to, especially since Toker insists that these works are so important to any understanding of Fallingwater and Wright's conception of it.
   
   Finally, the binding on the paperback edition is atrocious! Less than a third of the way into my reading, the book fell apart. I am not that hard on my texts! I see that others have had the same problem. This is not the fault of the author, but it does detract from the reading experience.
   
   Overall, if you are a fan of Wright or Fallingwater, or if you want a better sense of the American architectural scene of the period, give this book a read. You will come away with a much better understanding of all of these than if you merely read a picture book or general guide to the house.

4 comments about Frank Lloyd Wright's Glass Designs (Wright at a Glance).

1. Great coffee table book (despite its size). Lots of photos that give a quick oversight to the breadth of work by this architect/artist.



2. I ordered this book to get glass design ideas for my new house. It's tiny but worth its weight in gold. Sharp photographs (32/57 pp.) and minimal description provide just what I needed.



3. "Frank Lloyd Wright's Glass Designs," by Carla Lind, is one of a series of "mini-books" devoted to the work of one of the world's greatest architects. This volume, which explores Wright's interest in glass, contains many praiseworthy features: Lind's concise yet informative text, a wealth of stunning full-color photographs, fascinating sidebar quotes from Wright and others, and a useful bibliography for further reading.

   The plentiful photographs truly capture the genius of Frank Lloyd Wright. We can see his bold work with colored glass and geometric patterns in windows of many different shapes and sizes. It's marvelous to see how each glass creation complements the larger architectural space of which it is a part.

   Houses represented in the book include the Darwin Martin house, the Schaberg house, the Roberts house, and many more. But my favorite photograph is a breathtaking two-page spread of the second Jacobs house. If you love Wright, if you love glass, or if you love the art of home design, you will certainly love this excellent little book.




4. I obviously did not have read the reviews close enough. This is
   a tiny book with pictures so small that it's useless to me.

5 comments about Frank Lloyd Wright in Pop-up.

1. this was purchased as a gift for my niece. she is showing an interest in architecture



2. Not a serious architecture book by any means, but it is neat to look at and keep on your coffee table. Other reviewers seem to take it too seriously (and maybe themselves also).



3. I bought this gift for my boyfriend who loves Wright's work. The pop-ups are really amazing. They captured several of the Frank Lloyd Wright structures perfectly. The book also has a lot of good information about the architect.



4. Despite the earlier, very negative review by Dominic, I agree with George&M's positive review, and found this book quite enjoyable, interesting, and readable.
   
   First of all, Dominic is wrong when he says the pop ups don't actually "pop up." The model of the Johnson Wax building actually rises up a good six inches, maybe more off the paper, hardly anything close to what he describes. Most don't go that far, but are still very enjoyable to watch how they work as you open up the book, and to look at.
   
   And as for the fragile binding and poor book quality he cites, well, welcome to the real world of commercial publishing of art and architecture books, which has been going downhill for probably the last 20 years, as publishers struggle to maintain profitability in the face of an American public that cares little for art and architectural education. Dominic also doesn't discuss the written text, which, for a book that looks like it's designed more to entertain rather than to educate, is well done, with detailed histories of the six buildings in the book, and comments by Wright himself about how he designed the project.
   
   Even if you don't buy it, if you're a fan of Wright's, you should at least seek it out for the sheer fun of watching the paper pop-ups of Wright's buildings. The book discusses six of Wright's most notable buildings, such as the Johnson Wax building, Fallingwater, and the Mayan style house in L.A. (unfortunately I don't recall the name of the owners). The choices of buildings are a good selection to represent the full diversity of Wright's work, which ranged from personal residences to major corporate complexes. Overall, this is an interesting and fun and informative book on Wright that should be of interest to any Wright afficionados or fans of pop-up books (the most fun books after all--check out the Kama Sutra one I saw once some time. :-)).



5. I have enjoyed this book since receiving it. It's a fun coffee table book and the pop-ups are wonderful. It is a fragile book, arriving with the spine damaged in shipping. All the pop-ups were fine so I didn't exchange it.