2 comments about Architecture: Choice or Fate: Travel Size Series.

1. This book is good in some ways (thus three stars): he is attempting a long overdue challenge to Modernism. The myriad of often humorous drawings point out well the concepts he is discussing. However, the strange construction of the book makes it harder to follow. It is like Krier could not focus for a coherent thought and broke everything up into tiny snippets. There is no "essay" longer than one page. More tragic is when he attempt to wade into theory. For example, he suggests that Kant's Categorical Imperatives are some sort of guideline, that by following that notion, that we build as if what we are building is a general principle; but of course that is exactly what the Moderns thought they were doing. FINALLY, I DO NOT AT ALL RECOMMEND THE TINY TRAVEL SIZE. IT IS TOO SMALL AND IMPOSSIBLE TO READ WITHOUT A MAGNIFYING GLASS. WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?



2. Leon Krier is one the two or three greatest architects and urbanists of our time. In this book, he outlines a profound and at the same time sensible approach to the built environment. Krier is the winner of the Richard Driehaus Prize for Classical and Traditional Architecture (the equivalent prize to the Pritzker, but meant for buildings fit for human beings and human sensibilities). I doubt that anyone -- from layperson, to beginning architecture student, to practicing architect hardened by years of practice -- will not be moved by its message, and will not immediately react by a sudden comprehension of what architecture and urbanism are really about.
   
   After reading this book, any architect can begin to move towards creating a humane built environment. Krier gives the essentials that everyone can develop further. Once his philosophy (and it is a philosophy of universal respect for human sensibilities) is understood, then its application is straightforward. The only problem is the numerous obstacles that have been put into place by the architectural establishment.
   
   At the same time, Krier's message is bound to bring an almost violent reaction at the massive brainwashing that society has been subjected to in order to promote a small group of anti-architects. How could we have ignored methods of building structures that make our lives more pleasant and more human, in order to support arrogant and unworkable dreams? Furthermore, in something very much akin to a Ponzi pyramid scheme, unworkable buildings have been propped up by increasingly convoluted pseudo-philosophical jargon (not to mention prestigious prizes). Krier cuts through all of that nonsense like VIM cuts through kitchen grease.
   
   There are some indications that we are due for a massive, revolutionary change in architectural paradigm. Like octogenarian dictators due to meet their well-deserved date with the afterworld, the architecture of bizzarre images is overdue for a collapse. Leon Krier's book is one of the pillars of the new architecture that will replace the old and worn-out deceptions.

1 comments about Painting the Allure of Nature.

1. 
   I've always been captivated by the beautiful realism of nature art, but the majority of books I read that covered detail-style nature painting focused mostly on opaque media, particularly oils and acrylics. While I do enjoy both of these media, I've longed for a good book that captured the meticulous detail and inherent beauty of nature, in watercolor. This book is exactly what I was longing for.
   
   If you love meticulous detail and realism in nature painting, and the soft, flowing feel of watercolor, but never envisioned putting them together, hold on to your paintbrushes! Susan D. Bourdet captures the incredible details and textures of nature with watercolor, while also embracing the soft, free-flowing beauty unique to this amazing medium. Better yet, in Painting the Allure of Nature, she shares her mastery of both subject and medium, to take the reader on a step-by-step journey through various techniques and breathtaking projects, one right after another.
   
   The chapters in this book include:
   - Materials, Preparations and Choosing Pigments;
   - Ideas from Nature;
   - Background Techniques for Nature Painters;
   - Painting Flowers and Leaves;
   - Painting Birds;
   - Painting Nature's Textures; and
   - Putting it All Together, Step by Step.
   
   I found the chapters on backgrounds and textures to be particularly enjoyable as they really show the uniqueness of the medium, and how it can be harnessed to create incredible, realistic nature paintings. If you're interested in capturing the realism of nature with watercolor, this is the book you've been looking for. It is definitely one of the better books on the subject. I can't recommend it enough.

5 comments about The North Light Book of Acrylic Painting Techniques.

1. thank you for this marvellous acrylic technique book, i have used acrylic paints before but this book gives me a new dimension to exercise, it will sit nicely in my art library with my other art books.yours faithfully,,margaret mcguinness



2. I like this book. The techniques are awesome. This is a good book for a beginner, or one who wants to explore other ideas that they may not have thought of. What I like is that it is focused on acrylic only. There are not many books on just acrylic. Many painting books seem to cover oil techniques and claim that the techniques can be applied to other mediums. But, you can only go so far, becuase oil and acrylic have two different characterisics.



3. This book gives a wealth of information on different techniques, materials, and styles. The step-by-step lessons do a great job of showing how the work evolves, and how that evolution varies according to the style chosen by the artist. Just as important, at least to me, is that there are so many color photographs of so many really good paintings. Often, books like this have mostly mediocre work. This is a book am I sure to revisit a lot.



4. If you have ever read any articles from The Artists Magazine then you will be familiar with the style of demonstrations of acrylic painting that this book offers. It is quite good at showing a diversity of painting styles - from airbrush photo-realistic to very thick impasto and impressionistic.

   The book examines 23 different acrylic artists and shows some photos of each one making a painting in their unique style. I loved this book for the sheer number and quality of styles it displayed. The chapters ranged from discussions of the paints to the various mediums to airbrushing to abstract work.

   For inspiration and over-all examinations of how-to in painting in acrylic this is a good book. It does, however, have one major flaw. Just like the magazine it doesn't give detailed instructions on EXACTLY how to practice any of these techniques.

   For example, in my acrylic painting I am trying to learn how to blend. I know it is possible. I've seen plenty of other acrylic paintings that show excellent blending. I bought this book with the hope that it would show me how they got those blends. Nope. Blending only gets a page and a half in the entire book. You get statements such as "For blending colors, Kooluris Dobbs finds that her fingers work very well."

   Well Ok. So fingers work well - so show me a photo or two of her ACTUALLY blending like this. But the book never does. And it uses generalized statements like the one above for practically every other technique mentioned as well. So if you are looking for a book that gives actual detailed step-by-step instructions for a technique this book won't do it. In spite of this flaw the rest of the book was so good and so inspiring I gave it a 4 when otherwise I would've given it a 3 (seeing as I find the over-generalization in a book that purports to be about acrylic techniques as a fairly big shortcoming).

   I still think this book is worth getting despite the drawbacks. Everything else about it was high quality and the many beautiful paintings are inspiring in and of itself. If you paint with acrylics this is a good book to have on your reference shelf.




5. found this boook extremely helpful in learning the techniques of acrylic painting

No comments about BIM and Construction Management: Proven Tools, Methods, and Workflows.

1 comments about Architecture Exam Review, Solved Problems: Multiple-Choice Divisions.

1. I just started reading and already found two wrong quiz answers and two questionable ones. Unfortunately it may reflect actual ARE experience, but for a learner it may be just a time lost. There are better sources for ARE preparation. I recommend ALS/Kaplan courses and The Architect's Handbook of Professional Practice instead. No errata for this book is published at the publisher's webpage http://ppi2pass.com. No way to report errors, simply because there is no such a book on the expandable list at http://ppi2pass.com/ppi/PPIInfo_pg_Errata-errataform.html.

2 comments about The Art and Architecture of Russia: Third Edition (The Yale University Press Pelican Histor).

1. This book is a volume in a scholarly series designed to present the largest number of pictures and plans at a reasonable price (I know, $30 is hardly cheap, but look at some prices for scholarly books). It is not meant to be much fun. Sorry!



2. I'm very disappointed in this book. Except for the cover, there is not a single colored picture. The text is difficult both because it is too technical and because the type is too small. For a $30 soft cover book, I expected stunning pictures of Russia's fascinating architecture and art, accompanied by interesting text. Each museum in Russia has a beautiful, full color book at a much lower cost than this one. If you get to Russia, make sure you buy everything you want there, because there seems to be nothing comparable available in this country.

No comments about The American Collection Victorian: 165 New House Plans with Historic Elegance.

1 comments about Superstudio: Life without Objects.

1. This book is a long time coming. The influential Superstudio gang has been virtually absent from publication for decades, and this companion book to the 2003-2004 traveling exhibit is essential for understanding their work. There are essays by all the major figures as well as from the authors of "Life Without Objects." The inclusion of early exhibit photos, storyboards, and many of the lesser known graphics and projects is enlightening--and there are plenty of manifestos rendered in clearly read text.

   I studied under Superstudio's Toraldo di Francia more than ten years ago, but there were a lot of things about his past work that were not clear, nor elaborated until I read this book.

   Anyone interested in history in general will appreciate this book, and I would strongly recommend this book to anyone in architecture and the arts. A great effort and it's about time. Bravi (sic)

5 comments about Records of the Medieval Sword.

1. Nice read, lots of pictures and information. Anyone interest in this period should have a copy.



2. If you're into swords, this is a must have book. It's more than a catolog of styles of medieval swords but also explains the developement of the weapons and how swords and armour influenced each other. It also explains the difficulty in dating a weapon by the style of blade and hilt.



3. Ewart Oakeshott was unsurpassed in his understanding of medieval swords. Unlike the majority of weapons curators who focus exclusively on the hilt and try their hardest to pretend that the sword was never a practical tool, he appreciated the whole sword. Oakeshott's typology is based on blade shape, i.e. on how the sword handles and what it can be used for. Because of this Ewart was loved by re-enactors and historical swordsmen who view swords as a beautifully designed tool that comes to life in their hands.
   
   I feel very fortunate to have had the chance to work with Ewart just before his death (editing a paper he submitted to the anthology Spada). Just as he reminded museum curators that the sword was a practical tool, not an art object, he reminded swordsmen that the sword was an important symbol of just might, not just a tool.
   
   Records of the Medieval Sword is the best available book describing medieval swords (though his earlier book The Sword in the Age of Chivalry is also well worth picking up). It has clear photographs of the whole sword, and lists blade lengths. If only it had a few more measurements (weight, blade width at various points, point of balance, centre of percussion etc.) it would be a perfect resource for people who make and use swords but who rarely have the opportunity to hold genuine originals and feel their handling characteristics. Even with this minor omission, this book deserves pride of place in the library of anyone interested in the medieval sword.
   
   Stephen Hand
   Author, English Swordsmanship, Medieval Sword and Shield
   Editor Spada, Spada II



4. Ewart Oakeshott in this pictorial guide takes you by the hand
   in a enjoyable trip along the classification created by him
   on the european medieval sword: The Oakeshott Typology. You'll be delighted by the pictures of dozens of vintage pieces and you'll be inspired to forge your own swords based on the different pieces depicted in this book. A useful reference for the advanced sword enthusiast and an excellent introduction to the novice.



5. Records of the Medieval Sword is a remarkable volume, representing a body of work in the subject area with no equal.

   Although the information is provided in an extremely authoritative manner, it is written in a very personable way, leaving this reader with a desire to know (have known?) the author.

   If I were to attempt to be overly critical of this book, I would mention that there are a few minor, but still rather annoying, typographical errors and mis-numbered illustrations that detract somewhat from the otherwise masterly scholorship presented in the volume.

   Also, in my opinion, a reference such as this should be provided in a hard cover edition, with full color plates wherever possible.

   I will treasure this addition to my library.

No comments about Dinner for Architects: A Collection of Napkin Sketches.