5 comments about Helen Van Wyks Favorite Color Recipes.

1. I find this book very helpfull in learning how to mix colors. She talks about the color tones, hues, complimentery colors. Why she uses what color where. It gets you thinking about color and how to use it in your painting.



2. My wife and I lived in Rockport when Miss Van Wyk was still painting. We have the first version of her color recipes book in its original three ring binder form. Her book offers the beginning painter great suggestions and solutions on many typical color mixing problems. Thanks Helen.



3. I love this book. It's been very helpful for times when I just can't seem to mix the color I'm looking for. I look in this book and it always has good information.
   
   Even though I have a BFA many things that would have been helpful in the real world, just weren't taught. This book fills in a lot of blanks.



4. Helen is a great teacher. I have taken art classes and learned 1/10th of what I learned by reading her book. I am colorblind and people argue with me about it because of my ability to use the right colors. I only wish she was still here so she could produce even more information etc.



5. An excellent book that covered many subjects of painting, and how to use particular colours successfully for that area, I found this very helpful and informative.

5 comments about The Ghosts of Berlin: Confronting German History in the Urban Landscape.

1. 'The Ghosts of Berlin' was a great overview of the urban history of Berlin. The main argument of the author is that German history is apparent in the urban landscape of Berlin. The book was easy to understand and had a lot of relevant photos and maps to show Berlin throughout the ages. A turnoff about this book for me was that Ladd was repetitive on some points and really drove home his opinions on the many roles the Berlin Wall served (a whole chapter doesnt seem like much on such an important subject, but most of the chapter seemed to repeat and restate the same information). However, in general the book provided a great start for researching the complex history of architecture, city planning, and urban spaces in Berlin. I chose to read this book as research for an architecture project I am designing in Berlin & it proved to be a very good decision. It is especially helpful if you have been to the city and have seen first hand some of the spaces he describes. I would recommend it to anyone with interest in Berlin, architecture, history, or urban design.



2. I read The Ghosts of Berlin for a college course. When Americans say "this place has such a rich history," it brings a chuckle from me and is reinforced by books such as this.
   
   The book focuses on the last 125 years or so of Berlin's extremely diverse and chaotic past. Ladd writes in a very detailed, yet concise manner. Berlin has had virtually every type of government known to man rule over it and an entire chapter is devoted to the most vital eras in the city's history; namely, the Imperial City from the late 19th century until the end of WWI, the Weimar republic in the '20s, Nazi Germany from 1933-1945, the divided city during the Cold War (with an entire separate chapter dedicated to the the Berlin Wall), and the capital of a reunified Germany. The focus is as much on the changing architectural styles as well as the social and political outlooks of the day. There is much symbolism in the buildings Ladd writes about and we get a great interpretation of what they mean. Ladd illustrates his work with some nice black and white photos, so we do not have to rely on his descriptions alone.
   
   While this book isn't quite a tour book reagarding which restaurants to visit or tourist attractions to avoid, it is a great book to learn about one of the most prominent European cities. So why only four stars instead of five? Well, I did have a deadline to meet and had to rush through this book in about 2 days. Maybe I didn't appreciate as much as I should have.



3. This book was required reading for my university geography module "Geographies of the European City". I thought it would be long, dull and confusing. I was very wrong! It is one of the first academic books that i just couldn't put down!

   Intresing, mind opening and detailed, yet written in a simple and accessible manner. I learnt not only a lot about the history of Germany and Europe and the Second World War but also about how we view cities, how they are formed and their role in the world today.




4. This book was on the short list of texts my German language/culture study abroad course required. As far as the architectural culture went, this book was all you needed to taste the essence of the capital. It was better than any guide book out there, especially relating the tulmultuous past with what you were seeing with your own eyes as an urban landscape.

   Berlin is complex, historically and culturally - from its imperialist days to Hitler's capital to the scarred divided city just now seaming together. Germany is the embodiment of ambiguity - which is made abundantly evident by its very structures throughout the wide city. Brian Ladd's photography is unobtrusive and tasteful, illustrating his thoroughly researched work. He compares an old photograph to one taken recently by him to study, at one point, how unchanged some parts of the city have been in the midst of constant upheaval in the last century.

   It is remarkable how entertaining the book is, as well as its vitality in its examination of Berlin. It was, quite simply, such a pleasure to read. The Ghosts of Berlin takes in the large picture, of a country uniting, political ideologies - past and present, and the significance of massive structures - standing and ruined. It also encompasses details in exquisite ordinariness, like street corners, department stores, and public transportation. All this is told in an appealing style that is accessible (so you don't need any background in Germany or Berlin), but not overly casual (Ladd is informed and comprehensive).




5. This is a brilliant book that looks at a remarkable city after the fall of the Berlin Wall and asks the question: How to come to terms with the monuments of the past? The Brandenburg Gate? Hitler's Bunker, etc. Should they be torn down, the stories they embody erased? Or should they stand as a legacy of German culture, however tainted it may be. A remarkable book about a remarkable city. Do read it.

2 comments about Design Hotels Yearbook 2008.

1. I ordered a new book, but the book I got looks a used one.
   Even though it is acturally a "new" book, the book is technically too worn out and even some part of a page is torn.
   
   I was almost close to return the book.



2. It is probably the best publishing of trends in hotel design today. It is a must on table of every hotel designer, architect and developer.

5 comments about History of Interior Design and Furniture: From Ancient Egypt to Nineteenth-Century Europe.

1. I purchased this book as a requirement for an Interior Design History class at Parsons School of Design. The Historian teaching the course highly recommends.
   
   So far I've only had a chance to browse through, but I like that it goes through each era highlighting the significant differences and similarities. It would be helpful if they included more pictures as illustration to match their information so you can get a better idea.
   
   There's more pictures of single furniture pieces than of a whole space- which I don't like.



2. Excellent volume. Arrived in only three days. Dust jacket slightly torn on one corner but otherwise in perfect shape. Very informational volume for anyone interested in the evolution of this art.



3. This book is very helpful for students and professionals seeking to further knowledge on the history of architecture and interior design. Very detailed information.



4. Well, I youre thinking between this and Piles' History of ID then this is a much better book. Each style is explained with great details, and black and white photos and sketches are really helpful, and in the middle of the book is about a dozen of color photos of interiors.
   I used this book a lot for my studies of the history of id.
   If you're looking for a book full of photos of interiors and fancy words then just don't bother buying it since you wont find them in this book



5. This is an outstanding book, with plenty of pictures - great insider material on furniture and architecture. And I already have a design MA with my own firm.

4 comments about Studies in Tectonic Culture: The Poetics of Construction in Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Architecture.

1. Anyone who designs buildings will benefit from reading this book.
   
   It's no secret that many buildings today are at the same time technologically advanced and tectonically primitive, that despite their long-span, multi-zone, taut-skin gizmos they still look shoddy. If, as a non-architect, you suppose there is some kind of planned obsolescence that is designed into buildings as with cars, you are mistaken. Paradoxically, this is only the appearance of shoddyness--our structures could last longer than the pyramids, they only look as if they might fall down.
   
   The insightful and subtle critic and theorist Kenneth Frampton wrote this in 1995 to explain the discrepancy to architects. His subtitle is The Poetics of Construction, and that is what his book is about. If you wonder: what poetics? you might think of W.H. Auden's remark, 'when civilization is becoming monotonously the same all the world over...in poetry, at least, there cannot be an "International Style."'
   
   Frampton talks about a poetic formal dimension that transcends technology and materials. The tectonic culture of the title is the mastery of the craft of building, and it is easier understood when you can see the drawings and photographs that accompany the text. Frampton is himself a master in, amongst other things, making his point with architectural images you haven't seen before.
   
   Frampton has spent many years studying the tectonic culture of the great practitioners of modernism. Like a Sherlock Holmes of architectural history, he sees the significance of the smallest detail and how it can fit into the larger scheme. He puts this talent to great use in the six chapters where he analyses buildings by Wright, Mies, Auguste Perret, Louis Kahn, Utzon and Scarpa. The work of others is also considered: Foster, Herman Hertzberger, engineers like Boot's-of-Nottingham's designer Owen Williams and Pier Luigi Nervi, H.P. Berlage, Aalto, late le Corbusier, there are many more.
   
   He ends with Renzo Piano. He sees Piano's Building Workshop as an exemplary way to practise architecture, and though recently completed projects like the NY Times Building are missing (this came out twelve years ago, remember) there's no reason to think Frampton's changed his mind. Nevertheless the book could do with an update. Koolhaas, Gehry, and many other stars whose far reaching influence is spacial rather than about master craftsmanship in building, don't appear here; but what about Japan (there's only one reference to Ando and none to Ban)? Incidently, Frampton--remembering, probably, that when architects move on there is a tendency to throw out the baby with the bath water--notes that tectonic culture must be considered in addition to other things, like space, and not instead of them.
   
   Jeremy Hawker



2. It might be arguable whether Kenneth Frampton is an excellent architectural theorist, but he is definitely one of the most critical analysists and knowlegeable historians.
   
   Frampton, in this book, opens a new window for us to look at and to think about architecture. He first defined the term 'tectonics' culture with the theory of Semper. Then he critically analyses the tectonic quality of some of the modernist masters' buildings (Mies, Kahn, Wright, Utzon etc).
   
   People might argue that studies architecture only by their tectonic quality reveals only partially of the architect's intent and this is why I think Frampton misunderstood Mies' intent. However, one could not disagree with Frampton's critical architectural analytical skill.
   
   One of the biggest problems of contemporary architecture theorists is lacking of professional knowledges and architectural analytical skills. This makes architecture theory as an over generalized conceptual debate. As a result, it ultimately delineates the 'professionalism' of architect: one either work or think. 'Studies in Tectonic culture' built a new bridge to save our professionalism from 'no-brainers'.



3. I have read this book in 1996, and found it very useful for any architect who wants to further his knowledge of modern architecture. The insights of Mr. Frampton with his deep and wide knowledge of architecture makes this book a must have for any architect. It is a different point of view in the theory of architecture than the normal story telling book of Architectural history.



4. The book contains black and white high resolution photos and architectural drawings. Frampton's text is well written, to the point, and downright interesting. A must buy for any serious architect!

5 comments about Timber Framing for the Rest of Us: A Guide to Contemporary Post and Beam Construction.

1. Mr Roy writes in a very understandable way. His books are both informative and entertaining. My plans for using timber framing in my next house have been finalized after reading this great book. Keep up the good work Mr. Roy.



2. This is a great reference for how to put the joints together. Not as good of a reference for structural design but if you are not an engineer you should probably consult one anyway so that isn't really a minus. Easy to follow.



3. This book provides information needed by DYI buillders who need the why's as well as the how's. It focuses on durability and practicality rather than elegance and tradition.



4. While this book does cover the general building process, I feel it does not go into enough detail. While talking about timbers and larger pieces of wood, the charts in the end are all for regular 2x wood. There are so many references to other works where info can be found, that the whole read felt like one large advertisement (many for the author's other publications). Needs more detailed sketches, diagrams, and important detail pictures, and less useless pictures taken from too far away to be useful.



5. The book is very informative and helpful. Rob Roy's writing style makes it easy to follow. Not having any experience in building,(being female, that happens) I could still understand all of it, but a little background (even building a doghouse!) might have helped in truly getting the most out of the material.

1 comments about Professional Practice: A Guide to Turning Designs into Buildings.

1. It tells you step by step what to do and who to talk to and the different engineers you'll need along with percentages on prices. Hands down a great guide to getting real project built.

5 comments about Creole Houses: Traditional Homes of Old Louisiana.

1. I thought the book was supposed to be new, I may have got that wrong, but it was not new nor wrapped, but in pretty good shape.



2. A very nice book on a beautiful architectual style. These houses fit perfectly into the Southern Louisiana landscape, they were built for balmy humid climate of the region. I found the history of the people that built these homes very interesting, the text was imformative and the images nicely produced. If you are interested in this style i highly recomend the book on Hays Town, he was a modern master of the venacular.



3. This book is not what you expected; it is a book on southern houses and their interiors, but not about the stuffy designer places that you usually see. The interiors are even more sophisticated and tastefull than any you have seen in such books. It is the first time you have seen the beautiful Louisiana-made chairs and armoires in their native environment.
   
   It seems like the photographers really searched hard to find just the right houses to elucidate the Creole style. It is a house style that seems like one you would want to recreate and live in today



4. This book brings important attention to the existence of these historic Creole homes in a part of the country that has been shattered by natural events in recent years. Fortunately, these homes are survivors: of their glorious past, of the ravages of weather, economy and time. The photographic vision of Gross and Daley is a brilliant dedication to documenting places as they are and not how we might want them to be. OLD HOUSES, one of their first books, set a precedent for their evocative style of artistry in what they choose to photograph from our architectural and domestic past. They continue to seek the forlorn, the forgotten, the poignant and the unusual. Their latest book, CREOLE HOUSES, is further revelation of their aesthetic message--of how old places and ways can be both beautiful and resonant in our modern, complicated world. CREOLE HOUSES is both record, homage, and a visual and written poem to historic Louisiana architecture.



5. I have over the years acquired a couple dozen books on old New Orleans and Low Country architecture, none has captured the true feeling of that fading glory like Creole Houses. Photos are superb, text is authorative, end sheets are a delight, and the binding first rate. This book is a peek inside antebellum Creole country from plantation houses to servant's quarters.
   
   Lets hope these folks do more such volumes. My suggestion would be the 18th century Georgians of the Mid-Atlantic states.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   g

5 comments about Identifying American Architecture: A Pictorial Guide to Styles and Terms : 1600-1945.

1. This book is set up in a way that is simple to flip through and pinpoint details on buildings.



2. Excellent pictorial coverage of styles combined with clear definitions of criteria



3. While other "field guides" to American architecture provide more details or bigger/better photos than this one, a key part of what makes 'Identifying American Architecture' so good is what it DOESN'T tell you. That is, it focuses on naming basic (and often not-so-basic) architectural elements in a broad range of styles for you, without the encyclopedic details of each style's history and genealogy, which can be researched elsewhere.
   
   This pinpointed, in-the-moment approach is VERY helpful when you're walking around an area with a rich mix of architectural styles, as in Boston, Chicago, New York, Nashville, San Francisco, and other major cities established 150-300 years ago. In Boston, for example, you can easily find yourself looking at a 1790 Federal-style townhouse one minute, a Richardsonian church from the 1870s the next, and a Second Empire government building (circa 1890) a minute after that. With this easy-to-carry guide in hand, you can quickly identify the differences, point them out to friends, make notes, and move on.
   
   Likewise, this book is a good, easy access reference to have on hand when reading any book -- fiction or non-fiction -- featuring a lot of architectural description. Again, it doesn't have deep details, but there's enough to help you picture and/or understand scenes better. Students and writers also find it helpful in knowing their pilasters from their parapets when writing descriptions of historic buildings and neighborhoods.
   
   In addition to offering at least 4 examples of each architectural style, with the various elements all enumerated clearly, this book also features an alphabetical index of primary architectural elements that make up classic buildings. That's then topped off with a Pictorial Glossary of Terms, where many of the architectural elements that make up classic architecture are shown and denoted in just enough detail to be useful and clarifying.
   
   All in all, for a 128 page book, this one has A LOT of very useful information, presented in an even MORE useful and accessible format. Worth every nickel.



4. Well, it's not the worst field guide I ever saw but as a previous reviewer said, it has some serious flaws. Most notably, I struggled to focus on the wee tiny numbers that identify the architectural characteristics.
   
   Man, those are some small numbers. And sometimes they get so clustered together, you're not sure which number goes with which architectural feature.
   
   The long, thin layout of the graphics works against this book, too. The pictures of houses just don't fit well in this format.
   
   And (sadly), I agree that some of the photos are a little washed out. With all that said, I do believe you can learn something from every book and this book does contain a wealth of information.
   
   Rose
   author, The Houses That Sears Built
   and co-author, California's Kit Homes



5. I have been collecting field guides to American domestic archiecture for many years and beyond a doubt this is the very worst guide that I have come across. This guide has many strikes against it.
   
   First, it is too short to give the reader any real understanding of the different styles of American domestic architecture. Many styles are ignored and the styles that are covered are done so superficially. As an example, the section on the International Style of architecture only has two washed out black and white photographs. The few details that are explained are done so in the most superficial manner.
   
   Second, the quality of the printing is very poor. The quality of the paper and binding makes the book look like it was produced int he 1970's. Worst of all, the photographs used to show the different styles are washed out. A revolution in publishing has happened in the past twenty years and this publisher has missed out in the opportunity to produce a modern looking guide.
   
   Finally, there are some wonderful field guides in current production. Don't waste your money on this guide. Check out the guides produced by Lester Walker and Virginia McAlester. Those are the types of guides that can inspire the reader to learn more about history and American houses. Avoid this guide!

5 comments about Painting on Rocks for Kids (Creative Kids).

1. Fun book for both young and old! Love it and having fun with it!!



2. I love this little book, and it will work for ages 8-80! Materials are simple and inexpensive;craft paint, brushes, rocks. There are colorful pictures and easy to follow instructions. The 3-D lizards and "food" rocks are unique, and the mystery eggs are easy for the youngest painters. I collect lots of beach rocks and can see a use for them other than just tossing them into the garden. This would be a wonderful hobby for those who enjoy crafts and don't want to do large paintings. I am now making a "kit" for my nieces for Christmas that will include all the necessary materials and the book.



3. I work with children, after school, and they are excited about painting on rocks. Product is perfect for their projects. thanks



4. Fun & cute. Have inght eyes to bring the rock to life. Step-by-step detail instruction & ill. Fine publication.



5. We bought this book for our four year old Granddaughter for Christmas. She absolutley LOVES this book. She loves rocks and loves to paint. It is an excellent family activity also. We got the rocks at our local garden center although, we live in the country and have gathered rocks from the creek too which added to the fun. We've painted on both and they are wonderful. The first time she came over after Christmas is when we used the book. We spent hours painting and she felt really good after seeing what she had created. We even got her Uncles (ages 18 and 19) involved and we all had great fun with this. I would recommend this book for all ages!