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Art and Photography - Building Types and Styles books

Posted in Art and Photography (Sunday, September 7, 2008)

Written by Becky Kemery. By Gibbs Smith, Publisher. The regular list price is $24.95. Sells new for $14.99. There are some available for $14.99.
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5 comments about Yurts: Living in the Round.

  1. Great resource book for anyone wanting to buy a yurt or live in a yurt. Gives a great deal of practical information on purchasing a yurt, deck building, plumbing, bear proofing and making a yurt a comfortable home.


  2. My son and daughter in law live in Colorado and have been thinking about purchasing a piece of propertie to put a Yurt on. We gave them this book for Christmas and they loved it. They felt it was very informative and loved the pictures too.I of course injoyed the sneak preview of the book before I sent it. Great book, great price. Thanks


  3. The author has lived in various yurts in enough states to have some wisdom to share since climates can change and a yurt in the dessert is different than one high in the Sierras or Rockies where the temperatures can get well below freezing. She writes of the history of yurt dwellers and how modern fabrics here in the states make yurts weather proof in most areas and livable homes year round.

    As a member of the Small House Society I am looking for a variety of small house choices and yurts and boats are at the top of my dream list.

    Her examples also show the modern yurt like the ones here in the Sierras that all have windows, skylights, doors and most amenities one can find in a small modern home. Read other 5 star reviews who tell you even more. Excellent book.


  4. "Yurts: Living in the Round" is put together very well. It is clear and concise, bright and full of photos, and covers just about everything you'd ever need to know about yurts. It is obvious upon reading the book that the author has used her own extensive personal knowledge and experience in writing it.


  5. Ever since I first heard that Becky Kemery was writing a book about Yurts I have been looking forward to having it in my hands. The wait has definitely been worth it, now that I can see how fully realized her idea has become. Yurts: Living in the Round was published in 2006 by Gibbs Smith, and is the definitive source of information about anything to do with yurts. Not only that, it is also a fine piece of art in its own right; nearly every page is graced with carefully laid out color photos and drawings. Becky's writing is both clear and well researched.

    Becky writes, "Most yurts are portable, tent-like structures. They have circular lattice walls (reminiscent of baby gates tied together) and a cone-shaped roof supported by rafters that meet in a center ring. The outer fabric shell of the yurt can be made of felted wool, coated canvas, or a modern architectural fabric. An ever-increasing number of wooden structures are also called yurts. What defines them as yurts and not just round houses? The Answer lies in the yurt's uncommon roof structure."

    "The yurt roof incorporates a unique architectural design. Roof struts meet in a center ring, producing inward and downward pressure. This center ring holds the rafters an a state of compression. Where the struts meet the wall at the perimeter, a natural outward thrust occurs. A band (of rope, woven cloth, or wire cable) a the top of the wall holds the wall and roof poles in tension against this outward pressure. Because of this...long roof spans are possible without any internal support system (like posts, trusses, or beams). This gives the yurt an uncommon feeling of spaciousness and uplift. the roof design also creates an incredibly strong and resilient structure that is uniquely equipped to withstand earthquakes, strong winds, and heavy snow loads."

    The historical evolution of the modern yurt from its origins with the nomadic Central Asian tribes is carefully outlined. Both the Mongolian Ger and the Turkic Uy are the forerunners of what we now call the yurt. How these tribal folks traditionally make and decorate their portable homes is both fascinating and colorful. This process is generally a group effort and often involves painstakingly felting the wool to make the covering. The traditional pattern of living within this circular space is surprisingly similar to Native American traditional use of space within a hogan, with various family members and guests having their appropriate places.

    One of the early modern adaptations of the traditional yurt design was Bill Copperwaite's "tapered wall yurt." These are wooden structures that incorporate the same roof design, but modify the vertical walls to incline outward, giving them a distinctly oriental flare. Bill has been exploring these interesting shapes since the early 1960's, and has come up with quite a variety of forms, including some with concentric tiers of yurts within yurts. Some of them have scalloped butterfly-like roofs; others have gothic arches that surround the perimeter.

    The modern fabric yurt is more like its nomadic predecessor, in most ways, except that modern canvas or synthetic fabric replaces the felted wool. Becky chronicles how various people have adapted the original designs to suit modern needs in a variety of climates. Many of the new yurts have central plastic dome skylights and windows that let in lots of light, making them much more open and airy than the darker, womb-like nomadic yurts.

    Many of the folks who have experimented with building their own yurts have gone on to make a business of supplying yurt kits for the general public. Becky suggests how to locate and evaluate these yurt companies, and describes various ways that yurts can be adapted for personal needs, such having a bathroom, porch, heater, etc. She even addresses the issues of financing and insuring yurts, and dealing with building code officials.

    Another modern adaptation to the traditional yurt is called the "frame panel" yurt. These are much more permanent dwellings than their fabric cousins, and can appear as very solid indeed. They are often prefabricated off-site and shipped to the site for erection. Becky interviewed various people who have lived in these unique homes and shares many insights that could help others who do the same.

    The chapter titled "Living in the Round" philosophically evaluates the merits of doing this. Becky writes, "The flexible open space of a yurt is an interior design canvas waiting for the creative expression of each yurt inhabitant. What remains constant is the welcoming embrace of the space, the interaction between inner and outer worlds, and the roof structure that lifts our vision skyward. The yurt also has an inherent ability to bring people together into a circle, which naturally engenders connection and cooperation."

    The final portion of the book has several appendices that explore building codes, platform construction, and wood stove installation. There is also an extensive resource guide here for yurt companies, yurt plans, and other media. Becky's website about yurts, [...], is another resource providing additional information.

    I heartily recommend this book to anyone interested in simple, sustainable living, enduring vernacular architecture, or the possibilities inherent in living in the round.


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Posted in Art and Photography (Sunday, September 7, 2008)

Written by Dan Chiras. By Chelsea Green Publishing Company. The regular list price is $35.00. Sells new for $18.00. There are some available for $15.60.
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5 comments about The New Ecological Home: A Complete Guide to Green Building Options (Chelsea Green Guides for Homeowners).

  1. Having been the first of it's kind I have read, this book is well-organized and readable. It seems good for the person brainstorming on what steps to take in the design of their eco-home. For more specific information to carry out the tasks, I would suggest other resources.


  2. This book could very easily serve as a textbook for a green building course. It's not a coffee table book - the photos are small, and black and white - but very useful in supporting the text. This is a serious book about alternative building written by and about a group of people who have been creatively, responsibly, thoughtfully building for a very long time. It's a good choice for builders who want to learn more about sustainability, students who want to go into the field, or homeowners who are looking to build. It's not so much glitzy and inspirational as it is informative and useful: comprehensive from site selection and design through building options and techniques, to landscaping, it also contains a great resource guide.


  3. During the planning phase of building our first home, this book was very helpful. We liked the emphasis right at the start on site selection -- what to look for in everything from the overall community to aspects of the land itself and how to environmentally protect that land during construction. A comparison checklist for assessing lots is included. Even though ours will not be a "natural House" (rammed earth, straw bale, etc.) and though those types of construction are covered, there was plenty of solid information on building a more energy efficient, and less wasteful, home of wood and concrete. Also included are chapters on design, using green and non- or less toxic materials, sustainable approaches to water and waste, environmental landscaping, and enery-efficient design, heating, and cooling. As this will be a retirement home, we especially appreciated the chapter on accessiblilty and ergonomic design.


  4. Author Dan Chiras has produced a series of amazing books on green building, including The Natural House, The Solar House, Superbia!, and The Natural Plaster Book. His books are extremely well written, well organized, comprehensive, and extremely well illustrated. He's truly one of the best, if not the best, writer in the green building field.

    The New Ecological Home is no exception. In fact, I think it is one of the best books he has written. Although the cover is pretty drab, the book is a beauty inside. The book is engaging, easy to read, and full of interesting and helpful information that will assist those who want to explore the many options for building homes that are good for people, the planet, and the economy. This book should be read by all who are considering building a new home as well as those who are thinking about remodeling their homes. It is also a valuable resource for architects, builders, and students of architecture. Adding to its value, this book has a detailed resource guide that adds considerably to its value.


  5. This book was a little bit hard to understand, especially if you are not knowledgable on the subject. I would recommend something more clear and easier to read.


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Posted in Art and Photography (Sunday, September 7, 2008)

Written by Fu-Tung Cheng. By Taunton. The regular list price is $32.00. Sells new for $12.98. There are some available for $12.98.
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5 comments about Concrete at Home.

  1. In CONCRETE AT HOME, concrete designer Fu-Tung Chen does just this, sharing with his readers the many creative uses he's found for concrete over the years. Floors, walls, countertops, sinks, fireplaces - Chen covers them all, with a decided flair for the fanciful.

    I approached CONCRETE AT HOME as a first-time homeowner who was toying with the idea of ripping out all of my home's flooring and staining the concrete slab underneath. And, I should specify, hiring a pro to do so, since I'm not the DIY type (at least not when it comes to the single largest investment of my life). It was with this newbie curiosity that I devoured CONCRETE AT HOME.

    Though I found CONCRETE AT HOME to be somewhat helpful and very enjoyable, it didn't totally quench my thirst for all that is concrete. Chen can't quite seem to decide on an intended audience in CONCRETE AT HOME; while he aims to explain the basics of concrete to average Janes like myself, he also includes advanced instructions for professionals. As a result, the book has a kind of schizophrenic quality. Although Chen does take the time to explain some of the fundamentals, it's not as complete or in-depth enough to qualify CONCRETE AT HOME as a Concrete 101 text. On the flip side, I imagine that concrete professionals will be equally dissatisfied with the brief instructions Chen includes for complicated concrete projects - such as working with forms and building walls (!). In trying to please everyone, I suspect Chen's resulting treatise will fall short of everyone's expectations.

    Even so, CONCRETE AT HOME is a must-read for those interested in concrete and its applications. It may be a bit spotty in coverage, but it's by far one of the most interesting, engaging, and inspiring concrete books I've yet to come across.

    Now I can't wait to get started on those floors!


  2. I love this book- i own it as well as his original concrete counter top book and both work well as a team- this is a great book with interesting ideas and enough pictures and commentary to allow a DIYer to figure it out and turn out a successful product.


  3. This book has given me an insight into what is available out there in the concrete world. Good book for the beginner trying to make concrete into an art piece.


  4. WOW! Rare is the book that fulfills a professional carpenter's point of view and sound principles of design at the same time. Anyone who wants to know more about concrete formwork and designing owe it to themselves to buy this book. As for me I will watch for the next book by Fu-Tung Cheng as I expect it to yet again be a high caliber publication.


  5. Very diverse examples of finished / polished concrete. Also includes some basic how-to projects.


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Posted in Art and Photography (Sunday, September 7, 2008)

Written by Witold Rybczynski. By Scribner. The regular list price is $15.00. Sells new for $3.84. There are some available for $0.75.
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5 comments about City Life.

  1. Rybczenski is a scholar with the fluid, conversational style of a magazine feature writer. In this thoughtful, accessible book he explains why American cities, even the most beautiful and vital, never seem to achieve the grandeur or civic grace of European capitals.

    In just over 200 pages Rybczynski glides through the history of North American urbanization, from Anasazi cliff towns to suburban Levittown. In the process, he examines the failures of urban renewal, the surprising virtues of shopping malls and the enduring livability of "garden suburbs" such as Lake Forest, Illinois and Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania. Throughout, he is insightful and refreshingly open-minded, never resorting to the simple-minded cities good/suburbs bad dichotomy that characterizes much writing about urbanism today. While conscientious readers may go away with plenty of ideas on how to improve their own streets, towns and cities, Rybczynski's task is to describe, rather than proscribe.


  2. Rybczynski has compiled an excellent commentary on urban America and why it looks and functions the way it does. It is required reading for my graduate students. I hardily recommend it for anyone interested in the history, state and future of our cities.


  3. I picked this book up out in Portland, Oregon. Out there for a conference, this was my first time in Portland. The city sat like a gem in my mind for years, a northwest Mecca of pleasant living and educated population. When my boss told me we needed to attend a conference there, for once I didn't gripe. But somehow, the city disappointed me, in much the same way this book did. Both held out an intriguing promise and both fell short, not from lack of expertise, but from good intentions.

    I've read two other books by Mr. Rybczyncki, "Looking Around" and "The Look of Architecture". Both were fine reads, written and littered with pleasant insight. The same can be said of "City Life".

    Rybczyncki obviously knows what he's talking about. And I think that's ultimately his problem. He sticks to what he knows. The book is clean, scrubbed of the messiness that makes cities so interesting. There aren't even any diagrams or illustrations. Instead he briskly walks you through the history of the American city in 200 pages. One of the reviewers here said he read this book for a high school history class. That seems about right. Facts and trends are revealed, but only one idea surfaces. In some ways this primacy of focus must be commended. The information is conveyed clearly and concisely. Rybczynski runs no risk of being called out on a theory that might prove wrong. The closet he treads to controversy is admitting a fondness for the mall.

    Outlandish theories need not be the goal. But there the book offer so little to disagree with you almost feel like you didn't learn anything. It seems Rybczyncki with his gentile sensibility, has no wish to offend.

    Portland's all clean lines, small blocks and mixed usage. The perfect city. Walkable and drivable. As I was strolling around, wasting time I should have been spending at the conference, the city tried to seduce me. Climbing the hills into the Rose Garden, I actually heard the city whisper to me, "Move here. Move here. Look around you. How nice is this? Leave dirty, loud New York. You can live here. You can be upper middle class too; drive an SUV Volvo, live in a pretty wood house painted dark green, go running in the hills, shop at the organic farmers market." My stomach warmed over the fantasy, as if I just drank a full glass of warm water. It seemed life would have no problems, if I lived in Portland. I would forget about Lisa; my career would trundle along; I would go to more dinner parties. Everything had been thought out. And that would kind of suck. Plus, I remembered: I hate driving, I don't run and I never cook. But the city plan is good.

    And somehow "City Life" reminds me of this feeling. The prose whisks you along, laying facts before you. I actually underlined quite a bit. But then I got to the last twenty pages, realized there's not much left and asked, "That's it?"

    I met a city planner out in Portland who extolled to me, "Portland has more jazz clubs than any other city in the U.S. other than New York." Which made me think, jazz may be dead.


  4. This book attempts to answer the question-an important one to my thinking-"Why don't our cities look like the great ones: Paris, Rome?" Rybczynski, a student of architecture and city planning discusses the history of American blunders from the highway to the skyscraper, from the "City Beautiful" movement, to the negro rush toward city centers in the late 60's. It seems that everything that could've gone wrong, essentially has. Still, the author sees hope in the forms of a few master-planned towns (east coast), and of the modern suburban mall, which he sees as a place for people to gather and do commerce, while feeling safer than they would in urban areas due to the malls' governing rules and aesthetic uniformities which have been abolished in the name of individual freedoms elsewhere, to our peril.


  5. The back cover contains a quote from Wall Street Journal reviewer Roger Starr, stating that CITY LIFE by Witold Rybczynski is a "fascinating investigation of what cities - especially modern cities - should be like." This isn't strictly true. It's an investigation all right, but one more focused on what modern cities actually are and how they came to be that way, than a manifesto about the way things ought to be. A lot of history is covered, from brief mentions of the earlier dwellings of the Native Americans to the complexities inherent in our modern metropolises.

    The book focuses mostly upon the development of cities in the United States and Canada. European cities are occasionally mentioned and discussed, but only in how they compare to their North American cousins. It's a history of cities, which combines modern-day thoughts on their development as well as some historical comments from what the people of the time thought of how their cities were emerging. Rybczynski also manages to touch on the roles of commercialism, art, and the unique qualities of North America that have helped to define our cities. Cities did not spring fully-formed, nor were they all laid out at the same time, and the author takes time to explore how different approaches to city planning created vastly differing results. He compares the many different approaches, from the organized and structured to the evolving and improvised.

    The absolute biggest flaw with this text is that it is indeed just a text. Outside of the cover (featuring a sketching of a 19th Century street-scene and a poignant pre-9/11 photograph of the New York City skyline), there are no illustrations. No pictures, no diagrams, no maps, no charts, no blueprints, no photos -- nothing. Like Alice, I couldn't understand why someone would write a book such as this without including pictures. Rybczynski, therefore, spends far too much time describing city layouts, maps, street diagrams and other visual artifacts, leaving the reader without a pictorial aid. Photographs and maps are described rather than included. It's very frustrating. A picture is worth a thousand words, and in a book that is this heavily involved concerned with what things look like, some pictures would have been invaluable.

    Rybczynski's writing style is relatively engaging, though he does have an unfortunate tendency to lapse into dry lists of various items (usually one word mentions of various architects and city planners). This can be infrequently distracting, leading one to wonder if perhaps some of the information could have been conveyed in a more interesting way. Still, the history of cities as well as the philosophy behind their growth makes for fascinating subjects, so whatever faults may lie in the book, it is still well worth reading.



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Posted in Art and Photography (Sunday, September 7, 2008)

Written by Bernd H. Dams and Andrew Zega. By Rizzoli. The regular list price is $60.00. Sells new for $35.99. There are some available for $41.79.
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2 comments about Chinoiseries.

  1. Chinoiseries This book is full of so many architectual chinoiseries that I never knew existed. One wants to remove the print pages from the book for framing. I stayed transfixed on the illustrations of each page and it is as if I were transplanted into a chic fantasy world. The style and the colors are awesome. I found it difficult to read about each particular structure as my eyes kept being diverted to the illustrations. I had some reservations about ordering this book as I did not need another coffee table book; however, the quality that is found among the pages makes this a must-see for the artist in all of us.


  2. If you're into Chinoserie at all, this is a beautiful addition to your design library- that is, if you can refrain from cutting up the book to hang the pages on the wall. I couldn't, and now I have a beautiful graphic collection of framed panels from this book over my living room sofa. I'm buying a second copy of the book just so I can keep one to read. The text accompanying each structure is great reading- I especially loved seeing Marie Anoinette's merry-go-round from Versailles.


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Posted in Art and Photography (Sunday, September 7, 2008)

By Firefly Books. The regular list price is $75.00. Sells new for $47.25. There are some available for $52.63.
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4 comments about The Elements of Style: An Encyclopedia of Domestic Architectural Detail.

  1. This book is an invaluable resource for restoration work and new construction, where clients want something that 'authentic' to a particular era.


  2. This book contains many beautiful pictures, which are key to defining period style furniture adn architecture. The chapters are clearly defined and arranged in a logical, easy to use manner. It is a must for anyone seeking a career in Historical Preservation.


  3. i am taking this oppurtunity to let you know that i never recieved this book. i have emailed amazon several times but have heard nothing back, maybe you can help me
    thank you

    john robinson


  4. Great historical reference book detailing period styles of everything from windows to fireplace mantels. Lots of photos - many of them in color. Also includes useful drawings. I found this book to be EXTREMELY helpful, and I reference it often; worth every penny!


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Posted in Art and Photography (Sunday, September 7, 2008)

By Universe. The regular list price is $36.95. Sells new for $22.05. There are some available for $21.99.
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5 comments about 1001 Buildings You Must See Before You Die: The World's Architectural Masterpieces (Quintessence Books).

  1. I was one of the contributing authors to this book. The reviews so far are spot on. Even though I worked on this book I find it difficult to find even my own entries as the index is inadequate. I also wrote the Elrod entry - and yes, the photo is wrong - and I would have known that if I'd seen page proofs. But on a positive note, I believe this book is definitely worth buying (I don't get royalties!) if only because I know it contains entries (like mine) that are not rewrites of existing viewpoints, but original, fresh perspectives. The next book in the series is "1001 Houses" and I've been asked to be the General Editor. I intend to take these comments on board and ensure a good index and good geographic spread for 1001 Houses. The publishers have indicated they want a website to go with the book, and that will also be a priority for me, assuming they ok costs. So buy this book as its assets outweigh its faults, and keep an eye out for 1001 Houses! http://www.dennajones.com


  2. 1001 Buildings is a resource that you need. That said, it has some drawbacks. It has a strong English focus; perhaps London emphasis is better as a describer. Many English buildings. Almost all the written parts which are signed were by experts from London. Thought it missed some very important Western Hemisphere and Asian buildings, although it did have a lot for Cuba. Seemed to miss a number of outstanding American architects. Do not assume you will find a picture of each site as there are numerous pages with only written text. Variety of types of buildings (churches, factories, temples, and public use structures) was excellent. Indexing was poor, but the arrangement by year brought an interesting awareness of buildings in different parts of the world built at the same time.


  3. We purchased this book in preparation for a world wide tour. It is quite extensive and has been helpful. Unfortunately there are quite a few page number errors in the index making looking up specific buildings a challenge. The book is arranged by periods and style, so if traveling, you need to use the index and look by country. The index does have building list by country. This country list does not always specify what cities the building is in and this is where I find the page number errors. So when planning a trip it is much more difficult than need be to locate what building you may want to see in the city you are going to. I was disappointed that there is not a picture for every building. Although the book has these user issues, it is a nice reference and my son is excited that he has already seen 10% of the buildings and plans to get to 25% before returning.


  4. I love this book but I am giving it one star because I am so infuriated by the lack of a useful index. There is no index that lists which cities the buildings are in -- they are only arranged by country. Why? Many of us would like to visit buildings that are near us or in cities that we travel to. This bizarre lack of information in the index makes that virtually impossible.

    This is perhaps the most foolish indexing decision I have ever seen in my entire life, perhaps the most foolish indexing decision in the history of the written word.

    Also: why don't they give addresses of the buildings anywhere?

    Please correct this in the next edition. Maybe create a website where we can look this stuff up.

    Clearly, a lot of time was spent on this book. It's unfortunate that strange indexing decisions have rendered it almost useless.


  5. Some of the buildings do not have corresponding photos with the descriptions but that can be understandable because the book runs almost 1000 pages.
    But I did find two errors:
    First Error - Page 523 has Case Study House No.22 but the photo is of Case Study House No.21 both are by Pierre Koneig and they are both in the Los Angeles area.
    Second error - Page 565 has Elrod House but the photo is of the Sheats/Goldstein House which is in Beverly Hills will the Elrod House is in Palm Springs. The Elrod House is famous for its location in the film Diamonds Are Forever and its circular in design.
    Overall the book is a very good reference book with a photo and a short description of the building.


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Posted in Art and Photography (Sunday, September 7, 2008)

Written by Jane Powell. By Gibbs Smith, Publisher. The regular list price is $39.95. Sells new for $10.82. There are some available for $11.00.
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5 comments about Bungalow Details Exterior.

  1. Jane Powell is THE bungalow author to read. As a remodeler who specializes in 1920's bungalows, it pleases me to no end to read an author who really knows what she is talking about. Every Jane Powell book I have read is like a college course on that aspect of bungalow history, preservation, and renovation. This book is no exception. And she is really funny! Beautiful photos (as usual)by Linda Svendsen.


  2. I enjoy this book and look at pretty regularly. I plan on using some of the details on future construction projects. However, the author is a bit too politically correct for my tastes. She keeps reminding us how "poison" vinyl is. That sort of bothered me. I am sure, given a choice, most people would choose to live a beautiful wooden or stone home rather than a vinyl clad manufactured home or tract home.. however lets be realistic. Those types of home are often what is affordable to the average family. Other than that issue.. I would recommend the book.. it has some great pictures and lots of information about bungalow exterior details.


  3. Together writer Jane Powell and photographer Linda Svendsen create the best bungalow books on the market -- full of information, not just fluff. Whether you are thinking of remodelling your house, changing a few details, or just want to understand the history of your bungalow, this is the book to buy... and really, this book is very cheap compared to the price of a bad remodel.

    In my opinion the chapter on avoiding replacement window scams, while energy-retrofitting your house, should be required reading for all homebuyers.


  4. I don't live in a Craftsman bungalow, but I'm adding a number of Craftsman details to my existing NW cabin style house. Over the years I have collected numerous books full of photographs of various bungalows but I have sold all of them now that I have this book. This one book contains information on nearly every exterior detail you are likely to need, and is lavishly illustrated with photographs and drawings. It's an excellent reference for buffs and restorers. I have already pre-ordered the next volume which will cover interiors. Shame I have to wait 6 months!


  5. This book became and instant reference for our home project and I have quite a few in my collection. If you are looking for good examples to put the finishing touches on a bungalow or arts and crafts project, Ilike this one!


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Posted in Art and Photography (Sunday, September 7, 2008)

Written by Clarke Snell and Tim Callahan. By Lark Books. The regular list price is $29.95. Sells new for $17.28. There are some available for $16.28.
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5 comments about Building Green: A Complete How-To Guide to Alternative Building Methods Earth Plaster * Straw Bale * Cordwood * Cob * Living Roofs.

  1. My daughter and I purchased this wonderfully complete volume for a granddaughter who with her husband is moving to Oregon to build an eco-friendly home on a plot of land. This well-illustrated handbook should help a lot.


  2. What a wonderful book! I love the way it is set out in two sections... the theory and the practical. The conversational style of writing means that I feel like I have a friend on hand, ready to talk me through the whole process, explaining terms, concepts and methods in a clear, concise way.
    I'd say if you are only planning to buy one book on alternative building methods, this should be the one.


  3. This book is an excellent reference on how to build while taking the environment into consideration. I was really impressed with how they integrated traditional building techniques with Green Building techniques. The book covers what to think about before you even break ground, site work, foundation work, non chemical termite prevention, walls, windows, doors, roofing, flooring, and landscaping considerations. Where Green products make the most sense, they are used. In places where the authors chose a more traditional method (concrete in the foundation, small amounts of rebar, a mass produced new door, and timber roof trusses) they go into detail about why they chose that method (long term energy efficiency outweighing the initial energy cost of the raw materials). While grey water systems, rain catchment systems, composting toilets, and solar power systems are encouraged, they are not covered in any detail in this book. The demo house being built throughout the book is a tiny one room guest cottage, instead of a home that a family could live in (composting toilet outside) so that's why I only gave 4 stars. I would have loved to have seen a whole family home built, but maybe that would be several books.
    Not everyone can move to an ecovillage and live in a 200 sq ft cob home (even if they dream about it). This book brings green building into the reach of many more people and shows how to build a home that is much more likely to pass code and be a real possibility in today's society. I plan to use it as a guide when I build my own home in the future.


  4. Myself, being in the building industry, really appreciated that there was a believer and a skeptic to write this book and build the house using the thoughts they had. I like the honesty of the authors and how they worked thru to a common goal, and shared each step along the way. I even found it to be a great book on general engineering, helpful in reminding me of things I already know, and reinforcing them in less conventional ways.
    This is a very hand's on book with loads of pictures and illustrations and for all of us with "pie in the sky" ideals, there is the balance of reality in time, costs, and functionality of green building.


  5. recieved product within one week great book thinking about building using all natural products


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Posted in Art and Photography (Sunday, September 7, 2008)

Written by Ann S. O'Leary. By Watson-Guptill. The regular list price is $39.95. Sells new for $22.38. There are some available for $19.26.
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4 comments about Rustic Revisited: Innovative Design for Cabin, Camp, and Lodge.

  1. Pictures were well done but I wish someone that writes in this genre, would do a book on cabins and retreats that the average person could own. Most of these books cater to the wealthy rich folks and show lodges that most of us will never see let alone own.
    Give me a book that can help me arrange a rustic decor, Just a couple of those out there. A book on the average fishing and hunting cabin like the ones I remember from childhood would be a dream!


  2. Many design ideas can be obtained from this book if you are remodeling or building a cabin.


  3. This book portrays a vast amount of information on lodge-camp- and cabin style.

    Ann O'Leary identifies the historical as well as specific decorating details necessary to achieve these fabulous lodge and camp looks. This is a very in-depth, extensively well researched and beautifully written book! Well done!


  4. What a great book! I bought it to give as a gift and ended up keeping it for myself. It's filled with beautiful photos of rustic style in all its forms: including Adirondack camps, lake houses in Wisconsin, Western lodges and Southern cottages just to name a few. I got many good ideas from it, and will be buying more copies to give to friends. I highly recommend it.


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Last updated: Sun Sep 7 03:58:02 EDT 2008