5 comments about Fallingwater: A Frank Lloyd Wright Country House.

1. I purchased this wonderful book after a visit to Fallingwater earlier this summer. It is absolutely phenomenal with the interesting details, plans, drawaings and photos of the progress of the design and building of the home. It is the absolute best book and hard to put down because everytime I pick it up my fascination with Fallimgwater is rekindled! I would highly recommend this book for architecture students, persons with an interest in art or anyone wishing to learn more about Frank Lloyd Wright's passion for organic design.



2. Anyone that wants a complete study of Fallingwater will want this book. Lots of detail. Lots of pictures. Drawings are great.



3. This is a huge heavy duty book filled with all kinds pictures and information about another of FLW's masterpieces. A great gift!



4. Fallingwater, in and of itself, is a name that commands awe and respect. This book epitomizes that notion.

   Simply, this is it. This is the be all, end all of texts on this masterpiece by the late F.L.W.

   I have been an admirer of F.L.W. since I was in the fifth grade, and had to do a report on earthquakes and buildings. Living in S.F., I guess this was a hot topic. But, in a showing (foreshadowing?) of extremely good taste---if I do say so myself, I chose F.L.W. and the TransAmerica building. For those of you out of the loop, that's the "pyramid" building you see when looking at (virtually every) snapshot(s) of the S.F. skyline. I hadn't yet discovered Fallingwater, but I would eventually be shown the way...

   This is such an incredibly beautiful house. Honestly, I could not imagine the blessing of owning that house and living there. This text, however, sets it all out.

   EXCELLENT photos, both inside and out....in different seasons as well.

   VERY GOOD text and dialogue. Provides a great understanding of the dream, planning, undertaking, and completion of this masterpiece.

   This is an incredibly text. I cannot urge you enough to purchase this one. In short, your collection is not complete without it.

   Open this book, and dream....




5. What first draws one to this book is the wonderful new photographs presented. This is also what I keep going back to see after reading the text. The perspective of many of the downstream shots is not exaggerated as are the older black and white ones taken in the 1930's although when I visited the house I was unable to get the same view or position. They must have been taken with a special camera. I appreciate the helicopter photos as it really shows the site, a deep ravine. The house always seemed to be up on a promontory but is set deep into the forest. The lighting on the interior is a little misleading when the shadows and light direction are altered. These photos overall are the most naturalistic that I have seen and to see all the seasons represented makes me want to goback for the others. It looks as if the insect screens were removed for most of the photos which gave the house a cleaner, more modern appearance than in person. I only wish the breaker pages, the ones with the large green background, were larger although I believe I have seen the winter view on a recent calendar by the same photographer, Heinz, great work on his part. I always wish there were more books like this on great American buildings, especially on the photogenic ones by Wright.

No comments about Architecture Between Spectacle and Use (Clark Studies in the Visual Arts).

1 comments about Exhibit Design: High Impact Solutions.

1. Exhibit designers have several interesting problems. In many cases the exhibit must be mobil. It travels from trade show to trade show around the country, even around the world. Then it needs to be set up, quite possibly by people who have never seen it before, and at the end of the show the exhibit has to be torn down, usually by people who have been working at the show all day, are tired, don't care where things get put, and are ready to head to a bar.
   
   Here is a book on exhibits by outstanding design companies from around the world. These are not the little ten foot square booths you see around the edges, but the kinds of booths you would expect from Mercedes-Benz.
   
   Actually only about half the book is on business/trade show exhibits. The rest of the book is on more permanent structures such as information booths or museums. All in all, this is an idea book on how to do exhibits that attract attention, show off the company and the products, and create a memorable experience for the visitor.

3 comments about Greek Architecture, Fifth Edition (The Yale University Press Pelican History of Art).

1. This is one of the best books to study Greek architecture - not only architecture of temples but also other buildings. Good for archaeologists as well as for architects.



2. for any serious student of classical antiquity, lawrence's treatment of greek architecture is a must-read. it is a elegantly illustrated volume, full of plans, drawings and photographs. the text is well-written and easy to understand, even for a beginner to the field. I whole-heartedly recommend this volume to anyone who wants to have a look at greek architecture, beginner as well as expert. lawrence's book is nothing but brilliant. it is THE entryway into greek architecture.



3. Any archaeologist knows that the Lawrence is one of the best Greek architecture/archaeology reference books to own. Buy it if you have any interest whatsoever in the field.

No comments about Historic Hotels of Los Angeles and Hollywood (Images of America: California).

2 comments about Turn-of-the-Century Doors, Windows and Decorative Millwork: The Mulliner Catalog of 1893.

1. This is a good reference to the time period. This is not a "how to" book but rather a period catalog expertly reproduced. This book is good for someone who is interested in creating a home with elements from the late Victorian era.



2. This is apparently a reprint of one of the really great old catalogs of Victorian Millwork! It has fabulous designs for window ornamentation, verandas, brackets, gable ends, fireplace mantels and most especially doors. Black & White sketches show an impressive variety of ideas.

5 comments about Found Style: Vintage Ideas for Modern Living.

1. I own 2 decorating books, and this is one of them. What separates this book from the other "vintage" or "flea market" books is that the syle is MODERN and artful, not the shabby chic-ish or country styles that I detest. These looks are for people who love the look of vintage and flea-market finds, but with a hip, modern, and arty spin.



2. The book placed vintage items in houses vs. looking at vintage items and creating new functional things with them. I was looking more for ideas for projects. This book did not spark anything creative in me. I can purchase vintage items and place in my home just like they did. This book was just a bunch of pictures...things that anyone can do.



3. This book is full of wonderful, artistic ideas; each page better than the last. I wistfully moved from an old, 1920's bungalow into a brand-spankin'new townhome and have referenced Found Style many times for ideas. This book isn't for the cookie cutter, Christopher Lowell set; it's for creative people who prefer to have homes that reflect who they are artistically. I don't want my home to look like a Pottery Barn showroom. I want to create a comfortable and cozy, yet clever environment that you just can't find at a home decor store. Just as the name implies, the book imparts creative ideas for found objects, salvage and thrift store finds. For those of us who love frequenting flea markets and thrift stores, Found Style is the perfect book for giving us ideas on how to use our finds in clever and unique ways. It has enabled me to turn my suburban, builder beige townhome into something distinctive with vintage character.



4. This book really made my day: full of fabulous, inspiring photos of the exact style I aspire to in my home: vintage but never cutsey, a little edgy and raw, but still cozy and natural and playful. Ingenious ideas here, and a great blend of folksy, country and urbane and sophisticated. I only wish there was a whole series by these two.



5. This is one of the best decorating books out there if you love the vintage look and mixing new with old. Ideas in how to use what you may already have and how to incorporate antique and "junk" items in new ways. This book includes chapters on living rooms, home office/art studio, kitchen, bedroom, bath, etc. I look through this book again and again and see something new each time. I hope David and Amy are working on another book!

5 comments about American House Styles: A Concise Guide.

1. I had higher expectations for this book when I bought it. I was looking for a book that covered in depth the different design details used in the different styles of homes. The coverage is rather shallow.



2. Great book to sort out the various styles in american architectural houses. The history of each house is given well and concise. The language is appropriate and the illustrations are excellant.



3. This is a great way to study the different elevations/styles that can be applied to the same basic floorplan. Also a quick reference for the many Architectural styles of the U.S.



4. This fascinating book is a quick introduction to the evolution of house styles across the history of the United States. Each chapter has a short introduction to the era in American history, and then launches into a description of the house styles, complete with excellent sketches of a typical house and floor plan of that style. I found this to be a fun and educational read. I enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it.



5. In the beginning of this book the author points out that a culture is reflected in its buildings. Then he goes on to identify the events that caused the various styles--the War of 1812 that stopped our imitation of English architecture, the change to stud framing and the effects of industrialization that mark the Victorian era, the nationalistic spirit of the 1876 Centennial that spawned the revival in Colonial archictecture at the end of the 19th century, etc.--in such a professional style of writing you'd never suspect he was also an architect. A history professor maybe. All of which explains the subject better than the usual bare chronological sequence.
   
   What helps in a book like this are the odd bits of information casually thrown out that show mastery of the subject.
   Colonial homes were never white; Greek Revival were never anything but. A particular cornice is usually done incorrectly, compared to the true Classical version.
   
   He also make the sensible point that you can only compare styles within limits, that at some point you're really discussing altogether different building types, as in ranches, bungalows, and certainly octagon houses. And early on he boasts he can design a modern four bedroom house in any style. Then he proceeds to do it, providing a front elevation and a repeating ground floor plan (front: LR, center hall, DR. rear: family room, kitchen, mud room) with added porch, tower, fireplace, chimney, as needed. Not so much to explain the architectural features, I think, but to give the prospective homebuilder something that actually could be built today.
   
   Where most authors stop around WWII, he continues up to the present. His next-to-last chapter shows the recent builder's styles which will be familiar to anyone who's driven through any of those "Vinyl Village" developments with the Olde English names: the Townes, Pointes, Glenns, and Harbours. Here he doesn't hesitate to criticize the tastless examples, and continues his tirade into last chapter, where he argues against the Post-Modern assault on tradition in favor of a return to order and careful design.

2 comments about Stone Designs for the Home.

1. John Morris' talents as a stonemason (artist is a better term) is matched by this book's written words assisted by Candace Walsh and the spectacular photography by Robert Reck. The descriptions of several projects draw the reader into the task and, for me, I wanted to be by his side as he imagined, then created unbelievable beauty out of a natural product. The impact of this book on myself was to strengthen and confirm my desire to live out my life in the environment of the South West and forsake other world locales and environs. The book takes the reader through the design and completion of large and small stone projects with a clear understanding of the process. Highly recommended for the lover of natural beauty converted to man's usefullness and pleasure.



2. The photography displays the stonework in a way that makes you envy the occupants of every structure. If the homes are half as much joy to occupy as they are to look at, the author is a genius.

5 comments about 1001 All Time Best Selling Home Plans.

1. The plans are so small you cant even see the room sizes on most of them.



2. I had looked at soooo many house plans and thought I was never going to find a plan I liked. I bought this book as a last resort. Well, let me tell everyone...it is an awesome book. Not only did I find the plan I wanted, I called and ordered it. The girl was very helpful and explained all the ins and outs of buying this plan. I would recommend the book and the company highly.



3. I realize there are one thousand plans in this book, but many are so small on the page I couldn't really make out the names of the various rooms. Maybe I'm getting old, but I'd rather have 200 plans that are big enough to adequately review than 1001 plans that are too small to see.



4. If you are looking for a book just to give you some ideas on different home designs, then this book might be useful.
   If however, your thinking of actually purchasing plans from this book, DON'T!!!
   The companies represented are not exactly full of integrity and do not fulfill their promises of what you will recieve for your money.
   The plans that I have seen are not nearly complete enough to be of any realistic use.
   The best way I could describe this whole operation is to call it a "Dairy Farm", looking for ways to entice you to spend a large amount of money only to discover you have to spend a good deal more to get what they already promised you in your original purchase. It's a very flaky set-up, and you will find their representatives less than helpful.



5. This book was cumbersome to say the least. When looking for a plan I narrowed down my wants to 1) Garage not facing the street 2) 3800 sq feet and up 3) Master Suite very large. After that I found several plans, and pondered them down to my dream house. Then I ordered the plan, spent $1200 and got absolutely nothing useful. These plans are not as advertised. One cannot actually build a house from the prints that are bought. My many phone calls were not returned, the company rep angrily argued with my contractor, my money was not returned and I was lightly threatened. Overall, the plans are nice to look at with a magnifying glass, but performance of promises is nil. I know that my dream house was dashed by this book.