Architecture Books

A must have reference for any professional or amature decorator. But be warned, if this is your first book by Lady Henrietta you will be hooked and will soon order her entire body of work.

Very beautiful book, I enjoy looking at it, lovely (mostly formal) drapery ideas, but for the money, I wish I could have checked it out at the library.

A book of grace and perfect taste. A good book to come back to when you need another idea... end tables, curtains, carpets, furniture placement...... lovely ideas...ideas that can work in a small apartment, modest colonial or grand house..... it's the 1 book in my collection of 50 or more interior design books that I would NOT sell... it is my favorite....

Classic English Interiors is a great book depicting the more upper-scale homes/interiors of England. The photos are exceptionally good too. If you are contemplating using English style in your decorating scheme, this is surely a good book of information and photos.

The plans in this book are very similar in design to my bungalow home. From general interior layout to exterior apperance, this book has given me ideas to improve the exterior of my home! I've read this book over and over many atimes. Purchase it and use it for future referance, as I will when I build a home from one of the plans in this book!

If you're as nostalgic as I am about all things old...cars...music...houses...you'll find this book fascinating. Use it as a reference for restoring your old house or as a creative resource for ideas in your brand new custom home. There are even mentions about built-ins like disappearing beds, sleeping porches, and telephone cabinets. I especially enjoyed the explanation about the differences between New England Colonial, Dutch Colonial, Gothic, and Modern English styles of architecture.

This is a reprint of a house plan catalog from 1927. These books are actually exact reprints of original plan books from the turn of the century (1880-1925, roughly - this book is one of the latest years in the series). Dover adds little or no modern explanations, just presenting the catalog as it was. So when one looks to review these books, one isn't really judging the modern-day publisher, or editing, or writing. The only modern element is the accuracy of reproduction- in some cases, if pages in the originals that Dover found are damaged or torn, that page is reproduced in the original with the tear, smudge, blot, or hole showing. So to judge the books, one has to compare each one to others of its kind, and then to decide whether the material in it is thorough and complete according to the standards of its time. Since there are several dozen of these catalogs published by Dover, we have the basis for such a comparison.

This book originally was "Loizeaux's Plan Book No. 7" published by the J.D. Loizeaux Lumber Company. The book starts with photos of the Loizeaux business locations including their lumber plant and their builders' supply yard and dock. There are several pages showing a complete example of what blueprints one receives if one orders a plan. Then there's an article on styles of homes, which gives the modern reader a glimpse of what styles were most popular at the time.

The book continues with still more articles and advice, before getting to plans: a section on decorating, including what color schemes are advised for each room. One interesting feature to today's eyes is the recommendation of strong colors for walls - according to Loizeaux, white should be used only sparingly! There are illustrations of furnished rooms. Although black and white, each is accompanied by a description of its colors. Here's a nice tasteful bedroom: "Walls are tinted soft peach or apricot. Casement curtains are of sunfast voile or net in ecru or café au lait. Valence at top of window is of violet sateen with draperies of cretonne, chintz, or printed linen. Bed cover of violet sateen, flounce of soft jade green. Shirred over-spread of thin dotted swiss. Deep blue Wilton carpet and cushion on window seat. Slipper stool and lamp shade are in soft rose taffeta." Certainly makes your current bedroom sound pale, doesn't it?

In the illustrations of the kitchen and bathroom, we can tell that we are moving from the turn-of-the-century to the Art Deco era, because no longer are they done in gleaming "sanitary white" tile; now the tiles include colors and patterns.

The floor plans actually start on page 17. Each page contains an illustration (sometimes, but not always, a photo), upstairs and downstairs floor plans, a listing of overall dimensions, and 2 or 3 sentences about the house. Each room on the floor plan is labelled, and the various built-ins such as a telephone nook, medicine cabinet, or bookshelf, are pointed out.

Partway through the book, the plans are interrupted by more articles: one on how to heat the small home - basically, an ancestor of the infomercial, really a long advertisement for a particular brand of heater that Loizeaux sells. Likewise an article/ad for hot water heaters. Check out the article on G-E Wiring Systems on pages 70-71; the illustrations of a couple being shown a house by an agent are funny. Perhaps one of the funniest articles is the page about the "combination bath." This was supposed to be a new, modern, convenience, combining a seat, foot bath, shower, and child's bath all in one. Looking at the illustrations (including an unclothed young man in the shower- how racy!), one can see that this design is just an accident waiting to happen, which must have finally occurred to the company, too, because we certainly don't see any of these combination baths any more!

Little sketches here and there add to the charm of the book - a drawing of a child operating a garbage burner, of a furnished sun parlor, and so on.

While most of the plans are for single-family houses, there are a few for duplexes or apartment buildings. This book is also late enough into the century that we can take interior bathrooms for granted; the 1920's are quite modern compared to a 15 years earlier. Other plan books, from 1912, for example, still have half the houses without indoor baths, and many not wired for electricity. On the other hand, it's still long enough ago that there are a few houses with thatched or wooden roofs; there are not yet garages featured automatically with the houses, and the kitchen stoves still need a chimney vented to the outside. I greatly enjoy comparing books from a few years apart, to see the progress being made.

In summary: the extensive number of articles/ads in the plan book make it a valuable addition to a collection, because they provide so much information about what daily life and average tastes of the time were like, not just what architectural styles were popular. Fun reading, fun to browse, and also a valuable reference for anyone who is studying old houses and neighborhoods.

I've always been interested in old houses, and my recent favorite era is the '20s. This catalog-turned-book thrilled me! It was so much fun to look at the blueprints for houses that contained servants' quarters and only one bathroom and to read the silly descriptions. It was like taking a step back in time. I imagine this would be a perfect tool for someone wanting to build a modern version of a '20s-style home ... that's what I hope to do one day.

Definitely, Linda Leigh Paul should be very proud of her work....It really captures the spirit of Northwest design...When one asks, "Why hire an Architect",,,all one needs to do is show this book,,,it tells all....Again, a job well done!!!

I was surprized by the quality of the works presented but more particularly the idea of "the architecture of adventure". The premise of this book is "right on." These get-aways are not just comfortable, but expose their owner's attitudes on being at home in nature.

This is a beautiful book full of beautiful houses in beautiful places. There is a wide range of projects and styles, illustrating the quality of design in the Pacific Northwest region. An attractive book in its own right, this would be a great resource for anybody thinking of building a vacation house.

From the Seattle AIA Reviewer, Peter Sackett:

Trying to convince a reader that architecture is
good by telling them it's good is an exercise in
futility. In Coastal Retreats: The Pacific Northwest
and the Architecture of Adventure (Universe,
2002) author Linda Leigh Paul understands the
burden of her responsibility as a writer. Her
contributions reflect what images, on their own,
cannot. Coastal Retreats offers a broad
photographic sampling of Northwest vacation
homes designed over the last half-century with
editorial work that provides context for their
creation, including anecdotes from both owner and
architect, taking the architecture out of the
showroom and into the lives of the people who use
it.

A couple of years ago I ranted for eight hundred
words or so in the pages of Arcade about a
newly-published monographic account on the work
of architect Roland Terry. My beef wasn't that the
architect's work wasn't up to snuff, rather that the
book's author had done little to flatter the
architecture nor contribute a compelling narrative to
describe its significance. To judge from the editorial
content, he seemed less than convinced that
Terry's work could stand on its own without
bolstering it with sentences of fawning admiration
to make projects appear buoyant on the page.

Paul, instead, takes the trouble to tell stories
behind the homes' creation using relaxed, informal
language to describe the likes and dislikes of
clients as well as quirks of the landscape that
provide a setting for enjoyment of their
investment. The approach is both entertaining and
instructive. She includes the following in a chapter
on "Decatur Island Haven" by George Suyama
Architects:

"In the mid-1990s, while flying over the San Juan
Islands, designer Christian Grevstad's instincts led
him to alert his pilot that they were off course and
lost. As the pilot corrected the flight path, Grevstad
glanced down at a flowering meadow sitting atop a high
bluff. Below him lay the site he had envisioned for his
ideal island getaway. He headed for Seattle, where he
did the necessary footwork, and found that the price
was right."

Grevstad may enjoy a vexingly privileged lifestyle,
but it makes for a cool story.

A textbook for public planners of various ilks. Provides an overview rather than an in depth analysis of particular issues. For that reason, it is liable to be pertinent for awhile yet. Good for what it is.

This book was a great help in the projects that my instructor assigned. It was very detailed.

We used this text in our planning course last fall and it was excellent! Eric Kelly is a genius when it comes to writing planning books. This book is a must have for all college planning students. I highly recommend it!

Planning in the 21st Century

BY MARY R. ENGLISH

Part of a growing series on land use planning published by Island Press, Community Planning is modestly titled. It provides much more than an introduction: it gives the reader a working acquaintance with community planning.

In the United States, the concept of comprehensive local planning dates back to the City Beautiful movement spawned by the 1892 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. In the late 1920s, the concept took off on a grand scale with the Standard City Planning Enabling Act published in 1928 by the U.S. Department of Commerce as a companion to its 1926 Standard Zoning Enabling Act. Both were the culmination of the work of a commission appointed in 1921 by Herbert Hoover, then Secretary of Commerce.

While the Department of Commerce's model acts were simply that-models-they provided helpful guidance to states. In 1926, local land use zoning had received the blessing of the U.S. Supreme Court in Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty Co., which sanctioned the use of public regulatory power to specify how private land may be used. To enable and provide direction for local zoning and planning, states passed legislation patterned on the Department of Commerce models.

Now more than 70 years old, these models have been scrutinized and alternatives have been proposed-by the American Law Institute and the American Planning Association, for example-but virtually all state zoning and planning legislation harkens back to these two standard acts. They are premised on the idea that good government requires professionalism grounded in fact-based analysis and dispassionate forecasting.

Just as you can take a trip without an itinerary, you can zone without a comprehensive plan. Properly done, however, a comprehensive plan brings logic, foresight, and defensibility to zoning and other community decisions. Sometimes called a master plan or a general plan, a comprehensive plan is, as Kelly and Becker note, "a tangible representation of what a community wants to be in the future."

Today, full-blown comprehensive plans typically include inventories of existing conditions, statements of needs and goals, and implementation strategies. Comprehensive plans also broach topics such as population, housing, land use, economic development, public facilities and infrastructure, natural resources, and cultural resources. These are often described in some detail, accompanied with maps and information on historic trends and projections. The comprehensive plan may also detail more specific plans for special areas such as a city's downtown, or special topics such as open space and recreation.

Community Planning is contemporary in its orientation. Kelly and Becker frequently note the need for early and continued involvement of citizens and elected officials in community planning processes. Nevertheless, the book is in keeping with the rationalist, "good government" spirit that motivated the U.S. Department of Commerce's model acts. It provides a systematic, well-thought-out guide to the community planning process.

Kelly and Becker's book was written to serve as a text for introductory classes in planning at the undergraduate or graduate level, and it moves from the general to the specific of tangible plans, the nuts and bolts of developing and implementing plans. The book wraps up with practical information useful not just to students, but also to community leaders with no formal training in planning on what work to expect from planners and on ethical issues to consider in planning. To assist the teacher or the self-taught reader, each chapter concludes with exercises, discussion questions, and annotated suggestions for further reading. The book also has an extensive bibliography.

Over the past few decades, debates have arisen about the utility of comprehensive plans. Are they worth the effort? Is the process of planning really more important than the document itself? Does anyone actually use the plan? As federal subsidies for local comprehensive planning processes dwindled in the 1980s, the popularity of massive plans waned.

Kelly and Becker acknowledge this shift, and they also point out that planning is inevitably political: despite the best efforts of the government reformers, planning remains political with a small p. At its best, it transcends politics and builds consensus across political coalitions. At its worst, it can become so embroiled in local political issues that it loses its credibility and effectiveness.

Nevertheless, this book is testimony to Kelly and Becker's conviction that planning and comprehensive plans, properly done, can and should make a positive difference.

Mary R. English, Energy, Environment and Resources Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

This review originally appeared in the Fall 2000 issue of FORUM for Applied Research and Public Policy.

I have read the book and it is very easy to follow and very accurate. I have actually had the opportunity to work with one of the authors, Todd Halpin. It is good to know that this book was written by someone who has actually done the stuff. Todd is very smart and he knows his stuff. I would recommend this book to anyone.

*****

Primetime

My stock advice for those preparing for certification is to "get the Exam Cram". If you are planning to take the new A+ tests, however, and you have even the slightest bit of experience, then this book is far superior for a variety of reasons:

1. Better Organization. The Exam Cram is laid out in a conceptual order ideal for beginners - you start at the motherboard and gradually work outside the computer, you start at DOS and progressively upgrade to Windows 2000. But that's what the thousand page study guides are for - these books are supposed to help you CRAM for the EXAM. The Exam Notes are instead patterned directly after CompTIA's objectives, making it far easier to locate information on your weak areas when studying for the tests.

2. Appropriate Detail. The Exam Cram provides a scant 20 pages on networking (though it makes up 10-15% of each exam) and less on laser printers (typically, an uncomfortable area of study), but reprints almost all of the Windows 3.1 information from the first edition despite the new test objectives! In contrast, these Exam Notes contain an excellent introduction to basic networking concepts, a fully illustrated review of the EP process, and far less "historical data".

3. Overall Quality. The latest version of the Exam Cram still contains an almost useless motherboard diagram, disjointed discussions of barely related technologies (see Chapter 7), and some truly unforgivable factual errors (see page 401). This book provides stark contrast with actual photos of things you should be able to visually identify, better focus on current test objectives, high accuracy, and IT EVEN COSTS LESS!

Coriolis produces useful study guides, but Sybex got them this time. Mr. Jones and Mr. Landes have a fine test prep product on audio cassette, but this is, in my opinion at least, the best in print.

Great introduction. The authors write beautifully about their background and the tributes are wonderfull.

The text maps directly to the CompTIA Domains and that is great. The content is a bit "light on". I found some areas were glossed over.
The hardware was better than the OS, much better!

I passed the HW exam but did NOT make the new ADAPTIVE 222 OS exam! I did use other material for my study. None of the material was adequate for the new OS exam.

Perhaps an "Adaptive Edition" would be a required book? The book proberbly only deserves 3 stars for content but gets 4 for the presentation and organisation. Even if I had passed I would rate it as I have.

Of the three books I used this was the easiest to use!

If you are looking for a review text that looks at each and every Comptia A+ objective for both tests, buy this book. No fluff or extras, just every single objective reviewed and briefly explained. Well written and to the point, it also reviews terminology, concepts, and step-by-step procedures vital to passing the newest and toughest A+ exams. What I was most thrilled about is the good coverage given to the Operating Systems portion. This is the absolute toughest test of the two and the information reviewed here is essential to pass the test.

This is the best design book I've ever looked at. All of the pictures and diagrams make it so wonderful. With all those pictures no one would have a hard time tring to find a perfect design to fit there room. I would recommend this book to anyone who needs some ideas for a room. I just love it!

It is amazing how you can change a space in your home when you have a picture of exactly what you want to recreate. Your home is the place where you can take full control of your surroundings.

We bought our first house last year and I really have had trouble figuring out what exactly I want to do in certain rooms. I found Pier 1 to be a favorite hang out, but seriously, you have to figure out what your personal style is going to be and this book does help you see what appeals to you.

I'm definitely in love with the Antique tub in a nostalgic bathroom complete with a fireplace, but it aint gonna happen! I also have visions of a grand piano and built in bookshelves and a fireplace and a Persian Style bedroom complete with plenty of pillows for the cats to lounge around on.

For cooks, you will enjoy seeing Elizabeth David's comfy kitchen complete with a cat. In fact the kitchen section in this book is a real highlight. There is a family kitchen plan on pg. 64 which is just spectacular.

The chapters include:

Kitchen - the best part of this book!
Living Area - Cushy couches, please.
Bedroom - Clean Lines and open spaces
Bathroom - Whirlpool baths with a view and some amazing children's bathroom ideas.
Home Office - The second best part of this book!
Ancillary Space - A utility room plan to die for!
One-Room Living - Reminds me of my first studio apartment!!!
Planning Details - A section on worksurfaces in the kitchen is useful.

Great for Inspiration BEFORE you build your own home or for getting ideas on how you want to remodel areas of your home. Also useful for planning how you are going to fill up that big empty room.

Modern Designs, Creative Design Solutions, Dual-Purpose Offices and Small-Space Bathrooms are also a feature.

Yes, Modern Style about says it.

~The Rebecca Review

Although no book can be all inclusive, this comes close. Diagrams and photographs are plentiful in this book. From kitchens to wall coverings, everthing is explained in depth. This book even contains diagrams on how low your bedside table should be compared to your bed! We are talking details! This book explains things that other books have taken for granted! Enjoy!

THE BEST HOME DESIGN AND DECORATE BOOK . IT CONTAINS INFORMATIONS AND GUIDE LINES ASTO ALL THE CURRENT NEW DESIGNERS.

I was paid a lot for this book and it was well worth it. I am a photographer and find art books useful. This is one of my favorites!

I knew Harley Brown wouldn't let me down after having read his first book and numerous articles. His first book is from the mind but this one comes right from his heart. I ejoyed it thoroughly - enough to briefly reveal to you some of the stories he tells:

1. The moment he decided to become an artist. At the age of seven. Parents take note.
2. There's a story about an enigmatic woman named Paula. Where is she? I'm in love with her!
3. How he dealt with what he felt were his plain physical features and his shyness. I can relate.
4. Going on an alcoholic bender for 15 years. How did he stop?
5. Why he got kicked out of art school. It really made sense.
6. He even makes a toothache into a monumental saga. Soon to be a major motion picture.
7. Selling his art door to door. It was that or "work" for a living.
8. Establishing his first art gallery just a few minutes after staggering out of a bar.
9. Down and out in London, England. But not for long.
10. Dealing with the pompous of the art world.
11. How he tried to get his wife to "take the rap." This took courage to reveal.
12. "The General Theory of Mary" gives all newcomers in the art world extra hope.

These are only a few of Harley Brown's one of a kind stories. It is not your typical autobiography. This book really connected with me and others. I was a student of Harley's many years ago at the Scottsdale Artists' School. I learned so much from him in just two weeks. I hear he teaches no more. This book brings him alive again.

I'd originally given the book a 4-star rating, but it really does rate a full 5.

This book is the perfect follow up to Brown's "Eternal Truths." He tells what he endured to find those truths. He talks about being kicked out of art school, dealing with acute shyness, addiction, barely able to support his family. Even more important, how he soared above all the hair raising tales with the right attitude. As an artist I've made some bad decisions that have bogged me down; this book helped me understand my insecurities and take better control of my life. I've never read a more honest, and because of that helpful artist's autobiography in my life. One more thing, there's a killer step by step demo that I wasn't expecting. My colleagues and I are discussing this book like few others. It's the one to get. Harley Brown, thank you again.

Halfway through the book I decided I must seak him out and take a class or workshop from him. Unfortunately he no longer teaches. So the book is all we have and I must say it is absolulely essential for any artist. Or any creative person who ever doubted themselves or just needed a kick in the pants to make them try a little harder and enjoy the heck out of what they're doing.
Thanks Harley, for sharing.

Excellent book, everything you wished to know about construction, it's there explained, in theory, in in technical drawings, and with images of contemporary buildings.
The way it is organized is very straightfoward, good index, with all themes and sub-themes making sense.
One of the buys of the year for me...

The English title might be misleading--this book is not about 'construction', but rather about what the Germans call Baukunst, the art of construction, or the art of 'putting buildings together', considering the spatial order as an inseparable part of that putting things together.
The book provides a structured approach to the basics of contemporary architectural composition, several essays introducing fundamental concepts and giving you the bibliography to go into them in detail (the key part is making them all fit into an overall framework, and pointing at the sources that normally take years to discover), and illustrate several remarkable buildings in remarkable detail, with excellent descriptions reaching a depth and quality of analysis unfortunately missing in typical architectural publications.
Andrea Deplazes, the editor and author or co-author of many of the articles, teaches at the Zurich ETH (and I would guess the same must be true for the authors of most of the other articles), which for well over a hundred years has been one of the few true schools of architecture in the world. The book glows with the power of this accumulated knowledge developed in a true academic environment since the times of Semper. It also gives a glimpse at how the ETH consistently produces first class ordinary architecture, and for that matter first class extraordinary architecture too.
This book will be of huge value to every architecture student, teacher, and architectural designer. I bought it by a fortunate mistake --I thought a construction book from the ETH was sure to be an excellent reference book on technology, and the mail delivered a treasure trove of architectural knowledge instead.

I have reviewed many attempts at a comprehensive description of the complex subject of architecture, and this is the best. This book is far better than the exhaustively recommended Francis Ching (all due respect), and even better than Unwin's Architectural Notebook, which is also excellent. This is the very first book I would recommend for any serious architecture student. It covers tectonics and construction in elegant detail but, even more importantly, this book delves into the conceptual intentions behind the tectonics, at every scale. Telling examples, well chosen, illuminate the ideas, and the case studies feature some of the finest contemporary architecture in the world today. Simply the best.

I purchased this book for a construction class and as an architecture student, I find it very helpful. The book is not a construction how-to and the images are not very detailed nor are any of the images in color, but it is a compilation of a variety of architectural examples that use different or innovative construction methods. A great supplement to a studio course for inspiration and incorporating interesting structure into projects.

This book covers all the protocols and schemes for delivering voice and data over IP, frame relay, and ATM. The author has an easy-to-follow writing style that makes the book a joy to read.

This book really brings together every aspect of converged network architecture in one place. From voice communication networks to data networks to voice packet processing to a softswitch model for IP, this book has it all.

If you read Ibe's ATM book and like it get ready because you are going to LOVE this book even more. Dr.IBE knows his staff.

If you are a technical person this book will became your bible. If you are not a technical person this book will make you feel as if you were technical but most important will help you understand the subject in not time. (SALES, Managers, QA... Guys take note).

I do not know how he does it but a difficult subjects become clear after he explains them. I been following his writing and I must say that there is no one in my opinion who can explain complicated subjects the way he does. Check his ATM book and you will understand what I mean.

WELL DONE IBE...

This is a great book that goes beyond VoIP. It covers all major network architectures, and the latest enabling protocols like SIP, H.323, MPLS, and H.248. I found the discussions of Voice packet processing and Access schemes particularly helpful.

Copywriting giants deserve equally large books to showcase them, so this Copy Book is the perfect literary wax museum to learn more about some of the advertising industry's greats. In it, you can almost, just almost, get into the minds of legends like Neil French, David Abbott and many others, and possibly get a glimpse into how their minds work and what makes them tick. Besides their professional advice, you might get some inspiration from the award-winning advertisement classics (check out the infamous Volk Wagon and Stella Atois ads) that accompany each of these wordsmiths. (The price is) worth every cent of it.

Sitting on my shelf are, oh, about 30 books on advertising. Maybe more. Ironically, "The Copy Book" isn't one of them -- it's too damn large! So it lays kinda slouched against the wall. But not for long, 'cos that baby tends to spend an obscene amount of time in my hands. And yes, as some other reviewer points out, Neil French is in sparkling form -- what's new? --, dispensing advice you wouldn't read about (Australian expression) -- except here. Abbott ... amazing. Steve Henry. Jim Durfee. Richard Foster (great essay!) They're all here and more. A must-read several times over. Ads are a little dated, but so what? The advice is priceless.

I read a copy of this book that belongs to my CD and quite frankly,I was awestruck. Been looking for my own ever since. You'll find all the writers you admire in there. Neil French in his element, David Abbott,name them, all the superstars telling you how they do it. And how not to do it. An unputdownable read for all in this noble profession, very inspiring.

Tired of advertising books that are big on art, but short on copy - full of page-shots where the body copy's been reduced or screened beyond legibility?

The Copy Book, by Alastair Crompton ("The Art of Copywriting") is different. In it, 32 top advertising writers share their views on how they write, and what makes a great ad.

It's full of good advice, and full of very good - and awarded - ads. Some of them are even long-copy!

This is beginning to sound like an ad. I'm not getting paid, so I'll stop.

Vaughn Davis
Auckland, New Zealand