Chang Books

I love photos of cats. Most of time cats are just starring at me, making no expression at all. This book offers another side of them with many funny cats.

First, the book caught my attention because the suitcase house is part of the avant-garde architecture project called "the Commune by the Great Wall" in Beijing, China. The developer of the project invited 12 young Asian architects form South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Mainland China, and HongKong, to independently design 11 houses and a clubhouse at the foot of the Great Wall, all nestled in a beautiful environment - valleys on one side and the Great Wall on the other. The suitcase house was designed by Gary Chang (a HK-based architect and the author of the book), and is located at the entrace of the Commune project.

Chan devoted the whole book to his design (suitcase concept and its variations) with overwhelming background information such as the inspiration and philosophy behind this house, the social, economic, and societal background of the project, the early sketches and concepts, detailed floor plans and specifications, original design of coordinating furniture, the building process with documentary-flavored pictures, interviews with the architect and the design team, email and other correspondences between the architect and the client, and a large amount of pictures focusing on details. Really appreciate this approach to get a 360-degree in-depth interpretation of a single modern house. Plus, this book has a great graphic design.

That being said, readers have to sacrifice the breadth with depth. Financially, it is not very wise to pay the money to only read about one single house. Also, some readers might not be interested in the excessive background information.

This book is oriented toward those interested in developing improved strains of edible mushroom species. Highlighted species include Flammulina velutipes (enokitake), Lentinula edodes (shiitake), Agaricus bisporus (common white button, portabella, crimini), Coprinus cinereus (woolly inky cap) among others. Caution, this is not a how-to-grow book, but a technical reference for breeders. Reviewed by THE MUSHROOM GROWERS' NEWSLETTER, April 1993 issue.

Hans Bethe was one of the greatest physicists of the last 100 years. This book, with its many different sections, each writen by a different person, is a wonderful way "to get to know" Hans Bethe. I read, every bit of it, and found the text most enjoyable and illuminating. I recommenmd the book to other physicists and, especially, to young folk. They could do worse than have Bethe as a role model!

I was expecting a trashy romance novel, but was pleasantly surprised! Diana Chang's words really spoke to me, and I was very excited by the book.

This is one of those books that doesn't have words so you and your children are free to make up stories. I have found that this kind of book is very good for children on the verge of reading as it helps them to understand the ideas that make up a story; such as beginning, middle, and end.

In this book, a little mouse is shown sitting 'in a book'. He/she then gets the notion of taking a page from the book and making a little house for himself/herself. The mouse bites, nibbles, folds his/her way into a home. Note: my description does not do justice to this little book.

Four Stars. [B-]. The artwork is fantastic, the premise simple. The "Card Catalog Description" on this page is wrong. The Amazon age ranges are incorrect as well. Babies on up to say 7 y.o.'s might enjoy this sweet book -- though at the older ages I believe it is probably not much of a guy book. You can't tell it by the pictures, but the cover of the book (where the mouse is looking out) is physically missing.

Tired of chain food restaurants when on vacation? Pick up a copy and discover hidden secrets only the locals know about!

The book is broken down by area, then alphabetically. The back includes a listing based on food choices: ethnicity and vegetarian. Each listing includes a dollar sign that tells you how much it will cost per family of four. It also tells you whether small children are welcome or not, if there is outside seating, and what types of foods are served.

This is a good record of professional interior design from the 1980s. Since designers tend to present their best ideas for these showhouse rooms, the results are generally of high quality though not necessarily practical. Designer Showcase Houses, done up for a short period to benefit a local charity, around the country are represented; however, this reviewer notices much higher style in the New York City environs. Chapters are titled for the various rooms: Halls, Living Rooms, Dining Rooms, Kitchens, Bedrooms, Baths, and Porches, with captions describing the color photos of examples. Although the majority features traditional design, contemporary settings and mixtures of both are represented. Despite the passing of 20 years since publication, much of the intended design philosophy and some specific details are still inspiring. This book is much better than more recent collections of various regional designer showhouses that are on the market, usually included because the designer paid for the space in print rather than chosen on the basis of merit. Definitely recommended for all seriously interested in interior design.

I have a simple Georgian house in Ireland so this is the perfect book for me. Most books are about either Georgian stately homes in the UK or American Colonial houses. The Irish Georgian houses, on the whole, are smaller and more intimate and therefore whilst still of the period are not quite so fancy. This book covers different types of houses from grand through manor to cottage. The pictures are wonderful, the text doesn't have to be read though it is interesting.
Well worth having if you're investigating Georgian houses in Ireland either from a research point of view or are in the process of restoration. However, it does not have great detail but does give a good flavour through the splendid photographs.

I bought this book in the summer of 2003, just before I moved to Korea to teach English. I happened to stumble on it during the authors' book signing, so I have a signed copy. (yeah, I know -- oooooooh.)

As a Hawaii resident, it made a great coffee table book -- it recounts the history of Hawaii's Korean community and discusses in some detail how Koreans in Hawaii helped shape the development of South Korea.

It also highlights the demographic divisions within the Korean community, based on generation, time-in-country, and home province.

Overall, it's an interesting book. 4 stars.