Superb Book on America's Greatest Architect - Highly Recommended
342013
This is a superb book on America's Greatest Architect. As an Architect and Owner of a Frank Lloyd Wright house, I am very knowledgeable of FLW and I purchase every serious book published one FLW and his work. This wonderful book is loaded with superb photographs, superb drawings, many of which that have never been published before. Brooks Pfeiffer is a former Taliesin Apprentice and has had key responsibility for the operation of Talesin West. He has access to full depth of the FLW Archives and is incredibly knowledgeable of them. His other books on FLW are also well written and incredibly insightful. As an Architect living in a wonderful 1901 FLW House, I highly recommend this book.
3777379
For anyone interested in design, style, society or chic, this book is a must. It is beautifully written and lavishly illustrated. The author has a wonderful understanding of American style and how it evolved, and a faultless- and rare- perspective that permits her to place her subject within that framework. This context is often lacking in retrospectives of interior designers and makes this book especially interesting. The quality of the writing is also first rate and the author's wry and gentle humor suits its subject perfectly.

The photographs themselves will make you salivate. I knew of Stacey only slightly before I picked up this book. It's made me a convert- 50 or so years too late. I think you will find, too, that Stacey's approach and ideas are as fresh and relevant today as they were when he was designing for the Cheney's, Astors and Paleys.
4498889
This book gathers some of the most insightful essays famed and controversial architect Lebbeus Woods posted in his famous blog from 2007 until his untimely death. The selection, made by Clare Jacobson, is extremely useful and focuses on Woods' best comments on other architects and on his best theoretical pieces, including excellent posts on the education of the architect, a subject that needs more attention and comment by the architecture community and schools around the world. Sadly, Jacobson's anthology lacks the rich and complex collection of images that appear on the blog to illustrate the postings, but the good thing is that Woods' blog is still available to the public. I have been thrilled by Wood's quick intelligence and pertinence, and this book has enticed me to run and get other books by Woods. An excellent introduction to an exciting, versatile and keen architectural intelligence of our time. A must-read!
1140064
One of the best books I have read recently on architecture theory and history. An excellent attribute to Lina Bo Bardi, and her work. If you are studying architecture or if you are interested in architecture theory and history then this is an excellent choice to analyse not only the role of education and how it effects practice but to read a beautifully written book about one of the greatest modern architects of the 20th century.
1415168
Superbly illustrated and wonderfully anecdotal review of one of America's most talented and productive sculptors.  Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in non-representational sculpture.  No handwringing here about various social, racial, economic, environmental, gender, or political  problems afflicting the world, just pure pleasure for the eyes.
587346
This illustrated encyclopedia of American homes, starting in 300 AD is the best I have ever seen. Even the Introduction is inspiring; it makes it clear that he has a great love of the subject. The short chapters are organized by the date of each type of home. I learned more from two hours with this book than I have with dozens of other books on architecture. The author has a new book about to be published on building a house. I recommended it to 100 of my closest friends.

Midwest Independent Research, educational websites. Affordable housing, mwir-affordablehousing.blogspot. There are book lists here.
3856968
Ive been reading through the copy we recently purchased and I m so impressed!  I especially like the way the author has arranged the discussion of accessibility elements and clearly differentiated the CA from ADA criteria.  The accuracy of the compliance, level of detail in the discussion and amount of insightful information make this the best book I have ever read on the subject - and I've read a lot!
This should be required reading for every architect in the US.  And any one practicing in CA would be a fool not to use it to check their work - even if they are an expert - like me!
373806
This well-researched book is a must read for anyone who is enthusiastic about the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright and the man behind it.  It is particularly helpful in throwing light on Wright's childhood and the beginnings of his career.  Wright's father gets kinder treatment than is often the case.  The detailed analysis of the horrible death of Mamah Borthwick Chaney and its impact on Wright is the best that has been done on that tragic event.  However, while it answers some questions, it also raises new ones.  This book is sure to a classic among the many titles devoted to Wright and his work.
4068837
A delicious pleasure from start to finish, this ranks quite easily as one of the towering achievements of scholarship on American Beaux-Arts architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Solid presentation of fact, robust analyses, and amply illustrated, this one study almost single-handedly commands the larger perspective of an entire generation's architectural output in order to clarify the nuances and accomplishments of one of the most visible -- yet least known -- components of the pre-Modernist aspirations America had for her built environment. Exquisite production values, thorough and reliable editing, and an aristocratic approach to seeing the big picture make this is an *essential* addition to my library.
299262
Fascinating Book.  Penelope Jencks is an award winning sculptor who's work is exhibited around the country.  Her family was part of a renown community of modern architects, artists, and intellectuals who left Europe for Cape Cod starting in the early-mid 20th century, including Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius.  Ms. Jencks fits right in with this tradition.  This book recounts the creation of perhaps her most well-known sculpture - Eleanor Roosevelt, located on Riverside Drive and 72nd Street in New York City.  Her story chronicles the artistic, economic, and political aspects of the project, providing a compelling and sometimes harrowing account of the politics involved in creating public art.  Written in a very accessible and personal style, this book contains a myriad of photos and details that place the reader right there with Ms. Jencks as she labors through the 10-year project that started in 1986.  The 1996 unveiling was attended by political figures such as Hillary Clinton, Rudolph Giuliani, and Ed Koch, and the Eleanor Roosevelt  sculpture remains an important component of New York City's public artscape.  This book is a must read for design professionals like architects, landscape architects, city planners, and anyone interested in the creative process and the development of public art.
57410
One cannot lavish enough superlatives on this work. The astounding, encyclopedic knowledge of the author of his subject matter, his loving dedication to it, and the insight and inconoclasism that permeates this tome all make for a wonderful reading. While every chapter of this book has something to recommend (especially the earlier chapters), I found the three chapters on the famous 16th century Ottoman master architect Mimar Sinan to be exceptionally poetic. I have recently carried an earlier edition of this book with me on a pilgrimage of sorts following the Sinan mosques in Istanbul from the earliest (Haseki Hu'rrem Mosque) through his more grand masterpieces such as the Sulaymaniae and his later sublime works such as Rustem Pasha and Sokollu Pasha mosques. All the details of interest were there as was the more arching overview of what the architect was up to and how he met or failed to meet the challenges at hand. The book covers the entire Anadoul plateau and some examples from the provinces. It is very informative on the influences of different architectural genres (the Byzantine and the Seljuk to name two obvious ones) on the Ottoman example. If art and architecture are windows into understanding and appreciating accomplishments of cultures and societies you would be hard put to find a better guide to Ottoman architectural and cultural achievements.
3918908
Anyone interested in Romanesque architecture and American architecture would be interested in this book. The quality of the images are outstanding as is the text.  The book describes Richardson's complete artistic career  and his numerous buildings in New England, Chicago, and throughout the U.S.
3320657
Tadao Ando has created the best new museum in America, across the street from Louis Kahn's classic Kimbell, and chief curator Michael Auping has done a brilliant installation of the museum's stellar collection.  To whet your appetite for a visit to Fort Worth, read this penetrating analysis of the creative process--a four-year series of exchanges between curator and architect. It's a must-have for everyone who cares about the art of building--for its insights and its exemplary design. (Michael Webb is the book reviewer for LA Architect magazine.)
2892237
I am so please to have this publication!  Edward Fickett is the architect of my current Fire Station - FS99 in Beverly Hills.  This wonderful book has given me tremendous insight as to his design style and mission.  I certainly can see now how our Fire Station is truly a project of his handiwork and the  Mid-Century Modern design.  As a lay person with just a love of architecture, but little knowledge, this has opened up a greater perspective to me.  What a lovely pleasure it is to know his wife and to live and work in one of his projects.  I am honored!
3109364
I had looked at this book at a friend's home and decided to buy it for myself.  It is an absolutely great book about working with Frank Lloyd Wright to build your dream home.  There is considerable detail about what discussions took place during the design and construction of the Hanna House.  FLW's character is well illustrated in the book.  Both my wife and I throughly enjoyed the book and have subsequently visited the Hanna House in Palo Alto, CA.
452982
This book is part of Arcadia Publishing's wonderful Images of America series. These are photobooks with detailed captions.  Charles and Edward Zwicker partnered with the Springfield Township Historical Society to locate virtually all available photos related to Whitemarsh Hall and the Stotesburys.

This book is a vital architectural reference for perhaps the grandest neoclassical residence designed by Horace Trumbauer. Whitemarsh Hall truly was "America's Versailles." The book illustrates how the Stotesbury family came to prominence in Philadelphia and briefly describes how Edward T. Stotesbury built his fortune that made it possible to commission this mansion and surrounding estate.

The book shows in many photos the mansion's construction, completion and many interior photos to reveal how magnificent this home was in the twilight years of America's Gilded Age. Every bit as fascinating are the photos of the mansion and its use after the Stotesburys passed away: its use during World War II and how it functioned as the headquarters for a large chemical company.

The book also documents the sad decline and eventual destruction from neglect and vandalism until it finally had to be demolished.  Most shocking was the modest tombstone that marks Edward Stotesbury's grave, a man who was once one of the richest men in America. I highly recommend this book to those wanting more information of one of the once-great mansions in the United States.
4684117
This books falls into a category of books about Frank Lloyd Wright houses that will forever be cherished for the information it relates as to who his clients were, what their expectations were and the extraordinary efforts they went through to realize a dream. The book is a great tribute to the Grants and their architect. The photos presented are not coffee table award winners but snapshots of the family that brought this commission to life and how they did it, much more significant in the long run. I wish there was a book like this for every significant home.