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The Architectural Guidebook to New York City Review

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The Architectural Guidebook to New York City ReviewThe most obvious reason to replace the AIA Guide with this book is size. Dealing with only one borough enables the author to go into more detail while reducing the size of the book. The AIA Guide is about half the size of a large yellow pages. The Architectural Guidebook to NYC is about the size of an average novel. That makes a big difference when you're stuffing it into your backpack or purse for a trip on subway or foot.
The more extensive entries are very welcome. In Union Square with this book and a view of the surrounding buildings, I was able to spend a pleasant and informative hour on a park bench, for free. That's a better bargain than the Staten Island Ferry.
Morrone keeps the architect's jargon to a minimum and knows his subject well. The historical insights and views on clashing aesthetics were skillfully presented. He pointed out a couple of museums of very high caliber that I wasn't even aware of. A book like this is a perfect jumping off point for thousands of topics, from neighborhoods to cultures to politics to construction.
I would encourage him to write similar books on the other buroughs, or better yet, an even more detailed work on each of the neighborhoods of Manhattan: each of them has at least a thousand buildings worth writing about.The Architectural Guidebook to New York City Overview

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Window Seat: Europe: Reading the Landscape from the Air Review

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Window Seat: Europe: Reading the Landscape from the Air ReviewWindow Seat is the ideal companion to anyone who flies - or even armchair fliers who like to look at the world. The book is divided into roughly geographical sections that contain a wealth of information about the earth below. Flying will never be he same for me!Window Seat: Europe: Reading the Landscape from the Air Overview

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Adirondack Moments Review

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Adirondack Moments ReviewA gem of a book. Buy it for a Christmas present. Buy it for a birthday present. Buy it for yourself.
The pictures are a fantastic menage of the scenery and the seasons of the Adirondacks. The captions are simple but succinct narratives that bring you into the photographs at a different level of enjoyment and understanding. They are not unconnected, superfluous comments.
Do not expect the usual well known icons of the Park. Do expect to be surprised by the simple water fall in the woods, the beauty of the foliage on the ground and the leaves and needles in the trees. All these are photographed as if you just walked out of the woods and the falls came into view, or you looked down as you were walking a path in the woods and saw the beauty at your feet or you looked to the beauty above in the trees and the sky. I felt like I was involved in the journey through the book and not a voyageur from outside.
The total arrangement of the photos, space and captions worked together to provide a 'zen' quality adventure. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to have a book that represents the essence of the Adirondack Park and for anyone who just wants a beautiful book.Adirondack Moments Overview

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The Autobiography of an Idea (Dover Architecture) Review

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The Autobiography of an Idea (Dover Architecture) ReviewAny student of architecture, particularly the modern movement, will enjoy reading this work by the mentor of Frank Lloyd Wright and, arguably, the father of modern architecture. In it, Louis Sullivan writes about himself growing from a child into a man, and recounts his personal drive, his fascination with nature, his love of man, bridges, engineering, and buildings, and his desire to create something new without the help of the dusty books of Neo-classicism. Louis Sullivan was never known for his modesty, and the tone of this book is nothing less than self-celebratory, which lends an overall optimistic tone to it. A bonus is the extensive photo plate section - it's interesting to see how his works grew as he did. Unfortunately the plates don't coincide with the text, which is the major flaw in this edition. Overall, though, it's wonderful insight into the mind of this influential architect.The Autobiography of an Idea (Dover Architecture) Overview

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Four Huts: Asian Writings on the Simple Life Review

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Four Huts: Asian Writings on the Simple Life ReviewBurton Watson, the well-known translator of 'The Complete Works of Chuang Tzu' and Ssu-Ma Chien's 'Records of the Grand Historian of China,' here turns his attention to something much slighter, though perhaps no less profound.
'Four Huts' is made up of four short prose pieces or 'chi' (Records) praising the wisdom of the simple life: 'Record of the Thatched Hall on Mount Lu,' by the major T'ang poet, Po Chu-i; 'Record of the Pond Pavilion' by Yoshishige no Yasutane; 'Record of the Ten-Foot-Square-Hut' by Kamo no Chomei; and 'Record of the Hut of the Phantom' by the famous haiku poet, Matsuo Basho.
All four of these 'Records' or essays have the same theme: the wisdom of removing oneself from the rat-race, setting up a simple residence in beautiful natural surroundings, and getting back in touch with one's real nature and with real things. They celebrate, as Po Chu-i puts it, being 'happy with one's surroundings and at peace within' (page 9). Short, and easy to read, it would be a wonderful book to have along with you on your next trip to the forests, lakes, or mountains.
The book also contains a brief, though somewhat uninspired Preface, by Watson; brief Introductions and endnotes to each piece; and twelve fine halftone illustrations, by the remarkably competent Zen calligrapher Stephen Addiss, which help set the mood
It's a small and beautiful book of just 132 pages that will easily fit into a purse or shirt-pocket, well-printed in two colors on a heavy high-quality ivory-tinted paper, bound in a stiff glossy illustrated wrapper, and it even has persimmon endpapers. As a book, it would have been perfect if only someone had thought to add stitching.
Most of us probably realize that it is the simplest things in life that bring us the greatest joys - a simple and unostenatious dwelling, time in which to unwind and become what we are supposed to be, a refreshing breeze, sunlight, wholesome food, raindrops, birdsong, the sound of water, children's laughter, a well-loved book.
But despite knowing this we allow ourselves to be seduced by the tinsel glamor and superficial excitements of the bustling metropolis. And the question raised by this book is just which of the two, the simple or the glamorous, provides the richest and most rewarding satisfactions?
'Four Huts' will probably be read by those who need it least. But it would make an ideal gift for some Prozac-popping friend you think needs it most. It might, with a bit of luck, just end up changing their life.Four Huts: Asian Writings on the Simple Life Overview

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AMC's Best Day Hikes Near New York City: Four-season Guide to 50 of the Best Trails in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey Review

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AMC's Best Day Hikes Near New York City: Four-season Guide to 50 of the Best Trails in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey ReviewFull disclosure -- I am the author's brother. That said, I genuinely enjoyed this book, and more importantly, have used it in planning local hikes for my two boys (ages six and three). The write-ups go beyond "follow the path for three miles and turn left at the bridge by the stream," as many guide books do. Readers get wonderful context to help enjoy an excellent selection of local hikes -- a great antidote for those of us in the NYC metro area who feel like there is no outdoors left. There is -- you just have to know where to go to find it. An easy exercise with this book.AMC's Best Day Hikes Near New York City: Four-season Guide to 50 of the Best Trails in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey Overview

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AMC's Best Day Hikes near Washington, D.C.: Four-season Guide to 50 of the Best Trails in Maryland, Virginia, and the Nation's Capital Review

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AMC's Best Day Hikes near Washington, D.C.: Four-season Guide to 50 of the Best Trails in Maryland, Virginia, and the Nation's Capital ReviewThis is a very useful, and helpful, easy book to read. The hikes are detailed well and the maps and directions are clear. The tips and pictures are true to what you will encounter if you try these pleasant hikes. Even if you don't actually get out there and walk these trails ,the wonderful stories in the Nature and History Essays are a bonus.AMC's Best Day Hikes near Washington, D.C.: Four-season Guide to 50 of the Best Trails in Maryland, Virginia, and the Nation's Capital Overview

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An Elegant Wilderness: Great Camps and Grand Lodges of the Adirondacks (The Architecture of Leisure) Review

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An Elegant Wilderness: Great Camps and Grand Lodges of the Adirondacks (The Architecture of Leisure) ReviewI really wanted to like this book. Which isn't to say it doesn't have good points. Written in collaboration with the Adirondack Museum, the author drew upon the museum's archives to assemble a very nice array of period photographs. The text is informative. In particular it discuses each camp's chain of ownership across the generations. This is material which is not readily available.
So why was I somewhat disappointed? For a book written in collaboration with a museum, I would have expected something a little more scholarly. In particular, Elegant Wilderness is lacking with respect to maps and diagrams. At the very least there should have been an overall map of the Adirondacks indicating the location of each camp. Also sorely needed were sketch plans of the layout of each camp. A half a dozen photos for each camp, with no clear indication of orientation, made it impossible to visualize the overall arrangement of the buildings.
One example of this: the day before I purchased this book, I took the guided tour of the Sagamore camp near Raquette Lake. I was struck by the layout of the buildings, the contrast between the "upper" and "lower" camps, the isolation of the staff buildings, the magnificent setting of the main camp and dining hall overlooking the lake, etc. But when I looked at the Sagamore chapter in Elegant Wilderness, none of this was apparent. I could glean little about how the buildings related to one another and how the camp overall was oriented. Something that a simple sketch plan could have alleviated.
Let me be clear: I don't regret purchasing Elegant Wilderness. I have a long standing interested in the Adirondacks and the Great Camps and I usually reflexively buy anything related to that topic. In that sense this books fits in well with my interests and I enjoyed perusing it. I just wish it had better realized its potential.
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Waterlilies and Lotuses: Species, Cultivars, and New Hybrids Review

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Waterlilies and Lotuses: Species, Cultivars, and New Hybrids ReviewI just bought this latest edition of Waterlilies and Lotuses after owning the last one for a few years and I was glad to see photos and information on many new varieties.
Some of the new listings, with photos, include Foxfire, King of Siam, Carla's Sonshine, Islamorada, Innocence, Miami Rose and many others.
A lot of great species lilies are also listed, with photos, such as the Victoria lilies, the Australian Gigantea lilies, Eurayle Ferox and others.
All descriptions of the lilies include information such as flower size, shape and fragrance and leaf sizes colors and spread. Also included on most lilies is the date of introduction, the person who hybridized them and the parent plants of the hybrids when known.
The authors also give recommendations as to what size pond or tub is best suited for a particular lily.
I like this book and think it can be helpful for persons deciding which plants to purchase for their pond.Waterlilies and Lotuses: Species, Cultivars, and New Hybrids Overview

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Top Trails: Yosemite: Must-Do Hikes for Everyone (Top Trails: Must-Do Hikes) Review

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Top Trails: Yosemite: Must-Do Hikes for Everyone (Top Trails: Must-Do Hikes) ReviewWilderness Press originally conceived of the 'Top Trails' series as a set of hiking guides to the best trails in an area. This purpose sets these volumes apart from typical hiking guides which tend to fall into two categories: comprehensive guides to all trails in a region, or descriptions of short day hiking opportunities in an area. The idea was to give visitors to a region quick access to the best hiking and to facilitate ease of use. Perhaps no area of California needs a 'Top Trails' guide as much as Yosemite and very few authors are as qualified to write one as Jeffrey Schaffer.
This book is divided into seven chapters: one for each region of the park. Each chapter lists 5 to 8 hikes ranging in distance from the 1/2 mile walk at Bridalveil Falls to a 33 mile excursion among the High Sierra Camps. Obviously, some of these trails are more suitable for backpacking, a feature that distinguishes this book from others in the 'Top Trails' series. All the great hikes are included. Readers will find route descriptions for Half Dome, the Tuolomne Grove of Sequoias (my favorite grove in the park), Clouds Rest, Hetch Hetchy Resevoir, Glacier Point, and many more. In all, there are 45 trails and routes described here.
What makes this book so good are the standard features found in other 'Top Trails' guides and the expert commentary of Schaffer. Each chapter begins with an overview of the region, a trails summary page listing distance, difficulty, and some highlights of the trails, followed by detailed trail descriptions and carefully drawn maps. Schaffer is one of the top cartographers in the west and his maps are second to none. But in addition to these standard features, Schaffer also offers an extended commentary on the geology, geography, and plant and animal communities found in the park. His theory that Yosemite Valley's rock walls were formed by faulting and vertical fracture planes, not solely by glaciers, is explained in these pages, along with the evidence for it, so that non-specialists can easily understand what they observe as they hike. This sort of expert commentary adds immeasurably to the joy of hiking. That is why I strongly recommend this book by Schaffer. It can enhance any vacation to Yosemite.Top Trails: Yosemite: Must-Do Hikes for Everyone (Top Trails: Must-Do Hikes) Overview

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Pilgrimage Review

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Pilgrimage ReviewI spent the weekend reading this book cover to cover. I love the idea of PILGRIMAGE and am inspired that Annie Leibovitz can take her incredible talent and use it for self-discovery while taking stunning photos to share with the world. I was fascinated by the subjects she chose and their interelationships. What I didn't like is that the photographs and the text describing them are often many pages apart, and the narrative about an individual or place is interrupted by pages of photographs on a completely different subject. However, I am very glad that I purchased the book and know that I will go back to it again and again.Pilgrimage Overview

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Backroads of North Carolina: Your Guide to Great Day Trips & Weekend Getaways Review

Backroads of North Carolina: Your Guide to Great Day Trips and Weekend Getaways

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Backroads of North Carolina: Your Guide to Great Day Trips & Weekend Getaways ReviewMy wife and I just returned from a trip through the mountains of North Carolina and this book was our constant companion. The routes are easy to follow and the writing is excellent, full of odd tidbits and occasional cautions that no GPS gives you. Best of all are the beautiful photos. Even if we never return to North Carolina, this book is a keeper just for its many amazing photographs. Highly recommended.Backroads of North Carolina: Your Guide to Great Day Trips & Weekend Getaways Overview

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