Book Description
This clear and concise biography of FDR for the Library of American Biography series immerses students in both the personal and political side of one of the Twentieth Century’s most important figures, in a presidency that saw the very worst of the century: The Great Depression and World War II.
Customer Reviews:
Disappointing short biography of FDR.......2006-03-23
In his introduction, Allan Winkler states that this was a book that he had wanted to write for his entire academic career, a desire rooted both in his longtime interest in the era and his respect for other volumes in the Library of American Biography series. He goes on to cite two volumes in particular - Edmund Morgan's examination of John Winthrop and John Morton Blum's study of Woodrow Wilson - as ones that particularly impressed him.
Sadly, this book suffers by comparison to those earlier works. Part of the problem lies in Winkler's effort to grapple with the particulars of Franklin Roosevelt's life, one that included the longest presidency in American history, during which he lead the nation through the twin crises of the Great Depression and the Second World War. Such a career is filled with detail, and often Winkler seems overwhelmed by it all. All too often, the text degenerates into a litany of developments, with little overarching or explanatory analysis. Winkler's writing contributes to this, as he serves up standard prose containing no hint of the passion for his subject that he describes in his introduction.
As a result, Winkler's book doesn't measure up to the lofty standards of the series set by the volumes he cites as his inspiration. Though not a bad work, it fails to capture its legendary subject, losing him instead in the minutiae of his career. Readers seeking an introduction to Franklin Roosevelt and who desire such details will not be let astray, but anyone seeking a greater sense of the man and his achievements would do well to look elsewhere.
Book Description
Prairie Skyscraper traces the history and evolution of Wright's recently restored nineteen-story-skyscraper masterwork, which takes its place beside the S.C. Johnson Wax Research Tower as one of Wright's only two vertical structures-and, at 221 feet tall-his largest. Built as a multi-use skyscraper in 1956, the building is now a luxury hotel and arts center, featuring collections of the works of Bruce Goff and Frank Lloyd Wright, and soon a new museum facility designed by Zaha Hadid. Now, with all-new color photography, we are given access to this extraordinary architectural gem and the Wright-designed furnishings custom made for it.
Customer Reviews:
The Price Tower: Wright's Prairie Skyscraper.......2007-01-02
At last, a book about one of Wright's most unique designs, the Price Tower. It is an objective study and history of one of his designs without the philosophical fluff that accompanies so many Wright critiques. One does not need fluff when the architecture speaks for itself.
Book Description
From the 1920s through the 1950s, Hugh Ferriss was America's most ?celebrated architectural artist, famous for his dramatic charcoal ?renderings. First published in 1929, The Metropolis of Tomorrow was the ?quintessential document of the prosperity of the 1920s, as well as a ?personal manifesto of visionary urbanism. In it, Ferriss drew and ?discussed the American skyscraper and presented his romantic vision for ?an ideal city of the future.?
?This fascimile edition of this classic captures all the drama of the ?original volume, reprinting over 60 of Ferris's striking chiaroscuro ?renderings and his written commentary. In addition, included are over 40 ?additional drawings and photographs and an insightful essay by Carol ?Willis (author of Form Follows Finance) on Ferris's career. This ?historic document is available from Princeton Architectural Press for ?the first time in over five years.
Customer Reviews:
Brutal metropolis.......2006-06-10
I think that generally Dover Books are to be congratulated on reprinting many books that otherwise might never be seen again and priced very reasonably too. I don't think any plaudits are in order on this book though. I found the text very dull and the pictures gave an overall impression of blackness.
Hugh Ferris managed to develop a wonderful rendering technique (being trained as an architect no doubt helped) that seemed so suited to commercial buildings of size, especially skyscrapers. His black and white artwork is simply stunning but it needs to be printed on quality paper to bring out the subtleties of grey shading. The main problem with the book is the paper does nothing for his work and I was really made aware of this when I recently bought 'Power in Buildings' (ISBN 0940512114) a lovely reprint of his 1953 book. The fourth of his famous renderings from Evolution of the Set-back Building appears in both books but in the 'Power' edition the image looks so right.
His writing in 'Metropolis' came across as very long-winded, for example, this is from the last page of the book:
'As for personal and specific proposals, the author well knows how many parapets, other than the one we are now leaving, overlook the imaginary "Metropolis of Tomorrow" and he shares the common belief that few of the many visualizations currently being formulated can contribute more than a particle to the ultimate actuality'
The ten pages of words and pictures devoted to Set-back I thought the most interesting part of what he had to say.
Get his 'Power' book for a much better appreciation of his architectural thoughts and the fifty main renderings really look beautiful on good paper.
Magnificent Value.......2005-07-28
Ferriss's drawings had an immediate impact on architecture. Some of his projections are the purest distilling of Art Deco application to buildings one can find from the age. But Ferriss's effect on cinema and illustration has been very powerful as well, and far less documented. The 1-star-off is because the reproduction quality -- quite good, no doubt -- leaves some to be desired, nonetheless: the sfumato effects appear more like soft-focus than atmosphere and the graininess brings to mind infra-red film more than the grit of a huge city fueled by leaded gas and coal.
Visual philosopher.......1997-11-01
To say that this 1920's classic is anything other than a masterpiece would be proof of insanity. By "interpreting" a Law, (NY Zoning 1917), Ferriss found beauty in the hope of what might be. In today's world of 3D CAD and computers, Ferriss was able to use canvas to convey not merely ideas and requirements, but opportunities and emotions. There are few books that inspire architects more than this. The value of original prints of this is evident in that single plates are sold in New York for $20 apiece by street vendors Architects are usually too caught up in the details to appreciate the beauty of buildings. Leave it then, to a painter to bring out the beauty and grace of buildings that were meant to inspire, or were not meant to be.
Book Description
A compelling preview of the world of the twenty-first-century city dweller can be seen in the visionary work of an architect whose bioclimatic approach to skyscraper design sets new standards for high-rise construction. This comprehensive monograph examines the design elements that characterize Yeang's famous "green skyscrapers": low-energy, passive techniques for lighting and heating, environmentally friendly materials for facades and interiors, well-planned pedestrian linkages, public zones, innovative multiple-use areas, and stunning vistas. Numerous examples include built projects designed by his Malaysian firm, as well as theoretical case studies. 100 color illustrations.
Average customer rating:
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Carson Pirie Scott: Louis Sullivan and the Chicago Department Store (Chicago Architecture and Urbanism)
Joseph M. Siry
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
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| Professional & Technical
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Sullivan, Louis
| Architects, A-Z
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General
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All Titles
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| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
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ASIN: 0226761363 |
Book Description
Long recognized as a Chicago landmark, the Carson Pirie Scott Building also represents a milestone in the development of architecture. The last large commercial structure designed by Louis Sullivan, the Carson building reflected the culmination of the famed architect's career as a creator of tall steel buildings. In this study, Joseph Siry traces the origins of the building's design and analyzes its role in commercial, urban, and architectural history.
Customer Reviews:
The Best.......2006-03-01
This is by far the best book I've ever read about Emery Roth. So good!
Emery Roth: New York's underappreciated architect.......2001-10-03
Ruttenbaum's book on Emery Roth (1871-1948) is a biography as well as a survey of the buildings he designed. The author successfully explains Roth's role in creating high-rise hotels and apartment buildings that combined attractive exteriors with more efficient, more livable interiors than had been the case before Roth. Architects like Wright, Pei, and LeCorbusier may be better known, but their buildings were designed as works of art, not buildings to be lived in. In contrast, Roth's buildings combined functionality and attractiveness. As Ruttenbaum walks us through Roth's career, we see how he gradually fine-tuned his ability to craft functional floor plans. Roth's works include such New York landmarks as the Beresford, Warwick, San Remo, St. Moritz, Ritz Tower, and hundreds of others.
Two small quibbles regarding this book: Why did Ruttenbaum omit the Hotel Dixie (now Hotel Carter), which was noteworthy for having a long-distance bus station in its basement, complete with turntable? And why did the author use the last chapter to fawn uncritically over the works of Emery Roth's sons, who, lacking their father's aesthetic sense, have produced buildings comprising the worst of 60s-era architecture? Ruttenbaum's book includes a multitude of photos, averaging roughly one per page, as well as 25 floor plans.
Lost Elegance in the Architecture of Emory Roth.......2000-06-01
In the impersonal concrete and glass caverns of New York City, one can still find survivors of a more gracious, yet jazz-age modern, era. Mansions in the Clouds introduces readers to the career and major buildings of architect Emory Roth. His residential hotels and apartment buildings graced the New York skyline with impressive profiles while retaining human scale and classical detailing. The exterior renderings, interior photographs, floor plans, and descriptive detail assist the reader in recapturing and appreciating the genius of Emory Roth. Tea at the Ritz has become an impossible dream, but the Beresford, San Remo, and other Roth-designed buildings remain as inspirations for any of today's architects who are eager to appropriate these masterpieces of the past and express them in a contemporary idiom. Most of all, the book is an indulgence for all of us who daydream of our own manison in the clouds.
Book Description
The skyscraper is the building type that dominates our cities, absorbs vast amounts of capital in design, construction and maintenance, and houses large numbers of people in offices and apartments. Ada Louise Huxtable--America's most acclaimed architecture critic, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and a MacArthur Prize Fellow--offers here an energetic defense of cities and a brilliant consideration of the skyscraper as art, as business, as the product of politics and speculation.
Customer Reviews:
Keep Looking Up!.......2005-12-20
The Skyscraper: Yes, it's the nearest thing to heaven we have here - in New York, Chicago and all around.
Ms Huxtable, who is THE architecture critic, gives an intelligent and highly insightful overview of the tall building. How is it built? How does the exterior express the building's structure? How do we know - visually - when we are at the top and by the way, how should the top of a skyscraper end? What set of feelings does this kind of a building evoke in the viewer?
The answers are still emerging, about what makes a skyscraper have style. And most Americans, God bless `em, know what is authentic, what is a "near miss" and what is pretentious just by looking. How good it is of Ms H to confirm or challenge our perceptions!
This book is definitely NOT just for architects to read - although all of them ought to have it in their library. Because tall buidings are all around us. It is for the man and woman on the street, who cannot help but stand there on the pavement and look up and enjoy what they see.
Average customer rating:
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Twice in a Lifetime: From Soaps to Skyscrapers
Charles Luckman
Manufacturer: W W Norton & Co Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
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Business
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Production & Operations
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ASIN: 0393025845 |
Book Description
Fazlur Rahman Khan was born in Bangladesh in 1929 and immigrated to the United States in 1950. His innovative approach to tall building design and attention to esthetic detail earned him the reputation as the "Einstein of Structural Engineering". A Partner and Chief Structural Engineer of the world-renowned firm of Skidmore, Owens & Merrill, Khan developed the bundled-tube configuration, a revolutionary concept in tall building structure that virtually redefined the limits of the skyscraper.
The Art of the Skyscraper is the first serious study of Khan's work and life¾from the 1950s when he studied at the University of Illinois, to the 1970s when the world watched as his phenomenal designs for the John Hancock Center and Sears Tower rose out of the Chicago skyline, to the 1980s when his engineering principles began to change urban skylines everywhere, with buildings that include the Bank of China Building in Hong Kong and the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, today's world's tallest building. With illustrations and detailed drawings, this intriguing monograph is an invaluable resource for students, architects, engineers and readers interested in skyscrapers.
Customer Reviews:
Two Books in One.......2003-02-17
As its titles suggest, this book is really two in one.
The Art of the Skyscraper is a well-written exposition of Khan's very important contribution to the design and construction of tall buildings and. in the process, insights into the problems that must be overcome in realizing such designs. I believe that many laymen, as well as structural engineers and architects will enjoy this part.
The book aslo describes the too-short life of a great engineer and equally great humanitarian, and gives an unusually good description of his thought processes in solving design prpblems.
Book Description
The Chicago Tribune Tower competition was one of the largest, most important and most controversial design contests of the 1920s. The international competition generated 263 entries for the design of the new Tribune office building, and they represented a broad constellation of approaches to the skyscraper at a time of transition. In the decades following the competition, the design entries have often been evaluated in terms of the rise and demise of particular conceptions of modernism. This study examines the various contexts in which the Chicago Tribune Tower design competition took place and how they shaped the event. Analyzing how the competition contributed to changing concepts of the skyscraper, it also demonstrates how it engaged with the production of consumer culture, with conflicts of national identity and cultural unity, and with a newspaper’s efforts to produce a civic and corporate icon during the turbulent years following World War I.
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Domino's Mansion: Thoman Monoghan, Gunnar Mirkerts and the Spirit of Frank Lloyd Wright
Manufacturer: Probe Press, Troy, MI
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
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Wright, Frank Lloyd
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General
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ASIN: 0962104507 |
Books:
- Genocide: Essays Toward Understanding, Early-Warning, and Prevention
- Geronimo: His Own Story: The Autobiography of a Great Patriot Warrior
- Getting To Know The South Pacific
- Global Studies: Africa (Global Studies Africa)
- Great Failures of the Extremely Successful: Mistakes, Adversity, Failure and Other Stepping Stones to Success
- Historical Moments: Changing Interpretations of America's Past, Volume 2
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
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Readings in Presidential Politics
