This volume presents 16 gatefold illustrations of as many outstanding buildings by architect Frank Ll. Wright, along with photos and brief appreciations. The gatefolds are Wright's own presentation drawings. You can almost see the individual bits of texture in the colored drawing leads. These pastel colored drawings have some beauty in themselves--Wright was a man of many talents--and are valuable to show what the architect found the centers of interest in each project.

The layout of the portfolio is ingenious: bound loose-leaf and prefaced by a page of appreciation, the gatefolds on medium stock will lay flat to the right for examination, or can be wholly removed. The reverse side of each contains another page of discussion, a small plan by William Storrer, and colored photos of interior as well as exterior views. I suppose one could cut off and frame the long drawings. All the text can be read without opening the gatefolds. Text and headings are set in a most attractive, 1930-ish Wrightian typeface ("Eaglefeather," I believe). This is not an essential study of Wright, but for the price it is impossible to go wrong with this quick overview of his most spectacular works.

This incredible fold-out book (called a gatefold) presents 16 of Frank Lloyd Wright's designs. Each structure is rendered (the original drawing)in a sepia tone that pulls out to a 2.5 foot gatefold.

On the other side of this gatefold are full-color photos of the structure, as well as a floor plan. The accompanying text describes how the commission was obtained, the construction, etc.

The book includes some of Wright's most famous residences, religious buildings, and public structures.

While not a complete overview of Wright's work, I gave it 5 stars because of the uniqueness of its presentation. I was just fascinated by the book's design-- it is beautiful, elegant, and informative.

Another Frank Lloyd Wright book to ad to my collection, got it real cheap to. Out of print, but there are tons of other ones in print.

The reviewer from Chicago has mistaken this book for another one. The author of this book is not Thomas A. Heinz. Mr. Heinz's books are of exceptionally high quality. This book as well as the Visual Encyclopedia authored by Mr. Thompson does contain a number of mis-identifications and an upside down picture of the Hollyhock House ornamentation.

This marvelous book is in 3 languages, English, German and French, in tandem, on each page. Printed on thick, glossy stock by Taschen, it is well written by Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer in a clear and graceful style, and expertly edited by Peter Gossel and Gabriele Leuthauser. The contents are as follows:
Part One: "Essay"; this is the section where most of the text is, and consists of these topics: Background, The Prairie Houses, The Space Within, Materials, Nature, The Flow of the Work, and Human Values.
Part Two is "Selected Buildings and Projects".
The final pages are devoted to a chronological biography and list of executed works.

Mr. Pfeiffer writes that "His eloquence in the manner in which he wrote and spoke of nature is surpassed only by the buildings he set on the earth" (pg. 28). The way his work is an integral part of its surroundings is pure genius. The photograph on page 118 of the famous Fallingwater House, with the waterfall seeming to come from the structure is a perfect example of this.
The architect is quoted as saying "Nature is all the body of God we will ever know" (pg.26), and his creations reflect this reverence for the landscape.

Part Two is profusely illustrated in black and white and color, with only explanatory text. As magnificent as these photographs are, what I find the most thrilling are the drawings. They are reproduced in color, many are yellowed, torn and with little adhesive tape marks, but are of astounding beauty, and a glimpse into the mind of this unique and brilliant man.

Mr. Pfeiffer became Frank Lloyd Wright's student in the Taliesin Fellowship, and is the director of the Frank Lloyd Wright Archives in Scottsdale, Arizona. This is one of numerous books he has written on Wright's life and work, and it is a fitting tribute to one of America's creative giants.

There are some of the best of the photos of Wright's work in this book, After seeing this work, Edgar Kaufmann, jr. hired Heinz to take the photos for his Fallingwater coffee table book.

Aparently the Reader from California has copied this review on to several of Mr. Heinz's book pages. This review does not seem to be appropriate to this book. This can easily be determined by simply looking at the three wonderful photos of the Hollyhock house. None of them are upside down. None of the 100 photos are mis-identified. These are wonderful photographs and this may be the first of Mr. Heinz's 20 some books, all are delight to have and look through.

Mr. Heinz, we want more of your work, keep at it.