just as Frank Lloyd Wright reflected on the environment in every situation, it was as though he were consulting a calendar, very much the Feng Shui master of homes and high-rises, and in the case of this home he uses two old concepts to great effect, making the situation one of effortless variabilty, or timeless change as we'd call it today. The only comparison I wuold make here is in the area of travel memoirs; compare Dennis Casey's aestethic views with Carleton Beals "Glass House", an auot-biographical imprint that visits Mexico, Spain, and Italy, etc.
and you get the general idea. There used to be a proverbial saying for Architecture students at Universities; accredited to 'Old Frosty' (whether correctly, we've yet to ascertain) "There is a 'WRIGHT' way... and then there is the 'Other Guys' way!" But by any yardstick-this book is great!

I've been buying FLLW glass patterns from Dennis Casey for years. I own all his other books and this is his best yet! For those who follow Wright's designs and his display of truth through art, accuracy and explanation are very important. Dennis Casey was allowed to take his micrometer into the Hollyhock house. Reading this book is like walking through the house. Each step is beautifully detailed: "...with surrounding glass, is exciting in the true since of the word. It is as if you walked into a room with a full symphony orchestra playing."

Three quarters of the book is detailed drawings, which will satisfy even the most picayune artisan among us. I'll continue to stare at these pages until I understand.

How often have we tried to sift through all the clutter of the encyclopedic volumes of baby care advice usually found on the bookshelves today? With Dr. Carl Robinson's Basic Baby Care, there's no problem. It's written in simple, easy-to-understand words of wisdom from an African American pediatrician who saw the need to present his expertise and experience in a format anyone could understand. And it works. Targeting a segment of the population that may or may not have a level of education needed to decipher complicated medical terms, and offering no-nonsense advice about such things as child abuse, male/female relationships, and single parenting, Dr. Robinson has succeeded, in only 160 pages, in making readers say, "THAT'S what I needed to know!"

I spent the summer 1998 field season working in the Glacier National Park, Montana area on the Greater Glacier Bear DNA Project. Pursuant to our study we were required to analyze Grizzly bear habitat and plant species identification played a key role in the succes of our field work. This book was an invaluable field companion. It functioned as both a key, and reference manual. There was not one species encountered in the field that was not contained in this book. Not only does it contain good photos to aid in identification, but description and background material give both novice and professional assurance of correct identification. This book cover trees, shrubs, perrenials, mosses, lichens, and liverworts. During 3 1/2 months of remote backcountry research, it was always in my pack.

I bought this book 3 years ago and totally love it.The plant info and the photographs are beautiful. A lot of the info comes from Natives and give the readers information on what the plants can be used for like remedies for toothaches etc. The photographs, over 1000 of them, are all done in colour and are absolutely beautiful. I would have paid 3 times the amount for this book. A must for the outdoorsman.

Dennis Smith gives a great account of what it was like to be a firefighter in a time and place -- the South Bronx in the 1960's -- that most of us can only imagine.

The book does an excellent job of showing us life through the eyes of men who risked their lives every single day simply for the love of the job and for the satisfaction that they were helping in a place that in many ways was beyond help.

A quick read -- well written and quite thought provoking.

This book, when I first read it in the 70's as a kid, cemented my desire to be a firefighter. It went past the gleaming paint and chrome and really showed me the grit of the job; that it wasn't always the glorious one I had envisioned but more of a thankless one. Dennis Smith's vivid imagery makes you feel like you're in the battle right there with his company. It also shows the toll that firefighting takes on it's participants, the physical as well as the emotional scars the job leaves. Smith takes you through his personal life, discussing his humble childhood and the effect his career has on his adult life.

All in all, a wonderful story that grabs you at the beginning and doesn't let go until the last page.

Dennis Smith takes us into a world seldom seen by the average person. His accounts are gripping and have you believe you're on the hoseline backing up the nozzleman. It is a truly captivating book that shows the reader what really is the root of urban decay. As a fellow firefighter, I couldn't put this book down and have re-read it several times. It is a timeless piece that shows what it's like to be a New York City firefighter. I recommend this to everybody.

This book tells a story of a hard life, but without great bitterness or constant regret. It has the voice of a modest person who has reluctantly agreed to tell us some of the truths about life if we are willing to slow down and listen. The narrator is an orphan boy who is adopted by a Minnesota farm family in the early 1920's. The story covers his life from early childhood to young adulthood. At all times in the book the narrator is very concerned with discovering his birth mother. The narrator is adopted and raised to be a "hired man"; a laborer for his adoptive parents. The book tells many stories about conditions in a America that seems to be centuries away in attitudes and practices. Was life better or worse in that "simpler" time? The author lays out both cases often in the same episode. As like so many people in the Midwest who have rural area relatives, ancestors or other connections, I very much appreciated learning about Minnesota farm life during that era, attitudes toward children, and views of the outside world and events by rural people of that day. The narrators coninual search for his birth mother is also especially touching.

Lloyd A. Clausen is adopted, but he is alone. The adversity he faces as a child, shapes him as a man. Even at a tender age, he simply plays the hand that he is dealt, and manages to show the mature understanding that people are capable of good as well as bad. A heartbreaking story that is beautifully told. You want to give Lloyd Clausen a hug to get him over the next tragedy. If you are not moved by this book, you won't be moved by any book.

I, too, could not put this book down once I started reading it. This story has a most authentic ring to it and moved me to tears quite a few times throughout. The story of Loyd's childhood is delivered without fanfare, yet it seems almost lyrical all the while effectively depicting rural life in the Midwest during the 20s, 30s, and 40s. Terrific and insightful characterization, too; I wanted to hate Ma and Pa but, as Loyd eventually did, I ended up feeling sorry for them and could forgive them in the end. I felt as if I had actually met most of these people described in the book. I'm grateful I picked this book up and recommend it wholeheartedly!

I'm a sailor and recently purchased this book as a refernce for my wife who is just getting into the sport.

We've found the book an excellent "learn to sail" guide. The text is well thought out and the diagrams are good. I'd recommend this to anyone interested in learning to sail.

The drawback to the book is Dennis Connor's constant references to his own sailing victories (there's one every few pages). He even brags about the shamefull incident where he found that the only way he could win back the Americas Cup from the Kiwis was to use a catamaran and a courtroom.

This aside, this is still a book worth buying.

If you are starting from the beginning, this is a good book. Sailing can be intimidating for the beginner because sailing jargon is almost a whole new language. Connor describes things in simple and understandable terms. It doesn't matter that almost all of the ropes on a boat are not called ropes. Connor clearly knows his business and effectively teaches in a very understandable way. I did not get to read his book until after I had already become a reasonably proficient sailor. I wish it had been available in the beginning

This text was great for the beginner. It teaches how to sail small boats in protected waters very well. It teaches how sailboats work in simple accurate terms. Topics such as: types of boats, types of rigs, parts of a boat, directions, types of sails, and sailing angles are covered. It teaches: how sailboats work, safety, hoisting sails, knots and sailing effectively at all angles to the wind. It teaches how to launch and put your boat away. I learned everything I needed to sail my small sailboat in protected waters with this book. Whenever I had some difficulties out on the water, I was able to refer to this book for accurate assistance. I feel that this is one of the best books for the beginning sailor.

I just took my first stained glass class, and I was looking for a pattern book of designs that I actually LIKED, as opposed to the schmaltzy stuff that is so easy to come by. I own a bungalow, and I love Frank Lloyd Wright, so this was perfect for me. It's also fairly easy for beginners, because most of the patterns have only straight lines - no curves.

There are only a few colored examples, but if you're familiar with Wright's work, or if you're creative enough to come up with your own colors, this is a great resource! I was just so happy to find this! I really didn't want to spend hours creating unicorns & rainbows!

When I received this book, with the intention of using it for actual stained glass patterning, I was surprised to find that the patterns are presented on translucent paper. It is clearly designed to be colored and then hung on a window - a great kid's project, no doubt. The images are clear enough for patterning, but the lack of those little niceties like color examples and piece counts is disheartening.

I bought this book as a reference to make my own copies of F.L.
W's windows as stained glass and also as quilts. It's perfect for this use! I will have to research the colors as all of the pages are in black and white, or I can do my own colors.

My husband and I were given this book by our pastor to use in our premarital counseling. We found it to be utterly superficial and disappointing. The examples the book gives are very trite and not very enlightening. A lot of the chapters brought up issues that we had already discussed many times (and we hadn't be dating for more than a year and a half). The only purpose of them for us was to tell the pastor what we had already talked about. In fact, we thought that if couples had not already talked about most of the things in the book, they must have some serious communication problems. The book takes a very traditional view on the woman's place in the marriage. It isn't super-conservative, but it was a bit conservative for us and we don't consider ourselves liberal. Also the authors used Bible passages out of context. While the verses made good points where they were in the book, its not what they mean in the Biblical context. I know it is very hard to find good books on this subject. Most of them stay in the realm of superficiality and cheeze, and this is another one of those books.

I am familiar with Family Life. They are on a par with Dr. James Dobson's outfit, Focus On The Family. They are a part of the umbrella organization Campus Crusade For Christ. Dennis Rainey and Bob Lepine have a daily radio show called Family Life Today. I've read this book and I have other books by Dennis Rainey and Barbara Rainey about marriage and teenagers.
A lot of this information is also in their conferences and Family Life really tries super hard to connect not only with your mind by providing you some insight into marriage troubles and how to overcome them...but Family Life goes beyond this and motivates and urges action. This book is a book to use as a workbook to put you through the action part of working out the ultimate question... "is this The Person."
I read this book AFTER i was married and was seeking answers to questions. This book has an accompanying Leaders Guide that is intended to be used by a mentor right alongside the real book used by the couple. I have the leaders guide and if the book is used with the leaders guide with an older wiser mature couple guiding the younger couple this book can be a wealth of valuable information. I recommend the book from a conservative southern baptist perspective and I know absolutely that even liberal christians will get a lot out of this book.

Wow! My husband and I used this book in our premarital counseling class and we learned more about what a true Godly marriage is all about. From your roles and responsibilities, to handling your finances, to unrealistic expectations, even to dealing with each others pasts. I don't know what we would have done if it wasn't for this book, it helped so much in determining our strengths and our growth areas. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is engaged or contemplating marriage! We still go through parts of it even though we're now married!

Frank Lloyd Wright advised in his autobiography that "no home should ever be on a hill"; instead, it should be "of the hill, belonging to it." Just as gestalt theory described the holistic connections between figures and backgrounds, Wright emphasized the interdependence of an architectural structures and their surroundings. It is said that he always decided the site before considering a building's style, its spatial orientation, or the materials with which to build it. Of all his projects, there may be no better example of that than Fallingwater (c. 1938), a small but elaborate home in the woods (commissioned by a wealthy Pittsburgh department store owner named Edgar J. Kaufmann) in which the building is embedded in the landscape, making it inseparable from the waterfall, woods, and cantilevered rock ledges of its location. While much has been written about Fallingwater as a completed structure, less has been said about its preparatory drawings, the friendship between merchant prince and master builder, and the dozen projects that Wright and the Kaufmanns intended to build (few of which were ever realized) from 1934 until the architect's death in 1959. This is the full-color catalog for an exhibition of fifty of the more than 600 Wright drawings for projects commissioned by Kaufmann, which opened on 10 April and continues through 3 October 1999 at the Heinz Architectural Center at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh. (Copyright by Roy R. Behrens from Ballast Quarterly Review, Vol. 14, No. 4, Summer 1999.)