A sumptuous 440 page visual record of this southern Californian house design program. It is a big book (at a BIG price) weighing TWELVE POUNDS and the landscape format opens up spreads thirty-four inches wide, beatifully printed with English, German and French text.

Each of the thirty-six houses is covered in the same way with:
1 A short introduction by editor Smith
2 The relevant editorial copy from Arts & Architecture magazine about the house.
3 Photos, plans, diagrams, illustrations. Lots of the photos are by the brilliant Jules Shulman and I doubt you will see them this big anywhere else.
4 Color photos of the house today.

Some of houses only have a spread or two (the unbuilt ones) while others have several spreads, Pierre Koenig's famous Stahl House (#22) has twenty pages. I was intriqued by a photo on one of these, it shows the living room with a small table on which are the obligatory selection of magazines, two of these are 'America', the Russian language publication put out in the sixties by the US Information Agency, were these on display when the house was open to the pubic or did Shulman put them there just for the photo session?

I have given this glorious book only four stars because it is not as complete as it should be, the focus is very narrow, essentially a visual history of the Study Houses and that's it! What is missing is any historical and contemporary background and surely the reason the whole project was important was the influence it had on other architects, house builders, planners, the public and manufactures.

To get a perspective you will have to get Elizabeth Smith's earlier book 'Blueprints for Modern Living' published in conjunction with an exhibition in Los Angeles in 1989-1990. As the sub-title to the book says...'History and Legacy of the Case Study Houses' I found this a marvellous book telling me every thing I wanted to know, though there are only forty-two pages of text and photos on the actual houses. It is a pity that a lot of the information in the remaining 214 pages was not included in this huge volume.

Now that I have the book, where will I put it, who makes bookcases over sixteen inches deep anyway? Maybe I'll just leave it on a table. I bet it will soon pop up in those house interior photos you see in glossy magazines where folk have piles of large art books neatly arranged on their coffee tables, the cover with its black and white diagonal design will make it very visible. Send me an email if you catch a glimse of it in a magazine.

Surprisingly, this massive tome is not bound in plates of steel as a complement to the wood boards enclosing TaschenÕs equally massive tome on Neutra. Though oneÕs first reaction is to call for a forklift and a lectern, this bookÑlike its predecessorÑjustifies its bulk and price. ItÕs the tribute John EntenzaÕs initiative has earned: for his achievement in proposing 36 innovative houses and getting 24 built, and for the projectÕs enduring fame, from Tokyo to Auckland. In contrast to the MOCA catalogue for SmithÕs exhibition Blueprints for Modern Living, the classic photos and many unfamiliar sketches leap off these pages. The story is told chronologically, with covers and text from the issues of Arts + Architecture in which these plans were first unveiled. A treasureÑwell worth a splurge. (Michael Webb is the book reviewer for LA Architect magazine.)

This drug book is organized extremely well for easy use. You can obtain dosaging information quicker than other veterinary drug books with a convenient formulary in the front of each section. It is nice that the doses are separated for large animal vs small animal. The only drawback of this book lies in the drug descriptions in that they are not complete. The specific drug descriptions will provide a general idea of the drug's uses and major side effects and available sizes, but not some of the more comprehensive information that is sometimes necessary.

This book contains three sections; small animals, large animals and exotics, with each section being split into drug dosages, antimicrobials/anthelmintics and descriptions of drugs.

Each sub-section is alphabetically ordered making it quick and easy to find whatever drug you are looking for, and there is a comprehensive index in the back containing both generic and trade names as well as some diseases and therapies! The down side of this is that the trade names relate to Canada and USA so some of the British drugs aren't listed by trade name. I haven't found this to be too much of a problem, but sometimes it is difficult to find drugs if you only know the trade name.

I found the drug dosages sections very useful as not only does it give the dose but also it gives the different doses for different indications and administration routes. I especially liked the exotics section since it gives you detailed information on rodents, rabbits, ferrets, reptiles and birds; subjects on which data is usually difficult to come by.

The size of the book makes it very handy to keep in your bag for reference during lectures and it is small enough to fit in your pocket when on clinics.

This book provides the usefulness of a formulary and the convenience of dosage charts, all combined into one pocket-sized handbook. It has been a great aid to my studies and I highly recommend it to vet students on either side of the Atlantic.

It's not too often that you get a Civilian view of the Civil War. This book shows how Seccesh and Unionists acted towards each other in a border state, depending upon who's troops were occupying the town of Lexington (Home of John Hunt Morgan). The diary was written by a homebound girl (she had epilepsy) with Union leanings. The area that she saw from her window still exists today, including her home and others mentioned and also show up on a hand-drawn map that is in the book. A very good book for those seeking something besides the same old worn out War stories.

A very good diary of the occupation of Lexington KY by both CS and US troops during the Civil War. Since the city was home to both Unionist and Secceshionist Civilians, it shows how each acted depending on who occupied the city at the time. It is a good illustration of Home Front activity.

I'm a dog lover but a lot of behaviors he/she does confuses me sometimes. The author Tom Davis wrote this book explaining in details for unbelievable 42 manners of dogs. He artfully described in funny way but I also found that some realistic explaination hidden on it. The book gives relaxation to me as I think it is for the general dog lover and interest book reader, not for reference. The author can raise up even detailed l behavior to tell us such as 'why do wet dogs always shake on you?' or some frequent question from children such as 'why do dogs come in so many sizes, shapes, and colors? !! In summary, this book reflects broader views for dog lover in relaxing method and fitted words. Frankly to say, I love my dog and understand him/her much more after reading this book.

Everyone who owns a dog has observed strange doggie behaviors. Well, at least curious to us, but not to our canine companions. When you've had a couple of different dogs, you know that they all exhibit instinctive traits that seem very important to them. In this small book, Tom Davis explains that dogs are descended from wolves amd have many of the same traits as their wild cousins. He also gives a thoughtful answer to over 40 questions that interest many of us about our pets.

We understand a lot about our dogs because we know them and we're able to use our common sense to figure things out, but sometimes it's helpful to hear what an expert has to say. Because
they love us, we all would like to think that our dogs are excellent at judging character, but how about the times when they are suspicious of someone who we know is a good person? Check out "Why Are Dogs Distrustful of Some Strangers and Not Others?"

Vicky, our Bearded Collie was the greatest of diggers. She could and did push cinder blocks out of the way in order to dig under a fence. Read "Why Do Dogs Dig Holes?"

Princess Poppy, a Beardie Husky mix acted the most like a wolf. She would put her head up in the wolf stance and really give off a couple of piercing howls. The author gives several reasons for this behavior in "Why Do Some Dogs Howl?" My favorite of his answers is: "Do a pub full of Irishmen need a reason to sing?"

This book was a gift from my friend Karin who, along with our dogs has shared a lot of daily walks with me where we have pondered the question that all dog owners want to know, "Why do dogs do that?"

A fun book!

I'm pretty suspicious of the review from the the reader in Harrisburg, PA. It just sounds too much like promotional speak from the Walker Smith and Clurman Public Relations company.

As for the book, I'm only just thinking of reading it. I'll use my local library to find a copy, however.

I find myself recommending this book to friends with no interest in marketing. Good, fun info that puts into perspective why you and your parents see things so differently. Highly recommended.

Rocking the Ages is a beautifully writen book. It takes historical events and explaines how they formed the personality of each generation. This book helped me to curve our marketing and advertising techniques to reach our customers with a positive response. It clarifies how the generations view their lives and what they buy, how and why. It has helped me to understand my customers in a more personal manner. It is easy to get trapped into the needs of one own gereration, but this book clarifies the needs and desires of all generations, and how to approach them on a marketing level.

I just loved the way each chapter started with a scenario from the history archives of actual firms that narrated a story which was directly linked to the contents of the chapter. Out of all the books that i read for my MBA, this book has been one of the better Management books, which i enjoyed reading. The ideas, theories and concepts in the book felt like eating a salad for lunch. It was light, easy to digest and healthy

Great overview of economics. Good for managers who want to know how to read economic forces, react to them, and how to use them.

Besides being a well organized and example-packed textbook, I found Managerial Economics and Organizational Architecture to be a compact MBA refresher course -- and a useful reference for day-to-day problems. Thinking about business organizations as rational individuals responding to incentives and new information simply fits the facts. The three basic elements developed in this book allow managers to translate this logical thinking into operational decisions: allocating decision rights, measuring performance, and compensating individuals and groups. The power of this approach in analyzing common management problems equips the reader with a rich set of tools for identifying and solving them.

Pilot Airie is losing his mind. The book explores the concept of raveling as opposed to unraveling. As Pilot struggles to understand what happened to his younger sister, Fiona, 20 years ago, who mysteriously disappeared at a family party, he slowly begins to see his family in a more real light. His brother Peter, a brilliant surgeon, gets involved with Pilot's therapist, Katherine DeQuincey-Joy. Is he getting involved with her to find out exactly what Pilot is telling her or are his motives more pure? This book is told from the point of view of Pilot, but we are also privy to the thoughts of others thru Pilot's mind. This is the part that was surreal for me. I didn't care about these characters at all, especially Pilot. The plot moved along slowly and seemed to take its time getting to the point, when we do finally arrive at the end, it is a letdown. Wait for the paperback, if you must read this!

This is the story of the Airie family and their attempt to delve into long buried secrets and uncover a truth...what happened to their sister/daughter Fiona so many years ago? After her disappearance the entire family fell apart, unraveled. Now they are trying to piece together the puzzle and return the family to some semblance of normality.

Pilot is the most interesting character. The story is told through his eyes and the fact that he is omniscient is chilling. We see things from his perspective, even when he isn't really there. He is also schizophrenic. We are inside his mind throughout this story so we're constantly wondering if we're seeing and hearing the truth or just his version of it. Pilot is adamant that his brother Eric, the neurosurgeon, is the killer...or is he?

Psychologist Katherine DeQuincey-Joy steps into the picture to uncover the dark family secrets and pull Pilot from his psychosis. She is a fascinating character with her own problems to solve.

This is a wonderful, fast paced, intensely written novel. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Raveling reads like any Chuck Palahniuk novel. Fast paced, character driven, well plotted and intense from beginning to end. Peter Moore Smith, who is an award winning short story writer, clearly has an extreme talent at writing a suspense filled novel.

Pilot James Airie is a diagnosed schizophrenic. The story of Raveling is told first person. However, Pilot, aside from being the main character, is himself, omniscient. This means when his brother, the successful neurosurgeon, Eric Airie, is on a secret date with Pilot's psychologist, Katherine Jane DeQuincey-Joy, Pilot knows what they are saying and thinking.

Everyone is worried about Pilot. When he was nine, his sister was abducted and was assumed to be dead, though no body had been found. This tragic event may have triggered a schizophrenic episode in Pilot, when he began acting like a wolf boy. Pilot's life, though he went to college, and to LA to become a screenwriter, has been a blur. When he is back home, his mother calls. She is seeing ghosts -double vision-and has pulled her car off to the side of the road. Pilot cuts through the woods in the backyard to get to his mother quickly. Only it is three days before someone finds him. A second episode has struck. But why? That is what Katherine is trying to find out. But Pilot thinks he knows why. He knows who murdered his sister. He claims he has always known. But who is going to believe a heavily medicated, mentally ill person?

Raveling is non-stop, hard to put down, nearly impossible not to think about if you have set it down. The characters are so well developed I felt as if I knew them all. I eagerly look forward to another novel by Peter Moore Smith.

--Phillip Tomasso III, author of Third Ring, Tenth House & Mind Play

Normally I don't read much superfamily-related books, but since this was written by Peter David and I could get my hands on it cheap I was willing to try it. Never judge before you know, right ? I came out, not overly impressed but entertained more than enough. This is not the book (which collects Showcase '96 #12 and Supergirl #1-9) that will get me into super-titles but it was worth the read. No regrets.

It's about:
First of all it's very vital for new-to-supermythos readers like me to pay attention to the written intro. It tells about who Supergirl was, is, and how she came to be what she is now.
The actual illustrated story starts off with Supergirl being in a major indentity crisis. It turns out she is somehow in the body of a woman named Linda Danvers. Not only is that utterly confusing because she is in someone elses body, but also because this is the first ever time Supergirl is in a fully valid human body. She is now trying out to find out what exactly she is now. Also, her powers are changing.
All the while there's a man appearing on and off who is responsible for Supergirls current state of being. He 'murdered' Linda Danvers in order to force Supergirl into her body, and former Linda Danvers isn't exactly that innocent herself (sounds confusing but it's all explained).
A big part in the second half of the book is about how Linda, who started off as an innocent girl, grew into the person she was just before she 'died', and how. For me that is also the most interesting part.

Overall storywise it's nice to read, although for non-superpeople-interns a little hard to relate too. An up-point for me is that Supergirl is less noble-hearted than Superman. She doesn't fear to use harsh ways in getting what she wants. The art in the Supergirl issues is clear and nicely styled, although I think it could have been a little more powerfull. This being a (hyper) superhero-title. It's a little in between the styles of Moebius and David Mazzucchelli (in his 'Batman Year One' days). The art in the Showcase issue with which the trade starts is better, in my taste. More contrasting and colorfull.
I'd recommend it to 'Super-fans' and overall fans of Peter David (who's hand is clearly seen). But I would steer clear of it if you're not. Not because it's bad but more because there is so much better stuff out there.

Supergirl was always been a misunderstood comics character, not only with the public, but with many creators over the years who unjustly made her out to be a lightweight. But acclaimed writer Peter David not only brings back the Girl of Steel's long lost essence, he thrusts her into a contemporary setting that's as mysterious as it is thought-provoking. Gary Frank and Cam Smith's art compliment with a dark landscape that sparkles with surreal energy.

This is the collection of the first nine issues of DC Comics's monthly book SUPERGIRL. The story and artwork are briliant. Peter David redefines the Girl of Steel. Gary Frank's artwork is the best I have ever seen on comics. Frank's Supergirl, in my opion,is the best. Fans will be suprised and interested in the new direction of the post CRISIS Supergirl. Supergirl's new direction makes for fun, interesting, and thought provoking reading. There are also lots of guest stars from the DCUniverse dropping in from time to time; including one that also wears a big red S on his chest. This is a must for all Supergirl fans.

Brian Moynahan clearly sets out the assumption that is too guide the rest of his interpretation in his introduction, "underneath every brownshirt is a red" or some similar statement. This extreme bias taints the entire work. However, it is still an interesting read

Moynahan's journalistic instincts are to the fore in this fast moving account of one of history's great upheavals. The author has plenty of experience covering Russia as a journalist at The Times. The coverage doesn't just take in the politics or revolution. There's social history, art and lifestyle - as well as all the gruesome stuff involving purges, genocide and the death camps in eastern siberia.

It also has some wonderful pictures - especially one showing an old woman experiencing voting for the first time. Something that is so familiar to most of us was so alien to her. She was ninety and old enough to remember Tsar Nicholas.

The coverage is heavily bent towards the first half of the century since most of the action took place then. Moynahan's big picture style means that you really get a feel for how traumatic and vengeful these times were for ordinary people. The revolutions and the spread of communist power throughout the empire was quite simply government by a gang of murderous thugs. Fiends of the worst possible kind with a liking for violence.

The end of the party and the Russian Empire is dealt with only lightly since the book was first written in the early 1990s. (I read the 1994 version and haven't got around to reading an updated version). That, I don't, think is a big issue since most readers will have been around long enough to have a pretty good handle on the Gorbachev and Yeltsin years anyway.

All too often, these types of histories are academic (often mind numbing) and/or far too long. This one is short, sucinct and highly entertaining. In fact, anyone wishing to get into the excellent accounts of the revolution by Figes or Pipes should read this one first.

The Russian Century is a whirlwind tour through the last 100 years of Russia's history, with the core of the book dedicated to Stalin and the WWII years. This is a short, fast book that touches lightly on the key events of the century but discusses none in great detail.

Moynahan is a journalist and not a historian -- he gives the reader the feel and flavor of the Russian experience instead of a hardcore analysis. It is the sizzle of Russian history without the meat. This is a book where one learns that Lenin disguised himself with a gray wig during the Bolshevik Revolution, and that Stalin once fired a famous jazz singer because her songs were too complex for his taste. On the other hand, the Yalta conference is alluded to in just one sentence and never discussed again. Raisa Gorbachev's shopping habits receive several mentions, while the complex internal politics behind glasnost are glossed over.

These are not faults -- just differences. The Russian Century is the perfect "survey course" for someone new to Russian history. They can get the quick overview here and then learn more about specific events in other books.

I feel that this book is inadequte for students and professionals alike. It does not explain well how systems act in real life situations, like most academia books

I work in the chemical operations sector. I will highly recommend this book for 3rd or 4rth year future chemical engineers. It contains viable information on many units that they will just have to know about. However, I will not recommend it for working operation engineers. It is too general for us, it doesn't problem shoot units such as pumps and compressors. I don't think that I have much use for this book, specially that I own the Perry's Handbook.

it is the best books i have ever read in my semester ofchemical engineering. the topic i like the most, is transportation offluids .this book is recommended by my professor. the matter of turbulent flow and laminar flow is just fantastic.

thank you!