Mixed Reactions to what could have been an outstanding book.

books:


	• 1001 Buildings You Must See Before You Die: The World's Architectural Masterpieces (Quintessence Books) Universe, 2007 - 960 pages average customer review:based on 5 reviews view larger image
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A contributing Author to this book

I was one of the contributing authors to this book. The reviews so far are spot on. Even though I worked on this book I find it difficult to find even my own entries as the index is inadequate. I also wrote the Elrod entry - and yes, the photo is wrong - and I would have known that if I'd seen page proofs. But on a positive note, I believe this book is definitely worth buying (I don't get royalties!) if only because I know it contains entries (like mine) that are not rewrites of existing viewpoints, but original, fresh perspectives. The next book in the series is "1001 Houses" and I've been asked to be the General Editor. I intend to take these comments on board and ensure a good index and good geographic spread for 1001 Houses. The publishers have indicated they want a website to go with the book, and that will also be a priority for me, assuming they ok costs. So buy this book as its assets outweigh its faults, and keep an eye out for 1001 Houses! http://www.dennajones.com

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Mixed Reactions to what could have been an outstanding book.

1001 Buildings is a resource that you need. That said, it has some drawbacks. It has a strong English focus; perhaps London emphasis is better as a describer. Many English buildings. Almost all the written parts which are signed were by experts from London. Thought it missed some very important Western Hemisphere and Asian buildings, although it did have a lot for Cuba. Seemed to miss a number of outstanding American architects. Do not assume you will find a picture of each site as there are numerous pages with only written text. Variety of types of buildings (churches, factories, temples, and public use structures) was excellent. Indexing was poor, but the arrangement by year brought an interesting awareness of buildings in different parts of the world built at the same time.

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INTERESTING BOOK - BUT FLAWED

Some of the buildings do not have corresponding photos with the descriptions but that can be understandable because the book runs almost 1000 pages.
But I did find two errors:
First Error - Page 523 has Case Study House No.22 but the photo is of Case Study House No.21 both are by Pierre Koneig and they are both in the Los Angeles area.
Second error - Page 565 has Elrod House but the photo is of the Sheats/Goldstein House which is in Beverly Hills will the Elrod House is in Palm Springs. The Elrod House is famous for its location in the film Diamonds Are Forever and its circular in design.
Overall the book is a very good reference book with a photo and a short description of the building.

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1001 buildings you must see before you die

We purchased this book in preparation for a world wide tour. It is quite extensive and has been helpful. Unfortunately there are quite a few page number errors in the index making looking up specific buildings a challenge. The book is arranged by periods and style, so if traveling, you need to use the index and look by country. The index does have building list by country. This country list does not always specify what cities the building is in and this is where I find the page number errors. So when planning a trip it is much more difficult than need be to locate what building you may want to see in the city you are going to. I was disappointed that there is not a picture for every building. Although the book has these user issues, it is a nice reference and my son is excited that he has already seen 10% of the buildings and plans to get to 25% before returning.

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This book is a one-stop guide to the world?s greatest architectural achievements. Comprehensive and concise, it contains reviews of the most influential structures ever built worldwide. Covering a diverse array of architectural traditions and construction styles?from the bold and brash to the spiritual and reserved, from Angkor Wat to the Parthenon, from Frank Lloyd Wright?s Fallingwater to Frank Gehry?s Bilbao Guggenheim?the book celebrates the vision and achievement of world architecture. Entries are organized chronologically and include essential information on the featured building, as well as the social, political, cultural, and geographical considerations that influenced the design. Stunning illustrations and photographs highlight the technical feats and aesthetic brilliance of architects past and present. This comprehensive collection is an accessible reference for anyone interested in the history of architecture.

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