Rich (Rich_A) - The United States (154 books)

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Shoji and Kumiko Design
by Desmond King

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Japan Style: Architecture Interiors Design
by Geeta Mehta

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Rich rated a book 5 of 5 stars

Measure and Construction of the Japanese House
by Heino Engel

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This is a book that is great despite its shortcomings. I'll start with the positive, since they outweigh any negatives and make this book a must buy for anyone interested in Japanese house construction.

The best part of this book for me was the amazin...more This is a book that is great despite its shortcomings. I'll start with the positive, since they outweigh any negatives and make this book a must buy for anyone interested in Japanese house construction.

The best part of this book for me was the amazing diagrams. There are numerous illustrations on joints, which other books accomplish as well, but his book shows elevation and plan views of house designs as well as specific joints used at various intersections (i.e., corners, mid-brace joints, etc.). I found this aspect of the book invaluable. The illustrations of foundations, floor construction, ciellings, fusuma and shoji, and sacred spaces is simply unparallel by any other book. The details are amazing and I felt as though I was seeing inside the mysterious box that is traditional Japanese construction methods.

The second great aspect of the book is its comprehensive nature. The author really does give an in-depth discussion of the what, why's and how's of the construction methods. This is not a book to gloss over an aspect in its rather conscise review. This is a book that deserves a spot on your shelf if you're at all interested in joinery, architecture, building construction, or Japanese design elements. It covers an incredible range in the 149 pages.

As far as shortcomings, or maybe I should say peculiarities, since they don't really pull down the review for the book. The wording is overwrought and clunky at times and really does a poor job sometimes of cutting through the difficulty for someone learning about Japanese concepts for the first time. I would have liked to have seen a much more approachable style, more akin to the wonderful "A Japanese Touch for your Home" that I found much more enjoyable to read.

The next thing that seems a bit odd is that the text is written in a way that never relates directly to the diagrams and illustrations in the book, which are arguable the best aspect of the book anyway. You can read the text independently of the diagrams and vice versa. Combined together, it is not unlike using two separate references to learn about the various subjects. Once you adjust to this peculiarity, it works fine. But don't expect to scan the text to find a reference to Figure 7 for further explanation of a diagram, which I do in other books. The text is well-organized and sub-headings really make it easy to find information without the figures and the figures are labeled well enough, although not having a direct link seems like a miss.

Overall, this is a cherished book for me and one that I reference any time I need to refresh my understanding of Japanese contruction. It has it all, foundations, architectural joinery, ceilings and floors, screens and doors... I definite must buy for anyone with an interest in this type of construction.(less)

Rich rated a book 4 of 5 stars

Japanese Homes and Their Surroundings
by Edward S. Morse

read in May, 2013

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An exhaustive review of Japanese homes including most of the significant features, I.e., design, roofs, flooring, walls, verandas, gardens, etc. Other books might go into more detail on specific aspects, but this book covers more ground than any othe...more

Rich is on page 273 of 416 of Japanese Homes and Their Surroundings

Japanese Homes and Their Surroundings
by Edward S. Morse

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Rich rated a book 3 of 5 stars

Japan Country Living
by Amy Sylvester Katoh

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Overall, a beautiful collection of photos and the narrative is good, if a bit romanticized. There simply wasn't enough detail in any one section to warrant description as an in-depth text. If you are looking for a sampling of the Japanese rural life,...more

Rich rated a book 3 of 5 stars

The Japanese House: Architecture and Interiors
by Alexandra Black

read in April, 2013

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I wanted to like this book more. There are a ton of nice photos: well composed, well lighted, good detail. I was left with a feeling of disappointment, however, as the text accompanying these photos is superficial and lacking in a progression of idea...more

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The Japanese Home Stylebook by Saburo Yamagata

The Japanese Home Stylebook: Architectural Details and Motifs
by Saburo Yamagata

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Rich is currently reading Shoji and Kumiko Design by Desmond King	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 14, 2013 08:05am
Rich is currently reading Japan Style: Architecture Interiors Design by Geeta Mehta	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 11, 2013 04:09pm
Rich rated a book 5 of 5 stars Measure and Construction of the Japanese House by Heino Engel	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This is a book that is great despite its shortcomings. I'll start with the positive, since they outweigh any negatives and make this book a must buy for anyone interested in Japanese house construction. The best part of this book for me was the amazin...more
May 10, 2013 08:38am · see review
Rich rated a book 4 of 5 stars Japanese Homes and Their Surroundings by Edward S. Morse read in May, 2013	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
An exhaustive review of Japanese homes including most of the significant features, I.e., design, roofs, flooring, walls, verandas, gardens, etc. Other books might go into more detail on specific aspects, but this book covers more ground than any othe...more
May 04, 2013 07:23pm · see review
Rich is on page 273 of 416 of Japanese Homes and Their Surroundings Japanese Homes and Their Surroundings by Edward S. Morse progress:	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 02, 2013 08:28am · like · see status
Rich rated a book 3 of 5 stars Japan Country Living by Amy Sylvester Katoh	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Overall, a beautiful collection of photos and the narrative is good, if a bit romanticized. There simply wasn't enough detail in any one section to warrant description as an in-depth text. If you are looking for a sampling of the Japanese rural life,...more
Apr 24, 2013 08:00am · see review
Rich rated a book 3 of 5 stars The Japanese House: Architecture and Interiors by Alexandra Black read in April, 2013	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I wanted to like this book more. There are a ton of nice photos: well composed, well lighted, good detail. I was left with a feeling of disappointment, however, as the text accompanying these photos is superficial and lacking in a progression of idea...more
Apr 17, 2013 07:46am · see review
Rich wants to read The Japanese Home Stylebook: Architectural Details and Motifs by Saburo Yamagata	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 15, 2013 10:16am

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