http://www.goodreads.com/user/updates_rss/164022 en-US Sat, 08 Sep 2007 17:08:17 -0700 60 http://www.goodreads.com/ 200 41 http://www.goodreads.com/images/layout/gr_logo.gif 3020506 Sat, 08 Sep 2007 17:08:17 -0700 Review4836610 http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4836610 to: Political Animal, The (Paperback) by Jeremy Paxman
Interesting ... politicians are mad and usually a little messed up! ]]> 518461 Sun, 05 Aug 2007 13:36:51 -0700 Review2688660 http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2688660 to: The Death and Life of Great American Cities (Hardcover) by Jane Jacobs
I enjoyed this book. Epscially considering that I read it straing after Le Corb. Jane Jacobs makes some common sensical points very well. Much of what she says simply makes sense. But perhaps this is its possilbe weakness. To say something is so because it is common sense is possibly not the best reason to justify planning/ or doing anything really because it is not backed up with evidence (well evidence that would stand up to academic deconstruction). But saying that - this book is not meant to be an academic text per se. It is a book that must be seen as part of a context - part of a protest movement re city planning in the Robert Moses vain. The points made about the uses of city street and the unrealistic seperation of cities into zones is very interesting. I find myself walking around New York and thinking ... yeah .... Jane Jacobs is right .... This book has made me think. It is defo worth a read. ]]> 518462 Tue, 03 Jul 2007 17:44:38 -0700 Review2577517 http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2577517 to: Towards a New Architecture (Paperback) by Le Corbusier
I was kinda surprised when I started reading this book. I always thought that LeCorb was some kind of communist. Design for Brasilia for example was based on the idea that the architecture of the city could create a truly equal society. In this text LeCorb talks about the modern age of capitalist consummerism and the new kind of life that this revolution in industry has created. LeCorb suggests that we should not merely rehash 'styles' of other era when they do not relate to the way we live now. But he goes further to say that resisting a change in the design of the home is morally dangerous and could result in revolution. The strange thing is - and the apparent contradiction in this text - is that LeCorb is always looking back to previous styles by talking about the perfection created by greek and roman architecture. He talks about universal truths regarding space and form and light in a way which is consistant with a modernist rhetoric but simply doesn't stand up in a post-modern deconstruction. Saying all this - its a really interesting book - if not just for a history of architecture - and insight to a fundemental modernist architect and a fascinating character. ]]>