Book Description

Roman in origin, the villa evolved from serving as a rural and farming center to a stately country residence. Over time the villa's agricultural function became secondary to a new ideal-a place for intellectual leisure and healthy country living. As a result, the new dwelling had to reflect a cultivated design as did its landscaping. Villas were no longer the work of unskilled laborers but of gifted architects, the best known of which is Andrea Palladio, whose style remains influential today.

In this fascinating volume, the author describes and illustrates 250 of the most remarkable villas from the 600-year-old tradition, some well-known houses, others generally overlooked. Presented here are panoramas and details of grand country villas and magnificent suburban estates, each with its own charm and history, and each of which contributes to a style that is still imitated in our century. The illustrations and text by Ovidio Guaita, representing decades of work, are grouped by region, north to south. Enriching the coverage, each chapter includes a profile of a personality-architect, builder, artist, or patron-whose work had a lasting influence on the culture of the villa.

Supplementing the color photographs of exteriors and interiors are architectural drawings of houses and maps. The appendices offer a glossary, a bibliography, and a listing of villas that may be visited

This splendid book should be of great appeal to those interested in architecture, art history, and travel.

Other Details: 400 illustrations, 300 in full color. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Projects which focus on budget-saving ideas
Affordable Home Design; Innovations And Renovations is packed with solutions to appeal to designers on a budget who want to keep quality without high expense. Here are projects which focus on budget-saving ideas and sustainable designs, covering both new construction and renovation projects from single family homes to apartments. Energy saving ideas are a big part of Affordable Home Design, with discussions revolving around originally commissioned idea versus finished project considerations. Martha Torres received a degree in architecture in Venezuela and has coordinated a number of design projects: her expertise lends to a fine set of ideas.
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Book Description

Celebrating beloved cities from around the world, this book on the City of Lights offers a unique combination of historic interest and contemporary beauty. Then and Now Paris features over 100 fascinating archival photographs contrasted with specially commissioned, full-color images of the same scene today. Each work is a visual lesson in the historic changes of this amazingly beautiful and wonderful urban landscape. ... Read more

Book Description

Since the mid-1930s, Helen Levitt has photographed life on the streets of New York, capturing the pulse of the city at moments when sidewalk life becomes an urban portrait. Crosstown is the most comprehensive monograph devoted to this master photographer. In pioneering pictures of 1930s and 1940s Harlem, an innovative color series completed in 1960, and black-and-white images from the 1980s and 1990s, the book reveals the changes in New York street culture as well as the evolution of Levitt’s photographic eye. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Manhattan Images Must Have
This is my latest favorite photography book. I have a large collection that includes many with Manhattan as subject. The images captured by Levitt are stunning and the binding of the book itself is wonderful.

Taking Time To Look Around
Helen Levitt is not one of those New Yorkers who look neither to the left or right as they travel the streets of the city. This is a book about life. The neighborhoods she shoots are generally poor ones, yet we see people that are involved; people who are actively engaged in life even when they seem to be doing nothing. Her subjects -often children- play, they love, they communicate, they are lost in thought, and occasionally are sleeping.

A fine sense of humor permeates many of the scenes. Some subjects are caught in contorted, puzzling positions. We see the incongruous position of objects: an old 33rpm record in the street; a pair of shoes sitting by themselves on a sidewalk; three chickens wandering around a decrepit room -where did they come from? A mother's head is buried in the bottom of a baby buggy while the tyke yelps with joy. A dog is caught in the act of mistaking his owner's leg for a fire hydrant while she talks to a friend.

In general HL catches the warm side of humanity. Only a couple of pictures look like they were taken from a file of Jacob Riis (a 19th century photographer of New York tenement life). There was one particularly sad shot of a woman and her three children sitting on their front steps. They are obviously impoverished. The two youngest children seem quite content, but the mother seems weighed down with her life, and in the teen-age daughter we see the beginning of lost hopes.

This book is a must for anyone interested in street photography. It will take you a long time to get through this book as each photograph will hold your attention for some time.

A classic book of street photography
Helen Levitt's name is less well known than some of her images of New York street life. Perhaps that is the way she would wish it since she seems to have never sought fame. The book is as reticient as she and there is little commentary, but in truth little is necessary though I would love to know more about her and her work. This is a beautifully printed, organized and designed book and it was a pleasure to spend hours looking at the photographs. Often it was difficult to turn the page because each image is so compelling and resonates on many different levels. In a way, they are the perfect street images; they have the look of a snapshot but are so much more than that. Though they are all of New York they have a universal quality and speak about the truth of people's lives in a profound way. I admired the formal qualities of the photographs but what resonates most is the deep humanity of what she does, what she sees and records. It sometimes seems to me that photographers, in their quest for a good images,treats subjects with a level of distain and distance that is uncomfortable and ultimately manipulative. Crosstown is nothing like that and even when the photos are funny, and several are, they are funny in a very human way. There is nothing saccharine or trite in her work either and she has a great gift of photographing children without slipping into cuteness. I am a photographer and I treasure this book. I would certainly recommend it to others interested in photography, but I thinks its' appeal extends to anyone interested in the human condition and how we relate to one another.

Great Book
This book has a number of unique photographs. Ms Levitt with many of these wonderful pictures,leaves you wondering what happened before or just after the picture was taken.
You can I believe see some connection to the style of Cartier Bresson with whom I understand she spent some time working.
I recommend the book.

Don't miss it
If you admire the warmth and humanity of Helen Levitt's endearing photographs of New Yorkers, don't miss this book. The selection of photographs is superb and the printing and binding quality are first rate. This book could go out of print soon, from which time its value will grow quickly. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

Good photos and writing
This is a great book, good photos and loaded w/ info. The only thing that I think would make it better would be show more pictures of the exterior of the palaces because some palace photos are all interior so you cant see what it looks like from the outside, but this is only on a few palaces. Overall, this is a great book and I would give it 4 1/2 stars if I could.

German Castles And Palaces
I love this book. The photography is just fabulous. If you ever wanted to know what the German Castles and Palaces look like, or are planning a trip to Germany and would like to see some of them, this is the book for you! Also, the history is very informative. I just can't say enough for this book! I am an artist, and I have never seen such an artful display of art from a bygone era. WOW! ... Read more

Book Description

A re-creation of a time of fantastic wealth through never-before-seen photographs.

Through a lively text and 250 stunning duotone images (most never previously published), Millionaires, Mansions, and Motor Yachts re-creates an era of opulence and extravagance that today seems incredible. Dominating this volume are the mansions and yachts of Alfred and Jessie du Pont. Equally larger-than-life personalities include Thomas Lawson, his expansive estate, Dreamwold, and yachts such as Dreamer; empire builder John Spreckels's 227-foot Venetia; Emily Cadwalader, who commissioned a vessel destined for world renown as a U.S. presidential yacht, before checkmating this achievement by ordering the largest private yacht ever built, the 407-foot Savarona; Eugene Tompkins, the "Napoleon of Theater Managers"; George Fabyan; Harry Darlington; and William Rands. Enfolded in this volume's fascinating pages are not only the wealthy individuals who shaped this era but also curmudgeonly writer/yachtsman Thomas Fleming Day, photographer Nathaniel Stebbins, and the designers and builders who created the splendid yachts that here return to life. 250 duotone photographs. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (7)

Best Book Available on Carmel Cottages
I am an architect. I live near Carmel and have a special fascination for these houses. Applause to the author. There are lots of beautiful photographs and the history is facinating. I would always like to see more diagrams, interesting details and floor plans, especially for the house called "Hansel". However, this is an excellent book, the best one available on the subject.

A Bouquet
I keep this book nearby, like a bouquet, to look at from time to time for the simple pleasure of it. The pages convey not only the
architecture of a period and place, but the personality of an era.
This is a companion book; to be cherished forever.

Memories of my hometown
I'm not sure how attractive this book would be to the general public. For me, it reveals the stories behind many of the houses I grew up with. As a Carmel native, I enjoyed learning the stories and histories of many of our local homes. The photographs are nicely done, and the text tells the information in an interesting presentation. I do wish that a local map had been included, to help pinpoint the location of some of these homes.

Utterly lovey!
I opened this book as one would a box of expensive hand-crafted Belgian chocolates and savored each page. The photos are luscious, the text tart and logical. Interior and exterior views of cottages and Jeffer's stone tower remind one of European villages.

Sarah Susanka's "Not So Big House" and "Creating the Not So Big House" are both good, yes, but nothing in them sets off the same resonate sensation as seeing "Cottages by the Sea." This is what real homes can be: shelters for the mind, body and spirit, places of rest, security and inspiration.

I'd write more, but excuse me---I'm booking a trip to Carmel.

Cottages by the Sea
The book was purchased for my wife, Emalie, for Mother's Day, so she is writing the reveiw.

The book, at first glance, was exciting for the photos of the homes in the Carmel area. Since our daughter and son-in-law live on Carmel Heights with a view of Point Lobos, we have become familiar with the Carmel setting. Reading the histories of homes we had seen on our jaunts through Carmel was educational and entertaining. Some of the homes have been redone, but the building and remodeling codes in Carmel are very strict, so we were interested in seeing what could be done and how remodeling changed the setting. I will value the book for the sentiment with which it was given, the content, and our connection with the area. ... Read more

Book Description

A home by the lake or sea, a refuge by the water's edge, is the romantic dream of almost every homeowner. But the technical and aesthetic challenges of waterside construction place unique demands on the builder. Through exquisite photography and detailed architectural plans, this volume explores innovative residential designs from around the globe to illustrate how top architectural firms have met those challenges and created some of the most strikingly beautiful homes in the world.

Book Description

Recent years have seen a remarkable evolution in the design ofhotels. New Hotel Design displays over 40 examples of the best in hotelarchitecture and interiors from around the world, illustrating a dazzling,impressive diversity of styles and forms. Exciting chapters showcase theintoxicating innovation of designer and "art" hotels, the new "urban chic" ofbusiness hotels, the opulence and lushness of grand hotels, the diverting fun ofresort and entertainment hotels, and the stylish relaxation of fabulous hotelhideaways.Filled with over 220 fabulous, full-color photographs and featuring the latestwork of such top architects and designers as Michael Graves, Philippe Starck,Andre Putnam, and others, New Hotel Design is the definitive reference forarchitects, decorators, and anyone involved in today's hospitality industry. ... Read more

Book Description

A photographic journey through the history of one of America's most distinctive towns, Las Vegas. Part of the highly successful "Then and Now" series, each spread shows an image of Las Vegas as it was, and how it is currently. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great Pictorial History
A friend of mine bought this book and it was much admired by all who saw it. If you or somebody you know enjoy Las Vegas History this book will be apprecieated. Many pictures of Vegas from the sixties till now. ... Read more

Amazon.com

When the Buddha was dying, he instructed his followers to cremate hisbody and enclose his remains inside four separate monuments or "stupa-mounds."These manmade "axial mountains" became the prototype for the monuments that areso beautifully presented in Joe Cummings's Buddhist Stupas in Asia. Eachspread features full-color illustrations or photographs, depicting the varyingshapes, designs, and scale of this holy architecture. "People in all thedifferent cultures that have discovered Buddhism seem to have gone crazy withjoy, building stupas by the millions," writes Cummings, whose other LonelyPlanet titles cover Thailand and Bangkok. "[They are] more than funeralreliquaries. They are memorials, rather, to the immanent possibility of freedomfrom suffering for all beings." Ten pages of transparent architectural overlaysexplain how the sacred meets function. This is entertaining learning at itsbest--a book that's loaded with knowledge, yet packaged with visual appeal. - -Gail Hudson ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A Neat and Concise Work
Buddhist Stupas in Asia: The Shape of Perfection by Bill Wassman (Photographer), et al, offers a sweeping and broad overview of the epitome of Asian Buddhist architecture. The photographs are good and the succinct commentary is informative enough. This is not a book for hardcore history buffs though, as the very short accompanying analysis would not suffice; nevertheless, in most cases the photographs more than compensate by offering quality glimpses of a divine form of architecture. One drawback: some of the photographs are too small for the subject to be really appreciated (some are as small as approx. 3cm x 3cm!). All in all: an enjoyable mind-trip through the very essence of Buddhist architecture.

Joe Cummings and Great Photography
This book covers Buddhist architecture across its known history, from its origins in Northern India through Southeast Asia to Indonesia, to Nepal and Tibet, into China, Korea, Japan and Vietnam. The emphasis is clearly on architecture, but it covers the relevant backgrounds in Buddhist art and philosophy as well. If you want a book about Buddhist cultures or thought, this is not it. But if you want a book about Buddhist architecture, this is a great beginning. It is well-written, well-designed, and the photography is excellent. I wish it were much longer and went into much greater depth... but then it would be much more expensive!

I received this book as a surprise gift, and I think it makes a great gift: it's the kind of thing someone would want and enjoy, but would not buy for themselves.

The author, Joe Cummings, also writes the Lonely Planet guidebooks for Laos, Thailand and Myanmar (Burma), and they are excellent. I've been to all three places, and so I've seen many of the stupas covered in this book, and his guides have helped me more than most do.

a must for Asian art lovers
When I opened this book in the bookstore, I was knocked out by the photos, which cover stupas all the way from Taxila, Pakistan, to Tokyo, Japan. The stupa photography is particularly strong in the chapters on India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Tibet. An entire chapter is devoted to Borobudur and satellite stupas in central Java.

Dipping into the text at home, I was pleasantly surprised by how authoritative and complete the coverage of this complex topic was. Not only does the author do an excellent job of explaining the symbolism of stupas in various Buddhist cultures, he also links it to the history of Buddhism throughout Asia, no small task. Although I'm a longtime amateur student of Buddhism and Asian art history myself, I found much new material to ponder.

I was most impressed by the way Mr Cummings has carried out original research as well as reporting on the research of other scholars who came before him. This is something I didn't expect from a hardcover pictorial such as this. Kudos to Lonely Planet for publishing a seriously good book. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A stunning architectural tour of 28 abandoned estates that loom as mysterious ruins along the Hudson River between New York City and Albany. Many of the now-faded mansions were designed by Stanford White, the premier architect of New York's gilded age, and were owned by such illustrious families as the Vanderbilts, Astors, and Whitneys. The author's evocative, sepia-tinted photos capture the architectural splendor of these once luxurious homes, as well as the ravages of time, from the houses' crumbling turrets and spires, porticos, columns, gargoyles, and weed-choked courtyards and gazebos, to their interior vaulted ceilings, spacious ballrooms, and huge, empty libraries. Paired with ghost stories and legends about the estates, this book is a haunting reminder of a bygone era and lifestyle. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Welcome book on a rarely treated topic
This volume is dedicated to a subject that, to this day, continues to be underserved by photographers and writers. The reasons for that aren't close to clear. The compelling images and folklore are there. Anyway, I accept this book -a cynic might say charitably- in a spirit that factors in the scarcity of material on the topic.

I was not convinced by some of the staged-looking "ghost" photos. I didn't think the subject required any such reaching. Without this spook show punching-up, the books images of stately homes, long abandoned and encroached upon by the elements, one completely engulfed, with the waters of the Hudson right up to its foundation, is legitimately the stuff of dreams -or nightmares. But a gaffe or two doesn't come close to destroying the experience. If you want to like the book, I think you will have no trouble doing so.

If you have heard of these ruins, but never seen anything more than perhaps an extended magazine article on them, I feel sure you'll enjoy this book. In my opinion, the photography isn't nearly as bad as another reviewer suggests.

Good Info - Poor Art
I'm thankful to Ms Randall for providing a well written comprehensive guiebook. Regretfully, her photographic attempts do not match the subject - they are amateurish in the worst sense of the definition. Her technique and taste require a lot of development.

Mysterious and Melancholy
Randall's book is a fantastic feast for the eyes with her sepia tone photographs and her well-written, can't-put-it-down narrative. Her clever way of blending the history of the houses with any supernatural happenings kept me turning the pages. In fact, I have read the book once and am re-reading it again with fresh eyes. With each chapter, however, I felt an extreme sadness at the thought of all those magnificent houses gradually disappearing. A must read for a quiet evening. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Photography so personal, you'll want to leave a tip...
Williams' book plunges you head-first into an era when people truly did make money "the old-fashioned way" ( they earned it with their sweat and tears). We sit as interlopers as we watch the toil of daily lives unfurl across the beautifully photographed pages. We sit at the counter while the waitress who has been at this particular diner way past her prime, exchanges small talk with the patrons. We can almost feel the cold rain against our faces as we view the water-drenched images of The Cheyenne (NYC) and The Highland Park(NY). We sense the simultaneous joy and frustration on the faces of diner owners who can't be sure what the future holds for their life's work. William's has taken us into a doorway that we rarely have a chance to enter; he has given us a license to the past. Through this book we have the opportunity to rekindle the memories of our childhood, teenage years and young adulthood...all at the same time. We remember what it felt like to sit at the counter with our Dads. We remember the hard formica tables against our ribs as we shared a ketchup-drenched kiss across the table. We remember introducing our "little ones" to the wall boxes of music that sit on the tables and watch in wonderment as they try to figure out "where the music comes from".

A Wonderful and Revealing Look at Hometown Diners
Robert Willaims captures the essence of our hometown diners in a beautiful and touching way. The photographs are beautiful and a perfect example of excellent photography. I would highly recommend this book to all readers, especially those who remember the nostaglia of going to your hometown diner. Don't miss this one! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

An outstanding and in-depth architectural survey
Kathy Borrus' One Thousand Buildings Of Paris isn't for the casual tourist of Paris, but is designed for the avid enthusiast of both the city and its architectural wonders. Recommended for both the architectural art library and the in-depth travel collection, this volume cover the range of Paris architectural history and style, with photographers Jorg Brockmann and James Driscoll outlining commercial, residential, and public spaces alike. An outstanding and in-depth architectural survey.

Endlessly Fascinating
Kathy Borrus, the author of the wonderful travel tome, "The Fearless Shopper," has done it again. One Thousand Buildings of Paris is an endlessly fascinating romp through the architecture, history, and culture of Paris. A must for all adventurers, artists, architects, and academics, the book is both an art enthusiast's dream and a valuable reference for planning Parisian sightseeing. All in all, One Thousand Buildings of Paris is a one-of-a-kind photographic compendium and a true treat.

Lovely to look at...
The next best thing to being there - great as a souvenir or research before your trip. Every building you know and love and many, many you'd like to know are here. Photographs are in romantic black & white along with a fascinating fact or two about the building, its history or impact on the city. The layout allows for 1000 buildings in less than 1000 pages - the left page has from 2 to 6 photos with their names, addresses and stories on the right. A great gift for any Parisianphile! ... Read more

Book Description

This lovely book combines beautifully artistic color photographs with brief excerpts from the pens of famous American writers.A stately veranda of a Southern country home is captioned with a description of Deep South gentility from a William Faulkner novel. A rural New England porch showing a tricycle and baby carriage comes with an excerpt from Bret Harte’s A Newport Romance. These are just two of the many typically American scenes that grace this beautiful book.The more than 50 atmospheric photos are serene yet powerful statements of Americana, beautifully complemented with the poetic quotations that serve as their captions. This is a wonderful little volume for gift-giving, or for treasuring in one’s personal library. ... Read more

Book Description

What country brings to mind more visions of romance, more images of breathtaking vineyards, and more scents of mouth-watering food than Italy? In Journey to the Chianti: Getting to Know an Ancient Tuscan Region, Leonardo Castellucci explores a growing Tuscan region of Italy with an unforgettable name: the Chianti.Castellucci brings this region to life through fascinating insights into the regions history and a look at the culture and life today.

Castellucci’s insight on the local history and character of the Chianti region itself are enough to fascinate and inspire; to add to the impact, the stunning pictures by photographer Gian Luigi Scarfiotti capture the reader’s imagination.The vibrant colors of the Chianti region’s famous vineyards captured in the book’s exceptional photography show why this region is beloved by Italians and Americans alike.

The Chianti region has fascinated American travelers for decades and is a must-see tourist spot for everyone visiting the Tuscan region.Chianti is located in the middle of--and serves as a transition between--the medieval city of Sienna and renaissance city of Florence.Because it is a crossroads between these two vibrant and historic cities, it contains a rich melding of history itself.

Journey to the Chianti: Getting to Know an Ancient Tuscan Region is the perfect addition to every traveler's or wine aficionado’s collection.Chianti is Italy’s most renowned wine, and Castellucci shows us why with a wonderful overview of its production processes, history, and little known facts such as that Chianti used to be a white wine instead of red.This is a rare beauty of a book that will be treasured by book lovers, travelers, "foodies," wine aficionados, and lovers of all things Italian alike. ... Read more

Book Description

The early Cistercian abbeys of France have long been revered for their harmoniously proportioned spaces and ethereal acoustics. Together with the great cathedrals, these remarkable medieval buildings embody the profound mastery of architecture that blossomed in 12th- and 13th-century France. Architecture of Silence is the first book in English devoted solely to these exquisite structures, which draw tens of thousands of visitors of all nationalities each year.

The power and beauty of these sacred buildings and ruins, renowned among architects and designers for their austere, almost minimal design and construction, come alive in David Heald's luminous tritone photographs. The text by Terryl N. Kinder, the world's leading scholar on the subject, offers a clear introduction to the history and architecture of the early Cistercian monks, who built the abbeys nearly 900 years ago.

DAVID HEALD, chief photographer at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, has been photographing art, architecture, and the natural landscape for 25 years. His work is in numerous private and public collections, including the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, and has appeared in many books and magazines. He lives in Redding, Connecticut.

TERRYL N. KINDER is a medieval architectural historian and archaeologist who has served as a consultant to the restoration of Cistercian abbeys in France, Italy, and England. She has taught at Nazareth College in Rochester, the Universit de Bretagne, Rennes, and at Paris-I Sorbonne. An associate of the Institute of Historical Research in London, she divides her time between Pontigny, France, and St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada.

98 tritone photographs, 93/4 x 12" ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A Higher Order Of Existence
Architecture of Silence is a finely wrought volume of exceptional interest and beauty. Its temporal actuality immediately evokes the devotional themes which are contained within its pages. The book feels like a sacred text which was printed and bound by hand, out of love.

Cistercian cenobites understood that interior spaces were at least as significant and meaningful in the natural order of things as surface manifestations. They believed that divinity resides in places that cannot necessarily be seen or immediately sensed. Architecture Of Silence conveys splendidly the essence of this belief as expressed through the physical monuments they created in worship.

Impressions to die for.
Heald is head photographer for the Guggenheim Museum of New York. He is far more than an expert photographic technician, however. The book exemplifies uncompromisingly conscious, staggeringly sensitive image making. As he composed and developed these images, Heald must have had a vivifying rapport with the same extraordinary source of energy and insight that infused the psyches of the original builders of these Abbeys. Wonderful. Inspiring. Awesome. Excellent essay too.

A spiritual feast for the eyes and the soul !
I was on a spiritual pilgrimage in France in October 2000, and I toured most of the abbeys that are featured in this book. I did not see this book until after I returned from France, and I must admit that the photos in this text are the most impressive of all the books that I have viewed on Cistercian architecture. I love this book ! The photographer has been able to capture the peace, simplicity, and soul of these medieval monuments. How many photography books actually bring your spirit to a deeper level of tranquility? This one surely will. The introduction is beautifully written and was composed by The expert and scholar of Cistercian architecture. I also recommend another excellent book on this subject: Cistercians: Monks and Monasteries of Europe, by Stephen Tobin.

An excellent book
Louis Kahn would have loved this book. Silence and beauty permeate its pages. Intense. ... Read more

Book Description

Cleveland Then and Now features fascinating archival photographs contrasted with specially commissioned, full-color images of the same scene today. This is a visual lesson in the historic changes of a great city and a captivating look at how time changes the world we live in. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Really opened my eyes!
After seeing this book sitting on a coffee table at the local Crate&Barrel in Cleveland, I was absolutely drawn into the pictures of what Cleveland, my hometown, used to look like. I never realized the transformation the "Comeback City" had made over the years. Seeing the early construction of Terminal Tower and pictures including Millionaire's Row, Public Square, The Gateway, The Mall and the Lakefront changed my opinion of what our downtown actually contains. Seeing the age of what some remaining buildings in downtown showed how historic Cleveland is, and made me want to go downtown and explore. After doing that, I saw so many new things that I never knew were in Cleveland. I strongly suggest this book to anyone who loves Cleveland or would like to find out more about the history of the "Comeback City." One of the best coffee table books you will ever find! The other six books in the series (New York, Chicago, Boston, Seattle, St. Louis and Los Angeles) are just as amazing and I strongly encourage everyone to read them all!

My How Things Change........
I have been a Cleveland history buff for years and have taken plenty of "Then and Now" pictures on my own. I have been waiting for a book like this to come out for a long time. I have other then-and-now books for other cities and I'm glad one had finally come out for cleveland.
The old photos used are not the same tired photos you find in other Cleveland history books or in the papers. While some of the angles in a couple of the pictures are not quite right, this book provides an excellent perspective on how busy some of Clevelands neighborhoods used to be as well as what was lost through development, urban flight, and "progress". I think this book unintentionally helps demonstrate how disposable American society is and makes one grateful for the preservationists who try and preserve what is left. Newer isn't necessarily better.
The only fault I could really find with this book is that it could have been twice as thick in order to cover the West Side and other neighborhoods better. If your a Cleveland / history buff, this book is a must for your library. ... Read more