Arquitectura del Vacio is an extensive selection of the architectural works designed by Melvin Villarroel. The 239-page book presents twenty-seven of Mr. Villarroel's finest works understood through a wide array of pictures, photographs, drawings, renderings and sketchs, and easily communicated in Spanish and English. This book encapsulates twenty-five years of experience -- no other architectural "best works" comes close to its breadth, depth and lasting impact. Every page exhibits the natural elements that exist in perfect harmony with his designs. The descriptions of the golf resorts, luxury hotel resorts and harbor resorts are clear, thoughtful and marked by a strong philosophy that is unshakable and visionary. The book is every bit as ambitious as it is a great value. Mr. Villarroel's book is truly inspired, and I recommend it to any reader looking to understand sustainable architecture in all of its glory.

ok, I have always wanted to go to Australia and New Zealand, there is just something magical about those two countries in the southern hemisphere isolated from the rest of the world. I just got this book today, and wow!! All the houses are awsome! of course all the houses look amzing and the picturs are so detailed you can almost imagine you are right there in Aus or NZ standing on the deck looking at the house from a sunny beach down under!! My only complaint is that they should have dedicated more pictures for houses in NZ! they had plenty of Aus. So, if your like me (lol) and don't have anything better to do than dream you have a fantasay house down under, or yur just curious to what the houses look like down there, or you just want a fun picture book, buy this book!!!!!!!

This book makes me want to go to the beach. Or just move to the beach! It's a good book to get lost in when you wish you could get away but can't. When I look at it, I can almost feel the sun on my face and the sand under my feet.

I am the author of Becoming Cape Cod: The Creation of a Seaside Resort, which is the first book to tell the history of Cape Cod's development as a vacation mecca. This book traces Cape Cod's resort history from its discovery by Henry David Thoreau before the Civil War to the present day. It is lavishly illustrated with rare historical postcards.

Becoming Cape Cod has three main sections: 1870-1920, on the early years of the resort; 1920-1950, on the impact of the automobile on creating a tourist region with common marketing, a plethora of attractions, and a strong heritage appeal; 1950-2000, on measures taken to preserve the Cape in the face of overdevelopment.

The decisive moment for the Cape's development was the coming of the automobile during the 1920s. For the first time, tourists were able to explore the entire region. As a result a plethora of cottage colonies, restaurants, antique shops, and historical landmarks appeared. After World War II, a boom ensued that continues to the present day. Cape Cod's greatest challenge has been preserving the natural environment, historic buildings, and cultural traditions that have shaped the Cape's sense of place. Becoming Cape Cod drew upon my experiences working at the Cape Cod Commission, a regional planning agency, in writing this book. Part social history, part cautionary tale, Becoming Cape Cod meditates upon how to preserve authentic places against continuing growth pressures.

The Cape Cod Voice has called Becoming Cape Cod "an intriguing combination of historical research, overview and statistics, with a fun visual hook." The Cape Codder said the book is "a welcome and important addition to the Cape Cod history library."

My other publications include three books and numerous articles on Boston, Western Massachusetts, and urban history.

I bought this book several years ago & have enjoyed it many times since. Luxurious photos showing a wide range of styles of coastal houses from ultra modern to rustic to contemporary. The reader can get good interior design ideas no matter where their own home is located. Interesting descriptions of the owners of these homes as well and why they wanted to live where they live. I wrote this review as a compliment to the author and photographer...a job well done. My copy will be enjoyed for many more years.

Our family loves to dine at the shore and this book brings back all those memories. I love the illustrations and have tried 6 or 7 great recipes from it.

If you're looking for a plan for your future home in the coastal cottage style, this is definitely a book to start with. But it spoils the process of researching other sources, because the majority don't compare with the quality of presentation. No doubt, this is the best illustrated of any I've seen so far. It doesn't contain a huge number of plans, but they do address this segment of home design right on target.

Jewett's relatively unacknowledged novel "The Country of the Pointed Firs" is a masterpiece. Tightly constructed, beautifully written, thematically rich; top-of-the-line in every category. It's slow going at first, but grows on you once you see what Jewett is examining -- the interconnectedness of all people, even those who live far apart and have seemingly nothing in common. The bookshelf of any bona fide literature fan -- esp. fans of American lit. -- should not be without this little masterpiece.

From 1917 bathing beauties from Alemeda, CA to the Saltair Pavilion near Salt Lake City, UT, this little book contains 24 "Authentic Old Postcards -Ready to Mail" (I don't know anyone who buys these type of books intending to tear out such cards - they are great to look at).

I like to take it off my shelf & look at it every time I think about what people miss today (especially kids)with TV, Gameboys and so on). It is a shame people don't seem to all pile in the family jalopy & head off to the beach as they used to - I know going to new and foreign sites expands horizons, but this book brings back the "Old Days" - even if I am too young to actually ever have seen the places depicted on these cards.

If you want a charming (suitably color tinted) look at yesteryear, I recommend this!

If you have follwed some of my other reviews you may note that Manton is a 'Jekyl and Hyde' type of writer you never really know which author you are going to get.

The books that I have blasted are his hamrem/slave/prison genre that may spend hundrdes of pages and just plain spankings and beatings without the slightes morsel of what I would consider to be anything close to erotic. But then there are the other Manton books where Manton delves into erotic sex of the characters and it is there that the author absolutely excells as being one of the greatest erotic writers of the times.

Dream Boat is one of his masterpieces. In this Book, the author takes us on a journey with 11 stories, and, the central theme being the ocean and the playgrounds of the rich. All the stories places our main characters in hidden villas overlooking the ocean beaches, on gleaming white majestic yachts quietly slicing thought the water, or, even a small skif with a young man rowing his mistress into the secluded safety of a cove.

As the author takes us on this erotic journey he lists probably 20 or more books of the theme in question and then alloes us a delicious taste of the best parts of the book.

Even though thise mini novels and excertps leaves on frustrated the single theme of this book makes the stories paletable and a pleasure to read ......