Reviews (7)

MASTER ARCHITECT
This is the benchmark when it comes to books on homes of Frank Lloyd Wright.The text is scholarly and highly informative, while being easily accessable to even the most nyophite Wright follower.The images are crisp and well executed, they just bleed off the page.I have not always been a huge fan of Wright, frankly he was a racist homophobe, interesting considering most of his devotees at Taliesin where gay, and the man had a voratious ego that would make The Donald blush.He was by all accounts just a nasty piece of work, and I at first found his architecture to be austere and cold, but now i am a huge admiror of his work, if not the man.This book shows in vivid focus, what makes his homes so unique and what made him an American Icon.I may not think much of Wright the man, but his work is for the ages and this book is simply fantastic.Highly recommended.

Must have for Wright fans
If you have already read the other reviews you know how good this book is. I wish they had this available when I first started getting interested in Frank Lloyd Wright back in college. All they had then were the dingy, dark, older pictures that really didn't convey just how great some of Mr. Wright's houses were. These new pictures really show how much genius he had in design. What is even more apparant when you see some of these new pictures is just how much mastery he had for setting up a home with natural light. Simply put, if you have the money and are even a casual fan, you should just treat yourself and get the book.

Frank Lloyd Wright - The Houses
I think this is not only a beautiful book but an excellent reference source for anyone who is interested in F. L. Wright's dynamic works.I have just one complaint:why did they NOT identify the front and back inside cover photographs of the Lykes House in Phoenix--everything else was carefully listed in the credits.If one didn't know, he/she would have to dig through the entire book to find which house was important enough to show so prominently but not enough for credits where other houses with just one picture were listed.This is indeed an omission that should be corrected on later editions. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Individual Architect    3. Individual Architects Of The 20th Century    4. Residential Buildings Architecture    5. Architecture / Individual Architect   

Reviews (6)

Utterly fascinating. The best book on FLW in 20 years
This book absolutely blows the lid off the Taliesin idyll. Hails Wright (and rightly so) for the genius that he was but exposes his faults, many of which are so utterly shocking to anyone with even a minimal knowlege of Wright's life. Be prepared: it will definitely change your opinion of Wright. Book goes into a huge amount of detail on the relationship between Wright, his wife Olgivanna, and their involvement with her former mentor Gurdjieff, who had coveted Taliesin as the base of his American operations. In short, everything in Wright's life was far from calm. The apprentices are the real story here. The authors portray them as talented, but inexperienced amateurs, and it is fascinating to read how they had to work in such difficult situations on such monumental works as Fallingwater and the Johnson Wax building, all the while dealing with Wright's idiosyncracies. The apprentices were really the physical manifestation of Wright's genius. Most (sadly) faded from view or were hesitant to write books of their own lest they were perceived as riding their Master's coat tails. I'm glad their stories are now being told. The authors present a great story and a very eye-opening book on what had been a relatively little-known aspect of FLW's life and legacy.

Error on Page 355
Paragraph #2 on page 355 is in error.The two Linclon Continentals were not a gift to Wright from the Ford Motor Company as stated. Wright purchased the 1940 Lincoln Continental Convertible from Monart Motors in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on January 11, 1940 for $3195.50. He was given a $1495.50 trade in price for his 1939 Lincoln Zephyr convertable. The Lincoln Continental 2 door sedan was purchased by Wright from Monart Motors in 1941 the first year that it was available. The cars were therefore not purchased together as the authors stated.The documentation for the sale of the cars to Wright can be found in the Frank Lloyd Wright archives at The Getty. Unfortunately this example of the use of inaccurate secondary sources causes me to ask the question: How much of the authors' other research is equally questionable? Otherwise, the book is a great read.

Not to be Missed
For any student of the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, and of the arts in general, this interpretive history is not to be missed. While Wright is credited with creating some of the most astonishing buildings of the last century, the setting surrounding their creation is another story in itself.
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Subjects:  1. 1867-1959    2. Architects    3. Artists, Architects, Photographers    4. Biography    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Biography/Autobiography    8. Individual Architect    9. Individual Architects Of The 20th Century    10. United States    11. Wright, Frank Lloyd,    12. Wright, Olgivanna Lloyd    13. Biography & Autobiography / Artists, Architects, Photographers    14. Biography: general   

Reviews (1)

great story
Not just for architects.... the autobiography of Frank Loyd Wright it's a great story for everybody who's interested in passion for life. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Artists, Architects, Photographers    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Individual Architect    5. Reference   

Reviews (4)

One of the best Wright books out there
This is a beautiful picture book that keeps its title's promise.Maddex actually identifies the specific FLW solutions for making small houses feel big. Her description of these solutions are well-written and aimed at appealing to the intelligent layman.Mercifully, she avoids the academic,pedantic and patronizing tone.A real pleasure.Couldn't recommend more highly.

Great book
This book is a very good analisis of the elements of Wrightian architecture. Takes the parts 1 by 1, (windows, continuity of spaces, carports, etc.) and explain the central idea of FLW.
Great pictures.Terrible text.
I think the premise of the book is right on target.FLW best work was in his small houses.They are much harder to design, build and were done so on a tight budget.The pictures of the houses in the book are fantastic.They are current day pictures versus pictures taken 10 or 20 years ago.Read more

Subjects:  1. 1867-1959    2. Architecture    3. Decorating    4. Decorating - General    5. Design & Construction    6. House & Home    7. Individual Architect    8. Small houses    9. United States    10. Wright, Frank Lloyd,    11. Architecture / Individual Architect   

Reviews (4)

Pick another biographer, this one is TERRIBLE!
First, Brendan Gil is noted for 'good work' but this one is the pits. I am not touching the subject matter nor areas of trash this author deems necessary to descend to. (Suffice it to say, I am not anFLW idealist and actually care little about his work).
Colorful, Chatty and Informative...

WHAT'S RIGHT WITH WRIGHT...
The Story of Frank Lloyd Wright has been told many times.Aside from his many biographers he is also the inspiration of a well known book and hilarious (unintentionally, though) movie, The Fountainhead.Other than Michaelangelo, I do not know of another architecte who has rated such a treatment.
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Subjects:  1. 1867-1959    2. 20th century    3. Architects    4. Architecture    5. Artists, Architects, Photographers    6. Biography    7. Biography / Autobiography    8. Biography/Autobiography    9. Individual Architect    10. Individual Architects Of The 20th Century    11. United States    12. Wright, Frank Lloyd,    13. Wright, Frank Lloyd   

Reviews (6)

Excellent in both pictures and words
The primary appeal in this book is the photo collection.While the accompanying text throughout is quite interesting, I think most people will buy it for the pictures.And excellent pictures they are. The Master Guide to Wright's Greatest Works!
I have been a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture for over 30 years, and have seen many of his finest buildings.No book that I have seen in those years is as good as this one for explaining his life, the development of his architectural style, providing the details of his best work, and showing stunning photographs of exteriors, interiors, and views.If you only buy one book about Mr. Wright, I suggest this one.I have it with me tonight as I begin a one week pilgrimage to his finest work in the midwest.Each night, I will reread the sections about the works that I will be seeing the next day. Truly awesome!!
A great reference and must have for anyone interested in Wright.Detailed pictures and text. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1867-1959    2. 1900-1999 (20th century)    3. 20th century    4. Architecture    5. Criticism and interpretation    6. Individual Architect    7. Individual Architects Of The 20th Century    8. Modern architecture    9. United States    10. Wright, Frank Lloyd,    11. Architecture / Individual Architect    12. Individual artists    13. Wright, Frank Lloyd   

Reviews (1)

Wright's genius in all its amazing detail.
As a builder, I'm in awe at what this man did with materials. Why are wenot all living in houses that inspire like these do? Have we forgotten thatlife lived fully is about beauty and adventure? Wright didn't. This is anexceptional book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Architectural Detail    3. Architecture    4. California    5. Details    6. Individual Architects Of The 20th Century    7. Organic architecture    8. Architectural structure & design    9. Architecture / General    10. Criticism and interpretation    11. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -    12. Individual artists    13. Wright, Frank Lloyd   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Architecture    3. Architecture, Domestic    4. History    5. Illinois    6. Individual Architect    7. Prairie school (Architecture)    8. Individual architects   

Editorial Review

Any admirer of the creative talent of Frank Lloyd Wright should not be without this excellent book, which records 50 of his domestic interiors. Diane Maddex, who has written several books on Wright, has assembled a photographic collection of his living and dining rooms as well as playrooms, libraries, and a few public spaces, including Wisconsin's Johnson Wax building and the Guggenheim Museum in New York. Wright's signature style--a combination of arts and crafts and the "prairie school"--was achieved by designing human-scale spaces with beautifully crafted materials. Maddex includes the finest examples of this in the book. The rooms span Wright's entire career--from the Robie House in 1906 to the Guggenheim, which was completed in 1959 (after the architect's death)--and they demonstrate the evolution of his style. The photographs are sensational; they capture the light, scale, and color of each interior. Accompanying each photo is a brief description of the clients, their requirements, and what Wright created for them. This is a lovely book that serves as a beautiful historical record of one of the 20th century's greatest architects. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Skimpy and redundant
Since, I admire(d) Frank Lloyd Wright and his work and I collect home interior design books (especially really funky early 1980s stuff), I bought "50 Favorite Rooms by Frank Lloyd Wright" as one of a trio of books on Wright's work. The other two in this series of three by the same author are "50 Favorite Furnishings by Frank Lloyd Wright" and "50 Favorite Houses By Frank Lloyd Wright." Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed after reading all three; they lack substance and are quite tiresome in their redundancy. This threesome should have been consolidated into the one book "50 Favorite Houses by Frank Lloyd Wright," highlighting with smaller photographs the individual rooms and furnishings to embellish the photographs of each house. Instead, in what seems a pathetic effort to use perhaps the best-known 20th century American architect, the author fractures this information over the span of three books; thus, garnering three times the price that it should have been.
50 Favorite Rooms Review
This book is great either if you are wanting infornmation on Frank Lloyd Wright, his personal life or the works of art he created. It gives examples of his personal choices and styles. Each page includes a full page color picture of one of the rooms he designed. Excellently arranged; quality overview of great room spaces
The first thing that struck me about this book is how well put-together it is.In "50 Favorite Rooms by Frank Lloyd Wright," Diane Maddex (listed in the credits as "Project Director") has crafted a book that is clean, simple and elegant in its presentation of the architect's trademark design of personal living spaces.Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Design - Furniture    3. Individual Architect    4. Interior Design - General    5. Architecture / General   

Reviews (2)

A Look Inside his Life
This book is almost a scrapbook that you might have collected if you had gone through life at Frank Lloyd Wright's side. It's got a book in it, but it's not very big. There an Audio CD of him speaking at various interviews, lectures and other talks. There are removable facsimilies of original documents, both photographs and never before published architectural sketches. There are some hand written notes written by him, including a hand drawn wedding invitation. In short, this is a collection of things that Frank Lloyd Wright saved. It appears that he liked to save things, and remarkably much of it remains in the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation in Scottsdale, Arizona. It's fascinating to look into the life of a genius.

A Book You Have Been Waiting For
Readers are likely to discover that this is a book they have been waiting for.Margo Stipe leads readers through various stages of Frank Lloyd Wright's life with remarkably lucid and concise writing.While countless books on Wright include stunning pictures like the ones appearing here, this book's distinctive design sets it apart. Throughout one finds illustrative documents bound into the pages, or in envelope-like enclosures, or in page-size translucent sleeves, or on foldout pages.Handling them gives one a sense of having been present at their creation.Listening to the 60-minute compact disk of excerpts from Wright's speeches and interviews, pocketed inside the cover, has the same effect.This "interactive portfolio" is certain to claim a place in the library of persons wishing to learn more about Frank Lloyd Wright.Offered at a bargain price, it will bring its readers immeasurable pleasures.
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Subjects:  1. 1867-1959    2. 20th century    3. Architects    4. Architecture    5. Biography    6. History - Specific Styles    7. Individual Architect    8. Organic architecture    9. Sources    10. U.S. Architecture - General    11. United States    12. Wright, Frank Lloyd,    13. Individual architects   

Reviews (4)

BEWARE - This book is physically tiny
I obviously did not have read the reviews close enough. This is Wright+glass=beauty
"Frank Lloyd Wright's Glass Designs," by Carla Lind, is one of a series of "mini-books" devoted to the work of one of the world's greatest architects. This volume, which explores Wright's interest in glass, contains many praiseworthy features: Lind's concise yet informative text, a wealth of stunning full-color photographs, fascinating sidebar quotes from Wright and others, and a useful bibliography for further reading. Good things come in small packages
I ordered this book to get glass design ideas for my new house. It's tiny but worth its weight in gold. Sharp photographs (32/57 pp.) and minimal description provide just what I needed. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1867-1959    2. Architecture    3. Criticism and interpretation    4. Decoration and ornament, Architectural    5. Design & Drafting    6. Glass Arts And Crafts    7. Glass art    8. Glass painting and staining    9. Individual Architect    10. Individual Architects Of The 20th Century    11. Methods & Materials    12. United States    13. Wright, Frank Lloyd,    14. Ceramic arts, pottery, glass    15. Individual architects    16. Wright, Frank Lloyd   

Reviews (2)

Frank Lloyd Wright Revealed
As an architect myself, I am relieved and thankful that this book allows the serious student to unravel Frank Lloyd Wright's creative processes. The eclectic collection of photos (some historical; a few almost 100 years old) andbrief but perfectly descriptive observations of each of his works and methods would allow any budding architect or interior designer to get inside the head of FLW and operate with his creative principles. Obviously, the photographs were compiled from the works of many different photographers; most in colour; some in black and white, but thank God the images of FLW's works were preserved and put into this amazing collection of interior design. Of about 400 FLW structures around the world, there are probably less than fifty which are open to public viewing today, so this book, with careful explanations, gives the appreciative student access to the almost secret creative practices of FLW. This book contains a treasure trove of FLW's ideas and aesthetic solutions to different and sometimes demanding building sites and client's personalities. Terrific and valuable reference book for the office library.

You couldn't sell these houses with these pictures
While there is no doubt that Frank Lloyd Wright's houses are spectacular, and I am a big fan, this book does them no justice at all.It is scrappily put together and contains some of the worst photography I have ever seen.A real let down.While it does not cost much, your money will be wasted if you buy this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Individual Architect    3. Architecture / Individual Architect    4. Sale Books    5. Sale Books   

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Individual Architect    3. Architecture / Individual Architect    4. Sale Books    5. Sale Books   

Subjects:  1. 1867-1959    2. Architects    3. Architecture    4. General    5. Individual Architect    6. Individual Architects Of The 20th Century    7. Interviews    8. Photography    9. United States    10. Wright, Frank Lloyd,    11. Architectural structure & design    12. Building construction & materials    13. Wright, Frank Lloyd   

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Architecture, Domestic    3. General    4. Individual Architect    5. Prairie school (Architecture)    6. Racine    7. Wisconsin    8. Houses, apartments, flats, etc    9. Individual architects   

Subjects:  1. 1867-1959    2. 20th century    3. Architect-designed decorative arts    4. Architecture    5. Case studies    6. Criticism and interpretation    7. History    8. History Of Architecture+    9. Individual Architect    10. Interior Design - General    11. Interior architecture    12. Organic architecture    13. Residential Interior Design    14. United States    15. Wright, Frank Lloyd,    16. Sale Books   

Subjects:  1. Architectural Design    2. Architecture    3. Architecture (General)    4. History - General    5. Individual Architect    6. Professional Practice    7. Public, Commercial, or Industrial Buildings    8. Reference    9. Architecture / Individual Architect    10. Individual architects   

Reviews (6)

Lightscreens book reviewed -missing 1950's built artglass.
Gee for this good of an indepth book it's missing some of Mr. Wrights art glass work. It appears to the author SLOAN of the book that Mr. Wright's executed art glass ended in 1924. HOW UNTRUE. What about the artglass in the Southern Florida University chapel? Or what about the Greek church in Madison Wisconsin? or what about the 1954 Beth Shalom Synagogue in Elkins Park, PA....the artglass above the pulpit???GEE GOOD research on the rest of it though.....lots of detail but she didn't do a good job on the rest of it.....by the way a sketch in Wright's drawings was done for the Greek Church in Madison, Wisc. originally to be christian "figurines"...the only sketch by Wright in artglass that was realistic other than his unexecuted "waterlilies" artglass that is known of and printed in color form today on rugs and prints. And gee I didn't even spend time to research this data, it was all known to me as an architect, & enthusiast. I'm also a member of the FLLW conservancy, FLLW Home & studio, Taliesin Fellows, and Taliesin Associates member.
great book
This is a very well researched, well presented analysis of FLW's windows.It speaks for itself. The pictures are well chosen and do a very good job of illustrating the books themes and analysis.

Amazon's got it 180 degrees from "right"
The "cover" image shown with this book is flipped 180 degrees from its actual orientation. To see the book in its actual design, go to www.lightscreens.com ... both the hardcover catalog to the exhibition and what I call the "Big Book" (the slipcased 400-pager) are there. (The paperback catalog is available only in the museums where the exhibition is mounted.)Read more

Subjects:  1. 1867-1959    2. 19th century    3. 20th century    4. American - General    5. Architect-designed windows    6. Architecture    7. Art    8. Art & Art Instruction    9. Exhibitions    10. Glass & Glassware    11. Glass painting and staining    12. History    13. Individual Architect    14. Individual Artist    15. United States    16. Wright, Frank Lloyd,    17. Architecture / Individual Architect    18. The Arts: General Issues   

Reviews (1)

From the Publisher
"Treasures of Taliesin presents 106 drawings of 77 Frank Lloyd Wright buildings that were never built--buildings that Wright believed were his most interesting works. This revised, updated, an[d] newly designed edition includes new text from Bruce Pfeiffer, Director of Archives at The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Pfeiffer draws on his long association with Wright to describe the circumstances surrounding the germination of each project, characterizes the personalities involved, and explains why the work was not completed. The stories include political intrigue and assassination, as well as providing glimpses of personalities such as Mike Todd, and Ayn Rand, and a poignant recollection of Marilyn Monroe, who wanted an entire floor of her planned home with Arthur Miller for their children. There is even a residence for a mysterious client whose identity was known only to Wright.
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Subjects:  1. 1867-1959    2. 20th century    3. Architectural drawing    4. Architecture    5. Criticism    6. Design & Drafting    7. Individual Architect    8. Individual Architects Of The 20th Century    9. U.S. Architecture - General    10. United States    11. Wright, Frank Lloyd,    12. Individual architects    13. Mind, body, spirit: disciplines & techniques   

Reviews (13)

More Usonians
My impetus for purchasing this book last month was a visit to the home my parents built in 1956 in New Jersey. They designed it themselves with a bit of help from books by Frank Lloyd Wright and others (his "Natural House", for instance), but the interpretation was their own. I was a middle-aged adult before I realized that the house could be classed among the "Usonians", although it was not a Wright commission, and this visit stimulated my desire to know more about the "real" ones. I bought this book as a start and agree with the other reviewers here that the book is a bit too "design-driven" to answer all one might want to know. But it is abasic book on the subject (published 1984--about when I discovered the Usonian possibility), and it covers well the principles of the Usonian: affordability, openplan on a grid, built-in essentials, and underfloor/radiant heating. The book's many appendices allow the reader to see how Wright organized his business and related to his clients. Twenty-two years after it was published this book is still a good starting point for learning about the Usonian house and Wright's commitment to 'everyman/woman'.

Nightmare
I asked a Usonian "fanatic" about buying this book, and he told me that he owned it, but "never could get through it." I bought it anyway, and now I see what he means.Excerpt from page 62: "Symmetrical implications of the wig-wam roof-form of the living area are immediately combated by the off-center core and built-in seat and table."
Usonian Plans and photos
This book was one of my earlier books on FLLW and used heavily in my undergraduate class at Iowa State University in my early 80's tenure there. The bbok had no other precedent at the time and is still to be considered the most complete text with the reader going away from the book with a good understanding of the usonians unique place in history. The construction method and inclusion of the Oskaloosa IA home is very helpful in understanding the mid 50's time period in America and the people's thoughts and images before them of available home plans at that time. I think the layout was fairly well done and photos were a little poor exposure, blurry, dark on some --however considering the originals were used as photos I don't think it's too badly done. It doesn't have ALL of his work and certainly doesn't show the 'projects' he designed that weren't built however more complete than any current titles which have the words 'USONIA' in them currently. Even though I own the newer 'USONIA' books also they aren't as fulfilling as this original book by Sargent. I'm sure you'll agree. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1867-1959    2. Architecture    3. Architecture, Domestic    4. Domestic    5. Individual Architect    6. Individual Architects Of The 20th Century    7. United States    8. Usonian houses    9. Wright, Frank Lloyd    10. Wright, Frank Lloyd,    11. Architectural structure & design    12. Residential buildings, domestic buildings    13. USA