Palm Springs Modern: Houses in the California Desert

Palm Springs Modern: Houses in the California Desert
Average customer rating:

Great read for edgy MCM enthuisiasts

Excellent coffee table book: not an architectural text

Grab your sunscreen-Let's go!

Hot Desert Modern

Jeez, it's a picture book!

Palm Springs Modern: Houses in the California Desert
Adele Cygelman
Manufacturer: Rizzoli International Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Residential | Building Types & Styles | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
United States | International | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
General | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Palm Springs Weekend: The Architecture and Design of a Midcentury Oasis

Modernism Reborn: Mid-Century American Houses

Palm Springs Style

Eichler: Modernism Rebuilds the American Dream

Atomic Ranch

ASIN: 0847820912
Release Date: 1999-09-18

Amazon.com

When designers such as Richard Neutra, John Lautner, and Albert Frey came together with members of the Hollywood elite like Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, and Lucille Ball, they produced luxury homes nestled in bouldered hills and vacation estates located along green fairways. Palm Springs Modern documents this 40-year architectural explosion in the California desert.

One of the more dramatic collaborations was between Los Angeles architect Quincy Jones and billionaire Walter Annenberg, erstwhile publisher and ambassador to Britain under Richard Nixon. Annenberg and his wife, Lee, commissioned the Rancho Mirage Estate house with the express purpose of entertaining such heavyweights as Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, and Ronald Reagan. Jones envisioned water and green grass on the outside--"I don't want to see one grain of sand except in the golf traps"--and an interior sympathetic to the Annenbergs' collection of impressionist art and oriental antiques. Near the end of the two-year project, Lee asked that the Japanese- and Mayan-inspired pyramidal roof be pink. So it was that pink became the signature hue of the Annenbergs' fabulous Rancho Mirage home.

Using many of the same general principles Jones employed--an open floor plan and the integration of the interior and exterior spaces--Donald Wexler and Ric Harrison's Steel Development Houses represent a very different perspective. Built almost entirely of steel, concrete, and glass, these 1,400-square-foot houses cost between $13,000 and $17,000 in 1962 and could be built in three days. They are minimal in design, aside from the butterfly ceilings, and are incredibly energy efficient. By using steel instead of wood, the buildings are expected to last for many, many years with little or no maintenance. Who would have guessed that the Bauhaus principles, which originated in Germany with Walter Gropius, would find their way to the California desert?

Author Adele Cygelman offers a succinct history beginning with the rise of desert modernity in the 1930s through to its fall from grace in the early 1970s. The photographs by David Glomb are spectacular. All together, Palm Springs Modern is a tantalizing feast of some of the very best mid-century domestic design. --Loren E. Baldwin

Book Description

Palm Springs is famous as a mecca for the international jet set. But the city has also attracted its share of eccentrics and mavericks who have left an architectural legacy that remains unsurpassed for its originality and international influence. Palm Springs Modern examines the impact that architects and designers have had on the desert oasis, primarily from the 1940s to the 1960s, when they created one of the most important concentrations of modernist architecture in the world.

Palm Springs came into its own architecturally after the war when it became a haven for such modernists as Richard Neutra, who was already practicing the International Style in Los Angeles. Many other distinguished architects have left distinctive marks in the desert: Albert Frey, John Lautner, E. Stewart Williams, William Cody, John Porter Clark, and Craig Ellwood. Palm Springs Modern features examples of mid-century modernism at its most glamorous, some of them the residences of prominent figures who commissioned weekend getaways in the desert including Frank Sinatra, Walter Annenberg, and Raymond Loewy. Adèle Cygelman's insightful text, a foreword by architectural historian Joseph Rosa, contemporary color photography by David Glomb, and the celebrated archival black-and-white work of Julius Shulman all capture the distinctly modern allure of America's famed desert playground.

Customer Reviews:

Great read for edgy MCM enthuisiasts.......2006-11-20

What I love about Palm Springs Modern is the variety of architects and styles featured. There are great photographs, including houses by John Lautner, Richard Neutra, Craig Ellwood, and Albert Frey among others. A particularly pleasant surprise is the section on the Maslon house by Neutra which was foolishly demolished a few years ago. Love this book!

Excellent coffee table book: not an architectural text.......2002-03-10

Palm Springs Modern provides a superb photo tour of a handful of landmark homes that defined the 'modern' style in the 1950s and '60s. Because wealthy businessmen and celebrities could afford edgier architecture, the authors focus on these homes -- with a welcome chapter on the talented William Cody in between. If you want a scholarly treatise on modernism in architecture, buy another book. If you want a tantalizing sample of some of the best work, PSM is fine. By the time modernism made its way into mass production homes, it lost much of its inventiveness and aesthetic. Those familiar with the Palm Springs area will notice that the Alexanders' ubiquitous 'butterfly' rooflines have become almost cliche, while the Loewy house and most of the PSM subjects remain exotic.

Do you need to own PSM before buying or designing a home for the California desert? Clearly the answer is NO. But if you want a virtual tour of some of the most inspired homes of the genre, PSM belongs on your coffee table. And yes, if you live in the Midwest or Northeast you would do yourself a service by putting this away in a closet somewhere during the winter.

Grab your sunscreen-Let's go!.......2001-07-05

A classic. If you've never been to Palm Springs, you'll be catching the next flight after leafing thru this fine book. Gorgeous photos of simply incredible buildings. Palm Springs has a quality and character unlike any other "resort" town. The fabulous architecture of the mid-century building boom and a renewed appreciation of the designs of that period has revitalized (again) the Palm Springs area. If you can't visit Palm Springs personally, then pour a martini, sit back and enjoy this book. It's almost like being there!

Hot Desert Modern.......2001-03-08

Palm Springs Modern illustrates (in photos) a collection of homes by designers who tested design concepts in the harsh desert environment that complimented, and indeed enhanced the outcome. Those of us who seek inspiration and documentation of the modernist period will find this volumn satisfying. It is not a scholarly book, nor is the text particularly deep in theory of architectural modernism. And it doesn't matter that some of the homeowners were celebrities. What really matters is that there are so many fine examples of modernist architecture and in such close proximity.

Jeez, it's a picture book!.......2000-12-12

I rather liked this book. Yes it's gushy and fluffy. I particularly liked the part about Walter Annenberg's interest in ecology after he turned 250 acres of desert into a personal Euro-Disney. However the pictures are nice, if somewhat disembodied from their context. The text is ridiculous, but I'm trying to get worked up to buy property there, so I was mainly interested in images. Of course, there is nothing useful in the way of floor plans, site maps, etc. However, if you live in the Midwest or New England and want to get really depressed about your current weather, this is the book to buy.

Palm Springs Modern: Houses in the California Desert.

Average customer rating:

Palm Springs Modern: Houses in the California Desert.
Adele. Foreword by Joseph Rosa. Photographs by David Glomb. Cygelman
Manufacturer: Rizzoli
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OSQ8UY

The Touch of the Artist: Master Drawings from the Woodner Collections
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The Touch of the Artist: Master Drawings from the Woodner Collections
National Gallery of Art (U. S.)
Manufacturer: Natl Gallery of Art
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0894682180

Book Description

Internationally recognized photographer Rachael Hale's New-found-friends celebrates Newfoundlands, the colossal, companionable canine from Canada's rugged Atlantic province."Newfies" have long been associated with the sea, since they originated in Newfoundland, the remote, eastern Canadian province that's part island, part mainland. Working dogs, Newfies are famous the world over for their countless reported heroic sea rescues of men, women, and children whose ships foundered on the storm-driven and dangerous Newfoundland coast. Over the years, they've also been used for pulling carts and carrying cargo. Of course, most Americans prize them as watchdogs and pets, tasks they also perform admirably.In New-found-friends, Rachael Hale creatively captures these huggable giants. An award-winning animal photographer, Rachael's images of her own Newfie, Henry, have garnered praise and prizes, and led to other Newfoundlands. There's Oscar, pictured with his fisherman's cap pulled down tight; George, photographed with his duckling friend Hugo; and Corduroy, captured in his casual, comfortable hat of the same name. From beginning to end, Hale's endearing photos and text make for a delightful celebration of this special breed.

Customer Reviews:

Hard not to love a Newfie.......2005-08-25

Newfies are great dogs, and I don't just say that because we have three of them. Their blend of friendliness, curiosity and determination is well-documented in this rather lighthearted picture book. While the poetry and prose are a bit lacking in some parts, the photographs more than make up for the shortcoming. This is a great gift for a Newf-lover, even if it does seem to borrow its premise from Wegman.

Dressed up dogs!.......2005-03-22

This is a good book if you want to see Newfoundland dogs dressed up like grannies and clowns, it is NOT magestic dogs out in a natural environment! Just a heads up!

Tiddlywink10.......2004-07-15

This is the cutest book! The photos are incredible. I wanted a book to set out on my coffee table and this is perfect. The photos are so adorable. I have even tried with my dogs to have a photo session. I would highly reccommend this short pictorial book to anyone who love newfies or anyone who loves unique photos of dogs and interaction with other animals.******

Great Book!.......2003-08-05

loved this book. thought the pictures were adorable:)

An adorably funny book for Newf lovers!.......2002-12-05

Sweet and comical full colour photos, of sweet, comical gentle giants: Newfoundlands. Reminiscent of Wegman's photos and a wonderful small giftbook for the Newf or general dog lover on your list.

Maurice Sendak's Little Bear: Little Bear's New Friend (Little Bear)

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Maurice Sendak's Little Bear: Little Bear's New Friend (Little Bear)
Else Holmelund Minarik
Manufacturer: HarperFestival
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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Maurice Sendak's Little Bear: Little Bear's Egg (Maurice Sendak's Little Bear)
Maurice Sendak's Little Bear: The Snowball Fight (Maurice Sendak's Little Bear)
Maurice Sendak's Little Bear: Get Well Soon, Little Bear! (Maurice Sendak's Little Bear)
Maurice Sendak's Little Bear: Little Bear Makes a Scarecrow (Maurice Sendak's Little Bear)
The Little Bear Movie

ASIN: 006623817X

Book Description

Little Bear Is Back!

The star of books, television, and video is joined by Mother and Father Bear, Hen, Cat, Duck, and Owl in an exciting new adventure.

On his very first camping trip, Little Bear makes a new friend -- Cub. Cub is a wild bear who lives in the woods. Together they explore the valleys, streams, and waterfalls that Cub knows so well. Their journey through the woods is full of excitement, including a scary adventure for Little Bear and a happy surprise for Cub.

Friendship and bravery are at the heart of this exciting new story that reunites fans of the original I Can Read books with those who love the hit animated television show starring their favorite bear.

Written by Else Holmelund Minarik, the author of the five original Little Bear books, and illustrated by Heather Green, this is the first full-color picture book featuring the enduring character of Little Bear.

Lost at Sea (RB Fish & Friends) (Rainbow Fish and Friends)

Average customer rating:

Entertaining, with good lessons
Entertaining, with good lessons

Lost at Sea (RB Fish & Friends) (Rainbow Fish and Friends)
Based on Books by Pfister
Manufacturer: Night Sky (North South Books)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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Rainbow Fish: Tattle Tale (Festival Reader)
Rainbow Fish and the Sea Monsters' Cave
Rainbow Fish to the Rescue!
The Rainbow Fish
Hidden Treasures with Sticker (Rainbow Fish & Friends (Sagebrush))

ASIN: 1590140206

Book Description

It's a class field trip, and everyone needs a buddy. Rainbow Fish is paired with Tug, but amid the excitement of the trip, he forgets to keep an eye on the young fish. Tug is lost! Everyone joins in to reunite Tug with the class.

Customer Reviews:

Entertaining, with good lessons.......2003-04-27

After 4 fish discuss stealing, Tug alone decides to do it. This leads to his being lost. Because his "buddy" fish isn't paying attention, Tug's disappearance isn't noticed until the end of the trip. This story is entertaining for kids, but it can also be used to teach several lessons about honesty, obedience, saftey and thinking of others. It also has beautiful artwork.

Entertaining, with good lessons.......2003-04-27

The Adventures of Loveland: Our New Found Friends

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The Adventures of Loveland: Our New Found Friends
David E. S. W. Creedon, Author; Rob Lundquist, Illustrator
Manufacturer: BookSurge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1554300002
Release Date: 2004-09-10

Book Description

This fun filled adventure features lovable characters that overcome danger with the help of family and friends. So come and join in on all of the excitement. You'll find new found friends waiting here for you.

Average customer rating:

Good Dog, Bonita (Friends and Amigos)
Patricia Reilly Giff
Manufacturer: Gareth Stevens Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Literature & Fiction | Large Print | Formats | Books

Children's Books | Large Print | Formats | Books
ASIN: 0836820533

Land Under Your Feet: A New Found Friend

Average customer rating:

Land Under Your Feet: A New Found Friend
Clifford Smith , and Judi Sarkisian
Manufacturer: AuthorHouse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Action & Adventure | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 142591389X

Book Description

Here we are in trying times and wonder where a small child can go to get the explanation of the love we have for our country, land and the meaning of the flag that waves so proudly. Here a boy or girl can set down and have a good feeling about themselves and meet a few new friends along the way. This adventure story could have taken place right in your own backyard and you might be the person that meets a small creature from another planet. Who is to say not? That is just what happens to Spencer and Crackers his dog. Yes, they meet that creature from another planet that had expectations of taking over our land. That's where the humor comes in and the interaction between the three creatures. Can you even imagine what a child would ask a creature from a far away planet or what that creature would ask them? Spencer is like most children with a huge curiosity and the energy to drive it and with his best friend Crackers by his side, they go on an adventure that takes them further than they ever thought they could go. Come and enjoy the friendship with Spencer and Crackers and their special visitor from a star far, far away in "The Land Under You Feet, A New Found Friend."

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New Found Friends

Manufacturer: Sharon & Gayle Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000E5DG1Q

Product Description

Decorative / tole painting pattern book.

Average customer rating:

New Found Friends (Volume 2)

Manufacturer: Sharon & Gayle Publications, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GWIIAQ

Product Description

Decorative craft pattersn for aprons, vests, plaques & more.

New Friend, Blue Friend (Road to Reading)

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New Friend, Blue Friend (Road to Reading)
ELLEN WEISS
Manufacturer: Golden books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Humorous | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Popular Culture | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Monsters | Obsessions | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0307262103
Release Date: 1999-06-15

Book Description

One day Splurge sees something tumble over the waterfall. It's a new, blue friend! Little Floofy doesn't say much (he's really just a fuzzy blue bedroom slipper!), but that doesn't matter to Splurge. Then Floofy disappears and Splurge sets off to search all of Ovadare for his lost friend., , Mile 2 books offer word play and pattern stories to keep beginners hooked, and 2-3 lines of text per page to keep them challenged., ,

THE STREET KIDS : Mr Serendipity and a 86 year old friend found a way to bridge th e generation gap.

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THE STREET KIDS : Mr Serendipity and a 86 year old friend found a way to bridge th e generation gap.

Manufacturer: Alfred Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0394804953

Amazon.com

Cathy continues her search for happiness in this funny and sometimes touching book.

Customer Reviews:

She hasn't figured it out yet,.......2004-05-08

And neither have I! Early 90's brought Alex into Cathy's life, which was her "Mid-Life Crisis". How fitting that she would throw him out of her life, when she went camping with him. Enough of the unknown Alex, Irving is the only man for her!

The tables are turned........2001-11-20

In this book, the tables at last are turned. In the past, Cathy always wanted Irving to propose. When she brought it up, he ran. Here the tables are turned. When Alex, her young beau, actually gives her the one thing she always wanted from a man, a ring, she herself runs.

Whether it is dealing with men, her dog, her work or her relationship, Cathy's insecurities, as well as her "why aren't you married" yet mother, who is like her in many ways, Cathy, continues to tickle our funny bone.

Try it you won't be disapointed.

UNDERSTANDING THE "WHY" CHROMOSOME
Average customer rating:
UNDERSTANDING THE "WHY" CHROMOSOME
Cathy Guisewite
Manufacturer: Andrews And McMeel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000M0MP2Y

Book Description

Best known as the writer who introduced French existentialism to English-speaking readers through her translation of Sartre's Being and Nothingness, Hazel E. Barnes has written an autobiography that is both the success story of a professional woman as well as a profoundly moving reflection on growing older. Transcending the personal details of her life, Barnes' memoir stands as an important contribution to the intellectual history of our century.

"An intimate record of our times and of the ongoing issues that challenge us to define ourselves over and over again."—Kirkus Reviews

"An engaging autobiography that spans not only [Barnes'] self-identified period of 'flourishing' but virtually all the twentieth century."—Library Journal

"Thoughtful, gracefully written reflections. . . . Readers will be glad they pursued an unusual woman's intellectual and personal journey."—Booklist

"An accessible, wonderfully written book packed with wisdom and insight."—Denver Post

"Absorbing and satisfying."—Gertrude Reif Hughes, Women's Review of Books

Customer Reviews:

Praise for H. E. Barnes.......2004-07-30

A very original autobiography and a demonstration of self-understanding and existential psychoanalysis at its best.
A very useful read for all who look for new ways in self-understanding and psychoanalysis.

A Story She Should Have Kept to Herself.......2000-11-19

What is the exact need of academics to write their autobiographies? Case in Point: Hazel Barnes. An academic who was the first to provide a faithful translation of Sartre, she also wrote an excellent little study, An Existentialist Ethics. If she had left it at that, she might have been left with a nice little intellectual legecy, albeit, a mostly anomymous one as her books go out of print and more precise translations of Sartre become available. But she has to write her autobiography, and if there ever was a useless tome, this is surely it. Though well written, the reader will quickly come to the conclusion that there is nothing really to write about, nothing that couldn't have been captured in a magazine article for the New Yorker or the American Scholar, that is. I found it a surprise that she was, indeed, an existentialst, for she is surely among the most repressed people on the face of the earth. Not the stuff of existential heroism and certainly not the stuff to charge a person $20.00 or so dollars to read.

"We read to know that we're not alone....".......2000-02-20

A brilliantly written autobiography by an academic, who leaves her conservative Christian upbringing to discover that one can bring meaning and "significance" to one's life without the security and structure of organized religion. Written with wit and charm, she takes us on her own journey past the nihilistic despair that often is associated with existentialism, to a wonderful place that is tender and life-affirming. Her last chapter, reflecting on aging and mortality, may be her best. It may not be an easy read, but Hazel Barnes tells her story without a hint of academic hubris. A must read for anyone wrestling with the angst, it is a privileged peek into the life and mind of an extraordinary human being.

The Story I Tell Myself : A Venture in Existentialist Autobiography

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The Story I Tell Myself : A Venture in Existentialist Autobiography
Hazel E. Barnes
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OPDMQA

Average customer rating:

The Story I Tell Myself: A Venture in Existentialist Autobiography
Hazel E. Barnes
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OPBO2Y

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