Listmania!
The best books for architects, designers and home owners
By an Amazon.com customer
Caribbean Architecture: Exclusive Designs by Gianfranco Fini in Marina Casa de Campo (English and Spanish Edition)Caribbean Architecture: Exclusive Designs by Gianfranco Fini in Marina Casa de Campo (English and Spanish Edition) by Giancarlo Gardin; Massimo Rosati
Buy new: $98.00 / Used from: $368.93
If you are just going to buy a book around tropical architecture this is the one. It’s an outstanding source of inspiration for small and big houses with an everlasting tropical elegance. Good interiors, exteriors and tropical gardens. It is about the hottest destination in the Caribbean where celebrities, royals, ex-presidents and world-renowned moguls mingle in total privacy.
The Simple Home: The Luxury of Enough (American Institute Architects)The Simple Home: The Luxury of Enough (American Institute Architects) by Sarah Nettleton
Buy new: $26.40 / Used from: $10.15
This book demonstrates why less is more.
The Nature of Dwellings: The Architecture of David HoveyThe Nature of Dwellings: The Architecture of David Hovey by Cheryl Kent
Buy new: $33.75 / Used from: $21.95
This book contains some of the best modernist project build after Wirgth that are going to be classic list in near future.
An Affair with a HouseAn Affair with a House by Bunny Williams
Buy new: $34.65 / Used from: $25.00
This is a book portraying some of the best New England manor house.
Candice Olson on Design: Inspiration and Ideas for Your HomeCandice Olson on Design: Inspiration and Ideas for Your Home by Candice Olson
Buy new: $13.57 / Used from: $6.40
This is a good book about Candice work creating beautiful and functional spaces. My only cons are that I which it was available in Hardcover plus more pictures to get the whole idea of the text.
Inside the Not So Big House: Discovering the Details That Bring a Home to Life (Susanka)Inside the Not So Big House: Discovering the Details That Bring a Home to Life (Susanka) by Sarah Susanka
Buy new: $23.07 / Used from: $5.95
This is a book that show how “…the tangible and sometimes intangible details bring an otherwise ordinary home to life”.
Magnificent Italian Villas and PalacesMagnificent Italian Villas and Palaces by Cesare Cunacci
Buy used from: $11.99
This is one of the best book of Italian Villas that you'll find in the market
New York 2000: Architecture and Urbanism from the Bicentennial to the MillenniumNew York 2000: Architecture and Urbanism from the Bicentennial to the Millennium by Robert A. M. Stern
Buy new: $67.50 / Used from: $21.94
If you love New York you'll love this book of the Newest New York.
Tropical Houses: Living in Nature in Jamaica, Sri Lanka, Java, Bali, and the Coasts of Mexico and BelizeTropical Houses: Living in Nature in Jamaica, Sri Lanka, Java, Bali, and the Coasts of Mexico and Belize by Tim Street-Porter
Buy new: $37.80 / Used from: $25.99
A good book about Tropical Houses with an Asian taste.
Bali Houses: New Wave Asian Architecture and DesignBali Houses: New Wave Asian Architecture and Design by Gianni Francione
Buy new: $32.85 / Used from: $23.93
This hardcover edition is the essence of Bali in a book.
French Island EleganceFrench Island Elegance by Michael Connors
Buy new: $30.40 / Used from: $15.66
A book with pictures of some of the best spaces in the French Speaking Caribbean –Martinique, Guadaloupe, Marie-Galante, and Saint Martin-
Cuban EleganceCuban Elegance by Michael Connors
Buy new: $26.40 / Used from: $18.50
Lindo Libro! It’s a beautiful book of the Cuban Elegance of the good old years.
Creole Houses: Traditional Homes of Old LouisianaCreole Houses: Traditional Homes of Old Louisiana by Steve Gross
Buy new: $23.10 / Used from: $14.95
A very warm book of creole houses.
Crossing Boundaries: A Global Vision of DesignCrossing Boundaries: A Global Vision of Design by Vicente Wolf
Buy new: $31.50 / Used from: $15.00
This is a 360 degrees view for modern and elegant design in today’s world.
New Complete Guide to Landscaping: Design, Plant, Build (Better Homes and Gardens(R))New Complete Guide to Landscaping: Design, Plant, Build (Better Homes and Gardens(R)) by Better Homes and Gardens
Buy used from: $1.50
A good book about landscaping that will help you build know-how in the topic.
The New Garden Paradise: Great Private Gardens of the WorldThe New Garden Paradise: Great Private Gardens of the World by Dominique Browning
Buy new: $67.50 / Used from: $44.94
This is landscaping without the mush-mush and with good taste. Beautiful book with some exclusives gardens from around the world. It is a huge volume with more than 400 pages with excellent pictures throughout. My only cons is that I whish it could include more tropical gardens, we might see it in the next edition since this one is almost sold-out.
Dubai Architecture & Design (Architecture & Design Books)Dubai Architecture & Design (Architecture & Design Books)
Buy used from: $53.24
This is a book focus on today’s hottest destination in architecture and tells the story with hundreds of pictures.
The Complete Taj MahalThe Complete Taj Mahal by Ebba Koch
Buy new: $50.62 / Used from: $43.00
This is may not be the best book ever devoted to the Taj Mahal but it’s from a world-renowned authority in the matter, Koch - architectural advisor to the Taj Mahal Conservation Collaborative-. It’s in my list since it’s a testimony of the wonders that could be built in the name of love.
New China ArchitectureNew China Architecture by Xing Ruan
Buy new: $32.97 / Used from: $15.40
The future is now and this is the book that tells the story of the next wonders of the contemporary world
100 of the World's Best Bars100 of the World's Best Bars by Aisha Hasanovic
Buy used from: $33.58
One of the best books available about Bars.
Hotel Design, Planning, and Development, New EditionHotel Design, Planning, and Development, New Edition by Lawrence Adams
Buy new: $63.00 / Used from: $32.00
The title says it all: “Hotel Design, Planning, and Development”. All you might need to know about it.
The Barefoot Home: Dressed-Down Design for Casual LivingThe Barefoot Home: Dressed-Down Design for Casual Living by Marc Vassallo
Buy new: $19.80 / Used from: $3.54
A book about 20 easy-going houses. Some projects might not work in winter at certain locations but it’s a fun book to read.
Santiago Calatrava: Complete WorksSantiago Calatrava: Complete Works by Alexander Tzonis
Buy used from: $19.94
One of the best book devoted to one of today's best Architect.
The Dock Manual: Designing/Building/MaintainingThe Dock Manual: Designing/Building/Maintaining by Max Burns
Buy new: $16.47 / Used from: $8.99
This is a good book about residential docks on rivers and lakes.
House of Worship: Sacred Spaces in AmericaHouse of Worship: Sacred Spaces in America by Dominique Browning
Buy new: $34.20 / Used from: $11.75
The book is tells the history of American worship in pictures, despite religious affiliations.
Elle Decor So Chic: Glamorous Lives, Stylish SpacesElle Decor So Chic: Glamorous Lives, Stylish Spaces by Margaret Russell
Buy new: $26.40 / Used from: $16.81
A good source of inspiration for Chic and Neat Glamorous spaces.
Fundamentals of Building Construction: Materials and MethodsFundamentals of Building Construction: Materials and Methods by Edward Allen
Buy used from: $12.44
This is and up today third edition of the “building construction bible”.
Design Like You Give a Damn: Architectural Responses to Humanitarian CrisesDesign Like You Give a Damn: Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crises by Architecture for Humanity
Buy new: $23.10 / Used from: $20.00
This is a book good for upcoming architects and the balance between the environment and the human being despite the esthetic.
A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction (Center for Environmental Structure Series)A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction (Center for Environmental Structure Series) by Christopher Alexander
Buy new: $40.95 / Used from: $34.92
This is a must read in the list of any urban designer. It’s one of the few books that addressed the approach of architecture and the psychology behind them. It’s huge but easy to read and full of knowledge that will help you understand why there are buildings that works.
Google SketchUp For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))Google SketchUp For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)) by Aidan Chopra
Buy new: $16.49 / Used from: $4.50
I hadn't try Google SketchUp but this is a most.
Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, & Students (Design Briefs)Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, & Students (Design Briefs) by Ellen Lupton
Buy new: $14.93 / Used from: $11.50
This is a best seller text book good for upcoming architects and designers. It’s divided into three sections where each section begins with an easy-to-grasp essay, and is then followed by practical exercises that bring the material covered to life.
Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented ArchitectureBrunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture by Ross King
Buy new: $10.20 / Used from: $1.49
This is the story of how Brunelleschi’s build his famous dome at cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence. A most read for architects and lovers of the Italian culture.
The House the Rockefellers Built: A Tale of Money, Taste, and Power in Twentieth-Century AmericaThe House the Rockefellers Built: A Tale of Money, Taste, and Power in Twentieth-Century America by Robert F. Dalzell
Buy new: $22.80 / Used from: $3.09
This is a House with a Pedregree. The book is fun to read and good to see.
The Architecture of HappinessThe Architecture of Happiness by Alain De Botton
Buy new: $17.79 / Used from: $3.50
This is and inspiring book that evaluate how architecture influence the way of living of the people. With good of examples of buildings that will help us understand the point of the author.
30,000 Years of Art30,000 Years of Art by Editors of Phaidon
Buy new: $32.97 / Used from: $19.87
A beautifull book with more than 1000 color illustrations, showcasing the evolution art over diverse cultures from prehistoric to modern times.
Planet Earth: As You've Never Seen It BeforePlanet Earth: As You've Never Seen It Before by Alastair Fothergill
Buy new: $26.37 / Used from: $7.74
This book will open our mind and sensibility harts with breathtaking pictures from around the world.
101 Things I Learned in Architecture School101 Things I Learned in Architecture School by Matthew Frederick
Buy new: $9.07 / Used from: $5.00
This is an easy to read books for beginners or friends willing to get into the field of Architecture, from the basics of "How to Draw a Line" to the complexities of color theory.
A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose (Oprah's Book Club, Selection 61)A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose (Oprah's Book Club, Selection 61) by Eckhart Tolle
Buy new: $9.29 / Used from: $0.01
Don't forget to look inside.
The Digital Photography BookThe Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby
Buy new: $15.83 / Used from: $12.95
Last but not least you'll need this book. We all want or will need at a certain time a picture to capture the te precious moments at our house. This is the book to help you get the shot you always wanted without the technical language.
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar WaoThe Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz
Buy new: $10.08 / Used from: $4.16
This is a very folkloric book portraying the saga of an unlucky Dominican in NY. Despite the use of some crude language the author tells a story in a very original way. It is like listening to a friend telling a gossip. It is a way of written never seen before.