In the post-World War I era; as the economic boom of the 1920s gathered momentum; millions of Americans set out to make the dream of owning their own home come true. Labor and materials were plentiful and cheap; and new trends in home design made the prospect of homebuilding an exciting venture. This fascinating book; a reprint of a rare catalog of prefabricated houses from 1923; reveals in detail the types of design offered to those in the market for a new home in the early 1920s.Of the 117 designs included; most are substantial middle-class homes. But the popularity of cottages and bungalows is also apparent in the wide selection of practical and appealing designs depicted. And there are large; formal homes as well; many of which embody Americas unflagging interest in colonial styling. Some have affluent touches such as a sleeping porch or a sun room. Many reflect a strong interest in exterior detailing; in the form of cypress siding; broad eaves; heavy timber brackets; stucco pillars; and flower boxes; among other features.Each house is shown in a large frontal illustration. Floor plans for the first and second floors are included; and interior and exterior detailing are extensively described. The specifics of plumbing; heating; and lighting are included in a special section at the back of the book.Architects; architectural and social historians — anyone interested in American home design — will enjoy the rich variety of designs presented. Republished in association with the Athenaeum of Philadelphia; this authentic catalog provides not only an indispensable repository of information about the homes themselves but a source of insight into American life at a time when owning a home became a widely realizable dream for a rapidly growing middle class.
#90321 in eBooks 2012-07-12 2012-06-14File Name: B00CB2MK08
Review
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful. An impressive accomplishmentBy Read-OnlyThe book tackles an incredibly complex issue; how our aesthetic sense is unified across different art forms; with evidence from brain scanning experiments. I am familiar with the psychological and neuroscience techniques; and these are all described accurately and conservatively; unlike many pop attempts to use brain data to explain everything. Starr is too sophisticated to engage in reductive explanations like "beauty is detected by the anterior commissure." Nonetheless; she is able to cast new light on questions such as how our reaction to literature approaches our reactions to reality... or in some cases surpasses it. She also spends considerable time investigating whether our responses to different art forms are similar or different.The writing is not necessarily simple; even as it is well written. I had to read many sentences twice. Given that the book will be of relevance to those interested in literature; neuroscience; and aesthetics more generally; my suspicion is that different readers will find different portions hard and easy going. Nonetheless; at the end; I was very glad I had read it. Based on my familiarity with the cognitive neuroscience literature (but lack of familiarity with the humanities end of things); I suspect that this book is state of the art. Being able to understand and describe studies from experimental psychology; neuroscience results; theories of aesthetics; and literary analysis is a collection of skills that very few people in the world have. A most impressive accomplishment.14 of 14 people found the following review helpful. My feeling toward "Feeling Beauty"By Mohsen JanatpourI like the authors in depth treatment of aesthetic experience from a neuroscientific perspective. She presents a nice overview of the findings of neuroaesthetics along with an extensive annotated bibliography. Her treatment of the commonality of sister arts is delightful. But most of all; I find her unification of the arts through the workings of the brain a fascinating first step toward the understanding of the arts and their relationship to human experience.0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. TurgidBy GLRPHDHad a hard time wading through this. It almost makes beauty tedious.