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Rating: 
Summary: Save your money
Review: A good example of why you would go to the library or bookstore and see if the book was any good, prior to purchasing. Specifically, author hits a wide range of topics and delves into little. The book lacks summaries and lacks a general direction. Some nice photos, which probably resulted in the excessive price. Save your money.
Rating:
Summary: Yikes!! Simplistic & dated for 1999
Review: Based on the previous reviews I expected a rigorous, comprehensive, organized & contemporary approach to the topic but was soon disappointed with almost every aspect of the book, It's photo's, text, timeliness, scope, scholarship and even general layout are substandard for 1999.The book discusses landscape in primarily visual terms i.e. the landscape is seen as something to be artistically composed according to principles espoused by the Master's of design, i.e. Corb, Wright, etc. as if that is enough. Wrong! For instance, a golf course is a monoculture with environmental benefits equivalent to a parking lot, yet the author cites numerous examples of the genre as something to aspire to. Throughout the book, broad statements are made and not explained or justified, i.e. New York City is considered a bad landscape, a sort of icon of man's inhumanity to man, but on the next page Central Park is heralded for it's design and benefits, yet the author doesn't bother to explain either assertion, socially, environmentally, even visually, as if the statements and pictures are self evident. In short, if you know nothing about ANY kind of design, perhaps this book is of some help, but if, like me you've studied architecture and are looking to add to your understanding of landscape architecture this book has VERY little to offer.
Rating: 
Summary: not a reference book
Review: Good photos but not so pleasure to read it. It covers whole range of landscape architectural topic. It give you the whole picture of this field. If you want to know what't the field about, you may buy it since there are not so many selections for you. However, the text is very dry.
Rating:
Summary: not a reference book
Review: Good photos but not so pleasure to read it. It covers whole range of landscape architectural topic. It give you the whole picture of this field. If you want to know what't the field about, you may buy it since there are not so many selections for you. However, the text is very dry.
Rating: 
Summary: Wise and wonderful!
Review: I was surprised to see the two prior comments and suspect that they were not written by anyone in the landscape architecture field. This book has been the classic introductory text since the 1960s. As a text, it does not purport to be a definitive reference but rather to acquaint the student and layperson with the breadth of landscape architecture. It is not at all focused on the surface alone--Simonds has been one of the pioneers of sustainable ecological design, and the book proves it, covering, among other topics, natural water systems, native plants, greenways, and climate. As Simonds states, "The work of the landscape architect...is to help bring people...into harmonious relationship with the living earth--with the 'want to be' of the land." This book points us in the right direction!
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Summary: Great book for anyone interested in Landscape Architecture
Review: This book covers all aspects of Landscape Architecture. For a student, this book takes landscape architecture and turns it around and exposes all facets. For a professional, it offers more points of view to stimulate your creativity.
Rating:
Summary: excellent resource for students and landscape architects.
Review: This book is an EXCELLENT research and design tool, especially for landscape architecture students. The color photographs are incredible and numerous. Also there are HUNDREDS of simple to understand, wonderful illustrations. I find so much of the material helpful not only in guiding my design thought processes but also for use in presentations as well. Although I have many landscape architecture books, I find this is the one I go back to over and over again. I cannot emphasize enough how valuable it is too me and worth every cent it cost me. I truly believe that it should be a must for every future landscape architect.
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