The Encyclopedia of Housing

Rating:
Summary: Catherine, Called Birdy
Review: I think the book Catherine, Called Birdy is a great book for young people like myself. In the book, Catherine is trying to get through her life of being a 14 year old girl who's father is making her marry whoever he wants. How would you like it if you mother or father was making you marry whoever they wanted. I know that I wouldn't like that. Everyday she has to write in her diary and tell how her day went. Her good friend went off with her uncle and they were going to get married but she found some other rich boy and married him. I gave this book 5 star because it had love, action, sadness and much more. I think that is what makes all books good. With a little bit of everything. When you start reading this book you won't want to stop. Everyday we have to go through life no matter what. Catherine had to go through some very hard times. With the prospect of her best friend marrying her uncle and her dad making her marry whoever he wanted, but she was still able to put the past behind her and go on with her life. That's what we should do when we face hard times. Just remember the name Catherine, Called Birdy

Rating:
Summary: Not comprehensive enough...
Review: The essence of every encyclopedia is to cover the largest number of topics (entries) pertinent to the field in study. Although Housing is a vast term and can encompass many things, this book has clearly missed a huge number. If my memory serves me right there is no mention about neighborhood concept, very little on new urbanism, nothing on smart growth, ecological villages and sustainable communities...there is much more missing, this is only a part. As I said it is tough to include all, but take a note of the upcoming Encyclopedia of the City from Routledge (editor Professor Roger Caves from San Diego) and you will see what an encyclopedia means. This book needs a 2nd heavily revised edition. I don't envy the editors at all, it is a horrible task to do something like this.