ARTS & HUMANITIES Houses of 111 Repute Nobo… · quality of architectural criti-cism. VERDICT...

ARTS & HUMANITIES

Houses of 111 ReputeBrittain-Catlin, Timothy.Bleak Houses:Disappointment andFailure in Architecture.MIT. 2014.192p. illus.notes, hibliog. index. ISBN9780262026697. $24.95;ehk. ISBN 9780262321259.

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Brittain-Catlin (seniorlecturer, Kent Sch. of Ar-chitecture) looks at lost,neglected, and modified de-signs of England's forgottenarchitects, referring to themas "losers" throughout. Hepostulates that most writingon architectural history isineffective since it returnsrepeatedly to the best exam-ples of successful architec-ture but fails to give criticalattention to lesser-knownbuildings. Looking mainly atstructures of the last centuryto the present the author de-scribes how the lack of con-versation about architecturehas resulted in pervasivebad design. "Loser" archi-tects cannot relate to theloñy ideals of conventionalcriticism so they go in theirown directions, producingugly constructs with undis-ciplined designs. Readersof this book may want toconsider Douglas Murphy'sArchitecture of Failure,which references Victorianglass and iron design asan archetype for the recur-ring faults of architects to

produce lasting innovation.This title is difficult to fol-low because of the author'swordiness and use of run-onsentences; nevertheless,Brittain-Catlin makes a goodcase for reevaluating thequality of architectural criti-cism. VERDICT Architecturefaculty and practicing archi-tects will find this book tobe a valuable source of pro-fessional discussion.—Eric G.Linderman, Euclid P.L., OH

Huhka, Thomas C.Houses WithoutNames: ArchitecturalNomenclature and theClassification of America'sCommon Houses. Univ.of Tennessee. (VernacularArchitecture Studies). 2013.112p. illus. notes, index.ISBN 9781572339477. pap.$29.95. ARCH

This is one title in a se-ries of books produced by

the Vernacular ArchitectureForum. It is a reasonedexplanation for develop-ing definitions for commondomestic homes in theUnited States, with a callfor the public, students, andarchitectural historians touse the theories set forth toconduct a census of regionalhomes. In order to developa common descriptive lan-guage for homes, Hubka[Resplendent Synagogue:Architecture and Worship inan Eighteenth-Century PoiishCommunity) argues that aresidence should be identi-fied by its outside featuresas well as its interior layout.The work includes smallblack-and-white photographsof exteriors and diagramsof floor plans. A set ofrepresentative blueprints issupplied with the author'suniversal term describinggroups of floor plans. Forexample, homes built be-tween 1800 and 2000 canbe primarily classified intothese groupings: suburban;minimal-traditional; manu-factured home; split-level;and ranch. VERDICT Thisbook is for readers interestedin domestic architecture inthe United States and forthose who want to create aclassification scheme andconduct a census of com-mon homes.—Valerie Nye,Coll. of Santa Fe, NM

ginnings of the closing of the canon forboth Jews and Christians (third centuryCE). He provides a treasury of historicalhighlights, biblical backstories, and detailsof textual production as well as a sweepingoverview of the struggles within Judaismand Christianity to establish the bases oftheir own spiritual authority. This far-too-seldom-studied area of biblical historydeserves this attention and Satlow's effortdoes not disappoint. For those wantingmore the extensive bibliography points theway. VERDICT Satlow serves as the best sortof tour guide to the history of this book

called the Bible.—Sandra Collins, ByzantineCatholic Seminary Lib., Pittsburgh

Watson, Peter. The Age of Atheists: HowWe Have Sought To Live Since the Deathof God. S. & S. 2014.512p. notes, index.ISBN 9781476754314. $35; ehk. ISBN9781476754338. RELThe breathtakingly vast scope of intellec-tual historian Watson's ridiculously ambi-tious narrative is reminiscent of his pre-vious works Ideas and The Modern Mind.Despite the misleading American title (theBritish edition was more appropriately ti-

tled The Age of Nothing), this is not so muchan attack on religion or a defense of athe-ism as it is a chronicle of the myriad waysin which people have attempted to answerthe question of how to find meaning sinceFriedrich Nietzsche famously declared that"God is dead" in 1882. Although chal-lenging, this very readable survey coversartists, novelists, dramatists, poets, sci-entists, psychologists, philosophers, andmore.. Watson takes readers on a whirl-wind tour that includes major figures fromthe past 130 years—Virginia Woolf, PabloPicasso, Sigmund Freud, and WallaceStevens, up through Richard Dawkinsand Ronald Dworkin, among many oth-ers. VERDICT Although there were timeswhen, ironically, this reviewer wished forWatson to neatly tie some of the innu-merable threads of thought together, hisintended purpose is more to point, map,and chronicle them. In this, the authorhas provided an accessible entryway intoan immense body of knowledge that curi-ous readers will be inspired to pursue fur-ther.—Brian Sullivan, Alfred Univ. Lib., NY

SPORTS & RECREATIONFeinstein, John. Where Nobody KnowsYour Name: Life in the Minor Leagues ofBasehall. Doubleday. 2014.384p. index.ISBN 9780385535939. $26.95; ebk. ISBN9780385535946. SPORTSWith firsthand interviews and an omni-scient presence, Feinstein {Washington Postcolumnist; Season on the Brink) chroniclesa diverse range of personalities experienc-ing the grind of a minor league season andsharing an ambition to reach the majors.The author believes poignant sportingnarratives are not made by recountingthe lives of immortal players or legendaryevents, but rather by portraying "the guyswho love their games, even though theyoften fail while playing them." And it isthese unheralded individuals Feinstein de-picts. For highly touted prospects, the mi-nors are a temporary initiation to the rig-ors of professional baseball before reachingthe majors. Yet, for most, these leagues arean inescapable reality of brief call-ups anda constant revolving door between orga-nizations. VERDICT Feinstein accomplishesmore than revealing an aspect of baseballthat many fans overlook or relegate to asubsidiary of the major leagues. He pres-ents relatable characters whose dedicationand sacrifice create empathy. While pri-marily recommended to baseball fans forits survey of a misunderstood aspect of thesport, all readers may gain inspiration fromthe perseverance of underdogs pursuing alifelong passion.—Stephen Arougheti, ArizonaState Univ., Phoenix

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