What do you think?
Rate this book
Writers & Readers Documentary Comic Book #29
Architecture for Beginners
Looks at the development of architectural style, discusses influential architects, and examines the social impact of architecture
218 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1986
14 people are currently reading
266 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 19, 2021
Erfc.
I knew next to nothing about architecture.Then I read this book.
Now I know more about architecture, but not much. Mainly it is about the way history and architecture have influenced each other, from caves all the way to neo-neo-classicalism, culminating in a sermonette on "the failure of modern architecture" and the prospect of Returning To The Land (a prospect I view with terror and abhorrence, though you're welcome to do it if you like).
As you might guess, the author takes a strong leftist and somewhat postmodernist stance that shows up early and often. I wouldn't call it a bias, exactly, because he goes out of his way to get his facts straight.
He states his purpose clearly: "Challenging the historian's presentation of buildings as art objects isolated from society, this book is not so much about the History of Architecture, as the Architecture of History." An admirable enough goal, I suppose, but not really a good subject for a book "for beginners". In line with this purpose, I learned, in a general way, about a lot of historical movements in architecture, and the social and commercial forces behind them.
But I came away with little more understanding of the _elements_ of architecture than I had going in.
No doubt, this is partly because of the format of the "for Beginners" series: one part text to three or four parts drawings, cartoons, and (usuallyout of focus) photographs. These can be fun, and I've found some of the volumes about particular philosophers gave me a point of entry into their actual work.
But Hellman makes no attempt whatsoever to provide any systematic presentation of the things that make up a house, an office building, or a barn. Do you know the difference between a barn and a shed? I didn't, and the book didn't tell me, though my wife, who is up on architecture, did. That probably would be a bit too esoteric for a "beginners" book, but it would be nice if it explained what an apse is, or anything more detailed than the three types of classical columns (which I already knew anyway).
So, yeah, I found it disappointing. Can't recommend it.
I knew next to nothing about architecture.Then I read this book.
Now I know more about architecture, but not much. Mainly it is about the way history and architecture have influenced each other, from caves all the way to neo-neo-classicalism, culminating in a sermonette on "the failure of modern architecture" and the prospect of Returning To The Land (a prospect I view with terror and abhorrence, though you're welcome to do it if you like).
As you might guess, the author takes a strong leftist and somewhat postmodernist stance that shows up early and often. I wouldn't call it a bias, exactly, because he goes out of his way to get his facts straight.
He states his purpose clearly: "Challenging the historian's presentation of buildings as art objects isolated from society, this book is not so much about the History of Architecture, as the Architecture of History." An admirable enough goal, I suppose, but not really a good subject for a book "for beginners". In line with this purpose, I learned, in a general way, about a lot of historical movements in architecture, and the social and commercial forces behind them.
But I came away with little more understanding of the _elements_ of architecture than I had going in.
No doubt, this is partly because of the format of the "for Beginners" series: one part text to three or four parts drawings, cartoons, and (usuallyout of focus) photographs. These can be fun, and I've found some of the volumes about particular philosophers gave me a point of entry into their actual work.
But Hellman makes no attempt whatsoever to provide any systematic presentation of the things that make up a house, an office building, or a barn. Do you know the difference between a barn and a shed? I didn't, and the book didn't tell me, though my wife, who is up on architecture, did. That probably would be a bit too esoteric for a "beginners" book, but it would be nice if it explained what an apse is, or anything more detailed than the three types of classical columns (which I already knew anyway).
So, yeah, I found it disappointing. Can't recommend it.
June 18, 2025
A spectacular book about architecture, written for the layperson to quickly know a lot more about all sorts of architecture styles and its progression throughout history.
This is NOT a substitute for a textbook and does not seek to tell you all about the current field or how to be an architect or anything like that. Instead, it helps you understand architecture on a deeper level, how it fits in with society, how it's affected by money and power and people.
This book is a little cynical at times and very much has an opinion, but these are good things - it SHOULD have an opinion when it comes to things like slave labor and oppressive capitalist regimes. I'm baffled by people rating this book lower because it's "biased," as if having a bias against bad things is a bad thing, or as if everything isn't inherently biased and taking a "neutral" tone would have been just as biased except in favor of the oppressors. If anything, I appreciated this book's frankness and connection to reality, without couching concepts in abstract, distanced phrasing that would only serve to separate the impact architecture has on real individual human beings.
Loved the illustrations, loved the amazing graphics. A fun, enjoyable, and very thorough look into the architecture of history and where that leaves us today.
This is NOT a substitute for a textbook and does not seek to tell you all about the current field or how to be an architect or anything like that. Instead, it helps you understand architecture on a deeper level, how it fits in with society, how it's affected by money and power and people.
This book is a little cynical at times and very much has an opinion, but these are good things - it SHOULD have an opinion when it comes to things like slave labor and oppressive capitalist regimes. I'm baffled by people rating this book lower because it's "biased," as if having a bias against bad things is a bad thing, or as if everything isn't inherently biased and taking a "neutral" tone would have been just as biased except in favor of the oppressors. If anything, I appreciated this book's frankness and connection to reality, without couching concepts in abstract, distanced phrasing that would only serve to separate the impact architecture has on real individual human beings.
Loved the illustrations, loved the amazing graphics. A fun, enjoyable, and very thorough look into the architecture of history and where that leaves us today.
May 14, 2018
Despite the graphic novel format, it is sophisticated, not a history of architecture, but the architecture of history
October 20, 2015
Very simple and simplistic overview of Western architecture. Mostly graphics, a few amusing words. Good for those who need a painless quick overview of broad development of architecture. Covers the main movements and architects in a way that is easy to understand and remember.
December 14, 2008
good book for everyone, simple and easy to understand. first step to understand what is architecture.
July 6, 2013
Good basic information though the author definitely has a bias against modernism.
May 6, 2014
I love architecture!
July 2, 2014
The commentary is overtly subjective and cynical, but the approach, comic and brief, still makes for an interesting and informed breakdown of architectural history and style.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews